second ➛ video

[backpacking]

Okay, short and sweet. I've got some questions. ... And one comment, which is fuck that last trip. You think you're home free from whatever crap you've got back home, and then... bam. It's in your face. What's that about?

[ huff ]

Name's Ellie. I spent a lot of time reading back home and now that we're not in the trenches anymore, I need some reading material. Suggestions? The library's huge here and I don't even know where to start!

Uh... [ What else... She scrunches up her nose, thinking. ] Anyone up to teaching a kid to swim? Because that's something long overdue that I haven't gotten around to. And -

[ She looks a little more meekly at the camera, then glances away, chewing on the inside of her cheek. ]

There any way to get in touch with someone back home? Like... I dunno, a magic mirror so we can see they're okay? It's important. Thanks.

Comments

[thesamurai]

[Well, this message has all of Michonne's attention. She hasn't met lot of kids close to Carl's age who've gone through this - who are going through it - back home.]

Your worlds messed up like that too?

[backpacking]

Something like that.

[ Worse, she thinks; people don't try and help each other in safe, little towns they way they had in the Township. They try and kill each other, loot the bodies. ]

I don't miss it, that's for sure.

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[whittling]

What kind of stuff do you read, kid?

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[backpacking]

Anything. Just need to get my mind off things.

[ Isn't that what reading is all about? ]

What can you give me?

[krmvgivv]

[Oh, hey, someone who likes reading! Dipper likes reading.]

What do you like reading? Not that I'll have heard of it since apparently the titles of the stuff in my world are all slightly different... but I might have read something similar. I read a lot too.

[backpacking]

[ eVERYONE SHOULD LIKE READING OKAY ]

I'll take pretty much anything. - But not that young adult, fantasy fiction shit. I'm not buying any of those vampire or werewolf love... dramas.

[ She retches, pulling a face. ]

[savedadance]

What we experienced- you're familiar with it?

( Oh gosh. Also she's so young. It's a terrible thing )

[backpacking]

Wasn't where I came from, but... yeah. There're Infected; like zombies, I guess, but... not dead.

[ doesn't that just sound wonderful?? ]

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[mourning_ghost]

Night on the Galactic Railroad and The Housekeeper and the Professor are good. [He wouldn't normally recommend the first one, despite the fact that it's his favorite, because most people would have already read it where he comes from. The second recommendation is in case the first is too cliche.]

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[backpacking]

[ Hey, it's the talking bird!! ]

Cool, thanks. Those your favorites?

[Video]

[voiceinthedark]

Sorry. That was, yeah, that's my world. It's pretty messed up.

But for reading stuff you should definitely read Harry Potter. And Lord of the Rings. Ooooh, and I have comic books you can borrow.

[Video]

[backpacking]

Yeah, I kinda got that. But you guys really... live and work together like that? Nobody's trying to -

[ Ellie just shakes her head, them, sighing deeply. Stick to the book talk. ]

Comics, really? Those're the best. Definitely interested.

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[beatupgrass]

Apparently this freakin planet's signal ain't great. If it were, I'd be transmittin' the worst cussin' anyone's heard to the Milano every hour on the hour 'til someone got it in their heads to get me off this rock.

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[backpacking]

I figured you'd find a way around it, being a techie and... all.

[ sigh ]

The Milano's your ship?

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[belovedson]

[Wow young lady are you old enough to be using language like that?]

That's how Wonderland works, pretty much. When the events happen, they pull stuff straight from people's memories. Granted, it doesn't--transform itself into other worlds all that often, but this isn't the first time it's happened.

[Except Neal's getting the impression this girl is way too new to have gone through Storybrook with them all.]

And I hate to say it, but magic mirrors are definitely out. I know a couple of people that specialize in that sort of thing, and they haven't had any luck with it. Your best bet on finding out what's going on is if someone else from your world shows up--and unless they're from your future, there's only so much they can tell you.

Sorry.

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[backpacking]

[ shhhhhhhh look the other way ]

Then we're screwed. I don't know about the rest of you, but I've got some crap in my memories that I don't want showing up here.

