Benches

[dice]

<< New Day >>

Dice had just came from Brooklyn, where she stole a wallet and an apple, Dice had been thinking that being a thief was getting old...well not that old but that she needed to become something or someone that could sleep in s bed at night and have someone caring for you. Dice hadn't slept in a bed since...since she was a little girl when she was in Greece, where she was born.

Dice sat down on the bench with a wallet in her pocket and an apple in her hand, Dice bit into her apple and looked around to see if she recognized anybody.....well she probably wasn't gonna see anybody that she recognizes since she doesn't really know anybody just a little boy from Manhattan.

[davidjacobs]

David strolled past a line of trees, admiring the play of sunlight and shadow on the ground in front of him. It was a nice day - not blisteringly hot but not freezing cold either. A good day to sell papers, he found himself thinking before he remembered that he didn't do that anymore.

Plenty of people were out enjoying clement weather, milling around the park and resting in the sunlight, but one girl in particular caught David's attention. She was sitting on a bench, clutching an apple like it was the only food she had seen in weeks. Thin and hollow-eyed, she looked like a million other homeless kids that roamed New York. But familiar as the sight was, it still made David's stomach tighten.

"Excuse me," he said, pausing next to the girl's bench. "I hope you don't think me rude for asking this, but are you all right?"

[dice]

"Excuse me, I hope you don't think me rude for asking this, but are you all right?"

Dice looked up from her apple and saw a boy around her age standing next to the bench that she was sitting on. Dice put her apple on her lap and looked him up and down, he had curly brown hair and blue eyes. "Yah i'm aight." said Dice.

((sorry took so long))

[davidjacobs]

[Not a problem!]

"Ah," David said, not sure how to proceed. "Well, that's good." Shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other, he searched for something else to say, but came up empty.

"All right," he said finally. "I'll just - go." He turned on his heel and started back the way he had come. Then, on a whim, he turned back. "Miss, I hope you don't think me forward, but I was wondering if you would be interested in some work. I used to sell papers in Manhattan. It's steady work, if a little hard on the legs." He worked his jaw nervously as he thought of the best way to frame his next statement. "And to be honest, we need help. The prices of the papers are going up and if we're going to strike effectively, we need numbers."

Perhaps asking that someone join a strike only moments after suggesting that selling papers could provide steady money wasn't the best plan, but then David's mouth often walked away with him.

[dot]

Dot had woke up pretty late today so she didn't have a chance to buy and sell the morning edition today, and she missed Firecracker before he left the lodging house this morning. Firecracker is Dot's boyfriend, but she hadn't been able to see him in a few weeks whichy was making her sad.

Dot walked around Central Park for a while watching newsies selling the morning edition, Dot put her hand in her pocket and only felt a couple of cents. Dot sat down on the bench and thought about the raise of the prices and if they were gonna strike..... again.

[davidjacobs]

David was once again making a circuit around Central Park. It was good place to find newsies who had time to talk. He'd managed to talk to paper pushers from Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens, but Brooklyn was still unknown to him. Jack had said that Spot Conlon wanted to strike, but David had no idea how his underlings felt.

David was strolling by the benches when he caught sight of a girl contemplating the scenery. She was dressed like a newsie. And while, she might not be from Brooklyn, it was always useful to see which way the wind was blowing.

"Excuse me, miss," David said. "Do you happen to sell papers for a living?" It wasn't the most elegant of questions, but it would do.

[dot]

"Excuse me, miss, Do you happen to sell papers for a living?"

Dot looked turned toward the boy, who she recognized as David Jacobs a.k.a. the walking mouth, Dot recognized him because she saw him come to Brooklyn when him, Boots, and Jack Kelly went to Brooklyn to tell Spot Conlon that they were gonna go on strike and that they needed his help. Dot raised her eye brows when he called her miss, Dot had never ben called "miss" before. "Yes..yes i do." said Dot.

[davidjacobs]

"Yes..yes i do”

David now recognized the girl as Dot – a Brooklyn newsie who hung around Spot Conlon. “Well, miss,” he said, pulling his hat off of his head. “I was wondering how you have been dealing with the recent price increase. Many newsies are talking of striking, though peaceful negotiation is of course the preferred first step.” David knew he sounded like a page torn out of his law textbook, but it sounded better than “we’d like to talk to Pulitzer first, but he’s probably going to throw us out on our asses before we get three words out.”

