Flawed By Design

"You aren't my only model, Xavier," he reminded. "I don't use just one model for a set, I include other people to show off skin tones and body shapes. IF people get mad at me having a single human model, then sue me," he snorted before moving to adjust the human's pose, offering a very quick and teasing pat on the other's butt.

"Don't worry, you're innocent no matter what happens," he reassured before leaning up to offer a quick peck on the cheek. "Now just relax, okay? I'll take a picture of another outfit then I'll let you go, okay? I'll give you a number for one of my agent friends so you can have some more chances in case you want to spread out a bit. It'll be fine, yeah?"
 
"I don't want people criticising you because you chose to use me to offer a sneak peak of your new collection online, you know? God, I shouldn't have done this, should I? Your whole thing is giving monsters opportunities-- I should have just... tried to work my way up at some human model agency or something," he groaned, hesitating despite his boyfriend's insistence and support. The worker's clear horror had concerned him, enough for him to quickly grab his own clothes to change into, effectively cutting the shoot short.

"Look, I can't... don't use the pictures, okay? Use a monster, do your thing. Don't change it because of me, that's... dumb. I'd still like an agent, obviously. Maybe a human one, though. I should stick to that lane, it... makes things easier."
 
"What? Xavier, no. Don't be an idiot, yeah?" He quickly replied as he watched the other with a growing frown. "Not only would that be horrible but... this was nice. Look, I can't force you to stay but you should at least let me put one picture in. You would get work a lot easier if they knew you were featured in my catalogue, especially from more creature-oriented businesses."

Setting the camera down, he moved to the other and offered a reassuring smile, his hand cupping the human's cheek. "Relax, please? Just... one picture. I could pay you good money for that one picture and I know you need the cash. You don't look like the kind of guy that would just accept it without working, so..."
 
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"I'm fucking broke, but I have my pride and integrity and all of those fancy words I don't really know the meaning of-- I just don't want people accusing me of taking a job of a monster, that's all. I... god, that'd be a nightmare. I don't do anything to you guys, I'm a big supporter of the cause and I get the struggle you guys go through, so... I don't want to take a position a monster could have. Nah, I won't do that, that's... not something I'd be proud of doing, Dante," he grimaced, fidgeting awkwardly. Despite his words, he was still hesitant, knowing just how amazing an opportunity he had in front of him, under Dante's guidance and care. That said, the success he hoped to make would mean more if he didn't take positions at companies that usually and solely promoted monsters, rather than humans.

"I'll... work hard from the bottom, you know? Get an agent, make some money whilst staying in my own lane. I'd feel better about that," he admitted finally, changing slowly into his clothes. "...I still want to date you, obviously. Just not... model for you. Maybe in private, if you're lucky. Maybe I'll let you take some cute photographs of me after a few glasses of expensive wine, when I'm too drunk to get bashful about it~"
 
"If that's what you want..." Dante whispered with a soft smile, though mostly just smiled to hide his upset. He shouldn't have but the guilt of realizing he was kicking out his kind from jobs was terrible. "Yeah, I would love to be able to get some more... scandalous pictures of you, if you'd let me. Hey, you don't even need some expensive drinks, just some cheap beer is good enough for me," he reassured before sighing and beginning to set up his cameras.

"Come on, then. I'll give you some numbers and names and you'll have to listen to what I say, okay? These people aren't as accepting as me, okay? They're selfish jerks who will probably try to use you because they're rich bitches. Just... don't let them get to you. I have to go for a meeting, I suppose, but that's okay."
 
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"...Hey, I'd have loved to do the whole modelling thing with you, I'd just rather be respectful about it, I suppose. Most companies run by humans don't give monsters opportunities, and it sucks. I'd just rather not take the place of someone when I can go to a ton of other places to get a job, and they don't have that luxury-- I dunno, it's probably not easy for me to get a job, but it's much easier for me than for them, I guess," he shrugged, awkwardly pausing to contemplate his decision further. He wanted to be respectful and not tread on anyone's toes, and he especially didn't want to deal with potential backlash if he did go through with modelling for Dante's company... but he also needed money soon. There was no telling when he would get a job modelling, especially when he was a complete newcomer to the industry.

