|
|
Post by Admin on Sept 15, 2010 18:49:31 GMT -5
The streets were silent as they ever were at 5 a.m. in the morning. It was the best time to be out if one wanted to avoid a mass crowd, though, it was the worst time to get caught alone. Being out so early could arouse the suspicion of the law, but it wasn't like she hadn't done that before. Besides, she was good at being elusive and a pretty decent escape artists. She wasn't too worried about law enforcement. What could be worrying was the fact another a gang could be sniffing around at such an ungodly hour. It was her job to make sure no such thing happened - Unit B did not rest. How could they? Certainly not when possible danger was aloof at any waking moment.
Her boots were silent against the hard pavement, light blue eyes darting back and forth for any signs of life. Her breaths came out in a mist, but she didn't find it to be too cold. It was a talent, a gift, that she possessed - Elizaveta almost never got cold, nor was she affected by it. Even now she wore short articles of clothing, it was best that way. She could move in them. No one could move as fast as she could, not if they were in baggy, restricting clothes. Or even a lot of clothes, to protect themselves from this frigid cold. This is not to say that her clothes were thin, no. They were rather thick, linned with white fuzz that warmed her in the areas it covered and surrounded. Just because she had a high tolerance of the cold didn't mean she'd neglect the fact her body needed some kind of warmth. The last thing she wanted on her list was freezing to death.
Brushing strands of her dark brown hair from her face, Elizaveta let out a low sigh, her other hand placed near her revolver, as it usually was.
"You can never be too careful."
That's what she had learned from her mentor. He was a dead man now. But he hadn't died due to gang violence, he'd died due to terminal illness. She remembered the last time she'd seen him, how he coughed into his handkerchief only to pull away and gaze at it with a look of distaste. Yes, he'd been quite the stubborn man, but he'd taught her well in his time. Now, the thirteen-year-old intended on continuing to learn and sharpen her skills. She was quite sure she'd be the best, one day. One day, she'd promised herself, she'd have learned enough to take over for her father. The Finger Puppets Mafia deserved to be led by the Ivanov family for quite a long time. They were the origin, after all. Why let the origin die out so quickly when she could take the reins? Her father wasn't dying anytime soon, no, and she still had many years ahead of her to survive and better herself. It was a long-term goal. One Elizaveta clearly intended to one day reach.
[/center] |
|
|
|
Post by Kaizen on Sept 15, 2010 19:28:23 GMT -5
"You don't have to let her know you're there. Just follow and keep an eye on her."
Initially Kaizen hadn't thought much about the assignment, but the fact that he was following a child around at five in the morning on a cold January day did not make him a happy man. The girl, Elizaveta (Liza, he called her just to shorten the name which was quite the mouthful), marched through the streets in clothing that caused a chill to creep into Kaizen's bones just by looking at her. Is she mad? He had thought several times this morning while pulling his jacket closer to his body. The man, neck wrapped in a warm scarf, dressed in a jacket, pants, boots, and gloves, reached up and adjusted his glasses. Grey eyes gazed tiredly at the girl from behind the lenses while a sleepy mind wondered where she could be going at this time in the morning.
This is the last time I play babysitter, he thought, closing his eyes.
At his waist, beneath the warm folds of his jacket, rested the protection he had decided to carry with him: a colt m1911 pistol. In all honesty Kaizen wasn't a man who shot to kill - unless it was absolutely necessary. He felt it wasn't right to wield that right, the right to end someone's life prematurely, but... he had come to terms with this inner battle. Sometimes it was simply necessary. Crossing his arms the man sighed and opened his eyes just in time to see his steamy breath whirl before him.
Maybe I should drag her back, he wondered, his body longing for the warmth and comfort of his bed. I should have brought coffee is what. Black coffee is what he drank - it was bitter and hot. He hated diluting the flavor of the drink with milk and sugar was too much for him. He disliked anything sweet, well, overly sweet. Fruits he could handle strawberries especially.
After a while of walking Kaizen grew bored and figured he would rather face the wrath of the girl and try to persuade her to return home than run the risk of frostbite. His stride lengthened and as soon as he was a few feet from Elizaveta the man asked in his soft voice: "Do you have a set destination, or are you running around in the cold just for the hell of it?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Sept 15, 2010 20:06:26 GMT -5
It was an annoying thing. Being followed. She was not a child and she did not need looking after. Yet, for some reason, someone persisted on such an ideal that she did. Eyes rolling, she decided to ignore the presence for now. There was no danger to the individual, she was well aware of who it was. Glancing about, she had caught glimpses of her stalker. She knew him by name -- Kaizen, a member of Finger Puppets Mafia and assigned to Unit B. He was a co-worker of her's. Unless he turned out to be some kind of spy or something, she was perfectly safe. Even if he was, she was still safe. Elizaveta was ready.
Her path led them to a more open area, making it harder for him to hide from her. A slow smile crept along her lips as her pace slowed. She finally stopped, hand still resting near her revolver as she waited. Her ears were opening, listening intently to the sounds around her, for sounds of his movement. What purpose did he have -- following her? Sure, she was a daughter of Geni, but what difference did that make? She was a prime target for other gangs, yes, but so what? She had trained. She knew damn well how to take care of herself, probably better than he did. She wasn't in Unit B for no reason.
