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Post by Administrator on Apr 15, 2010 15:07:33 GMT -5
There's usually a few Brooklyn newsies looming out front intimidating the public.
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Post by river on Jun 8, 2010 17:24:46 GMT -5
Newboys Lodging House
61 Poplar Street
Brooklyn, NY
After crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, Shane had wandered listlessly, guided by a vague notion of where the lodging house was located. It was fortunate that the weather was mild; she didn't fancy making the walk in winter, having never been to the lodging house before. As it were, the conditions were pleasant for a summer evening in Brooklyn. The proximity to the river--the lodging house was located a block or so from the docks--accounted for the humidity, tempered by some storm bound to reach landfall the next day. There was not a breeze, but the smell of the river permeated the area nonetheless; the distinct odor, however, was one that Shane associated with 'home. It brought to mind her childhood spent in the area, comforted with other sights and sounds and scents that were distinctly Brooklyn. Shane hurried her gait, anxious to get to the lodging house, and hopeful that there would be a spare bunk available. Reaching her destination, indicated by a wood sign hanging on a metal rod bolted above a dimly lit window, she stumbled up to the door and knocked.
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Post by Gwennie on Jul 30, 2010 12:36:07 GMT -5
If there was one thing that Gwennie hated about being a kid (and there really weren’t many things that fell into that category), it was how early she was supposed to be in bed. Even though she didn’t technically have a bed time, without fail, almost as soon as it got dark, everyone’s patience with her seemed to plummet and, all of a sudden, almost all she heard was ‘Just go to bed, kid’ or something along those lines. So, now, though the sun had only just barely set, she already found herself, huddled quietly in a corner playing jacks with Marvin, who never, ever followed the rules like he should have, and trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. Her attempts at inconspicuousness were promptly forgotten, however, when she heard a knock on the door just a few feet away from her. “I’ll get it!” she called out, almost automatically, jumped up, and scrambled over to the door, eager to be the first one there (though she really didn’t have any competition). With some difficulty, she pulled the heavy door open and looked up at the older girl (who she assumed was probably somebody’s new girl considering that she was pretty sure she’d never seen her around before) standing in front of her. “Hi!” she chirped up at her with a friendly smile. “ya lookin’ for somebody?” ((just so you know, Marvin is Gwennie's imaginary dog  ) |
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Post by river on Aug 12, 2010 23:17:20 GMT -5
Shane stood on the front stoop of the Brooklyn lodging house, waiting silently, and hoping fervently to gain admittance. She yearned for a sense of security, hoped to find it here. For with security, she might regain what she lost. "Teaghlach," she whispered. It meant 'family' in Gaelic, the language of her homeland, her tír dhúchais. Behind the heavy wooden door was a haven. A family of weathered characters. A "rough-around-the edges" sort: the Brooklyn newsies. The kids became adults in a week's time. It was sink or swim. Sink like a stone fired from a slingshot - the iconic weapon of choice wielded by most Brooks. Or swim - hold one's own against the current of that river that was the lifeblood of Brooklyn. These were the youth who had taken the street life and made it their own. The rasp of wood against wood brought Shane out of her reverie. Then the door opened to reveal a young girl whose chipper greeting brought to mind all things spring and youthful: baby birds and puppies and the whole lot.
“Hi! Ya lookin’ for somebody?”
Shane was nonplussed. Since when had the Brooklyn king taken to keeping such young birdies? The girl really did remind her of a baby bird. Drawing on her inner strength, Shane spoke. "Nobody in particular, " she said lightly, watching the girl's face for comprehension. "Jus' a place to stay and a line of work."
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Post by Gwennie on Aug 22, 2010 2:52:10 GMT -5
Gwennie's smile only brightened at the news of her welcome mistake. She liked the idea of having another girl newsie around a lot more than she liked the idea of having to sit around and watch one of the boys and his girl act all funny and kiss and do other gross stuff like that. "Oh, okay" she replied with a little giggle, excitement evident in her voice "Ya looked like ya was somebody's girl or somethin'" her eyes swept over the older girl again, sizing her up a bit more carefully than she had before. To be honest, even at second glance, she looked a lot like some of the girls that the boys at the lodging house brought around. But, they brought around all kinds so that wasn't really saying much. Really, the only way that she could look a whole lot different than them, would be if she was real young, real old, or real rich and she definitely didn't look like she was any of those things.
