ask-the-bowery-newsies

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*they just turn and hug him gently, mumbling* You're welcome, Olwen -Q

Foxglove: *His cheeks flush a little and he nods, hugging them back.*

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*sit on his bed across from him* The objective is to get your cards to add up to 21 without going over. Closest person to do so wins that round. ~Lily

Rush: *He nodded, taking the cards so he could shuffle them before handing them back.* Alright..

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*they smile softly* I think you could absolutely be a doctor or a scientist, Ol. I mean.. you already patched me up, right? Even without school, you're really really smart -Q

Foxglove: *He set the journal aside and fidgeted with his hands.* I- Thanks, Q. Means a lot.

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Of course I can! *smiles and grabs the deck of cards* ~Lily

Rush: *He shuffled back so there was more room between them, blinking.* What’s the objective?

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Oh.. *they nod quietly and look at him* Well.. I'd like to help, if you'd let me. *They put their hand on top of his on the book* -Q

Foxglove: *He scowled a little at the journal.* My mom was a midwife and my dad helped her. They had a farm and stuff y’know, and they had all the journals memorized so they knew what medicines did what and they helped people. *He holds the book out and looks at it.* I wanna help people too. Not like that, but I wanna be a doctor or a scientist or something. An’ I haven’t been to school but maybe if I already know all this stuff they’ll teach me what I missed and I can do it anyways.

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*they look at the book, nod and pause* If.. the pages fall out, will it matter? I mean.. you're remaking them anyways. And it doesnt mean you have to throw out the pages. You can just get a new book, write in that, and then put the page back in the old book. -Q

Foxglove: You don’t know how old those journals are. *He stops and looks at the cover of the one he’s holding, thumbing over the top.* The pages of the oldest ones aren’t like paper anymore, they get crumbly and if I accidentally mess up even a little piece of a page that’s a lot of information lost right there. Some of them have duplicate information but I still wanna keep it intact until I get the time and the resources to remake it myself

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There's a lot, huh? *They pause and snuggle closer to him* What are they even about? -Q

Foxglove: *He thumbs through the pages, tongue pinched between his teeth as he thought. He eventually stopped on a random page and showed it to them- it was filled top to bottom with cramped handwriting, save for a space on the right page with a few illustrations of a plant. The pencil lines were faded and slightly smeared from years and years of time having passed.* Journals of plants and stuff, the medicinal aspects. *He pulls the journal away and holds it to his chest.* Some of them are real old. My parents didn’t get to duplicating the oldest ones before they, y’know, an’ I need to do that but I’m waiting because I’m scared if I touch them the pages will fall out

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Because I know how to play it. *shrugs a little* I could teach you if you want. ~Lily

Rush: *He crossed his legs and leaned forward, intrigued.* Can you? There’s a deck of cards in that side table there.

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*they scoot closer and rest their head on his arm* Can I learn it too? -Q

Foxglove: *He laughs a little and gently wrapped an arm around their shoulder.* You can try, but I’ve been reading all these journals since I was real little an’ I still don’t got everything. There’s so many of them an’ they gotta lot of stuff in ‘em.

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Does it work? Why do you wanna memorise it? -Q

Foxglove: *He folds his legs under himself so he’s sitting on his feet, looking back at the page.* ‘Cus ‘s somethin’ my family’s always done an’ ‘s useful information

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How? *They look at him curiously and pat the bed space next to them* -Q

Foxglove: *He wiggles up next to them and settles down. He holds up the book, which turns out to just be an old hand-bound journal.* By readin’ over it lots.

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*they watch him curiously* What.. are you doing? -Q

Foxglove: *He skimmed over the pages before looking up at them.* Tryna memorize stuff.

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Do you know Blackjack? ~Lily

Rush: *He glances at her, expression bemused.* No, I do not. Why do you ask?

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*they pout when he let's go of their hand but they don't reach for it again, clambering back into bed* -Q

Foxglove: *He sits on the edge of the bed near them after briefly going to his own bunk to get a book out from under the mattress.*

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Do you only know knife games? ~Lily

Rush: *He pauses and thinks* I know some card cames. The more simple ones, the ones that the younger kids play.

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I- I know but.. just- just because Im allowed to be scared doesnt me-mean the reasons werent stupid. -Q

Foxglove: Hey, I doubt the reasons were stupid. *He frowned a little before hesitantly letting go of their hand when they reached the bed.*

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*they press their hand against the door like they're confirming it's closed. They look at him and nod* Yeah.. let- let's. I- I- sorry. *They're saying sorry like it's a reflex* -Q

Foxglove: *He softly takes their free hand and tugged them back in the direction of the bed.* Don’t gotta be sorry, ‘s fine. Y’ allowed t’ be worried, y’know?