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.
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.]
(It was a lot. Eddie knew that from experience, and honestly, being out in the woods was a lot less overwhelming. Beyond some strange looking flowers, the foliage was at least similar enough to what they were used to.)
No. It's like a weird magic? (He wiggles his fingers as if that properly explains it. It's fair of Bill to wonder that about Eddie, but for once, Eddie doesn't seem like he's being hysterical about something. He actually seems genuinely concerned.)
Apparently people who drink it? I think? Or touch it- I can't remember- but it makes you forget stuff.
(Don't ask him how, but he just knows that its been a thing.)
There's a lot of weird stuff here. People who can use real magic- not like magicians. Real stuff. This lady I know can make it snow or put fire in her hands from nothing.
(Which is amazing, if not a little scary too. Eddie looks for where they leave their bikes, committing it to memory.
It was easy to be brave with each other. Eddie himself is just as confident. He was always confident when he was with Bill. Or at least much more confident than he would ever be otherwise.)
The boat? (He quickens his pace to walk next to Bill. Their elbows bump, but Eddie doesn't move away. He might be a little clingy for some time. He's missed Bill real bad. It can't be helped.)
She needs a sturdy name. It looks like she could take a beating.
[Bill slows his pace just enough to not make Eddie have to jog to keep up with him, reminding himself they don't actually need to rush. That sense of urgency that keeps flickering at the back of his mind is fading slowly. He listens to the ground crunch and crackle beneath their feet occasionally and watches the path ahead of them, his eyes moving now and then to Eddie and his footing straight as he can manage to keep them from getting lost.]
T-that's crazy.
[He sounds quietly awestruck more than incredulous. The comments make him think of a comic he saw once, with a man covered in fire on the front of it. This sounds, at least, less terrifying, but after the year he has had, magic has lost some of its... well. magic.]
Seems like we're stuck w-with w-weird for a w-w-while. [Alliteration, his greatest foe.]
W-what about Lucy? [For the boat. After a bit of thought, the star character of another frequent show on his parent's old television set. He brushes a branch out of their way, still listening for the babble and trickle of running water.]
(Wait til Bill heard that there were actual heroes here. Hell, wait til he saw some of the technology. 'Crazy' didn't begin to cover it. He is glad that Bill believes him though, that he doesn't doubt it. Then again, how could he? He'd been pulled into a completely different universe after fighting what they had fought.)
Yeah, I think 'weird' might be our new lifestyle.
(Eddie ducks behind Bill as they pass around the branch (Don't poke your eye out, Eddie!) and keeps on his heels. He only walks back around to his side once the path was a little clearer.)
Lucy? (He contemplates the boat in Bill's hand. Really, he didn't care too much what the name was. This felt a lot more like Bill's thing, and especially considering Georgie? Eddie was gonna be accepting any name.)
I think that's great.
(He at least means it. Just then, he could pick up the sound of that telltale babbling. Within only a couple of seconds, they come upon said creek. Eddie instantly moves forward, crouching down in front of the water.)
This should be perfect. Do you want me to stand down a few feet so it doesn't get away?
I'll t-take weird as long as we're together. [He relaxes a little more. The more they focus on this one silly thing, as if they're just two regular kids playing in the woods, the farther away all the chaos, confusion, pain, and fear seems to sink. And the more distant Derry feels.
It comes crashing back when he watches the creek babbling by them, and Eddie's crouched back, his friend replaced with Georgie for a gut-wrenching moment. He winces as he thinks about how well the little boat will float but pushes it back quickly and smiles tight but warmly at Eddie the next time he looks at Bill.]
S-sure, Eddie. Just to where it b-bends. Downstream. [He doesn't want to lose sight of Eddie. He can't. The smaller boy isn't going to be the only one clinging to their little band of losers. He wasn't there when Eddie needed him before, but he would be this time. That time spent trying so hard to get in there and make sure he was okay, and all the while Mrs. Kaspbrak wouldn't even let them see him.]
We'll just t-try her out. If she sails well w-we'll take her to show the others, alright?
(Derry had grown real distant for Eddie real quick. It wasn't that he had wanted to remember Derry either, but when he finally did, he knew that there was no avoiding it. If he wanted to remember his friends, he had to remember it all. There was no picking and choosing.
He'd do anything to keep them here. They were all safer here. Even if it was just them against the world. At least the world wasn't It.
Eddie notices the smile, notices the way it doesn't fit quite right on Bill's face, but he's long past the point of jumping to his feet and asking if he's okay. None of them were all that okay, and asking Bill right now would feel dumb.)
All right, got it.
(Bill feels mutually there. Eddie didn't want to lose sight of him either. It had been hard enough leaving Richie and Stan to their own devices earlier. He jogs down to the bend in the stream, close enough that he could talk just fine to Bill still if he raised his voice.)
Uh-huh. They'd like this place, so even if she sails like shit, we should show them anyway.
(That and it'd just be nice to have them all back together. Eddie squats down, not wanting to get muddy, but wanting to be near enough to the water. He gave Bill a thumbs up.)
