Private Je Ne Sais Quoi

[Amani Serys]

"Jeeeeez Val, we've been on one date. I hardly think I can call myself a Countess already," She ran her hands down the side of her face in distress, but still found the opportunity to laugh a bit at Valery's teasing. The fact that such a title was even a possibility, regardless of how far down the line that may be, was still one she was having a hard time comprehending. That said, it played little to no interest in her interest. The noble claims weren't what Amani was in love with.

"That's a challenge I'd be willing to take," She smirked a bit regarding Vera. "Hey, maybe if you ever need a babysitter or something," If nothing else, managing the pure and unbridled energy of a small child would be something different in comparison to her usual day-to-day.

Amani traced her finger along the brim of her cup as she mulled over plans, "Not reallyyyy? I mean- We talked about just getting together and watching a movie, maybe popping open some wine~" She fluttered her eyelashes, doing a bit of teasing of her own now, "But, I don't know if that's going to be like, our next thing, or something more… down the road." The Mirialan shrugged, a bit apprehensive to make assumptions regardless of how innocuous they might be. She was looking forward to the time they'd spend together either way. Another uncontainable grin formed at the thought.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Appearance

Location: Coruscant
Items: Necklace

Valery smirked, "I think Countess would suit you, but I won't tease you too much with it," she chuckled and offered a warm smile to give her a little break from all the teasing. It came from a good place, but she never wanted Amani to feel genuinely uncomfortable, so it was important to just be relaxed as well.

Luckily, Amani was always calm and kind, and she even offered to help with Vera, which got Valery to smirk, "Well, sometimes my husband and I both have work, so we do need one occasionally. Or, in some cases, just so we have some quality time alone," she smirked and shifted a little in her seat. "I'll warn you though, Vera is either a complete sweetheart who will play in her room all day, or she's very demanding."

Maybe it would be fun and interesting to Amani though — Valery dealt with it every day, so it wasn't new anymore. But it could be quite an experience for her Mirialan friend.

"Movies with wine always work great. Just snuggling on the couch, watching a show and..." she trailed off a little with a grin that shifted to the waitress, who finally brought over their food. "Planning some trips or other dates is fun too, of course. A fancy dinner, a short trip to a beautiful planet. That sorta thing."

Amani Serys ​

 

[Amani Serys]

"...It would be pretty crazy, wouldn't it?" She laughed, assuring that the teasing hadn't gotten to her too badly. The mere concept was fun to think about, if just as a 'what if' scenario. If anything though, Amani didn't necessarily see royal life as a perk in the long run. Not that putting up with its inconveniences wouldn't be worth it.

"Well, consider the offer on the table, then," There was a mischievous twitch to her lip as she took a sip of coffee, "If things go as fast as you imagine them, I'll need the practice anyways." At the end of the day, Amani was still in her early twenties; She planned on living a bit of her own life before she even considered managing a new one.

"I'm sure we'll have time for all of it," Amani remarked optimistically, though unable to hide a bit of sarcasm. They were busy people, but if nothing else they'd find ways to make time for each other. "Might have to settle for a few political galas here and there, but, better than nothing." Those usually fit the 'fancy dinner' qualifier, at least. She shoved a forkful of leafy greens into her mouth, and nodded contentedly, "Prooobably gonna need to find something nicer than a denim jacket, though," Amani swallowed, then gave her clothes another self-conscious lookover. It was nice casual wear, but it's not like she had a fully stocked wardrobe regardless. "Don't suppose you know anything about dressing to impress? I pretty much only wore robes for about half my life." And for the other half, she was a farmgirl and a field medic. None of those chapters of her existence really demanded style.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Appearance

Location: Coruscant
Items: Necklace

"If things go as fast as you imagine them, I'll need the practice anyways."

Valery noticed the mischievous twitch of Amani's lips, and narrowed her own eyes a little, albeit with a playful smirk still on her lips, "Heyy... things went pretty fast, but we didn't exactly plan to get a kid so quickly..." she admitted. Valery never liked calling Vera an accident, because she couldn't be happier about her daughter, but she wasn't planned. The timing had actually been terrible, and most of her pregnancy had been without Kahlil to help her, as a result.

