knowntoherfriends | Why Should I Worry?

Entry tags:

who: spot conlon: brooklynishere

Why Should I Worry?

Moving out of London had never been a thing that Jackie would have even considered, not in a million years. But after what happened to Nancy, after who caused it... She had to get out. She couldn't stay in that city, nut just because she saw Nancy everywhere she looked. Without Nancy, she had no one helping keep what she was hidden from Fagin.

There was only one option. Grabbing what little she hat and hopping on a ship as far away as possible.

Brooklyn was not like London. Well, actually it was in a lot of ways. It wasn't like London in the important way - there was no Fagin here, no Nancy, Jackie was totally on her own and had to make her own way. So, of course, she started lifting papers - papes, they called them - to start selling. This didn't sit too well with the leader of the territory - or so he was called. Spot Conlon made it clear to her how things where done around here.

Never let it be said the Artful Dodger couldn't move with the flow.

So she followed him, listening to how it was. This was only a stop gap anyway. A chance to learn the city. The Artful Dodger would known this place as well as they'd known London. It would be hers, soon enough.

Just needed to keep certain things out of people's notice.

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There had been something off about this 'Artful Dodger' guy that Spot had noticed the second they'd come face to face, except he hadn't been able to put his finger on it.

It was only during his little lesson into the finer points of newsie - and Brooklyn - society that Dodger had turned and Spot had caught sight of her from just the right angle that everything fell into place.
Once he'd spotted it, he didn't know how he hadn't noticed sooner.

She wasn't the first newsie he'd known who'd gone for the safer option when it came to selling on the streets, and he doubted she'd be the last. There were, however, some slightly different challenges at hand.

"So, I could put in a word and get you a bed at the lodging house," he explains "Only if you's got alternative arrangements I understand why you might wanna use them..."
His tone is significant, but he's still trying to be subtle in case of any prying ears.

Spot seemed smart, Jackie thought early on. Smart could be dangerous, but she'd played this role for so long, around people smarter, that she felt she was safe. No way someone out here could work out the truth. So when Spoty brings wanting alternative arrangements, she just tilts her head.

"I done lodging houses before," she said. "Lodged with a kindly old gent back in London. Me an' the lads did... work for him." There was a smirk. Spot already knew about her light fingers, might as well make it clear it's been around a lot time. "Ain't nothin' new about it for me."

Which Spot took to mean she had her ways of maintaining her secret... presuming that she had kept it at the time. That or she didn't understand what Spot was getting at.

"Well like I says, I got no problem putting in a word for you to get a bed there... just the washrooms can get pretty busy and there ain't much privacy. I can help, but it ain't gonna be easy." he tries again.

Dodger was not an idiot, she knew exactly what Spot was getting at. Her eyes narrowed, and her arms crossed.

"The hell do you mean?"

Spot just sighs, looking her up and down thoughtfully as he tried to gauge exactly how much or little she understood of what he was saying.

Eventually, he decides she's just trying really hard to play dumb, which is a valid tactic that might make anybody second guess themselves. Anybody that wasn't Spot Conlon.

"You know what I mean." he says simply "I can help but you's gotta be honest with me."

"And what do you think I'm not bein' honest about?"

Keep it up, keep up the annoyance and irritation. It was something she'd held close for years. She wasn't going to let go of either now. Not for anything.

"Look I ain't here to tell nobody else, it's none of my business to tell," he shrugs "but this is my borough and I gotta know what's going on with my newsies or I ain't gonna be able to help."

He pauses, wondering if he should give her one last chance to actually come clean with him before deciding that, no, she didn't get to try and play him for a fool.

"I know you's a girl."

He knows.

In a second Jackie has pulled a knife out from her boot, holding it in a threatening manner.

"How the fuck?"

Spot remains calm, though he's somewhat glad to see she isn't going undefended. Knives are dangerous, he normally doesn't approve of them, but sometimes it's good to have a weapon. He holds up his hands, not reaching for his cane.

"You ain't got nothing to worry about, I ain't gonna spill it or nothin', I'm just lettin' you know." he shrugs "An' as for how, well, I'm observant. Don't get a job like mine without some smarts."

Jackie eyes him, and steps back, stowing her knife back in her boot.