However, he did prioritise being a good person over money. He could ask his parents or friends if he had to, so with that in mind, he nodded firmly to consolidate the decision.

"Nah, it's all cool. If I'm meant to do this, it'll work out for me. Until then, I can always, like, get a job working at another garage in the city to bring in some dollars, if I get desperate. I ain't accepting money without working for it, I don't like that. I will accept a few beers from you at your place tonight, though. That'd be great."
 
"Okay, yeah. Just... don't be afraid to ask me for some money if you need to, okay?" He insisted with a small smile before setting his hands carefully in Xavier's hips, offering a quick peck only to sigh heavily when hearing The harpy step into the room, her expression flat bar the raised brow in disgust.

"Dante, hurry up. Xavier - are you done here? Dante has an important meeting to attend to," she murmured flatly, her eyes immediately locking on the human as a gang made an appearance. "I would love to have a talk with you, in fact. Business related things, yeah? Just you and me, Xavier."
 
"I don't see what business related things we have to talk about. I don't work for your company, I'm not modelling for your company-- Dante took some pictures, it was more fun than for business. If you want to talk, we can talk. It'll probably be a short conversation," he sighed, calmly grabbing the bottle of water nearby and at least making the effort to offer a smile. He may dislike the woman, mostly because he felt the feeling was mutual, but he wasn't going to be rude for the sake of it. That said, he was already anticipating some sort of chastisement or criticism from her, so holding back his annoyance was growing more difficult by the minute.

"What is it?" He asked once alone with her, smiling quietly again. "...God, this isn't about me dating Dante, is it? I just don't believe you'd want to talk to me about business, which leaves you talking to me about him-- look, I like him; he likes me. That's all there is to that, so..."
 
"Look, I know humans like you. I know humans that latch onto us because we have low self-esteem and you're the exact kind of person I could see hurting Dante," she admitted callously after a brief word with said designer before he hurried off to the interview. They still ran a business and it was in fact her job to keep everything stable, even if there were little annoyances like Xavier.

"Katrina told me about the kiss, you need to know that if you leave a single mark on Dante under the guise of 'love' I will fucking kill you. Be happy he's brave enough to be with you, understood? He's worked hard for this and like hell am I going to let you ruin everything because you're sick."
 
"Are you fucking serious? Like, for real, is this a wind up or are you seriously suggesting you think I might hurt him? You know how serious that is, right? To come up to me and assume I could physically hurt him-- I get I'm human and that's not great for you, but it's none of your business, Sandra. My relationship is none of your business," he spat back, forcing down just how furious he was. If her only concern was him upsetting Dante and breaking his heart, he'd be annoyed but he would at least understand that she would have some concerns about that. He was a human, after all, and while he personally hadn't done a thing, others of his kind were less accepting towards monsters like Dante.

What he couldn't comprehend was the insinuation that he might one day hurt Dante physically. He wasn't angry or violent, and he hadn't done a single thing to give anyone that impression, so for Sandra to assume he had that in him was disgusting in his eyes. Not all humans were the same, and he at least expected her to get to know him before making a judgement about him. Apparently, he was wrong about that.

"...You don't scare me, you know. You can take the attempt at intimidation back to your desk and leave me alone. Seriously, I'm not bothered what you think of me, yeah? You think I'm sick, that's fine. Dante happens to think I'm pretty great and his is the only opinion I care about, Sandra."
 
"You're the first person he's gotten really close to outside of me and you just so happen to be human? How can I be certain that you're not doing this to get ahead only to dump him the moment he isn't useful anymore? You can play the puppy-eyes sweetheart but Dante is desperate for love. You've shown me no proof that you don't have any darker motives, yeah?" She protested with a growing grimace of disgust, he'd sharp teeth unsubtle as she folded her winged arms.

"You don't scare me either. I trust my coworkers to tell me the truth and i will without a doubt risk my job and jail time to beat the shit out of you. I just want him to be happy so I would get involved again unless I have to, I just need you to understand that this isn't a threat, it's a promise."
 
