[dantecampanas]

ofvegas‌:

valentines knees bend a bit as he places the hand “tiara” on her head, her eyes fluttering up to look at it before returning to a normal position once his hands were back at his side. “i think i would definitely look good in a tiara, especially only a tiara,” she says teasingly, quirking her eyebrows at him. 

the ease with which he exists around her now is comforting, she knows that things may not be back to normal, they will probably never be normal again, but they’re so much more normal than they were, and that’s a victory she will take. “good, i don’t know if i ever could have forgiven you for voting for kristy,” she said, her tone conveying the sarcasm behind the words, although there is more truth to them than she would like to admit. “i for one am beyond enthusiastic to see you in a tiara, and if i win, i’m excited to share mine with you.” she poked his nose softly to accompany her words.

dante’s gaze is fond as valentine playfully dips to accept the invisible tiara, his smile widening at even the small reminder of why he adores her. he’s not sure most people see this side of valentine, and honestly, he pities them a bit for it. that said, his eyes darken slightly at her teasing comment, or rather the mental image it brings to mind, which he assumes is the reason why she said the words in the first place. brow arching pointedly, dante smiles says, “... i think we both know you would.” dante shakes his head in amusement despite himself, jaw shifting to try to ward off urge to laugh as he playfully asks, “why are you teasing me with things i cannot have, hmm? do you like to see me suffer?” 

“me? vote for kristy? never.” dante replies immediately, shaking his head confidently even as his lips pull into a warm grin. it was no contest for him with the nominees this year. dante was nothing if not loyal to a fault, and his love for valentine made her more than worthy of his loyalty even in things as small as this. he wrinkles his nose as she pokes it, eyes crinkling with his grin as he takes her hand before she can completely pull it away and swiftly kisses her palm. “you’re going to share it with me? wow. i am honoured, mi vida. the generosity of this years snow queen is truly unrivaled.”

[dantecampanas]

gevrgina‌:

– “YEAH, REAL FANCY,” SHE LAUGHS, “you texted me, asshole. of course i’d be here.” although her tone of voice doesn’t match the words, lighthearted with a smile on her lips. it’s perhaps not her favorite night, but she’s not going to ruin it by complaining about it right now. normally, georgina and dante are always on the same page – she can see what he’s thinking a mile away ( or at least, she believes she does ) and normally, she’d walk into this library already well-aware of what he’d asked to speak to her about. tonight, however, she’s clueless ( and if it’s about valentine, she just might SCREAM. ) 

“this old thing?” she beams, and she does a little twirl for him mainly because she already knows that he’ll respond appropriately. “i KNOW,” she says, pushing kristy cargill’s comments to the very back of her mind. “but that’s okay, you’re my best friend – they can wait.” while she wants to be back because she has something to PROVE, there is a sort of clarity in distance from the dance floor – the exact place octavia would have been the center of right now. 

she takes two steps forward, catching both of dante’s hands with her own as she looks up at him. “seriously, what’s going on?” georgina asks earnestly, “i know you wouldn’t pull me away from the dance floor for NOTHING – not that they need me there.” a touch of bitterness to her words, although it’s mostly harmless. but dante has always been able to pick up on every cadence of her moods, at her side since her preteen years. and the way he looks at her ? she’s sure he’s reading her like a book, so she squints her eyes as she looks up at him, trying to read him right back. 

“i know.” dante replies with a nod and heartwarmed smile even at the passing comment. for as long as he’s known georgina she’s been there when he called, when he needed her. it was something he tried not to take for granted. “and that means more to me than you know.” dante meets her eyes squarely, arching his brow as he adds. “i need you to know that, g. you’re an incredible friend.” 

dante feels no shame about clapping and whooping as georgina twirls. after all, while they are in a library, they are the only ones in said library. and georgina deserves the support, no matter how small it is. after he’s finished with his cheering he can only place a hand over his heart with as he feigns swooning. “leaving your adoring audience just for little old me? now i feel special.” dante’s smile is broad enough to reveal a dimple. “i promise i will try my best to make it worth it.”

dante can’t take hearing the slight bitterness in georgina’s tone, his lips pulling down into a frown as he squeezes both of her hands in return. he knows that there is no better time to reveal his surprise than now, so with an arch of his brows he swings georgina’s hands playfully. “okay, the reason i called you here is... for a surprise.” dante arches a brow with the words, knowing how much gina likes presents and already anticipating the excitement. “so i’m going to need you to close your eyes, okay?” dante waits until georgina’s eyes close to duck back into the stacks, reaching for the crown he’d made when the nominations for queen were announced. it’s silver, to match georgina’s accessories (dante knows enough about fashion to at least know that much) and the jewels he’s fused to the metal of it are of all different shades, mostly because dante used whatever he could find within his own things or the at the local flea market. it might not be as elegant as the real snow queen tiara, but dante put his heart into it, and learned a lot about metal working for it too. he can only hope that it at least brings a smile to georgina’s face, all things considered. he takes a big breath as he finds himself in front of georgina again, crown behind his back for a moment before he’s saying, “okay...” and revealing the gift to her with some amount of enthusiasm. “open!”

[cwbosch]

starter for @dantecampanas​ !

The world pulsed around him. It was bitingly cold outside, but Christian liked the sensation in his current state– it was fresh and clean against his skin, nothing like the stiflingly warm buzz of the formal inside. He’d taken to wandering since leaving the dance, catching people he knew here and there, not wanting to go back inside and risk seeing Valentine but certainly not wanting to be alone. He spotted a figure leaving the building and after a moment of peering through the darkness, his stomach dropped with the realization that it was the second-to-last person he wanted to see at the moment– Dante.

Christian’s blood started to boil; literally, he could swear he felt it growing hot under his skin. Dante was irredeemable, he’d killed someone, and still Val preferred him? Still Christian had to keep his secret and stop him from getting what he deserved, while a good, innocent person sat behind bars in his place? Christian had half a mind to turn around right then and go to the campus police, but even as upset as he was with Val, he couldn’t do that to her. He was certain that no matter how much she hurt him, he could never bring himself to hurt her in return.

