(ELITE) The SNOWPOINT Team

...
...
Cold.
....
....
It was always fucking cold.

The legs beneath him flexed out of reflex as Dante slowly came more and more out of the blanket of unconsciousness. As he slowly acknowledged that all of his limbs were in fact in working order, his eyes slowly opened to greet the world. There was not much but dusty blackness around him, however, so there wasn't much to look at. But as he realized his last memory was in the snow, his heart began to race. Where was he? How had he gotten here? Darting to his feet, happy that nothing seemed to be injured, his eyes struggled to adjust to the thick, inky dark. Dim moonlight slowly made itself aware, and finally, Dante could see.

It was the warehouse where they'd set up camp and attempted to defend against too many monsters, including Delia. His eyes closed at the memory; the last few days too much of a crimson blur to separate one massacre from another. How many people had died? How many injured? He staggered a moment as all his responsibilities came flooding back to him in a panic: Food, water, Strix's injuries, medical supplies, gotta plug the holes, are there infected nearby, was he infected, where was everyone, why-- No, wait, that one was right-- where the fuck IS everyone? He took a careful sniff, wary of the stink of death, but... there was nothing.

Blinking, his sudden solidarity sent his anxiety through the roof. Well, there had been plenty of pokemon not hours -hours, right? How long had he been out...?- ago, the fuck had happened to them all? Now, calm your tits back down, Dante, he admonished in a calm attempt to shake some of the panic that had quickly taken root in his mind. You're not totally alone... there's a scent now... just ahead of you. Whoever it is isn't infected and likely knows what the hell happened.

Taking a few steps forward, the dim light revealed another form, just as his nose informed him. By the bulk and the large spikes everywhere, it was easy to identify as Strix. A loud sigh of relief escaped him, a little louder than he'd expected. Though his eyes couldn't see the damage he knew was there, his nose told him there wasn't quite as much blood as he'd expected. Weird... Wasn't Strix on the verge of death? Not that he was complaining, but...

Whatever. He could find out later.

Placing a large paw on the nidoking, he gently shook the beast, not really wanting to startle him. "Strix? Strix, buddy, get up. How are you feeling?"

Hera…
Hera…
In the end, even his Hera turned against him. 
The one that he would have followed to the end.
In the end, he was alone. 

"And you know what your biggest problem is, hypocrite?"
The Nidoking stirred in his unconsciousness, the large bulk of a body shifting with a pained grunt, before falling back into the darkness.  

"She's dead, you know. Your precious Hera. Went right into the snow to die and left you here to rot. You're so pathetic even she couldn't stand to be around you yet you think you have the right to preach at me? Take a good look buddy. They all left you and you were just too stupid to notice."

Alone...I am alone...the beast mourned as he breathed with shallow, cold pain ripping through his chest. Blood dripped from his maw with a slow patter. Alone...

"Strix? Strix, buddy, get up. How are you feeling?" A sudden pressure on his side shook the behemoth out of his misery and sleep. A familiar voice was heard over the dull ringing filling his ears. A deep reverberation emanated from his throat, the rest of his body unwilling to function as his consciousness returned. 

Not alone...!

(i tried. ^^; next one will hopefully be better)

Dante clicked his tongue in slight irritation as Strix only managed a few moans and groans. Shit. He couldn't see the other's condition, but he guessed that it wasn't much improved since the last time he saw the poor guy. The hound turned, glancing at their surroundings once more. It was still eerily quiet, much to Dante's chagrin. The silence sent his hackles on edge. How was he supposed to  know what was out there if there wasn't any fucking noise?! Going back to Strix, he gently pushed the bleeding beast again with his paw.

"Come on... I need something -anything- from you, bud. I can't tell if you're ok." He glanced around further, nose and ears working double in a proving futile attempt. He couldn't believe that there was nothing coming after them. Not now, not when literally everyone else had simply disappeared-- now, when it would actually spell his and Strix's demise, he couldn't believe that there was nothing hunting them. Something had dogged his shadow for what seemed years now... How could there be nothing there? The Absol. The Glalie. The Mamoswine. The Typhlosion. The Abomasnow, with its horde of Sneasel. Delia. The faceless Houndoom. Ciara. Always, when one left, another arrived in its place, new and refreshed while they were always left struggling to simply catch their breath.

It wasn't peace and quiet that surrounded him now. It couldn't be.

"Peace and quiet" didn't exist anymore.

"Strix!" he snapped in a harsh whisper, his paranoia quickly bubbling to the surface. "Please, for the love of Legends, get your fat, bleeding ass up...!" He was trying to move the beast with his shoulders and head, pushing and almost rolling the other across the dirty floor. "Heavy... son of a... bitch...!"

"Strix!" The large canine snapped. "Please, for the love of Legends, get your fat, bleeding ass up...!" The Nidoking groaned as he felt himself sliding across the floor and slowly rolling over against the large spikes lining his spine. "Heavy... son of a... bitch...!" The canine sounded frantic, but the large biped could barely register any other emotion than what was swimming in his head. He began to snarl, the hounds' large horns digging into his side.
"Dammit!" He choked, his snarl cut off by the dry heaving in his chest.
Dry?...
Strix became hyper-aware of everything that had recently happened, and the agonizing pain in his chest that had paralyzed him. Sitting up slowly and still coughing, he gently took a small breath. Nothing. No sharp pain. After a final cough, he took a deep breath, his lungs expanding without protest.

"I can breathe." He sighed deeply, before looking to the other in the growing darkness. "Thanks."

(one day, I will be able to write well. But it is not this day.)

After what seemed an eternity, Strix finally responded, coughing and cursing between heavy breaths. Dante straightened, watching carefully, but it looked like the wave of relief he felt was justified. Strix seemed ok... at least, compared to how he looked the last time they spoke. "I can breathe." Strix sighed, seemingly pleased -of not slightly surprised- by his sudden not-dying-ness. "Thanks."

