dantetravers

[dantetravers]

Dante simply tipped his empty beer bottle in their direction, as if to say... be my guest, and then snorted two lines off a charcuterie board in Hansa's absence. His eyes were bloodshot by the time they returned and he was slow to blink. "Uh.... yeah. Yeah, sure." It took him a moment to process whatever the hell was said before he followed Hansa out back where there was a bonfire goin' on, on the beach. The sand was dirtier along this part of town and loitered with trash but, it still felt kinda homey in its own right "One for you." He hands Hansa a beer and keeps one close to his chest for himself. "Would you skinny dip in that water---" he points to the pitch black ocean ahead "--for fifty bucks?" @hansach

hansa shook their head. as long as they knew their way to the bathroom, booze and their way out, they should be fine. "nah. i'm alright. imma just hit the bathroom real quick and i'll be back, okay?" they maneuvered through some people who were standing in their way to the bathroom, did what they had to do and then returned to the kitchen area, wiping their hands off on their shorts. "someone stole the bathroom hand towel, can you believe? bunch of animals." they laughed softly, shaking their head once again. "anyways. that beer? you wanna get us some and then go outside for a smoke? i have some good weed on me." ( @dantetravers )

[dantetravers]

"Could've fooled me." Where he was from, you could be twelve and livin' on your own. On the southside, you're lucky if you've got two parents and one (or both) aren't in jail. "Why not stay, have a beer. They'll get over it. What's the worse they can do?" Fire him? If that's the case, and he'd be lookin' for a job... Dante's got a few openings. That is, if this kid ain't afraid of gettin' his hands dirty. "You gotta live a little, man. Have a drink. Eat some snacks, play some pool. The bar will still be there when you get back. Just tell your boss you got held up. I'm sure you could find someone around here shitfaced enough to back you up and vouch for you." @brightcreek

He had laugh for a moment and shook his head "Nah I am really twelve and I work at a bar for fun" he teased as he walked over to the other. "I want to come back after my shift is over but they said i am on lunch after I drop this off" he looked around a moment "So I Can so get some food" he wanted more but he had to wait for now.

[dantetravers]

❝ STELLA TRAVERS

She didn’t want to hear him say ‘chill’ because there was nothing chill about any of this. “Well, it looks gnarly. You should put some ice on it. You have to stop flying off the rails every time someone looks at you wrong.” One of these days he was going to get stabbed or shot. People don’t always fight fair, especially on the south side. That’s why he gave her a switchblade, wasn’t it? The south siders could be scary, but Stella didn’t have to worry too much because everyone knew who Dante was and everyone knew she was his sister. That gave her immunity. 

“What?!?” She exclaimed, nearly laughing at the ridiculous thought of her hooking up with one of his greasy surfer friends. She wouldn’t be caught dead with one of those braindead Neanderthals. That wasn’t to say they haven’t tried though. A few of his buddies did hit on her, but she never took the bait and never told Dante because she knows he would have killed them. “I was hanging out with my friends! I wasn’t sleazing around, dirtbag.” As offended as she was by the accusation, she was more curious about who said it. “Who’s the little birdy? Was it Glyde? Because that asshole grabbed my ass at the Red Bar. Then I caught him trying to put something in my friend Cami’s drink.” She wasn’t supposed to tell him about that, but she was backed into a corner, and it made her mad that his stupid friends were spreading more rumors about her. It wasn’t the first time they tried to get to him through her. 

-

Her lecture, although she means well, earned her an eyeroll. Granted doing so hurt, because parts of his face were still swollen from the brawl with Thatcher. “Whatever.” He swiped the empty beer bottle from beside him and got up to retrieve a new one, while his accusations finally sank in.

If she denied it, and it was true, Gage wouldn’t be the only one to suffer his wrath. Although, of course, any punishment aimed towards her would be much kinder than the brand reserved for his current frenemy.

