EVENT #10: AFFLICTION - IC POST

[abraxasmods]

Event #10 - Affliction

go to the OOC event info & plotting post

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With tensions heavy across Abraxas and all the destruction that's happened, it's no surprise that the dark shadows which sweep over the land go unnoticed...at first.

Winds initially stir in Solvunn, where the influence of the Old Gods remains the strongest. Slowly each Herald infects Thorne and the Free Cities, as well. The Summoned are the first to feel its effects and are the most heavily impacted.

Though no one will realize it until well afterwards, Nocwich remains unaffected. After all, the Summoned don't reside there.

NOTE: This event will deal with themes of death (people and animal) and horror imagery.

Emergence

It begins sometime in mid-October, around the 18th. Not everyone will experience it at the same time. You might even believe you're spared until days afterwards when you're visited by an unusually vivid dream.

The dream starts the same for everyone: you are going somewhere, anywhere, walking to your bedroom or enjoying a stroll on the beach. You might be driving down a familiar neighborhood. Wherever you're headed, you eventually come upon a stone tablet engraved with your Arcana. Laid on the tablet are three objects:

◎ A dead moth trapped inside a wilted rose, symbolizing Koth of Festering Lands
◎ A teacup inside which sits a single nightshade berry, symbolizing Adlewyrd of Poisoned Tongues
◎ An ornate cracked hand mirror that contains no reflection, symbolizing Sannleikr of Many Faces

Make a choice. Something inside your soul will be drawn towards one of the objects. Maybe you spend hours in the dream deliberating, but sooner or later, you'll pick one of the items up. The moment you do, the other objects vanish and the chosen Herald appears before you. Where one might expect a god to seek subservience, the strange figure instead extends a friendly hand towards you - as though it's greeting you as an equal.

Whispered around you, you hear its name. Then it fades and with it the dream. You awaken.

Affliction

You go about your day as usual. That's when you realize something isn't right. Creatures and people around you behave strangely. You begin to sense that you are the cause.

Depending on your chosen Herald, you'll experience at least one of its afflictions. The effects might start small, then grow. They might rush you all at once. You can't shake what haunts you, though you can try. Spells, potions, and willpower can help keep the afflictions at bay but you won't ever be completely free.

As the afflictions seep into your mind, you start to find shadows of it following you: a dead moth here, a nightshade bloom there, a cracked mirror elsewhere. You may even wonder if it's following you in the first place. What if instead, you are the one leaving these signs behind?

Corruption

The first time you inflict your ability on someone else, you don't mean to. It might be a stranger, some unsuspecting soul, or it might be another Summoned. Regardless, the afflictions that ail you seem to spread through you into another. Someone falls down as if in the throes of an invisible death or secrets spill. You brush by someone and they're suddenly upset and confused.

The more this happens, intentionally or not, the better you feel. You may grow full of life and energy, gain a renewed strength of heart, or radiate a charm that turns heads and garners compliments. The afflictions haunting you could even start to fade or completely vanish. And if you use your newfound power deliberately? You'll feel better even faster for longer. Of course, these boons are temporary, lasting at most an hour or so. When the feeling wanes, you might miss having it.

You are not possessed. You can't control this power that spreads through you, but how you respond or behave is up to you. You could be attracted to the allure of power, enjoy the boons you are granted, or realize you can gain relief from your afflictions if you choose a victim. Not everyone will fall headfirst into the pull. Some are not easily swayed by power, some struggle to overcome their dark impulses, and others would rather endure their suffering than inflict it on someone else. But others still might succumb to temptation and turn on those around them with purpose: once, twice, multiple times. The choice you make is yours alone.

Blight

With the call of the Herald at your fingertips, the world around you twists. No one knows whether this stems from you and your newly imbued afflictions, or if the Heralds are exerting power on their own. It's for sure easier to think of what occurs as the influence of something monstrous beyond your control. No matter the cause, the earth is changed all the same.

Omens

The omens arrive shortly after the initial Summoned receive their dreams, but they don't come to every faction at once. SOLVUNN is first, being home to the Old Gods' shrines, before THORNE and the FREE CITIES follow only days afterwards. Depending on where you are, the omens will affect things a bit differently.

Solvunn

In Solvunn, the ground stirs. A desiccated hand breaks through the grass, a cloven hoof. Human or animal, they crawl forth, animated against their will. Some might attack, but most do not. At the same time, crops around the settlements begin to fail. Some chickens lay rotten eggs while cows produce spoiled milk. Any livestock that perishes overnight will surface in the mornings with empty eye sockets - pecked out by crows or gnawed on by rats. From a distance, the ocean can be seen bubbling as leviathans beneath thrash.

Worth noting is that many of the dead are concentrated around the shrines, especially the ones deep in the woods. They're too decayed to recognize, and some might not even move from the site, as though they are waiting for the earth to take them again...or as though they once chose to give up their life at this very spot.

Summoned can assist by helping to cast spells or place warding charms around shrines, farms, and gardens to protect crops and livestock. As a commune, the Solvunnites will share their resources as much as possible and would appreciate those who might lend a hand bringing supplies, herbs, and offerings to neighbors who are lacking. The Summoned can also brew a common herbal remedy to aid any animals who have fallen ill or to help purify the well water.

