The ACUITY Team

Blinking at the light surrounding her egg, Devani's eyes began to well up with brilliant happy tears as slowly but surely, the light receded and gave way to a small male Eevee with bright blue eyes the same shade as his mother's. Devani was immediately struck by his unique coloring. Seemingly jet black, splotches of white cascaded across his paws, tail, and left eye; while the fluff on his chest was hued in a bright ghostly shade of blue. Blinking, the small Eevee looked up into his mother's eyes with such love and conviction that Devani's breath caught in her throat. Padding foward slowly as if she were scared he would break, she softly began to nuzzle her little boy before looking up at Kaiden and Adara with tears and love in her eyes. "What should I name him?"

(OOC: Here's your cue Phoe(:)

I... HATE... snow. Hate. Hate. HATE. Why can't this stuff at least be warm, if it's gotta be everywhere...?

A lone Umbreon trudged through the snow, shivering violently, soaked through to the skin from the white, sparkling mounds of compacted ice crystals. He tried his best to ignore how cold he was, tried to tune out the stabbing pain in his paws, which were bloody from days of endless walking. His stomach growled a complaint at him, which he ignored; there wasn't anything to eat around here anyway, and even if there was, how could he eat when Andy might be starving?

He paused for a moment, staring at a spot on the ground that, for some reason, stuck out like a sore thumb. Squinting at the area, his sleep-deprived addled brain finally worked out what about it was bothering him; it was a circle of dirt. Not snow, just dirt, even if the irritating white stuff was slowly starting to cover the exposed ground. Something had been there until recently...

A scent that was something besides water tickled his nose, quickly followed by a second scent. Muse was startled so deeply he actually jumped back, as if someone had thrown a punch at him.

... Earthy smell... ground-type, maybe... or rock type...? His ears lifted upwards for the first time since the attack on his home that left him friendless and trainerless. And there's no rot... whatever left this scent... isn't dead!

Stepping unsteadily over to the spot, he jammed his nose to the dirt and inhaled. Nope, not even the faintest smell of rot that accompanied dead and undead alike. Whoever was laying here not only wasn't undead, but also hadn't been carried off by an undead.

There's... someone nearby... I'm not alone anymore...

The other scent he wasn't too sure about. But did it really matter what it was? As long as there was at least one other Pokémon...

Muse's face worked to hold back tears as he hobbled painfully away from the circle, tracking the smell as best he could through a dribbly nose and wet and heavy snow. He was not going to cry. He was not, he was not, he was not...

Ah, fuck it. The first joy he'd felt in weeks? Yeah, that deserved a few tears. Not like anyone would see, anyway.

It seemed to take forever to follow that trail. Just as Muse was about to contemplate whether or not this was somehow a hallucination, he spotted something... two somethings, actually. Once again there was a fair amount of surprise; though he knew he would find at least one other person, he had not expected two!

His tail lifted slightly and gave a faint wag, but then dropped as the unbridled joy on his face faded to one of near fear. Dear Arceus above, that was a huge Feraligator...

... But the behemoth was standing with a Glaceon. And not eating the Eeveelution.

... Good enough.

Slowly, stumbling several times on his way there, the Umbreon limped over to the two Pokémon. Wait a sec... where'd the ground-type scent come from if these two are a water type and an ice type?"

That's when he saw the sandy colored ball of spines, and the alarming lack of movement. Now only maybe ten feet away, his horrified shriek of "Holy ArceusDarkariGiritina!" was quite easily heard.

Famaer couldn't help a small smile as Rufus soon came back, something lodged in his powerful jaws. The reptile seemed just as enthused, as in his joy, he almost collided with the elder glaceon. Though a bit startled, Famaer still seemed in good enough spirits to see Rufus and his find. "Good job, Rufus!" he spoke, proud yet tired. However, when a groan emitted from the "bush", Famaer took another look at the bundle.

"No b-berries?" Rufus asked, disappointed. However, Famaer's hochs rose with urgency. The figure's amorphous form within the cloak of snow finally made sense to the glaceon, a small intake of anxiety taking him.

"No-- this is a pokemon!" he replied, paw shuffling off snow to reveal the sandslash's face. "We need to get him to the others immediately, get him warm and conscious. Come, this way!" He turned to go where the others had left, following their collective scents toward the small cave. However, he didn't get too far.

"Holy ArceusDarkariGiritina!" The shout caused the glaceon to turn on his heels immediately, spotting the black blob of an umbreon nearby. His ears flattened and lips curled into a snarl on instinct; that damned Sealand caught up after all. Remembering his company, however, he dropped the aggression, not wanting a repeat of an AncientPower attack. Though, when he studied the other umbreon, he paused, tilting his head slightly. That... was not the Evil he'd already met. Another, different Umbreon? Of course he would be swarmed with his Shadowy cousin, reminding him what its kind had done for the world --cascading it into the Hell it now was.

