We Used to Call it Friendship || Gilbert

[Elizaveta Héderváry]

INFINITY (n.) the state of being limitless Elizaveta was tired and stressed and pissed off. She'd already taken her anger out on several of the rookie guards, who'd scurried away in fear after her outbursts at them for some of their minor errors. Elizaveta would apologize to them later, but right now, she was too pissed to think about it. She paced through her office. It was like her head was exploding. She wanted to scream, except that would both cause her senior guards to come running and would basically ruin her reputation. So she kept the anger locked up inside. Except Elizaveta couldn't really hold it in anymore. She needed someone to rant to. She hadn't had anyone to rant to in almost ten years. Someone, anyone. Elizaveta put her head in her hands and gave a muffled yell. Loud enough that she could let some of her emotions out but not loud enough to have the guards think she was in any trouble. It was childish, throwing a temper tantrum like this, but she was being treated like a child. Elizaveta glared at the phone on her desk. She wanted to smash it, except then she'd have to buy a new one and that would be a pain. She hated the Governor. Absolutely hated her. She hated that she was the Governor's daughter, that she would never truly escape from that. "Hello sweetie." Even remembering her mother's sickly sweet words made Elizaveta want to puke. "I hope you've been having a good day." She hadn't been having a good day at all. The Freedom Fighters (she didn't mind them as long as they were quiet, but no, they'd been rioting) had been a nuisance. There were three deals that had been made without Elizaveta's approval, which meant she had to go through the paperwork, find the appropriate mutants, talk to the people involved, and kick the crap out of them before sweetly settling a deal for them. The auction center had to be cleaned up before the next auction took place and it was time for Elizaveta to decide which mutants were ready to go up for sale. No, it had not been a good day. And her mother's voice only made it worse. "Now, Eliza sweetie? You're going to listen to me closely, aren't you?" Like she had a choice. "I need you to, ah, come and talk to this gentleman for me. You know how things have been a little rebellious around here, don't you?" She knew it better than her mother did. The bastard. "Well, I'm gonna need you to come around to one of my parties again, sweetie. After I'm done doing what I do, we're gonna have a little mother-daughter bonding time, alright?" Elizaveta's blood had run cold when she heard those words. She had been ignoring her mother for the past few months, absolutely refusing to do her bidding. "No," Elizaveta had said in a barely concealed, horrified voice when her mother spoke. "No, I'm not coming." "Oh, but sweetheart. I've been so generous lately. You know what happens when you don't come." Elizaveta hung up after that, but she knew that she would go. That she had to. That if she didn't, her mother would have ways to get back at her. The manipulative bitch. She just needed someone, anyone. She'd had Monsieur Tico through her childhood, though that was before her mother had even bothered paying attention to her. Who else had she had? No one. Not really. Not in these past few years. It'd always been Elizaveta herself. Elizaveta alone. How had she gotten rid of her anger before? She'd ranted to someone...someone... Elizaveta glanced at the computer on her desk. Gilbert. Emails, where Elizaveta ranted and Gilbert ranted and where they just were able to talk to each other. She was pissed and stressed, more so than she had been when they last talked. It'd been over a year and a half since she'd last seen him and he'd been so different yet the same. But he was still her old friend. Her best childhood friend. And she wanted someone to talk to. She didn't even fucking care anymore. She just needed someone. Elizaveta moved over to her radio and set it to only tune into one of her more trusted guard's radios. It crackled to life as soon as she called in. "Yeah, Elizaveta?" "Bring me Gilbert Beilschmidt. I need to speak to him."

words 741 tags #here notes Ugh, not the greatest starting post, sorry.

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"Beilschmidt, get the fuck up."

Gilbert groaned and shoved his head under his pillow. Why did the guards need him? It was getting close to food distribution for dinner and it was extremely rare for the guards to move them around at this time. Not mention he had just been moved, again, yesterday. The guard barked at him again, this time keys rattled as he started opening the cell door. Shit it was never good if the guards decided to come in and get them. "I'm up! I'm up!" Gilbert exclaimed as he rolled off his cot. Like hell he was going to give the guards the chance to drag him out of his cell. He went over with his wrists held up for them to restrain. Assholes. "So where am I off to today?"

Lazy Eye, one of the higher up guards in the ranks, was accompanied with a random lackey. It was strange for Lazy Eye to escort mutants personally. Actually, it was a worth some concern. Especially with that amused smirk that pulled at Lazy Eye's lips. He was rarely ever amused. Shit this was actually pretty bad. "Head guard wants you in her office. Can't imagine what you did to manage that."

The head guard? His stomach dropped and the panic must have been apparent on his face, since Lazy Eye burst into snide laughter. What could she possibly want with him? He hadn't seen her in over a year and half, how could he have pissed her off? Sure she didn't have any good memories of him. The first time he saw the pretty female guard, he couldn't resist heckling her. How could he not harass her? It was high on the list of Stupid Things Gilbert Beilschmidt Has Done. She had not taken kindly to a lowly mutant catcalling her and shot at him. Shot right over his head with a real live bullet and kept walking. He may or may not almost pissed his pants what that happened.

But that hadn't stopped him from trying to get more reactions from her. After the fact, getting shot at was kinda hilarious. He pissed her off that much she wanted to shoot him? It was priceless! So he kept trying to push her buttons while she was just a regular guard. She was stricter with him than anyone else (if only because she literally could not interact with Hamish without him frothing at the mouth), and he couldn't really blame her. But at the same time, it seemed like whenever she was particularly cruel with him or gave him a good beating, he'd find his meals would have a little more on the plate than usual… It was impossible to get a read off the girl, which made her all the more to try to figure out. But, it didn't take long for her to get her rounds scheduled the way she wanted so she never had to see him. And then she was promoted to head guard of the entire Underground. So yeah, he was a bit scared that she suddenly wanted to see him.

Lazy Eye dragged him into her office and dumped him in a surprisingly plush chair opposite of her desk. He'd never actually been in the head guard's office of all the years he had called the Underground his home. Very few ever went to the head guard's office, actually. He glanced around curiously while Lazy Eye and Elizaveta exchanged words. While the room wasn't obviously girly, there were touches that made it feel out of place and warm in a place like the Underground. Man this seat was nice. Gilbert wiggled his butt and got comfortable while watched her, making the smart choice for once to keep his mouth shut. He'd rather see what kind of trouble he was in before he started smart mouthing her.