Free Cities

In Libertas, the dead buried under the rubble dig themselves out. More crawl forth from graves in Cadens' cemeteries. Beasts and bandits slain in the desert wilds rise, hungry or searching for the ones who killed them. At the same time, dead fish wash up onto the shores of Aquila while birds fall dead from their perch, dropping like flies from an unknown illness. Vultures and other scavengers begin to prey upon the eyes of the dead, leaving behind hollowed-out corpses.

Worth noting is that in the Badlands, a few very old and skeletal corpses rise with a metal plate or two screwed onto their bones, which are also oddly elongated. Only one or two make their way near the city. The army is quick to dispose of them before many can notice. They will not disclose any information about this and will claim these are just monsters like anything else.

Summoned can assist by going on patrol with the soldiers to put down any risen dead. Merchant caravans are also hiring escorts for their journeys. Additionally, they can help look through any received supplies and packages to make sure the food isn't rotting or worse, use a special dissolving compound to purify the waters, and donate staple food items to refugees and the less fortunate who can't afford the rising prices.

Thorne

In Thorne, the dead emerge only from the outskirts of the castle city. Thanks to information from one of their Summoned and their recent monitoring of the Singularity, Thorne was able to act swiftly and was able to ward any royal or otherwise significant burial sites. Graves and tombs of less importance, though, will not be protected in the same way. There are fewer encounters with eyeless corpses, though some animals might appear outside the castle in such a state. Normally extravagant dishes from the Castle's kitchens use simpler ingredients as they struggle to ration their food stores.

Worth noting is that a few unexpected corpses make their way up from deep under the castle in places beyond the dungeons. These are twisted and mangled, missing limbs, heads, fingers. The castle guards are quick to dispose of them before they get too far into the rest of the castle, but one or two may be spotted.

Summoned can assist by contributing to the wards around Castle Thorne and the city, using spells to put down the dead without mangling the corpse, and taking inventory of food stores. Further, in Nott the situation is more dire for anyone who is traveling there to continue assisting with repairs following the attack. Nott will welcome help with any problems caused by the omens. It'll be clear the kingdom has neglected the city somewhat. Thorne will claim the Castle takes priority, of course, due to King and Queen residing there along with the entire royal court.

Apprehensions

Across the factions, locals are beginning to catch on that something isn't right with you, the Summoned. No one will say it outright, but there's an air of caution and wariness around you where you go. Merchants might be quick to hand you your wares so you'll leave or locals give you a bit of space when they walk by. Chatty innkeepers are more reluctant to hold lengthy conversations.

Much of the time, it may not be conscious. The natives might simply sense something off that instinctually makes them want to put some distance between them and you. The only exception? If you've chosen Sannleikr of Many Faces, you'll continue to exude your charm towards people you encounter. At least for as long as you continue to inflict that ability you've been gifted.

Displacement

Everyone responds differently while in the Horizon. You might exert better willpower over your afflictions or you might feel its effects more strongly. It all depends on the individual and their mindset. Regardless, the Heralds are only one part of the equation. There's a much bigger disturbance going on.

It could happen as soon as you enter or it might be as you're stepping over the threshold into another's domain. Whatever the case, you are suddenly not where you're supposed to be. Instead, you're in one of two places depending: transported into a domain you never meant to go into or in a foreign setting altogether.

Visitation

Whether you're the one transported or someone teleports unexpectedly into your space, the Horizon becomes unpredictable for the next little while. Rooms normally locked to strangers, areas you yourself may not even realize exists - you and your fellow Summoned continue to pop in and out despite your intentions.

The effect isn't painful, just disorienting, like missing a step you didn't see or stumbling through a door into a too-bright room. The person whose domain you've inadvertently visited might sense an unwanted presence, whether they're inside the Horizon or not, or they may be completely oblivious. This will depend on the strength of their connection to the Singularity and the Horizon.

Not to worry. You won't be trapped or anything in these cases...unless the domain you land in happens to seal from the inside. You might stumble on secrets you weren't meant to find, though, locked away in someone else's mind.

Ensnared

The less fortunate will be pulled into a space that they've never encountered before. The bizarreness of it resembles the glitchy visions that flashed through a few months ago, but rather than an image flickering by, you are now inside the space itself.

Trapped between minutes to hours, you can't use the Horizon's creation magic as normal. Attempts will falter or go sideways: trying to fly out might cause you to tumble, tools and objects are broken or not quite right, wounds don't vanish or heal completely, etc. More significantly, you can't seem to send or receive messages through your connection. Anything that manages to come through will be garbled and distorted. It's as though the place you are in is just out of the reach of your control.

Luckily, you may not be alone. Someone else may have gotten lost alongside you. They might already be there when you stumble through or they might arrive after you do. They might even fade out sooner than you, unintentionally leaving you behind.

Eventually, you'll be released back into the Horizon proper, spat out in a random place in the Horizon. While you're stuck, though, you can try to survive, explore, sit and wait it out, or make friends with your fellow trapped partner. Each area has its challenges and quirks that you'll need to deal with.

