Why Gilbert is not a Cat person [Antonio & Lovino]

[Gilbert Beilschmidt]

Gilbert stood before the shop, the slip of paper containing an address clenched in his gloved hand. Not that he needed it; anyone with a pair of eyes could see that the shop was Antonio’s. Outside, the little shop was indistinguishable from the shops flanking it, all old brick, faded by years of harsh winters and neglect, but the windows seemed to be filled with a vibrant shock of flowers and a sign adorned the door, announcing the store name with a cheerful color palate and a flourish. It stood in violent contrast to the icy winds, which blew through the streets and assaulted all that stood in its path. Gilbert grimaced and tugged his scarf higher before wrapping his arms around himself. He was never going get used to this damned weather; even Berlin hadn’t been this cold. And so Gilbert was faced with a choice. On one hand, he was tempted to just barge in and tackle his friend as per their usual greeting—especially since it had nearly been a year since their last get together. But on the other hand… it would be stupid to lose such a wonderful opportunity… such a rare chance to see his friend as he never had before.

Antonio as a respectable businessman? Gilbert couldn’t help but laugh to himself at that that. He’d heard it over and over again, Antonio had been training to take over his family business since they were both kids and yet Gilbert just couldn’t imagine his best friend doing anything as responsible as being a storeowner (much being a sales representative in an international scale.) Perhaps today, if he was patient and just a bit sneaky… he might get a chance to witness this foreign side of his friend first hand. His reunion with the Spaniard would have to wait; this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

And as luck would have it, said opportunity wasn't long in coming. Gilbert ducked down and pretended to busy himself with lacing up his boot as two young women strode by, giggling and chattering among themselves as they entered the shop. Perfect! Gilbert peeked into the shop, his red eyes just barely visible over the tops of the extravagant bouquets as he spied into the room, thrilled that his plan was going so well as he saw his friend step into the room, all smiles as usual. Antonio had always been a people person, but this was the first time Gilbert had seen him turn on the charm for a customer. He couldn’t hear the words spoken, but Gilbert’s grin widened as he saw the girls blush and giggle at something Antonio said. His best friend always had such a way with the ladies and it showed here, as he led the girls to a vibrant display of tulips, gesturing enthusiastically as he did. Gilbert continued to watch, intrigued by this display before him and heedless of his surroundings.

[Antonio F. Carriedo]

A good couple of months had passed since Antonio had come to the city of Archadia. He was, more or less, comfortable in his daily life there by now. There was the occasional meeting for his work as a representative for the Carriedo group. Taking clients out for lunch or dinner, talking over sales and the like. Once everything was established he didn’t have to do too terribly much on that end. This left his afternoons open to be spent running the flower shop he had inherited with little to no warning. Not to say that he wasn’t thankful to have the opportunity to do something he so loved, and it coming with a home no less… but even he had to admit that that had been a bit of a whirlwind coming into.

Initially he had had a bit of a time juggling customers, wrapping of purchases, and running the cash register of the shop. While he had been groomed to be a businessman near his entire life, that had been on a rather different scale. Even as a sales rep he for the most part had the luxury to prepare and have a general idea of things before his meetings. He could do his research on the people he would meet. When it came to running a shop though… one had to be far more on their feet, ready for anything. You wouldn’t think the latter considering he ran a flower shop. There had already been some… interesting happenings since he’d begun, though. A rowdy child there, a man in tears of desperation to save his marriage with a batch of roses here… yeah, it had yet to get boring despite what others would think.

The addition of Churro, and then Lovino, to his household left things always going too. Churro for being a kitten and Lovino for… being, well, Lovino. It had been only a week since his arrival and already Antonio could tell that things were best left to move at their own pace when it came to that particular feline mutant. At the very least he was now able to move about the house instead of keeping to his cat kennel or under a piece of furniture. He had even begun to venture into the shop! These were all good signs, right? Antonio could only hope. He often wondered if he could really tell all that well when it came to the situation… As soon as there was some kind of headway Lovino would just as seen be set off by something. Even so, seeing both cats sitting about the store was something he could feel a little accomplishment in.

“Welcome!” He called, riding a line between cheerful and leisurely when he greeted automatically the moment the door opened. A watering can was in hand as he cared for a few of the potted plants in one corner. Tilting it back up, he held his other hand under its bottom as he spoke to the pair. Occasionally he would gesture with his hands, with the watering can, suggesting bouquets or plants based on what they told him.

