"The humans visit me," he mutters. That is to say that Gaja is right. No one else is going to. The humans don't care about him in any way that matters. They don't care about the long days and nights that he spends alone while waiting for them. They don't come to see him nearly as often as they once did, when the rivers were far more important to them. Now they only come to see him when they have need of him, when they want for fresh, plentiful fish or clear, cool water.

Gaja is the only one who's come to him looking for nothing in return. He's the only one who cares to keep him company or pull him away from his river when it's been far too long since last Nam left. Outside of the special occasions like these, Gaja is the only one Nam allows to pull him away. He simply trusts that the bird has on ulterior motives, and has his best interest in mind.

A small smile tugs at the river creature's lips as he raises his covered arm, watching the way the light fabric moves and admiring the colour as if in acknowledgement of the compliment. Then he reaches over to Gaja and this time he does run his fingers over the gold flecks on the phoenix's face. "The gold compliments your beautiful eyes."