So what's yer name, kid? Real name, I mean--first an' last. I gotta keep accurate records or the city gets on me back, but I ain't gonna share 'em wit no one.

Huh. Sometimes you forget you have a real name, you get so used to people just calling you whatever name you ended up with when you came off the boat. But m’name is Gavin McDonall. Good strong Scottish name.

Ya gots a nickname? How'd ya get it?

‘Course I got one, it’s an unfortunate side effect of being new to this country. They just all call me Scot, seeing as I’m from Scotland. I used to have a terrible accent, but I’ve managed to get rid of most of it. Only, when I have a temper…well, it’s likely you won’t be understanding anything I say.

Know how old ya are? When's yer birthday? The boys all likes to chip in an' make ya feel special. By which I mean, they likes any excuse for a party.

Everyone likes a party. Trust me, as a Scot, I know. As for my age, well, it’s somewhere around seventeen, give or take a year. Probably give. We usually celebrated my birthday in September, m’mither said I was born right around the end of harvest time so she was too busy to pay attention to the date. Too many bairns underfoot to keep track of them all, I suspect.

Now describe yer appearance for me. Try an' be detailed. My mem'ry ain't what it useta be, an' if I hears about a vicious killer on the loose, I wanna be able to check my records an' make the connection.

*laughs* A vicious killer? I might win a bar fight or two, but I haven’t killed anyone yet. I stand around six foot or so and have a decent enough amount of muscle—I like hard labor. There’s nothing too remarkable about my appearance besides that. I’ve got this blond sort of hair that can’t decide if it’s blond or brown. I’m fairly clean-shaven most of the time, as I know the shop’s customers appreciate a clean look. My eyes are sort of a green-brown—I know, it’s hard to tell. I can never decide what their real color is, it seems to change with the light all the time.

Got any odder job 'sides sellin' papes? Legal or illegal, I ain't gonna squeal on ya.

Naw, I’m not afraid of any squealing. I’m proud of the work I do, as it’s honest and I’m actually pretty decent at it. I work at a furniture shop, making things out of wood and then selling some of them too. One day I’m hoping to open up my own shop, but that’s far down the road.

All right, time for the big one. What kinda person are ya, kid? How d'you treat odders? How d'you treat yerself? We gets all kinds here, so be honest--I just wanna know what to expect.

*snorts* And you think the bad guys are going to say they’re bad? Well I can tell you one thing, I’m not any sort of liar, so I’ll tell you honestly what sort of person I think I am. I’m pretty easygoing—I won’t be causing many fights, although on occasion my blood has gotten boiled enough to step in. Sometimes honor calls for a fight. I’m big enough though that I win a fight fairly quickly, so it won’t take long. But like I said, I mostly stay away from fights, make friends pretty easily, and don’t have many enemies, although you won’t see me around the Brooklyn newsies much. I’m Scottish, they’re Irish, it’s simple as that. I try to be decent with other folks, respect them, respect myself, and one should always respect a lady. That’s my general philosophy.

Got any hobbies? Whaddaya do wit yer spare time?

I don’t really have a lot of spare time, seeing as how I have two jobs. But when I do have a wee bit of time to myself I like to go places with friends, or maybe take a bonny lass out to dinner—usually Soona, if that’s the case, though knowing her, she’d argue about the bonny part. I enjoy whittling, whistling, and walking, as I’m a pretty basic lad. I do enjoy visiting Coney Island every now and then. One of the strangest places you’ll ever go, but certainly one of the most fascinating.

How 'bout vices or bad habits? Smokin', drinkin', gamblin'? I want 'cha to promise to keep 'em outside the house.

No smoking, never found enjoyment in that. I’ve gambled a time or two, but it’s not a habit I’m addicted to. Drinkin’ now…see, that’s something you got to understand about us Scots. We may drink all the time, but it’s not a vice with us, as it would take a lot of drink to make us drunk. I guarantee you, I can pretty much drink any challenger under the table. But no worries, I’ll keep the drinking to the pubs and out o’ the house.

Got any fam'ly or friends 'round here? Or enemies, for that matter? Tell me who ya knows in the area.

No family, I immigrated by m’self, but I do have a few friends around the area. Just general acquaintance friends, except for Soona. I’ve no better friend then her, and I’ll just warn you now, any man that touches her won’t be let off lightly. I look after her, even if it’s like to drive her mad.

An' maybe a special someone? I got a special set o' rules when it comes to that sorta t'ing.

*looks away, frowning, then looks back* Not yet, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have hopes for the future. But trust me, you don’t have to worry about that at the moment when it comes to me.

Fin'ly, every boy's favorite question... *chuckles darkly* What can ya tell me 'bout yer past? Where'd ya grow up, what brought ya here, an' what happened in between?

*crosses his arms* I think that’s going a bit far, as you don’t need to know everything about a boy who just wants a good night’s rest. But as I have nothing to hide, I’ll tell you. I grew up in Scotland with a large family and a Laird who wasn’t known for kindness, so when I grew up, it made sense to look for a life elsewhere. I knew the streets here weren’t paved with gold but I heard there’s both plenty of land and jobs if a man’s just willing to work hard. Hard work is one thing I know how to do, and I’m trying to put my carpentry skills to good use. I’ve been working at a shop where we make the furniture we sell, hoping that’ll lead to more. But in the meantime, it’s not quite enough, so I took up selling papers. It was a good way to learn the city and to improve my reading—I only went through the standard lower grades of schooling.

Nothing much to tell you beyond that, though I suppose you may be wondering about Soona. It’s not my place to tell other people’s stories though, so I’ll only say we met when we were both fairly new here, and that we look out for each other.

*thinks, then nods* Well, that’s about it then. You probably know more about me now than anyone in this city besides Soona. Can I get that bunk?

OUT OF CHARACTER

Profile By: Lirra

E-mail Address: whispersketch@yahoo.com

AIM or Other Screen Name(s): sierravsta (AIM)