(ELITE) The SNOWPOINT Team

[Skip.]

"How? How can I stay calm when all of those memories just slip away again? Is this... is this what I'm going to have to put up with for the rest of my life?" Raiden had no real answer for the miserable hound and so remained silent. He walked forward and sat with him on the lip of the hill as Dante stared off into the distance, lost in his own thoughts. "...Just... always on the cusp of remembering and dealing with it falling away, day in and day out?"

He shook his head sadly. "It may not always be this way but I have never personally known anyone with this kind of memory loss. It could come back or it could not, no one can really say for sure. The best you can do is not dwell on it or you will drive yourself insane." They stayed there for a moment as the wind shifted and wrapped around them, the cold biting into their skin even through their fur. Raiden clamped his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering as his already dried eyes began to sting from the cold. But despite the cold there was something else on the wind, something spicy and something sweet...he couldn't quite place it....

"You smell that?" Raiden nodded and followed Dante down the hill towards the warehouse where it all had happened. They forwent the obvious large hole in the side of the building they had used the last time they were there and Dante found a doorway, but when it opened the Manectric was left in shock by the discovery. Two new females, and one of them was a Houndoom. The overly slender hound immediately stepped in front of her smaller pink companion and seemed to almost be guarding her as Dante tried to speak.

"Uh... Hello?" Ardere's protective stance only increased as her chest puffed out and her tail began to whip behind her, a low growl building in her throat after hearing Ellie gasp in fright. "Hey, it's all right, I just... I smelled someone nearby. I'm uh, I'm... Dante. Nice to... uh... meet you?" She looked the other skeletal hound up and down as though assessing his honesty through his body language, she stared for quite a while at the strange skull head he was adorned with but let it go when her eyes met his again. "Dante, is it?" she began slowly, still keeping Ellie safely tucked behind her. "What do you want from us? Were you the one responsible for the terrible flame a moment ago?"

"Strix...are you okay?..."

The question echoed in his mind, bouncing back and forth, but still so far away. He tried to focus on what she said, he tried so hard, but all he could see was Dante; the usually irritated collectiveness that anchored everyone together, was horrifically lashed away from his familiar face. What Strix saw in his gaze now was....Tremors began to make their way from his gut to the rest of his body in a ripple as he stared, trying to cry out. But all that came out was a faint, gasping whimper as his body seemed to give out. Falling to his haunches, he fell forward and grasped at the ground, staring at the blank ground as the reality hit him full in the chest.

Tears welled up in his deep-set eyes, his jaw tightly clenched against gasps that never came. The world began to whirl out of control, becoming a dark blur spinning around him. Frantic and terrified screams howled in his ears, all demanding to be the one that breaks him. He screwed his eyes shut, a stymied and sharp breath ripping through his lungs. He begged for the hound to return but as the screams grew larger and larger, a deep-seated, terrible fear just transformed into truth.
He knew he was to face the horrors of the past and future alone, as the irredeemable beast that he was.

He was gone.
They had both made an unsaid promise so long ago, but now he was gone.
Now all that he was in his eyes was what reality showed him to be...a monster.

________________________

Rune watched with growing unease as she saw the enormous nidoking suddenly crumble into someone smaller, and dare she think it....frightened. Her eyes were wide with distress and her claws out in front of her to...what was she trying to do? What could she do? How do you comfort someone when something inside of them is breaking? Her mouth, suddenly dry, could not choke out any of the pale words that came to her mind. Alarm began to build in her, seeing such a powerful tank of a beast, the protector of their group, just disappear in front of her. She whipped around, looking up at the human with wild emotions glistening in her eyes. Not a word came to her as she silently begged her to do something; anything, to help him...fix him!

"Dante, is it?" the other Houndoom began carefully, understandably assessing Dante's appearance. Which, he still had no real clue what he looked like, but judging from that little pink thing's tiny frightened gasp, he didn't look like a fucking teddy bear. "What do you want from us? Were you the one responsible for the terrible flame a moment ago?"

"Oh, uh-- y-yeah," he shamefully admitted, ducking his head a little to try and hide a fraction of his embarrassment. "...You know... Bad day." He cleared his throat and straightened his posture a little, taking a step back. "There's... a place not far from here, full of other survivors and some food. We're heading back there now, if... you want to come?" Normally, he wouldn't be so quick to trust, but the kid and the egg-laden sling on the larger female's body made him think otherwise. Deception, in his mind, was difficult when sheltering two other lives. If she truly wanted to protect them, as she was doing so now, she wouldn't put them at risk by fucking anyone else over that could provide for the kids she so obviously cared about.

