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

Food. Shelter. Two of the most important things a wild pokemon could ever have. In the dead of winter, even more so. The search for this two things can go both far and wide, and for Navarone, it has brought him here, to Assisi Farm. After all, if what he's heard has any truth to it, he'll have room, board, and meals everyday if it goes according to plan. And yet, he sits there; outside the farmhouse, a few feet away from the open, inviting doors, hesitant to enter. The chilly weather bites into his fur even more, as if hurrying him to make a move, and quick. But being a strange little fellow, he can be hesitant about even the most simple things; even a warm place to stay and free food.

Meanwhile, the pokemon inside the barn are making the most of what it offers - the farm owner left a while ago after putting out food, and though some of the barn's inhabitants are clustered around the dishes and bowls eating what they can, most of them have already eaten their fill and gone back to snoozing to while away the time. Among those who've eaten and returned to sleep is Aurora, who's lying comfortably on a matted-down pile of straw while her and Peppy's five puppies have their own lunch, suckling eagerly at their mother.

The air is damp and cold, the sky a translucent grey, brighter to the south. Nothing casts a shadow. In the forest, snow lingers in the forks of the broadleafed trees and on the needle-clad branches of the conifers. While at the coast, the sea matches the cold winter sky: grey, rolling and oppressive.

The barn may be stirring, with pokemon talking while they eat, those ones with the right limbs rubbing their bellies happily. One pokemon in particular hasn't had a bite to eat, however... but judging by the content look on his sleeping face, it's unlikely he minds. Lying on his back, Peppy, his tongue hanging out (causing a little saliva to creep out of his slack jaw), his back stretched out across the barn floor, is fast asleep, and has been for hours. Yes, he should be out hunting, or helping Aurora get some of the food, or watching the puppies, but instead he's sleeping. That's Peppy for ya. His nose occasionally sniffs the air curiously, as if he recognizes there's food somewhere in the air, but he doesn't wake up. Perhaps he just thinks he's dreaming.

Minutes pass by. A quick breeze blows by, ruffling the unkempt fur of the firefox, sending electrical jolts up his spine. The harsh cold, audience of this little inner battle within Navarone, is impatient, and wants a desparate choice of action from the Vulpix, and soon. He rubs his paw into the fresh snow; indecision runs rampant in his cranium. Finally, he makes up his mind, and picks himself up. Off his haunches he goes, pacing the side of the barn until he draws close the the open doors and the hustle and bustle going on inside. Curious to find out what the commotion is all about, he peeks his head around the barn door, eyeing the surroundings. All he sees are the mass menagerie of pokemon assembled here; each eating their fill. Peppy and Aurora haven't even crossed his mind as of yet. And again, he stays in that position, doubtful of his own actions should he decide to walk in.

Waking up from her snooze abruptly as one of the puppies nudges her a little too hard, Aurora growls something incoherent, then looks at the puppies bleary-eyed. <Come on, you can't all be that hungry,> she mutters, and sighs. <Peppy?> she woofs, and if she gets no reaction she'll repeat it in a louder tone - once, or twice if she's not woken up the poor fellow by then. She doesn't notice Navarone at the door - after all, there are lots of pokemon over there eating and making enough noise to render the door's squeaking inaudible.

Peppy's paws, dangling aimlessly in the air, twitch slightly as his nose does. His cheek flinches once or twice as his head shakes back and forth, though his eyes remain shut. An earthquake couldn't wake this pup up, but it's starting to look likely that the smell of food could. Or maybe Aurora's voice. The Growlithe's eyes both blink open, and the first thing he's aware of is the wetness right below his mouth. Unable to realize that he was drooling, the pup flops his head over on his side, still lying on his back, looking to see what in the world happened. His eyes settle upon Aurora, and the sides of his mouth curl up into a small grin. He's no longer quite so interested in what the heck made his chin so wet. <Good morning,> he arfs awkwardly, his view of his mate strange thanks to his position. <... Is it still morning?>

Will Santa's route be extra long this year? Better save! (Saving)

Had Navarone fed himself as well as he should have, he would have stayed for a couple of moments more by the side of that barn door, simply observing. But as it happens, the allure of a meal; a free one at that, simply makes decision making a lot easier. Giving in to temptation, and giving up his cover, he stalks the walls of the barnhouse, eyeing bowls of precious food, hoping to scoop a morsel for himself. And this he does, almost as soon as he identifies a bowl, containing leftovers from a previous meal that some pokemon couldn't finish. He peers at his 'meal' for a moment. Then, almost immediately, he dives in; and upon finding that it tastes better than it looks, starts to wolf it down noisily and messily. It's been ages since he had anything /this/ good...

