VLDR - Shut Up and Dance

[Cyantic]

First sight? Have you been paying attention, man? This place is going to fall apart if good people don't try to stop it. Shino was one of the last things to fix. All that's left is Nolan.

He looks at James's corpse.

I'll do it personally. I have to repay my debts.

[Cyantic]

And, uh, Bella. I want to have a private word with you after this, if we could.

He stares at the corpses and closes his eyes.

[Chemist1422]

“C-Castillo...I-I have a q-question...Wh-who was in your phone call?”

[Cyantic]

Does it matter anymore? I've won, Ivy.

His eyes are open, looking out to the parking lot again.

Funny thing, that. I've won this game. Nothing can stop me from getting twelve points. And Shino died and lost it all. Yet he died far happier then I am for winning. I can leave, you know. Just get on a train soon. Leave this nightmare behind.

I can't. Just feels like I've gone through hell and I'm still waiting for some kind of miracle that I know won't ever happen.

He chuckles, sounding particularly hollow.

You learn a lot from this. You really do. Figure out what kind of person you are - who you want to be. I'm just fucking tired. A night cap and thirty hours of sleep is about all I can aspire too now. What a disaster. What a fucking disaster.

[Hawkwing425]

And, uh, Bella. I want to have a private word with you after this, if we could.

He stares at the corpses and closes his eyes.

Yeah, alright.

[Cyantic]

Just... bandages. Please. We can stitch later. I just want to lie down at this point. Riza's got her own... heroics to do now. I think it's for the best. Get me the knife - if someone comes after us, I can at least warn them off. I feel like Shino might have had a good idea in all of this - just staying out of it.

At least then someone doesn't die for you, you know? I now owe a man a debt I'll never be able to repay. Fuck me. I really, quite genuinely, hate Miami. I think I hate it more than anything else in this world.

[Hawkwing425]

Belladonna’s manic glee at Shino’s death fades some as Castillo talks. After he’s done, she says:
You... wow, I’m goin’ t’ sound weird for askin’, but... you okay? Actually kind a’ concerned here. You sound like you’ve just ‘bout given up on life. Like... fuck, you’re worse off than I was back in th’ drugstore.

[Cyantic]

I'll live. I've just lost something I'm never going to get back. Well. I had lost it a long time ago without realising, I just didn't realise how far gone it was. Just... fuck it. I want to lay down. Nothing else for it at this point. I need to think. And I need to get you out of this mess, somehow. Shouldn't have gone through Shino. It wasn't worth putting you at risk, we didn't even fucking win. We lost.

...

I lost. But that's the story of the day, isn't it? I hate Miami. I need a stiff drink and a dance. Won't be getting either, of course.

[Hawkwing425]

...what? We're alive! In rough shape, yes, but alive! Shino's DEAD! Io's also dead! An' sure, James went down for it, but he was a dead man from th' moment Io b'trayed him, as you said. Well... I guess Robin also died. But you didn't even care 'bout her... I thought you didn't. Like... fuck. You, me, an' Elizabeth... we're still alive, an' two a' th' people we wanted dead are dead. An' you're sayin' we've lost. Why? I'm... I'm glad I'm alive. I mean, th' Fae- yeah, I can see you bastards up there, mockin' me.
She yells up at the roof.
I don't want t' leave Earth, you sons a' bitches! Fuck off!
She returns to talking to Castillo.
They're buggin' me. But I don't want t' die or anythin', or else I would have already gone with 'em. I'm still alive, an' that's a win for me.

[Cyantic]

It's more complicated than just being alive. I was hoping for a different outcome here. What I got was maybe the worst of all worlds. Suppose Azelf will want blood for this - who wouldn't, really? Funniest thing. I'm going to guess if Azelf doesn't beat me to death in the room, Richard will say the same thing.

I won. Riza and I won, we're at twelve points or whatever, who gives a fuck. But that's not the entire picture. You lose something when you break it down to those components. You can't be blamed. No one can, besides me. I was hoping in Miami. That always leads to a disaster. Look at where hope's gotten everyone else. Not fucking anywhere. Christ. Do you think Come Dancing is on? Something mindless sure beats being mindful.

[Hawkwing425]

...I don't get it. All you ever wanted was t' escape with Elizabeth, an' then added me in later- wait. Was it James? Did... did you want t' take him with us too, or somethin'? Or is it...do you think th' win by points is a lie? Or... fuck, I don't know. You're blamin' yourself, an' I don't get it.

[Cyantic]

He sighs and runs his hand over his eyes.

