Mitzi Zhang.

London - Toxicologist - Pestilence War "And once the water starts to rise And heaven's out of sight She'll want the devil on her team"

[mitzi-zhang]

📱apollo ⟷ mitzi

APOLLO: [typed and then deleted] yesterday, time travel i'm sure your cousin knows how

APOLLO: tomorrow.

APOLLO: other gangs are allowed to come to PEST again, I don't want Jack sticking his nose where it no longer belongs.

MITZI: [typed out then deleted instantly] YOU FUCKING WANKER HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THIS BY TOMORROW? FUCKK YOU APOLLO FUCK YOUUUU.

MITZI: It'll be completed by tomorrow.

MITZI: Is there anything else you need me to do?

[mitzi-zhang]

📱apollo ⟷ mitzi

APOLLO: New Truce just brokered.

APOLLO: We need to up security at PEST and the theater.

APOLLO: I want you to install new cameras, the good kind no fucking skimping. You're a chemist, you can figure out which cameras are the good ones.

MITZI: [typed out then deleted instantly] How the fuck is being good at chemistry related to installing cameras? You install the cameras you're like a fucking giant.

MITZI: Sure, I can do that.

MITZI: When do you want me to complete this by?

[mavixdeniz]

Natasha Liu Bordizzo via Instagram 

[mavixdeniz]

[toastbutteregg]

[mitzi-zhang]

Monica.

with. – @mitzi-zhang​ where. – mitzi’s apartment when. – october 2020, midnight 

There’s a buzz in Monica’s fingertips as she sits in the back of the car. The vision of blood and skin, both her own and Callum’s, does not easily spring from her memory. There’s a stranger who sits behind the steering wheel, and even though she has asked, there’s no word of where she’s being taken. It’d been in terror that she had called Michaela, and even as she spoke, the words did not feel real. Within twenty minutes, there was a knock on her door. Both her aunt, as well as the man who drove her towards her destination, stood beside one another. 

Even now, if Monica focuses long enough, she swears she can still feel her aunt’s hand atop her head, smoothing down stray hair flying wicked with blood. Monica clenches her jaw and forces her eyes shut in an attempt to focus on the sound of her own breathing. The hum of the car, the rattle of her own bones as the driver mistakes a flat piece of asphalt for a pothole– Monica opens her eyes and looks into the rearview mirror. She wonders if he’s afraid of her or if this is what he’s used to seeing. Almost immediately, Monica lowers her gaze to her hands. There’s a bandage pasted to her palm, already soaked through with blood. She presses against it with her opposite hand, wincing at the feeling. She’s been told that wherever she’s going, she’ll be taken care of.

That much is proven true as soon as Monica looks out the window. Mitzi’s flat lays before her and the lights remain on. From the window at the top floor, she can see a figure move. Within seconds, the front door opens revealing Mitzi in her sleep-studded glory. The car continues to run even as the man gets out to open her door. Monica finds herself being gently pulled forth into Mitzi’s arms, and she fights to keep the desperation out of her voice as she addresses her best friend. “I’m sorry– you were sleeping. I didn’t know that I was being brought here.” She looks behind her at the man who stands just next to the car. He says something that Monica can’t quite hear before she feels herself being led towards Mitzi’s apartment. “I’m sorry,” Monica whispers hastily as they climb the stairs to her apartment. The door shuts firmly behind them and Monica can feel the tears beginning to brim. “I’m sorry, I didn’t–” She feels herself choking on her own words. She shakes her head, throat constricting. “Mitzi, I fucked up, I fucked up bad, and I–” She thinks of Callum on the floor, blood running through his white button up. “Did my aunt call you?” Monica asks, voice small. 

.

Pacing up and down in front of the window, her eyes are fixated on the empty street, waiting for the car to pull up with Monica. Mitzi was not sure what state she was going to find the other in. Over the years of their friendship, she had seen Monica display various emotions, she knew how Monica behaved when she was happy, she knew how Monica reacted when she was sad, she knew what to expect when Monica wanted to be flirty, but nothing about Mitzi’s study of Monica Pinkett could have prepared her for this exact moment. Squinting at the sight of the bright headlights, Mitzi didn’t wait for the doorbell to ring. Running down the stairs, she knows she needs to remain calm to be in control of this situation. “Hey...hi Mon.” she shakes her head, offering her friend a smile. “I wasn’t sleeping. Of course, you were going to be brought here.” Pulling Monica into a hug, she glances up at the driver. “I’ve got her now. You can pass that on.” she nods before turning her focus back to Monica.

“Shhh it’s okay,” she whispers, pressing a kiss against her shoulder as they walk towards the apartment. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you” she coos, repeating her words softly, her arms wrapping tightly around Monica’s frame. “You’re fine okay? I promise everything is going to be fine.” Mitzi was not one to give out promises lightly, but on this occasion, she knew that she wouldn’t allow anything to happen to Monica. Sure, there were bigger people who would take care of this situation, after all, Monica was the niece of a Horseman, but Mitzi was not acting as an Angel of Pestilence at the moment. Their friendship was beyond the lines drawn out by the gangs of London, Mitzi was going to do whatever it took to protect her best friend.

Once the door is closed, and they’re in the safety of her apartment, Mitzi’s eyes focus on Monica’s, reaching up to cup her cheeks. “Mon...Mon look at me.” she cups both of her cheeks. She had never seen Monica in this state before, this was a manic state and Mitzi knew that all she could do right now was protect Monica from her own destruction, provide the other with some stability and hope that she could be the rock that she held onto to stay afloat. “You’re with me. You’re safe here. Nothing is going to happen here.” Her eyes trail down for a moment, taking in the crimson colour of the blood that had stained all over Monica’s skin and dress, leaving an iron smell to permeate the air of her apartment. They needed to get rid of these quickly, the dress needed to be washed and destroyed as soon as it was off Monica. “Yeah.” she nods in response. “She called me...Do you want to tell me what happened?” Although Mitzi knew the brief details, it was still worth asking Monica in case anything useful came out of it to help clean this as quickly as possible.

Reaching forward for Monica’s hand, fingers intertwining with hers as she leads the other further into the apartment towards the bathroom and away from the door. “Let’s get you out of these clothes and into the shower? Would you like that?” she asks softly.

[mitzi-zhang]

Fletcher

      Before the truce broke, it’d been easier; Mitzi was at the Labs and Fletcher on the streets. They were never forced to be around each other — save a few meetings here and there — different sides of the same coin, where Mitzi didn’t have to look at him. Now, there were gatherings at Death’s HQ, brawls at the river, PEST being shot up, deadly circumstances lurking at every corner so if they didn’t see each other, Fletcher found himself wondering about her well-being. Just as he had last month, when he’d texted her after their last Thames party. He doesn’t even know what he’s feeling when he sees her; a mixture of nostalgia and desire, the knowledge that he’s undeserving, with a distinct lack of regret or guilt, because Fletcher Gray doesn’t deal in those, despite how many times others have cursed him, insisting he should. He can’t be around her and not toe closer, curious how far she’ll let him go, habit making it impossible to ignore her. She’d been his. They’d been each other’s. And Fletcher had never experienced that before, unable to let it slip through his fingers even when he’s the one who’d loosened his grip. 

     He doesn’t wear any of it, casually grinning as if they didn’t just escape a fiery, metal coffin, the only clues on his person the soot smeared across his jaw and the way it’s soiled his stark white shirt, globes of crimson adorning his side. It’s not his, so he hasn’t noticed it. “Ya think he gives a shit? He’s just lookin’ to empty his bowels and then fill ‘em again. After bein’ around those freaks, I’m sure we’re a delightful change.” Fletcher doesn’t know enough about dogs to cite if Cerberus misses his owner or even notices he’s no longer in his presence, though the animal seems content enough, sniffing along the pavement in search of the perfect spot and dragging Fletcher further from PEST’s doors. 

     As they walk, Fletcher’s mind retreats back to the night: the party, where he last saw her, all the way to the ride home, where he’d kept guard with Iniya until everyone arrived. “Iniya was worried ‘bout ya,” he discloses, making familiar conversation, because it’s not only a talent of his, but it’s Mitzi, and he never knows how he’s supposed to be around her, nor does he particularly care. If she wanted to be alone, she wouldn’t have accepted his offer. There’s a tingle that rushes through his arm closest to her, heat radiating off her body in this proximity, urging him to wrap his arm around her waist or slip his hand into her back pocket. He occupies it by patting himself down instead, hunting for something to pick up the dog shit with when Mitzi pulls him back to her with a question. “Can’t look after myself? ‘m alive, ain’t I? And I’ve been takin’ care of myself for as long as I can remember. With the amount of shit I shove in this body, you should be impressed,” he smirks, bouncing his brows at her, but she’s already off asking more before he can answer her previous one, causing a chuckle to tumble out of him, browns dropping back to Cerberus as he paws at a patch of dirt beneath a tree planted along the street. 

     “You askin’ me to come by yours?” His grin stretches further even though he knows that isn’t what she’s offering, his thoughts drifting momentarily to where the night could take them if he accepted. The reality should be obvious, except Fletcher has a way of making things tilt on their side, and he can still remember the sweetness of her lip gloss, the pull of muscles drawing her lips into a smile as he lines kisses along her jaw. “Can’t say no to an offer to see the new place, can I?” It’s his version of sure and the tingle returns when she complains about the cold, hugging herself. Logic tells him to keep himself in check and it’s ambition that drapes his arm over her shoulders, fingers pressing into her bicep as he gives it a teasing squeeze. “Don’t expect me to tell ya ya should’ve worn more clothes.” 

     His brows knit together for a moment, one corner of his mouth rising higher before he barks out a laugh, “Since when have I ever made an excuse for anything? I gave you a perfectly good offer, Zi. If you wanna tell me about how you’re doin’, then tell me. If you wanna know if I was worried, then I’ll tell ya.” Fletcher pinches her bicep before he touches on her last statement, “Dunno what you’re tryin’ t’say between that and the I can’t take care of m’self deal, but I know how to keep myself in one piece, thank you. It’s just that I usually don’t wanna,” he expresses, emphasis on the wanna, turning his head to look at her as he leans in closer with a wink. 

.

“No.” she chuckles, shaking her head as smirk forms on her lips. “You’d know if I wanted you to come over. I would ask you directly, I don’t need to use the dog as an excuse.” Although a part of her might have wanted to ask him over tonight despite knowing the risks of what that might have involved. Maybe she wanted to face the dangers of being in an enclosed space with him for one night and allow passion to take over rather than logic. After running off the boat just on time, she feels completely alive that making a mistake for a night didn’t seem so bad. She wonders for a moment if she should change her answer, tell him to come over, but, she shakes the thought away. She knows better than that. “I was going to drop the dog food off at PEST. You won’t be seeing my new place unless it's for strictly Pestilence reasons.”

He takes her by surprise when he puts his arm around her, before she can comprehend anything he makes another comment and she bites her lower lip to hold back the smile that threatens to take over her face. “You’re such an idiot,” she responds. "Why not? I thought you loved seeing me fully clothed." she teases back, the lighthearted conversation feeling natural and easy. She closes her eyes shut for a moment as he laughs his contagious laugh, his scent filling up her lungs, her fingers moving to curl around the fabric of his shirt. Taking in a deep breath as she remains against his chest, a rush of adrenaline buzzing through her body and making her completely dizzy as she leaned into his side. She needed to remain calm, she needed to remain steady and she needed to shut down everything else running through her head right now.

The mood instantly changes at his next comment and Mitzi nods, staring down at the pavement. “You’re right. You don’t make an excuse for anything,” she speaks. “You never have and never will,” she whispers, letting out a sigh as she tries to keep herself composed within his embrace even if it suddenly felt suffocating rather than comforting. The truth of the matter was, Mitzi did not know what she was saying which was out of the ordinary because she was someone who always knew exactly what she wanted to say. She knew how to word sentences to get the answers she wanted, she knew how to lead a conversation to manipulate a response and she knew how to stand strong without looking weak, but right now, with Fletcher, she hit a brick wall that would not move. She was angrier with herself rather than him. There are times that she’s not sure she’ll ever be whole again, the scar he left her with was too deep to hold together with a plaster. Everything between the two of them was tainted now. The rose-tinted glasses she once saw everything in is broken and the pedestal upon which she had placed their relationship had toppled over completely leaving the walls of vulnerability that had been lifted between them in a pile of rubble. She wishes that forgetting someone was as easy as becoming consumed with them, but wiping memories away was not as easy as creating them no matter how much she tried.

“Were you worried about me?” she asks, taking up his offer, although that was only part of the question she wanted to ask. Do you ever miss me? That’s what she wants to ask him next. Do you ever miss me the way I miss you? Do you ever wake up and miss seeing me next to you? Do you ever miss the way we would make late-night cheese toasties together? Do you ever miss how I would put my cold hands inside your shirt to warm myself up? Do you ever miss having my fingers through your hair whilst we cuddled? Do you ever miss fucking me? She wants to scream at him. Punch him. Slap him. Demand for answers she knows she would never get. But she remains silent.  It would all be a waste of energy and her breath, after all, what could she expect from someone who could not even give her an apology for his actions. What could she expect from someone who cheated on her and didn’t even think that she was worth apologising to? That should be a loud enough answer for her and yet it still did not satisfy Mitzi.

Finally, she lifts her head, tilting her chin backwards so her dark eyes could focus on his gaze, allowing him to move even closer to her. The feeling of his breath against her skin stirs up the familiar warmth in her body, taking over every fibre of her, her heart drumming against her chest. Could she ever forgive him? It’s difficult to tell, but probably not. Would she ever forget the feeling that took over her heart when he told her he cheated? Unlikely. Did she want to lean up and kiss him right now? Completely. Instead, she forces herself to take a step away, pressing her hand against his chest to keep the distance. “Easy there tiger, you might not stay in one piece if you get any closer to me. Would you like a matching wound to the ones you already have?”

[mitzi-zhang]

m. zhang ⇄ l. griffiths

Liam: Ah, yeah that would be a downer wouldn't it? I'd have to tell chef he'd need to stop ordering in Pistachio ice cream and I do hate to be the bearer of bad news.

Liam: Hm... So what happened was

Liam: [...]

Liam: [...]

Liam: [...]

Liam: Just kidding :)

Liam: You're not getting it out of me that easily

Liam: Also, Rita's a force of her own I doubt anything so simple as a bug from the Thames would slow her down

Mitzi: I would say you could have tried and replace me but I don't think you would have been able to find anyone that compares to my exquisite taste so it's a good thing you don't have to break the chefs heart like that

Mitzi: Ha. Ha. Ha.

Mitzi: You're acc being such a dick, it's not a cute look on you

Mitzi: What would I need to do to get it out of you?

Mitzi: Just tell meeeeee

Mitzi: Also you're right, Rita is unstoppable...but if you give my cousin your Thames disease then I'd have to hurt you

[mitzi-zhang]

​INTRODUCTION TO THE ZHANG FAMILY - PART 2

The Sister. Ying Yue Zhang. Ying Yue is the youngest of the Zhang siblings and Rita and Mitzi’s favourite member of the family. Raised like a princess, Ying Yue is glamorous, bold and ethereal, charming all those that she meets, making everyone fall in love with her signature smile. Bold and stubborn, Ying Yue challenges situations when she needs to stand up for herself and doesn’t believe in boundaries. An enigma to everyone despite being in all of the social circles, Ying Yue is unpredictable and lives off her own agenda.  @zhangrita 

[mitzi-zhang]

​INTRODUCTION TO THE ZHANG FAMILY - PART 1 

The Brothers. Hui and Jun (‘Henry’). 

@zhangrita

[eliotwauh]

… That, and my hair.

[mitzi-zhang]

Liam.

“I grew up in Exeter actually, not far from there. I think my mom took me to some sort of dinosaur museum when I was a kid.” Liam said, glancing down at the needles and yarn poking through the top of his bag. Just a few rows shy of completion, probably. There wasn’t that much yarn left.  He gave a loose shrug at her inquiry, looking down at the dark blue yarn. “Oh I don’t know, this is the just the needles and yarn I bring along for long train rides. I usually just end up unravelling it when I run out of yarn, truth be told. Start again on the ride back,” it was something he’d started doing after he realised he had one too many scarves piled high in a basket in his closet. He was able to keep his hands busy and the stockpile of knitted goods didn’t grow any higher. Maybe he’d finished this one properly… Mitzi would look good in royal blue, he thought. 

On their meandering train ride, Liam had learned a multitude of things about Mitzi. He’d learned that she preferred paperbacks to hardback books, learned of her adventures in travelling across Asia with her cousin (which, on more than one occasion had ended up with Rita retrieving a wasted Mitzi from nightclubs), learned that she liked watermelon but detested sweets that imitated its flavor in all their artificial glory, noticed how she worried her lower lip between her teeth when she was deep in thought. They’d also had a lengthy conversation on the merits of drowning your food in hot sauce. Liam preferred the heat of his food to remain on the mild side when he ate out, while Mitzi, it seemed, liked to absolutely destroy her taste buds in spice.  

When they’d slid into their seats at a table with their food, Liam had gently pushed the bottle of hot sauce that was nested along the edge their table with the other condiments closer within her reach. She could have all the hot sauce she wanted, he just wanted to be able to taste his food at the end of the day. He’d barely had a couple mouthfuls of food when Mitzi’s exclamation had him drawing his eyebrows together. Had something happened back in London? His phone in his pocket hadn’t made any sort of announcement - chances were good that if something was wrong with Pestilence something would be wrong with War but – that trail of worry was doused when she turned her phone around. They’d missed the follow up train back to London. His shoulders sagged and he shook his head, a soft smile on his face. “That’s it? Here I thought something truly terrible had happened…” he pulled his sleeve up and glanced at his watch, frowning slightly. “Came loads earlier than I thought it would,” he didn’t think he’d ever had a replacement train come in a timely fashion, never the less early. He slipped his phone out from his pocket and typed a quick query in, momentarily forgetting the basket of half eaten fish and chips on the table. “Hm, its supposed to be a bit chilly tonight I think… Might be best to find some place to stay. Looks like there’s a little motel down the road. Doesn’t look too exciting–it sure as hell ain’t the Ritz. But they might have a some space available.” He set his phone down on the table and turned it around for her to look, if she wished. 

.

“The Mary Anning Museum?! I loved going there so much as a child. She was a badass. Did you know that her discoveries were some of the most significant geological finds of all time?” Mitzi’s enthusiasm was evident in her tone, talking about powerful females in history was something that had always inspired her, one day she hoped that she too would make a discovery and her name would be written in the history books. “So essentially, you like destroying your art then?” she responds with a small smirk before her eyes focus on the scarf, her fingertips reaching out to feel the soft yarn. “This is a nice colour. You should keep this one.” Before Mitzi left for Pestilence, she had always enjoyed Liam’s company, but she realises she didn’t know as much about him as she thought she had. Now there was an endless list of facts about the man etched to the back of her head and she still wanted to learn more. He was continuously surprising her which was rare, his reaction to the train leaving without them was not one which she had expected. “Is that your way of saying you’re enjoying spending all this time me Liam?” she teases. “Good to know that you don’t think it’s truly terrible to be stuck with me for the rest of the evening.” Looking down at his phone and nodding at his suggestion, Mitzi has a few more chips before standing up. “Let’s go find a place to stay then.”

Once they arrive at the local bed and breakfast and are led up to their room, Mitzi drops her bag onto the floor, glancing over at Liam and then back towards the bed. “Looks like we’re sharing a bed.” she points out the obvious. The whole day had been a cliche after cliche, first their train breaking down, then getting trapped in the middle of nowhere, and now having to share a room with one bed. It was like a tragic romantic comedy. “Please don’t even bother trying to suggest that you’ll sleep on that tiny sofa. You would literally would fall off and I’m not willing to sleep there either. It looks very uncomfortable,” she adds before Liam could object. They both had a long day, they both deserved to get a good nights sleep. “I’m really tired,” she admits, pulling the jumper over her head and dropping it on the chair. “Do you mind if I get ready for bed?” The only convenience from this whole situation was that she had an overnight bag packed and ready.

“I don’t snore - or I don’t think I do. No one has ever complained.” she laughs as she moves out from the bathroom, her toothbrush in hand. “Do you need toothpaste?” she asks, holding it out for him after squeezing a bit for herself before heading back into the bathroom. Her mind is racing during the two minutes she brushes her teeth. Was this appropriate? Probably not. But why was it not? Apart from being in rival gangs (even if technically they were in the same gang) they were friends. Then why did she feel nervous? Why was her heart beating faster? Why were her palms sweaty? Mitzi couldn’t make sense of any of it, she was not the type to feel this way around a guy, but for some reason, butterflies were roaming in her stomach and she wasn’t sure how to make them stop. “Get a grip, Mitzi,” she mumbles to herself as she rinses her mouth. The last thing that would happen was Mitzi allowing Liam to get a sense of the messy state her brain was in.

Walking back out into the room, her eyes focus on him, she wants to know what’s running through his mind, wants to explore all his thoughts and find out what he’s thinking in this exact moment, what he’s feeling, instead, she offers him a grin. “I might kick you in my sleep though, I’m used to star-fishing in the middle of the bed rather than sharing it with someone else so I’m apologising in advance for that.” she laughs whilst climbing into the bed and settling against the pillows on the right-hand side. Her gaze remains on him, a comforting warmth taking over her body as they soak in the silence of each others company for or a moment. Mitzi almost wants to reach up and pull him closer towards her, cross the lines of their friendship and indulge in whatever this was. Instead, she pulls the duvet higher up towards her chest and smiles at him. It was time to end the night.

“Goodnight Liam.”

End.

[mitzi-zhang]

IN THE BAG 

Additional items: car keys, perfume, notebook and pen, paracetamol, chewing gum, hair ties and clips, hand sanitiser, lighter, condoms

[junname]

https://instagram.com/p/BY8XltinKNv/

[mitzi-zhang]

m. zhang ⇄ l. griffiths

Liam: Maybe a little

Liam: Well I took an intentional swim and then an unintentional swim and no I shall not elaborate you'll just have to live with the mystery

Liam: Believe me I took a great long shower when I got home

Liam: Wish I could say it was the worst I've ever had to clean up from but, well.

Mitzi: Only a little?? You know what, I'll take that. It's better than nothing, although, I think you probably were more worried about not having good company to get burgers with

Mitzi: Oh don't be a prick!!! Elaborate!!!

Mitzi: tbh I think you should quarantine, you know public safety and all, you need to make sure that you've not caught some form of deadly disease from the Thames that you'll pass onto everyone. Stay away from my cousin for two weeks!

[wildwcrlds]

NATASHA LIU BORDIZZO on instagram !

[mitzi-zhang]

m. zhang ⇄ l. griffiths

Liam: Well I'm not glad to hear that you got hurt but I am glad that its nothing serious

Liam: That boat went up a bit more ...exuberantly than I expected to

Liam: Yeah, I'm alright. Took a swim I didn't expect but that's all water under the bridge I guess

Mitzi: Tbh, I wouldn't call a few little cuts getting hurt...they're really minor so really nothing to be concerned about.

Mitzi: Are you worried about my safety Liam?

Mitzi: Yeah, the explosion was definitely big

Mitzi: What do you mean by you took a swim you didn't expect?

Mitzi: You were in the Thames? You need to take about 10 showers minimum to get rid of that