Here City, City, City (jump in at any time)

[Aleshanee]

She was not as clueless as some would have people believe. She had noticed a while ago that Winston’s items were no longer in the hall closet. Nor was her couch a mess when she walked out into the living room from her bedroom either. So he finally had gone and moved to his own room. A part of her missed having him in the rooms with her, wondering if she had been to hard on him, yet another part of her felt a freedom that she had not felt in quite a long time. Giving a stretch as she walked through the living room in her Led Zeppelin authentic from the 70’s t-shirt, it was black and well worn, and a pair of hot pink French bikini undies. Feet were bare and sinking into the carpet with every step, toe nails were painted black with a coating of glitter polish over top of them. Nails were nice and trimmed.

Hands were lifting upwards and grabbing her locks as she bent backwards a bit, before fingers moved and slipped an elastic band around the width putting the unruly, this morning, locks up in pony tail. The back was a bit spiky and it wasn’t combed all perfectly yet it worked. She made her way over to a small table, where she had a box of coco puffs, which she opened the box and munched on a few dry ones. Rolling her head in a circular motion, hands moving up to hold at her neck a bit, trying to release the tension that she felt building up inside of her. She would blame that old stress feeling on the phone call she had received at 5am. Maybe they could of started things off nicely, it was darned early, and she was getting used to sleeping in. But no first thing she heard before she got a hello out was “Are you eating correctly.” Got to love your agent right? She told him that she was on a extended vacation, but did that stop him from the lectures? Of course not.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she really did not want to think about that phone call, removing it from her current thoughts. She let out the breath then made her way back to the bedroom, grabbing the pair of blue jeans off the bed and putting them on. Boyfriend cut and regular ole blue jean colored, no special washes or dyes. Then feet would slip into the flip flops that were on the way to the door. Moving over to the dresser she would pick up her wallet and slip in the back pocket, it wasn’t that thick so there wasn’t to big of a bulge. Then she grabbed a strand of blueish and pinkish pearls which she strapped on around her neck. She did not know why she was wearing the pearls, just a feeling that she wanted to, so she was going too.

A quick trip into the bathroom, to wash her face and brush her teeth, patting her face dry. A look into the mirror, her head tilting back and forth, as if she wasn’t quite sure if she was going to wear make up today or not. Since coming to the Inn she had cut back drastically. Then she grabbed out the make up bag and put a bit of powder on her face and mascara. Your eye lashes never could be long enough, right?

Once she was ready she left her room, the flip flops making their flop flop flop sound as they left and came back to the bottoms of her feet. Making her way down the hallway, and to the stairs, down the flights that were required to go from the third floor room down to the main floor. Once she reached the main floor she debated about staying in the inn, but that did not sound very entertaining to her at the moment. The last time she spent time in the inn was with Kyle. And he seemed to have disappeared, probably did not want her to come calling for the food he said he would make for her, that was fine. There was plenty of other places for a girl to get food.

Once outside of the inn, she took a deep breath, the cleanness of the air was something new to her. It smelt so good, refreshing, rejuvenating. Now that she was outside she was just start walking off to the left, unsure of where she was going, or how long she’d be able to keep those flip flips on her feet. She heard if she went left she would find a town, now if that was true or what she would find was going to be revealed to her in its own sweet time.

[Aleshanee]

It took her a bit of time, and a few rocks sneaking up and into the flip flop between her foot and the sandal bottom, but she finally made it into town. A hour or two had passed but that did not stop her from walking, she was in rather good shape even if she had been slacking off. If she would of realized how far away town was she would of worn her running shoes and jogged, perhaps next time, if she liked the town.

Once she reached the town, her gaze would skip around from the attractions, debating where she was wanting to go. Moving forward she would slip into a door that seemed to be packed full of clothing. Moving around and looking from rack to rack. Not seeing anything that interested her for the moment she slipped out of the store, without being greeted or causing much attention to focus on her.

She would move along the sidewalk, along with other’s careful not to bump into anyone. She was still amazed by some of the people that she had seen so far since being in this strange town, so she didn’t want to take any chances. She was about ready to turn around, when a small building nestled in between two larger ones, called out to her.

