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Post by aliceroosevelt on Apr 15, 2008 21:26:50 GMT -5
Anyone politics-savvy in Central Park that afternoon would wonder what the governor's eldest girl was doing walking around central park looking like a department store clerk's daughter. They were fools to think that everyone related to Governor Roosevelt wore all those frills and ruffles and expensive clothes they posed for pictures in all the time. And even if they did, Alice wouldn't stand for it. Although there was nothing she liked more than a new dress, she would wear only the simple frocks like the one she was wearing now, if her step-mother advised otherwise.
If you were one who wouldn't recognize Alice Roosevelt by sight, a look at her would still surprise you. She sat on a bench, arms crossed over her chest, glaring down at her lap, positively steaming. What did that she mean, boarding school? Foolish woman. Auntie Bye wouldn't allow it. Papa would, but that was only because he did whatever his darling wife said. She didn't understand how her father could be so in love with his first wife that when she died he couldn't say her name (he had called his daughter "Baby Lee" for the first three years of her life) and then fall head over heels for some...some...
Alice exhaled heavily and looked up. No one was giving her odd stares, apparently no one really recognized her as Teddy Roosevelt's oldest. She had the feeling though, that if Kermit or Quintin were out here... Never mind them. They were at home. And she was here. She had gotten out, and she wouldn't be back for a while. Central Park was a nice place for her to escape to for a while. She sat back, intending to enjoy herself at least a little, but then someone began shouting very near to her. She snapped her head to one side to see where it was coming from...
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Post by Skittery on Apr 16, 2008 1:44:20 GMT -5
"Extry! Extry! Centuries old, distinguished and valuable porcelain stolen from Governor!" Skittery called through the mass of people that had just paraded through his area. A few people looked his way, and one or two came up for a paper, but all in all, Skittery was not having a very good selling day. The Headline had actually said "Shop keeper's Pottery missing", but that wouldn't do.
As the crowd died down, Skittery shuffled his feet as he walked to his favorite bench in Central park. He was looking down at the ground the entire time, watching as his feet kicked up the dust on the road. He stopped short when he looked up as he came to his favorite bench. There was a woman sitting on it. No, maybe she was a girl. At closer inspection of her features, she looked slightly familiar, and very young. Maybe he had sold to her once?
There was no way in hell that Skittery was going to share his bench on this fine day with someone, even if that someone was a good looking young lady. "Hell's a matter with you?" He shouted angrily (he was still a good 15 feet away). "Thats my damn bench!" he added, slapping his papers down to his side in a gesture that he was annoyed.
He stalked over to the young woman on his bench, and once again, the feeling of having seen her somewhere overcame him. He would have asked her if he knew her from somewhere, but he was not in the slightest willing to carry on a conversation with her now that he had discovered her on his sacred bench.
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Post by aliceroosevelt on Apr 16, 2008 15:12:09 GMT -5
When Alice realized that the shouting she had heard was just a newsboy yelling some headline, she ignored it. She couldn't quite make out what he was saying, mostly because she didn't care to listen. Something about porcelain, it didn't matter. But the next thing she heard was loud and clear, no doubt directed towards her.
"Hell's a matter with you?"
Alice gave a start and jumped to her feet. She looked in the direction of the shouting to see a newsboy, older than she, with a stack of papers under his arm. He looked dirty, not to mention angry. Her brow furrowed, and inwardly she was slightly intimidated. But she tried not to let it show. However she wasn't sure how long she could keep that up, as the boy started towards her. She'd yell for a policeman if she had to, and he best not think she wouldn't...
"Thats my damn bench!"
What? He was making her get up because he figured this was his bench? What an asanine moron! She glared back at him angrily. "Your bench?!" she exclaimed. Suddenly her voice was drenched with sweet sarcasm. "So sorry. Must have missed the sign. Street Rats Only On This Bench..." she turned, and made a spectacle of looking for it. "Hmm...must have blown away, then?" She looked back at the boy cooly, one eyebrow cocked. She wasn't afraid of anyone. If she could deal with her step-mother, who had the personality of a boa contstrictor, she could deal with this boy.
