[FIN] Grand Shopping Expeditions

[BlackFireKitsune]

While Seraphine was disappointed that their attempts had been so easily and quickly rebuffed, she wasn't really too surprised; an enormous, fancy mansion in the rich district, eccentric titles and guards at the gate really didn't bode well for friends on casual visits. And despite Rosie's note, Sera really didn't trust people (or maybe she was just stubborn and wanted to make sure Luke got at least some form of communication to let him know they were there), but she had complete faith in her ghost-type to find their friend and convey their proximity. Or, at least, the fact they were in the country, since Giselle wouldn't be in Grand Ile all by herself.

It didn't take too terribly long to get back to the business and market district, which was marked by the closer proximity of the buildings and the growing number of people on the streets, which lead to the pair stopping to dismount and recall their Rapidash. Sera frowned lightly as she put Luna's ball away and looked over at Rosie, "You okay?"  

[Blood_Goddess]

By the time they had made it back to the more populated aria of the city, the sun was starting to bit lower in the sky, throwing all the buildings and statues into a orange glow.
Something that Rosie might have appreciated more had she not been more concerned with the Poke Gear, still clasped in her hand.
She wasn't sure what she expected, but she had certainly hoped to have heard at least something from Luke by now.

Slipping off her Rapidash, Rosie paused by the large horse pokemon, petting her neck absently as the gentle fire type lowered her head to Rosie, nuzzling her gently.
"Yeah." She said to Sera, when her friend's words snapped her out of her thoughts.
"yeah I'm okay." Putting a smile back on her face, though glancing down at the Poke Gear she still held in her hand. "He hasn't said anything yet."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Rosie's concern and worry were obvious to Sera, who offered her friend a small smile as she gently laid her hand on Rosie's arm. "Yeah, I know, but he hasn't replied all week. I think it'll take a bit more for him to message you. Honestly I won't feel better myself until we can see him in person, message or not," the brunette replied with an upturned hand in a lazy shrug. "And they're obviously not letting us in, at least not yet. So let's focus on other things instead until then," she suggested. Like shopping, so people would stop looking at them funny.  

[Blood_Goddess]

Celestia gave a gentle whinny in agreement to what Sera was saying, Rosie glanced up at the Rapidash who gave her an encouraging smile.
Rosie looked back to her friend, and nodded. "I know... you're right, its just - a message would be better then this nothing- And I...."
She shook her head, stepping toward Sera and putting her arms around the brunette, in a hug.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Sera hadn't expected the hug, but she certainly wasn't surprised, and she readily hugged her friend back. "Yeah I know," she admitted with a huffy sigh, "but all I'm saying is that I'm not surprised he hasn't. So we'll just have to go see him to talk instead. I'd much rather do that anyway, especially once we don't stick out quite as much." A brief pause, during which she pulled away to give her friend a curious look at a sudden thought she had. "D'you think maybe then we'd have a better chance of getting in?"  

[BlackPidgeot]

"Yeah, I kinda doubt that," came a voice from behind Sera. Probably one that she would be loathe to remember.

Fate would have it that he'd be passing by when he spotted the two girls. And well, naturally his curiosity got the better of him. Especially since there was only one reason Sera and Rosie would come all the way out here.

Yuri would be standing there with a hand on his hip and the corner of his mouth turned up in an amused smirk. The man dressed in some clothes that were quite a bit fancier than his normal attire. His long hair pulled back into a ponytail.  

[Blood_Goddess]

Rosie lifted her head what she heard a familiar voice, that seemed to be speaking in response to Sera.
It took her a second to realize who it was, since he looked, much much fancier then he had the few times she had seen him.
"Yuri!" She said, surprised.

She didn't exactly expect to run into him in the capital like this, what were the chances.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The voice was all too familiar, and honestly why hadn't she expected them to run into Yuri of all people. Ugh. Though, to be fair, she hadn't at all expected him to actually look really good (she grudgingly admitted only to herself and no one else) in the clothes he wore. Still a little weird for her taste, but compared to what he usually wore and with her limited knowledge of Grand Ile attire, even she could tell it was more than a little fancy.

