Still not a Hero

indie canon-divergent rp for Eddie Munson of Stranger Things || follows from distantsongsofjoy || penned by moss (xe/xem, 27+)

[batkillermunson]

╚════════☆𝔫𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔯 𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔫𝔤𝔢 𝔇𝔲𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔫 ℌ𝔢𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔯𝔰𝔬𝔫☆════════╝ indie highly selective canon-divergent rp for Eddie Munson of the Stranger Things universe. please read rules before interacting. follows from distantsongsofjoy. ◇─◇──◇─◇✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁◇─◇──◇─◇ { Exploring… trauma, survival, abuse, addiction, abandonment, pansexuality in the 80s, fantasy worldbuilding, nerd culture, the art of not fitting in, a lungful of smoke, the smell of dust in the air, frigid pain, near-death experiences, nightmares from Hell, joking to cope, swearing with feeling, protecting the misfits } home rules memes starters

[nysusmuses]

“Aww, you like us that much, huh? Dweeb,” Gareth chuckled, grinning before taking another drag off his cig. He blew the smoke up and watched as it curled towards the ceiling. They were really in the same boat there, and while Gareth had bigger aspirations than Hawkins… this was nice, for now.

He liked playing D&D with everyone. Eddie was a fucking incredible DM, and he’d been surprisingly patient with Gareth while he learned, despite his character getting fucking annihilated the first session he played. Rad as Illian the Unvanquished was, Hodash the Breaker ended up being a way better fit for his play style and skill level. He still remembered making the character sheet with Eddie that next day.

Eddie threatened to kick them out of the band if they actually did get sick, and Gareth barked a laugh, coughing out smoke as he did so. “Tragic,” he croaked, eyes watering a bit as he grinned over at Eddie.

And then Eddie was shoving him hard enough to make him slide off his perch against the wall, stumbling a bit. The drummer just laughed harder, shoving him right back. “No way, man! I’ll leave that shit to you.” It did look good on him, though. Like… really good. He couldn’t think about it too long around Eddie though, otherwise-

… damn perceptive bastard would pick up on it, like he had Gareth’s private little smile. The drummer felt his cheeks grow warm, and he hid it by looking away. He shrugged. “Nothin’,” he evaded, bouncing his leg as he leaned back against the wall again. “Just. Y’know- stuff.” Daring to glance back over, he knew that wouldn’t be enough for Eddie. The guitarist had a look on his face like he’d found something to latch onto, and once he did, he never let it go.

Still, he was too embarrassed to just say it, so he avoided meeting Eddie's eyes and took another slow drag off his cig, stuffing his free hand in his pocket.

[batkillermunson]

"No, no. Don't get your sentiments missed up there, bud..." He shoves his shoulder playfully again, a cheeky grin on his face. He reaches up a pats Gareth's cheek a bit roughly, then shoves his face back as well. "It isn't care, it's boredom," he jokes. "Which is why you're all expendable!"

Eddie sidesteps to stand in front of the drummer when he turns his head away. A mischievous grin cracks open his face and he huffs out a scoff of laughter. "Nothin'," he echoes back, shaking his head. A ridiculous lie if ever he'd heard one. His whole body arches to the side as he peers around the edge of Gareth's vision, forces himself into view with that stupid, tantalizing grin on his face.

"Stuff," he mocks again, laughing, his voice going up an octave. "What kinda stuff?" Another flick of ash fro his cigarette and a quick drag before he puts it out under his shoe. Tongue flicks out to lick his lips, a brow quirking at the other boy. "And don't just say things, fucker. I see your gears turning, you aren't getting outta this one."

[redeyesfangsandmagic]

"I mean I thought that it was pretty funny. I used to do it all the time in school, not intentionally of course. I was just very quiet and would just appear out of nowhere." She couldn't help but let a gentle chuckle fall from her lips. She really came out of her shell once she left high school, finally found herself but some things were hard to get rid of, like her tendency to scare people thanks to appearing out of nowhere.

"Really? You would do that for me?" She asked with a warm smile appearing on her lips. "That would be amazing, I promise next time something comes up I will make sure to give you a call or possibly push my car to you." She laughed at the thought of her pushing her car with everyone watching her. "Hey there's no need to be sorry I totally understand, you don't have to sorry about feet anywhere but the ground." She smiled as she put her seatbelt on, resting her bag at her feet.

She was getting herself relaxed when the radio jumped to life, causing her to jump a little bit from the level of the music and not the music itself. "Glad to see I'm not the only one who bursts their eardrums while driving." She gave him a gentle nudge. "Cherry Lane." She replied with a smile.

[batkillermunson]

Eddie's brows furrow a little and he shrugs when she seems so surprised by his offer. He shrugs, scoffing a light chuckle. "Yeah! Course. No problem at all." He snorts when she mentions pushing her car to him, curls bouncing as he shakes his head. "Well, maybe don't let it get that dire..."

