[ video ][ tlv ]

[interns]

-ello, HEL-lo, helloooooh?

[ someone's finally got a hold of her phone, and no, she's never seen anything like this before, not really ( this certain someone was born in the 1995 okay ), so it's taken her a good amount of time to figure it out. but she's seen other people talking on it, watched videos of people talking to it and seen people respond, so she kind of gets it. she's a bright kid.

well, she's trying. her face is like THISCLOSE to the screen, and at first it looks like she thinks she has to talk into the camera to get it to work, so you're getting a close-up shot of a lot of baby teeth, but then she notices the view on the screen and pulls it back with a "whoa!" and a big giggle. but then she's making herself calm down, sort of, pushing her bangs down flat with a hand, like she has to make sure she looks presentable now that she knows she's on camera ]

Hello, my name is Gwen- Stacy and I'm looking for my daddy, his name is Captain Stacy. I'm s-upposed to call the police if I'm ever lost or don't know where I am but I don't know how to call 9-1-1 on this phone, can someone please help me try to find find- the 9 and 1 on the screen, thank you.

[ is that all she wanted to say? she takes a deep breath like she might continue, but then she pauses- hm. she needs to think about it. ]

Also I'd like to have a snack now, please, thank you.

[ -- wait ]

But I'm not supposed to take food from strangers, sooo-

Can someone show me where the kitchen is, please?

[ yes! that seems like the right thing to do. she nods, okay now, all done, then fusses with the phone until the screen clicks off ]

Comments

[video]

[thekidsnotalright]

[Hi Gwen! There's a surly looking kid lounged in a comfortable looking chair eyeing you with a thoughtful expression. Like he's not entirely sure what to do. He takes a breath, hesitates another moment, then offers:]

Depends in what floor you're on, kid.

[interns]

[ !!! well this is certainly a little scarier than she thought it would be. it's a boy. a boy she doesn't know. so her eyes are a little wide as she responds- ]

-- This one.

[ then aims the phone at the floor now yes because she hasn't left her room and doesn't know what he means ]

[thekidsnotalright]

[....oh god why. Why did he say hi. That is not a helpful answer.

But she's also a little kid who's clearly as lost as most of the rest of them, so while he sighs, he doesn't kill the feed right away either, and the sullen look twists to something dangerously close to an honest smile.]

Okay, try this again, smarty pants. You think you can go outside your room and show me what number your room is?

[interns]

[ smarty pants. she likes that. but she doesn't realize it's not.. a genuine nickname woops ]

Oh, am I in an apartment? There's a number on my door at home, too. [ which she seems pretty excited about! ] At home it's two zero one six. Twenty, sixteen. [ SO PROUD. she's also walking to the door now so at least he'll get a straight answer ] It's - there's a seven, a zero, and a one.

[thekidsnotalright]

Yeah, kinda.

[He's still not entirely sure what the hell he stumbled into, but he's not about to admit as much to her.]

Awesome. I'm gonna come down to find you, okay? I'll help you find the kitchen. Just sit tight.

[A beat.]

My name's Alex, by the way.

[interns]

[ !!!! suddenly very shy ]

Hi, Alex.

-- Are you a teacher?

[VIDEO]

[notagirlygirl]

[Allison's sort of getting the hang of this camera phone thing...so there's only a second of a giant eyeball before she levels out and her pudgy little face fills the feed so she can wave.]

Hi, Gwen! I'm Allison. It's okay, I'm a kid, not a stranger...I can help you find a snack! There's a cafer...caf...caf'eria here with lots of good food.

What are your numbers on your front door? My magic bunny an' me can come find you an' we can all get snacks together!

[VIDEO]

[interns]

[ yo, valid point. kids aren't strangers. ]

Hi, Allison. [ so she seems a liiiiittle shy, but the hopeful kind ] I haven't left my room because I don't want- [ to get lost? she's already lost. her brow furrows up!! a lot!! because well now she doesn't know what to say ] - because I'm lost and I don't want to be more lost.

[ .....yeah that covers it. plus there's more important things at hand here ]

You have a magic bunny? Can I see?

[VIDEO]

[notagirlygirl]

Sure! I'll bring her.