But Dante… Dante was a different story. Christian couldn’t bring justice down on him without implicating Val, but maybe he could still make him hurt. He doubted Dante even felt remorse, meanwhile Christian woke up to nightmares consisting of Dante’s face spattered with blood, the almost-blank expression he wore while he bludgeoned Octavia to death. He was a monster, there was no getting around it.

Before Christian could register what he was doing, his feet were carrying him quickly toward Dante, first at a brisk walk and then a heavy, barreling run. He shouted a furious “Hey!”, giving Dante enough time to turn around before Christian collided, tackling him to the ground with a scraping, heavy crash. Adrenaline flushed through him as he then jerked his arm up, clenching his fist before bringing it down toward the side of Dante’s face with as much speed and force as he could muster.

[dantecampanas]

Dante was having a good night, which was rare these days. He was counting his blessings, even with the knowledge he didn’t deserve them. That he was running on borrowed time. But he counted them nonetheless. 

He had spent time with close friends. Got to spend some time with Valentine as well. And he hadn’t thought of Octavia once. The thought makes him feel heavy with guilt, because after what he’d done the torment of thinking of her should be his punishment for the rest of his life. After all, if Lysander had to spend his in jail, and Wolfie had to spend his in grief than it was the very least Dante could do. To remember her. To hurt. 

But it was nice, not to think of her. To feel like things were normal once again, even for just a night. And that might make Dante a horrible person. but his hands were already covered in blood. Truly how much worse could he get? 

He takes a walk to contemplate it all, truly planning on doing nothing more than clearing his head before heading back inside. But at the sound of a voice and footsteps behind him he can only blink, turning around in response only to be barreled into before he can fully register what’s happening. 

He hits the ground heavily and only has a second to blink up at--... God, Christian? But before he can so much as utter the other man’s name pain is blooming over his cheekbone and his head is swinging to the side. There is a moment where Dante has to attempt to get his bearings again, his brain feeling sufficiently scrambled and his face throbbing in pain, but he’s quickly bringing his hands up to attempt to grab Christians wrist before he can swing his fist down on him again. 

“Christian, what the fuck?!” Dante shouts in return, and god his face fucking hurts. He can feel his annoyance building up in him slowly as his face throbs like a heartbeat, his eyes dark with rage as they scan Christian’s face for some sort of explanation for what’s happening. “Are you still throwing a tantrum about the other day? Enough to fucking jump me?” If Dante hadn’t made personal vow to stop fighting after everything with Octavia he knows he might swing back. If he hadn’t seen the way Christian looked at him after Octavia he might have hit harder. But he’d unfortunately done both of those things. He clenches his jaw tightly, trying desperately to breathe evenly as he moves to push Christian off of him. “Get the fuck off of me, Bosch.” 

[dantecampanas]

ofvegas‌:

when she feels a warm piece of clothing drape around her shoulders, her initial instinct is that it’s august, coming to check in on her and make sure she’s okay. so, with the intention of greeting a close friend, she looks behind her with a grin on her face. when it’s dante smiling make at her, she is taken aback for a moment, yet the same grin remains.

“i suppose i’m trying to soak up the last moments of a life without royal responsibility,” she responds, placing the back of her hand on her forehead dramatically. “being a public servant will be so exhausting.” a laugh escapes her mouth in between words, barely able to keep up the act without laughing at herself. she lets her eyes flutter closed as he moves closer, taking a deep breath at the feeling of his lips against her cheek and his breath against her skin. “thank you,” she whispers back, eyes immediately staring into his. “you are the best looking person at this whole damn event, i wish you could’ve been nominated instead of me.” humility, however feigned, is always a good idea.

“ah, but it’ll suit you though.” dante replies with a grin, lifting his hands to pretend to place an invisible crown on valentine’s head. “queen valentine.” his smile widens as he nods in approval and drops his hands to his sides. “you were made for the role. and not only because you’d look really good in a tiara, although,” dante winks jokingly, “that too.”  

“you’re welcome. it’s true.” dante can only smile at the compliment, eyes twinkling as he leans back to a maybe less than completely friendly distance but he leans back nonetheless. “and thank you, mi vida, but i would have to disagree considering you are one of the most people i’ve ever seen and i personally voted for you.” dante’s shrugs after a moment before adding, “besides, not to sound like a broken record, but i just don’t think everyone would be as enthusiastic to see me in a tiara. so you are the best choice. no contest. and i’m sure the results of the voting will reflect that.”

[ofvegas]

*  // ♦︎ it was @dantecampanas​​​​​ at the ᴡɪɴᴛᴇʀ ғᴏʀᴍᴀʟ !

what good was a date to a formal if you lost him soon after arriving? this was the question that valentine was asking herself as she walked outside of the building, assuming christian was off hanging out with someone who he actually cared about instead of her, his bitchy and murderous girlfriend. she tried not to let it bother her, she didn’t care much for him either if she was being honest, but the thought that someone didn’t like her was something that shook her to her core like it always did.

she stood outside, arms crossed against her chest to protect herself from the cold wind of the january night, and thought through her situation and how completely and utterly fucked everything was, before pulling out a flask from her purse and taking a swing. she didn’t want to swim in these sort of thoughts for too long, she was afraid she would drown. lost in introspection, she didn’t even notice dante approaching her.

[dantecampanas]

dante knows they’re supposed to be being discreet, and he understands why. but the moment he saw valentine just standing outside, obviously alone and appearing to be less than happy about it, he couldn’t leave her alone. not even if he wanted to. so he greets her with the warmth of his suit jacket falling over her shoulders, already knowing from the look at her that her dress, while beautiful, could not be particularly warm. 

he leans out from behind her to catch her gaze, his lips already pulling into a smile as he says, “what is the future snow queen doing out here all alone, hmm?” dante asks as he slips his hands into his pockets, slowly circling her to face her. “doesn’t quite seem right. she should be surrounded by her adoring fans, no?” he gestures to the empty space around them. they’re the only two outside for now, and dante knows he should be grateful for the privacy. “well, i can’t complain too much. if you were surrounded by adoring fans i probably wouldn’t be able to approach like this, right?” dante smiles adoringly at val for a moment before he’s leaning in to kiss her cheek, taking the moment of closeness to murmur into her ear. “you look beautiful, valentine.” 

