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What exactly had they gotten themselves into?[break][break]

It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Sure, foregoing their initial plan for the hot springs was kind of a bummer, but at the same time, exploring a new spatial plane of existence sounded bomb as hell, and counter for some pretty good experience that he and Ikarus Rook were sorely lacking for in starting out the whole training gig. Plus it didn’t hurt to have the opportunity to meet Genny’s new boo.[break][break]

And with someone as enthusiastic as his longtime friend, how could he not feed into that energy and get hyped up too?[break][break]

How bad could it be? They felt like famous last words the closer they got, though. His hand threaded through Rook’s, and he stared up at the barrier with a bubble of apprehension swelling in his stomach. Rook had been the one to agree, and follow after him, but now Lam felt like the one with increasingly cold feet. All because it seemed so…aquatic.[break][break]

It was rich, coming from someone who’d grown up on an island region, but deep bodies and their contents unnerved Lam. He avoided them, he avoided fishy types of Pokémon. So he was more than happy to let Genny scout ahead. Noodle chattered nervously in his other arm, the shinx obviously sensing his trainer’s nerves.[break][break]

“Er, you’re sure it’s all good? Nothing big hiding waiting to pop out?” The sideways look he shot Rook indicated that either his boyfriend was stepping in first, or, “Together on three?”

[attr="class","bottom"]Ikarus Rook Genevieve Cromwell @elio [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-shinx color-shiny"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-altaria"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-togekiss"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pelipper"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-rowlet"]

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Hot springs, he'd been told and now felt like he'd been tricked. This felt like a betrayal of his trust, yet still kind of intriguing. He was out of his element, but that was hardly a new feeling for him. Not only was he meeting new people, but he was going to a new place. Hell, a new world. This was not what he'd planned for when he woke up that morning.
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Not that he was about to bail on his boyfriend or even his boyfriend's friends. Rook didn't like to think of himself as a coward, but rather self-preserving. This seemed to go against most of his personal rules in his effort to stay alive. Still, an adventure was an adventure. He held Lam's hand, head tilted to the side in curiosity as the girl, Genevieve Cromwell , vanished before their eyes. One moment there and then gone. Amazing.
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This was in the effort to be something, right? So he shouldn't be afraid, even if he was a city boy that knew garbage better than he did science and stuff. Lam was more of the nature boy than himself, though he enjoyed being outside as much as the next person. He just didn't have a lot of faith in himself handling a situation one might consider dangerous. What if Lam was in danger? Would he be able to handle that?
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"Yeah." He said, smiling at Lam before abruptly pulling the other in. With a wild laugh, he yelled, "Three!" Before sinking into the coolness of water. It was a big change, on an instinctual level. The sudden fear of drowning crashing over him. Once again he'd fallen headfirst into unknown. But then he opened his mouth and... how strange. "Wow this place is weird." Then he saw the fish and knew they'd just signed up for Lam's worst nightmare.

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The only thing Lam had time to do in the split second before Rook yanked his hand was spare Elio one last apprehensive glance, almost a comedic grimace. Three! Then he was squawking out a startled noise as his boyfriend hoisted him through the rift barrier without any additional warning. His eyes squeezed shut and mouth clamped shut to hold his breath, but they slowly opened as the two of them drifted into a float near Genny. Strands of hair fanned around his face and he released both Noodle and Rook’s hand as he pushed through the air-like quality of…well, whatever it was they were floating in. Because it obviously wasn’t water in the actual sense of it.[break][break]

“Woah. This is wild.” He waved his hands back and forth, wiggled his fingers. Meanwhile, his shinx hovered around him, static-y fur charging up to provide a little more additional light. Though not as much as Genny’s toxitricity. Initially, his fixation was for the better because he wasn’t looking out around their surroundings. But as Elio joined them with the question of where to go, Lam finally looked up— quick to blanch as he spied a goldeen floating through the miasma in the distance. “Mmm…Rook. That’s a fish.” His hand latched onto the other’s arm.[break][break]

He watched his partner with pleading eyes, a wordless sound of nervousness sounding from the back of his throat (whiny like a little kid.) But it was too late to abort mission now, and he sort of definitely wanted to save face in front of his childhood friend and her boyfriend.[break][break]

Plus, they’d already started the trek and Lam wasn’t about to be the naysayer, no fun stick in the mud. As they moved forward, led by Genny, however, Lam could feel his wariness build. Every shadow suddenly looking like something slimy or scaly waiting to jump out and brush against him, or chomp him. “If one touches me, I’m pushing you in front of me.” The whispered warning to Rook was only maybe half a joke.

