2. Sister Dearest Starfire brought the small child back to Titan Tower, speaking to her in Tamaranean the entire way. She never came within more than 5 feet of the ground the entire way, so happy was she to be reunited with this small one. The rest of the Titans followed, somewhat confused, as Starfire had yet to explain what was going on.
By the time they reached the Tower, the little girl had fallen asleep from exhaustion. Starfire tucked her into her own bed, then sat for a while, stroking her hair. Robin stood nearby, touched at the motherly affection Star was showing the child. Finally, he decided to speak up.
"Star...is she who you lost? Who you were remembering?" He was pretty sure this was the case, since Star had said she didn't fly while remembering.
"Yes," she said quietly. "She is Mim'hander, my little sister. In your language, her name would be Lightfire."
"Lightfire?"
"Yes." Star gestured to Mim'hander's hair. "The golden yellow you call blonde...it is an unusual color for Tamaranean hair. It is like pure light, and so she was named for it. I...I am so happy to find her alive." She wipes tears of joy from her eyes. "I should make a Pudding of Reunion, to celebrate being with her again, but I don't want to leave her alone..."
"It's okay, Star." Robin smiled at her. "I'll stay with her."
She turned to Robin with a radiant smile. "You are wonderful, Robin." Seizing him by the shoulders, she gave him a deep kiss, leaving him rather stupified when she pulled away. She turned to head to the kitchen, then stopped, lost in thought. Then she speaks. "Robin, should she wake before I return, you need to say something so she will trust you."
Robin managed to snap out of it. "But she doesn't speak English. What should I say?"
"Repeat after me: Mim'hander, Ikosha Robin, nizara ex'cosh Kor'iander."
"What?"
"Say it, please. I need to know you have it right."
"Umm...Mim'hander, Ikosha Robin, nizara...ex'cosh Kor'iander. Was that it?"
"Yes, that is correct. It is not...entirely accurate, but it is the best way you can introduce yourself to her in our native tongue. Thank you Robin." She gives him another quick kiss, and then rushes to the kitchen.
Robin sits there, looking down at Mim'hander for a while. After a time, she stirs and opens her eyes. She looks at Robin, suddenly afraid. He smiles at her.
"Mim'hander, Ikosha Robin, nizara ex'cosh Kor'iander." He was pretty sure he got that correct.
Looking up at him, she smiled, then surged forward and kissed him on the lips. He was startled at first, but then he remembered that was how Tamaraneans absorbed new languages. When she pulled back, she spoke. "I'm Mim'hander, Kor'iander's little sister. It is a pleasure to greet my beloved sister's betrothed."
"Be-what now?" Robin said, somewhat shocked.
"That is what you said, wasn't it? That you are Kor'i's fiance?"
Robin sweatdropped. "Translation issues..." he mumbled under his breath. Out loud, he said, "Star told me that was the best way to explain who I was in your language. Actually...I'm her boyfriend."
She looked at him confused. "What is this 'boyfriend' of which you speak?"
He chuckled to himself, remembering how Starfire was when she first came to Earth. "Well, Mimzy-"
"Mimzy?" She looks confused.
"It's a nickname of sorts. Mim'hander is a bit of a mouthfull in English, and Light as a name is masculine."
She thought about it for a while. "It sounds...cute."
"That's why it suits you."
She giggles. "I think I like it."
"Well, anyway, what I was saying was, there is a custom on Earth where two young people start dating, getting to know each other as they begin to pursue a romantic relationship, before they decide whether or not they wish to be betrothed. After they've been dating for a while, but before they are engaged, they are referred to as boyfriend-girlfriend."
"Oh!" Her eyes light up in understanding. "The F'lo'shins of Tarkus 5 have a similar concept. They call it-" here, Mimzy says something that sounds like gargling rocks, with a lot of ch's, k's, and x's.
Robin grins. "So I'm Star's-" he attempts to pronounce it, but gets the inflection off.
"No...you said it wrong," Mimzy said with a blush. "The way I said it, you are Starfire's boyfriend." As Star walks in, not hearing the rest of the conversation, Mimzy continues, "You just told me you're Starfire's sex toy."
