First Reply Get Up To Get Down

[Alana Calloway]

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Get Up To Get Down​

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Location: Hirsi, Long Weii Down Nightclub​

Tag: Valery Noble​

Gear: Outfit​

Alana's grin widened at Valery's teasing, the warmth in her voice matching the electricity still crackling beneath her skin. Her words were playful, but the excitement in her voice was real, and for once, she didn't feel the need to guard it. “Oh please ," Alana said, shaking her head with a light chuckle, "That’s exactly what a spy would say."

As they made their way through the crowd, Alana couldn't help but admire how effortlessly Valery moved through the throng of people, confident and composed. She wasn't one to let the noise of the world overwhelm her, and Alana felt that pull, like she could keep walking with her until the end of the night without needing anything else. It was comforting in a way she hadn't expected.

When they reached the bar, she slipped into her usual easy grin. "Whiskey sounds perfect," Alana replied without hesitation, already knowing the taste would match the night—a little wild, a little unpredictable. Her eyes flickered with amusement as she looked to Valery. "But softer's good too, if you think I can't handle it," She teased with a wink, the playful spark still dancing in her eyes.

As the drinks were brought over and they found their quiet corner, Alana let herself relax for a moment, the noise of the club fading into the background. This felt different. Valery's presence was steady, grounding, and in a way Alana hadn't realized she needed. She took a long sip from her glass, savoring the burn as it went down, before meeting Valery's gaze.

At her words, she felt a slight warmth in her cheeks, the remnants of their earlier exchange still fresh. "Yeah?" Alana replied, the smirk on her lips softening a bit as she leaned back in her seat. "Well, you know, sometimes it takes a bit of getting lost to feel like you're really found, right?" She looked at Valery, not just as the woman who had pulled her onto the dance floor, but as someone who had, for just a moment, cracked through the wall she kept built around herself.

She set her glass down, a small laugh escaping her at the question. "Bounty hunter, pirate, yeah… but you're not wrong, I…did do some of that. Just…there's more to the story." She shifted in her seat, eyes narrowing playfully as she considered the question. "I…used to be a mercenary when the Bryn were a thing…I worked for the Silver Jedi….but things…I took a contract for…someone, and then….I wake up and all this time has passed."

She took another sip, her voice dropping just a little, more honest than she'd expected. "I haven't exactly been the most alive lately. I…I’ve been really struggling with…if I am who I am, how I’ve missed out of the last two decades it seems…I don’t know anyone anymore and I can’t remember anything helpful…."

She leaned back, her lips curving into a small frown as she met Valery's gaze once more. "And don't worry, I'm not going anywhere either. Not tonight, at least. I’m planet side for…awhile since I lost my ship.”

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Dress

Valery chuckled as Alana met her whiskey choice without hesitation, that playful spark still lingering between them. She lifted her glass, tilting it slightly before taking a slow sip, the burn rolling smoothly down her throat. "Good," she murmured, a teasing glint in her amber eyes. "I'd hate to think I was drinking something too strong for you." A playful wink followed, matching Alana's earlier one.

She settled into her seat, gaze fixed on the woman across from he r— not just watching, but really seeing her. There was something raw in the way Alana spoke, something that Valery understood all too well. The weight of displacement. The ache of time lost.

She let Alana's words hang between them for a moment, not rushing to fill the space. It wasn't the kind of pain that a simple It'll be okay could fix. She knew that firsthand. Instead, she set her glass down with a soft clink, her expression shifting from teasing to something warmer, something real.

"I get it," she admitted, her voice a little quieter, but no less steady. "More than you probably think."

She exhaled, running a hand through her dark waves before leaning forward, her elbows resting lightly on the bar. "I was in stasis for… a long time. Thousands of years." The weight of it wasn't something she always shared, but right now, it felt right. Alana had opened up, so Valery would meet her in turn.

"I woke up in the middle of a war, everything I knew was gone, and I didn't recognize a person around me. People would mention things I should know, things I should remember, but it was like trying to reach for something that wasn't there anymore." She let out a quiet chuckle, but there was a knowing edge to it. "And for a while, I just… I wasn't me."

