(ACE) The BURNED Team

"A Jolteon," Balthazar catches Cold Stare's muttering but does not say anything herself-one of the Eeveelution lines, she wasn't expecting that. With these numbers, the kid would be royally screwed if he was dumb enough to think of fighting them. Jolteons weren't exactly known for their durability in battle, after all. "You've got eyes on you, broski. Come out slow, I'll see if you make any move." The Jolteon is probably ready to piss himself-hell, it's written all over his face-and he has no choice but to leave the thin safety of the darkness. Balthazar gives the newcomer a look-over: Jolteons were naturally thin, but this one doesn't look battle-hardened or even slightly tough. The bandana, though...Trainer-owned? Or simply a pet? Wild Pokemon rarely bothered to take human-made accessories. If he was human-owned, then perhaps his unimpressive appearance wasn't all there was to it...or maybe he was only a dumbass kid. Balthazar wasn't getting her hopes up.

"Sorry if I alerted you all, I was searching for a place to stay and I had no idea you all was hiding out in here." Yeah, this one was a dumb kid, and by all accounts harmless. He'd stumbled along straight into the midst of an entire group, but lucky for him, they weren't about to rip his face off. Merle would if he had the chance, but that was a trivial detail; the rest of them, including Balthazar herself, they weren't so quick to bite. Unless you try something so outrageously stupid that killing you would be a mercy. She flicks her tail, suddenly annoyed by the thought. Balthazar has no desire to kill random kids, yet her thoughts always took her there every time. Damn. Now even her own mind was playing these idiotic games...well, she has no intention of playing along. Those thoughts could go fuck themselves for all she cares.

"My name is Sparkster."
"Aaden."
"...Name's Balthazar." It feels almost pointless to her to add that in, but names always seemed like some magical way to get people to trust you more. Though the Jolteon's opinion of her is worth less than the purple, rotting Rattata from downstairs, Balthazar really does not want more annoying chatter about trusting so-and-so and whatever. It always went in useless circles.
"Some free advice, it's better not to draw the undead to you. And if you feel the burning need to, do it away from our tower." Four years into this shitfest; this should have been common knowledge, not something "Sparkster" was only now discovering to be true. This was going to be so interesting. At least Aaden has it covered, and was certainly a far more calming presence for the petrified stranger than her or the other "demon" hounds. Maybe he can keep the kid from trying to run and attracting the attention of whoever-whatever-had decided to start their own personal roast. "Is there anyone else who came in with you? Anything else you wanna tell us now before we finish looking around and find out anyway?"

Balthazar looks the Jolteon in the eyes; if he was faking being afraid, he was doing a damn good job of it. Best speak up, kid.

The Jolteon at least seemed compliant enough, though the Luxio's sharp gaze refused to falter. "Sorry if I alerted you all, I was searching for a place to stay and I had no idea you all was hiding out in here." Cold Stare was not sure if he should snort and roll his eyes or just turn around and walk away. He was far from the leader of the group, he was far less useful than anyone and had no say in the things that happened. The only, single right thing he could do was see the Eeveelution before he came out of hiding. Though the weird little bandanna thing he had was... interesting, to say the least.

In a past life, Cold Stare remembered having a collar. Thing was blue and bejeweled. He hated it.

But those memories were much more than dead, they were erased. The Luxio's life had began after meeting Mamba, after running away from there, and no one could ever convince him otherwise. "My name is Sparkster." The introduction brought more life to the cat's expression, his eyes staring with disbelief. Spark...ster? Oh dear Christ, did you mom hate you as a child? What if he had been a Vaporeon instead? Or Leafeon? Oh man, that just made Cold Stare love his own name more.

"Aaden." The Blaziken said his name-- had he said it before? Cold Stare could not for the life of him remember. But, hey, now he did and there was a name to put to his face.

Beside him, the Mightyena added in a low voice, "...Name's Balthazar." This prompted the Luxio to clear his throat, though his ears remained flicked backwards in an aggressive way.
"Cold Stare."

"Some free advice, it's better not to draw the undead to you. And if you feel the burning need to, do it away from our tower."
"Got a good point there," he scoffed quietly while Aeden was speaking.
"Is there anyone else who came in with you? Anything else you wanna tell us now before we finish looking around and find out anyway?"

That recaptured the cat's attention. Sparing a glance at Balthazar, he trotted forward to reach the ground level and exit the stairs completely. Glancing around, he could see no one else through the walls. Seems safe enough. He gave a nod to Balthazar but remained where he was.

For a moment, Sil's ears darted about, the shadow of an echo dancing at the fringes of her senses. Was something there? Likely, but what? The ever-cautious doe shifted her weight slightly, ready to fight or flee when a small flash of pink darted in and out of her periphery. But before she even had the chance to question it, a familiar figure stepped out of the brush, nothing but coy and confidence.

Sil couldn't help her eyes widening in shock at the sight of the meinshao, whom she almost didn't recognize thanks to the large scar dug deep into her face. The silvery sawsbuck took the smallest of steps back as Kinah's malicious grin snaked out from beneath her long snout. "Long time no see, Silverish." Though Sil's initial reaction at seeing the meinshao was relief and joy that she was still alive, those emotions were quickly swept back beneath her own caution as everything about the other Pokemon was insanely wrong. Sil flicked an ear behind her to listen for the others, placing them about where she'd left them. She wasn't entirely sure if that was a good or bad thing.

