fandomtownies | From the Causeway to the Dorms, Monday Morning-Ish

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@streets,
dante

From the Causeway to the Dorms, Monday Morning-Ish

Dante would've liked to say it was early when he got back to Fandom, but frankly, it was closer to noon when he made it across the causeway. Clothes more or less undamaged this time, the long tail of his coat flicking idly behind him as he went.

He kept Rebellion manifested all the way up to the dorms. It was a safety blanket, not that he'd call it that; the weight of the sword across his back was just... comforting.

He'd had a shitty week but a great Sunday night. He didn't even know why he was feeling kinda-- down or something right now. Maybe he needed to stop over by the Perk before he got home, grab something with sugar in it, or something.

"Shoulda stopped by the cat," he muttered to himself, shoving his hands into his pockets.

[[ open! ]]

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Ada's only class of the day had been and gone, so she had already fled the school and the dorms for some time outside, desperately needing to get away from walls and electric lights and stale air. It was finally warm outside!

Which is why she was comfortably up a tree, eating her lunch and watching the ~~npc~~ Townies go about their business from her lofty perch. Except that coat very much did not belong to a Townie, not at all, and Ada grinned.

"Look what the cat dragged in," she called out cheerfully. "Busy night or early morning? Or both?"

Dante startled, but it was only a little visible.

He peered on up, trying to make out Ada. Rooftop? No. Tree? "Busy night!" he called. "Kinda early morning?"

Oh, he wasn't sure where she was! Ada debated dropping her apple on him as a hint, but decided against it. Knowing Dante, he'd just eat it.

"Well, if'n you count noon as morning, I s'ppose," she mused. "I mean, I do, but I'm usually awake all hours a'th night."

"Yeah? What are you getting up to?"

Okay, not that tree. He squinted, trying to focus.

"The sky," she said dryly. "'An lunch. If I spent any more time inside I was gonna scream."

Ada had not done well with stationary walls before the incident in Alabama. She did even worse with being cooped-up now.

"An' what were you getting up to?"

"Dancing, getting drunk and getting laid," Dante said. He shrugged.

Was that a foot?

Yeah, that was definitely a foot. He looked up past the foot. "Not in that order, but close."

Ada grinned down at him, wriggling her fingers in greeting. "Aw, I woulda gone dancing," she informed him cheerfully. "Though you mighta needed to drag me back for class."

"You can kick some ass, Ada," Dante said, "But I'm still not taking you for a spin in Limbo City."

This time, when he narrowed his eyes, it was to check for distance.

He hopped, landing nimbly on a low branch.

"Spoilsport," she said, making a face. "I got enough sense to run like hell when you tell me to, I promise."

She stretched out on her branch like a lazy, boneless cat. "Come on up, the sunshine's nice. An' it's a good spot to spy on people."

"It's rude to say no to an invitation, right?" Dante said.

He grabbed a higher branch on his next hop, half-flipped over it and landed on his feet not too far from her. "Thought we had squirrels for the spying."

Ugh, stupid Dante and his stupid ridiculous gracefulness. He could work any carnival in the world if he wanted.

"You wanna rely on drunk rodents to know what's goin' on in the world? Go right ahead," she laughed. "I like watching people; sometimes I make up stories about them when I'm bored."

"Pretty sure the squirrels do too," Dante said, grinning.

He sat down with a similar ease, his legs going sprawling some, but on purpose. "Plus they get the booze. I'm thinking maybe we should start muscling in on their jobs, if this is what you're going to do."

"The Dante and Ada Radio Hour?" she asked. "We could read 'Bela's stories on-air if we ran out of our own."

This was a TERRIBLE IDEA. Ada loved it.

Dante laughed. "Maybe the one where the two teachers get locked in a cave and have to tear each other's clothes off?" he suggested.

"I've heard about that one, but I don't think I've read it," she admitted. "Is it any good?"

For whatever value of 'good' that Dante wanted to judge it by. Ada wasn't picky.

"It's pretty hot?" Dante offered. "I mean, I don't know the teachers, but there was a weird spider-thing and sex goo involved. And then Isabela went Isabela on me."

By which he meant-- well, Ada knew what he meant.

Ada snickered. "She made you 'help' with inspiration and accuracy?" she asked innocently. "Hope you made her share artistic credit with you, instead of claiming it all for herself."

