the woman isn't waiting long before the front desk person reappears with alec in tow, the young man already brimming with so much excitement. really, she doesn't understand how he's this energetic constantly... does he ever get tired? she really doubts it. nevertheless, she beams at him, face lighting up as soon as she lays eyes on him. "hey!" she chirps, stepping away from the desk to shuffle closer to him. "it's great to see you too!" naturally, she goes in for a hug. do you expect her to be anything less than a hugger?

happy giggles escape the woman as she releases him a moment later, giving him a once over with motherly eyes. "i'm okay," she murmurs, a hand rising to brush a stray dark strand of hair back behind her ear. "how are you? did you grow taller? i feel like you did! oh my god, you're getting so big!" each word comes out in an affectionate coo as she fawns over him. "i can't believe you're a gym leader now," she remarks a moment later. a pout begins to take place on her face, childish and teasing. "and i had to hear about it from the news!"

as he introduces their surroundings to her, she takes the opportunity to fully observe the place in its entirety. it's huge, really, although she expects nothing less from this man. he is, after all, as grand and amazing as the place he has built. her smile widens as she glances back toward him, a teasing light swimming in her eyes. "it's lovely! i'd expect nothing less from you," she murmurs. "may i ask why you call it the dragon's den?" curiosity always manages to take control somehow with illeana and she can't help but question the choice of name. is it special to him? something to do with his past? or, perhaps, is he a dragon themed trainer? it's funny, she had never thought of trainers really specializing in specific types over others. don't they all have their advantages and weaknesses...? then again, the concept of being an actual pokemon trainer is lost on her.

the woman nods in response, gaze following his gesture toward the nice house. oh, it's quaint and adorable, perfect for the budding gym leader. with a light squeal, she all but grabs his hand and begins leading the way, already moving to chat his ear off as they go. "it's such a cute house! really, this whole place is adorable. what made you choose this particular town?" the notion of small talk doesn't cross her mind. no, she prefers to dive right into the good stuff, the curious stuff. "how long did it take you to build this place? wait," she pauses, train of thought immediately jumping to a different topic, a different question. "when were you appointed gym leader? i want all the details!" her eyes are expectant as they turn to him, brimming with a need for the full story. besides, she's certain the news left out most of the good bits so might as well hear the whole story from him, right?

alec foster

with an easy laugh, illeana winks toward the young man, head tilting slightly to the side as she continues praising him. in her eyes, he really can do no wrong... he's just such a pure boy! "well, if anyone can manage to balance the two, it's you!" as far as she knows, he's doing rather well, especially despite being the youngest gym leader around. it's inspiring, really, for the rest of the region and she can't contain her pride for this man. "have you gotten many challengers?" she can't help but press him for more details, more information. perhaps it's the researcher in her or the sisterly energy she possesses around him but either way, she needs to hear everything and will not stop until she's satisfied.

his house is spacious and warm, his energy radiating throughout the place. it's cute, much like himself, and she feels comfortable within the walls of this structure, something that doesn't normally come easily to the woman. her eyes dart about the room as if she's at an amusement park for the first time, taking it all in with excitement. "you have a lovely home," she remarks with a chirp, turning toward him with a grin. "have you settled in okay? no troubles, right?" her words are concerned, as if this is a big endeavor to do all on his own and it is, but she knows he's got a good head on his shoulders. she just... needs to quell her anxiety before it spreads to him, even if all it takes is the affirmation that he's doing fine on his own.

the mention of dragon types brings a certain light to her eyes and she finds herself captivated by his words, intently listening to every syllable that tumbles from his lips. she, personally, hasn't experienced much regarding dragon types but boy, does she wish she has. they're incredible creatures, practically products of legends, and the scientist in her is itching to study them, to learn just what makes them as special as they are. "dragon types? i had no idea! that's amazing," she murmurs, dark eyes never once losing their curious shine. "i've only read about blackthorn... could you tell me what it's like?" her cheeks flush a second later after hearing how he trusts her. it's not entirely surprising, but it still makes her heart flutter just a tad.