What she did look, though, was real tired and kind of a little bit confused but mostly tired. So, still beaming with enthusiasm, Gwennie abruptly stepped back from the doorway and motioned exaggeratedly for the girl to follow her "come on" she chirped, doing her best to drag the open a bit more as if to emphasize her behest. "Ya gotta ask Spot if he'll let ya stay first but I t'ink we got room." At this, she gave up on her futile efforts to further budge the heavy door and glance up at the girl again before turning and skipping off a bit further into the lodging house to see if she could catch sight of the boy in question without straying too far from the entrance. "Hey, anybody seen Spot?" she called out suddenly in her loudest, most important- sounding voice (which, granted, still wasn't much more commanding of attention or respect than a slightly irate squirrel) having decided that would be a much more effective method than just looking considering that she was too short to see too far beyond the first group of people in room.
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Post by river on Nov 10, 2010 17:33:53 GMT -5
"Oh, okay. Ya looked like ya was somebody's girl or somethin'."
Shane nodded and smiled weakly. In the back of her mind she wondered whether she ought to be alarmed. Sure, she had never been in a relationship before but what if... Shane shook her head. She was too tired to continue analyzing every little detail of conversation. The creak of the door and the heavy whisper that accompanied the door when it was pulled open wider brought Shane out of her reverie. She looked down at the young girl--she was a little shorter than chest-high--and was surprised to realize that she was beckoning her into the lodging house. "Thank you. I am..," Shane hesitated, deliberating what name to give, "My name is Shane. Who are you?"
"Ya gotta ask Spot if he'll let ya stay first but I t'ink we got room... Hey, anybody seen Spot?"
Shane followed the girl into the room, becoming acutely aware of her femininity as a lanky male near the entrance turned and gazed at her. Gazing back at him, she raised an eyebrow before turning to follow the girl. "What are the chances that Spot is not here right now?" She called loudly after the girl.
------------- (Out of character: eh, bad post. Sorry it's taken so long and sorry that this is so awful. I'll try to do better next time. :-) -- Shane)
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Post by jewelkent on Dec 20, 2010 16:13:41 GMT -5
(OOC: I don't know where to start, So I'll just be one of the ones hanging out front of the Lodging House.)
Jewel stood outside the Lodging House, leaning against the wall, a carelessly rolled cigarette sitting between her fingers. She was so bored these days. She had had too much on her mind lately, and couldn't keep her mind on work.
She looked around at everyone around her, all her fellow newsies that were just having a good time.
*Oh man... I spent the entire day sellin', and now I ain't got nothin' else ta do. Could this day get any worse?*
She finally decided to get off the wall, and she started back inside. As she did, she noticed a new girl walking around the place.
(OOC: Okay, this is my first post, so please bear with me.)
Tag to: Anyone.
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Post by Gwennie on Dec 21, 2010 1:00:28 GMT -5
"My name is Shane. Who are you?"
Gwennie’s attention was drawn back to the older girl, whose name was apparently Shane, as she heard her introduce herself. She spun around on the spot to face her, giggling a bit at the sensation. “Oh! I didn’t tell ya yet?” she asked looking genuinely perplexed “Sorry. I always forget dat part ‘bout meetin’ people. Prolly ‘cause I meet so many folks when I’m workin’ an’ I don’ gotta tell dem my name.” at this she paused for a moment and placed her hands on her hips with a chuckle at her own rambling. “But I oughta tell ya now stead a’ just talkin’ ‘bout why I didn’t, huh?” she asked, mostly to herself, before diving into a very matter of fact introduction. “My name’s Gwennie an’ dat’s Marvin.” her arm whipped outwards, her finger pointing to the open space to the left of her abandoned game of jacks. “He’s good dog but he cheats at jacks.” She finished with a little pout and a shake of her finger at the empty corner.
"What are the chances that Spot is not here right now?"
She scanned the room once more, even jumping up as high as she cold in a fruitless effort to see above the heads of all the tall boys milling around in the room in front of her before she turned yet again to face Shane. “umm… I dunno” she said with a slight shrug “maybe ‘bout fifty- fifty. He leaves a lot but he’s also here a lot.” Just then she spotted a familiar face coming towards her and Shane. “Hey! Jewel” she called out to her fellow newsgirl “Ya know where Spot is?” she called out to her, hoping that she’d be able to help, if not by pointing them to Spot, by actually getting someone else’s attention so that they could. “Dere’s a new girl here an’ I don’t ‘tink we could let her stay wit’out askin’ him if it’s okay, right?”
