🛍️🎓 video; @b.potts

[tutee]

[ Bill is used to smart phones, but she's not used to this sort of a network thing where people just go online to chat and ask questions about things... But, she's new here, and she's trying to fit in. Plus she has some questions that she definitely can't ask the Doctor about.

When the video starts, Bill's dressed in a drab dark outfit with her hair pulled back in a braided bun. Very dystopia. She does a little wave, then launches into her question. ]

Hi. I guess. My name's Bill, just arrived. Except the portal thing didn't exactly let me pack, so all I have to wear is... well, not exactly my style. Anyone know where's good to shop around here? Someplace not too expensive; I'm a university student now, I've got to keep a budget.

OH! [ She holds up a finger. ] If you were going to university, and could study anything you want, anything at all... What would you study? I'm at a bit of a loss, myself. Never actually done this officially before.

[ She pauses to think if she has anything else to add, but no. That's it. ]

Anyway, yeah. If you could help me out, that'd be brilliant. Cheers!

Comments

Video: @JaggedFan

[de_evilise]

I've seen one or two places you could get some clothes, but, I don't know if those places would be your style either. [ It's a new world, so new culture. And some of those hats were pretty wild. ]

I could send you some directions though. Oh, and if I were going to university - that's still af ew years off, but I'd probably study something in design - clothing design specifically.

[tutee]

Better than nothing, really. If you've got places to try, I'll take them.

[ She smiles, ] Oh, are you a clothing designer? That's cool. Maybe I should ask you to design me some clothes.

[de_evilise]

Okay, let me just... [ she stares at the display for a second, and touches a few buttons, and a moment later a little message is texted over with some quick directions to the two places she knows. Though most of those directions are probably better for someone who already knows the area, she did try to throw in landmarks to make it easier for Bill to find them. ]

There. Let me know if you have any trouble finding the way. [ She perks up a bit, grinning. ]

If you're serious, I'd be happy to!

video: @0988

[fratropathic]

When you find out where to start with clothes shopping, could you pass the information along? Believe it or not, this was something of a uniform for me in my position at home, so I haven't done a lot of choosing for myself.

["Believe it or not" because yikes, his boss has questionable taste, and that much is obvious even if Bill can only see the top at the moment.]

Hello again, Bill. [That probably should've come first, not tacked on at the end, but he will be a man of mystery. His voice is unusually husky for the high register in which he speaks, and sounds North American without any real distinctive traits beyond that.]

@ciscodelamancha | video

[franciscoramon]

Okay but what is your usual style? I know a pretty good place that does nerd chic for cheap, but if you're looking for something more high fashion or formal, I'm not the dude to ask.

[ It's a caveat that probably didn't even need saying considering he's wearing a catbug shirt. ]

And I gotta say mechanical engineering. I'm biased 'cause that's what I studied, but liiiiiike, it's also objectively the coolest.

[tutee]

Got it, thanks! [ She'll definitely check those out. ]

I'm serious! I'd love to have a custom made outfit. And I'm meant to be working as a mentor for younger girls, so like, maybe this will work out for both of us!

[tutee]

[ Wow. Those look like a pair of fantasy pyjamas. ]

Hi, Regene! Am I pronouncing that right? [ Re-jeen. ]

I've gotten directions to a few places to try, if you want to come along? Shopping's always more fun with a friend along.

[tutee]

Not formal, not really. Maybe more retro-hipster, if I had to define it. Bright colors and jean jackets.

[ Not exactly nerd chic either, but... ] If you want to give me the name of the place you know, I'll still probably check it out.

I don't know if mechanical engineering is for me. I'm not really a machine person.

[fratropathic]

[He smiles patiently enough, but with a twist of amused arrogance all the same.]

Regene. [ray-zhen, with a rolled R and soft French G - he'll take a close approximation, but her first attempt wasn't that.] Not a common name, as far as my own experience has told me.

[Her offer causes his smile to settle into something much more genuine, because - well, he hasn't gotten many friendly offers in his life. Nothing without an ulterior motive.] In that case, I would. When will you be going?

[tutee]

I haven't heard it before. Is it French? [ He sounds American, but Americans can have names from anywhere. ]

Probably this afternoon sometime, if that works for you?

