[ Eddie has always made himself somewhat unapproachable at first glance—short-tempered and intense over the most pointless things. He’s gotten into multiple loud, shouted arguments in his life over where Tony Iommi stands in the pantheon of rock gods, or why Dio's solo work is better than his work with Sabbath. But he’s always been unapologetically himself, and he’s never hidden the fact that he cares a lot about others.

He’s been here longer than most, he’s seen how people struggle to settle in, or struggle to handle the fact that there is no exit; you’re here until you’re not. All things considered, a little bit of weed is the least he can do, and it costs him nothing.

He leans into the match until his joint is lit, then pull back, dipping his head in thanks. ]

Yeah, we’ve had a couple cycle through. Robin Buckley--neurotic band nerd, plays trumpet or cornet or something? She disappeared awhile ago. Henderson was here up until…three month back, maybe?

[ He decides to leave Max and Henry off of his list entirely. Max hadn’t been there for long—less than a month, and it’s not as if setting eyes on her in Abraxas means much. After all, Eddie and Billy are both here, uninjured and breathing as if their deaths were just a fluke. As for Henry—Eddie isn’t even sure where to start with that, and he thinks he may need some backup to even try to explain. Not a secret, just...a different calibre of bad news to save for a rainy day.

He exhales, blowing smoke into the chilly air, and punctuates his words with a dramatic roll of his eyes. Dustin’s disappearance had been difficult on both him and Steve, but he’s gone through the stages of grief and reach the point where all he can do is find himself annoyed with the little shit. It’s typical Dustin. Of course he’d show up, cause a stir, disappear without a word, and cause even more of a stir by doing so. ]

But as of now? It’s just you, me, and Steve Harrington.

[ Isn’t that just the very news you wanted to hear, Billy? ]