"I've been dating him all of fucking two seconds, and I'm already getting shit for it? From his best friend? I'm... god, am I going to deal with this every time I head by here to see him during his lunch break or to pick him up after work for a date or something? I at least expected, you know, a fucking chance, not to get judged and f-fucking... accused of being a potential danger to him. That's not... that's not right," he grimaced. If he hadn't been glared at and made so uncomfortable among the monsters in the building, then Sandra's thinly-veiled threats wouldn't have bothered him.

However, they did bother him now, after dealing with drama, glares and unsubtle hatred from everyone in the building. If dating Dante brought misery like that, and figures like Sandra accused him of potentially being capable of things like abuse, then he didn't want to bother. He was a few days into a relationship and already he was feeling pressurised and suffocated in it - it wasn't exactly fun.

"...Fine. Fine. You win, alright? I won't see him again, will that make you happy? I hope it does. I hope you can sit at your desk and be triumphant over the fact you broke us up-- because I can't deal with you and date him, that's not happening. I'm not going to deal with someone like you," he grunted, tugging his zip up and firmly tugging the hood over his head. "You can tell him I'm sorry but his best friend is a fucking ass who implied I could hurt him, and I ain't dealing with that."
 
"I'm not an asshole, I'm just protecting him,@ she corrected easily, completely emotionless on the surface. In reality she did feel guilt, especially when knowing Dante was so desperate and shy for a boyfriend but it was better for everyone if he was just left alone.

Despite that, the fashion designer was oblivious. He had eagerly texted Xavier at the end of his shift, his tail swaying behind him lazily. The plan was to get a text from the other and walk to his home together and make some cheap dinner with equally cheap wine. So, with an impatient hum, he nervously fiddled with his phone to pass the time.
 
Given it was the end of the working day, there was nobody really there to witness Dante nervously waiting for the call that clearly wasn't arriving... other than Karius, at least. The man had worked for the company for two years and was prided as being great at his job, even if not many people really knew that. After all, he came into work after everyone else had left to go home, socialising only with the security guards that wandered through the building every hour on their nightly checks. That was how Karius preferred things, coming in at night to work when everything was quiet and when he didn't have to talk to many people.

Many people assumed that his decision to work nights had something to do with his species. He didn't even know what he was at this point, being an amalgamation of various species, like many monsters were, but he often just referred to himself as a zombie, given that was what the majority of his family were. Given he could communicate easily and seemed perfectly fine in most areas, he wasn't a stereotypical one... but most of the others in the building assumed he was, and thus thought that was the reason he chose to come in at night, to avoid embarrassment from his peers. In truth, he had no reason to be ashamed of what he was, and mostly stayed away because forcing himself to be social with people he didn't care to form friendships with was exhausting.

However, he somehow found the time to always pick up on the gossip that went on during the day, often being so quiet that people talked in front of him without noticing his lingering presence. It had helped him hear of the argument that took place and allowed him to relay it onto Dante, even if he didn't have all the details.

"I don't think he's going to call you. He left angrily earlier on after some argument with Sandra, so I've heard. I assume that's who you're waiting to call you, that human? I don't think he'll be calling you, Dante," he drawled slowly from being his computer screen, his dull eyes flickering up to take in his boss. Karius was notoriously blunt and unemotional, barely breaking out of his indifference. Dante, however, did make him sigh quietly, the zombie unable to really sit back and work with the sight of his boss waiting for a call that wasn't coming.

"...I saw the human once, he seemed nice. But he's human. He was always going to struggle in this environment, maybe it overwhelmed him? I don't know, Dante. Don't get attached. I never do, and my life's stress-free."

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"Don't be daft, Karius," he huffed in response as he impatiently crossed his legs from one of the other desks. It was his company so he strongly believed In being able to do as he pleased. That didn't mean he was going to throw trash around or splash the walls with paint but it did mean he could neatly sit on one of the many desks. Being in his office only stressed him out as is and, despite his nervous smile, it was clear Dante's confidence was fading.

"... Ah... so Sandra scared him off, did she?" He eventually whispered with an exhausted sigh of defeat before quickly wiping his tears eyes. "God - I thought we had something. Like... yeah, he's human and I get that this might be a bit freaky but he should still have called me..?" He weakly insisted with a sniffle before slipping his phone into his pocket and hopping from the desk to wander to the zombie's side to inspect the screen. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I should just stop looking for love, yeah? It's obvious I'm never going to get anyone..." he whimpered.
 