"Alright, I believe you," though there was a tone to her voice that sounded as though that was conditional. "You ain't got nothin' to worry abour. Live with a squad of lads back in London an' hide it from every one of 'em."

"Alright," Spot tilts his head to concede she knows what she's doing. She's definitely got it down well enough that it's clear she's had the practice, and if she's used to keeping it from people she lives with, the lodging house should be fine.

"But if you need any help, you just gotta ask."

"Only help I need is findin' a place to sleep," she said with a shrug. "Preferably under an actual roof." The thoughts of the leaks in Fagin's place came back to mind. If this place got winters as cold as London, then she'd prefer a proper roof.

"Well if ya standards are that low the lodging house's gonna be a palace." Spot snorts. It's more a joke than a judgement - he's met plenty of kids who'd only ever known life on the streets or in ramshackle houses that weren't much better. The lodging house wasn't great, but it was safe and dry and theirs, and what more did they need?

"You can check the place out, see if it suits your needs." and see if she thinks she'll still be able to keep her secret once she sees the place

"Show me the place then," she said, nodding him ahead of her. "Type of place that got a curfew or what?" Fagin's had never had one, but she'd heard of a few that enforced them.

"Technically," Spot replies, tucking his hands in his pockets as he walks towards the house "Old George what runs the place gets a bit off if you roll in after midnight too often, but we usually leave the window unlocked so if you need to come in the fire escape you can do."

As long as there weren't more people than there should be when they got woken up in the morning, they could get away with a lot.

Jackie followed, hands in her own pockets, looking around as she tried to remember things that marked the way to the lodgings. "Midnight, I can work with that," she said with a nod.

"What time's wake up?" She needed to know that, that would make or break her plans.

"Usually about 6, so we's in time for the morning bell." Spot replies with a shrug. It might be a little earlier than some kids were used to, but not any that had ever worked for a living.

"Some kids are up a little sooner but not most."

"Six," she muttered, nodding at that. "That's alright, I can work with that." There was a nod. She looked up at the building she assumed was the lodgings. "How many kids we talking lodge here?"

"'bout twenty altogether." Spot explains, motioning for her to keep following as he heads inside. He doesn't bother with the rooms downstairs, instead heading up to the bunk room and bathrooms to show her those. There were a few kids scattered about, but it was mostly empty.

"Huh, would have figured for more," Jackie responded, honest about it all. She followed him up to the bunkrooms, looking in. They looked better than the mattresses and blankets that they'd had back at Fagin's. These ones actually looked like you got one to yourself.

"So which could I claim?"

"There's more newsies in Brooklyn," Spot agreed "But some of them's got other places to be, an' there's another lodging house as well".

He takes stock of the bunks and who sleeps where.

"There's two spare right now, but I think your best choice is that one," he nods to a bottom bunk on the end of the row, near the bathroom. It wouldn't be the one he'd recommend normally, but for her the positioning is probably pretty handy.

"Right, so this just houses ... the ones who want to be close to the boss?" She's trying to figure it out in her head, looking around. She goes over to the bunk he points out, and sits on it. Yeah, it's closer to the bathroom which meant she could be in and out right quick.

"This'll work," she nodded. Then, curious despite herself: "so who're my neighbours?"

"Basically." Spot agrees, it's mostly those of his inner circle, and the ones he wants to keep a closer eye on.

"Well you got Bottles on the top bunk there, he's a good kid, sleeps through anything," Spot says easily, "Then on the bunks next to you is Mouse on the bottom, he's pretty quiet, an' Socks above him. Socks snores like a steam engine, I warn you, but he ain't the only noisy sleeper we got."

"Knew a Mouse back in London," is the comment she makes. Noisy sleepers she can deal with, most of the lads she knew were loud about it all. "Right quiet sort, but near as you could get to trustworthy in my line of work. Had a thing for older ladies," she added with a grin.

"Well our Mouse is the quiet type as well," Spot nods. It was just the natural nickname for small, quiet kids, he's not surprised she's encountered it before "Not sure about the older ladies, but he's a little young for that yet."

He leans against a nearby bunk "Speaking of your line of work... you gotta be sellin' papes to stay here, a few days a week at least."

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Why Should I Worry?

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