"deno--" [break][break]

she calls out, but it's no use. the litleo is already running around and about, scampering around and imprinting her paw prints all around the beach. she thought that it would be okay to set her loose and set her free, until she found out that the little thing had a bit too much energy, and was starting to cause a little bit of trouble. "deno!" she calls out again, trying to chase and recall the litleo. believe her when she says she tried to use the pokeball. she tried. [break][break]

and the little thing just won't stay still![break][break]

it's only a matter of time until the woman slips from the sand, unceremoniously squealing as she trips face first. the litleo only stops her prancing when she notices the trainer staying down, to where she approached her - only for the trainer to quickly snare the little cub in her arms. a soft mewling could be heard in defiance. [break][break]

"if. you. want to stay outside the pokeball. you. have to. behave." she huffs at the flailing lioness cub. another familiar cub comes on by, and she sighs "not now, regulus--"

Leonidas Stone

☉

She told him, ’Not now.’[break]
The cub responded in turn by jumping onto her back as she laid there, subduing her own lion, before abruptly leaping onto the back of her head with little regard for his own weight.[break][break]

It was something that caught his trainer off guard as he happened to catch a glance from afar, though he’d only managed to stifle a cackle after it escaped his mouth for little more than a split second. He balled a fist and pressed it against his lips softly in a feeble, undedicated attempt to hide the smile that tugged upon them.[break][break]

He breathed and sighed deeply to calm himself, only lowering his hand once his own Pokemon leaped off of his coworker, igniting the fire closest to him with another Flamethrower before dashing back over.[break][break]

”...You okay, there~?” he called out, suppressing another laugh from escaping his chest as he gazed across the clearing. ”Looked like a beefy fall, there. All the grace of a Milotic, for sure~.”

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
mission: sunny day, bonus met

☉

"for the love of all things good--" [break][break]

get in the fuCKING BAG NEBBY--[break][break]

or in this case, calm the heLL DOWN DENO. she wants to shout that, but she doesn't want to attract more attention than she's already have (she can feel the gazes of coworkers, and she's finger-pinching close to breaking out in embarrassment that's carried over). things were supposed to be easier once she's subdued the hyper thing, until the other hyper thing decided to unceremoniously trounce and assault the back of her head. [break][break]

the weight of the lion cub pushes her back into the sand as she lets out an abrupt "guh--". no, she can't hold a litleo on her head, thank you. and using this chance, her own lioness lets out a sudden mewl of thanks as she pries from the clutches of her trainer. this time, to use FLAMETHROWER to light fires and imitate the other cub. fires where they're needed, of course. she wasn't a pyromaniac. [break][break]

finally free, marisol lifts herself onto her elbows in the sand. a hand raises to aggressively ruffle the sand from her hair, then there's a final attempt when she shakes her head suddenly. "i'm fine." she grunts, slowly lifting herself back onto her feet. brush the sand off your legs like nothing happened, marisol. [break][break]

when she turns to a man, she squints "don't you dare laugh." she huffs, brushing sand from her arms.

Leonidas Stone

☉

”Oh, I’m absolutely laughing~.”[break][break]

It was true. He laughed.[break]
If anything, telling not to laugh was what made him laugh, in the end.[break][break]

And yet, he still had some degree of compassion. He watched her as she finally lifted herself from the sands beneath them, glancing around for the nearest cooler before flicking it open. Reaching in, he passed his hand through the icy chill and interior (the ice, itself, was a welcome thing in the sweltering heat) long enough to pick a couple of bottles out.[break][break]

He set one aside for himself before tossing one to the woman as she approached.[break][break]

”You might wanna make sure there’s no grains of sand in your mouth,” he added with a smile within both eyes and lips, alike. ”Little man gave you a mouthful just now. Crunching down on sand during a meal is kinda nasty. Wouldn’t recommend it~.”

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
mission: sunny day, bonus met

☉

it's the fact that he laughed that made her grimace even more. [break][break]

"ah, yes, thoroughly enjoying my suffering." it's nothing new from him, she doesn't know why she expects anything else. at least he's sensible enough to throw hr a water bottle after the little mishap with the lion cub, and she quickly catches it. the bottle chills her fingers, and it's enough to offset her distaste. for now. [break][break]

with a roll of her eyes, she twists the cap of the bottle to take a quick swing. and after that, she stares at the bottle for a little while, before closing, and moving it to chill her arm. the sudden cold makes her flinch before she rests it there again. [break][break]

"luckily for me, someone was kind enough to give me a water bottle" she moves the water bottle to her other arm "although you say that like you'd know from experience?" she tilts her head, with a slight smirk to her lips. [break][break]

"i think stray eggshell can simulate the feeling of sand crunch."

Leonidas Stone

☉

”I’m enjoying entertainment, is what I’m enjoying~,” the Stone chuckled, flashing her a grin before popping his own bottle open.[break][break]

With a soft hum, he tilted both container and head back in order to take a quick swig, his gaze straying towards his surroundings for just a few minutes to see what those around had been up to. By the look of it, it simply seemed like the others were setting up as usual. Between his own cub darting around to aid with bonfires, as well as other employees going around to aid others that seemed to need it, everything seemed to be going along swimmingly.[break][break]

He couldn’t ask for anything more.[break][break]

”I can confirm both, and I can also confirm it’s something I never wanna experience again,” he hummed after polishing off the sip he’d taken, moving his hands to close the bottle and set it aside again. With a sigh, he peeled his shirt back and off, tossing it aside to his other belongings before beginning to sift through another cooler. ”Thinking of it makes me jittery, honestly. …Always been a bit of a texture eater.”[break][break]

It was hard not to be with so many culinary mishaps growing up.

