(ACE) The LOSTLORN Team

The forest floor was sun-dappled and laden with autumn colors as a creature passed through it, her hooves quietly crunching the dead leaves. Thankfully, the leaves covered the ugliness beneath them, hiding the dry blood and carcasses that were surely there. The small deerling tried not to think of such ugly things as she made her way thought the quiet wood. This particular forest was not filled with dead like the cities she had seen, nor the main road.

She sighed as he came to a stop before a small clearing, debating on whether or not she should venture forth. She quickly decided that going out would be a bad idea and quietly grazed on some clean grass nearby. She had always kept to the thicket, the thick brush keeping her safe. However, grass was not aplenty in the dark places where she liked to hide, so she had to come out to feed... like everything else...

Sil got her fill as she quickly devoured the grass and began to retreat back to her thicket. Hopefully, she wasn't noticed...

Cassius paused as the leaves rustled in the trees, waiting for any sign of infected. He had learned since his escape not to trust any noise the forest made, even if it was just the wind. These infected may not be the 'thinking' type, but they knew how to ambush, and that made him wary. When nothing came he went back to trying to clean the dirt from his coat, still unable to believe he had been forced to sleep on the ground. Such barbarianism, how was it creatures went their whole life in the wild this way? It just seemed unthinkable. Letting out a hefty sigh he gave up on his attempts, shaking his body quickly to rid himself of any loose dirt and went about trying to find something to eat.

It was getting closer to winter, the grass and leaves all turning their autumn browns for their dormant wait until spring. This meant fresh, healthy grass would be more difficult to find. Truth be told, he was finding anything difficult to find. No matter which direction he picked he always kept winding up by the same stupid tree stump, which was proving increasingly annoying. Not the type to admit when he was lost, he kept trying to tell himself that there were just several of the same tree stump in the forest. Which, to anyone else, would just sound like denial.

Finally he found a small patch of grass near a clearing, and happily began eating his fill. But when something started moving on the other side of the clearing, he stopped and watched it carefully. Though he couldn't tell what it actually was from here, it was rather small, and had an odd...would you call that silver?...coloring to it. It didn't seem to be infected, as an infected wouldn't be eating grass, so what was it? Curiosity piqued, he crept closer to get a better look.

Sil froze as she heard the grass rustle behind her. Has she been spotted? Probably, since her coat was so obnoxious during the fall. It never changed, like normal deerling, to help with camouflage. Her ears swished backward, listening for any other sounds. However, this proved to be a futile move, since all she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears.

She slowly turned to see behind her when she heard nothing and saw a strange white... horn?... in the long brush. She frowned. The hell...?

For a moment, she debated on whether or not she should turn tail and run, since such movement would attract any nearby dead... However, SHE was kind of attracting nearby dead... SO....

Without any other better alternative, she mustered up her courage and fired an energy ball at the horn, hoping that whatever it was would just leave her alone.

As he approached Cassius couldn't help but be amused. It was little Deerling, her fur oddly out of place for the season and that was most certainly a silver shimmer to it. She stuck out quite badly against the fall background of the forest, he almost felt badly for her. Almost. As he tried to sneak past he wound up getting his tail stuck in the thick brush, and ended up making quite a racket as he tried to get it free. Apparently this alerted the little Deerling to his presence because the next thing he knew there was a giant green ball flying past his head.

"Hey!" he cried out, clearly offended by the unprovoked attack. "What the hell do you think you are doing little missy? Did it look like I wanted to eat you? Lucky for me you are a lousy shot. Damn."

He didn't take well to cheap shots, or to being caught off-guard in such an embarrassing position. All his efforts to groom himself were proving futile when things like this kept happening. How clean could you be when your fur gets trapped in dirty bushes? Or when you have to sleep in the dirt? Or walk through mud? He was beginning to hate this place, but it was still better than being dressed up and paraded around a stage like an idiot. He glared at the little Deerling, though his intimidation tactic was a little pointless with his tail stuck in a bush.

Maybe... that had not been the brightest idea.

Sil did not expect a very groomed zebstrika, nor the angry retort that came from him when she had fired her energy ball, which of course, had missed... He very tactfully pointed out her bad aim and continued to insult her.

Of course, she did not take kindly to this.

