(ACE) The LAVERRE Team

The bright smile doesn't falter, though Lisia lowers her hand.  Beside her, the cloud dragon's eyes sweep the room.  A strange orange thing that looks sort of like a lizard, a Leafeon, and a... the fuck is that?

Whatever it is, it's apparently a they, because they begin to speak.  "Hello... What do you want here?"

The orange lizard wastes no time adding his two cents.  "Thank you for breaking an entry."

"Isn't it "breaking and entering?" the girl says to Ali in a stage whisper behind a hand.  The Altaria resists a wince.  

"We wanted to get out of the rain," Mystique says, voice calm.  "Surely you understand that."

"And company; I mean it's been a really long time since we've met people we can talk to outside our little family!"  She turns the smile back on them again, though it's a touch nervous now.  She must finally be realizing their reception wasn't as warm as she'd hope.  If Ali grumbles about this later, she'll swat him.  "We've got food, if anyone is hungry."

"We don't plan to cause trouble."  Ali gives each of the Pokemon in the room a look.  "You can even ignore us if you want to."

"Though we do highly advise against attacking us.  We mean no harm but won't take any shit."  Best to get their intentions out in the open as quickly as possible.  

Lisia waves a dismissive hand at Mystique.  "They won't attack us.  I can tell.  They don't want any problems, either.  You can stop staring at them, Ali."  The cloud dragon snorts but turns to look to his human.  "I'm Lisia; this is Mystique, and this is Ali.  There are four others with us, in my pocket; you'll meet them later, probably.  It's nice to meet you!"

Ali's pelt jerked slightly as she felt a pressure on her shoulder. It was a gentle touch though - that told her it was Knightly rather than any type of monster; they lacked the ability to touch so softly and speak encouragement. Right?... “Ali? Ali, are you alright?” Knightly shook Ali around slightly, trying to get some sort of reaction, “Ali, sweetie, we’ve gotta go. C’mon. You have to get up!”

Alirah's eyes opened and stared up, seeing a blurry black form above her through the tears that couldn't be held back. Her eyes were dull and she stammered as she spoke, "Knightly, i-i-it's a Maw... M-Mawile." She inhaled through her nose sharply, gasping back in the body fluids exiting through it. "Is... is it the one.. th-that...?" And suddenly Knightly's touch was gone. Ali's eyes lidded slightly, unseeing the dark shape of her friend shooting a Shadow Ball at the monster that lumbered closer. The sound of a small explosion shot through the air, quickly followed by a wet plop of the undead hitting the floor.

“A-Ali…” Knightly tried getting the unresponsive Umbreon's attention, “We have to go now...there’s... there’s more of them…”
I can't change the past.
“We’ll go back to the Boutique... where there’s more of us…and try to block off the door…”
“I don’t have the strength to carry you… but I’m going to lift you up to your feet… and then we’re going to run the best we can…”
But if we don't move, we won't have a future.
“And if you’re faster than me… I’ll meet you there… No arguing about it… Got it?”

Ali felt teeth lightly sink into the back of her neck. Gently, she rose to her feet and was held there for a moment until her legs mechanically decided to go beneath her and brace her weight. ... The future? We still have a future... Ali's eyes rose to see the undead approaching, joy and horror filling her at the same time. Their situation was bleak, but they were alive. They were alive and they had a chance.

"I'm not leaving you, that's not how we do things - you wouldn't leave me!" Ali spat, wiping her eyes to see Knightly more clearly. She glowered behind her at the approaching undead, fully afraid but determined. "I won't leave this building without you."
Ali took in a breath, spinning around to lower her frame in the front and prepare to dash. Her legs were considerably light and though her paws still shook, she felt like she could do anything. The Umbreon pushed herself forward with her hind legs, bringing up her forelegs and then she repeated, running faster than she knew she could.

Ali could hear Knightly's pads moving in quick rhythm beside her. The Dark-type threw a Shadow Ball at the Charmander ahead of her, sending it flying against the glass door and shattering through what was left. So close... They were so close. They hadn't come this far to give up now.

I think the future might still have a chance. As long as we're together, I think we still have hope.

((OoC - I have permission to write this bit about Knightly.))

Outside the Pokemon Center, the rain fell down in slow, cold drops as Knightly and Alirah charged in the direction of the Boutique. The air was thick and frigid as ominous fog drifted above the flooded streets, veiling the Pokemon’s vision as they fled from the horde of Undead in the darkness of night.

“Don’t look back, Ali!”

Panicked adrenaline rushed through Knightly’s weak body, propelling her forward even as her very paw pads cried out in pain with each smack of the hard city pavement.

“Just.. keep... moving forward!”

The Boutique was emerging into view through the pale fog as a silhouette, igniting a fire of hope in Knightly’s slender red eyes. She charged even faster now towards the shelter, though the closer she arrived the more she began to worry that she had made yet another wrong decision. What if the Boutique could not be boarded up fast enough or correctly, and the other Pokemon fled rather than helping out herself and Alirah? She was certain the Pokemon she had met before could take on the Undead with her if needed… but would they?

The Boutique was in front of them now, the beaten door sending memories of Alirah’s close call with the Murkrow through Knightly’s anxious mind… She couldn’t take any chances with Alirah this time. Knightly had to protect her at all costs.

“Hurry, get inside!” She said firmly to Alirah, “Hide somewhere safe; I’ll take care of the rest! Go!”

Knightly glanced around, peering through the crisp, foggy night air for any signs of the horde. It was too difficult to see anything in the distance, but they were coming… there was no doubt in Knightly’s mind that they were coming, and she had to be ready for it.

Knightly charged into the Boutique like a Tauros, though skid to a stop when she saw… a human?

What…?

Sure enough, Knightly was not hallucinating. There was no sign of the Murkrow from before, but among the other Pokemon now stood a small, young-looking human girl being guarded by an Altaria and a Dragonair. Knightly looked to the black-and-white Ghost-type she had put in charge, staring him down with disapproving eyes like an angry mother Kangaskhan.

“Who are--...Oh, forget it!” Knightly raised her firm voice and addressed everyone in the room. “There are Undead coming, several of them. We need to fix this place up fast, because it’s a lot safer in here than it is in that foggy swamp outside.”

(OoC - First, I have permission to write this little bit about Alirah xD But anyways, it’d be great if as soon as possible the characters can be locked up together inside the Boutique, as talked about on the Laverre Discussion thread. Then the other things mentioned on the thread can happen after a few rounds. Anyways, I know not everyone is at the Boutique yet, so if needed then time/plot can be stalled a bit by us writers by the Boutique characters figuring out how to prepare the building against the horde, so that the other characters will have time to get to the Boutique with the others before the plot plans start. :3 )

Rush stretches his spine ever so slightly, standing up straighter and taller to counteract his fairly short stature. The human whispers something to her Pokemon but the reptile does not catch it. Regretting your choice? That didn't seem likely, the human still had her stupid grin and made no attempt to leave. "We wanted to get out of the rain," Everyone and their mother seemed to be saying that tonight. "Surely you understand that." Rush's hardening stare did not falter as he spoke, "Seeking shelter from the rain one thing. Just happening to choice this building and shouting 'hi' upon entry as though you already knew it to be occupied is another." Even if the Dragonair's words were an excuse the Servine sensed no hostility in the intruders as they continued to speak over one another.

