|
Post by subtleAssiduities on Oct 5, 2013 12:08:53 GMT -5
Don's gaze shifted to Chance, and the Espeon could tell by the look on his face that the older Houndoom was not pleased with him. "[Why are you three here, and why aren't you together?]" he demanded.
"[Don't blame me, Chris led us here!]" Chance said quickly, determined to get at least a majority of the blame off him.
Don's eyes narrowed; he wasn't buying it, and Chance squirmed nervously under his gaze. "[Where is Austin?]"
Chance remained silence, and the look on Don's face told Chance that the exasperated Houndoom was the least of his problems. "[Let's find Chris and then we'll look for Austin,]" he said, habitually falling into the role of the leader of the group. He picked up the scent again and started after it.
Nikki watched the exchange like she was watching a sports game. As she padded after Chance she looked back at him and smirked. "[You're gonna get it.]" She knew that look Don had cast him way too well. The pink guy was in trouble, and he knew it.
|
|
|
Post by Atticus on Oct 5, 2013 12:18:22 GMT -5
Solitaire glanced between Donetello and Chance, for once, keeping his mouth shut. But he wasn't scared to speak -- he was amused. He felt a little bad for the Espeon, but he loved watching Don scold someone who wasn't him or Nikki. He was also digesting information and names; Chris, who was Don's daughter, and Austin, who must have been the scruffy Umbreon.
When Don took the lead, Solitaire fell into place next to Nikki, snorting at her comment.
|
|
|
Post by subtleAssiduities on Oct 5, 2013 15:01:07 GMT -5
"[So how many kids you got running around the slums, Don?]" Nikki teased, hurrying to his side. "[We found that wandering around at twilight. Were they playing hide and seek or something?]"
"[Only one of them is mine,]" Donetello told her, sparing a glance back at Chance, whose wariness was turning to annoyance. "[The other two are my friend's. You remember Vivian.]"
"[That scarred up chick? She had kids? No way.]"
|
|
|
Post by Atticus on Oct 5, 2013 20:29:56 GMT -5
"[Bvibium?]" Solitaire gasped, incredulous grin spreading on his muzzle. "[No waay, who would even...]" He cut himself off from his lighthearted snark and made a face.
As they tread along, Sol kept a lookout for anything that looked or smelled relatively like Don, even if they were following her scent. He just wanted to look like he was doing something useful.
|
|
|
Post by subtleAssiduities on Oct 5, 2013 20:44:44 GMT -5
Chance's eyes narrowed. Now that he did not fear for his life, he was quickly growing tired of the constant jabs these two were taking at everybody. He was shocked that Don didn't reprimand the younger Houndoom for his comment, and grinding his teeth when Nikki's snicker accompanied the joke. But he had no place to pick a fight, and if Donetello wasn't going to say anything, he wasn't going to either. He was too out of his element to cause trouble.
Chris' trail was getting fresher, and Don's pace was quickening. Nikki was at a fast trot next to him now, and Chance was struggling to keep up without bumping into things in the dark.
|
|
|
Post by Atticus on Oct 5, 2013 20:57:49 GMT -5
Chris was starving. It had been a long day full of battling and running and flipping out on stupid Espeons and looking for Austin and Chris was just absolutely famished. As ruthless as she could be, she was still brought up domesticated on a ranch -- the idea of killing and eating a Pokémon troubled her still, since she was surrounded by "family" where she came from. She was sure the low lives here didn't have much of that, but the thought still made her a little sick to the stomach. But the more hours that passed, the more chewing some flesh and bones became appealing.
She had resorted to tipping over a trash can eventually, not even caring about the noise it would make anymore, and started nosing through it. During the end of a battle with a wily Haunter, she had felt a tingle throughout her body, and the alleyway lit up for a few breathtaking moments. She could only conclude that some sort of evolution had taken place finally, but she wouldn't know for sure until she found some sort of reflective surface. Or a puddle. But it was no time to celebrate; she was still stuck out here in the slum with no--
She lifted her pinkish nose out of the bin she'd been looking through, new, pointed ears alert. Her nose was jam packed with smells of all sort, natural huntress that she was, but it was the first scent in hours that brought an inkling of comfort over her. She was still a little wary, though -- after the event of today, she wasn't going to let her guard down for anything.
She narrowed her eyes and peered through the splitting darkness, long fluffy tail lashing behind her.
|
|
|
Post by subtleAssiduities on Oct 5, 2013 21:06:34 GMT -5
Donetello came to a stop as he rounded a corner, catching the silhouette of a canine Pokémon that he did not recognize. For a moment he was conflicted, wondering if he had taken a wrong turn, but no... this was definitely Chris's trail. He approached slowly, though his posture showed no signs of hesitance. "[...Chris?]"
|
|
|
Post by Atticus on Oct 5, 2013 21:13:26 GMT -5
Chris was tempted to inch back when she noticed four silhouettes approaching her, but stopped when a very distinguishing voice said her name. "[Dad?]" she attempted, not able to hide the release of tension in her voice. The long-legged canine sprung forward and despite the tough cookie that she was, nuzzled his cheek. But other than that, she managed to keep this reunion less emotional.