She leaned back slightly, gaze flicking to Alana's. "So yeah. I know how much it messes with your head. How hard it is to figure out where you're supposed to fit in a galaxy that's already moved on without you."

Her smirk returned, though this time, it was softer. "But you know what I've learned?" She picked up her glass again, swirling the amber liquid before taking another sip. "With time, and with the right people, it gets better. You start to meet people who do matter. You find new things to care about, new moments that remind you you're still here."

She arched a brow, that teasing glint flashing again. "Hell, look at us. Two people thrown forward in time, meeting in some club. And I'd say that dance was a pretty good moment, wouldn't you?"

A slow smirk curled at the edges of her lips, her gaze holding Alana's in the low, neon-lit glow of the bar.

Then, as if to ease any thoughts that she might be leaving soon, she lifted her drink once more. "And before you start thinking the night's ending too soon—" She took a slow sip, letting the whiskey burn just right before continuing. "I was already planning to stay for a while."

She set her glass down, fingers tapping idly against its edge. "I've got my own little mission to handle, so I booked a hotel nearby. Nothing too extravagant, but it's got everything I need." She tilted her head slightly, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "Sounds like we'll both be around for a bit."

Valery leaned in just slightly, that smirk playing at the corner of her lips again. "Guess that means you're stuck with me for a while, huh?"

Alana Calloway ​

 

[Alana Calloway]

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Get Up To Get Down​

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Location: Hirsi, Long Weii Down Nightclub​

Tag: Valery Noble​

Gear: Outfit​

Alana met Valery's teasing glance with one of her own, lifting her glass in a mock toast before taking a slow sip of her whiskey. The burn of it grounded her, familiar and steady in a way few things were these days. "Oh, I think I'll survive," She mused, the corner of her mouth quirking up as she set the glass down with a quiet clink. "Might even enjoy it."

But as Valery spoke, that easy smirk softened into something more thoughtful. She listened, really listened, as the other woman's words unfolded—more than just idle conversation, more than just some passing flirtation between two strangers in a club. This was something deeper. Something real.

Stasis. Thousands of years.

The thoughts got her mind going.

And here she was complaining over two decades….

Alana didn't flinch, but she felt the weight of it settle in her chest. She'd met plenty of people who had lost things—homes, families, their own damn sense of self—but this? This was something else. To wake up in a galaxy that had already moved on without you, to be expected to just keep going when everything you knew had turned to dust? That was a kind of displacement she understood in her own way.

She leaned forward slightly, forearms resting against the table, her whiskey cradled between her fingers. Her voice, when she finally spoke, was quieter, but no less certain. "The galaxy keeps spinning whether you're ready for it or not." She let out a quiet sigh, shaking her head. "You wake up one day, and everything's different. The people you knew are ghosts, the places you called home don't exist anymore. And all you can do is… keep moving…the place I woke up at…I thought they were going to kill me, honestly…I guess I got used to that, being an orphan and all.”

She exhaled, gaze flicking to the swirling amber liquid in her glass before she lifted it to her lips again. The burn felt different now. Not just a drink, but something else—a reminder that she was still here. Still standing.

Alana studied Valery for a moment, eyes narrowing slightly, though not unkindly. "I know what it's like to not be you anymore," She admitted, the words slipping out before she could stop them. "To look in the mirror and see someone else staring back. Someone you don't recognize." Her fingers tapped idly against the side of her glass, her expression unreadable for a beat before a small, wry smile ghosted across her lips. "Whole reason I came here was, I remember I liked bars and clubs back in the day…can’t say the same anymore."

She leaned back then, rolling her shoulders as if shaking off the weight of her own words. "But you're right. It has to get better." A smirk tugged at her lips, though this time, it wasn't just for show. "Not all at once. Not easy. But piece by piece, you start putting yourself back together."

She tilted her head slightly, a playful glint returning to her gaze. "And yeah, I'd say that dance was a fun moment. Wouldn’t hate to do it again..."

Alana let the silence linger for a beat, letting the hum of the music, the neon glow, the press of the night settle around them. Then, at Valery's next words, her smirk deepened.