the woman settles into the chair he pulls out for her in silence, her eyes never once leaving his face as he begins to tell his story. she listens intensively, hanging on every word. it's surprising to hear of him belonging to a dragon clan. she had never even heard of such a thing until now... her mind briefly tries to recount what she knows of blackthorn and its people, memories being shuffled through like a deck of cards until she manages to find the right one. a page from a book of the towns and cities in johto, a list of facts and lengthy paragraphs practically swimming with information. the memory is faint, fuzzy, and she can't scan it quick enough for a mention of dragon clans. and so, with no knowledge of the subject, she tentatively breaks her silence to ask questions, unable to hold them back. "what exactly is a dragon clan? is it just a family with dragons? i've never heard the expression before," she murmurs. it's a curious thought, one that has her thinking back to the people of her hometown. snowpoint city had lineage of old, dripping with legends and mythology. her own family has ties to some of it, although most had been lost along the way. is... is that the same sort of thing? does that mean she has a dragon clan? probably not, but perhaps some other sort of clan or group? who knows. either way, it's interesting. she tucks the thoughts away for further analysis, neat hands packing it into the filing cabinet of her mind for another day.

a smile rises to her lips as she nods in understanding toward the young gym leader. he's trying to do right by himself and his family, his strengths and talents simply rising to the occasion. it's admirable, something she understands rather well. "i bet your parents are rather proud of you, alec," she replies. what does that feel like? she wouldn't know, having been placed into the disappointment role from such a young age. "it's very sweet of you to honor them and your pokemon with such a name!"

he switches subjects, then, and she once again falls into silence. this time, the silence is solemn, heavy on the mind and body. everyone has heard of the slateport incident by now, even bookworms with no social life. it's been plastered across every news outlet since that day, a painful reminder of what the region had to endure. she, like himself, had not been present for such an awful thing but the feeling of helplessness, of guilt for not being there to help, seems to weigh on them both.

alec continues and her mind begins to wander as he does. back to the fiery paths of mt chimney, of a kind man with a bright smile and an energetic personality. mateo martinez. of course she had heard of the news... who hadn't? her reaction upon finding out had been less than expected, especially after only meeting him once. he was, however, someone who she could tentatively call one of her first friends? even now, the familiar feeling of tears prick and pry at her eyes, clawing toward the surface with painfully long nails. she holds back the emotions with some form of restraint, instead trying to focus back on alec's words. it seems mateo had stronger ties with the young gym leader, something of a kinship. a bond forged in fire and dragon blood, one she could never understand. her heart aches for the man before her, for the man lost beyond the realms of this earth, and for those left behind to pick up the pieces. it's a painful thing, that form of grief. no answers, no clues, just an empty space still maintaining some warmth of the person plucked away.

her silence is finally broken as alec finishes explaining to her, tentative words rising from a good place. the urge to comfort, to coddle, to love is overwhelming and it doesn't take much for the emotional woman to give in. "i believe," she begins, voice struggling to not break. "that he will hold to that promise." from what she remembers of the impressive man, illeana firmly believes this. somehow, someway, the promise between the two men will come to be fulfilled. if it doesn't then... she will be there to pick up the pieces, to help put her younger friend back together again.

with a gentle smile and a comforting hand rising to brush against his arm, she continues. "he will. from what i know about him, he's a very determined man." her gaze turns fond as a light laugh escapes her, words continuing to escape her mouth. "another realm cannot hold him forever. it's not strong enough to stop him," she pauses for a moment, voice dropping to a mere whisper. "and definitely not strong enough to stop that promise from being fulfilled."

and then, with a blink, she rushes to apologize, knowing fully well that she had just brought something to the surface that alec hadn't wanted to discuss. she hadn't known, in her defense, but still... it pains her to see him hurt. "i'm sorry," she murmurs. "i didn't mean to upset you."

