Hey everyone. So, here's another post from Dante's POV. I hope I got Ela and Sam's personality right. Please comment and let me know. I also included the scene with Rano and Tono and Keffer. So...It's all updated! Enjoy!
.: DANTE :.
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When Acacia cupped my face in her hands and wiped away my tears, I didn’t even try to hide my confusion. She…didn’t leave. She was still there. Even when she told me she wouldn’t leave me, I couldn’t help but feel a little…relieved. She wanted to stay. Maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t going to be alone anymore.
It seemed after I asked her why she stayed while everyone else just left, she finally understood just how alone I was. Tears were starting to form in her eyes, though they never fell. She kissed my cheek and assured me she was different. Of course she was. It she wasn’t, she would have left like everyone else. But she didn’t and I knew that she was different, in a good way. She asked me about Mia and I told her how much she reminded me or her. They acted so much alike. Both were determined and stubborn beyond hell. They were both beautiful and strong, but kind inside.
I thanked her for staying with me and not leaving. As I did so, she reached for my hand and intertwined our hands. It felt…nice and I didn’t resist. It was at that moment I knew that finally, for once in my life, I wasn’t alone. I had someone there to help me and it was a moment that I was going to treasure forever. I wasn’t alone and I wasn’t going to be anymore.
For a while, we just sat in the garden, our hands intertwined, in silence that wasn’t awkward. We didn’t talk or move we just sat there. It was comforting, to say the least. I couldn’t remember how long we were out there until Acacia suddenly remembered something.
“Oh! I almost forgot. I was going to meet Colette and the ladies for some tea.” She said, standing up suddenly. Since I was still holding on to her hand, she dragged me up with her. I looked at her.
“Want me to walk you back, then?” I asked, smiling. It wasn’t a half-smile for a fake smile. It was genuine smile and it felt nice to do that again. If she could have blushed, she probably would have, knowing her. She only nodded and started walking back to the mansion. We walked in silence that wasn’t awkward again, instead we both found it comforting and peaceful, something I haven’t felt in a while.
We were a bout half-way back to the house when the silence was shattered by Acacia, again.
“Dante?” She asked, hesitant.
“Hm?”
“You’re still holding my hand,” She pointed out. I but my lip and felt a rush of heat rise to my face.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I started to slide my hand out of her but she held onto it.
“No, it’s…it’s okay. I…like it,” She said, turning her face away from me. For a second I was shocked. Did she just say, she like me holding her hand? A few seconds later, I smiled again.
“Okay,” It was then that we came up to the mansion doors. She started to walk inside and I stood still. She looked at me, confused.
“Aren’t you coming in?” She asked, walking back to my side. I nodded but still didn’t move.
“Yes, but….I want to do something first,” Before she could as what I was talking about, I let go of her, grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I stood there and hugged her. For a while she just stood completely unmoving and shocked, as if she wasn’t expecting me to hug her. She probably wasn’t and a part of me didn’t either but I wanted to. Finally, she wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me back.
“Thank you, Acacia. For everything. Thank you, so much,” I said, breathing heavily as I bit my lip to refrain from crying again. I hadn’t cried since Alessandro revealed everything to me but now that I did, it felt like a bit weight was lifted off my shoulders. Someone stayed with me, through everything. After all that time.
For a while we just stood in front of the doors and hugged each other. After a few minutes, I pulled back and smiled at her. She hesitated for a few seconds but then, she smiled back at me a genuine smile. Opening the large front doors, I geld it open for her and motioned for her to go in first.
“Such a gentleman,” Acacia said, smiling as she walked into the mansion. Chuckling, I walked in after her. It seemed as if the main floor was empty, as least from where I could see.
“I have to go. I guess I’ll…see you around?” She asked. Quickly, I nodded. I would like to see her around more but with everyone here at the mansion, it wasn’t going to be as much as I wanted. I wanted to spend time with her and get to know her. I…kind of liked her. More than normal.
As she started to walk towards the stairs, I called out, “Acacia?” She turned around, one foot on the first step and one foot on the ground.
“Hm?” I suddenly felt really nervous. Really, really nervous.
“Um….Would you want…to….go on a…..date? With….m-me? T-Tomorrow?” I stuttered. I didn’t know why I was so nervous I just was. I mentally slapped myself for stuttering. I haven’t done that since I first asked out Mia years ago. I saw Acacia’s eyes go wide with shock. She never expected me to ask anything like that. As a matter of fact, neither did I. It just…came out, not that I didn’t want to. She bit her lip and looked away for a while. It was nerve-racking, standing in the middle of the living room, waiting for an answer.
“Would….would I have to dress up?” She asked hesitantly.
“No, you don’t have to. It’s your choice.” After another minute or torture she finally answered me.
“Okay. I…would like that.” I thought my heart jumped ten flights of stairs and my head was soaring. She said….yes. A part of me hadn’t expected her to say yes but the other part was delighted.
