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A [@BrutalBX], [@LovelyComplex] and [@metanoia] Collab[hr]
[i]Do you see us?
Can you see our pain? 
We didn’t have a choice. 
Our souls were sold before we were brought here. 
Of monsters and men, we found hell on Earth. 
To suffer, to die, we only see red.
We won’t tell you our problems
But please, let us in.
 Being a monster is far more fun
Than learning to fly with angel wings
When our heart is born in sin. 
We are not the same. We are not many. 
Between night and day, we only see dark. 
There is no escape. [/i][/center]

[i]Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.[/i]

Darkness was a protective blanket, a promise of dawn, that was despised by some and welcomed by others. Night was the time when a child’s lullaby could be heard in the memory of lost dreams. A feeling of hands around the neck lingered, stealing the shadow woman's breath away for a moment. A simple moment. All part of the plan, he said. All part of the plan. No chains. No ropes. She just had to live a life of black and blue. 

The scenes played in her head on a broken record. Pull them close and then kill them with a smile. She was good at that. A predestined fate where she had no choice but to play close to fire. A promise of no chains and no ropes. A promise of freedom. 

With dead eyes glinting in the moonlight, a numb, blonde woman sat on a stool waiting. She hadn’t cleaned up from her last job. Her lip was busted, her clothes were dirty, and her hands had blood splattered all over it. Leaning against the window sill, she stared outside recounting the good ol’ days, which were slim to none but lived on in her heart.

She never deliberately thought of work. If anything, work came and went when it pleased, entering her mind usually when it matters. Right now it didn’t matter.  When things slowed down, she could process her day and sit in it, letting it wash over her until the feeling left her body. 

A feeling in her throat and stomach that she didn’t understand appeared and dissipated. Time and time again. Boredom? Loneliness? Hope? When the apartment door opened, the woman wiped the blood off her lips with her arm and waited. Waited for the light. 

And with the opening of the old door that so clearly was in need of being replaced (not something that was in the budget for the Lost Souls apartments), was the Honey Badger of the Southside, meeting her with a smile. His sister, one of three he had, but one that he liked to say that he had a better relationship with than his unintended and uninvited house guest.

In an embrace, something Mika gave so few of, he made it quick. [color=635687]“Glad you could make it,”[/color] Mika remarked, closing the door behind him. He had to give the door a forceful push. The mechanics of it were a bitch to deal with sometimes, but Mika knew the tricks to get it to shut. [color=635687]“Excuse the mess.”[/color] Mika’s blue eyes darted to his dirty carpet and some clothes scattered about. [color=635687]“I haven’t been able to clean up as much as I would’ve liked.”[/color]

[color=56877b]“Oh it’s good. I don’t judge,”[/color] No longer on the stool, the Basilisk tailed behind her brother, maneuvering herself around the clothes, dishes, and other things. [color=56877b]“What did you do today?”[/color] She struck a casual conversation. Or tried to at least. Anya didn’t know how to socialize like most girls. Grabbing a hand towel off the counter, not knowing if it was clean or dirty, she wiped her hands on it. Eek. She needed a bath. 

Mika leaned against the wall next to the kitchen with his arms folded across his chest, watching as Anya had the best luck possible and managed to grab the one towel he owned that wasn’t covered in filth and other things. [color=635687]“Oh you know, have a beer or two, reflect on my life choices. The typical Honey Badger things.”[/color] Mika laughed and then went silent for a few moments, though he never broke eye contact with his sister. 

The drinks he had were with Hyde and those reflections about life choices was telling his brother about the letters that everyone from his graduating class had been receiving. To be honest, he didn’t like that the past was being brought up. It was bad enough that Mika lived through it once. Nothing could change what happened, but maybe it was his past that Mika just didn’t want to face because the firm reminder had pretty much invited himself to sleep in his bed for however long.

[color=635687]“Give you two guesses who decided to make themselves home in this crummy apartment.”[/color] Did he know if she knew Hyde was back? Nope. But at the same time, it wasn’t like HB was going to keep this from one of the few people Mika felt like he could trust not to get over agitated about it… Lord knew his other sister that knew of Hyde would most certainly not take it well.

