Author's Note: Y'all finally get to meet the male MC *happy clapping*

NICKNAME

Jinvauk'thwi awoke to the distant sound of high-pitched screaming. He groaned as he sat up, looking around the flight deck for the soft-skin. She wasn't there. Another scream filtered through the hull, loud and long. And familiar.

"Shit," he hissed, climbing to his feet. The wounds on his back and face burned. His head spun. He retched as he reached the door, gasping for breath while he fumbled with the switch.

Another scream, this one clear and loud, bore into his skull as he exited the flight deck. It was the soft-skin, shrieking and waving her arms about in a desperate attempt to intimidate the large predator closing in on her. Since it hadn't pounced yet, Jinvauk'thwi assumed it was more curious than hungry. Had he not felt like he was about to throw up, the scene would have been amusing to watch unfold. But the hunter wasn't in the mood.

He crouched and bellowed.

The creature whipped about, hissing as it locked eyes on him. It cast a wary glance between him and the soft-skin, hesitating. Jinvauk'thwi approached it with smooth, measured steps, snarling at it. One strange-smelling bipedal creature wasn't enough to intimidate the apex predator. Two bipedal creatures, however… Slowly, the bristling creature slunk away, looking back to make sure it wasn't being followed before it disappeared into the foliage.

The soft-skin collapsed onto her rear, panting in relief. What an annoyance. All of it. And yet he was indebted to this helpless, mewling creature.

He huffed when he saw the stick of metal in her hand, the same one she had used to stab his tormentor. At least she wasn't stupid enough to walk around unarmed. As Jinvauk'thwi approached, he noticed the other item grasped in her hand.

The soft-skin climbed to her feet, trembling slightly. He wanted to roll his eyes. She wasn't even wounded. Was she a child? It was difficult to tell — soft-skins were all so small compared to most intelligent species.

It hissed something, then looked up at him with its large eyes. Jinvauk'thwi found it difficult to hold her gaze, the intensity of it discomforting. He held firm though. He was not going to be put off-balance by something with the strength of a twig.

The soft-skin then tucked her "weapon" into her waistband and held up the strange object toward him, like a pup showing off its first kill. She seemed eager about it, chattering in her high-pitched, nasally tongue. Jinvauk'thwi leaned in, huffing in the scent of the plant. His mouth instantly began to seep. Water. He straightened, his perception of her elevating a smidge. She'd found water and was offering it to him. He reached for it, hesitating for a moment — she wouldn't understand the suggestion implied by a female offering a drink to a male. Thirst, however, compelled him and he took the plant-sack, tipping it back and letting the water splash down his parched throat.

The soft-skin made a sound of distress as he gulped down the liquid. The hunter paused to breathe, droplets trickling down his chin as he looked down at her. Had it not wanted him to drink any?

She began darting about, looking for something. Jinvauk'thwi watched, perplexed. The soft-skin returned with several sticks, holding them up like she had the water sack. He stared at her, stumped by the gesture. Did she… want him to eat sticks?

When he didn't respond, the oonan dropped them to the ground and started rubbing them together. It took the hunter several moments to understand what she wanted. Fire. Just like when he'd opened the door, she was worried about infection.

His upper-left mandible twitched in annoyance. He'd explained this to her already. The serum she'd been given would protect her. Jinvauk'thwi took another gulp then kicked the sticks from her hands, placing the water sack back in her care.

"Drink," he growled.

The soft-skin seemed to pout, big eyes flicking between him, the scattered wood, and the water. With a long dramatic sigh and grumbling, she opened her mouth and tipped her head back. When she finished drinking, she licked her lips. Jinvauk'thwi tightened his mandibles into a slight grimace at the strange sight. It was rude to show one's tongue to someone. And also suggestive in certain contexts.

He looked over in the direction where the creature had gone, suddenly hungry. Had he not been so weak, he would have killed it.

Jinvauk'thwi felt a small finger poke his forearm. He rumbled as he returned his attention to her, defensive prickles crawling up his skin. For one as fragile as her, the soft-skin was acting far too bold.

She tapped her chest. "Adira."

The hunter studied her. Did she want to exchange names? Begrudgingly, he had to acknowledge she'd earned the right to know his. Shame sunk into his shoulders. He'd allowed an enemy to take him alive. Everyone else had perished, honor intact. But not him. Did he even deserve his name?

"Adira," the female repeated, looking up at him expectantly.

He rumbled. "Jinvauk'thwi." It meant Wise Blood as he was less prone to rash anger despite his youth. The thrill of the hunt did not grip him as easily as it did some of his kin. A few of his shedded tendrils had regrown faded, making him appear older than he actually was. At the moment, his name felt like a mockery.

The soft-skin's face scrunched up. "Gyin… nockee?"

"Jin-vauk-thwi," he enunciated.

"Zhivaukthi."

He huffed. This is pointless, he thought, turning away. The soft-skin ran after him, babbling.

"Jin!"

The hunter froze. No one else called him that. No one except his hunting partners and even then only when the three of them were alone together. He tilted his head, eyeing her suspiciously. She repeated the shortened version of his name, watching his reaction. He could practically read her thoughts from where he stood. Expectant. Hopeful. If she'd been another hunter, he would have taken the pronouncement as a sign of contempt. Still, if she was going to butcher his name, he reserved the right to do the same.

"Dira."

Her mouth split open, revealing her teeth. "Okay."

Jin had no idea why she bared her tiny fangs at him or what "okay" meant, and decided he was too exhausted to care. He headed back into the cockpit to rest, the soft-skin trailing after him.

Dira called to him just as he was about to sit down. "Jin," she said, pointing over at the dead body in the corner.

A low, rumbling sigh traveled up his chest as he made his way across the room. First, she takes my name and now she has me hauling corpses. If she asks me to dance, I'll stab myself.