ArchivedLogs:Half Full

Half Full
Dramatis Personae Melinda, Tola, Savannah
In Absentia	2016-04-24 "I ... have to be a little more optimistic or I'll go crazy. It's a defense mechanism."
Location <NYC> Harbor Commons - Space Station - Lower East Side
The soft grass and paved walkways of the courtyard give way to rubberized flooring in black and blue tiled squares, marking out the boundaries of the playground. The equipment that stands on the softer flooring is brightly-coloured, a definitive space theme going on. To one side a tall rocketship takes the place of a more traditional castle, handholds on one side to climb up to the inside and a tall sliding pole and wavy long slide on the other sides to get back down; its inside holds an abundance of platforms and nooks for climbing and hiding. The rocketship-castle is connected to a twin one by a swaying bridge and a set of monkeybars or, in a more roundabout fashion, a series of tunnels to climb through; on the other side, the ship is a tall climbing structure composed of cross-crossed beams and netting. Separate from the elaborate climbing structure, a swingset holds two side-by-side pairs of swings, and over to another side a large sandbox has a retractable cover to roll up over it when not in use. Spring is starting to stick around a little more consistently in New York by mid-April. The sun is just beginning to set on a couple of figures on the playground equipment. Melinda stands firmly on the ground, dressed in argyle leggings and a sweater dress, leading around a small toddler that is half crawling, half walking across the sway bridge. Her mother sticks her head in periodically to cause the child to giggle. The little one is wearing a long sleeved and legged onsie in green and purple stripes. It compliments her verdant green skin and highlights the white petals that cover her head. Mother and child manage to reach the other end of the bridge, causing Melinda to quickly skirt the platform and start to coax the child down the slide. Savannah makes her way down the nearby paved walkway dressed in faded blue jeans and a mud-colored tank top. She moves carefully and cautiously. Slightly hunched over, she examines the ground with a particular intensity as if on a search. Her hair is wet and matted, as if having just showered recently. A string of laughter and happy sounds floats through the air and catches her attention. She snaps out of the malaise and straightens up. At the edge of the playground, she shields her eyes from the sunset’s dying, but still present glare, and an involuntary smile crosses her face at the sight of mother and child. A hesitation persists for a moment, before she steps off the pathway and onto the rubber flooring towards the others. “Excuse me, I’m sorry to bother you. Have you seen a necklace around here?” Melinda straightens up as well, tilting her head to one side as she peeks around a post in the jungle gym to look Savannah over. "A necklace?" She pauses and looks around briefly, her attention zipping back to the toddler a couple times to ensure she is still safe in her perch. "What does it look like?" “It’s a thin gold strand with a pearl droplet on it.” Her hands pantomime the shapes. “Not very big, unfortunately,” she says with a frown, which is quickly dispersed as she glances towards the toddler and gives a friendly wave. “Hello there.” Melinda listens quietly then turns back to the toddler, signing as she speaks. "This lady lost her necklace. Do you want to come down and look for it?" She waits for the child to respond, but only for a moment, opening her arms and waiting to see if she will slide down on her own. The toddler considers for a moment, looking over at Savannah for a moment and waving. She then scoots a little bit further forward and squeaks as she starts to slide down. Melinda is there to catch her before setting her on her feet and looking up at Savannah again. "Hi. I'm Mel. We live over at Greenhaus." "Nice to meet you, Mel. I'm Savannah. Moved into the Firehaus not too long ago." She looks to the toddler, kindly. "Who is this little nugget?" "This is Tola." Melinda completes a gesture as she references the child, who looks up and waves again. "So, the necklace? Where did you last have it? When was that? How did you lose it? Knowing might help us locate where it is." She bites her lip as she crouches low for a moment, gaze traveling along the ground in a spiraling out fashion. "Nice to meet you too. What brings you to the Harbor Commons?" Savannah flashes Tola another smile and a nod. "Yes, the necklace," she snaps her fingers by her side, as if it may spark some ideas. "I took a walk earlier, about an hour and a half ago, down this way, through and around the playground and the gardens. I still had it when I left the apartment. I went home, took a shower, and realized it was gone. Scoured my entire room and apartment, but came up with nothing. I can really only hazard to guess, but was hoping maybe it was somewhere more obvious." She bites her lip and adds, "This is why I shouldn't have nice things, I guess." A hollow laugh as she gives the playground grounds a once over. "I, uhm, was looking for some better housing. My previous sich was not working out so well. How long have you been living here?" She adds hastily, "I don't mean to interrupt your day either if you two have plans." "You can't have nice things? That's terrible. What about all of the time in which you enjoyed the necklace before it went missing? I think it was worth that time period." Melinda starts to shuffle around, giving her an opportunity to search more ground. Tola shuffles behind Mel, fingers around the hem of her skirt, clinging and standing half behind, a little shy and a little distracted. "We don't really have plans, other than dinner in a little while, then the sproutling has to go to bed." Savannah walks around the nearest structure on the playground, examining in particular any cracks in the rubber flooring and the joints between the structure and the ground. She pauses to consider, “A very glass /half full/ point. You’re a much better sport than I am.” Some finger snapping continues in a soft, even rhythm, but less abrasive than before as she starts to walk the edge of the playground floor closest to the path in measured steps, eyeing both rubber and grass. “How do you and Tola like Harbor Commons?” "Oh, well, Tola doesn't know much difference. She's lived here most of her life and the entirety of its existence. Plus, her dad kind of designed it with her - and some others in mind, so it's pretty amazing." Melinda isn't wholly invested in the search, becoming distracted herself as Tola wanders back to the slide to pat at it and jabber at it. "I have been through a number of depressing events. I ... have to be a little more optimistic or I'll go crazy. It's a defense mechanism." Savannah stays quiet for a moment, looking rather wistful. “I’m sorry to hear that. And... well, she’s very lucky. To have this place, and some optimism – even if it is a defense mechanism.” She makes a grab at a spot of grass only to find a white pebble in some trick of the light. Savannah straightens up and wipes her hand on her blue jeans, catching as she does so, a glimpse of Tola patting the slide. “You two should get back to your fun. I’m going to try my luck in the garden and, uhm, look on the bright side, literally, while there’s still some light. Thank you though, for your help.” "You're welcome. I hope you find the necklace!" Melinda gives a wave before turning back to the toddler and sweeping her up in her arms.