On the lam [chisinau/public]

"I want this--"

A small white hand poked through the throng and onto the seller's table to grab a small painted jewelry box.

"And that--"

At another table the disembodied hand got a hold of a pair of new shoes. just her size, she'd imagine. Not as pretty as she'd liked.

Emiliana moved onto the next table. Her eyes caught sight of a little porcelain pony from inbewtween the negative space left by the forest of people shuffling about.

"And th--"

Oh no. Either the horse had decided it wanted her, or she had been caught. As the crowd parted like the red sea to shower her with their disdain, her eyes met the steely angry eyes of the shopkeeper, who was most likely not dealing with his first child thief that day.

She always knew how to get out of this. Drop, twist, run.

She drooped the horse over the edge, and the man had to loosen his grip to catch it. She twisted her wrist and popped it free. Then, step three: she bolted, stolen paraphanalia hanging from her hands and pockets, even socks. All eyes of the market were on her, now, the gangly legged pre-teen who had shoplifter her weight.

As she was tumbling over boxes and running into old women, she realized she needed a place to hide-- and quickly. She was fast, but the police would be in pursuit, and she couldn't run forever.

Alex browsed the stalls and the loud, obnoxious vendors who knew which potential customers had deep pockets, and manipulated the prices as such. Not that Alex was worried about money, but it wasn't like she was making as much as she had in her high-end cabaret dancer days. Elevated slippers drifted past tables of doodads and fabrics and, ooh~ jewelry. The Egyptian woman retained a neutral expression in spite of the merchant's showboating, dark eyes staring down a serpentine necklace, golden and of exquistite quality. Alex could have gotten used to the Twin Towns quite nicely. The people were quite nice, the overall design was tasteful, and the bazaars held imports that were relevant to her interests. Maybe it was time to quit the circus? No, no, she reprimanded herself. If I were to become ringmaster, I'd be able to travel to towns like this all year! Variety is the spice of life, after all.

A sudden shout from a few rows behind interrupted her purchase of the necklace. The vendor instinctively turned to the source of the disorder, allowing Alexandria to slip into the bustling crowd unnoticed, necklace unpaid for. It was in her best interest to save any money if given the chance. Following the vision of the market-goers, Alex noticed that their attention was drawn to something below her eye level, and was moving quite fast. Accusations of theft erupted from the persuing party. No doubt a street urchin was the cause of this uproar. Alex smiled softly as she caught a glance of the perpetrator's plaited, blonde hair. Sadness tugged at Alex's normally indifferent heart. She loved children; they were so bright and creative, much better conversation holders than most adults could ever hope of being. In a sense, kids brought out her inner matron as well as the intellectual.

"So sad that one so young should resort to stealing, but why jewelry?" Alex mused aloud. Unless the girl was working for a gang boss, which was unlikely, one would expect an urchin to at least steal something useful like food or clothing. The girl most likely wasn't a resident of the city, Alex deducted, seeing how she darted through the streets haphazardly.

Hoisting her new lengthy robe, Alex hastened her pace around numerous corners and backalleys, estimating where the small child would race through. She stood behind the corner of a quiet apartment complex, quietly waiting for the girl to pass by. And then she did, stolen goods jangling all the way. With a deft sweep of her sleeve, Alex whirled the rapscallion around in front of her, concealed underneath the warm yet flowing robe. "Keep silent and you won't have to worry about being arrested," she murmured to calm the struggling child. Reclining against the wall once more, the dancer and her capture waited out the authorities for the time being. "Little lady, you should know better than to steal."

(( /text wall :CCC ffff I just want to have Alex dote over Chisi. Found that bitch a kid. Bitches love kids. ))

((BUT SHE ALREADY HAS AN OVERBEARING MOTHER-- /shot))

Before Emiliana knew what was happening, she was caught out of the air and tossed into warm darkness, soon realizing there was a figure near her. Automatically assuming it was a kidnapper, she readied her teeth to grab hold of the pervert's hand.

But it wasn't a kidnapper at all, she realized. She was still perturbed at being caught in suck a way. She should know better than to steal? Sure she did. Didn't make it any more difficult to.

"YOU should learn to not go grabbing children off the street." She hissed back. But she knew what was good for her, and she stayed incognito within the cloak.