Words: 522

Tags: Gilbert Beilschmidt & Lovino Vargas

made by MISSO for use only by BECCA

[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

A week passed since the day he was brought into the strange apartment of a house. The first day he was shaken up, the second and third wary, and ever since the fourth day he’d been slowly regaining his confidence as a rightful being living in the house. It helped that the kitten was a playful one, often pouncing on random items on the floor, which often times caused the feline mutant to grow curious naturally of what he was doing. The belief that cats were curious creatures indeed was true, at least, for Lovino and Churros’ cases, which in turn sped up the process of what would’ve taken a whole month to accomplish be done in only a matter of week or so. That, and the human of the house not being an impatient one to always push him to come out, but instead tending to just leave food out for him and let him work on things at his own pace, was very helpful. At the very least, Lovino knew that the human was not one that was going to suddenly turn and beat him for no reason. That in itself was a huge relief.

So as areas opened up for him to explore, fear was replaced with territorial confidence and he was able to venture more and more out of the security of the kennel or under furniture, the bed having been his favorite for a while. Every day so far, he’d woken up, been fed, was left on his own to do his own thing, fed again at noon, given freedom once more, ate dinner, and was back to sleeping. In the unlimited free time he managed to explore every inch of the apartment room and store, having snuck down in the flower shop when Antonio was asleep, turning to his human form and opening the door on his own to do so. In that, he learnt that the first floor was a place where random humans came in, the scent never been a consistant one of the same people as the apartment upstairs had been.

As the store opened up in the morning of this day, he managed to walk in curiously when Antonio worked on opening the place. He watched the Spaniard water the flowers, turn on the lights, put the signs up, checked on paperwork… And once the feline mutant noticed that he didn’t seem to give much care of him being in the store (or he told himself to ignore him and let him do his own thing, either way he wasn’t kicked out the shop and that’s all that mattered), he settled himself on the cashier counter and just watched curiously, having even let the bouncy kitten sit next to him and play with his tail.

When the first customers walked in however… Everything changed. Lovino darted back upstairs to his safety zone, having caused Churro to even hiss at him in surprise at the sudden movement. It wasn’t until hours later that he finally was brave enough to peek in from on top of the stairs and listen in on the cheery voices of customers and his human chattering. The fact that he knew the kitten was still in the shop helped greatly, seeing customers didn’t seem to comment on it and he could even hear soft snores coming from the small animal, showing that it was safe enough that the kitten was even able to doze off. So slowly, oh so slowly, he walked down the steps to join the shop once more warily. His ears flat against his head, his tail between his back legs, he scurried to Antonio’s feet to hide from the customers but also be able to get a good look at them, to make sure they wouldn’t terrorize his territory.

Females, but human females, making fear much greater than interest. He simply pressed his weight up against the Spaniard and watched, narrowing his eyes a bit and baring his teeth once the females glanced down towards him curiously before they backed away a bit at the sight of the fangs, of course not wanting to be bit. In Lovino’s eyes, they were practically in his house, so naturally he already wanted them out. He was going relatively easy on them by not lunging at them since they were females (really, a simple hiss was enough to scare them away so he didn’t have to take the next step in biting or scratching), but the ladies only stepped away and glanced up to Antonio as if he was going to somehow be able to stop the cat, before they began to slowly head towards the exit. Perhaps their ankles were important enough for them to not want to risk getting hurt… Though, this only resulted in Lovino’s sight to follow them towards the door and window… And spotting the white hair and red eyes, he immediately hissed louder, his fur fluffing up and back arching. Having never seen an albino before… All he figured, pretty much, was that there was a monster.

And monsters were certainly not welcomed in his territory.

Word Count: 856

Tags: Antonio F. Carriedo, Gilbert Beilschmidt

Notes: >>;

template made by MISSO for use only by PUCHI

[Gilbert Beilschmidt]

Gilbert was too busy watching his friend go about his business, to notice the cat, who circled around Antonio like a small moon. The brunette was a natural salesman and Gilbert’s gaze softened as he watched the transaction go on—it was so good to see his friend doing so well—he seemed so… content in that moment. And such moments were so rare in the German’s life, he couldn’t bring himself to do anything but watch further Gilbert forgot about the cold and the icy wind for a moment, warmed by the sight of something so normal in his otherwise topsy turvy life.