Nevermind he was an evolved pokemon and the first uninfected pokemon she'd run across in the forest. WHATEVS. HE snuck up on her and after she had taken a safety precaution -and didn't even hit him- he just went on an insulting tangent. WELL. He would have a piece of her mind!

She stomped over to the pompous ASS, no longer afraid of the possible danger nearby and stared him straight in the face. "EXCUSE ME? Who the hell do you think you are?!" she growled in a harsh whisper. "Keep your braying down, ASS. There are OTHERS in this forest, you know. And..." Her eyes trailed down to his caught tail and a sneer curled onto her face. "...And you can stay right there and be bait for the Dead while I scurry off. Douche." With that, she began to bound off.

She couldn't...she wouldn't...she DID! That little twerp just ran off and let left him here to make her own escape! Tail be damned she was not getting away with that! And insulting him on top of it? Well that was a line you just did not cross with Cassius. He yanked his tail hard, freeing it from the offending plant, and took off after the Deerling. If she had somewhere to go then he was going to take advantage of that safe haven of hers.

With his quick speed it was only a matter of time before he caught up to the little doe and forced himself to slow down so he could keep pace with her annoying leaping. "Do all you deer hop like bunnies? Or can you actually run?" Maybe not the best start for trying to mooch in on her safe spot, but she did insult him. It was only fair, but still, he'd better switch tactics if he wanted a chance at getting himself...well...not lost. "What exactly was all that about anyway? You were the one who attacked me. What was I supposed to do? Thank you?"

Sil stopped abruptly when the horse appeared before her, somehow catching up with her really quickly. Though she was proud of her own speed... for him to catch up that quickly? Again, maybe not the best idea to insult him and leave him out to die...

Her face quickly formed a frown as she towered over her. "Do all you deer hop like bunnies? Or can you actually run?" Sil's eye twitched in annoyance and RAGE, but he continued before she was able to retort. "What exactly was all that about anyway? You were the one who attacked me. What was I supposed to do? Thank you?"

After a moment of her silently glaring and analyzing just which parts would hurt him the most if she Double Kicked him, (which, she settled on his legs... little knobby things) she locked gazes with him and took the smallest of steps back. "Well, what was I supposed to do? Call out to you? What if you were a Dead? I couldn't just let everything know around here where I was. Because I need HELP with that," she grumbled as her ear twitched angrily. "And no. We can run. Though, have all horses degraded to donkeys? You remind me so much of an ASS, it's hard to tell." She began to move past him to leave; lord knew she'd get an aneurism with all the rage she tried to contain.

*twitch twitch*
Ass? ASS?! Who the hell did this runt think she was talking to? Cassius was a champion in his own right and she had no business insulting him like that! And what was with that look she was giving him a moment ago? It looked like she was deciding on whether or not to bite his ankles. As she moved to sneak past him Cassius reared up and planted himself firmly in front of her. Every time she tried to go the other way he would just block her path yet again.

"Look you insensitive bitch, when I don't know about something I don't attack first and ask questions later. That is a good way to get yourself killed. I saw you from all the way across the clearing and do you know what I did? I decided to check things out rather than your method of reckless suicide. So I suggest you quite acting bigger than you are pipsqueak and admit you made a mistake, you insufferable brat!" With that said he just stared her down, not willing to back down when he was fully convinced she was in the wrong in this situation.

Oh.

Oh ho.

"Brat?!" While she did not deny that she was young, stubborn and whatnot, who the hell was he to boss her around? She waited patiently for him to finish as her rage built, vaguely wondering what he was going to do if she kicked his legs out from under him.

Once he was done with his rant, her ear and eye twitched more in irritation. "I'm the insensitive bitch? Says the ass that's been braying our location for the past five minutes. And actually, the "shoot now, ask questions later" has been working out for me for a few months now. So maybe you should focus on keeping yourself alive and not on lecturing me. But you're right. I should apologize. I'M SORRY I MISSED." The last sentence was grated out in a snarl of a whisper, and she shoulder checked the horse to move past him. She then, without turning, fired a Double Kick to the closest legs to her.

"Which, I have remedied," she growled, her glare never faltering as she threw it over her shoulder back at him, watching him crumple to the ground.

