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A Medium-Length writing commission done for Crybabies from ToyHouse.
Story is below!
'Gosh, I'm so nervous… Why am I so nervous? I shouldn't even be nervous; I should be excited! This is a new trip I'm going on after all!' Baba shakes her head while seated on the flight she is traveling abroad on. This is her very first overseas trip, bound for the USA. And she does have reason for being nervous after all.
Being a local Ukrainian citizen, the moth is very attached to her homeland and her family. It is all she knows about. Leaving this behind means a very new journey for her, one that she may not adapt well to. But this is something she wanted to try for the very first time, which has taken lots of planning to do, especially when traveling to a foreign country.
For a while, Baba was making plans to travel outside of Ukraine to go on her first out of country exploration, as it were. Of course, this took a long time in planning, even though there were some aspects she still did not understand. Only after doing some research and seeking assistance from her friends and family did she muster up the courage to travel abroad, even if it meant feeling homesick.
The plane flight to the USA is just the beginning of Baba's long-distance journey. That was to be the destination for her overseas exploration. As for her airport destination, it's already printed on her airline ticket: Midway Airport.
Baba has been looking forward to her first overseas trip, true, but she is highly nervous and excited at the same time. Though she's entering uncharted territory for the first time on her own, she couldn't help but wonder about those back at her village, how they were faring. But she couldn't really do anything about it since she is on her plane flight to the United States, so once she settles down, then she'll try to contact her family. For now, all she could do is ride out the plane trip on the way to Midway Airport, and once she lands and gets settled in, then she can contact her family.
After landing at Midway Airport and having her inventory scanned and ready to go, Baba is ready. She wanders outside of the main terminal, treated to a grand view of Midway Airport. The sight is much different than what she saw back in her hometown. She clutches her suitcase while waiting and gazing around the new surroundings, taking in the new sights. It was a grand sight overall, and a little bit overwhelming. But with no car of her own as a rental, Baba will have to resort to taking the bus or just walking, and she is only here to explore Chicago.
While proceeding towards a shuttle bus stop, Baba briefly pulls her phone out to check the time, returning it back in her pocket. She isn't prepared for what happens next.
"Excuse me, but are you new here? You seem to be lost there upon arrival. Are you a tourist by any chance?" A voice follows a tap on the shoulder, nearly making the female moth shed her skin.
Startled, Baba whirls around before placing a hand on her chest to calm herself down, her eyes drinking in the muscular figure of a gray / white furred wolf. His tail is wagging softly while he holds a smile on his muzzle, though he mentions in passing, "Sorry if I scared you; I thought you were looking for something and I would like to help you."
Baba blinks at the wolf, fixing him with an inquisitive glare while taking note of the simple clothing he is wearing: white short sleeve shirt and light denim jeans that come down to his pawfeet. After analyzing the wolf, the moth asks, "What is your name and what do you do here?"
The wolf just chuckles softly and excitedly in return while replying, "Marlo. My name is Marlo Pines, and I am a photographer. I just got back from New Jersey after touring a few of their bus routes."
This actually puts the female moth at ease with her relaxing her beating heart. After hearing what he has related, she assumes, "You are tourist, da?"
Marlo's ears twitch while he manages to clearly pick out her wording through her thick accent. He responds, "Yes I am! Touring and modeling is what I do in photography! Would you like me to assist you on a tour of Chicago?"
Baba falls silent, her antennae wiggling out of surprise. Having a traveling companion to tour with makes things easier and more relaxing, and this is something the moth wasn't expecting in the slightest. After a brief period of silence, the moth finally accepts the offer, slowly reaching for a handshake while smiling at the wolf.
Marlo just grins at her while accepting the handshake in a brief quickie. After the handshake, the wolf reaches into his pocket to retrieve two blue cards from his inventory. He hands one of these over to Baba and explains, "This is a Ventra card; it's yours, by the way."
Taking the blue card, Baba wordlessly inspects it, looking it over while trailing her eyes back up to the wolf, "Ventra? What is this used for?"
"It's a new fare card used for riding both CTA and Pace." Marlo explained to the moth in kind, "The other transit fare cards, old ones like 1-day and 30-day, were discontinued a long time ago, so with these Ventra cards, these are more efficient; you can ride both bus and train with this."
Although Baba is taking in Marlo's explanation, she still narrows her eyes a little in confusion. "Sounds simple enough, yet so complicated. How do you pay for card?"
"Either online or at one of the many CTA train stations located throughout the Chicagoland area." Marlo eyes an all-white New Flyer D40LF airport shuttle bus approaching, which begins the start of their new day.
The shuttle ride out of the airport was rather quick and smooth, despite the moderate traffic flowing along the roadways to each terminal. After successfully exiting the airport, the duo crosses to the other side of Cicero Avenue to travel northbound, lugging their suitcases with them.
The crossing was challenging due to the lightly moderate traffic flowing along the northbound side, and while the two waited to successfully reach the bus stop, there was no bus in the distance upon travel. But around a couple of minutes later upon finally reaching the bus stop, Marlo and Baba saw a CTA bus on the horizon, approaching in the distance.
Directing the moth's attention to the approaching bus, Marlo points at the large behemoth, "You see it down there? That's the bus we're gonna be taking. We're getting off at the Cicero / 24th terminal as a heads-up."
Wordlessly, the moth nods her head while keeping her eyes locked on the bus. She could just make out the running head on the front, which read back and forth in bold capital orange lettering:
"That is bus we are taking?" The moth questions out of slight nervousness, pursing her lips a bit."
"Yeah, it is. You'd be amazed at the different buses that CTA has." Marlo responds calmly, his tail still wagging. He gently grabs Baba's shoulder in a soft manner, trying to relax her. The approaching bus is actually a 3rd-generation NovaBus LFS, and once it is within their view, the wolf reaches into his pocket to pull out his Ventra card. Baba notices this and she does the same, still nervous.
Once the bus arrives and slows down to a screeching halt, the doors open for them while a route announcement is made in passing:
The pair climb onto the bus with Marlo in front, and he taps his card against the fare display. He is met with a green light, granting him entry and he proceeds onward. Baba attempts the same thing and is surprised when she is met with the same result, which also grants her a green light as well.
While the moth quickly hurries along in excitement to meet up with Marlo, she secures her card while carrying her suitcase on the bus, locating her wolf guide at a seat near the window, yet directly in front of the rear doors. The bus soon departs from the stop, with the moth grabbing onto a coil above her to steady herself before sitting down next to Marlo, securing her own suitcase next to her.
During the ride, Marlo assumes, "So, is this your first time here, like legit? I never got your name, by the way."
