Private Shopping Day

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Alderaan​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Kalie Alverez ​

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Only a few weeks after returning to the Prosperity to introduce her partner and meet her friends again, Valery had given birth to a healthy daughter. Between having to recover from pregnancy and taking care of Vera, the weeks after the baby was born were incredibly stressful and demanding. Valery had been working hard to get back in shape but a young child required almost constant attention as well. If it hadn't been for Kahlil being with her, she wouldn't have known how to get through all of the sleepless nights and days filled with work and baby care.​

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But as was to be expected, the two eventually found their rhythm, and with some friends to help them watch the baby at times, they were slowly gaining more flexibility in their lives. The two were getting back to their duties, but they were also able to spend some of their time doing other things. The latter is what brought Valery to Alderaan today — Kahlil had encouraged her to take a day to meet a friend and not worry about things. ​

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While Valery was often all work, she hadn't seen her friends again in some time and with a wedding approaching, she figured inviting Kalie Alverez to go for some shopping would be a fun way to catch up and have some fun. It had been too long since the two of them had a day of just them hanging out, and it was an opportunity to show Kalie the baby as well.​

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So after traveling to Alderaan's beautiful capital city, Valery waited for her friend at the landing pad with little baby Vera in a stroller. Not sure where Kalie was within this massive spaceport, she reached for her datapad and sent out a quick message.​

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<Text>​

"Hey Kalie, I'm near landing port 32-C. Should I come to you or can you find me?"​

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[Kalie Alverez]

Valery Noble


The day was absolutely gorgeous… the sun was out, providing a warmth without being scolding hot. There was a light breeze. Kalie was sitting down on a bench inside the open terminal, her legs crossed in front of her and her hands clasped together around a delicious cup of warm Caf. She let out a delightful sigh as she relived some of the fantastic memories that had occurred here not too terribly long ago. She brought the cup up to her lips and took a sip.

This was nice.

She was looking forward to reconnecting with Valery Noble , her dear friend who had just given birth to her baby girl recently! She had not been able to see Val or the baby yet, and so Kalie was giddy with the anticipation of finally seeing the wonderful bundle of cuteness.

Bzzt.

Kalie glanced down at her data pad that was sitting on the bench next to her. She let out a quiet, high pitched squeal as she quickly grabbed her things, along with an extra cup of Caf for the beautiful new mother and walked briskly in the direction of 32-C.


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“Val!” She called out from a distance as she waved her free hand wildly in the air upon seeing them up ahead. She walked up to the Jedi Master and wrapped her free arm around her in a warm hug, giving her a slight friendly squeeze.

“Oh my goodness! It’s so good to see you!” She said into Val’s shoulder, then pulled back and took one of the Cafs from the cardboard holder and offered it to her, “I got you a caf... Hope you like it, I kind of guessed because I don’t know what you usually get.” She then quickly dropped to both knees in front of the baby stroller, setting down her own drink and lifting the cover ever so slightly to get her first glimpse of baby Vera, being careful to not to let too much light inside in case she happened to be napping.

“Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii…” Kalie said in the softest whisper possible, her eyes dancing as she gently moved some of the blanket so that she could get a better look at her face.

“Oh my goodness… She has her momma’s eyes!” She whispered as she looked up at Valery with a beaming smile, then back down at the baby.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Alderaan​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Kalie Alverez ​

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After sending out the text message, Valery looked down at Vera with a warm smile and slowly began to move again. She wanted to at least get to somewhere more available for Kalie and entered the rather busy hallway leading up to her terminal moments later. Looking around, she spotted a great variety of aliens wandering around, but the fiery red hair of her friend stood out, so it was easy to spot Kalie approaching.​

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Seeing the woman wave and call out, Valery smiled and stepped away from the stroller to return the hug. They hadn't seen each other since the Life Day event on the Prosperity and much had changed since. Valery was well on her way to being back in warrior shape, and Vera was a few weeks old at this point.​

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"It's good to see you again too, Kalie." Valery was beaming. Seeing a close friend after such stressful weeks felt amazing. Kalie then offered her the caf, which she accepted despite not really drinking it usually. Right now, that simply didn't matter. She took a sip and watched as her friend went down on her knees to look at the baby.​

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"She's a cutie, huh?" Valery chuckled and lowered herself. Vera was awake and smiling, so as gently as she could, she took her daughter out of the stroller and held her in her arms.​

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"Would you like to hold her for a moment?" Valery then asked as she carefully offered Vera, whose little arms were stretched out while her orange eyes looked at her mother's friend. She had a feeling the redhead would be rather excited to hold the baby, seeing how she had reacted to her pregnancy.​

