[attr="class","beck"]cillian's interruption does little to stop him from chomping down on his candy bar. he chews for moments, swallows, then pauses to speak.

"he didn't."

he pulls the wrapper back and takes another bite.

"i only have one, sadly."

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

"Hope you've eaten more than that."

Gavin forgets to eat if he's distracted by his work; it occurs to him that he's unsure whether Theo suffers the same. So many small details missed.

But not the one that had brought him here.

"You like fish, right?" A pause. "Watching them, I mean. Not eating."

[attr="class","beck"]he has but he doesn't feel it pertinent to share. rightfully so, as the conversation quickly carries on to what he assumes to be the main reason why cillian's here.

"why do you ask?"

he doesn't confirm nor deny, instead prodding for his true intentions.

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

"Curious, mostly."

It seems honest enough, accompanied by a shrug of his shoulders.

Gavin tucks a hand into his blazer and sets four capsules on the table between them. They look to be either new or well cared for.

"Come across a lot of stuff on the market when I'm looking for fossils. Figure they'd be better off with you than me."

[attr="class","beck"]his eyes narrow at the sight of four pokeballs, then quickly shifts to glance around the room, suddenly aware of their presence. no one seems to be looking, thankfully.

despite the indifference he shows, he reaches for the pokeballs almost too easily.

"did choi put you up to this? saoirse?"

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

Gavin manages to suppress a laugh at the way Theo's gaze shifts around the room, but the tight press of his lips still betrays a flicker of amusement.

He might've teased him if the question hadn't caught him off-guard.

"Hm?" His brow furrows. "No? What do they have to do with it?"

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

is he faking? lying?

probably not.

"nevermind."

he slides the four pokeballs into his blazer, saving them for later.

"what's in them?"

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

Gavin's thoughts remain stuck on his sister's name even as Theo moves past it. What would Saoirse know about Theo that Gavin didn't? He feels the sting of jealousy, unbidden, and swallows it guiltily.

He's not allowed to be jealous.

So he doesn't press the matter, not wanting the discomfort.

"Feebas, Wishiwashi, Alomomola," he stumbles a bit on the name, laughs it off, tapping each finger as he names them, "And a Dragalge. Wasn't sure if you like other kinds of marine life, but I figured it's still a poison-type if not."

[attr="class","beck"]the stumble is slightly humorous. he doesn't laugh, but he does correct:

"alomomola."

it's gratitude he feels, he decides, so he offers cillian a bare smile, appreciative of the gift even if it makes him feel slightly uncomfortable. his discomfort never shows, however. besides the cautious glances around the room.

"for the record, i do like other kinds of marine life."

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

"Alomomola."

He gets it right, this time. He'll remember.

The smile is returned, fleeting. As if this were nothing more than an exchange between friends.

"You asked what put me up to it. I noticed your interest in the Wishiwashi during our dive; never seen you get distracted like that."

He sounds more amused than critical.

"You know a lot about them?"

[attr="class","beck"]ah. perhaps he should've been more careful.

"about wishiwashi? not much. but other kinds of marine life, i do."

he's unable to stop himself from continuing.

"the feebas for example. did you know it can live in both sea and in rivers?"

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

Gavin's interest is immediate, genuine.

"I didn't, no. I'd imagine that's quite rare among Pokemon?"

It wouldn't be an interesting fact if it were par for the course, after all.

"My knowledge is fairly limited, but I know a little of the oceanic fossils. Tirtouga, Cradily, Anorith. Did you know Anorith evolved to hunt on land? Armaldo are still great swimmers, though. I used mine for an underwater match against Decker."

Gavin's own cautions seem to subside as he speaks; exchanging knowledge was one of his favourite past-times, after all.

[attr="class","beck"]he nods, leaning a little as if drawn towards the knowledge cillian begins to share.

"it's said that anorith's eight wings were once feet, and that it had evolved to adapt to living in the ocean."

he'd love to acquire one eventually.

"funny how it evolves again to hunt on land."

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