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Post by Atticus on Jun 1, 2015 12:10:00 GMT -5
Ellie screeched in surprise and grabbed Note's shirt, pulling herself against him. As an Electric Type trainer, she was used to the noise, but to a much lesser degree. Anything loud and unexpected was intended to frighten. "This is awful," she whined, burrowing her face against his neck. "It's going to get cold in here, too..."
Ciara squeaked, eyes widening in an attempt to adjust to the darkness. She lifted her paw and placed it over her young friend protectively, though she knew there was no real danger. "(I think... the power cut out,)" she explained slowly, her fur spiking. "(But I... I can probably turn it back on if we can find the uh... big power box...)"
Angelo looked towards the PC, frowning. Well, unless the power came back, there was no getting to Austin. He turned his head back to his mate, his crimson eyes and rings beginning to glow faintly. "(Arceus loves you today,)" he smirked.
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Post by subtleAssiduities on Jun 1, 2015 12:23:25 GMT -5
Note flinched at the noise and he wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, hey, it'll pass. Storms like this never last for long." As awful as it might have been, the power going out was, to some extent, a relief to the blond. Ellie not being her usual confident self somehow took some of his nervousness away. It wasn't often that he got to be the confident one between them. And he didn't mind the dark at all. Maybe it would give him a chance to get his head together. "The power will come back on again soon."
"(Oh..." Feeling very silly, Thea slowly slid to the floor with a self deprecating sigh. "(Right... The power... That's no big deal.)" She looked around, but her vision wasn't the best in the dark. "(Where would the power box be?)"
"(More like Arceus hates Ellie,)" Vivian teased, nodding to the startled blonde. Her tail wagging lightly, she trotted around the room again, and finally strolled toward the fridges. Eating a bunch of human food wasn't exactly her idea of a good time, but tearing open the boxes might be fun. Then again, she didn't know why she bothered entertaining the idea. Even in the dark, there wasn't much she could get away with when Note and Ellie were right there. But Tunes was such a stick in the mud. She was craving some entertainment.
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Post by Atticus on Jun 1, 2015 12:57:31 GMT -5
"(She should be used to this,)" the Umbreon cracked a smile with an incredulous grin. He followed her with ease, as his night vision set in and gave him likely the best advantage out of the group. Vivian seemed to be heading towards the boxes, and Angelo stopped to cock his head, waiting to see what she would do. The only problem was that no matter what they came up with, they weren't so far from Ellie and Note, even with the lights out...
Ciara blinked, her spiked ears flattening against her skull. "(That's, um... that's a good question,)" she admitted, getting to her paws. "(They're usually somewhere down here, aren't they? I mean, the one in the ranch is.)" Not that she'd be able to see it. If it were right in front of her, she wouldn't have the slightest clue.
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Post by subtleAssiduities on Jun 1, 2015 13:41:57 GMT -5
The storm still raged outside, and the wind whipping against the building caused an audible moan that competed with steady rolls of rancorous thunder. It all only seemed to energize the mutant as she sniffed the fridges. With enough time some of the human smells had grown familiar to her: crackers, juice boxes, the plastic of water bottles, some dried fruit... jerky? It was the only thing that appealed to her and she couldn't tell if that was exactly what she smelled. Her metal claws clicked experimentally against the linoleum as she nosed the door. It would be absolutely no trouble to slip on into the space and flick the fridge open. She spared a glance toward the blonds, who were paying no attention to her. Then she looked back at the fridge and scratched at the door.
"(What does a power box look like?)" The asked, rocking on her paws. "(Is it like a regular box?)" The only kind of boxes with which she was familiar were the cardboard boxes that provided hours of entertainment at the ranch until somebody broke them. Then again, what was the point of asking? It's not like they would be able to find what they were looking for in the dark. She sighed wistfully as she recalled the flame technique her mother had once tried to teach her; it had been for these exact situations, she recalled, when Note used to travel through the dark and they needed a steady light. A flame that she could blow steadily, small enough not to get out of hand, but bright enough to light the way. She had never been able to master it; it was either not strong enough to be light or too big to control.
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Post by Atticus on Jun 1, 2015 16:50:46 GMT -5
"(Food?)" Angelo asked, finally joining EV's side. "(I could do with some food.)" While she scratched the door, the Umbreon side stepped and nosed open the one to its side. "(Ooh.)" He stuck in his nose, pulling out a small bag of dry jerky. "(This smells like it has potential.)"
