[Yael] Festive Friends [Jiaya/Paej]

[PrinceFigment]

There were few things that the young yaeli enjoyed about his people, but superstitious as they were, there were celebrations for everything. Small gatherings, large festivals, it seemed to be a great reprieve from everything. A chance to just have some fun, at least for the youth. Though, honestly, everything was a reason for fun to him.

Now that the winter had gone and spring was upon them, he was glad to see what new growth was around.

Taking the long route from his home to the center of town, he caught himself eyeing some new blooms, pausing to replace a few wilted flowers he always carried with him. Satisfied with his accessorizing, he strolled toward the village center.

Arms behind his head, he watched the sky, rather than the path before him. The sun was bright enough, more than bright enough, only a few clouds threatening to spill over, but even they seemed to be held at bay for the day of celebration.  

[Bronze Coffee]

She had come to this small gathering to just do something different. Winter had been hard for her. It made her shoulder ache. So the warm weather, the fact everything was blooming really lifted Paej's spirits. The woman wandered toward the center of the village with few groups of people in front of her. She could already hear the laughter and loud talking that friends tended to do.

It might look like rain, but Paej wasn't concerned. Nothing was going to get her down in the dumps. Or that's what she wanted to believe. As long as no one tried to help her with things she'd be in the best kind of mood.

Someone, however, bumped into her from behind and made her steps skip. She didn't fall, but Paej took a few moments to recover her balance, having to take a large step or two to achieve it.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" She said, whipping around to see who had just, quite literally, ran into her.

PrinceFigment

 

[PrinceFigment]

Peppermint Coffee

Jiaya's slight collision brought his attention to what was happening in front of him. "Well, maybe you shouldn't move so slow."

His own steps hadn't been all that quick, so she must have been barely moving if he'd managed to bump her. Glancing to her, before quickly turning his attention to the groups in front of her, he groaned. That must have been what made her so slow. He was getting to the more crowded part of his walk, which meant that, yeah. Things would all but come to a standstill.

Stepping slightly to the side, he looked back to her, waiting for whatever excuse she was bound to give him.  

[Bronze Coffee]

No verbal excuse left her mouth. She just motioned to the groups of people in front of her and gave him this look that basically read: What the hell am I supposed to do when everyone's walking slow?

She rolled her eyes and just gave him a glare as she continued on her way.

"You weren't paying attention, were you? How else does someone bump into someone like that?"

Clearly she knew it wasn't her fault. He wasn't apologizing for it either. How rude!

PrinceFigment

 

[PrinceFigment]

Peppermint Coffee

He just shrugged, stretching and replacing his hands behind his head in his usual carefree stance. "Never do. Usually works out pretty well."

Unlike others around this place, he knew that things would find a way of turning out pretty good for him, even if he didn't try. Especially if he didn't try. His natural luck just made things happen. Though, he had to wonder what all this was about.

Whatever happened, his mother was a firm believer that the Gods were guiding him. That didn't explain why he was standing here, dealing with some irate party-goer. He may not have been watching where he went, but he definitely wasn't the one at fault for this. If anything, the groups ahead of them were to blame.  

[Bronze Coffee]

The urge to roll her eyes one more time was strong, but Paej refrained.

"Maybe you'll change your mind when you run into someone and they put a knife between your ribs," she stated, trying to find some sort of opening so she didn't have to walk right next to him.

Just from the few things he's said she could peg that he was one of those people who was going to coast through life and think that they're completely untouchable and never in the wrong. That never sat well with Paej. If she were a meaner Yaeli she would teach him a lesson. But as the gods gave her enough already, they gave her a good heart.

It didn't mean she couldn't be irritated.

PrinceFigment

 

[PrinceFigment]

Peppermint Coffee

The young yaeli had to laugh a bit at that, keeping a steady pace beside her. "Y'know, most people wouldn't say that sort of thing."

It wasn't that he couldn't be incredibly irritating, oblivious to this fact as he was, but most people just never seemed to want to deal with him. If he said something wrong, if he somehow upset them, they usually just clenched their jaw and walked away. This girl, though, had some fight in her, maybe.

He grinned, his charming, gap-toothed smile. "Maybe I'll hang around for a bit. Keep from bumping into anybody else, huh?"  

[Bronze Coffee]

She wrinkled her nose and gave him an arched brow in return for his smile.