That made sense... right?
Whatever. His gut said to trust him and he followed his gut.

"It's your decision, of course; we won't force you," Dante quickly added, hoping to keep from raising hostilities. "But Raiden and I smelled you-- and in this blizzard, I just... I wouldn't feel good about leaving you two out here."

Ellie's ribbons curled around Ardere's hind legs, watching the discussion with a wide gaze. "...Are... Should we?" she asked in a tiny voice, barely a whisper. "Would it be best for Baby?"

[Skip. I probably didn't word it well enough in my last posts, but Candice is supposed to be outside waiting for Dante and Raiden to return. Fox, if you want any of her Pokemon that are inside to say/do something, I'm completely okay with it.]

"Oh, uh-- y-yeah...You know... Bad day." Ardere looked at Dante like he had grown another head, the urge to roll her eyes incredibly strong at his response to the point she had to actively fight it. Bad day? What kind of explanation was that for shooting off a signal flare to anything within a 50 mile radius? He seemed to realize how incredulous it sounded as he cleared his throat nervously and shifted backwards towards his companion.

"There's... a place not far from here, full of other survivors and some food. We're heading back there now, if... you want to come?" Raiden stared at Dante a moment as he blurted out that there was a shelter with food to an obviously starving mother. Naturally he wanted to assist the ladies but mothers were ferociously protective of their young and would kill to provide for them, including other survivors if it meant her pup surviving ahead of them. What was he thinking? "Dante-"

"It's your decision, of course; we won't force you," Dante added, cutting him off before the electric hound could question his logic. "But Raiden and I smelled you-- and in this blizzard, I just... I wouldn't feel good about leaving you two out here." And that was just it, wasn't it? Ardere looked back at the huddled form Sylveon behind her and her gaze went soft. They had caught their scent which meant others could scent them too, they weren't safe in this warehouse by any stretch of the imagination but if they left a trail to wherever they went from here something could follow. Would it be better to be in the company of strangers or alone?

"...Are... Should we?" Ellie's timid voice behind her deflated the Houndoom's defensive posture and her tail quit lashing to rest over the pink fox's shoulders. "Would it be best for Baby?" Raiden watched the more dominant female weigh her options carefully and waited for the inevitable. A female would always choose her young over others and the best chance the egg had was back at their shelter. The only question was whether or not she would kill them all for their supplies. It was a tragic world they lived in.

Ardere hated seeing the fear on Ellie's face as the thought of something finding them after all this time weighed on her. The child she carried was precious, yes, but Ellie was here and alive. The egg hadn't even hatched yet. It wasn't a question of what was best for the baby but what was best for Ellie. She backed up a bit to tuck herself beside the Sylveon and offered what comfort she could, looking at the two males before her carefully. An emotionally unstable Houndoom mutation-thing and a stuck up Manectric, such a lovely combination. There was a chance they could be tricking the females into trap but at this point she had little option if she wanted to protect Ellie. "Very well," she finally replied. "We will go with you for today. But if your supposed shelter doesn't work for us we would like to move on at our will. Agreed?"

(Sorry Abyss, I didn't even read it right, lol. Skip for now, I'll just have Strix walk off a bit into the snow, with Rune following. He needs to get his shit together. XD)

"Very well," was the eventual reply, which gave Dante some relief. He wasn't entirely sure why. "We will go with you for today. But if your supposed shelter doesn't work for us we would like to move on at our will. Agreed?"

Dante gave a nervous nod, flashing them an uncomfortable grin before turning toward the open door. "Great! So uh, like I said I'm, uh... I'm Dante. That's Raiden. Uhm. Oh, there's... humans at the... the place-- well, human. One. But it's hers, so I mean... if you have issues with humans, uh... please don't attack her?" Oh God why was talking awful? "Uh... so... that's- that's it, I guess?"

"Do you have, like, a legitimate speaking disorder?" Ellie asked with a quirked brow, peeking out from behind Ardere's legs. "Just talk normal, dude."

"I told you, it's been a bad day," Dante scoffed back, then immediately regretted it. He just argued with a kid. That always spoke well of people. "All my charm and suave hasn't kicked in yet."

[Skip.]

