[attr="class","matias"]lydia's missed a lifetime of stories, so where should he even begin?

with the person, perhaps.

"well, she's fierce, passionate, and determined — and stubborn, probably one of most stubborn people i know. but it's because she stands her ground."

memories return, making him smile.

"she was briefly a gym leader here. ultimately, she wants to help people, and though some might criticize her, she means well. which is why lavaridge, in particular, loves her."

[attr="class","noodles"]lydia kilig

[attr="class","lydia"]

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

[attr="class","lydia i"]he begins with an outline. and as soon as it starts, she's pulling up a diagram to compare them. the traits he lists are silently compiled in stormy's section of the chart.

by the time he moves to a small portion of history, she's shifting her weight mildly from one foot to the other. the sun and the moon. both sisters are vastly different, really, but there's some correlations, no matter how small they may be. for one, determination seems to a trait picked up by both and worn proudly.

where stormy is light, lydia is dark. the shadow of the flame becomes more apparent as he continues. and subtlety, she shrinks a little despite herself. somehow, her features mirror indifference and she wears it like war paint.

"she sounds..." she pauses, searching her mind for a word to use. in the end, softly and just a tinge bitterly, she settles on "lovely."

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]"she is."

lovely. the word brings a smile to his face, paired with memories that were once thought to have been forgotten.

"i'll help set something up, if you'd like."

[attr="class","noodles"]lydia kilig

[attr="class","lydia"]

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

[attr="class","lydia i"]stormy silph itches at a wound she refuses to acknowledge. it festers and grows in the soft afternoon light of his kitchen.

"you don't have to," she murmurs.

i'm not ready.

she switches topics from one silph to another. it's easy to ask questions about her twin, sure, but she wants the difficult stuff now. the dirty details, the requirements for being a silph, and why she was left to howl with wolves while stormy feasted with kings.

"why was she chosen?"

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]chosen.

it doesn't occur to him that she might have meant something else entirely, so he answers with his first thought.

"as avatar? no idea. but as gym leader — the people apparently love her, so it only seemed natural."

[attr="class","noodles"]lydia kilig

[attr="class","lydia"]

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

[attr="class","lydia i"]"no," she clucks her tongue in mild disappointment. every word he says stings, sure, but it's the misunderstanding that clings to her skin.

there's a purpose here. a path she refuses to stray from. even if he's nice and welcoming, he's a silph and she's scraps.

"that's not what i meant."

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]"oh."

she means why was stormy chosen by the silphs.

of course.

he sighs, shaking his head.

"i don't know, honestly."

[attr="class","noodles"]lydia kilig

[attr="class","lydia"]

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

[attr="class","lydia i"]he doesn't know...

well, who does?

her stare is blank, as if her mind is still processing this information.

"who would?" she had been hoping to do this without getting her hands dirty, without hunting more people down.

unfortunately, fate never works in her favor.

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]"mom and dad."

he mutters.

"but they're dead."

they've been dead for a few years now. did she know?

"i don't think even stormy knows."

[attr="class","noodles"]lydia kilig

[attr="class","lydia"]

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

[attr="class","lydia i"]dead. and like their bodies, the trail of answers is decaying.

"i see," she murmurs.

gears churn as if there's a way around this, as if there's another solution he doesn't see.

"and the chosen one?"

FERNANDO SILPH. a name scribbled at the top of her list, circled three times in deep red.

"what does he know?"

MATIAS SILPH

[attr="class","matias"]the chosen one.

this time, he can't help but scoff when he realizes who she means.

"fernie? probably more than i do."

but he's making an assumption.

"he's a busy man. i'm barred from entering his office, but you could just walk right in."

[attr="class","noodles"]lydia kilig

[attr="class","matias"]"i can't get past security. i visited him once and that was more than enough for him, apparently."

to be fair, matias understands why.

"schedule a business meeting with his secretary. i'm sure that'd get you in."

"or just tell him you're stormy's twin."

[attr="class","noodles"]lydia kilig