5/3/2003

 

11:30 PM

Central Park South -- North Manhattan

 

            Peacefulness seems to emanate from Central Park, it's a peaceful break in the concrete of the rest of the city. This part of it is all trees, green plants, striving to live in the polluted air of the city. They shed a deep, calm shade over the many bike and walking paths that wind in and out of the struggling trees. Many people stroll these paths, joggers, even in-line skaters, and bikers whizz past every now and then.

 

---

 

What better way is there to clear out the mind of complex and annoying thoughts than falling back on habits instead? For Cade, there's both a number of things cluttering his mind right now as well as a number of habits, mostly bad to fall back on. After having spent some time in study (yes he _can_ read) at a certain library, boning up, so to speak, on some methods of treating cracked or broken ribs, Cade has since fallen back on one of his more common habits. Namely, he's been norm watching and filling his curiosity. For leaving the library just before him, the speedcat caught sight of a familiar norm girl. One of the few who's company he could stand, even if he probably scared her off when she caught glance of what he really is. Regardless, for a goodly bit of time, Cade has been following her through the nighttime streets and now into a place he's truly wondering her reasons for entering. After all, even _he_ knows Central Park isn't safe at night. Especially for pretty little norm girls!

 

Even if 'normal' is relative, Rahne still probably wouldn't qualify for membership. As it is, the Scottish werewolf is cutting through the park on her way home, since it both shaves a few minutes off of her travel-time and gives her brief respite from the overwhelmingly New York sights and smells. She rather enjoyed spending the evening curled up in the library with a good book, and stayed much longer than she'd intended to, not that there was much to look forward to at home.

 

The tiny young woman ducks into the dark park, making her way quietly and quickly along the tree-line, but never fully leaving the path, doing her best to remain discreet. But she's faintly distracted with various thoughts, and thus not keeping on guard as much as she should, at this hour, in this city.

 

And yeah, while the park may not be so dangerous as it once was, it's still not exactly a nighttime wonderland or anything, especially in as remote an area as they're in. A fact which becomes quite evident to the speedcat who's hanging back enough to dart from bush to bush and shadow to shadow as he trails behind the one he doesn't even know could probably protect herself. For as Cade watches, two young men are breaking away from the shadows a little after Rahne has passed, the direction of their motion making it clear that they're on mission of mugging or raping or maybe both. Regardless, the speedcat lets it go on just for a little longer, watching for any others to come along and mentally cursing the fact that he can't see in the dark like his namesake.

 

Rahne remains unaware for the time being. If only she'd gone into her transitional form, she'd be able to both see and hear those two coming. But as it is, she's as clueless as the next teenaged girl making the mistake of cutting through this area. As she passes through a shadowy patch where the overhead lamp is flickering and about to burn out, she pauses just for a second, furrowing her brow as she looks side to side. But she doesn't turn around to see the two creeping up on her, instead just continuing along with a shrug, increasing her speed just slightly, though still not breaking into a jog.

 

And so it is that as the two are speeding up in hopes of catching the girl unaware's that a blur comes out of nowhere in the space it takes for the flicker of the dying lamp light to go off then on. The two don't even have the time to yell really. For the first one further behind has his throat and windpipe slit with a gleaming silvery blade before the other even realizes his friend isn't moving with him. And even as he's turning to the gurgling gasp, he's being drawn in suddenly by what probably looked like a demon out of hell, with golden eyes glowing in the flicker of light and fangs showing in a snarl just before the too-long arm wrapped about his head and throat and twisted with a faint crack that brought blackness. It's just over too quickly, and all far enough back from Rahne to probably not even be heard by her. Regardless, the act finished, Cade dropped the second man and sped off after Rahne again, not yet to speak with her, but just to assure himself that in the seconds he wasn't watching she wasn't attacked or some other fool thing. And even as he does so, the murdering speedcat is wondering why he even cares about just one more norm girl (or what he thinks is a norm girl) dying. Course, it probably is a bad sign that he's already practically forgotten the two he killed, isn't it?