Words: 647

Tags: Elizaveta Héderváry

made by MISSO on IOF

[Elizaveta Héderváry]

INFINITY (n.) the state of being limitless Elizaveta barely glanced up when Gilbert was brought in. She had calmed down a little, but she was still angry beyond belief. At least she didn't want to break the phone anymore. Aleksander walked over to Elizaveta. "Got 'im for you," he grinned. "What's the occasion?" "Go to hell, Aleksander," Elizaveta said. Aleksander only laughed. He'd been a recruit with Elizaveta, one of the best, really. They'd duked it out too many times. Aleksander knew Elizaveta's moods pretty well and he knew that she wasn't really angry at him. Aleksander was an interesting person. He respected Elizaveta and was fairly open with her, sometimes almost too open. You'd think he was a girl, with the amount of information he told Elizaveta. At any rate, he was one of her favorite senior guards. Aleksander gave her a friendly salute before he headed out with a light laugh. It was the sound of the door shutting that Elizaveta realized that Gilbert was sitting there, in front of her. She suddenly felt a loss for words and a little bit of fear. But all of that was quickly overwhelmed by rage. "I hate her," Elizaveta said. "I hate her, god, I hate her." Those three words seemed to break the barrier that Elizaveta had. She didn't even look at Gilbert. She just needed to rant and she needed someone to listen. "All she does is try to control me and manipulate me like a pawn." Elizaveta gritted her teeth, slamming her hand against her desk. "Even after so many years, so many years, Gilbert! She still refuses to let me go and be my own person. If I could just leave, if I could leave Russia and never look back, would it be that bad? No. But she always thinks it will be, because there'd be no explanation for why the fucking Governor's daughter suddenly went missing." Elizaveta's blood boiled and her voice grew higher and higher. Then she took a breath and she stopped. Calm down. Calm down. "I wish I was dead," Elizaveta said in a much quieter voice. "You know what, I wish I was dead. That would just be out of her plans, wouldn't it? Because even after all this time she still tries to keep me alive for her plans. Her plans, her path to power and destruction. It's always about her fucking plans. Her, toying with the whole fucking world with her fucking hands. I wish she just left me alone, that she left me to die all those years ago. But no. Now I'm just a part of her path to success. And no matter what I do, I can't get away from her. I just want to get away, goddamn it. Is it that much to ask? Fake my death or something. I don't give a shit about her or Russia or any of her plans." For the first time, Elizaveta looked at Gilbert. "What do I do?" She wanted him to answer her, to give her an answer. That's what he'd done all those years ago, when she'd run away from her mother's grasp for the first time, wasn't it? He'd told her that she was okay. He'd accepted her for who she was. And even though she didn't want to shatter his image of her, she supposed this could hardly do anything. If he didn't recognize her when she'd first recognized, he wouldn't recognize her now. He'd probably forgotten the girl (or, she supposed, boy) that he had met in the woods. He'd just see her as some Head Guard. Maybe he'd even try to win her favor...god, that would drive her mad as well. But maybe Gilbert was still the boy she'd met in the woods and maybe he'd still be honest and would actually help. Or maybe he'd be so frightened that he'd just run off. Gilbert had never struck Elizaveta as someone easily frightened. He had still teased her after she shot that gun at him after all. He was an idiot at the core. At any rate, Elizaveta barely cared anymore. She couldn't screw up their trampled friendship anymore than she already had. She just wanted an answer. And someone to rant to. Even if Gilbert had nothing to say to her anymore, she felt a little better. That was worth something, right?

words 719 tags #@albinobitch notes Aleksander's my favorite character, ff.

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This really was not what Gilbert had been expecting.

"I hate her. I hate her, god, I hate her." Elizaveta spit out the words with such a scathing venom Gilbert momentarily feared for his life. But then the words processed and he took note of the pronouns Elizaveta used. Her? Who the hell was her that made this crazily unflappable woman lose her cool? Even when he got her to snap and react to him, her anger with him was a calm and collected anger. It was calculated and she knew exactly what she was doing. Right now? The levels of anger seeping in her voice was unbelievable. Gilbert was suddenly very glad he never made this woman truly mad with him.

"All she does is try to control me and manipulate me like a pawn. Even after so many years, so many years, Gilbert! She still refuses to let me go and be my own person. If I could just leave, if I could leave Russia and never look back, would it be that bad? No. But she always thinks it will be, because there'd be no explanation for why the fucking Governor's daughter suddenly went missing."

This was seriously unexpected. The head guard called him to her office to bitch about her mom to him? Did she seriously have no one else to confide in that she had to pull a mutant aside, rant to him, then probably threaten him to silence? Damn was that ever pathetic? And honestly, why was it Gilbert of all people she decided to bitch to? Sure, he was a pretty good listener whenever he shut up. He provided pretty damn good advice! Hell even when he was just a tiny tike his first and only friend (besides Ludwig for a while) would always complain about his mom. Started off with how she payed no attention to him, which, hey, Gilbert could seriously relate to. What was his name again? Right, Izzy. Yeah, Izzy's mom completely ignored him then did a random 180 and became a total control freak. Izzy dropped off the face of the planet, but emailed him every once and a while with giant rants about his mom's craziness.

"I wish I was dead, You know what, I wish I was dead." Woah hold the fuck up. Gilbert stared at her, jaw slightly gaping. Did she seriously just say that? "That would just be out of her plans, wouldn't it? Because even after all this time she still tries to keep me alive for her plans. Her plans, her path to power and destruction. It's always about her fucking plans. Her, toying with the whole fucking world with her fucking hands. I wish she just left me alone, that she left me to die all those years ago. But no. Now I'm just a part of her path to success. And no matter what I do, I can't get away from her. I just want to get away, goddamn it. Is it that much to ask? Fake my death or something. I don't give a shit about her or Russia or any of her plans."

Was this bitch serious? Was she actually seriously saying this shit right now. "What do I do?" Well shit, she asked. Gilbert scoffed and crossed his arms. She asked, so she was gonna get it. He propped his feet up on the edge of her desk and raised a skeptical brow at her. "What do you fuckin' do? Get your head out of your ass for one thing. You're seriously going to call me in here and start talking about how you wish you were dead? You wish you were dead? At least you have the luxury to even contemplate killing yourself, maybe copping out by faking it! You know we don't even get the choice of suicide to get out of this hell hole because you keep a close watch on us and stop any attempts of that succeeding. Just make sure we're always on the brink of death, but hey can't let the really hopeless ones kill themselves if they wanted."

He kicked his feet off the desk so he could lean forward, fists on the surface. "Princess, she may manipulate her will into controlling your life, but you have the options to really get out if you wanted. Sure your life sucks because she keeps using you like a tool, but your life is pretty damn spec-fucking-tacular, don't you think? Got yourself this nice little job in charge of the whole joint. You could probably do anything you wanted with her backing you. Or you could just throw away your life of luxury and ease to get rid of her watchful eye and run off to some distant country. Start a new life from nothing! You can do whatever the fuck you want."

