The CITADARK Team

[ooc: For plot suspense, I will skip. If no one goes out to meetup with Gil, I have the perfect way to make him join the group B3]

Calcifer was paying very little attention to the others. He was too busy floating in his blissful state from the sudden gorging of food. He hadn't even imagined there would be this many survivors gathering around... He would never be hungry again! Quietly, he followed the others into the shelter, shaking himself dry. His flame, now free to burn, grew and began to glow with a hearty red color. The flame was almost the size of his entire body, and it quickly dried out the rest of him.

((Ahhh... Sorry for the short post, I just can't think of anything for him to do, since he has barely any interaction with anyone yet. >.<))

It seemed something really had gotten underneath Aerith's scales, something green and full of venom. Finnick eyed the multi-colored flower; not every snake looked very serpentine. He'd learned his fair share of that lesson in the Arena. Still, why Aerith didn't call for the flower's death -if he was so bad- confused him; if he was a threat, he needed to be eliminated. He glanced back, looking over her pensive form, then frowned slightly. Maybe it was just something petty? A lover's quarrel? Doubtful-- the dragon could do much better. Either way, something was bothering the dragon, and when left alone with either of them, Finnick would definitely choose her.

The idea of going to her and finding out just what was wrong flirted with him before he caught the fox's nervous eye in his periphery. As the others relaxed, Finnick's own stare turned to meet the zoroark's. Just what had he done to procure such fear? Surely it wasn't the crown; the bird had one more ornate than he! No, this was something else, something deeper... and that fox still had yet to explain just why he'd known his name. He knew there'd been competitions he'd competed in, Beauty and whatnot, as well as studding... After all, he would remember an odd opponent like Seneca, with the jaw markings, so it couldn't be something of that nature. The fox didn't seem the type to be a spectator of those events, either. That only left the Games...

...and he'd killed everyone there.

As Seneca and Lennor conversed -the former being quite nervous- Finnick tilted his head and decided to finally break the ice. He'd get his chance to learn the truth, but not in front of all of these other pokemon. "...So... now that we're all sharing stories, how did you end up here? Must've been quite the swim." He directed the question to everyone there, but kept his eye on Seneca. Yes. He'd find out just what had the fox so damn squeamish.

"...So... now that we're all sharing stories, how did you end up here? Must've been quite the swim." Lennor laughed at the snake's odd sense of humor. This guy had quite the ego on him, much like his own, and radiated in a power that could prove quite useful. Up until that point Aerith was the most powerful creature on the island with him and he kept her around to keep himself alive, but if he could worm his way into other allies then he would need the self righteous bitch. He eagerly awaited the replies, having already given the tale of how Aerith and he ended up there, craving any bit of information he could use against the group.

A happy bonus was the fact the snake and the fox had the eyes of experienced killers, and that was a perk compared to the judgmental eyes of Miss Law and Order. He briefly wondered where she had stormed off to but pushed it away as he carefully eyed the gathering they had accrued. The bird had been awfully quiet and the creepy candle seemed oddly happy, which just plain unnerved him. If he was going to survive this island that candle had to go. 'Wretched fire types...'

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As Aerith watched the waves raging in the storm her mind turned briefly to Lennor and how easily he had gotten the drop on her. She knew that he was dangerous, having seen some of his skills on the ship when they escaped the undead, but never before had she seen a non dark type take to the shadows like that. Where exactly had he learned that skill? What else about him did she not notice or realize? The small candle's flame burned intensely for a moment, lighting up even her small corner of the entrance and Aerith was forced to turn back and peer around the corner. Everyone seemed to be sitting around talking, rather peacfeully, but Len had a strange gleam in his eyes. 'What are you plotting, Len?'

A bright flash of white and blue, followed by a deafening roar of thunder had Aerith's attention quickly returning to the storm. For a brief moment she thought she saw something out there but when it didn't come again she shrugged it off as a trick of the rain. Not quite ready to return to the group she sat down in her spot, keeping her eyes on the entrance but her ears on the group.

((OOC: Trying to leave it so Gil can make his awesome entrance that you wanted Ciana, go for it! Feel free to scare the shit out of Aerith since she is kind of blocking the door, lol.))

"...So... now that we're all sharing stories, how did you end up here? Must've been quite the swim."

Seneca had near enough frozen when Finnick had intentionally caught his eye; a fearful shiver running down his spine at the concern the milotic had recognised him. Fortunately, the serpent made no reaction, no flicker of hostility on its features to instil any fraction of ease in the shaky canine. Obviously he hadn’t quite sussed it – or even better, he didn’t know at all. Praying that by some miracle the water-type had been mentally scarred by the Games enough to have lost his memory altogether, Seneca hurriedly averted his gaze to the ground. Sadly, post-victory insanity was fairly common.