"Great! So uh, like I said I'm, uh... I'm Dante. That's Raiden. Uhm. Oh, there's... humans at the... the place-- well, human. One. But it's hers, so I mean... if you have issues with humans, uh... please don't attack her?" Was this really happening right now? Raiden wanted to slam his face into the wall as Dante stumbled all over his words like a boy talking to his crush. He wasn't like this with the other females in his new little tribe so what made these two so special? Sure he had amnesia but did he forget his senses too?  "Uh... so... that's- that's it, I guess?" This was just painful to watch.

Ardere's staring hadn't ceased but now her expression was more one of concern for this strange hound's mental state rather than his plans to deceive them. Was he an idiot or just special? Even his friend behind him was grimacing in pain at the dark type's inability to form actual sentences. Ellie seemed to gain a little more confidence as she stuck her head out from behind Ardere to comment on his strange behavior. "Do you have, like, a legitimate speaking disorder? Just talk normal, dude."

"I told you, it's been a bad day," The moment he snapped at her small friend Ardere was right back on the defensive and growled protectively, Dante immediately trying to backpedal"All my charm and suave hasn't kicked in yet." Ardere whipped her tail a couple of times as her chest began to puff out. "You don't say," she drawled sarcastically. Raiden couldn't watch any more and stepped between the two dark hounds to try and diffuse the strange tension filling the room.

"We should really be getting back, the others are probably worried about you Dante. You didn't exactly run out in the best of circumstances." Ardere quirked a brow at that statement but Raiden didn't expand on that statement. "You ladies are of course welcome to join us, we won't revoke the invitation, but we really need to get back before they start looking for us. Come on Dante."

Ardere looked to the retreating forms of the two hounds and then to her small fairy companion. "I suppose we should at least try, shouldn't we? Not like we have a lot of other options at the moment. What do you think Ellie? Want to join them?"

Skip

"You don't say." Yeah, she clearly hated him. Well, done, Dipshit. Always were a great public speaker. It's a wonder you got all these other schmucks to follow you. Maybe it's the different look. You know. You just scared everyone into following you. Dante heaved a heavy sigh; yeah, that was... pretty likely, actually.

The Houndemn turned his head to Raiden as he interrupted his own self-degrading thoughts, happy for a diversion. "We should really be getting back, the others are probably worried about you Dante. You didn't exactly run out in the best of circumstances." Oh. Yeah. Shit. Dante glanced down and gave a nervous chuckle. Truth be told, getting out here was a bit of a blur. You know, to go with the other giant mural of blurs that were his memories. "You ladies are of course welcome to join us, we won't revoke the invitation, but we really need to get back before they start looking for us. Come on Dante."

As much as Dante would rather and hear the women's reply outright, he had to acknowledge the logic Raiden presented. They really did need to get back. He gave the pair a last look and then followed his much smaller companion, his long stride easily making up what time he did waste by hesitating. They'd find out soon enough if they had more company, he guessed.

"I suppose we should at least try, shouldn't we? Not like we have a lot of other options at the moment. What do you think Ellie? Want to join them?"

There was no way she could handle being out in the cold another night. No way. Her ears, tail, and paws ached from the frigid temperature in a way that made her very, very concerned. But she wasn't one to admit defeat or weakness easily and so she gave Ardere a happy, optimistic smile. "Pfft, I could stay out here forever," she lied, "but I mean, we should really think about Baby. A nice warm place with lots of people to help take care of it sounds much better than... you know... this awful shack." She looked up the the darkened rafters of the warehouse, feeling a chill down her spine that she was definitely sure was not caused from the snow. "I hate this place. If they wanted to hurt us, they would have already attacked, right?"

[[Should be just one last turn I AM SO SORRY]]

[Skip.]

"Pfft, I could stay out here forever," Ellie replied with a big smile. "But I mean, we should really think about Baby. A nice warm place with lots of people to help take care of it sounds much better than... you know... this awful shack." Ardere wasn't sure how to feel about doing things just for the strange child she now attended to, since her priority was their lives over the shell-encompassed one, but she wasn't going to argue with the Sylveon. She meant well. "I hate this place. If they wanted to hurt us, they would have already attacked, right?"

Her gaze turned back towards the retreating hounds and she shrugged, sighing a bit as she tried to remind Ellie that not everyone was as friendly as the pink fox was to everyone else. "Maybe, but maybe not. It could be a trap, they could want to feed us to their group, they could want breeders, we don't know their minds so it's not safe to assume they are okay just because they didn't attack us." She realized that she may have gotten a bit dark with her descriptions and figured being completely honest was going to be the best way to ease both of their minds. "But truthfully I'm surprised we even survived one night in this place, so if they have a chance at something better we may as well see what they are offering. Come on."

