[PRP] Don't Stop the Music (Except for Right Now, I Guess)

[BlackFireKitsune]

It was a perfect day for shopping. Unfortunately for Seraphine, she had no money with which to shop, although she was out and about the city regardless, because being stuck at that dingy old tiny apartment all day would be absolutely unbearable. Terrible. Horrendous.

So instead, she walked - well, not so much walked as she sashayed to an unheard beat - an mp3 player in one hand, and the white cord of the earbuds fell down before it looped back up to her ears. Obviously the device was on, as evidenced by her gait and the fact her lips occasionally moved to match the lyrics, although she didn't sing them.

A faux-shiny Absol walked beside her, looking less than pleased about being out in such a crowded place.  

[Tori Honoo]

Dove, on the other hand, relished the company she shared with those surrounding her in the store she now found herself in. Though she hadn't bought much-- at least not for herself; Lovey had gotten plenty today, at least for a pokemon--she was greatly enjoying the rush of the people around her.

Moving to the register to make her purchases, she exchanged her card for the bag, then waited patiently as the man behind the counter accepted her payment, thanking her for her patronage and handing the card back as the transaction was completed. With a light thank you and a glance down to her feet to Lovey to make sure she hadn't wandered off, the young model was off again, in search of the next store to keep her mind off of things.

As she reached the sidewalk, however, a (sort of) familiar form strutted toward her, drawing her attention. Pausing to watch her (and unconsciously critique her form of runway), Dove stepped forward, greeting her as she passed. "Hey! Sera, right?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The sudden person in her line of vision and the sound of words made Sera stop and remove the earbud on that side, just in time to catch the the girl saying her name. Her brow furrowed as she briefly tried to recall who this girl was.. Ohh right, the idiot model who fell through the dock. "Yeah," she affirmed after placing her, though she couldn't remember her name, "that's me."

After a few moments she realized this could take more than a couple seconds, so she removed the second earbud and turned the mp3 player off before she stowed it away in her purse. "You're okay I guess?" She asked, obviously (in her mind) referencing their brief meeting in the hospital. The brunette didn't bother to elaborate, figuring this girl would know exactly what she meant.  

[Tori Honoo]

"I'm feeling much better," she told the girl, shifting the bags on her arm. "It'll definitely be a while before I go swimming again, unless it's in a very large hot tub."

She glanced to the Absol, then to Lovey who had wagged her tail in greeting, politely standing by her trainer.

"What are you two up to today? she asked, shifting a bit closer to let a small group of teenagers by them on the sidewalk.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

While Dove stepped aside to make way for the small group that passed, Sera did no such thing - though she would have if it was her friends that needed more room to pass. Since they weren't, she didn't move. If such a thing had occurred even a year prior, the prideful brunette wouldn't have even considered such a simple gesture. The teens would have to walk around Sera to pass.

"That's cool," she said with an ambivalent shrug, feeling the comment was obligatory under the circumstances. She'd been feeling like she had a lot more obligations socially, she couldn't help but notice, and that mostly stemmed from trying to be more polite. The mention of a hot tub, however, sparked her interest. "Oooh, I just love hot tubs. We're just walking around though," the girl admitted with another shrug. "Being bored too I guess." It was far too early in the day to go clubbing, after all.

Isabella, unlike her owner, shifted her gaze down at the Eevee in a simple acknowledgment, then looked back up at the stranger. The aloof dark type made no move to greet either the new trainer or her small Pokemon, and merely stood silently and observed.  

[Tori Honoo]

Lovey, unsatisfied with the lack of greeting from the other poekmon, tilted her head, then moved closer to Dove, curling between the girl's legs before settling over her foot. Fine then.

"Honestly, with this weather, I'd love to be in a hot tub right now," she laughed softly, shifting her hold on her shopping bags again. "As it is, though, my loft here isn't as equipped as the one in my home region, so... shopping it is. More just sight seeing, really..."

More just needing to get out of her flat, she thought silently. The rollercoaster of emotions she had been through the past few days had made her new home almost suffocating and she needed to get away...

Safely away.

She looked up the street, then back to the girl. "If you're bored, you're more than welcome to join us..." she offered, nodding towards a small cafe. "I was thinking about snagging a drink and taking a break for a few minutes..."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Despite being obviously dissatisfied with her response, Isabella didn't condescend to even acknowledge the other, smaller Pokemon's displeasure. She remained where she was, focused on the pair of humans, mostly the stranger, on the off chance that the other woman would attempt to harm her mistress. She also took comfort in the knowledge that Giselle was watching out for the same, and would remain invisible until she was needed.

"Oh, I know what you mean," Sera said with a huff as she shifted her weight to her other hip, "what I wouldn't give to be in a hot tub right now..." She really missed the one she used to have in her house - the tiny apartment they held now, she hardly even considered the single bathroom it had to be a full bath. More like half, in her opinion.

The invitation to the cafe was considered briefly before Sera agreed. "Sure, that sounds cool." And not boring. "What've you been sight seeing?" She asked conversationally as she pulled a luxury ball from her bag, returned the faux shiny Absol into it, then replaced the sphere into her purse.  

[Tori Honoo]

Dove watched as the absol disappeared into the ball, then glanced to Lovey, wondering if she should do the same. However, at the eevee's timid, hesitant expression, she decided against it; it wasn't like she would run off again...