Despite his desperation to simply melt into the scenery - something that might’ve been achievable hadn’t he lost his illusory abilities – Seneca knew he couldn’t remain silent. They were awaiting an answer, some sort of explanation. Heaving a sigh, there was no point in lying – this particular truth wouldn’t hurt.
“Well, there was this sort of… blip,” He admitted quietly, looking into the fire as he tried to put the phenomenon into words. A sheepish smile hit his features as he looked up, shrugging slightly. “One minute I was in Orre, next I’m here. I can’t really explain it – just some supernatural shit,” His icy eyes averted from the flames, Seneca regarded the others to catch their reaction. Despite his honesty, even the fox would be sceptical to such a story as he had just explained. It certainly seemed a little farfetched. With a huff, he shifted in his position to subconsciously move further from Finnick’s searching gaze.

 

This was so not his day.

The storm was becoming worse that the Dratin could have ever thought. The serpent guy just left him and Gil smirked at the pretty boy as he slithered away. Just as he wanted it. The Dratini watched as the rest of the group all did their own thing, none of them even sparing a glance at the stubborn dragon. Or none that he saw anyway. Gil made a shrugging motion with his long body before continuing on his way. Now that he was back on land, things would be okay. Pushing memories of his beautiful mother to the back of his mind, Gil bagan to make his way back to his own little hide out to wait out the storm.

He had seen many of them while on the island and they were usually easy to avoid and endure. After all, he was no fool- not like he would make his den too close to the water or below the shoreline. Gil moved around a pack of boulders to see the other side of the massive structure that dominated the building. But the boulders were not there lats time. Lilac eyes widened in disbelief as he realized just where he was. The cave must have fallen in, completely destroying the single shelter he had made residense in. A foul curse escaped the Dratini as he turned to regaurd the stormy seas with a nor narrowed and calculating gaze despite his growing anger. "...Dammit." The single word expressed all of the feelings from the serpent as he was pelted with rains and winds, quickly growing in power and intensity.

Gil hissed his anger out at the weather, silently showing his difiance for nature as he glared. Someday he would show it- he would show the whole damn world. There was no way that he would stay that weak forever. THe thought of hitting his last evolution in life- of having hands- sent a shiver of joy down his spine and a smug grin split his face. Not long. He would not have to wait long. Surely. And what was happening during his internal pep talk? The storming terrain had disturbed many of the local undead, a Wingull in particular, and it had it's clouded over crimson eyes seet on a certain serpent sicking his face right up against the storm in defiance. The claws digging into Gil's back were so sudden that he gasped. Being hefted instantly into the air, the dragon had no time to react as the undead squwaked happily.

Gil focused his fear instantly, allowing a glare to enter his eyes as he managed to keep his bearings. The bird was small and weak, easily battered by the storm. Gil snarled out, "Not today, you ugly bastard!" A shock rippled through the Dratini's body, causing the bird to cry out in pain. At his Thunder Wave attack, the bird's wings were unable to move. It began to plummet like a rock, taking Gil with it. But the serpent was already wriggling out of the undead's grasp. Not thinking of the consequences, he used the end of his thick tail to propel himself from the bird. As the thing smashed into the ground, Gil was horrified to realize that he was heading for green. Smashing right into the body of the Axew, he grunted loudly as he toppled over her and into the cave.

A groan escaped him, rubbing his eyes with the end of his tail. Of COURSE. Of all the places, I had to land before them and look the fool. He slowly removed his tail to regaurd the group with a confident but tired smirk. "I have done better landings. Trust me."

[ooc: Hehe Had permission from Phoe to make that sexy crash xD]

Joy was resting near the fire, preening her feathers like made as she dragged her beak over each and everyone of them. Wet feathers were heavy feathers--obviously not good for flying, and talking while preening was too distracting to get the job done properly. The vulture was carefully sorting through her plumage, letting the heat of the flames aid her in drying them. Flicking her head back to make sure the skull was on her neck instead, she continued her cleaning with the utmost dexterity.

"...So... now that we're all sharing stories, how did you end up here? Must've been quite the swim." Joy stopped her preening, deciding it was enough, and joined in the conversation. "Wings. Flew here from the mainland, because vultures can't really swim..." she glanced at all the bones decorating her body. "Especially with all this luggage. I'd probably sink right under..."

“Well, there was this sort of… blip. One minute I was in Orre, next I’m here. I can’t really explain it – just some supernatural shit,” The Mandibuzz rose a brow, confused. "Well you certainly hear that everyday..." Suddenly a blue serpent--a Dratini, tumbled a bit into the cave. "...And you certainly don't see that everyday either..." The dragon rubbed his eye before speaking. "I have done better landings. Trust me." She smirks, laughing a bit. "A bit hard to believe... But I'll take your word for it."

Calcifer sat, slightly uncomfortably, against one of the walls of the cavern. Being the most constant light-source, he didn't like the thought of the others trying to take advantage of him. Watching the other's eyes, he coulda sworn he caught a glare from the tiny green one. Was it just a trick of the lights? Green meant grass types, from what he knew of other Pokemon. Damned Grass types... Jealous of the flames. His eyes narrowed, be he was sure to watch the ground rather than anyone in particular.

