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Post by Malleus on Sept 17, 2009 22:00:58 GMT -5
Meet with friends or get some fresh air. Just don't block the steps. People do have to come in this way y'know.
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Post by Ruin on Sept 18, 2009 13:20:45 GMT -5
Ruin sat on the steps, to the side of course so people could still get by. His eyes looked around intently as he took a drag on the cigarette in his mouth. He looked up at the afternoon sky and leaned back. He wondered where everyone was if anyone was inside or if they were all still selling papes. He ran his free hand through his unmanageable black hair and let it fall back into his eyes. He contemplated going to see Ace or maybe Poet, or see how that new Leader girl was doing. He smirked, the girl must be going crazy over being so young and dealing with everyone elses problems, he wondered how long it would take before she'd snap. He laughed softly at the thought and wondered if Malleus was around and if he'd had the chance to get to know the Street girl yet, maybe he'd tell Ruin what he thought of her. He sighed and looked down in his own thoughts.
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Post by Street on Sept 18, 2009 20:31:23 GMT -5
Street walked down the street humming happily. She was in her own world as usual and twirling her latest snatch around her finger. She liked the sound it made. It was like a whistle. Street passed the stoop, then stopped and turned. She fixed her grey eyes on the boy-man-sitting on the stoop and stopped twirling the chain. "I don't know ya," Street muttered, stating the obvious. She leaned back against a lamppost across from the stoop. "You're a Midtowner right?" She asked him, tilting her head like a dog.
"See, I don't know many people around here, seein' as I generally stick ta myself. But since I became leader, I've decided I need ta get ta know more people." Street said, the pride of being leader resounding in her voice. She nodded and then turned her attention back to him. "I'm Street if ya didn't know. What's your name?" She asked, smirking slightly
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Post by Ruin on Sept 19, 2009 13:48:45 GMT -5
Ruin put one of his hands behind his head as he laughed softly, he was sitting infront of the Midtown lodging house wasn't he? "a course I'ma Midtowner, the name's Ruin....and I know who ya are, yer that new leadeh everyone talks about, I was wonderin if Malleus had any opinions on ya yet but I guess since yer here I'll get ta make my own opinions,"he said as he blew a smoke ring from his lips and winked at her. "So far yer pretteh cute, but yer young aren't ya? ya don' look like the fightin type eitha...."he noted looking her up and down.
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Post by Street on Sept 19, 2009 13:57:11 GMT -5
Ruin put one of his hands behind his head as he laughed softly, he was sitting infront of the Midtown lodging house wasn't he? "a course I'ma Midtowner, the name's Ruin....and I know who ya are, yer that new leadeh everyone talks about, I was wonderin if Malleus had any opinions on ya yet but I guess since yer here I'll get ta make my own opinions,"he said as he blew a smoke ring from his lips and winked at her. "So far yer pretteh cute, but yer young aren't ya? ya don' look like the fightin type eitha...."he noted looking her up and down.
Street bit her lip. "I guess I'll get ta make my own opinions about ya too." Street said, smiling a little. "I may be cute, but that ain't the main issue here, is it? True, I'm young, but Spot's fifteen too and I don't see anyone makin' a big deal outta him. True, he'll beat ya senseless but still. If I was threatened, I could fight." Street lifted her chin. "I've taken on a couple of boys in my time." She huffed. She stiffened when he winked. "So far, my opinion of ya is that you're kinda creepy." She laughed, trying to relax. Why should she be afraid of him? If he tried anything she had the Bronx-and perhaps some other boroughs-on her side.
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Post by Ruin on Sept 19, 2009 14:12:30 GMT -5
Ruin took another drag on his cigarette and looked toward the sky,"Creepy? that's a new one, neva heard that one before, I've been called a smart a**, a flirt, and a rebel but neva creepy...hmmm."he teased. He looked down from the sky and back at her,"Ya know Poet dontcha?" he asked her, who didn't know Poet these days, and what guy in his right mind didn't want to be with her, he himself was abit jealous of Irish and even Hunter. He sat up and leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees as he looked at her,"and as fer Spot, he may be da same age as you but sweetheart, he's been around as long as we can all rememba, since he was real young he's been through hell and back, that's why we all respect him,"he said to her in all seriousness.