"So you're sticking around, huh?" She took another slow sip of whiskey, eyes never leaving Valery's. "Well, guess that means I am stuck with you." Her voice was laced with amusement, but beneath it, there was something else. A quiet understanding. A recognition of something shared.

She set her glass down, tapping her fingers against the table once more, considering. "You know," She mused, “Most people would kill for the chance to rewrite themselves. To start over. New faces, new names, new stories." She arched a brow, a little smirk playing at her lips. "But sometimes…I’m still left wondering who I even am….what it is I’m writing.”

She leaned in just slightly, matching Valery's earlier posture, her voice dropping just enough to be heard over the pulse of the music. "So, since we're both stuck here, might as well make the most of it." A pause. A flicker of something unreadable in her gaze before her smirk turned just a little more mischievous. A bit tipsy now, she prods at Valery’s side with a curious question.

"I…won’t be messing with your mission, erm, by being here right?"

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Dress

Valery watched Alana as she spoke, as she let the weight of everything settle between them. This wasn't just surface-level talk, wasn't just idle musings over drinks. This was something deeper, something real, something that had been sitting in the back of Alana's mind for far too long, waiting for the right moment to spill free.

And Valery understood that. More than she could ever put into words.

So when Alana leaned in, that playful, slightly tipsy glint in her eyes as she prodded at Valery's side with her question, Valery let out a quiet chuckle. Her smirk was easy, her gaze warm, but there was something more in the way she looked at Alana — something knowing.

"You?" she teased, tilting her head slightly. "Mess with my mission?" She let the thought linger, like she was actually considering it, before taking another slow sip of her whiskey. "No, I don't think so."

A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she set her glass down, her fingers tapping idly against its rim. "Truth is? The mission's not that important. Not tonight, anyway." She leaned back slightly, letting the weight of those words settle between them before adding, "Something tells me this—" she gestured vaguely between them, between the night, between the unspoken understanding in the air, "is more important."

She knew a single night couldn't fix everything. Couldn't rewrite the years of displacement, of questions with no answers, of feeling like you no longer fit in the world you used to call home. But… maybe it didn't have to.

Maybe all it needed to be was a first step.

"We've got time," Valery continued, her voice smoothing into something softer. "Tonight doesn't have to be about figuring everything out. It doesn't have to be about answers, or expectations, or even knowing exactly what the hell we're doing." She swirled the whiskey in her glass, watching the liquid catch the neon light before her gaze flicked back to Alana. "It can just be about this. Being here. Enjoying the moment."

She arched a brow, smirk deepening just slightly. "And I don't know about you, but I think we're off to a pretty good start."

She leaned in again, close enough that her voice curled just beneath the noise of the club, a quiet, lingering warmth behind it. "So what do you say?" Her amber eyes glinted with that familiar tease, but there was something else there, too — an invitation. "We take our time, enjoy the night, and let tomorrow worry about itself?"

Alana Calloway ​

 

[Alana Calloway]

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Get Up To Get Down​

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Location: Hirsi, Long Weii Down Nightclub​

Tag: Valery Noble​

Gear: Outfit​

Alana held Valery's gaze, letting the weight of her words settle between them like the slow burn of whiskey in her chest. There was something about the way Valery spoke, the way she peeled back the layers of conversation without forcing anything—just letting it unfold naturally, without expectation or demand. It was rare. Rarer still was the way it made Alana want to keep talking.

She let out a quiet breath, tilting her head slightly, considering. Just enjoy the moment. It sounded simple when Valery said it, but simplicity had never been something Alana was good at. Her life had been one long series of sharp turns and sudden drops, of survival over ease, of always watching the next step so she didn't fall too far. But… maybe, just maybe, tonight wasn't about survival.

Maybe tonight was about something else entirely.

A slow smirk curled at her lips, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass before she lifted it in a small, silent toast. "I think….you make a convincing argument," She admitted, amusement threading through her voice. She took a slow sip, savoring the burn before setting the glass down with a soft clink. "And I've got no complaints about the way the night's shaping up."

Her gaze lingered on Valery, something unreadable flickering behind those crimson eyes before she leaned in just slightly, mirroring the other woman's movement. "You're right," She said, voice quieter now, the neon glow casting shadows across her face. "No pressure, no expectations. Just this." Her smirk deepened, though there was something softer beneath it, something just for Valery. "I can do that."