“He did what?” For a brief moment, Dante allowed his mind to drift off while he popped the cap off of his beer. It didn’t fuckin’ matter who the birdy was, if the intel was true. According to her, it wasn’t. And if he were going to trust anyone, it sure as hell wouldn’t be Gage in this scenario. Dante would be surprised if the guy knew his left hand from his right. He might’ve been easy on the eyes, but it takes more than a pretty face to keep their breed (meaning Southsiders) interested. “I’ll kill him.” The image of Glyde manhandling his sister was enough to send Dante into a full fledged manhunt. At the topic of her friend Cami though, his snarl simmered into a half crooked smirk. The manhunt would have to wait.

From the time Dante showed up at Gage’s apartment looking for his money, to their spur-of-the-moment knockout on the beach, Dante had some time to do a little digging afterward. He didn’t have to bury the shovel all that deep. Fortunately for him, his sister, the angel she was -- led him right to his revenge plan. How he hadn’t noticed her on Stella’s instagram before today was beyond him. “Is Cami the chick you were out partying with a few days ago?” He was trying his best to sound nonchalant and uninterested beyond what classifies as reasonable concern. If Stell knew Dante wanted to meet her friend, she’d probably spite him by never bring her around. Therego: foiling his plans to send a message to Gage. That message being - you fuck with what I love, I fuck what you love ten times harder.  “How come I’ve never met this chick before? Who is she, can we trust her?” @stellatravers​

[dantetravers]

"Hell yeah!" Was that even a question? "Do I look like I'd ever turn down a beer?" It's a rhetorical question so, it doesn't really require an answer. All the more reason why, he didn't pause to wait for one either. "Josh's a cool dude. The rest of this crowd is a bit questionable. If you want, I can give you a tour. Lay down the land or whatever."

hansa gave the other a thankful glance. being invited to a house party wasn't anything new in their life, especially in siesta key, but they had never been to this guy's place and also, they might've had a couple of extra beers to add to the mix. "thanks, dude. it's my first time at josh's place, so i'm still finding myself. once i've emptied out my bladder, do you want another beer?"

[dantetravers]

With a face like hers? He'd be whoever she wanted him to be. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint. And I'm sure whichever idiot left you here all alone will be sorry, too. Their loss." He could only assume a girl as gorgeous as her, came with somebody. She didn't look like the rest of the riff raff that typically attended these sort of ragers. "Sure is. Let me get you a drink." It's the least he could do, and hopefully it'll win him some brownie points. Or if not that, then perhaps her name. "Let me guess... first timer?" After grabbing a cold beer from the fridge, he handed it off to her. "Don't worry, it's a twist cap. Easy to crack open. I'm Dante, by the way."

"no, i um..." halime bit softly on her bottom lip as the other turned around. she knew she shouldn't have said yes to a date at a stranger's house party, and yet, here she was, glancing up from her phone, then back to the screen and then sighing in a minor mix of relief and disappointment. "sorry—i thought you were someone else." maybe she could use a beer to loosen up, right? paying attention to her cup and all that? "is the beer cold enough? i could use a cup."

[dantetravers]

"No shit. You?" No offense to the other guy but he looked pretty young. He must've just had one of those baby faces. "You sure you're old enough to drink?" Either way, who was Dante to judge? He started drinking at fourteen. Then again, he had shitty parents. They cared more about taking trips on ayahuasca than they did feeding the children they brought into this world.

He had dropped off a keg from the shack so he was here and not done so he thought he check out what was going on . "That is a bit suspicious and weird... that you just come out and say that..." he made a face at him. "No...but good to know I just dropped the keg off" he pointed back towards the other room. "So I am more waiting for them to pop that so I can get get some.

[dantetravers]

❝ STELLA TRAVERS

closed starter for @dantetravers​

Stella would normally stay out of her brother’s business. She didn’t want to know where he was most nights or what he was up to. It was easier to pretend he was working a normal job with normal hours. When she was younger and more naïve, she would beg him to stay out of trouble. She wanted her big brother around more. He was everything to her: A parent, a brother, and a best friend. But it was like clockwork; He’d make some extra cash, they’d be happy for a while, and then he’d either come home bloody or not come home at all. And then also like clockwork, she would fall into a deep depression every time he was sent to jail.