[ It'd be more than embarrassing, or something equally superficial; people would die, just like they had in the little zombie-infested town. ]

Oh. Okay. [ She looks pretty down about and nods vaguely. ] I don't want to find out anything, really. I mean, besides checking on someone. I don't need to know anything else.

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[keeperfromtheflame]

[Short and sweet. Right. Short enough, at least, that she was able to follow and retain each question despite her ADHD.]

Wonderland does that sometimes. [Change.] But it's always different. So whatever it was you saw wont' be back again.

[A pause. She didn't know anything about libraries and she...hadn't gone swimming since the last time Frank too her to the beach.]

And...no, there's no way. I'm still not exactly sure how these devices work, but they can only connect with others just like them. And they only exist here.

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[backpacking]

That's the first good news I've got. [ She admits a tiny smile. ] Because that place? Was the worst.

[ Or, close to it; she still thinks of her own world as being the bottom of the barrel of terribleness. ]

So, no long distance calls? What if I switch service providers?

[ KIDDING but what if though ]

[ganking]

You don't know how to swim.

[ PPPFffftttt. ]

[backpacking]

[ :l ]

Actually, I do. I'm a world champion swimmer. I lied.

[Video]

[lightgunhustler]

There's no way to get in touch with home that I've found yet, but if I figure it out-- trust me. I'll let you know.

[Jo figures there are probably a lot of people here who'd like to make use of something like that.]

Get any offers on those swim lessons yet? I'd be happy to help if you still need a buddy.

[Video]

[backpacking]

Yeah, that's what I've heard. [ She shrugs weakly. ] Maybe something'll come up, or... But, people can just show up, right? Out of the blue?

[ She'd left Joel and he'd been mortally wounded; all she can hope for is that he's in some suspended animation, or... something until she gets back. ]

Really? That'd be great! Haven't heard from anyone who wasn't being an ass about it. [ DEAN ] I know it's weird, but I didn't have the chance. It's been kinda problematic.

[Video]

[luckynumberthree]

That's a lot of questions.

[ Simon's tone is fond as he flips open a video feed to respond. ]

Sorry about the last event. Not sure which one of us from my world prompted it, but yeah, we weren't feeling all that nostalgic either. Then again, who asked us?

[Video]

[backpacking]

I know, I know, but once I got started, I remember more stuff, and it's not like there's some magic forum I can post to.

[ Not that she has any experience with the Internet, but she knows vaguely of how it worked. ]

Hey, it's not like you guys asked for it. Better people know what the rest of us go through.

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[whiskeyslinger]

[ She seems too young to be talking like that, but Ellen knows by now that the majority of people here all have their own shit back home. Zombies, though? That's something that she's still trying to wrap her head around. She can't imagine dealing with them on a permanent basis. ]

I'm not a librarian or anything of the sort, but I might have a few suggestions for you. How old are you?

[ The question is direct, said the same way she'd ask an adult. If this girl has dealt with zombies, then she doesn't need her hand held. ]

As for the swimming, I can probably get you started if you still need a hand.

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[backpacking]

Fourteen. [ Though enough people here are treating her like an infant; maybe she'll bump it up to sixteen. ] I'll take whatever you've got.

Someone actually did offer, finally. Thanks, though. [ Unbeknownst to Ellie, it was Ellen's own daughter who'd made the offer. ]

[altarwolf]

[FUNNY YOU SHOULD MENTION MAGIC MIRRORS, GUESS WHO'S BEEN READING ABOUT THEM. And guess who also just got an idea, may or may not work, we'll see how things turn out.]

There may be a way. There are artefacts from other worlds for sale at the vendors' stalls. A magic mirror would not be so unlikely to appear among their wares. Especially as one exists in my world.

[backpacking]

[ IS THE ANSWER MORRIGAN, IS IT ]

Wait, seriously? Everyone said there wasn't a way. [ So the different news is welcome and Ellie watches the other woman, very interested. ] Wait, vendors? That's... different from the closets?