The air is damp and cold, the sky a translucent grey, brighter to the south. Nothing casts a shadow.

Aurora sighs again as Peppy finally manages to wake up. <I don't know if it's morning anymore, but you've been sleeping for a long time. Why don't you get some food now? The man left bowls of it a little while ago, and it's almost all gone.> She turns from looking at Peppy to point with one paw towards the nearby bowls. <Look, there's some left over...> And as she spots Navarone, her voice trails off. Blinking a few times to try to clear her sleepy eyes, she looks harder, and then whispers to Peppy, <Don't we know that Vulpix over there?>

Though it's quite a strain giving how he's lying back, Peppy manages to move his head just enough so that he can see the crowd of pokemon shuffling and snatching and murmering and yelping and generally causing a ruckus. Turning his head back to Aurora, the pup has an almost confused look on his face... until his eyes widen a bit. <Why didn... did... but they...> Fwoosh! Working with double speed, he rolls over onto his stomach, pops up to his paws, whirls around, and gallops... about two steps. Before almost stumbling over himself. Whipping his head back to Aurora, and exchanging his attention between food and Aurora (back and forth, back and forth, back and forth). <What Vulpix?> he pants, not sure of what he's supposed to do. Keep talking? Find the Vulpix? Get food now before it's all gone? His sleepy mind isn't quite working right now... not that it ever does.

Navarone, ever in blissful ignorance now that he has his mind on food, is quite unaware of how the two Growlithes seem to be paying attention to him. It might be only leftovers, but it is food still, and for that, he is thankful. He growls contentedly, a warm if slightly asinine smile on his gravy covered muzzle echoes those notions. Now at least he knows he can live through the winter with greater ease of mind.. Well, at least until he starts looking around the barn. His eyes quickly follow the path of a Growlithe quick on it's feet, but it's not the fact that he moved so quick that catches his eye; it is but a simple scar across the puppy pokemon's muzzle. Navarone freezes. By all means he should have expected this encounter, but he's quite numb, stuck to the spot, at quite a loss as to what he should do if that Growlithe comes his way. But he knows; and his heart speaks softly to him, that this encounter does not bode well.

Pointing a paw at the Vulpix again, Aurora replies, <It's... I don't remember his name. The one you were talking to during the summer, when it rained and we went to sleep under a tree. Then I woke up, and you looked embarrassed, and...> She looks a little puzzled, but also amused. <I don't think you told me what you were talking about when I woke up.> Looking back at Peppy, she finishes, <Anyway, don't you know him? Aren't you going to say hello?>

Peppy rips his eyes away from Aurora for a moment to take one last look at the rapidly depleting food. He shifts his position a little, and, opening his mouth, he starts to turn his head back to Aurora, but his eyes, just like his mate's, settle upon Navarone. His tail just sort of drops, just like his ears. Peppy is silent for a bit, only half listening to Aurora, before he finally turns his head back to her. <... Yeah, I remember him. We were talking about... ... oh...> As though he just now remembers, Peppy, shyly, turns his head to the side. <Ah, I'll, uh, um, go meet him. Haven't seen him for a while.> Nervous grin. Without giving Aurora another look (otherwise, he might blush more), he locks eyes onto the Vulpix, and, walking cautiously and very slowly, he marches towards him.

This is it. The very Growlithe that he, once upon a time, unleashed all of his frustrations and anger upon in the form of verbal lashing. And as Peppy locks eyes with him, Navarone too, engages the puppy's eyes, as if it were like he had a mysterious lock-on system that could identify his greatest threat to a peaceful winter. A mental dogfight (pun not intended) rages inside Nav's head; what he should say, how he will react, and what happens next. For all Navvy knows, they both could be at each other's throats before you know it. As emerald green eyes battle with the stony opal cyclops-like gaze of Navarone, he can only wonder what the conclusion of this whole ordeal he's about to go through will be like, and, sad to say, none of them are pretty, not in the least.