[kordeliam]

WITH  @dantecampanas​   at  THE  FORMAL 

“ i  feel  like  i’m  at  one  of  your  galas, ”  norah  whispers  from  behind  the  moment  she  finds  him,  hands  around  his  eyes  like  he  won’t  recognize  her  voice.  it  is  noted  how  tall  he  is,  how  safe  she  feels  around  him.  her  hands  drop  and  she  steps  into  his  view,  motioning  to  her  dress  with  an  impression  that  beckons  ‘ say  something  nice  before  i  die  of  embarrassment. ’  it’s  not  that  she  doesn’t  enjoy  dressing  up,  playing  princess  for  a  night.  placing  herself  atop  an  ivory  tower,  rapunzel  rapunzel  let  down  your  hair!  but  there  is  no  happy  ending,  no  true  love’s  kiss,  and  she  never  feels  more  out  of  place  at  the  school  of  elite  than  when  they  are  forced  to  present  their  best.  norah’s  best  just  doesn’t  feel  like  it  cuts  it,  and  she  saved  up  all  break  to  buy  the  necessary  material  for  her  dress.  try  as  she  might,  sometimes  it  will  never  be  enough.  a  lesson  she  is  still  trying  to  learn.  “ care  to  take  a  shot  with  me?  this  is  a  once  in  a  lifetime  opportunity.  drinking  with  norah  bardot.  i’d  seize  your  chance  before  i  wise  up  and  change  my  mind. ”

[dantecampanas]

dante startles at the hands over his eyes for a moment before he hears norah’s voice and his surprise is morphing into amusement. “do you? well, i’m choosing to take that as a compliment. i’m going to start my next youth speech with an anecdote about how charity galas for the hungry can be just as fun as college parties. i’m sure it’ll go over well.” dante finally turns around as her hands drop, getting a good look at her and smiling warmly in response. he knows that norah tends to feel a bit out of place sometimes, and he understands it he supposes. but she looks just as beautiful as any other girl here, and dante is determined to do his best to convince her of that. “norah bardot, you look beautiful. really.” dante brings a hand to his chest, arching a brow as he  adds, “honestly, i feel a bit bland in comparison. are you sure you don’t want to take shots with a gentleman a bit more worthy of your time?” dante makes a show of shaking his head then, quick as he says, “wait, no. forget i said anything. if this is a once and a life time chance i can’t let myself miss out.” dante moves to offer norah his arm mostly jokingly, eyes crinkled as he says, “so, in other words, it would be my honor to get really, really, drunk with you tonight, norah bardot. because i’m assuming that’s where this is leading?”

[countenanced]

starter for @dantecampanas​

– YOU CAN STILL HEAR THE MUSIC BLARING ALL THE WAY IN THE LIBRARY. honestly, georgina’s a little miffed to be taken away from the festivities, but she’d drop anything at dante’s request – and it’s not like anyone else was paying her much attention. it’s a sort of bummer to not get nominated for snow queen, but she reminds herself: you’re just a sophomore, your time will come. after all, she’d rather it happen a year from now, while the wounds are still there but they’re not quite as raw – a year from now, where everyone is a touch happier and hauntings and spirits are not on everyone’s lips. 

she says this, of course, but it still stings to be overlooked. georgina is the sort of girl who puts stock in these sorts of traditions, placing more meaning than necessary in symbolic coronations and pretty crowns. was it so bad to long for some recognition ? 

“dante?” she takes two steps forward toward the stacks, “i got your text, what’s going on?” her arms fold over her chest with a little bit of indignation, soft lighting illuminating wispy blonde hair and the sparkles on her dress. there’s something hauntingly beautiful about the library at night, empty on a night where no one is thinking about their studies. “is everything okay?”

[dantecampanas]

dante knows georgina as well as he knows himself, or perhaps considering recent events, arguably better. he knew that not being nominated for snow queen would hurt her, even without her having to say it. georgina likes to be chosen, to be spotlighted, and being passed over for something like snow queen, as small as that was to dante, and likely most people in the grand scheme of things, was big to her. and that was what mattered. it didn’t matter that it wasn’t important to dante, it was important to gina and dante tried his best to understand that.

hence the reason he called her here.  

at the sound of georgina’s voice dante pokes his head out from behind one of the shelves, grinning at his best friend wolfishly as he steps out from where he was hiding. he can see from just georgina’s body language that she isn’t exactly thrilled to be here. he hopes the surprise he has planned can change that. 

“gina. fancy seeing you here.” dante teases warmly in response, eyes crinkling with his grin. he nods before adding, “everything is fine. thank you for meeting me here.” he looks over her briefly for a moment before he is sincerely continuing. “i honestly feel kind of guilty pulling you away when you look so beautiful. i feel like i’m depriving everyone the pleasure of admiring your dress.”

[dantecampanas]

cwbosch‌:

Clearly, Christian should’ve worked harder to cover the hickey.

Dante hating him was certainly nothing knew, but he thought maybe after months of not speaking, there would at least be an awkward tension in place of the outright hostility that used to fill their relationship. But no, Dante seems happy to leap back into it– and Christian knows he should retort, but things have changed for him. Before, Dante was a rival, someone who had spurned Christian in the past and turned into the target of his jealousy. Now, Christian can’t look at him without feeling afraid. Seeing Dante storm like this might have once made him want to get in his face, push him further; but now, provoking him is the last thing Christian wants to do. He’s seen what Dante’s capable of when provoked. 

But still, he’s tolerated enough shit in his life to not take it lying down anymore. 

“Scheiße, would you please calm down? It’s a question, it’s not like I’ve insulted your mother. Although I’d be happy to do that too.” Alright, so old habits die hard. He doesn’t want to provoke Dante, he shouldn’t provoke Dante, but this was bound to happen sooner or later. And it seems as though Christian provokes him with his mere existence, even now that they have this single, terrible secret in common. A secret Christian didn’t even have to keep in the first place and is saving Dante’s ass by doing so– as he might point out if he wanted to truly be a dead man. 

