ArchivedLogs:Two by Two

Two by Two
Dramatis Personae Chloe, Deanna, Nicoleta and Toma
In Absentia	2013-12-14 '
Location <NYC> Busboys and Poets - East Harlem
A quiet, artsy spot nestled away on a side street in East Harlem, Busboys and Poets combines cafe and bookstore in a way a Starbucks tacked on to a Barnes & Noble could never achieve. The food is a solid, multi-national cuisine menu that caters to all kinds of dietary choices, and its fair-trade tea menu is extensive. Its weekend brunch tends to draw a large crowd, but there is ample enough seating both at tables and on its many comfortable armchairs and couches that at other times of the week there is never a wait. The walls are adorned with the work of local artists, and tucked in among and alongside the couches are rows upon rows of books, with a definite slant towards the political and the bohemian. This evening, the Lupei twins, Toma and Nicoleta, are at Busboy and Poets, waiting in line at the counter to make their order. Uncharacteristically, Toma is in a sour mood, whilst Nicoleta is /cheerful/. They stand there, Nicoleta babbling her head off in Romanian whilst Toma just listens. < Okay, okay, but, I'm telling you, this new Robo-Cop looks /amazing/. Hopefully it'll still have all the gore, too. >. Toma, rolling his eyes, quips back to her, as they continue to stand in line. < It's going to bomb. First, who the hell is the star? Second, Samuel L. Jackson is kind of overrated. >. Nicoleta takes the last statement as if Toma just murdered her child, and stops talking, except for one quip. < Then I'm not buying you tickets. > The twins are joined in line by another pair -- though certainly not twins, these two have little in common. Chloe is the shorter of the pair, managing feminine even while bundled, dark leggings tucked into her knee-high black boots, a grey skirt over top, a pale green sweater underneath her warm fleece-lined coat. She pulls a grey knit cap off her head, shaking out her loose half-ponytail of dark curls. The pair /do/ match the twins somewhat in speaking patterns, though; Chloe is currently cheerfully talking the ear off of her more taciturn companion. "-- /else/ are we going to do, the city's going to be snowed under all weekend. Perfect, really, we'll load up on hot chocolate, movies -- /oh/ did you say Robo-Cop?" She turns her easy smile to the twins, picking out the only fragments of word she /understands/ among the Romanian. "That sounds like we could add it to the list. I'm thinking things with enormous explosions." Beside Chloe, Deanna stands taller, her dark dreadlocks hanging down far below the borders of her black earflapped cap. Her attire is pretty nondescript, really; /old/ beaten leather jacket, in good repair but clearly well-worn. Jeans covered up to the knees by black gaiters, heavy rubber-soled boots. She's listening to Chloe with a small smile as she pulls off her leather gloves and slips them into a pocket. Her dark eyes slip from Chloe to the twins, head tilting slightly curiously to one side as she studies them. "You're always thinking enormous explosions," she murmurs in a rather deep voice. As Chloe mentions Robo-Cop, Nicoleta turns to her, also having a cheerful smile, possibly having been replaced by a super-nice clone. Always possible. "Oh, yeah. My brother and I here were talking about the new one. He thinks it's going to be terrible, but I beg to differ.". Toma, replaced by an /evil/ clone or something, frowns. "We were trying to have a private conversat-.". Nicoleta's putting her hand up, to shush him, however. "Don't mind him, it's his time of month.". This irritates Toma, who quickly quips back. "That's none of their business.". Nicoleta just changes the subject after this. "If you're looking for enormous explosions, there's Die-Hard, anything by Michael Bay though the quality is usually horrible, or, ooh, Point Break. Great movie.". Toma laughs, shaking his head, as the line advances. "Point Break doesn't even have any explosions in it.". Nicoleta quips back, quickly. "It had like one or two, I swear!" "Apologies," Chloe says with a small shake of her head, though her warm tone doesn't sound particularly /regretful/. "It's just, well. Look out there --" She waves a hand towards the snowy grey evening, "and look in here and, well, after hiking through a /blizzard/ to make it here I'm all for stealing warm cocoa /and/ warm conversation. And explosions. Die Hard is amazing. And the new Robo Cop -- if it has enough