 

The disturbance completely escapes Rahne, but for the faintest of noises, which causes her to glance to the trees with a bit of a squint; she, of course, assumes it's just some animal - and not of the mutant variety. Two raccoons arguing about whose bit of garbage it was or some such. She pulls her cloak tighter around herself, ducking her red head as she resolves to get through the park quickly. And so she goes on, oblivious to the carnage left in her unwitting wake.

 

And seeing the girl going on oblivious, Cade let's out a bit of a sigh before darting ahead of her in a wide arc, slow for his normal speed, given the pain brought on from dispatching the two norm idiots briefly, but still a blur in the night to any who might notice. Noticed or not, the speedcat brings himself to a wider tree just off the path where the girl will be passing. And just as she's doing so, only then does he make contact by way of a soft, slightly sarcastic voice, accented and pitched in a way that should be fairly familiar to her, even if in this case it's more likely to startle her half out of her skin. "And so it was tha' Little Red Ridin' 'ood did go through the dark forest on 'er way t' Grandmother's 'ouse. And so then did she come unto th' attention o' the Big Bad Wolf, who decided she would make wonderful meal." Though, of course the irony being obvious even though he doesn't realize there is one yet.

 

Rahne jumps, whirling around to face Cade as he addresses her, beginning to shift as she did so. However, slightly heightened vision, better sense of smell, and a recognition of the voice cause her to stop before she's gone too far, looking mostly normal, if a bit taller and ... hairier. Still, it's dark, so she just quickly pushes back to her normal appearance, hoping he didn't notice anything awry; she expels a sigh, bringing a hand up to cover her heart. "Yeh startled me!" she comments in a low voice, going a bit flush as she steps towards him slowly. "Wolf?" she inquires, catching the irony, and then misunderstanding it. "Are yeh...?" Another wolf-person? She doesn't quite remember him looking wolf-like in particular, but still - could it be? Her brow furrowing as confusion and perhaps a bit of hope cross her face, she again moves towards him, trying to get a better look without resorting to showing one of her other forms.

 

Cade's nightsight isn't all that great so he didn't really note the shift in her at all. And besides, he was in the process of setting himself to lean a little better so he could watch her, but still keep his face totally hidden in the shadows of the hood as the first time they met. So instead what he saw was the startled jump and words, both of which bring a low, mirthful chuckle from him, and the return reply tinged with such amusement "No m'dear Rahne, I'm not th' wolf I was referring to. Ye do realize this isn' exactly th' safes' place in th' world for a girl like ye t' be walkin, aye cariad?"

 

Rahne clears her throat somewhat sheepishly, shrugging her shoulders as she goes further pink. "Ach, aye, I ken. S'jus' shorter this way," she admits bashfully, only know thinking to take a good look around. She doesn't see anyone, of course, since they've been rather removed from the human race. "S'no' as bad as yeh're thinkin', though. I can ... tak' care o' me ainsel', mo' or less." She doesn't go into more details than that, as her thoughts again go back to his strange appearance. "Then wha'...?" is asked gently, as if she doesn't really mean to pry, but just can't /not/ ask. She studies him, while trying not to seem as if she is.

 

Course, very few people can study someone without at the very least seeming to stare at them a bit, so to the half-formed question, Cade realizes immediately what is meant. And as such, with a weary sigh, he's reaching up to pull back his hood as he steps away from the tree a little more into the light coming off the path. The feline face, the golden eyes, the pierced pointed ears, and the spots are all shown fully in a show of something akin to light trust which even then astonishes Cade. "Me, cariad? I'm a freak." Plain, direct, and with only a hint of bitterness behind it. Bitterness which is hidden as his tone shifts to a slightly more humorous and confident feel. "An' if y'r not about t' run off screamin' now, m'dear, then I'm also the one who would like t' walk ye at leas' through the park t' keep off any o' those big bad wolves I spoke of, whether ye think ye can defend y'rself or no, aye?"

