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[myriadeclipse]

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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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[paraselenic]

[There was a bit of weight off his shoulders the moment those words left his mouth, as if coming to terms with his own feelings. His eye, exposing himself like this to Hugo, he'd intended it to show just how vulnerable this made him to the vampire.

At least, that's how it was originally supposed to go.

Unfortunately, Hugo exploded.

Lycaon's eyes fluttered at the way his body suddenly enveloped into darkness, a puff of smoke erupting from the singularity and leaving...a bat? A very small one at that. Ears are pretty big too...and he's kind of fluffy.]

Hugo...? [What does he do. Does he pick him up? Instinctively, he pinches the little fur collar of the bat and moves him to the counter, his dog like curiosity now piqued.]

Ah. As I was saying, you're my... should we really be having this conversation while you're...[WHAT DO YOU EVEN CALL THIS?] petite?

[myriadeclipse]

[ Under no circumstances can he tell Lycaon what caused this, even as he picked up and moved to the counter where his shame can be put on better display. But does he have a choice? Does he really have a choice? He could try to avoid commenting on what's happening to him, but now Lycaon was worried. This might as well happen. ]

You will have to ignore it. It will not end... until my heart stops racing.

[ There were more elegant and avoidant ways of telling Lycaon what happened, but in his flustered state he could do nothing but just say it like it was. This was how this conversation was going to go while he did his best to calm down. This was the worst conversation to have while this ridiculous curse was affecting him.]

When? When did this come about? Why am I only hearing about this now?

[paraselenic]

[Lycaon's brow furrowed at Hugo's explanation, his words only raising more mysteries. Is this just something that...happens to vampires under stressful situations? He feels like he would've seen this in their younger years, but maybe it WAS best to ignore it for now.

No matter how awkward the idea of laying your feelings bare to a bat is.]

If you insist.

[He'll just do his best to answer the questions as they come to him, Hugo's fluffy situation aside.]

'When' is a bit of a difficult thing to narrow down. I suppose before our departure from each other. Although when I realized exactly what it all meant...that came after.

[As for why he's hearing about it now...]

I'd thought the Hugo I knew was lost to some revenge-seeking vigilante.

[myriadeclipse]

[ These were the harder answers to hear. Hugo spent the time since Lycaon's first comment thinking heavily about everything. It made sense for the events to have come about that way. That day truly destroyed everything for him, didn't it? Even now he can be found stumbling, so many years later.

The pale bat pushed up as much as he could, folding his wings in so he can attempt to look like more than a flying rat.

He had his own piece to say on the matter. No matter how he chooses to answer, what has been finally said to him, there were things Lycaon deserved to hear after bearing himself to Hugo like this. He wouldn't be unfair after asking him so many things already. Deliberation over how to put his feelings kept him quiet for a time.]

I have thought about that day endlessly since it happened. Part of me will always be stuck in that moment. I failed to kill my father, and thus in turn assuring the rest of my family died. I lost my freedom to the will of the gods. Most of all, I lost you to the very people who assured that destruction. That was the worst of all my losses that day.

I hated you, but I hated my weak self who couldn't do anything to change that fate more.

[paraselenic]

[This was always going to be a contentious topic, and it probably always will. That day is something not one perspective can tell accurately, and unfortunately, when blended together does not provide any assuring answers. They were two young men who made terrible decisions and were now forced to live with them ten years later. There was no getting around that. Even Lycaon, who had the very image of 'put together', wasn't clear of being unable to let go of the past.

At least they could get through this without a shouting match, for once.

Watching Hugo struggle to sit upright makes him move one of the food containers over, to allow those little bat hands to perch on if he needs.]

That...[Wow, he is a bit glad he doesn't have his own little curse going on right now. Hugo's words leave him speechless. Even hearing Hugo's raw admission of his hatred for him somehow brings relief.] Mm. You were the biggest loss of my life. [His parents abandoning him were pennies compared to the pain this caused. His limbs and eye were proof his life persisted, but he couldn't bring back Hugo.]

I truly should have believed you. Our weakness was exploited that day.

[It's infuriating to think of how those ten years could've been spent differently. A hand runs through his hair idly, fingers tracing along his grayed out eye and down his scar.]

My injuries required Zodiac's expertise in prosthetics, so I had to go to America quite soon after the incident. [In the end, he couldn't even take that job, ironically.] From there, I worked as a bartender and took whatever high-end jobs I could get a hold of.

