MIKEY BUCKLEY
Kanima
Posts: 143
Age:
41
Occupation:
Line Cook
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Mab Carmello
Played by:
Jodi
Broken isn’t the same as unfixable
Last seen Nov 12, 2024 16:41:49 GMT
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Post by MIKEY BUCKLEY on Sept 14, 2022 19:57:54 GMT
Every passing minute was torture. He’d lost sight of Chase and found himself standing in the corner like a dusty old statue that didn’t belong in the room. There were too many people there. Mingling, talking, drinking. It was a little overwhelming for him so he stayed glued to the wall for now. He hated social gatherings before going to prison, but even more so now. Chase introduced him to a few people there who he knew whether it be from work or in the local area. Mikey stumbled through small talk with them, avoiding answering any question about what he may or may not have been doing before coming to Mystic Falls. For some he would lie, telling them he worked in a store back in New Orleans until recently. The room would have cleared out if they knew a convinced criminal was standing alongside them. It was a conversation killer to say the least, bringing the mood down like a led balloon. The corner in which he decided to reside was the room in which the auction took place. Mikey watched as various men and women hauled themselves on stage to sell themselves like a piece of meat. It didn’t make for entertaining viewing as others threw their hands up in the air yelling out figures. His first paycheck from the diner couldn’t even match some of the amounts people were putting forward. Eventually there was a break in the crowd giving Mikey the opportunity to escape the room. He weaved through the people, towards the front door. Towards freedom. He took a deep breath once he stepped outside as the cool air brushed against his skin. For a second he relived the moment he stepped out of jail as a free man. A feeling that was unmatched. Twenty long fucking years and finally he was released. No longer known as a number in the system but a person in the real world. He pulled the suit jacket off, which he hated from the moment he put it on. It felt stiff against his body, restricting his movements as the stitching threatened to snap. Chase found it in his wardrobe, but hadn’t worn it in years. Soon as he slid it on they both realised why. It was about two sizes too small, but Mikey had left it too late to buy a new jacket. Plus, he didn’t want to be spending money on a jacket he would only wear once to a stupid party. When Chase invited him Mikey tried to come up with as many reasonable excuses as possible, but his brother was quick to see through them. He knew Mikey didn’t want to go, but was adamant it would be good for Mikey to get out of the house, for once, so they could spend some quality time together. Time that was cut short when Mikey lost sight of his younger sibling. It soon dawned on him that Roxxi may have been somewhere in the crowd and Chase may have caught sight of her. Just another thing that pushed Mikey towards the exit. He didn’t want to face Roxxi, still carrying their secret. If he wasn’t speaking with Roxxi then he was probably mingling with other locals. Chase had always been better at making friends compared to Mikey. After a few seconds of enjoying the cool air, he slipped his phone out of his pocket, sending a message to Chase to say he had stepped outside for five minutes but would be back soon. The temptation to jump in a taxi and head home was strong, but then what? He’d sit alone in Chase’s apartment. Lonely. He tried his best to flash a friendly smile at bypassers as he walked down the steps, heading away from the hall and towards the grassy area to the right side. Ironically she was sitting alone on a bench, after giving him some bullshit talk about how no one wants to be lonely. After forcing her way into his space to unload her life story on him, leaving him no option but to listen as he was wedged between her and the wall. She had her reasons for roping Mikey into her dodgy plan to kidnap a vampire. He wandered over towards the bench, approaching Mab from behind, “Now who’s the one sitting alone?” He moved around the bench, taking a seat alongside her, “A little sad, dontcha think?” He glanced over at her for a moment, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. MAB CARMELLO |
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MAB CARMELLO
Witch
Posts: 81
Age:
34
Occupation:
Unemployed
Status:
Interested In
Partner:
Mikey Buckley
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Nov 16, 2024 18:04:55 GMT
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Post by MAB CARMELLO on Sept 17, 2022 17:40:55 GMT
Brent’s hand found the small of her back. Damp fingertips that had her stomach turning settling in the bared dip of her spine, threatening to head lower. Mab forced a smile into place for the cameras that flashed as they stepped in through the front doors of the building. Brent’s smile could’ve lit the place up all on its own – smug, arrogant, revealing teeth so white and even they could only have come from a lab. Her hand slid from his bicep down to his elbow, fingertips slowly exerting more pressure until she saw him flinch. In an instant his hand was shifting to more neutral territory. The cameras flashed once more before they moved on, leaving the two of them to step through the threshold.
Guile slid over her hazel eyes like clouds over the sun. Mab steered herself out of reach, keeping just that connection of her hand on her elbow between them. ”Sorry. These heels … I thought I was gonna trip right on camera.” Or have to resist the urge to break the man’s wrist in public.
He hadn’t exactly been her first choice of date. Mab trailed Brent through the crowds, smiling vacuously as he started to greet people. As some mucky-muck in the mayor’s office the glad handing was expected of him. That had been what she’d needed. Some in that would eventually lead her to one of the Augustines. Unfortunately they didn’t walk around this town wearing name tags like practically everybody else did. Forbes, Salvatore, Gilbert, Lockwood … probably a handful of others she hadn’t taken the time to pick over. People who’d been in this town since the first stones had been laid, folks who knew everything that went on in the town boundaries. Whitmore might have been beyond them, but it was under their thumb the same as everything else.