"If you're fishing for me to disagree, you're wasting your time. I don't know if you'll find anyone else, I also don't see why it matters. Maybe you will, maybe you won't. If you do want to be with someone, moping around whining about it won't help you. I don't date much, but I know that you have to be out in the world meeting people, at least-- or do that whole Grindr thing. I'm not so disconnected that I don't know about dating apps," the man replied in his notoriously flat tone, his lips pursed slightly at the amount of talking going on. He wasn't so rude that he would just refuse to talk, but holding a conversation with someone wasn't really his cup of tea. He had no issues with people, but he much preferred his own company. However, he did make an extra effort when it came to Dante. Not many people would have accepted his list of demands so easily and been so accommodating with him. The least he could do was try just a little more than he usually would with people.

"...You could stay here with me for a while if you wanted company, I wouldn't be against that. I like working alone, but you're my boss. I couldn't say no if you chose to stick around and... talk."
 
"... you sure?" He whispered in shock. He wasn't an idiot, he hired the other well aware of his preference to be alone. Sure, he'd happily vent to the man about his feelings but he wasn't the type to intentionally make people uncomfortable. Resting his chin on the other's shoulder, he sighed heavily as he watched the other's documents.

"I guess I should go home, wallow in pity and drink myself stupid. If I don't I don't know what I'll do," he sighed dramatically. "... do you drink at all? I mean. Out of curiosity. You don't look the type but looks can be deceiving..."
 
"I don't usually drink. Drunk me isn't exactly the greatest at self-control. I don't think it's great for anyone if I tried to crack someone's head open to eat their brains out, do you?" He drawled with a faint roll of his eyes, as well as a surprising and incredibly rare smile, even though that disappeared quickly. He was joking, but he did find it entertaining to perpetuate stereotypes about him. He caught up on gossip easily, and he knew the rumours about him in the office often concerned his diet and what he ate. Inevitably, people got the idea that he violently ate brains, which was ridiculous and untrue.

He did eat them -he wouldn't maintain the degree of normality he had without them- but he had more civilised ways of fulfilling himself, rather than act out monstrously. Even if he wanted to, acts like that would only get him arrested and left to rot in a dark cell.

"...I was busy working, but I could go for a drink if you wanted. I wouldn't do this for anyone else, Dante. I make an extra effort with you because I'm grateful you're employing me. So yeah, I'll come for a drink if you need someone to talk to for an hour or so."
 
"Oh, alright! I can go to the liquor store real quick down the street, you stay here," he insisted with rosy cheeks before affectionately gave Karius a hand squeeze. "Yeah, it'll be fine! Maybe... I'll make that Grindr account, like you said. Though I've been told that it's just to find dick to suck, so maybe not... I dunno. Look, it's not a big deal," he quickly stammered out as he openly debated with himself.

"I'll be back. Do you want anything specifically? I'm more of a wine kind of guy but I'm not opposed to some beer," he quickly explained with a smile. "Now I don't want you thinking I'm some boozehound alcoholic, okay? It just... helps when I'm sad, ah..."
 
"Clearly it is a big deal or you wouldn't be running out to get alcohol to help with your sadness. You wouldn't be sad if it wasn't a big deal. For the record, a little binge here and there isn't too bad. Bring back some beers and... you can rant to me about your love life for hours if you want. Who am I to stop you?" The zombie mumbled with his eyes locked back on the screen. He was used to the occasional affection from his boss, whether it be hand squeezes or pats on the shoulder, so it didn't bother him too much. He wasn't a fan of contact, but he made exceptions for Dante.

"...You know I think you're really great, don't you? I don't say it a lot but I think you're amazing, Dante. Just because one human got cold feet doesn't mean you're unlovable or whatever. Any guy would be lucky to have you, I think. Don't let it get you down," began Karius slowly, his expression neutral and his eyes still locked on the screen, though there was no doubt that the words were surprisingly heartfelt for someone often categorised as unnaturally cold. "...Go and get those beers, hm?"
 
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