When she gives the street name, he nods, clicks his tongue with a cheeky wink. "Cherry lane it is." Luckily, despite being directionally challenged, he knows exactly how to get there--small town makes it a bit easier. In no time at all, they're on their way, Iron Maiden playing in the background of their drive.

"All right, so...Music, right? You must have some good taste to be working at a record store, right? So...What're some of your faves," he asks, shooting her a glance. Ringed fingers push his hair back from his face. "I'm dying to know."

[thehawkinsgirls]

She waits until he’s done with his little… tangent, a brow raised the entire time. But there’s one thing about what he’s said that makes her blink. “Why would I want you to… stay away…?”

Clearing her throat and the weird sort of blush the question brought to her cheeks, Nancy regains her composure. “Look, it’s just a gift, okay? Lame, sure but — it’s fall and we can’t go apple picking and you look like you need an apple, not just the snacks, cereal and beer Murray can smuggle in for you...” The corner of her lips twitch ever so slightly, crystal hues daring. “Unless… you want to use the apple for target practice? Not on your head — I don’t think anyone trusts me that much.”

[batkillermunson]

"Don't most people?" A teasing smirk creeps up on his lips. He eyes the apple for a moment, turning it over in his hand and wrinkling his nose a little.

"Oohhh, so this is about my eating habits, huh?" His chin tilts up a little, lips parted. A scoff falls past his lips. "I like the snacks and cereal and beer, Wheeler, thanks very much." He can't help but roll his eyes, though it's mostly endearing. Nancy Wheeler, always gotta look out for somebody. In this case, he can't help but be a little surprised it's him, though.

"I'd trust you, but...I don't trust myself not to move and fuck it up, so..." He tosses the apple back to her. "Look, half the fun of apple picking in the fall, is actually picking the apples. But I appreciate the effort. It's...really fuckin' weirdly sweet."

[hargrove]

✘♚✘ It felt strange to talk about his parents. Billy had never told anyone out loud the story of his mom. Aside from Max, the only other person who knew was El since she found herself in a front row seat to those memories. The thought of being so vulnerable to someone he barely knew still twisted his stomach in uneasy knots. El wasn't the focus here, though. The unlikely companion as his side was the boy he'd once teased in the school halls. The boy who had those perfect, doe-like brown eyes that haunted Billy's dreams.

The truth was, he had divulged the history of his family being torn apart not because he wanted sympathy (had he known Eddie's choice to withhold apologies, he'd have been grateful). It was his way of saying that he understands the other. Despite his flippant remarks and easy smiles, both of which were merely defense mechanisms formed into habit by now, he took every word that Eddie said seriously. His heart went out to him, and though their circumstances were different, he could relate.

Sucks.

It was a simple word, but Billy nodded, feeling the true meaning behind it. They were alike in so many ways. All the ways that he was sure neither of them wanted to be. Then again, Billy knew that they were both survivors. Maybe it was because of the pain in their pasts that they were able to overcome the nightmares they had been subjugated to. He took another swig of his beer, leaning into the warm haze created in his brain by the alcohol, happily pushing such thoughts away.

When Eddie changed the subject, he was grateful. Turning his head, Billy regarded the other. His lips slowly peeled into a smile, realizing that the metalhead had latched onto that one detail from their earlier conversation. "Yeah, I do," he admitted. "I could never play but I like good music." Shaking his head, he sniffed in thought. "I was a dick earlier. I just..." It wasn't like Billy to fumble with words, but he felt it difficult to put his thoughts together. "It's a lot, sometimes. I was on my own down there for a hell of a long time and now there's people again and sounds and lights and- I don't know. Like I said, it's a lot." He shrugged and took another drink, trying to play it off like the sensory overload that effected him now was no big deal.

[batkillermunson]

Yeah, I do.

Eddie purses his lips a little to hide the smile that creeps across his lips. Nodding to himself, he sips his beer, avoiding Billy's gaze as he goes on. "You were," he agrees plainly, but without any malice behind it. If anything, he just appreciates Billy owning up to that behaviour, not trying to shrug it off. The old Billy--the one that had spent a lot of time bullying him in high school--probably would have gone about this an entirely different way. He sees the growth and he respects it.

Deep brown hues glance over to Billy when he trips over his words. He's patient, but surprised to hear the other boy stuttering. Head tilts, a brow quirked curiously while the other searches for his explanation. When it finally comes out, Eddie swallows, chin tilting upwards as he regards the other with understanding. Although he hadn't had quite the experience Billy had in the Upside Down, Eddie had always understood sensitivity to light and sound. Being overstimulated was something he experienced almost on a daily basis. Apparently, his way of dealing with that was just a little different than Billy's.

"Yeah, man, I know what you mean," he assures him, shrugging. "Honestly? That's why I play it so damn loud." He presses his tongue to the inside of his cheek. "Like a fuckin' safe haven, ya know? It blocks out all the other overwhelming bullshit. If I play it loud enough I can...just focus on that. The music." A pause. He shakes his head, glancing down at the can of beer in his hand, the floor...

