Private Trust Fall

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Denon

Equipment:
Training Jumpsuit | Lightsaber | Modified DL-27 | Tic

Ace leaned back on the table, ribs still sore but dulled by the kolto. Verse's story came out halting, bitter-sweet, and when she turned away to hug herself he just… watched. For a second, her front cracked. Not in a way he could put words to. Ace felt it hit him before he wanted it to, loosening something tight in his chest he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

By the time she spun back, the smirk was back in place, the energy forced back into her voice. He smirked faintly in return, not mocking, just acknowledging the effort she was making to stand tall.

"Dad, huh?" he said "Sounds like he did good."

When she spun back into the the Ice Queen, warning finger raised, Ace rolled his eyes and raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Fine. I won't say anything. Wouldn't want you to hurt me and then have to explain it to the medbay."

When she had asked him if he'd ever been called a cynic before, Ace's quiet chuckle served as an answer. He pushed himself off of the table and idly glanced away for a moment.

"Once or twice." He answered plainly, flicking his eyes to her again "Had to be, though."

Verse assured him he'd find someone he could really trust. Ace's eyes lowered, expression pensive. A faint but warm smile crept on his lips. His thoughts drifted to Aether Verd , life and duty made it difficult for them to be together often. But still, Ace knew where they stood. There was no mask, no half-truths. With Aether, it was simple: a brother at his back. Always.

Then, he thought of Sibylla Abrantes . He hadn't known her as long as Aether, but she carried herself with a kind of certainty that made him believe her word. Her laughter, sharp wit, the way she didn't flinch when he showed the rough edges. All of it had earned a quiet space in him. He trusted her in ways he didn't even mean to.

He exhaled through his nose, the smile lingering just long enough before he forced it down again, tucking it away like a secret he wasn't ready to share.

"I'm getting there." He finally answered, tone uncharacteristically light and warm.

His dark gaze lifted, locking on to Verse once more. He took a step toward her, expression unreadable but his eyes would display an echo of tenderness

"Since you said you'd look out for my Master. I'll keep an ear out for your old man. If I hear of movement, I'll tell you." The promise was small. Honest.

Tic chirped from the corner, optics blinking like a staccato heartbeat. Ace glanced down, then back up. "You good to go?... Treasure Tot."

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Trust Fall
Acier Moonbound ​

Just like always, Verse did little to interrupt Ace once he started talking. She smiled with a grateful and approving nod when he mentioned how her father did a good job. She offered a more watchful nod with squinted eyes as he promised not to use her nickname. Amused brows rose fondly as he admitted to being a cynic.

Finally, his expression softened. Curious blue eyes searched his, as if she could see what he felt more clearly than any words could possibly convey. 'I'm getting there' caused a soft smile to spread across her lips as her hand formed a small fist to softly bump into his arm "You can do it. And if you ever feel doubt startin' to creep in, hit me up, okay? I know a thing or two about this stuff." The pain in her eyes had been pushed far far away - a sense of seemingly eternal cheerfulness had returned to its rightful place.

"Hey, thanks" she replied to his pledge, her voice carrying a large degree of gratitude as well as faint surprise. For a few moments, her eyes lingered on him with growing fondness. Her lips rested with a soft smile that didn't seem to want to go away. She shook her head "It's been a while since someone offered to help me. I-.. uh, I-.... Thank you, Ace." For a few moments, Verse once more allowed herself to be vulnerable and tender. She was taking baby steps - she avoided eye contact as if fearful of what he might do with the lowered guard - but Verse lowered her guard nonetheless.

Her hand slowly sailed up to her chest as if wanting to grasp something that wasn't there. A disappointed, but small - almost too small to notice - breath left her as there was nothing for her to hold. A more pronounced exhale followed as she reigned her emotions in. "That isn't who I wanna be." She took a deep breath and smiled through the emotions to return to her usual cheerful self. "I've got a with his picture back home. I'll show it to ya once this is all done."

'You good to go?... she gave him an eager nod and a bright smile. Verse was truly and properly back on track and answered with a cheerful and energetic "You betcha!" They spoke roughly at the same time, her confirmation and his use of the nickname. Her eyes trembled as her jaw loosened just a little whilst her lips shivered. Betrayal. The young rebel appeared to be incapable of keeping her face from showing exactly how she felt.

