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[ 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. ]

[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?

[ 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!

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.

[ 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? ]

[Tifa responds with a gentle, somber nod.

She's been feeling the exact same way, especially now more than ever. The amount of time they've spent here is becoming more noticeable now that it seems to be ticking again, and he isn't alone in wondering if they're being searched for, or if anyone even knows they're gone.

Maybe Barrett can hear her prayers... it's as much as she can hope for right now.]

Rotom can't tell you that, huh? Has he been stuck in one of those balls since you got here?

[ being able to measure time with sleep cycles has been both a blessing and a curse - it's nice to be rooted in some semblance of reality, but it's also made everyone increasingly aware of how long it's been without a way of getting home in sight. it's unsettling if you think about it for too long, so Raihan tries not to do so when he has company.

there's a good handful of outgoing texts that have failed to send. the chances are likely slim to none, but he hopes he'll get the notification that they've gone through sometime soon. ]

Not without a proper internet connection, at least. [ even Rotom pouts a bit at that. as silly as he likes to be, it's strange to not be able to help like he usually does. ] Not quite. He usually stays in my phone - from what he told me, he was napping away until a little while ago.

But I'm awake and raring to go, now! [ Raihan raises a brow inquisitively. ] That so? Come to think of it, you haven't had a chance to stretch out since you woke up... Come on out for a sec.

[ with a bit of a wiggle, the eyes on the back of his phone close and its antenna retract, leaving the device in a more simple, rectangular shape. a bright strike of electricity flashes, revealing a creature with a plasmatic body, surrounded by an aura of electricity. it bounces and blinks around the area at an eye-catching speed, stopping in front of Tifa with his ever-present grin. Raihan watches him go with an amused smile, each streak of movement lighting up their surroundings for just a split second. ]

Careful if you want to touch him. You might get a bit of a shock.

[It all happens so quickly that Tifa hardly has time to react until Rotom pauses in front of her, his smile just as wide as it was when he was... in the phone? Was that a thing?

She heeds Raihan's warning, not quite touching the Pokemon but wriggling a finger near him, not close enough to warrant a shock, but she comes dangerously close to it. Duraludon is an impressive creature, and Rotom is no different than that, impressive for his own reasons. As far as she knows, the other Pokemon in this world can't talk, and he's quick and hard to spot when he isn't stopped.]

Well, it's nice to properly meet you, Rotom!

[It feels less weird than talking to Raihan's phone, if she's being honest. Speaking of phones...!]

Hey, does the camera on that thing work?

p it sure is a thing! and Rotom is just as careful as she is, giving her fingers a gentle nuzzle that ends up feeling more like a tickle of static cling than an actual shock. though he can't talk in his form, the fact that he's slowed down for her makes it clear that it's nice to meet her, too. ]

"Does the camera work", she asks! Hah! [ even Rotom has to snicker at that. ] I've been taking selfies since Rotom decided to wake up and smell the Roselia. It's sort of my thing back where I'm from, so I need to make up for lost time!

Which reminds me... [ he beckons her and Rotom closer while scrolling through his apps with a seasoned thumb. ] All friends of the great Raihan are contractually obligated to have a spot in his camera roll.

[Tifa is quick to scoot closer, as if she'd been expecting it to go this way all along.

The camera on her own phone works fine enough, but her flip phone is nothing as advanced as his... and it certainly doesn't have a Pokemon attached to it, so her excitement when she peers over at the phone's screen is palpable.]

Thought you'd never ask! [...] How do we wanna pose for the camera?

That depends on the flavour of Raihan you want! My fans usually like pics with my fierce side--

[ he demonstrates with his arm up, curling his fingers to mimic a dragon's claw and paired with a devilish smile that shows off his fanged canine. it's a perfected fanservice pose, to say the least. ]

But I can play it natural, if you want. Rotom knows all my best angles - I'll make sure he gets yours, too!

[ the Pokémon has already slipped itself back into his phone, more than happy to play photographer for them. somehow, Tifa has managed to ease the atmosphere and help get his mind off of his earlier trepidation -- he'll probably realize it later, but right now he's sufficiently distracted. ]

How about a little bit of both?

[It's not as if anyone else will be seeing this besides the people in the Void (as far as she knows), but she runs her fingers through her hair to make sure it's neat and all where it should be before she mimics Raihan's pose. She goes for imitating cat's claws rather than a dragon, and her devilish smirk is more of a confident grin, but close enough.]

I've got a fierce side, too.

Oh? Alright, let's do it - I won't steal your thunder.

[ he'll just go with his failsafe combination smoulder and wink, then! he leans in enough that both of them can be in the shot, prompting Rotom to hover above and angle himself for a good shot. between the two of them, there's more than enough ferocity and charm to go around. ]

Ready? Say cheezzzze!

Edited 2021-02-03 16:20 (UTC)

[He's the pro here, not her! But regardless, Tifa smiles wider for the camera, her expression warming a touch from what she'd just shown him.]

Cheeeese!

[And once she's sure the photo's taken, she scoots a little closer.]

Can we see it? Gotta make sure we look okay before we share it, right?

[Share it with who???]

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✖️ doomscrolling ( ota )

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