Fancy Seeing You Here [c]

On the night before; Aiden had gone to bed and had a weird, vague nightmare. He was ghosting on a wooden boat down a misty river over darkening and still waters. In the dream, he could hear curdling sounds, almost all of them recognizable and taste something over his tongue that resembled smoke. One moment, he was hurrying over the boat to catch the Magi fleeing away from him as they did the Hunters behind them. They were cut down as he gulped and sadness washed him away until he fell back and landed on the boat once again.

Then the moment turned and all seemed at peace for the moment while he laid back and images blinked over his vision that were reflected in the waters beneath him. A woman in a red sweater and rosy petticoat that might've passed him by last week, a small, blue-dressed child that looked like they were going off to Elementary school, and an elderly, hamstrung man musing by his lonesome alongside a clothing outlet he always frequented. Once the images let go, the weirdest parts began. He found his arms placed around two other figures. The phantasm in front gained steady recognition the more he looked at her head of whitening hair and felt a tinge of pain coming from having his prosthetic arm twisted and wrenched. The other was a kindly, soothing presence with a head of rainbow hair and eyes that seemed to pull him apart at the seams. The second one got closer and suddenly a far-off memory struck him, one that he didn't even realize had existed.

Then he was awoken, sitting up startled as his eyes flew open to reveal the edge of his bedpost and shaded curtains. Numbness set in after a moment and he got to brushing back his disheveled bed hair as well as pulling up the covers that had been strewn about. His little bachelor pad was huddled and quaint, meant to keep passersby from suspecting that it was the abode of a dishonored hunter wanted by the guild. Little more than a kitchen, bedroom, and entertainment zone, though nicely furnished otherwise. After getting dressed, his morning routine was the same. Breakfast was leftover bacon and buttered toast. A hearty and filling, though obviously plain meal. Once that was over, he went over his plans for the rest of that day and decided on the necessary tools to get it done. He needed to do more scouting and spying around the Vistoso port.

Hunters had begun a project of some sort in that area and he suspected something to be amiss in that area. Their concentration of patrols seemed to be going up and by his calculations, that meant he was most likely to get some good info if he staked out the boardwalk where he could see just how many were coming and going. With his plan in mind, he dressed up in his usual black hoodie and cargo slacks, though once he put both on he realized that the slacks had gotten beaten up the past few days and ripped in one or two places and the hoodie probably could use a wash or two. He noted that for later, but for now they were the only good clothes he had. His belt was also out of commission too, seeing as how it had gotten torn earlier that week. Whatever the case may be, he would have to live with what he was wearing for the time being and make a point to stop later.

The sky was a mixture of gray and white with overcast airs whistling a tumbling breeze over his exposed skin. "Just another day..." he mused to himself while watching roiling rain clouds passing by overhead. He strode along the roads, heading down towards the boardwalk to start out with somewhere that would make a good halfway point. One thing he noted about Felici long ago was that the roads were not extremely complicated in some parts. Finding his way around wasn't too difficult, so long as he stayed away from some parts.

As he rounded a corner and stepped forth, Aiden began to hear the sound of fevered footsteps coming from behind and turned around by reflex and curiosity before he felt a force burst into his chest before he could move. Aiden winced in surprise, drawing a quickened breath before he processed it and recognized Kaveri. It came in like a wrecking ball, thumping against him and staggering him for a moment. "What the... Kaveri? What are you doing..." He started to say as his mind began to think at rapid pace. Behind the Magi, Aiden saw the trails of ice and motion at the center of it from the incoming people slipping all over while some were able to move quickly and continue running right toward them.

It didn't take him long to register that and recognize the Hunters that were among the group and capable of easily dodging through the ice. The Magi swung around him with Aiden missing the pained look as he went immediately into fight-or-flight mode. In these types of situations, he always chose fight. Two hunters were upon them, with one likely called as backup. Aiden didn't have time to pull up his hoodie, but he tucked his mouth in to keep his vision steady and harder to recognize him. He spun around, using some leftover ice to move faster and quickly roundhouse kick the first one. With the ground so slippery, the hunter couldn't dodge it and Aiden's foot hit home with a strong thud that sent the man into a nearby wall.

As the Jellyfish Magi went to move, Aiden engaged the second female Hunter with a withdrawn knife now in hand. This time though, she had already closed the distance and now Aiden was on thin ice. She lunged at him with sword in hand, dropping down low so he couldn't spin away. The ploy worked and Aiden had to swat the blade away with the back of his knife. Needless to say though that moving like that made balancing a lot harder. The hunter fell forward, her sword falling out of her hand and happened to latch onto the ripped hole in Aiden's pants. As she fell, Aiden's cargo slacks also went with her.

