Devils in the Details

Chapter Four // Brother Mine

WITHIN THE ROOMS OF APPLEDORE

Two of the most dangerous men living on the planet were sitting within the same room. Two of the most dangerous men living on the planet had a deep set loathing for one another. Two of the most dangerous men were brothers, of course. Although they did not share a last name, they shared similar blood in their veins and DNA within every cell of their body.

Charles Augustus Magnussen made his home in England. While his home was rather secluded, he spent a large amount of time interacting with other people. Very few of these people he interacted with enjoyed their time with him, but he always had fun with it all. He had a job of his own, but his true calling was something less than legal. But he'd never get in trouble for it, that was for sure.

His brother, younger to him by several years, lived in America most of the time. His name was Hannibal Lecter, and likewise he spent quite a bit of his time interacting with others. As a matter of fact, this was his job. He was a psychiatrist, burdened with the task of figuring out pother people's minds. Then again, he had an affinity for something less than legal as well.

Just like his brother, he was fairly sure that he'd never get in trouble for any of it either. Both men were too cunning to allow their deeds to end up getting them into any sort of tangle. Sometimes it was a matter of covering up the evidence. Other times it was a matter of always having the right card to play.

It was most likely a good thing that Charles' home was so distant from most other civilisation. It was the perfect distance away so that any feud that would occur between the brothers wouldn't have to be broadcast to the rest of the world. Despite having a job in the news industry, the Magnussen appreciated keeping an amount of privacy in his life - especially concerning Hannibal.

But just because Charles wanted to keep his business with Hannibal out of the media didn't mean he didn't enjoy it. There was a reason he wished to to stay secret. Even if anyone were to find out, chances are nothing would end up getting out. Everyone had their pressure point, and he took note of each and every one.

There was so much that the two of them had in common - they knew how to manipulate others ruthlessly. They could do so much horror without even blinking at it. But it was their differences that made them hate each other. In a basic form, they saw each other as their own opposite. However, this was more complicated than just dark and light.

While family love is one of the strongest things to be found on this planet, family hate is at least twice as strong. The epitome of this relationship was found with the Magnussen brothers, even though it wasn't fully obvious on the surface. It was the subtext, the strain underneath every word that showed their loathing for one another.

At the moment, the two were doing their best to avoid any sort of major conflict. Smaller conflicts, however, were fair ground. Simply, it was something that could not be helped when it came to the two of them interacting with one another.

"Ah, having a little brother is one of the most underrated things on Earth," Charles said, sighing happily. Hannibal could easily see the falsity in his smiles and laughter, but he tried not to let it bother him. Years of his life had been spent watching the pasted on curves on his lips. He was supposed to be used to it by this point - but it remained one of the few things he found unnerving.

"I feel compelled to ask what your other most underrated things are," Hannibal replied, attempting to stay polite without revealing his strong dislike of his subject and his brother. It was his way to twist around his words so that his true intentions were veiled just enough to be hidden. To him it was an art, and he was nothing less than an artisan.

"I should clarify - it's just as much having a little brother as it is being the older brother," Charles said. "I know it's hard for you to understand, but it's the truth."