The prompt for this was: over the world and under it.
The Lower City was a fascinating place, if you managed to look past the dirt, crime and sensation of despair. George did not see any of what his mother abhorred, but simply found himself in a world of possibility. George didn't quite understand why his mother didn't feel the same excitement as he did when they saw people sneaking through the dark alleys. Eleni Cooper longed to keep her son away from these terribly tempting strangers, but her son's determination thwarted her hopes for respectability. Although to George, thievery was not something to fear, but a culture to explore
When George was old enough to find his way around the Lower City on his own, he would set off in search of adventure. While other children were playing with their toys, George was following thieves about, soaking up all the lifestyle of these thieves. But at the end of each day, he was forced to return to the care of his mother and her grumbles of "You must be a mud magnet" and "Why can't you stay here like all the nice children?".
His travels through the dingy streets meant suffering through a bath every day, but George was happy to oblige. He would do anything to walk amongst the world of the thieves. But eventually, he knew, he would do more than watch them. He would lead them.