Words: 812

Tags: Elizaveta Héderváry

made by MISSO on IOF

[Elizaveta Héderváry]

INFINITY (n.) the state of being limitless Elizaveta wasn't sure exactly what she had expected of Gilbert. She'd forgotten that the days in the woods were behind them, that Gilbert no longer viewed her as a friend, but an enemy. How could she have been so stupid? It hit her almost as soon as he opened his mouth that she was not going to like what he had to say to her. She'd forgotten that she was a guard. He didn't recognize her, and wasn't that what she had been counting on? She had hoped, to be honest, that he wouldn't answer. But of course he went and answered. Because he was an idiot. The same idiot she'd run into in the woods that mistook her for a guy. The same exact one. It started immediately and Gilbert didn't hold back. "What do you fuckin' do? Get your head out of your ass for one thing." Elizaveta was a little shocked at first, to be honest. It'd been a long time since anyone had dared talk to her like that. As much as she hated to admit it, she had grown used to being treated with a certain degree of respect. She almost never held conversations with mutants. Or, well, friends, she supposed. Though Gilbert was far from that now. "You're seriously going to call me in here and start talking about how you wish you were dead? You wish you were dead? At least you have the luxury to even contemplate killing yourself, maybe copping out by faking it! You know we don't even get the choice of suicide to get out of this hell hole because you keep a close watch on us and stop any attempts of that succeeding. Just make sure we're always on the brink of death, but hey can't let the really hopeless ones kill themselves if they wanted." Okay, now Elizaveta was getting pissed. Screw you, jump off a building, hey at least you can do it. Well, there were about a dozen creative ways to die if you were really keen on doing it in the Underground too, weren't there? A number of capital offenses that got you shot on the spot. But hey, Gilbert was still sitting right in front of her. Hmm, didn't seem like he was all too excited to toss his life away either. Her first instinct was to punch him in the gut or kick him in the balls. Wouldn't be too hard, nothing he could do about it. Gilbert knew nothing about her. How could she even have dreamed that he'd understand? Sure, he was a mutant. But at least he was surrounded by people who were like him, who could relate to him, who probably liked him. The only shot Elizaveta got at any of that was guards who feared her and people who wanted to use her. Did people want to use Gilbert? No. At least he had some control over his life, while Elizaveta was almost certain she'd lost all of hers. ...And Gilbert had kicked his feet up onto her desk. Her desk. It was a little sad that something as small as that was capable of setting her off, but god, she was pissed. "Princess, she may manipulate her will into controlling your life, but you have the options to really get out if you wanted. Sure your life sucks because she keeps using you like a tool, but your life is pretty damn spec-fucking-tacular, don't you think? Got yourself this nice little job in charge of the whole joint. You could probably do anything you wanted with her backing you. Or you could just throw away your life of luxury and ease to get rid of her watchful eye and run off to some distant country. Start a new life from nothing! You can do whatever the fuck you want." "Do whatever the fuck I want?" Elizaveta laughed. It was a cold, high, mocking laugh. "Oh, hun, if I could do whatever the fuck I want do you think I'd be in this shithole, across the table and talking to you?" She took a knife out, but didn't point it at him. Instead, she flipped it around her fingers with an astonishing amount of skill. "Has it ever occurred to you, Beilschmidt, that maybe I don't like my job? That maybe I don't enjoy kicking the crap out of you and your cellmates? Has it ever occurred to you that even as you're sitting in your little cell that I'm out here sitting in my, slightly bigger maybe, but just as real cell?" She threw the dagger into the wall, the knife lodging itself in a long crack. She looked over at him, her green eyes glaring, her brown hair falling over her shoulder. "Hmm? No? Oh, well isn't that surprising." She walked over to him again, growing increasingly angrier with each step. "Or, perhaps, has it ever occurred to you that maybe the fucking reason why I don't fucking leave and run off to some distant country is because I have no choice in this matter and I can't fucking do that?" She laughed again, that high-pitched, dangerous laugh. "Oh, it's not for lack of trying, Beilschmidt. I've done exactly what you've suggested that I do and where did that land me? Right back here in this hellhole. And honestly, this is probably the best place I could be, because at least here I have some fucking control over my fucking life." Slamming her hands down on the desk, she stared straight into Gilbert's eyes. Stared? No, she glared at him. Suddenly, her hatred towards her mother had become hatred towards him. "Maybe I don't have your sob story, Beilschmidt. Maybe I don't have your problems. But you don't have mine either. And don't you think for a fucking second that my life is a paradise." What a fool she had been, to think that old relations still existed. She scoffed at the idea in her head now. She wondered who was the bigger idiot in this room.

words 1012 tags #@albinobitch notes ...She, uh...muse, uh, got angry. uwu

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Oh he done gone fucked up bad this time. It really dawned on him about what a bad idea it had been to lose his temper and say what was on his mind after he had gone and done it. His ass was grass. There was a slightly crazed look in Elizaveta's eyes from the moment he set his feet on her desk, but had he taken warning? Of course not. "Do whatever the fuck I want?" She said with an airy laugh that sent chills down his spine. He shrunk back in the plush chair and regretted everything. "Oh, hun, if I could do whatever the fuck I want do you think I'd be in this shithole, across the table and talking to you?"

She took out a knife. A knife, she took out a knife, oh god. He was dead, seriously dead. It was nice he had the chance to curry a favor out of Alfred before he died to get his little brother out. He saw an old friend, so that was nice too. He really wished he had the chance to talk with Mathias and Hamish at least one more time before dying, but they would know he died with good thoughts of them. "Has it ever occurred to you, Beilschmidt, that maybe I don't like my job? That maybe I don't enjoy kicking the crap out of you and your cellmates? Has it ever occurred to you that even as you're sitting in your little cell that I'm out here sitting in my, slightly bigger maybe, but just as real cell?"

That was a little bit of bullshit. That was like a house cat from a rough home with the freedom to come and go trying to tell a caged lion, ripped away from its friends and family from a young age, that their situations were the same. He almost considered pointing this out, then remembered he was about to die. She had finished playing with the knife and chucked the dagger. Gilbert flinched and ducked in his chair, but the dagger hadn't been aimed at him and lodged into the wall. "Hm? No? Oh, well isn't that surprising."

