the question is unexpected but pleasant. it makes him smile in response, dipping his head gently as he shifts his gaze away.

"they're good. the same. both as busy as ever, dad especially more so now with everything that's been going on."

danny cannot imagine what it must be like to be a high-ranking league official right now. it only occurs to him then that he's sitting right next to one.

"they ask about you quite often."

he starts again.

"i usually just say you're busy with work. oh, how is work? i saw you're now a gym leader?"

Greyson Connors
mission!

☉

"you sure?"[break][break]

he pulls his hand back, lowering it to his cup of coffee for its warmth.[break][break]

"illeana reyes, youngest head professor in the league, hero of the war at meteor falls."[break][break]

he's definitely reciting something he's read online. never say he doesn't do his research.[break][break]

"you've done so much for the region."[break][break]

and danny? what has he done?

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

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]

snap! snap![break][break]

actually it sounds more digital than that because it's a smartphone.[break][break]

he pushes off the ground, standing before reaching for his phone to look at the pictures. he swipes left, right, left, right, unsure which one he likes better.[break][break]

"yeah? i should be thanking the weird distortion, then."[break][break]

humming, he shrugs, then looks back at her before gesturing to the flowers on the ground.[break][break]

"your turn. for your millions of followers."

[attr="class","ooc"]Katherine Fairburne[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]

danny blinks, staring at her poker face in slight disbelief.[break][break]

"did you actually?"[break][break]

surely not. he would've seen the notification. surely.[break][break]

but as easily as he usually falls for her antics, he starts doubting himself. he'll need to check after this and rectify his mistake.[break][break]

smile![break][break]

trial and error. it helps that she doesn't instantly snap a pic. but he listens to her instructions, nodding, before finally smiling up at her instead of the camera.

[attr="class","ooc"]Katherine Fairburne[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]

the biggest baby. but danny doesn't correct nagi this time. there will be more than enough opportunities to in the future for sure.[break][break]

"no more convenient excuses for you to not get me a gift."[break][break]

he rolls his eyes only to chuckle a moment after.[break][break]

"no plans yet."[break][break]

it's difficult to make plans with all that's been going on in hoenn. who knows what'll happen tomorrow? next week?[break][break]

"that's on you to come up with. no pressure, but it is the big twenty-three."

[attr="class","ooc"]nagi miwa[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]

danny shrugs.[break][break]

"probably not. but i trust you."[break][break]

what is she going to arrest him on, anyways? defending the tree of life? he's not been caught in the act. hasn't been caught committing a crime. all he's done is sipped his coffee.[break][break]

he glances down at her hand before reaching for it, shaking.[break][break]

"i know, professor. you're kinda famous, you know."

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

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]

"i guess they're kinda like special flowers? they grow in really odd places like in lakes as well."[break][break]

as odd as it is, danny is no scientist. his knowledge of them stems from all the clickbait articles he's read.[break][break]

at her suggestion, he nods, handing her his phone.[break][break]

"thanks. i'm sure my fifty followers are gonna love it."[break][break]

he lowers to lay down beside the many glowing flowers before looking up at her, smiling.

[attr="class","ooc"]Katherine Fairburne[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]

"old man?—ow!"[break][break]

poor, innocent, defenseless danny ends up getting kicked. he is stronger than he looks, however, so his kneecap simply takes it without much of an issue.[break][break]

"you bitch."[break][break]

he leans down to rub at his knee only to be caught out by nagi's question. maybe he should've seen it coming.[break][break]

"a little, yeah. but i guess it's only because i aged physically and not, you know."[break][break]

danny taps at the side of his head. dee nods in agreement.[break][break]

"and legally i'm still twenty-two. at least for a few more weeks."

[attr="class","ooc"]nagi miwa[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]

horse riding. ice skating. what next?[break][break]

"they call them crystablooms."[break][break]

with a level of innocence and excitement that should come familiar with danny, he leads them to petalburg woods, to a small area he's come to cherish due to just how beautiful it is.[break][break]

this night, the small waterfall is illuminated by the glow of the crystablooms.[break][break]

danny approaches one, kneeling down beside it.[break][break]

"no one knows how or why they glow this brightly. pretty cool, huh?"

[attr="class","ooc"]Katherine Fairburne[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]

"i'll stick to the soil, i think."[break][break]

doing anything more would be dangerous, considering his lack of knowledge in both the science and espionage departments.[break][break]

a moment passes before the waitress returns with his coffee.[break][break]

with nothing else to talk about, silence surrounds them, broken only by the occasional sounds of his sips.[break][break]

a statement comes eventually.[break][break]

"oh! i'm danny, by the way."

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

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]

"you're so close. but no i work in marketing."

which is a lie. he had studied marketing at university but he never got the chance to pursue a career in it. does rocket need marketing? his mind drifts for just the briefest of moments.

"so if you ever need someone to hype you up, i'm your guy."

not to mention he's already her biggest supporter.

Katherine Fairburne
mission

☉

a soil sample?[break][break]

"i could get that, yeah. digging soil sounds much more simple than extracting sap out of a tree."[break][break]

let alone a tree that big.[break][break]

finally feeling comfortable enough, he gestures for a waitress and orders a cup of coffee.[break][break]

"do you think there's anything else i could try to get?"

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

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]