Save from the waves sloshing languidly against the sand as it creeps inland, it’s a quiet night. [break][break]

Background beach ambiance is punctuated only by the soles of his sneakers scuffing against the harbourside and the snuffling of a Lycanroc’s nose as she tracks remnants of tourist’s snacks. No doubt long picked off by Wingull hours ago. [break][break]

Lilycove is at peace – uneventful and just the slightest bit lonesome – for but a brief moment… [break][break]

Shadow-lined eyes drag skyward, earthy tones of the smoke that escapes Angelo's lips mingling with the pungent brine that rolls off the water. Attention snagging on an artificial north star as it flies by over his head, song of the whipping blades strangely hypnotic. Luring the flight enthusiast in him. [break][break]

His own tracking attempts bear more fruit than that of his dog. [break][break]

Remnants of his smoke discarded, Angelo curiously approaches the familiar waterside hangar where a couple of pristine white seaplanes bob on the water; the usually sleepy aircraft station surprisingly alive at this time of night.[break][break]

“You’ve got a beautiful one, there.” He comments with hands snug in his pockets to the woman hovering by the helicopter, tilting his chin towards the craft as it shines under the dim lamp glow; not fully walking into the gated perimeter just yet. [break][break]

“What is she, a Dynali?” There’s a pause of consideration over his choice, brow pinched as Angelo peers curiously at the helicopter through the dark with an thoughtful tilt of his head. “Ah, no, wait… Scratch that. A Zefhir?”
[break][break]
His enraptured attention is only diverted when he has to whistle for Orion to not run over to the pilot in an overly-friendly manner, her rear wiggling from the force of her swaying tail - near fast enough to mimic a chopper blade.


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“Yeah, a good eye sounds about right. My first guess was a miss.” Angelo smiles wryly at the woman as he fishes around in his pocket, pulling out a sad looking tennis ball with half the green fluff missing. Upon spotting it, Orion’s eyes light up like a child hearing Stantler bells on Christmas; eagerly giving chase when Angelo purposefully aims it in the opposite direction from the hangar. “Just don’t judge me too hard, a’right? It’s dark.” He chuckles, ignoring the dull throb of his back from the pitch. [break][break]

There's no mention that his mix-up was the result of seeing both helicopters in pixel form only, as opposed to in the flesh.[break][break]

Over the last couple of weeks, Angelo had stolen his fair share of strolls this way up the harbourside. Lured in by humming propellers and the scent of hot fuel blending together with cool ocean brine. Hanging around, watching the aircrafts as they take to the skies and making small talk with pilots where they’d humour him, had only added more kindling to his rapidly strengthening interest. [break][break]

It seemed like she was one of the few willing to indulge him. Angelo smiles. [break][break]

“More often than I used to, lately. I'm staying further down the harbour.” He rolls a pebble of grit under his shoe, making small white lines against the concrete. Restless, unspent energy crawling underneath his skin. “What about you? Lilycove one of your regular stopovers or are you passing by?” [break][break]

It wasn’t like he hung around all the time, so it could be that she was a fresh face in the port city. Angelo was sure he’d remember the craft she flew if he’d caught sight of it before, though.


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A breath of amusement passes his lips, corner of blue eyes crinkling with the hint of something unsaid. [break][break]

“You can say that,” he grins slowly but doesn’t laugh, not externally. Being in Lilycove – staying on the Sotally Tober, even part time – you’re bound to witness some funny sights, for sure. Although that was part of the adventure of it all, he guessed. [break][break]

“But lights around the water, huh?” A hand is raised to his jaw, thoughtfully brushing a palm over the beginnings of a shadow from a neglected shave, bristles sharp as they catch on callouses. “Think I heard someone mention the Finneon the other day,” more like complain because they’d leapt into said person’s boat in droves, but details. “They glow at night past the bay, sometimes. Pretty sight if you’re willing to go out that far. That could be what you're looking for.” [break][break]

