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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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[paraselenic]

I'd hoped not. My first day on social media blundering generational slang and you read every thread.

[His tail thumps against that park bench. He's not nearly as annoyed by that as he's putting on.]

Are you sure you don't want all of it? Your iron levels look low, so I would understand.

[Trying to pawn off the misery--

But he takes it anyway, half accepting that this is a fate they have to suffer through together. Pulling out the burger, he hands the bag back to Hugo with just the 'Groovy Fries' left. No he's not sure what those are. But they're probably terrifying.

After deftly unwrapping it, one of his claw-like nails cuts the bread and half way through the burger effortlessly, which lets him pull it apart in a nice seamless split.]

[myriadeclipse]

You aren't nearly as bad as you think you are. Your hesitation speaks louder than your mistakes.

[ The bag was accepted, Hugo looking inside to peer at the so-called groovy fries. Taking one out and looking over, he scrutinized it heavily before taking a bite. To his utter disappointment, it was just a well salted crinkle fry. Looking at the cut potato in offense, he gave it a little turn between his fingers. ]

I don't get it.

[ Was he too old to understand a fry? Too French??

Not being able to accept it, he pulls out another and holds it right up to Lycaon's snout while he's cutting the burger. ]

Here.

[paraselenic]

[Something unclenches in Lycaon's chest a bit. If only Hugo knew just how much weight was put on his opinion of him.]

Hmm, I guess I've gotten a bit meticulous over the years. I had steep competition growing up.

[An ear flicks in Hugo's direction as he hears the verdict on that fry, but doesn't look up until the smell of salt enters his snout. The black tip of it wiggles to recognize the scent, and with his hands otherwise occupied, he instinctively takes it from Hugo's fingers gently before practically swallowing it whole.

Much like Hugo, there's not much of a positive reaction. That sure was a fried potato with salt.]

There's not much to it, if I were to give an honest critique. I expected something more robust.

[myriadeclipse]

And you still will.

[ If they're both in his city, then that means Hugo wasn't going to just let Lycaon retire in peace. He already had plans to accomplish, and expected that Lycaon would make a nuisance of himself out of some misplaced feeling of something or other. It was too early to psychoanalyze his actions.

With the fry taken, he rubs his fingertips of the salt and reached out to take half of that monstrosity of a burger. Gifts should be taken and enjoyed graciously, but did they REALLY have to be gracious over pickles?? Picking it up and looking at it from the cut side, he inspected the layers, as if the soggy excuse for 'crispy pickles' held the answer to the quiet tension between them. ]

The moniker is a nod to the shape of the fry, and not any sort of flavor or innovation. Truly, it's a disappointing discovery.

[ Speaking of disappointing, he is going to drag his finger through the white sauce on the burger and taste it off his finger. Hmm... That's an American sauce. ]

[paraselenic]

[There's a confident little 'hmph' of agreement that escapes his throat. It'd been on his mind ever since Hugo's presence was made on the app. Hugo certainly hadn't come to the city on the off chance that they'd have a heartwarming reunion--he had goals to accomplish, and that meant that Lycaon had to make room in his schedule to account for that.

As for what 'accounting for that' entails, it all depends. He won't let Hugo make that mistake again as long as he draws breath.

His ears swivel as Hugo explains, and you can see a hint of disappointment cross his face too at the realization, even if he tries to hide it. ]

So it's more of a namesake for their style of fry and not any specific flavor. I suppose it makes it a safer choice for all customers, but it lacks any real identity despite its name.

[They're really roasting these fries right now, Sonic.

Lycaon, while he can't entirely see Hugo from that side, does keep his ears trained for any reaction on the burger itself as he looks at his own, the disappointment he keeps trying to mask now becoming more and more apparent. While Hugo was judging the sauce, Lycaon's crestfallen face is on another matter.

While the burger was considerable for a human, even cut in half, Lycaon had assumed too much from the name.]

I expected this 'Triple Smasher' to be a little more ambitious with its portion size.

[myriadeclipse]

[ Taking out his phone again, he works the small machine with one hand, putting his code in and swiping through screens to reach the camera and point it at the burger. If he was going to subject himself to more of it, he would at least document it for either Lia or social media later.

It didn't stop him from listening to Lycaon, the little 'hmph' and conversational way they were talking. It was as if nothing happened. All the wondering he did when he was trying to picture what their reunion would have been like, none of those thoughts were like this. It was calm. The animosity from earlier felt far away.

