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Post by Reid Halliway on Jun 3, 2009 0:38:14 GMT -5
Reid nodded his thanks and managed a small smile before turning and heading back out the way he'd come in. He pretty much knew how to get to the docks and figured it would be easy enough. He also figured he'd have no trouble with the other newsies because of Smalls. She obviously knew the folks that lived around here.
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Post by Birdie Schaffer on Aug 20, 2009 2:18:38 GMT -5
((New Day)) Birdie was sitting on one of the crates out back, smoking her rolled cigarette as she tapped her fingers against her boot. She had gone to see if she could talk to Spot but the look on his face meant he hadn't wanted to be bothered at the time. Sure, she knew a lot of things. She had heard that one of the girls in Manhattan had returned and the entire borough was in an uproar over it but she was exhausted, malnurished and other things. She also knew that they were being hauled out on trains. But of all the things she knew what she didn't know bothered her the most. Like where these kids were. Tapping her fingers against her worn boot she blew her hair out of her eyes and slid her cop off of her head, letting the blond curls cascade down her back. After knowing people for so long, the lines of the boroughs blurred. Most of Brooklyn didn't care for it but she never cared at all. Copper was still her best mate of the female persuasion. Puffing on her cigarette she considered what she could tell Spot, and deciding that she liked her head where it was, when she spoke to him she would tell him all she knew and help him figure out a course for them all. He was the leader after all, he was the king of Brooklyn. But he was still just Spot to her most of the time. |
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Post by spot on Aug 20, 2009 22:55:01 GMT -5
Despite a brief lull at the Brooklyn Lodging House, the air was thick with tension. Spot Conlon couldn’t spend his every minute making sure his boys and girls were staying in twos, but damned if he didn’t put them in their place if he caught them on their own. It was the kind of stupidity he couldn’t tolerate and the kind of stupidity Brooklyn didn’t need.
At the moment, finding his eyes and ears took precedence over the piss poor decisions of his newsies. Rounding the corner, Spot found her perched on the crates.
“You plan on waiting for a few more kids to disappear before comin’ to me or what?” Spot remarked dryly, his lips quirked in a scowl. That was harsh and unfair to her, but just about everything had him on edge.
He was tired of the waiting, tired of being idle. Softening his tone the slightest bit, Spot repeated the question, “Whattaya’ know, Birdie?”
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Post by Birdie Schaffer on Aug 20, 2009 23:01:16 GMT -5
“You plan on waiting for a few more kids to disappear before comin’ to me or what?”
Her brow lifted and she continued to puff on her smoke, her fingers tapping on her boot as she watched her leader. "It ain't that." her tone was rather bland, she was frowning a little until his tone softened and she sighed, running the back of her hand over her forehead.
"Sweets, you know timid thing from Manhattan, she showed up on their doorstep during the meetin," she took another drag of her smoke before she just threw the thing into the wall and wrapped her arms around her knee to think and consider what to say to her leader. "They've been usin a midnight train to take kids out, right out from under our noses. Word is that they've been takin them out to a work house somewhere outside the city for cheap labor. Ain't no deaths yet that I hear but they say it's guarded like bloody Fort Knox and the blighters got guns.." she sighed and shook her head as she tried to think a bit more.
"I had to make sure my sources were accurate.."
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Post by spot on Aug 20, 2009 23:27:39 GMT -5
"Sweets, you know timid thing from Manhattan, she showed up on their doorstep during the meetin," "They've been usin a midnight train to take kids out, right out from under our noses. Word is that they've been takin them out to a work house somewhere outside the city for cheap labor. Ain't no deaths yet that I hear but they say it's guarded like bloody Fort Knox and the blighters got guns.."
"Guarded like Fort Knox and someone got out, eh? Either that ain't true or I've seriously underestimated Kelly's girls." Still, Birdie wasn't prone to exaggeration. If she said the missing girls were locked up tight, she meant it. And, if the men behind it all were armed, they were well and above the normal scumbags who preyed the streets for orphans.
The missing were being taken out of the city which explained why it took so damn long to get wind of anything... and it made the notion of a retrieval mission a daunting one. Still, Spot was more than willing to hop a train if it meant the satiating of his anger.
"I had to make sure my sources were accurate.."
Spot nodded, any feelings of aggravation he had momentarily harbored toward the girl fading in contrast to this new information. "Prince and Dodger got word of this yet?" Spot fancied it was about time they got their girls back.
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Post by Birdie Schaffer on Aug 20, 2009 23:32:08 GMT -5
She looked up at him and smirked a little, they all had fight in them at least. The blond tilted her head for a moment as she considered what else she had. "I hear Jack wants to have a meeting at Medda's place just like last time. But-- it's not going to be one big party neither.." she wrinkled her nose and leaned back a bit, the frown on her face still in place.
"What I'd really like to know, is why now? I'm curious as to why they didn't start picking up kids when everyone was sick and dying from that TB outbreak awhile back. Seems like they were waiting for everyone to get comfortable and no one would be the wiser. Because in the end who but is gives a damn about us?"