"My name is Baba, and yes, it is my first time here in Chicago, let alone United States in itself. I am from Ukraine, so you can imagine how vastly different the locations are."
"Well, welcome to Chicago and welcome to the United States as well, Ms. Baba!" Marlo responds ecstatic.
"Thank you. I feel somewhat flattered but it's quite an eyeful for me." Baba remarks during the ride. The bus is a bit bumpy upon leaving Midway Airport entirely. Still, the rest of the ride continues without delay since the stops they passed were empty.
When they reach 31st Street, the bus stops at a red light. During this time, Marlo thought of something he can take the moth on, and he gives her the suggestion, "Hey, I just thought of something; instead of going downtown first, why don't we head to the Garfield Park Conservatory? We can check into a hotel along the way and see if we can head to the Conservatory." The light turns green a short time later with the bus beginning to pull away and accelerate.
"How far is the Conservatory?" Baba wonders while gazing at Marlo. She wondered if Marlo had the answer.
"I can't say for sure, but the closest hotel I can think of is the one located on Jackson Boulevard. It's located on Jackson and Ashland, I believe. Somewhere on Jackson between Paulina and Ashland." Marlo surmised while scratching his cheek lightly in thought.
"We'll see when we get there, won't we?" Baba reasoned with him while smiling lightly.
The rest of the ride to the Cicero / 24th Place CTA terminal went rather smoothly, considering that the two tourists could have gotten off at Cermak Road at the end of the line. After all, Cermak / Cicero is one of the stops for Route 54B leading to the end of the line on Cermak anyways. Then the two could have boarded a normal Cicero bus heading northbound for Montrose. However, it still wouldn't have made things any different.
After getting off the Route 54B NovaBus LFS at Cicero / 24th Place, the duo crosses the busy Illinois Route 50 intersection to get to the other side. While Baba, in particular, is taking in the new surroundings, she notices an articulated bus and excitedly points to it. "Marlo, look! Are we going to ride that one?"
There are at least a total of three CTA buses at the Cicero / 24th Place terminal, one at the back and two directly in the front. The one in the back is a New Flyer D40LF with which the side running head can be made out:
As for the two buses at the front of the terminal, the one on the left is an electric bus; a New Flyer XE40. On the running head of this brand new bus is the route in bold orange lettering:
The bus that Baba directed Marlo to is an articulated bus, a sight that Marlo is familiar with, but one that amazed Baba more. This particular bus that has garnered her attention is a New Flyer DE60LF, which is a diesel-electric powered bus. On the running head in bold orange lettering is the route displayed:
"I take it you like that particular one more? That's the one we were gonna take. I'm a fan of electric buses more, so this one is pretty good too." Marlo commented.
Baba blinks at him, arching her head slightly to the side in confusion. "Oh? You are familiar with stretch bus, yes?"
"Oh, I find those to be more attractive and more appealing because there are more seats and more room. Plus, it's longer to accommodate more passengers." Marlo explains while padding towards the articulated bus. His expression changes to one of thought upon contemplating, "Although, I don't know what type I like more now; articulated or electric."
Baba blinks at the wolf in question, her eyebrows raising up. "Electric bus?"
Hearing the innocent, confused tone in her voice upon boarding the Montrose-bound New Flyer DE60LF and receiving a green light upon successful Ventra tap, Marlo explains, "Electric buses run on battery-operated power instead of diesel fuel or compressed natural gas. This bus we're on, the New Flyer DE60LF, is a hybrid bus running on both diesel and electric power."
A soft green light noise in the background confirms a successful card tap by Baba, and the female moth proceeds onward, catching an announcement passing by through the bus route.
Noticing the gray corded area of the bus, Baba takes a moment to observe this feature, to which she jumps at hearing Marlo speak up. "Do you like the articulation feature? It's very interesting seeing it from the inside."
At the rear of the bus is Marlo, seated this time on the left side near the window. Directly to his right is the rear door for exiting. Seeing him makes Baba hurry to meet him before the articulated bus pulls away.
While the electric motor whines upon startup and acceleration, followed by the creaking from the articulation joint, the northbound trip for Montrose begins with the diesel-electric hybrid bus accelerating along Cicero Avenue, going north.
Occasionally, the red LED running board above the passengers flash occasionally from time to time, displaying the time and date and then the stop location. This is common throughout all CTA bus routes currently running throughout the entire Chicagoland area, with a few of them linking with Pace Suburban Transit routes.
Being a busy street, there is moderate traffic on Cicero Avenue, but at this time of day, there is actually light ~ moderate traffic. Still, the ride is comfortable, with the occasional creaks and groans coming from the articulation joint.
During the ride, Baba asks Marlo, "How many buses are there for transportation?"
"Oh, there are quite a lot, actually. Trains are common too, though they are more frequent along the Loop in Downtown Chicago." Marlo responded. The bus slows down at first from the traffic and a red light ahead, turning green again and slowing to a stop to pull up to the Cermak Road bus stop.
Marlo casually takes note of three figures waiting at the bus stop, and once these get on, the doors close and the departure follows with the Cicero-bound New Flyer DE60LF crossing Cermak Road, approaching the Pink Line which happens to be close by when it slows down.
Hearing the announcement is one thing. Seeing it flash up on the red LED is another, especially since the message doesn't all fit at once.
After passing the Pink Line transfer stop on 21st Street, the northbound ride continues onward until they reach Roosevelt Road. Baba was watching out of the window during the ride. When they pass the intersection of Roosevelt and Cicero, Baba's eyes fall on a blue / white New Flyer XD40 with the running heads displaying a different route number and destination.
"Hey Marlo, what kind of bus is that? Why is it colored so differently from rest of CTA?" Baba rouses Marlo to attention, shaking his shoulder out of excitement. She directs the wolf's attention to the New Flyer XD40 they're riding past with Marlo catching it in his eyesight. He simply chuckles at the moth's excitement, earning an awaiting stare.
Marlo goes on to explain, "That bus, my dear Baba, is not a CTA bus; it is a Pace bus. Pace and CTA are colored differently, though both will still have occasional wraps for company promotion."
"Pace… bus…???" Baba sounds slowly, still not quite understanding. "What is Pace bus?"
Patiently, the wolf goes on to explain to the innocent Io Moth, "Pace is more of a suburban transit authority, branching out into areas such as Crystal Lake, Elgin, and Desplaines. In some locations, such as Berwyn and Oak Park, I think, CTA and Pace overlap and run into each other. But to be more precise or specific, there are a couple of routes where CTA and Pace run together, such as Cermak, Harlem, and Austin."