Alana let the silence stretch for a beat before she pushed back slightly, grabbing her drink once more and tilting her head toward the dance floor. "But if we're talking about enjoying the moment…" She shot Valery a knowing glance over the rim of her glass. "I seem to recall a certain someone saying they could keep up with me."

She took another sip, savoring the warmth of the whiskey, then set it down with finality. "So what do you say?" Her voice dipped just enough to be heard over the hum of the club, a challenge and an invitation all wrapped into one. "Think you've got another dance in you, or did I wear you out?"

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Dress

Valery’s smirk deepened at Alana’s challenge, her amber eyes flickering with amusement. “Wear me out?” she echoed, tilting her head slightly as she considered the words, as if the very thought was impossible. A slow chuckle slipped from her lips, and she pushed her glass aside with a quiet clink. “I don’t think so.”

She stood smoothly, rolling her shoulders as she stretched, the neon glow catching in the sheen of sweat along her bronzed skin. The heat of the club wrapped around her once more, the pulse of the music thrumming through her veins like a second heartbeat. “Alright,” she teased, nodding toward the dance floor. “Let’s see if you can actually keep up with me this time.”

And just like that, they were back in motion.

Valery moved effortlessly, her body sinking back into the rhythm as if she had never left it. The world around them faded again, the crowd, the flashing lights, the steady murmur of voices lost beneath the music. It was just them, the way their movements played off one another, the way the energy between them crackled like fire.

But then—

Something shifted.

It wasn’t the music. It wasn’t the dance. It was her.

For just a moment, as Alana moved, as she let herself go completely to the beat, Valery felt it. A ripple in the Force. Subtle, but unmistakable. It wasn’t something conscious — Alana wasn’t reaching for it, wasn’t trying. It was just there, woven into the way she carried herself, the way she reacted without thinking, the way the music seemed to guide her with an instinct that ran deeper than mere experience.

She was Force-sensitive.

Valery’s smirk remained, but her mind sharpened. It wasn’t something to bring up now — not here, not in the middle of a club, not when Alana was just starting to let herself feel free. But it changed things. It meant something. She would talk to her about it.

Just not yet.

For now, she let the moment linger. She let them dance, let the energy build between them, let the night stretch on for just a little longer. But the thought was there now, sitting at the back of her mind, waiting.

She leaned in, voice smooth but laced with something more, something knowing. “I have to admit,” she murmured, gaze locked onto Alana’s, “You’ve got something special about you.” A pause, just enough for intrigue. “I think we should talk after this.”

A tease. A promise.

And beneath it, the truth that neither of them knew was about to change everything.

Alana Calloway ​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Dress

Valery’s smirk deepened at Alana’s challenge, her amber eyes flickering with amusement. “Wear me out?” she echoed, tilting her head slightly as she considered the words, as if the very thought was impossible. A slow chuckle slipped from her lips, and she pushed her glass aside with a quiet clink. “I don’t think so.”

She stood smoothly, rolling her shoulders as she stretched, the neon glow catching in the sheen of sweat along her bronzed skin. The heat of the club wrapped around her once more, the pulse of the music thrumming through her veins like a second heartbeat. “Alright,” she teased, nodding toward the dance floor. “Let’s see if you can actually keep up with me this time.”

And just like that, they were back in motion.

Valery moved effortlessly, her body sinking back into the rhythm as if she had never left it. The world around them faded again, the crowd, the flashing lights, the steady murmur of voices lost beneath the music. It was just them, the way their movements played off one another, the way the energy between them crackled like fire.

But then—

Something shifted.

It wasn’t the music. It wasn’t the dance. It was her.

For just a moment, as Alana moved, as she let herself go completely to the beat, Valery felt it. A ripple in the Force. Subtle, but unmistakable. It wasn’t something conscious — Alana wasn’t reaching for it, wasn’t trying. It was just there, woven into the way she carried herself, the way she reacted without thinking, the way the music seemed to guide her with an instinct that ran deeper than mere experience.

She was Force-sensitive.

