akaides grins, he canโt help it, but he does pluck his property from the child. โtoo slow, kiddo. go practice on easier targets.โ and lets him go. the kid struggles back, huge brown eyes surprised at being released, before he recovers and sticks his tongue out, spinning and running out into the menagerie, disappearing from view.
akaides turns back to his walking companion with a smirk, loralei having gone a few steps ahead of him, and slides his pouch back into its place. โheโs going to need to get a lot better at that if he wants to keep out of trouble. back on my planet, we taught lessons on it. well, i taught lessons on it, but the elders approved and helped out sometimes.โ
she sometimes wonders how much longer sheโll have to keep up with her little masquerade. probably forever. most likely until the very day of her inescapableย demise and a grisly death. itโs not just about the crew of derelict. once sheโs done with them, sheโll be sent to another place, another planet, and it will all start again, a never-ending nightmare. wash, rinse, repeat. until thereโs no loralei left. she cannot right her motherโs wrongs nor go back in time and change the course of their fates, so she must live badly and in sin, destroy lives to keep her own safe. but does that make her a coward or a tragic hero? she wants to think that the latter is true, but underneath the perfectly fabricatedย veils and layers that sheโs crafted after so many years lies the actual truth, and the truth tells the tale of a girl in the shape of a cowardly beast. hungry and desperate, eating her own heart.ย
but perhaps, not all is so somber and at least she can pretend, pretend for a short while that not everything is destined to fall apart. she appreciates akaidesโ company, as his presence for the most part makes her seem less suspicious and even vulnerableย in a crowd of all the rascals andย mischievous souls.ย โ itโs adorable that you just decided to let him go. most people wouldnโt have been so kind. itโs not truly his fault. kids will be kids. iโm certain that the poor thing only does it to survive. โ and she cannot help but to speak sincerely, feeling almost an invisibleย force tug at her heart. she knows what itโs like to walk miles upon miles in his shoes. she wouldnโt wish such fate to her worst enemy.ย
nonetheless,ย akaidesโ words bring a smile to her lips as she tries to decipher whetherย or not heโs trying to humblyย boast about his ownย achievements. โ so does that mean that youโre an expert thief? i wouldโve never guessed. you couldโve robbed me without much effort, iโm sure of it. but pray tell me, whatโs the most valuable thing that you ever stole? โ she inquires, the smile on her face growing only wider with each new second.ย ย
she thinks to herself how easy it would be to rob him blind right on the spot, but instead allowing her thoughts to run wild, loralei simply adds,ย โ would i make a good thief? what do you think? i have slender fingers and a gentle touch? not that i wish to do it, but i might just give you a penny for your thoughts. โ
oompa loompa body ass bitch, i'm coming up there and I'm gonna beat the fuck out of you bitch and don't even call the police today cause I'm gonna come up there unexpected and wait on your motherfuckin ass bitch im coming to beat the fuck out of you bitch
salathiel shuts down that part of himself, the mountainside of his personality reconstructing within milliseconds, all walls fortified, all barriers secured, and when he looks back up at loralei, no piece of his heart is on display. โto remember you by?โ his voice is dry, sunburnt and sandpapery. โare you leaving again?โ
the victory is supposed to be hers, she can already see it and sheโs about to seize it with pointless chatter and a hint of melancholyย in her voice, a type of melancholy that haunts and daunts and leaves a soul feeling empty. heโll do as she says, she knows it deep down in her bones, he wonโt be able to say no. โ well then, thatโs a peculiar coincidence. you must not miss it now, captain !ย that would be a splendid chance to waste. trust me, no ? life is so short and fickle, and the universeย so wide and full of splendor. take it from me, let my life be an example. i spent the best days of my life hidden away from the rest, shunned and ...ย โ she stutters, averting her gaze toward the ground,ย โ and controlled by my parents. back then, i wouldโve given anything to be free again.ย โ despite her cruel intentions of tricking salathiel,ย she knows that the best lies are often served with a dose of truth. it makes them more believable, palpable, life-like.ย
โ you donโt know what that is, but there must always be some space for learning ! you wonโt be disappointed ... and if you do end up feeling displeasedย , youโre more than welcome to blame me, captain. iโll bear the guilt.ย โย she looks at him as if sheโs about to start weeping, her eyes reflecting a watery glow, silently begging him to come along. with anย ethereal face like hers, playing the young and tragic damsel in distress is almost effortless. the skies weep for loralei so that they could place more glistening stars inside of her eyes.ย โ but if you donโt want to go, i wonโt protest. i know my place, captain. i am at your service and i am the dirtย below your feet.ย โ
but the silver bracelet is meant to serve as the final nail in his coffin, an arrow to the heart and a reminder of times that are now out of their grasps. she cares, look at how she desperatelyย cares for her captain, an old friend, look at how sheโd crucify herself just to remain somewhereย deeply buriedย in his memories. itโs time to rise again, loralei, the ghost of a girl that you never were.ย lazarus envies you.ย โ well yes, itโs just a silly gift. forgive me, captain. and no, or at least, i hope that i wonโt have to leave. but as iโve mentionedย it you earlier, life is cruel and short. i never know what could happen tomorrow. they ....ย โ for she never calls them by their real names,ย โ could come for me again. my step-father would pay any sum thatโs necessaryย in order to bring me back. iโve disrespected him. iโve insulted him. iโll have to pay for that sooner or later. but do you not want it ?ย โ
As the cards were nicely shuffled, Haru put them on the table in front of them both, dropping his legs from the table to lean forward. โYou wouldnโt mind keeping company anyways? I can gladly show you some tricks. Donโt worry, just a simple game that anyone could play.โ He offered with a glint in his eye, knowing they were both too tired to do a full gamble session while the rest of the ship slept.
