mercurio | 〈 recolle ic contact 〉

I know.

[Dante doesn't try to excuse it. He did hurt Prompto--he'd intended to. He's not going to shy away from that fact and try to pretend it was an accident.

The fact that even after all of that, Prompto's still calling him a friend, though... that's enough for his heart to twist guiltily. He really doesn't deserve his friendship. Not with how lousy he is at actually being a friend.

Dante looks to Prompto properly now, not quite prepared for the stony expression on the blond's face. Still, he takes another breath, steadying himself again, then forces the words out.]

I... I was scared. I was scared, and wanted to run, and no matter what I tried to do you wouldn't let me. So I did the worst things I could think of because I thought if I made you hurt enough, you'd realize you were wasting your time on me and give up.

[He hesitates then, glancing away to the side before steeling himself and meeting Prompto's eyes.]

I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that.

[A pause, and then he'll add:]

I'll let you slug me back, if you want.

[prompto can understand that sentiment; of feeling scared and wanting to run away. he's never had friends when he felt like that, so the idea of hurting others just to reach an end was never something he considered. all these days without hearing from dante, prompto has wondered and tried to explain to himself why the other acted this way. he's come to forgive it--forgive him, because prompto can admit that he, himself, can be obnoxious and pushy, too.]

[so he listens, and places the bag of food from his arms onto a side table.]

I should. You broke my nose, you know? I had to take days off from work and school.

[prompto stands up straight again, looking at dante, his expression cold. rufus rolls on the bed, behind prompto. he cracks his knuckles, as if really taking his offer into consideration.]

[there's no reason for him not to.]

Stand still--

[but the punch never comes]

[instead, the warm landing of a hand onto dante's back, pulling the guy closer into an excuse of an embrace. enjoy the sweat transfer, dumbass... but that's quickly over and done with, prompto instead delivering a hard smack to dante's arm.]

--come on in. I could do with the company for eating.

[prompto steps back, allowing dante to walk in through the door, as he heads into the kitchen and starts looking for plates and glasses]

[Shit--he actually broke his nose? Dante winces slightly to hear it, but doesn't interrupt. He takes Prompto's motions as confirmation that he's going to take him up on his offer, and sets down the bag with the drinks and the treats, standing up straight and waiting for the punch. Waiting to find out where Prompto's going to hit him.

But it never comes, and instead Dante's yanked right off his balance as Prompto drags him in for what's something of a hug, but not quite. (Gross, man, towel off your sweat! This is a clean shirt!) There's a smack to his arm, and then...

And then... Prompto's telling him to come in? And to eat?

What?

Prompto might step back and head toward the kitchen, but Dante's frozen where he is for several long seconds, trying to figure out what it is that's just happened. Is Prompto done with him? Is that... it? No, Prompto said to come in... is he just going to draw it out and hit him with it later? Should he be expecting the punch later on...?

It's probably a good fifteen or twenty seconds before Dante picks up the bag and wanders inside, still looking thoroughly confused.]

What? That's it?

Just like that?

[prompto looks over from his shoulder and glances at dante with a shrug of his shoulders, dividing the food in half, because there's no room for measurements or asking how much the other wants.]

Yeah. Dunno if you noticed, but I'm not really good at fighting. Violence in general sucks, dude.

[his childhood wasn't the best, but there was never any proper violence going on. the yelling and shouting, however, was enough to put prompto off any show of aggression and a fan of a more peaceful approach]

You spent money on food and drinks anyway, so that's payback enough. Ah, you can buy my ticket to this year's EDM rave if you're still hung up about it.

[dante doesn't have to...]

[point being, it's with a smile that prompto hands dante his plate and a spoon. find a spot to sit! there's only one chair, and prompto's sitting up on the kitchen counter.]

...in any case, we're friends. I forgive you, just like that.

