milliways_bar | (no subject)

Alana has collected her gun, and donned her protective jumpsuit from Jay under her red, dahlia-patterned wrap dress. She's ready to leave, to confront Hannibal Lecter in her world. She's tired of waiting for Rae--the past two years have been mind-numbing--so Alana has decided to take X's offer and go home with just her instead.

Hands trembling, Alana pens a few notes while sitting at the bar. Her nerves are jittery; for two years she's been putting off this confrontation, and though she's wracked with anxiety, she does feel she's ready.

Dear Guppy Sandhu,
I'm leaving the bar to confront Dr. Lecter in my world. It's time. I might not be coming back, so I wanted to say goodbye to you personally and apologize for leaving you with Life Support. Wish me luck.

-Alana Bloom

And also:

Dear X,
I'm ready to leave the bar, and I need your help. Rae Seddon will not be coming with us. Please contact me when you're ready. Thank you for being willing to help me.

-Alana Bloom

And finally:

Dear Rae,
I'm ready to leave the bar. I'm sorry I couldn't wait for you any longer. I hope that whatever you needed to accomplish in your world was finished to your satisfaction. Thank you for offering to help me. I might not be coming back, so take care of yourself.

-Alana Bloom

Notes delivered, Alana wraps her shaking hands around her latte and waits.

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Now, Oswin doesn't know something is up. No one told her, she didn't get a notice, she's not clairvoyant (thank goodness).

But she's a total screaming genius.

Notes have been written. Items have been gathered from Bar.

And Alana Bloom is sitting there looking like the door might bite her. Oswin knows what that look is, she's seen it a few too many times in the mirror.

So she brings over a little mini mousse dessert. As one does.

"One for the road?" Sure, it's a risk, but Oswin's pretty confident in her skills. And in her baking.

Alana starts, looking at Oswin from Alana's perch on her barstool. "Oh! Oswin," she says, inhaling a gulp of air. "That's beautiful. Thank you so much. Do you have a minute?"

"For you? Of course." Oswin smiles, hopping up onto a nearby barstool and settling in.

It's clear from the look on Alana's face that her heart sinks. "Oh, Oswin. I'm sorry. I don't know how to tell you, this, but..." She glances to her gun. "I'm leaving the bar."

Oswin smirks, slightly.

"Yeah, I sort of figured, sorry." She offers, gesturing to the cake. "You sort of gave the game away."

Alana blinks at her. She draws a slow breath. "I'm not coming back. You're... You're okay with this? You'll be okay?"

"I don't know." Alana can at least claim one win - Oswin doesn't equivocate, or put up a front. "I hope so, of course. I'll try to be."

"Will you?"

"I think I will be," Alana says, and does not add, 'provided I survive.' "I'm sorry I'm leaving you. Sam Wilson can help, if you let him."

"I dunno - another doctor?" Oswin asks, trying for levity. "You never know, he could be the definite article in disguise."

"I can vouch for him," Alana says, managing a small smile. "I'm fairly certain he's from twenty-first century Earth."

"Oh, that might be worse." Oswin falls back on teasing - it's worked for her in the past, no matter how an odd coping system it might seem. "How am I supposed to get him to stop blushing?"

Alana laughs, the tension of the situation abruptly breaking. "I'm sure he'll be fine, and if not, blood rushing to his head isn't going to kill him."

"Oh yeah?" Oswin grins wickedly. "Which head?"

Alana flushes slightly, but she chuckles. "Oh, you know," she says, smiling. "The regular one."

"That... does not actually give me more information." Oswin points out cheekily. "Or is it both? I'm good with both."

Alana groans, giving into helpless laughter. "It's definitely both. Let's just say it's both, and leave that subject alone."

"Alright, alright, I'll give your friend a go. Though you might want to warn the poor boy, he'll be no good to me traumatized." She's not exactly pleased that she'll have to start over with a new... therapist, better than the word she first came up with. But she can't exactly begrudge Alana for wanting to leave.

Especially if she has a world to go to.

"Will do," Alana says, her smile still undimmed--for the moment. "Goodbye, Oswin. I will miss you."