Takeover Tag Team (Aiden)

[Fayte Scarlett]

Fayte had received news of the mission early in the day. The details were a bit sparse, and she was simply told that more would be given to her directly by the client. She was also assigned another partner for this particular mission - Aiden was the name, assuming she remembered correctly. In truth, Fayte was not exactly thrilled with this particular setup. She had just had a duo mission with Sharaku. Why not pair her up with the same man again? The mission had gone smoothly enough. Men in particular, they were just harder to get along with for most occasions. Sharaku had been a lucky break. Well, not that Fayte really got along with anyone, but... maybe it was just that women annoyed her less.

She had finished up a few chores and other miscellaneous tasks. The sky was grey the whole day. When Fayte finally finished her last chores and began heading to the meeting spot, the clouds finally opened and began to rain. Thankfully, Fayte had brought an umbrella with her. It was an unusually frilly, lace-embroidered umbrella, contrasting sharply to her practical clothes. Fayte had bought it recently. Master Xian Fei had liked lace. It reminded Fayte of her late teacher, even if it contrasted with Fayte's normal style.

She reached the designated meeting spot, a lamp post a few steps away from the bakery. First she was to meet this Aiden character. Then they would embark on the mission together. Fayte had been told to 'be prepared' so she'd included a small travel kit, including formal clothes upon the mission informant's directive. She took a seat on a nearby wooden bench, the lamp post's light shining directly on her. Holding the umbrella over her head, she stared straight ahead, practically unblinking, and waited. Simply listening to the splattering rain, feeling the cool water on her feet, she waited for her partner to arrive...

[Guest]

Aiden was extremely peppier than usual today. He finally got a new mission, with an added twist: kill a magic councilman. Aiden became ecstatic at that last part. While he isn't one for subtlety or assassinations or even just random killings, everything is fair when the council is involved. He'd kill an entire village to hurt one councilman. But, that was his cynical side. He had always believed in the greater good. Geo hated covert operations, but he loved a good party. Especially a fancy one thrown by the council. There was guaranteed good food, wine, and women. Meaning there was a guaranteed good time.

Still Aiden's face somehow seemed to contradict his true feelings. It was raining and dark and gloomy. The rain irked him the most however. Only because it made his skin steam. because of his affinity to fire and heat. Because of that same affinity he hated water, but he couldn't change the weather so what could he do. But no matter what his face said, his head and heart were bursting with excitement. He not only got a new mission dealing with the Council, he was partnered with someone he had never met. He had been in Shadow Heart for some time now but he had never seen or talked to his partner. Aiden just loved meeting new people, but he couldn't remember the person's name. He was sure it was a female though.

Aiden just shook it off, they would have to introduce themselves to each other anyway. It was the polite and customary thing to do. The pitter pattering of the rain started to annoy Aiden as he walked down the street to the designated meeting spot. How he prayed for some sunshine. Aiden made his way down the street until he came up to a bench, with a young woman seated on it. Aiden's eyes lit up. This had to be his partner. What would he say to her? what kind of impression did he want to make? Aiden just shook his head and went for the standard  hello. Aiden walked up to the bench. Aiden gave a smile and said, "Hi there."

[Fayte Scarlett]

Fayte watched the raindrops patter on the ground. She supposed she was 'lost in thought', although no thoughts graced her mind. When someone approached her, she at first didn't even register the man. It took an extra few seconds of rain for her to realize that the man had stopped, and had actually talked to her. Slowly she looked up at the man. The strange orange hair, the eyepatch and bandana... yes, there was no doubt this was her designated partner. He was smiling. She realized she was staring - a bad habit. Not that she thought much about him right now. He was just a co-worker. As long as he did his job well, Fayte didn't care about any of his details.

"...Aiden," she recognized. Calmly she rose to her feet, facing him more directly. They were both tall, and probably looked like an odd pair together. "I am Fayte... your partner for this mission," she introduced herself, although it was really more of a formality, since he likely knew who she was. Hm... she had a feeling of deja vu, as if this had happened before. But then again, wasn't that her entire life? "We are to meet with our client Brutus soon. Unless you have anything that needs to be addressed... let us leave immediately." Her intonation and expression were completely blank. She could have been speaking to a brick wall, as far as she was concerned. The only hope she had was that her partner was a competent wizard, and wouldn't do anything that might endanger their mission.

[Guest]

Aiden could already feel that his partner was unusually cold, especially to someone like him. Her eyes just seemed empty, her expressions blank. Maybe that was just how Aiden was seeing it. To him anyone that doesn't light up and become happy just off of his own energy is a downer, cold, emotionless, etc. But even with her less than enthusiastic tone Aiden's mood was still high. He was too excited and nothing could bring him down.