Scenes to Explore

JUSTICE ◎
FULL IMAGE

High in the clouds, these snowy peaks are as cold as they look. Giant marble hands reach out, though their sheer scale means you might not recognize them as hands from up close. You can scale the mountain, but if you try to go down, the hands will flip the mountain, which sends you tumbling to the top again.

It's up to you whether you can be injured when you fall. Maybe the snow will feel like marshmallows, or you'll break a bone on the jagged rocks. No two experiences are the same. If you have a partner, they could end up faring better than you despite being in the same place.

Conjure some warm clothes or a log cabin even if you wish - they might not manifest perfectly, but it'll be better than nothing. At least the view's fairly nice...while the sun is up. A blizzard will come through by nightfall. With it arrives a strange hovering light that entices you or your friend to follow it into the frozen darkness. What draws you out depends on you. It could be a familiar voice, an image, or a simple compulsion. If you're lucky, the person with you is unaffected and can try to stop you. Or maybe you're the one desperately chasing after the other person?

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THE CHARIOT ◎
FULL IMAGE

From a distance, it's hard to tell if they're shipping containers or houses stacked atop each other. A gooey mess covers the ground below. Oddly, the smell isn't as unpleasant as the goo looks. It smells like bubblegum or cotton candy, artificial and sweet. When you first fall in, you might land inside one of the homes, on top of the stacked structure, or the ground. You can try to reach anyone else who's there with you, but be careful: the ooze is spreading. Climb if you must or move from room to room. If you don't keep moving, you risk getting sucked into its sticky mass.

Each block of a home is different. Some are furnished, whereas others are empty or filled with strange knickknacks. Some might even have subconscious creations spawned by you. Keep ahead of the gloopy substance, and you'll be fine, probably. Or you can try to fight it back or block its path by sealing yourself in a room or otherwise, which can slow it down significantly. Mostly, you'll have to hope you fade out before the pink mass completely consumes the landscape.

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THE WORLD ◎
FULL IMAGE

The hazy neon glow obscures a nothingness that seems to extend forever. In the middle of the wet ground are several stacked television sets with wires plugged into nothing. Inexplicably, there's also a cat. At first, it appears perfectly normal, but keen observers will notice that its behavior is on a loop where it will walk a certain path, pause at specific intervals to lick its paws, and meow at set points. It does not acknowledge any of its intruders. You can break its loop by picking it up, at which point it'll go limp as a ragdoll. As soon as you set it down, it'll resume its actions as before.

While you can see the same images as someone else on the screens, it's also possible you'll each see something different despite being in the room together. What you see is up to you. It could be an old fuzzy movie, home videos of your childhood, trivia questions you have to answer correctly, or even a memory or vision you wouldn't want to share. Words or faces taunting you could appear between staticky flickers, or maybe your very thoughts are projected onto the screens for anyone with you to read.

Break the televisions if you want, but given a few short minutes, they'll reform between one blink and the next. Looks like you'll have to keep watching until you're released.

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THE FOOL ◎
FULL IMAGE

Sprawling and massive, you're unlikely to recognize at first that you're trapped in a labyrinth. Stone walls rise around you, and your surroundings are pitchblack. Manifest a torch or a flashlight if you can, though these will be prone to going out at inopportune times. Escaping over the walls will only send you into another section in the maze.

As you navigate the twisting corridors, you'll encounter any variety of trials and troubles: gaps in the ground, spiked traps, haunting whispers, monsters, decaying corpses. Some of these might've formed from your mind, others might've spawned from anyone else who's trapped with you.

If you aren't alone, do your best to locate your fellow Summoned. Voices do carry and echo over the walls, and there could be landmarks that help you find each other. Finding the exit, however, is another matter. Walk and climb all you want. A way out is impossible until the Horizon chooses to set you free.

Players can pick any scenario that interests them from the four choices above. Unlike the visions from before, characters can accidentally be trapped in as many of the scenes as you want, as many times as you want. Another option is that they can stay trapped in only one scene while a variety of characters fade in and out to join them, or some combination of the two. Choose what works best for your plans.

Each scene will once again carry an associated Arcana etched somewhere inside it, which can change from person to person or instance to instance. It might be on a wall, a table, or on the ground. Characters with a stronger connection to the Horizon are likely to be trapped for longer but the extent of this is your choice and it won't ever exceed a few hours. It's also your choice whether the afflictions continue to haunt them or not. If you want characters to deal with both problems while stuck together, you're welcome to!

Generally speaking, there are no restrictions other than that they won't be able to communicate with anyone outside the area, they can't escape it until the Horizon chooses to release them, and their creation magic will go wrong just enough that it'll make things tricky.

Comments

closed to steve harrington

[satanicpanics]

[ Eddie has been scared out of his mind multiple times in the Horizon over the last few days, but the Upside Down offers a very specific brand of terror that he never wanted to feel again. He did not ever want to be here again, and he feels sick to his stomach as he begins the slow trek towards the dimly lit Scoops Ahoy building. In a habit formed very, very quickly, he lifts his legs high and steps over the vines, careful not to stumble over them. It may not matter here, but he’s not taking any chances.

