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[darkinferno]

Dante Rantanen

"Hey, you've reached Dante. I'm not in right now--you know what to do."

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text; ambiguously dated sometime before the gala;

[uncagedbird]

Dante?
Do you have a minute? It isn't an emergency or anything, but I
Um, that is

[Why is she so bad at this.]

Call me back when you can? Texting feels so impersonal. I'm nervous enough!! Ugh, this is dumb.

[darkinferno]

[Dante isn't one to leave Ari hanging! He'll call her back as soon as he gets the opportunity--which means that he's calling her back within the next five minutes, likely.

"Nervous enough?" Very suspicious, Ari...

Ring ring! Once she answers...]

Hey, Ari. I got your text. What's going on?

[uncagedbird]

[She answers, of course. She's not doing anything particularly important-- just sitting in her room staring at her current conundrum.]

Nothing! Well, okay, something, but I'll tell you about that in a second.

Do you want to take me to the ball in a couple weeks? If you're busy, I understand, but I'd love it if you came.

[darkinferno]

[He's not giving any indication of it aloud, but Dante's laughing to himself.]

Come on, Ari, do you really need to ask? You could text me telling me I'm taking you out to the opera tonight and I'd show up at your doorstep in a tux ready to go.

[Is he joking? Maybe. Who knows? But even if Ari doesn't know the whole story behind his family--he's never asked--she might know that it's big that he'd agree to take her to the opera so readily. He's maintained for years that he's not a fan.]

It would be my honor to take you.

[His voice softens slightly as he says it, wanting to make sure she knows that he's saying yes because he wants to, not just because she's asked him.]

[uncagedbird]

[She pauses at that. She knows he used to go to the opera a lot-- in fact, she was invited by his parents, or something, she can't quite remember. But there have not been operas for either of them in a very long time.]

Of course I had to ask. If you had plans, I didn't want to make you choose between people.

[That's the kind of thing her mother made her do. Thankfully he agrees and it's like a weight has been lifted-- a weight she didn't know was there-- and it leaves her smiling, invisibly.]

Thank you... [Given a moment, she finds a way to tease.] Do you need help finding something nice to wear? I doubt you still fit into that little tux you wore when we first met.

[darkinferno]

[Dante can't help but shake his head on his end, a soft chuckle coming through the line.]

Ari... haven't you realized yet? If it came to that, I'd choose you every time.

[And then she makes the joke about the tux he'd had when he was small. For a moment, there's silence, but then Dante's laughing, both amused and surprised by her boldness in teasing him.]

I don't know, maybe I could get them to let the pants out a couple feet...

Let me know what you're wearing when you decide. I should be able to find something to match--unless you're wanting to use me as a dress-up doll, that is.

[uncagedbird]

[She makes a little choked noise, obviously embarrassed! But she doesn't argue with him about it. She's honored that he'd choose her, but she doesn't want to be a tyrant... Maybe he trusts her that much.]

Actually... The other thing I wanted to ask is sort of related.

[She reaches down. There's a shuffling noise that sounds like a whole lot of fabric.]

I found a package addressed to me from Retrospec, and it had a ballgown in it. I don't remember ever having something like this. There are at least three different skirts, and it looks like something out of a history book, but I feel like it belongs to me regardless.

It's beautiful, but do you think it would be strange to wear something they sent me?

[darkinferno]

Retrospec sent you a package?

[As she tells him about the gown, Dante stretches a hand out, looking at the gloves that he's wearing more often than not any more. He's realized now that they were also from Retrospec, somehow placed into his bag without his knowing--the fake him from the most recent memory he's gotten had been wearing the same pair.]

I don't think so. I think that if you feel like it belongs to you, then that feeling's probably right. And it sounds like it'd be appropriate enough for the situation.