(ELITE) The SNOWPOINT Team

Hera slowly blinked her good eye open, the haze in her mind slowly clearing to reveal the world around her. Had she...had she blacked out? She vaguely recalled freaking out before, her powers going absolutely nuts, Strix...oh Arceus Strix! She had hit him with her attack! And Yon-co! Everything came slamming back into place in her mind at the realization and the Espeon was up on her feet, rushing to the edge of the platform only to find the stairs missing. How the hell was she going to get down?

Looking around frantically Hera struggled to focus, vaguely aware of how quiet it was downstairs now. 'No! Please let them be okay! Oh please, please let everyone be okay!' She had said such thoughtless things to Yon-co, to Strix, to everyone before she blacked out. And who knew how many had been injured or even killed because of her thoughtlessness. No. No she couldn't think like that. Everyone had to be okay...they just had to be. It couldn't be her fault, not again.

________________________

Dante once again tossed him aside like so much trash and before he could recover the hound was on him. "I told everyone to stay inside, where it was safe. I tried keeping everyone in here, but you had to be the fucking knight in shiny goddamn armor and try to rescue a fucking CORPSE!" Corpse? He hadn't done it for Yon-co, he knew the Raichu was a goner. He had done it for them! "I did it so that you had a diversion to buy time to escape!" he tried to defend, but Dante kept pressing the issue.

"If you had listened to me and stayed up there like a good fucking dog, then we wouldn't be in this mess. She'd still be alive. Don't you fucking pin that on me, dick. Her blood is on your paws. Not mine. And the next time you say so, I'll fucking gut you. You got that?"

Like a good dog? Like a good dog? The fuck?! Who did this fool think he was? He wasn't leading these Pokemon to salvation he was leading them to their deaths yet he still had the nerve to pin it on him? Raiden growled low in his throat as Dante walked away, putting on a superior air as though he had done nothing wrong. "If I am guilty then you are doubly so. I wouldn't have failed had you done what you were supposed to. She would have been spared and you all would be miles from here while the Houndoom kept me as her toy. You fucked up on your end so don't you dare pin it all on me."

Raiden had never been so angry in his life. Never had such dark thoughts run through his mind like they did with this skeletal hound. He stood up proudly, chest pushed out as he looked down his muzzle to the dark canine who dared walk away from his own failures like they didn't happen. But even as he contemplated attacking Dante the smell of blood assaulted his nose, filling the room with the scent of death and tears. Turning his head towards the hole his eyes went wide at what he saw. "Ci...Ciara?"

There, leaning against the wall, was the Mightyena they were fighting over. Her body was split open from the Houndoom, organs hanging loosely as her ribcage barely had enough support left to keep them inside. Her eyes were red yet glossed over, much the same way they had been when he ran into her as a pup and again with this group. Had she been infected? When? How? She had shown no signs other than her injuries in the time he had spent with her and the group.

She took a step towards the group and one of her lungs fell through the broken bones meant to contain it, the organ dangling like some sort of macabre piñata. Raiden backed away in horror until his hind legs touched the wall, staring wide-eyed at the female he had struggled and failed to protect look upon the group in morbid hunger.

"Alpha..."

((Hera is back but currently separated from the group, I will bring her down to the others next round just in time to witness Ciara die. Again. Sil you know what to do.))

"Da-!"
"Dan-!"

Dante flinched as his icy gaze once more fell upon Strix, the nidoking struggling to speak and stand. Quickly, he trotted back to his side, offering his strong back for support, worry once more filling him. He couldn't lose any more of this pack... especially not Strix. Guilt racked him for a moment-- he should have been getting Strix to the others rather than arguing with an electric brick wall. Scolding himself inwardly, he began getting his shoulder beneath Strix's wanting to help him up. "I'm sorry, buddy, I'm sorry-- I'm right here," he whispered, wanting to soothe Strix's obvious plight of mind. "We'll get you back up to par, ok?" He flinched as his legs gave a shudder, kindly reminding him that he himself had been on his own death bed not a few hours ago. Well... that could wait.

However, it seemed that Raiden hadn't had his fill just yet. "If I am guilty then you are doubly so." Dante paused, his anger bubbling back to the surface. "I wouldn't have failed had you done what you were supposed to. She would have been spared and you all would be miles from here while the Houndoom kept me as her toy. You fucked up on your end so don't you dare pin it all on me."

"You know," Dante began carefully, grunting slightly as he continued to try and get Strix onto his back, "instead of barking and bitching about how you're trying to skate the blame over to my side, how about you be useful -for once- and actually fucking help someone." The last words were said with a stern snap and a glare tossed over his shoulder. However, the manectric's expression had changed dramatically, his eyes wide with terror as he backed away slowly.

"Ci...Ciara?"

More alarmed than confused, he turned to where he was staring, finding the morbid sight as well. A mightyena, with Ciara's same wounds, dragging her loosened organs in a bloodied trail beneath her stood, wavering, bright scarlet eyes full of an absent hunger. Dante's face slackened, mouth becoming agape as he watched her slowly advance toward them, questions whirling in his mind. When had she been infected? And... did that mean he was as well...? Removing himself from slightly beneath Strix once more, Dante's gaze flicked from his wounded comrade to Raiden. Strix was barely able to breathe, much less fight, and the self-righteous prick was too shocked and frightened to do much else other than stare."Raiden--" he spoke softly, not wanting to truly catch Ciara's attention. "Raiden, do something...!"

But as Ciara began to move forward toward Raiden once more, Dante knew what had to be done-- what he had to do. That bastard wasn't going to do anything, no. Besides, it felt wrong if Raiden did finish her off; Ciara had been his own packmate, his own responsibility since she first showed up shivering outside the cabin door. A small thought flashed by in his mind, pondering if she'd never sought their help -his help- then maybe she'd still be alive... Maybe she'd still be searching for something...? But the question was dismissed as quickly as it'd formed. It was obvious now that she was infected the entire time, and so she'd have ended up falling to it eventually. Only now, she has someone to relieve her of such a purgatory. Exhaling a sharp breath, Dante made his move.

A quick lunge caught her off guard, his faster, heavier form knocking hers quickly to the floor. She was weak; the Houndoom had done quite a number on her, and it was easy to pin her to the ground. His heavy paws kept her from struggling too much, most of her flailing coming from her head and jaws. They snapped hungrily up at him, her eyes wide with yearning. As he stared down at her, his face revealed the void of emotion that settled upon him. This wasn't Ciara anymore. This thing was nothing more than her own animated corpse, mindlessly seeking meat. He'd seen living turn before, he'd seen the freshly dead rise again... but never had they been pokemon he'd personally known or looked after. To see one of his own turn into something like this...

It made no difference. She was already dead, and so dealing with this second-rate doppelganger was little more than swatting flies. He took his free heavy paw, and in a single motion, pinned down her skull, backing it with the rest of his weight. The skull beneath his paw splintered and collapsed, stilling her movements completely. The red eyes, still blank, stared away from him into nothing. He let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, releasing something unknown from his mind. It was done. She was gone. He lowered his head to her ear, his nose barely above the fine hairs, and with a voice barely audible to even himself, whispered, "...I'm sorry... I... couldn't do more..."

He closed his eyes and then moved off of her, straight back to Strix. "If you want to do something for her," he began softly, his voice lacking any venom from before, "you could bury her. She deserves at least that much." He maneuvered himself once more under Strix, finally managing to get the behemoth on his back. "...I have living to take care of... I can't tend to the dead." With that, he made his way toward where the others were, hoping that there was something... anything... to help Strix.


-----------------

Slitted eyes watched from the shadows as the events unfolded like a badly-written play. Well... perhaps "badly written" wasn't as accurate a description as "predictable" was. He'd seen most of the production, from the initial shouting that had woken him up to now. They'd bickered, they'd argued, and then, they got mercilessly attacked by wave after wave of enemies... only to lose two of their precious numbers. It was touching how dedicated these pokemon were to each other, even if this observer could tell most of them hadn't known each other for the better part of the day.

