vixey-chakraborty

[vixey-chakraborty]

Three bedrooms.

Perfect for two kids. And, before that, an office for Al if he ever wanted to go through things at home. Or set up a gaming station, much more involved than the one he had at his apartment...

And by the time the second one was old enough to move into a room of their own, maybe they would be looking for a new house anyway...

The future unfurled in front of her so easily as she glanced around the little cottage. She moved into the kitchen, standing at the porcelain farm sink, looking out over the rolling hills of the Farmlands.

"That makes sense, this place is a little slice of heaven," Vixey commented. She turned back to the real estate agent. "How much land does it come with again?"

"3.5 acres," the real estate agent said. "There is also the sweetest little pond just down behind that hill. No structures, but you could easily build a shed or small barn or chicken coop if you wanted. Lots of your neighbors have done something similar. Though, you'll have to be careful. A little family of foxes lives at the base of the hill. I noticed them the last few times I came by to show the house."

@alzcomicbarn

House Hunters Swynlake Edition || Vixal

[vixey-chakraborty]

I'll Be There For You | FRIENDS

Date: Late February 2025 Featuring: @alzcomicbarn @moon-yeongjun @vixey-chakraborty Warnings: None!

Tiana breaks the news about Tiana's Place to her friends who helped build the restaurant from the beginning.

TIANA

When Tiana thought about it, really thought about it, her friendships with Al and Jun and Vixey had a lot to do with the opening of the restaurant. Each of them had helped her, in their own way, with getting the place up and running. 

But she wasn’t worried that the end of the restaurant would be the end of their friendship. When Vixey had decided to sell From Farm to Table, hardly anything had changed. In fact, Tiana was beginning to think their friendship may have grown stronger, now that Vixey was doing something she really loved doing and could be more fully herself.

Tiana did want to talk to them before she talked to her staff, though. It felt important to keep them in the loop. And Tiana trusted them not to tell anyone until she was ready.

“Okay, so, um-” Tiana said once the conversation had lulled, toward the end of dinner. It was an ordinary dinner with the four of them, the only extraordinary thing about it being the fact that the four of them had gotten their schedules to line up. “I need to tell you all something. And I’m gonna ask you to please, please keep it to yourselves until I formally announce the news, because it involves people’s jobs and livelihoods. Um- I’ve done a lot of thinking, and I’ve looked at the finances, and I’ve tried everything, and… yeah. Um, I think Tiana’s Place is gonna close.”

AL: 

Al blinked.

For a moment,  he half-expected Tiana to laugh, to reveal that some university-aged prankster was hiding behind the curtains for a TikTok — Gotcha! He imaged a bunch of cheering and laughing as confetti exploded around them and Tiana actually announced some good news.

But that split second passed and it became clear that Tiana was being very, very serious.

Tiana wouldn’t lie to them about this. Tiana wouldn’t look so resigned.

“Are you sure?” Al asked. “Is there anything we can do to help? There must be something. We could partner up. Or — or petition the Board!”

Al wasn’t sure what that last thing could do at all, but maybe something with rent? Or getting a grant or tax cut or — or something. He could hit the archives and start digging through old ordinances and see if there was something that could get Tiana off the hook.

JUN: 

Jun saw this coming.

He saw this coming because, of all their friends, he was the most intimate with Tiana’s financial details. He had discussed and discussed it with her, offering alternatives for suppliers, different ways to balance the book, and even, unfortunately, advocating that she minimize the size of her staff. Through it all, though, he’d never thought those words would come out of Tiana’s mouth.

Close the restaurant? Close her restaurant, the place she had worked so hard on for years and years?!

And so Jun was surprised. His mouth dropped. He glanced from friend to friend, utterly at a loss of what to say at first. But then, well - it was obvious.

The one thing that Tiana had yet to do was still on the table.

“I can help you get a loan,” Jun said at once. “This is what the Small Business Owners Coalition is for, Tiana! I told you, remember, you just have to make it to the summer months ago and then business can pick back up!” 

VIXEY:

Vixey was also surprised by the news. 

If only because she knew Tiana as a fighter. Stubborn and tenacious. Smart too. She knew what it felt like to struggle with the decision to close a business, but she had never loved From Farm to Table the way that Tiana loved the restaurant. The thrift shop had never been Vixey’s dream. 

