𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝘌. 𝘔𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘯

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛

ೃ⁀➷

"Absolutely not." Eddie took one look at Cassie who smiled at him, awkwardly with pursed lips. She attempted to adjust the top. It was made for a freshman and it was a struggle to get it to fit over her breast. She liked it though, it was cute. 

"You asked for a sub. We delivered." Dustin gave her jazz hands.

"This is Hellfire Club. Not the Hair Salon."

"I do my own hair." she said softly giving her natural waves a quick look.

Eddie slowly approached the girl but she didn't falter. Her expression remained the same, even when they were close to touching chests.

"What's your class and level? Level one dwarf?" his two friends chortled at his joke. 

"Actually," she giggled, poking his chest, Eddie stumbled back not expecting it. "My name is Lady Deandre, chaotic good half elf bard rogue, level 23." Cassie said smugly as she held her hand out. "I will sneak behind any monster you throw my way and hit them with my arcane magic. And I'll laugh as I watch them die a slow, agonizing death."

Eddie's eyes glowed with happiness and adoration as he took her hand before bowing, giving her hand a kiss. "Welcome to Hellfire." as much as it felt wrong, Cassie couldn't fight off the blush that was stupidly slapped on her face.

ೃ⁀➷

"The hooded cultists chant, 'Hail Lord Vecna. Hail Lord Vecna.' They turn to you, remove their hoods. You recognize most of them from Makbar. But there is one you do not recognize, his skin shriveled, desiccated. And something else. He is not only missing his left arm, but his left eye!" Eddie stood up dramatically before covering his eyes as everyone moaned and complained.

"Vecna's dead." Eddie's friend called out. Cassie's eyes were filled with confusion just before she grazed her face with her hands.

"He was killed by Kas." Mike shouted.

"So it was thought, my friends. So it was thought. But Vecna lives." Eddie slammed a piece down on a throne. "You are scared. You're tired. You are injured. Do you flee Vecna and his cultists? Or stand your ground and fight?" Cassie tied her hair up in stress as she looked at the complex board.

"I say we fight. To the death." Dustin spoke. Everyone chanted 'to the death' as Eddie laughed maniacally.

After a while, everyone but Cassie and Dustin. "Time out!" they called.

"Guys, I hate to say this, but we've got to flee." Gareth spoke as the team huddled.

"I concur."

"I must be going crazy because we just agreed to the death?" Cassie hissed as she looked around at the group of boys.

"That wasn't literal." Mike retorted.

"Vecna just decimated us. We can't kill him with two players."

"You too? He only has 15 hit points left. Don't be pussies." Dustin hissed at the group.

"Pussies? Really? 'Cause we're not delusional?" Gareth said as he looked at Dustin.

"I concur that you're all a set of pussies." Cassie shrugged. "Vecna knows we're coming. Odds are we'll be riding into heavy fire. And that's what we signed up for. We can get the job done. We find out what Vecna's been scheming."

"Hey!" Eddie gained their attention as they all turned back to him. "If I may interject, gentlemen, Lady Deandre. Whilst I respect the passion, you'd be wise to take Gareth the Great's concern to heart. There is no shame in running. Don't try to be heroes. Not today, 'kay?" Eddie gave them shitty advise.

"One sec." Dustin turned the group back in. "What do you think Mike?"

"How many hit points do you and Deandre have left?" Mike asked.

"Twelve." they answered in unison.

"It's risky as hell. But you're the ones on the battlefield. So it's your call." Mike concluded.

"What do you say, Lady Deandre?" Dustin asked.

"Let's kill the son of a bitch." Cassie and Dustin fist bumped.

"The chances of success are 20-to-1." said Gareth, Cassie held a finger up to the boy's mouth.

"Never tell me the odds." Dustin spoke. "Give me the D20." Dustin rolls the dice but it was a miss.

"That's a miss!" Eddie shook his head demonically.

"No! shit! shit!" Dustin cursed like a sailor.

It was Cassie's turn and she prayed inwardly that it would work. She let the dice go and everything moved in slow motion.

"Crit hit!" She exclaimed as she began to dance about. Everyone celebrated. Cassie smiled a big, wide, genuine smile. She hugged Dustin and Mike in glee.

"That's why we play." Eddie bowed at Cassie who returned the favour with a small curtsey.

ೃ⁀➷

Eddie walked Cassie to her car. "If someone told me, Cassie Hopper played DnD, I would've called them a liar." he said as he leaned on the hood of her car.

"It's a secret." Cassie got her cig pack out from the dashboard compartment, innocently bending over her rolled down window. Eddie didn't know where to avert his eyes to. His dark eyes bounced back and forth from her bending to the sky the ground and every other thing. "You want one?" she offered before lighting her own.

"I'm good." he shook his head. "We've never actually interacted before, so I never got a chance to say, I'm sorry for your loss." Eddie stuttered, still slightly flustered.

"It's okay. Being here tonight put the first smile on my face since they died. I guess I can thank you for that." she said stubbing out the cigarette. "I'll see you around, freak." Cassie got into her car.

"Yeah, I'll see you, princess."

Eddie turned to walk away from her car. "Hey Eddie, can I keep the shirt?" She asked pointing at the undersized top she wore.

"Sure." He said. Cassie got into her car and drove away, not before waving at him. Eddie waved back at her, trying to fight of the smile that gingerly made it was to his lips. 

ೃ⁀➷