[attr="class","illie"]

[attr="class","illie b"]

[attr="class","illie i"]saying it is simple, easy, child's play. following through with the affirmation? that's an entirely different beast. one she's never been able to conquer. perhaps this time it will be different. god, she hopes so.

a hum escapes at the question. while she mulls it over, rolling ideas on her tongue, she requests another drink.

"probably back to what i know," is what she finally comes up with. evolution, genetics, the way pokemon are wired and how they operate. it's been a while since she dipped her toes in her old research. maybe it's finally time to dust the pages off and start again. "i have a few unfinished projects that wouldn't mind being completed."

it's all she can really do, anyway. science always has a home for her.

"i had an old research topic i never pursued, either. maybe now is the time to look into restarting that." she remembers bringing the topic up to him once. the myth of a pokemon with genetic makeup as profound as the mere thought of its actual existence. would she ever uncover such a thing, though? probability says no but maybe, just maybe, she could try.

FERNANDO SILPH

[attr="class","illie"]

[attr="class","illie b"]

[attr="class","illie i"]"just like old times, huh?" she started out as one of his interns. it brings a smile to her face, a little fuzzy around the edges with alcohol but genuine nonetheless. "i'd be honored to join Silph Co." their science department is, after all, one of the best in the region.

the drinks come once more and this time, she takes it a little slower. two sips instead of one. it lasts only a moment longer than the last.

"oh, you know a guy?" laughter escapes before she can stop it. the thought amuses her. "i'd appreciate that. thank you, fernando." he doesn't have to do that, doesn't have to give her a purpose. naivety clings to the thought that he does so because he wants to keep her around. if only it could be that simple.

she leans a little closer, head tilting with a question. "i didn't know you were in the market for a new scientist."

FERNANDO SILPH

[attr="class","illie"]

[attr="class","illie b"]

[attr="class","illie i"]somehow, she doesn't expect less of working under him. the science department of silph co. is fierce competition, too. the best and brightest minds gather beneath one roof to serve the man of the hour. briefly, it reminds her of the league, of his integral role in it all. perhaps it won't be that bad.

"don't work me too hard," her lips break into a grin. "unless your goal is to kill me." and wouldn't that be surprising if it was? except, she's still of use to him and his company. enough to ensure her survival, her security in his eyes. "i'm afraid i'm not sure what real science you're referring to, though. have i not been doing that up until now?" is she missing something? probably, wouldn't be the first time.

proximity closes and there's no more drinks coming for her to use as a lifeline. just her and him in a bar, too close for her to stop.

"are you?" hinting, teasing at something. she doesn't bother to specify. "and that led you to me?"

FERNANDO SILPH

[attr="class","illie"]

[attr="class","illie b"]

[attr="class","illie i"]she grins at the sound of a chuckle, even more so when drinks arrive again. alcohol tinges everything about her by now. from the pull of her lips to the temperature of her body. it feels hotter in the confines of this bar, the slight flush of cheeks the real culprit behind a change in degree.

"i see," she murmurs. attention shifts to the new glass, fingers reaching and plucking it from the counter. she'll give it a good swirl, drawn into the way liquor sloshes and twirls in its container. ice cubes clink against glass and droplets trickle onto her skin. that's the reminder to finish it and return it to the counter before it ruins her dress. "and if there's no proof beyond doubt? start over until there is?" another clink, returning glass to where it came. her hand rises, then, in order to remove the spilled liquor with a simple swipe of her tongue.

it's not surprising that working under silph co. will be different than her old position. more competition, more pressure, more desire to prove herself. there's excitement in the challenge, however. as if she's almost thrilled to push herself to the breaking point over and over again.

"that i did." a soft giggle follows. "that shouldn't be surprising by now, right?" she'll always call as he'll always show. for what, however, is merely up to chance.

FERNANDO SILPH

[attr="class","illie"]

[attr="class","illie b"]

[attr="class","illie i"]”sounds logical,” realistic, ideal, the perfect grounds for scientific advancement. she should expect nothing less from silph co. or him for that matter. failure isn’t an option, right? ”i look forward to it.” her smile is bright, excited, as if this is a new chapter in her life about to unfold. and maybe it is or maybe it’s a repeating form of history hidden beneath a shiny new job.

there’s no way to know until she dives in.

the bartender doesn’t wait for a signal for this round, already working by the time her hand even bothers to raise. guess he expects them to linger a while longer.

”i expected you to show,” she flashes him a dangerous grin. ”everything after that is just a perk.” realistically, she hadn’t expected the conversation to shift in such a manner. now that it has, it’s uncharted territory.

her next drink comes and she takes it in hand. she’ll stare at him over the brim of the glass, head tilted to one side as if waiting for something. ”did you expect something different?”

FERNANDO SILPH

[attr="class","illie"]

[attr="class","illie b"]

[attr="class","illie i"]should her pride swell at the concept of catching him off guard? it certainly would but has she? possibly... the jury’s still not back yet with that result. she can feel a shift in the atmosphere, a subtle change into something more exciting. distance closes, gaps fading into nothing, and the topic of science is buried for later.

”anything you’d like to look for,” she doesn’t hide it, doesn’t care much to. there’s been a tension building between them that he has picked up on before. she’s just no longer interested in avoiding it. ”haven’t you always said to take what you want, anyway?” alcohol makes the memory fuzzy but it sounds accurate enough. if not, fuck it. she doubts he’ll correct her anyway.

FERNANDO SILPH

[attr="class","illie"]

[attr="class","illie b"]

[attr="class","illie i"]anything is a funny thing to offer someone, especially of his caliber. and yet, she does it deliberately, willingly, without any reservations. in fact, she leans even closer to sweeten the deal. where she was once shy, she is no longer. there’s a confidence to her now that comes with the notion that she has nothing left to lose. it’s just as freeing as it is damning.

”do you?” it comes across as coy, as seeking confirmation for something she’s suspected. what comes next, however, is anything but.

the beginning of a devilish smile blooms on her lips and even if she didn’t drink half the bar, she’d probably still react the same way. ”everything.”

there’s no hesitation when her lips seek his. no waiting, just taking the moment as her own.

FERNANDO SILPH