"(It um...)" The Jolteon furrowed her brows, trying to recall. "(They... they're like... kinda grey-ish, I think,)" she mumbled, inwardly chastising herself for her inability to remember. "(Usually they make a kind of humming sound... I think. Maybe...?)" The 'eon sighed and settled back down on her hindquarters, defeated. Her will was usually relentless, but she wasn't so sure how she could go about finding something in the pitch darkness.
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Post by subtleAssiduities on Jun 1, 2015 17:14:15 GMT -5
The other fridge opened, and Viv pulled out a similar bag of jerky, this one spiced. "(Jackpot.)" She dropped it and ripped open the packaging; dried spicy meat. She licked one up, and as she chewed her expression soured; the meat was hot. Not what she wanted. "(What do you have?)" she asked, nosing at his find and picking up a piece. "(I like yours better.)"
Don watched the two from a distance, and he walked forward and pushed Vivian's fridge shut. "(Don't make Note and Ellie regret bringing you here,)" he entreated.
"(Grey... humming... alright.)" Thea looked around and put her nose to the floor. She sniffed around, though she wasn't sure what she was looking for. Her nose hit something small and square, and upon further investigation, she found that it was a box. Her tails wiggled, and she scooped it up and ran blindly toward Ciara. She ran into the Jolteon's flank, and she stumbled back with an apologetic peep. "(I found it!)" she said proudly, setting the box down. "(At least I think I did!)"
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Post by Atticus on Jun 2, 2015 16:09:00 GMT -5
Unsure of what else to do, Brooke tailed the Houndoom, stiffening as they neared the 'eons. She and Vivian had never gotten on too well, but their pups seemed to be in favour of one another; a situation most regrettable.
"(Then take it.)" Angelo nosed some more jerky sticks towards his mate before plucking another between his teeth. When Don and Brooke approached, he flashed them an unimpressed look before chewing and swallowing the snack. "(Chill and have some sticks, Don,)" he grinned, kicking some of the of the hot jerky sticks that Vivian hadn't liked in his direction.
Ciara sat up attentively when Thea began her hunt. Curiously, she watched the little fox as best as she could in the dark, wondering how she planned to catch the scent of something she'd never smelled before. But the Jolteon wasn't about to doubt her, and let the Fire Type do her thing. While she waited, something bright caught her attention from her peripheral vision, and she turned her head towards the staircase. Descending down it was the Nurse and her Chansey, a flashlight in her hand and candles in her partner's.
"Is everyone okay?" she asked, gasping as she almost tripped over Ciara. Angelo grimaced and nosed what he could behind the minifridge, hoping the woman wouldn't shine it his way. Luckily, the duo was focused mainly on their trainers, and rushed to their bedside.
The Chansey trilled something urgently, and the nurse placed a hand on Ellie's shoulder, who had rolled onto her back to return the look curiously. "We brought some candles to help light up the place. I know it's hard, but please try to stay calm. Being stressed will only hurt the baby."
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Post by subtleAssiduities on Jun 2, 2015 16:20:37 GMT -5
Vivian's ears perked as she heard the nurse's descent, and she kicked closed the fridge and lied down on top of the jerky. She sucked the piece into her mouth and pressed it against the top of her tongue, and viola, no evidence. Don looked at the two suspiciously, and Viv smiled back at him smugly.
Thea's tails perked, and she turned to watch the nurse hopefully. The box was left where it was as she took a few steps away, and at once she lost sense of where it was.
"Everyone will be okay. We're not that stressed," Note said confidently, sitting up and stretching. The allusion that the nurse made went completely over his head; he immediately assumed that she was talking about Thea who was, by a large margin, the baby of the group. He stood. "I'll be right back," he murmured, and he took a look around before heading for what he hoped was the bathroom.
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Post by Atticus on Jun 2, 2015 18:01:01 GMT -5
Ellie's brows knitted together. "Baby?" she repeated as Note left for the bathroom. There were no babies. Why would her stress hurt babies? Her train of thought seemed to avoid all possibility of aforementioned baby being hers. After all, she had been showing no signs, except maybe for the occasional mood swing and craving for weird foods. But that could just as easily amount to just being an Ellie.
The Nurse returned the look, a bit more incredulously. "Yes, the baby." The placed a hand gently on Ellie's stomach, whose confuse stare only deepened. "Chansey can tell sooner than we can. I could tell by the way she was regarding you earlier. You're with child."
"...So, no like, pregnancy stick or something? I'm just 'with child'?"
"You can use one if you'd like, but Chansey's never been wrong before. Pokémon can just tell some things that we cannot."
"...Oh."
"...So to keep you all serene while this storm hangs around, If you'd like, Chansey and I can start lighting the candle's around the--"
"HOLY SHIT."
