12-17-2013, 01:32 AM
Talking to someone who wasn't a secret agent, Custody servant or dream-invading lawyer was refreshing. Until then, Nicholas hadn't realized just how isolated he had been during his stay in Moscow. That wasn't to say Dane's intrusion was entirely welcome, of course, but at least there was a silver lining.
Even so, when the cigars arrived Nicholas had to decline. Smoking wasn't a habit he wanted to pick up, and besides, he didn't feel like coughing up half a lung. It'd be embarrassing. That didn't seem to bother Dane much. In practiced motions he cut and started to light the--crap.
Nicholas had to give himself credit for not flinching when that unfortunately familiar feeling like nails on a chalkboard settled over his shoulders. Christ, can everybody do that now?
He still hated the feeling, but at least it didn't make him cringe anymore. Semi-transparent yellow and red wires snaked around the tip of Dane's cigar, directing the flame.
If there was ever any proof of a God, it had to be the sheer number of inexplicable secrets. How in the hell did nobody know about the existence of globe-spanning murder cults, monsters and magic when there wasn't even a cursory attempt to keep it hidden? He felt like he was in a Dungeons and Dragons game.
"Your glass is near empty."
When Dane pushed the glass towards him, he laughed. Then he downed it. The world was an interesting place.
To Dane's warning, Nicholas responded with the obvious. "That's why Anatoly's here."
Within moments the man behind the counter replaced his glass. Nicholas gave him a nod of thanks and slid another tip across the bar without looking. He didn't want to think how much money the man had made off him in the span of his short stay at the hotel, but good service deserved rewarding. Judging from the number of rich alcoholics slowly filing into the room, Nicholas doubted he ranked in the top twenty even so.
The man didn't make conversation easy. Nicholas still didn't know anything other than his name. "Ever been to Saudi Arabia? I'm visiting soon."
<small><small>(Gah! When I finally sat down this took five hours.![[Image: 4.png]](http://b3.ifrm.com/static/emo/4.png)
)</small></small>
Even so, when the cigars arrived Nicholas had to decline. Smoking wasn't a habit he wanted to pick up, and besides, he didn't feel like coughing up half a lung. It'd be embarrassing. That didn't seem to bother Dane much. In practiced motions he cut and started to light the--crap.
Nicholas had to give himself credit for not flinching when that unfortunately familiar feeling like nails on a chalkboard settled over his shoulders. Christ, can everybody do that now?
He still hated the feeling, but at least it didn't make him cringe anymore. Semi-transparent yellow and red wires snaked around the tip of Dane's cigar, directing the flame.
If there was ever any proof of a God, it had to be the sheer number of inexplicable secrets. How in the hell did nobody know about the existence of globe-spanning murder cults, monsters and magic when there wasn't even a cursory attempt to keep it hidden? He felt like he was in a Dungeons and Dragons game.
"Your glass is near empty."
When Dane pushed the glass towards him, he laughed. Then he downed it. The world was an interesting place.
To Dane's warning, Nicholas responded with the obvious. "That's why Anatoly's here."
Within moments the man behind the counter replaced his glass. Nicholas gave him a nod of thanks and slid another tip across the bar without looking. He didn't want to think how much money the man had made off him in the span of his short stay at the hotel, but good service deserved rewarding. Judging from the number of rich alcoholics slowly filing into the room, Nicholas doubted he ranked in the top twenty even so.
The man didn't make conversation easy. Nicholas still didn't know anything other than his name. "Ever been to Saudi Arabia? I'm visiting soon."
<small><small>(Gah! When I finally sat down this took five hours.
)</small></small>