((NOW SHE CAN HAVE AN OVERBEARING EX-COUSIN TO MOOCH FROM-- /shot))

Alex kept her face from betraying any emotion. The child under her robes struggeled a bit, but thankfully did nothing to attract much attention. The pursuers passed by, barely even giving Alex a glance. When the mens' footsteps withdrew from earshot, Alex relaxed her guard and uncovered the girl, but still maintained a firm hold of her shoulders.

"And a girl like yourself shouldn't be on the streets just to take trinkets," the Egyptian motioned to Ameliana's haul, "you could have gotten into some serious trouble. Just because you're a child doesn't excuse you from the law; vendors tend to be on close watch for troublemakers in markets like these, so it's safe to assume you won't be stealing from this area again." Alex fixed her with a stern look, but the spunk in the younger child broke her usually cold expression. "I could turn you in to the police..." Her voice trailed off, fully intent on letting the child know how vunerable she was by this point. "But," Alex straighted her coat and tucked the pilfered necklace under the wide collar, "I probably wouldn't get much of a reward anyways. Assuming this is your first time being caught red-handed, I hope you refrain from stealing anything in the shops from now on- you are much too pretty to go to to prison!" Alex added the last part with a genuine smile, pinching Ameliana's cheek in good nature.

Removing her lengthy hipscarf from under the coat, Alex handed the girl the fabric. "Here. Wrap your spoils in this." She began to pick the various necklaces and bangles off of the girl and place them on the scarf. "Just curious, but were you going to sell these are keep them?" She frowned at a clunky brass bracelet before placing it inside the makeshift swagbag. "Do you live around here? Have you any family?" A nagging suspicion tugged at the back of Alex's mind. The girl smelled somewhat familiar: somewhat dirty, admittedly, but somewhat sweet. Almost like hay and cinnamon. She finally made the connection, "Are you with the circus that is in town?" If she was, she was either a Ragtag or a stowaway, because Alex had never seen anyone this young with Mystique.

"I don't know," She responded to the question about whether or not she would be keeping the items. "Maybe if I want, I'll sell em. What's it to you?"

Her nose crinkled when her cheek was pinched by a stranger and she was called pretty, but she was sort of touched by the compliment, and tried not to let it show on her face.

And she was even more offended when the woman looked at her like she was some sort of urchin. "I have a mother!" She protested. "And a father, and brothers, and two sisters."

Emiliana became embarrassed when she was asked where she was from. "Yeah, I'm in the circus..."

Alex's eyebrows flew up at the girl's defensiveness. "I was just wondering! No specific reason," she replied as she tied the plump scarf around her wrist like a grocery bag. "I'll hang onto this in case someone asks. Don't worry, I'll give it back, but you really don't need to be running of now."

A pang of guilt washed over Alex. The girl must have been been intending to sell the items, with such a huge family to support. But shouldn't it have been the other way around? Alexandria just couldn't understand why someone would allow their child to wander the streets, stealing for living. Sure, Alex might not have been mother-material, but even she knew better than to put a child in any sort of mortal danger. Her mother never would have allowed it, even if she herself was struggling to make ends meet. Children were the future, but that was no excuse for them to grow up in such a manner. "I see, and do they know about your little, er, escapades?" Alex tilted her head, genuinely concerned for the little girl.

"My family is quite similar to yours, actually. I have many, many siblings, and we're in the same situation- some more so than others." Alex gently grasped the younger girl's hand, leading her along to where the circus folk resided. "I'll take you home; I'm in the circus, too, and I think we're both done shopping for today." After a few moments of silent pondering, Alex spoke up. "You know, if you really need new clothes I probably have some that I can spare. Nothing too extravagant, but I think that less," she said jangling the stolen wares, "would definately be more. You're more of a 'natural' type, and simple things would really make you stand out more, don't you think?"

She did feel a bit better knowing the woman wouldn't look down on her for being in the circus. But she still felt demoralized and pitied, even though this woman probably had no idea of the stigma of being Moldovan.

"My older brother works at the carnival-- the good one. His name is Dimitrie. Do you know him?" She had no idea why she wasn't allowed to stay with him. She assumed her mother was just selfish. Harsh, but she'd seen the family knew what she was like in dire straits. It wasn't pretty. "So does my sister-- they work together."

