It had become far more often lately to find some random stranger staring at her across the tables in her favorite bar. Or even across the way at some looking game store. Far less often when she was out riding but that came with a different brand of staring altogether.
Tying her hair back, she pulled the cap over and fished her hair through the back. An already exhausted sigh coming from her as the jacket slid over her arms and covered what felt cute to wear. But what felt cute meant she would encounter those laser-brained dullards asking for an autograph on some poster she has never even seen before.
Would mean she would have to listen to people comment how she should be nicer. Call her by a name that wasn't hers trying get her attention. Or stars forbid attempt to compare her to a picture on a card and wonder why she didn't smile. Her hand shot up to her head, a sharp pain beginning beginning already behind her eyes at the thought of that wretched woman that wielded Ruby's face so flagrantly.
Made existing so much more exhausting trying to explain that she was not, in fact, the model for Locke and Key Mechanics. She just. Worked. There. The scant few coworkers she had always got a good chuckle out of it. Ribbing her on how many times she had seen paparazzi that day.
If it weren't for the near constant migraine the cursed name brought with it, Ruby might have at least counted one blessing for seeing her face plastered across the screen of certain Locke and Key products.
She was at least pretty, and someone was capitalizing on it.
Pulling the cloth mask over to cover the lower half was the final piece of her disguise as she shouldered the door of her apartment. Something she had achieved on her own after being sent out on her own into the world.
Stewjon wasn't perfect from her perspective. A lot of things weren't. But that was being ungrateful some said. Namely those 'oh so caring and generous' people that opened their homes to the unfortunate orphaned children of catastrophic events. Her eyes lolled the to the back of her head at the memory, annoyed at the strictness she had been placed in.
She bet the face-stealer hadn't had so many worries in her life.
She could have been wrong though. Wasn't everyday she was right as her hand rifled through the pocket of her jacket for the credit stick and nodded to herself when it was felt in the hidden pocket of her own design. People always tried snagging things off her for some reason when they didn't get their autograph or picture with her.
Those ones made her worry.
The beings that didn't relent with a simple no. The ones that earned her a stop in the local authorities office with paperwork to do and curious looks abound. They'd almost gotten on a first name basis now though. Half the time only needing to hit the fourth button on her speed dial to share her headache with the officer they had seen fit to assign to her growing pile of least favorite people in the galaxy.
It was better than the other stack though.
But that's what happened when people tried to break in and find her. A subtle hint by the authorities to keep a ball, glove, and bat out in the open.
Plausible deniability.
Ruby just enjoyed sports, and kept them close for quick access when her friends called.
Her hand pulled on the handle, the public comute short to her favorite hole in the wall on her days off as the tender snorted to her. Even behind the mask he could see the smile as she shrugged.
A bottle of Corellian Whiskey and a single glass. A small blessing for the drum beating in the back of her brain as she slid a finger behind her ear and let the cloth fall to the counter. Her seat caught as it scooted closer to the bar, no one bothering to raise a grievance as she flicked the lid off and snatched it before it could fly behind the bar.
Liquid sloshed before emptying into her glass. Tossed back quickly as she cringed and blew out a sharp breath. She felt like a dragon in those brief moments between. Breath like fire as she blindly poured another drink into the glass. Her nose demanded attention as she sniffed harshly to keep herself from rubbing it.
It was pleasant in her opinion. The invigorating burn as she continued this process until the bottle was empty and the drumming a long forgotten thought that settled into a pleasant buzz.
Another drink slammed as she made to pour another as those already present cast a glance to the door opening again. She shook the now empty bottle, hearing with alarming clarity as another was drug across the counter. Her eyes squinted at the sound, a dull ringing in her ears as she fumbled with the top of the new bottle.
Mumbled voices and excited gasps found her gaze and the bartenders meeting as he flipped a towel over his shoulder. The top eventually, though slowly, seemed to remove itself as she lost the thing. Her eyes lazily searched before she clicked the neck of the bottle against the glass with a small giggle to herself while watching it pour.
The tender bothered to ask what the little group wanted as they settled a few seats down from her. The glass rose as they murmured something and he shook a hand at them. Ruby watched in blissful awe at the sight of the liquor casting the light in different ways.
The hand of the bartender quickly pointed to the door as they griped about something. She tossed the drink back after she quit staring at it. The drink burned all the way down. Comfortable for her as she heard shuffled steps towards her.
"Uhm, hello. I was wonder if you would sign-"
"D'you know. Any good hills. Around here?" Ruby cut them off, swirling the glass. She hadn't remembered leaning into the bar so much, finding it hard to clearly speak as she looked down. Her stomach was pressed against the counter, heaving a breath as she carefully pushed herself back.
"Pardon?"
"I. I said. D'you know. Any good. Hills. Round 'ere?" The words were slow, ponderous as the stranger seemed to grasp at straws and looked to their group for help.
"Noooo?" She giggled to herself before turning and smiling. "Then go find one. An lean into the wind real. Real hard. Right? And then relieve yourself. Jus' straight in'o the wind. Jus-" They made a disgusted sound before waving her off and gathering their group.
More angry sounds, sharp barbed words directed at her which she blissfully ignored as the glass clicked against the counter top and wobbled dangerously before slowly stopping the twisting circles and settling.
