death of culture -- open

[CAMILA VILANOVA]

It wasn't often that Camila could say she was actively killing time.

 But here she was, sitting in a quaint little dinner on Ariel. Not that Ariel's version of quaint was anything to sneeze at. It was quiet though, and no one looked at her oddly.

Which was more important than anything else at the moment.

She really disliked being stared at, even if it was the norm for a companion. People staring, whether in admiration or barely disguised disgust. Everyone stared, everyone had something to say. On high class worlds, people tended to be less... gawky, but it didn't stop the lingering looks from older men who were filing her away in their minds to be contacted later. It didn't stop the occasional Shepherd from sending a glance full of arrogant judgement in her direction.

On the outer worlds it was worse. It was like being a damn member or parliament or something to be a companion. She walked in and all eyes turned, the owner of the place was quick to rush over and compliment her, thank her for visiting their humble establishment.

Sometimes it just got all too tedious.

So here she was. Dressed as down as she would ever get, in pants and a button down blouse-- with her hair pulled up off her neck in a loose ponytail. Today she looked nothing like a companion. And hopefully, she'd be left alone as a result.

[BILLIE-LYNN CLARKE]

I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired

stay a while and maybe then you'll see
a different side of me
outfit



Billie had been on Ariel for about a week, maybe a few days more. She honestly wasn't keeping count. It wasn't like it really mattered. She knew that in another day or two she would be on her way, in search of another place. And she would stay in that new place for a while, hoping it would speak to her. Give her a reason to stay for longer than a breath. She had thought that Ariel would be the place. Quiet, for the most part. A decent place to find some honest work. But she was already growing tired of the same view every morning. There was nothing new to grab her attention anymore. And if there was, she couldn't find it. Thirsty and with nothing left on her to drink, Billie set out for one of the smaller diners. 


As soon as she walked in, wanted to find some place else. There were a few other small establishments around. This one seemed a little too full. Billie didn't want anyone recognizing her face. But there was someone coming in behind her, a few someones. She didn't feel like pushing through them to get back out. She waited for a cup of water, having no stomach for the heavier stuff,(And not liking the fuzzy feeling it gave her) and turned toward the belly of the diner. Hazel eyes scanning over the faces, looking for someone that seemed decent enough. Someone she truly couldn't recognize and hopefully wouldn't know her. The corners were too full and the shadows too small for her to be on her own. Finally curving her way towards a woman she thought was most inconspicuous. 


"Mind if I sit here?" She asked only loud enough for the woman to hear, staring at the ground. Billie hitched the waist band of her jeans up, the heavy fabric constantly sinking down because it was just a little too big. She hoped she looked innocent enough what with her stained t-shirt and dirt patched button down. She took a small sip of the somewhat clear water and shuffled her foot on the ground. 

[CAMILA VILANOVA]

Camila was intently staring at her plate, deep in thought-- when she caught a bit of movement out of the corner of her eye. Glancing up, she was slightly startled to see someone standing right in front of her.  "Mind if I sit here?" The stranger asked, staring down at the floor as if it were her only salvation.

"Of course not." The companion replied back, ever gracious-- despite her desire to be left alone. She shifted her chair away from the table slightly, in an attempt to look less imposing. There were plenty of open seats around, so it was odd for someone she didn't know to come up and sit with her.

"I'm Camila." The woman introduced herself, a slightly concerned smile on her face as she watched her new table-mate hike up a pair of too large pants. "Pleased to meet you."

[BILLIE-LYNN CLARKE]

I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired

stay a while and maybe then you'll see
a different side of me
outfit



Letting out a small sigh of air she didn't realize she was holding, Billie slide into the chair across from the woman. Still keeping her eyes cast down as if she was a scolded animal. She was always a careful, always cautious. But maybe to the point of looking like a nervous wreck. She took another tentative sip of water and gently set the cup down. Running the tip of her finger across a little bead of moisture on the edge of the cup.


