try any bank or bum or barber {PEEP/STATENERS}

[Darling]

Darling gingerly gathered up some of the skirt of her dress as she stepped off the ferry onto the familiar island of Staten. She looked and felt nothing like herself. Usually her hair was left to rest on her shoulders brushed out. But her grandmother had accompanied her on the train and insisted she looked her best for her return to New York. She hadn't the heart to tell her she was returning to a newsies lodging house, it would've crushed her and probably convinced her to smuggle her only granddaughter back to Iowa.

The dress she wore was silk and a deep blue color. It had belonged to her mother and her gran had stuffed her into it, cursing her son-in-law the whole time for giving her little Adrianna black hair instead of the maternal line's golden curls. Adrianna rather liked her hair, and didn't wish for it to change.

But on the other hand, it might've been her ebony locks that had driven away half the eligible young men in Iowa. They were all either not interested or interested in someone else. Or maybe it was the mannerisms she'd gotten from growing up playing on the streets that'd driven them off. Despite her attempts at covering her New York speech pattern and accent with her grandmother's help, she'd still slipped in some clipped speech, which proved another possible factor. Well, whatever it was, she hadn't found herself a suitor. 'A shame,' her grandmother had called it. 'Better luck next year,' Darling had replied.

It was getting late, she had taken the last ferry of the day, which had docked on the island at about seven 'o clock, if not later. The streetlamps were starting to be lit and the evening breeze off the salty sea was already in full-swing.

Her hand curled around the handle of her small suitcase as she made her way to the Staten lodging house. Her black boots with heels clicked against the street as she walked, some of her skirts still gathered in her other hand. Her newsie threads were in her suitcase, and she couldn't wait until she could change into them; get all the bobby pins out of her hair, let it fall like it usually did; and get the makeup off her face. It wasn't much, just eyeliner, some sort of eyelash outliner, and lipstick, but she didn't like it. She never liked wearing makeup. She was all for looking nice, but she absolutely HATED makeup. It made her feel fake or like a porcelain doll that hoity-toities played with.

Finally she arrived at the front door at the lodging house, and she let out a soft sigh. It was like returning home…it was returning home. Darling opened the door and walked up to the front desk. She signed her name in the record book with a flourish and set down her suitcase. She glanced around and smiled slightly before calling out, "Ain't nobody gonna say hello?"

DRESS||HAIR

[Peep]

Peep sat in the parlor of the Lodging House in a comfy armchair. He looked around. Dancer has cleaned the place obsessively and it looked wonderful along with the same decorations he had bought and placed. He wanted it to feel like home. And in his opinion, the Staten Island Lodging House was the best in New York City. He was slunk down low in the chair, his chin on his chest. He was feeling out of it lately. He had given up on the Entertainer, Drifter was with Colonel, and Missy was pregnant and running around in Midtown with pickpockets. He sighed and pushed himself forward.

And to top it off, no Darling. He missed her. She was supposed to be second in command, but then she had disappeared. He felt horrible. He took out the heavily folded leader from his pocket and unfolded it, touching the creases. He read the letter over again. It was to him from his parents. He had come clean. And they were coming. To Staten Island. And they were bringing a girl from back home. Someone they wanted him to marry. Peep sighed and crumbled the letter up, throwing it into a corner. Like he would marry any girl in Salem, Massachusetts. He was purely dedicated to his newsies and to Drifter. Even if she was with Colonel.

Peep watched the crumbled up piece of paper bounce and then settle in a corner. Of course Dancer would find it, and then everyone would know. Then again, his parents were supposed to arrive any moment now. They gave no date as usual, wanting to make him squirm. He shook his head out and his blonde hair fell into his eyes. He was nicely dressed, as he had been for the past few days. His hair combed neatly, a jacket and pants. A good shirt. His best shoes. But he was tired of pretending. His parents would see him for him and they would either accept him or they wouldn't.

He stood, flung his jacket off and then stripped off his shirt, revealing his worn out undershirt. He ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up to his signature hair style. Then he froze. The front door was opening. He hastened to pick his clothes up and awkwardly tried to arrange them neatly on the chair. He then gave up, wadded them into a ball and threw them across the room. They hit the wall and slid to land behind the sofa. He straightened his posture and faced the door, his hands clasping behind his back as he did so.