Dante gave a curt nod in reply, a genuine grin beginning to infect his expression. His tail began to wag without his notice or care; he was just so relieved to see Strix not about to choke on his own blood-vomit. "No problem, buddy. How are you feeling? You uh... you look pretty fantastic compared to the last time I saw you. I guess... Raiden found something? Alice, maybe?" Maybe that meant he knew where everyone was?

"No problem, buddy. How are you feeling? You uh... you look pretty fantastic compared to the last time I saw you. I guess... Raiden found something? Alice, maybe?" Dante responded, relief thick in his voice, but the Nidoking stiffened at his words, dread surging through him. Silence sank its' teeth deep into the conversation, a long pause following the hounds' words. 

Finally, the beast responded. 
"What? No. Raiden..." He trailed off, recalling the cruel hounds' attack. After a few moments of unsettling silence, he spoke. "Hera. Where's Hera." Strix said, his monotone voice flat and eerily calm. The darkness was spreading, and the other next to him couldn't be seen through the dark haze. "...Dante...." He whispered, his hard gaze boring into the darkness. "Where is she?..."

As they stood in the darkness, it became increasingly apparent that Dante's enthusiasm was his and his alone. Strix didn't respond for what felt an eternity, demolishing the other's fragile sense of optimism. What had happened? Dante leaned a little in a vain attempt to see Strix's expression, but the thick darkness kept the nidoking veiled. "Strix?" The word was quiet, worried and teetering on the wary.

"What? No. Raiden..." Strix's voice trailed, as if he wanted to avoid the rest of that sentence at all costs. The mention of the manectric caused Dante to glance around more, searching for a hint of him. Where could've that asshole gone? Surely... Surely he didn't just abandon Strix here for dead. As thoughts of tearing the electric hound a new one distracted Dante, Strix's almost hollow voice brought him back to the elephant in the room. "Hera. Where's Hera." Dante's eyes widened, his mind going blank. At first, his mouth floundered for words. What would he say? What could he say? "...Dante...." He whispered, his hard gaze boring into the darkness. "Where is she?..."

His eyes flicked downward, away from Strix's expression. He didn't have to tell Strix the whole truth-- not that he'd fucking stepped on her in the snow. No... He'd have to say what happened in almost this exaxt spot. How he'd just... let her walk out. He cleared his throat, already feeling something threaten to clamp it. "...She left," was the simple reply, followed by a deep sigh. "She wanted to go. I tried to stop her, but... she left." He looked back up at Strix, mouth set in a sturdy frown. "It was either chasing her or getting you help. I chose you."

((STRIXXDANTEFOREVERWUT))

Strix' heart sank as he listened to the hound. So it was true- that bastard Manectric wasn't lying. The Nidoking could feel his heart shattering.
"No..." He whispered shakily. Memories of holding her tight resurfaced, her slender form and her warm fur against his hard hide. She was shaking and terrified and manic, and he begged her to just stop. He hated seeing her in such a state, but he was the only one that could get her back. He remembered that single beautiful eye and that warm but timid smile, behind it hiding multitudes more than anything he had seen before. And now, he would never see it again.

"How?..." He hissed after a long silence. "How could you choose me over her?!" He snarled, clenching his fists as he lowered his head. "How could you let her go out there to die?!" He mourned, silent tears crawling down his blood-stained maw. "She was one of us! I was hurt too much, and she wasn't! What was the point in saving me when you all coulda' just left! Why didn't you just let me go!" A knot in his throat forced him to stop, his voice cracking.

"Why didn't you just let me go..."

(the shipping is strong with this one)

"No..." Dante's gaze narrowed as it shot away from Strix. All that pain, all that betrayal... He couldn't watch it. He couldn't bear to watch his only friend in the world's heart break right in front of him. He only looked up after a long moment, when Strix seemed to be distant from their conversation, seeped in memories and realization. He knew now, she was dead. There was no need to try and find her body now-- they both knew that her departure from the group meant death. No "if"s, "and"s or "but"s.

She was gone.

And it was good, at least, that Strix only knew that out of probability... and not the way Dante knew.

"How?..." Strix's voice was now a shaking, angry hiss. "How could you choose me over her?!" Dante stood his ground against the beast, even when the other clenched his fists in unbridled fury and lowered his head, as if preparing to charge. "How could you let her go out there to die?! She was one of us! I was hurt too much, and she wasn't! What was the point in saving me when you all coulda' just left! Why didn't you just let me go!" Strix's voice gave, cutting him off in a pathetic whimper.

"Why didn't you just let me go..."

"Didn't you listen?" Dante growled, his voice soft but stern and hurt. "I tried. I tried getting her to stay, but she just left. She LEFT, Strix. Meaning I couldn't keep her here!" His words rose from their quiet rage to a desperate, snapping bark, his anger and frustration winning out over the grief and guilt he felt for his friend. "Besides, why should I have wasted my time trying to keep her in the group when you, the only guy that I can depend on is bleeding his fucking guts all over the floor?! You saved me from Delia, Strix, just FUCKING yesterday! I couldn't just let you die!"

He walked away a few paces, circling around as he let out a humorless laugh-- a bitter, hopeless sound. He felt something inside his chest snap and shrivel; he was unsure as to what, but felt lighter without it. He probably didn't need it anyway... "What would be the point of wasting my time on a traitor anyway, Strix? Can't you fucking GET IT?! She abandoned us. She got you hurt, right? She nearly got you KILLED! And when I told her she needed to  square that away with you first, she refused. And then, she left! The fucking coward left us. And you know what? Fuck it. I'm glad. Now, maybe you can get your head out of your ass and back in the real fucking world!" With the last sentence, he whirled back on Strix, fangs bared in an angry snarl. He was done. Done with this whole thing, done with his friend being tortured by a ghost that did it to herself anyway, and done with being so fucking miserable.

He.
Was.
DONE.