“Bene. I was thinking we could spend the day together so…I’ll come by your room about ten?” She nodded before hurrying up the stairs. I let out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding. I couldn’t contain me excitement. No one would be able to ruin my good mood.
Happier than I had been in years, I started walking around downstairs, in search of anyone who wanted do hang out. Now that Acacia left, I found I was deathly bored and had nothing to do. In the other part of the living room I found the blonde haired human lounging on the couch. I realized I never introduced myself.
“Hey. What are you watching?” I asked. He jumped up and looked at me.
“Oh. Dude, you scared me.” He said. “I don’t think I’ve met you yet.” I held out my hand.
“I’m Dante.”
“Sam.” He said, grasping my hand and shaking it. Over my shoulder, Sam peered at my wings.
“Is no one here human?” He asked desperately. I thought about that for a minute.
“Well, technically, no. But I’m probably one of the closest that is. I’m not exactly human, but I’m pretty damn close.” I explained. For some reason, he seemed to relax a little bit.
“To answer your question, I’m watching nothing. There is nothing to do or watch.” He groaned. I understood how he felt. At last a little bit. A thought suddenly came to mind.
“Hey, Sam? Do you like shooting games?” I asked. At that moment, his eyes lit up.
“Ah hell yes! ‘Course I do. Who doesn’t?”
“Want to go play some X-Box?”
“Yes!”
“Okay. I’ll meet you in the game room. I need to get a shirt.” We both nodded to each other and took our separate ways. I needed a short because I wasn’t going to walk around the entire mansion shirtless for the rest of the day, or evening. That would have been awkward. As I walked through the other part of the living room I noticed Griffin opening the door and two young ladies standing outside.
Rano and Toῆo were twins and they seemed to relish that fact. They seemed really…hyper. At least, one of them seemed that way. After Griffin stalked off, the two girls went upstairs and decided to explore the rest of the mansion. I just shrugged it off and headed upstairs to my room.
On my way there, I saw Keefer in his room packing up. I tried to convince him stay but I was pretty sure he made his choice already. As I walked into my room I headed to the closet and grabbed a random shirt. It was a simple grey T-shirt. Slipping in on, I shut my door and headed down to the game room in the basement.
When I got down there, I saw Sam had already set up the X-Box and was skipping through the advertisements.
“What’d you put in?” I asked. Tossing me a controller, he smiled and sat on the couch in front of the T.V.
“Call of Duty: Black Ops. We’re going to go on a Zombie rampage.” At that, I smirked.
“What better to have man time than shooting zombies?” I asked, taking a seat next to Sam on the couch.
“Nothing!” The game loaded up and Sam, since he was first player, set up the zombie level.
“What area do you want?” He asked.
“Five. It’s the best one.” He nodded and then, the game started. He skipped the cut scene and it was zombie shooting time. We got through the first five rounds without any trouble, but as soon as the sixth round started, it all went to hell.
“D@mmit! Where are they coming from?” I yelled, reloading my ammo for my M16 and shooting another zombie in the head. I knifed another who was sneaking up on Sam.
“Thanks.” He said, using his pistol to take out another zombie.
“Anytime.” We barely got through the sixth round before we opened up the door that lead to the restricted side. It cost me most of my points since I spent almost all of the refilling my ammo.
“Great. Now we have yet another area to cover.” Sam complained while he rebuilt a barrier, earning him more points. We were getting behind. Before either of us knew it, two zombies came up behind us and knocked us out. The game was over.
“D*mmit! We were so close,” He said, almost throwing the controller on the ground. I was about to say something when another voice interrupted me. A female voice.
“One of you, gimme the controller. I’ll show you how it’s done,” The voice said. I turned around and saw it was a girl with bright red hair and violet eyes. She was wearing a rather frilly and girly dress.
“Ela, what are you wearing?” Sam asked, clearly confused. The girl-Ela?- scoffed and plopped down beside him and grabbed the abandoned controller.
“It’s called a dress. Surely you’ve seen one before.” She said. Then she turned her gaze to me. “Hey, aren’t you the guy with black wings?” I nodded.
“The name’s Dante.” She nodded and looked back at Sam.
“I’m in a dress because Collette invited all the girls to tea and I was, regretfully, dragged along. I was there for about ten minutes before I escaped. She insisted I wear the dress. It got her to shut up at least.” She explained before setting up the game again. In a split second, the level was loaded and Ela was off making barriers.
“I’ll show you boys how it’s done,” I realized then she put the game on solo. It was only her against an entire hoard of zombies. D*mn, she was good the video games.
I didn’t know how much time had passed but it wasn’t long before Ela was a stage 48 by herself. Both Sam and I were gaping at her. We were about to say something when Akira walked in.
“Dinner’s done.” She said. Ela wasn’t paying any attention because she was so focused on the game. I nodded and smiled at her.
“Thanks. We’ll be up soon.” I said, warmly. She gave a look then disappeared. I looked at Sam who was still gaping at the screen and then at Ela who managed to make her way to stage 50.
Maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t going to be alone anymore. I might just make some friends.
The thought pleased me.
