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[thefreak]

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the day after weed party sometime

[bubblegumheart]

So you've been high a couple of times, right?

[thefreak]

More than a couple times, but yes. Why, what's on your mind, princess?

[bubblegumheart]

Oh. How many times is more than a couple?

[That's not important, really, but she's curious.]

Also I might have had half a brownie at Steve's party and then indirectly told someone I like that I like him.

[thefreak]

Like. I used to get high pretty regularly.

[ Hooray for shitty coping mechanisms! ]

Shit, seriously? Good for you!

That...this is a good thing, right?

[bubblegumheart]

Oh. That's more times than I was expecting. Not that that's a bad thing. You're allowed to do whatever you want.

[Very smooth, Chrissy.]

I think it's a good thing.

The last time I liked someone, I just kept it to myself and then ended up wishing I'd done things differently. So I didn't want to do that this time.

[thefreak]

Yeah, I know, probably one of the many reason I didn't graduate on time.

Well, that's awesome then! [ He of course has no idea Chrissy might be referring to him. It's probably for the best, at least for now. ] So long as you still like him. In which case I'd definitely let him know that you meant it, that it wasn't just a you being high kind of thing.

[bubblegumheart]

Maybe you were just really in love with the idea of being in high school.

[She doubts it, but she's also not really trying to analyze why he hadn't graduated when he was supposed to.]

Mhm. [It's fine. In the grand scheme of things, telling him the truth now seems unnecessary. She'd wanted him to ask her out in eighth grade, and then at the beginning of ninth grade. And sure, she was kind of annoyed when it never happened but she got over it. Now, it doesn't matter.] I mean I liked him before that. I just hadn't figured out how to tell him, and then I just sort of blurted it out over ice cream.

[thefreak]

Yeah, because getting bullied by teachers and jocks alike is just oh so charming.

Yeah, weed does sometimes have that kind of loose lips effect. Shit, I was definitely a lot more carefree with, uh. How I spoke with certain parties. [ Not that he didn't just have a tendency to flirt in general, but it was definitely more overt with Steve that night. ]

[bubblegumheart]

Hey, I'm sure there are probably some people that are into it. I don't ever want to meet those people, but sure.

And look. I just saw brownies and didn't realize they were weed brownies until I'd already had half. [She will have to remember to be more careful next time is all. Assuming there's a next time.]

Certain parties?

[inhairently]

hypothetical question

what kind of dice do you need for dungeons and dragons?

i realize now that it's not actually a hypothetical question, it's just a question. but you know what i mean

[thefreak]

[ did eddie fall and hit his head?

is he dreaming right now?

did steve harrington actually get the name dungeons and dragons correct on the first try? ]

uhhhhh

standard is usually twenty-sided and six-sided, but they also make four, eight, and twelve-sided dice that sometimes come in handy.

should i be worried??

[inhairently]

[ sometimes he pays attention!

but in this case, it's more likely that he's just heard the words "dungeons and dragons" in that order so many times he'll never forget it. ]

what? can't a guy ask a question?

[ this is totally normal and not weird at all, eddie. please. ]

so like the twenty sided one

do they have those at casinos? is that a thing?

[thefreak]

i mean, yes you can, but you've never exactly shown interest in the game before so. i'm just a bit skeptical is all.

[ oh sweet baby jesus steve has a lot to learn. ]

not that i know of? but i've also never been to the casino, and this boat is fucking weird so maybe??

[inhairently]

[ he types out and deletes a variety of responses ranging from "i want to learn more about the stuff you like" (because that's not entirely true, he doesn't really want to know all that much about d&d) to "hey forget it do you wanna find somewhere to make out" (because they haven't really talked about what happened at the price is right yet, so). ]

i'm just curious, man. that's all.

[ is what he finally goes for. and then he rethinks it, because he really doesn't want to be an asshole to eddie. so, he revisits some of those typed-out-then-deleted messages. ]

look, i'll be honest. i don't think i'll ever really get the game. it's just not my thing.

but i was asking cunningham if she thought i could talk you into playing a game of basketball with me and she kind of made me realize that i can't ask you to do stuff i like if i don't give the stuff you like a shot too.

[thefreak]

[ eddie isn't sure what he's expecting. maybe it stings a little that it took chrissy's influence to get him to consider this, but if he's being honest wkth himself, he wouldn't have even expected him to care with her meddling, so he should just take this as a win.

but wait, then, back up. he wants eddie to play basketball?

and in exchange is willing to learn a little about d&d?

shit, if eddie weren't already so fucking smitten with this guy. ]

so let me see if i'm getting this right.

you want me, eddie munson, the one who marched across the cafeteria decrying school sports to play basketball

and as payment you'll play dungeons & dragons?

yeah, i think that's a fair tradeoff.