The persian dwelling deep in the shadows gave a small yawn as the excitement started to die back down, his seat in the rafters growing a little too cramped. He hadn't moved during the fights, not wanting to get involved in a battle that needn't concern him. Stretching on his precarious perch, his smug smirk never leaving him, he decided that perhaps was the time to finally introduce himself and kindly let these bloodied squatters know that they had actually trespassed. Of course, he would be a gracious host-- he'd let them sleep off some wounds before sending on their way. Anything else would just be rude.

Delicate paws and perfectly timed jumps led him down from his safety nest, finding his way to the broken upper floor. He glanced at the utterly destroyed staircase, clicking his tongue lightly in feigned dismay. "...Cretins..." he admonished lightly, his voice barely over a mutter. Trotting toward the less bloody group, consisting of a sneasel, luxray and snow white growlithe. However, he paused as he spotted the marred espeon, head tilting in confusion. He'd lost track of her while he'd been watching, assuming her dead when the previous round of drama occurred. He gave a light chuckle, stepping forward slightly.

"You've had a busy day, eh?" he purred, tail flicking absently behind him. "Sorry to just suddenly appear... Hera, was it?" He grinned a little, stepping a little closer. "Oh don't worry-- I'm not going to hurt you. If you're looking for your compatriots, they're over in the back." He waved in the general direction of where the Less Bloody group was. "I think they're looking for you."


[[PM me if I need to change anything
Edited to include Sylus' first post, as he was approved like... a few hours after posting lol]]

"I'm sorry, buddy, I'm sorry-- I'm right here. We'll get you back up to par, ok?"
Strix listened to the canines' argue with each other, enraged frustration growing in his chest as he leaned against the hounds back, his windpipe opening up just enough for some air to wheeze into his punctured lungs. The Nidoking bared his bloodied jowls at the two of them, his legs wobbling and his breath coming out in wet chokes and wheezes.
What are they DOING!?
The fucking idiots! She's dead!
That thing is still out there! We need to get out while we can!
Why are they bickering like little bitches NOW!?
Dante nudged him, urging him to climb on his back. But Strix could only stare beyond them as the hound continued to grumble, his breathing going silent as his eyes met the macabre thing dragging itself into the warehouse.
No...No not this...

"Alpha..."

He suddenly felt Dante move from under his arms, making the Nidoking slump onto his knees. The behemoth could feel the shattered bones shifting and digging into his lungs, making him shudder and freeze in place with pain. His mouth opened, but the poison type swallowed the scream that threatened to explode out of him, the only sound escaping him a whimpering gurgle as thick chunks of black flesh and dark blood began to flow from his mouth.

"Raiden--! Raiden, do something...!" Dante hissed, slowly moving towards the disemboweled canine. Strix watched helplessly, witholding agonized screaming as the horned dog launched himself at what was once Ciara, the husk of their friend snapping at him hungrily in an empty and terrifying desire to feed.
Oh god Dante, just finish it! He grimaced, closing his eyes against the gut-wrenching sight. The empty growls and guttural sounds coming from the undead Mightyena seemed to stretch out forever before the sound of a wet crunch echoed loudly through the warehouse, followed by an equally terrible silence.

"If you want to do something for her, you could bury her. She deserves at least that much." Dante said without emotion, padding to the Nidoking and offering his back as support once more. Strix frantically fell on the hound, relief from the suffocating pain once more flooding him as Dante helped him up.
"Arruurrghh..." He groaned, closing his eyes tightly as he struggled to stay conscious. "...I have living to take care of... I can't tend to the dead." Strix held onto the canine tightly, every shifting movement making him want to cry out.

(Leaving out Runes' post for now, I need a little more to work with, and I wasn't sure exactly where the Persian was lol)

The rage in the room was building. Tension ran so thick Alice could swear she would cut through it if she swiped her claws forward. If the Manetric and Dante kept going at it, their argument would come to blows soon. They didn't need another corpse. She should intervene. Stepping forward, Alice prepared to do just that. And stopped.

Something was wrong.

Both sides had suddenly stopped talking. A powerful stench filled the room, making the walls feel like they were closing in around her. What the hell is that? She thought panickedly. Whipping around, she saw what they saw, and nearly screamed. Oh no. Oh God, no. Not this. Ironically, at that exact moment, Alice wished for nothing more than for her friend to be dead. To stay dead. And yet, here she was. Ciara stood, Undead, nearby, still carrying the wounds that had killed her. Dante saw to her quickly, but Alice couldn't watch. She turned her head quickly, fighting the urge to vomit. Strix seemed to be moving- tentatively, at least, but Alice's mind kept focusing on Ciara. Why... Why is it always us? Padding softly over the the Electric Hound, she thought about what Dante said about a burial. "I... I'll help you do it, if you'd like." After all that had happened, Alice wasn't sure how close she and Ciara had been in life. But now, after seeing what she saw, she suddenly felt like they were the best of friends. And it hurt her.

"...Cretins..."

Hera twitched at the strange new voice, turning her head slowly as she prayed that it wasn't another enemy. She had to find Strix, find everyone she had hurt and make sure they were okay, she couldn't afford another fight. She witnessed a smug Persian making his way towards Alice and thanked any deity that would listen that she was okay with the Sneasel and Growlithe. But when his eyes looked to her she visibly flinched, hoping that look didn't mean he was going to hurt them.

"You've had a busy day, eh?" he stated smoothly, voice coming out in a purr. "Sorry to just suddenly appear... Hera, was it?" As he came closer to her the Espeon couldn't help but widen her good eye in alarm, his smug grin causing waves of discomfort to roll down her spine. "Oh don't worry-- I'm not going to hurt you. If you're looking for your compatriots, they're over in the back. I think they're looking for you."

Hey eye shot frantically from his aimed paw and his face judging for any sign of deceit or trickery before her gaze locked in the direction he pointed. Without a word of thanks she shot into the darkness and prayed that when she got there everyone would be alright.

_____________________

"Raiden--Raiden, do something...!"

But he was frozen. That small pup was torn up from a vicious assault, driven to a need that wasn't her own, and while he wanted to put her out of her misery he couldn't bring himself to move against her. She looked so sad...how could he hurt her when she looked like she was about to cry? Instead he could only hang his head and whimper, the weight of reality crashing on top of him bringing his firm posture slowly into a hunch.

He recognized the sound of the bone armor hitting the ground as Dante moved, the skeletal pads on his feet sounding to Raiden like heavy drum beats as he marched towards Ciara's death. The poor child...he'd been able to do nothing for her. Even as a pup when he tried to help her she had been taken. Taken by to a life of hell and forced to serve until she was no longer of use. It was all his fault...Dante had been right.

The wet snap echoed in the empty warehouse, the heavy thud of Ciara's body hitting the ground dropping his heart in time. He didn't dare look up at the boney mask as it approached him, the smell of Ciara's blood wafting along with him. "If you want to do something for her, you could bury her. She deserves at least that much."His voice was soften than before, almost sympathetic as Raiden felt his gaze. "...I have living to take care of... I can't tend to the dead."

At that moment did he finally look up only to have his eyes witness the terrified and shocked expression of the Espeon from before. She stared at Dante as he walked away and moved under Strix before a horrified scream finally emerged from her mouth. "Dante...no...w-why? WHY?! What have you done?!

She knew not to trust dark types. She knew, and still she allowed one to kill one of his own. And no one seemed to care! What had Ciara done to be so viciously mauled by their so called leader? Why...?

(please skip me, I needa read up more on Ari before I post)

Yeah, Strix was a lot heavier than he'd thought.

Half-carrying, half-dragging the giant nidoking was something that Dante had assumed he could do, and now he was eating his own pride. His legs trembled with effort beneath him as they struggled to carry them both, threatening to give way with each step. Dante paid no heed to Raiden's silence or Alice's quiet offer to help bury Ciara-- no, all his focus went to his precarious strides and his precious, fragile cargo.

Until Hera's cry caught his ears.

"Dante...no...w-why? WHY?! What have you done?!

He didn't pause-- he couldn't. If he lost momentum now, he could just simply collapse and not be able to get back up. He turned his head slightly, as much as Strix's limp form would allow, and grunted. "...What... did you expect?" he strained, continuing his trek. "She turned... I... had to..." Breathing heavily, he continued on, lugging the poor bastard on him toward safety.