Staying at his place for the weekend, Stella knew it was around that time again when he showed up with gauze covering his left eye. “What the hell happened to your face? Dante!” She shot up from the couch and sprinted over to him so he wouldn’t shut her out. “Don’t tell me you’re on another job the weekend you asked me to stay here.” She’d been couch surfing for the past year. She wanted to give him more privacy and she needed some as well. It would be too soon if she never hears him railing some random bimbo through the thin walls again. “I swear to God, if you’re up to something, stop. Just stop.” 

-

“Chill.” Believe it or not, his head was still pounding from his brawl with Thatcher less than 24 hours ago. Even if Dante won, Gage still managed to put up a decent fight. After all, thanks to that little fucker - Dante was sporting a black eye. On the one hand, it would earn him tons of sympathy pussy so he couldn’t really complain. But on the other - it meant facing questions he’d really rather not answer, knowing Trix wouldn’t like the outcome either way.

“You can relax, aight? This---” he pointed to his bruised eye “--isn’t anything to worry about. Some little fucker wanted to mouth off to me and act tough so, I took care of it.” Nevermind the fact -- the fight only started because Gage claimed to have slept with her. Dante still didn’t know if he was telling the truth or just trying to get a rise out of him. Either way, he’d get to the bottom of it and soon, or else shit was going to get a lot worse. “You’re one to talk. A little birdy told me they caught you foolin around with a buddy of mine. Where the hell you’ve been this past week, huh? Maybe we should start there before you come in here tellin’ me how to live my life. I’m supposed to be lookin’ after you not the other way around.”

[dantetravers]

"Huh." He examined the dog in question and noted he looked familiar. Must've belonged to the host who was a friend of Dante's. "That's Jimi Hendrix. Total babe magnet." Looking at the other woman, he'd say the feat still rings true. "Belongs to Luke. How's it goin' buddy?" Dante gives the canine a friendly pat on the head. "You're probably right about the bathrooms. It's better to just pop a squat out back. Tip for later in case you need it."

She'd had a bit to drink, enough to take the edge off on coming back, nothing a house party couldn't help with. "I wouldn't use the bathroom here if you paid me." Jette replied, "I was asking if this is your dog, but if you don't live here-" Her eyes widened, "Maybe he's stray and needs a home? Wondered it for the communal chips."

[dantetravers]

"Uhhh, don't look at me. I don't live here." Frankly, he's not sure whose house party this was. But, they had beer and lots of it so it doesn't really matter. "If you're lookin' for the bathroom, I think it's down the hall." @siestastarters

[dantetravers]

❝ GAGE THATCHER

He knew what he was doing when he provoked Dante. The guy wasn’t a gentle giant by any means, he was a behemoth: a monster of a man who shouldn’t be fucked with. But, the impact of his bare knuckles colliding with his face was just what he needed to feel numb again. Drugs and alcohol weren’t doing the trick anymore. 

“You heard me, bitch.” He spit blood as he laughs, grinning like an absolute madman. There was nothing else he could do at the moment. He couldn’t fight back while Dante had him pinned with his hands around his throat. “What’s it matter? It’s like you said, I lost everything. So kill me if you want to kill me.” 

He wasn’t going to go out like a bitch though. Even in death, he would have to worry about his reputation. He doesn’t want to be remembered as a pussy. Therefore, he managed to get a hand up and dig his thumb into Dante’s eye. 

When he felt the slightest bit of give, he brought his knee up into Dante’s ribs and forced them to roll over. “I’ll take that as a no, you didn’t wash the sheets.” 

-

Seeing that stupid grin on Gage’s face only managed to anger Dante more. He had three rules: 1) never cross him 2) never touch his shit and 3) NEVER lay a hand on any member of his family (blood or not) or you’re asking for imminent death.

Even if Gage was like a little brother, none of that mattered to him in the moment. He was breaking every rule that Dante ever set a boundary on. He knew his taunts would rile him up and yet he just didn’t give a fuck.

Worse - he managed to recover. Just enough to get the jump on Dante. He was too busy squeezing his eyes shut to avoid a fingernail piercing it that Gage reversed their positions. Then, as if that blow wasn’t enough, Dante felt the full throttle of a kneecap to his ribs.

