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 Feb 17, 2023 16:58:06 GMT
There was no denying he brought this upon himself. He could have kept his lips sealed, just like Roxxi wanted, but it was impossible. Mikey prepared himself for the worst when the secret finally came out, which came true when Chase asked them both to leave the apartment. He didn’t ask his brother any questions or even try to convince Chase otherwise. He sloped off to his bedroom in silence, packed a few belongings into a bag and left for work. There was a tiny part of him that was expecting a text message from Chase during the day asking him to come back home, but the message never came, leaving Mikey feeling crushed. He sat on a bench outside of work for an hour trying to compose a message to Chase, but he knew his brother needed space. But what the fuck was he going to do? Roxxi had somewhere to stay, but Mikey was faced with a steep bill for a few nights at the motel which he couldn’t really afford. He bit the bullet and opened his contacts, flicking through very little names he had saved and tried calling Mab, but there was no answer. He waited for another hour to see if she’d return the call, but nothing. The last time he saw Mab they were laughing about how Mikey was such a gentleman but now he was gearing himself up to go and knock on her front door. Unannounced and uninvited. Not very gentleman-like at all, but he had no idea who else to turn to. He hadn’t exactly been building a buzzing social network since he arrived in Mystic Falls, choosing to do what he always did and be anti-social as hell. Plus, he needed someone to tell him if he had just made a massive mistake by telling Chase the truth and he could always rely on Mab with her brutal honesty. If anyone was going to tell him he was a grade A idiot it was Mab. That being said, it wasn’t guaranteed he would take her criticism well. There was a weight that had been lifted off his shoulders though and he knew Chase would have done the same thing if he were put in the same position. Eventually his brother would forgive him, but Mikey hoped he would also forgive Roxxi too. In fact he was willing to take a blow for her in telling Chase it was his idea to keep it all a secret because it was apparent how much she liked Chase. He was really digging around in his memory when it came to remembering where Mab’s apartment was. Mikey wasn’t paying that much attention to which corners they turned when he walked her home after the ball. He found himself focusing more on her than their surroundings. But something in his head was telling him she was above one of the shops on the main street and he vaguely remembered staring at a wedding dress in a shop window before they parted ways. Fingers crossed he wasn’t about to ring the bell for a complete stranger’s apartment, but there was a sigh of relief when the front door flung open and Mab was standing there. “Hey… sorry for turning up unannounced… I, um…” Jesus. What the fuck was he doing? The two were barely friends. He let out a short huff, “Some shit went down with my brother and I’m at a loss… but y’know what. It’s fine. Sorry for botherin’ you.” He was praying so hard that the ground would swallow him up there and then. 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 Mar 5, 2023 20:02:36 GMT
Crumpling the map back up, Mab shoved it into the glove box. The little red Xs scored across it like zits across a teenagers face, each one of them a failure to find St. John. He was here, she could practically smell him in the air, but the vampire had scurried under some rock in Mystic Falls that she hadn’t been able to turn over yet.
She sat back, staring out at the house she’d just forced her way into. No sign there, although a place that had been up for sale for three years without a bite would’ve made the perfect spot for him to take refuge in. It was still in decent condition, still set up like a show home, like the happy little family that lived there had just stepped out. With a whispered spell she’d forced the front door, creeping into the place as though she was Goldilocks and this tale was gonna have some sort of fairy tale ending. That little voice in the back of her head said it never would for St. John, but the truth was it didn’t look it was going to have one for her either.
The one chance to catch the rat as he’d been a captive behind bars had vanished in an instant as Tobi and Cassie had failed. St. John had scurried past them. It would’ve been easy to blame them for that failure, but that was on her. She hadn’t been able to break through the wards the Augustines had put up, it had been her hunt though, the plan hers. The failure hers.
