Meeting in the Middle [Mihai]

[Deleted]

Monochrome.

This ball wasn't exactly her favorite thing the world. She loved dancing as much as the next girl, but the faux sophistication of the black-and-white ball and the people waltzing therein held little appeal for the girl, who really disliked the immense lack of color. She knew she wouldn't be able to avoid the ball forever. Her mother agonized over the perfect dress and mask, lamenting the fact there was no "Princess" piece for her little darling, to which Lili could only fake and equally lamenting frown.

For now, she would avoid it. The ball was going to last a while, anyway. There would be plenty of time for that later. Her father would eventually demand a dance with Francis and potentially some others, but with the crowd as loud as it is, with the color as... uncolorful as it is, she simply could not, and instead helped herself to the clean chill of the outdoors. The streets were lined with shops and people, but it was a more comfortable crowd. She was only somewhat familiar with the a few of the faces, mostly the vendors who were busy trying to sell their wares.

No friends from school, no acquaintances as introduced by her parents - no doubt they were at the ball. She was mostly alone, but savored the small bit of freedom. It wasn't often she was allowed to be on her own, whether by inattention or not. For once there was no deceit, and the last of weight on her chest was liberating.

Her eyes landed upon a face as she walked, and she was instantly reminded of conversations of the past, protecting and standing up for him - yes, that was Mihai! Though their initial meeting wasn't exactly the best first impression she could make, their meeting later greatly made up for her clumsy stumbling over the conversation. She smiled, someone else was out here, liberated, though she grew to admit that his situation, though not as bad as it could be, was far worse than hers. Though wealthy, happiness for Lili was something she rarely had the opportunity to feel, unless she was far away from the family that claimed to love her.

So much was expected of her, sometimes she wondered what life would be like otherwise.

Putting on her best smile despite the redness of her wind-bitten cheeks, she weaved her way through the slight crowd of people to meet the Romanian on the other side. In the end, it really just looked like she ran up to him while blushing madly.

"Mihai?" She asked softly, stepping around to say it to his face rather than to his back. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you out here!"

[Mihai C. Eliade]

slow down, there's some sort of blessing

here

T

hroughout his lifetime, his role in the world had gradually been becoming that of the observer the more detached from everything he felt. Such was his position at the festival—a placid observer, and nothing more. He found little excitement in the activities that abounded, though part of him wished more than anything that he could take pleasure in such a simple event. The other part didn't care about what could have been. He was expected to "enjoy" himself, he knew that much. The governor had said so herself, a little reward for her most well-behaved. Perhaps he was supposed to go around to the vendors, pick up some sweets and whatnot, walk around and enjoy the view. As a mutant, he probably wasn't permitted to do much else anyway. The one thing he wanted that would perhaps make his break-time worthwhile was locked away in a cage as though he were a zoo animal on display, and Mihai feared approaching him in such a crowded area. If he wasn't careful, he'd create trouble for the both of them, as though their illicit rendezvous' in the back rooms of the Underground weren't risky enough. And so, rather than partaking in any of the festivities, he was lingering on the edges of the crowd, watching as people came and went. Many of them were dressed in monochrome, black and white to call to mind chess pieces, a glaringly obvious attempt to appear sophisticated. It was almost laughable. Sophistication didn't suit this society well—it was pettier and crueler and more hypocritical than the others they claimed to have a rivalry with, and this was a sorry attempt to mask how uncivilized they all really were beneath their lacquered masks. He didn't care to join in and pretend along with the rest of them, he would not contribute to their illusion.

Instead, he was on the fringes of the crowd like he existed on the fringes on society. The chill of the winter air bit into his skin, bringing blood to the surface and flushing his cheeks. He was protected somewhat by the warmth of his jacket, though it did not soften the press of tree bark against his back. It was a decent place to watch the comings and goings of the festival-attendants—that is, until his observation was interrupted. A young girl had darted into his view, clad in a dark dress indicative of her participation in the ball, though her mask had somehow gone missing. Mihai managed to dedicate to her a small smile. He had somewhat mixed feelings about Lili Zwingli. She was a very sheltered, naïve young lady and he knew, on a conscious level, that she meant the best, even if her attempts to help mutants tended to be quite misguided. Though she did help him once. That he couldn't deny, and though he appreciated her defense of him there still lingered a feeling of shame—shame that he couldn't defend himself. Seeing her again, unaware of the feeling of embarrassment that welled inside him, divided his feelings towards her. It would be easiest for his already-broken pride if he never saw her again, a bandage on one small crack of the many that danced across his psyche. Yet, she was amiable and curious, and most of all, it appeared like she wanted to learn. Whatever bitter feelings he harbored towards humans as a whole seemed unfair to apply to her as well, though at times he felt the desire to lash out in frustration, in anger, not necessarily at her but at the whole damned world. At the unjust hand he had been dealt. But she, as an individual, did not deserve his rage.

