justanexpression | Video 6: Show Me the Way to Go Home (Action for Azalea)

[Jack turns the feed on but doesn’t say anything right away, preoccupied with settling the pokemon he’s surrounded by this time. A Togepi sits in his lap, with a Meowth curled into a ball against his leg on one side, and a Buneary and Smeargle snuggled together on the other. All four of them look positively depressed and Jack, for once, doesn’t seem much better.

Spot the Swablu is on Jack’s shoulder as usual, doing her best to groom him all better and looking somewhat distressed herself that it’s not working.]

So... these guys showed up yesterday. I never actually got to meet them in person before, but the names are all right, and they seem to recognize me...

[The Meowth glances up when he pets her head but then returns to her ball.]

I guess this means they’re both really gone, now? That’s usually what it means when your friends’ pokemon suddenly show up in your computer, right?

[He runs a hand through his hair, accidentally undoing Spot’s work and making her whistle in frustration before pecking his fingers out of the way to start over. It gets him to smile, at least.]

Have you ever been surprised that you ended up missing someone you never thought you would?

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[He's got his own fuzzy recollection, like a half-remembered dream, of seeing Carley, but that didn't mean much either.]

Yeah, that's about all you can do - just keep goin' on. At least you know they'll be okay.

Ah, I guess I can't really understand that on a personal level...but I hope they're both happy back home!

Am I correct in guessing they were actually the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny...?

[ Because your name is Jack Frost and he's getting suspicious. :T

...And used to Route, admittedly. ]

So you're...a story?

[ That's what a Myth is, right? Most of those holidays and names don't mean anything to her, really. Nor does the feud.

Though as far as feuds go, it sounds pretty peaceable. ]

So you actually think Christmas is a bigger deal?

Well... sort of. [He glances away from the screen, tiny smile a bit wry, before he continues.] Obviously we're real, but to the kids we help, we're just stories, yeah. Like fairy tales.

[He shrugs for the rest.] Well, yeah, Christmas is a lot bigger. Don't get me wrong, Easter can be fun, but no kid is gonna pick hunting eggs over getting presents.

[Jack's smile is bright and amused.]

Sure are. Toothiana the Tooth Fairy and E. Aster Bunnymund, Easter Bunny. Although Tooth's got a whole herd of helpers, so she doesn't actually get out a lot of places herself anymore.

[Haroom's little arms wave wildly. Atmos is so BIG!]

Business loan? Don't think I heard about that.

[Oh, come on, would Jack joke about something as serious as knowing the Easter Bunny?

...

Okay, yes, he would, but for now, at least, he's not. To him, it's not that strange, so he just grins, trying to figure out what Niou is having trouble understanding.]

Yeah. [He puts the Meowth back in his lap so he can gesture more easily above his head.] Big, like, six foot tall bunny rabbit. With an Australian accent, too, don't ask me about that one. I don't get it, either.

Yeah, there is that. Thanks.

Probably gonna try to keep busy, too. Heading with a friend to start getting my badges. It's about time, I guess. Something else to think about.

[ Atmos will perch on Jack's head, walking in small circles and twittering at Haroom in amusement. ]

He likes to paint and do art, ne? So I suggested he customize people's Pokéballs for them! He didn't have any money though, and I have lots, so I was going to loan him some to get started.

...How can ponies talk? That don't make no sense!

Seriously, a six foot tall bunny rabbit?

[Okay, now Niou's sure this is Jack's attempt at revenge, because really, a bunny with an Australian accent?]

What, next you're gonna tell me he hops around delivering all the eggs on Easter.

Huh. That's actually-

[! Oh no he won't! That's HER boy and HER hard work he's ruining! Spot makes quite the commotion as she takes off from Akito's shoulder to chase Atmos off before he COMPLETELY ruins Jack's hair.

Jack just freezes in surprise that his head has apparently become prime real estate.]

Um...

And then there's the ears, too.

[Oh, Niou. If only this was the strangest part of Jack's world.]

Well, he doesn't really hop so much as run, and he's got the tunnels from the Warren, or he wouldn't get everywhere in one day. I mean, you don't think it's JUST the reindeer pulling the sleigh, right?"

Well, they're human here. ...I don't know how it works back in their world. I never asked.

[ Akito jolts in surprise, and begins tidying up his hair from where Spot messed it up. He finds the situation amusing, however, and giggles as Atmos floats away, startled, but not irritated, and simply perches on Akito's head instead. ]

[Jack just sighs as Spot settles in to fix the 'damage' twittering to herself about CONSTANT VIGILANCE and boys being so messy.]

So I guess she does that now.

Hey, you mind if we leave a little late today so I can get these guys settled in first?

Right, like I'm gonna believe you know the Easter bunny and Santa.

[He doesn't sound upset about (thinking he's) being tricked, though. Fair's fair, and he had tried to pull one over on Jack before.]

Nice try, though. I mean hey, full points for creativity. Next you were gonna tell me that Santa's elves all have labor unions, right?

[Sigh. Always with the non-believers. ~~Shuuuuuuuuunnnnn-nuh~~ But what can you do?]

North's elves are way too stupid to manage a union. The yetis might have one, but they never stop working, anyway, so who'd know?

[~~But we're going to candy mountain, Jack!~~ Unfortunately, this is definitely non-believer here, and the doubt in Niou's voice makes that clear.]

Yetis. You're sayin' Santa's got a bunch of worker yetis.

[But Jack seems so... sincere about it. Sincere enough that maybe, just a little, Niou's starting to wonder if he isn't telling the truth.]

—is that really what back home's like for you?

[Of course Jack's sincere. It doesn't stop him from grinning slyly, but he's totally sincere.]

Yeah, a whole... clan? Pack? I don't know, whatever you call a group of yetis.

What? You think I'd make all that up?

I don't mind! Take all the time that you all need.

Yeah. [Duh. Niou would — has.] Come on, Santa, yetis, the Easter bunny, it's kinda far fetched if you were tryin' to get back at me or whatever.

[If Jack was going to make something up, it'd be a lot better than Santa Claus and yetis.]

Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and the Sandman, actually. And me. We're Guardians. That's why we're stories, not the other way around. When Bunny and Tooth were here, I coulda introduced you.

Oh... so... wait... I don't get it...

[a confused pause]

Don't get what?

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Video 6: Show Me the Way to Go Home (Action for Azalea)

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