 

Rather than screaming and running off, or even seeming frightened, Rahne takes in the strange appearance with a small smile of astonishment. Now she can't help but stare outright, eyes flickering over his face, before she realizes just how rude she's being and blushes appropriately. "Ach, nae. No' gonnae run off," she replies slowly, shaking her head. "Jus' a bit of surprise, soory." She smiles more sincerely, ducking her head a bit. Internally, she debates as to whether to confide in him likewise. Likely, he's not going to get a mob after her, as has been her experience with humans. "Yeh dunnae spit hard goo a' folks, do yeh?" She'll just make sure first.

 

Cade piques one dark eyebrow suddenly to that, his golden eyes catching the light a little oddly as he shifts his head at a feline cant of curiosity. And immediately after, the eyes are narrowing a little suspiciously. Words intoned equally so come soon after, though without much accusation to them, just a little bit of edge. "No, though now I 'ave to ask where it was ye saw Penbwl an' why 'e would 'ave taken interest in ye..." Though she wouldn't know who Penbwl is, Cade obviously seems to have associated the term with a hard-goo-spitting freak. Course, Cade's also reached a point of paranoia that he's just stopped believing all freaks have to actually look like freaks, and so now he's looking at the girl much as she looked at him perhaps. A hint of astonishment, with curiosity heavily thrown in, and just the general need to glide eyes over every feature to look for any oddities.

 

But by now, Rahne appears completely human, no signs of her mutation beyond a few hairs on her cloak, which could just as easily have come from a pet. "Penbwl?" she repeats, sounding confused. "S'tha' the mannie who does tha' trick? I ... ran into 'im outside o' the library 'while back. Bi' of a long story, really..." Her words slow, and her cheeks go pinker, as she notices herself under scrutiny. "Jus' ... wanted to mak' sure, tis all," she adds, sounding slightly uncertain now. "An' I dinnae do anythin' to get 'is attention." It's not really a lie. Maggott did most of the attention-getting. "Yeh ... know him then?" As this thought occurs, her expression seems to become more guarded, and she casts a look over her shoulder to gauge her chance of escape, should he wish her ill, as that other creature seemed to.

 

Cade holds a clawed hand out about the height for Toad, saying in a tone hinting at a bit deeper a dislike than he's showing outwardly. "Ugly little tosser 'bout yay high? Greenish skin, bug eyed, slimey, twenty foot tongue?" Though he doesn't really wait for the answer. He's already heard he's in the city and how many other mutants could be unlucky enough to have the ability to spit that nasty goo at people? "Aye, Tadpole an' I are ol' chums goin' back a good bit in London." Tadpole apparently being the translation of Penbwl, and the term 'chums' seeming to have less than friendly connotations. Maybe she doesn't have to run away from him just yet. Course, with a brief shake of his head, he turns his gaze off her and reaches to pull his hood back up, even while speaking in a slightly harder tone that brooks no lies it would seem. "An' what library specifically was it that ye did see 'im at, cariad?"

 

Rahne takes all of this in slowly, thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing just slightly as she seems to try and figure it all out. Which is tricky, since she's been doing her darnedest not to give too much thought to her run in with Toad, because it has her so befuddled. She nods slightly at the description, offering a low, "Tha'd be 'im," in response. Drawing her cloak tighter around her shoulders, she casts another look about, before bringing her gaze back to focus on Cade. "Ach - erm ... Be the one in ... SoHo, I think." Some of these place names still confuse her, but she's fairly certain that's what they call that area. "'e was takin' a telly," she adds, as an afterthought, as the event slowly comes back to her. But she'll focus more on the present, thank you. At least it doesn't involve being spat at. "So, yeh're no' ... lik' tha' then? Seem much more friendly-lik', a' leas'."

