Neil blinked, though he did well to keep his composure, as well as to keep his eyes solely on hers and not exploring her body beyond a cursory glance at her dress. Neil knew the way to impress a woman and to help receive not only her interest, but her respect, was not to oggle. And it was odd to him to make sure he didn't do that here, because this woman was preparing to kill him in cold blood after they had dinner. Still, he had seen his fair share of beautiful women in his life, but she took the cake. Even looking into her eyes, he was getting lost in an abyss. For some reason he imagined screams of terror cut off by the sounds of guillotines as he looked into her eyes, but he thought they were pretty enough to ignore the potential hallucinations for now. 

"I figured it was your style," He said with a soft grin. "It's my style too. I do think-" 

Neil was cut off as rough hands grabbed him from behind, a look of confusion marring his face for the briefest moment before he was spun around, the hands now gripping his coat at the front seams, almost lifting Neil off the ground. Neil himself wasn't weak or short, but the man that held him was huge. He stood head and shoulders taller than Neil, which meant Calliope likely only reached his chest. His brown hair was closely cropped, and his eyes looked made of iron. He wore a brigandine that fit him like a snug vest. He was a jymen, one of the demi-men with giant's blood. Pariahs of society, most worked as soldiers, bodyguards, or bouncers. There was a chill that escaped his lips when he breathed, as if his anatomy was inverse to that of normal men. 

Neil didn't even take his hands out of his pockets. 

"Oh wow, I thought you were dead." Neil remarked, surprise evident in his voice. He was fully composed and unblinking, but he was still held off the ground by his coat. It could easily go wrong for him, at least by appearances. 

"You first," The jymen said with vengeance dripping off his lips, his voice deep and foreboding. The half-man's cauliflower nose bulged when he spoke, evidently having been broken and reset at least six times. Neil could account himself as one of those times, he remembered. The thief smiled, showing his teeth as if he were speaking to an old friend. "You have been gone for most of the month. You better have a good explanation for this, Edwards." 

"Look, I told you I had your money. I still have a week left to pay, right?" He reasoned, banking on a jymen's tendency to single-minded focus. They weren't paragons of virtue, but they honored contracts and agreements. It gave them a reputation for loyalty. As it stood though, Neil felt a small uneasiness. Not from the giant threatening him, but from something else. He didn't know if his date was growing impatient, or if she felt threatened, but he could only imagine that if she got pissed off, it might spell the end for the jymen, and Neil wanted a nice dinner, not a bloodbath. He had to appreciate the irony of his executioner saving him from another one, however. "Listen Hargond, I disappeared because I got arrested, and now I'm out. You'll get your money at the right time, I'm sorry I haven't caught up in awhile." The words sank in, and Neil saw the moving parts behind his eyes. "Look, I'd love to chat, but I have a lady friend to entertain. We'll talk about this later, ok?" 

The jymen's eyes flicked to Calliope, and then back to Neil. The thief finally took his hands out of his pockets and raised them up to ease the large man, and slowly he was put back down on his feet. "Cool, now, we'll meet at the right place in a week-" 

"Do not be late," Hargond warned, glowering one last time before turning his back on the couple, fading into the gloom of the coming evening. 

Neil fixed his collar and smoothed his hair. "Sorry about that. Did a job with a few lads and only two of us made it. That was the other one." He said, and held his arm out for her to take. Once she did, Neil led the way into the bistro, the warmth radiating off the torches. Neil took out his coinpurse, stacked with royals, and placed it on the counter. "That outta buy us the evening, right?" 

The Maître d' looked flummoxed, grabbing the coinpurse and stammering if Neil was certain, before counting out the coins. Neil didn't bother to wait past the fifth gold royal, giving Calliope and wink and escorting her to one of the outdoor tables overlooking the river. The table was oaken, with two cushioned chairs opposite one another, set beside a backdrop of the fading sun. He pulled her chair out for her before taking his seat. "You know, don't take this the wrong way, but you're the most metal woman I've ever met and I barely know you. So how about I ask you a question, and you ask me one, yeah?" 

Multiple server approached, eager to get the order of whatever Neil and his lady friend would have. Their boss had likely spoken to them personally to wait on the two hand and foot, and once the two of them got their drinks, Neil asked her. "How did a dark sorceress become an assassin for hire?"