You can find out where you are without getting lost! Just go to the front door an' open it an' there's numbers on it. If you tell me what they are, I can come get you an' we can go get snacks! Maybe even cookies.

[VIDEO]

[interns]

Okay.

[ she doesn't try to keep the camera on her face as she walks to her door, shoes scuffing a bit as she walks ( someone just started taking dance lessons, and someone likes scuffing her heels wherever she goes now ), but eventually ]

There's a seven and a zero and a one.

[ she hasn't learned how to count to seven hundred and one yet. but she knows the shit out of her numbers. ]

[VIDEO]

[notagirlygirl]

[Allison thinks hard for a second, then smiles. She knows where that is, even if she hasn't been there today...or yet, she doesn't remember.

But she knows where the seven doors are. She might have tried to have a slumber party there once...]

Okay! I know where that is. I'm gonna come an' see you an' then we'll get a snack! The got good snacks in the caf'eria. They gots the strawberry cereal bars.

[maced_eggs]

Stupid. You don't call 9-1-1. You call 9-9-9. Everyone knows that.

[interns]

I'm not stupid!

That's too many nines.

And not enough ones.

[maced_eggs]

There aren't any bloody ones. It's 9-9-9. Every idiot knows that.

[interns]

Bloody?

[ she looks a little grossed out now ]

Why are you being mean?

[maced_eggs]

Why are you being dumb?

[justlikemom]

[ Oh no. Another one. It had been days already, how long has this girl been alone?!

Have a very concerned looking redheaded teenager, already headed to the door of his cabin. But that concern turns into a smile for her benefit. ]

Hey, Gwen! My name's Ian, and I can help you find the kitchen. But you gotta help me find you, alright?

[interns]

Hi.

[ ahhhhhHHHHHH another boy. so many boys!!!! she looks a little flustered, for sure ]

Are you a police man?

[justlikemom]

No but I'm something else that's kinda like a cop!

[ A the door, he rummage in the mess of coats and produced his army hat. The image blurred and shifted as he put it on. He refocused the camera so she could see it on him. ]

Lieutenant Colonel Ian Gallagher!

[ He proclaimed the name proudly as he opened the door. ]

The army's kinda like cops, right?

[interns]

Loo-ten-it? My daddy was a loo-ten-it before he was captain!

[ no she doesn't get what that means, she just remembers her dad telling her it was okay that people called him that now. it was like how she called her pre-school teacher "Miss Blakely" only instead of "Miss" her dad is "Captain". that's.. the only way it makes sense to her ]

I think so.

It's nice to meet you, Loo-ten-it Kernel Gallagher.

[ all very slow, like she has to make sure she's saying it right ]

[justlikemom]

You can just call me Ian, okay? It's a lot easier.

[ She had to be the youngest kid he'd spoken to since this started, and he was really worried. How could the Admiral let stuff like this happen? He was already headed toward the stairwell. ]

You gotta do a favor for me, okay, Gwen? Can you open your door and tell me the number that's on it?

[myresponsibility]

[oh

my

god

peter has no idea what to do with a super tiny version of his girlfriend, but you are adorable.]

Hi, Gwen, my name's Peter. I could help you make a grilled cheese sandwich in the kitchen while we figure out how to get in touch with your dad?

[interns]

Hi Peter.

[ what is with all these boys she has no idea how to handle this. he's not her age but he's not her dad's age so that makes him this overwhelming presence that makes her want to hide behind her hands or maybe show him her bellybutton or something is that normal wHO KNOWS??? ]

Can you make it into little triangles?

[ she means with the sandwich but she's too busy turning all red to specify i guess ]

chrissy you're killing me

[myresponsibility]

Sure. Crusts or no crusts?

[lbr he would try and make grilled cheese into whatever shape she wanted.]

dfjkgb only a little sorry

[interns]

No crusts. [ her nose even scrunches up ] I only like- I only like the crust on pizza.

[ and then she gasps! like she just remembered something very important!! ]

Sometimes! My dad brings home pizza and the slices are this big- [ she's making a big triangle with her hands. well, sort of. she's trying. she's drawing a big triangle in the air ] - they're this big and they have pepperonis on them.

[ she smiles ]

He lets me have his crust after- after he eats his pizza, but only after mommy cuts it up little so I can eat it.