 

Cade giving a soft snort to that which is somewhere between amused and derisive, Cade makes a gesture along the path even as he begins walking, apparently determining it's best if they move along. As he starts along though, his gravelly low voice flows forth again, sounding more weary than amused. "No, I don' be like tha'. Though I'd be suggestin' tha' if ye see tha' one, ye stay clear of 'im. He was never tha' right in the head t' begin with. As t' bein more friendly-like, I'm no' sure wha' t' say t' tha', cariad. I'm not usually so t' norms like y'rself. Maybe it's jus' the shared 'omelands, or maybe because ye seem t' be young an' innocent enough not to be too great a threat. Regardless, for the time bein', you 'ave nothin' t' worry about from me, aye?"

 

Rahne falls into step beside him, as Cade starts walking, still looking thoughtful. "Ach aye, I plan on i'. The stayin' aweh, I'm meanin'." She smiles faintly and blushes again at his reasoning for being nice to her. "Aye," she agrees again, with a slight nod. "Norm? Yeh're diff'ren' to folks lik' yersel'?" She knows she's asking an awful lot of questions here, but she'd rather be certain before making any decisions as to what to reveal to him and when; the advantage of having a mutation like hers is the luxury to decide as much. "Yeh ... know many others?" With that last question, she now turns her head to look over at him, rather than at where they're going.

 

Questions which this time bring a soft chuckle from him which is as mixed as the snort before, though this time between amusement and a sliver of bitterness. Cade doesn't really respond for a moment to any of it, but when he does, it's a quiet voice, weary once more, though with a hint of that bitter mirth to it. "No, I don' know many others 'fore 'avin come 'ere, an' even after don' really _know_ but one or two, aye? 'as t' treatin them different, truth be told no. They're jus' as much a pain in the arse as the norms for th' mos' part I think. Even the one's that seem t' be huntin' others like them pro'ly don' do it for as petty a reason as the things some norms I've seen 'ave done though. No offense unto ye, o' course, cariad. But 've looked like this since I was born t' Cymrog, an' there's a reason tha' I go around with this 'ood up an all o' that, aye?"

 

Rahne nods as she turns back to face forward, expelling a heavy sigh herself. "None taken," she replies softly. "I ... ken. Though I'm in a bit diff'ren' boat, mysel'... Perha's no' so fair as yeh think, though. I go' a bit to-" She pauses a moment, as something seems to register belatedly. "'untin' others? Others like ... yeh. Like them ainselves?" Hrm - that's a new and disturbing development. And it's stunned her into silence, keeping her from finishing that previous thought.

 

Cade was turning his head towards her at the mention of her being in a different boat, which implies even vaguely similar situations and thus, similar problems of genetics by a stretch. But then she's shifting off of it and he's nodding somberly to her with those strange eyes reflecting in the depths of the hood, in the colored iris of them though, not the slit-pupil like a cat. "Aye. I heard tell from one tha' there is a group o' them, but I've only personally 'ad a run in with one. A woman tha' looked normal enough, but for th' S&M get up an' the fact tha' she was flyin' through the air faster than anything should bloody well move. She tried t' fill me full o' lead while chasin' after me." Tried being the operative word, though the whole fact he was talking about her moving that fast, and he being here now might be the more noticeable of facts. Maybe he's not just a sexy cat boy who moves like he doesn't have bones or something.

 

Rahne furrows her brow, taking this awfully seriously if she were actually just a 'norm'. "Tha's ... no' so good. Troublin'..." Well, it's a great deal more than that, but Rahne isn't one given overly to dramatics. Her expression remains anxious as she now casts another look about. "'ere? In the city, aye? A group?" She pauses to consider this. "Troublin'..." She studies her feet thoughtfully as she walks, jamming her hands into the pockets of her oversized pants.

 

"Why should ye care, m'dear? 'T's jus' a couple freaks tha' no one in this city would likely miss, aye?" Yeah, it was a callous thing to say. Especially for someone who was almost one of those 'unmissed freaks'. Course, it's also meant to be as a bit of baiting, for as Cade says it, the speedcat is looking over to her to gauge the reaction. And he's probably a bit better than she right then at looking over without seeming to be looking over so much, given the shadows of the hood hiding his eyes.