Sylus frowned slightly as Hera wordlessly took the direction of his paw and fled. Well... that was rude. He stood and followed her slowly, airily as the others regrouped. It seemed that this little tribe was full of nothing but blood and drama, which served as a grand theatre. Still... as he mulled over the other players, something struck him as... wrong.

They all had their roles. Strix, the wounded dutiful soldier; Alice, the strong-headed female lead; Hera, the shy, timid, doubful maiden; Raiden, the martyr; Rune and Arianna as the spunky, more innocent girls... and then their leader... He'd heard his name often enough, what with everyone screaming it nearly every minute... But the host of that name was something familiar, something he'd need to inspect closer. He'd known another by that name, another that had looked eerily similar... Casually jumping down and finding a closer perch in which to observe, he saw the slow-moving bulk in more detail. The persian's eyes widened, his fur began to stand on end.

...Dante.

Those bright blue eyes, that weird scruff on his chin... Even with the strange mutation, Sylus knew that cur anywhere. How that mangy mutt managed such a feat as mutating or even evolving was beyond him, but it didn't matter. That flea-bitten degenerate had robbed him of everything he'd held dear, and here he was going to pay. But no-- they'd already had a rough day. He didn't intend on fighting the beast... Outnumbered, even with half those numbers mostly beaten to death, Sylus knew that he was still no match for the hellhound. No. He'd have to play differently. Taking advantage of the fact that Dante was otherwise very focused on getting the bloodied behemoth to the safety of the interior warehouse, he slinked by to greet the others.

"...Perhaps I can be of help?" he offered, spotting the frightened little espeon again.

"Dante...no...w-why? WHY?! What have you done?!"
Dante kept moving, despite the screeching Espeon, horrified by the scene she apparently  just walked in on.
Strix' head rolled to the side limply as his large jaws dripped blood across the floor as they inched their way towards the other room. His gaze was hazy, but full of agony as they fell on the scarred eeveelution. 
Hera...why...!? Why, Hera!?...
I loved you...I loved you...
Why...!?

"...What... did you expect?"he strained, continuing his trek. "She turned... I... had to..."
Strix cried out weakly in sorrow and pain, his gutteral, mournful bellow thick with blood. The Nidokings' mind was spinning in a vicious red, all pounding with the screams of those around him. 

So much blood...
So much blood...

___________________________________


She watched in horror as Dante killed the canine that had been with them not minutes before, defying the large Nidoking. Her dead eyes and empty voice still echoed in the females' head, even after she lay there, still and completely dead. 

...Just like mother and father...
Her eyes glazed over and her ears flattened against her skull as her thoughts grew dark.
But the bellow of the large purple beast on Dantes' back snapped her from it, her eyes once again growing wide and innocent. 


The Sneasel bounded forward, her large claws clicking against the concrete as she approached the enormous canine in dazed shock.
"Wh-what do you need?!"  She shouted at Dante, her eyes wide with fear and worry. 
"She found the box!"  The Sneasel said excitedly, her large claw pointing at the white pup behind them.
"I-is he gonna be okay? He will be, right?"  She asked, her words coming out in a jumble. She kept her eyes glued to the living before her, unable to even look at the dead thing in the corner without wanting to cry.

(OH MY FUCKING GOD. I HATE THIS FORMATTING SHIT.)

Raiden was at a complete loss. His heart was still split into two from being unable to help Ciara and knowing that he had failed to bring her peace, yet here was another soul still craving help and he wasn't doing anything. He just...wasn't. Dante moved back to help Strix as another stranger came onto the scene, a Persian whose eyes looked strangely angry as they gazed over the dark canine, but Raiden had to dismiss it. Dante had been right, Ciara needed at least a proper burial and after failing her in life he was not going to do it again.

"I'll..." he choked out, voice hoarse from swallowing back his tears rather than shedding them, "I'll take her outside..." Carefully he pushed himself under the broken body of the female he had known as a pup. Her organs fell heavy against his sides and the Manectric had to fight back the urge to vomit as her large intestine slid out and hit the ground with a wet smack. "I'll try to be back soon." He didn't want to leave them for too long but Ciara needed him more.

As the blue wolf trudged through the snow he tried to find the perfect place to leave the battered female to rest. He finally came across this small grove in the trees that surrounded the town that opened into a little clearing. In the center was a new tree, barely older than a sapling, and he knew he had found it. Laying the Mightyena down gently he began to work at digging, the cold ground harsh and tearing at his paws causing his blood to mix with the snow forming a halo of pink around the site. It would take him hours to dig a deep enough hole for the Undead to not ravage but this was all for Ciara.

He would not fail her again.

((Raiden may not be back until after another round. Digging is going to take a while))

As Dante trudged, his body complaining more and more with each burdened step he took, he barely noticed the clicking of claws racing to him, quickly gaining on his position. So, it came as more than a mild surprise when the little sneasel -whose name he was still fairly sure he hadn't gotten- slid straight in front of him. She looked to him, eyes wide and dazed with the past events, looking about how much as he felt. He started a little, nearly tripping since he was in mid stride, but managed to keep going as the little dark-type frantically bombarded words at him.

"Wh-what do you need?!" Dante only managed to glance down and stutter a moment.

"Uh--"

"She found the box!"

"Goo--"

"I-is he gonna be okay? He will be, right?"

"...I don't... know," he grunted out, pressing on past the terrified kid. He could finally see his destination; a pile of discarded cardboard and cloth lay at the end, with empty cans of gasoline piled near it. He guessed that whatever had tried staying here had about as much luck as they had, and was ready to torch the place. A quick glance to the side told him as much-- a smear of blackened blood was a small reminder of whatever forgotten victims had perished here. But it didn't matter, of course; they were dead and he and his pack were still alive. Sort of.

Upon reaching the pile of soft, he paused, leaning slightly and hoping that he wouldn't fall as well, trying to make the passage from back to squishy a little easier on his passenger. "...Here we go, big guy..." he grunted, feeling his legs shake violently beneath him from the strain. "We made it..."

Sylus frowned as he was blatantly ignored, his tail flicking with irritation near the floor. Cretins. He graciously offers help in a time of such dire need, and they don't even acknowledge his entrance. Figured that cur's manners rubbed off on his little underlings... Glancing around toward the others, pondering on which path would bring him the most intrigue, his eyes settled on the fellow cats in the room. Perhaps they would provide some sort of entertainment? Tail flicking upward to arch above his back, his interest was renewed in the females, despite the espeon being a scared little chicken during their first exchange. "I see you've gone through quite the day..." he purred, then glanced over to the now disappeared corpse and manectric. His expression fell some, and he turned back to the girls. "So sorry for your loss..." His tone fell as well, the amusement gone from his words. "I can't imagine the grief you must feel."

(skip me, cuz I want to give some attention to the new characters and such. Just say Strix fell into unconsciousness before Dante even had the chance to put him down, so Dante should now have no problem plopping him down without Strix tearing his head off, lol. Rune is watching anxiously with the med box in claw)

"I'll...I'll take her outside..." the large feline watched the Manectric carefully as he nudged himself under the body to pick it up. Her eyes were a mixture of heartache and concern, golden eyes steady on the electric-type as he carried the carcass on his back, it's organs slipping out with sounds that only made Alice nauseous. "I'll try to be back soon." the Luxray gave a nod, turning away from the sight as her paws trembled. Maybe I should go help him...? She shook her head, gritting her teeth to fight back the bile that threatened to spill from her jaws. The longer she thought of the Mightyena's still frame, the more she wanted to vomit--her eyes beginning to prick with tears as she held back the hurricane forming inside her. Instead, the lionness took a few tentative steps towards the Houndusk, before beginning to follow him and the wounded Nidoking. The Sneasel too had rushed towards Dante, her high voice squeaking out panicked questions.

"I-is he gonna be okay? He will be, right?" she looked towards the female, before her gaze drifted to the fire-type. "...I don't... know," Alice frowned. That's what she feared. Her movements became stiff--almost mechanical as her mind immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion. What if Strix died too? The Luxray closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath to calm herself. No. He will not die. Nobody else will die. Everything will be okay. She looked back to the other females, attempting a reassuring smile on her lips. "Everything...will be okay." she mumbled gently, exhaling the breath that she didn't realizing she held before loosening her muscles. "I see you've gone through quite the day..." the feline's head snapped towards the Persian, raising a brow at the stranger. "So sorry for your loss...I can't imagine the grief you must feel."

