OPEN to all - robin hood comes home to roost

[callmeemily]

"Hey! Stop!"

Raleigh's walking Oscar - it's a long walk today, even though it's definitely making her leg regret it - and she doesn't even pause when she hears somebody behind her yell. It's the beginning of tourist season, and the sidewalk's full of people she doesn't know, and she's so worn out from the last week that she doesn't really have the energy.

"I said stop! I know you!"

Huffing out a breath, she keeps going; she hates it when people yell in public. She's got that Southern mentality, the one that keeps disputes behind closed doors where it's between the two of you and everyone else listening at cracks to figure out the gossip.

The last thing she expects is the rough hand on her arm that yanks her around. Stumbling, she catches herself on the parking meter that's next to her as the guy - mid forties, handsome in that New-England-Polo-Shirt-and-Sperrys kind of way - stares at her.

"It's you! It is!" Oscar's exploded into a barking, growling, half-grown dog between them, and the guy steps back as he raises his voice. "You know what I'm doing? I'm calling the cops. This is the girl who shot me! Back when we were medieval or whatever? She shot me and took all my money! She's a thief!" The tourists had backed up into a circle around them, with Raleigh, Oscar, and the guy in the middle. "She could have killed me!" He's pulling out his phone even as Raleigh protests and tries to explain as the people who're just staring at her shake their heads, and a phone, then another gets pulled out to film the whole thing.

"It's not- I'm not- I'm not a thief, I- It wasn't me--"

OOC: Raleigh's Fairy-tale shenanigans have come home to roost! Open to anybody. :D

Comments

[meowhistory]

Lena doesn't understand what's going on, standing there like a salt pillar (Lot, was it Lot?) And trying hard to work up the courage to step in. Because Raleigh is most definitely a good person and even if her only mistake is being recognised, she doesn't deserve such a treatment. So here she is, Lena, chewing her tongue on the edge of the entire situation.

Having other brothers makes being vocal a necessity, but she still surprises herself with her volume. "Hey! Why are you acting like a berserker?"

[callmeemily]

Raleigh's busy trying to pull Oscar back and not fall on her face, but the guy's brows furrowed together as he shook his head. "What? I'm not! She's the one who's the problem!"

He gestures at Raleigh, shaking his head. "She's a thief! She shot me, and stole every bit of money I had. She remembers it happening, just look at her!" He gestures at her, and Raleigh tries to take a step back, but her leg is protesting every step. Oscar's still growling, his hackles up as Raleigh keeps telling him no.

[meowhistory]

"Y- you-" Lena tries to recognize if her gesture is appreciated or if she should back off, but Raleigh is too busy fighting the usually more adorable ball of fur.

"That doesn't mean you have to jump her in public!", she blurts out. "And if it was the fairy tale, was it even real money? Why aren't you getting the police involved? Do you want justice or a public lynch party?" Oh God, she's being overly dramatic and it leaves her shaking.

[callmeemily]

"Was it real money?" That's a guy in the crowd, calling it at the guy, making him half twist around, looking between the unseen questioner, Raleigh, and Lena.

"I mean, no, but that means she's capable of that! She's dangerous."

Raleigh finally gets Oscar pulled back enough that even though he's still growling, he's not in danger of actually biting the guy, and her heart's pounding in her throat. "I'm not! I'm not. I'm not that person. Just- Just leave me alone!"

Her eyes jump to Lena, and she sucks in a deep breath. "C'mon, Lena. I'm going home." She's not - she doesn't want that guy following her, but she's not going to leave on her own, and she moves to grab Lena's hand, to pull her with her so that she's got someone with her.

"Hey! Stop, you can't just--"

"Dude, drop it, what the fuck do you want to happen?"

Raleigh's limping pretty badly, but she's pulling Oscar away with her, the crowd parting so they can get by.

[meowhistory]

"Ex- exactly."

Lena's really very nervous by now, but if Raleigh needs her, she's going to be here for her. "We're leaving. Go pick on someone who really did something."

She squeezes Raleigh's hand, so confused about the entire situation that she hardly registers how she's holding another woman's hand. "Come on, doggy. You as well."

[callmeemily]

Raleigh turns and she's made of anxiety when it comes to this whole thing, about leaving the crowd behind, but she and Lena and Oscar just have turned their backs and are heading away from the crowd that parted for them to go.

"I'm sorry," she tells Lena, swallowing hard as she tries to figure out what to say, the murmuring of the crowd following them as they go. "I mean, you can go wherever you want, I kind of just... grabbed you?"

[meowhistory]

"You did." She recognizes she's holding her breath and releases it. "But I think it helped you get out of that pickle, so. And I like holding hands. I mean - it's okay. It's fine. Are you okay? Because that guy was really super overreacting for a local."

[callmeemily]

"Sorry about that," she says as in a rush, but then she looked back at Lena once she's let her go, nodding. "You did help me, I just- Sorry that you needed to," she said after a second. "And I'm okay! I'm just-- I mean, not really how I was expecting to spend my afternoon, I guess," she said with a tight laugh, as Oscar nudged at her legs. "But it's okay, now. I guess-- I mean, if he calls the cops, then he does, but it's okay, now."

[meowhistory]

"Good. Yes, good." She looks at the hand Raleigh held, hides it in a pocket like it's an embarrassment. "Sorry I didn't step in quicker. I was ju- I was completely surprised, I guess. People being so angry and being so angry in public."

[callmeemily]

"It's okay, it's not like- It's not your responsibility, I just sort of am happy you did," Raleigh says with a tight smile, and she breathes out in a rush. "And I wasn't exactly ready for it, either. Lots of... angry people," she agreed, because that's sort of the best way to describe them. Lots of angry people.

"So... thanks, again."

[meowhistory]

"Absolutely no problem. At all." She giggles. "I forgot what I was going to do before yelling at big angry men. Eh, well, guess I'll go back home and see if it will come to me."