A brief shift in his periphery caught his eye and he turned to see a kitten romping along the shop floor. Of course, Antonio had a cat, it only seemed right for him to nurture more than just poppies. Gilbert snickered and made a mental note not introduce Antonio and his cat to his canaries, (though he was certain his pets could beat down whatever Antonio could serve up.) He turned back only to meet a sharp pair of feline eyes glowing back as they glared at him, the heat of his gaze undiminished through the pane of glass.

“HOLY SHIT!” Gil exclaimed, jumping back and falling back on his butt, staring up at the acidic glare. He swallowed and clambered to his feet, trying his salvage the last vestiges of his pride as he evaded the worried looks of passing shoppers and waved them off dismissively. He looked back to notice the owner of those vehement eyes, a brown little tabby who had the appearance of one who’d gained a decent amount of weight in a short period. As their eyes met again, the tabby’s back arched and his face contorted into a violent snarl, Gilbert couldn’t hear the hiss, but it wasn’t hard to imagine. For a moment, he stood still, ignoring everything else around him in favor the cat. There was something strange about him, some depth to the hatred and suspicion that went far beyond mere animalistic possessiveness or fear. Gil frowned, looking almost thoughtful as his hands brushed the last of the dirt from his coat. Finally his gaze drifted to the door and a brief smirk flitted across his face as he saw Antonio moving back towards the door, no doubt wondering what had caused the commotions.He took a deep breath and straightened his coat before scrambling into the shop, a wide grin spreading over his face as he caught the gaze of his friend. Without warning, he dragged his friend into a crushing bear hug.

“Antonio! Your cat wants to kill me!” He said, pulling away slightly and sweeping an arm to indicate said feline with a dramatic pout. “Why would your cat hiss want to hiss at someone as awesome as me?!”

[Antonio F. Carriedo]

To be perfectly honest Antonio had expected Lovino to remain up in the apartment for the rest of the day after his initial scare. To have reacted as such when customers first entered certainly gave him reason to. So he was pleasantly surprised, smiling a little down at Lovino when he caught him moving back down out of the corner of his eye, felt him pressing against his legs. Such contact was very out of the norm. Were it not for the two women he was talking to so animatedly he probably would have given quite the unmanly squeal of delight. It made him feel that dumb sort of ecstatic feeling of being chosen when an animal that normally is so standoffish decides to be close to you.

Being that high made him frown in a pout all the more when Lovino hissed at the women. “Lovino,” he said, tone more sad than upset, “that’s not very nice.” Such a lackadaisical way of putting it obviously made the pair even more confused and quickened their retreat toward the door.

“Please don’t be afraid to come ba-Lovi!” They were already out the door, why was he hissing even fiercer and reacting like that? He knew that Lovino wasn’t especially friendly towards people – although he did wonder at him reacting so negatively to women, he had come to understand that he preferred them over men – but this was… a bit much when they were already leaving.

The moment he brought his gaze up to follow the running of his lost customers his eyes widened at the appearance of another through his door. “Gilbert?!” He exclaimed, a broad grin breaking out across his face to see his old friend. At the hug, so familiar, he laughed and returned the gesture with his own tight embrace. How long had it been, a year since they had last seen each other? They had kept up contact with one another after their reunion, emails, letters, the occasional phone call. Not always especially consistent but far more than they had been in those years of separation. This did not alter his surprise and glee at seeing him in person, though!

With their separation Antonio snapped back to the present – laughed again. He shook his head, “Lovino doesn’t like most people. Sadly even the awesome Gilbert, it seems.” It might have been somewhat odd to speak for Lovino as if he were an actual cat when he was fully capable of answering for himself, as an actual person cat. That may not be especially obvious in all honesty… Antonio didn’t quite grasp all of that in the moment, however. Simply answering for a cute little misanthrope like he would any other, it being to a friend he hadn’t met in so long only adding to this.

“What are you doing here, anyway? Would you like a drink?” Antonio asked, walking to the door of the shop to flip over the sign to read closed. That was the wonder of owning a business yourself, getting to set your own hours and take your own breaks! And Gilbert more than constituted a worthy break.

