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Post by aliceroosevelt on Apr 27, 2008 15:02:13 GMT -5
How anyone could actually enjoy a polo match was beyond her. If she wanted to watch people on horseback hitting something with a stick, she could watch her brothers. Her father loved them, however, and considered it a grand sport to watch. He always encouraged Little Ted to take it up, but Teddy would rather play around with the rifle his father had gotten him for his ninth birthday. Likewise, Kermit was too sickly to do much running around, and spent most of his time with his books. Thus, Theodore Roosevelt dragged his entire family to the Harlem polo grounds to watch the games that seemed to drag on for an eternity.
Alice had persisted over and over that she hadn't wanted to go to another stupid match. Finally, her father relented, and told her, "If you don't want to watch the match, Miss Lee, then you can keep an eye on Quentin and Archie..." Oh, perfect. Just how she wanted to spend her time: watching her youngest brothers fight and argue and run around like the little demons they could be sometimes. As she yelled at them to be quiet, she could see Teddy looking at her smugly by their father's side. Alice sneered at him and looked away.
Finally, by the time the third match started, she was sick of it. She yelled to Teddy, "Smirk at me, will you? Well fine! You look after them! I'm going home!" She left Quentin and Archie with Ted, and stalked off toward the gates of the polo grounds. She could hear Ted complaining, "Alice! Come back here!" She didn't turn at the sound of her brother's voice. Deciding to wait around and see if anyone cared to run after her (she knew they wouldn't; at this point her father knew she would probably come back on her own eventually), she took a seat on a small stone bench, staring out on the street.
Several aristocrats greeted her with almost excessive kindness. "How are you, Miss Roosevelt?" "Miss Alice, what a pleasure!" "Send my regards to your father, dear Alice!" She responded politely, but clearly uninterested. She was tired of the absolute artificial air to it all...she would much rather talk to a common man than to a room full of aristocrats...
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Post by Mike D. Greaser on Apr 27, 2008 20:42:50 GMT -5
Mike staggered out of the bar, drink still in hand. He took one last chug, then threw the glass cup back at the building, causing it to shatter. It was a little early to be getting drunk, just midday, but to tell the truth, Mike wasn't even drunk. He just felt like causing a ruckus. He'd only had a few drinks. Not that big of deal...
Today was not his day. First he got up, on the wrong side of the bed. Lack of sleep did not even begin to cover what Mike woke up to. His mattress was old and lumpy and really needed to be replaced. He had no curtains, therefore waking up to the sun shining. For some it would have been a wonderful morning to wake up to, but for him it was awful. The bloody world was against him that morning.
Second, he found out that he would be evicted if he didn't pay his bill soon. That meant money and money meant work. Work was not one of Mike's specialties. He hated being under authority of someone else. Mike figured if he even found a job anywhere, he would be fired by the end of the week.
Sighing, Mike continued down the street. He came upon the Polo Grounds. Mike was never a fan of this place. The whole thing just seemed idiocy to him. Apparently, there was another person that found the game irksome.
A young girl sat outside of the gate, scowling. Her whole body expressed the fact that she was not enjoying herself. Hmm, seemed familiar to Mike. With his eyes trained on the girl, Mike pushed through the crowd. Mike wanted something good to come of this day, and maybe talking to someone who was in the same position as him would help. Besides the fact that the only people he had been conversing with lately were the newsies. They didn't know what a real conversation was if it hit them in the bloody forehead.
He approached her carefully, expecting her to snap at anytime. Plopping down next to her, still some what dizzy from the drinks, Mike cleared his throat. He didn't know what to say, just felt like talking.
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Post by aliceroosevelt on Apr 28, 2008 18:07:09 GMT -5
Alice was hardly aware of someone coming up to her until she saw someone sit down heavily beside her. Her gaze snapped to look him in the face. He was a handsome young man, rugged-looking, to say the least, and he had the slightly dazed expression that the aristocrats would call "a bit tipsy". Alice could tell of his state of sobriety because she had often seen people at parties looking just like him, almost like the world was spinning. She herself had never bothered with drinks...yet. She knew that if her father or Edith expressed a strong enough disapproval, she could dive into the filthy habit without much trouble.
The young man cleared his throat. She raised an eyebrow at him. It was apparent, based on his actions, that he wanted her attention, but apparently he had nothing to say to her. She was on the point of being disturbed into moving away, but she was instead compelled to say. Half of the reason was because she was interested - well, curious, more like - as to what the boy had to say. She'd been craving some casual, common conversation for the longest time, and it seemed an opportunity had quite literally sat down next to her. Also, she knew that Edith would be shocked seeing her stepdaughter talking to a brutish looking young man. Alice, for one, was pleased at the thought.