Raiden was so relieved when Dante joined him without a fuss. It seemed reminding him that he had darted out into the morning snow after nearly attacking Strix as he tried to escape his own mind had been enough to convince him to come back willingly. Thankfully the house they were staying at wasn't too far away from the ramshackle warehouse where so many awful memories lay buried beneath the rubble. How in the world had those women chosen that exact warehouse to hide in? And another female Houndoom at that? It was almost eerie.

"Wait!" Raiden paused at the voice calling out to them, turning around to see the two females following them and making an effort to catch up. So it seemed they would be joining them after all. Swell... Oh well, at least he could be polite since Dante had invited them. "Welcome ladies, glad to see you decided to join us after all. This shelter isn't far from here so we should still probably keep our voices down just in case something is nearby. Just a precaution."

Ardere frowned at the implied scolding from the other hound and huffed. "Says the guy whose friend threw off a signal flare to anything in a five mile radius." Raiden frowned back. Yeah, this was a great idea. He reminded himself to thank Dante later for this.

Rune padded quietly behind the giant beast, watching his large tail drag and leave deep marks in the snow. She uneasily glanced behind her at the disappearing figures of the others, clicking her claws together in a growing anxiety. "Strix," She began, bounding to his side as he trudged aimlessly. "Where we goin'?"

"Doesn't matter," He mumbled, his empty stare unmoving from a point somewhere ahead of them. Her ears flattened as she let out a deep sigh, her arms crossing over her chest. "You ain't seein' straight; we gotta head back. Dante lost his gorram mind and needs to be dragged back ta-"

"He's not Dante anymore!" Strix snarled, making the small Sneasel jump. "He's gone, it's high time you saw that!" His voice cracked as he spoke, his face twisted in emotional turmoil. "What do you expect me to do, he's terrified of me!" A long silence filled the air as he continued on his trek to nowhere. "...I did all I could. I got nothing but trouble out of it, not to mention a near-death experience. I don't care much for reliving it."

"Maybe, but maybe not. It could be a trap, they could want to feed us to their group, they could want breeders, we don't know their minds so it's not safe to assume they are okay just because they didn't attack us." "Breeders"? Ellie's head tilted a little at the word, unaware of the word's implications or even definition. It sounded bad, though, so she didn't press further. "But truthfully I'm surprised we even survived one night in this place, so if they have a chance at something better we may as well see what they are offering. Come on."

Ellie followed with a nod after her Houndoom guardian, grunting a little as her sore paws once more sank into the frigid snow. The warehouse wasn't much, but at least it had kept most of the wind out... "Wait!" The men both stopped and turned to watch them catch up. "Welcome ladies, glad to see you decided to join us after all. This shelter isn't far from here so we should still probably keep our voices down just in case something is nearby. Just a precaution."

"Says the guy whose friend threw off a signal flare to anything in a five mile radius." Ellie snickered at Ardere's sass and the giant, terrifying bone hound in which it referenced sheepishly laughed at the joke.

"Yeah, not... not my smartest move. But glad to see you two; it's not far." Content that the women had indeed made it with them, his pace was granted some speed, in only that he would rather not linger with an expectant mother in their midst.

He had been true to his word; it wasn't a long trek in the slightest. Dawn finally stretched its marigold fingers over the sky to help its slow crawl across it. Golden light kissed and painted the snow around them to present a gilded sea at their feet, its illusion only broken by cold and azure shadows. It didn't take long to crest the final snow dune that revealed their meager shelter, however, it looked like there were others out to greet them. Or... maybe not. The expression on the Nidoking and his impish companion's faces didn't bode well and Dante's mind instantly flashed to the terror of his waking nightmare. Oh... He had... and...

Well, shit.

Dante trotted down to close the gap between them easily, looking to Raiden a moment. "You take them ahead into the shelter; I just need to talk to them a bit." Without leaving Raiden a chance to argue, Dante turned his back on the electric hound to face Strix, his expression one of concern and anxiety. "Look, about this morning, I--" He shook his head. "I'm really sorry. There was... there was a lot happening. And I bolted out and started digging at this spot on a hill and I'm not even sure why anymore..." He glanced back at the direction he'd dashed, heaving a heavy sigh. "This amnesia's kicking my ass and I'm really sorry if I scared you or pissed you off or anything. I wasn't... I wasn't me this morning. I can barely remember it, actually."

