First Reply Dive Bar Magick

[Juniper Le Fey]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⛧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━


LEXRUL- MIDDAY​

Music crackled over the cantina's tired speakers, a broken rhythm of lyrics in Ryl that Juniper only half-recognized. She caught certain sounds here and there, enough to guess at the meaning but not enough to care. The tune carried itself across smoke-filled air and rows of empty chairs, curling into the corners of the room. Lexrul's buildings pressed tight outside, jutting upward like jagged teeth, but inside it was nothing but dim shadows and heavy silence. The kind of place no one lingered in unless they had nowhere better to go.

She slipped through the door without hesitation, boots clicking against the warped flooring as though daring the sound to challenge her presence. At nearly six-three with her boots, her frame cut through the gloom, her bald head catching the sputter of a dying hololamp. The patrons were what you'd expect in a dive like this- bent-backed old men clinging to their glasses, muttering into their beards. Against them, Juniper was a knife at a sabacc table, a figure that demanded notice whether she wanted it or not. She didn't mind. A drink was what she needed, and the spice tucked in her pocket promised the night would smooth out from there.

A gruff Twi'lek moved into her path before she made it further, his lekku twitching as though they were keeping time with the music he was probably in charge of. His voice came out rough and sharp, demanding some form of ID. Juniper had been around long enough to know what that really meant. It wasn't procedure, it was a toll booth, a few credits slipped across the hand and you were good.

"I don't have to show you anything." Her words slid from her tongue, punctuated with a lazy flick of her hand. His eyes clouded almost instantly, the demand dying in his throat. He repeated her words back to her like a half-sleeping child and stepped aside without another thought. By the time his mind snapped back to clarity, Juniper was already moving on, leaving nothing behind but the faint aftertaste of something he couldn't explain.

She claimed a seat at the bar, resting her elbows against its stained surface and propping her chin against one hand as if she owned the place. The bartender dragged himself forward at his own pace, eyes yellowed from too many bad nights and his face set in a permanent sneer. When he opened his mouth, his tone was thick with disdain, each word phlegmy and gritty as if he resented the act of speaking to her at all.

"We don't have any fancy girly drinks," he muttered. "Spirits and brew. That's it." His eyes lingered on hers, carrying that familiar brand of contempt. She knew it well, men who looked at her and only saw someone soft, someone who couldn't possibly know the weight of violence. That was fine. Being underestimated was an old game of hers, and one she had learned to win.

Juniper lifted her chin from her palm, rising slowly until her full height cast a shadow across the man leaning into her space. Her hazel eyes caught the light and reflected it back sharp and cutting. "Just pour me a shot of whiskey," she said, her voice clean and precise, each word sharpened to an edge. Then she smiled, and that smile could've opened a man's throat without ever needing a blade. "Hot."

The bartender's sneer faltered. Maybe he saw something he hadn't expected. Maybe he felt it. Either way, his bravado dimmed as he reached for the bottle, hands moving without another word.

Juniper let her fingers wander into her pocket, brushing over the familiar crinkle of the spice bag. Soon enough, she'd have her drink, her high, and maybe even a little quiet. The galaxy never really let her rest, though. Peace was always temporary. If someone decided to try their luck tonight, she was more than ready to make sure they regretted it.

 

[Alana Calloway]

Tags: Juniper Le Fey
Gear: In Bio

Alana leaned back in her chair at the far end of the bar, half-hidden in the low light and the fog of smoke curling from her cigarello. She'd been watching the door without really meaning to, eyes flicking up every time it creaked on its hinges. She was enjoying the way her senses had been dialed in after training with the Force.

It gave a new insight to show she interacted with the world, sort of like a new toy in a sense.

Now with so many variables, she found herself able to garner more insight quicker than she had been privy to previously.

Folks came and went in places like this all the time, but when the tall one with the bald head walked in, she felt something different about her. Maybe it was the boots clicking too loud on warped flooring, maybe it was the way she didn't even pause when the Twi'lek tried to shake her down.

Alana caught the little flick of her hand, closing her eyes as she noticed the glassy look that rolled over the bouncer's eyes. She had a feeling this wasn’t about credits. She'd seen enough in her life to know it for what it was; her father being a smuggler gave insight enough there. She dragged on the cigarello, smoke curling around her face as she studied the woman's shadow stretching across the bar.