The girl didn't seem to know what to do at first. Her mouth opened to say something both one and two times over the span of a few long seconds but nothing came out. A few more moments went by before she finally threw a slap at him whilst letting out a small "Jerk!" While thoroughly lacking technique from practice or experience, the clumsy slap was thrown with all the passion in the world.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Denon

Equipment:
Training Jumpsuit | Lightsaber | Modified DL-27 | Tic

Ace had seen the swing coming a mile off. The way her muscles had twitched, it wasn't hard to read. His hand shot up and caught her wrist before the slap could land.

He just held it there. Not tight, not cruel but firm enough that she'd know he wasn't rattled. A crooked smirk tugged at his mouth, but his eyes weren't mocking.

"Careful, Verse."

He let her go, slow, and leaned back a fraction, the smirk thinning into something less sure. Tic chirped from the floor, tilting his head like even he was waiting to see how far Ace would push it.

Ace's fingers brushed the sore spot on his ribs, and his gaze slid off to the shelves. He'd tossed the name like a stone, not expecting it to sink quite so deep. His voice was lower when he added, almost like an afterthought:

"…Guess some things aren't mine to joke about. My bad." Then the smirk ghosted back, lighter this time, a lifeline out of the heaviness.

He glanced at the kit Verse had packed, and gently caressed his rib again. Then Ace gave Tic a little nod and the BD-unit chirped twice and scuttled toward the door.

"Alright. We've bought our time. But the smoke trail from that wreck's still pointing straight to us. We aren't staying lucky forever."

Ace glanced back to Verse, meeting her eyes for half a beat. "You steady enough to walk, or you want me carrying you?" His tone was even, practical, but the corner of his mouth twitched like he was already bracing for whatever sharp retort she might fire back.

He pushed the door open before she could answer, the noise of the underbelly pressing back in: vendors shouting, engines whining, the constant hum of a city that never slept. Somewhere above, a siren moaned through the steel canyons. As they passed the counter, Ace gave the Toydarian a small, affirmative nod - not friendly, not grateful, just a quiet acknowledgment. Her tusked mouth twitched in return, already counting the credits again.

Ace's hand hovered near his lightsaber out of habit as he stepped aside to let Verse through.

"Same plan as before. Keep our heads down, find a way off this level." His eyes scanned the crowded lanes that stretched before them.

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Trust Fall
Acier Moonbound ​

A low grunt, bordering on something akin to a whimper, escaped her as he caught her hand. She instinctively tried to pull it away immediately but he kept his grip tight for a few more moments. "Careful, Verse - she looked at him as he spoke, her eyes carrying anger, hurt, fear and even a bit of reluctant admiration. The way he held her wrist far from painful - but it sure put things into perspective. When he let her go she took a subtle step back whilst letting her other hand caress the one he had just gripped.

He was not completely without remorse. Verse eyed him appraisingly, letting a bit of silence break out between them for a few long moments until she spoke a tempered "They aren't" before nodding her head, silently conveying that they were good. When the droid moved towards the exit, she leaned her head in the same direction, conveying a matching desire to get back on the move. But then, she paused for a brief moment "But I'm a girl of my word, Mr. Moonbound. I'll get back at you someday" a mischievous glint shimmered in her eyes as she let out a light playful laugh.

***​

The comment on getting carried had earned him a snicker and a friendly jab to his arm before she fell back into her normal movement pattern. Cheerful, agile and with a bounce to her step. When leaving the shop, she would no longer pretend to be an old woman like she had when they entered - although she still took the shawl back on to keep her hair covered.

She nodded her head at his proposed plan. "If you can pull if off, sure." Another playful glance was sent his way as she took a few quick but elegant steps to get ahead of him before spinning to face him. She quickly reached for his hands to let him guide her as she kept moving in reverse. "You'll have to relax though. Can't have them hands hovering down there." She glanced down at where he kept his weapon.

"You have to trust me, just like I trust you." she kept moving in reverse with a fair amount of confidence, fully relying on him to nudge her in the right direction. "If anything happens, I'll make sure you get the time to do your thing, OK?" The girl adjusted her pace a little to reduce the distance between them. She tilted her head up to meet his eyes whilst her voice lowered "Just let your shoulders fall and smile. Pretend like we're on a date. 'Keeping our heads down' doesn't work if you're combat ready."

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Denon

Equipment:
Training Jumpsuit | Lightsaber | Modified DL-27 | Tic

Ace's eyes tracked Verse's frame as she passed him. When she turned to face him, he slightly tilted his head in order to get a better view past her, only returning his attention to her when he felt her hands in his.