An angry snort exited his snout, and he took a protective stance in front of Rufus. Turning to the gator, eyes steady with determination, he wanted to avert the Evil's path away from their group of Innocents and to avoid getting Rufus in the mix again. He wasn't sure if his ribs could handle that agian. "Rufus, your find is hurt, badly," he began, tone level and calm. "He's too cold. You need to take him to the others, dear boy. They might be able to help him. Can you do that for me? I'll meet you there-- just follow their tracks in the snow. You're a smart lad; I know you can do it." Turning away from Rufus, it was time to address the Evil.

"...Umbreon. You're not Sealand. Who are you and what do you want?" There was a small growl in his voice that commanded obediance, his stance dominant. "Speak softly, unless your plan is to call more of your minions to us..." He waited, listening for the Demon's response.

"What should I name him?" Kaiden just looked on strangely, curious as to what the new mother could mean. Didn't all women pick out their kit's name before it hatched? Adara's mother had her name all ready, certain that her little one would be a girl, so he had just assumed all mothers did that. "What...what about...Nevada?" Adara's soft voice mentioned, the frail and broken girl watching from within her brother's mane. Kaiden twitched an ear and shifted his eyes up, not really able to see the poor thing while she was up there but the action making him feel better none the less, wondering why she picked that name. "Nevada?" he asked, curious as to his sister's state of mind. "Yeah..." she sighed softly. "Like the story mother used to tell...about the boy...rescued by the snow sprites..."

It was then that Kaiden realized where she was getting the idea of snow. The small kit's fur was dark as midnight but was flecked with white that looked like he had been sprinkled with the delicate flakes that covered the ground outside. "Nevada means 'snow-capped'..." It was a cute name if Devani chose to use it. "We can tell you the story, if you like, once everyone has rested and recovered." It was a simple offer, since she had kindly refused any of his assistance before. Adara was much better at telling the tale then he was so hopefully whatever the others brought back would get her back on her feet in the morning.

((OOC: Since Adara has been hurt for a while, whatever you guys bring in berry wise and bandage wise you have full permission to treat my little Adara. She needs to get better! ^_^))

"No-- this is a pokemon! We need to get him to the others immediately, get him warm and conscious. Come, this way!"

Rufus’ lower jaw stuck out in a comical pout as he listened to Famaer’s explanation, a heavy frown looming over small eyes. A pokémon? His gaze shifting between the canine’s concerned face and the ‘bush’, in fact a snow-caked Sandslash, the gator remained in a state of disbelief. Unsure whether his company was joking like he had been about the extinction of the humans – which had ultimately turned out to be true – Rufus’s expression was lost between concern and amusement. Were the ‘dark ones’ Famaer spoke of responsible for the unconscious creature’s current state too? Whining, he shifted on the spot, stooping down to hesitantly holding the freezing pokémon in his claws. Careful to avoid the spines, Rufus seemed almost scared of it, holding it as far from his gargantuan form as possible.

"Holy ArceusDarkariGiritina!"

Jumping, alarmed at the outcry from a foreign voice he didn’t understand, Rufus dropped the ‘bush’ in his panic. Even more concerned when the being groaned once more, its body making a dull thud as it landed face-first in the snow, the gator quickly retreated to cower behind Famaer. The Glaceon had already adopted a defensive stance, but whilst the Feraligatr looked fearfully to the Sandslash, his protector’s eyes were on a canine in the distance. Following the fox’s gaze, a grin flourished on Rufus’ face, fear lost as he waved an arm goofily at the Umbreon.
“Sealan’!” He called cheerily, though as the ‘bush’ grumbled something completely unintelligible, the terror returned. Part of him knew the creature was near-dead, completely vulnerable – but it had already proved itself dangerous with its spikes. The groaning made it sound angry and whilst Rufus was eager to help, the noises coming from the being put him on edge.

"Rufus, your friend is hurt, badly. He's too cold. You need to take him to the others, dear boy. They might be able to help him. Can you do that for me? I'll meet you there-- just follow their tracks in the snow. You're a smart lad; I know you can do it."

The Feraligatr got the message save a few odd words, nodding his head in understanding whilst nervously eying his ‘friend’. Although, the word reminded him that friends helped each other. No matter his apprehension, Rufus had to help.
“Yes,” He answered, surprisingly quietly given the usual volume he adopted. Giving the creature he still thought was Sealand a broad grin, he trotted back to the Sandslash, this time choosing to pick the creature up by a hind leg.
“Urgh…” Keeping his calm at the being’s utterance, the gator moved slowly from the two canines, eyes constantly volleying between the prints in the snow and his new’friend’, dangling in his vice-like grasp.