Aiden grinned, "Well I guess no introduction is needed for me," He gave a quick chuckle hoping he could get some reaction out of her; anger, amusement, contempt, something to show him his dream mission wouldn't be soured by his partner. Aiden took a quick second to size his new partner up. She was taller than him, not noticeably but only by a few inches. She seemed a bit muscular, so she would be more than capable for the mission. Not that he had any doubts anyway, if she was chosen with him for this mission she had to be good. He was curious what her magic was, but he would see in due time.

Aiden shook his head at Fayte's statement. "I've got everything i need," Aiden motioned towards the way they had to go, "ladies first."

[Fayte Scarlett]

Fayte still listened to the rain, to the pitter-patter against her umbrella. Only his voice broke through the rain, but it still didn't quite sound right, as if it were also in the background. Her eyes flickered from the rain to him when he laughed. If he was expecting a reaction, he would be sorely disappointed. Her face was as blank as when they first met. She nodded once, the only indication that she had heard any of what he said. She walked past him silently, taking the indicated lead. Briefly she wondered what kind of magic he had, and how capable Aiden would be in combat... but the rain had put her in an even more passive mood, and she didn't feel like conversation at the moment. Their walk continued in complete and utter silence, as Fayte had no qualms about leaving it quiet.

They reached their destination within a few minutes. An older looking man, dressed in the attire of a butler, stood over the canopy at a bakery. It was late enough that the bakery had closed, and the road was relatively empty in the early evening. This was their client, Brutus. His eyes roamed the area nervously. Upon seeing Fayte's and Aiden's approach... rather than go out to meet them, he turned to the bakery. Taking out a key, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. Figuring that he wanted to avoid the rain, and any possible eyes, Fayte followed after him.

Brutus waited for them inside, shaking off some of the rain. "You've both come, as promised," he noted, seemingly both pleased and a little awed at the two in front of him. Shadow Heart members were pretty legendary, so meeting them like this just proved his loyalty and usefulness to their guild. "I am Brutus, as I'm sure you know." He wouldn't ask for their names; he knew better than that. "How much do you know?"

"The basics... we are to take care of a Magic Council official at a party... and eliminate those close to him..." Fayte answered briefly.

Brutus nodded. "Hugh is the man you're after, the host of the party. He's holding it as a birthday party for his daughter, Carmine. But it's actually a front for another meeting, one that will drive out some of the smaller businesses in Crocus. Whoever is loyal to him will be at that meeting... Even I don't know who will be there. But all of them are threats. You must get rid of not only Hugh... but anyone else in that room. Which means you'll need to wait to confront them until they actually begin the meeting. I have both invitations for the party... but it's a high-class party, so you'll need to know how to play the part." He stared critically at Fayte's clothes. They were clearly practical clothes, hardly ones that would fit in a high-class party. "Or conversely, I could help you sneak in as servers, if you don't think your acting skills are up to par as a guest."

"I have brought formal attire with me..." Fayte realized what the other was trying to imply. But acting... she was limited. She could play along at the basic level, even managing a few forced smiles, but anything extreme like a personality switch was beyond her. Then again, could she fit the act of party staff better? And of course... she was working with another. "What do you think...?" She turned to Aiden, asking for his opinion. She was certain she could do whatever part was required, but didn't know about her partner. "Or, do you have other questions..."

[Guest]

Aiden's jimmies were still a little rustled from the rain, so when the trio went inside the bakery he was more than quick to shake off the excess water and heat himself up. The bakery was a quaint little "Ma and Pop" shop. The inside was a little tight, but it gave enough room for multiple customers. The client seemed like he could be the "Pop" of the store. But he was just a servant of the owner. He seemed like a gentle law abiding man.

However the mans outward view opposed his true personality. For him to contact Shadow Heart, he must really feel strongly about something. Considering the fact that the guild didn't have a very good reputation. But not all members were heartless (no pun intended) criminals. Some, like Aiden, just hated society and the Council. They were just rebels and revolutionaries without the power to change the world on their own. So they sold their human hearts, to receive a demon, shadow, shaitan, however you want to describe it, heart. Metaphorically of course.

Aiden had been listening to Fayte and the client's, whose name he just learned was Brutus, conversation about the mission. It was a simple party crashing and assassination; nothing new to them. Aiden had no problem pretending to be a party guest, he was outgoing and love attention so it was easy for him to talk to random people. "Seems easy enough to me. We get in have some fun then kill the group of owners. Simple." Aiden turned to Fayte. He wasn't so sure about her. She was completely silent on the way to the bakery, not muttering one word to him. He could understand if she was shy or just really serious about business, but a normal person would have said something about it, not just ignore him. "I'll be alright playing a guest, but what about you? You sure you can actually have a conversation with a stranger," Aiden asked jokingly.