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Post by jewelkent on Dec 21, 2010 1:54:48 GMT -5
Jewel sighed heavily, and shrugged at Gwennie. Her soft green eyes went from the new girl back to Gwennie
"He's gotta be 'round 'ere somewhere. I'se 'tink I'se last saw 'em upstairs." She said, rolling her eyes.
Then Jewel focused back on the new girl, and smiled "So, I'se suppose we got another one for the bunch, huh Gwennie?" she joked.
Jewel then gave the girl a good 'once-over' look, and shook her head
*Wow...Spot is gonna love her. Been a while since we'se had ourselves 'nother girl in here.* Jewel thought to herself, still smiling.
Jewel then turned to Gwennie. "Take 'er upstairs, and see if Spot is up there." she said.
(OOC: Jewel has a bit of a sense of humor about things. Just to let you know, she loves having new people to talk to.)
Tag: Spot, Shane or Gwennie.
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Post by river on Dec 23, 2010 22:44:53 GMT -5
“Sorry. I always forget dat part ‘bout meetin’ people. Prolly ‘cause I meet so many folks when I’m workin’ an’ I don’ gotta tell dem my name.”
Shane nodded indulgently. "You're a smart kid. A name is something special. You've gotta' keep it close to your heart and don't let just anybody throw it around. Without it, you're nothing. So, you're doing right by not sharing it with those hoity-toity folk." She blinked as the young girl launched into a rambling explanation. She had not been paying the young girl lip service by telling her that she was smart. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together--or in the case of any newsie or guttersnipe, the phrase ought to be "something out of nothing" because they had nearly nothing to their names, and barely that--- the slight girl had been taken under a newsie's wing in the Brooklyn lodging house, and that, combined with a likely knack for noticing the small things--no pun intended--had helped this youth survive. Shane returned her attention to her surroundings as she caught a shift in the tone of voice.
My name’s Gwennie an’ dat’s Marvin.”
Her eyes followed the line of Gwennie's finger, landing on the inconspicuous open space where a child's game of jacks lay abandoned. "He's good dog but he cheats at jacks.” The firm, ardent tone of the girl's voice brought back memories of Shane's childhood and not too distant experiences at the orphanage-boarding school. It didn't do to dwell on the past, but had she stared at the spot a little longer, she might have caught a glimpse of a wriggly little puppy, brown coat sticking up in odd places. And, had she examined that little puppy, she might have realized the striking similarity to her own not-quite-visible companion from her childhood. "Yes, you'll have to teach him how to play nice, Gwennie. And, it's a pleasure to meet you." She cast her eyes about for the other girl and sent her a pleading glance. The reality was that Shane was running low on energy at that moment, drained and exhausted as she was. Born of the borough, she could keep going until the knife fights had ended but her adrenaline had long since abandoned her once she reached the steps of the old lodging house. For any newsie, a lodging house meant home. Safety. The sight of the familiar structure--be it in Brooklyn, Harlem, Queens, Manhattan, or wherever--usually brought relief and the opportunity for taut muscles to relax just a little bit. Standing in the room, surrounded by Brooklynites, Shane's feet hurt something awful.
Words were exchanged between the girl, Jewel, and Gwennie. Shane let the noise flow around her as she surveyed the room and its occupants. Then, "Take 'er upstairs, and see if Spot is up there." Shane looked up quickly and met Jewel's curious gaze. "No, I think it'd be better if I stayed here. I appreciate the welcome but I'd rather not go any farther in the off chance that I will have to come back down the stairs and out the door. I don't mind waiting, but I do mind walking." She bit her lip after she finished speaking. "Ah... right," she began, her Irish accent slipping into her voice, "That wasn't real nice of me. Sorry, Jewel. Long day, eh?"
---------------
Word Count: 531
Muse: Excellent! :-)
Tag: Gwennie + Jewel + OPEN
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Post by jewelkent on Dec 29, 2010 17:16:27 GMT -5
(OOC: Jewel is in a playful mood most of the time, but she's been a bit off lately. Just a reminder...)
Jewel sighed and nodded to Shane "Ummm, yeah. It's been a very long day, sweetie. I'se jus' been so bored. I'se jus' sell me papes, and 'den come back 'ere for the night. You'se would think that after 2 years of bein' 'ere, that I'se would adjust to this life, but it jus' gets weirder and weirder for me all the time." she said.
Jewel noticed the way Shane shifted uncomfortably "You'se don' feel like walkin' no more, eh? That's no problem. I'se gonna send Gwennie to go look for Spot, and den we'se can all sit down, and discuss your future here at 'dis Lodging House...if such a think exsists. It's completely up to Spot. If it was up to me though... I'se let ya stay 'ere in a heartbeat. It's been a good while since 'nother girl's stepped foot in 'ere after me, Gwennie, and a few others." she explained to Shane.
