Memories of smiling faces and the moments that were tied to those smiles threatened to overwhelm Sebastian as the yearning for home and familiarity weighed down on his heart. It was a recurring trip that he took every once in a while, with or without a catalyst. It was inescapable, but enough time had passed for Sebastian to grow resilient. He could never forget what he lost, and he never intended to, but he also could not allow himself to grieve. Not yet, at least. He made a vow, and he could only yield to his emotions after the realization of his promise. So Sebastian would continue to smile in the face of his despair, just as he smiled to the girl before him.

He would allow his smile to falter a bit as Lucie echoed a thought that was a reality to Sebastian. Even though Johto had been spared the brunt of Team Rocket's assault to its neighboring region, the red-haired trainer was forced to watch his home razed to the ground. His only remaining family in the aftermath of the incident was trapped in catatonia, leaving him almost nothing to return to. Even though he knew that things could never go back to the way they were, his whole reason for wandering was to keep himself from calling anywhere else home until he could avenge the one that he lost. It wasn't healthy, and Sebastian knew that, but he also knew that desire for home would provide motivation towards bettering himself. If he had any words of comfort to offer, he would have. While he knew they had similar concerns, he dare not assume their feelings were the same.

As the conversation shifted to the subject of his pokemon, Sebastian looked to Noir with a fond smile. "To be honest, I think it's more like they take very good care of me." The sneasel flared his nostrils, though he didn't need to tilt his head any higher to show how proud the compliment made him feel. Sebastian never liked to take credit for the strength of his pokemon, nor did he particularly care for other trainers who made such proclamations.

Lucie's answer brought them back to a somber place and he gazed sympathetically at the researcher as he thought back to the loss of his own father and brother. Just as he struggled to find words of comfort, an abrupt gust of cold would infiltrate the hotel. The loud clatter of windows bursting open caused Sebastian and Noir to go on full alert, their bodies almost instinctively pivoting to face the entrance. A brisk survey of the ballroom would make it apparent that, apart from the icy draft that swept the room, nothing malicious appeared to have intruded. Both Sebastian and Noir would turn to look at Lucie and her deerling just to make sure they were in good shape.

His eyes soon drifted around the ballroom for further investigation while his mind began to question the weather, recalling that this climate was a false one created for the sake of the festivities. It had been consistent until now, so it seemed strange for there to be a sudden outburst. He felt uneasy, though his face gave off the impression that he was excited since he often confused the two. As he resolved to assume that the organizers even engineered such spontaneous transitions for a more authentic feel, a second gale would sweep the hotel and verify in Sebastian's mind that something suspicious was afoot. He buried his hands into the pockets of his trousers, as if to keep himself warm, while allowing his fingers to run over the engraved items in his pockets. All the while, he returned his gaze to Lucie.

"Are you two alright?"

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→ bas & noir on red alert
→ bas & noir check on Sen Hasegawa and her deerling