[attr="class","bottom"]Ikarus Rook Genevieve Cromwell @elio [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-shinx color-shiny"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-altaria"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-togekiss"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pelipper"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-rowlet"]

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“Yeah, suppose it is,” He said, head tilted, as if the goldeen was anything but a fish, but also possibly not. There really was no room for debate in that category. Only, he was a touch slow to the point, which was the distinct reminder of Lam telling him about his fear of fish. “Oh right… don’t be afraid, lamchop. There’s far worse out there than a little goldeen.” He didn’t want to belittle his partner’s fear, even if it was a little funny. So, he grabbed the other’s hand, giving him an encouraging squeeze. This was his attempt at being encouraging, which wasn’t very good.
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“Throw me at will, I’ll be your human shield.” He laughed, with no doubt that Lam would sacrifice him at the slightest hint of a fishy threat. “Hey watch this,” With a touch of difficulty, he spun upside down and began walking down the ceiling of the tunnel. Then, pushed off so that he was upside-down facing Lam.
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“Are you charmed and seduced by my aerobatics?” It was stupid, but hopefully would get his mind off his fears.

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“Worse?” he asked Rook in return, voice squeaky and eyes pitifully wide. A goldeen was pretty bad. He didn’t wanna encounter worse creatures out here..[break][break]

Still, Rook’s efforts to calm him were helpful, even if the short laugh that slipped out as Rook walked across the ceiling upside down was a bit reluctant at first. If he just focused his attention there on him, it would be totally fine. He could do this, see? A wobbly smile slipped across his lips, and he watched as his boyfriend marched right up to where he floated. “Very charmed, yes.”[break][break]

Leaning forward, he graced Rook with a short peck on the lips before reaching to tug him back town to be upright alongside him again. “Thanks,” he muttered quietly as he threaded their hands together again. Temporarily soothed enough to move forward. At least until Elio shouted the appearance of fins. “What, where?” Lam twisted around frantically, trying to find the source. Shoulders climbing up to his ears and tension making his posture rigid.[break][break]

The glimmer of something large and foreboding in the dark flashed by them. The tiniest hint of teal blue. “Noooooope. Nonono…” he scooted behind Rook, hands clamping down on his shoulders as dread settled heavy in his stomach. “What was that?” Entirely unaware that this was just a part of a teammate’s silly prank. The panic only amplified as Genevieve began to grow distressed up ahead as well. Despite the light cast from her toxicitricity, they were far enough ahead of him and Rook to dim the brightness, and not get a good view of what was happening. “Genny…are you okay?” he called out tentatively, still hidden behind his partner.[break][break]

“This is bad, this is so bad,” he whispered to Rook as his paranoia continued to climb. The last thing he should’ve been doing was continue to look around. Don’t look deeper than you absolutely to, he told himself even as he continued to do exactly that, rather than fix his stare on the dim outline of Rook’s head—sight straining in the dark.[break][break]

“Noodle, use spark again.” The shinx complied, lighting up the immediate space around them. And it was a good thing too. He could just make out the movement of something. Smaller, annd definitely not a part of Elio’s mischief. Out of the dark, something rushed closer toward the group, further confirming Lam’s stupidly anxious fears. “Look out!” he yelped, before yanking Rook to the side as a pale blur blew by them. Initially aimed at them, but now aggressively hurtling toward the second pair.

[attr="class","bottom"]Ikarus Rook Genevieve Cromwell @elio [break]
tldr; + lam calms down for a minute but immediately gets freaked out again! Doesn’t realize it’s Elio messing with him. [break]
+ prompt #13 mentioned[break]
+ lam uses his observational skills to see the nihilengo launching itself at the group[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-shinx color-shiny"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-altaria"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-togekiss"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pelipper"]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-rowlet"]

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It started with a kiss, so really... Rook thought it was going pretty great, right? Sure, they were in a weird creepy underwater world, but that was a vibe he could live with. He liked weird vibes after all, but things were steadily descending into unfathomable depths. Something bad was going on. It was a little hard to keep up with. First, his boyfriend was panicking and his friend was coughing.
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Rook wasn't familiar with handling panicking situations well. He tended to close down under pressure, an after-effect of a bad childhood. Likely, it would come back to bite him when his failure to act ate at his guilt complex. Truthfully, he just didn't know what to do. "Lam? Lam... it's okay, calm down." It's just fish, he wanted to tell him, but that wasn't the truth for Lam. Fish were a big deal and there was no changing that fact for the other.
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Had he known the Gyarados was Elio's, he might not have been quite so kind to him after the fact. It was never funny playing on other's fears, he knew that better than anyone.
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"What?" Rook flinched under the contact as Lam yanked him aside. It was alright though, it was just Lam. Everything was okay, right?