The holidays had come to the Hoenn Region in full swing, with all that it entailed. Which meant that at the cost of the winterized climate that was created between Fortree and Lilycove that Thomas came to enjoy was the influx of shoppers hitting the malls and shopping district of Lilycove particularly hard. At the very least, the mall wasn't nearly as bad as what one would've expected in Saffron or Celadon's heyday, and it certainly didn't hold a candle to Castelia or Nimbasa City during this time of the year.

Of course, Thomas braved the thick crowds of shoppers, and the sprawling lines in order to get a gift for his family. He already had his twin sister's gift taken care of. That left his younger sister, his parents, as well as his uncle and aunt. Despite the fact that he hadn't given them a phone call in over three years, he would still mail them gifts for their birthdays, as well as Christmas. It was the only real communication he had left with them, something he wished to change, but wondered if he'd be able to make it happen.

After locking what gifts he had procured in the trunk of his car, Thomas proceeded to dive back into the madness of the mall. Before he would get the last of the gifts, he figured he'd get a quick bite to eat. The Kalosian would end up in line behind a young woman who was carrying several bags. As the line went to a standstill, she would set them down, only to pick them back up once it moved. While some might've found it to be funny, Thomas was a bit concerned, given the time of the year, as well as just how much she was lugging around.

What he didn't know, given that she had her back to him the entire time, was that she was someone he had met several years ago. If Francie were to turn around for whatever reason, she'd see the Kalosian, garbed in a beige coat, black slacks, and sturdy boots, with gloved hands tucked into the pockets of his coat. His long brown hair was tied into a short ponytail with bangs.

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tags: francie myrtle
notes: Artless, bagless Thomas is standing behind Francie in line, watching her with concern

As the line gradually inched forward, Thomas found himself barely paying any attention to the people in front of him, aside from when they were moving up. So it wasn't until a bag filled with clothes dropped on top of his foot that he really took notice. Given that it was just clothes, and he was wearing a sturdy pair of boots, he barely felt the thing fall on top of his foot, but it was enough of a feeling to get him to look down with a bemused look. That didn't stop the blonde from panicking and apologizing to him hurriedly. Before Thomas could tell her it was no big deal, he would recognize the woman properly, as she would as well.

"Francie? Fancy seeing you out here.", he told the blonde with a smile. Even though it had been years since they met each other in the Kanto Region, Thomas would still recognize the girl from Johto. He knew that she was traveling the world. He was surprised to see her here, as opposed to seeing her in Unova during the last six years.

At least she was safe and sound.

"How have your travels been going since our last meeting?", he asked her, pulling his hands out of the pockets of his coat. He would then look down to see if any of her bags had spilled out when she dropped them, picking up the bag of clothes that landed on his boot, handing it to her. "You don't have a car or anything to hold those bags in?", he would ask her, finally commenting on just how much she was lugging around.

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tags: francie myrtle
notes: Thomas sees an old friend after several years

After Thomas had helped her clean up the mess, he would listen as she told him that she didn't have a car. The first thing Thomas wanted to do was to offer his car for storage, and to give her a ride to wherever it was she was going once she was done. Once she started to get into detail about being a Gym Leader, the offer went to the back burner. He had a few questions about her Gym, though he realized that it might not be best to ask while they were standing in line.

"Congratulations!", Thomas told her, genuinely happy for his old friend.

As their place in line inched ever closer to the counter, Thomas realized that offering to let her store her things in his car would have to come later. They were too close to leave the line now. And despite their friendship, he seriously doubted she'd trust him enough to take her things to the car for her. For his part, he wasn't just going to hand his keys to anyone.

"Did you want to order together, to condense our orders to one tray? I'd be happy to treat you, if you'd like, and one of us could carry the food, while the other takes care of your bags?", Thomas offered.

If she were to accept his offer, he'd be happy to catch up with her further, to ask her questions about her Gym, and to offer her further help.

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tags: francie myrtle
notes: Thomas offers to cover lunch for Francie

Thomas gave her a nod as she accepted his offer. He saw that she decided to keep holding onto her bags, despite the visible signs of pain they brought to her fingers. But then, he figured that if she wanted to take the tray, instead of the bags, she'd have handed him the bags. And he didn't blame her for wanting to keep hold of her bags, considering that he could've been a thief. Even if that was far from his intention, it was still a good practice on her part.

"Me? I went to Unova after finishing my training... and business in the Kanto Region five or six years ago. About two years in, I got a job offer, and I've been with them ever since. They've recently transferred me to Hoenn to assist the League in their efforts to repel the Rocket Invasion.", he'd tell her. While he wasn't being too specific, he was keeping it quick, and if she wanted more details, he'd be happy to fill her in once they were seated.

Finally, the two came up in line. Thomas specified that they were together, and that he'd like their orders on one tray, before putting in his order. He'd let Francie put in hers, before the two would move through the counter. Once he had paid for their lunch, he would allow Francie to select the table she'd like to occupy with him.

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tags: francie myrtle
notes: Moar talk