Her cool, indifferent glance did not falter as she said, "Can I help you?" in a voice that was dignified, but not cold or aloof. Alice could sound as common as any street child, or at least she thought so. But she could also command and declare as if she was truly the daughter of the Governor of New York.
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Post by Mike D. Greaser on Apr 30, 2008 20:04:34 GMT -5
"Can I help you?"
Mike turned his gaze to look at her. She was dressed in extravagant clothing; she was probably upper class. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, revealing her face, which was beautiful to say the least. Her voice was confident and strong. Even though she looked like a delicate flower, Mike could tell the girl was strong.
"You just seemed..." Mike searched for the right word, "lonesome." He nodded to himself, satisfied with that. Never worried about what others thought, Mike hardly ever watched what he said. But today was different. He actually wanted to sound smart and dignified. It was a nice get away.
Mike was not one to chase skirts. In fact, the last girl he'd been with was Collette, and that was years ago. Everyone thought, since he was evil, he had no respect for women and that his goal in life was to bed every girl he could see. No, that wasn't Mike. Even if he did like girls (what guy didn't?) he still had respect for them. That surprised people.
Even though Mike hated, despised, the newsies, he still had a heart. He'd been raised to respect women and that wasn't something he was going to throw away. It frustrated Mike that some girls were newsies. He didn't want to have any doubts when he realized his plan upon the newsies, but girls could do that. He wasn't getting soft. He wasn't. He wouldn't.
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Post by aliceroosevelt on May 1, 2008 15:08:21 GMT -5
"You just seemed...lonesome."
Lonesome? Alice considered herself several things, but she doubted that lonesome was one of them. She was always surrounded by people, whether it be her family, well-wishers, people who wished to gain importance by association, admiriers...people were always around her. She was seldom alone, and when she was she would rather be alone. People sometimes just annoyed her. But then she thought...could someone be with hundreds, even, and still be alone? If anyone, she knew, that would describe her.
"I suppose..." she said slowly, her words deliberate and thoughtful, "I suppose I might be. Alone, I mean. But...not really. I mean, my family..." She looked toward the polo grounds, where everything was quiet save for the occasional polite applause that came form the stands. Only then did she recall that she was supposed to be going home, away from them. But now...well, now she had someone to talk to. And furthermore, someone who would shock Edith.
She turned back to the young man, a smile on her face at the aspect of upsetting her stepmother and having some good, simple conversation. "I'm sorry if I'm being rude," she said, dropping her dignified speech for simple words and language. "My name's Alice. Alice Roosevelt. And I'd be glad to talk to you for a while, if you'd like to stay..."
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Post by Mike D. Greaser on May 2, 2008 0:51:20 GMT -5
"I suppose...I suppose I might be. Alone, I mean. But...not really. I mean, my family..."
Mike watched her intently as she rambled on. She was lonely. She was one of those richies that hated their life. Freedom and peace was what she wanted. Mike could see it. Hatred and lonesomeness filled her eyes as she spoke. She was a person she did no want to be. She was fake and she hated that. She hated her family because of this. Mike saw it.
"Do ya enjoy being with your family?" Mike asked abruptly. Mike wasn't sympathetic, Mike never was. The only reason he was here was his hunger for intelligence. If anything, Mike just wanted to talk. But he was never one to sympathize. He didn't want to seem weak. He simply wanted to talk.
"My name's Alice. Alice Roosevelt. And I'd be glad to talk to you for a while, if you'd like to stay..."
Mike raised his eyebrows at her and stuck his hand out for her to shake. "Mike. Mike D. Greaser..." He smirked at her. Why was she talking to him? Was she just using him? He felt somewhat used, but decided to forget about it. He didn't know why, but he couldn't shake the feeling. Why would a dignified person like her talk to a simple boy like him? He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thoughts.
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Post by aliceroosevelt on May 2, 2008 21:47:09 GMT -5
"Do ya enjoy being with your family?"
He caught her off guard. She hadn't been expecting a question about her family. No one ever asked her anything about her family. Most of the time, they asked how they were getting along, asked her to put in the good word to her father, or tried to socialize with her unsuccessfully. Something like the question this young man had just asked was completely out of the ordinary. And yet it was exactly the question she had wanted, something that was normal to anyone else. She answered after a moment, "No. I hate being with my family."
"Mike. Mike D. Greaser..."
