Multiversal travel can be disorienting, but there’s no need to worry! All side effects are temporary and lessen with each trip. Your body may experience several sensations at once: being pushed forward as if a hand is resting on your back, momentary and startling blindness, a gentle ringing in your head. You may have difficulty discerning whether it is hot or cold, but where you have been prodded is noticeably warmer than the rest of you. Some may suffer dizziness while others are perfectly fine. You notice that the area you are in is filled with a soft cerulean light and feels slightly humid and dark despite the glow around you. Regardless of your current state, however, the stress of transit forces your body into unconsciousness.
Waking up is another story. Or maybe it isn’t.
You find yourself in a nondescript room; sometimes with others who have found themselves in the same situation, sometimes alone. Welcome to Avagi Station, your new home.
Avagi
That First Step, it is a Doozy:
There are always risks to exploring new environments and Avagi is rich with new nooks and crannies to explore. You’re checking out a new corridor that’s been opened, though there have been signs warning that there are areas where structural stability has been weakened by neglect and the passage of time. But maybe things have been going well, you’ve found a few interesting things of note and you’re ready to head back to your bunk for the day.
Except when you turn to leave, the floor is giving way without a screech of metal. Hopefully you’ve got some good reflexes and can catch yourself before you topple down a shaft that seems to go down at least thirty or forty feet. Do you call for help or struggle to handle it on your own? And more importantly, how are you getting around this giant hole in the floor now that it’s there?
The Buddy System:
In order to help new arrivals find their bearings the more experienced residents on board have decided to try out the buddy system in order until the new arrivals get their space legs. The guide is responsible for answering any questions, showing them all the important facilities and making sure their new friend doesn’t wander anywhere too dangerous. And what better way to get to know your buddy than to try and help them find all the supplies they need to be comfortable in their new home? Hopefully the barter blocks have some clothes in your size or else it could get a little bit awkward come laundry day.
Shining Bright:
The Observation Station is the best place on Avagi to get a look at the storm that rages all around. However today when you stop by there’s something strange and new to look upon. It’s not clear if it’s a change in the environment or perhaps an effect of the living energy that opens the portals but the entire room is filled with softly glowing floating lights. If you venture into the room and dare to touch one of the lights you’ll find that you find a song playing in your mind that fills you with a deep and abiding sense of peace. What you do with that feeling is up to you but it seems that these lights aren’t going to cause any harm then why not let yourself relax in a beautiful space for a little while?
Kaittos
This month there is a portal to the planet Kaittos, a peaceful world containing one large land mass and a scattering of lived-on islands across a clear blue ocean. On the mainland, a large city-state occupies the central region and southern coast and resembles what some travelers from some versions of Earth might know of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Bustling and lively, the city is clean and well provided-for due to the temperate climate and the bountiful natural resources found on its northern side; orchards, farms and forests extend into the distance, butting up against a small mountain range. The technology level is low compared to Avagi, with carriages and candles in place rather than cars and electric lights, but the craftsmen of the world have managed some very impressive mechanical feats.
Kaittans, the local residents of the world appear somewhat humanoid, but the bipedal race has hooves rather than feet, silvery skin and three eyes with vertical pupils. Although there is no sign of any other sentient species in the world, the locals are nonetheless excited to meet their guests, rather than suspicious or afraid; for some reason, they are not surprised that aliens exist, merely that they are here.
Visitors are encouraged to explore the city and partake in an exchange of goods and ideas, to share their culture and stories with the locals. Perhaps there’s a merchant willing to trade a bauble for a story or you want to try something entirely unknown to your palette in the culinary quarter. The possibilities, while not quite limitless, are enough to keep the curious busy for quite a while.
[For a boy as obsessed with the Lone Ranger as Bill had been, meeting a race of hoofed, silver-skinned aliens is not just something out of a fever dream, but a fascinating adventure. One he would find far more enjoyable, were he not certain he had something important he was meant to be doing. It's right on the edge of his mind, he can almost grab for it, but it eludes him as scenes and quotes play out in his head.
