(ACE) The FROST Team

Flexing her neck and spine to look behind her Clover curls her claws into the floor as she watches Green and Drake. Though they had different reasons both were too quiet for her liking, but even as she tapped her claws against the ground they did not acknowledge her. Then again, words failed the cat as well, and she twisted back to something more comfortable as movement caught her eye. The others were returning while carrying several logs in tandem. With careful steps they made their way to the fireplace, its flickering flame already shrinking as it begged for proper kindling.

Yanking on the bungee until the hooked ends slipped free Kolven untied the logs from one another and let the smaller ones tumble to side. "Alright Kolven, lets toss this in and rest." With an affirming nod he sways and swings with the heavy log in tow, the motion in sync with Jack and giving it just enough momentum to fall in place without coating them both in hot cinders. The old burnt wood crumbles in ash and charcoal, having nothing left to burn as the flames start to take to the new timber. "That should hold us over for a while." He pants, wiping his paws together to brush off any dust or splinters. "The air already feels a bit warmer too." A purr rumbles in his throat, satisfied by their small task as he settled beside his sister. Her red eye was watching him carefully, as if expecting him to say more or tell her something, but the tomcat simply settled into a comfortable loaf.

A soft smile paints his face, the warmth of a fire a calming presence in itself as the group found its chance to relax after their long journey. Yet, he found no happiness in their return, his heart aching. Casting a glance at the window Kolven can see the snow coming down with force now, the high sun meaning nothing as the sky had grown dark with angered clouds. Clover mrrowed for attention, her tail flickering his side as she questioned him. "We did all we could." He whispers to her, though he knew he was only consoling himself. Putting the cold snow and colder graves out of him he looks back toward the couch and the seed pouch he had left resting there. "When should we get to planting?" He asks the trainer who had at the most gardening experience out of them all. "I'd assume the sooner the better with those things." Tipping his head to the side the worried about the storm slowing things down; it'd be bitterly cold outside, and the greenhouses allegedly needed a lot of work.
Though the warmth of the fire had finally worked into his bones and soothed his body it still ached like no tomorrow. He was tired and beaten, but more so than that his stomach rumbled with a hunger. "...Ah, we didn't find any food." He bemoans with an awkward laugh, distant memories of their meager meal this morning being all that was left in the mansion.

As Jack and Kolven place the log in the fireplace, the heat had started to warm the place up more than enough to last. "The air already feels a bit warmer too." That it did, but then Jack looked at Drake again who was looking right at Green. Was he about to have another meltdown? For a while, he thought with Green's behavior that she'd yell at him but surprisingly that hasn't happened. "When should we get to planting?" Planting? Oh, right. Jack completely forgot about that. Hopefully Drake will be able to show them after he calms down a bit. "...Ah, we didn't find any food." Speaking of that, they should probably see if they have any remaining food left.

Drake heard Green's response. "..Okay." After that, the charmeleon hugs her. "Thank you Green." Some tears came down and then he lets go of her before going to his room. As he started going up the stairs, his mind was racing, what if on every thought. Then he reaches the last step and starts walking towards a closed door and opens it. Looking into his room, it was still well kept and everything was as he left it. They didn't destroy my room. I wish I could have been stronger to save Ark and Finn. Henry, where ever you are, hopefully you got out of here after you got the bodies out. Yet he knew that he still needed more practice but the exercise room was closed off until the power can get turned back on. He left his door open in case someone wanted to come inside his room to see what he had. Hopping up onto his bed, he lays there and looks at the posters in his room. Some of which was some video games and movies. One was a giant sized Tyranitar looming over a city.

Jack wanted to go after Drake but if he did, they'd stop him from going any further. Instead, he decided to look through what they had left. As he walked over to their remaining supplies from earlier, Jack answered Kolven. "I think we should plant them soon. I might not know much about gardening but it looks simple if we give it a try." Then he gets to their supplies and starts looking through on what they had. "Not much, but it should hold us out for the night. Ark and Finn wouldn't want us to waste this stuff." He then looks at Green and wonders what she'll do. They're all stuck inside for what may look like the rest of the day and sometimes since Jack's knowledge of this was quite good, it might be a full day but sometimes these types of storms do tend to lighten up for a small time before getting heavy again. "Not sure about you all but maybe we can explore this place a bit after relaxing a bit and give Drake some time." Jack said in a respectful manner. He then looks over out the window seeing the whiteout conditions. "We won't let you guys down, Rest well Ark and Finn and thank you both for everything." The pikachu then goes over to a coffee table and takes his goggles off. For the first time in a while, he finally took them off to clean them as well. It's been collecting dust on the lens for a while and hopefully there was something he could use to clean them.

