Welcome to Gaia! ::

Dante shrugged his shoulders at her comment. Sometimes he felt that she would never understand why he did some of the things in his life. To him and everyone else in the group, it all seemed normal and necessary, as if it was just daily life to all of them. "But I didn't invite nor know that he was coming. Let me explain something to you" Dante began to explain things to Victoria about the group in the simplest way possible.

"All right. You see all of these people here in front of us." Dante motioned to all of them with his hand. "Them plus some others that are not here-" Dante paused for a moment. "All of them go by my rules. They come to me first and what I say goes. If they can't talk to me then they go to the person that is below me. It goes in a decreasing order. Over all, everything gets back to me and I make the final call." Dante shook his head at a thought that came into his mind. He figured that by now, Victoria was thinking this was some sort of gang or something, which wasn't true in his eyes. "You see. After the gangs started coming to this town we ended up being the targets. Since we didn't like what they were doing nor who they were, they started to try and change that, so we came up with our own strategy." Dante sighed and placed his arms on the back of the bench. "We banded together and committed ourselves to watch out for everyone that we know and everyone in the group. We would fight back and no longer be the targets. But at first everyone did their own thing. Got into trouble and started making bad decisions. We needed some sort of leadership." Dante shifted a bit. "I'm not sure how it came about, but they decided that I would be the head guy and then they chose a few people who were below me." Dante didn't want to talk about this any longer, even though he was the one to bring it up. There were some things that he just wasn't comfortable sharing about the group and about himself. "To sum it up we formed our own group' and I have to make sure that everything stays in order. Which includes controlling who is allowed to hang out with us."

Dante picked his pop up off the ground. He was silent now that he sorta explained things to Victoria. There was nothing else to say about it, since he hadn't known her for that long and didn't want to tell her everything about them. "And just to clarify this, we are not a gang, nor will we ever be one." Dante said as put his pop back on the ground. He placed his hand closest to Victoria around her shoulders as he waited for some sort of response. He slouched in the bench and shifted again since the end of the gun was pressing into his waist. After shifting the outline of it could be slightly seen under his shirt, but he quickly fixed it so Victoria wouldn't notice it.

Dante put his arm back around Victoria onto the back of the bench. He was slightly confused when she didn't flip out or even ask another question. He figured that her mind was racing with thoughts about it, but he decided that it wasn't the time to ask her questions. He smiled when he heard her response. "Offend me? It takes a lot to offend me." Dante watched the group and noticed them having all kinds of fun while not having a care in the world. He smiled at the fact that despite all that was happening amongst the group and to the group they could still find peace and happiness in the day. Dante randomly thought out loud about everything that the group consisted of. "Sometimes we're hated by the city. Everyone sees us as a gang and trouble, but we're just friends sticking up for each other and people closest to us. Maybe they're mad that we don't help them out or something." Dante quit talking and continued to think some more. He slightly pulled Victoria closer to him and felt her hair brush his face. It made him smile and sent a slight chill down his body. He shook a little and noticed that some people were heading their way.

Xavier and Beth stopped in front of the two as they sat on the bench.
"We're gonna head out. We have a few things to take care of."
Dante stood up and gave Xavier a hug. "Make sure you stop by the house tonight. The address should be in your phone. Also bring a couple of the guys. We have some things to discuss." Dante said as he turned to Beth and gave her a hug to. "And if you want you can come too."
Xavier nodded. "Should we bring anything else?" he asked Dante.
"A change of clothes. Something that you won't mind getting dirty" Dante added a slight emphasis on the word dirty.
Xavier nodded and grabbed Beth's hand and walked away.

Dante looked over at Victoria and back out into the crowd. "So what are ya thinking about right now?"

Dante placed his arm on the back of the bench once again. He rolled his wrist and check the time as he moved his hand closer to Victoria's shoulder. He smiled at Victoria and began to wonder about her parents. She hadn't told him a whole lot about them, and he wondered where they were and why they left Victoria. He wasn't sure if she had told him what happened, but he had a feeling that what ever it was, that it was most likely something bad. "So what are you parents like?" he asked her trying to make small talk and hoping it would lead into a great discussion about them. As he was talking to Victoria one of the guys looked over at him and held up the bottle that he had. Dante shook his head no and the guy shrugged his shoulders and went back to the crowd. He was somewhat surprised that no one was really coming up to him. After all he was always the celebrity of the events and everyone always talked to him. He wondered if they even knew that he was there, and if they even knew that it was he who brought them to the lake. He mentally shrugged and went back to the conversation. He couldn't help but zone out a few times, mesmerized by everything in front of him. He had stared and peered out at everyone, and smiled when a few of them waved back. Multiple crowds of people were formed and all of them were talking. He wondered what it was about and if he was mentioned. It was killing Dante that he couldn't be out there with everyone, and he was not used to being the sideline guy. He grew nervous when a group of girls were pointing at Dante and Victoria and saying something back and forth. He wasn't nervous about what they were saying, but nervous for his reputation that he held amongst the group. The girls that were in the group were once pursuing Dante, and he pursued a few back, but they had ended it once they found other guys in the group. He shook it off and turned his attention back to Victoria.