He pushes through the door and in a hesitant voice, he calls: ]

Harrington? You around? This creepy bullshit belong to you?

[ Who else is it really gonna belong to? Eddie and Steve, at least as far as either of them know, are the only ones in Abraxas who should really know that the Upside Down exists, and this certainly isn’t Eddie’s doing. Scoops Ahoy was never that noteworthy.

There’s no response, but talking out loud helps to ease Eddie’s nerves, even if there’s no one around to listen. It fills the deafening silence and blocks out those pesky whispers that have been plaguing him all week, even if they are much more quiet in the Horizon. ]

I, uh, really hope this isn’t what this place normally looks like, man, because I am gonna have some questions.

[ His fingers twitch by his sides as he slips behind the counter, trailing his fingers over old, scattered receipts and kicking away half-disintegrated garbage. He isn’t looking for anything so much as he is just looking, occupying his anxious thoughts and his anxious hands by any means possible.

He carries on, rifling through things that don’t belong to him, spinning a grimy ice cream scoop between his fingers and speaking out loud, until he spots it in the back: a metal elevator door, half ajar, practically inviting someone to step aboard and see where it leads.

That is not a good idea, he thinks, tilting his head as he sizes the elevator up. Silence settles thick in the air again, just enough silence for a faint whisper to reach his ear: That’s just what a coward would say. And you know he’s here, right? He just doesn’t want to speak to you.

Cupping his hands to his mouth, attempting to block that nasty little voice out, Eddie all but yells: ]

Hey, Steve! I’m taking your freaky elevator. Gonna find out all your secrets, dude!

[ Just like everything else, the elevator is in a state of decay. It’s a short ride, but extremely rickety, and when the lift hits its destination, Eddie practically has to pry the door open himself. He peers out into a stark concrete room that very much does not match the blue and white color scheme of Scoops Ahoy. It’s empty, save for some uncomfortable metal chairs, and some very nasty looking medical instruments laid out on a steel table. ]

Jesus Christ. Steve? If you're around, I’m about to really freak out, dude...

[hairington]

[ by the time steve feels it - that weird, sudden presence of someone there, where they’re not supposed to be, where he doesn’t want them to be - it’s too late. steve has done a thorough enough examination of his own horizon to have known the elevator was there, to recognize what it looked like, to remember the first time he’d been locked inside, but he’d never actually gone down into it. that was something he wasn’t sure he wanted to face, like, ever. and especially not alone.

he doesn’t hear eddie calling out for him, exactly, but he does know he’s there. and that’s why - suddenly and probably not helpful to eddie’s general anxiety - appearing on the other side of the room.

for the first time in the horizon, steve sees what some messes up part of his brain has put down here. the concrete, the lighting, the chairs back to back. it curls in his stomach, remembering being drug back in here, fear and anger and a sort of defensive embarrassment roiling in his gut. it’s more than what he probably should feel, but that’s just been the way of things these last couple of days. ]

What the fuck, Munson? What are you doing here? [ it comes out sharper and louder than he means it to, which then sets off a wave of guilt, dark and heavy and familiar in his stomach.

he steps towards eddie, as if to push him back into the elevator. he doesn’t notice the blood stains on the floor next to the chairs that definitely hadn’t been there before, but what’s one more thing off about this place? ]

You need to leave. You’re not supposed to be here.

[satanicpanics]

[ And that’s when Eddie does really freak out. Steve appears. He doesn’t take the elevator; he appears, and it’s so sudden and unexpected that Eddie nearly jumps out of his skin. He swears loudly, and as he attempts to recover, all he can do is offer Steve an incredulous expression.

You think I want to be here? ]

Well, you know what, Steve? I woke up today and thought, "hey, I sure do miss that creepy fucking monster version of Hawkins. Sure would like to pay a visit", so here I am!

[ He throws out his arms and drops them back to his sides just as quickly. There’s both a quiver of fear in his voice, and a stab of anger at having been frightened even more. He really doesn't mean to take it out on Steve and he knows logically that this is no one's fault--the Horizon is just off right now, and there’s been something wrong with every domain he’s been dumped into.

His anger disappears quickly, and he doesn’t need to be pushed; he all but stumbles backward, but stops just short of getting back in the elevator. He pauses, glancing just over Steve’s shoulder at the bloody stains on the floor. Laughing nervously at the sheer horror movie quality of it all, he drags his hands down his face and shakes his head. ]

Look, I know it’s not exactly the best time or place, but is there something you need to discuss?

