Closed Flowers and First Meetings

[Corentin Driscoll]

Corentin was settling slowly back into New Zealand. English came a little more easily to him, and he putting aside his still grieving feelings. He was helping out with his brother still, but he had plans to start branching off, to getting a proper job. It just was a lot, and he had to at least try and focus on his son. He knew if he took too busy a job he would fall into old patterns and he couldn't do that to either his brother or Amais. Corentin was walking down the street, with Amais racing on ahead. He could see him, but the boy had boundless energy. He'd dressed for the weather, in a thick jacket and a proper old style russian winter hat, which was just fractionally too big for his head. He was cute. "Stay where I can see you," he reminded him. They'd gone to a park, where Amais had picked some flower for his uncle Corvin, and was just really eager to get home. So of course, his son was barely paying attention when he barrelled into a woman. Corentin moved forward quickly. "Amais!" he said as he approached. ​

 

[Dreya Monet]

Dreya was having a rather hectic day. She'd had an order to make, but she'd run out of ingredients and had to run to the store. She'd been running late as it was, having needed to stay at the office for longer than she would have liked, and now she needed to hurry back to her apartment. She was trying to keep to herself, but a little boy had crashed into her and fallen down. She stumbled a moment, before looking down in shock. Automatically she crouched, offering out a hand to help him up. "Oh, goodness, are you alright?" She fretted, biting her lip.

 

[Corentin Driscoll]

Corentin was quick to catch up to Amais who had landed right on his bum and whose eyes were watering. Corentin looked at the woman who was helping his son up and knelt lightly as the little boy immediately to his feet barrelled into Corentin's open arms. He gently held the boy, lightly running a hand through his hair and speaking in soft Russian, ”You're okay,” He glanced up towards the woman, ”Are you okay?” he asked her. Of course, it wasn't like Amais would with his small body cause much damage, but he still wanted to check. ”Amais should've been watching where he was going,” he said. ​

 

[Dreya Monet]

Dreya watched as a man appeared, picking up the little boy. She stood herself, brushing a hand over her bottoms and peeking at the child, worried with how upset he seemed. "Oh, yes, I'm quite alright," She promised, before biting her lip. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see him," She apologized anyway. "Amais is a lovely name," She offered, before picking out a muffin and holding it up for the man to see. "Would he...?" She trailed off, not wanting to offer the boy a treat without the mans permission.

 

[Corentin Driscoll]

Corentin glanced at the woman and gave a little shake of his head. ”it's okay, he's more startled than hurt, babies fall a lot, but they're okay,” he assured her and already his son was calming down. He turned his son a little, ”Son, look at what you're being offered,” he said, and his son looked round to the woman and the outstretched muffin. ”You can have one,” he urged him in English, ”What kind of muffins are they?” he asked. ​

 

[Dreya Monet]

Dreya smiled softly at the little boy, taking a very tiny step closer so he could reach. "This one is chocolate chip, if that's alright," She told him gently. "I have others, blueberry, banana nut, cinnamon crumble." She bit her lip. "Is he your son?" She asked softly, peeking up at the man. He was taller, handsome... he looked rather serious, but the little boy seemed to make him... softer. She smiled shyly, feeling oddly nervous. Well, maybe not so surprisingly, she was often nervous and shy with other adults.

 

[Corentin Driscoll]

Corentin translated to his son in soft Russian what each of them were as the woman said it. He hadn't taught Amais all of those words yet. He could see him trying to decide what he wanted, and Corey was sure the minute he'd picked one, and they'd walked away, that he would want a different one. ”He is,” Corey confirmed to the woman. ”I'm Corentin, by the way,” he introduced himself to her, holding out a hand somewhat awkwardly to her as he was still holding his son. ​

 

[Dreya Monet]

Dreya smiled softly. "He's a handsome boy," She offered, her gaze flickering down as he held out his hand. She reached out, offering a short, gentle handshake before drawing her hand back. "You could have one too, if you'd like," She offered, blushing as she realized she hadn't introduced herself. "Oh! Er, my name is Dreya Monet," She told him quickly, the words almost tripping over themselves as they tumbled from her lips, her French accent slightly accentuated in her bashful haste.

 

[Corentin Driscoll]

Corentin smiled softly as she spoke of his son, and he felt the pang of loss that his wife had left. He missed her and missed the way she had been with their son. He glanced back at the young woman who was interacting with them. "Good to meet you," he said, noting that her accent, wasn't one from here. His wasn't either, but he had been raised here. "How long have you been in New Zealand?" he asked as his son eager munched on the muffin which he'd taken, very quickly beginning to make a bit of a mess.​

 

[Dreya Monet]

Dreya smiled softly as the boy seemed to be enjoying her muffin, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Oh, a few years now," She told him, shifting to peek back up at the man. "I moved here from Paris to be with my brother," She wondered briefly if that was too much information, but decided it was vague enough that it was acceptable. "If I may, where are you from?" She asked in turn, trying to be more social despite her lingering shyness.

 

[Corentin Driscoll]

Corentin nodded as she replied and then gave an almost surprised look at her when she asked where he was from. He hadn't interacted with that many people since coming back to New Zealand, mostly his brother, and he knew he still held somewhat of an accent, but he was surprised by it. Surprised by the question. "Oh, I was born here, but I've spent the last decade and a half in Russia," he explained, trying to not sound too Russian as he said it in case she thought he was lying. He watched her for a moment and then glanced down at his son. "Do you...want to get coffee some time?" he thought she was pretty, but mostly, he sort of just wanted a friend. A possible friend. ​

 

[Dreya Monet]

Dreya twirled her hair around her finger, re-adjusting the basket of muffins in her arm. "Russia? I've heard its very pretty there," She offered shyly, her eyes drifting back to Amais. He was a sweetheart, devouring the muffin in his hands. She was about to offer the boy another muffin when the fathers question caught her off guard. She blinked, surprised. "W-what?" She stammered, blushing. "I- erm," She swallowed nervously. "S-sure... It would be nice to make a new friend." She told him, trying to be gentle. Dreya wasn't really the dating type, anyway. But it could be nice to make some friends. "There's a cute little cafe near here... we could meet there?" She offered. "I'm babysitting my niece on Saturday afternoon... I could bring her and she and Amais could have a bit of a playdate?"

 

[Corentin Driscoll]

Corey gave a little half smile, "It is, it is also pretty cold," he was glad for the slightly more temperate climate of new zealand. It wasn't necessarily better but the winters here were just slightly less biting. He hadn't been sure she would accept the invitation, he hadn't wanted to call it a date or say something childish like hang out. But she seemed nice and he didn't have a lot of friends in New Zealand, since most of his teen and early twenties had been spent in russia and even then, he'd barely had the time to make friends. He nodded. "How does that sound?" he asked his son whose mouth was muffin stained and who was nodding excitedly. "That would be nice. I'll see you Saturday?"​

 

[Dreya Monet]

Dreya smiled shyly and nodded, taking a few steps back. "We'll be there," She promised, waving to Corentin, though more specifically Amais, before turning and starting to take off again. She hadn't been expecting to make any friends today, but that was alright, she didn't mind making new friends. It was always harder for her, anyway. She was a bit too shy for making new friends easily. She shifted the muffins on her arm, humming an old lullaby to herself.

 

[Corentin Driscoll]

Corentin didn't even need to encourage Amais to wave back at Dreya, he just did. He picked up his son and held him against his hip as he continued to make his way down the street. It was nice to meet someone new and she seemed nice, good with Amais. He needed to get himself back out there anyway, so this was the opportunity to try that, whether they were friends or more.​