Her hands were warm, slightly rough, not what you'd expect from a woman - but in their line of work, why would they be smooth? She made a comment about relaxing which drew a raised brow from the rebel. He scoffed slightly, how could he relax when they weren't even out of the fire yet?

"I trust you not to get me killed." He said, smirking ever so slightly.

Ace wasn't going to lie to himself. He was beginning to warm up to her, she seemed to genuinley want to be his friend - no strings attached. The intimate trust wasn't there yet, but he did truly trust her to watch his back.

Relenting, Ace's shoulders lowered and a sigh left his lips. 'Pretend like we're on a date' made his shoulders tense again, just a little. He was capable of playing a part, but not to this extent.

As he allowed her to continue guiding him. He simply stated "Never actually been on a date." A hint of embarrassment in his tone.

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan​

​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Trust Fall
Acier Moonbound ​

Her eyes followed his shoulders as they fell. She seemed to let out a breath of her own as he relaxed whilst a soft smile grew on her lips. A comforting shimmer could be gleaned from her gaze as she kept moving in a slow reverse. As soon as she noticed his shoulders tensing again, Verse was quick to react. For a while the two of them had been holding hands as she had been using him to guide her through the crowds - now she let go of one hand to free up her own. It soon sailed up to his shoulder where it would rest gently. Her head lowered as she added a fraction of weight to the hand, ushering him to relax again.

The soft smile widened as he mentioned that he hadn't been on a date. Her head leaned to the side as she eyed him with an ounce of careful sympathy. "You're in luck, How many guys gets to do a practice run before their first date?" Her blue eyes shimmered brightly as she let out a joyful chuckle. She may not have addressed his concerns - but she had tried to lighten the mood.

With a bit of a twist, she spun to get back into a normal position. This time, she held on to the one hand she was still holding and wrapped her arm around it to lean in against his shoulder. Close enough for her to be able to speak to him without raising her voice for others to hear. "It's all about relaxing and being yourself, eh? Especially with me, I'll laugh at all your jokes and be the biggest fan of your brooding self. 'n' just so you know, I think any girl who chooses to go on a date with you would like all of that too. As long as you're being true to yourself."

Encouraging eyes turned distant as her smile disappeared for a brief moment before quickly returning, even brighter than before - albeit lacking the same genuine cheerfulness "The only lie you need to tell yourself to make this work is that you actually like me" A brief paused ensued as she let out a subtle sigh before adding the all important ".. romantically."

The girl almost cut herself off with a quick "So!" Her gaze drifted out onto the street as they made their way in towards the center where a shuttle port was bound to be waiting for them. "Where would you stop to buy me a trinket or a flower or something? Would you try to surprise me? Make me choose myself?" With a quick pull to his arm, she ushered him to take the initiative as her eyes returned to him with the enthusiasm and admiration of someone with a crush.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Denon

Equipment:
Training Jumpsuit | Lightsaber | Modified DL-27 | Tic

Ace's shoulder twitched under her hand before he forced it to settle. The contact was steady, grounding even, but foreign in a way that put a knot in his gut. He muttered out a half-scoff at her "practice run" quip.

"Guess that makes you the unlucky volunteer."

The smirk was thin, but it didn't last. Her next words, "pretend you like me, romantically", landed heavier than she probably meant. For half a heartbeat, his chest tightened. Sibylla's face flickered unbidden in his mind... her laughter, the sharp wit, the way she hadn't flinched at his rough edges. The crush he refused to name, the one he told himself was nothing. He shoved it down quick, back where it belonged.

"Never liked pretending." he muttered, voice low. Not cold, but flat. A line he didn't cross.

When she pulled his arm and asked about flowers, the dryness came back, sharp and almost amused.

"I don't know. Is that what women like?" His gaze flicked sidelong at her, mouth twitching. "I guess I'd let you pick yourself. Saves disappointment on your end, and any embarrassment on mine."

He shrugged, letting the words hang, but his eyes lingered on the crowd ahead. Thoughts dwelling on Sibylla once more. Now, Ace just wanted to get out of here - avoiding this conversation entirely.

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Trust Fall
Acier Moonbound ​

She followed through on her promise. A wave of somberness was pushed aside as fast as it appeared when he mentioned that he never liked pretending. Although her gaze never left him, her eyes shifted in the mood they conveyed. The bright smile never truly left her lips when she leaned away from him in order to look into his eyes at a less awkward angle than she'd have had if she stayed close. She opened her mouth and let out a calm "That's one of your best qualities" Her words were soft and sweet as honey. For a few more paces, her eyes lingered on his, fondly, before she pulled herself close to his side once more.