"So Pace is exclusively limited to the suburbs? And CTA is more city-like?" Baba questions further.
"Yeah, you can put it that way." Marlo answered in return while clutching his own suitcase. The wolf's expression soon falters while claiming, "Although, there are a couple of routes on Pace that run in the Chicago metropolitan area, such as routes 755 and combination 850 / 851 / 855. There is also Route 856 which also runs along the downtown metropolitan area."
After hearing this from Marlo, Baba releases an excited squeal and declares excitedly, "We should ride Pace Bus sometime during our tour of Chicago! It will be fun like you said!"
"Between New Jersey Transit, CTA, and Pace, I don't know which one I would enjoy more, honestly." Marlo thought aloud to himself. An announcement on an approaching bus stop sounds off.
Baba watches for the stop to flash on the red LED sign, and like last time, it almost matches up precisely with the verbal announcement.
Marlo then announces to the moth, "We're almost at Jackson. After a few more streets, we'll soon arrive there."
Baba notices the "STOP REQUESTED" reading on the LED running head, which blinks in and out with the time / date and the stop they're coming to. The bus then stops at the bus stop, and across from this and a short walking distance northward is the Cicero CTA Blue Line station.
"Some stops lead to train stations?" The moth asks curiously while awaiting the pull off from the bus again. After some passengers get off and others board, the ride continues with the bus pulling away; the electric motor whines along with the diesel engine also aiding in acceleration.
The ride continues with the New Flyer DE60LF crossing the Eisenhower Freeway, followed by the next stop approaching.
The pair is almost at their designated stop. And while Baba glances up at the LED running bar, awaiting their stop, Marlo reaches up to pull on a cord to signal the stop while at the same time, the street stop flashes up on the running head.
"This is our stop coming up." Marlo announces to the moth, earning a ready glance from her. The wolf raises up from his seat, grabbing his luggage with Baba moving out of the way at first and then following suit while they exit through the rear of the articulated bus at their destination stop. They're now on the corner of Jackson / Cicero, so now all that is left to do is to catch a Jackson-bound CTA bus.
It's a short walk to the CTA stop for Marlo and Baba, and while the wolf pauses to observe and track the bus time, Baba takes note of the CTA sign for the route.
The female moth traces the route direction with her own eyes, following and observing the locations of some stops shown on the route. However, while she is glossing over the sign, Marlo speaks up while coming to meet her.
"It shouldn't be long now. 5 minutes until the next bus arrives." Marlo declares while standing next to her. He notices her foreign expression, watching her turn back around to follow the Jackson-bound route. Seeing this makes the wolf innocently chuckle at her out of amusement.
"I see you are very interested in this particular bus route." The wolf comments on her observation, which results with the moth slowly turning back around to face him. Marlo adds a question to his next comment, addressing this directly to the moth, "Do you feel the same way about the rest of CTA or just this one in particular?"
"Tell me more about Pace Bus…" A soft-spoken, casual request is all that comes from the moth. This request, though innocent, catches the wolf guide completely by surprise since he wasn't anticipating this.
"Pardon?" Marlo blinks at her, seemingly confused by her new request. He quickly swings his head to the opposite direction and his eyes fall on what appears to be an approaching Jackson bus in the distance. Gently, Marlo rouses her on the shoulder while alerting her, "Got your Ventra card ready, by the way?"
During the northbound ride on the Cicero-bound New Flyer DE60LF, Baba had her card secured inside of her pocket, keeping it in her inventory. She pulls out the blue transit card, holding it up for the wolf to see while having an expectant expression on her face. At the same time, her eyes light up again upon noticing the approaching bus crossing Cicero and pulling up to a screeching stop for them. It is the bus from earlier that she rode leaving Midway Airport on the Route 54B bound for Cermak; it is another 3rd-generation NovaBus LFS. Once it stops, the doors open with a passing route announcement being played:
Even the display on the running heads view the same thing. In capital, bold orange lettering is the route and destination:
And now that the duo is boarding their third CTA bus, their final stop is going to be a hotel where they can check in, around halfway to the downtown metropolitan area.
After the two passengers activate the payment fare through their Ventra cards, they are granted green lights to proceed onward, able to ride the Michigan-bound NovaBus LFS.
While getting settled on board with the LFS pulling off, Marlo mentions, "We'll be getting off at Ashland; just letting you know in advance."
Baba just nods silent while sitting behind the passenger seats marked for the disabled. These are at the front of all CTA buses and are used sparingly by regular passengers, though they will move to other seating areas if a passenger that's disabled comes on. Right now, the female moth is just enjoying the ride, her attention fixed between looking out the window and the red LED running head above, blinking back and forth between the time and date as well as the stop destination being shown.
Each stop that is announces matches with the stop location displayed on the red LED running head; in this case with their ride in motion, the Michigan-bound NovaBus LFS already passes Keeler Avenue while one stop away from leaving K-Town and moving onwards, as shown by the running board:
The last remaining street in K-town going back east towards Michigan flashes up on the running head, along with the normal stop announcement.
When they pass Karlov, they finally leave the K-town area, further progressing along the neighborhood Jackson route.
Baba is so focused on watching the neighborhood roll by the window that the chime from the request bell almost makes her shed her skin. Marlo also jumps from her sudden shock, but he wasn't affected as much by the bell as much as he was by the moth's panic. Gently, he settles her back down into the seat while the stop announcement rings in the background.
"Ack, town doesn't look too good and I almost had heart attack. That really scared me." Baba whispers in mild complaint while shaking off the shiver creeping up her spine.
After crossing the intersection, the bus slowly comes to a screeching halt at the Pulaski stop, with Marlo commenting, "You do realize you're square on with this particular neighborhood, right? This is your first time here and you can already tell it's awful! I'm quite impressed by your perception!"
The last thing Marlo anticipated is the moth going red in the face. The color soon drains from her face while their ride begins to pull off again. She explains, "I noticed a few houses that are either run-down or boarded up. Things are way different back in my hometown. Houses were much better than this."
Marlo blinks at the moth out of surprise and direct curiosity. Intrigued, he questions her, "What country are you from? I never noticed until now but you have a pretty distinct accent in your speech and voice."
The moth simply responds, "I am from Ukraine. This is a wonderful part of the United States, but it could be better. My village looks better than this."
"Ukraine sounds like a fine country. Though, I wonder what's there. I've never been out of the United States personally unless it's on a tour of something." Marlo responded casually. He lights up, "Isn't this exciting, so far?"
