Open!

[alleato]

Who: Dino Cavallone + your folks!
What: One of the nicest guys in the business is down and out. Probably could use some cheering up... or a drink.
When: 4/11-13
Where: Various places!
Warnings: Drinkin' partyin' etc


A :: 4/11 :: Virgo HQ
Dino got out of bed this morning to find one less person in the penthouse. Another firing for his group, only this time it feels a little personal. He'd cared about Kaoru more than he ever told anyone but the guy himself. Now that he's gone, and Dino's left wondering why... They've worked so hard and been so close. Hue & Cry should've been the darlings of the label, at least in Dino's mind, for the work they do and the people they are. But now they're two down, and Dino's having a hard time handling it.

At Virgo HQ, he can be found in one of the various eating areas staring blankly into a bowl of half-eaten cereal, or mumbling an apology as he bumps into people while he walks around in clear distress.

B :: 4/12 :: parkside
A tribute to one bandmate gone, Dino sits in a busy area of the park with a makeshift drum (i.e. a bucket) that he's acquired from somewhere or another, figuring out a simple rhythm as he sings some words to a song he's making up as he goes along. Sometimes it's in your standard English-y thing, sometimes it's in Italian. Someone's set a hat down beside him, and people seem to be tossing little things into it as tokens of appreciation. Somehow no one has given obvious outward signs that they know who he is. Still, if someone does stop, he'll talk to them happily.

C :: 4/13 :: nighttime
After two days of not being able to find the right salve for the wound, so to speak, Dino turns to other peoples' methods. He goes to a bar for a while, sitting smack in the center, at first talking quietly with anyone who comes over, signing a few autographs here and there, but soon enough he gets sullen and waves people off. Not good. The bodyguard that seems to be watching him here is displeased.

Subsequently, then, Dino ditches the hell out of that bodyguard and heads to a nightclub instead, shucking off his coat and giving it to a random fan before he rolls up his sleeves and bypasses the bouncer entirely. Because fuck you that's why.

Once inside, he's again in the thick of things, only this time it's with a great sense of abandon, and probably ripe for bad life choices and stupidly candid conversations. He's a klutz, still, but no one seems to notice trodden upon toes when he's like this. Catch him before he finally gives out and goes back to HQ.

Comments

[sharktrash]

[ Oh he knows, bae, he knows. ]

[ And that's probably a wise decision, although it's not like he really needs to hide anything from him either... ]

[ He barks a laugh, then suddenly sizes him up. ]

I do have some friends who need a drummer...

[ How do you feel about being in a band with Xanxus? That's ought to end well. ]

[alleato]

Well, how about that?

[A little forced laugh. He's pathetic, he knows. He's crying (internally) over something Squalo would mock the shit out of. But hell...]

We have a couple vacancies ourselves.

[sharktrash]

[ Don't be so sure. What exactly do you think he'd mock you over? Because losing someone important to you is definitely not it. ]

Oh? [ He frowns. For a moment, there's the slightest hint of some kind of regretful expression. Thanks brainwashing, he's slightly capable of showing empathy for now. ] I'm sorry.

[ Because they're all dead, dead or locked up in tubes at the CEOs' dungeons. That's what his trip ultimately made him realize. ]

[alleato]

[That's... unexpected. The Dino here doesn't know that Squalo gives a fuck about anything or anyone, really. He's fully prepared to be told to get over it.]

It's fine. [It's not even a little fine.] I thought he'd say goodbye if he quit, though, so I don't really feel great about it right now.

[sharktrash]

[ Ah yes, he hasn't heard one of the Xanxus rants yet. All in due time. Sure, Squalo may think that only his boss is truly worthy to be given a fuck about, but he can accept that lesser people have their own lesser things to care about. Trash will be trash etc. ]

[ A smirk spreads on Squalo's face, but there's zero amusement in it. Rather, it's almost threatening, though it's not directed at Dino. ]

Oh, I'm sure he would have said it if he'd actually quit.

[ Yeah remember the whole "try to keep weird stuff to yourself" gig? Squalo's going "fuck it" right now. ]

[alleato]

[That's... an awfully informed look. Dino frowns deeply, searching Squalo's face a bit before looking around to see who else might be nearby. They're in the clear for the moment.]

Well, I guess he got fired? [No...] What do you know?

[sharktrash]

[ Oh you sweet summer child. But fine, he'll switch to Italian too. ]

Nah, you don't really get fired here. Not unless it involves the firing squad. [ He snorts. ] Funny, I could swear this isn't the first time I worked at a place like that.

[alleato]

[That's... not good... Dino pales a little, fidgeting with the drum.]

What happened to him? If he didn't quit and he didn't get fired, where is he?

[sharktrash]

[ Under normal circumstances, Squalo might be amused by such a display of uneasiness, but he can't really say he feels much better right now. ]

Can't say for certain. He's probably dead. Could be shoved in a tube in good old boss' dungeon, though. Either way, it's a predicament that gets used as a threat.

[ He barely stops himself from shivering as he recalls that particular conversation. Probably a conditioned response he hasn't completely shaken off yet. ]

[alleato]

[Dino freezes. Completely. His fingers still, curled around the edge of his makeshift drum so hard that his knuckles are white. He's going to vomit. He actually absolutely feels like he's going to.]