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
mission: sunny day, bonus met

☉

she's this close to kicking sand at him. this close. [break][break]

were it not the fact that he gave her water, she'd already be lifting her leg to give it a good soccer kick and send a wave. but look at that, she isn't, what a saint she is. [break][break]

a louder growl of a litleo follows as she leaves prints along the sand, her small body tagging along and assisting in the lighting of bonfires. it wasn't for the sake of helping, and more for the sake of trying to follow the leader. she clearly thought that this was a game. well.. so long as she wasn't causing any trouble, marisol can't quite complain as much. [break][break]

what catches her attention is his less than stellar retelling of his.. culinary expeditions. the woman blinks a few times, before a smile comes to her lips. another swing of the chilled water prompts a relieved sigh from her lips as she holds the bottle up, and rests it against the exposed cheek on her face. [break][break]

"oh? tell me more." there's a slight glint in her eyes as she smirks "is it because of your own cooking, or someone else's?"

Leonidas Stone

☉

”Oh, believe me, I’m not as talented in the kitchen as others may be, but I’m at least confident enough to not worry about my own meals like that…” he hummed, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as he finally found the packs of meat and the like he’d been searching for. With a soft sigh, he picked a nearby pair of scissors up, as well, and wasted little more than a beat in running one of its blades through the plastic to begin spreading and prepping the contents for one of the flames. ”Not to say I’m immune to mistakes, of course— but it just…wasn’t my mistakes that scarred me so~.”[break][break]

His gaze drifted towards the bonfires afar for a moment, gauging how many of them had been brought to life before beginning to lift the meats from their marinades and skewering them.[break][break]

”...My siblings are the cause of that, specifically~.”

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
mission: sunny day, bonus met

☉

"if only i could say the same."[break][break]

she says, being decent at cooking at best (she'll self-proclaim, though it's cooking and not medical work, so it escapes her scope of pride). she moves closer, in favour of taking a look at the meat that's going to be prepared for everyone, out here. she's more used to cooking in the kitchen, and not-so-much outdoors. [break][break]

.. but since she's here, anyways, she may as well help out. [break][break]

so she lightly taps a man's broad arm with the back of her hand, gesturing for him to move aside a little as she steps to take some meat and start skewering it. "hm.." she hums at his words, and if her hunch is right.. ".. it wouldnt happen to be your older sister, would it?" she asks, idly pushing the meat onto the sticks "i have a patient who was once exposed to her cooking. the poor man."

Leonidas Stone

☉

”You’d have to elaborate which one if you’re going to ask that question.”[break][break]

Because oddly enough, for all the success and glory that the family name had, the clear talent for cooking seemed to stop with their mother.[break][break]

Not that the knowledge had been entirely taken with dismay, after all. As much suffering as they brought, there had also been a sense of fond nostalgia that he couldn’t help but reflect upon whenever the memories dwelled within his mind; as they dwelled within those very moments as he recalled them, only putting them to an end as he noted her and stepped aside.[break][break]

He eyed her for just a moment before nudging one of the containers towards her, and not without the skewers to accompany them.[break][break]

”...Even people outside of the family have been victims, though, mmn?” He chuckled warmly, narrowing his eyes towards the most recently prepped skewer within his fingertips. ”That’s…honestly, genuinely tragic~.”

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
mission: sunny day, bonus met

☉

"an utter tragedy." [break][break]

many a time she'd have to administer some sort of pain medication for a man's poor stomach, or prescribe something to help him with the nausea - only because he had a bit too much a heart and too little of the heart to tell her about her cooking. the poor, poor man. she hums, taking another skewer and casually sliding the meat slices onto them. [break][break]

"the sister.. i think her name is daphne?" she hums again, putting down a skewer, and moving onto the next. "it baffles me to know there are people who can't cook.." she's grumbling, but oh, she knew someone who was horrible at cooking. two people, actually. it's a good thing that both of them were wealthy. and doctors. [break][break]

"thankfully, he doesn't seem to mind, and he's a good cook." she sighs softly, taking a free (and clean) hand to brush up against her forehead, pushing her bangs out of her face. for once. "so he can teach her, if she isn't a lost cause."

Leonidas Stone

☉

”No, yeah, that definitely sounds on brand for sister…” he sighed, his face scrunching faintly and softly upon recalling whatever sort of abomination she may have conjured to send someone to the waiting rooms. ”Although, that does make me wonder who the guy could be, though,” he added on, quirking his lip. ”Surely, she hasn’t fed coworkers, so—...”[break][break]

He paused, mentally rewinding to the statements he’d just heard.[break]
A low hum of realization left his lips as he scrunched his face further, his tongue poking through his teeth as he gave a soft, hissing sigh in sympathy.[break][break]

”...Ahhh. I see.” He clicked his tongue a few times while preparing another skewer. ”You mean her significant other, then~? You know him, too?”

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
mission: sunny day, bonus met

☉

"well enough." [break][break]

to the same degree someone would know a parent, albeit not as closely. he does what he can to be a father figure, and under the irritation and coyness there's appreciation. he knows it, so she doesn't need to say it. "i take care of him, and who ever else he has in tow with him at the time, when they get hurt." more like she finds him when she happens to be in the same hospital, or centre, and she subtly insists that she take care of him or someone with him. [break][break]

it's easier doing her job with someone she knows. [break][break]

"and i've.. seen her cooking, before, in that case." she sighs, raising a hand to gently press the back of her wrist against her forehead "atrocious. or somewhat edible. or actually quite decent. it feels like a roulette whenever i see his lunch."

Leonidas Stone

☉