Dante does rightly point out that Christian can leave; if he’s smart, he’ll walk out of the apartment, avoid any further escalation, and do his studying somewhere else. That would be the rational choice, the mature choice. But that would also feel terribly like admitting defeat, and he is not about to give Dante the satisfaction of knowing he has any sort of power over him. Christian might be terrified of him, but he’s been terrified for months now and still managed to brave that. 

“I live here, I have just as much of a right to be here as you, Campana. I’m not going to leave just because you don’t like being reminded that you weren’t enough for Val.” A low blow, sure– but if this is how Dante wants to act, Christian would much rather get the matter out into the open. None of this is actually about Tess, after all. 

Dante can only roll his eyes as Christian so kindly offers to insult his mother. Honestly, as cold as it sounds, Dante wouldn’t have particularly cared if he did. Even with the insult coming from Christian’s particularly grating voice. There was a time that he would have, but now? He has no love for his mother, not anymore. He may never again. 

But the comment about Valentine hits the mark, which Dante assumes is exactly what Christian was attempting to do. Despite not wanting to give Christian the satisfaction of getting to him Dante quickly sees red, his emotions once again getting the better of any and all coherent thought. 

“Fuck you, Christian!” Dante growls in return, both of his hands slamming down onto the kitchen counter as he glares at the other man across the room. Dante’s expression twists into an odd combination of angry and incredulous as he asks, “I wasn’t enough for her? Me? Are you kidding me? Christian, you are literally her second choice. She chose me first, and now, now--” Dante can’t say it. Even in his anger in he can’t say it. He throws a hand up instead, gesturing to Christian aggressively. “She is settling for you! And you walk around all smug, like you’ve won.” Dante’s expression twists into something almost disgusted, nose wrinkling as he gestures to all of Christian with frustration. “Wearing her hickeys like they’re some sort of trophy when really, you’re just an idiot, Christian. You’re an idiot and you’re just proving it to everybody, including Valentine.” 

The words ‘she doesn’t love you’ are on the tip of Dante’s tongue, only caged in by the tight clench of his teeth and the ounce of reason he has left now that he’s let out some of his anger. If he says that then that’ll be the end won’t it. Of everything Valentine has worked so hard for. Dante grinds his teeth to the point that it’s almost painful for a moment before he’s pushing violently off of the counter on his way to the door. 

“Forget it. Fuck this, if you won’t leave, then I will, just to get away from you. Just in case your brand of stupidity is contagious.” Dante snaps venomously as he reaches for the doorknob, twisting it sharply in his residual anger and pulling only to pull the knob right off the door with the motion. Dante pauses for a moment, staring at the doorknob in his hand. Staring at the metal stub where it once resided. It takes a moment for his rage to melt into confusion and for that confusion to melt into shock, and finally, deep, deep exhaustion. “... For fuck’s sake.” Dante drops the doorknob in his hand, letting it clang loudly to the floor as he irritably bangs a fist on the door once before he’s turning back towards his own room to search for his tools. “You have got to be kidding me...” 

[dantecampanas]

ofkits‌:

Too many nights spent alone over the break with only the comfort of a shot glass have done Kit no favours now that he’s returned to Ashcroft. When all he longs for is to rid his mind of something that he can’t quite wrap his head around. Something only the company of spirits that were far more simple to understand could provide. Ones that leave a burning in his throat but a dulling of his mind; rather than the burning in his throat caused by a scream that had left it the first time he had witnessed her apparition. 

That’s why he’s so grateful for Dante. It’s nice spending time in the company of the living, and seeing Dante downing scotch that evening? Kit’s convinced there’s nobody more full of life in the world. 

It’s rare that Kit’s rendered speechless through the words of someone else. But hearing how Dante has missed his company ( even if entertaining the thought only leads Kit to doubt it a little ) does just that. “Well, I am flattered.” You are one of the few who have missed me at all, he feels like mentioning, but decides at the last second that it’s better left unsaid. Too self-pitying, not a good look. “Although, I find your second statement to be a travesty and frankly? A little worrying. If you have such terrible taste in alcohol I dread to think about what you may have been drinking while you were alone.” He teases, gesturing toward his glass, before picking it up and twisting it in his hand in admiration — as if it contained the answers to everything he wanted to know in life. “Scotch? Nectar of the gods.” Kit places a gentle kiss to the crystal on the outside in demonstration… before realising he doesn’t know where it’s been. A thought that only serves to make him crinkle his nose and he’s quickly picking up a tissue to dab his mouth with, as if that will help. 

The fruity drinks with the rum? Vodka? Gin? “Umbrellas?” Kit repeats, an incredulous look washing over his face. It’s the last word he’d been expecting to hear, but through his surprise, he manages to muster a smile; soft and sweet. One that rarely finds a home on his features these days. “I want you to know that I am terribly sorry that your, um, experience with battery acid has led you to make this - potentially regrettable - decision but,” he signals for the bartender with two fingers, a chuckle slipping past his lips. “If my friend wants an umbrella, then an umbrella he shall receive!” He beams, slamming a hand down on the table a little harder than he intended to. Grimacing at both the sound and the accompanying sting to his palm. “Do they…” he starts somewhat shyly, “have a proper name, though?” 

“You should be, cause I mean it.” Dante replies as his lips pull into a smile at the pause between his words and Kit’s reply. His gaze is softened with some amount of fondness. Dante could never understand why people didn’t compliment Kit more often. Kit was a good person. Kind, in his own awkward way. And the fact that he just didn’t seem used to receiving kindness himself never sat well with Dante. It still didn’t. So Dante was fully prepared to shower Kit with the kindness he deserved, even if he had to do so singlehandedly. It might never make up for his sins, but at the very least, maybe it would make Kit a bit happier. And that was worth it in itself. 