She didn't really like the family at the Ragtags, besides her mother and her frequently absent father. Cosim and Güzäl both thought they were better than her. They weren't.

Of course her mother knew about her stealing. Emiliana snorted proudly. "She doesn't do anything about it." Because it benefitted the carnival to bring extra money. But somehow she'd forgotten that bit.

A blush rose to the pre-teen's face when the woman offered to give her clothes. She didn't really need them, she was fine with the couple of outfits she had. But did she want more? Sure. Looking up at the woman suspiciously, she muttered, "Lady, this isn't charity, is it?"

She did want to stand out more. She was beginning to notice the boys around her. It wouldn't hurt much if they noticed her too.

((FFFFF-- SORRY THIS IS SO LATE ;A; I was writer-blocking, but please forgive me. and oh god your avatar <3 <3 <3 Pokey Puppy was one of my favorite books as a kid ; v ;))

"You're Dimitrie's little sister?" Alex did a double take Emiliana once again. It was strange that the girl still possessed some semblance of innocence, infinately more so compared to her rather...enterprising brother. "And, ah, yes, I know him, uh, somewhat." She mumbled, glancing at some pigeons on a balcony in order to hide her guilty expression. Alex knew that he was the manager of the brothel for the circuses, but she was never actually interested in Dimitrie, to put it lightly. Back home, homosexuality was stigmatized, but women who were into other women had some form of excuse. "They were just lonely," was what was circulated in Egyptian society. Alex had taken full advantage of that ruse apparently, but only when she was that type of "lonely."

"Your sister, too?" Scanning her memory, Alex tried to think of anyone who resembled Dimitrie or his younger sister, but to no avail. "I'm afraid I don't know her as of yet," Alex stated blankly. Still, she couldn't help but feel somewhat aghast when the girl brazenly declared how her mother actually tolerated such conduct! What was the world coming to? Not that Alexandria could talk- she did technically steal that necklace a while ago- but she always felt like she was above some rules, standards were, in esscence, merely guidelines. And guidelines could be easily manipulated to those who knew how to act, it happened everyday with politicians and common thieves.

Finally, they had reached the crossroads to the twin circus camps. Alex let go of Emiliana's hand, but kept the bag of loot on her wrist. "We're here," she said simply, "you can go home if you want; you're mother's probably worried sick." Gesturing to the Mystique camps, "I'll go scrounge out whatever spare clothing I have, and believe me: what I did back there- snatching you from angry shopkeeps- was the most generous I've been in years." Walking towards the larger camp, Alex glanced over her shoulder and waved. "I will return in a little while, so go hide your things, alright! The sooner you do so, the sooner I'll come back with your new clothes, yes?"

((lmao I reread it and cracked up at the derpy faces XD ALSO, SHEEP IN THE BIG CITY-- YOU WIN. FOREVER.))

She nodded, confused. Did the woman not hear her? "Da. Are you friends?" She must have been out-of-touch if she didn't know her sister. "Her name's Crina. She works with him." Which must have been terrible sounding, to one who knew the profession.

She wanted to see her brother, but she knew her mother wouldn't allow it-- and she always found out, somehow. So she nodded when she was handed her spoils and headed back to the caravans, looking back every so often to see if her brother knew she was so near him from the other camp. He didn't, apparently.

Emiliana didn't really bother to hide the valuables once they were in the women's caravan. Hardly any of them had a real use for the jewelry, possibly Shanaz or Güzäl in their acts, but that was it. She sat them on the bed she shared with her mother and practically ran back-- it was good the woman wasn't there yet, Emiliana didn't want to seem too eager for a handout.

The little girl waited, scuffing the dust around with her worn out and untied shoes in the wind. Was the woman lying about coming back?

((yesss B) I always loved how that puppy was so clumsy and chubby~ *flails* I adored that show so much when it was on. The oxymorons were so cheesy XD))

Alex shrugged sheepishly, "I have only heard of her, that she was very pretty." She waved as the younger girl ran towards her camp to put away her stash of accessories. Likewise, the Egyptian woman made a steady pace to her wagon. Once inside, she proceeded to ransack the some of the lesser used drawers, closets, and trunks. Fondly, Alexandria rummaged through some of the smaller dresses she had outgrown only a few years back. She couldn't help but bring them with her; Alex had never outgrown her sentimentality. In fact, meeting Emiliana was almost like having a little sister. Of course Alex had her siblings back home, but it was just such a different experience to converse with someone younger. It was like being a mentor, but at the same time it was something much more fufilling. Unlike the brothers and sisters she had left behind in Egypt, Alex had a particularly quirky sense of humor that was fairly difficult for outsiders to pick up. Apparent or not, Alex had not lost her infantile liveliness. Sure she had matured over the years, becoming more subdued and more of a listener with age and experience, but all of the booksmarts in the world couldn't compare to a child's limitless wonder.