a steady pair of eyes that lingers for just a little too long on pretty skin is something thatโs always easily felt and not just seen, and while haru probably thought that poor loralei didnโt suspect a thing, the devilish brunetteย always knew when she was being observed. she didnโt bother to addressย this however, finding his natural curiosity laughable.ย they could all stare and gawk at her, ask silly questions and demand formal answers, but theyโd always see just how much loralei allows them to see. a well crafted lie can open doors to many places ; she knows it better than most and if telling lies was an actual job, sheโd have been the wealthiest person by now in the entireย galaxy, yet sadly, sheโs only a spy with her neck always at risk.ย
โ oh haru, forgive me, i hope you wonโt take any offence, but i didnโt mean it like that. itโs just that --ย oh itโs silly of me, but i get so easily frightened. iโm a foolish girl, with foolish fears... โย she almost begins to stammer, but instead she lifts her gaze to meet his,ย letting her eyes full of wonder and might paint a picture of a frightenedย girl. โ if anything, iโm glad that itโs you.ย โ she tries not to look at the cards in his hands, her biggest vice, the sin of all sins, the very thing that had led her right here in an unpredictableย chain of dreadfulย life events.ย โ i understand, i share the same troubles. in my dreams, i always see ... these people ...ย theyโre unspeakablyย cruel and unforgiving, and they wish to take me againย -ย ย ย ย and and,ย โ suddenly her voice turns raspy, as if sheโs about to start crying. even her eyes begin to glisten, so she averts her gaze to her hands, saying only this,ย โ forgive me, i canโt go on, i donโt wish you to bother you with this.ย โ a perfect lie and a vivid imagination and the galaxy is hers.
โ no, of course i wouldnโt,ย โย with a light ease, she regains her natural composure, seeing now just how persistentย he truly is. โ that is, if youโll have me. iโm just afraid that iโll make an awful company,ย โย she smiles, gently reaching for his hand.ย โ but haru, promise that youโll go easy on me, please. iโve never played these games. nonetheless, iโm willing to try. for you.ย โ
so rather than be straight about it, heโs been shooting random questions loraleiโs way every time he catches her alone, ranging from very normal ones to the most random ones, just to keep from raising suspicion. at worst people will think he is somehow romantically interested in her, and that is something he can live with.