[But he broke his nose. How can Prompto just forgive him like that? It's probably clear by his expression as he accepts the plate that he's still having a bit of trouble believing it. But he'll take the chair that's been left open (making sure the door fully closed behind him first), shaking his head in disbelief.]

Friends, huh?

[He... he can do that, maybe.]

Then I guess I'd better warn you, I've got a habit of being a dumbass.

[He won't try and say that Prompto doesn't know what he's getting into. If Prompto's willing to take a chance on him even after he's gotten socked in the face for it, Dante at least owes him enough to take a chance on figuring this thing out.]

So tell me about this EDM rave I'm apparently buying you tickets for. I don't think I heard about it last year.

Who isn't?

[prompto finally cracks a smile. dante's no more than a year younger than him; of course they're all bound to be idiots about things as they try to sort out their way through and into adulthood. growing up isn't something that suddenly stops when you hit your twenties, anyway.]

[his nose is already going runny and red at the amount of spice; he loves it, but it doesn't mean his body is okay with it. he'll survive though]

--you're not the first one to say that. Has no one really gone to it before?

[is he alone being an edm fuckboy]

A bunch of artists come in and get like an hour to play their music each. It's a lot of fun, dancing and neon lights and just nodding your head to the music.

["a lot of fun"]

[Dante shrugs, taking another bite of food, but it might be obvious that he's doing it to try and hide the smile that's threatening. The tension in the room is finally starting to lessen (though Dante might have been the only one still actually feeling the tension, who knows), and it's kind of... nice to just sit here and shoot the shit for a change.]

I'm more a classical type of guy.

[So yeah, Prompto's alone in his EDM phase. ...It happens when classical is basically your dad's entire life, though!]

Just nodding your head along? Come on, you'll have to try harder than that to sell me on this.

When is it?

Clearly-- [he starts, around a mouthful of curry] it's more than just that. It's hard to explain unless you've experienced it. There's usually a huge crowd, and everyone's packed up close to the stage. There's tons of dancing and jumping, and everything's heightened 'cause the speakers are right there and the DJs are dropping sick beats at the right time.

[and, also, well--]

There's drinks, and some drugs, too. Not--hard drugs, though. Just enough to make the lights pretty and the music course through your whole body.

[dante won't judge, surely]

It's in the summer, around August. Tickets start selling late in April, though.

[This time, the smirk is visible. Yeah, he knew there was more to it, but making amends with Prompto definitely doesn't mean he's going to start going easy on him! Prompto's right to think that Dante won't judge on the drugs front though; how could he when Prompto's seen him drunk underage more than once? He'd be a hypocrite. Besides, it sounds like he's mostly talking about Molly or smoking, not shooting up.]

That does sound like a good time. Let me know when they go on sale; I'll buy.

[It'll be his first music festival, but hey, that doesn't sound like a bad thing at all!]

So is this another passion like the photography? Something you've been into for a while?

Cool. --er, it's just for fun. This would be my third year going.

[but, despite how casual things are now that they've both spoken their peace, prompto feels--like he's got more to say. he glances at dante momentarily, then back at his nearly-finished plate of food]

Yo.

[uh]

So, you're better now?

[the elephant in the room. rufus whines in his sleep in the other room]

[He should've known that wasn't the end of it. If he's honest with himself, he expected this. But it doesn't mean that Dante doesn't still feel a heavy weight settling back onto his shoulders.

Him too, Rufus. Him too.]

Yeah. At least, as "better" as I'm gonna get. I got a hell of a memory back Saturday night at the pageant.

[Give him a moment. Dante shifts the food around on his plate with his spoon, scraping the thick sauce into a sort of "pile," psyching himself up for what he's about to say next. The two of them haven't really ever talked about the weird stuff going on with the network before, and the reasons behind his flight are heavy enough that he's not sure how Prompto's going to take it.]

Have you been getting back the same sort of memories as everyone else has? I've gotten a bunch of them so far and... it's not turning out to be a happy story, as far as I can tell.

