Outside

[mush]

Mush just smiled at her. It was his natural face position, people asked him why he was so happy all the time, and most of that time he doesn't even realize he's smiling at all. He always enjoyed conversation with people he'd never met before, especially when they were up for conversing back. That was one of the things he did like about New York, it seemed he would never run out of people to meet or talk to. A lot of his friends were rather tangled up in their own lives, or didn't like to hang out with people outside of Manhattan, or outside of the lodging house, but Mush was different. People were sort of his thing.

"I dunno," he said teasing her. "You think you're ready?" he dashed over to the door and grabbed the door knob for her. "If you want, I could come in and protect ya," he said with a smirk. He figured that she'd be fine on her own, and was only kidding. "You at least have to let me get the door for ya, okay?" he asked with a charming smile. Always the gentleman.

[zoo]

She crossed her arms and put her head high in a joking kind of way. She contained her laughter as Mush grabbed the doorknob. He was poised and ready for action. He sure was an adorable kid.

"If you want, I could come in and protect ya. You at least have to let me get the door for ya, okay?"

Zoo almost didn't want to leave him. There was more fun in him than she'd seen in anyone for a long time. But she had to work on getting this job back. It had to happen. Really. It had to. She breathed in and out deeply. She looked up into the sky with mock nobility.

"I await my fate."

[mush]

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Knock 'em dead girly! And I expect a full report the next time I bump into you," he said with a broad smile. With that he simply turned the door knob and opened the door for her. "Break a leg," he added as he let her into the building.

She was a nice girl. A sweet girl, and he really hoped that she got her job back. He would come and see her all the time if she was at Irving Hall! Mush loved making friends. And if her talent was anything like the rest of her personality, absolutely dazzling, then he was sure that she practically had her job back already.

[zoo]

"Break a leg."

"Thanks. And - lets make sure we run into one another again. A friendly face is always welcome." She gave the boy a quick hug, hoping that it let him know how appreciated he was, and entered the building.

[Peaches Carington]

((New Day for Virgil Sterling))

Peaches walked out the front door of Irving Hall. She had just finished singing on stage; there was a full house inside and the men were quite rowdy tonight. She wasn't needed back on stage for quite some time so she had stepped outside for some much needed fresh air; away from the smell of stale beer and cigarettes, and the pawing, groping, and lascivious looks from drunken men.

It wasn't that she was a rookie to the stage or to Irving Hall. As a matter of fact, Peaches had been with Medda for quite some time now. She had become accustomed to the actions of the Irving Hall patrons after a few months of joining Medda's girls. It was just that sometimes a person needed a break from it all. A lot of the other girls popped outside for a bit more often then she did.

Peaches inhaled a deep breath of the fresh air the outside provided before slowly expelling it from her lungs and taking a seat on the steps. Through the closed doors she could faintly hear the music coming from the girls onstage and the gruff, drunken voices of the men enjoying the entertainment Irving Hall provided. Every so often a loud cheer of male voices could be heard. What had the men so rowdy tonight...? Probably just the change in the weather.

Peaches rested her elbows on top her knees and her face in her hands. She smiled and stared out at the empty, quiet street. Night time in the city was so peaceful. But, it was times like this--when she was alone and her mind would wander--that brought memories of her family to the front of her mind. She missed them, especially her brother Avery. The smile slowly faded as the last memory of her dear brother she possesed shoved its way past all the rest. He was so weak and helpless, even though he was getting better. Why did father have to insist on that marriage?! Because of her parents, she had to leave Avery when he needed her the most. She didn't know whether he fully recovered...or worse...died. A single tear slowly made its way down her cheek at the thought.

The sound of the door opening behind her, made Peaches quickly sit up straight and wipe the tear away. Whoever it was that came out the door cleared their throat. A man by the sound of it. She plastered a smile on her face. "If your looking for company Darlin', I'm on break at the moment," she answered his silence and continued staring ahead. Irving Hall wasn't a whorehouse by any means, but it always brought in better tips and sold more drinks if the girls flirted a bit or kept the men company sitting on their laps while they drank. Medda had several hired men to keep an eye on the girls' for safety purposes but most of the girls knew how to handle themselves pretty well. Peaches was no different. Growing up with three older brothers, a girl had to learn to hold her own. What would her brothers think of her now, if they saw what she had to do to earn a living? The singing part--making a name for herself--would make them proud, but the rest of what she had to do as an Irving Hall entertainer would probably disappoint them--shame them. "If you'd like to wait inside, I'll be in shortly and then we can get a drink... and talk," she added letting the invitation sound in her voice.