His head is finally starting to feel the beer, that light, buzzing feeling that can tune out all the rest similar to the way his guitar could, but not as powerful. It's easing his nerves a bit, though, no longer fidgeting and bouncing his leg nearly as much as he had been. "For the record, I never meant to piss you off like that. I, uh..." He clears his throat awkwardly. "I'm sorry." What he can't do is promise that it won't happen again in the future. Like he said, it's sort of his oasis, his way of dealing with the same shit that Billy's clearly trying to deal with. It's just a shame their ways of handling things are opposing forces.

[rpdepartment]

FEVER SENTENCE STARTERS. because here is winter, and getting sick is terribly easy- / tw: illness / 28 starters

got a fever.

« ugh, i keep sneezing and coughing… »

« it’s like my head is about to explode. »

« have you ever coughed so hard it’s like you’re spitting your lungs? that’s me now. »

« i hate the fever. »

« talk lower, your voice rumbles in my head! »

« i think i’ll have to stay in bed for some days… »

« do you have an aspirin or something for this? i want it to go away fast. »

got a fever, but unwilling to stop.

« no, i’m fine, i don’t need to stop… »

« it’s just a headache, it’ll go away…! »

« i have work to do, i can’t stay in bed. »

« i wasn’t sleeping! i w-wasn’t. »

« you don’t have a fever if you believe it strongly enough. »

« if you think that everything spinning will stop me, you’re wrong! »

« come ooon, i’ll take it easy, but let me stand up! i’m bored… »

curing the sick person.

« here, i made you some warm tea. »

« i’ve bought some aspirins! »

« you’ll see you’ll feel better in no time! »

« don’t force yourself to stand up! what do you need? i’ll take it for you. »

« do you need help standing up? »

« damn, your temperature is terribly high. i think we should see a doctor. »

« good morning. how are you feeling? »

curing the unwilling sick person.

« oh, come on! i told you to stay in bed! »

« work can wait! you have to REST! »

« stay under the blankets or i swear that i’ll tie you to the bed! »

« you don’t want to stay in bed? well, i don’t want to take care of you! you’re not special! »

« oh, your fever worsened? maybe it’s because you don’t rest?! »

« lay down, come on! do it for me? »

« you’re seriously making this harder than it should. »

[batkillermunson]

i am...mostly done with my drafts and still have shit in my inbox, but you know what? send memes

[writingpromptneeds]

winter prompts. ❄️

'It's snowing!' 'I can't believe how much snow there is!' 'Did we get a blizzard?' 'Look at all this snow!' 'How do you not enjoy winter? The snow is beautiful.' 'I want to get cozy by the fire.' 'Some hot coca and a fire would be great right about now.' 'I'll get some wood for the fire.' 'Come on, we'll cuddle by the fire.' 'Let's build a snowman!' 'What happened to him? You ruined a perfectly good snowman!' 'Snowmen are over. It's time for snow dinosaurs.' 'He's so cute! Just look at the snowmen!' 'Wanna go sledding?' 'Don't you dare crash my sled.' 'Have you ever gone sledding before?' 'Oh, come on, that hill is perfect for sledding!' 'I can see it already. Death by sled.' 'Is this your first time skiing?' 'Nothing like zipping down a mountain on some skis.' 'Winter sports are the best part about winter.' 'Yeah, that's a no. I'll just hang out at the lodge.' 'Skiing is overrated. Snowboarding is better.' 'Wanna go snowboarding?' 'I want to do some jumps, come on.' 'You're definitely a snowboarder. You have that vibe.' 'Make sure to bundle up, it's cold outside.' 'Don't forget your winter coat!' 'Mittens! I love them!' 'You should get your hat, it's pretty chilly out there.' 'I can't believe how cold it is.' 'Better break out the winter coats.' 'I am not wearing five layers of clothes.' 'Are you declaring snowball war?' 'Duck for cover!' 'Snowball fight!' 'Hey, watch my head! You almost got me in the face!' 'Don't you dare shove snow down my back!' 'That is not a snowball, that's an iceball!' 'I got some gingerbread kits, wanna try one?' 'You ate half of my gingerbread house!' 'The kits are for cowards. I don't need instructions to build a structurally sound gingerbread house.' 'Yeah, so, all those candies were decorations. Not just a snack for the builder.' 'You bit my gingerbread man's head off!' 'Well, I've seen worse gingerbread creations.' 'What a time of year.'