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"I'll also be honest — I haven't gone shopping here before really. Do you know where to go? I'd like your help picking a wedding dress but we can do some more clothes shopping too. Perhaps some other things, and then I'll buy us lunch."​

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[Kalie Alverez]

Valery Noble

“Oh yes, she is such a sweetie!” Kalie responded, watching as Valery took the baby into her arms. She nodded with a big smile as she offered to let Kalie hold little Vera. She carefully took the wrapped bundle into her arms, holding one hand carefully under her precious head as she slowly swayed back and forth, mesmerized by the little cutie,

“Is your name Vera? Is your name Vera? Is it?” She said in a cute voice as she made little faces for the baby to giggle at. “I think it is! Yes… I think it is! Haha.”

"I'll also be honest — I haven't gone shopping here before really. Do you know where to go? I'd like your help picking a wedding dress but we can do some more clothes shopping too. Perhaps some other things, and then I'll buy us lunch."

Kalie looked up at Val, still beaming, “Umm.. yes! I think I can get us around for the most part! Oh, that sounds fun!” She looked Valery over, a rather surprised look on her face, “You look great, Val! When my cousins had their babies, it took them like a month to fully recover… but you look… just like the last time I saw you! except… You have that look… that momma glow.”

She smiled as she looked back down at the baby, gently booping their noses together with a giggle. “Yes… she’s got that momma glow! yes she does…”

Kalie looked back up and offered to give the baby back to Valery if she desired, otherwise she would be more than happy to walk with the baby in her arms. “So there is a really great shopping district just a few minutes from here, would you like to start there? I’m sure we can find some wedding venues pretty fast.”

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Alderaan​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Kalie Alverez ​

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She was all smiles as she watched how Kalie handled the baby. The way she talked to Vera and the faces she made got plenty of giggles and happy noises from the young girl, who was likely just as mesmerized as Kalie was.​

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Kalie looked up at Val, still beaming, “Umm.. yes! I think I can get us around for the most part! Oh, that sounds fun!” She looked Valery over, a rather surprised look on her face, “You look great, Val! When my cousins had their babies, it took them like a month to fully recover… but you look… just like the last time I saw you! except… You have that look… that momma glow.”

Valery blinked and looked down at her body for a moment, but the comment about having a momma glow brought an even warmer smile to her face than before. Her family was the most important thing in the world to her, so it was something she appreciated a lot. She then looked back up at Kalie and nodded with that same smile.​

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"It took me a few weeks as well and while I'm still not as physically strong as I was, I'm making a lot of progress. Kahlil helps me spar and pushes me a ton — it helps to have that encouragement," she said with a bit of a smirk on her face.​

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She then accepted the baby back after Kalie had booped noses together, and gently placed her back in the stroller with a grin on her face. As much fun as it was to walk around holding the baby, she was a bit anxious about it and felt the safety of the stroller to be comforting.​

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"So there is a really great shopping district just a few minutes from here, would you like to start there? I'm sure we can find some wedding venues pretty fast." ​

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"That sounds wonderful, let's start there." Valery stood back up and took the stroller, ready to begin their day of shopping. "Is there anything you're looking to get as well? I can help you pick a dress or something cute. You deserve to spoil yourself a bit." she said with an encouraging tone as they began to walk towards the shopping district.​

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[Kalie Alverez]

Valery Noble

Kalie’s eyes tracked the baby as she was carefully placed back inside the stroller. It was so fun to see Valery as a momma, it really fit her so well. She always had that protective nature, even for Kalie. In some ways… many ways… she felt like a big sister to the girl… always having her eye out for her well beings… always probing to discover what was really going on under the surface. A true friend.

Kalie felt like Val was born to be a momma. She knew that she would thrive in it.

As she dwelled on how good of a friend Valery had been to her, and seeing her so happy with such a beautiful baby and a man who truly loved her, Kalie couldn’t help but feel happy tears begin to well up in her eyes as she gazed affectionately at her friend.

“I’m so happy for you… you deserve everything… Kahlil… Vera…” She said with a warm smile as she suddenly wrapped her arms around Valery’s neck and squeezed her tightly one more time.

“You’ve been such a good friend to me… and I’m just so happy to see you as a momma. I know you will be fantastic.”

She pulled away and wiped the tears from her eyes, laughing with slight embarrassment at the emotional display, “Count on me to cry! Kriff! Ok, let’s find you the dress of your dreams!” She picked her Caf back up and they started walking in the direction of the shopping center as she took a sip.

"Is there anything you're looking to get as well? I can help you pick a dress or something cute. You deserve to spoil yourself a bit."