Swallowing back the bitterness of the failures that had stacked up since, Mab started her car and headed back towards the town. Her great-grandmother would’ve had her looking 24/7, putting aside the need to sleep, to eat, until she had the thing she’d been sent to find. Unfortunately for the old bitch, she wasn’t here to order her around. If she wanted to take the rest of the night off of this wild goose chase she’d do it. Leaving the map in the car, flopping on the ratty sofa that’d come with the apartment she’d started to rent with some chow mein, just existing for a couple of hours without consciously feeling that weight crushing down on her shoulders.
Fifteen minutes later she was walking out of the restaurant, plastic bag in hand, the prawn crackers the owner had pushed on her as a freebie crackling on top of the tubs. He’d beamed at her as she’d smiled and thanked him, people like him only seeing the Mab on the surface and not the woman whose smile fell away the moment she was outside and climbing back into the car. The bag was set carefully on the seat next to her, her gaze pointedly skipping over the glove box and the twin beams of mocking reprove she could feel radiating from the map, from the phone she’d tossed in there the minute her great-grandmother had started filling it with orders for updates at dawn. She was probably tracking her, the dusty blood in her ancient veins spiderwebbing across a map of the town to make sure she wasn’t just kicking up her heels here, living the life she’d wanted instead of the one she’d been given.
Mab stepped out of her car out front of the row of stores, scanning the shadowy stretch of sidewalk as she always did – just in case the vampire had decided to turn the tables on her. Nothing. It didn’t stop her shoulders from remaining tight as she shuffled in through the door that stood inconspicuously between the weird little pawn shop and the real estate agent’s office. That tension didn’t release until she was up the narrow stairwell and into the apartment. She set the bag down on the counter, shrugged off her coat and boots and did a quick sweep through there too. It was wise not paranoid.
She returned to the kitchen almost silently on sock clad feet, some of the tension stripped away now like it was just another layer of clothing tossed on to block the cold that wasn’t a problem with the way the landlord kept the place at near tropical temperatures – not a bad thing given that winter was still hanging on. Half the tubs were unpacked, the plastic bag the cracks were in torn open to pick one out. She crunched on it as she fished in the cupboard under the counter for one of the chipped plates the place had come with. There hadn’t seemed like much point in trying to add to the scant furnishings the place came with, not when she was high tailing it out of here as soon as she had St. John.
The buzz of the bell had her looking up slowly, warily. Mab stared at the door, wondering if maybe her great-grandmother had taken the radio silence as her excuse to finally leave the mausoleum of the house to deal with it herself. Would there have been a dozen calls on her voicemail announcing it? She set the plate down with a quiet clink, approaching the door slowly, almost waiting for it to explode open.
It felt like it should’ve been obvious when she opened the door and saw Mikey standing there. He was the one person who knew where she actually lived, had walked her back here like she would’ve had any trouble on the streets that night of the ball. Maybe he was the one person who liked her just enough to actually want to see her. ”Hey,” she echoed. Mab kept one hand on the edge of the door, tilting her head to watch him like a bird trying to figure out whether or not to take flight. Maybe it wasn’t as much about wanting to see her as needing to be somewhere else and hey, she was a better option than nothing, right?
Pressing her lips together, she considered the request for half a second before he started to backtrack. Mab let go of the door, tipping her head back into the apartment. The Mab he’d believed her to be after the botched heist at the college would’ve closed the door in his face, left him to deal with whatever had been fucked up between him and his brother on his own. Mikey knew that she wasn’t that woman though, had accepted it enough to come to her. ”No, it’s fine, honestly,” she assured him, leading the way back towards the kitchen. ”You’re really desperate huh? What happened with him? I thought the two of you were tight.” At least that was the impression he’d given her when he’d spoken about his brother on the night of the ball. The Buckley family might’ve taken its knocks, but they weren’t her family. They weren’t irrevocably damned. She bent at the cupboard again, retrieving a second plate to set down for him, that bag of crackers nudged into the middle between them like a bribe to have the story spilling out.