Rufus was relieved when he finally stumbled towards the pretty Glaceon’s cave, the concoction of snowy prints coming to an end at the opening of her den. Smiling to himself, thankful that his friends hadn’t abandoned him after all, the gator shuffled into the warmth. Shaking his bulky form free of the thin layer of snow that had clung to his coarse scales, Rufus’ body trembled from the cold – though he seemed motionless in comparison to the now violently shivering Sandslash. The Feraligatr’s companion had been mumbling on the journey, the blood rushing to his head apparently acting as a means of awakening him from his unconscious state. Whilst he hadn’t understood a word of the ground-type’s garbled moans, his high tone suggested anger through the general monotonous tinge of exhaustion. Spotting the group immediately, Rufus’ smile threatened to tear across his bulky face in its intensity.
“Friends!” His natural unnecessary volume had returned full-force, eyes rolling across the gathering until falling onto a stranger in the midst. It was a small, fluffy creature – looked as if it had been rolling in the snow. Pausing, the gator’s expression completely shifted to one of confusion as he lumbered forward, Sandslash still swinging helplessly at his side. Nostrils quivering despite a complete lack of olfactory ability, Rufus stopped beside Kaiden to stare down in quiet curiosity at the recent arrival. “Hello,” He smiled uneasily at it, knowing that it was important to uphold his manners if people were to like him.
“Wha… What’s happening?” The Sandslash was muttering again, the snow now melting away to reveal flashes of a small, beige form. Rufus, suddenly remembering that he had a job to do, set the creature on the ground with his usual, unintentional force.
“Famear… said uh… help,” He nodded his head, pointing down at the limp, shivering creature he’d discovered in the snow. Grinning, proud that he had no only found the unfortunate soul but had now provided him sanctuary as well as help far past his own knowledge, Rufus fell back into a sitting position.

Joshua didn't get an answer to his question, unfortunately, because the large guy returned with a frozen creature. He could barely tell what it was, through all the snow and caked ice. As they warmed him up, however, he could tell that it was a Sandslash, albiet a very... cold one. The poor thing shivered harshly, and Joshua couldn't help feeling badly for him. Taking off his jacket, he handed it to the rock type. The thing better not rip it... he thought, as he turned his head slightly. "You got a name there, fella'?"

Muse took a step back at the stance and tone of voice the Glaceon used. A bit of laughter bubbled up in him despite the overall hostility of the situation.

"Minions?" Really? That makes me sound like a bad villain on those cartoon shows Andy loves so much.

Then the Feraligator spoke, and Muse was shocked at the childish joy exhibited in his shout. "Sealand." That name again. His ears fell; Sealand must have been a friend of theirs. No wonder the older Eeveelution was a bit edgy.

He must've left their group, and never came back... ouch... and to top it off, now they have a half-frozen Sandslash to take care of. Anyone would be as defensive as this guy is.

Clearing his throat, adopting a less submissive stance, the Umbreon walked up to the Glaceon and sat down to show he meant no harm. "W-well sir, my name is Muse. I have no idea what you mean by "minions" and such, but I'm sorry I'm not your friend. His face shifted to concern as he looked to where the alligator left with the ball of sandy spines. "They're gonna be o-okay... right...? Even the Sandslash...?

Muse knew from experience that the thawing out process was going to be long and unpleasant. The numbness that accompanied being so cold would soon dissolve into actually feeling the cold... and the Umbreon knew how miserable that was. It felt like you'd never stop shivering. If only there was something extra they could do to help the poor guy along...

His face brightened and he stood, ignoring the screams of protest his paws sent his way. "Some Aspear berries might help him along if we can find them; they defrost Pokémon frozen by moves, so why not Pokémon frozen by snowstorms? Plus, that'd get some food in him, which he probably could use."

(Ooc: Since Blitz's characters have all been deactivated and she doesn't have to make leaving posts, I assume it's my turn even though she hasn't been taken off the sheet yet. Apologizes if I am wrong, and please tell me then so I can fix it.)

[ooc: Oh snap, please skip. Not caught up on the team yet and don't want to hold it up.]

Famaer gave a soft growl when the Evil came closer and closer, sitting not too far from him to show his civility. But the old glaceon wouldn't be fooled; he knew of the Evils' trickster ways, their feigned innocence and kindness. The concerned words from the other fell on deaf ears. Famaer would not hear of this web of lies. He wouldn't sit here and let this demon try to manipulate him like the other Evils had done on his companions. And poor Rufus-- the poor child just didn't know any better.

"I know how to take care of my own, thank you," he growled, his stance still aggressive. "Your filthy lies can stay on your forked tongue, Dark one. Scuttle back to your horde; you've no place here amongst these of pure souls. I won't let you destroy them like your kind has destroyed this world." He snorted, still baring his teeth, not letting the new umbreon leave his sight. He even smelled of blood...

Adara was drifting in and out of consciousness once more, still suffering from her wounds as Kaiden heard voices outside. He picked one up as belonging to Famaer so he rose gently, trying not to knock Adara around, and looked outside. The others were gathered around some kind of strange looking ball which unfolded to reveal a Sandslash. The thing looked positively chilled to the bone and Famaer soon found himself occupied with another Umbreon. This one's scent was completely foreign so even the massive Arcanine was weary of the newcomer.

Turning his focus back to Rufus and the frozen desert rodent he sighed heavily. The thing was shivering out in this snow and Rufus just had a look of pure confusion on his face. "Ruffie..." the muffled voice came from inside his mane. Adara poked her head out slowly and gave Rufus a big smile. "Bring...bring your friend...inside. Kaiden can...keep...him warm." She was so tired her words were coming out broken and labored, the tiny Eevee fighting to stay awake. She wouldn't last much longer without healing of some kind. "Bring him in Rufus."