“You know… I wouldn’t mind a new dress. That would be fun. I’m not really sure what kind though… maybe it will just pop out at us while we are looking.”

As they began to venture down the street with venders and shops on either side, she began to nonchalantly hum the tune that Isla Draellix-Kobitana had sung the last time they had walked the streets of Alderaan together, an almost dreamy expression washing over her face as the nostalgia of their night played almost like a holomovie in her mind.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Alderaan​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Kalie Alverez ​

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Valery blew a cutesy little kiss to baby Vera and as she got back up to her feet, she suddenly noticed Kalie approaching with her arms wide. They wrapped around her neck and held her in a tight hug. For a moment, Valery was a bit surprised but she quickly returned the hug and offered her friend a smile after she pulled back again.​

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"Aw, thank you Kalie." She smiled but noticed the tear of joy in her friend's eyes, and felt her heart melt as a result. Valery cared a great deal about her friends, but it was obvious that Kalie was a very caring person as well.​

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"And you're always going to have my support, no matter what." She smirked and as the tears were wiped away, the two women began their walk towards the shopping area. Valery had some ideas for what she liked her wedding dress to be like, but a friend's opinion was going to be useful when trying them out.​

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"I'm sure we can find a fitting dress — something to draw the right kind of attention maybe?" She grinned, "Or do you prefer something more modest you can wear whenever or even to formal gatherings?"​

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While Kalie began to hum a soft melody, they finally entered the rather busy shopping area, which is when Valery stopped to look around. Her expression made it quite obvious that she was a bit new to shopping in areas like this. She seemed a bit overwhelmed and looked at Kalie.​

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"I...think I'm going to follow your lead on this." she chuckled.​

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[Kalie Alverez]

Valery Noble


Kalie let out a laugh at Valery’s comment about finding a dress that could draw the right kind of attention. “You know, I wouldn’t mind something that could draw some attention… That sounds fun!”

Kalie smiled at her friends reaction to the shopping center. “No worries! I got you covered. Follow me!” She gestured in the direction that would most likely lead them to a wedding shop. As they walked, she tapped her finger against her lips, looking around at the variety of stalls. They were getting close. “Now If I were a wedding dress, where would I be?” She said in a contemplative tone.

Suddenly her eyes lit up as she saw a white wedding dress in a display up ahead. She jumped up and down as she pointed at it. “Here we go!” As they drew closer, there were three wedding shops all located in the same strip. They definitely had some options.

“Ok…” Kalie said as she wandered into the first shop and began to look at the dresses on display, her finger once again tapping her lips inquisitively, “So, did you have anything in mind? Any kind of design or pattern? Fluffy princess? Sexy goddess?”

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Alderaan​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Kalie Alverez ​

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With an amused smirk, Valery followed Kalie through the streets of Alderaan to look for a shop where they could get a wedding dress. It almost seemed as if Kalie was more excited about it than Valery, which was strange in a way but also heart-warming. She really cared about her friends being happy, and loved to spend time like this with them.​

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So as Kalie was bouncing up and down towards a shop she spotted, Valery did her best to keep up, careful not to walk too fast with the baby stroller.​

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When they stopped in front of the first shop, her eyes glanced over the dress and a smirk appeared. "Is that really a question?" she joked. "Of course, it will be sexy goddess. I think Kahlil will appreciate that too." Her internal grin was likely even bigger than what she showed outwardly at this point.​

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"I don't like having too much fluff either, so risque it is." ​

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Valery then gestured for Kalie to follow her into the shop, where she began to look at some of the options. There were quite a few but one likely would have to be tailored to fit her form perfectly.​

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"Think I should try something on?"​

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[Kalie Alverez]

Valery Noble


Kalie’s experience was that weddings were a very, very big deal. Growing up, she had been a part of many of her cousins weddings. There was so much attention and detail in every single moment, and it had always been her unspoken role to be their cheerleader… to help them truly enjoy and savor every moment. She loved making people feel cherished and celebrated. And so this fun trip of picking out a wedding dress for Valery, at least in Kalie’s mind, was a big deal for her friend. She remembered her cousins fretting over every single detail, squealing with delight when they finally found the perfect dress… the tears… the laughs…

Kalie wanted to make this day as memorable as possible for her close friend. She had noticed that Val didn’t seem to be as emotionally charged as her cousins had been, which was a new experience for Kalie…. But she didn’t think too much of it at the moment.

At heart, Kalie was a hopeless romantic. She loved the idea that someone could sweep her off her feet at any moment. While this reality was often buried under a massive weight of spy work and espionage, it delighted in being liberated from the undercurrent of Kalies subconscious for a wonderful time dedicated to the celebration of love and intentional commitment.

And truthfully... she had a nagging suspicion that she would never get her own wedding day… with the life she led, and the romantic relationship with Gramani Fey’la all but resorting to an occasional hookup in-between months of separation due to their intense occupations… it seemed elusively ever out of reach… more like a little girls ignorant childhood fantasy than a viable possibility…

She mused upon Tiresh’s romantic relationship with Isla Draellix-Kobitana as well… what a sudden turn of events that had taken! There was definitely a strong bond between the two of them that had great potential to last… however, that was Tiresh… not Kalie… and while obviously they shared the same body as well as many of the same underlying foundations… It was just… very… very… complicated… Some days, she wished she could just become Tiresh completely and leave Kalie behind. She truly felt like she was accomplishing more good through the incredible work she was doing as a Senator, not to mention the Kobitana Foundation and the divine connection with Isla… But again, did she truly want to never be Kalie again? Say goodbye to Valery Noble … Lyrrin … Gramani Fey’la … for good? There was a sting that she felt even at the thought.

Why was her life so absolutely and terribly complicated?

But alas… Now was not the time to focus on such things… she could live vicariously through her best friends wedding experience!! And so she would make sure that this was the best and most rewarding day that she could possibly muster for Valery.

She deserved the absolute best.

"Is that really a question?" she joked. "Of course, it will be sexy goddess. I think Kahlil will appreciate that too." Her internal grin was likely even bigger than what she showed outwardly at this point.

Kalie let out a loud laugh as she placed a hand against Valery’s arm. “I mean… I kinda knew you were the sexy goddess type… let’s be honest.” She bantered as Valery led them into the shop for a closer look, “We’re gonna show you off like a gorgeous trophy. That boy will be sweating like crazy when you walk down that isle!” She laughed again as she walked up to a rack and started skimming through the possibilities.

No… no…. no…. FORCE NO…. no… hmm….

She pulled one from the rack, her fingers still skimming until…

“Hey…” She said quietly as she pulled a second dress out as well, turning to present both of them to Valery, “Either one of these? I mean... this one…” She motioned to the one in her right hand, “…Once it’s fitted, it would give off a pretty sexy vibe I think…”

She waited for Valery to either turn them both down and keep looking, or try one on.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Alderaan​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Kalie Alverez ​

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Valery wasn't always one to show a great deal of emotion, with only those truly close to her experiencing that more personal side of her frequently. But there was something about Kalie's energy that made it hard not to smile — just seeing how much she cared about her friend's happiness was quite amazing, and beyond what Valery was used to. ​

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It felt nice to have such a close friend who cared this much.​

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Today, it was also incredibly useful because Valery had practically no experience when it came to weddings. In the old days of the Jedi, it simply never happened, and she didn't have friends outside the Jedi really either. It was only after her awakening from stasis that things began to change rapidly.​

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"I mean… I kinda knew you were the sexy goddess type… let's be honest."​

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Valery chuckled rather loudly as she entered the shop and greeted those inside with a nod, "I'm glad we're thinking alike! It would be nice to surprise him with a great look. I'm just very new to-" she blinked as Kalie began to look through dresses, filtering out a bunch that she didn't like. It sparked a bit of laughter from Valery, who stepped up beside her friend to take a look as well.​

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But the moment she saw the beautiful dresses, it was like a sparkle appeared in her eyes. She really was getting married... the realization hit again and made her heart pound just a bit faster. This was a lot more exciting than she had thought. Her eyes shifted between a few options but when Kalie spoke, she turned to look at what she had found.​

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"Oh my..." Valery looked at the dress Kalie showed and a wide smile appeared on her face. "That's very... sexy." she laughed and walked over to take a closer look, her fingers trailing over the design.​

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"Doesn't leave too much to the imagination, so it's perfect I'd say!" She said, almost ready to squeal from just how excited she was.​

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"I already know how I'm going to do my hair with it, too!" She grinned, "Think I should try it on? I hope they have someone here for measurements."​

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[Kalie Alverez]

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Valery Noble

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Kalie beamed with pride as Valery selected the dress that she had recommended. Seeing Valery grow more excited also seemed to fuel her own excitement, as Valery was almost always the calm and collected one. She jumped up and down, her inner extrovert experiencing a sense of nirvana.

“YES!” Kalie turned to find the shop keeper, but discovered that she had already snuck up on them without them being aware of it, causing her to jump slightly at the presence of the rather stoic and gloomy individual. “Oh! Hi there!”

