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Post by fibs on Aug 7, 2008 23:38:32 GMT -5
"Your word was only good when you wanted it to be, Delilah.."
It had been the first time in a long time that she had heard some use her name--her real name. It was always "Fibs" or some variation of the moniker. Hell, she'd grown so used to it that it was her birth name that sounded foreign. Still, it assured her that he remembered and that said something.
"My word might be better if I could say something honest for once..." She remarked with the slightest smile, "So used to lying, the truth just pales in comparison." She straightened herself out a bit, keeping her back against the wall, but looking a tad less like a cornered animal.
"But I know you won't snitch, just have to be wary of everything and everybody. Can't take anything for granted.."
Fibs nodded vaguely, worrying her lower lip with her teeth. Though she was sure he had avoided the question before, she, against her better judgment, decided to pose it once more. "So... did you burn through all the money out West and need to return to your humbling beginnings or what?" She asked jokingly, despite her question being legitimate.
Tapping a hand nervously against the brick wall, Fibs kept her eyes trained on Pirate, trying to gauge his response.
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Post by pirate on Aug 7, 2008 23:42:59 GMT -5
He lifted a brow, yeah he remembered her name as well as his own. It was so often that street kids just forgot they'd actually once been called something else aside from the names that they'd been given by the gangs they ran with. The groups, stay alive you band together... he'd had to go it alone.
After she asked about his money he snorted, "I didn't burn threw it all, you kidding me? I may like the high life but I'm stingy as hell. I remember an old lady used to tell me she never paid anything she didn't have to-- said that after she smacked me with the newspaper I'd tired to sell her." The old woman had stolen it and taught him a lesson.
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Post by fibs on Aug 8, 2008 0:08:15 GMT -5
"I didn't burn threw it all, you kidding me? I may like the high life but I'm stingy as hell. I remember an old lady used to tell me she never paid anything she didn't have to-- said that after she smacked me with the newspaper I'd tired to sell her."
Fibs couldn't help but grin at his story. Rubbing her neck, she chuckled, "Yeah, there's nothin' like feisty old people, is there? Got an angry old fella chasin' me this morning--keep in mind, he was a limber old guy--" She didn't want to sound like she couldn't out run some feeble man with a cane; no, this man was fast. She shrugged, "Guess I've been playing it straight for too long--I got caught nicking an apple. It's shameful, really."
Realizing she was babbling, Fibs cleared her throat and tucked her hair behind her ears. "That's good, though... keeping track of your money, I mean. Where are you staying these days?"
She didn't intend to pry, but she was also trying to get a feel for what had become of her childhood friend.
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Post by pirate on Aug 8, 2008 0:18:34 GMT -5
He backed up a little bit but not enough to give her room to run, he was still close and he was a lot bigger than he had been as a kid. Listening to her talk he found himself smirking back, yeah that did bring back some memories. "Yeah you should be ashamed you used to be able to nick things so well... and then lie about it so they thought they'd given it to you if you got caught.."
When she asked where he was saying all Pirate could do was shrug, "I dunno, don't feel like imposing on anyone. It's not cold yet the alleyway suits me fine for now.."
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Post by fibs on Aug 8, 2008 0:31:16 GMT -5
The angle was awkward to say the least. He was a great deal taller than her 5'2" and she had to tip her head back to maintain eye contact. Still, at least she wasn't pinned to a wall.
"Yeah, but my ten year-old face was more convincing," She said with a shrug, "Maybe I am a bit rusty... I'll make sure to nick an apple or two a week, just to keep a hand in." The remark was a joking one, but it wasn't a bad idea. With the price hike, she wasn't always going to have the money to get food. She needed to start considering her other options.
Still, she'd been in deep with that crowd before and it had taken her many years to distance herself from them.
"I dunno, don't feel like imposing on anyone. It's not cold yet the alleyway suits me fine for now.."
She furrowed her eyebrows and frowned, "You have some money--there are places to stay around-" She stopped midsentence, remembering that he might not want to be showing his face too much, in the off chance people were looking for him. "Well, I know you see no glory in selling papers, but there's the lodging house... s'not much, but its got a roof."
She knew he wouldn't like that, but she'd offer anyway. Slowly stepping around him, she knelt to retrieve her papers. After all, they were her livelihood.
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Post by pirate on Aug 8, 2008 0:43:39 GMT -5
"Under Dodger's roof? Are you mad? I've got to keep a low profile and being anywhere near that showboat is the last thing I need right now," he didn't sound irritated but a part of him had a feeling that she was going to run and it would be the last time he'd seen her.
"Hey, Delilah.." he didn't move his hands from the wall until he spun around to lean back against it, watching her curiously. There was no way he was going to live under Dodger's roof, they'd never seen eye to eye under any circumstances.
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Post by fibs on Aug 8, 2008 0:52:01 GMT -5
"Under Dodger's roof? Are you mad? I've got to keep a low profile and being anywhere near that showboat is the last thing I need right now,"
Delilah, doing her best to reorganize her papers, shrugged at Pirate's curt dismissal, "Just an offer. Y'know, I understand why you don't want to, but he's a good guy... he-" she sighed, "well, it was somewhere to go when everything fell apart." She referenced the guild vaguely. She didn't feel comfortable talking about it, not even with her closer friends.
"Hey, Delilah.."
Hearing her birth name again, she glanced up at Pirate. "Yeah, Jasper?" He wasn't the only one that could remember a name.
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Post by pirate on Aug 8, 2008 0:57:57 GMT -5
He watched her try to justify Dodger and he lifted a brow thinking that she might actually have feelings for Dodger, some reason it sent his shoulders on edge and he hid his fist behind his back. Last thing he needed was to scare her off with his temper. He knew it was quick and violent, it always had been. But he was bigger now and could do more damage.