(Permission to kick Cass given by Phoenix :3)

"I should apologize. I'M SORRY I MISSED." Cassius couldn't believe the arrogance of this little runt as she shoved past him. What he really couldn't believe was how incredibly hard she could kick. He fell to the ground in agony, his legs throbbing from the sharp force of her hooves. He cried out in pain as she walked away and found himself unable to stand back up to follow. He rested on the forest floor for a few minutes, hoping nothing would come this way, and finally managed to pull himself up when the pain dulled to a sharp tug. It hurt to walk but he had to keep moving if he wanted to get out of the open.

Figuring the only way to go was the direction the doe went he followed what small trail she had left, which quickly disappeared in to the brush. Maybe she was right, he never was able to leave well enough alone, but she had nearly killed him so was a simple apology too much to ask? Maybe he could have been a little nicer to her but the Deerling was clearly able to give as much as she got. He couldn't help but to admire her for that. He had never met any other creature who could hold their own against him in a verbal confrontation, it was...nice.

Cassius sighed, he was lost again. Hanging his head low he limped over to a nearby tree to lean on it, and found himself with a mane full of leaves. Figures. Shaking himself off he winced as his injured legs were aggravated, best not to do that again. Then he smelled them, berries! Dragging himself over to the smell he found a small Sitrus bush. Though they weren't fully ripe yet they would still work and he munched on them happily. Their healing effects worked wonders as the ache in his legs faded to almost nothing and he felt his energy restored. Close to fully functional again Cassius decided the first thing to do was to find that Deerling again. Though their last encounter wasn't the greatest, she was the only other living Pokemon he had seen in a long time...and he kind of wanted to see her again.

Sil felt fantastic and terrible at the same time. While that damn ass deserved every bit of venom -and Double Kick- she had offered, he was still the first uninfected pokemon she'd come across since...

...since...

She shook her head free of the images that threatened her mind's eye and looked back in the direction she'd come from, pausing in her walk. While she had made a few mistakes in meeting him, he was still alive. That meant more than her pride, more than the verbal war that they had engaged in the first ten minutes of knowing each other...

...But going back to get him also sounded like a bad idea.

'Well, then,' she thought to herself as she made her way back to her thicket, If I see him again, I won't turn him away. I'll be civil. Unless he's a douche to me. Then I'll Double Kick him off a freaking cliff.' Her mind made up and plan formed, she gave a curt nod to herself and continued on her way.

He stepped lightly through the brush, trying not get snagged again, all the while with a frown on his face. Cassius was not cut out for such difficult terrain, flat, open ground was more his style. While he could still dodge and weave through the trees with a fantastic pace these freaking weeds were going to be the death of him. He hated them, and wish severely that he could just go through with a Flame Charge and burn them all away...but that would certainly attract 'unwanted' attention. So he had to settle for going a snail's pace to not get caught in them again.

He finally made it back to the clearing where he first saw the Deerling. His theory was that if she was here the first time then her safe haven couldn't be too far away from it. So, the only question now was...where around here can an obnoxiously colored Deerling hide? He noticed a small hill and carefully made his way up, keeping close to the trees in a hope not to be noticed. From this height he could get a better scope of the area around here. To hi luck, not far away he noticed a large thicket bordering a rock face. While it was sure to have thorns that might actually prove to be an excellent place for the little one to hide. If she was there, and he could manage to get through, maybe he could lay on the patented "Cassius 'Casanova' Charm" and get her to let him stay. It was worth a shot anyway.
_______

The thorns were proving quite difficult to get through, Cassius realized, after he got snagged for the fifth time. But there was obviously a small path in the thicket so someone had to come through here on a regular basis. He just figured that he kept getting caught because he was bigger than its 'regular' host. Finally he made it to a small clear spot and shook his mane and fur free of the thorns he had pulled loose. This was going to be murder on his coat, but if it meant sleeping somewhere safe tonight then he guessed he would just have to deal. Not seeing anyone around, he lay down on the ground for a small rest, keeping an ear out for any sound of approach, preferably the sound of small hooves.

