Logs:Cut Flowers

Cut Flowers
Dramatis Personae Anahita, Lumin, Toni
In Absentia	2024-07-17 "I do not know the particulars of your situation."
Location <NYC> River Park - The Bronx
This isn't the largest or most elaborate playground, but one thing it does have in this sweltering heat is a lot of water. There's splash zone in the center and a little artificial stream wending its way through the playground itself, with small bridges and structures for children to run over or play in the water. More than that, though, there is a beautiful view of a nearby waterfall splashing just adjacent to the play area where the (very much not-artificial) Bronx River flows through the wider park area. There are several children romping over the playground equipment, and Toni has set herself up near enough to keep them in good eyeshot but far enough to be well out of danger of any ambient splashing. She's tucked on a bench nearby the riverside under the shade of a tall tree, a long and elegant white dog lying floppy at her feet. Toni is dressed brightly, a boldly patterned knee-length halter-neck dress in shades of pink and green and elegant black sandals; her myriad slender braids are pinned up into an elaborate bun. Her pink and green manicured nails are currently taptaptapping on the side of a glass of lemonade dripping with condensation and her other hand holds an elegant fan. She's taking turns fanning herself -- then her companion -- then leaning down to fan the dog as well. "I been talking to my ma and when Atlanta cooler than we are the world's gone topsy. You want a vacation to the refreshing cool of the South, sugar?" Anahita gives a noncommittal hum. "It is tempting. I am still not used to having paid vacation. I used to just quit if I wanted to go somewhere." She's wearing a tiered sundress in gradients of green, blue, and purple, her black sandals somewhat more athletic and less elegant, her hair wrapped up neatly in a lightweight dip-dyed blue scarf. "How is she doing?" She turns aside and tilts her head. "And, are you going to take a vacation?" Lumin is hastily making their way down the sidewalk, they wear a pair of black joggers that are a little bit too short on them, exposing a flash of prismatic color by their ankles, sneakers, and a pastel purple windbreaker that only slightly clashes with their bright orange hair. The hood is pulled up and sits in an awkward shape from the sharp frozen tips of their hair poking from underneath it. In their hand is a small bouquet of flowers—tiny sunflowers—missing the plastic wrapping around it. They grip the sturdy stems none too lightly, but don’t seem to pay it any mind. Their head is wistfully drawn upwards towards the park, and they run their fingers along the ridges of a nearby tree as they walk past. Upon spotting Anahita, they squint, then their face suddenly brightens in recognition. They hesitate, and are about to continue on their way, but with another scan of the two they’re being drawn closer before they can think much more on it. They smile as they approach, pulling their hood off to allow for better recognition—although given the exposed glass of their hands that probably wouldn’t of been necessary, “Anahita, if we keep running into each other like this unplanned I might start believing you have clones of yourself running around New York.” They say as greeting, amusement ringing in their tone. The removed hood reveals part of their ear has broken off, and sunlight refracts through the sharpened edge. They look to Toni, and share the bright smile with her as well, “Apologies for my interruption, I saw you both as I was walking past and figured I’d stop to say hello.” Toni is in the middle of fanning Anahita again when Lumin nears. "Girl you a whole rainbow up in there --" Her fanning has slowed as her eyes widen, and then she kind of intentionally drops her gaze to the dog at her feet. She's fanning herself, now, just a little faster. "Biggest small town in the world, they say." She's slowly lifting her gaze again, warm smile lighting her face. "Y'all know each other?" Anahita's smile comes quick, even if the smile itself is shallow. "Lumin." She dips her head in a small bow. "I do not have any clones that I am aware of, but I do think we have run into each other in three different boroughs." She makes a small flourish toward her companion. "This is Toni. Toni, this is Lumin. What lovely flowers you have there." Lumin doesn’t seem bothered by Toni’s comment, in fact a laugh escapes them, sharing the same metallic and ringing quality their voice seems to carry, “I am rainbowy—I like your nails.” They gesture towards her hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Toni.” They say with a nod, mirroring Anahita’s dip of her head. At the mention of the flowers, they’re looking down with a raise of their eyebrows, as if suddenly remembering they’re there, “Ah- thank you—I didn’t grow them.” They clarify, “Would you both like some? I won’t be needing them today, and they won’t fair very well where I stay.” They’re pulling out two of the sunflowers from the batch as they speak, and they hold them out to both of them. Toni eyes the flowers, but does not take them. She offers her lemonade to Anahita, and her eyebrows hike. "What'chu get 'em for if you don't got a home for them?" sounds like a genuine curiosity, not a criticism, and it's followed up with the concerned: "Someone gone and broke your heart? Cuz if you need some revenge tips..." Anahita accepts the lemonade and sips delicately, though her eyes are still fixed with keen interest on Lumin. "Rejection can be dispiriting." She cocks her head slightly, but also does not accept the proffered flower. "Did these flowers actually make it to their intended recipient to reject?" Another laugh, quieter this time, vibrates through Lumin’s chest, “No no—no broken hearts here. I’m not sure I even-” They pause in thought, empty fingers tapping idly against their chest in thought, before