"Given this is my first time here, then yeah. This is exciting, though huge." Baba comments in passing. She clutches her suitcase again with their ride turning a little bumpy upon crossing the intersection of Hamlin and Jackson and proceeding over the road bridge to Central Park Avenue, coming towards the eponymous stop.
In red capital lettering on the LED running head above is the stop destination for the approaching stop.
While Baba releases her hold slightly, Marlo keeps a close grip on his own luggage while mentioning, "It shouldn't be that long before we arrive at Ashland. The ride shouldn't take that long too, given the road and traffic conditions, really."
"Are traffic conditions that important? They seem like a big loss. My village does not have bus lines like this country." Baba inquired about this as a direct result of Marlo's statement about the road conditions.
"Well yes. The rate of traffic and the number of people present at each bus stop depends on whether or not the bus will arrive on time." Marlo simply explained. The moth grows silent and nods, showing she understands.
Along the way, Baba gazes out of the opposing window for a bit, watching the scenery pass by like when she was riding the Cicero-based New Flyer DE60LF bound for Montrose. Like last time when she observed the Pace-based New Flyer XD40, this time, it is the same result, only different in terms of route, location, and bus type.
Passing by in the westbound direction is a blue CTA bus, a New Flyer XE40. Baba's eyes immediately light up and she recollects, "Hey, I've seen that bus already before! Both times on Cicero Avenue! First time was when we were boarding the Cicero bus and the second time was when that Pace bus went by!" Then she pauses in thought, innocently looking over to Marlo while insinuating, "Aren't they the same, though?"
Marlo just smiled at the moth again, his ears going up. He explains to Baba,"That Pace bus that you showed me and that Blue Island-bound bus are the same model, but they have different power options. For Pace, theirs is a diesel one. For CTA, theirs is an electric one."
"What are they called? They both seem like interesting models." The moth spoke in admiration.
"New Flyer Xcelsior; that is the bus model." Marlo revealed this to her in conversation. Seeing the questioning expression on her face, the wolf goes on to relate, "I looked up the CTA bus fleet and then New Flyer itself; it's real. The Xcelsior comes with different power options like the two you pointed out earlier. One is an XD, while the other one is an XE."
Baba remains silent, letting this information sink in. Still fairly new to this, it is still a lot to take in and while she listened to the wolf's explanation, the moth still found it hard to understand. She ponders, "XD? XE? What do they stand for?"
Marlo breaks down the two in simple terms, citing, "In the terms 'XD' and 'XE', the 'X' should be obvious already. The 'X' stands for Xcelsior, which is what the model bus is: New Flyer Xcelsior. 'D' stands for Diesel, so for the Pace XD40, they have a Diesel-powered 40-foot-long New Flyer Xcelsior. Now for the other one, 'E' stands for Electric. So for the CTA XE40, it is a battery-electric, 40-foot-long New Flyer Xcelsior."
Delight lights up on Baba's face, followed by her commenting, "Now that is pretty amazing how the New Flyer bus is named like that. I love it. Are they new?"
Marlo is about to answer when he pauses for a bit, observing the running head and listening to the announcement for the next stop; their ride has been going on for a while and they have reached the IMD Medical District of Chicago.
Their ride comes to a stop at a red light at the intersection, with traffic beginning to flow north and south. During this time, the two friends observe the traffic passing by during the brief stopping period while also observing the red LED running head above. After the waiting period is over, the Jackson-based NovaBus LFS pulls off again when the light turns green, followed by the ride crossing the intersection and traveling towards a college campus area. With the diesel engine whirring in the background, the announcement for the next stop is made.
While watching out of the window, Baba notices something different about the street itself after crossing Damen Avenue. Originally, it was a two-way street; now, the parked cars opposite them are pointed in THE SAME DIRECTION as the traveling bus. This strikes Baba as odd since she has never seen this before either.
"Odd, never seen this before. It's like Jackson is a new street now." The moth mutters to herself while watching the cars closely. At the same time, the announcement rings clearly through the LFS, once again startling her.
"!" Although not as jumpy as before, Baba settles back down in her seat during the ride and intersection crossing, to which Marlo gets ready to stand up. Though he grabs his suitcase, he doesn't make a move, instead watching the LED running head for the stop announcement when suddenly…
The stop request bell rings out loud by another passenger on the way to the next stop, which flashes in red on the sign above:
Once the whole stop-and-go process is done at Paulina, Marlo alerts the moth to their upcoming stop while reaching over to pull on the stop request cord.
After that, he moves to the rear doors of the LFS while informing the moth, "Our stop is coming up. Best to be ready so we can get off once it stops."
Baba follows suit, eyeing the LED running head and moving to join her wolf tour guide upon noticing the stop flashing up.
The bus comes to a screeching halt with the wolf and the moth exiting the rear of the bus while the route announcement sounds in the background:
After departing away from the Ashland stop, Marlo focuses on heading back the opposite way, with Baba rushing to catch up to him. She wonders, "You mentioned we were going to a hotel to check in. Is that the one you were talking about?" She points to a grand sign leading toward the building they're approaching which in capital white lettering is marked:
"Yep, that's where we're going!" Marlo replies casually in return, "Once we check in, then we can continue our journey from there… uh, exploration I mean!"
Baba shrugs at his slight clear-up, letting it pass over her. "Eh, I get it. We explore Chicago for a while and then what's next? Pace? You also mentioned something about New Jersey too."
Marlo recollects, "Yes, that's right. Chicago first, then the suburbs, and then New Jersey. Does that sound reasonable enough for you?"
"I can't wait now that I'm relaxed and calm. Honestly, I'm excited now!" The pair enters inside the hotel with Marlo holding the door open, letting Baba in first and then following behind her. Once they do get settled in, then the moth will contact her family to inform them of her arrival and maybe introduce Marlo to them. From there, the exploration will continue.
Baba belongs to Crybabies; Marlo belongs to me!
Story is below!
~~~~~Traveling out of her native country, a young moth journeys to the United States to explore one of its popular cities; in this case, she takes a trip to Chicago for exploration and she gains a tour guide in the process.Chicago Tour'Gosh, I'm so nervous… Why am I so nervous? I shouldn't even be nervous; I should be excited! This is a new trip I'm going on after all!' Baba shakes her head while seated on the flight she is traveling abroad on. This is her very first overseas trip, bound for the USA. And she does have reason for being nervous after all.
Being a local Ukrainian citizen, the moth is very attached to her homeland and her family. It is all she knows about. Leaving this behind means a very new journey for her, one that she may not adapt well to. But this is something she wanted to try for the very first time, which has taken lots of planning to do, especially when traveling to a foreign country.
