19478/Why so early

Why so early
Date of Scene:	11 November 2024
Location:	Downtown Manhattan
Synopsis:	Purse snatcher ends up on the Naughty List early, and coffee with conversation is had in thanks.
Cast of Characters:	Thea Queen, Virgil Hawkins

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Thea Queen has posed:
It's beginning to look a lot like... really? This early?

New York City is decking the halls, and the with the warm weather 'wave', coupled with the early onset of decorating? It is a little difficult to get into the spirit. That doesn't keep the tourists away, however, and traffic is 'up' from the 'off times'. Pedestrians are out in force on the streets, taking in the warmer air for as long as it lasts AND cashing in on the early sales. One of those on the streets, bags hanging with 'Saks' emblazoned, is a young woman dressed in latest fall fashion, a jaunt in her step. Thea Queen is on a shopping spree!

Slowing her step at a fully bedecked, mom-pop toy store front, blue eyes peer in to look at the set-ups of trains, snowmen, and the various lit snowflakes hanging.

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
Virgil is wearing a heavy black Supreme puffer jacket with matching black J Brand denim covering his legs. Black Forces /would/ make him stand out in the white backdrop of the New York City snow, but the only snowflakes in sight are giant, made of out plastic, and in the middle of being attached to the streetlights as part of the rapid decor revamp.

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
Virgil is wearing a heavy black Supreme puffer jacket with matching black J Brand denim covering his legs. Black Forces /would/ make him stand out in the white backdrop of the New York City snow, but the only snowflakes in sight are giant, made of out plastic, and in the middle of being attached to the streetlights as part of the rapid decor revamp. So instead he's just wearing a hip all black ensemble on the streets of Manhattan-still a pretty sweet situation if you ask him.

Someone bumps into Thea and breaks off running--probably because they've snatched her purse, leaving the shoulder strap dangling around her arm while the loud slap of sneakers on sidewalk tries to get lost in the crowd. Doesn't work though--somehow, instead, they end up magnetized (?!) to a street lamp sporting a giant plastic snowflake that lights up with Christmas spirit--or some other surge of electricity-right as the would be thief slams into it. "Hey! What the hell!" he calls out, his feet kicking out in front of him like he's trying to momentum his way out of the sticky situation. "Careful! Don't wanna end up in Saint Nicks spotlight!" calls out Virgil. He just so happened to be standing between Thea and her stolen purse, snatching it from the thief and offering it back to her.

Thea Queen has posed:
Where is Thea's City Radar? The golden rule in city walking is 'head on a swivel', and she's fully failed. Blame the bit of nostalgia and/or desire to find something 'homey' to bring back and add to the boxes and boxes of decorations that already fill a section of the basement.

Perhaps she's taking a little too much pleasure in the thought of having one more thing that Oliver has to put up and put away?
The purse is pulled from her shoulder in an instant, and her reaction is such that she's spinning on her heels to give chase with a 'Hey!' escaping from her.

One step, two, and immediately there's something that is absolutely //strange//.. and her footfalls slow once again, bringing her to a step. It's definitely a sight, the man hanging there, feet kicking but going nowhere. "Uh.."
And the presentation of her purse, albeit broken. Thea laughs, the nervousness of the situation turning to relief. "Thanks," she begins, and first runs a hand through short hair before taking it back. "That was pretty quick work." The smile remains behind after, and shifting her purse into one of the bags, she hols her hand out, "Thea. And I think I owe you a coffee, or something for that."

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
The purse slips back into Thea's grip easily enough while the young kid bounces his head back and forth between the thief and his attempted victim. "Thanks? But I didn't do anything, it was Santa." He rolls his shoulders in a heavy shrug with a definitely innocent smile stretching his lips up toward his ears. "Not that I'm ever gonna say no to a free coffee!" he spins around on his heels and does a comical finger-wag at the bald man that's still appended to the pole.

"Don't forget, he's checking it twice!" warns Virgil, and as if on command he suddenly drops down from the pole and sprints off--this time way more successful at disappearing into the crowd, but without Thea's purse. The teenager turns back toward Thea and throws both of his hands up with a shrug, still wearing that broad grin plastered all over his face. "You were checking out the toy store? The lady that runs this shop is really kind. She gave big to a toy drive for kids in East Harlem and Chinatown." He gives a vague gesture that way. "They don't have coffee but they do have AC. Or there's a coffee shop just two blocks up, one of my favorite places."

"Not like I really know my way around or anything. I've only been living out this way for--maybe three years now? You look local. I should probably be trying to figure out where your favorite spot for a brew is!"

Thea Queen has posed:
"Uh huh..." she says slowly, the utterance sounding a humored note. "Right. Totally Santa."

