[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]after a few moments, she’s going through the motions with her fingers on autopilot. the trail of thought leads her deep into mind and only when he begins to shift in her lap does she return to focus.

there’s a blink and then a fond smile.

her fingers still slightly before resuming, as if spurred on by the nickname. her eyes drift downward to find his own, head leaning slightly forward. smoochy boo has since moved to cuddling as close as she can to the scientist’s heart. somehow, the steady beat is calming.

”matias,” she whispers. her golett snores softly in the background, having shifted into a cuddle puddle of its own with the rest of the new ghosts.

”sleep well?”

MATIAS SILPH
cmere cutie haunter!

"really well."

surprisingly. or maybe unsurprisingly? he remembers seeing trails of pink mist still lingering in the air around them. perhaps they kept his dreams pure and safe.

"thank you."

for helping.

illeana reyes
catching jynx!

☉

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]her cheeks radiate warmth beneath his answer. it’s faint, as if she’s trying to fight it off as it comes. and maybe she is or maybe she’s touched that he slept well in her presence.

it’s more than likely the mist than her but oh well.

”no need to thank me,” she murmurs. smoochy boo shifts and she’s raising a hand from his hair to keep the smoochum from slipping off her chest. ”it’s nothing, really.”

MATIAS SILPH
cmere cutie haunter!

it's not nothing, no. his head shakes at her words, and he soon shifts to find a more comfortable spot, which ends up taking him closer to her, more than he already is.

he blinks, peering up to find her gaze.

"it means a lot to me."

his dusknoir busies itself with a mr. mime. though it's seen plenty from matias' own circus, it still finds the psychic-type a bit creepy, because all it does is stand there miming. it doesn't even attack.

dusknoir shrugs, closes the distance, then throws an ICE PUNCH, freezing it before capturing it.

illeana reyes
catching mr. mime!

☉

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]"it does?" she stills for a moment, ignoring the way her heartbeat thrums a little faster. he shifts closer, perhaps too close, and before long, her fingers slowly resume running through his hair.

"why?" comes softly, tentatively, as if she doesn't quite want an answer. and would he give one anyway?

her ninetales rises from the cuddle puddle to chase off a meditite that gets too close to the group. poor little guy never stood a chance against those teeth... it runs before the silver fox can catch it, disappearing into the bushes.

MATIAS SILPH
passing!

"because rest is a rare commodity for me."

the feeling her fingers running through his hair soothes him. his eyelids feel heavy, and once again, he's closing his eyes.

"it seems to come easily with you."

illeana reyes
catching mr. mime!

☉

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]she hums in consideration, fingers trailing through hair. at one point, she alternates between gently raking her nails through and then settling back into simply fiddling with salmon locks.

"i'm sorry," she whispers, genuine and warm.

her fingers still, then, at the admittance. they resume a moment later.

"i wonder why." she doesn't pry, however. no, she simply continues playing with his hair as he settles into comfort.

a drakloak eventually drifts over to join the makeshift cuddle puddle of ghosts, exhausted after travelling mt. pyre all day. illeana glances its way, offers a warm smile, and moves one hand from matias's hair to begin petting the drakloak as it settles in for a nap against her back. don't mind her, just a cutie and her ghostie cluster.

MATIAS SILPH
cmere drakloak

"i wonder why."

he repeats her words with a bare smile. she doesn't have to pry to get him to think about it. he's still not sure himself, but he'll take what he can get.

a wild natu appears, looking down at their cuddle pile only to fly away. maybe it's not a cuddler?

"i only wish i could do the same for you."

help her rest, he means.

illeana reyes
skipping!

☉

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]"i don't suppose you'll tell me," she murmurs it like a statement, as if she's certain he won't. and if he did, what would she do?

shoulders roll into a lazy shrug. fingers still comb through his hair, nails raking here and there.

"it's okay," she affirms, the ghost of a smile rising. "no need to worry about me." whatever rest she gets helps enough. besides, she can't rely on others. the lesson is burned into her skin, scars hidden behind tight fabric. pink mist bleeds just from the thought.

a trevenant peers over at them from among the tree line. it's curious, mostly, and certainly envious. and so, it uproots itself to wander over, to see what's so special about a cuddle puddle. it can't be that good, right?

it can, apparently, because all of the pokemon are fast asleep by now. only her ninetales remains awake in the cluster. the silver fox's head turns to stare. the trevenant stares back for a moment before coming closer. it plants itself behind them, a surprisingly comforting presence. the ninetales sighs, curls her tails around the trevenant's body, and settles back down.

MATIAS SILPH
cmere trevenant!

"but i do worry."

the admittance comes easily, just like the next few words that escape.

"i'm here for you, illie."

just not in the way that she might want or need. if only he'd spare them the pain.

instead, he simply sighs, relishing the moment.

in the background, a wild exeggcute rolls into the scene, but as it looks over at most of them cuddling and sleeping, it decides to just leave them be.

illeana reyes
skipping!

☉