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[followyourstar]

@endure

Dante • 30s • hometown: Mephistopheles, The City

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May TDM Overflow

[followyourstar]

Lahabrea

[followyourstar]

[Continued from here]

[It definitely feels like he's hiding something, but whatever it is, it probably isn't that important. Not compared to everything that's going on now.]

< So, uhm, you need someone to walk with you back to the place they've got set up for us? I've been looking for someone to head out with, but it feels like just as I'm about to talk to someone they've already on their way out. >

[abyssalflames]

[There are definitely things he not mentioning. Not hiding, precisely, or so he would claim. But definitely things he does not mean to mention to someone he has just recently met.]

I have not yet found someone with whom to travel. Should you likewise require someone with which to do so, I am willing to accompany you.

[followyourstar]

[So stiff... They guess he did say something about being important where he came from. They wonder if they acted like that once upon a time.]

< Thanks. I appreciate it. I think the name of the place is called the "Valentia?" I've already got the directions written down, so we'll see how good a navigator I am. >

What's that Natural Soul? -- For Gale

[followyourstar]

[The longer they linger here outside the barrier, the more Dante begins to regret not giving Gale a description to go off of. Sure, they really do stand out, especially in a place like this, but giving themselves more reason to stand around in a place filled with some kind of otherworldly radiation probably wasn't the best idea they could have had.

They stare down at the syntrofos in their hand, thumb hovering over the screen as they debate following up on their previous message.]

[stoplickingthedamnthing]

[The wizard arrives later than Dante, sweeping his gaze back and forth. When his yellow eyes land on Dante he stops and tilts his head, not quite what he's looking at. He's used to all manner of nonhuman people -- elves, orcs, even tabaxi -- but he's never met anyone who looked like Dante. Still] Hello! I'm Gale of Waterdeep. I suppose you must be Dante?

[followyourstar]

[Oh thank goodness.

They stuff the syntrofos in their pocket and turn to face him, raising their hand in greeting.]

< That's me. >

[--is the sentiment that's translated across along with their three swift ticks of reply.

They're pretty sure they can guess what's on his mind the moment they catch the look on his face.]

< It's a prosthesis. I had it before I got here. >

[stoplickingthedamnthing]

I've never seen a prosthesis quite like that before. It's quite fascinating! The ticking was the most surprising part, some sort of telepathic translation, maybe? Ah, but you didn't come here to talk about that, pardon my distraction.

[Ordinarily, he would have a lot more questions about Dante's prosthesis and the magic undoubtedly involved, but since his arrival in Karteria, the unexpected has become quite expected. Even the chronically curious grow weary of asking questions eventually.] Would you like to walk a little further into the woods to shift? Whatever you're more comfortable with, of course. I don't like mine to be seen.

Early September -- backdated (cw: death)

[followyourstar]

[Dante had begun to slow down by the end of August, but over the past few days weakness and chest pains had left them bedridden, a shuddering, fluttering quality to their once steady ticking and tocking.

They know it's coming. Every day it's harder and harder to stay conscious, and a terrible burning feeling spreads in their chest. Sometimes they think they can see something glowing beneath their blackened skin and too-prominent ribs, growing brighter as the pain increases and fading as it ebbs. Will it even still be a heart that's in there, they wonder? Or is it some other organ, twisted and mutated by the soul shoved into them by that thing inside their neck?

As if called into being by their thoughts, the pain crescendos once more, holding them in a vice grip, their hand flying to their chest where their fist tightens around the fabric of their shirt.]

[verminous]

[he knows it's coming now, too, but-- listen, you can't blame a guy for hoping it might be otherwise. that they could be wrong. this hasn't been happening for that long, after all, so what if not EVERY spectral dies? what if there are exceptions...? he never says it out loud, but he still thinks it.

gregor lets go of that once they become bedridden. that's the kind of bad sign you can't ignore, the kind that has him putting everything else aside for now, because possibly the worst thing he can think of is being somewhere else. maybe he can't stop this, but then the least he can do is be there. keep them from dying alone.