Starfire eeps, blushing and dropping the pudding. Robin turns bright red.
By the time they reached the Tower, the little girl had fallen asleep from exhaustion. Starfire tucked her into her own bed, then sat for a while, stroking her hair. Robin stood nearby, touched at the motherly affection Star was showing the child. Finally, he decided to speak up.
"Star...is she who you lost? Who you were remembering?" He was pretty sure this was the case, since Star had said she didn't fly while remembering.
"Yes," she said quietly. "She is Mim'hander, my little sister. In your language, her name would be Lightfire."
"Lightfire?"
"Yes." Star gestured to Mim'hander's hair. "The golden yellow you call blonde...it is an unusual color for Tamaranean hair. It is like pure light, and so she was named for it. I...I am so happy to find her alive." She wipes tears of joy from her eyes. "I should make a Pudding of Reunion, to celebrate being with her again, but I don't want to leave her alone..."
"It's okay, Star." Robin smiled at her. "I'll stay with her."
She turned to Robin with a radiant smile. "You are wonderful, Robin." Seizing him by the shoulders, she gave him a deep kiss, leaving him rather stupified when she pulled away. She turned to head to the kitchen, then stopped, lost in thought. Then she speaks. "Robin, should she wake before I return, you need to say something so she will trust you."
Robin managed to snap out of it. "But she doesn't speak English. What should I say?"
"Repeat after me: Mim'hander, Ikosha Robin, nizara ex'cosh Kor'iander."
"What?"
"Say it, please. I need to know you have it right."
"Umm...Mim'hander, Ikosha Robin, nizara...ex'cosh Kor'iander. Was that it?"
"Yes, that is correct. It is not...entirely accurate, but it is the best way you can introduce yourself to her in our native tongue. Thank you Robin." She gives him another quick kiss, and then rushes to the kitchen.
Robin sits there, looking down at Mim'hander for a while. After a time, she stirs and opens her eyes. She looks at Robin, suddenly afraid. He smiles at her.
"Mim'hander, Ikosha Robin, nizara ex'cosh Kor'iander." He was pretty sure he got that correct.
Looking up at him, she smiled, then surged forward and kissed him on the lips. He was startled at first, but then he remembered that was how Tamaraneans absorbed new languages. When she pulled back, she spoke. "I'm Mim'hander, Kor'iander's little sister. It is a pleasure to greet my beloved sister's betrothed."
"Be-what now?" Robin said, somewhat shocked.
"That is what you said, wasn't it? That you are Kor'i's fiance?"
Robin sweatdropped. "Translation issues..." he mumbled under his breath. Out loud, he said, "Star told me that was the best way to explain who I was in your language. Actually...I'm her boyfriend."
She looked at him confused. "What is this 'boyfriend' of which you speak?"
He chuckled to himself, remembering how Starfire was when she first came to Earth. "Well, Mimzy-"
"Mimzy?" She looks confused.
"It's a nickname of sorts. Mim'hander is a bit of a mouthfull in English, and Light as a name is masculine."
She thought about it for a while. "It sounds...cute."
"That's why it suits you."
She giggles. "I think I like it."
"Well, anyway, what I was saying was, there is a custom on Earth where two young people start dating, getting to know each other as they begin to pursue a romantic relationship, before they decide whether or not they wish to be betrothed. After they've been dating for a while, but before they are engaged, they are referred to as boyfriend-girlfriend."
"Oh!" Her eyes light up in understanding. "The F'lo'shins of Tarkus 5 have a similar concept. They call it-" here, Mimzy says something that sounds like gargling rocks, with a lot of ch's, k's, and x's.
Robin grins. "So I'm Star's-" he attempts to pronounce it, but gets the inflection off.
"No...you said it wrong," Mimzy said with a blush. "The way I said it, you are Starfire's boyfriend." As Star walks in, not hearing the rest of the conversation, Mimzy continues, "You just told me you're Starfire's sex toy."
Starfire eeps, blushing and dropping the pudding. Robin turns bright red.