But, she also knew what it was like to give up a dream. She knew what it was like to feel that carved out part of yourself. The shame. The embarrassment. The self-loathing, the why was I not good enough? Stronger? Better? Through the throes of her grief over Charlie’s death, Vixey had also wrestled with the unmoored feeling of not knowing what she would do next. It was as terrifying as being lashed around in a fierce, dark storm. 

There was a moment, though, an eye, where everything became clear. And you found the decision that quieted it all, if only for an instant. 

For Vixey, that had been moving back home.

For Tiana, it seemed to be closing the restaurant. 

The time for fighting had passed. Jun may know Tiana’s financial situation better than the rest of them, but Vixey knew her heart. 

So, while the boys fought back (and she didn’t blame them for this), Vixey stood up from her seat and moved to perch on the arm of Tiana’s, leaning to put her arm around her. She tilted her head to rest on the top of Tiana’s, but she didn’t say anything, just squeezed her in a half-hug. 

TIANA

Tiana wasn’t surprised by the reactions, any of them. She was a little relieved that none of them seemed angry or disappointed— she knew she’d been distant lately. But of course Al had an idea for how the Board could help, and of course Jun had an idea for how the Small Business Coalition could help. And of course, Vixey, who had been through this before, had an idea of how it felt. Tiana felt that familiar warm glow of affection for her friends, these people who had supported her from the beginning and would be there for her no matter what.

“Our investor pulled out,” Tiana explained, for once not really bothering to hold back the tears. “If we’d had a better quarter, maybe that wouldn’t matter as much, but the restaurant was barely profitable to begin with— and that’s normal for a restaurant, but it means the margins are crazy tight. We don’t have any money, and business is good, but it’s not enough. A loan would just delay the inevitable. I’ve thought about all of the options, I promise, and there’s just nothing I can do at this point. Even if I did get help.”

She closed her eyes and leaned into Vixey, then opened her eyes again. “But I appreciate it, really. This isn’t me asking for help. This is just… what’s gonna have to happen.” 

AL: 

Al’s lower lip wobbled. This was clearly difficult for Tiana. He wanted to tell her it would be alright, but the truth was he didn’t know. 

He knew all too well that sometimes what you thought you wanted outta life wasn’t what you actually ended up wanting. Just look at him! He actually hadn’t set out to open up the Comic Barn. He’d wanted to be a fancy game designer. But the Barn had become his calling.

As long as he’d known Tiana, she’d wanted her restaurant. And he knew she’d wanted it for even longer before. He didn’t wanna tell her to give up on her dream…

… but he knew she wouldn’t have come to this decision quickly. It was a long, hard process to realize that maybe you needed to let a dream go. 

Man, he couldn’t think of anything to say that wasn’t cheesy (“don’t give up!”) or possibly backhanded (“you had a good run!”), so Al just said the one thing he knew was true. 

“Well, whatever you need from us, we’ll be here,” said Al, with a firm nod. 

JUN: 

Jun still wanted to fight – to problem-solve. That was what Jun could do, eh? He could come up with practical solutions and he could plug holes. He could put off the inevitable! He could even find Tiana a new investor, somehow, someway! And if he couldn’t do those things? 

Jun glanced around at his friends and their somber faces, at Vixey’s supportive hug, and Al’s empathetic frown. 

Jun did not know what he had to give. All this made him uncomfortable. What would happen, after all? This was Tiana’s job. She couldn’t just…give it up! What would she do without Tiana’s Place? This would not only change Swynlake, but also Tiana’s entire life… it would trickle down into dinners such as this, into the things that Jun and Tiana talked about.

Maybe, in fact, there would be nothing to talk about at all.

June’s whole body went hot and itchy, like he was having an allergic reaction. What was in this food anyway?

“I don’t think that’s true,” said Jun stubbornly. He shook his head. “There is always more that can be done, Tiana, you shouldn’t give up.” Now he was lecturing and he didn’t mean to lecture, but his heart pounded in his ears. “Really, now is the time for us all to come together! There are gofundmes and this kind of thing! You have to think outside the box!” 

VIXEY:

“Jun,” Vixey said, a warning in her tone. 

She shook her head when he cut his gaze to her. Sitting up some, she rubbed gently at Tiana’s back still. 

