RUNT! (OPEN)

[Niamh Dunlevy]

Oh God...that had not sounded well coming from Missus Colly. Niamh was now a little worried for Grooskilly's well-being, and even her own - Ted Colly was bloody powerful, and she had seen him throw a beer bottle up to ten feet away. It would be rude to mention this, though, so the Pavee merely kept sipping at her tea, nodding at Missus Colly in thanks when the drink was set back down.

"T'ank ye again, Missus Colly," Niamh said with a smile. She really was thankful...Mister Colly was just an intimidating character. "I'll thry and sthop by when I geth my nexth leave or so. You make lovely bread, ma'am."

Billy suddenly rose from his seat, saying that he would be off. He said goodbye to the Missus Colly and then to Niamh, but not before attaching an unneeded comment to his farewell for the Pavee. In response, Niamh merely said, "Goodbye, Billy. Ith was nice meethin' ye." She didn't bother taking note of his advances, knowing well that, if it seemed like she was ignoring him, he would leave Niamh alone. If he didn't, then she could always sic Drummer on him...or better yet, her cousins. They would happily put someone in their place if that someone was bothering Niamh.

When Billy was finally gone, the Pavee sighed quietly. Looking up at Stephen, she said, "Y'know, he reminds me of my Uncle Daragh's boys - t'ey're t'e rugby-crazy ones t'at you meth before, buth Aidan-James and Aran aren'th one o' t'em, bein' my Uncle Riordan's. I was - an' sthill am - t'e runth of t'e family around 'em. When I was younger, t'ey'd always 'ames wit' my noggin, boys bein' boys. T'ey sthill like tho do t'at wit' me now, buth t'ey kinda sthopped now t'at I cook t'eir food, hehe."

Niamh took another sip of her tea.

"Buth t'ey're justh cousins, as ye already know. While a bunch o' my relathives had six or ten children, bless t'em all, m'parenths only had me. T'e closest t'ing I e'er had to a brot'er was t'ose boys. Oh, and d'ye wanth some help wit' t'e dishes afther thea, Missus Colly?"

[Stephen Colly]

Rose smiled at Niamh, ”Thank you, I’m sure we will be fine.” she glanced at Stephen as she said this, he nodded back at her. ”Oh that’s nice of you.” Rose smiled as Niamh commented on her bread; Rose was pretty good at making things, cooking related things of course.

Stephen listened to her and raised his head a bit, watching her and smiling slightly. ”Oh really.” he muttered, smirking slightly. He liked to hear about Niamh’s past for he didn’t know much about it, she knew a little about his but he basically knew nothing towards hers.

Rose listened also, wow Niamh seemed to have a lot of people in her family. ”You seem to have a large family dear.” Rose butted in as she began to put the plates away, ”And yes dear, that would be lovely if you could help with the dishes, Stephen never helps much.”

Stephen gave her a look and stood up, glancing at his mother, ”Fine, I’ll help you but I need to get back out to work. Before father comes home.” he glanced nervously at the back door and then back to his mother, being to dry the dishes.

OOC – Sorry its short!

[Niamh Dunlevy]

"Yep," replied Niamh, taking a small bite out of her bread, continuing to talk after she swallowed. "T'ey're always up tho somet'ing. 'Tis a bit scary somethimes whath t'ey come up wit'; ya think t'ey'd run ouththa ideas, but no, t'ey come up wit' somet'ing or anot'er."

When Missus Colly made the comment about Niamh having a large family, the Pavee laughed. "Missus Colly," said she, "you don'th even know t'e half o' it. I've goth thwo-hundred cousins all scaththered around Brithain, and seventhy-nine o' 'em are servin' in t'e army. T'ey're was only fifthy before, buth whath can I say? Birt'days come, thrainin' finishes and whath-noth. I'm justh anot'er Dunlevy in t'e army, an' t'at's t'at. An' I'm glad tho 'elp wit' yer dishes!"

Stephen seemed to throw Niamh a look, and stood up again. She had a feeling that she might have said something, although Niamh didn't think it was a good idea to say anything about her feelings. "Fine, I'll help you but I need to get back out to work," the boy-soldier said. "Before father comes home."

Niamh was quite tempted to say, "Ith's okay, you go outh and work," but this was not her household. If Stephen's mother wanted help with the dishes, then it was only right of Stephen to respect her wishes, even if he was old enough to make his own decisions. However, Niamh could help speed things along; when one worked as an army volunteer, learning to wash a hundred plates in a few hours was something you quickly got used to. With the three of them working, the dishes would be done in no time, and Stephen wouldn't have to worry about his father. Niamh would make sure of it!

