"In cento anni o cento mesi, l'acqua torna a' suoi paesi."

[sharktrash]

Who: Squalo and YOU!
What: birthday catch-all! Squalo's turning 23 on the 13th. Yes he is Pisces because his character wasn't fish-related enough yet.
When: 12th-14th
Where: All around Vista city, the mall, the bars, Pride HQ, MANTICORE penthouse, Junkyard Carnival penthouse, etc.
Warnings: Squalo language, violence, substance abuse, (mentions of) banging, will update as necessary


[ prompts in comments! ]

Comments

[alleato]

Are you fucking--

[IT IS ON FIRE WHAT THE HELL.]

O-okay!

[DOWN IT GOES and he makes the worst face and checks to make sure nothing got singed because seriously, Squalo is insane. Dino's a drink away from approving.]

[sharktrash]

[ TAKES HIS OWN SHOT AND GRINS LIKE A MANIAC WHILE WATCHING DINO ]

Am I fucking whom?

[alleato]

[Oh god well, this is how it ends. Dino's life. He can feel some intense burning inside his body from the drinks and he puts his hands flat on the table after scooting the shot glass away. Because seriously, fuck. That was intense. And he's blinking rapidly at the wall.]

Well, not me.

[Inhaling deeply, Dino looks dead on at Squalo.]

That's my limit for a little while. I was drinking before you got here.

[sharktrash]

[ Hope he shaved this morning or there'll probably be some singed hair on his upper lip, just sayin'. ]

Yeah, I noticed. [ headtilt. ] Your loss. The taste of this one is kinda shit, but if you don't want to wash it down...

[ getting himself another gin kthx ]

[alleato]

[JESUS MARY AND JOSEPH.

Dino will not survive this, will he?]

You're a really bad influence, you know that? I'm also bad at being a rock star. I keep thinking I should live it up. So here I am.

[sharktrash]

[ Not with his reputation intact, at least. ;D ]

Aw, thanks. [ Looks like he takes being called 'bad influence' as a compliment. Hell yeah, corrupting innocent golden boys, that's him. ] Hang around more and you'll be the rockiest rock star you can be in no time!

[alleato]

Across the labels? Massive scandal waiting to happen. I feel like my image is clean! Is there such a thing as being too clean?

[Tapping the glass in front if him, he thinks things over in that fuzzy haze caused by the drink. It all sounds like a good idea, maybe even just for tonight he'll let loose like he's "supposed" to.]

[sharktrash]

Of fucking course there is! Nothing like an image change to stand out in the crowd! And some rioting, definitely.

[ A serious look. ]

Alright, think hard but not too long now. What is something you've always wanted to do but didn't?

[alleato]

I guess...

[That's tough, and a change of pace... something cooler? Rugged? Wild? What does he say?]

Maybe be in charge for once? I'm always in the background. I never fight for anything, and I feel like I should be. Look at me, though! I don't even know what I want.

[sharktrash]

[ HE GETS A SLAP OVER THE HEAD FOR THAT ]

You just fucking SAID what you want! Come on, we're gonna get you fighting. [ There's that dangerous thoughtful look on his face as he scans the bar... settling on some unfortunate couple that must've come in to have fun. ] There! Get the girl!

[alleato]

Ow!

[He ducks and rubs the spot he was smacked in, narrowing his eyes. Then he follows that gaze and shakes his head slowly.]

No way. I'm not getting in the middle. I don't even know her. Can't I do something else?

[sharktrash]

There'll be no middle by the time you're done, if you know what you're doing. Fine. Go punch that guy.

[ He points some dude at the bar that looks like a sailor and has twice the muscle mass of both of them combined. ]

[alleato]

Are you serious???

[WHY.]

I can't just punch somebody!

[sharktrash]

[ OKAY HIS LOOK IS STARTING TO SHIFT TO ONE OF PITY AND DISDAIN ]

YOU think of something, then. What is it that you want to be on top of?

[alleato]

[Pity and disdain are apropos, honestly. Dino looks around the place, then at Squalo, and realizes he is drunk as fuck and probably couldn't punch someone even if he wanted to.