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Post by spot on Aug 20, 2009 23:54:49 GMT -5
"I hear Jack wants to have a meeting at Medda's place just like last time. But-- it's not going to be one big party neither.."
Spot scowled. The idea of a big get-together definitely didn't tickle his fancy. All he wanted was to round up the best of Brooklyn and prepare for the fight to come--they didn't need weak tag-a-longs looking for their moment of glory. They just needed the strongest from each borough.
The quicker they acted, the less likely a cop would poke his head in and shut them down before they even got to the workhouse. "Jacky-boy doesn't really expect an event like that is gonna go unnoticed..." He respected the Manhattan leader, but they didn't often see eye-to-eye.
"What I'd really like to know, is why now? I'm curious as to why they didn't start picking up kids when everyone was sick and dying from that TB outbreak awhile back. Seems like they were waiting for everyone to get comfortable and no one would be the wiser. Because in the end who but is gives a damn about us?"
Spot smirked sardonically, "Damn right, Birdie. This kinda thing happens everyday and don't think for a second anyone with a spec of power is gonna lift a finger to stop it." He moved to stand beside her, resting his balms against the splintered wood of the crate.
"And," He added, "No one wants a dying kid working their factory--they want the healthy ones to work to death." Spot nudged Birdie with his elbow lightly, an awkward token of his appreciation as Spot wasn't much for gratitude. Internally, Spot was listing off the Brooklynites that he needed for what was to come. If the other boroughs had half the strength Brooklyn did, they'd be able to put together a sizeable "army"--ragged as all hell, but strong nonetheless.
"Kelly can do as he pleases--I'll deal with me and mine." He said firmly, rapping his knuckles against the crate.
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Post by Birdie Schaffer on Aug 21, 2009 0:08:07 GMT -5
"Jacky-boy doesn't really expect an event like that is gonna go unnoticed..."
Birdie watched her leader a she often did, she wasn't so sure she was okay with all this either. To be sure, people noticed when they started pairing off and she was damn sure they'd notice other things. A part of her was worried that if they didn't move quickly those in charge of this thing would pack up shop and just kill everyone if they had time to react.
Spot smirked sardonically, "Damn right, Birdie. This kinda thing happens everyday and don't think for a second anyone with a spec of power is gonna lift a finger to stop it." He moved to stand beside her, resting his balms against the splintered wood of the crate.
"And," He added, "No one wants a dying kid working their factory--they want the healthy ones to work to death."
She sighed and shrugged her shoulders, her head tilting towards him when he nudged her and she nodded. "They wouldn't. I have to wonder, if we waste all this time being so bloody democratic about all this, how long before whos in charge if this thing just goes and starts killin' to save themselves the trouble?" she could voice her concerns to Spot, he would listen and he would be honest. She needed that or she just didn't communicate at all. It was easier not to bother half the time.
"I mean, you look at it that way. there's only a matter of time if you work someone so hard before they aren't of use anymore. Seeing as how that's just how it's always been we don't really have the time to play around..." she frowned as she thought. If Lucky were here she'd say something like there was a time for talk and a time for action. But that was how most of Brooklyn was.
"Kelly can do as he pleases--I'll deal with me and mine." He said firmly, rapping his knuckles against the crate.
She nodded again and nudged him with her shoulder, it was affection but in a sisterly-I've-known-you-to-long kind of affection. Birdie let out a breath and nodded, "Figure there are two options in something like this. Sit and wait, or stand and fight. I prefer the latter option.."
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Post by spot on Aug 22, 2009 0:01:39 GMT -5
"They wouldn't. I have to wonder, if we waste all this time being so bloody democratic about all this, how long before whos in charge if this thing just goes and starts killin' to save themselves the trouble?"
Birdie’s point was chilling and one that had crossed his mind more than once. If Sweets was back, the logical course of action was to get as much information as they could from her, rendezvous at the train tracks and make their move—consequences be damned. Yes, running in blind was a bad idea, but this window of opportunity was fast closing.
Pushing himself upright, Spot raked a hand through his hair, “If were lucky, they haven’t already.”
"Figure there are two options in something like this. Sit and wait, or stand and fight. I prefer the latter option.."
Spot couldn’t resist the slight smile that tugged at his lips. “And that,” Spot began, “is why you’ll always come back to Brooklyn.” Birdie was the best source in New York, as far as Spot was concerned, and she was invaluable—even if she was just as likely to up and disappear as he was.
“Right, well, I ain’t wastin’ anymore time.” He made a few steps towards the Lodging House before doubling back, “And don’t you go and get yourself kidnapped too—damned if I need another one of mine gone.”
Spot thought back on what had happened to Lucky and what was undoubtedly happening to his missing. No, as far as he was concerned, there would be no waiting on Kelly in Brooklyn. Jogging up the front steps, Spot swung the door of open and slipped inside.
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