Board Thread:Role Plays/@comment-24147026-20160605220338/@comment-24147026-20160813035537

For a moment, Neil felt bereft of the oppressive weight of oxygen in his lungs. Awaiting silently as the Dragon in his passenger seat processed what he had divulged to her, thousands of different scenarios played out across his mind, a cataclysmic assault of dreadful images and words he wished to never hear from his own mouth. He was a teenager again, running through the back-lots and seedy side passages of a kingdom that was no longer his home, the mingling of blood and sweat seeping through his clothes and into the confines of a proto-Devium. Panic griping at every muscle, an almost primal need to run and never stop to drown in the inescapable loss of control surrounding him.

It was only when he read the word 'secret' on Zanipher's precarious lips did he remember to breathe again. He was among a friend it seemed, no mater however recently made and enigmatic she may have been. Secrets were kept between those who were valued in the way of friendship, and if the Dragon was willing to keep one for him, his respect for her had grown far beyond the initial delight he held at the novelty of another silver-tongued purveyor in his presence.

Reality became an issue to such thoughts, as soon as he heard her weapon clank against it's sheathe, it reminded him the held the heft of his lance on his own waist. He was no longer a teenager avoiding the consequences of a decision, or a fool who believed trust blossomed so easily between two strangers. He was a thief of more than Lien and a gambler with high-stakes to be gained and no more time to stall, he was always a little bit of a cheat as well, but here he'd try his best to play fair. So, he listened as the particularities of this supposed organization was listed off, driving around the same building to see if the Dragon would even notice as she continued to talk. Everything had it's own space to expand in, neat little lines that were never to cross unless certain matters happened to arise. It all seemed a little boring to him, what was the point of cobbling together if you never took a chance to do something a little stupid and childish with one another? Maybe something to bring up at these meetings?

The thought was quickly pushed aside when Zanipher finally questioned their arrival to Stormalong's warehouse, stopping the armored truck in front of said warehouse, Neil raised his arm to squint at his bare wrist. "According to my skin here, we've been where we need to be for the past...Sixteen minutes? Maybe seventeen? I didn't really want to stop this back and fourth we had." Not that he could have, seeing as he was predisposed to freaking out for most of that time. He smiled apologetically in her direction as he honked the truck's horn three times in a quick pattern.

The warehouse door slid open horizontally, just enough for a figure to step out into the awaiting night. What light that did happen to spill out alongside them, would have given enough of an impression to know that someone was working with wielding tools inside, or at the very least, something that sparked violently. Neil rolled down his window to poke his head out, waving at the approaching figure. As it got closer, it was evident that it was a woman.

"Hey, Stormalong! You old so-and-so. How's tricks?" He asked the woman as he sat back down onto his seat, letting lean into the windowsill. He gave her a wide smile, his teeth barely visible in the shadows of the cabin.

"Better. Offering?" She questioned, banging her knuckles against the car door.

"Yeah, we'll call it a freebie, you'll be paying up rent soon enough anyways." Neil was in a good mood once more, it was nice to be charitable every now and again when he felt like his friends deserved it.

"New recruit?" Stormalong nodded towards Zanipher, raising her eyebrow in curiosity. Neil turned to look at the Dragon, deciding it best not to demean her position in the pursuit of some friendly joking.

"Nah, this is business. Serious business. Which I should be getting back to. Tell one of you mechanics to get out here and drive this thing inside." He shooed Stormalong away from the door, opening it to hop outside. His legs needed the stretch after how tense everything had become. Neil jerked his head in a gesture for Zanipher to follow his lead, waiting until the other woman had went back inside to retrieve her crew before speaking. "C'mon. I'll wait with you for one of your rides to pick you up, can't really have a fellow Dragon out here on the streets alone.... Man, that's really going to take some time to get used to saying. "