[PRP] Unexpected Celebrations (Krios + Aryani)

[Tsunake]

To say Krios was overwhelmed would be putting things mildly. He often roamed the wilderness in pursuit of game, but his hooves had led him to a great gathering of herds the likes of which he'd never seen before. It was a celebration for the last remaining days of summer, from what little he'd gathered, and the stoic centaur had been mildly baffled by the cheerful greetings and hails to join in. Cautious, but unwilling to offend, Krios had made a quiet place for himself on the outskirts of the other merchant stalls, spreading a blanket where he could display the pelts and feathers he had for trade.

He was less interested in trading than he was simply... watching. So many Taurs from so many different places, all gathered in one place. There was merriment in the air, a sort of joy that couldn't be feigned. Krios, so used to the quiet, couldn't get himself to entirely relax with so much hustle and bustle. Still, he couldn't deny that he was fascinated with all the going-ons.

This would be a good learning experience for him, he finally concluded. Krios knew he wasn't very skilled with interacting, so this would benefit him greatly if he could pick up on some tips to better associate with customers--or just people--in the future.

Mika_Yumi

 

[Mika_Yumi]

The morning had started calmly enough. Sunlight subdued through the dapple of leaves woke Ayrani to a gentle breeze smelling of flowers and greenery. The centaur stretched, gazing past the foliage around her, waking gently to the warmth of a lovely summer day that encouraged her to follow through with her considerations the evening before and take a walk. Perhaps she would find some new flowers or other pieces to use in her work along the way, or perhaps she would just enjoy the scenery and get some time to herself; either way, she figured nothing would be lost in the venture of exercise. She ate a late, fruity brunch, drew her hair up into its usual ponytail, and gathered her satchel onto her shoulder.

Her hooves carried her down a familiar path past the turquoise river that had come to signify 'home' somehow for her. She was a wanderer more often than not, but lately she'd stayed long enough amongst this area to begin recognizing landmarks -- not just the river, but the large callashroom at the base of a broken tree trunk at the fork near the forest's edge, the lily pond that was so often frequented by local birds for a refreshing bath and a snack of shiny beetles... It was somewhat comforting to find that she didn't feel the usual rush to explore further now that she was becoming used to this place.

Along her path this day, she did find a fallen plume of purple with streaks of grey that she thought might be lovely in some piece of jewelry or home adornment. She also chose to stop and snip a few deep pink rosebuds off of a cluster of obliging bushes she knew could spare a few, tucking them into a pocket inside her bag -- she would dry them and perhaps string them together with the feather. But eventually her eyes drifted over the scenery with little to hold her back -- she was enjoying stretching her legs, feeling the kiss of sunlight along her back, and not paying so much attention to where her hooves were taking her anymore. She occasionally reached out to touch a leaf or some bark and say hello to the flora, but by and large she let her mind drift to other considerations -- most of which she could hardly remember as soon as she'd thought through them.

Eventually, something caught her ear. She hadn't realized that a hum had begun to grow in the background of the nature sounds she was so used to, but a bark of laughter had shattered the general calm she'd been feeling. She hadn't been expecting it, her mind lost elsewhere, and it snapped her directly into her surroundings -- which, she realized, she didn't recognize very well. There was grass up ahead, some field flowers, an extended patch of sun she wasn't expecting to find at this edge of her current 'home' forest. Another laugh broke out shortly after the first, this one more of a deep rumble, and Ayrani's brows knit across her forehead in confusion. This wasn't exactly the most remote part of the island, but the hum she was becoming more aware of beneath this laughter was not the casual conversation of a hunting party or some other group; no, this sounded like a large gathering. Curious, Ayrani hurried her pace to the edge of the forest, and when the many trees finally broke she was surprised to see a huge gathering of centaurs sprawled everywhere across the scenery before her. How she hadn't heard them sooner was suddenly a much bigger mystery as her eyes scanned the crowds and realized the sheer number of 'taurs before her was more than she had ever encountered.

Ayrani's hands reflexively reached to curl around the strap of her bag. She wasn't shy, exactly, but this was not something she was mentally prepared for. A little overwhelmed, she turned back towards the trees to contemplate returning home... and found that somehow in her two steps from beneath the bows she'd crossed about twenty yards of field and flowers. How in--?! She stopped herself. That was a useless thought. She, if not all, knew that sometimes the spirits just... had other plans. Closing her eyes and huffing out a sigh, Ayrani turned back to the vast collection of fellows before her, and again found that she was much closer to them than she seemed to remember. Letting out a low curse, Ayrani chose to move her own hooves, hoping to appease whatever was shoving her closer to the event, but stuck to the outskirts of the gathering. From what she could see and hear, there was only frivolity nearby -- none seemed to be at odds, everyone was enjoying food and drink and company, and there were more shades of beings before her than she ever would have imagined. Some seemed to be of families or herds, but mingling merrily amongst others. Any spirited comments were made in jest and good humor, almost no utterances of disagreement or hatred were being made that she could hear. It was lovely.

