The Boys Bedroom--Beds

[Administrator]

The Queens newsies have a large bedroom with rows and rows of beds, not bunks. Though the beds are cramped in here, their comfortable. So find an empty one, and settle in.

[Prince]

Prince rolled her eyes at the boy. She sighed and headed towards the boy's bunk room. She oepend the door to show the boys' room was nearly as neat and tidy as the girls. It didn't smell awful, Prince wouldn't allow it. It was fairly bright, and clean, just not as brightly colored, or elaborately decorated. A few pictures were tacked up on the walls, and the beds weren't exactly made, but it was warm and comfortable that's for sure. "Find a bed," she said. "Same rules apply here. You guys can go visit and go into one another's rooms almost any time. So long as ya knock, and everyone's decent. Goils sleep in one room, boys in the other, that's the way it stays. You wanna sleep with anyone of da opposite sex... take it downstairs ta the main room, or bettah yet, go to their place! Questions?" she asked Styx.

[Styx Kennedy]

Snorting in amusement at Prince’s little spiel, Styx looked into the room. “I’ll keep dat in mind…” He grinned Slipping past Prince into the bedroom. The room was lit mostly by the reddish sunlight that streamed in from the windows on the opposite side, but he noticed some kerosene lamps that would give the boys light at night. As Styx slid his knapsack under his chosen bunk and rumpled up the bedclothes to let people know it was taken, Nike turned to look at Prince.

“I have a question, actually. Is dere a washroom ‘round here somewheres? Our clothes are pretty manky.”

[Prince]

She nodded. "Yeah, right at the top of the stairs. The unfortunate thing is this place only came with one. So we split it up the best we can. Girls one side, boys on the other, and it stays that way. Ya break that rule... we don't letcha back in for a week," she warned. "Ya'd be amazed how well that works," she said with a smirk as she leaned against the wall in here too. It seemed Prince had no bed claimed, chances were, she would have been sitting on it if she did. With her arms folded she looked down and began to examine her nails as she tried to dig the dirt out from under them.

[Nike Kennedy]

“Hah! I bet dat does work” She laughed. Still smirking, Nike watched her twin pull the knapsack back out from under the bed and dig around in it, probably looking for his box of matches. Out of the corner of her eye, Nike examined the Queens leader closely. For a tough street rat, he had a rather delicate face. His arms what one would expect of a Newsie either. Though they looked like they’d seen some work, they weren’t as defined as a news boy’s should be. Suddenly a possible explanation hit her. She decided to test out her theory with an innocent question, “Which bed’s yours?”

[Prince]

Prince looked at Nike as though she'd just asked her which planet she came from. "I gotta room down the hall ta myself. That's the rule of the lodgin' houses. If ya gotta be in charge of evrythin' ya getcha own room. All the leadahs got 'em, from 'hattan to Brooklyn, and back up to the Bronx," she said. She blinked. "Gotta problem with that missy?" she asked cocking an eyebrow, just asking Nike if she wanted to try and push the issue. Prince may not like as defined as some of the boys, but she's tough, she could do as much damage as the other leaders could... with a weapon. Okay, she wasn't as tough as the other leaders, but that didn't mean she couldn't do some major damage.

[Nike Kennedy]

Nike put up her hands in defense, “I’s just askin’! Was wonderin’ how neat of a person ya are. ‘Sides, how’m I s’posed ta know all the leaders have dere own rooms? Ain’t like I’ve been in loads a newsie lodging houses.” Maybe Nike’s inkling was correct, but she decided to drop it for now. There’s no sense in twistin' hay with their new leader. Styx, hearing the commotion, made his way over to the doorway, a single match and three cigarettes in his hand.

“Wass all this then?” He asked as he handed one of the cigarettes to Nike, stuck a second one in his mouth and offered the third to Prince.

“Nothin’ ya need ta worry ya little ‘ead about,” she informed him as she placed the cigarette in her mouth and swiped the match from her brother. She was about to light her smoke when she paused. “Are we allowed ta smoke in heah?” She asked Prince calmly. Almost as though the little argument hadn't happened.

[Prince]

Prince shrugged. "I dun care. Ain't no rule says ya can't. Don't boin the place down," she said with a shrug. "One reason I nevah come in da boys bunk room," she said shaking her head. "Always seems hotter inhere than in da othah rooms."

"Oh, and one more rule, no goin' spreadin' rumors about the leadah," she said. She took her hat off. "Which includes," she said as she let her long brown hair fall down around her shoulders. It was about a foot and a half long or so, she hadn't cut it since she was twelve. "Not tellin' anyone that I'm a goil. I'm the only one of my kind in New York, and there for, endangered. All the other Queens kids now it, and all the leadahs in New York, as well as a few newsies in othah boroughs," she added. "Just... dun tell no one."

