[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]she isn't left waiting outside his door for long. the muffled sound of his answer hits her ears and she's fidgeting by the time the sight of him greets her. there's a faint smile on her lips, half there as if it's trying but failing somehow.

"ah, yeah," she murmurs awkwardly, letting a slight chuckle slip from her lips. she hadn't exactly given him much opportunity before she just kinda showed up and knocked. sure, there was a text involved. dozens, actually, but that's beside the point. "sorry. i, um, i wanted to see you." seeking comfort in times of panic, a classic illeana move.

she's settling against him with an almost urgent need for closeness, hands holding a little too tight and body a bit too tense. a sigh escapes, then, and she's pulling away to shake her head.

"no, i'm okay for now," she supplies. and there's a moment of hesitation before she's shifting toward the couch he had just been occupying, her hands dropping to find his and tug him along. "are you busy?"

ALEXANDER STONE

[attr="class","stone"]

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

[attr="class","stone i"]for whatever reason, the concept of her, or anyone, just wanting to see him is still foreign to him. it catches him a little off guard, and all he can do is offer her a soft smile in respose as his hand easily slips into hers.

"a little bit but work can wait." the thought would have had old alexander fuming. thankfully, that part of him no longer exists because of her, and he's grateful for that.

alexander settles into the couch. the television isn't on because he can't seem to work with the distraction it provides. he's not used to just spending time doing nothing yet and it shows in his next question:

"is work treating you okay? i know it has been a while since we last saw each other. i'm sorry for that, by the way. the council is keeping me busy."

illeana reyes

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]"are you sure?" comes quickly, blurted almost immediately after confirmation that yes, he's working and she's probably bothering him. she doesn't notice the faint puff of pink that escapes as emotions rise and she struggles to shove them down. she's awkward and nervous for what? for selfishly taking his time like this? yeah, maybe a smidge.

she settles into the cushions beside him and a bit of her nerves subside the closer she leans until she's fitting herself into his side. her hand doesn't leave his, instead holding a little tighter subconsciously.

"yeah," she murmurs, not quite glancing toward him as she starts mumbling. "work's fine, i guess? it's the usual science-y stuff." and then, he's apologizing and her head whips toward him so quickly she could probably give herself whiplash. "no it's okay, really," she tries to flash a reassuring smile but it's a little awkward and she's too awkward for this. her thoughts and emotions are practically boiling through her skin and it's difficult to try to ignore them. "are you enjoying the council? and the gym? i don't know how you manage to balance them both." word vomit has begun and she's fidgeting again, the heel of one shoe lightly tapping against the floor like someone knocking.

ALEXANDER STONE

[attr="class","stone"]

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

[attr="class","stone i"]"of course." the need to reassure doesn't bother him. they both have their insecurities, that much he's come to understand. he'll help her with hers for as long as she allows him to. he squeezes her hand to remind her.

ah, science-y stuff. alexander definitely understands, or at least he nods like he does. and then the topic shifts to him. "it's... challenging, to say the least. but also rewarding to be in a position where i can influence real change that might help people." he offers her the truth, nothing less.

alexander hears the tapping of her foot against the floor. it's subtle, but he knows her well enough to ask: "is something on your mind, my dear?"

illeana reyes

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]she smiles faintly at the squeeze, returning it in kind. their bubble rises with the action as if it's never gone away, never strayed from their sides. and in some way, it hasn't. it's still withstanding the pressure of their positions and the busy schedules. and she knows she doesn't have to fill spaces with words like she normally feels the need to. it's comforting and warm and she's shifting a little closer into his side.

"i'm glad you like it so far," she murmurs, giving his hand another squeeze as if to echo the thought a little louder. she's proud of him, that much is understood. he's doing so much good in such a short amount of time it's amazing sometimes but never surprising. she's always known that this is what he's always meant to do: to inspire good in the world. "should i start calling you councilman now, honey?" it's light, almost teasing, and comes with a soft giggle. her nerves are easing away the longer she's tucked into his side.

and yet, they come back in full force the second he notices her tapping. her foot stills for a moment at the question but resumes almost immediately. and like clockwork, her emotions are bubbling through cracks in her exterior.