(i'm sorry sil, im just stuck right now. i need time to adjust again to this character. just say that he got pissed and tackled Dante. He's not white-out enraged, he's just mourning and out to blame it on someone kind of angry.
I'll catch up next round hopefully)

Trotting side by side through the icy tundra, a pair of felines moved in sync with each other. The larger of the two blended to almost invisibility within the snow, his spotted tan pelt melding with the landscape effortlessly, massive paws creating no sound as they glided effortlessly over the top layer of ice. His companion stood out like blood on the white. Stick thin limbs, dainty paws sinking into the snow, she struggled to keep pace with her companion. "So you're sure that these friends of your's are out here? These parts aren't exactly hospitable," the thick pelted Persian added dryly, glancing at the Espeon. She responded with a nod. "They will for sure be here... There is no where else they would be." He hesitated before murmuring agreement. But suddenly before them loomed a large building, one he had seen once or twice in his daily rounds, but had otherwise avoided. Dang thing gave him the creeps. Without warning the Espeon came to a stop, her golden eyes turning to his. "They'd be in there, finding shelter from the storms." The Persian blinked in surprise. The thing didn't exactly look reliable. Cracks and splintered wood kept him uneasy. A nasty splinter in his paws would spell disaster in the harsh landscape. "You're sure?" he asked uneasily, flicking one tall ear.

The Espeon nodded. "Yes. But this is what I warned you about; I can't come with you from here on." There was regret in her eyes but Koru met her gaze with a slow nod. "You still don't have to explain. I will do my best to help them." She smiled softly in return but trembled as she slowly turned away on unsteady paws. "Thank you Koru... May Lugia light your path." As the Espeon limped away he dipped his head in respect. "Safe travels, my friend." He watched with a clear sapphire gaze as the nameless stranger vanished like a ghost in the dying light. She had found him that morning, freezing and desperate, saying that he needed to help her former pack. At first Koru had hesitated. How could Pokemon not made for the blizzards survive so long? But she had insisted, only when he agreed to help would she accept food and shelter. His own personal cave was not far off, but the more time he spent with her, it became clearer that she cared greatly about these Pokemon. Though she never told him her name or who she was looking for, Koru was positive that he could help them in some way. Even if just an extra pair of paws to hunt for food.

Eyeing the building, the normal type steeled his resolve. What kind of Pokemon would he be if he didn't look after his fellow 'mons anyway? Trotting forward, closer to the towering walls, it seemed that there had to be a way in but he sure couldn't see one. Pressing one large, padded paw against it, the structure felt frozen but powerful. No wonder they had sought shelter there, obviously it could hold up well in the blizzards. Turning away, the lynx kept his ears perked up in case he could hear anything from the inside as he trotted around the corner of the building. What he was met with was a massive gaping hole in the back of the building, snow and ice formed around the splintered edges of the wood and covering the inside floor. "Holy smokes... What could have caused this?" Eyes wide, the Persian took in a deep breathe of air. Nothing. The place was clean, whatever had done the damage was no longer there. Moving forward slowly, Koru was careful not to cut his paws as he slipped into the depths of the warehouse.

There were some kind of small bodies frozen beneath the ice in clumps, he realised upon closer examination. Stopping by one mound, he could only see a dark violet and red. His stomach churned at the thought of what horrendous massacres happened there, but he kept his food down by looking away. And his eyes met a small brown and tan creature, hopping slowly through the deeper part of the hallway, half hidden behind another chunk of ice. Instantly dropping to a crouch, experience from years of hunting came to him without a second thought as he slowly glided forward on silent paws. The Buneary was one of his favourite prey, he was truly blessed to be living in a place where they are so abundant. Keeping his haunches down low, the Persian froze for only a heart beat before springing. His forepaws slammed into the normal type, the rodent's cry of alarm cut off by a swift bite to the neck. Silently Koru thanked the Legends for his meal before picking it up and slowly continuing his walk inside.

At one point he took a moment to stash the Buneary for later, hiding the body behind a stack of boxes, before reaching a less freezing part of the building. Long since entering a dark, shadowed space, the cat's heart beat loudly in his chest. He didn't like being in a place so foreign to him, it wasn't wide open and safe like the outside, and everything was too dark. "Hello? Anyone in here?" Koru called bravely into the dark. When receiving no response, he trotted forward, only to round a corner and find two massive Pokemon sitting alone. His eyes widened in shock. Jeeze, they two were massive Pokemon! A skeletal dog and a giant spiked beast. Giving a friendly smile, Koru dipped his head respectfully. "Wow, I was beginning to wonder if anything was even in here. Do you fellas need any help?"

[ ooc: Sorry for length, got carried away. Lol And he's oblivious to the tension between them. xD ]

Of course. Of course he'd had the terrible luck to be stuck in a place with nothing but blizzards.

The Umbreon knew exactly how useless his thin pelt had been against the freezing temperatures-he was still shivering violently. Even though he'd found this warehouse and was no longer exposed to the elements, Waylon's situation hadn't improved. It was still cold as hell, and the place was bare, not exactly a long-term solution. Eventually he would have to face the outside again, and the thought was not appealing.
At least the building was quiet. He needed that-cleared his head, allowed him to start thinking of what to do next. Without the constant noise and sounds, Waylon felt the tension and paranoia ebbing away. This warehouse was peaceful, a sort of temporary haven. Far better than the roar of the blizzards.

It made sense that when he actually started thinking of the place as safe, something would happen to convince him it was anything but. That was just his luck, wasn't it?
There were voices: distant, saying things Waylon didn't care about. All that stuck in his mind was the fact he wasn't alone. Immediately the old reaction kicked in; the Umbreon had always avoided other Pokemon throughout the past few years, and the last time he'd heard a voice...
I am not thinking about that, not now, do not think about it.
Still, he could feel his chest constrict, making it hard to breathe properly. That had always happened before, it wasn't something Waylon could control. His instincts screamed at him to get the hell out of there, run out into the snow-covered landscape and never look back. Yeah, sure, if he felt like freezing to death; Waylon knew leaving this warehouse would be immensely stupid. His mind still rebelled, insisting that staying was a far worse decision. It was irrational, being so damn afraid of words, yet he couldn't just magically get rid of the fear. That was the worst part-being afraid of someone who was probably long dead.

The Umbreon began to move through the warehouse, making sure to stay both quiet and unseen. That last part shouldn't have been too difficult, with how dark the place was, but having white fur and light blue rings didn't exactly help with stealth. He knew exactly where to go to get out, but there was still the problem of freezing to death outside. Maybe he could just wait until whoever had spoken before left, if they left. Real positive thinking there, Waylon. 

