Video 1: A Challenger Appears!

[justanexpression]

[The angle when the gear turns on is... strange. Like it’s being held by someone too distracted to pay attention to where it might be pointing. There’s part of a chin, a shoulder, and plenty of scenery. The top of a whitish blob flops past the bottom of the screen. From the sound it makes, it must be a Seel.]

This is really weird. You know that?

[The Seel gives a cheerful affirmative from somewhere. Suddenly, the picture shifts, moving erratically until it stops with a soft thud as the gear is dropped and lands in the grass. At least it has a good view, now, framing most of a boy in his teens, crouching on his toes next to a backpack as he rummages through it, occasionally pulling things out for a closer look. His blue hooded sweatshirt has seen better days, and his pants don’t seem to be from quite the right century. Together with the ice-white hair, it makes something of an odd picture.]

If this is... Naw, it’s way too cutesy to be one of Pitch’s tricks.

[He looks up, past the gear at where the sounds of the Seel are coming from. His smile grows, just a bit.]

You sure you’re not a Selkie?

[A negative. The gear is nudged closer, and he laughs as he reaches for it.]

Okay, okay. Remind me to introduce you to Sandy sometime.

Now what am I supposed to do with it?

[Cue the random pushing of buttons. Electronics-abuse is always the answer, right?]

Comments

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

[Sorry, Jack. Ziva grew up in a desert nation, so it's not like winter was a Thing for her growing up. The name sounds kind of familiar, in a way that she might have heard it once or twice, vaguely. Maybe. Being unable to escape Christmas music and all. At any rate, she doesn't sound impressed, surprised, or anything.]

I am Ziva David.

Re: [video]

[justanexpression]

[...If only he could pretend that was unusual. Sigh.]

Right. Well, thanks.

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

[SHE'S FROM ISRAEL DUDE OKAY YOU DON'T GO THERE EVER. Even so, that was abrupt and she looks a bit confused.]

...you are welcome. Is there anything else you wish to ask? I have been here for some time.

Re: [video]

[justanexpression]

[Okay, okay, yeah, it was mean. HE'S JUST GOT HIGH HOPES, OKAY? SOMEDAY... But Ziva can have a game attempt at a smile, anyway.]

Only everything?

-Seel?-

[His attention slips past the camera.] Yeah, I know you tried. You're just not the greatest at that whole communicating thing, you know?

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

[Poor bb. You'll get there someday.]

Well, we have a start at that. We are all brought here from different worlds, usually starting right where you are now. You will have to travel by foot to get anywhere. The next town is a few days from where you are.

Re: [video]

[justanexpression]

.....................By foot?

[No. Seriously. They take away his ability to fly, then make him WALK everywhere?!]

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

Mm. There are services to rent Pokemon that you can ride, however if you started as a trainer you cannot use one to fly anywhere until you defeat one of the gym leaders.

Re: [video]

[justanexpression]

[...Sigh.]

You know, every time I think something is the worst idea I'm ever going to end up going along with, something else proves me wrong.

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

Such is life.

[Ziva has had and experienced a lot of bad ideas in her lifetime, okay.]

Though this is not an idea that any of us had. People appear and disappear without warning.

[It's the disappearing that's a sticking point with her group right now.]

Re: [video]

[justanexpression]

[Could she beat 300 years of bad ideas? Not that Jack would admit to most of them.]

So someone's just grabbing random people and sticking them... here?

[Okay, maybe not so unlike Pitch after all. He'd love that sort of confusion and isolation.]

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

[Well no, you've got a good 270 year headstart on her in that regard.]

Someone, something. No one is quite sure, I think. They do not seem to be in much of a hurry to change that.

[Confusion, yes. Isolation...well, that depends on the person, though Ziva's definitely missing her people.]

[video]

[justanexpression]

[So he wins... at bad ideas? Awesome?]

This is so the opposite of fun.

-Seel?-

I wasn't talking about you.

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

[Congratulations! You are the winner!]

In some aspects. Really, it is usually not so bad as all that.

[video]

[justanexpression]

No, see, I know fun. Fun is kind of my thing. I think I can say a hundred percent that getting kidnapped is the opposite of fun.

[At least there weren't any large bags or elves playing instruments involved this time.]

...Could be worse.

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

No, I would not call this 'fun'. However, we are free to move about how we please, and not kept isolated. It could be very much worse.

[Ziva's been through worse. Therefore she's pretty zen about this whole mess.]

[video]

[justanexpression]

[Siiiiiiiiiiiigh. Adults, man. Such mood-killers. This was why he stuck with kids.]

Yeah, free to move around if you want to walk everywhere. Bunny's tunnels would be better than that.

[He's just being petulant. Don't mind him.]

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

[Shrug.

Also Ziva would be killer in a snowball fight man, you don't know what you're missing.]

It is what it is. As for the rest...there may be people you know here already, or arriving with you, there may not. Generally speaking, everyone on this network has been in the same situation you are in now.

[video]

[justanexpression]

[Pfft. As if he won't find out, anyway. If winter passes before he manages to engage at least half the population of wherever the heck he is in a snowball fight, his name isn't Jack Frost!]

The sort of people I know... I'd probably already know if they were here. But that was probably supposed to be reassuring, so thanks.

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

Give it time. You do not need to give up so quickly.

[She still hopes to see someone she knows every time new people come in.]

Anyway, at least walking now is not so bad. A couple of months ago, the entire region was covered in snow. A friend of mine arrived in that, it was terrible to travel through.

[video]

[justanexpression]

[Ziva just said the magic "S" word!]

It snows here?

[Suddenly, this place isn't NEARLY so bad!]

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

It did quite a lot, this last winter--for nearly a month straight. It was more snow than I have ever seen.

[Israel? Not much snow. D.C.? Somewhat more but still not BURIED IN IT.]

[video]

[justanexpression]

[Whoever ran the weather in this place was seriously after Jack's heart. He may swoon.]

Then you've missed out. Snow days are the best! A whole month of them would be even better.

[And he's not only saying that because he invented them.]

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

[Ziva was not a fan.]

There is the saying 'too much of a good thing.'

[Besides, she hates being cold.]

[video]

[justanexpression]

Ha, yeah, no. That's a good one, though.

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

Well, you may enjoy it. I do not like the cold much.