 

Rahne shrugs a shoulder, staying silent for a moment as she tries to think up a response. But at his pointed words, she looks over at him sharply, going a bit red, but not entirely from embarrassment this time. "'ey now. S'no' a sort o' thing to say. Those 'freaks' are jus' lik' you n' m-uh-any - many others, aye? S'no' their faul'..." She again becomes fascinated with the ground beneath her feet, not looking up to see if he made anything of her near slip-up or not. "S'no'..." she insists more softly now.

 

To which Cade gives an odd little chuckle, mirth slipping heavily in past the more bitter aspects of before. The tone that comes in quiet reply as they walk is loaded obviously this time, heavy with the implications, but also filled with enough amusement to probably annoy. "Bit hot in th' pants 'bout the 'appenin's of a sort not y'r own, aye cariad?"

 

Rahne furrows her brow once again, looking over to give him another sharp look, before quickly looking away. "Ach, s'jus' ... doesnae - seem righ'?" She's not so good at this outright lying business, as is no doubt evident by the way she again begins fidgeting awkwardly as she walks, and by the way she rather goes out of her way not to look him in the eye. And it makes her feel guilty, which is why she adds, in an extremely soft tone, "Migh' be a tad in my interes'..."

 

Cade doesn't shout out an "AH HAH!" or anything of the like. He merely gives the faintest of nods and continues walking along in that too-smooth, slightly-bobbing way of his. After a brief pause, the voice comes back in a softer tones for his gravelly words. Almost understanding or compassionate. "So 'ow long ye been wit' it, aye?" But no way that Cade could be compassionate right? He's the near-psychotic who just brutally murdered two people for even thinking about hurting this girl. Probably more because they'd have ruined his amusement of following her, than because he actually cared if she was raped or mugged. He's not supposed to be the type to understand, it's just not right!

 

Twiddling with her brooch a bit, Rahne shrugs again. "Bou'... few years now, reckon. 'ard to keep proper track, eih?" she answers lowly, casting another look around to make sure no one's listening in. Now she not only has to worry about human mobs, but fellow freaks coming after her as well? Great. "Yeh were ... born lik' it, yeh said, aye?" She sounds sympathetic to his plight of a visible mutation. "Can yeh ... do anythin', if yeh ken wha' I mean...?" Now she looks over at him again, smiling faintly as she ducks her head. "Soory if I'm askin' too many questions..."

 

"No' too many, aye?" Cade says softly and with a hefty douse of catty mirth in his tone. The reason for that? Why, none other than the words spoken were spoken into the ear opposite where he was standing. For from one step to the next there was a flicker, a breeze, and he was suddenly there on her other side, entirely too close for comfort as he half-whispered the words. Pulling away quickly however to avoid whatever startlement he might cause, he adds a bit redundantly. "I'm jus' fast, like?"

 

Rahne is jumpy enough normally. Now she's got vast conspiracies on the brain, and is in a near-deserted park at night. So she does indeed jump as Cade pulls his trick, whirling around in a full circle to see both where he came from and where he went, her cloak swirling artfully around her. "Ach..." Again with the understatements. "Tha's a bonnie trick, isnae it? S'like yeh jus' appeared ..." She grins sheepishly, letting out a bit of a laugh as she shakes her head.

 

Cade gives his own small grin which may or may not show a hint of fang in them inadvertantly. "Aye, it 'as its uses surely." A pause then as he's glancing to her again. "If I may, cariad. What about y'r 'tricks'? No need t' say if it bother's ye, but I can't no' ask, aye?"

 

Rahne looks thoughtful for a moment, as she shakes her head. "Lik' this, nae." Then, in the blink of an eye, she's not looking quite like she just did. She's taller, for one, and heavier. But perhaps most noticeable are the claws and fangs, and of course, the light covering of fur on all of her visible body. "Bit more lik' this..." Her voice is a bit gruffer now, and she seems more sure of herself. But as soon as it's come on, she goes back to her smaller, human self, not wanting to take any chances on getting caught. "Nothin' so impressive as all tha', though. Jus' can see diff'ren, and smell and 'ear be'er. Stronger and faster too, aye. No' lik' yeh, though." Having done her little spiel, she almost seems embarrassed by it, as the blush creeping into her cheeks would attest.