When the bartender gave her lip, Alana almost smirked into her drink. He didn't know what he was picking at. When Juniper rose, Alana took notice. The woman’s form cut across the room like a blade; least from where she was sitting. It was probably this enhanced sensory feedback.

Alana's fingers drummed once against her glass. The sneer faltered, of course it did.

"Hot whiskey," Alana muttered under her breath, catching the woman’s words from her little ease dropping routine. Her blue eyes caught in the dim light, a faint glimmer as she flicked the end of her cigarello into the ashtray.

She was curious now, though it went against the instincts she had been told so many times for situations like this. Typically, it was smart to not say a word. Just watch. Because some folk you didn't interrupt or get in the business of. She learned from getting involved not until you knew which way hell was going to break. If it was going to break to begin with.

But she enjoyed a good mystery, and this sort of situation was in her life blood. Against all logic, she approached the woman, easing beside her at the bar. “Interesting night we seem to be having.” She remarked, giving a soft smile, eyes towards the bartender.

Time to see where the wind blew here.

 

[Juniper Le Fey]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⛧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━​

Noticing things came naturally to Juniper. People in her line of work didn't last long without it. So when the only other woman in the bar turned her attention her way, Juniper noticed. Her chestnut eyes didn't meet the woman's directly, but she made sure the message was clear: I see you. Attention was a resource, and Juniper never gave it freely. There was power in acknowledgement, and even more in withholding it.

The bartender returned at last with her drink, moving slower than before, making no effort to hide how little he enjoyed serving her. Juniper didn't mind. That was his place. His job was to pour her drink, and her job was to remind him she held the cards here. She'd drawn every eye in the cantina the moment she walked in, and she played the hand with practiced ease.

The whiskey burned hot down her throat, her pupils flaring as the drink settled like fire in her stomach. She hadn't eaten more than scraps since landing on the planet. A liquid dinner felt like the natural choice. Her gaze shifted again when the white-haired woman rose from her corner. Juniper couldn't help but look her over as she closed the distance. Where Juniper was bald and sharp, this one carried a softer beauty, hair pale as moonlight. She looked like trouble, or at least a good time. Hopefully not the kind of trouble that spoiled her drink.

Every pair of drunken eyes locked onto them now. Two women talking in a place like this, half the bar had just found their new favorite holofilm. Juniper let them gawk. She drank in their attention as easily as the whiskey, her smirk curling when the stranger finally spoke.

"If you think this is interesting, you should let me take you to a club on Gamorr." Her voice was smooth, playful, her words slow enough to cut. She let her gaze drift across the bar, taking in the smoke and the slumped patrons. "That's interesting. This- "she waved a hand toward the sagging room, "-is sad." The smirk bent toward a frown as her eyes snapped back to Alana Calloway . "But I've got something that might make it more fun."

Her hand brushed her pocket, the corner of a little plastic baggie peeking just enough to be seen. Before the woman could answer, Juniper leaned past her and snapped her fingers at the bartender. "Two more. One for me, one for my new friend."

Her dark eyes lingered on the white-haired woman, sharp and unblinking, waiting. "Unless she'd rather tell me her name first."

 

[Alana Calloway]

Tags: Juniper Le Fey
Gear: In Bio

Alana's mood remained rather calm, letting herself dance with the amusement of this scene. Places like this were always full of eyes, typically the unfriendly kind, and she'd learned long ago paying them mind often got one in trouble.

Her gaze flicked from the bag to the woman's smirk, then back to her whiskey. She used to really be into this stuff back in the day, and at times, sure she did have a craving for the stuff; but she knew all too well were chasing her vices got her.

"Gamorr, huh?" Her tone was dry, carrying that frontier rasp of too many nights with cheap liquor and cheaper smokes. "Can't say I've tried the dancing scene there. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer my fights outside the bar, not in the middle of no dancin' floor. Less risk of friendly fire."

She leaned on the counter, her red eyes finally meeting Juniper's chestnut ones, steady and unblinking. "Name's Alana." A beat passed, her smirk tugging crooked. "You know, darlin', my parents always warned me not to take candy from strangers."

"Though, if ya told me ya name, guess we could be friends." She gave a small raise of her eyebrow, trying to get the name in return now. She was curious what this woman's end game consisted of.

