[FIN] Facing the Music

[Blood_Goddess]

The bag fell from Rosie's shoulders the moment she stepped into her room, not even bothering to unpack yet as she walked over and flopped down, face first in her bed.

She heard her pokemon moving around her, feeling Kiss Kiss hop up next to her, and place her paws on her shoulder.
"Rai~"
Rosie didn't move for a good thirty seconds, and when she did, it was to drag her arms up, and roll herself onto her side.

She wasn't sure what to feel now, now that she was home, now that she was alone, with just her pokemon, even though her thoughts were still on her friends.
Sera had left shortly after they got off the boat, with that tall women moving after her. Leaving Rosie to take Yuri and Luke back, spending as much time with him as she could before she too had to return to her home.
Uncle Bruce wasn't home yet, another late night DJing as his club. and Evan and Rodney had homework that they put on pause to greet their cousin and comment on her outfit.
She didn't tell them why she had gone to Grand Ile, not completely, and not yet.

Closing her eyes, and letting out a tired sigh, she let her thoughts continue to go over the events of the last three days, and wonder what was going to happen here.
Eventually, she got to the night on the boat, where she remembered talking to Luke. He had confessed to trying to kill himself.
She lifted her hand to her forehead, where he had placed his after she had tried to help him work past his troubles. Luke had never been the kind of openly show affection like that, and she had never known him to sing before either.
She smiled, with a slight blush. Whatever the reasons, she hoped it was a good sign for him.

not moving from her side, Rosie reached over to her hip, pulling off the Poke Gear and flipping it open.
In a duel message system to both her friends, Sera, and Luke, she sent out:

"I just got home, safe and sound~"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

A light buzzing sound filtered out from within Sera's purse as she walked into her room, and she dug it out with a tired sigh as Mordecai carefully set down her bags and started unpacking and putting everything away. The brunette flopped down onto her bed without bothering to change out of her Grand Ile outfit first. The message was unexpected but definitely not unwanted, and her fingers moved deftly to respond, "I just got back too."

She should have gotten home much earlier, considering when the boat docked, but a certain someone had insisted on following her and demanding two of her pokeballs. That was why it had taken her so long to get home - she wasn't giving Ray anything without an argument against it. The annoying woman had finally won though, and thus Isabella and Jacques followed Sera home on foot rather than remain safely in their respective luxury balls. Oh well, all her pokemon were normally out while she was home, anyway, so whatever.  

[Suudonym]

Luke made every effort to blank himself of the past weeks, as if returning to that apartment would reset everything that had happened and return to a neutral state. He found that this was not true and that his efforts were in vain, so he quietly returned to his room and took up a place on his bed - it was a relief to find that his father had never gotten around to sending someone to collect his belongings - breathing the familiar scent of the linens and watching the familiar view of the window. Somehow he felt stranded, moreso than he had in the confines of the manor in Grande Ile, so the vibration of the 'dex, indicating received messages, was a welcome distraction. Luke wasn't terribly accustomed to the idea of idle conversation through this medium, but he had the persisting feeling that Rosie and Seraphine wouldn't appreciate it if he failed to issue a response. His response, despite his deliberation, was concise, "Same here."  

[Blood_Goddess]

Sera was the first to reply, so she sent a reply;
"Really? just now? Did that women get you to do more training today then?"

A short time after she sent that, then another reply showed up from Luke. she couldn't help a small giggle at it, and replied.
"I hope so, unless I dropped you off at the wrong house. Ahh I would feel terrible."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Seraphine was glad for Luke's reply, regardless of what it was. The complete and utter lack of any responses from him for the previous week or two had been frustrating, upsetting and also a little frightening, given the fact he'd practically disappeared without a trace and with little warning, so the fact he was replying to their messages now was a welcome change. She didn't have much to say in response though, but luckily Rosie asked about something she could reply to. "Yes, just now," came her heated response, "she didn't bother trying to train me today but she wouldn't leave me the hell alone until I gave her Isabella's and Jacques pokeballs. Something about them being partners so they have to be out of their balls for some amount of time, she didn't say. UGH she's so annoying!!"

Somehow, ranting about it made her feel a little bit better about the whole thing, especially after not even so much as mentioning it to her friends this whole time.  

[Suudonym]

He frowned slightly at the screen. This was difficult. It was beginning to feel as though he had lost all ability to converse normally and his entire vocabulary had been exchanged for silent gestures. Seraphine's answer to Rosie came as he was considering how to respond, and he was mildly surprised by the length and tone. The content of said answer, however, inspired a writhing sense of guilt. Mieu had been left in his ball since before everything happened. Tartarus, if he recalled correctly, had still been present when he was shot. He lay on his stomach, folded his arms on his pillow, and rested his chin on his wrists. That was… irresponsible. For some reason he found himself fearing the necessary explanation.

