ROXANNE BRASCHI
Chimera
psychic-skinwalker
Posts: 188
Age:
30
Occupation:
Professor at Whitmore College
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Chase Buckley
Played by:
Julia
Last seen Nov 11, 2024 20:39:32 GMT
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Post by ROXANNE BRASCHI on Aug 5, 2024 20:23:56 GMT
 ━ i don't know where i'm going, but i sure know where i've been ━
This time was different. It’d be the first time they’d seen Mikey since he’d left prison. First time since he’d gone into prison, maybe. She tried not to pry. It’d lead to her saying something stupid again, like mentioning his prison sentence before either of them told her.
B there in 5 min! C u soon
Roxxi glanced down at her phone, smiling lightly at the text from Chase’s mom. She’d probably texted Roxxi on instinct, seeing as she’d messaged her (hopefully) future-mother-in-law earlier that day about which wine and dessert options she preferred. And, ever since the day Roxxi met them━when she’d blurted that she and Chase were trying to have a baby━his mom kept in contact. It was nice━especially because she hadn’t had a relationship with her own mother in more than a decade.
Once she’d typed back a response, sending the buzzer code again just in case she needed it, Roxxi called out to both men, “They’ll be downstairs in five!” And carried on cooking. She was making caprese salad to start, pork ragu over polenta for the main course, plus cherry and dark chocolate crostata and maritozzo for dessert.
Everything was nearly complete when she heard the apartment door open, and Roxxi wiped her hands on the dish cloth before leaving her station to greet them. “Hello! It’s so nice to see you both,” She cooed, hugging Chase’s mom first, though she didn’t get a chance to move to his father. Naomi trapped Roxxi in her arms halfway between letting her go and practically squealed,
“Any news?!”
“No,” Roxxi laughed lightly, wiggling her bare left hand. “On both fronts.” She scoffed playfully, and Naomi had the same energy as she tsk’d and shook her head.
“I’ll have to have a talk with my son.”
“Please do.” Roxxi beamed, then finally moved to hug Chase’s dad.
She’d just begun to ask them how their journey was when a storm cloud seemed to drift over the room. Roxxi sensed the way emotions shifted from light and airy to heavy and thick, each of them beginning to tense. She could already guess what had happened, but her suspicions were confirmed when she turned to spot Mikey appearing out of the long hallway.
Immediately, Roxxi felt defensive over the boy who’d been manipulated by her family, but it wasn’t her place to say anything. She glanced at Chase warily, speaking to him without words, before she blurted, “Does anybody want wine?” Hoping to ease the sudden tension.
CHASE BUCKLEY & MIKEY BUCKLEY |  |
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CHASE BUCKLEY
Demon
Posts: 149
Age:
38
Occupation:
Detective
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Roxanne Braschi
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen Nov 2, 2024 20:18:17 GMT
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Post by CHASE BUCKLEY on Aug 11, 2024 17:35:03 GMT
At this rate he was gonna sweat through his damn shirt before his ma even told him how smart he looked. Chase puffed out a breath and flapped it away from his chest like that’d stop the flop sweat. Why the Hell was this time so much worse than the last? He puffed out a breath and headed for the bathroom to add a little more deodorant to his pits.
After years of Mikey being the vacuum at the centre of their lives that hole had been filled in. Was his big brother finally free of the shadow hanging over his life? Hell no, not while Emiliano still drew breath, but Mikey had made a life here for himself, getting to shine his own light to chase it back for once. Mikey had a job, a girlfriend, little nuggets of news to offer up to their parents over dinner. Last time Roxxi’s anxious announcement that they were trying for kids had cut off any real explanation of what else had been going on and just why Mikey hadn’t been there at dinner.
Shit. Chase puffed out a breath as he tugged his shirt back down. He propped his hands back against the counter and dipped his head, listening out for Mikey in the apartment. He caught the small sounds from the kitchen, Roxxi bustling around, making another dinner that could charm their parents all on its own, the sound of her humming that wrung a smile out of him. The near silence of Mikey under that, like his brother hadn’t yet learned he could stop ghosting around the place yet. That was why he was nervous. How the fuck had he pushed the fact that it had just been the four of them around on the table on Thanksgiving out of his head?
The frown lines cut deep as Roxxi’s voice rolled through the apartment. His stomach twisted, clenching like it was trying to spoil his appetite – as though that could honestly vanish on him with the scent of that ragu rolling through the apartment. Chase heard the first tick of the clock in his head. Had it sounded in Mikey’s too? ”I’ll be out in a minute,” he promised. He dragged his hands over his face, trying to steel it. His parents had seen him age one line at a time, his trips home frequent enough when he’d lived in New Orleans. It was like their relationship with Mikey had been put on pause the minute the cell door had slammed on him.
It was gonna be fine. Thanksgiving had broken the ice, his parents had loved Roxxi, just as he’d predicted they would. This was gonna go just as well. Another step in their fresh start, regular holiday meals right here, short vacations for their parents to visit. Maybe, one day, a trip back home when it was safe – when Emiliano was gone and his snappy little lap dog had gone whimpering out of town.
Catching the buzz of his parents arriving on his cell phone minutes later, Chase let them into the building. Now it was his palms that were sweating, leaving him swiping them down the hips of his pants as he left the bathroom. ”They’re here,” he called out to Mikey. The coo of Roxxi’s voice was a balm to twitchy nerves, as was the sight of his ma folding her into a hug as he walked into the living room. You’d have thought it was just Roxxi they were here to see with the squeal his ma let out.