[Bill would feel guilty later, when he realizes just how much of Derry is slipping away the longer he is away from it. He can't forget Georgie and doesn't want to, or their friends, or even the hell they went through. But right now the slowly growing distance of those memories just feels like the aftereffects of all the changes around him. This place is more than just weird, but he finds hope and optimism in the knowledge that at least Stan, Richie, and Eddie are there. And Eddie seems safe and in one piece, so he hopes the others are as well.
He sets the little boat gently down into the creek, studying the currents for a moment before releasing her.]
Away she goes on her m-maiden voyage. [And away she did go, gliding along the gentle current, following the flow of the stream and pulling ever further away from Bill on her way toward Eddie. She was fast. Bill's smile is genuine for a moment, and then it fades as he stares off after the little boat, eyes just slightly out of focus until there were two of her instead of one, and then she was a little paper boat.
She was too fast.
He jumps to his feet without thinking and sprints down the stream to Eddie, nearly tripping in his hurry and crashing down with a slight splash on the edge of the stream close to Eddie, narrowly avoiding splashing him. He grabs the boat and Eddie's hand, pulling him up out of his squat.
He didn't feel like sailing ships anymore.]
C-Come on Eddie, let's go f-find the others. [He at least manages to keep most of the urgency out of his voice as he turns to head back the way they came. What was he thinking, playing games at a time like this? They need to get everyone back together. Together they were safe, they were strong. He wouldn't have to worry about them so much if he knew where they all were.
They could come back together, and maybe then he wouldn't see Georgie's face staring up at him from beneath the water.]
(There was a reflection of that concern back at Eddie's living quarters on the ship. Forgetting everything had been scary enough for Eddie that he had taken measures to ensure he wouldn't forget again. It wasn't like he wanted to remember all of those horrible things, but he felt like forgetting them was worse somehow.
The boat coasts smoothly along, riding the current at a steady pace. Eddie raises a skinny arm, leaning forward and trying to figure when he ought to reach out and grab it. It was ironic in a bitter way that neither Bill nor Eddie would know until it was too late, Eddie at the end of the line waiting for a boat that would be lost to him, his arm stretched out and prepared.
Bleeding out like that...Getting your arm torn clean off-
What an awful way to go. Being left down in the sewers like all those other kids. It might not be his little brother, but Eddie is grounded to his spot by the river, feeling an immense pressure building in his chest that felt something like fear.
Then there was a splash snapping him out of it, and Eddie gave a small shriek of alarm. Was it because he almost got dirty? Or had Bill just startled him badly enough? He doesn't have time to figure out which one it was, being pulled up to his feet and away from the river. His feet slide clumsily under him, and Eddie grabs onto Bill's arm with both of his hands, pulling close.)
What the hell, Bill. (But Eddie doesn't sound too mad. Mostly, he just sounds a little disoriented. He doesn't let go, instead walking close to Bill. Most of him just felt uneasy, scared stupid, but another part of him distantly realized what had happened. He wasn't the best at comforting, but he'd at least try and do what he could for Bill.)
They should have the device things on them. I could try and call them.
Th-that's a good idea, Eddie. You d-do that and we'll all g-go f-find s-something t-t-to eat. [Bill breathes unsteadily for a few minutes, but it doesn't take him long to pull himself back together. His stutter is unfortunately an annoying giveaway for his weak moments, but he trusts that Eddie won't make anything more of it than the Losers ever made of each other.
He would keep them safe. Losing Georgie hurt, and that hurt had been made fresh again all too recently, but he wouldn't lose Eddie. He'd keep Eddie safe. He'd be there for all of them as often and as strongly as he could be.
It wasn't here to torment and injure them. It couldn't hurt them anymore. The creek was only a creek, and the boat was just a toy boat. It didn't mean anything. But seeing Eddie at the other end of the creek, waiting for the boat, imagining him reaching out for it only to be taken from him- Bill isn't sure Lucy will be sailing again any time soon. He tucks the little wooden toy away again and gently loosens his grip on Eddie, not fully letting go but keeping his eye on the trees ahead of them, his breathing steady again.]
(Eddie being nervous was one thing, but seeing Big Bill unsteady was a hell of another. It made Eddie's anxiety spike off the chart, mostly because if Bill was scared, that somehow made all the terrors in the universe seem ten times bigger than they actually were. But no, Eddie wouldn't make anything of it beyond squeezing Bill's arm just a little tighter.
But he lets go because Bill lets go. Eddie's fingers curl open and close absently. He digs his hand into his pocket it, plunging it into something acquired recently. A red scarf, shoved inside where it could be kept safe. His fingers knot in the fabric, and it's a lot more subtle of a way to calm himself down than an inhaler.
His other hand pulls out the device that, to Eddie, was still quite strange.)
It's okay. I just wasn't expecting it is all. I wasn't that scared.
(He was, but he doubted that Bill would call him out on it. They had a lot to be scared about. It might not be here, but after some of the things Eddie has come to understand about this world, thinking that It would never show up was naive.
Eddie walks behind Bill, watching his back as he went, and after a moment, phoned Richie first. His voice is soft, carrying through the trees. There's a bit of familiar back-and-forth as Eddie whines at Richie loudly, only calming down a couple seconds later. Then he calls Stan up. A much calmer conversation. Once he's finished, he walks up next to Bill and smiles.)
Okay. We're set. Hey- I need to show you my new home away from home. It's just me there, no adults, which is pretty cool. But there's room for all of us- well. If we share rooms, anyway.
[Bill is quiet while Eddie talks with the others, reassured by the presence of his voice that he hasn't lost the other boy. When the calls are done and Eddie is back beside him, Bill throws his arm around the smaller boy's shoulders and walks along with him that way.]
I think that's a swell idea, Eddie. We should all stick together. [And really, Richie and Bill were already accustomed to taking care of themselves without adults, anyway.]
And you've been holding up on your own so far, that can't have been easy. [A month is a long time to be alone in a strange place, for any of them, let alone for Eddie.]
(Eddie was not so accustomed. Even now, he had several adults that looked after him. Ones that cooked him meals since Eddie still hadn't gotten the hang of it yet. He was used to Sonia Kaspbrak's care, which was a whole other breed of 'adult supervision' than anything else Eddie had experienced, but all the same, he had spent years of his life not able to deny that his mother loved him dearly. That she took real good care of him.
After recovering his memories, Eddie wasn't so sure how right all that was. The weight of Bill's arm is comforting, and Eddie walks in perfect sync with him, not struggling at all under its pressure.
He looks up at Bill, feeling undeserving completely of the praise. He had been holding up okay, he wants to say, but at the same time, he feels a swell of rarely-felt pride beating its way into his chest. For Bill to compliment him...)
Awh, shucks, it really hasn't been that hard. A lot of people here care about how I'm doing.
(His face is a little red, and really, none of that touches how he dealt with...far more personal things. Things that he didn't know what to do with when his friends weren't around. But he doesn't want Bill to worry, so he doesn't mention them now.)
I mostly just missed you all. I really-. (His voice chokes out and he feels embarrassed by his own sudden rise of emotions.)
It's stupid. A month isn't even that long, but it felt a lot...more.
[Bill stops just before they reach their bikes and turns, wrapping his arms around Eddie. He can only imagine how it must have felt, showing up in this strange place where so little makes sense or feels familiar, alone and confused after everything they went through. Time is confusing, but of everything, the gap of a month when it had only been a day for Bill is something he readily accepts. Just another strange thing in a long year of terrifying and confusing things they had had to survive and get through together.
But imagining Eddie alone here, having to figure everything out on his own while still dealing with the after effects of everything they went through- memories that felt far more distant already than they had any right to and were difficult to grasp but emotions he remembers all too vividly- he can understand the emotion strangling Eddie's words just fine.]
It's not stupid, and we're here now. We'll stick together and we'll look out for each other. I won't let us get separated again. [He doesn't stutter, but he doesn't notice either. He just knows that Eddie, Richie and Stan are here, that Eddie needs them, and they need each other, and that whatever happened to take Eddie away from them before, Bill isn't letting it happen again. He'll keep the other losers close.]
A month can feel like forever wh-when you f-feel like you're alone. [He knows. The months after Georgie died had dragged so painfully slow, even when the others were around, but when they weren't, the minutes felt like hours, and the nights felt like weeks.
(Regardless of trying to hide his feelings or not, Eddie is far too weak-willed when it came to his friends, and he instantly hugs Bill back. It might sound stupid, but he needed this. Bill in particular. Bill had never once made Eddie feel like a moron, had never made him feel like the sissy that everyone else made him out to be. When Bill put it that way, Eddie didn't feel so bad about being such a baby about missing all his friends. His grip is iron-clad just then, and there's no way that he is letting Bill go if he can help it either. Nor the others. Eddie would fight that with all of his fury, kicking and screaming the entire way through.
He does eventually let go of Bill, leaning back to look up at him. His eyes had gotten wetter, the tip of his nose red, and he gives a small sniff. He blinks his eyes hard, and it helps a little to keep his eyes from leaking all over the place.)
I won't let us get separated again either. I want you guys to stay here with me.
(Not go back home. It was a no-brainer that this place, even with its strangeness, was safer and better than Derry ever had been or would be. He just hoped that the others would eventually find their way here too.)
...It can. (He'll admit that much. He'll admit that living completely alone hadn't been a great idea, but now that they were here, those hours spent hyper aware of the silence around him had been worth it. Soon, there wouldn't be silence in that suite. Soon there'd be the stuttering sound of Bill's voice, Richie's loud, stupid jokes, and Stan's smooth cutting remarks. He has to laugh, hugging Bill all over again.)
Jesus. I'm so glad you're all here.
(Finally Eddie steps back entirely, rubbing at his eyes.)