Aurora notices the blush and grins a little, murmuring, <Oh, is that what you were talking about...> She glances over at the Vulpix, who appears to have seen then, and then looks back at her puppies - finally full, they've started to go to sleep, and two of them have already dozed off. The others aren't far off sleeping, and are wriggling about to find the most comfortable position... which isn't making it too comfortable for their mother, who occasionally gets kicked by the puppies as they move.

Though his eyes remain on Navarone's face, Peppy looks far more curious than threatening or aggressive. His head turns very slightly when his mate speaks, but he resists the urge to look back at her. When Navarone doesn't greet him as he approaches, the Growlithe comes to a stop a few feet away from the Vulpix, before shifting weight to his back paws as he comes to a stop. A nervous looking grin manifests on the dog's face, and his bushy white tail gives one quick flicker, then another. The pup definitely looks anxious, but it might give Navarone some relief to know that he, at least, doesn't appear unfriendly. Though the pokemon at the food plates are loud, Peppy is silent for moments, until, finally... <... Hey there.>

Will Santa's route be extra long this year? Better save! (Saving)

Navarone didn't expect a 'Hey there.' He was thinking more along the lines of 'You! You...' Knowing Peppy, he wouldn't get very far if he were to suddenly start attacking Nav verbally. So it is with a perk of the ears and a quick swish of the tails that he greets the Growlithe, eyes no longer menacing but, rather, wide as a result of suprise. <Hey to you too!>, he greets, slightly more cheerful than the smooth, neutral tone of Peppy's greeting. All of a sudden, he doesn't feel like he's about to fight for his life, but instead, there is a slight wave of guilt that rushes over him. This is somebody he yelled at, spitting his own hatred onto his face, and they reunite with a simple 'Hey there.' Ironic. He shakes himself out of a daydream, and quickly adds <How have you been?>

Thank goodness, it's not snowing! Sleeping soundly in a pile of straw is a tiny rodent. A tiny purple rodent to be exact. She yawns lazily, letting a bead of drool drip down her lip as she snoozes on. Her curled tail is wrapped around her body like a blanket, and she rubs her body into the hay trying to generate more body heat. The little Rattata has made herself quite a place to sleep, all thanks to her nesting instinct. Not only is she sleeping in hay, but in a multitude of other miscellaneous materials such as shredded newspaper, bits of cardboard and what looks to be feathers of Pidgey and Spearow, just to name a few. It's surprising the sounds of all the other pokemon talking haven't woken her up yet. She must be a sound sleeper. Rolling about in her sleep, she flips onto her back letting her four legs stick straight up into the air like a lounging cat's or napping dog's. <Trees, flowers...> she mutters in her dreams.

<Ow!> Aurora yelps as one of the puppies kicks her hard in the side as he moves, his claws scratching lightly at her skin. She moves away, and the offending puppy - who turns out to be Flame, when Aurora looks down at them - glares at her. Aurora looks a little surprised, then glares back at him and taps him on the head with a paw, hard enough for him to look a little dazed for a second. <That's not nice, Flame,> his mother mutters, leaning her head towards him, <so don't do it again. Okay?> Flame stares at her for a little while, then closes his eyes, apparently going to sleep.

Judging by the look on Peppy's face, it doesn't look like he's quite aware of the internal struggle Navarone is going through, but then, that's not really something new. Navarone's reply is considerably cheerful - not quite what Peppy was expecting, but at least it helps to break the ever forming ice. A small smile forms on the pup's face, and he turns his head very slightly. He looks out of the corner of his eye at the wall to the right when Aurora barks out her pained yelp. He doesn't turn enough to see the female Growlithe, but the implication is there. <I'm okay... uh...> If Growlithes could rub the backs of their necks, Peppy undoubtedly would. If Growlithes had sweat glands, he'd probably sweatdrops. As it stands, the canine can only keep his eyes directed to the side as he continues. <... Uh, well, uh.> Glance at Navarone. "Lit..." Something of a <Heh>. Glance back to the side. <Remember when you, uh, said Aurora and I, were... uh... ... cute together?> Oh, yes. Subtle, indeed.