[caymemes]

🤧  FLU  SEASON  PROMPTS

01.  “maybe  this  time  i’ll  just  shake  it  off.” 02.  “you’re  sure  you’re  dying  but  it’s  actually  just  a  sore  throat.” 03.  “i  refuse  to  take  medicine  like  an  adult.  i  want  to  suffer.” 04.  “you  cough  once  in  public  and  suddenly  everyone  looks  at  you  like  you’re  patient  zero.” 05.  “getting  sick  is  like…  oh  right,  i  am  mortal.” 06.  “i  swear  i  only  get  productive  when  i’m  sick.  fever-brain  be  writing  novels.” 07.  “i  love  when  your  temperature  is  103°  but  you’re  still  like  ‘i’m  fine  tho.’” 08.  “the  way  i  dramatically  collapse  on  the  couch  like  i  have  tuberculosis.” 09.  “nothing  humbles  you  like  a  really  bad  cough.”

FLU  SEASON  PROMPTS  —  sick  +  stubborn  edition

01.  “i’m  not  sick.”

02.  receiver  tries  to  work  through  a  fever;  sender  keeps  catching  them  wobbling  or  leaning  on  furniture  to  stay  upright.

03.  receiver  refuses  to  rest,  so  the  sender  steals  their  laptop  charger  —  anything  to  force  them  back  into  bed.

04.  receiver  swears  they’re  totally  fine…  until  they  pass  out  mid-sentence  into  sender’s  arms.

05.  “stop  fussing  over  me.”

🍜  FLU  SEASON  PROMPTS  —  comfort  edition

06.  sender  shows  up  at  receiver’s  door  with  homemade  soup,  medicine,  and  that  ‘i  told  you  this  would  happen’  look.

07.  sick  receiver  is  too  tired  to  eat,  so  sender  coaxes  them  with  small  bites  and  gentle  teasing.

08.  sender  wakes  up  to  find  receiver  asleep  at  their  bedside,  still  holding  their  hand.

09.  sender  quietly  doing  chores  around  receiver’s  house  because  receiver  is  too  sick  to  keep  up  with  anything.

10.  “don't  come  near  me.  i’ll  get  you  sick.”

🧦  FLU  SEASON  PROMPTS  —  cozy  domestic  vibes

11.  receiver  wearing  three  pairs  of  socks  and  a  blanket  cape  while  the  sender  attempts  to  take  their  temperature.

12.  both  characters  stuck  inside  together,  wrapped  in  comforters,  watching  terrible  TV  and  sipping  hot  tea.

13.  sender  trying  to  cook  soup  for  the  receiver  but  nearly  falling  asleep  at  the  stove.

14.  sender  gently  massaging  receiver’s  sore  shoulders  after  a  week  of  coughing.

15.  sharing  a  nest  of  blankets  on  the  couch  because  “it’s  warmer  this  way.”

😷  FLU  SEASON  PROMPTS  —  comedy  chaos

16.  receiver  is  absolutely  delusional  with  fever  and  says  wild  things;  sender  is  trying  so  hard  not  to  laugh.

17.  two  sick  muses  dramatically  fighting  over  the  last  cough  drop.

18.  “why  are  you  outside  in  the  cold?”

19.  receiver  insists  they  can  still  cook  dinner.  they  cannot.  sender  stops  a  kitchen  fire.

[hawkinsgals]

In all honesty, Chrissy didn’t expect Eddie to show, given that it really wasn’t his scene. She was grateful he did though, happy to see a friendly face amongst the crowd. The fact that he was safe to be there was the main reason she wanted to invite him in the first place. No Jason or his meathead friends.

When Eddie referred to her as Queen of Hawkins once again, a blush bloomed across her cheeks and she ducked her head sheepishly, bangs falling into her face. A grin when her gaze met his for a moment, a soft huff of a laugh following. It was the only time she’d heard the nickname without a pinch of sarcasm or condescension. There was something about his tone that struck her. Though, that’s how it was with him. Eddie was different. And not just for his style and devil-may-care attitude. He was kind in a way most weren’t, not in Hawkins, not towards perfect Chrissy Cunningham. He wasn’t afraid to be himself.

“I’m really glad you came.” She murmurs after another moment, a renewed grin lifting her features.

Teal hues widen a bit when Eddie mentions going for a walk and she’s already nodding along before he even finishes his statement. Getting out of there, away from the party entirely sounded great. When he mentions his ego being hurt she can’t help the -genuine laughter- that bubbled up.

“How could I possibly pass up the opportunity to get out of here- and hang out with a future rock star?”

A quick glance around to figure out the best and easiest way out of the house without having to sift through the crowd and she’s pulling at his arm, downing the rest of her beer before tossing it into a mostly full bin in the corner.

“Let’s go before someone crashes our party.”

[batkillermunson]

I'm really glad you came.

He can't help the way his eyes widen at that, lashes fluttering with a spike in blinking. A smile curls against his lips, his chest growing hot as a blush rises up his neck and into his cheeks. "Yeah, well...Like I said, quite the opportunity, so..." A shrug, avoiding her gaze as he waves a hand through the air like it's no big deal. Except it is. And it's probably pretty obvious that he's only there for her.

Her laughter at his joke boosts his confidence a bit and he has to glance away for a moment to hide his proud smile. He swallows, looks back and finds that she's actually agreeing with his proposition. Oh, shit. Was this really happening?

