Get a Grip PV Koko Riddle Finished

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After spending July in France, Koko was in England with her father and brothers for the month of August. On most days, she worked with her father in their bonus room, tinkering with various trinkets. Today, however, she counted her galleons and smiled to herself when her father granted her permission to go to Diagon Alley by herself to purchase a broom. Koko already had a broom, but being a Quidditch enthusiast, she wanted something a little sturdier that she would feel safer flying for longer distances.

It cost her a little over 127 galleons, and she gave the shopkeeper the money almost dejectedly before asking if they could hold onto the broom until she returned. After spending that much money on something she admittedly didn't need, she figured spending a little more wouldn't hurt, especially if she was spending money on an afternoon pick-me-up.

That was how she found her way to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. It wasn't a place she frequented often, generally being far more inclined to visit Madam Malkin's or Quality Quidditch Supplies. When Koko entered, however, the simple aroma of sugary treats led her to stay. She walked towards the queue, which was surprisingly short considering how popular the parlour was, and she had a smile forming on her lips when she felt someone collide into her.

Koko spun around, worried that a parent had lost their child, but her assailant seemed to be around her own age. The other girl apologised profusely, but the words initially flew past Koko as she came to terms with the fact that it was not, in fact, a toddler who had run into her. Indeed, upon looking at the girl, Koko couldn't help but be surprised ─ the way she held herself suggested she was nimble. Koko herself might have been the one in the way.

Koko blinked in an attempt to focus. She heard the girl explain that she hadn't been looking where she was going, her voice laced with... Was that a French accent? Surprised by the sudden familiarity, Koko became distracted once again, wondering if the other girl knew where Rioux-Martin was. Likely not, since Rioux-Martin was a very small community... Oh. She'd lost focus once again.

Koko wasn't even upset at the girl for running into her. She might have been annoyed at first, but that had faded as her thoughts branched into various directions. She was ready to laugh and say it was no big deal, that Koko herself was clumsy too, but then the girl offered to treat her to ice cream, and, well, Koko couldn't help but remember how few coins remained in her purse. Perhaps fate really did exist.

The slight smile that had been on Koko's lips earlier widened until her teeth were showing. The blonde giggled, a bit nervous because she wasn't used to having new people talk to her, but she nodded slowly. 'It's alright that you ran into me,' she said, trying to seem decently nonthreatening. 'I play Quidditch, so it's not the worst thing that's happened. Although, about your offer... I don't know who would refuse free ice cream. Certainly not me. I would love some ice cream, thank you.' For a moment, Koko wondered if this was rude. Her father would probably chastise her if he were here. But he wasn't here, so Koko thought it was okay. Plus, the girl had offered the deal in the first place. It wasn't as if Koko had talked her into it.

'I'm Koko, by the way.' She would hold out her hand for a handshake if the girl introduced herself. 'I'd say it's nice to meet you, but I don't know about that yet. So... Perhaps we can talk a bit more so I can find out?'

Koko didn't have very many friends, if she was honest with herself. Nonetheless, it never hurt to start making them now.

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@Madeleine Nakamura
@Aaron Jones

Regular Text - English | Bolded Text - French | Bolded Black Text - Japanese
Roleplaying as iNPC Madeleine Nakamura

@Koko Riddle

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Koko smiled when the girl introduced herself as Madeleine, and she shook the girl's hand. Madeleine. She would remember that. It was a name she didn't hear very often, but it wasn't difficult to pronounce. It fit the girl, actually. Koko couldn't quite pinpoint how, but it did. She didn't know if she would end up calling her Madeleine or Maddie ─ perhaps time would tell.

Nonetheless, Koko was glad that Madeleine seemed receptive to her friendliness. That in itself was a great sign. She watched as Madeleine's smile widened, and Koko's smile would follow suit. It was so rare for Koko to talk to someone, let alone in a situation that didn't involve broom sports. It was... nice, strangely enough.

Now that they were properly in the queue, Koko reached into her trousers' pocket for her coin purse but then remembered that Madeleine had offered to pay, and Koko had accepted. Right. She kept her hands in her pockets, hoping she looked casual instead of awkward. Sometimes it was a 50-50 shot. The flowy trousers might have been an odd choice considering it was summer, but Koko had planned to test out her new broom ─ the one she spent most of her money on ─ later. Practicality had won her clothing battle.

As they waited in line, Koko glanced around her. She noticed Madeleine fidgeting, and for a moment, Koko didn't blame her. While Koko felt safe in silence, she understood that not everyone did, and sometimes, the quiet could be discomforting. She was tempted to open her mouth to speak, but Madeleine spoke first. Koko listened attentively as the French girl asked whether or not Koko went to Hogwarts.