She only glanced up once she had mulled over the woman's name for a good moment. Nobody she knew, or used to know rather, was named Camila. Of course, she could be an undercover Alliance member. But Billie also knew that always playing it safe was a bad idea. If she acted as though she were still running, then someone would surely notice. And of course then, they would ask questions. So she smiled gently and relaxed her shoulders.


"Billie-Lynn." She replied with a short nod. "But if you don't mind just callin' me one or the other..." Her voice trailed off. She wasn't sure what reason to give for the preference. Seeing as she despised her own name, or that it linked her to people she couldn't stand to even try to love anymore. When all she really wanted to say was 'pretend I'm not even here'. That would spike curiosity. And Curiosity killed more than just felines with twitchy tails. Taking another large sip of her murky drink, Billie cleared her throat and folded her arms over her knees. Turning her sharply angled face to look blankly at the other people there.


"You wouldn't happen to know if any boats are comin' in, maybe just about to leave?" She asked after a moment, turning back to Camila with a slightly hopeful look.  Fingers picking at the worn denim stretched over her leg under the table's edge. 

[CAMILA VILANOVA]

Camila watched the woman across from her intently, eyes taking in everything. Poor thing, looked like she'd been through some less than good times. The way she was fidgeting and looking away made the Companion instantly empathize with her. Part of her wondered what exactly had happened, but she was too tactful to ask, and not naive enough to believe she'd get a straight answer even if she did. So instead, she folded her hands carefully in what she judged to be a non-threatening manner, and continued to analyze the stranger with curious amber eyes.

It took a moment, but eventually the woman seemed to calm down-- letting out a breath and relaxing her shoulders. Seeming to sense Camila's concern, she gave her a slight smile before answering with her name. "Billie." The companion tested the sound, her lips quirking into a smile. It was a cute name, for a cute girl. Certainly better than the mouthful she'd been saddled with. "Pleasure." She continued, manners being king-- even as she sipped her water and continued to study the younger woman.

Camila's eyebrows raised sharply at the mention of boats. Offworlder, certainly. There were some nuances in the planets. People from the core called them ships, people from the rim called them boats more times than not. It wasn't something most people would think twice about, but it made Camila more interested. Though, she admitted-- with the baggy clothes and twitchy mannerisms, Billie Lynn didn't look like she belonged on Ariel anyway.

"I know there's an Alliance cruiser shipping out, I don't know where it's headed or if it will take Civilian passengers. You might have better luck trying some of the cargo ships. They usually don't mind one more, as long as that one more is a paying customer, or willing to do heavy labor. I saw a few Firefly class ships."

Camila shrugged and took another sip of her drink, her dark hair falling around her face. She should probably be looking into transport herself-- she wanted to be on Londinium in a couple of weeks. Or Shinon. Somewhere with a companion temple where she could rest, and relax for a couple of days.

[BILLIE-LYNN CLARKE]

I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired

stay a while and maybe then you'll see
a different side of me

The corner of Billies mouth twitched just slightly at the mention of the Alliance. Maybe it was a good thing Billie had decided to leave now rather than later. Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe it was fate. She never put a label on it. She simply got a feeling when it was time to move on and never questioned it. Billie never questioned much anymore. Unless she felt like she was being followed, in which case she would begin to wonder how they found her and what the best way would be to disappear again. 


At least Camila was giving her a few choices though. Billie had been on a Firefly class once or twice in the past four years. While she liked them, they tended to attract attention she wasn't sure she wanted anymore. She was safer on a more common class of ship. But being on Ariel limited her to what she could take and where she would go. There was one place Billie wanted to go, it had been a while.


"Do you know if any of 'em are headed out to Persephone?" She asked after a moment, turning away from faces she wasn't going to remember. "Maybe even a planet close by...." This was how Billie got most of her information. Ask the people that didn't look like a threat. They would know more than those that did. They would know the little things that didn't seem important to everyone else. Like the Alliance cruiser. Billie took another sip of water and poked a finger at the rim of the cup.