[hairington]

[ he doesn't really see the look eddie gives him, not really, because he's too wrapped up in that feeling in his gut. too wrapped up in how eddie isn't supposed to see this, how no one is supposed to see it, and that's all translated into the nearly aggressive way steve closes in on eddie. how part of him really does just want to grab him and shove, even when he knows - because there is some part of him that does know that shit's been off since he had that dream. he's clocked his own irrational anger, noticed how it's been nearly impossible to just let things slide.

and eddie's reaction - the sarcasm, the quick spike of his own anger that fizzes out just as quickly - is justified, in a way. but unlike steve's, his is gone again as he stumbles back before steve can push him, just out of reach.

the question catches him a bit off-guard, though, and through that spike in his own aggression, steve finds himself coming to a stop. something you need to discuss? eddie says, as he glances over steve's shoulder to the chairs, to the exact place where he and robin... steve's been out in his domain since everything's gone to shit. he knows how fucked up everything is, how it's not what he means it to be, but this isn't that. this, steve has known, has been here since he made his whole thing, but it's always been locked.

steve's brow furrows, his eyes going to the elevator behind eddie, almost as if he's staunchly refusing to turn back around to see it again. and his jaw is tight, too, as if it takes effort to keep himself from doing it. ]

This isn't...this wasn't in the Upside Down. [ a beat, and then steve's looking at eddie fully again, that anger having subsided to something else. ] Can we not do this here?

[satanicpanics]

Yeah, no, Steve. We’re not gonna just put a pin in it, because this right here?

[ He gestures to the room, to the scary-looking medical tools, to the blood on the ground.]

This raises a whole lot more questions than anything outside, and that is saying a ridiculous amount.

[ He’s being hypocritical, and he knows it. He still has his own shit to deal with and he definitely hasn’t confronted it since arriving. His refusal to back down is a double edged sword, and he really doesn’t know why he’s pushing so hard for an answer when he could have just accepted it and gotten out of this freaky room already.

But Eddie has grown to respect Steve. He’s grown to respect Steve a lot more than he respects most people. He’d even argue that they’re truly friends by this point, but every time he learns something more about Steve, he’s more and more surprised that the guy manages to hold it together at all. This room just adds another layer.

He kind of regrets it the minute it comes out of his mouth, though. It seems cruel, so he offers an out; a white flag: ]

But, uh…that elevator’s a piece of shit, so if you don’t wanna discuss this here, you should probably lead the way someplace else.

[ But it doesn’t seem like enough, so he quickly and quietly tacks on: ]

Sorry.

[hairington]

[ steve was okay to be calm about this at first. okay to just let it go, to get out of here, and then to handle it while they're anywhere but here. except that eddie keeps talking, keeps pushing, and steve finds he just can't do this right now. not after how awful he's felt, how he hasn't quite shaken the awful, terrible, guilty mass stuck in his throat. and now all he can smell is that weird, sharp cleaning smell. can only hear echoes of robin, somewhere else.

on a scale of one to absolutely nightmare fuel, part of steve knows this isn't anywhere on the list of what hawkins has dealt with before. but it's what haunts him, what he still can't shake, and now that eddie's here... ]

Are you serious right now? [ because that's where steve doesn't exactly snap, but can't handle this any more. eddie doesn't even know the half of it, steve doesn't know the half of it, but this is where he wants to put his foot down? ] Fine! Fine. This? [ steve is furious, though there is a distinct feeling it's not directed at eddie, but more like he's been pushing closer and closer to this for days now. the more steve talks, the faster he sounds, turning and pacing around the room, arms gesturing a bit wildly. eddie's probably never heard a steve harrington explosion before, but oh well. ] This is a Russian base that was under Starcourt. You know that fire? Not a fire. It was the Russians trying to open a gate, and this huge creature thing had come through and was possessing people, and it killed Hargrove and it killed all those other people and it killed Hopper, too. And of course Henderson was the one who figured out the base was under the mall before anyone else, and of course I followed him down the weird creepy elevator, with Erica Sinclair and Robin too, because why not, right? Why not.

Except that by the time we got down here, the Russians noticed us, so Robin and I held them off while Erica and Dustin got out, and then they did exactly what Russians do! The tortured us. I got the shit beaten out of me and Robin and I got shot up with some kind of insane drug because they thought we were spies for the government and wanted us to spill secrets. But then Henderson and Erica came back and by the time we got out of this weird base, that's when the monster thing was coming after everyone because it was looking for the El. [ the girl with superpowers, but this time steve doesn't bother specifying. hopefully eddie's been paying attention? ] And then we had to fight the thing and we destroyed Starcourt in the process and then the government covered up all of it. Just a fire! All of it was just a fire! [ and steve can't handle it anymore. he really can't. he kicks the chairs off to the side of the room because he has to hit something, has to do something, but even as the chairs clatter against the wall he doesn't feel any better, but he doesn't feel like he's on the edge of exploding, either, heaving a few breaths before he's able to calm down.

whether or not eddie offers his white flag doesn't really matter any more, does it? there's also the chance that steve doesn't even hear it, needing another second or so before he looks back to where the other is still standing in front of the elevator.

sorry, eddie says, and a wave of shame and embarrassment courses through steve so intensely he feels like he's going to get sick. so instead of doing that, he just presses the heels of his hands into his eyes, exhaling once and then twice.

eddie didn't deserve that. eddie didn't deserve any of it. eddie is dead, and steve is sitting here getting upset because...what? he stepped into a room that steve didn't want people to see? god, he's so selfish, but it's all just...

bullshit. ]

Sorry. That- [ it comes out mumbled, a little quiet, as steve rubs his hands across his face to try and calm himself down. ] Sorry.

