KACE CLARKE
Werewolf
untriggered
Posts: 98
Age:
30
Occupation:
Owner of the Diner
Status:
Single
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen Nov 6, 2024 20:04:23 GMT
|
Bolt
Jul 18, 2023 18:21:10 GMT
Post by KACE CLARKE on Jul 18, 2023 18:21:10 GMT
Taking one look up at the sky as he closed the door behind Dom, Kace grimaced. ”He’s gonna be lucky if he doesn’t get washed away before he gets home. It’s lookin’ nasty.” At least it wasn’t California, or worse, Texas, with the accompanying wail of tornado sirens when the sky took on that bruise black shade. You could drive from one side of Mystic Falls to the other in 15 minutes flat.
Kace flipped the sign to closed and headed back towards the counter to grab himself a drink. He held a bottle of beer up to Mikey in offer. He ‘d never worried too hard about having a little booze on the clock while he was at Bodhi’s, but the Diner had been a different animal from the minute he’d bought the place. With everything that was going on with Kit, he’d even started losing his taste for an after work beer – like if he was a good enough influence he could drag Kit up with him.
”I’m not gonna keep ya long,” Kace promised. ”Ten minutes … maybe … I just wanted to take advantage of everyone clearin’ out.” Fleeing more like. The clock above the counter still showed that there was an hour until they usually locked up, but the minute the thunder had started to boom folks had started to eat a little faster. Offers of the dessert menu turned down before the next flicker of lightning and expectant pause for the thunder that would follow had them asking for the bill.
He could’ve kept the staff here until the last minute, he guessed, making sure that they earned every cent he paid them, but he wasn’t that sort of a hardass on the job. People wouldn’t keep working for you if you ground them down. They found better jobs, they left you manning the grill or tearing your hair out as you tried to wait on a dozen tables and order supplies all at the same time. Kace almost shot a prayer up at those tumultuous heavens. Maybe they weren’t everybody’s idea employees – not with Mikey’s criminal past and the tattoos that studded Dom’s knuckles – but they’d made his job easy, especially over the last couple of months.
The Diner had never been entirely shrugged off, but it had been nudged aside at times, family coming first, no matter what. Mikey might not have known all the details, Dom did though. He knew that he’d pulled a Lazarus act the same way that Frank’s brother had. The details were muddy, it was enough for him to understand why he had to pull back to try and keep Kit afloat through all of this. Responsibility fell back on his shoulders when he did walk through the door again though.
Leaning back in the booth, Kace took a deep gulp of his beer before he aimed the bottle in Mikey’s direction. ”Not to get too fuckin’ sappy … you’re happy here, yeah? You’re plannin’ on stickin? Cause, I … uh … alright, I’m the fuckin’ worst at this part. You want a promotion? I’ve got Dom handlin’ as much of the added stuff as he can, you’re good with the other kitchen staff. How would you feel about a little management experience with ‘em?” He wasn’t about to add ‘when I can’t be here all the time’, but he was sure Mikey could read between those lines.
Light flickered through the place again, photo flash bright, spilling into the booths that had been shadowy with half the lights out. Fuck that’d been … double fuck … The thunder cracked almost instantly, the hair rising on the back of his neck, the building seeming to shake with it. ”You wanna just say yes so we can get out of here?” Kace let out a nervous laugh that cut off almost instantly. He’d taken the seat facing the door, which meant he could see the figure now standing just inside the door. ”Hey! You didn’t see the sign? The freaking apocalypse is comin’ tonight. We’re shut pal. How’d you get in here anyway?” Close the door, turn the sign, flip the lock …. His frown deepened as he started to get up. This was Mystic Falls, people didn’t bust in to rob you at gun point here.
