Flea Market Browsing (all welcome)

[Avery Taylor]

The morning had been spent at the beach with her grandfather and younger sister but after lunch she'd gotten free of them. Her little sis hadn't wanted to miss her favorite cartoon and after promising to be home by 10pm and that she'd call if she needed a ride her grandfather had taken Selenna home and Avery had hopped on a bus for the midtown shops. It was now going on four pm or so and she had one bag clutched in her right hand while she sat on a nearby bench and sipped on a peach and chocolate smoothie. She still had about twenty dollars left though she really shouldn't spend more than ten or so. She didn't want to be a bother and call grandpa for a ride so figure five for the busses and five for emergencys. There was one stall selling hand crafted journals and other artsy type supplies while the second stall she was interested in was selling tee shirts with cute sayings and beaded purses and bracelettes. She could see both from where she was sitting and looked back and forth between the two, trying to decide.

[Sati Beshara]

Sati lived on a budget, for cashier work didn't make that much, even when you had a boss who was reasonable about salaries. She was luckily not a snob, so flea market finds quite suitable for her tastes. Plus, if you knew how to look through the usual offered wares, you could find some really unusual and unique stuff, too.

She would not, however, have pegged it as a place for purse-snatchers. Not that she had ever thought about it before, but if you asked her where she would ever do something like that, she would probably, as most people would, give the logical answer that stealing from people in the rich part of town was the best idea. And that was indeed where plenty of pick-pockets went, provided they could look the part of 'belonging' there well enough to blend in from the eyes of police and store security.

This young gent clearly had another opinion, given that he had just grabbed the handbag of a middle-aged shopper and was charging off with it into the crowd at breakneck speed, pursued both by its rightful owner and some helpful bystanders. Speaking of bystanders, the youth clearly did not care for them much, and shoved any out of his way that blocked him.

Sati happened to be one such obstacle, and was summarily shoved aside by the guy as he sped past her. This threw her off her balance enough that, when she was also pushed accidentally by one of the people chasing after the boy, she fell. Instead of hitting the floor, however, she was lucky enough to topple on to a bench that had someone on it there to cushion her fall.

Unfortunately, that someone also had a peach and chocolate smoothie that was going to be hell to get out of Sati's clothes.