”Do you want a drink, or shall we…?” Brent’s slicked blond hair gleamed under the lights, as false as his teeth. He was leering towards the dance floor.
Mab had to swallow hard to manage the brittle smile that emerged in the end. ”How about a drink and then a dance?” she rasped. ”It’s been great meeting so many people. How have you got enough fingers for all those pies?” It took an effort of will to slide her hand down to his to pretend to study those wandering hands. He didn’t have the intelligence to be tied into the Augustines, they’d have cut him from their program in a heartbeat for opening his mouth and blathering about what they were up to.
Moments later the glass of champagne was pressed into her hand, those damp fingertips skimming against hers. It was a good thing the dress was so tight, it stopped the revulsion from showing as her stomach quivered with it. Chiara would’ve seen no problem with her practically whoring herself out to try and get their hands on Enzo. Her only issue had ever come with feelings and the chance that someone would get close enough to break the hold she had on her great-granddaughter. No chance there with Joseph dead and the only people she knew in this town squarely on the side of hating her guts.
Three glasses down and an entire song out on that dance floor had her convinced that Brent hating her guts for slipping out on him was worth it. Nobody here would even admit to a tie with Whitmore’s administration, let alone smelling like one of those vultures. Maybe it was a sign that Enzo St John had been recaptured, maybe they’d gotten him back into Whitmore House without her noticing and right at this moment he was being tortured for his attempt at gaining his freedom. Either way he was beyond her reach for the moment and this was just an exercise in futility.
Interest sharpened Brent’s eyes as she peeled herself away from his clammy hold and touched his elbow lightly. ”I need some air,” she told him politely. As he made to come with her, she laughed, pressing a hand into the centre of his chest. ”I’ll be fine on my own, thanks, you stay put. I think Mrs. Neavis is looking for you again.” Her chin torse, indicating the woman on the edge of the dance floor, the one who looked like she shared a surgeon with Brent. He cursed, but it didn’t matter, she was already heading for the exit.
The air outside was cool, sweeping over her hot cheeks, blowing away the feel of Brent’s hands on her skin. Maybe she should’ve hit the bar on the way out, got herself to burn the scent of his aftershave from her sinuses, but she hadn’t thought to until now. Mab picked her way to a bench instead, carefully skimming the loose strands of hair away from her face. The crowds seemed to be staying inside for the most part, sniffing around each other like dogs, looking for some superiority in a room filled with it. It wasn’t a place for people like her … or like him.
Great.
A jacket was wadded in his hands, his shirt looking like he considered it a noose more than anything. Mikey must’ve stood out in there like a turd in a swimming pool, just as welcome as one too. Mab tilted her head, eyeing him with that small, brittle smile on her lips. She’d told him almost everything – in the simplest, most honest terms – and instead of running in the other direction, he was approaching this time. Hadn’t he learned his lesson?
The laugh was low, throaty, the edge in her smile sharper than it should’ve been. Mab turned slightly on the bench as Mikey settled beside her, one bare arm trailing along the back of it. ”Not sad,” she sing-songed lightly. ”Glad,” Dipping closer, she offered up a smirk of her own. ”I guess I’m not the only one glad to be out of there. What is this? Community service of some sort? Or just self-torture. It doesn’t look like your sort of thing. You look good though … very smart.” Her finger trailed up the sleeve of his shirt, slipping between the collar and the tanned skin of his throat to give it a little tug as she let out a thoughtful hum. What was she gonna tell him of her own presence there? I’ve got a feeling that the vampire I was sent to kill might still be here and I’m trying to find out where?
