(Untitled)

[tehoniongirl]

Who: The Ills (Jilly, Billy and Willow)
What: Friends reconnecting to a bit of karaoke
When: About 8ish, Thursday evening.
Where: Caritas
Rating: PG-13 for Billy's secret evil motives.

Comments

[need_to_rule_it]

Billy did actually show, and--more than that--he was on time. He was distracted, but his mind had been functioning under a sort of mechanical precision lately. It wasn't an often-seen state of his here-- with how meticulously this place had broken him down and made him forget who he was. It had picked him apart, and tricked him, and nudged him down paths he didn't expect until he couldn't even see where he'd come from when he looked back.

But, that was all better now. He remembered; he was focused. When his alarm went off to remind him about Caritas, he immediately up and went.

Not going might raise suspicion, after all.

So, he was still distracted when he showed up, glancing around when he wandered in, but not seeming to see Jilly right away. Almost as if he was looking for something that wasn't her. Hands shoved in his sweatshirt pockets, he was practically halfway to the table before he noticeably spotted her, giving a nod of greeting.

[tehoniongirl]

When she sees him turn her way she raises a hand to catch his attention, smiling.

"I wasn't sure you'd actually come by. You seemed pretty engrossed," she says as he gets close enough to hear. There's a faint teasing edge to her voice, but there's no actual judgment in it. She'd lost herself in more than a few projects, until the minutes slipped into hours where sleep and food were forgotten well beyond the point they should have been remembered.

[need_to_rule_it]

"Yeah, I'm working on a couple...breakthroughs."

But he moved right along, not stopping to spend time on the topic. He dropped down into the seat across from her, and nodded toward her mostly-untouched beer.

"Oh, good. Looks like you haven't been waiting too long?"

[tehoniongirl]

She shook her head. "Just about fifteen minutes or so. I came over a little early to say hi to Lorne."

[its_worthdoing]

Willow entered the now-familiar bar then, scarring the crowd for familiar places. There had been avoiding, initially after Xander's departure. Not that this place was where things-that-were-bad lived. But Lorne did live there. With his insight and his understanding and there was a while where Willow didn't want it to be alright. She wanted to wallow. Wallow like a Willow until at some point? She didn't.

That point had come with beach sand as a gift with purpose.

There was a lot going on, now. And judging from the Chimera meeting she recently attended? There would be more. She'd spend the evening at the shop, cataloging supplies.

Bypassing the bar, Willow made her way directly towards Billy and Jilly.

[need_to_rule_it]

It was like he picked her up on radar. Maybe he was just that hyper-aware of his surroundings at the moment. Either way, he turned and glanced back just as she wandered into view.

And there was the smile that he hadn't quite managed to manage yet tonight.

[tehoniongirl]

It was a relief to see Willow out and about. She hadn't disappeared from the room the way Jilly had, escaping into town, but there'd been an unmistakeable sadness in her demeanor as they adjusted to it being two instead of three.

The recent cheer from the beach and the glow of her involvement with the other mages had been a good thing to see, and it was only more encouraging to have the three of them together here.

A different three than their living arrangement, but a good three. And the smile on Billy's face made her sure he was as glad for it as she was.

"Willow! Over here."

[its_worthdoing]

As her gaze corrected with Jilly, Willow grinned. There should probably be words. Words that belonged on the sooner side of now about how much she appreciated the other girl's support. She would have gotten through Xander's departure without her.

But it would have been harder. Jilly? Made it not.

As for Billy? Well, he made other things. Like her smile tilt and color touch her cheeks. She joined them at the table, mentally coaxing herself into putting away all their current stress away for a few hours.

"Fancy meeting you two here."

[need_to_rule_it]

"I know, right? What are the odds?"

He was smiling now-- pretty steadily, actually.

For now, he could forget the urge to keep an eye on his surroundings. He could at least try to ignore the desire to find a clock to glance at.

Because this, right here, was part of the reason that he was doing all the things that made him want to glance over his shoulder and keep track of time. --It was in a roundabout way, but still true.

[tehoniongirl]

"Really, its too bad we don't have a lottery here. This kind of luck shouldn't be wasted."

Her smile matches theirs, happy. Content, even for just a little while.

[its_worthdoing]

"No lottery needed. I am more than satisfied with my prize."

Willow looked at them both, clearly content in the moment despite everything else that was happening. Her gaze fell on both of their drinks.

"Well. One of these things is not like the others."

[tehoniongirl]

"You know, I was always a fan of being different...but I think we might have to fix that anyway."

[need_to_rule_it]

Billy was in a good mood. Restless and a little high-strung, but in a good mood. So, scooting his chair away from the table, he climbed to his feet and nodded toward the bar.

"What do you want?"

See? He could be kind of gentlemanly if he really tried.

[its_worthdoing]

Willow blinked. Then looked from one to the other and then back again, finally landing on Jilly. As of the other woman might have some kind of answer.

"-- a beer?"

Try some confidence, Willow.

"Yes, definitely. A beer."

[tehoniongirl]

She gave Willow an encouraging smile before nodding along. "Two, actually. That sounds perfect."

[need_to_rule_it]

"Nice and easy. Excellent."

And then Billy nodded and headed off toward the bar. As if getting drinks for a couple of girls was something he did all the time.