After traveling for half a day Eliana and Ralts have come across a small coastal town. The bridge to get to Sunnytown was somewhere in this city.
(ᵕ—ᴗ—ᵕ), Ralts was excited, he had never seen the ocean before!
From their position on the boardwalk, they were overlooking the water as they walked. The waves crashed against the sandy shore, a rhythmic, soothing sound. Ralts wiggled out of Eliana's arms to levitate slightly above her head, his wide eyes reflecting the endless blue expanse.
Most thoughts were mundane: worries about dinner, the price of bait, a child's excitement about a sandcastle. There was the occasional flicker of something sharp and ugly, tinged with greed and a hint of cruelty. It was coming from a small, unassuming warehouse at the far end of the docks.
(ᗒᗣᗕ)՞, Ralts pouted slightly, obviously wanting to stay longer but dutifully followed after his trainer.
…
After a few more minutes of wandering Eliana and Ralts finally found the bridge they needed. It was a large thing, spanning far into the horizon, you couldn't even see the end of it.
(ㅎ.ㅎ), Ralts looked at the bridge baffled, turning to his trainer with a questioning look. Surely they wouldn't be walking across such a large thing.
(·•᷄∩•᷅ ), Ralts wanted to know how they would get to the next city if they couldn't cross using the bridge. He couldn't teleport that far yet, no way!
Eliana looked around for someone who looked like they were in charge of this place before seeing an officer sitting in a toll booth. She decided that if anyone knew what was going on it was going to be him so she walked over to talk to him. Coming to a stop in front of the officer, Eliana asked him about the bridge.
"I'm sorry young lady, but the bridge is undergoing some modifications and will be closed for the next month or so," The officer kindly informed her, "Apologies for any inconveniences this has caused you."
Suddenly the sound of ringing was heard as a group of pedestrians on bikes passed by calling out to the officer.
An older man riding slowly said "Nice day for a ride Norman!"
"Sure is Daniel!" The officer, now named Norman called back.
A group of teenager girls chirped, "Hello officer Norman!"
"Hi girls, remember to make sure to ride safely at all times!" Officer Norman wanted after them.
"Don't worry we will!" The girls said back
Eliana gave all the bike riders a questioning glance, "I though you said the bridge was under construction?"
"I did! That's because the car road is undergoing modifications, the bike route has already been finished." Officer Norman corrected, "If you had a bike you could go through no problem."
"A bike… okay, I'll be back later!" Eliana waved back to the officer.
"There's a bicycle store right down the road, you don't have to go far!" Officer Norman informed her as Eliana and Ralts walked back to the city.
…
Inside the Bicycle store was filled to the brim with brand new, shining bikes of all colors. After looking around Eliana decided that while she could buy one, even the cheapest option would set her funds back quite a bit. So she decided to wander around the checkout area and wait for someone to make a purchase.
After a few minutes a young couple, with matching shirts and obviously head over heels for each other, walked up to the counter with two gleaming red bikes. The boy started talking, "We'll take these two, please."
"Excellent choice! A romantic ride across the new bike path, is it?" The shopkeeper, a portly man with a mustache, beamed at them.
"Something like that," the girl giggled, leaning into the boy's shoulder.
Eliana watched from behind a display of helmets, a faint, almost invisible smile playing on her lips. A perfect couple and a perfect opportunity.
( •̀ ω •́ )✧, Ralts was always ready.
As the boy handed over a thick wad of cash, Eliana's mind reached out. It wasn't a violent push, but a subtle, insidious suggestion, a single thought dropped into the shopkeeper and couple's minds like a drop of ink into water. The three's eyes glazed over and Ralts to the opportunity to teleport the money to his trainer, who happily pocketed the extra cash.
Eliana ordered the shopkeeper to: Just give them a receipt.
The shopkeeper and couple all blinked, momentary confusion clouding their eyes before clearing up. Then he smiled, a perfectly natural, if slightly vacant, expression. "Of course! Here you go, all set. Enjoy your ride!"
The couple, none the wiser, took their receipts and happily wheeled their new bikes out of the store.
Eliana waited a beat, then walked up to the counter, her expression one of innocent curiosity. "Excuse me? I think those two might have forgotten to pay for their bikes."
The shopkeeper looked up, then over at the empty space where the bikes had been. He looked down at his register, then back at Eliana, a flicker of panic in his eyes. "What? But they... they gave me the money..." He trailed off, the manufactured memory clashing with the reality of the empty cash drawer. "I... I must have made a mistake. Oh, my boss will have my head!"
"It's okay," Eliana said, her voice soft and reassuring. "It was an easy mistake to make. But you need bikes to sell, right?" She gestured to the now-empty rack. "It seems like you have a lot of inventory. Perhaps a few more bikes have... gone missing? That way, it won't look like you were negligent. Just a case of shoplifting."
The suggestion took root. The shopkeeper's face went from panicked to slyly complicit.
He nodded eagerly, scurrying over to a sleek, emerald green bicycle. "This one, yes! A very fine choice. I'll just... log this as a loss from that recent... theft." He scribbled furiously in a logbook.
A few moments later, Eliana was wheeling her brand new, fully paid-for-by-no-one bicycle out of the store, a spring in her step.
(๑>ᴗ<๑), Ralts chirped from inside the basket Eliana had attached to the front. Crime was a very efficient way to succeed in life.
They rode to the toll booth. Officer Norman looked up from his newspaper, a friendly smile on his face. "Back already! That was fast."
Eliana presented her bicycle. "All set to cross."
"Good for you, young lady! Head on right through." Officer Norman cheerfully waved her through without a second glance.