She tried not to show too much of that somber side of the story though, and just smiled that Amani made the offer, "You really shouldn't either, you're young and there is plenty of time to be a parent if that's what you eventually want," she said with a small nod. It was a huge responsibility and with a kid, Valery believed the life of the parents would have to revolve more around the child than their own. Especially while they were really young.

The conversation then shifted to something that instantly brought back an excited grin, "The jacket looks great but I agree, it never hurts to impress and draw some attention... from your highness, of course," she teased. "We could go down the shopping street and take a look around."

"Maybe a nice summer dress or some cute casual clothes?"

Amani Serys ​

 

[Amani Serys]

"Aw, I don't mean it like that," She quickly clarified, not wanting Val to think she was making a genuine moral judgment on her relationship, "Just that, we're definitely taking things slow." Royal titles, wedding rings, and kids were all very far off conversations at best. They'd only just started after all. She imagined Alicio's face would've been comically red just listening to this conversation, a thought which only reminded her of the heat still lingering on her own face, "Trust me, you don't have to worry about seeing little green children running around any time soon."

The topic then transitioned to something much more timely, "I currently have one-" She accentuated the point with a raised index finger, "-dress. And it's fine, but I can't exactly wear the same one each time I need a dress now can I? And I don't even know if it'll make the cut for any fancy dinner parties." Her lines of thought were as much genuine questions as they were assumptions. High society was largely an enigma to her, but if the holos had taught her anything, it's that they were sticklers for presentability. That said, Amani's closet was lacking in both formal and casual wear.

"So yes, shopping sounds great. I need some more clothes regardless." Amani grinned, and stuffed her face with more salad in a hurry to finish.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Appearance

Location: Coruscant
Items: Necklace

"Good, I'm sure you both will take the right steps, at the right pace," Valery said with an encouraging smile — she was confident that Amani and Alicio weren't the types to rush into big decisions. But at the same time, she was also looking forward to seeing how the relationship would grow between them.

"Nope, one is not enough," Valery said with a big nod. She had never actually owned much clothing herself, but in recent years her wardrobe had expanded a lot. Partially to have formal and casual wear for the right occasions, but there were more personal reasons for it as well. "You'll want something really formal and proper for those gala's, casual wear that's comfortable, and...hm.." she began to smirk.

"Unless you don't like showing off at all, something a bit spicy as well. It's usually not the most comfortable, but beauty is pain sometimes, and it's worth it when you see his reaction," Valery said with a big grin, clearly from experience. Of course, this was the realm of clothing that couldn't really be worn in public, but it was still important to some extent. At least, it was to her.

Valery then turned to her food and quickly began to finish up as well, excited to get out and start shopping. Getting Amani something new was the focus, but there was a chance she'd find something for herself too. Either way, this was going to be a lot of fun.

"I'll handle the payment, then we get going hm?"

Amani Serys ​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani nodded and hummed between bites, agreeing with Valery’s assessment, when she made her last point. The Mirialan paused mid-bite, and raised her brow higher than she thought possible, “...Spicy?” She got the gist of what Val meant, but couldn’t help a little curiosity as to just what all that might entail.

“I’ll trust your judgment.” Amani smirked, and finished the last of her meal. She was about to pull out some credits, then grimaced when Valery reminded her that the tab was covered. She tentatively put her credits away, “You’re not planning on paying for all the fancy clothes, too, are you?”

Once Valery took care of payment, Amani stepped back out onto the mall street and inhaled some fresh air. Or, as fresh as you can get on a city planet, anyway. “Ready?”

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Appearance

Location: Coruscant
Items: Necklace

"Oh, you know what I meant," Valery said with a smirk when Amani asked about the spicy clothing, but if she wanted more clarification, Valery felt no shame in being more direct. She leaned forward and almost whispered "Something sexy to show off, only in the right company of course," she chuckled, leaned back, and finished up what remained of her food.

Credits were then put down for their bill, and she was very much ready to go out shopping.

"I'd certainly like to pay for them unless it really bothers you," Valery continued when they stepped outside for some fresh air, and to begin walking in the direction of the clothing stores. "But it's really no problem for me," she assured her friend before her eyes began to scan the area. There were a lot of options out here; much more than on other planets, so it took her a moment to spot something she felt stood out.