[satanicpanics]

[ Eddie doesn’t think he’s ever heard Steve talk this much at one time, and he’s not sure he could interrupt him even if he wanted to. He lets him speak, and he listens. If he has any questions, he doesn’t ask them, and if he has any jokes, he doesn't tell them. He just lets the poor guy get it all out, and just like that, things click into place.

There are large gaps in Eddie’s knowledge of what really goes on in Hawkins. His crash course in the Upside Down was basically the CliffsNotes version, but he’s begun to suspect that the crazy things that have happened in Hawkins go way deeper than they appear on the surface. Starcourt was always a strange addition to their small town, even with the idea of industry in mind. It makes more sense now; it was a front. The fire and the fact that that there were no attempts to immediately rebuild make sense now too.

When he said he was going to find out all of Steve’s secrets, he thought he was joking. ]

Alright. Jesus.

[ What can he really say? Sorry you got tortured, that really sucks doesn’t exactly sound right, and he doesn’t even have a wisecrack prepared for this type of situation. Once again, he’s just bowled over by the fact that Steve isn’t totally cracking at the seams. What Eddie went through doesn’t really compare (minus the literally dying part), and he’s still ready to break down at any minor fright. ]

Don’t apologize to me, man. Just...

[ Eddie has never been the calm one in any situation. He’s never been the type of guy who knows just what to say to make things better, but he feels like he should at least try to fake it for Steve’s sake.

But he still doesn’t know what to say, so he just shakes his head and hesitantly lays his hand on Steve’s shoulder. It’s all he knows to do; the only real comfort he knows he can offer by letting Steve know that someone is here. Jerking his head toward the elevator, he begins again, voice softer than before. ]

Just...let’s get out of here. We’ll take the shitty elevator and lock it up when we’re done, alright? Throw away the key, brick it up or something, make it so no one can get down here again.

[hairington]

[ steve doesn't really know what to do with any of this, now that it's out in the open. he supposes that might be part of the problem, the problem nancy had years ago, the problem the kids all have, the problem he's been avoiding since that first night. that beyond dustin's rants every now and then, none of them really talk about this shit. they know what the others have seen, they've all lived through various different versions of the same nightmare, but putting it in words? letting it out? hasn't always been part of the program.

and, genuinely, steve thought that was for the better. keep it in, don't bring it up, and the rest of it will stay behind them. they can just keep moving, have a bad day here and there, and then it will be like nothing ever happened.

except that isn't at all what is happening. no matter if these circumstances are beyond different, no matter if he never could have even imagined whatever it is they've found themselves, he is literally standing in the midst of all that he thought he could leave behind. even with his eyes held closed, he can still smell it. can still hear the echoes of russian soldiers right on the other side of the door.

don't apologize to me, man eddie says, and steve feels himself laugh at that, no matter how it might still sound a little shaky. he knows he's apologizing for exploding, he knows that eddie didn't ask for any of this and didn't deserve the outburst either. hell, they're just now even kind of friends - but some part of steve can also recognize that this is all. ridiculous. and apologizing like he feels like he needs to kind of also sounds stupid.

it's eddie's hand on steve's shoulder that does it in the end - that settles him enough to pull his hands away from his face. that grounds him enough to take an actual breath. part of him doesn't really want to meet eddie's eyes, but steve finds himself looking up at him anyway. nodding, once. ]

Yeah. Okay. Shit. [ he rubs at his face one last time before nodding, looking fractionally more steady as he starts towards the elevator. ]

[satanicpanics]

[ If Eddie knew any of the group better than he does, he might recognize that he is also part of that problem. He doesn’t really talk about things either. He files those memories away, telling himself that he’ll address it on another day, but he never does. Instead, he tiptoes around the trauma, refusing to think about it too deeply, because thinking about it means having to make it real again and find something to do with the information.

Kind of hard to hide when it’s all laid out in front of you like this, though. He doesn’t blame Steve for not discussing it. It’s a lot, and he wonders if something like this might be hidden somewhere in his domain, a little alcove of trauma in what would be an otherwise light and welcoming place. There’s definitely some shit they need to discuss, but maybe not here.

When they board the elevator, Eddie wincing as it creaks beneath their weight, he sneaks a glance at Steve. To make certain he’s okay? There’s not really any “okay” in this situation, but if he’s holding up, it’s a start. He wants to make a joke, wants to do something to lighten the mood and put a little humor into something dark and horrible and beyond their control, but it doesn’t seem like the right environment for a joke. Instead, he aims for something else, weighing his words carefully. ]

So, uh...if it’s any consolation? I’m starting to think you’ve surpassed Ozzy when it comes to metal levels. And he’s like, the king of metal? So…congratulations on the usurping.

[ And yes, he actually means it. ]

[hairington]

[ in eddie's defense, he is still relatively new to this entire thing - it has barely been months since he's, you know, died. and steve would be fully supportive of him spending as much time as he'd like just sort of letting that stew before he unpacks what all that's supposed to mean. and not to make this a competition of trauma, because that's not what this is, but steve has technically had...what? years of this? that he still hasn't bothered really touching on?

that is part of why this is so...off-putting. coupled with the way steve's felt his emotions stung out past the point of breaking for days now, on top of whatever other bonkers bullshit he's been dealing with whenever anyone has showed up in his horizon...steve is tired. beyond tired. tired in ways he didn't even know existed. and maybe the energy it takes to keep this all bottled up is better spent somewhere else.

