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Post by Styx Kennedy on Jun 6, 2009 0:49:46 GMT -5
Styx looked in the direction DA was pointing. "<Yeah! That's her alright!>" Styx walked over to where Medda was standing and took his hat off.
"Uh, scuze me, Medda? You probably don't remember me, cuz i've only been to a few of your shows, but..." He smoothed his hair down nervously, "Well my twin sister is missing and she was supposed to come here yesterday, but when she never came home...we're beginning to wonder if she ever made it here at all." He looked at Medda hopefully, "So have you seen a girl that looks a helluva lot like me but with long hair?" If Nike hadn't made it here, he and DA would have to start combing over 'Hattan again...
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Post by Medda on Jun 6, 2009 0:59:30 GMT -5
Medda turned towards the boy as he approached her, and a frown crossed her face as she listened to his story. Unfortunately Irving Hall had been extremely busy the past few days and she hadn't had much time to spend with the guests inbetween shows. Shaking her head, sadly Medda reached out and touched his shoulder. "I haven't seen her but maybe someone working here has. I can speak with my employees and see what I find out."
Medda had heard whispers about newsies disappearing but no one had come to her and actually told her. It surprised her slightly that they hadn't but before this boy had come she had hoped that meant it wasn't true. She didn't want to be the one to tell him if he didn't already know, especially if someone had seen his sister here the day before. "I'm sure someone saw her," Medda smiled reassuringly. "Would you like to wait backstage, I only have the first song to perform in this show so I won't be long."
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Post by Don't Ask on Jun 6, 2009 1:25:08 GMT -5
Don't Ask hung back, letting Styx do the talking. He was quiet by nature anyway, but bring a woman as pretty and elegant as Medda into the equation and getting him to speak was like trying to squeeze blood from a turnip. He always felt awkward around that breed of woman, with his big feet and clumsy hands, and fingertips that always left black soot stains on anything they touched. They reminded him of the porcelain dolls he'd seen once when he was a child, when his father had taken him along on a trip to buy fabrics. The clothier sold out of his home, and had a daughter Don't Ask's age who collected the dolls, all lined up on a bookshelf at one end of the room. His father had chided him sternly, "Look, but do not touch."
Years later, his papi's words still hung with him. He stayed quiet, fidgeting behind Styx as Medda spoke.
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Post by Styx Kennedy on Jun 6, 2009 1:37:46 GMT -5
Styx dropped his head when Medda said she hadn’t seen Nike. For some reason he’d hoped she had been in the front row and that Medda would be able to tell him so.
“…maybe someone working here has. I can speak with my employees and see what I find out. Would you like to wait backstage, I only have the first song to perform in this show so I won't be long."
His head snapped back up at that. Of course! It wasn’t like Nike blended in easily. She enjoyed making a scene and being loud. Hell, they both did! “Yeah, we can do that, no prob!” He looked back at DA to see if that was okay with him. Seeing him nod in agreement, Styx turned back to Medda. “Can we watch the show from back here?”
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Post by Medda on Jun 6, 2009 14:36:26 GMT -5
Medda smiled, happy that he seemed to think that they would find someone who had seen her. "Sure, or you can watch from out in the audience. Whichever you prefer." Medda gave him a wide smile and turned when she heard one of the girls calling her name. "Well that's my cue, gentlemen. I'll be back." Medda turned and rushed towards the stage.
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Post by dutchy on Jun 7, 2009 0:25:40 GMT -5
"Heya, fellas!" Dutchy whispered, creeping backstage, a candy tray hanging from his neck. He ducked out of the strap, setting it aside on a nearby stool and nudged Don't Ask with his elbow in greeting.
He'd seen Styx in passing once or twice before, he was sure. But the kid wasn't from Manhattan, he was almost positive. He had thought it was David Jacobs when he'd spotted them.
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Post by Don't Ask on Jun 7, 2009 0:35:55 GMT -5
"Heya, fellas!"
Don't Ask jumped at the whisper, not having heard anything behind him and already feeling a little nervous from being around Medda and her elegance. Turning, relief washed over him when he saw a familiar face.
"Dutchy!" he whispered in greeting. "<What're you doing here?>"
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Post by dutchy on Jun 7, 2009 10:34:56 GMT -5
"<Just a little extra help. Medda needed it,>" Dutchy shrugged then picked up the glass jar of licorice, offering the other boys a lace. "<Go on, Medda said I could have any of it I wanted.>" A bit of a smirk proved he'd already dipped into his share.
His smile faded slightly, "Shiner didn't turn up last night like she was supposed to. I went to her house this morning. No one was there. I went to the hospital after that. Dr. House thought she was staying with us. But, you know she would have told him after her leavin' for good the first time."
He paused, glancing to Don't Ask to Styx "Well, I guess you fellas wouldn't know. But just, trust me, she would have told him. And, gosh, with so many other newsies gone missing... I haven't seen Pup or Milo come in last night. I mean, I coulda missed them coming in late, but... Gee, I don't know..."
Dutchy might not have been particularly smart, but he was observant. Especially of the younger boys and his good friends.
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Post by Styx Kennedy on Jun 7, 2009 11:41:31 GMT -5
Styx watched the new boy thoughtfully. He knew he'd seen him before, a Manhattan newsie, but he couldn't put the face with a name! He never was very good with names though... He put out his hand for a spit-shake, "<Hey I'm> Styx, Queens." He then reached for one of the licorice whips offered and began making his way toward the side stage, to better see the show, trusting the other boys to follow. "<Now, you say some of 'hattan's kids are missin' too? How many?>"
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Post by Don't Ask on Jun 7, 2009 13:13:50 GMT -5
Don't Ask grinned and took one of the proffered licorice whips, letting it hang out of his mouth like a hay straw as he gnawed it.