Again, Peppy catches him by suprise (a big achievement if you happen to share the same amount of IQ as he does). Navarone was expecting him to remember his words that ran more along the likes of the oh-so-painful "Just. Let. Go.", or that "Once I know what I have to do.." line. Not "cute together". Well, maybe not everyone's minds work the same way. Especially true if it's Peppy we're talking about. But yes; he does remember, and it slowly come back to him that rainy summer day, when he kept going on about him and Aurora being an item. <Yes, I do remember.>, he speaks, all this while his head pointed skywards, pondering. It suddenly drops to it's normal height, and he adds <...What of it?>

Ran slowly opens her eyes, shaking her head from side to side as she awakens from her slumber. Perhaps she's not such a sound sleeper after all. That, or Flame's ruckus and his mother's reprimand is finally enough to rouse her from her sleep. Either way, when her eyes adjust fully to the dim light that's within the barn, she focuses her attention on the canine figures conversing, which she had not seen there before she had fallen asleep. She cants her head to the side in a quizzical fashion, furrowing a brow in silent question as well. Finally, she decides to go and investigate this interesting situation. Stopping a little more than five feet from the Growlithe and Vulpix, she takes a tentative step forward, wiggling her nose as she sniffs the air cautiously. <Hello?> she asks, getting ready to dart away should one of them decide to eat her.

After dealing with Flame, Aurora casts her eyes over the other puppies, all of whom appear to be sleeping or almost asleep. With a quiet sigh of relief, she rests her head on her paws and relaxes, idly watching the conversation between Peppy and Navarone. The Rattata's approach sparks a little interest - her eyes open a bit more, and her tail wags lazily a few times - but with a full stomach, and sleepy pups beside her, Aurora's in the mood for resting right now.

Peppy continues looking to the side, completely and entirely unaware of Navarone's surprise. Has Peppy forgotten about the incident? Is he just luring the Vulpix into a false sense of security? Has he thought about it and come to accept it? ... Heh, Peppy thinking about something. Ran attracts the pup's attention for a moment or so, most likely because Peppy's hungry, but in the end he only gives the Rattata a little grin, before turning his attention back to Navarone. Maybe he doesn't want to get tempted. <... Well, uh,> he woofs at last, breaking apart his half of the silence. ... <... There she is.> Stepping to the side, the Growlithe glances over his shoulder without moving his paws, taking a look at mate, five puppies, and all. He watches her for a moment or so, before glancing back at the Vulpix, perhaps if only to see his reaction. Any taker for jawdrop? Jawdrop, anybody? How about double take?

The air is damp and cold, the sky a translucent grey, brighter to the south. Nothing casts a shadow.

It's lucky for little Ran that Navarone just had his lunch, if not a full one, otherwise Rattata might be on the menu. The little rat pokemon might have to to what the present tense version of her name suggests. But enough about Vulpix dietary habits. Being a Rattata, Ran gets little notice, as Peppy addresses him once more. "There she is." confuses him slightly, but as Peppy turns his head, Nav follows with his own, tilting it so as to get a better look. And what a sight it is. Aurora, and five little pups. Nav blinks. He blinks again. And again. Now he squints, leaning forward. <Are those..> His question goes unfinished, as he withdraws from his peer with a quick exhale, eyes widening by the second. Puppies? But who- He turns abruptly to Peppy, who, no doubt, is enjoying all this. He turns back to Aurora. Peppy. Aurora. Peppy. Aurora. He finally blinks again, and if he had a normal pair of eyes, they'd be crossed and rolling backwards in his head. He wobbles slightly- this is a lot to take.

Ran sits there waiting expectedly for some kind of greeting. Waiting. Nothing. Wait! No. After a minute or two she grows frustrated, and sits on her small rump, crossing her paws across her chest and feeling downright ignored. Hey, the Growlithe looks like he's going to say something! Okay. She gets a grin. But hey, it's better than nothing she supposes. When Peppy turns his head and gestures behind him, her head follows his and the Vulpix's. Puppies. She smiles and chatters pleasantly. While she's not nearly as taken aback by the five balls of fur as the fire fox, she is amused by them at least. <Cute. Yours?> she asks, taking a few steps closer, but hanging back for fear the mother might take her interest the wrong way and want to eat her three.

