Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Say it. Yes. Yes what?"

Maddie (ididntgiveup) wrote in chances_rpg,
@ 2025-05-01 23:59:00

Entry tags:

9-1-1: evan "buck" buckley, 9-1-1: maddie buckley han

WHO: Maddie and Buck
WHEN: May 1
WHERE: their apartment
WHAT: Brother and Sister bonding
Warnings: none
Status: complete

A new place, a new life. It wasn’t easy to feel like you had to start a new life over. But that’s how Maddie was feeling. After being ripped from her life and her family, she now had to create something new. Lucky for her, it wasn’t the first time she had to start from scratch. But this time was different. This time, she was ripped away; it wasn’t a choice. This time, she had been happy with her life. That made this so much harder. The one thing keeping her from falling apart, though, was her brother. Having Buck around was helping her keep her sanity.

Ever since she moved to L.A., Maddie has made sure to solidify her bond with Buck. He was her rock, and she did her best to be the same for him. Since her move, they had made a habit of getting together often, at least once a week (though usually more), to catch up and stay involved in each other’s lives. They may be in a new place, but there was no reason to let that habit die. So she had gone out and grabbed a whole bunch of food from different restaurants and set up a spread of a large variety of foods. There were picnic foods like fried chicken, potato salads, coleslaw, hot dogs, macaroni salads, fruit cups, and rolls. There were seafood options like grilled shrimp, crab legs, catfish bites, and tuna salad. Then there were some casseroles and sides like garlic bread and cheesy toast—so many options. By the time Buck got home, she had just finished setting it up and poured them some wine. “Buck! You are just in time!” She greeted with a big smile. Grabbing the wines, she handed him a glass, then hugged him. “Just like we always do.” She said with a gesture towards the food. “Only difference is Chim isn’t here.” She said with a sad look that quickly faded. “Well, come on. Dig in!”

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ididntgiveup
2025-05-02 04:20 pm UTC (link)

“How romantic of him.” She said with a soft chuckle. “Nope. Haven’t seen him. Well, I saw his back the other day as he was leaving. I said ‘hey’, but I guess he didn’t hear me.” She said with a shrug. “Guess we just keep missing each other.” She said as she shoved another bite into her mouth. “I will definitely be getting my job again. I’m already feeling antsy.” She chuckled. “Is it still kinda like normal life around here? What’s the weirdest thing that has happened since you’ve been here?”

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yeahthatworks
2025-05-02 04:37 pm UTC (link)

"We'll have to change that." It kind of bothered him that they kept missing each other. He wasn't at all surprised to hear Maddie say that she was ready to go back to work already. He didn't wait too long himself to get back to his job. "Yeah, it's normal a lot of the time." He had to think about it. "It's hard to choose. There's been a lot of stuff. We were all forced to be werewolves for a few nights. A lot of us were living out Hallmark movie storylines. Woke up one time stuck in a princess dress that wouldn't come off all day. Woke up to the apartment full of cereal, and another day the entire apartment was covered in bubble wrap. There have been a lot of other weird things that have happened."

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ididntgiveup
2025-05-03 03:53 am UTC (link)

Maddie stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Wait, wait—werewolves? Princess dresses? Bubble wrap everywhere?” She shook her head, grinning in disbelief. “Are you kidding me right now? And here I was thinking the weirdest thing would be like...someone stealing your laundry or talking to plants or these maypoles that randomly popped up.”

She leaned back in her chair, still smiling. “Honestly, I don't know whether that sounds like a nightmare or the most entertaining sitcom ever. You poor thing—trapped in a princess dress? That’s some cursed fairytale energy.”

Then her expression softened a little. “But hey, weird as all that is, it’s kind of comforting to know some version of ‘normal’ still exists around here. Even if normal includes cereal floods and accidental howling at the moon.”

She pointed at him with her fork. “I cant wait to be a part of the weird and crazy. If I’m gonna be back at work soon, I need to be prepared for... whatever this version of reality is.”