Before he could think any further and cause more unnecessary rifts between them, He leaned down and bit into the burger. It was a bite made in desperate combat against his mentality, and by god he almost wished he just let the destructive depression take him. Instead, his mouth was filled with the taste of dill, vinegar, and beef.

Slow and steady chewing is how he's going to attempt to get through this, but his expression is ...confused. Perhaps not entirely negative, but certainly not positive.]

[paraselenic]

[Lycaon had intentions of lecturing Hugo when he'd set out. He had an outline at the very least, aggressively rehearsed in his brain with every footstep as he tracked what was still familiar. He'd planned to be in control of the conversation if he had to, lay out the terms for their coexistence in this city, give him an ultimatum for if he broke his oath again, remind him of what lay ahead of him if he did...

At the time, he didn't know what he was going to do with the bag. Shove it at him? Less elegant than he'd have liked, but he was prepared to do it.

Then he arrived and its like the wind was stolen out of his sails, warmth bubbling up as he tried to repress his relief that Hugo, despite having talked to him over the phone, was okay. He looked positively exhausted and just as anxious to be there as he was, but he was okay. As from there, well, here they are, eating this monstrosity of a burger on a park bench with him as if there was no rift at all. A momentary peace sitting on a blade's edge.

He couldn't help but be curious as to what was going on in Hugo's head.. but only the gods would know that, he supposed.]

...

[Hugo took the dive into eating the burger first, and Lycaon's ears flick as he watched for his reaction. The best way he could describe it was 'pained indifference', which is more than he expected, but also less than he desired.

Lycaon looked at his own, rotating it in his hand between two fingers before he takes the plunge himself, biting a little too delicately for a wolf his size. Not that it didn't still practically make this a two-bite meal. His reaction was a little more animated than Hugo's--pickles were sour, and his wolf tastebuds were not as accustomed to a flavour so concentrated. His ears folded down for just a moment as he waited it out, but he swallowed it nonetheless.]

Hugo.

May I see the receipt in the bag?

[How much did Jane pay for this. She should get a refund.]

[myriadeclipse]

[ The request was a chance to not put himself through more of the burger, and thus was taken up gladly. Tossing the burger into the back, he reached to the broadside to gingerly place a finger under the sticker that was holding the receipt in place. Lifting the sticker, he pulled it free. The effort was not a clean go, Hugo ripping some of the paper with the stickiness of the stick.

With a light huff, Hugo held it out to his side, resenting him with the receipt that was asked for. The burger would not be retrieved, deciding one bite was enough and that the taste was enough for the sake of distraction and curiosity. Glancing to his left, he could see that Lycaon was not having an easier go of the burger than he did. His eyes traveled up a little more, taking in his expression as he took the paper attached to the receipt, and then forward once more.

If he were a religious man, he would pray to whatever god would listen to end this stupidity. Given he was a vampire and possessed, he was going to call that whole thought a wash. ]

If we aren't going to be at each other's throats tonight, I propose we go and find real food. Preferably, something without pickles.

[ The bag was tipped Lycaon's way, should he wish to discreetly do away with the burger. ]

[paraselenic]

[Lycaon felt the paper slide into his fingers, watching as Hugo deposited the burger inside the bag. As for himself, he continued to hold it between his two fingers as he scrolled his eyes down the receipt, seeing the price of what this meal of a sour burger, bland fries, and the pitifully watered down pickle soda he decided to spare Hugo the displeasure of having.

It was too much, in his opinion, but not really something he would aggressively tell Jane to get her money back on. At worst, it made him not want to waste it.

His ears flick up when he hears Hugo shift next to him, listening to that proposal.]

Agreed. I believe we've earned a meal we can both enjoy.

[Not to mention, he'd like this intermission to last as long as it can. But when Hugo tilts the bag towards him, he hesitates.]

You shouldn't waste the food. [Though honestly, he would rather not take another bite, either. After a brief pause, he followed Hugo's lead and deposits the other half in. Forever the bad influence.]

I will treat you, since I'm the one keeping you. What would you like?

[myriadeclipse]

[ It was always nice when Lycaon saw reason. Just because it was a gift didn't mean that they should kill themselves over it. Hugo made quick work of the bag, taking the ends and curling them in. It was sat down beside his legs on the side away from Lycaon, one hand still grasping the bag as he prepared to get up. ]

Jane will not be broken up over a joke order not being savored to the last. Come, if you're treating, that means we're going for meat.