Still, she wasn't quite ready to jump in and join the festivities. Her cool, calm morning was still too fresh in her mind. Luckily, no one seemed to feel the need to drag her in -- including the spirits. After several minutes of wandering, she had noticed a few others like herself that were choosing to stay aloof, and had decided that she would have to ease herself into this whole thing by breaking mutual solitude, she just had to find the right individual to join. One centaur caught her eye -- a solid fellow, positioned closely to a blanket of pelts and offerings of what seemed to be a hunting trade, who seemed to be observing with sharp attention. He looked like he'd know what was going on... and, well, to be honest, he was very attractive, and that helped encourage her to engage with the stranger. Straightening herself, Ayrani set herself to walk towards her goal, perusing his offerings along the way. When she finally made it to his blanket, she looked up to meet his eyes, and smiled.

"So... have you been watching long enough to know what all of this is about?"  

[Tsunake]

Movement drew his eye, and Krios reluctantly broke away from his study of the crowds to focus on the centauress that met his gaze with a smile. He slowly offered one of his own, bowing his head in acknowledgement of her greeting. Perhaps she was a florist of sorts, for he noted the blossoms elegantly woven in her dark hair and tail. The forwardness of her question was appreciated, as he was no great conversationalist. So she was a newcomer as well... that was enough to make him wonder just what was at play here. All these taurs drawn here to one place, some without even realizing there was a celebration to be had, could only be the work of something beyond him.

Krios could only helplessly shrug at her in reply. "Not as much as I'd like, I'm afraid. Festivities in honor of the last remaining days of summer." At least from what he'd gathered. "What's more, though many seem to be strangers, everyone's been... very amiable." It was a strange statement, but the centaur wasn't able to describe it better. When there were large gatherings, especially between herds that had never met, there could often be tension threatening to escalate into violence. But here, any disagreements or squabbles that had broken out had eventually given way to laughter or jests, with no hard feelings lingering between either party. Far be it from him to want any sort of conflict, but Krios had to admit that it was truly strange.

He shook his head eventually, his expression sheepish. "I'm not complaining, mind. It all just seems very convenient." Perhaps he was just cynical. "Regardless, there are many fine wares for sale, and plenty of festivities to join in with." He.. might be more happy just continuing to observe on the sidelines, but a drink and some good food might do wonders for his attitude. "I'm assuming you're newly arrived, yourself. I don't have much, but I have some dried jerky and water if it pleases you." There was certainly better foodstuffs to be had, but if she didn't want to risk the crowds, well... he completely understood that.

Mika_Yumi

 

[Mika_Yumi]

Even his tentative answer was more than she had yet gathered herself. A soft noise of understanding left her as she turned to watch the crowd for a moment, nodding a bit. She was almost surprised she hadn't realized it sooner for herself. The drinks, the cheer, the fires going -- it was all very 'dusk of summer'. It made her realize how little she'd interacted with community lately, and a small note of appreciate for the spirits' meddling passed through her mind.

His added commentary drew her eye back to him, and she nodded, eyes wide in agreement, "Yes, I was noticing that as well!" The wary clarification that followed caused a light chuckle, and she shook her head, "I understand." Ayrani hummed and glanced back over the gathering, noting the other stationed similarly to this buck with their goods on offer, some of them solitary, others locked in conversation, some bartering or trying to draw buyers in for a closer look. By comparison, the buck she'd found seemed to be letting the spirits do as much as they could for him, keeping much to himself rather than reaching out for customers. Still, she noted, it had worked for her.

"I am," she nodded, gaze turning back to the stallion in front of her. His offer was very unexpected, but not unwelcome, eliciting a grin of appreciation. "Thank you! If you have enough to share, I would gladly accept." She stepped a bit closer and turned, so that she could still observe the others without being so rude as to look entirely away from her companion.

"I'm Ayrani, by the way." If she was going to stick around, they might as well introduce themselves.  

[Tsunake]

Krios nodded, satisfied that she would stay for a while. His forelegs bent as he retrieved his small satchel of food, passing it to her along with a full water skin. He didn't know what else to say to the centauress--Ayrani. "Krios," He offered his own name in turn, already feeling the weight of awkwardness threatening to settle on his tongue. How was simple conversation beyond his grasp? He tried to focus on the others in the crowd, but it wasn't so easy to just ignore the person at his side. She'd approached him, so clearly she wanted to talk about something.

The larger centaur shifted his weight on his hooves, resisting the urge to paw at the ground as he folded his arms over his chest. "You from around here?" Which... sounded stupid, now that he thought about it--she didn't seem to have any real supplies with her. Surely she would have brought water, if she'd intended to travel far. He swiped a hand through his hair with exasperation at his ineptitude, his jaw clenching slightly.

Well. If she wanted more gossip, she could find someone better at stringing words together than he was, he was sure. He paused to glance over his shoulder at his wares, shaking his head to himself. If he was lucky, he'd be able to sell a good bit of his merchandise before he decided to move on. Whenever that ended up being. After a moment's hesitation, he looked back to Ayrani. "Know I offered jerky, but you want something hot instead?" There seemed to be plenty of food down there, and Krios was willing to barter for a freshly cooked meal.

Mika_Yumi