"And company; I mean it's been a really long time since we've met people we can talk to outside our little family!"  
"We've got food, if anyone is hungry."
Xana's brown eyes blink and widen at the mentioning of food but she does not drop her guard. She could steal a humans resources without even trying and with no risk to herself! The weak species was making it too easy to fuck with them! "We don't plan to cause trouble." The human tries to defend herself, bringing and awkward hitch to the Leafeon's growl. That was a lie in every sense of the word! "You can even ignore us if you want to." Fat chance! I wouldn't dare let my guard down around the likes of you! "Though we do highly advise against attacking us.  We mean no harm but won't take any shit." Her claws itched to just rake themselves across the Dragonair's face. Taking the tiniest creep, the smallest shift of her paws forward Xana is instantly halted as Rush's vine stiffens before her. Damn you. The leaf on her forehead bobs uncomfortably. Why would he defend them?

Are they being cocky because we are 'no more then wild Pokemon' to them? Dragon's were no joke, sure, but they had numbers and individual minds when a human could only direct one of her Pokemon at a time. We could overwhelm her easily.. with coordination. Something told him they would not have that if a fight broke out and it would be best for all to avoid conflict. Its just a sleeping quarter anyway. It wasn't like they were using this place as a base or larder.
"They won't attack us.  I can tell.  They don't want any problems, either.  You can stop staring at them, Ali. I'm Lisia; this is Mystique, and this is Ali.  There are four others with us, in my pocket; you'll meet them later, probably.  It's nice to meet you!" Her pep was annoying but not threatening. Lowering his vines but still keeping them at the ready Rush considers his options. Asking them to leave wasn't outrageous; his group did have a claim on the Boutique and plenty of the buildings seemed to be in good enough condition for an overnight stay. Yet, other then not having a reason to trust them, there was no true need to send them away. The dragon had offered them food, something they were definitely lacking, and they had already stated they would not cause a fuss. "There would be no harm in letting you stay," He concludes though his voice is no more inviting. The Leafeon beside him takes a step back, skulking behind the orange serpent as he spoke.

Before he can continue another set of beings burst through the door making the Leafeon jump in shock. This time, however, it is a friendly though rightfully bewildered pair of black and pink canine face. “Who are--...Oh, forget it!” Knightly barks as Xana regains her composure. “There are Undead coming, several of them. We need to fix this place up fast, because it’s a lot safer in here than it is in that foggy swamp outside.” "What!" She exclaims, not meaning to speak aloud, and instantly turns her head back toward the window. Just as the canine had said she could see fog rolling in, truly creepy as fuck. While it sent a chill down her spine the Leafeon did not see the so called undead, both to her pleasure and dismay. "I dont see them!" She gasps, looking for any kind of movement outside. Where they hiding? "Then don't stand around gawking! Hurry and move so you can save your sorry ass." The Servine snaps, moving past her and any other Pokemon with no hesitation until he could press his vines against the broken door and shift it somewhat closed once more. It creaked and hung crooked and damaged within its frame; useless. "We need to block this off with something heavy. It won't hold against anything." Looking at all the windows he fears for their integrity. "The windows too. Cover or block them. Move."

Without warning, suddenly things went badly. The ground beside Fuel was slashed with unexpected claws, the leafy cat screeching in fear as he bounced back on his paws to avoid another hit. "What is wrong with you?!" he cried, dark brown eyes studying the Zoroark with confusion and growing terror.
"Come now petite Bifteck, little Côtelette." The words did not make sense to the Leafeon, and his paws were trembling. Already his legs began to go numb from the realisation that a giant mistake was made. "Surrender to my tender jaws." Fuel scrambled backwards, finding his hind legs brushing against a wall. Trapped! He stared forward with desperation. Why would normal pokemon do this?! His saving grace was in Hide, the Riolu throwing up a force to shield them, though the Leafeon knew it would be far from permanent.

"What do we do?!" he half wailed in panic, looking desperately to the orange pup. The Sceptile and Zoroark took turns clawing at the protect, seemingly to try different approaches as they pushed the technique closer to it's ending point. Fuel flinched again as the Sceptile pressed his beak against the orange tinted barrier, unable to hold back a whimper as he then slammed the sharp edge into the shield.
"Very good." Good?! The Leafeon stared up in horror, his heart racing in his ears. "Please keep it up for as long as possible..." Fuel was not going to argue with that, what other choice did they have?! "Then I'll break both your legs."

"I'm going to be sick," he squeaked. Forcing himself to not focus on what the pair were saying, instead the Leafeon turned to the concentrating Riolu. "I- I know how to wish. I can support you, but my only damaging move is giga drain," he admitted in a pathetic whisper. Was he really going to die, at the claws of two healthy pokemon nonetheless, before ever finding Claus? But without warning, sudden... silence. What?! Whipping around, the Leafeon's heart skipped a beat. They had vanished, but in their wake a ghostly fog was creeping across the town, thicker than the tree cover back home. "Oh Arceus, where did they go?!" But there was not even a trail. What there was, however, seemed to be the only good news since coming across other 'survivors'. Looking into the darkness, Fuel was able to see movement- sparse flashes of white and what seemed to be a beacon of pink. "Th- there! They have to help us!" Taking the chance, he darted past as the protect finally faded, running straight for the pair of runners.

Upon coming closer, he saw the bright one was not just pink, but adorned with white as well, and in making out the markings Fuel realised the species. An Umbreon! One of his kin! The other, though, was more exotic. A- a reverse Furfrou! As he was literally coming right out of the shadows, though, Fuel knew he had to be less stupid than before. “We need to fix this place up fast, because it’s a lot safer in here than it is in that foggy swamp outside.” The Furfrou was barking orders, the Leafeon was able to hear what seemed like a lady as he closed in on the shelter himself.
"What!" Another exclaimed. "I don't see them!" Fuel did not dare look over his shoulder. I don't either!!
"Then don't stand around gawking! Hurry and move so you can save your sorry ass." He was finally coming upon the entrance at that point, the voice strong and clear. "We need to block this off with something heavy. It won't hold against anything. The windows too. Cover or block them. Move." Fuel was barely able to stop himself from crashing into the orange serpent before him.
Barreling past the grass type -and spotting another Leafeon!!- Fuel was suddenly in the middle of a large group, causing shame and fear to flush across the cat's face as his ears fell flat and he pressed his body against the floor in submission. Oh Arceus I am in trouble. Shaking like a leaf, the Eeveelution managed to stammer out, "I- I'm sorry. Please don't throw me out-- there's a Sceptile and a Zoroark on the loose-- they're cannibals. Uninfected c- cannibals." His eyes fell upon the largest canine, the Furfrou who had started the orders. "I- I'm not infected, m- ma'am." His eyes were round with fear, left in the hands of these strangers as his flat tail pressed against the wood floor.

[ ooc: I had permission to have Fuel run into the boutique; I tried to leave it open to Duma on what Hide did ]

"Seeking shelter from the rain one thing. Just happening to choice this building and shouting 'hi' upon entry as though you already knew it to be occupied is another." Lisia doesn't so much as flinch, continuing to smile even in the face of words that were less than friendly.

"There would be no harm in letting you stay," the orange lizard finally decides.

"Oh, yay!" Lisia's squeak of excitement makes Mystique smile a bit, but there's no time to dwell on anything-- a black dog and a pink Umbreon burst through the door, panting hard. The dog notices them with bewilderment but she doesn't take long in getting over it. “Who are--...Oh, forget it! There are Undead coming, several of them. We need to fix this place up fast, because it’s a lot safer in here than it is in that foggy swamp outside.”

"What!" The sulky Leafeon breaks her silence to stare out the window in shock. Lisia does so as well, wincing at the fog rolling in. "I dont see them!"

"Wait, undead!?" Ali stares in horror. He didn't smell anything, earlier! How did they come so quickly!?

"Then don't stand around gawking! Hurry and move so you can save your sorry ass." The orange lizard takes charge again, shoving the door closed. Even Lisia, ever the desperate one to avoid confronting harsh reality, can't deny the door won't hold. "We need to block this off with something heavy. It won't hold against anything. The windows too. Cover or block them. Move."

