Chapter Text
< Good night, all! Uhm... I hope you all- hey, wait! I'm still speaking! >
This was already shaping up to be a normal night. Halfway through Dante's pitiful attempts to comfort the other sinners, their attention began to wear thin, and they began to head into their rooms one by one.
< Please! I... I've still got more t-to say! >
The only sound that played through the hallway was the sound of shifting doors. This expanded backdoor on Mephistopheles contained within its physically impossible space a surprising amount of room. Enough for everyone to safely retire to a room of their own, safe from intrusion. Following Faust's apt explanation of it, the rooms were composed based on the current emotional feelings of each sinner. Yet tonight, there wasn't much commotion. With each door opening, it was pretty much silence as each sinner shuffled in. Even Ishmael's room which tended to waterlog the corridor was still. Exhaustion was tonight's shared feeling. Soon, it was just Dante standing there in the corridor, all alone.
Perfect.
After finding their room, Dante entered and shut the door, locking it tightly. Their employees may not have wanted to talk much, but... they had other ways to get what they wanted. Still with some apprehension, Dante looked around the room to make sure he really was alone. Nothing under the bed, nothing in the wardrobe... ah, no Outis in sight. That put their mind to rest. Slowly, Dante reached out from inside a large drawer at their bedside cabinet. They hauled out a locked chest, and reaching far back into the same drawer, they fetched the key for it. Taking it up to their lap, Dante shook with excitement and anticipation as the key was inserted.
A quick twist.
Pulling it back...
...
Ah!
There they were! Dante's most treasured prize. What made it all worth it at the end of the day. Inside, a neatly arranged stack of toy plushies all resembling the other sinners. All twelve were stitched together and full of such delicate stuffing, merely touching them even with gloves on was like falling asleep on the best pillows money could buy. Maybe it was the cabin fever, maybe it was the stress of the job. Dante didn't settle on a satisfying answer even seeing them all finished as to why they made them. It was merely last night they were stitching Gregor's arm on, running out of brown fabric. They felt so tired after getting all the details right, Dante hadn't witnessed just how adorable the full set looked! A small ticking noise was all that could be heard, followed by a sharp sound. Like a kettle about to overflow.
< So... cute! > Dante muttered to themselves. Despite locking the door, they made several more checks to save any embarrassment from potential prying eyes.
Satisfied that nobody could possibly be watching, Dante began to arrange them around the floor in a nice, ordered semi-circle around where they soon sat. Oh, just looking at their faces... seeing Don Quixote's fixed smile full of adoration, Rodya's warm embrace radiating off her plush form... even Yi Sang couldn't help looking just so utterly squeezable even with a frown. Dante had a real gift for capturing the essence of them. Clapping their hands together, Dante mentally prepared themselves, as if to get their attention.
< ...Okay! I'm... I'm glad we could all make it here tonight! So, as I was saying... I just wanted to wish you all a good night's sleep! >
Silence flooded the room after the little speech. It was the expected outcome; they weren't going to come to life or anything like that. Yet... it was a bit of a damp end to a night. Time to fix that! Soon, Dante swept the plushies into their arms and raised them up, mimicking a small little cheering noise to break up the quiet of their room.
< You're all coming with me to bed, because... we're all good friends! Let's go! > And with that, Dante began gently placing the toys around their pillow. They left enough space to eventually crawl underneath their covers, surrounded by such familiar faces that didn't judge him. They didn't ignore them (despite not speaking back), they didn't scorn their shortcomings as a manager. They were all so nice. Maybe if they dreamed hard enough, they could replace the mean behaviour and virile he caught each day with their placid expressions. Sweeping their arms back, Dante wrapped them all up against their body and snuggled up tight surrounded by their new toys. To the left, Sinclair's uneasy expression made them smile despite the anxiety present. The miniature Heathcliff looked more like an adorable little puppy, than a brutish thug. Dante spent a lot of materials making sure Meursault was a bit bigger than the rest, but seeing them all together? It was well worth it, and extremely effective.
Ah... Dante had never imagined them to have to resort to this. But as long as nobody else knew, what's the harm in it? Tonight, the nightmares were kept at bay. Their guardians were here with them, and tonight, Dante had the best night's sleep they'd ever get.
"Dante."
An odd, crowing noise awoke the peaceful clock, slowly ticking away as the blinds were forcefully jammed open. As their vision returned from such peaceful dreams, Dante froze upon seeing Vergilius marching towards the side of their bed, looking down at the bed with that constant neutral frown, a mix of pity and disappointment. How did he get in?! Looking past him briefly, the door was kicked open. So much for privacy...
< I-I... I c-can... e-explai- > Dante's words fell on deaf ears, remembering Vergilius couldn't understand him. Yet... he raised a gentle finger to Dante's clock face, sensing their stress from how anxious their body was writhing under the covers.
"Shhh. Be still, Dante. Look." From behind his back, Vergilius pulled out two more plushies: A grumpy miniature of himself, and a small Charon, fixed with that pope hat she always wore.
"Charon enjoys these things, too. You can have these for now, just... remember to share. Five minutes." Without another words, Vergilius left like a ghost, slipping past the shattered remains of the door. Is this... still part of the dream? Dante reached to the new plushies to their side, no... this is real! Vergilius was even better at sewing! Who would've guessed? The details of his bangs creeping over his eyes from above were replicated just like he ever was. Not to mention Charon's dress being captured in perfect detail. If Dante could grin, they'd certainly be ecstatic right now. Excited for the day ahead, Dante picked up their new belongings and stashed them away in the same bedside drawer where they always kept them. Thankfully, there was enough room to store them all inside. Thinking on Vergilius' words, Dante left the two fresh plushies on the top of the nightstand.
For once, Dante felt an utter joy brewing in their heart, as they soon skipped out of the room to catch up on the morning briefing.