[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]she doesn't quite hold lateness against katherine.

truthfully, she'd prefer slightly late than never showing at all.

her smile spreads into amusement, a grin beginning in the aftermath of a shrug. alive is better than dead. and that's all they can really ask for, right?

"i'm glad," she murmurs. it's genuine in a way that speaks of companionship, of a friendship wanting to be given life. "is the elite four still keeping you busy?"

given the impending doom of the region... she expects they're all busy as ever.

katherine claims her throne and illeana takes the opportunity to sip at her drink. it's fruity enough to mask the initial burning but she feels it in her throat long after.

"as well as could be expected, i suppose."

she doesn't dive deeper than a surface level answer. it suffices for now.

"god, yeah it has been a while, huh?" since... one of the aqua assemblies? "it's kinda refreshing to meet outside of work for once."

Katherine Fairburne

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]"she does have a knack for keeping us from getting too bored..."

all work and no play for the league officials, it seems. with the meteor about to knock on their door, it's not surprising.

and maybe, if they survive, they'll be able to relax for a week before the next life threatening event washes up on the shore.

it's a nice thought, at least...

she grins around the rim of her glass, taking another sip before anchoring it back to the countertop.

"honestly," she huffs. they talk so much of crystals and meteors... she's starting to see them in her dreams. it's exhausting.

"i'm starting to think the people of hoenn have nothing else to discuss at this point."

she's almost missing the days of endless gossip and mindless chatter.

"one night with no meteor talk won't kill us, right?"

Katherine Fairburne

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]the sentiment is certainly shared between both women.

despite past history in hoenn... she can't quite say she feels completely tethered to the region. it's nice, sure, but does it feel like a home she'd die for anymore?

sometimes, no.

she grins, then, with the promise. thank god...

"a scientist's opinion?"

huh. curiosity rises without hesitation.

"my brain is yours as long as you need it," she murmurs. the grin widens slightly and her hand moves to grab her drink once more. it doesn't move yet, still anchored into place. she'll wait until katherine's drink comes before having another sip but the incessant need for a lifeline should she desire it keeps her from resting her hands in her lap.

Katherine Fairburne

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]she listens to the speech in its entirety before opening her mouth.

there's a subtle smile to her face, as if katherine's question is one of acute interest to the scientist. and in some way, it is...

only, they have different goals: katherine seeks an item or items while illeana seeks creation.

perhaps their desires align them a little closer together than before.

she hums and takes another sip of her drink before finally beginning to answer.

"it's possible," she murmurs. the concept itself is one rooted more in beliefs than scientific understanding. and luckily for katherine, illeana is a believer in the story of creation, of arceus and its children... no matter what universe they're in, that will never change.

"with the concept of the multiverse, it's understandable to think everything has a counterpart. items, myths, pokemon, and humans are bound to exist in some capacity throughout the plethora of universes."

she smiles a little. it could be hiding something, she realizes. her own interest, perhaps? or, simply, nothing.

"the only way to know for sure is to explore another universe, perhaps."

which, she knows, is not the answer either of them want.

"personally, i believe items tied closely to myth will always exist in most universes... unless, of course, the myth in question doesn't exist."

quietly, she adds a little further, dipping her toes into her own interest.

"are you looking for something related to creation? i've, um, been researching the trio myself. it's possible what your looking for might be in one of my books?"

wishful thinking guides her to believe she's of use to katherine. that same thinking caused her to blindly search for palkia to the extent of damning herself.

perhaps this time, it'll be different.

Katherine Fairburne

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

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

close yet not. she goes quiet as katherine explains a little further.

and at the mention of sea hoenn, her body tenses from muscle memory. she feels the scar on her back itch and takes another sip of her drink to quell the sensation.

"if it's spread across multiple universes, there's a strong possibility it's for a reason."

her eyes drift away from the pretzel to katherine. red meets red and she stares.

"an item like that being broken into so many pieces and then scattered... typically such a thing happens when the creator is afraid of the item's power."

raw power in a natural form, if left unchecked, can spell disaster. perhaps that's the key.

"do you know why your giratina and hers are searching for this?"

then, katherine pulls the small shard from beneath her shirt. it settles against her chest and shines. somehow, the shard looks vaguely familiar in a way she doesn't understand.

and with that in mind, she answers katherine's question with certainty.

"yes, i believe my books could."

her smile is wider, more confident.

"there's not a ton of information on giratina in particular but i do remember seeing gems associated with palkia and dialga." the shapes of them sketched into old, dusty pages.

she had sketched her own copies when she couldn't sleep, over and over until they stayed in a memory. the passages of text beneath the pictures escape her now.

"perhaps it's similar to those?"

Katherine Fairburne

[attr="class","illeana"]

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

[attr="class","illeana i"]the comment doesn't bother her in the way it would have months prior.

instead, she flashes an almost fond smile. tapu lele hadn't been very vocal nor had it made much sense but in a way, she understood some part of it.

"deities are tricky to understand," she murmurs. her smile grows a little wider. "they answer in ways we don't quite grasp yet. i've found that eventually, there's some sense to be made of their answers."

it's, perhaps, an odd feeling to realize she's surprised katherine. somehow, she never thought the elite four member could be taken by surprise... least of all by her.

and with the opportunity to dive into carefully researched lore, she gains a small sparkle to her. it's almost as if this is her favorite subject to discuss and being encouraged to do so means the world.

katherine's genuine smile furthers the concept along, breathing a newfound sense of life into the scientist.

"they're said to be beautiful, shiny things."

there's a dreamy look in her eyes, a look of longing and greed all tied up into one hope.

"the adamant and lustrous orbs... some myths say if you have one and take it to spear pillar, you might even be able to summon the respective god."

if she could find one... maybe...

"they're said to be part of the two deities, like a small piece of them stored into a brilliant gem. perhaps the shard that you have... is a piece of giratina, too."

Katherine Fairburne