( For once in these last few days Eddie is grateful.

As it becomes more and more clear that things are spinning wildly out of control within the palace, he begins making sure that he is packed and ready to move at a moment's notice. He packs up the supplies that he has gathered up this past month including, as much as he hates it, the dagger that he had so far only used once and hopefully (God, he hopes) it would stay that way.

Yet as things continue to fall apart from under them, Eddie starts to worry that it might not be that simple because when had it ever been simple? Even in the nearly three decades that he had been living blissfully unaware of his childhood and the horrors his life had not been simple and just when things had been making a turn toward something brighter— he died, bled out in some cave underneath Derry without the chance to live how his life properly.

He wasn't going to let that happen again. With everything that's happened, everything that he's remembered— Eddie wasn't going to let this second chance go to waste. )

𝟦.𝟢 —

( Admittedly Eddie is a little lightheaded by the time they reach the shrine. The cut on his leg from his fall into the spike pit has been tended, disinfected and bandaged there is still enough pain that he can't quite just ignore it and the warmth of blood bleeding through the bandage and down his leg as he continues his walk through the forest. Not that he has a choice in the matter, returning to the palace wasn't in the picture and he wasn't going to fucking sit down in the woods and wait for the all clear. It's perhaps why he is most grateful for their communication devices, it keeps him connected to Richie and having his voice is a comfort that Eddie can't remember feeling in quite sometime.

So although he's looking a little pale by the time they pass into the village, he keeps a stoic look on his face up until So-Yeon takes her leave of their company before he settles into a seated position.

Immediately, he sighs and tugs the leather jacket (two sizes to big on him clearly) further around his body and curses quietly. )

𝟧.𝟢 —

( He's never been good with graveyards yet Eddie finds himself drawn here anyway. It reminds him of his childhood, far to young to really understand why his dad was sick and not getting any better before ultimately having to learn the hard way that his dad would never be coming back. It was a breaking point, Eddie thinks, for his mother and his serious illness afterwards just added to her decline into what she became up until she also died from cancer.

Standing here though he doesn't think about his parents or even himself and how he wonders if he'd have a headstone like his family. Maybe he'd just live on his friends' memories and that would be that but more than that he hates that he'd never pay his respects to Stan. It's a thought that hurts more than he's willing to admit and as he stands there, in the midst of lingering spirits, he feels his heart clench uncomfortably. )

You'd have all this shit figured out if you were here.

𝟷𝟷.𝟶 —

( The roar of the crowd is near deafening in his ears and without thought— Eddie finds himself gripping his dagger tighter. There's so much going on but he focuses solely on the reaching Richie. He closes his eyes, breathing in and fighting back that raise of panic that he feels building in his blood that threatens to constrict his lungs with wheezing breaths.

He fights the urge to pat himself down for his inhaler but reminds himself that he doesn't need it. He's never needed it and takes in a gulp of air, shaky but determined as Richie's words from before entering Pennywise's lair rings in his head. )

Come on, Eds. You're braver than you think.

𝟷𝟹.𝟶 —

( Eddie doesn't expect this to be easy and brave or not— it doesn't make up for the lack of skill he has in a fight. He's used to fighting New York traffic but this is something else and it just goes from bad to worse when magic becomes involved. He isn't even sure if it is magic but there really isn't time to think or consider it when he's being thrown near halfway down the street by a gust of wind seemingly summoned from nowhere.

A stray cart is what suddenly ends his flying lesson, crashing hard and knocking his head against the wood hard enough that Eddie is sure that he sees stars. Flexing his hands tell him that his dagger is gone and he can feel pain radiating up from his wounded leg which says nothing of the blood now steadying dripping down his forehead.

He gives a harsh cough and feels his lungs seize up, a shaky wheeze escaping him as he dizzyingly tries to find his enemy through blurry vision. )

( For anything not mentioned above! Feel free to hit me up through PM or on plurk at kaldwin if you'd like to set up a specific scenario. )