video

[neededlassie]

[The screen flickers on to show a boy who looks like he’s a little bit in a fog. Behind him, a Buizel bounces around happily through the snowdrifts, nearly disappearing only to poke her head up every now and then, her whiskers and fur caked with snow.]

Hello? Is anyone out there? My name is Shaun Mars. There was this lady who called herself my mom, and she gave me a backpack full of food and clothes and stuff, and I sorta...just wanted to know if that had happened to anyone else. And also, if the food was...safe to eat. It’s like rice, and I think there’s fish and vegetables and stuff too, or something.

I think I might've gotten someone else's Pokegear thing. It says it's my birthday today, but my birthday was two days ago.

Comments

audio; | private

[doitrockapella]

[...Wow, that sure is a really little kid out there, stranded in New Bark in the middle of winter and sounding extremely lost. Normally, Carmen would stick to straight-up text as a matter of course, but given the circumstances, she'll make an exception this time. Because super pinged by lost little kids, okay.]

Hello, Shaun. I can hear you. You've just arrived here, haven't you?

audio; | private

[neededlassie]

[It's okay, he has a coat.

Besides, he's from Philly, which has been snowed under with more inches of snow than he is tall over the span of his living memory.

He shies away from the sound of the woman's voice, not visibly flinching but coming close.]

Uh-huh. Who are you?

audio; | private

[doitrockapella]

Someone who can help answer your questions for you, I hope.

[It's not hard to pick out that he's defensive and scared at the moment. She'll just stay as casual as she can and let him acclimate to her in his own time.]

My name is Carmen. What's happened to you just now happened to me once, too.

video

[chosen_light_child]

[Oh dear. He definitely didn't seem to be in a good mood. Then again, considering where he just woke up...]

Don't worry. She kinda does that to everyone. The food's perfectly safe to eat.

But I'm pretty sure that pokégear is supposed to be yours. You don't end up with someone else's when you first get here.

video

[neededlassie]

[He's not in a bad mood, he's just. Really confused.]

She does? But... why? Is my real mom okay?

Oh. Is there a way to change the birthday?

[Video]

[willrememberthis]

[There's a new kid here - and he doesn't seem to be as panicked, confused, or afraid as some of the others have been, including Clementine herself, which is good, probably. He's obviously disoriented and lost, though - and of course he is. Maybe just talking will be of a little help to him there?]

You don't like fish?

[It isn't hard for her to manage a non-grave, not-too-terribly-concerned tone with a little of her attention on that little Pokémon - a baby seal, or a weasel? - playing in the snow in the background.]

[Video]

[neededlassie]

[Shaun is surprised at actually being answered, but everything about him is withdrawn and quiet so he doesn't show it much.]

I've never had this kind before. What is it? How do I know it's safe?

[Susie runs up onto the top of a snowbank behind Shaun, peering down at his pokegear from her perch.]

[usedconfusion]

The food's okay kid.

[Behind Ron, his Pokemon are playing around in the backyard of the house he rented, using his solosis (Who actually looks like she's having fun) as a volleyball.]

[neededlassie]

[Shaun does his best not to flinch at the older boy's voice, but even still something akin to nervousness sparks in his brown eyes when he appears on the video screen.

So Shaun glances behind him.]

Wow, that's a lot of Pokemon. Are they all yours?

[video]

[ragnarok_strike]

[Here, have a father. |D
Laguna's sitting outside, on a Violet City bench - his newly-born Deerling making a few cries off-screen. She's playing. He's got his oddly-pink Wooper on his lap, however - the Wooper is looking wetter and a bit puffier then a normal one, not that Shaun could tell.]
Well, the food was safe when she gave it to me... are you okay, Shaun? It's still pretty cold down there.
[He's better with little girls, but still...]

[video]

[neededlassie]

[JUST WHAT HE NEEDED
The man who appears on the screen immediately makes Shaun feel conflicted. He's alone and lost in a strange new place, and he just wants to feel like he can trust someone, and something about the man's calm, quiet manner reminds Shaun of his own dad, but he's already decided that he's better off not trusting anyone ever, except his mom.]

I'm okay. I have a coat. It's usually pretty cold this time of year where I'm from.

video;

[timelymaid]

[ For Shaun's reference, Aradia looks about fifteen or sixteen. ]

Hello, Shaun! I'm Aradia Megido. That's perfectly normal - people come here from other worlds and end up at that place, with "Mom". She sent you out the door already, right?