 

[Juniper Le Fey]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⛧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━​

"Who said anything about fighting?" she purred, fingers curling around the shot glass the bartender set down. With a flick of her wrist, she slid the second glass toward Alana, her gaze fixed straight ahead, narrowing with amusement. "Some of the best tantric clubs I've ever set foot in are on Gamorr. Say what you want about them, but those pigs know how to party." Lightning danced in her eyes, playful and sharp, her smirk riding the edge between invitation and threat.

Alana was playing along beautifully. Juniper couldn't read her yet, and that was half the thrill. No names meant both of them had something to hide. Maybe she was a bounty target, maybe a hunter. Maybe something darker- Sith, Jedi, or worse. Whatever it was, Juniper would peel it back, layer by layer.

"Cheers." She lifted the whiskey high, glass catching the dim light before she tapped it against the bar and downed it in one long swallow. Heat flared in her throat, warmth unfurling in her chest. Liquid dinner- maybe not the smartest choice, but it set her nerves humming in just the right way.

Her eyes found Alana Calloway 's again, sharp and steady. "The name's Juniper," she said at last, a crooked smile tugging her lips. "But my friends call me June." The word lingered like a dare, as if to test whether this woman would be bold enough to try it.

 

[Alana Calloway]

Tags: Juniper Le Fey
Gear: In Bio

Alana took the offered glass without breaking eye contact, rolling it between her fingers as if weighing whether to drink or not. The word tantric bounced about her brain for a bit, as she tried to recall what it meant. She let a slow smirk pull at the corner of her mouth. Yeah, she couldn’t remember what it meant but it was kinda witty sounding.

"Guess I'll take your word on that." She said, voice low and easy, though her eyes glittered with something unreadable. "Ain't exactly the kind of clubs I'm known for frequentin'."

She tapped her glass gently against Juniper's before downing it, grimacing at the burn, then setting it down with a dull clack. The warmth hit her chest, loosening a fraction of the tension in her shoulders. Her face flinched a tinge, but she managed a soft laugh.

When Juniper finally offered her name, Alana had to engage further with the woman.

"June, huh?" Her drawl stretched the single syllable, testing it. "Probably the best way to take it, otherwise Nips would be my go to, takes time to make friends…" She leaned in a hair, red eyes catching in the dim light. "But I'll keep it in my back pocket…in case you turn out worth rememberin'."

Her smirk widened just a touch, her fingers fumbling for a cigarillo. "That is, unless you'd rather stay mysterious. Some folks prefer it that way."

 

[Juniper Le Fey]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⛧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━​

She was fun.

Juniper's lips coiled to a smile like a viper ready to strike. Though she wasn't interested in hurting Alana, quite the opposite. She found her fascinating. It wasn't often Juniper was the first to give up her name, rarer still that she didn't even know the other woman's yet. It was a change of pace to have her games played back on her.

The sting of the whiskey was still hot on her breath as her gaze shifted from the drinks, to Alana's eyes, then to the pack of cigarillos she was fumbling with. Juniper had always been a fan of a woman who smoked- more trustworthy, she thought. She laughed low at the nickname, a sharper sound than the joke deserved. "I think that's what my mother was hoping when she named me, that I'd go by Nips." That serpentine grin was back.

She slipped a manicured hand across to pluck one of the cigarillos for herself. A few words in Dathomiri slipped from her tongue, and a small flame bloomed at her fingertips. She lit Alana's first, then her own, before drawing in a long pull and exhaling smoke in a slow curl. "Girls like us don't get to be mysterious," she said, signaling the bartender for another round. His demeanor had changed, no doubt after seeing her little trick. "We're too hot."

Her eyes cut back to Alana Calloway bright with amusement. Juniper leaned in just a little closer, her voice dropping to something playful and edged. "So… are you going to tell me your name now?"

 

[Alana Calloway]

Tags: Juniper Le Fey
Gear: In Bio

Alana struck the match against the bar top out of habit, only to find the little flame Juniper conjured already waiting. Her brows lifted in curiosity, just a tinge, as she leaned her smokes in to catch the light. The tip of her cigarello glowed ember-red, and she drew slow, letting the smoke sit before pushing it out in a thin stream.

"Well, look at you," She murmured, voice edged with that gravelly rasp. "Handy trick. Fancy little thing you got going there." Her smirk was small, sharp, the kind that never quite reached her eyes.

The talk of Nips earned a low chuckle, she was rather happy that someone found her amusing. She had a sense of humor, which was a good sign. "If you'd told me that's what your friends called you, I'd have believed it. But June's easier to explain." She tapped ash into the nearest tray as it built up, musing on this situation as it developed. She did like fun people, and this girl seemed to be rather fun.