Gilbert let out a sigh of relief. He was someone still alive and uninjured. It seemed almost miraculous considering her current state of mind. She may claim she didn't enjoy 'kicking the crap out of' mutants, but that had never stopped her. His celebration of life was short lived, however, because she stood and walked over to him. She wasn't a tall woman, but standing while he was sitting and with that deadly glare she practically towered over him. "Or, perhaps, has it ever occurred to you that maybe the fucking reason why I don't fucking leave and run off to some distant country is because I have no choice in this matter and I can't fucking do that? Oh, it's not for lack of trying, Beilschmidt. I've done exactly what you've suggested that I do and where did that land me? Right back here in this hellhole. And honestly, this is probably the best place I could be, because at least here I have some fucking control over my fucking life." Well then, what was the problem? Gilbert may have jumped when she slammed her hands on the desk and glowered down at him, but his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't understand why she was throwing such a pity party for herself, when she claimed this was the best she could get (which he doubted).

"Maybe I don't have your sob story, Beilschmidt. Maybe I don't have your problems. But you don't have mine either. And don't you think for a fucking second that my life is a paradise." And it wasn't his 'sob story' that he cared about. His problems were his own fault, but her life was paradise compared to Ludwig or Hamish. Her problems were probably her own fault too. Sure she had some crazy manipulative mother, but how she decided to handle it was on her hands. If she had no one besides him to get her mind out to, didn't that imply she had literally no friends? That was on her, not her mother. And if she hated this life so much, but gave up on getting away and let herself believe this was the best she could get, well that was on her as well.

Izzy had always talked about wanting to run away from his mom, but they had been kids back then. It wasn't possible for him to get away and survive in some far off country on his own. He was a smart kid, but pretty and tiny too. Someone like him would have been snatched up by some human traffickers within seconds, no doubt. Sure, Elizaveta was a petite, beautiful woman, but he'd see her hold her own and commandeer respect from men twice her size. Gilbert bet Izzy could take her, though. That guy had always been training in different kinds of fighting classes. Maybe it was because Antonio suddenly wandered back into his life, but memories of Izzy were suddenly easy to drag up. The guy had been so much fun to play with. When Gilbert couldn't take it anymore in the house (even the darling baby Ludwig couldn't keep him occupied and content all the time) he would escape to the neighboring woods with hopes of running into Izzy. They would play all kinds of pretend games together, but knights was their favorite game. Actually…

The tension in the room ignored, Gilbert sat up in his seat and leaned toward Elizaveta, his eyes squinted as he focused in on her features. She had clear, green eyes that reminded him a lot of that distant friend from long past. A lot of her reminded him of that guy, the crazy mom, that particular shade of green eyes, her light brown hair. "Hey," he said, still dangerously close to her. "Do you have a brother or something? Because I just realized you look a lot like an old friend I had, like, three million years ago."

Words: 1030

Tags: Elizaveta Héderváry

made by MISSO on IOF

[Elizaveta Héderváry]

INFINITY (n.) the state of being limitless Elizaveta was done with Gilbert. Utterly and thoroughly done. Her emotions were exhausted and Gilbert had, of course, been no help. What had she been expecting? Idiot, She'd been a complete idiot. It was taking her all of her willpower not to kill Gilbert. ...Okay, not quite. Elizaveta didn't think she could kill a friend. But she'd thought a lot of things once. And she'd done some unspeakable things, that was true. ...She could let herself at least aim a bullet next to him, right? But Elizaveta knew better than to use her weapons out of rage. Now that she'd yelled at Gilbert, she felt a little better. She'd send him away and that would be that. They would never see each other again, she'd make damn sure of that. It was Gilbert's reaction to Elizaveta that both impressed and threw her off. Most guards would be cowering from fear. Maybe Gilbert felt Elizaveta wouldn't kill him because he was a mutant? No, that made no sense. The Underground didn't exactly think much of killing off a mutant or two to make a point. Maybe he was an idiot and a fool. That made a lot more sense. Even when they'd been younger, Elizaveta had had no trouble kicking his ass. When Gilbert leaned forwards though, Elizaveta was surprised. He squinted at her, as if examining her. Elizaveta suddenly felt very uncomfortable, as if she was being surveyed and judged. When she pushed herself into other guards' faces to lecture them, they either backed up or...well, some tried to hit on her but those were always the newbies and she could usually whack them with something to put them in their place. What was Gilbert doing? Still, Elizaveta refused to back down, especially from Gilbert Beilschmidt. "Hey..." Elizaveta raised an eyebrow. Was he seriously going to chitchat with her? She should've sent him away already. Why was she hesitating? Gilbert wasn't her friend anymore. He was an enemy. At least from her point of view. And, Elizaveta realized, she should think of him that way as well. She didn't know if she could. "Do you have a brother or something? Because I just realized that you look a lot like an old friend I had, like, three million years ago." ...Shit. Elizaveta's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before narrowing again. In her anger and with Gilbert's response, she'd almost forgotten that they'd been close once. Instinctively, Elizaveta stood up and took a step away from Gilbert. Normally, Elizaveta would never back down from a challenge or a fight. However, she didn't think she could take having Gilbert look at her that closely anymore. Instead, she walked away from the desk, her hands behind her back. She'd screwed up, god, she'd screwed up. She should've never sent for Gilbert in the first place, what had she been thinking? What had she called herself when she was a child? Izzy, yes, that was right. It had felt more right than Elizaveta or Eliza or Liz. Izzy was a name that suited both a girl and a guy and that's what she had told Gilbert back then. No wonder he thought she was a guy, hell, she might've thought the same. She missed being Izzy. When she was Izzy, Elizaveta knew exactly who she was and what to do. Being Izzy had been fun, especially with Gilbert. They'd run off into the woods together to learn from each other. She'd taught Gilbert his first swear words, he'd been a pretty fun fighting partner, especially when they played knights. They'd climbed trees and rocks and played until they were absolutely exhausted. She hadn't had to worry about who she was or what she said...at least, until she'd seen him again at a few of the fancier parties. But maybe seeing him again had broken her shields down a little bit. She had to cover it up. "Do you think this is a joke?" Elizaveta said harshly. She whipped her head over her shoulder, sending yet another glare at Gilbert. She met his gaze and shifted her eyes away automatically. "Do you, Gilbert? Are you just going to fucking sit around and ask me about my family while I—" Elizaveta froze. It was then that she realized she'd called him Gilbert instead of Beilschmidt. Maybe he hadn't noticed the familiarity in her words, but maybe he had. Elizaveta was good at covering up her vulnerabilities, her weaknesses. But she was a bit of a mess right now and she wasn't thinking straight. She had accidentally switched back to the name she had always called him. Elizaveta had slipped up. She couldn't do that again. Even if Gilbert hadn't noticed it, she couldn't allow that to happen again. Because even if he still thought that Izzy was a guy, it wouldn't be too grand of a leap, considering all that she'd just ranted about to him. There was silence for a moment before Elizaveta spoke again. She knew what she had to do now, what she should have done in the first place. An idiot. Why had she even bothered... She couldn't let him stay here in the same room as she was. She couldn't think properly. She needed to calm down. "Get out, Beilschmidt," Elizaveta said in a quieter, calmer voice. She didn't even look at him. She couldn't. "Get out."