Judging that Kinah seemed a little too happy to see her, Sil was banking on "bad".

"Kinah," Sil replied, guarded. Her adrenaline was pumping now, making it hard to stay still. "...I'm glad..." She frowned, the words already turning sour in her mouth. Any attempt to congratulate Kinah on her survival would just sound like she was happy Cass died and... that just simply wasn't the case. She shook her head free of the thought entirely, looking Kinah once more straight in the eye, guarded, yet confidant on her own. "What are you doing here?" It wasn't a demand or in a condescending tone, merely a question.

"Kinah...I'm glad..."

Her pause was more than warranted. The Mienshao's eyes narrowed as her elusive target realized that she had not indeed perished as the silver furred doe had assumed. Though by all rights she should be, seeing as how the other female had left them to the Weavile's mercy. That she abandoned them. Sil seemed to notice the hard demeanor of her former companion and did her best to pull her act together. "What are you doing here?"

Kinah smirked, crossed arms unfolding to brush away an imaginary piece of dirt from her shoulder. "Oh, just...hunting," she replied casually, head still turned away but her gaze trained on Sil with a marked glare. "It is almost ironic that I found you here," she continued, eyes wandering off of her target to offer a forlorn look to the crumbling mass of a tower that had been her last sight before fleeing the city. "You know, before I met you, I came from here." Kinah's explanation was almost distant, detached. "I lost two friends right over there, one to the very same Weavile who left me these," her paw traced gently down her face and neck, the length of her scars. "You remember her, right?"

((So sorry about the short post Sil, lol. Work is nuts right now))

When the hidden creature finally revealed himself as a Jolteon, the first thing he had to do was to reiterate on the whole demon thing. "What are you both anyways?" he asked, looking at the brothers. Daryl could hear the innocence in his voice - he was merely curious rather than malicious - but doubted that Merle had the emotional capacity to interpret it in any other way. To him, everything was a challenge. "I thought you both was demons with those horns sticking out like that."

Daryl held his breath as his older brother slithered forward, almost nose-to-nose with the spiky evolution, and sneered, "Don' tempt me, son. If you want me to turn demon, I can happ'ly show ya jus' what happens when ya piss me off." His tongue slid over his top lip. "If ya wanna keep all ya limbs, I suggest ya keep that lil ol' mouth o' yours shut."

"Merle, that's enough. Knock it off," Daryl snapped, deciding it was time to step forward. If he carried on like this, then there would most definitely be a fight soon. But then, that was exactly what the bastard wanted; Daryl could see the bloodlust in his eyes. "He was jus' askin' a damn question."

Merle slowly turned to look at him then, that malicious grin plastered across his smug face. Daryl just wanted to swipe it straight off. "I's just kiddin' around, Daryl," he said, giving the Jolteon a friendly nudge with his paw. "Sparkster here knows I ain't gonn' hurt a hair on his lil head."

Sighing, Daryl decided that he didn't want to look at his brother for a minute, and instead turned to see that Sil was having a rather tense-looking discussion with a Mienshao. The Direyena frowned; he could've sworn that she hadn't been there before. Did the two know each other? Ignoring the conversations going on around him, he watched them intently. He had a feeling trouble was about to arise.

"Where'd she come from?" Merle appeared at his side, flopping down onto his haunches. Good - he'd left the Jolteon alone for a moment, at least. "They's two look like they already acquainted."

"I know," Daryl mumbled, sitting beside his brother and flicking his tail anxiously. He could practically feel the tension between the two females from here. "I don' think they're on the best terms ... best keep an eye on 'em..."

Aaden waits for a response from the jolteon. Around him, he can hear several of the others introduce themselves as well. Any small sense of  calm that this might have arose from this exchange is swept away quickly by the canine pair. "If ya wanna keep all ya limbs, I suggest ya keep that lil ol' mouth o' yours shut." Abruptly after, the older of the brothers pushes his way forward with his teeth only a whisker's length away. Aaden didn't have to be close to the pair to feel the tension beginning to clog the air between them.

Was he trying to start a fight? Surely he could see just as well as himself that this pokemon was no longer a threat? Perhaps, Merle should even be able to see this better, being able to see in the dark and all. "Merle, that's enough. Knock it off," At least both of them weren't like this. "He was jus' askin' a damn question." Aaden remains rooted to where he originally kneeled down and close in case he was needed. However, it was like Daryl's words flipped a switch. Suddenly it became a joke.

"I's just kiddin' around, Daryl," What sort of game was this? 'See how much I can get away with?' Aaden's frown deepened, but he didn't interfere, clearly whatever the reasonable brother was doing hit the right points and calmed the other down. "Sparkster here knows I ain't gonn' hurt a hair on his lil head."

What have I gotten myself into... Aaden sighs to himself internally.

Mercifully, the pair back up, finding interest elsewhere in the tower. Situating himself between Sparkster and the retreated dark-types. "Don't let him get under your skin." He says, but notes the lack of response and attributes it to them. "We're not looking for a fight. This city doesn't need more dead bodies." Catching something out of the corner of his eyes, the blaziken turns slightly, just in time to see the tail-end of Cold Stare's nod.

Must be safe enough..."I'm take your silence as a 'no' but speak up if you think of something." Pushing off the ground, he returns to his full height. Then, trusting the newcomer to be civil, the look from him to address the rest of the gathered group. "This is the last building still fit to even be called one anywhere in sight. We gotta keep looking, There might even be enough wood and rocks around the tower for us to barricade the ground level." He reiterates, though mostly for Sparkster's benefit. "And since my charity is still running, you can help if you like son. If you stay in sight and try nothing funny."

