portalhopping | Video to Chrissy

[Chrissy looks....well confused.]

I'm sorry what ice cream sundaes? I didn't order any ice cream...

[Chrissy flinches and stares at the screen, half gesturing to somewhere beyond Steve as she does.]

Uh... is everything okay, Steve? Did Eddie order ice cream for my dance class?

[ Steve rolls his eyes. ]

Yeah, everything's fine. I've just got some new employees that have no idea what they're doing.

[ He raises his eyebrows in surprise. Sliding the pencil out from behind his ear and tapping it against his fingers. ]

Yeah, he didn't tell you? We're going to take the works over there so they can make their own sundaes, but I want to make sure I've got enough ice cream.

[There's a hint of amusement on Chrissy's face - it's weird, different, seeing the Steve Harrington in this role rather than jock and all around popular guy at school.]

No, he didn't mention it - Eddie's really sweet, though, and the girls in my class are all kind of in love with him.

[Chrissy beams a little as her gaze goes downward in thought.]

Twelve is definitely enough, though - he's really spoiling my class. And I don't even know why, but it's really sweet.

[Chrissy brushes that off and tilts her head.]

4:00 to 5:00 any time is good - it'll give them time to burn off any energy from the ice cream and not ruin their dinners or anything.

Yeah, who thought the guy being hunted for leading a murderous, Satantic cult would be buying ice cream for a bunch of tiny dancers?

Eddie's a pretty good guy once you get to know him. [ He huffs, his forehead furrowing for a moment. ] Come on, you know why.

Don't you?

Edited 2022-09-06 01:11 (UTC)

Wait - what?

[Chrissy looks genuinely confused as she moves to the back, into an office herself, the door shutting behind her.]

What do you mean hunted for leading a murderous, Satanic cult? Was that after I....?

[Chrissy trails off, wide-eyed with horror at the idea of something like that happening to Eddie, especially given he was nothing but good to her. Why would people think he - did he get the blame?]

Did people blame him for what happened to me, Steve?

[Chrissy follows that up with a shake of her head, half distracted.]

I really don't - but you know so tell me...please?

[ Steve's expression shifts into something more serious. He was pretty sure that Eddie would've mentioned the fact that he'd been hunted for her and Vecna's other murders, but apparently not. ]

Yeah. [ He sighs, reaching up to push his hair back. ] They blamed him for all the murders. Jason thought the Hellfire Club was some kind of Satanic cult and he and his buddies took it upon themselves to hunt Eddie down.

Half the town still thinks that, even after... [ He trails off, shaking his head. ] I thought you knew.

[ Steve pauses, not sure if he should spill any more information about Eddie on her. He shrugs after a moment. ]

He's crazy about you. I mean, we barely know each other, but even I can see that.

Eddie could never murder anyone - he wouldn't. [There's no uncertainty in Chrissy's voice at all. She doesn't question this, she knows it.] What's wrong with Jason - why would he do that?

[Chrissy looks legitimately upset, put off - anger knitting at her brows.]

That's wrong, I went to Eddie for help and he was sweet and kind and he tried to safe me... I had no idea that they did that to him.

[Chrissy brings her hands up to her face and then pushes her hair back, upset.]

He should be angry with me this is all my fault. There's no way he's crazy about me after Jason put him through hell because of me - I don't get why he's not angry but he should be....

[ Steve sighs and reaches up to rub his face. ] I don't know, Chrissy. He got worked up over your death. Everyone did. I think people just wanted someone to blame and Eddie was an easy target.

I'm sorry to tell you like this. I thought Eddie might've said something about it. [ He wonders how much he might have edited things out just to keep Chrissy from getting upset. Steve probably wasn't doing him any favors right now, but Chrissy deserved to know how others had used her death against him. ]

[ Steve shakes his head. ] That's the weird thing about Munson. He never really got angry. A little panicky, yeah. Maybe a little violent when we found his hideout, but over all, I think he just tried to deal the best he could. [ It's almost as if he hadn't been surprised about the town turning against him. ]

Most of all, though. He felt bad for leaving you. He beat himself up over it. For running... [ Steve stops himself, knowing he's going too far. He takes a deep breath. ] He should be telling you this stuff, not me.

I get worked up and I don't send a lynch mob after innocent people!

[Chrissy snaps before she realizes what she's doing - and the guilt on her face is almost instant as she scrubs over her face again.] I'm sorry. I shouldn't snap like that at you it's not your fault...

[Chrissy sighs, feeling awful.]

So he got wrapped in this Vecna stuff because of me on top of Jason coming after him, with all of his buddies and supporters... I really did walk into his life and ruin it.

[Chrissy says, sinking down into an office chair with sadness dripping from her every pour.]

I told him there's nothing to feel guilty for - I was gone and there was nothing he could do... but I wish I'd never gone with him now. Maybe if I hadn't he wouldn't have wound up...

[Chrissy curls into the chair and looks at the screen.]

Maybe he couldn't tell me or he'd have started hating me realizing what I did to him....

