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Post by Spot Conlon on Dec 31, 2016 23:21:23 GMT -5
"I'll see ya tamorrow, yeah?"
Spot felt rather disappointed. He didn't want her to leave... at least not yet. And well, Cloud didn't seem to feel the need for Lacey to leave. He trusted the bird's judgment and motioned for Lacey to stay.
"I'm sorry. But I got news... from Br-Bronx."
He raised an eyebrow. "Bronx? Something happenin' over there?"
"I s-s-saw Sand t-talkin' wit-with D-Darcy while I w-was makin' my rounds."
Spot's eyes widened. "Darcy? You saw Darcy?" He wasn't sure what to think. His cousin was back in New York? Could this be true? "Are you sure it was her?" he questioned anxiously even though he knew he should just send Cloud back to the lodge.
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Post by Lacey on Dec 31, 2016 23:24:35 GMT -5
"I thought you were a bird?"
Lacey shrugged, and nodded. She just felt a bit bad being around when someone else had been sent to another part of the city entirely. At the end of the day, they reported to Spot, not one another. However, as Spot motioned for her to stay, she didn't question him.
"I s-s-saw Sand t-talkin' wit-with D-Darcy while I w-was makin' my rounds."
Her eyes widened at the small boy's words. Would Darcy be 'Darce,' the one who Spot seemed to think was gone or dead or... Something? That was huge news, although she didn't know if it was good or bad. Almost immediately, Lacey's gaze shot to the boy across from her to gauge Spot's reaction to Cloud's news.
"Darcy? You saw Darcy? Are you sure it was her?"
Lacey felt sorry for Cloud, having to stand out there and explain himself, almost immediately slipping off her jacket and placing it over the smaller boy's shoulders. Her torso wasn't cold, and Cloud's jacket didn't appear to do much for him. "Spot, I think that ya should talk about this inside. He's freezin'."
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Post by Cloud on Dec 31, 2016 23:30:16 GMT -5
"Bronx? Something happenin' over there?"
Cloud shook his head quickly. "No, nothin' is happening. Quiet like always."
"Darcy? You saw Darcy? Are you sure it was her?"
He nodded. There was no way it could have been anyone else. "I'm positive, Spot."
He might not have known Darcy well, but he knew what she looked like. She had certainly grown quite a bit since he last saw her, but there was no mistaking that Conlon quality. "It w-was her," he said firmly as he could while shivering.
"Spot. I think that ya should talk about this inside. He's freezin'."
Cloud gave Lacey a grateful look. "Th-thanks..."
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Post by Spot Conlon on Dec 31, 2016 23:35:10 GMT -5
"No, nothin' is happening. Quiet like always."
Spot relaxed. It was always bad if something happened in the smaller boroughs. They were rarely prepared for big things because things were always so quiet and peaceful there.
"I'm positive, Spot. It w-was her."
He wasn't sure what to do. Darcy was here! But why Bronx? Why hadn't she come to Brooklyn? Didn't she know how worried he was about her? And Thunder too? Everyone was worried... they had no idea what happened to her after Rip... or where she went. He needed to find her and tell Thunder about it as well.
"Spot, I think that ya should talk about this inside. He's freezin'."
His face reddened in embarrassment. "Right... Sorry, Cloud. Let's all get ta the lodge. Mr. O'Quinn won't mind if we talk in his office."
He brought Lacey closer to him to shield her from the wind as they headed to the boys' lodge. It was closer and Cloud really needed to get inside.
((It was great talking with you! I'm heading off to bed. Looking forward to talking more tomorrow!))
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Post by Lacey on Dec 31, 2016 23:39:49 GMT -5
[You too! Talk to you tomorrow!]
"I'm positive, Spot. It w-was her.
This was most likely going to be something that Spot would need to sleep on, although something told Lacey that he wasn't going to be able to do so. She was a bit concerned about it, although she was more concerned about it since she didn't really know the story behind Darcy or anything like that. Apparently, it had something to do with Rip, and she was somehow related to Spot. She didn't know how, though.
"Th-thanks..."