For a while, Baba was making plans to travel outside of Ukraine to go on her first out of country exploration, as it were. Of course, this took a long time in planning, even though there were some aspects she still did not understand. Only after doing some research and seeking assistance from her friends and family did she muster up the courage to travel abroad, even if it meant feeling homesick.
The plane flight to the USA is just the beginning of Baba's long-distance journey. That was to be the destination for her overseas exploration. As for her airport destination, it's already printed on her airline ticket: Midway Airport.
Baba has been looking forward to her first overseas trip, true, but she is highly nervous and excited at the same time. Though she's entering uncharted territory for the first time on her own, she couldn't help but wonder about those back at her village, how they were faring. But she couldn't really do anything about it since she is on her plane flight to the United States, so once she settles down, then she'll try to contact her family. For now, all she could do is ride out the plane trip on the way to Midway Airport, and once she lands and gets settled in, then she can contact her family.
~~~~~After landing at Midway Airport and having her inventory scanned and ready to go, Baba is ready. She wanders outside of the main terminal, treated to a grand view of Midway Airport. The sight is much different than what she saw back in her hometown. She clutches her suitcase while waiting and gazing around the new surroundings, taking in the new sights. It was a grand sight overall, and a little bit overwhelming. But with no car of her own as a rental, Baba will have to resort to taking the bus or just walking, and she is only here to explore Chicago.
While proceeding towards a shuttle bus stop, Baba briefly pulls her phone out to check the time, returning it back in her pocket. She isn't prepared for what happens next.
"Excuse me, but are you new here? You seem to be lost there upon arrival. Are you a tourist by any chance?" A voice follows a tap on the shoulder, nearly making the female moth shed her skin.
Startled, Baba whirls around before placing a hand on her chest to calm herself down, her eyes drinking in the muscular figure of a gray / white furred wolf. His tail is wagging softly while he holds a smile on his muzzle, though he mentions in passing, "Sorry if I scared you; I thought you were looking for something and I would like to help you."
Baba blinks at the wolf, fixing him with an inquisitive glare while taking note of the simple clothing he is wearing: white short sleeve shirt and light denim jeans that come down to his pawfeet. After analyzing the wolf, the moth asks, "What is your name and what do you do here?"
The wolf just chuckles softly and excitedly in return while replying, "Marlo. My name is Marlo Pines, and I am a photographer. I just got back from New Jersey after touring a few of their bus routes."
This actually puts the female moth at ease with her relaxing her beating heart. After hearing what he has related, she assumes, "You are tourist, da?"
Marlo's ears twitch while he manages to clearly pick out her wording through her thick accent. He responds, "Yes I am! Touring and modeling is what I do in photography! Would you like me to assist you on a tour of Chicago?"
Baba falls silent, her antennae wiggling out of surprise. Having a traveling companion to tour with makes things easier and more relaxing, and this is something the moth wasn't expecting in the slightest. After a brief period of silence, the moth finally accepts the offer, slowly reaching for a handshake while smiling at the wolf.
Marlo just grins at her while accepting the handshake in a brief quickie. After the handshake, the wolf reaches into his pocket to retrieve two blue cards from his inventory. He hands one of these over to Baba and explains, "This is a Ventra card; it's yours, by the way."
Taking the blue card, Baba wordlessly inspects it, looking it over while trailing her eyes back up to the wolf, "Ventra? What is this used for?"
"It's a new fare card used for riding both CTA and Pace." Marlo explained to the moth in kind, "The other transit fare cards, old ones like 1-day and 30-day, were discontinued a long time ago, so with these Ventra cards, these are more efficient; you can ride both bus and train with this."
Although Baba is taking in Marlo's explanation, she still narrows her eyes a little in confusion. "Sounds simple enough, yet so complicated. How do you pay for card?"
"Either online or at one of the many CTA train stations located throughout the Chicagoland area." Marlo eyes an all-white New Flyer D40LF airport shuttle bus approaching, which begins the start of their new day.
~~~~~The shuttle ride out of the airport was rather quick and smooth, despite the moderate traffic flowing along the roadways to each terminal. After successfully exiting the airport, the duo crosses to the other side of Cicero Avenue to travel northbound, lugging their suitcases with them.
The crossing was challenging due to the lightly moderate traffic flowing along the northbound side, and while the two waited to successfully reach the bus stop, there was no bus in the distance upon travel. But around a couple of minutes later upon finally reaching the bus stop, Marlo and Baba saw a CTA bus on the horizon, approaching in the distance.
Directing the moth's attention to the approaching bus, Marlo points at the large behemoth, "You see it down there? That's the bus we're gonna be taking. We're getting off at the Cicero / 24th terminal as a heads-up."
Wordlessly, the moth nods her head while keeping her eyes locked on the bus. She could just make out the running head on the front, which read back and forth in bold capital orange lettering:
54B S CICERO54B TO CERMAK"That is bus we are taking?" The moth questions out of slight nervousness, pursing her lips a bit."
"Yeah, it is. You'd be amazed at the different buses that CTA has." Marlo responds calmly, his tail still wagging. He gently grabs Baba's shoulder in a soft manner, trying to relax her. The approaching bus is actually a 3rd-generation NovaBus LFS, and once it is within their view, the wolf reaches into his pocket to pull out his Ventra card. Baba notices this and she does the same, still nervous.
Once the bus arrives and slows down to a screeching halt, the doors open for them while a route announcement is made in passing:
"Route 54B: South Cicero to Cermak."The pair climb onto the bus with Marlo in front, and he taps his card against the fare display. He is met with a green light, granting him entry and he proceeds onward. Baba attempts the same thing and is surprised when she is met with the same result, which also grants her a green light as well.
While the moth quickly hurries along in excitement to meet up with Marlo, she secures her card while carrying her suitcase on the bus, locating her wolf guide at a seat near the window, yet directly in front of the rear doors. The bus soon departs from the stop, with the moth grabbing onto a coil above her to steady herself before sitting down next to Marlo, securing her own suitcase next to her.
During the ride, Marlo assumes, "So, is this your first time here, like legit? I never got your name, by the way."
"My name is Baba, and yes, it is my first time here in Chicago, let alone United States in itself. I am from Ukraine, so you can imagine how vastly different the locations are."
"Well, welcome to Chicago and welcome to the United States as well, Ms. Baba!" Marlo responds ecstatic.
"Thank you. I feel somewhat flattered but it's quite an eyeful for me." Baba remarks during the ride. The bus is a bit bumpy upon leaving Midway Airport entirely. Still, the rest of the ride continues without delay since the stops they passed were empty.