She wasn't quite sure what she should've said in response, instead only offering a small nod. "Who are you?" her voice was quiet, a little hushed as she inquired about the feline's identity. "...My name's Alice."

( Good to be on the team! Sorry if I mess Alice's character up a little, still trying to get a little used to her. |D I changed her text color to #FFC469 since the color I had originally picked out for her was very similar to Rune's. xD;; )

Well now how in the heck did she get here? Adara's new form sailed gracefully in the sky but as she looked around all she could see was snow. How did she get back to the lake? She hadn't gone far...but maybe she went the wrong way? Oh everything looked so different from way up here. Whimpering lightly the female wished she had payed more attention while Kaiden ran for Mastema, then she would still be with her brother and have gotten to see her old friend. And she missed Rufus. And Famaer. And Seymour. The others she hadn't gotten to know very well but she did miss the lost opportunities to make friends with them all.

Oh for the love of...why in the heck was she still up here?!

Settling on landing to try and get her bearings the new Aiveon soon realized that while flying had been forced to come on instinct, or else she would have died from the fall, she had no idea how to land. So technically she crashed. Going face first into a snowbank Adara had to push with her back legs to get her head unstuck, popping out with a yelp and rolling backwards. Standing up she shook her head and tried to rid herself of the wet snow clinging to her soft fur and wings, only to have a large clump of snow fall off a tree branch above her head and onto her. Wasn't this how Fam found her?

Giggling softly to herself the female put on a happy smile and dug herself out of her new burial mound, realizing for the first time she was tall enough to not sink in the white depths. "Cool!" she remarked, not noticing the volume of her voice as it echoed through the trees behind her. A rustling sound caught her attention and the Aiveon went on alert, creeping around to try and find out what might be behind her. Expecting an enemy she was instead startled to find a rather sad scene, what looked like a beaten Manectric burying another canine. Poor guy...

"Hey, you okay?" she offered, the blue canid going tense at her voice from behind him. For a brief second Adara realized that it was stupid to call out to someone she didn't know but the Undead wouldn't bury someone, right? They would just eat them. Convinced of her argument she continued to step forward anyway. "Need any help?" Pain filled eyes turned to her before going downcast to the ground, paws once again scooping at the ground. "No..." Adara's shoulders and expression fell. She didn't like seeing others sad. "If you're sure..."

"Warehouse."
"Huh?"

Adara was confused by the strange utterance and turned back around to see if she could get more out of him. "Go to the warehouse... There is shelter, survivors...they can help you." He sounded so sad and broken that Adara didn't want to leave him there but several more minutes of silence proved she would be getting nothing else from the electric dog. "Thanks," she offered, only getting a short huff and the sound of more digging as her reply.

Taking to the air the small female tried to figure out where exactly the Manectric had been talking about. Warehouse, that was sooo helpful. There were a ton of them! Settling down on the roof of one Adara peered over the edge and saw a large hole with blood splatters all over the ground surrounding it. Oh...she might have just landed on the right one. Neat. Looking around the Aiveon spotted a small hatch propped open by a metal hinge and squeezed her head inside to look around. There were other Pokemon in there! She could see some of them were badly hurt too...maybe they wanted help!

"Helloooo~" she called sweetly, putting on her friendliest smile. "May I come in? I might be able to help. No offense but you guys don't look so good."

((And cue the overly friendly Adara! You guys are gonna loooove her. Love her to the point of wanting to smother her in her sleep lol))

They didn't know he was even there. A shadow, like he wanted to be most of the time. The little white dog had been his cover, he had hid in her shadow ever since she hurriedly passed him while on her way here. The Phanteon thought she was a nice little girl, level-headed. But now he sat on the top level of the warehouse, looking down over the group while cloaked by the shadows of the storage boxes. He had merged into these shadows when the little one ran up here with her friend. He felt kind of guilty, not revealing himself to this ragtag group after realizing they needed help. But what could he do? He only hurt others, not helped them.

A lump formed in his throat. Was he seriously considering going down to help these pokemon? His body faintly materialized, still half translucent. Neon blue eyes pierced the shadows, becoming blaringly obvious. They didn't even notice. The large purple one seemed badly injured, and the Mightyena dead. Catalyst's skin prickled, seeing more blood. He had avoided looking at the two before because of it. It's as if he already knew these pokemon.

One left with their dead teammate; he took this chance. His body slunk, crouched down as he made his way to the stairs. His heart was racing now. What if they attacked him? Would he be subject to killing them? What if they didn't like him? He surely wouldn't tell them that he had been spying on them.

Catalyst felt his limbs cramp. Arceus.... I don't think I could do this yet.... His large paws shuffled, stopping. His head started to hurt, guilt setting in. I can't do this. I can't go waltzing into some group of strangers. He stopped right on the top stair. Really now, you dipshit? Are you so afraid of these moronic ruffians that you have to cower away like some girl? You should know better, you asshole. A murderer like you shouldn't be scared of jack shit. The Phanteon felt his chest tighten, his next breath was a short gasp. "N-No!" he very weakly muttered under his breath. He fought back tears from hearing the shrill reprimand of his father. His expression softened, hearing a sweeter voice instead.

"Helloooo~ May I come in? I might be able to help. No offense but you guys don't look so good."

It sounded almost like his mother-- his mother. He pushed that thought away immediately. He reluctantly steeled up, obeying his father's command. Turquoise eyes scanned the scene, and his form jolted slightly as he saw eyes as blue as his looking right at him. "Hey! You! Mister uh... fluffy ears! Whatcha doin' up there?" It was the little white pup. He scrambled, his body taking this perfect moment to seize up and not work properly. Well, here goes nothing. He sat up straight, his demeanor and tone calm. "Hello."




A mortified expression was splayed on her face. She looked away, hearing the feral screaming of what was Ciara as it was being killed by Dante. Arianna shuddered slightly, her body aching from the adrenaline. She was near ready to pass out, it was too much for her. She shut her eyes closed as she heard Raiden speak.

"I'll take her outside... I'll try to be back soon."

Arianna continued to tremble, blocking out pretty much everything everyone was saying, enveloped in her own sad thoughts. She looked at her paws, feeling tears well in her eyes and warp her vision. What Alice said spoke out to her.

"Everything...will be okay."

Arianna felt a glimmer of hope, her optimistic attitude coming through. She believed that Alice truly didn't know how much that helped. Arianna forced a smile onto her face, and she looked up.

"Helloooo~ May I come in? I might be able to help. No offense but you guys don't look so good."

Arianna's grin grew. "Hiya! Come on in!" she started cheerily, "We sure do need some help~ Ya ever been to these parts?" she looked around, almost refreshed. She was surprisingly happy. Suddenly, she heard a whimper.
"N-No!"
She turned to look, her eyes settled on a black form at the top of the stairs. She watched it for a moment, and it seemed to gather itself. She looked at him until his eyes met hers. He nearly jumped out of his skin. Arianna grinned, her tail wagging.
"Hey! You! Mister uh... fluffy ears! Whatcha doin' up there?" He responded curtly, but not unfriendly.
"Hello." Arianna continued to smile, and she stood up and faced him.
"Well? Whatcha doin' up there, silly? C'mon down here, we're all friends!~" She didn't think to consider what the others thought, but he looked like the kind who needed help. He hesitated, but then slowly walked down the stairs.

(OoC: I made their posts seperate for the sake of introduction. Iunno if I'll continue to separate 'em but here we are~ By the way, the dark yellow text is his consciousness. His father talking as conscience. Just to clear that up; it's in his head.)

The cold wind beat on the black fur of the small fox as he trudged through the deep snow, though it felt more like he was hopping through. The snow going up almost past his ears, obscuring his vision. He had to look up past the snow before he made his next step, or he may find himself bumping into a tree, bush, or something unfriendly.
“This snow will be the death of me. I just know it.” He complained as he took another step. He still didn’t know how in the name of Ho-oh he ended up here. One moment he was in the lush green of the Safari Zone, next, he was in a winter wonderland, only it felt more like a winter hell in the eyes of the young Zorua.
Kide soon found himself going face first into a deeper pile of the white powder. “Oh for the love of!” He shouted, hopping up as he tried to get himself out of the snow. He could just barely see over the top when he hopped, still surrounded by the trees. He could make out the form of houses in the distance, though he wouldn’t be able to confirm if what he was seeing is himself hallucinating, or if it was really there. First thing though, he had to get out of this snow pit.