What was she saying? The Pokemon embraced her much like a sniveling child, his tight grip painfully reminiscent aside from his pointed claw fingers. A twinge runs up her spine, such contact and affections were no longer an acceptable part of her world. Unable to trust people, and Pokemon posing a deathly threat, even one slip up could prove fatal. And she would risk that contact for this pathetic lot?! Despite her discomfort, she had little reason to doubt the Pokemon, and after a few excrutiatingly long moments he gently released his grasp. Giving the trainer a quiet thanks Drake leaves the rest of the group without another word. The trainer remained frozen on the stop for a few moments, unable to accept what she just allowed, before awkwardly sinking back into the armchair.

Craning his neck around Flamey hits Green with a bombastic side eye and a small coo. With a snort Green turns away, her hand reaching up to scratch his head while letting her gaze rest on the floor. The last thing she needed was her Pokemon's judgement. Finally, the brisk air of the room started to soften, the warmth pleasing to her minor aches. For once, she would have a decent shelter to wait out a storm.

"When should we get to planting?" The Meowth interrupts the otherwise quiet room. "I'd assume the sooner the better with those things." In regards to grow time perhaps, but there was more to it than that. "I think we should plant them soon. I might not know much about gardening but it looks simple if we give it a try." Ah, right. These were Pokemon, farming was not common knowledge among them. Without so much as cocking her head the trainer responds without a hint of emotion. "Let the storm pass. It'd be unsafe to work outside in these conditions." Truthfully, the trainer had her doubts on the entire concept. She hadn't verified the condition of the greenhouses herself, but she knew years of neglect were never pretty. Any holes and damage from the elements would ruin the insulating properties of the greenhouses and render them useless, and depending on the extent fixing them may not be possible. "And a lot of work has to go in before you start planting."

"...Ah, we didn't find any food."

The cat announces as though its a sudden realization. Had that been a goal of theirs, or join a hope? Green knew not how desperate these Pokemon were for a good meal. Afterall, they looked fairly healthy overall, aside from the undead. This was their shelter, was it not? The kitchen seemed like too obvious of a place to look check for rations, but without need for further prompting Jack wandered off in toward the kitchen Green had checked earlier.
While she was far from relaxed the trainer feels a bit more tense and careful with her pack. Her personal rations were minimal and hard fought; she would not be sharing. Then her eyes widen; was that why they were going after seeds? Good gods, were they so desperate they would attempt farming without any prior knowledge? After the morning's trek her own stomach longed for a meal, but she knew better than to pull anything out in that moment.

The Pikachu returned, paws empty but not disappointed. "Not much, but it should hold us out for the night. Ark and Finn wouldn't want us to waste this stuff." Something was more than nothing, and with a tense sigh the trainer lets that worry fade. There was no point in lambasting their larder with a storm blowing outside, but the trainer once again could not understand how these ignorant creatures could survive this harsh landscape.

"Not sure about you all but maybe we can explore this place a bit after relaxing and giving Drake some time." Gods, was he bored already or bursting with electric type energy? Between the cold, the hiking, and the battles, Green was shocked any of these Pokemoon had energy left to them. "Knock yourself out." The trainer grunts, her eyes remaining closed, arms crossed but positioned carefully at the edge of her weapon. Exploring, scavenging, snooping was the name of her game, though perhaps it was different if the owner of the place was still present. Exploring on her own time and finding what she needed may be beneficial, but she did not want prying eyes following her about.

With a deep inhale and exhale Kolven allows himself to relax. Within the warm glow of the fire, the watchful gaze of his companions, and the safety of the mansion it was hard not to let his guard down. Despite all their hardships today he was still here, and sinking into his worries and woes right now would net them nothing. To waste a precious moment of safety was foolish and a waste of energy, and though his stomach rumbled Kolven found himself able to smile. "I think we should plant them soon. I might not know much about gardening but it looks simple if we give it a try." Jack's thinking is in line with him, but before the cat can question the next step Green stops them in their tracks. "Let the storm pass. It'd be unsafe to work outside in these conditions."