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MIKEY BUCKLEY
Kanima
Posts: 143
Age:
41
Occupation:
Line Cook
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Mab Carmello
Played by:
Jodi
Broken isn’t the same as unfixable
Last seen Nov 12, 2024 16:41:49 GMT
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Post by MIKEY BUCKLEY on Oct 12, 2022 17:35:24 GMT
He hadn’t necessarily been forced to go to this event but it was obvious Chase wasn’t going to take no as an answer. It was like when they were kids and his mom would force him to go to some kid’s birthday in the neighbourhood where they would play dumb games like pass the parcel or musical chairs. Well, at the time they weren’t dumb, but Mikey had no desire to run around a group of chairs whilst a song played in the background. He was happy to bow out in the first round, unlike Chase who fought to be there to the bitter end. Mikey had more fun watching his younger sibling try and win. There were no dumb games at this event though, leaving Mikey to bow out whenever he wanted, although he promised Chase he would stay for as long as possible. In his world, five minutes was enough. Perhaps it was the overwhelmed feeling that was brewing inside of him when he thought about going somewhere and potentially having to speak to people about himself or just speak to people in general. He hadn’t exactly been equipped with amazing social skills thanks to his time spent behind bars. He’d like to say they were improving, but once he managed to prize himself away from everyone he started to question that. He could hear his mom’s voice ringing through his head, telling him to go and speak to people and speak being so anti-social. There was an excuse before because he had his circle of friends. Real friends as well, not anyone associated with the gang. The circle had broken up now though. He wasn’t sure if any of his old school friends spoke to one another. Apparently it was something he could look up on Facebook, but what was the point? To invoke even more pain? The more out of place he felt the more he was convinced he looked out of place. He looked uncomfortable standing there in his ridiculously snug shirt. It was just a fancy event, with fancy people in a fancy house. There was probably another person who was feeling just as out of place as him which was Mab. Maybe she’d escape the hell hole to find some fresh air outside. As he sat down alongside her he studied her face for a second, trying to figure out whether or not she was displeased to see him, but he couldn’t suss her out. She was a difficult person to read, but as were most women to Mikey. They were just a bunch of exotic animals he couldn’t understand. A complete mystery to him. Always had been and probably always will be. There was a small smile on his face as she ranted about the party, silently agreeing with her comments. He was itching to edge away when Mab’s finger travelled up his sleeve, but he didn’t. “It’s awful in there… there's a thousand places I’d rather be right now than here.” A joke about prison was about to roll off his tongue, but he stopped himself. As soon as she pulled away he reached up to unbutton the top button of his shirt, giving himself some space to breathe. “Found it in the back of my brother’s closet… it probably fit him back in the nineties.” He glanced down, looking at the buttons that were stretching across his chest. Part of him was hoping the shirt would rip, giving him an excuse to go home. It was one quick flex away from doing so. His eyes returned to Mab, “You look… lovely.” The dress was just as tight as his shirt, but in a good way, clinging to all the right places. It was difficult to keep his eyes focused on Mab’s face, rather than letting them drift down. MAB CARMELLO |
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MAB CARMELLO
Witch
Posts: 81
Age:
34
Occupation:
Unemployed
Status:
Interested In
Partner:
Mikey Buckley
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Nov 16, 2024 18:04:55 GMT
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Post by MAB CARMELLO on Oct 16, 2022 19:06:03 GMT
Some girls like to bring the bad boys home. There was nothing better to piss off mommy and daddy than some guy who’d spent last weekend in a cell, having been found off his face or been caught smashing up the principal’s car for some shitty grade. They knew their parents would freak and start giving them the attention they thought they’d been starved of, maybe they’d even wring some gift out of it – as a reward for dumping the shit head and playing at being a saint for a while. Mab had seen plenty play the game once she’d been allowed into high school. Hell, she’d helped to stir some of it, but actually taking a guy like that home herself? Ha. Only if she wanted to see him try and crawl out of there with his knees broken or his tongue removed by her great-grandmother. Bad meant nothing in comparison to Chiara Meraviglia.
Joseph had been part of her organisation, trusted, hands dirtied by whatever Chiara had asked of him over the years. Still, he hadn’t been bad. He’d been loyal, caring, trustworthy, loving and just brave enough to put his neck out there for Chiara to cut.
One look at Mikey now, as he came out, looking like he’d been trussed up in that too small shirt to drag him here, Mab would’ve said he wasn’t either. Oh, there was still that air of something wrong about him, that likely had the men and women giving him a look. The old crones in there clutching at their pearls, their husbands puffing up like they’d defend them. If only they knew that Mikey would run a mile before he stole anything again. Nothing to worry about here folks, he’s softer than he looks … most of the time.
Mikey hadn’t been soft when he’d told her to go fuck herself, or when he’d looked like he was practically ready to chew his way out of the booth when she’d cornered him at Campbell’s. There’d been sharp edges, honed by bitterness, until he’d told her to explain. Something had softened it all then, sanding those edges down until he at least understood a little, even if he did forgive her for dangling a life of criminality over his head again. Like stealing some coveralls and IDs was a gateway to bank robbing, or assault, or whatever the hell he’d done to end up in trouble that first time around.
She’d kept her promise, she hadn’t dragged him back into it when Enzo had gone missing – just taking that momentary comfort of the drinks and the hatred that radiated from him instead. Was he looking for some sign of what she was up to as he studied her now? She’d seen it from the corner of her eye before she’d turned fully towards him, meeting those hazel eyes unflinchingly. Mab trailed her finger up his sleeve, winging a brow as he found his voice again. ”Then why come in the first place? It doesn’t exactly seem your scene.” It wasn’t hers either, but it might’ve been St John’s, or a member of the Augustine Society’s. There were reasons and she was prepared to fall back on them. ”A date? I guess it’s not going well if you’re that happy about being here.” She’d agree with him on the awful though, but Brent had been a means to an ends – one thankfully now done.
Mab reclined as Mikey slipped away from her, bracing her hands on the back edge of the flat marble bench. She watched his fingers work at the top button of his shirt, wondering if his pulse was hammering away in that cotton V, now to be squeezed against the tight grip of the shirt. There was a chance it would pop, the same as the rest of the buttons stretching tight. ”I’m sure there are plenty of guys who’d be happy to show off their muscles that way. It highlights everything.” Mab’s gaze dropped again at the loaded word, skimming over the muscles that pressed against the cotton, threatening to tear their way through like some part of him couldn’t be constrained.