Kaiden turned back to go inside once more, eyes turned to the crackling flames as they danced across the brittle wood. I took a few moments but he noticed something in the cave was...off. Devani was missing, along with her hatchling. Almost panicked he looked around but there was no trace of the duo. Even his incredible sense of smell couldn't detect anything other than the faint traces that remained in the cave simply because Devani lived there. "Where did they go?" he pondered aloud.

((OOC: Snitch, if you want Kaiden's fur can help warm Seymour up once they are inside the cave.))

"Ruffie… Bring...bring your friend...inside. Kaiden can...keep...him warm."

The feeble voice came from Kaiden’s mane, but so familiar with that soft, innocent chime, Rufus knew not to fear. Poor ‘Dara… His expression dropped, the pain in the her tone hitting him full force as a momentary guilt overwhelmed him. So curious to the creature he’d mistaken for foliage, the Ferligatr had near forgotten that his first duty was to find berries to nurse the wounded Eevee. He’d let her down. Pouting, sorrow etched across his face as he habitually began clawing at his palms in frustration; the gator’s previous joy was entirely sapped. He gave a saddened whine, grabbing the slow awakening Sandslash by its leg before tossing it rather carelessly atop the Arcanine’s back – however he took particular care to not hit the fire-type’s precious passenger.
“Argh –“ The creature had emitted a strangled cry, his senses seemingly returning as the disorientation kicked in. Rufus simply gave a hiss in response.
“Sshh,” He stated plainly, all affection lost for the bush-pokémon as his thoughts were engulfed with concern for Adara. Meeting the Arcanine’s gaze, unable to manage a smile, Rufus’ face played a canvas of his emotion. He knew not the meaning of subtlety, the guilt and distress for Adara pouring from his saddened eyes.

"Where did they go?”

Shrugging, Rufus wasn’t entirely sure who Kaiden spoke of, but as he surveyed the cave’s contents, the female Famear and the small, bundle of fluff that sat with her had vanished. Strange. First the round-thing had gone, now its owner and her tiny friends had gone too. The reptile didn’t dwell on it, dismissing the matter with a snort as he none-too-subtlety peered over the giant Arcanine to catch glimpse of the Eevee sheltered within thick fur. Were he not so large, so heavy, Rufus would’ve been keen on joining her. It looked cosy. Regardless, he knew he had other matters to attend to.
“Uh… b-berries?” He started hesitantly. His claws were bloody, gashes from his own self-harming. “I… get? No worry. I-I help.” Gesturing to the cave’s exit with his bulky head, Rufus was admittedly a little apprehensive about facing the cruel, freezing weather beyond, but guilt persuaded him otherwise. He wanted to help.

The Sandslash, emerald eyes finally open as his body was racked with a ferocious shivering, was still incredibly stiff. He was freezing, rendered near immobile as he was most inelegantly launched into a mass of beige, but surprisingly warm fur. Honestly, he had no idea what was going on. Resorting to lying limp within the fluffy forest, eyes wide and panicked as his breath emerged in ragged wisps, Seymour wasn’t in the best of health. He could hear the voices around him, glimpse of that dim gator flashing into his periphery every now and then.
“Wha…” He was breathless, voice shaky from the cold infecting his small frame. Damn it, why did they have to interfere?! Whilst he currently lacked the ability to converse coherently and with his natural acrimony, Seymour was lost between a mixture of annoyance, confusion and incredible terror. He wanted to die – he’d been out in those monstrous conditions for a reason – but the thought of being torn apart by a slow-witted gator seemed a far worse way to go. Admittedly, trying to freeze to death had been one of his more desperate attempts and particularly unpleasant in those rare moments of consciousness. Swallowing hard, he caught glimpse of another creature sharing his prison. Please, just make it quick…

"You got a name there, fella'?"

It took a moment to realize that the creature was talking to him. Whilst the Sandslash lacked the energy to turn and face the speaker, content in shivering from both the cold and his rising fear, he felt it rude to ignore him. Licking his lips, trying to form the words, he eventually managed a frail reply.
“S-S-Seymour…” If they were asking his name, surely they weren’t going to eat him, right? In a way, he wanted them to. As scary as it seemed, being ingested was probably one of the faster means of disposal – but as the coward he was, Seymour had always been searching for a simple, painless method of suicide. From his current state, freezing to death had been marked firmly off the list of possibilities. No way was he trying this again.

Joshua made no move to follow the others inside. The new Umbreon that had walked up seemed to be making an honest effort at helping. Muse, it said its name was, already seemed to be truly worried for the others. "I'm sure they will b-"

He was cut off, however, by Famear's ranting. "Whoa there, calm down buddy. He's just trying to help." The older fox had struck him as difficult before, but this... Joshua raised in eyebrow in question. The guy was just being rude to a stranger for the sake of being rude, it seemed.