[color=56877b]“No need. I know.”[/color] And indeed Anya did know. She was good at finding out information on people, especially those that were on her mind. Usually Hyde wasn’t easy to track but as of late, with him staying with their little brother, she could pick up patterns and catch him at places like therapy with Shannon Ramsey. [color=56877b]“That’s why I’m here. I want breakfast and he wants family.”[/color] Once she wiped her hands off to the best of her capabilities, the Russian American folded the bloody towel nicely and placed it back on the counter. 

Strolling around, aimlessly, Anya addressed a comment brought up earlier by Mika, [color=56877b]“What troubles you, little brother? What life choices you make that bothers you?”[/color]

He laughed slowly and partially at himself for thinking that his sister didn’t know about their brother’s return to Eden. It was an insult to her intelligence for Mika to assume she wouldn’t find out. Nevertheless, he didn’t think she’d ask about a somewhat cover answer he gave to an earlier question of hers. And, honestly, where would he even begin? [color=635687]“I don’t know if I’d say I’m bothered by it, but you have enough beers and sit there long enough, you can’t help but wonder what paths you could have taken, decisions you could have made to end up…I don’t know? In a different place than where you ended up.”[/color] He couldn’t say it out loud, but he was talking about Cece and how he broke her heart in the worst way possible. No matter how much he tried to justify it in the moment, and, most of all, in his head and in moments since, there was never a reason to justify being [i]that[/i] cruel to her and Mika knew it.

[color=56877b]“I don’t relate,”[/color] Anya spoke honestly. It was true - she really couldn’t relate. Regret, guilt, and doubt. Those feelings could only be felt if you had a life full of good experiences. Pure, genuine, and simple experiences. [color=56877b]“You lived the way you know how. You think back and wonder. That is good. Only disguised bad. Use it like fire, not ghost that haunts you.”[/color] Finding her way to the bathroom door, she glanced back at Mika, with her innately sharp eyes, [color=56877b]“Tell big brother, breakfast, please.”[/color] With that, the Basilisk disappeared to clean herself up, making herself semi-decent for family time. Home wasn’t a place but the people you knew. Mika and Cam. They were home. 

Mika heeded Anya’s words like they were gospel. Maybe he wasn’t ready to take it to heart yet, but somewhere inside his soul he knew she was right. He might not be in the place to admit that, but part of him knew that she was right. 

When she went into the bathroom to finish up, Mika took a spot at the kitchen table. He sat there, looking at his phone for the longest time. Maybe it was three minutes. Maybe four. He just blankly stared at Cece’s Instagram. It was mostly full of her goofy selfies, some stuff about her cupcakes and baking, and general miscellaneous things that Mika rolled his eyes at. [color=635687]“Alright, enough of that.”[/color] He said and called Hyde. [color=635687]“Hey,”[/color] he greeted his brother on the other end of the call, tone as dead as the love he had for Cameron Hyde. [color=635687]“Our sister is here. You said you wanted breakfast, right?”[/color]

[color=63773B]“I’ll be there in a few,”[/color] Hyde responded on his cell as he looked down at the mass of blonde hair that lay flat on the bed. Hanging up from the call, he placed his phone back onto his pocket before walking over to a nearby sink and rinsing his hands. It would be some kind of different to have a meal with his family. Their upbringings had all been drastically different and they did not even know of each other’s existence until fairly recently in the grand scheme of things. They had a lot of time to make up for and after his stint at his president's pleasure, Hyde had even more time to try and get back. Once he had finished washing up after himself; the devil left the building, she didn’t even stir.

After grabbing some supplies from a 24/7 convenience store, Hyde made his way towards the Lost Souls Complex. [i]Lost Souls[/i] who named this shit? This entire town was littered with poetic or downright depressing sounding names. It was like something out of a shitty teen drama trying it’s best to be cool and edgy. He traveled up to his brother's floor and once he was outside the front door, the oldest of the children of Ivan stopped for a moment. Hyde drummed his fingers rhythmically as he was prone to doing, breathing outwardly and sharply. He wasn’t nervous, no it was another feeling he was fighting, something a little more violent. He cracked his neck with a short twist before opening up the door.