When the Nidoking stomped outside, Candice hardly gave him or his Sneasel companion a moment's notice. She had no interest in whatever past traumas this group was involved in.

Any Pokemon that weren't her own were merely allies with mutual interests, and nothing more.

After some time, she can finally spot the approach of her wayward companions, though it looks as though they weren't the only ones coming this direction. Candice, who had been standing there with her arms crossed, feels the grip of her fingers tighten. The first time Dante brought unfamiliar Pokemon to her, she had said nothing because they'd been with the entire group.

Now, though, things are different. Candice cannot be expected to house every wandering stray that happens to blunder into Snowpoint; she doesn't have the supplies for that. Whoever these newcomers are, they should not expect to stick around long unless they agreed to help her. That is only fair, after all.

Her plan was to confront Dante directly, but instead, the Houndoom ends up going straight towards the Nidoking. She narrows her eyes, but makes no move to intervene. He would not be here right now if the other canine had not agreed to bring along the strangers, and that made him the second option.

This gives her the opportunity to see who've they brought with them...hmm. A second Houndoom, and the pink Eeveelution whose specific name she forgets. At least it is another Fire-type, though Candice's instincts do not particularly care for the idea of two Houndooms being around her own Pokemon. If anything, they don't appear to be threatening; in fact, the Eeveelution can't be anything more than a child.

That makes things...difficult. Candice is many things, but she is not someone who would leave a child to die in the cold. However, they can't reasonably expect to have a young Pokemon join them in Snowpoint either. This is a dilemma, and one she did not expect.

Perhaps it would be best to settle the matter when everyone is together again. There is still the matter of telling Dante about the others that left, after all. Even though she's willing to provide more Pokemon a place to be for now, Candice would give her piece sooner or later. Logistically, she cannot support a large group of Pokemon, especially not ones with greater physical needs. By the end of today, Dante would need to be told this. It could wait, but only for awhile.

"Welcome back," Candice greets the Manectric upon his and the other Pokemon's approach, opening the door for them. To the Houndoom and Eeveelution she says, "And greetings. I am Candice."

(tbh I'm not really sure if the egg is visible with Ardere walking around? :/ this post might be a little off 'cause of that)

Ardere allowed herself a little smile as Dante's self-awareness redeemed him a little bit in her eyes. Everyone had their breaking points in this new world, Ardere herself had had several, and it seemed Dante had found one of his. She could forgive that. Thankfully both males were correct when they said it wouldn't be a long trip back to wherever they came from. After several minutes she noticed a large purple pokemon and then a slight figure standing in a doorway. A human.

The Houndoom tensed a little bit at the sight of the human, not sure if she was quite ready for the confrontation with their kind again, but the egg rocking against her chest in its sling reminded her that she needed to keep moving. She looked to Ellie for confirmation before heading towards the house and only slowed down again when she saw Dante breaking away.

"You take them ahead into the shelter; I just need to talk to them a bit." Raiden's expression said volumes about what he thought about that idea but Dante was already trotting off before the electric hound could reply. He glared in Strix's direction a little before huffing and storming off past the females and leaving a bewildered Ardere in his wake. That purple dino had better not ruin all the progress he made with Dante today or he was going to be very, very sorry.

"Welcome back," the human, Candice, greeted him as he huffed once again under his breath. He shook his head and forced a polite smile so as to try and not take his anger out on the human who had done nothing wrong. "Thank you. I'm glad to see you are still alright given the dramatic exit we forced you to endure. Dante....should be back in shortly." He paused for a moment and allowed the females to catch back up and decided to lose himself in his old charmer ways for just a bit to distract him from the potential threat outside.

"And greetings. I am Candice." Ardere paused a moment, paw hovering above the first step that would take her to the threshold of the woman before her. Her tail lowered until it was nearly dragging on the ground and she stared at the pale human. She was...well she was alive for starters. Ardere's head moved slowly side to side as she measured up the human and put her paw back down on the frozen ground beneath her. Should she trust her? Could she trust her?

Raiden shook his head and stepped back outside a moment to try and get everyone back indoors. "Ladies you already came all this way knowing we had a human with us, you may as well come inside. That egg could do with the warmth of a fire and not just your fur. Candice has already greeted you so it would be polite to at least give her your names. What do you say?" Ardere's inquisitive staring turned into a glare at the blue hound as he chastised her behavior, huffing at him. "Humans may be all well and dandy to you but this is one of the first I've seen in years so maybe you could try giving me a moment you pompous ass."