"I know how to take care of my own, thank you," Muse's mouth fell open slightly at the response to a simple offer to help a half frozen survivor. "Your filthy lies can stay on your forked tongue, Dark one." Dark one? What!? Filthy lies!? "Scuttle back to your horde; you've no place here amongst these of pure souls. I won't let you destroy them like your kind has destroyed this world."

What? What? What!? What in Uxie's Lake Acuity had he done to deserve this!? "Destroyed this world!?" Was this guy off his nut!?

Muse took a step back again, hurt at the cruel, unwarranted words. His ears fell; he opened his mouth to speak but nothing emerged.

"Whoa there, calm down buddy. He's just trying to help."

Joshua's words sparked back to life the Umbreon's courage, and he stepped forward again, ears perking back up, eyes narrowed. "Thank you. You're right. This isn't my fault; I haven't even been here for ten minutes! How dare you accuse me of being some evil demon without even knowing me!? And if you're so great at taking care of your group, then why is one looking... really... bad...?" Muse's ears fell again. Wow. He hadn't noticed the Eevee before, but now that he really looked at her... she needed help. Badly.

He swallowed and continued. "Look. I don't know why you already hate me and I don't care. But your friend over there is..." He could not bring himself to say it. "A-and then there's the Sandslash..."

He glanced back at the cold, unforgiving landscape. "... Sit there and wallow in whatever is eating at you. I'm going to do something."

With a wince of pain he turned around and started back to where he came from. Maybe he'd find berry bushes?

Famaer had expected the Dark One to retort, feigning innocence and ignorance, proclaiming its concern for Adara and the frozen Sandslash. However, when the clothed canid spoke in its defense, the old glaceon shot the other a glare, silently willing him to shut up and butt out of business that wasn't his. He was more than capable of holding his own against the Shadow of his kin, this newcomer didn't need to spout out his own ignorance where it wasn't needed. However, before Famaer needed to keep going, the Umbreon excused itself, proclaiming it was going to help Adara itself. Snorting in anger, Famaer watched silently as it left, then glared to the canid.

"...I appreciate your help when you brought Adara back from the brink. Don't make me regret letting you stay." The threat, though never actually spoken, was clear as day as he made his way back to the others in the other glaceon's den, covering his tracks as he went. While he knew the canid would probably lead the Umbreon back to them, Famaer still wanted to make the measures of doing his part to protect the Pure pokemon he'd found. Once he was in the confines of the den, he looked to the others, noticing instantly that the owner of the den was missing. "...Where...?"

Putting the whereabouts of Devani and her egg aside, he made his way to a very sorrowful Rufus, who seemed as concerned for Adara as her brother. "Rufus," Famaer began, his voice gentle. "See if you can find any berries again, ok? You did well with bringing in the stranger from the cold-- that was good of you." He struggled a little, trying to keep the words he used plain and simple. "But we still need berries. Go on, be quick and careful. Don't wander too far, all right?" For a moment, he wondered if it was the best of ideas to let the simple creature wander the wilderness by himself, then concluded to add, "I'll join you in a bit."

He turned to Kaiden, as the large Arcanine was now doubling as an incubator and care pillow. "...How are they doing?" The question was soft, and while his face remained emotionless, the words themselves were steeped in concern. No Innocent deserved to die in such a manner...

"Rufus. See if you can find any berries again, ok? You did well with bringing in the stranger from the cold-- that was good of you. But we still need berries. Go on, be quick and careful. Don't wander too far, all right? I'll join you in a bit."

As usual, Rufus worked hard to interpret Famear’s words, expression shifting entirely at his admirable efforts at communication. Fortunately for him, the fox spoke slowly, simply, in consideration for his abilities. His expression finally breaking into a grin, proud at his ability to comprehend meaning, Rufus rose to his full height.
“Quick! Yes!” He nodded his head eagerly, shaking his bulky form free from a thin layer of snow as he cast a final concerned glance to Kaiden and the sickly shielded within his luxurious mane. “I help,” With a look of determination, voice adopting a more serious tone, the Feraligatr set off.

Moving as fast as the monstrous weather would allow him; the reptile silenced his distressed whines as the climate worked to sap away his warmth. He was beginning to take a particular disliking to what he’d once considered magical snow. As he trudged onwards, large form practically a landmark in the barren environment, it was only so long until the two canines returned to Rufus’ line of vision.
“Jossuah! Sealan’!” He called cheerily, bounding over to the duo as he grinned, pleased that they hadn’t wandered off. However, as he neared, a look of confusion hit his features. That’s not Sealand…

Staring hard at the dark-type, all regard for personal space lost as he feverishly examined the creature’s face, Rufus’ suspicions were confirmed. Suddenly angry, a feral hiss escaped him, jaws hanging agape to reveal an impressive set of fangs.
“Not Sealand,” The creature growled, recoiling in alarm as he shot a glare at the Lucario just to check he hadn’t been mistaken with his identity too. No, this was still Joshua. That only left the questions of his friend’s location and the imposter’s identity. Rising to stand intimidating on thick, hind legs, chest puffed out, Rufus’ natural innocence was sapped as he embodied a darker side of his own erratic mind. “Who… are… you?”