Words: 524

Tags: Gilbert Beilschmidt & Lovino Vargas

made by MISSO for use only by BECCA

[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

Lovino couldn’t care less when he was told by Antonio that hissing at the customers weren’t a nice thing to do. Seriously, were humans this dumb!? This was his property, was it not? Sure the cat mutant always smelled a different scent evey time he came down here at night after they were all asleep, but never did he think that Antonio willingly let them in with a cheery smile. Not exactly sure what a store was, his memory clouded from common sense from being isolated from the real world for so long, He suspected it being intruders that came in when they weren’t looking. If Antonio wanted to sell things, he could always bring the flowers outside instead of inviting people inside, right? Being in a sense warned and scolded however did make the cat’s ears flatten momentarily, his tail lashing irritably until it settled to curl around his sitting body, keeping his paws on top of Antonio’s feet as if he was a massive lion blocking the women from harming his human without passing the mighty cat. When the two rushed out the store and Antonio tried to invite them back in whenever they wanted however, they were met with another loud hiss, also coming from the cat once more and a short and quick warning coming from the Spaniard once more.

The feline mutant’s attention however was away from his Spanish owner. His eyes locked to the window, where the crimson eyed beast fell away from momentarily before he slowly came back into view, staring right back at him once more. Lovino narrowed his hues and pulled his lips back slightly in a snarl, not liking the stare one bit. It was just a challenge that had to be met… This was his property and he wasn’t going to let this monster of a human take over it. Enforcing his own scent in the area, especially to claim Antonio as his and no one else’s, he pushed his head against Antonio’s leg and rubbed up against, purring softly when he could barely smell himself on the fabric of the pants the human was wearing. Antonio wouldn’t have minded anyway, right? He always let Churro snuggle up against him in such manner; it was just his way of marking territory and the human just seemed too dumb to notice that fact. Did he ever wonder why once one cat marked him, the other always would do so right after to reclaim Antonio? It was a constant war of posession of this huge ‘object’ that walks and provides them with food.

Sadly, this human seemed to even not understand that much and began to head for the door, making Lovino have to step off the feet before he fell over after losing his balance from standing on them. He blinked slowly, his tail between his legs and his back arching once more. He could hear the women chattering as they left the store to find another without a hostile cat, as well as the shuffling from the other side of the door, before a small click as the door opened. And in bolted the very monster he was having a staring battle with from the other side of the window, barging into the store with a loud exclaim and tackling the Spaniard. The man’s arms wrapped around Antonio, crushing him in a tight bear hug. Lovino found himself quickly dashing away for safety, jumping onto the counter, away from the dangerous floor and to an elevated safety zone where Churro too, woke up and stared at the newly entered customer.

When however the two felines were concerned for the safety of their food provider however, the said person seemed to not be startled or afraid of the situation one bit. He put on the usual smile, perhaps wide and doopier than some of the other occasions, and greeted the monster with cheeriness in his voice. Laughter echoed in the walls, and though Lovino ignored them as much as he could, he could hear the Spaniard speak as if he owned two real cats, not one real and one mutant. That in a sense gave Lovino a sense of security, noticing that the intruder at the very least, at this point, didn’t know that a mutant presided in this building, watching them both with suspicious glares.

Who did this intruder think he was, anyway? He referred to himself as awesome, and Lovino honestly couldn’t see anything ‘awesome’ about this human. Not one thing. Nada. Rolling his eyes a bit, he flexed his forepaws to glance down at them, checking the sharpness of his claws. Luckily he managed to avoid Antonio from cutting his nails just yet, even though it resulted in constant attacks to him and the couch. Sharp and pointed, the ends would’ve gave an animated spark if it were in a cartoon. Readily available whenever the cat mutant decided he needed to attack immediately… But now that he thought about it, Antonio didn’t have the lucks to have any of this. If this intruder suddenly decided to attack Antonio right now, he could do nothing to guard himself. The brought a sense of uneasiness in the feline mutant, and as though he picked up on the vibes, Churro too began to shift in spot nervously. Lovino hesitated before he gave a small lick to the kitten’s head in hopes to keep him calm, solving scenerios in his head trying to see what his options are about this very case.