Pinwheel Forest, her birthplace and home, lay far behind Etai as she enters yet a new forest she knows as Lostlorn Forest. She had been running forever it seems and her legs were growing a bit tired, but she pushed herself on despite everything against her. Memories of her parents dying for her flit through her head every so often and she has to run faster and harder to make them go away. Their sacrifice, however, will not be in vain. She will find a place to live and friends to live with and somehow, she will survive this godforsaken wasteland she was born into.

Nature, the song whispered to her in the trees she trots through, tell of a pair of Pokemon ahead. Living ones at that. Being ever cautious, Etai pads ahead, her trot easily turning into a silent walk. The air around her, clear as always, provides small comfort for the Leafeon as does the majestic leaves that tumble to the ground around her. Every fiber of her being longs to flit about them gracefully and frolic in the warmth of the sun but she suppresses this longing because, more often then not, that's when those gruesome creatures like to attack and make quick work of their prey.

Still, Etai likes to think that one day her beautiful trees and vines will be clear of the dead beings that make their home in almost every bit of nature. That little shred of hope along with the sacrifice from her parents keeps her going and makes her unafraid to make herself known the the living she can now clearly hear ahead of her. They seem to have gotten into somewhat of a fight but, nevertheless, Etai pads on as the strange colored Deerling turns her way, clearly returning back to the thicket Etai had just made her way through. Mesmerized by the interesting colors in the Deerling's pelt, Etai almost forgot to introduce herself. Almost, but not quite.

Regaining her manners, Etai spoke up in a voice seeming to grow like the growing trees.

"Hello, excuse me for not seeming polite. It's been a while since I've seen a living creature. My name is Etai what's yours?"

The Rufflets wings flapped with tiredness as he had not rested for so long. Finally at his limit he fluttered down to a branch where he hoped to rest. He started to think about the horrors he had seen these past few months, it was hard to believe what he had been seeing. Pokemon killing pokemon, even humans. He tried so hard to get the pictured, the images, out of his head but they just stayed there, like a silent movie with no stop button. He lost count of the times he had cried thinking back on these cruel thoughts, he had cried so much that he was always surprised that he had more tears left to shed. Where there more like him? More who still have a beating heart? And not odd colours. He knew there where pokemon with odd colouring before the infection, his mother has explained to him and his sister that they where called shinys... his sister. "No!" She shook his head, that was the one image he did not want to see in his mind, never again, once was enough.

Cloud had closed his eyes for a few moments only to open them to a Zebstrika, he hadn't even heard it approaching, it was such a magnificent electric pokemon, and it looked just as powerful as he had heard. He was very skittish of it though, but it showed no odd coloration, and it didn't have that crimson glow in its eyes. He would play it safe anyway, he wasn't going to be its next meal if it was infected. He took a deep breath before fluttering down to a lower branch so that he could talk to it in a safe distance a little above the Zebra pokemons heads. "Hello..." He said, trying to smile, but it wasn't working no matter how hard he tried his smile just never came. He picked off a leaf from the tree branch he was on and started to nibble it. He was nerves, as one normally was when talking to an unfamiliar pokemon in these times, it just wasn't right. Nibbling a leaf wasn't the greatest first impression, but he couldn't help it, everyone had there odd habit, this one was his.

His face was bleeding again as his attempts at removing the contraption restricting his survival turned particularly aggressive. The fresh gash beneath his eye was already oozing blood and Hannibal was intelligent enough to know that no matter how hard he tried, he was going to need to coerce someone into removing the muzzle for him. With a defeated sigh, he licked at his own blood staining the rock he’d been using to aid removal before turning his attention away from a fight he would be unable to win. The droplets of blood gradually sliding down his neck was a surprisingly pleasant feeling and Hannibal decided that at least a little bit of good had come out of his latest endeavour after all.

As he made his way through the numerous trees that hung over this area, Hannibal couldn’t help but feel a sense of vulnerability creeping towards him. He’d never feared such a thing before; but now that this mask was persistent in keeping its grasp over his head, his attacks were restricted or rendered useless. He was brought out of his thoughts by the faint sound of voices in the distance and lifted his head with interest. They didn’t sound like any sort of threat and with four, delicate sniffs Hannibal had each creature analyzed; a young, male rufflet, a female leafeon, a zebstrika and some kind of deer that he was sure he’d encountered in their evolutionary stage. The rufflet would be safe – Hannibal had a disliking towards bird meat.

