etrayalogs | Mission 013 Log

Mission 013 Log

Mission Summary

Genre: Survival / Exploration / Spooky

Premise: Mesa is a wild, lawless land of megafauna, from feathered dinosaurs to redwoods soaring stories high. Etrayans must document what remains of a world on its way out and then get out alive, surviving in the wilderness for two weeks while fighting off a hostile environment. Most importantly of all: beware the dark.

Tone: Dark and philosophical. Is this a world worth saving?

Objectives: Take samples and record for posterity what happened on Mesa. Demonstrate appreciation of what is lost and the capacity to preserve it.

❬ all that men presume ❭

While Mesa is full of life even now, with large creatures roaming the continents and making themselves comfortable, there are traces indicating that at one point this wilderness was constructed. The Citadel, a galaxy-spanning empire, had wanted to collect creatures from the numerous inhabited planets they could reach, and selected Mesa as the location for their conservatory given its lack of sentient residents. Once a carefully maintained vacation destination for Citadel elite, landscapes were meticulously groomed and animal husbandry was rigorously planned to create fascinating creatures across generations.

A good idea, in theory. Perhaps even in practice, given that whilst the rest of this galaxy has collapsed and died, this particular planet is still standing, along with all the creatures that had been transplanted onto it to call it their home.

Now abandoned by the Citadel, Mesa returns slowly to its original state: a deserted planet much like Etraya was before Aurora and Borealis's cities had been developed on it. Which is why Aurora has sent the Etrayans abroad: gather data on those who still live amongst Mesa's population, so that these creatures will not be forgotten as their predecessors have been.

Aurora's portal brings characters to a bare base camp, previously visited by a spare few of her bots in order to outfit it with just enough to allow them to survive. Simply called the Lux, their base camp takes the form of a massive spire with a built-in high-powered lamp at the peak, which bathes the entire outside of the building in light at all times. Some rooms hidden within the facility provide darkened spots to allow Etrayans to rest safely.

Aurora had told them that they must make sure to not be out in the dark -- hopefully the spire's eternal light as well as how carefully the entire outside of the structure is lit up offers them enough of a reminder to listen.

Possible Hooks
• Taking stock of your assigned team that you've just met, sharing supplies, and getting ready to leave on your assignment.
• Building up the base to serve as a safe respite for the time on Mesa.
• Returning to camp between assignments for a breather or because you've spent a little too long out in the dark.

❬ a conservatory left behind ❭

Mesa's ecosystems are dominated by megafauna: creatures of immense size and stature, often with lengthy lifespans and narrow biome niches. Most are locked to their environments, adapted precisely to the area they reside in, with little chance of surviving outside of their specific ecosystem. A swamp titan would not survive the cold tundra that the ice leopards call home, and the ice leopards cannot survive in the ashy, hot environment that let horned beetles thrive. Smaller animals may exist amongst them, but they are significantly less common. Many rely on the larger creatures for survival: feeding off of the parasites that attach themselves to their massive bodies, or nesting within their fur.

Much of the wildlife exhibits ancient evolutionary traits, behaviors and patters long-since established with no signs of further development. They no longer evolve with time and generations but instead have settled into their place on their planet.

The megafauna are not the only living beings on Mesa. Scattered across the planet are traces of civilization: abandoned ranger stations, research laboratories, and observation outposts. While these locations appear as if the technology within them was at one time advanced, it has now become nonfunctional, left to rot without maintenance over the generations.

Yet some of these structures still contain life, the descendants of the humanoid beings that established Mesa long ago. One may consider trying to extend a hand out toward them to offer what assistance they can give - but none of them will be friendly.

Long abandoned by those who had once brought them here, these people have become opportunistic predators, fiercely defending what facilities they were able to keep partially functional. The darkness that plagues the Etrayans also appears to plague them, and without light, the same ill fate would be their demise.

They do not travel far, choosing to maintain their own livestock and supplies to ensure they are never far from the light. After all, they know the greatest threat on Mesa is not the wildlife, but the dark.