alec foster
i will snuggle the sadness right out of him ok

giving alec the floor, she stays silent as he speaks. her mind picks apart each piece of information, each detail as he recounts it. as he goes, she finds that each sentence is more interesting than the last and questions rise like the ocean's tide only to fall away in favor of listening further. it sounds nice being a gym leader, honestly... so much to do, so many people to meet! truthfully, she couldn't imagine taking on such a job but she's also not really a trainer so that makes sense in the end, right? her thoughts drift toward his challengers, wondering what kind of people they are, what they look like, how they handle themselves. it keeps her occupied for a few moments, perhaps longer than she'd initially like, and it's only as he mentions finding an injured wailord that she comes back to the conversation fully. just in time to bombard him with questions, it seems.

"how were the challengers? did you end up giving out any badges?" part of her wonders if that's a bad question to ask. is she asking about something that could be a sore subject for the young leader? tentatively, she moves past the questions of his battles in favor of asking ones relating to his other duties. "are the financial duties a lot? i mean," she pauses, taking a moment to gesture toward the window, toward the rest of the resort. "this place is huge! it couldn't have been cheap..." she ponders that for a moment, that notion. really, how had he managed to build such a place? did he have some sort of endless bank account or something? more questions come with these thoughts and instead of indulging them, she simply continues talking, continues asking about his days, routines, livelihood. "you must have so much room for training! are the water routes nice? i haven't had the chance to see them in person," her voice sounds a little dreamier at the thought of said routes. they must have water that stretches for miles, nothing but yourself and the sea. it sounds nice, pleasant, calming. although... she's not the biggest fan of the sea so probably not for her. a nice thought, nonetheless.

"oh god," she murmurs, eyes widening. "an injured wailord? the poor dear... it's lovely that you saved it. did the pokemon center end up nursing it back to health?" a pause lingers for a beat or two before giving way to a light giggle. "they really are so big! how does one keep them as a companion unless they live in the sea?" could someone live on a wailord? it sounds possible, right? "since you didn't have the space for it, it was a really good decision to allow someone else the opportunity to have it!" her smile is bright as she praises him for his actions. keeping the wailord in such a confined space wouldn't be right, anyway... they deserve plenty of room to grow and live. besides, they're certainly not goldfish. "i'm proud of you, alec," she murmurs. "well, not just for saving that wailord! you've made such a name for yourself already. it's an honor to watch you grow into an impressive man." her cheeks radiate warmth as she speaks, matching the affectionate tone her voice takes on.

the conversation shifts, then, toward his lovely home and she takes the opportunity for another glance around. it's the perfect home for him and his pokemon, really. warm and welcoming yet spacious enough for each and every one of them. although, she isn't necessarily surprised that he allows his pokemon to wander the grounds. truthfully, she tends to do the same with her own pokemon. that usually leads to fur covering everything but she wouldn't have it any other way and she's certain he shares that same sentiment.

"do they like your home?" she inquires. "i bet they love the freedom to wander about and meet some of the tourists, right?" her gaze turns fond for a moment, the picture of his darling little piplup roaming the grounds entering her thoughts easily. this mental image prompts another question to escape the woman, her smile widening. "speaking of your pokemon," she begins, leaning in slightly with the quirk of an eyebrow. "how's iris doing? oh, and inferno? i have to admit, i missed them. they're such cuties!" his charmander and piplup were charming on their mission, two unique little things with their own specific quirks. perhaps now, however, they might not be so little now... enough time has passed for him to have evolved them, right? it must have.

while she's absorbed back into her thoughts, alec takes the opportunity to come to a realization. he hasn't told his parents of his occupation, yet? really? oh no, would they be mad if he hasn't told them yet? "are -- are you going to tell them soon?" her words come out a little more nervous than she would have liked but thoughts of keeping such a thing from her own parents has the woman practically quaking in her boots. "will they be upset that you haven't told them yet?"