Kinah "casually" flicked a piece of nothing off her shoulder, her aloofness only driving Sil's caution and anticipation further through the roof. This was bad. "Oh, just...hunting," she replied with a disinterested air, then punctuated it with a marked glare. Sil kept her face stern, expressionless. She had to keep aware of any little tell of a potential attack. It wouldn't take much for the experienced fighter to knock her out. "It is almost ironic that I found you here," Kinah continued, her gaze going to the ruined city around them. Sil, however, only flicked an ear in the direction Kinah looked, unwilling to take her eyes off the dangerous female or indulge her in this weird nostalgic tangent. She did hear Daryl and Merle; maybe they were closer. Sil wasn't entirely sure whether that was good news or not, though.

"You know, before I met you, I came from here." Kinah's voice sounded far more distant this time, as if she were reliving memories as she spoke. Good. It'd give Sil a little more time to try and figure out a way out of this. "I lost two friends right over there, one to the very same Weavile who left me these," she spoke, trailing a paw down the nasty scars on her face. "You remember her, right?"

Sil slowly nodded, still watching Kinah carefully. Her entire body was ready to spring away from an attack, but she kept her head a little lower coming out of the nod. It was a much better thought to have her antlers between Kinah and her throat. "I'm not looking for a fight, Kinah." Sil's voice was low and firm, but still soft. "Certainly not one with you."

Despite her stony exterior, inside Kinah a storm was brewing. Sil barely gave her words any acknowledgment, and despite looking right at her the Mienshao could practically see the gears in the doe's head turning. She wasn't paying even the slightest attention. "I'm not looking for a fight, Kinah," Sil began, finally breaking her silence. "Certainly not one with you." Kinah laughed derisively, the cruel sound thundering in her ears as she felt all of her anger swelling to the surface. "Pity," she replied, cutting off the laughter abruptly and moving into a ready stance. "Because I am."

Without warning she went at Sil, leaping high into the air to try and bring a Hi Jump Kick down on her former ally. Luckily for the doe Kinah's aim was off and she instead came crashing down hard next to where she had been standing, the impact cracking the ground and sending jolts of pain up the fighters legs and spine. But she shook it off, instead turning around and preparing for another go at the Sawsbuck. "You think after what you did I would let you go? That you would get to live and be free while everyone else died around you?!" Kinah's anger was summoning her Hidden Power, flames coiling around the fighter like wild serpents, growing increasingly stronger with her emotion. "Cassius died for you! I was left half blind for you! The others are all dead! And it's all. Your. FAULT!" Fury overwhelming her she let loose her wild Hidden Power, pouring all of her grief and hatred into the flames and praying they would overwhelm the other female.

"I like this," Merle said from Daryl's side, his tail flicking merrily from side to side as both brothers watched the tension rise between the two females. "Oh yessir I like it. Them bitches gonn' start a fight any second now."

Daryl agreed, but did not share his brother's excitement. While it was clearly not his place to interfere, it did certainly look like the Mienshao wasn't going to let Sil get away scott-free. These two knew each other, and were not on good terms. With a grunt of irritation, Daryl turned to the others, most of whom were getting acquainted with Sparkster. Perhaps he would have to step in, just so a full scale battle didn't erupt and put them all in danger; this tower's walls wouldn't survive many hits.

He'd spent too long thinking about it; the Fighting-type shot up into the air and came crashing down towards the Sawsbuck, missing her by mere inches. Had that been an attempt at an attack, or just a warning? Either way, it was making Daryl feel uncomfortable.

He stood up, shifting uneasily on his paws as the Mienshao raised her voice, now loud enough for them to hear it. "You think after what you did I would let you go? That you would get to live and be free while everyone else died around you?! Cassius died for you! I was left half blind for you! The others are all dead! And it's all. Your. FAULT!"

He'd seen enough. Claws scratched upon the dusty wooden floor as Daryl sprung into action. A Hidden Power had already been let loose from the angry female, and all Daryl could think of was that his Shadow Ball might be able to dissipate it. He fired one from his open jaws, hoping it would intercept the attack before it got to Sil.

Balthazar's lips curl up, showing her teeth as the less-tolerable of the Direyena pair begins a bout of his yapping and pathetic attempts at dick-waving towards the Jolteon. She remembers saying something similar towards that one mouthy bird who'd vanished and mentally kicks herself-it had felt good at the time, but how has she sunken so low as to get off from threatening creatures smaller than herself? There was no victory in it. Iris would be ashamed of me, if she were here... Still, a part of her stubbornly clings to the old notion of "who the fuck cares", and it's a bigger part of her than Balthazar cares to admit. Luckily for everyone there, the two Direyenas back off, drawn by God-knows-what; she's not inclined to find out. Upon their slight exit, Aaden speaks up to address the shy newcomer. "Don't let him get under your skin. We're not looking for a fight. This city doesn't need more dead bodies." Always the diplomat; did that make her the hired muscle? Still, what's he saying is true; while Balthazar has no real attachment yet to any of them, anyone dying was not high on her list of priorities. If it happens, it happens...but still, best to try and avoid it altogether.