Will Santa's route be extra long this year? Better save! (Saving)

Although she's feeling rather sleepy, and is in fact half-dozing, Aurora keeps her eyes partly open, watching Navarone and Peppy talk. As Peppy gestures back to her, she stifles a grin at Navarone's shocked reaction. <So you /were/ talking about that, then...> she murmurs - and then Ran's voice distracts her attention from the others, and she turns to look at the Rattata. Aurora nods slightly and replies, <Yes, they're my pups,> before yawning widely, baring her teeth as she yawns - not a particularly reassuring sight for a Rattata.

The pokemon at the food are getting quieter as more and more go back to sleep, though there's still a little left yet. Though Peppy does, indeed, have a grin on his face, it's more anxious than anything, though his green eyes do sparkle with amusement. He settles his attention on his mate for a second, his smile softening into something a little less jumpy and somewhat more friendly. He watches her - and the Rattata, no less, though she doesn't particularly seem like much of a threat to Aurora or the puppies - before turning back to Navarone, looking a little more calm. The Vulpix's dizzy face and his unsteady stance causes the pup to cock his head a bit. <... They're mine,> he woofs. <Ours.> Just in case Navarone can't figure it out.

Peppy's words go directly over Navarone's head, while Navarone's consciousness lies under the range of any radar. He feels like he's just hit himself with a Confuse Ray, as he wobbles about, feet unsteady, and head still dizzy from the overload of information. In his stupor, he trips over himself, and falls to the ground in a heap of maroon-red fur. He lies there momentarily, trying to get the world into focus once again. Finally, with a vigourous shake of the head, he snaps back to reality. He tries to understand what just transpired in the past few minutes. He comes to a simple conclusion; thanks to a simple suggestion of his, Peppy and Aurora are now mates. With five pups to boot. The thought sends him into stitches; he's laughing so wholeheartedly, his belly aches. And despite that, he feels good. It's not a laugh that ridicules; more of a laugh at some of the wonders that life brings to your doorstep. When he finally stops, he still has that look of wonder and disbelief on his face, and, most strikingly of all, a smile, a wondrous glowing smile.

The sight of a Growlithe's bared teeth aren't exactly appealing to Ran, and she backs up a few steps, flattening her Mickey Mouse ears against hurt round skull. She listens to Peppy, and hopes he doesn't bare his teeth at her either. Luckily, the words of a particular Sandslash echo in the rodent's ears, leaving her slightly more at ease. "Rule one, no fighting." A cool narrative voice echoes in the Rattata 's ears. As long as these rules are enforced by whoever enforces them, Ran is safe, no matter how carnivorous these pokemon's instincts might be. That in mind, Ran smiles toothily and becomes bolder. <Wow! Awesome!> she exclaims, wagging her tail in a canine like fashion, trying to de-alienate herself while in the company of all these dog-like pokemon. Hopefully, they will learn to accept her, and with luck, not make a rat sized meal out of her. However, just to be safe, the small pokemon creeps behind the safety of a haystack, and listens to the conversation from there.

Ran has disconnected.

Aurora stops yawning and looks a little embarrassed, noticing the Rattata's reaction and guessing what caused it. <Sorry about that, I was just a little tired...> She watches the Rattata scurry off, and sighs. Sometimes the difference between species is too much to overcome... Aurora yawns again, less widely this time, and settles down on her paws again. Navarone's eventual reaction to Peppy's statement brings a smile to Aurora's face again - she hadn't really noticed the Vulpix's mood before, but he certainly appears to be happier and more at ease now.

As Navarone feels the need to burst into halfway hysterical laughter, Peppy's smile quickly vanishes into a very curious and almost suspicious frown, and the pup's fuzzy eyebrows furrow. The pup takes a glance back at Aurora, definitely not certain of what to do. Why is the Vulpix laughing? Because he and Aurora are mates? ... Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Well, Peppy knows one thing - Aurora's face shows delight, and that's enough relief he needs. And so, the Growlithe waits... and waits... and waits for Navarone to stop laughing. And eventually the fox does, and Peppy almost immediately jumps on the opportunity to speak. He's considerably quieter here, and Aurora might not (depends on how well she's listening - and how good her hearing is) hear him. <... She's really smart and nice and strong, and I really like her.> As though Navarone hasn't already drawn this already!