Possible Hooks
• Encounter various wildlife while out on assignment, and perhaps run into another team.
• Build an observation blind shelter with your teammates and hole up there for a few days, hoping to document your species of interest.
• Discover and explore an abandoned structure.
• Come under threat from the residents... or try to reach out to them.

❬ hatchlings ❭

The chelonians, one of the species in one of Mesa's warmer climates, has struggled to maintain their numbers over their centuries on the planet due to their inability to change their ways.

Hatchlings are born several kilometers away from the beach shores, burrowed deep into soil to protect them from predators that may seek out their eggs during high tide. These creatures are massive, large shells encasing a significant portion of their bodies with only their heads and limbs visible from under it.

These creatures are rare and difficult to spot on Mesa: they breed slowly, live for centuries, and their offspring very rarely make it passed their first few hours of life. They often hatch in the dark of the night, making them extremely susceptible to predators that lurk in the dark, waiting for prey too small and too fragile to protect themselves. Large winged beasts swoop down from the skies, picking up the newborn chelonians to enjoy a fresh meal.

Without them, their ecosystem begins to collapse: kelp beds and forests fail, and entire food chains unravel.

Etrayans with interest could assign themselves a simple, unofficial mission to find the burrows and protect the younglings as they manage to break through their shells, then help them into the ocean so that their kind may survive to see the sun again. They must set up light sources and wait beside the burrows to make sure these massive creatures not only escape their eggs but do not become lost on their journey to the water. Following them to the water is critical, as their eyesight, even with a light source, is quite poor -- and they have a tendency to lose their way.

No one's asked them to do this -- the whole planet is slated for destruction, so maybe this entire venture is pointless -- but maybe this is something worth doing anyway.

Possible Hooks
• Idealistic types see the chelonian hatchlings struggling to make it to a beach and step in to help. Considering how large they are, this might be a struggle for them, too.
• Cynical types question what the point is.

❬ night falls ❭

Mesa's darkness is not merely the conventional absence of direct light.

The planet itself has no moon, and when darkness comes, it is absolute.

Remaining in the darkness has several consequences, and the effects accumulate over time, progressing along a spectrum rather than in tidy stages. This only seems to effect those from Etraya and the humanoids living within their bases, not the animals brought to reside on planet. Remaining within light sources suppresses the effects, but the moment the planet's rotation angles them away from this galaxy's star, any Etrayans caught outside of the light will find themselves succumbing to the effects.

Characters were warned not to stay out in the dark, but they were not told why they should not.

If any of them prefer not to find out and remain at base during one unfortunate night, they'll find out why anyway: the power cuts. The surrounding terrain, once held at bay by artificial light at the Lux, is swallowed whole. The air feels heavier and the atmosphere itself feels weighted.

Blithe apathy sinks in. The ability to listen to reason slowly leaves those left in the darkness. If they do not find a light source quickly, they will be able to feel the physical effects of the darkness set into their skin, potentially ending with permanent changes.

Those remaining on base may work together in order to bring the power back on, utilizing any personal abilities in addition to fixing the damaged circuits in order to bring everything back online. But they had better react quickly -- the longer the darkness remains, the worse the effects become, and maybe someone who was once trying to help is now trying to hurt...

Possible Hooks
• Help restore power after it cuts at the Lux.
• Underestimate the darkness effects, assume your light source is enough, and slowly fall prey to the pleasant apathy. You'll need rescue.
• Stumble onto another party's camp and need their help to be coaxed back to sanity.

❬ MISSION NOTES ❭

📌 — Please make sure to use the major events comment thread specifically to announce character actions that have a significant impact on the mission outcome or other characters.

