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[vecna]

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[striketwice]

[ Alec isn't exactly expecting a happy story here. He assumes, at the very least, there will be some traumatized teens in the equation. ]

How could I forget? The tale of a boy and his weird dog.

[ No, he's never gonna let that go. ]

[vecna]

[If only Alec could have seen this weird dog.]

There was another gateway open beneath the mall in Hawkins. Long story short, I ushered some of those particles in, infected a group of people, and created ["""created""" skips a few gory details, here] a spider monster.

[Of course he did.]

So I was practically in the mall, in that way.

[striketwice]

Hang on, hang on. You created a spider monster. Out of-? The people?

[ This is a perfectly normal conversation to have with one's boyfriend. ]

[vecna]

[You signed up for this, Alec.]

That’s right. The infected people could be controlled, but more impressively, they could be changed. Mutated into not much more than… a pile of flesh. From there, it was easy to coalesce them into something more impressive.

[In a moment of self-awareness:] I know it sounds unpleasant.

[striketwice]

It sounds like something out of a horror movie.

[ Alec gives Henry a pass on a lot of things — far more than any sane person should — but every now and then he's reminded of just how terrifying his abilities are, and how he has often used them without remorse.

Congratulations Alec, you're dating a supervillain. ]

I really don't think that piloting a monster made of people goo counts as a mallgoing experience. Just saying.

[vecna]

[He sure is. But Henry looks at him pleasantly enough, quirking his smile. You'd hardly guess it by looking at him.]

I wanted to be free. And I would have done anything necessary to make that happen.

[Ah, but he nearly shrugs.]

But no, if you mean to ask if I've ever been shopping in a mall, then I haven't. This [the whole concept of a "mall" in the modern day] is all after my time.

[striketwice]

I know.

[ That much he understands, the need to be free, probably better than anything else. Does that make Henry's actions right? Hell no, but that isn't the issue here. It never has been. ]

Well, in my time, they're a dying breed. [ Malls, that is. ] One by one, they're slowly going defunct.

[vecna]

[He can't say he's sorry for it. What he saw through the eyes of the goo-spider-monster was gaudy and superfluous.

But maybe he's a little biased.]

And why's that?

[striketwice]

[ A shrug. ] Recession. Internet. I'm really not kidding when I say you can do anything on the internet.

[ Speaking of dying malls, the escalator lets them off onto... an empty floor. Alec's eyebrows go up. ]

Seriously?

[vecna]

[The internet really did change the world, didn't it? Henry would like to assume that's it's not all for the better, given what he knows about humanity.

But that thought is put on hold for now, as he steps off the escaltor and is greeted by... an empty floor.]

Well, that's disappointing. [He sounds a little amused, actually.] So much for my shopping experience.

[striketwice]

No kidding. Did we really just get an empty-ass skyscraper?

[ He motions to the escalator up to the next floor. ]

Wanna keep going and see if we find anything?

[vecna]

Sure. But if we go through all these floors just for you to create a portal in an empty building, I'm going to laugh.

[TO THE NEXT ESCALATOR, which is no remarkably different than the first esclator ride, drifting them upwards, slowly...

Though the scent of food starts to waft in the air, catching in their noses. Is this... a food court? Henry vaguely recognizes it.]

Oh, you won't have to cook for everyone anymore. [He's kidding, quipping as he steps off.]

[striketwice]

If the building is empty, I'm not gonna fucking bother.

[ So then they'll have gone all the way to the top for literally no reason. Hooray?

Ah, yeah. He smells the food court long before they see it. Huh. Maybe this is a mall after all. ]

That's a lie and you know it.

[vecna]

What, you don't think...

[Okay, what kind of food is sold at a food court? That, he didn't quite catch during his rampage through Starcourt.]

...mall hot dogs [maybe] can give you a run for your money?

[striketwice]

"Mall hot dogs"? At least try to make it sound appealing, Henry.

[vecna]

Mall... corn dogs?

[He tried.]

I don't know what kind of food is sold in places like these, Alec.

[striketwice]

Okay, okay fair. Guess the only way to broaden your horizons is to take a look.

[vecna]

[Well, then let them see what this place has to offer.

It's big, and empty, filled with neatly-lined tables and chairs currently unused -- a sense of traversing an oddly liminal space does not go unnoticed, at least for Henry. But he drifts off closer to one counter in particular that reads--]

"Mobile order pick-up". [Strains his poor 1950s brain to assume:] We can order from our phones?

[striketwice]

[ Alec is quick to pull out his phone to check, but there doesn't seem to be anything new on it. No purgatorial, extra-dimensional GrubHub. At least not that he can find. ]

Uh, I don't think so. Maybe that's just there for flavor. Besides, I don't see anyone around to even make the food.

[vecna]

[He'll trust Alec on that. What the hell is GrubHub.]

So the menus here are just to tease us?

[He wouldn't put it past this place, honestly. Still... What is there to choose from? He cranes his head up to look at the menus.]

But maybe I wanted... Chinese takeout. [Oh, that's funny. The stuff he used to throw away in the lab.] "Beef lo mein".

[striketwice]

[ You're hilarious Henry. Alec quirks a brow at him. ]

Why? So you can throw it away for old time's sake?

[ Well, whatever. Henry has apparently said the magic words because suddenly DING. A styrofoam container slides out of a little opening in the wall to sit on the pick up counter. ]

... Whaaaaat the fuck.

[vecna]

[And you're hilarious, too, Alec. He opens his mouth to reply, but the ding! draws both of their attentions to the little window-opening, where a neat takeout box is now presented to them.

Oh, yes. That smells like fast, cheap, laughably Americanized Chinese food. Henry does recognize that scent.]

...

[Looking back up at the menu:] ...Beef with broccoli, sweet and sour shrimp, pecan chicken, moo shi pork, egg drop soup.

[ding! ding! ding! ding! ding!

oh my god.]

[striketwice]

[ HENRY? The counter is only so big and Alec has to start picking up containers before they have a trainwreck on their hands. ]

Oh my god! Would you stop?

[vecna]

[ no :V ]

...Orange chicken. Shrimp fried rice.

[Ding! Ding!

Okay, now he'll stop.]

There has to be a limit. I'm testing it.

[striketwice]

[ HENRY! Now here's Alec, arms laden with Chinese takeout containers, looking completely unamused. ]

Yeah, you're also testing my patience.

[ tsun tsun ]