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yeahthatworks
2025-05-03 05:06 am UTC (link)

Oksy, that was not the reaction he thought he would be getting. "Uh, nope, not kidding at all." He pulled out his cell phone and brought up the pictures of the bubble wrapped apartment and then handed the phone to Maddie. "See, not kidding."

He just shook his head at how Maddie seemed to enjoy hearing the things he had gone through, especially the princess dress thing. God that day sucked. "It sucked."

She wasn't wrong. It was nice to live out their normal lives in between the chaos this place liked to throw at them. He wondered what might come next. "You say that now, but once you're hit with this stuff, you're going to wish it wasn't happening to you."

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ididntgiveup
2025-05-03 06:07 am UTC (link)

Maddie took the phone and looked at the pictures of the bubblewrapped apartment. “I don’t know how you didn’t just spend the day popping the bubbles. I wouldn’t have been able to help myself. Or maybe literally bounced off the walls.” She said with a laugh before taking another bite of food.

“Do you have any pictures of you in the dress?” She fought back a laugh as she tried to picture her brother in a princess dress.

She bounced her head from one side to the other as she chewed. “Hm, maybe. At least this place is keeping everyone on their toes. Life isn’t boring, here, right?” Her brows rose at the question and she took her last bite of food, pushing her plate away as she finished. “Well, has anything scary or life threatening happened to you? Hm, I imagine the werewolf thing would’ve been scary. Did anyone get hurt during that?”

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yeahthatworks
2025-05-03 06:14 am UTC (link)

"Who says that I didn't pop a lot of bubbles?" he said with a smirk. "It was kind of entertaining walking over it, but after a while it got old." He shook his head at her next question. "Definitely not. I don't need a reminder of that day."

He shrugged. "I mean, it can get a little boring sometimes." He had to think about that question. Did anything scary or life-threatening happen to him while he has been here? "No, not really. I think the werewolf thing was the worst of it for me so far. I'm sure others have dealt with worse since there are people who have been stuck here for years." He had to think about that question for a moment. "I don't think anyone got hurt. As far as I know. Not everyone shares everything on the net and I don't really know too many people here."

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ididntgiveup
2025-05-03 07:27 am UTC (link)

Maddie gave him a look, half teasing, half impressed. “Okay, fair enough—of course you popped the bubbles. I mean, how could you not? That’s, like, basic human instinct.” She chuckled, leaning back in her seat. “Still wish I could’ve seen that dress, though. Maybe one day I’ll get lucky and the universe will decide I need a cursed wardrobe moment too.”

At his mention of others being stuck there for years, her smile faltered just slightly, thoughtful. “Years... that’s a long time to be in limbo.” She folded her napkin slowly, then looked back at him with a softer expression. “I’m glad you haven’t had anything too bad happen. The werewolf thing sounds like a nightmare, but at least no one got seriously hurt.”

Then, with a small smile, she added, “I guess it’s weird, but… it’s kind of comforting, knowing you’ve made it through all that and still seem like you. Maybe this place is strange, but you’re still standing.” She nudged his arm playfully. “Just promise if anything does get scary, you’ll let me know, and I don’t just mean with all the weird stuff. I mean with Tommy too. You can talk to me about him too. I’ve got some big sister instincts and advice I haven’t gotten to use in a while.” She said with a smile. “How are things with him anyway? All good? I mean, he is actually present in your life right?” She asked with a laugh. “I don’t get how he and I keep missing each other. But it’s almost like he’s never around.”

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yeahthatworks
2025-05-03 09:21 pm UTC (link)

Buck scrunched up his face when she said that she hoped the universe decided to give her a cursed wardrobe. "Don't put that out into the universe. Once was enough."

He finished off his food and sat back. "It is. There is no rhyme or reason to who gets to stay and who gets to go. Now the werewolf thing, I don't recommend it. Feeling your bones move around so you can change into an animal is not a pleasant thing to feel."