She looked up to Candice and tried to offer an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude," she looked over at Raiden again, "to you anyway. My name is Ardere and these two invited us here but...if you'd rather we go...we can find somewhere else. It's no trouble."


((She keeps the egg in a sling around her chest so it's okay if Candice didn't notice it. She could have just thought it was a bag of some sort. No worries ^_^))

As Dante approached, Strix' heart sank. Crossing his arms and pulling his tail closer to him, he tried his best to harden his features. He felt raw and exposed in this new uncertainty, and it wasn't a sensation he was comfortable with. He wasn't sure if he was even prepared to look at him yet, but Rune had other plans. "Talk to him, dumbass!" She hissed in annoyance, just as the large hound padded up.

"Look, about this morning, I--" Dante shook his head, anxiety furrowing his brow. "I'm really sorry. There was... there was a lot happening. And I bolted out and started digging at this spot on a hill and I'm not even sure why anymore..." He glanced back at the direction he'd dashed, heaving a heavy sigh.  Strix' frown deepened in worry as he watched the hound struggle internally, feeling a pang of sympathy for him. How would he deal with losing his memories, if it happened to him? Losing himself? He found himself lacking in answers. "This amnesia's kicking my ass and I'm really sorry if I scared you or pissed you off or anything. I wasn't... I wasn't me this morning. I can barely remember it, actually."

Strix' heavy head turned slightly to glance at the tiny sneasel at his side. She shrugged her shoulders in impatience, offering no help. Strix uneasily turned his attention back to Dante, sighing as he tried to get his head sorted. The sting lingered despite the apology, but seeing the distress on his face, lifted some of the uncertainty in his mind. He was still in there somewhere. He still wanted them around, or he wouldn't have even said anything. Letting his arms fall to his side, he finally spoke up.

"It's alright," He mumbled. "You know, you don't have to go it alone. We were there too." His large claws motioned towards the sneasel at his side, who scoffed and nodded dismissively. "Quicker we fix that bug-brain, the better. Ain't no point in a busted boss."

"It's alright," the big guy mumbled. "You know, you don't have to go it alone. We were there too." His giant, taloned paw motioned to the little scrappy Ice type beside him and Dante felt a warmth seep into his chest despite his earlier breakdown and the chill that surrounded them. For some reason, gratitude radiated from himself and he wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe he was just happy that another potential horror scenario was averted?

The Sneasel was quick to add her piece. "Quicker we fix that bug-brain, the better. Ain't no point in a busted boss." Again, gratitude warmed the hound's face as he looked between them a moment.

"Thanks, really, to the both of you." He took in a steadying breath and released it in a sheepish laugh. "I... I'm hoping it's not a daily thing, though. That'd be terrible. In any case, let's get back inside-- it's still too fucking cold out here."

---

Ellie was mostly focusing on keeping her body from violently shivering as they made their way to the little shelter that -thankfully- wasn't terribly far from where they'd been earlier. She'd kept quiet during their short walk, intent on keeping as close to Ardere without tripping her, but did flash her an upbeat grin whenever the motherly hound glanced back at her. Man, this sucked. Why did they come up this way, again? Whose bright idea was it to get completely lost and stranded in the snowed-in place? Shit. "Welcome back."

The Sylveon's head snapped up at the unknown voice to see a unicorn --er, human. Her wide baby blue eyes watched for a moment and then relaxed; oh, right. They'd said something about a human being here. The uptight Manectric spoke to her next. "Thank you. I'm glad to see you are still alright given the dramatic exit we forced you to endure. Dante....should be back in shortly." Ellie spied past them to the warmth that radiated from inside. Man, that sounded good. Warmth. Enclosed space. It was like heaven in there, surely.

"And greetings. I am Candice." Ellie managed a small gesture with her frozen paw, but said nothing-- Ardere's obvious fright and caution cued Ellie to keep her enthusiasm about getting inside to herself and in check. The older female's body language screamed "uncertainty", but Ellie made no move for or against it. She only watched carefully.

The Manectric seemed to be impatient, however, and started ssassing Ardere. "Ladies you already came all this way knowing we had a human with us, you may as well come inside. That egg could do with the warmth of a fire and not just your fur. Candice has already greeted you so it would be polite to at least give her your names. What do you say?"

Yeah, that was a bad move. Ardere's posture straightened and she sent an agitated glare to the male, earning a small snicker from the spectating Sylveon. "Humans may be all well and dandy to you but this is one of the first I've seen in years so maybe you could try giving me a moment, you pompous ass."

