[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]greenery has grown back through most of petalburg. and with it, little blossoms of hope. she follows one such thing to a dead end, naturally, but she cannot curse the city for her own misfortunes.

besides, it's not a lost cause - not entirely, anyway.

"councilwoman."

she wears a small smile as she approaches, silver fanning out behind her as the wind whistles on through. the vacant swing beside freya rattles softly, inviting.

"it's a pleasure to see you again."

an idle hand gestures toward the swing, a question on its fingertips.

"may i join you?"

freya morningstar

moxie lazily lifts her head when illie approaches. freya, pale eyes unfocused, lost in thoughts of brine and salt, doesn't notice her until she's standing directly in front of her. 

councilwoman. 

the paperwork would have gone through by now, of course. it wasn't a secret, by any means, but the public hasn't been made aware yet. still, it's odd to hear it spoken out loud. like someone's speaking to her from the past. 

"head professor," she says with a coy smile. she gently waves her hand holding the coffee to the swing beside her. 

"i wanted to see the devastation for myself," she explains, skirting around pleasantries. illie hadn't needed those the last time they'd met either. "only to find it overgrown."

illeana reyes

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]somehow, despite never quite being close, she feels a certain fondness for the woman before her. likeminded spirits, perhaps, if she were to truly dwell on it - or, better yet, the connections they share. she recalls - with an almost bitter taste - the first time they had met...

how times have changed, she may never actually know.

she settles softly into the vacant swing, hands rooting themselves around each chain until rusted metal feels familiar to her palms.

"i see."

her remark is soft, idle, bordering curious.

"were you looking for something in particular? or simply observing the aftermath?"

overgrowth can, sometimes, be a blessing in disguise. it hides the pain existing underneath, like persistent ivy growing over long decayed bones. in this case - though - she finds little to be a good thing.

freya morningstar

"no," she says thoughtfully. "nothing in particular. insight, maybe? answers, always, though i'm never sure i'm asking the right questions."

while she yearns to confide in someone, she can't. not even KING WAYLAND has heard of her findings. she's afraid he may try to stop her from telling fernando. she's afraid by telling him, she may try to stop herself. 

it is so exhausting to play pretend. 

"i was surprised when i heard from dahlia. surprised more when i heard myself saying yes." she quirks a grin. "how are the rest of our leaders these days? manageable? or am i being thrown to the wolves?"

illeana reyes

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]a thoughtful hum escapes before slowly, a reassuring smile begins to root itself into the curves of her cheeks.

"i find no question is truly right in the end... answers have a way of finding us regardless."

it's not necessarily what she's looking for, perhaps, but illeana has the firm belief in place for a reason. her own experience, possibly, or simply the way fate always seems to hold other cards in store for them.

and after a moment, her grin mirrors that of freya's.

"honestly, i'm glad you said yes - is that selfish to admit?"

a familiar face amongst wolves, it would seem. a light laugh escapes.

"you might be thrown to the wolves depending on who you ask, though i don't believe you'll have any trouble in that regard. wolves are nothing compared to dragons, correct?"

freya morningstar

there's no answer to find her - no light to part the heavens and tell her what she's doing is right. that by sparing the man who tormented her is what's best for them all. is she just trying to martyr herself? has she grown at all? or is she still that same ideological fanatic, chasing dreams in which her justice is the justice?

"maybe it is," she says, "but it's nice to know i can count on you." a pause. "and i hope you feel the same."

she sets her empty cup down. it rolls onto its side and moxie stirs, flicking her tail to send it skittering over the gravel. freya grips her chains and stretches a leg, swaying slowly. 

she answers illeana with a flash of teeth and nothing more. 

"i never had the chance to thank you in person, by the way. for saving alex."

illeana reyes

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]warmth spreads quietly, simmering lightly through the body.

"i do. i - um - know we're not exactly close, but i do consider you along the line of a friend."

an ally, even, though there's too much familiarity for them to simply be acquaintances. she hopes - perhaps incorrectly - to hold a friendship with the councilwoman as ALEXANDER STONE does, built on mutual trust and sheer goodness.

the mention of him brightens her features. pale cheeks turn rosy and she finds herself shying away from the gratitude.

there is nothing to thank her for, she reasons. she had done what any of them would have if they had been the one to find him instead. it's a foolish notion to think otherwise and yet, she can't help it. current circumstances do not exactly change the flutter in her chest.

"no thanks necessary, freya."

an idle hand waves the concept away lightly.

"i'm just glad it worked, really. i didn't think it would but..."

he is whole. breathing. living. hurting, even, because of her. that is thanks enough, perhaps.

freya morningstar

freya chuckles. 

"i told k- ...someone once that i don't get close easily. he was my only friend for a very long time." the pleasant smile fades and the swing stops swinging. she rests her cheek against cool metal. if she had tried harder, if she'd dare look into that hurting part of herself, maybe it all would have been different. 

maybe she never would have gone to fernando. 

but then, she never would have met king. or worse, she'd be hunting him with her old, vindictive fire. 

"i tried to save him too, you know. well, a version of him." she frowns. "we were married in another life. i'm sorry if that's weird. i know you two..."

she clears her throat. "anyway, i'd like to be your friend. if you'll have me."

illeana reyes

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]"i don't blame you for that... people can be, well, awful, can't they?"

her body and mind hold stories of the cons to closeness, lessons etched like constellations. no matter how she looks at them, they are not pretty. they only hurt.

and the piece of information from another time, another dimension, hurts too in its own little way. she masks it as best she can, slipping a wistful smile into place and letting the glue firm. any instance of alex, whether she notices or not, pains her in a way she can't quite discern. perhaps it's the almost that haunts her or the wonder if that could have been them in another life, another time, another choice.

"it's okay, i don't mind."

she doesn't, in an odd sense of the concept. it had been another timeline and he is no longer hers. she couldn't change such a thing.

warmth spreads through her chest and the resulting smile is affectionate, familiar.

"i'd really like that, actually. things have been, um, a little lonely lately."

Felix Gallagher hasn't been around much anymore - if at all - and Eva Morales has become busier with each passing day. she's left to her own devices, as maddening of a concept as it is. she's long since grown tired of talking to her shadows.

freya morningstar