(( Skipping Seymour for this round – he’s just warming up, lol. ))

Joshua puffed out heavily, his hat sloping down his face a bit farther than normal. People usually had to go out of their way to get on his nerves, and unfortunately, Famaer had done just that. Pushing his hat back to its normal place, he beckoned for the Umbreon. "Just... ignore him." He said, shooting a glance the direction the fox had left. "I don't know what his deal is, but he's not always the friendliest of sorts." Joshua turned around when Rufus returned, shouting their names. My name, rather. He thought. This poor little cat isn't their Sealand. It didn't register to him until it was too late that the slower of thought gater might not likely being fooled.

Unfortunately for Muse, Joshua was right. He immediately drew himself up, in a menacing posture that implied aggressiveness. Joshua's eyes raised in slight panic. He could do some serious damage, slow or not. Those claws were very, very real. Jumping towards him, speed enhanced by a Quick Attack, he stopped just a few feet in front of him. Joshua held his paws up in a disarming position. "Now now, buddy, it's okay. He's a friend, just not the same friend as before." Joshua hoped to Arceus he understood, or else he was in for some pain.

He glanced back just a moment, just because he felt eyes on him, and to his surprise, the Lucario was gesturing for him to return. With no sign of the grumpy fox, the vulpine tilted his head to the side in thought for a moment before limping back, gritting his teeth against the pain in his paws.

"Just... ignore him. I don't know what his deal is, but he's not always the friendliest of sorts." The other seemed a trite annoyed, but was calm nonetheless.

Muse snorted at his words, in full agreement with them. "He needs to get the stick out of his ass. What a jerk." Features shifting from aggravated to grateful, the dark type gave the canine a smile of thanks. "Thanks for sticking up for me, there. I really appreciate that."

“Jossuah! Sealan’!”

The Feraligator again. Muse winced. How to tell the poor guy that he wasn't the same person he thought Muse was? Turning around to look at the Feraligator he was startled and somewhat alarmed to find that the large creature was staring very closely at him.

Very. Closely.

“Not Sealand.”

Oh. Well. Fuck.

Muse shrank back in fear as the angry Feraligator demanded his name. All he could see was the gator's angry expression and very sharp claws and teeth...

"Now now, buddy, it's okay. He's a friend, just not the same friend as before."

Muse was eternally grateful to this Lucario. Once again his interjection had prompted Muse to get a hold of himself, and the Umbreon forced himself to look Rufus in the face. "H-he's right, y'know. I'm sorry I'm not Sealand, but I'm not a bad Pokemon." Glancing back to where he had come, he added as an afterthough. "Hey, while we're looking for berries for the Eevee and the Sandslash, maybe we'll find him."

((lol, I need Phoe. Skip, please))

“S-S-Seymour…” Adara smiled at the brown ball of spikes that rested in her brother's fur with her. She could feel the cold radiating off of him and felt pity for the poor creature. Using one of her uninjured legs Adara slowly dragged herself the few inches down her brothers neck to almost come nose to nose with the Sandslash. "Hi Seymour..." she whispered. "I'm Adara. You're...you're safe here." Her words struggled between shallow breaths, her ribcage still crushed and bruised and not allowing any large expansions of her lungs. But despite the pain she knew she couldn't let this guy think he was alone.

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Kaiden shifted slightly at the awkward weight of the small Sandslash on his one side. He was used to Adara as she weighed almost nothing, but this creature had a significant weight compared to her. It made him feel...side heavy. It was odd. He heard the soft murmur of a name, presumably the creature he currently supported, and heard Adara whispering in response. She was such a sweet girl that it just wasn't in her nature to let another creature feel afraid or alone. Even if she was so injured she technically shouldn't be awake. "...How are they doing?"

The large Arcanine's ears perked up and twisted around to greet Famaer's voice before his head ever did. He looked to the ice fox and nodded his head solemnly. Adara was feeling a little better thanks to the berries they had given her when she was first injured, but she was far from okay. The desert rodent, well he had only moved enough to utter his name. That wasn't much of a indication of his state of health. "Honestly...I don't know." He strained to see the pair as they rested upon him, but all he could make out was the stark brown of the Sandslash's spikes against his fur.

"Now now, buddy, it's okay. He's a friend, just not the same friend as before."

Rufus, who had been more than eager to tear the intruder to shreds to decorate the group’s new abode, stopped at Joshua’s bold movements. Stopping in his advance, frown still hanging dangerously over his face, his glare was powerful enough to break through the Lucario’s fleshy body and bear into the mind of the stranger he protected. But then there was that word – ‘friend’. It struck a chord in the mammoth reptile, his stance relaxing significantly as his eyes darted to meet Joshua’s.
“Friend?” He repeated hesitantly, unsure whether the newcomer was worthy of such a prestigious title. Nostrils flaring, his muscles eased as his expression fell into one of deep thought. Unlike a creature used to life away from the dank isolation of the sewers, these matters took a great amount of consideration for the Ferligatr. The stranger’s words soon distracted him, however.