When the topic of arrivals came in, Cal listened intently. Best to know the people kind enough to feed you their own energy. Most were uninteresting, simply swimming or flying. But the Fox... "I think that... 'blip', is how I got here too." He spoke before realizing the words were in his head. By the time they were out, he had no chance to take them back. Damn. Now he was part of the conversation.

When the smaller serpent "entered" the cave, Calcifer stared, wide eyes, for a few moments. Then he began to laugh heavily, trying and failing to quiet himself. "You sure know how to make an entrance, buddy."

While Finnick was genuinely interested in everyone's stories on how they got onto the island, the real piece of meat he wanted was Seneca's story. Of course, the fox had made his journey to the island particularly vague and odd, which the milotic found hard to believe. A "blip"? What kind of bullshit was that? His eyes narrowed as his suspicions flared; what was this guy trying to hide from him? Specifically him? He didn't seem so unnerved around the others-- and that little twitch of fear he'd caught when their eyes met was proof enough that, for some reason, Seneca found him terrifying, and no matter how gregarious he strived to be, that fact wasn't changing any time soon.

However, when the candle, Calcifer, supported this "blip" thing, Finnick was rendered even more confused. How could a pokemon like either of them simply teleport from one place to another? And obviously, Calcifer and Seneca weren't in league with each other; they were all in the company of strangers. "Weird. I didn't experience anything like that..." He glanced back down to Seneca, eyes on him like a hawk. "So you're from Orre, too, huh? What city were you from? Colisseum battles were pretty popular here... Were you one of the unlucky bastards that got to be in them?" It was an honest question, but he needed more information from the fox. Maybe some relative was killed during a tournament fight or the Games, and he recognized him. After all, Finnick was not a milotic that easily blended into the crowd.

Before he got an answer, though, something told him to turn, and he got a glimpse of blue running into Aerith. As she was the one he felt the most comfortable with on the island, concern sprang, and he began to slither to her when he recognized her assailant. The dratini from earlier...! Confused, he saw an undead wingull sprawled on the rocks nearby that he could have sworn wasn't there 5 minutes prior. The others got some well-deserved laughs out of it, but Finnick couldn't help but feel annoyed. Surely the fox would weasel his way out of the line of questioning with this distraction. Glancing back at Seneca, letting him know they weren't done, Finnick made his way to the two dragons.

"There are better ways to get the ladies, Dragon," he offered with a chuckle, lending his tail for Aerith to grab to help her up. "Though I have to say it was pretty inventful, she'll probably just try to punch your face in."

The storm raged on, and Aerith found all her anger finally fading and she was able to watch peacefully. The group was still making polite conversation and for once Len wasn't being his usual asshole self. It was almost relaxing...almost. Without warning a shadow in the distance crackled with an electricity that couldn't have been the storm and then a blue dot was heading straight for her. The Axew wasn't able to move in time and she found a massive force colliding with her and sending her backwards towards the group. Looking down Aerith saw that the strange force was in fact a Dratini...didn't Finnick mention a Dratini? As she looked at the stranger currently in her lap he gave her a smirk, "I have done better landings. Trust me."

"Oh dear..."

"There are better ways to get the ladies, Dragon." The blush that rose to Aerith's cheeks was completely involuntary but it flushed her entire face. As she looked at the serpent sprawled in her lap her blush darkened and she quickly jumped up and backed as far away as she could. As she heard Lennor laughing at her predicament her eyes narrowed dangerously and her hands curled into fists as she fought the urge to strangle the flower. "Though I have to say it was pretty inventful, she'll probably just try to punch your face in."

One sarcastic comment had Finnick's prediction ring true, but it wasn't the Dratini she went for. It was Lennor who opened his stupid mouth.

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Lennor couldn't help it, he burst out laughing as the pompous purveyor of justice was laid flat by a flying snake. His eyes began to water as he fought to control his hysterics, not used to seeing the raging blush on the dragon. He wasn't sure whether it was Finnick's words or the fact that there was another dragon laying on top of her but the normal calm female was a deep shade of crimson. "Oh this is too priceless! Aerie you need to invite that boy toy of your in!" His taunt worked because suddenly she was a shade darker, which he didn't even think was possible.

Unfortunately for Len, it wasn't out of embarrassment that her flush darkened. He found that out the hard way when suddenly he found himself with a face full of Axew-fist. His laughter stopped immediately and he shot up, glaring daggers at the female and wiping away the small amount of blood that dribbled from the corner of his mouth. "How dare you-" he was quickly silenced by another fist slamming into the other side of his face and sending him sprawling onto the floor. "You don't get to talk anymore." All he could do was stare up at the Axew as she currently had the upper hand on him. Plastering on his usual trademark smirk he sat up, brushed off, and gave her his smoothest voice. "Whatever you say, dearest."

If looks could kill, he'd be a corpse right now.

"I think that... 'blip', is how I got here too.”