A breath. A finger lifts, lips parted to respond, but he doesn't get any words out before Chrissy is taking hold of his arm and dragging him through the crowd. No protests from him, of course. If she was ready to go, well...He's not going to stop her. Definitely doesn't want to change her mind.

Our party. The way she says that makes his heart soar in such a pathetic fucking display of affection. Yeah, their party. That's what this is now, right? If they're ditching all the rest...but, was she actually wanting to spend time with him? Is this for real? Or was something up, something that would come crashing down on him soon enough..? No, Chrissy was nice. Chrissy Cunningham, surprisingly enough, was a good friend. Maybe this was just that--and that's OK with Eddie, as long as he can spend more time in her delightful presence.

"Right. Okay, uhhhh..." A glance back towards the party once they're outside, then he's pulling his keys to the van from his pocket, swirling them against his fingers. "Lemme just...grab something, okay?" He nods, leading her to his van and sliding open the doors. He digs around in his bag in the back seat for a moment before producing a small plastic baggy, which he hides from view and tucks into the pocket of his jacket. "Good to go!" He flashes her a grin as he locks up the van, then nods down the pavement. "C'mon. I know a good spot..."

[nysusmuses]

Gareth beamed under the guitarist’s praise. He knew it was well earned- he’d been a drummer since he was old enough to sit at a kit and still reach the pedals. Not that he had one of his own, back then. He used to sneak into Hawkins High after hours to use their band room’s kit. Now of course, he had his own set at home. His parents had helped him get it after his therapist suggested it might help with some of his “behavioral issues”. Which really, was just code for calming him the fuck down. He still had issues, of course; but drumming really had helped take the edge off.

He'd use that skill to get far away from this small town. He'd go far, he'd find his way, and make his life what he wanted it to be- what he needed it to be.

“Eh, I wouldn’t worry about it too much,” he said, noticing the anxious way Eddie flicked his lighter. “Need be, I can work with them on their off time. Fortunately for you bastards, I don’t got much of a life outside Corroded Coffin,” he huffed a laugh. “Well, that and Hellfire.” But he knew where his priorities lay, cause at the end of the day, only one of those would help get him out of this damn town.

“Tell you what though, if they get the flu and pass it on to us? I’m gonna lose my damn mind,” he grumbled, a frown tugging the corners of his lips. “Drumming with face leaking an' my head stuffed full is so not on my bucket list.” Cause like hell were they canceling even if that was the case. He’d riot.

Gareth saw the mischief in Eddie’s eyes and in the way he grinned, and he narrowed his eyes. Eddie flicked the lighter open and moved closer, and Gareth felt his lips twitch in amusement at his antics. The dark-haired man winked, and Gareth snorted and rolled his eyes like it hadn't made his heart flutter and his cheeks tint, just a little. He'd never admit it aloud, but Eddie was undeniably attractive. Between that, his latest T-shot putting his libido in overdrive, and the fact he was painfully inexperienced, yeah, his heart raced a little at their closer proximity. Still, he'd gotten good at feigning nonchalance, over the years. He leaned in a little and inhaled in little puffs to help the cigarette light. Once it did and Eddie leaned back far enough he could think again, he responded.

“Yeah, somehow I’m more worried about you lighting your own hair of fire there, Rapunzel.” A gentle ribbing. Gareth himself used to have hair well down past his ass, when they first met back when he was just entering Hawkins Middle and Eddie was at the tail end of his stint. That was before he shaved it off and burned all his femme shit, demanding his parents allow him to dress the way he wanted or he’d run away. He still remembered borrowing Eddie’s clothes… the way the Black Sabbath shirt fell on him had felt right in a way no clothes ever had, before.

Even back then, Eddie had always been cool about shit. He smiled at the memory, looking at the stained floor of his garage before pulling and blowing out a large cloud of smoke. Gareth sighed, closing his eyes as he leaned back against his garage wall.

[batkillermunson]

"Oh, an' you think I got a life? Hellfire is my life, man. Hellfire and Corroded Coffin. All I need." Well, and he was trying to graduate this year, so that meant a little more focus on school work than he was used to...He was determined, though. This would be the year.

"If they get the flu, I'll kick'em outta the band before they can pass it to us," Eddie spits through gritted teeth. A quick, irritable drag off his cigarette. "No way in hell they're ruinin' these pipes with that shit, nuh-uh." Of course, he's not totally serious. They wouldn't be out of the band, necessarily, but they'd sure be given a long distance practice until they stopped showing symptoms. Course, the hope is that those losers have a high enough tolerance for that shit they won't even have to worry about it.

At the other's ribbing, Eddie shoves him hard in the shoulder, a teasing smirk on his lips. "Oh, fuck off! You wish you had hair this good!"