When they reach 31st Street, the bus stops at a red light. During this time, Marlo thought of something he can take the moth on, and he gives her the suggestion, "Hey, I just thought of something; instead of going downtown first, why don't we head to the Garfield Park Conservatory? We can check into a hotel along the way and see if we can head to the Conservatory." The light turns green a short time later with the bus beginning to pull away and accelerate.
"How far is the Conservatory?" Baba wonders while gazing at Marlo. She wondered if Marlo had the answer.
"I can't say for sure, but the closest hotel I can think of is the one located on Jackson Boulevard. It's located on Jackson and Ashland, I believe. Somewhere on Jackson between Paulina and Ashland." Marlo surmised while scratching his cheek lightly in thought.
"We'll see when we get there, won't we?" Baba reasoned with him while smiling lightly.
~~~~~The rest of the ride to the Cicero / 24th Place CTA terminal went rather smoothly, considering that the two tourists could have gotten off at Cermak Road at the end of the line. After all, Cermak / Cicero is one of the stops for Route 54B leading to the end of the line on Cermak anyways. Then the two could have boarded a normal Cicero bus heading northbound for Montrose. However, it still wouldn't have made things any different.
After getting off the Route 54B NovaBus LFS at Cicero / 24th Place, the duo crosses the busy Illinois Route 50 intersection to get to the other side. While Baba, in particular, is taking in the new surroundings, she notices an articulated bus and excitedly points to it. "Marlo, look! Are we going to ride that one?"
There are at least a total of three CTA buses at the Cicero / 24th Place terminal, one at the back and two directly in the front. The one in the back is a New Flyer D40LF with which the side running head can be made out:
35 31ST / 35TH TO35 35TH / COTTAGE GROVEAs for the two buses at the front of the terminal, the one on the left is an electric bus; a New Flyer XE40. On the running head of this brand new bus is the route in bold orange lettering:
60 BLUE ISL / 26TH60 TO RANDOLPHThe bus that Baba directed Marlo to is an articulated bus, a sight that Marlo is familiar with, but one that amazed Baba more. This particular bus that has garnered her attention is a New Flyer DE60LF, which is a diesel-electric powered bus. On the running head in bold orange lettering is the route displayed:
54 CICERO TO54 MONTROSE"I take it you like that particular one more? That's the one we were gonna take. I'm a fan of electric buses more, so this one is pretty good too." Marlo commented.
Baba blinks at him, arching her head slightly to the side in confusion. "Oh? You are familiar with stretch bus, yes?"
"Oh, I find those to be more attractive and more appealing because there are more seats and more room. Plus, it's longer to accommodate more passengers." Marlo explains while padding towards the articulated bus. His expression changes to one of thought upon contemplating, "Although, I don't know what type I like more now; articulated or electric."
Baba blinks at the wolf in question, her eyebrows raising up. "Electric bus?"
Hearing the innocent, confused tone in her voice upon boarding the Montrose-bound New Flyer DE60LF and receiving a green light upon successful Ventra tap, Marlo explains, "Electric buses run on battery-operated power instead of diesel fuel or compressed natural gas. This bus we're on, the New Flyer DE60LF, is a hybrid bus running on both diesel and electric power."
A soft green light noise in the background confirms a successful card tap by Baba, and the female moth proceeds onward, catching an announcement passing by through the bus route.
"Route 54: Cicero to Montrose"Noticing the gray corded area of the bus, Baba takes a moment to observe this feature, to which she jumps at hearing Marlo speak up. "Do you like the articulation feature? It's very interesting seeing it from the inside."
At the rear of the bus is Marlo, seated this time on the left side near the window. Directly to his right is the rear door for exiting. Seeing him makes Baba hurry to meet him before the articulated bus pulls away.
While the electric motor whines upon startup and acceleration, followed by the creaking from the articulation joint, the northbound trip for Montrose begins with the diesel-electric hybrid bus accelerating along Cicero Avenue, going north.
*BING*"23rd Street"Occasionally, the red LED running board above the passengers flash occasionally from time to time, displaying the time and date and then the stop location. This is common throughout all CTA bus routes currently running throughout the entire Chicagoland area, with a few of them linking with Pace Suburban Transit routes.
Being a busy street, there is moderate traffic on Cicero Avenue, but at this time of day, there is actually light ~ moderate traffic. Still, the ride is comfortable, with the occasional creaks and groans coming from the articulation joint.
During the ride, Baba asks Marlo, "How many buses are there for transportation?"
"Oh, there are quite a lot, actually. Trains are common too, though they are more frequent along the Loop in Downtown Chicago." Marlo responded. The bus slows down at first from the traffic and a red light ahead, turning green again and slowing to a stop to pull up to the Cermak Road bus stop.
"Route 54: Cicero to Montrose"Marlo casually takes note of three figures waiting at the bus stop, and once these get on, the doors close and the departure follows with the Cicero-bound New Flyer DE60LF crossing Cermak Road, approaching the Pink Line which happens to be close by when it slows down.
*BING!*"21st Street - Transfer to: Pink Line"Hearing the announcement is one thing. Seeing it flash up on the red LED is another, especially since the message doesn't all fit at once.
21ST STREETPINK LINEAfter passing the Pink Line transfer stop on 21st Street, the northbound ride continues onward until they reach Roosevelt Road. Baba was watching out of the window during the ride. When they pass the intersection of Roosevelt and Cicero, Baba's eyes fall on a blue / white New Flyer XD40 with the running heads displaying a different route number and destination.
305 FOREST PK CTA"Hey Marlo, what kind of bus is that? Why is it colored so differently from rest of CTA?" Baba rouses Marlo to attention, shaking his shoulder out of excitement. She directs the wolf's attention to the New Flyer XD40 they're riding past with Marlo catching it in his eyesight. He simply chuckles at the moth's excitement, earning an awaiting stare.
Marlo goes on to explain, "That bus, my dear Baba, is not a CTA bus; it is a Pace bus. Pace and CTA are colored differently, though both will still have occasional wraps for company promotion."
"Pace… bus…???" Baba sounds slowly, still not quite understanding. "What is Pace bus?"
Patiently, the wolf goes on to explain to the innocent Io Moth, "Pace is more of a suburban transit authority, branching out into areas such as Crystal Lake, Elgin, and Desplaines. In some locations, such as Berwyn and Oak Park, I think, CTA and Pace overlap and run into each other. But to be more precise or specific, there are a couple of routes where CTA and Pace run together, such as Cermak, Harlem, and Austin."
"So Pace is exclusively limited to the suburbs? And CTA is more city-like?" Baba questions further.