I'm gonna have to show you guys around. Introduce you to some people. It'll be fun.
That s-sounds great, Eddie. [Bill meant it, and though he felt a fierce need to protect his friends these days, he knows they have all relied on each other, especially these last few months.]
This p-place is b-beautiful. [It's good to hear Eddie laugh, especially after It, and the sewers, and before that Eddie's arm- Bowers. Bill almost forgot. How could he have? His face screws up slightly again and he looks over at Eddie.]
Ho-how's your arm? [Bill glances over at him, picking his bike back up.]
(The question is unexpected. When Eddie had come to this place, he had come in healed. It was weird and wild, and to this day he still kept touching his arm to see if it was really fixed. But it was. For the most part, anyway. He wiggles his fingers and holds his arm out, looking down at it.)
It's okay. It hurts sometimes, but it seems like they healed it all right when I got here. They have some kooky technology here, that's for sure.
That's unreal. [He can't even really make sense of it fully, but the important part is that Eddie is okay. It does do something to endear this place more to Bill, though. They took care of Eddie, they couldn't be too bad.]
It's like w-we've become characters in The T-t-time Machine. W-what else can they do?
That's what I thought! (Eddie says this with a sort of wild, boyish delight. A lot of the stuff here was like it was straight out of the sci-fi novels or even the comic books.)
Well, clearly, for one they can pull people from all over. I've met giiiiant lady soldiers who can do magic, one of my best buds here is a literal skeleton- coolest guy ever, by the way.
(Eddie's gushing a bit, but that was nothing in comparison to when he first got here and still had his memories. Sans had asked about his friends and Eddie had positively lit up at the excuse to talk about them. After all, Sonia had never wanted to hear anything about any of them.)
The food is a little weird. But it's mostly good. I can't really figure out all the stuff they're doing, honestly. Most of it's way above my pay grade.
(He normally would feel dumb about that, but he was from the 1950s where color TV was only just making its debut. No one could expect him to understand all this.)
[Bill just imagines a really tall woman despite Eddie's exaggerated giant comment, but the skeleton comment is harder to rationalize away. He stares a little wide-eyed with awe and a small amount of excitement as Eddie talks, taking it easy atop his bike.]
I know it's above m-mine, t-too. I'm still trying to m-make sense of most of what I've heard or s-seen here. [Space, for instance. And the devices that weren't phones. And the aliens. Bill would have been flattered to know Eddie gushed about them. His friends are his family, and they mean much more to him than his spoken words could ever convey.]
I'm glad they p-patched you up. [Someday in the future they would have to talk about the food. Bill wanted to hear more, but right now, there's a sense of urgency at the back of his mind again whispering find them. He kicks his bike forward and lets it roll in a half circle, letting Eddie take the lead.]
(Bill ought to prepare himself for a lot of Eddie's soft ramblings, though they were important ramblings all the same. He turns off, leading the way towards his place- or now, he affectionately thinks, their place. They were all better off on their own than with their parents, and for the first time, when Eddie thinks the word 'home', he doesn't think of chains and a building discomfort in the center of his chest. He thinks Richie's stupid glasses, Bill's soft stutter, and Stan's neatness. At least, he was allowing himself to think of it that way.)
I found a room when I got here. I was gonna stay with this one girl- Laura, she's really cool! Could kick any guy's ass- but then there was no room, so I stayed down the hall so she and her daddy could keep an eye on me.
(He takes a short breath.)
Anyway, I found a space that we should all fit in. But um- we'll have to share rooms. I figured I'd share a room with Richie because uh- well, you know.
(He gives a small, bony shrug, and he doesn't really know what to say more than that. Bill was his best bud, no doubt, but Bill was like the older brother he had never had. He was the most positive male role model Eddie had his entire life, and he loved Bill endlessly and recklessly.
But then Richie was- Richie was different, but that was a given. He doesn't have to explain that to Bill. But still, he doesn't want to say much of it, because he doesn't want to hurt Bill's feelings and make him think he didn't love him as much as Richie, Richie who was his best friend too- but sort of more of a best friend. It was just a different kind of thing, but he's fairly certain Bill understands without needing to be told. Bill understood everything.)
I figured Richie would drive you or Stan crazy anyway. And uh- so there's like, communal bathroom stuff which is a little weird but it's not so bad once you get used to it. I got flip flops though for the showers- which you should too. Foot fungus is really contagious.
(They're approaching the station, and the hall that Eddie lives in. He stops just outside and slips off his bike, gently leaning it against the wall. Suddenly he looks a little nervous.)
Hey, Bill. (He pauses, hovering there awkwardly.)
I...It's kind of. Never mind. Um. Are you ready to see it?
[Bill pedals his old rusty bike just to the side and back of Eddie's and just listens for a while, letting Eddie ramble. His soft voice and words a comfort in such a strange place. And Bill is just happy to see Eddie well, happier than he has seen him in some time when he gets on the right topic, and there with him. For now, they are together and safe and he wants to keep it that way.]
