Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Very nice indeed." Aziz gazed at the item longingly. She admired the craftsmenship and the science behind it. "Perhaps it may come to good use on this job of ours."

She glanced up and towards the checkpoint. She always hated them, the scrutiny and the disdainful eyes; it was degrading in a way. Although for a woman with so much pride she was no stranger to slumming it when time called for it. Like that night when they would be searching for sleeping arrangements. "While I do have a standing reservation at one place in particular, I am not quite sure it would be in our best interest to stay there long. I don't wish to stay in this place longer than we need to. It is dangerous to say the least to linger."

Gazing at the guarded checkpoint with disdain she cocked her head to the side and mumbled under her breath. Seemingly cursing the oncoming scrutiny. "You better put that somewhere safe and cloak it well. And it doesn't help to be charming if we raise alarm, the people of Novum lack a bit of your flare." She winked and turned forward towards the checkpoint, walking confidently.

Timont grinned. "Well it's only fair for both participants to lay down what they are willing to lose. I, for example, have two hundred thousand dollars, in the form of a promissory note that I'd have to counter sign and use the proper terms and such, and I also possess a name of a man who deals information, if you win you can have your choice of one or the other. I'm sure both would be useful to you in any insane quest of yours. Especially if you insist on claiming your crown in the west. Or whatever it is you plan to do." Timings reached his hand out as if he was shaking to finalize a business deal. "Now the burden on you is to provide something that I would want if I win." Timothy retracted his hand and placed it on his face, as if deep in thought. "Like a kiss." He said. "Of course first you'd have to find a pretty girl, but still." He teased Aiden. "As for the terms of the contest, taking in account of your inebriated state, I say a good fashioned pinning contest. First one to get the other pinned on the ground for ten seconds wins."

Timont grinned his stupid grin. "When you place it like that Aiden, I guess I am taking advantage of your inebriated state." He willingly admitted. "And, my dear, it's not thousand. It's hundred thousand. There is of course the name that I think will be most intriguing to you. I don't know the full extent of his knowledge, but I do know that if anyone can help you on your quest, he can. Of course a cool two hundred thousand, I guess it's your choice." Timont laughed. This fight would be as psychological as it would be physical. He intimately knew that blows with the fist he would lose. He honestly didn't care much about her offers, or the kiss. He could buy them if he truly wanted them.

This was more then two old friends linking up. This was an opportunity for Timont to pay back his father for the life he had given Timont. The issue was, he doubted Aiden would accept any charity he gave her. But, if she won it off him, fair and square, then she would put more stock into it. That and it wouldn't piss off others in contention for the crown. No, this was the best option.

"If you'd like we could change the contest. I was just trying to keep in mind that any contest of the minds would not be close, even if you weren't skunk drunk. Instead a physical confrontation seems the most equal, if leaning in favor of you, contest." Timont honestly didn't care. He was bored and enjoying his time with Aiden.

"Yes, I've always predicted its handiness." The item was slipped into his pocket.

He questioned the job they were on. It seemed there was more than just a pick-up involved, but Manson was learning he liked just exactly how surprising the missions dark magic woman could conjure were.

Manson joined Aziz in pace. A solidified expression of a gentleman with the very grace of a steady walk was assumed just before the two were asked to stop right there. Three guards stood closest and metallic masks would zip up from their collars and form up to their faces. Each man was now identical. Matching neon light of the uniforms also ran over the vertical length of the masks.

"Where is your vehicle? We don't see people walking right up often." The supervisor asked with a machine-like voice.

Aiden frowned already whole-heartedly loathing the idea of a drinking contest. Both Timont and Aiden were not the largest of people and one happened to already have her fill of drink. She clicked her tongue with dissatisfaction for the man who'd recently brought into remembrance an insane length of teasing he was capable of when he was a boy.

"I think I'm handy with enough brain cells to know what I'm not equipped to be game for Timont, friend. I'm not putting an end to it either. Today just isn't the day. Maybe tomorrow, not today." She said, her tone easing from rough to playful. She then smiled before another cigarette found it's way to Aiden's lips and then a tabaco train was down deep into her lungs. She walked up to Timont. The sides of their circle was now far and close enough for casual speak.