"Yeah, you can put it that way." Marlo answered in return while clutching his own suitcase. The wolf's expression soon falters while claiming, "Although, there are a couple of routes on Pace that run in the Chicago metropolitan area, such as routes 755 and combination 850 / 851 / 855. There is also Route 856 which also runs along the downtown metropolitan area."
After hearing this from Marlo, Baba releases an excited squeal and declares excitedly, "We should ride Pace Bus sometime during our tour of Chicago! It will be fun like you said!"
"Between New Jersey Transit, CTA, and Pace, I don't know which one I would enjoy more, honestly." Marlo thought aloud to himself. An announcement on an approaching bus stop sounds off.
*BING!*"Harrison - Transfer to: Blue Line"Baba watches for the stop to flash on the red LED sign, and like last time, it almost matches up precisely with the verbal announcement.
HARRISONXFER TO BLUE LINEMarlo then announces to the moth, "We're almost at Jackson. After a few more streets, we'll soon arrive there."
*BONG!*STOP REQUESTEDBaba notices the "STOP REQUESTED" reading on the LED running head, which blinks in and out with the time / date and the stop they're coming to. The bus then stops at the bus stop, and across from this and a short walking distance northward is the Cicero CTA Blue Line station.
"Some stops lead to train stations?" The moth asks curiously while awaiting the pull off from the bus again. After some passengers get off and others board, the ride continues with the bus pulling away; the electric motor whines along with the diesel engine also aiding in acceleration.
The ride continues with the New Flyer DE60LF crossing the Eisenhower Freeway, followed by the next stop approaching.
*BING!*"Van Buren"The pair is almost at their designated stop. And while Baba glances up at the LED running bar, awaiting their stop, Marlo reaches up to pull on a cord to signal the stop while at the same time, the street stop flashes up on the running head.
*BONG!*STOP REQUESTED*BING!*"Jackson""This is our stop coming up." Marlo announces to the moth, earning a ready glance from her. The wolf raises up from his seat, grabbing his luggage with Baba moving out of the way at first and then following suit while they exit through the rear of the articulated bus at their destination stop. They're now on the corner of Jackson / Cicero, so now all that is left to do is to catch a Jackson-bound CTA bus.
It's a short walk to the CTA stop for Marlo and Baba, and while the wolf pauses to observe and track the bus time, Baba takes note of the CTA sign for the route.
126 JacksonThe female moth traces the route direction with her own eyes, following and observing the locations of some stops shown on the route. However, while she is glossing over the sign, Marlo speaks up while coming to meet her.
"It shouldn't be long now. 5 minutes until the next bus arrives." Marlo declares while standing next to her. He notices her foreign expression, watching her turn back around to follow the Jackson-bound route. Seeing this makes the wolf innocently chuckle at her out of amusement.
"I see you are very interested in this particular bus route." The wolf comments on her observation, which results with the moth slowly turning back around to face him. Marlo adds a question to his next comment, addressing this directly to the moth, "Do you feel the same way about the rest of CTA or just this one in particular?"
"Tell me more about Pace Bus…" A soft-spoken, casual request is all that comes from the moth. This request, though innocent, catches the wolf guide completely by surprise since he wasn't anticipating this.
"Pardon?" Marlo blinks at her, seemingly confused by her new request. He quickly swings his head to the opposite direction and his eyes fall on what appears to be an approaching Jackson bus in the distance. Gently, Marlo rouses her on the shoulder while alerting her, "Got your Ventra card ready, by the way?"
During the northbound ride on the Cicero-bound New Flyer DE60LF, Baba had her card secured inside of her pocket, keeping it in her inventory. She pulls out the blue transit card, holding it up for the wolf to see while having an expectant expression on her face. At the same time, her eyes light up again upon noticing the approaching bus crossing Cicero and pulling up to a screeching stop for them. It is the bus from earlier that she rode leaving Midway Airport on the Route 54B bound for Cermak; it is another 3rd-generation NovaBus LFS. Once it stops, the doors open with a passing route announcement being played:
"Route 126: Jackson to Michigan via Medical District"
Even the display on the running heads view the same thing. In capital, bold orange lettering is the route and destination:
126 JACKSON TO126 MICHIGAN VIA MEDICAL DISTRICTAnd now that the duo is boarding their third CTA bus, their final stop is going to be a hotel where they can check in, around halfway to the downtown metropolitan area.
After the two passengers activate the payment fare through their Ventra cards, they are granted green lights to proceed onward, able to ride the Michigan-bound NovaBus LFS.
While getting settled on board with the LFS pulling off, Marlo mentions, "We'll be getting off at Ashland; just letting you know in advance."
Baba just nods silent while sitting behind the passenger seats marked for the disabled. These are at the front of all CTA buses and are used sparingly by regular passengers, though they will move to other seating areas if a passenger that's disabled comes on. Right now, the female moth is just enjoying the ride, her attention fixed between looking out the window and the red LED running head above, blinking back and forth between the time and date as well as the stop destination being shown.
*BING!*"Kilpatrick"Each stop that is announces matches with the stop location displayed on the red LED running head; in this case with their ride in motion, the Michigan-bound NovaBus LFS already passes Keeler Avenue while one stop away from leaving K-Town and moving onwards, as shown by the running board:
KARLOVThe last remaining street in K-town going back east towards Michigan flashes up on the running head, along with the normal stop announcement.
*BING!*"Karlov"When they pass Karlov, they finally leave the K-town area, further progressing along the neighborhood Jackson route.
*BONG!*STOP REQUESTEDBaba is so focused on watching the neighborhood roll by the window that the chime from the request bell almost makes her shed her skin. Marlo also jumps from her sudden shock, but he wasn't affected as much by the bell as much as he was by the moth's panic. Gently, he settles her back down into the seat while the stop announcement rings in the background.
*BING!*"Pulaski""Ack, town doesn't look too good and I almost had heart attack. That really scared me." Baba whispers in mild complaint while shaking off the shiver creeping up her spine.
After crossing the intersection, the bus slowly comes to a screeching halt at the Pulaski stop, with Marlo commenting, "You do realize you're square on with this particular neighborhood, right? This is your first time here and you can already tell it's awful! I'm quite impressed by your perception!"
The last thing Marlo anticipated is the moth going red in the face. The color soon drains from her face while their ride begins to pull off again. She explains, "I noticed a few houses that are either run-down or boarded up. Things are way different back in my hometown. Houses were much better than this."
Marlo blinks at the moth out of surprise and direct curiosity. Intrigued, he questions her, "What country are you from? I never noticed until now but you have a pretty distinct accent in your speech and voice."