Now she was gonna have to ask Isabela if she could read it.

Dante shrugged. "I feel like I get paid more than my fair share," he said, grinning.

"You're both terrible," Ada said (fondly), making a face. "What did these teachers do to deserve such detailed attention?"

"I don't know," Dante admitted. "Isabela seems really invested, though."

"They probably told her 'no' for something," Ada pointed out. Because really, as much as she liked Isabela, telling her 'no' was the best way to get her to do something. "Though if they really are denying their True Love, 'm almost sad I'm not in the class to watch it."

"My teachers think it's funny to set demons on us," she continued, disgruntled. "I'd rather watch the unfulfilled romance."

Dante's easygoing expression fell immediately. "Demons?" he said flatly. "Seriously? What kind?"

"It was a test for my 'Defense Against Magic' class," Ada said, scowling. "So, fake-Danger-Shop-demons probably based on real demons, but they looked like they were made out of dark, if that makes sense. Dark with mean teeth."

"Too fast to outrun, so I got outta the way and lit any on fire that came near me."

"Fuckin' scum," Dante said, a hint of a growl in his voice. "Never seen one made out of dark, but fuck 'em anyway."

Oh, that wasn't good.

"Hey, 'm fine," Ada promised, pillowing her head on her arms so she could watch him. "Creeped out and maybe gonna sleep with a nightlight for a week, but fine. Just...reinforced how happy I am that my world ain't got magic."

With the way Dante had made friends - and 'friends' - at Fandom, he'd relaxed some over the past few months. Didn't mean the anger wasn't still there, bubbling, waiting for an excuse to come out.

"Maybe the teachers shouldn't be screwing around with shit like that," he said. "'Specially when you're not used to it."

"Might not have it at home, but it happens here. I gotta get used to it eventually," Ada pointed out.

"I been abducted by aliens an' had Christmas demons try to drive me crazy. I signed up for th' class 'cause I'm tired of being defenseless an' needing other people to protect me." She gave a tired half-shrug. "Now I know this type of demon doesn't like fire, and that's something I didn't know before."

"I guess," Dante said.

He dragged his legs up onto the branch with him, stretching out like Ada had, sort of. He was a little too tall to manage it in full. "Just don't go picking fights if they actually show up, okay? You got me on speed dial?"

Ada laughed. "Me? Pick a fight I know I can't win? Hell no. If I see something before it sees me, I'm runnin' like hell and calling you from a nice cozy bolt-hole," she promised, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "If'n I got a choice, I will always stick to cards and cons, and leave the dangerous stuff to you."

"Good."

Dante's tone in no way matched her joking, laughing one; he was dead freaking serious, here.

"Hey." It was soft, without any of her usual bombast behind it. "'M fine, Dante. Got a little freaked out, but not a scratch on me. Promise. An' I plan to stay that way."

But vulnerable honesty was hard and not a look that Ada liked to wear, so she was already reaching for the brown bag with her lunch. "You eaten yet, Mr. 'Long Night/Early Morning?'"

Dante shrugged. "Had some potato chips at the bus station," he said. "I'll live."

He looked at her, maybe finally realizing he should lighten the mood. "You come here often?"

"Bus station chips ain't food," Ada sighed, pulling a banana out of her bag. "They ain't nothin' but empty calories that taste like cardboard."

Bananas, on the other hand, were a good source of potassium, and Ada had a hunch that Dante's muscles could use it. Even if he had only been out 'dancing.' Which she doubted, since he'd been wearing the sword.

"This tree in particular? Nah. I just like being up high," she said, wrapping her legs around the branch and then hanging upside-down to offer him the banana. "'N sometimes I like being around people without being around people, if that makes sense."

"You like to monkey around?" Dante said, taking the banana from her because he wasn't going to argue with food, here.

"Not that big on people."

Yes, you were. You just didn't ~~acknowledge~~ know it yet.

"Ooo ooo ooo," she retorted, crossing her eyes. "Aw, is it that you ain't a lotsa people-person, or just don't like Townies? I mean, anyone with sense don't like Townies."

MEAN, Ada.

"Depends on who's a Townie and who's not," Dante said. He shrugged. "Most people I've met are idiots that don't give a shit about anything."

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From the Causeway to the Dorms, Monday Morning-Ish

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