[closed] servicing the community

[subhuman]

Who: Dante & Clive
When: Late September
Where: Frostwurm tunnels
What: Two ruggedly handsome strong dudes move heavy objects
Warnings: Dante being himself, Clive is pure

[ Never let it be said that Dante doesn't do his part when there isn't any demon ass-kicking requirements. If anything, the whole anomalies business was the first time in a long time that Dante really got to stretch his wings. Metaphorically. Literal wings are mostly kept under wraps.

But while he rarely involves himself in the clean-up of his exploits back home, in Thorne it's a different story. The Summoned are just as likely to be tasked with busy work as they are with saving the whole ass kingdom, so he's hardly surprised when they're asking for volunteers again. For Dante, it's a welcome excuse to spend more time out of the castle city itself.

The company isn't too bad either. Clive's a decent guy, more ready than Dante is to jump into the heat of things, and more inclined to be taking up this task for the good of others. Or, the frostwurms, in this case.

Dante picks up a small, thin rock and flings it towards the large pile in their path, grinning a little with how it bounces off the boulders like skipping on water. How does he do it? Don't ask. ]

Nothing like a little community service to stretch the legs, eh?

Comments

[flagrates]

[ The call for volunteers goes out, and Clive doesn't hesitate, partly because it's the right thing to do, but also because it's a chance to get away from the castle and hopefully any prying ears. It's not like he's expecting to need to discuss Thorne or it's royalty, but..

It's nice to not have to watch what you say all the time.

And Dante is nice enough, truth be told. He may be a bit of a jester, all things considered, but Clive has seen the man fight, and he knows what he's doing. You can trust that kind of man.

Clive glances up at the sound of the rock skipping around the boulders around them, his gaze following it until the rock lands and he looks at Dante, lifting a shoulder in a shrug and giving him a small grin. ]

I think it's stretching my back more.

[subhuman]

[ You can absolutely trust that kind of man, Clive. There is nothing at all about Dante that should be questionable or suspicious.

Truth be told, Clive has probably seen Dante at his best--being active and involved in hunting down a demon, now offering to help out some giant worm or whatever from getting caved in. It's much more he's done in the last month than he has in the year plus he's been in Abraxas. But Clive doesn't need to know that.

Dante is definitely curious about Clive and that lady of his. Neither had balked or backed down at the challenge. What sort of craziness have they dealt with before?

He lets out an amused huff as he picks up another rock, sizing up the formidable blockade in their way. ]

Shouldn't be lifting with your back, you know. When you get to my age you'll throw it out just getting out of bed.

[flagrates]

[ Dante is one of the least suspicious people he's met in Thorne, although that may be a low bar to cross if Clive ever truly thinks about it. Dante is Dante, and doesn't try to hide who he is. In a place like Thorne where all the people who live there aren't exactly forthcoming, it's nice to have someone just be themselves.

He lifts up another rock himself, holding it up with a curious look on his face, right at Dante. ]

Your age? You can't be that much older than myself.

[subhuman]

[ That really says more about Clive than it does about Dante, yes. Or maybe Dante has just that good of a job at being the weird lazy guy? He'll take it either way and leave Clive off the hook for that one.

Besides, he feels like he's gotten good at claiming the equally important "local old fogey" as well, though that's in no small part to the fact there does seem to be a large portion of young men in particular around Thorne. (Though that, also, may say more about Ambrose or the other mages than anyone else. Or...about the Queen. He hasn't put that theory out of the window just yet either.)

So Dante chuckles lightly, comparing the size of his rock to Clive's for a moment before tossing it lazily off to the side.

These rocks are definitely a little too big for your average Joe to juggle around. ]

Kind of you to say. Either that or you've got one hell of a skin care routine.

[flagrates]

[ Dante's rock is definitely bigger, though Clive's is sizable.

Clive tosses his own rock to the side, raising an eyebrow at Dante as he grabs another and shoves it out of the way. ]

Skin care routine? Nothing like that.

[ He reaches up to touch the scar on his cheek without really thinking about it. ]

Sometimes I feel older than I am.

[subhuman]

[ Battle scars, yeah, he imagines Clive's got more than just the one on his face. Despite his (reportedly) aching bones and joints, Dante has the unfair advantage of some demonic blood to heal his wounds, even the most life-threatening.

Still, it's a pretty nasty gash. You don't get that from just falling down the stairs. (Or maybe you do? Clive isn't the clumsy sort of person, from what Dante can tell.) ]

That one's got a story behind it.

[flagrates]

[ He pauses, and then huffs out a laugh. ]

Not very interesting, I'm afraid.

[ This is an obvious lie. ]

[subhuman]

[ A very obvious lie. One that Dante let's hang between them for a few beats before he offers an easy smile rather than a follow up question. ]

That's when you gotta start following it up with "you should've seen the other guy".

[ Dante slaps Clive's shoulder.

He's not in the business of forcing someone's deep, dark backstory. That'd make him something of a hypocrite. ]