continuing, “Maybe I still want to hear some of your tips, though, for future reference. Could be useful one day.” They’re lowering themself down, oh so carefully, towards the ground to sit. Their eyes drift to Anahita, but then quickly dart back down to admire the bouquet, “I ah—” their voice hitches, then immediately restarts, as if there were never a hitch at all, “Ah- no. They didn’t make it. I couldn’t quite work up the nerve just yet,” They say sheepishly, adjusting their leg underneath them, “So no rejections today. But it’s alright, I’m happy to share them with others now. I’ll work up the nerve next time.” They say lightly, happily even, with a wave of a hand, “And if not, more flowers to share.” "Oh, tips like that ain't generic, revenge gotta be tailor-made. You come back with someone specific you want that revenge on, then we talk." Toni glances down as Lumin sits -- the dog at her feet is startling, spooking up to stand at her full leggy height. Her attention is split between very (very) warily looking at Lumin and (a little more excitedly) nosing at some of the stray glimmers of rainbow light that refract off Lumin's face into the grass. "Nerve for what? I'on think I can take some secondhand flowers without knowing what kind of juju they holding." "I've got courting tips, too, if you need those." Anahita hands the lemonade back to Toni and leans forward, propping her elbow on her knee and her chin on the heel of her hand. "And regardless of whether you are looking for romance, there are ways to express how you feel without needing to muster so very many nerves. You may yet have use of those flowers." Lumin’s eyes widen at the dog’s startling, and the lemonade glass vibrates ever so slightly—“Ah- Sorry. I probably don’t smell right.”—and they slowly inch back a little further to give it more space. They tilt their head back and forth to allow the light to dance across the grass and maybe entertain the dog a little more. “Romance could be nice.” They decide. “I grew up around here. I was planning on-” their voice stops and starts again, “Visiting. Sunflowers have always been my mother’s favorite.” They shrug their shoulder, and light scatters more with the motion. They lean forward at Anahita’s words, leaning against their own knee, “And yet, I find so many feelings are tangled up in nerves. So tedious to unwrap each one. How do you go about it?” Toni is reaching down to pet the dog absently, colorful nails bright against PointyBoy's white white fur. The dog isn't calming much, still tense when she looks in Lumin's direction, but is distracted enough between the petting and the further dancing light to not be further spooking, looooong nose investigating the colorful bright speckles instead of sniffing at Lumin. Toni, meanwhile, is sipping at her lemonade, head tilting just a little to the side as she tries to pull a solid thread out of Lumin's answer. "Visiting your ma? Y'all have a falling out? Family can get right to all those feelings, for sure." "Mm." Anahita's hum is noncommittal but not unsympathetic. "As she says. And as you say. It can be hard to unravel complicated feelings about family. They are often rooted in early experiences not even consciously remembered." She looks down at the dog's somewhat nervous interest in the light show. Or perhaps she is admiring the refracted colors, herself. "It is not always necessary to unravel such things on your own. Sometimes it is not possible, or not productive, without communicating with the others involved. But." She glances up at Lumin, though not quite at their face. "I do not know the particulars of your situation. Are you concerned for your safety, if you should visit? Physical or emotional." Lumin inches back just a bit further for good measure. “Just haven’t seen them in a long time.” They go to pick up one of the sunflower petals that had fallen off, and they can’t seem to lift the edge of it off the ground at first, but after some numb fumbling they’re able to pinch it between their fingers and inspect it more closely. They hum in thought, and begin to roll the petal between their thumb and finger. “It should be safe in both regards. There’s no need to concern yourself there.” Their voice is casual, maybe even coming off as a little forced casual, “Still just have to get my body to believe it too. Like when you’re about to jump into a cold pool.” They smile, and flick the destroyed petal away into the grass. “Although I imagine today it would be pretty easy. It’s another hot one today isn’t it?” They look up to the two of them, and their eyebrows scrunch downwards in concern. "Aight," Toni says, in very much a tone of I have more questions but am not about to ask them, "'long as you safe, then." She's grimacing exaggeratedly at the question of the weather and pushing herself to her feet. She has a brief moment of awkward juggling as she tries to untangle PointyBoy's leash from the bench without setting aside her lemonade but solves this by (after another sip) returning the glass to Anahita. "Sure is, whew. I oughta go reclaim my other pups," she's nodding towards the cluster of kids at the playground, "before they play themselves right into heat stroke. You take care, yeah?" Anahita's brows tick up slightly. "Whatever you decide you wish to try, I hope you can get your body onboard." She glances toward the playground when Toni does, and obligingly accepts the lemonade. "The terrain will play to their advantage. I will help you flank them," is to Toni; to Lumin, with a graceful incline of her head, "You know where to find me if you do wish to talk. Please be safe." And then she's rising from the bench to follow her companion. Lumin nods, and offers a wave, “Thank you, you both as well. Stay ah- hydrated. And all that.” They push themself carefully up once the dog is no longer as close, not wanting to spook it again, and slot the two flowers they had removed back into the bouquet before heading off themself.