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Post by Skittery on Apr 16, 2008 15:35:23 GMT -5
Skittery looked at her triumphantly as she leaped up from the bench in apparent shock and intimidation. What came next though, Skittery would not have been able to foresee;
"Your bench?!" "So sorry. Must have missed the sign. Street Rats Only On This Bench..." "Hmm...must have blown away, then?"
Skittery frowned, "For a poor girl yourself, you talk awful dignified." he said in obvious recollection of her regal tone and educated speech. Skittery could take a hint. She was not going to go down so easily. He simply sat down on his bench and lazily began to flick through one of his papers. Maybe she would just walk away?
((Sorry its so short!))
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Post by aliceroosevelt on Apr 16, 2008 15:47:06 GMT -5
"For a poor girl yourself, you talk awful dignified."
It was little consolation that the frock she wore had the desired effect. No one would think of her as anyone of the upper class, let alone Roosevelt's daughter. But indignance blacked out any sort of thought, and she felt herself flush, and began to hate the boy who sat so nonchalantly on the bench, as if he truly did own it. Alice hated when someone else got their way, especially if it meant she didn't. "Poor?" she said, almost laughing, but trying to keep her composure. "Don't make me laugh. I get more in my weekly allowance than you do in two months." How do you like them apples?
She thought it would be best for her to leave, but she wasn't about to let this go. Alice rarely let any argument go until she won. Even though the boy was older, it didn't mean he was smarter. Alice could think of two people right away who were older, but whom she could outsmart every time. A little brains, a little talent, and she had everyone doing her bidding. Now if only she could get her seat back. She tried playing the feminine card. "What kind of man are you, taking a lady's seat? You ought to be ashamed of yourself..."
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Post by Skittery on Apr 17, 2008 0:06:26 GMT -5
"Poor?" "Don't make me laugh. I get more in my weekly allowance than you do in two months."
Skittery didn't even glance up at this ridiculous sounding statement. "What are you, the mayors daughter or something?" he asked, laughing at his own joke. "Cause if you are, Theres someone I know who really wants to meet you." he finished, his mind traveling to Kid Blink who had this sort of obsession with her. He was pretty sure that he even had a cut out picture from a newspaper of her under his pillow.
"What kind of man are you, taking a lady's seat? You ought to be ashamed of yourself..."
Skittery snorted, "Theres a bench across the way, lady. This one's mine." he stated dryly. "An' I'm pretty sure that I'm bigger and stronger than you, and if need be, I will use any necessary force." Skittery said nonchalantly, trying to sound smarter than he really was with the big words as he flipped a page in his paper and continued to look uninterested.
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Post by aliceroosevelt on Apr 17, 2008 14:23:41 GMT -5
"What are you, the mayors daughter or something? Cause if you are, Theres someone I know who really wants to meet you."
Alice had to laugh, and her laughter joined in with the boy's, but the supposed it was for a different reason. "I've had the mayor's daughter over for dinner. She's a harlot with about as much personality as a coffee table, and twice as stupid." She was exaggerating a little, but overall it was true. Her father'd had Van Wyke over for dinners, and all the Roosevelt children had to sit down with the mayor and his family. Alice had not been impressed at all by the mayor, who had an obnoxious laugh, or his wife, who looked like she had a stick up her...well. And then Charlotte, their daughter, couldn't hold an intelligent conversation if her life depended on it.
"Theres a bench across the way, lady. This one's mine."
"Well I guess you boys have to own something," she said, once more cynical. She wasn't about to give in, though. She wasn't about to move from this spot. She would share the bench with him if she had to. Maybe that would make him get up and move away. He seemed pretty upset at her, which was what she was going for anyway.
"An' I'm pretty sure that I'm bigger and stronger than you, and if need be, I will use any necessary force."
She shot him an angry look, incredulous he would even say something like that. "You wouldn't dare." She shook her head. If this boy knew who she really was he wouldn't be speaking to her like this. She decided to play that card for a change and see where it got her. "You have no idea who I am, do you?"
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Post by Skittery on Apr 18, 2008 2:04:00 GMT -5
"I've had the mayor's daughter over for dinner. She's a harlot with about as much personality as a coffee table, and twice as stupid."
