|
|
Post by Administrator on May 14, 2007 0:45:20 GMT -5
The intersection of Myrtle Ave. and Hillside Ave., This can be a great selling spot.
|
|
|
|
Post by mabel on Dec 29, 2007 21:11:57 GMT -5
It had been an early start for Mabel and Prince and Jem (who, as it turns out, was quite the morning person) were quick to get her up. Luckily, the air was cold enough to wake someone from a coma.
They'd already been to the distribution center in Queens. Mabel hadn't purchased any papers as it didn't seem right for a Manhattan newsie to steal customers from Queens. Still, Mabel could watch and learn from Prince.
Mabel couldn't help but look at Prince suspiciously--ever since the hat situation, that is. He--she, rather--was a girl much to Mabel's shock. She hid it well. Nevertheless, Mabel didn't know whether to tell Prince she knew her secret or not. If there was one thing Mabel knew, it was that every person has a right to their secrets.
Mabel yawned and pulled her winter coat more tightly around her, "Lovely weather..."
Just then, as though the fates were privy to her sarcasm, it began to flurry.
|
|
|
|
Post by Prince on Dec 30, 2007 1:27:18 GMT -5
Prince chuckled. "Yeah, real scorcher," she said with sarcasm and a boyish tone right back, which made Jem giggle.
Jem took a few of Prince's papers. "Can I go sell a few?" he asked. "Puleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze?"
Chuckling Prince replied, "Sure," before she tucked a loose strand of hair up under her hat. "Now," she said turning her attention to Mabel, "We might as well start with the basics." She stopped. "On second thought I don't wanna tell ya a bunch of stuff ya already know so, why dun you tell me what you know, and I'll see how I can elaborate from there."
|
|
|
|
Post by mabel on Dec 31, 2007 2:04:33 GMT -5
Mabel blinked at Prince before wracking her brain for any paper selling tidbits she'd accumulated over the past several months. Said tidbits were few and far between.
"Well, I suppose gaining the customer's sympathy is a way of going about it." This was the one technique that had worked for Mabel--she could get the water works going if need be. That said, Mabel had a bad tendency to wear what top-notch clothes she had from before her newsie days. A girl in frilly lace and bonnets did not garner the sympathy a small child in rags might.
She bit her lip, "Being loud." Which Mabel was not. "I suppose a decent headline helps..."
Mabel sighed dramatically, "Oh, I am a lost cause, aren't I? I'm not cut out for this..."
|
|
|
|
Post by Prince on Dec 31, 2007 19:10:51 GMT -5
"Problem numbah one," she said putting her arm around Mabel. "Ya ain't got no self confidence. Ya give up to quick, dat's rule numbah one... wait no it ain't," she chuckled. "Guess that's rule numbah two... nevah give up.
Now, rule numbah one is a different matter all together. You evah hoid of 'Improvin' the Truth?" Prince said with with a smirk and a slight spark in her eye. It gave the impression that she was defiantly up to something.
Jem on the other hand was off having a good time, selling up and down, and doin' a great job too. He sold 4 already.
|
|
|
|
Post by mabel on Jan 20, 2008 23:28:10 GMT -5
(So, so sorry- I've been bogged down with icky midterm business.)
No self confidence? Mabel crossed her arms and pouted. Selfish? Sure. Lazy? Incredibly. Condescending? Yes... but not without reason. But Mabel never once fancied herself as someone without self confidence.
"You evah hoid of 'Improvin' the Truth?"
Mabel glanced at Prince, "Improving the truth?... As in lying?" The mischievous glint in Prince's eye made Mabel a bit worried.
"Well, sure, lying can come in handy... honestly, though, no lie no matter how clever can make-..." Mabel glanced down at one of the day's headlines, " 'Tomatoes imported from West Virginia found to be less than satisfactory' interesting."
God, the newspapers would print anything these days. It was as if they were trying to make Mabel's job hard.
|
|
|
|
Post by Prince on Jan 21, 2008 12:23:20 GMT -5
(It's no problem. I've been busy too)
Prince chuckled. "Ya a pretty goil, so ya got that goin' for ya. Howevah, ya ain't a kid no more. So, ya gotta make it work for ya," she smiled a little. "See me... lookin' like a boy, lookin' like every kid in New York... I get problems. You'll have a little easier time." She smiled softly.
"Now, lemme show ya," Prince pulled up a paper and read the headline. 'Tomatoes imported from West Virginia found to be less than satisfactory.' "Wow," she said laughing. "Not much ta go off there is it?" she asked. "It's alright... let's see... tomatoes are red... and well... there's obviously some problem..." she thought for a minute. "I got it," she said with a snap of her fingers. "Watch dis," she said with a smirk.
She turned around, raised a paper, made sure her voice town was low to sound like a boy, and shouted, "RED TOMATOES FULL OF BLOOD! WEST VIRGINIAN PEOPLE KILLED TO MAKE TOMATO PROFIT! ARE PEOPLE CANIBLES BY EATING THE TOMATOES? EXTRA EXTRA!" The blood was enough to get the attention of people near by.
Jem, still standing near by looked over at Prince and laughed. She had such ways of changing headlines to her advantage. it made him laugh.
Seconds later 5 papers were gone, and more people were still lining up to buy more. "gotta keep movin," she informed Mabel, 'fore they realize it ain't exactly true." Okay, so that headline had been a flat out lie, but there was nothing to work with there... she had to make it interesting. Even if it was a lie. Usually she'd be better at just twisting new words. But what could you do with tomatoes beyond turn all of New York into cannables?"
|
|
|
|
Post by mabel on Jan 21, 2008 14:18:44 GMT -5
"See me... lookin' like a boy, lookin' like every kid in New York... I get problems. You'll have a little easier time."