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Post by Street on Sept 19, 2009 14:48:13 GMT -5
Ruin took another drag on his cigarette and looked toward the sky,"Creepy? that's a new one, neva heard that one before, I've been called a smart a**, a flirt, and a rebel but neva creepy...hmmm."he teased. He looked down from the sky and back at her,"Ya know Poet dontcha?" he asked her, who didn't know Poet these days, and what guy in his right mind didn't want to be with her, he himself was abit jealous of Irish and even Hunter. He sat up and leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees as he looked at her,"and as fer Spot, he may be da same age as you but sweetheart, he's been around as long as we can all rememba, since he was real young he's been through hell and back, that's why we all respect him,"he said to her in all seriousness.
Street grinned, "Ya may wanna get use to the nickname, Creeper." She said, laughing. "I know Poet." She muttered, kicking some dirt away with her barefoot. "Why did ya wanna know?" She listened to what he had to say about Spot. "I know he's been around forever. I may not look like it, but I've been through hell and back too. I just don't show it 'cause I got better things ta do. Like, survive." She shrugged. "I respect him, yeah I respect everybody-unless they don't respect me. And Spot's been pushin' me lately. He insults me and calls me names, but do I let them get ta me? No." Street said, she nodded once to emphasize this thought.
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Post by Ruin on Sept 20, 2009 21:44:06 GMT -5
Ruin shrugged,"Jus' wonderin if ya knew her, she's a realleh sweet goil.....ya hear 'bout what happened to her? Poor thing..."he muttered. He remembered hearing from a few boys from Queens that she'd been hurt pretty badly by some guy, tough looking, older than her, seemed to be about Ruin's age they said. He ran a hand through his hair roughly,"people jus' don't know what life is really about sometimes and they do dumb things like hurt other people cus of it,"he mummbled. He tilted his head as he looked back up at her,"well you do what you gotta about Spot but I can guarantee ya, ain't nobody gonna step into the ring with you to handle it, no one wants ta get on Spot's bad side,"he said as he leaned back again, he was the fidgetty type, could never really sit still. He bit his lip and sighed, he figured he'd have to go check up on Poet some time soon maybe even bring her a pocket knife of his own.
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Post by Street on Sept 21, 2009 16:28:57 GMT -5
Ruin shrugged,"Jus' wonderin if ya knew her, she's a realleh sweet goil.....ya hear 'bout what happened to her? Poor thing..."he muttered. He remembered hearing from a few boys from Queens that she'd been hurt pretty badly by some guy, tough looking, older than her, seemed to be about Ruin's age they said. He ran a hand through his hair roughly,"people jus' don't know what life is really about sometimes and they do dumb things like hurt other people cus of it,"he mummbled. He tilted his head as he looked back up at her,"well you do what you gotta about Spot but I can guarantee ya, ain't nobody gonna step into the ring with you to handle it, no one wants ta get on Spot's bad side,"he said as he leaned back again, he was the fidgetty type, could never really sit still. He bit his lip and sighed, he figured he'd have to go check up on Poet some time soon maybe even bring her a pocket knife of his own.
"People hurt people all the time. It doesn't matter whether or not they know what life's about. I think life's about bein' happy. But some people don't get that, they search for the wrong kind of happiness, they believe the only way they can reach the top is by climbin' over others." Street shrugged. "Well, if it comes ta a fight between me and Spot, I ain't gonna let him push me around. I'm gonna stand my ground and take every hit he can give me. I'll give 'em right back too." Street nodded for emphasis.
She tilted her head and looked at him. "Ya know, I've seen that boy around town. I heard a rumor that he killed someone from his hometown and that's why he's out here, in New York. Don't ya think it was a little foolish of Poet ta egg him on like that?" She asked softly. "I may be a coward, but if I saw a man like that, why, I'd beat it real quick. Though I suppose Poet hasn't been on the street long enough ta realize when ta run..." Street added as an after-thought. She shrugged again and look at him. "Does everyone in this town smoke?" She asked him curiously. It seemed every body, boy and girl, always had a cigarette on them.
