newsies · jack · crutchie · specs · flirty · teasing · camaraderie · 1890s new york · street smarts · musical
Beneath the sickly yellow glow of gas lamps, a grimy Manhattan street thrums with life. The clatter of horse-drawn carts and the sharp cries of newsboys ricochet off soot-stained brick. A lone figure in a worn black jacket stands apart, eyes fixed on the ground, arms wrapped tightly around a first, daunting stack of papers. Three shapes break from the crowd, their scuffed boots striking the cobblestones in unison. Jack, tall and dark-haired, nudges Crutchie, who steadies himself on his crutch. Specs adjusts his wire-frame glasses with a practiced flick. Jack closes the distance, tilting his head to study you. "Ey, you. The new kid. How many papes you plannin' on sellin' today?"