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There was a glimmer of recognition, or maybe it was just surprise, in Elizaveta's eyes before she went back to glaring at him. She pulled away and created a distance between them. That was disconcerting. Simple guard Elizaveta he'd met just a couple of years ago would have never backed down like that. Head guard Elizaveta hadn't seemed that different, but maybe he was wrong with that assumption? Had sitting behind a desk all day made her soft? But that didn't make sense, it wasn't like Gilbert had said anything threatening. What was the issue with asking her if she had a brother? Maybe it was a sensitive subject. Oh man, what if Izzy was her brother and he died or something?!

Normally Gilbert didn't have the desire to treat guards with any shred of decency. They didn't treat him well so why should he? But siblings were a whole other playing field. If it was anything else Elizaveta showed a discomfort or weakness to he would have started mocking her, but not about siblings. So he sat back in the chair and crossed his arms as he waited for her to gather her thoughts. Izzy had been a cool guy, it would suck if he died. "Do you think this is a joke?" She snapped suddenly as she shot a glare at him over her shoulder. He jumped slightly, not expecting her to come out of her thoughts already. "Do you, Gilbert? Are you just going to fucking sit around and ask me about my family while I-"

Maybe if she hadn't froze, he wouldn't have noticed. But she did. The second she realized what she said, Gilbert did as well. She called him by his first name. He didn't know she even knew his first name. Sure all the mutants had their names on file and theoretically she could know, but the guards only bothered to remember last names, if even that. Even if she knew his name, why would she possibly address him with it? That was a level of familiarity none of the guards had with him. It was weird. Even if Izzy was her brother and he had talked about Gilbert, that wouldn't put Elizaveta in a mindset to slip up and be familiar with Gilbert…

Izzy had never mentioned having a sister. He surely would have mentioned if he had a sister if he talked to her enough for her to know who Gilbert was. No, Gilbert was certain Izzy had made it clear he was an only child, hence his mother's extreme focus on everything he did… What if- No way- But it could be- Izzy never wanted to go swimming with him when they still played together. When they were just email-buddies, Izzy never let him see any social media he was on and he refused any attempts to maybe meet up again to get out from under his mother's watchful eye even for a little bit. It would all make sense if he was trying to hide the fact he was actually a she…

Gilbert's jaw dropped as he continued to stare at Elizaveta. It could be shortened to Eliza, which could be shortened again to Lizzy, which was practically Izzy. Holy shit. No fucking way. That was totally impossible. How could the world be so fucking small that his childhood friend was the freaking governor's daughter and now head guard of the fucking Underground? But there was seriously no other explanation at this point. He could totally see it now too. Izzy had been a pretty boy, but so were a lot of young boys before they started to grow up. But Izzy kept his hair long and had a limited wardrobe that was fairly gender neutral, but could be considered more on the feminine side…

"Get out, Beilschmidt. Get out."

Like hell that was going to happen. Damn was this ever the best dirt ever. He bet that Elizaveta would not want the rumor going around that she was childhood friends with the resident icy albino. What was the best way to approach this? Gilbert couldn't help the smug grin on his face as he pulled his legs up onto the chair and crossed them. "Arctic-ly," he started, mentally high five-ing himself on that pun. "I can't really do that without one of your lackeys to escort me? Or, I mean you could, Izzy, that'd be cool too. I'd just rather not get punished for wandering around on my own, no matter how much fun that romp would be."

Words: 760

Tags: Elizaveta Héderváry

made by MISSO on IOF

[Elizaveta Héderváry]

INFINITY (n.) the state of being limitless Elizaveta had slipped up and she was well aware of it. Still, she didn't allow that to get away from her. Her emotions were at a boil, but they were starting to calm. Now, she was focused on just making Gilbert leave. She could deal with her shit herself. That's what she'd always done through the years, wasn't it? Her eyebrow twitched when Gilbert began to speak. She didn't even know why she let him speak that long. Any other mutant would have been punished swiftly for speaking back to her. Not that Elizaveta relished in the punishment, but that was how things worked around here. Eat or be eaten. Kill or be killed. It hadn't taken Elizaveta too much time to figure that out. Intelligence wasn't something that Elizaveta used to define herself, but she wasn't an idiot either. "I can't really do that without one of your lackeys to escort me? Or, I mean you could, Izzy, that'd be cool too. I'd just rather not get punished for wandering around on my own, no matter how much fun that romp would be." Izzy. Elizaveta winced inwardly at the name. She hadn't heard that name in years. So he had figured it out. Elizaveta breathed in quietly as she yanked her dagger from where she had lodged it into the wall. The anger had become a quiet anger, the type that Elizaveta usually exhibited with her guards. For some reason, Gilbert had managed to boost those up to the point where she was yelling, not something Elizaveta did frequently. Maybe it was just the memories of when they were children. Well those days were gone and not coming back. And if Gilbert thought that he could use their old relationship in a way, well, then he was wrong, wasn't he? Because Elizaveta wasn't about to let herself be used in any way. Also, there remained the chance that she could convince him that he'd been mistaken, that she was not actually his childhood friend. Yes, that sounded like a good plan. Elizaveta twirled the knife around her knuckles as she began to walk towards Gilbert again. There was a burning look in Elizaveta's eyes and she had an angry smirk to match the smug grin that was on Gilbert's stupid face. The bastard had his feet on her table again, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. For a brief second, she really wanted nothing more than to talk to him like an old friend. Not to complain to him, to simply...talk to him. To go back to the way things were. But that was never going to happen. Not today, not ever. As much as she wanted to, he was a mutant. She was human. Elizaveta could never be associated with him. The days when she would rebel simply to rebel were gone. Once you moved into adulthood, things changed. She was going to play by the rules now. Maybe Gilbert thought, however foolishly, that the tables were in his favor now. That he knew who she was and he could use that however he pleased. But Elizaveta had the upper hand here and she knew it too. Sure, it'd be unpleasant if that news got around, that she and Gilbert had once known each other. But there were much worse rumors. She knew how to demand respect from the guards. The mutants? They could whisper as much as they wanted. It wouldn't stop her from having a bullet put through their head. Once, she would've been disturbed that such thoughts would even cross her mind. Once, she would've tried to be a fair, just, honest, kind, selfless person. But Elizaveta wasn't that girl anymore. She'd long forgotten about feeling guilty or remorseful about it. Sure, Elizaveta didn't like killing mutants. The guards could do that. But if push came to pull... She wouldn't want Gilbert to die though. Not really. Which was why she was going to shut him up before he did anything stupid. "I don't know," she said in a calm voice, "who this Izzy of yours is. But please, honey, let's stop with the pet names here." She gave a cold, high-pitched laugh. "Hardly appropriate, are they?" Her boots clicked against the hard floor, echoing in the room. She held the knife with an air of familiarity, sliding the sharp side against her fingernails calmly, like someone who had done it a thousand times before. She shot a look at Gilbert, with a cold, amused smile on her face. "Oh Beilschmidt," she said, clucking her tongue as she neared him and came to a stop. "You're well aware I could make your life much more miserable than it is at the moment. You'd do well not to piss me off further. Aleksander can take you to your little cell, can't he?" She smiled widely, leaning up to him, her knife twirling in her hand. "So please, Beilschmidt, and I won't ask this nicely again. Take your fucking legs off my fucking table and get the fuck out of here."