Now, for the most part, Aiden was in fight mode and by instinct was bound to keep on attacking. His foot launched up and kicked the woman in the head, but the damage had been done and he was now standing out in the middle of the boardwalk with his pants gone. Even then, Aiden didn't feel the complete rush of shame. He was more interested in getting away since at the far-right of his peripheral vision, he could also see more Hunters starting to come around the corner.

He did the only thing he could in that instant and ditched his pants that were stuck in the hunter's grasp and started to run, grabbing Kaveri in a rushed, furious run down the boardwalk.

---

Note: I don't have a dirty mind, I have a sexy imagination! Oh btw, Aiden is wearing heart boxers OvO.

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Aiden wasn't focusing on the cold or his state of undress. Right now, all that mattered was survival and getting away fast before his identity was uncovered. Kaveri, the unfortunate accompaniment to his rush, was left to keep up, but it was clear that he was the one with maybe the greater stamina. That wouldn't serve him well for very long, with the Kalidas-blessed Hunters also being fully capable of outrunning them if they didn't think fast.

With all his hunter-gained prowess, Aiden continued to run until he saw the encroaching clothing store that he remembered vaguely, much like a sudden deja'vu from his dream. Having no time to think or a moment to lose, Aiden pulled Kaveri into the little bargain outlet and then rushed forward like a madman. Once they were inside, Aiden shuffled quickly over anything he could use as a disguise. The hunters were hot on their scent and putting them off would require a good deal of quick thinking. They couldn't just run he knew, because they were going to be outmaneuvered and cornered if they did. They needed to outfox their pursuers.

Unfortunately, Aiden saw nothing that would make his day in that split second. With the hurry that he was in, he had to go with his first thought that would keep them safe. Wildly grabbing for one of the racks, he came away with a long-sleeved red choker dress and a black coat in women's style that may or may not have been a size too big, but was the fastest thing he could slap on the way out. The pursuing Hunters were hot on their tail and Aiden still had Kaveri to think of, clutched by the hand while they hurried out the emergency exit at the back of the store.

"Quick!" He yelled, floundering away to block the door as quick as possible. He grabbed some full trash bags and garbage cans and then slammed them against the emergency backdoor. There was also a pipe nearby that he then quickly wedged into the handle. Thinking on his feet, he ascertained that it would buy them a small respite, but they would work around it. The hunters weren't known for giving up on their prey.

Aiden had been ignoring Kaveri for the most part, caught up as he was in getting away, but he had heard the Jellyfish speak up during the chase. "I've bought us a few minutes at best. They're already on our tail, we need to use this as a disguise...." He held up the dress and almost immediately regretted picking that out at as his first thought. It was... probably not very well suited for the male body, but he would fit in it at least. The black coat was also in a women's style, but probably will do a bit better then the dress.

"... Did you happen to grab anything else while we were in there?" One of his eyes twitched awkwardly as he begged the question, hoping that maybe Kaveri had shot his hand out and grabbed something better that would work for a disguise. The awkward eye movement also came at the exact same time that a cold wind blew by and nipped Aiden's bare knees, finally reminding him that he'd abandoned his pants in front of everyone on the front of the boardwalk.

Awkwardly, he looked down and saw that his cheap-skate boxers were out for Kaveri to see. The cold, wispy winds chilled his lower body now that the adrenaline of the chase was starting to wear off. He was still sweating from having run so fast, but being out in a back alley without his pants wasn't exactly how he wanted to be seen and brought a crimson-hued blush to his cheeks, both out of the cold touch and some degree of realization that this must be karma coming back to haunt him.

With no other choice and pressed for time, Aiden quickly slipped on the dress so as to cover his lower body while quickly throwing his own shirt over his shoulder for the moment. It was touch-and-go at the moment, he had to remember that there was no use lollygagging around while they were the hunted. But oh did he wish that something else was in his hand now. What he grabbed would need to suffice.

"If we can get away from the boardwalk, we should be able to lose them. Keep to the side lanes and back alleys and not go out in the open then we should be able to blend with the crowd.... hopefully." He added with a tinge bit more embarrassed blush on his cheeks, though the rest of his body language to slump in resignment for the bashing that was to come. He didn't forget what he had done to his company.

"Do you have any other ideas or places to go?"