Puffing out a breath, Chase walked into the living room and shot his ma a wry smile as she drew back. ”What am I gettin’ rapped on the knuckles for?” he asked, shooting Roxxi an innocent look as he pulled his ma into a hug. ”If it was for tastin’ the chocolate earlier … it was just one little square, there was still…” Plenty left for the tart thing, the croco… He wouldn’t have gotten the word right anyway, but the whole end of the sentence evaporated in his head as his ma drew back.
It wouldn’t have surprised him if he’d drawn back to see ice spreading across every surface in the apartment, his mom’s heart flash freezing first. Chase drew back, shooting Mikey an apologetic look. Their dad stepped up, clapping him on the shoulder, but he didn’t take a step towards the hallway yet.
Roxxi, God bless her, stepped in, filling the silence in the wake of her wary look with the sort of offer he coulda kissed her for. ”Thanks, darlin’,” he breathed. ”You want a glass?” He eyed Mikey, hoping to ease things a little for him. ”I’m pretty sure there are some nibbles in the kitchen too. There’s alright somethin’ to snack on with Roxxi around, right?” His smile for Mikey was a little stronger this time. A subtle warning to their parents that Mikey was a central part of his life here and he wasn’t about to let him be pushed out to the fringes of it the same way he had been in New Orleans.
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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 Aug 22, 2024 20:01:57 GMT
Things would have been a hell of a lot better if Mab was there. She was capable of calming Mikey down even in the most stressful situations. When they found Mikey may have killed someone back in New Orleans she didn’t freak out. There were barely any traces of stress on her face as the realisation settled in. Instead she assured he’d be fine. Nothing bad was going to happen to him. No cops were going to cart him back to prison. The calmness in her voice brought him down. He believed her. Trusted every single word she spoke to him. Not only did he trust her with his heart, but with his freedom and ultimately his life. But Mab wasn’t there. He’d told her about the planned dinner, but suggested she stayed at home. This would be the first time he’d seen his parents since he was a young adult. It was tough enough without throwing a girlfriend into the mix. Mikey almost threw up when Chase announced he’d invited their parents over for dinner, but he couldn’t get angry at his brother. It was apparent all of this had been agreed while Mikey was missing. It was hard to seek Mikey’s approval when he technically didn’t exist. He shrugged it off, acting like Chase had told him before and Mikey had agreed to the dinner to save Chase from the guilt. Realistically if Chase had asked him Mikey would have said no. He wasn’t ready to see parents. Were they even ready to see him? He perched on the edge of his bed, rubbing his palms along his trousers as he tried to remain calm. The nerves were rattling around inside of him. How the fuck was he going to eat dinner when his stomach was a knotted mess? The sound of the buzzer rang through the apartment. It nearly sent him over the edge. He heard Roxxi’s voice carry through the apartment. Slowly he got to his feet as Chase called out to him. “Yeah.” He shouted back. He paused by the mirror for a few seconds. The last time they saw Mikey he was a young looking man. Now time had taken its toll on him. Deep lines carved into his face, a few grey hairs poking out of his head. Eventually he emerged from his bedroom, making his way toward the living. Then his heart skipped a beat when he saw his parents. Fuck. They’d changed just as much as he had. Age had taken hold of them too. “Hey.” It was the only word he managed to squeeze out, glued to the spot, terrified of taking a step towards them in case they rejected him. Roxxi’s question filled the silence, followed by Chase. Neither of his parents answered though, both looking at Mikey. The emotions started to take over his mom as a few tears fell from her eyes.
“Michael… you look so… grown up.” His dad commented. He took a few steps towards Mikey, pulling him in for a hug. Mikey embraced him, closing his eyes for a second as he told himself not to cry. Meanwhile his mom didn’t budge. “Nice to see you son.” His dad whispered into Mikey’s ear as he pulled back, “Roxxi. Red wine sounds good.” He returned to his wife’s side. Mikey expected his mom to come and give him a hug too. It was the least she could do, but her gaze diverted away from Mikey, settling on Roxxi and Chase instead. He too did the same. “Red wine please Roxxi.” ROXANNE BRASCHI |
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ROXANNE BRASCHI
Chimera
psychic-skinwalker
Posts: 188
Age:
30
Occupation:
Professor at Whitmore College
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Chase Buckley
Played by:
Julia
Last seen Nov 11, 2024 20:39:32 GMT
|
Post by ROXANNE BRASCHI on Sept 2, 2024 17:20:59 GMT
━ i don't know where i'm going, but i sure know where i've been ━
It all died the moment Mikey stepped into view.
“Yeah.” Roxxi croaked in the silence after Chase’s question, which everyone seemed to ignore in favour of the stare down. She swallowed thickly, then added quietly, “There’s caprese salad in the kitchen…” But it didn’t seem like anyone was listening.
Finally, finally, their dad piped up, and Roxxi breathed out an audible sigh of relief. She smiled as Adam embraced his eldest son, so consumed by her happiness for the situation that she didn’t even realize Naomi hadn’t moved. A laugh bubbled out of her once their dad finally answered her question, like it was the only way to expel the tension that’d been caught in her chest. “Thank God,” She said quietly, careful with her Italian around them, but not careful enough to keep everything on the inside. Roxxi laughed again, a little louder this time, but when she realized Mikey wasn’t looking at her, her behaviour tempered itself.