As the houndoom crept closer to the voices, he emerged short distance from to the two female pokémon, both clearly alive and well in this new world of the undead. He grinned beneath his muzzle. Although he wouldn’t consider himself sexist, Hannibal had always considered women to be weaker and more prone to the effects of persuasion; so was naturally pleased to be standing in the presence of the grass types. Clearing his throat, he made sure that they had seen him and bowed his head lightly in a greeting. He didn’t want this to take long; remove the muzzle, slaughter the leafeon, consume the deer and he’d be on his way.
“Excuse me, ladies,” Hannibal began, his voice slightly muffled by the muzzle but no less charming and eloquent as it had always been. His red eyes flickered between the two creatures as his tail swung impatiently by his ankles. “I apologize for interrupting, but I could require some assistance in removing this muzzle. I’m sure you wouldn’t leave a fellow survivor in need...”

( I suggest you don’t help Hannibal :s )

Sil was, in layman's terms, just stumped at what to do.

She had begun to make her way back to her thicket when she was approached by a sort of grass fox coming out of said thicket. 'Why are all the uninfected pokemon coming out now?' she thought to herself. While she was about to tell the grass fox where she could go and what she could do with herself, the fox bowed a little and timidly said, "Hello, excuse me for not seeming polite. It's been a while since I've seen a living creature. My name is Etai what's yours?"

Sil was a little stunned when the fox was so... polite... especially after her encounter with the ass. "I... My name's Sil. Hel--" She stopped in mid-word when she heard more footsteps behind her. She whirled around, preparing to kick the thing back to Kingdom Come, when she saw a demon-ish looking dog with a... muzzle...? strapped to its face. Its... bleeding face...

"Excuse me, ladies..." he began, his low, soothing voice somewhat muffled through the muzzle, "I apologize for interrupting, but I could require some assistance in removing this muzzle. I’m sure you wouldn’t leave a fellow survivor in need..."

Sil frowned as she studied the dog. She had never seen one, being native to Unova, and his appearance was not all that reassurring. Plus, he was bleeding, and blood was always a scent the Dead followed. She gave him another look-over and her gaze narrowed. She did not like this one. While the ass was annoying, this guy was just plain unnerving. He looked at her like... a piece of meat.. "...Why do you have it on in the first place?"

"Hello..."

Cassius jumped up at the voice from over his head, getting a mane full of thorns. "Damn it!" he cried, trying to pry free. He looked up furiously and saw it was only a tiny Rufflet, and he couldn't be mad at a little bird, honestly who could? He let out a heavy sigh and went back to tugging his mane free. "Sorry about the shout, kid, just a little...STUCK!" With the last word ending in a shout he managed to pull himself free. Shaking his head he relished in the freedom of movement. "Hey kid, how did you get here?"

Wait...Voices? Did he hear voices outside? His attention pulled from the Rufflet he inched his way back to the opening of the thicket, where he saw the silvery doe again and two others. One of which looked like bad news.

"I apologize for interrupting, but I could require some assistance in removing this muzzle. I’m sure you wouldn’t leave a fellow survivor in need..." Oh that wasn't good. Cassius knew what a muzzle was, having been raised by a researcher most of his life. They were used to stop vicious Pokemon from attacking and biting. If he had one on then...

"...Why do you have it on in the first place?" Oh shit...

"Doe don't do it!" he cried loudly, making a mad rush to get over there. Though, in what seemed to be JUST his luck today. He got mane, tail, and one leg caught in the thorny vines. Shit if he couldn't get to her then at least he could warn her. "Don't do it, doll, it's not safe! Look I know we got off on a bad start but please, trust me! Those things are used by humans to stop dangerous Pokemon, ones who attack without reason and try to hurt others. If he has one on I'm sure it's for a damn good reason!" He stomped at the ground harshly, trying to emphasize his point. Even if she was kind of a bitch he didn't want the Deerling to get hurt.

Oh please let her listen...

Etai smiled softly to the doe in front of her and caught her name as Sil before a rather disturbed looking creature came into her view with a muzzle on his face asking them to talk it off for him. Suspicion coated Etai's thoughts and she stepped back a bit as the doe started asking him questions. Shaking her head she stared at him in anger.

