Paint it Another Colour

Chapter 30

The woman with the long strawberry blonde hair had just sort of appeared in the kitchen. Elizaveta had no idea where she'd come from, she was had just appeared. She'd been drying the dishes and turned around to put them away in the cupboard across the kitchen when she'd spotted the other, sat on the kitchen table, one leg draped over the other, tilting her head from side to side in time to a tune of some sort that she was humming. Elizaveta didn't recognise her from anywhere. True, her facial shape and various other features were slightly recognisable, but on the whole, she'd never seen the woman before. When she'd appeared, she'd jumped and nearly dropped the plates before gathering herself together again. It confused Elizaveta how she hadn't heard her come in or even start humming before, but at the time, that was the least of her worries.

"Can I help you?" she frowned and stepped around the table, constantly watching her, putting the plates in the cupboard silently.

"Me?" she turned around and batted ridiculously long eyelashes at her, swinging her legs over the other side of the table, dragging her pink dress with her and leaning towards Elizaveta who subconsciously took a step backwards into the cupboard. "Oh no, I'm fine really. Lovely day out isn't it."

Elizaveta nodded and sidestepped away from her, moving back around the kitchen to the sink. "Could I ask what you're doing here?"

"Me?" she repeated, glancing around the kitchen and turning to sit again like she had been in the beginning. "Oh, nothing much. I was sent here by someone you see. Why? What are you doing here?"

"Nothing much" Elizaveta shrugged. "Meeting up with people. This is my old friends house you see."

"Ah yes" she clapped her hands together, put them to the side of her head and smiled. "The aristocrat yes? The one with the piano?"

"Yes" Elizaveta said cautiously and frowned. "How do you..."

"How do I know that?" she started at her as though shocked by the question? "Me? Well... it's a long story, but I know lots about him. And you." At this, she rolled over onto her back, her hair and head lolling over the side of the table and watched Elizaveta from upside down. "Lots about all of you yes, yes. You, the aristocrat, the trigger-happy and the small one."

"Who are you?" Elizaveta's frown deepened.

"Me?" it was starting to frustrate her how she started every answer with the word 'me'. "I'm Erzsébet, nice to meet you Lizzy." Erzsébet flipped back upright and smiled at Elizaveta's confused look. "As I say, I know a lot about all of you."

"R... right" Elizaveta nodded and leant against the surface. "Um... hope you don't mind me asking, but just out of curiosity, why do you keep on saying 'me' at the beginning of everything?"

"Me?" Erzsébet pulled a face. "I'm making sure you're directing the question at me silly."

"Who else would I be directing them at?" Elizaveta was only now starting to get creeped out by the whole situation, and only now starting to recognise the person more. She vaguely resembled someone, but she couldn't place who.

"Well" Erzsébet thought for a second. "Roland, or Voss, or Liesel. Any of them really."

Elizaveta fought back the instinct to roll her eyes. Clearly Erzsébet was insane. She was going to kindly escort her to the door and see her on her way when the shadows to her left shifted, drawing her attention, and a dark haired man in oval spectacles and a long red coat materialised. It was at that moment when she realised who Erzsébet reminded her of.

Herself.

***

When Vash had appeared at the doorway, Lili had assumed she'd seen the last of her brother's counterpart. She wasn't expecting him to waltz back in with a gun twice the size of ones she'd used, and another girl who looked too much like herself to be a coincidence. Vash put one arm out of her in front and ushered her a little further backwards. The girl, presumably Liesel, stifled a laugh.