'I do go to Hogwarts,' Koko affirmed. 'I'll be a... Oh Merlin, I'll be a sixth year this year.' Koko hadn't quite come to terms with this yet. Sometimes she still felt like a first year. When Madeleine mentioned that she was a fifth year at Beauxbatons, Koko nodded. 'I've definitely heard of Beauxbatons, but I haven't been there. Are you French?' Koko herself wasn't French, but she had family in France and thought her French was decent enough to the point where she could hold steady conversation. Her grandfather had made sure of that, and Koko was finally beginning to appreciate his dedication to teaching her.

She thought about asking Madeleine a question in French. Sometimes people liked it when others spoke their native language. However, Koko didn't want to assume that Madeleine was French, and even more than that, she didn't want to embarrass herself when the encounter was going so well. She would keep her mouth shut for now, and when she spoke, it would be in English ─ for now.

Koko was reaching up to adjust her high ponytail when Madeleine mentioned dancing. 'Oh, that's really impressive!' she said, abandoning her hairstyle. It could wait. Madeleine being a dancer made sense, actually. The way she carried herself with a certain grace... Koko had never been the most observant, but she had definitely managed to notice that. Koko didn't know much about dance except for a few ballroom dances, but she did know that from an athletic viewpoint, ballet in particular could be particularly strenuous. 'What type of dance do you do?'

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@Madeleine Nakamura
@Aaron Jones

Regular Text - English | Bolded Text - French | Bolded Black Text - Japanese
Roleplaying as iNPC Madeleine Nakamura

@Koko Riddle

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As the two girls talked, Koko found herself genuinely intrigued. She laughed quietly at Madeleine's joke. 'I suppose it would only be fair,' she noted, her tone light with jest. She imagined that Beauxbatons was rather large and sprawling, not unlike Hogwarts. 'Although, aside from the possibility of being lost, it would be interesting to visit your school.'

Koko glanced around to see that the line hadn't changed much, and then she returned her gaze to Madeleine. The girl confirmed that she was French, but interestingly enough, she said both of her parents came from Japan and her mum owned a wandshop. 'That's really interesting. Impressive, really.' Koko's own family didn't do anything notable ─ at least, not her magical family. Her Muggle-born father had taken a job in the music industry, but Koko didn't think it was likely that Madeleine had heard of the company.

She would not offer any information with regard to her own family. There was simply not much to say.

She was rather glad when Madeleine changed the subject. She had dwelt on her familial relationships far too long today, and she was glad to hear the other girl talk about dance. She didn't know too much about the sport, but she recognised 'ballet' when Madeleine mentioned it.

Koko glanced around once again when Madeleine shifted her weight, feeling herself almost lose focus before blinking and ensuring she was able to listen. Something was really off with her today. 'Wow, that's a long time to have been doing something,' Koko said. 'I'm sure you're very good, with that much dedication.' It wasn't an empty compliment. The way Madeleine held herself ─ she just seemed like a dancer.

The line was finally getting shorter, and Koko smiled to herself as she inhaled the scent of ice cream only to glance back at Madeleine when she mentioned Quidditch. 'Oh, er... Quidditch is kind of my entire life, more or less.' It was a bit of an exaggeration, perhaps, but it was definitely a large part of who Koko was. 'I play Keeper for my house, Slytherin, and I definitely want to go professional.' She didn't want to sound too sure of herself (she certainly was not), and she frowned slightly as she thought about how she might not end up making it onto a professional team. 'Well... If everything works out, that is. It would be ideal.'

Koko glanced at the people in front of them to realise that it was almost their turn at the counter. She stepped forward again. 'Oh, by the way, what are you planning to get? I've not been here in a while.' She didn't necessarily want to order by saying, I'll have what she's having, but since she didn't know what she liked, she hoped Madeleine had good taste in ice cream.

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@Madeleine Nakamura @Aaron Jones

Regular Text - English | Bolded Text - French | Bolded Black Text - Japanese
Roleplaying as iNPC Madeleine Nakamura

@Koko Riddle
Mentioning: @Marcus Iwasaki, @Hjørdis Jensen

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Koko nodded when Madeleine mentioned Slytherins being ambitious. She was a bit surprised someone from Beauxbatons knew about the traits of a typical Slytherin, and her eyes widened a bit, only momentarily, when Madeleine suggested that, if she went to Hogwarts, she would, too, be a Slytherin.

Koko tilted her head and looked at the dancer as if appraising her. Pursuing ballet had to be ambitious, and the girl had been rather resourceful when offering to buy Koko ice cream as an apology for bumping into her. 'I can see it,' Koko said finally. 'That is, you being in Slytherin. From what you've said, you seem ambitious and resourceful.' She offered a small smile. 'Plus, Slytherin is the best house, so only fun people get to be part of it. You definitely tick that box.'

