uriah isn't expecting them to actually ditch this event. to his surprise, the mere suggestion of it lures him in, the appeal only increasing because of her, the stickler.[break][break]

"i did say that."[break][break]

his gaze follows to the stretch of beach, and just like that, his mind has been made up.[break][break]

a pokeball pops open, calling out a shiny mudkip that just lays out flat on the table.[break][break]

"chad, you're in charge while we're away. dirk, just be you."[break][break]

the mudkip is bound to draw people in with its cuteness.

[attr="class","ooc"]calla roth[break]
mission![break]
valor: helping hand[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-machamp color-shiny"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-mudkip color-shiny"]

There’s time, then. They can step away and then come right back, easy as that. Even with her habit of being a stick in the mud, Calla can’t fully deny the appeal of walking along the shoreline as opposed to being stuck in a booth.[break][break]

This will at least keep them from settling into a dazed slump from sitting all day long. Because of course she has to find some practical reason for stepping away as they are.[break][break]

“Cute mudkip,” she remarks as the little Pokémon practically pancakes out on the tabletop.[break][break]

“You hang out here too, Turnip,” she instructs her bulbasaur, who has quite comfortably plopped himself in the shade under her chair. One ruby eye slivers open in acknowledgement, then falls shut again.[break][break]

Smoothing out any wrinkles in her skirt, Cal wastes little time in moving away from the sea of tents. The persistent limp in her step not slowing her down due to years of familiarity. “Way better than sitting around and waiting.” A quiet remark as she kicks up a small puff of sand. “Think they’ll send someone to come looking?”

[attr="class","ooc"]URIAH BLACK [break]
mission![break]
valor: helping hand[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-bulbasaur"]

not wanting to get sand in his shoes, he kicks them off and carries them in one hand before stepping onto the beach. it's a warm morning and the sands definitely reflect as much.[break][break]

"they'll probably be too busy gushing over turnip and dirk to notice we're gone."[break][break]

but even if they do, they could always just run back. the stalls aren't too far away.[break][break]

"i miss going to the beach in the mornings. we used to do it often in canalave."[break][break]

even if the beaches in canalave are a bit shit.

[attr="class","ooc"]calla roth[break]
mission![break]
valor: helping hand[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-machamp color-shiny"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-mudkip color-shiny"]

“Fair enough, they’re a formidable team.”[break][break]

A smile flits across her face, and Calla squints against the sunlight as she looks up at him.The fact that he’s no longer sitting in a chair only emphasizes how much smaller she feels standing next to him.[break][break]

Though that realization quickly fades when the conversation tilts toward an edge of nostalgia.[break][break]

“That sounds nice. Peaceful. Your whole family?” She’s never been to Canalave, so she doesn’t really have any sense of quality, but then again, she’s not been to most places.[break][break]

Following suit, she slips off her sandals and lets her toes sink into the warm sand underfoot. “We never really got to do that, though I guess we went to Cinnabar once or twice.”[break][break]

But that was ages ago.

[attr="class","ooc"]URIAH BLACK [break]
mission![break]
valor: helping hand[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-bulbasaur"]

"everyone but dad."[break][break]

not that he blames GABRIEL BLACK for missing out on so much. the man was busy building his empire and legacy; both of which uriah looks to inherit.[break][break]

"i've never been but i heard it was lovely."[break][break]

before the war, that is.[break][break]

his eyes squint a little under the harsh sunlight. his head tilts to look at her.[break][break]

"how are you liking hoenn?"

[attr="class","ooc"]calla roth[break]
mission![break]
valor: helping hand[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-machamp color-shiny"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-mudkip color-shiny"]

“Was he away a lot?” It feels like a redundant question to ask, but she does so all the same. And really, she can commiserate, albeit in a different way. It’s just always been her and her brother– and nothing to really gain from familial absence.[break][break]

“It was, at one time.” Calla’s glance floats away, shadowed by everything left behind. But that’s far too dreary for a day as bright and warm as this one.[break][break]

Calla hums, considering her response. “I like it just fine, all things considered. It’s been better here.” Though any place might’ve been better.[break][break]

Warmth gives way to the chill of dampened sand as she edges along the shoreline. The ebb and flow of the water rolls in, and the frigidity of the water lapping at her ankles makes her freeze up, “Agh, coldcoldcold,” tumbles loose unbidden, before she can hold her composure.