Dante finds himself snorting at Kit’s gentle teasing though, his eyes crinkling as he looks at his friend and cheerfully replies, “god, without you around it was jello shots, and only jello shots, Kit, I’m truly very sorry to disappoint.” Dante replies cheekily, and it’s not true, it could never be true, Dante has never actually made a jello shot in his life. He’s had some yes, but he wouldn’t know where to start with making them. The mental image is entertaining though. He leans back in his seat slowly, the amusement in his eyes clear as he reaches over to affectionately clasp a hand over the back of Kit’s neck. “You’re just going to just have to rectify that by not leaving me to my own devices again, hmm? Or at least giving me recommendations for something that doesn’t taste like poison.” Dante’s words are quickly lost in a booming laugh that is mostly a product of the alcohol and completely prompted by the face that Kit makes when his lips touch the glass. “Maybe...” Dante has to pause to chuckle a few more times, his hand lifting from Kit to wipe at the tears in the corners of his eyes. “Maybe the gods have bad taste then.” Dante finally gets out, his shrug following the statement more cheeky than anything else. “I mean, has Aphrodite ever tried a jello shot? Or something with an umbrella in it? These are the questions we as academics should be asking!” Dante arches a brow pointedly before he’s adding, “I’m telling you, Dionysus would love it though. I’m sure I have his full support.” 

Dante’s fist raises in celebration at Kit’s proclamation, his grin broad with his, “ah, guay, my friend is taking care of me!” Dante is so excited for a moment that Kit’s question doesn’t register. It takes him a second to blink and slowly drop his hand with furrowed brows. “Ah... hmm.” Dante’s brows furrow almost comically for a moment before he’s brightening. “Oh! Cosmo!” Dante slaps the table in his excitement pointing to Kit as he says, “That’s the one Gina likes. That comes with an umbrella right? Or, mm. Pina colada? I’d take one of those. They sell those here don’t they?” Dante’s face scrunches up in thought for a moment before he’s waving a hand and amending, “you know what, I’ll take whatever they want to make as long as it has an umbrella in it. The umbrella will make it taste better, and oh!” Dante’s hand is falling on Kit’s shoulder to give it an excited squeeze with his broad grin. “You take one too, yeah? Little umbrellas for us both!”

[dantecampanas]

theresarigby‌:

              There’s a hunger in the woods, a thirst for blood, a want for truth. Tess can sense it in the way they close around her like jaws, the stomach of the soil rumbling underfoot. It feels, sometimes, when the wind whistles through the leaves, like the trees are talking to her — like they know something she doesn’t. Beneath her feet, there’s something in the earth that feels alive, open-mouthed and willing to swallow her whole.

              No matter how far she runs, she always ends up in the East Wing. Memory becomes a cage in which she’s now locked and so half-waking, half-sleeping, Theresa has been living her life like a series of disconnected dreams since finding Octavia. She’d seemed smaller in death than Theresa remembered, barely a sparrow of a thing, the sight of her bloodied and cold like something inhuman. While the men in uniforms play Cluedo with the twelve of them ( soldiers on a board ) Theresa turns to another kind of cards, the major arcana, finding comfort in the warmth of a deck beneath her fingertips. It’s a kind of unravelling. With each reading she draws closer to another plane, somewhere faraway and secret that few know of and fewer still have visited. She’s untangling the rope that has tethered her for so long, and each time she does it her stomach drops, for she knows this is no idle pastime, that it’s a matter of life, death, truth, art, science and religion. When she places her faith in the cards, she’s standing at the top of a tall podium, leaping into the unknown.

             At the edge of the woods, a deer approaches — thick like a shadow cast on a bed sheet by torchlight and childish hands — only when she draws closer Tea realises it’s not a deer at all but the shape of a man, of,  “Dante… I thought you were a deer,” she admits, the sound of it far away and dreamy, her hands clutched tight around the thin fabric of her nightdress, goosebumps along her arms. “Hada… Spanish for fairy? Or spirit…” Her arms tie a knot around his waist, head against the hard plane of his chest. “Maybe I am the spirit of the woods. Does that make you a ghost-whisperer?”

             Slowly, she slinks her arms into the coat — one of his, much too large for her coathanger shoulders — the sight of her drowned by it like a child playing pretend at being grown-up. “Don’t say that,” she scolds, slapping a hand against his arm. Unnerved, she drops to tuck her feet into each sock ( the thick woollen ones she loves the most ) and slip her feet into her boots, her eyes all-the-while somehow absent, like she’s left her vision behind in the woods and they’re stumbling to catch up. “Don’t say that, Dante,” she repeats, wistfully. “You’re going to be around forever. I’ll put a spell on you while you sleep, or tie your wrist to mine so that you can never leave me.” Her head presses close against his chest, almost horse-like in the way she nuzzles him. Then, when she’s settled in her boots, she slips an arm through his, fingers catching the cuff of his sleeve. “Are you going to the woods? Or did you come just to find me?” One suggests a pain too heavy to escape, the other a kindness too profound for her to muster.

Dante can only smile as Theresa’s arms wrap around his middle, the easy warmth of affection filling him as he wraps his arms around her in return. His chin rests on the top of her head as he conversationally asks, “A deer? Well, then I’m sorry to disappoint. I’m sure a deer would have been much more exciting.” He dips his head to kiss the crown of her head before his lips are twisting into something vaguely unhappy at the thought of ghosts. Or rather one ghost in particular. It’s frustrating that Octavia can continue to haunt him even without being here physically -- or perhaps spiritually-- to do so.

“...If I am a ghost whisperer then the only spirit I’d want to speak to is you, Tea. And what would I be then, hmm? A spirit of the forest whisperer?” Dante asks as he unravels his hold on her to attempt to rub the goosebumps off of her flesh with the warmth of his hands. “Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. A Tess whisperer, maybe?” 