He approached, she remained relaxed as he spoke softly to her. Her head tilted back, catching sight of him behind her, her expression a subtle scowl in his direction.
"I'm not obligated to answer that." She gruffed in her normal, not-so-much good-natured way. Light blue eyes narrowing, she spun on her heels to face him, gazing up at the fellow gang member. "Why are you following me, Kaizen?" She grumbled impatiently. "I'm not a baby."
She kept a hard gaze on him, expression increasingly growing more sour.
"Don't tell me you're on babysitting duty. Under whose orders?"
Looking up and down him, she huffed, "you look tired. Why not go home and go to bed? I have things to do."
Promptly, she turned away from him and continued walking. [/center] |
|
|
|
Post by Kaizen on Sept 15, 2010 20:23:58 GMT -5
He wasn't surprised she knew he was there. In fact he hadn't made much of an attempt to hide himself - why should he? If she got into trouble it would be a good thing for her to know he was at hand. She wasn't happy about it, though, and that was to be expected. She resembled a cloudy day more than a sunny one; and being cloudy she held the danger of a storm. Kaizen was well aware of her ability to take care of herself. Unfortunately him understanding that she could take care of herself would not excuse him from the task he had been set - Geni had asked her to watch his daughter, so he was going to.
"You've caught me, Liza," Kaizen said with a slight smile. "I'm here to make sure you stay out of trouble, and I won't be leaving any time soon - not until you're home safely."
Uncrossing an arm the man held a hand up to his mouth and blocked a yawn. Yes, he was still tired, and he so wanted to head home and sleep... but that wasn't going to happen. If he left and something happened to the girl it would be his head. "Whose orders do you think?"
A slight smile touched the corners of his mouth and the man. "Don't think of it as babysitting," Kaizen continued speaking as he re-crossed his arms, "think of me more as a... partner. Look at it as a trade: I watch your back and you watch mine." Giving her a more genuine smile and letting his arms fall to his sides and slip into his jacket pockets he asked: "What is on your agenda this morning, young Liza." Oh, yes, he dared. her temper was often amusing to manipulate - and dancing with the tiger this early in the morning might jolt his system into "awake mode".
[/size] |
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Sept 15, 2010 20:57:41 GMT -5
Her steps paused once he'd begun replying, head turning as her eyebrow arched up. Making sure she didn't get in "trouble" ? Was this a joke? No, it didn't seem to be. He looked pretty serious about his motives. With another roll of her eyes she looked away and closed them, crossing her arms tightly against her chest.
"I'm not going home any time soon," she snapped, "so don't count on returning any time soon." With that said, she continued her journey around the perimeter of Moscow. By time the sun was shining, she figured she'd go to the headquarters and make sure everything was running smoothly. She was sure it would be, her father ran things excellently. She would have to shadow him, observing and learning. He never minded when she did. She thought he was actually rather pleased she was so curious of his work.
Who's orders? It could've been Unit B's leader or her father. Though, she figured it was her father who asked him to accompany her. Gang members weren't supposed to patrol alone anyways. They were supposed to travel in groups. They weren't required to, but it was safer that way. Her fellow unit members were not awake at this moment, though, except for Kaizen. She wasn't going to go pound on their doors to bring them out for a patrol, no way. Elizaveta would've prefered to do this on her own. Maybe young Nadiya would've come to join her if she'd asked...but their father might've not appreciated that. Nadiya was still in training, after all.
Partnership. Feh. She snorted at his statement, but otherwise was silent. He could feel her crawling on her nerves. Yes, he was pushing at her buttons. It was working, too. Elizaveta could feel her burning irritation toward the older male.
"None of your goddamn business," she muttered, stuffing her hands into her short's pockets and kicking a stone. "I'll do whatever I want this morning."
[/center] |
|
|
|
Post by Kaizen on Sept 15, 2010 21:23:08 GMT -5
As they walked, snow crunching beneath their boots, steamy breath shooting from their mouths like smoke from a train, the warm scent of food drifted tauntingly through the air. Kaizen's mouth was watering at the smell - he was hungry! Closing his eyes tightly the man grimaced and silently cursed being asked to follow Elizaveta around. Grey eyes opened and watched the woman for a few short moments before jumping to the shop which was emitting that tantalizing odor. Should he? Would it be worth it?
The man's stomach growled. Yes, he decided.
Kaizen reached out quickly and grabbed the back of Liza's jacket and dragged her across the street and into the shop. He ignored any protests the girl gave and pushed the door open. It was such luck that something was open this early! When he pushed the door open a bell rang and a wall of warm air slammed into the man and wrapped itself comfortingly around his body. Kaizen rummaged quickly through his pockets, pulled out his wallet and approached the counter. The man behind the counter looked surprised to see someone at this time in the morning, but once he spied Kaizen's wallet a friendly smile spread across his face and he welcomed the two.