"Go away!" She screamed to the disturbing Pokemon. Her fur rose a bit and she began firing an energy ball.

(Sorry for the short post. Having a lot of stuff going on in my life right now.)

Cloud jumped in surprise when the Zebstrika shouted at someone to not do something. The Rufflet flew off to see what it was they they where not supposed to do to see a Dearling and a Leafeon as well a s muzzled Houndoom. He landed on another branch, just above the Houndoom and looked down at it. He didn't know why the Zebstrika had shouted for them not to take of its mask, but then again, if he had been that desperate not to have it removed, then maybe it was for the best. He opened his wings and flew over to the trees above the pokemon that seemed the less likely to attack him. "Maybe you shouldn't, he doesn't look very trustworthy..." He said with his wings a little out from being folded, in case he had to do a quick take off so he doesn't get attacked.

"...Why do you have it on in the first place?"

Hannibal had not been expecting such a reply or the sudden intrusion and accompanying warning of the zebstrika. He watched the equine struggling amongst the vines with a blank face, only a flicker of amusement present in his eyes at the creature’s current vulnerability. Subconsciously taking a step towards the group, Hannibal opened his mouth to answer the zebstrika when a ball of light in the deer’s direction came to his attention. Had he so chosen, he would’ve been able to dodge the leafeon’s attack, but he felt inclined to illustrate that like them, he was alive – albeit on the slightly psychopathic side.

"Go away!"

He met the leafeon’s glare with his own crimson eyes as the energy ball hit him directly in the chest. Emitting a hushed grunt in pain, he was launched backwards a distance, his slim legs giving way to send him crashing to the ground. The earth felt cool beneath him and he lay there for a moment, whilst gradually blocking out the burning on his now, singed chest. With a deep breath, he attempted to struggle back to his feet before deciding that a lying position was more appropriate – it was less threatening for the strangers and a rest was never a bad idea. Looking up to face them, he faked a smile before glancing down to his chest – the skull had charred and the area around it was light grey in colour.
“I don’t think I deserved that,” He finally commented, eyes fixated on the grass type. Maybe he’d sacrifice venison for the leafeon’s liver. He’d heard the bird’s comment earlier and now glanced into the trees to address the creature personally. It seemed older than he’d anticipated. “What reason have I given you to distrust me?” Hannibal added a tone of counterfeit shock to his words. “If anything, I am at your mercy,” His eyes returned to the remainder of the pokémon as he addressed nobody in particular. “I can hardly eat, I can’t attack – I’m weak.” This was true. Not only was he smaller than the average houndoom, but the weeks of living off mere morsels of food had triggered a dramatic weight loss in Hannibal. His internal ribs pressed against the skin between the external bones, and he was well aware that he’d be lucky to last another month or so.

Looking down at his paws, his mind raced at how to gain these creatures’s trust. They were the first survivors he’d encountered since his escape and there was no telling when he would cross paths with another – he couldn’t afford to lose them.
“My name is Hannibal,” Perhaps a name would make him more approachable. “Allow me to prove my worth – my loyalty... and maybe, we could reach some kind of agreement?” He was doubtful they would accept him but there was no harm in trying. Regardless of the answer, Hannibal would always walk in their shadows.

Sil watched the hound carefully as he gauged her question in his mind. Though it seemed the muzzle on his face prevented him from really attacking, there was something off, something terribly, terribly off... and each moment she looked at him, her chest and throat tightened in fear. He looked to her as a reaper, as a sign of death...

There was commotion from the grass dog, ad she suddenly threw an energy ball at the other hound, hitting him square in the chest with an energy ball. Though she wasn't opposed, per se, to that particular action, she was about to try and calm Etai down when more commotion came from behind her, from her thicket.

"Doe don't do it!" a voice called behind her. When she turned to look, it was the DAMN zebstrika again, fighting against the thorns and brambles of her thicket. "Don't do it, doll, it's not safe! Look, I know we got off on a bad start but please, trust me! Those things are used by humans to stop dangerous Pokemon, ones who attack without reason and try to hurt others. If he has one on I'm sure it's for a damn good reason!"

Sil was momentarily offended; he just came bursting out of her thicket to tell her the obvious?! Though she really didn't know what the muzzle was really FOR, she could have figured it out... WHATEVER. "What do you think I am, STUPID? I wouldn't ha-- and what are you doing in my thicket?!" she growled at him, stomping the ground herself.