Dante lips twitch at the slap to his arm, more endeared than anything. The fact that Tessa wants him around enough to put a spell on him probably shouldn’t be something that warms his heart, but it does anyways. His expression softens further at her almost animalistic nuzzle, his hand coming to the back of her head to caress her hair as he says, “Well, then I guess that’s decided then. I’ll be around forever.” Dante replies simply, even though he knows that’s going to likely be an impossible promise to keep. Obviously because he’s graduating soon, but especially because... well, if everything goes to shit and he really does end up behind bars, he’s not exactly going to be able to be around for Tess then is he? 

Some part of Dante feels dirty, as if he’s lying to her. But who knows? Maybe Theresa’s spell will really work, and Dante won’t be lying at all. His lips pull into a smile that’s more bittersweet than anything else as he moves to zip his coat up to her throat before it falls off her shoulders. It’s honestly so big for her that it’s a real possibility.  

“I came just for you, Tess.” Dante confirms with a nod as he moves to gently pat the hand on his cuff, holding his hand over hers after a moment to attempt to share the heat that came so easily to him. Dante has always ran hot, and he always figured it was for reasons like this. To share his warmth with those close to him. Now, he’s not as sure, but honestly now he wasn’t as sure about a lot of things. “I’d like to come for the forest one day,” Dante says almost wistfully as he turns to flash her a grin. “but I don’t think it likes me as much as it likes you. It might just swallow me up and never let me out again.” The words are said almost like a joke, but Dante can’t help but think there might be some truth to them. After all, that was the forest where Theresa found Octavia’s body. Perhaps, just like the East Wing, some part of her spirit still lives there. Perhaps if Dante were to step in, she would take the chance to finally take her revenge and take his life as he took hers. He couldn’t blame her if she did. He could never really blame her. But the thought of Octavia and the forest brings Dante’s concern back tenfold, and he’s easily tossing aside any thoughts about himself in favor or renewed concern for Theresa. Because he knows from personal experience, that it couldn’t be easy to go back to a place that was the catalyst of such trauma. It just couldn’t be. “How was it in there?” Dante asks gently as he looks down at her, calloused thumb still moving over the knuckles of her fingers. “Are you okay?” 

[dantecampanas]

ofvegas‌:

his smile makes hers grow even more. it’s astounding how easy it is to improve his demeanor, to make him feel less hopeless. how many more promises until it all comes catching up to her? how many more lies until someone overhears and tells someone else? she tries to push it out of her brain for now, letting his joy seep into her mind and extinguish the flames of doubt and guilt and fear. 

she laughs as he lifts her in he air, her arms finding their home around the back of his neck easily as if they had never left, as if they had missed being there as much as she had missed the sensation. 

each time his lips come into contact with a new area of her skin, she laughs once more, the skin becoming warmer. she was blushing, this she knew, and it’s embarrassing to be so giddy about something. it’s not her, and so she tries to calm her body down, but it’s been months since she’s been close to dante like this, and she missed him, more than she knew how to communicate, more than she consented to missing him.

as he pulls away, she looks at him with a mirrored smile. “really, i mean it,” she says before she’s close to him once more. her arms settle once again loosely around his neck, forearms resting on his shoulders. “i would do anything for you,” she says, knowing he’s already done anything and everything for her. sure, maybe that wasn’t 100% true, but it was true enough and romantic enough to make sense in the moment.

“i like seeing you happy. i like it so much.”

dante’s hands fall to valentine’s waist as her arms tangle around his neck, his fading smiling reviving at just a few simple words from her. after all, dante had always been easily swayed. easy to sadden, easy to anger, easy to feel joy. and valentine had always brought that out more than anybody. in his first year one smile from her would have him on top of the world, and honestly not much has changed. 

“and i would do anything for you.” dante replies with conviction without a moments hesitation, because he has, and despite the pain it has caused he knows with everything in him he still would in the future. for valentine, he’d give anything, happily.

his grin only broadens at her words, the warmth of his adoration spreading from his chest all the way to his toes, to the tips of his hair. “you make me happy, valentine.” dante replies passionately as he pulls her impossibly closer, eyes searching hers for a moment before he is genuinely saying, “i will be happy as long as i’m with you.” 

he knows he shouldn’t try his luck, but he’s on so much of a high that he can’t help it. he’ll take the chance. the worst she can say is no, and sure his heart will break a bit, but it will still be entirely and completely hers. no matter what it will be. 

“... but if you like seeing me happy so much...” dante arches his brows pleadingly as he meets valentine’s eyes, turning his head to press a kiss into the crook of her elbow where it hovers near his face. “then it would make me incredibly happy to be able to see you like this again. without... anyone else. just the two of us.” dante pulls his lips back from valentine’s skin with a softened look, even as he grudgingly says, “christian doesn’t even have to know! it can be in secret, i just...” he exhales heavily, meeting her eyes squarely as he says, “i cannot just watch you from afar anymore. not after this. i think it will truly drive me crazy.” 

[dantecampanas]

gevrgina‌:

– HE LOOKS AT HER SO SINCERELY THAT GEORGINA IS INCLINED TO BELIEVE HIM, but then she remembers that this is dante – and dante will always stick by her side and believe the best in her, even when it isn’t true. “i know i wasn’t expected to, but it would’ve made all the difference,” her voice is sad and solemn, and while she knows she isn’t deserving of the blame, she WANTS to shoulder it. it feels as if some of this would make sense, why all of this hurts so bad in some sort of karmic twist of fate. it might make sense why wolfie was so distant, at least. “i just wish i could turn back time and HELP HER, to know what she was going through. it must’ve been so hard. and i just feel guilty because,” she can feel a lump well in the back of her throat, and she holds back the sound, “she used to make me so angry sometimes i – there were sometimes i just wanted her to DISAPPEAR and –” georgina throws her hands up slightly, “look at me, i got what i wanted. made me so happy, didn’t it?” georgina leans into dante’s touch, nuzzling her cheek against his palm as she sighs. she pulls the liquor bottle back up to her lips, hoping the burn will soothe the ache in her chest.

at dante’s accusation, she cracks a smile beside herself. “i’m not so subtle, am i?” she giggles, “but maybe i’m not trying to be.” she pokes dante’s cheek gently, “you haven’t really talked to me about it, so. that’s how i know it must especially suck, huh?” she implores, thinking of her conversation with val earlier that day and how dante seems to defend her to no end, even when she’s probably cozied up to christian two doors down. 

