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Post by bunky on Aug 13, 2009 15:16:05 GMT -5
Piper took in all of the things Jack was saying. She knew she had to be careful about going out alone now since kids were missing. Drifter already warned her about being out alone, and Piper wanted to listen to him. Drifter was becoming more of a friend to her and she cared for his safety as well, not wanting anything to happen to him.
Don't go in it alone, that was a simple request from Jack and Piper. Piper simply nodded her head at Jack when he briefly looked over at her.
"You got it Cowboy." She replied aloud for him to hear.
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Post by Don't Ask on Aug 13, 2009 15:21:17 GMT -5
((Damn, the thread took off without me. XD ))
At Dutchy's uneasy glance, Don't Ask set a reassuring hand against his back, stepping closer to mumble, "Je hebt het goed gedaan. Het juiste gedaan. Ik ben er zeker van dat hij is aan onze kant."
The words had barely left his mouth, though, before he was shoved aside by a Cajun girl who seemed to be in near-hysterics, several of the others hurrying after her. Standing on his toes, Don't Ask watched as the boy with the broomstick hefted a battered-looking girl into his arms.
"I think you've had a return," Don't Ask said to Dutchy. "Wouldn't happen to be your friend, would it?"
(Today's lesson in Dutch is "You did good. The right thing. I'm sure he's on our side.")
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Post by Sweets on Aug 13, 2009 17:30:33 GMT -5
Sweets attempted to offer Brook a weak grin when she appeared at her side but in that moment the world seemed to erupt around her. She was bruised, she was battered, and she was damn tired; but this was her family, and she couldn't have been happier to see them. It took her several moments to realized she was being brought to her feet and when she saw it was Bumlets who had lifted her and that she was suddenly surrounded by friends she smiled brilliantly, her joy allowing what was likely the last of her adrenaline to be utilized. When Racetrack appeared and reprimanded Specs she managed a laugh and her expression brightened, seeming to contrast harshly with the grim state of her physical features.
"Sweets...hey, you all right? You look awful, you wanna siddown?"
She merely nodded at his question and shuffled toward the sofa, quickly feeling her energy drain at the reminder that she was still in fact standing.
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Post by Bumlets Russo on Aug 14, 2009 18:44:31 GMT -5
Bumlets didn't even wait for a response when he lifted Sweets off of her feet and headed towards the couches that were just off of the desk. That was just how he was and if anyone had said it was dramatic or heroic he'd have given them a blank look. Sweets was like his sister, and that meant family. After setting her down he checked over her face.
"Welcome home.." it was easy, that was Bumlets for you and he looked around at the other group and waved his hands. "Alright alright, back off. Give the girl some air people.." That was enough for him. To many people around were making HIM claustrophobic he could only imagine what it was doing for his little friend. Making sure people were backing away he looked at Jack, wondering what they were going to do. She'd been gone for so long.
Brook moved threw the crowd, bringing a blanket and she wrapped it around Sweet's shoulders with a soft smile, "Hey, bebe. It's great to see you.." hell it was WONDERFUL but Brook was trying not to be smothering so she backed off and looked at the boys. They had to give Sweets some air. She'd just gotten back and they had no idea how smothering they all could be at times.
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Post by dutchy on Aug 14, 2009 20:36:11 GMT -5
Dutchy watched, but didn't move closer to sweets, several people crowding her quickly already. He was pushed a bit, by who he didn't even notice, grabbing Don't Ask's arm to steady his balance. He glanced back to him, letting go, "One of them..."
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Post by Sweets on Aug 15, 2009 20:13:31 GMT -5
Sweets allowed herself to be brought to the sofa and thanked Brook for the blanket, tugging it tight around her as she slumped into the cushions.
"Jack?" She no longer could see him from where she was on the couch, and as much as she adored all of her friends, it was with him that she was most anxious to speak. Closing her eyes a moment she attempted to clear her head and fight off fatigue as it pressed down upon her thoughts. There were things she had to remember, details she couldn't forget-- there were lives depending on it.
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Post by Jack Kelly on Aug 18, 2009 8:26:08 GMT -5
Specs gave Race a nudge on the arm, and covertly indicated Bumlets as he carried Sweets to the couch. Race rasied his eyebrows and turned to Specs, equally impressed by Bumlets' sudden--what the hell was it? Neither Specs nor Racetrack could name it. There were few girls that Specs would do that for with good intentions, and Race wouldn't do it for anyone. Neithe of them thought Bumlets had a crush--to assume so was like assuming Specs was getting married or that Race felt anything--but the sudden display of (whatever it was) struck a chord with them both.