"um, yeah, actually there is," she mumbles and there's hesitation, uncertainty, nervousness all bundled up in one. a three for one special, it seems. her eyes drift away from him to stare at the blank tv as if the dark screen is grounding in some way his hand in hers isn't. "i have news, i guess?"

how, exactly, do you go about saying that you somehow managed to revive a pokemon and now you have these weird power things?

ALEXANDER STONE

[attr="class","stone"]

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

[attr="class","stone i"]challenging is one way to put it. he's certainly sugar-coating the true extent of how much his jobs stress him out seemingly all the time, but she doesn't need to know that. there are still some burdens alexander would still rather bear on his own, as selfish as it may sound.

"only if you want to," he chuckles softly. councilman stone. nope, still not used to it, perhaps only because of the fact that he usually follows that title with silph.

alexander shifts a little to face her, hand still in hers. he draws gentle circles on her skin. "good or bad?" he shouldn't really have asked that. he is quick to correct himself. "sorry. what is it?"

illeana reyes

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]"maybe," she murmurs, although she knows as well as he probably does that she'll continue to use pet names where applicable. maybe in public she can use his new title but here and now? definitely not.

her eyes flitter back to watch his thumb trace circles into her skin. the movement is almost calming in a way, something she's greedily absorbing the longer it goes on. and maybe she shouldn't be using him as a crutch as often as she does but it's difficult not to when just his presence is enough to soothe her. "i'm not sure, actually," she offers with a chuckle of her own. does it fall into the good category or the bad? somewhere in between? she doesn't even know how to feel about it herself. not yet, anyway.

"well," she begins and her eyes retreat from their joined hands to find his. "i found this pokemon and i, um, i thought it was dying so i tried healing it and... well, something happened?" is it easier to just show him? probably. and so, she's rising without warning, sudden and too quick for him to get a word in. her hand falls away from his and she's awkwardly standing in front of him like some sort of solo performer. her anxiety increases the longer she stays silent, the longer she lingers in front of him just not doing anything.

and then, she's reaching for her belt, snagging a pokeball from the holder. "it, um, chose me." she doesn't give enough confirmation but she trusts that he might understand enough to get what she's hinting at. the flash of light that follows is bright and mildly tinged pink but the appearance of the legendary tapu isn't what she's trying to show. no, it's the rosy mist that begins to faintly swirl at her ankles. and while illeana fidgets where she stands, avoiding his eyes, tapu lele offers a soft giggle and a wave.

ALEXANDER STONE

[attr="class","stone"]

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

[attr="class","stone i"]her uncertainty draws him in even more, curiosity rising with every passing second. he wants to know more. needs to know more. he finds himself leaning closer even without meaning to. and then she explains, showing him the pokemon, and by the end of it, he isn't too sure how he feels.

"hm," is the only response that leaves him. he remains seated, peering up at the pink-pokemon for mere moments before shifting down to the rosy mist around illeana's ankles. it swirls faintly, almost unnaturally, and yet alexander remains calm.

finally, he waves back at tapu lele. "have you found out what powers it gave you?" he asks illeana, gaze flicking over to her. despite knowing very little, his words seem experienced. "and why it chose you?" he directs the last question at both of them.

illeana reyes

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]the hm increases her anxiety tenfold, resulting in more pink mist coating the floor and a very fidgety illeana. tapu lele ignores the spike of emotions for the most part, more interested in their company. alex stares at it and the deity stares right back. there's something almost challenging about the tapu, as if it wants him to question it further.

and he does. he supplies two questions, one for illeana and one for both of them.

"i -- i don't fully know yet," she murmurs. there's a glance shared between avatar and deity and then, she's shifting forward a little, extending a hand with the palm facing upward. a small pink scale appears in the center of her palm, floating and almost sparkling in the light of his living room. "i can use these but i'm not sure why or how to control it?" she should probably leave out the fact that she destroyed her room the other night when waking from a nightmare. yeah, best to not mention that.

tapu lele follows illeana's lead and it's almost innocent the way it just lingers at her side. the scales that the guardian produces are bigger, more grandiose than that of its avatar. and then, they fall to the floor and dissipate. "honestly, i have no idea," illeana sighs. there had to have been better options, right? she's trying to think back, trying to process exactly what made her stand out. and where she comes up empty handed, tapu lele supplies the information. it's a prickling in her mind, like a memory being placed front and center.

