OK just a cute little blurb of family fluff between TH and Quailius. This is right before O66 because I'm evil like that. Enjoy~
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Tenderheart POV
"Molle saya." General Sorna mutters when she sees the wound. I carefully unwrap the rest and let her work. In no time my brother's injury is healed up. I reapply sterile bandages just to keep the area clean, and send him on his way. Me and the General work to clean up the medbay after another hard battle.
After some time, I decide to ask the question that's been on my mind. "Hey General, could you teach me what some of those terms mean? I'd like to know what you're saying all the time." I request.
"Sure." She shugs. Setting the last of the supplies back in there place. She walks over to sit on an unused cot and nods to the space beside her. I sit down and face her expectedly.
"Ok, what do you want to know?" She asks. Hood flaring with curiosity.
"That thing you said earlier, 'Molly says' or something. What does that mean?" I start.
The corners of her mouth flicker upwards in amusement.
"Molle saya." She corrects. "Well, start with the root. Saya means 'safe', and is used as a comforting word. Then you add on. Taki saya means 'you are safe', and is also used to console. Say you wanted to comfort a crying child. You'd say: Taki saya Tensi, you are safe, little one." She explains.
"Now molle saya means 'that's not safe'. It's a warning, but is commmonly used more as an exclamation. Similar to 'oh force' or 'holy blurrg'."
Where has she heard those before?
Oh wait, Ross.
I take in every word, it's all incredibly fascinating. I like learning about her language.
"That's interesting General. Thanks for teaching me." I smile. She nods.
She teaches me several more terms, coaching me on pronunciation and practicing untill I get it. Before we finish I remember one thing I've caught her saying a couple of times.
"Hey General, what's that thing you call us when you greet us sometimes? Tensi or something?"
She tenses up, then looks down sheepishly, hood tucked close to her neck. Wait, what? I didn't think General Sorna could look timid. What could that phrase possibly mean for her to react this way? She looks back up at me.
"Tensi sikui." She corrects. "Roughly translated it means: little nestmate. On Borazth, nestmate is what you would call someone incredibly close to you, someone you consider as a brother or sister, like you were raised in the same 'nest'." She describes.
"For contrast, Sakuii is hatchmate. So that would be a blood sibling, someone you 'hatched' with."
I look at her, confused for a moment before I realize her meaning.
"You've been calling us....little brothers." I state. She gives a small smile.
"Yes. I don't even remember when I started that but, I have. I will stop if you want, I know you clones take the title of brother very seriously." She confirms, still looking a bit embarrassed at being caught.
"No, it's fine. I don't speak for the others, but I'd be honored to be your tensi sikui, General." I smile at her. Now that I think about it, a few of us look to her as a big sister in a way. Not that we've had one to compare her too. But she's not a mother figure, that much I know. So yeah, she's kind of like our older sister.
"So, how would I say big sister then?" I ask.
A smile breaks across her face. "that would be magna sikua." She answers.
"Well then, thanks for the lesson, General. I'm glad to have you as my magna sikua." I say with pride. Her smile slowly turns to a smirk and surprisingly, she chuckles.
"As sweet as that was, you pronounced it so wrong." She laughs. I join in.
"I guess I still have more to learn."