Solitaire couldn't help but stare at the creature that claimed to be Don's daughter. She was... well... what was she? He snapped his jaw closed and turned to Nikki, trying to make light of the situation. It wasn't like he had a problem with mutants after all, he just wondered how that had come about. "[I'm an uncle,]" he said, wiping a paw by his eye dramatically.
|
|
|
Post by subtleAssiduities on Oct 5, 2013 21:29:17 GMT -5
"[Shut up, Solitaire,]" Nikki said softly, though her tone remained light. She didn't think his theatrics needed to ruin the moment, however clearly watered down it as. But she was finding it just as hard to process the appearance of the Pokémon in front of her as he was. She looked... well, she looked rad. Not anything Nikki had ever seen before, not not something whose path she would want to cross either. Damn. The girl was quite a sight to behold.
Donetello let out a relieved sigh as she rushed over to him, ad he nuzzled her cheek back. "[You're not hurt,]" he assumed. She was walking and talking, and she looked dirty and hungry but he didn't notice any blood or a limp. Though he had a suspicion that Chris wouldn't be the first to list every ailment to fall upon her, he assumed at this point her bravado was diminishing.
Chance hung back behind the others, in no hurry to greet the houndyena. It wasn't like he could see anyway; at this point he was more or less relying on his hearing to tell him that everyone hadn't walked off and forgot about him. Arceus, he hated the dark. Why the hell did everyone he associated with have to be a dark type? Why did he have to be an Espeon? One thing was for sure: the dark was the perfect place to wallow in self pity, and at the moment he wanted nothing more than luxuriate in it. He was tired and hungry, and sure, they had found Chris, but Austin was still out there somewhere, and no one seemed to give a rattata's hairy ass at the moment. Austin should be their concern, not Chris. She could take care of herself...
|
|
|
Post by Atticus on Oct 5, 2013 21:36:14 GMT -5
The Houndoom cackled harmlessly but did as he was told, standing idly beside his companion and instead watching the rest of whatever scene would play itself out.
Donetello was more or less right -- the scrapes and cuffs Chris had received over the day were hardly distinguishable on her smooth, dark fur. Her front paw had recovered more or less, but she was in no fantastic condition. All she wanted at the moment was to find Austin and get out of there... wait...
She peeked beyond her father and found the form of Chance, slumped over and looking quite miserable. The hybrid had plenty to say about him, to him, but held her tongue in her father and these stranger's presence. "[Who are these guys...]" she muttered quietly to her father, but it seemed the Houndoom had overheard.
"[Your aunt and uncle, respectively,]" he said with another wily grin, placing his hand on Nikki's shoulder. "[Solitaire and Nikkolette'a'boo]"
|
|
|
Post by subtleAssiduities on Oct 5, 2013 21:50:08 GMT -5
Nikki rolled her eyes and snapped at Solitaire, purposely missing his cheek but letting her teeth come together inches from it with a demonstrative click. ["It's Nikki,]" she added, turning back to the younger dark type.
"[They're what's left of the gang I used to run in this city,]" Donetello explained. But as the words came out of his mouth he remembered that he had never sufficiently explained that he used to be a ruthless gang boss to his daughter.
The statement was enough to get Chance's attention. He had heard it alluded to that Don actually had something resembling a life before he was caught, unlike most of the other Pokémon he talked to, but he had never gotten any more solid details than he lived in a city. He had never guessed that it could be this one, and that he was a gang boss. That explained a lot, actually....
|
|
|
Post by Atticus on Oct 5, 2013 22:05:13 GMT -5
"[For short!]" he added to the end of her comment, playfully nuzzling her nose as she had brought it close to his face a "threatening" snap.
Chris' ears perked, more or less ignoring the exchanged between the Houndoom and Mightyena, beyond listening for their names. "[...A gang?]" the Houndyena raised her brows, staring at her father's eyes -- or what she figured were her father's eyes in the darkness that so tightly enveloped the city at night.
|
|
|
Post by subtleAssiduities on Oct 5, 2013 22:22:48 GMT -5
"[Yes,]" Don sighed. "[That is a very long story. I'll tell you some other time, okay? We still need to find Austin and his parents.]"
"[You got them running around here too?]" Nikki said in disbelief. "[Geez, does anyone you hang out with have half a brain?]" She laughed, both at her own joke and the seeming incompetence of Don's companions.
|
|
|
Post by Atticus on Oct 5, 2013 22:33:34 GMT -5
"[Well, if by everyone you're including us, you and I make one whole brain,]" Solitaire said, purposefully pretty lamely, and waggling his brows.
Chris rolled her eyes at the Mightyena -- she reminded her a lot of her uncle Chase, which was hard to categorize as a "good" or "bad" thing, really. She didn't like her comment, though, and made sure the glare she gave her got her message across. Turning back to her father, she more seriously inquired, "[Wait... so Viv and Angelo are out here too?]"
Now the night had really gotten dangerous.
|
|
|
Post by subtleAssiduities on Oct 5, 2013 22:49:00 GMT -5
"[Yeah but I'm three quarters of it,]" Nikki said with a laugh, shouldering him roughly. At the houndyena's glare Nikki just smiled back innocently. She wasn't at all intimidated by the little girl. It wasn't like she could do anything to her now.
"[Yes, and just as hopelessly lost as Austin]" Donetello muttered. He wished he could so so without such competence. He would have loved to send the other three home and just looked for the kids by himself, but there was no telling Vivian no.
He turned and headed back onto the main streets to start over. He kept his pace a bit slower so that Chris and Chance could keep up.
|
|