The "pompous ass" taken care of, Ardere turned to address the human. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude," Raiden was once again the victim of one of her glares, "to you anyway. My name is Ardere and these two invited us here but...if you'd rather we go...we can find somewhere else. It's no trouble."

Seeing Ardere confidently address the human gave Ellie an allowance of gusto and so she peeked out from the former's legs to say her own piece. "Hiya, I'm Ellie. I don't think I've seen a human since all the dumb stuff happened." She glanced back to Raiden and snickered. "Heh heh, you got told..." She looked back to the human and tilted her head. "Jerk-wad here isn't yours, is he? 'Cause if he is, I'm sorry."

Candice's greeting is met with silence and a questioning stare, and she can understand why: the Houndoom is assessing her, perhaps wondering if she'd been lead somewhere unsafe. It's an action Candice is not unfamiliar with, and one she can respect. Nobody can expect trust in these days, let alone demand it. Caution is what has helped keep her alive all these years, after all; some might call it paranoia, but Candice knows it's only common sense not to put your faith in a stranger.

The Manectric, however, is not as keen on waiting as Candice is. "Ladies you already came all this way knowing we had a human with us, you may as well come inside. That egg could do with the warmth of a fire and not just your fur. Candice has already greeted you so it would be polite to at least give her your names. What do you say?" Egg? Candice glances back over at the Houndoom, her eyes going to the odd sling around her chest. She had not thought much of it before now, only that it was strange for the canine to be wearing one. Now, her wearing it makes sense. An egg in Snowpoint, of all places...the cold would be a death sentence, even with a Houndoom caring for it. Her land is cruel and unforgiving to humans and Pokemon alike, no matter what typing the latter may be.

"Humans may be all well and dandy to you but this is one of the first I've seen in years so maybe you could try giving me a moment you pompous ass," the Dark-type snaps back, obviously displeased. Her retort is well-deserved; Candice didn't appreciate the impatient tone, and it wasn't even aimed at her. Did he really not expect at least some sort of hesitation between two people meeting for the first time?

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude," the Houndoom says to her with a half-smile, before turning to the scolded canine with another glare, "to you anyway. My name is Ardere and these two invited us here but...if you'd rather we go...we can find somewhere else. It's no trouble."

If it had only been Ardere, Candice might've made her intentions clear then and there: only those who intend to help her in return can stay. But seeing that egg, and the young Eeveelution with her, Candice cannot leave them to a harsh fate in the cold. It wouldn't be right. She never wants to see another child lost to the freezing temperatures again.

...Besides, since those other Eeveelutions left, roughly the same amount of space will be taken up. What a coincidence that two left right before two more showed up.

"Hiya, I'm Ellie." Candice has to look down to see her poking her head out from between the Houndoom's forelegs. She looks rather...adorable. "I don't think I've seen a human since all the dumb stuff happened." Well, dumb stuff is certainly a way to put it. For a moment, Ellie's childlike manner and her sass towards the Manectric is almost cute enough to bring the tiniest of smiles to Candice's face. Almost, but not quite.

"Jerk-wad here isn't yours, is he? 'Cause if he is, I'm sorry."

"No, he's not," Candice replies, her tone a smidgeon softer than usual. Her attention returns to Ardere, knowing how cold the two of them must be. She's freezing too, just not enough to begin complaining about it. When you live in Snowpoint your entire life, the cold becomes something to be both respected, and expected. "Both of you are welcome to come inside. We can talk more there."

Ardere almost chuckled at the sensation of Ellie’s large ears brushing her forelegs as she popped up between them like a brightly colored children’s toy. "Hiya, I'm Ellie. I don't think I've seen a human since all the dumb stuff happened." The Houndoom nodded her head in agreement as she too hadn’t seen anything so wondrous as a living human in these last few years. "Heh heh, you got told..." Raiden frowned at the pink fox and resisted the urge to snarl at her in front of Candice.

Ardere also frowned down at her small companion and gave her a little tap with her leg to show she wasn’t pleased by the action. As much as the Manectric left a sour taste in her own mouth they had to be cautious about upsetting any of their hosts. At least Ellie seemed to quickly understand that herself so Ardere refrained from actually scolding her. "Jerk-wad here isn't yours, is he? 'Cause if he is, I'm sorry."