"This is the last building still fit to even be called one anywhere in sight." Not an impressive one, though...they would have to hope that there were no undead around with destructive capabilities, which was a misguided hope at best. As they've said many times already, it was a wonder the tower has not already collapsed in the past four years, and it would not take much to actually bring the thing down. But how the hell do you protect from completely compromised integrity? They could build all the structures they wanted, but the actual tower was still dangerous, unstable. "We gotta keep looking, There might even be enough wood and rocks around the tower for us to barricade the ground level." Well, that means Balthazar will need to return to the lower floors; they had been interrupted in their search by the arrival of Sparkster. Not that she hasn't stopped expecting to find nothing, but trying was better than standing around and doing nilch. The issue here was how a bunch of quadrupeds were going to build anything more than a cobbled-together, makeshift barrier; she was certainly not looking forward to dragging around burnt wood with her jaws. Damn, the awful taste would linger for hours.

"It's a fine idea, yeah," Balthazar says, "But if you want a barrier that'll actually last...that's gonna be a bit difficult. Most of us don't have anything resembling hands." She pauses, trying to think; what could help them here..."Maybe we could-" Her words stop as she picks up on the shouting outside, from a voice Balthazar does not even remotely recognize. It was then that she realises that the doe is not in the room with them any longer, either. "What the hell is going on out there?"

"We gotta keep looking, There might even be enough wood and rocks around the tower for us to barricade the ground level." The Blaziken's plan was sound, something the Luxio could not argue with. Cold Stare had a hard time following such a disinteresting conversation but he forced himself to focus as the one nearest him spoke, Balthazar adding in her own say to agree with the fire type.

"It's a fine idea, yeah," the Mightyena agrees. "But if you want a barrier that'll actually last...that's gonna be a bit difficult. Most of us don't have anything resembling hands. Maybe we could-"
The sound of shouts hits them at seeming the same time.

"What the hell is going on out there?"
"Another fight?!" The cat bounded forward, narrowing his eyes as he scanned the area. If ONLY I were a Luxray. True X-ray vision would have made it a lot easier to tell what was happening. "Wait- where's the doe?"

The boisterous, crazed laughter that bellowed from Kinah's open maw caused Sil to flinch slightly. Yeah, that definitely wasn't a good sign. "Pity," she replied, cutting off the laughter abruptly and moving into a ready fighting stance. Sil's eyes widened as she immediately knew she was very much in danger and had very little way of getting out of it. "Because I am."

In an instant, Kinah was up in the air, preparing what was probably going to be an attack that hurt. Quickly, Sil darted to the side just before the meinshao slammed down into the dirt. It looked like it hurt, but Sil was all out of sympathy at the moment. She watched in horror as the fighter quickly recovered and adapted a different tactic-- fire. How the fuck did she have FIRE? "You think after what you did I would let you go? That you would get to live and be free while everyone else died around you?!" Sil couldn't help the rage that was soon flooding her mind, that guilt once more trying to ensnare her. "Cassius died for you! I was left half blind for you! The others are all dead! And it's all. Your. FAULT!" The snaking fire was released, but it soon exploded midway between the two women.

Turning to see Daryl -at least she thought it was him; it would take a while to be able to tell the brothers apart- nearby, it was easy to assume he'd been the one to disrupt Kinah's attack. While she hadn't asked for assistance, she sure appreciated it. She gave a quick nod of thanks to the horned canine, then quickly turned her attention back to Kinah.

"Cassius was a dead man before I ever ran," she snapped at the fighter, her anger boiling. "The moment that thing showed up, all of us were marked for dead! The others left, Hannibal left, but no-- because some horny asshole threw his life away for someone he'd known for a DAY, it's MY FUCKING FAULT!" She stomped the ground and gored her antlers at the air, ready to attack if need be. "I'm genuinely glad you survived, Kinah, but don't for one second blame me for running away. Everyone else did. There was nothing I could do but DIE! Would that make your survivor's guilt better, if I had died too?! Or is it better already, because now you have someone to blame, someone you actually CAN kill instead of that monster, huh? FUCK YOU!"

Kinah let out an angry wail, sorrow-filled rage echoing in the small courtyard as she watched her flames get blown away by a dark orb of energy. She saw Sil turn to give an acknowledging nod to where the Shadow Ball had come from so the Meinshao flicked her gaze to see a large, horned canine off to the side. Seemed as though Sil just had a thing for dogs with horns. Mouth twisting into a snarl the ermine heard Sil begin to rattle off her excuses as to how nothing was actually her fault. Like she hadn't been responsible for everything that happened. Fucking lie after lie spewing out of her face, each word cutting into the fighter's mind like a hot knife.

"Or is it better already, because now you have someone to blame, someone you actually CAN kill instead of that monster, huh? FUCK YOU!"

"I knew I was going to die you bitch!" Kinah spat. "Do you have any idea how surprised I was to wake up at all? To see the blood and bodies painting the ground? To see your home destroyed?! To see....to see what she did to him?" As her anger reached a precipice, as soon as she tried to bring up Cassius a sob caught in her throat. Soon her angry words grew softer, her accent growing thicker, and large tears began to spill over and roll down her face even as she continued to berate Sil, body slumping as her rage visibly deflated until her head hung low to hide her shame from the Sawsbuck. "She froze him...you know. Like one of those human ice sculptures they have at stupid human weddings. All that shite she kept spewing about creating a forever winter.... I've seen her before, you know. The last time I was here, at this tower, she was here. we were up on the third or fourth floor when all hell broke loose. A dead Druddigon had us all running out of the tower to fight it, the Sawsbuck we were with started to turn and came after us, fucking Jirachi showed up, Paladin was dying from his injuries..."

