Dante Calathes

Details

Dante is a very handsome man. He is tall, muscular and very athletic. He has soft, dark hair that gets a bit wavy if he grows it out. He has big, dark deep-set eyes. He has a strong jaw, and yet a very soft and youthful glow over his face. He has bronze, tanned skin from spending a lot of time outside and has callous hands from manual labour. He does have some burn scars under his clothes and most notable one on his right fore-arm. man's hot

Demeanor

Dante is a very approachable man. He often wears a radiant smile on his face. Although muscular, not intimidating at all. He would love to help in any way he can and will not shy away from some casual chitchat. He always sees the best in people and can easily read someone's feelings on their face. He too is an open book and easy to read. However, you'll rarely find him in a bad mood.

Clothes

Dante usually wears light, practical clothes that are easy to work in. He has boots he has worn for years that are "just fine". He is often some kind of dirty, collecting dust in the semi-arid desert, paired with messy hair. He wears no jewellery, except for a dainty golden ring on a chain on his neck.

Dante is a very lovable person with his heart on his sleeve. He has the (sometimes annoying) habit of always seeing the best in the situation, in people, in life itself. You will rarely catch him in a bad mood, as he is infinitely optimistic. He is easy to get along with, he is quick to make new friends. With his playful and competitive nature, he will never back down from a challenge or a friendly competition. He will not accept foul play, as even the most innocent games are very serious.

Because of his sunny disposition of the world, he is easy to fool. He is very naive and can be caught up in bad business. Mostly because he just believes everybody is inherently good and is telling the truth. And because he is so determined to help everybody he can, he is easy to take advantage of. But even when scammed, he will find a reason that that person probably "had no other choice". Dante is a strong believer that whoever does good, good will come to them.

When you get closer to him, you will discover he is quite cheeky. He just loves to get on the nerves of his close friends and loved ones. Especially when he gets in someone's business without being asked to. He figures out the way to push certain people's buttons and will find infinite joy in doing so. For an outsider, it may look like he is picking a fight, but it is truly him being affectionate.

Dante is a bad liar. He will always tell the truth because he knows that nothing good comes from telling a lie. He will also tell how he feels most of the time. Whenever something bothers him. He is not afraid to call someone out, especially if they are close to him. He is naturally very concerned and caring.

Childhood

Dante is the first son of Amina Calathes. His father was a foreigner, a Lemurian traveller who found a warm bed to sleep in. When his mother was still young, she fell completely for his exotic charm. Although it was slightly frowned upon, his mother found a place for them to settle in the capital and awaited the birth of their child. Neither of them was of high standing: just common people getting by.

It didn't take long after Dante was born. He took much after his mother, but he inherited a more foreign name. They were a happy family for a while, but tensions started to rise quickly. The cultural differences were too big. His father did not like being subordinate to the woman of the house and neither did he like other men chatting her up or even worse: her accepting their attention. His father left his wife and toddler child after their bubble burst. It didn't take long for his young mother to find herself another lover. This time a Xailan man. His mother was pregnant before long and Dante became a big brother of Samira.

Three became four after a few years as Dante was five years old. Dalila was the latest addition to the family and his parents thrived as another daughter was born, feeling like their household was blessed with them. They moved to a more central part of the city as his step-father found a better job at the arena, tending for the beasts used for the proving. It was dangerous, but it paid well, so his mother could take care of the children. Dante was never left out of the equation. Even as a boy and from a different marriage.

The boy grew up well. He learned to help his mother wherever he could and be a good brother to his two half-sisters. He loved them all dearly. He quickly had a simple dream: be a caretaker of the animals for the proving just like his father. It was all he knew, and the source of their small wealth. He wanted to provide for a family someday too.

Teenage years

Dante grew into his ideals more as he grew older. And rather than being a rebellious teen, he was just as admirable when he was a young boy. He took on odd jobs to take care of his younger sisters, fought up-to-no-good boys going after the two of them and trained diligently for the proving. He was a good kid, and their fortunes only seemed to grow as his stepfather was now also part of the parties that went into the Infernal Wilds to catch new beasts for the proving. He was sometimes out for weeks, making Dante the only man in the house. A task he took very seriously.