words 844 tags #@albinobitch notes This was pretty bad, sorry. >> Elizaveta's anger can do a complete 180 at times.

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No way had he made a mistake… But here she was denying it. "I don't know who this Izzy of yours is. But please, honey, let's stop with the pet names here. Hardly appropriate, are they?" Why not just admit to it? He hadn't even tried to get anything from her because of their little secret! Yet. Oh wait, that would probably be why she wasn't admitting anything… That was no fun. The knife returned to her hand and Gilbert frowned. Crap she wasn't playing around. "Oh Beilschmidt. You're well aware I could make your life much more miserable than it is at the moment. You'd do well not to piss me off further. Aleksander can take you to your little cell, can't he? So please, Beilschmidt, and I won't ask this nicely again. Take your fucking legs off my fucking table and get the fuck out of here."

He leaned back in the chair and shot a hesitant smile to her. "Well, technically," he lifted his feet from the couch and set them on the floor. "They haven't been on the table. Heh." Somehow he felt that wasn't the best response to give her. He scrambled off the chair to stand and inch away from her. "Anyways, Izzy, my man, I know you totally remember me! I mean, I don't blame you for thinking you can fool me seeing as I kinda didn't notice for the past three years or whatever, but I figured it out! I mean, you gotta be pretty lonely and desperate, pulling me in to bitch like the olden days, but I mean, hey, friendship can transcend the years, am I right?" He laughed nervously as he inched along the wall toward the door. While it would be nice to be in the good graces of the guard based on their old friendship, he would much rather not get beat up by this tiny slip of a woman and just leave the room as she demanded. "But hey if you don't wanna rant some more, I'm totally gone. More than gone. Totally gone-" He peeked out the door and deflated to see no one waiting outside. Her precious Aleksander wasn't there to take him away at the moment. Just his luck.

Gilbert shut the door again and smiled. "And I would love to leave, but you gotta call your little lapdog to escape me, man. I'm really not so stupid to wander my way back to my cell alone. Someone is gonna see me and love to take the chance to get a couple of kicks in and not give me dinner. Dinner is really gross, but I'd rather have it than not, know what I mean? So how about we don’t kill Gilbert and maybe share some more stress to relax some while we wait for lapdog to take me off to my cage?”

Words: 480

Tags: Elizaveta Héderváry

made by MISSO on IOF

[Elizaveta Héderváry]

INFINITY (n.) the state of being limitless "Well, technically," Gilbert said hesitantly after a moment, "they haven't been on the table. Heh." He scrambled up, inching away from her. "Anyways, Izzy, my man, I know you totally remember me! I mean, I don't blame you for thinking you can fool me seeing as I kinda didn't notice for the past three years or whatever, but I figured it out! I mean, you gotta be pretty lonely and desperate, pulling me in to bitch like the olden days, but I mean, hey, friendship can transcend the years, am I right?" Gilbert gave a nervous little laugh, as if unsure how she'd react. Then again, he had every reason to be nervous. Lonely? Desperate? Elizaveta a prideful person, but she...she could admit that much. She was lonely. And she'd been desperate. Friendship can transcend the years... He had figured it out, hadn't he? Even if it had taken him three years...not that she could blame him either, it'd been years after all... Gilbert inched away along the wall, heading towards the door. He, Elizaveta realized, wanted nothing more than to just get away from her. He was scared of her, how she'd react. Elizaveta felt a little something inside of her twist and die. Whatever they were now, Gilbert had once been Elizaveta's friend, hadn't he? And now he was scared to death of her. She was just the enemy now. Friendship transcends the years...what bullshit. No, things changed and people changed and Elizaveta had changed. Elizaveta didn't feel sad exactly, but she felt regretful. She missed the days before, when she could be honest with Gilbert. When he didn't judge her, when he didn't fear her. At least, not like this. She felt a little ashamed, to be honest, like she'd failed somehow. But regardless of what she felt, Elizaveta knew what she had to do. Because in this world, she was human and he was mutant. She was a guard, the Head Guard. No use pretending otherwise. Elizaveta could lose herself in stories all she liked, but reality was much closer, much more up close. And on this stage of a world, Elizaveta had a role to play. "But hey if you don't wanna rant some more, I'm totally gone. More than gone. Totally gone-" Gilbert had made it to the door and he peeked outside. Looking for Aleksander, Elizaveta realized. Wow, he did hate her. Now that that had begun to sink in, Elizaveta felt a lot number to it. Whatever. She'd made a mistake thinking things could stay the same and she wasn't going to make it again. In fact, Elizaveta was quickly adjusting, growing colder and colder by each second. To her surprise, Gilbert shut the door again. "And I would love to leave, but you gotta call your little lapdog to escape me, man. I'm really not so stupid to wander my way back to my cell alone. Someone is gonna see me and love to take the chance to get a couple of kicks in and not give me dinner. Dinner is really gross, but I'd rather have it than not, know what I mean? So how about we don’t kill Gilbert and maybe share some more stress to relax some while we wait for lapdog to take me off to my cage?” Lapdog? Aleksander was hardly her lapdog, he'd been one of the guys who had utterly and thoroughly bullied Elizaveta in her first few months at the Underground. How they'd gotten through that she barely knew. While Elizaveta liked Aleksander enough, she wouldn't be surprised if he would eagerly oust her if she showed any signs of weakness. But Elizaveta paled at the rest of Gilbert's words. Aleksander wasn't there? Damn it. She walked over to the door and checked herself, hoping that Gilbert had lied and Aleksander would be able to take Gilbert away back to his cell. No such luck. Of course not, what had she expected? Why would Gilbert want to stick around her, of all people? Even if they were friends before... Elizaveta wouldn't want to stay around herself either. Elizaveta took out her radio and spoke to Aleksander. He was in the middle of transferring mutants and it would be a while before he got back. Bad news, but at least his shift hadn't ended or something. Elizaveta set it back down before turning back to Gilbert and addressing him. "Like I'd share anything else with you," Elizaveta growled, though it lacked the anger she had had earlier.. She slipped her knife back into her belt. "But no, I won't kill you. Sit down." She waved at the couch. She didn't really want to see Gilbert, or even talk to him. On second thought...she did, however much she denied it, feel just the slightest bit bad for him. She should've just left good enough alone. Reaching behind her desk, Elizaveta took out a can of beer and tossed it to Gilbert. "Here," she said, avoiding his gaze. "Since you got dragged in here to listen to a stranger bitch and whine. Drink it quick though. Make sure it's gone by the time Aleksander gets here."

words 865 tags #@albinobitch notes has anyone ever been far as decided to use even go want to do look more like?