Kide’s back legs where starting to feel sore and a little numb from all the jumping in his attempts to escape the trap hole he had found himself in before he finally managed to get a good hold on something and pulled himself out. He took in gasps of breath as he sat there panting for a few minutes before sinking again. He let out a groan as an irritated expression crossed his face.
Kide jumped once more towards what he believed to be Snowpoint City, the city in the region that his trainer had talked to him about. A place where she wanted to go to get one of the many badges around the world. Why did she want to go to such a cold place? Though living in Mahogany Town, home to another Ice type gym, he guessed that it was only natural that she would want to go to a gym that reminded her of home.
He let out a small sneeze, praying that he wasn’t starting to catch a cold. That would be really terrible. Though it didn’t take long before the snow started getting more shallow and he could finally walk, not hop every step he took.

The place he had ended up was truly the city of Snowpoint, and that he had somehow made his way into the frozen city with the ice gym. Or, on it’s outskirts anyway.
To his left was the frozen city of Snowpoint, broken and covered in snow, and to his right where the warehouses, still standing, but just barely. He didn’t know where he should go, or if there where even others in this forgotten city. He wanted to call out, but he bit his tongue, he didn’t wish to attract the attention of unwanted company.
Taking a deep breath before exhaling, his breath coming out in a misty cloud before jumping into the air and using his illusionary skill to make himself appear as a Houndoom. He knew the fire dog wasn’t all that intimidating to many pokemon, but it was the best thing he could think of on the spot. “If there are others here, I hope there not violent.” He said to himself as he ventured forth into the city.

As Dante trudged, his body complaining more and more with each burdened step he took, he barely noticed the clicking of claws racing to him, quickly gaining on his position. So, it came as more than a mild surprise when the little sneasel -whose name he was still fairly sure he hadn't gotten- slid straight in front of him. She looked to him, eyes wide and dazed with the past events, looking about how much as he felt. He started a little, nearly tripping since he was in mid stride, but managed to keep going as the little dark-type frantically bombarded words at him.

"Wh-what do you need?!" Dante only managed to glance down and stutter a moment.

"Uh--"

"She found the box!"

"Goo--"

"I-is he gonna be okay? He will be, right?"

"...I don't... know," he grunted out, pressing on past the terrified kid. He could finally see his destination; a pile of discarded cardboard and cloth lay at the end, with empty cans of gasoline piled near it. He guessed that whatever had tried staying here had about as much luck as they had, and was ready to torch the place. A quick glance to the side told him as much-- a smear of blackened blood was a small reminder of whatever forgotten victims had perished here. But it didn't matter, of course; they were dead and he and his pack were still alive. Sort of.

Upon reaching the pile of soft, he paused, leaning slightly and hoping that he wouldn't fall as well, trying to make the passage from back to squishy a little easier on his passenger. "...Here we go, big guy..." he grunted, feeling his legs shake violently beneath him from the strain. "We made it..."

Sylus frowned as he was blatantly ignored, his tail flicking with irritation near the floor. Cretins. He graciously offers help in a time of such dire need, and they don't even acknowledge his entrance. Figured that cur's manners rubbed off on his little underlings... Glancing around toward the others, pondering on which path would bring him the most intrigue, his eyes settled on the fellow cats in the room. Perhaps they would provide some sort of entertainment? Tail flicking upward to arch above his back, his interest was renewed in the females, despite the espeon being a scared little chicken during their first exchange. "I see you've gone through quite the day..." he purred, then glanced over to the now disappeared corpse and manectric. His expression fell some, and he turned back to the girls. "So sorry for your loss..." His tone fell as well, the amusement gone from his words. "I can't imagine the grief you must feel."

[complete repeat]

(Skip, like last time. Rune will go with Ari/Dante whenever they head off)

"I'll...I'll take her outside..." the large feline watched the Manectric carefully as he nudged himself under the body to pick it up. Her eyes were a mixture of heartache and concern, golden eyes steady on the electric-type as he carried the carcass on his back, it's organs slipping out with sounds that only made Alice nauseous. "I'll try to be back soon." the Luxray gave a nod, turning away from the sight as her paws trembled. Maybe I should go help him...? She shook her head, gritting her teeth to fight back the bile that threatened to spill from her jaws. The longer she thought of the Mightyena's still frame, the more she wanted to vomit--her eyes beginning to prick with tears as she held back the hurricane forming inside her. Instead, the lionness took a few tentative steps towards the Houndusk, before beginning to follow him and the wounded Nidoking. The Sneasel too had rushed towards Dante, her high voice squeaking out panicked questions.

"I-is he gonna be okay? He will be, right?" she looked towards the female, before her gaze drifted to the fire-type. "...I don't... know," Alice frowned. That's what she feared. Her movements became stiff--almost mechanical as her mind immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion. What if Strix died too? The Luxray closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath to calm herself. No. He will not die. Nobody else will die. Everything will be okay. She looked back to the other females, attempting a reassuring smile on her lips. "Everything...will be okay." she mumbled gently, exhaling the breath that she didn't realizing she held before loosening her muscles. "I see you've gone through quite the day..." the feline's head snapped towards the Persian, raising a brow at the stranger. "So sorry for your loss...I can't imagine the grief you must feel."

She wasn't quite sure what she should've said in response, instead only offering a small nod. "Who are you?" her voice was quiet, a little hushed as she inquired about the feline's identity. "...My name's Alice."

[[Repost, no changes made. \ o /]]

Well now how in the heck did she get here? Adara's new form sailed gracefully in the sky but as she looked around all she could see was snow. How did she get back to the lake? She hadn't gone far...but maybe she went the wrong way? Oh everything looked so different from way up here. Whimpering lightly the female wished she had payed more attention while Kaiden ran for Mastema, then she would still be with her brother and have gotten to see her old friend. And she missed Rufus. And Famaer. And Seymour. The others she hadn't gotten to know very well but she did miss the lost opportunities to make friends with them all.

Oh for the love of...why in the heck was she still up here?!

Settling on landing to try and get her bearings the new Aiveon soon realized that while flying had been forced to come on instinct, or else she would have died from the fall, she had no idea how to land. So technically she crashed. Going face first into a snowbank Adara had to push with her back legs to get her head unstuck, popping out with a yelp and rolling backwards. Standing up she shook her head and tried to rid herself of the wet snow clinging to her soft fur and wings, only to have a large clump of snow fall off a tree branch above her head and onto her. Wasn't this how Fam found her?

Giggling softly to herself the female put on a happy smile and dug herself out of her new burial mound, realizing for the first time she was tall enough to not sink in the white depths. "Cool!" she remarked, not noticing the volume of her voice as it echoed through the trees behind her. A rustling sound caught her attention and the Aiveon went on alert, creeping around to try and find out what might be behind her. Expecting an enemy she was instead startled to find a rather sad scene, what looked like a beaten Manectric burying another canine. Poor guy...but wait...why did she get the feeling she knew this guy from somewhere?

"Hey, you okay?" she offered, the blue canid going tense at her voice from behind him. For a brief second Adara realized that it was stupid to call out to someone she didn't know but for some reason she knew that he wasn't going to hurt her. Convinced of her argument she continued to step forward anyway. "Need any help?" Pain filled eyes turned to her before going downcast to the ground, paws once again scooping at the ground. "No..." Adara's shoulders and expression fell. She didn't like seeing others sad. "If you're sure..."

Raiden wasn't sure where this little flighty fox...thing, had come from but for some reason he couldn't shake the feeling that she was familiar. Looking down to his hole his vision flashed with a deep hole deep enough to bury Ciara but the image began to swim, ripples in his vision causing him to squeeze his eyes shut and shake his head. Opening them once more he saw a half dug hole and sighed heavily, suddenly feeling as if he had been digging for twice as long as he obviously had been. "Hey..."

"Warehouse."
"Huh?"

