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@creepy

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The Ninetales beside her stirs, ears perking with the sound of snow crunching beneath shoes. It's a different sound, one human in nature, more distinct than the light footfalls of the flock. The fire type lets out a sound similar to a growl, throaty and low in vibration, and she moves to stand on all fours with a flourish of tails.[break][break]

"Friend or foe?" Illeana murmurs, unwilling to tear her eyes away from her notes just yet. Part of her hopes for the intrusion to be her partner, arriving to the party a little fashionably late. Better than poachers or worse, hunters. Judging from the silence that follows her words, this newcomer requires her attention, and so she drags curious eyes away from lined paper to stare at the figure of a man. He's dressed a bit more formally than she's used to, a suit and a blood red coat, and she resists the urge to fidget with a newfound embarrassment. Her comfortable cream sweater and dark jeans sure aren't as sophisticated as this man's ensemble.[break][break]

What brings about the embarrassment, however, isn't her attire or his. No, it's the bow, a swooping motion with the upper half of his body. Funny, she does the same in the presence of others but... No one has ever bowed to her before. Her cheeks radiate warmth as a rosy hue overtakes them, flush with a sudden rush of heat and blood, and she tries to play it off as part of the chilly conditions. If he knew her, knew of her background, he'd understand how far-fetched this is as she's a child of Snowpoint City, born and raised in snow.[break][break]

"It's a pleasure, Mister Reynolds!" The smile she flashes him is warm despite the chill in the air. "Yes, that would be me. Illeana Reyes," she pauses to offer him a slight wave of a hand and a polite nod of her head. If she weren't already perched on a fence, she'd more than likely return his bow in spades but, for now this will do. "So far, it's been relatively quiet. Just a lot of the usual Wooloo noises," the words escape in a sigh and while she prefers the quiet, it almost feels awkward to just sit here and mull about while danger could be lurking beyond the limitations of her sight. Sure, the peace is comforting, pleasant, but the looming threat of danger for these defenseless creatures just doesn't sit right with the woman.[break][break]

Her Ninetales settles back down at her side, content with the knowledge that her trainer feels safe in this man's presence. The tawny fox resumes her watch, crimson eyes sweeping the area in silence. "Did you happen to see anything from the woods?" She inquires, words carrying around them on the beginning of a cold breeze. A moment passes before she fidgets in her seat, the crisp pages of her notebook slightly rustling beneath twitchy fingers. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to presume that you were already sweeping the woods before." She's rambling now, an awkward thing in the face of socialization. "It's just that you came from that direction so I merely deducted you may have already checked."[break][break]

Okay, Illeana, you can shut up now. You're embarrassing yourself.[break][break]

She quiets down as another moment passes, settling into uncomfortable silence and the notion that she should really consider reading a book or twelve on how to properly make conversation.

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@creepy

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He seems pleasant, she muses to herself as she returns his smile with warmth. Friendly, even, which is a bit relieving. She was a little nervous about having a partner for this at first, afraid they wouldn't get along, that she'd merely get in their way. It seems, however, that her worries were for nothing as he seems open to help, welcoming it even.[break][break]

He continues to smile, even as he speaks, answering her questions with ease. Ah, and here she thought she might have made a fool of herself! It eases her to know that despite her curious nature, it isn't something that will ward off others easily. In fact, this man seems to embrace her questions with kindness. "Ah," she mumbles, weighing his words in her mind for a moment before continuing. "A lookout is definitely a good idea! Thank you for thinking of that, it's brilliant." She is genuine in her praise, knowing that the extra set of eyes will be beneficial in seeing threats before they become known to the pair.[break][break]

The woman stares at him for a moment, confusion settling across her features. Has he... dealt with something like this before? The way he talks almost points to that indicator but to be certain, she asks anyway, if only just to release the questions from her mind. "Have you done something like this before? Protect a flock, I mean," Illeana inquires. It's her first time dealing with such a thing, perhaps maybe the only time but if he's experienced in this feat then perhaps this might be easier with him by her side. "To be honest, I'm not sure how to do this. Do we just sit and wait for something to happen?" She rises from her spot, eager to stretch her legs. Her Ninetales rises with her, tails swishing with the motion.[break][break]

He asks her a question of his own, one that she had just mentioned to him and her rush to find out more information about him almost makes her feel foolish now. She could have just been a little patient and it would have saved her some breath, maybe? Patience isn't exactly something she's good at, however, not with her mind. And so, she flushes with a bit of embarrassment, cheeks deepening in color. "Yes, it is," she admits, glancing down at her feet. Snow crunches beneath her shoes as the Wooloo bleat in their pasture, beginning to roll about in the snow. "I'm sorry, it'd probably be a little easier to protect this flock if you had someone more experienced by your side," Illeana sighs, her Ninetales glancing up at her with slightly worried eyes.[break][break]

The faint sound of rustling foliage rises in the distance, not yet known to the group. Predators lurk beyond the trees, out of sight for now. They creep closer with each passing moment the pair chat, closer to the flock, closer to the saviors of the Wooloo. They try to stay out of the sight of the Sneasel, but perhaps the ice type is keen with its eyes, noticing the group of predators. Perhaps not...[break][break]

You can do this, Illie. Her pep talk will give her the courage she needs in the face of danger, right? She hopes so.