"Someone help me move that shelf," the Altaria snaps as he darts over to one of the store's shelves. Lisia leaps to attention, moving with him, while Mystique searches for something else to move.

The fervor is interrupted by a Leafeon crashing into the orange lizard, immediately cowering in terror as all eyes swung to him. The poor thing pressed his body to the floor and stared up at them in fear, babbling. "I-I'm sorry. Please don't throw me out-- there's a Sceptile and a Zoroark on the loose-- they're cannibals. Uninfected c-cannibals." Lisia stares in horror. Cannibals? No... impossible... nobody would... "I-I'm not infected, m-ma'am."

Regardless whether he's mistaken or not, he's very afraid. "Shhhhhh sweetie, shhhh." She stoops to present a hand to the Leafeon-- always let a Pokemon stranger become acquainted with your scent. It's only polite. "Nobody's going to throw you out; you're safe. My dragons will keep you safe." Mystique moves forward to nudge her head against Fuel's as Lisia returns to the shelf. "Can you help us barricade the doors and windows? We need to do that, STAT!"

The terrors of the Pokémon Center were quickly becoming a memory as the duo raced forward through the cold darkness. Although the Center was out of sight, it was not quite out of mind - a loud, horrifying cry echoed through the night, even over the rain and thunder. Ali's sight flew behind her and she squinted to see what has caused the guttural, angry howl. She couldn't see past the creepy fog forming along the ground and drops of chilly rain falling. “Don’t look back, Ali!” Knightly barked, “Just.. keep... moving forward!”

They charged through the night, until finally Ali could barely run anymore - she was losing hope, until she realized she could see it; the Boutique was ahead. It was a foggy, gray shape, but it was definitely there. But unless someone was magical and fixed it, there was still no freaking door...
There was no moment to breathe as they reached the entrance, knowing there was a horde of monsters on their tails. “Hurry, get inside!” the Furfrou ordered. Ali opened her mouth to protest, but Knightly would have none of it: “Hide somewhere safe; I’ll take care of the rest! Go!”

"But--!" Alirah's teeth clenched. Knightly always had to be the brave one. Would Ali always be baggage? What could she do...? "I'll get help!" She dashed into the confines of the Boutique, eyes darting to the Ghost-Eeveelution from earlier. She approached him with her head lowered in a plea for help, "U-undead! Coming this way, please Mr. Ghost, you have to help... Please." If they survived this, she really needed to ask his name.

She peeked an eye open, glancing around the room for the bird - no doubt she'd do something heinous - but instead of the feathered fiend, now was a girl with a duo of Dragon-types. "Knightly!" Ali yelled, her ears flattening with a glower at the girl. Could she be trusted? Why was she even here?!
The familiar black form bolted into the Boutique - though far less fluffy than usual thanks to the rain - with a glare that made Ali's stomach twist because she was in that general direction of the Ghost she delivered it to.

“Who are--...Oh, forget it!” Knightly spat, “There are Undead coming, several of them. We need to fix this place up fast, because it’s a lot safer in here than it is in that foggy swamp outside.”
The Leafeon looked around as though they were making it up, "I dont see them!" In her defense, surely there were some Pokémon living under a bridge that would get a kick out of something like this... However they were not making it up nor living under a bridge. "They're coming! I promise!" Ali whined, "Please believe me...!"

Any and all hope for the door deflated as the orange Servine attempted to move and close it with his vines. It was utterly ruined. Remind Ali to thank that bird for it in the afterlife. "We need to block this off with something heavy. It won't hold against anything. The windows too. Cover or block them. Move." What... was she supposed to do? Tell the Servine she wasn't strong enough to move much of anything?! Ali bit her lip. She was letting everyone down and--

There was only enough time for Ali to notice, not to react, as a cream colored form rushed into the Boutique and nearly collided with the snake. She blinked in bewilderment as it moved by and into the center of the room. Ali's heart raced for a minute - she had no idea what to expect. But then it was nearly like looking in a mirror to Alirah - the poor thing was laying submissively on the cold floor as though they were all out for his head. A tiny smile came across her lips, padding forward as the Leafeon spoke: "I- I'm sorry. Please don't throw me out-- there's a Sceptile and a Zoroark on the loose-- they're cannibals. Uninfected c- cannibals." He was shaking all over, whatever happened to him, must've been horrifying. "I- I'm not infected, m- ma'am."

The girl was kneeling to him, speaking gently enough. Maybe she wasn't so bad. Despite the situation, Alirah took in a heavy breath and spoke as calmly as she could: "It's okay, we would never throw you out. Right, Knightly?" She shot a glance to her Furfrou friend. As good as her facade was, the thought of cannibals was freaky...

“What!” The Leafeon exclaimed. “I don’t see them!”

“Then don’t stand around gawking! Hurry and move so we can save your sorry ass.”

“They’re coming, I promise!” Alirah said, “Please believe me…!”

“Ali, I told you to go hide!” Knightly snapped. Her expression softened for just a short moment as she gave the Umbreon a reassuring nod, before she followed the Servine to assess the safety of the door. However, as predicted, nothing could repair the door.

“We need to block this off with something heavy. It won’t hold against anything.” He looked to the many windows of the Boutique. “The windows too. Cover or block them. Move.”

Knightly scoffed under her breath. “Finally, someone makes sense around here.”

“Someone help me move that shelf.” Of all Pokemon, the new Altaria makes his way over to one of the shelves with the human girl.

Well, at least they’re useful, Knightly thought to herself. Perhaps they wouldn’t be trouble for the group after all, though Knightly was still cautious. With a light shrug, she dashed over to the shelf with them and was about to help move it.

Suddenly a blurred figure crashed into the Boutique. Knightly swiftly turned to the source with a snarl, expecting to see an Undead for sure. Instead, she saw a Leafeon cowering on the Boutique floor, ears flat as his whole body shook.

“I-I’m sorry. Please don’t throw me out-- there’s a Sceptile and a Zoroark on the loose-- they’re cannibals. Uninfected c-cannibals.”

Knightly was taken aback. Cannibals? People had definitely become desperate during all the chaos, though Knightly was unsure if any survivors had really become flesh-eating cannibals. She wasn’t about to rule it out, but she wasn’t going to blindly trust this fearful Leafeon’s judgement, either.

“Are you okay?” Knightly asked cautiously as she cut her eyes at the Pokemon, though she was more concerned about this Leafeon being Infected than anything, “Did they hurt you?”

“I-I’m not infected, m-ma’am.” He stammered, looking up at Knightly with dark brown eyes round with fear.

Did… he just call me ma’am?

Knightly unintentionally softened her posture and expression, her heart melting at the fearful Leafeon’s gentleness and manners.

The human girl briefly comforted the Leafeon, followed by Alirah.

“It’s okay, we would never throw you out. Right, Knightly?”

Now Alirah was looking at Knightly with her big eyes.

...Fuck.

Knightly sighed and regained her firm composure. “Fine, just… both of you hide somewhere and stay quiet, there’s a bunch of Undead out there and we're running out of time!”

Knightly turned her attention back to the shelf, and soon so did the human.

“Can you help us barricade the doors and windows? We need to do that, STAT!”

“Hey, Vines!” Knightly called to the Servine, as she gazed up at the big shelf she was sure she couldn’t move herself, “How about you help me move this shelf?”

(OoC - Knightly’s tenth post WOO! You guys all make this team so much fun!)