Finishing her bread and tea, Niamh licked her lips, wiped off her fingers and said, "T'ank ye, t'at was lovely." She took her dishes over to the sink, and stood by the Missus Colly, saying, "Shall I wash or dry, Missus Colly? Doesn'th mathther eit'er way, I'm noth picky. In facth, I wash dishes almosth every day for t'e boys in France, and before I voluntheered, I worked ath a couple o' kithchens righth 'ere in Brithain."

[Stephen Colly]

Rose couldn’t imagine having so many relatives like Niamh, she could only just cope with the family she had let alone another two hundred or other members…wow, Niamh’s parents must be run off their feet – mentally and physically!

”Well, at least we can count on enough men and women to fight this war with only your family!” she laughed and smiled at Niamh, she was warming to the young lass. ”Thank you very much for your help love, you’re a saint!” she began to start washing up.

Stephen had stood up and was standing by his mother, he hadn’t realized until now how tall he had grown in the last year, he was now a good one foot taller than his mother…he glanced down at the top of her head, and kissed it lightly, Rose smiled softly at him and then handed him a soupy plate which he began to clean.

”Glad you enjoyed it love.” Rose smiled over, ”It would help if you could dry, Stephen…no love, not like that.” Rose began to take the plate from Stephen who had nearly dropped it.
”Sorry.” he muttered, ”Clean the table.” Rose said, pushing him gentle towards the table, he walked over to it and began to clean away the plates, putting them on the side.

[Niamh Dunlevy]

Niamh grinned widely at Missus Colly's comment, and nodded vigourously. "Yes ma'am!" she piped up, "We'll definithely drive t'e Germans intho t'e ground ath t'e rathe m'family's growin' ath! In fact, I've goth t'irthy differenth cousins righth now expecthin' children; leth's see Hithler beath t'at!"

Nodding at Stephen's mother's request of drying the dishes, the Pavee quickly scooted over to where the tea towels were, and began helping dry the dishes. Poor Stephen tried to help as well, but it seemed as if someone had coated his fingers with butter, and Missus Colly sent him to the table. Niamh had to resist giggling because of the look on Stephen's face, gently taking the dish his mother had taken. With practiced ease, she began to dry the plate, and within minutes, she had nearly all of the dishes dried and in their appropriate cupboard.

"Y'know," began Niamh, wiping down a teacup, "when I was sthill on t'e road a loth, I remember washin' me dishes in a big, deep poth. Justh puth some soap an' clean wather in wit' the dishes an' set ith o'er t'e fire tho boil. I also remember t'at some o' me uncles worked wit' methal like thin, an' we acthually made a few o' our own dishes. I sthill 'ave me old thin spoons wit' me, an' a fryin' pan made ouththa thin an' iron. Bith banged up, ith is, buth I ne'er seen somet'ing so sthurdy as t'at pan."

The Pavee reached up and placed the teacup in its appropriate spot in the cupboard. She then glanced over her shoulder at Stephen, and then looked back at his mother.

"T'at also reminds o' a thime when my Uncle Daragh's cousins were visithin'. T'ey were visithin' wit' t'eir wagon, an' back t'en, I was a wee lass 'bouth nine or then. T'at wagon was preththy big - tho us, ath leasth - and m'cousins ofthen dared t'emselves and me tho who could geth on thop of ith t'e fasthesth. Even more crazy, justh tho be safe, we even puth our parenths' poths on our heads as helmeths, so we wouldn'th hurth our noggins. I never 'ad t'e guths tho climb on thop of ith, but my oldest cousin o' Daragh's, Cillian, he goth on...and he acthually jumped off!"

Niamh gave what sounded like something between a snort and a chuckle.

"M'Aunth Tuilelaith - Cillian's mum - had a fith when she came outh and saw 'im leapin' off of t'e thop o' t'e wagon like a bird or somet'ing. He fell on 'is 'ead, thoo, buth t'e poth, ith thook all o' t'e blow! T'ere was t'is enormous dent in ith where he had smacked 'is head off t'e ground firsth!"

[Stephen Colly]

Rose laughed at Niamh’s sudden ethusasmum over the war, saying about her cousins and “leth’s see Hithler beath t’at!”
Stephen gave a soft smile but began to concentrate more on the tiding of the table then the talk.

