[ as soon as steve gets pulled out of the water, steve assumes he must be in shock. or maybe he's dead. that could always be the possibility - that everything had gone wrong, that he wasn't even alive, and that all of this was some crazy insane dream. right? because that makes the most sense to him. much more sense than whatever bullshit is being spouted at him by these people, by the woman who took his hands, who patted him on the head and gave him some sort of weird charm that he...you know. does end up wearing.

( god, he misses dustin. nancy. even robin. anyone who might have any idea of what is happening, anyone who could help. )

there's a period of time where steve just sort of...goes with it. they lead him to the primary settlement, say something about over a hot meal. steve doesn't even know what that means when they're out in the middle of some kind of farm, but sure. whatever. maybe by the time dinner comes around he might have an idea of what he's even supposed to be asking. ] Wait- [ he does manage, at some point. ] Did you say gods? Like...more than one?

[ you can find steve for a good long while around the settlement. looking awkward when the locals approach with that weird, awed look in their eyes. trying to get out of whatever conversation might be started up with him. he is going to spend this time look incredibly confused (what else is new) and extremely lost (which...yeah) but he doesn't stop moving.

he shouldn't be surprised that he also, definitely, finds himself surrounded by children. looped into looking after a few of the toddlers who he - despite himself - ends up chasing around a small pasture spot. there is something close to irony, here. something to be said about how he gets portaled off to god knows where to some weird settlement thing, so of course he is going to end up babysitting. ]

Hey! [ he says, with a tone that sounds like he's almost used to this. ] Hold on, bring that back!

[ steve hears mention of monsters out on the roads between settlements, and almost in spite of himself he is quickly finding his way out there. there's not a whole lot of this place that makes sense to him, even less that is familiar, but monsters...monsters he gets. monsters might be the most familiar, normal part of everything he's been through today, and that's saying something. but steve harrington will take anything he can get, because while he's come around to a lot, while he's accepted a lot, the gods have graced us with your presence is just a little too far for him.

so he finds some kind of weapon, a tool he has to very quietly slip from where it'd been leaned up against a fence post, and he follows the only road he finds. one of the locals does tell him not to go alone, but what option does he have? he's not about to find someone to ask if they'll volunteer.

but you're welcome to run into him as he's leaving town, or go to catch up with him as he walks. he doesn't exactly look like he belongs out here, but he's doing his best. ]

[ feel free to run into him! he'll be exploring the settlement quite a bit. c: and let me know if you would like to avoid s4 spoilers! ]