Seneca was relieved that at least one of the group understood what he’d been rambling about. Hadn’t the flame chipped in with his support, the fox was convinced he would have crumbled beneath Finnick’s glare. Shifting uncomfortable, his icy eyes glued to the makeshift fire as a means of avoiding any further contact with the water-serpent, the zoroark froze as the milotic persisted. His entire body rigid as he spoke of the coliseum battles, Seneca’s eyes widened with a genuine terror – convinced that the snake had finally worked it out. His heart pounding furiously in his chest, his dishevelled body subconsciously shaking, the fox couldn’t bear to avert his gaze from the flames before him.

Suddenly, there was a ruckus. Something flew in from the storm, landing inelegantly atop Aireth to serve as both a blessing and a burden. Seneca jumped out of his fucking skin. Darting away with a yelp, eyes frantic as he sought out the intruder, the canine looked near feral. His panicked stance on all fours a distance from the main group, bedraggled fur sticking up haphazardly about his slim frame whilst his eyes held a spark of pure terror. His illusory ability had kicked in; a pitiable, flickering, blur of colour appearing and reappearing before his form. Unable to kick the panic, he stayed away, breathing heavily as he watched the others laugh as the newcomer was revealed to be a dratini. Seneca did not laugh, not as much as a smile graced his maw. His mind was totally consumed by what Finnick had said – the creature’s questioning was leading dangerously close to the truth whilst the canine was left helpless to prevent it.

Stifling a gulp, his body relaxing slightly, he only then became aware of the faulty illusion before him. He frowned, his fangs bared in frustration at the reminder of his greatest loss. Holding a paw to his head, eyes closed as he tried to balance his erratic thoughts, Seneca calmed. Effectively humiliated, an outline of the pathetic creature he truly was exploding in his mind, the canine fought the urge to flip out purely out of fear of the milotic’s reaction. He couldn’t risk giving Finnick more reason to dislike him, to distrust – though he was fairly convinced the damage had been done. Brushing the illusion away, Seneca kept his distance, eyes narrowed as ice-cold orbs fell onto the newcomer.
“You gave me a fucking heart attack,” The canine growled bitterly, no hint of amusement gracing his features. Glaring at the group with nothing but contempt, Seneca gave a huff. At least the dratini was good for one thing – giving him some peace from Finnick’s questions. Suddenly, more drama accompanied the situation. The chuckling flower was floored by a single punch from the axew who had taken on a startling shade of red. Surprised, the zoroark kept his distance. Whilst he happily condoned violence - it was a necessity for his job as Gamemaker – he was intent on staying firmly out of their way. Let them fight amongst themselves. As usual, he took on the role of an observer.

The moment the Axew had punched Mr. Flowers in the face, Joy wished she had something to eat while watching. This was absolutely priceless, watching the two Pokemon fight... Or more or less Aerith beat Lennor up. Looking back at the Zoroark, he seemed rather unamused. "What're you so uptight about? Hmm?" she smiled, analyzing the fox's stance. "You were fine a while ago."

Slowly, the vulture stretched out a single wing and leg, almost taking up all the space of the corner that she sat in, pausing to do the same with her opposite wing. Scratching the back of her head, the Mandibuzz felt hunger rise in her. "Hey, do you guys have some food in here?" she asked, looking outside to see the sky considerably darker with all those damn clouds around.

[OOC: Short post is short... ;;]

((Sorry for holding up the team, I just can't seem to get a good post for this team in. Skip please.))

It was somehow vindicating watching Aerith lay the flower flat out on his face with two, well-placed punch, but Finnick couldn't help but feel something behind the situation as a few of the others got a laugh out of it. Aerith seemed too angry, and Lennor too calm. He figured the dragon could pack a punch, but it was obvious she's drawn blood from the plant. He heard Seneca's non-enthused remark, spotting the odd, flickering illusion the fox had waved away. What the hell was that? It had looked like scenery; unfortunately, Finnick couldn't be sure, as Seneca had dismissed it too quickly. Sighing, adding another question to the queue, the milotic turned to the vulture upon her questioning.

"What're you so uptight about, hmm?" she asked Seneca, which Finnick couldn't help but hear. "You were fine a minute ago." After a moment, when Lennor seemed to acquiesce to Aerith's rage, the vulture asked further, "Hey, do you guys have some food in here?"

The milotic frowned, glancing to the raging waters outside. Fresh food was out, unless they degraded to eating each other. That would be a last resort, the thought too much like memories he preferred to forget. He'd done enough of that in his life... He allowed his eyes to trail upward, hoping for some sort of door that was out of reach, something to try for. This was obviously a human fortress, and he knew where humans were, were tons of food. One thing he knew humans detested the most was starving.

He slithered away, eyes scanning the details of the crags before him, trying to find some telltale sign of an entrance. He went most of the length of the small cavern before spotting it, twenty or so feet above his head. "Think I've found something..." he muttered mostly to himself, placing his head and neck on the rocks before attempting to scale the wall. His body shaped itself to the couture of the wall, following each dip and rise. He paused when he felt himself shift, his body telling him falling was imminent. Frowning, he scanned the door's outside, seeing only a control panel and no door knob. Even if the vulture flew up, there'd be nothing for her to grab to open it.