Amused brows rose as he mentioned letting her pick. Verse drew a deep breath as if she was about to say something. But then she let the breath out and simply shook her head with a light chuckle. Under the guise of admiration and affection, her eyes lingered on him as she analysed his expression. Eventually, her eyes narrowed as a mischievous smirk formed on her lips "You've already got someone in mind, don't you?" Her smirk turned into an ever growing smile as she studied his reaction as if her guess was confirmed live. A dramatic gasp left her as excited eyes shimmered "You do! Ace, this is perfect, let's get her something! Come on, it'll be fun! We can pick something out together."

If he was reluctant, she'd tug at his arm with an encouraging "Come ooon, it'll be fun. You don't actually need to give it to her, right? Let's just see if you can pick something out."

The bounce to her step grew more pronounced as she pulled him towards one row of stalls that looked particularly promising. Leaning her head against his shoulder again, her eyes ventured up high along the skyrises and speeder lanes. She then spoke with a dreamy voice "I've always liked roses. It's a little cliché, I know, but who wouldn't like a big red Alderaanian rose?" A longing breath left her before her gaze shifted back to Ace "If you wanna be a little more original, I've heard that dried Barelia flowers could be pretty nice. They're special, unique and keep a good bit of colour, even when they're dried. It's one of those flowers that you can keep around, y'know? It lasts."

With an appraising look, she leaned her head away from his shoulder once more. "But if you really wanna make her happy, you should get her something with a bit of meaning to it. Either something that really fits her, or something that she can remember you by." The two of them soon wandered into an alley of stalls with particularly many trinkets and souvenirs. Her eyes wandered all over, both throwing quick glances at trinkets and making subtle scans for potential threats. She wouldn't let the level of alertness show, however. Instead she gave his hand a squeeze and let out an eager "Tell me about her, I wanna hear. I won't tell a soul, promise."

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Denon

Equipment:
Training Jumpsuit | Lightsaber | Modified DL-27 | Tic

Ace's brow twitched faintly at her words. He wasn't sure if she was teasing or serious. Compliments never sat with him well. Still, he didn't shake her off when she pressed close again, letting the warmth of her shoulder settle against him.

When her mischievous smirk turned sharp and she guessed he already had someone in mind, his jaw ticked. Ace didn't answer right away nor did he need to. The way his eyes flicked off to the side and the sudden hard swallow, it was all the tell she'd need.

Then came her gasp, dramatic and bright. Ace groaned low in his throat, but she tugged at his arm and he didn't resist, letting her steer him toward the line of stalls. Trinkets glittered under the neon, flowers wrapped in cheap plastoid cones, charms promising love, luck, or loyalty. His eyes scanned them like they were weapons on a rack, not gifts.

"You're reaching." He muttered, though the rasp in his voice betrayed more unease than dismissal.

Verse's talk of roses drew his gaze to a bundle of Alderaanian roses laid out on a stall, and for half a breath his chest tightened. Naboo had flowers too, finer ones, the kind he'd only ever seen in holos growing up. Sibylla's world.

"She'd deserve more than flowers." He said bluntly.

But he didn't pull away. He let her squeeze his hand, let her lean close, even if his eyes stayed forward. And when she pressed, promising not to tell a soul, his smirk returned faint but crooked.

"She's... from Naboo. A noble. She's busy with her stuff, and so am I. I'm not in her stratosphere." Ace confessed matter-of-factly, but there was a hint of hurt in his words.

Ace's jaw tightened the second the words left his mouth. Saying it out loud felt like cutting too close, like he'd given away more than he meant to. He shook his head once, sharp, as if that alone could clear it.

His smirk flattened into something harder, more guarded. "Doesn't matter anyway. I'm fine with just being friends."

He gently freed his hand from hers, not harsh, but enough to put space back where there hadn't been. His dark eyes swept the crowd, the alleys, the glow of the shuttle port deeper in the sprawl. Tic trilled a sharp reminder, already angling toward the exit row.

"Fun's over." Ace muttered, voice back to that dry, practical grit. "We've stayed still long enough. Let's move before someone decides to look twice."

He shifted his weight, steadying her against his side again, and started toward the shuttle lanes without glancing back at the stalls. Whatever softness had surfaced a moment ago was buried deep, sealed behind the mask he knew how to wear best.