Stepping toward the cafe she had mentioned, Dove smiled back to Sera, shrugging a bit as she shifted the bags again. "Now that I think about it, we've mostly just been people watching. I like to get a feel for the locals when I travel, or at least those I find myself surrounded with. And I figured I should check out the fashion here in Kodo, since I'll be here a while..." she sighed, pushing her bangs from her face with her now-free hand.

As she walked, she continued to watch the other people, curious about their lifestyles here. It certainly wasn't too different, and yet... the fact that no one at all seemed to notice anything different about her was a little unsettling, though she would never admit it to herself. Here she was just another girl... nothing special...Just another, poorly connected young woman.

For now, she noted mentally, determined not to let her lack of entourage discourage her. Even if it did ever instant she was alone.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

A small Eevee would obviously have no trouble in a cafe, but a fully grown Absol that stood at least four feet tall was another story entirely. "People watching is boring," the brunette said with a dismissive wave of her hand as she walked beside Dove. She was not one to follow anyone - she even opened the door to walk into the cafe first. "Checking out fashion is fun though. I always keep up with all the latest stuff," Sera said brightly. She absolutely adored fashion.

The mention of being here a while caught her interest, however. "You gonna start modeling here then?"  

[Tori Honoo]

"Ah, well... I've thought about it," she replied, stepping through the door after Sera. "I've had a few consultations, but I'm not entirely sure of how long I'll be staying in the region..."

Moving to the hostess' counter after checking once again that Lovey was right at her heels, she continued. "The more I think about the more personal aspects of home, though, the more I begin to think finding a residence here wouldn't be such a bad thing. At least for a while."

After a moment's word with the hostess, she made her way over to the table the girl pointed out, seating herself in a chair next to the window. "So what kind of fashion are you into? There's a lot of new trends starting up."

Finally. Someone she could talk style with!  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"I don't think the modeling business is too big here," the brunette said with a huff as she sat in the chair opposite her company, not paying the girl's Eevee any mind. "I tried to get into it quite a few times, but they always turned me down because I wasn't tall enough." Her sulky tones indicated her acute displeasure with the one aspect of herself she couldn't change.

"Anyway," she straightened up and brightened as she quickly scanned the menu, "I know what you mean about s**t at home. That's why I go out all the time, I hate spending any time at home." It was hard to even call that dingy place 'home' anyway. "Personally I like what Johto and Kanto's been churning out recently, and Hoenn too sometimes. Unova, not so much."  

[Tori Honoo]

"It's really not..." Dove replied, lifting her own menu to look over her options. "There are enough places for slates, though, so if all goes according to plan, I can still make some sort of a paycheck. They seemed enthusiastic when we talked, at least..." She peered over the menu, a light flush across her cheeks; after all, Dove wasn't exactly tall by anyone's standards, standing only a few inches taller than her company. "It helped to have parents in the management side of the world, even if they didn't handle models until after I had been signed..."

Model management. Ha. As if her parents would have bothered.

When Sera changed the subject back to fashion, Dove straightened, scanning her menu once again until the girl mentioned her tastes. "Really? You don't like Unova's? I guess they are a little... experimental..."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"It's probably because Kodo is so small. All the other, bigger regions have the League and gyms and stuff, but we've never had any of that here. The League's only been around for the past... maybe year?" She shrugged. "And that was only cuz somebody important got kidnapped or something, so they're finally taking it seriously." Her tone of voice didn't indicate any particularly strong feelings about the topic. She felt more strongly about the fact her parents couldn't help her be a model like this girl.

At mention of Unova, she nodded again. "Some of it is cool, but some of it is.. yeah, pretty experimental."  

[Tori Honoo]

"I've done some weird shoots in Unova...Nothing gross weird, but...yes, designers are very different there. I guess that's not all bad though, considering inspiration has to come from somewhere. A lot of it isn't really 'wearable' fashion, though..." she explained, furthering her opinion on the matter.

The waiter approached, then, greeting the two 'lovely ladies' and asking if he could get them anything to drink, his eyes wandering over the two of them thoroughly as he pulled out a pad of paper. Glacing at the menu again, seemingly oblivious to the waiter's interest in her company and herself, she ordered a Bellini tea with extra pecha berries, offering the boy a brilliant smile and a 'please' as he asked if she would also like a bowl of water for Lovey.

As he turned to Sera next, she settled more comfortably in her seat, crossing her arms on the tabletop and watching people that entered through the door behind her new acquaintance. Someone had been kidnapped? That hadn't been the first rumor she had heard about the crime rate in the region. Maybe there was something to worry about...Taking pause as the waiter finished up their drink orders and left, dove asked, "What is the crime rate here? That's not the first unsettling thing I've heard..."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Exactly. That's why I don't like Unova's fashion much. Yeah it's different, but what's the point of different if it's so weird looking and awkward to wear?" There was no point, in her opinion, and thus she didn't care for it.

Sera noted the waiter and his gender - and his obvious interest - and gave him a coy smile as she ordered a café miel with extra milk.

"The crime rate?" She asked, brows raised at Dove's words after the waiter had left. The girl shrugged indifferently. "I dunno. Depends where you go, I guess, but Team Rocket's definitely in the region. They haven't done anything in a while though."