☠

when I was arrested I was dressed in black they put me on a train and they took me back had no friend for to go my bail they slapped my dried up carcass in that county jail Dante Esposito. Italian addict dealer. {Hover for links.}

[lauritor]

15 || Rick & Dante

[lauritor]

He rolled his eyes at the younger man’s comment, but deep down, he was flattered. Being reminded of his position in leadership was something he got out of bed for, having worked for it for such a long time. When they reached the car, Rick turned the key to start it up.

No response. He tried again, but with the same result. Confused, he looked around to see what could have been stopping them from going.

"What the fuck? Come on, don’t be doin’ this now," he complained, smacking the wheel with his palm.

[danteesposito]

Dante sat in the passenger's seat, tapping his feet restlessly. "Oh, for the love of God, I really don't wanna push this piece of junk all the way to Dinozzo's." He sighed and rapped his fingers against the dashboard.

[dimitrileoni]

Wilson's | Dante & Dimitri

[dimitrileoni]

It was here that Dimitri had let off a small, and hearty laugh. “Just making the right choice.” He concluded. It didn’t take long for Dante to fill the paper bag with candy, sliding it over to Dimitri once he was finished. It seemed as though he couldn’t tell if Dante worked here or not. Clearly, he knew that the candy itself would have been around seventy-five cents, and add the fact that the other man started to rub his nose in a suggestive way, Dimitri couldn’t help the overwhelming feeling of confusion take him over. His bushy brows furrowed at the gesture. “Uh…No.” He replied with a sheepish grin while giving him the dollar bill as asked. “I’m stocked with all the cold medicine I need. But thanks anyway?”

[danteesposito]

It was difficult to fathom how a grown man affiliated with the Capone family could not know when someone was trying to offer them illegal drugs. Dante sighed and decided to speak a language a chef would understand. "No, not cold medicine. Some, y'know, secret herbs and spices, ya get me?" He accepted the currency and stared at the cash register, his face showing every bit of his confusion as he tried to remember how Teresa worked the damn thing.

[dimitrileoni]

Wilson's | Dante & Dimitri

[dimitrileoni]

Dimitri looked up to see the man behind the counter stare at him with a frightening gaze. He nearly winced at the sight of him, but luckily, Dimitri cleared his throat as he changed his position against the counter. “Mi scusi per tenendo mio tempo…” He muttered. “I’ll just get two pounds of the red licorice sticks.”

[danteesposito]

Dante stood up and shook his head. "Always a slow old man, ain't ya, Di?" He took a handful of licorice from the glass jar and, without bothering to measure it, threw it into a paper sack. "That'll be, uh..." Dante shrugged and waved his hands. "I dunno, a dollar or somethin. Unless you'd like to take home, uh..." He lowered his voice and looked around suspiciously. "...a little somethin extra?" The dealer winked and tapped his nose.

[lauritor]

15 || Rick & Dante

[lauritor]

"Hey, shut the fuck up, eh?" Rick laughed as he swung his coat around his shoulders. "Let’s go."

On their way out, he was sure to lock the door tight. He had to think about his reply for a moment. Typically, the information was at hand, but it had been a while.

"Not now, but I know someone who does."

[danteesposito]

Dante laughed and clapped Rick on the back in a friendly manner. He fished out another cigarette and lit it with the shaking hands of a coke addict. "As long as you're sure, Ricky. I'll follow your lead." There was always something comforting about being with Rick; they've known each other for quite a while, and in a family where your friends could die any given Tuesday, that counted for something.

[dimitrileoni]

Wilson's | Dante & Dimitri

Leaning against the counter at Wilson’s Drug Store, Dimitri stared at the display of candy on and behind the counter, muttering to himself as his eyes wandered about. “What do I pick?…Oh God, I can’t even decide…Gum drops or licorice?”

[danteesposito]

Today was Pretend to be a Drug Store Clerk Day for Dante Esposito. Also known as Teresa's lunch break, when she always asked Eiji to cover. It was a shame she wasn't there to make sure Dante didn't instead. And so, he sat there behind the counter with a cigarette and a newspaper, stopping to peer at the man every so often over the top of it. After a few minutes of this, the drug dealer was a bit agitated. He threw the paper to the floor with an audible slap before speaking. "Listen, ya gonna fuckin pick somethin or what?" This sort of outburst was precisely why Teresa never trusted him behind the counter.

[lauritor]

15 || Rick & Dante

[lauritor]

"Frankie loves me like a twice removed cousin," he joked. "I just want you to knock off the fuckin’ heroin. Poppies don’t look good on you either. Plus, I’m not gonna go out with you all slow and shit."

Not being wasteful, he licked the remnants off his hand and tucked the tin away. He couldn’t believe he was going to take up the offer of actually going somewhere with this kid, but he was off the clock, and didn’t want to leave him with any feelings of upset.

"Where’re we goin’, Blind Tiger?"

[danteesposito]

Dante smiled and rolled his eyes dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, and I'm your mother." He thought for a moment before answering. "Blind Tiger sounds like the bee's knees. Can probably do some business while we're havin' fun, if we're lucky. You know tonight's password?"