Adara was confused by the strange utterance and looked around the Manectric's shoulder to see if she could get more out of him. "Go to the warehouse... There is shelter, survivors...they can help you." Raiden knew that she would listen. Somehow. He sounded so sad and broken that Adara didn't want to leave him there but several more minutes of silence proved she would be getting nothing else from the electric dog. "Thanks," she offered, only getting a short huff and the sound of more digging as her reply.

Taking to the air the small female tried to figure out where exactly the Manectric had been talking about. Warehouse, that was sooo helpful. There were a ton of them! Settling down on the roof of one Adara peered over the edge and saw a large hole with blood splatters all over the ground surrounding it. Oh...she might have just landed on the right one. Neat. Looking around the Aiveon spotted a small hatch propped open by a metal hinge and squeezed her head inside to look around. There were other Pokemon in there! She could see some of them were badly hurt too...maybe they wanted help!

"Helloooo~" she called sweetly, putting on her friendliest smile. "May I come in? I might be able to help. No offense but you guys still don't look so good." Still? Where the heck had that come from?

((Edited slightly to reflect both characters noticing the time repetition))

They didn't know he was even there. A shadow, like he wanted to be most of the time. The little white dog had been his cover, he had hid in her shadow ever since she hurriedly passed him while on her way here. The Phanteon thought she was a nice little girl, level-headed. But now he sat on the top level of the warehouse, looking down over the group while cloaked by the shadows of the storage boxes. He had merged into these shadows when the little one ran up here with her friend. He felt kind of guilty, not revealing himself to this ragtag group after realizing they needed help. But what could he do? He only hurt others, not helped them.

A lump formed in his throat. Was he seriously considering going down to help these pokemon? His body faintly materialized, still half translucent. Neon blue eyes pierced the shadows, becoming blaringly obvious. They didn't even notice. The large purple one seemed badly injured, and the Mightyena dead. Catalyst's skin prickled, seeing more blood. He had avoided looking at the two before because of it. It's as if he already knew these pokemon.

One left with their dead teammate; he took this chance. His body slunk, crouched down as he made his way to the stairs. His heart was racing now. What if they attacked him? Would he be subject to killing them? What if they didn't like him? He surely wouldn't tell them that he had been spying on them. ... Wait, he remembered this. What was happening. He felt his stomach turn as he realized. It must have been one of his dejavu's. His form shook it off, to get rid of the feeling; it was just a weird coincidence, like always.

Catalyst felt his limbs cramp as the situation came back to focus on the others. Arceus.... I don't think I could do this yet.... His large paws shuffled, stopping. His head started to hurt, guilt setting in. I can't do this. I can't go waltzing into some group of strangers. He stopped right on the top stair. Really now, you dipshit? Are you so afraid of these moronic ruffians that you have to cower away like some girl? You should know better, you asshole. A murderer like you shouldn't be scared of jack shit. The Phanteon felt his chest tighten, his next breath was a short gasp. "N-No!" he very weakly muttered under his breath. He fought back tears from hearing the shrill reprimand of his father. His expression softened, hearing a sweeter voice instead.

"Helloooo~ May I come in? I might be able to help. No offense but you guys don't look so good."

It sounded almost like his mother-- his mother. He pushed that thought away immediately. He reluctantly steeled up, obeying his father's command. Turquoise eyes scanned the scene, and his form jolted slightly as he saw eyes as blue as his looking right at him. "Hey! You! Mister uh... fluffy ears! Whatcha doin' up there?" It was the little white pup. He scrambled, his body taking this perfect moment to seize up and not work properly. Well, here goes nothing. He sat up straight, his demeanor and tone calm. "Hello."




A mortified expression was splayed on her face. She looked away, hearing the feral screaming of what was Ciara as it was being killed by Dante. Arianna shuddered slightly, her body aching from the adrenaline. She was near ready to pass out, it was too much for her. She shut her eyes closed as she heard Raiden speak.

"I'll take her outside... I'll try to be back soon."

Arianna continued to tremble, blocking out pretty much everything everyone was saying, enveloped in her own sad thoughts. She looked at her paws, feeling tears well in her eyes and warp her vision. What Alice said spoke out to her.

"Everything...will be okay."

Arianna felt a glimmer of hope, her optimistic attitude coming through. She believed that Alice truly didn't know how much that helped. Arianna forced a smile onto her face, and she looked up.

"Helloooo~ May I come in? I might be able to help. No offense but you guys don't look so good."

Arianna's grin grew. "Hiya! Come on in!" she started cheerily, "We sure do need some help~ Ya ever been to these parts?" she looked around, almost refreshed. She was surprisingly happy. Suddenly, she heard a whimper.
"N-No!"
She turned to look, her eyes settled on a black form at the top of the stairs. She watched it for a moment, and it seemed to gather itself. She looked at him until his eyes met hers. He nearly jumped out of his skin. Arianna grinned, her tail wagging.
"Hey! You! Mister uh... fluffy ears! Whatcha doin' up there?" He responded curtly, but not unfriendly.
"Hello." Arianna continued to smile, and she stood up and faced him.
"Well? Whatcha doin' up there, silly? C'mon down here, we're all friends!~" She didn't think to consider what the others thought, but he looked like the kind who needed help. He hesitated, but then slowly walked down the stairs.

(OoC: I slightly edited to make Catalyst notice the repeat of events, but just considers it one of his weird dejavu's he usually gets. lol)

The cold wind beat on the black fur of the small fox as he trudged through the deep snow, though it felt more like he was hopping through. The snow going up almost past his ears, obscuring his vision. He had to look up past the snow before he made his next step, or he may find himself bumping into a tree, bush, or something unfriendly.
“This snow will be the death of me. I just know it.” He complained as he took another step. He still didn’t know how in the name of Ho-oh he ended up here. One moment he was in the lush green of the Safari Zone, next, he was in a winter wonderland, only it felt more like a winter hell in the eyes of the young Zorua.
Kide soon found himself going face first into a deeper pile of the white powder. “Oh for the love of!” He shouted, hopping up as he tried to get himself out of the snow. He could just barely see over the top when he hopped, still surrounded by the trees. He could make out the form of houses in the distance, though he wouldn’t be able to confirm if what he was seeing is himself hallucinating, or if it was really there. First thing though, he had to get out of this snow pit.

Kide’s back legs where starting to feel sore and a little numb from all the jumping in his attempts to escape the trap hole he had found himself in before he finally managed to get a good hold on something and pulled himself out. He took in gasps of breath as he sat there panting for a few minutes before sinking again. He let out a groan as an irritated expression crossed his face.
Kide jumped once more towards what he believed to be Snowpoint City, the city in the region that his trainer had talked to him about. A place where she wanted to go to get one of the many badges around the world. Why did she want to go to such a cold place? Though living in Mahogany Town, home to another Ice type gym, he guessed that it was only natural that she would want to go to a gym that reminded her of home.
He let out a small sneeze, praying that he wasn’t starting to catch a cold. That would be really terrible. Though it didn’t take long before the snow started getting more shallow and he could finally walk, not hop every step he took.

The place he had ended up was truly the city of Snowpoint, and that he had somehow made his way into the frozen city with the ice gym. Or, on it’s outskirts anyway.
To his left was the frozen city of Snowpoint, broken and covered in snow, and to his right where the warehouses, still standing, but just barely. He didn’t know where he should go, or if there where even others in this forgotten city. He wanted to call out, but he bit his tongue, he didn’t wish to attract the attention of unwanted company.
Taking a deep breath before exhaling, his breath coming out in a misty cloud before jumping into the air and using his illusionary skill to make himself appear as a Houndoom. He knew the fire dog wasn’t all that intimidating to many pokemon, but it was the best thing he could think of on the spot. “If there are others here, I hope there not violent.” He said to himself as he ventured forth into the city.

(( Repeat. No changes made. ))

Even as she walked, his words echoed through her ears."...What... did you expect?" Dante's voice. "She turned... I... had to..." The voice she would have followed to the depths of hell an hour ago. He had kept them safe. Safe! The Houndusk had clearly been doing his best to protect them. The entire pack. Not just one or two, Dante had been fighting for them all.

And he had failed.