(he could do more, too. that's still on his mind. but they don't ask, and he doesn't offer.)

the sudden motion grabs his attention, and he's up before he fully registers it, chair scooting over the creaky floor as he hurriedly leaves it behind.]

Manager Bud-? Hey, how bad is it this time...

[followyourstar]

[They tick and tick but no words accompany the sound, only a cry of pain, lasting until the light fades once more. But this time it doesn't disappear entirely, settling like a glowing ember, pulsing erratically.]

< I don't... I don't think I can take another one. > [--they admit.

Honestly, as grateful as they are that Gregor is here for them now, they hate that he has to do this. Neither of them are strangers to death, but the whole point of this mess of a contract they're both a part of is that Dante is supposed to survive. Dying like this, even if they were to come back to life, isn't supposed to be part of that. Gregor shouldn't have to deal with any of this in the first place.

Could they have tried harder to prevent this? Have they failed as a Manager? It wasn't even their fault. Just... Just a bad bit of luck.]

< ...Sorry. >

[verminous]

...not like you asked for this. None of us did.

[the light is unsettling, but it draws him in all the same-- his human hand rests over it, almost but not quite making contact, before he entirely registers what he's doing.

at this point it's too awkward to back out, isn't it... he has to just leave it where it is now.]

We're just stuck living wi... er, with dealing with it, is what I meant to say-

december, morning after in kelesis... (nsfw ref possible)

[verminous]

[gregor stirs and slowly wakes in a bed that feels more comfortable than usual; there's something else that feels off about it, too. whatever his arm is draped over, it isn't a pillow like usual, and he can feel the vines in his hair curled around something...

he rouses just enough to crack open a bleary eye.

then both quickly blink open, as if to make sure he's seeing what he thinks he's seeing. dante? why is he in a bed with--

oh. oh no. he remembers and just as quickly regrets remembering, except no, he's not sure he actually regrets it, actually. should he? what if dante does?

okay, hold on. he needs to just calm down and figure out what to do about the current situation first, which is: he is in bed with his executive manager, his clothes were abandoned somewhere in the room, and his vines are curled around their arm. are they even awake? it's impossible to tell if they already know...

slowly, carefully, he starts trying to unwind them one by one.]

[followyourstar]

[Many of the thoughts going through Gregor's head right now have passed through Dante's about three or four times already. They have yet to come to terms with a single one.

This was irresponsible. Incredibly so. They're Gregor's manager, they're supposed to be professional about this and this is--this isn't that at all. But at the same time, it wasn't bad--quite the opposite in fact, at least from their point of view, and they wonder if they should be ashamed of themself for thinking that way too.

The responsibility lands on their shoulders either way. They're the manager, they're the one who paid for the room.

(But it was good, some part of them is quick to remind, and wasn't it good to be wanted that way by someone for once? Is it really that bad that it was Gregor, who understands more than anyone? and the cycle begins anew.)]

< You, um... need me to lift my arm? >

[They've been awake thinking about it all for the past hour.]

[verminous]

[shit. they were awake.

he jolts when they suddenly speak, pausing and glancing up at them almost guiltily, as if caught doing something he shouldn't have been. which is ridiculous, it's fine, calm down...]

Manager Bud! Y-you're up early...

[once he recovers from the surprise, he tries unwinding another vine before answering.]

You, er... might wanna lift that, yeah. Think they're a little stuck.

[followyourstar]

[Somehow, the fact that Gregor's still calling them "Manager Bud" isn't helping the war they're having in their own head right now.

They suppose they can't blame him though. It sounds like all this is as much a shock to him as it was to them. And... is that guilt? Why does he feel guilty here?]

< Oh... Yeah, I guess I am. Wow, guess even an hour of extra sun was enough to throw me off, huh? >

[Maybe if they play it cool it'll feel less awkward? They just have to act like everything's normal.

...Is what they think until they lift their arm and remember the two of them are both naked under these covers. And that Gregor is the only person not responsible for helping keep their head in order that has ever seen them like this.

