video 02 | Alzheimer's Disease | Introducing the Losers

[clussy]

(It felt a little bit like a blessing. After losing his memories, getting them back, and going through that alone, Eddie had damn near broken himself down with how badly he had missed his friends. But then they showed up. Not all of them, but the three boys he had been the closest to for the longest, the kind of childhood friends that started out in the single digits. Eddie Kaspbrak was happy. Maybe not perfectly, but for the time being, they were each other's perfect distractions and it was good to have them around.

On top of that, Eddie wanted them to know everything about this place. Including, most importantly, the people who lived there. He could have dragged them from place to place to introduce them to everyone he has come to know and care about, but then he remembered how the device worked and realized how much faster it'd be if he just sent out a video introduction.

So here he was, turning on the video feed and smiling into the camera. Anyone who had seen him lately would have noticed the kid was a bit off, but not here. He might still have bags under his eyes, but there was a brightness in him that hadn't been present in nearly an entire month.)

Hi! It's Eddie. So I know I told some of you about my friends a little bit? And guess what! They're here. Not all of them, but my best buds are- like. Childhood best friends.

(Can you feel his excitement? Eddie is practically vibrating. He's sitting in his room currently, and all it takes is him removing the device entirely from his wrist and turning it around to show Richie Tozier sitting on the floor.)

This is Richie Tozier. He's probably like, my best best friend. You might also notice he has some striking similarities to a trash can.

(He whips the video back around and grimaces a little. Richie was already speaking up with 'Whatever, eds, it's trashcan, not trashcannot.' The quib comes as Eddie's already turned the camera away, and Richie doesn't bother waiting for Eddie to stop talking. Them talking over each other is nothing new, though. Eddie doesn't even hesitate before plunging on.)

Really though, I have to apologize on his behalf for anything stupid he says. And trust me, most of what he says is really stupid.

(And Eddie's up and rushing out of the room, jogging down the hall before bursting into the nearby room that Bill and Stan were sharing. The camera gets whipped around and focuses on Stan. Not looking so amused at the intrusion.)

This is Stan! He's um- the man with the plan, you know?

(Then just like that, he's pulling out of the room, and heading into the main area.

The video doesn't focus on it, but as Eddie slides it across the room, people might notice that the door heading out of their unit is covered in several words painted in black. A large Derry painted over the door, a long list of names down the back of the door, including the Losers' names themselves. And of course, the ominously crookedly written It at the bottom of the door. On the wall beside the door are other words, some sketches, one that almost even looks like a map of something with 'sewers' written over the top of it. But it's a brief passing, something that slides in and out of perspective like a passing thought.

Then Eddie's focusing on a new boy and zooms in on Bill Denbrough's face.)

And this is Bill. He's practically my brother. He is arguably the coolest of us all.

(At first, Bill looks rather grave for his age, waving at the camera for his introduction. But then Richie has to go and jump at Eddie's back, grabbing at one of his cheeks which automatically has Eddie shrieking on the other side of the camera, and at that, Bill starts to laugh. Richie's voice filters through, indistinguishable (probably) insults not easily heard between Bill's laughing and Eddie's whining.

Eddie barely gets the camera back around, his face flushed, and he gives a long exasperated sound. Richie's hand can be seen coming out and grabbing at Eddie's cheek. Again.)

So that's- oh my God, stop- my best friends. So say hi. As for us? Well...We got some uh- stuff to do.

(Is that a small pile of what looks like Kaittan fireworks in the background? Oh boy. Let's just hope those are actually just strange looking sticks.)

OOC | It's completely up to you how you want to interact with this! Feel free to talk to Eddie directly, or make a post directed to all the Losers that they can respond to via separate threads. It's a free for all sort of thing so do whatever.

Comments

video;

[clussy]

(If you listen hard enough, you could hear the fear of God being put into Eddie Kaspbrak. Charles was a kind adult, yes, but he was very much an Adult in Eddie's eyes. Which gave him this kind of authoritative feel that made it seem like Charles could snap his fingers and just like that- Eddie was punished somehow. He doesn't know how, but it's enough to have him looking nervously at the camera.)

....We're not gonna get into trouble.

(He promises this in a very small, very sweet voice, the kind that he uses with his mother when apologizing to her. And he'd really try his best not to...But well.

Kids be kids.)