Dante began to listen more carefully when Victoria began to speak about her parents. The conversation wasn't going so well, he thought, because it seemed like a touchy subject. As she was speaking, Dante began to wonder why she kept referring to her mother in past tense, but he soon put two and two together. Something must have happened to her parents he thought when she quickly changed the subject. He watched her motion to everyone and hurriedly say ask a question. A few of them looked over and Dante waved it off and they quickly went back to what they were doing. "I've known most of them since grade school. A handful came when the gangs started showing up just for mere protection. Others have left because they either moved away, joined the gangs themselves, or died." Dante put a hesitantly said the last word. Dante sat silently for a few minutes and checked his watch again. They would have to leave soon and make it over to the house since it was already one o'clock. "So what made you ask that question?" he said with a slight hesitation in his voice. He wondered if she saw something that he didn't or if she didn't like his friends because of the way she mentioned them.

Dante shrugged his shoulders again. He never really cared about them that much except for Alex. Dante just saw everyone else as pawns in the ultimate game of life. He never really viewed death as a tragic thing, but more of a gift, since it allowed people to leave hell that they called life. He was the type of person who when someone died would just say "s**t happens" and then move on in his life. There were very few exceptions that caused Dante to even care in the slightest bit but that number was limited. Dante looked over at Victoria and noticed the eagerness to most likely leave fuming off of her. After she had turned her gaze from the sky, Dante decided that it was time, and he stood up. "Let me go say bye to everyone before we leave." he turned around and walked towards the crowd. He gave a few hand shakes to some and hugs to others. The ones that he hugged had something whispered to them before Dante walked away. As he was making his rounds he nodded at a few and eventually came up to Kevin. Dante took something out of his pocket and gave it to him, and Dante received a smile and a thank you in return. He walked back over to Victoria. "Let's go." Dante said as he walked by her and towards his car. He opened his trunk and placed the gun in it before Victoria caught up with him. He closed the lid and went around to the drivers side and climbed in. After leaning over to unlock Victoria's door, he turned the car on, and waited for her to get in. "Hopefully everything is set up already." Dante said as he fixed his mirrors and turned the radio to a different station. "Do you still want to go or do you want me to take you home?" Dante asked her before they pulled away.

Dante cruised the streets without saying a word. He put his arm on the door and slightly leaned his head against the hand that was protruding off. He drove cautiously so that he wouldn't get pulled over. He feared the thought of that happening and the fact that he would go to jail. He slowly crept into the neighborhood that his new house was in and eventually found his house. He got lost at first since he wasn't using his navigator but he had to learn the way somehow. He pulled in front of the house since the moving truck was still parked in the driveway. After he stopped and turned off the car, the movers came out of the house, and handed his mother a clipboard. She signed it and handed it back to them. They thanked her and went to their truck. Dante got out of his car as the driver was about to open his door. "Excuse me sir." Dante semi yelled as he walked up the driveway. The man turned to him and asked "yes". Dante walked over to him and started talking to him.

"Hello. I was just wondering if you moved a lot of stuff in?"
"Sure did. Was a couple trucks filled. Why do you ask?" the worked said.
"Here take this. I'm sure you did a great job setting up my house." Dante said as he handed the man money.

The man thanked Dante and got into the truck. Dante called out to Victoria and asked her to join him. He said hello to his mother and they both walked inside. He waited by the door for Victoria to come.

Dante slowly walked through the house and looked at what he had bought. He knew he was taking a risk when he let his mother go shopping for everything on her own, but he was glad when Kevin went with her, since everything fit into his likings. Dante had somehow lost Victoria while walking through the house, but figured she could find her way back to him. His mother took him to the side and started to seek some sort of positive feedback from Dante.

"So what do you think? Is it what you expected?" his mother asked in a fast and cheerful manner.
"It sure is nice. I couldn't have made it look anything close to this that's for sure." Dante replied back as he kept looking at everything around him.
"Well I'm glad you like it. Make sure you thank Kevin for helping me too. After all he is the one who made sure it was to your likings." his mother said back.
"Will do." Dante picked up a pillow and felt how soft it was. The pillow felt as if your head would just sink in it and be swallowed by nothing but fluff.
"Well Dante. I haven't been home yet and I'm pretty tired after working all night, so I'll see you later. Plus I'm sure you want some time to yourself anyhow." his mother yawned.
"All right. You know that you're welcome here anytime right? You can always sleep here too." Dante hugged his mother.
"I know and that's okay. You have Victoria here. Spend time with her and be the gentleman that I know you are. And please Dante," his mother paused."I know that you're excited and all for your new house, but you remember what Jacobs said about partying. I'm not saying that you will, but I am your mother, and I do know how you are."
Dante laughed at his mother's comment. "Okay mom."

His mother hugged him and left. Dante sat on the new couch and sank into it's blissful comfort. He wished he had a t.v. at this moment, but his mother left it up to him to get all of that. He began to wonder where Victoria was at and went to find her. "Victoria." he called out as he climbed the stairs. He went to the top of the stairs and looked out the large window that was across from him. Everything out side looked beautiful and full of peace. He began to think about how it was going to be hard getting used to this kind of environment but he quickly stopped himself and turned his attention back to what he was doing. He peeked into the spare bedroom, but he didn't see Victoria inside. I wonder where she's at... he thought as he continued to walk.

Dante stopped after Victoria had walked up the stairs. He smiled back at her, showing his bright smile, and started to walk to her again. He stopped in front of her and yawned. He quickly closed his mouth afterwards and smiled at Victoria again. "Boy am I tired." he said as he stretched. "I could go for a nap, but that's not in the picture." He looked down at her feet and back up at her face. He gazed into her eyes and admired their beauty for a few seconds. "So what do you want to do?" He asked as he looked out the window next to him. "We have this whole house to do what ever or we could go somewhere. I'm leaving it up to you." Dante reached out and held her hand as he turned his attention back to his eyes. He gently rubbed it as he waited for the words to flow from her mouth.