The toss had been hard enough to send the bottles flying. With his win secured, Henri perused the prizes the wall had to offer and pointed out an Eevee. If truth be told, he wasn't exactly sure what to do with the plush. For now, he simply tucked it under his arm and made his rounds through the games. All of the prizes had no use to him, so why take the time? (If truth be told, it was a fun way to keep his skills sharp.) They were all bright and colorful, obviously geared to capture the attention of children. But the more people flooded in, the more it seemed as though couples had taken to the games. While it wasn't his level of expertise, games didn't really feel romantic. But what did he know?

As he scanned the area, he was soon met with the sight of someone who looked awfully out of place. The grip on her skirt, the downcasted glance, and even the frown that tugged at the corner of her lips was enough for him to deduce the obvious. It wasn't in his place, he should keep walking. A breath in and his feet carried him forward. (No, that was the wrong way. Muscles stiffened as he stepped closer to the downtrodden pinkette.) Henri held the Eevee plush up and extended it out to the stranger.

"It seems inappropriate to look so sad in a place meant to bring joy," he remarked.

He kept the Eevee out as an offer to her. It's not like he needed it. If anything, it'd probably find its way into the trash once he got home. A pity, but that was the reality for Henri. But he realized that it would be better to introduce himself and start things off on a lighter note. Despite the kind gesture he seemed to offer, his expression seemed passive at best, lips drawn into a thin line and a stare offered with a half-lidded gaze.

"Henri, and this here is yours if you want it."

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luka chêne

With the candies offered out, Henri lowered the Eevee plush and reached a hand up to pluck one of the bumpy candies from the tin. As teeth crunched down on it, he realized it was nothing but sugar. It was difficult to determine how he felt about it, but he didn't seem to have any complaints. But since she seemed to cheer up from her previously distressed state, it seemed that their mutual exchange had been more than enough. Once she took the plush, Henri knew logically that he didn't really need to stick around. But maybe he felt obligated to stay so she didn't fall back into that rut. His brows furrowed as the undertone to her voice finally registered.

"Êtes-vous de Kalos? (Are you from Kalos?)"

His words were kept formal, as he didn't know the pinkette prior. It didn't help that most of his life was raised in the presence of nobility, forcing him to speak formally. To extend the touch of interest, Henri offered his arm out to her in a way to invite her to join him through the carnival. After all, a frown didn't suit someone who seemed to exude such a bubbly nature.

"I'll accompany you if you wish, I have no actual reason to be here but if I can offer you some company, then I suppose I can extend my stay."

As Henri spoke, his tone didn't seem to reflect any sort of negative intent -- his words weren't patronizing nor did he take his focus off of eye contact with the young woman. If she chose to take his offer, then so be it. If not, he'd go back to wandering the fairgrounds on his own accord.

"My name is Henri, by the way," he introduced himself. "Please feel free to take the lead, I'll merely be here to accompany you, if that is sufficient."

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luka chêne

"Comme ç'est observateur. (How observant.)"

A comment towards her ability to deduce his own dialect.

It seemed she'd left the luxury of choice in his hands, an offer he graciously accepted. Some of the other rides seemed to fill up quick, but notably there hadn't been much of a line for the drop tower ride. That helped to make his choice an easy one. With the destination decided, Henri sauntered forward with his newfound acquaintance in tow. A few rowdy kids seemed thrilled to get on the ride, as though they genuinely wanted the fright that came with the loss of control as the ride plummeted to the earth.

As the two approached the front of the line, the attendant instructed the two to leave anything that they might lose on the ride towards the gate. He could only trust that they'd keep an eye on it. Otherwise he'd have to lose time meant to enjoy the carnival in favor of hunting down a petty thief. As they approached the ride, Henri freed his arm from Luka's grasp so that he could help her with the safety bar of the ride. Once she seemed secure, he plopped into the neighboring seat and strapped himself in.

A hand was offered out given the feeling of falling wasn't exactly an exciting one. Perhaps a sense of comfort from someone who saw how anxious some of the riders were, but couldn't mirror that anxiety himself.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure you could have found a more excitable partner here," he commented, possibly ashamed of his own indifference. "But I hope you can enjoy my company nonetheless."

With his words offered, the ride began to slowly rise to the top. The moment it halted, Henri steeled himself for the sudden drop. Eyes closed as he waited for the snap of the support of the machine to let go. The moment that his ears pricked, his senses were flooded with the sounds of excitable (and possibly even fearful) screams from the fellow riders.

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luka chêne