The laughter rolled out low and husky, scant cover for the heat he had rising in her face. It had been years since she’d heard it from anybody’s lips – from Joseph’s. She might’ve looked immune, but what woman didn’t want to hear that they were beautiful. ”Thank you. I thought I might as well make an effort, fit right in here.” On Brent’s arm, at least until it was time to extract herself from it. Or from him entirely.
He appeared at the doors then of course, outlined against the light that spilled from the ballroom. Mab’s eyelids fluttered shut on an almost inaudible curse. Obviously she’d had enough air, it was time for the octopus to cling again. ”How about we both get away from here? If you’re not afraid of being alone in the dark with me, Mikey.” She reached for his hand, pulling him up and close with her, ignoring the feel of Brent’s eyes on her back as she turned it on him. One corner of her mouth curled up, the smile not meeting her eyes as she drew Mikey close and tugged him deeper into the garden that stretched behind the mansion. ”That was a date,” she explained, going for the honesty. ”A bad idea of one. I should apologise for using you as a cover again.” Although it burned her throat just as much as it had the last time. Mab didn’t let go though, just slipped her arm through Mikey’s and pressed close, trusting that Brent would carry his dented ego back into the party.
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MIKEY BUCKLEY
Kanima
Posts: 143
Age:
41
Occupation:
Line Cook
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Mab Carmello
Played by:
Jodi
Broken isn’t the same as unfixable
Last seen Nov 12, 2024 16:41:49 GMT
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Post by MIKEY BUCKLEY on Nov 7, 2022 19:28:28 GMT
It was only natural to drift towards familiar faces when turning up to an event where you knew nobody unless you were one of those ridiculously sociable people who could chat to anyone about everything. Mikey was not that person, so his plan was to stick with his brother all night until he disappeared. Leaving him to fend for himself like a hopeless animal in the wild, batting away prey in the form of locals in their lavish dresses. He couldn’t believe some of the figures he overheard at the auction. Thousands of dollars were being thrown around like it was nothing. Oh how the other half lived, although his financial situation was entirely his fault. They didn’t exactly pay minimum wage in prison. He immediately frowned at Mab’s suggestion that he was on a date, letting out a quiet chuckle. “No date. I came along with my brother but have no clue where he’s gone.” Drifting into the arms of Roxxi perhaps. Sitting outside with Mab was better than standing inside and having to watch Roxxi play a happy couple with Chase. He knew on paper they didn’t do anything wrong. She had no idea he was Chase’s brother and he had no idea who she was. They were just two strangers looking for a way to unwind and support each other through the full moon. It was just unfortunate that the woman he chose to do that with was lying in bed with Chase as well. He had no idea how Chase was going to react to the whole revelation. It was just one big unfortunate mess. One that Roxxi needed to speak to Chase about before Mikey’s let their secret slip. It didn’t even enter his mind to bring a date along. Who the fuck would he even ask? The contact list in his phone was lacking in the female department. Roxxi and Mab were the only two he actually knew and there was no way he would ask either of them to be his date to the party. He was feeling a little hot before he unbuttoned his shirt and that feeling slipped away for a few seconds before Mab commented on his attire and the way in which it clung to his body. There was nothing else to do in prison apart from workout or fight. The same could be said about her in the dress, but Mikey wasn’t bold enough to say that. “Cheers… I guess.” He tried not to notice her gaze drifting down, observing the stretched fabric. Both of them were playing the part of trying to fit in with their fancy clothes, but the difference was Mab looked the part. Mikey looked like an imposter. “It’s a better look than dressing in all black to break into some college building.” They were one step away from wearing ski masks that evening. He went to turn around to see what had grabbed Mab’s attention, but she was too quick. There was no time for protest as Mab grabbed him and hauled him to his feet. “Should I be?” He joked as she tugged him closer, ready to lead the way to wherever the fuck she was planning on taking him. Should he have been pulling away from her? Telling her he was heading back into the party because the last time he followed her they ended up committing a crime. This was one way of testing whether Mab was true to her word though. “A date?” Maybe she was a little softer when it came to convincing men to accompany her to a party. He couldn’t picture her being soft and loving with anyone. It was exactly the same vibe Mikey gave off. A tough nut to crack and there was something better underneath the surface. Someone sweeter. “So long as I don’t end up gettin’ punched by this guy for stealing his date.” It was Mab that was doing the stealing though, dragging him away from the building and into the gardens which were illuminated by various large black lamp posts. The noise from the party grew quieter with each step they took. “What was so bad about your date then?” He asked, glancing down at Mab as he walked alongside her. MAB CARMELLO  |
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MAB CARMELLO
Witch
Posts: 81
Age:
34
Occupation:
Unemployed
Status:
Interested In
Partner:
Mikey Buckley
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Nov 16, 2024 18:04:55 GMT
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Post by MAB CARMELLO on Dec 1, 2022 21:04:01 GMT
A brother? She would’ve laid money on Mikey not being an only child, but she’d thought maybe a little sister. Someone he was trying to make something up to now by staying on a straight and narrow road. Mab guessed maybe it wouldn’t have been that different for a brother, especially when you’d shattered any relationship that might’ve been there by getting yourself into the sort of trouble that put you in jail. Having a sibling meant having a responsibility to someone else, caring about them if you hadn’t descended into the sort of hatred that could spring up. She hadn’t even had that, there was no responsibility to anybody except for her great-grandmother and she would’ve severed that relationship in a heartbeat. Chiara Meraviglia had made certain that her family’s survival all relied on one woman and had then had made her hate her.