Yep, he was still standing, but he also felt like he hadn't dealt with too many bad things that this place had thrown at people. Even though he has been here for quite some time now, the only major things he has had to deal with were the werewolf stuff and the Hallmark thing. The other things were silly and not that bad. Although, he made sure to get rid of that damn princess dress the second it came off. "I will. Promise." He raised an eyebrow. "Why would anything be weird or scary with Tommy?" Did she have something to say? "It's all good. He's just adjusting to this place. I know it took me a few months before all of this started to feel normal." He didn't get it either. But he knew they needed to fix that. "The three of us should hang out some time soon."

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ididntgiveup
2025-05-03 10:06 pm UTC (link)

Maddie gave a light shrug, smirking. “Okay, fine, I take back the cursed wardrobe wish, though I still think I’d rock a tiara better than you,” she teased with a grin.

Her expression softened again when he talked about the werewolf thing. “Yeah, okay, bone-shifting sounds horrific. You win. No cursed wardrobe, no cursed full moons. Got it.”

She listened as he talked about Tommy, nodding slowly. “No, no, I didn’t mean to imply anything was wrong,” she clarified. “I just meant... sometimes feelings sneak up on you. And when they do, they can be scarier than monsters and bubble wrap combined.” She raised a brow at him knowingly. “So, if it ever gets messy, or even if it doesn’t and you just need to talk, I’m here. That’s all.” She explained with a simple shrug.

At the mention of the three of them hanging out, her face lit up. “Yes! Finally. That’s exactly what we need. Just say when and I’m in. And if he ghosts me again, I will be offended.” She pointed a finger at him, mocking sternness. “You tell your boyfriend I expect quality time soon, or he’ll be hearing about it from me.”

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yeahthatworks
2025-05-05 06:00 am UTC (link)

"Too late you put it out there!" If they get stuck in clothes again, he is totally going to blame his sister for it. "Of course, you would look so much more dazzling in a tiara," he teased lightly, picturing her with shimmering jewels adorning her head.

When she said that he won, he couldn't help but smile.

“Okay...” he replied, his curiosity piqued. They hadn’t delved into this kind of open conversation before, and he couldn’t help but wonder what had inspired Maddie to share her thoughts so candidly at this moment. “If I ever find myself in need of a good chat, I promise I’ll come to you and talk your ear off."

He thought about when the three of them could hang out and after a moment, he said, "How does Monday sound?" He didn't think Tommy would ghost them for a night of hanging out, so he wasn't going to worry about it. He playfully smacked her finger away. "I will let him know."

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ididntgiveup
2025-05-05 03:32 pm UTC (link)

“Good! You know you can talk to me about him, too, right? We talk about everything else, Buck. Don’t forget to talk to me about your relationship.” She said with a raised brow. “Don’t let this weird place change us, k? Promise me.” She held up her pinky, waiting for him to hook his around hers.

Maddie laughed as he swatted her finger away, not at all offended. “Monday sounds good. I’ll pencil you both in between my incredibly full schedule of being mildly nosy and avoiding cursed wardrobes.”

She leaned back with a teasing grin. “And yes, please let him know. Or else I’ll start believing he’s just a very elaborate figment of your imagination that you and this wacky place are gaslighting me with.”

Then, with a softer tone, she added, “It’ll be good to see you both together. I’m looking forward to it.”

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yeahthatworks
2025-05-06 04:59 am UTC (link)

"I won't. I promise." He reached over and hooked his pinky with hers. It was something that they had always done for as long as he could remember.

"Hey, you never know, a lot can happen in the next few days." Not that he thought anything would happen, but with this place, who knew what could pop up or not. "Now it sounds like you're avoiding Narnia."

He laughed. "I must have a really good imagination then. But, promise, I will let him know."

He smiled. "And it'll be nice to hang out with my two favorite people in the world." He glanced over at the rest of the food that was on the counter. "We should probably put that away...unless you're going to eat more."