After all, that's where Mockingbird would show up.

[myriadeclipse]

[ Taking the chance provided to him, The hook of his winged hands reaches out to hold onto the container, using the leverage to pull his other wing up to continue to work himself upward. It was much easier to look up at him while he was clinging into the corner of a container, loathed as he was to admit it helped.

From his new position, he huffed. It almost felt worse that Lycaon waited, wanting to see him all of this time. ]

I did not want it. Mockingbird. Not for a very long time.

[ His voice was low, even while he was a bat, and most of his language was already pitching all over the place. Hugo truly wasn't used to having such extensive conversations in this form. ]

I didn't want to look at the name, nor wear it. The deep importance and meaning of it all was like a scar I couldn't cover up. It was only recently that I decided to pick it back up. Part of me wondered if you'd come back and take it from me. It always felt like it was meant for you instead and the ... chaotic seed of evil.

It grew harder to outrun the questions or the dark place I left myself in to rot. So I stopped. I picked it back up, dusted it off, and got back to work under the moniker once again.

[paraselenic]

[Lycaon watched Hugo readjust himself, hand reaching out to provide a little fallback security should he flop over. With him settled, he cast his eye around the island. Surely there was something he...ah. His gaze landed on a small mandarin orange in his fruit bowl. Reaching over to grab it, his claw sunk into the rind to peel it.

It gave him time to think about it all. So there was a time when Mockingbird for all intents and purposes was dead. He supposed that was to be expected. A part of him hoped it was merely just his location change, but Hugo clearly had his own demons that day. Starting with-]

So you heard that. [The warning Jack gave him. In hindsight, his mentor should have known better than to whisper secrets when Hugo had elf in him.] I didn't understand why he was giving me precaution about one of his own men. We'd all agreed to trust each other...maybe he knew I'd listen by how much I idolized him. Maybe that was my own seed of doubt that was planted, sown and reaped on the day of your family's death.

[That orange is peeled, and Lycaon dangles a little slice of the mandarin in front of him.]

I disagree, however. You were always the sun of Mockingbird, and I was just the pale light of imitation hoping to keep up. A moon can only reflect the sun's light. It can't match its radiance.

...

I may not deserve to have such feelings, but I am proud of the Mockingbird of today.

[myriadeclipse]

[ It was funny when people thought they could hide things from the senses of an elf. They were a proud race and some of the most arrogant beings Hugo's ever known, only to be topped by the audacity of The Fae. He heard a great deal more than people think he does. That still held true now that his statue was more diminutive.

Watching Lycaon so casually start peeling and feeding him orange slices sent his little brain buffering. Was he really feeding him? Now? He was taken in by this absurd fluffy cuteness that easily? How ...ridiculous. And maybe touching, but mostly embarrassing. Shouldn't a wolf be more predatory or something? .

There was a small pause of consideration before he lifted himself and set to biting the orange slice and chewing it in his mouth while Lycaon continued to speak.

He was well through swallowing when Lycaon expressed his pride, Hugo letting one wing lift and point the tip of it at Lycaon while he hung from the other.]

I was your sun. There was no one else who thought of me like that but you, Lycaon. There are plenty who can't stand the destructive nature of the sun, but there are few who don't appreciate the beauty of the moon. The moon... makes the sun palatable. It softens it.

When they are together is when they bring the world to a standstill; watching their hearts align.

[paraselenic]

[You underestimate a wolf's need to take in smaller, fluffy animals, Hugo. Trust him, he'll be predatory when he needs to be.]

Ah.

[This is exactly what he was talking about. Hugo just had such a way with words that he couldn't match, no matter how much he practiced and honed his skills as a gentleman. What was years of hard work was as natural as breathing to this man.

He placed another slice next to Hugo as he ate one himself, looking more like a peanut in comparison to what was an entire dish to the bat.]

I'm fond of that thought. The moon is but a rock without the sun to shine its light on it, and the moon is the only one who can look directly at the sun's light.

[His dog-like curiosity gets the better of him, and he starts to poke at those ears a little.]

Poetic even in this form...

[myriadeclipse]

Are you... mad? Do you want to be bitten again?

[ Hugo's bite could hardly do anything lasting to any part of this massive predator, but my the gods he would do what was bat-ly possible if Lycaon kept provoking him. ]

I've been reduced in size because of your unfortunate level of charm; I haven't lost my mind, You Mutt.