It took him a long moment (or several actually) to bounce back. Enough to return a jab but this time below the belt. Serves the dick right for fucking his little sister in HIS HOME. Anyone with a dick between their legs knows that’s gotta hurt. Dante was counting on it as he used the opportunity to shakily climb to his feet. “Listen up.” He couldn’t see Gage past the sand in his eyes but he’d managed to get a good enough grip on him, enough to reverse their dynamic once again and lay down sloppy punch after sloppy punch. Even the sight of blood trickling from the other’s mouth and nose wasn’t satisfying enough. Believe it or not, Dante derived no pleasure from beating on someone he used to consider a brother. But times change. People clearly fucking change and Gage needed to be taught a lesson. That if you fuck with a Travers, you’ll learn to feel it for the next couple of days. “IF YOU EVER --” punch “--TOUCH MY SISTER AGAIN”  punch “I WILL” punch “FUCKIN’” punch “KILL YOU!” 

Despite the lack of movement, Dante issued one more parting blow. “You better watch out, man. You still owe me ten grand. If you think, for a second, I’m not comin’ back to collect you’re dumber than you fuckin’ look. I’ll take everything you care about and feed it to you. So watch your back. And you might wanna warn that chick of yours, that is if you can talk, if I see her... she’s mine.”

[dantetravers]

❝ GAGE THATCHER

Gage really wasn’t in the mood to be picked apart. Cami already beat him down within an inch of his life, now Dante was the sick vulture circling his body, waiting for him to give his last breath. 

“You know, I’m getting sick of your shit, fleabag.” Instead of packing up his belongings like he should have, he marches across the sand and gets in Dante’s face. He wasn’t afraid of him, he wasn’t afraid of anyone. Fighting was just as good as fucking. It was all just a distraction from his pitiful life. They were all right about him, he was a loser. He didn’t need a daily fucking reminder of it. 

“Sure, I’ll get you her number. Right after you give me your sister’s number. Because fucking her in your bed before I left for the tour wasn’t enough.” He was lying, but Dante would never know that. Even if he were to confront his sister, who’s to say she wasn’t capable of telling a lie. “That’s right. Every. Fucking. Hole. Hope you washed the sheets.” 

-

It was the mention of his little sister that forced all humor to vanish from his face, bringing back the sadistic, unsmiling asshole most others were used to dealing with when they’d crossed an angry Dante Travers. In that moment, all Dante could see was red. And he figured, Gage needed a little makeover to match.

Without warning, he threw the first punch. The punching bag in his apartment coming in handy because it meant with great practice came excellent precision. The blow was enough to knock Gage off his feet and into the sand before Dante was on top of him, his hands enclosed around his neck. “What’d you fuckin’ say to me, you little piece of shit?” Luckily for Gage, Dante wasn’t packing underneath his wetsuit. Which meant he couldn’t kill him. “You want me to blow your fuckin’ head off? Try me! I’ll bury your ass in the sand where no one will ever fuckin’ find you.”

[dantetravers]

❝ GAGE THATCHER

Gage couldn’t shake the bad luck that’s been attached to him since his return to Siesta. If he wasn’t dodging Ashton, risking his life for some Stepford pussy, or fighting with Camila, then he was dealing with this sewer rat. “Hmm. Funny. Especially since I got sponsored by Locals Only while you were, what? Stuck here eating my sloppy seconds?” He tombs his surfboard in the sand and grabs a cigarette. He knew talking trash to someone like Dante was the same thing as provoking an angry pitbull, but he prefers physical pain over emotional pain. And right now, his insides were all twisted up over Camila. A broken nose would be a welcome distraction. 

He knew he couldn’t let Dante see the concern in his eyes when he brings her up in conversation. Once another guy knows your weakness, they’ll use it against you every chance they have. Being dominant creatures who are always in competition with one another, stealing another man’s girl would be the ultimate win. That sex feels better than any other kind of sex. Every thrust, every moan, every whimper is another homerun, another slam-dunk, and another half-court buzzer shot. And no one was more competitive than Dante when it comes to the animal kingdom of alpha males. 

“She does look good in a bikini. But she’s just a tease.” Hopefully Dante wouldn’t take that as a challenge, but more of a warning to stay away from her unless he likes being blue-balled. 