She seemed to stare at the wall behind them, slowly blinking her annoyed eyes at the fact that any excitement had wandered into her store front at all.

No other response was noted.

Kalie blinked, looking at Val, then back to the shopkeeper, unsure what to do.

“…..um…. Can we try this dress on?” Kalie asked, holding up the chosen garment. She suddenly swiped it from Kalie’s hand with a motion so quick that Kalie jumped again from surprise. The woman then let out a long and drawn out sigh as she slowly turned and walked deeper into her shop.

“Faaaalllloowww meeeeeeee.” She droned in a rather high pitched and gravelly voice. Kalie gave Val a wide eyed look, as if to say “What’s the deal with her??”, then followed behind the obscenely slow creature.

“The dreeesssinnngg room is thaaaaat waaaaay.” She pointed with her odd appendage.

“Thanks!” Kalie said, going to take the dress from her hand, but the woman refused to let it go.

“…um…” Kalie tugged again gently…. Still nothing.

Finally the woman let out another long and exasperated sigh as she released the dress reluctantly into Kalie’s hand. Her head turned, eying both Valery and Kalie, a profound and resolute frown etched permanently across her saggy face,

“Iiii’mm waaaatcchinnggg youuuu….”

Kalie did her best to stifle a laugh due to the bizarre woman as she slowly slugged away from them.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Alderaan​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Kalie Alverez ​

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Valery raised a hand to cover herself laughing as Kalie began to bounce up and down. Meanwhile, little Vera seemed to enjoy it a great deal, as she laughed excitedly along with Kalie and moved her arms all about. But there was one person who didn't share their excitement as much — turning around, Valery blinked as she spotted the shopkeeper.​

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She exchanged looks with Kalie as the rather strange woman annoyingly stared past them, clearly not happy with the behavior of the two women who were shopping for a dress. ​

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Despite it though, she snatched the dress from her friend's hands and began to move towards the dressing room when they asked to try it.​

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"Faaaalllloowww meeeeeeee."​

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Valery looked at Kalie as the woman turned, noticing the look she had on her face. Valery first shrugged her shoulders, then raised her finger to the side of her head and moved it in a circle as if to say I don't know, she's crazy. With a big smirk on her face, she then followed after the strange alien.​

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Another peculiar interaction between Kalie and the woman then followed, and it became increasingly hard for Valery not to be grinning because of it. As annoying as the shopkeeper was, it was also pretty amusing to watch Kalie try and snatch the dress back from her.​

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When they finally were given it, Valery stepped closer to Kalie and whispered, "No way I'm leaving Vera near her." She backed up and took the stroller with her into the changing room.​

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"Going to be a tight squeeze in this dress, but beauty hurts, right?" She smirked and began the rather lengthy process of maneuvring her body into the tight dress. When she was finally done, she presented herself to Kalie, arms widened a little before she tucked on the sides of the dress.​

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"What do you think? Too much or just right? I was also thinking I should curl my ponytail and bangs while I wear it. Thoughts?" She asked with an excited grin on her face​

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[Kalie Alverez]

Valery Noble


Kalie cupped her mouth, trying to mute the snorting noise that escaped her mouth as they walked over to the changing room, “What in the world?!” She exclaimed in a shushed manner so that the shop keeper would not overhear. “Good call…” she said in reference to Valery bringing the baby in with her. “I think that awful creature might have a nasty bite!”

Kalie leaned up against the wall as she waited for Valery to finish, her eyes wandering around the shop, admiring some of the dress designs while scrunching her nose repulsively at others. She sipped on her Caf. “Hows it going in there?” She asked…

"Going to be a tight squeeze in this dress, but beauty hurts, right?"

“Always!” She smiled. As the door opened and Val presented herself in the wedding dress, Kalie’s mouth dropped in awe… “Oh Val…” She said as she walked up to her, looking her up and down, “I think that looks…” She walked around behind her, observing how it flowed from behind, “…Stunning!” She concluded with a nod of approval. “I mean, once you get it fitted… It might be perfect! What?? First dress??” She came back to Valery’s front, her mouth still agap, “No way, right? My cousins tried on like 50 dresses… I mean…. Do you want to try on some more, just in case? Or are you a hundred percent happy with this one.”

Just then the slug of a creature returned uninvited, oozing her way across the floor towards them. She glared at Valery, a look of pure distaste settling unmistakably across her face as she let out an exasperated groan,

“Oooohhhh myyyyyyyy…” She groaned, “Attraaactinnngg atttennntiooonn are weeeeeee.”