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Post by subtleAssiduities on Jun 2, 2015 18:10:14 GMT -5
Note walked out in time to catch the echo of Ellie's vociferation, and he froze like a deer in the headlights in the door way of the bathroom Shit, I hope this isn't my fault he thought apprehensively, picking his way forward. Before he got far, he caught sight of the eons on the other side of the room; Vivian's and Angelo's glow was casting just enough light to cause a glare off one of the plastic bags of the jerky. His eyes narrowed, and he started toward the two, sparing nervous glances over his shoulder at his girlfriend periodically. "What are you guys doing?"
Vivian's ears flattened, and she looked up at him as innocently as she could. Don's tail lashed, and he took a step back, neither claiming innocence or fueling an accusation. He glanced over his shoulder at Ellie, and after a moment, he turned and trotted toward the blond. The panic in her voice may have unnerved his trainer, but he thought he should make sure that the blonde was okay.
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Post by Atticus on Jun 2, 2015 18:20:31 GMT -5
"Calm down, calm down!" Nurse Joy begged, fretting from the blonde's sudden outburst. Ellie meanwhile, had grabbed the blanket in fistfuls, holding them to her mouth as she hyperventilated. "This is the exact opposite of what I need you to be doing right now! Think of your baby!" At the very word, Ellie let out a whine, but then her words sunk in. Only, how was she supposed to relax when all but two minutes ago she was totally not "with baby" and now there was supposedly another human just chilling in her womb? How far long? She didn't have a bump!
Angelo, Brooke, and Ciara all perked their ears at what was clearly their trainer's cry. Angelo was quickly distracted by Note asking what was happening, but it didn't last long. As he'd shoved the jerky out of sight, his legs led him towards Ellie, who looked quite the wreck.
"(What the hell?)" He looked back at Note and Vivian, tail waving uncomfortably. As per protocol, he leapt onto the bed and nuzzled her gently, trying to get her out of her funk. Strangely, seeing her balled up with the blanket reminded him of their unfortunate debacle in Johto, when she had been sick and the city had been locked down by Team Rocket. It sent chills down his spine, remembering what kind of feral beast he had turned into at that time.
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Post by subtleAssiduities on Jun 2, 2015 18:23:51 GMT -5
Ellie's continued panic was enough to start to worry Note, and realizing that his was fear, not anger that was fueling her, he turned and jogged back to the cot. He nearly tripped over Donetello, who occupied Ellie's other side, nuzzling her side comfortingly. "Uh, Ellie?"
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Post by Atticus on Jun 2, 2015 18:35:51 GMT -5
"Note, there's a thing inside of me!" Ellie shrieked, squeezing her eyes closed and quite afraid to look at him, quite frankly. Nurse Joy, on the other hand, seemed quite disappointed at how she went about referring to it.
Letting the two Dark Types take care of calming her, the Nurse straightened herself out and patted her skirt awkwardly. "I'm sorry, I thought you guys were aware... my Chansey noticed it earlier. Your wife is... pregnant."
Well, that was quite the assumption. As observant as she was, she hadn't seemed to notice the fact that both their fingers were bare of any ornaments. Ellie was only able to shoot the Nurse a surprised glare before throwing the sheet back over her head. Dealing with it like a good to-be mother should.
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Post by subtleAssiduities on Jun 2, 2015 18:42:12 GMT -5
Note froze, his hand coming to a sudden stop a few inches above Ellie's shoulder. Even in the dark room he felt like everything started to spin, and his feet no longer felt like they were on even ground. He sank to the floor and leaned against Donetello, who turned his attention from Ellie to his trainer. One arm draped over the canine, and he ran the other over his face, his eyes wide as they stared ahead. He couldn't process this. This wasn't how things were supposed to happen. This was- This was wrong.
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Post by Atticus on Jun 2, 2015 19:30:42 GMT -5
The Nurse glanced between the couple, now standing awkwardly while the two blondes broke down. Her Chansey nudged her gently, and she started towards the door. "I-I'll try and make you two some tea, okay? I'll be back shortly!"
Ellie, meanwhile, was just short of heaving.
There was a baby in her womb. A human being. A life. Developing.
One day that baby would pop out, and it would learn to walk and talk and grow up, with her help. Note's too, if he survived the news.
What would her dad think? Her mother? Zane and Milo? Her damn Pokémon?
Angelo looked at Ellie sympathetically, not quite sure what had happened. Ciara had since nudged Thea towards them, rubbing her head against the girl's calf. Even Brooke had wandered close to her trainer, worry set in her deep red gaze.
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