Logs:HOA Regulations

HOA Regulations
Dramatis Personae Akihiro, Scramble, Toni	2023-02-01 "Worth it though, even if most the neighbors hate it."
Location <NYC> Riverdale
February seems to have suddenly remembered winter, once again; after a stretch of time in which the city simply moped through vaguely chill and intermittently slushy weather, last night it has snowed -- not deep but enough to blanket the quiet neighborhood in a picturesque glittering mantle. There's a deep bite in the air this morning even though the sun has returned bright overhead. Along this stretch of street there is dissonance -- to one side, stately mansions in diligently manicured yards wear their drapery of snow elegantly. To the other, the riot of color and life that has sprung up in Riverdale offers a cheerful and brazen retort to the rest of the staid neighborhood -- a mostly un-seasonal mix of spooky-skeletons and colorful-fairy-lights and blue and white metallic garlands and the like butting up happily against the red lanterns and bunny decorations that are the newest never-to-be-removed additions. Some enterprising Freaktown youngsters have been up early making an entire diorama of snowpeople, some with horns or several extra stick-limbs or twenty eyes stuck into their more traditional three-snowball bodies. The growing collection of souvenirs -- dogtags, patch-covered vests, shoes, baseball caps -- collected from those who would seek to harm Freaktown are strung liberally overhead in a border that may be warning or welcoming, depending on who you are. Toni, at the moment, is on the opposite side of the street from where the current Freaktown border is demarcated, looking fashionably and appropriately wintry in black boots, vintage jeans in a patchwork of different shades of denim, a long lined coat, deep red and trimmed in a paler shade. Her intricately braided hair is swirled up into a high updo tucked neatly into a red and pink scarf that conveniently also serves to keep her ears warm. She has lingered, for the moment, at a long strip of the sidewalk tree border, where an equally elegant pure-white Borzoi wearing a red coat of its own has stopped to give a long and careful investigation of a flower box, its very long and pointy snoot poking repeatedly at the ground and snuffing, each time, as if the snow there is a startling new surprise. On the freakier side of the street strolls Akihiro, his attention split between watching the border and admiring the souvenirs that dangle overhead, "A lot of these I don't recognize, glad we don't really have to encourage them to keep this place safe." he says mostly to himself, his hands tucked into the pockets of an oversized blue colored jacket with the hiragana for 'Immortal Hanayama' running down the back. He's wearing a matching pair of baggy blue pants tucked into combat boots. Upon spotting Toni his paces slows before eventually stopping, a slightly too wide grin splitting his face open and showing off his wolfish canines, an obligatory slow blink offered to the dog snuffling around, "Lovely morning for a walk, isn't it?" "For sure. I'd be gladder if it discouraged bigots coming here, too." Scramble doesn't sound too disheartened about this, all told. She's got her hands tucked into the pocket of her gold puffer jacket, a bright red scarf draped around her neck, black leather jeans with lace-up outseams, the strips of red tights underneath showing through grommets and between laces, and heavy black lace-up boots with fluffy turn-down cuffs. Scramble keeps pace with Akihiro, her gaze sweeping over Toni, casual and appreciative. "Ionno 'bout the morning, but you are looking fine, Sister." She gives Toni a short upward nod of greeting. "What's good?" The dog offers enthusiastic greeting first -- an upward lift of looooong snoot, a longlegged lope across the street that pulls Toni (a little flustered) in her wake, a tail flagging high in relaxed swooshes as she presses her nose with no respect for boundaries right intuí Akihiro at approximately crotch-level. "Girl -- lawd -- you can't just --" Toni is reclaiming a tighter grip on the leash as she finds her footing, stepping out of the messy-gritty street-slush onto the sidewalk. "I am so sorry," she's telling the others (with considerably less heavy-Southern flavor now than when she'd been addressing the dog), "I only just got her from the rescue, I'm still getting used to..." It's about here she looks up, looks at Akihiro's sharp toothed grin, a noticeable widening to her eyes and a hitch in her apologetic-warm words. She's standing just a little straighter, pulse just a little faster -- but her smile recovers in good time, and her nod is still friendly for all her breathing is a little faster. "First real snow of the year feels like you're stepping out of time a little, doesn't it?" When