bywiseguidance | [video/action for Justice Haus]

[Oh great, more camera antics. This time it's a Growlithe nose, snuffling at the camera, then a flash of a mouth, a dizzy ride, and finally coming to a shaky rest covered in drool and twitching and light chewing sounds.

...never leave your phone, or Pokegear in this case, within reach of an inquisitive dog.

There's a lopsided view of a basement room, music playing in the background that's not mixing too incredibly well with the everpresent background music.

And then stockinged feet dance through the camera's shot. A few moments later, Ziva comes into full view (farther away this time), practicing ballet.

The video continues for a few minutes, until the song she's dancing to ends.]

It's been too long since I have done this...

[Ziva looks at the camera (still drool covered, though now the chewing has stopped,) and her eyes narrow.]

...Abby, drop that.

[She walks over as her Growlithe drops the Gear with a whine, and picks it up with an 'eww, dog drool' look on her face.]

I should have known to keep this out of her reach. I am sorry for that.

[Click. She'll answer calls after she sanitizes her gear.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She would've brought two if she'd known they were in demand. Oh, well.]

I can imagine a few ways they might come in handy. Though I admit most of my experience with dance comes from watching it, not participating.

[She takes another thoughtful bite of bagel and chews as she ponders.]

Part of the art is to make it look effortless despite its difficulty, and you've certainly accomplished that.

[She already had breakfast, but bagels are delicious.]

The last few years, that has been most of my experience as well.

[She hasn't had the time for dance. Ah, adult life.]

That is mostly confidence.

Show me again. The pas de chat?

[She has to force the French a little, but it ultimately gets through despite the universal translator in effect.]

I can see, from a technical standpoint, every motion that goes into it, but when it comes to putting them together in practice...

[It's easier seen than done.]

[Ziva takes a moment to remember exactly what that is--the names of particular dances are something she hasn't heard in years. But she remembers and smiles before putting down the towel, water bottle, and her Gear.]

I learn best from observation as well.

[And another beat, then she goes through the steps, ending with her arms in front of her, standing with her legs crossed and feet straight in opposite directions.]

It doesn't seem as though it should be difficult, just getting...

[She studies Ziva again a moment, recalling the example, and then half moves through the foot placements herself — trying to recreate the motions of the move without actually engaging in the leap.]

The front foot always stays in front, and the legs form a diamond.

[She murmurs, more to herself than to Ziva.]

I have a lot of practice, mind. When I was younger, I wished to be a ballerina after all.

[And she's always been the kind of person to give 110% in everything she does and then another 90% more...]

That's what makes it exquisite — recognizing how many years of work must've gone into a step that looks as though anyone could imitate.

[She's still sort of idly fiddling around with the foot placements she remembers seeing Ziva do, trying to set them herself and absently adjusting as she discovers things feeling off or uncomfortable. She's got black belts in a ridiculous number of martial arts, surely basic ballet is not completely out of her reach.]

You wanted to be a ballerina?

I think you just need to get used to moving in ways that you haven't before.

[She can see that--there's a way a trained martial artist moves that a normal person doesn't, and having experience in that regard as well, Ziva can pick it out.]

Until I was about...twelve or thirteen, yes. My sister and I were very much occupied with performing arts.

Or a teacher. It's not something that can — or should — be learned overnight.

[Which actually isn't a hint, despite the way it might sound; just a realistic acknowledgement of their differing skill sets, and what it would honestly take to align them.]

You two must've been close. What made you change your choice of career?

[Mossad being kind of the antithesis of a ballerina, there.]

I am not sure I would make the best teacher in this.

[Too out of practice. She offered to teach Tony piano, but she's actually kept up on that.]

We were. As for what changed my mind...a sense of duty, I suppose, and a changing of my interests. My mother encouraged ballet and theater, my father and brother taught me skills that would be useful should I follow their example--as of course I did. Tali learned them as well, for a while. But I took to it better than she did. She was kinder than I am.

There's a dance theater in Ecruteak City — I don't know if you've been up that far in Johto — and they give lessons in a fairly wide variety of traditional dances. If you ever end up that way, it might be worth a look.

[And the next time she does herself, she might just be taking a lesson or two. She misses Ecruteak sometimes; it's a city of terrible memories that she can't let go of despite it.]

The world needs all kinds, Ziva.

I have not. Though when I do make it there, that might be something I try.

[Never hurts to learn something new.]

It does. I do not regret the way my life has gone.

[...well she regrets a little of it.]

We stayed there awhile. Agent Cooper and Hiccup and I, earlier in the summer. It reminded me of Kyoto, if that gives you any idea of what to expect.

[But she looks sideways at Ziva when that second remark comes, and smiles in an almost knowing way.]

You shouldn't. Regrets fix you in the past, when it's the future that's important.

Not really. Japan is one of the very few places that I have not been.

[She smiles slightly. Not a lot of East Asia under her belt.]

That is true, yes.

[Though it's really hard not to regret the whole sister dying and killing your brother things, and so she does.]

But you've been most everywhere else?

[COMMON GROUND.]

In Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and South America, yes.

[She grins.]

We've got that in common. How about Paris?

I adore Paris.

[Seriously, out of all the cities she's visited, Paris is probably her favorite.]

It's always a pleasure when my work takes me there. I can usually steal an afternoon to see the sights in between more solemn duties.

I've tried to treat Johto the same way in the time I've been here.

[I see what you did there.]

That is a good mentality to have. Though I still haven't managed to figure out what 'solemn duties' I have, here.

[She's at loose ends and DOESN'T LIKE IT. :C working at the Pokemon Center or the Mart is hella boring to one coming from her work background.]

[Get your money through alternate means, Ziva, and take up more interesting personal pursuits. ~~There's always theft...~~]

Maybe we should start traveling, and see if something comes to you along the way. You know what they say about idle hands.

[~~SHE IS THE LAW THERE WILL BE NO THIEVING. :| ...though she's probably done it before. For matters of national security, you see.~~

...and she possibly does not know what they say about idle hands, but we'll just ignore that.]

I plan to, once the weather breaks. Cold weather and I do not get along very well.

[video/action for Justice Haus]

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