A girl? It's a girl, how the hell? Is that even legal? (Spot and Dodger)

[brooklynishere]

Siobhan Conlon had run away from home at age 12 and very quickly realised that the streets were a terrible place for a girl. Especially one with a smart mouth and a violent temper. It wasn't that she couldn't handle herself - she absolutely could - but she didn't want to have to all the time.

So she'd stolen some boy's clothes from a washing line and spent her second-to-last dime on a haircut, and when she'd shown up at the circulation gate with the other newsies one cold November morning, three weeks after first leaving home, they'd accepted her with open arms.

After that, it wasn't long before she had a bed at the boarding house, a whole new family and a name - Spot.

By now she has it down to an art, as the leader of Brooklyn she had her own room at the boarding house which made it easier, but she's spent years perfecting her act, she's got the swagger and the voice and the look, and everybody thinks she's just small for a boy - Spot's certainly got more than enough personality to make up for it.

So when Dodger comes strolling into her life she doesn't think anything of it at first, he's just another cocky kid for her to take under her wing and show the ropes, and if she finds him somewhat attractive... well, it wouldn't be the first time she's thought that about someone. She'll get over it, she always does. She can't risk revealing herself, not after all this time.

There's something about him, though, something that's just kind of easy to get along with - even when they're arguing - and Spot just likes having him around. It's dangerous, really dangerous, but she can't stop herself being around him.

Comments

[artfuldawkins]

He has to have a quick look at the buttons first, before he starts to work on them. There's quite a lot of them, and they're small and fiddly. He wonders who the hell thought this was a good idea, but he's not one of those who thinks clothing up. Still, he's got quick hands, and quicker fingers, and fiddly though they are, he makes his way through them in good time.

"Ah, she's one of those sorts," he says, nodding even though Spot can't see it. "Might not have enough to feed herself, but you c'n bet that table's clean enough to eat off of." He'd seen a lot of the type back in London. He reckoned it was people's way of giving themselves something even when they had nothing.

He reached the last of the buttons, and paused, just briefly. Last one.

"How's she keepin' you right?"

[brooklynishere]

Spot makes a noise of agreement at his assessment - that's exactly the type of woman Mrs Rogers is.

When she feels his hands still, she doesn't even bother waiting for him to get the last button, there's enough room now that she can tug the thing off and toss it aside with obvious relief. She's not totally relieved, she's still got all the stupid underthings on, but it's a start.

"You know," she shrugs "helpin' me out with what I'm s'posed to do, lending me the dress and stuff, that kinda thing."

[artfuldawkins]

Spot might find the under-things stupid, but they're making Dodger stupid in the head. He's not staring, exactly, but he keeps glancing over at her. It's...

Look, Spot has a tendency to make him daft at the best of times. He knows that. She's just... she gets to him in ways that no one else does, and he knows that she knows that. Or, he's pretty sure she knows that.

It's just... this is very different. They've generally not had time like this. Without the kids underfoot. Just them.

"Right nice of her," he manages to mutter, trying to not stare still.

[brooklynishere]

Spot hasn't noticed the effect she's having, too busy fiddling with the ties of her petticoats. She doesn't even look up when she drops the skirt to pool at her feet and steps out, clad now only in her corset and bloomers (and stockings and chemise underneath - she isn't really thinking about this being risque at all, women's underthings are so numerous she feels almost more dressed than she usually does even without the dress itself on)

She does look up when Dodger speaks, though, catching a strange tone in his voice. That's when she notices his expression and frowns, confused.

"You alright Dodge?"

[artfuldawkins]

Is he alright? Now, that's a question and a half.

It's not a situation he ever thought he'd be in, honestly. Finding himself driven to distraction by someone undressing. But it's not that someone's undressing, it's all about the who of it. He swallows, and looks up at her.

"This is... different," he settles on, his voice only just keeping even.

[brooklynishere]

Spot frowns suspiciously and turns properly to look at him, hands on her hips. Her very accentuated hips.

"Jack Dawkins if you're finding this funny." She snaps, completely misinterpreting everything that's going on with his face, and his voice, and his entire demeanour.

"I know I look like a goose all trussed up in this stuff, you don't have to be weird about it."