---

Note: OvO

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An irritated vein bulged on his forehead. His neck was sweating and sore. His mind and eyes felt more and more feverish from the cold and the embarrassment he was going to need to endure. Kaveri's blunder in the clothing shop was a letdown though, one he could forgive since the reality of their situation was quite a bit out-of-the-ordinary and he couldn't expect him to read minds.

"I don't know. Try not to tempt me for the next few hours. If you want, we'll leave some money for the owner later on. Right now is not the time to be thinking about right and wrong. We have to survive here." Aiden turned grim-faced at Kaveri, eyeing the next corner out of the alleyway with reflexes at the ready. The Hunters were going to find the roundabout soon. They needed to start moving, even if it meant humiliation for him.

"Hunters have sharpened senses; far more acute then both you and me. It's not a perfect plan; it would never fool highly-trained hunters, but it will at least get us off the streets and hopefully out of this situation if we're smart and think on our feet. Otherwise, you can consider both of us on the waiting list for the chopping block."

That assessment left a few things he needed. To cover their scents, Aiden was forced to improvise. The garbage was filled with discarded perfumes and few other things that would have to work. With all needed haste, Aiden pulled his hair over his eyes and covered himself as best he could. The slight stench would probably make a few wonder at him, though it would keep anyone from sniffing him out and he advised Kaveri to do the same. His shirt might cover up the Magi and at least work as a disguise.

Kaveri's remark on his boxers was going to have to go unanswered. With the blood still pumping toward the bulging vein his head, it would be too hard to explain that he really had no preference for what his underwear looked like. They were comfortable and cheap, even if the style left a bit to be desired. The joke was tolerable at the very least since an image of what happened at the lake kept popping up in his head. The irony of the situation didn't seem to escape either of them though.

He wouldn't have been too surprised to hear that Kalidas or Nevyne had plotted this out for laughs at his own expense. An Ex-Hunter dressed in a compromising fashion to escape Hunters with a Magi. Aiden had never been one to curse at or lament the universe, but this was probably going to end up being an exception. The Jellyfish Magi's jest had a physical effect on Aiden, having quite literally struck a nerve. His fingers and hands twitched and his shoulders tensed up even more. It wasn't everyday that he was suddenly comparable to a prostitute. Even he had his ego and right now that wasn't going to cut it.

Almost as soon as Kaveri was turned around and changing, Aiden grabbed a throwaway newspaper that had been rolled up. Tightening it in his grip, Aiden quickly used the rounded bunch of paper as a makeshift paddle. He didn't actually lay his eyes on the changing Kaveri, but if he wasn't paying attention, the Magi would feel a quick and mostly unwelcome spank on his bare bottom as Aiden's own features bore a crimson, embarrassed glow. "Sass me and I won't be afraid to spank you with this."

He may as well practice steeling himself because he could be reasonably certain that he wasn't going to live this down while traveling with Kaveri. They were going to survive and get out of this; having his ego left at the door was a small price to pay and one he didn't mind, though the chagrin wasn't going to leave him anytime soon.

"You and me both. Though I think it would be best if we not head towards my abode. I can't risk leading Hunters to where I stay. That would be bad for my ally and all involved if the Guild managed to get a lock on the people who helped me get into the city. Do you have any ideas for places we could lay low?" By now, after a bit of pampering, Aiden looked at himself and judged that he was at least passable looking in the dress. His body wasn't exactly fit for this, but covering his eyes and organizing his hair did add a bit to the mystique. One bang of his snowy white hair covered his left eye and his limps were pursed with a bit of shade.

The dress was ill-fitted to his bulk and skimped at a few places, but not enough that the regular passersby would deign at a glance unless they looked closer. His legs were still cold, though reasonably covered now. It would probably draw a bit of comment from Kaveri, but he would handle it for now as they began walking out into the open.

---

Note: XXXX

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After slapping Kaveri's hindquarters with the newspaper, Aiden himself couldn't help but chuckle, even as the offending Kaveri used the rolled papers to get revenge. The Magi's cheeks puffed out and the gaggle of pink-and-blue became even more agitated from the unwelcome smack. For the moment, Aiden let the ghost of his smile linger and continued on. He didn't let Kaveri in on his previous history with the Hunter's guild or even his thoughts on Kaveri threatening him with people he supposedly knew.