Valery’s smirk remained, but her mind sharpened. It wasn’t something to bring up now — not here, not in the middle of a club, not when Alana was just starting to let herself feel free. But it changed things. It meant something. She would talk to her about it.

Just not yet.

For now, she let the moment linger. She let them dance, let the energy build between them, let the night stretch on for just a little longer. But the thought was there now, sitting at the back of her mind, waiting.

She leaned in, voice smooth but laced with something more, something knowing. “I have to admit,” she murmured, gaze locked onto Alana’s, “You’ve got something special about you.” A pause, just enough for intrigue. “I think we should talk after this.”

A tease. A promise.

And beneath it, the truth that neither of them knew was about to change everything.

Alana Calloway ​

 

[Alana Calloway]

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Get Up To Get Down​

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Location: Hirsi, Long Weii Down Nightclub​

Tag: Valery Noble​

Gear: Outfit​

Alana huffed out a breathless laugh, sweat slick on her skin, her pulse thrumming with the music. "You keep saying that," She teased, rolling her shoulders as she met Valery's gaze. "And yet, I'm still here. Still keeping up."

She wasn't thinking about much beyond the dance, beyond the push and pull of movement, the way the world narrowed to just the rhythm and the fire in Valery's eyes. But something in the way the other woman looked at her now—something just beneath the surface of that smirk—made her pause.

Special.

Alana's jaw tensed for half a second before she smoothed it out with a smile. She'd heard that word before, tossed at her in ways that never felt quite right. From bounty brokers marveling at her instincts, from handlers trying to mold her into something useful. And now Valery, with a glint in her eye like she'd just figured something out. Alana’s dancing closed in, just a hair, wanting to make sure Val could hear her over the music.

Did she have the gift too?

"That so?" Alana tilted her head, letting the moment hang, before grinning. "Guess we'll see if you still think, that after we talk."

A tease? A challenge? And maybe, just maybe, a bit of wariness buried deep beneath the smirk she gave in return.

Regardless, she was just enjoying having fun, and not being tormented by the voices in her head.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Dress

Valery felt the moment shift between them, the playful back-and-forth laced with something more — something deeper. The way Alana responded, that flicker of tension in her jaw, the challenge behind her words — it told Valery everything she needed to know.

She was curious.

And she was wary. That wariness was something Valery understood. She wasn’t going to push — not yet. But she wasn’t going to let it go, either.

Her smirk lingered, sharp as ever, but her movements changed. Where before she had let the dance be a game of mutual give and take, now she led. Not forcefully, not abruptly, but with a smooth, natural shift in energy. A step closer, a hand briefly grazing Alana’s wrist, a turn that positioned them toward the exit.

She guided.

Not just in the dance, but in the way she nudged Alana toward the cool air outside, toward a moment away from the neon lights and the pounding bass. And Alana? She followed.

Whether she realized it or not.

As they stepped outside, the contrast was almost jarring — the music dulled to a distant hum behind them, replaced by the quiet hum of the city. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of rain that hadn’t yet fallen, and for the first time in a while, the heat between them wasn’t just from the dance.

Valery exhaled, rolling her shoulders before turning to face Alana fully, her smirk still firmly in place. But her amber eyes burned with something else now.

Something knowing.

“You feel it, don’t you?” she murmured, tilting her head slightly, her dark waves falling loose over one shoulder. “Even if you might not have the words for it.”

She let the silence stretch for a beat, let the weight of the truth settle between them. Then, her voice softened, just a fraction. “I wasn’t just talking about the way you dance, Alana.”

Valery took a step closer, just enough for Alana to feel her presence — not pressing, not demanding, just there. Steady. Certain. “I felt you in the Force.” The words weren’t heavy with expectation, nor were they meant to push her into anything. It was simply the truth. A truth Alana had to decide what to do with.

Alana Calloway ​

 

[Alana Calloway]

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Get Up To Get Down​

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Location: Hirsi, Long Weii Down Nightclub​

Tag: Valery Noble​

Gear: Outfit​

When the dance ended, Alana felt a bit of lump form in her stomach. The more she thought on it, the more she became concerned that Val would ask about her gift.

Sure enough, it happened.