[Fayte Scarlett]

Fayte stopped at Aiden's words. She couldn't tell if he was making fun of her or not, but she supposed it didn't matter. "Perhaps you should stay nearby to make me look less suspicious... But I think I can manage." She admitted that her social skills were probably inferior to Aiden's. Not that she recognized Aiden as being good with social skills... but rather Fayte's lack of own talent in the matter. Anyone had to be better than her... at least, from what others told her. At least with Aiden nearby, he could probably keep a conversation going better than Fayte... rescue her from some awkward moments, if needed.

With their decision made, Brutus handed both Aiden and Fayte an envelope. Enclosed were written invitations to the party, along with directions to the party location. "You'll need them to get in..." Brutus said. The party was high-classed enough that the invitations were required, but thankfully there was no guest list. "I'll be at the party too, as a caterer. I probably don't need to say it, but... please don't talk to me there. We shouldn't technically know each other." He waited a moment to see if either had questions, but given the silence... he guessed that they were set. "Good luck." The older man moved past them, leaving through the doors, likely to the very same party they were headed.

"I need a moment to change... and I'll be set," Fayte told Aiden. Her current attire was much to practical probably for even an average party, let alone one that was high-classed. She set down her umbrella and pack on a nearby chair. From the pack, she took out a dress - it had a few ruffles from being unceremoniously crammed inside. She smoothed it out a bit, before setting it out on the chair. It was a surprisingly beautiful dress; one that was black in front with traces of white lace on the sides, and a blue back. In truth, her master Xian Fei had picked it out years ago for one of Fayte's missions. Now that Master Xian Fei had passed on, Fayte kept it as a memento. But she didn't exactly trust herself to pick out what was beautiful to fit her, so the dress could fit another practical use this time.

With the dress out, Fayte began to unbutton her black jean jacket. When she said she needed to get changed... apparently she meant right now in that very room. She didn't really mind that Aiden was there or what he would think. Her movements were completely practical, and she wasn't even paying attention to whether Aiden was staring or not. She lifted her arms and removed her shirt, only in lingerie as she grabbed the dress and pulled it over her head. The dress was a little tight around her chest but otherwise fit fine... Not very comfortable; Fayte wasn't a fan, but she supposed it looked classy enough. She flipped her hair from behind her back, hands finding the clasp after a moment of difficulty, securing the dress in place. Retrieving her old clothes and stuffing them in the pack, Fayte turned to Aiden. "Let's go..." She said emotionlessly, as if nothing had just happened.

[Guest]

Aiden smiled at what Fayte had said. "Sounds like a date to me." Aiden pocketed the invitation. It was in a plain white envelope with the words "You are invited" written in beautiful calligraphy. An invitation worthy of such a fancy affair. Aiden glanced at Fayte and then down at his own appearance. Neither one of them, as they were, would be able to pass as guest. Aiden had a tuxedo packed away for later, he didn't want to put it on now. It was uncomfortable, and he didn't want to get it dirty on the way to the party.

Brutus walked out of the store leaving the two alone. Aiden headed towards the door, "So shall we be off th--" Aiden was cut off by Fayte saying that she needed to change. Aiden stopped in his tracks near the door. "Alright I'll just wait here." Aiden stared out the window while he waited for Fayte to go into the other room and change into her dress. Aiden, out of pure coincidence, happened to turn his head back towards the shop. Behind him was Fayte in nothing but lingerie grabbing for her dress. Aiden's face immediately turned a deep red as he turned away from the sight. "W-wh-what are you doing?" he asked frantically. He was embarrassed. He didn't want her to think that he was a pervert or anything, he just happened to look behind himself. His ears where hot.

Why didnt she leave the room to change or tell him to go outside or something? He was so confused. Fayte finished getting dressed and walked towards the door implying that she was done. She didnt even looked like she cared that she just got dressed in front of him. The questions just kept piling into Aiden's mind. As the two walked out of the Bakery Aiden grabbed Fayte by the arm. Still embarrassed Aiden asked, "What the hell was that back there?"

[Fayte Scarlett]

A date huh... Fayte supposed it would be more beneficial for them to act like a couple. That would certainly give them reason enough to stay together. On top of that... Fayte didn't know what she'd do if some guy came up to her and started flirting. Aiden's presence alone should theoretically resolve such issues.

With her dress on and a pair of fancier shoes, Fayte was ready to head out. Except that Aiden's face had completely flushed. Was he ill? Fayte hoped not. "What do you mean...?" Fayte didn't understand. Had she done something to offend him...? The change of clothes, perhaps? If he didn't like it... he should have just looked away. Hm... she supposed it didn't really matter in the end though. None of it would affect their mission.

