[FIN] Welcome to the Jungle

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Is it really?" She asked, eyebrows raised. Way more of a party... Most, if not all, of the parties she'd ever attended had been almost entirely political, so envisioning what Luke was describing proved a little difficult. "I'd love to attend a party here, it sounds like they're much different than those in Grande Ile."

She hadn't meant to confuse him like that, and his reaction made her blush out of embarrassment. "I know that Kodo doesn't have Parliament, their governing body is quite different... You don't call them commoners, though..?" That was odd... Father called them commoners multiple times - was that not what she should refer to them as? But if Father said it, that meant that it had to be right... "Oh! Oh, yes, I'm free tomorrow, yes. I would love to meet her."

"Fighting?" That sounded... very unpleasant. But, obviously, at least in Luke's case, such training had paid off quite well from the experience she'd had. It all sounded very complicated and tactical, but all the same... "Doesn't it hurt them?" She couldn't help but be concerned for the well-being of those involved, willing or not. At his apology, she quickly shook her head and offered a smile. "No, no, please don't apologize - I appreciate your explanation, I honestly know nothing of training." And now, thanks to him, she knew quite a bit more than she did previously, and for that she was grateful. The name he brought up made her curious, though. "Rosie? Is that your friend with Rapidash?"  

[Suudonym]

"Yeah they are," he confirmed, his tone serving to emphasize just how different he meant. "For one thing, they're actually fun." What a concept.

"Not really," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Something like 'commoner' is a little insulting, right? Saying someone is a commoner is a little like saying 'oh, there's nothing special about them, you can find people like that anywhere.'" And from his own experiences, no, the people he knew were in fact not so common as to be found anywhere one looked.

"No, no," he assured, waving his hand to dismiss the thought. "They're sturdier than you might think. And if they get hurt or worn out, you can heal them back to perfect health with stuff like potions, or by taking them to a pokemon center." He would have to make a visit to a center himself once he was finished here; Mieu had completely exhausted himself, and the others had taken quite a bit of abuse as well. He knew his explanation of training was inadequate, but it was nice to hear her appreciation nonetheless. A nod, "Yeah - or, one of them. Rosie has two Rapidash, and my friend Seraphine has one as well."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The thought that parties could be fun was a foreign concept to Nicolette, but she nodded all the same. "I'd really like to attend one, in that case." To at least see for herself just how different they were. Fun parties - what a novel idea.

"Oh," she said softly, her cheeks flushing before her hands raised to cover them. "I never thought of it like that. Father always uses that term, and Mother does as well, so I just thought..." That everyone used it, but apparently that wasn't the case here. It took a moment or two to process his example; without it, she might not have been able to understand his reasoning, and she nodded to show this. "I see what you mean, though. I guess it could sound sort of insulting.." Mental note: Do not call people commoners, especially to their faces.

Potions? Pokemon centers...? Such things were entirely alien to her, and her bewilderment showed plainly on her face. "I.. suppose that makes sense," no it actually didn't, "though I think I'd like to see these for myself so that I understand them better." Oh, he had two friends with Rapidash! That was excellent. "Ohh, that's wonderful! Do you think they'd want to teach me more about training and the like?" She asked, peering up at him hopefully. While home was perfectly safe, it had become quite obvious quite quickly that here, in Kodo, was not, and she wanted to at least be able to protect herself. Any knowledge or advice towards that end would be greatly appreciated, and probably thanked profusely with words as well as cupcakes.  

[Suudonym]

Luke wondered if it was a nobility thing; he couldn't pinpoint the exact time at which he had stopped thinking of the people around him as commoners, but apparently his perspective had shifted dramatically enough in the recent years for the idea to have become foreign to him. Kodo seemed to have a way of changing people, it seemed. It was difficult to face adversity without flexibility, after all.

Ah, right, Grande Ile wasn't a pokemon nation. Potions were a rare commodity usually imported from abroad, and pokemon centers were outright unheard of. "Maybe we can have a look around the city tomorrow, too," he suggested. "You can check out the center and stuff and get a general feel for the layout." And not get kidnapped and bound and threatened after. As she spoke in the plural, he laughed mildly, for he could pretty much predict what Seraphine's response would be to such a request, "Maybe not both of them, but Rosie probably will. She's really passionate about training." Well, so was Ray, but he wasn't sure about subjecting Nicolette to Ray before she at least knew the basics and was more comfortable with Kodo in general.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Ohh, yes please!" The girl responded eagerly. "I would love to have a proper tour during the day." With someone she knew for a fact she could trust, and not some random stranger that she only thought or assumed she could trust. She would have to be much more careful from now on.

Even though she didn't understand his laugh, she nodded and smiled anyway. One was much better than none, at any rate, and might be better than two. It might be much more focused in that instance, although she couldn't be sure. "I can't wait to meet her, she sounds wonderful," even though she actually knew practically nothing about the girl, save for that she was Luke's friend, had two Rapidash, and enjoyed training quite a lot to have done it for so long.

It was around then that the pair would arrive at their final destination - rather than an apartment like she thought, it was more of a row of small, connected houses. It wouldn't take long to find the number of Nicolette's, and her pace quickened a little with excitement as she moved to the door. "I think this is it," she said, though she still wasn't sure, but regardless she turned and gave Luke a grateful smile. "Thank you so much again, for saving me and for walking me all the way here." She hesitated briefly, concern overtaking her features as she asked, "Can you get back to your apartment alright?"  

[Suudonym]

"All right," he said, smiling at her enthusiasm. "I'm sure we can make that happen. I'll need to talk to Rosie, but for now let's plan to meet at the main park around noon?" As they arrived at their destination, he recorded a few details as about the park's location relative to landmarks they had passed for her reference and casually dismissed the concern she voiced, "Yeah, no worries. Take it easy tonight, okay? I'll see you tomorrow." Walking back to his apartment didn't sound even remotely appealing, but once he got Leste back into flying condition, that wouldn't be a problem.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Okay, that sounds wonderful," she replied brightly, excited about the plans for tomorrow. She endeavored to commit the directions to memory, and even then it shouldn't be too hard to find the main park, right? "You too," the girl replied as she knocked on the door, and it was but a moment or two before it opened to reveal an older woman.

"Où étiez-vous? Il est beaucoup trop tard pour que vous soyez à l'extérieur," she chastised, and Nicolette hung her head at the short scolding. The woman gave Luke a brief glance before moving aside to allow the young noble entry.

She stepped inside, then turned to offer her company a smile and a parting wave. "Au revoir, à demain," she said before slipping out of sight, only for the woman to close the door after her.