[color=63773B]“Well well.”[/color]

[hr]

Sitting across from her younger brother, Anya’s chin rested on her palm as she boredly waited for her food. Rarely did the Basilisk have this time to herself to simply be and as such, she felt agitated. Agitated that she didn’t know how to act in the presence of her brothers. Agitated at the endless debt waiting for her to collect. Agitated at the lack of… interests she had and how little she could talk about. 

Her life was work and if she wasn’t working, she was training and studying. If she wasn’t training and studying, she was sleeping. If she wasn’t sleeping, she was researching and investigating. On rare occasions could she slow down. These were one of those moments and she didn’t know what to do with herself. [color=56877b]“How…”[/color] she tried to word the question properly, stumbling on her English, [color=56877b]“How you take Charlie… no, how you take yesterday? The letters?”[/color] Her gaze was directed towards Mika, but Hyde was more than welcome to join the conversation as he sizzled bacon. 

[color=63773B]“You know I’m kind of interested in that myself,”[/color] Hyde piped up as he watched the bacon fry in one pan and he stirred the eggs nearby. He had asked the question when he first arrived at his little brother's pad the other night but didn’t really get much of an answer. From what he understood, Mika was not any kind of close to Charlie Decker, the center figure of this whole sordid tale. Hyde knew him through some business he had before he got locked up but did he have any personal connection to the departed? Not really.

[color=63773B]“What’s this whole thing about Mika? And why haven’t you put a blade in the throat of this fuck?…also I need chilli powder, where’s your chilli?”[/color]

Mika remained stone faced as his older brother made the suggestion that he should kill the person sending out the letters. Like it was natural to him as it was to Hell's Kitchen's personal chef. Mika wasn't a killer or didn't have killer-like tendencies that Hyde did. He had the anger and the impulsive behavior, but that's where their behavioral similarities ended. Nevertheless, one thing that couldn't be denied and that was the strain that these letters had on the town. 

Mika wasn't especially close to Charlie, but during the time that Decker was alive, Mika ran into him frequently. This was due to his very close relation with the serpents. Charlie was a good guy who, much like everyone in this godforsaken town, seemed to suffer from a lot of demons, and Mika always felt bad for him. Even after everything. 

[color=635687]"You know, it would be easy to do something like that if anyone knew the name of the fucker who was sending out these letters, but so far we don't know."[/color] Mika admitted with a bit of agitation in his voice, looking at Cameron. [color=635687]"Also chili powder is in the top right corner. Next to the fridge." [/color]

Hyde nodded his head as he moved to the aforementioned cupboard to grab the powder. He added it to the scrambled egg mixture and took a swig of the morning beer he had cracked open for himself the minute he walked through Mika’s front door.

[color=56877b]“Do you worry?”[/color] Anya patiently asked. [color=56877b]“Charlie saw secrets. And now we see them.”[/color] The Basilisk adjusted her posture by giving a big stretch in her seat, [color=56877b]“I could look, if you care. Find lead. I feel… more is to come.” [/color]

The sister of Hyde and Mika sat there contemplative. She had run into Charlie Decker a couple of times, in some of his most impromptu moments, but as far as knowing him, beyond what she saw, was words from his almost lover. Everything she learned about Charlie came from Penelope James. That girl might not remember her but whenever she was alone in the library, or with that small Boaz kid, there were occasions where they sparked idle conversation. The girl talked highly of Charlie, beyond adoration, he was her purpose. That is until junior year. Junior year changed her because he changed.

As he chopped up some black pudding to throw in to the breakfast, Hyde pointed his sharp blade towards Anya in a vote of confidence. [color=63773B]“Little sis has a point. She could easily get info on this dick and we can nip this in the bud no problem.”[/color] He dipped a finger into his breakfast and his handsome face twisted into a grimace. [color=63773B]“Then again, this all sounds wildly entertaining and I kind of want to see what plays out next,”[/color] he said gleefully.

