[attr="class","beck"]comfortable in the water, beckett glances over to the three tunnels, considering their options. his malamar's wrapped around him, slithering and squirming in protection.

he points to the one to the right, malamar soon shifting as it carries its trainer towards it.

[attr="class","noodles"]Cillian Quinn

Where Beckett is carried by his Pokemon, Gavin swims unassisted toward the indicated tunnel. He, too, is comfortable in the water — Lugia's presence below providing unspoken reassurance that he will be in no danger from the deep.

The tunnels are dark, the white stone of Sootopolis blocking out light.

When they've swam far enough into the rightmost passage as to lose what little brightness filters from the surface, Gavin cracks open a pokeball to reveal a Lanturn whose light immediately ILLUMINATES their surroundings.

[attr="class","beck"]it's eerily dark in the tunnel before a flash ILLUMINATES the area. while it's appreciated, it makes them into a floating target. despite that, he's calm, muscles relaxed as malamar continues forward.

up ahead, the tunnel breaks into a large open space. it's dark, so he floats to a halt before signaling for merlino to advance.

[attr="class","noodles"]Cillian Quinn

The light makes them a target, but it's essential to see the barely visible pockets where they might install their surveillance equipment. Gavin relies on the psychic tether to Lugia, trusting the legend to warn him of danger.

Beckett swims ahead, stops, then signals to Gavin.

The instinct to tease the other about forgetting his place is quickly replaced by a twinge in his stomach. Would that be too familiar? Too awkward?

He lets it slide, and opts for compliance. Lanturn follows at his signal.

[attr="class","beck"]they slip too easily into defined roles that shadow their past. where merlino floats on ahead, beckett lingers by the tunnel, eyes glancing around the dark space as he searches for anything. even with lanturn's ILLUMINATE, there's not much besides darkness.

so he slips out, too, and follows.

[attr="class","noodles"]Cillian Quinn

He hates the ease with which obedience lays claim. He has followed long enough to be trusted to lead, yet his instincts remain tethered to the subservience of the past.

Here, at least, only Beckett will witness.

Lanturn swims a broad circle around the space, illuminating only pockets too large to safely conceal their equipment. Gavin shakes his head, signals 'follow'. He kicks off into another tunnel, maintaining the lead.

[attr="class","beck"]the signal is seen, registered, and he's tapping against his malamar's unnaturally smooth skin to carry them forward. they cross the space of darkness, following after merlino into another tunnel.

briefly, his gaze focuses on merlino, but it soon retreats in favor of nothing.

[attr="class","noodles"]Cillian Quinn

Others approach. Be cautious.

Thank you.

Gavin pivots in the water to face Beckett, signals. 'Targets.'

Lanturn's light illuminates a crevice in the rock, narrow but just wide enough to squeeze through. With no desire to get so close to Beckett and yet no other choice should they wish to avoid the patrols, Gavin points and quickly slips between the rock.

He clicks his tongue, and Lanturn extinguishes its light.

[attr="class","beck"]targets.

he taps twice against malamar, drifting to a halt. he's about ready to crack open a pokeball when he sees merlino pointing to a crevice in the rock that looks particularly uncomfortable to fit through. the fact that the underboss even tries confuses him.

but like an obedient admin, he follows.

[attr="class","noodles"]Cillian Quinn

If Gavin feared the deep, a greater fear was to be trapped in such a narrow place within it, to run out of air and find himself unable to surface. His heart is pounding as he slips carefully through the gap.

For a moment, he worries Theo won't follow.

There's a mixture of relief and the expected discomfort when he does, forced to stay close enough that their shoulders brush. He hates the way the contact makes him feel, forces himself to focus on the fear instead, on steadying his breaths.

Light blooms slow at the end of the tunnel, dimmer than Lanturn's had been. A duo of officers on patrol with their Pokemon swim past, and the light does not penetrate deep enough into the crevice to reveal their hiding place.

[attr="class","beck"]his mind is distracted enough to be unaffected by their close proximity. he feels their shoulders brush and the only thing that runs through his mind is how long merlino's planning on staying in this crevice.

the thought only amplifies after a pair of officers swim past, leaving them to the darkness.

he reaches a hand over, taps at merlino's shoulder, then signs:

go.

[attr="class","noodles"]Cillian Quinn

Light dims, returning them to darkness, but Gavin doesn't move.

He is lost in an abyss of thought; as it turns out, focusing on fear while in a dark ocean crevice had not been a wise idea. Beckett would turn to see a familiar, distant expression, widened eyes that fail to focus.

He jolts at the touch, nods.

He kicks off eagerly from the wall, swims out into the open water, but still he cannot calm his racing heart. Oxygen makes him dizzy as panicked breaths begin to override his attempts at calm. He casts his gaze about as if looking for a route to the surface.

[attr="class","beck"]the tells are clear to beckett. he's about to reach out a hand to stop merlino from swimming out into open waters but he hesitates, lingering by the edge of the crevice for what seems like forever.

he can't click.

he can't whistle.

fuck.

malamar slithers them forward the moment he points. he floats to merlino's side, hovering close as he brings his hands up to sign.

calm down.

[attr="class","noodles"]Cillian Quinn