Eva was, admittedly, a bit anxious, nervous maybe? Illeana’s reputation certainly proceeded her, an impressive resume at such a young age. The fact Eva was asked to successor was . . . well, unnerving. The doctor didn’t feel on par with the woman’s brilliance in the slightest. Unfortunately, most scientist felt that way about each other despite each of their unique accomplishments. In a world of brilliance, most failed to see it in themselves. At least, that’s how Eva felt most of the time.

“Dr. Reyes!” she greeted with a bright smile as the door to the lab swung open, “No problem at all! Better than late, I guess,” Eva led the fellow scientist through the lab and towards the breakroom area near her office, “Would like something to drink? I have some fresh coffee brewing and some cold drink in the fridge” her hand motioned for Illeana to help herself to whatever she would like. Eva set an empty coffee cup near the pot for herself, “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, I really appreciate it,” there was true sincerity in her words and in the soft smile that followed.

illeana reyes

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]the concept that her reputation precedes her is lost on illeana reyes. all she sees within league headquarters is failure, disappointment, things she couldn't accomplish. there's no great achievement left behind with just her name and it's settled beneath her skin, left to fester like an irritated wound. perhaps that's why she pushes forward with silph co. with a tenacity she didn't have before. fueled by the notion that failure isn't an option anymore. it brings her to eva's door now, willing to help her successor push past whatever shoes she did manage to leave. she won't allow another scientist to feel inferior, not now and not ever.

"dr. morales," her lips break into a warm smile. "it's a pleasure to see you!" she follows where eva leads, almost tentative to wander in of her own accord. it's familiar, yes, but things are different now. where there used to be bits and pieces of herself and lucas lane, they have been written over by each of the new head scientists. she can't say she minds, truthfully. it's a welcome change.

"oh, coffee is perfectly fine with me! thank you," she murmurs. once eva places her empty mug beside the brewing pot, illeana joins her and places one of her own. a couple of sugar packets are placed in preparation and then, she's rotating to give eva her full attention. her smile widens slightly, warmth spreading across her features. "i should be thanking you for the invitation! i really appreciate it," genuine meets genuine and illeana's easily more comfortable as the moments pass. there's no longer that feeling of being out of place. instead, eva makes her feel welcome, included, worthy.

"where would you like to begin? i'm ready to help whenever!"

Eva Morales

Illeana accepts the offer of coffee by setting out her mug and sugar packets. Eva smiles at her genuine appreciation of the invitation. Her attention is momentarily taken from Illeana as the coffee pot bubbles and groans at the end of its brewing cycle.

Eva careful fills the two coffee mugs, “Well, I’ve had a bit of an introduction from priam conrad . I believe he was Dr. Lucas Lane ’s previous assistant?” her eyes momentarily glance up at Illeana to judge her reaction of Eva’s casual mention of her previous associate.

The coffee pot is replaced, and Eva leads Illeana to the 4-top table in the break room. It’s an intentional tactic to make their meeting feel more casual. This wasn’t any sort of official conference so there was no need be formal and use Eva’s office. This was simply two scientific minds meeting share ideas and get to know each other better. Well, Eva hoped to form some sort of relationship with her peer. She was unsure of Illeana’s intentions.

“I’ve been given some . . . Blue Mulch,” she begins, “The report I got from Pry indicated the source of the mulch was the sap of a mysterious white tree. And there was . . . some foreign DNA in it? . . . Did you really suck it up into your mouth?” Eva flashed Illeana a playful, yet curious grin as she sat down, wrapping her hands around the warm cup. It isn’t judgement in her eyes, it’s amusement. Eva would do exactly the same thing if that’s what it took to grab a sample like that.

illeana reyes

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]"yes, he was! how's priam conrad doing these days? i don't think i've had the pleasure of seeing him since i left." granted, it was more nodding at one another in passing but still, he was a familiar face she didn't mind. illeana flashes a warm smile, gratitude dripping from each corner of her mouth as eva pours coffee into their cups. her eyes drop to the cup, to the packets of sugar, to busy herself with finishing prepping the cup to drink. Lucas Lane isn't necessarily a sore subject for her, per say, but certainly an awkward one. it shows in the way her smile falters slightly, just enough to have her pausing before ripping the packets open and pouring them in. with the end of the sugar comes the end of her thoughts on her old colleague.

