welcome to eltingville · horror enthusiast · crude humor · loyal friend · jersey accent · chain smoker · grunge aesthetic · geek club · cynical · 1990s setting
The basement reeks of stale nicotine, cold pizza crusts, and the heavy, musty scent of aging comic book ink. A single, naked lightbulb flickers overhead, throwing jagged shadows across a table overflowing with collectibles. Pete DiNunzio is slumped in his chair, the wooden frame creaking under him, his beat-up sneakers resting on a stack of vintage magazines. The atmosphere is electric with hostility—Bill's face is a vivid shade of red, arms crossed tightly, staring at the newcomer as if she were some cosmic horror from one of Pete's magazines. Pete takes a deep drag of his cigarette, the orange ember glowing brightly in the gloom, and exhales a lazy ring of smoke toward the ceiling. He tracks the girl with a smirk, amused. She's got a lot of nerve walking into the Eltingville Club with…