Finnick then smirked, building up an attack in his throat. No door was going to stop him. They needed food, and a lot of it, or else this comfy-cozy situation would soon turn nasty. While he didn't fear much for his own safety, he'd rather not see the uglier sides of the pokemon he'd just met. And he didn't want to be in another Games.

The Ice Beam formed, he tilted his head slightly, then fired, aiming for the small line where the door should open. If he got it, they'd be able to wrench the door open with the ice that was left behind. Being so close, his aim was true, the trident-shaped ice beam hitting its target. Triumphant, he allowed himself to fall back onto the sands, looking to the others. "I think once someone pries it open, we'll have ourselves a way in," he said proudly, dusting the rocks clinging to his scales. "After all, that storm's not going to blow itself out anytime soon."

Lennor ignored the looks he kept getting from the female dragon and slipped into the shadows while everyone kept occupied. He needed to recover at least a little of his decorum before moving back out to the group, or else he was just going to kill Aerith outright. The bitch had the nerve to overpower him only in front of the others because she knew he wouldn't retaliate, but the part that really pissed him off was that she was starting to figure him out. He couldn't have that.

"Hey, do you guys have some food in here?" The question alerted both Aerith and Lennor but before either of them could answer Finnick took it upon himself to start thrashing around their tunnel, claiming he 'found something'. Lennor just sneered at the audacity of the serpent, calling out after him. "We already have food, you know!" But he either didn't care or didn't listen because he was suddenly gone off done the tunnel. The Roselia kept close to Aerith as she followed, hugging the shadows so that she wouldn't notice him. There was quite a bit of ruckus over their heads before Finnick suddenly came back down, a triumphant look on his face.

"I think once someone pries it open, we'll have ourselves a way in,. After all, that storm's not going to blow itself out anytime soon." Aerith's eyes widened in confusion at the strange door Finnick seemed to have found, wondering to herself why she never noticed it before. "Well, we already have a food stash but, if that way leads into the dome we could certainly use the better shelter. I can pry the door open with my tusks."

It would be nothing for her to bend the metal with her sharp horns, and even if one broke they grew back fairly quickly as they weren't permanent until she evolved. So with a quick jump she used her claws to scale the wall up to the ledge Finnick had come down. She eyed the door carefully, tapping on it a few times to check its thickness, before digging her left side tusk into the small crack between the door and the wall. With all of her might she forced the door to the side, the metal creaking and groaning with the effort, before it finally gave way.

There was a small outwards rush of air and the stale scent of metal and dust filled her nose, causing Aerith to cough. It wasn't pleasant but at least it didn't smell like death, which was a good sign. She pried at the door a little more before she was finally able to slip between and actually push it, the door rushing back into the wall. She smiled and walked back over to the edge, peering over to look at Finnick. "Got it!"

((OOC: Sorry for the lame post. I'm in a lot of pain right now and am finding it hard to concentrate.))

"What're you so uptight about? Hmm? You were fine a while ago."

Seneca’s nostrils flared at the bird’s words, a glare familiar with many a competitor of the games soon emerging on his slim face. If he wasn’t fearful enough, the fact that the vulture had just gone and announced his shift in behaviour to Finnick’s ever alert senses made his spine tingle with concern. It was only natural that the apprehension would translate into a bitter frustration. Watching the female go on to question on the whereabouts of food, the Zoroark allowed his stance to relax, ragged fur still standing on end whilst his lacking muscles were finally given some rest. The newcomer didn’t seem much of a fret, nothing but a clumsy Dratini, as the group soon recovered from the shock of his entrance.

"Think I've found something..."

A firm frown established over his ice-cold eyes, Seneca turned to the voice only to find that the serpent had disappeared. Making a point of moving away from where Finnick had last been, the fox kept his eyes scanning the cave for any signs of movement – there was only so long that a creature of his size could go unnoticed. It came with a crashing sound as metallic doors soon appeared, along with the Milotic’s ever familiar face. He looked different to the images he’d seen in the papers, older perhaps. Then again, the Games took its toll on everyone. One of the earliest victors, a Ninetales the fox struggled to name, had taken his life not a day after the ceremony hailing his successes. It was pathetic really. Seneca had never truly been able to sympathise with the contenders, always on the controlling end as he spent his life ensuring all but one suffered a spectacular death. As he thought back on the topic, it seemed a rather macabre occupation – cruel, malicious and sadistic as he’d often been told, but it was all he’d ever known, all he’d ever excelled in.

"Got it!”

Brought out of his pondering by a pained screeching, the canine started, only easing as he saw that the source was nought but the doors. He regarded the dragon a moment, before turning to the cave’s exit. This was a bad idea. Seneca was tired, already uneasy around the company as he felt himself jumping at every movement. Trudging over to the opening, his gnarled hind leg providing a permanent limp, Seneca simply stared for a moment. Finnick had been right about the storm. The rain pelting down with an incredible fury, the winds howling ferociously – Seneca thought of the times when he’d been able to create such dramatic scenes with a flick of his paw. His illusions had truly been fearsome, hideously life-like whilst he was hailed a true master of his abilities. It was cruel irony that they had been so ceremoniously robbed from him. Heaving a sigh, the canine looked over his shoulder at the group, tempted to simply chance it with the storm.