illeana falls into a comfortable silence once he begins explaining what blackthorn city is like. it sounds lovely and perhaps she'd get the chance to visit one day... although, it brings back memories of snowpoint. the serene atmosphere, the quiet, the closeness of the community. perhaps their hometowns are more alike than they had thought. "it sounds amazing," she replies. "i'd love to see it for myself one day... perhaps it'll even be just like my hometown! i'm glad to hear that you like pacifidlog, though... it can be difficult being away from home so to find a place with the same feeling is incredible." is she speaking from experience or assumptions? it feels like a mixture of both, although she has yet to find a place here that really captures the essence of snowpoint city. a sudden homesickness washes over her, then, and she glances away toward the window, eyes glossing over with a faraway look.

he drags her away from whatever thoughts had begun to transpire in her mind, bringing her back to the present and their conversation with a thorough explanation of what a dragon clan is. the more he explains, the more it makes sense. a family with a special knack for taming dragons, for bonding with them. they must be quite the extraordinary people, huh? she isn't very familiar with dragon types, only knowing bits and pieces of paragraphs from textbooks. each one always made sure to mention, however, that they are very difficult, zealous creatures. in fact, alec touches on this topic as he explains, and the woman finds herself even more impressed with him than before. to come from such a gifted family and make them proud... it's something she doesn't understand yet envies all the same.

"you come from an impressive line of dragon trainers, huh? that's incredible! are you simply born into one big clan or does it just refer to one singular family?" she wants to understand more about this history, to grasp the depths of which it holds. perhaps she's just prying too much instead, eager to fill her mind with more knowledge. or, even, she wants to get to know the man in front of her more than she currently does. truthfully she doesn't know much about him... this conversation is providing her with enough insight to understand him, however, and that's enough to sate her curiosity. the woman stays quiet as he continues to explain, content with listening to what it means to be a dragon tamer.

he finishes his explanation and shuffles into a different direction for the conversation. a solemn mood envelopes them and she sighs, eyes fluttering shut for a moment as she considers his words. it's true that mateo would want him to move forward, would want to see him succeed more than anything. but... it must be difficult being left with such a hole in your heart. she wouldn't wish that on her worst enemy, especially not alec. he doesn't deserve it, none of mateo's friends and family do. "you know i'm always here if you would like to talk," she whispers, a tentative hand reaching toward his own. "even if it's just to distract you from things! i'm just a phone call away." the smile she flashes him is reassuring, warm, gentle. she would always be here for him, always there if he needed anything. how could she not provide that for him? "i just didn't want to make you feel worse, you know?" her eyes dart away from him and find solace in the world outside the window. "you already have so much on your plate and i shouldn't add to your burden by bringing it up. i'm glad i was able to help you a little bit, though..." as long as she could help him, that's all that matters in the end.

and then, in an effort to distract them from diving deeper into feelings of sadness, she glances back toward him with a beaming smile. "you know," she begins with a wink. "i have something to show you!" illeana had remembered how fond he was of nix, her alolan ninetales, and couldn't resist the urge to show him the unevolved form of the icy fox. perhaps cauda, with her cute face and pearly pink fur, could cheer him up a little!

alec foster

his hand settles around her own, a warm comfort despite the nature of the conversation, and she flexes her fingers to give his hand a gentle squeeze. he speaks and she listens, an occasional nod sending her dark hair bobbing. everything he says has a weight behind it that she both does and doesn't understand. she hasn't necessarily been in such a situation before, the exact feelings slipping through her fingers, but she grasps the concepts that he speaks of. the notion of nothing being right, of being at a loss of what to do. it's a difficult situation, one that most don't know how to navigate until they're thrust head first into the middle of it. and yet, she still tries her best to help guide him, help ease something in any way that she can. her smile is gentle as she speaks. "no one ever knows how to cope with something like this," she murmurs. "it's not just because you're young, alec. even someone years older wouldn't know how to navigate what you're going through... unfortunately, i don't know if it gets any easier either." her eyes dart toward the window for a brief moment before finding their way back to his own. upon looking at his face, her features soften into something between understanding and affection. "well, if you ever want to talk about it more i'm always around."