[ It felt correct to both compliment how charming Lycaon could be and then insult him in the same breath. ]

I was ready to tell you...

[ Hugo scoffs, unhooking himself from where he was and taking to the air. He didn't go far, circling in the air and disappearing into another puff of shadows. A light thud heralded his return, standing to his original height once more. His hands settled on his hips as he leveled a look on Lycaon, stepping forward to pick up that orange slide he was offered just earlier. That was still his. ]

I was going to say. I'm willing to work on this. We will both benefit from getting use to this [ He makes a motion between them with his fingers. ] again.

[paraselenic]

[A small chuckle escapes Lycaon's lips as he watched Hugo struggle against his curious fingers. A bite wouldn't be the worst for this little teasing, after all.

Even Hugo's backhanded compliment seemed more like a return to their status quo. He functioned better like this, their jabs masking the real affection underneath, reserving those moments for when they were important.

His eye tracks Hugo's flight, following that uneven flittering around until the puff of smoke appears again, bringing the man's true form back. His tail puffed out a little at the transformation--that's not something he'll get used to quickly.

Making some room at the island for Hugo to grab his spoils, a hand goes to his chin as he looks up at the ceiling again.]

So I'm to understand that you accept my feelings. [He probably should've said confession, but they're both still trekking through this with their emotionally damaged hearts. It doesn't stop his tail from wagging a little, tip of it brushing against Hugo's shins.]

Then I too would like to work on this. Though...we have to discuss what exactly 'this' is.

[myriadeclipse]

[ He's going to eat the mandarin slice before he does anything else. Yes, he's accepted the feelings. Thanks to the time passed and the influence of the board game, some sentiments may have been tested faster than Hugo anticipated. Feeling the way soft fur brushes against his legs, he didn't regret the place it brought him. ]

I'm not truly sure. I don't think we're comfortably able to use the terms humans usually do yet.

What do you suggest?

[ This sort of thing was out of his usual range of expertise. It was Lycaon's feelings that kicked this off, he might as well let Lycaon figure out this part. He was going to seat himself down once more as if the whole bat intermission never happened. ]

And until your leg has been seen, I'll be here daily to make sure you haven't tripped and died. [ It was more hinged than saying he was just going to stay. He had hinges. ]

[paraselenic]

[Lycaon certainly didn't go into his reunion with Hugo with the intent to confess, that's for sure. The pent up time away must have really made him afraid of that visit being the last. And with the boardgame fiasco...well. That did speed things up.

Hugo was right, though. While they were on the same page with each other...it's not your standard relationship.]

Miss Belle and the others seem to be under the impression that we are..ah. What's the term. 'Bitter exes.' I heard her making noises of distress when you decided to make your presence known on the app. It's possible she remembers us from our previous life, and it seems to be a common assumption by many who don't.

[His eye glints a little.] ...Shall we see how long it takes them to notice?

[Lycaon's playful, toying-with-prey side is coming out a little. He loves Belle, and the others. But if they're all so eager to rule them as eternally bickering...he would like to see how long before they can piece it together. But since this involves both of them, he will leave that final say up to Hugo.

He does snort indignantly at that last comment, though.]

You think of me like an injured horse. If I fell I could get back up. [He won't remark on how Hugo had snuck in the fact that he was going to stay. He'll let this bat have that victory. And speaking of victory, he'll go grab that wine Hugo brought. This WAS a victory in its own way.]

...And if I may offer a suggestion. I would invest in turtlenecks. [He won't elaborate.]

[myriadeclipse]

[ The way his face lights up at the notion of not telling them should be illegal. That was a fun idea. Everyone could continue to have their own ideas of what was occurring between them. Hugo himself hadn't done a lot of elaboration on their relationship past what it used to be. Did people usually believe him? No, but he really hadn't done anything to confirm or deny.

The dark laugh followed the look. He was clearly on board for not telling anyone.

His delight didn't last, his eyebrows climbing as he listened to the suggestion. All the answer as to why that he could think of were... well, he didn't want to assume.]

Turtlenecks? Why something so covering? What are you going to do, Lycaon? [ Hugo would prefer he did elaborate. ]

And Wha-What if you fell somewhere you couldn't just get back up from? You're plenty capable on your own, and I'm aware of that. I won't be here all the time. Unless you would prefer that I did stay a few days to nag you.

[paraselenic]

[He had a feeling Hugo would enjoy that. It saves them from having to explain that they were, actually, adults who could talk things out. And...well, maybe a part of him enjoys the idea of acting the part everyone thought they were playing on the app.

