ArchivedLogs:Personal Rainclouds

Personal Rainclouds
Dramatis Personae Hive, Mai
In Absentia	2016-12-22 "Damn... you sure know how to make things sound depressing."
Location <NYC> Chinatown
One of New York's oldest neighborhoods and the oldest Chinese enclave outside of Asia, Chinatown is a vibrant ethnic community, which draws throngs of tourists annually as well. This neighborhood is packed with Chinese-owned businesses, from restaurants to groceries to theaters to fashion. Though the weather has been mild and practically springlike during the daytime, nightfall finds temperatures dropping precipitously back to a more /respectable/ first-day-of-winter chill. People who dressed during the pleasantly warm daytime are now hastening along between warmer-indoor-spots, light jackets and sweatshirts pulled tight around themselves in the abrupt cold. Except for those few who find themselves distracted by more urgent things than potential hypothermia -- -- such as one thin and likely underdressed young man stopped leaning against a newspaper box just opposite a Buddhist temple and a shoe store -- wearing sneakers, faded old jeans, a threadbare corduroy jacket thrown on over a grey and white flannel, the brisk wind whipping his unruly mop of hair around his gaunt face as he cups bony fingers around the weak flame of a cheap plastic lighter. Doggedly attempting to light a cigarette, though the lighter does not seem to want to comply. Hive's eyes are faintly narrowed, a disgruntled press to his lips as he flicks the lighter again. Mai is one of those who might not be quite fully prepared to the sudden drop in temperature, as while her jacket, zipped up fully, is decently warm, the same can't be said about her skirt, which leaves her legs mostly bare. But she knows to keep moving to get the blood circulating better to combat the cold. Going home from work perhaps, or on some other errand, but either way, her path does happen to take her straight past the temple, although she does not pay it much mind, not being the overly religious type. Flick, flick -- fzzzt. With an irritable huff, Hive tosses the spent lighter into a nearby trash can. Straightening from his slouched lean against the boxes, he takes a half-step forward, attention falling to the next approaching person as Mai heads down the sidewalk. "... don't suppose you've got a light?" There's a noticeable accent to his gruff voice that places him distinctly as non-native to the city, though it's not particularly easy to place. Mai stops as she hears the question, having to look up a bit at the tall man, well, most people are tall compared to her, taking a moment to study him over, but no, he does not look familiar. She shakes her head slightly at his question. "I am sorry, but no, I do not smoke, and even if I did... I doubt I could make it to work in this weather." she points out with a glance up towards the offending sky. "C'est la vie." Hive returns to his previous slouch, cigarette still bobbing between his lips. "One day I'll do the smart thing. Get a frakking -- windproof. One. Until then --" Just a grimace. "... y'know what's the nearest convenience store?" His eyes are -- vaguely tracking down the block, to where there in fact /is/ a convenience store -- unfortunately shuttered for the night already. Mai gives a somewhat questioning look to the man at that question, as if wondering whether he is serious, then shakes her head and laughs lightly. "There is one right over there, another one around the block where I work in, but, I think you will be hard pressed to find one that is actually open this late. Smoking is bad for you anyway, and all that shit." she adds jokingly at the end, thats probably what reads in his cigarette box anyway! She does need to rub her legs together some while standing still here to keep them warm, while conversing with the man. "You could probably find some bar where you can get light from someone though if your really desperate." is added with a shrug, just a guess as she isn't actually old enough to get in those bars, well officially anyways. "Yeah, so my oncologist has told me." Hive's voice is dry. "City that never sleeps -- /unless/ you want a goddamn smoke, looks like." His grumbling does not seem directed at anyone in particular, unless it is the sidewalk. "'pologize, I'm keeping you out here in the -- goddamn cold. Rude as hell." His own bony arms have crossed tight around his chest, gripping his jacket tight in the wind. Mai chuckles slightly in return to the joke. "Well, I suppose its the exception that enforces the rule or something? But yeah, your definetily right that it is pretty chilly out here, strange too, during the day it was nice and warm and this was plenty enough to stay warm." she notes with a motion down along her outfit. "Damn weather should have the common courtesy to stay constant I tell you!" Then she gives a somewhat curious look to the man again. "But, I doubt you came all the way out here just to have a cigarette? Or I suppose you might have, but that would be kind of weird! So, umm are you like lost or something?" "Well. It /is/ winter. Had the solstice and everything." Hive finally removes the unlit cigarette from his lips, tucking it behind his ear. "Nah. Not lost. Just nicotine-deprive. I'm sure I'll find a lighter /somewhere/ between here and home." He straightens, hands tucking into the pockets of his jacket. His brows pull just slightly together as Mai motions to her outfit. "Stay warm, yeah?" Mai gives a slight nod to that. "I suppose, I guess I have just somewhat lost track of the time... every day feels the same kind of thing. It might never be warm again the way it used to be..." she seems to somewhat drift away with her train of thought for a moment, before shaking her head to focus back to the moment as the man comments about her outfit. "Yeah, I guess I could have dressed a bit more warmly, will have to remember next time as this isn't cool... hmm or to come to think of it, I guess it specifically is cool, just not the right kind... you know..." Hive exhales once, quick and sharp -- possibly amused. "That sounds -- dire. Are we talking about the weather or are you writing the beginning of a power ballad?" His eyes have drifted away -- somewhere down the block again. "Nothing wrong with dressing for fashion," like /he'd/ know, standing in his oversized tatty jacket and faded old jeans, "though it sucks the weather doesn't agree with you." Mai arches a brow slightly at that question. "I am not much of a writer, and believe me, you would not want to hear me sing." she notes with a chuckle, getting that friendly smile back on her face that had faded momentarily before. "Wouldn't that be awesome though? I mean, if you actually -could- make the weather to agree with you. Like whenever your feeling all happy it would be all sunshine and shit, and when your angry there would be like these huge storms, just like in movies you know? But no, instead the damn weather seems to always do its thing in the least convenient way possible." Hive seems to give this last statement a rather earnest consideration, before shaking his head. "I don't know about /awesome/. It's a lot of responsibility. Have a bad day, flood your house -- or your whole town. Accidentally unbalance the entire atmosphere, cause a drought in the next state because you wanted to water your garden. From what I've seen, it's kind of a burden to bear." His shoulders lift in a brief shrug before returning to their previous slouch. "Probably better to just check the forecast more often." A shiver is passing through him, now. His chin lifts to Mai, in one quick up-tick of a nod. "Speaking of, best find me some warm. {Goodnight.}" A brief lapse into gruff Mandarin, for the farewell. Mai blinks a few times at those words, chewing her lower lip some. "Damn... you sure know how to make things sound depressing, I hadn't thought about it from that kind of angle. But ah well, either way its not really something I need to worry about, anyways, its hard enough for me to keep my daily scheludes in order." she notes with a smile. She shivers a bit as well in response to his words, maybe its infectious? Glancing up to the sky once more before nodding in agreement. "That sounds like a good plan." She fluently switches language as well to return the farewell in kind, before starting to walk again, helps to keep those legs moving to fend off the cold.