The moment the lady walked through the door Nolwenn knew something was wrong, not exactly wrong but, very not right about her. It was her skin. It was too… good. Nolwenn had had extensive conversations about how to bring out her adult color faster. She spoke with her parents, read all of the holo-pages, tried all of the creams; even the expensive ones. At best, all the advice and secret techniques almost worked for a short while; but not really. In the back of her mind, she knew they wouldn’t.
Even after the expensive skin creams and painful scrubbings, she and all the other girls in her class had a little, a little green in their hue. She knew why but didn’t want to admit it. In the end, their basic biology dictated that the nymph green skin never really disappeared until a crisho was in the twenties.
This lady looked only a little bit older than Nolwenn’s classmates but had a definite, clear, yellow-orange hue with long bright golden-brown patches. The colors had a certainty unknown to those under the age of twenty seven!
Something worked for this lady, or did it? She looked young but, she just… wasn’t. She couldn’t be. This lady dressed the part but carried herself way too strongly and properly to be a teen.
She doesn’t match herself.
The suspicion was amplified as the lady was in a hurry and seemed quite aware of her surroundings but not aware enough to close her van door.
“Excuse me! Miss,” waved Nolwenn. The lady kept walking but Nolwenn Yan didn’t get promoted to the front desk lead at such a young age by being ignored. She continued waving her dark green and black spotted hand frantically and raised her voice almost to a shout before the lady stopped and turned.
“That van your’s?” Nolwenn was pointing just beyond the lady’s line of vision.
“Oh ey,” the lady said, but seemed unwilling to turn her head until absolutely necessary. Something was definitely off about this lady. Her eyes were distracted with something that was quite urgent and she was headed towards the toilet. However, something about her spoke that her urgent diversion was beyond the basic.
Nolwenn saw a similar facial expressions before, usually when customers were in a pinch. This lady was way more intense. The lady didn’t need more cash for food. She had just stopped by, and left her door open. “You left your door open.”
“Oh! Thanks,” the lady said smiling, “but I’ll be quick.” She started heading for the toilet again in a rush.
Who is this lady?
After a few months Nolwenn had gotten familiar with everyone that went in and out of this store. This lady was a new and awkward one. Nolwenn stood by the panic button in case the bot patrols needed to come here, they were nearby after all. “The droid patrols have really been moving today,” she said with questioning eyes, “There may be some dangerous types about.”
As to emphasize her point, a large group of speeders flew by just as she finished talking. Among them was a much larger much slower transport ship holding a machine. The loud hum of the motor made sure that no one in the convenience store could ignore it.
The lady’s eyes were shocked at the sight. Of course, so was everyone else. “Then again,” the lady said with a giggle, “I should check the door.”
—–
Insula walked out and felt the clerk’s eyes followed her.
She may be one for watchtower training.
As for now, Insula had to keep her uncertain enough not to raise the alarm for just a bit longer. She looked up to see more speeders passing above her in patrols high in the sky.
Unfortunately, there was no time for funny business. No matter how much Metcalf would want an open window, an open anything, Insula’s character was supposed to be in a big hurry. She had to cause as little suspicion as possible.
Of course, it could already be too late for that.
On turning back towards the store, she realized that the clerk had indeed been keeping close tabs on her. She had given notice that the town would be used for an event. That didn’t mean that everyone had checked their notices. All in the same, it was good to have someone truly authentic there.
Walking through the store, Insula made a quick dart to the facilities. She couldn’t help but take another glance at the clerk. Still looking at her, he hadn’t moved from the register.
Perhaps there’s a panic switch and he was waiting for an excuse to use it.
She didn’t have time to figure any of it out. At least, a toilet run explained her situation suitably enough.
A few minutes there, and then ‘groceries.’