"Oh boy, you want me to babysit you, absent minded boy?" She asked in mock joy. "Great! Just what I always wanted." A hand was moving along with her words, apparently very animated when she talked. "Fine. I can't stop you. At least tell me your name, though. I'm your babysitter, Paej."

No, she wasn't going to offer him a handshake, but she was stuck right now. Might as well get a name to the lazy boy.

PrinceFigment

 

[PrinceFigment]

Peppermint Coffee

"Pfft. Babysitter. Right." He rolled his eyes, but kept his pace. "Name's Jiaya. Good to meet you, even if you're kinda being a pain about it."

He was still very much of the belief that none of this was his fault. If she hadn't been so slow about moving. After all, she was the one in his path. It wasn't like he had to be watching everything every moment, at least not usually. The boy was pretty good about avoiding unpleasantness.

Someone actually being vocal about their whole lack of approval was... different. Really different.  

[Bronze Coffee]

"Jiaya."

Okay, it was a good, solid name. Paej kept her pace as well, though her head turned every now and again to see if she could squeeze through somewhere. So far nothing.

"....So the festival's drawing just everyone out isn't it?" She was trying to not sound so irritated. Maybe she just needed to talk to him? It didn't look like they were going to be parting any time soon. "It's odd..." Paej felt awkward trying to start this kind of conversation. But small talk is how you found a subject that you could talk deeper about. It was something she learned from her mother.

PrinceFigment

 

[PrinceFigment]

Peppermint Coffee

"Yeah, jeez. Wasn't expecting the whole town out." He shrugged lightly. Honestly, if he had to do the whole day-to-day routine, he'd probably be looking for a reason to shake things up, too. But that wasn't really his style, anyway. Jiaya was always looking for ways to shake things up.

Catching her looking around, he shot a charming grin her way. "Present company's a bit better than the rest of the horde, though."

It was a half-attempt to get her to lighten up. Maybe. He wasn't sure how to deal with people getting so irritated with him. It was kinda fun.  

[Bronze Coffee]

"Well, there's not much else.." Came Paej's obviously very well thought out reply. She pushed her hand into her hair, getting it out of her eyes before he spoke again.

The look on his face made Paej a little uneasy. She shifted a little and then arched a brow at that.

"Interesting choice of words."

She was trying to become calmer, not irritated with him. Paej liked to think herself social, but she hadn't actually interacted with someone like him before. Sure she'd seen snippets of it here and there in others, but not full force like this. Paej wasn't sure how to go about being 'normal' and comfortable.

PrinceFigment

 

[PrinceFigment]

Peppermint Coffee

He looked to her, his smile not faltering in the slightest. If she was uncomfortable, it wasn't something that the young man picked up on easily. Irritation, sure. It was rare, but every now and then, he had people get upset with him. But uncomfortable. That just wasn't anything he had to worry about.

Jiaya was easy-going, generally well-meaning. Most people got that from him, but apparently not everyone. Of course, most people weren't trapped in the midst of a mass of moving bodies, all heading toward the same place.

"Well, you're way more interesting than this lot." He gave her a small wink, "Cuter, too."  

[Bronze Coffee]

He was really trying to get into her good graces, wasn't he? She did let her cheeks turn a bright shade of red, but just waved off his words. He didn't mean them, Paej told herself. She knew he was trying to get out of trouble, or something like it, and his words couldn't be taken to heart.

"Whatever. It doesn't appear like we're going to be parting ways any time soon. I just wanted some of the cakes..." That's all she was here for. Those delicious foods they had at these small festivals. Paej loved food. Okay that wasn't true, she did want to meet friends, make friends, but she didn't think she'd be making them this way. Could she actually call him a friend? No. Definitely not. They'd just met and she was annoyed. That's not what you call friends, is it?

As if a queue, her stomach started to grumble loudly.

PrinceFigment

 

[PrinceFigment]

Peppermint Coffee

Hearing her complaint, he shrugged lightly, glancing for an opening in the sea of people. Regardless of where it led, he knew it would be exactly where he needed it to go, which, right now was festival foods for his extremely bitter companion.

Not seeing much of a space to get through, he chose to use his general approach to things like this. Hands behind his head, he closed his eyes and turned to face Paej, giving her a grin as he started walking into the mass. People parted, giving him odd or disapproving looks, but the point was that the path was made. And he had no doubt that when he got out of it all, he'd be right at one of the food tables.