{{standing}}

Zephyr Stormscale lounged on the rooftop of his apartment building, his red scales shimmering under the setting sun. The city sprawled before him, a maze of concrete and neon that he called home. He took a deep drag from his e-cigarette, the vapor curling around his slightly elongated snout before dissipating into the evening air.

His amber eyes, with their distinctive vertical pupils, scanned the horizon. In the distance, dark clouds were gathering, promising a thunderstorm. A smile played across Zephyr's lips, revealing sharp teeth. "Looks like it's gonna be a good night." he muttered to himself, his voice a low rumble that carried a hint of a growl.

The door to the rooftop access creaked open, and Zephyr's tail twitched in response. He didn't bother turning around, he already knew who it was by the familiar footsteps.

"Yo, Zeph!" called out a voice. "You coming to the rally tonight?"

Zephyr took another drag before responding. "Wouldn't miss it for the world, Kai. Someone's gotta keep you fleshies out of trouble." He chuckled, a sound that was equal parts warmth and mischief.

As Kai approached, Zephyr finally turned to face his human friend. Kai was a lanky guy with a shock of blue hair and more piercings than Zephyr could count. They made an odd pair – a dragon-folk and a human – but in this city, odd was the new normal.

"You hear about the new registration laws they're trying to pass?" Kai asked, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper despite them being alone on the rooftop.

Zephyr's eyes narrowed, the amber darkening to a burnished gold. "Yeah, I heard. Seems like the bigwigs downtown didn't learn their lesson from last time."