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[myriadeclipse]

Hugo Inbox

Home of Mockingbird and the voice in his head

Mockingbird

Please forgive me for missing your message. I'll be right with you.

The Other Me

He isn't that sorry.

Mockingbird

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{Text; Video; Audio; Action}

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[myriadeclipse]

That eager to see me?

[paraselenic]

I've reconsidered. Text gets the inflection across.

[myriadeclipse]

What if I'm the one eager to see you, then?

[paraselenic]

[...]

Then I would gladly oblige. We should..probably avoid that restaurant, however.

[He tipped insanely well. He tipped so well the woman's eyes bugged out. He is still not sure if they can go back]

[myriadeclipse]

Do you want me to go to you? I can pick something up on the way if you'd like.

Just this once, I will acquiesce to your whims.

[paraselenic]

You are in a good mood today, it seems. I'll let you choose what to bring.

[He won't question Hugo's generosity. It made things easier for him. With his leg he doubts he could jog on it without the metal splintering more, so its best to just make as little movements as possible. He'll just...lowkey send his address to him. It's not like Hugo wouldn't have found it out anyway, if he didnt already know.]

Just walk in, it's not like a lock can stop you, anyway.

[myriadeclipse]

I'll be there soon.

[ telling him a good mood wasn't to blame would have sent them down an unnecessary road about the topic that was already waiting until he made it to Lycaon's place. Lycaon would have to just accept whatever his imagination as thought up for the time being.

As for what he'll pick up, that was harder. Lycaon truly had to be in a bad position to leave it all to Hugo. With that in mind, he might as well do something that leaned to Lycaon's tastes. Maybe snacks and drinks for whatever period of time Lycaon's going to allow himself to stay down. He also can't go overboard, he did have to carry everything.

It takes perhaps an hour before there is sound outside the door. The only warning was the sound of bags being put down, Hugo himself making no sound, as one would expect. In a moment, the door makes a clicking sound and is pushed open. The bags were taken up once more and carried inside, nudging the door closed after him and letting the smell of cooked meat herald his arrival. ]

[paraselenic]

[Hugo wouldn't be wrong in that aspect. Hell, were he in a better position he'd probably just make something himself for them to have. The idea of having takeout or food in general brought in just seemed far more appealing. Hugo knew his tastes, he'd figure something out.

When the door closes behind him, Lycaon's seen at the island area of his kitchen, browsing the newspaper and leaning against it. Sitting wasn't really ideal for him: getting up put a lot of weight on the leg he'd 'injured', and he'd rather save its future strain for things like getting out of bed.

Speaking of that leg, it wasn't just broken, a whole 1/3 of it was missing, the entire outer plating on the 'calf' of his right leg torn off like a shark went to it. The metallic pede of it was still intact, thankfully, but the metal underneath was splintered and looked uneven in places. It sure wasn't the work of your ordinary rabbit.

Aside from that, Lycaon wasn't wrong about being okay otherwise. He may have had some scars that were expertly hidden by his fur, but that was it.]

Hugo.

[His ears flick towards the door as he turns his attention to him, already amazed it'd been practically two weeks since their last conversation.]

[myriadeclipse]

[ Hugo carried the bags in to the kitchen, setting them down on the island where Lycaon was leaning. A stare was given down to his legs, Hugo's brows knitting. The damage was far more than he was expecting. It was like he was attacked by a shark more than a rabbit. What sort of board game night comes with that level of violence?

Clearing his throat, he tipped his chin up, pulling his arms from the bags. One bag was doubled up with paper and plastic for sturdiness and easy of carrying, where the smell of grilled meat and hot food. The other two bags contained two bottles of wine in one and miscellaneous small snacks in the other. ]

The American's are already teaching you horrible habits. Anyway, do with it all as you will.

[ He steps away and leaves the rest to Lycaon, as he expects the wolf has a way his stuff is organized, and seeing him move around will give him a better idea of just how well his mobility was. ]

The meal is for you. I've already eaten.

[paraselenic]

[Belatedly, Lycaon feels vindicated in his terms for their fake challenge they issued to each other. Any more than $25 for a daily gift would have had anyone melting in Hugo's hand. Then again, he would never expect this man to do anything subpar. He gives a little nod in thank you to him, too. This was well beyond what was needed.

Shoving himself up from the counter, he starts to unpack the bags, starting with the hot food and laying it out on that island, while moving to put those wine bottles away. His walk was best described as a limp, with Lycaon putting weight on it, having it give and catch a second later.

Setting them under the cabinets, as he felt like they'd be used later, he shakes his head in amusement.]

Surely you can grant me leniency this once, Mr Vlad.