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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 Apr 6, 2023 15:18:43 GMT
He knew he’d shot himself in the foot by telling Chase the truth, but it had to happen. Forgiveness would come in a few days, hopefully, afterall he’d done worse things. But maybe this was the final straw and Chase had well and truly cut ties with Mikey. Just thinking about it had his heart sinking to the depth of his stomach and tears pricking his eyes, but he swallowed them down. He was an expert at bottling up his emotions. He’d be lost if Chase did turn his back on him though because where else would he go? His parents weren’t going to welcome him back into their home, not after what happened last time. Too many years of lies had built up leaving them questioning whether they could trust their eldest son. Flipping burgers and shaking fries kept his mind distracted for a few hours, but once he removed the apron reality hit him like a truck. As he stepped out of work, he bit back the emotions once again. It was difficult considering he was processing the fact he had ruined a relationship that meant so much to his brother. The only saving grace was that he and Roxxi nipped it before it started spiralling into something else, a situation where Mikey potentially developed feelings for her. It was easy to forget that she’d been there for him during the full moon. He wasn’t left to face it alone. That was just another part of the puzzle they had to keep hidden from Chase. Instead of boarding the next flight back to New Orleans, he headed for Mab’s front door. He could face judgment from her, but not from his parents. Plus, what could he even say to them? There was no need to involve them, even if it meant seeking shelter from the same woman who had him committing a felony. Bygones are bygones though and he’d moved past that. He’d been given countless second chances in his life, so Mab deserved the same. She provided some level of explanation as to why she did what she did and it was reasonable whereas Mikey’s excuses were always poor. He did those things because he was trying to impress a group of people who didn’t give a shit about him. But he soon regretted his decision to knock on Mab’s door. Not because he was worried she was about to whisk him away to commit a crime, but because they weren’t at that level of friendship where he could crash on her couch for a few days but she stepped back, inviting him inside. “Thanks.” He muttered as he entered the apartment, carefully closing the door behind him before following Mab towards the kitchen. It wasn’t fine though; everything was far from fine, which felt like a consistent feeling since he was a teenager. Things had almost slotted into place for the first time in his life but he had to go and fuck it up. It was like he was allergic to living a quiet and peaceful life without drama. It somehow managed to squeeze its way in there, whether it was in the form of the Agnelli family or Roxxi, but at what point was it time to accept that perhaps he was the problem? He took the invitation though and placed his bags down on the floor before taking a seat at the table, “Um…” His eyes were focused on the crackers as they fell out of the bag, onto the plate, but his stomach was in knots so he didn’t jump to grab one. He wanted to dismiss her question and change the subject to avoid having to explain what happened. “My brother's been datin’ this woman and I slept with her, but like… I didn’t know who she was when we slept together… I only found out recently… anyway we told Chase this morning and well… yeah.” He reached forward, taking a cracker as he pulled his eyes away from them and met Mab’s. 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 Apr 14, 2023 21:38:58 GMT
Kids wouldn’t have wanted to come into that big creepy house, even if they’d been invited – and her great-grandmother had made sure they weren’t. It was the sort of place that little brats dared each other to go ring the bell on at Halloween – the windows always had the drapes closed and the ivy that was kept neat as a pin in the rest of the neighbourhood crawled thick up the brownstone. Chiara Meraviglia’s real legendary status had faded years before, just like the house’s glory, but Mab was sure the old bitch had scared enough kids away from the door to have them all talking about her for other reasons. The kid who’d stood at the window at the top of the house had wanted to throw those doors open, air the house out, have someone see what went on in those shadow clad hallways. Smash the freezing ice wall that separated her from the world. Fuck privacy.
The motel had given her the same sort of privacy – nobody’s feet but hers scuffing through that cheap shag carpeting. It would have remained private, discretion guaranteed, but it’d started to chafe in a way it hadn’t done for years. An apartment wasn’t much better, she still wasn’t making small talk with the neighbours, but stepping back from the door, Mab kicked that wall down. Mikey was a big enough boy to draw his own lines with her – had done the night he’d accompanied her to Whitmore. If he was here it was out of choice, even if it was his absolute last option. Later, if he wanted out, he only had to walk, or run like those kids had done when Chiara had thrown open the door with a banshee like shriek.