[artfuldawkins]

She thinks he finds it funny?

She's standing here, hands on her hips and drawing attention to how the corset was shaping her, and she thinks he finds it funny.

"Bloody hell, it's the furthest thing from funny, Boss," he says, looking up at her. "You don't look like a goose. You look..." His voice fails him, and he can't help the way his eyes sweep over her. It's just...

"Different," his voice finally settles on. And then, in a rush, as if he cannot stop his own mouth: "I mean, you've always been beautiful, especially when yer fightin', but this is new an' the newness is just... makin' a bloke stare a bit."

Even if he was trying hard not to.

[brooklynishere]

Spot's the one staring now, utterly bemused and maybe, just maybe, with the tiniest hint of pink to her cheeks.

"You don't think I look stupid?" she says, like she isn't quite sure what to make of that. She looks down at herself and then back up at him.

"You think this looks... good?" She sounds a little incredulous, but not exactly angry. She trusts Jack well enough to know that this isn't the kind of girl he wants her to be, that if she'd never worn a dress in her life he wouldn't really mind, but it's.. good, she thinks, to know that he doesn't find her in a dress completely ridiculous. It makes her feel a little less horrible about the whole get up.

Only a little, mind, but still.

[artfuldawkins]

She... she thought she might look stupid?

No, that didn't work in his head. This was Spot Conlon, after all.

"Boss, there ain't no way you can ever look stupid," he said, meeting her eyes to make it clear that he meant every word that he was saying. He glanced back down at what she was wearing, and swallowed.

"But no, this... this ain't a bad look for you," he said, meeting her eyes once more. "Not how you look best, but it ain't a bad look."

[brooklynishere]

Oh... huh.

She's not some fawning girl who gets all giggly and blushes at every compliment and she doesn't want to be, but there's still that hint of self consciousness that almost every teenager - girl or boy - has hovering under the surface, and it's nice to be complimented, even if she isn't any good at actually knowing what to do with them.

"Right. Well. That's okay then." She says, clearing her throat awkwardly. "....thanks."

It feels better to know she doesn't look completely ridiculous, even if she doesn't like wearing this kind of thing.

"....Can you help me unlace this thing?" She asks, motioning to the corset

[artfuldawkins]

Dodger would be thrown if Spot every became some fawning girl. What was the fun in some fawning girl? Well, okay, he knew that wasn't fair to those types of girls, but those types of girls were the ones he stole from. He used their fawning to get close and then lifted from their pockets.

Spot was... Fuck, Spot was more. Simple as that.

He eyes the corset, and swallows heavily.

"Yeah, yeah, I c'n do that," he said, standing to move behind her. He touches the lacing of the corset, and gently, slowly, starts to unlace it.

[brooklynishere]

Were she not so thrown off by the whole situation, she might be the one laughing at how much he was clearly affected by simple undergarments. Instead, it was still just vaguely unsettling - in a flattering sort of way - so he's spared her amusement as she turns to give him better access.

"You can go quicker," she says after a moment "I just wanna get the stupid thing off."

It's more comfortable than she'd thought it was going to be, admittedly, and actually not quite as restrictive as her old bandages used to be, but it's still stiff and unfamiliar and strange, and she just wants to be back in her normal clothes already.

[artfuldawkins]

The thing is, this is the type of thing Dodger would mock if any of the lads told them they were experiencing it. Was just a bit of cloth, he'd tell them, ain't nothin' special about it. But it was never about the cloth, and he got that now.

She can mock him all she likes for it. He's fine with that.

"Quicker, alright," he nodded his head, moving his fingers faster. Unlacing didn't take as long as he thought it would, and he moved his hands back when he was done. "That... that should be enough to get it off."

[brooklynishere]

"Thanks." she murmurs, half appreciation for his help and half an implied apology for rushing him so abruptly. She gets the corset off and sighs in relief as her shoulders sag, posture settling back to its usual slouch.

It's short work, then, to get the chemise swapped for trousers and vest. Dodger is treated to plenty of glimpses of skin as she unselfconsciously switches clothing - they're brief, and not overly explicit with the angle she's standing at, but she clearly doesn't have an issue with him seeing.

