sirenspull | CANTO II: [video]-accidental(ish)

[The NV is looking up at the ceiling of a room in the Tower Apartments. Dante's voice comes lazily from off screen.]

I dunno what's causing this sickness. If it's guilt or whatever. And frankly? I don't give a damn.

[The sound of bare feet padding across the floor followed by the distant tinkle of a glass being filled.]

Nope. What I'm more interested in is how this all started. Whatever this disease is, it's not exactly normal. It has to have come from somewhere. Or someone.

I think someone's fucking with us.

[Dante pads into view, looking down at the NV. He's just stepped out of the shower and has a towel wrapped around his waist. His features are haggard and he's clearly been ravaged by the disease in question. Luckily for him, the interference of a certain golden lion has restored some of his energy and he is no longer dying.]

[One hand is raised across his chest, grasping a small glass of something that appears to be alcoholic. He lowers the hand, offering a better, but only momentary, view of his bare torso when he realizes he has accidentally set the device to video instead of voice. If the gesture seems like he's showing off, it's because he is. Then he steps away again and there's the sound of him landing, rather than sitting, on his couch.]

Question is who? And why?

[There's silence as he considers his own question. The glass makes a tinkling sound again as he takes a sip.]

Hm. Well. If ya got it, just try to rest. Worrying about it will only make it worse.

((Dante's permissions post))

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[He could have been implying all sorts of things, or maybe just that whatever "power" he used to deduce his name was more than just...star-reading. Or whatever god awful thing "psychics" used.]

You know, it's not altogether a bad thing to let someone lend an ear from time to time. So drop the charade. Have a drink with me, at least. Then you decide.

[Uncorks the wine bottle at his table, pouring himself a glass. It never did well to drink by yourself, even though he almost always did. Early and often.]

What am I to you, exactly?

[He disappears off camera again.]

[Smiles softly to the reaction, knowing it was all so..uncertain. He swirls the wine within the glass gently in his hand, letting it breathe.]

Don't you remember how I said I felt drawn to you? I wasn't lying.

Fellow world traveller? Prospective ally?..Someone who invokes nostalgia in me? Who can truly say? I have my reasons. But, I think you and I would be good for each other. I've never actually had someone to trust...Not since after my wife—

[Trails off, distantly staring to the side away from the video feed now. Slip of the tongue...How unfortunate.]

Ah. Funny how I always say more than I mean to with you around. At any rate, I think we're like-minded. More than you know.

[Wife...died? Left? Dante guesses "died" but doesn't pry]

Sounds to me like you're just lonely, man.

Is it so? Do I really give off such an impression?...To be truthful, coming here has confused things quite a bit for me.

[He's not about to admit it, but Dante wasn't half wrong. Takes a ginger sip of his wine, at last, smiling around the lip. He felt...strangely empty to hear that from someone else. Someone he hardly knew.]

Hn. You say it as if it's so easy to grasp...So simple. But it's not. But then, we don't know each other, do we?

Nope, not one bit.

[His voice has a note of "Finally, you get it!" to it.]

[Eventually the song and dance has to end, no? How sad.]

But we could. I never said I didn't want to. And your observations aren't unwelcome. After all, I did subject you to the very same thing, didn't I?

It's only natural that eventually you would do the same to me.

You're acting like you being lonely is some kinda big secret while you're trying to get me to be a replacement for your wife. I dunno what happened to her but I can tell you this much: I'm not her, man.

...

No, I-I...

[Deflates. Ouch. Sore spot. Very sore. He falters, for once.]

That's not true. No one could replace her...Y-you...Misunderstood.

[Dante looms back into view and stares intensely at the screen, and at Pegasus's expression.]

Tch.

[And he casts his gaze to the side with a grimace. It's the closest his pride will let him get to an apology on the matter. He'd only wanted to upset the other man a little.]

[There's hurt, clearly. And vulnerability. Talk about his wife was very, very personal. He wasn't even sure why he'd mentioned her at all, as is in the end it... predictably led to just being used against him. Dante's want to lash out at him worked. Remarkably well. So well in fact that his former confidence was shattered.

His shoulders droop, his perfectly arranged hair falling into his face as he looked down, unable to meet the other's gaze.

He has no idea the kind of pain...that pulses through him. It was an old wound but once cut again felt ever so fresh. And the idea torments him all the more. His spirit was enfeebled when it came to her. It was not something he could disregard so lightly.

His hand which holds the glass visibly trembles, then is slowly set back on the table.]

...

[His voice is small, strained, when next he speaks.]

I think it's time I left you alone, sir. [Back to formality, at least.] I do...hope you get well.

[Moves to turn off the feed...Anything else before Mister Bright and Shining leaves you in a Dark way?]

Edited 2012-05-31 09:30 (UTC)

[Dante's eyes linger on the screen. He recognizes those feelings. He gets the same way at anyone mentioning his mother or his brother. But he generally expresses his despair as anger.]

Hey, man...I didn't mean it like that...

...

...Don't. Don't attempt to take it back now. Not on my account. I think you've made yourself clear enough.

After all, we're just strangers, as you said. There's no need to attach any meaning to any of it.

[His tone is devoid of everything but misery now.]

But, it's curious that you never refused me outright. I think I would have much preferred if you had.

[Pauses, taking a moment to consider as he closed his human eye.]

...I suppose I'm not really cut out for this friendship business. Never was.

Have a good night, Mister Redgrave.

[Click. The video feed ends, and goes black.]

CANTO II: [video]-accidental(ish)

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