[The rest of the snacks are put away in his both incomprehensible, but very orderly fashion, him compartmentalizing and reorganizing as if it were an assembly line. Once taken care of, he returns to that island and gestures for him to take a seat at one of the bar stools there.]

You look well.

[myriadeclipse]

[ Mr. Vlad watched Lycaon hobble and nearly slip on his leg. It was just as he thought. There was no way that Lycaon should be moving around or doing bartending while he leg was like this. Lycaon was stubborn, and Hugo understood that the work ethic was important to him, but watching him move like this stirred something inside him.

His eyes lifted, looking at him when he spoke again, turning away quickly afterward. Should he have come here in person so soon? They were alone in Lycaon's apartment, and Hugo did not think this through. The only saving grace was Lycaon's lack of it due to his injured leg. ]

I'm fine. I kept Lia company because she was worried about The Meropide Group.

[ The pause was short, Hugo realizing he hadn't explained Lia at all. Maybe talking about her would help ease the air a little. ]

I met her after we parted. She was a young girl trying to run from The Black Order, and since we often ended up crossing paths, I'd help her out here and there. Eventually, she decided to stop running and I ran into her again here. She seems to be getting along with The Order much better these days, but since we have a rapport, I keep in touch with her.

[ He would not call her a sister figure or a partner. She was not Mockingbird and the avoidance of closeless was all but littered all over his statement. ]

Everyone was transported and I left them to it. They hardly need an outsider swarming the hospital.

[ And he was worried about Lycaon, but that's staying in his head where it belongs. ]

[paraselenic]

[Lycaon took the opportunity to lean forward on the island again, propped up on his elbows and his one stable leg. Grabbing one of the containers of food, he moves to open one, but his ears swivel in Hugo's direction when he speaks.

Meropide...so they had gotten the assistance to the hospital they needed after all. But more importantly, there was the mention of this girl, Lia. This is the first time he's heard Hugo talk about anyone else since their separation. Surprise and curiosity show on his face, though he doesn't have to wait long for elaboration.

What he hears sends a shot of warmth into his heart. While (reluctantly) he had reconcile with the fact that he was Mockingbird's traitor, he was proud of the organization and what it accomplished. To hear that even after his departure, Hugo was helping those less fortunate and even keeping in touch after, he tried to keep his undeserved pride hidden. It also didn't go unnoticed how unattached the man made himself sound from her, or the situation, but she was a name.]

I have heard that The Order recently came under new management, so that may be the reason. [He may have done a little research based on its members, like Anby. Surely if things were still dire she would not be as content as she was.] I'm glad you still keep in touch with Miss Lia, she seems like she's been a good influence on you.

[A little joke, as his tail idly swishes back and forth.]

I'd like to meet her sometime.

[myriadeclipse]

Yes, some of her co-workers came and went as well while we were waiting. I'm sure she'll be willing to see you eventually. We're supposed to be visiting the stable gates and Meropide in time. Although, I suppose giving those in Meropide time to recuperate and make sure everything is as it should be will be wise.

[ Hugo crossed his arms, turning to watch Lycaon while the conversation went on. He watched the way his expression moved at which parts. The surprise was hard to watch, Hugo's eyes diverting and moving back once the flustered feeling died down. He couldn't imagine what Lycaon was thinking with this information. He didn't even know what Lycaon thought of Mockingbird anymore.

His feelings obviously can't be too negative if what he said before was true. ]

The only other people I know in this city that you may not be aware of is Mollymauk. Although he did say he took you for drinks and thought forever that I might have an issue with his flirting with you but...

[ Hugo waved a hand. It was Molly. ]

And Sampo. We aren't... We're more like rivals than anything else. How did that little date with Molly go?

[paraselenic]

That makes things easier. I am set to visit Meropide myself in due time--I made a promise to Jun that I would take a look at the premises. Though seeing as he's currently receiving medical treatment, it'll be some time.

[Lycaon notices Hugo's glances to and from him after a bit, figuring it must be his current condition that was causing the reaction. He'll have to reassure the man later.

His attention now turns to Hugo continuing his list of acquaintances. While Sampo is a new one, he already feels bad for the man. Hugo was a formidable rival. Molly does get his ears to perk up slightly, however.] Ah yes, I'm aware of Mollymauk. [He says it so casually, like he was saying he was aware of the existence of turtles.]

That explains why he focused on our conversation. ..You might say it was more me treating him to a drink than him taking me. I figured it would save time if I prepared one for him at the Vogue.

[But his lips curl a little bit more at Hugo's question. Might have an issue, hmm...]

He was quite upfront about his intentions. A change of pace from the standard, flirtatious customers who 'have a type' as the saying goes. I gave him a bit of precaution and wished him luck in his effort.

[myriadeclipse]

Molly was focused on that?