Then the voice of an angel spoke. Peep rushed out of the parlor, tried to stop and slipped on the rug. He slid from the front room to the dining room across from the parlor. A crash was heard and then Peep was in the front room again, his hands on his knees as he breathing slowed. He pushed his hair out of his eyes impatiently and then said, his eyes wide with amazement, "Darling?"

And then he cheered, running up to her, careful to avoid the rugs as he gathered her up in a hug and lifted her up, swinging her around. He laughed merrily and said, "I'm so happy to see you!" He set her down and grabbed the sides of her face and kissed her on the lips cheerfully. "So happy to have you back! Are you staying?" He asked.

[Darling]

Darling turned at the sound of a crash and tilted her head, moving her hand to brush back the strands of hair that'd usually be in her face but stopped when she remembered that her hair was tied up. Her guess was either Jumper breaking something else or maybe some sort of animal that'd gotten into the lodging house. She shrugged, still used to those sorts of noises, and smoothed down the blue fabric of her dress. When her eyes flicked up from her hands she smiled, seeing Peep there. It was near impossible to confuse him with someone else.

At his question, she nodded, knowing she probably looked a heck of a lot different. She grinned when he cheered, barely able to register anything before Peep's arms were around her and her feet were leaving the ground. She chuckled and hugged him back after he set her back on the ground. Gee, it was great to see him again! Out of all the Staten Islanders, she'd probably missed him the most. "I'm happy to see you too!" she managed in the moments before he kissed her.

She struggled to find a words for a moment, still happy though caught off-guard by this. After a few seconds of regaining herself, she nodded and kissed his cheek happily. "Glad to be back. And yeah, I'm stayin'. My grandmother invited me out ta Iowa for a few months to try and find me a husband."

Darling let go of Peep and began taking out the numerous bobby pins stuck into her hair, letting it fall back onto her shoulders bit by bit. She would have to wait to get off her makeup–as much as she despised it–but she didn't mind. As long as she could talk with him. She'd missed hearing his voice, it was great hearing it again. Her hands moved quickly and soon enough the pins were in a small pile on the front desk and her hair was back where she liked it, falling in her face.

"Obviously she wasn't successful," Darling chuckled sadly, nervously smoothing out her dress again. She wished she hadn't been forced into the frock, it made her feel entirely too proper in front of Peep. And the boots she wore were killing her feet. She felt much more herself in her newsie attire…why couldn't she have worn that instead of looking like some stuck-up hoity-toity.

"So…what've I missed?" she asked, putting on an excited smile and pushing away all the rejection she'd gotten in Iowa.

||DRESS||

[Peep]

Peep grinned at her, his hands falling from the sides of her face to her shoulders. Sure that crash into the wall had hurt, but it was worth it to see Darling again. He hugged her close and then stepped back, studying her. He whistled appreciatively. "You're looking good, Darling!" He told her. He walked around her. "Haven't seen a dress like that since my sister got married." He said, grinning. Peep smiled as she kissed his cheek.

He listened to her tale and frowned. "I thought they grew corn in Iowa, not husbands..." He said, trying to make a joke. But it fell flat. He furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. "I hope you didn't get married without me there." He told her. "I would be very upset if you got married without inviting me. I have to check him out and make sure he isn't insane or anything. Unless you want him insane..." He said. He leaned against the front desk, watching her.

He watched as she undid her hair. He liked it up. But... He liked it down better. Absently, he reached out and played with a strand of her dark hair. He twined it around his fingers and enjoyed the way the sunlight bounced off it. He let her hair drop from his fingers and looked at the pile of bobby pins. "The pickpockets will have a field day if they find all these." He joked, winking at her. "What were you planning to do with them? Break into the New York World?" He chuckled. He pushed his hair back.

Peep sensed her sadness. "Good." He looked at her with a fierceness in his eyes. "What would you want with those Iowa farm boys anyways? New York's where it's at." He told her, nodding. He checked his right hand fingernails calmly, letting his words sink in. He tugged on the sleeve of her dress playfully. "You look lovely, by the way." He said. He sighed and looked away.