[Nike Kennedy]

"I dun care. Ain't no rule says ya can't. Don't boin the place down,"

Assuming she didn’t want the smoke he’d offered her, Styx stuck it in his shirt pocket as Nike struck the match on Styx’s arm to then light her cigarette. She was just taking her first drag when Prince pulled off her hat to reveal beautiful long brown hair and, of course, that she was a girl. She gasped and, in doing so, made herself choke on the smoke she’d just inhaled. At the same time, Styx dropped the smoke he was just about to light off Nike’s onto the floor…along with his jaw. “Ya…you…Youse a bird!” Styx stammered, completely flabbergasted.

“A coise she’s a bird!” Nike grinned, happy that her hunch was correct. “Jaysus, ya so unobsoivant!” She remarked while play punching his shoulder. “An’ dere ain’t nothin’ wrong with that either. Is there, boyo.” She gave him a look as she took another drag on her cigarette.

“Nah, s’not a problem. If you’ve been leadah all dis time then ya must be pretty good at it. So it’s fine by me. Not that you needed my opinion…” he laughed then turned to his twin. “And I ain’t unobsoivant. She just had me fooled is all.” Nike rolled her eyes and turned back to Prince.

“Don worry, we wont tell no one. If ya wanna keep it a secret then we’ll keep it a secret.”

[Prince]

Prince nodded. "Good," she said. She leaned over and picked up Styx's cigarette. "An' ya dropped this pretty boy," she said handing it to him. She had to admit, she always liked the looks and reactions she got from people when they found out that she was a girl. It was comical every time, and never got old. "So ya should be all settled in. I think I told ya everythin' ya need ta know. An' if ya dun need ta no nothin' else... then we get up with the sun ta sell papes. And you'll be awake, unless ya wanna miss it," she warned them. She spoke in her normal voice with her hat off. It was a bit higher, but it was hard to tell. And the rest of her kept acting like a boy. She had no need to act any other way, and by now it was ultimately a habit.

[Nike Kennedy]

Styx cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck as he accepted the cigarette back from Prince, chuckling good-naturedly at her ‘pretty boy’ comment.

"So ya should be all settled in. I think I told ya everythin' ya need ta know. An' if ya dun need ta no nothin' else... then we get up with the sun ta sell papes. And you'll be awake, unless ya wanna miss it,"

Shoving her twin, Nike smirked. “Ya hear dat, ‘pretty boy’?” Ya have ta actually get up when ya told. They ain’t gonna wait for ya to sleep off a hangover.” Styx placed a hand on his chest and a wounded look on his face.

“Are you talkin’ ta me? ‘Cause I’m ‘fraid I don know whatchya talking about.” He stated dramatically. Nike rolled her eyes at him and looked back at Prince.

“Will someone come up to wake us when it’s time?” Neither of the twins were morning people, so this new carrier routine would definitely be a test of their will power.

[Prince]

"None but yours truely," she said with a smile. That's how it woiks around here. Will, the guy who owns dis place wakes me up, and I take it from dere. It's nice, b'cause he usually has somethin' for us ta eat b'fore we go out. Biscuits usually, but sometimes he makes a buncha toast, or somethin' else too. He's a good guy," she said. "He's the one you'll pay the rent ta when ya do that, so he's who I'll be given ya twenty cents ta," she said with a slight nod to her head. "Anythin' else?"

[Nike Kennedy]

Both of them grinned instinctively at the mention of food, then nodded in understanding when told who to pay their rent to in the future.

"Anythin' else?"

They made eye contact, Styx raising his eyebrows and Nike shaking her head. “Don’t look like it,” he stated. “But if we think of any I’m sure we’ll be able ta find ya.” The twins both spit in their hands and held them out simultaneously.

“Would it be gameball wit you if we went and poked around Queens for a bit?" Nike inquired. "We haven’t spent much time in dis borough yet.”

[Prince]

Prince chuckled and spit in her hand, and shook one's hand, then the other. "do what cha want, I dun mind," she says. "We lock the doors at midnight, so ya just gotta be back by then. Othah than that, i dun got much control over ya. Jus... don't go around givin' newsies a bad name huh? We got a rough enough time at the moment as it is," she said. "So... enjoy yaselves, and slán agus beannacht leat ." She turned away from the twins, stopped and turned back to them. "That means... Goodbye and blessings with ya." Yes, it was Gaelic, also known as Irish. She wasn't fluent, but she knew enough to get their attention she was sure.

[Nike Kennedy]

They nodded in unison when they were told to be back by midnight then smirked in sync when she asked them not to give newsies a bad name (they’d try). The two were just about to head out when the Queens leader managed to shock them once again.

“…slán agus beannacht leat. That means... Goodbye and blessings with ya."

Lucky for Nike, she wasn’t taking a drag of her cigarette when Prince said “goodbye,” because she no doubt would have chocked again. Styx however recovered faster, “I know what it means,” he said grinning from ear to ear, “I’s just...you…Jaysus! Dat was rapid!” Finally recovering, Nike was quick to agree with her twin.

“Bloody, brilliant! ...As the tans say. So, go raibh maith agat!” ((thank you))