Madeleine's reassuring words regarding Koko's Quidditch prospects were also a surprise, and they made Koko's smile crack into one that showed teeth. The skin at the corners of her eyes crinkled with the movement. 'You're right, thanks.' The words best and professional leagues still stood out to her. The idea was daunting, but with support...

Nonetheless, now wasn't the time for thinking about the future. Koko glanced at the counter they were nearing and then back at the French girl, firmly cementing her thoughts back into the present. She watched as Madeleine's gaze scoured the flavours of ice cream, and she nodded approvingly when the other girl mentioned strawberry. 'Oh, that's a good one! I...' She trailed off when Madeleine asked her what flavour she was going to get. She blinked and narrowed her eyes at the flavours, almost as if they had offended her, before she straightened her posture and angled her chin towards the praline flavour. 'Er, probably the praline soft ice cream. It looks interesting!'

Koko had noticed Madeleine glance purposefully around the establishment, but for now, she opted not to say anything. It wasn't her place to ask, after all. Madeleine was probably waiting for someone, maybe a friend or family? It wasn't Koko's business, and either way, Koko was more interested in which part of France Madeleine was from. Since she herself had family in France and often spent summers there, she had a bit of familiarity with the country. Even if Madeleine wasn't from southwestern France, Koko would probably be able to recognise a region or a prominent enough city or town. 'Which part of France do you live in? I have family in Charente and really enjoy spending time there.'

Koko folded her hands in front of her and watched as the person in front of them finished ordering. She gulped, suddenly self-conscious once again, but the sudden worry was assuaged by the fact that she had someone else with her to fall back on if necessary. She glanced at Madeleine and smiled softly. 'I think it's our turn to order.' She tilted her head slightly and slipped her hands into her pockets. 'Would you like to go first?'

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@Madeleine Nakamura @Aaron Jones

Regular Text - English | Bolded Text - French | Bolded Black Text - Japanese
Roleplaying as iNPC Madeleine Nakamura

@Koko Riddle

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Koko nodded when Madeleine said she was from the Haut-Rhin area of France. That was quite a ways away from Charente, and she chuckled when Madeleine noted that it was, in fact, on the other side of France. 'I'm not sure what you'd consider a bad trip,' Koko said almost wryly,'but there's always the Floo.'

Next came the inevitable, the question Koko knew someone would have asked her eventually, but she didn't think it would be someone her age. Her eyes widened minutely, and she thought, doubting her own use of French even though she'd been speaking it with her mum's family for quite some time. 'Er, je parle un peu français,' she said, her voice a bit softer in an attempt to hide any mistakes she might have made. '...mais mon français est pire que mon anglais.'

She glanced sidelong at Madeleine to see that the other girl's face was red. She frowned slightly, her lips pursed ─ what had she done wrong? Had her French been so terrible that she had embarrassed Madeleine? That would be really disappointing. She was about to say something ─ be it a panicked 'I'm sorry' or a 'Je suis desolée', she wasn't sure which ─ when Madeleine said they were paying together.

Oh. Right.

She'd have to pay the other girl back sometime ─ perhaps when the schools visited Hogwarts, she'd buy Madeleine some chocolate frogs from Hogsmeade. An eye for an eye, a... chocolate frog for an ice cream. Koko didn't feel guilty, but she did hope that Madeleine wouldn't think less of her for accepting the simple offer of ice cream.

Koko smiled when she received her ice cream, and she said a genuine, 'Thank you,' before walking away with Madeleine. She turned to the French girl and her smile widened. 'Thank you, too.'

The other girl asked if she needed to leave, and the blonde frowned slightly before glancing at the watch that was always on her left wrist. 'Oh! Thank you for reminding me. I've got to go pick up a broom I bought earlier.' She had family to see, too, but after speaking with someone around her age, she was far less worried about that. 'It was really nice getting to meet you,' Koko said in earnest. 'I hope we can talk again? Throughout the school year you could address an owl to me at Hogwarts ─ Koko Riddle is my full name.' Koko's smile widened once again. 'I think I'd enjoy staying in touch, if you're up to that.'

She would then meander towards the door and finally exit the building, but not before turning around and offering a short wave and yet another smile to her newfound friend.

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@Madeleine Nakamura @Aaron Jones

Thread left unless stopped.

Translations:

Reducio

'Er, je parle un peu français' -> Er, I speak a bit of French
'mais mon français est pire que mon anglais' -> but my French is worse than my English
'Je suis desolée' -> I'm sorry