The silence between them lingers and Eddie squints at Gareth curiously. There's something in that smile on his face that he can't help but notice. He smirks, takes another long drag from the cigarette. As he exhales, he asks, "Whatchya thinkin'bout, Gare Bear?" Ash flicked off the tip of the cig as he casually leans against the wall of the garage. He needs the distraction, something to stop his leg from bouncing and nervous energy from filling his entire body waiting for the other guys to show.

[nysusmuses]

@batkillermunson // cont. //

Steve frowned at Eddie’s nonchalance, anxiety curling unpleasantly in his belly as he watched the metalhead eat his jello. The way he acted and talked, it was like he was laid up with a busted leg, and not stitched together like Steve’s shitty attempt at making a teddy bear back in Home Economics in middle school. Having been throttled and chewed on by the Demobats himself, he had a pretty good idea of how bad Eddie’s injuries were.

Hell, the fact he’d woken up at all was a damn miracle, and not one Steve took lightly, especially… considering there was someone else not far down the hallway, still unconscious, and much more unlikely to ever wake again. Steve swallowed at the thought, the crease between his brows one of concern.

“I know,” Steve said, his voice a touch quiet. “You saved Rob and Nance too, and- and I just-” Steve pursed his lips, staring at the hospital gown covering Eddie’s chest, rather than look in his eyes. He struggled to find the words to say what he wanted. How were you supposed to thank someone for something like that? For almost dying, just so you had a chance at success? A chance we blew, he thought, feeling a bit sickened.

He felt a flicker of irritation as Eddie told him to keep everyone safe, his nose scrunching as he looked back up, right into Eddie’s dark eyes. “Yeah, well, there's only so much I can do to keep people safe if they refuse to actually listen,” he responded pointedly. This isn’t what he’d come here to do. To bicker, to pick at each other… He sighed, adjusting on the hard, uncomfortable chair he was perched in beside Eddie. “… listen, Munson, I…” Just say what you mean Harrington, for Christ's sake- “You’re an idiot, and I’m still pissed as hell, and like... I don't know, maybe it goes without saying, but-” Say. It.

Steve still had a scar on his neck, the bruising dark and blotchy. His vision had gone dark at the edges, his body weak… he remembered the fear in Robin’s eyes, the desperation on Nancy’s face so clearly, if he closed his eyes too long, he’d see them again. He hadn’t been sleeping well. The stitches in his sides ached and stretched with every movement and he swore he could sometimes still feel those slimy tails choking him- he could only imagine how bad it was for Eddie.

Steve looked between Eddie’s eyes a moment. “… thank you," he finally said, direct and genuine. "We... we wouldn’t have made it as far as we did without you.” He was just glad Eddie had survived, that he'd woken up. Dustin had been... beside himself. He'd never seen the kid so fucked up, and having seen Eddie here before he woke up, he couldn't blame the kid. Guy had looked like a well-loved chew toy laying so still, it was legitimately eerie to behold.

Steve cleared his throat, picking at a loose thread on the hospital blanket that covered Eddie's lap. “… you, uh… you want a second cup?” he offered, jerking his head towards the jello. “They got orange, red, blue…” He couldn’t do much to help anyone right now, but he could at least help out here. “I’d sneak you in a six pack and some cheeseballs, but I’m pretty sure the nurse would kill me if I tried,” he tried for a joke, lips twitching into an uneasy little smile.

[batkillermunson]

A brow quirks at the ruffling of feathers from Steve, the way he sort of irritably responds to his plea for him to take care of the damn kids. He hadn't meant for it to upset him, but clearly he's more on edge than he realized. He swallows down more jello and shrugs. "That's why I said do your best, Harrington," he says around a mouthful of jello, avoiding his gaze.

Then come more words, soft and desperate and Eddie's gaze flickers up again, all seriousness. One brow lifts, but other than that his expression is neutral. A silent understanding when Steve explains how fucking angry he is at him. He lets the pause linger between them, doesn't bother trying to interrupt or understand. He's patient in this moment until the very second Steve says it...Thank you.

He stares after that, unblinking at first. Then, his lashes flutter and he slurps down the last of the jello cup in his hand. "Don't thank me, man," he finally says instead of answering the offer of another jello cup. He shakes his head a little, wincing at the soreness of his neck. "Don't do that." He can't look at him. Can't bare to see the scars that would be left on Steve. Can't bare the reminder of everything that happened in that place.

More than that, he can't stand the genuine gratefulness in Steve's eyes. He should have died back there. He should have died, just like Chrissy...He shouldn't be awake right now while so many others had-- He swallows hard when he realizes his eyes are stinging with tears, his hand trembling as he holds his spoon. He stops the spiraling thoughts in their tracks with a sniff, still avoiding Steve's gaze. He sets the empty cup and the spoon aside with a bit of effort.

"Yeah, well..." A huff through his nose, a smile barely flickering across his features at the joke. "Can't have that, so..." A brief sideways glance is shot Steve's way, but it doesn't last. His head turns the opposite direction, hiding the few stray tears that fell with the flutter of his lashes. A subtle hand wipes at his cheek.

