darkinferno | [ic inbox]

Some.

[She chews thoughtfully, opening the soda and sipping before replying.]

I saw some other stuff, from where I was. When we were in space, there was a screen, I saw you fighting a yeti.

[Blowing out a breath.]

I won't ask what you went through personally, but I can see it's eating at you. If you need to talk, I'm here.

[For a moment Dante pauses, actually glancing over at her, before lowering his pizza. A hint of a sheepish look turns up the corner of his lips, and he runs his free hand through his hair.]

I'd ask if I'm really that obvious, but... stupid question.

[His eyes turn toward the sea again, watching the waves rolling in and out.]

Did Freya tell you what happened to Ryoji?

I've been there. I just know.

[Her mischievous smile is a tell all. But it fades quickly.]

She was a first responder. He didn't make it. I didn't know the guy, so I didn't pry beyond that.

Edited 2017-08-30 14:43 (UTC)

Yeah. He was part of our team.

It's tough, you know? We all worked together for three weeks, and then in the end... we couldn't protect him.

[He couldn't protect him.]

It'll be okay. It's just a shock.

[It's a lie, but Dante doesn't want to go any deeper into it. He doesn't want to revisit the frustration and all the feelings of failure thinking more on it brings, not right now.

He'll take a bite of that pizza now, switching the slice to his other hand so he can grab his bottle of gin to wash it down.]

So tell me about space. I saw a picture of you guys riding some sort of pod upwards.

Yeah. It is.

[She won't dwell, or fixate. It's not her place to do that, and that's not why she came here anyway.]

Space was...[taking a bite, she considers how to say it...]

Weird. I guess? It was a station full of biomes, not like a shuttle. Simulations of other places I think. I spent most of it underwater.

Underwater?

[Hang on. Emil had gone to space too, right?]

Don't tell me you got turned into a fish or something.

No...I was in a submarine. Some people got turned into animals but that was in the lab, not space.

[Out of context? Yes that is fucking weird. Also Emil also turned into cheese.]

Edited 2017-08-30 18:44 (UTC)

[Is this what it sounds like when he explains their adventures to other people...?]

So you wound up in a submarine... in space. Do I have that right?

Yeah. You do.

[She just sounds so bored with it too.]

I have it on camera. I'll show you sometime.

[Dante shakes his head]

At least ours made some sort of sense.

[He pauses for another bite, thinking it over before he gives Pen a sideways glance.]

Was that all this was about, our crazy adventures through the unknown? Or did you have something else you wanted to talk about?

Well I wanted to check on you, after Ryoji.

[A breath.]

And thank you. For helping bring Freya back to me.

For what?

[Excuse him a moment, Pen, he wasn't expecting that. But after a moment he's giving a quiet snort of bemusement, glancing back out to sea.]

I didn't do that much. Freya's plenty capable on her own, you know. She would've made it back with or without the rest of us.

[He doesn't doubt that in the slightest.]

Look, I know that. She's tougher than you and me combined.

[She shoots him a somewhat annoyed, if not outright angry look.]

But Christ, when I saw that photo of the two of you fighting a fucking yeti? I freaked out a little. But I knew that she had someone reliable with her through that. It helped.

Edited 2017-08-30 19:44 (UTC)

[Ohhh. Okay, he sees where this is coming from now. Dante swallows his first instinct, looking for a response that won't make her feel like he's belittling her worries.]

I can't say I'm glad that any of us wound up stranded like that... but if it had to happen, I'm glad the both of us wound up in the same place. I've got her back, she's got mine, and between the two of us we... could usually keep everyone safe.

[With two notable exceptions.]

Yeah. I know you guys did your best.

[She trusted Dante to stubbornly stick up for the people that he knew. He was just that way.]

Have some...mixed news, too. I know you have your run-ins with the cops sometimes. Did you know Noah Gabranth?

[That's the problem. He's not sure if he did.

But Dante shoves the thought away for now. It's not important right now.]

Yeah. No sense of humor, expected the world to stop for him, thought he'd get information just by demanding it?

What about him?

He's off the network now.

[Pen frowns.]

I remembered him in my hallucinomemories. I'm not sure if that's good or bad based on those, but he's not aware anymore.

What sort of stuff did you remember about him?

He...is a Judge. Capital J, some sort of soldier and lawman or something.

[She shoves the last of that slice in her mouth and chews before adding:]

And I remembered him trying to kill the other me.

Oh. That's all?

[Dante's finishing his piece as well, leaning back onto his hands. The corner of his mouth turns up in a faint, halfhearted smirk, just enough to let her know he's joking as he chews.]

Just because you remember that doesn't mean he'd do the same thing now.

I've... got a couple memories of fighting someone else that's on the network here. Really fighting, not just sparring like we do Sundays. I don't like this version of him either, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna try to kill him. That's not the type of person I am.

I know that. I grew up with him around. Gabranth has been as much a part of my life as my brothers.

[More than, really.]

We talked about it though. And...not talked about it. I don't think he'd try and kill me obviously. But maybe it's better this way, avoiding any chance.

Anyway, I just thought you should know he was off.

Yeah, I'll make sure I don't accidentally drunk-text him again. He'll probably be less likely to let it go if I do.

[Is he joking? Who knows.]

It'll be weird, not seeing his grumpy ass around.

Yeah. And as weird as it sounds, it'll be easier to talk to him again, with him not remembering. But...safer.

[Back to stodgy cop.]

Pass that Fireball?

Nah, I get it.

[He reaches down, grabbing the bottle and passing it over.]

There are a couple people in this city I'd get along with a lot better if they didn't remember any of this stuff, too.

[Taking it, she unscrews the top and takes a sip. Straight cinnamon whiskey. Yum.]

Sora?

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