"Hello? Anyone in here?"

Exactly what he needed, another Pokemon wandering around in this warehouse, as if his paranoia wasn't bad enough. Whoever said that had to have guts, though, openly calling out into a dark building filled with who knew what (and himself). He wondered what the newcomer was-maybe one of those Dragon-types that thought they were stronger than anything. Waylon had met plenty of those long ago; they were far from pleasant company. 

...or maybe the new Pokemon was a spotted cat.

Waylon had made the choice to see who or what that last voice had belonged to, and it really was a spotted cat, nothing the Umbreon was familiar with. The feline wasn't looking at him, he actually had his back turned to the Dark-type. Obviously Waylon had gone unnoticed, because the cat began talking to someone else, and they were-

They were-

It was...a Houndoom. Waylon could recognize one anywhere; this one was different, though. It was covered in bones, because whatever sadistic deity controlled his fate decided it needed to add to the nightmare. The Umbreon could feel himself back up, hitting the wall of the warehouse and not feeling any sort of pain, no reaction, nothing at all. He felt a sort of detachment, as if all that terror and pain he'd suffered through those years was coming back full force, overwhelming any sort of rational response. Waylon should have run then, and stopped caring about cold or whatever else had kept him from fleeing the first time. The Umbreon remained rooted to the spot. 

Calm down-calm down. That's not him. He didn't have blue eyes, or those bones. Calm. Down.

He knew that was right. There was no way that Houndoom could be the one he feared-that one was dead, he had to be dead. But no matter how rational the explanation was, Waylon's fear didn't vanish. He could still hardly breathe. The Umbreon didn't move away from the shadows, instead merely watching the three new Pokemon. His instinct to run was still in full force-maybe it was about time he heeded it.

(OoC: yay, first post! ;; it might not be too great, but-hey, it's something!
Also: Vince, Waylon ended up taking the same corner Koru did (couldn't think up anything else lol) but he's not next to him or anything. If you want Kory to realize he's there, hiding in the dark and completely freaked out, I'm fine with that~ Or I'll just wait until next round to properly introduce him.)

Dante's lip curled in anger to Strix's response: an all-out tackle. Bracing himself for a hard hit, he met the nidoking's rush with much more ease than their first scrap against each other-- this time, Strix was the one on the weak end. Keeping his own against the hard hit, Dante quickly caught the nidoking's armor against his horns and, with the momentum still working for him, threw Strix over his head and back onto the ground with a loud angry grunt. He went to Strix's side quickly, making sure he hadn't done any more damage to the beast than was needed. But when he turned, he froze in his place; it turned out they weren't as alone as he'd thought... and the company wasn't who he was looking forward to finding.

In all the commotion and yelling, he hadn't heard the fluffy cat before him say anything at all. Taking a stance between the newcomer (Newcomers? Was that another one he could smell, or just one of the others' scents lingering?) and Strix on pure instinct, forgetting that he and the nidoking were in the middle of a fight, he looked the fluffy thing over as he took in a long, cautious smell from his safe distance. It was a Persian from the smell of him, even if he hadn't seen a Persian look like that before, and... another pokemon, lurking in the dark. His lip curled slightly once more; he wasn't thrilled about strangers at the moment, when his apparently only friend and companion and he were in a sort of falling out... and had little way in defending themselves.

Finding he was panting slightly from the rush of adrenaline that came with fighting your best friend, Dante swallowed and stared the stranger down. "What?" he growled, keeping his spot in front of the downed Strix. "This ain't no peep show, asshole; what do you and your plus one want? There's no food, no water, no supplies and the warehouse's integrity's compromised. So get the hell out of here-- both of you. You have no business here."

With a loud thud, the behemoth hit the ground.  Strix lay there as his breath came in long heaves, hissing through his teeth. Tears streamed from his eyes as the hounds' words sunk in and bit down hard into his heart. 
Abandoned. 
Traitor. 
Each word was a serrated dagger, playing back and forth in his chest like a damned violin bow.
No, not Hera. She wasn't any of those things. She couldn't be. It tore at him like nothing else could- the guilt, the worry, the dread, the pain. All of it all at once. He knew the truth to be nothing more than a bloody, crazed fever nightmare. That's all it had to be...right?

But even after Dante negated his attack, the hound ran to his side, worry in his gaze. Great. Even bested, how much more guilt can be thrown at him? 
He fucking feels bad that he threw me. He's worried that I'm hurt.

What a fucking ass.

But before he could get up to strangle the mutt, an alien voice made his large ears perk in surprise. His breathing stilled as he shifted, propping himself up on one arm as the canine stood in front of him. There stood a strange feline, husky and spotted. With a grunt he got to his feet as Dante barked out threats to at least more than just the spotted lynx. 
Strangers. No Hera among them. None of the others among them. 
Just Dante. 
Just Dante, yapping out orders like he was the king of the world.
With a roll of his eyes and a bloodied grimace, the Nidoking slammed his fist into the canines' jaw. 
A heavy snort escaped his nostrils as he glared at the canine, before words were finally spoken.
"...Ain't nobody gettin' left out in the ice." Strix snarled through his teeth, his aching body pulling itself to its' feet. 
"Not nobody."

(ok, took some liberties cuz I have a warning and it's too late to pm. Let me know if I need to change it Sil dear. Sorry for the wait, had no idea until just this morning that it was my turn)

The large canine was panting as he turned to glare at Koru. The Persian noticed the way the behemoth behind him laid sprawled out for the first time, crystal eyes flickering from the Nidoking and back to the Houndusk, still smiling despite the hostility pointed at him. "What?" was what the dual type growled finally, holding his ground in front of his... 'friend'? Koru blinked, not given enough time to respond before the Houndusk continued, "This ain't no peep show, asshole; what do you and your plus one want? There's no food, no water, no supplies and the warehouse's integrity's compromised. So get the hell out of here-- both of you. You have no business here." At the curses, the lynx recoiled, flattening his ears in a defensive way as his eyes crinkled near in disgust. "I was passing through," Koru muttered, flicking his right ear. "But I am not looking for help, I was offering it. I live nearby, I don't even like buildings." Pausing to glance around uneasily, the Persian glanced behind him and caught sight of white fur; Guess that is the 'plus one'?

