Counting Blessings (c)

[Goblin]

Wraith, Wraith. Damn it. He hated his sister's nickname--she wasn't dead, or a ghost.

"It is," he admitted with a smile. "And I'm Sebastian, and you're...?" He said it as if were asking more than her real name.

[Ershey]

"Ershey," she said pointedly. "I thought you already knew that."

She looked at him, still trying to make up her mind on whether to trust him or not. She hated the fact that there were two of them, they had that sibling bond and Ershey had no one to run to for back up. At least Wraith had her brother, she thought, somewhat jealous.

[Goblin]

((Aww, we totally need to get Mush in on Ershey's side.))

He shrugged and said quite casually, "Clara says it's Adrianne."

[Ershey]

((I know!! Too bad he still doesn't know anything ))

Ershey opened her mouth to retort but figured going up against the boy wasn't going to do much. "Yeah, it's Adrianne," she finally said after a couple moments. Ershey thought back to the last time she saw Wraith, recalling how Ericson had called her by her real name. "I go by either. But here, at least for now, I prefer Ershey."

[Goblin]

He nodded, glad they'd gotten this much straight, at least. Maybe he should play nice and get around to his actual questions.

"So, Ershey..." He looked out over the city rooftops. "If, theoretically, there were some policeman you couldn't run away from...if you'd tried everything and couldn't shake him...what would you do?"

[Ershey]

"That wouldn't happen," said Ershey with complete confidence. "I know these streets like the back of my hand. Either they get too tired or get lost... usually it's the first." She shrugged, hating to think that she would ever get caught. Ershey always made sure that she had an escape route. If not, a back up plan. Plus, if she were to ever get caught that means no payment goes to Ericson.

"What would you do?"

[Goblin]

"Well, when it actually happened, there wasn't much I could do, but these days I'd probably stage an epic fight to the death," he said with a casual shrug.

"Although," he added with a sidelong glance at her, "there are other ways to corner someone besides outrunning 'em. Like, say, if they have something on you, some kinda hold..."

[Ershey]

"What're you gettin' at?" said Ershey, feeling a bit frustrated. She didn't like how he was phrasing his questions or what he was talking about. She didn't come to the rooftop to get interrogated about how to escape the bulls. All she wanted to do was count her money and be on her way.

[Goblin]

"I'm asking what you'd be willing to do. About this theoretical person. If he was maybe a nuisance for Clara, too, and if she maybe wanted to take care of your problem together."

[Ershey]

"Look, you don't have to talk all theoretical. You're makin' it pretty obvious who you're talkin' about," said Ershey, getting tired of the conversation. "Why? What does Wraith have in mind?"

[Goblin]

Goblin refrained from launching into an explanation of why their family were generally most comfortable discussing crimes theoretically.

"She wants to give him a scare," he said carefully, "make him decide that you two might have powerful allies so he'll leave you alone. She's been talking to a kid from Brooklyn, thinks he might help. I personally don't approve of any of this, for the record. I'm supposed to figure out if you're trustworthy. So far, I've figured out that you're suspicious and cagey as hell, which in Clara's mind probably means 'trustworthy.' But she'd need you to talk to the guy, get him where she needs him. He can't know she's involved." He was very firm about that last part.

[Ershey]

Ershey stared at Goblin, surprised and confused. How the hell were they going to pull this off? Things were finally quiet with Ericson, or at least, as quiet as they could ever be with Ershey. Then again, she didn't want to be stealing things for him all her life.

"That's quite a plan," said Ershey after a couple moments, still debating whether it was worth it or not. "Think it'll work? I'm sure three newsies isn't goin' to pull this off."

[Goblin]

He was now intently examining cloud patterns, which meant that he was actually trying to read every little tell in her face to see if she could go through with this or if she would balk at the last minute. He thought she had what it took, but then, he hadn't exactly told her the whole plan.

"Four," he said, "if you're counting the planning stages. That's the part I'm good at. You can talk to Ericson, Clar--Wraith can sneak herself into any place if we clear the way for her, and this Brooklyn guy...well, she won't actually tell me his part, so I'm trusting her to take care of it." He shrugged. "It could work. Not like you have to decide now. But I'm pretty sure you ain't a police informer or a serial killer or anything, so I'll let Wraith know that she don't have to be afraid to talk to you."

[Ershey]

"She gets to Ericson, then what?" asked Ershey, still quite skeptical. "The three -- or, wait, four of us will go up against all his goons? It just doesn't sound too smart for me."

[Goblin]

Goblin drummed his fingers on the rooftop, which, for him, was the equivalent of a nervous breakdown. She was skirting too close to the heart of the matter.

"I can't make a foolproof plan just like that, you know. We will have to do something about the goons. You and me and this Brooklyn guy, if he'll help. I'm working on that." He paused, then added, "Wraith'll deal with Ericson. Just her."