[Video]

[strings_theory]

[Oh boy, for any of the familiar, that is absolutely the background that indicates someone's on a boat. Or a ferry, in this case. But it's moving around for a moment before it's focusing on the face of a very not amused Jolyne. She's bundled up in what can be called a parka and a hat and she's huffing while she crouches down to get the tiny sewaddle also in view.]

You know, just when I thought my life couldn't get any weirder, all of this happens. Someone calling themselves my mom saying I gotta get going and this little creature here gnawing on my pants.

Also it's cold and I absolutely hate this, I'm not built for this garbage. [Says the woman bundled up in layers of clothing with a sewaddle that's doing much the same.]

Someone wanna give me a rundown, 'cause last I remembered I was pretty much not going to keep breathing. So this an afterlife or another universe or... what? 'Cause, like, this is a weird way for Pucci to remake the universe or what-the-hell-ever.

And why's my Stand a bug? Ain't complaining that she's here, but what.

Comments

VIDEO

[insidescoop]

Well, you got a coat at least so that's good..?

Wait does that mean you're going to Palette... Uh-! [Carly videos from on her caravan- bundled up, holding the reigns, using some kind of makeshift selfie stick for the call. Anyway-]

I...Don't think it's an afterlife? I mean people are coming from different worlds as it is, it's already a lot!

...

What's a stand by the way because I think those two points might be linked.

[strings_theory]

[Oh good, at least someone is answering her, she wasn't entirely sure if this was going to work or not. She's still crouched down and just squinting at the screen for a moment, it's nothing against her, she's just a little prickly with the cold.]

The only good thing I'll take about this, I'm from Florida, we don't do cold. [She's going to lament this for a while longer, just you wait.]

Uhhhh.

Well, shit. I guess the best way to describe 'em is... something that's kinda, like, connected to you? Have various abilities depending on who you are or whatever. Shit's weird, don't expect anyone to understand it.

And some are just overpowered bullshit if you're a dick enough... [That's muttered, at least?]

[insidescoop]

[Man, ferry lighting is not making it easy to catch details here. She sort of hopes this person goes outside or something soon.] American huh? I heard that Florida was pretty hot...

You got unlucky honestly- the summers here are about the same as honshu was, so you'd have been just fine...instead it's February...

...uhhhh...hmm. I....might have bad news then..?

I'm pretty sure that's a pokemon.

They're from here...

[strings_theory]

[Your wish is going to be granted, Carly, because she's getting annoyed with the sound in this room. Even if it's colder out there and she's just huffing softly as she does so. The sewaddle is ending up under one arm instead, which is totally fine.]

Florida's usually the armpit of America, so hot and humid, normally. [God, she's actually shuddering a bit and letting out a soft huff of breath. But that's a better lighted picture of her, though. So that's... good?]

... So it's just a creature from here, then? 'Cause it seems pretty attached already somehow.

[insidescoop]

Yep that's a Japanese summer alright. So I guess you're ready for that at least, [she starts, not quite paying attention to the screen just yet.]

Pokemon get pretty attached fast though, so it's not surprising that it's the same for yours! We all start with one after all, soooooo-

[A brief choking sputtering cut-off occurs- oh no she's hot???

QUICK CARLY DEFLECT-] UHH Anyway! I should probably give my name huh?? Hah, Yeah!!

Carly Nagisa, nice to meet you!!

[strings_theory]

[Rest in piss, Carly, even though she doesn't seem to entirely notice what that sputtering could actually be about. Also she's literally in a parka, woman, get it together.]

Uh, you okay there? [Maybe she did notice, actually. But, being Jolyne, is pretty much completely oblivious. Or, if she isn't, is doing a good job of playing it off. It's fine.]

So there's more than just this thing, I take it? [Jolyne, Jolyne no.

Introductions, those are... probably good.]

Uhhh, nice to meet you? Jolyne Cujoh, I guess. Not that it really matters much.

Voice

[fingersandteeth]

[Yeah no, he's not going to let the Rocket dorm get caught on camera.]

Tell me about it. I'm from San Diego.

[Voice]

[strings_theory]

[That's fine, she'd rather deal with voice, anyway.]

So the opposite side of the country, huh? From a little place between Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, so, you know, Florida bullshit.

What kind of hellscape is this damn cold...

Re: [Voice]

[fingersandteeth]

I'd make a joke about Florida Woman, but...

[How many people here would actually get it?]

Snow needs to stay in the mountains where it belongs.

[Voice]

[strings_theory]

With the shit I've done, I've probably earned that title without any context. [Jolyne, honey, you literally fought sentient plankton. You've earned it.

Who knows, but she'd probably wear that badge with pride at this point.]

I know, right? If I wanted snow, I'd go to the mountains or some shit! And dropping me in this place in my normal clothing was a real dick move given it was warm and humid as shit back home. Appreciate the parka and all, but oh my god.

Re: [Voice]

[fingersandteeth]

I suppose I was lucky that it was night when I blacked out, so I had a windbreaker on. Not that it does much to help, but at least it has long sleeves.

[Voice]

[strings_theory]

Man, seriously, lucky you.

[She's just shifting around a bit and huffing as she puts the gear somewhere to get a good view. Just casually unzip the parka to show what mess she's wearing underneath it (minus the jacket of course).

Though after a moment she's zipping the jacket back up with a huff.]

See why I'm a little fuckin' mad?

Video

[holyspit]

It's another world, yeah. ...I don't thi-i-i-nk it's an afterlife? So- you probably actually survived whatever it was somehow?

