the door swings easily open and greyson steps in, lips parting into an easy-going smile. he had answered the call, of course, and made swift plans to get here. the events of the leagues expedition were classified, even to him, but the signs of its trauma were evident.

he was looking at it now, after all.

"illie, hey." approaching he wraps his arms around the smaller woman, careful of the wound on her back. "your call seemed urgent — what's up?"

illeana reyes

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]the smile she flashes is warm; the warmest in weeks, actually.

and when he wraps his arms around her, she snuggles close. he's solid, comforting, familiar. and best of all: real.

"hi, thank you for coming," she breathes into his chest. her arms tighten, almost unwilling to let go. they loosen a moment later out of fear she's overstepping.

embarrassment bleeds into her cheeks. she... didn't mean to make it seem so dire over the phone.

"i need your help if you have some time to spare." he showed which, perhaps, answers that.

her head turns and tilts toward the other half of the room.

"ever seen a primal crystal before?"

Greyson Connors
mission

he tightens his hug back, brow furrowing from above her platinum spun strands. when they release, he takes a step back and turns his attention to the area of the room she points to with her nudge.

"i haven't, no. are they something from the groudon suppression?"

illeana reyes

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]she hums. her knowledge on the crystals themselves exists only in theories and half truths. somehow, that's enough.

"sort of," she supplies. there's a slight hesitation before she's reaching for his hand and guiding him closer to the crystal. it shimmers with a brilliance unseen in, realistically, anything else.

"it was brought in by the previous champion, Bailey Cooper ." she glances toward him for a moment before continuing. "it holds the power of the primal age and seems to act as a conduit for that energy. depending on the usage, it can do multiple things. we've seen it enhance, or in my case, restore remaining strains of an avatar's power. it can even be used for travel if hit with the right thing." and perhaps that's her true goal in this...

the crystal twinkles in her eyes and it's alluring, damning.

"isn't it pretty?"

Greyson Connors
mission

"the one that died?" he asks in clarification to Bailey Cooper, remembering the... turnaround on the position before kyle lopez took over. nevertheless he listens, eyes turning onto the glistening crystal with keen and clear interest.

"it is, yeah." he admits with a frown, "but it seems dangerous."

"why are you showing me this though?"

illeana reyes

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]a nod follows after a brief, solemn silence. "yes."

she wasn't as familiar with bailey as some of her colleagues but... she remembers a odd sort of experience with the deceased champion; a nightmare yet not quite. the hazy memory is abandoned after a moment.

she ignores the dangerous part of it all, choosing to focus on what the crystal is capable of instead. dimensional travel and avatar powers are enticing, after all.

"AQUA members have been tasked with setting primal crystals into these specific mechanisms," she murmurs. finally, she drags her eyes away from the shimmering rainbow of a stone to find his. "and i thought you'd be a good partner to help me out."

a light flush coats her cheeks when her voice drops to a softer octave, just barely above a whisper.

"plus, i missed you."

Greyson Connors
mission

"and i missed you too," he says with a warm smile, hand going up to rub her hair affectionally. normally they'd take a moment and catch up, but, work was work. and this needed to be done.
[break][break]
"it sounds simple enough," he lets out a quick breath, eyes closed, before placing them back onto the rainbow colored stone. "where exactly do they want these set up?"
[break][break]
but most importantly.
[break][break]
"and why do they want these setup?"

[attr="class","notes"]illeana reyes

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]he ruffles her hair and she preens slightly, much like a cat would.

catching up will have to extend to later times... they have shit to do and she's not about to get derailed from the path.

"there's a primal node set up in the city," she turns to watch him for a moment before shifting closer to the crystal. up close, it feels odd. power exudes and seeps into the air around them the closer they get. incredible, truly. "we'll have to place it inside."

and what happens after... well, she has agenda in place.

"preparation for the coming meteor." she doesn't touch on the possible genocide. it's not fully in her plans, anyway. she reaches a hand out and brushes fingers against the smooth surface of the crystal. it shines a little brighter beneath touch, as if it feels the slivers of power left over from tapu lele.

"could you carry it, greyson?"

Greyson Connors
mission

preperation for the incoming meteor meant only one thing — this device would, in some way or another, lead to the death of thosuands.
[break][break]
that was a stain on the once beautiful crystal, one he couldn't simply overcome. he too would be stained, hands reddened by an ocean of blood.
[break][break]
greyson grimaces at the thought.
[break][break]
"okay, sounds good." it's a lie, but a necessary one. "yeah, i can carry it. is this the only one?"

[attr="class","notes"]illeana reyes

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]he agrees and somehow, some way... she feels satisfaction. the plan solidifies, hardens, holds.

she steps to the side to allow him access to the crystal. her eyes linger on the multifaceted gem. and as it glimmers and glistens, she thinks of the power it possesses... the power it offers.

"at the moment," she remarks softly. it's almost faraway, distracted. "i'll call on you again for the next one if i'm able to." if he'll allow her, anyway, once she's done...

that is, she supposes, if he doesn't oppose her motives or moves.

Greyson Connors
mission

he picks it up, feeling the heavy crystal between his fingers. there's a small, vibrating numbness; a tingling sensation that nearly forces him to drop it.
[Break][break]
"sure," he says off-handedly, "should be." with the shit storm that was brewing? Who actually knew.
[Break][break]
"lead the way."

[attr="class","notes"]illeana reyes

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]the smile that comes is easy, warm, bright. and what follows is an utterance of affection, "my hero."

his help is appreciated, perhaps more than he knows. she trusts him enough to understand this isn't the first time he'll answer when she calls. and perhaps, in some regard, he's the only one she trusts now. it's an uncomfortable thought, somehow.

"follow me," she murmurs.

and without hesitation, she's leading him out of the warehouse and into the sun. she drapes a soft black cloth over the crystal to shield it from passerby's being too nosy.

"it should be set up at the top of the department store."

Greyson Connors
mission

and so he does follow, crystal thrumming quietly in his hands, thoughts ever so slightly wondering what the radiation levels of this thing was.
[Break][break]
"any effects on the environment when we place it? i don't want to be privy to anything negative in... such a populated area."

[attr="class","notes"]illeana reyes

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