Front Gate

[Prince]

“Cute, innocent, and especially pathetic is exactly what I’m looking for. The more pathetic, the better. Sounds a lot like Les. Do you think he could manage to look starving and homeless in front of some big shots? There’s nothing planned yet, but that’s what we’re going to aim for.”

Prince nodded. "Then ya got the right place. Jem can pull off all that stuff, no problem. He's a little actor that one," she added with a slight chuckle.

When Aqua mentioned the set of sisters Prince couldn't help but roll her eyes. Sure they were cute and sweet and all, but at the same time... it was weird having a whole family in the lodging house. She hardly knew any of 'em very well at all because they seemed so tight knit with their own friends. She found it a touch annoying honestly, but that was just her.

"Yeah, those girls, depends on how young you wanna go, and ya'd hafta talk to their siblings first. I don't think they'd just let the little ones wonder off with some boy from Manhattan, no offense. If I meet any of 'em, I'll put in a good word for ya," she said with a small smirk to him. Prince wasn't quite up to a smile, yet.

[davidjacobs]

David shifted awkwardly as Aqua laughed at him. He knew she was just joking, but sometimes these nicknames really flummoxed him. After a while they all started to blur together.

"Then ya got the right place. Jem can pull off all that stuff, no problem. He's a little actor that one,"

“Great!” David said. “If he wants to help, he could be perfect.” Maybe David could get Les to talk to some of these younger kids for him.

Yeah, those girls, depends on how young you wanna go, and ya'd hafta talk to their siblings first. I don't think they'd just let the little ones wonder off with some boy from Manhattan, no offense. If I meet any of 'em, I'll put in a good word for ya,"

“That would probably be a good idea,” David said. He already felt strange enough wandering around New York asking after cute children. He noticed Prince still didn’t look quite happily, but decided not to mention it. He didn’t want any personal grudges to break their already disunited front. “Well, thank you, Prince,” he said, forcing a sunny smile. “Now the only leader I haven’t spoken to is Spot Conlon.” David couldn’t say he was looking forward to that conversation.

[aqua]

"I could talk to the girls if you want. The oldest, Connie, is my age, she's also a close friend. I'll walk around with David, only if you want." She glanced at the ground and blushed a little bit.

When David shifted, she felt bad. "Sorry, I'll teach you the names a little later." Aqua whispered in his ear.

[melody]

Melody was walking up to the Front Gate of the New York Journal to see if his sister, Magenta had been here, or if she was at the moment. Glancing around the Gate, all he saw was his leader, Prince, a fellow newsie, Aqua. And he saw David Jacobs, a boy from Manhattan who was in the strike last year with Jack.

He shook his head getting his thoughts out of his head, remembering his sister. Just deciding to ask his leader, he walked up to the group of three and said, "Uh..excuse me, Prince. I was wonderin'...have ya seen my sistah, Magenta around anywheah?" Feeling a blush crawl up his small neck, he coughed. Melody had a nice, soft and soothing voice, even without singing, but he was easily shy.

[Prince]

"Now the only leader I haven’t spoken to is Spot Conlon."

She could tell Dave wasn't exactly excited about that. She smiled a little. "I'd offah to go with ya," she commented, but I dunno how that'd go. I mean... I seen Spot recently just as much as you have, but if ya want some company I could come along though," she glanced at Aqua, "maybe ya got enough company already," she added with a shrug.

Melody seemed to come up outta no where and... in the middle of the conversation no less. She found it slightly odd. "Have ya seen my sistah, Magenta around anywheah?"

Prince had to roll her eyes ever so slightly. "Heya Melody. And... well lemme put it this way, if you ain't seen ya sister, could I a seen her?" she asked. She realized it was a bit harsh and brought her tone back to it's natural kindness. "Sorry uh... naw," she said shaking her head, "I ain't seen her Mel. Uhh... look around a little bit, I'm sure she's here somewheres. Unless she decided to take a trip outta Queens," she suggested before turning her attention back to Davey and Aqua.

[melody]

"Heya Melody. And... well lemme put it this way, if you ain't seen ya sister, could I a seen her? Sorry uh... naw, I ain't seen her Mel. Uhh... look around a little bit, I'm sure she's here somewheres. Unless she decided to take a trip outta Queens,"

Melody had a confused look on his face as why Prince was so mad, but he pushed it off to the side and might just ask Aqua later, since she was close to his sister. "Oh, alright. Thanks anyway Prince." He turned around and started looking for her again.

[davidjacobs]

"I could talk to the girls if you want. The oldest, Connie, is my age, she's also a close friend. I'll walk around with David, only if you want."

“Thank you,” David said with a grateful smile. “I don’t think I could do all of this on my own.” He appreciated any and all help he could get. There was no way he could reach even a fraction of the newsies in New York by himself. Already, he thought Aqua would make a dedicated ally.