[attr="class","ooc"]URIAH BLACK [break]
mission![break]
valor: helping hand[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-bulbasaur"]

"yep. busy building akura, and all that."[break][break]

it makes him glad to hear that she seems to be fine with hoenn. maybe one day she'll even grow fond of it. maybe he will, too.[break][break]

when she edges along the shoreline, he follows, quick to place his shoes on a drier part of the beach. her reaction makes him laugh only for an idea to follow.[break][break]

he gestures with a grin.[break][break]

"wanna go for a dip?"

[attr="class","ooc"]calla roth[break]
mission![break]
valor: helping hand[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-machamp color-shiny"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-mudkip color-shiny"]

“Sounds like he missed out, in my opinion.” Cal shrugs. As ambitious as she is to succeed somehow, she can’t imagine distancing herself from her twin for the sake of it, either.[break][break]

Plus, who would want to forego time with someone like Uriah? He’s fun, even around a curmudgeon like her.[break][break]

A fact he quickly proves in the wake of the shock to her system from the cold. She’s still adjusting to it when the tide recedes and returns, making her dance in place a bit as her skin numbs.[break][break]

She whirls around to look at him, with a disbelieving grin and a laugh twisting through her singular question, “What, like this?”[break][break]

But it’s not a quick, flat out rejection, is it?

[attr="class","ooc"]URIAH BLACK [break]
mission![break]
valor: helping hand[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-bulbasaur"]

his father definitely missed out, but that's in the past. no changing it now.[break][break]

he whirls around to look at her as well, mirroring her.[break][break]

"why not?"[break][break]

he kicks softly, splashing some water onto her.[break][break]

"if you're worried about getting a change of clothes, we'll go buy new ones after this."

[attr="class","ooc"]calla roth[break]
mission![break]
valor: helping hand[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-machamp color-shiny"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-mudkip color-shiny"]

She finds she doesn’t have an answer to this—only an exasperated laugh as she shakes her head, hair catching around her shoulders. She kicks water back at him, less effective in the endeavor.[break][break]

Again, this need to prove she’s capable of fun.[break][break]

“I’m not worried,” she says primly, chin tipping up as her arms fold. The coy turn to her smile returns, and she steps backward further into the water, braced against the chill as it sends goosebumps over her arms. Still watching him through squinted eyes. “It’s just a little saltwater.”[break][break]

Calla glances up over his shoulder for a fleeting moment—toward the rows of tents, but it seems as slow as ever, so she carries on.[break][break]

“Taking your sweet time for the one with the big ideas.”

[attr="class","ooc"]URIAH BLACK [break]
mission![break]
valor: helping hand[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-bulbasaur"]

a small splash of water slaps his knee, not doing much beyond wetting his already-wet pants.[break][break]

"oh i'm sorry. i didn't know you were waiting."[break][break]

still grinning, he finally obliges and shrugs his shirt off. he tosses it onto the sand, though he doesn't wait to see whether it lands before he wades towards her.[break][break]

"calla," he starts, "i'm gonna dunk you into the water."

[attr="class","ooc"]calla roth[break]
mission![break]
valor: helping hand[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-machamp color-shiny"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-mudkip color-shiny"]

“Wasn’t waiting,” she returns, shoulders rising and falling in playful taunt. “You’re just a slowpoke.”[break][break]

Her sundress is already soaked far past the hemline, fabric sticking to her skin where it doesn’t catch and float on the water. Eyes narrowing, she watches him follow suit, then glances at the shirt sailing away behind him, and for a moment brief reservation flickers through her— as fun as he is to be around, he is still her boss.[break][break]

Is this unprofessional of her? Even if it’s only a brief reprieve from work for the sake of entertainment? Those doubts get swallowed up, though, at the point blank claim.[break][break]

“What’d I do to deserve that??” Calla takes a few more skittering steps back and hopefully out of reach, heels sliding in the wet sand underfoot. Despite the protest there’s a laugh that curls through her words, weaving itself in place.

[attr="class","ooc"]URIAH BLACK [break]
mission![break]
valor: helping hand[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-bulbasaur"]

yes, he still is her boss, and maybe they should be a little more wary of that fact, but he doesn't care about that right now. his mind is elsewhere, focused on approaching closer and closer even as she skitters back.[break][break]

"nothing, really. but won't it be fun?"[break][break]

long limbs aid in his attempt to reach out for her arm. he takes a final step closer to wrap an arm around her before lifting her up by her waist.[break][break]

for a brief moment, he considers not doing it.[break][break]

"i feel really bad about this."[break][break]

and yet, he proceeds to (gently) drop her into the water.

[attr="class","ooc"]calla roth[break]
mission![break]
valor: helping hand[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-machamp color-shiny"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-mudkip color-shiny"]