He doesn't assault the unusual race with questions, but just watches them with a curious fascination from out of the way, eventually finding a little hand carved replica of one of the ships in the waters beneath the city. He doesn't have much worth trading for it, so he offers the one thing he still has on him. Some paper he had brought for notes and abating boredom. He folds it carefully into his own boat, not expecting the trade to go through, but when he finishes the merchant agrees to trade with him, and he leaves with the wooden carved masterpiece in his hands, running his fingers over the smooth finish in bittersweet admiration.
Georgie would have loved it.]
That First Step
[Bill just manages to jerk backwards and avoid disappearing into the sudden hole in the floor prematurely, landing on his back on the solid floor with a sudden exhale of breath forced from his chest.
He doesn't linger there, moving to look down into the hole, on his knees with his hands carefully resting near the edges.]
(A month spent alone, partially without memories, had worn its way into Eddie. He wouldn't even begin to explain to anyone how bad he missed his friends when he finally did remember them. The people here were good, all right people, but they weren't his people. They weren't the Losers. Getting his memories back had put Eddie in a funk, and by now, he had explored plenty of Kaittos that the shiny quality of its newness had dulled quite a bit. Now, he mostly just killed time biking absently, only paying enough attention to avoid crashing into people.
He's not paying attention when he slowly bikes past Bill. His wheels just churn along. Truthfully, he has no idea what makes him stop, but he does, and he glances up because wait.
Maybe it had been the fact that he just knew Bill so well that seeing his shoes had been enough. Eddie doesn't know, doesn't care, because that was Big fucking Bill and Eddie's bike was dropping in a heap.)
Bill.
(His name chokes out of Eddie and he's crossing the couple feet between of them. Bill gets an armful of Eddie Kaspbrak, because for Eddie, it's been a month, and losing his memories, and he can't keep that all back. He just squeezes and feels so Goddamn relieved. If Bill was here, it'd be okay. Everything was always better with Bill around.)
[Bill is admiring the craftsmanship on the sail of the little boat when suddenly there's an Eddie pressed up against him. He looks down at the boy filling his arms, but his confused hesitation is only momentary before he wraps them more firmly around the other boy, dragging him in closer.]
You're here t-too, Eddie? [He glances past Eddie to the bike and then around the strange place they're in, scanning for the rest of the gang. His search comes up empty, but at least Eddie's there and seems safe so far.]
I looked but I c-c-couldn't find anyone else. [Each time he hangs up on a word he gets frustrated, but there are more important matters at hand.]
Did you see the k-k-kai- [He gets stuck like a broken record on the foreign word, but he keeps trying regardless.] -kai-kaittans.
I've been here for a whole month. (He explains in a stressed rush. He lets go of Bill and steps away from him, his hands grappling at the front of his own shirt. He's trying to not grab onto his inhaler. Not to use, but at this point, it's a comfort crutch.)
...That's because no one else really is here. Except me, Richie, and Stan. (That he's seen so far, but he definitely hasn't seen the others.
Eddie stares at Bill, half wanting to spit the word out for Bill's sake, half for his own sake, but he doesn't.)
Yeah. I've been trading with them for like, a week.
[Bill's face screws up into a thinking one as he watches Eddie grapple with his stress. He puts a single reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder and gives him a gentle squeeze.]
If the others end up here, we'll find them.
Whatever h-h-happens [He pauses mid-sentence to take a steadying breath and gives Eddie a confident smile.] We'll be fine as long as we st-stick together.
[Everything would be fine. He would collect his friends all back together and make sure they stayed safe and no one was alone.]
Do you w-w-want to see if she s-s-sails? [He holds up the little wooden boat for Eddie to see, trying to distract him from his emotional state.]
