97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GOwmK8zbq
Leora heard some commotion outside and went to check it out. There was a set of targets and bottles set out at one end and Elio and Rayan stood at the other holding their guns, reloading.
“I’ll get you this time, frosty”
“Fat chance, red”
Both men aimed and started firing, missing wildly
“Come on, ice monkey, do better than that!”
“Rayan, I hope the next stage of your life comes with a ladder”
“Are you calling me short?”
“Of course not! I’d never stoop that low”
They fired another volley, and Elio hit one of the targets
“Got it, bitch!”
“Don’t let it go to your head, can’t see how it could get any bigger”
“Shut up, toothpick!”
Leora sat next to Ana, who was observing this
“At least I’m n-not b-built l-like a f-fucking t-tree” Rayan mocked
"You're made out of spare parts, aren't you bud?"
Rayan fired another shot and missed
“Fuck!”
Elio hit another target
“Just admit it, Chika”
“Admit what, Starboy?”
Elio fanned his hammer and connected two shots.
"I'm better than you"
"I'd agree with you but we'd both be wrong"
Rayan finally hit a target
"Yes!"
Elio turned to reload "I'll close my eyes this time, it'll be fair"
"You know? If you were a prostitute, you'd barely get a nickel on half-price day"
Elio rolled his eyes
"Keep rolling your eyes at me, maybe you'll find a brain back there"
Elio spun his gun and holstered it “You’re drunk Rayan, go home”
“I’m not *hic* drunk, you are!” Rayan turned to follow him but stumbled and fell
The pair headed inside and Leora and Ana found themselves sitting at a table alone.
“So…” Leora puffed her cigarette
“So?” Ana replied, sipping her tall, iced drink
“Missing home yet?”
Ana chuckled, “I’m not sure, sort of I guess”
“Aww, don’t tell me you’re considering leaving”
“Of course not! This beats being married off to a son of one of the other Bei’s sons”
“Your father would do that to you?”
“Yeah, it's a custom on Javeda. My mother was arranged for my dad, her family gave some estates to my grandfather.”
“And your dad is a…?”
“A Bei, I guess you could call him a duke. Byfandi Firat Hassani, Bei of Abar.”
“Ah,” Leora was still a little confused “and who’s above him”
“The Oguzbei, my father’s liege is Oguzbei Ehrtun III of the Tahir dynasty, there’s two Kryalliki, or kingdoms, the Tahir and the Sezgin”
“Well then… your Highness” Leora took an exaggerated bow
Ana rolled her eyes and laughed
“So why’d your dad let you go?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you’re a princess, wouldn't he want to keep you around?”97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNIwdlVJG9
“It’s tradition for you to send one of your sons to work off planet, since I only have a brother, I guess he saw fit to let me go when you guys showed up”
“But aren’t you going to take your father’s place eventually”
“No, my younger brother, Mayafa, will”
“Even though you’re the oldest?”
“Yeah, I love Javeda, but it’s still not perfect”
“Ah, I see”
“I do miss it though, I feel like I left some people behind”
“What’s his name, Ana?”
Ana sighed, “Erden, he’s the son of my dad’s Oguzrai, I guess he’s like the top general in standard”
“Do you miss him?”
“Of course, I intended to marry him”
“Intended?”
“Yeah, it’s a strange thing for a man to have to marry up, his father wouldn’t allow it”
“Why not leave? Get a diplomatic post or something?”
Ana laughed “It’s not that simple, he’s already an officer in my father’s army, they say he’s slated to replace his dad”
“So he’d choose his career over you?”
Ana sat silent for a moment
“Yes” she responded quietly
“Do you still love him?”
Ana stopped to think again “I think so?”
“What does that mean?”
“Before I left with you guys, all I knew was the palace. I thought that treating me equally was an exception, and well… After seeing the galaxy, and how you guys treat me, I don’t know if I was only in love with him because he was the only person who showed me any attention”
“What about Elio?”
“What about him?”
“You two seem to get along pretty well” Leora took a sip of her drink to feign innocence
“It’s nothing like that, he’s just… nice, he made me feel welcome, that’s all”
“ You know? For as long as I’ve known him, he’s never been a super welcoming person. One would think that he takes after Dorian in that way”
“Really?” Ana tried to sound surprised
“I know, surprising, right? That big stuttery sonofabitch doesn’t like talking”
“I never would’ve guessed” Both women laughed
“I saw how he reacted when you got hurt the other day”
“Did he say anything?”
“No, but let’s just say that there’s not a lot in this galaxy that can stop Helsing when he gets worked up”
“He seemed fine to me”
“You haven’t known him that long, he keeps it on the inside”
“I’ve been meaning to ask, what’s the deal with him and Ray?”
Leora chuckled “Damned if I know, they joined together but were friends a long time before that”
“Didn’t they run together before?”
“Aye, I think so, Rayan’s always been the talker, and Elio’s the fighter”
“Who are you?”
“I’m the captain, and you will address me as such” Leora stood and took a striking pose and Ana laughed
“Who am I?”
“I guess you’re the lover” Leora sat back down
"Lover? What does that mean?"
"Well, it's hard to keep kindness in this work, but you do it remarkably well"
"Man, you are drunk"
"Am not! All I'm saying is that you're the nicest pirate I've ever met!"
'Thanks, I guess"
"I can see why Elio likes you"
"LEY!"
"What?!" She said offended "Okay, maybe I'm a little drunk, but he likes you and you like him, simple as"
"It's more than that, Ley"
"What is it then? You're clearly head over heels for each other"
"It's... nothing, Ley. I don't wanna get into it" Ana stood up to walk away
"I can think of one thing you wanna get into!" Leora joked as Ana walked away.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDc1LFFGQT
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAz2bU92GS
