moved!

     ❝ Excuse me—! ❞ He jumped over an abandoned crate, almost colliding with an unsteady rickshaw, and ducked and ran across the busy market, eyes sweeping over people to find someplace to hide from the police, who, with batons in their hands, shouted angrily at him. Of course. It was about the edict for carrying swords again. A nervous chuckle flew out from his mouth as he crouched and snuggled beside a pile of rotten vegetables, completely out of sight thanks to the female standing before him.

     ❝ Please don’t tell them I’m here? ❞

     she stood, unfettered. a bewildered stare, more      surprise than she knew what to do with. yet, it      was but an instance or two ‘fore the cranks of      her mind slipped into motion, a mere blink to      foretell her quiet, implicative compliance.

     and so the officials ricochet towards her,      gunpoint fumes teetering { alarm } from their      lips. she gives an uninterested glance towards      the produce she had been inspecting, lightly      jabbing a thumb in the opposite direction      of their quarrel.