Chapter 26: Billie

Feral goblins aside, the second century was a vast improvement for non-system adaptation to the new energy. Though I suppose feral goblins, objectively, are an adaptation to Mana.

Various infrastructures using Mana had been established and organizations, for developing or using Mana skills, had been founded. Mana protected road systems, waste management and utilities in bigger communities, healer training facilities and schooling all run by assorted families, businesses or cooperatives.

Of course troubles beyond the feral goblins had also appeared over that century. Population centers from before the calamity had been a mess, most hadn’t survived. Others developed idiosyncrasies ranging from hauntings to massive towers swarming with monsters. Rumors and verified cases of incidents at former cities were steadily increasing over the second century. This resulted in the expansion of non-System adventuring professionals who joined Syssies and worked to investigate and resolve these issues.

The most recent years at the dawn of the 3rd century were more of the same, but with a brief note at the end of the history section by Bluebird mentioned one pertinent point.

The last 10 years have seen an increase in Mana throughout Secal. While minimal at this point, a few percent, the Guild is unsure of what it could mean going forward. Perhaps a general trend to increase is inevitable, or it may be a part of a cycle that had not been noticed until now.

Concerning, but not really scary.

As for the next section, it appeared that there was more information about the System. I was just starting to read it when I heard Billie’s voice. “Hi Monday March, may I sit with you?”

Glancing up from the notebook I saw that the people I’d been sharing the couch with had departed, not that we had done more than nod as I sat down. Billie was smiling and gesturing to the empty spot next to me. I sat up a little straighter and saw her eyes glance away briefly before meeting my gaze.

“Uh, okay Billie. I mean I don’t mind.” As she sat my mind tried to figure out why she didn’t just sit at the other side of the couch, or one of the free chairs. ‘Probably wants to talk about something?’ “So, what can I do for you Billie?”

She glanced over at me, light blue eyes glinting from the light of the fireplace before she looked back to the hearth. I was just taking in her profile when she spoke. “May I ask you personal things, Em?”

Without thinking I had made a small giggle. I didn’t even know myself that well, but whatever could she be asking? ‘Oh, I don’t have rings on. This could be like Ann was talking about, asking permission if it wasn’t granted by social cues like the rings.’ Glancing at my hand, I saw hers resting on her jeans clad thighs, spread so I could see each finger. In addition to the two rings on her left thumb, there were now thin brass bands on the pinky and ring fingers of both her hands. “Sure Billie, ask away.”

“Ann mentioned that you went shopping for some clothes, and that you would be getting rings. So I was wondering if you were, uhm, how you were planning to wear them?” Hard to tell for certain with the flicker of the firelight, but she seemed to be blushing.

After nodding and a passing thought, “Billie, no idea actually. I learned about ring language today, and when offered at the store as a bonus, I thought it might be wise to have options. May I tell you something that might help explain a few things you might be curious about? I'd rather you keep what I tell you to yourself, though.”

“Just learned about rings today? Where did you grow up?” Billie’s pale blue eyes were very wide and actually met my own. “Uh, I mean, sure, Em.” Her eyes drifted to her lap and her fingers curled a little.

“I will share my secret, but first, how old do you think I am? I mean, in general human years.” Some people seemed to have decided I was very young shortly after talking with me; others seemed to treat me as older, perhaps due to my height? Bloodline, maybe?

Those blue eyes scanned my face, my arms and the skin between my vest and skirt, then looked at the pack in my lap. Turning her eyes back to my own for a moment she blinked and turned back to the fireplace. “I thought you were almost 20, maybe 18… But you, you aren’t are you? Maybe 15?” A glance back at me seemed to be hoping I’d confirm her first guess.

There were still a few people chatting in the chairs near us so I leaned in a little and spoke softly. “I’m not certain exactly how old my body is supposed to be, but it is in puberty so if the information in my head serves, I may be anywhere from 8 to 18. Well, so long as I’m not an outlier. My guess would be between 8 to 14. But that isn’t my secret, well it implies my secret I guess.” I saw her slump a little at my admission and it made me feel sad for her, wanting to cheer her up somehow. “My memories don’t go back very far, so I might be right at the edge of adulthood, but I just don’t know.”

Billie simply went from a slump to a sag, deflating with a hint of a sigh, lifting her hands to cradle her face, lightly exhaled air continuing to leak through her joined hands.

“Billie, I really don’t ‘know’ more than I told you.” I continued softly. “I can guess that I’m made up of older stuff because of, er, reasons. So don’t feel bad? I mean, uhm… What am I supposed to say so I make you feel better? I don’t want you to feel bad because you thought I was different than I am.” I was trying to puzzle out how to fix this. I know I’d touched on complicated things, emotions and wanting and expectations and ring things. Even delving deep into the things I knew without understanding how I knew them I found no simple way to help someone like…

Taking a chance I placed my grey hand on her blue jean covered knee and patted it softly. “The joke you made about it not being my day is pretty funny. Your eyes are blue and clear and I like to look at them. And I’m happy you wanted to ask me things related to how I might wear my rings.”

There was an odd gasping chuckle sob. “Fine, just be sure to let me know if you're interested in ring things and me when you’re M3, okay?”

I looked at the gold hued and the silver ring on her left thumb. “But you obvio…”

“I love Bernie, he's my heart, but we aren’t together like that. And you…” Billie trailed off.

“What part of your heart doesn…”

“Oh, er, not mine to, well… I want certain things, right hand things, that Bernie and I aren’t quite…”

Deciding to save her a bit I just interrupted. “Between the two of you, sorry for asking. But why so interested in me after just a minute or two?”

“I… I could see you working for a bit longer than that, and saw you reading out here before and after eating. And you're strong and tall, soft spoken and not bulky and smooth and new here and kinda exotic…” Billie didn’t stutter, but was starting and stopping and rushing, her eyes darting about, not meeting my own anymore.

“Grey skin and bald is exotic?”

“Well, exotic bloodline then? Or elemental attunement? I’ve not seen anyone like you before.” Seeming to realize I might take what she said poorly, the young woman backpedaled. “Not that I was interested just based on bloodline, but… Ugh, I just think your…”

“So why is new good?”

Now I could tell she blushed, even in the flickering light. “Small village, most new folks are adventurers or Syssies passing through. Might be fun, but not worth the trouble and not what I’m looking for. And for the folks already here, well most are paired or grouped up and Bernie an me don’t fit in with them. If I didn’t express interest fast, maybe there might have been a chance, but you might have met someone else and I’d miss out. So I asked, and now I’ve got to live with having made a pass at someone I shouldn’t be making passes at.” She grinned at me weakly. “Not my day either, Monday March.”

“So my pin didn’t automatically mark me as too young or too immature?” I said, glancing between my copper pin and her silver one.

“Lots of adults don’t wear a pin or don’t go silver or higher, well, some adults. Especially if they are just starting out. Silver and gold cost, and you only need them for certain jobs, and if you want to sign contracts or something. Heck, I know the Barrow’s boys are all in their 30’s and still on copper. Just work the fields, and their ma handles anything with contracts or getting them drink and stuff. Ann helped Bernie and I get silver as a part of agreeing to work here on a 5 year contract, otherwise we might still be copper pins too.”