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Florian cants his head, easily picking up on the exchange of texts between the three men but not having a clue as to what it meant. Were they making fun of him? Anxiety blooms in his gut, and he does his best to dismiss it. Alexei seemed like a lovely person, surely he wouldn't![break][break]

Alexei's blushing when he turns back, and Florian's cheeks redden with secondhand whatever this was.[break][break]

It's endearing, to see the other man so flustered, and so the professor quiets any further protests and instead offers a gentle smile.[break][break]

"All right. Thank you, Alexei."

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Florian's night has been going well thus far. Most of his earlier anxieties have faded away; he's had two wonderful conversations with two wonderful people, and the dessert that's been placed in front of him is really good.[break][break]

Of course, he nearly chokes on it when he spots a way-too-familiar face. Approaching his table.[break][break]

His reasons for downing an entire bottle of water in the next few seconds are two-fold: one, it stops him from choking to death! And two, it gives him an excuse to gather himself because I didn't think he'd be here![break][break]

Is it... jealousy that he feels?[break][break]

Red as a cheri berry, he runs an anxious hand through his hair, mussing it. "A-Alexei!" He's suddenly very self-conscious. Does he have any food on his face? Does his hair still look all right? It's hard to breathe. "I didn't know you were here!"

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Florian giggles at the teasing comments of the two, performing a mock salute. "I will do my best to spread them wherever I can! Merci beaucoup — that is, t-thank you, I mean!"[break][break]

He flushes, having reverted back to Kalosian in his excitement. Florian certainly knew of Cutiefly and their obsession with flowers, but he nods along politely all the same.[break][break]

When a ride is offered, his cheeks burn redder still. "O-Oh... a-are you... are you sure? I have already imposed upon so much of your time and patience already, and I'm sure I could figure something out..." He trails off, admittedly struggling to think of an easier solution. He didn't drive and while he could take public transport, the convenience of a direct flight could not be argued against. "You will at least let me repay you, no?"

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Florian's distracted by watching the interaction between Carina and Jonquille, and it's not until Alexei speaks that the young professor turns his head toward the direction he's looking.[break][break]

"O-Oh... that's..."[break][break]

He doesn't think he's ever seen that many seeds outside of a gardening store. It seemed that 'as much as they could spare' was quite a lot. Florian can't help but feel a little guilty, like he's taking advantage of their kindness, but it's mingled with his excitement at the idea of planting a colourful garden for his beloved Pokemon.[break][break]

"There is only a small problem I forsee," Florian admits, laughing nervously. "How am I to carry it home?"[break][break]

He lived all the way in Verdanturf!

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"Oh, look at this one! It's got different colours!"[break][break]

The purple leaves on the Budew draw Florian in like a moth to a flame, though he's careful to move slow so as not to startle the little bud.[break][break]

It quickly becomes clear that the plant Pokemon is rather timid, however, and a quiet understanding occurs between them: this little guy didn't want to be disturbed. Perhaps another safari-goer would be less considerate of its feelings toward capture, but Florian rises to his feet and dusts grass from his knees.[break][break]

"Time to keep looking, Joli! The day is young!"

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On this particular day, a restaurant in Mauville City known as 'Bob's Your Uncle' was filled not with its usual fare of dining trainers, but with the chattering and cries of several different Pokemon. With the impending release of their new PokeMenu, the establishment had an important responsibility to its critter customers: taste-testing! As expected of any attempt to rein in a group of Pokemon, the restaurant staff had their hands full with not only delivering the different meals to their unusual guests, but also cleaning up after their mess. Pokemon were not the tidiest creatures, and many future menu-items currently found themselves haphazardly scattered.[break][break]

Some Pokemon rested on the floor, others on tables or chairs. One particular Bellsprout had anchored its roots to a windowsill and refused to relinquish its position in the sun, soaking in the rays and insisting (as much as it could without words) upon being served in this very spot.[break][break]

The gluttonous little plant was a carnivore, and thus had been elected to try several of the meat-or-insect-based dishes on the prototype menu. It wasted no manners on withholding its disgust with most of these options, its bell-shaped mouth firing discarded scraps like a cannon.[break][break]

Candied insects, however, seem to appease the picky eater: it wraps them with protruding vines and devours the samplers hungrily, tendrils reaching in the air as if to hunt for more. Unfortunately for the Bellsprout, the next dish it was served consisted primarily of berries, and while it did not spit these out as it had other things — well-accustomed to snacking on berries from Florian's garden — it was not quite so enthusiastic.

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Florian nods along with the sentiment. Having recently immigrated to Hoenn, he'd learned of the troubles caused by Mareanie on the Corsola colonies, for example. Zangoose and Seviper also shared an infamous rivalry.[break][break]

His laugh is light as he thinks of his own two Mawile. "Yes, they do have a tendency to communicate with their teeth. They're devilish little creatures, as well!" He was doing his best to train his pair out of the habits of deception, but such deep-seated roots were hard to pull out.[break][break]

The bell rings, and he blinks, caught off-guard once more even though this is his second round.[break][break]

"I look forward to such a day!" Florian chirps pleasantly, wiggling his fingers in a little wave before moving off to find his next table.

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Florian's eyes widen at the mention of Alcremie. "Oh, they are such interesting Pokemon! How different they look from one another!" He had a Milcery that had yet to evolve. It practically lived in his kitchen, attracted to the pleasant aromas.[break][break]

Kazimir's Heat Badge glimmers in the soft lights of the hall and Florian admires it as he listens.[break][break]

"I find it is usually less about the species and more about the individual Pokemon," he says, tapping his chin with the thought. He dips his chin to his chest in order to indicate the Sylveon in his lap. "My Joli here loves to battle, but not all Sylveon I've known are cut out for it. If you do find a fairy-type that enjoys the sport, however — they tend to be great supportive battlers! Many of them are healers, as well." Giving further thought to the question, he does add, "I've never known a Mawile to back down from a battle. Their dual-typing also counters fairy's weakness to poison and steel, but it does add other drawbacks."

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"Ohh!" He leans forward with interest. Despite having little interest in battling himself, Florian was more than happy to learn about the experiences of others. "Have you taken the gym challenge?"[break][break]

He's a bit intimidated by said gyms after Annie Mei had informed him of Oldale's non-traditional challenge.[break][break]

"Fairies!" he replies happily, and Joli chirps at the familiar word. Or perhaps at his master's excitement. The Sylveon's ribbons tickle Florian's chin. "Most everything about them. Their habitats, hibernation patterns, diet... you get the idea." He chuckles sheepishly, not wanting to get into one of his tirades and waste their precious few minutes babbling about the particulars. "I like being outdoors, so I try to focus on the wild population and just take notes on my own Pokemon when I'm at home."

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Still beaming with the after-effects of his last encounter, Florian sits down at the table across a dark-haired young man. He's rather forward, introducing himself without the need for prompting, and the professor appreciates it. He'd just learned how quickly these things pass by, after all.[break][break]

"Allo! Florian Laurel. It is lovely to meet you, Kazimir!" Light laughter precedes his response to the question. "I am having a lot of fun, yes! Did you know the famous coordinator, Dawn Grandier, is here? We just had a lovely chat — but it is our time to shine now, no?"[break][break]

He's not going to waste this poor man's time by babbling about how starstruck he'd been! So instead, he returns with a question of his own. "What do you do for a living? I am a professor, though I do most of my work in the field."[break][break]



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