( and maybe, just maybe, there's a part of him that's glad it's eddie who stumbled across this. steve doesn't even know where he'd begin to deal with this if it involved somewhere who didn't know what any of this even was. )

so he gets on the elevator and he hits the buttons they need and he doesn't react when the thing shudders and shakes into motion. steve feels a bit too stretched thin to be worried about any of this, even as he definitely feels eddie's worried eyes on him every second or so, glances that eddie might think he's sneaking, but that steve can tell each and every time. the words that do come are...well, they're not comforting, exactly, but they are something. something that takes steve's mind off of the spinning, if only for a moment. ]

Does that even count if I still don't know who that is? [ steve does breathe out a sort of laugh, some of the tension escaping with the sound, as the elevator climbs and climbs and then comes to a stop. the doors split open ahead of them, and steve leads the way down the small back hallway and through the door that leads to the lobby of scoops ahoy. he seems to heave a sigh of relief as they make it inside, finding some sort of comfort in the weird fluorescent lighting and cool air of the ice cream parlor. ]

[satanicpanics]

[ It would be an odd thing for anyone who wasn’t Eddie Munson to say, but the comparison to a metal legend is the highest possible compliment from him. It’s his way of saying how much he really respects Steve, how he acknowledges how much he’s been through, that he finds the fact that he’s still standing incredibly impressive.

Basically, Steve is on the same level as some of Eddie’s favorite people, and that’s a level that not many people are lucky enough to reach. ]

Yeah, it counts. You’ll see. I’ll educate you someday. Probably the best teacher you’ll ever have.

[ He grins, an attempt to relieve a bit more of the tension between them. He does mean it. He’s recently received the gift of a iPod full of music—music he knows, and music he’ll never get to hear back home. He doesn’t know what an iPod actually is, but he knows it’s currently one of his most cherished possessions, and the key to musical knowledge for Steve.

That isn’t important right now, though. Eddie gives himself a moment to breathe, and gives Steve a moment to breathe before he dares to glances toward the elevator again. ]

So…you wanna pull a Cask of Amontillado and board this bad boy up?

[hairington]

[ steve doesn't know a single other person who would make this comparison, genuine or otherwise, but there is a feeling to the fact eddie is bringing it up again. a kind of importance that steve might not fully understand, but he can at least recognize. it does feel a little weighted, he thinks. a little like respect.

probably the best teacher you'll ever have. that pulls a kind of tired, darker chuckle from steve, thinking back to school. to classes. to that feeling it always brought with him. there's enough of him that remembers the feeling to want to be pushed back against anything like it, but at the same time, another part of steve thinks that eddie might actually not be too bad at that - the teaching thing, he means. ]

Honestly? You probably would be.

[ steve spends the next few moments just sort of looking around the room. it's interesting that whatever weird shit his brain is doing has protected this space, that the dust and the grime and the vines haven't actually made it inside. he wonders what it is about scoops ahoy that apparently protects it from the rest of this hellscape, especially considering all they have to do is look out the windows to see that it's still all there.

but he'll take it for now, letting out a breath and turning back to eddie just in time to see him glance back to the elevator door. and yes, okay, steve can acknowledge the fact the elevator isn't supposed to be right there - that's the door that is supposed to lead to the labyrinth behind the stores, where mike and the others used to get him to let them sneak back into the movies. the elevator should be-

he's getting too technical. steve lets out a sigh, deciding not to mention how he has no idea what the cask of amonta-whatever is, and instead step around the counter of the shop. ] Yeah- let's board it up. I don't know if it'll do anything with how fucked up this place has been, but. [ a shrug, which is meant to say it would make me feel better, as he starts looking for just about anything he can find that would work to board the door closed. ]

[satanicpanics]

[ Eddie has never held any normal person in such high esteem. Rock stars are like his superheroes, and it’s absolutely a very important thing when he compares someone to them. And then Steve agrees that he would be a decent teacher, and it’s his turn to feel touched. ]

Yeah? Thanks, man. Wanna tell that to the two times I repeated senior year?

[ He isn’t bitter. It’s not really a thing he has to worry about anymore, after all. In fact, he smiles because no one’s ever implied he’s a particularly intelligent person. It means a lot; it really does.

He paces the length of the counter, silent for a moment, until he pauses to glance at that absolutely awful door again. ]

Yeah, well, at the very least? It’ll keep curious minds such as mine from wandering too far. Sorry about that, by the way.

[ He knows by now that the Horizon isn’t in its normal state, and just about anything can happen. It doesn’t matter how good of a job they do boarding the doors up. Those sentient vines could find their way in here and pry them open again, but Eddie knows how this works. They’re people, normal people, and they do things to make themselves feel better, even if it’s not totally logical. Sort of like when you’re a kid and somehow, hiding under the blankets is enough to protect you from the monsters in your closet. ]

So…Scoops Ahoy, huh? Good gig. I think I’d have eaten my weight in free ice cream if it were me, though.

