( open ) can you guys help me pick a filter?

[rotomphone]

Who: Raihan and you!
What: December catch-all! Prompts are in the comments.
Where: All over!
When: Void-ember (December)
Content Warnings: none at the moment.


 
📷 • 🍪 • ✖️ • 🐉

Comments

📷 selfie olympics ( ota )

[rotomphone]

[ if you’re minding your own business at the Merlaut, near a train stop, or outside of the Heavenly Blanc, you might see a written poster that catches your eye. ]



[ you can either find Raihan to show him the fruits of your labour, ask for him to help you set up whatever idea is brewing in your head, or just ask him what the hell a “Selfie Olympics” is. all submissions will be judged fairly and impartially. probably. ]

[bazooker]

[As Haru looked at the poster by the train stop, she merely raised an eyebrow at it. While she was familiar with the concept of 'selfie', it was another to take silly pictures of oneself.]

"Selfie Olympics"? How am I suppose to do that? [She said to herself before looking around for a Raihan.] Excuse me, sir, do you know where this Raihan might be at the moment?

[rotomphone]

[ that poster had just happened to be his last - he's been posting a few in the area, and was just about to let Flygon out to bring him back to the Merlaut before he's stopped by a young lady. ]

You're in luck - the great Raihan stands before you! [ he smiles, nodding over at the poster. ] Were you thinking of entering my little contest?

[bazooker]

[Oh. Well, she should have known she would be talking to someone so confident in themselves! She didn't know what to say at first as she was intimidated by someone like him.

However, she does eventually say something]

Yes, I wish to partake in this "Selfie Olympics” ? I'm curious as to how this contest is suppose to work as I never been in one before.

[rotomphone]

[ that boisterous confidence is just part of the Raihan experience! he knows he can be a bit intimidating in combination with his height (and his team of dragons, though they aren't around at the moment), but he can only hope that his friendliness off-sets any reservations Haru might have. ]

Oh, it's easy enough! [ he opens his mouth to start his explanation, but something occurs to him. hm. ] Well... first thing's first, actually. You know what a selfie is, right?

old man my apologies

[kimihiros]

(this one has once stated that he hates "cellphone email" because it's a pain in the ass. he still has a landline and it works for his purpose, which is calling his errand boy friend. he does own a television he doesn't watch, so when he sees the announcement on the wall of the merlaut apartment complex, his first reaction is turning to the fox wrapped around his neck.)

What the hell is a selfie?

(mugetsu just shakes his tiny head. he doesn't watch too much television either.)

old man moe is real and i respect him

[rotomphone]

[ though he was more than ready to have to explain the concept and rules of the Selfie Olympics, Raihan didn't exactly account for people not knowing what a selfie was in the first place. like Pokémon, it was something so ingrained into his life that it hadn't occurred to him that there would be people who weren't in the know. that said, he's more than happy to explain!

the Merlaut was the first place he had hung the posters in, and he's just returned from placing the last of them at each train station. he enters the lobby of the apartment complex to see Watanuki musing at the poster, and decides to take the opportunity to swoop in. he didn't come early enough to hear him ask the selfie question, but he'll just go ahead and assume this guy is interested. ]

I didn't really have space on the poster to list T's and C's, but I'll answer any questions you have!

i'm pretty sure he is unable to understand raihan bless him

[kimihiros]

(from the fact that he is wearing traditional chinese attire and the fact that there is a little spirit curled against him, nothing about kimihiro gives off a youthful look - aside, perhaps, the fact that he looks like a teenager that surely would know what a selfie is.

appearances can be misleading! kimihiro is slightly startled by the appearance of a new person, a frown on his face that he tries to conceal because, really, what the hell is a T and C?)

... What do you mean?

[rotomphone]

You know, Terms and Conditions - tules and all that. Not that there actually are any, besides not going off and doing something dangerous for a picture.

[ maybe that gives Watanuki more of an idea as to what this is - some sort of photo contest, perhaps. he'll have to ask for more if he wants to understand, since Raihan is just assuming that everyone is familiar with the selfie phenomenon. ]

[bachagain]

[ is raihan ready to get FASTLY approached by one half of the fang brothers? because he sure is getting FASTLY approached by one half of the fang brothers, with raihan's... handwritten poster in his hand....

"please don't steal posters, leo," his good role model might say. but he doesn't have one that can control him, so he sure took that to remind himself to take a selfie the next time his phone actually worked.

and he did! so here he is. waving the poster around. ]

Raaaaaaaaaii! I'm here, and the past Leo Tsukinaga is also here... technically! Ready to eat our selfie dust? ☆

[ this is not a race ]

[rotomphone]

[ well, that's fine with him! it's not as if he put much thought into those posters to begin with - it was mostly just to get the word out, and that's more likely to happen by mouth now that Leo knows about it. his smile erupts when he sees the young man approaching, not flinching despite Leo's FAST approach. hopefully that won't work against him... ]

Oh? That's big talk for someone that doesn't have anything to show yet... I'm expecting a lot from you now, so you'd better not let the great Raihan down!