Not like that really mattered in Aiden's mind and he was content to waive the threat off nonchalantly. His eyes flipped glances as they walked down the street like two odd-looking strangers. He took the left as indicated, watching behind the corner before continuing the walk. Aiden kept quiet afterwards, pondering around in his own head for the time being while keeping his Magi companion close by. "They should have cleared the store by now. If my memory is right, they either headed west or north. Maybe split up into groups to head us off and box us in."

Calculating with himself for a moment, Aiden kept walking while not paying much attention to the people staring at the dress and the peculiar sight of him wearing it. His cheeks were rosy red by this point from utter and complete embarrassment, that he couldn't control. Just as he had done before, Aiden suppressed his embarrassment and strode forth with clear destination and poise as refined as he could muster. It was enough to bewitch (or at least dissuade) people on the street from approaching.

With his mind and guard cleared and the Magi on his left in tow, Aiden continued to follow Kaveri's directions. A little ways farther, Aiden felt a pang of suspicion in his gut. Something just didn't seem right. The former Hunter immediately stopped walking and gestured for Kaveri to also stop and be silenced. Aiden kept his field of vision wide, at first assuming that a trick of the light had moved him or a bird taking flight somewhere nearby had taken hold of his senses. That wasn't the case though; Aiden was certain that something was amiss.

There were birds fluttering off into the sky, save for a single black raven that was perched on a nearby water-worn rim of a nearby shopping center. It stared for a few moments then looked away, seemingly searching for leftovers. For one moment though, Aiden could clearly see the bird had its eye on the two of them. That sent his alarm bells ringing. There was no indication that they had been found out, but having familiars out meant their pursuers had the high ground over them.

All of his thoughts focused on remaining calm and keeping Kaveri close to him while whispering a quick note the Jellyfish's ear, "Don't look at the ravens." It was a hushed, troubled note to end on as they continued to make their way down the busily occupied roads. The single crow flew away, leaving Aiden to slowly exhale a pent-up breath. His heart was racing, but he had to keep up appearances for now.

"The crows seem like they're flying south today." Aiden mused under his breath so only Kaveri could hear, hoping he'd get the gist of the message. Judging from the flight of the Crows, the Hunters were likely to be nearby and his previous guess had been wrong. They needed to take a roundabout route or they were likely heading straight into a trap.

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Note: XXXX

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Just as this morning had started off so perfectly...

Following Kaveri's directions on the path ahead, Aiden's senses continued to remain on high alert. If they were bringing out the watchers, then evading pursuit was going to be 10 times more difficult then they imagined. Even with the disguises on, it wasn't going to make much of a difference. They would be caught if they didn't act fast. Aiden picked up the pace along with Kaveri, dusting up the slimming skirt he was wearing and looking now at the ground beneath their feet. He had hoped not to resort to it, but there was no choice now. Aiden's own stamina would carry him forward, but evading for Kaveri was going to take some skill and precision on his part.

The backways were likely their best bet, but from there they would need to take few gambits that the hunters would mistime any ambush or operation in their midst. The next best option would be to climb down into the sewers and hope they could crawl away without being spotted, but the darkness was going to be their biggest enemy and loss of trajectory. Then he had the subways and that might have to be their choice if they needed to travel any significant distance. Once they were thoroughly in the back alleyways and not easily tracked, Aiden began to actively guide his companion.

"Head towards the subway lines! We can escape if we make it into the Kohagi line and ride it away. If that doesn't work, we'll find a manhole and crawl into the sewers. The Hunters have the advantage in the dark so that should be our last resort if nothing else works." Aiden grabbed Kaveri by the scruff of his own shirt and began to charge ahead, putting the pedal to the metal. The skirt and dress flipped up more than he had expected, but there was no time to think of such things. The two of them needed to live.

If need be, Aiden could raise a few undead and that would help create enough chaos, but he was hoping not to resort to that option. For one thing, it was his trump card and something he hoped to conceal until the proper time. It wouldn't do to let the Hunters know the thing that destroyed much of Camlorn could readily enter Felici. "We're gonna survive this Kaveri. I promise!"

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Note: Short post, though I'm picking up where I was before so just need to get back into the groove of things.

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Aiden hardly managed to register Kaveri's protests while still running at full speed down the stairs. The Magi was holding his own despite not having Aiden's intense stamina and conditioning. With so much running however, even he was getting winded and running on adrenaline. The hunters weren't far behind; Aiden could even hear yelling and shouting not too far off behind them as they entered the subway train. The squeeze was a tight one as they were nearly the last ones to jump in just before take-off.