Then, out of the high limbs of the thicket, there was a small rufflet, observing the scene safely above them all. Her eye twitched in irritation. Where were all of these pokemon coming from? No contact for months and suddenly, BAM. Everything uninfected within a ten mile radius had swarmed her and her small home, which was now probably DESTROYED thanks to the clumsy OX that was tangled in the nettles.

For a moment, she forgot that the creepy hound was there and he spoke, eyes analyzing Etai next to her. "I don't think I deserved that," his cool, unnervingly calm voice muttered as he continued to lay. "What reason have I given you to distrust me? If anything, I am at your mercy. I can hardly eat, I can’t attack-– I’m weak."

While Sil was doubtful of this statement, she couldn't help but notice the ribs and gaunt frame the hound held. His legs were skinnier than hers, and his hips protruded out of his normal shape, indicating that he probably wasn't eating very well... "My name is Hannibal," he continued, "Allow me to prove my worth – my loyalty... and maybe, we could reach some kind of agreement?"


Sil frowned at the lot that had formed around her thicket. She wouldn't mind Etai, nor the little rufflet, but she was stuck with the ass and she figured that the hound would keep after them even if she refused him... and for someone like that, she wanted to keep him in her sight for as long as she could...

"...Look, I'd rather not stay in the open like this... The Dead are probably following the blood scent you've kindly laid out," she grumbled toward Hannibal, her expression unsure of her decision. She glared behind her to the zebstrika, huffing a little. "As for you, I should kick you and everyone else whose name I don't know out of my thicket, but it looks like you and the rest of them are going to keep dogging my shadow... So I guess there's really no choice but to show you in..."

She backed away for Etai, but stared at Hannibal long and hard. Once they were somewhat alone -with the zebra fighting with the tangles- she motioned for him to enter as well. "...There's no point in leaving you out here when you'd do more harm than good. I don't trust you, Hannibal, and if I even think you're going to try to make a meal out of one of us, then you're going to need that muzzle to keep your jaw on your face. Understand?" She waited for him to enter, not wanting to expose her back to him.

At least the stupid zebstrika and Etai would be powerful enough to handle the hound were something to happen... She hadn't even really spoken to the rufflet, but she figured he would just fly away... like a smart bird. She sighed as she waited for the hound. 'What have I gotten myself into...?'

"What do you think I am, STUPID? I wouldn't ha-- and what are you doing in my thicket?!" Uh oh, Cassius looked guiltily back at the doe. "Uh...waiting for you? Hehe..." his nervous laughter trailed off as he saw her stare down the canine. She was definitely a spit fire, this one, and something about her really intrigued Cassius. She was the only one to ever dish out as much (or maybe even more) then she got from him and still hold her ground against a type disadvantage. Though with that muzzle she had a slight upper hand.

"I don't think I deserved that. What reason have I given you to distrust me? If anything, I am at your mercy. I can hardly eat, I can’t attack-– I’m weak." Phft. Yeah right. Cassius stomped his hoof in irritation at the shear idea that he was at their mercy, because as soon as that thing was off of his face they would be lunch. After all, he did just say he wasn't eating. And as for not being able to attack? "No way, there are a ton of moves that don't need your face, jerk." Ignored again.

"My name is Hannibal. Allow me to prove my worth – my loyalty... and maybe, we could reach some kind of agreement?" The doe better not buy this crap...hey what was she doing?! "...Look, I'd rather not stay in the open like this... The Dead are probably following the blood scent you've kindly laid out," Cassius chuckled. She was kind of funny when she was being all serious...Oh, oops. She was glaring at him again. "As for you, I should kick you and everyone else whose name I don't know out of my thicket, but it looks like you and the rest of them are going to keep dogging my shadow... So I guess there's really no choice but to show you in..."

She was heading towards him, still staring at the canine, but seemed to forget that was kind of, well, in the way. "...There's no point in leaving you out here when you'd do more harm than good. I don't trust you, Hannibal, and if I even think you're going to try to make a meal out of one of us, then you're going to need that muzzle to keep your jaw on your face. Understand?"