As a kid Mab had pictured something so different. Laying in bed at night, listening to the floorboards creak outside her door. She’d pictured a sister, younger than her of course, laying in her own bed across the room, just waiting for their great-grandmother to go to bed so they could sneak out from under the covers and keep playing. There hadn’t been parents snoring down the hall though, any chance to make her dream real snuffed out by those wrinkled old hands.
Joseph had been her great-grandmother’s way of trying to stop her from breaking away, leaving her to slowly turn to dust in that house, never to find any sort of justice for what had happened. Look how well that had worked out. The one lesson her great-grandmother had learned, the one she’d used to teach her a lesson in return. Oh, she had, just not the one her great-grandmother believed. There was no happy families after this. Chiara wasn’t about to turn around and paste on some smile. She wasn’t about to forget what the old bitch had done. Once the vampire was dead and Joseph was back, nothing was going to stop her walking. Until then everything else was tolerated, used as a means to an end. There wasn’t an ounce of guilt over doing that to her date, just a smidgen of it for Mikey, like a splinter in her thumb that she couldn’t get out, no matter how savagely she worked at it with her teeth.
Mab’s brow had risen at Mikey’s chuckle, her eyes sweeping the crowd. Maybe his misfortune over his brother was going to be her luck. Nobody to drag Mikey away, leaving her wide open to her date’s return. Her lips curled, her fingers tapping lightly at Mikey’s forearm in reassurance. She’d watch out for him, making sure those lascivious old broads didn’t get handsy. They’d take one look at him and hotel key cards would appear, slipped into the open collar of that shirt. It didn’t matter that he was modest, almost gun shy when it came to trouble, only that he looked the part. The corner of Mab’s mouth kicked up. ”You’re welcome,” she murmured, her gaze flicking back up from where she’d imagined those cards disappearing to a face she thought still held a little discomfort.
Mikey might’ve been more at home robbing a school than in a place like this, but he wasn’t going to admit it. She wasn’t going to admit she was more comfortable there than here either. These outfits were meant to be easy to slip into, the real Mab Carmello neither the one who sat here with a man who still barely tolerated her, or the one who’d almost been knocked on her ass breaking into Whitmore. ”Shows a little more leg?” she asked, the amusement only going skin deep. Mab glanced Mikey’s way though, that colour still high enough that it glowed through the carefully applied make up. ”Thank you.” The gratitude shone just as genuinely as that blush and was just as hidden, as everything was.
Out of everybody in this town Mikey was the one who’d come closest to seeing what lay under that camouflage. At her weakest, with the spell threatening to lay her out for the Augustine’s rats to find, Mikey had seen something worth saving, even if it had just been his own ass at that point. She could’ve grinned, let a little of that razor’s edge of bitterness shine through, Mab didn’t though. She smiled enigmatically for a moment and then shook her head, let out an amused little sound. ”I think your time for being worried about me is long gone. I don’t bite. Not unless you want me to.” Her grin showed her teeth, but luckily for Mikey they weren’t the throat ripping kind – not like St John’s.
Pulling Mikey close, Mab dug an elbow into his side, her green eyes narrowing up at him. ”Hey!” she admonished. ”Surprised anybody want to take me?” More like worried for her victim, hoping she hadn’t already bitten his head off. Casting a look over her shoulder to make sure Brett wasn’t following, Mab shook her head. ”He wouldn’t have the balls, especially once he got a look at you.” It didn’t take that daily tail to complete the look of intimidation. Brett was all big brass shiny ones when he didn’t have any competition, but one look from Mikey and he’d be backing away as fast as his bow legs could carry him. ”He was boring, judgmental … handsy … nobody wants to be trying to avoid that all night. He was … helpful, or I thought he was going to be. Guys like that, they get chewed up in my world and I don’t want to watch anybody else be ripped to shreds.” That included Mikey. ”So you’ve got a brother then? Just the one?” It shouldn’t have mattered to her, but that first morning, before she’d dragged him into the spotlight of her life here, it’d been about as close to normal as she could remember getting.