He bit his lip and then chewed on his fingernails, trying to cut them down. They were already perfect, but he did not know how to answer her question. So he settled for, "Alot. And believe me, it's more worse then good." He said. "Oh! How about this, Doll got married to Spot Conlon, and I walked her down the aisle." His expression turned thoughtful. "I gave up on the Entertainer. He's just a boy, even if he's a very special one. Oh, and my parents are coming to New York." He looked at her and then said in a rush, "Missy's pregnant with August Davis's baby but she's staying with Chance, formerly of Queens and now of the pickpockets." He took a breath. "And that's about it."

[Darling]

Heat flooded her cheeks when he said she looked good, but frowned when he made the joke about corn and not husbands. "Tell it to my grandmother," she mumbled sourly. But then he said he wouldn't want her to get married without him and she gave him a smile. It's not like she could've said no to her grandmother, but she still wished she could've brought Peep with her to inspect each and every one of the boy she'd met. Her mood rose back up and she laughed at the pickpockets comment. Her eyes looked over Peep while he played with a strand of her hair she couldn't help the shy smile that'd crept onto her lips.

"Yeah, stupid corn-brains. Couldn't tell a trolley from a handcart, I'd bet," she retorted, staring at her feet. The blush came back upon him saying she looked lovely. Her eyes lit up, the news of Doll marrying Spot exciting to her. Confusion was the next thing that came to mind. She'd never known that'd he'd been into the Entertainer…or men…in the slightest. Her mind skipped over the parents news and focused on the Missy bombshell. Her jaw dropped.

"Missy?" she whispered, outright shocked. "With August's kid? And she's staying with Chance?" sometimes that girl just flat-out confused her. She felt almost like an old maid, everyone growing older and leaving her single and lonely. Golly it didn't even make sense. Darling shook her head and sighed before backtracking to Peep's parents coming to visit.

"Your parents? Why's dat? Not like you're gettin' married or anythin' right?" she half-teased, tugging on the end of her sleeve.

[Peep]

Peep looked at her in the slightest bit of confusion. "What is the difference between a handcart and a trolley?" He asked quietly. "No seriously, I don't know. Kind of amazed..." He looked worried by this piece of information. He would have to fix this problem.

He watched her jaw drop, and backtracked, "I mean, it wasn't anything serious you know. Just a crush..." He shrugged. "It was very one-sided, honestly." He said, starting to babble slightly. Of course no one knew about his 'secret'. It was a secret, after all. And here he was, babbling about it foolishly. He trusted Darling completely, after all, but Spot knew and he was worried about how the boy would use that information.

Peep nodded. "Yep. Shocker to me too. She went away for a bit to get treated for some of her issues. Then she came back, got pregnant I assume and then her and August fell out from what I hear and then got with Chance from over in Queens. But he's not in Queens anymore, he's in Midtown with the other criminals, led by August Davis himself." He thought over a few more things. "Oh, Doll got kidnapped by a thief from Midtown and...

Peep looked down at his hands absently, trying to avoid her question and her meeting her eyes. "Well, according to them... I am." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair nervously, messing up his once neatly combed look. "They're coming down from Massachussetts, and they are bringing a girl from Salem with them." His expression was very serious. "And I don't know what to do. Either I marry her and stay here, or I go home and don't marry her. If I stay here and don't marry her, I get disowned, but if I marry her, I stay in the family." He looked at her, "It's not about money or anything else, it's about family. I don't want to lose them." He smiled slightly, "And I also don't want to lose this family. The one in Staten Island, and I honestly think this family, right here, is more important."

He sighed and shrugged, "They're supposed to arrive and moment now. They never tell me. They want me to be surprised, so they can catch me being bad or something. I'm never bad." He grinned sheepishly, "Not all the time at least. But they left six days ago, so they should be here. Today." He frowned. "Dad's not too bad, tends to stick to himself a bit, but Mum's insane. She can probably out clean Dancer." He looked at Darling. "Save me." He joked, grinning.

[Darling]

Darling's eyes widened when he said that he was getting married. How could they just bring up a girl for him? And from Massachussetts? She couldn't imagine having someone picked out and brought to her to marry. 'Oh you two barely know each other but you have to marry or you'll be disowned!'

Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. She couldn't imagine Peep married off to some Salem girl. It should be someone he knew. Someone worth marrying. Her mind whirred upon hearing his predicament. Her eyes darted up from her own hands to look at him. What was she supposed to know about stopping his patents from either marrying him off or taking him back to Salem. Who would be leader without Peep there or married? Maybe he could be married and leader, but it'd be awkward and weird.

Panic filled her with the news of his parents coming soon. And his descriptions of them didn't make her anymore excited to meet them or be caught when they arrived. But in a way she felt somehow obligated. She managed a smile at him in response to his joking plea for help. She stayed silent for a few scant seconds before speaking. "What if you told them you was already set ta get married? They wouldn't hafta meet da fictional lucky lady and you don't hafta leave or be disowned or nuthin'!"

It was a stupid idea, she'd admit, but maybe just maybe it'd work.

[Peep]

Peep sighed, "And I didn't even tell them anything about the Entertainer or anything! Imagine what would happen if I told them I liked boys and girls! They'd probably make me marry an entire harem." he chuckled darkly to himself, imagining the expression his uptight parents would make. "Maybe I should just lie and say I didn't like girls." He said, seriously considering the option. "I could be a bachelor, and no one be none the wiser. My uncle Moishe was like that. Then again, he was a little funny about everything." He shrugged. "Nah, I'm tired of lying. Who knows? Maybe I'll like this girl..."

He looked sad. "Maybe I would like being married..." Then he frowned. "No, I would never. Especially not to a girl from Salem. I have nothing against them, but they can be a little weird." He told her. "Always talking about witches and all." He rolled his eyes mockingly. He listened to her idea, perking up, his nose could have been twitching, he was thinking so fast. "What if... There was a girl?" He asked. "Like, instead of just saying I was engaged, I really was?" He nodded eagerly. "This'll work perfectly." He eyed her casually. "'Course it would have to be someone who could look and act the part of a rich, respectable girl. My parents are fine with cover ups, never look to deep if they see what they like."

He leaned closer to her. "And I think I know the perfect girl." He said, his blues very intense as he looked her straight in the eyes. He licked his lips once, trying to read her reactions. He smiled at her, it was a slight smile, only one side of his mouth picked up. It was mysterious and revealed nothing of his thoughts. But his thoughts were this; He would get engaged. Tonight. And to Darling. Who better? Someone in on it, she wouldn't be lied to, feelings spared. He knew it was kind of cruel, especially after her failed courtship in Iowa, but... He was desperate. If it came down to it, he would ask Dancer, Princess, and then-he shuddered as he thought of this-Missy. But Darling... She was perfect.

[Darling]

An eyebrow quirked at the idea of him liking a marriage to some strange new girl. It quirked higher with the small statement about them always talking about witches. She knew it was probably a joke…but then again you couldn't be too sure.

His idea of actually getting engaged to a real girl sounded a bit out of reach to Darling. His parents were coming any moment according to him. How could he find a girl on that short of notice? Someone who looked rich and respectable. Were there any hoity-toities so desperate as to accept the first proposal thrown their way? She certainly didn't know of any. Then again, she didn't know any rich girls. At least his parents weren't too into judging character beneath superficial looks and cover-ups, that'd be a problem for the lucky lady if they didn't.

She leaned back just a tiny bit when Peep leaned closer to her, listening to him say he knew the perfect girl. Perfect? He already knew a perfect girl? Was she waiting for her prince charming or something? Was Peep going to whisk her away from her factory-grime-covered tower and bring her to Staten to propose to in front of his parents? Her eyes met his and she tilted her head to the side slightly. Why was he looking at her that directly? What was up with that little half-smile? Was he planning something? Maybe she knew the girl and he was going to have her guess. She didn't want to guess, she was horrible at that sort of thing!

"Uh…alright, who's the lucky lady?" she nervously adjusted her tone to the one her grandmother made her use when courting in Iowa. It was better than sounding like a nervous and confused New Yorker, that was for sure.

[Peep]

Peep laughed softly, amused. "Who's the lucky lady?" He asked himself, quoting her. He looked at her, her dark hair and he realized he had only scratched the surface of Darling. If he liked the surface, imagine what underneath would be like? Peep slid down the counter slowly, coming to stand right in front of her. He noticed the change in her voice and he pushed it to the back of his mind. It was only for a short time. Later, he could make up a story about them falling apart. That way, no emotions wasted. A small time together, mutual. Nothing more.