"Let's dooo...orange, this time! Spice it up a little." A warm grin as he looks at Steve once he feels like he can, once the tears have gone away.

[redeyesfangsandmagic]

Rose was doing her very best trying to fight back the laugh that she felt bubbling up. It wasn't something that she did on purpose, she didn't even know he was there until she had popped her head back up. "I promise you that it will never happen again. Scaring you I mean, I know that I will end up dropping the keys again probably during the week." She admitted, letting the laugh finally escape her lips. "It was a little bit funny, you have to admit that."

"Yeah, you did a really job keeping her in shape, I wish I was as good at keeping my baby in fighting shape. But I will not give up on her, I mean she got me to Hawkins in the first place." She explained, she had her car for quite a long time and was in no way ready to let it go, that and she didn't want to save up for another one.

Her eyes widened at his sudden explanation of rules he had for his van. She gave him a nod of understanding before tapping the side of her head. "Don't worry, I will not forget either of those rules. These feet shall stay firmly away from the dash and I'm all out of smokes." She bowed her head in return to his own bow before heading in to the van, placing her bag on the floor, a foot resting either side of it.

[batkillermunson]

"Less funny being the one getting my fuckin' pants scared off," he exclaims, though he's grinning anyway. A shake of his head, rolling his eyes. Despite the whole town considering him a devil worshipper and cult leader, Eddie Munson is not a very brave individual. Not at all. In fact, anxiety practically runs through his very veins and his survival instincts are on point. Choose flight before fight, that's what his instincts scream at him every single damn time.

"Mm, well, if you ever need a tune-up, I could take a look at 'er for ya," he offers at mention of her own vehicle. A warm smile lights up his features. He's not exactly what someone would consider a car guy, but he knows his way around cars well enough. His dad had made sure he'd know the ins and outs so he could handle all of the unsavory duties of stealing one and keeping it from breaking down on the way. Yeah, not exactly a muscle he liked to flex unless he had to.

He can't help but notice the way her eyes widen in response to his rules and his cheeks flush. He runs his fingers through his hair, a little embarrassed about sounding so uptight. "Sorry," he huffs out in a sheepish laugh. "She's my baby, what can I say?" A shrug and then they're both getting into the vehicle once he's got the confirmation she can handle those rules. Unlike Ronnie, he has a feeling she'll actually follow them.

Once they're both settled, he puts the car in drive, Number of the beast by Iron Maiden instantly blasting from the radio. He jump sout of his skin, instantly reaching out to turn it down. "Jesus! Shit! Sorry...!" Heaving out a breath, he settles on a more reasonable volume and then gives Rose a look.

"All right, Rosie, where'm I going?"

[thehawkinsgirls]

She’s done this before. This whole fucking being scared shitless song and dance she’s so tired of feeling. It tightens the grip on her gun. Knuckles white. Aching. Eddie’s tone doesn’t ease her anxiety, his own breaths coming out in whispered sputters, scenarios painting unwanted pictures —

“ Eddie… Not. Helping. ” Said through gritted teeth, clenched to keep them from chattering. “ It could be a bunny or a deer. I mean we’re in the woods… and there’s no gates around here. ” That they know of. Nancy’s following a simple hunch that the one she’d crawled out of might’ve reopened.

Her breath feels shallow, held, listening, trying hard to ignore Eddie’s presence hot on her heels while doing so. Imagination runs wild, picturing a Demogorgon watching them, hunting them — “ If it’s a Demogorgon… they like the chase. They wouldn’t sneak up on us. ” It’s a half-truth, hoping it’ll ease Eddie’s nerves. “ Besides… this time I’ve actually got my gun. ” There’s confidence with that. Not that it does much damage to a Demogorgon.

A few quiet steps forward and Nancy does spot a glow of red in the distance. “ Wait — ” Stopping abruptly, Nancy grabs Eddie to make sure he doesn’t move from his spot. “ Do you see that? ”

@batkillermunson / cont’d

[batkillermunson]

"Oh, no? It's not? Gee, I sure hope I'm not making our impending doom any worse for you," he hisses sarcastically through his gritted teeth. He sucks in a breath. She's got a gun. She's got. a gun. It's gonna be fine, Munson. Nancy knows what she's doing. Still, he can't help the irritability leaking through. When he's scared, he tends to respond by behaving angrily. Munson family trait.

Her words do very little to ease his nerves, though he tries to cling to them like a lifeline. Probably a bunny or a deer or...something that isn't going to kill them. The odds are slightly leaning in that direction. Yeah. 60/40. That's better than a coin flip, he supposes. Better than a dice roll.

As soon as Nancy stops, Eddie stumbles into her, a sharp "Jesus!" hissing past his teeth as he jumps with surprise. He swallows hard, a hand clinging to her shoulder to steady himself. Wide eyes stare off into the shadowy forest at her words. His heart jumps into his throat. Fuck, fuck, fuck...