📌 — For all questions relating to this mission, please refer to the mission queries comment on the plotting post. Other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

🔵FULL NAVIGATION🔵

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A day out exploring and scouting things has passed pretty uneventfully, all things considered. As it begins to get closer to dark, the adrenaline junkie part of Dante briefly entertains the idea of staying out later, seeing if this danger in the dark is half as dangerous as people make it out to be, but then the responsible adult part of him remembers that he'd made plans to meet up with Selina this evening and that's a far more appealing prospect. He's been a good boy so far in their dealings with their team, he owes it to Selina (and himself) to not be quite so well behaved when given the opportunity to spend some time alone together. There's a spring in his step and a relaxed, happy aura about him as he heads towards the room Selina's earmarked for herself, and as he opens the door after a light tap to announce himself, he doesn't expect much about that to change.

Apparently, fate has other plans.

It would be a lie to say that Dante hasn't imagined what Selina Kyle would look like in a state of undress. New and exciting as this thing between them is, he's enjoyed the liberties she's allowed him to take with her body and felt the curves beneath her clothes with exhilaration and a touch of excitement for when things would finally escalate enough to seeing more of her body. What he hadn't expected was to see it covered in bandages.

It's not human speed he uses to cross the distance between them and snatch up Selina's pack before she has a chance to grab it. That thing looks heavy and with the way she's favoring her side...

"What the hell happened?" he asks, moving the pack to where she can access it before stepping closer, blue eyes assessing the way she's moving, the pained murmur and the way she's pressing her hand to her side. "If you're banged up like this I'd hate to see the other guy."

The joke is a lame one, not even worthy of being called a joke in all honesty, but the concern is apparent on his face as he stands by the bed and looks her over. Being hurt is nothing new to him, by his own account he's been stabbed and jabbed by more things than he'd care to recall, but for a human? It's not so easy to shrug off. And it's not pleasant the way his gut suddenly feels all twisted up in knots seeing her in pain.

"Are you okay?" he asks, his voice soft as he sits beside her, close enough to examine her injury but far enough away that he doesn't crowd or hurt her.

The sudden worry isn't at all what she'd expected. Selina blinks, surprised, to find the pack closer, and see him stepping closer looking at her the way she is. This is definitely not the way she'd wanted their evening to go, and a part of her can't help but feel guilty, suddenly, for him to have to be involved in this part of her life. The part that's always somehow hurt for a Bat.

"I'm fine," she reassures, ignoring the bag in favor of turning slowly, carefully, to reach out and cup his face in her hands. She's gentle in the way she tries to tip his head to look at her, offering a small smile as she softly strokes his cheek with her thumb. "I got between a little bird and a bigger one. That's all." Defending Robin, but she doesn't want to get into that. Doesn't want to paint Robin in a way that might make him seem helpless or weak.

Doesn't want to tell Dante how terrified she'd been in that moment that she'd have to tell Bruce that they'd lost Robin. Again.

Her smile stretches, warm, pleasant, "thanks for coming."

"That's gotta be a big ass bird to get you this banged up," he muses, letting a grin creep to his face that isn't quite as easy going as it might look. "Did you put the thing down or is it still out there picking on the little chickies?"

The idea that there's something out there that could hurt her badly enough to warrant this level of patching up is making his trigger finger twitch; he forces himself to focus on Selina, registering the way she strokes his cheek before he reaches out to gently place a hand on her knee.

"'Cause if it's still out there, I got no problem clipping its wings for you. Just say the word."

He leans over to kiss her cheek, lingering for a moment.

"I like the idea of keeping you all in one piece, you know."

She doesn't say that if it did this kind of damage to her, she doesn't want to think about what it could have done to Damian. A thought she tries to push out of her head by leaning forward to gently nudge her forehead against his, brushing their noses.

"Don't let me stop you from avenging me," she purrs, letting her hand trail over his jaw and down his neck to rest on his shoulder. This planet is full of all kinds of creatures, most of which she'd been content to leave alone, but that one... She wouldn't be upset to see it's wings clipped. Or worse.

She sighs, pleased with the kiss to her cheek, and the way her hand slides into his hair, cradling the back of his head says she's in no hurry to let him get too far away. "Me, too."

As much as she thinks she shouldn't, she can't stop herself from pressing a soft kiss to his lips. Short, sweet.