|
|
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
|
Bolt
Jul 28, 2023 21:55:06 GMT
ANGE likes this
Post by MIKEY BUCKLEY on Jul 28, 2023 21:55:06 GMT
There was a sigh of relief when the final customer left the diner and the place fell to quietness. It felt even better considering they’d closed a little earlier. The day hadn’t been particularly busy, but he’d been clock watching from the moment he arrived at work. He was due to meet Mab later that evening; they'd agreed to meet at Campbell’s bar at 9pm. Maybe that’s why he was clock watching, but so what? He was looking forward to meeting a friend for a drink. It was no big deal, apart from the fact he’d been thinking about it ninety percent of the day. His mind had been flooded with thoughts of Mab as he tossed the fries in the fryer. He peered out of one of the windows as Kace flipped the sign from open to closed. The rain was lashing down outside, bouncing off car bonnets with winds ripping through the streets. There was a trace of amusement on his face as he watched locals run down the streets, getting soaking wet. “He’s probably battled worse.” Dom had always struck Mikey as a fighter. The type of man who didn’t back down from confrontations in bars. He’d met men like Dom before, unfortunately most of them ended up in jail. He was hoping Dom would be struck with the same fate. Perhaps he should send a message to Mab to double check she was still okay to meet him later, given the turn in weather. He pulled his gaze away from the window and headed towards the bar, grabbing the beer Kace had offered him. “Thanks.” He took a swig of the beer as he walked over to one of the booths, easing himself inside. Kace had asked him to hang back after closing, adamant it was nothing to worry about he just wanted to speak to him about a few things. Mikey trusted it wasn’t anything serious since Kace had always been open and transparent with him. If there was a problem he would have been marched into Kace’s office sooner. As the conversation started Mikey started to dread what was to come. Was this going to be one of those bullshit meetings where Kace was going to ask him where he saw himself in five years time? He hated it when he was asked those sorts of questions by prison officers or even worse by his probation officer. But it wasn’t that, Kace was offering Mikey a promotion and he was taken back. Almost as shocked as when Mab showed up at his work with cupcakes for his birthday. “Woah… um…” Jesus fucking Christ. Management? Mikey had delegated tasks to some of the kitchen staff in jail, but that was different. The sky outside lit up, seconds later thunder was rattling the windows causing Mikey to sit up a little straighter. “Yeah man. I’d like that.” A smile settled on his face as a sense of pride soared in his chest. A fucking promotion. He couldn’t wait to get home and speak to Chase about it. He didn’t hear anything from behind. No door swinging open, no footsteps, but Kace was talking to someone. Mikey turned around, but the diner was empty. “Um… Kace… who you talkin’ to?” He turned back to Kace, who was already climbing out the booth, his gaze locked on darkness. KACE CLARKE |
|
KACE CLARKE
Werewolf
untriggered
Posts: 98
Age:
30
Occupation:
Owner of the Diner
Status:
Single
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen Nov 6, 2024 20:04:23 GMT
|
Post by KACE CLARKE on Aug 7, 2023 19:29:16 GMT
Kit managing to make it through month after month behind bars and stay sane was still one of the great mysteries of the world to him. Trapped since he hadn’t taken the damn reaper’s hand for the same amount of time, Kace knew he’d been on the brink of losing it by the time Cassie had brought him back. He’d struck out at that invisible wall, fighting his way through it just to fucking unload on a brother who hadn’t deserved any of it. There was a line between trying to help Kit from self-destructing and pushing him far enough to make it happen. Kace was sure he’d had at least one toe over it by the time Cassie had shoved him back into what had been left of him in that coffin. He’d been a fucking asshole.
He stretched his legs out under the table as he joined Mikey in the booth he’d settled in. If it had taken as long to get out of the coffin as it had for him to push through that invisible wall in the first place he wouldn’t have had an ounce of sanity left. As it was he’d still felt confined months after he’d been back. Kace swigged from the bottle of beer, his gaze flicking around the diner before it settled on Mikey. He almost hadn’t done it, that feeling like he was never going back to the life he’d had so strong it had left him nauseous. How he was just gonna walk back into that life he didn’t know, but acting like it didn’t exist had been just as bad. The Diner had been a safe middle ground – if he did leave Kit and this life here, he could get somebody else to manage the place for him, while he slithered back into what had been there. Mikey’d probably never seen himself as that person, but he could see far enough ahead to know that the guy could cope.
His confidence in the guy spilled out as he made his offer. Kace huffed out a breath, amused at Mikey’s woah. Self-confidence was a different beast to everybody else’s belief in you and maybe ending up behind bars had knocked Mikey’s, but he could do it. ”I thought you were gonna argue with me for a second,” Kace told him on a snort. ”I had a whole hard sell thing…” And he might still have given it too, but the nerves brought on by the flash of lightning and boom of thunder – definitely too fucking close for comfort – had the thought on shaky ground, even before he spotted the asshole who’d ignored the closed sign.