"have you had a chance to go through all of paperwork yet?" it's her attempt at casual conversation as eva leads her to the break room. a change in scenery causes mild tension to disperse from her shoulders. the office leaves too many reminders of the time spent here, the failures that keep her up at night lurking in the corners unseen. she settles into a chair with ease, crossing one leg over the other as her mug is set down. a small smile worms its way back onto her lips as eva begins to fill the space between them with words.

ah, it's been a long time since she thought of that tree... too long in fact that it feels like a blur now. her body remembers the feeling of being poisoned well enough, however, for faint pink mist to bleed from her fingers in preparation. a grab for her mug dispels it enough for her liking but her eyes dart anyway to gauge if eva noticed. "yes, that's correct," she murmurs, pausing to take a sip of coffee before returning the mug to its spot on the counter. there's amusement etched into her features by now, as if recalling the scolding she got for pulling such a thing. anything for science, am i right?

"the sap was slightly compromised by both poison and my own dna but we were able to extract what we needed from the sample. dr. lane was not too happy to find out what i did to secure that vial but i'd do it again if i had to." her smile is brighter now, almost proud of her work, of the accomplishment left in her wake. she reaches for the mug once more, if only to wrap her fingers around it and soak up the warmth. "do you have something in mind for the mulch?" curiosity forces the question to leave her mouth, an eyebrow quirking upward in the process.

Eva Morales

An amused laugh escapes her pink lips at the mention of all the paperwork, “Oh my, Priam gave me a lot of stuff,” there’s a heavy sigh when she thinks about the reports she still has to sift through, “I’m getting through it slowly but surely. Some of is relevant, some isn’t,” unfortunately, Priam wasn’t too much of a help in that aspect. It isn’t because Eva doesn’t think he is capable, she just feels she should be the one to read through all the data and reports to get the best understanding possible about the subject. Between that and these personal meetings, Eva is starting to piece it all together better.

Eva’s grin widens when illeana reyes confirms she sucked up the sap with her mouth, “I would have done the same thing,” Eva admits before bringing the coffee to her lips to take a sip, contemplating what it must have been like to make that split second decision knowing you may compromise yourself with the poison. It was brave, very brave.

A light shrug lifts the doctor’s shoulders, “Nothing concrete yet,” she isn’t finished pouring through the data as well, “Obviously it has healing properties – I’d like to assess those,” her finger taps rhythmically on the ceramic mug, “Can they be replicated? What sort of energy is the source? Is it a deity of some sort?” the questions were honestly endless, “Did you and Dr. Lane have any plans for it previously?” Little did she know, the trees were about to reappear throughout Hoenn.

illeana reyes

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]ah, the concept of sorting through endless paperwork is not lost on illeana reyes. part of her wonders if the work load is similar between the two women now. lord knows silph co's science department drowns her in paperwork... hopefully eva fairs a little better with the league. "if you'd like assistance with it," she begins, lips settling into the beginning of a smile. "just let me know. i can rearrange my schedule to lend a hand if needed."

an idle finger traces the brim of her mug. clockwise twice, counter-clockwise thrice, as if mulling over the memories from the tree. poison leaves the events wrapped in a hazy fog but she knows enough to recount her steps if needed. somehow, she doubts she will but it's readied anyway if only to prepare herself for all possibilities. "would you?" another dedicated scientist for their cause, perhaps. or, better yet, another scientist with just as much to prove. neither yet both fit and she's quiet for a moment, staring at caramel colored coffee in a mug. quietly, she adds more commentary as if it needs to be said. "i don't regret it, sure, but it did land me in the hospital for a while... FERNANDO SILPH had helped ensure my safe evacuation once the building began to collapse. if he hadn't been there to assist? i'm not so certain i would have made it out."

her eyes dart up to find eva's, then, with an almost suffocating seriousness. "it's admirable to do whatever it takes to secure victory but consider the consequences of such actions." she didn't and it cost her, well, everything in the end.

whatever tension she holds in her shoulders eases slightly with a soft exhale, with a soft puff of pink smoke. and then, she's flashing a mild smile, switching gears into science mode without hesitation.

"i'm not certain if they can be replicated," she offers. a hand waves in thought, as if pulling concepts in her mind from the air around them. "i've seen healing properties that are different in nature to the mulch but i don't believe they're connected. the source is unknown at this time but if i had to guess?" a pause, a consideration of spewing fact or fiction. she has theories, sure, but nothing concrete enough to be sure. "whatever grew the tree, whether it was an act of nature or a higher power, is the source behind that healing property. i've heard of legends from other cultures of such a thing but those myths are outside my realm of expertise." her own abilities are similar but not connected, not by the slightest string. the myths and legends surrounding her own deity aren't helpful here and so, she falls quiet for a moment.

"i, personally, didn't have any plans for it besides researching the molecules and their genetic makeup for a hint toward the source. i know Lucas Lane had used some of his, however. i believe he brought an odd sort of pokemon back to life." does that help? probably. was she supposed to say that? well, maybe not but it's fine.

Eva Morales