Curious stares abound around the firefox, as he rolls onto his back, paws pointed skyward in a comic pose that wouldn't be all out of place for a situation like this. He swats at the air playfully; he feels like he were a simple Vulpix-kit again, without a care in the world. It took the union of two hearts, that which no doubt he helped to forge, to remind him of how it feels like to be truly happy. He can't help but nod at Peppy's praise towards his mate; he's in no mood to argue. He could bask in this warm glow all day, but eventually, curiousity gets the better of him. And so he rolls back up onto his feet, smile intact, and slowly pads over to Aurora. In his slow approach, he whispers to Aurora, as not to awaken the pups. <Can I take a look at them?>

<Whuh?> is Aurora's initial response, her brain rather fuzzy with sleep. After giving Navarone's question a few seconds to enter her brain and look around a bit, she finally comes up with the slightly sleepy-sounding response, <Of course you can. They're just next to me...> She moves over a little, away from the pups, to give Navarone a better view, and watches him with eyes that are close to closing again. That's one tired Growlithe.

Peppy's reply is not instantaneous. As a matter of fact, his face actually drops a bit, and for a split second, he glances to the ground. Thankfully, Aurora replies so Peppy doesn't have to, and the dog gives Navarone one last glance before trotting back over to his mate, looking over the five adorable sleeping puppies before landing sights upon the other Growlithe. His tail swishes back and forth in interest, and, his voice half worried, half sympathetic, Peppy asks the obvious. Looks like her hanging eyes and her garbled speech isn't enough of an indication for the Growlithe. <... Are you sleepy, Aurora?> He tries to catch any movements out of the corner of his eye, just to make sure he knows where Navarone is, but he keeps his attention focused on Aurora.

Fascination. Navarone's head is filled with nothing but it. Tiny, near helpless balls of fluff- who would have thought that they could be so interesting? And to Navarone they are; he scrutinizes the puppies with the curiousity of how a newborn-kit studies the world around him. He's never seen young; that of his own kind or that of others, and that's why he continues to look at the pups, albeit now from a sitting position. But then again, he could simply be daydreaming, while looking ahead; no doubt about his own days as a tiny kit. A sigh of content. Breaking his gaze from the pups, he looks about him, and comments to himself, <So, this is Assisi.> It could be Seventh-Heaven for all the Vulpix knows, as he lays his head down, resting in a peace that has long evaded him.

If Peppy couldn't figure out before that Aurora's about to drop off, her slurred, <I'm just going to have a nap...>, followed by her closing her eyes and then starting to snore lightly, should be enough of a clue. Kept awake by her puppies for most of today and yesterday (including a few kicks and paw-swipes from Flame which often managed to wake her up from light naps), Aurora seems to be making the most of the puppies' sleeping time.

Will Santa's route be extra long this year? Better save! (Saving)

Peppy carefully examines the look on Navarone's face as he watches the little puppies, admittedly drawing some amusement from his own interesting. Quietly, very quietly, almost as if he's talking to himself, the Growlithe whimpers, <... They're adorable, aren't they?> Both his mate and his friend very quickly drop down, and, almost bewildered, Peppy peers back and forth between the two fire types, marking the irony that he's the only one not sleeping. Well, the food's mostly gone, so that leaves Peppy with virtually one choice. <Aurora...> the pup mumbles quietly, his growl half stifled so as to not wake her up. <... I'm heading out hunting.> He knows she's asleep (she sleeps deeper than he does!) and probably can't hear him, but that doesn't stop him. He lowers his muzzle down, giving the other Growlithe a quick touch on the nose using his own, before rising once again, taking one last glance at Navarone. Not checking to see if he's even asleep yet, the pup, without another word, heads towards the exit and, unless stopped, will barge right through the cracked door for the afternoon's hunt.

The air is damp and cold, the sky a translucent grey, brighter to the south. Nothing casts a shadow.

As the male Growlithe darts past the barn doors, Navarone's sole eye follows his movements. If some time ago, he saw Peppy as a dreamer, it has all changed in the space of the past hour or so. In his eyes, Peppy is an /achiever/. And as the puppy pokemon's silhouette fades into the distance, he turns back to Aurora and the pups. To see this sight and not sigh in adoration is an impossibility for Navarone. He's found his peace, and all he had to do was step through the barn doors, into this barn.. into their lives.