That was an unusual name. But she had begun to grow accustomed to the lower-class people having interesting nicknames, and it hardly surprised her. She only nodded, and took the hand he offered her, shaking lightly. "It's nice to meet you, Mike..." she said. She wondered if it would be nice to meet him after all, since they had scarcely talked. She wondered what to say by way of conversation. For someone who liked to talk, Alice often didn't know what to say to people, having little experience with truly relating to them. She gazed off toward the polo grounds for a moment and mused, "My father probably won't be out for a while. The games are still going on. He probably knows I'm still out here." Alice and her father were quite alike in many ways, and he had an odd way of knowing what she was doing.
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Post by Mike D. Greaser on May 3, 2008 10:40:44 GMT -5
"No. I hate being with my family."
Mike nodded and smirked. He'd hit her soft spot. He was right, she was someone who pretended to be someone else. Someone who wasn't what they wanted to be. Someone who would be willing to do anything do dishonor their parents. A person like this would say something out of anger that they would probably regret later. You never know what you could fine out from the governor's daughter. Mike decided to continue questioning her. "Do you hate being rich?"
"It's nice to meet you, Mike..."
Mike brought her hand to his mouth and brushed his lips over her knuckles, always keeping his eyes on her. "The pleasure it mine..." he added, lightly. Mike wondered what he could get out of her. Would she help him? He didn't really know what she could help him with; but she was the governor's daughter, she had to be worth something...
"My father probably won't be out for a while. The games are still going on. He probably knows I'm still out here
Mike raised his eyebrows at her choice of words. "Would your father be ashamed to see you with me?" Mike quickly glanced around, making sure there was no cops around that would accuse him of harassing her. Glancing back to wards her, he inquired, "Am I safe..." He chuckled and turned around to fully face her
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Post by aliceroosevelt on May 4, 2008 9:04:50 GMT -5
"Do you hate being rich?"
She scoffed a little. "Honestly, not really. I do like having money, and I'm not too modest to admit it." A soft smile came over her face at her little jest, but slowly faded. "However...I hate the problems it can cause. All the people who envy you, and expect the best from you..." She paused, realizing she was getting ahead of herself. Instead she turned to Mike and rephrased. "I don't mind having money. You're a fool to mind having money, I think. But I hate being rich. There's a difference there..." It wasn't the first time she had realized this. The family of a businessman who made a more-than-modest living wasn't rich by any means, but they had the money to live a comfortable and happy lifestyle. One you had so much money that people regarded you as rich, all they saw was your money and nothing else, as if that constituted who you were.
"The pleasure it mine..."
Alice smiled at his gesture. It did little to unnerve her, as perhaps he was hoping it would. She wasn't as delicate as some people thought she was, and a kiss to the hand wouldn't send her blushing or into a fit of giggles. She was pleased, however, that the stranger she had found herself talking to was charming, albeit drunk. She would rather have a charming drunk than a rowdy drunk keep her company. "It's good to know I'm in the company of a gentleman," she said with a coy smile.
"Would your father be ashamed to see you with me?"
Alice thought of her father's reaction if he were to come out and see her with Mike. "Ashamed...well, no. Surprised, yes. Angry, probably. But my father doesn't shame often, unless I do something publically...which I haven't for a while now." She always threatened her father that she would make laughing stocks out of the entire family if he sent her out of New York to boarding school, as Edith constantly suggested, or to live with her grandparents somewhere out of state. She would much rather live with her Auntie Bye, but her father didn't think his sister was the best influence, either. Typical.
"Am I safe..."
Alice laughed aloud. Her eyes sparkled with a mischief one wouldn't expect from her as she said, "Can you run fast?"
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Post by Mike D. Greaser on May 4, 2008 9:19:40 GMT -5
"Honestly, not really. I do like having money, and I'm not too modest to admit it. However...I hate the problems it can cause. All the people who envy you, and expect the best from you....I don't mind having money. You're a fool to mind having money, I think. But I hate being rich. There's a difference there..."
Mike listened to her explanation, laughing here and there and nodding understandingly every once and awhile. When she finished, Mike nodded and said, "I see..." he began, thoughtfully. "So, your saying you hate the way people treat you, when your rich, but you enjoy the money..." Mike shrugged and nodded. "I think that's natural." He understood what she meant. Mike was never rich rich, like her, but he did have a good amount of money. Back in England, his parents had a good name and a pretty fair sum of money. People respected them for that, but some hated them for that.
"It's good to know I'm in the company of a gentleman,"
Mike chuckled and raised his eyebrows at her. "So, you're telling me that you're not usually in the company of a gentleman?" He laughed lightly at his words. He wandered how much she would say. Would she talk down about her family, or maybe the newsies? Does she know anything about the newsies? Mike wasn't sure how this information would help him, but he just had a feeling she knew something.