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MIKEY BUCKLEY
Kanima
Posts: 143
Age:
41
Occupation:
Line Cook
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Mab Carmello
Played by:
Jodi
Broken isn’t the same as unfixable
Last seen Nov 12, 2024 16:41:49 GMT
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Post by MIKEY BUCKLEY on Dec 21, 2022 22:37:11 GMT
He didn’t need to be so coy about his personal life on the outside. Most weren’t looking to use every single crumb of information they could find out about him against him. Some inmates would hide pictures of their children in their belongings or under their pillows so they could peek a look before falling to sleep because it wasn’t safe to broadcast that shit around the prison. Rub the wrong person up the wrong way and their children would be in the firing line. Mikey rarely mentioned Chase’s name inside because not only was it his brother but also because Chase was a detective. One brother on the good side of the law, the other is on the bad side. No wonder his mom was tearing her hair out wondering where she’d gone wrong with Mikey. It wasn’t his parent's fault he had been swept up with the Agnellis’. It was Mikey’s. There were no real instructions from Mab when she invited Mikey to the college. Just a time and the address. Usually, when people break into somewhere they come up with a plan. Together. Upon reflection, her plan wasn’t all that good, in his opinion. Stealing the swipe card earned her points, but just walking into the building and hoping for the best? Rookie error. He had spent years listening to seasoned criminals talk about their bank heists. Some were successful, some were failures, but they would sit and dissect what happened. It was a common theme to reflect on your crime and think about what you would do differently next time. “A little.” He shot a look toward Mab, a smirk on his face. The real answer was ‘not enough,’ but he knew how to act the gentleman. Plus he didn’t need his face burning even redder than it already was. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a layer of makeup on to hide the blush as Mab did. Oh, he knew that was a little white lie. Mab was the type of person to bite someone and take chunks of them with ease. There was a low hum in his throat, “The jury's still out.” He’d given her a second chance, but that didn’t mean he had truly let his guard down with her. Those walls still climbed high as ever with the only person allowed over being his brother. He felt the jab in his side, a small smile on his face as he glanced down at her. “Exactly.” He quipped. More like he was surprised that Mab had gone to the effort of finding a date for a party she didn’t want to attend. Perhaps society had shifted now and it was uncommon to turn up to these events without someone on your arm. “So, first you use me to break into some college and now you’re usin’ me to scare off your date?” His voice was light, with traces of humor unlike the level of soberness that was usually present. There was something about Mab that evening that was bringing a smile to his face. “Handsy?” Mikey was quick to ask, casting a glance back toward the Founders Hall. The further they walk, the quieter the party became but the building was still visible. “Say the word and I can paralyse him for a few hours.” He couldn’t go back inside and take a swing at the guy, so his claws were the second-best option. “Just the one brother…” He paused for a moment, jumping back to her previous comments. “I’m sure you don’t chew up all guys… you didn’t chew me up.” He came out in one piece, just about, but that wasn’t wholly Mab’s fault. MAB CARMELLO |
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MAB CARMELLO
Witch
Posts: 81
Age:
34
Occupation:
Unemployed
Status:
Interested In
Partner:
Mikey Buckley
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Nov 16, 2024 18:04:55 GMT
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Post by MAB CARMELLO on Jan 2, 2023 20:47:53 GMT
Most things didn’t hide themselves away in town’s like this. Money brought too much attention when things happened, police were bought, newspapers screamed around the one percenters who turned up dead or went missing. Nobody missed the people on the streets, the ones without fat bank accounts and cameras in their face at every event. Like this one.
Mab stared back at the building for a moment, green eyes narrowed slightly. If she’d turned up here in jeans, fully prepared to get her hands dirty the way she had at the college, she wouldn’t have gotten past the front door. These people were all about the gloss, the veneer that covered up all your dirty little secrets. The dress had been part of it, like that too small shirt had been for Mikey – a costume to prove that they belonged there, a role to play – one they’d both played well enough to catch each other’s eyes apparently. Her lips curled, the smile a little sharper as she studied Mikey’s face from those dark eyes to the smirk he aimed at her. Unsurprisingly he probably preferred the version of her that didn’t drag him into trouble, the one on far more neutral ground, that gave him a little something to look at, although he was being polite about it.
She could’ve crossed her legs, given him that little more leg when he was appreciating it, but that was the first move in a game she wasn’t playing with him anymore. Mikey had tapped out and she had enough other pieces on her board that she wasn’t about to drag him back out into it, especially after that little promise she’d made in the bar. Mab hummed back, a conversation conducted in those low tones. She tossed her head back slightly, hair brushing her shoulders. ”Do you want me to cross my heart and hope to die?” she asked. ”I keep my word, Mikey, and you got that. No more trouble.” After all, she hadn’t even dragged Cassie and Toby back into it and she hadn’t extended the same promise to the two of them that she had Mikey. Enzo St John’s freedom was her problem, and if there was anybody she’d drag into it now, it was people like Brent. Business transactions that wouldn’t get anybody hurt, unless Enzo turned on them.
They didn’t have to worry about that tonight. Enzo wouldn’t show his face anywhere Whitmore’s biggest and brightest might turn up. It would’ve been like handing himself right back to them – a possibility at some point if the choice was between Chiara Meraviglia and a certain death and the extended torture of them. All the better to live another day. As she had more than once.
