ArchivedLogs:Safe Harbor

Safe Harbor
Dramatis Personae Dusk, Isra, Rafael
In Absentia	2017-10-04 "{It explode a lot?}"
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 hasn't been long since Joshua deposited his passengers in the courtyard and taken off again -- possibly to pick up luggage but more likely to rest before another long trip. Dusk is leaning up against the side of the gazebo, offering a coffee out to another man inside. His wings (their natural shade of black, today) rest loose-draped against his back, his clothing bland (black jean shorts, a grey-blue v-neck tee, Vans sneakers.) "{For real, though, from here to you guys, it's not far. If you're going to be needing anything...}" This trails off with a small fidget-flick of claws. Inside the gazebo, another man is leaning up against the rail in sullen mirror to Dusk. Shoulders tensed, arms crossed atop the wood, small but persistent frown inscribed into his (scruffy, tan) face. Reluctantly he disengages one arm from where it's locked with the other. Reaches out to swipe the coffee from Dusk. "{You live here?}" A faint emphasis on that last. A winged shadow on the grass grows larger as its source spirals down to a landing beside the gazebo, massive wings snapping down hard to cancel Isra's significant momentum. Her body art of the month is relatively conservative, by her standards: most of her skin its natural gray but for a faint opalescent sheen, her horns and talons cleaning silver, and her wings leafy green overlaid with a latice of silver filigree. She is dressed in a white himation cinched with a silver rope belt, her in human feet and calves wrapped in silver ribbon from the ankle up, though she wears no shoes. Her long, pointed ears perk forward--just a fraction--when she sees Dusk, though her facial expression registers no change. "{Welcome home,}" she rumbles, her Spanish tinged with a distinct Argentinian accent and her voice uncannily doubled as both sets of vocal chords engage. Ascending the steps into the gazebo, she settles lower down on her legs so as not to tower quite so much over the two men. "{And just plain welcome--you must be Rafael. I am Isra.}" Her smile is polite, neutral, and painstakingly practiced to avoid flashing her large canine teeth. "{I -- yeah. Couple years now.}" Dusk rubs at the back of his neck, wings pressing tighter to his back. "{Can I get you food or something? Should I be telling -- nah you probably want to settle in some before the horde descends on you, huh?}" His head lifts at the growing shadow; by the time Isra lands /his/ smile is broad, bright and quite sharply toothy. He straightens, one wing curling outward to wrap in warm squeeze around her before pulling back in. "{Thanks. Yeah, this is -- my partner, Isra.}" A flick of thumbclaw to the tall woman. "{Please tell me nothing new has exploded here while I was gone.}" Rafael's cheeks puff out. Long breath exhaled as he takes in the grounds again. Eventually a slow nod, a small: "Huh." He settles a bit more heavily against the rail. Stares down at his thermos, his eyes tracking up and across the grass at the darkening of shadow that sweeps across it. The frown he's been wearing stays firmly planted when Isra lands. His hands tighten around the thermos, eyes fixed very steadily on Isra as she enters the gazebo. He turns to lean back on the railing, now, facing inward. Silent through this introduction, though his eyes stay fixed on the others. He lifts the coffee, takes a large gulp. Winces. Leans back a bit more heavily, almost immediately straightens again. "{You two dating?}" finally, in much the same tone as his last question. "{How many of you live here?}" A moment later: "{It explode a lot?}" Isra leans into Dusk's embrace, one of her own wings dipping beneath his as it curls around her and rubbing a knobby thumb joint into his back, just between where the wings sprout. "{Nothing has exploded except for Ryan's notoriety,}" she replies easily, "{but I do not know if that qualifies as 'new'. His performance at the Giants game caused /some/ controversy, though you managed to miss the initial media swarm.}" She studies Rafael steadily, her I seeming not to blink near often enough. "{Yes, for about four years now. I'm not certain it's always accurate to call it 'exploding', but our house does burn down on a semi-regular basis. It is, however, currently whole and not even a little on fire.}" She gestures at Workhaus with one of her wings. "{I took The liberty of picking up some mezze earlier, if you would like to come see the house and have a bit to eat.}" "{Who in the damn hell thought it was a good idea to ask that motherfucker to sing at a Giants game?}" Dusk's voice rumbles with amusement. "{Oh, man, /I'm/ starving even if you're not. /Should/ we call people? You'll probably be safe from the chaos here a bit, anyway. Nobody really comes down here to bother you. No promises at the store, though, that's going to be a madhouse once it gets out you're in town.}" Rafael has continued to watch the others steadily through this, but pulls his eyes away at the offer of food. Head dipping with a faint twitch in his jaw. "{Food, yeah. Yeah, been a bit.}" He turns the thermos around in his hand. "{Burn down /regular/?}" He gives a small shake of his head, though this sounds mildly /less/ incredulous than: "{Nobody bother you here? What, not even Aunt Karina?}" "{I suppose Ryan did.}" Isra gives a small shrug that hitches up her wings moreso than her shoulders. "{The performer who had originally been slated to perform canceled in protest of players...protesting. But if you mean how /Ryan/ got the gig, I imagine that's more to do with Lucien.}" Her tail swishes behind her, lashing the air sharply. "{Come, come, let us get you both some food. We can relate to you the sordid tales of the house's many incarnations--if you so desire--when we give you the tour.}" She stretches out one wing and scoops Dusk as if just to start him moving. "{I hope you're not allergic to cats. Or dogs. Or small, exuberant children who ask many questions.}" For a moment Dusk just leans /into/ the curl of Isra's wing, nestling there rather than doing any kind of moving. He slants a crooked grin to Rafael, sharp and thin and coupled with a small hitch of eyebrows at his cousin's incredulous tone. "{A lot of our family doesn't really care to hang out with me. Total mystery as to why.}" He pulls away now, shoulders rolling as he moves away from the railing. Hops down the stairs onto the garden path. "{Mezze sounds perfect. See, this is why I love you.}" Rafael keeps turning the thermos over in his hands. His head dips further at Dusk's reply. Eyes flicking briefly up and over Dusk and Isra. "{Right.}" Nearly under his breath. He takes another quick gulp of coffee, looks out across at Workhaus. "{Pets and kids,}" he says with a gradual smile. Dragging himself away from the rail to trudge after the others. "{Yeah. Those I can handle.}"