[ Hugo did need the iron, and despite the feeling of being treated with Lycaon's blood money, The Vogue really wasn't an awful place. Their money wasn't deplorable.

Finally getting to his feet, his free hand was stuffed into his pocket, looking up to the tops of the trees as he thought to himself. ]

How thick do you want it? I suppose that's the true deciding factor, is it not? [ He says innocently while throwing the bag at the trashcan in the perfect arch through the air, sinking into its depths. ]

[paraselenic]

I suppose you're right. For once.

[Obviously, she knew the burger was eccentric and would be controversial at best. So he'd do his best to not think about it and just tell himself that the crows that eventually find that bag may enjoy the leftovers. ...He apologizes in advance to them.

He had to admit, he was holding his breath just a bit. Hugo knew his income, and probably knew that other than the Vogue, he did bar tend for the elite on occasion. Best not to question or overthink it, he's just pleased Hugo took him up on the offer. He stands up, ready to give his recommendation--

--until Hugo says that line. The way his tone jumps up at the end of it signaling that the man was fitting in some double meaning or innuendo. The moment Hugo launches that bag into the basket (perfectly too, ugh) his tail swings around to whack at him, hitting either his legs or his front side, depending on how fast he turned around. Not hard enough to really make him stumble, but enough to be felt.]

Ah. My apologies, I thought I saw a giant pest just now.

It's that time of year, mosquito season.

[With a clearing of his throat, he tries to hide his smile by tilting his chin up, hands folding behind his back elegantly.]

There's an All-You-Can-Eat Korean Barbeque place nearby. I'm quite fond of it.

[No matter how hard he tries he can't stop that tail from swishing.]

[myriadeclipse]

[ He sound he let out was higher than he intended. It was evident by how that squeaky yelp was immediately covered by a gloved. Mismatched eyes looked down to the offending tail. He had been SO good! He didn't insult him. He didn't attack him! Perfectly behaved and he was still being abused?

This mangy son of a bitch.

Dropping his hand and standing straight again, he didn't hesitate to reach out and grab that accursed tail, and it's energetic assault. ]

Your ...kindness [ He grits between his teeth, a tense smile as he pushes hair back out of his eyes. ] knows no bounds. Lycaon.

[ Batting the tail away while he takes position out of tail-smacking range, he took a moment to school his features back to his usual smug smile that only seemed marginally strained at the edges. ]

That sounds fine with me. [ As long as he didn't order a ton of things that were garlic heavy, it should be perfectly fine. ]

[paraselenic]

[Lycaon's smile widens with every bit of that reaction. It's not often he indulges himself in a little childish behavior like this, and Hugo was always his favourite victim when he did years ago. The little bat-like shriek just added to it.

Even when Hugo grabs that tail, he doesn't move to pull it away, instead letting it continue wagging in his hand until he lets it free.]

Follow me. If you look towards the intersection, you can see its sign.

[The click of his legs sound against the sidewalk as he starts to stroll along, waiting for Hugo to follow him so he could match his pace.]

So. What line of work are you in now?

[Code. What's your cover? There's no way Hugo would go around proclaiming he's Mockingbird to the world. So Lycaon had to make sure he knew to match his story.

He might not agree with Hugo's hammer of judgment, but he's no snitch to the police. And even if it strayed from its goals, he was still proud of what Mockingbird did.]

[myriadeclipse]

[ As usual, it's a command first with Lycaon. Hugo looked to his side, watching Lycaon begin to talk and settling into a stride. He barely noticed how his own steps fell in time with Lycaon's, his attention turned toward the street and the sign that was being pointed out.

He's pulled out of staring at the city light's by the question. A mundane question to break the ice, as it was. Hugo cleared his throat and stuffed his hands back into his pockets. ]

I'm a curator at an art gallery. Moving the whole thing to his country is a pain, but it is being done.

[ He didn't have to mention how the gallery was recent or what was in it. Lycaon knew him well enough to know the answers to those questions. What Hugo wasn't talking about was all the blank space between their parting and him taking back up the Mockingbird name. He had no words for the listless years spent staring into an abyss, making connections as fragile as tissue paper, going from place to place.

It was better left unsaid. ]

No need to ask what you've been up to, unless there's more than that Vogue place.

[paraselenic]

[Just as Hugo's feet had fallen into place, his own matched in time without Lycaon even realizing. His eye is on the road ahead, only drifting to see just what type of expression his former partner had.