She paused as her body began to shake from the sobbing, wrapping her arms around her middle and shifting her head up to look at the tower. Kinah's eyes were puffy and red as the memories of those events played fresh in her mind, her mind practically showing her the shadowed images replaying in front of her. She could see Paladin taking the hit that ripped his body in two, the doe that Sil reminded her of suddenly turning on the Hydreigon who loved her, Jirachi trying to get them to safety. But the image that most disturbed her was the Weavile, taunting her as she dragged away the frozen limb of Draol to snack on.

"It all started with her," she choked out. "That Weavile. She was right here when she froze him, just like Cassius. But the Haxorus wasn't left like Cash was, she shattered him. Broke him into so many pieces he could never be reassembled. I tried to gather as many as I could....I tried to offer him a warrior's funeral by burning the remains, but..." Kinah buried her face in her paws as realization dawned on her. "I couldn't even do that for Cash. I did it for a stranger I didn't even like but I couldn't do it for Pony Boy. I couldn't do anything...I left him there....I left...." Just like you did.


((Sorry about Kinah's rambling lol. She is going through a bit of an emotional breakdown at the moment. Also, the accent I mentioned is more of a southeast British than anything else.))

As planned, Daryl's Shadow Ball managed to intercept the Mienshao's attack, knocking the orb of fiery energy away from Sil. He stood defensively near to the pair, fangs bared in warning of what might happen if she decided to attack him instead. He didn't want to hurt anyone, but would have no qualms in putting the female in her place if she picked him as her next target. At least it was he and not Merle doing this; the Mienshao would've had her throat torn out by now if it were.

Speaking of Merle, his brother was being remarkably quiet, standing off to the side and watching the entire scene unfold with an unblinking glare; never a sign that something good was about to happen.

Daryl stayed out of it as the two females continued to scream at one another, the Direyena's ears twitching uneasily at the noise they were making. If they didn't knock it off soon all the walkers between here and Kalos would know where they were. How to get them to stop arguing without getting a beating himself; that was the challenge. Eventually the worst of the Mienshao's anger fizzled out and she began to cry, burying her face into her paws. Daryl would've felt sorry for her if he had any clue what she was talking about ... something about a Weavile and a Haxorus.

When the conversation finally died down, Daryl approached. He strode directly between them, quite sure the risk of getting attacked had significantly reduced. "If ya gonna continue this little chat, do it elsewhere - not here, with all of these Pokemon around." He gestured over his shoulder at the others, who were also watching the scene with apprehension. "They don' wanna see or hear this, and they sure as hell don't want a fight in this place; these wall come down we're all dead."

He turned to leave them be, satisfied he'd gotten his message across when he spotted Merle slithering over to the Mienshao's side, a large grin tugging at his jaw. "Aww you poor lil princess," he crooned, getting far too close for Daryl's liking. "Come on now - dry those tears. Ain't no need for cryin' over what ya can't change now, is there? You just relax and tell Uncle Merle aaaall about it. Gettin' it off your chest is the best medicine, trust me." He was almost coiling around her now, his tail swishing this way and that joyously. "'Sides, Uncle Merle ain't gonn' take any shit from a pair o' screaming, squealin' females," he spat with utter distaste, "screwin' up his turf. So ya better just keep ya damn mouths shut and behave, an' then we'll all get along nicely. A'right?"

He drew away from her, giving Daryl that smug look that he hated so much. "Look what I just got away with," it said. "Look what you let me get away with, you spineless bastard." Daryl growled deeply at his brother as he swaggered off, not sure how Sil and the Mienshao would react to that. To him, it was just Merle being Merle; always had to be the centre of attention, the boss ... to them it was a threat, and little known to them, a threat that Merle no doubt intended to carry out if he felt like it.

He held his breath, muscles tensed to react if necessary.

"It's a fine idea, yeah," The mightyena starts. Aaden looks over his shoulder to the canine. "But if you want a barrier that'll actually last...that's gonna be a bit difficult. Most of us don't have anything resembling hands. Maybe we could-" ...A very true statement. Come to think of it, he really was the only one with -real- hands to speak of. How was this even...then she cut off. The abruptness of it catching Aaden's attention and bringing him out of his thoughts. Something wasn't right.

"Another fight?!" Another? Come to think of it, weren't there several more 'mon just here? It's not hard to hear the sounds of a battle through the ruined walls. A loud sickening crack, the familiar, orange glow of flames...he knew the horned brothers were trouble, but already? "Aaden, if that yelling keeps going on its going to attract the undead right towards us and it'll add a danger to us all if they come." Sparing a glance to the newcomer, the blaziken saw him rearing to go.

"There never was a chance of today being easy, was there? Better keep them from calling the whole damn town over." He nearly hisses. By the time he's reached the outer wall, the fight has already began to simmer down. An unfamiliar fighting-type stands with her face full of tears surrounded by the doe and the canine brothers. ...So they weren't the cause. The weasel continued to ramble, seemingly oblivious to her growing audience, but the thick cracks from her previous attack are still very fresh in the ground. Just what the hell was this? Someone else who lost their mind?

