The "big one" is plural, a matched pair. Big tall and strong, their rough features very much indicative of Boston's old working class white immigrant history. They don't say much, but they have ready smiles that run across their faces.
The "thoughtful one" is the tall skinny boy. He is of middle eastern or eastern Med ethnicity. He says nothing at all, but stands with his friends.
The "the chick" is a lovely latina, with round features. She leans against the standing bar by the door, bantering comfortably with her friends. Her nose ring gleams against her skin.
The "weird one" is short, ferret-like features. Curly sandy red hair. Rimmless glasses, and a newsie hat. He walks gracefully, and with no need of handholds, as the subway card twists and bounces.
And at the center, telling stories and cracking jokes, the focus of his friends' attention, is he "the lancer" or "the leader"? Chinese ethnicity. Also standing comfortably without handhold in the bouncing subway car.
Their skins are a range of shades and hues of brown, their parents or grandparents or greatgrandparents from all over the world. They all share the same broad working class Bostonian accent.
This entry was originally posted at http://fallenpegasus.dreamwidth.org/833327.html. Please comment there using OpenID.