As soon as their human moved to lock the door and turn the sign signalling to those outside that the store was closed, Lovino felt even more nervous. Now they were trapped in this building with this monster. There was no escape available to them any longer. God, Antonio was so dumb… Forcing his fur to lay flat on his body to not cause unnecessary stir from the kitten curled up beside him, Lovino gulped when Antonio invited the monster to come in further into the house. No… No no no. No! Antonio, what the fucking flying hell!? WHY?

Grabbing Churro by the scruff of his neck, Lovino jumped from the counter to Antonio’s shoulder in one leap, digging his claws into the shirt in the case of needing to support himself using them. He was able to perch onto the man’s shoulders, a kitten dangling, confused, from his mouth. He gave a low feline growl, hoping a threat above a hiss would make the man turn and run out the store like a frightened girl. If not… He would have to hide Churro and go into war. Somehow.

Word Count: 1110

Tags: Antonio F. Carriedo, Gilbert Beilschmidt

Notes: 

template made by MISSO for use only by PUCHI

[Gilbert Beilschmidt]

Gilbert returned the hug eagerly, his eyes dancing at the sight of his old friend. He heard his friend explain the less than friendly reception his cat gave him. Lovino, was it? As usual, Antonio had a knack for picking up the problem cases. Not that Gilbert minded, being one of the biggest problem cases himself. Besides, the cat was the least of his concern. “You look good! Tell me. How in the hell did you end up in Russia of all places? Not that I mind, it’s great to finally have a friendly face around here!” He clapped a hand to Antonio’s shoulders, genuinely smiling for the first time since he’d set foot in Archadia. Sure, they’d kept in contact since New York, but no email compared to seeing the man in person. At the promise of drinks, Gilbert perked up further, all thoughts past kicking back and knocking back a beer with his friend gone from his mind.

“A drink? That sounds perfect!” He shed his coat like a second skin and tugged off his scarf, dumping them unceremoniously on the countertop. The man standing before Antonio looked a great deal better than he had as a hung-over college student. He looked every part the businessman in his tailored suit and Italian shoes; if it wasn’t the mischievous gleam in his eye, he might actually pass as a respectable adult. But as he pulled off his tie and unbuttoned his collar with a flick of his fingers, the old Gilbert quickly made himself known. It was clear the years had done little to change his personality. Which may or may not be a good thing depending on the person’s point of view.

In the excitement of seeing his friend, Gilbert had all but forgotten the demon cat that had greeted him so…. exuberantly at the window. He had never been much of a cat person anyway and this one didn’t seem too interested in trying to shift his opinion. He heard the low hiss, but it barely registered in his mind as his friend began to lead him off. After all, what does the awesome Gilbert have to worry about from a mere feline? He assumed they would just go about their business, mutual disdain and distrust intact.

That assumption flew out the window the moment he saw a flurry of movement. Suddenly, there was a new addition on his old friend’s shoulders. Gilbert took an involuntary step back and eyed the cat, perched possessively on Antonio’s shoulders with a second smaller kitten dangling from his mouth. The growl was definitely more threatening, this cat clearly meant business. He met the glaring challenge in the eyes of the feline.

“Ehhh, Toni? I think you need better pets. How are you ever going to get customers with Cat-Kujo here?” He took a step towards his friend and the demon-cat, his shoulders flared out in a clear challenge. “Look here, cat. I’m an old friend of Toni’s and I’m going to be here in Archadia for a while… Hell, if my business deal goes through, I might be here for a long while, so you’d better get used to it, you brat. Got it?” Even while he talked, Gilbert wondered what exactly he was doing, giving a lecture to a cat. He paused, using the silence to come back to his senses. He knew giving any big speeches to an animal was borderline crazy, no way the mean-spirited thing could even understand him after all.

Feeling a bit foolish, Gilbert sighed and focused on Antonio. “Sorry, I normally don’t go around lecturing other people’s pets… do you think I can blame this one on jet-lag?” He let out a loud laugh and reached out to squeeze Antonio’s free shoulder. “Sleep-deprived craziness aside, you think I can get that drink now?” He was going to put that cat out of his mind if it was the last thing he did. Nothing was going to screw up his reunion with Antonio.

[Antonio F. Carriedo]

How had he ended up in Russia? Yes, Antonio had gotten that a lot. Both from old friends and the people he met there in Archadia. Neither could really understand while the bubbly man from the beautiful sunny country of Spain would leave for a place such as Russia. It was not the most expected of places for someone such as him to move to. In Antonio’s mind however, that just made it all the more fun.

