ArchivedLogs:Prelude to Firecrackers

Prelude to Firecrackers
Dramatis Personae Anette, Ash	2016-02-07 '
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. While the festivities don't begin in earnest until tomorrow, Chinatown is starting to get ready for the Lunar New Year. Paper lanterns and strings of lights are hung from the sides of buildings. Red paint also adorns more surfaces and people as they mill around. The usual stores are still open, bodegas that display their wares well out onto the sidewalks. More people out, enjoying the brief break break in the cold and the snow. It isn't exactly warm, per se, with the left over snow and ice keeping the air moving through the city warm, but when the sun was out, it was nice. Now that the evening has come, clouds blanket the city and keep a little of the warmth in. Ash is out in the crowds, wearing a heavy canvas jacket and his big work boots, not matching the upcoming festivities in the least. He is finishing a paper dish full of street food, steam still rising from what remains, his fingers quickly shoveling it into his mouth. He is enjoying the night life, quiet and alone, standing out from the crowd, but not that much. Out in the city for once, Anette keeps mostly to herself, merely walking down the sidewalks and glancing briefly at the goods for sale. A leather coat covering her wings and matching gloves hiding her talons, she looks relatively human except for the yellow eyes peering around. It seems her hunger overwhelms her desire to avoid people and the smell of one of the more popular food carts catches her attention and she makes her way over, ordering a paper plate for herself. As she pays and collects her food, her eyes happen to fall on the other minding his own business and finishing off a plate of food and she offers a polite nod and smile in greeting. Ash tosses his plate in the trash and approaches the food cart again, ordering once more and forking over the paltry sum for the hot food. Once he receives his, he grabs a bottle of sriracha and squirts it onto the food. He turns and smiles at Anette, offering the bottle to her. "Want some spice? I think they make it less spicy during the holidays to allow it to be more palatable for the tourists. Then again, I might just be addicted to spice." Anette chuckles at the offered sriracha and shakes her head. "I must be one of those tourists. It's plenty spicy already," she says, taking a bite and closing her eyes as she savors the flavor. "Remind me, I need to come out this way more often," she says once she's swallowed it down and opened her eyes again. "Remind you? Okay. But honestly, I don't know if we see each other enough to do that." Ash grins as he puts the bottle back and starts in on his food once more. Once his mouth is clear enough to speak, he does so, the rest of his food pushed into one cheek. "Though, tomorrow is the firecracker ceremony. I think you should come back for that. Nothing like the beauty of those little explosions in the sky." "You know what I mean," Anette says, rolling her eyes a bit with a grin as Ash corrects her. "Firecrackers? Not sure I can say no to that." She takes another bite, taking the time to look around the area and the various people before speaking again. "Can't believe the city bounced back so quickly after everything." "I think we're getting used to bouncing back. Plus -- well, this is Chinatown. While there were zombies, there was also less English and more people willing to kick out the English speakers." Ash shrugs and moves a little away from the food cart, allowing for other people to access the cart. "Yeah! Fireworks! Then again, doesn't take much to set of fireworks. Fire... crackers. What is normal here? I can never remember." He scuffs a hand against the back of his neck. Anette smiles and continues to look out over the crowds. "That is true. This city has been through quite a lot. And I guess the ethnic neighborhoods would have an advantage over a plague spread by English." She, too, side-steps away from the food cart. "No idea. I actually don't do a lot of celebrations or touristy stuff. But between the plague and...other things, I'm trying to unwind and get out more. So Lunar New Year and fireworks it is." "Oh, I wouldn't really call this tourism," Ash announces at length, still smiling. "This is celebrating the unique cultures that make up New York. This is a large and vast tapestry of people that has come together to make this island what it is." He leans over his paper plate to take another bite. He chews and swallows, letting his attention drift around where they are standing. "You been here long?" "Oh, I wouldn't give the city that much credit. Sure they can get together for a party but tomorrow everyone goes back to hating anyone different than themselves. They always do," Anette says, picking at her plate a moment before she takes a small bite, glancing to Ash curiously. "Define 'here'." "General vicinity. I guess. Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx - you know, around. I don't think Newark really counts though. I've only been here a few years myself." Ash shrugs and stares down at his snack. "Well, most people hate themselves too. I don't see how la ciudad would be any different. We love bits and bops sometimes ... hate them other times." "Well, I've been living in the city for about...six years I think?" Anette says with a slight shrug. "Mostly Clinton." Anette grits her teeth and shakes her head, holding back her words for a moment as Ash defends the city. "The problem isn't that they hate themselves, it's that they take that hate out on everyone else. I've seen too much violence and too many innocent people hurt and treated like the villain. I don't have a lot of faith in the general population." "Okay." Ash nods and stuffs his mouth full of food, allowing Anette some time to expound upon her feelings of hate. He swallows and takes in a deep breath. "Yeah. I'm not going to pretend that the world is a wonderful, shiny place where everything good happens. I am also not going to shut myself down to the good days. You have to find some ways to find better things for you some times, you know? Just for you. To help you have some good. Like... Fire crackers and tasty food." Anette takes another couple bites, finishing off her plate and using the time to release her feelings. "Yeah, I'm starting to realize that. With everything gone to hell the last few months, I've realized there were a couple good things that have happened. So...I'm taking the time to hunt them down." She gives a half-hearted smile and a light shrug. "And that's why I'm in Chinatown in the middle of the night, watch the celebrations and eating fantastic food." "Good! Then lets have some fun. We should buy some lanterns and make our homes full of pretty color paper too." Ash gestures to Anette and starts leading the way to a bodega that is still open, one that is prominently still selling supplies. "Streamers and everything! Let's go!"