“But,” David added, “if it does come to a strike, we need to know how many newsies will be backing us and how many would prefer to sit it out.” He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. “We don’t want to make any decisions until we know how most of the newsies in New York feel.”

[Fighter Mallory]

Fighter was strolling through central park on her way to the boxing ring yet again, she hadn't seen Zeke in awhile and had decided to pay the ring a visit to see if he was fighting today. As she approached the bench she caught the last bit of what Davey said. The smirk that constantly adorned her face grew a bit as she walked closer. "I'm sure Kelly could answer that question for you."

She stepped closer, standing next to Dot. The girl looked familiar but Fighter wasn't one to get to know all the girls at the house. They tended to come and go pretty quickly. "He visited Conlon not long ago, we're a united front, Davey." She'd heard of course that many of the boroughs didn't want to strike and some of the rumors she'd heard had made her temper flare more than a little. "Of course, we don't mind standing alone."

Fighter glanced at Dot and gave her a smile, "You wanna walk with me to the boxing ring?" She didn't want anything more said, in her opinion no one should be trying to see what they felt. They're leader had spoken and they all respected him enough to stand behind his decision.

[firecracker]

Looking around for Dot, Firecracker sighed. He'd been walking around New York for at least a few hours, and the last place he wanted to look was Manhattan. On a bench, he saw a group of three people talking. Squinting his eyes, he saw that one of them was Dot, and another David. He recognized Fighter from the Lodging House, but never really talked to her.

Moving his feet to go over there and say hi to his girlfriend, Dot, he smiled. "Heya, Dot, Davey, Fighter." Firecracker said amused.

[davidjacobs]

[Sorry for jumping ahead, Dot! I just wanted to respond in case you guys left =D)

"I'm sure Kelly could answer that question for you."

David shook his head. When had this animosity arisen between Jack and Spot? They had been friends last time. They hadn’t always agreed, but they had stood by each other. Now they were divided, which would certainly make Pulitzer as happy as a schoolboy in a candy shop.

"He visited Conlon not long ago, we're a united front, Davey. Of course we don’t mind standing alone.”

“It’s not that simple, Fighter,” David found himself snapping. “It’s not about Manhattan. It’s not about Brooklyn and it’s not about Spot Conlon’s damn pride.”

He sighed, his anger vanishing as quickly as it had come. “It’s about those kids who might not survive a strike.” He rubbed the back of his neck wearily. “We need to negotiate first,” he said firmly. “I’m not against a strike if it comes to that, but it can’t be the first step. Why would you go to war without first seeing if you can keep the peace?” He squared his shoulders. “I have a plan,” he said to Fighter. “A way we can beat Pulitzer without striking, but I need to know if Spot will listen.” He shook his head. “We need to be able to rely on each other. If Brooklyn strikes alone, it will lose. Why? Because other newsies will keep on selling. I know Spot’s smart enough to see that. Either we win together or we all fail separately.”

David broke off his speech when Firecracker came over, relieved that something had snapped the tension for the moment. “Hello, Fire,” he said, smiling weakly. “How are you?”

[firecracker]

“Hello, Fire,” he said, smiling weakly. “How are you?”

Smiling back at David, he said, "Pretty good, yaself?" Hearing about this strike business, he also added, "Have ya gone ta see Spot yet? Ya might be able ta talk ta him, unless ya don't wanna. 'Cause ya know, Davey, all three of us are in Brooklyn." He smirked to Dot, then turned his attention to Fighter. "How've ya been doin' Fighter?"

[Fighter Mallory]

“It’s not that simple, Fighter, it’s not about Manhattan. It’s not about Brooklyn and it’s not about Spot Conlon’s damn pride.”

Fighter simply shrugged, "You're right it's not 'bout Manhattan and it's not about Brooklyn and it certainly isn't 'bout Conlon's pride. He's trying to do what he t'inks is right and he's earned the right to make that choice for Brooklyn." Raising an eyebrow at David she shook her head at him, "If you want to know why he's decided what he decided then ask him instead of trying to 'get' to his newsies. He's earned my respect and I've learned that he doesn't need anyone to speak for him except for him." Fighter had a very strong opinion about what was going on but she didn't feel the need to voice it with Davey, or the walking mouth as Spot so loved to call him.


