[attr="class","icon"]

He should have dragged Ikarus Rook out here with him. He would’ve loved to be trudging through this snowy weather, naturally inclined toward the chill as he is. Lam, on the other hand…[break][break]

Well, he’s cursing his willingness to help out right about now. He tails the herd with another person, happy to not be leading the pack, because he’s lagging a bit. His talonflame, Ziti, drifts above them, ready to prompt any quick thaws should the situation call for it. Plus, his curiosity about the strange espartha helps his motivations along as well.[break][break]

“Yeah, it’s sure something,” he replies, trying to maintain a cheerful tone because he’s happy to not linger in any awkward silence, but Lam can’t help the way it twists in a grumble toward the end. “Though I can’t really say I’ve got experience with this sort of weather.” His own accent, light and Alolan, might be telling of that ineptitude with all this snowy weather.[break][break]

Green eyes shift over to the other man, and he tugs his scarf higher up over his chin. “Oh, I’m just a volunteer. I just wanted to get some more experience with wild pokemon beyond just catching them. Are you? A ranger, I mean.”

[attr="class","icon"]

Brows lift under the flop of green hair, further pressed down against his forehead by the pom-pom hat on his head. An ambassador? “That's pretty nifty! I can see what you mean in the benefit.” Though Lam is by far not an Alolan ambassador. He is most definitely just a dude helping out because he was curious beyond belief about these massive, non-flying birds.[break][break]

Hand extending back, Lam shakes Remiel’s as a lopsided grin tugs the corner of his mouth. “Lam Logan, nice meeting ya.” Though he still wishes it were under warmer circumstances (literally.)[break][break]

His glance drifts upward to check on Ziti, but the talonflame seems to be doing just fine following from the air, so he allows his attention to return to his impromptu volunteer partner.[break][break]

“So, whatcha make of all these espartha? Kinda wild lookin, huh?” That said, Lam also kinda adores them. They’re funky and make weird sounds. What’s not to love?

[attr="class","icon"]

Lam nods, green eyes flitting back to the tall birds. “Yeah, they do, don’t they? Sort of enigmatic. In a quirky way.” He is quick to laugh, though, at the mention of bowlcuts.[break][break]

“Hah, yeah, I think my dad used the same trick on my little brother once. He didn’t come out of his room for days, or tried.” Lam remembers begrudging passing Leif Logan snacks through a crack in the door because he couldn’t stand to be seen in such a state.[break][break]

Head tilting to the side, he considers. “I’d love to, though I doubt the rangers on duty would appreciate the disruption all that much.” Not to mention the ripple it might cause among the espartha themselves. Probably better to find one elsewhere. “That’s right, though. Guilty as charged.”

[attr="class","icon"]

This was definitely better now that he has company to chat with. It does well to distract him from the cold seeping through the fabric of his clothes and coat and boots. He’s almost entirely forgotten about the fact that the tip of his nose feels, like, totally numb.[break][break]

But he catches the glimmer of something through the frosty air too and nods, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. “Yeah, what do you thi—“ The bellowing howls cut through his question and it’s quickly answered as the mabostiff make themselves known. A nervous chattering immediately starts up among the herd of espartha.[break][break]

The rangers up ahead are probably going to have to focus on keeping them from scattering apart.[break][break]

“Oh, major yikes.” His expression pulls into a grimace, and maybe that’s an understated reaction, but even then he looks up again and follows it with a sharp whistle that brings his talonflame swooping down. She perches on his outstretched arm, ready for the go ahead.[break][break]

“Yep! Sure am.”

[attr="class","icon"]

“Oh, they wasted no time, huh?” he practically yelps as the pack descends on them. Lam lifts a hand to his mouth and whistles again– drawing the talonflame down like a fiery missile. One of the canine’s launches into the air with snapping jaws, hoping its BITE drags the talonflame down from the sky. But with cleverly maneuvered ACROBATICS, she twists out of the way and lands a hit on the mabosstiff holding Remiel’s baxcalibur with JAW LOCK.[break][break]

The flames that kick up around the bird do little to soothe the espartha who threaten to scatter. But Lam is distracted from Ziti’s efforts to knock away more mabosstiff with FLARE BLITZ because he’s too busy gawking as Remiel conjures up a bolt of lightning from his hand to use. “Uhhh…what?” He blinks a few times, then shakes his head to snap out of it. He definitely can’t do that, so he’s gotta rely on his pokemon. “STEEL WING, Ziti!” Better to minimize extra elements, maybe.

[attr="class","icon"]

It feels like it’s almost over as soon as it begins. Remiel’s baxcalibur makes quick work of the dogs. Ziti does as she was previously instructed– forcing some of the canines back with sweeps of feathers that glint steely and metallic.[break][break]

His talonflame seems to be of the same mind as the large dragon-type. She circles the air with warning screeches as the pack of mabosstiff retreats. Eventually, Lam manages to hale her back when the baxcalibur turns back. Arm outstretched, she drifts down to perch there, feathers ruffling irritably.[break][break]

The tension he’d been feeling also begins to recede, and Lam smooths over her feathers with a hand as he turns to regard the other. “Yeah, I’m good. Are you?” He looks ahead to where the rangers that had been leading the effort are now working to calm the agitated espartha. “It’s a good thing they didn’t all scatter.”

[attr="class","icon"]

“That sounds great,” he agrees with a laugh. It’s definitely more than earned, and Lam welcomes any opportunity to thaw his frozen nose and toes. Yep. He’s definitely glad the climate of his native Alola is not nearly so frigid. “It’s a plan!”[break][break]

His own attention shifts back to the espartha, and though she’s much smaller in comparison, his talonflame loops in circles around the flock. Acting almost as a herding dog would to keep them reined in and together for the remaining portion of the hike through the icy snow.