The door did not have a knob it was a pushing sort, and her hand would lift up, pressing the palm upon the door, pushing it open and in she went. The small jingle of a bell as she entered the shop. Looking around it didn’t take long for her to realize that she had entered a tattoo shop. Now, she should of just turned and walked out, but she always had a thing for tattoo parlors, and it was a surprise to some that she had never got herself inked. Once she was further into the store, there was a big book of designs, which she began to look through.

Perhaps it was that little devil on her shoulder winning out over the little angel on the other shoulder for when she was approached about getting a tattoo, she grinned and nodded. Once she picked out a design, she would walk over to the desk to the let lady behind the desk know. The lady behind the desk nodded to let her know she heard her, before getting up and slipping into a little room down the hall that was in front of them. A few moments later she was back, “Come with me.” And Shane followed the woman into the room, where she saw a very tattooed man, along with the tools of the trade. The tattoo that stood out most on the man was the halo he had tattooed around his head. A small shrug, before telling the man what tattoo and where she wanted it. He grinned before telling her what to do.

*

Once they were done, the spot she got tattooed was covered with gauze, and he told her how to take care of it. Normally he said they did not put the gauze over the area for the fresh air was best, and he suggested that she remove it once she got home. He also told her that they had liquid antibacterial soap up front and that she should purchase that, along with the creme to put upon it. Once she paid, she left the shop with a paper bag.

Time to explore the city a bit more, maybe if she could find a place to stay, she wouldn’t have to worry about the walk back…

[Coda B]

Growing up in the city ain't easy.
Easy was having the pish and the posh mixing together.
Together is what all these people walking past him on the street had.

Had it all together. Look at them with their neat clothes and 'places to go' by the look on their faces, didn't have the time to take note of little old him leaning against the corner of the brick building. Nope. No time at all. Not that he was looking like anyone to get attention in his patchwork trench coat and dusty sleeves. Worked out to his benefit really? Don't pay him no attention then he ain't got to worry about being para-schizo when it came to snagging bags.

Bags, wallets, hats, those things that dangled out the ends of things when the person wasn't looking, that's what he went after. Hey, it wasn't a lot, but that's what he did. That and staying away from the Rhydin Police. To young at fourteen to go to jail they'd ship him off to the Detention Center or worse: his Mom and house arrest. Prison was probably a cinch when compared to being restricted to his house. No joke.

Joke is what he saw walking from the tattoo parlor. Tallish, slim, female and not quite looking all non directional she was good for the picking. Push off that wall and he strolled over and up behind her, walking just like anyone else walking and carrying about. Then he did a skip-stumble bit to bump into her in a knocking down fashion. Grab that paper bag of hers and make a break for it.

[Aleshanee]

She had been off in her own little world, looking around at what other places the city had, and she should of known better then to allow the bag to be so loose in her hands. Perhaps it was the time she was spending in the Inn that had her guard down. Back home the bag wouldn't of been gotten out of her hands so easily. As it was, when she was bumped the bag was set loose as she did her best to keep up on her feet. A look of pain crossed her features as the spot she got the tattoo took that moment to give a small jabbing pain. Hopefully she would be able to get it taken care of before the itching started.

So when the young man did steal that bag, and she had not quite fallen, she would take off after him, as he made his break. She was in rather good shape, but running in flip flops was never the brightest idea, and when she was rather close to him, it would appear that that idea would bite her in the rump, for she got caught on something, and went sprawling forward, arms going out to catch the boy, or maybe her bag?

[Coda B]

Bloody fracking flaming hell!
Hell, he should have listened to good and common sense about coat tails.
Coat tails were no good when you were a running and it trailed behind you.
You often ended up cursing the coat tail for flying too far behind.

