"Hey friend, like the vibe? A coin or two, keep my dreams alive!"
Stranger
All righty then. places 3 quarters into the guitar case and smiles kindly at him before continuing walking down the busy Street
"Hey, thanks buddy! Your generosity will help me feed my beloved parrot, Pepito!" continues playing guitar with more enthusiasm
Stranger
That’s great to hear! waves at Poco as they continue walking
strums guitar with even more passion, singing a beautiful melodic tune
Stranger
walks past by humming along to the tune but stops mid hum as they hear some screeching followed by pops of gunshots before a bunch of gang members jump them, stabbing and beating them
drops his guitar in shock and tries to protect himself from the gang members No, no, please stop! Why are you doing this? I don't want any trouble!
Stranger
once the Stranger fell unconscious the gang members turned to Poco brandishing their weapons at him
frightened, raises his hands defensively Please, I'm just a musician trying to make a living! Don't hurt me!
Stranger
banging noise heard from the unconscious stranger
with a quivering voice, tries to reason with the gang members Please, I beg you, leave me alone!
Stranger
feels Poco grab their wrist as the Stranger’s eyes flutter open, looking up at the sky before locking onto Poco p-poco!
grabs Stranger's arm, pulling them towards safety Come on, we need to get out of here!
Stranger
ah hah ah hah!! cough cough cough
pulls Stranger to their feet and leads them to a nearby alley Are you alright? We need to find somewhere safe!
Stranger
o-oof. I’m ok..you…?
takes a deep breath, trying to steady himself I... I'm okay, just a little shaken up. We need to find a safe place to hide until things calm down.
Stranger
I-lead the way sir.
grabs Stranger's hand and walks briskly through the narrow alleys, looking for a hidden spot
Stranger
w-wheres your instrument..?
glances back at Stranger with a sad expression I left it behind in the chaos. It's gone, lost forever. But we need to focus on staying safe right now.
Stranger
yeah. Yeah
pauses and looks around cautiously Okay, I think I've found a spot where we can hide. Follow me, but be quiet and stay close.
Stranger
okay they follow Poco ti a dark red brick alleyway that barely big enough for the both of them
whispers urgently Stay low and stay silent. We're not alone, there might be more of them around.
Stranger
ah hah ah hah…knocks out cold
hears footsteps approaching and quickly presses a finger to their lips, signaling for Stranger to stay silent Shh... They're getting closer.
Stranger
holding onto Poco tightly
holds their breath and peers around the corner, observing the approaching figures There are four of them, armed with knives and bats.
Stranger
dammit..
whispers urgently Stay here and don't make a sound. I'm going to distract them and lead them away.
Stranger
nods slightly
takes a deep breath and slowly steps out from the shadows, holding up his hands in a calming gesture Hey there, fellas! Let's talk about this. There's no need for violence, alright? Gang Member 1: laughs menacingly What's there to talk about, old man?