king had shamelessly stripped himself to the bare necessities, revealing a thick and gnarly burn scar on his chest, and was working his way into his the diving suit, before the woman on the other side spoke up.
[break][break]
"eh?"
[break][break]
king sighs, moving across the room to stand in front of her. he takes the mask out of her hands, looking at it. did she think this was goin' to be as simple as horse riding?
[break][break]
"that's why ye ask fer help. ye go out there with fault equipment, yer gonna sink harder than a god-damned golem, woman. come 'ere and look."
[break][break]
king drops to one knee, turning an inspective eye to the oxygen tank.
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"this thing holds anywhere from 3000-4000 PSI of air, which gets regulated down to somethin' far more manageable at the breathin' level. if the lines are faulty, or yer regulator is fucked, yer pretty face is not gon' be recognizable when it's all over, ye?"
[break][break]
he checks the inspection dates, for any faulty dents or scratches, and then verifies even the smallest of factors (o-rings) are installed properly.
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he physically turns her around, hoisting the bottle in both of his arms.
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"stay still."
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he pushes it against the back of her best, strapping it in with grunts of annoyance, and frustration. it's heavy, but would be considerably more light in the water.
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"this gauge right 'here tells ye how much air ye got left. make sure ye keep track and try not ta breathe like a rhyhorn 'n we'll be fine. turn this valve towards ye ta open the tank, away from ye ta close it."
[break][break]

"ye good ta get started?"

[attr="class","ooc"]nina larson[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-swampert"]

he ignores the gentle grumblings of the woman— mostly. his mouth twitches as if to respond, but it's quelled before it could even rise past his chest.
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he moves off, zipping the remainder of the wet suit up before he does, and goes to fetch his things. he listens as he walks.
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"if yer sure that's how ye want ta play it, then ye, it's fine with me."
[break][break]
he catches the jitters in her look, one half of his mouth sliding back into a confident grin. he'd come too close to death a thousand times over. this? it was child's play. keeping the stupid grin plastered on his face, he hoists the pack onto his back, grunting as he slips them over.
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"yer a first timer, so all the splashin' 'n screamin' might just not be fer show."
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he summons their companion for the dive, swampert, and breaks the distance between them again.
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"final check. any scapes, cuts, 'er bleedin' of any kind goin' on?"

[attr="class","ooc"]nina larson[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-swampert"]

he laughs, barking out something rough and loud.
[break][break]
"ye'll see when ye get out there. my advice? avoid anythin' that screams 'holy fuck.' don't worry, ye'll know when ye see it."
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he gives her a once over, looking fore aforementioned tears and rips in her suit, as well as another go at the lines that connected to the actual tank itself. with a single turn, he ensures it's on, checking the gauge for any massive drops in pressure.
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"sharpedo's aren't the only thing that like ta feed on us, but they're one of the most talked about. avoid any tentacool's or those spiky bastards that hang out on the ocean floor 'n ye'll be fine."
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his eyes drop to take her in, and he can't help but be impressed on how well she fills out that diving suit.
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"looks good on my end. put on yer mask and try ta control yer breathin'. these suits will do a good job'va battlin' the cold, but don't be surprised if yer tits 'r screamin' bloody mary for the first ten 'er so seconds."
[break][break]
he places his own, and the large pokemon slips into the water himself, sliding beneath it with a finesse not many would expect from something of that size. then, he too slips beneath the waves.

[attr="class","ooc"]nina larson[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-swampert"]

the sound of his laugh cuts off as he places the mask on, whatever smart-ass remark about her body muffled with his mouth now full. today was going to be a day. a fun as fuck one, if king had a choice.
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once below, the cold nipped him in places he didn't enjoy in the slightest, but pain was a comforting mistress. his hand went to the fin of the swampert, white knuckle gripping the water-type. when he cast his gaze over and onto nina, finding her with no pokemon of her own to guide her, he sighs air bubbles.
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with a swat of his hand, the swampert moves off and slows down in front of the woman, looking over his shoulder to her with clear intent. meanwhile, another flash of light reveals a feraligatr. this one he doesn't plan on sending her way, fickle and hungry as it was, most of the time.
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holding his fingers up for the universal signal of 'okay?', they race forward.

[attr="class","ooc"]nina larson[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-swampert"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-feraligatr"]

somewhere, out there in the great beyond, behind folds of space and the flying cards, a version of king exists in the multiverse that's happy, and content. with no issues, no crazy schemes or ideas, and no partners getting dragged off by a giant fuckin' pokemon.
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wherever that version of him was: fuck you.
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with a forceful pat against the gator's side, it comes to a halt, turning onto the escaping barracuda. it snarls, sending a stream of bubbles to the surface, and shoots off in pursuit.
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fins, carried by rage and hunger, cut through water like air. in no time at all the duo catch up with nina and her captor, the gator wrapping it's massive and powerful jaws around it's tail.
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the barraskewda's yelp is enough to force nina from it's mouth, and king gets off the gator's back to make sure she's alright. in the background, the skewda's death song begins to play.

[attr="class","ooc"]nina larson[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-swampert"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-feraligatr"]

swampert arrives moments after, a demon in the water, but not quite as fast as the gator. he hovers directly next to the two, fins twitching with indignation.
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blue hues followed nina's, and he grunts in irritation at the turn of events. her flipper showed signs of tearing, and would tread the water as well as a stone given her experience.
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he's got but a moment to consider it, before a strange singing begins. brow furrowing, his head, like hers, turns to determine the direction of the sound. his gator emerges from the cloud of red, still chewing on something, as it circles them.
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he mouths something back to her.
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"no clue. we shouldn't stick around though."

[attr="class","ooc"]nina larson[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-swampert"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-feraligatr"]

once they were safely enough away, locating the ship wasn't an issue. it was massive, creating a shadow that stretched far and wide beneath it. stopping just under it, and careful to avoid the screw, he turns to nina and gives her a thumbs-up.
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then, they separate, both with their own tasks.
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but he's kind. at least swampert stays behind with her, careful to stay beneath the waves during the ensuing ruse. hopefully, it wouldn't be needed.

[attr="class","ooc"]nina larson[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-swampert"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-feraligatr"]