An art gallery. A little in-your-face to those who fall victim to his tricks, but it was so very...Hugo. Not everything changes, it seems. He has no doubt on how he acquired them or what was in it--he doesn't need to.]

Really, now... I'll be sure to come see it on its grand opening, then.

[Dark curtains hung between the time in their lives where they were apart. It was almost as it they didn't even exist in the other's world after that point. Lycaon had been shown firsthand what it's like to have so much taken from you in such a short time, whether it be matters of the heart, body or money, and his mind had tunnel visioned to adapt to what fate had thrown his way. The only thing one could do was survive--it's almost pitiful to think about how much one can regress to their basic survival instincts.

It wasn't something Lycaon was going to bring up to Hugo, either.]

The Vogue is my main employer, as I'm sure you've looked into. [Air catches in his throat for a second before he continues.] However, I am occasionally hired out to bartend for social gatherings. [He'll leave just who hires him unspoken. Hugo doesn't need the context to figure it out.]

I recently just returned from my final reservation.

[While money was a non-negligible reason, Lycaon had other, personal reasons. He'd rather people just think it was the paycheck, though.]

[myriadeclipse]

[ It takes everything inside him not to tell Lycaon he doesn't want him there. It would be a lie, but the wolfman's smug tone was light claws in his back. As much as his own public face was important to him, he wanted to tear Lycaon's down. Yet he didn't. He swallowed the petty need to do away with formalities and dark desires and focused on the path before him.

Or, At least he tried until he heard of Lycaon's other employer. It doesn't need to be explained. He remembers why Lycaon left him all that time ago. Hearing that he still did it left a bitter taste in his mouth, his eyes slowly closing.

Everything would be so much easier if he turned around and kicked him. ]

Sounds like you've been busy, and here I am with loads of free time, wasting it away for nothing. [ Hugo smirks, his voice as smooth as silk as he responds. ]

No wonder you have so many acquaintances. Your connections are still unparalleled, even if your acting is still a little off the mark.

[paraselenic]

[Lycaon can feel his veins freeze over as the air between them went stagnant. If there was one thing that was worse than Hugo yelling at him, it was his deafening silence. It'd be a lie to say that a not so insignificant part of him still longed for approval from his former partner, but to let that be known is Pandora's Box itself.

He would've preferred the yelling, honestly. It made it easier to yell back, shaking Hugo by the shoulders and asking him who's fault this all was.

As if he'd get the answer he wanted anyway.]

Not everything is a mask we put on. There is such a thing as genuine human interaction. [He bites down the desire to say the second half: "perhaps you don't recognize it anymore.", but Hugo was walking circles around this conversation already. No one knew him better than the man to his side, loathe as he was to admit it.]

And you've never been one to sit idle for long. I'm sure your...art gallery work will pick up.

[myriadeclipse]

Maybe for you, it's that way.

[ The admittance was slow and deliberate, his hands firmly in his pockets. Lycaon didn't need to say it. Hugo recognized what he was attempting to say. He could fight that elves were terrible judges of what genuine human anything was, but that sort of crutch wasn't something he enjoyed relying on.

Instead, his calm look soured, trying to find reason as well as the will to keep this particular mask going in the trees they passed. ]

I thought we were both aware that when you want something... genuine, I'm not the one you turn to.

[ Removing one hand from his pocket, he pressed in against his own chest. ]

How did you put it? You can't trust anything I say anymore? I don't recall that ever-changing.

Unless you have something to confess?

[paraselenic]

[Their partnership had truly been lightning in a bottle, as they say. Elves were not ones to judge genuinely, and wolves would tend to trust a little too easily. Hugo's words are just as much a call out as his were, and it's annoying to see it thrown in his face like this.

Lycaon taps the intersection crossing button with a single claw, thanking the moon above that they were the only one standing here. It made the awkwardness less palpable.]

Anymore is the key word. You had that trust in the palm of your hand, and yet you decided your own foolish ambitions were worth more than that.

[There's a low growl in his voice as the light turns for them to walk.]

All you saw was iron in your quest for silver.

[myriadeclipse]

You are the one that left me!

[ Hugo did not hold back, practically spitting that lump of emotion out of his mouth like it was a curse he carried. The growl did nothing to warn him away from the argument coming to life between them. Try as they might, they couldn't stop the stream of emotions from flowing between them.

And what did it matter? They were merely rehashing history. Hugo was well aware of what happened that day. It was burned into his memory, making its home behind his eyes every time he closed his eyes.