Just as caped crusaders risked the ends of their accessory snagging on a spire during single-bound leaps or getting sucked up into the propulsion engine of a commercial airliner, running petty thieves with coat tails risked having them grabbed. That's exactly what the female had grabbed when she made her flip-flop-trip. She grabbed that and it caused the lad who was about to take his next step jerk backwards instead. Quick shove of the paper down the inside of his shirt as he caught himself to stay on his feet. A thief had to have a trick or two for getting out of tough spots and he had a few of those, like the one he was doing now, count it off in seconds.

One: Toss back the shoulders,
....Two: Flick the arms straight out behind the back
.......Three: Lean forward; take on a sprint stance
.............Four: Move forward out of the coat at a run

Now when you tacted on a second for slipping the bag into his shirt and another for catching his feet, the female had a total of six seconds to get off the ground and make grab for him before he was dashing off again. Of course she could always do the shout for help thing to see if anyone was listening.

[The Tour]

"And on your left we have...."
- click click. click click click. -
"Look at that, honey do you SEE that?"
"Stand still, stand STILL or the shot will be blurry..."
"HURRY UP George, we're going to miss the next - !"

"And up on your right you see...."
"Ooooooooh."
"Ahhhhhhhhhh."
- click click click click click click click -
"Don't waste your film. That can't be real."
" - is absolutely authentic circa 1845 - "
"Ha. So there."
- click -

Twenty-seven of them.
Huddled together trying to all fit on the sidewalk,
To avoid the carriages, taxis and traffic on the road.
Every one with a camera,
Every one totally dependent on the tour guide.
Every one of them paid a pretty penny for the tour,
So every one pushed and shoved for their money's worth.
The herd of twenty-seven heading towards Coda B.

The tour guide was at the front of the pack.
The tour guide was facing her tour.
The tour guide was walking backwards.
The tour guide was about to make a sharp right.
But shriek and point from one of her tourists changed it all.
The tour guide turned and saw Coda B.

"Just stay calm every I'm sure it's - "
"Look honey I saw a purse he's got a PURSE!"
"Thieeeeeeef!!!"
- click click click -
"Don't take a PICTURE George STOP HIM!"

The jumble mumbled.
The jumble bumbled.
The jumble pushed George forward to save day.
But the jumble's shove made George stumble,
And George toppled into a trader's table.

The table was filled with East Indian figurines,
So as George went timber the trinkets went sailing.
One hundred handcrafted animal sculptures in the air.
Tiny tigers, monkeys, camels, elephants.
Each of them pink, they rained down on the tourists,
On Coda B,
And on Shane,
The ones that hit the hard ground shattering against the stone.

[Aleshanee]

Shane was about ready to get up, but for some reason it felt as if her legs had gone to rubber, not allowing her to get right up. Hands would be pressed against the boys coat upon the ground, lifting her upper body off the ground, her mouth was about ready to open to let out that scream. Not that she was one that usually screamed like a damsel in distress, but in this land, where she was out of her element that was exactly what she was going to do. In fact, she got a small amount of that scream out, as she heard the other’s talking. Her head turned towards the group, losing sight of the small thief, when she was blinded by the flash of the cameras.

Her mouth which was already open snapped shut, she was to busy watching the group hustle poor George closer to the two of them. She was going to attempt to push herself upwards again, but that was not to be, for it would be when she noticed those small figurines raining down upon them. Her hands would move quickly grabbing the coat from under her, using it as a shield of sort over her head.

Once the figurines would stop falling on her head, she would attempt to figure out what her next move would be, all based upon the pilfering boy, the man named George, and the rest of the tourists.

[Coda B]

Ho-o-ly . . . . . tourist!
Tourist were nearly as bad as coat tails: hindrance.
Hindrances with their clickety-click cameras
Cameras were no friend of a thief.

Always catching what they were not suppose to catch when no one asked them to catch anything. He certainly didn't tell the cameras to click on him and he'd bet that a good handful or two of those tourist caught him on film. Hopefully they got his good side. But there wasn't time to worry about good or bad sides for nearly everything was crashing down around him. Nearly literally.

What had started out to be an easy pick (the female wasn't even able to get to her own two feet easily) had some how turned into a mess of complications. It was all due to those tourist.