Alana lingered in the silence, the city's hum filling the space between them. The cool air brushed against her skin, a stark contrast to the heat of the club, but the shift in atmosphere wasn't what had her uneasy. It was Valery's words—the way she spoke them like they were fact, like she already knew the answer.

Her fingers flexed at her sides before she crossed her arms over her chest, gaze flicking away for just a second. She wanted to scoff, to brush it off like she had every other time someone tried to put a name to what she was. But Valery wasn't a handler, wasn't some broker trying to slap a label on her skills and make a profit off them. She was—what? Curious? Understanding?

That was worse, somehow.

Alana exhaled sharply through her nose, rolling her shoulders as if she could shake the weight of the moment off. "You say that like it's a good thing." The words came quieter than she intended, lacking their usual bite she held for such remarks. There was no denial, no attempt to refute what Valery had felt. Just a hint of something like hesitation, like uncertainty. She had too many bad experiences with this talk.

She didn't look away this time, holding Valery's gaze with something unreadable. "I’ve had it for a while, someone offered to help me with it, but I’ll be honest it scares me." A smirk curled at the edge of her lips, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I’m…not exactly cut out for being a space wizard."

And yet, despite the words, despite the way she wanted to put a wall between herself and this conversation, she hadn't turned away. Hadn't walked off into the night. Because part of her—the part she didn't want to acknowledge—was still listening.

“There’s a reason you bring it up though….”

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Dress

Valery watched Alana carefully — not just her words, but the way she carried them, the way her body tensed before forcing itself to relax. The way her smirk didn’t quite reach her eyes. This wasn’t the first time someone had told her.

It might not have even been the first time someone offered to help. That hesitation, that wariness — it wasn’t just uncertainty. It was experience.

Valery’s smirk softened slightly, not teasing this time, but understanding. “I bring it up because I noticed it,” she admitted, tilting her head. “Nothing more.” Her voice was even, light, not pressing.

“You don’t have to be a ‘space wizard,’” she said, amused at the phrasing. “And I’m not here to convince you of anything. I was just… curious.” A beat. “But if you ever do want help — just to understand it, to know what it is—” she lifted a hand in an easy gesture, “I can do that, too.”

Simple. No expectations. No pressure.

Valery let her hand drop, exhaling as she rolled her shoulders slightly, shaking off the weight of the conversation. “But this isn’t the place for that kind of talk.” Her smirk returned, just a little sharper now.

Her head tilted toward the streets ahead. “I’ve got a hotel nearby. Not trying to kidnap you, promise,” she teased, “but it’s quiet, private, and I do still owe you a drink.”

She let the offer linger, leaving the choice in Alana’s hands. If she wanted to walk away, she could. If she wanted to change the subject, she could. If she wanted to dig just a little deeper, test the waters, see what she really thought about all of this…

That door was open.

And Valery was patient enough to let her decide whether or not to step through it.

Alana Calloway ​

 

[Alana Calloway]

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Get Up To Get Down​

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Location: Hirsi, Long Weii Down Nightclub​

Tag: Valery Noble​

Gear: Outfit​

Alana held Valery's gaze, searching for something—some hint of expectation, some pressure waiting beneath the surface. But there was none. Just an open door, one she could walk through or leave behind.

An actual choice this time…

That should've made it easier to turn away. To call it a night, let the moment slip between them like so many others before it. But she didn't.

Instead, she exhaled, slow and measured, before giving a small shake of her head. Not in dismissal, but something closer to reluctant amusement. "You're really serious about this, huh?"

The words were light, but there was no real bite to them. And after a beat, she ran a hand through her hair, exhaling again as if that might steady whatever was twisting in her chest.

She wasn't good at trust. Not for a long time. But Valery wasn't asking for that—not yet. Just a conversation. Just the possibility of understanding something she had spent years trying to ignore.

And maybe—just maybe—she was tired of running from it.

Maybe she just wanted to stop being scared of herself.

"Alright," she finally said, glancing at Valery with something almost like curiosity of her own. "One drink. And I’m going to be very disappointed in you if you kidnap me."

The smirk she shot Valery was sharper now, more genuine. This time, when she stepped forward, she didn't hesitate.

She would go with Val, and for once, try to embrace this unknown side of herself.