(It was maybe selfish of Eddie, but he did, to some extent, depend heavily on Bill's reassurances. Bill just always knew what to do. If anyone was capable of keeping them together, making this all right, it was Bill. His anxiety simmers down and he gives a nod.)
Okay, yeah. You're right.
(They had been before, and an embodiment of fear was a hell of a lot worse than this place.
He hadn't even noticed the boat. Seeing it gives him pause because...But no, he doesn't say anything. He just gives Bill a small, maybe a little tight, smile.)
Hell, yeah. I know where some running water is. I better that sucker flies.
It's r-really well made. [Bill could have understood the hesitation. There were reasons he had been drawn so particularly to this boat. It brought memories with it, even though it was far nicer than the little paper boat he had made his brother. He holds it like it's made of glass in his hands, despite the sturdy build.]
Lead the way. I'll f-follow you, Eddie. [He says as he reaches to stand Eddie's bike back up for him, before moving to get his own rusty Schwinn from where it's leaning against a fence. If he is honest, he wants to check in on Stan and Richie, too, make sure they're all okay and safe, and gather them all together. But for a brief moment, it's like they've gone back in time to before It happened. For a brief moment he thinks how much Georgie would love the little boat he tucks safely into his shirt, instead of reliving his imagination's graphic restructuring of Georgie's death.]
(Eddie isn't too far behind in wanting them all together again himself. Especially since the four of them had been the start of it all, hadn't they? They'd been best buds for forever, it felt, even before the gang properly formed.
There's a quick smile of appreciation when Bill picks his bike back up for him. Not his first time being hectic with his bike at all, not gonna be his last. He swings up onto it, waiting for Bill. Soon enough, he's taking off with a steady confidence. It did feel a little like it was back in time. If it weren't for the aliens walking around, Eddie would have almost been convinced they were in a nicer version of Derry altogether.
But they weren't. He's soon biking out of the main part of the city, and out towards a forest. It's not until they're at just about the edge that Eddie dismounts.)
Be careful of any of the springs. They do weird stuff to people's heads, but the creeks should be fine. I think there's one near.
[Bill drops his bike against a tree, looking out into the forest just to soak it in for a moment. It is still so much to adjust to, but he is adjusting a little at a time and writing to help keep his thoughts organized and hold onto them. He pulls the boat back out of his shirt and heads for the edge, as if it's just the Barrens or a wooded area in Derry, as familiar as anything else to them.]
Like s-s-some kind of illness in the w-water? [There's no telling if the springs are actually dangerous, or if Eddie has decided they are, but for now he takes the other boy's word for truth. He can look into it more someday in the future. For now, Eddie knows more about this place than he does, and Bill trusts him with his life. He steps into the trees fully expecting Eddie to follow. They'll find water together. They just have to not get lost.]
We'll listen for it. [And for anything that might live in the forest, though Bill isn't nearly as worried as he maybe should be. They're together. They'll look out for each other.]
How's t-that going to help Ruh-Richie. We c-can't hear it hit the b-b-bottom.
[Maybe it's the sudden vanishing floor or the near drop experience, but Bill is just a bit stressed by the situation. Nonetheless he leans forward to watch Richie's spit drop into the darkness and waits before following it up with his own.]
[Bill just shakes his head at Richie's response, still looking down into the hole. He could drop the half coin in his pocket, but then he might not ever get it back. If Richie doesn't like plan a, they will just have to find a plan b.]
Then h-help me find some rope or a b-b-big stick. [He pulls Richie back from the hole gently, not wanting him to fall in, and starts looking around the rest of the space available to him.]
My b-b-bike [Bill pauses in his search to look back toward the hole, dark and seemingly endless. He feels traces of familiarity filling in the cracks and not in a good way. It's like descending into the sewers once more.] It fell in w-with the floor. I h-h-have to get it b-b-back.
[Derry may not be a place with many fond or happy memories, but that bike is his and he treasures it.]