The Mockingbird wasn't completely out of this wolf yet.]

Future investment. Nothing more. [But Hugo seems to need a little help in seeing just what exactly he means, so when he limps back around to the island to set the wine down, he brushes a hand to pull back Hugo's bangs. Something he'd only really done in the back of his mind, in daydreams he wouldn't even give his consciousness the light of day. He moves closer, dipping his head down and pressing his teeth to his neckline. Their presence just enough to get the message across before he pulls back, a sly smile now adorning his wolfish lips.

He'll play nice for now--you have a little...flying rat situation that could re-trigger after all.]

Of course I want you to stay.

[myriadeclipse]

[ If Hugo had it his way, the world wouldn't be without those part of him that are Mockingbird at all.

Hs gaze remained on Lycaon as he approached. It had been a long time since they stood this closely, and touches like this were new. Maybe in the depths of those shameful dreams was the only time Lycaon had touched him so gently. He could feel it now, watching him with a softened gaze. A slow breath was taken when he could feel the brush against his neck, his eyes looking toward the ceiling.

Horrible. Horrible dog. The flying rat situation didn't resurface, thankfully. Although his pale skin did have a bit more color than usual, he remained relatively calm. Hugo could even raise a hand to rest against Lycaon's chest to help him, and he leaned up to turn his head and press a touch of his own along Lycaon's snout before they were drawn out once more. ]

Then I will stay for a few days. And. Ahem. I'll also look into higher collars. You're fortunate to be covered in fur. I doubt any damage I could do would really show up.

[paraselenic]

Hugo's soft reciprocation to his actions sent him reeling inside. How often had he imagined this situation...more times than he'd dare admit. Nights of staring at the ceiling fan and letting his mind replay the same fantasy.

He has to keep himself in check. He has a busted leg right now, after all. Too much movement would be bad.

It does not stop him from being smug, looking at the man in the same way one looks at a 3-course steak dinner. He pours the wine into the two glasses, gently handing one to the man in front of him.]

That makes me happy to hear. And for what its worth, they'd look good on you. [The shirts? Or Teeth marks? The answer is Yes.]

I could remove a small section from my neckline if it would help. [Someone put that muzzle back on this dog, he's being so obnoxious now.]

[myriadeclipse]

[ He reaches out to take the glass, his attention on how much it seemed like Lycaon was a bit happier now, brighter and more open. It was the sort of normal between them that had been missing for a very long time, and almost made Hugo regret the space between them.

Almost. He couldn't help blinking, lowering his glass from mid-sip. ]

Absolutely not. Even normal, mundane people know what a vampire bite looks like, and your job is extremely public. Someone would notice. [ Part of him really does want to put that muzzle back on him, but he was enjoying the return to their normal banter too much. Why does he like this bastard? ]

If I'm going to bite you, I'll be sure it's somewhere easily hidden.

[ That glass was raises and brought down once more as he fully processed what Lycaon said before that. ]

You've never gotten to do those things to me before. How would you even know?

[paraselenic]

[To say he missed this was an understatement. Maybe it was that wolves were social creatures at their core, but being able to return to a fraction of what they had...

His tail has not stopped swishing since he brought that wine over. He couldn't stop it even if he tried at this point.]

Mm. You're right. And if Sir Zulius finds out...I'd probably never know peace again. [Not that he'd be against a...whatever it is they just had. A make up? But Zulius would want every detail.

Lycaon takes a sip from his own glass, swirling it after as he looks at the contents idly. True, he'd never really done anything with Hugo when they were younger, but in their time apart he'd have plenty of time to let his mind wander into that dark abyss of sinful thoughts only to mentally slap himself after.]

Because it's you. [He says that so confidently, no hesitation whatsoever.] That's all I really need to be sure of it.

[myriadeclipse]

You're... right.

[ Hugo never hesitated to hype himself up. It was part of being a vampire to act seductively and use your looks to your advantage. There wasn't the same flood of warmth with others said it, and Hugo would effortlessly smile back and flirt. Lycaon was different. He wasn't one to waste words or feelings that could be expressed more succinctly. It made the compliments real, even when he was fishing for them. ]

You're excited.