Xana could feel her heart thumping against her chest and her blood pulsing like wild. Were they all about to box themselves in!? "They're coming! I promise! Please believe me...!" The Umbreon squeaks but the grass type found herself still stiffly staring out the fogging-up window in horror, seeing nothing. I dont WANT them to come! She barely knew what any of the stuff, including the other living creatures, in this horrible man-made place was. The last thing she wanted was to get trapped here, with a human on top of it all!

"Someone help me move that shelf," The humans Pokemon jumps into action and Xana was about to tend to the window she was peering though when something else grabbed her attention. Another Leafeon? She hadn't seen another of her species in ages. She didn't even see it come in the building! Yet she does not have a chance to be excited as the male speaks, "- they're cannibals. Uninfected c-cannibals." While the males voice is full fear Xana's, which is just a loud, dry hiss, is horrified. We are all dead. Now the living were against them too!? A simple blockage wouldn't stop something with a brain!

Rush starred at the second Verdant Pokemon for a few moments, letting the surprise of it almost fucking slamming him fade. Another? Were they a pair? The female was not acting the part. "I- I'm not infected, m- ma'am." Insuring that what it said as true he gave it quick once over- last thing they needed was to lock an infected in with them. It smelled clean, for what he could tell, and showed no tell tale signs of infection. Even its eyes were brown and dark. Clean.

Dismissing it from his mind the Servine trots toward the shelf the Altari was on when Knightly barked, “Hey, Vines!” Vines..? That was a new one. Too bad he didn't have time to comment on it. “How about you help me move this shelf?” With a curt nod he flips around, moving swiftly to the other shelf. Placing both of his vines across the corners and his 'shoulder' on its side he shoves, positive that the pair of them could move it with ease.

Xana's paws fluttered as she wadded up all the stuff she had been using as bedding. The fucking windows. She had just been sitting in front of one.. what if They saw her!? Dragging a small wooden chair and flinging its back toward the wall the Leafeon throws all the clothing over it. They clump up on its backrest, easily blocking out any view from the window. While it worked Xana was not the least bit content, her heart beating only faster. We are so fucked.

(skip, will try to edit in a post tonight)

The girl's face has gone from sympathetic to pinched and hard as she returns to the shelf.  Seconds after she lays hands on it again, the shelf is moved with ease, the combined forces of her Altaria, the dog, and the lizard enough to shove the shelf away.  There is still yet more stuff to move... and Mystique does not have hands.  Sorry, Mys.  Not your fault, but hands would be very useful right now.  With an apologetic glance at the Dragonair (that she thankfully nods in understanding to) Lisia recalls her and pops the Pokeball back into her pocket, retrieving Gaia's instead.  The Flygon materializes into the room.  "What's needed?" The goggled dragon doesn't need more than a glance to tell the situation is dire.

"Windows covered, furniture moved."  She wastes no further time, dashing over to some old clothes and piling them up next to the lump the girl Leafeon made.  Why are they doing this agai-- oh right.  Cannibals.

He has to be wrong, the boy Leafeon.  Cannibals?  No, he's wrong.  Just wrong.  Not his fault; he's got to be mistaken or something, but he's wrong.  No one would...

No one would.  She nods to herself.  This is just a precaution, nothing more.  Everything is fine, fine fine.

Everything is always fine.  Some of the walkers will come in here, and she'll help free them from their curse and send them far away, and maybe someday, she'll get to see them again.  As the people they were before.  Because nobody's died.  It's just... not possible.

Focuuuuuus, Lisia.  Or Ali will yell again.   Three piles of clothes in front of the windows.  A glance over her shoulder tells her that the others are still moving furniture.  Windows covered, entrances blocked.  Are there other things they should do?

If it were a poem, it would go somehow along the lines of, and so, the poodle could not resist the Eeveelutions~

Knightly heaved a heavy sigh of defeat - she couldn’t throw out the Leafeon. She wouldn’t, and Ali knew it. It just wasn’t the Furfrou’s nature, further proven by the fact she still hung around with a pastel colored ball of anxiety Umbreon. “Fine, just… both of you hide somewhere and stay quiet, there’s a bunch of Undead out there and we're running out of time!” Knightly sternly instructed Alirah. The latter nodded, watching the tip of Knightly’s tail as she took off through the Boutique to take charge of the defense.

Ali lifted her right paw off the floor, ignoring the red paw-print left on the floor from her cut pads and pointing towards the dressing room, “Well you know, you can stay over in there until we‘re sure it‘s safe, if you want.” She feigned calmness, while inside she was dying to just run and get beneath a blanket like a child hiding from what’s under their bed. “It‘s a weird place to hide, but I do all the time. If you need anything, shout at me and I‘ll be there, okay?”

What am I doing. she thought more or less as a statement rather than a question, as she held no answer. I‘m trying to defend someone when I can‘t even take care of myself.

Her eyes trailed over the Boutique. Everyone was working together to shut out all the bad stuff. Cannibals. Undead. What else was there? As her form rose to her feet, she found herself slinking over to the wall. Pressing her cheek against it, she sulked with a realization - they didn’t need her. They did fine as she did nothing. And without her entirely? This wouldn’t even be happening.

Alirah sighed to herself, sliding her face down the wooden wall slightly as she brooded. Her eyes slid shut and she found herself lost in her mind until--

Thump!

She metaphorically could’ve jumped to the ceiling of the Boutique with the amount of terror she felt. The thuds on the wall she leaned against did not cease, but the light sound of scratching added to the mix. Ali did not have any shame this time. She ran straight for Knightly, diving beneath her chest and shivering. “T-t-they can‘t get in, can they??”

((OoC - I hope this isn’t too fast for everyone. ^^; I didn’t think we would want to write about shoving stuff against the walls for much longer, but feel free to guesstimate however long it takes for the, um, “defenses” to be completed. Alirah could‘ve been thinking for any amount of time necessary.))

The entrances were blocked off. The windows were covered the best they could be. All seemed to be silent outside the Boutique, except for the whistling of the cold night wind as it crawled in through the tiny openings of the window coverings and chilled Knightly to the bone.

They did the best they could.

There was nothing else that could be done.

Yet Knightly did not relax in the slightest.

What if our best isn’t enough?

There was a loud thump outside the Boutique, followed by scratching against the debris-covered front entrance. Knightly’s heart dropped to her stomach… now the plan would be tested, now the group would be tested…

“They’re here,” was all Knightly could muster up to say. “Everyone shut--”

Something ran into Knightly’s chest. Startled, she growled and shrunk back from the touch, but it was only Alirah.

“T-t-they can’t get in, can they??”

I swear to Arceus--

What was this, the second time, third time, that Knightly had told Alirah to hide quietly?

Knightly opened her mouth to scold the small Umbreon, but stopped when it occurred to her that Alirah’s fear was not her fault. Truthfully, they were both afraid. Terrified. And why wouldn’t they be? A horde of Undead could very well be about to rip them apart piece by piece, not to mention the slim possibility of cannibals ready to get in on the action. Knightly was fearful as well, the only difference between the two Pokemon seemed to be how they handled that fear. Alirah was unashamed, whereas Knightly… well, Knightly was just a coward all-around, she supposed.

The Furfrou heaved a sigh, her tense shoulders slumping slightly.

“If they do, you’re going to wish you were hiding,” She said firmly. “If you trust me to protect you, you will go hide in the dressing room.”

Knightly turned her focus from Alirah to the sounds of the Undead. It hurt Knightly to be so cold with the only person that mattered in her life, the only person she had in her life, but she knew tough love was the only way to protect the Umbreon. It was the only way to get Alirah to listen and be safe, even if it pained them both.

“We all need to keep our voices low,” she said to everyone quietly without emotion. “The windows might be covered but they’re hardly invincible. The only thing we can do is stay calm, stay quiet, and wait them out.” Knightly sighed under her breath. “They’re roamers, those things… they’ll lose interest and move on if we don’t draw any attention.”