“You know that Tiana has done everything she could. She wouldn’t choose this if there was another option to keep the restaurant open. Pushing is only going to make it feel worse than I am sure it already does. Which–it shouldn’t.” She turned to Tiana and smiled at her.

Maybe in another life, if things had gone differently for Vixey, she would dig her heels in and fight too. But, she didn’t want to do that anymore. Life came in waves. Sometimes, it washed away the progress you made, but then it came back with something brand new for you. Vixey had left nursing for three years and now it had come back to her. 

“Just because it didn’t work out right now doesn’t mean it will never work. It might just take a little longer. And that’s okay. This is a stepping stone. You have a lot of wonderful people in this town and all over behind you. There is still so much time. And you’ve accomplished so much. Who can say they opened and ran a restaurant before the age of 30?” 

TIANA

“No, it’s okay. Thanks, guys” Tiana said, though part of her did wonder if the reason the place hadn’t lasted was because she’d been so young when she’d opened the restaurant. 

There seemed to be an ocean between herself at thirty and herself at twenty-five, so much that had happened in the years that made up the latter half of her twenties. Mistakes made, lessons learned. Tiana knew now that she’d probably rushed it all a little bit, but she didn’t regret that either, because taking that leap had taught her so much.

She looked at Jun. “You’ve done so much for the restaurant over the years, really. I can’t thank you enough. And I know you’d do anything you could to keep my dream going. But Vixey’s right– I’m not ruling it out forever, that I could have another go at it someday. That’s part of the reason I felt like I could do it. I was talking to Cass Hamada, you know, the owner of the new Lucky Cat Cafe, and she did it. I just need some time to figure out what I want to do next, which is really fucking scary, honestly, but maybe it’ll be good for me.”

AL: 

Al nodded. 

“Life has a funny way of working out, I think,” he said. He looked at Vixey when he said this. Of course, he didn’t want to take over the conversation and wax poetic about how they had ended up together despite everything but…

Well, he was definitely thinking about that.

“You have time to figure that out. Heck, we all do.” At one point, Al had felt like he was running out of time, which was probably why he’d gotten engaged to a woman he didn’t even really love. In hindsight, he could clearly see where he’d gone wrong, but he knew just how scary it had been in the moment. 

This was different, of course. But Tiana was much younger than the rest of them. She had more mistakes left to make. Yeah, it would be scary, but she could always come to them for advice. 

“Whatever you do next, Tiana, just know you can always count on us.” He nudged Jun on the shoulder. “Right, Jun?” 

JUN: 

Jun looked from one friend to the next. Their faces were serene like they all knew something he didn’t – and well, maybe they did! Jun was the only one who didn’t know how to let go. It’s true that he had hardly let go of anything in his life, at least nothing that truly mattered. It was his instinct to cling to things fiercely. Anything else felt like a betrayal.

He shook his head and sighed. It was impossible to argue with all three of them and Tiana didn’t even want him to so…so that was it then. Tiana’s Place would shutter its doors. It ended neatly and quietly. 

“Yes. Yes, of course,” uttered Jun quietly, though he shook his head again as if disagreeing with his words, for he still felt it was all such a shame, such a sadness, and he couldn’t imagine Tiana doing anything else.

VIXEY:

Vixey felt Al looking at her and glanced over, catching his eye and smiling.

Yes, he was definitely another one of those things that was a lesson taught. Which was a good thing to her. Something that she appreciated all the more for all the things that they had to learn to come together. That was what made it beautiful at the end of the day.

And it was what gave her the confidence that Tiana was going to be okay too. She was going to do something again that was just as fabulous as Tiana’s Place, because that was the kind of person she was. 

When one door closed, another opened, and all that.

“We’ll be with you every step of the way,” she said, hugging Tiana again. “That’s what friends are for.”

TIANA

Tiana knew that Jun was disappointed. She knew that Al was worried, and that Vixey was sad. She knew that this wasn’t the news any of them wanted to hear.

But Tiana also knew that her friends loved her. That they supported her and would be there for her whatever happened, just as Vixey said. Al was right. You couldn’t predict anything in life. Who knew what was next? 

“Thanks,” Tiana said with a watery smile, looking around at her friends. “Y’all are the best. I mean it.” She took a breath. “Okay, who wants beignets?”

[vixey-chakraborty]

Vixey laughed, a little surprised, at Al's sneezed. But she just rubbed his back a bit before passing him. "Bless you."

