tritanopia | The Mandalorian

thirty-four

Fae had tried her best to appear put together when she had been arguing with Mando. But the truth was that she wasn't even completely clear on what they were doing, what planet they were on, or what she was even arguing against. She didn't remember the aforementioned 'last night'; but her limbs had a subtle, but still present, ache that couldn't be explained by her, that nagged as she walked and Fae was fairly confident the two mysteries were linked.

Nobody had spoken in some time. The silence was filled with the whistling of the dusty breeze, and the occasional sound of Fae tripping over her own feet due to how deep in thought she repeatedly accidentally found herself. Every time it happened she saw Mando turn to glance at her under his helmet as if to make a point, but he never actually said a word. Of the four of them, it was those two who had taken to staying as far apart as they could. In the past, even when Fae had been scathingly angry with him, she had still remained within Mando's vicinity purely on the bases of feeling safer. But it was hard to feel protected by him when he had been stripped of his weapons, and literally handcuffed.

The problem with wearing a helmet — well, one problem — is that, unless you're actively laughing, nobody can tell how you're feeling. Admittedly Fae sometimes wished she could hold that ability herself...but when it came Mando, on the other hand, she couldn't stand it. Every time he turned to look at her, Fae didn't have any indication over whether he was glaring at her, or whether he was just worried. But based on their last actual interaction, she would admittedly have found it fair if it turned out that the former was true.

"Mando, he...well, he told me what happened," Cara suddenly said, softly enough that only Fae could hear. Well...that's if you don't count Mando's helmet sensors, and then in turn Mando himself.

Fae tore her eyes away from the view of the few buildings in the distance to instead look up at Cara with a furrowed brow. When the woman noticed the confused expression on her face, she couldn't help the way her eyes darted down slightly towards Fae's chin.

"Oh," Was all Fae managed to say before she ducked her head and averted her eyes to her shoes. "Of course he did."

Mando glanced at her again, but Fae didn't notice that time.

Cara elbowed her in the shoulder as she chastised, "Hey, I made him tell me. Although...I can't say he didn't seem relieved when he finally...broke down, I guess."

Fae attempted to conceal her concern, but nonetheless she still couldn't help the expression that appeared on her face.

"What are you getting at?" She asked, voice short and tense as if restraining herself from saying what she actually wished to say.

The woman hesitated a moment before saying a word, her eyes remaining fixed to Fae's profile. Cara didn't want to meddle in something that she had no part in, after all. But in the end that didn't stop her.

"Well...I don't know, I mean-" She huffed and turned her head away, towards the horizon, "I guess it just seemed like talking to someone...took the weight of a galaxy off of his shoulders."

Fae blinked rapidly at the ground, as if the cure to colour blindness was written in the dirt and she couldn't quite read it.

"We...talk. Mando and I, I mean-"

"Of course you do," Cara interrupted, leading to Fae finally lifted her head to look at the woman, "But about what? Have you ever actually spoken about how he's handling things? Like, I get it. The whole dynamic between you guys kind of naturally puts the attention and concern on you and the kid...so I'm guessing if you're ever having a heart to heart, it was based around you. And I'd bet Mando feels like he wouldn't even be allowed to complain about his own problems...must be kind of isolating for him, don't you think?"