They dutifully backed away when everyone else did. Specs pulled back a girl who looked as if she was more curious to see Sweets' condition that to help her out any. Between Bumlets and Brook, Sweets was in good hands. Specs looked on the scene, concerned but passive. Racetrack, however, was stunned at how awful Sweets looked. She looked pale and weak, for sure. Beaten? Was she thinner?
"Jack."
For the rest of the time, Jack had been watching. Observing. He saw the state Sweets was in, and it hurt him to see it. He saw the looks on the other kids' faces. Relief, joy, concern, confusion, surprise. All depending on how well they knew her, or if they even knew she was one of the missing. Him? He felt a mix of all those things. Relief and joy that she had managed to come back, and was safe. Concerned for her as well as the others (if she had gotten so mistreated, what had happened to anyone smaller or weaker thn her?). There was also the confusion and the surprise...it was great that she was back, but how?
Then she said his name, and he moved through the crowd to reach her. He had assumed she had something important to tell him, but had also assumed she would have waited until she was feeling better. He knelt in front of her. "Yeah," he said. "Whaddya need?" A thought suddenly struck him. "You want some water? Food? Race, will ya go get somethin' for her?"
"I'm on it," Race muttered, and made his way through a door to the kitchens. Jack turned his eyes back to Sweets.
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Post by Sweets on Aug 18, 2009 18:11:41 GMT -5
Though desperately needing food and water wasn't exactly what she wanted to talk to Jack about, she certainly didn't feel the need to object when Racetrack left the room to fetch her some. Closing her eyes again for a moment she tried to think where to start. The back of her mind was a constant replay of the forest and landmarks that lead her home, something she could not allow herself to forget, but other things should be discussed first.
Looking up at him she furrowed her brow slightly, not sure what he already knew. "It was a factory, I was at a factory and there were a lot of us," she paused as her concern for her friends left behind momentarily stole her voice. "They're all still there, Shiner, Tate, Pup, everyone, I.. I had to leave them, to get help..." Guilt tugged at her tired heart as the warmth and security of the lodging house turned into nothing more but a bitter reminder of the cold empty cell her friends were currently locked up in. "I know where it is..." She was trying to remain rational, everyone had been in on it, after all. They were the ones who created the diversion that allowed her to slip out the broken window in the first place, she was their only hope.
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Post by Bumlets Russo on Aug 20, 2009 2:21:55 GMT -5
Bumlets looked down at Sweets whens he said she knew where everyone was and he looked up at Jack, without waiting for a reaction he moved to grab his broomstick and his hat. "I'll go tell the others.." Dodger and Prince at least. Bumlets RARELY left Manhattan unless he had to but right now seemed to be the time.
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Post by Jack Kelly on Aug 20, 2009 7:44:55 GMT -5
Specs stepped forward. "I'll go with you," he said to Bumlets. If pairs was the new rule, even Bumlets needed someone to go along with him. Specs knew Brian could take care of himself, and hell, so could he, but he also knew that more important than pairs was the fact that Bumlets was his friend. And at a time like this, you didn't let your friends go alone.
"You two," Jack said, glancing over to the pair, "go to the Bronx and Queens. Tell Dodger and Prince to leave someone in charge, and come here now. Tell them Sweets is back. Nothing else. Don't use the word escaped. Don't say anything you wouldn't want to be overheard. Got that?" It was unusual for such a serious matter to be discussed at a lodging house, and not at their common meeting place, but Jack knew they would need Sweets to be there, and it was better if she didn't walk around all over the city. And Jack had given the boys specific instructions about what to tell the leaders because he didn't want someone overhearing, whom they didn't want to know that Sweets had escaped. They could find her and hurt her, even kill her, if they knew where she was, because of what she knew and what she could say. They might hurt the remaning kids, or--the worst possible scenario--make it so there would be nothing to find when anyone came across it.
"Loud and clear, Cowboy," Specs said with a sober nod. "C'mon, Bum..."
Jack turned back to Sweets. "We're gettin' the other leaders over here. With their help, and yours, we'll get those other kids out."
Race pushed his way back into the room, holding a tin cup of water and a chunk of sourdough bread wrapped in newspaper. He handed them to Sweets. "So what happened?" he asked, having been absent when Sweets told her story.