Playing host in a way perhaps neither of them were expecting, Mab stepped back as he made his plea. Come on in to the spider’s web, don’t worry, it’s not a trap. This wasn’t tea and sympathy though, not in the way anybody else might’ve offered up, she just wasn’t built for it. She studied him as she set the extra plate down, that hesitation enough to have her hazel eyes narrowing faintly. An embarrassing story then, or just Mikey’s natural inclination towards silence. Beer might’ve done more than the crackers were going to. Well, shit.
Surprise had her brows hitching, but she bit back the sharp little smile of surprise and amusement. She took a couple of slow steps back towards the fridge, tugging it open to fish two bottles out – they were practically the only thing the fridge contained. ”And his place got too hot to stay in.” Whether Chase had asked him to leave or he’d chosen to didn’t matter. Mikey no longer had a place to rest his head and given the possible options of the motel, that flashy hotel on the square and her … he’d picked the devil he knew. ”Was she the woman he was with at the ball? The one he left with?” The we seemed to suggest it, which meant that it hadn’t been a quick admission. This had been months in the making, back before the ball at least.
Mab set the bottles down on the table and dropped into her seat. She propped her foot on the rail of the pine kitchen chair, propping her forearm on it as she worked the lid off the bottle and took a swallow. ”Tell me to drop it if I poke too deep … did it happen after they started dating?” In which case the woman should’ve been the one out on her ear. Maybe the two of them were still shacked up in the apartment, all the blame falling on Mikey’s shoulders. She set the bottle down on the table again, craning forward to get at the noodles she wasn’t gonna let go cold. ”You think you’re gonna be able to patch it up with him? Either way, the couch is yours. I’m not gonna stamp a red A on your forehead and kick you out because you slept with the wrong woman. “ Despite the trouble Mikey was trying to leave in his past, he hadn’t come off as the sort of guy who’d stab the one person who seemed to be giving him a chance to do that in the back. He wasn’t her, Mikey’s loyalties stretched further than that and this was obviously eating at him.
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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 May 12, 2023 12:52:02 GMT
Was it a poor decision or just sheer bad luck that he slept with Roxxi? Life had handed him so many ‘fuck you. moments, even after he’d served his time. There were so many women in Mystic Falls he could have bumped into in the woods, but it had to be Roxxi, and what was he to do? Fresh out of prison and the last time he’d touched a woman was over twenty years ago, obviously he was going to be like putty in her hands. He didn’t know what Roxxi’s excuse was for jumping his bones though. The whole thing was a bizarre situation, one he didn’t realise was going to bring this much heartbreak to his brother’s life. In another reality they would have been laughing about it over a drink in the bar. Now whatever connection he had with Roxxi had been tarnished. They could barely be in the same room as each other for more than five minutes without bickering. Lord help the pair of them if Chase were to propose, but that could be completely off the table by now. Chase had forgiven Mikey for all the shit that went down during their teenage years, but maybe he’d run out of forgiveness by now. Used it all up on younger Mikey. As soon as the door opened he found himself wishing he’d go to the motel, where he could hide away from the world in a dark room, alone. But he didn’t bolt it down the corridor, instead he stepped inside and took a seat at her table as she was pouring out crackers for the two of them. They looked like they would stick in his throat if he tried to eat one, thanks to his mouth drying up as Mab asked what had happened. There wasn’t even a lie he could conjure up quick enough so he told her the truth. “He asked me to leave.” Mikey would have hung around, tried to patch up their relationship but Chase told him to get his bags and now he was in Mab’s apartment eating crackers. “Yeah, that's’ the one.” Mikey wasn’t fussed when Chase had messaged him to say he was thinking of leaving with Roxxi. He’d found his own entertainment with Mab. They spent hours talking outside until it grew dark and the ball started to die down. Throughout the evening though he carefully swerved around any discussions about