 

Cade stops to watch this with avid interest, head cocked at feline angle, clawed hands folded up on his biceps. And as she starts to show more of the fur and such, a reaction is brought on with a broad, fangy grin and the too-amused words. "Heh! Guess I was lookin' inna wrong place for th' big bad wolf, aye m'dear?" Which falls into a bout of chuckling until she's changed back to human. It's at that point that his laughter dies off and his broad flattish nose wrinkles just a bit as if in distaste. The words that come as he turns to continue walking are only half-bitter though, and an equal half good-natured self-deprecating humor. "An' why the bloody 'ell, I ask you, did I get such a raw end o' tha' deal, aye? I get t' look this all the bleedin' time. An' I don' even get the eyes 'r nose f'r things!" Ending with a warm, low laughter at the irony of mother nature or god or whoever. As much as he hates the cards he was dealt, he's long since reached a point where he either has to joke about them, or else just let them eat him up inside.

 

Rahne shrugs again, rhythmically scuffing her sneakers against the ground as she walks. "I dunnae ken. Dunnae ken it at all. Bu' guess s'jus' the way things worked oot, eih? I never really gave it a though' as to what it'd be lik' to be stuck lik' tha' all the time, till now. S'ba' enough jus' changin', as far as those normal folks're concerned. I can go all the way, too. Be a wolf, if I'm wantin'." She pauses after having said that, almost regretting showing her full hand like that. But then, it doesn't really seem like he's suddenly going to turn on her now, so she just shrugs it off and continues. "Dunnae ken why I can, though."

 

"'ow do any of us do anythin', m'dear cidwm?" Cade offers in quiet reply, apparently giving her some kind of new nickname. "I c'n move faster runnin' than some planes fly', or run up a good-sized wall if I can dig my claws in at all, but I couldn' even try t' tell ye 'ow my body pulls it off. I jus' know tha' I eat like a bloody 'orse, an' would make most doctors fall down dead from shock if they actually tried t' examine m' 'eart or breathin'. Why th' bloody 'ell I got saddled with these legs, the spots, or any o' this cat shite I have no clue. An' ye know what, bach?"

 

Watching Cade as she walks, Rahne listens sympathetically to his tale. "Wonder if a doc would fin' anything 'bou' me lik' this ..." she muses idly, not really intending to find out. As he asks his rhetorical question, she automatically replies with a 'Wha'?" as her brows quirk slightly, her expression growing more curious.

 

Well, it wasn't necessarily a rhetorical question, especially given that Cade seems to have an answer ready to it, eyes aglitter as they're turned on her again briefly. "The what is tha' I've given up tryin' t' figure it out an jus' don' care anymore. If ye waste y'r time worrying about why you do things or why ye were cursed/blessed with it, ye may jus' waste that second difference between livin' or dyin', and me? I plan t' live for a time yet." And it's with this proclamation that they're approaching the exit of the park which they were headed towards, thusly having let her live for a time yet as well, given that her would be attackers are lying quite dead a long ways back and won't likely be noticed until the morning comes.

 

Rahne smiles softly, thoughtfully, as she slowly nods her head a few times. "Ach aye," she says, almost in a sigh. "S'jus' 'ard no' to give it though', eih? Bu', aye, yeh're righ' in that it doesnae do much good in frettin' 'bou' it." She looks up at the gates as they near, smiling growing a bit. "Thank yeh for the escort through the park. Wha' were yeh doin' 'ere, anyway?"