[fratropathic]

I wonder... I've never been told what inspired my name. [He doesn't seem too concerned with that fact, either, moving along with no more to say about heritage.] This afternoon will be fine, I should find something suitable for work before I start next week.

[His expression shifts quite suddenly as something occurs to him for the first time.] What is suitable for technical support on a land development project?

[tutee]

[ Bill doesn't know the origins behind her own name either-- her mum wasn't around to ask. So she lets it go. ]

Dunno. Collared shirt, I reckon.

[de_evilise]

[ She grins, nodding eagerly to that. ]

Well sure! In that case I'd have to get your measurements - well, you can take your own measurements if you want, or you can stop by sometime you're free. I'm currently living in the Communal Housing, on the tenth Floor. Just ask for Marinette!~ [ That'd be her, obvs. ]

[tutee]

I'm only downstairs, on the second floor. I can come up now, if you're free.

...Is there a lift? [ Eight flights of stairs is a lot. ]

video; un: KANEKI

[anthropophagite]

I was a literature student back home. I'm not sure if it'll be that easy to study that here, but I think I'd like to try.

You could try figuring out what you enjoy the most and go from there.

[franciscoramon]

Hmmm, I gotcha. Check your inbox.

[ Cisco quickly taps out the name of the clothing place he'd been thinking of, and another that ran a bit more hipsterish that he'd browsed once, and texts them to Bill, because no sense in telling her aloud and making her write it down. He throws in directions to them, too, because he's awesome like that. ]

Okay, that's a no on machines, so... what are you into? And I don't mean what class did you like best in high school or whatever, I mean, what is it you actually like?

[tutee]

[ Her inbox chimes and she smiles. ] Got it. Thanks!

[ Then it's back to the subject of university, and asking what she likes, which you wouldn't think would be a complicated question, but it somehow manages to be one anyway. ]

I dunno. I like... traveling? Stories? Human behavior. It's not like I haven't done any schooling at all, before. I work at a university, back home, and... I have a private tutor. It's just, he covers sort of... everything? And I'm not sure how to narrow it down.

[tutee]

Why wouldn't it be easy to study here? Every place has got literature, I reckon. It's just going to be different literature than back home. Which could make it interesting.

[ She sighs. ] See, that's the thing, though. I don't know what I enjoy most! I enjoy...everything!

[de_evilise]

Oh! Sure, that'd be fine! [ Snerk - yeah she walked down the full ten flights of stairs herself, and while she hadn't been TOO exhausted it... did leave her a tiny bit winded. Going down was way easier. ]

Yeah, there's one a little bit past the stairs. It's the glass elevator - you're not afraid of heights or anything are you?

[fratropathic]

As long as you have some idea, you'll be a help. Judging by your question, it sounds like you're going right back to school rather than into a new career?

[She was totally at school before even if she wasn't technically a student. Like Regene said the first time they talked, she was still learning a lot, and not even for the reward of a grade.]

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco takes a moment to consider Bill's options; when a possibility occurs to him, it makes him smile softly and feel a little pang of homesickness. ]

Well, maybe journalism? I feel like that would cover a whole lot - you could write stories about human behavior, stories about traveling, stories about traveling to strange far-off places and observing the human behavior there. Though I guess that's kind of anthropology-ish so you could always do a minor in that.

[ Her position is an interesting one to consider: with the sciences, at least in school, there was a pretty predetermined path of courses that he'd had to take with only a very small amount of room to specialize or look for things that interested him specifically. ]

video @moogles

[carrotkeeper]

[The shopping issue pings her. She's a student herself and buying clothes on a budget is what she does best.]

There's a cute place at the market that has great summer outfits. Bet you could find some clothes there.

[tutee]

[ Scared? Bill? Never. ]

No, heights are fine for me. A glass elevator, yeah? [ She's already heading out, holding the phone in front of her as she goes. ] That means there'll be a view! I'll be up in a minute, see you soon!

[tutee]

Well, sort of. [ She doesn't think she could handle just being a student full-time. She's worked for so long, she needs something to keep her busy. ] I'm going to take classes at the university, but they've also assigned me a part-time job at the community centre, mentoring young girls.

[tutee]

[ Bill listens intently, cocking her head as she considers the idea. ] Journalism. Never thought about journalism before. I can write pretty well, I think. My tutor makes me write essays all the time. Dunno if they're anything worth reading, but it's worth a shot.

Thanks!