Obvious exits:
North <N> leads to Overgrown Lands - Route 11: Off the Route.

Dusk has connected.

Snow flurries drift silently down from the pale grey sky. The air is damp and cold, and there is little wind. In the forest, snowflurries dust the bare branches of the broadleaves and the needles of the conifers. While at the coast, light snowflakes sprinkle the glossy, black, and calm surface of the ocean.

It's another one of those "blah" days, the days where it just doesn't pay to get up in the morning. The chilling cold hangs in the wet air, and the barn is more like lukewarm sauna than anything else. The pokemon of Assasi are either fast asleep or peering aimlessly up at the ceiling, *wishing* they were asleep. Peppy the Growlithe falls into the latter; though his mate is fast asleep, Peppy is lying on his back, all four paws dangling aimlessly in the air, his tail half crushed by his own body. Every so often he sighs miserably, closes his eyes for a second or two, then blinks them back open. Peppy... the insomniac? Is it too cold for him? Does he have something on his mind? Are the puppies too loud? Whatever the case, Peppy, of all pokemon, isn't a guy to have trouble falling asleep, so this is very unusual.

Squeezed out by a pair of crowding siblings once again, the smaller Growlithe pup gives a little sigh and curls her lip in disdain before blinking around her at the quiet barn. Blue eyes make a quick scan and find little of interest untilthey land on the fuzzy form of another, much larger Growlithe! Wagwagwag. Dad! Righting herself with a little shake and then flopping down to scratch at one ear, Dusk lapses into a doggy grin and then pads closer to her dad and then sits peering at him until she is noticed, her eyes wide, intent and demanding. One minute. Nothing. Two minutesthat's enough. "OoooOoooow!" she demands, backing up in an awkward shuffle and then dipping into a play bow.

Sigh. Close. Wait. Open. Peer. Sigh. And so Peppy's afternoon circles over and over. When Dusk plops down near him and watches him, the bigger Growlithe takes no notice at all; he continues peering aimlessly at the wall. Sigh. Close. Wait. Open. Peer. Sigh. And then Dusk, out of the blue, howls at him! With a start, Peppy replies with his own rather loud "Rooowl!" of surprise, rolling over onto his tummy and just staring at the puppy, obviously bewildered. <Wh... who... wh...> And then he brings his eyes down to Dusk. Relief swarms over his body, and his green eyes roll upward to the skies. <Ohh...> A pause. <It's you!> Another pause. <Hi, Dusk!> His tail wags a bit, his surprise vanishing into the wet, chilling air.

Through the drifting snowflakes, the translucent pale grey of the sky deepens.

With her dark ears pricked and her eyes twinkling in childish amusement, Dusk backs a few more paces and then trots forward eagerly to bask in the adult's attention. She half trots, half hops, tail wagging in enthusiastic windmills. "Roo!" she adds a softer, howl to her entrance. Dusk stand wagging and wiggling before Peppy, inner conflict causing her to tilt her head first this way, then that. The small Growlithe desire so pounce and lick her father, but also battles to remain calm and not get over excited. Time to scratch again! Flop. Down she goes and a small, thickly striped leg comes up to scratch at the base of her ear. Being a puppy is hard! So many difficult decisions to make and so little time! The puppy peers about suspiciously, no one else was up to squelch her fun, were they?

Peppy, for one, is not one to squelch her fun. Despite being obviously annoyed at his inability to get to sleep, Peppy smiles softly at his daughter's actions, especially when she lifts up her paw to nick her ear. "Grroooowlithe!" he replies to her softly, not really saying much, only carrying the intention of catching her interest. Maybe he just likes to hear her speak. His bushy white tail, though heavy with the water sticking in the air, waggles back and forth enthusiastically, and the adult Growlithe settles into a more comfortable position. Peppy seems far more interested in watching Dusk than anything else - but then again, what *isn't* less boring that peering mindlessly at the ceiling?

Somewhere, a blue haired boy selects the right shade of lipstick. (Eee! Saving!)