Orion lumbers back then and Angelo automatically extends a hand towards her. But blue eyes don’t detach themselves from the pilot and her helicopter, not even when a ball slathered in drool is dumped graciously into his open palm. [break][break]

Anticipation crackles, too thick and magnetic in his chest to resist… [break][break]

“If aiming and pressing the button counts as being a decent cameraman, then yeah; I can take a good shot.”[break][break]

Her half-lidded gaze is met with something equally searching on his side, eyes narrowed calmly but focused. Absorbing any hints in her expression. [break][break]

“You need an extra pair of hands?” Angelo takes the bait, hungry. 



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"How you feeling?"[break][break]

There’s a pause, a moment where only the rapid whirring of the helicopter blades replies to Jess in the tiny cockpit. [break][break]

“Good.” Are all his lungs quietly expel at first – breathless. [break][break]

But as the helicopter skids lift up from off the ground, hovering in a moment of weightlessness before it ascends, words aren’t the only thing that’s escaped Angelo’s grasp. [break][break]

With a rising pulse and a surge of emotion that swells in his chest the higher they get, like an expanding, free cloud; his heart appears to have floated away, too.[break][break]

“Great.” I love it…[break][break]

Lips part when his brain finally catches up to the flutter in his ribs, calloused fingertips squeezing hold of the camera he had been assigned in charge of tight. Like it’s the only thing keeping him from throwing himself to the wind, from becoming a part of it. (Why was he stopping himself, again?)[break][break]

“This is…” I love it… [break][break]

Bright eyes peer hungrily through the large glass panes of the Zefhir towards the ground below, Lilycove disappearing further and further until it becomes but tiny, insignificant shapes in the night. The courier captivated as they leave it all behind for a world composed of an inky canopy and stars that stretch endlessly, sparkling in sky and sea. [break][break]

“Holy shit.” I love it… [break][break]

A short laugh, drunk, tumbles from his lips as he tosses a look over his shoulder at Jess. Perhaps she’d recognise the look in his eyes as he grins at her, with blue eyes opened like he’s just found a missing piece. Something tasted that he’d never be able to replicate anywhere else.[break][break]

And Angelo knew then that he’d never be sated. Because when you’re starving for that one thing and you take a single bite… It only makes you hungrier.[break][break]

And this… He’s only going to want more and more and more… [break][break]

“Feeling happy I’m the one who’s got opposable thumbs.” Sorry, Orion.




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A breath of amusement exhales through his nose; lips quirked. “You think I’m going to turn down an offer like that?”[break][break]

As Jess points out the control panel, giving name to the assortment of buttons, meters and readings, Angelo leans in to absorb every drop that she’s willing to give. Blue eyes scan the intricate piece of equipment, hands unshaking as he reaches forward to press buttons and tap at the screens. Picture of intrigued calm even if his heart has long taken flight. [break][break]

“So, which one is the… think it’s called an Altimeter?” He asks, after flicking at the lights and wipers. Pointing to a dial and then another; reaching for information as he asks a series of questions. “This one? And what’re the coloured bars next to it reading?” [break][break]

It doesn’t pass Angelo by that this appears to be relatively new tech, if only because he’d been spending hours upon hours during his recovery period flicking through books, magazines and websites for research on his own hypotheticals. [break][break]

Asking about how she’d acquired her Zefhir would come later, however. Something in the distance catches Angelo’s eye instead… [break][break]

“And I think that,” he indicates with a tilt of his chin towards the darkened horizon, moonlight shimmering on the rippling waters surface while down below, a blend of bioluminescent pinks and blues sparkle like an underwater milky way. “Is the ‘illuminary’ phenomenon you’re looking for. If it’s not, I owe you five bucks.” Angelo grins slowly, momentarily turning his attention to getting the camera ready. [break][break]

Although taking photographs is the last thing on his mind, he’s still got a job to do.





