[FIN] Natural Talent

[Suudonym]

"Sure," he said, responding to her enthusiasm in kind. "The League seems to have some pretty high hopes for the project. It should be an interesting place."  

[Blood_Goddess]

"It got a lot of negative feedback in the beginning." She admitted with a light furrow of her brow, "But I'm starting to notice that as more information about it was made public other trainers are starting to actually take an interest in it." She knelt down to pet Tank's head gently as he reached her. "I'm really grateful for this kind of opportunity for my team. Its hard to tell when you're doing something wrong when there isn't always others to tell you."  

[Suudonym]

"Yeah," he agreed, "and it's hard to develop your battling style when you end up challenging the same trainers over and over. It'll be refreshing to have some new outside opinions."  

[Blood_Goddess]

"It really will be." Rosie sighed, pushing herself to her feet again with a new smile "Its just great to finally start getting organized now." she hopped a little in her excitement, Vahy'n throwing in her support closely followed by Northern drifting up by Luke's shoulder and spurred on by the enthusiasm nodded with a series of jingles "Yeah!"

Rosie giggled at the pokemon responses "It can help you learn all kind of new things too Northern."
This seemed to peak the Jirachi's curiosity as she drifted forward a little, eyes wide.

Folding the cloth she had in her hands neatly, she stepped out of the kitchen to rejoin the others. "So were you able to get your errands done?"  

[Suudonym]

He laughed lightly at the display of enthusiasm; he wouldn't really have expected any different response, knowing Rosie's attitude about training and Northern's interest in discovery.

The question posed was just mildly unexpected, and in the moment that followed his comprehension of it, he recalled his earlier frustration. "Ah… Yeah, I guess so." The memory led him towards another though, and he wore a slightly exasperated, if not grateful, smile, "You know, I really appreciate your family, if only because it's nice to know there are other people in the world who follow the philosophy of self-determination."  

[Blood_Goddess]

Northern didn't know why Luke had not been home when she came to visit, but the sense of frustration or the memory of frustration it was more like drew her attention toward him, turning and tilting her head as she seemed to search him for the meaning.

Blue eyes widened a little at the comment that followed, showing that it was unexpected, but by the smile that followed it was more than appreciated. "Oh- I'm glad, its always been something really important in our growing up." Though this was followed with a curious look "Where did this come from? Did something come up about Nicolette?"  

[Suudonym]

He shook his head, hesitantly at first and then with more definition. "Dove wanted to meet, saying she wanted advice. I don't think I'm supposed to go into details, but… it reminded me of talking to Nicolette, yeah." He exhaled a small sigh. "Sometimes I start to think that I'm the one living weirdly, actively defying my family to do what I think is for the best."  

[Blood_Goddess]

She watched curiously as he shook his head, unsure of what made him think about it before he brought up Dove.
Again she wondered what the connection was, but it wasn't too hard to figure out from there, though she didn't pry for the details that Luke voiced his reluctance to give.

"No no, its not just you I'm sure." she reassured, but just smile "Even if you are, That's one of the reason I love you so much, and you wouldn't fit in so perfectly with my uncle and cousins." She pointed out playfully.

Though she furrowed her brow thoughtfully as she recalled something else he had said, crossing her ankles where she stood, She knew what Luke had found out about Nicolette, that the girl was completely under her parents control, it was shocking, and worrying, but from Rosie's experience with Dove, she was finding that her understanding and Luke's to be contradictory. "I'm really surprised to hear that about Dove though, I didn't get that impression from her when we talked about family."  

[Suudonym]

He returned her smile, reassured even if he had not sincerely doubted himself in the first place. At the words that followed Rosie's thoughtfulness, though, he was left somewhat surprised himself, "Really? She seemed pretty adamant about it, to the point that I… kind of doubt she ever intended even to try to take any of the advice I gave." He shook his head in redaction. "That's just the feeling I got from the conversation, though."  

[Blood_Goddess]

"Thats so..." There was a clear surprise on her face, Rosie thinking back on what Dove had said about her family before, that sure they weren't perfect and super loving, but Dove had never given the impression that she always did what she was told, quite the opposite was implied actually.
Rosie shifted slightly as if uncomfortable, looking back up to Luke as he continued a look something like relief crossed her features "I'm glad its not just me then." the trainer admitted, reaching to her lightly brush a curl of hair away from her cheek.
"I don't think she really appreciated it when I gave her advice, I feel bad, I just seem to kind of upset her whenever we've talked. I thought it was just me though."
She smiled a little though it wasn't a completely sincere smile, she recalled the time Dove took comfort from Dith, but shrank back and said nothing in return when Rosie tried to reach out. Hard not to think it was only her.  

[Suudonym]

The idea was baffling; no one could argue that Rosie was perfect, but she was at least considerate in choosing her words. She had the ability to hurt others unintentionally just the same as anyone else - he had experienced as much himself - but the thought that she could upset someone repeatedly and consistently seemed strange and unlikely, and he spoke with some misgiving in his tone, "How so?"  

[Blood_Goddess]

She lifted her eyes when he asked her further, hesitating for a moment but answering his question.
"Back when she first started training pokemon, or had an interest in it, She was having some trouble, like any beginner trainer- so I offered some help. Its nothing she says really, its just this look on her face or body when I say some thing to her, like I said something wrong, but she usually never comments, or she'll argue back."

Rosie shook her head lightly "I wish she would tell me if I'm doing something to offend her, its gotten mostly to the point where if I even ask her about herself she gets that look on her face, like what I said was so unexpected or rude. I feel terrible about it."  

[Suudonym]

"Sounds kind of familiar - well, not the expression or body language stuff, that I've noticed, but ignoring or arguing against a point." He shook his head, "That's pretty much why I gave up trying to talk to her earlier... It seemed like everything I offered was unacceptable for some reason or another. It was like trying to convince Nicolette, but Nicolette at least didn't feel like her parents were wronging her in any way. Dove made it perfectly clear that she would be miserable if she went back but still argued against every reason I gave for her to stay." Every bit as frustrating as talking to Nicolette, if not for slightly different reasons.

"It's not really fair for you to feel bad if you don't even know why she's acting that way," he said, frowning lightly. "Have you talked to her about it?"  

[Blood_Goddess]

"If she went to anyone with advice you would be the one to go to, especially about that kind of thing, I'm sorry she didn't seem to take it though..." It confused her why someone would argue against the advice they were looking for, especially in a situation Luke was familiar with himself.

"No, I haven't." Rosie replied regretfully "I know I really should, but its becomes really uncomfortable for both of us I think. I feel like I can't even ask her questions without feeling like I said something wrong or crossed a line. I guess avoiding it isn't going to do much help either. Though maybe that's what she wants from me, I feel like she tends to avoid me sometimes."  

[Suudonym]

Mention of being avoided brought up memories of the League's assault against Team Rocket, in the period before they had set off. He hadn't really thought much about Dove's behavior at the time, feeling rather uncomfortable in a largely unfamiliar crowd himself, but if her behavior had been for the sake of avoiding Rosie, that was certainly a different perspective on things.

"It might be uncomfortable, but as things are you're uncomfortable anyway, right?" he said. "She doesn't seem like the kind of person who's actively trying to make anyone feel bad, so I would imagine that there's some sort of misunderstanding at the heart of things - and if that's the case, then it's really awful for you to feel at fault."