It's okay. [ Steve would be upset too if his death was blamed on one of his friends and they were hunted for it. He's not going to blame Chrissy for getting angry.]

Vecna wasn't your fault, Chrissy. He's been going after people for years. [ He takes a deep breath. ] Jason isn't your fault either. You had no control over what either of them did. Or how they used you.

Eddie knows that.

And take it from me, playing the "what if" game is only going to drive you crazy. We can't change what happened. We just have to find ways to deal with it. [ He thinks that comes out a little harsher than how he means it and his expression softens. ]

Maybe he didn't want you to feel this way about it.

Eddie wouldn't have gotten pulled into any of this mess if I hadn't gone to him, though. Jason wouldn't have had anybody to blame if I had just left him out of it - unless he was going to attack my family the same way if it had happened when I was at home...

[Chrissy hedges that bet - pretty sure that her mother never would have cowed to Jason, and pretty sure that Jason could tell that Laura Cunningham was not the kind that you attack like that either unless you want to screw yourself.]

They used me but I used Eddie and I'm pretty sure that's no better even though I care about him now.

[Chrissy sighs, looking into the screen.]

I know he doesn't, but that doesn't make it easy not to...I caused him so many problems.

I can't speak for Eddie, but having gotten to know him a little better, I don't think he will see it that way.

He took your death pretty hard, Chrissy. [ Steve pauses, pressing his lips together as if he's not sure he should say more. ] I think it changed him.

Actually, I know it did.

[ Steve sighs, running a hand through his hair. His voice is soft.]

You should talk to him.

[Chrissy sighs and finds herself curling into herself, knees coming up into the chair and making herself small.]

I don't know how to talk to him about this - we already couldn't agree when he told me about Vecna and all of that. I felt like I brought it on myself and dragged him into all of this then, but I left him in a mess. I don't know how all of you dealt with this stuff...

None of this is your fault. It's not anyone's fault. This shit has been simmering under Hawkins for a long time, we all just got caught up in the middle of it.

[ He sighs. ] And there's no real way to deal with it, but being around the others that know what it's like helps. Why do you think I hang out with a bunch of Freshmen?

[ He picks up the phone, drawing it closer. ] Are you okay? If you want to talk it through before you talk to Eddie, I can be a sounding board. But it's probably better face to face.

Maybe - I mean I know that you're right - it's just hard knowing how bad I left things for Eddie.

[Chrissy looks down, guiltily and fiddles with her fingers nervously. She does manage a smile after a moment, though, not because she's happy but more because of Steve's words.]

I didn't realize you were hanging out with a bunch of freshmen, but you, Eddie, and Robin are the only people that I know from home here who have been through it and I have been around him... I don't want to bother you or Robin too much, though.

[Chrissy admits before sighing.]

I don't know - I'm upset, but it's not really Eddie's fault, other than he didn't tell me about it, but I was pretty shaken when I got here so I sort of get it too. It just makes me feel bad. I care about Eddie.

Hey, you're not a bother. We have to stick together, okay? If you ever need me or Robin, we're here for you too. I know she won't mind me saying that for her.

[ Steve nods, brushing his hair back out of his face. ]

I can't tell you how to feel, but I know he wouldn't want that for you. Especially when you had nothing to do with it. Plus, the whole being dead thing was a lot to deal with.

[Chrissy gives a shrug.]

Okay - though the same goes for you. I don't know that much about what went on or anything, but I'm here and if we're sticking together it should go both ways.

[It's an innocent and naive statement on some level- but Chrissy makes the leap. She wants to make herself home here, wants things to be different.]

Everyone keeps saying that, I should probably agree with you all - it's just... I was so wrapped up in what I was feeling with Vecna and then so terrified and now that I don't have him making me see things and I'm not, I think, going crazy anymore it's hard to just stop feeling bad realizing how selfish and focused I was before on just... me and how that dragged other people into it even if it was Vecna's fault and not mine.

It goes all ways, trust me. [ He gives her a faint smile. ]

Selfish? [ He sighs and shakes his head. ] Chrissy, he stalked you and exploited your worst fears before killing you. You weren't being self involved, you were being attacked.

Just... give yourself a break, okay? You don't deserve to beat yourself up about it.

When you and Eddie both say the same thing it makes it really hard to not feel like I should try harder to shake how I feel.

[Chrissy admits, lightly, a small smile pulling at her face despite the seriousness of what she found out.

Though there is part of her that hasn't forgotten about Eddie being 'crazy about her' either. But she's pretty sure Steve is wrong about that.]

I'll try, it's just hard. Hopefully that's good enough.

[ He shrugs, giving her a faint grin. ] One metalhead and one ex-jock can't both be wrong.

That's all any of us can do. [ He looks up at a knock on the door. He tilts his head towards it. ] I'd better go before the burn an ice cream shop down. Just text me about the sundaes.

[ He pauses. ] And I meant what I said about me and Robin. We're all from Hawkins, so we get it. We're here if you need us.

Video to Chrissy

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