his grin brightens, then, and it's as if she watches him come back to life before her eyes. his tone changes into one with unbridled excitement and she can't help the warmth that radiates from her returning grin. he's precious, adorable, a complete cinnamon roll personified. he launches into an explanation of what his gym stands for, what type of challenge it provides, and she finds herself engulfed in the thought. to teach people self-worth... it's something admirable. do other gym leaders feel the same as this young man? do they also want to challenge trainers, push them to discover parts of themselves that they didn't know they had? it's a nice thought, one that prompts her to speak once more. "so, in a sense, you're providing yourself as the obstacle that these challengers have to overcome? and, by doing that, you lead them to believe in themselves, their abilities, and their pokemon?" she wants to make sure she understands it fully before adding anything else. after a pause, she presses on, praise already rising in her throat. "that's such a lovely idea, alec! they're quite lucky to have someone like you rooting for their success." it's true... in a way, he is subtly showing his challengers that he's in their corner, cheering them on in their ambitious endeavors.

a string of giggles escape illeana as he discusses the cost of building such a place. she has no doubt that it wasn't cheap... the land alone probably cost a fortune! "it seems the league believes in you as much as you believe in your challengers," she offers with a wink. "they were very generous to lend you the funds to build this place. still, a debt of that caliber must be rather... terrifying." she couldn't even imagine making that much money, let alone owing it to someone. her thoughts shift from the financial aspect toward his comments of his home and she nods. it's not unrealistic that this house would cost less than the resort and gym. actually, she's almost positive that if one were to combine both of their homes, it wouldn't even begin to scratch the surface of that cost. it's daunting to think about to say the least.

"you did a great job with it! i'm glad you and your pokemon are enjoying the new living space," she says. it really is an impressive feat if she's being honest. at his age, she hadn't even been earning any money, let alone enough to build a house of this size! he should be proud of himself and if he isn't then she'll simply be proud enough for the both of them. illeana watches with a grin as he scratches his head with a bout of laughter. he's adorable and she wants nothing more than to be one of those old ladies that pinches his cheeks. he shifts back toward the topic of the water routes and the poor wailord he had stumbled upon, offering a little more insight into both. she simply nods in understanding toward the considerable size of said water routes but her mind stays stuck on the wailord. oh, the poor thing. an injured fin for such a creature is no joke and if he hadn't found it, she's almost nervous about what would have happened to it... "i'm relieved," she sighs. "hopefully it wasn't too long of a recovery for wailord, either! i hope his lucky trainer will find him soon."

the idea of both inferno and iris evolving has illeana gasping with excitement, her hand withdrawing from alec's to rise in unison with her other over her open mouth. they really did evolve? oh god, they must be so strong now! her eyes practically glimmer at the thought and without hesitation, she immediately hounds him for more details. "how do they like their new forms? did they learn any new moves?" her train of thought is derailed, then, as it darts in a different direction. "could i see them soon? oh, i wonder if they remember me!" she sure hopes they do... little cuties. he proudly shows off his mega glove and once again, her curiosity is overwhelming any other thoughts. she has, truthfully, never seen mega evolution in action. the concept of it, though? that she has studied in detail, pouring herself into the concept for clues if it ties into her own genetic research. it hasn't, however, but that's besides the point. nevertheless, her hand reaches toward the glove on his hand and she speaks with an awed tone. "did they make that specifically for you? that's adorable! i'm curious as to how it works... i've never seen mega evolution in action, i'm afraid, but the entire idea of it is fascinating! does inferno enjoy mega evolving? wait, aren't there two forms for charizard?" ah, she should have brought her notes...