 

Gil allowed a chuckle as he settled himself down. Sure, he was an inrritible and anti social creature by nature, but he reveled in all of the attention he received. The scare with the undead seagull behind him, the Dratini was pleased to take in that, not only was there another female in the group compatable with him, but she sure had spunk. A smirk pulled at his lips, relishing the words of both the vulture and the fucking candle but ignoring the outbrst of the angry fox. He needed to calm his shit. But when the chick smashed her small fist right into the face of the irritating flower, Gil did not hide his pleasure, grinning wode even as blood made itself visible on the plant's face. How delightful. This woman might just be worth my time.

As the storm intensified and the Milotic appeared to find a way to get deeper into the odd dome, the part of his brain hungry for new knowledge immediately perked up. Facial fins fanning out in ovious delight, a satisfied smirk pulled at his lips. And not all of them are daft fools. At least this guy has proven himself after his bravery in taking on the ocean. The ovious sarcasm was clear in his mind as the Dratini watched the female dragon pry open the entrence for them, chirping happily that she had it. Satisfied that she was able to flip from one mood to the other, the Dratini slid very smoothly over to her. Gently running his tail tip over her shoulder, he flicked one fin as he gained her attention. "My apologies miss. I am afraid that the undead did not leave me any other choice in my... landing." Grinning in an apologetic way, the Dratini placed his tail on her arm that time. But he left it there. "Please let me make it up to you in due time. I will start by introducing myself- my name is Gil."

The serpent flashed an effortlessly charming smile at the female. He had done the routine so many times that it was flawless, no woman could possibly see through his ruse or where he truly wanted to go.

[ooc: Gil has no feelings at all for Aerith, Phoe. He is just a womanizer. Lololololol]

Joy waited, a tad bit impatiently, as she awaited for someone to actually bring out food instead of mentioning it. Tapping her claw as if to fasten things up, her gaze turned to Finnick, whom found an entrance. "It probably is a good idea to go higher... If the rain doesn't stop this floor might get flooded." she mutters, watching carefully as Aerith pried it open. The Mandibuzz hopped over, craning her neck to see through the new entrance. "Pretty dark up there... Maybe we could hoist the candle up to light it up a bit."

When the vulture's stomach grumbled again she scowled. "Oi, where's Lennor? He said you guys had food..." Joy asked, not noticing the Roselia hidden within the darkness. "These are the times I wish I was an Arcanine of something. Then I can just sniff whoever I'm looking for out." muttering, she spread her gargantuan wings to lift her from the ground, awkwardly flipping herself mid-air to clutch at the edges of the door with her talons. "Welp, I'll go up first. Maybe I'll find something." Carefully fitting her form through the doorway, the vulture peered into the dark carefully.

"...Yeah lets bring that candle up here."

Calcifer hated the rain.

It was always so... dreary. He was in no way a cheerful Litwick, of course, but the rain always seemed to bring him down more. Even now, in the dry area, the sound of the crashing water lowered his mood considerably. His flame stayed a normal size, but it took most of his effort to keep it going. He didn't want to plunge the group into darkness- who knew what some of them would do under the cloak of night?

The talk of food didn't interest him at all. He had all the nourishment he needed just from being among the others. Getting further away from the rain, however, seemed like an excellent idea. The bird, who referred to him rather rudely as simply "the candle", was the first to think of using his light to find their way. Calcifer had no objections, he would be happy to be farther inside. "I'm all for it." He said, waddling closer to the bird. "Get me up there and I'll take a look around."

Finnick was glad that the group was sort of working together, Calcifer and Joy working to take a look further into the cavern he'd discovered. Aerith was up there, having pried the door open, revealing nothing but darkness within. While the milotic remained hopeful that it was safer indoors than out, his gut told him that something was in there. His attention turned to Lennor, who had said something about food stores. "Hey, Lennor," he called, slithering to the plant's side. This roselia was not his favorite pokemon, but there were worse options. "Get your food stores over here so we can lug them inside. They'll be ruined out here."

His attention was caught by stray movement near the mouth of the cave, spying Seneca staring out to the lashing waves and angry skies. Frowning, he weighed whether or not if his approach would only send the fox further away. Sighing, he decided to just fuck it and go for it, slithering across the soft sand closer to the dark fox. "We should get inside, Seneca," he stated softly, no threat in his voice. "...I can't say I know why you're so paranoid, but I'm not going to hurt you. Let's just get in, ok? Get some food and rest." He finished with a small smile, conveying that he truly meant no harm. Hopefully, Seneca would get the message...

_______

He needed a beer.

