Chapter 2: First Contact and The D&D Gambit
The next day, Adam made his move. The children's home, with its strict schedules and limited freedom, was a place he needed to navigate carefully. His adult mind, encased in a 14-year-old's body, was his biggest advantage. He knew the world, the people, and the game he was now a part of. He knew the main players, and he knew where to find them.
He managed to get permission to go to Hawkins High, a grade below the main cast, under the pretense of "getting a head start on his education." The matron, a tired woman with a face etched with the weariness of her job, gave him a skeptical look but signed the form anyway. He was, to her, just another kid with a dream that would probably be crushed. He, to her, was a walking plot device.
The school was a quintessential 80s movie set. Lockers painted in primary colors, students with big hair and acid-washed jeans, and the pervasive smell of floor wax and stale cafeteria food. It was almost comically perfect. Adam, with his new body and old mind, felt like a time traveler. A very, very poor time traveler.
He found the AV Club. It was a small room, tucked away in a quiet corner of the school. The door was slightly ajar, and he could hear the distinct sound of dice rolling and hushed, intense conversation. He took a deep breath. This was it. First contact.
Before he could even think about what to say, a new prompt appeared in his mind.
[SUB-MISSION: INTEGRATE INTO THE D&D GROUP][OBJECTIVE: MAKE A POSITIVE FIRST IMPRESSION][HINT: THE BOYS ARE SKEPTICAL OF OUTSIDERS. MAKE YOURSELF APPROACHABLE.]
"Gee, thanks, Captain Obvious. So, what, do I smile and say 'Hello, fellow kids'?"
He took another breath, and as he did, a new screen flashed.
[PHEROMONE: CALM (LOCKED)][EFFECT: CREATES A SOOTHING AURA, EASING SOCIAL ANXIETY AND DEFUSING ARGUMENTS.][UNLOCK CONDITION: SUCCESSFULLY DEFUSE A SOCIAL SITUATION OR MAKE A POSITIVE FIRST IMPRESSION.]
He decided to go for it. He focused on the idea of being calm, of radiating a non-threatening energy. It was a mental exercise, a kind of self-hypnosis. He wasn't panicking. He wasn't desperate. He was just a kid, curious about a game. He pushed the door open a little further and walked in.
The four boys were huddled around a table, a D&D map spread out between them. Mike was at the head, the Dungeon Master, his voice serious and commanding. Dustin, with his trademark toothy grin, was on his left, a mix of excitement and frustration on his face. Lucas, ever the pragmatist, was on his right, a skeptical look in his eyes. And Will, quiet and artistic, was across from them, drawing on a notepad.
They all looked up at him, and for a split second, the room was silent. Four pairs of eyes, all varying degrees of suspicious and curious, were on him. This was the moment. The make-or-break moment.
"Okay, Adam, don't screw this up. Remember, you're not a time traveler. You're just a kid who likes D&D. A very, very cool kid who likes D&D."
He gave them a small, genuine smile. "Hey," he said, his voice a little softer than he expected. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I just... I heard you guys were playing D&D, and I was wondering if I could watch for a bit."
Mike, ever the protective leader, was the first to respond. "We're kind of in the middle of a campaign." His tone wasn't hostile, just guarded.
"I get it," Adam said, nodding. "Just let me know when you're done. No pressure. I just... I haven't played since I moved here." It was a lie, but a believable one. The truth was, he hadn't played in over a decade.
Dustin, with his usual boundless enthusiasm, spoke up. "You play?"
Adam gave him another small smile. "Yeah. Back where I came from." He didn't elaborate. He didn't need to. He just needed to be a presence. A new, non-threatening presence.
As he spoke, he felt a strange sensation, a warmth in his chest. A new screen flashed in his mind.
[PHEROMONE: CALM UNLOCKED!][MISSION OBJECTIVE COMPLETED: MAKE A POSITIVE FIRST IMPRESSION.]
"Well, that was easy. Almost too easy. Now for the hard part."
He sat down on a chair in the back, watching them play. The game they were playing was a tense one. A monster was about to attack, and the party was trying to figure out how to defeat it. They were stuck on a puzzle, a seemingly impossible riddle. Lucas was arguing for a brute-force approach, Mike was trying to think of a clever solution, and Dustin was just throwing out random ideas.
This was his chance. He needed to prove his worth. He needed to show them he wasn't just some random kid who wandered in. He needed to use his knowledge. He needed to use his mind. He needed to... focus.
He felt a new screen appear in his mind.
[PHEROMONE: FOCUS (LOCKED)][EFFECT: INCREASES MENTAL CLARITY AND CONCENTRATION.][UNLOCK CONDITION: SUCCESSFULLY SOLVE A DIFFICULT PUZZLE OR PROBLEM.]
He focused on the riddle, his mind a steel trap. He went through the details, the clues, the context. He used his adult mind, his years of experience with puzzles and problem-solving, and he saw it. The solution was so obvious, so simple, that he almost laughed out loud.
"The key isn't to kill it," Adam said, his voice cutting through their argument. "The key is to bind it. It's not a beast of strength, it's a beast of chaos. You have to trap it, not fight it."
Four heads turned to him, their eyes wide with surprise. Mike, the leader, looked at him with a mix of shock and respect. Lucas, the skeptic, looked at him with grudging admiration. Dustin, the enthusiast, looked at him like he was a genius. Will, the quiet one, just looked intrigued.
Adam felt another warmth, another flash of light in his mind.
[PHEROMONE: FOCUS UNLOCKED!][MISSION OBJECTIVE COMPLETED: SOLVE A DIFFICULT PROBLEM.]
He had done it. He had made first contact. He had proved his worth. He was in. And the game had just begun.