[ He absolutely knows that the sailor suit uniform is absolutely no one’s idea of a good gig, but he’s not aiming for mean spirited here. Just casual and slightly jokey. ]

[hairington]

[ is this what bonding is??? steve doesn't even know anymore. but he guesses there must be something to all of this - from the small things he's putting together about eddie to the fact eddie is still here, just kind of chatting with him, after the disaster that was whatever happened downstairs.

it's enough to help ease some kind of tension out of steve, lets him take a breath, and then another. ] Okay, but being a student and being a teacher are totally different ball games and don't have anything to do with each other. Plus- Mrs. O'Donnell's kind of a bitch.

[ part of steve almost wonders if he's stepped on a land mind of some kind, if it's a sore subject for eddie to dip into. but eddie smiles, so steve assumes it must be okay. at least somewhat.

as eddie paces, steve just sort of stands where he is, his eyes kind of distantly drifting across the room, trying to decide if he's missed this place or if it feels weird being here again. there isn't much in the way of materials to board up the door, but he bets he could use some of the tables. maybe if they broke the place apart just a little bit, the tables could come together.

the apology catches steve's attention, draws his brows together, before he's shaking his head and starting off into the small lobby to start picking up chairs. the place is small enough that they can keep talking, and steve suddenly just. needs to start doing something. ] You're good, dude. Whatever's happening is kind of fucked, but I guess this was better than...

[ steve decides he doesn't want to finish that for right now, so he just moves on, grabbing a couple of chairs and bringing them back to the elevator door, stacking them.

the good gig makes steve huff a laugh, still moving, grabbing more chairs, bringing them back. ] You get sick of it after the first like, three days. But that didn't stop the kids from all coming by for free scoops. And it's how I met Robin, so yeah, it could have been worse.

[ except, you know, it did get worse. but eddie is trying, so steve figures he could too. ]

[satanicpanics]

Dude! That’s what I’ve been saying. Plus, if she were actually a good teacher, I’d have passed the first time. My failure is totally on her.

[ He laughs again, driving it further home that his lack of academic success is not a sore subject in the slightest. In fact, Eddie can’t say that he has many subjects that really grate on him. It takes a lot to get under his skin, though it isn’t totally impossible. Still—sharing the same unfavorable opinion of a teacher while pointedly ignoring more trauma? This must be bonding.

He watches Steve for a moment while he continues to pace, dragging his hand across anything on the counter in his path. Typical annoying child behavior. Doesn’t mean he’s not paying attention. He catches how Steve doesn’t finish his sentence, and wonders vague if he means the Upside Down, or if something else has happened to the guy.

He doesn’t ask. There’s already enough going on already, no need to add another trauma to the mix. In the end, he opts to help, grabbing chairs of his own to join Steve’s stacks.]

That many flavors and you get sick of it after three measly days? Man, can I tell when a job isn’t respected. Still…pretty good gig if you got Buckley out of it. I would have never guessed you two were friends before...you know. Your throne, by the way—

[ Just to lighten the mood a bit further, he offers one of the chairs to Steve with a comedic bow. ]

But if I'm being honest? I feel like all I've done is judge you by bullshit that's like, years in the past then act surprised when it doesn’t line up anymore, so, uh...I'm just gonna stop doing that.

[ The honesty is unreal. ]

ties this off with a little bow

[hairington]

Yeah! Exactly.

[ this is definitely bonding, because eddie is laughing which is making steve laugh. or, maybe not laugh exactly, but he does feel a little lighter. a little less like he's being crushed by everything that's happened so far. what takes its place is a kind of guilt at exploding at eddie at all, but even that is easing.

a few moments later eddie is there with him, helping with the chairs and the pile near the back door. steve decides he doesn't want to question it too much, how well the two of them do when they're working together like this. ]

Oh, we weren't. We apparently had a bunch of classes together when I was still at Hawkins and I don't even remember meeting her before that job. [ there's a hint of a tone there - slightly self-deprecating, slightly honestly guilty about it, but robin has forgiven him and moved on, and steve figures he should let himself do the same. which is why - when eddie hands him one of the chairs with that comedic bow - steve just sort of rolls his eyes and tosses the thing on the pile.

and maybe steve should pick up on the honesty. maybe he should realize how real that comment is. but the truth of it is that he doesn't really blame eddie for his opinion, just as he didn't blame robin, either. he knows he was an ass, supposes he still kind of can be, but right now? ]

Honestly? [ and yes, it's repetitive, but steve is also trying to make a point. ] I judged you too, man. Like, a lot, and it wasn't cool of me; so don't feel too bad about it. [ it was literal hours before they found eddie in that boat shed that steve was calling him a nerd and freak, hours before they showed up and steve saw firsthand how terrified he was. steve feels a bit like he's been slowly unraveling years of misconceptions ever since he started dating nancy wheeler. why stop?

steve gives eddie a small smile. ]

I mean, we might as well just start now, you know?

[ and then, as this is a nice little fade to black, steve is going to hand eddie the next chair and they will continue on their merry way to blockade up that back door. and then probably eat so much ice cream they both get horizon sick. ]