[ the actual tradeoff here isn't so much watching steve squirm while trying to calculate damage

but if there's a chance he can recover his handbooks, that alone would be worth humiliating himself a little on a basketball court.

besides, he does genuinely want to understand more about the things steve enjoys. he might never get what's so fun about basketball, but maybe the smile on steve's face alone will be worth it. ]

[inhairently]

[ one day steve will get better at this. he'll quit staunchly rejecting anything that doesn't appeal to him. he'll give stuff a chance willingly and without the promise of a fun sportsball trade off.

just not today.

eddie's easy agreement to this arrangement surprises him, though. he hadn't really been expecting it to go so smoothly. ]

no shit?

okay. cool. i don't know anything about it so you'll have to teach me everything, sorry. i'll try my best

[ and that is actually true. if he's going to commit to this he's going to try to do it right. that doesn't mean there won't be a lot of whining about it, but he can whine and also put in the effort. ]

i'll teach you too. we can do some one on one sometime. just the two of us.

[thefreak]

[ oh boy, that sets him off. the idea of having to teach steve everything, from how to build a character, to what the different dice mean. it's been a while since he's had an entirely green player come into the mix, and it's steve.

but he knows he shouldn't get carried away. because it's steve. ]

yeah? i can show you the ropes. we usually do a session zero where i meet with everyone separately to talk characters and backgrounds and shit, so we can just have a bit of a longer session.

oh yeah? some one on one, huh?

[ he knows what steve meant, of course, but he can't not be his usual annoying self around steve. ]

seriously, though. i'm gonna need a lot of one on one if you're expecting me to be at all good at anything resembling a sport.

december 24th

[inhairently]

[ JUST AS DOCUMENTATION that this happened

On the evening of the 24th, Steve will gift Eddie a lovely set of sharp-edged Hellfire dice. They're a pretty, nearly-translucent ruby red with the Hellfire logo and numbers etched in black. Steve has no idea why the ship decided to give him what he works out are D&D dice but it only seems right to give them to Eddie.

He doesn't know the ins and outs of D&D supplies or that things like dice bags exist, but he did have the forethought to consider Eddie might need something to keep these bad boys in, so with Chrissy's help he's sewn together a little bag using one of Tommy Bahama's few black patterns. (He also rolled a 12 to make it so it's one of the best DIY bags made from a Hawaiian shirt you've ever seen.)

Whether or not this occurs in person, there is a note (and he really has to debate on how mushy he wants to go as he writes it):

Eddie -

Henderson asked me if I'd fill in for Sinclair that day you guys had your big game. I kind of wish I'd said yes.

Thanks for sticking around while I figure myself out.

- Steve ]

Christmas Delivery

[crushed_pearls]

Erin tracks Eddie down at breakfast. She hasn't gotten her own plate yet but who knows when she'll find him later since the phones don't work here.

"Youngblood! Got something for ya."

From her pockets Erin takes out a washcloth tied into a little bundle, which she sets next to Eddie's plate.

Inside are a selection of guitar picks, branded with the sword Sting, the White Tree, the One Ring, the Horn of Gondor, and Isengard.

[thefreak]

Eddie is in the middle of raising a fork of eggs to his mouth when Erin comes across him. He raises an eyebrow in interest before lowering the fork back down onto his plate and eyeing the washcloth curiously.

Before unceremoniously untying the washcloth to reveal the tiny little bundle of guitar picks. His eyes light up immediate in recognition of each little branding.

"Holy shit! These are beautiful. Erin, seriously, thank you so much, you shouldn't have."

[crushed_pearls]

"I can't claim sole credit," Erin returns, playfully. "Peter Smith's wood treatments made 'em usable as actual picks, but I'm glad y'like 'em. Figure maybe you enjoy owning fingers and it's hard to shred without some."

[thefreak]

Peter Smith -- ah, yes, Eddie remembers him, he'll have to thank him the next time he runs into him. "Well thank you, both of you then!" He smiles brightly as he runs his fingers over each pick, noting the way they feel.

"They'll be perfect, man, can't wait to get home and try them out!" Which, okay, he sometimes thinks before speaking, but doesn't bother correcting himself when he realizes he's called the damn boat home.

Probably wrap?

[crushed_pearls]

"I look forward to it. Merry Christmas, Eddie!"

[theweakhavepurpose]

[ Before Eddie wakes up, Pratt & Sharky's gift basket delivery service has come and gone, leaving a festive parcel outside his door. There's a tasteful notecard reading GET ALIVE SOON BUDDY.

Inside is various candies, some pint glasses, an extremely tasteful sign that makes no sense, and various other odds and ends. Go wild picking things out.

Welcome back to the Serena Eterna.]

[thefreak]

[ In his rush to get to Steve's cabin and have a bittersweet reunion, he knocks over the gift basket, miraculously not shattering the pint glasses in the process. It's not until he comes back an indiscriminate amount of time later that he picks through the different things that were left for him.

The sign gets affixed to the wall on his side of the cabin (hope you like it, Klaus), and there's several rubber ducks that are now going to randomly appear around the cruise ship, a calling card, if you will, because apparently now Eddie is concerned about leaving his mark on the world. Or at least on the cruise ship.

And to the surprise of no one (probably), this tin is definitely about to be repurposed for non-mint-related things. ]