their life prior to Mystic Falls nor did he let slip about his time inside. Hopefully she wasn’t the cautious type where she’d head home and throw Mikey’s name into Google. He found it surprising how easy conversation flowed between them, especially as he was a man of very little words, yet Mab somehow managed to pry them out of him. It was refreshing to speak to someone and not long for the conversation to end, to the extreme that he was a little disappointed when he realised they had to leave. The beer helped to wash down the crackers, “Thanks.” He kept hold of the bottle, taking another sip as Mab started to ask more questions. He pressed his fingers into his forehead as he started to think. Were they dating at the time? It wasn’t like Mikey had been keeping tabs on his brother’s relationship in his calendar. “I think it was after.” Roxxi had claimed it was after, but wasn’t sure if he believed her. “I hope so… I don’t know how long he’s gonna stay pissed at me this time… I ain’t been the best big brother.” There was only so many times he could say sorry before it would lose its meaning. “Thanks. I appreciate it… it’ll only be a few days.” After that he’d drag himself off to the motel. 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 May 13, 2023 16:50:21 GMT
When Mikey had told her about his brother at the ball, she’d felt that pang in her chest – brief, the ache quickly shoved down into that well inside of her where she hid everything she didn’t want to deal with, or admit to. She’d never had siblings, or parents for that matter, anybody by blood who gave a shit about her the way Mikey’s brother seemed to do with him, had done with him. Oh, and that snagged at her, a bramble scratching at that one spot inside of her that hadn’t hardened over. Mikey being here at her doorstep definitely seemed to put his closeness with his brother into past tense. Maybe that was temporary, maybe not, time was all that revealed these things. You had to let them play out and see how you landed at the end of it.
Mab felt another snag, lower, dropping from her throat to the spot that should’ve nothing but scar in her chest by now. Joseph had been the only one who cared enough to try standing by her, despite the shadow Great and Terrible Chiara Meraviglia cast. He’d paid for that, and like Mikey, she’d been cut adrift, although with nobody else to go to. Holding on by her nails, she’d had to wait until her great-grandmother had sent her out after St John again, gladly kicking herself free of the anchor that would’ve held her down then.
It wasn’t gratitude for a weight gone, a new found freedom, that radiated from Mikey though. She watched him, reading him as much as drinking in his mood from those few terse words that slipped out of him like each cost a fortune to speak. The weight of what he’d done, the repercussions of opening his mouth about what him and the woman had gotten up to was heavy on him, not possible to kick away from yet.
Wrapping her hand around the beer bottles, she turned back to the table. There were likely a million details left out, but she’d worked her way through enough awkward, terse situations to read between the lines. ”You said ‘we’ told him, so I guess she was there. Did he kick her out too?” It wasn’t fucking cold if he hadn’t. Blood was meant to be thicker than anything else and you had to believe that if you ended up a homicide detective who forgave his brother enough for whatever illegal shit had gone down before to have him this deep back in your life. Mab hummed at Mikey’s confirmation of just who the woman involved had been. She didn’t think she’d seen the woman that night, but she had to have some balls on her to head to something like that with both her boyfriend and the guy she’d slept with before in tow.
The ball hadn’t seemed like Mikey’s thing that night, the gloss and pageantry as ill-fitting as the suit. That would’ve been enough to send him out into the dark to cross paths with her, but escaping the awkwardness of being monkey in that middle woulda been just as good a reason. Chase had been gone before he’d come out there, but Mikey had stayed. The two of them lingering out there in the dark, talking easy, even with those occasional little barbs he slipped in, the dance with the scent of the gardens wrapped around them like the shadows. Her date had been shoved way out of her mind, only flitting back at the end when she’d remembered just who’d driven them there. Mikey had walked her back after, to her door here, and he’d come back tonight, like he’d left a breadcrumb trail to follow.