"Of course. Don't want a boid freezin' out here." She smiled faintly. Cloud, although small and young, was one of the best birds in the borough, and they couldn't afford for him to get seriously sick. Lacey, meanwhile, figured that by that point, she was as sick as she was going to get.
"Right... Sorry, Cloud. Let's all get ta the lodge. Mr. O'Quinn won't mind if we talk in his office."
Lacey did appreciate the fact that Spot was shielding her from the wind and the snow, walking beside him and allowing herself to share the mixture of natural body heat and the heat from his jacket as they made their way to the boy's lodging house. She assumed that it could be a long night.
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Post by Cloud on Jan 1, 2017 12:17:53 GMT -5
"Right... Sorry, Cloud. Let's all get ta the lodge. Mr. O'Quinn won't mind if we talk in his office."
Cloud nodded eagerly. It would be good to finally get inside. They'd be able to talk alot more once they were indoors, out of the cold.
"Of course. Don't want a boid freezin' out here."
He smiled bashfully. He was proud of being one of Spot's birds. "Ah well... thanks all the same."
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Post by Spot Conlon on Jan 1, 2017 12:29:19 GMT -5
Spot was silent as they headed into the lodge and hung up their coats by the door. He was still thinking about Darcy. What was he going to say to her? Why hadn't she come here first? So many questions. He was grateful that Cloud and Lacey were with him. They would be able to help him plan out what he needed to do since Thunder wasn't here.
He knocked on the door to Mr. O'Quinn's office. "Mr. O'Quinn? Mind if we borrow your office for a moment?"
Mr. O'Quinn was slightly surprised at the request, but he did not mind. He was planning on making some hot cocoa for the boys anyways. He opened the door wide for the newsies and gave them a friendly smile. "Please give Ms. Harbour a thank you for the give of hot cocoa she sent last week," he told Lacey softly before closing the door behind him.
Spot offered Lacey a seat before standing in front of the fireplace, poking the coals to heat up the room more for Lacey and Cloud. Now.. it was time to plan.
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Post by Lacey on Jan 1, 2017 12:32:11 GMT -5
"Ah well... thanks all the same."
Lacey smiled. Cloud really was a sweet kid, and he was a good bird. If she could do something to help him not get sick to near the point of hypothermia, then she would do it in a heartbeat.
"Please give Ms. Harbour a thank you for the give of hot cocoa she sent last week."
A grin formed on Lacey's features, "Will do, Mr. O'Quinn." She took a seat as it was offered to her, thanking Spot briefly before turning her attention back to Cloud, silently asking if there were any more details about what he had seen.
"So, what're you gonna do about Darcy? Do ya think she'll just come ta Brooklyn ta see ya? Or is that just wishful thinkin'?" She asked slowly, shifting her attention to Spot.
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Post by Cloud on Jan 1, 2017 15:40:23 GMT -5
Cloud sat down on a chair close to the fire. He glanced over at Spot, wondering what the leader's plans were now. He was a little worried that the plans might involve Rip. That could be bad... He was around ten or eleven when Darcy ran off, so he didn't really remember what went on, just that it was really bad.
"So, what're you gonna do about Darcy? Do ya think she'll just come ta Brooklyn ta see ya? Or is that just wishful thinkin'?"
He chewed his lip nervously, worried how Spot would respond.
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Post by Spot Conlon on Jan 1, 2017 15:51:24 GMT -5
"So, what're you gonna do about Darcy? Do ya think she'll just come ta Brooklyn ta see ya? Or is that just wishful thinkin'?"
Spot stared into the fire, poking at it occasionally. "I don't know," he answered quietly.
He glanced at Cloud. He could tell the kid was worried. He was one of those sensitive sorts. He could feel when something was wrong. Probably why Spot trusted him so much.
He sighed as he turned to face Lacey better. "You don't really know much about what happened with Darcy, do you?" he asked slowly and quietly. "It's a long story... but if you don't know it, Cloud and I can explain so you understand what is... the problem.
