RAGE IS POWER

at the sound of a different language's way of sneaking itself in, an eyebrow's quirked up to precede the slight smile that cracks through. why does it feel as if he's the child, corrected, in this situation - ?

As she gradually loosens her vise-like grip on Hyu, a sense of relief washes over her, making her feel lighter. In reality, she had been worried that the sweltering July sun would have discouraged her lead Elite from showing up. Knowing how prone he is to burning on the regular, she had come prepared. Between the generous supply of SPF 100+ sunscreen and the large beach hat she brought for him, she can hopefully keep him from getting barbecued. It's the least she can do.

"Thank you, truly! I'm sure Talu and the others will appreciate it, too. We'll have to make sure you stay away from the sun... I packed you a big hat, on the off-chance that you actually made it! I'll go grab it for you in a sec."

Hyu's mention of Nate brings up a mix of emotions in her. On one hand, she's ecstatic that the gang is finally back together; this is probably the first major outing they've had with all three of them present since Nate returned from his Interpol training. On the other hand, he hasn't really said hello to her yet. He's been distant since the hospital incident a few months ago, and she feels partly responsible for that, so she doesn't mention it.

"I don't know what's a bigger achievement, me getting you to attend, or you convincing Señor Workaholic to join us for some fun... He always seems so busy." Or he's avoiding her... details.

"I saw Nate in the water earlier, with that enormous Sharpedo. It scared the beejeezus out of me until I realized it was his!" Her face twists in an expression of mock horror as she recalls the morning incident.

at her own event? unacceptable… !

"woah woah woah, i'm gonna point out that i wouldn't have even had the opportunity to try and grab his ear about it if you weren't hosting the party in the first place." no ma'am, not shirking credit in his presence. "but… to be fair, he is pretty busy." hyu assumes so, as much as he doesn't know nate's schedule with perfect clarity. interpol, even if not as it was shown in movies, was still no joke. "i looked it up after learning that's what he was going for," he follows his champion when beckoned, watching her from behind, "and if i remember, he gets like… two days?" that felt about right, "per month? once he works through the month, obviously." a small shrug, and when rosa dips into the tent, he leans slightly & squints in an attempt to see within… only to straighten when she reappears, and reaches for the gifted object as she holds it to him.

the brim was broad, the weave was uniform… very sufficient for shade. fingers move momentarily against the inside, and flip it over to see the lining within. was that… ? he lifts the hat closer to his face, moving slightly so it's better-centered in his null point. ( samurott… ! )

These pre-event sentence starters are meant for participants in @undellabeachparty and are themed around travel to and early arrival in Undella Town! Feel free to use them as ask prompts, open starters, or drabble prompts.

"I think I'm overpacking... It's just a weekend, right?"

"Is three swimsuits too few/many?"

"Oh great, my connecting flight is delayed!"

"Why do you have two suitcases?"

"That second suitcase is carrying my pokémon's floaties... don't judge us!"

"How hot is the weather in Undella Town?"

"Where will you be staying for the weekend?"

"The breeze feels so nice!"

"Wow, it's so hot here!"

"The sea looks like it's sparkling under the sun!"

"So, the party starts tomorrow? I'm excited!"

"Did you come to Unova just for the beach party?"

"How many people do you think will be at this party?"

"Are you going to participate in the beach bingo?"

"What pokémon do you have on your bingo card?"

"Today, I learned that Azurill is not a water-type pokémon!"

"I wonder if I'll run into anybody I know."

"Do you think there'll be pokémon battles?"

"I hope there won't be any pokémon battles... I just want to relax!"

"The beach is still relatively empty. Want to go for a walk along the shoreline?"

"I want to nab a good spot for my beach umbrella before the crowd arrives."

When he hears his full name, Nate's eyebrows shoot up into his hairline, followed by a loud, hearty laugh. It certainly doesn’t sound as ominous when it comes from Hyu as it does when his mother says it—bless her soul for having to deal with him, the most gray hair-inducing of her three sons. God knows San Ignacio is the most frequently invoked holy man in the Rivera Vega household.

"What I'm hearing is, this face is far more powerful than any badge." He flashes a grin at his friend, charming, utterly exasperating, but ultimately good-humored. His expression is promptly smoothed out into a more easy-going smile before Hyu takes it upon himself to wipe it off his face. He takes a good, long sip of his drink, savoring the tartness of the lime in it, because Lucy has an eye for detail and somehow remembers that he likes lime to balance the sweetness, and then leans against his backrest.

"Thanks, though. Here's hoping for many more, and in good health for both of us. I'm learning that the better I get at this job, the more occupational hazards I gotta deal with." Like when he'd been called in to provide backup to a rookie agent the night before, and things had quickly gone south until he and Luca took charge. He had no desire to spend his birthday looking like swiss cheese.

Nate chooses not to comment on Hyu's remarks about going AWOL, knowing he has no ground to stand on. He left, too, overwhelmed by nasty, negative emotions like jealousy, anger, and shame, which still occasionally simmer within him, fueled by both past experiences and current circumstances.

"That shit aside, the job helps me, though, not gonna lie. It lets me channel all this fucking guilt and resentment—" and trauma, though that goes unspoken "—into something useful. Por ahora, that's more than good enough."

No mention of his state of happiness, of course, but that's neither here nor there. He sighs wistfully before tilting his head toward Hyu, all trace of melancholy replaced by a fiercely proud look in his eyes.

bullet hole, electric shock. the former was definitely worse. … right?

all the same, hyu's genuinely glad to hear nate's confirmation that the job's good for him despite the risks associated with it. arceus knew they all needed something like that for themselves after the shit that went down with neo-plasma. from what he's able to see of his friend, his face hadn't contorted with the ill feelings associated with their conversation / he'd maintained composure at the mention of it all -- that alone told him that nate truly was managing, and closer to 'good' than not. and for that, hyu's grateful.

he's taking a sip of his drink once more when the tone of his friend's voice changes, and eyebrows lift in light of the sudden praise showered upon him. the latter half of hyu's 'sip' turns into something of a slurp as a result / he's quick to press the back of his wrist to his lips in an attempt to muffle it. " 's'all thanks to rosa, really -" he's convinced that anyone who knew the details couldn't argue, "i think she reminded the pokemon association i even exist. she defeated me in the battle assessment, too… delta and maximus were only standing by the skin of their teeth, but still." a shrug's given, "but you're right in that last bit at least. my teenage reputation precedes me."

hyu scoffs, elbow settling atop the stool's back once more with hand upturned like a shrug. "scariest thing about shauntal is her pokemon, everyone knows marshal's actually soft as a sentret, and it's more trouble than it's worth to caitlin to be as scary as she could be with her powers. enter…" the hand sweeps toward himself, "… the bomb just waiting to go off. i think some people are hesitant to even breathe in my direction 'cause of it."