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Trust Fall
Acier Moonbound ​

Her heart seemed to melt as he mentioned that his girl deserved more than flowers. Her jaw dropped and the innermost part of her brows rose "Awww" It was adorable. Soft little dimples formed on her cheeks as she looked to him like he was the sweetest being alive. "You've really fallen for her"

Ace pushed on and didn't seem to miss a beat. She barely managed to get out a simple "A noble, huh?" before he moved on and eventually pulled his hand from hers whilst declaring that fun's over. Claiming that she 'let' him pull her along would be generous. When he put his mind to it, there was very little she could do without straining enough to cause a scene. Quick, albeit small, steps followed him as she struggled to keep up appearances.

Apologetic streaks could be seen in the way her brows furrowed and her eyes searched for his as he pushed on. If they couldn't be a happy couple strolling through the market stalls whilst covertly moving towards the spaceport, she'd let him be the disgruntled guy tired of wasting time and credits on trinkets. "I'm sorry, I just wan'ed something nice!" she yelped, her voice now loud enough for those in their immediate vicinity to hear.

"Vayun, I'm so sorry, I didn't know you'd-... please, don't be mad" she kept the new phase of their act up, this time using his cover identity he mentioned back on Nar Shaddaa. Verse bent her arms to make it look like she tried to slow him down whilst instead giving him a light nudge to move faster. If they were going to draw attention, they might as well push for the added benefit of moving a little faster.

As a testament to their good job at blending in and not standing out from the crowd too much, the duo would make it to the spaceport without too many other hiccups. Booking tickets to a hub world from which they could make the last couple of jumps and boarding the ship went just as smoothly. And just like that, they completed another mission together: This time, a true success.

For the first part of their trip, she kept to herself, curled up in a corner seat whilst tapping away on her datapad.

[...]

Jedi and do-gooders tend to be predictable. Ace is not. Where I expected him to care for m-.. Mia's friends, he handled them like he was taking the trash out. When I thought he'd handle Verse pouring her heart out for him with gentle care, he couldn't resist the temptation to go where she'd be the most sensitive. And when I expected him to shut down and close himself off, he actually opened up. I suppose Verse has the right personality for it, cheerful, loyal and importantly: Harmless.

I can't help but to feel a little amused. We share quite a few similarities, she and I - yet none of these people would ever trust me. Can't blame them, of course, identity matters and we're at war. I just can't help but feel like I'm lucky, in a way. To be part of this community and to have this bond that we've all formed. It's something special. Not quite like the camaraderie that can be found among Imperials - but still, closer than expected.

As for my cover: Well, it seems to be mostly intact, doesn't it? We had a few tender moments and if I'mma be honest with myself, Mia's feelings for Korma, Dheeno and Jaws gave me a lot of sorrow to pull from. Still, I was close to slipping up when I asked him to atleast pretend to like me - for a moment, it felt like my own desperate plea - but in hindsight, I know better. Made sense for Verse to ask for him to like her romantically to keep the appearance of a date up. He didn't even try - makes me wonder how he's survived on the streets for such a long time, but hey - if he's strong enough to get by on raw strength, quick wits and dumb luck, that's pretty admirable, right?

At any rate, I can tell that he's on an upward trajectory. In some ways, Ace is still a very guarded person - but it would seem like a fundamental part of his trust issues stems from a fear of abandonment. During this mission, he showed a willingness to trust me, and that together with his crush and previous affiliations with the Jedi teacher indicates that he's willing to expose himself. Regardless of how cynical his words are, I believe he wants more of a community than he had before. If he keeps this up, I expect him to overcome a number of the traumas and mental breaks that have been holding him back.

It's nice to see people like us clawing our way out of our past. It's just a shame that he might end up with the agents of chaos and destruction. Nevertheless, I suppose I'm happy for him. His crush is cute! For a dude who's never been on a date though.. I just hope she doesn't break his heart. If she does? Well, I suppose the Empire will be on standby to keep him afloat until he gets back up on his feet.

hmmmm, maybe I should push my luck a little? I'm tempted. I wanna know more about her. Naboo nobility is a narrow enough pool for me to get a pretty decent shortlist of potential candidates, but I'd like to hear it from him directly. Maybe he'd even want to talk potential gifts? That was actually pretty enjoyable.

Yeah, let's do it. "I don't think she's out of your league." - of course she'd say that. She's the daughter of a conman, Verse has gotta have that sort of outlook and confidence. Besides, it's true. He's just not aware of how good he is yet. Anyways, I'll go see if I can chat him up. Til next time, ciao!