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Post by Lacey on Jan 1, 2017 15:54:36 GMT -5
The thought of something bad happening to Spot was a horrible one for Lacey. She wanted him to be safe and rational, although she assumed that it might be difficult just because of the magnitude of the news. It was a lot to take in all at once, and she just hoped that he wouldn't try doing anything that could get him hurt. Her hazel eyes locked on the boy in front of her, and she held her breath.
"You don't really know much about what happened with Darcy, do you?"
Lacey slowly shook her had, suddenly a bit self-conscious about being the only one who didn't know very much about what was apparently such a big deal to everyone else. She hadn't asked because she had thought that Spot wouldn't want to talk about it.
"It's a long story... but if you don't know it, Cloud and I can explain so you understand what is... the problem."
"Only if you want to, Spot..." She whispered, really not wanting to push him into talking about something that he wasn't ready to talk about. It was his choice, though. If he wanted her to know, then she would listen.
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Post by Cloud on Jan 1, 2017 16:08:00 GMT -5
"It's a long story... but if you don't know it, Cloud and I can explain so you understand what is... the problem."
Cloud was slightly surprised that Spot would let him help explain, but nodded anyways. If Spot needed him to do anything, he would. He liked helping out wherever he could. If it meant talking about Darcy, he'd do it in a heartbeat. Whatever was needed, he was Spot's bird.
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Post by Spot Conlon on Jan 1, 2017 16:24:57 GMT -5
Spot pursed his lips slightly as Lacey shook her head. He didn't really like telling people about his problems... but there were times when he needed to share. Especially without Thunder around. He needed all the support he could get from Cloud and Lacey.
"Only if you want to, Spot..."
He took in a deep breath before turning back towards the fire. "Well... first off, Darcy is my cousin. A couple of months younger than me."
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Post by Lacey on Jan 1, 2017 16:27:09 GMT -5
Lacey was a bit nervous to learn about what had happened. If Darcy had disappeared for such a long time, then why would her being back now be anything to do with Rip and Queens at all? Nothing seemed to make a lot of sense.
"Well... first off, Darcy is my cousin. A couple of months younger than me."
She nodded slowly, a frown settling over her features. "Alright." She whispered. So far, nothing about the story seemed out of the ordinary. Why had Darcy vanished in the first place?
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Post by Cloud on Jan 1, 2017 16:58:12 GMT -5
"Well... first off, Darcy is my cousin. A couple of months younger than me."
Cloud wasn't sure what was changing Spot, but whatever the reason, he knew it was a good thing. Spot needed to talk about things... it wasn't good to bottle things up. Cloud was pretty sure that was what made Rip so dangerous. The guy was bottling up something really tight. He didn't want Spot to end up like Queen's leader.
"Alright."
He glanced at Spot. He didn't seem to notice that Lacey seemed a bit lost. Maybe this was a good time for him to step in?
"Darcy dated Rip for a bit," Cloud explained quietly. "It was a little after Thunder moved to Staten."
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Post by Lacey on Jan 1, 2017 17:01:39 GMT -5
"Darcy dated Rip for a bit."
Suddenly, everything came falling into place. Lacey's mouth opened and closed a few times, searching for something to say but not finding anything that seemed to fit the situation. It made a lot more sense, and that could have caused some of the tension between Spot and Rip to begin with.
"O-Oh..." She choked out, her voice squeaking a bit.
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Post by Spot Conlon on Jan 1, 2017 17:11:53 GMT -5
"Darcy dated Rip for a bit. It was a little after Thunder moved to Staten."
Spot glanced at Cloud, sending the younger newsie a grateful look. It was hard to say those words... It was a bitter memory. He couldn't help but clench his fists at the thought. He should have done something to stop Darcy... Heeded Dragon's warning about Queens.
"O-Oh..."
He shook his head some as he stared at the fire. "An' Rip was jus' usin' her ta get ta me..."
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Post by Lacey on Jan 1, 2017 17:15:46 GMT -5
"An' Rip was jus' usin' her ta get ta me..."
Lacey bit her lip. With anyone else, she would have embraced them, touched their shoulder, or done something to comfort them. With Spot, she didn't know how it would be received, and she didn't want to stress him out any more than he already was.
From what she could tell, Rip had had it out for Spot from the very beginning. She didn't know why it had started, but she was beginning to put the pieces together, and she was determined to protect Spot from Rip - no matter what that meant doing.
"How can I help? With anything." Lacey whispered, her gaze locked directly on Spot. She couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Not after that story.
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Post by Cloud on Jan 1, 2017 17:27:03 GMT -5
Cloud nodded at the older newsim glad he had made the right decision by speaking up. He hated it when he thought he was helping but actually had made things worse.
"An' Rip was jus' usin' her ta get ta me..."
He shivered, but not from the cold. He remembered that night... He had seen a glimpse of Darcy before he helped drag a bleeding Spot back to the lodge. He wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but it certainly was not a night he would forget. He was very grateful that he happened to have stayed out late that night.
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Post by Spot Conlon on Jan 1, 2017 17:44:55 GMT -5
"How can I help? With anything."
His eyes went back to the fire as he pondered her question. How could Lacey help? He didn't know... There were so many things to think about now that his cousin was here. He wasn't sure what to do really.
"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I still can't believe she's back... I-I thought-" No, he wouldn't say that. He hadn't truly believed it, but it had crossed his mind. It was dangerous for a girl to travel alone.
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Post by Lacey on Jan 1, 2017 17:48:17 GMT -5
"I don't know."
Lacey nodded slowly. Spot seemed to genuinely not know, and she assumed that it was due to the shock of the situation. She couldn't blame him, although she did want to help however she could. "Ya said she'd like me, right? I could find 'er. I could talk ta her and figure out a bit more on what happened." She suggested, just trying to think of things that she could do.
"I still can't believe she's back... I-I thought-"
It was only in that moment where Lacey realized how bad the situation might have been. She wasn't dumb; she could complete the sentence in her mind easily enough. She hadn't thought that things had gone that far, but perhaps it was a much more dangerous situation than she had been bargaining for. "Spot, do you know anything about what Rip might do? Because if ya don't, I have ta find some way ta figure it out myself. From the other boroughs, or somethin'..."
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Post by Cloud on Jan 1, 2017 18:08:46 GMT -5
"I don't know. I still can't believe she's back...I-I thought-"
Cloud bit his lip. Spot seemed to have similar thoughts... Cloud too had thought it might be possible that Darcy had died, but he had prayed every night for Spot that it wasn't so.
"Ya said she'd like me, right? I could find 'er. I could talk ta her and figure out a bit more on what happened."
He cocked his head a moment then nodded in agreement. "It's not a bad idea, Spot," he said quietly. "Darcy might not be ready to see you yet... A goil might make things better."
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Post by Lacey on Jan 1, 2017 18:42:29 GMT -5
"It's not a bad idea, Spot. Darcy might not be ready to see you yet... A goil might make things better."
Lacey shot Cloud a quick grateful glance, glad that he seemed to be agreeing with her that it would be the best idea. She wouldn't do anything if Spot disagreed, although she hoped that the shock wouldn't impair his judgement about what would be the best idea in the long run and what wouldn't.
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Post by Spot Conlon on Jan 1, 2017 18:54:18 GMT -5
"Ya said she'd like me, right? I could find 'er. I could talk ta her and figure out a bit more on what happened."
"It's not a bad idea, Spot. Darcy might not be ready to see you yet... A goil might make things better."
Spot glanced back at his two birds. It didn't seem like a bad idea. And as much as it hurt, he knew Cloud was right. Darcy would have visited already if she had been ready for it. He sighed softly and ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah..." He looked over at Lacey. "I think it's a good idea... Darcy won't talk ta me until she's ready."
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Post by Lacey on Jan 1, 2017 18:56:41 GMT -5
"Yeah... I think it's a good idea... Darcy won't talk ta me until she's ready."
Lacey nodded slowly, biting down softly onto her lip. She didn't know how dangerous it would be, but she assumed that Spot wouldn't allow her to go if there was going to be much danger involved. She trusted him.
"I can head down there tamorrow, if ya want. I would just, um... Need ta know what she looks like." She cleared her throat.
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