-

“Yeah, and how did that work out for you?” Dante gave a snort. Everyone knew about bitch boy’s sponsorship and how he got fired from Locals Only after getting into an altercation with the owner, Tommy. It was no wonder, he crawled back to his roots and was now slumming it again with the rest of them. “Heard they dumped your ass. Guess, L-O is smarter than they look.”

After grabbing a cold beer from the cooler by his surfboard, Dante twists open the cap and takes a long, refreshing swig, not bothering to offer any up to his old friend. Far as Dante can recall, he took Gage under his wing, showed him the ropes, and then bitch boy gets called out on tour. There was a time when Dante thought of Gage like a little brother. Maybe that’s the only reason he hasn’t pounded his face into the curb yet. A small part of him still felt something akin to familial love for Gage. Even if the other tested that on an almost daily basis and begged to get his ass handed to him.

“Maybe she’s holdin’ out for a real man. And since you clearly aren’t cuttin’ it, you should give me her number. If she looks that fine standing up, just imagine how much better she’ll look on her back with me between her legs.”

[dantetravers]

at the beach riding waves (or bout to) with @gagethatcher​

“Well, if it isn’t the son of a bitch himself.” How long’s it been since Dante dropped by his studio apartment demanding his cut? 48 hours? Guess, that means time is running out. “Do you even know how to surf anymore? You might wanna sit this one out, bitch boy. Those waves are gnarly. Not that I wouldn’t mind watching you wipe out.” His shoulders shook with laughter at the prospect. It’d be something that’s for damn sure. “Hey, where’s that honey I saw at your place? Shoulda brought her with you. I bet she looks fine in a two piece.”

[dantetravers]

FULL NAME.  DANTE JACKSON TRAVERS

AGE. THIRTY FIVE

RESIDENTIAL AREA.  SOUTHSIDE VILLAGE

HOMETOWN.  SIESTA KEY, FL

OCCUPATION. CRIMINAL FOR HIRE

FACECLAIM. BEN ROBSON

❝  HIS ORIGIN STORY ...

tw: child abuse, drug use

Dante Jackson Travers was born and raised in Siesta Key, Florida, but his parents weren’t involved in much of his life. As hippies and explorers, they moved to Florida in a camper and lived by the beach, where Dante grew to love the water and surfing. He didn’t have any toys or a bicycle or any of the other things other children had. The barreling waves and the surfboard he found underneath the pier were his only friends for a while. When his sister was born that all changed. She became a reason for him to get out of the ocean and explore the small island town. He eventually sold the surfboard he’d been fixing up for the past year to buy her toys. There was only a ten-year difference in age between them, but Dante was an old soul who learned how to do everything for himself, while his parents disappeared with the camper for days at a time. They were big on attending protests and music festivals and there were a few times when they’d be gone for weeks while tripping out on psychedelics.  

When Dante was fourteen, his parents left shrooms out on the table and his little sister got into their stash. Luckily, he caught her before she could put one into her mouth. Their father thought the whole thing was hilarious until Dante flushed his stash. Then he became irate and broke his arm. The cops were called and his father was arrested for drug use, child abuse, and child endangerment. Things from there took a turn for the worse. Their mother fell into depression and then found a new lover to get high with. Dante was stuck raising his sister while having to commit petty crimes for food and other things. It started with theft, stealing groceries and clothes, and then cars and money.

By age nineteen, Dante was already a well-known enforcer around Siesta Key. He’d been in and out of juvie and jail, but always made sure his sister was taken care of and watched over, even when he’d get locked up. He made a lot of friends and developed a lot of connections in the criminal underworld. The only thing he wanted to make sure of was that his sister had a normal life. He didn’t want her involved in any of his dealings.

Currently, at thirty-four years old, Dante’s rap sheet is as long as it is impressive. He’s pulled off some of the biggest jobs around Florida and is currently a hand for hire. There aren’t many jobs he won’t take: Mercenary, thief, drug dealer, racketeer, assassin… If there’s money involved, you can count him in. But if double-crossed, you can count yourself out. He lives by a very strict code and doesn’t tolerate dishonesty, disloyalty…or messing with family.