She frowned, and couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. She’d grown close to Naomi, and their relationship felt like it was healing a few parts of her. The “loss” of her own mother, the guilt over the Agnelli influence on Naomi’s sons, the list went on and on. It was nice to finally have a relationship that was serious enough to warrant this kind of bond with her future-mother-in-law, but she didn’t expect their mom to be so… cold. Not when she’d been so warm and loving whenever Roxxi interacted with her.
Maybe Naomi had always wanted a daughter, and Roxxi was living up to that dream of what it would’ve been like, but, if she bothered to be nice to Mikey, she might get that experience a second time. Well, maybe not with Mab, who was kind of a bitch, but…
“White, please.” Naomi smiled at her like nothing was happening, and Roxxi gave a curt smile, a matching nod, and disappeared into the kitchen. Usually, she would’ve made a joke about ‘converting’ Naomi to the good stuff, but she almost felt like Mrs. Buckley didn’t deserve it. Not when she was treating Mikey like that.
Roxxi got dinner out as fast as possible. Wine glasses were placed at the table, and, of course, their mom offered to help━maybe to retreat to the kitchen where she didn’t have to see her husband actually embrace his children. She didn’t want a fight, though, so she let Naomi set the plates while Roxxi brought the appetizers into the living room (an excuse to keep them separated, maybe, even though she wanted nothing more than to force Naomi to look at her son like a dog that’d peed in the house).
“I know I shouldn’t…” Roxxi sighed, whispering to their mom in the kitchen. Mikey could probably hear her, but she didn’t care “... But he’s a good man, Naomi. And that isn’t Chase talking through me. Take it from a woman who’s had to be alone in this apartment with him on more than one occasion. He doesn’t make me nervous━he’s neat, clean. He’s not the teenager who made a mistake.” Maybe that last part was a little too much━like something that someone removed from the situation shouldn’t know━but she supposed it sounded innocent enough. Clearly, by her response, though, Roxxi had crossed a line.
“You’re right. You shouldn’t.” She said somewhat sharply, and Roxxi was stunned into silence, pausing for a moment before continuing to scoop the polenta onto everyone’s plate. It wasn’t more than a few seconds before Naomi piped up again, “Sorry,” She sighed, “I didn’t mean that. I appreciate what you’re tryin’ to do, but it’s gonna take some time. It’s hard.”
Roxxi abandoned the plates to hug Naomi, and she really thought she’d made some progress. Like the Buckley matriarch was suddenly going to accept her son just because Roxxi said something.
At dinner, she realized she was stupid for thinking it would be that easy. Maybe part of her wanted to fix it… as if it would make up for the Agnelli’s hand in his downfall.
Settling at the table beside Mikey, Chase at the head, their dad across from her and his wife at his side, Roxxi grinned at everyone, waiting for their reactions. The pork was just as soft and melty as the parmesan on top, bathed in ragu, the whole thing tied together by the bed of polenta it sat on. She’d purchased the wine specifically for this dish, pairing it perfectly. But if that didn’t impress them, then she had no doubt that her double dessert would… if they got that far before someone stormed out.
Despite what she said in the kitchen, Naomi didn’t really make an attempt to ease the tension. Roxxi tried to smile encouragingly at her, but it didn’t work. She glanced sideways at Mikey, then offered Chase a somewhat-sad smile, reaching under the table to squeeze his knee softly.
“Wow… this is really good, Roxxi.” Naomi finally said, and though the sound of her voice immediately caught Roxxi’s attention, she deflated a little bit once she realized what Naomi was saying.
“Thanks.” She said lightly, “Mikey’s a great cook, too. I think he’s trying to creep up and steal my thunder.” Roxxi chuckled, and though Adam mused appreciatively, Naomi’s mouth shifted into a thin line.
“Really?” She asked, “You didn’t want anything to do with dinner━except eating it━when you were a kid. Did that change while you…”
Roxxi held her breath. Cazzo.
CHASE BUCKLEY | Translation: Fuck |
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CHASE BUCKLEY
Demon
Posts: 149
Age:
38
Occupation:
Detective
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Roxanne Braschi
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen Nov 2, 2024 20:18:17 GMT
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Post by CHASE BUCKLEY on Sept 14, 2024 21:11:17 GMT
This woulda been a thousand times easier if it only took him dropping down on one knee or finally hitting that magic spot in Roxxi’s cycle to get her pregnant to have everything in his family fixed. Chase had been smiling at her rap on his knuckles about both when that wave of tension had rolled into the room. His expression had flickered, the cold pressure of their ma’s reaction dimming it, but Chase pushed some apology into it as he glanced over at Mikey. Like he had been as a kid, Mikey was quiet as he slipped into the room. A single word of greeting as he stood, locked to the spot. Without Roxxi they might still have been standing there an hour from now, caught in that awkward stand-off that he prayed to God would’ve eventually ending up with his ma caving and going to her first born son. He coulda kissed her for it.
Chase shifted on his feet, watching his dad break first. He eased closed to Roxxi, a hand going to the small of her back to press that unspoken gratitude there. Their ma held out while their dad hugged Mikey, the words he’d hoped they’d both manage passing between them. ”Thanks, baby,” he breathed softly, his hand easing to her hip to squeeze her lightly even as she laughed. If he’d thought it might break the tension that had his heart squeezed tight in his chest, he might’ve done the same, but the mood in the room was still too stilted for it.