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Naturally, she did not trust his word that Lazy Eye was not out and about to escort him back to the cells. Knife still in hand, she joined him at the door to see for herself that her lackey was indeed not there. Gilbert took one big step back to give her plenty of room to look outside. Her mood was all over the place and he was having an impossible time trying to figure out how to respond to anything she did. He'd rather not be within easy stabbing distance when she saw for certain that he was telling the truth. Thankfully, she did not seem to be angry with him anymore. She seemed calm as she radioed Lazy Eye and he informed her he was busy. Elizaveta turned to him and he smiled hesitantly, and was about to make a stupidly snarky remark of her being his date to his cell, but she spoke first. "Like I'd share anything else with you." Despite her gruff tone, she put her knife away. "But no, I won't kill you. Sit down." So she was going to wait for Lazy Eye to come back before she got Gilbert out of her sight. Made sense she would not escort him herself, her being the big bad head guard and all. Okay, he could work with that if she was not in the mood to kill him anymore.

He flopped down on the plush chair again, pulling his feet up to sit on them crisscross. Honestly, he had every intention of keeping his mouth shut and letting her ignore him until Lazy Eye got back. As much as he loved getting a rise out of Elizaveta back in the day when she was a mere guard, head guard Elizaveta had seriously crazy mood changes that were really exhausting dealing with. Yup, he was going to be content acting like a good mutant and stay quiet. But then she threw him a curveball in the form of a beer can. Gilbert scrambled to catch it, taken completely off guard. Was this for real? He stared at the can as if it was the rarest, most precious gem on the face of the earth. Was this really happening? He looked up, but Elizaveta was pointedly not looking at him. That only cemented how real this was. She was totally embarrassed with the act of kindness. "Here, since you got dragged in here to listen to a stranger bitch and whine. Drink it quick though. Make sure it's gone by the time Aleksander gets here."

Gilbert gleefully laughed as he popped the tab. Was there ever a more beautiful sound than opening a fresh beer? It was already chilled from the fridge she had stored it in, but Gilbert made it even colder with a layer of thin ice on the outside. He took a deep drink, almost downing half of it in one go. With a smack of his lips, he let out a low moan and sunk back in the chair. This had to be heaven. "Izz, I wouldn't really call you a stranger, yknow? I mean not only do we have our great relationship of mutant and guard, me taunting you and you beating me up, we also have a tragic backstory of being friends back in the day! But man, I never would have guessed that you were the governor's daughter! Well I didn't realize you were a chick obviously, but still. Your mom is pretty crazy." He threw his head back as he chugged the last half of the beer. "Fuck that is fucking delicious. You're a fucking saint. I haven't had some good beer since forever!" With a bright smile, he held the empty can out for her to dispose of in what ever way she desired. "All things considered though, Izzy, You've done pretty good for yourself, yknow? Can't say I hate you or anything for getting somewhere with your life."

Words: 661

Tags: Elizaveta Héderváry

made by MISSO on IOF

[Elizaveta Héderváry]

INFINITY (n.) the state of being limitless Gilbert's laugh broke through the silence. It was...disconcerting, hearing him laugh, and it made Elizaveta pause in her steps for a moment. She looked up at Gilbert as his popped the tab on the can, before lifting it to his lips and gulping it down, his Adam's apple bobbing up in forth. He drank so deeply that for half a second, Elizaveta honestly wondered how the hell he was still breathing. Smacking his lips, Gilbert sank further down into Elizaveta's couch. Elizaveta's eyebrow twitched. Someone was certainly making himself comfortable. "Izz, I wouldn't really call you a stranger, y'know? I mean not only do we have our great relationship of mutant and guard, me taunting you and you beating me up, we also have a tragic backstory of being friends back in the day!" God, he was so cheerful it was almost irritating. Actually no, scratch that. It was very much irritating. It was also weirdly endearing in a way. Elizaveta leaned against her desk and just allowed herself to listen for a moment, having taken out a beer for herself as well. She didn't say anything and just took the scene in. It was entirely too reminiscent of the past. It was almost like nothing had happened between them at all, as if they were still running through the forest with bare feet. Elizaveta wasn't sure if she liked the feeling. It would be much easier if she straight up disliked it...but no, that wasn't quite the case. "But man, I never would have guessed that you were the governor's daughter! Well I didn't realize you were a chick obviously, but still. Your mom is pretty crazy." God, he had been a bit of an idiot, hadn't he? Elizaveta rolled her eyes. Had they seriously been friends at one point? Ah, well. Elizaveta had liked the fact that Gilbert hadn't had the faintest clue that she was a girl. It was much nicer being treated as an equal, much easier when they all basically looked alike. Being a girl could be so very annoying. Men had it a lot easier. About her mother though...Elizaveta drank her beer. It felt nice, having someone agree with her. Even if that shouldn't be the case. Gilbert threw back his head and chugged the remainder of his beer. He looked all too happy to be in her office. He was like a kid who enjoyed visiting the principal. "Fuck that is fucking delicious. You're a fucking saint. I haven't had some good beer since forever!" He handed her the can with an all-too-bright smile on his face. Someone had seriously made himself at home. She'd have to kick him out soon...but not quite. She didn't want to walk him to his cell and Aleksander was doing god-knows-what. Elizaveta took it from him, tossing the beer can into the trash can next to her desk with flawless aim. Gilbert's comment about the beer made Elizaveta pause for just a second. Elizaveta didn't pity mutants. Not because they didn't deserve it, but because it was much easier to ignore the obvious. She saw what they went through, sure. She was responsible for a portion of it, a decently well-sized portion of it. Elizaveta didn't detest or hate mutants, but she didn't hold much pity for them either. She just didn't. It was hard to explain. Maybe she was cold-hearted. Certainly, she could think of those who would address her as such. But right now, she did feel a bit of pity. Maybe it was just because it was Gilbert, not just some random mutant that she didn't know other than to keep them in line. And Elizaveta hated it. The pity, that is. Pity made for indecision, something that Elizaveta could not afford. "All things considered though, Izzy, You've done pretty good for yourself, y'know? Can't say I hate you or anything for getting somewhere with your life." Can't say he hated her? Elizaveta snorted. She could name plenty who did and who could certainly say that with conviction. "Don't call me that. And I'd much rather leave," Elizaveta said as she sipped her beer. "This," she said, gesturing vaguely at her office, "isn't exactly my definition of getting somewhere. I'd much rather be almost anywhere else." Anywhere, that is, that was outside of her mother's grasp. "You're making yourself too comfortable," Elizaveta scowled, even though there was little real anger behind her words. She finished off her beer and tossed it in the trash bin as well. She didn't really know what to say now. Talking again with old friends was supposed to be a happy reunion, but this felt very different from that. In a normal world, she would ask how Gilbert was, what had happened in the past few years...but Elizaveta didn't really want to know. She knew all too well where he'd been in the past few years. God, where was Aleksander when she needed him? Elizaveta felt caught between a rock and a hard place. She didn't know how to act, or what to say. Maybe she'd just wait and ignore Gilbert. Yes, that sounded like the best decision.

