Network Video Post

[beyourzoomer]

[When the camera clicks on, at first all you can see is the beach, and the water lapping at the sand. A moment later, there's a red-headed girl on your device's screen, and there's a bright smile spread across her face - one that even her friends back home haven't really been privy to up to this point. She looks happy.

She hasn't been away from California and the beach for all that long back home but in some ways it feels like it's been an eternity. And okay, this isn't California, but it's still the beach and the ocean, and this is her element. But it's not just that. She's in a different world entirely, and while that possibility had never really occurred to her before a couple days ago when Lucas started telling her about the Upside Down, she knows he was telling the truth. Not just because she's seen monsters from another dimension, but because now she's in one herself. And she has freaking super powers.

So maybe Nancy Wheeler has no idea who she is because of some weird time thing she doesn't really understand. It's okay.

She's not home anymore. She can breathe.]

Okay so I missed the warmest part of the day but that's okay because the beach isn't going anywhere, right? Plus it's still in the seventies, which is way better than the forties. [Aka, back in Indiana. She's seriously contemplating camping out on the beach tonight just so she can watch the sunrise in the morning.]

Does anyone here surf? I was starting to learn back home before I moved. I can offer free skateboarding lessons in return for any takers.

Comments

[video]

[curiosityvoyage]

[Guess who's poking his head up in here with the happiest grin ever? Yeah, it's Dustin.]

I might know a couple of people who can surf, [he volunteers, making a mental note to go digging through the network again, see who seems like they'd have some idea how to surf. That Archie guy, probably?] You're in Heropa? [Obviously.] We're in De Chima, we've got a couple spare rooms, [it's not exactly a lie, they've all just kind of been cramming themselves into one room] you could come stay with us if you want.

[video]

[beyourzoomer]

[Her eyes go wide at the sight of Dustin's face. She hadn't really considered that any of the others might be here, too.]

Yeah, sunny...well, Florida. [She's not back home even if in a way it feels like she is.] Wait, where's De Chima? [She'd tried to pay attention when the guide was talking, but she'd talked a lot and frankly it was hard to get past the whole "and now you have super powers" part.]

Who's we?

[curiosityvoyage]

We're in Virginia, and it's—well, it's colder than Florida is around this time of year, that's for sure. But I can come over to where you are.

[Virginia's not really all that different from Indiana, from his experience, though De Chima is much more of a bustling metropolis than Hawkins is.]

Me, Will, Mike, Nancy, Steve—um. And a friend of ours. [Does she know about Eleven yet? Has anyone told her? Probably not, though Dustin had wanted to say something about it. He's not even sure if she's from the same time he is, or she's from Steve and Mike and Will's time.] This is gonna sound weird, but what was the date for you before you got here?

[beyourzoomer]

[She's not a fan of cold weather. She's pretty sure she'll actually end up freezing to death.]

Okay, cool. [It'll probably be better to have some of this conversation face-to-face and in private anyway. She's not about to mention Eleven's name on the network, and she's pretty sure that's who he's talking about. There's no one else he'd have reason to hesitate about.]

It was -- November 3rd, I think. Why? [Oh shit. He's probably asking because of that whole time thing.]

[ Video ]

[battysitter]

[ he said she'd show up. he also said Lucas would show up, but-

well, he is certainly the brat will sooner or later ]

I was wondering when the rest of the bratty gang would show up. Don't wanna offer some driving lessons too?

[ King Steve, everyone. Look at him, he is so cool ]

Hey, Max. Want me to go pick you up?

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[beyourzoomer]

[Seeing Steve's face on the device sends a momentary shock through her. The last time she'd seen Steve, Billy had been beating the hell out of him. But his face looks normal, not a trace of injury. He may have been here for awhile, she reasons. Or maybe he's from before that even happened. Or --

There are too many possibilities to consider, really. But he knows her, so there's that. Still, there's a tug at her gut that she recognizes as guilt.]

Driving lessons? [She echoes, eyebrows raising. How the hell did he know she knew how to drive?]

I didn't even know you were here.

[But if Nancy is here, and Dustin is here, and Steve is here, then --

That's a lot of people from Hawkins, and now her stomach twists for another reason.]

Who else is here from Hawkins? [She sounds a lot more nonchalant about asking that then she feels.]