before she can pry further into this, he begins to discuss the dragon clan further and all of her thought processes are shifted toward his words. the hundred devouring family. a family related not by blood but by bonds... it's a concept she finds fascinating. could she have something like that, too? god only knows how sore of a subject family is to the woman by now. yet, with alec, she doesn't feel uncomfortable discussing his own familial ties or backgrounds. instead, she finds herself gazing at him with wistful eyes. he sure is lucky, huh? "perhaps," she murmurs. "you should ask them about it if it's something you're curious of. i bet you could learn a lot from their stories."

the sight of him blushing under her praise is something that brings delight. well, she's not exactly delighted that he's embarrassed of her onslaught of approval but more so in the fact that for once, it's someone else blushing and not her. it's always a welcome change. and so, with a girlish giggle, she grins at him. "i have no doubt in my mind that you'll make the league extremely proud!" a wink follows her exclamation before her face takes on a softer edge. "just be yourself and work hard. you're already proving to everyone that you're incredible."

cauda, her darling little alolan vulpix, coos toward her trainer with a slight tilt of her head. still a rather young fox, she isn't too used to being around people besides the dark haired scientist. and so, when alec extends his hand toward the ice type, she is shy at first, wary of the hand that's held before her. with a few sniffs, she glances back toward illeana for confirmation that this is okay. the woman nods eagerly and that is all cauda needs for her to shove her head into the hand with another coo. "isn't she? her name's cauda! i had gotten her in the safari," illeana chirps. "although, her coloring is different than when nix was a baby." she wasn't quite sure what the exact terminology was for such a variation but, either way, she's obsessed with her pearly pink vulpix. cauda is content with alec's pets and lets out a confused yip when he pulls his hand away.

illeana stares at him with an eyebrow beginning to raise. "yes, i am," her murmurs, her tone more intrigued than confused by this point. "what is it?" he darts toward a different part of the house, then, and leaves both the woman and her vulpix in the kitchen. it isn't long before he returns with an object in his arms. upon him rotating his body to face her, she understands a bit more of the situation now. "oh!" she gasps and before she knows it, she's reaching for it with both hands the second he sets it upon the table. "you got it from the contest hall? the guy better not have been a drug dealer. they didn't tell you what kind of pokemon it contains? oh, this is so exciting! what did you do to get it? was it a prize or something? wait, did you enter a contest? do they even hold those here? i only know of the contests in hearthome." the woman is out of breath by the time all of the questions manage to fly out of her mouth. honestly, she really needs to stop rambling so much... someone's going to end up forcefully shutting her up one day just for asking too many questions.

in her excitement, she had forgot he already explained exactly how he got it and so, with newly rosy cheeks, she backtracks. "wait, you said you went on dates to get one of these? what a reward! should i ask someone to date me just to get a pokemon egg now?" a snort follows her words before she flashes him a bright grin. "i'd love to study this egg a bit if you'd let me! i'm curious to see what it holds."

alec foster

there's a feeling of being at ease that washes over her all at once, brought on by the brightening of his smile. it's comforting to be in his presence, she realizes. comfortable and easy, like coming home to a family after a long day and perhaps she could even say she's nonchalantly adopted him as her little brother by now. she certainly treats him as such... he welcomes it with ease and without shame, even going so far as to simply chuckle at her onslaught of questions, as if it's the most normal thing in the world. she flushes even so and offers her own laugh that mingles with his as it escapes her in a single breath. "it is!" and then she's leaning closer, her attention absorbed by the egg and the mysteries it contains. the shell offers no clues and unless she's able to possibly run tests... there's no way to know what lies within until it begins to hatch. her eyes almost sparkle as they dart back toward alec, an almost childlike excitement exuding from her every pore. "will -- will you let me be there when it hatches? pretty please?" her best pleading face, her biggest puppy dog eyes, any and every arsenal in her rather small book of tricks come out with the sole intention of convincing him.