Ma didn’t seem to have taken any offence to the bright little sound in the middle of all of it, but Chase still frowned at her. He hadn’t expected her to rush straight in and smother Mikey with apologies, but he’d hoped for more than this. Mikey deserved more than this. They’d gone enough years with the shadow of that son of a bitch Emiliano standing between them, holding the family his had helped shatter apart.
As Roxxi disappeared into the kitchen to pour and plate up, Chase stood between his brother and his parent, making small talk about the drive, trying to pull Mikey into the conversation, even if he went into it as reluctantly as a kid on the first day of school after the summer vacation. When their ma broke off and retreated to the kitchen, he saw as much as heard the sigh roll of their dad.
”I’m surprised the two of you aren’t packin’ it on like your old man,” their dad rumbled lightly, a stiff chuckle emerging as he patted at a stomach that was still trim for a man his age. He’d always sworn he worked it off on the job, and a good thing too, cause fitting into crawl spaces to check pipes was a hundred times harder when your gut was holding you up. ”Looks like Roxxi’s feedin’ an army.”
Puffing out a breath, still half trying to listen to that light rumble of voices from the kitchen, Chase clapped a hand against Mikey’s shoulder. ”She’s practically got an army here eatin’. I’m sure there’s gonna be plenty to send home with you guys too.” Eventually. Once the ice was broken and the chill that had to be hitting Mikey like frostbite eased. He needed this to go well, for Mikey to finally feel a part of the family again.
He tried to keep the conversation flowing, pulling Mikey into it whenever he could until both Roxxi and ma emerged again and they were settled at the table – their parents on one side, Roxxi and Mikey on the other and him in the middle like he was gonna have to referee this. Chase managed a half smile back as Roxxi smiled at him, his hand covering hers as she sought out his leg under the table to steady himself. The tension that should’ve melted like the ragu did over the polenta was still there, palpable enough that he coulda picked up a knife to cut through it.
Ma. He almost croaked the plea out as Roxxi’s attempt at breaking through that thick wall of ice had his ma’s face settling back into those brittle lines. ”He’s workin’ at a diner in town,” Chase managed stiffly. ”He’s movin’ on from that place, doin’ real well too, ma. The way he’s goin’, maybe he’ll end up managin’ the place one day.”
There was a frown creasing their dad’s brow, a hand going to cover their ma’s as she blasted through the positive, straight to the negative. ”Do they let you run places like that with a criminal record? Surely there’s some sort of a background check, and having that sort of thing on your record…”
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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 Sept 17, 2024 18:44:53 GMT
Three courses. That’s all he needed to endure, and everyone could be on their way. Mikey wanted the evening to go well, he was desperate for it to go well, but any shred of hope he had disappeared the moment his mom didn’t step forward to give him a hug. The warmth she showed to Chase and Roxxi wasn’t shown to him. Chase was crazy if he thought this evening was going to somehow glue the family back together. Years of friction wasn’t going to be washed away with a well-cooked meal and a few glasses of decent wine, but still Mikey would try his best to smooth out the friction. This night wasn’t just for him, it was for Chase too. Inside Mikey went through waves of emotions when it came to his parents. One moment he was understanding of their decision not to visit him, other moments he was furious at them. When it became apparent they were only going to communicate with him via telephone it shattered a section of his heart. They didn’t want to see him, but he needed to see them. Family was the only thing which kept him grounded inside. It was the one thing that pushed him to keep going even when his freedom seemed like nothing but a myth. Their voices would come through the telephone most weeks, but it wasn’t the same. But he was out now and there was an opportunity to make up for lost time, yet his mom didn’t jump at the chance. Old wounds were yet to heal over, and Mikey was starting to believe they never would. Roxxi and his mom’s voice travelled very faintly from the kitchen. If he wanted to Mikey could have tuned in to every word being exchanged, but curiosity didn’t pull him. Instead he turned his attention back to his dad and brother. His lips twisted into a faint smile at his dad’s comment. “She keeps us well fed.” Firm believer that food could solve everything. Relief washed through his body when Roxxi emerged from the kitchen. One course started, two more to get through. He slipped into his allocated seat, directly across from his mom. Great. A normal family would have descended into some kind of conversation once the food was placed down, but the room was filled with tension—it was suffocating Mikey. He wanted to speak up, but every time he went to say something his throat sealed shut. His mom filled the silence though with a comment directed towards Roxxi who immediately tried to shift the conversation onto Mikey. He let out a hollow but forced laugh, but his mom didn’t chuckle. “Seems I had some hidden talents.” He responded, his gaze ticking up towards his mom for a brief second before settling back on his plate. Chase pushed on with the conversation though. Mikey glanced up at his brother, this time offering a genuine smile. Okay, maybe he4 wouldn’t go on to manage the place. He had no time to deal with other people’s shit, but he knew if you were to ask Kace he’d fully back that idea. But of course his mom failed to see the good, choosing to hang onto that one single fact. Mikey was a criminal. “Yep they run a full background check, but I’ve come to realise most people believe in second chances.” His eyes drifted back to his mom, looking at her properly for the first time since they’d sat down. Most people—his mom didn’t fall into that category. ROXANNE BRASCHI |
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ROXANNE BRASCHI
Chimera
psychic-skinwalker
Posts: 188
Age:
30
Occupation:
Professor at Whitmore College
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Chase Buckley
Played by:
Julia
Last seen Nov 11, 2024 20:39:32 GMT
|
Post by ROXANNE BRASCHI on Sept 27, 2024 20:30:16 GMT
━ i don't know where i'm going, but i sure know where i've been ━
And instead of being a balm on the tension, Chase and Mikey’s parents were the ones stirring it up. Well, just Naomi, but it was still astonishing how she kept going. Didn’t she want a relationship with her son? Didn’t she care? Even Roxxi’s own mother had reached out a handful of times since she’d abandoned them, though who knew if that was to ease her own heart or further Emiliano’s agenda.