"H-he's right, y'know. I'm sorry I'm not Sealand, but I'm not a bad Pokemon. Hey, while we're looking for berries for the Eevee and the Sandslash, maybe we'll find him."

Staring hard at the Umbreon, mouth twisted in concentration to interpret those streaming words, Rufus eventually nodded his head.
“Friend,” He announced, his verdict made known as his intense look dissolved into his usual, lax grin. Nodding his head, realizing that the new creature only wanted to find berries and help Adara and the Sandslash, the gator chose to accept him into his heart. Besides, he could never have enough friends. Shaking his large body, he trudged onwards through the snow, remembering the need to fulfil his duty. “Berries! Fast!”

--

"Hi Seymour...”

Flinching at the voice and accompanying movement up ahead, Seymour’s body fell rigid even as he was slowly regaining movement. The furry surroundings were like an oven, gradually giving him the ability to move and yet, he’d rather remain immobile. It was instinctual. In the company of the strong, of predators, the Sandslash froze in a vain bid to grow invisible to their scheming gazes. But this voice, soft and laced with pain gave him comfort.

“I'm Adara. You're...you're safe here."

Adara… The female sounded in a worse state than him and yet she was trying to soothe him. His heart aching at the creature’s plight, Seymour’s eyes remained slammed shut, afraid to witness the caring creature lurking with him in the Arcanine’s mane. It was individuals such as she that only heightened his guilt, his depression. Every day, he strived to find new, quick ways to kill himself. Adara was in agony, clearly wanting to grasp onto life and reminding him of how truly selfish he was. But then again, nobody would miss him…
“R-Really?” Was Seymour’s stuttered response, words infected by the cold. Lacking the usual sarcasm, borderline venomous with his utterance, the Sandslash remained uncharacteristically polite. He wasn’t looking for safety – he just wanted eternal peace – but the female’s commendable efforts at comforting him robbed away his usual bluntness. Slowly opening his heavy lids, he peered through the fur to catch glimpse of an Eevee inches from his face. She was younger than he’d expected. Ashamed, he managed an awkward smile. “W-We’re in this to-together then,”

Joshua was surprised his life didn't flash before his eyes. Or rather, perhaps he was thankful. He hadn't realized he was holding his breath until Rufus's eyes softened, and he let out all of the air of what seemed like the last hour. The giant hulk would have torn both him and Muse apart completely, without even breaking a sweat.

Distracted by the hunt for berries, however, Joshua chuckled slightly at how quickly Rufus could change his mind. Tipping his hat, he looked around. "Didn't you find some before? Where were those?" It'd be more likely to find some around the initial bush than to have to hunt for a new one.

Muse was certain for one horrible moment that the Feraligator was just going to eat them both. The huge creature, with teeth that would be able to puncture his organs in seconds, seemed pretty dang mad. More than that. Freaking furious. Thankfully his words and Joshua's seemed to calm the beast's anger. “Friend.”

That single word set the Umbreon at ease, his fur laying flat again. "Thanks, um... I didn't catch your na-"

“Berries! Fast!” And with that he was off, Muse quickly scrambling to trot after, hissing at the horrible pain in his paws.

Beside him, Joshua questioned the gator on where the berries were.

"Wait, berries grow here?" Muse was shocked. He had no idea that they could grow in such a harsh environment. One of the best "Thank Darkrai I'm wrong" moments in his life.

"Honestly, I don't know..."

The blunt response from Kaiden gave Famaer no assurance for the Eevee's or Sandslash's well-being. However, he could hear Adara and another voice which could only be the sandslash mumble to and fro, which gave the old glaceon a little hope. His sighed, nodding his head in understanding and thanks. Though they originally got on the wrong foot initially, Kaiden was a good man, genuinely concerned for the welfare of others. Famaer could respect that. "...I'm going to search for more berries." With that, he took his leave of the cave, quickly spotting Rufus' giant cerulean form. He didn't expect it to move so quickly, though.

Unsure of where Rufus was off to, Famaer followed easily, his trim legs gliding expertly through the refreshing snow. He was in his element and it certainly showed. His footfalls paused, though, when Rufus' shadow moved oddly, revealing a pokemon instead. The other Shadow... of course it had followed. Famaer mentally kicked himself for being so naive, thinking such a Demon would leave a child like Rufus when he had no guardian. The cloak-wearing pokemon was just as bad, allowing and even encouraging such company. Depicable fiend...

His large, sensitive ears caught the bipedal's query, to which Famaer cleared his throat. "...You're going the wrong way," he called, standing his ground firmly. While he now knew better than to wage war with the Shadow in front of Rufus, he could tell the Shadow wasn't faring well in the harsh cold of his element. If it were true and not a facade, Famaer would be all too happy to show the creature the real power of ice. Again, though, it would have to wait until Rufus was no longer in the picture... or that cloaked nuisance. "We found the original berry bush over here, near the lake."

“W-We’re in this to-together then.”

Those simple words brought a bright smile out of the young female, offering a gentle nod before she settled herself down in front of the other. "I guess we are." Her electric blue eyes moved over him as she took in his huddled form, learning as much as she could from simple outward appearances. Adara had always been good at reading people but in his current state it was hard to tell just what was going through his mind. It was quite possible the male was so cold he simply wasn't thinking at all.