Right, the storm. Rolling his head to look out the far window Kolven can see the flurry coming down with a vengeance. Had they been any slower on their return trip, or run into any more trouble than they did, the lot of them would be a bunch of popsicles by now. Mirroring her brother Clover rolls her head toward the window as well and meows, gaining a twitch of Kolven's ears. "It's bad out there. But, I bet the snow will be beautiful once its calmed down." Pristine, undistributed clouds of white. The woes and truth of the land hidden under a pale blanket. "...Hard to travel." Clover grunted before setting her head back down. True, but Kolven didn't let his smile fade.

Jack walked back into the room, his movement practically missed by the tomcat as he mused about the snow. "Not much, but it should hold us out for the night. Ark and Finn wouldn't want us to waste this stuff." He comments on the food situation. Admittedly he was surprised anything remained after this morning, but it was a blessing he'd gladly accept. "That'll be our priority tomorrow then, along with the seeds." He purrs, welcoming another task to keep them busy. Idle paws were great for staying stress free, but in these cold lands and grief-ridden times it felt unsafe to allow so much free time. For the laidback Pokemon it felt misplaced to advocate such a thought, enough that his skin prickled and forced him back to his paws. Perhaps he should take his own advice..

"Not sure about you all but maybe we can explore this place a bit after relaxing a bit and give Drake some time." Jack suggests, giving something else to do to pass the time. As soon as he stood Kolven is reminded why he was down; his body still had not recovered from its wounds, and the thought of busying himself was nearly too much. His paws work the floor uncomfortable, and his head tilts to one side as he thinks aloud. "Perhaps we should ask Drake first. It is his home after all and he may now like us prowling." They wouldn't harm anything of course, nor did he believe Drake had anything to hide, but it felt like bad manners to explore one's home without permission. To make matters worse the Charmeleon was not in a good state of mind, and harming his trust now could be disastrous.

Setting his rump back down the tomcat sighs once more. Sprawled out beside him, Clover bats at his tail as it curls, her attempts to regain his attention unsuccessful. Twisting onto her belly and squirming awkwardly to stand upon her three legs the undead feels restless. "Don't need no permission." She grunts with uncanny clarity while hobbling away from the others in the room. If she wanted to search the grounds she damn well would. With slow but steady steps the cat marches out of sight, unbothered and undeterred.

OoC)) Skip, Jack is simply sitting and waiting for Drake while Drake is about to take a nap.

Walking with confident strides Clover marched down the hall without a second thought. It was dimly lit at best from the far away windows, with shadows casting down and a thick musty scent. There was little to spark her interest, and the further she walked along the more the undead longed for the heat she stepped away from. Sniffing at a wilted plant, its stalks long turned crisp in the old house, the cat huffs and disappointed breath. Was there anything interesting in this husk of a mansion? With a snort Clover continuous to hobble along, her tail held high but eye half-lidded as she searched for the slightest bit of entertainment.

Rolling onto his belly Kolven clenches his teeth. "Clover, dont go far!" He calls out to her, praying the other cat both could hear him and actually listened, but he does not hear so much as a sarcastic grunt. His ears fall back for a moment before flicking up again in hopes of hearing something, but only the crackling of the lively fire sounds throughout the quiet home. Though he has no reason to feel alarmed, this home had been perfectly safe before with no inside cause for concern, his pelt still prickled with unease. Nothing would happen, and even if it did Clover was far from defenseless. With an exasperated sigh he sets his chin back down on the floor and stares longingly where Clover's tail disappeared from sight. "Stay safe." He whispered under his breath, the good feelings seemingly draining out of his body without his sister's presence.

The empty spot next to him was painfully noticeable. Without Ark or Finn, and between Clover wandering off and Drake sequestering himself away, the room felt uncomfortably vacant. Even with Jack nearby it hardly felt like a bustling group returned from a harsh journey. With a disheartened sigh the Meowth tips his head onto his cheek and eyes the Pikachu with a listless stare. "You said you lived in a place like this Jack?" Kolven probes, hoping to spark some sort of conversation while they waited out their aching muscles. "You must have sat out your fair share of storms, had something you liked to do."