But as she moved to the door, Aiden's hand grabbed her arm. Fayte froze instantly, practically mid-step. "........." Anything he said after that, Fayte never heard. He was touching her. He didn't even have the excuse of magic like Sharaku. That had been a light touch. But Aiden was holding onto her arm. Her head slowly turned to face him. Her gaze was unusually intense, although the expression was difficult to read - but it certainly didn't match her usually expression-less mask. She stared at him for an uncomfortably long time, the only sound was the pitter-patter of rain outside. "......Don't touch me," she finally said after long length. Partner or not, no one made physical contact with her. If he didn't release her in a few seconds...

White light enveloped her back, a pair of black wings forming behind her. Her fingers became unusually long and claw-like, completely unlike a normal human's. It was her partial takeover form. Unless he released her soon... she was going to attack him... mission and ally be damned.

[Guest]

Aiden felt a sudden change of persona around Fayte. She was no longer the indifferent apathetic girl she was a few seconds before. NO, she had the look and feel of a cold blooded killer. The two shadows stared at each other before Fayte finally said something. A pair of black wings appeared behind her. Her hands became talons while her arms were covered in feathers. Aiden, recognizing the change immediately let go of her arm. Aiden sat astonished. He wasn't really scared, he could have easily dealt with whatever she wanted to throw at him. But, he recognized the transformation, it was the same as his. She was a takeover mage just like him.

Aiden took a step away from Fayte. He scratched the back of his head with an obvious expression of sorry on his face. "Sorry about that...I didn't know you were against contact...my bad." Aiden took another step back towards the bakery. He wanted to have a good distance between her and him, just in case she still wanted to attack. He didn't care about camaraderie if his life was in danger, he'd treat her like he would any council member. he hoped it didn't escalate to that though. This was his first time actually meeting another takeover mage. He was intrigued. "Look I'll give you some time to cool down and accept my apology. I'll go get changed."

Aiden walked back inside of the old bakery and let loose a sigh. It was going to be a tough mission. Between Fayte's anti-humanity attitude and his own anti-council attitude, they would be better off just burning the whole party to the ground. It would be a lot easier and fun. But alas, that wasn't what the client asked for. Aiden quickly got changed. He wanted to get done with the boring parts of the mission, and skip right to the killing. He could only hope that his touching Fayte's arm didn't completely jeopardize the mission. Aiden walked out of the small shop in his tuxedo. "You ready to go now?"

[Fayte Scarlett]

All emotion disappeared once again, the wings melting away as her transformation reversed. Her shoulders no longer tense, the aura of danger around her also vanishing. The glare also abated, once more blankly watching Aiden as he apologized and practically ran inside the house. Mentally, Fayte registered the apology; filed it away. But her usual silence made outwardly hard to tell if she had accepted it or was simply letting the matter go.

The time alone did give her time to think... Why had she reacted so strongly? She had nearly jeopardized the entire mission for something very petty. Although she knew physical contact was something she disliked, this was the first time she had reacted in such a way. Aiden might have overstepped his bounds, but it still wasn't completely fair for Fayte to react in such a way. She needed to watch herself in the future. If something like that happened at the party... she would completely ruin everything.

When Aiden stepped back outside, now dressed the part, Fayte hesitated. She looked up at him, the question unanswered. Was that it? Were they fine now? Continue on like nothing had happened? She finally nodded, deciding to take Aiden's lead in this. If he was willing to ignore what had happened, so would she. Or maybe he really didn't care all that much either. Fayte looked one last time at the envelope in her hand, the invitation folded neatly inside. ...She had to make this work; she was very determined. The rain felt lighter than before, but she still pulled out her umbrella. Surprisingly enough it matched her dress; Fayte had chosen will without prior planning.

They had only gotten a few steps farther when Fayte realized how unnatural the two of them were together. They were close enough to be considered friends, but too far away for anyone to mistake them as a couple. The mansion where the party was loomed closer. All the lights of the four-story building were on, practically radiating in the dark rain. A few guests were by the door, probably checking in with a well-dressed but very buff man - bouncer, Fayte assumed. Only one, so hopefully that meant they weren't suspected. Although they Aiden and Fayte still looked strange together like this - it was too obvious.

Fayte sidled closer to Aiden before they got too close to the first checkpoint. She thumped the handle of the umbrella to his chest, a little harder than she'd intended, still distracted and looking at their quickly approaching mission location. She wanted him to take the handle, but hopefully not her hand. She thought it was obvious that they needed to act more together, so didn't bother explaining anything to him, although that was probably a poor assumption. At least the umbrella was actually shielding Aiden from the rain now, although the positioning was a bit off with Fayte's haphazard attempt to get him to take the handle with her.

(feel free to be or share NPCs btw as we progress, I'm just kind of stopping at intermittent points)

[Sponsored content]