Jewel then turned to Gwennie, and smiled " 'Ey, Gwennie. Why don' ya go find Spot, and tell 'im that we'se got someone who wants to see him 'bout stayin' 'ere." she said to her fellow newsgirl.
With those words, Jewel then turned back to Shane "Now...you and I is gonna have a little talk. For starters.... What made ya wanna become a newsie anyway?" she asked, her green eyes suddenly darkening.
(OOC: Told ya she was edgy right now...lol. Don't worry, she doesn't mean any harm, she's just the curious type)
Tag: Shane, Gwennie, Spot or ANYONE. 
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Post by Banshee O'Hara on Jan 5, 2011 3:59:58 GMT -5
Banshee approached the lodging house and leaned against the wall. He took out a cigarette and lit it up, taking a long drag and exhaling it slowly before giving Jewel a tired smile by way of greeting. He then looked Shane over curiously.
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Post by jewelkent on Jan 5, 2011 17:24:52 GMT -5
(OOC: Finally...someone replied. I'm happy.)
After finally noticing that Shane wasn't gonna say much to her, Jewel smiled back at Banshee as she saw him stop by the wal. She thought that Banshee was cute. He had that mysterious look to him.
"Hey Banshee, how's it rollin?" she asked him.
Then she noticed that he was giving the eye to Shane "So, I'se see that ya noticed we'se got ourselves another girl 'round 'ere? We'se been tryin' ta find Spot, so that we'se can talk about 'er movin' in 'ere." she sighed.
Jewel then leaned smiled at Banshee, as she lit up another cigarette as well "So, what's ya been up ta today?" she asked him.
(OOC: lol...Jewel is quite the flirt. But she doesn't mean any harm).
TAG to: Anyone.
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Post by Fighter Mallory on Jan 5, 2011 17:43:44 GMT -5
Fighter ambled towards the lodging house, flask in one hand and a cigarette in the other. It wasn't an unusual sight these days, but then again most days she didn't even bother coming back to the lodging house. It seemed that's the way it was with most of her friends. Conlon came and went so often it was hard to know whether he was actually going to give her shit for disappearing. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Joe or Zeke or hell even Lucky and Smalls for that matter. It didn't really bother her considering she was still fighting her own demons and didn't really feel like putting on a friendly face, or as friendly as it got in Brooklyn.
Taking a deep drag of her cigarette she turned down the street the lodging house was on and paused for a moment. There were too many people standing outside it looked like a damn party. Letting out an almost silent huff she continued on her way, pausing just shy of the group of people. She knew two of them had been at the lodging house for awhile but hell if she could remember their names. It wasn't that she purposely ignored anyone, it was more that she got along better with her group of friends and never went out of her way to make new ones.
When her eyes landed on an unfamiliar face, she smirked. "New?"
Then she spotted Gwennie and walked over, ruffling her hair quickly as a way of hello. She knew the other lodgers didn't particularly like having a kid around but she had always enjoyed being with Gwennie so she'd inevitably taken the girl under her wing. Fighter knew she'd been ignoring her for awhile now and felt a twinge of guilt at the notion but she knew Gwennie got over things faster than anyone else she knew. Turning her gaze back to the other two lodgers she snorted. "What you gonna make her wait out here all day?"
Shaking her head she motioned for the door, "Go on in. Ain't likely you'll find Conlon, but I'm sure as long as you keep your mouth shut and head down he won't even notice you're here when he is around." She gave a shrug and took another drag of her cigarette."
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Post by jewelkent on Jan 5, 2011 18:06:51 GMT -5
Jewel looked over at Fighter, noticing she had her flask in her hand *Damn girl is always wasted.* she thought to herself.
Jewel always thought that Fighter was the type to stay out half the night and party.
Overhearing Fighter's comment about Spot not being around, she sighed and turned to her, looking over at Shane before doing so "Hey, Fighter! Nice of youse ta join da group! Now, maybe youse can answer dis' question fer me? Have youse seen Spot today? At 'dis rate, da new girl 'ere won't have a damn place to stay!" she snapped, inhaling the cigarette she had previously lit.
She stood waiting paitently for the girl to respond. She shook her head, and sighed heavily *'Dis s gonna be a long night fer sure" she thought to herself again.
Tag to: Anyone
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