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Billy,...well, he had been sent to Hillworth for a reason. He came from less-than-favorable origins, and he didn't like it. He was determined to rise above and conquer. However, pulling himself up from his station in life would be like trying to build a mansion on a foundation meant for a log cabin. Didn't mean he wouldn't try though.
He always wore the best clothes he could afford, and kept his silver hair a respectable length and style. It was just a matter of whether or not one could take a guy with barbie-pink eyes seriously, and if they couldn't, well, he'd surely rectify that.

That day Billy had headed out early with a duffel bag full of carefully packed paintings. He was a self-taught airbrush artist, but he'd never waste his talents on clothing or car plates! Rather, he used large fabric canvases. His paintings, he believed, were meant to be hung on the wall - preferably framed, but it wasn't like he went into the homes of his customers to see just how they treated his work.
Billy claimed an empty bench along the sidewalk near the market. Unzipping his duffel back, he unrolled the first of the lot and draped it over the back of the bench, a second following along in quick yet careful succession. The rest were left rolled up on the seat portion of the bench, half unrolled in hopes that the teasing glimpse would catch someone's eye.

Billy's work was usually landscapes. Most featured night skies full of sparkling stars overlooking mountains, or maybe a field of flowers...maybe even the occasional lake and castle ruins. In each he tried to incorporate a ethereal feeling - something magical. This time Billy had a new piece, proudly displayed on the bench - a crystal forest, shining and shimmering. It was a vertical piece. In the center there was a path that seemed to lead to a dark castle off in the distance. It was framed by trees that seemed to glow white in the light of the full moon that overlooked the path. Then there was the scattering of crystals along the path. Maybe the trees themselves were crystal - who knew.
Billy was rather proud of this one. It was the first time he'd experimented with sparkly paint. He had been frustrated at having to use a paintbrush to apply it, but the result was satisfying. Billy was always looking for new things to try. He was just glad this one had worked so well.

There was no reason customers wouldn't stop by. He could see the demand for copies of this one now. To say it didn't place a rather devilish grin on his face would be a major error.

Billy was just finishing setting up as Skye looked over his work. Perhaps had he put up his sign first he would have saved the girl a question....and perhaps if he were a less honorable person he would have put it off further and price jack his early customer, but that wasn't good for business. And he wasn't that scummy.

"I do on occasion," he said as he went to get her one of his crystal forest copies. The original was always for display, and he never displayed a new piece until he had made at least two more copies.
He located the rolled up fabric without even having to unfurl it to make sure - he knew by the ribbon holding it closed. He'd long since developed a color system with the ribbons.