“hey!” she pouts as dante’s fist closes around hers, fully enveloping her most threatening position. “i could kick ass at a protest, thank you very much. i’d like to see those law-enforcers just TRY and mess with me,” she agrees, a narrow-eyed stare in response to dante’s placation. her expression softens at his promise, and despite herself, she nods. “yeah, that’s good enough,” georgina agrees, wholeheartedly believing him without a second thought. she hates to see him hurting, that’s all it is, and she hates it even more when she can’t seem to do anything about it. it’s easy to trust him when his touch is so soothing, the way he gently scoops her into his arms and massages her head. of course you believe the one person who seems to calm all of your anxieties. until he mentions wolfie. 

“stop that, you know it’s DIFFERENT,” she says, although in retrospect, it’s really not that different at all. “people deal with things differently, they grieve in different ways, and it’s not like i’ve been perfectly okay either. he’s good to me.” 

georgina frowns slightly at dante’s assessment, and with another sip from his bottle, the liquor is easily going to her head. she likes the numbness, the freeing qualities of it – like responsibility, easily lifted off of her shoulders. “i mean, you could ask the cleaning staff, but that almost seems suspicious,” she shakes her head, “don’t ask to help clean up a crime scene.” 

dante’s frown deepens the longer georgina speaks, his eyes never leaving her face despite how it pains him. because he deserves this pain, for hurting her like this, however unintentionally. octavia might have been someone trying to hurt valentine, but she was also georgina’s friend. he forgot that for a single moment, and this was the result. “georgina.” dante chokes quietly in response, swallow past the lump in his throat with difficulty for a moment before he’s trying again, leaning in to press his lips to her forehead in a chaste but warm kiss. “georgie. it doesn’t matter what you wished for, love. wishes don’t make things like this happen, no matter how much you want them to.” he smooths back her hair gently, pulling away to meet her eyes as he finds it in him to vehemently say, “it still isn’t your fault.” he arches his brows at her, blunt as he says, “it isn’t. it’s no one’s fault but...” lysander’s name gets caught in his throat. it’s a lie he can’t find it in himself to tell. after all, lysander was his friend, once. and now he is rotting in jail because of dante’s own actions. he can’t add dragging his name through the mud among the many misdeeds he’s already done against him. “... but the man who killed her. and that man is not you, is it?” he tucks her hair behind her ear then, quiet for a moment before he says, “i know it’s unreasonable for me to ask you to promise to stop blaming yourself so... i’m just going to have to keep reminding you, yeah? that none of this is your fault.”

“ah, well it’s good to know you’re purposefully being a bull in a china shop then.” dante jokes gently. at the poke at his cheek dante cracks a strained smile, taking the bottle of whiskey from her hands for a moment to take a silent but long swing with not much more than a disgusted wince. “... yes it... very much does suck, gi.” dante wrinkles his nose before handing her back the bottle. “but i just... don’t know how to talk about it without feeling worse about the whole thing.” that was mostly true. to talk about it would mean lying to georgina, and that really would make him feel a lot worse about everything, including himself as a person. so it was better not to talk about it at all, really. 

dante can’t help but laugh at the mental image of georgina trying to fight a police officer, and honestly it feels so good for the ten seconds that he’s lost in it that he almost forgets everything. almost. “well then you’ll definitely be my plus one next time around. or rather, my bodyguard.” dante can only smile as georgina agrees easily enough, silent for a moment as he studies her before he’s gently adding, “...thank you for worrying about me, gina. i want you to know i do appreciate it.” dante continues to massage her scalp even as he honestly says, “...you’re one of the few people who checks up on me these days.” 

dante can only sigh at georgina’s defense of wolfie, dragging a hand over his face in his mild frustration. “is he? i’d like to see him be. hopefully some time soon.” wolfie had always been a bit of a mystery to dante. sure, he had his... good qualities. somewhere. but he was also someone dante could not for the life of him understand or get along with, even before, well. before. dante licks his lips for a moment before he’s resting his hands on either side of georgina’s face to direct her gaze to him. “...gigi. there comes a point where... grief cannot be an excuse anymore. you deserve to be happy too. and... as hard as it is to say, you can’t just... burn yourself up to keep him warm forever. you can’t.” dante drops his hands and throws them up in the air with a tired, “and that’s all i will say on that. for today. let’s see what happens tomorrow.” 

dante stiffens at her advice. he didn’t even think of it that way. his eyes close tiredly for a moment before he’s nodding in agreement with her. “... you’re right. you’re right, i... i didn’t even consider that.” he rubs at his eyes for a moment before he’s sincerely adding, “i suppose i just feel for them. the cleaners. after all, they did not sign up for scrubbing pigs blood off the walls. it... was a cruel prank in more ways than one.” 

[dantecampanas]

MAKE YOUR MUSE

[uchanda]

therapist: how was your week?

me: mm.. i can’t remember

[thebeautifulspinster]

therapist: what are you thinking right know?

me: mm.. i don’t know

[dantecampanas]

ofvegas‌:

dante made her a better person, this was something she was sure of. after all, she would have never thought about those less fortunate than her if he hadn’t opened her eyes to the suffering that so many people went through, people who weren’t as lucky as her. it felt weird to consider herself lucky, but in the grand scheme of things, she was. she had everything she needed and then some, she had a future ahead of her, she just had to get past this bump in the road.

things could have been so much worse, so then why did they feel so shitty right now?

“don’t apologize, darling,” she says, as she moves her other hand to his other cheek, a small smile on her face. “i’m okay, we’re okay, it’s going to be okay.” and maybe, just maybe, a small part of her believes that to be true.

she hates the idea of making a promise to him, one that she has no clue if she’ll be capable of keeping or not, but she can see his optimism on his face, that hopefulness that he somehow still has, and it makes her melt. she wants nothing more than for him to be happy, and if a few words now can ensure that, then she’ll say almost anything. maybe it makes up for putting him in this situation in the first place.