When she did, a grin formed on her lips and she began to move, "This looks pretty good, don't you think?" It was a fancier shop, but with a lot of variety as well. "Casual first or formal?" Spicy could wait until after that, if Amani even wanted such a thing.

Amani Serys ​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani couldn't help a bit of an awkward laugh as Valery offered a more blunt definition. It wouldn't be fair to say that Amani was prudish, but some of those old-fashioned Jedi notions of conduct were difficult to shed at times. Suffice to say, hearing it from a Jedi Master felt amusingly uncharacteristic to her.

Once outside, she seemed to mull over Valery's offer with a bit of dissatisfaction, "Don't you have a family to take care of, woman? And on a Jedi's salary no less? Let us kids rack up some debt of our own." A bit of a pause, before she offered a middle ground, "...Splitsies?" Valery could feel a little more fulfilled in her repayment, Amani could feel a little less exploitative, and they could both save a little more money. Probably the best that two stubbornly generous people were going to come to.

They came to a storefront, a bit nicer than most, but well-stocked regardless. The Mirialan hummed before answering, "Formal. We can splurge on the important stuff and then figure out the rest after," She laughed, and stepped inside. Her eyes wandered idly over the large selection, gradually gravitating towards the more high-end section, where dresses and suits became the norm. "What do you think? Nothing too crazy. I'm not trying to catch the attention of everybody in attendance." Amani raised a brow, "Unless you think I should be? That sounds expensive, though."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Appearance

Location: Coruscant
Items: Necklace

"Don't you have a family to take care of, woman? And on a Jedi's salary no less? Let us kids rack up some debt of our own."

Valery's eyes narrowed for a moment, the stubbornness already visible in her eyes. But rather quickly she began to smirk. She could appreciate that Amani wasn't just going to accept everything, and she even showed a little bit of her own stubbornness with it as well. "Fine... splitsies," she said before chuckling. Her husband was likely going to be a lot happier seeing a somewhat reasonable bill when she came home too, so Valery could live with this deal.

The two then found a good store to start their little shopping trip off with, and much like Amani, the high-end section of the store drew Valery's eyes the most, "Good idea, formal dresses can get pricey," Valery said with a nod before she looked through some options.

"Catching some attention is fine, but it can be too much as well, for sure," she hummed and picked out something she spotted, "What do you think about this?" she asked with a slight smirk while she held out the dress, "Not too extreme, but the decorations are fancy."

With her other hand, she then reached for a black dress and blinked, "Hmm, maybe too much?"

Amani Serys ​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani looked at the first one Valery presented, and tilted her head, "Oh, that one's nice. Not too crazy like you said." She grazed her neckline a bit tentatively, caught in some internal thought before she continued, "I guess I'm just gonna have to get used to owning my scar sooner or later, huh?" It never really felt like it bothered her much, but then again, she wasn't often wearing clothes that bothered to show off much of her décolletage. Perhaps the talk of sharing her past with Alicio was just making her a bit more aware of everything.

As for the other dress, Amani seemed to concur, repeating Valery's words with a slight chuckle, "Maybe too much. I uh, don't quite have the chest to really carry that one anyway," She looked down at herself and grinned sheepishly. But her previous hangup with the first dress seemed to dissipate, and she snatched it from Val and headed for the fitting room, "Gimme. Better see how I actually look in it first, right?"

A little later, Amani emerged from the station with a few tentative steps, "Well…" She touched up the fabric a bit, straightening it out as best she could, "Think I'm gonna knock 'em dead, or...?" She took on a more confident posture, showing off a leg through the slit. If nothing else, Amani was at least enjoying herself now, if the amused smirk was any indicator.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Appearance

Location: Coruscant
Items: Necklace

"Mhmm, don't be worried about the scar. It adds character, and I'm sure nobody will be weird about it," she said with an encouraging smile. It was going to be much harder to find dresses that would hide it, and perhaps it was a good thing to be open about it, especially if she planned to wear it to formal events with Alicio. Valery never had the luxury of being able to hide her own, so she did understand where Amani's prior apprehension came from, but accepting it was going to be better in the long run.