she looks over Scramble it's with a similar appreciation, and the dip of her head in acknowledgment of the compliment is both pleased and unsurprised. "I see you, all radiant in that gold jacket. Good is thinking it'd just be me and this weird horse --" She's indicating the tall dog with a tip of her hand outward, "then running into some fine company instead." Just a little more hesitant, as her eyes skip between the two others and the garish Freaktown demarcation -- "You two -- live here?" Akihiro drops to a crouch, diverting the sniffing upwards and scratching the dogs cheek. “Don’t mind me, I just look like that.” he says when Toni pauses, giving the dog a few more pats while she speaks to scramble. “More or less. Few places I stay, but there’s always work to be done here.” he confirms with a nod, standing back up to his full height. “It’s a lot of work keeping the lights on and making sure everybody is warm, fed, and safe. Worth it though, even if most the neighbors hate it.” "Exactly! Or out of this world, sometimes. A fresh layer of snow is like a blank backdrop for your imagination." Scramble smiles bright and doesn't quite preen, but there's a suggestion of it in the roll over her shoulders. "I like bringing some bright colors to it, being as winter don't need me help with the dark ones." She looks back over her shoulder at the Freaktown decorations as if she'd forgotten they were there. "Oh, I meant my snow day outfits, though I do help put those up if the mood strikes me. I live here." Simple, pleased, no qualification. "It feels a little bit out of this world sometimes. I'm guessing you don't live too far, neither, unless this fairy steed done spirited you away from home." Her smile pulls just a little askew, mischievous, as she reaches to scritch behind the dog's ear. "Can't fully blame her if she did." There's a complicated flitting shift of something in Toni's face when Akihiro notes her brief (teeth TEETH TEETH) fluster -- her smile warms, at first, brighter -- then falters in a very uncertain dip of brows -- then reasserts itself with a small puff of laughter frost-white in the air in front of her. Her posture, at least, is more at ease -- she's watching with a small fondness as the dog presses into the dual scritches, her long nose pressing up against Akihiro's jacket with a pleased snorfling huff. "Yeah -- yeah, it -- from what I've seen, there's a lot of people in there for who, place like that is a real blessing." Though here she stops with a small shake of her head. "-- though this country how it is, people 'round gonna keep you fed, sheltered, looked over, every community could use more of that spirit." The laugh that spills out of her is bright, and she waves her hand, leash waggling from it, down the street. "Oh, I'm just down the road there. Moved in just a hot minute before you all did, actually." There's a conspiratorial amusement in her voice as she adds: "-- you ever want to see the absolute conniptions folks were having I can show you some of the emails going 'round the HOA. I gotta tell you," the Very Serious shift in her voice is belied by the ongoing twinkle in her eyes, "you all violating several guidelines." “I’m glad I didn’t become one of the home owners association old people.” Akihiro says more to himself than either of the women, continuing to scratch above the nose of the dog. “It’s not really for lack of trying. The police and government do their best to bust the camps up and destroy resources. Thankfully it seems like people are starting to fight back more, hopefully I live to see some real change.” "You ain't wrong." Scramble looks across the street and the human side of Riverdale. "If every community had that spirit for all folks, the world would look real different. We'd probably still want places of our own, but it wouldn't be the same need. But most of 'em can't even bring that energy for the 'right' kinda folks." She arches her eyebrows skeptically at Akihiro. "C'mon, you on an HOA would be comedy gold. The more guidelines you know..." Her smile widens, "...the more of 'em you can violate. Can you believe this guy sleeping on his potential?" She directs this complaint about Akihiro to the dog, but then looks back up at Toni. "I'd love to see your HOA drama, anyhow. Be happy to walk with you a bit, too, while we outside of time." "You are living here," Toni suggests, amused, "you might qualify to join the meetings. I'm sure it would go great." She is twining her leash more securely around her wrist, trying to nudge the dog back into moving instead of simply soaking up affection (which ultimately takes an offer of treat extracted from her pocket to sweeten the deal.) "Alright, gather round," she's taking her phone from her pocket as she falls back into stride on the icy sidewalk, "because these are going to be timeless."