With the rain about to let loose, it was no wonder that someone had stepped in to try and avoid it. Neither one of them was waiting this thing out here with some guy who’d probably expect something to eat and drink while they were staring up at the sky, waiting for that little break in the storm to make the same dash home that Dom probably was now. Kace frowned, starting to slip past Mikey, back towards the front of the store. He’d apologise, maybe shove a bag of leftover pie at the guy to get him out the door. ”Some guy stepped in. I’ll get rid … now you’re on board, maybe we can talk details tomorrow, huh?” When there wasn’t a chance they’d get washed off the damn road trying to get home.
The guy continued to stand there silently, head down, the wide brim of a hat that probably would’ve kept the worst of the rain off if he’d remained outside hanging low. He had on a long duster style coat, the sort of thing that woulda had him looking like a complete douche in LA. Now it was probably a wise choice given the drenching that was coming. The front of the coat parted as the guy’s hand rose, something held in it. ”What the fuck … there’s no cash in the register. There’s nothing here for you to steal, man. It’s already at the bank. J-just back out, alright? I won’t even call the cops.” The brim of the hat rose too, a grey face revealed, something very fucking wrong with it. It was like he’d been carved of wood, deep crevices running down his face like he’d been baking in the sun for centuries. No mouth. A mask, it had to be a mask. ”Get down!” Kace hollered at Mikey as he threw himself back into the booth. There was the crack of gunfire, the thud of a bullet hitting the back wall of the Diner.
|
|
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
|
Bolt
Aug 11, 2023 15:03:18 GMT
ANGE likes this
Post by MIKEY BUCKLEY on Aug 11, 2023 15:03:18 GMT
Mikey was no idiot. He wasn’t going to argue with Kace’s offer of a promotion, even if he was doubting whether he was the right fit for the job. He didn’t exactly ooze management material but clearly Kace saw something in Mikey that he couldn’t see in himself. It had always been the way though. Teachers getting frustrated because he couldn’t see his potential. In the end they gave up lecturing him about how he was about to throw his life away, which he successfully did. Mikey chuckled, “Fuck, no. Just a little shocked you asked me.” And pretty fucking flattered too. The weather was pretty wild considering it was July. He was gonna get soaked walking home as the only thing to keep him dry was a thin hoodie. Maybe he’d be lucky enough to find an umbrella someone had left behind. Days like this on the inside left the men feeling agitated and confined as the staff were always reluctant to let them out for exercise. Mikey never ventured outside when it was pouring down with rain, but some men were desperate to go outside. It was the one time of day they felt fresh air on their face and could actually be outside. The rest of the time they were caged animals, following orders from people in uniforms. Mikey didn’t try and think about it too much as it would fill him with a sense of hopelessness knowing he had twenty years of this shit. Now he was going to be the one giving orders to people, although he was going to be a lot nicer about it than the guards who chose to scream at the inmates. As Kace got to his feet Mikey checked the front door again, but there was definitely no one there. “Er…” He scanned the area to make sure he wasn’t missing someone, but hundred percent there was no one. “Kace, you alright? There’s no one there.” Perhaps the lightning outside was playing tricks on his eyes, but Mikey knew there was a slim chance there was something there. Fucking supernatural world working it’s magic again. He slipped out of the booth, joining Kace’s side, willing to protect him if needed. There was a sense of panic in Kace’s voice, causing Mikey to whip his right hand out with the claws ready to attack. “Back off.” He called out to the darkness, unsure as to where the fuck he was suppose to be looking. Kace ducked back into the booth, yelling at Mikey to do the same, which he did for a few seconds before edging out the booth again, ready to fight thin air. “Kace. Head out the back door.” Both sets of claws were out now as Mikey blinked harshly, his eyes turning yellow. “Show yourself asshole.” Suddenly a figure appeared in front of him, a few metres away. It stepped forward into the light which was shining through the window from outside. Fuck, what the hell was that thing? It had hollowed out eyes and a mouth which was stitched closed. It was like some Frankenstein shit. The creature raised his gun, pointing it at Mikey. He rushed forward, hand ready to attack, as the trigger was pulled. He expected to feel the pain of the bullet penetrating his skin, hitting him square in the shoulder, but there was nothing. KACE CLARKE - wrap with yours? |
|
KACE CLARKE
Werewolf
untriggered
Posts: 98
Age:
30
Occupation:
Owner of the Diner
Status:
Single
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen Nov 6, 2024 20:04:23 GMT
|
Bolt
Aug 24, 2023 19:57:56 GMT
Post by KACE CLARKE on Aug 24, 2023 19:57:56 GMT
Considering that he’d come back from the dead and his big brother was a werewolf who’d been sleeping with a dragon before shit had gone sour there, it shouldn’t have come as any sort of surprise that Mystic Falls wasn’t as perfect as it appeared to be on the surface. The place could’ve come straight out of some cheesy TV show, but that only went surface deep. There were things here, the sort that meant wild headlines in the local newspapers and looking back ways before he closed up at night. Kace was pretty sure the universe wouldn’t fuck him over twice by turning him into one of those headlines, but he wasn’t gonna risk it.