Looking back to the Houndusk, he turned away. The look on his face was not fear or anger, but disappointment. He knew the area. Those two fools were clearly freezing and starving to death. But he couldn't help someone who didn't want it. "I know the land, how to hunt and better shelter than this. If you change your mind...head for the hills between here and the town. Farewell." Behind him was more sounds of a scuffle, but the Persian did not bother turning around. The Houndusk made his views very clear, but he would not end up helping no one if he could help it. Trotting further into the hall, Koru spotted the scrawny white vulpine crouched and shaking. Giving a gentle smile to the Umbreon, Koru could not help and wonder if it were the rough pair in the back or the timid Umbreon whom had been the Espeon's friends, the ones he had come to help. Either way, he could only do one thing at a time.

Coming to a stop a yard from the Eeveelution, Koru flicked his ears forward in a friendly gesture. "Hey buddy. You lost? Haven't seen you around here..sure is cold, and you sure don't have the fur for it," he added the last part soft with sympathy. He knew the ice and blizzards were too harsh for most creatures, he was the special one in the equation, so it was his duty to help out. Twitching his whiskers, the cat glanced behind the Umbreon and down the hall. "Hey, you eaten lately? Got lucky and caught a nice rabbit on the way in here. We can share it if you're up for it. Sure look like you could use some meat on you bones." Dipping his head respectfully to the stranger, he added, "The name's Koru by the way."

Waylon's tail flicked nervously as the Houndoom mentioned him-plus one, no, not exactly. He was slowly regaining the ability to breathe normally, focusing on everything but the canine. Doing so brought back the sharp bite of the cold and the feeling of his legs growing numb, but better that than passing out from fear. The spotted cat kept talking, looking back as he did so; the Umbreon didn't try to back away or better conceal himself. What would be the point? They all knew he was there.

Judging from the look on the cat's face, he hadn't taken too well to the Houndoom's harsh words. Sorry, kid. Waylon himself didn't think much of what had been said; he'd heard far worse. If the hound wanted them gone, fine, he didn't care. The Umbreon would've turned and walked away, back to his own corner of the freezing warehouse, but the feline had decided to walk towards him. Waylon tensed, watching the stranger's approach, not relaxing even when the guy stopped at a reasonable distance.

"Hey buddy. You lost? Haven't seen you around here..sure is cold, and you sure don't have the fur for it," the cat said with undisguised sympathy. Waylon didn't respond immediately, trying to discern his intentions. That remark about his pelt...Yeah, thanks for pointing it out. The Umbreon didn't need someone to tell him something so painfully obvious.
"Cold", however, was an understatement. He was fully aware of how much he was shivering, how utterly pathetic he must look. Small. Starved. Weak. The thought made his reply die in his throat, but the cat continued talking.

"Hey, you eaten lately? Got lucky and caught a nice rabbit on the way in here. We can share it if you're up for it. Sure look like you could use some meat on you bones. The name's Koru by the way."

This Koru was nice, much too nice. Waylon looked back at him silently as he dipped his head, unsure of how to react or what to say. The spotted cat was friendly, and seemed genuine, yet Waylon couldn't help but feel a growing unease. How could he fully trust someone he'd just met? As much as the Umbreon wanted to believe this stranger had good intentions, caution was what had brought him this far.
The offer of food, though...that was the real temptation. Finding substance wasn't exactly simple in a frozen wasteland, which only made Waylon's resolve waver. Damn this place to hell, why couldn't he have ended up somewhere else? The warehouse was both crowded and bare at the same time-anywhere else would have been better. Somewhere quiet.

Such thoughts couldn't just make his problems vanish, though. The Umbreon steeled whatever little resolve he had left, knowing how long it had been since he'd actually spoken to someone in a real, non-delusional conversation. This was not going to be enjoyable.
"Waylon," he said to Koru, hoping the cat would understand he was introducing himself. He was looking everywhere but at Koru, ears beginning to twitch from the nerves.  "I'm fine. Don't need any help."

Well, there it was, the obvious lie. Two short sentences said in rapid succession-he wanted this conversation done quick-yet still so quiet the Umbreon was almost convinced he had not actually spoken aloud. Waylon could've laughed at his own words: fine, as if that was possible. But instead of admitting he was not okay, Waylon met Koru's gaze, stubbornly refusing to go back on his words.

The weird fluffy Persian obviously took offense to Dante's harsh words, but at this point, the hound really couldn't give less of a rose-covered shit. The stranger scrunched his face up in disdain. "I was passing through," the Persian grumbled as he flicked his ear. "But I am not looking for help, I was offering it. I live nearby, I don't even like buildings." Dante's frown deepened. If he was took good for buildings, then why would he stroll right into one? Something didn't smell right. "I know the land, how to hunt and better shelter than this. If you change your mind...head for the hills between here and the town. Farewell."

As he watched the fluffy Persian leave, his attention was too much on the cat's receding form to notice Strix getting back up behind him. If he had such a great shelter -he hated buildings- there was literally NO reason for the weird Persian to come... unless... Did someone direct him here? Maybe Alice or someone else managed to find help? Hell, maybe he'd seen one of th--

A powerful punch to his jaw broke all concentration as Dante was sent straight to the cold-ass floor. Dazed, he shook his head and quickly got back to his feet, glaring at Strix, who seemed just as pissed. He was still lying on the floor, but apparently he was feeling well enough to punch the shit out of his goddamned face. "The fuck, Strix?" Dante snapped, spitting out a small bit of blood. They glowered at each other, the nidoking releasing a snort before speaking.


"...Ain't nobody gettin' left out in the ice." he growled dangerously, pulling himself to his feet and full height. "Not nobody."