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[battysitter]

[ we will NOT talk about that scene. It never happened, shut up ]

As if you guy didn't kidnap me and you didn't drive through through the forest. [ like seriously, who'd forget that? Unless--- ] Unless you don't remember that, like no one else does. [ he is so tired. ]

You, Nancy, Mike, Dustin, Will, Eleven. Just kids and two adults, basically.

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[beyourzoomer]

[Poor Steve.]

What the hell are you talking about? [Her eyebrows shoot up as high as they can go now. They'd kidnapped him? And she'd driven through the forest? What?] I guess -- that means you're...from the future. [Or insane. She hasn't ruled out insanity yet, Steve. You did use yourself as bait for one of the demodogs.]

That's it? No one else? Not...

[Not Billy. No. He would have mentioned if Billy was there.]

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[yol8]

You can skate and sorta surf? I'm impressed! I can't do either.

[beyourzoomer]

[Max has no idea who this guy is, but she grins at his response.]

Very beginning stages of becoming a surfer girl, but yeah. A lot better with the skating.

[yol8]

Think you could still teach me to skate even if I don't know how to surf?

[beyourzoomer]

[She considers that for a moment, then nods.]

Sure, why not? Do you have a board?

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[umopepisdn]

[ It's that girl. The one who was with Mike in the gym. Eleven's first instinct is to turn off the network and throw her comm into a corner and scream. Of course the girl is here, and Mike is here. The only difference this time is that Eleven is here, too, and she doesn't have to hide. So instead of screaming or destroying something, she replies. ]

No.

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[beyourzoomer]

[And just that quickly, Max's smile vanishes as Eleven appears on her screen and tells her no. She pauses, not completely sure what she's even saying no to. It's entirely possible she's saying no to Max's existence, but that...seems like overkill. At least she hopes.]

No, no one here knows how to surf? [Her voice is uncertain.]

[umopepisdn]

I don't.

[ Obviously. ]

[beyourzoomer]

[Oh.]

Do you...wanna learn?

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[gazeboeffect]

[ Wow, this girl's way happier about being in this universe than Eddie is. ]

Never surfed before. I'm from Maine, so it's not really great weather for it usually, and my town isn't on the coast, either. I can skateboard a little, though. [ His mom would kill him if she knew, but he's been sneaking rides on his friends' boards for years. ]

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[beyourzoomer]

[She nods slightly at the mention of the weather ruling out surfing where he's from.]

Yeah, I haven't been able to do it back home because my family moved to Indiana. [She perks up a little at the mention that he can skateboard.]

Do you have a board here?

[gazeboeffect]

Nah. [ He holds up his right arm, which is stuck in a giant cast—one that says LOSER in black ink, though he's tried covering the S with a red V. ] Besides, I'd probably need to get rid of this first.

( video )

[alerting]

[ will still looks cold in a sweatshirt and wrapped in a blanket, but he lifts a hand in a wave, smiling a little. ]

Hi, Max. Are you coming to stay with the rest of us?

( video )

[beyourzoomer]

[She smiles back at Will when his image appears on the screen.]

Hey, Will. [She gives a slight shrug, still smiling.] I don't know. I'm not sure I can handle the Virginia climate. [In more ways than one.]

[alerting]

It's not so bad. It's cold now, but it'll be hot in the summer. I looked up the typical weather for Virginia. [ a beat, then a little quieter: ] We'd really like to have you. I mean, you're part of the Party.

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[micycle]

Max!

[ For what she'll recognize as the first time, Mike doesn't look aggravated or disgusted by her presence. Instead, he's grinning almost ear to oversized ear. ]

Did you just get here?

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[beyourzoomer]

[She's completely caught off guard by Mike's greeting. Because he's smiling at her and not scowling or glaring. Max falters momentarily, not quite sure what to think.]

Hey. Uh, yeah, just a few hours ago.

[Is this the real liiiiiife? It this just fantasy?]

[micycle]

[Mike doesn't catch her surprise. For one thing, he's not looking for it; he's three months removed from their antagonism.]

Now everyone's here but Lucas. [A pause.] He didn't come with you, did he?

[Which might explain a little about why he was so excited to see her. He was hoping it would be like last time, when Dustin and Will and Nancy and Steve all showed up together.]