Again, though, he looks around as though considering every single person in the bar slash club slash whatever, he doesn't care anymore.

Finally he lands on Squalo again and smiles the most beautifully calm smile anyone could while being, well, drunk as fuck.]

You?

[Kidding or serious...? You be the judge.]

[sharktrash]

[ ????????????????????????? ]

[ Pipsqueak Dino what happened to you. Not that it's... still not pathetic or anything. God. What does he hope to achieve being... like this? Gesturing at his whole body etc etc. What a loser. ]

[ Squalo looks at him blankly for a few moments, as if he was actually caught by surprise for once, then suddenly breaks out laughing. Hope your eardrums can still take the volume. He's even punching the table, tears in his eyes and everything. It will take him a minute to calm down enough to respond. ]

I fucking knew it. There, was it that hard to admit? [ And there's that vicious grin again. ] You're gonna have to try MUCH harder than that to get anywhere near that. Have you fucking seen yourself?

[alleato]

[Dino is smiling until Squalo loses it laughing, at which point he looks away and runs a hand through his hair. Squalo is right. He's a loser. And everyone knows it. The loudmouth is louder than usual, and Dino actually starts to get up to leave or hide or something.]

I wasn't really that serious anyway. You're right! Look at me.

[sharktrash]

[ Hahaha nice try but nah. He'll grab the back of Dino's jacket/hoodie/coat/whatever and pull at it with enough force to plonk him right back into his seat. ]

Pussying out already? How the fuck do you expect to ever lead anything? No. [ He leans in a bit, grin growing wider. ] What you fucking need is practice.

[alleato]

[WELL THEN.

Dino flails a bit and slams his hand on the table to keep from hitting his head on Squalo's.]

I wouldn't be good at it, anyway. Look, it was a dumb thing to say. You can't just practice to be... whatever. A leader or something.

[sharktrash]

[ SHAKES HIM A LITTLE ]

If you keep fucking saying that, of course you won't. That's the goddamn mindset of a loser. And you're here because you want to change that, yeah? So you don't get to cry and piss off.

[alleato]

[IS SHAKEN.]

I just came here to get drunk.

[Maybe talk to people. Maybe meet fans. Maybe... something else. He's a confused guy. Everything in the world feels backwards sometimes. He looks at Squalo with some odd mixture of gratitude and apprehension.]

Fine. I can't let everyone else do everything for me forever. You want me to do something about it?

[sharktrash]

That's not what you said earlier.

[ Squalo has no idea why Dino acting like a scared little girl grates him as much as it does. There's just that overwhelming feeling of something being wrong, as if some kind of great, amazing progress was suddenly lost and he was stuck ten years in the past with nothing noteworthy about him. Him, or someone else. ]

Yeah. [ There's something devilish glinting in his eyes. ] I'd bet your family does, too.

[alleato]

You're making me nervous...

[Dino tugs at the collar of his shirt and unbuttons the top button, thereby looking a lot less lame. Something is entirely wrong, it's not okay for him to be like this. He feels like he's missed a memo somewhere. Then........

Family.]

You know my family's dead... [They're "not", but they are. He can't explain it. However, that's not what destroys Dino. It's the part where family makes him feel stronger, and he sits up a little straighter.] They need me to be strong, I guess. It's hard, but I just... I just... [He looks quite serious actually.] I have to. I'll fuck it all up eventually if I don't get a spine. That's what you're saying.

[sharktrash]

[ Frankly, Squalo looks smug about making him nervous. He'll also give that undone button an approving look. ]

[ He shakes his head. ]

I'm not talking about mom and dad, asswipe. You've called your band 'family' last time we spoke. Friends, too, I suppose, if you have any. Your real family are the people you choose.

But yes. That's what I'm saying.

[alleato]

[Dino bites at his lower lip and balls his hands into fists, letting them rest on the table.]

Yeah, they're all I have. I don't have friends or anything. I have my band.

[Doesn't sound quite right, though.]

Sometimes family chooses you. I feel like you and me were meant to meet. [Hands flail.] Not like anything weird. You just... make me feel something. Something weird. More than what I am. Can't explain it, sorry...