After a little while she had chosen a few articles she found most appropriate: a yellowing floral print sundress, various skirts, some shorter coined scarves, a pair of Mary Janes, and a simple necklace with a Coptic cross charm. Hesitating for a moment, Alex pondered if the girl was even a Christian, and even less likely a Coptic. She had been Christian for most of her early childhood, but had converted to Sunni Islam towards her teenage years. However, the foundations of the former religion still held just as strong as her current (yet very secular) religion. Finally, Alex shrugged and tucked it into the sundress's side pocket. Hopefully, the girl would think it was just a trinket and think no more.

Donning her dancer's robe again (whenever a belly dancer leaves the house, she always wears a long jacket for modesty's sake), Alex carefully placed the small bundle of clothing into a hatbox and ventured towards the spot she had indicated for them to meet again. Thanking her lucky stars, Alex waved to Emiliana, who had obviously been waiting for a while, hinted by the bored look upon her round face. "Hello! Sorry to keep you waiting!" She lifted the pastel-colored box and shook its contents playfully. "Are you ready for your surprise?"

Crina was probably the prettiest woman Emiliana knew-- and she also knew she looked nothing like her. The 11 year old already knew she didn't like the way she looked. She still had a childish face, but her cheekbones potruded from her cheeks and her hair was too light to be nice-looking. Her eyes weren't her saving grace, either; plain hazel, how boring. Hopefully Alex had something to help her.

But the cross wouldn't be it. She wouldn't accept anything other than a three planked orthodox cross. But she wasnt much into religion anymore. Who was?

As she approached and spoke up, Emiliana couldn't keep the smile from her face, even though she tried. Automatically holding out her hands, she mumbled, "Can I... See them?"

Alex, as a woman, understood the hassle of beauty and the cruely high(?) standards that women were supposed to uphold when it came to appearance. While she appreciated the attention that her natural good looks had brought her, Alex couldn't help but be self-concious about how much she had changed since her youth. When she looked back at the few photos she possessed of her adolescent self, Alex saw an optimism and knowledge that she soon realized that she had lost along with innocence. It was like watching herself seemingly grow up overnight, decaying and corrupted by the harsh reality of life. If she could help it, Alex would like to give a reminder to her new aquaintance that not everyone was out to get them.

Stooping down to Emiliana's eye level, Alex smiled and placed the box in her hands. " I have a better idea: why don't you keep it?" The look on the little one's face was reward enough for Alex. For all Emiliana knew, her little grin had made ever stoic, ever icey Alex's year. "Why don't you try them on first, in case they don't fit," the Egyptian snapped her fingers at the realization. "And if they don't, we could get someone to fix them? You wouldn't happen to know someone who could do that, would you?"

No one had ever shown her so much kindness outside of her family. And even then, they could all be too honest.

Mili completely stopped trying to keep the smile away, beaming the most she had in a while. She could keep the clothes? "Really??" She wasnt sure what to say. Thank you, maybe, but she never said thank you in the first place. tentatively, as if not sure how the gratitude would sound from her, she mumbled a "M-multumesc..." while staring down at the box, not knowing whether or not she could open it yet.

What if they didn't fit? Her mother certainly wouldn't alter why she would have considered charity clothes for her. The smile dropped slightly. "Of they don't fit... I'll change them, I suppose." She wasn't the best at it, but she knew enough to try.

Emiliana knew all about the cruelty of people, somehow, she knew. She would have dreams about crime, crime so awful and horrid she would wake up with tears stainin her face. But somehow in her mind as she dreamt of drug smuggling, domestic violence, and all other brands of frowned upon actions, one phrase rushed through her mind automatically: My home.

Shakingoff the thought, she looked back to Alex. "Should I-- should I go back with you or try them on a home?"