To his further horror, Merle decides to add his own words of comfort to the situation. "screwin' up his turf. So ya better just keep ya damn mouths shut and behave, an' then we'll all get along nicely. A'right?" Was he trying to get his head to resemble the pavement? Aaden was fairly certain that if he was, this meinshao would more than happily help beat his head flat. "Ignore him." He calls stepping forward as Merle pulls back. "Who are you and what do you want?" The blaziken eyes Kinah warily, as if she might burst into another attack at any second. "We make much more noise and those things will come back."

Wait- where's the doe?"
"I maybe new here, but something isn't right. That yelling sounds hostile enough to know that this doe your speaking of could be in danger."

I don't have time for this. The sharp crack from whatever was happening in this fight rang like a gunshot in her ears; if they wanted to have a chance of ending the conflict, they had to act now. Balthazar does not hesitate, her heavy paws carrying her in a swift run to the outer wall. If this idiotic dogfight managed to destroy what was left of this rickety tower's "defenses", there was going to be hell to pay; had they not agreed that attacking each other was going to bring the damn tower down?
Balthazar's neck fur raises as she spots a Pokemon that wasn't part of their little ragtag group; a Mienshao, by the look of it, and likely the cause of that goddamn crack in the ground. Do they want to attract undead here? The Fighting-type was crying and ranting about something Balthazar doesn't care much about, aiming the words at the doe, who in turn looked absolutely pissed. So there was bad blood here, then...Great. Just what they need, already existing conflict between one of theirs and a psychotic Pokemon with a glaring type advantage against many of them...Balthazar included. Before she can tell the Mienshao to back the fuck off, the Direyena brothers make their intervention instead. Distractedly noting Aaden's arrival, Balth tenses, ready to respond if either the Mienshao or the Dark-types tried anything stupid.

Daryl's words were the logical ones, and probably would've done a lot more for the situation had Merle not dragged his sorry hide into it as well. His patronizing words and the way he was moving around her...Balthazar is about ready to throw up. This little show was disgusting. "'Sides, Uncle Merle ain't gonn' take any shit from a pair o' screaming, squealin' females," the Direyena doesn't even bother to hide his scorn, and Balthazar unashamedly wants to see the Mienshao turn his head into concrete.  That would be a satisfying thing to see. "screwin' up his turf. So ya better just keep ya damn mouths shut and behave, an' then we'll all get along nicely. A'right?"
"Your turf?" Balthazar retorts as she walks up to the other Pokemon, seeing as how the worst of the fighting seems to be over, for now at least. If the Mienshao wants to keep it going, they could very well get the hell away from the tower before killing each other. "That's the best joke I've heard all day, seeing as you don't own shit." Felt good to say it, but Balthazar is all too aware that against these two, she's really no match. But if worst came to worst...well, it wasn't like she'd have to fight by herself. Balthazar would've preferred that, but reality was a cruel bitch at times.

"Ignore him," Aaden says as he finally approaches them as well. It would probably take a miracle from whatever heaven even existed to get the other females to ignore it, but still. It was worth a try, and if the Mienshao calms down, maybe they'd make for a valuable ally. "Who are you and what do you want? We make much more noise and those things will come back." And if that happened, they were probably all going to die. Even being out here was a risk in itself; who knew how many of those beasts are already being drawn to the shouting and fighting?

[[Hannibal's post count continued from Snitch's last post on [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]]]

"I knew I was going to die you bitch!" Kinah spat. "Do you have any idea how surprised I was to wake up at all? To see the blood and bodies painting the ground? To see your home destroyed?! To see....to see what she did to him?" But when Sil expected another lurch or attack, the Meinshao did quite the opposite. At the mere mention of Cass, her voice caught and her body faltered. Sil watched, gaze hard, as the fighter simply fell to pieces right in front of her. "She froze him...you know. Like one of those human ice sculptures they have at stupid human weddings. All that shite she kept spewing about creating a forever winter.... I've seen her before, you know. The last time I was here, at this tower, she was here. we were up on the third or fourth floor when all hell broke loose. A dead Druddigon had us all running out of the tower to fight it, the Sawsbuck we were with started to turn and came after us, fucking Jirachi showed up, Paladin was dying from his injuries..."

Sil wouldn't let her guard down-- couldn't. But as Kinah rattled off descriptions and names, the Sawsbuck felt her unease and anxiety shift. Not to be on the edge of a fight for her life, no-- this was the anxiety of a social moron. Sil stared down at the sobbing pokemon, unable and almost unwilling to help her. The Mienshao was a complete and total emotional train wreck and all Sil could do was... watch. It was an odd feeling to be sure, but not one she enjoyed. This wasn't the brave, courageous, sassy woman she'd met in Unova. Not at all.

"It all started with her," Kinah choked out. "That Weavile. She was right here when she froze him, just like Cassius. But the Haxorus wasn't left like Cash was, she shattered him. Broke him into so many pieces he could never be reassembled. I tried to gather as many as I could....I tried to offer him a warrior's funeral by burning the remains, but..." It seemed her grief and guilt too much, as the fighter shoved her face in her hands, hiding it from the now numerous onlookers. "I couldn't even do that for Cash. I did it for a stranger I didn't even like but I couldn't do it for Pony Boy. I couldn't do anything...I left him there....I left...."

Sil swallowed hard, completely unsure of what to do with... that. There were no words of encouragement or forgiveness she could offer. Hell, Sil doubted anything from her mouth, positive or negative, would mean anything other than an insult to Kinah. Thankfully, Daryl took it upon himself to break the silence with what she needed most at the moment-- logic. "If ya gonna continue this little chat, do it elsewhere - not here, with all of these Pokemon around." Sil glanced up at the now very full group of pokemon surrounding them and the anxiety felt heavier. "They don' wanna see or hear this, and they sure as hell don't want a fight in this place; these wall come down we're all dead."

