Groovy Tunes, Friday

[rebelseekspizza]

Second shift. Still too freaking early; Dante had rolled out of bed, thrown on some clothes, and blearily marched over here with a cup of something that was more sugar than anything else. Whatever weirdness was happening on the island hadn't become obvious to him yet - he hadn't talked to anyone.

Well, he hadn't noticed the weirdness happening to

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[smilestopscars]

Ezra had no idea anything weird was happening or that he should've been here in a ping days ago. He was merely bored as he traipsed in.

"Hello there."

[rebelseekspizza]

After the past two conversations, Dante was absolutely fucking sure something weird was going on, but stubbornness compelled him not to make a run for it.

He'd just tugged the stereo's power cord out when Ezra came in. Looked over his shoulder.

"Hey, Ez. What's up?"

If Ezra was here for a hook-up, too, Dante was giving up.

[smilestopscars]

"Just thought I'd drop by to see how weird things are now."

That was not what he'd meant to say. He paused, and looked quizzical, ever so briefly.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Really weird," Dante said, "But at least half just because the island's being a fucking asshole right now."

At least that was true?

[smilestopscars]

"... How?"

He had a decent enough guess already.

[rebelseekspizza]

"People blurting out whatever's in their heads, I guess?" Dante said. He gave a helpless shrug. "I'm trying not to let it freak me the fuck out, because fuck that."

Sliiiightly more honest than he'd been gunning for.

[smilestopscars]

"Well, I'm already uncomfortable," Ezra announced, and it was hard to tell whether he'd fully meant to or not. He was, after all, tricksy. He wrinkled his nose. "This seems like stellarly unfair play from the island."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Yeah, you're telling me," Dante said, pulling a face. "Especially since I was hoping you and me could go back to ignoring all the bullshit for the next couple of months."

[smilestopscars]

"Good, because I was hoping not to have extra reasons to leave the island for the next couple of months," Ezra replied. "Beyond what drags me off it anyway."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante blinked. "You were planning to take off over this shit?" he said.

[smilestopscars]

"Almost half my ties to this place were cut when Kathy died."

Ezra was fine with saying that first part.

The second, however? He just barely suppressed a flinch. Kathy died. he hadn't said that out loud before. He hadn't intended to say it out loud ever if he could help it.

[rebelseekspizza]

It was weird, getting straight answers out of Ezra. Dante wasn't sure whether it made him want to poke more or back off.

"She stopped coming to see you on purpose," he said, trying to put off anything else he wanted to say about it. That was the only part that made it through-- the rest was worse.

[smilestopscars]

Ezra was a statue. Frozen in place.

"What?"

He wasn't sure which was worse. The fact itself or the fact that he hadn't noticed. He was focusing instead on trying to make sure neither slipped out.

[rebelseekspizza]

"You were kind of a dick for a while, Ez, made us all feel like shit," Dante said, watching him. "And then she hooked up with Anders."

[smilestopscars]

"What the hell is everyone's obsession with Anders?"

He sounded petulant.

But, fine. He'd take petulant if it meant he could deflect from other things.

[rebelseekspizza]

"He's a nice guy, he's fun, he's-- warm, I guess," Dante said, shrugging faintly. "She was in love with him."

Look, he'd The Reason You Suck-ed Ezra more than enough the other time and he was hoping not to strand this conversation in that inevitably.

"Doesn't matter now, they're both gone."