You can s-stay up here and keep hold of the ru-rope. [He needs to get it back, but he isn't going to put Richie in further danger. They got through Neibolt House together, this was just a hole, and hopefully not some monster's lair. It'll be fine. He'll tie some rope to his bike and climb back up and they can pull it up together.]
[Surely this will be okay. The problem is that Richie really isn't that strong, so while he might be able to hold a rope just fine, supporting Bill and Silver might be a problem.]
I can tie it around my waist, and also hold onto it. Do you think that'll be sturdy enough?
[A quick survey of the area of the corridor they're stuck in reveals a floor to ceiling column that may or may not be sturdy enough to withstand his weight, but would at least be safer than potentially pulling Richie down on top of him. He shakes his head and moves over to it, tapping his knuckles against the column.]
We'll tie it around t-the pole. [Which just leaves that unfortunate little side point of not having any idea where they might find a rope, and Bill, who is intelligent enough not to just jump down into a dark hole without knowing how deep it is, what's in it, or at least having a way out, knows that this plan only works if they do find some.]
Maybe there's another w-way down. We should look for st-stairs, too.
[Ellie's been around, making some trades of her own. Who knew that puns and jokes would ever count as currency? She spies Bill making a trade of his own but doesn't interrupt until it's completed. He's from Avagi, since he sure doesn't look like he's from this place. The whole being around other kids her age thing is new. There was Riley and the others living in the same training groups, but that had been different. They were expected to be soldiers. ]
Wood you look at that. That's a pretty kickass boat.
[Sorry for the puns, but it's kinda her thing. She's eating at a bag of her most recent trade, some alien candy that's not as sweet as she wants it to be. But it's better than anything she's had back home, so it's damn good in her opinion.]
She seems like she's sh-shipworthy. [Bill has an easy time around other kids, though his friends he knew he could trust and would be patient with him. Ellie seems nice enough so far, and Bill smiles, glancing away a moment before giving the boat a good look over, turning her in his hands.]
Sh-she's real wood and it looks p-polished. Sh-should f-float along smoothly if we find a stream.
[He could handle any number of puns good-naturedly. He put up with Richie's terrible jokes and imitations all the time.]
Want to f-find out? [Not so long ago Bill had started to get a hold on his stutter thanks to a speech therapist and exercises. The past year had thrown all of that under a bus and his stutter was, at times, worse than it had been in years.]
[Ellie forgets all about trading for stuff of her own. Supplies are important but until she gets word that their time here is limited, it can wait. Bill seems like a nice guy, and she's all about playing around and wasting time.
His stutter registers with her but she doesn't show any outward sign of acknowledging it. She's met all kinds of other kids back home. There were stutters and some kids who wouldn't even talk at all.]
Come on, I know the perfect place for it to float.
[She saw it earlier back in the forest. It went on for a while, so they could follow it for hours if they wanted. With a grin she starts to lead the way, motioning for Bill to follow.]
[It's a relief t hear the excitement in her voice. A part of Bill worried she would think the boat was lame, or not be interested, and right now, friends and distractions are what Bill needs. He follows along at her pace, tucking the little boat between his arm and his side as they walk.]
I haven't done mu-much exploring yet. Just the ci-city. The people seem fr-fr-friendly.
[Far friendlier than most of Derry's residents. It feels almost inviting and colorful compared to the washed out feeling and look of his hometown.]
Yeah, a little too friendly. It's messed up, and you better not trust it.
[She's not used to adults giving her the time of day, much less being this nice to her. It makes her want to pull away from everyone because she can't trust it. He's okay though, since they look to be about the same age. There's a level of trust there just from that. Kids trust kids unless they're bullies. That's just how it goes.
She hurries out of the market and toward the forest, where they slip through the trees.]
Too fr-friendly? [He looks a bit baffled by her, but he understands the concept in theory. It's just so unusual, but for Bill, an optimistic young man, people being nice is just a nice change from Derry.
He keeps up with her easily, at least, used to running or biking around with the other losers. The forest is inviting more than off-putting and he enjoys the sights and sounds of it.]
