work keeps him busy. ever since his run-in with jayden cross , his worming his way into this sect of rocket has been much smoother. of course, his properties still needed handling and since sacking his latest property manager, he's fielded numerous calls from aggravated higher-ups. 

infants, unable to manage the mess they've created. 

outside of his beach-view flat, he watches people wander the shores. he'd known lilycove to be a destination town, but he hadn't anticipated just how jarring living in one would be this time of year. it's lively. kinetic. in a far different way from motostoke. 

it's what draws him to the beach. his hair is drawn up, but the back of his neck is still dewy with sweat. one day he'll get used to this region's humidity.

families pack up and leave as the sun dips lower in the sky. later, the beaches will fill again with blankets as fireworks light up the shore, but for now it seems folks are heading inland to grab a bite to eat. 

coronabeth treads carefully on the sand, nose twitching in distaste as her paws sink into the soft ground. ianthe absolutely refused to place a single toe on the beach so he's counting his blessings, smiling bemusedly at her haughtily fluffed tail. 

he lifts his gaze, over the crawl of green summer linen and onto her face, for a brief moment, and then away, and then back again, his own eyes wide and somewhat startled. he still has her card tucked into his wallet. 

"miss hasegawa," he says with a smile, stopping in his tracks. crown pauses and looks curiously from nikkari to yumi. 

"have the festivities brought you to lilycove?" 

Yumi Hasegawa
blep

☉

nikkari appreciates fineries. after getting to know yumi over dinner and a bottle of wine, he'd be surprised if she didn't enjoy indulging in luxuries. and if you have money, lilycove's streets are the place to be. it's why he settled where he did. 

"well, i could think of no one more deserving," he says with a tilt of his lips.

coronabeth takes a step forward when the liepard approaches. her tail fans in a rippling wave and nikkari nudges her with his foot, chiding her to relax. he pinches his fingers and pspsps for the liepard, allowing her to catch his scent. 

he knows better than to pet a cat on his own terms.

"somewhat," he replies. "i live here actually, though my property is coveside. less noise over there, i've found." and he likes the sound of the boats swaying in the harbor, likes watching people come and go. 

helps him keep an eye on shipments too. 

"it must be serendipity though. i meant to call you tomorrow to set up that dinner date."

Yumi Hasegawa

☉

"who doesn't like ice cream?" he says. he doesn't, for starters. he doesn't particularly care for most sorts of sweets and if he dines on them, they're typically of the dark chocolate variety. but he's not about to turn down the opportunity to get to know yumi better. her liepard has also deemed him an appropriate companion, so who's he to say no now?

he still has yet to find an opportunity to bring up the off-the-books part of their jobs. 

his disliking ice cream doesn't mean he isn't prepared to offer a small mom and pop ice cream place he's heard is delightful, but he's too slow on the draw. yumi seems to have made the decision for them, and so he follows in step with her. hands sink casually into pockets as they stroll. coronabeth still makes a show of her discomfort on the sand. 

"so you're a soft serve kind of gal. noted," he says with an easy grin as they approach the stand shaped like an ice cream cone itself. 

when it's their turn in line he, of course, withdraws his wallet and looks expectantly at her. "what'll it be, miss hasegawa? vanilla or chocolate?"

Yumi Hasegawa

☉

"you heard the woman," he says to the overworked, overheated, completely-over-it worker behind the counter. she rolls her eyes as she turns and mechanically reaches for a cone. the soft serve swirls in thick lines under her practiced hand and after it's been rolled in the sprinkles, it looks picture perfect. 

it's massive and nikkari's palate is already soured at the idea of eating all of that. but he orders a chocolate one for himself with the same treatment and pays. 

the heat bears down on them and unless he wants to end up with melted chocolate all over his hands, he has to keep eating it. he does so with a smile on his face, though that's mostly because he's never seen someone try so hard to look dignified while licking the cheap carnival custard. 

"let's," he says. they pass little stalls on the boardwalk and he stops to purchase a beach towel for the two of them. the chocolate has dribbled all over his hand at this point; the other is tucked against his side, towel rolled up under his arm.

"you must think me such a slob," he says as he tosses the mostly-eaten cone and balled napkins into the nearest trash bin. "but i'm convinced you've struck some deal with a devil to come away clean like that."

Yumi Hasegawa

☉

he really is impressed. all of that dabbing hadn't been posturing at all. hell, not even her fingertips come away sticky, which is impossible when eating something like this. the sugar settles tentatively in his stomach and he grimaces as he sits on the blanket beside her. 

he withdraws a water bottle and washes his hands with half of it before taking a sip himself, swiping inconspicuously at his lips in case there's a chocolate stain left there. 

"just a casualty of war then," he says with an exaggerated sigh. 

he leans back on his hands. coronabeth shakes out her paws daintily before joining him on the blanket, tail tucking as she loafs in front of him. her question makes him look up at the stars. 

"it is and it isn't," he concedes. "i'd be a fool to say it's safer than back home, but i'm actually well-acquainted with danger." gold eyes flicker over her and then back out to the sea. the sun sinks lower on the horizon. "though perhaps not on the alien invasion and dimension-distorting rifts kind."

Yumi Hasegawa

☉

they tread waters he's familiar with. everyone knows someone; connections and blood get you everywhere, but good faith? you tell nikkari his job is hard and he'll tell you that you just don't know people like he does. you don't know how to navigate their intricacies, read the leylines on their palms and measure the worth of their trust. 

it's easy, if you look. 

"more often than not, i'm the man who handles it when it happens." he purses his lips, matching her amused smile with one of his own. "though i prefer a more diplomatic approach to confronting dangerous situations."

he chuckles. "but that was back in galar. i've a long road ahead of me and an empire isn't built in a day, hm?"

a tilt of his head. one hand rests gently on his vulpix, thumbing her ear. "and what about you, miss hasegawa? how do you prefer to settle your disputes?"

Yumi Hasegawa

☉

he wants to ask more, to follow this thread while the conversation is easy and interesting, but the first firework goes off. he turns a shoulder and looks up at the sky. multicolored lights reflect off of dark gold. and then, as the smoke fades, he looks back at her. 

there's no chance to get a word in edgewise so he bites back his curiosity and settles in beside her. coronabeth's ears flatten against her head and she burrows against his side; he neatly returns her to her pokeball. 

the fireworks grow more impressive. some of them even form the shape of pokemon - simple ones, still, like bounsweet, but it's still impressive. 

and when it's over, there's much cheering on the beach. some folks start packing up. nikkari continues to lounge. with the sun having fallen, a chill sits on the sea breeze. 

"may i walk you back to your hotel?" he asks.

Yumi Hasegawa

☉