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ididntgiveup
2025-05-06 12:23 pm UTC (link)

Maddie smiled as their pinkies linked, the simple gesture tugging at something warm and familiar in her chest. “Good,” she said softly.

She let out a laugh at his Narnia comment, rolling her eyes. “Look, I’m just saying if I open a closet and woodland creatures start talking to me, I’m out. I will leave this realm entirely.”

When he mentioned the food, she glanced toward the counter and made a face. “Okay, I could eat more, but that’s beside the point. Let’s be responsible adults and pack it up before one of us ends up in a food coma.” She pushed herself up, grabbing a container. She smirked over her shoulder. “Also, if Tommy is imaginary, he better at least bring wine Monday night.”

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yeahthatworks
2025-05-07 04:22 am UTC (link)

"The same goes for you." He wanted Maddie to be able to come to him and talk about anything. Even if it's just about missing Chim and Jee.

He had to laugh at the image that just popped into his head. "Oh god, I hope that doesn't happen." He didn't want to open his own closet and have that happen.

"Always the responsible one," he said in a teasing tone before he got up and helped put the food away. They definitely had a few days worth of leftovers to eat. "So, imaginary Tommy should bring some imaginary wine. Okay. Anything specific you want?"

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ididntgiveup
2025-05-07 05:23 am UTC (link)

She gave a silent nod to his words. "Yeah. I will definitely be taking you up on that." She spoke with a bit of a sad tone. She missed her husband and daughter greatly. That small moment of thinking of them had tears starting to well up in her eyes. She didn't want to cry, so she shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the memories. She didn't really want them pulled into this crazy world. But she also didn't want to be there without them.

Really, she'd been joking. But after hearing some of the stories that happened here, it wouldn't surprise her if Narnia were real in this reality. She just prayed that neither she nor Buck got pulled into Narnia.

"One of us has to be." She said with a laugh as she too got up to put the food away. "You got enough Tupperware for all this?" She asked with a chuckle. "Hm," she gave it some thought before saying, "maybe a good pinot noir."

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yeahthatworks
2025-05-07 05:49 am UTC (link)

Buck noticed the sadness appear. "You could start now if you wanted."

"Hey, I can be...sometimes." He shrugged. "If not, that's what plastic bags and Saran Wrap are for." He grabbed all of the containers and decided to grab some of the other things too, just in case they would need it. "Maybe you'll get it."

It didn't take them long but they somehow managed to get everything in something and shoved it in the fridge. "So, what do you want to do next?"

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ididntgiveup
2025-05-07 06:29 am UTC (link)

She gave a sad smile at his words. "I just um... I'm torn, ya know. I want them here because I miss them. I hate being apart from them. But I don't want them here. Stuck here for God knows how long." She let out a heavy sigh. "I just really miss them and I'm afraid I'll never see them again." The tears were back and pushed over the edge, a few of them falling as she fought to stay brave and keep them at bay.

She helped him shove the last of the containers into the fridge, her movements automatic, like she was going through the motions while her mind stayed elsewhere. When he asked what was next, she sighed quietly, leaning against the counter for a moment. "I don't know, honestly. I think I just need something simple." She looked at him, her smile a little more genuine now. “Maybe something to distract me for a bit. Movie night? She paused, then added with a half-laugh, “You pick. Whatever you’re in the mood for.” She didn’t want to admit it, but she wasn’t sure what would help. Maybe she was hoping that just being with him would be enough to distract her for a while.

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yeahthatworks
2025-05-07 06:45 am UTC (link)

"I get it. I don't want anyone else having to deal with this place, but I would love to see everyone again." Buck stopped what he was doing and then pulled Maddie in for a hug. "You will see them again."

He honestly didn't care what they did, but watching a movie was good enough to him. "Come on then." He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the couch. Once they were both settled on it, he grabbed the remote and put on one of their go-to movies. He set the remote on the table and then got even more comfortable on the couch.

