[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]she shows up slightly flushed, chest heaving as if she ran here.

and honestly? she might've...

she has been running behind all day. work kept her too busy and by the end of the shift, she'd lost track of the time.

somehow, she manages to make it with only a few minutes of lateness on the clock. when jayden waves her over, she flashes a bright smile and weaves through tables to join him. a small rotom is only a few floats behind her, easily distracted by all the people. she has to guide it back to their table with a gentle hand and only after does she sit.

by then, her rotom has uploaded itself onto her phone to skim through texts and emails if they should come. it does, however, keep an eye on the two as they begin their meeting.

"sorry to keep you waiting," she murmurs, cheeks coloring a little further. "work kept me working like a dog all day."

a beat passes before she leans in a smidge.

"have you been well?"

jayden cross

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

no, his rotom zings, slightly with disappointment sparking along jayden's wristlet. not a date.

[break][break] he knows his trainer not to be interested in the league, especially not the likes of illeana reyes who is more a childhood friend or business contact than anyone of particular interest.

[break][break] still it is curious - he observes - at the very genuine way that jayden calls his 'friend' over.

[break][break] no hint of distaste or bitterness in his gaze. perhaps this woman is different.

[break][break] "yes," he says with a nod. "have you?"

[break][break] jayden leads them into the establishment then, lining up behind the other patrons as they wait to be seated.

[break][break] "i can relate to work being difficult," he says, with a sigh. "my own has kept me busy."

[break][break] especially his rise to adminship.

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
bond bridge

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]perhaps she is different... she'll never know, really, but it's a nice concept all the same.

she shrugs. how has she been?

besides unruly and greedy, nothing much has changed. and yet, she supposes, everything has.

"as well as to be expected."

the end of times is not touched upon. it doesn't have to be, really. it exists despite being discussed, persistent in the way it survives the threat of forgetting.

she flashes a small smile.

"well, how about we forget about work for a night?"

or, well, a dinner... it's difficult to not think in terms of work for longer than two hours, it seems.

jayden cross

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

there is a ghost of a smile on his face, as bemused as he is about her comment.

[break][break] "as if our upbringing would ever allow us to be so improper."

[break][break] after all, as sure as he is that he is a rocket, jayden is sure that he is a man of considerable work ethic. having met illeana reyes's own parents, jayden assumes the same.

[breka][break] "but let's try."

[break][break] they are led into the restaurant by his rotom, who seems more than excited to see what new festivities are to follow, and jayden follows the waiter to their seat. he holds one out for the head scientist, polite as has been taught, before finding a seat for himself.

[break][break] "is there anything you'd like to eat today?"

[break][break] his gaze shifts as he notices a fruitcake being sent to a nearby table. perhaps there would be time for dessert later.

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
bond bridge

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]improper...

her father would roll his way into an early grave if he could see her now. perhaps she'd at least get some points back for being around jayden even as an adult. that's, perhaps, a plus.

she doesn't see the fruitcake but she does catch sight of a piece of chocolate cake being delivered to a table housing... are they snowboarders?

either way, the chocolate cake looks really good. she says as much without thinking much of it.

"chocolate cake."

they're supposed to be having dinner, though, aren't they?

"is that bad to have instead of actual dinner?"

if so... fuck it.

jayden cross

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"yes."

[break][break] he's bemused, but brokes no room for argument as he calls over the waiter to order just that.

[break][break] his rotom zings loudly with approval — not that jayden is particularly surprised, considering the ghost-type's affinity for sweets. it was more than once that he wondered if one of his HEAT ROTOM had taken a cupcake from the tray before the treats were ready.

[break][break]

[break] the dessert arrives in due time, and jayden starts by breaking it apart with a fork and bringing it to his lips. it is terribly sweet, but not in a bad way.

[break][break] "if not work, what should we discuss?"

[break][break] jayden isn't used to this. idle chitchatter is mint frost's forté, not his. still, there was a first time for anything.

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
bond bridge

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]he orders dessert and she's quick to add a sweet iced coffee to the order.

and when she has that first bite of cake, a little wiggle takes over the body. one would call it the food dance they do when the food is amazing and exactly what they had wanted. she is no different.

