[FIN] Poffins and Possibilities

[Suudonym]

"But you're not a child," he repeated. "You don't need them to make your decisions. If you wanted to go to Kodo, you could just walk down the docks, buy a ticket, and go. Not one single person who saw you do so would think it was strange or question whether or not you had gotten permission, because you're not a child. But all of this world experience you're trying to get doesn't mean one single thing if you're not planning to use it to guide your own life. You're someone's pet Lillipup on a leash, happy with the illusion of freedom because that's what your owner tells you is best for you. And I'm sorry, I don't really like saying all these harsh things and upsetting you, but this isn't a matter of how your family does things or what works for you - this is a matter of the difference between you and every other independent, well-adjusted adult in the world. You are the only person responsible for your actions and your future. You need to understand that."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"I know that," she replied, though it was unclear if she really actually understood it or not. "I just.. I don't... know," the girl repeated, her tones getting more confused and frustrated. She didn't understand why Luke was being so insistent about this - didn't other families do the same thing? Surely hers wasn't the only family to behave in such a way? "Other families do it too - they must," the young noble started, taking hold of a different way to try to discuss it. "If they didn't, there wouldn't be betrothals or anything like that. Sometimes those happen with even less discussion - or none - than the discussions I have with my parents." Surely that would hit home, because others in their class were betrothed often. It was a common practice, and that was a decision that parents made for their sons or daughters - it was the same thing, in her mind, or at least very similar. Another thought struck her, another thought she could latch onto that she felt validated her argument, "Isn't assuming control of a House similar too?"  

[Suudonym]

"They don't," he countered readily. "Arranged marriage is another matter entirely. It's practically unheard of in so many places, Kodo included, and even in Grande Ile it isn't necessarily the norm. The duke himself chose his own wife." He shook his head in disaccord, "It might be similar for some people, but no one can be forced take that role if they don't want it. Personally, I recognized that I had a choice and spent a long time thinking about it - at no point deferring to my father's opinion - before I decided that it was something I wanted to do. That was a choice made by no one but myself."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

These concepts were all so strange and foreign to her, confusing her and making her head hurt the longer she tried to puzzle them out. She had been raised with the expectation of taking control of their house and its political affairs until her brother was born, and then she was raised with the expectation of being married off into another house and offering the future lord whatever aid she could in their house's political endeavors. Her parents had always expected so many things from her - expected her to assume control, expected her to become the perfect lady of a house, to learn as much as she possibly could, to be a proper young lady, to follow their orders and go along with their wishes, to do as they said and marry who they chose for her, and so many other things she couldn't even think of. Her head hurt too much from thinking of this to try and think of more examples.

"I think," she started slowly, lowering her hands to her lap with a slow exhale to try and release all the built-up stress, confusion and frustration from the conversation, "that I want to research some things when I go home."  

[Suudonym]

Luke wasn't sure how much hope he should have that anything he said had genuinely reached her, but he at least believed that she would give it due consideration. "Okay," he replied, for a moment preparing to go on to press her to take what she found to heart and not to try and justify it against what she knew and found familiar, but he decided there had been quite enough of that already. "Sorry," he said, "I know you didn't call me here to talk about that. Is there still something you wanted to ask about the stuff the other day, or would you rather I just go?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Not really..." No, she hadn't even remotely expected to have that conversation when she invited him over initially, and now she could barely remember what she'd wanted to speak with him about in the first place. She paused to consider, hesitated, then shook her head decisively as she stood and started pulling out a few things from around the kitchen, "No, don't go. Would you like some tea?" She certainly wanted some tea now, and as she spoke she had already begun preparing to do just that.  

[Suudonym]

"No, thank you," he answered quietly, feeling sort of awkward about staying in her home after that whole debacle - he certainly wasn't going to add another dish to wash on top of her pile of unsavory things to address.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"But it's so cold outside," Nicolette countered, getting two cups regardless of his words because really, why wouldn't he want tea? Obviously he was just trying to be nice by declining. He'd said just a moment ago that he could leave if she wanted him to; he was so polite and kind, and so concerned for her well-being and happiness. Even if she didn't like the way he'd addressed it, she still knew he only had out of concern and worry for her. "Are you sure?"  

[Suudonym]

It wasn't that he felt particularly strongly about tea either way, but if she insisted like that, it was kind of difficult to turn her down. "I guess it's fine," he conceded.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The girl appeared at least a little happier as he acquiesced, and busied herself preparing the tea. It wasn't long before it finished, and Nicolette poured it out and sat down once more to talk with Luke about the recent expedition into the mines.