"I'm not kidding, I take revenge very seriously," he tells her, turning his mouth to graze the briefest of kisses over her wrist as her hand journeys south to his shoulder. "Tell me what I'm dealing with and I'll get it stuffed and mounted on your wall if you want."

He hasn't gone into detail with her yet about just how seriously he's let revenge lead his life in the past, in the years since losing Vergil up until staring into the three terrible red eyes of the monster responsible for bulldozing their lives and tearing their mother away from them as children. That doesn't seem like the right topic of conversation to be had right now, sitting beside his injured friend and trying to offer her some comfort.

Especially not when she's offering him so many nice things, like kisses and hair petting. It's like he's a puppy or something.

He kisses her back, keeping it short and sweet as she intends, but when he draws back he keeps his forehead pressed to hers, eyes cast low.

"Did you patch this up yourself or did someone take a look at you already?"

It's so strange, dealing with an injured human. He's spoiled by the luxury of his demonic blood rendering most mortal injuries little more than a minor inconvenience; he doesn't know where to begin with what to recommend for recovering besides bed rest and a shit-ton of painkillers.

It's not that Batman never got angry on behalf of her or the family, but Selina thinks this is the first time someone has so plainly offered to handle something that's done her harm. With Batman, it was always about getting justice, putting people away in Arkham or Blackgate or wherever else. Always a temporary measure. And here Dante is, offering to kill some creature to stuff and mount on the wall for hurting her.

It shouldn't be nearly as alluring as it is, but there's no denying how the thought warms her. Both her heart and between her thighs, even if the latter doesn't last with the ache in her side.

"I'm flattered," she promises, lashes low, her fingers gently combing through the ends of the pale hair. As much as she wants to take comfort in what he's saying, she doesn't quite know what to do with it. Has to resist the urge that tells her to pull away and shut him out. To stop herself from getting caught in the idea that this feels like more than just two people having fun.

"I had someone take a look at it," she reassures, leaning back slightly to look at him. "You didn't sign up to deal with this," her being hurt, "so don't feel like you have to stay."

"You didn't sign up to get hurt so both of us are getting a bum deal outta this little trip," he tells her with a wry grin. "Not that I'm calling my end of things a bum deal, I'm not the one banged up here."

He reaches behind Selina and grapples for the pillows, rearranging them for her so she can lean back comfortably and get the rest that she's going to need to help her heal. He might go check in with Nero or Vergil to see if there's anything he can do to help with recovery; Lady would rather eat wasps than ever ask him for help with an injury and he's always made it a point to ensure she's never been too close to harm's way whenever they've worked together on a job to get to that point. This is all new territory for him.

"If you want me to go so you can rest, that's fine," he tells her, shifting a little closer and positioning himself to help ease her back down against the pillows. "But I made plans to see you and that's what I'm doing. What're we dealing with here anyway? Puncture wound? Gash? Stitches? All the above?"

He's hesitant to touch her too close to the injury, but he's curious.

There's only a couple of seconds of resistance to being guiding down to the pillows before she lets herself, but her hands move, grabbing for his waist to urge him down beside her as she shakes her head. She has to give herself a minute to turn her words over in her head, consider what to say. She'd been in this position with Valmont before she'd lost him, hadn't she? Putting up resistance until the last second even while she was hurt before letting herself give into it. The only time she'd had to really enjoy closeness with him until it was all gone.

She doesn't want to mourn what could have been with Dante by pushing him away. She won't make that mistake again.

Finally, she shakes her head. "Stay," she replies as she lets her weight sink against the pillows. She glances down, at herself and the rows of bandages. "A lot of A, a little of B." A larger wound where a large talon had pierced her side and a few smaller gashes where it'd tried to grab with smaller ones but hadn't been able to.

"I should be good as new in a couple of weeks."

She might be speaking from me experience. At least, she tries to offer a reassuring smile. "I promise I won't break."

It feels strange, being gentle and mindful of injuries that are going to be affecting her for a few weeks. He moves around the bed to sit beside her uninjured side, curling an arm around her shoulder and cradling her against his side.