I-i'm- [His stutter this time is worse, his face burning slightly. A girl asking his name isn't a common occurrence, especially not a cute one. He mentally repeats his mantra, but it doesn't help as much in his head, where the stutter never exists.]
No. I just got here. It's been a pretty wild ride so far.
[Not that anything that eventful has happened, but waking up on a space station far away from everything she's ever known is pretty eventful. She needs to get back to Joel or figure out a way to get him here with her. After she figures that out, she can stop feeling so tense.
She glances back at him as they encounter what looks like it used to be a fence made out of stone. It's too tall to just hop over, so they'll have to do some climbing. She knows that the stream is right on the other side. It's not really that hard of a task so she doesn't hesitate before starting to climb up and over.]
This is my first time on some other planet. What about you?
It r-really has. [He agrees, showing no hesitation as he climbs the wall to the side of her, pulling himself up and sitting on the top a moment to look over it before judging the distance to drop down, dusting off his jeans once he's on his feet again.
He doesn't show any lack of confidence in her ability to do the same, but he's there if she stumbles at all, always looking out for the others of his group, or trying to at least. For now, that's her.]
This is my f-first time outside my hometown. [The Barrens were technically still part of Derry.]
It's very di-di-different from what I'm used t-to. [And that was anything but a bad thing, though he kept feeling like he was forgetting important things. He adds to it as he looks back to the forest] This is more f-familiar.
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thisavrou_ooc2017-11-17 07:40 pm
Bill Denbrough | IT
[For a boy as obsessed with the Lone Ranger as Bill had been, meeting a race of hoofed, silver-skinned aliens is not just something out of a fever dream, but a fascinating adventure. One he would find far more enjoyable, were he not certain he had something important he was meant to be doing. It's right on the edge of his mind, he can almost grab for it, but it eludes him as scenes and quotes play out in his head.
He doesn't assault the unusual race with questions, but just watches them with a curious fascination from out of the way, eventually finding a little hand carved replica of one of the ships in the waters beneath the city. He doesn't have much worth trading for it, so he offers the one thing he still has on him. Some paper he had brought for notes and abating boredom. He folds it carefully into his own boat, not expecting the trade to go through, but when he finishes the merchant agrees to trade with him, and he leaves with the wooden carved masterpiece in his hands, running his fingers over the smooth finish in bittersweet admiration.
Georgie would have loved it.]
That First Step
[Bill just manages to jerk backwards and avoid disappearing into the sudden hole in the floor prematurely, landing on his back on the solid floor with a sudden exhale of breath forced from his chest.
He doesn't linger there, moving to look down into the hole, on his knees with his hands carefully resting near the edges.]
Anyone have a flashlight... or a penny?
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He's not paying attention when he slowly bikes past Bill. His wheels just churn along. Truthfully, he has no idea what makes him stop, but he does, and he glances up because wait.
Maybe it had been the fact that he just knew Bill so well that seeing his shoes had been enough. Eddie doesn't know, doesn't care, because that was Big fucking Bill and Eddie's bike was dropping in a heap.)
Bill.
(His name chokes out of Eddie and he's crossing the couple feet between of them. Bill gets an armful of Eddie Kaspbrak, because for Eddie, it's been a month, and losing his memories, and he can't keep that all back. He just squeezes and feels so Goddamn relieved. If Bill was here, it'd be okay. Everything was always better with Bill around.)
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You're here t-too, Eddie? [He glances past Eddie to the bike and then around the strange place they're in, scanning for the rest of the gang. His search comes up empty, but at least Eddie's there and seems safe so far.]
I looked but I c-c-couldn't find anyone else. [Each time he hangs up on a word he gets frustrated, but there are more important matters at hand.]
Did you see the k-k-kai- [He gets stuck like a broken record on the foreign word, but he keeps trying regardless.] -kai-kaittans.