[ it's all in jest, of course, but Raihan is nothing if not dramatic when it comes to competition. bring it on, Tsukinoogie. ]

1/2

[bachagain]

[ hey.... hey, is he thinking tsukinoogie's loud? that he has the word-spreading power of one million posters, merely because he can't keep his mouth shut?

BECAUSE RAIHAN IS DAMN RIGHT

as evidenced by the way leo near cackles with those words. he drops his proud, poster-waving hand in favor of stuffing it into the pocket of his hoodie, obviously looking for the golden nugget of victory to show raihan. his prized jewel. his insane selfie. his-- ]

Wahaha! Suuuper impatient, huh? Can't wait to see the great selfie of a genius, huh? Heeeere ya go, Rai, my--

[ his!!!!! ]

[bachagain]

[






--uhhhhhhh? ]

--My phone? Aaaah, darnit, not again! [ UHHHH? he is absolutely digging deeper into this pockets ] Did I leave it with the giraffe? Curses, past Leo Tsukinaga...! You aren't here after all, and you forgot the most important part! What the heck?!

[ hmmm. well

leo tsukinaga is disqualified ]

[rotomphone]

[ he sure is, and that's more than alright! being loud means you're being heard, and even if he isn't quite like that himself, it's completely fine in Raihan's book. loud people make for fun company, and Leo is that and then some! he's quite interested in seeing the result of the other man's creative juices... but it looks like he'll have to wait. ]

You lost it? [ HM. ] Or you never took one and you're just trying to give me the run-around... c'mon, be honest!

🍪 a bite from home ( ota )

[rotomphone]

[ having trains up and running, as periodic as they may be, has made transportation around the void a little more bearable. but why, you ask, would this matter to a person who owns a flying dragon and can simply travel by air to wherever he pleases? the answer is pure, unfiltered curiosity, with a dash of nostalgia - it was nice to take the regional train in Galar every once and a while, and while the scenery here was completely different than that of Raihan’s home region, it gave another perspective of one’s surroundings. what better way to understand how things are connected than to take the route yourself?

it’s few stops into the ride when they begin to pass around the large glass dome that he’s only seen before in passing, now surrounded by a very familiar wall. his eyes widen, hands pressed against the window next to him as he tries to get a better look. ]

No way…

[ it’s only after the train has stopped that he can confirm it for himself, and it’s just as he suspected - this is Wyndon Station. Almost everything is as he remembers it - the billboard ads, the Pokeball-design vending machines… but there’s one thing that he has to check to see was properly copied. Without hesitation, he dashes across the second floor to look through the counter’s glass and see what’s on display. When he does, his face bursts into a grin. ]

Yes! They got the best detail down!

[ he releases Duraludon from his Poke Ball before hopping the counter, rummaging around so that they can both leave the station with as many individually-packaged Wyndon-specialty scones they can carry. both of them have already unwrapped one each to munch on before they exit the station, but their jaws drop once they do.

the lava river is new. ]

[forceofnature]

AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGHHHH!

[There is an anguished scream as Raihan peeks out the station. The screaming is easily explained; Viridi screams about any and all possible frustrations at the drop of a hat.

The anguish is probably explained by the sign poking up above the lava that, if examined closely, still reads "Viridi's Garden: Touch and Die." Whatever garden it is referring to is no longer visible, likely due to the fact that the sign is, again, in the middle of the lava river.]

Are you for serious?! This is what you brought?! The Phoenix's volcano!?

I will kill! everything! Everything!

[With a well placed kick, the sign goes sailing through the air and plops into the middle of the lava.]

[rotomphone]

[ that sure is a scream! his better instincts tell him that it's someone who needs help, but a quick look towards where it came from tells him otherwise. ah, it's just that plant girl who just about accused him of being a Pokémon abuser. what could she be going on about?

he and Duraludon glance at each other with an agreement to check it out, munching on their respective scones on the way there. the lava river is definitely not what should be flowing through Wyndon, but it sure sounds like she might be familiar with it. ]

Everything all right? [ munch munch. clearly everything is not all right for her, but where else should he start the conversation? ]

[forceofnature]

Everything!

[she screams, stomping around in the spicy lava]

What?! Who's there?!

[oh it's just that guy who's kinda into himself with the old lady problems]

What do you want? Everything is always terrible and this world is a cosmic joke at my expense, so no, nothing's alright! If you didn't notice, there's now a volcano running through my garden!

I'm going to murder that damned chicken!

[says the goddess of nature]

[rotomphone]

[ he opens his mouth to warn her about what is probably very dangerous lava, but the way she stomps around in it without burning stops the words before they leave him. from the way it moves when disturbed, it really just looks like... thick, red water. he'll have to investigate that with Torkoal and Turtonator later on, but for now he's more concerned with her mini-rampage. clearly she's upset, but from what he already knows about her, he's not entirely sure how much he'll be able to say anything that will help. ]

I'm guessing it's your first time seeing something from your world here.