“It’s about those kids who might not survive a strike. I’m not against a strike if it comes to that, but it can’t be the first step. Why would you go to war without first seeing if you can keep the peace?”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Fight raised an eyebrow at him. "Our little ones will be taken care of. Why do you t'ink he's chosen his way? Because there is no keepin' the peace when it comes to them. There's only their way or our way. And how much longer can the young ones take whats being handed to them? This raise is going to break them more than a strike would. We're trying to make sure that in time they can afford what they need and they don't have to steal everyday to fill their belly's." Fighter didn't like the way David was going about saying that they weren't thinking about their young ones. That was on everyone's minds and she sure as hell was gonna make sure they ate before she did.


“I have a plan, a way we can beat Pulitzer without striking, but I need to know if Spot will listen. We need to be able to rely on each other. If Brooklyn strikes alone, it will lose. Why? Because other newsies will keep on selling. I know Spot’s smart enough to see that. Either we win together or we all fail separately.”


"If you think your plan is going to work then go talk to Spot because honestly, I'm not interested in talking anymore. You'd think by now that you'd have realized that they don't just listen to us. It takes something big to show them we have the power over them. Right now Pulitzer think he has money, power, and education on his side over us." Fighter sighed, she didn't want to argue a moot point, Spot had already made his decision and it was going to take more than a plan to change his mind. "Look just go talk to Spot. Like I said I respect his decision, I know he's looking out for us and not just his 'ego' as you so politely stated."


Fighter shook her head once more but stood her ground, she wasn't going to back down to some smart kid from Manhattan. If he had this brilliant plan he should be sharing it with the leaders not badgering their newsies. He wasn't going to get anywhere with Brooklyn newsies, they had far too much respect for Spot to go around behind his back telling Manhattan anything. All they had to do was point them in the direction of Conlon and he'd tell them exactly what Brooklyn would do. She stood firmly behind her leader, he had earned her respect the moment she'd met him and he'd dealt with some girl who had more mouth than brains.

"How've ya been doin' Fighter?"

Fighter glanced at Firecracker, "Eh, not bad, just headin' over to the boxing ring. How 'bout you?"

[firecracker]

"Eh, not bad, just headin' over to the boxing ring. How 'bout you?"

He nodded his head and smiled. "I'm heah ta pick up Dot, but if you guys are goin' somewheah, I'd be free to leave ya guys alone." Firecracker gave Dot a winning smile and a smirk to Fighter.

[davidjacobs]

"Have ya gone ta see Spot yet? Ya might be able ta talk ta him, unless ya don't wanna. 'Cause ya know, Davey, all three of us are in Brooklyn."

“I was just looking for him,” David answered. He smiled at Firecracker. “I’m not a newsie anymore. It doesn’t matter to me where you’re from. I like Brooklyn just as much as Manhattan.” David liked Firecracker. He had a straightforward way of speaking that set David at ease.

” . He's trying to do what he t'inks is right and he's earned the right to make that choice for Brooklyn."

David sighed. “Fighter,” he said. “I know Spot will do what he thinks is right, but he does not have the right to decide the fate of every newsie in Brooklyn. They have their own minds. They should be allowed to make their own decisions. Some of them have families to support.” David knew all about that. “Some of them cannot afford to strike unless they know for certain it will work. And if Brooklyn is alone, you can’t promise them that.”

We're trying to make sure that in time they can afford what they need and they don't have to steal everyday to fill their belly's."

“Last time the strike hurt even the most successful of newsies. Do you really think you’ll be able to keep all those kids off of the streets and out of the Refuge? Some will fall by the wayside and if there’s anything I can do to prevent that, I want to try.” David held out his hands, trying to show Fighter that he meant no insult. He respected her loyalty, but he had to try to make her understand. “If you keep selling, at least until you see if my plan works, there will be some revenue coming in. You strike now, the money is gone.”

"If you think your plan is going to work then go talk to Spot because honestly, I'm not interested in talking anymore.

David blinked in confusion. “As I said,” he replied slowly. “I plan to. If he’ll see me, I’d be all too happy to talk with him. If he has good reasons for striking, I want to hear them. Tell me where he is, Fighter, and I’ll go talk to him today.”

David looked over at Dot and smiled. “And, anyway, all newsies should work together. I’m not drawing battle lines and I’m not trying to take any of Spot’s newsies from him. I’m just trying to see how people are making do.” He looked at Fighter pointedly, “because I care what happens to them, and not just the newsies in Manhattan – all the newsies in New York." He was looking for information, that was all, and not for Jack, for himself.