Peep took a deep breath and said, "You're the lucky lady." Then he hurried on. "Listen, we pretend to be engaged for as long as my parents are here, and then a couple of weeks later, I write them and tell them we had a fight and its over!" He said, "That way, we're both in on it and we won't be lying to anyone but my parents. And who better then you! When I first saw you, I thought you were a hoity toity!"

He smiled widely at her and placed his hands on her shoulders. His hands slid down her arms and grabbed her hands gently. "Please, Darling, will you pretend to be my wife to be?" He asked, his voice and eyes sincere.

Word Count: 236
Muse: Fail

[Darling]

Darling smiled warily with the repeat of her question, her eyes switching from her slightly fidgeting hands to him. He slid off the counter and her eyes stayed trained on him, though she tried to seem casual about it. Was her question really really stupid of her to ask? Was it humorous? What was she supposed to be thinking? That is was blatantly obvious?

That's when he said it. That it was her. Darling's breath caught in her throat and she assumed she looked shell-shocked. Her, her out of anyone else? But he rushed onward, explaining that it'd only be pretend, until his parents left. She relaxed a little, feeling glad that she didn't have to actually get engaged, she still had wounds from Iowa courting. She couldn't help but smile when he said he'd thought she was a hoity-toity at first. At least she fit the bill, and she was in on it. She couldn't possibly get hurt again, right? Of course, because this was only for a week at maximum. And then they could go back to how they were, friends–hopefully.

She smiled just as widely back at Peep, contemplating her answer for only a minute and a half before nodding earnestly. "I accept your proposal," Darling replied with a small chuckle.

[Peep]

Peep grinned. "Wonderful! I'm glad you do." He told her. He smiled at her and patted her hand. "You're a good friend." Peep leaned away and tapped his fingers off the counter. He was thinking, his mind going a hundred miles and hour. "Let us see... That means I need a ring for you, we need a story about how we met. Might as well stick to the truth there, we met here in Staten Island and that's why I did not want to leave."

He nodded. "What's your real name? That's important. My real name's Nicholas Yuli Schyuler." He told her. "I was born in Salem, Massachusetts and come from a Jewish-German background. My father's Jewish, my mum's German." He chewed on his lip. "Also, I'm sixteen, that's important. I think that's all you need to know about me. I'll tell you anything else I think of along the way."

He gestured to her. "Now, its your turn." He said, smiling. Then he held his hands up, "Then again, you don't have to tell me anything." He chuckled. He cocked his head, listening. Voices were heard outside. Loud, cheerful voices. Peep held his breath and turned, pushing down his hair. Then the door opened... and a group of Staten Island newsie came in together. They greeted Peep and Darling with a loud cheer and a waving of the hand before filing upstairs.

Peep let out his breath and turned to Darling, letting his body relax. "Sorry, thought is was the parents." He told her, chuckling weakly. He was shaking. He hated to say it, but his parents scared him. They scared him to death. Worse then Uncle Alfie dying. Worse then the shadows at three o'clock in the morning while in Brooklyn.

[Darling]

Darling smiled back at Peep, then smirked with his comment of her being a good friend. She pushed her hairpins off the other side of the desk to get them out of her sight and said jokingly, "Don't you forget it."

A ring? Did they really need that right then? She could always say she wasn't wearing it because she wanted to keep it safe…or that they didn't have one yet. It wasn't that she didn't want it–because she did, when she was a little older and ready–it was that it would make everything seem more official and real.

She twirled a strand of her hair around her finger as she responded, "Adrianna Marina Kensington. I was born here in New York. My father was English and my mother was German-American. My grandmother is German, but she likes acting like she's a full-blooded Americ–" she stopped and trained her eyes on the door, brushing her hair hurriedly out of her eyes. But it was only other Stateners. Darling exhaled slowly and leaned against the front desk, pushing against it with her hands and looking at the floor, expression relieved.

"Don't worry, I thought it was your parents too," she chuckled weakly, smiling slightly. "Is it wrong to say I was the slightest bit scared?"