Xana stepped away from the window and curved back toward Rush. The human had hands, real hands, and could do a far more satisfactory job of blotting out the windows then she could. And making things hella dark in here.. Squeezing her eyes tight for a moment the Leafeon is grateful for her night-vision, though the difference between inside and out was marginal, and looks at their work. Everything seems taken care of.. Despite their effort it sure as hell felt like nothing. Like they were all just standing around shitting themselves. Or worse, that they had just trapped themselves in this place and were about to get slaughtered.
Swallowing dryly Xana stared suspiciously at the Flygon, keeping the Servine between them as a shield of sorts. More dragons? How many Pokemon did she have!? How many was she going to let free in their shelter when they needed to stay hidden? Dear legends they better of all been well fed before this..

Rush flicked his tail. Why was the female Leafeon cowering behind him? Why were both Leafeons so pitiful? At least they are not making things worse. Yeah, at least there was that. With a grunt the Servine relaxes his stance. They had finished their preparations in time, though he wished they could of done more, and from the outside. How well or how long they would hold, who knew, but it was all they could do for now. “They’re here,” Knightly hushed, though the sounds of scratching from outside announced the undeads arrival before she did. “Everyone shut--” “T-t-they can’t get in, can they??” Visibly cringing Rush shoots daggers at the pastel Umbreon, his red eyes firm with malice. Enticing them wont help. But it was not his place to scold the dark type, and he remains silent as Knightly swiftly dismisses her before addressing the rest of them.

“We all need to keep our voices low,” She spoke so softly the groans and scraping from outside could still be heard well above her voice. “The windows might be covered but they’re hardly invincible. The only thing we can do is stay calm, stay quiet, and wait them out.” The light touch of whiskers brushed the side of his tail, sending a chill though Rush's body though he made no movement. Letting his red eyes roll to the side he can see that Xana had gotten even closer, her brown eyes wide with worry and paws working at the floor. What was the female so twitchy about? If undead broke in, they would fight. End of story. Scaring yourself will not help. Letting his shoulders sag the Servine's face twists, unable to find it in himself to be mad at her. Stupid kid. She looked barely younger then him yet they were so different.

“They’re roamers, those things… they’ll lose interest and move on if we don’t draw any attention.” Xana's pelt prickled and itched, her gaze shifting to the Furfrou. What if they dont lose interest? There were so many of them in one place. Living, breathing things, and a human whos scent would stand out. Maybe when it was just the canine pair in the muggy, rainy town their smell could get lost, but this many- We've drenched this place with the smell of prey.. How could they possibly lose interest!! Something brushes her shoulder and spine, freezing the Leafeon's body with a shocked squeak. She doesn't even have to look back to see its Rush's tail laying against her. He.. touched her? Daring to glance up she can see the Servine's eyes said something.. but she had no idea what.
Spooked, Xana cant even move away from the other Pokemon, letting discomfort churn in her belly. Stop.. Was this supposed to calm her!? Xana near gags, trying to force the feeling away and return to her thoughts. A question presses in her mind and she must ask, using a [fearful] voice that is just barely audible, "Have.. they done this before?" If the undead had done this multiple times already... why wasn't there premade plans for bordering up the shelter?

Not only was he not thrown out, but the Leafeon was welcomed. "Shhhhhh sweetie, shhhh." Fuel's dark eyes flicker to the only human of the group, a girl covered in dirt scuffs and specks of blood. Her expression was not threatening and the leafy cat slowly pushed his head up, keeping his massive ears pressed carefully down. The girl held out one hand, palm out to the Leafeon who in turn cautiously reached his nose forward to sniff at the vulnerable skin of the trainer."Nobody's going to throw you out; you're safe.  My dragons will keep you safe."
His expression immediately lifts, a gentleness showing in his eyes as the Leafeon blurts out, "Th- thank you, miss!" Her Dragonair seconded the welcome and his sheepish demeanor was slowly lifting.

The Furfrou was watching him still, but the edge to her expression melted away seemingly without any effort on Fuel's side. His heart pounded in his chest but the bright pink Umbreon spoke up for him, apparently the closest companion to the poodle. “It’s okay, we would never throw you out. Right, Knightly?” Knightly was the name she used, was Fuel allowed to also use that? Or was it something only close friends used? In either case, the one called Knightly sighed at the Umbreon, seemingly making a decision.
“Fine, just… both of you hide somewhere and stay quiet, there’s a bunch of Undead out there and we're running out of time!” He did not have to be told twice. Nodding, the Leafeon remained silent. He was an outsider, but maybe this group would allow him to remain and make some friends. It has been too long. He was lonely, honestly.

Scooting out of the way, the Umbreon chirped in nearby, “Well you know, you can stay over in there until we‘re sure it‘s safe, if you want.” He glanced up with wide eyes, but the Umbreon was already trailing to a back room. “It‘s a weird place to hide, but I do all the time. If you need anything, shout at me and I‘ll be there, okay?” She was leaving the rest of the group? Seemed like a bad idea to go alone but he nodded, hoping she had seen the gesture. The rest of the others barked orders at each other, 'fortifying' their fortress, but all it seemed they could do was to give the illusion of being impenetrable. The Leafeon remained where he was, backed up against the back wall, watching silently. He was no help but Fuel refused to be a hindrance, either.

The sudden sound of clawing made his pelt stand up on end, biting his tongue to keep from crying out in surprise. The Umbreon, apparently, was not so used to the sounds and was suddenly pelting back into the main room without warning. She shot underneath her Furfrou friend, making the latter jump and tense up for just a moment before recognising the other.
“T-t-they can‘t get in, can they??”
Knightly seemed ready to speak sharply against the little dark type, but cut herself off before a word came out, instead releasing a sigh instead. What exactly is the relationship between these two? the Leafeon thought curiously. It almost seemed like the canine did not like the little fox, but then again she had allowed a stranger to burst in and share their shelter, so the Furfrou could not of been all bad. Fuel would just have to wait for a chance to talk and get to know her.
“If they do, you’re going to wish you were hiding,” Knightly pointed out. “If you trust me to protect you, you will go hide in the dressing room.”
But what exactly would hiding do if the Umbreon was separated from the group?

“We all need to keep our voices low,” Knightly continued, voice low, and the Leafeon's ears perked up, flicking forward to listen carefully. “The windows might be covered but they’re hardly invincible. The only thing we can do is stay calm, stay quiet, and wait them out.” He nodded silently, a stress and fear swirling within his dark eyes, but what else could he do?

Furniture is moved in a flurry of frantic activity, and it's not long before they've moved all they can and blocked all they can; the windows and doors have been secured to the best of their ability.

... Which is not very good at all, Ali notes with a noise of discontent, but it's the best they can do. He's not sure if that's comforting or horrifying, but with Lisia present, best not to dwell on that.  

"Well, that's it then," Gaia mutters as he lays down, curling around his girl. Lisia leans back into him with a sigh, face puckered in an expression of... Ali can't tell, exactly. She seems almost as if she's pouting.

"I hate waiting," she mumbles. Though her pout is derivitive of a whiny child, her body gives her away--her hands shake and twitch, her foot taps lightly, and her eyes dart from window to window in her line of visage. Ali can smell the fear rolling off her in waves, and her face is a few shades paler than it should be. The way she swallows; she must be sick.

The girl never does react well to needles that puncture her bubble of delusion.

"Maybe I should take a nap..." Hmmm... not a bad idea. Sleep is always a good thing, and he can keep watch for her...

Light scratching noises reach their ears and they jump a bit. The pretty pink Umbreon comes running out of the room she was cowering in, and dives beneath the poodle dog.

