"told you."

having a different identity almost makes it easier to break free from the shackles of theo beckett, war criminal and rocket admin. here, in the carnival, he is no more than oda saito.

here, he is free to laugh and enjoy and live.

the smile he wears is equally as bright as hers.

"you pull them off better than i do."

naturally.

Lulu Flint
mission!

☉

”think so? you know, i used to wear glasses.”

she squinted, eyes immediately sore from the strain. her drunken stomach turned, and she quickly decided to take them off and hand them back.

but it reminded her.

”we should get you drunk. not as fun if it’s just me.” she smiled up at him mischievously. ”i don’t think i’ve ever seen you drunk before.” that, or he handled himself well. the time had come to experiment and drag him past the threshold.

THEO BECKETT

☉

for as much as theo drinks, he's never reached the point where control tips away from him. the thought of that happening is almost unsettling, which is why, for good reasons, he's never been drunk in front of others.

"alright."

he slips the pair of spectacles back on.

"you have to watch out for me, though. keep me out of trouble, and all that."

Lulu Flint
mission!

☉

while theo was nearly impossible to imagine shitfaced, it would have never occurred to someone like lulu that he could have lived such a life thus far without ever having reached that point. of course, a man like mr. beckett’s success could no doubt be credited to the level of control with which he handled himself.

not tonight.

she grinned, figuring theo was joking, of course. she was only humoring him when she nodded, ”okay. come on.”

around the back of a tent, she’d head towards a liquor store. she knew this area.

THEO BECKETT

☉

her familiarity with the area becomes clear to him the moment the liquor store comes into sight. he chuckles at the realization, though says nothing on it.

the bell rings as they push through.

"what are you in the mood for? whiskey?"

the options seem endless.

Lulu Flint
mission!

☉

already in the door, she spun towards him on the balls of her shoes. mischief was bright in her pinkened eyes.

”i don't know. what are you in the mood for?”

behind her, glass bottles were stacked high in all colors and flavors, glistening under harsh fluorescent light and blindingly saturated sales stickers. the options were endless. she could hope for tequila, but she knew that wouldn’t be his answer.

THEO BECKETT

☉

"tequila."

after a knowing smile, he swivels away to wave down the attendant, and after a brief discussion about the weather, he pays for a bottle of tequila, whiskey, and kahlua, all of which are neatly placed in a brown bag for him.

out they go, back into the carnival.

"it seems i have a bit of catching up to do."

because she's gone and he's not had a single sip of alcohol yet.

Lulu Flint
mission!

☉

tequila was not the answer she’d been expecting. she grinned, anyways, going to find one of satisfactory quality. bold, amber anejo, oak barrel-aged for a couple of years until it had smoothed out with a sweet vanilla and caramel taste. it was, perhaps, as close to whiskey as tequila got.

was he going to drink all three of these? she wondered as she watched him pay, and then gather their new minibar stash.

”well, you'vw certainly got enough to do it,” she laughed. ”why did you buy three different kinds?” why was one of the kahlua?

THEO BECKETT

☉

he leads them over to a nice spot off to the side, right by the edge of the cliff that overlooks the murky blue of the ocean.

it's been made into a little viewpoint; even has a nice gazebo to give them some shade in case it rains. he slips into it, placing the bottles on the table before pulling out the kahlua.

"some of the youngsters on the sub were raving about it."

he shrugs, placing the bottle off to the side before reaching back for the tequila. it's not one he recognizes.

"i've never had this before."

he twists the cap off, raises the bottle to sniff, then takes a hefty swig before offering it to her.

Lulu Flint
mission!

☉

she might’ve been familiar enough with the area to find the liquor store, but she’d never taken the time to slow down and simply enjoy the scenery. the simple things that theo took enjoyment in and paid attention to often perplexed her, and with anyone else, she’d surely argue they were losing time to enjoy the carnival—but this seemed like it might be kind of nice, actually.

of the kahlua, she said nothing, only giving him a vague sort of look. thinly veiled judgment he’d surely come to recognize. of the tequila, she vouched, ”not my favorite, but it’ll do in a pinch.”

she took it with a heavy swig as well. it was definitely better in a glass, but who was she to turn her nose up at drinking a bottle unabashedly out in public like some sort of pirate type?

”do you know of a ship captain named skyler dross ?”

she wasn’t exactly a small fish.

THEO BECKETT

☉

speak of the devil pirate.

"not personally, no."

another swig.

his muscles start to relax and he can feel his shoulders dropping just a little.

"but she was at sootopolis, wasn't she?"

Lulu Flint
mission!

☉

”yes. she got eaten by kyogre.” just like pinocchio. at least, that was what the news had reported—but they hadn’t included the next kicker. did the league even know? did theo know? he tended to know things about people.

”she’s its avatar, now.”

looking over, she gauged his reaction. the primal legendaries were especially destructive. what might happen if the league solidified an alliance with one and its avatar against them?

”she broke into my lab, so i stabbed her on accident, and she started glowing. i could’ve swore the waves were crashing harder outside.”

she unscrewed the lid on the kahlua and took a whiff, her face turning a little. too sweet.

”she lives here, why i brought it up, i guess.”

THEO BECKETT

☉

"i heard. crazy turn of events."

behind his usual shade of indifference is something quite peculiar: defiance — defiance that's sparked from the unavoidable fight against opposing avatars and legendaries that's to come.

but there's also fear. worry. he has no qualms coming up against people and pokemon but these aren't pokemon. they are mythics. gods.

"i imagine her powers are related to the ocean."

down to half the bottle, he decides to slow down just a little.

"i wonder if she can open her mouth really wide now. like a wailord."

Lulu Flint
mission!

☉