Thea watches as the young man turns to waggle his finger, and soon enough, the perp manages to disappear into the crowds. "I totally could have handled him," she murmurs. Though, there's something to be said for chivalry, and knights are always to be thanked and repaid in some way!

"I was," she picks up. "Looking for something that doesn't scream 'Made in China'. And," she glances back over her shoulder, considering his words, "Even better. I think I'll be coming back," and she returns her attention to her current companion, "after coffee. Lead on."

Shaking her head in prelude to her own response, "Nope," she begins, "I live in Starling. Just sorta slumming. I'll be headed home again in a couple of days." So, the pause seems to say, "Three years? You've got that on me, so I'm willing to take recommendations."

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
"There's plenty of really cool stuff last time I looked around in her shop. At least the stuff she donated was pretty cool, so the stuff she sells might be even better." He's already leading the pair off north through the city, up in the direction of the couple of blocks he indicated with a casual and relaxed stride, the biting wind throwing his locs around on his head like a cloud getting whisked about in the wind.

"I'm not gonna lie, you don't exactly look like the type of girl who takes down street thugs in her spare time. Do you do some martial arts or something? I mean don't get me wrong, I'm really into confidence," he says with his grin taking on a rakish, teasing shape.

"Saying Manhattan is slumming it is wild. Starling must be really something--I'm from East Harlem so I'm uh.. doing whatever the opposite of slumming is," he says with a chuckle, his cheeks turning the color of red velvet coffee as he blushes and rubs a hand against the back of his neck.

Thea Queen has posed:
"Nice," Thea begins slowly, "hoping to add to the collection then." Collection? "My brother and his girlfriend will //love// it." Is there a hint of mirth there? Siblings...

Thea keeps step easily, even in her low heels. It's an easy pace, and navigating the crowds is something she does with a practiced ease. She's a city girl; just not //this// city is all.

"I..." and a grin appears slowly, "... I have surprises. And yes, I do work out." After a fashion. "And you know the story, 'I have a big brother...' thing."

Her pace is easy, and she dodges some of the 'oncoming traffic', gauging her words when they're closere rathr when separated by one, two people. "Starling isn't quite like New York. It has it's good parts and bad. I have a busines in th 'bad' section, but we're hoping the area gets cleaned up a little more."

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
"Which one of them is the toy collector? I've got a shelf or two of Funko Pops but most of my toys got lost in moves or yard sales back in my hometown Dakota City," he explains. He's clearly very practiced at navigating densely packed arterial streets but he still makes no hurry of it at all, proving easy enough to follow especially for someone like Thea.

"Yeah, I do know that story. At least I know all about older /sibling/ situation. That and Dakota City High would have been a great place to go to school if you wanted to be a boxer," he lets out goofily, mimicking a small duck and weave maneuver to illustrate the point. "That's cool though! I'm also into surprises. I got a few of my own, after all."

"So what kind of business do you run?" He spins on his heels, walking backwards to look her up and down, checking her out to aide his guesswork: "High end fashion? Boujie makeup? Oh no, I've got it! You're a model that worked her way to the top and runs her own agency now, right?"

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea laughs, "We all are. Never, ever grow up. It's overrated." The laugh remains in the form of a smile as she shakes hr head slowly. Brows rise, "Funko Pops? Never had them." She falls silent for a long moment before, "To be honest, I don't remember any one particular //toy// I was given that I had any attachment to." Spoiled rich kid syndrome. She doesn't go //there//, however. Nope.

"Dakota City?" Easy enough to turn that back around as they walk. "Where's that? In New York? I'll take a guess and say 'one of the Dakotas'?" She offers a supportive frown, though she can't help the laugh at the bob and weave. "I'm sorry, but you're looking pretty light on the feet."

As he spins to walk backwards, keeping easy pace with her walk forward, she offers up a 'no' at each suggestion, complete with a laugh. "No, I own a nightclub. I personally think it's a 'hotspot', but probably not."

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
"I'm trying not to, but it keeps happening anyway," Virgil says, shifting his pace around to talk side by side with Thea again. "Not exactly. Close though! It's out in the Midwest anyway. Funko Pops are just these little collectibles you can get, got all your favorite characters but with really big heads and really little bodies. It's kinda cute if you like cute stuff."

Their conversation fades into the many conversations over the New York city streets, mixing into the sea of voices as the pair fades into the undulating crowds of the popular Manhattan streets--Virgil turns out to like sugar and cream more than he seems to like coffee, based on his order at least, and ends up spending most of the time asking about what it's like to own a club--even showing off a few dance moves en route. He's goofy and absolutely a dork--he definitely doesn't seem like the brooding superhero type that might be able to magnetize a man anyway, so maybe he just had lucky timing.