at least she isn't sitting outside for too long before someone captures her attention... well, she would have originally preferred an actual human but this espeon is adorable and she's enamored from the moment the psychic type approaches. so much so, in fact, that her lips curl into a gentle smile. "hello there," she coos, tentatively extending a hand for the espeon to sniff if she wishes. "where'd you come from? you know, i have an espeon just like you!"

before she can dive into a one-sided conversation with the espeon to distract herself from her baking dilemma, the owner of the said espeon makes himself known, approaching with his hands shoved into his pockets. her attention turns toward him within seconds, a soft gasp escaping her before she rushes to return his smile with one of her own. "oh no," she chirps. "not at all! she's adorable and a welcome distraction!"

her manners momentarily slip from her mind as she glances back toward the espeon with a fond gaze. would lapis enjoy meeting this espeon? it might get slightly confusing to tell the two apart but... the thought of lapis playing with another espeon makes her heart soar. in her admiration of this man's espeon, she completely forgets his presence for a few seconds and flushes with embarrassment as her mind clicks back into the space around them. right, probably best to not ignore him and only stare at his pokemon. "i'm sorry," she murmurs before rising to her feet and flashing him a sheepish smile. "where are my manners? i'm illeana!" introductions are first... then, perhaps, she could maybe convince him to help her bake cupcakes for a good cause? oh god, how is she going to manage to ask that of a total stranger?

well, she supposes that she's about to find out...

@draze

her usual smile widens as the espeon seemingly gives her its approval, sniffing for a few moments before closing the distance between the extended hand and its head. the fur is soft, comforting, familiar, and she swears her heart soars a little. immediately, the woman begins to slowly wiggle her fingers, stroking gently at the psychic type's face. and then, she speaks, dragging her eyes up toward the man's face. "see? definitely not a bother!"

curiosity lingers in her mind and she pauses, taking the opportunity to glance back at the espeon. "i don't really believe any pokemon could truly be a bother," she murmurs. "especially if they're this friendly." it reminds her of lapis, of her own espeon happily trotting up to the nearest body for good pets. her umbreon, on the other hand, keeps his distance from most. hm, perhaps it's simply just an espeon thing! her eyes hone in on the gleaming red gem sitting comfortably in the center of the feline's forehead and understanding flashes across dark eyes for a moment before it falls away. the gem, the psychic ability it lends... it makes sense, now.

the woman shifts slightly, raising her free hand to meet his in a handshake. "it's a pleasure," she chirps. her hand lingers in his for a moment before retreating back to her side. he speaks, then, with a question rolling off his tongue and the smile she wears turns sheepish. ah, so he noticed her distress, hm? she's not exactly subtle about any of her emotions, really... her heart is constantly worn on her sleeve, constantly on display. "ah," she breathes, eyes drifting toward her feet. "well... you see, it's kind of embarrassing." as if rising to the occasion of making her point even more pronounced, her cheeks come to life with a pink hue. "i have a minor dilemma," her mind moves faster than her mouth and she backtracks over the sentence as quickly as it has left her mouth. "um, i mean i guess maybe not exactly a dilemma? i'm having trouble, i suppose?" as the espeon approaches her once more, she bends at the knees to give a nice scratch behind the psychic type's ears.

"i have to bake cupcakes for a bake sale and, um," she has begun fidgeting by now, refusing to meet his eye as if her admittance of defeat, of failure, will be more real from eye contact alone. "i'm an awful baker." there, she said it. it's out in the open in all its trivial glory. really, shouldn't be concerned with bigger things than ruining a few batches of cupcakes? ugh, but it's for a good cause... her eyes slowly begin to travel back to his own, a shy smile replacing the previously sheepish one. "you wouldn't happen to be good at it... would you?" it doesn't hurt to ask, right?

@draze

the sound of loud purring is comforting, calming. it brings a smile to her face instantly, as if it's the best thing she's ever heard. the espeon presses her head closer, tilting for more access with the slight steady swish of her tail. ugh, such an adorable creature. the man speaks as she idly pets the psychic type, her gaze drifting toward him while her fingers continue in a slow, lazy manner. "really?" there is a curious tone to her voice as she asks. "do you know why she doesn't like strangers?" it's different from lapis, practically the polar opposite. whereas this espeon, if she's assuming correctly, would do everything in her power to avoid strangers, lapis would brush against them with soft mewls for attention. curious. a light laugh escapes her at his next choice of words, smile growing in brightness. "aw, i'm so honored!" she glances toward his espeon, then, and her eyes soften. "you're such a sweetheart," she coos toward the feline.

the sigh he breathes out makes her heart begin to race slightly, the notion that she's bothering him with her insignificant problems rising instantly. oh god, is she annoying him? was it rude of her to even ask for his help? oh no. before she can apologize, however, he speaks and she thinks she understands what he's trying to say. "oh, is that so?" her tone is on the softer side, a little more reserved as she begins to ponder what she's going to do now. those cupcakes can't just bake themselves, right? this would be so much easier if they could! another apology sits on her tongue, ready to meet the open air, when he continues. relief washes over her not even halfway through his sentence.

"really? you mean it?" she all but chirps to him. he'll really help her? this is amazing! thank you, universe, for presenting the kindest person available! "thank you," she murmurs. "i really appreciate it!" perhaps she could even repay the favor, although it would definitely have to be something other than cooking... the last thing she wants is to poison him after he had been so helpful. with a bright smile, she gestures toward the open door. "let's do this!" and then, she begins to lead the way, a small hand waving for him to follow her.

@draze

his explanation earns a hum of agreement from illeana, lips curling into a smile. it makes sense and brings a piece of information she had come across once to the forefront of her mind. "i had read somewhere once that espeon had originally developed their psychic abilities to protect their trainer from harm," she glances toward him. "in a way, it's her own special way of protecting you!" this doesn't, however, explain lapis and her overly friendly tendencies. perhaps it differs from espeon to espeon? who knows. either way, it's a lovely thought and she dwells on it for a few moments, eyes drifting back toward his espeon. "she's definitely trustworthy."

filled to the brim with a combination of relief and excitement, the dark haired woman practically bounces toward the door. his espeon has already beaten her there, however, and without a second thought, she swings the door open to allow the psychic type to venture in for a good sniff around. "no, it's super kind of you to even consider doing this! really," she chirps. "i appreciate it!" her smile grows in brightness as she leads the way in, his presence right on her heels. a giggle escapes her, then, and she glances back at him with a rosy tint to her cheeks. "sorry about the mess," she chuckles. "i was totally in panic mode when i first started." well, panic mode might be an understatement. she had managed to cover every inch of her kitchen with supplies and cookbooks, recipes pinned to the walls in an odd way. to her, it looks normal, following her thought process but to others? it looks like a disaster, a chaotic clutter with no rhyme or reason.

"we totally got this! ready to get to work?"

her house smells delicious by the time they're finally done, the sweet scent of dessert filtering throughout the entire structure. of course, her kitchen has gotten even more cluttered once they manage to finish baking. with a sigh, illeana brushes a stray strand of hair from her face, slightly grimacing at the flour that clings to the ends of her hair. she's almost afraid to look in a mirror now... if her hair is that bad, she can only imagine how much flour she managed to get on her face. glancing toward draze, she flashes him a grateful smile. "i'd say this was a successful baking session!" laughter escapes her, then, while an idle hand rises in an attempt to rub at any powder on her cheeks. instead, her fingers only make matters worse, smearing more across her skin.

@draze