CHASE BUCKLEY
Demon
Posts: 139
Age:
38
Occupation:
Detective
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Roxanne Braschi
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen Apr 27, 2024 18:43:01 GMT
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Post by CHASE BUCKLEY on Mar 28, 2024 19:05:30 GMT
”Come on, bébé.” Tapping his hand against his thigh, Chase called Domino down out of the cab of his truck and trudged towards the cruddy looking apartment building. Clete would’ve choked on his po’boy if he’d voiced the comparison out loud, but it felt good to have a smart partner by his side again. Especially with the threat of Nemo floating around again.
The buildings in this part of Mystic Falls had probably once been industrial. Dark brick monoliths towered a half dozen stories, too little light spilling down around them to get a good look at the cracked windows and garbage strewn around them. A real fucking peach of a place, just like the armpits of New Orleans where he’d worked. Chase picked his way towards the door into The Beacon. He’d almost choked on his laughter as he’d pulled up their victim’s last known address. The hopeful name was never gonna disguise the fact that the place was a cess pit. Given the state Roland Gooch had been in when he’d been found out in the woods there probably wasn’t a single possession of his left in his apartment, let alone anybody in the building who’d remember him.
Pushing open the front door, hoping the damn thing wouldn’t fall off of the hinges it was already dangling drunkenly from, Chase slipped inside. The lobby was worse than the outside. Half the lights out, the corners draped in darkness and the detritus of lives lived outside the gloss of the founding families. ”Careful what you nose around,” he warned as Domino sniffed around. He wasn’t sure the elevator would be working, but holding his breath in a piss soaked box for a couple of minutes was probably better than trudging up the stairs to the top floor. Why the fuck couldn’t Gooch have been living down here instead?
Because of the fucking crazies.
His question was answered before he even stepped into that rank coffin of an elevator. The drunk flew out of it like a giant bat out of a cage. Rambling, reeking as bad as he’d imagined the car would, swinging the broken neck end of his last liquid meal in front of him.
”Sheriff’s department,” Chase warned, one hand going out – staying out of swinging distance of the dingy glass – the other settling on the butt of his weapon. ”I’m not here for you pal. One of your neighbours got himself killed. That’s all I wanna know about. How ‘bout you put down the bottle and we talk about Roland huh?” Possibly the last guy skewered on the end of one of those bottles. The cause of death was yet to be determined thanks to the state of decomposition, but it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that one dirtbag had stabbed another and dumped the body.
Pale eyes rolled towards him, the dirt crusted skin around them crinkling like the guy was trying to focus, then fixed on him. With a holler the asshole rushed him and for the second time, his furry partner flew in snarling. The pair of them went down, the drunk rolling around and trying to fling the dog off of him. Chase pulled his weapon, kicking at the guy to try and get them apart. The drunk pulled away, screaming before the sound cut off with a snarl and a whimper. He flew again, a flutter of dark clothing, the crunch of glass and then he was gone through the door.
Nonononono.
The dog whimpered as he swept her up. Last time it had been his blood painting her fur, this time it was Domino’s own. No longer giving a fuck about the drunk – sooner or later he’d be back here, and then he’d end up in a cell – Chase rushed for his truck. He needed light, needed to see what damage the son of a bitch had done. Under the weak light of his overheads, Chase mopped blood away from the wound. Tears burned in his eyes, fear eating at his gut, but as he revealed the damage he felt like he could breathe again at least. It wasn’t as bad as he thought, the wounds were still bleeding, but Domino was still conscious, she wasn’t bleeding to death in his arms. He kept talking low to her as he bandaged her up with the first aid kit he kept in the car. ”Gonna go report this at the station, then we’re gonna go see the vet, okay? Gonna get you fixed right up.”
Still he gathered her close into his lap as he drove towards the station. Forbes might not give a damn that a dog was hurt, but he was reporting this son of a bitch, putting patrol on the look out for him. He’d probably turn up in alley in a week, so drunk he couldn’t stand let alone swing a bottle. Chase kept one hand on Domino’s head as he drove, fingers brushing gently over the velvety fur. It was the second time the dog had saved his life, at this point she deserved a medal.
”Wait, wait, lemme get you,” Chase crooned as he slipped out of the truck. He turned back, but one of the patrol officers was just getting into his car next to him. ”Hey man, got a favour to ask. Some drunk asshole out on Oak just took a swing at me with a bottle…” The description rumbled out, the venom growing in his voice with every word. Maybe he’d said too much, maybe Domino was in too much discomfort, either way, as the patrol car pulled out, he realised she wasn’t in the truck anymore.
Five minutes of scrambling around in the lot, calling out her name, showed no sign of the dog. Cursing, Chase headed into the station, putting out a BOLO on the drunk, typing up a quick report. If he was lucky maybe Domino would be waiting for him when he headed back out. He snagged his jacket, was about to do just that when he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. One look at the name on the screen was enough to have him grinning as he headed for the rear door of the station.
”Hey darlin’. I’m just headin’ out now. You home already?” As though his place had become just that. They spent time at Roxxi’s place, but after a day like this, all he wanted to do was close the doors and curl up with her if he couldn’t get his hands on Domino to take her to the vet and make sure the other woman in his life wasn’t gonna die of an infection because she’d taken a bottle for him.