Well, someday someone's luck had to run out. Dante's stepfather had gotten in an accident as they wanted to catch a baby sandworm for the proving. The whole party never returned from their quest. They were presumed dead after a month and with no body to burn, his mother quickly turned grim.

Dante was now the sole provider of the family, which wasn't enough. His mother, desperate to find something (or rather someone) to cling to, wanted to find another suitor rather sooner than later. It was a tough time for them all, as the happiness that they had found had burst so quickly and none of the men were of his mother's taste. Or maybe she was more heartbroken than she wanted to admit. Or maybe the men were suspicious of his mother being barren for so long after her last child.

Dante had no time to grieve as his proving was coming up. He was facing a mountain lion. It was one of the hardest things he ever had to do: not because he was afraid of failing. But because he had to kill a perfectly healthy animal who was probably just scared and confused, not angry or dangerous.

Early adulthood

After the proving, Dante decided being a caretaker of the beats was no longer something he wanted to do. Just the thought of sending off those poor animals to their deaths was sickening. So desperate to make some quick coin, he got into sorts with a man who noticed him in the arena. If he was prepared to fight again - not animals - he could make some good money if he was any good. And if the odds were in his favour. He gladly agreed.

Dante had always been a strong and athletic young man. And also very competitive, so he quickly found his way into underground fights. At first, it was pretty innocent, being matched up against boys his age. But as his potential grew, the fights got tougher and more dirty. He was forced to lose if the odds were in his favour, making the bookmakers a lot of money to bet against him. These fixed fights continued for a while, but he obliged as he caught a lot of money. At first, he lied to his family about his job, but he admitted it Samira after she had caught him returning home beaten up. She pleaded with him to stop and he agreed. He would when he found something else to do.

His boss did not appreciate this news. So he set him up against a fire mage one day. These kinds of fights were obviously unfair and only for the highest-paying customers to watch. Dante was severely burned in the fight but eventually turned out victorious. It backfired against his boss and he left immediately.

It was hard to resist the temptation to go back to earn his keep like that, but after he healed he started to take up odd jobs again. Whatever they wanted him to do, he would: Fix roofs, run errands, and chop wood. He would be all around town, even taking time to help his sisters train and chaperone them to meet dubious guys.

A few years like that passed. His youngest half-sister passed the proving and his eldest found a man of her own. And that was when Alcaeus walked into his life. Dante had never thought about falling in love, really, being too caught up in the success of the women in his life. But it was instant with Alcaeus. Love at first sight. Call it faith, call it sin. He was his total opposite in many ways, but somehow it was like he was the missing puzzle piece.

Honest as he was, he told his sisters his current predicament. But one thing he never told either of them, was when Alcaeus admitted that he had to endure a terrible curse. Somehow, that didn't scare Dante away. The love he felt was greater than fear or disgust. Dante had to make the hardest decision in his life: Continue it with the man that he loved, or stay back and take care of his family. After many talks and reassurance of his little sisters that they would be fine now they would have families of their own, he packed up his stuff and moved with Alcaeus to Miraj.

Entering his thirties

Their lives in Miraj turned out for the best. As it was still frowned upon for two men to be together and marriage wasn't allowed, they told the world around them that they were best friends. Which was a white lie in some ways, Alcaeus is his best friend. Just more than that. Dante found them a little barn to settle in and he continued taking on odd jobs, hiring out hand for whoever wanted him. Alcaeus took up performing again, which Dante adored to watch him like that. And he would always tell him that.

They have collected a little life by themselves. Surrounded by good neighbours, plenty of animals and a way to endure the curse bestowed upon Alceaus. They are very happy now as they have entered their thirties. The only thing that is still gnawing at him is that the monster that had given Alcaeus his curse might still be out there. It is the only creature in the world that Dante hates.