"Ashamed...well, no. Surprised, yes. Angry, probably. But my father doesn't shame often, unless I do something publicly...which I haven't for a while now."
Mike grinned, humored by the idea of Alice doing something publicly. "So, have you done something publicly?" He inquired. He was curious as to how far she was willing to go to shame her family. You could tell that something had happened in her family lately, a huge change, that made her want to shame them.
"Can you run fast?"
Mike turned to her, matching her expression. "Can you?" He winked at her and next thing you know, Mike was running down the street. He glanced back, wondering if she would actually follow him. What a funny sight: the governor's daughter, running full speed down the street.
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Post by aliceroosevelt on May 4, 2008 9:44:03 GMT -5
"So, your saying you hate the way people treat you, when your rich, but you enjoy the money...I think that's natural."
Alice smiled a little. "Finally, someone who thinks so." She always seemed to be around people who thought that money was everything, and the world revolved around people who had money. She was sick of it. Sometimes she wished her father hadn't become the governor, or that her mother hadn't ever died, or Edith never walked into Father's life again... Maybe she wished for poverty. Not stricken with it. But she almost wanted to know what it was like to work for the money you earned. Was there satisfaction in knowing the clothes you wore were bought with your own money, the money you earned? Was there a good feeling that came with hard hours, and weekly wages pressed into your hand? She had no way of knowing. She turned to Mike. "I don't know if it's better to have everything you want or everything you need..." she said, a tone of sadness tainting her voice.
"So, you're telling me that you're not usually in the company of a gentleman?"
"That would depend on what you mean by gentlemen. Someone of high aristocracy and social standing, yes. Someone with manners and a good knowledge of ettiquite...not as much as I should. Gentleman as in the opposite of a heathon...no, I'm not usually in their company." She was usually around heathens who thought they were something else because they could afford a silk cravat or expensive clothes. It went without saying that Mike might have been a bit of a rogue. But at least he'd been polite so far.
"So, have you done something publicly?"
Slowly, a smile spread across her face. She turned to Mike meaningfully and said, "Not yet." It was quite the scheme, really. She really had enjoyed talking to Mike, and hoped he didn't think she was using him as a tool to humiliate her family. But if she could have a good conversation with him and make her family ashamed, that was all the better for her. That was practicality, nothing more.
"Can you?"
He suddenly got up and began to run. Alice was indignant for a moment - what a brute, running away like that! - but when he looked over his shoulder at her she knew that she was expected to follow. She smiled at the jest of it, and thought of all the stares she would get...excellent, really. She stood up, lifted her skirts a bit from the ground, and took off running after him, laughing as if she were ten again and chasing Teddy or Kermit across the lawn.
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Post by Mike D. Greaser on May 4, 2008 15:27:09 GMT -5
"Finally, someone who thinks so. I don't know if it's better to have everything you want or everything you need..."
Mike squirmed in his seat, a little uncomfortable from the sudden change in moods. But he had to agree, he sometime felt that way. "When we have everything we want, we don't appreciate when we get something special," he stated, uncertainly. He wasn't even sure if that made sense. This was an odd thing for Mike, to talk about stuff like this. He wasn't a very emotional person, so he didn't express them.
"That would depend on what you mean by gentlemen. Someone of high aristocracy and social standing, yes. Someone with manners and a good knowledge of ettiquite...not as much as I should. Gentleman as in the opposite of a heathon...no, I'm not usually in their company."
Mike laughed and nodded, simply not knowing what else to say.
"Not yet."
Mike raised his eyebrows and turned to look at her. "Do you plan on doing anything soon?" He looked into her eyes and saw a mischievous expression. He had to laugh. This really was not what he was expecting from the governor's daughter. He expected a stuck up snob, but she had proved him wrong.
Mike continued to run at full speed, knowing she was following. He suddenly made an abrupt turn to the right, heading to the river. He had a plan. What would Alice's parents think if they saw her with a street rat swimming in the Harlem river? He smirked and pressed his legs faster.
{Bleh, bad post}
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Post by aliceroosevelt on May 6, 2008 14:07:43 GMT -5
"When we have everything we want, we don't appreciate when we get something special."
Alice paused for a moment, and smiled at him. "That was disturbingly profound, Mike. I'm not looking for philosophy. I get enough of that...shit...when I'm with my father." The curse word was unfamiliar and awkward to her voice, but she felt good being able to say it without judgment. She knew he would probably be a little surprised, but she didn't care. Alice lived to do the things that no one expected her to do. "All I'm looking for is some conversation. No deep thoughts necessary." The last thing she wanted to do at the moment was have to think before she spoke. She wanted the freedom to speak now, think later.