Haymitch groggily gazed about the dimly lit room in a hungover daze, the dirty marowak the only inhabitant in a huge cavern of a room. The doorways were blocked, the food -or what remained of it- was scattered along the floor. Any undead inhabitants had been quickly disposed of on his arrival, and the room had been empty save for him ever since. The supply of alcohol was meager to begin with, and now he was fresh out of his supply. His skull clacked against the metal wall of his prison as he sighed, glazed eyes unfocused on his surroundings. He hated sobriety. All his sufferings, his shortcomings, mistakes, they all haunted him in his waking moments...

...He really needed a beer.

Grunting out his frustration as he tossed a bottle to the ground, he stood, glancing around his perimeter looking for some other place he hadn't already scoured. He was fresh out of booze and quickly running out of actual rations. He had to get something soon... Otherwise, his trusty knife would start looking a little too friendly...

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed throughout his lair, his body tensing automatically at the surprise. Bone knife in hand, he waited and watched to see a little dwarf dragon emerge from the lighter dark, the first bit of the outdoors the marowak had seen in... a while. She didn't seem to notice him, though, and so remained still as she conversed with others nearby. How many pokemon had stumbled onto his cave? Haymitch glanced around, smirking at the filth. The place certainly smelled like someone was living there, what, with dried excretions off in a far corner and his scent nearly everywhere. If the stench didn't drive them off, though, his knife certainly would.

Lennor glared as he was ordered about to get the food stores. Like he could really get all of that by himself? "What the hell do you take me for, your servant?" he grumbled, crossing his arms and giving a haughty huff. "I can carry enough for me, snake boy, but that's about it. In case you didn't notice, I'm the smallest one here besides the freaking candle!" He didn't give a shit what the others thought of him at this point, but he was not going to haul back all of his food to feed them if he had to do all of the work!

__________________________

"My apologies miss. I am afraid that the undead did not leave me any other choice in my... landing." Suddenly there was something on her arm that should not be there, his tail. "Please let me make it up to you in due time. I will start by introducing myself- my name is Gil." Aerith fought the urge to just slug the guy in the face. What the hell was he playing at? Instead she just took a deep breath and put on a stone face. "Gil...Kindly remove your tail, before I snap it off." Her voice was flat and even, leaving no room for argument as she shrugged him off.

As she inhaled once again this time she noticed something strange, more than just the stale and stagnant air. It was the smell of another Pokemon permeating every inch of the space. Living if the slight scent of excrement was anything to go by. As everyone started to make their way up to the door Aerith held back one hand to stop them. "Hold!" she whispered harshly, not trying to be rude but the slight panic leaking into her voice certainly didn't help. "We aren't alone in here..."

With a cautious eye she took in the room, sniffing and scenting out the source of her anxiety. It wasn't long before she started to get the feeling that she was close to it, the prickling sense of eyes on her growing stronger and stronger as she crept through the room. "I know you're in here..." she growled, trying to lure it out into the open. "Save yourself the trouble of me finding you and dragging you out." She didn't take kindly to surprises so if that thing decided to jump out at her it was going to get one hell of a wallop for it.

((OOC: Short post for Len, lol. He is just being pissy. And no worries Ciana! Aerith has zero sex drive so he is just barking at his own reflection.))

"We should get inside, Seneca ...I can't say I know why you're so paranoid, but I'm not going to hurt you. Let's just get in, ok? Get some food and rest."

The voice alone made him jump. His body recoiling at the sound and eventually sight of that ever familiar creature, Seneca was not convinced of the Milotic’s kindness. He spoke softly, seemingly with a genuine desire for peace, but the canine himself was capable of that and knew how easy it was to instil a sense of falsity – false hope, false comfort, you name it, Seneca had done it all on more than one occasion. He was a master of manipulation – although one wouldn’t think it now that the presence of a victor had completely unhinged his infamous persona – and was ever alert to those little tricks of the mind. Oh no, Seneca wasn’t falling for this. But one thing he was sure of was that Finnick truly didn’t know him. Eased by the fact, he mimicked the water-type’s smile.
“Sorry,” The word had surfaced a lot quieter, hoarser than the fox had expected. Obviously he wasn’t completely comfortable, his subconscious still screaming at him to flee. Unfortunately, he had no choice. The storm was horrendous, he wouldn’t last ten minutes out there; and with the promise of food, shelter and safety from this group, Seneca’s mind was soon made up. “I-I’d like that. Haven’t eaten in awhile,” A feeble grin crossed his lips as his wide, ice-blue eyes took in the creature’s face. He looked a lot younger in person, in fact were it not for the striking colouration and earlier confirmation of his identity; Seneca might not have recognised him at all.

Shrugging off his previous apprehension, instead taking comfort in the fact that Finnick was essentially clueless to his role in the Games, Seneca turned to follow the others. Moving slowly as he stalked after the group, the candle providing a small source of light, the canine peered around the room, disgusted. The stench hit him like a bus. Coughing, eyes practically watering at the foul odour that had greeted him, Seneca’s eyes fervently scanned the area for a source. But as the smell swam through his nostrils, probing at his battered memory, a look of unease crossed the canine’s face. He couldn’t place it, but there was definitely an ugly recognition in the scent. Tensing, Seneca limped forward, curiosity driving him onwards regardless of an ever-growing fear coursing through his veins.