He shrugged his shoulders at his friend, laughed. “It’s a bit of a story. I moved here to expand the Carriedo Group market, and ended up with a flower shop.” Which was, more or less, the truth. He could fill Gilbert in late. For now it was a clipped version of it. Nothing about his only been looking for a place to stay when he ‘ended up’ with a whole other business, or his making friends with… a variety of people already since his arrival. Some that probably weren’t to the point of calling him a friend.

On cue, as if he could sense Antonio thinking of him as an exception, Lovino was hopping onto the man’s shoulder. Antonio was startled by the sudden movement and hard shift in weight in the fabric of his shirt, making him stumble back on one foot before he righted himself. He could just feel the scratch of claws going through his shirt and at his skin. He winced just a bit, but smiled over it, somewhat awkwardly, as he rose up the connected hand. It stopped before it touched Lovino – he’d learned at least that much – but stayed close as if to offer some kind of comfort to the obviously upset cat. It didn’t help that Churro was right there in his mouth, obviously confused himself at where he had ended up when only moments before he had been comfortable enough beside Lovino on the counter.

“Loviiii,” he said, soft and drawn out. After that he nodded, agreeing with Gilbert’s saying that he was an old friend that – hopefully – wasn’t going anywhere. Just at that Antonio smiled a bit more. He wanted to climb the stairs and talk with his friend more. Hear about what he was doing and what this was about him possibly staying a fair while. To get there he might need to do something about Lovino’s clear aggression though.

“He’s a friend, Lovi. He’s alright.” He said. Gilbert wouldn’t hurt Lovino, of that much Antonio was sure. Lovino probably wasn’t aware of how far off that possibility was himself. Maybe if he saw Gilbert being perfectly cordial – as much as Gilbert Beilschmidt could be – in his home he would gather that much?

Antonio shook his head at Gilbert. “It’s fine. Come on, I should have at least some beer in the fridge upstairs.” Antonio had always been more of a wine person himself, but especially after befriending Gilbert he had become known to have a beer or two around for different moods. As he climbed the stairs up to the apartment he tried to remember which ones he had on hand at that very moment.

Words: 523

Tags: Gilbert Beilschmidt & Lovino Vargas

made by MISSO for use only by BECCA

[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

Lovino had to watch himself from growling or gritting his teeth, reminding himself constantly that he held a kitten’s scruff in his mouth. He also tried to be careful with his foreclaws in which he would use for immediate attack, knowing he depended on Antonio to keep his shoulder rigid for him to stay perched. Using the claws too much rather than to just dig them in for support could mean getting yelled at possibly, or hurting his human to the point he would lose his shoulder balance, sending Lovino himself tumbling down to the floor. Sure he could land on all fours with ease, but it wouldn’t be a pleasant experience. He’d had to depend on it too many times already during fights and past owners.

Keeping his glare fierce when the albino monster stepped forward after some chit chat with his human, Lovino felt his ears flatten against his head as the man practically ‘lectured’ him, his whiskers pulling back and a low growl starting in his throat again. He felt his back arch in the commonly known Halloween-style cat pose, and his tail lashed angrily behind him, smacking Antonio in the face a few times in the process. This man was pushing his buttons, whether he knew he was doing so or not. Who the hell did he think he was, seriously!? Just because he was some shit friend of Antonio’s didn’t give him permission to stomp his dirt-smelling expensive shoes around in the store. Lovino swore he was going to rip them into shreds the moment he was given the chance to. Guess who’d be the fancy man then, huh? Not this monster, that was for sure.

Hearing the uncertain mewl coming from the kitten he was still holding, Lovino flicked his ears slightly from their flattened state just as Gilbert landed a hand on Antonio’s other shoulder. In an instant, Lovino quickly acted out, attacking, reaching his forepaw out and slashing the very arm connected to that hand. Just as he did, he jumped down from Antonio’s shoulder, landing on one of the counters and putting the confused kitten back down. After making sure he was on top of the kitten, shielding him from possible danger this stranger could bring, he opened his mouth slowly, glaring at Gilbert in hostile.

“Don’t touch my human, you disgusting piece of shit… Get your smelly ass out of my house, this is my place.” He finally growled out words, ready to force out another attack if needed. Antonio may be an airhead that couldn't protect his own property, but Lovino was having none of this.

