Hello, everyone. Here's a little about a character I've recently submitted. First some general information, then a story written for my application to tie-in with the whole bus tip to Hathian premise.

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Name: Ashur Osahar (Ashur Constantine is the Linden name)
Age: 28
Ancestry: second-generation Egyptian-American
Hometown: Atlanta, GA

"Motion to quash, your honor!" Ashur faintly exclaimed, as the bus he was aboard slowed to a stop. His fellow passengers however didn't seem to share his excitement; as meek as it was.

"No sense of humor." Ashur remarked as he stood into the bus' lone aisle, partially forced up by the shrug of the woman next to him who shouldered a large purse full of stolen goods against him.

Ashur kept his good mood however, having escaped being delivered a writ that'd have drawn him into one hell of a catch-22.

On one hand, since investigators merely wanted to subpoena him to testify against other accused members of a neighborhood drug operation back in Atlanta, he wouldn't be facing any jail time.

On the other hand, investigators wanted him to testify against people he lived on the same block with. Even if they were jailed and he got off the hook himself, Ashur knew for a fact the rest of the neighborhood would retaliate by either targeting him. Or worse, his family and friends in his absence should he choose to lay low.

That left one option Ashur figured, dodging the delivery of the subpoena and risk contempt of court by disappearing now. The trial against the ones in his old neighborhood would end eventually he felt, and then he could return home.

Of course, while dallying off the bus behind the husky, ill-tempered woman he sat next to, Ashur couldn't foresee becoming trapped in the street life Hathian had in store for him. Afterall, he was merely here to cover any would-be trail he left in his escape.

All he would have to do is make a little pocket change; a pity story here to this lady, a wallet picked from that guy, a few unlocked car doors here and there emptied of their coin trays and their seat cushions felt between, and he'd be good.

Easy. Three hours tops and he'd have enough money to bus out of this hellhole.

"Are you lost?" A voice startled Ashur as he just began his aimless walk away from the bus stop with his plan in mind; a quick spin around bringing partial relief in that it wasn't a detective that followed him.

"Null and void." The voice continued, having obviously heard Ashur's 'motion to quash' comment through an open bus window when it initially stopped.

Ashur opened his mouth to retort, but was assaulted again by the quick wit of these new streets.

"You're a traveller with no bags. You ain't vacationing, no one vacations here. So you must be moving. But the cab company is up that way, and here you're going this way...you don't have any money...isn't that right? Ever been a delivery boy?" The man smiled to himself, and then pointed a finger on top of an adjacent convenience store.

"The Ds chased me through an alley next to that store over there. In fact, they're still tailing me, but won't hit me 'less they know I have something on me ...I got shook down awhile ago but they ain't see me toss it up there while running..."

Before Ashur could speak to ask exactly what 'it' was the man mentioned throwing, the stranger continued.

"An ounce of cocaine. So here's the deal; I leave, they follow me. You climb the fire escape and get it. Then you sit your ass here until I bore them of following me and come back... Your first delivery and its a pick-up. You got it easy, kid."

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P.S. Should my application be accepted, it'd be nice to find a current dealer or other criminal Ashur could owe that service to.