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ROXANNE BRASCHI
Chimera
psychic-skinwalker
Posts: 175
Age:
30
Occupation:
Professor at Whitmore College
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Chase Buckley
Played by:
Julia
Last seen Apr 15, 2024 16:34:18 GMT
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Post by ROXANNE BRASCHI on Apr 15, 2024 16:29:00 GMT
━ i don't know where i'm going, but i sure know where i've been ━ ROXXI━OR “DOMINO, RATHER━PADDED ALONG LOYALLY BESIDE Chase while they headed to his next investigation━next murder case. She knew why he’d chosen this line of work━it’d been her biggest life goal to follow in his footsteps━but she couldn’t see how it didn’t upset him every fucking day he had to deal with death over and over again. Maybe it was a way of taking back what he’d gone through━showing himself that he was stronger than it━but Roxxi was just happy she got to support him through it as more than just the girlfriend who held him after a long day. She got to make sure he was safe.
Especially on days like today.
With her big, dark, furry head bowing low, she bared her teeth and let out a warning growl. This idiot was too far gone, though━he swung for Chase, and that was all Roxxi needed to launch at him, snapping her canines as they wrestled. It was harder to gain purchase with stubby nails and paws, but she tried valiantly, determined not to let this end up how it did with Nemo. She’d taken a chunk out of him, at least, but she didn’t get at his throat like her instincts screamed at her to.
This time, she would.
She closed her strong jowls around the arm he swung at her, hearing his satisfying scream, then went for his neck, taking a small chunk before she let out her own cry of pain. Fuck. He got her━right in the side, too, her skin immediately burning with pain. Mafankulo.
He was gone suddenly, his body shifting under her until she flopped to the floor, and while Roxxi was determined not to stop, her vision was getting hazier by the second. Was there wolfsbane in that shit? Mixed in with the beer that’d been in that bottle? Cazzo. She didn’t know how much longer she could hold onto this form.
Chase piled her into the truck with minimal movement, bandaged her up, and she laid her head in his lap as he guided her, whining softly with each exhale. There was so much pain. He promised he’d take her to the vet, but Roxxi had to get home━she had to get away to heal from this, because Chase likely wouldn’t leave her side, and she wouldn’t be able to control it when the wound eventually healed over. If he saw that shit, there was no explaining it. And, on top of everything, she wasn’t even sure if she’d still be a dog by the time all that happened.
She was in and out by the time they reached the station━soothed by Chase’s hand in her fur━but the loss of his thigh under her head jolted her awake again. This was it━her only chance to get out of here before she really fucked up his life. Well, in only one of the ways she could.
Roxxi dragged herself out of the truck, and while every movement on the jump down caused her a spike of pain, at least it kept her awake.
She padded away with only a glance back at Chase to ensure he wasn’t looking, then got herself to her apartment building. Roxxi managed to slip inside when one of the smokers was heading out, and it was late enough that no one was around to see her stand on her back legs and hit the elevator buttons that would take her to her floor. Maybe the stairs would’ve been less conspicuous, but she didn’t think she’d survive the climb.
Shifting back brought another wave of immense pain, but at least she was home, and she could… damn.
One look in the mirror showed the spatter of glass in her ribs, twinkling in the light, blood oozing from the wounds. Some of it was darker than blood should ever be, but that was fine. She could handle this.
Except that she couldn’t. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t twist or reach far enough to get all of the glass out━only the bits on the outer edges. And when she finally conceded and decided to call Jo for help, she didn’t answer. Giorgia must’ve had something important going on, too, because she didn’t pick up, either. Roxxi grumbled her displeasure in a voicemail, and after a few minutes, when it was clear neither of them were getting back to her and she was not healing on her own, she called Chase. It’d give him something to do other than stress about Domino.
“No.” She hissed out a breath through her teeth, “I… fell. I need your help. There’s glass… I can’t reach it all. Come to my apartment, please.” Roxxi slid in another breath, and when she was off the phone, she walked carefully to the kitchen, trying to figure out a plan.
The glass pan in her fridge was old and good-quality, and losing the food inside it would kill her, but it wouldn’t be as bad as the alternative. She set it on the table to smear some of the sauce on one arm and one leg, decided it was within the realm of possibility, then picked it up again. Roxxi closed her eyes as she dropped it, letting the glass baking dish smash on her kitchen floor, spreading shards and food all over the place. She slunk to her bedroom next, finding an old shirt to tear at with her claws, putting little holes in the side, where it’d be if she had it on. It went into a heap on her bathroom floor. Next, she carefully slid on a pair of underwear and loose shorts, and decided her story made sense. Which was good, too, because not only did she hear her apartment door, but she was sweating profusely as she leaned into her bathroom counter, vision getting hazy around the edges again. Quietly, she let out a few curses in Italian, almost as though trying to keep herself awake.