Word Count: 437

Tags: Antonio F. Carriedo, Gilbert Beilschmidt

Notes: 

template made by MISSO for use only by PUCHI

[Gilbert Beilschmidt]

We are the lions...
Free of the coliseum...

Gilbert could help but perk up at the promise of sharing a beer with his old friend. It was quite a twist of fate, them meeting here. It seemed the universe was determined to bring them together in the most unexpected places. Gilbert didn’t believe in fate or luck, or anything that could be running his life outside of himself, he was too much of a businessman to overlook such a fortuitous event. After willingly moving to a place with so many enemies and opponents, to find a friend, hidden among ranks… it felt as though Gilbert had found the oasis in the desert. He was all set to follow his friend to the long promised beer before the situation took a turn for the weird.

In the years since West had been taken, Gil had been no stranger to the unusual—delving into the world of mutants made that all but expected. And while Antonio had never said he was against contracting mutants, Gilbert never expected to find one in his shop. But when the cat clawed his hand and actually chastised him, it was hard to find any other explanation. Too surprised to even register his bleeding hand, Gil just stared at the “Cat,” who had retreated to the counter and was currently guarding some smaller kitten. He still had that same glare that had unsettled Gill and the German frowned, wondering just what he’d done to incite such hate.

“You contracted mutant, Antonio? I had no idea!” Now that the adrenaline was starting to fade from his system his curiosity was starting to take over. Mutants who could shift into other creatures were rare in his experience, and Gilbert had long since dismissed the stories as tall tales. And yet, here he was, apparently in the middle of an argument with one. His injured hand forgotten, Gil knelt down—outside of swatting distance and surveyed the mutant. It was clear that he’d built a healthy distrust of humans, but if he’d lived in Archadia for any length of time it wasn’t all that surprising. From what Gilbert had seen all ready, mutants had a reason to fear and hate humans. And yet this one seemed incredibly protective over Toni… interesting… Gil stroked his chin thoughtfully. He shouldn’t be all that surprised, he supposed, Antonio had a way of winning over just about anyone. Gil knew that better than most, had even counted on that easy going smile and affable personality to get him out of more than his fair share of situations. But why now? Antonio had to know how risky it was to get a mutant in this town. Even if the mutant didn’t cause problems, it put you on the government’s radar, which Gilbert was quickly discovering, rarely panned out well. He just hoped Antonio know what he was risking. But that was a conversation for another time, first he needed deal with his current opponent.

“Calm down, kid. I’m not here to eat you, your kitten, or Antonio.” He smiled and rubs his injured hand. “I would’ve introduced myself sooner, but I didn’t realize you could understand me. You’re a good actor. My name’s Gilbert Beilschmidt, and I’m Antonio’s best friend. But don’t worry, I have no interest in your house. I’m just visiting, I’m not taking you or Toni anywhere, okay?”

word count: 558
tags: Gilbert Beilschmidt
notes: Sorry it took so long...

by worldie for kat

[Antonio F. Carriedo]

Antonio wanted to go upstairs and drink a little alcohol, catch up with his old friend after some time since their last meeting. Converse and laugh and have more fun that the occasional phone call or email could allow. Perhaps allow Lovino to see – from a safe distance – that Gilbert really meant him no harm and was just what he said he was. Antonio’s friend. One of his best friends, really, one that had known him longer than just about anyone.

That just… didn’t look to be in his cards as of yet. Not when Gilbert could lecture Lovino – unknowingly to a more receptive audience than he thought – and therein piss the feline off even more. To the point that when he made a friendly reach for Antonio’s shoulder he did not get out unscathed. Antonio should’ve known by the rhythmic smacksmacksmack to his head by Lovino’s tail. And yet he was still surprised, widening his eyes, when he just barely caught the image of Lovino swiping his paw out to claw at Gilbert’s hand. There was little to no time for him to react to this attack before Lovino was leaping from his shoulder and onto the table. Shielding Churro beneath him and… talking.