"See- see- see what...?" His breath catches in his throat, a trembling inhale as he tries not to panic. "The glowing, red light very similar to the colour of light that comes out of a gate?" The lump in his throat is forced down, his voice cracking when he adds,

"Yeah, I see that."

[batkillermunson]

continued with @thehawkinsgirls from (x)

"Arm strength?" A soft "pfft!" has he rolls his eyes at her playfully. "How hard you gonna hit the ball? You'll knock it out!" He flicks a hand at her shoulder in a teasing nudge. "Oh, focus? Uhh..." His smile disappears and he looks up in thought, tapping his chin. "Yeah, you got me there, that one's not my strong suit." A grin curls up against his lips once more.

He happily allows himself to be dragged to the front, warmth in his chest as soon as their arms link. He'd always feel that fuzzy warm feeling in his chest for Chrissy. It never would go away, he's almost certain. He slides the cash across the counter and picks out a pitch black ball, holding it up and then tossing it in his hand.

"Hand-eye coordination, huh?" He catches it without even watching the ball and leans forward into Chrissy's face with a massive, shit-eating grin. "Well, I guess we've both got that skill in the bag. Does that make us evenly matched, Chrissy? That'll sure make it interesting."

As she leans in as well, their noses brush and he presses a quick kiss to the tip of hers before spinning away again. "Bragging rights and milkshakes it is!" A dramatic flourish of his hand as he grabs his putter. A bow at the waist, gesturing for her to step up to the first hole. "After you..! You'll need the one-up, I'm sure."

[nysusmuses]

Gareth beamed, glowing with the praise. “’Course I do, I’m gonna the best damn drummer that ever left Indiana,” he proclaimed smugly, just as his stick slipped from between his fingers. He caught it quickly, his bright ego flickering momentarily with embarrassment. Oops. “No place better than sitting at a kit or next to an amp, I getcha,” he nodded, tapping his foot on the bass pedal and tapping the snare a couple times, just to move and get a little sound going.

Eddie went and lit up a cigarette, so Gareth stood, moving from his kit. Stuffing his sticks between his jeans and the thick leather belt holding them in place, he pulled out his own pack. He’d started smoking to help roughen his voice last year, and it was already having a decent effect. Plus, the nicotine helped calm some of the constant jittery energy he seemed to have under his skin. It was easier to get ahold of them now that he was eighteen and didn’t have to hide around a corner waiting for Eddie or Grant to buy them for him.

“I mean we will if Jeff and Grant will ever get their asses here- apparently half the fucking staff at the station called out with some flu or somethin’,” he bitched. They'd called him half an hour ago to let him know. “I told ‘em to figure it the fuck out, or we’ll find someone else to do it.” He didn’t mean it, of course. He never did. He loved the guys. He just had to be a bit of a dick sometimes, or they’d probably think he was soft or something.

Pulling out a cigarette and tucking it between his own lips, he dug around for his lighter. Damn thing was dead though, clicking and sparking without lighting. “Goddamnit,” he griped, tossing it to the side, where it skittered across the concrete. He held out his hand, expecting to be handed Eddie’s lighter, before asking; “Light me?”

[batkillermunson]

"Damn fuckin' right you are," Eddie agrees with equal enthusiasm. He lets the smoke fill his lungs and breathes it out nice and slow. A roll of his eyes when Gareth explains what had happened to the others.

"Aw, fuck, man. Not again," he groans, shaking his head. "Oh, they'll figure it out, all right." A firm agreement, nodding exaggeratedly as he flips his lighter open and shut, a nervous tic. "They'll figure it out." This time, he's saying it to reassure himself.

As Gareth held out his hand, asked to be lit, Eddie smirked in a mischievous way. That smirk spread fast across his face like wildfire, bursting into a teasing grin. He pulls his lighter from his pocket and flips it open again, striking it as he leans closer.

"Light you, huh?" He gives a small, mischievous hum. "Careful what you wish for, Gare. Might just come true!" A teasing wink as he reaches over and lights the end of the cigarette himself, the two of them far too close to one another in that moment. However, it's a fleeting moment and he pulls back as soon as the cigarette ignites and flicks the lighter shut again, sliding it into the pocket of his jacket. He takes another drag off his own cigarette and stretches a bit before leaning against the wall again with an impatient bounce in his leg.

[saudadexmses]

Kai looks back at Eddie, it wasn't that he was wrong but he would be lying if he wasn't super curious about what it was." Okay true but," He turns to look at whatever was in front of them." What if it's not? One poke won't hurt, right? What else can we do?"

[batkillermunson]

"We could...I dunno, leave it alone?! Go fucking...Find someone who knows what they're doing to deal with it? I don't know!" His words are frantic, irritated. He's baffled by how little Kai seems to truly value his own life in this moment.

"All I know is that thing seems like bad news, man. An'- and- an' I'm not sure we should be fucking with the fates right now, ya know?"