Why I fight

[Dodger]

(Ask, lovies. ))

He was done for the day. With selling, that is. He couldn't have done worse. Not with selling, but with people. He had gotten into a fight, because he was trying to help someone else...

"Help! Help me please!" Dodger stopped walking and glanced to his right into a large alley. A boy, no more than 14 was trying to get away from 5 or 6 large boys and men. They were harassing the poor lad and trying to take something from him...It looked like a money pouch. Probably the boys hard earned makings of the day that he was hoping to present to his family in a run down slum.hated when the innocent were cast down. He couldn't walk by and not help - it would be on his conscience forever. He rolled up his sleeves and turned down the alleyway, beginning to jog. He grabbed two of the men that had their backs to him, by the scruff of their necks and banged their heads together. One was knocked unconscious by the blow, but the other was still standing. He swaggered slightly and then lunged at him clumsily. Dodger just stepped to the side, and the man toppled over.

The two that were still standing cracked their knuckles threateningly while the third held onto the boy. They started at him, one swinging up high and the other kicking down low. He would have to miss one of them, but would probably get the full impact of the other. He decided to take the punch to the face instead of the kick to the pants. He was knocked backwards, and swaggered slightly, touching his hand to his sore cheek. He shook his head and lunged towards the man that had gotten him in the face. He knocked him out cold in the first blow to his head with his fist. He then picked up the first thing that he could find, (which happened to be a brick) and hurled it as hard as he could at the other man. It wasn't very difficult to hit his target - as he was only a few feet away. He slumped up against the brick wall.

Dodger turned to the man who held the boy. His sneer faded, and he quickly dashed off - forgetting about the money pouch. The boy had just looked at him with a frightened stare, and then ran past him, as if he might beat him up too.

"Your welcome.." Dodger mumbled under his breath.

Dodger was now walking about the square, listening to the shouts and bets that were surrounding the wrestling ring. He stopped suddenly, when he saw the boy he had rescued with no gratitude. The boy noticed him, and in his haste to get away, barreled right into someone, causing them to drop everything they were holding.

Dodger sighed and walked over to help the person pick their things up. He felt somewhat responsible for it.

[Daphne Manos]

Daphne pushed through the crowds, trying to get a good view of the ring. She liked wrestling, she liked it a lot. When her parents and herself lived in Staten Island, Daphne had gotten hooked on wrestling. The man they stayed with had taught her how to wrestle and good tricks on wrestling. Ever since then, Daphne couldn't get enough of it. Standing on her tip toes, Daphne tried to get a better look at the match. Finally, after several minutes of straining her neck, Daphne was done. She sighed and collected her things. She could just ask someone about the match later, and besides she needed to get back to work.

Maneuvering through the crowd with an arm full of clothing and sewing equipment was not a n easy task. Daphne cursed as someone ran into her, causing her to drop all of her things on the ground. Glaring at the retreating form of the boy that knocked her things from her hands, Daphne began to pick them up. If these things go dirty, she was dead. Her boss was already going to be mad that Daphne was late, but if her things were dirty, all hell was going to break loose.

Earlier today, her boss had sent her out to get a few things. Well, little did Daphne know that the 'few things' actually was a lot of things. And to get those things, Daphne had to walk half across town. Daphne couldn't wait until she didn't work here. All she needed to do was get a steady job at one of the lodging houses. But for now, Daphne was stuck with the demon boss. That was a bit of a stretched, but it was pretty bad.

Suddenly, two hands came into Daphne's sight. She whirled her head around, expecting a man that was trying to steal from her. That would be just her luck. But thankfully, Daphne saw a friendly face. Daphne didn't let her guard down though, instead she watched him closely as he helped her gather her things. "Thanks..." She said as she rose to her feet.

[Dodger]

"Thanks..."

The voice of a woman rang through his head. He had been expecting a gruff voice of a man, or no voice at all. Dodger glanced up to the pretty face of who he was helping. He almost dropped the bits of cloth that he was holding out of shock. What was a pretty girl like her doing around a wrestling ring?

"hieey..Er.." he stuttered, trying to say a million different greetings at once. They all just came out in three syllables jumbled incoherently together though. He shook his head, his already swollen face turning a shade darker. He had never been good at talking to girls. In fact, girls never really talked to him - so he never had a reason to talk back.

He cleared his throat, and after handing her the bits of cloth he had picked up, he tried again; "Umm..Sorry about that..The kid..My fault.." damn. That sounded so pitiful. He mentally smacked himself. Lets try a new approach;

"Umm...Dodger..." he mumbled, sticking out his hand. He noticed the grime from the brick he had thrown still on it, and dried blood on his knuckles from when he hit the other one. He pulled his hand back quickly, wiped it on his shirt, and stuck it timidly back out.

One would never know that this was a fearless fighter. When it came to boys, sure. Girls on the other hand...A whole new battle. He was scared out of his wits when it came to the opposite sex. He had no training whatsoever in this area of expertise.

[Daphne Manos]

"hieey..Er.. Umm..Sorry about that..The kid..My fault.."

