[FIN] Trials and Tribulations

[Tori Honoo]

Dove shook her head, looking to Yuri in his silence. "Oh, no sir. I'm just a friend of Yuri's from Kodo..." she explained, bending to scoop the eevee up into her arms as it pawed at her leg, confused at the man's lack of response to her.  

[BlackPidgeot]

"Ah, I thought so. Well then, I'll let you kids run along. Got things to do myself."

Yuri smiled, watching as the old man turned around and started to walk off. "See you around, Hanks."

He then glanced at Dove, before turning himself to head back in the direction they were going.  

[Tori Honoo]

She waved as well and followed after Yuri as the departed, stepping quickly to keep up with him. "Just like that? You're not going to stay and talk?" she asked curiously, no condemnation in her voice.  

[BlackPidgeot]

"Huh?" Yuri blinked, glancing over at Dove again as the walked. "Oh, naw, we'll catch up later."

And that was that. He saw no reason to just stand there and bore Dove to death with their talk, and Hanks obviously felt the same way.

Not far from the fountain they would come across a rather old fashioned looking inn. Of which Yuri walked to and through the front door.

"YURI YOU'RE HERE!" came the shout of a young boy as he dashed over to the man.

"Hey, Ted, long time no see."

"You're telling me! So you got out huh? Flynn told us all about it! So did you escape or something?"

Yuri then waved his hand. "Naw, nothing dramatic like that. Oh hey, this is Dove, a friend of mine."  

[Tori Honoo]

She fell into step with him once more as he gave his dismissal, nodding a little. If that was what he wanted, so be it.

When they reached the inn, the girl's expression changed from simple curiosity to solemn contemplation until a shout rang out through the room. With a start, she pulled her thoughts back to the immediate moment and watched as the boy ran toward them, already berating Yuri with welcomes and questions.

With a grin as he introduced her, she waved a little. "Nicebto meet you!"

Lovey, upon another greeting, also chopped in with a soft bark, hoping the child would be more receptive.  

[BlackPidgeot]

The boy looked up at Dove and blinked for a moment before a smile came over his face. "Hi! So you're Yuri's friend, huh? My name's Ted." He then looked down at Lovey with a slightly surprised look. "Oh an Eevee." Ted then looked around before looking to Yuri. "Hey, where's Repede?"

"Probably with Flynn, but hey let's catch up later. I'm starving." The latter part said as he noticed that Dove was getting some odd and curious looks from the people in the room.

Yuri then went to the counter where an old woman smiled and placed a couple bags in front of him. "Already ahead if you dear, and it's on the house."

"Thanks, I'll make it up to you later," Yuri said with a grin before heading for the door and motioning for Dove to follow.  

[Tori Honoo]

Lovey only tipped her head, seriously confused as no one here seemed to care to greet her...

Dove smiled and ruffled the eevee's collar ruff fondly and smiled back at the boy. "It's nice to meet you, Ted."

The looks she received did not go unnoticed, though she hid it as best she could, only looking to Yuri for a moment. She was wearing the same style of dress... Kind of. She did have an eevee with her, but wasn't Repede always with Yuri? Nevertheless, as he moved, she followed. Offering a smile to the woman and letting him handle things. This was his turf, after all.

Once outside, she glanced over her shoulder, a little unsure, but said nothing.  

[BlackPidgeot]

When they stepped outside Yuri turned to the right and went up a stairwell at the side of the building. He then came to a door and entered into what looked like a motel room converted into a living space just above where they just were. And that's precisely what it was.

"Sorry about that. The Lower Quarter doesn't see many visitors from the higher classes."  

[Tori Honoo]

Again... She followed and stepped into the small room carefully, her eyes searching over everything as she stilled in the doorway. Was this....?

His apology earned a head shake and she came in fully, letting Lovey down to the ground. "It's okay... They seemed really nice:" In fact, if she were given any free time, she was now decided to meet them properly.  

[BlackPidgeot]

"Yeah, they are," Yuri agreed as he turned to offer her one of the bags. Of which she would find contained some fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and a slice of pie.

Going over to the single large window, Yuri set aside his bag to open it and let some air in. It was on the window sill that he sat and started to eat while looking at the street down below.

It sure felt good to be home.  

[Tori Honoo]

She accepted the bag with a soft word of thanks, then watched him as he quietly opened his window and took up his post.

Suddenly, she felt incredibly out of place amidst the sentimental silence, and looked back over her shoulder, unsure of what to do or where to go from there. "Um... Did you want some time alone to rest? I can..." She trailed off, looking toward the door meaningfully before turning back to him. Do what? Get lost in the town again? Though so far things had gone smoothly, she still wasn't one hundred percent sure of exploring the lower quarter herself.  

[BlackPidgeot]

Yuri turned to look back towards her with a slow, inquisitive blink of his eyes while chewing on a piece of chicken. He then eventually shrugged.

"I hadn't really thought about it, but you can go if you want."

Although the idea of resting and sleeping in his own bed didn't sound like a bad idea.  

[Tori Honoo]

She hesitated. Shedding want to go, but since he didn't seem very intent on having her stay, she would take her leave shortly. With a nod, she moved toward the end of the bed closer to him and sat. "I'll eat with you and then leave you alone," she offered, watching Lovey as the eevee now moved around the room, sniffing quietly at things.  

[BlackPidgeot]

Yuri quickly caught on to her apparent since of insecurity with those words. An amused smile crossing his lips.

"You make it sound like I'm trying to get rid of you. If you want to stay that's okay too. If I really wanted to be alone I wouldn't have brought you here in the first place."

He then took another bite of chicken and looked back out the window. "You're such a worry wort, almost like Flynn."  

[Tori Honoo]

His response, while childishly hoped for, made her blush as she opened the bag and took out her portion of food. "I just know you haven't been home in a long while, and I don't want to get on your nerves..." she told him, shaking her head and doing her best to ignore his observation. She really did worry too much on occasion.

She watched him as he looked back out the window, then looked around his small home once more. This was his life...how he had lived before Kodo, far before she had known him. An almost overwhelming feeling if guilt pooled in her chest. She had been blissfully ignorant her entire upbringing... And even now, though it bothered her much, much less to be in such a small place, she wondered how different things would have been had she not grown up on splendor... And if Yuri had been given anything he had wanted. The thought was unsettling-- how different could they possibly be?

After a few minutes and a few bits of the food--which had pleasantly surprised her-- she looked to him again, softer. "You really miss it here, don't you?"