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...That's because no one else really is here. Except me, Richie, and Stan. (That he's seen so far, but he definitely hasn't seen the others.
Eddie stares at Bill, half wanting to spit the word out for Bill's sake, half for his own sake, but he doesn't.)
Yeah. I've been trading with them for like, a week.
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If the others end up here, we'll find them.
Whatever h-h-happens [He pauses mid-sentence to take a steadying breath and gives Eddie a confident smile.] We'll be fine as long as we st-stick together.
[Everything would be fine. He would collect his friends all back together and make sure they stayed safe and no one was alone.]
Do you w-w-want to see if she s-s-sails? [He holds up the little wooden boat for Eddie to see, trying to distract him from his emotional state.]
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Okay, yeah. You're right.
(They had been before, and an embodiment of fear was a hell of a lot worse than this place.
He hadn't even noticed the boat. Seeing it gives him pause because...But no, he doesn't say anything. He just gives Bill a small, maybe a little tight, smile.)
Hell, yeah. I know where some running water is. I better that sucker flies.
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Lead the way. I'll f-follow you, Eddie. [He says as he reaches to stand Eddie's bike back up for him, before moving to get his own rusty Schwinn from where it's leaning against a fence. If he is honest, he wants to check in on Stan and Richie, too, make sure they're all okay and safe, and gather them all together. But for a brief moment, it's like they've gone back in time to before It happened. For a brief moment he thinks how much Georgie would love the little boat he tucks safely into his shirt, instead of reliving his imagination's graphic restructuring of Georgie's death.]
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(Eddie isn't too far behind in wanting them all together again himself. Especially since the four of them had been the start of it all, hadn't they? They'd been best buds for forever, it felt, even before the gang properly formed.
There's a quick smile of appreciation when Bill picks his bike back up for him. Not his first time being hectic with his bike at all, not gonna be his last. He swings up onto it, waiting for Bill. Soon enough, he's taking off with a steady confidence. It did feel a little like it was back in time. If it weren't for the aliens walking around, Eddie would have almost been convinced they were in a nicer version of Derry altogether.
But they weren't. He's soon biking out of the main part of the city, and out towards a forest. It's not until they're at just about the edge that Eddie dismounts.)
Be careful of any of the springs. They do weird stuff to people's heads, but the creeks should be fine. I think there's one near.
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Like s-s-some kind of illness in the w-water? [There's no telling if the springs are actually dangerous, or if Eddie has decided they are, but for now he takes the other boy's word for truth. He can look into it more someday in the future. For now, Eddie knows more about this place than he does, and Bill trusts him with his life. He steps into the trees fully expecting Eddie to follow. They'll find water together. They just have to not get lost.]
We'll listen for it. [And for anything that might live in the forest, though Bill isn't nearly as worried as he maybe should be. They're together. They'll look out for each other.]
We still have to n-name her.
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that first step
[He pats his pockets down, unfortunately finding that for once his shorts were devoid of any random things he'd stuffed into his pockets.]
I got an idea. Stand back. [Time to hock a loogie down the hole.]
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[Maybe it's the sudden vanishing floor or the near drop experience, but Bill is just a bit stressed by the situation. Nonetheless he leans forward to watch Richie's spit drop into the darkness and waits before following it up with his own.]
Maybe we can use the w-w-wall to get by.
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[He's the most helpful as ever, of course.]
What if the wall falls? Not the be the guy who says they're not digging this plan, but I'm not digging this plan.
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Then h-help me find some rope or a b-b-big stick. [He pulls Richie back from the hole gently, not wanting him to fall in, and starts looking around the rest of the space available to him.]
We'll find out j-just how deep it goes.
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Do you want to go down there?
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[Derry may not be a place with many fond or happy memories, but that bike is his and he treasures it.]
You can s-stay up here and keep hold of the ru-rope. [He needs to get it back, but he isn't going to put Richie in further danger. They got through Neibolt House together, this was just a hole, and hopefully not some monster's lair. It'll be fine. He'll tie some rope to his bike and climb back up and they can pull it up together.]