The food is perfectly safe, and I really don't know why the pokegear would think it's your birthday.

video;

[neededlassie]

[That's a pretty name. Shaun nods in response to her asking if Mom already sent him out.]

I'm not sure where to go next. I guess there's only one way to go.

I dunno either. That lady thought it was my birthday too.

[video]

[triptoprofiling]

[No...

No, this can't-- Why him? Why Shaun Mars out of all people? It makes absolutely no sense. Not after what the poor kid has been through.

Norman's immediate reaction is surprised, slack-jawed at the sight of the younger Mars in front of the camera. Not only is he physically here but he's stranded. Needless to say Norman is quite concerned.]

It's alright. Everything inside your bag is perfectly safe.

[The distance between where Shaun and him are standing doesn't help the situation any more.]

Are you okay, Shaun? Are you by yourself?

[video]

[neededlassie]

[You know who doesn't recognize you, Nahman. This kid. Shaun draws back from the camera on the pokegear when he sees the look on the older man's face, unchecked fear flashing across his features.

Yeah, he definitely does not trust that. He doesn't even respond to the questions. A strange man asking if he's by himself? He sounds worried. But the man in the policeman's uniform had sounded worried too, when Shaun had told him that his dad was missing.]

Why do you want to know? Who are you?

[Susie bounces over to him, and he hesitantly lets her scamper up to hang on his back, her little claws sinking into the wool of his coat.]

Video

[red_roses]

She's kind of scary, isn't she? B-But, all the food is safe to eat. Don't you usually have fish and rice at your school? My real mom makes much better Bento.

Video

[neededlassie]

...No? Sometimes we have pizza, but usually it's like. Meatloaf, and salisbury steak, and stuff.

I mean sometimes we get fish sticks, and my mom makes rice for dinner, but...it's not plain like this.

Bento? What's that?

Action [I assume he's still in New Bark?]

[naive_nature]

NO- WAIT! [Too late. Have a blue headed polar bear with a big snot drip diving in after your Buizel.]

Ohhhh! [And here is said polar bear's trainer, running over all worried.] I'm sorry! So sorry! He didn't run into you, did he?

Action [If not then on the very outskirts!]

[neededlassie]

[Susie pokes her head up just in time to see the Cubchoo diving for her, and she lets out a surprised "Bui!!" before diving back into the elaborate tunnel system she's burrowed in the snowdrifts already.

Shaun backs up in fear when he sees the tall man coming near him, his mittened hand flattening against a snowbank behind him. He shakes his head.]

I-I'm okay.

[video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Okay, Heather pretty much invariably feels sorry for people who show up here during winter. The hike from New Bark to Cherrygrove in the summer is one thing. In the winter? She's surprised more people haven't disappeared entirely and shown up in the spring in a ditch once the snow and ice melt.]

[So yeah, she's wincing when Shaun's video comes up on the network.]</sub>

The food's fine, just make sure not to eat it all at once. It's all you got till you get to Cherrygrove.

[video]

[neededlassie]

[Philadelphia has been buried under a blizzard almost every year since 2007. Shaun is used to the snow.

He's not used to not having a warm house to return to after going outside, but he's used to the snow.]

Okay. Will it last that long? Won't it go bad?

[video] i am totally not late to this party, no

[bywiseguidance]

[Oh. Oh dammit she wishes to have Words with whoever decided when people show up and where, much less dumping kids into the middle of a ton of snow in winter and expecting them to walk three days. At a minimum. Loud, angry words. Yes.

For now she'll have to settle for internal Hebrew keysmashing. Ziva puts on her best 'dealing with the kiddos' expression and turns on the video.]

Hello, Shaun. My name is Ziva David.

Do not worry about the lady, she says that to everyone that wakes up in her house. But the food she gives you is good, though it has to last until you reach the next town. Do you think that you can manage that?

[video] better late than never!

[neededlassie]

[Something about her tone tells Shaun that this is someone to be addressed as Ms. David, and the brief flash of intimidation in his eyes says as much.

He nods.]

But what will Susie eat, Ms. David?

video

[useduproar]

Double birthday! Now you've got another year on there!

[Hiyoko pauses, tapping her chin thoughtfully] I didn't even think about the food being poisoned, but I ate all mine and I'm totally fine!

video

[neededlassie]

I dunno if I wanna be 12 yet, though.

[He looks uneasily reassured when she says that she ate the food and it was fine.]

So she gave you food too?