"the sacrifice i made to heal it, i guess," she still sounds uncertain but tapu lele nods as if it's confident in its choice, in her.

ALEXANDER STONE

[attr="class","stone"]

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

[attr="class","stone i"]is the pink mist controlled by her emotions? alexander notices her fidgeting, notices how the pink mist seems to spread across the floor. so many questions, so little answers.

alexander doesn't ask for her blessings to reach for the pink scale she presents him. he holds it in between his fingers, examining it closely. it looks odd, feels unfamiliar, and it doesn't take him long to come to the understanding that he has no idea what it is.

nor does he know what the pokemon next to her is. it produces bigger scales, prettier, but they dissipate against the ground before he has a chance to look closer. his expression falters for the briefest of moments then, dropping at her words.

"what sacrifice?"

illeana reyes

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]there's tension in the air and she can practically taste it. and where she'd usually assume it's coming from her, she can't tell in this situation and it only adds to her uncomfortable air. the mist continues to curl and coil across the floor, no longer a soft pink and now shifting into a deeper hue. and with it, comes more anxiety and more emotions she's struggling to choke down.

tapu lele seems to almost be feeding off of her inner turmoil. both creatures of emotion, connected as one, doesn't exactly work out in some scenarios. maybe this is one of them. except, where she'd expect the deity to be concerned like her other pokemon, it isn't. instead, it's almost a little excited to feel her feelings spike higher.

illeana watches alex examine the scale in his hand, almost a little too intently. she's looking for a hint into what he's thinking but she finds nothing. if anything, she finds a poker face that only makes her tense. her body is practically cemented to the floor, rooted in place and unable to move until he looks back to them.

and when his face drops, she's left choking on her emotions. they surge into her throat like bile and it's difficult to get a handle on them. "healing wish," she offers but instead of looking at him as she normally does, her eyes shift to tapu lele. the deity feels like it's smiling, even if its lips have not moved yet. a surge of pride comes rushing up and she can't differentiate if it's from her or the guardian. "the sacrifice of allowing my pokemon to faint so this one could come back did it, i assume. it must've liked the lengths i was willing to go to."

it's funny, she'd sacrifice herself in the same manner and maybe that's what the deity had picked up on. it's weird to think about and the urge to understand, to actually feel fully connected to tapu lele rises. she'll have to do more research, ask more questions and hope she gets more.

ALEXANDER STONE

[attr="class","stone"]

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

[attr="class","stone i"]relief hits him when he hears her response, thankful that the sacrifice wasn't more than a mere healing wish. a part of him had expected something more dangerous. more reckless. something similar to what someone else had to do for their powers. for once, he's glad to be proven wrong.

a sense of unease lingers as alexander stares at tapu lele. there's something about it that doesn't sit well with him. maybe it's the unknown it brings, questions it raises. or maybe it's something else entirely. either way, he's stern when he says:

"this is dangerous, illeana."

illeana reyes

[attr="class","illie"]

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

[attr="class","illie i"]she doesn't miss the way his gaze lingers more on tapu lele. there's something in it she doesn't understand. and where she'd expect a different reaction, she doesn't get it. instead, she gets a firm tone and she's not sure whether she should cry or get defensive. the tears don't come yet but her body bristles slightly. scales rise slightly at her feet but it's difficult to tell if they're from her or the deity yet.

"how is it dangerous?" her eyes harden a little, just enough to show she's not getting what he's trying to say. her body shifts and she places herself a little closer to tapu lele. the pink pokemon naturally gravitates toward her, although whether it's through the connection or just because it happens to like her isn't exactly known yet.

and while she stares down alex with a look that's slowly dipping into annoyed, the deity happily gathers the scales at illeana's feet. they increase the longer she faces him, the longer her emotions begin to rise and fall between confused and irritated. there's no hesitation in the way tapu lele tries to offer them to alex, as if it wants him to wear them. does it know that his body can't handle it? does illeana even know? no, she doesn't but tapu lele definitely does. and the deity's lips curl into a wicked smile just barely touching upon innocent.

ALEXANDER STONE