"No, he's not," Candice reassured gently making Ardere feel much better about the female. If he had been hers then his attitude would only speak of what kind of trainer she was. But luckily that wasn’t the case. "Both of you are welcome to come inside. We can talk more there." Ardere nodded and offered a polite smile before nudging Ellie to walk with her up the steps and into the warm house. “Thank you Miss, you didn’t have to do this for us. We truly appreciate the hospitality.”

Raiden waited for all of the females to enter before taking one last look at Dante and Strix, his frown still set on his muzzle. He prayed to any Legend that would listen that Strix’s babbling and his snarky runt companion didn’t mess up all of the progress he and the hound had made just that morning. Dante was already confused and any more would make him start questioning everything, including Raiden’s sincerity. That simply wouldn’t do. But he couldn’t press the hound to be only in his company as that would also endanger their progress so he was suffered to wait. With a heavy sigh and a shake of his head he eventually went inside to await the hound’s return.

"Thanks, really, to the both of you." Strix nodded, a faint smile unfurrowing his heavy brows. "I... I'm hoping it's not a daily thing, though. That'd be terrible. In any case, let's get back inside-- it's still too fucking cold out here."

"It's about damned time," Rune snorted as she began to pad towards the shelter. "Thought I was gonna lose mah toes before you two kissed and made up." Strix' face scrunched up in annoyance, but let the comment pass. As he followed behind the others, his ears raised when he noticed a large houndoom accompanied by the electric canine and human entering the shelter.

"Who's the new face?" He asked cautiously, his gaze quickly scanning their surroundings in renewed interest. The crisp air was relatively quiet, save for a chilly gust blowing through the trees that died as it passed through the thick forest.

(Sorry for the shit post, I'm struggling with fibro fog)

"No, he's not," the human reassured, prompting Ellie to flash her a big, bright smile. Her tail wagged unconsciously. "Both of you are welcome to come inside. We can talk more there." Oh, inside? Inside? Thank Legends above, she could warm her toes and keep from losing them to this goddamn snow. She must have zoned out in her inward celebration, since Miss Ardere nudged her to move. She more than happily obliged. “Thank you Miss, you didn’t have to do this for us. We truly appreciate the hospitality.”

"Thank you!" she called happily as she all but leaped inside, all too eager to be near the fire and all the warm bodies within. She stretched and already felt the snow dripping off of her-- oops. She should have probably shook that off. She trotted to the entrance and rid herself of snow hastily, hoping the larger, more capable female canine could help.

Meanwhile, Dante was simply glad to see the two females accepted by their collective host. "It's about damned time," the sassy little Sneasel scoffed as she made her way down to the shelter herself. Dante moved a little after her; his paws were beginning to complain about the chill. "Thought I was gonna lose mah toes before you two kissed and made up." For some reason, the sentiment caused Dante to chuckle. Maybe it was that combined with the weird look Strix gave. Still, it was nice to have a reason to laugh.

"Who's the new face?" Oh, right. He hadn't told them yet. Oops.

"Two females I found in this old warehouse after my... freakout," Dante explained. "They were nearly frozen to death and clean, so... it didn't feel right to just leave them there. The kid's a little annoying, but I think they just want a place to warm up a little bit." He looked back to the Nidoking, a bit of concern crossing him as he watched the other scan their surroundings. "...Everything ok?"

“Thank you Miss, you didn’t have to do this for us. We truly appreciate the hospitality.”

Candice gives a curt nod as a response, allowing the Houndoom to walk inside. It is best for her and her egg to be out of the cold as soon as possible. Admittedly, the hound's gratitude reminds Candice that she is not accustomed to offering her resources up out of pure altruism. She'd only extended her offer of help to Dante after being promised something in return; only time could determine whether or not Candice would eventually do the same for Ardere. It seems rather cruel to bring it up too soon.

"Thank you!" Ellie adds, the cute but also snow-covered Eeveelution racing inside without a second thought. She seems to realize that the snow on her fur would melt, however, and soon returned back to her guardian's side. Well, it was only water, and Candice couldn't fault a child for wanting to be warm as soon as they could. She shot a stern glance towards Borealis, a silent command for the asocial Glaceon to not admonish his fellow Eeveelution. He didn't seem happy, but Candice knew him too well to expect him to be happy around any stranger.

When the others were all inside, Candice notices that a few of them still lingered outside. She expected everyone to want to be inside as soon as they could, considering the cold. Sparing a quick glance to make sure she wasn't missing anyone already in the building, Candice stepped back outside, just far enough to where the other Pokemon could hear her without needing to shout.

"Is something the matter?"