[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]"it is."

her head tilts curiously, body swiveling toward him in her seat. thankfully, her oven at home is turned off.

"are you not participating?"

why else would he be here? unless, of course, he frequents the casino and its bar more than anyone knows. perhaps that is the case.

her drink comes a moment later and the first sip is like a breath of fresh air.

FERNANDO SILPH

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]oh? interesting information, that one.

"why're you trying to get into sootopolis?"

she suspects, perhaps correctly, it has something to do with the hollow eye socket he has covered. her voice drops lower in volume, quieter in a way that cannot carry far.

"it might be easier with a disguise, you know."

that, or blending in with the drunk bodies trying to stumble their way home.

another sip of her drink indulges the rosy flush of her cheeks. it seems she's been at it a little longer than just here and now.

FERNANDO SILPH

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]she hums. in this instance, she likes the bartender more. at least he gives her drinks and information unlike the man next to her.

"have your secrets, then."

it's of no matter to her, anyway. her hat isn't in the ring.

"missing eyes are more common than you think."

she grins as Isaac Merlo's face flashes into her mind's eye. perhaps if fernando weren't as tall and had blonde hair, he could pass for the man from mt pyre. would that make his secretive endeavor easier?

FERNANDO SILPH

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]a pout puffs her cheeks out.

"really?"

he's impossible.

"why do i need to name ten people? there's what, seven billion people in the world?"

she drinks the concept down with another sip of her cocktail. it's dangerously low, massively in need of a refill.

"surely with that many, more than ten are missing eyes."

it's a roundabout way of saying she cannot, in fact, name ten.

FERNANDO SILPH

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]yeah, definitely impossible.

"okay, how about this, then?"

she leans a little closer, as if about to draw the concept out with a diagram on the counter.

"you can use a pokemon to fill in the missing eye for the disguise. a ditto or maybe a zorua would do the trick."

she takes the offered shots with a grateful smile, brightening even after she downs the first one. the burn quickly numbs well before the second is even touched. it brings back memories, perhaps, of simpler times when things weren't so tense between them.

FERNANDO SILPH

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]damn, tough crowd...

she, for one, thought it was a good idea.

discomfort in the face of disappointment is covered up by her last shot. it burns away what little emotion clogs her throat. and she's a little thankful for the sensation. it evens out the numbness.

"tonight?"

or does he mean something else?

either way, the question doesn't bode well.

FERNANDO SILPH