Kaizen, feeling truly happy for the first time today browsed what was offered before pointing to a croissant. "You wouldn't happen to have any coffee, would you?" He asked, hopeful. The man shook his head and retrieved the Kaizen's order. While he waited Kai turned to Elizaveta. "Would you like anything?"
[/size] |
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Sept 16, 2010 15:21:38 GMT -5
The pause in his steps hardly crossed her mind. She was hoping it some some sign that he was going to go home and leave her be. Though, that was near impossibility. Once her father gave the order there was no denying it. Elizaveta could imagine him, his green eyes intense despite the serious calmness that perpetually remained on his visage as he gave out his commands. He would usually be sitting at his desk, elbows on the table and fingers intertwined with each other, chin resting atop of them. If only he'd sat cross-legged and she'd have been able to joke the gesture looked like that of a female's. Alas, there was nothing too feminine about him. His expressions were not soft during his working hours. She had only seen traces of such while he was at home with the family. Even then, it appeared her father had trouble expressing feelings. He would crack a smile, attempt a joke, and maybe even give a soft chuckles here and there. But emotional situations were...awkward...to him, per say. He just didn't appear to exactly know how to handle them. It was a pity, since his entire household consisted, so far, of women.
Her thoughts were rudely interuppted with a jerk to the back of her small jacket. Alarm instantly spread through her and her body tensed, ready to kick into action and attack. But it was merely Kaizen who had snatched her, and she was able to stop herself from nearly giving him a black eye for the rest of the day.
"You...!" She began but was cut off as she was drug into the store. The smell of food was sickeningly heavy that it almost made her stomach twist. Elizaveta wasn't too much of a breakfast girl, nor did she eat anything she didn't cook herself. She eyed the food on display with suspicion. At least it was at a decent temperature in here, unlike the outdoors, but Elizaveta felt she had better things to do. She glared daggers in Kaizen's direction before turning them onto the owner. How dare he open so early and cause her such distraction. He must've been a very greedy man. Though, that was rather common nowadays. Money was hard to come by.
"I don't want anything from here," she uttered a reply to Kaizen, arms crossing as she scanned outside the windows like a hawk. Nothing was going to pass her attention if it came within her range, she was going to make sure of that.
[/center] |
|
|
|
Post by Kaizen on Sept 16, 2010 20:59:16 GMT -5
She was being rude. Kaizen closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. Jabbing her with his elbow he replied in a quiet tone: "Don't be so rude. He's an honest man working to support himself and his family. If you wish to be rude direct that energy towards me - I deserve it more than him." Such a hard child, Kaizen thought as he counted the sum owed and handed the money to the baker in exchange for his breakfast.
With the warm bread in hand Kaizen left the comfortable embrace of the bakery air and out into the shockingly cold Moscow morning. The man shivered, adjusted his scarf, and took a bit into the hot croissant. Happiness sparked within the man and a smile came to his lips for a moment. That faded, though, when Kaizen once again looked at Elizaveta. "Do you always think you are going to be attacked?" He asked as they continued walking down the streets.
[/size] |
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Sept 18, 2010 9:30:30 GMT -5
The jab caused her to scowl in his direction. Her hand moving to rub the side for a moment and contemplate if that'd bruise or not. Either way, she supposed it didn't matter. A bruise was easily forgotten whereas a bullet wound was not. Elizaveta closed her eyes and sighed. She could be rude if she wanted to be. He wasn't her mother, or her father, for that matter. Even if he was, she wasn't obligated to listen to him. Elizaveta never understood the authority of a parent or an adult. Just because she was younger didn't make her any less intelligent. Why was it there was insistence that she needed guidance from one merely born at an earlier time than she?
Waiting, rather impatiently, until Kaizen got his food, Elizaveta was relieved when they finally got to leave. She began searching again, eyes darting around for the slightest sign of life. Though, as she suspected, it didn't take long for Kaizen to prod at her again, questioning her.
"I'm on patrol," she replied, an edge to her tone, though, that was completely natural of her. "I need to be ready, just in case. You know we don't have any allies. The gangs surrounding us could come in any day now. I'm not going to be who causes the deaths of many because I want the luxury of sleep or food, or anything, for that matter."
She eyed the food in his hand. "Not while I'm on the job, at least."
[/center] |
|
|
|
Post by Kaizen on Sept 18, 2010 12:57:37 GMT -5
Kaizen glanced at the food in his hand and then towards Elizaveta. "It is best not to have any distractions, yes, but the distraction of hunger lasts much longer than the distraction of retrieving food." The man smiled at his young companion and proceeded to take a large bite out of the croissant. Breakfast was almost over now and Kaizen was slowly shifting into a more alert state of mind. His appetite was sated (mostly) and he was happier than he had been at the start of the morning, but he still felt like the morning was missing something -- caffeine.
"Patrol by yourself? Hm." Kaizen finished off the remainder of his croissant and brushed his gloved hands off on his jacket - removing what crumbs still clung to them. "Do you expect to find something?"
[/size] |
|