The laugh was husky, genuine, although Mikey might’ve called bullshit on that. He had a big enough pair that he didn’t shy away from taking those little jabs at her. ”Some men don’t look at me and see only trouble. I guess the two of us got off on that foot though.” She’d felt that dislike like needles jabbing at her skin as she’d squeezed in beside him at Campbell’s, a sting she’d walked away to escape. Her brows drew together as she looked at him, clucking her tongue. ”Who approached who tonight, huh? I’d say the usin’ was going both ways.” She twisted the word the same way he had, the humour there under the whole suggestion. Mikey had been more like a happy accident tonight, a relief to soothe the disappointment, the same way he’d been at Campbell’s, although tonight her presence seemed a little more welcome. Mutually beneficial.
Looking straight ahead, instead of up at Mikey as he glanced back, Mab hummed again. She unhooked her arm from his, sliding her arm around her waist, dropping her hand to give an ass those pants did nothing for a little squeeze the way Bent had done hers before she’d pulled back. ”Sorry,” she murmured, mostly meaning it as she took his arm again. The laugh rolled out again and honestly she considered it for a moment before she shook her head. ”Gentlemanly to the last. I’ll keep that in mind though, just in case our paths cross again.” Not that she had any intention of getting that close to him again, or using Mikey in a way that might be thrown back in her face later, like it had been at the college when he’d chosen to save her ass instead of only focusing on his own.
”I just took a little nibble?” she suggested, looking up at him now. ”Maybe left a tooth mark or two as a little reminder? Shocker here … I’m an only child. Did you tell him about what happened at the college?” It was doubtful, especially when he’d been so keen to make sure that nothing happened like that again. Just like she was walking that low road for her great-grandmother, Mikey seemed to be trying to balance on a high one, probably just as much for his family, albeit with a bit more willing.
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MIKEY BUCKLEY
Kanima
Posts: 143
Age:
41
Occupation:
Line Cook
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Mab Carmello
Played by:
Jodi
Broken isn’t the same as unfixable
Last seen Nov 12, 2024 16:41:49 GMT
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Post by MIKEY BUCKLEY on Jan 8, 2023 20:21:06 GMT
There was a twitch of smirk on Mikey’s face as Mab suggested she would do that whole cross her heart and hope to die shit. In prison, you would pay with your life for double-crossing someone the way Mab had done to him. It was the same thing Mikey would pull out on his parents when he was trying to convince them he was telling the truth about something because most of the trust had broken down between him and his parents, for good reason considering the number of lies he told his parents. Eventually, they started to see through them though, just as they did when Chase was taken to ER after receiving a beating from the Agnellis. His dad tried his best to squeeze the truth of Mikey, but he stuck to their story. Chase hurt himself whilst playing swingball, even though it was obvious no swingball would cause that amount of damage. It was the straw that broke the camel's back though and Mikey was on his final warning with his parents. One more fuck up and he was out. They didn’t even need to kick him out in the end because the cops came to pick him up instead, and escorted him off to his new home for the next twenty years. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt… for now.” She sounded genuine, but Mikey knew some people were just really good actors. When he first saw Mab the word trouble didn’t spring to mind. She seemed nice albeit it was a little frosty, but Mikey wasn’t one to talk. He was about as warm as a winter's day in Russia, but it was never anything personal. If it was personal then Mikey wouldn’t bother speaking to you. Nonetheless, he was prepared to wipe the slate clean with Mab, which he wasn’t wholly sure was a great idea. He’d never been brilliant at reading people, after all, he believed the Agenllis cared about him. It was so obvious they didn’t. Chase was the one who cared about him and tried so desperately to drag his older brother away from danger. “True.” He muttered, nodding with a smile on his face. He was eager for a familiar face back at the party and Mab was the only one he spotted. Would he have approached her if someone else was there? Maybe. The dislike he had toward her was slowly slipping away after she provided some kind of explanation about what happened at Whitmore. Nonetheless, he was still cautious with her knowing there could be a chance she wasn’t telling the truth. She could have been guiding him toward another one of her great plans. The hand sliding along his lower back took him by surprise, but even more so when Mab squeeze his ass. Suddenly he felt very exposed, which was the way Mab must have felt when her date did the same to her. “A little warnin’ next time.” Sending Mikey back in there to paralyze the other man wasn’t using him as a pawn, he knew that. Some men needed to be taught a lesson. Even after spending so long deprived of female contact even Mikey knew that wasn’t right. Ask her permission before slapping her on the ass. His lips twisted into a small smile, “Okay, yeah, you took a nibble.” His skin was thick enough to take it through after being locked up, “I assumed you were an only child… you never mentioned any siblings.” The smile dropped from his face, turning his head away from Mab to look forward as he sunk his teeth into his lower lip, “Nah. He’s a homicide detective, so…” It was just one of the reasons he didn’t tell his brother. The other two were because he didn’t want to disappoint Chase nor did he want to get locked up again, but Mab didn’t need to know the last bit. Whilst she shared some of her secrets, he would still hold his close to his chest. How would she react if she knew she was walking arm in arm with a convicted criminal? The live music from the band had started to kick off inside the party and the noise could be heard from where Mab and Mikey were causing him to stop walking. “Wanna dance?” He laced his finger into hers, pulling her close before sliding his one hand along her lower back, feeling the body that lay beneath that tight-fitting dress. MAB CARMELLO - wanna wrap up with yours? |
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MAB CARMELLO
Witch
Posts: 81
Age:
34
Occupation:
Unemployed
Status:
Interested In
Partner:
Mikey Buckley
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Nov 16, 2024 18:04:55 GMT
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Post by MAB CARMELLO on Feb 4, 2023 19:08:03 GMT
Benefit of the doubt for now, the emphasis very much on the ‘until you turn around and drag me neck deep into shit again’. Mikey might’ve smirked over her promise a moment ago, but Mab was under no illusions that the next time she even looked like she’d stab him in the back, that would be it. Mikey didn’t seem like the sort of man who’d let himself get cut that way over and over. Mab had believed she wasn’t the sort to let it happen either, but hadn’t her great-grandmother been doing that to her since she was in the womb? Twisting the child she saw as her tool to finally get her revenge until she had no chance to tear those blades from her back and escape.