She then raised her judgmental and flubbery head, looking down at Valery as she paused for a moment. the vender then uttered something that caused Kalie to gasp in complete shock…

“Youu’ll eeeend up wiith The entiiiiiiire weeeeeding paaartyy on yoooour wedding niiiiightt dressed like thaaaaaat.”

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Alderaan​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Kalie Alverez ​

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Valery was smiling brightly from the moment she stepped out of the dressing room, again pulling Vera along in the process. She had never gone shopping for anything this fancy, so finding something that felt right this quickly was surprising in a good way. And seeing how Kalie responded only made her feel better. The redhead had experience with this, so it must be a good sign for her to be excited, right?​

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"I'm glad you like it, Kalie." Valery said before she began to smile sheepishly. Was it not supposed to be this easy? Should she try more dresses? Valery blinked, clearly uncertain about it all.​

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"Uhm, I really like this dress, so I think it may be the one?" Valery said as she looked down at herself. It really was a beautiful dress and when fitted perfectly for her, she knew it was going to blow him away.​

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"Yeah, this is the one." She looked up with a more confident grin, but that's also when she noticed the slug-like woman being right there with them again. For someone as big as this lady, she was pretty decent at sneaking up on them.​

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"Youu'll eeeend up wiith The entiiiiiiire weeeeeding paaartyy on yoooour wedding niiiiightt dressed like thaaaaaat." ​

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Valery briefly frowned at the woman's words, but her opinion hardly really mattered. She wanted to look good for her wedding to make it a special day, and this dress was going to be a part of that. For a moment, she looked at Kalie again but her eyes quickly settled on the shopkeeper.​

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"I'm not quite sure what you mean, but it's alright. I'd like to get this dress fitted for me, if you can help with that?" She asked with a very friendly tone. The idea that this lady was going to have to take measurements was somewhat strange, but it was also her job to get it right. So as annoying as she was, Valery decided to place some trust in her.​

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[Kalie Alverez]

Valery Noble

"Yeah, this is the one."

Kalie nodded her approval. “It’s fantastic.” She concluded with a smile.

At the slugs awful comment, Kalie’s face began to turn the same color as her hair, her face contorted into a look that could kill as she glared at the awful slug that stood before them. She clenched her fists tightly, unsure of what to do. She would not let this vermin ruin Valery’s wonderful experience! Kalie and Val exchanged glances, Val obviously picking up on Kalie’s unamused demeanor.

"I'm not quite sure what you mean, but it's alright. I'd like to get this dress fitted for me, if you can help with that?"

Kalie breathed out slowly, trying to calm herself down. Val had responded appropriately, and as much as she would like to give the vendor a piece of her mind... that would risk them getting kicked out of the shop without Valery’s perfect dress.

The slug of a woman, with her face still one of complete apathy, let out another irritated sigh as she turned and beckoned the girls to follow her.

“Iiiit’sss yoooour weeedinggg…” she droned, her words dripping with distaste.

Kalie forced a smile and spoke through clenched teeth, “It is, isnt it!! Wonderful observation!! And the dress looks phenomenal! PHENOMINAL!!” Her eyes hands were still clenched, dreading any further word that would be uttered from the creatures droopy lips. She leaned over and whispered in Valery’s ear, “What a lovely personality. I think I want to punch her in the face...” She rolled her eyes.

The vendor picked up a measure and turned back to Valery.

“Hold sssstillll misssssy…”

Suddenly her arms moved with almost poetic motion, causing Kalie to drop her jaw in surprise at how suddenly elegant and quick her motions were as she quickly took all of the needed measurements. As the slug ventured behind Val to measure her flank, the creature murmured something inaudible to herself as she double checked the measurement. Then, to Kalie’s horror, she smacked Valery’s butt rather hard...

“I wonderrrr why he liiiikessss youuu…” The slug mused sarcastically, implying it was because of her rather impressive rear end.

“It’sssss sssure not for yourrrr smaaaartsss, honeyyyyy…”

“Eeeep!” Kalie squeaked in dismay. The redhead started breathing in and out heavily, her eyes growing wild as she looked at Valery with a look that said “I’m going to clock this crazy slug in the face”…

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Alderaan​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Kalie Alverez ​

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When the shopkeeper was making her rather nasty comments, Valery mostly just shrugged them off and tried to be respectful and professional. But from the corner of her eyes, she could see the way they affected her friend. It wasn't often that she saw Kalie's face that red from frustration or anger, so she almost began to worry that the redhead would soon snap.​

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Luckily though, she seemed to be able to stop herself just in time.​

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Kalie forced a smile and spoke through clenched teeth, “It is, isnt it!! Wonderful observation!! And the dress looks phenomenal! PHENOMINAL!!” Her eyes hands were still clenched, dreading any further word that would be uttered from the creatures droopy lips. She leaned over and whispered in Valery’s ear, “What a lovely personality. I think I want to punch her in the face...” She rolled her eyes.