"Uh, first things first doll...I'm kinda...blocking the entrance?" Cassius reminded her nervously. "Look, um, I'm sure you have a plan and all, what with your obvious brilliance at letting the stupid mutt stay, but can I please have it on record that I think this is a VERY bad idea?" He pulled hard at the thorns snagged in his mane, finally breaking free of them and able to move his head.

"I'm..." he swallowed hard, "sorry...by the way. About before." Cassius was never one for apologizing, but if he wanted to stay he needed her to like him. Bring out the Cassius Casanova Charm! "I don't believe in all our shouting earlier today that we ever introduced ourselves, did we? The name's Cassius, my friends call me Cash. And you are?" No one ever resisted his charms before, and he was laying this one on pretty thick. He gave a beaming smile at the doe and hoped that this one would be no different.

((OOC: Long post is long...but not as long as SIL'S! ~ hehe))

Cloud wasn't saying anything as he waited and listened to there conversation, keeping to himself so he didn't say something that he would regret. He was glade though that the Deerling wasn't going to take that muzzle off the black dog, and it sounded like the Zebstrika and the Deerling. He started to chew on some of the leaves without realizing it and spat them out. He stuck his tongue out at the bad taste, since he wasn't keen on eating leaves, and he was bound to swallow if he had continued.

The Zebstrika started to play some kind of charm thing on the Deerling, and Cloud just rolled his eyes. He opened his wings and fluttered down to a lower branch, believing that they weren't going to harm him. "Since where on the verge of names, I'm Cloud." He had yet to completely trust them, and it would take him a few days before complete trust was established. "I'm also sorry for trespassing in your Thicket. I didn't know this area belonged to you." He said as he lowered his head. He outstretched his wings, ready to leave if the Deerling still wanted him to.

"No way, there are a ton of moves that don't need your face, jerk."

Hannibal caught the zebstrika’s comment and glared in the brute’s direction. He’d have to watch himself around that one. Then again, if the creature couldn’t wrestle out of mere foliage, he shouldn’t prove too much of a problem were things to turn ugly. With a final analysis of the male’s strength, Hannibal returned his attention to the feisty deer who was currently grumbling about how unwelcome each of the creatures gathered were; the zebra’s intrusion, what he presumed was the recent appearance of both the bird and leafeon and finally the blood still dribbling down the side of his face. The side of his mouth twitched slightly, amused at her concern over the undead. Hannibal had been fortunate enough to avoid most of the infected on his travels and on the rare occasion he did, he had no other choice but to run. Sure, some of them were fairly stubborn, but in the end they had proved no problem for the houndoom. As of yet, he had no fear of them and those who did only proved their weakness.

"...There's no point in leaving you out here when you'd do more harm than good. I don't trust you, Hannibal, and if I even think you're going to try to make a meal out of one of us, then you're going to need that muzzle to keep your jaw on your face. Understand?"

Hannibal was already up on his slender legs when the doe had re-addressed him and had begun to walk leisurely towards the group, his head raised and a newfound confidence sweeping over him.
“Perfectly,“ He purred when she’d stopped speaking, now within striking distance. However, he stopped a few paces from the deer when his eyes returned to the zebstrika who was still attempting to free himself from what he announced was the entrance. The male was certainly happy to voice his dislike – ‘stupid mutt’, ‘bad idea’; Hannibal tilted his head. He wondered if ripping the zebra’s face off would be enough to shut it up.

"I don't believe in all our shouting earlier today that we ever introduced ourselves, did we? The name's Cassius, my friends call me Cash. And you are?"

Hannibal snorted, his eyebrows raised at what he was hearing. He’d decided that he might play with ‘Cash’ before he killed him – just to see how far his arrogance spanned.
“Pathetic,” Hannibal muttered under his breath as he passed the two and focused on the gaping entrance that the zebstrika had provided. He stopped when the bird spoke up. Turning his slender head to face the creature, he smiled unpleasantly as the bird announced that his name was Cloud. Cloud probably tasted bad. He looked back to the thicket’s entrance before taking a deep sniff of the air just in case they had laid out some kind of ambush. Fortunately, the only scent that met the canine’s nostrils was that of the four beings standing behind him. With a smile concealed by his muzzle, Hannibal slipped through the thorny vines and into the doe’s home.