"Oh man, those sting like a bitch," he muses, glancing at the bandages. "Bet you took it like a champ."

He leans in to press a kiss to her temple, nuzzling her hair lightly with his nose. Her injury's not so far off from where he jammed the broken remains of Rebellion into his belly not so long ago; sure he'd recovered quickly enough but the white hot pain had been acute, all encompassing. Selina's got to be in a lot of pain, and he can't help but wonder if she's the only one. Gently, he brushes her uninjured arm with his fingertips.

"Is the little bird okay?"

Once Dante is settled, she lets herself curl towards his side. It's a slow process, mindful of the pain and discomfort that shoots through her side, but she manages. Settles finally with a soft, pleased sigh under his attention.

"Mmm," she responds, shaking her. "It hurts more than getting shot, that's for sure." Not that she has any desire to get shot again, but she'd take that over this, that's for sure. She tips her head to nuzzle against him, letting out a soft huff. "I didn't cry, I'd say that counts for something." Not that she usually does in these kinds of situations. It's usually not until after when the moment wears off that the tears come, if they do at all. But thankfully, all this one had gotten out of her had been some tearing up during the cleaning and treating.

The other question though has her arm stretching across her middle to touch his, lighting trailing her fingers against his wrist and forearm. "Besides his pride? He's fine," she reassures, and there's relief in her voice. But she doesn't linger on that too long.

Instead, she tilts her head up to look at him, watching him thoughtfully for a moment. Curious, considering. She doesn't want to spend the evening talking about heavier things. Though where to start, she's not entirely sure. But a bit of honesty sounds like a good start.

"Catwoman," she purrs, smirking slightly up at him, "that's what they call me back home."

"Yeah, bullets aren't a lotta fun either. Take it from me, you don't wanna take one here-" he points to the spot right between his eyebrows. "It's like an ice cream headache on acid. I really wouldn't blame you if you cried."

And he wouldn't blame her if she cried now either, nor would he think any less of her. Tears are not a sign of weakness in his book.

Dante's slightly relieved to hear about the bird. If it's who he thinks it is, that kid has more pride in his little finger than most people have throughout their whole body. It's probably not the worst thing in the world to give it a knock.

He does wish it hadn't come at the cost of Selina getting injured, though.

He's not expecting her to come out with another alias, and when she does he finds himself tilting his head as he looks down at her in slight surprise. Bats, birds, now cats?

"You know I'm starting to get a real funny picture of what your world's like with this whole animal theme you guys are keeping up," he tells her with a smile. "But I could see how you'd be a cat."

And in keeping with her newly unearthed moniker, he moves his hand to run his fingers through her hair, stroking lightly.

"Do they call you that because you want them to or is there a deeper meaning behind it?"

The fingers through her hair are met with a satisfied purr as she nudges her head into the attention. Every bit a cat seeking more attention.

"It's an interesting place." To someone who doesn't live in a world where people have super powers, vigilantes, and a variety of costumed heroes and villains, she imagines this must all sound ridiculous. But Dante seems to take it all in stride. She appreciates that much.

"Because I want them to. People like cats," despite the pain she's in, it's easy to smile, to relax under his attention. "Cats are soft." And cats are intelligent. Resourceful. Independent. Push boundaries set for them time and time again. It's hard not to see herself in cats.

As much as she thinks she probably shouldn't, she finds herself rolling slowly, carefully, onto her uninjured side. Curling closer to Dante to stretch an arm across him.

"Do you like cats?"

As she rolls, Dante adjusts himself to help her, one hand sliding down to the small of her back to add momentum to help her move closer. He finds himself curling around them, sliding his leg between hers to give her something to anchor herself to should she need it.

"I've got nothing against cats, they're cool. I'm not sure they like me much," he muses, continuing to stroke her hair once he's satisfied she's not about to topple over. "I don't get many strays begging to come live with me, but I wouldn't kick one out if it moved in. I'd go out of my way to get one down from a tree if they needed me to."