[ Hugo scoffed. Really, Molly was worried about nothing. Granted, Hugo knew they both didn't speak much about their past, he really didn't think the public altercation was enough to warrant that level of concern. It was endearing. Maybe he should have just pushed them to flirt harder. There was time for it when he didn't feel like all the blood in his body was rushing to his face. ]

Molly is dependable and good-natured like that. I don't know how long he'll be around, since he likes to stay on the move, but it would be nice if you try to get to know him better while he's still around.

[ If Molly was going to poke, Hugo was going to poke right back. ]

Does that mean you're flirted with often? People do love the muscular wolf type, I knew it... I won't push on your conversation with him. I trust whatever he did, he thought was for the best.

[ It was the least he could say. Was he curious? Yes, dreadfully so, but he would contain himself. But now, Hugo's gaze lingered on Lycaon quietly for a time. Thinking. ]

... I truly don't think you should work tomorrow.

[paraselenic]

[Lycaon can't help but smile as Hugo goes on. He couldn't agree more about Molly--underneath that seemingly smooth-talking attitude was a large heart. He can see why Hugo took to him so easily, too.]

I'll be sure to keep in touch with him, then. I wasn't aware of his vagabond status--though I suppose some are just more attuned to the wandering life.

[He does chuckle slightly at the comment.]

Yes, as futile of an attempt as they are. It tends to happen more on the cruise lines I frequently am hired to attend, and often accompanied by an enormous tip as incentive. [A pause, as his fingers go to his mouth to conceal a smile.] Last time, I returned it graciously to him as an oversized ice cube in his drink.

[Sometimes he would tell a seagull to take it, or use it to clean a glass. There's no shortage of ways of getting the message across.

Hugo's concern does make him his eye turn towards him, locking with the heterochromatic ones in turn. He's never been more thankful for his fur right now--it conceals any possible attempt of showing his skin flushing.]

After our talk, and before you arrived, my boss responded to my text with what I can only describe as a loving threat. I've been told to stay home until I can contact the engineer who does maintenance on my legs.

He's currently not answering me, which isn't uncommon. He tends to hyperfixate and lock himself away in his lab from time to time.

[myriadeclipse]

[ It was actually amusing to hear how he tried to avoid unwanted advances on his more questionable job. They both were aware what taking money for the elites was bound to lead to. You couldn't trust any of them as far as Hugo was concerned. He didn't speak his displeasure of those people out loud, letting it fester inside him instead, as it always did. ]

Zulius, yes? I may not know him more than the messages I saw, but I could tell he seemed to be that sort. I wholeheartedly agree. I've already seen you stumble in your own kitchen. You'd be of no use to anyone behind a bar right now.

[ And that put a thought in his head that burned in his gut. It was hard to think of, much less say. Yet, Hugo's gaze was lifting and falling on Lycaon once more. ]

How long do you propose that will take? If it isn't uncommon, then you must have a usual length of time this takes. Also, how long do the prosthetics take to fix?

[ Questions about time meant he was considering something, but he knew there was more to do before that was truly a consideration. ]

[paraselenic]

[Much like an excited puppy, Lycaon's tail gives him away at the mention of Zulius. If anyone was in his corner during his time coming to America, it was him.]

Yes, Sir Zulius is certainly the type to take you under his wing whether you realize it or not. He has not even seen the damage to it, but I don't think that would change his mind any. [His eye softens.] You should stop by to visit. I told him to treat you like any other customer, but he outright refused. So you'll get special treatment if you go. [For better or worse. Blood to sharks, as he said.]

[The question of 'how long' makes his head tilt. He supposed it depended on when Percy dove into his work...though he can still give a rough estimate.]

Usually no more than a week, two at maximum, if we are assuming he went into the lab today. [Which he doubts.] He has coworkers to make sure he eats properly and gets ample sleep when this happens, so it shouldn't be too long.

As for the maintenance itself, Master Percy's quite quick...when he's not trying to coerce me into installing gun turrets into them.

[myriadeclipse]

[ Something told him that taking Lycaon up on the offer to go to The Vogue. He didn't think Zulius was going to be as welcoming to him as he might be to others. Hugo was more than aware that the way he and Lycaon behaved in public always brought on a certain thought and if someone was in One corner, they may have ideas about the other. ]

I see...

[ The mentioning of gun turrets in prothetic legs of all things made his brows furrow, but that was Lycaon's curse to bear. Turning to the counter, Hugo finally took the seat on the stool that he was offered long ago, seating himself before Lycaon so he could lean forward on his arms and peer up at him. ]

Well then. I'm prepared to hear your answers. The ones you've been sitting on all of this time. Tell me any way you'd like.

[paraselenic]

[Ah. He'd been mentally preparing himself for this over the past two weeks, and although he is in a much better position to explain than he was over the World's Most Socially Awkward Korean Barbecue, the thought still made his stomach leap up to his throat.]