Niamh had been doing the drying up quiet quickly and had begun to talk. She began to talk about her history and the two Collys began to listen, interested both of them to know what her life had been like on the roads for the two did not like the sound of travelling so much like Niamh had done, a joyous past time.

Stephen sensed Niamh looking at him and he glanced up and then back down at the table as he began to scrub it clean.

Niamh continued to talk until finally she had finished describing her time jumping off wagons which Rose or Stephen did not think was the best idea to do…the three finished the kitchen in silence.

Stephen threw his cloth that he had been whipping the table with, into the sink and rolled up his sleeves. ”I better go and check on the horses, want to come Niamh or do you need to get going?” he asked her, smiling over at his friend.

Suddenly, the front door could be heard opening and then shutting with a bang. Stephen froze, his eyes going straight to his mother and then to the kitchen door, loud footsteps were heard and into the kitchen came Ted Colly.

Rose was staring at her husband and stepped forward, ”Ted, didn’t expect you back until dark…” she trailed off, her voice slightly weak.
Ted surveyed the scene in front of him, his wife, his son…and…”WHAT IS THAT GYPSY GIRL DOING HERE?” his voice had risen and a vain throbbed in his temple.

”Father.” Stephen stepped forward also, his father glanced down…or rather, he glanced down, but only saw Stephen’s chest, his eyes went up to his son’s. His son had grown; Stephen had grown and was now the same height as him.

”You think, just because you are on leave, that you get to run the house hold like you own it? Inviting people in when you know that they are not allowed?” Ted hissed at his son, his eyes flaring.

”I invited her in Ted, not the boy.” Rose cut across, ”Don’t take it out on him, she is a friend now, she found Joey for Stephen…” she stopped.

Ted glanced past his relatives to the girl, an expression of softness appeared across his face, it then changed to complete anger, ”IT STILL DOES NOT GIVE HIM THE…THE…” his voice rose, his hand rose also and it struck across Stephen’s face, leaving a burning sensation across his cheek.

Stephen pushed past him, ”I fucking hate you father, fucking hates you. Niamh, you coming?” he stopped in the doorway, his eyes falling on his friend, shrugging he stormed off down the corridor, god he hated his father…god he hated him!

[Niamh Dunlevy]

Niamh squeaked as the door slammed shut, the colour draining from her face in an instant. She slowly turned her head, watching as Mister Colly's monstrous figure stormed in, him looking at the kitchen with a stare borrowed from a hawk. The second he laid his eyes upon the Pavee, his temples bulged, and his eyes were full of rage.

"WHAT IS THAT GYPSY GIRL DOING HERE?!"

She flinched at the word "Gypsy". Slowly, the young woman pulled back, dipping her head and finding the floor rather interesting all of a sudden. The two Collys stepped forward, Missus Colly's voice breaking somewhat as she spoke. Stephen's mother hadn't expected the Mister back until nightfall...apparently, she was wrong. Niamh felt awkward in that moment, much like someone who had walked in on a fight between a couple would.

"Father," said Stephen, but his father cut him off. Mister Colly snapped at his son, asking Stephen if he thought he could run the house while on leave, or something like that. Then Missus Colly cut in, saying that Niamh was a friend and that she had found Joey, and the house was completely silent for a moment. Niamh's head slowly rose, and she went to say something in Missus Colly's defense, but then Mister Colly blew up again.

"IT STILL DOES NOT GIVE HIM THE...THE...."

"...Misther Colly," began Niamh, "I - "

WHAP!

Niamh gasped as Mister Colly struck Stephen across the face. A bright red handprint formed on his son's cheek, and Stephen shoved his father aside as the boy fled his house. He asked if Niamh was coming, and she answered, "...Yes Sthephen, justh give me a momenth...." She wanted to make things right with Mister Colly, and see if she could get him calm down a little.

Taking a deep breath and stepping forward, Niamh said, "M-Misther Colly...I'm sorry I came. I shoulda called or somet'ing beforehand tho leth you know I wanthed tho visith. Sir, please don'th be mad at Sthephen and t'e Missus; t'e faulth 'ere is all mine. Nexth thime I wanth tho visith, I will ask yer permission firsth, an' noth sthop by wit'outh ye knowin'. Ye are t'e man o' t'e 'ouse, an' ye deserve tho know who comes an' goes on yer properthy."

[Daniel Brennan]

Mod Post

CP:
Runt: 12CP

Niamh: 13CP


~Dan