Chase plowed ahead when Roxxi and Mikey’s comments didn’t work, and she squeezed his hand for encouragement, or maybe support. She was donning her own big smile, pride at Mikey’s accomplishments shining through. It wasn’t just on Chase’s behalf, either━she was so happy to see that everything Emiliano touched didn’t turn to shit. That if she worked hard like Chase and Mikey, she could be rid of the Agnelli name forever.
Her next comment wasn’t so terrible, but it was certainly a little too much. She could drop it now, stop pressing and just accept her son and be happy for him, but she didn’t. Mikey sniped back at her, and Roxxi knew this dinner wasn’t going to end well.
Mikey didn’t even need a second chance with them, did he? Sure, he was far more complacent than most, opting to join the Agnellis instead of just absently funding them like the rest of the city, but he still turned away when it went too far. He sat in prison for two decades for a crime that wasn’t entirely his fault, likely still tormented by her family in there, and now he was trying to make the most out of his life. Why did Naomi have to continue torturing him? Roxxi huffed out a sigh and scooped another spoonful of dinner into her mouth. After all that slaving she did over the meal, it seemed nobody would actually enjoy it.
“Second chances are granted to those that deserve them, not people who tortured their parents for years just to expect immediate forgiveness.”
“That isn’t fair.” Roxxi said. If she wasn’t Chase’s mother, Roxxi would’ve said a lot worse, a lot louder, but she managed to keep some of it contained.
“No, you know what isn’t fair? Raising a boy for fifteen years just to watch him fall into the wrong crowd, nearly die, go to prison for twenty years, then be judged by him and his brother for not embracing him the second he gets out. The worrying and the sleepless nights weren’t fair to Adam or me, either. Maybe when you and Chase finally have a child of your own, you’ll understand.”
The last part stung. Roxxi audibly hissed like she’d brushed her fingers over a hot pan, leaning back and frowning at Naomi. She tried. Maybe she shouldn't have stuck her nose in it, but she tried. And she didn’t want to ruin her relationship with Chase’s mom over all of this, but she could see it crumbling just like the one she’d had before.
Chase’s hand slipped out of hers, though, and Roxxi’s attention jumped to him, his emotions prickling at her senses before the tension snapped like a storm finally breaking.
CHASE BUCKLEY | no notes. |
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CHASE BUCKLEY
Demon
Posts: 149
Age:
38
Occupation:
Detective
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Roxanne Braschi
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen Nov 2, 2024 20:18:17 GMT
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Post by CHASE BUCKLEY on Oct 5, 2024 17:18:08 GMT
Any hope that their mom would finally crack and Mikey would finally have his parents back in his life was rapidly vanishing. He’d fucked up.
The self-condemnation weighed heavy on Chase’s shoulders as he sat at the head of the table, feeling like the bridges would never be rebuilt over it. They’d both been stubborn over it when Mikey had been in prison, attempts to bring up them maybe visiting him shot down with sharp looks and quiet pleas over their dinner table. Phone calls were enough – for them maybe, but not for Mikey. Maybe it could’ve continued that way now that Mikey was out, but god damn it, he deserved more than that. He was gonna have more than that, even if he needed to drag ma kicking and screaming into it.
Their dad’s lips twitched faintly like Mikey’s laugh had sent another crack through his resolve, but it wasn’t him that Mikey looked up at to see if it hit. Chase swallowed hard, the muscles in his jaw bunching and releasing as he squeezed Roxxi’s hand lightly. Without her this might already have ground to a halt from Mikey’s near silence and their mom’s icy attitude. ”You just finally got the chance to show ‘em,” Chase said, trying to keep his tone light when his throat ached with the desire to snap. Locked up behind bars for more than half his life, it wasn’t like Mikey’d had the chance before. He hadn’t been able to prove he could be anything more than the kid who’d let himself be talked into a tragic situation, the kid bearing all the blame for the crimes for another.
Even after they’d stepped out of their elder son’s life, Chase had held on to the idea that it was just the prison gates keeping them all apart. If he could get Mikey out of jail then they could put the last twenty years behind them. His parents would open their arms to their son, maybe shedding all the tears they’d held back over the years first, but it would change. Staring at his ma now, Chase knew he’d been wrong. This shit didn’t magically fade away, the Agnellis influence on their lives would never really be gone while they still remembered all that had happened.
Chase swallowed hard, meeting Mikey’s eye as his brother looked at him, returning his smile. Even if this dinner wouldn’t fix anything, he’d still be standing by his side, proud as hell for every step forward Mikey took into this new life. Like lightning striking, his ma’s comment still hit though. He stiffened in his seat, the smile falling away rapidly. ”His boss isn’t narrow minded about that stuff,” Chase echoed hoarsely in the wake of Mikey’s dig at their parents. Kace had given Mikey a chance where his own parents hadn’t, it twisted his gut to think that ma couldn’t look past who the Agnellis had made Mikey be.