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ididntgiveup
2025-05-07 07:25 am UTC (link)

She followed along with him as she was tugged to the couch. Once Buck was settled and had a movie on, she snuggled in close to him, just needing the comfort of her brother. "I'm really glad you're here with me, Buck. I don't think I'd be okay if I was alone in this wacky place." She said with a sad chuckle. Tilting her head to look up at him, she gave a soft smile. "You're a good brother. You may give me anxiety sometimes but you're also the reason I'm still sane. Not sure how you manage to do that" She said with a light laugh.

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yeahthatworks
2025-05-07 08:06 pm UTC (link)

Buck let out a light chuckle, shaking his head in a mix of amusement and affection as he wrapped a sturdy arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer into his side. "You know, I think I have this unique talent for being both the troublemaker and the one who swoops in to save the day," he said, his crooked smile illuminating his face as he glanced down at her. "But that’s part of being a big brother, isn't it? Keep you on your toes while also keeping you grounded."

He gave her a gentle squeeze.. His voice softened, taking on a more serious tone. "I promise you’ll never have to face any of this alone, okay? No matter how wacky this place gets, I’ll always be right here by your side."

With a playful smirk dancing on his lips, he leaned down to place a tender kiss on the top of her head, his affection palpable. "You know, you’re far stronger than you realize," he added, a knowing glint in his eyes. "And I'll make sure you never forget that."

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ididntgiveup
2025-05-08 02:30 am UTC (link)

Maddie let out a soft laugh, her eyes misting just a little as she leaned into Buck’s side. “You really are impossible,” she said fondly, her voice warm with affection. “You drive me absolutely crazy, and somehow that’s exactly what I need most days.”

She tilted her head, resting it against his shoulder, and let out a slow breath. “But seriously… thank you. For everything. For being here. For being you. For being my chaos and my calm, somehow at the same time. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you. I don’t think I’ll ever stop needing my little brother—troublemaker or not.”

There was a pause as she looked ahead at the screen, but her words were meant just for him. “I don’t always feel strong. But when you say it… I almost believe it.” She gave a small, grateful smile. “Just promise me you’ll stick around. I can face anything, as long as I’ve got you.”

She nudged him gently, eyes twinkling now. “Even if you do give me heart palpitations on a regular basis.”

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yeahthatworks
2025-05-08 07:04 am UTC (link)

"You wouldn't want me any other way. I know it," Buck said with a bright smile.

"I feel like I should be saying these things to you." If it wasn't for Maddie, he wasn't sure where he would be right now since she was the only who actually cared about him. "You're stuck with me forever." Although, he couldn't promise that he would forever be stuck here with her since this place had a mind of its own. But he will always be there for his big sis.

He looked away from the movie and looked down at Maddie. "You are, though. You've been through a lot and you're still standing." He gave her another little squeeze. "I'm not going anywhere."

He shook his head and laughed."I do not."

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ididntgiveup
2025-05-08 03:26 pm UTC (link)

”You’re right. I wouldn’t want you any other way. You wouldn’t be you and we wouldn’t be us.” She said with a smile.

“I guess we just keep each other going. We’re a pretty damn good brother/sister match.” She spoke honestly. “I hope so. Hope this place doesn’t rip us apart.” Her arms tightened around him at those words. Almost as if holding him in place and making sure this place didn’t steal him away from her.

“Yeah. But that’s because I have a great brother to turn to when I need help.” She smiled as their eyes met. “You’re pretty strong too, ya know. You’ve been through a lot as well.”

“Ha! On a daily basis, Buck! But I love you anyway.”

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yeahthatworks
2025-05-10 05:58 am UTC (link)

"This place isn't going to rip us apart." Buck didn't see any reason why it would. Although, he knew it could be evil and take Maddie away from him again. He shook his head, trying not to think of that happening again.

"What a pair we are. But I wouldn't want any other sister in my life." Maddie was more than just his older sister. She in a way kind of raised him. He wouldn't be who he was if it hadn't been for her. And as much as it sucked to be here, he really was glad that she was here with him again.

"Sure, sure, I love you too. Now finish watching the movie."

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