Dante scoffed as he relaxed his body a bit, allowing some of his guard to drop. "Are you kidding me?" he growled, his tone equally as low and defiant. "You think we can open our doors to any fucking thing that just waltzes right in? We don't know what happened to anyone, Strix, even us. And you want to just-- you can barely fucking stand Strix!" He paced a small section of the room, panic beginning to rise. Why would someone just come in and offer what was essentially fucking Paradise? How did he even know they were there? It felt like a trap. Like a setup. But then again... everything did.

Dante shook his head. "Look, he already said that he was fucking fine on his own. Got himself a little resort on the goddamn beach and everything. You want to go and chase him down, Strix, be my fucking guest. You're obviously well enough to run him down, why not just fucking skip along after him? I mean, all he wants to fuckin' do is help, right?" he snapped, a hysterical chuckle following it.

"I mean, that's not suspicious at all, right?" he continued, his voice teetering more and more precariously on insane. "We wake up alone, you're somehow not dead, everyone's gone and then this guy-- this fuckin' guy just waltzes up to us offering everything we've been literally DYING for since we fuckin' MET. That's not WEIRD or ALARMING at all, yeah? NOTHING FUCKING WEIRD ABOUT THAT, HUH STRIX?!" He drew closer, breaking from his set path of pacing to face the nidoking's stoic form more closely. They were so tired and frayed, but they'd always trekked along. And here they were once again, stuck alone in the fucking cold. But Strix and he had always done the right thing to ensure everyone's survival... everyone they could help. They'd tried being the orphanage. They'd tried being the pack. They'd tried being a family. But every single time they tried ANYTHING, people ended up dead. And now, they were back to square one, and Strix was there, barely able to talk trying to save another little kitten in the snow. As if it was the only thing they could do.

"Why... can't you understand that we can't risk it, Strix?" Dante struggled, attempting in vain to keep his voice level and against cracking. "We don't know him. How did he know we were here? It doesn't... It doesn't make any sense. And I'm not gonna gamble your life like that, Strix." He looked long and hard into the other's bloodied face, bruised jaw set. "I'm not."

[[I rearranged the order of the last couple of posts just so it flowed a little better; I hope that's ok. Dante's just about checked into the loony bin, but he's hanging in there. I'm thinking though, that the warehouse could just collapse right around where they are, forcing them out, if that's ok. Doesn't have to be the whole thing, just maybe most of the roof. C:]]

"Are you kidding me?" the hound growled, his tone equally as low and defiant. "You think we can open our doors to any fucking thing that just waltzes right in? We don't know what happened to anyone, Strix, even us. And you want to just-- you can barely fucking stand Strix!"

The Nidokings' glower flickered for a moment, confusion clouding his resolve. What had happened? Was everything just a nightmare? Was it real, and his Hera really dead? Were the others dead? Why wasn't he choking on his own blood? It all had to be made sense of somehow, but for the moment, he was coming up with nothing, and that only made him angry.

But before he could put in a word of his own, Dante began pacing, panic ringing clear in his voice. "Look, he already said that he was fucking fine on his own. Got himself a little resort on the goddamn beach and everything. You want to go and chase him down, Strix, be my fucking guest. You're obviously well enough to run him down, why not just fucking skip along after him? I mean, all he wants to fuckin' do is help, right?"

Strix ground his teeth together, staring hard at the canine. He was losing it.
The hell. Strix thought. We get caught a break, and this is how he reacts?!

"I mean, that's not suspicious at all, right?" he continued, his voice teetering more and more precariously on insane. "We wake up alone, you're somehow not dead, everyone's gone and then this guy-- this fuckin' guy just waltzes up to us offering everything we've been literally DYING for since we fuckin' MET. That's not WEIRD or ALARMING at all, yeah? NOTHING FUCKING WEIRD ABOUT THAT, HUH STRIX?!"

"Ohhh, maybe I will then!" He finally snapped, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Helluva better way than sticking around with a fang zong feng kuang de jie like YOU!" He snarled, falling into his older dialect. Dante's words stung, and just kept on and on. He was tired of it.

"Why... can't you understand that we can't risk it, Strix?" Dante said, his voice straining. "We don't know him. How did he know we were here? It doesn't... It doesn't make any sense. And I'm not gonna gamble your life like that, Strix." He looked long and hard into the other's bloodied face, bruised jaw set. "I'm not."

Strix sighed, his voice softening in fatigue. "It ain't about us, Dante. When are you gonna figure that out. Worlds' gotten to be too hard as it is; ain't no point in-" The Nidoking paused, his large ears perking as his face shot up to the roof.

CRRRRRREEEEAK! BOOM!

"MOVE!" He shouted, shoving the hound towards the wall as he toppled over with him. With a booming crash, the roof caved underneath the weight of the snow. An avalanche of white fell into the warehouse, littered with lethal shards of metal. The Nidoking sat with mouth agape as he stared at the debris, his gaze moving to the canine in stunned silence.

(lol he called him a knot of self indulgent lunacy)

The Umbreon stared anywhere but at him, but Koru met smiled anyway. There was a coldness to them, a hardness, but he could see in the Umbreon's flickering gaze that he was unsure. He did give a name, though. "Waylon." The Persian nodded in response. But the next line did not get past him. "I'm fine. Don't need any help." Waylon was trying to get him to leave, that was clear as day, but the lynx could tell what he had offered truly got to the Umbreon. His crystal blue eyes grew softer, and Koru turned away casually. "Okay, Waylon. I wish you luck then! If you need shelter, though, head towards the lake foot away from town. Though, oh man, I'm not hungry. Looks like that Buneary will go to waste." Koru winked over his shoulder and started to walk away, when a sound made him stop in his tracks.

CRRRRRREEEEAK! Oh no. BOOM!

Without warning, suddenly the building was giving way. Koru's eyes flashed wide open in an instant, darting in front of the Umbreon in case the wave of snow came close. "Back the way I came! There's a passage out! Quick, before we're buried here!" But while spurring the Umbreon to safety, Koru had no intention of leaving the grumpy pair behind. The flurry of snow was a thick, blinding wall as the Persian flattened his ears against the sudden onslaught of wind and ice biting his nose and eyes. "You fellas alright?!" he called out over the howling blizzard pummeling them. He could only pray they had not been buried, they would be hard enough to dig out if they weren't the size of trucks.