As soon as they were in safety, Aiden held his hand to the. Ignoring the fact that his state of dress was preposterous at this moment, he was tired and in need of a break before they made it to Pavures. With Kaveri still by his side, Aiden decided not to say anything for the time being. Dressed in a bewitching skirt and other feminine wear did a real number on his vocal dignity as well as his ego, but they were at least going to escape. A few times over the course of the next few minutes, Aiden glanced at Kaveri and tried to judge what the young magi was thinking, but he just couldn't. Once the train had started moving, the force threw Kaveri backwards and Aiden too was a little bit shoved by the next few people in line.

Nothing else was distinct, save for how the seating was making his rear uncomfortable by the minute. A couple people eyeballed him oddly and he really didn't have the energy to glare or make any snarky comments at people who stared. He had to admit though that being dressed like this in front of other people made him feel a bit self-conscious, but that was an acceptable price to pay.

'Pavure station... Pavure' came over the loudspeaker just as the doors opened up and Aiden followed along with Kaveri as they disembarked. Hopefully he could finally ditch the clothes and dress back into something more his style. With tired faces, Aiden walked up the next staircase out, "Hold on... just a moment Kaveri." Aiden paused before they had exited, looking around the main entrance, "I could use something to eat. What about you?"

In terms of fare, there wasn't a whole lot near or around the subway line, but Aiden did manage to find a small little food stand in the main lobby just before exiting alongside his companion. Sitting around to eat was going to give the hunters the chance to catch up so he elected for a quick lunch with just the bit of leftover money he had left. Once he was set and ready, Aiden continued to follow as Kaveri led him out into the main streets and back around until they reached a quaint little place.

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Note: XXXX

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After having just escaped from the hunters, Aiden was surprised that Kaveri wasn't hungry too. Maybe it was just him, but he figured that Kaveri would have a bit of an appetite too. He let the thought pass, but took note of it. The two of them walked in solitude with Aiden averting eye contact or not really caring what attentions he gerrymandered. Right now, he felt a cringing numbness inside him along with the cold.

"Thank you." He offered with curtly politeness upon walking into Kaveri's apartment, thankful for the ability to relax, although he didn't mean to be rude and sound like he imposed so on the Magi in question, "I appreciate it... but I can..." he was about to protest before realizing that he couldn't really do or say anything. He needed to get out of this skirt as soon as possible. "Thank you very much..." he offered tritely as Kaveri left for upstairs while Aiden went to the shower.

Stripping off the flimsy disguise, Aiden took a few minutes to wash off the sweat from his body and calm his mind. Kaveri's apartment wasn't all that spacious, but it was nice. He had noted that the kitchen was much like what he was akin to. Perhaps he could cook something for Kaveri as thanks? That thought struck Aiden oddly. He knew next to nothing about the Magi so how was he meant to thank him for the hospitality and allowing him to stay? Pay him? Money was pretty tight up and Aiden had no clue how much he would charge. Give him a gift? What did he even like?

The train of thought got him nowhere and after 8 minutes, Aiden emerged from the bathroom clad in a meager towel that barely covered him from the waist to his knees. He walked out, looking over for clothes he expected to be lying on a nearby hangar... only to find something that was quite shocking to him. The hoodie and sweatpants that were laid out were NOWHERE near the size he required. They were made for a person who was maybe... 5"6-5"7 (larger than Kaveri was for sure) but Aiden was still quite a bit bigger. A part of him wanted to protest or at least make some kind of snarky joke at Kaveri, but then he remembered. He was a guest here. With eyes wide open, Aiden took a deep breath and grabbed the hoodie and sweatpants.

The sweatpants were stretched around his waist, covering down to just below his knees and his groin was completely squashed inside as tightly as could be. The hoodie had some fit... once he had ripped and stretched the fabric slightly more. It still didn't garb the whole of his body, leaving several inches of his arms open and the hood unable to reach around his head. It was more comfortable than wearing the skirt (from a point of which was less embarrassing) but this was going to be one difficult night (especially since the hoodie made it more difficult for him to breath, thanks to the constraints around his neck and the hole being a bit too small for his head.)

Walking out of the bathroom, he found Kaveri not too long afterwards, exploring and marveling at the abode of his companion. "(Sigh) These... clothes.... really tight fit...." he said while breathing a little weirdly. He tried to look around the apartment, gazing at the interior and the well-organized kitchen and table. He walked to the back where he found a single bed at the end of the hall. When he tried to look further, the apartment went no further and then Aiden decided to quickly walk back down the hall.

"Ummm... where... am I to sleep?"

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Note: XXXX

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