"<We're here lookin' for his sister,>" he explained, thumbing in Styx's direction. "<She was supposed to come here last night, and that was the last he saw her. Seems like there's been an awful lot of kids disappearing lately. I heard there's a> Brooklyn <boy tryin' to make plans to get them back or something.> Pup's <one of the gone ones too, eh? I hadn't seen him lately, but I was hoping he'd just gone home or something...>"
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Post by dutchy on Jun 7, 2009 14:06:55 GMT -5
"Dutchy," Dutchy returned the spit shake. So two girls that could have been headed to Medda's...? He wrung his hands a bit, wandering over to Styx, watching Medda sing like she hadn't a care in the world. What if those other girls that had skipped work had been kidnapped too! He couldn't remember if she had told him they just never showed or actually quit. He hoped the crooks weren't coming after Medda herself. He couldn't bare it.
"Sorry about your sister," he nodded to Styx, dropping his Dutch entirely now, a bit anxious. He looked to Don't Ask, "I was hopin' that too, but... Milo, too? And Shiner? Now his sister? Who knows how many more kids... or who else they'd try and grab..."
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Post by Medda on Jun 7, 2009 15:22:02 GMT -5
Medda finished her song and walked backstage, keeping the bright smile on her face until after she was out of the view of the audience. Medda handed her lace gloves and the parasol she had used during her set to one of the girls standing off to the side. She also told the girl to have Sonkai to her dressing room after the performances were finished for the afternoon.
Medda walked over to the boys so that she could speak with them further. When she noticed that Dutchy had joined the group a tight smile appeared on her face. She hoped to god it wasn't more bad news. "Dutchy, hello...when did you get here?" Medda waited for his response before continuing. "A few girls who were warking the floor are performing right now, but I'm on my way to speak with Toby. If you don't mind waiting a little longer I'll see if I can find anything out."
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Post by Styx Kennedy on Jun 8, 2009 3:57:26 GMT -5
Styx listened to Don’t Ask explain the situation, actually staying quiet for once. He absentmindedly chewed on the licorice as his mind wandered, only half-watching Medda dance around the stage. He wondered about Nike and about how she was doing, about the “men” who had taken Nike (any man who would kidnap innocent street kids for personal gain, wasn’t a man in his book), and about ways to get Nike back. Most of his ideas were ludicrous and too far-fetched, but thinking them up helped the helpless feelings that plagued him and so he continued.
"Sorry about your sister,"
A dip of his head in acknowledgment, “Any help you can offer would really be appreciated.” He tried to smile at Dutchy, but the thoughts swirling around in his head were weighing him down and he only managed a weak grimace. A mere shadow of his normal grin. He leaned a shoulder against the wall, putting one foot over the other and both hands in his pockets.
"I was hopin' that too, but... Milo, too? And Shiner? Now his sister? Who knows how many more kids... or who else they'd try and grab..."
Dutchy had directed the question at DA, but Styx voiced his own opinion on the matter. “I think they’re goin’ for the weaker newsies—little kids and girls, mostly. Probably why so few have been taken from Brooklyn. Whatever they’re havin’ them do, they don’t want anyone who’ll fight back or cause a lot of trouble.” He snorted in amusement, “They got another think comin’ if they expect that from Nike. And as for how many, well, seeing as they taking from all the boroughs,” he looked to Dutchy to make sure this was true, “then they must be looking for large numbers of kids. Don’t want so many missing out of one borough.” Medda walked over then and Styx straightened back up, smoothing his hair.
"A few girls who were working the floor are performing right now, but I'm on my way to speak with Toby. If you don't mind waiting a little longer I'll see if I can find anything out."
Styx nodded and even managed a small smile, “Yeah we’re fine with waitin’. Anythin you find out will be more than what we know now,” he admitted.
((there! ya happy, ali? lol))
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Post by dutchy on Jun 10, 2009 1:14:26 GMT -5
"Oh, I was helping out today, Medda. Since Shiner didn't show up..." Dutchy shrugged a little. He waited until Medda left before speaking to Styx and Don't Ask again. No sense in getting Medda more upset than needed. She was a lady after all.
"I think you're right, Styx," Dutchy looked rather grim, "I mean, Shiner isn't exactly tough. She only became a newsie because she thought she'd stay out on the street... Well, she didn't. She went back home." Dutchy shrugged again, "At least that means she has someone looking for her that might get the police to listen to him."
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Post by Don't Ask on Jun 10, 2009 1:48:43 GMT -5
((I am *very* happy, Dani. ;D))
Don't Ask listened to the worry in Styx's and Dutchy's voice, and for the first time in a long time, he was glad he kept people at arm's length. Sure, he missed out on having friends, but he also got to miss out on the pain that comes with friendships. It could just as easily have been him standing here in a near-panic over the disappearance of someone he loved. At least this way, he got to watch things unfold as a casual, not-quite-involved observer.
"How much have you heard?" he asked Dutchy. "My boss services most of the horses at the tracks, so we get around a lot. I've heard of a few kids going missing, but no one seemed to think it was too strange until lately, when they really started wracking up. We know Manhattan and Queens have been hit, and I'm pretty sure I heard something about a boy from the Bronx. Dunno about Brooklyn. You know if there's any truth to someone over there planning something to find these kids and get them back?"
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