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+ @jess [break][break]

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Angelo’s gaze dutifully follows where Jess points, checking out the singular control panel and all of its dials that she gives name, glowing softly to keep them visible in the night’s darkness. He drinks up all the information she’s generous to give, thirsty; quenched and insatiable all at once. [break][break]

“Feels like my head’s going to explode.” He chuckles softly as all the terms swim in his head, some familiar from what he had researched and others not. All the jargon mixing together like another language he can only pick a few words out of, yet it doesn't deter him. “In a good way… If that makes any sense?” [break][break]

As the helicopter is switched off Auto-Pilot, Jess leading the roaring aircraft closer to the restless waves, Angelo feels his breath silently catch in his throat. Momentarily breathless at the feel of the elevated craft, tilting and thrumming, close enough to the surface of the sea that he could visualise reaching out to touch the glowing spectacle. A milky way of blues and pinks suspended within another world, just a looking glass jump away. [break][break]

“Yeah, it is…” He utters, talking about something else entirely. [break][break]

Taking some pictures of the illuminary fish phenomenon, Angelo flicks his gaze from the photographs that he had taken to ensure they were of decent quality and back to the horizon, water aglow with a moon silver shimmer. [break][break]

“Y’know, I’ve actually been thinking of trying to get a license for a while now…” He admits out loud to another person, for the first time. “For planes, specifically. No offense. Your 'copter is the nicest I've flown in,” there’s a small breath of amusement then, a tilt of his lips just the slightest mischievous in all his enamour. It's the only one he's caught a ride in. [break][break]

Angelo's eyes don’t part from looking out the window; not really.






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“You should.”[break][break]

It’s a straightforward response from a stranger. Simple. Innocent. Earnest. But one that buries in deep, sinking itself into Angelo’s brain, making him question everything that he constantly told himself – enforced upon himself – on a nearly day to day basis. [break][break]

Why wasn’t he chasing after the stars, again? [break][break]

Ah, that was right. Responsibilities. Money. [break][break]

Back in Alto Mare, his family were barely making ends meet and a portion of his wages that he dutifully sent back every payday helped make things that little easier for them; he’d come to Hoenn to attend university for that very reason, even. [break][break]

Angelo had long resigned himself to giving to them first, in one way or another, even if over the last year he'd slowly decided that he had no intention of returning back to Alto Mare. [break][break]

But what about his dreams? [break][break]

What was that teaching Lucia, Amara, Emilio, Paolo…? Even little Nico, who wasn’t even in school yet? [break][break]

Would he be okay, if he was in their position, knowing they’d given up on something they really wanted? [break][break]

If his mother knew he was unhappy with his chosen path – desperate and longing for a dream, another life, here – would she still accept the funds into her bank account at the beginning of each new month? [break][break]

Perhaps all you needed sometimes, was someone to come out and state the obvious. [break][break]

For you should to morph into I should.[break][break]

Angelo turns, eyes that had once been weary from a lack of sleep, shadowed by pain and restlessness that stretches far beyond the incidents that had rendered him boat-bound, suddenly alert. Hopeful. Opened. [break][break]

“Vestri. Or just Angelo. Either’s fine by me.” [break][break]

His mouth is dry, yet the smile on it is earnest and the weight on his shoulders, the ones he didn’t realise just how heavy – how imprisoning, constricting, grounding – suddenly feels a little lighter. [break][break]

“It's good to meet you, Callow.”[break][break]

And for the first time in a far too long, as another extends their hand in aid towards him… Angelo accepts. [break][break]

“Y’know what… That would be great.” A short laugh escapes, before he speaks in jest. “If this is how you’re planning on paying me for my photographer services, by the way, then you've got yourself a deal.” [break][break]

After all, Angelo doubts he'd ever be able to repay how much @jess has, perhaps unknowingly, given him with a gesture such as this. Although he knows he'll never forget.




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