2012 01 20 Habits

Log Title:
Habits

Characters:
Cytoplasm and Phantasm

IC Date:
20 Jan 2012

Location:
Central Park

Brief log summary::
Mike introduces Cytoplasm to habits

Rating:
pg

There is no TS in this log::
Yes

Post your log::

-==[ Central Park - New York ]==--------

Stretching half a mile wide down two and a half miles of the island, Central Park is the green heart of Manhattan. Despite an occasionally ugly reputation, fewer than a hundred crimes occurred in the entire park last year, and fewer than half of those were committed by strangers - the legendary Central Park mugger is a thing of the past. Instead, the park is a thriving place, filled with artificial lakes, footpaths, joggers, playgrounds, sculpture, children.

There are dozens of landmarks within the Park: the Great Lawn where open-air concerts and rallies are regularly held; Cleopatra's Needle, the obelisk donated to New York by Egypt; the Alice statue north of Conservatory Water, its giant mushroom usually swarmed by climbing kids; Belvedere Castle and Bethesda Terrace and Literary Walk and the Delacorte Theater and one of the last stands of American elms in the northeast - nearly two thousand trees protected from plague by their isolation.

Near the south end of the park, the Imagine mosaic in Strawberry Fields is frequently marked by flowers or candles left by visitors. Nearer the north end, the Reservoir covers a hundred and six acres, almost an eighth of the park's total space - though it no longer provides drinking water for New York residents, a decision that has cut down significantly on the number of supervillain attacks on the Park.

Walking through Central Park comes Cytoplasm, occasionally looking around while maintaining a distant look on his face before he sits back down on a park bench and lies back, apparently thinking of something in a fairly absent-minded nature before he sighs and closes his eyes, listening to the various sounds around him.

Not quite walking through Central Park but more already lingering in it is a Mike. With a cup of hot coffee in hand, his pace crossing through is much slower than it was just a month ago. The slight upturn in the city's temperature may have something to do with it. Perhaps it is fate, or more likely just a general chance but Cytoplasm has situated himself on a bench reasonably close to where Mike's leisurely pace is leading him. Upon seeing him, Mike's pace slows a bit more, eyes rolling a bit before he comes to a stop. He glances down to Sid, taking a sip of his coffee, but not saying anything.

Hearing Mike sit down next to him, Cytoplasm opens his eyes and looks over saying, "Oh, hi! Do you come here regularly? I didn't think that I'd meet anyone out here, but I guess I was wrong."

Mike, having found himself sitting down at some point during this perusal of the quite shifter gives a bit of a shrug as he finishes his most recent sip of coffee, "I come here about as regularly as anyone else who lives in New York, I'd guess." He leans back, resting along the furthest point of the bench, "There's a lot of people in this city. But, I think there's a good explanation to why we keep running into the same people over and over again despite that."

"I know a lot of people come here, but I didn't really expect to talk to anyone." Cytoplasm says, "But… Why do you think we keep on seeing the same people? I don't really know why we would. I know I keep on seeing the fantastic four because I stay at the baxter building, but everyone else… I just see because we're in the same place, though I don't know why we're in the same place like that sometimes."

"Habits." Mike answers, giving a bit of a smirk as he sits up on the bench before starting to lean forward, "People are habitual and that also ties in to where they go in their free time. And if you happen to share some of those habits with another person. The chances of into them again kind of increases."

"Well, I'm just trying to look around New York City." Cytoplasm says, "Although I've learned to stay out of alleyways. Those can involve people who want… Things from you and threaten to hurt you, I'm not sure what they want though. Then there's dogs that want to eat you… Either way, unless alleys seem to be quite dangerous. I think I'm seeing people more because I'm visiting different parts of the city, though. I don't think I have habits like the people I know… I think."

"Hmm." Mike gives a slow nod, seemingly unconvinced, "How often do you come to the park?"

"A couple times a week usually." Cytoplasm says, "It's nice to have a place that's quiet enough, to sit and think. I like seeing new things a lot, and meeting with people I know but sometimes I have to think about all these things that I've seen… Especially when I learn about really important things like… Well, death."

With a reminder for the last discussion that occured in the park, Mike brings his cup up to his lips to sip at the contents distractedly for a moment before he lowers it. Shifting to his feet, he manages a slight smile looking towards Sid. "Well now you have something else to think about. Your coming here so often is very much a habit." He lifts his cup in a mock toast. "Maybe you have others that you have that you don't realize yet."

"I guess it is. I wonder what else I do that I don't think about…" Cytoplasm says Before he turns towards Mike, "What do you do when someone leaves?" he asks, "I was thinking, if I can't be killed easily then I might see a lot of people die before me… I don't want to see anyone leave, but I know that it has to happen to everyone sooner or later and I just want to know what to do."

Mike glances back to Cytoplasm. Cup lowering. "It varies by the person. That one, I can't answer for you." He shakes his head, "I need to head off for now. I'll see you around later."

"I see…" Cytoplasm says, before waving and saying, "Ok, I guess I'll see you later!" before he stands up and starts walking off, going through the park once more.

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