[lauritor]

15 || Rick & Dante

[lauritor]

"Yeah, you think you are. Big heads are shitheads, shithead." He reached into his pocket for his little tin and dumped a small mound of white onto the back of his hand. 

"Here," he said, bringing the hand up to Dante’s face. "If we’re goin’ out, you’re gonna get decent."

[danteesposito]

Dante sighed and hesitated before sheepishly leaning in and snorting the small bit of blow. He shuddered and wiped at his nose like a man with a cold. "You know, I don't think Frankie appreciates you feedin' my habit like this", he teased. She likely didn't care anyway; no one in the family cared enough to help him get right, they just booted him right down the ladder. But what could ya do? 

[lauritor]

15 || Rick & Dante

[lauritor]

  "Well, I’m not takin’ you to dinner. And what did Teresa say when you left?" 

As he circled the table, Rick slapped Dante up the back of the head, then sat beside him, leaning back in the chair. “Si idiota. It’s amazin’ you didn’t attract any pigs.” He shook his head. “High in a fuckin’ bakery.”

At his own comment, Rick did everything in his power to not laugh.

[danteesposito]

"I dunno, I didn't stop to hear her re-" He was interrupted by the smack to the head. "Hey, come on! You know I'm good at avoidin' the gumshoes. You know how long I've been doin' it for!" He scowled and rubbed the back of his head. "Now get your fuckin' coat, we're havin' fun whether you like it or not."

[lauritor]

15 || Rick & Dante

[lauritor]

  With Dante abandoned in the kitchen, Rick and the third party snorted a few lines, shared a couple laughs, and eventually, made it to the door to say their goodbyes. It was amusing to see the satisfied customer strut so confidently out of view, but Rick knew he had to return his attention to the junkie in the kitchen.

"What did’ya want, D? It better be important if you came all the was over here. To my house."

[danteesposito]

As the customer left, Dante thought he'd heard them mumble some sort of insult his way. He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose; it wasn't real, it couldn't be real. What might have been a second later, Rick caught his attention and he looked up with a weary expression. "Oh, uhhh..." His eyes wandered to the now-empty box of pastries, then back to Rick. "I was wondering if you wanted to see a show or somethin'. Business has been slow today, so I thought we could just...y'know..." The stoned drug dealer shrugged casually.

[lauritor]

15 || Rick & Dante

[lauritor]

  There was something about the younger man’s constant state of burning that plucked Rick’s nerves. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he was responsible for him, but there was also just disappointment on some deeper level.

"No, jelly brain, I’m with a customer. Just wait fifteen minutes, alright? And dont touch anything."

He reached for a pastry, took a bite, then dropped it back into the box before walking back.

[danteesposito]

He looked in the box with a disgusted look on his face. What a waste of food. Dante didn't usually give a rat's ass, but at the moment he gave several; approximately 16 and 1/2 rat asses. "Alright well...hurry up." The tone of his voice sounded almost hurt. And so, Dante Esposito waited in a kitchen as his business partner chatted up a client.

[lauritor]

15 || Rick & Dante

[lauritor]

  The client startled at the first knock, and promptly asked who it was. Rick assured them it was just another dealer, and that he’d be back to join in a minute.

He could already feel the frustration bubble up inside as he walked out to the main room, putting his cigarette out on the tray beside the door. Without hinging the chain, he cracked open the door and peeked out. “The fuck do you need, huh?” The sour smell of the pot clung to Dante’s clothes, and Rick was thoroughly unhappy with him. “God damn you, Esposito. You know I don’t want you leading any flies here. Get the fuck in here,” he said with command, unlatching the lock to allow Dante in.

"Don’t go in the parlor. You can stay in the kitchen. You know where it is."

[danteesposito]

Dante put up his free hand up defensively, it was stained with the powdered sugar of his cream-filled victims. "This a bad time?" He lowered a voice and added in a suspicious tone, "Are ya with a floozy?" Not waiting for a reply, he rolled his eyes and headed toward the kitchen. Rick was always so uptight, but he was determined to fix that. "Oh hey, you want a cannoli?", Dante asked, holding out the pastry box as a peace offering, "They're fresh."

[lauritor]

15 || Rick & Dante

His eyes were fixed on the swirling smoke that hung in the air, catching the light that beamed through the crack in the shades. It was always against Rick’s better judgment to indulge himself on the clock, but sometimes, it was necessary to ensure future business. If they wanted him to join, it would be an insult to not comply.

Hearing the small taps of a razor on glass, he turned his attention to the cutting. As morbid as it was, he couldn’t stifle the laugh that followed the thought of some of his weaker-willed clients rushing in the same way a dog did at the sound of a bag of treats being opened.

"A little bit thinner, babe. You wanna make it last, right? The thinner the better."

[danteesposito]

It was several minutes before Dante realized he had gone the wrong way after talking to that woman, but he decided to follow through and pretend he meant to do that. Not wanting to run into the Irish broad again, Dante visited the bakery instead and came out ten minutes later with a dozen cannoli. Three of which he had already eaten on his way out the door. Fulfilling his mission of procuring a bite to eat, he figured he might as well pay Rick a visit and talk business. 