There was nothing to gain from this fight, and this fool still thinks a teenaged half vampire killed an entire Coven. ]

Now my ambitions are foolish, are they? Did you ever believe in them, or was it all placating and playing pretend for you like I was a child instead of your partner?

[paraselenic]

..!!

[Those words shot through him like a silver bullet, and his teeth grit trying to bear that pain. He knows he was the one who left, but what could he do?! He saw what he saw, and Hugo didn't deny his question that night. He may have walked away from that murderous scene, but the Hugo he knew was gone that night.

It's not like a whole vampire clan just drops dead with one left standing in their pool of blood as a casual activity.]

I left because of what you did! I would've followed you to the ends of the Earth had you kept the promise we made!

[His ears fold back, his emotions getting the better of him and dropping that gentlemanly image, the pain in his eye apparent.]

I believed in what we had. I wanted to believe you'd be different than what your family was. It was you who saw me as nothing more than a stepping stone for your revenge!

[Their leader had given him the warnings about Hugo, about what he was capable of. And in the end, he couldn't follow through with the last part of that request. To choke him if he had to. He couldn't do it...and so he did only what other option he had that day--breaking away.]

[myriadeclipse]

[ Hugo couldn't stop himself from laughing, his head thrown back in pained mockery of joy. It hurt. It continued to hurt. Would this fool have been happier if he perished among the waves of blood? With the way Lycaon spoke, he still had no clue. And yet that wasn't Hugo's problem. Every time it was brought up, Hugo wanted to shut it out.

He didn't want to see that room in his nightmares anymore. ]

You should admit it to yourself, Lycaon. You never believed in me. It's so easy for you to believe I'm a monster, it's like breathing, isn't it? You haven't even remembered it yet, have you?

Then let me tell you. [ The pain was covered with a smug air and a smile, looking at Lycaon with manic joy gleaming in his eyes. ]

This isn't the first time you've betrayed me. You always betray me.

I knew you'd leave again, so why bother?

[paraselenic]

[Hugo's laughter rang through him like the empty hollow of a bell. Each reverberation sinking thorns into his heart, reopening old wounds.

Why..why did Hugo have to go that far? Wasn't he happy with their life? Was all this pain worth those lives?

Wasn't..he enough?

There wasn't much that he feared, but the answer to those questions shook him to the core.]

I am not admitting to something that isn't true. [Hugo wanted this excuse.] Even now, you can still--

[His ears perk up again, fully alert. ALWAYS? It's because he can't let go of you that they're here in the first place!]

You have no idea how wrong you are. You're mad.

[myriadeclipse]

[ Instead of answering, he turned and continued walking. His footsteps took up the space, passing by the headlights of stopped cars with his eyes wide and his breaths shallow. Was he mad? Had this endless dance of love and betrayal finally driven him insane? No, actually. As loathed as he was to endure a scene like this once more, his mind was whole.

He did not answer until his heels touched on the other side, pausing on the sidewalk with the gleam of the restaurant's neon sign casing a shadow over his face. ]

Then tell me, since you're so superior. How am I wrong? What have I missed? [ His voice dropped to a quieter tone. ]

Why are you still tormenting me?

[paraselenic]

[Lycaon was quick to follow those footsteps through the crosswalk, paying those cars no mind and keeping his one good eye focused on the man in front of him. He could easily overtake him with sheer stride length, but something told him that he should stay behind him.

It wasn't until he reached the other side, metallic heels clicking back onto the sidewalk that he paused, seeing the slumped posture of his former partner and the weary tone he took.

Nothing could prepare him for the last thing he said. His tail went between his legs, something he would never allow anyone to see on a normal day, and his hand slowly reached out to Hugo's shoulder, hesitating merely inches from it. The worst part of it was...he was running from his sins. And he knew this.]

I did leave you on that day. Your actions you took caused me to make that choice, and we cannot go back into the past to change either of our decisions now.

[He took those jobs originally for the money, as legs don't pay for themselves. But high society gatherings...he couldn't think of a better place for Mockingbird to show up. Eventually, one day, he had to find something. His husky voice drops just as Hugo's did, and he sounds more like a scolded dog than a fierce wolf. Why are you still tormenting me? ...Why indeed.]

...The moon may block out the sun's light, but it is the only one who can take in its true radiance without going blind.

[Cryptic, maybe, but it's the most honest with himself he's been this whole conversation.

He steps forward to grab the door, holding it open.]