Yon-co. Ciana. They were dead. They were dead and gone and the Espeon knew she was irrational in her need to place blame, but she didn't even care. She would never forgive him. ...Or will I? I do tend to be too soft in times like this. The Espeon should have known from the beginning that he would bring death, though. His own species was known for death. She was in the back, her legs slowly moving in a robotic motion. One amber eye turned up, taking in nothing other than the limping dog, their Leader. The sleek cat was unfamiliar with the anger and bitterness that rose within her just at the sight of him.

...What... did you expect?

I don't know, she awnsered his voice silently inside of her head.

She turned... I... had to...

Would you do the same to me...?

The voices inside of her head silenced as they headed back towards their destination. The chaotic emotions inside her head faded quick as they had come, leaving a numb hole inside. Filled with regret for her vicious thoughts, Hera glanced sorrofully up at Dante, apologizing silently to him even though she never spoke her words outloud. Sanity seemed to be a hot and cold sensation for the Psychic type. Leaving and coming back only in the worse of times. Biting her bottom lip, Hera closed her eye as a single lone tear fell. I need to control myself... I... I cannot ever lose that again. Opening her gaze with renewed determination, Hera glanced to the side, a little surprised to find that Alice was by her and that they had already reached their 'safe' destination. The Espeon doubted that the warehouse would ever feel safe again. She had never felt so completely drained and exhausted to the bottom of her soul before.

Allowing her paws to warm up slightly on the wooden floor of the man made building, the Espeon did not even flinch at all of the gore. With all that she had seen in the last few hours, she doubted it would ever make her flinch again. I could make a great Pokecenter assistant after all of this is over. She couldn't help the ghost of a smile pulling at her lips. Yeah. Yeah I would. A voice inturrupted the minor amount of ammusment the Eeveelution had allowed herself. "I see you've gone through quite the day..." She turned to meet another scarred face, flinching despite herself at the ragged pink skin. No one deserved to have that marring their face. Mentally shaking herself, Hera forced herself to focus on what he was actually saying. SHe was too numb to get aby sort of psychic feel for anything or anyone; far as she was concerned, the Persian was just another survivor.

"...imagine the grief you must feel," he continued, only the last few words actually getting through the haze to her brain in order to process it. Hera's eye dropped to the ground, nodding numbingly. Nothing to be said in response to that. Alice clearly felt different though, her soft voice reaching her ears. "Who are you? ...My name's Alice." The Espeon glanced at the stranger through the corner of her eye, also wondering the same thing. She thought she could remember... had she seen him before? The Espeon's mind was so frayed she has already seemed to forget their earlier interaction. Regaurdless, she stayed silent, in no mood to be social quite yet. It was the new, undoggly cheery call that made her finally look up, some colour retruning to her skin.

"Helloooo! May I come in? I might be able to help. No offense but you guys don't look so good." Hera didn't know about the others, but it was bittersweet seeing a new face. On one paw, she was a new able bodied companion who could fly, by the looks of it. But on the other, if they lost her... lost someone else. Hera cringed back slightly at the thought, ending up not replying to her call.

 
 
Dante panted heavily as Strix slid off his back limply to the soft pallet he'd managed to find, his body shivering from the effort of carrying the other. He closed his eyes against the fatigue; his head swimming and his legs trembling, it was all he could do to keep standing. He'd nearly died today, and it was a little much to ask his body to keep going. But as he opened his icy gaze back to the world, they found Strix immediately, and he knew he couldn't pass out now. Not when Strix, the pokemon that had stuck with him the longest alongside Alice, lay needing help. Unconsious and slowly bleeding out, Dante swallowed and managed a weak flame in his throat. Though it'd cause Strix more damage, it was better than letting him bleed out. "Sorry, bud... but it's better than nothing...." Quick, light flames carterized the larger wounds, the more minor scratches staying put. It wasn't worth it to either of them to try and get them all.
 
His panting not stopping, he turned from Strix, hoping that his minor "healing" would give him enough time to find a way to actually get Strix some help. Trudging exhausted from where Strix lay, he followed the blood trail left behind to find the others, though he soon found that such a tactic was completely unnecessary. They were talking... a lot.
 
"...My name's Alice."
"Helloooo~ May I come in? I might be able to help. No offense but you guys still don't look so good."
"Hey! You! Mister uh... fluffy ears! Whatcha doin' up there?" He responded curtly, but not unfriendly.
"Hello."
"Well? Whatcha doin' up there, silly? C'mon down here, we're all friends!~"
 
What... the fuck was going on?
 
Mustering what little of his strength was left, he trotted back to where not one, not two, but three newcomers were swarming his pack. His first instinct was to pin them all down and interrogate them before even letting them lay eyes on his packmates, but his shivering legs and light head told him that that was no longer an option. Snarling weakly, he knew that he could only do so much... and it wasn't like they were actually attacking. Instead of threats, they seemed more like annoying but harmless buzzards eyeing the wounded for weakness. Taking in a deep breath, composing himself, Dante lifted his head high, approaching the challenge head on. His pack needed a leader and these newcomers needed immediate assurance that they were not in charge, and right now, he was the only candidate... even in his horrible condition.
 
 
Sylus, on the other hand, had very eager ears for the ones he'd approached. While the espeon remained pensive and silent, the luxray was a bit more forthcoming with information. It was obvious the electric lion was understadably suspicious, but she spoke nonetheless. "Who are you?" she inquired with a soft whisper. "...My name's Alice."
 
The persian smiled, now armed with one of Dante's minions' names. "I am--"
 
"Hey!" Dante barked, his tone low and firm. "Who the fuck are all of you and why the hell are you here?" The skeletal-armored hound glared at them all, slowly approaching the large group. "I'm not in the most generous of moods, so either you stay and help or you fuck right the hell off." It was obvious that he was unsure of most of the pokemon that now inhabited what he thought was his own territory -a mistake Sylus would be more than happy to point out- his eyes confused with the strange new species. Sylus was curious as well as to what they were, but the answers would come in due time. He was anxious for when Dante finally laid his weary eyes on him, a cruel smile creeping on his face as their gazes finally met.
 
The bulky, bloodied buffoon stared blankly, his mouth a blubbering stutter. "Dante," Sylus offered cordially, to which the named hound nearly erupted.
 
"YOU!?" he exclaimed, blood-matted fur on end. Sylus was sure he would have lunged for him, had he not been so injured. But the poor boy did try, charging him somewhat slowly as Sylus easily dodged. Dante skidded against the concrete floor, legs weakly attempting to stop as he turned on his heels to ready another assault.
 
"Now, now," Sylus commented, tail high in the air, smirk on full, "I don't think that's very nice of you, Dante, to greet your host as such. After all, I let you and your comrades crash here -literally- and lick your wounds. You've all had such a bad day today... It's a pity I couldn't have helped. Besides, what will your brute conduct make your 'packmates' think of you? These pokemon here that have never met you either-- you simply go lunging at me? Without explanation?"
 
Dante snarled, his anger giving him enough strength to breathe fire through his fangs. "Fuck you," he growled, unable to speak much more without loosening the flames licking at the air. The fuck did he mean by "host"? Had he been there this ENTIRE FUCKING TIME? Was he just going to sit and watch while others died-- no, actually, that made sense. Still, he held his fire, not wanting to put anyone else in danger. How the FUCK did this guy even live this long?! The bastard cat that had made his life hell until he'd beaten the asshole, the fucker that had nearly tortured him day in and day out while he was living in a barren dog crate. His cruel words, cruel smile, cruel pricks and pokes and bites... Seriously, FUCK THAT GUY.
 
But Sylus had always been one with words, a talent Dante had never -and likely would never- own. The cat "tsked" lightly, admonishing Dante for his blunt anger. "That's unfair, Dante. It's a different time now. Our meaningless quarrel doesn't matter anymore-- what does matter is that you're apparently the leader of this rabble, and you and your 'pack' is terribly wounded. Here, some friendlier pokemon than you are likely willing to help you and your friends, if you were just a tad less hostile. I'd suggest addressing them and myself with the tact and tone appropriate for a pokemon in your situation: desperate." The two stared long and hard at each other, but eventually, Dante's fire was retracted, leaving his fangs slightly covered. Sylus smiled, lacking malice for once, and the cat turned to face the others for a moment.  "Now, why don't we trade names, hmm? Get to know everyone?" He glanced back to Dante, smile still intact.  "Wouldn't that be a better idea than picking another fight you might not win?"
 