All of that shit had been necessary. Chase was a detective, he’d look for signs, and if it didn’t make sense, she’d be fucked. The bandage. It was in the trashcan in her bedroom. It was just regular white gauze, wasn’t it? He wouldn’t be able to tell where it came from━only that the circle was way too wide to enclose her ribs… as a human, anyway.
“In here,” Roxxi barely managed to call out, (thankfully) human fingertips curled around the counter’s edge. “Can’t…” She puffed, eyes flicking to the tweezers on the counter and the bottle of rubbing alcohol, suddenly realizing there were little splatters of blood everywhere, tiny shards of glass in the trash or on the counter. A regular human wouldn’t be so messed up by this, and Roxxi was trying her best to reel it in, but it was hard. She found his eyes in the mirror, “Can’t reach.” She half-smiled, “I broke my second-favourite rectangular baking dish.” Roxxi pouted then, lifting the arm on the same side of the wound and setting her hand on his shoulder so he could get to it easier.
CHASE BUCKLEY |
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CHASE BUCKLEY
Demon
Posts: 139
Age:
38
Occupation:
Detective
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Roxanne Braschi
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen Apr 27, 2024 18:43:01 GMT
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Post by CHASE BUCKLEY on Apr 27, 2024 18:37:36 GMT
Like Domino had done (like he hoped she’d done), he’d have trailed home to lick his wounds after a day like today. A six pack of beer from the store on the corner of his block, a bag of take out from the Chinese place near the station, or muffaletta from the café on route to his building. Dinner he didn’t have to cook and the alcohol would start to take the edge off. Maybe by midnight his brain would switch off enough that he could actually get some sleep, even if the stress followed him into it. No real way to bleed it off, no soft embrace waiting for him. No Roxxi. He’d be thankful til the day he’d died that he’d met her. That he got to go home to her.
The yearning for it had started the second he’d been able to drive away from that shit pile. He’d have foregone filling his own belly for a while to make sure that the dog was gonna be alright after she’d saved his life. Maybe he’d finally be able to get Domino to stay at his apartment, turning her recouperation into a permanent home. Stretched out on the sofa with both his girls. That woulda been one hell of a way of dragging himself back out of the muck, but Domino had other ideas.
Weariness had settled in by the time Roxxi called, the yearning become a deep seated desire that only had its edge taken off by the sound of her voice. The satisfaction didn’t last more than a heartbeat. Roxxi’s voice wasn’t all warm and soft, the no she’d managed before she’d hissed, setting his heart to pounding in his chest. That son of a bitch, Nemo, had been back around, planting seeds of doubt in Mikey’s head with his threats. Had he finally grown the balls to turn up at the apartment?
Fear cut through everything else and had him immediately heading for the door. Roxxi was puffing out an explanation – no scarfaced son of a bitch, but she was hurt all the same. ”Don’t move, OK baby? I’m on my way. I’ll be there in five minutes.” Less if he slapped on the sirens.
Chase white knuckled it through the drive, telling himself that Roxxi wouldn’t have called unless it was bad. Was he gonna walk into her apartment and find it awash in blood? It wasn’t like she hadn’t gone through that with him, but like with Domino, he couldn’t stand seeing someone else hurt. His gaze snapped to every alley as he passed it, sweeping the street in front of him like he might catch sight of her on the way to Roxxi’s place. Both of them hurt in one day. The universe could stop with its shit right now.
Not wanting to wait for the elevator, Chase took the stairs two at a time when he got there. More breathless from worry than from the exertion, he fumbled with his key. He shut the door behind him, frowning at the scent of sauce and blood on the air. After years on the job, that sort of thing set his nerves to jangling. How many scenes had he walked into like this to find someone dead, the shattered remains of their life splashed around the place? Too many. ”Roxxi?” he called out tightly, puffing out a breath in relief as she called out to him from further into the apartment.
”Hey,” Chase murmured softly as he stopped at the bathroom door. He’d followed the trail of blood through the apartment like a breadcrumb trail right to her. Through the trail of destruction that had probably stung almost as much with the destruction of a dish and the food in it as the glass that had caught her. The low, soft sound slipped out of him as he stepped in. ”Second favourite huh?” he joked lightly. ”How’d you do that? Jeez, it got you back for doing it.” Just an hour ago he’d been brushing glass out of Domino’s short fur. Now it felt like he was swallowing those shards as he looked at the ones bristling from Roxxi’s skin. Fuck.
Settling his hand gently on her hip as she propped her hand on his shoulder, Chase hissed lightly. She’d patched him up so many times, the universe had finally decided to turn it around on him. ”You get cut anywhere else?” he asked tightly as he reached for the tweezers. Big baby that he was, this was gonna hurt him almost as much as it did her. ”I’m gonna try and be careful, but I’m sorry, baby, this is gonna sting.” Chase turned her a little in the light, hissing out a breath as he saw how nasty it looked. She’d gotten some of the glass out, but what remained glittered among the smears of blood. Sweat sheened her skin, no wonder given how badly this had to hurt. ”Sorry baby,” Chase breathed as he picked the first pieces out. The apology gave way to a soft string of soothing words, peppered with the tiny bits of Cajun French he’d learned from Clete, the same way it had done when he’d been patching Domino up.
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