Couldn't backtrack or he'd run over the female and going forward was defiantly out of the picture unless he wanted to be road kill for the camera-clicking, people-pushing horde, so he dived to the side (the one without the falling novelties) all for a tuck and roll deal. Would have worked too if the tucking didn't end with his foot slipping on fragments of shattered pink elephants and making him crash down to the ground. Landing with a huff on his shoulder.

Know what else he landed on? Stray pieces of those novelties! His shirt was short sleeved since he had the coat on but now his skin was exposed and shards punctured through. That was gonna leave a mark. Just because he was down and punctured didn't mean he was going to stay that way! This was the perfect opportunity to get caught. Time to try scrambling up (if he could prevent sliding on the shards) and run!

Could he do it before anyone got him or got in his way?

[The Tour]

"But, now, if everyone would just - "
- click click. pause. -
"Ohhh, look honey! She looks just like - "
"You always think someone looks like - "
"But she DOES!"
- click -
"Did someone say she's - ?"
"NO WAY check it out is that - ?"
Most the tour stared at Shane on the ground.
None of them moved to help her up.
All of them stood their staring.
Each one waited for the magic comfirmation.
Was it her? Was it her? Was it her?
This was a group of tourists.
Tourists from the land Shane was from.

"If, if someone has a cell phone -? "
Guide asked stuffing away hers - dead battery.
But not a single tourist answered her,
All their cell phones with cameras on ready.
On Shane.
Besides three.
Three teenage boys with eyes on Coda B.
The laughed as he fell.
Pointing making rude sounds and laughing.
Until one of them got a great idea.
"Dude, Dude! If that IS her - "
"Yeah yeah yeah! If that IS her - "
"Think of the REWARD, man!"

"Could everyone just shhhh, I'm calling - "
But three teenage boys didn't listen.
One already skidding on broken animal bits,
As they decided to be heros
And chase down Coda B.
Which George was really happy about,
The man groaning on the ground hugging his knee.
With a shop keeper screaming "You'll pay for that!"
Things didn't look great for Shane
Or Coda B.

[Aleshanee]

Who ever thought that they would enjoy a group of tourists? They often walked slow, clip clapping and snip snapping their camera’s at everything and everyone that they thought would be of interest. Who know that they would be the one’s that could very well come to rescue this damsel in distress. It would be about now that she should of already put the salve upon her fresh tattoo, as the lady had told her it would start itching, and it was. It was the distraction of those all around that had her not reaching and itching, instead she just grinned and beared it, not that she was looking at anyone in particular at that very moment, she was still under the coat.

Which did not last to much longer, once she realized the figurines were no longer pelting them from above, with out the love, she would slowly lower the coat. There were a few things that she noticed as she looked around, besides the fact she was on her stomach on the ground, she noticed that the little thief was already back on his feet. Taking in the snapping camera sounds, she would slowly stand up, her gaze darting between the youngster and the group of tourists. Now she had figured with them being out there taking pictures that they would of got one of the kid, and really it wasn’t anything expensive in the bag. In fact the poor guy would probably not be so happy of all his troubles, for what was inside it. The bag pretty much forgotten.

It would be then that Shane actually heard the words coming out. Did this particular tourists come from her home? Her eyes would shut just a moment, before she smiled. It wasn’t anything that she was planning on doing it was simply what one did when they realized that the cameras were on them, wasn’t it? She was just getting ready to step forward, and introduce herself, for she was the sort that was rather good at schmoozing when she needed to, when she heard that voice of the shopkeeper. Things didn’t look so good for George either, he was the one that bumped the table which sent those items flying, in the sky!

But Shane made her way to the shopkeeper, that smile still in place, though if it was a real genuine smile or one that was there simply for show one wouldn’t know. Nor would they be able to tell by the sweetness in that voice. “Do you have insurance? I think the young man over there has some cuts from your items…. And he might need medical care. And I think perhaps my head is just starting to ache from your figurines raining down upon me.”

[Coda B]

Three teenage boys.
Boys that were older than him by a bit more.
More of them than him meant trouble.
Trouble he wasn't sure he could handle.