Dante panted lightly, his adrenaline receeding to leave him fatigued once more. Shifting into a less aggressive stance, he came forward a little, hard eyes on Sylus. He just thought he was so fucking smooth... Glancing to Alice, then Hera, then the puppy and sneasel he was still sure he hadn't learned the names of, he heaved a heavy sigh and stood at the head of the small circle everyone seemed to make. "...Fine, he growled, glaring to the persian. On any other day, he'd rip that purring throat right the fuck out. But now... now really wasn't the time. Not with his wounded, not with his Beta in the back, unconsious and dying. "...I'll start again, then.

"You've all come at a bad time. I don't know who you all are or... what you are, but frankly, I don't give a damn. All I care about is getting help to my pack. If you're willing to offer it, then great. If not," His eyes shifted to Sylus, "Fuck off. My name is Dante... and I'm too tired for any other bullshit. Stay and help or fuck off." His eyes stayed on Sylus, silently promising to rip something out.
 
The persian frowned, sighing a little. "...That wasn't much better, but I suppose..." he muttered to himself as Dante stared the cat down. "My name is Sylus, friends, and I am willing to help now, despite what you may believe, O leader."
 
[[Weird post is weird. I just kept typing. Ana, pm me if I need to change]]

Rune scraped her claws together anxiously, holding the medkit against her chest. Her large blue eyes watched the struggling canine drop the large purple beast with a soft thud. She watched helplessly as the horned dog stopped and swayed back and forth, his eyes screwed shut.
"Y-you don't look so good...you should probably sit down..." She muttered, daring to venture closer to the enormous hound. But he continued as if she had said nothing, his gaze going back to the unconscious Nidoking.

She cringed visibly, following his gaze. The beast had fallen on his side, the wounds on his back bared. The fringes of the wounds were clotted thickly with black blood, but the thick liquid continued to seep out, despite his bodies' best attempts.
"I...tried to get out all the ice! I didn't know what else to do though. He's just. So big." She added, trying her best to be helpful. The canine responded with a grim expression and a small flame growing in his mouth. Her breath quickening, Rune stepped back cautiously as the canine did his work. The Sneasel swallowed hard, her nose scrunching up as her stomach started to do flips.
Ugh...the smell...

"Sorry, bud... but it's better than nothing...."

Rune steadied herself as the canine trotted away, hurriedly putting the medkit down in front of her. Flinging it open, her sapphire eyes fell on the contents.
He's still bleeding...she thought, her eyes resting momentarily on his partially open jaws, which had a slowly growing pool of crimson liquid flowing from it.
He needs medicine...carefully, she pushed the objects inside around. Rolls of gauze fell aside, along with other small bits of refuse as her eyebrows furrowed in concern.
"There's nothing in here!" She shouted, before realizing that she was out of earshot. She looked to where the large canine had gone and scrambled to her feet. She dashed after him, her large eyes flashing on the Nidoking.
"I'll be right back!"

_____________________

"Hey! There's nothing in tha-..." The Sneasel shouted, skidding to a halt. He words faltered and faded, her mouth dropping in shock.
"...My name's Alice."
"Helloooo~ May I come in? I might be able to help. No offense but you guys still don't look so good."
"Hey! You! Mister uh... fluffy ears! Whatcha doin' up there?"
"Hello."
"Well? Whatcha doin' up there, silly? C'mon down here, we're all friends!~"
"Who the fuck are all of you and why the hell are you here?" 

"...Wha?? What is this??" The Sneasel whispered in incredulity, the hound and feline having a spat, ending with the canines' verbal defeat.
Rune stepped forward, raising her claw in protest.
"Uh, hi! Yeah. I'm sorry to interrupt this little shindig, but in case anybody cares? We have no meds for the big guy in there, and he's not exactly breathing air." She snapped sarcastically at the group, her voice thick with impatience and accusation.

"He's still bleeding a lot..." She muttered, dashing over to the canine that introduced himself as Dante. Looking suspiciously at the others, she shuffled closer to the dogs' ear, lowering her voice to a whisper.
"That Espeon; you're letting her stay??" She asked, her eyes narrowing at the scarred fox. "She's the one that hurt the big guy..." Rune scowled, her claws going to her chest. "He was trying to keep us safe, and they didn't want to listen...and that Espeon attacked him...he fell..." She finished, her eyes and ears lowering, the whole incident replaying in her mind.

"Helloooo~ May I come in? I might be able to help. No offense but you guys still don't look so good." the new, joyously sweet voice had immediately caught the lionness's attention, her maned head whipping around to view the source. It had been a while since she's heard a tone so light and cheery, and admittedly, she had missed it. The large smile on the female almost made Alice wanted to mirror the expression, eyes softening slightly at the sight. She wasn't quite sure what it was, a little lilac-furred cloud fox...thing, but judging but it's demeanor the electric-type couldn't believe she was anything less than friendly. She managed a small chuckle. "Help would be appreciated, yes." she mumbled. "Been through a lot, I'm sure extra paws are welcome."

Arriana's call made Alice look up, curious as to who she was referring to as...'Mister fluffy ears'. Following her teal gaze she had found herself staring at what she would've mistaken as a literal shadow, if not for the pristine blue irises that looked down at them. Squinting to make out it's form, she could see it's body wispy and almost ethereal--was it a ghost. "Hello." it's voice revealed that it was clearly a male. "...Hi." her reply was short, if not a little meek as her sight fixed on...whatever he was. Honestly, where were all these...Pokemon (she was unsure if she should even cal them Pokemon in the first place) coming from? Where they the result of some weird genetics? Mutations? Evolutions? She was sure that if something could evolve into that, she would've known. Actually, a better question. We're in the middle of a freezing snowland, why are there so many survivors around here?

Looking away from the newcomers, she focused herself on the Espeon beside her, Hera. A calm smile managed to form itself on her rough lips, tilting her head towards the psychic-type. She hesitated a little to speak to the female, not wanting to accidentally upset her. "Are you holding up alright?" she whispered, trying to offer an expression of sympathy and kindness, which only ended up being a mix of fatigue--but the smile stayed. "Things will get better, so let's both try to keep our heads up as much as possible, yeah?" it was a fair attempt at trying to make her friend feel better, at least. As much as Alice herself wanted to shrivel up into a dark corner right now, she knew that she couldn't just give up then and there. She'd become a burden if she did, and she was sure it'd only hurt the others--besides, new faces meant new opportunities, right? "Hey!" Dante's sudden shout almost made her jump, her posture immediately straightening as she listened to the hound demand who the foreigners they were and why they were here, before telling them to promptly fuck off unless they were helping. It was expected, having more around that would only stand and do nothing would only cause them more trouble, but the Houndusk's next word was not as predictable.

"YOU!?"

At the tone of voice and his posture, Alice was immediately on her paws, a vicious snarl ripping from her throat as she faced the Persian. It was clearly obvious that the feline was a familiar face to the dog, and by how the Houndusk attempted to attack, not a friendly one. Electricity sparked gently at her paws, ready to launch her attack in case it was needed. Who was the Persian anyways? "I don't think that's very nice of you, Dante, to greet your host as such. After all, I let you and your comrades crash here -literally- and lick your wounds. You've all had such a bad day today... It's a pity I couldn't have helped. Besides, what will your brute conduct make your 'packmates' think of you? These pokemon here that have never met you either-- you simply go lunging at me? Without explanation?" host? She blinked a little. This warehouse was the cat's territory? She found this a little hard to believe.

Shuffling back into a sitting position, she found the Persian's words giving her an unsettling awkward as she pawed the ground. "My name is Sylus, friends, and I am willing to help now, despite what you may believe, O leader." so Sylus was his name. Sylus, the owner of the warehouse. Her lips angled downwards into a small frown, gazing right at the other feline with a bit of a lopsided stare. "Uh, hi! Yeah. I'm sorry to interrupt this little shindig, but in case anybody cares? We have no meds for the big guy in there, and he's not exactly breathing air." Alice nearly winced at the accusatory tone of the Sneasel's voice. "The kit?" she asked, rising to her paws. "I thought you found a medicine kit? Was there nothing in it?" concern was evident in her voice. How bad is our luck?