words 864 tags #@albinobitch notes Ahhh, it's terrible, I'm sorry, muse doesn't have a clue as to what to say. ;n;

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[Deleted]

It seemed like things were finally calming down. She was not trying to kill him or anything anymore and seemed pretty relaxed with his carefree attitude. "Don't call me that." She said, but it only put a grin on Gilbert's face as he fell back into his chair. Of course he had to continue calling her Izzy now that she specifically asked him not to. "And I'd much rather leave. This isn't exactly my definition of getting somewhere. I'd much rather be almost anywhere else." Such gloom and doom. Gilbert pulled his feet up underneath him and propped his elbow on the armrest to cradle his chin. "You're making yourself too comfortable," she said, but there was none of the venom he had been dealing with earlier in her voice, so he opted to ignore it and just stare at her.

This was really surreal. Now that he was not afraid of her throwing knives at him or shooting him, he could really get a good look at her. He had seen plenty of her in her first year working in the Underground, and two or so years did not do much to change her appearance. But she seemed so much different now that he knew who she was to him. It was strange to connect those exasperated green eyes with the bright green eyes of his childhood friend, but he could see it and would never be able to un-see it. This woman could no longer be the harsh female guard he used to taunt and tease, then get shot at. All of their past exchanges, her violence followed by her strange moments of kindness of giving him extra food, they all made sense with the eyes of knowledge. She had recognized and remembered him after all this time. It was touching honestly.

The smile pulling at his mouth was not cocky or teasing anymore. There was a warmth in his smile that was probably unwise. Showing this kind of weakness to someone as unpredictable as Elizaveta could never be a good idea, but Gilbert was not the most intelligent soul and his emotions weighed heavier than logic. He laughed lightly and shifted in the chair to sit with his back to one side and his legs over the other arm. "I'm not making myself that comfortable, Izzy," he drawled while running a hand through his unruly hair. "Not like there's any need to worry, your little lackey will knock whenever he gets here and I'll properly cower in fear like I should be. Well cower how I usually do as in not really and get shot at, but hey you get the idea." He crossed his arms behind his head and grinned to her. "So if you could be anywhere else right now where would you be?"

Words: 469

Tags: Elizaveta Héderváry

made by MISSO on IOF

[Elizaveta Héderváry]

INFINITY (n.) the state of being limitless As much as she hated to admit it, there was something nice about talking to Gilbert. She could be straightforward with him, or at least as straightforward as she could get with anyone. They weren't friends anymore, but they had been once and perhaps that still bonded them to a certain extent. At any rate, it was easier talking to Gilbert than someone else. Even if she shouldn't. But Elizaveta couldn't really bring herself to care at this moment. Of course, speaking with Gilbert also reminded her of how absolutely infuriating her former friend could be, a fact only highlighted when he shifted in his seat until he was lounging in it like it was his home. "I'm not making myself that comfortable, Izzy." Elizaveta's eyebrow twitched, both at the nickname and the cocky, all-too-at-home way that he spoke. Bullshit. He most definitely was. Despite herself, the action brought a smile to Elizaveta's lips. It faded quickly of course, because Elizaveta could not afford to sympathize with Gilbert, but it had still been there, for however brief a period of time. To be honest, she didn't like having Gilbert afraid of her. Even though his ability to just settle down and make himself at home irked her a little, it also brought her relief. She'd never allowed herself to look at Gilbert much through the years, afraid that he'd connect her to his old childhood friend or that her loyalties would waver. But this time it couldn't hurt too much, right? Elizaveta could avoid him after today, and it had been a while since she'd last patrolled and seen him around. Gilbert was still thin. Elizaveta remembered how he'd ranted about wanting to be buff and strong someday, but apparently that wasn't true. She'd seen him in the arena sometime though, and he seemed to do well there. His white hair was a bit dirty, but that was to be expected, yet the liveliness in his bright red eyes remained. So the Underground hadn't killed that yet. And perhaps, as Head Guard, Elizaveta should have been aiming to destroy that light. But she didn't want to, not in Gilbert at least. There was a certain familiarity thad had settled between them now, though Elizaveta cautioned herself it might simply be wishful thinking. Still, they had been friends once, and perhaps that meant she could still understand Gilbert's actions to some extent. "Not like there's any need to worry, your little lackey will knock whenever he gets here and I'll properly cower in fear like I should be. Well cower how I usually do as in not really and get shot at, but hey you get the idea." Gilbert's grin and reference to how Elizaveta had greeted him the first time he'd teased her made it difficult for her to keep a straight face. "You know you deserved it," she remarked. "You're lucky I didn't accidentally shoot you—I hadn't shot a gun in a while then." Which was true. Most guards weren't trained sufficiently in firearms until they held a certain degree of seniority. Elizaveta may have been an expert marksman, but she had been rusty back then. "So if you could be anywhere else right now where would you be?" Gilbert's question came as a surprise to Elizaveta. She blinked and leaned back against her desk once more, thinking about her reply. "Anywhere," she repeated. Pause. "Hungary." Another pause. "But just anywhere outside of Russia would be fine for me. I'm not particularly picky. I just hate this place. But mm, can't leave. "How about you?" The question came in response to his and Elizaveta mentally rebuked herself for it. Society required her to prevent mutants from thinking about such things, but having Gilbert here made that difficult. Still, she couldn't take back that question now. And it was better than sitting in awkward silence until Aleksander came. Where was the man anyways?

words 654 tags @albinobitch notes ~

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