"well..."

she eats another bite and hums around the sweetness before a thought finally sticks.

"how's your love life?"

the smile she wears is almost amused to the point of taunting.

jayden cross

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

sure enough, the iced drinks accompany the sweet desserts. jayden orders an dark chocolate cold brew — while he enjoys baking, as far as caffeine is concerned, he's not particularly fond of the overly sweet kind. part of it is because he can't be bothered, and the other part is because sugary sweet things remind him of Chu-e Choi —

[break][break] 'how's your love life?'

[break][break] the words are like a sharp punt to his gut.

[break][break] he avoids answering at first, instead choosing to take a bite of the chocolate cake in front of them. he cuts a small bite off and eats it delicately. his reaction is impassive, a strong contrast to the little wiggle dance that the league's esteemed head scientist is doing.

[break][break] "i didn't realize head scientists were concerned with such topics," he says instead. evasive as always. "do you have much of a love life, illeana?"

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
bond bridge

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]"off duty head scientist, actually, and i quite enjoy the topic."

she understands, in a small sort of way, how he deflects. the question is passed over to her and for a moment, she considers not giving an answer.

and yet, she flashes a smile. if he won't answer, she will.

"i do."

she leans forward over the table and her stare is fully amused by now.

"did you think i'd be married to the job, single with fifty eevees forever?"

a laugh escapes at the thought. it dies quickly and suddenly, overtaken by a fond expression.

"with the constant state of danger in hoenn, it's nice to forget for a while with the person you love."

jayden cross

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

she's teasing him.

[break][break] he knows it, because it's the way she would look at him when they were kids, mocking him over his preference of triangle-cut over square-cut.

[break][break] the laugh that fills the air then is sweet and light, tinkling like fairy-dust over their sweets, and brings a soft flush to his cheeks.

[break][break] "well — i suppose so. honestly," he says. "i never thought much of the topic."

[break][break] it could've meant either love life or her love life. still, his brow arches as he pauses his meal to look at her.

[break][break] his expression is impossible to read.

[break][break] "you love them?"

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
bond bridge

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]"never?"

an incredulous look rises quickly, as if she can't quite believe that statement.

"you've never had a crush on anyone?"

is that what he means? or... does he mean a relationship? there's too many levels to a love life for her to dissect out of him right now.

and when she meets an impossibly read face, she doesn't quite understand the expression. her face shifts from confusion to contemplation to confident, multiple colors flashing across features like an aurora borealis in the night sky.

"yes."

her expression falters slightly, then, and she flushes pink as her eyes drop down to the half eaten piece of cake.

"although i haven't, uh, told him yet."

jayden cross

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"a crush?"

[break][break] he blinks, confused as to why she's asking, before it dawns on him.

[break][break] "ah.. yes, yes i have." he takes a sip of the iced coffee, which is quite good, despite it's sweetness. "i meant — i just never really thought about it. or pursued it."

[break][break] "it kind of just happens."

[break][break] his eyes shift towards a waiter as they pass, who have sparklers on a dark chocolate cake that look as vibrant as aurora borealis flashing in a midnight sky. he looks back at her.

[break][break] "i see," he says, before cutting a piece of the cake and sucking on the fork. "why not? you don't think he'd say it back?"

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
bond bridge

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]the iced coffee tastes amazing because of the sweetness. she takes a few sips back to back before returning to her cake.

and while she has the bite teetering on her fork, she doesn't bring it to her mouth yet.

"why not pursue it?"

what's holding him back?

the sparklers draw her eyes as well. and where he sees an aurora, she sees fluttering sparks of multicolored tinsel. regardless, it's a pretty sight for a celebration.

she finally brings the fork to her mouth and chews on his question as well as the piece of cake. the chocolate flavor does little to quell the tinge of anxiety in the question.

"yeah. i mean... i've known him a long time but he doesn't really talk much about those sort of things."

frankly, she isn't certain he'd ever say it. he shows it, sometimes, in the way he moves around her, in the way he regards her as if she's the only light in a well-lit room.

jayden cross