Board Thread:Role Plays/@comment-25389303-20191221164519/@comment-25389303-20191222185954

The reception Diaboli stepped into was nice, he supposed. Smart and sensible, like any well-to-do business that set up shop this side of town. He hadn't taken the time to properly appraise the interior the first time he had entered the Syndicate's apparent headquarters, but even now, nothing in particular stood out to him.

He felt the eyes of the receptionist fall on him the moment the glass doors swung shut behind him, and a moment later a phone appeared in the attendant's hand.

It appears I have been recognised, Diaboli thought to himself, moving to the side and leaning against the back wall. The question is, who will come down to greet me?

Deciding he would receive his answer shortly, he dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a large silver coin. With a flick of the wrist he sent it spinning into the air, before catching it with his other hand. He repeated the trick several times as he idled by the entrance, while his eye flicked back and forth across the room. It was silly, but his mind couldn't help but imagine a dozen masked assailants lurking just outside the room - ready to stab him to death for his past transgressions. Who knew, now that the Syndicate was supposedly under new management?

Or old, I suppose, Diaboli remembered, as the sound of opening doors brought him back to reality. And as he pushed himself back into an upright position, Zanipher walked into the lobby.

He'd played the scenario in his head countless times since the events of the auction. It was the day he knew for certain that the Daybreak Syndicate had been colluding with the Bluthardt Family behind his back, and the day he realised he'd have to take drastic action to reverse the Nine Dragons' influence in Mistral. He'd thought about his approach to the subject extensively - almost obsessively - during his flight to Vale, and even after all those hours he hadn't managed to make his heart and mind align on the matter. In the end, he decided to do what felt most natural to him.

He'd be honest.

The clatter of metal at his feet jerked Diaboli out of his thoughts, and he looked down to see the face of the silver coin staring up at him. It took a moment for him to realise he had forgotten to catch it the moment Zanipher had walked in, and he quickly bent down to scoop it back up.

"Oh no, not at all," he answered distractedly as he straightened. "At least, not as long as I thought I might have to. I would have called ahead but...who uses Scrolls these days, am I right?"

He considered her for a moment, his eye narrowing ever so slightly as he spoke.

"You seem unsettled," he said, his voice low. "My presence doesn't alarm you that much, does it, Miss Zanipher?"