DANCING WITH MYSELF • EDDIE MUNSON

The Shrieking Queen's Catacombs: Session 1 - Friday, May 23, 1980

Summary: On the first day of Scott Sloman's infamous summer D&D campaign, you're excited to showcase your original character and sorely disappointed by Eddie's lack of creativity. You promised Chrissy you would be nice to Eddie this summer, but...

Seriously, that's the best you could come up with, Munson?

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"Okay, should we go over the rules one more time?"

"No... I think I got 'em down pretty well."

"Let's go over them one more time."

Chrissy Cunningham paced the floor of her bedroom with an authoritative stride, her arms folded neatly behind her back, chin held proudly in the air. Standing at only five-foot-one, she looked like an adorable little drill sergeant... until she looked over at you, sitting on her bed with your chest puffed out and hand raised in mock salute; then her composure shattered and she reverted back to her goofy, giggling, eleven-year-old self.

"Don't make me laugh," she said.

"What? I'm showing you respect."

Chrissy raised her eyebrows in friendly disapproval. "Stop," she said. "We need to be serious." So she donned an expression of stern command and resumed her stride. "Okay, repeat after me: I will not be mean to Eddie."

"I will not be mean to Eddie."

"I will not mock him."

"I will not mock him."

"I will not tease him."

"I will not tease him."

"I will not call him names."

"I will not call him names."

"I will laugh only when it's appropriate, and in a good-hearted manner."

"Wait, how are we defining appropriate?"

"Just repeat it, please."

You sighed in surrender and echoed your best friend's words dutifully: "I will laugh only when it's appropriate, and in a good-hearted manner... even though I don't really know what that means."

Chrissy shot you a strict glare and continued: "I will not let my anxiety make me forget rules one through five."

"I will not let my anxiety make me forget rules one through five."

Chrissy stopped in front of you, put her hands on your knees, and smiled warmly. "I'm gonna have fun this summer."

"I'm gonna have fun this summer."

"I'm gonna show Eddie what a smart, creative, and wonderful person I am."

"Well..." You looked away, embarrassed.

"Come on, say it." Chrissy started shaking your knees gently. "C'mom, c'mon, you gotta say it."

Her words made you squirm a little. Timidly, you looked at her and said in a bashful voice, "I'm gonna show Eddie what a smart, creative, and wonderful person I am."

"Because you are."

"... Because I am."

Her smile grew. "Good!" She drummed her hands on your knees and stepped away from you. While rifling through her desk drawers, she said, "So what game are you playing exactly? Is it like a board game or something?"

"Uh, no... it's like this fantasy roleplaying game. I don't really know how to describe it."

"But you know how to play it, right?"