undergrounds | May catch-all

"It's safer if we split up. Less risk." Why tempt fate. They had time to both return to where they were and what they were doing before this whole thing happened. There was no reason to make friends now, even if she was part of the East End Pack. And that was assuming the girl belonged to the pack at all.

Then again, maybe this girl could answer some questions. Ringer let out a soft sigh. "Lead the way. I'll follow."

Once the idea had been presented to her, splitting up didn't sound like a terrible plan. Alex was curious about who and what the girl was, and why she had decided to help, but not so curious that she'd make the girl stay with her if she wanted to part ways.

She was about to agree to the plan when the girl changed her mind, and she nodded in agreement to the new plan instead.

"This way." She took off running. She didn't know this neighborhood that well, but any direction other than back to the club would do. They just needed to get far enough away that the police wouldn't find them.

Ringer's thoughts exactly. She wanted to go somewhere where they were less likely to be caught, ask a few questions, and then be on her way. No sense in unnecessary risk. She followed the girl, keeping pace and trying to shake the headache that still pounded in her skull.

She was silent until they arrived at whatever place the girl would choose for them, following so long as it didn't feel like a trap, until they could have a minute to talk.

Alex ran for a couple blocks before slowing down. There didn't seem to be anyone following them, and running would just attract attention. She kept walking at a brisk pace, cutting through an alley and into a brighter lit area where a few people were doing some late-night shopping.

"I think we're okay here."

She'd been clutching the necklace so tightly that it had left a mark on her palm, which quickly faded once she loosened her grip. As she slowed down, she took a look at it, grimacing when she realized the chain was broken and would need to be replaced before she could wear it again.

That sucked, but at least the chain could easily be replaced. It was the stone she really needed.

"Who are you?" she asked, turning to the other girl. "Why'd you help me back there?"

Ringer slowed when the stranger did and finally came to a stop in the area, immediately looking around. She focused her hearing to listen for anything out of place, but she couldn't hear anything and the headache made it difficult anyway. She agreed that it seemed like an alright place at least.

She glanced at the necklace and wondered why the girl wasn't putting it back on. Before she could ask, though, apparently the girl had some questions of her own.

"My name's Ringer." She paused, pushing her hair back without really thinking about it. "I helped because an uncontrolled werewolf is a greater risk to innocent humans. Are you part of the East End Pack?"

Alex bristled at that. Maybe the girl meant it innocently, but Alex couldn't help but take it as an implication that she was little better than a wild animal.

"Don't worry," she snapped. "I can control myself."

She closed her fist tightly around the broken necklace again. She could just stick it in her pocket, but she didn't want to take the chance, however slight, that it would fall out. In fact, the sooner she could get a new chain, the better. She pulled out her phone and started looking for any open jewelry stores in the area.

Her eyes glued to her phone, frowning heavily at the screen, she said, "Yeah, I'm East End pack. Why?"

Ringer was used to people bristling and snapping at her. She found that people rarely wanted the answers to the questions they were asking, at least the truthful versions. In her mind, helping a werewolf without jewelry retrieve it was like helping Ringer get her gun or crossbow back. She wasn't helpless without it, but the lack of it made for an unnecessary risk she'd rather avoid.

"I'm-" She began, before realizing she didn't know how to qualify her relationship with James. Most casual acquaintances believed she was his cousin now, but it wasn't ideal to promote the lie. "I know James."

Alex finally found a jewelry store that didn't close for another half hour, and thankfully it was only a few blocks away. She shut the phone off and tucked it away, her other hand still tightly clutching the broken necklace.

Finally, she turned her attention back to Ringer, squinting at her. She knew James, she was as fast and strong as a werewolf, she was awfully concerned about werewolves controlling themselves, but she wasn't a werewolf. Alex had met plenty of supernatural types, but she wasn't quite sure what to make of this girl.

"I'm gonna get this fixed, so," she said awkwardly. "Thanks. For having my back."

She started to turn away, but quickly turned back. She had to ask. "What are you? You're not one of us, you're not a vampire, so what?"

"I'm human." The reply is automatic. Ringer was human and having powers didn't change that. Or, at least, she liked to convince others that it didn't in order into convince herself. She would offer no elaboration.

Instead, all she said after that was, "Good luck fixing it."

"A regular human couldn't have done all that. Do you have powers? Drink a potion?" Alex isn't so much desperate to invade this girl's privacy as she is annoyed by the sense that she's being lied to, or at least that something's being hidden from her.

She's willing to accept the coincidence that someone who knows about werewolves happened to walk by while she was being mugged - enough people knew about werewolves that it was possible. But cracks and omissions in the girl's story make her wonder whether it really was just a coincidence.

Ringer paused, hesitated. She didn't want to avoid such a direct question. It wasn't in her nature to lie or hide more than was reasonably necessary. But she also didn't like trying to justify her humanity. Eventually, she tensely answered.

"I don't know. The.. abilities are new. From a fae, I think." The hints of anxiety unintentionally leaking through her expression served as evidence of her honesty. She considered elaborating that James was helping to train her before deciding against it. Ringer preferred her relationship with the man be mostly enigmatic.

Alex believes her. And Ringer's apparent uneasiness makes Alex think that maybe she pushed too hard, maybe her powers are a sensitive topic that she doesn't want to talk about, but Alex has no intention of apologizing for prying. She needs to know that Ringer isn't some kind of vampire spy or anything, doesn't she?

But she does feel a little bad, so she asks, frowning and awkward, "Are you... okay? With the abilities? I mean..." She's not sure what she means, but Ringer helped her, so she supposes that she ought to help Ringer, if the other girl wants help.

Ringer's expression almost immediately shifts to one of a condescending nature. She never claimed to be good at people. The hunter crosses her arms and resists the urge to roll her eyes, giving a small shake of her head instead. "You asked what I was. I told you. I'm human."

There's a pause before Ringer turns to leave. As far as she's concerned, they have nothing else to say to each other. And, really, she would prefer to leave it at that anyway. Maybe they'll run into each other some other time, but later is better.

Alex frowns, not liking that her fumbling offer at help was rebuffed. "Great. That's all I wanted to know."

And that's it, she doesn't really have anything more to say. She thanked Ringer for her help, she figured out what the girl is, what more is there? While she's vaguely curious about the girl's relationship with James, that's not really her business, so she won't pry into it.

"See ya," she says, a little sarcastically, before heading off to the jewelry store.

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