Seeking a Friend -- For Adia

[weathering_it]

Anna Weatherhill can't be described as a woman of many connections, but today she awaits the rare promise of a visit. Of someone expressly coming by to see her. She knows she shouldn't get her hopes up -- there's always the distinct possibility Adia won't show -- but she can't help the tiny spark of trust that keeps her glancing toward the gate of Naugus' property. Until Adia does arrive she sits alone, hands folded at the benched table in the yard while her family works the land in the distance or relax in the coolness of the castle. 

Any minute now. Any minute now she's sure she'll have a guest -- a friend -- of her own. 

Comments

[chiron_survivor]

Adia arrives as promised, dressed casually in a faded green blouse and khaki shorts, her ever-present messenger bag slung over shoulder. She's alone -- or perhaps not, because every so often she looks down at her bag and pats it carefully, as if something precious is inside.

When she's close enough to the benched table to say hello without having to shout, she smiles warmly and waves. "Hi, Anna." She probably looks a lot tanner than when the other woman last saw her, and older, too, but not in a haggard way. Atlantis has been good to her. "I, um, I brought my pet cat with me. Is that okay? I can keep her in the bag if you're allergic or something."

[weathering_it]

"A cat?" On the contrary, Adia, Anna doesn't want that to stay hidden. One might say she'd like you to let the cat out of the bag, even! She smiles tentatively and sits a little straighter, scooting closer as she twists her fingers up together excitedly. "Is it friendly? I think I'd like to see it. I miss having a cat. We always had them on the farm growing up! Food was too short to let the mice get to it."

She glances between the bag and the woman before she realizes she's forgotten her manners. She clears her throat and asks, "But how have you been? You look really good. Did you cut your hair? Get a tan? Something's different about you..."

[chiron_survivor]

"She's very friendly," Adia says reassuringly. She unslings the messenger bag and sets it on the table. Then, like a magic trick, she reaches deep into the bag and retrieves a small brown cat, which she then also sets on the table. "This is Anastasia." She pauses, then can't help but grin at the lovely coincidence that follows. "Ana, this is Anna."

The cat peers up at Anna with large, orange eyes. Her fur is various shades of brown, tabby swirls reminiscent of a cinnamon bun. "Mew?" she asks calmly. Is it time for pettings?

Adia takes a seat on the bench next to Anna. The other woman's question has her running a hand through her hair automatically. Did she cut her hair? When was the last time she saw Anna, anyway? At Viatorus' engagement party? That day feels like a lifetime ago...

"Ah. I might have gotten a tan, yes. I don't live on a spaceship anymore. I live on Earth now, we, um... we had been looking for Earth for a long time."

[weathering_it]

Uh, Hell yes it's time for petting? Anna gently reaches her hand out for Anastasia to sniff, then pulls a fast one and strokes her head. It brings an immediate smile to her face and a hint of color to her cheeks. Adia, you know just how to cheer a girl up!

"I think I heard about that," Anna says. "You found Earth late last year, didn't you? My broth--"

She stops herself abruptly and pulls her hand back from the cat. Right. The entire reason Adia really came to see her. Her brother. Or is he her ex-brother now? She isn't sure she knows the terminology, but she knows how it feels to think about him.

[chiron_survivor]

Ah, there it is. The undead elephant in the room. Adia was hoping that he wouldn't come up in conversation until later, or maybe at all. "Yes, I did," she replies quickly, hoping to move past Harrowheart's aborted mention. "I mean, we did. Galactica did. I was on Galactica, but I was there to help the injured. I got to see it first, though."

She swallows, wondering what else to say. Nervous chatter about Earth doesn't seem enough to fill the void.

Anastasia helpfully shatters the silence with a plaintive whine. Why, oh why, new friend, did you stop petting her? She stretches forward, her head butting whatever part of Anna she can reach. Get that hand back on her head, please!

[weathering_it]

The cat is complaining, and even though Anna was content to stew in awkward discomfort with Adia, she can't ignore an innocent little creature. She offers her hand once more and this time tries for absently scratching at the cat's cheek.

"What's it like, where you are? What were the people on Earth like?"

The more she speaks, the more she finds the distractions from the obvious are welcome. It gets easier with every word.

"I heard you had to build your whole city from nothing. Is that true? Was it hard? I want to know everything."

[chiron_survivor]

Anastasia begins purring immediately. That's better, new friend. She tilts her head slightly, so that Anna can hit just the right spot on her cheek. Mmm, perfect.

Adia's shoulders relax visibly when Anna starts speaking again. Thank goodness she thought to bring her furry little icebreaker. "It's beautiful. We're on an island called Atlantis in the middle of the bluest sea I've ever seen. The people on Earth are... well, I hate to call them primitive. They work the land better than we ever did. But their technology is far behind ours. They've only recently developed writing, for example. And they smelt bronze. We've had very limited contact with them. Trading in agate and things that they'd recognize. So far as they know, we're a mysterious people across the sea. I think we'll probably keep it that way."

As for her city, her eyes light up happily. "We built it from scratch, yes. But we have a lot of resources. And the Cylons are helping with their technology, too. Most people don't live in the city, though. We're spread out, closer to the forest. After being cooped up on our ships for so long, I think most of us crave the space."