[ she can't help the huff of disbelief - keeps out monsters, huh? - but it's more out of confusion than anything else. all she keeps thinking about is when max and el told them that the lifeguard seemed fine, even when they knew she wasn't fine.. at all. that they knew the flayer had already gotten to her, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. and honestly, billy seemed fine too until he wasn't.

but no. it can't be the same. they killed it, back home. just because billy was here, potentially with that- thing in his head, doesn't mean it's back. that it's here.

they're not in danger, they're not in danger, they're not in danger. ]

Okay. Yeah. [ she shakes her head, like she can.. literally, mentally shake off her worry ] I guess I'm still freaked out by- everything about this place. I just can't believe Mike was here for almost a year before I got here. Or that any of you guys were here this whole time. [ she's fine with keeping it vague - it doesn't feel totally right to have serious conversations over a video message ] I really thought the Upside Down was as weird and scary as it could get.