"i can't either."

he admits with a sigh, not accepting defeat quite yet, but postponing it, perhaps.

"let's just snap a picture and we can look into it later."

they can get some help from candice, who works for the league as well.

"you have your phone on you?"

illeana reyes
mission!

☉

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]a nod and then, she's shifting to wrangle her phone out of her pocket. of course she put it in the worst pocket possible... irritating. her hips wiggle as her body leans forward, halfway up her flygon's neck by now. a hand rises, reaches, and slides the phone from her butt pocket.

a few soft clicks later and they have photo evidence of the symbol. she'll have to bring it back to silph co later to compare it to her tomes.

adyta slowly brings her back to matias's side. when she levels back out, illeana's tilting her head in consideration.

there's a soft settling of something in the pit of her stomach. it's familiar and yet, she refuses to put a name to it.

"what or, rather, who made the symbol, though?"

MATIAS SILPH
mission

"megalopolans."

even if it's said in jest, there might be some validity to his statement. he chooses not to dwell on it, however, and chuckles instead.

"send me a copy of the photo, please. you still have my number?"

a tease, as evident by the way he grins at her. she hasn't been texting him much, but then again, it's not like he should be waiting around for her to.

illeana reyes
mission!

☉

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]dread. that's the feeling.

the name, alone, shifts her features into something cold, something unfamiliar. memories of the three day war rise and she shoves them back down with trembling hands. too much devastation, pain, grief comes with just a damn name and she loathes it.

she doesn't reply. no, she jumps to his next sentence without hesitation.

"i do," the corners of her mouth slowly begin to curl into the beginning of a smile. "unless you'd prefer i delete it?"

a chime sounds and there's the picture delivered on his phone. the first text in, probably, days to over a week. whether it's due to her busy schedule or her avoidance of feelings is ignored. besides, it's not like he's looking forward to a text from her. and it's not like she's doing the same.

MATIAS SILPH
mission

"i'd prefer if you texted more."

is it a joke even if he says it like it is? he's not sure, and he doesn't bother explaining himself. all he does is dip his head slightly as he grins before looking away.

his phone chimes, though it's not from a mystery gift, but from the photo she just took instead.

"i'm surprised we get signal up here."

illeana reyes
mission!

☉

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]she hums at the thought, mulling it over as if chewing it between teeth.

”would you?” an eyebrow raises. would her texting him more be akin to someone receiving a mystery gift in their favorite game? perhaps. somehow, she doubts it.

the chime is carried on the wind, even after she pockets her phone once more.

”i don’t think we’re high enough yet to lose service,” just a guess, though. cellular service is not her realm of expertise. quite the opposite, actually.

MATIAS SILPH
mission

"i would."

his admittance is voiced only to be swept away by the winds. his gaze follows it off to the side, peering at the faint outline of lilycove.

of home.

"should we go higher?"

a smirk, as if he's challenging her.

illeana reyes
mission!

☉

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]silence follows for a moment as admittance dissipates along the cool breeze. and eventually, she hums in mild agreement.

"i'll keep that in mind," she offers. there's a smile there, as if the thought he'd want to hear from her more is pleasing somehow. and maybe it is but that's a thought for another time.

she's never been one to shy away from a challenge. it's met with the rising of her head and the narrowing of her eyes.

"only if you can handle it," the retort slips into a smirk before her flygon is darting up. her hands tighten against scales as wind whips through her hair.

poor matias, left behind...

MATIAS SILPH
mission

left behind?

not for long.

a DRAGON PULSE propels them upwards, wings tucking in tight as they ascend at a rapid rate. wind whips against his hair. his grip tightens, holding on until they eventually catch back up, breaking through the clouds.

illeana reyes
mission!

☉

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]spoke too soon, apparently...

he zooms past the duo and the resulting wind almost threatens to knock her flygon off course. the dragon huffs in what illeana assumes to be mild irritation.

turns out her dragons are competitive... who knew?

where he used a dragon pulse to his advantage, her flygon ups the ante with a boomburst. it elicits a squeal from the unsuspecting scientist, her grip tightening to hold on. it propels them up a few feet higher than he stopped and all he hears as they zoom by is illeana's amused, chiming laughter.

MATIAS SILPH
mission

they could do the exact same thing and zoom past her and her flygon, but there's no point to it, is there? they'd just be stuck in the same cycle, going higher and higher until the air becomes too thin for them to breathe.

so, instead of flying past them, they soar up until they come level side by side once again.

his laughter can be heard through the rush of wind.

"not bad, illie."

illeana reyes
mission!

☉

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]she lets out an amused sort of sound when they join. when his own laughter fills her ears.

the smile worn is smug.

"nothing i do is bad," she retorts. unless, of course, you look at her track record... best you don't.

another little laugh escapes.

"are you done challenging me, now?" did she prove herself yet?

MATIAS SILPH
mission

"you're right."

nothing she does is bad, but of course, matias knows of her track record. he just refuses to comment on it.

it's in the past.

"i am."

with a smirk, he dips his head back down in a gesture.

"let's go back."

illeana reyes
mission!

☉