With her injured side exposed, Dante takes extra care not to manhandle her and cause harm as he brings the hand in her hair onto her shoulder.

"It's funny you're a cat, I thought to myself at New Years that's the kinda animal you'd pick if you had that schtick. That or a fox."

The assistance is appreciated, and she settles closer against him. Selina can't deny how much she enjoys being close to him - feeling the heat of him, letting herself sink into it. There's comfort to be found in it, and she's shameless in the way she slides her arm under his coat to drink in more of the warmth his body offers.

"This cat likes you," she reassures with a soft hum, watching him curiously for a moment. "I'm sure there are plenty others who would, too." Though she hasn't seen too many cats around Etraya beyond the kittens Damian had brought to live with her for the time being. But she thinks they'd like him, too.

"Good guess."

Her hand splays against his back, legs shifting a bit around his between her own. "My costume is much better than Robin's or Batman's."

Dante casually brushes his fingertips over her shoulder and flattens his palm. She feels cool to the touch and her fingers on his back raise gooseflesh on his arms; he's happy to let her sidle closer and share some of his body heat even as he unconsciously curls around her.

"I can see myself becoming a cat person," he muses, and leans in to kiss her on her brow, pressing his forehead to hers when he finishes. "And I can't wait to see what the costume looks like. Do you have one of those little masqueradey masks too?"

He brushes his hand up and down her arm, trying to bring some warmth to her.

"You warm enough, babe?"

It's something so simple, so small, but the way he kisses her brow makes her heart skip a beat in her chest. Dante's so kind to her, indulges her, makes her feel like something cherished, and Selina has a damning little thought that she wants this. All the time. Whenever she can have it. She wants to be selfish, to dig her claws in, and keep Dante all to herself instead of just having fun.

And she thinks she must be a fool for it. After Bruce, Valmont... She doesn't deserve someone as wonderful as Dante when she's hurt the people before him.

It's not enough to stop her from curling closer, tipping her head to brush their lips again with a small smirk. "Not one like Robin's, but I have one," she replies with a soft hum.

And maybe the question makes her lips curve into a bit of a wider smirk. "I could be warmer," she replies, arching carefully to seal the front of her body against his. But she does let out a little sound of discomfort, shifting a bit, before settling. She's definitely sore.

Dante isn't used to intimacy. There's only a few people who are close enough to him that offer up a hug, a pat, a casual embrace; even now he finds Nero's puppylike enthusiasm for rough-housing and hugging a bit much at times but he's growing more used to it. This with Selina though? The softer, playful way she invades his space and teases him with the promise of something more, it's slowly becoming habit forming and something he's all too pleased to become used to as he kisses her back.

"Then I really can't wait till I see you in it. It'll be like meeting you all over again."

He waits a moment, letting her adjust to press against him and curl his body around hers when she comments about being cold. He frowns a little.

"Well that won't do. Hold on a sec..."

It takes a bit of doing to wriggle his way out of his coat and keep contact with Selina (and not hurt her in the process) but Dante somehow manages to get it off his shoulders and drapes it over her. It swamps her, naturally, but it should at least give her a little warmth.

He closes his arms around her to add more warmth.

"Better?"

"I'll have to make a memorable first impression all over again."

To people who aren't like her, who don't live a double life behind a costume and mask, it's hard to explain the inevitable second introductions that happen. The other persona they're exposed to and working through how they might react to them versus the person they've already known. It feels like less of an issue here in Etraya where being Catwoman carries so much less weight, where her reputation isn't whispered about between angry scions or criminal headlines. But it is still introducing him to a different side of herself.

It'll be interesting, that's for sure.

She's still as he adjusts himself, all the wiggling, tilting her head at him. He doesn't hurt her at all during the process, but he still finds the sudden warm weight of his coat swallowing her and the way she's wrapped in his arms after to be a welcome surprise. She hums, pleased, letting herself burrow closer as she noses gently at his collar. "Much better," she replies, shameless in the way she lets one hand slip under the end of his shirt to rest at his waist.