At the question, she tilted her head, red eyes meeting Juniper's steady brown ones. "Well, ain’t you a sweet talker," Alana said, voice dropping low. "Saying things like that so quickly, might give a girl her certain ideas. So pushy for a name~"

She let the thought linger just long enough trying to thing if she had fumbled earlier, maybe she hadn’t said her name after all. But it was fun to be a tease, so after weighing things for a moment, she gave the woman a break.

"It’s Alana."

One drag later, her smile tugged sideways. "Also, I don't hand out nicknames on the first date. Usually have to earn it."

 

[Juniper Le Fey]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⛧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━​

Juniper rolled the name around in her head like it was smoke on her tongue. Alana. She let it linger before exhaling another slow curl, eyes narrowing with amusement. "Mmm. Suits you," she murmured, her voice smooth but edged. "Sharp on the lips, soft on the ear. Dangerous, if you let it linger too long."

Her gaze dipped deliberately, tracing the lines of Alana's form before cutting back to meet those red eyes. "And don't worry, darling. I'm very good at earning things." The words came lazy, suggestive, but there was steel threaded through them, Juniper didn't just earn things, she took them.

The bartender hadn't brought the next round, and it wasn't hard to see why. He lingered at the far end of the bar, pretending to stack glasses but really sneaking glances over his shoulder. The old drunks had given up all pretense of drinking, their stares heavy, eyes hungry. Juniper basked in it, she always had, but she turned her head slowly toward the bartender, lips curling into something sharp.

"Drinks, now," she called, voice cutting clean through the haze of smoke and muttering. "If I wanted a pervert staring, I'd go talk to those guys."

That earned a couple of rough chuckles from the barflies, though not enough to break the spell. Juniper smirked as the man scurried to pour, loving the way the whole cantina bent around her orbit. She could feel Alana Calloway watching her, steady and unreadable, and that made it even sweeter.

She leaned closer across the small space between them, smoke curling from her lips. "So… Alana," she said, savoring the name. "What are you really doing here? Because I don't believe in coincidences." Her grin sharpened into something wicked, playful, and edged.

 

[Alana Calloway]

Tags: Juniper Le Fey
Gear: In Bio

Alana let the smoke curl from her lips in a slow drag, unbothered by the stares that gathered against her back. Juniper might've been enjoying the attention for now, but Alana had lived long enough to know what came with it; eyes meant knives. Or...wait did it? Her mother had a saying, and she was failing to recall it now. Maybe eyes meant focus? Focus followed with-

She just cut the derailed train of thought off there, leaving hundreds of random ideas to die. She fostered the small degree of apprehension with another drag of her cigarillo.

Her red gaze held steady on the other woman, unmoved even as Juniper closed the space between them. "Coincidences?" She echoed, voice low and husky with smoke. "Those are for folks who still believe in luck. Me-uh-" She tapped ash into the tray, the ember at her cigarello glowing before it went out. She put the smoke down, her amusement fading away at the recollection "I kinda put a stop to that whole 'believin' luck' stuff that a long time ago. Kinda did me wrong more times than not."

She let the silence breathe, fingers curling around the fresh glass when the bartender finally skittered back over. The whiskey burned hot down her throat, but she didn't flinch. Only when the glass hit the counter again did she lean forward, enough for her words to carry just to Juniper.

"I'm here 'cause this dive's quiet enough I can drink without anyone knowin' my business." A crooked smirk tugged at her lips. "Or at least, it was. Guess I can spend my quiet time chattin' with you."


Her eyes narrowed just slightly, a glint of challenge there. "If you're askin' me whether I came here lookin' for you? No, June. I'm just here to drink, and make some friends. Ran out of those a while ago, so need to restock." It was easier saying it that way than the whole, time displaced assasination years she spent under the Sith. A period she'd just like more than anything to just forget about.


She drew on the cigarello again, exhaling smoke between them like a veil. "But I'll admit," She added, voice dropping softer, "You're makin' it more interestin' than usual."

 

[Juniper Le Fey]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⛧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━​

Juniper tipped her glass up with Alana's, throwing the whiskey back in one smooth pull. The burn settled hot in her chest, sparking that familiar buzz. She caught herself grinning as she set the glass down, but not because of the liquor, but because she realized she hadn't thought about the spice once since Alana Calloway walked over. That was rare, and good. When she wasn't reaching for it, her magick didn't twitch so close to breaking loose. For the first time in weeks, she felt steady instead of spinning.