Any appetite he’d had for the food that’d had his mouth watering the entire time it’d cooked was vanishing, leaving his a metallic bitterness in his mouth. Roxxi was still eating, his dad forking at his food too, but ma had stopped the same way he had. You couldn’t eat and take swipes at your kid at the same time after all. His reaction tried to spit its way bullet brutal out of his mouth again, but he held it back, shaking faintly with it as he stared at a mother who’d just blamed her son for torturing them, for wanting a relationship with his parents once he’d finally broken free of the people who’d done it to them. Roxxi stepped in, trying to stand up for him, but instead of stopping his ma just doubled down on it.
The think that had shook inside of him went still. Chase’s hand on hers went limp, slipping out of her grip to settle lightly on the edge of the table. The other had already been in a white knuckled grip around his fork. Now it rotated in his hand, as though he could bleed off the disappointment that had welled up inside of him. It wasn’t working, none of it could stop the volcano of hurt and anger building though. Roxxi’s hiss and recoil from the table broke through the last thin layer of calm.
”Nah, ma, you know what’s not fair is a fifteen-year-old being abandoned by his parents in a place like that,” Chase snapped. Something in his chest felt cold, but heat was radiating up into his face, leaving him feeling like he was burning. ”They suckered him in, they preyed on a defenceless kid and instead of believing in him, you left him in there. If anybody should expect some forgiveness here, it should be you.” Tears joined in on the burning him from the inside out, prickling at the back of his eyes as the last twenty years of suppressed shit came bubbling to the surface.
”I didn’t wanna judge you for what happened. I wanted to believe in you. I thought if you could see what I’m seein’ every day then you’d know your boy was still in there. That they hadn’t managed to stamp him out. He’s right there ma. Look at him. Look at how your kid’s pulled himself back together again.” She’d had to bring up their kids too, the ones they hadn’t conceived yet, despite them trying, despite them being so desperately wanted. Like a kettle hitting full boil, Chase broke. The fork flew across the table – not at his ma, no matter how pissed off he wasn’t he wouldn’t be that guy – his chair clattering back from the table. ”I won’t have to understand it then. No matter what my kids do, I’d never cut them off. I’d never leave them to suffer because I felt like a failure as a parent.” That was what had been driving it, he realised as he stood there panting like a fucking animal. They had failed to protect their kid, but they couldn’t accept it. Instead they’d buried it for so long that they couldn’t admit it 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 Oct 10, 2024 11:40:53 GMT
Okay, perhaps it was a good idea he hadn’t invited Mab to their family dinner. There was already one pissed Italian woman sitting at the table, trying to keep a lid on her emotions. There wasn’t room for another. Mikey and Chase were attempting to do the same, stealing glances from one another every now and then. A silent exchange of words– Fuck. Good intentions were there when Chase invited his parents over, Mikey knew that, but it was never going to be a calm evening. Maybe if it was just their dad things could have been different, but his mom couldn’t resist from making comments, each time Mikey bit his tongue. Mikey gripped his fork hard when his mom spoke. He wasn’t expecting immediate forgiveness, but he expected some level of warmth from her when she stepped into the apartment inside of her cold demeanour. He remained quiet as Roxxi jumped to his defence, tearing his eyes away from the plate of food in front of him to look at her. But his mom dug even further, refusing to let the matter drop. It was getting harder and harder to brush off his mom’s comments. Mikey wanted to jump up and defend himself, but he was determined to try and keep the peace even though it was virtually shattered by now. A hiss rolled out of Roxxi. The question was who was going to blow first? Mikey's eyes moved over to Chase– he knew exactly what was about to happen. His brother was going to the first to boil over. “Chase.” He warned, but his brother snapped regardless. The fork dropped from Mikey’s hand, any sense of hunger disappearing in an instance. He sank back into his chair, his lips pressed together as Chase spoke every single thought that had been running through Mikey’s mind. Mikey bolted upright as the fork flitted across the table, Chase’s chair jolting backwards as he got to his feet. “Chase, please.” His dad started, raising his hand, gesturing for his son to sit back down. But Chase wasn’t backing down. Mikey’s attention jumped to his mom. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting from her. An apology? An explanation? She refused to look at him though, only glancing between her husband and Chase. “We never failed either of you!” Finally her eyes moved to meet Mikey, “I owe you no apology, Michael. We wrote to you. We called you. We were good parents. You were determined to ruin your life and you did.” Mikey inhaled sharply, feeling the sting of his mom’s words. His carefully maintained composure was slipping. “Those phone calls weren’t enough. I needed you. I was a kid who needed his damn parents,” he shot back, his voice tight with suppressed anger. Maybe his time in prison would’ve been easier if they’d bothered to visit, to offer him some form of support. “I haven’t ruined my life. I have a job, a place to live… I even have a girlfriend.” And they would have known that months ago if they bothered to speak to him. “A girlfriend?” His mom exclaimed, an edge of surprise to her voice, “What… is she a criminal too? Sorry. I am struggling to comprehend what type of woman would settle for someone who spent twenty years behind bars for a violent crime.”The lid blew off as anger descended down on Mikey. “Fuck you Ma. I’m not listenin’ to this anymore!” His hands flew up as he got to his feet, “I have been out of jail for three years now and neither of you bothered to visit me. You act like you only have one son.” They knew everything about Roxxi and Chase’s relationship, but nothing at all about Mab. “If you wanna keep acting like I don’t exist, fine. But you let me down when I needed you most, and maybe I’ll never forgive you for that.” He paused, his chest heaving, before turning to Roxxi, “ Roxxi I’m sorry this lovely meal has been ruined by my parents inability to move on from the past.” Mikey was done. He wasn’t going to keep fighting for their forgiveness, not when they clearly weren’t willing to give it. He’d made his peace. Or at least, he’d tried. ROXANNE BRASCHI |
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ROXANNE BRASCHI
Chimera
psychic-skinwalker
Posts: 188
Age:
30
Occupation:
Professor at Whitmore College
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Chase Buckley
Played by:
Julia
Last seen Nov 11, 2024 20:39:32 GMT
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Post by ROXANNE BRASCHI on Oct 28, 2024 15:50:54 GMT
━ i don't know where i'm going, but i sure know where i've been ━
Roxxi didn’t want to calm him down. She didn’t want to act like this was alright, nor did she actually want Chase to stop defending his brother. He had to say this and they had to hear it, but that didn’t stop their dad from trying to get him to sit down again.