“T-t-they can‘t get in, can they??”

The poodle doesn't seem thrilled; at first she looks... annoyed. Lisia watches her expression shift from surprise to something close to anger, but this is soon replaced with exasperation. “If they do, you’re going to wish you were hiding. If you trust me to protect you, you will go hide in the dressing room.” The girl frowns. Whenever the undead get too close, Ali practically plasters her to his side. Even now he's settling against her side and forcing Gaia to move a little to make room for him. Why would the poodle want the Umbreon to go somewhere else?

“We all need to keep our voices low. The windows might be covered but they’re hardly invincible. The only thing we can do is stay calm, stay quiet, and wait them out.”

"Ugh, and they can be out there for hours," she gripes.

"They might leave if the sun comes out. When it does," the Flygon observes as Lisia holds a hand out to beckon to the Leafeon again, hoping he'll join her.

“If they do, you’re going to wish you were hiding,”
Ali's ears flattened much like an abused puppy at Knightly's less-than-encouraging words. Did that mean there was a chance the bad ones could get in? That horrible Braixen, and the... Maw...wile. “If you trust me to protect you, you will go hide in the dressing room.” Knightly's voice was harsh, maybe even unforgiving.

Ali sulked away from the poodle, sighing heavily. She didn't want to defy her friend, her savior, but what kind of Pokémon just ran and hid in a dressing room when everyone was in danger? What a cowardly thing to do!... But I am a coward.

“We all need to keep our voices low,” Knightly instructed quietly, “The windows might be covered but they’re hardly invincible. The only thing we can do is stay calm, stay quiet, and wait them out.”
Panic flashed across Ali's features. Now would be a good time to hide. She was tempted, very much so, but scenarios raced in her mind. She could hide, wait everything out and survive... alone, perhaps, or die together. Which seemed better?

She realized she was being stupid again. They were gonna be fine. Nothing was going to happen.

“I trust you, with my life even, Knightly.” Ali whispered with dread, bracing for a storm, “But I want to be with you. The last time we were apart, it was just heck! I don't want that again. Please...”

Don't be mad...

Relaxing his tense muscles Rush stepped away from the Leafeon, the proximity unnatural and even unwelcomed despite it being his idea to comfort her. While not crazy sensitive even his ear slits could hear the sound of paws skulking around outside their shelter, soft scratching and the faint whines of distant undead that grew more and more intense with each beat of his heart. Like the flip of a switch something had triggered the undead to all come out and feed at once. Time, weather, sound? They must of had some stupid luck on their side to not of run into any them before hand if all those mobs had been so close. Not to mention setting up their 'fort' before worst came to worst.

"Ugh, and they can be out there for hours," More then likely they had already been out there for hours. Even if the undead move away from the building their distribution wouldn't change; they would still be in the city and ready to strike at any moment. Another particularly loud snarl sounds outside and Rush watches Xana head flip straight toward it, she ears falling flat against her skull. "They might leave if the sun comes out. When it does," The human's Flygon comments and corrects its own statement. If? Do you think they ate the sun or that we wont see it again? The long, slow scraping sound of claws against the Boutique wall makes the Servine's tail twitch. Did it matter?

Taking in a deep breath Rush lets it out soft and slowly. As much as he hated to admit it it looked like he wouldn't get to move on for a while to come. Well.. Might as well make the best of it. Keeping himself angled toward the 'street' he lets his tail brush against the cold floor. It wasn't like he could do much else.


Xana's tail twitched anxiously, her wide brown eyes flipping between the other figures in the room. ???? Were they safe?? Was there space deeper in the Boutique that they could lock themselves in? Were they just going to have to stand the fuck here and be dead silent until the threat passed, like a hunter stalking her den as kit? Fuck my life. She would probably explode before that happened.

Scuttling toward an open space in the back the Leafeon lets out a small hiss. Why didn't she just stay in the shack? That place smelled of mold, dust, and dampness; no undead would want to hunt there. It would of been safe in that aspect! If she had stayed she wouldn't be trapped here with other warm bodies. This is the worst decision I have made in a long time. The tension in the air is palpable, made worse with each animalistic sound the undead made to one another. We're dead. She concluded.


.

(Skip please)

Bernie grumbled under his breath as he walked down the streets of Laverre City, it had gotten dark and the rain still hadn't let up. He his thin fur hadn't kept him warm at all and he was soaked to his bones. Cautiously he crept around the city, making sure no one was around. The last thing he needed was for more of those infected to find him, he wasn't sure he'd be able to outrun them this time. His old bones ached at just the thought of being chased. Sure, Bernie thought, he could fight them, and possibly win, but it had been so long since he'd been in an actual battle. He was retired, this shouldn't be happening to him.
Up ahead Bernie saw a pink pokemon dash into a store and shortly after a shiny Furfrou followed. They looked frightened, Bernie thought, so maybe it was best that he followed them inside. He'd be able to get out of the rain, and that would be a blessing in itself. His old body and thin fur wasn't made for rain it was made for napping in the sun.
He walked silently to the door despite his cut up paws. He listened to what they were saying from outside.
“Who are--...Oh, forget it!” Bernie assumes it's the Furfrou shouting. “There are Undead coming, several of them. We need to fix this place up fast, because it’s a lot safer in here than it is in that foggy swamp outside.”
Bernie let out a quiet gasp and thought about calling to them, to let them know he was out here, but what if they wouldn't let him in? It might be best if he simply got as far away from the boutique as possible, the undead would be more interested in them then Bernie.
No, who knows how many undead could be lurking around here, his best chance would be in a group. At least then he'd have a chance if they found him.
He snapped out of his thoughts as he heard something heavy placed in front of the door. Shit. Bernie snarled at the door and began walking around the building in search of another entrance that hasn't been covered up yet.
He found a door in the back of the store and he thought about how he should play this. If he acted weak he could get sympathy and be let in, or they would leave him out to die. If he acted tough they might ask him to fight of as many as he could outside. Maybe that's an exaggeration but still. He didn't know who was inside and if they would help him anyway.
He shook his head and decided on weak, he could use his old age to his benefit. At least it could be used for something.
He mustered up his weakest, frailest voice and called out,"Hello, is anybody in there? Please i need help. I'm old and i'm afraid, please let me in."

Hide stood up from his spot at the back of the alley. The Sceptile and Zoroark were gone, but so was Fuel. Panic surged through Hide and he looked around wildly. Finally, the Riolu took in a deep breath and concentrated. Aura's poked up around him, many were red and dangerous, but nearby there was a few green ones. And there amongst the green was a black aura. Kaneki. Opening his eyes with a gasp, Hide almost collapsed, but he held himself up, staggering to his paws and heading towards the auras.

The Boutique. That's where they had decided to meet. Kaneki would be there. Staggering slightly, Hide found himself acutely aware of how tired he was. Forcing the exhaustion away, he plodded on, his eyes soon coming into contact with something living. A Persian. They were limping towards the Boutique, their paws scratched and bloody, with a large gash on their shoulder. Sucking in another breath, he threw out his senses again, but got no warnings from the cat. A survivor then. Bringing his senses back, Hide stumbled, falling forwards onto his chest. Gritting his teeth, Hide pushed himself up, staggering over to the Boutique, just as the Persian scratched at the door, uttering a soft, "Hello, is anybody in there? Please I need help. I'm old and I'm afraid, please let me in."

Stumbling up to the door beside the cat, Hide place his paw on the door, his voice hoarse as he spoke a few soft words.

"Kaneki..? Are you in there?"