Mabel saw in this statement a window of opportunity. "Looking like a boy?" She remarked casually, certainly not wanting to drill Prince's secret from her Mabel was curious all the same.
Mabel's eyes widened comically at Prince's "improvement of the truth". It was quite the improvement. After a fair amount of people were reeled in by the headline, Prince was wise enough to move along- Mabel made a mental note of this particular tip. Mobs of angry newspaper buyers worried Mabel.
Mabel was very impressed, "And they just buy it? The people, I mean? Incredible... but what happens if you get caught in a lie?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Prince on Jan 21, 2008 18:57:20 GMT -5
Prince just looked at her with a small smirk at her looking like a boy comment. Prince would explain that one later.
"Well... ya run!" Prince said chuckling. She whistled to Jem to come back, He knew they were gonna move on for a bit. "I've gotten caught in a lie once or twice... and... it's a good idea ta know where a good hidin' spot is, or got a good pair of legs," she said with a smirk. "Whatever'll work bettah for youse."
Jem came back over. "Hi!" he said. "Are ya learnin' anythin'? You an expert yet?" he asked folding his arms looking like he should know every last detail of selling by now.
|
|
|
|
Post by mabel on Jan 24, 2008 21:34:22 GMT -5
"I've gotten caught in a lie once or twice... and... it's a good idea ta know where a good hidin' spot is, or got a good pair of legs,"
Ah, yes. Running did seem to be key in this business and Mabel had gotten a fair bit of practice since she'd been in the city. As it turns out, she was pretty fast when she needed to be. Then again, anyone faced with the prospect of being beaten to a bloody pulp could get a good sprint going. Mabel was likewise learning not run her mouth around the tougher looking newsies. No, fighting was not her forte.
Mabel smiled at Jem's question, "Don't rush me- I'm learning!"
She glanced down at a headline, "'Over-Population of Rambunctious Squirrels in Central Park'... I suppose I should give it try, yes?"
She cleared her throat and squared her shoulders, "HIDEOUS RODENTS TERRORIZE CENTRAL PARK! FUTURE OF THE CITY AT STAKE!"
Mabel glanced nervously at Prince beneath her wide-brimmed hat, "Have I over done it?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Prince on Jan 25, 2008 1:08:28 GMT -5
Prince chuckled. "Not bad," she said with a smile. She was proud.
Jem laughed. "I like it!" he said nodding with a broad smile.
Prince thought for a moment. "Take out the first two words, and change Terrorize into a noun like... a kinda person. A terrorist... or a... mutant," she said nodding. "They dun gotta know the living things are rodents... and as long as ya dun say human..." she said with a smirk. Now that was improving the truth! Mabel wasn't half bad!
|
|
|
|
Post by nickbar on Jan 25, 2008 17:00:35 GMT -5
Jason walked down the street making his rounds. He saw a couple of newsies talking and just innored them at first. Then he thought that they would be able to help him so he walked up to them.
"I don't mean to but in but I'm looking for a young girl. She's 15 or 16 now." explained Jason as he held out a picture to them, it was a girl with brown hair and cystal blue eyes. "Her name is Cathryn Barlow. Has any of you seen her?" asked Jason.
|
|
|
|
Post by mabel on Jan 26, 2008 16:40:09 GMT -5
Mabel was so pleased with herself that she assumed the man who had approached them was looking to purchase a paper from her. She held out the paper, grinning proudly.
At that same moment, the man held out a photograph. Mabel was more than prepared to tell the man that a photograph was by no means proper pay for the newspaper when it clicked that the man wasn't interested in her headline. He was looking for someone- the someone in the photograph.
Mabel's shoulders sagged and her trademark pout pulled at her lips. She glanced at the photograph, "No, sorry- I haven't seen her..."
Mabel then glanced at Prince, wondering if she'd seen the girl in the photograph.
|
|
|
|
Post by Prince on Jan 27, 2008 0:09:47 GMT -5
Prince looked over at the picture in the guys hand. "Uh... naw, I ain't seen her," she said in a low voice shaking her head. "Sorry, no idea who she is." Prince turned away. "Good luck findin' her," she put an arm around Mabel as though they were dating (it would look protective, so that Prince would defend her if the guy tried anything funny).
"C'mon, let's move on," Prince said. She whistled to Jem as the three of them moved a little farther down the street.
"Now, ya doin' a good job," she said nodding in approval. "Very good," she added. "See, ya just gotta have a little confidence, and a bad headline that's been improved."
|
|
|
|
Post by mabel on Jan 27, 2008 22:16:38 GMT -5
Mabel took a quick glance back at Jason. She hoped he'd find the girl in the photo- it was never easy to be seperated from someone you care about.
"Now, ya doin' a good job,"
Mabel grinned at Prince's appraisal. It was odd. Mabel never fancied herself someone who needed to be reassured. Then again, Mabel had never done anything that could be considered an accomplishment. She always figured she was good at all the nothing she used to do.
Still, this was different. This felt good.
'Well, what should we do next?'- This is what Mabel had meant to say. But, in its place, came a rushed and stuttered "Thank you," that surprised even Mabel.
She quickly looked away, tugging awkwardly at the ribbon of her hat. "I mean-..." She trailed off, "For teaching me... I know you didn't have to. I'm sure there are more valuable ways to spend your time," She laughed weakly, yet avoiding eye contact with either Prince or Jem.
|
|
(c)Red