Cursing at Gilbert. Well, there went the cat out of the sack. So to speak. Honestly if it were at any other moment Antonio probably would’ve been touched to be referred to as ‘my human’ by Lovino of all people. As it was, he just sighing a tired sounding sort of sigh, pulling a hand over his face. Now that it was out there he didn’t know what he was thinking would happen about Lovino being a mutant. He seemed fine enough with it not being open knowledge with just about everyone that had entered the shop, forgoing words for simply hissing at all the customers. If he’d thought about he may have noticed that Antonio was the only one he’d spoken words to since he’d arrived. Maybe he’d figured he would do the same with Gilbert, just run and hide and be pissed off until the albino left. It wasn’t as if Antonio thought to keep Lovino’s being a mutant from his friend. More that… he didn’t think of it – or thought it could come up in conversation. At least in some way better than it had. With less blood, maybe.

Hearing Gilbert speak, a little softer now, to Lovino directly made him straighten a little more again. Smile – somewhat forced, but hey, he was trying – and gesture to the pissed off cat on his shop counter. One he didn’t imagine would be introducing himself. Not in a friendly and kind way that would help this situation along anyway. “Gilbert, this is Lovino Vargas. He’s a mutant that’s been staying with me for… about a week now.” He stopped, then added, “and that’s Churro, who’s not a mutant kitty by the way.” Antonio knew he would be making that question if it were him, so it made sense to mention in his mind.

With that, he stepped to reach for a paper towel off of the roll he had beside his bouquet station and passed it to Gilbert for his scratch. “Now can we get upstairs to the bandaids?” He asked, lightly hopeful, at Lovino more than anyone.

Words: 554

Tags: Gilbert Beilschmidt & Lovino Vargas

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[Lovino Vargas]

He's the meanest little kitty...

The olive green eyes were glued on the albino that when he knelt down, the eyes trailed downwards as well, the fur continuing to stand to give the feline a puffy image. He was on his own, in his mind, who was protecting this house. The human of it didn’t seem one bit fazed at the fact of this stranger coming in, and the kitten Lovino kept under his chest too was mewing for attention. The Italian saw it even occasionally purr and rub up against what Antonio called ‘customers’, so he too had zero sense for danger. If Lovino remembered correctly, even his mother, back when he was still young, would tell him and Feliciano to hide if the door opened without the signal three knocks telling them it was their father… But she never did. She was the protector, and now, Lovino found himself being one as well, ready to attack again if the albino made any weird moves. What he was greeted with instead were words and a smile that danced upon the pale face. Of course, that didn’t change Lovino’s tensed muscles or standing fur one bit, but it did make him stop his signature feline growls.

“I would’ve introduced myself sooner, but I didn’t realize you could understand me. You’re a good actor. My name’s Gilbert Beilschmidt, and I’m Antonio’s best friend. But don’t worry, I have no interest in your house. I’m just visiting, I’m not taking you or Toni anywhere, okay?”

“And how the hell am I supposed to believe any word you say?” The cat countered, raising his head a bit so he could be at least a few inches higher up than the human. It was one way he was attempting to show his dominance in this house; it was his, and he didn’t believe the man when he said he wasn’t interested in it. Because ‘visiting’ was just not something familiar to Lovino; when people came over, they always wanted something to take. It was just a humans’ way of interacting, right? Because all humans won’t do something without something to gain from it.

His attention however was forcefully pulled away from the albino when his human spoke, introducing him and the kitten under him to this stranger. That in itself was enough to make Lovino uncomfortable, knowing that this man knew something, anything, about him and the little ward he was shielding. Though he couldn’t quite place the discomfort with words to describe it, it just made him shift slightly on his paws, his standing fur slowly laying back flat along his back and his ears perking upwards finally once again. At the request made by Antonio, mainly to him, however, he felt his lips pull back forcefully again to snarl.

But in the end, this was his human’s house. He knew that, though he hated to think of it that way. If he said no, he risked labeling himself troublesome for this human who was somewhat working out for him. Perhaps he had to give Antonio some wiggle room in a sense…

“…Fine.” He finally growled, sending a glare to Gilbert’s way again, more to make sure he was listening though he was aiming his words to Antonio. “But he can’t go into the kitchen. Or the bedroom. He has to stay in the fucking living room… And leave before the sky turns orange.” He hissed, lashing his tail behind him. He also made sure to push Churro back under himself when he tried to poke his head out to look around, not wanting Gilbert to have a single chance to swipe him away, if he were to try anything of that sorts.

Word Count: 615

Tags: Antonio F. Carriedo, Gilbert Beilschmidt

Notes:

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