It wasn’t a hard face she studied now, despite the firm line that Mikey had drawn. Maybe the surface had weathered, understandable if he’d had the sort of hard knock life that left you desperate not to spend the rest of it behind bars, but there was still something capable of softness beneath. Someone capable of forgiving. Mab was pretty sure she couldn’t say the same about herself. Something had definitely hardened in her, had to, locking her great-grandmother’s blades in place, forcing her to try and cover it up with the soft veneer that had fooled Mikey at first and had certainly fooled her date tonight. It had been the same in high school, a warm smile, a little sparkle pushed into eyes that could otherwise be as cold and hard as jade. They’d let themselves bask in that warmth, unaware that none of it was real. Years of training had stolen any of the pleasure she might’ve gotten from the kiss Robbie Harris had stolen on prom night, any of the pride from graduating with a 3.9 GPA.
Tonight could’ve been another of those exercises in playing at being a real woman, Mikey had stripped parts of it away though, like ugly old wall paper torn away in flakes to reveal something that never should’ve been covered beneath. He’d seen through the gloss of the make up and the silky gleam of the dress and if she hadn’t misread him – and she was pretty damn sure she was a better judge than that – he’d appreciated something beneath. That single word of agreement was all she needed to be sure. They’d seen beneath the veneer both had put on for tonight, saving the truth for one another.
With the brush of her hand across Mikey’s back and down to his ass Mab showed just how Brent had tried to strip away what he’d thought was hiding his good time later. He hadn’t expected the resistance as she pushed his hand away, but he’d she’d expected Mikey to spook in the way she had on the inside. ”Don’t worry, Mikey. I’ll keep my hands to myself from now on.” Another promise dropped, one that maybe she wouldn’t keep the same way she had done the other. Her fingers did squeeze his bicep lightly as she turned down his offer of making sure Brent wouldn’t get handsy with anybody else tonight though. Gratitude she hadn’t expected worming its way through her.
Eyes softer now than those jade chips took in the way his lips curved – the man was capable of smiling, even if his usual demeanour didn’t immediately bring it to mind. Mab’s own lips twisted into a similar smile, her fingers peeling from his arm long enough for her to hold out two fingers just a few millimetres apart. In comparison to the others she’d been forced to chew up to try and bring this thing to St John to an end, what had happened with Mikey had barely been a graze of teeth. She’d never bite down on him, people like him died that way, for a fight that wasn’t their own. ”I didn’t mention them … gave off that whole selfish, the world’s always bowing to me vibe too?” There didn’t need to be much question to it. She wasn’t that kid that had been taught to share or play nice with others. ”So, be careful not to get on the wrong side with him with anything I do in town?” Not that she was planning on there being anything left of St. John when she was done.
Having a brother who was a homicide detective had to have been a thorn in the side for both Buckley brothers. The one in trouble with the law reminded painfully of who was the good brother every time his brother’s title was mentioned, the good guy constantly pulling against that choke chain of having a criminal for a relative. Maybe some would’ve severed that tie, made a point of carving the rot from their lives, Mikey’s brother had been here tonight with him though, the two of them obviously tight. Didn’t that leave her gut tugging. Would things have been different if her mom had got out of the house that night? Would she have had some sort of different fairy tale life with a half dozen brothers and sisters? Nah. It wasn’t the way it worked for her family.
Music rolled out from behind them, cutting out the faint buzz of conversation that’d droned quietly earlier. Get the guests twirling around the dance floor and maybe you’d shake a few extra bucks loose from them for good causes. Brent would probably find himself some wide eyed young bimbo to head out there with him, his hand on her ass within seconds. She’d had a lucky escape to … Mab’s brows rose as Mikey stopped and laced his fingers in hers. Oh. He drew her close with that question, his hand sliding to the small of her back, the way hers had to his earlier, only Mikey was gentleman enough not to let it slide any lower. ”Sure,” she said hoarsely. ”Promise I won’t bite.” This time her finger trailed in that cross over the top edge of her dress before she draped her arm around his neck. Eyes on Mikey’s, Mab let herself sink into him, and the normality of a night at a ball that neither one of them should’ve been at.
Tagged: MIKEY BUCKLEY (Finish here or with yours?) * Word Count: 1043 |
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