how?

a simple question, yet difficult to answer. he could only shrug, unable to find the words.

"me neither."

he chuckles.

"people usually leave before i wake up."

illeana reyes // catching swirlix

☉

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]she shifts her weight from foot to foot, nerves suddenly rising up without warning. they overtake her body until they’re lodged in her throat and she’s feebly trying to swallow them down.

”really?” it comes as a surprise, truthfully. perhaps her experiences have been different… she only remembers of a single time where she woke alone, a familiar cologne all that remained from a prince. that action has since been corrected, it seems.

her head tilts, as if inspecting him.

”did you expect me to leave?” did he expect anything in the first place?

MATIAS SILPH
passing!

the conversation's starting to feel like a confession. he softly chuckles at the thought, nodding his head in return.

"i don't expect much from people, so it surprised me when you were still there."

he smiles, feeling slightly awkward at the memory.

"and also when you stayed even after i snapped at you."

illeana reyes // catching swirlix

☉

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]ah, that makes sense. she remembers the reaction, the fingers gripped too tightly around her hand, and the genuine surprise that followed. his remorse was written over with her anger, sure, but it still lingered all the same.

"i wanted to," she shrugs as if it should be obvious that she'd stay. it isn't, it wasn't, but they both understand that enough to ignore it.

"besides, i think i snapped more than you did."

her golurk spots an inkay in the distance. the little squid looks lost and deus is, realistically, more like a mother than an automated machine. it wanders over, letting out a soft coo in greeting. the inkay latches onto an outstretched clay hand without hesitation, settling gently against the large palm. deus has never looked happier when it returns, waving its hand slightly for illeana to notice. she flashes a bright smile at the sight.

MATIAS SILPH
capturing inkay!

whatever tensions linger from the morning fade with a chuckle. let bygones be bygones, or something like that.

it's then that he turns, searching for her gaze, and with a shrug of his shoulder, he says:

"you could've stayed longer."

a wild seviper slithers up only to slither away the moment it sees the heatran.

illeana reyes // skipping!

☉

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]she meets his gaze with a curious stare, searching for something and coming up empty.

and then, she scoffs. arms cross defensively over her chest as her golurk settles back at her side with their new squid friend.

"you could've asked."

he didn't and she refused to ask first.

MATIAS SILPH
capturing inkay!

"i could've."

it's a fair point to make, so he doesn't mind the defensiveness. if anything, it draws him even closer, chuckling as he shrugs a shoulder.

"i guess we were both a little too stubborn."

illeana reyes // skipping!

☉

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]she hums in agreement, ushering the newly caught inkay into a pokeball.

and as soon as she does, her automaton has found another pokemon. it wanders off once more, gentle clay hands ushering a lost baby toxel away from the group and back to the mother who waits nearby.

"stubborn," she echoes softly. the tension in her arms eases slightly at the thought. "or afraid?"

which one fits more?

MATIAS SILPH
passing!

"a bit of both. more stubborn, though."

as he's come to learn, they both are.

it's then that a flabebe floats towards matias, hovering right in front of his face as it extends a small flower out towards him.

"is this for me?"

flabebe nods, giggling as even more petals start to float around it.

matias smiles, accepting the flower before tucking it behind his ear.

"thank you. do you have one for my friend, too?"

flabebe floats on over to illie, pulling out a flower from behind its back before offering it to her as well.

illeana reyes // catching flabebe!

☉

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]she hums, accepting the answer he provides with mild curiosity. stubborn and afraid... a combination she, unfortunately, knows too well.

"why?" her stare is pointed, serious. "afraid, i mean," is added like an afterthought.

and then, a little flower fairy is approaching. it takes a liking to matias and gingerly offers a pretty flower. her lips curl upward, fond.

her cheeks flush with a soft pink when attention shifts onto her. faintly, she hears him ask for a flower for her, as well, but it doesn't fully register until the flabebe is drifting over. it brandishes a pretty red rose and she's reaching out with tentative fingers.

"thank you," she murmurs, touched.

MATIAS SILPH
passing!

her question goes unanswered for the moment. he chooses to watch the interaction between the cute little flabebe and her instead, appreciating the sight.

once the flower's taken, flabebe giggles before floating back over to matias to sit atop his head. it closes its eyes, falling asleep.

where she has a red rose, he has a white tulip. it compliments the pink of his hair, surprisingly.

"afraid, because i've lost too many i care about before."

illeana reyes // catching flabebe!

☉