so when he finds her alone this time around, he casually moves to take a seat on an unoccupied surface, turning blind eyes in her general direction. โi hope you are well today, loralei,โ he says as he always does when he meets her, and the droid walks over to her to bump her leg gently in greeting as it always does when they meet. โwhat would you say your favourite colour is?โ
curios souls, by loraleiโs humble observations, are everywhere, and while for most spies this would make an alarming thought, the young liarย can only find some comfort in it. the people on the ship are a special kind, each different than the other, but it appearsย to her as if theyโre all innocent enough to believe her silly lies. among the all, she expected the captain to be the wisest one, but to her greatest delight, tricking him turned out to be a job that she couldโve done even while being blindfolded. behind closed doors and inside of her clever little head, she mocked them most, thanking them dearlyย for making her entire mission all the more easier.ย
curiosity kills. but thatโs a lesson they have yet to learn, a lesson that sheโs certain theyโll never forget. she wants them close, under her skin, always near, and she wants them to care, to see her as their own, so that when the time for loralei to pull the rug underneath their feet comes, they wonโt suspect a thing. loyalty kills too. however, if it all goes accordingย to her plan, the one weeping in the end wonโt be her.ย
but the thing that frightensย her the most is something that defies common sense. what if after all this pretending and lying she actually starts to care? they ask too many questions, share their own stories. strange is the human heart, weak and mellow and prone to compassion, and she has yet to prove to herself that the one inside of her is made of stone. but sheโll devour her own beating heart if that is what it takes to survive and forget.ย โ ah doctor, โ she stutters, placing the book sheโs been reading aside.ย โ yes, yes, iโm quite well. and you ? i hope that this dayโs treating you nicely.ย and hello to you too, little droid.โ she wonders if thereโs a point in smiling when he canโt even see her. loraleiโs pretty face and a dashing smile canโt aid her with the doctor. but sheโs once heard that when one sense is lost, the others grow stronger. so perhaps he could still hear the subtle and delicate difference betweenย words that are said with and without a smile.ย
โ my favorite color ? no one has asked me that in years,ย โ she chuckles, but tries to continueย in a more serious, contemplativeย tone.ย โ iโd say itโs red. itโs a beautiful color, so vibrant. when you look at it, red makes you feel warm around the heart. why do you ask, doctor? is something wrong ? what are you thinking of ? โ ย
Heโs enroute back to the ship when he spots her, the sunset glimmering off her hair, building her a corona for a moment before she shifts and it fades. He inhales deeply and approaches her without preamble, breaking into whatever conversation she was having with the vendor owner, disregarding any irritable looks or pointed glances. โItโs getting dark, time to reel in the nets, lola.โ he hooks his fingers in the crook of her elbow and tugs, not roughly, but enough to let her know heโs serious despite however much he may or may not be swaying. He tries not to make eye-contact with her. โIโm going to start calling the crew back.โ
tempted, but strong enough to resist the urge, loralei knows better than to let her perfectly-crafted mask slip off that easily. girls like her shouldnโt know how to steal, girls like her get caught far too quickly.ย besides, she has far more important things to cross off on her list of duties. they know that she's coming, theyโre everyone, always watching and observing and demanding, all those little flies on cold walls, scattered across the galaxy like dying stars. itโs safe to say that the little details and information she's gathered are enough to keep her employers happy, but for loralei this is only theย beginning.ย
a master at subtlety, after allโs said and done, she slipsย back into the crowd as if nothing even happened, as if sheโs only a mere and curious wanderer impressed by the most mundane things and happenings. at times, she astonishesย even herselfย by howย effortlessly she always manages to put on a new face and smile, manages to become someone sheโd usually considerย a stranger. unchallenging conversation floats betweenย her and the vendor owner, a sweet exchange of compliments and pointless words that are only a waste of breath. but itโs good practice and an even better distraction, as she spots salathiel with the corner of her eye. feigning surprise when he finally approaches, she bows her head a little and chirps out only this, โ of course, captain. โ lola. she hasnโt heard anyone call her that in years, but a sharp pang of anger hits her in the chest when he decides to tug her forward, as if sheโs nothing but his property. โ but perhaps we could stay for only a few more minutes? โ she begins, her soft eyes full of wishes and pleas.ย โ the light shows are about to start. have you ever seen one? theyโre the most marvelous things that any eyes could witness.โ
โ also, i -ย โ suddenly she pulls outย a silver braceletย out of her satchel, moving it uncertainly toward him, โ i got this for you. itโs not much, but i just wanted you to have something to remember me by.ย โ
Haru casually strolled into the lounge, scratching his disheveled hair. โCouldnโt sleep?โ He says this while he decides he wanted some caffeine, making himself a mug before sliding into the seat across from her. With a yawn, he dropped his feet casually on the table, also taking out a deck of cards. โWant to play something? Or are you busy?โ
