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

Re: [video]

[justanexpression]

[Sorry. Excuse the staring. He'll get over it soon.]

You can see me, too?

[First that 'mom' person, then all the ones he'd dodged to get out of town, now this?]

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

...yes? You do have the video on, you realize.

Re: [video]

[justanexpression]

No. I mean yes. I mean... Nevermind. Moving on.

[Deep breath.]

So I'm guessing I'm human again, then?

[What with the breathing and the being visible and all. It was a leap, but hey, he'd woken up dead once. Who said it couldn't go the other way?]

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

You were not before?

[...well, with as long as she's been here, it doesn't surprise her that much.]

At any rate, that assumption is correct.

Re: [video]

[justanexpression]

....That's kind of complicated. We'll just go with 'no.'

-Seel!-

Right! [The video spins around to frame the cheerful Seel.] Why do I have him?

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

He is your Pokemon. Everyone starts with one. He is meant to protect you.

[She tilts her head slightly as she continues explaining.]

They are the native wildlife of this world, and they all have particular abilities, usually related to elements such as water or fire.

Re: [video]

[justanexpression]

But that's... [Cue lightbulb. Children's game, myth, turn-of-phrase...]

Okay. This could be cool.

[video]

[bywiseguidance]

You're adapting quickly.

[Ziva approves. Wasting time and energy on panicking is stupid after all. That and she doesn't really have the energy to deal with hysterics right now.]

Re: [video]

[justanexpression]

It's kind of what I do.

[Waking up alive is infinitely better than waking up dead, right?]

I'm Jack, by the way. Jack Frost.

['You've probably heard of me' says the cocky smile.]

[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.]