After presenting the second dress, Amani gave the expected answer, although the way she phrased it got Valery to smile apologetically, "Right, sorry..." she blinked and let her Mirialan friend snatch the other dress, which she felt very confident about. Amani was going to look fantastic in it.

When she stepped out of the changing room and showed it off, Valery raised a hand underneath her chin and looked Amani over with a careful eye. But after a couple of seconds, when a leg came through the slit, she began to chuckle and grin, "Oh that looks amazing! They're going to be dropping dead all around you," she said with a huge smirk.

"Hopefully Alicio is up for the challenge of fighting them all off," she teased. "Do you want to try more or do you think this is the one?"

Amani Serys ​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani blushed and waved a hand at Valery's praise. "He better be," She laughed. This was all a strange, new experience for her. But a very good strange. Like some slice of life that she had been missing out on this entire time and was only just now getting a taste for.

"Hard to get a better reaction than that." Amani shrugged, and thought it over a moment before committing, "Yeah, this is the one. Let's not second guess it." The violet fabric complimented nicely with the green of her skin; One of the fun little fashion perks of having a non-human skin tone (even if it meant some colors would never get the chance).

She looked at herself in one of the standing mirrors a bit longer, seemingly lost in what she was seeing, before growing more coy at the atypical sight. The Mirialan then snapped back to reality, and spun facing Valery with a wide grin, "What next?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Appearance

Location: Coruscant
Items: Necklace

Seeing her blush and laugh got Valery to smile happily — it wasn't strange to her that Jedi never really experienced this part of life too much. Up until she got a partner, she was in the exact same situation. But to get one to open up to these things was always fantastic, and the reactions were priceless.

"Perfect! I'm glad you like this one. I think it looks amazing," she said before she watched Amani a moment longer. Only when the Mirialan turned back to her with a wide grin, Valery grinned back and looked around.

"Maybe something more casual. What do you usually like wearing? Something loose and baggy, or tight jeans and tough jackets?" She smirked and began to move through the shop to browse a little. Valery herself liked a lot of things, but it was best to start with something more familiar to her.

Amani Serys ​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani hummed and tapped her chin, apparently having to put some thought into what her actual sense of fashion was, “...Usually something a little lighter and looser. Comfortable, easy to move around in,” It was more or less what she was used to, after all, having pretty much worn only Jedi robes for years. The Mirialan seemed to think on it a little further before adding, “I wouldn’t mind trying out some more close fitting stuff, though. I need my wardrobe to be a bit more versatile.” The baggier clothes were nice enough for being cooped up over days of space travel, but usually didn’t strike quite as fashionably. She nodded vigorously as if agreeing with herself, and then ran back to the changing room to switch back into her original clothes.

Amani emerged shortly after, tagging behind Valery as they moved through the store a little further. Slowly the sight of dresses and fine attire became replaced by jeans, shirts, and everyday outerwear. She inspected the vast array of clothes with a studious eye, and tugged at her current getup as a demonstration of sorts, “This actually isn’t bad, and manages to be fairly loose. It’s about the only thing my closet has to style, though.”

“Anything you think would go well on me?”

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Appearance

Location: Coruscant
Items: Necklace

"Loose, huh?" It was basically the opposite of what Valery liked, but different times for Jedi shaped different fashion preferences, she supposed. However, it seemed Amani was at least open to the idea of something more form-fitting, so she was going to do her best to find something fitting for her friend.

After Amani quickly moved back into the changing room and returned, Valery already had collected quite a pile of clothes and looked at the Mirialan with a big grin, "First, I got a few things that are similar enough in style to what you have already," she said before she began to lay out the various pieces that formed the outfit.

"Then I found this dress, which is more casual and not too tight either. Perfect for a day out with Alicio but you're not showing off too much," she said with a smirk.

Finally, she pulled out another casual dress and showed it off, "This is a lot more form-fitting. Something I'd wear, but I think it would look cute for you too, and they have them in a variety of colors." She definitely had to avoid green, after all. Maybe black or white would look good - classy colors.

"Jacket and jeans looks would suit you as well, so that's an option too."