(Permission given for Koru to see through Waylon's lies)

"Okay, Waylon. I wish you luck then! If you need shelter, though, head towards the lake foot away from town. Though, oh man, I'm not hungry. Looks like that Buneary will go to waste."

Okay, so maybe his social capabilities had eroded over the years. Koru's less-than subtle wink and his statement about the Buneary...well, it made him feel transparent, and more aware of his slow starvation than before. The more Waylon thought about just getting something to eat, right here and right now, the worse it got. Perhaps it would be best if he grabbed the Buneary and left, leaving all the Pokemon here behind. It would be good for everyone. Waylon didn't want to hang around with an unhinged Houndoom anyways, so why did he hesitate? These aren't the first Pokemon you've seen. Just go. All of this unneeded doubt and stress was making him feel sick.

That was when his ears twitched. Had he heard something, or was his mind playing tricks? It sounded strange, not something he could specifically pinpoint or identify. Waylon looked around apprehensively, unsure of how to react.

CRRRRRREEEEAK! What the hel- BOOM!

The warehouse roof caved in; the snow finally found its way in, descending as a miniature avalanche onto the floor below. For a second, Waylon felt immense relief that the snow hadn't buried him. His flight instinct kicked back in full force, which didn't combine off well with how fast and painful his heartbeat was going. He was used to such sensations, though, and could handle both.
Had the roof caving in really been that shocking?

"Back the way I came! There's a passage out! Quick, before we're buried here!" Koru said to him urgently. Waylon, whose cold-induced trembling had worsened, had no qualms about getting away from the blizzard sweeping into the building. He started heading back from where Koru and himself had come from, before realizing the feline hadn't followed. Is that a good thing or not...? The guy had obviously gone back for the other two, and Waylon was once again at an impasse.

He hated this internal conflict. Go or not go, stay with other Pokemon, it was unnecessary. Staying away was what he did...but he'd never really spoken or interacted at all with groups before now. That made the decision worse. Waylon didn't go after Koru, but neither did he run off. The cold was tearing at his ragged pelt once more, seeping into his already-numbing muscles. Escape from such conditions, that was what he needed, and soon.

(OoC: Sorry for terrible quality. I'm really tired and not at my best currently.)

After the cussing and the strange weirdo-babble, Dante was glad to see Strix's anger calming a little, even if he couldn't control his own."It ain't about us, Dante. When are you gonna figure that out. Worlds' gotten to be too hard as it is; ain't no point in-" The Nidoking paused, causing Dante's eyes to glance upward, when he felt his stomach plop right to the ground.

CRRRRRREEEEAK! BOOM!

"MOVE!" Strix bellowed, flinging both himself and Dante to the far wall, earning a heavy grunt out of the canine. There were no complaints from Dante, however, since right were they'd been standing was now a large useless pile of snow and debris. Dante pulled himself to his feet to only be able to stare at it, wide-eyed, disbelief pulling at his sanity. This warehouse, this fucking shitty warehouse had been the only place they'd had. People had died here. People were fucking buried here and...


...and...

Soft pads announced the fluffy Persian's hasty arrival, but Dante didn't even look. Not when the howling blizzard that had once more started up was laughing at him, mocking him, tossing everything he and his pack had ever worked for right back in his fucking face. Icy eyes stared out at the quickly growing pile of failure, his entire frame frigid with a cascade of clashing emotions. "You fellas alright?!" the Persian called. A very typical, normal thing to ask, especially considering the ceiling was now laying in a pile in front of them.

Dante's reaction, however, was decidedly not normal.

"FUCK! FUUUUUUUCK! GOD-FUCKING-DAMMIT ALL TO FUCKING HELL!" He blasted a Flamethrower at the pile, its power reduced due to the heavy winds, but he didn't give a shit. He didn't care that the snow that melted turned to ice in mere seconds after he burned it. It didn't matter. Nothing fucking mattered. He continued howling "fuck" into the winds, his voice quickly growing hoarse as the blizzard clearly had the advantage. "FUUUUUUUUCK! FUUUUUUUUUCK! FUCK YOU, FUCKING BLIZZARD! FUCK ALL OF THIS TO HELL!" When his voice quickly gave out, he began burning the pile and the snow around him exclusively, needing to destroy something, needing to retaliate to whatever bastard had taken his last ounce of sanity.

He had lost so much. So many people. All he had now was Strix, who was nearly dead, and this warehouse, where nearly half his pack had been obliterated. Any last speck of shelter, water, food or medicine was gone. Covered in a blanket of thick snow already, forgotten to the world. All that work. All that pain and suffering... all for it to come crumbling down by too much goddamned snow.

Fucking.

Goddamn.

Snow.

(geez skip me. i still have no idea what to post, other than just having strix watching dante and letting him vent. sorry im such a fail)

As the snow continued to roar around him, buffeting the lynx's fur, Koru stared through the blizzard, desperately trying to find the forms of the two massive Pokemon. But what he found, instead, was loud howling curses. "FUUUUUUUCK!" Koru flinched from the sudden outburst, flattening his ears against his head as slowly he was able to make out the Houndusk. Bright red flames were suddenly exploding from the canine's maw as he whipped around to burn everything around him. The Persian lifted one paw hesitantly, unsure of hos to proceed. There was no interrupting the canine as he screamed curses to the world and snow around him. It was all too clear that his flames were not even being used in a specific way, instead just having a breakdown. This guy might be more than I want to stick my whiskers in, Koru thought with unease in his eyes.

The blizzard lowered his visibility, but if he could see through the ice, the cat would have realised that the Nidoking had vanished, as if, in thin air. As it was, the Persian left the Houndoom evolution to his own devices, turning around and trotting back towards Waylon. To his surprise, the white Umbreon had not done what he said, instead the scarred vulpine was standing right where he was before. "Look, it's clearly not safe here anymore. The entire place is unstable," Koru panted. The thick fur along his back stood up from the force of the winds even then, reaching straight through the warehouse and digging it's cold fingertips into every crevice. "You'll freeze to death if you sleep here- do you have somewhere else to hole up?" There was true concern in his blue eyes. "I don't know about the guys back there, but if you want my help.. you can still have it."