He's... I'm sorry, he's dead?

[He's not supposed to cry. He's supposed to be strong. He's supposed to be stronger than anyone around him and a leader and a force to be reckoned with, and he doesn't know why he's thinking that and suddenly wondering who the hell he is. The only way he stops the tears is by biting his tongue for several seconds.]

I can't... I mean, he can't... That's not possible. He's not dead!

[sharktrash]

[ And Squalo just watches him, something distant in his look because oh, he does know the pain of loss, even if his had come with a happy ending. The biggest one, anyway, but he's lost others since he came here. He tries not to think about them. ]

From what I've seen of the alternative... death's probably preferable.

[alleato]

Why?

[His hands cover his face, and his words are muffled, but surely Squalo can understand him. This loss... it's too much. They can't be dead. It's impossible. Only it's not, because there's been killing before and there's nothing saying it can't happen again... and again and again and again. To good people.

Now he's ducking his head with his arms on his legs, and he's shaking because he can't reconcile "reality" with what he wants and needs.]

He wasn't... he didn't do anything wrong. He was good at what he did and he was good to me and he doesn't deserve to be dead.

[No one does.

Dino's arm burns. It hurts. He could swear it was glowing, but he refuses to look. It's probably not. It's probably a phantom of a memory that he's not sure is his.]

[sharktrash]

None of them do.

[ Dino, he knows you're being emotional, but try to see the bigger picture here. Your bae isn't the only one who disappeared. Multiple people have been "fired", and while some of them were dabbling in things they shouldn't have, the others weren't. Why did they have to go? Not entertaining enough? They're all just hamsters in a wheel there, aren't they. ]

[ ...he's gonna nudge Dino with his foot. ]

Vooi, Valentino, stay with me here.

[alleato]

I know none of them do. Not August, either. No one.

[He feels like he can't breathe, so he lets his shoulders shake as he tries to calm down. He's never felt this broken and angry in his life... only he has, and he knows he killed someone because of it. Several someones. He's not normal.

Who is he?

Dino Cavallone... Not Valentino. Loved by all. He never has to grasp for attention. He's never alone. A man over his shoulder, tall and imposing. Reliable. Dino's reliable. Dino's strong. Dino fights with his hands and something else and his mind and his heart, and no one can stop him.

Squalo... bandages? In a hospital? He's not drunk, he's not on anything. He's just...

His eyes are glassy and red when he looks up, wiping away the tears in a much more dignified manner than his behavior might have insinuated.]

Can we do anything about it?

[sharktrash]

[ Oh. Ouch. At least it looks like he's finally gathered himself again. That's good. Squalo's not in the mood for tears and comforting nothings, he doesn't know what to do with it, but discussing things is always welcome. He might've overlooked something. He frowns. ]

We can always do something. The question is, how far you're willing to go... and how well prepared you are. [ Small pause. ] Acting out of line as we are now would be suicidal, but if we could gather strength and numbers, I think we could make them talk.

[alleato]

[Dino's life is pretty much fucked, so there's not a lot he can do but pretend to be fine and try to do something about it. If he can. He doesn't think he can. He'll break again later, probably a few times, because two important people in his life are gone, and dead, and all he can feel deep down is that he should have been able to protect them.]

I will do anything. I mean it. I can't let this keep happening.

[sharktrash]

[ Hey, they're not necessarily dead! They might be locked up in a creepy dungeon with probes in their brain, because that's so much better right? ]

Start gathering an army, then. [ He smirks and absently twirls a strand of hair around his finger, thinking. ] Do you know anyone with... special abilities? Magic? Something like that.

[alleato]

I don't. I don't think, anyway.

[Shit. Shit shit shit, this isn't going to work. He doesn't have anything, he can't fight, he can't help.]

I'm supposed to. I'm not supposed to be like this. Something's really wrong with me.

[sharktrash]

Then I guess operation breakout has to wait. Ask around. Find others.

[ LOOK DINO HE'S GOT NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE at least in that regard. He's got a pretty good idea about that whole kindness thing. ]

What's wrong with you?

[alleato]

Something happened. I always have dreams about killing people, but they feel more and more real lately.

[He doesn't fucking know either! All he knows is that Squalo is a goddamn freak.]

[sharktrash]

[ And here's a wide smirk spreading on his face. ]

I thought you "don't just kill people".

[alleato]

I don't!

[JFC MAN.]

I've never killed anyone! But I'm having weird dreams and... What if I have? Maybe they made me do it?

[sharktrash]

Or so you think. [ A small pause. ] It's a pretty popular theory that they're memories. In which case, the only thing THEY made you do is what you remember from the last few months.

[alleato]

So I'm a killer, is what you're saying.

[Dino's voice drops, and he looks sick.]

I'm some kind of thug, Some kind of gangster. I can swing a whip around and-- [Wait what? That should be a gun.] --and kill people that easily? Do you really think I'm capable of that?

[sharktrash]

Now that just sounds harsh. But essentially, yes.

[ Oh god Dino why. Isn't that amazing news? Squalo critically eyes him up and down. ]

Not right now, no. But I know you can be.