Instead, in response, she dramatically flung her hands in the air. "See? We stick out like two sore thumbs." Indeed, people were still giving them curious glances, both for the behavior she displayed as well as Rosie's Rapidash just standing casually in the middle of the sidewalk. Still, Yuri being there meant Luke couldn't be far away - unless he was still in the house, which she kind of hoped if only for poor Giselle's sake, trying to find a person that wasn't there - or at the very least, he knew how he'd been, so she bit down her dislike of the man before them if only for the sake of their mutual friend. "How's Luke? And what's with no one being allowed to see him?"  

[BlackPidgeot]

"Hey, fancy meeting you two here," Yuri said with a smile at Rosie's greeting. Truth be told, they did kinda stick out, but he would have noticed them anyway since... well... he knew them.

His attention then turned to Sera, who seemed to be okay speaking to him of her own free will. At least for the moment. For the moment he dodged her first question.

"His old man isn't letting him out of the manor, and I guess that means no one can come in either."  

[League Trainer Rosie]

"It is. its a relief to see you though, you and Luke just kinda... disappeared."
She blinked at Sera, unable to help a little smile at the young women's reaction to Yuri.
Letting out a tiny giggle, before Yuri answered, and her smile faded a little.
"We just got back from their home, The guards said they weren't taking visitors." She confirmed Yuri's suspicion. "They said they would pass a message along."

Celectia smiled gently at some of the attention she was getting, lowering her head when she saw a couple of children looking on curiously.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Yeah," Sera agreed with a frown at Yuri in agreement with Rosie. "What'd you guys just run off for?" Less so Yuri and moreso Luke, obviously. Her pale gaze flicked from Rosie to Yuri and she added, "And I sent Giselle in to go find Luke." Because like hell would she just some people she didn't know to talk to their friend.

The curious children were noticed but remained wholly ignored by Seraphine, and instead she crossed her arms and leaned her weight on one foot, offering Yuri a displeased frown. "Why isn't he allowed to come out? How's he supposed to come back to Kodo if his father won't let him out?" That didn't make any sense, because Luke was obviously coming back to Kodo. Clearly his father was delusional or something, thinking Luke was just going to stay there forever.  

[BlackPidgeot]

"Yeah, sorry about that, was kinda short notice. I've been kinda hired as Luke's bodyguard, and his dad wanted to get him home. Asch's funeral happened just after we got here too. Don't think your message will do much good though, I doubt it'll get to him."

What with how protective Lord Fabre has been of his son as of late. On one hand, Yuri couldn't really blame him, yet on another it was definitely not cool. He had no idea what a Giselle was though, but could only assume it was a Pokemon.

"He's not going back to Kodo. Not unless something changes."  

[Blood_Goddess]

"W- what?" were the only words Rosie was able to manage at first. Though what she was questioning wasn't certain. about Luke needing a bodyguard, that her message was probably not going to get to him, or that he wasn't planning on going back to Kodo... or in all likelihood, all of the above.

She stood in silence for a while, just staring at Yuri, and Sera, not sure what to say, and feeling troubled that this whole situation was turning out more sour then she had hoped.

"... what needs to change?" she asked Yuri, catching his last statement. "Does Luke want to stay here?"
She knew he didn't want to be in Grand Ile before, he had run away from it, and started a life, an adventure in Kodo. But after everything that happened, was this Luke's decision? or was this his father's decision?  

[BlackFireKitsune]

See, even Yuri didn't think Rosie's message would get to Luke. Despite half-expecting such a thing in a worst-case scenario, the fact that it was actually being confirmed upset her. She was even more glad she'd sent Giselle in to go find him, then. She had complete confidence in her Mismagius's ability to find their friend - that was a message that wouldn't be stopped by guards or stupid dumb fathers.

"...what do you mean he's not coming back? Of course he's coming back. He has to come back." They'd come all the way here to make sure he was alright, and to make sure he'd be coming home alright. The thought that he might not come back at all was completely and wholly foreign - what in the world would he stay here for?  

[BlackPidgeot]

"Unless Luke's attitude changes or his dad's, he's not going anywhere," Yuri said with a shrug. "To be honest, he's kinda in a bad way. So maybe being at home isn't such a bad thing for now."

Yuri didn't like this anymore than they did, but it was kinda out of his hands. A fact that frustrated him even more. But really, Luke was a danger to himself at the moment. And that probably wouldn't change whether he was in Kodo or not. Still, the idea of keeping him locked in a house was pretty stupid in his opinion.