Hell, maybe even still the only one, given how the Corruption's affected them.]

ding dong delivery!

[trounce]

✉ SENDING OUR THANKS AND WELL WISHES FOR THE NEW YEAR
► inside the red envelope rests an assortment of pristine seashells, sand dollars, and sea glass; also accompanied by other odd little curiosities—which are mostly old coins and strange mechanical parts. ► a second package also includes small samplings of fresh loose-leaf tea from the augmented-run farm, measured out and stored in a handful of vintage tea tins.
	DANTE, NEUVILLETTE FILLED ME IN ON THE MESSAGES I WASN'T ABLE TO READ ON THE NETWORK. I APPRECIATE THE CONCERN. TRULY. RECOVERY HAS ITS SLOWER STRETCHES, BUT I’M STILL ON MY FEET WHERE IT MATTERS. I HOPE YOU’RE KEEPING WELL — AND NOT LETTING WORRY EAT UP TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME.

[followyourstar]

[Dante isn't sure what to make of the coins or parts inside, but they find themself charmed by the tins enough to make a note to keep them somewhere in their room once they've served their roommates the tea offered within.

The greatest treasure, however, is the note: confirming Wriothesley's recovery, however slow it may be.

They'll have to visit him sometime, they decide, even if the thought of stepping outside their room feels... daunting at the moment. At the very least they should get him a proper get well soon gift.

In the meantime, they set the letter on their set of drawers, both for safekeeping and as a reminder.]

3/3, @onestepforward txt

[ignoreher]

[ with most of her bedrest behind her, malkuth is fairly eager to check in on those she cares about... which does include dante, spectral that they are especially. she's still got a few days of recovery and she can only doomscroll on karteria's non-aug feed so much anyway. please. ]

What a month, huh?
I just wanted to check in and see how you were!
Because of the fog and all.
It's been pretty rough on everyone, so how are you doing?

[followyourstar]

[Dante stares down at their Syntrofos for a long while before replying. It's hard for them to be honest about this sort of thing, when they've been trying to hard to present themself as someone who (for the most part) has it together.]

I've been better.
I don't think I'll be hungry for a long time, which probably says a lot on its own.
I'm a little achy too, but I don't think that has anything to do with the fog.

You?

[ignoreher]

[ they're in the same boat, there. it's why she's texting over any other form of communication: it's the easiest to keep together with, and malkuth turns in bed. ]

Me too. My soul didn't really like all the Carnivora in the city, so it finally had enough.
I'm okay though! Safe and sound now.

So, this is kind of insensitive, but what do souls taste like?
Or energy? Whatever it is. A friend and I were wondering a while back.

[followyourstar]

[Uncomfortable as the question is, there's something almost comforting in the fact that she bothered to ask at all, given what they'd just admitted to.]

It's closer to energy more than souls.
At least I think it is.
Hope it is?

But it's hard to explain. I don't have a mouth, as you know, but I don't have any flavors to connect it to either? And I don't know if that's more of a me problem or if it's because it's more sensation than flavor.
Which... also probably makes no sense.
They're all satisfying in their own way, but there ARE differences to them, too. "Burning up" a Terra isn't the same as a Glire or a non-Augmented. And there's nothing for me to take from another Spectral.

backdated a lil to the beginning of the month (@ vivant)

[totalize]

Hello, Dante.

How are you doing? Considering our mutual friend, well... I just wanted to check in.

[followyourstar]

Hugo...

I'm sorry. I should have been the one to let you know.

I'm...

Well, I'm not okay. But I'm gonna make it through.

[There's no other option for them.]

You?

[totalize]

You don't need to apologize, Dante. I appreciate it, but I'm also sure that you were mulling through things on your own, right?

[ He can't say he would be thinking of alerting others if he was in Dante's situation, after all. Not even close, if he's honest. ]

I would say about the same, though. To be cynical, what other choice do we have?

[ Because he sure is feeling cynical at the moment, thanks!! ]

Gregor had become a dear friend to me in the time I knew him, so I already miss him dearly. I'm sure that's even more true for you.