She leaned an elbow against the bar, smirk forming as her eyes swept the room. "See, I just stumbled into this dump 'cause it was on the corner. But you…" Her voice dipped sly, edged with amusement. "You chose to sit in here with a pack of old creeps." Her tone was playful, but her eyes glinted sharp, cutting the line just enough to make it sting.

Juniper turned toward the drunks, lips quirking in mock sincerity. "No offense, gentlemen." The room shifted; mutters rose, a few shoulders lifted in half-shrugs. One even raised his glass. The reaction made Juniper laugh, low and husky, smoke curling from her lips.

Her gaze slid back to Alana, chestnut eyes narrowing with a serpentine brightness. She leaned closer, voice dropping to something velvet and sharp. "See? Quiet's wasted on me," she said, savoring the admission like another sip of whiskey. "Guess you were right, I came here looking for something a little more interesting." And she wasn't about to leave without finding it.

 

[Alana Calloway]

Tags: Juniper Le Fey
Gear: In Bio

It was odd being here, in a place like this. In the past, different things had drawn her to these places. Yet, she was here for a different reason; because she wanted to be. Very odd, but, she wasn’t about to complain. The faintest smirk ghosted her lips as she caught Juniper's laugh, smoke and husk wrapping around it like it belonged in this place.

"Old creeps are usually entertaining," She drawled, flicking ash into the tray. "I mean yeah, have to deal with them starin' at you. But, if you give the right impression, they leave well enough alone." Her red eyes glinted as she said it, letting the words sit just long enough to register.

When Juniper leaned closer, Alana didn't retreat. Instead, she held her ground, steady as a rock, her smirk curling faintly. "You sure you want interesting?" She mused, voice low and dry. "Most times I've seen folks go lookin' for it, they end up with somethin' sharp in their ribs. Or worse. They get married."

Another slow drag off the cigarillo she had placed down earlier, smoke spilling lazy between them, veiling the amusement she finally let slip. "But, that is your gamble. Lucky for you, I don't spook easy."

She tipped the end of her cigarillo toward Juniper, ember glowing. "So tell me, June. What kind of interesting are you really huntin' tonight? Because that can be a variety of things." She gave a small wiggle of her eyebrow, letting out a small chuckle. If nothing else, this woman was amusing.

 

[Juniper Le Fey]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⛧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━​

A final drag of the cigarillo and Juniper crushed it out in Alana's ashtray. The night had been good to her so far, better than most, the woman across from her quick-witted, sharp-eyed, and lovely enough to make Juniper's fingers twitch with the urge to fidget. Beautiful women were the only thing that ever made her shy, though she hid it well beneath a siren's grin. "Depends on who's doing the stabbing," she murmured, tone playful, smoky, still edged with that low purr.

Her empty glass swirled lazy in her hand, catching the light as she turned toward the barkeep for another round. Only then did she notice his eyes weren't on her anymore. They were on the door. His hand hovered a little too close to the comm unit, his face tight with that mix of fear and greed she knew too well. He was selling them out- both of them- for a handful of credits. Juniper had seen it before. More than once, her own mouth had made her expensive.

She didn't let the shift show, not fully. Instead, her lips curved softer, less dangerous, a smile that belonged more to nerves than knives. "Tell me," she breathed, chestnut eyes cutting back to Alana's, "do you trust me?" The question hung like smoke, ridiculous on its face, who trusted a stranger in a Lexrul dive? But necessity was about to outweigh instinct.

Juniper straightened suddenly, her voice going chipper, coy, like she was just another girl bored with the bar. "Let's get out of here. I want to see the city!" She rose smoothly, offering a firm but respectful hand to pull Alana Calloway up with her. Her touch lingered a fraction longer than necessary, not forceful, but insistent.

"My ship's nearby," she added, low and quick. The words had barely left her mouth when the cantina door hissed open. Shadows spilled across the warped floorboards, heavy boots marching with purpose. Local enforcers- and they weren't looking for drinks. Their eyes locked on the two women at the bar, cutting through the smoke.

"Fuck." The curse slipped sharp between her teeth. She squeezed Alana's arm before letting go, the grin gone now, replaced with something lean and focused. The game had shifted, and Juniper was already playing it.