Valery blinked at Kalie's response to the woman taking them to a different section in the shop — she knew how forced it was and thus wasn't surprised to hear that Kalie wanted to punch the slug lady. Softly, she began to snicker and patted her friend on the shoulder to comfort her a little.​

​

"Don't worry, Kalie. We'll be out of here soon enough," she said with a soft tone of voice, hoping that her own lack of real frustration could carry over to her friend somehow.​

​

But then it only got worse. Valery was never fond of people measuring her up, but as the woman made her way around Valery, she smacked her butt hard enough to cause Valery to stumble forward a step. An eyebrow was raised and as she turned around to look at the slug lady, the shopkeeper said something Valery feared would get Kalie incredibly heated.​

​

"I wonderrrr why he liiiikessss youuu…" The slug mused sarcastically, implying it was because of her rather impressive rear end.​

​

"It'sssss sssure not for yourrrr smaaaartsss, honeyyyyy…"​

​

Valery blinked and quickly looked at Kalie as she heard her squeal, shooting her a look in return that hopefully stopped her from actually suplexing the shopkeeper.​

​

"Oh I'm sure he appreciates my looks, but it's my smarts and talents that kept me from having to be a shopkeeper," Valery said with a kind smile, but there was definitely a bit of a smug look hiding underneath the friendly layers. Before the woman could respond though, Valery decided to push the conversation in a different direction.​

​

"But if you have my measurements, is there anything else you need?"​

​

​

 

[Kalie Alverez]

Valery Noble


Kalie had had enough. She took a step forward and was about to rip the lady a new one when she suddenly stopped in her tracks, a rather rather perplexed look crossing her face as the slug began to cackle in genuine laughter at Valery’s jab at her about being a mere shopkeeper.

The slug leaned back, letting out a slow and dragging laugh,

“Haaaa haaaaa haaaaa haaaaa…”

Kalie looked over at Val, unsure what was happening. What a bizarre response!

The shopkeeper wiped a tear from her eye, with the most genuine look of amusement settled across her face.

“Wellll thennn… It was ssssurly my amaaaazing looooooks that made meeee a shopkeeeeeeper. I have to beeaat them offfff with a stiiiick. Unlike your frieeeend heeeeree… suuuurlyy sheee has something going for herrrrr besiiiiides a stuuuuck up personaaaalityyy?”

Kalie blinked, trying to decipher what was going on and how she should respond. Should she be upset? Was she just… attempting to…. Banter with her customers? If she was, it was the most awful attempt at banter she had ever witnessed! But she shrugged at Val and decided she would try to lean into it and see how the slug would respond..

“Oh yeah? Well at least I can walk across the floor without leaving slime everywhere!”

The slug grabbed its sides as it let out another howl of laughter. Kalie gave Valery the most shocked and bewildered expression before she burst into laughter as well, somewhat because of the nature of the socially inept slug, and somewhat at just the pure bizarreness of the whole situation.

The slug wiped a tear from her eye as she pointed Valery back towards the dressing room..

“Take it offf honeyyyy… I’ll get it allllll done uuuup riiiiiight for youuuuuu. Should oooonlyy taaaake a minuteee.”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Alderaan​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Kalie Alverez ​

​

As the shopkeeper broke out into laughter, Valery sloooowly turned her head to look at Kalie, who seemed equally as surprised. Within a few seconds, the redhead had seemingly gone from wanting to kill the slug, to being so utterly confused that she wasn't exactly sure what to do.​

​

It was rather amusing, in a way.​

​

Valery was then about to say something when the two had a crack at each other as well, and she couldn't help but laugh softly. The shopkeeper was terrible at joking around with customers, but Kalie was able to make the most out of it. That, and it felt as if the slime comment was plucked directly from her own brain. Valery struggled to contain her laughter at it.​

​

Turning to look at Kalie again, she noticed a rather shocked expression, which she met with a shrug of her shoulders and a smirk. At least they weren't getting kicked out of the shop, right? That must count for something.​

​

"That was... interesting, and very amusing," Valery said as she looked at the shopkeeper with a faint smile. "But I'll get changed and then handle the payment for the dress." God, she didn't even want to know how much it was going to set her back. But as they mentioned earlier, beauty hurts... and in this case, it was the wallet that would hurt.​

​

Valery then quickly got changed back into her casual clothing and nudged Kalie along towards the area where she could pay and have the slug handle the rest when it came to preparing the dress. But now closer and without the slug being able to hear them, Valery leaned in to whisper into her friend's ear.​

​

"I'm paying for our lunch... thanks for putting up with all that for me," she smirked and patted the redhead on the shoulder. She really was grateful to have such good friends. Valery then made her way over to the shopkeeper and pulled out her wallet, ready to handle the damage it was about to sustain.​

​

​

 

[Kalie Alverez]

Valery Noble

"That was... interesting, and very amusing," Valery said as she looked at the shopkeeper with a faint smile. "But I'll get changed and then handle the payment for the dress."