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Post by Ruin on Sept 21, 2009 21:08:08 GMT -5
"Ya know, I've seen that boy around town. I heard a rumor that he killed someone from his hometown and that's why he's out here, in New York. Don't ya think it was a little foolish of Poet ta egg him on like that?""I may be a coward, but if I saw a man like that, why, I'd beat it real quick. Though I suppose Poet hasn't been on the street long enough ta realize when ta run..."
Ruin looked at Street in utter disgust momentarily before he bit his lip and returned his expression to a more serious look. "Ya realleh shouldn't go 'round making assumptions about people, especially Poet, I'm pretteh sure you don't know what she's been through, I'm pretteh sure she wouldn't tell ya eida,"he said he looked at her before looking down and digging his shoe into the dirt. "she's been around longer than you have girly, she's been on the streets fer quite some time, she may have been a newsie, and a leader fer awhile now, but she's been through alot, I ain't sayin' you haven't," he paused for a moment as he looked back up at her. "Ya gotta undastand, she never walks away from a fight, from a threat, from anything, whether she knows her life's at stake or not, that's real confidence, real bravery....that's how she is a leader, if she stepped down, it would mean she wasn't worthy enough, losing doesn't make a difference, if she loses, she gets back up on her feet and reclaims herself, that's somethin, doll, you'll neva undastand...." he murmured. He ruffled his hair again and sighed,"she's lost alot, we all have, she's been alone, we all have, she hurts, she's human, we all are, but the difference between every single one of us and her, some have the guts to do what she does, some don't,"he said.
He looked at Street and shrugged,"most of us smoke, yes, it helps us relax, calms our moods, makes us feel betta after goin' through a sh** day,"he replied to her other question.
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Post by Street on Sept 22, 2009 16:12:29 GMT -5
"Ya realleh shouldn't go 'round making assumptions about people, especially Poet, I'm pretteh sure you don't know what she's been through, I'm pretteh sure she wouldn't tell ya eida,"he said he looked at her before looking down and digging his shoe into the dirt. "she's been around longer than you have girly, she's been on the streets fer quite some time, she may have been a newsie, and a leader fer awhile now, but she's been through alot, I ain't sayin' you haven't," he paused for a moment as he looked back up at her. "Ya gotta undastand, she never walks away from a fight, from a threat, from anything, whether she knows her life's at stake or not, that's real confidence, real bravery....that's how she is a leader, if she stepped down, it would mean she wasn't worthy enough, losing doesn't make a difference, if she loses, she gets back up on her feet and reclaims herself, that's somethin, doll, you'll neva undastand...." he murmured. He ruffled his hair again and sighed,"she's lost alot, we all have, she's been alone, we all have, she hurts, she's human, we all are, but the difference between every single one of us and her, some have the guts to do what she does, some don't,"
Street shook her head. "I'm just sayin' what I see. I don't think ya should make assumptions either. Ya don't know what I've been through. Nobody does. I'll tell 'em, but not all of it. I don't think Poet's been on the street longer then I have. She doesn't seem the type. She hasn't been beaten yet-that's how I know she hasn't been forgotten. People still know her, still remember her, still love her. I don't have that. I have ta survive for myself because I'm the only person who still cares about myself. It seems ta me every boy in this town loves Poet, and that's fine with me. She has ta live for all ya boys, I have ta live for myself. And bein' brave and rushin' inta every fight doesn't make ya a good leader-it makes ya a dead one. Ya have ta know when ta back down and when ta fight. I learned the hard way... I don't want her ta have ta learn the same way I did." Street said, she bit her lip.
"I said those things because I don't want her ta get hurt. There are people out there who will use her confidence against her. One day, she might get in a fight over her head. I can be replaced a million times over in this world. But her, and all your love for her, can't. It's sort of like a star and a speck of dust. The dust is all the same, nothin' special. Whereas the star, it's one of a kind in a sky full of stars. People just may not see the star for the universe. Just like they might not see the dust for the mess." Street sighed. "I'm not makin' any sense am I?" She asked him, afraid he might yell at her again.
"Just because everyone else does somethin' doesn't mean ya have ta or that's it the right thing. There are other ways ta deal with your stress..." She looked a little embarrassed. "Please don't swear in front of me, I don't like it much." She slid around the lampost so she was facing the street and the passerbys. She tilted her head back slightly so she could hear his reply.