He greeted her back. "Princess," he said as he righted himself. His eyes darted towards the building where he knew the masquerade had been taking place. "Tired of dancing already?" he asked. He wasn't completely sure how to hold himself around her. Their first meeting seemed to render obsolete any attempt he made at pretending to be a slave, but neither did he think of her as a familiar. In fact, few would fit that position. He found himself caught somewhere between formality and casualness, which, he supposed, he could adapt to just fine. Perhaps a little softness with her would be appropriate. "I'm here at the governor's… behest," he said, choosing his words carefully. "I think she expects me to have fun." Though his tone was deliberately neutral, a small scoff escaped him. As though he could have fun with his friends in cages, slated to eventually tear one another apart. It was for that reason that his jacket pockets had been stuffed with whatever medical supplies he could fit—mostly bandages, a small vial of alcohol, other medications—should he be able to snatch an opportunity to administer what little medical care he could.

His eyes flitted back to Lili and her dark dress. She had a small coat on, but the material still looked thin for the weather. It figured, since the ball was held indoors and humans never seemed to value comfort over beauty anyway. "Isn't it a bit cold for you to be out dressed like this?" he asked. A look was enough to see that she was quite flushed at the cheeks, the design of her dress offering quite little protection against the chill. He shrugged off his own jacket and scarf, revealing a dark green turtleneck underneath, its collar just barely covering the electric choker he'd been forced to wear. Paying it little mind except by readjusting the collar, he draped the coat over her shoulders and placed the scarf around her neck. Though it was slightly colder without the extra layers, he was not quite unused to lower temperatures; it was tolerable, to say the least. Now why, exactly, he'd chosen to extend to her the courtesy of warmth was beyond him, except that it felt somehow appropriate. He looped the scarf around her once before backing off, stuffing his hands into his pants' pockets. "It'd be unfortunate for you to catch a cold," he said, a half-smile gracing his lips.

Word Count: 1022 || Tags: Little princess <3 || Notes: Now Lili's nickname.

by worldie on iof

[Deleted]

When Lili found Mihai sitting off, alone, away from all others, it was reminiscent of the first day she’d met him. Silently she mused over how far they’d come since then. She was of little help to him the way she was, but this was not a deliberate and passive-aggressive response, either, one hoping to drive her away and leave him alone. He seemed tolerant of her now, smiling at her-- though the gesture was only slight. Perhaps her visit cheered him up somewhat. She’d like to think that, anyway, that though her actions alone would not stop his ownership, she could somehow make his existence a little brighter. Yes, that would work, for now.

She stopped before him and grasped the fabric on either side of her dress, and bent her legs politely in a curtsy, a greeting that, were it to be seen by Oliver, would very likely throw the man into an aneurysm. Mihai was not worth the effort of such formalities, but for one whom Lili respected, she was certainly going to offer him that respect. At his own greeting she smiled brightly, and once against stood tall in the chilling wind that blew through the festivities.

“Princess.” She repeated, breathing a monosyllabic laugh in response. “Is that my name, now? What shall I call you, then?”

“I only danced for a little while,” she admitted. “I’d rather play the music than dance to it.” Especially if there’s another person involved. She is expected to be in the arms of either the favorite suitor, or perhaps one or two potential others. It isn’t exactly her idea of a good time. Even if it meant braving the cold in clothing clearly not meant for the weather, she’d much prefer being outside than in. Large parties tended to overwhelm the girl, which, considering her outgoing nature, was rather odd. A people person she may be, but even her line could be crossed with a crowd.

"I'm here at the governor's… behest. I think she expects me to have fun."

Fun. Something she certainly wasn’t going to get on her own. If Mihai was simply waiting around, bored or perhaps incapable of the fun expected of him, then maybe she could take it upon herself to make that fun happen? As she moved forward to offer a hand to him, he commented on her attire.

“It’s not that cold.” She insisted, pulling her small coat around herself even tighter, to emphasize just how warm and comfortable it was. Truth be told, it was completely opposite actually. She had not dressed expecting to be outdoors for very long, and she now regretted not going with her first instinct to grab something heavier. She frowned when he began to undo his own jacket. It didn’t take much effort to figure out what he intended to do and before the coat was even draped over her shoulders she was protesting.

“No! Ah—what about you? Aren’t you going to be cold, now? That’s hardly a fair trade-off for you...”