"That sounds kind of reasonable," he eventually wrote, hesitating over the words. He typed and erased any number of additions before giving up and sending the message as it was.  

[Blood_Goddess]

Sera's reply drew a giggle from Rosie, she wasn't surprised from the reaction from Sera, she had not been too happy to see the women at the docks. But what impressed Rosie really, was that Sera had still done what the women had told her, and from what Rosie had read it was for a really interesting reason too.

Luke seemed to agree, since his reply came a short time after, while Rosie was working on a reply.

"I agree! I bet you three are going to have fun with that! Its cool that someone's helping you. Have you been learning anything?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Sera glanced over at Isabella and Jacques with a dubious expression before replying, "I dunno about fun. And I guess so, maybe a few things. She's mostly just really super annoying." Like a lot. All the time.  

[Blood_Goddess]

"She seemed really nice, I was surprised to hear that you're doing training with her though, But I'm really excited for you! I hope it works out.
I'm really looking forward to getting back to my training regiment, I got some new tips from the forums that might help Pop out.

Luke- if you want to come with, its supposed to be a nice day, I was going to go and give the pokemon some air, if you're team would like to come play too?

Will you be busy with your trainer tomorrow Sera?"  

[Suudonym]

He frowned at the message at great length, considering the invitation and everything it encompassed. The idea of trying to explain to his pokemon, especially to Mieu, why he had released none of them for weeks inspired all kinds of anxiety, but he couldn't very well leave the issue alone forever. If he ever hoped to become competent at battling again, he couldn't begin on that road with a relationship of distrust or suspicion cultivated between himself and his team. Reluctantly, he conveyed his reply, "Sure."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Nice?!" Sera replied, her message coming quickly despite the number of words. "All she is is annoying as all hell! I can hardly stand her!!!"

Once sent, she sat there seething at her phone briefly before calming enough to realize Rosie had asked a question of her. Another reply came shortly after, "I hope not. All I want to do is sleep all day tomorrow."  

[Blood_Goddess]

"Alright!" she replied to Luke, before Sera left a reply as well. "Awww, well, keep giving it a chance Sera, She seems to really like Pokemon, and the people I know from the forums who know her say she's pretty good with them too. that's a good start, right?"

Rosie drooped her head onto her bed again, breathing out a sigh and waiting for a reply, though she didn't wait very long before she added.
"Also Sera, if you don't end up training, and don't feel like sleeping all day you should come with us.

But maybe now is a good time to get some rest, I'm going to turn in. See you guys tomorrow.
<33
~Rosie"  

[Suudonym]

Luke, true to form, gave a curt reply in farewell, "Night." He lowered the 'dex, absently watching the screen as it dimmed to conserve battery life. He sighed inaudibly at the thought of sleep. Surely he was tired - he was always tired - but the prospect of sleep was as unappealing as ever. He'd have to manage something, though, because the days upon days of sleeplessness had stopped being a fun game to play ages ago.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Seraphine had typed up a long, heated reply to Rosie in regards to Ray, but thought better of it and deleted it. She'd said it in her head, and her friends didn't need to deal with how annoying as s**t the woman was, so that was what mattered. Instead, she typed out a much shorter reply, "I'll see what's going on tomorrow. Night guys."

That done, she huffed angrily and flung her cell across her room, and it bounced harmlessly across her carpeted floor as the girl huffed and rolled over to sleep. Mordecai silently retrieved the thrown device and returned it to a spot atop her bedside table.  

[Blood_Goddess]

By the time Rosie was up again the next day, the sun had already burned through the morning fog, though the spring air was still somewhat gloomy and chilled.

She loved the new grand Ile outfits she had, but if felt good to be back in her trainer attire.
She had kept in contact with her friends, seeing when they wanted to join. or where.
She already had a place in mind, and in the early afternoons it was mostly vacant.

The blond trainer already had her pokemon out. Pop going through a mock battle father away from the group, punching and kicking the air with great veracity, Kiss Kiss remained perched onto of Pastin's back, watching over the horse's shoulder at Rosie, who stood next to him, with one of his front hooves lifted up and tucked between her knees as she checked for anything imbedded in his hooves.
"Up- there, got it." she picked out a small rock from his hooves.
Pastin let out an appreciative snort, ruffing his nose into her hair as she stood up, causing her to snicker and pat his neck.
"Alright, go take some laps to stretch out."

Tossing his head, Pastin waited only long enough to let Kiss jump off of his back, and into Rosie's arms with the girl's audible "oof!" before he took off at a gallop.
Perdy was quick to join in, as the large pink Pidgeot opened his wings and took off in the air to chaise down the Rapidash from above.