"I know you're in here... Save yourself the trouble of me finding you and dragging you out.”

The dragon-type had sensed it too, the female alert as she too took to creeping about the vicinity. Seneca, whilst unable to trust the creatures surrounding him, took a certain comfort in the fact at the moment they were just as helpless as he. Still, the scent had triggered something in the very depths of his fragile mind – digging deep for the olfactory memory and a face that might accompany the aroma. Annoyed that such recollection was failing him, Seneca’s eyes narrowed, lips curling back to distort his striking facial markings, as a malicious growl left his throat.
“Just kill it,” A glimpse of the Gamemaker surfaced in his brutal response. Already on edge, the Zoroark was simply intent on finding the occupant of the damn place – undead or otherwise, he wanted no more of that offensive stench. Icy glare flicking about the room, the canine’s attention eventually landed on a shadowy figure, unidentifiable at his current distance. A smirk meeting his features, the fox strolled forward, preparing to boast of his observatory skills. With one final step, the memory exploded before his eyes in unsettling vibrancy. Engulfed by an expression of uncontained fear, Seneca forgot to breathe.

[ooc: shot me please, but I must skip. Gil is just smirking in the back, watching the scene unfold.]

When the candle agreed and bounded over, Joy smiled. "Thanks, Litwick. Say, I never caught your name, mind telling me?" the Mandibuzz was about to hoist the ghost type up when the Axew told then to pause. Mentioning that they weren't alone, the vulture took a little sniff and cringed. "You're right... It reeks of shit up there, ugh..." otherwise, the dark bird could feel the presence of another. Aerith had decided to check, and Joy stood patienty on standby.

"If you need help there, just ask," she murmured, before siting down. The sound of Lennor angrily ranting about some shit was lulling her to sleep. Watching as the Zoroark returned, commenting on just killing whatever was taking residence in the chamber, the vulture huffed. "If it was a friendly living it would've probably come out and greeted us already or some shit, besides, that stench is horrid,"

(OOC: I'm sorry I had to post this from a phone ;; VmV)

"What the hell do you take me for, your servant?" Lennor snapped, his frustration easily rising to the surface. "I can carry enough for me, snake boy, but that's about it. In case you didn't notice, I'm the smallest one here besides the freaking candle!" The addressed milotic frowned, sighing a little as he slithered back toward the plant, only pausing when Seneca answered him. "Sorry..." The fox's voice was soft, almost making Finnick lean closer jut to hear. “I-I’d like that. Haven’t eaten in awhile.” The reply was good enough, and Finnick could only give him a confident nod as the fox ventured off toward the entrance he'd found. While the interrogation had to wait, he was simply glad there would be more chances to figure out Seneca's shady past.

Going back to Lennor, Finnick heaved a sigh and replied, "Sorry. Show me then, and get as much as you can? We kind of need to hurry..." It was a wonder how Aerith could deal with this guy...

"I know you're in here..." the dragon growled, earning a soft chuckle from Haymitch. "Save yourself the trouble of me finding you and dragging you out." 'Plucky girl,' he mused, keeping his bone knife clamped in his palm. She was soon accompanied by an odd silhouette, one that tugged at Haymitch's memory. It was scraggly and fluffy, belonging to a creature the marowak saw every moment in his waking nightmares. Eyes narrowing, he clenched his knife and was about to step forward when the fox spoke. "Just kill it."

Eyes wide, Haymitch's heart stopped. That voice... That scent... That weird-ass fucking beard thing... As the fox confidently strolled forward, the marowak's dark-accustomed eyes gave him an advantage in the race to identify one another. Though he'd been momentarily too stunned to move with the realization of just who was in front of him, he recovered from it as soon as the other fell victim to it. There was only a moment of silence, of Seneca's breathless pause, between the two before Haymitch erupted.

"YOU!"

Wasting no time, Haymitch lunged himself full-force at the fox, free hand on the scrawny thing's neck while the other was held high above his head, still holding his signature weapon. The knife swung down as they flew through the air, ready to impale the fox. Unfortunately, in Haymitch's fury, he'd momentarily forgotten about the fall just outside his lair. They stumbled then fell together back to the sands of the cave, earning a grunt from the both of them. However, the marowak would not be felled so easily, rearing right back up to pin the bastard back down. Before the others could react, he would grasp his revenge. Knife against Seneca's gaunt abdomen, it was his full intention to spill the bastard's guts right then and there. "Where's your fucking Master now, you cowardly shithea--"

"SENECA!"

He'd had no idea where the marowak came from, or why it was so hell-bent on killing the fox. Either way, it didn't matter. Acting on instinct and turning from Lennor, Finnick fired an Ice Beam, its trident form racing at the stranger. While it didn't impale the marowak, it struck and pinned him to the cave wall, his form caught between the prongs. "Shit!" it cried, trying to pry the ice off of him.

"The hell is going on?!" the milotic cried, slithering closer to the two. "Who the hell is this guy?!"