Skittery, instead of ignoring this statement as just some girls way to make herself look important, glanced at the picture on page 7 in the paper he was reading. The caption under the picture said, "Alice Roosevelt". Skittery glanced up at the girl in front of him, and saw the exact image in the picture. Suppressing a surprised gasp, he controlled his features and continued to play along. He had just threatened Roosevelt's daughter.
"Well I guess you boys have to own something,"
That did it. Skittery didn't care who she was, he was giving her a piece of his mind; "Listen doll, I own everything in New York. There ain't nothing or nowhere I can't go, and there ain't nowhere that I can't sit. Got that?" he asked scowling at her. "So you can just place your royal little ass over in that bench--" he said pointing over yonder, "Or I can do it for ya."
"You wouldn't dare." "You have no idea who I am, do you?"
Skittery snorted and stood up so that he was facing her. "Scuse me ma'am, I didn't properly introduce myself. I'm Skittery. It's nice to meet you Alice." he said, emphasizing her name. He then very easily flipped her over his shoulder and began walking over to the other bench.
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Post by aliceroosevelt on Apr 18, 2008 17:58:40 GMT -5
"There ain't nothing or nowhere I can't go, and there ain't nowhere that I can't sit. Got that?"
It was apparant that this boy thought he was a sensation for some reason that Alice couldn't see. Some people were just naturally haughty, herself being among them, but at least she had something to be haughty about. She was the daughter of one of the most influential men in New York, and yet she didn't have to listen to him at all. This street rat wasn't the only one who could come and go as he pleased. It was harder for Alice, true, but it just made her feat all the more admirable. She said to him icily, "Yes, I got that. Contrarily, there's nowhere that I can't sit, either. So I really don't know who you think you are..."
"So you can just place your royal little ass over in that bench--" he said pointing over yonder, "Or I can do it for ya."
She raised her eyebrows at him. Profanity in front of a lady? He must have been born in a gutter. But the display didn't shock her as much as it probably should have. In private, Alice was less of a lady than she probably should be. Words like that didn't phase her, but their sudden use certainly did, especially when they were used threatingly. "And how do you propose to do that, hm? You can't levitate me there and I don't intend on doing much walking..."
"Scuse me ma'am, I didn't properly introduce myself..."
Alice knew a very sudden change in his attitude was highly unlikely. More likely, he was just being a smartass with her. But she wasn't about to fall for that. She just stared at him cooly and stood her ground.
"...I'm Skittery..."
Skittery? What in the hell kind of name was that? His friends must have hated him to give him a nickname like Skittery...
"...It's nice to meet you Alice."
Before she had time to react, Skittery grabbed her, put her over his shoulder, and began walking across the path. She screamed with indignance and began beating him on the back with her fists. "Put me down! You damn bastard, put me down!" Feeling infuriatingly like a sack of flour, she kicked her legs and flailed her knees, trying to make contact with his stomach or perhaps a slightly more sensitive area. "Goddamn you, put me down or I'll--"
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Post by Skittery on Apr 19, 2008 14:49:09 GMT -5
"Put me down! You damn bastard, put me down!"
Skittery had to admit that he was rather intrigued by the hostility and language of the Governors daughter. He had expected something more of a lady with manners and a hoity toity attitude. Well, she had the attitude, but not the manners or stupidity from what he gathered.
"Goddamn you, put me down or I'll--"
Skittery cut her off, "Or you'll, what exactly?" he bellowed back at her, causing a passing couple to turn and stare. "Tell daddy? Call the coppers?" he asked, very much enraged with the current situation. He was trying to hold down the ferocity of the female and carry on an argument that he (hopefully) would win at the same time, and being the man that he was, was struggling.
"You go ahead and do that! I ain't got nothing to loose!" he snarled as he dropped her onto the bench. He did not graciously set her down, but practically shouldered her off - almost throwing her onto the bench. For a fleeting moment he wondered if she was alright - it had been quite an impact for a lady, but then his concern was quickly masked with his anger and he spun on his heel, walking in the direction of his bench.