Adara shivered slightly as the cold freeing itself from the poor Sandslash's body permeated her brother's thick fur. He would barely feel the cold being a fire type but his fur was losing its heat as it warmed the frozen desert rodent, making the injured Eevee feel much colder than usual. The very act of her body twitching in an effort to stimulate her muscles into warmth caused her to yelp in pain, curling in on herself to try and cease the involuntary spasms. She prayed to anything that would listen for some kind of relief from the injuries, and that anything possibly broken wouldn't puncture an organ as she waited.

Kaiden felt his sister shift as she whispered to the other passenger on his massive form but his muscles tensed when he heard her yip in pain. His sister was suffering and the others had yet to return with anything that would ease it. "...I'm going to search for more berries." The large Arcanine looked to Famaer and felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude that the older male was willing to go back out and try and save his sister. "Thank you..." he offered to the retreating form of the Glaceon.

Looking back he could see Adara huddled on his back now rather than in his mane, keeping herself close to Seymour. A look of concern passed over his face before he leaned over and gave her an affectionate lick, offering her any sort of comfort he could. Adara looked back at her brother with a gentle smile and licked his nose. His eyes softened as he looked at his tiny sibling and the smallest of smiles could be seen tugging at his mouth. "You never smile in front of strangers," Adara teased, reaching up with one paw and placing it on the side of his muzzle. Kaiden gently shook her free and nuzzled her back down, keeping his head resting with barely any pressure just on her head. "And you never listen. Rest."

Adara let out a small yawn and nodded, curling back up into a ball as best her body would allow. "Okay big brother..." she whispered, body more than fatigued just from the small movements she had been making. Giving Seymour one last smile she closed her eyes and went back to sleep, happy that she had her brother and a new friend.

((OOC: Sorry to make you wait! I had so many to do this week I completely overlooked this one. Entirely my fault.))

"Didn't you find some before? Where were those?"

Rufus pondered this question a moment, staring out into the bleak, white wasteland as he searched his memories for the answer. He could visualize the scene, mistaking Adara’s innocent movements as the foliage’s angry reactions to its discovery. With the knowledge that bushes were in fact inanimate, the memory brought a goofy grin to his face. You learnt something new every day.

"...You're going the wrong way. We found the original berry bush over here, near the lake."

Jumping a little at Famear’s voice, oblivious that the canine had been following him on his voyage for berries, Rufus spun around with a grin. Whilst he wasn’t sure what exactly ‘the lake’ was, the canine’s words had been enough to trigger the elusive memory. All too soon, it struck him.
“Yes!” The gator exclaimed jovially, falling to all fours as he stampeded onwards, snow kicking into the air behind his gargantuan bulk. He knew where he was going now. It was close – it must be!

He paused a moment, raising his thick head to check the others hadn’t lost him, but was soon distracted at glimpse of green. Rushing forward, Rufus brushed the snow that had swamped the bushes with a single, powerful movement. As expected, shrubbery bearing a small assortment of berries was hidden beneath. Squealing with delight, Rufus hadn’t the patience to pick each berry individually and instead, like before, tore one of the bushes out of the sparse earth, roots and all. Elated that he was going to help poor Adara, Rufus held the shrub delicately in his jaws as he trotted past his companions, head held high. A proud, but endearing smile played on the reptile’s face as he headed back towards the cave.

---

"I guess we are."

The Eevee’s response brought a genuine, shy smile to Seymour’s face as he caught glimpse of her electric blue eyes. But it was her shivering that alarmed him more. By accepting him into her personal incubator, the Sandslash was effectively sabotaging her own attempts at recovery. As if his guilt couldn’t plummet any lower, she gave a yelp of pain. The poor girl, a friendly companion within the Arcanine’s mane in an even worse state than he – and he had the audacity to rob away her heat. Can’t do anything right, can you? Seymour shuffled his head away, ashamed, thinking of what a colossal asshole he truly was.

When the Arcanine’s large face fell into his periphery, Seymour was convinced he was going to have a heart-attack. He couldn’t get away, his limbs still too rigid to allow a speedy escape – but instead, it smiled. Listening silently to the tender conversation between Adara and the creature she lay upon, the ground-type felt a dull aching reverberate within the confines of his cold heart. Such love, such care... He closed his eyes, moving his head away knowing his bleak presence would only taint their precious bond. Jealous that he was of unworthy of such pure emotion, Seymour instead focused his attempts on not proving an ill-omen for the sibling’s love.

When the Adara fell asleep, catching her final smile which he feebly mimicked, Seymour gave an exhausted sigh. She seemed a sweet soul, her brother clearly concerned for her wellbeing. Whilst he couldn’t see exactly what was wrong with the tiny fox, he knew that it was serious enough, commending her bravery for even trying to talk with such pain wracking her small body. Seymour was a coward; he’d be sobbing in her situation by now. Flexing his arms now that the numbness was slowly beginning to cascade away, Seymour remained silent.