It's the better s-setup. We'll all be fine sh-sharing rooms. [They're used to spending a lot of time together, and Bill does understand. He understands, and in his mind it's the better arrangement, though he's sure there will be times he has to step in between the two of them. He and Stan were the better pair to share a room than Stan and anyone else, and no one but Eddie could stand Richie's constant Richie without eventually needing to shove a sock in his mouth.
Eddie made a loud fuss, but the two of them were so close, no one could deny that. Well, except maybe Sonia.
Bill smiles as he listens to Eddie ramble on, and it only falters when he hears the uncertainty in Eddie's voice. He leans his bike beside Eddie's and follows him, his hand going out at the sound of Eddie's voice to give his shoulder another gentle squeeze. Whatever it is, it will be fine. They will be fine.]
(Dealing with Richie Tozier was Eddie Kaspbrak's one genuine talent, if he had any at all. Eddie making a fuss was half of how he dealt with it. Richie would be an absolute menace if Eddie didn't make a fuss (though in some ways, he would also probably be more tolerable too if Eddie didn't react so Goddamn much). Eddie is satisfied with Bill's response, smiling a little bit, because see? Bill got it.
That smile doesn't last very long. He had been nervous about Richie seeing the evidence of Eddie being left to his own devices, and he was just as nervous about Bill seeing it. It was a different kind of nervous, though. He didn't want Bill to worry about him, and he knew how it looked, really, he did. At the time it had seemed like a good idea, but at a glance, Eddie felt like he looked crazy. He knew he was crazy, at least a little bit, and that was still something he was struggling to deal with. But Bill had already gone through so much. The last thing he needed to worry about was Eddie.
The hand on his shoulder is reassuring, but only just enough to get Eddie to open the door. It was just about the same as when he had shown Richie, only his medicine bottles had, at some point, been knocked over.
Eddie steps aside so that Bill could go in first. Maybe, Eddie thought with that stupid soft childish hope, if he swelled up big enough, he could hide all of it. He'd paint over it if he wasn't still paranoid about forgetting everything. He shuts the door behind him, his eyes on the floor.)
I'll..I can show you where we're staying. Then you can pick wherever you want to stay. (Eddie's voice is faint, shaking around the edges. He had told Richie not to say anything, but he could never tell Bill that. Not when Bill's little brother was on that door. It didn't matter if it made Eddie anxious to think about Bill upset; it would be worse to take that agency from him.)
[Bill is quiet for a while. He steps past Eddie into the room without a word, and moves straight to the writing, standing before it, his eyes tracing each letter and his fingers ghosting just above each word and name.
He stops occasionally, first at the reminder meant for Eddie himself, then at the promise, and finally at the list of their names. With calm fingers and steady limbs he crouches and rests his hand besides Georgie's name. When his eyes reach IT he stands back up and turns to Eddie, moving over and pulling the smaller boy back into his arms in a tight hug.]
As long as we're all t-together, Eddie, I don't care w-where I stay.
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thisavrou_ooc2017-11-17 07:40 pm
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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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No. It's like a weird magic? (He wiggles his fingers as if that properly explains it. It's fair of Bill to wonder that about Eddie, but for once, Eddie doesn't seem like he's being hysterical about something. He actually seems genuinely concerned.)
Apparently people who drink it? I think? Or touch it- I can't remember- but it makes you forget stuff.
(Don't ask him how, but he just knows that its been a thing.)
There's a lot of weird stuff here. People who can use real magic- not like magicians. Real stuff. This lady I know can make it snow or put fire in her hands from nothing.
(Which is amazing, if not a little scary too. Eddie looks for where they leave their bikes, committing it to memory.
It was easy to be brave with each other. Eddie himself is just as confident. He was always confident when he was with Bill. Or at least much more confident than he would ever be otherwise.)
The boat? (He quickens his pace to walk next to Bill. Their elbows bump, but Eddie doesn't move away. He might be a little clingy for some time. He's missed Bill real bad. It can't be helped.)
She needs a sturdy name. It looks like she could take a beating.
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T-that's crazy.
[He sounds quietly awestruck more than incredulous. The comments make him think of a comic he saw once, with a man covered in fire on the front of it. This sounds, at least, less terrifying, but after the year he has had, magic has lost some of its... well. magic.]
Seems like we're stuck w-with w-weird for a w-w-while. [Alliteration, his greatest foe.]
W-what about Lucy? [For the boat. After a bit of thought, the star character of another frequent show on his parent's old television set. He brushes a branch out of their way, still listening for the babble and trickle of running water.]
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Yeah, I think 'weird' might be our new lifestyle.
(Eddie ducks behind Bill as they pass around the branch (Don't poke your eye out, Eddie!) and keeps on his heels. He only walks back around to his side once the path was a little clearer.)
Lucy? (He contemplates the boat in Bill's hand. Really, he didn't care too much what the name was. This felt a lot more like Bill's thing, and especially considering Georgie? Eddie was gonna be accepting any name.)
