Ah.[break]
The taste of saltwater lingered within his mouth, and yet the taste of victory always proved to be sweet.[break][break]

Although he hadn’t been intending to lower the Squirtle within his grasp (he couldn’t entirely trust that the assault and retaliation was over right away, after all) he simply watched with a grin as the woman fell over, only leaning over just enough to gain a better glance from around the barrier. He squinted at her with some bit of faux judgment, raising a brow all the while.[break][break]

”...I’ll get them to stop when you stop the Mirror Coat,” he called above the water, laughing. ”So, do you admit defeat? I’d recommend you admit defeat~.”

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
mission: to sink one's teeth

☉

i hope he knows that she's this (picture someone pinching their fingers) close to kicking the water right at him. but she doesn't only because she's such a saint. [break][break]

he's clearly amused - and here she thought that she was the sadistic one, when he's thoroughly enjoying her suffering. of course, he'd sooner call it entertainment, and that serves to prove her point. so she's raising an arm to try and keep the splash out of her face, her bangs, and the eyepatch that rests underneath it. [break][break]

"arceus almighty, you're so childish--" she means to say it with a scowl and a glare, but it comes out with furrowed brows and a small smile instead. "okay, okay, i give--" this time she's raising her other hand, holding her open palm of the cursola saying "only after your primarina stops their hydropump." she huffs, raising a leg from the water to harmlessly send a splash or two to his legs. [break][break]

she doesn't want carci to get hurt, after all.

Leonidas Stone

☉

”Not childish,” he started off, raising a brow with a spark of amusement within his eye. ”I’m just matching your energy, is all~.”[break][break]

After eying her for a while longer, he inhaled and breathed outward, emitting a low, drawn out whistle that seemingly prompted the Primarina some ways away to cease the barrage of water she’d directed at the Cursola. Despite that, however, he still kept the Squirtle tucked comfortably within the bend of his elbow, giving no command to diminish the Protect as he turned just enough to offer a hand out.[break][break]

”Let’s not forget who kicked water first, after all~.”[break][break]

He nodded down towards his hand, smiling.[break][break]

”...And on that note, don’t you dare think of pulling me down unless you want a repeat of what just happened~.”

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
mission: to sink one's teeth

☉

"i don't think my energy is this animated."[break][break]

she'd be surprised, if she was looking at herself now. hell, the fact that she's smiling because she's amused is something she isn't aware of. so she sighs, giving a defeated smile while taking his hand to get a firm grip. "alright, alright.." [break][break]

"i wasn't intending to pull you down, in the first place." she keeps her eyes closed when she gets a grip, and she's being honest; she wasn't. at most, she was going to kick some more water at him when he leaned down, but when he made that suggestion? who is she to ignore an offer so tempting. [break][break]

when it looks like she's going to pull herself back up, she purposely shifts her weight, and yes, she intends to pull him right into the water with her. it's shallow water, anyways, and the sand makes the landing comfortable.

Leonidas Stone

☉

Of course, he’d known that there had been a small possibility that saying as he did had provided not a warning, but an idea. Nevertheless, he held his hand down for her to take.[break][break]

His hold upon the Squirtle within his arms had remained firm in anticipation of what was to come.[break][break]

Rightfully so, as well, as he felt the sudden tug upon his arm, though rather than resisting, he simply allowed himself to fall forth. He released the turtle within his grasp to allow him the comfort and ability to shift as he fell, though he’d wasted as little time as possible post-fall in righting himself once more.[break][break]

He knelt within the tides before long, sounding a loud whistle that triggered both Squirtle and Primarina to form another Protect and Hydro Pump, respectively, as he situated himself behind the woman that had so dastardly pulled him aside.

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
mission: to sink one's teeth

☉

this absolute dolt. [break][break]

it was supposed to be a harmless pull into the water, although she finds herself in the splash zone again - only with this idiot kneeling behind her. this time, she's raising her arms up in an attempt to cover her face, crossing them together over her face to make an X as she tries, harder, to lean back and away from the water. [break][break]

she can't even get up in this state, and she's too busy trying to keep the water out of her face. she's backing off until she's stopped, let it be by him grabbing her shoulders to keep her there, or her head hits the back of his chest. either way, she's trapped. oh, she's so trapped. [break][break]

"what the hell--" she sputters, softly, with an added chuckle nearing the end. if you look closely enough, you can see the crack of a smile as she turns her head to peek up at a man who is, definitely, wearing a grin behind her. "get that look off your face"

Leonidas Stone

☉

Her request only prompted the expression he wore to glow all the brighter as he narrowed his eyes.[break][break]

With a sharp whistle, his two companions seemed to finally fall into a lull, and as the barrier drawn forth by the creature within his hands vanished once more, the man had simply leaned far enough to place him within the waters once more. He watched as the shelled Pokemon swam away to join the other water type afar before peering towards the woman again.[break][break]

”Can’t say I know what you’re talking about~, he chuckled.[break][break]

Once more, he held a hand down out to her.[break][break]

”Now c’mon, let’s actually get you up. …Still got a job to do, after all~.”

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
mission: to sink one's teeth

☉

"granbull."[break][break]

now she's drenched, from head to toe - and no thanks to this man here, who's revelling in her misfortune. these are the consequences of her own actions, but she likes to think that he deserved this. it was karma, for all the previous times he just watched and enjoyed her struggle. what a sadistic man. [break][break]

this time, she sighs and parts the hair from over her eyes, now properly pushing her bangs back to slick over her head with one hand, and using the other to take his and pull herself up - properly, this time. "yes, then i need to get myself changed out of this.." she huffs, softly. "salt water is good for the skin, not so much a dress.." [break][break]

when she's lifted back up, she releases his hand and pinches at a semi-wet part of the fabric. salt water drops into the water, and she tries to bunch it up, slightly, and twist to squeeze the water out. then she moves to her hair, bunching it up, and squeezing a bit to get excess water out.

Leonidas Stone

☉

”Oh, come on,” he chuckled, raising a brow her way. ”A little salt water never hurt anyone either way~...”[break][break]

He cast a gaze along the horizon prior to trailing it along the sands once more. It hadn’t been long before he noted his own Pokemon further along within the distance, and as he met eyes with one in particular, he found himself smiling a bit more broadly upon seeing them perk up and begin hopping, almost as if beckoning him over.[break][break]

And so did he began walking over amidst the tides, though not before giving the woman’s shoulder another pat to garner her attention.[break][break]

”Come on, then~. Faster we finish up, the faster you can change out.”

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
mission: to sink one's teeth

☉

it seems like their pokemon had more luck than they did. [break][break]

while they were fooling around, at least. he has a point though; they were out here on a job, and they're lucky that their pokemon are reaping more results from the sea than their trainers were. "yes, yes, i'm coming.." he's speaking so casually, as though it wasn't his fault that she was going to suffer at the hands of a slightly crunchy dress. granted, she did that to him, and he'll probably have to suffer in a slightly crusty shirt too. [break][break]

it's even, for now.

end

☉