She stared up at him as he described their future, the one filled with their children━kids who’d never feel like Mikey a day in their lives. They might have the initial plague of her line to work through, a curse she couldn’t change no matter how hard she tried, but Chase would love them anyway. He’d never turn his back on their babies, and neither would she━they’d never know what this was like.
Naomi would’ve had a point if her parenting hadn’t stopped there. She should’ve visited, yes, but at least they’d reached out. But after twenty years? There should’ve been more. They should’ve been there for him. Somewhere across town, in the more affluent area adjacent to theirs, a man had been grieving the loss of his son. Georgie was a piece of shit and he got what was coming to him, but Naomi and Adam were missing the point: their son was still alive. If he’d died that day instead of Georgie, would they still be debating his morality? His choices as a teenager?
Roxxi cursed in Italian under her breath when Naomi went for Mab next, and Mikey was flying up. Roxxi stayed quiet (for once in her life), thinking about how easy she’d gotten the ‘in-laws’ stuff up until this point. Mab would have the opposite of the stereotypical ‘you’re not good enough for my son’ Mother-in-law, and, even after only meeting Mab once, she felt bad for what Naomi was going to endure. Not that she didn’t deserve it.
“That’s enough!” Adam snapped, his voice━which had been quiet up until now━bellowing across the room, somewhere between Mikey saying ‘fuck you’ and apologizing to Roxxi. “Both of you, sit down. Michael, don’t talk to your mother like that. Chase, pick up your damn fork.”
“It’s okay.” Roxxi said quietly to Mikey, giving him a soft, sad smile as she looked up at him. She lifted a hand, giving his forearm a gentle squeeze in solidarity before her hand dropped back to her lap. He clearly had no intention of heeding his father’s orders, and he was gone, despite Adam calling his name, using a ‘Dad voice’ that had probably worked once upon a time.
“Cucciolo,” Roxxi whispered, reaching for Chase’s hand, trying to coax him back into his seat. His outburst might’ve sent a little zing through her if the circumstances were different, but she had felt something… when he’d talked about their children. “Breathe, baby.” She said lightly, though she had a feeling he wasn’t going to sit down.
“I’m sorry.” Naomi finally puffed, “I really am. I didn’t want it to go this way. I love Mikey… I-we never wanted to fail him. It was so hard. I don’t want this to ruin anything between us, but it might take me some time with Mikey…” She was ensuring her spot as a grandmother. Maybe not intentionally, but Roxxi saw it, the way she wanted to show them that she would try, not the son who needed it most.
She was done with apologizing preemptively every time she spoke. This directly affected her whether they knew it or not━especially now that Chase was so wound up over it. “A boy died that night.” Roxxi said, her eyes pinning Naomi to the spot. Even if Chase hadn’t told her what’d happened, she still would’ve known that he was there. She wondered if his parents still pretended that he wasn’t.
She remembered the night Emiliano came home in a fury, ready to kill Mikey himself, but ultimately just devastated by the loss of his son. At nine, she’d had no remorse, irritated by her forcible uprooting from her birthplace and angry that her mother suddenly lost all her morals by marrying a man like that. But as an adult, she remembered how jarring it was to see a man like that break down. His first born was gone. “He was a piece of shit low-life who traded in violence, but he was someone’s son. A man, as awful as he is, went home with one child less that night. The owner of the store had a family. I was just a kid, but I remember the flowers they put outside the store for him. His children grew up without a father, and another man’s first born son never saw another day. You got to keep yours, he’s still breathing, and you can’t even be in the same room with him.” Roxxi couldn’t shake the edge of disgust in her voice. Her eyes clouded with tears━for whom, exactly, she wasn’t sure.
CHASE BUCKLEY | wrap w cakesy |
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CHASE BUCKLEY
Demon
Posts: 149
Age:
38
Occupation:
Detective
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Roxanne Braschi
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen Nov 2, 2024 20:18:17 GMT
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Post by CHASE BUCKLEY on Nov 2, 2024 20:11:25 GMT
When the dust settled would he feel like a shitty son? Maybe. Being a shitty brother would have been worse though. For years he’d regretted that he hadn’t been able to pull Mikey out of the Agnellis grip before that darkness had swallowed his life up. Instead of taking that sort of blame on their own shoulders, wondering how they could’ve saved their boy, it had looked like his parents had put the blame on everybody else instead – including a teenaged boy who was punished for being the only one with the balls to stick around and try and save a man’s life. Staring at his parents as the fork skittered to a noisy stop, Chase wondered if they’d just held it inside instead. This all could’ve been guilt pouring like poison from his mom’s mouth, but he doubted it. Guilt should’ve come with an apology, instead of insults.
