This little girl breaks laws...

[teenytinyteme]

Ahhh. Chicago. Heart of the Midwest, if some are to be believed. Certainly not the worst place to come from.

Chance Adams would know, because she does come from the worst place to call your hometown. Peoria is a shithole if you ask her, and even if you don't. She'll probably tell you anyway

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[sittinontrains]

A tiny, Indian boy comes sprinting around the building on the corner. He has a Polaroid camera wrapped around his neck with his fingers curled around the straps. Jamal isn't paying attention to anything in front of him, but keeps turning his head to look behind him. This presents a problem as he doesn't even see Chance on the corner before he barrels right into her with a yelp which sends him flying backwards landing on his butt on the pavement.

[teenytinyteme]

Oh. Great. Chance hasn't even been in the city that long and already people are running into her.

She whirls on Jamal and is about to start yelling when she sees it's actually a tiny kid. Oh.

"Are you okay?" she asks. "Gosh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there! You should really be careful, running around the city like that."

Not that Chance would know, having been in the city for all of six seconds. But that doesn't mean she can't say things!

[sittinontrains]

Jamal climbs back up on his feet, nearly tripping over the camera that practically comes down to his knees. He looks up at her a moment, but he's not entirely sure what all she's said. Doesn't matter. Jamal looks down the sidewalk. No one seems to be coming. He may be safe.

He shifts over to the other side of her. His first customer!

Jamal holds up the camera with both hands. "You want-" He mimes snapping a photo of her. "Ma'm?" Only for a dollar!

Not that he could really enforce getting money from anyone for taking their picture.

[teenytinyteme]

Chance blinks at him. "Are you offering to take pictures?" she asks. "I'm... of me? I got this far without needing any dirty pictures, thanks." Because she's new here and suspect of everything. And of course little kids are going to take nude pictures of her.

"But, uh... hold on, I might have a dollar..." she reaches into her pocket, only to realize that nope, she doesn't. She doesn't have a dollar or ten dollars or even a quarter.

"Well," she says, her hand dropping to her side. "Guess I'm fucked." She eyes Jamal. "Um, I mean, screwed. I mean, in a lot of trouble."

Because swearing in front of children is a no-no. Or something.

[soldatceryi]

Ivan is enjoying this weather, and is thus out on a stroll around the city. He's keeping an eye out for the CLF freaks who continue to make the city less a welcoming place than revolutionary Moscow, but who he sees instead is Chance, standing by the corner he was about to cross the street at.

He doesn't sense anything - he doesn't have his wings out - so he jumps to the natural conclusion that she's a homeless human girl and therefore really none of his business. Still, with his board and lodging provided by the Hotel and still bringing in some money from odd jobs and martial arts classes (which became a lot more popular when the CLF started stirring things up), he has some extra cash.

So he pulls a crumpled $10 bill out of his pocket when he walks up to wait for the crosswalk, and offers it. "You look like you could use a hot meal," he says.

[teenytinyteme]

Chance doesn't know what to do when this man just gives her money. She's grateful, sure, but she has her goddamned pride.

"Um, thank you," she says, stuttering a little. "But no thanks. I... don't need this. Not like this. I mean..." she sighs. "I'd rather earn my own. But thank you!"

Because that totally sounds convincing, and not like she's just a pathetic little girl too proud to accept charity from strangers. Nope.

[soldatceryi]

Ivan raises his eyebrows, looking her over. Of course. He takes the bill back, rlling it between his fingers, but doesn't put it back into his pocket just yet. "You are old enough to work?" he asks. "Prosti menya, but you look very young. Especially to walk around looking as if there is nowhere for you to go."

He doesn't exactly mind that she doesn't want his money - he knows the sort - but he also knows that often, pride isn't worth as much as a hot meal can be.

[teenytinyteme]

Chance wrinkles her nose. "Seventeen," she lies. "Old enough to do some work, and I can pass for eighteen if I have to."

That's a lie. She barely passes for sixteen. Sometimes she still gets the 'thirteen and younger' menu at restaurants. But it's worth a shot, right?

"And, um... I'm looking for my aunt's apartment," she lies. "Because, um... my mom's on her honeymoon. For three months. Crazy, right?" She chuckles a little. These lies come more easily as she tells them! She is a demon after all.