But when you made your living on the streets was to be expected every now and then and when it came you either ran or stayed your ground. When you were out numbered with the odds in the other person's favor common sense said to run. But he had grown up on the street and wasn't a pampered boy who only held up his fist for show or sport. More than once he had to fight for his food or fight off the people that came after him (didn't always win, but that wasn't the point), so he knew what he was doing.

Pain along his arm - he hadn't even picked out the shards yet - as well as blood the young boy turned to face the three coming at him. Logic stated that not everyone ran at the same speed, someone was always in front, and the forerunner of the three would find a quick right hook aiming right at his face before he ducked to shot the left fist to the kidney, jumping back to a defensive stance .

What the heck did he steal for this Karma?!

[The Tour]

"Yes! Hello? This is an emergency- "
The tour guide pressed a finger to hear ear,
Because the tourists' murmurs grew louder.
"Look honey it IS, I'd recognize that smile - "
"Yeah, yeah it is, alright? Happy? It is."
"SLUG HIM JOSH! RIGHT IN THE NU - "
Yelled the teenage boy lagging farthest behind.
He was heavier and not the best runner.

"A thief? I think? It's the corner of - "
The guide was embarrassed that she didn't know.
She spun this way and that looking for a sign,
As the owner of the animal figurines grew red faced.
He spoke harsly in another language,
His accusing pointing getting his point across,
Finger singling out both George and Shane,
When the truth was he spoke common just fine.

"Hurt? Maybe? There are broken animals..."
The guide picked shards off the bottom of her shoe,
As the woman with George bellowed over them all,
"DON'T JUST STAND THERE, GEORGE!"
But George looked dazed and just stood there staring.
"OOF!" from behind the group,
A sign that Josh didn't hit Coda B anywhere.
Instead Josh was the one that got hit, twice.
Well three times because next Josh hit the pavement.

"Yes. Animals. Ceramic ones?"
The guide grimaced at what the operator said back.
"Look honey why isn't she DOING something!"
"She's not a god damn superhero, she's just famous."
- click click, click click click. -
"Don't pick them UP, George! They're already broken!"
"You owe me money for every one!"
The shopkeeper spoke that in common very well.

[i] "Thank you. Hurry! Okay, if everyone could - "
But Josh's two friends screamed battle cries,
Drowning the tour guide's pleading voice out.
"WE'RE GOING TO BUST YOUR ASS!"
"WE'LL TEACH YOU TO ROB OUR CELEBRITIES!"
The problem was neither of them fought before,
So their best idea was to throw themselves at Coda B.

[Aleshanee]

She had lost sight of the boy that had robbed her of her bag of goodies, along with the three boys that chased after him. She had a feeling that the pickpocket would know how to handle himself. The other three she was unsure of but they did out number the boy. And she had other things on her mind. What those things might be were standing in front of her. There was the vendor whom was still rather angry. There was the man named George that had ran into the stand causing the items to go flying. There was the group of tourists that happened to be down in the town that she was visiting. And the other things on her mind, were rather private, and stayed where they were put.

So first things first, she finished making her way closer to the vendor and to George whom looked as if he didn’t know weather to say to stay or run. And the way the wife was urging him…well that wasn’t going to be a easy spot to be in. Now it was not her fault that George had been pushed to try to help her by his wife, for she wouldn’t of needed any help if it wasn’t for that lil pickpocket. But she decided to speak to the vendor first, him and his colorful language. “How much is the total for the damage?” He was rather grumbly and she wasn’t in the best of moods, her skin was itching and all she wanted was the comfort of a room, with a shower, and some of that cream she was suppose to put on the tattoo.

Then she would turn to George, hand out stretched, waiting to see if he took it to shake or not. If he did not take her hand it would fall back o her side, if he did well she would shake his hand of course. Either way that megawatt smile would slip over her lips. “Hi, I’m Shane. Thanks for trying to help back there.” Of course she was still waiting to hear how much money the vendor planned on trying to charge. And the smile would turn to the man’s wife and the rest of the tourists as well.

She indeed wasn’t a super hero, that would have been rather neat if she had been, though.

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