something_incredible | [october 6]

Carnivals. Autumn carnivals, those are a thing he remembers from his youth, from his years with Sara, the sort of thing most kids like being taken to, and so without giving it a lot of thought, Hopper takes a Saturday off work, checks with Lucy to make sure she's free, too, then plans a whole day of it.

It's only once all the planning is done and the tickets are bought -- wristbands for all of them, so they can go on unlimited rides and play unlimited games -- that he realizes this is the sort of thing Beverly might want to do with her friends instead of a couple of adults. Looking down at the wristbands, he frowns at them, trying to figure out what to do, then shrugs. If she wants to go with her friends, he'll give her the wristbands to give to Eddie and Peter or something.

But when he floats the idea by her, she doesn't even ask to go with her friends and her boyfriend instead, there's not even a flicker of something that suggests she doesn't think it's a good idea. Hopper feels pretty damn good about that.

The weather the day of is nice. Still warm, warmer than it likely would've been in New York, and he arranges for Lucy to meet them at their apartment as he gets their stuff together. He's got some cash to buy dinner or any snacks they might want, plus a beer for himself a little later and wine for Lucy if she wants it, and he's holding Beverly's jacket by the door, waiting for her to finish getting ready.

This is the most normal thing he's done in a long damn time and he's really looking forward to it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Oh, I can totally do that," Beverly says, teasingly overconfident. Really, it's probably a tossup — games like these usually either seem really easy or really rigged — but it seems fun regardless. She does have pretty good aim, anyway; one of those games that involves trying to knock down bottles or throw a ball into a certain hole seems like something she could manage pretty simply. Anyway, she didn't come here just to look around, so she might as well make the most of everything, from the games to the food.

"Come on, let's see what they've got."

"I feel like I should be announcing the two of you like you're about to have a boxing match," Lucy quips, snickering. She'd be a terrible ring girl but she is going to take her phone out and try and get some video of this.

"No cheating," she warns. "I'm referee as well as the videographer."

"Hey, no, I'm not competing against her," he says with a shake of his head and a small grin. "She's gotta win me a prize. You can definitely film that, though."

Because he wants the memories and if he's honest, he's still not that great with his phone most of the time. He tries and he can text, but when it comes to using his phone as a camera, he can only make it work half the time. Video is even further beyond him.

"Yes, please record my imminent victory," Beverly says, all teasing bravado. If she doesn't do as well as she's planning to, she'll probably want any footage destroyed immediately, but she figures if she could hit Henry Bowers in the head with a rock, she should be able to beat a carnival game. Only her pride is at stake here — enough for her to want to see it through, but not so much that she won't be able to laugh it off if she doesn't.

"Seriously, we're gonna get the biggest, most ridiculous stuffed animal. I really hope you like giant teddy bears."

"Ah, we've found Jim's true use," Lucy says, stepping closer and kissing his cheek before saying, "He's the person to carry all the overly large stuffed animals that people win at carnivals. I knew those big arms were good for something."

She reaches to pat one of those arms and then kisses his cheek again.

"There," he says, smiling in a pleased sort of way after Lucy kisses him. "What about that one?"

It's a simple enough looking game from what he can see. People use water guns and they shoot a stream of water at a target. As long as you're on target, the little boat connected to your station rises. He knows he'd just said he's not competing against Beverly and then pointed out a game that's an undeniable competition, but he can't help it. A little part of him does want to compete and not just to let her win.

Although he'll probably do that, too.

Beverly makes a show of rolling her eyes, but she doesn't try to hide her smile, either. It really is kind of nice, actually, seeing how much they seem to like each other, taking in what at least seems to be the utter normalcy of a situation like this. Besides, she knows there are probably plenty of people who wouldn't want to date someone who's the guardian of a teenager. She just won't pass up an opportunity to tease them for it.

"That one looks good," she says, looking over at the game Hopper's pointed out. "I can definitely beat you at that one, yeah."

Lucy chuckles, eyeing the game that Beverly's chosen. It doesn't look like anything she could beat anyone at so she's glad this duel is between Beverly and Jim. She'll be the cheerleader. That wasn't anything she'd ever done while in high school so she was going to take advantage now.

"I feel like I should go get some pompoms so I can cheer you both on," Lucy says, smiling.

"Could get you a whole cheerleader outfit," Hopper answers and he knows he probably shouldn't say stuff like that in front of Beverly, because she's old enough now to figure it out what he's talking about. He also kind of can't help himself. Lucy has put the idea in his head.

Hopper steps up to the game and pays for both him and Beverly to play, then looks back at Lucy once more.

"You sure you don't want to take a shot, too?" he asks.

"Wow, you guys," Beverly says, too amused to really play at being scandalized. It isn't as if she's oblivious, or like she really cares all that much, as long as she's not getting actual details. If a cheerleading outfit ever is actually involved, she wants nothing to know about it. But she's heard stories from friends, since she actually has some of those now, and it's mostly just because of her own weird hangups that she and Peter haven't done anything more than kiss, and it would seem silly to be annoyed or shocked or grossed out over something normal.

Turning her head, she grins at Hopper. "Ready to get your ass kicked?"

"Don't kick it too bad," Lucy says though she doesn't sound all that serious. She's already got her phone out, ready to record. "Mostly because I don't want to hear him whine about it."

Lucy knows he wouldn't do that but she's going to have fun at his expense.

"I've been known to whine," he says, his voice dry as he passes Beverly her water pistol. That's not far off when he gets drunk, he's been known to feel pretty damn sorry for himself and he's not proud of that, but at least he can admit it's true.

"Ready?" he asks as the game is set up for them. It's still a little early, so they're the only ones playing, just the two of them pitted against one another.

Above the station, a little light begins to count down from five.

Whining seems like a risk worth taking with her dignity on the line, but Beverly doesn't see the need to say so, too focused on the game and counting down for that. The five seconds give her time to check her aim, eyes narrowed over her raised water pistol, target in sight. Shooting is a bit different than throwing, but enough of the same principles apply that she thinks she'll be able to manage alright.

Then the bell dings to start them off, and her finger immediately pulls back on the trigger, a smile breaking across her face as she watches the little boat rise.

Lucy's just hoping that these games aren't rigged or anything like that. Isn't that what carnival games were? Rigged and a little impossible. But, Beverly looks like she's doing pretty well so Lucy just does her job as a cheerleader and...cheers. With whistling and whooping and everything.

[october 6]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject