But When We Start Making Fires (open)

[demonrebel]

Who ⬤ Dante & You, of course!
What ⬤ General Catch-all
When ⬤ April
Where ⬤ Throughout Jigoku-cho
Content Warnings ⬤ Swearing, mentions of violence, possible nudity for future prompts

[ I'll be adding more prompts throughout the week featuring the event stuff in question. If you would like to plot with me, feel free to drop me a DM or tag me in the plotting post. I'm always more than happy to make a starter or two. So don't be shy. Also, you're welcome to make your own starters as well. ]


PLOTTING 🌹 EVENT 🌹 NSFW 🌹 WILDCARD

Comments

[demonrebel]

[Instead of trying to conjure up a decent enough excuse to explain away this travesty, Dante instead holds up his hands in mock surrender and simply states the truth. Honesty is the best policy, right? Besides, Dante was really hungry, and what started off as a few nibbles became a whole got damn bite.]

See, what had happened was--[Every great story begins with these simple words and Dante's account will be no different.] You were my twentieth delivery in the evening and I was dying.

[It doesn't help that Dante has a fast metabolism too. He can easily eat anyone out of house and home if they let him. His voracious appetite is legendary.]

Like literally, man! My stomach growled so loud that the other client thought I was smuggling demons under my shirt. So, I just took a small teeny weeny bite.

[Judging from the prominent hole he made in that rice, Dante did more than take a small bite.]

[baofeng]

This is more than a “bite”, [Yizhi replies ruefully,] It’s almost like we shared the bento. I wish you’d done that while I was present, at least.

[Dante’s hunch seems to be right? Yizhi isn’t pissed off?? Decorum for someone of his (ex-)station dictates that a young master be as magnanimous as possible. A single meal is not earthshattering enough for the social faux pas of getting angry, so Yizhi instead gives an answer like a goddamn pick-up line. He’s not flirting, I swear. He’s just like this. He wants something back for half his bento, even if it's a conversation.]

Heavens, even the soda is halfway gone. [He lifts up the drink to check; his hairpin clinks with the sound of glass beads every time he tilts his head.] I don’t know, buy a crepe to make up for it. No- actually, don’t, we’re swamped as it is.

[SIGH.] I’m going to have my dinner now. Are you still peckish?

[does dante want to mooch off his other deliveries more, is what yizhi means. do not steal more of his bento pls.]

[demonrebel]

[No worries! Dante isn't going to mooch off anymore deliveries. Instead, he's going to make an offer Yizhi can't refuse since he did make some decent money tonight. After all, he's been toying with the idea of taking Yizhi out for a boys' night out for a while now.]

Just a little, I'm a big guy after all. [He teases with a playful little wink.] So I tell you what--

How about I take you out for dinner tonight? My treat.

[He owes this much at least to the poor guy but Dante isn't doing this out of the goodness of his heart. No, he's curious about Yizhi. Unlike so many of the other Lost Souls here, Yizhi seems to be in league of his own. This interests Dante, of course. More ways than one.]

[baofeng]

I can see that, [Yizhi agrees, because this is a very similar angle to the one his head has to tilt at when making eye contact with Li Shimin. That’s his definition of “big”.]

Oh, that’s very generous of you!

[He does, at least, seem moved by the idea of a free meal. Who knows what Dante's on about, he's just a uwu little guy. Totally. He doesn't acknowledge that Dante might have ulterior motives for offering, because again, uwu. Or maybe, he expects ulterior motives to be the norm in a place like this. Who knows.]

Hmm, but perhaps… how about tomorrow night, or another day? I’m supposed to help out here for the next two hours, and I don’t want to keep you from partying with your clanmates after the fireworks. When the night isn’t so busy, we’ll have more time to enjoy the meal.

[It’s hard to find out more about a guy when there’s cheering and screaming down every street.]

[demonrebel]

[Well, this is supposed to be Hell, right? It's expected that lost on Dante, at least he isn't planning on hurting Yizhi. If anything, he just wants an excuse to go on a date with someone. Dante is the hopeless romantic type, not the world murderous type like his brother.]

That's because I'm a generous man. [He states with a lighthearted chuckle. While he's not rich by any means, he's the type of guy to give the shirt off his back if possible. Though, his generosity does have its limits sometimes. Just ask Nero and the gang someday.]

Tomorrow night works just fine. [Judging from that noncommittal shrug, Dante is good with whatever.] But only if you wear something pink and cute for tomorrow.

[Pink is definitely your color, Yizhi.]

[baofeng]

[Of course, it would be a date that goes nowhere significant in the end; Dante is handsome but too old to be an actual match for him, like a college professor whose students think is kind of a DILF. Nevertheless, Yizhi is in this otherworldly realm for the foreseeable future, and it benefits him to be like the broke college student in affairs of love and lust: he won’t buy, but window-shopping is free. And wouldn’t a likeness of this man look good in a window display.]

I can see that, [said in a much drier tone this time, because obviously eating out of someone else’s takeaway box is peak generosity.]