"I didn't mean to scare ya," he said not looking at her, the remorse in his voice was there, but it was clear he rarely apologized for anything.
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Post by fibs on Aug 8, 2008 1:16:34 GMT -5
"I didn't mean to scare ya,"
Fibs blinked, surprised to hear anything close to apology leave his mouth. Getting to her feet, she placed her stacked papers on a nearby crate before approaching Pirate. "I-" She sighed, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other, "You're just watching your back... can't blame you for that."
Timidly holding out a hand to him, she looked him in the eye. "It's good... to see you, I mean. I'm glad you've done well for yourself." And she meant it, even if his profession had changed him. He seemed volatile and it frightened her.
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Post by pirate on Aug 8, 2008 1:21:20 GMT -5
He slowly let the hand behind his back unclench as he reached for hers, doing his best to be gentle as he took her hand and doing something rather impulsive and roguish brought her knuckles to his lips before dropping her hand.
"Take care of yourself, Fibs.." He did it like it was a natural reaction, but the gentleness was such a contrast to how incredibly harsh and violent his personality was. He turned on his heal and actually started to walk leisurely down the alley into the darkness. He'd always been more comfortable with shadows then in the light anyway.
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Post by fibs on Aug 8, 2008 1:35:36 GMT -5
She turned to watch Pirate disappear into the alleyway, unconsciously flexing the fingers of the hand he'd taken. The entire encounter had left her a little shaken. Things had seemed so cut and dry the last couple years--sell papers, make a few cents, and avoid the guild. Something told her that was all about to change.
Snapping from her daze, Fibs gathered up her papers and started towards the main street. Fate willing, the angry old man was long gone... truth be told, Fibs would rather go toe-to-toe with Gramps then be on Pirate's bad side. Still, she knew she'd see him again and she couldn't decide whether it was a good or a bad thing.
Rolling her eyes, she internally berated herself for being an idiot. The guy was dangerous and, if she had any sense about her, she'd avoid anymore rendezvous like this one.
Glancing up, the sun was high in the sky and her morning edition was old news. "Damn it," she sighed. Not getting her papers sold ruled out lunch.
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Post by reeves on Mar 30, 2009 18:21:04 GMT -5
*New Day*
Reeves leaned up against the side fire escape of a tall building. It was a slow day...for him at least. He didn't know how the restaurants were holding out. To him it seemed resteraunts would be hard to have bad days. Everybody has to eat at some point don't they? And with the average kids living on the streets or boarding houses, they didn't have kitchens to cook in or people to cook for them, so therefore the restaurants probably had business. He knew news was usually pretty slow for the newsies, he hadn't heard of any assassinations as far as he could think of.
Reeves was more than a little angry. Mr. Alexander, his boss, hired another delivery boy for the department store. Reeves thought he always did a good job. He always finished his routes as quickly as he could, no matter what the weather usually. What made him angry was the fact that his route would be shorter, his load lighter, his wages less. Money didn't grow on trees for Reeves' family, and now he was being cut on his pay. He sighed and let out a long breath, and fiddled with a button on his dark green vest, not looking forward to going home and telling his older brothers the news.
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Post by Milo on Mar 30, 2009 21:34:34 GMT -5
Milo didn't really know why hhe had let himself get as far away from Manhattan as the Bronx but from the buildings around him and the names of the streets he knew that he most certainly had. He had been wandering around for the better part of an hour following a young couple who were getting ready to have a wedding, or so it seemed to Milo. they had gone all over the city buying a dress and visiting their parents and making plans with the church. It seemed to him that this wedding was very impromptu and that the couple hadn't really known each other for very long since they were still really crazy for each other in the giddy kind of way that seemed reserved only for really new couples. Heck, hey had hardly even noticed him the entire time he had followed them around. Usually people had long since bribed him to go away once the one hour mark rolled around. Finally, as the couple walked into yet another bridal store, Milo gave up and began to walk in what he thought was most likely the fastest way back home.
Suddenly, as he was walking past one of the buldings, he spotted a familiar face. Reeves was leaning up against the fire escape looking just about as distracted as the couple he had been following (though considerably less happy). not wanting to call out and draw too much unwanted attention to himself, Milo walked over to the older boy and tugged lightly on his pantleg. "Hi" he said quietly, giving him a small smile.
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Post by reeves on Mar 30, 2009 21:39:54 GMT -5
"Hi"
Reeves started slightly and then looked down to see a familiar little face. Milo. He let a small smile cross his face. He hadn't seen the kid in awhile, but he remembered how he was very impressed by Milo's intelligence. Heck, Milo was just as smart as him and his older brother Danny combined!
"Hey kid. Ain't seen you in awhile. Heat storms gone, eh? Better weather." He said with another small smile. It was nice to have company, might calm his nerves. He straightened and pushed away from the fire escape and climbed up onto the first seat plopping down and motioning for Milo to sit if he so chose to.
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Post by Milo on Mar 30, 2009 21:50:19 GMT -5
Milo gave a small nod and sat down where Reeves had indicated. "But you're sad now" he stated, looking up at him questioningly. "Why?" he asked, his voice even quieter than usual. He didn't normally make a practice of pointing things out to people unsolicited but Reeves had been nice when he talked to him last and it always inspired a mixture of interest and remorse in him when people he liked were sad even if it had nothing to do with him at all. And, after all, it didn't look like he was too busy at the moment to give an adequate explaination if he was so inclined. In Milo's experience most people we so inclined when they were upset about something. especially when it was a kid they were venting to. After all, who was he going to tell and who would take him seriously if he did tell someone. Nobody. They'd just think it was cute and brush it off. Sometimes being young really paid off.
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Thanks Jim!