[welcomeprofessor]

[ It's not really the reaction he expects. An excuse, certainly. He's practically a professional foster parent, he's heard his fair share of them (and he knows what kids get up to in groups).

But he's...also a professional foster parent of the persecuted and abused, and there's something very familiar about the look Eddie gives him that stills him almost entirely. It isn't quite the same, but it's similar to the anxiety he sees anytime Jean's father is mentioned in passing. And that's twice as worrying as anything a few boys could get up to on their own.

Usually.

There's a pause and then a concerned sort of small smile on his end of the feed. ]

Just...please exercise some caution with this trouble you're not getting into?

[ He's going to end up responsible for whatever happens here, isn't he? It's an exhausting thing to even think about, and yet... ]

[clussy]

(Eddie was not unfamiliar with the various cruelties of adults. His mother was a specific brand of cruelty that most people oversaw because, much like Eddie, kindness could never be a weapon in their eyes. But he had been friends with Bev, saw what her father did to her. And then there were other adults, adults who looked glazed and indifferent all those dead children. Adults like Mr. Keene who gently seemed to mock Eddie for being insane, getting off on knowing more than Eddie did.

Charles did not really seem that kind of adult. He didn't seem to wear any of those casual cruelties, but working that sort of caution out of a kid used to it? Not easy.

But Charles is good about it. His gentling is noticed by Eddie, and it's enough to make Eddie relax a fraction. He gives a nervous smile, still feeling a little bit like a rabbit caught at the end of a shot gun.)

If it makes you feel better, Bill's real good about keeping us all safe.

(And more importantly- in check. Eddie proceeded with paranoid caution, but he could get into mischief quite a bit himself. More than people might expect.



...Yeah, he probably would be. He did live only a few doors down from these boys, after all.)

[welcomeprofessor]

Marginally.

[ It is better he's no longer alone, he's absolutely sure of that without question. But that too is going to pose its own problems--there's no way around that. He'll leave it at this, if only because he's not about to dig into the affairs of a few pre-teens unless there's something brought to him directly, but...

God, they need an adult. ]

You do know I only ask out of concern?

[clussy]

(His nervous smile becomes a little more genuine. Eddie did enjoy pleasing adults, and making Charles feel marginally better was a good feeling.

They definitely need an adult. Preferably an adult who understands how to handle kids. None of their parents certainly did. Or at least, most of them anyway.

'Concern' was Sonia Kaspbrak's own brand of cruelty, but Eddie is used enough to how she words and structures her concern that he doesn't feel it with Charles. There's no tear-soaked manipulation to get Eddie to stay close, stay sick. It's just plain old genuine concern from an adult. Something that makes Eddie flush a little bit, and he doesn't really know why.)

Yes. Sorry. We really aren't gonna be doing anything that dangerous if we are having fun. We've all set off fireworks before and know how to.

(The 1950s were a bit more easy-going with that kind of thing.)

In an open space, back up, and let it rip. As for other stuff- well I mean. We only half-flooded our town once, so we have a pretty okay track record.

(Eddie...........That isn't reassuring at all. Though he seems a little proud of it.)

[welcomeprofessor]

Eddie.

[ That does sound a little more stern. Not to the point of yelling--it's very difficult to get him near that mad (especially if your name is not Erik)--but certainly not the same softness it has been to now. ]

You're in a space station, does any part of that strike you as "open space"?

[ Boys. Please. ]

[clussy]

(Eddie has to giggle a little bit at that, his head bowing because Charles. He is absolutely not trying to be a smartass, but he is a little more secure in the brand of authority Charles held. Especially because yelling with Eddie or talking with him in certain tones really only resulted in upsetting him terribly. Charles had a good balance of 'responsible' but not scary.)

No! Of course not. But Kaittos had a lot of open space. And we find different worlds all the time, right?

(Eddie looks back up, still smiling a teensy bit because-)

But Charlie, (Yes he just called him that.) Isn't it um- what's that word. Ironic? That you're saying there's no open space in a space station?

(It's a horrible joke.)

[welcomeprofessor]

[ Charlie? ]

While I applaud the pun, I think you knewwhat I meant.

[clussy]

(He's 12 and all his friends have nickname versions of their names. Whaddya want, buddy. You can always correct him.)

Thank you. I thought it was good. (Eddie certainly seems proud of it. But he does eventually nod.) Yeah, I did. Don't worry. We like having fun, but we're not bad about it.