[A pause, and then he'll push onward, eyes still on his plate. Hope you don't mind him dragging the mood down, Prompto...]

I'm pretty sure I remembered dying last month. I was... wandering in some kind of afterworld, fighting to try and keep myself from fading away entirely.

Then at the pageant, I remembered running into this witch in that same afterworld. [He thinks. He's not entirely sure, but it seems to fit with what he knows, so...] She said... she said some things that really messed with me.

[Some things that are still messing with him, if he's entirely honest.]

After we fought, I went into the woods for a few days to get my head screwed on straight again and deal with all of it.

[and you, don't mind prompto actually finishing his meal as dante continues talking. it's something that needs to get done, so that he can set the plate down and push himself off the counter, hanging back by it--hand holding on to the edge, his free one cleaning up curry smear from the edge of his lips.]

Not really.

[at the question of whether he's been "getting back" memories. he's still not sure what to make of the fact that he can't really seem to remember anything--significant, like everyone else is.]

[frowning, he can't help but think that what dante tells him sounds a lot like some fairy tale's plot. witches, afterworlds--or just something entirely too dark and creepy to imagine.]

What kinda things did she say that were so bad?

[it's just a memory, a "dream" of sorts; how real can it be?]

[Okay, the lady was green, wearing these dramatic black robes, and gesturing with a staff in one hand with these long fingers with long, pointed nails. You tell him she wasn't a witch...!

For a moment, Dante keeps his eyes down, taking a deep breath. And then...]

Oh, you know. That I'd never meet up with anyone but her because my heart was empty, so I could only meet people who belonged to the darkness. That I should be grateful for the darkness in my heart because if it hadn't been "steeped in darkness," I'd be completely alone. The usual stuff.

[And he's just going to take a giant bite of his remaining food before he says anything else! He's talked about the memory to Ardyn and Ari both, but in spite of their words there's still a part of him that worries about its truth.]

[prompto, for as impulsive as he is, actually reels back and considers what to say next. many will find him to be surprisingly sensitive once they get to know him--past the loud exclamations and motions.]

I don't know what it means by darkness, but you aren't alone. Are you?

[he crosses his arms]

I mean, you tried, but we're still friends. Dunno how much that has to do with your heart being covered in darkness or whatever.

[prompto does not mean to be so flippant, but at the same time he doesn't want dante to think that his fate--who he is, is bound just by a memory that came out of nowhere, to show him things that could technically not be true.]

[maybe they're all fabrications of everyone's deepest insecurities.]

How did you deal with it?

I was then.

[It's not as cut-and-dry as Prompto seems to think it is. The darkness that was in his heart in that memory is something that isn't present here and now--Dante's not really sure how he knows, but he can't feel the same weight of it in his heart, weighing down on his soul.

But at Prompto's other question, he'll get a snort of humorless laughter in response.]

Drank myself stupid, that's how. [But before he can get any sort of response Dante waves his hand, shaking his head.] No, not really. I did get trashed that first night, but after that it was just a matter of coming to terms with it all.

I don't think I've mentioned it before, but my old man's a pianist. When I was younger, I used to tour with him and my mom. You don't... really make a lot of friends that way. You meet people, then as soon as you start to get to know them, you're leaving again. And then I messed up, so my parents sent me away to make sure I couldn't do anything more to damage the family name.

[He's being unfair to them, he knows. Dante knows there was more to their decision to send him back to his grandmother than that. But it stung then, and it still stings now, realizing that the only way he can stand by their side is if he's the model son they want him to be.]

So I guess I always just assumed I'd wind up by myself, you know? [A shrug.] But hearing her say it in that memory... it confirmed everything I'd been afraid of. And the past me, he had a pretty good life. He had friends and hopes and dreams--so if he ended up that way, there's no way I wasn't going to, right? It didn't matter that I've got friends now, or a girlfriend, or any of that. If he managed to mess up that badly, there's no way a fuck-up like me could avoid it. I already told you, I've got a bad habit of being a dumbass.