explosions who really cares about the rest of it?" "Your priorities." Deanna shakes her head, too, though there's a tinge of amusement in her eyes. Her eyebrows quirk up at the banter between the twins, lips turning up further. "My priorities, though," her voice is soft, a deep contralto that is calm and gentle for all its huskiness, "are mostly just warmth. And company. Entertainment choice --" She lifts a hand to indicate Chloe. "I'll leave to Chloe." "Exactly. Explosions and gore are the only reasons people watch movies. Atleast, the only reasons I do.". Nicoleta cheerfully replies, as Toma is staring at the front of the line, impatiently tapping his foot. Nicoleta rolls her eyes at him, before introducing them. "I'm Nicoleta, this is my twin, Toma. Nice to meet you both.". Toma raises his haind in the air, either as a wave or some sort of angry gesture, it's hard to tell. Toma quips over to Nicoleta, back in Romanian. < What do you want to order, since you're so busy? >. Nicoleta rolls her eyes again, replying. < Scone and a mocha, the usual. > "The only reason people with sense watch movies," Chloe agrees easily. "I'm Chloe. This is Deanna. We're hiding from the snow. Maybe celebrating. Civilian government again means New York's that much closer to regular life and Dee here is that much more a free woman. Able to go out and live large, get into /trouble/ -- or." She waves a hand around the cafe. "Enjoy a hot cocoa and watch the snow. Sometimes it's the small pleasures." "And you." Deanna tips her head politely, finally leaving off her study of the twins to look towards the menu board. "Are you alright?" She spares a brief glance to Toma at this. "Perhaps, some cocoa and movies for your brother as well. Some days, you just need an escape." Toma looks towards Deanna, just grunting. Nicoleta translates or something, cheerfully. "As I said, it's his time of month. Turns him from the nicest person you'll ever meet into a jerkface, like this.". This actually causes Toma to laugh, quipping. "You're one to talk. You once punched an old guy for looking at you funny.". Nicoleta grunts herself this time, turning to him. "He was like, only 40. Maybe 50. I don't know, I didn't look at him long enough.". The line scoots up, putting Toma and Nicoleta second in line, with Nicoleta turning back to Chloe and Deanna. "Good idea. Maybe sleeping pills, that'll work too.". Sadly, she's actually considering this. "No blame there, I've done my share of uh -- /aggressively/ discouraging lecherous interests. Though, my god, Dee, if forty is old you'll be over the hill /soon enough/. What do you want to do with the sunset of your youth?" Chloe moves up in line when the line scoots, already tugging a wallet out of her pocket. "Hey, it's the weekend," she answers the comment on sleeping pills. "Pretty much the time for cutting loose. Or sleeping for a day straight, if that's your bag." Deanna draws in a breath. Lets out out slowly. It seems a little /resigned/, at Chloe's response, though it doesn't cut the quiet amusement from her face. "Ancient." She keeps looking over the menu, her arms folding over her chest with a quiet creak of leather. "With the last of my youth? I want to enjoy New York. Keep it safe. It seems to need the help, lately." She looks back to Toma. "I wouldn't say jerkface. I've met jerkfaces. There's a difference -- between being nasty and just keeping your distance." Toma, in turn, is also drawing his wallet, counting the money inside before emptying all of it into his hand. He speaks, more cheery than before, but still grumpy. "No, it's my fault. Just, bad mood.". Nicoleta butts in, laughing. "It happens as often as a solar eclipse, or something. Like, if you met him on another day, he'd be the most cheerful gentleman ever.". Toma laughs, as the customer in front of them finishes up. He walks up to the counter, calmly placing his order. "Two mochas, and a scone, please.". He grabs the number, and approaches one of the tables, as Nicoleta grins at the two ladies. "Well, it was nice meeting you, as I said. I'll fix him, don't worry. He'll be nice in like a week or so, and then it's only 28 days until the next time this happens.". She follows after her brother, waving. Chloe raises her eyebrows, studying Toma now with a crooked sort of smile. "Twenty-eight days. I see." She exchanges a look with Deanna, and steps up to the counter herself. "Stay warm," she says in parting. "At least long enough to find your good mood again."