If Only Ducking Worked [OPEN]

[Jay]

"Er, no, actually. I don't really pay attention to the cafes and stuff in the area. I don't know what's good and what's bad.... But if memory serves me correctly... There should be a Starbucks place around the corner."

Jay groaned and proceeded to -facepalm-. Of all the places Hiyami had to pick, it had to be Starbucks. Shit, that was one place Jay didn't like. I mean, who wanted to drink brown fluid that was said to shrivel your balls and stunt your growth? Plus, that shit's like cocaine. You pick it up, and you can't put it down, or else you look, feel, and act like a freak. Jay grimaced as he answered. "Ugh. Not too fond of Starbucks... or coffee, for that matter...."

Jay didn't want to look like the average American workface, walking to work at nine in the morning with a cup of coffee in their hand. Plus, did you know there is a coffee spill on every block every five minutes? Okay, I made this up, but I bet you believed it.

"Unless you'd like to go somewhere else?"

Jay nodded. If the other guy disagreed, fuck tha nigga.

[Aureus]

Starbucks was a favorite target for the anti-consumerism types, and usually Aureus agreed with them, but as far as that particular coffee chain went, he didn't care. Sure, maybe their stuff was a little over-priced, but that didn't make them any more evil than most businesses. Not to mention, Hiyami was paying so he was up for pretty much any place. "Wherever fine with me. So what's up with you two? Are you dating or something?" The graduate asked while walking towards them, hopefully they wouldn't take too long to decided on a place.

[Hiyami]

Hiyami nodded in agreement at Jay, simply shrugging, and then froze at Aureus's words.

"Whereever's fine with me. So what's up with you two? Are you dating or something?"

At those words, Hiyami, who had begun walking out towards the larger part of the area - you know, the part without the pipes and boxes and dumpsters and stuff - it had lots of stores and whatnot -, promptly tripped. And landed straight on her face. Fortunately, she managed to keep a hold of the money, which she pocketed as she got to her feet.

When she got to her feet, her face was red.

"No offense to you," she said to Jay, before continuing on, "But no. In fact, hell no. Hell friggin' no." She shuddered at the thought. "Going out with a complete stranger? Sorry, I definitely didn't sign up for any blind dates."

And then, she spotted Aramo's on the corner. It was not so much a cafe as it was a bakery, and one complete with an assortment of drinks, and nice cakes.

"Feel up to some pastries?"

[Jay]

"Whereever's fine with me. So what's up with you two? Are you dating or something?"

Man, Jay was about to choke on his spit. I see how it is. Two Asian people together gotta be dating, huh? "No offense to you," Hiyami said, and Jay raised his hands.

"None taken."

"But no. In fact, hell no. Hell friggin' no." Jay had to grimace at these words. Did she need to be this dramatic? A simple "no" would have sufficed. But she'd made it sound like going out with Jay was the worst thing in the world! In fact, even as lament crossed Jay's mind, she carried on. "Going out with a complete stranger? Sorry, I definitely didn't sign up for any blind dates."

Jay sighed, looking to the side. "Alright, he gets the point..." Well, that was a long speech to answer a question that required one of two words...

"Feel up to some pastries?"

Jay shrugged, nodding.

[Aureus]

Wow, what a bitch... Levi internally muttered to his brother as the girl went off on her tangent. She just seemed rather...ignorant of how other people perceived her. "Wow, that was a tad harsh. I thought you guys already knew each other. Guess not. Whelp, lets get a move on..." The ex-Pillar replied, walking past Jay and patting him on the shoulder as he went. Maybe this little trip wouldn't be too bad. Hiyami was, if anything, rudely entertaining and he felt like he could use a good laugh on his day off.

[Hiyami]

She shrugged off their comments as to the intensity of her response. She should care, but she really didn't. It was one of the things that her counselor had told her: "Listen to what they say, acknowledge it, but ultimately, don't give two shits about it."

Perhaps a more volatile piece of advice, but an efficient one, all the same. If she cared what others thought, she'd ultimately be ripped apart by it. Still, she used what she heard and saw to profile the two that were with her.

She decided that Aureus was the curious type. He asked questions and acted, but without really exposing too much of himself. Perhaps something had gone wrong in his past? She briefly wondered if he'd tell them anything, but doubted it. After all, why tell your life story to strangers, right?

Jay.... Jay was probably a bit passive-aggressive. He seemed quiet, and perhaps he was one of the guys that were frequently caught on the wrong side of a wall or something, but he sure looked the type. Passive could be good, but it could be secretively hazardous, too. She called him aggressive because it seemed that once he picked an action, he followed through on it with a bit... Well... a lot of zeal. Hmmmm. Passive-aggressive? She might as well call him rampantly assertive.

"Any favorites?" she asked as she held the door for them.

[Jay]

Yeah, Hiyami was obviously not the type who was conscious of what other people thought of her.

Was it a good thing? Yeah, probably. In terms of personal happiness. This way, you would never be unsatisfied with yourself! But on the other hand, if you held a job, and didn't give two shits about what your boss thought of you.... then there might be problems. None of this left Jay's mind, of course, as she held the door open for them, and Jay walked in.

"Any favorites?"

"Egg custards...," Jay replied, nodding slowly. Aww man, he hadn't had those in too long. The time was now. His eyes never left the tray of custards as he walked over to a table by the window... that is, until his neck started to hurt.

[Aureus]

As he entered the bakery, Aureus' eyes darted hungrily around the displays, searching for the most appetizing dessert. "Hmm, think I'll have one of those cheese danishes and a strawberry-Banana smoothie to wash it down. Thanks, Hiyami." he replied before sitting down at the table across from Jay. "So, why were those guys chasing after you two?" He asked while leisurely scratching the back of his neck.

The teen hoped there was an entertaining story behind the encounter and it wasn't just another random, meaningless mugging or something. He had experienced enough of those that they no longer interested him. The fights were bland and seemed ripped straight from some cliche old story. What he wanted to hear was some long, intricate yarn of intrigue, betrayal, and violence. Maybe it was because the graduate missed his time at 259. Back then, he had experienced enough drama to fill pages and pages of some teenager's "Live Journal". Funny how things change, isn't it?

[Hiyami]

Hiyami nodded at their choices, as they picked and sat at a table.

"So, why were those guys chasing you?" he asked, and Hiyami promptly scowled.

Even as she complained - "Those bastards had it in for my groceries! Oh, and they probably wanted Jay's money. And mine when they saw me. But that's as far as it goes for me. Unless Jay's got some sort of history with them, anyways." - she paid attention. Her exterior was just that - an exterior. It made for a good way to get certain kinds of reactions, and it was highly efficient in gauging a person's category.

Hiyami had several different sets of categories. Most of them had different purposes, and even then, they were frequently subdivided even further. The most massive category set that she had, though, was one that encompassed the whole set that she had. If anything, it was her starting point.

On the other hand, though, people changed, and frequently - so they always shifted categories. Not that she minded. It only meant for more interesting observation.

The categories themselves? That's easy. Harmful, Harmless, and Helpful.

Neither seemed to be in the Harmful category. Not a the moment anyways. That's why it was okay for Hiyami to get in line for their lil' snacks. After all, you certainly wouldn't turn your back on those that were Harmful, would you?

[OOC: Sorry if it's confusing. I had a lotta that Night Quilly stuff. Sleeeep.]