I don't want to talk about it here. I've lost something and I'm not happy about it, clearly. Too public here. I need to think. Losing James sucks, because I owed him something after the I/O fight. But that's not it.

[Chemist1422]

“W-Wait, you wanted to...l-l-leave the r-rest of us b-b-behind...?”

[Cyantic]

I wanted to keep them safe, Ivy. That's all I ever fucking wanted. Get those two out on the next train. Things... things have changed. Or well... they haven't. I'm just an idiot. Look at all of this. We're sitting in a room with three corpses. Anyone I was close too has gotten the shit kicked out of them or they're dead. I owed them something. I fucking failed because I didn't realise things had changed.

That's the short of it. My penance, never ending, it seems. Jesus fucking Christ. Shino had something to being drunk as well. Total bastard, but the man had some degree of wisdom.

[Hawkwing425]

Hey, gettin' th' shit kicked out a' me isn't much more than every other Tuesday. Pain's a bitch, but it's not like you have t' stop anyone from ever gettin' hurt for th' rest a' their lives.

[Cyantic]

It doesn't really matter anymore. What's done is done and all we can do is better next time. There's still a way out.

[Schultz128]

Yes, it's true. We were planning on leaving everyone behind, Stanley and I. From the beginning, it was my goal. Until I met more of you.

People who won't amount to anything of fame are worth nothing. That's why, Bella, you've got potential to not be forgotten and we care about you more than the others as of now.

Riza chuckles for a moment.

...heh, I was trying to be a rock star, y'know? I grew up listening to the Talking Heads and the Clash, and especially after that VHS concert the Heads did I just....I couldn't be anything but a musician! I wanted to get out there and make music, and make money, and make fans, and get recognition!

But stage fright coupled with that slur and stutter it just.....never materialized. I couldn't sing or play, and if you can't do that in front of a crowd then what's the point if people know your name but not your face?!

So it just...it just doesn't work out! So what do you do from then? What pushes you to keep going on!?

Like....you ever heard of The Pixies? Really cool underground group, I started listening to them after the Heads broke up, it was almost like a heavier version of the Heads, y'know?! A lot darker too, to a point where I....I don't know I guess I....viewed the Pixies to the Heads as current self to my former self. I listened and got the idea of "this is who you gotta be, get darker, get louder, get rougher, don't disappoint your fans", and....yeah. Surfer Rosa from last year and Doolittle from this year, 'Where is my Mind?', 'Hey', 'Debaser', 'Gigantic', all of those bonus B-Sides and bonus tracks....I guess that's my justification for it all.

I'm not crazy, right..? M-Music has always inspired people to do outlandish things, good and bad, j-just like there's, there's y'know, all the...like....Manson....Reagan...Ramirez.....yeah, I'm cool....I'm cool...

.
.
.

It's the entire purpose of a person to be remembered, when everything else has failed. If people won't even remember the time you spent alive once you're gone, then how can you justify your own existence...?

[Cyantic]

He just stares at Elizabeth with a hint of scorn.

[Schultz128]

...oh shut up, how many times did Dad bail you out when you were younger? Don't go judging.

[Cyantic]

Don't go bringing up old history. It feels like you don't even fucking know me any longer. I hoped that going on this would rekindle something, make it like how we used to be. The love we had. I was wrong. You don't give a shit about me. This was it, Riza. I was going to drag you out of here, I was going to try and give you a fucking reason to care. You just wanted a set of hands - not your brother. I miss the sister I left behind when I went to New Orleans. I don't even care about your infamous kick or whatever the hell we're calling it. I cared about you. And every fucking time I tried to talk to you, you just shoved me away or ignored me or piled the shit up so high nobody could breathe.

I'm done, Riza. It's over. This is all over. You're just a psychopath - you can't even care for the people you should care for. I don't know if there's anyway to fix it, but I miss what we had, dammit. But I can't just keep going, pretending that I'll hit a point where you'll wake up.

[Hawkwing425]

...Jesus fuckin' Christ. What is happenin'?

[Cyantic]

All things die, Bella, even things you don't want to die. I feel twice my age.

[Schultz128]

If you're going to be a brat then treat your own wounds, Stan.

[Cyantic]

Don't call me that, Riza. I already assumed you were going to fuck off and leave me to die. No harm, no foul, right? Since when have you fucking cared?

Can't even tell your brother a damn thing to actually help you. Always you, Riza. Just go.

[Cyantic]

Here, Bella. You want to continue chasing Riza's mania? Go ahead. Be her sister. Walkie-talkie with your name on it.

Or just... stay with me. If you want.

He holds out the walkie talkie.

Won't make you do a damn thing. Not anymore.