As he tried to take what Anya…offered? Suggested? Ah, hell he didn’t know, but he was processing it all. Processing the letter. The importance of that night, though Mika wasn’t necessarily involved that night. He was at the party, sure. The night that Alison died, he was playing Seven Minutes in Heaven with Natalia (partially not his choice, though). It got him to loosen up somewhat, but at the same time, it just set up a bunch of problems that Mika would’ve preferred to avoid. But that night, Charlie Decker had done something and that was all that Mika really knew. 

[color=635687]“I don’t really see any point. It might be a waste of…your skills, sis…”[/color] Mika felt his point losing focus when he watched Cameron put in…black pudding into their breakfast and he almost jumped when his only good knife was pointed in his direction, past memories ingrained into him came flooding to the surface. It was doing all that he could not to show the terror he was feeling internally. [color=635687]“--And, besides, I’m not even sure if what this person is doing is necessarily a bad thing.”[/color] Mika had to speak honestly. He didn’t know Decker that well to feel bad when he passed. He felt terrible for those close to him, but this town is full of self-righteous assholes. Monsters who hide among men and commit heinous deeds. So maybe Mika felt some of them needed to be reminded of secrets they thought were long since buried. Or maybe Honey Badger just didn’t give a fuck. [color=635687]“Charlie Decker wasn’t my closest friend, but someone doesn’t do what he did if it wasn’t at least partially deserving. Dad always did say to be careful who you crossed. I’m not sure if that justifies what he did or not, but now the secrets will be coming out.”[/color] Growing up the way he did, Mika knew that secrets killed, but maybe for this town, secrets coming out might be a blessing in disguise. Or maybe people’s lives will be ruined. Either way, as long those closest to him weren’t hurt, then he didn’t feel too concerned about not feeling angry about the letters.

[color=56877b]“I hope you right,”[/color] Anya passively spoke - she was distracted by whatever Hyde was doing. After a few more minutes of idle conversation, both Mika and Anya had plates in front of them with an… interesting assortment, to say the least. Puzzled, comparing this to what she’s had at the diner, Anya looked at her little brother in a way that said ‘…should I go first?’ Of course she would. What were big sisters for?

Only moments later, she decided to take the hit and grabbed a piece of bacon, dipping it in the black substance. Slowly she brought the bacon to her mouth. Maybe she’d be surprised. Maybe Hyde could cook. 

[i]Crunch.[/i]

At a slow pace the Basilisk chewed. And chewed. And chewed. And chewed. [color=56877b]“This is… dry. Really dry.”[/color] She couldn’t lie to her soul twin but she also didn’t want him to beat himself up either about this. [color=56877b]“It’s… okay.”[/color]

[color=63773B]“Huh.”[/color]

As he tried to scarf down the overcooked bacon and whatever the hell that black pudding stuff was, the aroma was almost as bad as the lack of moisture. Anya was right: it was dry, almost flavorless, and, if he was being honest, almost inedible, but Mika stomached it. He had to for the sake of whatever passed for calm around here. [color=635687]“It’s…pretty good, Cameron…”[/color] Those words felt like venom coming out of Mika’s mouth, but it was better to lie to his face than feel the wrath of the Devil.

Hyde had already demolished most of his plate. He surveyed his twin and baby brother as he dangled a very crispy rasher of bacon. Their faces told a very obvious story. With his free hand under the table, he began to count with his fingers, doing his best to ignore the growing, defeating feedback ringing in his ears. He had to remember that this was his family or at least the closest thing he had to one. As much as he wanted to smash a plate over Anya’s pretty little face and then slash her with the broken shards, he just had to keep it in check. Tell that dark passenger of his to keep quiet.

[color=63773B]“This shit killed, when I was in prison, I learned it from a British guy. Oh well.”[/color] With a mouthful of food he threw his burnt baby pig onto the plate with a loud thud. 

[color=63773B]“So, diner?”[/color]