[attr="class","matias"]"of course."

why wouldn't he? calliope is an old friend, a close friend, so this only felt natural, if not long overdue. but to be fair, he thought her dead.

"not a fan of juice?"

he gestures behind him towards the cafe.

"i'm told they do pretty good smoothies. don't hold me accountable, though."

[attr="class","noodles"]Calliope Marks

A blink before her eye glances at the drink. She picks it up and takes a long sip.

"I'm just a little tired." Which is to say, she couldn't really taste it anymore.

"Have you been alright?"

[attr="class","matias"]"no complaints. hoenn's kept me busy, though."

he picks his coffee, raising it to sip. he watches, observing.

"how are you liking it? hoenn."

[attr="class","noodles"]Calliope Marks

"It's nice. I like Mauville." She had grown up in Celadon and Mauville had a similar vibe to it.

"What's it like here... other than sightseeing?" The political climate. The people. She hadn't really embraced it all yet, caught up.

[attr="class","matias"]"it's...different."

matias has never been one to mince words; truths. he speaks his mind as he sees fit.

"the region's healing, naturally, but the threat of rocket still looms and exists, and yet it feels like they don't care."

his gaze shifts to the traffic lights, sees it turn red, allowing people to cross.

"those i train — they aren't ready for war. i doubt they will be in time."

[attr="class","noodles"]Calliope Marks

"They're repeating our mistakes. You would think they learned from us and Johto."

A small sigh.

"You'll do what you can for them. That's what matters."

[attr="class","matias"]"not sure if that's enough to save them."

his grip tightens around his cup, tense.

"it wasn't for kanto."

[attr="class","noodles"]Calliope Marks

"They have their legends here, at least."

But that left a bitter taste in her mouth, too. Where were their gods when Kanto was falling? Why here? Were they not good enough to save?

[attr="class","matias"]"so do the enemy."

but it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth, too. he thinks back to his meeting with @gina, to the list of avatars she gave him.

what made them special?

could they save hoenn?

would they?

"but we have a few familiar faces here now. both eva and doug have made names for themselves, at least."

[attr="class","noodles"]Calliope Marks

"I'm glad they have. That you're doing okay, too." At least physically.

Callie would be hard pressed to say they were all okay mentally.

"I saw Sebby the other day."

She smiles, light, before sighing and it melts away. The brief moment of happiness not lasting.

"Remembering people is hard. I don't know who made it out and who didn't."

[attr="class","matias"]physically, sure, but mentally? that's a debate for some other time, perhaps.

"if you want...you could always ask me."

he has most of their names memorized for most of them were friends.

[attr="class","noodles"]Calliope Marks

"I could." MATIAS SILPH was always an option. A wealth of knowledge to fill in the blank spaces her captivity had left.

"But I think I'm scared to ask." Somehow, each of them hanging in a mental limbo of 'alive or dead' in her mind was easier. On good days, she could just pretend they were all well and fine and happy somewhere else.

[attr="class","matias"]sometimes, he envies those who could live in ignorance, but it's envy that never lasts too long.

another sip of his coffee is followed by a question:

"what are your plans here, callie?"

[attr="class","noodles"]Calliope Marks