Of course, his company was requested. Early evening, as always. He didn’t mind these late-night meet-ups, because to be honest he wasn’t one for the hot sun itself. Summer was truly one of the more unbearable seasons that Hoenn went through each year, and this was no exception.

Looking at his phone for directions, he was surprised to see that it wasn’t too far away from the Seashore House where, last year (or so he thinks it was last year) there was a bottle-shaking competition. Oh, that competition was intense and he’d always had to bring along a spare change of clothes whenever the bottle exploded itself when he shook it.

It was a hilarious way to get people to cool down, and honestly he wouldn’t mind that again.

Upon seeing Isra, the look on his face brightened, before it turned into one of confusion.

“What the—I didn’t know you were a mother now,” he chuckled. He wondered if the heat was getting to her, at the very least.

Isra Nightingale

Isra snaps out of her seafaring stupor, minding having been wondering on the waves as if she were in some kind of a trance. The sea often did such a thing to her and she knew exactly why, if only it would drag her to the bottom so she could see it for herself already.

Her arms tighten around the egg for a moment, looking up at Alexei as he joins her. "Oh! Well I got it at the speed dating event in february but... I guess it never actually hatched."

She runs a finger along the obscure patterns. "I figuredif I left it in the garden it would but Iguess not."

She reaches over to tap the other side of the table with her fingers, indicating it as Alexei's place for the night. "Go ahead sit, I wanted to talk to you about something!"

Alexei Ivanov

“I got an egg from there too, you know,” he remarked as he took the seat across her table. “So… tell me, who’s the father of your little love child?” he inquired with a teasing grin on his face.

He didn’t know if there was a case of midsummer madness in the air or not, but seeing Isra with an egg in her hands was definitely something that was out of the normal! He knew she wouldn’t normally bother with trivial things such as Pokémon eggs, but this definitely took the cake for the evening.

Looks like this is going to be interesting, he thought as he turned his gaze idly towards the sunset for a few moments. There were very little clouds in the sky; so it was a perfect time for them to admire the setting sun.

“Well? What is it you want to share with me?” he continued, quirking his eyebrows at her, eyes never darting too far away from the egg that she was carrying.


Isra Nightingale

Who's the father? Isra says the first name that comes to mind.

"Remiel Calcifet?" it didn't help that technically it made sense... when the speed dating even was over he'd found her on the beach afterward. She tries not to think about how he followed her into the water so willingly. Looking back, something about it almost dares to make her cheeks turn pink.

Isra doesn't have to look at the menu, answering the next question with the same grace he knew her for. "Drinks of course, and I hear the food here is good from." actually she knew it was, and the staff hadn't changed since she was young. Not that she mentioned it.

"Is it really that odd to see me with an egg?"

Alexei Ivanov

“Ooh? You mean—the new Galarian ambassador who gave his speech at the opening ceremonies of the Pokéathlon?” he inquired—the one and only? He knew there was another who had come from Galar, the one-eyed blonde man, but who knew where that other person was now.

At the mention of the egg, he chuckled.

“You think?” he continued in that same teasing tone. “Normally with menial stuff like this you leave it with the—with your house help, Amelie?” he continued. “Did I get that right?”

It’s at this point he picked up the menu and began looking through it, before another cheesy grin crossed his face as he got an idea.

“You know I suck at pick-up lines, so allow me to humor you for a few moments—can I buy you a drink for this evening?” he went on, the same teasing grin still on his face.

Of course, he also had another ulterior motive with buying the drinks this evening. He wanted to see if whoever was at the bar really knew their stuff when it came to mixology!


Isra Nightingale

"Amelia yes, I suppose I would...." she trails off, murmuring something else, partially to the egg. A quiet reassurance that she atually did, on some level, care for it. It was just... a weird sort of care, wasn't it?

There's a moment where she can't quite look at him because she is indeed speak of the now Galarian Ambassador to Hoenn. She wondered how that was really going to go over in the long run, it tumbled around in her brain, the worry surfacing on her face for a moment before his comment makes her chukle and lightens the mood. "On one condition, you must sweep me off my feet afterwards so that we might dance the night away~" she returns the joke, humour dripping from her lips.

And then her smile drops, she serious for a moment as she looks back out at the sea before turning back to Alexei. "I wanted to talk to you about him a little bit, actually. If that's alright?" she taps nervously n the egg's shell without thinking about it.

Alexei Ivanov

At the mention of ‘dance’, Alexei laughed nervously. He really wanted to tell her that he couldn’t dance at all, that he had two left feet, but at the same time he didn’t want to disappoint her either.

He was at a quandary now, how was he supposed to get out of this?

Chuckling, he returned, “Well, as long as you’re not so tipsy I’d have to haul you home to do it,” before the wait staff approached to take their orders. After instructing the wait staff that he would be paying for whatever drink she would be having, he then pointed to the fruity ‘Old Glory’ on the menu. “I’ll have that one,” he gestured, hoping that the fruity taste mixed in with vodka was going to be worth it.

