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[the_freak]

[Eddie would have preferred the theatrics of the drama room, but he did his best to set up an imposing angle for his message. ]

I’m thinking a lot of us could use a chance to blow off some steam, hmm? Lots of work to do around here, and weird ass monsters to fight, but not a whole lot in the way of recreation.

Back home I ran a group called Hellfire Club. Led us in some of the most epic D&D campaigns Hawkins Indiana ever saw. And I was thinking…I could offer my services as Dungeon Master here if people were interested.

Beggars can’t be choosers and I know we have a lot of people who’ve never played, so- lucky you- I’ve decided to open up admission to first timers. Little bonus- anyone who joins gets a Hellfire Mk2 shirt of their very own.

[He shifts to show off the new design he’s printed, a proud smirk on his face.]

I’ll be at the diner this week for people to sell me on their characters. If it’s your first go, I’ll have sheets prepared and can help you fill them out.

Comments

[ziedrich_bearer]

What's 'D&D'? Never known anyone to master any dungeons I ran through.

At the diner

[in_extremis]

The character sheet felt like a little time capsule sitting between them, something from a different life that Tony was confessing to, and he restlessly turned and folded a corner of it without much regard for the wear on the paper. It already had a much more efficient digital record already, it wasn't like Tony was going to keep this outdated media. He left it behind even as he pushed out of the seat, taking his mug with him, and raising the other hand inquisitively to ask if he should be taking Eddie's as well. Before Eddie thought that meant Tony was quite done with him, though, he did say, "We can't keep ignore this, we have to address this," with a nod and wiggle of his fingers toward the proudly made shirt Eddie wore, and the appropriated name of a very different club.

[the_freak]

[Eddie considers a bit of hyperbole, but knowing how that seems to go over some people's heads here he gives a more serious-]

Dungeons & Dragons - it's a game. The Dungeon Master uh...you know, narrates the story and guides the players through the adventure.

[the_freak]

Eddie had scribbled down his own notes based off the sheet, all ready forming ideas, and it took him a moment to notice Tony's offered hand. He nodded quickly, handing over his mug.

"Mmm," Eddie looked down at his shirt like he'd been expecting this question, "It's from a comic, it's not actually some kind of satanic thing," he explained, with the longer suffering voice that said he'd had to justify this more than once.

[in_extremis]

They were not going to return to the argument, the argument was supposed to be over, so Tony had to close his eyes for a deep breath at this revelation. It was not enough to stop him from demanding, "Is anything real where you come from? That's got to be an easier list." Never mind cleaning up, Tony was just going to need more coffee to get through this, so he snatched up the cup to refill and was still talking as he stalked toward the kitchen, making it sound like he was arguing passionately with the voices in his head, "It's kind of satanic, you know--or, demonic, I don't know if Satan, specifically--I thought it was ironic, ha ha, just playing some games with lives that don't even matter."

[the_freak]

"..." No. There was no way. "Is everything real where you come from??" First dragons, and now Hellfire Club? And Satan????

"Are you fucking with me?" Eddie called after him, pushing out of the booth and scrambling after him, peering round the corner and into the kitchen. "Satan Satan? Like the actual devil? He's real too? Shit, man, I guess I should've been going to church all this time..."

[in_extremis]

That sounded like an impossible question to answer, because it seemed fairly obvious to Tony that most things were real, yes, and he didn't learn about mechanical engineering from comic books, so he squinted wearily ahead and made hungrily toward the hopefully not entirely empty carafe of coffee. "This one time, I can promise you, I am not," he could answer loftily, turning to lean on the counter one his mug was appropriate freshened and he could keep it reassuringly close to his heart.

"There are devils, like--demons, but--I don't know how many people any church has protected from them. That's magic stuff, you ask a wizard about it, or just hear them out, I don't know, I've been on weirder dates. You probably know some already."

[ziedrich_bearer]

[Gladio looks intrigued by this. It's not that his world doesn't have an equivalent, it's that he never really knew much about it. He didn't have time as a kid.]

What sort of adventure?

[the_freak]

Yeah, they were definitely going to wind up circling back to their argument, and Eddie tried to reign himself in. Their worlds had a strange amount in common for having such crazy differences.

"..." He blinked, physically restraining himself from asking the obvious 'wizards?', because of course wizards were fucking real in his world. Kind of in his now that he thought about it. But probably not the same.

"I was born on the wrong Earth, this isn't fair."