Waylon can hear the Houndoom's frenzied yelling from the hallway, the sounds piercing his ears. He had gone off the deep end, truly, and Waylon wasn't going to stick around when the hound decided to attack the rest of them. His fear of the canine had proven itself to be rational after all, and he wasn't sure what to feel about that.

"Time to go," Waylon muttered under his breath, relieved that he no longer had to be paralyzed by indecision. Back to normal. Back to the usual running and hiding. Of course, the moment he had settled on that was when Koru had returned, no doubt just as unwilling to stick around the Houndoom as Waylon was. The cold and winds started to pick up even worse than before, and Waylon knew the time for decision-making was now; this warehouse was no longer a source of shelter. No shelter, and a furious Houndoom...well, Fortune really had turned her gaze this time.

"Look, it's clearly not safe here anymore. The entire place is unstable. You'll freeze to death if you sleep here- do you have somewhere else to hole up? I don't know about the guys back there, but if you want my help.. you can still have it."

Once again, Waylon found himself unable to make eye contact with Koru. There was no way anybody could actually be this nice and at the same time genuine, not in these times. He knew that. But he didn't have a choice; it was either place his trust in this feline stranger or struggle and probably die in the blizzards. At least there's no need for indecision. Not wanting to be stuck in this ruined warehouse any longer, Waylon summoned his shaky voice.

"I-no. I don't have anywhere else to go," Waylon admitted, the words sticking in his throat. That was stupid, saying such things, why had he done that? "But you know where shelter is, I think." He stumbles over the words, trying to form together the sentences at a reasonable pace. He can feel the bitter cold and his own worsening exhaustion creeping up.

"So, um, you'd be willing to help me out? I mean, we shouldn't stick around...like you said." Waylon glances at the direction where the snow and Houndoom are, hoping they would leave while he was still in this fury.

It seemed that Fate wasn't quite done toying with Dante just yet; he should have known that she never would be. He'd thought he'd hit rock bottom with losing the only shelter he'd managed to scrounge up in the frozen wasteland, but now, his fury drained, he found himself lacking something else. The winds grew harsher with each moment as the Persian carefully made his way to Dante's side. The houndusk could only stare in empty, hollow horror that Strix's form was now gone. Either swallowed by the debris or snowstorm, the purple behemoth was no where to be seen... vanished.

Dante felt no snap. There was no fury. No sorrow. Just an abyssal void swelling up within his stomach. Strix... the pokemon that had constantly been by his side... The grumpy, grizzly friend that had his back so often... who'd saved him so many times...

Just... gone.

"Look, it's clearly not safe here anymore. The entire place is unstable," the Persian panted beside him, the cold even getting through his thick fur. Another part of the warehouse collapsed against the blizzard's fury, as if to reiterate his point. "You'll freeze to death if you sleep here- do you have somewhere else to hole up?" Dante barely registered the words; the numbness from either what just happened or the storm that was currently freezing was making it hard to think with words. "I don't know about the guys back there, but if you want my help.. you can still have it."

"I-no. I don't have anywhere else to go," Another voice-- probably that thing he was smelling earlier. He didn't know. It didn't really occur to him, however, to actually turn and look to find out; he was just left with the mystery. "But you know where shelter is, I think." Over the building rage of the storm, Dante wasn't completely sure what the voice was doing behind him other than talk; his mind blank as he stared out into the opaque white.

They were all gone. All of them. He'd tried. He'd failed. He tried again... and failed. Over and over, nothing but failure after failure after failure. Why did he bother? What was he doing, even now? He couldn't feel much of his body now, but was that because of the patchy near inch-thick layer of snow collecting on his body or because of the past five minutes? What was there to do now? Who was there to protect, to help? He'd failed them all. Killed them all. Faces and names flashed in his mind's eyes and ears, the power of the storm around him no match for their memories. Blinding. Deafening.

Every.

The fiery little Skitty... he didn't remember her name. Dead. That absol, who'd helped them after relentlessly hunting them. Dead... again. The little houndour pup,-- gone. Delia... dead. Ciara... The crunch of her skull reverberated in his paw, despite recalling he'd lost feeling in it about ten minutes ago. Yon-co... eaten. Hera... frozen...

Single.

The Arcanine and umbreon, missing. Alice, missing. Sylus, missing. the ghost eevee, missing. Raiden, MISSING. The growlithe pup, MISSING. Rune, MISSING. The annoying little flying fluff-- MISSING. MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING, MISSING...

One.

Strix...

The voice behind him reminded Dante it still existed. "So, um, you'd be willing to help me out? I mean, we shouldn't stick around...like you said." He wasn't completely sure to whom he was actually speaking, but it didn't really matter.

It was over. Just... over.

And now, he was alone again.

Dante turned to the Persian, somehow avoiding eye contact. His head was hung, but held no anger or hostility. It was empty. He felt as frozen as the snow that was now attempting to swallow him up as well, along with everyone else he'd sought to care about. Maybe that was what he needed to do, too. Just... let himself get swallowed. He forgot for a moment he'd turned to the fluffy Persian to say something, so his words failed him. He didn't even know what he'd been about to say. His mouth floundered a bit, as if trying to recall, but... they were gone. Like everything else. Instead, he had to settle for the next few words that managed to greet his frozen mind, before they too left him.

"...Do what you want." It was barely audible over the howling winds and the continuous breaking of the shambling warehouse, its corpse constantly creaking and snapping now. They were out of the direct danger zone, but each crack felt like a personal insult thrown at him like knives. The thought of going was hard to bear-- leaving the sometimes literal graves of his pack. But the thought of staying... that was destroying him. Making his choice, he took a step toward the Persian, though kept his line of sight down, staring at the horrible vacuous snow they were standing upon. He'd hate it, if he had the capacity to feel. "...I'll... follow."