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Post by Ruin on Sept 22, 2009 18:33:50 GMT -5
Ruin looked at her for awhile in silence as he thought, he didn't really mean to get defensive it was just his instinct and he knew Poet wouldn't appreciate him being overly protective about her. He looked down slightly as he spoke,"I didn't mean to upset ya, hell I didn't mean ta assume either.... and ya actually make alot more sense than ya think Street...."he murmured. he put out his cigarette and pulled out his pocket knife flipping it open as he looked down and traced designs in the dirt with the blade. "I don't think she's the only one out there people would be upset about losin', I'm sure yer a nice goil, and I'm sure plenty of people would miss you too, I ain't sayin' she's perfect, and hell I know she ain't, she hides behind false happiness, she's strong when she wants to break, and I'm pretteh sure you know how that is, we all do it at some point...."he mummbled. He looked up at her for a moment before continuing his words. "sure lotsa boys find her cute, sure some people love her ta death, I ain't sayin' I do, I respect her, yes, I care about her, this is true, but I ain't Hunter and I ain't Irish, and I know that when it comes down to it, she's just as human, she's just as normal as you and I,"he told her, his voice calm, a hint of sadness but not too much, and he eyed her,"don't let anyone tell ya yer not worth it, or that yer beneath them, ya got that?"he said grinning.
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Post by Street on Sept 22, 2009 18:48:23 GMT -5
Street shrugged, "I never want ta break, honestlly, I'm always happy. I don't know why, I just am. I know for certain that I ain't gonna let myself break, 'cause then... Then the ones at the top win. Them rich people don't understand that we are the supporters of their dreams. Without us, they all come crashin' down. They wanna see us break and cry, 'cause that's what they'll expect us ta do... Instead of livin' and laughin' and lovin'." Street laughed softly.
"The only people that'd miss me are the rats." Street murmured, smiling. "But what is normal? Not just for us, but for everybody? For us, normal is starvin' and dyin' without a penny ta our name and happily. Normal for others is gettin' fat and dyin' rich but unhappily." Street looked at him. "Normal for me is seein' boys dragged away by the bulls for just bein' alive. And if one of 'em dies in the process, well, it's no concern of ours." Street said. She shook her head an inch, remembering the night Tommy had died. It had been her fault, she had pushed him into the river-to hide him from the bulls. She didn't know he couldn't swim... She didn't know that it wasn't the bulls at all, but some other boys playing a joke on them. She smiled at Ruin and politely waited for his reply.
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Post by Ruin on Sept 26, 2009 13:48:50 GMT -5
Ruin shrugged,"well everyone's different, nobody is truly normal and of course people will miss you, from what I hear Mr.Hunter has not stoppedtalking about ya since you two met, I think he may actually start pulling away from being Poet's guard dog fer once, so I'm sure he'd miss ya, and I don't know ya all that well but I'd be sad, when people die it's not always the big impresstions that matta, most of the time it's the little ones,"he said as he stood and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I mean sure Spot'll be remembered fer some big things, Jackyboy too, but you, Hawkeye and even Malleus will prolly be remembered fer the little things, which are way more important, Poet.....well everyone will remember her on a different level, everyone'll miss her fer a different reason, and sadly some will be glad she's gone, it's people who are happy for others misfortunes that bug meh though....but you Street, you'll be remembered,"he said as he smiled at her.
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Post by Street on Sept 26, 2009 14:26:18 GMT -5
Street flushed and looked at her feet. "Ah, Hunter..." She left it at that. She looked up at him carefully. "Like I said, ya can't have big impressions without the little ones, yeah?" She asked, tilting her head again and smiling slighty.
"I'm sure everybody'll be remembered. Ya can't go through life without meetin' people that love ay instantly..." She sighed. "I don't if I'll be remembered greatly... I mean, it's a miracle I survived this long, let alone twenty or thirty years from now." She said slowly. "Poet will survive, she'll always have people takin' care of her. I'm glad. She needs that..." Street trailed off, her grey eyes lingering on a mother and child walking down the opposite sidewalk.
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