The moth simply responds, "I am from Ukraine. This is a wonderful part of the United States, but it could be better. My village looks better than this."
"Ukraine sounds like a fine country. Though, I wonder what's there. I've never been out of the United States personally unless it's on a tour of something." Marlo responded casually. He lights up, "Isn't this exciting, so far?"
"Given this is my first time here, then yeah. This is exciting, though huge." Baba comments in passing. She clutches her suitcase again with their ride turning a little bumpy upon crossing the intersection of Hamlin and Jackson and proceeding over the road bridge to Central Park Avenue, coming towards the eponymous stop.
*BING*"Central Park"
In red capital lettering on the LED running head above is the stop destination for the approaching stop.
CENTRAL PARKWhile Baba releases her hold slightly, Marlo keeps a close grip on his own luggage while mentioning, "It shouldn't be that long before we arrive at Ashland. The ride shouldn't take that long too, given the road and traffic conditions, really."
"Are traffic conditions that important? They seem like a big loss. My village does not have bus lines like this country." Baba inquired about this as a direct result of Marlo's statement about the road conditions.
"Well yes. The rate of traffic and the number of people present at each bus stop depends on whether or not the bus will arrive on time." Marlo simply explained. The moth grows silent and nods, showing she understands.
Along the way, Baba gazes out of the opposing window for a bit, watching the scenery pass by like when she was riding the Cicero-based New Flyer DE60LF bound for Montrose. Like last time when she observed the Pace-based New Flyer XD40, this time, it is the same result, only different in terms of route, location, and bus type.
Passing by in the westbound direction is a blue CTA bus, a New Flyer XE40. Baba's eyes immediately light up and she recollects, "Hey, I've seen that bus already before! Both times on Cicero Avenue! First time was when we were boarding the Cicero bus and the second time was when that Pace bus went by!" Then she pauses in thought, innocently looking over to Marlo while insinuating, "Aren't they the same, though?"
Marlo just smiled at the moth again, his ears going up. He explains to Baba,"That Pace bus that you showed me and that Blue Island-bound bus are the same model, but they have different power options. For Pace, theirs is a diesel one. For CTA, theirs is an electric one."
"What are they called? They both seem like interesting models." The moth spoke in admiration.
"New Flyer Xcelsior; that is the bus model." Marlo revealed this to her in conversation. Seeing the questioning expression on her face, the wolf goes on to relate, "I looked up the CTA bus fleet and then New Flyer itself; it's real. The Xcelsior comes with different power options like the two you pointed out earlier. One is an XD, while the other one is an XE."
Baba remains silent, letting this information sink in. Still fairly new to this, it is still a lot to take in and while she listened to the wolf's explanation, the moth still found it hard to understand. She ponders, "XD? XE? What do they stand for?"
Marlo breaks down the two in simple terms, citing, "In the terms 'XD' and 'XE', the 'X' should be obvious already. The 'X' stands for Xcelsior, which is what the model bus is: New Flyer Xcelsior. 'D' stands for Diesel, so for the Pace XD40, they have a Diesel-powered 40-foot-long New Flyer Xcelsior. Now for the other one, 'E' stands for Electric. So for the CTA XE40, it is a battery-electric, 40-foot-long New Flyer Xcelsior."
Delight lights up on Baba's face, followed by her commenting, "Now that is pretty amazing how the New Flyer bus is named like that. I love it. Are they new?"
Marlo is about to answer when he pauses for a bit, observing the running head and listening to the announcement for the next stop; their ride has been going on for a while and they have reached the IMD Medical District of Chicago.
DAMEN*BING!*"Damen"Their ride comes to a stop at a red light at the intersection, with traffic beginning to flow north and south. During this time, the two friends observe the traffic passing by during the brief stopping period while also observing the red LED running head above. After the waiting period is over, the Jackson-based NovaBus LFS pulls off again when the light turns green, followed by the ride crossing the intersection and traveling towards a college campus area. With the diesel engine whirring in the background, the announcement for the next stop is made.
*BING!*"Malcolm X College"While watching out of the window, Baba notices something different about the street itself after crossing Damen Avenue. Originally, it was a two-way street; now, the parked cars opposite them are pointed in THE SAME DIRECTION as the traveling bus. This strikes Baba as odd since she has never seen this before either.
"Odd, never seen this before. It's like Jackson is a new street now." The moth mutters to herself while watching the cars closely. At the same time, the announcement rings clearly through the LFS, once again startling her.
*BING!*"Ogden""!" Although not as jumpy as before, Baba settles back down in her seat during the ride and intersection crossing, to which Marlo gets ready to stand up. Though he grabs his suitcase, he doesn't make a move, instead watching the LED running head for the stop announcement when suddenly…
*BONG!*STOP REQUESTED*BING!*"Paulina"The stop request bell rings out loud by another passenger on the way to the next stop, which flashes in red on the sign above:
PAULINAOnce the whole stop-and-go process is done at Paulina, Marlo alerts the moth to their upcoming stop while reaching over to pull on the stop request cord.
*BONG!*STOP REQUESTEDAfter that, he moves to the rear doors of the LFS while informing the moth, "Our stop is coming up. Best to be ready so we can get off once it stops."
Baba follows suit, eyeing the LED running head and moving to join her wolf tour guide upon noticing the stop flashing up.
ASHLAND*BING!*"Ashland"The bus comes to a screeching halt with the wolf and the moth exiting the rear of the bus while the route announcement sounds in the background:
"Route 126: Jackson to Michigan via Medical District"
After departing away from the Ashland stop, Marlo focuses on heading back the opposite way, with Baba rushing to catch up to him. She wonders, "You mentioned we were going to a hotel to check in. Is that the one you were talking about?" She points to a grand sign leading toward the building they're approaching which in capital white lettering is marked:
HOTEL CHICAGO"Yep, that's where we're going!" Marlo replies casually in return, "Once we check in, then we can continue our journey from there… uh, exploration I mean!"
Baba shrugs at his slight clear-up, letting it pass over her. "Eh, I get it. We explore Chicago for a while and then what's next? Pace? You also mentioned something about New Jersey too."
Marlo recollects, "Yes, that's right. Chicago first, then the suburbs, and then New Jersey. Does that sound reasonable enough for you?"
"I can't wait now that I'm relaxed and calm. Honestly, I'm excited now!" The pair enters inside the hotel with Marlo holding the door open, letting Baba in first and then following behind her. Once they do get settled in, then the moth will contact her family to inform them of her arrival and maybe introduce Marlo to them. From there, the exploration will continue.
~~~~~Baba belongs to Crybabies; Marlo belongs to me!
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