She hadn’t probed around the obvious blank spots in the conversation, just like she hadn’t particularly wanted Mikey to dig any deeper into her past, her reasons for still being in Mystic Falls. Why ruin the spell that had wreathed around them then? Now he was opening up at least one to her, the story emerging in crumbs like the ones that’d cling to her fingers once she started eating the crackers. Mikey’s appetite seemed to have abandoned him, but she was hungry enough to lean forward for the noodles, spooning some out onto her plate, cracking another tub to add some of the kung pao chicken to her plate. ”So you couldn’t have known who she was. That puts it just as much on her as it is on you. You just slept with some – I take she was pretty, at least – woman. That’s not a crime.” Taking his time opening his mouth once they’d realised who the other was might have been, but it was a misdemeanour at most. Neither one of them had cheated here.
Mab huffed out a breath as Mikey tried to downplay what sort of a brother he’d been. He wasn’t her, there was a decency to him, no matter what had gone down in the past. After she’d dragged him back towards trouble, Mikey hadn’t believed there was any to her. That’d changed enough to bring him here. ”If he forgave you for not being big brother of the year, then he’ll come around on this. Might take a while, but if he’s the sort of guy you make me think he is, he’ll there.” Until then Mikey had the couch at least. She waved her fork at him, brushing off the gratitude before she fork up some of the noodles, now kissed with the kung pao sauce. ”There’s no rush. Bathroom’s at the end of the hall. I’ll get you some linens and pillows after. Fridge and cupboards are wide open, help yourself. To this too. Grab a plate if you want.” The first mouthful went down, her tongue swiping sauce from her lower lip before she grinned wolfishly at him. ”Was she at least pretty?” He probably didn’t want to make light of it yet, but she’d crack that shell of grim around him at some point tonight, she might as well at least start trying now.
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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 Jun 11, 2023 17:34:15 GMT
His brother had been the only constant in his life. Through the good, the bad and the ugly, Chase was always there, telling him everything would be fine, even when shit was falling apart. He’d gone and repaid his brother back by sleeping with Roxxi. Fuck, he hated himself for it. It wasn’t like he had a solid group of friends in Mystic Falls to fall back on. There were a few acquaintances spotted around the town, but with none of them he would feel comfortable enough to show up on their doorstep and share personal details with them. Somehow Mab made the cut though. It was unexplainable, but he chose her. In fact she was one of the first people he thought of when he realised he was temporarily homeless. Technically, she owed him a favour anyway after almost getting them arrested. He would have been lying in a tiny cell by now if the cops showed up that evening. Mab probably would have been let off lightly, but there was no hope of that happening with Mikey. It would have been a one way ticket to that hell hole. Bygones be bygones though. So far Mab hadn’t fucked up on her second chance either. The knife would have been driven deeper if he was told to leave but Roxxi was allowed to stay. He wouldn’t have protested, but it would have left a sour taste in his mouth. Similarly if he told Roxxi to leave and he could stay, she certainly would have protested. Mikey may have backed her up. But no, they were both served their eviction notice. “Yeah. He demanded we both leave.” It was to be expected so Mikey wasn’t taken back when Chase showed him the front door. It wasn’t like they were all going to hug it out and go back to eating breakfast together. The whole truth hadn’t spilled out of him at Chase’s apartment. It was a quick one night stand. That is what he told his brother, but he didn’t add the bit about Roxxi helping him through the full moon. It added another layer of heartbreak. “The problem is I didn’t tell him straight away… I wanted to but she didn’t.” She was prepared to keep it a secret forever, but Mikey couldn’t. Everyday it was scratching away at him. Everytime Chase mentioned Roxxi’s name he felt his throat close up and his heart would start racing. It was difficult to get excited for Chase’s relationship when he was holding onto a vital piece of information that would shatter it. How the fuck were they going to move past this? How were Roxxi and Chase going to move past it? It felt impossible. Maybe their relationship could be fixed, but he didn’t hold much hope for Chase and Roxxi. “Hope so.” He couldn’t imagine his life without Chase. There was a strong chance it would crumble completely. Chase was his rock and without him he truly had no one. Any level of hunger had been suppressed by the anxiety building inside, but nonetheless he dished out noodles into his bowl. They tasted pretty decent too. After that first mouthful the hunger kicked in. The only thing he had rattling around inside of him was the coffee he had at lunch. Mikey let out a quiet chuckle before swallowing the noodles. He nodded in response to her question, “She’s a good lookin' woman.” He wasn’t going to sit there denying that, “But not worth it.” In another world, where he and Roxxi hadn’t slept together, he would have been joking that his brother was punching with Roxxi. “These are good.” He gestured to the noodles with his fork, before jabbing it back into his food. MAB CARMELLO - wanna wrap 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 Jun 19, 2023 21:10:05 GMT
Chase had cleared the decks. Mab didn’t need to have met the guy to imagine the hole torn in his gut. She’d probably seemed like teflon to Mikey when they’d first met, nothing – including his disapproval of what she’d asked him to do – sticking. It couldn’t have been further from the truth, but after two decades of being warned not to let anybody see past that shiny shell she’d carefully pieced together, it was almost impossible to let how she really felt show. That was how you left yourself vulnerable and Chase had probably felt the same way. You didn’t know how badly you’ve hurt someone – or pissed them off – if they were a million miles away from you.