[ seeing Wyndon here is a surprise, but not as much as it was when he first arrived and saw Hammerlocke. he can sympathize with her freaking out, at least. ]

It's a lot to take in. Trust me - I get it.

✖️ doomscrolling ( ota )

[rotomphone]

[ with everyone in the void on something of a regular sleep schedule, it’s becoming more often that the Merlaut is cloaked in darkness for at least a few hours of the day. It’s easy to establish a circadian rhythm when it’s dark around you, and while Raihan has more or less been following it, he’s particularly restless today. it’s due to a number of things, but mostly because Rotom is now awake and functional - he had previously been completely cut off from anything but Duraludon reminding him of Galar, but now the reminders are in front of him. his team, all of his photos and videos, his social media feeds that won’t refresh…

it’s easy enough to brush off as some weird form of FOMO, but he knows for a fact that it’s more nuanced than that. he misses home, plain and simple.

though it isn’t like speaking to another person, Rotom has no lack of questions for him when he sparks some conversation. He’s settled into reclining on one of the couches in the Merlaut’s lobby for a change of scenery, his hoodie up over his head and surrounded by darkness thanks to the sleeping states of the building’s inhabitants. The light blue glow of Rotom’s screen is the tip-off that Raihan is there, along with some quiet snippets of conversation. ]

We don’t really know much of anything, yet. It’s all guessing.

Izzzz that why my GPS isn’t functional? We’re truly in another world?

Seems that way. And people just show up and disappear without a trace, on top of it all…

[ anyone who enters the lobby from outside or their room on another floor can likely eavesdrop on the conversation, but it definitely just looks like Raihan is having a conversation with his phone. It’s definitely odd-looking if you don’t know his phone is autonomous - has he somehow found a way to get a communication network up and running? there’s only one way to find out, but it’s worth noting that his tone sounds much less boisterous than usual. ]

[starshower]

[Tifa is just entering the lobby, catching sight of Raihan first. He seems to be... talking to someone? On his phone? Or to his phone? Has being stuck in another world gotten to him, or had he figured out a way to communicate with it?

Nevertheless, his less than enthusiastic tone is concerning, and she approaches carefully.]

Yeah, don't know what to say about that.

[Tifa has mixed feelings about people coming and going lately, but she's as cheerful as ever as she lifts a finger to motion to the phone.]

Don't tell me you got that thing working? You're not keeping that a secret, are you?

[rotomphone]

[ sure, it's getting to him, but maybe not in the way that Tifa is thinking. he'd like to consider himself in full ownership of his sanity, thank you very much!

he doesn't quite jump when he hears Tifa's voice, but it's enough to tear him away from his screen - Rotom turns, too, looking at her with an interested expression. he smiles a bit to himself, pushing himself up from his reclining position on the sofa to sit up properly. ]

I wouldn't expect you too. We're all in the dark about it, right?

[ he has theories, but they're probably flimsy at best. he only knows what he knows, and that's the fact that two Pokémon Trainers are missing. there are plenty of things that it could mean, but they're making Raihan anxious in a way that he hopes isn't too readable on his expression. ]

Hey, I'm an open book! No secrets here. [ he smiles a little wider, though it doesn't quite reach his eyes. ] Rotom decided to wake up once I got access to the rest of my team.

It wazzzzn't intentional, I assure you! [ the phone's expression takes on a bit of a pout, but goes right back to grinning at Tifa. ] Pleazzzzed to make your acquaintanzzzze!

[starshower]

Oh...!

[Tifa jumps when the phone greets her, not expecting an expression—let alone a face!—to be there. This must be another one of his Pokemon, though it's very different from the ones she's already met...]

So polite! Pleased to meet you, too! Rotom, yeah?

[The initial shock is quick to wear off, of course. She's seen too many odd and weirder things than this around here.]

Must be nice to have another friend here with you.

[rotomphone]

[ the fact that it can speak sure makes Rotom different than the rest of Raihan's team, though its ability to do so is somewhat situational. its AI is constantly picking things up as Raihan relays them, so it finds other people just as interesting. ]

That's Tifa. She's a friend of mine, so be nice. [ it lets out a little snicker, giving her a wink - like phone, like owner...? ] But of course!

[ he's glad she's taking it in stride, at least - there are definitely stranger things around here than his talking phone, and as cute as Rotom can be, he has a feeling it isn't the reason she's approached him. ]

I'm counting my lucky stars here. [ he rubs the back of his head, looking a bit sheepish. thinking on it, he's being pretty selfish in missing home when he has so many companions with him, isn't he? he should be shaking this off. ] It's great to have my team with me, but it's just making me wonder what's going on back home, you know?

[ what's going on in the real Hammerlocke? is he being searched for back in Galar, having disappeared to Arceus-knows-where? what's going on with those that aren't here - his friends, his family, his colleagues? ]

🐉 wildcard

[rotomphone]

[ you know what this means! leave me a prompt of your own design, or hit me up at bounsweet to hash something out! ]