[ He said, instead of the words on his mind, he comments on the energetic sway of Lycaon's tail. Hugo knew everything was real, but the physical reminders helped remind him that it wouldn't disappear this time. Not yet. He hadn't cursed this reunion yet. ]

I've thought of these things while we were apart, too. Perhaps my imagination was a bit crueler than reality, but it was the only way back then. [ His voice was a low, slow purr as he swirled his wine. ]

... Those pitiful, yearning thoughts.

[paraselenic]

[In some ways, he did always wonder about the feud between wolves and vampires. Destined to be bitter enemies, unable to reconcile their differences. When if you boiled down their basic needs, they complimented each other quite well. Wolves were so sure of their feelings, and vampires could use the unfiltered, genuine affection. Societal differences, he supposes.]

It's your imagination.

[It's said as a defense, but in such a tone that's obvious that he's not hiding it too terribly. He was excited, in a way he never really allowed himself to be before. He lets Hugo's words sink in, though, and that tail moves up to settle behind the man's back on that chair, wrapping around onto his lap.]

We were both pitiful in that respect. Learning of our feelings too late and filled with regret of the sand slipping through our fingers. Clinging to what we could as it fell.

...

It's not an issue anymore. I'll make sure those are forgotten.

[myriadeclipse]

[ If he was going to complain about Lycaon's tail wagging being his imagination, it was gone from his recollection when he felt that same tail touch him. His head dipped, pausing until he felt the tip settle against his lap. Hugo's free hand fell over the soft fur, idly petting down the fluff and looking up to him again.

Instead of commenting on Lycaon's poetic declaration to correct their sordid past, Hugo snorted softly. The wine glass was finally set down on the counter, deciding a better place for it was around Lycaon's arm. He could drag his fingers down his forearm and across his wrists, looking at how much bigger Lycaon's hand was than his own. ]

It doesn't have to be all on you. We're both here now. Surely realizing Your Moon was a murderer couldn't have been easy all of these years? I also have a duty to replace those daydreams with solid memories.

...no matter what salacious acts I was doing in them. [ It was light teasing, even if he wasn't one to talk. ]

[paraselenic]

[Hugo wasn't wrong. Looking back on it, heartbreak was a light way of saying what he went through. In a lot of ways, he preferred the pain of losing his legs--at least those could be replaced. Nothing took away the demons that constantly reminded him the moon had left the sky.

His tail swishes against Hugo's fingers as he thinks that over, accepting that this was their cross to bear together, and something that was both their responsibility to repair.]

Aiming to be low-maintenance now?

[A light tease back, as he watches Hugo's thinner, more delicate fingers trail his arm. There's a slight drop in his expression as he does so, watching them catch over some recently scabbed scars and scrapes from the past few days. He'd made it out better than some in his group, but the whole ordeal wasn't one he was looking back on fondly. He'd hoped they'd completely heal and be completely covered by his fur.

His hand turns over, palm up, to curiously touch Hugo's fingertips with his own. The size difference between them really was more apparent now.]

I should show you around, if you're going to be staying here. [And stopping by often.]

[myriadeclipse]

Certainly not. I never aim to be forgotten.

[ Hugo grinned up at him as their fingers touched. He had seen the evidence of his time in the bubble around Random Play and could feel its weight on his mind. What if something worse had happened. That ridiculous Korean Barbecue date, if you could even call it that, would have been their final time seeing one another. It was a thought that remained in the back of his mind since everyone learned about the bubbles. His hand could spread and splay again Lycaon's larger one now, but what if.

He pushed that unnecessary regret away, tipping his chin up at the proposition. ]

Probably a good idea, so long as you feel able to give me the tour.

[ He could find everything on his own if he wanted to spare Lycaon the pain of having to limp around, but why would he deny himself the ability to laugh if he did laugh in a particularly hilarious way. ]

[paraselenic]

Good.

[He likes his Moon high-maintenance, after all. It was what started this whole thing. The idea of leaving Hugo on that line only to perish at the hands of a calamity-inducing board game was never an option. He'd 100% intended to come back from it, no matter what. As Hugo smiles up at him, he snaps the container shut on the food he'd picked at--he'll come back for it later.]

I am able, if you'll spot me. [It was about time he started placing trust in someone again. Lycaon leans down to press the tip of his nose to Hugo's temple before he straightens up, making his way around behind Hugo and starting to head towards the hallway that designated the bedrooms. Even limping, he maintains that obnoxious air of dignity as he walks.] Follow me, your room is this way.

[Spoilers: it's also his room. And he may or may not want to pass out on the bed in a nap.]