I think that's great.
(He at least means it. Just then, he could pick up the sound of that telltale babbling. Within only a couple of seconds, they come upon said creek. Eddie instantly moves forward, crouching down in front of the water.)
This should be perfect. Do you want me to stand down a few feet so it doesn't get away?
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It comes crashing back when he watches the creek babbling by them, and Eddie's crouched back, his friend replaced with Georgie for a gut-wrenching moment. He winces as he thinks about how well the little boat will float but pushes it back quickly and smiles tight but warmly at Eddie the next time he looks at Bill.]
S-sure, Eddie. Just to where it b-bends. Downstream. [He doesn't want to lose sight of Eddie. He can't. The smaller boy isn't going to be the only one clinging to their little band of losers. He wasn't there when Eddie needed him before, but he would be this time. That time spent trying so hard to get in there and make sure he was okay, and all the while Mrs. Kaspbrak wouldn't even let them see him.]
We'll just t-try her out. If she sails well w-we'll take her to show the others, alright?
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He'd do anything to keep them here. They were all safer here. Even if it was just them against the world. At least the world wasn't It.
Eddie notices the smile, notices the way it doesn't fit quite right on Bill's face, but he's long past the point of jumping to his feet and asking if he's okay. None of them were all that okay, and asking Bill right now would feel dumb.)
All right, got it.
(Bill feels mutually there. Eddie didn't want to lose sight of him either. It had been hard enough leaving Richie and Stan to their own devices earlier. He jogs down to the bend in the stream, close enough that he could talk just fine to Bill still if he raised his voice.)
Uh-huh. They'd like this place, so even if she sails like shit, we should show them anyway.
(That and it'd just be nice to have them all back together. Eddie squats down, not wanting to get muddy, but wanting to be near enough to the water. He gave Bill a thumbs up.)
Ready, Captain. Send Lucy off.
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He sets the little boat gently down into the creek, studying the currents for a moment before releasing her.]
Away she goes on her m-maiden voyage. [And away she did go, gliding along the gentle current, following the flow of the stream and pulling ever further away from Bill on her way toward Eddie. She was fast. Bill's smile is genuine for a moment,
and then it fades as he stares off after the little boat, eyes just slightly out of focus until there were two of her instead of one, and then she was a little paper boat.
She was too fast.
He jumps to his feet without thinking and sprints down the stream to Eddie, nearly tripping in his hurry and crashing down with a slight splash on the edge of the stream close to Eddie, narrowly avoiding splashing him. He grabs the boat and Eddie's hand, pulling him up out of his squat.
He didn't feel like sailing ships anymore.]
C-Come on Eddie, let's go f-find the others. [He at least manages to keep most of the urgency out of his voice as he turns to head back the way they came. What was he thinking, playing games at a time like this? They need to get everyone back together. Together they were safe, they were strong. He wouldn't have to worry about them so much if he knew where they all were.
They could come back together, and maybe then he wouldn't see Georgie's face staring up at him from beneath the water.]
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The boat coasts smoothly along, riding the current at a steady pace. Eddie raises a skinny arm, leaning forward and trying to figure when he ought to reach out and grab it. It was ironic in a bitter way that neither Bill nor Eddie would know until it was too late, Eddie at the end of the line waiting for a boat that would be lost to him, his arm stretched out and prepared.
Bleeding out like that...Getting your arm torn clean off-
What an awful way to go. Being left down in the sewers like all those other kids. It might not be his little brother, but Eddie is grounded to his spot by the river, feeling an immense pressure building in his chest that felt something like fear.
Then there was a splash snapping him out of it, and Eddie gave a small shriek of alarm. Was it because he almost got dirty? Or had Bill just startled him badly enough? He doesn't have time to figure out which one it was, being pulled up to his feet and away from the river. His feet slide clumsily under him, and Eddie grabs onto Bill's arm with both of his hands, pulling close.)
What the hell, Bill. (But Eddie doesn't sound too mad. Mostly, he just sounds a little disoriented. He doesn't let go, instead walking close to Bill. Most of him just felt uneasy, scared stupid, but another part of him distantly realized what had happened. He wasn't the best at comforting, but he'd at least try and do what he could for Bill.)
They should have the device things on them. I could try and call them.
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He would keep them safe. Losing Georgie hurt, and that hurt had been made fresh again all too recently, but he wouldn't lose Eddie. He'd keep Eddie safe. He'd be there for all of them as often and as strongly as he could be.
It wasn't here to torment and injure them. It couldn't hurt them anymore. The creek was only a creek, and the boat was just a toy boat. It didn't mean anything. But seeing Eddie at the other end of the creek, waiting for the boat, imagining him reaching out for it only to be taken from him- Bill isn't sure Lucy will be sailing again any time soon. He tucks the little wooden toy away again and gently loosens his grip on Eddie, not fully letting go but keeping his eye on the trees ahead of them, his breathing steady again.]
Sorry, Eddie. I didn't mean to st-startle you.