---

Kaneki paced quietly, his presence seemingly forgotten. His twin tails lashed with a hiss of air, and his eyes were narrowed slightly. Hide was still out there. Where was he? He should have been here by now. Where was he? That Leafeon - Fuel. They had come from outside. Perhaps they had seen Hide. His worry only grew as he thought of those cannibals that Fuel had mentioned. Had they gotten Hide? What about the undead? Hide would be able to hold his own, but not for long. Hissing quietly, Kaneki's eyes shut tight as he desperately tried to find out where Hide could be. Where is he? If he had been outside, why didn't he come inside? Dear god he's going to catch cold out there! Kaneki fretted, but he pushed his worries back. He would need to join back in sometime. Hide would be fine, for now.

"Shhhhhh sweetie, shhhh." The human was consoling Fuel. The human... Who were they? Lis-something. Lisia? Frowning, Kaneki's tails flicked in irritation. How could they be sitting around while Hide was still out there? Calm down. They don't know. He scolded himself, desperately wishing that his beau was there with him to calm him."Nobody's going to throw you out; you're safe. My dragons will keep you safe." That's right. They had been outside before. Fuel had to have seen Hide. "Th- thank you, miss!" The Phanteon approached the fellow eeveelution, his duel colored eyes pleading. "While you were out there, did you happen to come across an orange Riolu? About this high?" He showed the height of Hide with a paw. "He's a very good friend of mine, and I'm worried about him." He said, forcing himself to swallow and stay calm.

“It’s okay, we would never throw you out. Right, Knightly?” Ali was talking to the black Furfrou, but that wasn't of Kaneki's concern. He needed to know Hide was safe. “Fine, just… both of you hide somewhere and stay quiet, there’s a bunch of Undead out there and we're running out of time!” Undead. That's right. There were still lots of undead out there. Kaneki's blood ran cold and he felt a chill go up his spine. He needed to get to his beau now.

“Well you know, you can stay over in there until we‘re sure it‘s safe, if you want.” Kaneki gritted his teeth. Something wasn't adding up here. He turned his attention back to Alirah and Knightly. Something was happening between those two. Weren't they best friends? “It‘s a weird place to hide, but I do all the time. If you need anything, shout at me and I‘ll be there, okay?” Why was she not hiding there? Frowning, Kaneki's gaseous tails flickered together to form one long tail, before they broke apart again and floated down closer to the ground.

“T-t-they can‘t get in, can they??” If the Umbreon was that worried, they should go and hide. Kaneki's eyes narrowed. “If they do, you’re going to wish you were hiding,” Striding forwards, Kaneki moved closer to the pair. “If you trust me to protect you, you will go hide in the dressing room.” Stepping forwards towards Alirah, Kaneki bent down to whisper in the Umbreon's ear, "You should go hide. Leave this to Knightly, the others and I, okay?"

“We all need to keep our voices low,” Snorting quietly, Kaneki rolled his eyes. He already knew that.“The windows might be covered but they’re hardly invincible. The only thing we can do is stay calm, stay quiet, and wait them out.” Staring at Knightly, the Phanteon narrowed his eyes. "Knightly, my friend is still out there. I don't know what happened between you and the Umbreon, but my friend and I have an unbreakable bond. I am not leaving him out there for dead." He said quietly to the shiny, his eyes narrowing to show he was serious. There was no way he would leave Hide out there on his own.

"Hello, is anybody in there? Please I need help. I'm old and I'm afraid, please let me in." Kaneki's head snapped up so fast that he could of sworn he heard something crack. Narrowing his eyes, he flicked his spectral ears, straining to hear anything else. Only one voice... But then, another one, very quiet, and at the door. "Kaneki..? Are you in there?"

The Phanteon's eyes widened, and his pupils dilated. "Hide!" He whispered, his voice urgent. Dashing to the door, he literally jumped through the wall, tackling his friend on the other side of the wall in a hug. It was then that the Phanteon noticed the Persian by the door. Immediately, the Phanteon jumped up, his red gaseous tails swishing back and forth as the glared. A paw found it's way to his shoulder, and Kaneki jumped, turning to face Hide. "Kaneki, it's fine. He's an older cat. Chill out bro." Hide laughed, hugging the Phanteon tightly. "I knew you'd come along."

The Phanteon smiled in response. "I'll never leave you alone, Hide."

If she cried one more time tonight, Ali was pretty sure she'd just wither into a pink tumbleweed and blow away in the wind. Imagine that--  I wouldn't bother anyone, anymore. But she knew for as long as she lived, she'd be baggage for someone to protect.
Alirah's weak heart broken ever more as the dark Furfrou said nothing. She turned on dainty paws, padding off in the direction of her dressing room, nosing her way passed the curtain. No one was listening, right? She hoped not - a quiet whimper turned into a sob, and she was eventually bawling into her tail. I'm such a pathetic, worthless ball of fluff, it should be criminal. She bit into her own wrist to stifle the thought. It did nothing to help.

Ali's eyes watched the shadows that seemed to smother the whole Boutique, as though they would begin to dance. Maybe they'd turn into a demon and she'd have a friend. But she knew the only place demons existed was in her mind. She nearly snickered bitterly at the thought, but not quite.
"Hello, is anybody in there? Please i need help. I'm old and i'm afraid, please let me in." The voice had Ali bolting up so fast, she jumped straight into the bottom of the seat she had hidden under. She crashed back down with her paw on her head, “Owwww...” She finally stopped pitying her “injury”, and herself, a quick realization at what she'd actually heard.

The Umbreon froze in time. “He... He is outside! Monsters are swarming!” He sounded terribly off, no doubt he would die if they didn't let him in! Suddenly the fearful Dark was racing. Ali dashed, her rings glowing brightly to light her way down the hall to the back door; that's where the voice came from, right?! She couldn't afford to be wrong.
“Mister?! Are you there?” Ali's mind whirled with thoughts. How could she help?! This door wouldn't open for her the last time, how would she get it to work now? “Please back away! I'm going to break the door!”

... How on Earth am I gonna do that?! She stopped thinking, and relied on her instinct's judgement of right and wrong actions. Launching herself at the door, she collided with a thud and slid to the floor. Going to need more than that! She backed away, running her eyes across the build. It was depressingly solid, aside from the hinges that had began to rust with time.
Alirah's jaws parted and she threw a Shadow Ball at the top hinge, blasting it into shards of metal. The door bent outwards a bit, and without a thought, Ali jumped at the higher point and crashed through.

She rolled to a stop outside, picking her eyes up to see Kaneki and a Riolu together - her eyes stared in confusion. “Wh-wha?!” She was at a loss for words, not because she had accidentally intruded on Mr. Ghost and his friend, but because she was pretty sure the Pokémon she was rescuing had been... well, old and helpless from what she'd assumed. She looked to her left, to her right, and then whirled in a circle with her tail-tip tickling her nose as she looked for the mysterious elderly male.

A creamy-and-gray form blurred by and she finally found him. “Um-um-um, are you... like, the Pokémon needing help? I'm... I'm here...” At that point, her mind caught up to her actions and she'd realized how badly she'd just screwed up, her sight trailing over the broken door in horror. No, no, it's okay, we just have to get inside and block off the door before-- And then the worst sounds she could've imagined hit her ears.

The undead were very much aware of them now, thanks to the Umbreon, and they were quickly destroying the defenses of the Boutique. “KNIGHTLY!”

((OoC - I'm so sorry for springing this on us. It really wasn't my choice...)

Alirah sulked away from Knightly at her firm words. Knightly’s shoulders sunk, her own face contorting with sadness. She hated having to be anything but gentle with the skittish Umbreon, but sometimes it was for Alirah’s own good… The Umbreon whispered something from where she was, but having sulked away, her words were not clear enough to hear. Knightly sighed. Was this what being a mother felt like? She shook her head to clear her mind, ears flopping about as she practically shook any expression from her face as well.