"Sweets can tell us where to go to find the place," Jack said. "Bumlets and Specs are going to get Prince and Dodger over here. Race," Jack looked over at him, "is gonna go with Blink to Brooklyn. Let Spot know...if he's God knows where, tell Smalls and Lucky. Same thing I told the other two, a'right, Blink?"
"What'd you--" Race began, but then stopped. "A'right," he muttered. His desire to be privvy to everything was greatly conflicting with the urgency of the situation. Blink would know everything Jack had said. Not knowing would give him an ulcer, for sure, but he needed to keep mum. For once, maybe, suffer in silence. "Let's go, Blink. Hey, Sweets, you rest up. Good to see you, no kiddin'." He offered her a slight grin.
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Post by Kid Blink on Aug 20, 2009 10:00:18 GMT -5
"Race is gonna go with Blink to Brooklyn. Let Spot know...if he's God knows where, tell Smalls and Lucky. Same thing I told the other two, a'right, Blink?"
Inwardly, Blink groaned. He hated going to Brooklyn. Seems every time he went, he got the crap beat out of him--and usually by a girl. Or what passed for a girl in Brooklyn. Blink wasn't entirely convinced that they weren't just really pretty boys in wigs. And, dammit, he wanted to stay and hear Sweets's story!
But like hell he was going to say that out loud.
"You got it, Cowboy," he said, nodding. He gave Brook's hand a squeeze before dropping it and slinging an arm around Race's shoulders, turning to the door.
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Post by Bumlets Russo on Aug 21, 2009 1:27:42 GMT -5
Bumlets waited for Specs and nodded, "You got it." He nudged Specs and headed out the door without much else. he had a lot of thinking to do on the long walk to the Bronx, and then to Queens. But he could do that with Specs.
The little Cajun watched Blink and let out a sigh, "Be careful, mon che." That boy confused her like nothing else but what could she do. Sitting down next to Sweets she smiled a little and waited to hear the story. So much at once, had to be very difficult for her. Hell it would take a lot out of Brook too.
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Post by Sweets on Aug 21, 2009 20:30:08 GMT -5
Sweets face scrunched up slightly as Jack sent the boys off. She had more information, the big picture of everything in her head, and clearly she missed something important in what she had thus far divulged. "Jack you don' understand, we can't just, I mean we have to get 'em back but," She lifted a hand to her head that was now throbbing and closed her eyes. "They got guns Jack," she peered up at him, exhaustion etched on all of her features. "Lots of guns." Gently bringing her left foot up on the sofa she rolled up her pant leg, exposing a significant but fairly shallow wound. "I was far off, but they almost got me." With her entire body aching she could have easily forgotten the pain left where the bullet had grazed her leg, but the terror of the memory left a far greater sting. Shaking her head she looked back up at Jack, attempting to hold back tears that were pooling in her eyes. "How can we..." Her sentence was left hanging. Did they really have any hope?
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Post by dutchy on Aug 28, 2009 13:05:12 GMT -5
Dutchy was still there, not really close enough to be in the conversation but close enough to hear it just fine. He thought. No, she didn't just say guns, did she? He felt his stomach drop and didn't notice himself stagger slightly, knocking into Don't Ask again. He hadn't realized how close he was standing to the other boy. Dutchy straightened himself up and casually touched don't Ask's chest in apology. There was a strange feeling under the shirt, where Dutchy's hand moved the fabric just a little. Rough and textured. Like a bandage.
He looked to Don't Ask, worriedly, a bit shocked and a little hurt. If they were bandages how did he injure himself? And why didn't he tell Dutchy? Here he was, busting his hump for people he didn't even know because of Dutchy. With broken ribs or something worse!
And now Sweets had told them these bastards had guns? It was too much for Dutchy to take in, too much to worry over.
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Post by Don't Ask on Aug 28, 2009 13:54:06 GMT -5
Caught up in the confusion of the scene, it was several seconds before Don't Ask registered Dutchy's hand on his chest. He looked to Dutchy and, to his horror, clearly saw his perplexity after coming in contact with Don't Ask's chest binder. Don't Ask seized Dutchy's hand and wrenched it away. He turned to make for the exit, but found himself penned in as the other newsies were trying to move around them, getting closer to Sweets, leaving to get things for her, taking off on errands for Jack. Unable to make a hasty escape, Don't Ask held Dutchy's hand firmly at his side and hissed through clenched teeth, "Don't. Do. That."
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thanks admin!