ArchivedLogs:Little Lost

Little Lost
Dramatis Personae Fiona, Paige, Shane
In Absentia	2016-12-23 "You can't leave here?"
Location <NYC> Harbor Commons - Courtyard - Lower East Side
This courtyard is the lush central hub of the surrounding Harbor Commons, bound in on three sides by rows of duplexes and triplexes, cutting upward at the sky with the sharp thrift of a minimalist's style, neat lines and bountiful windows, boldened with accents in wood towards the upper stories, stone towards the base, the whole of the compound sealed in by a low stoneworked wall that opens entrance gates to the streets beyond at its two far corners, smaller gates at building back doors. The fourth side of the courtyard is open to the East River, the ground forming a slight decline, controlled on one side by micro-retaining walls to form wide steps where picnic tables sit beneath the nominative shelter of a trio of dogwood trees, accessible by ramp. The other side is allowed to slope at its natural angle, a wide open yard space, until its cut off at the river's edge, where a massive pair of oak trees stand, a staircase leading away up one of their thick trunks. The yard itself is carpeted in an organic flow of emerald grass swirled through with wending channels of smooth-paved cement walkways, flowing naturally away from the building's front entrances, where some are arced by trellis, some flanked by hosta plants, fern and lilies, a few laid in gentle switch-backing ramps for wheelchair access, before forking off at matching angles to sites of small garden installments. Bird feeders and baths suspended from the necks of small lamp posts, a rock-lined koi pond, a sleek gazebo tucked to one side in simplistic varnished wood, its southern side overgrown with a mass of thriving grapevine and a caged-in barbecue pit under its sheltering roof. A play area and proper garden are within sight off another branch, until finally all paths spiral in like wheel spokes to a shared common house at the center of all traffic flow. It's a little past eight as Paige walks about the Commons' courtyard, her attention seemingly taken up by her feet and close inspection would reveal that she does not actually have 'feet'. She seems to pay little mind to the chill in the air as she places each hoof carefully, deliberately. The blonde girl has wandered around the grounds a few times over the last hour and the watching of her hooves has only recently started. Although the holiday season rages on throughout the city, the horned woman does not appear to be in particularly elated spirits. If Shane has holiday spirit it is subsumed at the moment in a cloud of Busy. The tiny sharkpup has his hands full -- violin in one, cellphone in the other, a canvas grocery bag over the crook of his arm. His ridged brows are creased heavily as he peers down at the phone -- more bothered by /it/ perhaps than the chill in the air (though he's well enough dressed for it, neatly tailored peacoat and thick corduroys paired with his polished black boots.) He pockets the phone midway through the courtyard, looking up with a slight deepening of his frown. "-- Paige." Almost a little surprised. His nostrils flare faintly, head tilting as he looks to Fiona. Brows hiking. Higher. Blink -- blink, first one clear inner set of lids and then the outer opaque ones. Paige's ears twitch and she inhales sharply as her name is spoken. Her body tenses as she looks up from the ground - after all, the last unexpected familiar face caused her some significant distress. However, when she sees Shane, the horned girl visibly relaxes. The irony of the situation is not lost on her, given how her very fist meeting with the sharky mutant had transpired. She seems about to respond when Shane looks away and her eyes follow his gaze towards Fiona. "Horns?" comes her surprised comment, because of course that would be the first thing she would notice. Fiona quirks an eyebrow at Shane, blinking back at him. The dragon-girl only blinks once though. "Um. Hi! Funny we should meet again.. here?" the last word is squeaked out, blinking back and forth between Shane and Paige. "I was just, um, that is... I think I took a wrong turn back there," awkward pause, "Somewhere." Her tail swishes around nervously as she crosses her arms, figuring this is a private place and they are now going to call the police and kick her out... and if she's LUCKY they won't also ship her back home. That'd be cool. "Again?" Another rapid blink. The smile that pulls at Shane's lips is juuust a little crooked. "I live here. Not that funny." He transfers his violin case to his off hand, hitches his shopping bag up higher on his shoulder. "You lost?" His chin tips up to Fiona. "You look hella lost. What are you looking for?" Paige's expression is a mixture of curiosity and confusion. Perhaps she is somewhat grateful to have been momentarily forgotten as she takes the chance to eye both of the other mutants' belongings. Still, the blonde girl does try and offer some sort of clarification. "You're, uh, at the Commons." She seems rather fascinated by the dragon-lady, gaze flicking towards the tail and then back to the horns, but she manages to look -without- staring. "Again? We met last night... I... I think..." Fiona stammers, "At the library? Then we got hot chocolate? A-anyway, I'm kinda," she glances at Paige curiously for a moment as well, "Looking for this place called Evolve? Someone told me I should check it out. But I don't think this is the place..." she shoves her glasses