"Where are you staying?" She asked.

Aiden's eyes followed the man's finger's up to the towering building. Row upon row of calming blue light marked its length. Timont had a mind for luxury that was that in that precious building, and tonight he hadn't wandered far from it at all indeed.

"Trying to make a villain out of me? Sounds like trouble is the prevalent theme of tonight, but you like it don't you?" It wasn't a question. Aiden had it well answered in her head already. "I bet you have a nice couch, hm?"

She started and worked her way into a yawn while her arms crooked and stretched outwards before she relaxed again. A hand brought her second cigarette to her lips.

Aiden continued. "If you feel like being hospitable, I'll come over. My hotel's far and I'm either going to walk that distance now or tomorrow." Aiden expected nothing less than for Timont to welcome. "No funny s**t, but I could do like one more drink, but that's all your getting out of me."

Aiden had hardly settled past the blue doorway when Timont has stepped past her already headed towards the poison. The door slid shut behind and Aiden who in a sort of daze over in marvel for the apartment walked her way through the hallway inspecting this and that that decorated the space. The man was not shy.

She sat herself in a black seat in front of the messy table. Her back straitened for a moment with true willpower before caving in and and elbow slid onto the glass of the table and a palm held a tired head up.

Rather than answer Timont, dim eyes looked down at the bottle in mid-pour of the brown liquid and slow hands pulled the closest of the two crystal glasses towards herself. A hand lifted the glass up and rotated the glittering item right and left under the light.

"Only sometimes?" She kidded.

She stole the first drink.

"You said you had a meeting tomorrow?"

Aiden's face soured- whiskey had never been the woman's drink. With herself silent as the liquid seemed to be crawling very slow down her throat, she set the glass down and with the back of her fingers, steadily pushed the glass away from her and closer to Timont. Aiden leaned far back into her chair as if more distance was needed from the alcohol and gripped her hands on either side of the seat. She assumed pursed lips and looked at Timont as if he had poisoned her. In a moment after she spoke, "No. No. Nope, whiskey just never does me right." She gulped.

She listened to Timont moan about his family. No doubt the man had failing interest in routines. While Timont talked and Aiden did listen, Aiden's eyes darted around in search for a television remote that matched the large screen just past in view of Timont's cheek. There it was, not far at all on an end table. Eyes locked and it was okay to turn back onto Timont. "Well, I do thank you for the support. A few days I was so close and now, I'm ******** even further back where I started, so I'll be needing it more than ever." She stopped at that, not at all expecting a response or pity.

Up to her feet and arms pushing the backwards arc of her body up, Aiden then walked over towards the remote. "Hey, let me turn on your t.v. for a bit. I''ve never been a news-sy type person, but these would be the right days to keep up." Not waiting for permission, Aiden flipped on the t.v. and spent the next minute looking for the right channel. "Hey, which channel's the.... uhhh, nevermind.... the hell?"

It was a scrolling message narrated by a female anchor:

"The people of Lucidus Magus rejoice. Your savior has come. As we all know the people of Lucidus Magus were attacked. Yet the barbarians who call themselves our neighbors, those of Aes, believe that they were the ones who were unfairly attacked! We call them on their lies. We will not cower before them! We will stand and fight! This current government has forgotten about our Queen, lost. They try to usurp the power for themselves. I cannot allow this. So to the citizens of Lucidus Magus, I call for you to rise up, and seize power from the bastards on the throne. I swore to protect it as a military officer. Even though I have been retired for years, I still will uphold the oath I took. The government claims to protect it, but in truth they are trying to usurp the throne for themselves! Let none be fooled. No, this government has a deadline coming. They have twelve hours to dethrone themselves, or we will do it for them. For our Queen, Let this be a Call to Arms for all true citizens of Lucidus Magus!

~Signed Triesten Millagon."



(Copied and pasted from a post in Lucidus Magus.)