One Step to Checkmate [Open]

Perhaps he'd only taken a passing glance at the man, traded gazes without really thinking much of him at first until the moment came later. He was conscious and aware of many people here, some were known to him for their well-crafted reputations in the underworld and some through his information gathering and sniffing around when needed, despite having lost some vital connections as of late. That meant he needed to be creative and the casino itself was fruitful for the reason that it became a sort-of game in and of itself for the people with the skill to hunt their prey. That game was on tonight and despite his not acting immediately upon the information, he at least could tell a hunter when he saw one. These days, he was prone to not always reacting so strongly when he spotted them in places like this; they were like flies that staked out a place in search of Magi in hiding. Usually if they acted, than he thwarted them in any way he saw necessary and often with extreme prejudice. His dealings with the politicians had given him much in terms of insight into these things these past few days.

There were actually three alone inside this very room, but once he'd dug around in his memory for a bit, he found that only one of them stoked his curiosity and recognition more than the other two. It was one of those wild things his intuition gave him a hunch about, but he wouldn't venture to connect the dots right away. A while back, he'd had to thwart a Hunter from taking down some friendly Magi in the city. A rough chase ensued afterwards, though he'd managed to get away after a little while. That hunter, the name Enki River, became familiar to him. Just as he had entered the room, looking about and sizing up the many around him, he couldn't help but draw up a comparison for some reason that eluded him. Was it their faces or just the way they composed themselves?

The man was quite a bit taller than Enki had been; he was just about the same height. Had that man even had a family? There wasn't any family record he had found that pointed to that very conjecture⎯though to be honest, he could rarely get a hold of family records given how guarded they were and his injury made information searching that much harder. So without anything solid to go on, he just kept an aloof expression and gladly took a slight sip of his drink before twirling the corner of his lip into a smirk and turning an eye back towards the company. "They water the whiskey down a bit too much for my liking. Everything else here is good, but I can't say I anticipate the steak being cooked to medium rare. If it is, than I'll be pleasantly surprised. Otherwise, I think I'd like to stay sober enough to play a round of cards."

Aiden patted his prosthetic leg, feeling a slight itching sensation that slowly went away whenever he managed to just graze it a little bit and stimulate the iron a bit to keep it from biting as he turned his gaze over, "That was a well-played hand you did back there. My congrats, you looked like you were having quite the good time for a moment there. I could almost feel it as I walked in."

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Aiden took the opportunity to smirk, feeling a little proud of himself for the moment, glancing a little further back at the gambling hall for a moment afterwards to see the ruckus still going on. "Point taken. Perhaps I'll give it a try after I'm finished. No need to double up on drinks early" Once his food arrived, Aiden started on the steak, seasoning it with some extra spices on the opposite side and steak sauce before tuckering in with periodic bites throughout the conversation.

It was tender and juicy, though undercooked as had been expected and rarer than he would have wanted. The steak sauce on the side added some much needed kick to it and he downed a bite every so often with a bitter swig of ice cold beer. The food was good, though it was only the beginning piece to what should be quite the entertaining evening. As he ate, the man to his side posed one of the most forward questions he usually got from a hunter. So it seemed that this one preferred to get straight to the point and not beat around the bush or bother with tact.

A twisted curl at the edge of his lip ensued. He couldn't be sure if perhaps the man was overconfident or he snuffed something. Well, his infamy would at least be pretty widespread so he would've been doubtful if he hadn't already had his own suspicions about the man. The poise, confidence, and the familiar face were enough of a giveaway that it didn't require a large leap in logic. Aiden chuckled before it turned into full-throated, smug laughter. Perhaps he was being a bit more of his arrogant self after so long, but he just couldn't help it right now.

"The life feels good. You get the chance every now and then to have a good time and it sharpens your senses. And thanks to that, I can ask you how it's like to still be living the life of being a dog of the guild. They still feed you and the hounds with kibble and cheese crackers?" He lanced out with a bitter, caustic tone. How long has it been since he could be this eccentric? So much like his old, casual self.

The laid-back Aiden turned an eye at the man's rather upfront question, but didn't make a move to draw a blade or anything unless the other man decided he wanted to have a go. He hated these people and would happily string out the rest of their guts out in front of the Red Light District for all to see, though tonight seemingly he had found a Hunter with a bit more of a personality than the others he had come up against, though if he also had to wager it, the other man was having similar thoughts to interacting with one of the Dishonored. The other man seemed to be good at hiding his feelings behind a mask, as most hunters learned to do well. In his experience, zealots in the guild wouldn't bother to speak with him or would be calling for back-up now when it came to someone like him. Someone the guild would advise their hunters not to engage carelessly.

Or perhaps he was as confident as the man he so uncouthly resembled. "Since you already know my name and we're being civil for the time being, mind if I ask you your name? I recognized you because resemble someone who chased me a while ago. He had similar eyes and a mouth like yours. Happen to be a familial resemblance?"

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