”Chase, please, what?” he ground out on a panted breath. He watched their dad raise his hand as though it would stop anything now that his temper had burst into life. It was a runaway train that would only lose steam once he’d gotten all of this off of his chest.
Shaking his head, Chase tried to find some sign of hope in his ma’s words. This dinner was never going to fix everything, but he’d hoped it’d be the first step in the two of them coming back into Mikey’s life, instead of proof that it was never gonna happen. ”That’s bullshit ma,” Chase muttered. A puff of breath exploded past his lips as she turned her attention to Mikey, to explain how they’d done nothing wrong in how they’d treated him. His gaze dropped to Roxxi, an apology in their depths. He hated that she had to see this, that she’d know there was a chance his parents would be shitty grandparents, the same way they’d been shitty parents to Mikey.
Their kids were never gonna hear those words out of their parents. If they ended up in trouble, they’d know that their parents would be there for them every step of the way, never stopping fighting for them. Pride in his brother welled up in his chest as Mikey found his voice. Every word he said pierced his heart. No matter how hard he’d tried to be there for Mikey, it wasn’t the same as their parents being there too. Still, Mikey hadn’t given in, he’d fought through every day in prison and he’d come out a good man, determined to rebuild his life and he’d done that in every way that mattered – a job, a home, and a girlfriend who loved him the way he deserved to be.
Anger spiked through him again as their ma went for the jugular again. Chase heard Roxxi curse beside him and wished he could reach out for Mikey’s shoulder as he stood opposite their parents. The words flew from Mikey’s mouth like bullets and he saw each one strike their ma, colour rising in their dad’s face. ”Fuck the fork,” he muttered, shaking his head at his dad as Mikey apologised to Roxxi – as though he was the one who needed to. He swallowed hard as Roxxi accepted it, squeezing Mikey’s arm, showing him which side she was on in all of this. Chase reached out to him as he squeezed past the table, his own hand finding Mikey’s shoulder to squeeze. Later he’d call him, he’d make sure that he was alright after all those wounds had been opened back up.
He twitched at Roxxi’s whisper, the pet name breaking through the radiating waves of his temper, lowering the heat. Chase drew in a deep breath through his nose at her instruction, letting it out roughly. His hand twitched around Roxxi’s before finally gripping on hard. It was like breaking through rusted locks to get them to bend, but his knees finally gave and he sagged back into his seat. ”You should’ve told him that,” Chase muttered to his ma, his voice carrying less of an edge this time. ”He needs to hear it, not me. He went years not knowing it.” Those few phone calls drips of water for a man dying of thirst.
That same thirst filled him now as their ma tried to give him hope that things would change, that she’d shepherd their other son back into their lives again. He wanted to believe it would change, that in a year or two they’d be around this table again, crowding the thing with Mab here and a kid pulled up between him and Roxxi in one of those high chair things. The hope left his throat aching, spasming there as Roxxi spoke up quietly. His hand tightened on hers, his eyes fixing on her while hers fixed on ma.
What came out of her mouth wasn’t anger. It was sadness, bitterness, the grief felt by a man who hadn’t really deserved to feel it, but had anyway. His son hadn’t survived – through his own fault – and that ragged hole had been torn through a coal black heart. He’d never felt an ounce of fucking sympathy for Emiliano until now, but it flickered in his own heart before it hit all the harder for the store owner who might’ve survived that night, but not all that much longer. Chase pressed his lips together, bowing his head as he watched their dad push back his chair.
”It’s not that easy,” his dad said hoarsely. ”We know we were lucky to keep him, but it’s just about losing our son. It’s about losing every hope and dream for who he might’ve been.” But they hadn’t gotten past that disappointment, to try and accept that monumental shift and do what they could to hold onto their son.
His ma’s face was pinched, tears glimmering in her eyes too. He’d seen them fall over the years, quiet bouts of crying that had broken his heart, but it wasn’t enough. Ma stood slowly, holding onto their dad’s hand. ”God forbid you ever end up where we did with our boys,” she said hoarsely. ”If you do, you’ll know it’s not as easy as just throwing your arms open to them again. That boy and the man that he shot weren’t the only ones injured that night.” Her other hand curled over her heart as though she was covering the wound that had been torn through them.
”We’re sorry for ruining the dinner you made. I think it’s best we go,” Adam added quietly. ”We’ll be in touch.”
Chase felt his dad’s hand on his shoulder, squeezing tightly. Thickened knuckles pressing into the tense muscle. An old man’s hand, not yet losing its strength, but proof that there were only so many more of these nights that his parents would have before time ran out. Silently, he got to his feet and released Roxxi’s hand, following the two of them to the door. His ma turned back at the last moment, hugging him hard, but Chase stood statue still in her grip, disappointment still wrapped around him like barbed wire. When the door finally closed behind them, he was turning to Roxxi, murmuring his own apologies into her hair as he held her tight against his chest. One day they’d stop paying for the Agnellis crimes, one day his family had to be able to break free of their darkness, their own part in Emiliano’s crimes long paid for.
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