#[also re: our conversation before about gardens ive finally identified this one plant our neighbor brought by that was baffling me. It's

[newdestination]

"I see. My younger si— or, ah… lea… the.. hm." He stumbles quite badly in the middle of his thought, coming to a full stop in the middle of rooting through everything he had brought along. It's difficult enough trying to refer to Kai in the midst of the clan— guessing how to talk about her to someone beyond it suddenly seems so much worse. Seki himself didn't seem as though he'd have too many issues to the point either way, but saying the wrong thing wears slightly at the edges of his nerves.

"…There's this young miss I attend to," Nobori finally settles on. Neutral and vague enough, disregarding the topic itself. "She's recently evolved a Glacia of her own. They make quite wonderful and loyal companions, if one can reach beyond their skittish nature. They hatched an egg, I believe." Seki's comment regarding his sister certainly piques Nobori's attention beyond the meandering lines of his own words. The method of acquisition was some sort of tradition around Kai's status as the head's daughter and sole child, though he couldn't say he's privy to the details.

"Though, I don't suppose I'd be inclined towards Glacia myself. I was quite surprised, really— a Showers would have done quite well in the Tundra, what with the matchup with type commonalities, and…" Nobori runs his mouth as he picks out a fair heft of wrapped meat nestled in a small pocket of eternal ice. Not great for long-term storage solutions, but just fine considering; it's only been a day or so, after all. He really ought to set up the tent, too…

"Ah, pardon me. I suppose all of that is to say that I'm quite glad to see it!" He really, truly is, above all else. Nobori supposes it'd only make sense to have sent a clan member with a team of their own in the interest of self-defense, but… it just settles him in a way he's not entirely sure how to describe. "Your sister found them, you said?" He prompts in turn, a curious eye cast towards his temporary companion's side. "I'd suppose you're welcome to start the campfire— though, I would listen to your partners if they've an opinion on that, Seki." He'd certainly seen the way they nipped and chased the other man by the feet to herd him into resting. Perhaps they're just an overcautious lot, but— well, it'd been quite a full day, and he still seems… a touch red in the face.

…No reason to be wary. Nobori evenly returns Seki's gaze as their words settle in the air, a low hum in the back of his throat. He ought to be sending for Goriky, anyways. "Very well then… one moment, if you will!"

Nobori trills out a short whistle through his teeth, already shifting to brace himself against the side of a nearby pillar. It only takes a moment for his ears to catch the edge of that telltale rush of wind along the edges of the sky, a dark snap of teeth and leather.

The cold stone digs into the meat of his hand as he tries to stay upright underneath the impact, an overexcited pair of claws slung about his neck. Glion always gets awfully overexcited after spending an entire day out of petting range of Nobori— he's long since learned to anticipate the pokémon's antics. His companion is intelligent enough to understand when it isn't time to be playing, after all— He is hardly going to begrudge the little thing for a bit of fun.

…or, the big thing, perhaps. Glion has long since grown out of fitting in the inner pockets of his coat, begging for scraps of berries and treats. Hot breath gusts over the back of his neck in stark contrast, a chittering squall ringing in the cup of his ear. There's an affectionate tail curling around his ankle, needle-tip stinger bumping against the fabric of his shoes. Nobori offers the pokémon a few sparing pats around the beginnings of dinner in his hands, the pot he intends to actually use still full of other supplies by his feet.

"Yes, yes, I know—"

"Not that I want to be down for the count..." Seki muttered under his breath, laying a hand gently on Bracky's head as she nuzzled up against his stomach. His palms and fingers ached, fingers throbbing as if he'd stuck them on hot coals and he really couldn't argue the fact as much as he hated it and it made his chest tighten with frustration.

He didn't want to look at Nobori, not wanting to see the other's expression or try to puzzle out how he was feeling.

All Seki could gather from tone alone was that... he wasn't being judged. He wasn't used to that feeling.

He pet his Pokemon lightly, finally looking up over at Nobori.

The other spoke lightly, tone optimistic despite the almost permanent frown that sat on his face and Seki wondered quietly just what he was thinking. Was he just quiet about his judgement, quietly planning how to take the burden off of him, or did he truly not see issue with his weakness? He didn't know how to feel himself; everyone either saw him as a burden or someone to be coddled as if he were a child, incapable of doing things. He hated both of those views, but he'd never really experienced neither.

He probably shouldn't think too hard about it. There was still time for that to change.

He looked up at Nobori finally, expression thoughtful and only mildly skeptical. As if waiting for a shoe to drop, a coddling remark, a scolding for pushing himself.

"Yeah... they've been with me since I was a kid. My older sister found them and we ended up attached to each other. They know me better than I know myself it feels like." He chuckled, not wanting to admit that they had also been taking care of him for years. Though it felt a bit disrespectful to their efforts to not verbalize them no matter how embarrassed he was to say it.

Later though.

Over dinner, they would have time to talk about more things, and Seki was so curious about Nobori. It would only be fair to talk about himself as well if Nobori wished to.

"No food preferences though... and I don't mind if your companion joins us. You have some pretty strong Pokemon at your side," Seki said with a faint smile. "so I have no reason to be wary of any other Pokemon you consider a companion." He was probably being a bit too trusting, and he could already hear Yone scolding him for putting too much faith in strangers, especially someone from a rival clan.

But both clans had been relatively peaceful since Seki took over, and they were actively trying to make a truce.

If this truce was even going to work, he had to be willing to take the first step.

Shifting and pulling his legs free from his Pokemon, he took a breath, then stood. "I can get a campfire going if you'd like." Seki offered, though really, he just didn't want to sit there and do nothing while Nobori wrangled up dinner.