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Okay. So we're gonna need a big fucking rope.
[Surely this will be okay. The problem is that Richie really isn't that strong, so while he might be able to hold a rope just fine, supporting Bill and Silver might be a problem.]
I can tie it around my waist, and also hold onto it. Do you think that'll be sturdy enough?
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We'll tie it around t-the pole. [Which just leaves that unfortunate little side point of not having any idea where they might find a rope, and Bill, who is intelligent enough not to just jump down into a dark hole without knowing how deep it is, what's in it, or at least having a way out, knows that this plan only works if they do find some.]
Maybe there's another w-way down. We should look for st-stairs, too.
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kaittos
Wood you look at that. That's a pretty kickass boat.
[Sorry for the puns, but it's kinda her thing. She's eating at a bag of her most recent trade, some alien candy that's not as sweet as she wants it to be. But it's better than anything she's had back home, so it's damn good in her opinion.]
Do you think it actually works?
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Sh-she's real wood and it looks p-polished. Sh-should f-float along smoothly if we find a stream.
[He could handle any number of puns good-naturedly. He put up with Richie's terrible jokes and imitations all the time.]
Want to f-find out? [Not so long ago Bill had started to get a hold on his stutter thanks to a speech therapist and exercises. The past year had thrown all of that under a bus and his stutter was, at times, worse than it had been in years.]
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[Ellie forgets all about trading for stuff of her own. Supplies are important but until she gets word that their time here is limited, it can wait. Bill seems like a nice guy, and she's all about playing around and wasting time.
His stutter registers with her but she doesn't show any outward sign of acknowledging it. She's met all kinds of other kids back home. There were stutters and some kids who wouldn't even talk at all.]
Come on, I know the perfect place for it to float.
[She saw it earlier back in the forest. It went on for a while, so they could follow it for hours if they wanted. With a grin she starts to lead the way, motioning for Bill to follow.]
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I haven't done mu-much exploring yet. Just the ci-city. The people seem fr-fr-friendly.
[Far friendlier than most of Derry's residents. It feels almost inviting and colorful compared to the washed out feeling and look of his hometown.]
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[She's not used to adults giving her the time of day, much less being this nice to her. It makes her want to pull away from everyone because she can't trust it. He's okay though, since they look to be about the same age. There's a level of trust there just from that. Kids trust kids unless they're bullies. That's just how it goes.
She hurries out of the market and toward the forest, where they slip through the trees.]
What's your name, anyway? I'm Ellie.
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He keeps up with her easily, at least, used to running or biking around with the other losers. The forest is inviting more than off-putting and he enjoys the sights and sounds of it.]
I-i'm- [His stutter this time is worse, his face burning slightly. A girl asking his name isn't a common occurrence, especially not a cute one. He mentally repeats his mantra, but it doesn't help as much in his head, where the stutter never exists.]
It's Bill. Have you b-been here long, Ellie?
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[Not that anything that eventful has happened, but waking up on a space station far away from everything she's ever known is pretty eventful. She needs to get back to Joel or figure out a way to get him here with her. After she figures that out, she can stop feeling so tense.
She glances back at him as they encounter what looks like it used to be a fence made out of stone. It's too tall to just hop over, so they'll have to do some climbing. She knows that the stream is right on the other side. It's not really that hard of a task so she doesn't hesitate before starting to climb up and over.]
This is my first time on some other planet. What about you?
no subject
He doesn't show any lack of confidence in her ability to do the same, but he's there if she stumbles at all, always looking out for the others of his group, or trying to at least. For now, that's her.]
This is my f-first time outside my hometown. [The Barrens were technically still part of Derry.]
It's very di-di-different from what I'm used t-to. [And that was anything but a bad thing, though he kept feeling like he was forgetting important things. He adds to it as he looks back to the forest] This is more f-familiar.