"Do you plan on doing anything soon?"
Her mischievous grin widened. "If everything seems to be going in my favor," she replied slyly. She was thrilled to realize that she was very close to flirting with this stranger, if not, already flirting. It, too, was a good feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Don't get me wrong. I would talk to you anyway, but I'm practical. And right now I see an opportunity to make my father angry and have a real conversation. If I can promise your bodily safety, you'd best just go along with it." She didn't really care about anyone's opinion. All she expected was for them to follow along with what she was doing.
Mike turned, and after following him for a few moments Alice realized he was heading toward the river. She had gone there before, but little good had come of it. Well...nothing had come of it. But soon, she thought, that might very well change. She pushed herself to keep up with Mike, not used to running for such long distances in a long skirt and heeled shoes.
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Post by Mike D. Greaser on May 6, 2008 21:19:04 GMT -5
That was disturbingly profound, Mike. I'm not looking for philosophy. I get enough of that...shit...when I'm with my father."
Mike raised his eyebrows, surprised but amused all the same. He hadn't expected that, not at all; but then again, Alice had surprised him. She was far from what Mike though she was going to be. He was actually enjoying talking to her, and maybe he could get something out of it. Perhaps she could help Mike with his plan.
"Thanks..." Mike replied, grinning. Grinning. Mike D. Greaser was actually smiling, not smirking.
"All I'm looking for is some conversation. No deep thoughts necessary."
Mike nodded, understandingly. Back in England, his parents would drag him to several outings or parties. The people there talked as if they knew everything, when in reality they knew nothing. They thought their lives were perfect and how they talked was perfect. They were so wrong. They thought they had the right to look down at people who didn't talk like they did. Mike wanted to slit their throats.
"If everything seems to be going in my favor. Don't get me wrong. I would talk to you anyway, but I'm practical. And right now I see an opportunity to make my father angry and have a real conversation. If I can promise your bodily safety, you'd best just go along with it."
Mike chuckled, amused by her. Truthfully, it would be wrong for Mike to say he was offended. He'd done the same thing. He wanted to talk, but also wanted something in return. He couldn't really explain it, but he just felt like she had something to offer him, something that he could use in a way. "Don't worry, I'm not offended. Truthfully, I'm sorta using you in a way..." He smirked.
Once they neared the river, Mike pulled at his shirt. Once it was off, he threw it to the side. He ignored the looks he was getting from the crowds; it was midday, and continued to run. Only in his undershirt, Mike jumped into the lake, whopping. As he resurfaced, Mike laughed. He couldn't wait to see what Alice did.
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Post by aliceroosevelt on May 8, 2008 19:42:55 GMT -5
"Thanks..."
He smile at her. Alice was quite surprised at how nice he looked when he actually smiled. A kind look, she reasoned, could transform anyone. Even if he was slightly drunk and it was a complete anomaly that she was talking to him, Alice was enjoying herself. She knew that her father might say it was a Roosevelt gift to be able to relate to the lower classes, but then again, Alice wasn't trying to get votes. She was trying to forge friendships. That was her ultimate goal, really. Having good conversations with people didn't consist of only showing them your best side. She smiled back at Mike and said, "What are you thanking me for?" She wasn't sure what she had said that required thanks...
"Don't worry, I'm not offended. Truthfully, I'm sorta using you in a way..."
Alice's smile faded slowly, and she cocked an eyebrow, looking slightly imperial again. That hadn't been the response she was looking for. She could use people, but it was slightly uncomfortable to be told that she was being used. She was slightly hypocritical, she had to admit, but she couldn't hide being put off by his comment. She said, "And what would you be using me for?" She tried to relax herself, and gave a tight smile. She knew it couldn't be anything terrible. She had only been speaking to him for several minutes now, after all...
After they ran a long while, she was surprised to see him remove his shirt, toss it to the side, and jump in the river, coming up with a whoop. He expected her to follow her? What an ass! She couldn't believe that he would expect her to jump, fully clothed, into the Harlem River with people all around, who would stare at Alice Roosevelt and some street urchin in the river...
Perfect.
Her step didn't falter. This was better than she could have hoped for, really. She would have never thought of something like this. This would be her greatest, most outlandish feat yet. If she got a photo in the paper, all the better. She knew her father would be furious, and Edith dead with shock. Ah well, she thought sharply, and pulled off her hat before staggering into the river after Mike, shoes, stockings, dress and all. Her skirts ballooned up around her as she descended into the water, she laughed and pushed them down before immersing herself. Coming back up after a short time, she looked Mike in the eye. "And you thought I wouldn't..."
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