 

Uh damn. Knew she'd ask that question, didn't ya? Oh well, good thing that for all he may like her, lies come easy to Cade. "Was just out for a run an' saw ya movin' along. Couldn' 'elp but drop in and give a few words for bein about that late aye?" A warmer chuckle then. "Though, truth be told, I'm glad I did. I don' 'ave t' look on ye as a norm now, aye?" And good-natured as that was, and compliment though it was meant to be, it probably just helps to emphasize that slight divide between them in terms of how they look at non-mutants.<repose>

 

Rahne nods, believing lies easily, especially if she has no reason not to. "A quick run?" she enquires with a grin, blushing a bit at her own bad pun. Picking up on the unspoken division, her smile grows a bit more distant, and she nods faintly. "Aye, dunnae have to do tha' no more, aye. Though ... I'd appreciate it if yeh didnae tell anyone else bou' it ..." She speaks gently, not wanting to further drive home that she can choose to hide her mutation, and does so most of the time. "Already a bit worried 'bou' this Tadpole mannie maybe knowin'..."

 

Cade shakes his head to that slightly dismissively, as if it weren't even an issue. "No worries, bach. I don' bring trouble unto any tha' don' bring it firs' to me usually, so calm y'rself o' that fear. As t' Penbwl..." At this, the speedcat pauses, his felinoid face showing an internal debate before finally he pulls out a small slip of paper that looks to be a McDonald's receipt, then from somewhere a half-gnawed old pencil. A number is jotted down on it quickly before the pencil is slid away into the coat and the paper folded. That done, he has another brief pause before offering it out to her. "I wouldn' normally give this, Rahne, so I 'ope ye c'n understand m' pause, but 'ere. Take this an' call that number if ye run int' trouble, or even if ye jus' catch sight o' my good friend Tadpole, aye?" My my, up to giving out phone digits already. Aren't we just moving fast Mr. Speedster.

 

Rahne looks relieved at his reassurances, although it's the sort of relief one feels when they find what they assumed to be correct. With a small smile, she reaches out for the phone number, giving it a cursory glance before tucking it away into her pocket for safekeeping. She'd blush if it even occurred to her to think about it as a boy giving her his number. As it is, such things just don't really enter into her sphere of plausible thought. "Aye, I ken. Thank yeh for it. I go' another number I migh' be followin' up on, too. If it's as bad as yeh say for ... our sort." She pats her pocket. "Bu' if I see 'im, I'll be sure to give yeh a ring. Or if I get mysel' into trouble, walkin' through parks at nigh'." She chuckles softly, now going a faint bit pink as she casts a look back over her shoulder. Okay, so maybe that /wasn't/ the brightest thing to do.

 

Cade gives a soft, almost purring laugh to that blush and that look back to where they've came. "Jus' keep y'r eyes more open an' y'r ears twitched an' I'm sure ye'd be fine, aye? I doubt the norms would 'ave much 'ope with ye unless there were a lot o' them." High opinion of her, or low opinion of them? "But in any case, it _is_ gettin' a bit late, so d' ye need escort th' res' o' th' way t' y'r 'ome? Or will ye be fine?"

 

With a soft laugh and a slightly deeper blush at the possible compliment, Rahne ducks her head and offers a crooked grin. "Lucky I can switch right fast, I reckon. I'm 'opeless lik' this 'ere." She holds her arms out to the side and gives her head a quick shake. "Ach, nae, I shoul' be fine. Wouldnae want to keep yeh from yehr business. S'no' far." She nods vaguely in a random direction. "Bu' maybe I'll be seein' yeh aroun'? S'nice havin' a bit o' company tha' knows 'bou' these sorts o' things. S'lonely in the big city..."

 

Cade grins a fangy grin to the last, a nod coming with the soft "Aye, I'll be around. I'm sure o' tha'." After which he's gathering his coat a little even though it's not needed in the spring temperatures really, then adding simply enough "Take care o' y'rself, Rahne." and then turning to begin moving off in a direction vaguely for East Harlem, without waiting on parting reply from her. And perhaps not that surprisingly now, his too-smooth steps have a way of gliding him quite quickly away, even though he's going at a painfully slow pace in his own opinion.

 

Rahne lifts a hand to wave, offering a soft "Nigh'," at Cade's departing form. Then, she stuffs her hands into her pockets and starts off towards her own place, now keeping herself a bit more on the lookout for any trouble. You really do meet all kinds in New York City, don't you?