before she can beg any further, he's plucking his own alolan vulpix off the ground and she's completely caught off guard. he... he named the fox after her? he can't be serious, right? he's joking, there's no way he's serious.

except, he is, and she's overwhelmed with all these emotions. surprise, excitement, happiness, and finally... tears. it starts slowly at first, with the widening of dark eyes until her vision's blurry and her cheeks are suddenly wet. crying, she's crying. and then, she's laughing and if he didn't think she was a little not all there before, he certainly would now. "you," she tries, struggling to get any other words out as a half sob, half laugh escapes and she's clasping her hands over her mouth in an attempt to stop it. the tears keep coming and she looks more like a leaky faucet than anything else and really, it's hilarious how easily she can cry now but oh god, he's so precious and kind and that's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for her. "you really named her after me?" she manages to get out at last, voice trembling, shaky, emotional. and before she can stop herself, she's launching herself out of her seat and at him with outstretched arms, pulling both him and his shy little illie into a snuggle.

"that's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me," she whispers and then she's laughing in his ear before she gingerly releases him to focus on the ice fox in his arms. "she's gorgeous. it's a pleasure, little illie!" one hand reaches out to offer itself to the vulpix while the other attempts to wipe at the remnants of whatever tears still cling to her eyes. it takes a few moments before the woman can gather herself again, composure slightly faltering as she thinks of the gesture over and over until it's engraved into her brain. god, she'll certainly be crying about this for a week now...

cauda brushes at her ankles, comforting yet confused yips escaping the little fox and without a second thought, illeana bends to scoop her pearly pink pokemon up into her arms. "i'm sorry," she murmurs after a moment, offering a sheepish smile in alec's direction. "i didn't mean to become such a mess?" laughter follows before she's attempting to shuffle toward discussion of his pokemon, away from the embarrassing display she just showed the younger man. "she'll grow and become more comfortable around others! you just need to give her some time and encouragement," she smiles as her gaze drifts toward the other illie in the room. "in the mean time, it's lovely that you're making her comfortable and happy while she's growing! your other pokemon must really enjoy it too!" the mention of inferno being unable to fit through the door causes her to dissolve into a fit of giggles. he used to be such a small charmander and now he can't fit through the door? he must be massive by now! ugh, she needs to see him again. "poor inferno," she giggles.

curiosity rises and with it, another round of twenty questions immediately follow. sometimes, she wonders if she should be a host of a game show or something... just so she can ask questions constantly without being annoying. "so two dates and you got an egg? really?" a pause and then, she's snorting because despite being too pure for her own good, her mind somehow manages to find itself in the gutter. "i didn't know eggs happened that quickly!" she's far too amused by her own awful joke, so much so that she has to take a moment to collect herself, laughter dissolving into brief giggles. "that sounds kind of lucky if you ask me! it's not every day that you're handed an egg for free, right?" despite being so invested in genetics, she's actually never had the opportunity to raise an egg herself. funny... she's almost jealous of alec now.

he's really going to let her study it? oh god, this is turning out to be such a good day! first, he names an alolan vulpix after her and now she's able to study his egg? can it get any better than this? an excited squeak escapes illeana as she tries and fails to keep her joy contained. "you mean it?" there's a twinkle in her eye that can only be described as pure delight. "you haven't shown this beauty to anyone else? oh god, this is so exciting!" and then, a thought strikes her and she's suddenly grinning at him. "does this mean you'll get to see where i work now? after seeing how impressive your gym and resort are, i don't know if my lab will be able to top it!" truthfully, her lab is a complete and utter disaster... there's papers everywhere, half-read books abandoned on desks with rushed cursive words thrown throughout the pages. oh, and don't even get her started on the whiteboard she had gotten in an attempt to organize. it looks like a conspiracy theorist threw up all over it... still, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little excited to finally show off her happy place to another human. "we could pick a time when you're able to take a break from the gym to run some tests, maybe?" ah, she can't wait!

ily & alec ;u; <3
alec foster