It was dusty.

Maybe even a little mildewy.

But it was very cute.

The living room was a good size and the kitchen could be seen poking out just through the door. There was a fireplace, with real wood. The windows were a little warped from age, but that was plenty fine with her. It was charming.

She smiled. "How old is this house?"

"It was built in 1874. But it was refurbished in 1976 with new appliances and better plumbing. You don't have any air conditioner but, well--"

"That's alright," Vixey said with a smile and a shrug. They didn't have AC at the farm house either. "Any issues?"

"Well, it's been on the market for about 5 years now. The owners are a persnickety bunch, I'll be honest."

@alzcomicbarn

House Hunters Swynlake Edition || Vixal

[vixey-chakraborty]

Vixey watched James for a moment, wondering if anything she was saying was sinking in. She knew that she sounded insufferably preachy. Even more so, probably, to a teenager. But she couldn't help it. She believed everything that she was saying. And she didn't want to see James throw away his life.

He had every opportunity to live a happy and fulfilled one. Of course, the ghost of his father would continue to haunt him. (Ha.) That was certainly true. Vixey knew that from experience. But still, she knew that he would forge ahead.

The comment made her laugh.

"I'll hold you to that," she told him, happy to see some of his surliness return that wasn't abject defeated defensiveness.

"Now, are you feeling better? Gonna be able to make it out or do you want to sit down for a minute first? Nurse's station offer is still open."

@captainjamesjoneshook

Push It To The Limit || Pirate Fox

[vixey-chakraborty]

Vixey frowned.

That was--not a very healthy way of looking at things. Not that she was entirely surprised. Most people weren't going to handle such a severe accident and sudden disability in the healthiest ways. It was trauma, plain and simple. And add losing a limb on top of losing a father--she couldn't imagine how much James was reeling. After all, grief was often described as feeling like losing a limb in and of itself.

But it was Vixey's job to help navigate that complex emotional landscape. Maybe some people wouldn't think so. That it was for therapists and psychiatrists, and maybe that was true. But Vixey cared for her patients. She wanted to help them.

(And she had offered James therapeutic services, he'd rejected her. But, he was talking to her and that mattered.)

"That won't happen, James," she told him softly, squeezing his bicep a bit from where she was still holding him up. He was getting a little of his color back, at least, resting against the wall.

"Becoming okay with losing your leg, with your disability, and wanting to get a prosthetic to help you is not the same thing. There are plenty of amputees who are perfectly capable of navigating without their prosthetic but they still use one. Maybe not all the time, but they do.

And what is so wrong with getting used to it? This is your new reality. It all comes in waves. The grief, the frustration, the depression. And they are all okay, as long as you don't succumb to any of them, but that's what I'm saying: you won't. You're young and strong and you have Mr. Smee and your friends."

She didn't know much about his life in Swynlake, of course, but she knew--in the way natives knew--that he had lived here his whole life. He must have a support system. Friends, family...

"You will get through this, but you don't do it by pushing yourself to utter exhaustion. That isn't going to help anyone. And it won't change anything."

@captainjamesjoneshook

Push It To The Limit || Pirate Fox

[vixey-chakraborty]

Jun took a sip of his coffee, and while Vixey missed the expression he pulled; she knew that he was upset. Or embarrassed. And she also knew, of course, Jun. Who he was. How he showed his affection: by worrying incessantly. And she did feel bad for her own reaction. Everything had just been heightened by the crazy way the wedding had happened.

There was no good way to handle it. At least, none that she knew.

"Well, thank you. And yes, we're very happy. Things have been going just perfectly." They'd not had one fight or disagreement. Everything had simply aligned perfectly.

Vixey's smile softened as she looked across the table at her friend.

"I'm sorry too," she said after a moment. "I should've told you that what you said upset me instead of waiting for you to realize it. That wasn't fair of me."

@moon-yeongjun

Is It Too Late To Apologize? || Juxie

[vixey-chakraborty]

I love when I get a report from a nurse that’s preemptively mad about how I might potential treat their patient. I genuinely love it. I get a report where someone’s like “and you DONT need to talk down to him, you just have to give him extra time to answer” while glaring at me as if I’d already done this. I have never met this patient before, but I love that you’re so ready to kick my ass over him.