Her great-grandmother hadn’t followed her up to her room on the night Joseph had died. She hadn’t needed to, she’d already known the damage she’d caused with that spell. Letting the old witch hear her cry had felt like a failure enough, but there’d been no pulling shield back together over the wound that had been carved through her chest. She couldn’t imagine Chase balled up on the couch in the same way, sobbing as though his world was ending, not if he was anything like his brother. He’d be hurting though, the wounds something he didn’t want either Mikey or the girlfriend to see while he tried to slap band aids in place and decide if it was mortal or not.
Mab tilted her head, studying Mikey like a bird trying to decide if the worm was worth pouncing on. She took a second and then nodded at Mikey’s admission of what he’d thought had really sucker punched his brother. It wasn’t just that it had been hidden from him, but for how long. ”If it makes you feel any better, I doubt it would’ve made any difference if it was a month ago or in six months time. It was gonna be a kick in the gut any way.” But not an intentional one. That was what Chase needed to get through his thick skull about the whole thing. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
The hum that rumbled through her as she reached for her fork sounded confident at least. The doubts were gonna eat Mikey alive until the olive branch was extended, but until then the knots were gonna stay there in his gut, choking him up, stealing away any certainty he’d had before about how much his brother supported him. Mab winged a brow, the corners of her mouth quirking up. ”I’d say I know so, but I’m not gonna put my hand on my heart over something I’ve only heard a single side of five minutes ago. Still.... I know so.” And if she was wrong, hell, he could point the finger of blame right at her. She’d spent enough time being a failure that one more person despising her for it wasn’t gonna make much difference. Maybe.
She’d have hated to admit it, but she owed Mikey something and for that reason as much as anything, she’d let Mikey in, offering up her couch and a peek beyond the curtain in all that she’d kept private up until now. Reckless she might have been, but she wasn’t stupid. Mikey was going to get peeks at that hidden Mab while he was here, and oddly it wasn’t bothering her as much as it might’ve done back when he’d just been a sleepy stranger side-eyeing her in the woods. Laughter rolled out of her huskily as she swallowed her mouthful of noodles. ”Sounds just your type,” she drawled, her smile turning smug. He might’ve said the same thing about her, might still say it when he finally got to go home.
Comfortable in this strange little situation, Mab reached for another cracker and used it to gesture at the cartons on the table. ”They’re the best noodles you’ll get in town. I’ve spent plenty of time seeing what Mystic Falls has to offer gastronomic wise.” Domesticity had passed her by, learning to cook not worth it when her great-grandmother wouldn’t let her into the kitchen and home on the road had been motel rooms without anything more than the occasional possibly toxic microwave. ”I can’t offer three square meals a day, but feel free to help yourself to the leftovers.” Hospitality a la Mab. She flicked her gaze up to him, watching him for a moment before she dug back in. Maybe her lack of it wouldn’t end up a deal breaker here.
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