Kalie shook her head in disbelief with a slight chuckle, “I’m still confused, haha! What in the force is up with her?!” As Val and the baby went into the changing room, she waited for the door to close before quietly bounding back over to the slug lady. She had wanted to get a wedding present that was very meaningful for Valery, and knowing wedding dresses… this one was likely at the higher end of the pricing spectrum. Kalie felt like it could be the perfect way she could contribute to this woman who meant so much to her, so Kalie was going to attempt to discretely pay for the dress herself. Because of her alternate persona, Tiresh Kobitana, she was very wealthy. However, Valery did not know that she was Tiresh, and so she could not easily explain how she could afford the dress in any believable way… so she would attempt to fly it under the radar instead.

Now, could she count on this socially inept slug to keep such a secret? She rolled her eyes as she approached the woman’s work station. She would try…

“Listen, Lady…” She said, throwing her elbows up onto the counter and resting her chin in her palms, “I think you’re fabulous. But you’re ugly. Let’s get that right.” She had learned how to speak the slugs language, and while it caused her to cringe as she spoke, she knew it would resonate with the shopkeeper in some bizarre and weird way. Sure enough, the slug chuckled to herself as she worked,

“Riiiight back aaaat youuuu misssssy.”

Kalie winked with a squished smile against her hands, “So how much is this dress for such an ugly kriffer as myself? Common honey buns… you know you love me…” Kalie stuck out her tongue and made a silly face at the slug, once again causing the slug some amusement. The shopkeeper paused, then let out an exasperated and drawn out sigh, “Fiiiiine… I caaaaan give youuuu theeeee uglyyyyy kriffferrrrr dissscouuntttt. I sssssuppposee…” She flipped out a calculator, entered in the original price and showed it to Kalie. Damn… that was an expensive dress! She then divided the total by 20% and showed her the new price point.

“25% sugar bear…. I am the ugliest of kriffers... you extortionist you.” The slug cackled, enjoying the banter apparently, then she obliged, adjusting the price once again.

“Taaaake iiiit or leeeeeave ittt, suuuuugar beeeear.” Kalie nodded playfully in her hands with a smile.

“You got yourself a deal, slimo!” Kalie threw her head back behind her to look to make sure Val was still inside the changing room. She opened up her purse and pulled out the credits, counting them carefully before sliding them across the counter to the slug.

“This is our little secret, then? A favor between enemies?” The slug looked down her nose at the credits, then groaned again, but this time with a sense of fondness towards the crazy redhead.

“Whhateverrrrrr.” She slapped the credits under the desk and continued with her work on someone else’s dress as Kalie jumped up from the counter with a playful winked to the slug as she bounded back over to the dressing room.

As Valery emerged, she brought them up to pay for the dress. The slug grabbed the dress from Valery but waved her money away with a sense of irritation,

“I would neeeverr accept aaactualll money for tthissss horrrrendoussss dresssss. Honessstly you are doing meeee a favourrrr remoooving iiiiit from my stoooock.”

Kalie pressed her hand against Valery’s arm with affection, “Well then! We are happy to take it off your hands then, Slimo!” She said in response to the slug and she flashed Valery a surprised look and a shrug, mouthing the words “Her loss” to Val.

"I'm paying for our lunch... thanks for putting up with all that for me," she smirked and patted the redhead on the shoulder.

“Oh, it’s my pleasure! Besides… she’s not so bad once to get to know her…” She laughed as they exited the shop. Kalie turned back a bit and gave the slug a wink with the raising of her middle finger, which the slug returned the gesture back to Kalie in some weird form of affection for her new friend.

“Oh my force! We got your dress!! And it’s PERFECT!” Kalie felt ecstatic. She had feared the slug would corrupt their delightful day, but she was relieved that such had not been the case.

“Ok, lunch!” She started looking around at the various stalls as they began to enter the food market. “Are you craving anything? I get lost in so many options!” She loved this. Walking with her best friend, enjoying the day together. It was so refreshing for her spirit.