IC 01: Uncertainty
[[Note: This takes place shortly after the conclusion of Rotom's introductory thread, which is when Charon finally met up with it. Nobody may reply in-character since these events have technically already taken place. Not to mention that there would be no real reason for any outsiders to show up, anyways.]]
Before long, they arrived at the abandoned cottage that Charon had long since claimed as his temporary home and makeshift laboratory. Rotom squeaked as it zipped around, taking in the new surroundings, and slumping in a short-lived disappointment when it failed to find any of its favorite appliances. Charon just watched Rotom as it explored the dwelling, and sighed when it finally turned its gaze towards him, cocking its head curiously in that all-too-familiar way. He could practically hear Rotom's unspoken question in his head.
"I must find a way to know... if you are Rotom. The Rotom I know. The Rotom from my childhood, from my own universe, the one that I..."
He stopped himself abruptly. Barely three sentences exchanged and already he was growing sentimental. His tone had not gone unnoticed by Rotom, who was now giving him its full attention. Charon hadn't imagined that Rotom was capable of stilling itself and looking as serious as it now was.
"You see, you are not the first Rotom that I have encountered upon this island. You are not even the first to show recognition of me. At this point in time, I cannot accurately deduce whether you are the Rotom I seek or another Rotom. I cannot simply ask if we were childhood friends, as the same could apply for any other version..."
Without warning, Rotom shot towards the desk. It pulled a few small pieces of scavenged scrap metal into its electrical field and arranged them into the shape of a crude stick figure. Rotom looked at Charon, making sure he was watching, and then began moving a few of the pieces in a jerky method, as though they were the limbs of a person. Charon immediately recognized the point it was attempting to convey.
"Yes, I did have a toy robot as a child. I had just retrieved it from being lost mere moments before I met you..."
Apparently satisfied, Rotom dropped the scrap metal back onto the desk and shot out through a hole in the roof that Charon swore had not existed last night. He made a silent resolution to repair it soon and gave it no more thought when Rotom returned. It showed Charon a small green leaf, trying to emphasize the fact that there was only one. Rotom then let the leaf drop towards the ground and gave it a mild Thunder Shock attack. Rotom winced when it crumbled two seconds after turning brown and dried-up, but Charon knew what it was trying to say. It was as if he could read its thoughts.
"Yes, the first day we met was the day of the autumnal equinox that year. I am impressed that you remember that date even after all these..."
Charon cut himself off. He was allowing his memories to dictate his words. That could not be allowed. He shook his head frantically, thrusting a palm forward as though he was attempting to shoo Rotom away.
"No, no, no! True as your suggestions are, they are too broad, too easily carried over across alternates. Surely there must be something between the two of-- between me and the Rotom I seek. Something exclusive to us. Something intangible, something unexplainable, something... something!"
Charon hung his head and closed his eyes as his shoulders slumped down with defeat. He felt frustrated and disappointed, a combination that he had not felt for decades. He had no solid proof that this was Rotom, and he had no way of repressing the small voice in the back of his mind, insisting over and over that it was Rotom, it just had to be. He had nothing to work with except his overwhelming instinct, which was something he would not allow himself to resort to when drawing conclusions. Charon was in a dilemma, and for the first time he truly had no idea what to do.
The left side of his face suddenly tingled with the sensation of fingertips brushing lightly across it. Charon's eyes opened to search for the source, finding only Rotom, who was barely inches away from his face. The ghost trilled softly and again stroked his cheek with an arm, the electricity causing the same sensation. Charon didn't dare to speak, lest his words break the spell of silence and shatter the moment.
The two locked eyes. Rotom's thoughts, its hopes that what it was doing would work, were unusually clear to Charon. And in that moment, he knew. Science be damned, his failure to comprehend that one small detail sooner be forgotten; this was Rotom. The one who was a closer friend to him than any human had ever been, the one whose mind had that inexplicable resonance with his own. His Rotom.
Charon smiled and brushed his hand against Rotom's arm.