"Knightly, my friend is still out there. I don't know what happened between you and the Umbreon, but my friend and I have an unbreakable bond. I am not leaving him out there for dead."

Knightly sighed quietly and turned to Kaneki, sympathy in her eyes though she still looked serious as can be. Her voice just above a whisper, gently she replied, “I know. I haven’t forgotten…” She paused, unsure of a solution. She respected Kaneki for helping Alirah when she couldn’t, and she knew what it was like to be concerned with the safety of a dear friend… “The back door.” Knightly nodded in its direction, “If you’ll risk it, you can slip out that way… but be fast. I’m confident you won’t draw too much attention with this fog and your coloration, but… it’s hard to see out there.” Knightly looked back to Kaneki. She hated the idea of him leaving, really. Her next advice was stern, but good intentioned. “If you do go out… take care of yourself. There’s a lot of Undead out there, and you can’t help your friend if you get killed.”

"Have.. they done this before?"

The Leafeon’s voice was just barely audible. Knightly moved her eyes to the ground… “No. There’s never been this many people here… or Undead.” Knightly looked to the Leafeon now, making eye contact as a lump seemed to form in her throat. “This is my fault. I made a mistake at the Pokemon Center, that’s where they all came from… This was my mistake, my responsibility… none of you should have been caught up in it.” But as Knightly somberly looked back down to the ground, she couldn’t find it in her to apologize. Because… she wasn’t sorry. She had gotten Alirah’s medicine; The trouble had been worth it. In fact… looking over at Alirah, so small and weak but so important to Knightly, she knew she would make a dozen more grave mistakes if it meant keeping Alirah safe and sound. Did that make her selfish? Despicable? ...Maybe. Knightly didn’t know. But she did know that she loved Alirah, and when she said she would do anything for the Umbreon, she truly meant it.

Suddenly, a new voice was outside the Boutique. "Hello, is anybody in there? Please i need help. I'm old and i'm afraid, please let me in."  It was weak, frail sounding… But could it be trusted?

"Kaneki..? Are you in there?"

Knightly looked to the Ghost-type, her eyes wide with surprise. Kaneki dashed to the back door and phased through it in a jump, and Knightly could hear him conversing with the Pokemon on the other side. So, his friend had made it then… For a short moment, Knightly was relieved; Kaneki had helped her friend, so Knightly was genuinely glad to offer shelter for his. But who was the other Pokemon? The male Leafeon had mentioned cannibals… was that even true, or his imagination running wild?

“Please back away! I'm going to break the door!”

Wait, what!? “A-Alirah--!”

Too late. The Umbreon slammed herself into the back door, falling to the floor as she failed. Knightly charged over to her small friend, but Alirah wasn’t finished yet; She threw a Shadow Ball at the door while lying down, and with a final slam of her body she crashed through the door like paper.
“Alirah!” Knightly darted out the door to the Umbreon’s side, sighting Kaneki with an orange Riolu and a scarred Persian. Knightly checked her and Alirah seemed to be fine, thankfully.
However… The back door had been broken. And this time, there was no saving their shelter - the Undead had heard the commotion, and immediately they began their attacks, with no time for the living to quite literally patch things up again.

Knightly’s heart pounded her chest like a Hitmonchan, but there was no time to waste. She ran back into the Boutique and did the only thing she could: Warn the others, and take responsibility for the chaos. “There’s no time to argue: You all need to run, now, or you’re going to die! I’ll hold them back for you the best I can. I’m...sorry. Now, get out!”

((OoC: I hope this post makes sense guys -I've been super busy with college preparation this week and it's fried most of my brain I think))

Rush's eyes were closed but the stiff look of his face remained. Twitchy Leafeon's, chatty hounds.. So much for staying quiet. He thinks as the soft hum of chatter seems to fill the space. Everyone else may of been letting the stress get to them but he was certain he could wait this one out without going crazy. "Hello, is anybody in there?" If the Servine had movable ears they would of angled themselves toward the new, frail, trembling voice that was trailing in from the back of the boutique. Someone else, now? There are no screams, no sounds of agony. Had the undead moved to the next building, blocking things from earshot, or were they simply deaf? Remaining still, eyes closed and seemingly eerily calm Rush listened as the voice continued. "Please I need help. I'm old and I'm afraid, please let me in."

...Of course.. What could they do? He, the voice seemed to be male, sounded as though they could hardly hold their own. To let the Pokemon in would be making themselves vulnerable, making all their preparations pointless. Even if the door was open for no more then six seconds, or the windows opened just enough to allow the creature to clamber in.. it would be risky. They couldn't take that risk. Not now. 'They are always watching.' The undead were about, that much was certain, and there was some safety in their shelter.. but could they really sit by and let a fellow survivor die mere feet from safety? The Servine puffs air out through his nostrils; he'd seen this happen before.

Letting his red eyes slide open he can see Xana's jaw tremble, something (mostly likely the Pokemon outside) clearly on her mind that needed to be heard. Before she can even get a word out though another voice chimes in from the same direction, "Kaneki..? Are you in there?" This one grabs the starter's attention as it brings a cold wash to his spine. He knows the ghost. Kaneki had mentioned a friend, but if that idiot was actually- “He... He is outside! Monsters are swarming!”  Shit. That was loud. That was fucking loud. "Hide!" SHIT. Both fox's yell and their paws drone down the hall. “A-Alirah--!” A sharp serpents hiss is all that comes from Rush's maw as Knightly and Xana quickly pounding after them. He launches his vines forward, looking to stop both Pokemon but only managed to grab the tail of the Leafeon and drag her back.

Alarm shoots through Xana's light brown pelt. Something had her! With a loud hiss she flips around and attacks without thinking, sinking her fangs deep into that that was holding her tail. "Stop." She can hear Rush's voice, urgency making her open her eyes. Seconds tick by before the Leafeon realizes what is doing; she was biting Rush's vine, not some undead! Letting go she tries to scrabble away but the other grass types grip remains firm on her tail. "Let, let go of me we have to help!" She blurts quickly, flinching hard as a loud chnnkk sounds from the back of the building. Oh gods, what was happening?? Were the other Pokemon okay, were they being attacked, what was that sound?? Xana continues to struggle against the Servine's grip when he speaks again, "If you dont want to die you'll listen to me."

..What? The Leafeon falls still, her eyes firmly locked on the Servine. What did that mean, what did he know? How was he so calm? Hell, she knew how sharp her teeth were and he didnt even flinch at her bite. Are you some kind of demon?? The other grass type's vine releases her tail, shifting to point to the back of the boutique. Her breathe catches in her throat; she cant even look down the hall as her gaze is locked on the Servine's stern eyes. There was something in them. Was.. was it distress? "Listen to me. The undead could not of missed that. They will be-" “Alirah!” Knightly's voice echoed back to them, loud and clear as it cut off the serpent. The others are in trouble! Without waiting for Rush to finish Xana bolts to the back of the boutique, the Servine's voice soft but clear as she escapes him. "Dont be a fool!"

A fool.. she would be a fool to sit back and let the others die! But she doesn't make it more then a few feet before Knightly comes rushing back. Skidding to a halt Xana twists to start bounding back into the main area, but stops dead as Knightly's next words strike fear deep in her belly. “There’s no time to argue: You all need to run, now, or you’re going to die! I’ll hold them back for you the best I can. I’m...sorry. Now, get out Oh gods.. They, run, go? The Leafeon's voice goes shrill, unable to keep it down any longer. "But.. but we.. we locked ourselves in here!" The Vulpine's brown eyes go wide, ears falling against her skull as she crouches to the floor. "This isn't a shelter. We created a tomb!"