[attr="class","beck"]"no problem. how's her progress?"

he shrugs a shoulder, stretching it as he steps after killian into the gym. it's empty, which is to be expected since this is now their city.

"what do you need training in specifically?"

[attr="class","noodles"]Killian Decker

"She's doing fine."

Fine. It fits but doesn't at the same time. Different, he thinks, might be a better word to describe Alexandra Briarwood. Whether that's good or bad, Killian still not sure.

"Self-defense."

He cleared his throat as they walked, heading toward a punching bag.

"I know enough, but I want to learn more."

THEO BECKETT

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

he approaches the punching bag as well, standing off to the side before crossing his arms.

"two minutes on the bag. show me what you know."

looking off to a timer on the wall, he watches, waiting, before:

"...now."

[attr="class","noodles"]Killian Decker

Elbows tight but free of tension, wrists straight, two quick jabs streaked to the bag.

Smack. Smack.

"I hear you have a fish store now?"

Smack. Smack.

The blows rattle the bag, but something's missing.

"What's that like?"

THEO BECKETT

[attr="class","beck"]"that was meant to be a secret."

for an organization that's supposed to operate in relative secrecy, they aren't very good at keeping secrets, are they?

but he shrugs, having accepted word of his store would've gotten around a while ago.

"it's nice. i'd even say calming."

he watches the bags rattle.

"twist your hip when you throw your dominant punch."

dominant meaning whatever side killian favors.

[attr="class","noodles"]Killian Decker

It's like Theo has no idea who he's talking to, or he does but doesn't care. Most likely the latter if they're honest.

"Not a very big one, appertantly." he chuckled and swung for the bag.

Smack. Smack. Smack.

Twist his hip? He pivoted at the waist, right hook coming in hard but once again lacking. Killian mirrored the strike with his left.

"Calming? Sounds dull to me." this coming from the man who collected books of all things. One he couldn't even read, for that matter.

Killian clicked his tongue.

THEO BECKETT

[attr="class","beck"]there's still something missing.

"watch me and copy."

turning to the bag beside him, he gets into the same stance as killian's in and throws a right hook, then a left.

"it's not dull, by the way."

[attr="class","noodles"]Killian Decker

Copying is easy, especially since Killian had been purposely throwing his punches.

"Sorry if I don't believe you." fishing wasn't for him anyway. That meant being near the ocean and the smell of salt. Most of the time. Ponds and freshwater fish were a thing.

Uncommon in Hoenn given its tropical climate, but he digressed.

"How's the security for your store?"

An excellent segue into the real reason he'd asked Beckett here.

THEO BECKETT

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

honestly, he's a little surprised no one's attempted to break in yet. maybe there's just an aura around the fishie store that keeps them away.

he continues throwing punches, slower to allow killian to simply copy him.

"why do you ask?"

[attr="class","noodles"]Killian Decker

Killian continued to mirror Theo's movements. Making sure to remind himself to control his breathing with each punch.

"That's disappointing." he frowned.

He expected someone like Beckett to have his store adequately secured.

"I'm planning to open a business in Sootopolis and wanted advice."

THEO BECKETT

[attr="class","beck"]"it's because i don't particularly care about who enters or goes."

his breathing stays level, controlled even as he starts throwing harder punches. the chain holding up the bag rattles with each hit.

"so if you still want advice, killian, i'm more than happy to provide it."

[attr="class","noodles"]Killian Decker

"I do."

Otherwise, he'd wasted his time.

Killian stopped his strikes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Who would you suggest I hire to act as a security for a casino?"

The apparent implicated was in Rocket. Things would move smoother that way. And while intel was Killian's department, security wasn't. Not that it was Theo's either but as a man who trained grunts. Surely, he'd had ones that caught his attention.

THEO BECKETT

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

priam conrad, Martín del Mar, jayden cross, Rowan Wrynn, bryan delarosa, KING WAYLAND, siobhan burke, Tempest Quinn, @augustus, Kenjiro Yamada, Elliott Jenkins, DANNY HALL.

these are the names that come to mind when he thinks of rockets capable enough to handle security, but their talents would be wasted in a casino. they'd be better off assigned elsewhere.

"there are a few in rocket i could recommend, but you'd be better off with an outside hire."

he doesn't notice how killian's stopped hitting the bag. he continues on, unaware.

"lock and key, group x, and project zero are companies i've worked with before. they're capable enough, and they offer different levels of security depending on what you need."

[attr="class","noodles"]Killian Decker