Welcome to where time stands still

[the_freak]

Who:Eddie Munson, OTA
What: Playing music and games
Where: Temba, Outdoors and in the Diner
When: Early to Mid June
Warnings: TBD



Go Play Outside

The weather was nicer and drier and Eddie didn't have a creepy tail anymore, so rather than being hunched over a table in the diner he's outside in the fresh air. Sort of. It's smoke-y air. And he's in the shade. And not really doing anything super physical. But it still counts, all right?

Sitting cross legged with his acoustic on his lap, Eddie's cigarette was burned down dangerously close to his lip, forgotten as he jotted down his revisions in his note book. He cursed, taking a final draw and stubbing the thing out, dropping the notebook so he could try the new lyrics out.

Go Play Inside

D&D meanwhile wasn't easy to play outside. Papers would blow away, the ground was too uneven for dice rolls. He'd tried it. It never worked.

Players were also at an all time low, and without them it was just Eddie telling a long and complicated story to no one. So he opted to try and up interest in a way he was intimately familiar with- making an ass of himself.

He climbed up on top of his table (a little more wobblily than the ones in the cafeteria, shit), and gestured wildly at the few heroes just trying to eat in peace.

"Who among you has what it takes to be an adventurer!? The guts? The passion??...Seriously, anyone? I'm actually asking here?"

Comments

[work_wife]

Oh god, that's scary isn't it? Eddie's an adult. Hell, Robin is almost an adult. She wishes that wasn't how it was.

"He's better because he's done it more. You'll get there."

[the_freak]

Your Dingus is an adult too.

"...We're you um...were and he close when he was dating Wheeler?"

[work_wife]

Yeah, he is. But he's still learning that part of himself.

"No. We didn't become friends until the summer after they broke up. I hated him when he was dating Wheeler."

[the_freak]

"Same," Eddie sighed, "I just...they seemed so...like the poster couple. I don't know how to live up to that."

[work_wife]

Poster couple? Maybe. They could be in a movie, but those relationships always seemed so fake.

"Steve doesn't want the same things out of his life as I think she does. So maybe you're a better fit than you think."

[the_freak]

"Yeah, he wanted the 6 nuggets and the RV and-" Yeah Eddie might've been eavesdropping during that conversation a bit, knowing those aren't exactly things or the life he can offer Steve here.

[work_wife]

"Nancy's clearly career driven, and Steve's family driven," Robin points out. So that definitely was a whole other issue. One Eddie didn't have to deal with. "Also, uh, guy really needs to consider his math. He already had six nuggets. Seven with Erika. AND you gave him an RV. I think you might have given him part of his dreams right there."

[the_freak]

"I stole it. Well...started it. He stole it," Eddie corrects with a laugh, "...I guess that's true. Man, we gotta get more of the kids here. Or not. I probably should want that, huh?"

[work_wife]

"You stole it," Robin says. They stole it together. They all stole it together. But it was still a thing that she was amused by.

"We probably don't want to get the kids here. Though I guess Dustin could help solve things. And he would be happy to see you."

[the_freak]

Eddie looks guilty, and his fingers pick out an absent melody to distract himself from thinking too hard about Henderson and how his death might've shook the kid.

"Genius would have us out before lunch, we'd never hear the end of it."

[work_wife]

Oh Eddie. Robin throws an arm around his shoulders. It's going to be okay. They will find a way to make it all okay.

There is no way to make it okay.

"He'd definitely keep bitching the whole time. It'd be impressive."

[the_freak]

He's fiiiine. Everything is fiiiiiine.
It's totally okaaaay. God.

"Oh, completely. Little shit gives me a run for my money."

[work_wife]

Yeah, she definitely believes that. Trust her.

"He gives us all that. My introduction to all of this shit was through him too. He's the one got Steve deeper into the group too. He's just like that."

[the_freak]

"Heh, I used to be soooo jealous, listening to Henderson go on about Steve," Eddie admits, "It shattered by whole belief system, couldn't buy it. Not until I actually fuckin' talk to the guy, and of course he's everything the kid said."

[work_wife]

"He was stupidly jealous listening to Dustin talk about you too," Robin says. "I don't think Dustin makes it clear to people, other than Suzie, that he cares about them. Which is shocking because Claudia is REALLY clear about stuff like that."

But yeah, Steve was better than he seemed.

"I had the same distrust as you if I'm honest."

[the_freak]

"You just gotta look harder. He's got a whole other love language," Eddie assures, having a better read on it than most since they are so similar in that regard.

"It just doesn't track, right? Guy's supposed to be a douche."

[work_wife]

"What in the world is a 'love language'?" she asks, rolling her eyes. Sounded like absolute bullshit to her.

"I know, I had that same thought too. You know what he did when I came out to him? When I came out to him while he was confessing TO ME?"

[the_freak]

"Like...how you show...love or whatever," Eddie grumbles. Shut up, feeling don't exist. "Some people say it, some people give gifts, everyone's...got their own way to say the same thing."

"What?"

[work_wife]

Feelings exist, but everyone shows love in unique ways. Might as well actually believe in horoscope, Eddie. So yeah, eyes rolled.

"Sounds like something a bad husband says to get sex and not have to say he loves someone."

As for the other thing, god, what a memory.

"I told him who I liked. And he didn't freak out> He could have. Instead he teased me over whether the girl was good enough for me or not. Didn't push or anything. I was so scared, and he was so kind. Just treated me like I was still his friend. And we'd been friends for, like, a day."

[the_freak]

Well damn, Eddie doesn't love that take, making a face. In a place like Hawkins or even just high school where it's so damn important for everyone to be the same, he thought the idea that there were different ways to show you care apart from the mainstream was pretty novel/kickass.

"I hate that he got hurt, but fuck it made him a better person," Eddie says, sure the Steve of even a year or two prior wouldn't have had the same reaction. Couldn't have had the same reaction.

[work_wife]

He's plenty different in his own ways. There's novel experience in being EDDIE and that's what matters.

"Yeah. It did. He's the friend I always needed. I've never been happier than with him supporting me. Supporting us."

[the_freak]

He rolls his eyes and laughs. "Now who's being sappy? Nah, he's...he's something else. I wish it wasn't so selfish to hope you guys stay here with me for a while..."

[work_wife]

"He likes sappy and you're going to like sappy with him around," she counters. Steve's sappiness is probably part of his appeal or something.

But the rest? She throws an arm around his shoulders and hugs him. Just a little. He's her dingus-in-law after all.

"It's okay to be selfish about that. I'm selfish about that regarding you and Chrissy and Max. And maybe, maybe just a tiny bit, Billy."

[the_freak]

"...when you do go home you better keep him safe. If either of you join that list I'm gonna find a way to haunt you," he promises.

[work_wife]

"Of course," she says, sounding offended. "I love him as much as you do. Maybe more. He's my family. I will protect him with all I've got."

Because if she loses Steve, SHE will haunt herself.