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@creepy

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Galar, huh? She faintly remembers reading about it but the knowledge escapes her in this moment. And so, with curiosity brimming in her eyes, she listens intently to his explanations.[break][break]

It sounds nice when he talks about it, really. Quaint little farms like this one come to mind, spread out across rolling hills of lush greenery. A beautiful sight, one she'd be interested in seeing, in studying. She heaves out a soft sigh, lips parting into an easy smile. "It sounds lovely," she murmurs before fumbling over words a moment later, hurrying to correct herself as her mind catches up to the rest of the explanation. "Well, not lovely that you have to protect poor Wooloo from predators but the idea of farms stretching across your land sounds nice!" She flushes then, a hint of embarrassment creeping upon her. "I'm sorry, I got distracted by the thought and spoke too soon." It's a habit she can't shake, truthfully. Getting stuck on one part of a sentence and running wild with it, ignoring the rest until after her mind has already ushered out a response for that one tiny detail. She supposes she at least looks cute with her feet in her mouth? No, definitely not.[break][break]

He takes her by surprise, then, and she can't help the little squeak that rushes into the air from her throat. Her previous assumption that he is pleasant and kind is spot on, perhaps even underestimating him a bit. The fact that he just went out of his way to offer her reassurance, to make sure she knows that she shouldn't worry about being new to this... It's touching, sweet, something she hardly experiences. Heat rises to her cheeks as her smile spreads further, radiant and bubbly. "Thank you," rolls from her lips in a soft murmur. "That's very kind of you to say. I really appreciate it." Perhaps more than he knows... Reassurance goes a long way with the woman and while she knows that she should be confident and put a little faith in herself, it's the hardest thing for her to do.[break][break]

Dealing with poachers isn't a clean business... Briefly, her mind reels back to that nightmare, that time of awful terror. Almost bitterly, she reminds herself that because of that experience, she is no stranger to the dark side of the world. Sure, it's not something she ever wants to experience again, but it almost makes poachers seem like child's play in the face of watching your Pokemon burn to ashes in a dream. "Ah," she offers at last, having fallen into her thoughts for a moment too long. "Yes, that sounds good to me." It's reasonable to assume that she wouldn't want to have things come to that. If she could prevent it, she gladly would but something in her tells her that the world isn't that simple nor that kind. And so, she falls back into silence, as if steeling her nerves and preparing for the worst will help her come to terms with what she signed up for.[break][break]

"It's okay," she reassures with a smile. "You were only speaking from experience, which is fine with me! The more I know about what this entails the better," the woman pauses. Before she can usher out more words and before he can finish his thought, a screech cuts through the area. It startles her, eyes widening as her once open mouth snaps shut. She's torn between watching the trees and watching her partner as he pivots on his heels, ready for what's to come, ready for the mission to begin. Shakily, she steps to his side, Flammae close to her heels. The Ninetales growls, low and guttural, and Illeana glances down to see the fire type bristling, the beginnings of flames already licking at her lips. It's a little surprising to see her beloved Ninetales in such a manner if she's being honest. The fox is usually so gentle, so patient, so kind. And now? She's threatened, rightfully so.[break][break]

A Sneasel breaks through the treeline, crunching quickly through the snow as it makes its way to them. She hesitates for a moment, uncertain as to if this Sneasel is friend or foe. Her uncertainty is quickly quelled by Nathaniel as he greets the Sneasel with a few steps forward and an offered arm. Ah, the Sneasel is his... That makes sense and so, she relaxes a little. Her partner and his Sneasel all but confirm that there is, indeed, an unwelcome presence that's closing in. Is that what that screech was? A warning? With nervous eyes, she looks toward Nathaniel, attempting to place a smile onto her face. It's wobbly and riddled with anxiety, failing to do anything besides show her unease. "Well," she gulps. "I suppose I have to learn sometime, right?" An awkward laugh filters through her lips before she falls silent.[break][break]

The rustling of leaves grows louder, more noticeable to the group. A pack of starving Mightyena linger in the forest, unable to keep their distance for much more. Instead they creep toward the treeline, their dark bodies becoming visible figures in the distance. The stench of week old blood clings to their bodies, carrying on the breeze toward the snowy field. Flammae catches a whiff and almost reels, a low whine escaping the fox. Illeana glances down, worry beginning to rise. "What is it?" She inquires, earning another whine in response.[break][break]

This isn't good, that much she knows.[break][break]

Snarls grow in volume as the Mightyena circle the last of the trees, snow crunching beneath clawed feet. They wait for a moment, crimson eyes watching, teeth gnashing together in a show of aggression. The leader of their pack steps forward, a signal for an assault, a notion for them to begin. And so, it starts, the group leaping into action at once. They are quick on their feet, agile creatures as they dart through soft snow, nothing but snarling predators at the sight of a feast.[break][break]

With a gasp, the woman stumbles backward a little, taken off guard by just how many there are. By her calculation, it looks to be about ten, maybe twelve... Can they handle this many hungry predators? God, she hopes so... For the Wooloos sake.

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