(The only reason she was cautious before was because she didn't want anybody to find out, now that everyone knows she's just as casual about it all as the other boys)

"That's better." she says, turning to him as she buttons up her shirt "Hi."

[artfuldawkins]

Seeing her change out of the undergarments is interesting in its way - those glimpses of skin that enter his thoughts more than he should admit to, fuelling further thoughts. Still, he leans back on the bed, hands outstretched behind him, and is far more relaxed to see Spot appear in her usual clothing.

He smiles.

"Alright, Boss?"

[brooklynishere]

"Yea." She nods. This place ain't so bad, weird expectations and bitchy girls aside, she can handle it - at least for a little while, until she figures out what her future is supposed to look like now. Until they figure out their future.

She leaves the clothes scattered across the floor for now and instead comes to join him on the bed, flopping down beside him with relief.

"How's everything back at the lodging house? They all behaving?"

[artfuldawkins]

There was something about seeing the Boss so at ease with herself that just made him feel good. He couldn't explain it. He didn't want it explained. This place, how she was expected to be, it made the idea of the future kind of ... much. Like this? The Boss at ease? It made it easier to think on.

Their future, he wondered what it would be.

"Missin' you," he admitted and then "well, everyone is."

[brooklynishere]

She smiles a little archly, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Aw, you missin' me Dodge?" She taunts, since his phrasing made it sound like he'd meant just himself at first, and even if that wasn't his intent she's going to tease him for it.

"Ain't gotta miss me, I'm right here." she adds, leaning over to nudge him with her shoulder.

[artfuldawkins]

"Don't see you first thing any more, though," that's out before he can stop it, and there's a flash on his face. He knows he shouldn't have said it, it's too... telling. Too revealing.

He does want that again, though. Waking up and seeing her. He coughs, and changed the subject quickly.

"But, yeah, they're all behavin', little rowdy as they push the boundaries, but you got 'em well-trained."

[brooklynishere]

The smile doesn't fade, but something about it does soften, for a moment, until it's quickly covered up by the cockiness again.

"'course I do." She says easily, deciding that, actually, she didn't want to tease him for wanting to see her in the morning. Doesn't want to poke fun at something that feels... special, somehow. Something that she wants too.

"Y'know," she says after a moment "once I's settled here an' everything... I bet we could get away with you stayin' over. Sometimes. Long as we's careful."

[artfuldawkins]

He wants to make a joke about her cockiness, about how proud she seems of having the kids well-trained. It's well-earned, he'll grant her that. The newsies are hellions when they chose to be, but Spot got them in line in a way that the other boroughs could not.

But then she says what she says and he just stares for a moment. His mouth suddenly feels very, very dry. His eyes flick up and down over her, and then:

"I'd like that."

[brooklynishere]

"Good." She says, not trusting herself to say too much more on the matter. As long as they're on the same page, that's all they need. She's got half a mind to tell him to stay tonight, but she hasn't been here long enough to feel entirely comfortable with what she can get away with - this feels risky enough for now.

"You should probably head back... make sure they's getting to bed on time and all that..." she adds reluctantly, aware that the longer he's there the more her resolve to play it safe might crumble. Right now she doesn't know where she'd go if she got kicked out of here, she has to be sensible.

[artfuldawkins]

He wanted to kiss her again. That was his most prevalent thought, and he was nearing to do it.

But then she speaks and he nods. Got to do what the Boss says.

"Yeah, you're probably right," he sighed, straightening himself up. "God knows they're likely runnin' rings round people."

[brooklynishere]

She laughs slightly, nodding - their boys are a menace, it's true.

She did notice he was about to kiss her again, though, and feels a pang of disappointment that he didn't do it anyway. Even if it's probably for the best.

"I'll see you at the gate in the morning, yea?"

[artfuldawkins]

Dodger nods again, giving himself a moment.

"Always, boss," is his reply, a charming grin accompanying the words. Of course, he'd be at the gates. Probably be one of the first there, because he knew she would show early to make sure the others didn't pull any stupid crap on their way there. He nodded once more.

Now or never, he thought, steeling his nerves.

He leaned in, and dropped a quick kiss on her cheek, then stood.

"Tomorrow then, boss."