"Exaust sniffing nerf herders." She grumbled before lifting the bottle once more.
Tying her hair back, she pulled the cap over and fished her hair through the back. An already exhausted sigh coming from her as the jacket slid over her arms and covered what felt cute to wear. But what felt cute meant she would encounter those laser-brained dullards asking for an autograph on some poster she has never even seen before.
Would mean she would have to listen to people comment how she should be nicer. Call her by a name that wasn't hers trying get her attention. Or stars forbid attempt to compare her to a picture on a card and wonder why she didn't smile. Her hand shot up to her head, a sharp pain beginning beginning already behind her eyes at the thought of that wretched woman that wielded Ruby's face so flagrantly.
Made existing so much more exhausting trying to explain that she was not, in fact, the model for Locke and Key Mechanics. She just. Worked. There. The scant few coworkers she had always got a good chuckle out of it. Ribbing her on how many times she had seen paparazzi that day.
If it weren't for the near constant migraine the cursed name brought with it, Ruby might have at least counted one blessing for seeing her face plastered across the screen of certain Locke and Key products.
She was at least pretty, and someone was capitalizing on it.
Pulling the cloth mask over to cover the lower half was the final piece of her disguise as she shouldered the door of her apartment. Something she had achieved on her own after being sent out on her own into the world.
Stewjon wasn't perfect from her perspective. A lot of things weren't. But that was being ungrateful some said. Namely those 'oh so caring and generous' people that opened their homes to the unfortunate orphaned children of catastrophic events. Her eyes lolled the to the back of her head at the memory, annoyed at the strictness she had been placed in.
She bet the face-stealer hadn't had so many worries in her life.
She could have been wrong though. Wasn't everyday she was right as her hand rifled through the pocket of her jacket for the credit stick and nodded to herself when it was felt in the hidden pocket of her own design. People always tried snagging things off her for some reason when they didn't get their autograph or picture with her.
Those ones made her worry.
The beings that didn't relent with a simple no. The ones that earned her a stop in the local authorities office with paperwork to do and curious looks abound. They'd almost gotten on a first name basis now though. Half the time only needing to hit the fourth button on her speed dial to share her headache with the officer they had seen fit to assign to her growing pile of least favorite people in the galaxy.
It was better than the other stack though.
But that's what happened when people tried to break in and find her. A subtle hint by the authorities to keep a ball, glove, and bat out in the open.
Plausible deniability.
Ruby just enjoyed sports, and kept them close for quick access when her friends called.
Her hand pulled on the handle, the public comute short to her favorite hole in the wall on her days off as the tender snorted to her. Even behind the mask he could see the smile as she shrugged.
A bottle of Corellian Whiskey and a single glass. A small blessing for the drum beating in the back of her brain as she slid a finger behind her ear and let the cloth fall to the counter. Her seat caught as it scooted closer to the bar, no one bothering to raise a grievance as she flicked the lid off and snatched it before it could fly behind the bar.
Liquid sloshed before emptying into her glass. Tossed back quickly as she cringed and blew out a sharp breath. She felt like a dragon in those brief moments between. Breath like fire as she blindly poured another drink into the glass. Her nose demanded attention as she sniffed harshly to keep herself from rubbing it.
It was pleasant in her opinion. The invigorating burn as she continued this process until the bottle was empty and the drumming a long forgotten thought that settled into a pleasant buzz.
Another drink slammed as she made to pour another as those already present cast a glance to the door opening again. She shook the now empty bottle, hearing with alarming clarity as another was drug across the counter. Her eyes squinted at the sound, a dull ringing in her ears as she fumbled with the top of the new bottle.
Mumbled voices and excited gasps found her gaze and the bartenders meeting as he flipped a towel over his shoulder. The top eventually, though slowly, seemed to remove itself as she lost the thing. Her eyes lazily searched before she clicked the neck of the bottle against the glass with a small giggle to herself while watching it pour.
The tender bothered to ask what the little group wanted as they settled a few seats down from her. The glass rose as they murmured something and he shook a hand at them. Ruby watched in blissful awe at the sight of the liquor casting the light in different ways.
The hand of the bartender quickly pointed to the door as they griped about something. She tossed the drink back after she quit staring at it. The drink burned all the way down. Comfortable for her as she heard shuffled steps towards her.
"Uhm, hello. I was wonder if you would sign-"
"D'you know. Any good hills. Around here?" Ruby cut them off, swirling the glass. She hadn't remembered leaning into the bar so much, finding it hard to clearly speak as she looked down. Her stomach was pressed against the counter, heaving a breath as she carefully pushed herself back.
"Pardon?"
"I. I said. D'you know. Any good. Hills. Round 'ere?" The words were slow, ponderous as the stranger seemed to grasp at straws and looked to their group for help.
"Noooo?" She giggled to herself before turning and smiling. "Then go find one. An lean into the wind real. Real hard. Right? And then relieve yourself. Jus' straight in'o the wind. Jus-" They made a disgusted sound before waving her off and gathering their group.
More angry sounds, sharp barbed words directed at her which she blissfully ignored as the glass clicked against the counter top and wobbled dangerously before slowly stopping the twisting circles and settling.
"Exaust sniffing nerf herders." She grumbled before lifting the bottle once more.