Amani Serys ​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani found herself increasingly impressed by each choice, ooh-ing and aah-ing as Valery presented the pieces. “Cuuute. I love these.” They all fit nicely for a different sort of occasion, exactly the kind of versatility she was hoping for.

The first looked like something she’d have picked out herself, if she had any sense for these sorts of things. The second would be nice for Valery’s suggestion, and also give her and Alicio a chance to look a little more like a pair. Usually, they contrasted one another starkly in terms of fashion, with Alicio dressed dark and chic, and Amani more bright and carefree. Something she found amusing from time to time. The last dress, the black one in particular she settled on, earned a slight waggle of her brow; Hardly that risqué, yet already it had the potential to be the sauciest article of clothing she owned. Well, unless Valery’s other suggestion had anything to say about that. But they’d get to that section after.

“...Can we get them all?” Amani blurted out, looking at Val like a kid in a candy store. She hadn’t even thought to consider the price tag, but she was still pretty keen on not draining the Jedi Master’s bank account when it came down to it.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Appearance

Location: Coruscant
Items: Necklace

"Cuuute. I love these."

"Riiight?" Valery grinned and looked at everything she picked out, "I might have to get one of these dresses myself," she gestured at the more form-fitting one. "Kahlil would love it," she snorted and watched Amani take a closer look at all of them. Luckily this shop had everything in their sizes as well, so it was easy enough.

"...Can we get them all?"

Valery stared at Amani for a moment, then her grin just grew bigger, "I was hoping you'd say that! Of course, we can." She didn't really care about the price tag at all. Money had never been important to her, and she managed finances well enough to make sure they could support Vera. Or well, she let Kahlil handle that part.

She was better at spending money than managing it.

"Hmm, so I think we have most bases covered now. Or do you want to still go extra spicy?" She smirked playfully and began to look around a little already.

"If you see anything that catches your eye, please go for it as well, by the way. You don't have to just go with what I find,"

Amani Serys ​

 

[Amani Serys]

"Maybe we'll have to match-up one of these days then," Amani raised a brow and scoffed back. "I'm sure he would," She wasn't ashamed to admit Valery cut an alluring figure. Something a dress like that would accommodate quite nicely.

With Val's confirmation, she pumped her fist and folded up the clothes in her arms. Amani was never much of an expert when it came to personal finance herself; Monetary possessions didn't really mesh with the more traditional notions of Jedi asceticism. But they could afford an afternoon of splurging, right? It's not like there was a rent for her space in the NJO that she'd be kicked out for not paying. Besides, her boyfriend had that aristocrat money anyway. "Perfect."

Amani seemed ready to move on when Valery mentioned their next possible stop. She'd almost forgotten. There was still some lingering modesty, but now combined with a more liberating curiosity. A blend that was best encapsulated by her own playful smirk, even as the mirialan's face darkened with blush, "Miiight as well give it a look, right?" They headed onward to the next section, and Amani chuckled, "Well, I think this might be where I'll need your help the most," She wasn't even sure what all to expect. Along the way though, she picked out a couple more stray articles of clothing; Things that were still casual, a bit cheaper, and would fit with most looks, to help fill out the wardrobe.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Appearance

Location: Coruscant
Items: Necklace

"Oh, that could be fun! We'll drag them along on a double date," she smirked happily at the thought and even brighter when Amani agreed about Kahlil liking the dress. That was all the confirmation she needed to snatch a black one in her size and continue through the shop to find the spiciest of spicy.

Of course, the fist pump did get a good chuckle out of Valery.

"Hmm... maybe too soon?" she blinked and looked at some rather sexy lingerie that would leave very little to the imagination, "Although, if you take things remotely at my pace, you might want some," she joked with a grin and a shrug of her shoulders. But her eyes quickly drifted off again, and she spotted some things.

"Oh, this would be great for on vacation," she said before she picked out a dress that would show even more skin than the previous ones, but it still was a bit classy. "Oh this one is great too, but you'd have to adjust to the heels maybe," she said as she very quickly grabbed another couple of pieces together. "Looks a bit tough, but sexy too, and you can take off the jacket."

It was yet another outfit she could see herself wearing as well. In fact, a lot of these spicier ones were appealing to her.

Amani Serys ​