He wasn't the least bit worried about her calling the cops - he had gotten away from them more times than he could count - but there was a small tinge of apprehension at the prospect of her father, Teddy Roosevelt, hunting him down if she told him about the incident. Fathers could be overly protective of there daughters - and the governor was no exception.
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Post by aliceroosevelt on Apr 19, 2008 15:08:05 GMT -5
"Or you'll, what exactly? Tell daddy? Call the coppers?"
Although she continued to struggle, it occurred to Alice that she didn't quite know what she would do. Odds were she wouldn't be telling her father. He wouldn't do much about it anyway, she knew that much. If it had been Ethel, of course, he might have, but since she was the child he would rather forget, he'd brush it off. What else was new. And the coppers...police, Alice thought harshly, I'll not call them coppers...probably wouldn't get here in enough time to help anyway. She could see Snittery (or Skittery or whatever his name was) was arrested, at least, but that wouldn't quite give her the satisfaction she wanted.
People were staring as he began to yell. Hopefully no one would recognize her to make a scene out of all this. But the odds were slim, the thought bitterly, considering she now hung with her face looking into Skittery's back. She'd never felt more powerless and absolutely hated it. She struggled again and muttered the foulest curses she could think of, knowing that it probably wouldn't help, but it made her feel like she was doing something at least.
"You go ahead and do that! I ain't got nothing to loose!"
Alice felt him shoulder her off, not bothering to be gentle. She fell hard onto the bench and grunted from the impact. She drew air in between her teeth, suppressing pain from the back of the bench having smacked into her back as she was put down. Ruefully she rubbed the inflamed spot, and stopped when she saw Skittery walk away toward the other bench.
What the hell? she thought despite herself. Did he think this was over? Did he honestly think she was about to go on with her merry day having been manhandled by a street urchin? If so, he was sorely mistaken. She sprang up, however much her back smarted, and cried, "Don't you dare walk away from me!" Marching boldly up to him, she grabbed his arm and shoved him around. "Did you think that would end it, you bastard? Think again! I'm not through with you yet!" She decided that she definitely sounded braver than she felt, because her threats were all but empty.
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Post by Skittery on Apr 19, 2008 15:35:15 GMT -5
"Don't you dare walk away from me!" "Did you think that would end it, you bastard? Think again! I'm not through with you yet!"
Skittery felt her tugging his arm to turn him around and he obliged, facing her head on. He was having trouble suppressing sarcastic laughter. What could she possibly do to him? He was a street rat with nothing to loose. If she tried to inflict physical pain on him, he would just grin and bear it - knowing it wouldn't hurt much anyways.
Skittery spread out his arms and said, "Hit me, then. Settle whatever it is you think needs settling and lets get this over with." he finished smirking at her. He really needed to sell the rest of his papers so that he could make enough money to eat something that evening, and then have enough left over to buy more papers the next day - only to watch the process repeat itself over again. Not much worth living for.
((bah..Not much to say. short.))
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Post by aliceroosevelt on Apr 19, 2008 16:07:05 GMT -5
"Hit me, then. Settle whatever it is you think needs settling and lets get this over with."
Since he was offering, she would. Her gaze was hard and as threatening as she could muster, and she said curtly, "Well. First..." She raised a hand and smacked him across the face with her open palm. Although she put her full force behind the slap, she had the feeling it wasn't hard enough to really phase him. Hopefully it hurt a little, though. And even if it didn't, it at least made her feel better.
After it was done she exhaled heavily and continued. "Now I feel better, even if you don't feel any worse. But I'm not through with you yet." She could feel herself moving into a tirade. Even with half of the people in Central Park staring, she couldn't be convinced to stop. He'd crossed the line, what did it matter if she crossed a few herself? But she couldn't take long. If some businessman passed and started pointing her out, she'd be in some trouble if word got back to her father. She decided she'd figure out if she'd care later. Now she turned her attention back to Skittery.
"What makes you think that because you sit on that bench, you own it? What makes you think that you can speak to me like that, just because I'm not as big as you? What in the blue hell possessed you to pick me up, throw me over your shoulder and carry me to another bench?" More importantly, she thought as she paused to catch her breath, why am I not getting my way? "Just answer me that. If I'm satisfied with the answers, we'll call it settled."
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