"If I'd known you were going to spoil me this much, I would have told you sooner about what happened."

"Well the two you've made on me so far have had an impact, that's for sure," he chuckles, remembering their first meeting amongst the Fae and their meeting again in Etraya. "I'm sure the third's gonna be just as good."

He kisses the top of her head and folds his arms around her tighter, holding her closer to share his warmth. Maybe he can make his own third impression on her at some point. His Devil Trigger might not be something he'd advertise, but he gets the feeling Selina doesn't go about broadcasting her Catwoman identity to all and sundry either.

Maybe he'll show her someday.

"Seems only right to look after a patient," he tells her softly. "If I was gonna spoil you I'da brought you flowers and chocolates. Maybe a good book. You're just gonna have to settle for me I'm afraid."

Thinking about the first time they'd met makes her smile where her face is tucked against his collar. And that kiss to the top of her head warms her in a different way. Selina sighs, breathing out a soft, content sigh.

Normally, she wouldn't take well to being called a patient. Would insist she can take care of herself instead of needing to deal with anyone fretting or fussing, but she remembers how it had felt with Valmont after everything. The comfort and safety she'd found in resting there with him during a time when she was tired, hurt, and vulnerable. It's the same here with Dante. She doesn't feel the need to hide, to insist she's fine. She can just... enjoy the presence he brings in that moment.

"This is more than enough." She tilts her head, leaning up so she can leave a soft kiss against edge of his jaw. "You're more than enough," she amends after, voice low but sincere.

"Tell me something about home. Something you miss."

Dante makes a low, pleased noise low in his throat as she kisses his jaw and nuzzles back against her on instinct. It’s strange to drop his guard and be softer than he usually would be, but at a time like this it seems to be the right thing.

“Something I miss, huh?” he muses, letting one of his hands idly travel to Selina’s hair and start combing his fingers through the silky dark strands. “Besides people, you mean? There’s a few faces I’d be happy to see show up here for sure.”

His small inner circle of trusted friends and allies certainly springs to mind; Lady and Trish have been a constant presence in his life for so long it feels strange not to be able to just stop and talk to them when he’s needed a sounding board.

He hums his consideration, fingers stroking Selina’s hair as he does. Is there anything he really misses? Old haunts carry not necessarily pleasant memories.

“It’s hard to say. The one thing I’ve spent most of my life missing is here; getting used to that kind of glosses over missing the other stuff.”

The attention he gives her earns a soft, content purr. Selina thinks she could spend hours curled against him, getting all of his attention like this, and she'd be perfection content. Eventually, he'll need to be somewhere, but until then, she plans to take advantage of this. Being in his arms, wrapped in his coat. Warm, comfortable, safe.

"What's the one thing?" She wonders, tucking her hand under the edge of his shirt to trace her fingers up and down parts of his spine.

She thinks she has an idea of what it might be, but she'd rather Dante tell her than assume. It's a chance for him to open up a bit more, but she has no intention of pressing if he doesn't want to share.

Dante stills for a moment as her fingers brush against his spine; it's not just the pleasant addition of her touch that causes him to pause, but the prospect of having to voice out loud just how much having his brother back in his life has meant to him. He assumes Vergil knows in that strange, unspoken way that twins just understand each other - even though they've spent most of their adult lives not understanding each other properly. Putting the details out there for someone who doesn't know the history... it's daunting.

"It's my family."

He doesn't want to make this about him, about his past and the harm he's had to battle and inflict to bring Vergil and Nero into his life as this precious, functioning family unit he'd willingly battle the armies of hell to protect. But he wants Selina to know the parts it won't rip him open to talk about, so he takes a breath before continuing.

"I spent most of my life thinking I was the only one left, and when I learned that wasn't the case, my brother and I weren't exactly seeing eye to eye on a lot of things. We didn't patch things up until last year. Well, last year for me in any case," he corrects himself. "It's been longer for him."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Mission 013 Log

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject