[Aiden]

A succession of notes crescendoed quickly within the apartment as Aiden yelped and threw his keyboard onto the side of his bed. On the computer screen, the Big Bad stomped smugly on Aiden's character--the black-clad hero lay in an almost comical looking puddle of blood, with X's over his eyes. Failed again. With a grunt, Aiden rolled over to a seating position and reached for a solid green t-shirt. After pulling it over his head, he looped a belt through his jeans and strode toward the living room. He probably had bed hair, but it was probably alright.

That was thirty minutes wasted, but it had been wasted efficiently, Aiden told himself. Few things took his mind off of work, and this was one of them. The one thing he could be sure about, despite the excitement and danger that the videogame characters went through, was that you could always press restart or depend on that extra life if you pressed a button too late. The same could not be said about the life with the Guard, who also met occasionally to play fighting games. There is no harm done in make-believe battles.

The electric-blue clock on the wall told him that it was roughly an hour before noon. That was perfect, because all he had for breakfast was a BLT sandwich. Aiden crossed the living room, and when he was nearly by the front door, slid his socks in a little dance upon the wooden floor. He felt like eating seafood, and Juniper's would be perfect for that. A stroll by the marina sounded good too. If the day was sunny enough, he'd catch some fish for himself. Humming to himself, he slipped into his sneakers, snatched up his keys, and stepped outside.

[Maaike]

“Well, crap.”

Maaike had only been on her way back to the portal, a sheaf of papers stuffed under the waistband of her yoga pants and hidden beneath her scarlet vest, but damn if she didn't turn a corner and there he was! She even gaped at him for a second, not entirely convinced he was actually real, because he'd been such a pain in her butt since his betrayal without even trying. He had half the city's Guard watching out for her, ready to arrest her the second they saw her, and had made her job ten times harder than it already was.

She almost didn't recognise him out of uniform, either.

Well, she'd gotten her own back on him in style, and she smirked just thinking about it. That last one had been particularly funny. Did your ass fall off yet? Hopefully she'd proven she was on the Law's side, too, with those little "presents" she'd left him.

But what were the chances of her bumping into her favourite new playmate, especially with the evidence she'd collected tucked away under her clothes? It made her wary, and as she stood not three feet away from Baby Face, she kept her eyes moving, on the look-out for another betrayal.

Still, the temptation to taunt him was a hard one to deny, and she beamed at him. “I know where you live, now.”

[Aiden]

Damnit. One glance at the woman around the corner, and all of Aiden's good mood crumbled like a poorly stacked tower of cards. The lightness of his steps disappeared as he came to a halt with a hand mid-motion of pulling out his COM. Slanted lips betrayed his annoyance as he let the COM slide back into his pocket, and after a pause: “Wrong. Just visiting a friend.” Damnit! Aiden was a failure at lying. It was obvious in the way that he said it, and how he could not help but flicker his gaze from Maaike to the wallpaper. And even though they were in the apartment lobby, and there were at least twenty eight other residences in the building, there was no doubt that she could pick out where he lived. She's Therian.

To Hel with it, he didn't think her as the type to do something with that knowledge (except stalk him, but who would want to do that?). However, he was still annoyed, and he had a right to be. The Guard had sighted her a few times and lost her, and to tease them, she left notes and tied-up people at the doorsteps of their HQ. None of the notes were particularly helpful, and Aiden did not appreciate the attention that the notes drew to him. Some of the Guard now called him by her nicknames, while others questioned and teased him about his pet vigilante. Haha, pet.

Regardless, her help had been beneficial to the law, so even as he crossed his arms and attempted to scowl, he could not hide his tone of curiosity as he asked, “What the Hel are you doing here?” Belatedly, he remembered the first time he saw her in New Alexandria. Immediately, Aiden became suspicious, and he scowl became real. He let out a sardonic, “Xanth, don't tell me you're house-hunting in New Alexandria.”

[Maaike]

((Ah, my bad, I thought they were outside the apartment building.))


Maaike giggled, a sound that was as unfamiliar to her as it would be to him. He'd just given her a wonderful idea, but she'd let him think for now that she'd been fooled by that whole "visiting a friend" lark.

Feigning a worried look, she tilted her head and tried to look utterly innocent. “H... How did you know? You won't tell the Guard on me, will you?” As she said it, a smirk tried to win through the pouting, "seductive dumb blonde" expression, so she gave it up as a bad job and snickered. “Wouldn't that be fun? I quite like this building, after all.” And just to kill any hope he had of tricking her, she tacked on gleefully: “And we'd be neighbours!”

Actually, she hadn't looked around the lobby much more than to spot potential escape routes in case he had reached for his COM. The only reason she entered the building at all was because she'd spotted him by chance, out of a habit of glancing into buildings on her way past in case they held an ambush of Guardsmen. Paranoid, maybe, but that kind of thing would keep her alive.

And he was so easy to torment.

Flashing him the wickedest smile a Therian could muster, she enquired, “So how did you like your presents, Sweet Cheeks?”

[Aiden]

Whatever expression Maaike had been going for, it was anything but seductive or dumb. That pretty pouty face might have fooled a rookie, but Aiden has met enough criminals to know what to expect. Like a knife in the back, a KO-inducing punch, or a blast of wind or fire. She probably wouldn't do that. Worst she'd do was insult him. Probably.

“Yah, that would be perfect,” Aiden stared warily at her, but his tone was bland. He knew that there was no chance of her moving here. “'Cause next time you commit something, the Guard can cut the chase and just find you here. Or y'know, actually track you.” It was common therian knowledge that a person's living quarters was the best place to start a hunt. Their scent would be everywhere.

Ah, there was the smile and insult. As usual, it drew an eyebrow twitch from Aiden as his scowl deepened before he caught his error. He tried to mask his annoyance as he drawled, “They would've been better without your love notes. All smelly and rude, the lot of them. You didn't wrap them well enough, and the third one was nearly freezing when we found him. What'd you do, dunk him in the Cora?”

However, he grudgingly uncrossed his arms and moved them into his pockets to assume a friendlier stance. “Thank you.” He didn't want to say it, since it would mean that he owed her something---which he totally does not. But credit should be given when it is due, even when it was her. Shifting his gaze to the far wall, he saw people passing by the window. He would have liked to chat under the sun, but he'd rather get stuck mid-shift than be seen with Maaike in the open.

“They talked a lot,” he allowed a small, mean smirk before he glanced toward Maaike. He was still sulky, but there was no mistaking the question in his mind. What had she learned from them?

[Maaike]

“How can you say my notes were smelly and rude?” she enquired, deliberately misunderstanding and batting her eyelashes sulkily. “And after all the trouble I went to, finding the perfect gifts.” Faking non-chalance, she circled him as if looking around at the building's decor, when really all her senses were focused on him.

“What'd you do, dunk him in the Cora?”

“Psh, how is it my fault if you take ages to answer the door?” Honestly, the guy did go for a swim, but it wasn't her fault, and it wasn't in the Cora. “Let's just say he really, really likes fountains.” And did he have any idea how hard it was fishing a guy that size out of a fountain when he was only semi-conscious? What was she talking about, he was that size.

Maaike flinched when Aiden put his hands in his pockets, and backed up a step. She couldn't help the automatic reflex, and by the time she regained control it was too late to try and cover it up. So she didn't, arching an eyebrow at him instead but leaving it at that. If he wanted to bring in reinforcements, let him. She'd just escape again, and this time she'd make damned sure he was implicated in her shenanigans even if it meant sniffing out his apartment and rolling around in his bed before sailing out the window.

But then he did the one thing that would shock her speechless. He thanked her, and she gaped at him with her mouth hanging open like a dead pig waiting to chow down on an apple. Annnnnd, then he ruined the effect by talking.

“Um,” she confirmed, wary now and suspicious. People like him, Guardsmen, they didn't thank her. They were competitive, and often worried she'd find out about their dirty little secrets. Even the good guys treated her like a tool, and threw money at her like she was a cold-hearted mercenary. What was Aiden's angle here?

“What's the matter, Angel Face? Afraid they gave me more?” Sidling closer and tilting her head up to meet his eyes, she trailed a finger across his shoulders as she circled him again, slower this time. It was a dangerous move and put her close enough for a grab, but she was confident enough in her own abilities to risk it. His reaction now would tell her, one way or another, how useful he was going to be, or if she'd need to avoid him in future. “Or do you want to... share information?”

[Aiden]

Clearly, she was uncomfortable with his thank you, and that was fine because it hadn't felt right for him to say it, either. She was a runaway, and what was he doing here, talking to her in amicable terms? For that matter, he still hadn't figured out what she was doing here, in his neighborhood. But first, they needed to talk about what she'd found. There were so many things that troubled him about the people she'd delivered to him, as well as the things he learned while snooping around the city on his own.

His sulky frown was replaced by one of confusion as she came toward him. He tilted his face to look down at her, and he tensed cautiously when her finger fluttered on his shoulders. She was treading in his space, and it made him uncomfortable. It showed in the way his jaw tightened and he shifted his arm as if he wanted to push her away. But he caught himself and stubbornly kept his hands in his pockets.

“Afraid they gave me more?”

“Not at all, since we've had more time with them than you.” It was an assumption, but he'd bet that it was true. Stepping away from her, he looked deliberately at Maaike and said, “But I'll humor you, and we can share.” He knew that he'd leave if she talked about Thanatos again, so he picked a topic: “The third guy ratted out on his buddies, but they were gone by the time we got to their usual place. The fourth...well, how did you find him?” In a quiet and sober voice, he murmured, “I thought he only sold dust, but we found bane in his basement.”

[Maaike]

Hmm. Interesting.

Allowing him to step away and regain his comfort zone, Maaike sized him up from a few feet away, her head tilted a little. It was funny how he tried to direct the flow of information like that, but she got it. He wasn't ready to contemplate corruption, but he hadn't called in reinforcements yet and seemed like he was ready to trade, so she'd go easy on him.

“Do you really want to know, Sweet Cheeks?” Her tone made it clear that he wouldn't agree with many of her methods, but apart from the occasional B and E (which she only ever did when she was convinced she'd find something), she was careful not to break any laws. She picked up most of what she needed from conversations with the locals, something he as a Guard would miss out on. So she shrugged, because he wasn't dumb. “People are more willing to talk to one of their own than a uniform, you have to know know that.”

Sifting through rumour to find fact wasn't fun, but with enough corroborative stories she could stake out the hot spots and stalk the guys the locals "just knew" were dirty. From there, it was fairly easy. Assuming that people like Drague's buddy didn't try to beat the snot out of her first.

But Maaike had a problem. She was torn between distrust and needing his help, because she could only go so far by herself. The papers tucked under her vest were burning holes, and if she was ever going to recruit him, now was as good a chance as any.

So she sidled closer again, leaning up on tip-toe to speak quietly in his ear. To anyone passing by, they'd probably look like lovers, but let them think what they liked. What she had to say was for his ears alone.

“If I give you what I've got, you can't involve anyone else. Do you understand me, Aiden?” She used his name deliberately, rather than the derogatory nicknames she'd saddled him with, because she was bloody serious -- and met his eyes to prove it. You didn't look another Therian in the eye like this, not this close and personal, and not unless you either wanted to mate or fight. “You may not want to believe it, but some of your guys are dirty and I'll be damned if I give the bad guys chance to cover their tracks.”

[Aiden]

Her words hinted at things that a Guard would not want to hear, and his expression showed trouble from the conflict of asking or staying quiet. Thankfully, she only stated the obvious, and he only nodded, once, to show that he already knew. Some people saw the guard and scurried the other way. Those with things to hide slunk into the shadows, or ran the other direction if they were stupid enough to draw attention to themselves. Point was, Guards made people nervous, even when they were on their side.

Suddenly, Maaike was close again, and she was moving too close. Alarmed, he tilted away from her, but stopped when he realized that she was speaking very softly. Her breath tickled the hair behind his ears, and her proximity might have been intimate if it were not for the topic of their discussion. In that moment, it seemed as if all her scorn of him had disappeared. Especially when her eyes focused so seriously on his, and it was funny how a small woman like her could make him flinch. His gaze wavered very slightly before he forced his focus on her again. They were both dominants, and he refused to show weakness to her.

She was Therian, like Aiden, so she had to know how she was breaking both of their social norms. Given the situation, Maaike couldn't be thinking of ripping his throat out, so Aiden knew from this expression that she was putting her trust in him. That, by itself, was more unsettling than the intent stare. They had been jerks to each other, yet she was willing to share.

His instincts protested--he still hadn't responded to her challenge. Eyes darkening, he could not be sure how long he hesitated before he tilted his head in a small nod. Still staring into her eyes to show that he meant it, Aiden said in a low voice, “Understood. I hate the thought of traitors, but I'm not too blind to doubt my own.”

With that said, he abruptly glanced away. First to break eye contact, but he was willing to make that concession for her. “So.” He leaned upon the wall to his left. “How bad are things?”

[Maaike]

Maybe Maaike was getting too much of a kick out of invading Aiden Roy's space, because when he eventually broke eye contact and pulled away, she was disappointed. And also relieved, because his submission -- something she just knew would stick in his craw -- meant she wasn't about to make a huge mistake. A mistake, maybe, but not a huge one.

She followed his retreat, but kept her head and eyes down. No sense making him feel threatened or challenged now, but she didn't want to just hand over the papers either. Discretion was key here, because while he might think her paranoid, she'd rather not take any chances.

Pulling the papers out from under her vest, she patted them against Aiden's abdomen and winked. “Don't ask how I found these.”

[Aiden]

He felt more at ease the moment Maaike looked away from him, but his jaw tensed again when she reached into her vest and put it toward his torso. Breath halting as his abdomen tightened, Aiden glanced at the loose papers and finally drew his hands from his pocket to take the papers. Turning his back to the wall, he leaned onto it as shuffled through the documents. At first glance, he saw that they were receipts and invoices for mundane items such as jars, vases, and other pieces of pottery. But both eyebrows went up as he found other items hidden in the list.

“The papers are from some...” he tried deciphering the signatures, “Hiedrich...guy? How did you--”a pained expression passed through his features as he contemplated the answers, and he quickly shook his head. “Ah, don't tell me.” He was bound to argue against what she had done, so he'd rather not know.

With a sigh and a minor worry about the relationship he was putting himself in, Aiden slumped against the wall. “So he's trading 'gold powder', 'wolf plant', and 'bottled air'. Doesn't take much to see what he's really selling.” Stardust, bane, and tepua grenades, his suspicion told him. The guy wasn't selling them in large quantities, but neither were the amounts small. “Damn it, I hate to think of who it's all going to.”

[Maaike]

Giving Aiden some space while he checked out the papers she'd given him, Maaike scanned their surroundings continually. There were noises from upstairs that suggested one of his neighbours might be headed their way soon, and the ongoing bustle from the street outside, but as far as she could tell they were okay for the moment.

“I hate to think of who it's all going to.”

“I can guess.” Maaike couldn't be sure that at any point these goods were handled by Thanatos directly, but she knew in her gut that he was the head of the operation. Somehow, he was telling guys like this Hiedrich what to ship, how much of it, and where to ship it to, but without strong proof Aiden wasn't ready to hear it.

So she lifted a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug, pivoting ninety degrees and stepping back towards him from where she'd ended her mini patrol by the stairs. “There's more at his place, and this should be enough to search.” There was a hint of a question in her voice, because in truth Maaike wasn't really sure that what she'd given him would be enough for him to legally invade Hiedrich's home and office. “But don't leave it too long: once he finds those gone he'll probably cover his tracks.” Not that he'd done a great job so far (he was clearly either a bad employee (for someone like Thanatos) or just really inexperienced), but one way or another the evidence would be gone if Aiden and his buddies didn't deal with it right away.

Maaike didn't want to be responsible for a pile of floaters in the Cora if "one way or another" meant Heinrich ended up dead.

But their time was up. That neighbour of his was headed down the stairs and Maaike didn't want to be seen with this guy. “Time's up.” And just because it had been fun how much he'd squirmed when she was up close and personal, she invaded Aiden's space all over again and with a wicked grin leaned up, with her hand on his chest to steady her weight, to plant a kiss on his cheek.

Tossing her hair over her shoulder as she backed off, she winked and told him to “Catch me later, tough guy,” and then she was out the door with a bounce in her step. Xanth, she hadn't had that much fun in ages.

[Aiden]

Judging from the scribbled letters, Hiedrich wasn't neat at keeping his records. He backdated entries, overcharged things, and he didn't always collect signatures. Still, Aiden could decipher the handwriting of a couple of Hiedrich's recipients, and he noted their names and locations for later. Like a spiderweb, the stuff could be going anywhere from the hands of delinquents to conspirators of war. Aiden was frowning, but no longer because of Maaike. Glancing toward his new informant, Aiden blinked several times as his eyes adjusted from the close reading of the paper.

The other therian had sauntered to the stairs, and Aiden almost thought that she'd go upstairs. Hearing her remark about the evidence, Aiden allowed his jaw to loosen in a slight grin. “I totally did not just hear that.” Really, the less he knew about her break-ins, the better. Shuffling the papers so that he was looking at the first page again, he straightened and folded them into neat thirds. Thoughtfully, he mused as he flapped the paper square in his hand. “They're enough for a search, so I'll gather some guards.” Aiden had enough common sense, and policing experience, to know not to let an opportunity go cold, so he raised an eyebrow at her advice, but nodded once to assure her. “Don't worry, I'll deal with him ASAP, and I'll check in on the other names. I know someone who works at the East Gate, and--”

“Time's up.”

Aiden hadn't been paying enough attention to hear the person walking upstairs, but he heard boots stomping down the wooden steps, and Maaike was suddenly walking over with a grin that made him nervous. As she came closer, Aiden had nowhere to move but further into the wall with widening eyes as the other therian leaned toward him and placed her small (but not delicate--they were far from delicate) hands on his chest. “Wha--” Startled, he was tilting his face away from her when he felt soft lips brush against his skin.

He knew that his face was reddening as the wayward bounty hunter winked at him and slipped out the door. In fact, he was so flustered that he forgot to greet his neighbor until the 'vari spoke his name twice. Turning for the stairs, Aiden ran back to his apartment, where he hastily stuffed the papers below a book for later. As he shut the door behind him and hurried toward the marina, he rubbed his face in confusion. His face still tingled where she'd touched it, but the feeling wasn't unpleasant. What. The. Hel.

((Thread finished.))