up further along her nose (seems they are constantly falling down), then verifies that yes, indeed, Paige does have hooves... "We eh? What? Library... oh." Realization crosses Shane's face in a sudden relaxing of expression. "Nah, wasn't me. And this isn't Evolve, but it's just a few blocks away." He waves his violin case back towards the open gateway to the Commons grounds. Pulling his phone back out of his pocket, he pulls up Google maps. Zooms in to their neighborhood, taps with one black claw on the screen. "See? We're here. It's only just right there. You're -- only a /little/ lost." The horned woman blinks and her countenance lights up. "Evolve? I love that place. It's absolutely wonderful. They don't care one bit how you, uh, look and it's just fantastic." There is sincerity in Paige's voice as she gushes about the establishment. "The staff there are all very nice and, uh, awesome. I would go with you, but I..." Her expression changes, becoming one of worry and uneasiness, and she bites her lip. "I...um...I need to stay here." "Oh," Fiona nods. Makes sense! It's just right there... Wait - "It wasn't you? But... You look just like B," she murmurs, rather incredulously. She looks between Shane and Paige. Shane. Paige. "You can't leave here?" Okay... That's kinda weird. But literally everything /since she got here/ is kinda weird, so that's okay. "Sorry, I'm being nosy, I should maybe go. Yea..." she stoops to pick up her pack. "/Need/ to stay /here/?" Shane sounds kind of puzzled by this as well. "Why the hell? You know there's a whole big city out there that's not -- here?" His fingers rake though his spiky dark hair, gills fluttering rapidly at Fiona's apology. "Same egg," he explains offhand. "But she got all the brainy half. You gonna remember the way? The entrance is kind of tucked down an alley." Paige winces at Fiona's response and then again at Shane's and her next statement is directed towards the latter. "I...I know that. I just...had a really...bad day yesterday and I feel, you know, safe here. I just mean that I don't want to leave?" There's an inflection at the end of her words, making it sound more like a question. To Fiona, she says, "No! I mean, you're not. You're not being nosy. You're being perfectly fine." Then again to the other, "You have a sibling?" "I can find it... maybe. My phone kinda died," Fiona grins sheepishly, revealing short fangs. "Bad day eh? Seems like a lotta bad stuff goin on around this city. Kinda funny, lotsa people in other places see it as kind of a... I dunno. Not exactly a safe haven, I guess, but better than the alternative? I dunno," she shrugs. "It doesn't seem *that* bad out there, though. Kinda cold!" "Yeah, kinda noticed on the not wanting to leave part." Shane only sounds a little dry here. Littlebit. "Sucks about your day, though. And I have two siblings. -- There's a lot of bad stuff going on everywhere, I guess?" Quick-shrug. "I think people just think of it like a haven because there's a /lot/ of us. Easier to find community than places where you're the only one. But there's a lot of people, period. Means a crapton of assholes, too. You learn how to work around 'em. Find the good people, avoid the shitty ones." The blonde girl's face absolutely reddens at Shane's comment. "I didn't mean...it's just...I usually go walking," Paige stammers, eyes finding her hooves again. I will leave if you want me to. Just say the word and I'll go. I know I haven't made a very good impression at all. I-I'm working at getting some income and it will all go to here, I promise." Her hands find each and begin to wring each other. "And it is a haven. This place is a paradise, honestly. It's full of the best." Fiona breaths in heavily, biting her lip and looking at Paige, "You shouldn't be so down like that. You know? Shit," she shakes her head. "Not that I have ANY clue what's going on, but it's pretty clear he doesn't want you to LEAVE leave. Just not so great to sit around inside all the time... Trust me on that," she smiles faintly, "Just the impression I got there. Anywho, I suppose I better get movin... ah..." she gives a questioning look to Paige, cocking her head to the side. "Yeah. Stay here all the time you'll miss all the..." Shane trails off, frowning at a buzz from his phone. His head shakes as he looks at it. "Paradise is a pretty high compliment, but. Uh." Now he sounds a little distracted, himself. Swipes out a quick message, tucks the phone back away. "If you make it to Evolve, definitely try the cocoa. Feels like a good night for it. Might do you some good, too," he adds to Paige, though he's already hastening on his way off across the courtyard again. Paige's ears give a flick at Shane's words. Looking up, she is about to ask what she might miss when he begins speaking again. "I have. It's delicious. Almost tempting enough to get me to leave." She blinks in surprise as the shark mutant walks off. "Take care...?" She furrows her brows as her attention returns to Fiona. "I...don't sit around inside all the time. I'm usually out and about, just not here on the grounds. I like to walk in Central Park, you know?" The horned woman's hands continue their wringing. "I'm always working on my physical therapy on account of the ch-- on account of my hooves." Her last statement contains a hint of uncomfortableness. "I just had the worst day yesterday and I don't really feel comfortable leaving the area. But, uh, thank you for the advice. I...uh. Well, I'll be here tomorrow if you, uh, want to stop by."