His job seemingly over, it looked like Daryl was ready to leave them be and afford the two women some privacy, but his twin disagreed. Merle almost slithered around Kinah, his entire body oozing "predator". Sil couldn't help the flare of disgust and loathing she felt rise up like bile at the sight. "Aww you poor lil princess," he crooned, his voice dripping with sarcasm and malice. "Come on now - dry those tears. Ain't no need for cryin' over what ya can't change now, is there? You just relax and tell Uncle Merle aaaall about it. Gettin' it off your chest is the best medicine, trust me." The way he was moving, speaking... Sil wanted to gore him. "'Sides, Uncle Merle ain't gonn' take any shit from a pair o' screaming, squealin' females," he spat with utter distaste, "screwin' up his turf. So ya better just keep ya damn mouths shut and behave, an' then we'll all get along nicely. A'right?"

"Your turf?" The Mightyena nearby scoffed, trotting up to the scene fearlessly despite Merle's dangerous appearance. She beat Sil to the punch, but the Sawsbuck's fury rose again like a bonfire at the sexist comments. Did he think that he was going to get away with that? Oh no. Nu-uh. Not happening. "That's the best joke I've heard all day, seeing as you don't own shit."

"Ignore him," the blaziken -the one actually in charge- called, dismissing the matter. The Mightyena seemed to think the matter over, but from what little Sil knew of the irate horned wolf, it might not be that easy. Besides, she had her own bone to pick, despite her instincts telling her staying quiet would be better in the long run. "Who are you and what do you want? We make much more noise and those things will come back."

Sil turned to Merle, looking him over a moment before settling on his eyes. She drew nearer, more certain now that Kinah likely wasn't going to fly into another rage, and stopped a few feet away from her and Merle. Once she had his gaze, her own narrowed. "You keep your 'squealin' female' comments to yourself, you flea-bitten hick, and you'll keep that dipshit mouth attached to your fugly face." Sil's voice remained low, her glare never wavering from the wolf. "You can join your brother, now. You're not needed."

"Well, that certainly escalated quickly." Sil's eyes widened in shock as she turned to her left, where a shadow slipped out of the treeline, slinking closer. His voice was a smooth purr, as it always was. "Though the climax was a bit of a disappointment, all-in-all, that was still a very entertaining show. Well done, ladies; had I hands, I would applaud you." Hannibal stopped a small ways away, well out of rage for any kind of melee attack. Sil could feel his predatory grin on her fur, her skin. It was disgusting. "Kinah. You've looked better, dear."

OoC)) Skip, Sparkster is waiting to paralyze  the meinshao if it attacks Aaden or anyone else.

As the shudders that wracked her form began to subside Kinah felt like her whole body had gone hollow. Everything she had been carrying around so heavily was thrown out before her and she didn't know how to pick it back up again. She felt lost without it. However as she struggled to compose herself one of the dark hounds decided now was a good time to invade the fighter's personal boundaries. "Come on now - dry those tears. Ain't no need for cryin' over what ya can't change now, is there? You just relax and tell Uncle Merle aaaall about it. Gettin' it off your chest is the best medicine, trust me." The horned beast pranced around her like a feral dog marking its territory, daring her to challenge with his body language. "'Sides, Uncle Merle ain't gonn' take any shit from a pair o' screaming, squealin' females screwin' up his turf. So ya better just keep ya damn mouths shut and behave, an' then we'll all get along nicely. A'right?" At once that hollow feeling filled again with a very familiar emotion, anger. She snapped her head to the retreating hound and her lips curled back in a disgusted snarl. "Come near me again you back alley guttersnipe and I will personally see to it that you lose your virginity to your own horns when I cram your head up your arse."

She was still glaring when a Blaziken announced his presence, his voice commanding more authority than the trash had. "Ignore him." He said calmly, keeping his tone even despite the rise in tensions around everyone. "Who are you and what do you want?" Kinah's snarl fell away as she regarded the fellow fighter with significantly more respect than she had the hound. "We make much more noise and those things will come back." At his words her eyes went cloudy again, her body finding the sadness once again and making the anger subside. She was about to reply when Sil stepped before her, also angry at the horned one for trying to stake a claim on her. "You keep your 'squealin' female' comments to yourself, you flea-bitten hick, and you'll keep that dipshit mouth attached to your fugly face." That spitfire of a personality gave Kinah a sense of nostalgia, seeing the Sil she remembered from the forest and less of the one who ditched her at the farm house. A crime which, admittedly, fell on everyone and not just her. Sil was just the easiest to blame because of how Cash had cared for her. How his stupidity at trying to fight a battle he couldn't win to, to protect her escape, had been his downfall. "You can join your brother, now. You're not needed." Ah, so they were brothers. Then why was only one of them so aggressive? Usually even a pack mentality would have the quieter one following the louder one's lead.

"Well, that certainly escalated quickly." Shock was plainly written on the Mienshao's face as she quickly stood and whirled around to face the newcomer, her mind racing with a million reasons why it couldn't be him. But there he stood, stepping into the clearing from the treeline and stopping just a short distance away. "Though the climax was a bit of a disappointment, all-in-all, that was still a very entertaining show. Well done, ladies; had I hands, I would applaud you." How had he survived this long with that thing still one his face? How had he been able to feed himself? Defend himself? And he was still slightly limping which meant he didn't listen and hadn't stayed off that damn leg. "Kinah. You've looked better, dear."