[There is very definitely at least one dead person here, but the circumstances of her death were anything but normal even before factoring in PokeWorld. So- results inconclusive?]

...What does standing have to do with your Pokemon?

Video

[strings_theory]

[Bless you, Steven.

She's... just sort of staring at the screen for a moment with pursed lips. No, no she's pretty damn sure she died and if she didn't then the reset would have absolutely done her in. This is... weird.]

Pretty sure, with how I died, that there's no way in hell I survived that. [Also maybe don't swear in front of Actual Children, not that it's going to stop her ever.]

... No. Not... not standing. Stands. It's. They're kinda like an extension of your person or somethin'? Dude, I don't know, I barely get it half the time myself. But it's got nothing to do with actual standing.

Video;

[schachmeister]

This world is not the afterlife. Or, well, I suppose it could be considered for certain people but--

[No, he pauses. He's just going to confuse this woman more like this.]

Let me start over. This is a different world. Nobody really understands how or why it happens, but sometimes people from other worlds end up in this one. This can also include people who are dead back in their own worlds, so for them specifically, this world could be seen as a sort of afterlife, but in general, it's just its own universe.

Video;

[strings_theory]

[She can't get much more confused and she'll just get frustrated and brush it off anyway, that's just how she tends to do from time to time.

Especially given she's squinting at him through that screen.]

You know, I thought the concept of different universes and stuff was absolute horse shit, but at this point I'm done questioning it. [She's done questioning a lot of stuff, actually. But that's. More just throwing her hands in the air at all of it.]

This happen a lot 'round here, then?

Video;

[schachmeister]

I never thought of that sort of thing until I ended up here either. But it is hard to deny it happening when you are living it.

[Sometimes life just gently grabs you by the scruff of the neck and forces your nose into something until you accept it.]

People showing up in this world? I'm not sure anyone has ever kept an exact record, but it seems to happen a couple of times every month. Apparently it has been happening for at least ten years now.

Video;

[strings_theory]

If it ain't an after life, then that'd be the only other option, right? Or, I guess, technically both in my case.

[If there's one thing she's absolutely done with, it's life grabbing her by the scruff of the neck and forcing her into doing or saying something. Which might be why she's rubbing at her face with a low groan.]

If life could, you know, do me a favor and chill the hell out for two seconds? Honestly, I'd rather it do that. I think in the last... like... month or so I've been in so much shit that a moment of peace and calm would be real nice. [Even if she'll probably be bored with it in, oh, about a month or so.]

Ten years?

Video;

[schachmeister]

If it is any comfort, this world is generally pretty calm and quiet. I'm not sure what kind of world you were from originally, but once you have adjusted a bit, this world really is a good place to live. There are never any food shortages and I'm not even sure if there is a standing army. For the most part, people live from day to day tending to their pokemon.

And yes. That's how long some of the longest of us have stayed here. I myself have been here for three years now.

Video;

[strings_theory]

[Standing... army. Okay, that's a weird thing to point out. And food shortages isn't something she's really worried about. But to each their own, she guesses.]

Let's just put it that prison sucks. Prisons in Florida suck. And people wanting you dead for your family relations also really sucks. [To put it absolutely mildly, but she's sort of gotten used to the idea of not having to fight over all of this mess. A moment of rest, a moment of peace, let her focus on something actually productive for a moment would probably do her a lot of good.

It could always be worse.]

And you haven't gotten bored of calm and quiet?

video; oh shit hello

[marmoron]

Pucci?

[God is this another Bob-like entity or whatever.]

There are weirder starters.

video; oh shit hi maybe this won't end in tragedy this time

[strings_theory]

[What the hell is a Bob.]

... Uhhh. Long story, basically he's an absolute douchebag of a priest and I really wanted to end his whole career. Let's put it that way.

[That explains nothing, but it's fine.]

I mean, at least she's friendly? I assume a she, sounds like a she, fuck if I know really. [We also won't talk about what she named her, that's absolutely ridiculous in the long scheme of things.]

[islandshore]

Don't know what a Stand is, or whoever this Pucci guy is, but the gist of it is: new world, no weapons allowed, gotta go out and capture Pokemon, train to take on Gym Leaders and the Elite Four, and then...

[And then...?

Riku tails off. "And then" is what he's been trying to figure out for years.

He shakes his head. It's fine. This is fine.]

Just make the most of it, I guess? Sometimes some cataclysmic threat rears its head, but most of the time it's just... peaceful.

[strings_theory]

Considerin' I can't see to summon her, it doesn't really matter to begin with. [The Stand thing that is, she's pointedly just ignoring the Pucci part. It's not important. He's not important.

New world, no weapons, Pokemon.

None of this is familiar to her which she hopes means it's got nothing to do with him and therefore not a problem and not a threat that she needs to be concerned about. Right.

Right.

Man, how is she going to sit back and not fight.]

Peaceful's fuckin' weird when you're someone like me. But I guess I'll get adjusted to it at... some... point? Dunno.

Having someone else fight my battles for me just seems so wrong.

super sorry about the late reply x_x I lost the notification or I woulda gotten to this sooner!

[islandshore]

...Huh. So it's something you summon? That's new.

[He's heard of a lot of strange powers, though. Apparently gets them in his future, too. Maybe it's not so weird compared to magic keys, heh.]

Honestly, even though I am used to it, I still half-expect something to go south. Sometimes that peace shatters in a heartbeat, and when it does happen, it's always so sudden.

But... yeah. Not a big fan of the weapons ban. Pokemon seem to like battling just fine, but you gotta get pretty creative in terms of self-defense.