“So… what is it you wanted to talk about tonight?” he inquired after the wait staff had bustled over to her to take her order. “You normally don’t sound so serious, but… tell me, is there something on your mind?”


Isra Nightingale

"I doubt that." It was almost a smirk becuse the woman held her liquor better tha most expected. Especially with her being of average height and seemingly slight build. Most saw dainty and fragile but in truth Isra was anything but.

"Just a cider, please." Isra doesn't have to tell the waitress which one she prefers because she's been here enough for the woman to know and it shows. She nods and moves along without a second thought.

It gives her a chance to return her attention back to alexei and leave it on him. It takes her a moment to think about how to put it.

"Yes. Well. I-"

Deep breath.

"I've told you a little bit, about how my family.... dynamic is a mess yes?" she doesnn't really wait for him. "How..." she thinks. "I think there's someone I, want to pursue."

"And not just for fun I... think I actually want there to be something at the end of the chase."

"And I'm not supposed to and I don't know what to do about that."

And she asks alexei because he's the only one that's never judged her. Maybe he'll uderstand. For now she sets her egg up on the table and her chin atop the egg. As if cuddling it might make things better.

Alexei Ivanov

“What’s holding you back, then?” was all he said once Isra had said her piece. “What’s holding you back from pursuing it?”

He had an inclination it was something that had to do with said messy family dynamics, but he didn’t want to pry into that too much.

“Why are you stopping yourself from chasing what you really want to go after?” he continued a few moments later, a serious look encompassing his features for a few moments. “No, really, what’s stopping you? Are you nervous? Scared? Threatened?”

Or was there something else he was not aware of that was keeping her from chasing after her dreams… he really didn’t know.

“What? Are you intimidated because of the ambassador’s position?”


Isra Nightingale

He keeps asking her questions she's not sure how to answer in a manner he might understand. Her titles, her position, all the things she is meant to be- they pile up. One in particular makes the idea of anything beyond what alexei is to her dangerous.

So she focuses on the last question he asks. "Hardly. I couldn't care less about that." lies. She cares a lot because anything and everything complicates things further.

Their drinks arrive and Isra takes a long drink of her own.

"I'm not intimidated I just" she cuts herself off again, looking for the right words. "I've never had this happen before. I don't know what to do with it." not quite right, but close enough.

Alexei Ivanov

“Have—have you not been in love with someone else before?” he asked her, his tones going lower as he leaned forward to listen in.

He waited for her answer. In the meantime, he checked his phone, but there’s no message waiting for him, so he sighed and pocketed it once more.

“Look, it’s alright to be really confused among other things, it’s normal to be afraid of things that you don’t understand at first. Is that… is that why you called me over?” he continued, looking up as his glass of Old Glory was slid down in front of him—and a cider placed in front of her as well.

“Need help or anything?” he offered as he took a look at his drink and studied it for a few moments, contemplating if it had been made right. He’d made several Glories before and he was pretty certain about his mixology skills, but to try someone else’s attempt… well, this was going to be a first for him.


Isra Nightingale

"Romance is stupid, love makes you weak." she recites it on instinct as she's about to take another drink and catches herself. The glass comes down a little too hard and she reaches up to cover her mouth.

That's not a side of her that comes out often now is it? Not around him at least.

"Yes, and no and I just wanted to see you." she's setting the egg on the table in between them like a barrier now. Like putting something fragile between them will save her from whatever he's going to say about her comment on love. "It's been awhile, you're the only one I talk to like this."

"How's the gym been? I haven't been able to make it out much with everything going on." she's talking to much to cover hersel up and she knows it but she won't stop once she starts. Talking is the easiest way to drown what she's said. Give him too much to reply to and not enough room to talk.

"And what about the little blue thing? Has it been alright? With everything going on?"

She'll keep going if he lets her.

Alexei Ivanov

“But sometimes, love helps you realize that you’re not an island, that you can’t survive alone,” he chimed in as he swirled around the drink before finally taking a sip and squinting at the bottom of the glass. Were the blueberries not muddled well enough? He sighed.

Oh, he would have shade to throw about the bartender later—if she would let him speak. Instead, he chose to listen to what she was saying.

“Oh, I’ve gotten a lot of challengers—most of them braved the non-tradition version of the challenge. Clearly I suck at battling, can you tell?” he added with a chuckle as he took another sip. Oh, he was definitely going to have words with the bartender if he was allowed to.

He quirked his eyebrows at the mention of his Phione, and chuckled softly.

“Causing trouble as always. She never knows when to calm down. But, well, what about you? Tell me—are you like, considering, the actual possibility of—forgive my wording—hooking up with a ‘prince’, hard as it is to believe?” he continued, eyes twinkling mischievously.


Isra Nightingale