"Same to you, Hannibal," she responded coolly, but with a trace of a amusement sneaking its way in as a smirk tugged at her face. "How much more weight can you really lose? You already look like a skeleton with fur." She stepped slightly ahead of Sil, the female's uncomfortable aura radiating in waves, and put herself squarely between the two. "I also see you didn't listen when I told you to rest that leg. That limp is likely permanent now, you know." How had she ended up like this? Back in the place where the Epidemic had started for her but with a group she had taken for dead back home in Unova? Was the universe playing some sick trick on her or was this just karma getting its giggles? Either way, she was getting the short straw for every pull.

This was just getting worse and worse. Almost everyone retorted angrily to Merle's words. Clearly they thought the Direyena was just putting on the 'tough guy' act, and would never have the spine to carry out any threats he made.

How wrong they were.

Merle's grin only widened at the backlash as he stalked away, whipping his tail triumphantly from side to side. Why did he have to try his utmost best to start a war whenever they met anyone? The one opportunity they had to gain allies and acquire protection and he had to blow it with his ... absolute disaster of a personality. And what was worse, they always viewed Daryl in the same light, his brother seeping some of his poison into him with every threat, every scathing word.

He had to work to change that.

"You need to knock it off," Daryl growled as his brother sulked over, chuckling darkly to himself. "You're startin' to piss me off."
Merle looked straight at him then, his sharp eyes boring straight into Daryl's mind. A tingle ran down Daryl's back. "Life ain't all sunshine 'n' rainbow n'more, baby brother. Any one o' these bastards could stab us in the back any second now. I's makin' sure they know it ain't a good idea."
"You got some screwed up logic. How is being a giant shitstain gonna convince 'em not to try anythin'?"
Merle's eyes still hadn't left his. There was something transfixing about them and they way they simply brimmed with malice. But there was something else there as well. Something so much more genuine and pure. "I's tryin' to keep us safe, Daryl."

And that's how he did how; how he turned Daryl into the softie he loathed so much. How was he so good at it? Daryl's heart softened immediately and he skulked away into the shadows, frowning deeply. They shouldn't be here. They did not belong with anyone. They didn't need anyone. They were better off alone.

That way, Merle didn't have to revert to his old ways to try and protect them.

"We're leavin'."
"What?"
"You heard. C'mon, let's go." Everybody seemed to be busy with the angsty females and another hound that had showed up on the scene; if they were quick, they could slip away unnoticed. It wasn't like they'd be missed.
"Aww, an' it was just gettin' fun, too." Merle followed his brother towards the same hole in the wall they'd used to enter, casting a glance behind him at the others. As they inhaled the outside air, the burned stench of the dead dragon hit them again, and Merle licked his lips. "Can we take the dead guy? I'm starvin'..."
"No."
"Hmph. Ya don' always need to be a saint, y'know."

Arguing and bickering, the two disappeared into the woods.

"That's the best joke I've heard all day, seeing as you don't own shit." Aaden couldn't help but smirk at Balth's comment. Who ever said the dogs had any say for their group? Despite their attempts to diffuse the situation, he can see the sawbuck and meinshao bristle at Merle's comments. The deer, who had remained relatively quiet, inclines her head towards the brother. Aaden doesn't need to hear her words to catch the general meaning of her words. Talk shit get hit. A dart of movement in the distance distracts him from the resolving conflict.

Nothing. Except the decayed city in the distance. One of the few redeeming qualities of the tower, it was somewhat isolated from the nest of infected in the city. "-I will personally see to it that you lose your virginity to your own horns when I cram your head up your arse." Nice. Seems like newcomer can keep Merle in check on her own. Though it was hard to understand the horned canine. Why was he grinning like that?

Like before, his younger brother intervenes before it can escalate any further. The two talking among themselves. A shuffling sound, light feet over rubble. "Well, that certainly escalated quickly." Another one. Another new canine. This one slipping in nearby the meinshao and sawbuck, it's voice smooth and even despite the odd human contraption on its muzzle. Did he make the noise? He certainly seemed light enough to, more bones than anything else.

The newest newcomer spoke in a purr as he addressed those he knew. Wonder which one of them chose this shitty place as their meeting place. He scoffs to himself, about to say something to get everyone focused again as his eyes meet beady red eyes. Not more than a foot from the ground and unblinking, so clouded, the pupil was hard to pick out. Without reason or thought, undead. More shuffling and darting movements and the eyes have moved.

"Now we've done it." The blaziken scowls. His eyes search the crevices in the ground and meet four new pairs of matching red eyes. There was more than one. As if gaining confidence in numbers, a slow hiss picks up from the sides and the increasing sound of claws scrambling over rock. Was it the sounds of their fight or the blood from all the fresh kills that alerted the rats to them? Hell, it didn't even matter at this point. It wasn't long before it grew into screeching. Rotting corpses of rattata stream from the broken ground, aided by their quick attacks to destroy the distance between them and the group with ease. Guided by a mob mentality, the pack of undead advance as a swarm with jaws wide. "Watch out!"


((ooc: Moved time forward a bit.))

(i sure fucking hate low data caps I'm going to have to skip ><)