The coast is clear! Bothersome brothers are still asnooze as are her sisters. The serious little puppy has some time to cut loose and be herself. Dusk flops onto her side at Peppy's feet with a satisfied 'omph' and then proceeds to try and fit as much of her mouth onto his leg as possible. "Rrr," she murmurs, waggling her fuzzy eyebrows up at her father and trying to act ferocious. Precocious is probably a much better term for the pint-sized pup. Can anyone resist those blue eyes? Or how about that soft plume of a tail that now thumps the floor?

Okay. So maybe Peppy let his guard down. Dusk is so cute; how could he possibly say no to those sweet little eyes? When she catches him off guard and chomps down on his leg, however, things are a little different. No, her teeth aren't quite as developed as a fully grown Growlithe's, but that doesn't mean it's entirely pain free. "Lithe!" yelps the larger Growlithe, his leg involuntarily twitching as his neck snaps to her. Suddenly, his eyes aren't quite so adoring; now they're almost mean. <That hurt,> he whimpers softly, attempting to remove his leg from his daughter's mouth. Still, dad can't stay mad for long, so as long as Dusk lets go as Peppy struggles, he won't keep glaring at her.

Darkness closes in early as thick grey clouds block the sun. A light snow is falling. There is scant wind.

Snow flurries fall from a darkening grey sky.

Dusk's mouth hadn't closed that firmly on Peppy's leg and as he pulls free she only lifts slightly and then thuds to the ground, eyes waivering as if she has been struck. The puppy's tail sucks slightly and she lays at his feet, body still and rigid. Milk teeth can be very sharp, she hadn't meant to hurt him. Dusk blinks up at Peppy looking rather kicked. "Lithe," she whimpers in a puppy apology or explanation.

It's only after Peppy has yanked his leg away that he actually realizes that it sort of -didn't- hurt nearly as bad as he said it did, and his easily-spooked nature got the best of him. Though Peppy's never been the best pokemon at reading emotions, even this one rings loud and clear to him. His heart sinks into his chest as his face falls into a frown as he watches Dusk's sad demeanor. Just as she didn't mean to hurt him, he didn't mean to hurt her. Peppy ascends to all four paws, keeping his head level with his body and rotated to the side to keep an eye on Dusk. He steps back a few paces, slowly, cautiously, until his head is level with Dusk's body. Supposing she doesn't move, he'll take the utmost care in not crushing the little puppy as he settles back down into the ground, now side by side with her. Settling his chin upon his paws, his tail swishing back and forth, he glances at her out of the corner of his eye, grinning very slightly. <It's okay, Dusk,> he assures her. <It didn't hurt that bad.> It's unlikely she can understand him, but at least maybe his soothing tone will help.

Dusk blinks some more and wags her tail uncertainly. Then, inch by inch she drags herself closer to Peppy's side, unwilling to actually get up. Dwarfed by the older Growlithe, the little female nestles against his side and then curls up, long tail unfurled to cover her black nose. For a moment, she gazes up at her father, adoration replacing the stung expression, yet still feeling a little down. Her eyelids droop and then snap open, finally closing as Dusk slips back into sleep. Soon faint whimpers and snores emerge from the little black-eared puppy and she stretches out near the warmth of father's side, one hind foot kicking as she chases something in her sleep.

The night is raw. Snow flurries drift down from the overcast sky.

Peppy opens his mouth and inhales, apparently to say something else, but he doesn't get anywhere. Dusk surprises him by snuggling into his side. She must be scared of something, is Peppy's initial thought. Then he realizes that she's probably just cold. And then he figures out what the truth probably is, and it brings a blink to his face. She must already take a liking to her father. And Peppy lies there, glancing at the sleeping puppy's unconscious movements for a few minutes, pretty much motionless except for his controlled breathing and the occasional flicker of his tail. The way she sleeps, the way she nestles into him... it reminds Peppy of her mother. The Growlithe lifts his head up, leans towards Dusk, and gives her a little love slurp right below the ears, growling a soft <Good night.> He retreats his head back onto his paws and closes his eyes, and, finally, succumbs to sleep, his child nuzzled deep into his side.