“then we’ll be together again,” she repeats. “we can run far away from all this, leave it behind, never think about any of this ever again, us against the world. we just have to get through it now.” she stands on her toes to gain some extra height and presses her lips softly to his nose before lowering herself back down to flat feet. 

dante doesn’t know how this has all turned into her assuring him. didn’t she call him here because she needed him? and yet here she is easing his worries without seemingly the slightest bit of effort. he leans into her touch and pulls his hands away from her face only to take both of hers in his and kiss both of her palms in turn. 

it’s all going to be okay. will it? 

she seems too sure about it for dante to question her. a big part of him is convinced things will never be okay again, that he will never again be able to look at his hands without seeing blood on them. but another big part of him wants it to be true. wants to believe that day will come, and that when it does, he will be with her. 

and then she promises she will, and dante can feel his heart sore, the smile slowly growing on his face hesitant but so purely genuine. 

“... really?” dante asks a bit breathlessly for a moment before his grin is growing at the kiss pressed to his nose. it’s been so long since he’s felt his happiness swelling up in him like this that the feeling is almost foreign, but like every emotion he feels dante lets the sensation fill him up, lets it drive him to lifting valentine into his arms and twirling her around in his brief joy. because this is it. what he’s been needing. a light at the end of the tunnel of all this ugliness. 

yes, his guilt is still swallowing him whole. yes, he would still rather turn himself in, let lysander go free, let the prestons finally find the peace they deserve, let octavia finally find the peace she deserves but perhaps this one good thing will make it easier to swallow all the horrible things he’s done. he almost wants it to in this moment. 

he puts valentine down and presses kisses to her cheeks, her nose, her forehead. “that would make me incredibly happy. i--” dante pulls back from her only to meet her eyes, his own filled with emotion for a moment before he’s moving to lean his forehead against hers once again. “that would mean the world to me, valentine. you mean the world to me.” 

[dantecampanas]

gevrgina‌:

– “I GUESS,” SHE SAYS, “BUT IT DOESN’T CHANGE THE CIRCUMSTANCE. i mean, sure, i suppose you’re LUCKY in some ways, but it doesn’t make it any less horrible, the things that were going on here, in our house – i mean, we were really good friends, and i…” she sucks in a breath, “i didn’t notice a THING, i thought she was safe because i really – i thought lysander really ADORED her. guess it goes to show how much you can trust people, you never know what’ll make them snap.” there’s a little chill that goes up her spine at that. you always think you’ll be able to spot a killer – you see a documentary about a guy on tv or something and you think, oh, i’d have known that was a bad guy, he’s got that look in his eyes – it scares georgina that maybe she WOULDN’T HAVE A CLUE. 

georgina’s only able to speak with dante so freely about this because she feels like he’s being frank with her too. “you’re not a bad person for not missing her, not when you hardly knew her, but…she’s not really the one you miss – right?” a knowing, pointed glance. she can’t help herself.

georgina laughs softly as she nests into his embrace. “don’t say that, i really will do it,” she grins, showing him her fist, “see, i’ve even got my thumb on the outside and everything – like a real professional. though you won’t see me for long, one quick swing and it’s LIGHTS OUT for you,” she teases. “so, seriously. get some fucking rest tonight.” she squints her eyes at him in a sort of mock threat, a faux anger because she could never truly be angry with him. she wrinkles her nose up at him as he pulls her hair, “hey,” she whines, sticking her bottom lip out, but her expression softens as dante dips down to meet her gaze, lips parting slightly. she loves it, she loves the way dante flatters her and it makes her smile, but it also hurts, because he’s not the one person she desperately wants to call her beautiful. “i know, i’m just – i’m kidding, i don’t mean to sound ungrateful,” she sighs, “he’s going through a really hard time. here and at home. it’s fine.” 

she has to furrow her brow slightly – wasn’t he just saying that maybe she was wrong ? why dispute her only to agree with her ? regardless, she likes being told she’s RIGHT, so she’s distracted by that easily enough. “yeah, well. i hope they expel them.” 

dante feels as if his guilt grows every moment. as if at some point it will grow beyond what he can even control or handle. as if it will drown him. but it kind of has already, sporadically. it kind of does now, as georgina seems to take some part of the blame for his actions. he reaches out a hand to cup her cheek, making her meet his eyes as he says, “hey. none of that is your fault. you couldn’t... you couldn’t be expected to notice anything, g. so don’t take that blame, you don’t deserve it.” dante’s calloused thumb brushes over her cheekbone gently before he’s dropping his hand back down the sheets. he doesn’t know if he’s even allowed to comfort her anymore. it feels wrong somehow, knowing that he’s the reason she’s hurting in the first place. 

dante zones out for a moment, lost in thought and the depths of own regret until he registers her words and that pointed look. he can only arch a brow in response, lips cracking into a sad smile despite himself, “is that your... oh so subtle way of bringing valentine into the conversation?” 

dante can’t help but laugh as he’s shown georgina’s little fist of terror, a hand raising to envelope it in his own and examine the form she’s bragging about through his chuckles. “oh, i see, wow. i am very impressed, gi. the next time i go to a protest i am bringing you with me as back up.” dante brushes his thumb over the knuckle of her thumb for a moment before he’s nodding obediently and dropping his hand, a ghost of a smile still on his lips as he asks, “how about this... i will try my best for you. hmm? is that enough to get me out of the wallop you’re packing?” dante rubs apologetic circles into her scalp where he pulled her hair, gentle even as he gives her a firm look. “it’s not fine. i... when anya died, i was going through a similarly hard time. and i--... well. i at least hope i still treated you as you deserved to be treated, even through my pain.”

dante hums thoughtfully at that comment, nodding absently even as he adds. “... that’s if they find them.” which he isn’t sure they will, considering. dante can only sigh after a long moment, tilting his head back tiredly as he asks, “... i wonder if they’ll need help with the clean up.” maybe that will make him feel the slightest bit better. to clean up the mess he inadvertently but undoubtedly was the cause of. 

[htgawmsource]

[dantecampanas]

@ofkits