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But he lets go because Bill lets go. Eddie's fingers curl open and close absently. He digs his hand into his pocket it, plunging it into something acquired recently. A red scarf, shoved inside where it could be kept safe. His fingers knot in the fabric, and it's a lot more subtle of a way to calm himself down than an inhaler.
His other hand pulls out the device that, to Eddie, was still quite strange.)
It's okay. I just wasn't expecting it is all. I wasn't that scared.
(He was, but he doubted that Bill would call him out on it. They had a lot to be scared about. It might not be here, but after some of the things Eddie has come to understand about this world, thinking that It would never show up was naive.
Eddie walks behind Bill, watching his back as he went, and after a moment, phoned Richie first. His voice is soft, carrying through the trees. There's a bit of familiar back-and-forth as Eddie whines at Richie loudly, only calming down a couple seconds later. Then he calls Stan up. A much calmer conversation. Once he's finished, he walks up next to Bill and smiles.)
Okay. We're set. Hey- I need to show you my new home away from home. It's just me there, no adults, which is pretty cool. But there's room for all of us- well. If we share rooms, anyway.
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I think that's a swell idea, Eddie. We should all stick together. [And really, Richie and Bill were already accustomed to taking care of themselves without adults, anyway.]
And you've been holding up on your own so far, that can't have been easy. [A month is a long time to be alone in a strange place, for any of them, let alone for Eddie.]
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After recovering his memories, Eddie wasn't so sure how right all that was. The weight of Bill's arm is comforting, and Eddie walks in perfect sync with him, not struggling at all under its pressure.
He looks up at Bill, feeling undeserving completely of the praise. He had been holding up okay, he wants to say, but at the same time, he feels a swell of rarely-felt pride beating its way into his chest. For Bill to compliment him...)
Awh, shucks, it really hasn't been that hard. A lot of people here care about how I'm doing.
(His face is a little red, and really, none of that touches how he dealt with...far more personal things. Things that he didn't know what to do with when his friends weren't around. But he doesn't want Bill to worry, so he doesn't mention them now.)
I mostly just missed you all. I really-. (His voice chokes out and he feels embarrassed by his own sudden rise of emotions.)
It's stupid. A month isn't even that long, but it felt a lot...more.
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But imagining Eddie alone here, having to figure everything out on his own while still dealing with the after effects of everything they went through- memories that felt far more distant already than they had any right to and were difficult to grasp but emotions he remembers all too vividly- he can understand the emotion strangling Eddie's words just fine.]
It's not stupid, and we're here now. We'll stick together and we'll look out for each other. I won't let us get separated again. [He doesn't stutter, but he doesn't notice either. He just knows that Eddie, Richie and Stan are here, that Eddie needs them, and they need each other, and that whatever happened to take Eddie away from them before, Bill isn't letting it happen again. He'll keep the other losers close.]
A month can feel like forever wh-when you f-feel like you're alone. [He knows. The months after Georgie died had dragged so painfully slow, even when the others were around, but when they weren't, the minutes felt like hours, and the nights felt like weeks.
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He does eventually let go of Bill, leaning back to look up at him. His eyes had gotten wetter, the tip of his nose red, and he gives a small sniff. He blinks his eyes hard, and it helps a little to keep his eyes from leaking all over the place.)
I won't let us get separated again either. I want you guys to stay here with me.
(Not go back home. It was a no-brainer that this place, even with its strangeness, was safer and better than Derry ever had been or would be. He just hoped that the others would eventually find their way here too.)
...It can. (He'll admit that much. He'll admit that living completely alone hadn't been a great idea, but now that they were here, those hours spent hyper aware of the silence around him had been worth it. Soon, there wouldn't be silence in that suite. Soon there'd be the stuttering sound of Bill's voice, Richie's loud, stupid jokes, and Stan's smooth cutting remarks. He has to laugh, hugging Bill all over again.)
Jesus. I'm so glad you're all here.
(Finally Eddie steps back entirely, rubbing at his eyes.)
I'm gonna have to show you guys around. Introduce you to some people. It'll be fun.
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This p-place is b-beautiful. [It's good to hear Eddie laugh, especially after It, and the sewers, and before that Eddie's arm- Bowers. Bill almost forgot. How could he have? His face screws up slightly again and he looks over at Eddie.]
Ho-how's your arm? [Bill glances over at him, picking his bike back up.]
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(The question is unexpected. When Eddie had come to this place, he had come in healed. It was weird and wild, and to this day he still kept touching his arm to see if it was really fixed. But it was. For the most part, anyway. He wiggles his fingers and holds his arm out, looking down at it.)
It's okay. It hurts sometimes, but it seems like they healed it all right when I got here. They have some kooky technology here, that's for sure.
(He gets onto his own bike, rocking into place.)
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It's like w-we've become characters in The T-t-time Machine. W-what else can they do?
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Well, clearly, for one they can pull people from all over. I've met giiiiant lady soldiers who can do magic, one of my best buds here is a literal skeleton- coolest guy ever, by the way.