[vixey-chakraborty]

[vixey-chakraborty]

[vixey-chakraborty]

Anne Sexton, from “Waking Alone,” in The Complete Poems [ID in alt text]

[vixey-chakraborty]

Vixey's eyebrows twitched by Jun's passionate endorsement of her marriage. Where was this when they'd first told him and Tiana?

She knew that probably wasn't completely fair.

After all, it had been a surprise. Shocking. Stressful. But--it had also been sweet and wonderful and Vixey had been fully in her honeymoon phase. She had wanted her friends to support her. Even if it was a hard request.

In the end, she hadn't felt like it was asking too much.

She let Jun finish.

"Thank you," she said, taking a sip of her coffee. Ugh, she really was exhausted after her shift. "That was all I wanted. An apology. I know you didn't mean anything by it, but Jun--that doesn't mean the things you say don't hurt people. You cannot always just hide behind 'well, I didn't mean it that way.' Sometimes, it is beneficial to think about your words before you say them. I know you were just looking out for us, but that wasn't the time. We were being criticized enough by people we don't care about and those we do. We wanted your support and congratulations."

She thought, with a pang, about the unsteady relationship between Al and her family. Something she hadn't told Jun about at all.

@moon-yeongjun

Is It Too Late To Apologize? || Juxie

[vixey-chakraborty]

rice, mary oliver

[vixey-chakraborty]

Vixey chuckled a little. She hadn't really meant the question. As a nurse, she knew, at least the basics, about psychology studies. Not enough to parse what the questions Dr. Chu had asked meant, but enough to know that it wasn't about doing well. It was about information.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Vixey said. "You care about their opinions more than anyone else's. At least, I do."

And it was true. Vixey could hardly stand it that her family was upset with her for marrying Al, but she was determined not to let it affect any of her relationships. Which maybe a losing battle...but she was doing her best to try and balance.

"And they know you better than anyone else too. Makes it harder to hide things from them."

@waitingona-mirabel

Family is Family | Vixabel

[vixey-chakraborty]

[vixey-chakraborty]

Vixey's eyebrows twitched up and stayed there.

She let Jun stumble his way through blaming her for being upset without saying anything. Just set her coffee down on the table. Waited for him to finish.

"Well, generally, when you criticize someone for their decisions--especially around romance--they're going to be upset," Vixey said placidly. "I didn't mention it because--" Here, some of Vixey's own calm collapsed and she felt her cheeks heat. She glanced down at the doily on the table between them.

"I knew you weren't going to change your mind, so what was the point in arguing with you? I was waiting for you to come around about it, which you clearly haven't. And that's fine. But--" She looked back up at Jun. "You can't expect to criticize my relationship the way you did and for everything to be fine."

@moon-yeongjun

Is It Too Late To Apologize? || Juxie

[vixey-chakraborty]

It was already over?

Vixey glanced around at her family before her gaze landed on Mirabel and she gave her a friendly smile. She hadn't expected it to be so simple. Maybe...it would get more complicated, but for right now, that hadn't been so bad. And if it meant helping other families, she supposed she could deal with the little bit of discomfort.

She got up with the rest of her family, thanked Dr. Chu, and followed Mirabel out into the hallway.

"How'd we do?" she joked quietly with Mirabel as her family conversed behind them amongst themselves.

@waitingona-mirabel

Family is Family | Vixabel

[vixey-chakraborty]

While it wasn't, really, either of their faults it took so long to get a date set to meet, Vixey was also kind of glad they were both so busy. Usually, this fact annoyed her--if only because she did want to see her friend. But, Tiana had given her the heads up that she'd meddled a bit, so when the text came through from Jun, Vixey knew, or at least, had a feeling, this wasn't going to be a normal coffee date.

Which made her anxious. As much as she was capable of digging in when necessary, she didn't like confrontation.

And she knew how Jun could be. She knew how she could be when their stubbornness was put up against one another.

STill, she came, because she loved Jun and she didn't want to be angry with him. And she smiled when she saw him and as he offered to get her a coffee. She knew better than to argue, so she just said thank you and that she was just getting a herbal tea. After this, she was planning on going to Al's apartment and crashing face down on the mattress and sleeping until dinner.

"Thank you," she said when he came back, taking a little sip. "How are you?"

[outfit]

@moon-yeongjun

Is It Too Late To Apologize? || Juxie