[the_freak]

Can be anything technically, but uh...traditionally- you and your party are fighting monsters and completing quests as you search for the big bad. Exploring dungeons. Fighting dragons. Fantasy stuff.

[in_extremis]

Tony wasn't entirely convinced that these things didn't exist on Eddie's Earth, only that Eddie did not know about them. That they still took familiar shapes in stories was too much of a coincidence, like Jon knowing all about Dracula and still thinking he wasn't real. That was stupid. With a wry smile, Tony lured Eddie closer with an inviting wiggle of his refilled mug, and promised, "You're probably better off without the Hellfire Club. That one would make a better comic."

[ziedrich_bearer]

Sounds like a day ending in Y when I was younger.

[the_freak]

Coffee and cigarettes seemed to be as much of a drug as this place wanted him to have, so Eddie was easily lured with the reminder that there was more to be had.

"Mine's cooler anyway," Eddie decided with a smirk, "Better branding."

He looked momentarily uncertain, before he allowed himself to ask- "You ever uh...fight those demons?"

[the_freak]

[Eddie sighs dramatically.]

God, don't tell me you have fucking dragons and shit too? Did I grow up in the only universe without them??

[ziedrich_bearer]

Not many, but they were a thing. Including the Astral, Bahamut. But fuck him in particular.

Can't help if your world didn't have them.

[in_extremis]

While Tony didn't have any reason to argue, he breathed a laugh while plucking at Eddie's vest to give his handiwork a critical inspection, looking innocently open but unconvinced. If he had any more teasing to do, it was clearly derailed by Eddie's question, making Tony's eyebrows jump in surprise, both for being asked and for the strange tone. "What's with you and fighting? Do you fight the dragons, do you fight the demons--I'm a man of peace, I'm a lover, I...I mean, listen, sometimes, but I don't instigate, I'd rather resolve a problem by leaving both parties very satisfied."

[the_freak]

The look was enough to get a slight pout out of Eddie, even without a comment.

"Dude...you have a flying metal suit and live in a world of superheroes," Eddie replied with a deadpan look, not quite able to hold off a smirk at Tony's line for long though. "And it's nothing, just...looking for colour for the campaign," he excused. Not like there were any demobats/dogs/gorgons here to fight.

[the_freak]

Well, fuck man. Uh...I guess it'll be kind of like your everyday life then. Only as told by me, and with your fate up to your dice.

[in_extremis]

"Dude," Tony echoed under his breath, with a firmer tug at Eddie's vest to clarify that he should feel more shame for committing to the nickname, or Tony was going to increase the shame himself. Again, that impish glimmer slipped away into curiosity, tongue still between his teeth but quirk of his own wry smile dropping. His focus flickered briefly, back down toward Eddie's shirt, but this time his assessment was a little colder before he was asking, "How do you think you fight a demon?"

[ziedrich_bearer]

Who said I want to go back through what life is like back home? There isn't even a serious behemoth steak at the end.

Also, that role you're talking about sounds too much like Bahamut.

[the_freak]

No one? [Eddie gives the camera a look and shrugs.] It's not mandatory, man. You don't wanna join, then don't.

[the_freak]

Eddie laughed, not looking at that dissuaded.

"I dunno, like most things I guess? You smack the hell out of it?" Seemed to work for the smaller things in the Upside Down. But he was less sure how well it was going to work on Vecna. Maybe he couldn't die.

He shrank back a little under that look, and rolled a shoulder with a defensive frown.

"Not really an expert. Pretty pro demon," he teased, nodding down at his shirt and the mascot he'd drawn.

[in_extremis]

Alright, maybe it wasn't a demon that left those marks on Eddie, that was a pretty casual answer to which Tony had to concede in a fond mutter, "Plenty of heroes make their careers on that philosophy." There was something there, though, and Tony couldn't read it under that frown, leaving him watching Eddie with unnerving intent, narrow and calculating and at odds with his casual lean back against the counter. "You didn't ask me about the dates," he challenged. "He's not really my type--" he added with a gesture with his cup toward the snarl on Eddie's shirt, "but I'm in no position to judge anybody's tastes, your pleasure is my pleasure."

[the_freak]

Eddie snorted, but couldn't help but give a small smile. At least it wasn't a completely stupid idea.

He shifted to hoist himself up onto the counter and lounge casually, trying to distract himself from that probing look.

"No? How'd I do, is he close to the real thing? I guess not, if your dates were so much more appealing."

[ziedrich_bearer]

Why would you want to do this? I don't get it.