LA had been the same in a way – all sorts of glitz and glam on the surface, hiding a seedy underbelly beneath. Most people knew that they were gonna be burying their head in the sand by hitting up the Hollywood Hills or Venice Beach. The locals just put up with it and that included the regulars at Bodhi’s. Twice Kace had found himself on the other end of a weapon as some hopped up jackass had decided to try and get themselves some easy money by robbing the place. One had literally pissed his pants when Gage had appeared from the back room with a baseball bat in his hands, the other had bolted at the whoop of sirens from outside, a passerby spotting the fool casing the place before he’d even made his way in.
That was one thing he hadn’t expected here in Mystic Falls. This wasn’t the sort of town where a skel would try and clean out cash registers for a quick buck. Maybe they’d tear your throat out for wandering out into the woods at the wrong time of the month, but they didn’t walk past closed signs and stand there all menacing and silent. First of all he’d given the guy the benefit of the doubt, it was about to thunder down out there and not everybody had an ark ready. The guy was still silent though, the only noise in the place coming from him and Mikey. ”Maybe we should get you some glasses with that promotion, huh?” Kace shot back over his shoulder at Mikey. Surely Mikey would see the guy now that he was standing up.
The alarm bells started to ring as the guy remained silent, roaring like they were announcing a five alarm fire. That weird ass hat tipping up, the gun coming into view, all thoughts about Mystic Falls being at least one step above Los Angeles vanishing fast as he bolted away from the guy, back towards Mikey. He heard Mikey barking back at the guy to back off, but the door didn’t open, the asshole didn’t bolt back out into the night, there was just that crack of gunfire that had him ducking his head down beneath the level of the booth. Kace was panting out breaths, his heart thundering against his ribs. ”And leave you here? Fuck no. We both …” Go.
There were things in this town that he didn’t know about – hell, he’d only heard about wolves and dragons and witches and banshees a short time ago. If they were all real then there were probably a hundred other horror movie villains that were too. Some had claws, like the ones he saw emerging from Mikey’s hands before his eyes flashed yellow. Fuck. Kace dragged himself to the edge of the bench seat, preparing to slip away like he’d been ordered to, but there was the faint jingle of – were they fucking spurs?? – boots and then the guy who’d been at the door was right there, lifting his weapon again. Aiming it at Mikey. ”No!” The word ripped out of him as the crack of the bullet echoed in his ears.
Scrambling out, Kace dropped to the tile where Mikey had been only moments before, half expecting to land on him. Blood would soak into his jeans, would slick his palms as he dragged Mikey out of there, the same way his hand when Kit had come to and dragged him into his lap. He’d only been conscious a few moments longer then, but Mikey was something, maybe he’d be alright. His knees hit the tile hard, his hands skidding across it, but not on an ice rink of blood. Mikey was … gone? Twisting, Kace started to scramble for the back hall of the restaurant. He was barely past the booth he’d been sitting in when he heard the click of the gun being cocked again. A second after he braced himself the shot came. It wasn’t like being stabbed in the heart, there was no fast countdown, no slowly dimming sight. It was like someone had flipped a light switch and the world around him simply vanished.
F |
|
hope to see you in the discord! 
