[PRP] Selling Lies

[Suudonym]

Arcadie knew that she was going to pay for all this time off in the form of several days on duty in the clinic, but for now it was worth it. There was a seasonal sale going on at Camphoreon's boardwalk, and she just knew the stores would be teeming with adorable winter clothes at great prices. Her hypothesis was rewarded with confirmation, she discovered upon arriving at the boardwalk's shopping area. Cable knit leggings, sweater dresses, those cute scarves that looked kind of triangular if you wore them right - even good-looking hats! It was impossibly rare that Arcadie found a hat that looked good on her, especially those winter hats that consumed the head. Maybe her hair was just finally long enough to wear them well. Either way, it was a victory.

She finished sweet-talking one of the male store clerks into cutting her his employee discount and returned to the open boardwalk to search for her next destination, a few bags already lined up on her arm and a Drifloon trailing behind her with its strings wrapped around her shoulder. "Flooter, darling, it is a shame you can't appreciate this stuff," she said, shaking her head in pity. "You'd look adorable in a good head wrap, I just know it." Alas, the Drifloon just didn't comprehend fashion. It was nice to have someone to talk to, especially since all her other pokemon were so contradictory and unfriendly, but hot damn, what kind of living creature couldn't get excited about discount boots? For a balloon, he sure was a downer as a shopping companion.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abigail had had quite a great deal to think about after she'd met that boy Luke just the other day. Whether or not Team Rocket was a threat in Kodo hadn't even occurred to her until that moment; she had been so certain that it was only a problem in Johto and Kanto. Or, at least, it had been -- she wasn't entirely sure if it still was or not. If it was, it was much quieter there than it seemed to be here - which hinted she had accidentally stumbled into one of Team Rocket's most active areas, if not the most active. Perfect. Just perfect. Zut alors! How could she have neglected to check for such a thing before moving here, before securing an apartment for so long? Ugh! It was simply awful. Dreadful. Terrible.

But already she felt tied here - well, apart from the lease and all that - to the few people she'd met and formed bonds with. She enjoyed being so close to Grand Ile, enjoyed living on an island that had such a close relationship with her homeland.. Although she did not enjoy the thought that not only was Team Rocket here, it was unquestionably active and not only that, but one of the people she'd met and liked might very well be one of them. One of them.

Abigail shuddered to think of such a thing.

But, unfortunately, she had to think of such a thing, and not just because Luke had brought such doubts and worry into her heart, but also because the voice of the girl in question suddenly floated within her range of hearing. The ex-breeder stopped with a sudden pang of unease and anxiety welling up within her. She didn't like it - no, she really didn't like it - and she had no choice, she quickly decided, but to confront Arcadie and talk to her about it. There was no other way to dispel - or confirm - her fears until she did so. Oh well, she could always look through the winter sales some other day, she supposed. "Come along, Duncan," she murmured as she offered a small gesture to the Lopunny at her side, and the gloomy normal-type obeyed. Not like he wasn't following her anyway, but she did like to give him a signal they were suddenly going in a completely different direction. Luckily - actually that was debatable, as Abigail was tempted to say unluckily - she spotted the girl in question not too far ahead, and she sped up her pace just a bit and raised a hand. "Arcadie, ma chérie!" Though it was good to see the young woman in good health, her usual warmth and cheer wasn't as easily apparent. Probably because she wasn't feeling very warm and cheery today.  

[Suudonym]

"Abigail! Surprise surprise. Are you sure you live in Sandalwood, because I sure do find you around these parts fairly often!" Arcadie responded with equal - if not brighter and less troubled - mirth, the balloon pokemon bobbing at her shoulder as she turned to meet her friend. She held up one handful of shopping bag handles, "Here for the sales, perchance? They're clearing out the winter line to make room for spring stuff." Spring clothes were cute and all, but it was always kind of sad to see those cute coats and boots all lined up in windows under "everything must go" signs, like they were something unwanted. If only a Rocket medic's paycheck were higher... She would buy all of it, limited closet space be damned.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"As big and beautiful as Sandalwood is," she said, "the shopping there can't compare to Camphoreon's stores and shops." Indeed it couldn't, but shopping wasn't exactly what was on her mind anymore. Not now that Arcadie was here - precisely the girl she'd been thinking of.

Here to shop, of course, but really that's why she was here as well. Or it was, but she wasn't sure anymore if she wanted to continue shopping. There would be more deals and sales. "Arcadie, ma chérie," Abigail began as she moved forward to link arms with the girl and keep walking in whatever direction, "I met someone the other day that I wanted to talk to you about." A pause. "Did you ever meet a red-haired boy with green eyes named Luke?"  

[Suudonym]

"I'd believe it!" she replied with a laugh. "They say Sandalwood is the biggest city on the island, but Camphoreon's got more tourism." Shopping was never very low on Arcadie's list of things to talk about, but she gave Abigail her attention nonetheless when the woman made motions towards a different topic. "Luke?" She took the name, running it through her memories; she was usually better with names than faces, but the word returned no results. "Asch?" she suggested, coming up with the first red-headed and green-eyed name she knew, though it didn't take long to make the connection. The young woman shrank slightly at her realization but made every effort not to betray herself too thoroughly. Supposedly she had been trained for things like deception, after all. "Asch is the brother, if it's who I think you mean. I don't know the name though."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abigail merely nodded at Arcadie's statement about the two cities, instead wanting to focus the conversation on more serious topics. "He did mention his brother Asch, yes. He also said you," she hesitated to try and find a more tactful way to phrase it, "did something that wasn't very nice." There. "And I didn't want to believe it - because, ma chérie, you seem like such a nice, sweet girl."  

[Suudonym]

It was rare that one could find an expression other than warmth and compassion in Arcadie's features, but she indeed wore one now. It was a neutral expression, indicating thoughts neither positive nor negative, but her college friends had told her that that expression was frightening on a face that was always smiling. "Nice and mean are really subjective, though," she said, her tone matching her appearance. She moved to separate her arm from Abigail's and fold her hands behind her back. "I mean, I don't think it's very nice if someone yells at me or tries to hit me, but then it's like, 'Well what did you do to deserve it?' But it never goes any further than that, like 'Why did you do what you did to deserve it?' That's not very nice either."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

As Arcadie removed her arm from hers, Abigail didn't object, and folded her hands in front of her as she listened to the younger woman's words. The ex-breeder was silent a few moments once Arcadie had finished, taking time to decide what to say and how to say it. "That's exactly why I wanted to ask you about it," she began, looking at the girl with an expression of concern. "You are a nice girl, so I knew there must be a reason why. Would you mind if I asked you why?"