(Eddie's gushing a bit, but that was nothing in comparison to when he first got here and still had his memories. Sans had asked about his friends and Eddie had positively lit up at the excuse to talk about them. After all, Sonia had never wanted to hear anything about any of them.)
The food is a little weird. But it's mostly good. I can't really figure out all the stuff they're doing, honestly. Most of it's way above my pay grade.
(He normally would feel dumb about that, but he was from the 1950s where color TV was only just making its debut. No one could expect him to understand all this.)
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I know it's above m-mine, t-too. I'm still trying to m-make sense of most of what I've heard or s-seen here. [Space, for instance. And the devices that weren't phones. And the aliens. Bill would have been flattered to know Eddie gushed about them. His friends are his family, and they mean much more to him than his spoken words could ever convey.]
I'm glad they p-patched you up. [Someday in the future they would have to talk about the food. Bill wanted to hear more, but right now, there's a sense of urgency at the back of his mind again whispering find them. He kicks his bike forward and lets it roll in a half circle, letting Eddie take the lead.]
Let's go s-see your place.
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I found a room when I got here. I was gonna stay with this one girl- Laura, she's really cool! Could kick any guy's ass- but then there was no room, so I stayed down the hall so she and her daddy could keep an eye on me.
(He takes a short breath.)
Anyway, I found a space that we should all fit in. But um- we'll have to share rooms. I figured I'd share a room with Richie because uh- well, you know.
(He gives a small, bony shrug, and he doesn't really know what to say more than that. Bill was his best bud, no doubt, but Bill was like the older brother he had never had. He was the most positive male role model Eddie had his entire life, and he loved Bill endlessly and recklessly.
But then Richie was- Richie was different, but that was a given. He doesn't have to explain that to Bill. But still, he doesn't want to say much of it, because he doesn't want to hurt Bill's feelings and make him think he didn't love him as much as Richie, Richie who was his best friend too- but sort of more of a best friend. It was just a different kind of thing, but he's fairly certain Bill understands without needing to be told. Bill understood everything.)
I figured Richie would drive you or Stan crazy anyway. And uh- so there's like, communal bathroom stuff which is a little weird but it's not so bad once you get used to it. I got flip flops though for the showers- which you should too. Foot fungus is really contagious.
(They're approaching the station, and the hall that Eddie lives in. He stops just outside and slips off his bike, gently leaning it against the wall. Suddenly he looks a little nervous.)
Hey, Bill. (He pauses, hovering there awkwardly.)
I...It's kind of. Never mind. Um. Are you ready to see it?
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It's the better s-setup. We'll all be fine sh-sharing rooms. [They're used to spending a lot of time together, and Bill does understand. He understands, and in his mind it's the better arrangement, though he's sure there will be times he has to step in between the two of them. He and Stan were the better pair to share a room than Stan and anyone else, and no one but Eddie could stand Richie's constant Richie without eventually needing to shove a sock in his mouth.
Eddie made a loud fuss, but the two of them were so close, no one could deny that. Well, except maybe Sonia.
Bill smiles as he listens to Eddie ramble on, and it only falters when he hears the uncertainty in Eddie's voice. He leans his bike beside Eddie's and follows him, his hand going out at the sound of Eddie's voice to give his shoulder another gentle squeeze. Whatever it is, it will be fine. They will be fine.]
I'm ready.
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That smile doesn't last very long. He had been nervous about Richie seeing the evidence of Eddie being left to his own devices, and he was just as nervous about Bill seeing it. It was a different kind of nervous, though. He didn't want Bill to worry about him, and he knew how it looked, really, he did. At the time it had seemed like a good idea, but at a glance, Eddie felt like he looked crazy. He knew he was crazy, at least a little bit, and that was still something he was struggling to deal with. But Bill had already gone through so much. The last thing he needed to worry about was Eddie.
The hand on his shoulder is reassuring, but only just enough to get Eddie to open the door. It was just about the same as when he had shown Richie, only his medicine bottles had, at some point, been knocked over.
Eddie steps aside so that Bill could go in first. Maybe, Eddie thought with that stupid soft childish hope, if he swelled up big enough, he could hide all of it. He'd paint over it if he wasn't still paranoid about forgetting everything. He shuts the door behind him, his eyes on the floor.)
I'll..I can show you where we're staying. Then you can pick wherever you want to stay. (Eddie's voice is faint, shaking around the edges. He had told Richie not to say anything, but he could never tell Bill that. Not when Bill's little brother was on that door. It didn't matter if it made Eddie anxious to think about Bill upset; it would be worse to take that agency from him.)
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He stops occasionally, first at the reminder meant for Eddie himself, then at the promise, and finally at the list of their names. With calm fingers and steady limbs he crouches and rests his hand besides Georgie's name. When his eyes reach IT he stands back up and turns to Eddie, moving over and pulling the smaller boy back into his arms in a tight hug.]
As long as we're all t-together, Eddie, I don't care w-where I stay.
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