Very well.

[The food was put aside. He'd go back to it, to not waste Hugo's effort, but he has a feeling that it'd be picked over at best.]

I should preface this with an apology. I did leave you with quite the drop of information, and I'm sure you've got quite a bit to say to me about it.

Also, you should not let my perspective shift yours, though I don't suppose you'd ever let that happen.

[myriadeclipse]

I will reserve my comments for after you are finished. It’s better to let you speak and get everything out first, given the way things ended last time.

[ It was funny to him that Lycaon always seemed to get the last word that left Hugo flabbergasted. Whether it be to leave him forever, or say something that almost sounded soft and affectionate, Lycaon was the only one to bring him to silence. ]

And for what it’s worth, apology accepted.

[ With that said, he falls to silence, giving Lycaon his full attention. ]

[paraselenic]

[All too fair, Lycaon thinks. There's no way he can run from it now, not that he was planning to. His elbows rest on the counter, fingers laced together as his eye turns to face him. Even now, Hugo held such a presence that he could only try to match. Maybe he said what he said as a way to give Hugo something instead of taking something away.

Maybe that's too presumptuous. He had no idea what this man's feelings towards him were at all.]

In the interest of keeping things simple, we'll use the same metaphor I used back at the restaurant. The moon vs. the surface. Dating the way humans perceive it is more like the lunar surface. You can certainly learn a lot about the moon from looking at its craters, landscape, what you will. Gifts, flirting, gestures like holding hands, these are all equivalents. Granted, humans fall in love like any other living creature, but they don't have the perception often to see things like we do.

When it comes to the moon itself, this includes the surface, of course. But we are talking about the moon as a whole. Its surface, its bedrock, its core, why it revolves around the Earth, its phases, the influence on the tide. Wolves perceive on this level, and they will find one person to be that moon. The one they don't want to just look at the surface of. It's easy to translate this as 'love', but it would be...ah. Underselling it.

[A pause.]

Granted, if a wolf were to find love in a partner that was not a wolf, it's possible that their chosen person does not love them back. It is natural, and we accept that part of ourselves. The youth today might also think this is old-fashioned, and might not be shared by people who simply turn into a wolf versus what I am.

[He grew up in the Franco-German countryside. Who knows how things evolved since then.]

...You also asked what things I do to court others. You'll have to excuse me for finding my way out of that question, as they would implicate me immediately.

[His hand extends out, letting his fingers count them off.] Providing them food, soft touches with our tails, memorizing scents, to name a few.

You can understand the situation that put me in.

[myriadeclipse]

[ The concept was simple enough to understand. The difference between courting and making a choice for life, in a sense. What caught his attention was how this might have been the first serious talk they ever had about what they were. Childhood never presented the correct opportunities. Questions would be lobbed back and forth, but never something like this.

Thievery was romantic, but this was something deeper.

Hugo listened to everything, keeping his eyes on him even as he counted. Lycaon was right, the list did immediately implicate him, although Hugo would not call being smacked by his tail over and over 'soft'. Taking it for what he was saying, Hugo's brows lowered, the dip at the corner of his lips deepening. ]

I can see that would have been awkward for you to address at that time. The way you talk about your moon and your one person is also very touching. Now that I understand those particulars, addressing the mounting evidence against you seems like it should be next, right?

Your actions and your proclamation of how you would not call the lunar surface 'high maintenance'. The way you said you had found your moon already.

[ It was against his nature to have such a talk lingering around a kitchen island as if they were having a meeting about it. It was too late for ambiance. He was locked in to this conversation. ]

[paraselenic]

[Learning this had been a process for Lycaon, too. It's not like he learned from parents. Jack was human, so it left him to rely on instincts and word of mouth. Research. Slow realization as he grew older.

But Hugo was right. Terminology and explanations were out of the way. It was time to discuss what was really the meat of this conversation: His actions.]

Correct. [To both.]

[Lycaon's tail swishes in thought, eyes looking away for the right words to string together. All the practice he'd done amounted to his thoughts still being one big jumble of feelings.]

You already know what I meant by it, so I won't waste our time by being redundant. From how your expression reads, I can assume you want the 'when' and the reason why I have not acted in a way that suggests this.

[myriadeclipse]

[ Hugo scoffs, tilting his head back. ]

It may be redundant, but I am giving you your moment. If this choice is supposed to be as final and all encompassing as you make it seem, you should make it as grand and embarrassingly charming as your furry little heart desires.

Without falling.

[ When his head picks up again and his gaze was on Lycaon, he nods. It was more or less true. The 'when' and the 'why' were important. It was better to hear him out and decide after he has all the facts. ]

... Regardless. Yes, those answers would also be lovely. Do continue.