itโs tiring. what exactly? everything. living, breathing, pretending to be someone else, putting on false new fronts. so why does all of this newness feel so old? because sheโs already been through this all. lived lives she wasnโt supposed to live. itโs saddening to know that sheโs bound to betray them all. but life is all but an easy dance. each choice comes with its own consequence, some more severe than others, but loralei made her choices a long time ago. careless and cruel, perhaps even wrong, but they are her choices. the only things that sheโll ever get to call truly her own. so itโs no wonder that sleep rarely comes to her. even when it does on rare occasions, she finds better ways in which to waste her hours. sheโll sleep when sheโs dead, lifeโs too short anyway.ย ย
ย hers could come to an abrupt end at any moment. one wrong word, a slip of the tongue and she could find herself on her knees, begging for mercy once more. so if the captain doesnโt come for her, the mercenariesย most certainlyย will and among them, who's the lesser evil? it doesnโt matter. she serves only one true master: herself.ย
pushing her thoughts aside,ย she jolts back to reality when she hears a familiar voice, one that perhapsย is more entertainingย than most.ย โ oh haru, itโs only you. โ she sighs, resting a hand over her chest.ย โ you almost startled me. but thatโs a correct guess. my mind was plagued by nightmares, so i thought it was better to not sleep at all. โ itโs a bait wrapped in the uniform of a soft confession. however at the mentions of cards and playing, loraleiย shifts slightly in her seat,ย feeling a sense of uneasiness climbing up her spine like vine. this is how it feels to be haunted. itโs the ghosts that always get you in the end.ย โ iโm clearly not busy, but iโm afraid that i would make a horrible company. iโve never played any games of that sort. playing with me would be painful boring, wouldnโt it? unless you wish to teach me?ย โย please say no.ย
iโm a really lazy person so i decided to keep this sweet and simple
loraleiโs father was a sith lord, loyal to the dark side always and forever ( and she might be too, but weโre not there yet ) and long story short, he eventually got killed. he was an extremist, notorious for his cruelty and wish to rid the galaxy of the jedis. so itโs obvious why he had to die.ย
after his death, their whole family started falling apart. her mother had no one to help her and she was left alone with a crying toddler in her arms. to make things worse, she was very young and knew nothing of parenthood and soon she developed a gambling addiction. she wanted to pay off dizzying debts, take care of her own daughter, but she was pretty unfortunate in all of her endeavors.ย
along the way and with the help of her mother, loralei learned how to gamble and scam people too. she didnโt really want to learn, it was mostly forced upon her, but for the sake of keeping her mother happy she had to do it.ย
fast forward into her teens years ( because i do want to keep this relatively short! ) around the time loralei was sixteen, he mother was killed in an accident. but letโs be real, loralei knew the truth, itโs just that there was nothing that she could do about it.ย
without even some time to mourn her motherโs death, she found herself in gambling pits and all those shady places, trading and playing, and to the surprise of many - winning. she wasnโt just good, she was amazing. people with far more experience than her would often find themselves at a loss for words, because GIRL WAS KILLINโ IT.ย
except she wasnโt. she was cheating, but obviously she was a way better cheater than her mother. quick hands, a little bit of charm, some illusion tricks, and bam we have a winner.ย
for some time, she was doing great, she was finally starting to pay off the debts her mother had left her and she even had some spare money for herself. but all good things must quickly come to an end because thatโs just life.ย
basically a few mercenaries were sent to kill loralei. she crossed a few wrong people and they wanted her dead and her pretty head on a stick. surprisingly and instead of killing her immediately, the mercenaries offered her a way out. they saw the potential in lora and just wanted to use her talents for the own selfish gains. it was one of those epicย โcome and work for us and live or perish at this very momentโ. so what should have been the end of her life was some sort of rebirth. how many people can say that they cheated death and that they also now work for it?ย
so she became a spy! and GIRL IS ONE AGAIN KILLINโ IT IN THE BUSINEZZ
but of course, no one on the ship would actually know this. she has a totally different story. she claims to be a โrunawayโ and a formerย โrich girlโ who was abused by her family ( and a former fiance? ) and kept aside for most of her life. so her current image is that of a soft, somewhat lost girl with stars in her eyes, a girl who dreams too much of better times. often, she may appear frighted, worried, lost in her own thoughts. a little cinnamon roll that just wants to be loved and protected. BUT THE JOKEโS ON YOU, because she could actually kill you.ย
she is a really good actress and has that innocent, sweet glow. will act helpless and like a damsel in distress most of the time. * has been trained and actually knows how to properly fight
now onto some other facts, her name basically meansย โthe one who lures men(people) to their demiseโย and yโall better watch it on this ship. she might just bring you bad luck.ย
what does lora actually think of all this? itโs honestly complicated. does she actually want to work for the mercenary company or is she just being black mailed? well she is mostly being black mailed and if she stops working for them, thereโs like aย 76%ย chance that theyโll kill her. but she wants to believe that sheโs doing all of this willingly. itโs a bad life, but itโs her life.ย
is she bound to go down the path of a villain? will she turn out just like her father... stay tunedย
no plots at the moment because we die like real men.
also shout out to my homegirl m who helped me pick a fc. i know that youโre spying on me.ย
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