[ there wasn't really an alternative, was there? because when you were faced with death and a missing kid, when you saw a monster standing right in front of you, when kids kept dying and no one was doing anything about it and even when you managed to fight it, to get it away, you were still expected to finish out the year. go to school. graduate. because no one could know.
steve is not going to brag about any of this (except for maybe eleven, and her superpowers. maybe.), because it's not something to be proud of. not really. not when they all didn't make it out in the end.
but again - steve's not focused on that, his entire attention instead over the fact that this is working. they are communicating. the relief and adrenaline is keeping him honed in, and as soon as the two taps come through - which steve realizes, a bit belatedly, was not meant to be an actual question - he can't help but bark a bit of a laugh, feeling...almost lighter. okay, they have a sense of humor. definitely not eleven. ]
Alright, alright, no need to get snippy. [ but then there's the no, not max, and steve feels a bit of that excitement falter. ] Shit. I don't know- [ he balls his hands into fists, presses them to his temple for a moment and tries to think. tries, so desperately hard. is it one of the guys? did one of the kids stumble through one of the fissures around town? no, no there would be more to this if that were the case. nancy would know if mike went missing, and sinclair was still at the hospital. henderson wouldn't...he wouldn't. he couldn't. steve doesn't even know what to think, where to start,.
god he wishes nancy were here. ] Man, who are you? How does this work, I- [ he's frustrated, he can feel it bubbling up in his gut. he leans over his knees for a moment just to try and think. could it be vecna? was he back to taunt him? steve doesn't even know what he would do at this point if that was really what happened, but then again, that would be par the course. vecna, still alive. vecna, whose come back to haunt him. venca, who will probably show up in his dreams as eddie and tell him this was your fault, you were supposed to be the hero.
( something about that thought is what gets him - eddie, who would look at him like that. disappointed, mad, upset, sad. eddie, who wasn't supposed to die. eddie, who sacrificed himself. )
steve might be going a little insane, but after a couple moment's silence, he finally looks back up again to the lantern. the light. he needs...god, he needs a drink. stronger than the beer he's forgotten at his feet. but he won't risk it.
there's no way, there's no way, and yet. ]
Munson, I swear to god if that's you...
[ he doesn't even know if he speaks loud enough to be heard through the dimensions, but steve's not sure he can raise his voice any higher with how tight his throat feels. ]
no subject
steve is not going to brag about any of this (except for maybe eleven, and her superpowers. maybe.), because it's not something to be proud of. not really. not when they all didn't make it out in the end.
but again - steve's not focused on that, his entire attention instead over the fact that this is working. they are communicating. the relief and adrenaline is keeping him honed in, and as soon as the two taps come through - which steve realizes, a bit belatedly, was not meant to be an actual question - he can't help but bark a bit of a laugh, feeling...almost lighter. okay, they have a sense of humor. definitely not eleven. ]
Alright, alright, no need to get snippy. [ but then there's the no, not max, and steve feels a bit of that excitement falter. ] Shit. I don't know- [ he balls his hands into fists, presses them to his temple for a moment and tries to think. tries, so desperately hard. is it one of the guys? did one of the kids stumble through one of the fissures around town? no, no there would be more to this if that were the case. nancy would know if mike went missing, and sinclair was still at the hospital. henderson wouldn't...he wouldn't. he couldn't. steve doesn't even know what to think, where to start,.
god he wishes nancy were here. ] Man, who are you? How does this work, I- [ he's frustrated, he can feel it bubbling up in his gut. he leans over his knees for a moment just to try and think. could it be vecna? was he back to taunt him? steve doesn't even know what he would do at this point if that was really what happened, but then again, that would be par the course. vecna, still alive. vecna, whose come back to haunt him. venca, who will probably show up in his dreams as eddie and tell him this was your fault, you were supposed to be the hero.
( something about that thought is what gets him - eddie, who would look at him like that. disappointed, mad, upset, sad. eddie, who wasn't supposed to die. eddie, who sacrificed himself. )
steve might be going a little insane, but after a couple moment's silence, he finally looks back up again to the lantern. the light. he needs...god, he needs a drink. stronger than the beer he's forgotten at his feet. but he won't risk it.
there's no way, there's no way, and yet. ]
Munson, I swear to god if that's you...
[ he doesn't even know if he speaks loud enough to be heard through the dimensions, but steve's not sure he can raise his voice any higher with how tight his throat feels. ]