 

[Alana Calloway]

Tags: Juniper Le Fey
Gear: In Bio

Alana's gaze flicked from Juniper's hand to the door, the sudden tension in the room coiling through her like static. She rose with her, movement smooth. She had expected such a reaction, or at least in such a manner. She moved as if second nature, and it initially threw her off. The touch lingering on her arm wasn't lost on her, but she filed it away for later; there were more pressing issues.

"Trust you?" She asks in retort, a faint smirk tugging at her lips, though it faded as she became aware of the mood of the situation shifting. Being honest, there were few people she trusted now a days, but she did dabble in it on occasion; trusting strangers that is. "Guess we can find out."

Whatever it was, the woman wanted out, and wanted to take Alana to her ship. Experince already informed the Echani of what might unfold.

But something had changed in the last few moments, and the white haired woman was becoming more aware of it.

Alana leaned slightly toward Juniper, voice low, steady. "Lead the way. But hope you ain’t drink too much…" She let the unfinished threat hang, her eyes sharp, alive with the anticipation of what came next.

Then she shifted her weight, smile returning in a showcase of charm, though she still had a feeling that something bad was about to happen; she blamed her newly developing sixth sense. "Hope you ain’t planning to flying under the influence."

Her back was still to the potential threat, but her hands were balling into fists.

She just couldn’t go out and enjoy a drink anymore it seemed.

 

[Juniper Le Fey]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⛧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
​

It didn't take long for Juniper to chart an exit, it never did. The rear door caught her eye, and she moved for it without hesitation. There wasn't much to say; in her world, words slowed you down. If they wanted to slip the noose, they had to move fast.

The bartender lurched into their path, face flushed with a mix of courage and fear. Juniper's lips curved into something almost sympathetic before she flicked her wrist. The shelves behind him buckled and toppled, bottles shattering into a rain of glass and cheap liquor. It wasn't enough to kill him, but if he followed, he'd be wading through shards with bloodied feet. A fitting tax for betrayal.

They burst into the night air, smoke and neon bleeding together in the Lexrul dark. A guard was waiting, teeth bared in anticipation. Juniper opened her mouth to curse, but Misch was faster. He dropped from the shadows like a phantom, his weight snapping the man's neck with playful ease. For Misch, it was nothing more than a game; for the guard, it was the last surprise of his life.

Juniper spared the corpse no more than a glance before turning to Alana Calloway , her chestnut eyes sharp but unreadable. "Apologies for the sudden exit," she said, lips pursed as though trying to rein her grin back in. "But we're being followed. And since they saw you with me…" Her tone softened to something almost teasing, almost dangerous. "…you're a loose end now."

She drew a breath, the faintest laugh curling behind it. "I won't let anything happen to you. But we can run or we can fight, your choice. Either way, I hope you didn't have pressing business here on Lexrul. Because after tonight?" Her smirk returned, sharp and certain. "You won't."

"Also this is Misch, he's my buddy." Her manicured hand brushing the top of the creature's head as he nuzzled her.

 

[Alana Calloway]

Tags: Juniper Le Fey
Gear: In Bio

Alana kept pace at Juniper's side, her stride carrying her through the wreckage without so much as a glance. The crash of bottles still rang in her ears, but it was the sound of the guard's neck snapping under Misch's weight that truly settled in her gut. She didn't flinch; but her eyes lingered on the creature, assessing, wary.

When Juniper's words hit her, that sharp, teasing "loose end," Alana's brows arched. She tilted her head, the corner of her mouth quirking, though there was no mistaking the steel behind her gaze.

"Not the first time I’ve been caught up in this sorta affair," She said in affirmation, adjusting the fall of her jacket as though they weren't seconds from being hunted through Lexrul's streets. "But I appreciate the warning."

Her eyes slid to Misch, a flicker of sharp humor sparking. "Buddy, huh? Quite a friend you got."

The smirk hardened into something more deliberate, her tone lowering as she leaned just close enough for Juniper to hear beneath the hum of neon. "Well, there’s running, and there’s tactical retreats. If your ship's as close as you claim, let's move. Otherwise…" Her hand tapped lightly against the grip of her weapon, fingers twitching in anticipation for what was to follow. Least she still had her blaster still in her.

"…well, guess we gotta fight. I’ll follow, and don’t worry, I can handle myself.”