It felt good to actually do good for once. Something like charity wasn't something Alex was completely used to these days. Back home, everything was up for grabs and nothing was for keeps. But being able to give back what luxuries she had no real use for was like lifting a burdern off of the concience she had been trying to numb. It made her feel less selfish and, more or less, like a human being.

Alex observed the girl's reaction carefully, biting her lips to keep her smile from appearing. She didn't understand what language she spoke, but it was most likely a "thank you" phrase. Alex wasn't well versed in Eastern European languages. All she actually had a good grasp on was Greek, Latin, English, Italian, and French. "You are very much welcome," Alex stated, rising back to her full height. "And I'm sure we could find someone who could sew. But I think you should go home to your mother. She must be worried sick about you, and it is getting late after all-- I'll escort you home, alright? I'd feel terrible if something happened to you so close to home."

Alex was pretty certain that the girl could make it home on her own, but this could prove to be valuable reconaissance for Mystique. Since the girl had taken some shine to Alex's gift (Alex wasn't yet so sure about trust), her offer to walk her home was about half sincere, maybe a bit more. Besides, since that lacadaisical Ainu admitted that he and his friends tresspassed into Mystique's private property, she didn't see the sense in denying a free tour. Sure, it was enemy territory, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up. "It's getting late, so let's hurry, shall we?"

((ffff sorry this is late. Storms knocked out my internet for a while :C ))

Emiliana was sure she could get herself out of any scuffl. Or at least she talked herself up so she would think so. But after all this woman had done for her, it was the least she could do if she wanted to escort her home.

Holding the box under one arm, she took Alex's hand with the other and walked intothe disorganized camp. No one really paid Alex any heed, they were all busy packing up for the night. They were staying there for a while, but there was always the real possibility that someone could steal it all while they slept.

It felt so inferior of a place when she was walking with someone who lived in Mystique. She had her own questions. "My sister says there's a witch that reads fortunes with a music box." Her description was verbatim, and the fact that they had a witch really intrigued the girl. Little did she know she misheard the original word Crina had said. "Do you know her?"

She reached the women's caravan; two railway car's on wheels connected by curtains and shaky floorboards. "you can't come in here," There was a hint of disappointment to her features after she peeked inside. "My mother and half-sister are sleeping."

Alex listened intently as her little traveling companion chattered about her impressions of Mystique, in particular about a fortune-telling witch? "Witch? We don't--," then she mouthed an "oh" before a sour smile reached across her face. "That would be Franzcheska. Very pretty and very used to getting her way. And yes, she does tell fortunes, but I wouldn't think they would be too good." The Alexandrian shivered a bit at the memory of each client that returned looked more and more lifeless than the last. There was something wrong with that woman, not like Alex could talk, but still. Exceptions could be made.

The grounds of the Ragtag circus was a curiosity to Alex. It sort of reminded her of the town she grew up in, when vendors put away their goods for the evening and the town grew sleepier as the night continued, but the vivacity it held continued long into the early morning hours. As rough and patchwork as the circus may have been, there was no denying that certain rustic charm. If Alexandria wasn't a Mystic, she might have seriously considered joining. In the midst of her reminiscing, Alex stopped short when Emiliana announced their arrival at the women's sector. It was so much more...quaint than her personal wagon. Tilting her head, Alex gazed at the caravan, wondering how so many women could stand to live that close to one another, forsaking privacy for practicality.

"Don't worry about that," she patted the younger girl's back reassuringly, "you just go on to bed. You've had a long day and need all the rest you can get. Just be sure not to use all of that energy for theiving, alright?" Her stern lips tugged once more into a bemused smirk. "And I'll see what I can do about staying for the night. Give your mother and siblings my regards- Good night, Emi." She didn't want to jinx her with the usual "sweet dreams." As of late, Alex's dreams had been anything but sweet. Angry shouting and what could only be described as the wrath of both God's she believed in threatened to crush her. It must have been something in the water.

Alex helped her friend up the rickety stairs, careful not to make too much noise, and waved her to bed. When the door shut, the woman turned around and clutched her thin robe closer to her body. The night air was brisk, but it would take more than that to deter Alex's mindset. Thanking her light step that only a dancer could possess, she quietly melded into the quieting workers until the coast was clear.