[As Dante continues Yizhi splits his disposable chopsticks, then fumbles with popping the box lid using one hand so he can start eating.]

Pink!? Pink’s not my color at all. [Yizhi says, incorrectly. But one can’t blame him for balking at a color so far from his comfort zone.] It’s so bright, it clashes with my skin tone.

[demonrebel]

[Whatever the case, Dante is just eager to make a new friend. There are only a handful of people he would consider friends and even less he would deem as family. He's a bit selective like that.]

What's wrong with pink?! [He asks looking a bit surprised to hear such vitriol against his third favorite color. The first is of course red with black being a close second. Then again, black isn't really a color now is it?] You know, it brings out your eyes~

[He's lying, of course. Pink does nothing for Yizhi other than make him look as cute as a button.]

Let me guess, you're not a fan of pastels?

[baofeng]

[Yizhi looks like he’s about to say something, but he has teriyaki chicken in his mouth, and it’s rude to talk with your mouth full. So he just holds a finger up with that “I’m about to say something, give me a minute” face, while chew chew chewing. Swallows. Coughs a bit, because he rushed that mouthful and it didn’t go down smoothly.]

It brings out my eyes? Really?

[He doesn’t sound suspicious. He just sounds surprised, as if no one’s told him that before and so it’s never occurred to him. To be fair, when basically everyone on your continent has the same eye-color and that eye-color is dark brown, no one’s really coordinating outfits with their eyes.]

I like pastels, but usually cool colors, like blue or green. I’ve never tried pink, to be honest. I didn’t know you were knowledgeable about color theory!

[Dante, a personal stylist? Color Yizhi surprised!]

[demonrebel]

[To be fair, Dante loves to read. He might not be reading poetry unlike his hoity-toity brother but he certainly likes to read. Surprisingly enough, Dante likes to read fashion magazines. That's all thanks to Patty, of course. She's pretty much like his adoptive daughter and she's always badgering him about the latest fashion styles. So he actually knows a thing or two but he's definitely trolling about the pink.]

Blues and greens are decent enough but sometimes those colors can get a bit drab.

[He really doesn't like blue but he does like turquoise because it reminds him of the ocean. However, turquoise is more a blue-green rather than an actual blue. However, he doesn't doubt Yizhi would look good in turquoise.]

You should try incorporating a few pinks with something green at least, maybe with turquoise. Those colors are vaguely complimentary.

[Wait, is he still trolling Yizhi here? Apparently, not. Dante is actually being serious for once.]

hoohoo i'm one more tag away from being able to get a reward claim with this, vibrates in excitement

[baofeng]

Hm, maybe you should take me clothes shopping instead of for a meal.

[In such unusual circumstances, Yizhi wouldn’t mind a personal stylist especially when the guy looks like that. Back home it would’ve been another facet of the fraught family politics all around him. Here, it’s just two guys reaping the benefits of their friendship- Yizhi gets to learn about a different perspective on fashion and Dante gets to troll Yizhi about the color pink. Especially after the serious addition, Dante is selling the idea that he is an expert and Pink Totally Works.]

I’ll see what I can find by tomorrow, [he concedes in the end, sounding very intrigued by Dante’s knowledge in colors. Heavens, his taste in men never fails him. Just find the big broad-shouldered bastards and there’ll be some guy with a hint of class and a good heart. He’s a genius. It’s a shame Zetian’s not here to enjoy it with him.]

And honestly? I’m good with paying for my share if you’ll tell me more about what colors look good on different people. That’s pretty interesting.

haha! congrats!

[demonrebel]

I wouldn't mind taking you shopping. It would give me an excuse to get better acquainted with this town.

[Honestly, he kind of likes to shop. Just a little bit. He's used to being the third wheel during Lady and Trish's shopping trips and despite looking like a disheveled mid-life crisis lately, Dante likes fashion. Hell, he might even pick out a few pieces for himself while helping Yizhi find his style.]

There's more to life than just billowing robes, you know.

[It just dawned on him that Yizhi shares a similar fashion style to another guy he knows who wears nothing but white. While he doubts that Yizhi is related to that guy, Dante can't help but notice the vague similarities. Thankfully, Yizhi has a better sense of style than the almost ghostly Lan Wangji.]

Consider it a "deal" then! I might even convince you to buy something red during our shopping escapade.

[That's probably going to be a hard pass for Yizhi but he honestly wouldn't look bad in red.]

[baofeng]

I know, but…

[He sighs, setting his chopsticks atop his food to pick at his clothes. He’s a little reluctant to go hogwild and change his style entirely; homey clothes remind him of home, and as many flaws as home has he hopes to return there in the future. But now that he’s directly challenged, he’s self-aware enough to know that it’s a mental block he made up himself.]

I’m not impervious to a good sales pitch. You might just be on to something. [Red… is definitely going to be a hard sell, but it’s the color of a loved one (or two) and he misses them, so it’s not impossible.] It’s a deal! We’ll enjoy the payout of tonight’s hard work then.