Daphne tried not to smile at his reaction. She got that a lot. Usually guys responded by whistling and talking suggestively to her or getting really nervous and flustered. She found the latter very cute. But Daphne tried to not let this get to her head. She knew she was beautiful, it was a gift God had blessed her with, but she had a hard time not flaunting it. But she was learning, and that is all that mattered.

"Umm...Dodger...

At this, Daphne openly smiled. "Hi, I'm Daphne," She said as she took his hand. Daphne slowly took in his features. He had a perfect face, Daphne noted immediately. That was another one of Daphne's faults, she was very judgmental of other people's looks. But again she was working on that. But Daphne that Dodger had a perfect face, even if it was marked with scratches and bruises. Speaking of which, "What did you mean by that? I mean the whole kid thing?" She tilted her head to the side, curious as to what this boy had been up to.

If it was a fight, Daphne was curious. She liked to fight, a lot. It wasn't her specialty and she wasn't the best at it, but she still loved to do it. It was like a release for her. She could punch anything she wanted and not be questioned. That was the best for her.

{Argh! But yeah haha}

[Dodger]

"Hi, I'm Daphne,"

Dodger nodded as they shook hands. He didn't want to stop looking at her, she was so easy on the eyes, but out of consideration for her, he looked down.

"What did you mean by that? I mean the whole kid thing?"

Dodger ran a gnarled hand through his hair, glancing up apologetically. "It was just...The lad was being hassled for his money by a few larger blokes than him and...Well, I guess he thought I was going to beat him up too." Dodger finished his tale with a slight smirk at the corners of his mouth. It wasn't an arrogant smirk, it was more like a "Well, this is so very funny. I help a kid and he runs away from me, and then i meet a beautiful girl." type of smirk.

"So, ah, what is all this? Is this what you do?" he asked, motioning to the pieces of material and sewing stuff. It seemed like the type of girly thing to do.

((Aahh...Short, sorry.))

[Daphne Manos]

"It was just...The lad was being hassled for his money by a few larger blokes than him and...

Daphne pursed her lips as he said this. It always angered Daphne when older bullies thought it was their right to pick on younger kids. Sometimes the kids were twice as small as them, and yet they took advantage of them. Whenever Daphne saw something like this happening, she made it her job to take care of the underdog. Sometimes, well most of the time, this got her in trouble. But she always managed to find a way out.

Well, I guess he thought I was going to beat him up too."

Daphne laughed. "Well, you do look pretty threatening," Daphne teased. Looking him over, Daphne realized that he looked pretty beat up. That must have been one good fight. Daphne was disappointed that she wasn't there to see it. Besides that wrestling ring and the occasional street fights, Daphne hadn't seen a skilled fight in a very long time.

"So, ah, what is all this? Is this what you do?"

Daphne sighed and shifted the items in her arms. She was truly tired of carrying these things. "They're things for my boss," Daphne mumbled. She hated her boss. Hate was a strong word... but Daphne couldn't think of anything else. She nodded, "Unfortunately, yes."

{Eck}

[Dodger]

"Well, you do look pretty threatening,"

"So it seems.." Dodger chuckled good-naturedly. "I must look a mess, eh?" he asked, grimacing at his bruised knuckles and dirty hands. He hadn't expected to run into a lady at the boxing ring, so he hadn't really bothered to clean up, and he hadn't been expecting he would fight that day either - although it is a fairly normal occurrence for him.

"They're things for my boss," "Unfortunately, yes."

"I take it you don't enjoy this sort of thing, then?" he gestured to her armload. Then, realizing suddenly how un-chivalrous he was being, he exclaimed, "Oh, can I carry some of that for you miss?" as he extended his arms as if to validate that he would, in fact, carry her things for her.

He grew up being a gentleman, as poor as he was, he was humbled, and after seeing how badly his sister was treated on many occasions, and made it his duty to treat her with as much respect and kindness as possible. Eventually, it just rubbed into him with all women, and he was not afraid to lay out his coat over a mud puddle for a lady to walk across. He could act out great and noble things for women, but he just couldn't seem to talk to them very well.

It was a miracle in itself that he had been able to introduce himself to this beautiful girl.

((Sucky.))

[Daphne Manos]

"So it seems... I must look a mess, eh?"

Daphne grinned. He was kinda messy. Daphne reached out her hand and brushed some dirt off his shirt. "Not going to lie. You're a bit of a mess." She looked up at him and grinned. His hair was covered in dirt and messy, his shirt was wrinkled and had dust on it, along with blood. He looked like a normal street kid that just got out of a fight.

"I take it you don't enjoy this sort of thing, then?"

Daphne scrunched her nose in disgust and shook her head. "Not in the least." It was such a boring and tedious task. Who would want to sit and sew all day. Daphne was thankful for the days when she got to run earns. But then it made coming back in harder. She definitely wished she had another job.

"What do you do?" Daphne asked, creating small talk.

"Oh, can I carry some of that for you miss?"

Daphne grinned, "Thank you." She helped him gather a few of the things, but kept some for herself. She didn't want to seem like she was hauling her things over to him. It was polite of him to help her, and Daphne was thankful for that, but she didn't want him to think her rude. So, Daphne held half of the things in her hands.

{Eh, that was not very good. No muse...}