"I'd offah to go with ya," she commented, but I dunno how that'd go. I mean... I seen Spot recently just as much as you have, but if ya want some company I could come along though,"

“I don’t know,” David said, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn’t want to face Spot alone, but – “Maybe it would be better if I went alone. I don’t want him to think I’m trying to mob him. All I want to do is talk, not intimidate. Thank you, though, Prince.”

David blinked when Prince snapped at a shy-looking boy asking after his sister. He understood why Prince was tense, but he offered the boy a weak smile, hoping said smile conveyed, “Hello, nice to meet you. No, I’m sorry, I’ve never met your sister, but I hope you find her.” It was a lot of work for one weak smile, but he tried.

[Prince]

((I think Aqua deleted her account, so... we'll just have to go on like she's not there I guess. Sorry))

Prince understood what Jacob was saying fully. "Well, I know how much ya love Brooklyn," what could she say? Jack wasn't the most tight lipped person in the world. "Avalanche is down there. You can go find him if ya lookin' for some kinda ally. Spot don't mind, Avie either, and since he ain't a newsie no more," Avalanche was the former Queens leader who was now a Brooklyn Dock worker and retired from newsie life, "maybe if you need someone you could find him," she suggested.

"Lemme know how things are going Dave, okay?" she asked again, her mood had improved slightly, she still wanted to talk to Jack face to face, but decided to wait before she did that.

[davidjacobs]

[Sorry, Prince! Getting ready for school has been interfering with my posting a bit]

"Well, I know how much ya love Brooklyn,"

David shrugged. "I've got no problem with Brooklyn, but I guess I'm not as popular down there as I'd like." He scowled. "I just hope Spot will listen to me. Some newsies won't."

"Avalanche is down there. You can go find him if ya lookin' for some kinda ally. Spot don't mind, Avie either, and since he ain't a newsie no more,"

"Avalanche," David said. "Right, I'll remember that." He'd had run-ins with a couple less than friendly Brooklyn newsies in the past. Maybe it would be good to find an ally before going to Spot. On the other hand, Spot was nothing if not proud. Perhaps it would be best for David to approach him alone. They had been friends once, back during the strike. Why should anything have changed?

"Lemme know how things are going Dave, okay?"

"I will Prince," David said. "I promise."

[Prince]

((It's okay, it's been the same on my end, busy and crazy isn't it? No worries.))

Prince nodded with a smile. "Thanks Davey," she said with a small smile. "And if nothin' else, if it gets late, and ya need a place for the night. Check the low end apartments in Brooklyn," she suggested. "the last thing we need is the brains of the operation hurt... or worse," she said. She respected David's intelligence, and wanted him to be safe at this time especially. And if nothing else, Avalanche was good for a laugh, friendly, and personable. Never did a person harm, having Avalanche as a friend, on their side.

[davidjacobs]

"And if nothin' else, if it gets late, and ya need a place for the night. Check the low end apartments in Brooklyn,"

David nodded. "Avalanche," he said. "I'll remember." He would probably have to spend at least one night in Brooklyn while he waited to speak to Spot. Maybe he would do well to find a safe place to stay.

David couldn't help scowling as he imagined how his mother would react when he told her that he would be staying with some stranger in a low-end Brooklyn apartment for a night. Oh, well, it had to be done and David wasn't a kid anymore.

"Thanks, Prince," he said, smiling. "You've been a big help. Is there anything I can do for you? I'm not the most popular kid in the world, but if you needed a message sent somewhere, I could probably get it out for you." David didn't mention Jack's name directly. He didn't think it would be polite. And who knew? Prince might have a few words for Spot's as well.

[Prince]

She knew what David was thinking, but she just shook her head, anything she said to anyone that Davey would be seeing, she needed to say to their faces. "Thanks Davey, but I can handle that I think," she said with a nod.

"Good luck down in Brooklyn though David," she said. "If ya think about it, swing by on ya way back. Ya can usually find me around the fountain if I ain't at the lodgin' house. Lemme know how things went, alright?" she asked. "And stay safe down there too," she added asserting that point.

[davidjacobs]

"Thanks Davey, but I can handle that I think."

David nodded. "All right, Prince," he said. He trusted Prince to deal with her issues in her own way and in her own time.

"If ya think about it, swing by on ya way back. Ya can usually find me around the fountain if I ain't at the lodgin' house. Lemme know how things went, alright?"

"I'll definitely do that," said David. He smiled wanly. "I might not be exactly welcome in Brooklyn, but I don't think anyone will knock me down either." With that double-edged consolation firmly in mind, David turned away from the Journal's gate, waved to Prince one last time and set off for Brooklyn.

[raine]

((((new day))))

raine stood against the wall.
Her eyes cast downward,she felt like an outsider.
she didn't know anyone,but she was hoping to make that change.
she was an outgoing person,but not at first.
she took her hat off and fanned her hair that was in a messy bunn.
she looked around,watching everyone talking to eachother.
she wished that she had something to write with, this would be a great poem.