[His gaze is back to the floor, not wanting to see the look of pity he expects is on Prompto's face. He doesn't want pity--he doesn't want to feel any smaller than he already does.]

But I talked to a couple people after I got back, and they made me realize. My past self fucked up, but that doesn't automatically mean I will too.

[Now he finally looks back up at Prompto, trying to meet his eyes.]

I can either make the same mistakes he did, or I can try and do something different.

[prompto listens, but throughout dante's explanation he can't help but feel that something's off. but he waits until dante's done--and prompto's frowning not out of pity for his friend. rather, he's resolute in his belief that everyone deserves a second chance; that everyone is inherently good, no matter what.]

[still--]

I'm not an expert on this, but did we settle for these memories some people are getting as visions of past lives?

[he's not sure he buys it. as far as he's concerned, he likes the theory of people receiving fake memories off of retrospec.]

[sure, there's nothing to back that up, and he doesn't really go out of his way to openly research about it, but there's no denying that the web is full of conspiracy theories, with and without retrospec's influence.]

[walking forward, he places a hand over dante's shoulder.]

Whatever it is, it's good you've come to that conclusion. We shouldn't let our pasts dictate who we are.

[sincerely, because that's what prompto believes. it is what he has hinged his entire growing-up on. he smiles as he says the last bit, now;]

I'm glad you have enough people who care for you to talk some sense into you. Count me in on operation 'fuck the past.'

[Dante shrugs. Prompto isn't the first person to bring this option up, but he's still a little bit more comfortable sticking to this explanation than he is any others.]

Depends on who you ask. But I'd rather believe it's a past life of my own than random memories and skills some evil corporation's been able to implant into my mind.

[He can wield a sword now. How could they give him a lifetime of muscle memory?

But regardless, this time when Prompto approaches him, Dante won't look away.]

Yeah, well, you were a part of that too, man.

[He nods.]

Operation "Fuck the Past." Got a nice ring to it.

[the hand over dante's shoulder becomes friendlier, becoming a whole arm around the other's shoulders; companionable, by all means.]

And it only cost me one broken nose. Hey, friends go all the way for friends, no regrets about it.

[it's easy to tell with prompto when things are left as forgiven.]

I'll be honest with you though, I've never had any of these so called memories come back to me... [he leans now against the other, pondering, annoyingly resting his weight onto dante.] Dunno if I'm lucky or if I'm feeling left out. What's up with that?

[Truth be told, it's actually a little bit weird for Dante, how Prompto's arm drapes across his shoulders. Sure, people have done it to him before, but normally he's always slid right out from under them, or else he's been the one drunkenly slinging his arm around someone else's shoulders. For someone--a friend to do it in just a companionable sort of way?

It's strange. Not necessarily bad, he doesn't think. But strange.]

Who knows? Maybe they like you better so they haven't shoved them your way yet.

[It's not a great comeback. But hey, what do you want from him? It's been an intense day.]

You're not the only one, though. I know someone else who hadn't remembered anything yet. She was worrying about it, thinking something was wrong with her. But she remembered something while I was gone.

So who knows? It's bound to happen sooner or later. Maybe we should just start trying things and see if anything sticks.

Unless I'm living in reality while you guys are stuck in some form of fantasy.

[oh, the meta-irony]

[prompto's smile widens]

Can we put down 'getting into a fight and breaking my nose' as one of the things that don't stick? I'm honestly fine as I am.

[he pulls away, allowing for riku to have his space again]

You wanna hang for a while longer? Rufus and I just came back from a jog, so we're all tired out.

[A snort.] Only you would be that lucky. But sure, we'll add that to the list.

[Is it lucky, if Prompto is one of the outliers without any of these memories? It certainly seems so to him, especially after this past week and a half...]

Sure, I've got the time to hang. Anything you wanna do? Or just chill?

〈 recolle ic contact 〉

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