Ten minutes and six cannoli later, Dante knocked on the door of Laurito's ranch-style house. "Hey Ricky, open up! It's Dante."

[danteesposito]

A Bite to Eat || Dante & Teagan

[teaganbuckley]

  She tilted her head slightly to the side at the mention of hooks. She smiled almost sincerely before she shook her head. “Ah.. well if that time ever comes that I need somethin’ beyond what I already can get my hands on. I’ll be sure to look you up Mister Esposito.” Drinking was about as heavy as the brunette got, plus if she ever had the want for something stronger she was sure Aidan would tan her hide. She laughed softly at the idea of eating a whole pizza. “Now that is hungry. At least you aren’t tryin’ to eat the whole horse yet.” She smirked then looked back to him as he smoked, “So tell me, I haven’t had the chance to try too much Italian out here.. is it as good as New York or better in your opinion?”

[danteesposito]

Dante turned and smirked with a half-lidded expression. "Listen, if ya wanna talk you gotta either walk with me or wait at the drug store, see? Otherwise you'll end up on the menu." He meant it in a figurative sense, but she could make of it what she will. "Italian is Italian, toots, and I don't think any Italian place will let you even peep in the window." He shook his head and continued walking in the opposite direction.

[danteesposito]

A Bite to Eat || Dante & Teagan

[teaganbuckley]

  She chuckled softly as he spoke about needing to smoke to live, “That is a horrible set of hooks they got in ya then.” She smiled, stopping and turning so she could face him as she slowly walked backwards. She shook her head at his tone. Honestly, she didn’t care. Teagan worked in Moriarty’s she was used to that type of tone from patrons so why would she care if a stranger off the street spoke the same way? Teagan was Irish alright but she wasn’t exactly affiliated with the Irish mob, their choice! However, she wasn’t about to speak politics or try to stir up anything. She was just being friendly.

"Toots?" She chuckled softly "Ain’t you a sweet rag-a-muffin. The name is Teagan Buckley. Do I get the pleasure of knowin’ the name of such a charmer?"

[danteesposito]

He tapped some ashes off the end of his cigarette with a thoughtful expression. Thoughts full of pastries, to be exact. "Name's Dante, Dante Esposito. And if these things are hooks, as you put it, then we must all be fish, Miss Buckley. When you find your hook, I'm the man to see." The man winked and continued on his way to the coffee shop. "Nice meeting ya, but I'm hungry enough to eat an entire pizza pie."

[danteesposito]

A Bite to Eat || Dante & Teagan

A universal downside to smoking any quantity of cannabis was, as it so happens, a sudden increase in appetite. Tossing away what remained of his joint, Dante decide to head to the Nine Owls for a bite to eat. “Hey Teresa, let Rick know I’m headin’ out.”, he said as he left the drug store, not stopping to see if she heard him. If she did, she did.

Striding a bit lazily down the sidewalk, he patted his pockets in search of cigarettes and a lighter.

[teaganbuckley]

It seemed to becoming a habit stopping into the Nine Owls for a coffee, really before everyone knew it there would be places that sold coffee everywhere and no one would brew it at home any more (ha!). She blew into her gloved hands before she reached up to adjust her scarf so she could rebury herself into it. She side stepped the man patting his pockets. “Braver than I am.. if your goin’ for a smoke.” She wouldn’t want to have her face exposed to the cold air any longer than it needed to be.

She looked at the man out of the corner of her eye. Honestly with everything that has been going on, she really should be more careful. However, the Irish woman wasn’t in the mob so really, she just didn’t find the immediate threat there.

[danteesposito]

Finally unearthing a cigarette from one of his many jacket pockets (a smart dealer always had some extras to squirrel away product in), he put it to his mouth and stopped to light it. "Brave nothin', I gotta breath smoke to live at this point.", he remarked in a dismissive tone. He was still a loyal part of the Capone family; he didn't take kindly to Irish dames, Four Point or no.

Although she wasn't too bad to look at. "Got a name, toots?" Dante blew a stream of smoke from his nostrils as he talked.

[danteesposito]

A Bite to Eat (Open)

A universal downside to smoking any quantity of cannabis was, as it so happens, a sudden increase in appetite. Tossing away what remained of his joint, Dante decide to head to the Nine Owls for a bite to eat. "Hey Teresa, let Rick know I'm headin' out.", he said as he left the drug store, not stopping to see if she heard him. If she did, she did.

Striding a bit lazily down the sidewalk, he patted his pockets in search of cigarettes and a lighter.

[danteesposito]

The Day Job

A puff of smoke escaped Dante's mouth. The man had many habits, and smoking was the least of them. Besides, it really helped to have something to do while waiting for "customers" to inevitably seek him out for one thing or another, although he never did ask if Eiji appreciated him hot-boxing the backroom of the apothecary. Not that Dante cared for his opinion on the matter. 

He took another drag and exhaled through his nose. His days were numbered anyway, he thought, what was the point of fussing about anything? Dante chuckled to himself and shook his head, pacing around the room and listening to the clock tick down the seconds the minutes the hours. Sometimes he really thought it was mocking him.