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⠀The Mandalorian couldn't help but notice her avoidance of the creature. When once before she had thrown herself to retain its life, as they had made their way to the jagged, and bulked mountains of the reddening horizon, Dalilah had carefully placed herself to his right — the complete opposite side to what he perceived to be a child. Dog-eared to the corner of his peripheral, constant and unfolding.
⠀Like he had done before on their brief walk to the crest on Nevarro, he found a rhythm in looking towards her ever so often. His glances hidden by the metal casing of his helmet, and discovering her in her silent, translucent state once more. Her expression, when she first laid eyes on the asset, had plagued his mind, and even as they passed between multiple earthy formations, he was nonetheless trying to figure out exactly why she looked riddled with guilt. And why whenever a sharp thrum of sunlight hit their faces, did she look towards it instead of away. Why had she chosen to stay away from the creature, and why did she always curl her wrists together in front of her, letting the gentle skin press together in slow friction?
⠀Not only was the girl on his mind, but the words of IG. Species age differently. The client had told him Dalilah had dealt them deception in the past, but she had assured him she was right. That this thing was fifty years old. And he believed her — when her eyes had gotten wide and her cheeks had lost their colour for a moment — she possessed no apparent reason to ever lie to him. He encountered his gaze falling past the slight girl and towards the asset, trying to figure it out as well. His pupils had to climb and push past her glacier form. His mounting concern for Dalilah had solidified as if a physical iceberg had marked its presence within his sea. It floated easily amongst the waves but sunk if struck too hard. If he looked too closely at the light that refracted across her pale cheeks, she might just crack and melt. If he paid attention to what being concerned for her indeed meant, his waves might boil and her presence might float away.
⠀His mind was a stained glass window and she was the rain that thrummed heavily against it.
⠀Whilst keeping an eye on his companion, the Mandalorian moreover had to navigate their way back to the razor crest. Their Blurgg had disappeared — probably wandered off as soon as Dalilah had fallen down that hill. Their journey would ferry them into darkness, as walking this long path had made him realise just how useful hiring a speeder would have been.
⠀Dalilah herself had been watching as her boots pushed into the dust, dragging her feet like a weary child through the cavernous wastelands behind the Mandalorian. The rock-enclosed caverns were inhabited by small, lizard-like skittering creatures that ran faster than starlight. She wondered then how fast she could run and felt envy at their free fleeing. The mere sight of the green child behind the pair had begun squeezing her heart. The collar around her neck felt tighter, and despite the evidence informing her that the imperial remnant would remove it from her when this job was done, she knew they were not done with her yet.
