2012-08-18 Elephant in the Room

Evening in the Skull Cave finds the Phantom kneeling next to his cot in the sleeping area. Devil is laying on the cot as the Phantom carefully checks his bandages. The devil-cat sits on the open crate of M.R.E.s, watching the proceedings warily. Devil has, as yet, not really given a huge care about the tomcat, but it /was/ abandoned and half-feral. He probably won't /fully/ trust anyone for a while. "It'll be okay," says the Phantom, peering beneath a bandage. Few more days and Devil should be better. The wounds are healing nicely. The wolf just groans softly, and after carefully replacing the bandage, the Phantom scruffs behind his ear. "I know, but you'll be okay, soon." He gives the wolf a reassuring smile; they've been through worse than this before--though it's never easy on him.

Ring ring ring BANAN- spirit phone! Rain's polite enough to speak first, "Hey... Is okay to open a window?" Rain asks. While she can likely see them, she doesn't say so specifically. She might even hide her amusement at seeing the devil-cat of doom on an open crate of M.R.Es. She seems curious and concerned though. Poor Devil. Her awkward is still present, her voice hesitant. At least it's a slow ramp towards acceptable social skills.

...the heck? A ringing telephone? It's not Kit's cell phone. The Phantom, Devil, and even the grey devil-cat all look around in surprise and caution--and then Rain's voice comes through. If she is watching, she'll see Devil thump his tail once as he looks to the source of the voice. The Phantom looks there as well--and the devil cat decides all of this is bull and jumps to the floor, to trot out of the sleeping area. "Hey, Rain," says the Phantom, smiling in the direction of the source of her voice. "Yeah, it's fine. Go ahead and open the window."

Heehee. Oh, kitty and cat. She looks most amused by the cat's reaction. But aww, Devil. Rain smiles faintly and will open a window at convenient conversation height. She waves. "Hi, sorry... I figured that would be less startling," She admits. Her dark purple eyes seem bright with amusement. "I see you have a new friend, too?" This in reference to Devilcat. "How are you guys?" She asks, including the critters since they seem to be part of the Phantom Crew. Phantasmal, perhaps. She's in that same grey room. Perhaps she does it on purpose. Safe rooms are precious when you're effectively homeless for most purposes. "I just figured I should make sure I wasn't catching you at a bad time, too..." That is left to the imagination.

"It's appreciated," says the Phantom with a polite inclination of his head. "And yes, well, when I saw him the other day, I knew he wouldn't get adopted, so..." He reaches out and scritches Devil's neck. "I see you're doing well. How'd you make out after the ant incident?  And you didn't have to leave, you know." He gives her a grin, there; he can imagine why she left, even if she didn't have to, so he's not holding it against her. Devil, for his part, thumps his tail and gives a canine smile at the woman, genuinely pleased to see her.

Awww. Rain looks touched. She smiles faintly. "Yeah. Poor kitty. It's awesome of you to take him in. Let me know if you want some yarn or catnip. Or the dreaded laser pointer." Dun dun dun! DEVILCAT VS. LASER POINTER. "He is a handsome kitty, though," She smiles a little. She waves to Devil, too. Aww. "Hey there, Devil," She considers the critters a part of the group as much as anyone else. "And I did okay. It's habit, I guess. I tend to keep to Gotham and other cities," She shrugs. "I find being a comparative unknown has its perks," She notes quietly. She smiles at his grin. "But I apologize. I'll try to make up for it. Still, it was fun seeing you in the news," She smiles faintly. Rain's still a fairly awkward introvert, her speech filled with little pauses and hesitations, her expression sometimes not quite matching up to tone. But she's getting there.

That makes the Phantom chuckle, and he arches a brow while canting his head a little. "I'll probably go for the yarn, but--you have nothing to make up for. I can imagine how tough it is.  Being in the limelight can sometimes help, though--shows people that you're a good person.  And you can do it without showing your face." That's said with a grin, and he shifts position to a crouch, so he can rest his forearms on his knees and still look into the portal-window-thingy. "Listen, you ever want to get the recognition you deserve, I'll make sure no one tries to slap cuffs on you or anything, okay? I'll make sure you can walk away afterward." It can't be easy to ponder even trying to stick around when cops are called, but he'd make sure she got away if it came down to it.

A faint smile. "No worries. I have reasons, is all. I don't mind if people don't know who or what I am," She shrugs, "And yarn for the kitty. Have you given him a name?" Rain asks. Devil cat is fun to say, but... well, Devil is taken. "And that's true. The hat and bandanna are a bit cliché, but they work," She notes. His grin makes her smile. It's hard not to. She tilts her head. "Don't sweat it. I'll try to ... I'll think about it. But like I said, homeless tends to lift a lot of eyebrows and things like that. But I appreciate the offer," She nods and smiles again. "You're very kind to." Really, she can appreciate the magnitude of it. "Besides, I owe you tea, I think. And I wanted to say hi to Devil." Beam. "A lot of people who are homeless kinda know me. Ish." Pause. "Never mind. It's been a weird few days. I honestly never thought I'd see Thor at a rave."

When he's referenced, Devil thumps his tail again, and starts to get up, though the Phantom gently eases him back down. "Ah, none of that," he tells the wolf, who gives him a thoroughly unhappy look. The Phantom looks back to Rain, smiling at her again, though he keeps his hand on Devil's neck. Partly for continued scritchings--and partly to make sure the wolf stays laying down. He does need his rest. "Anyway, don't worry about it. If you want to do it, I'll help, if not, okay." An easy-going shrug; he won't press the matter. "I'll take the tea, as always, though I'm going to have to figure out what do for you, as well," he says with a grin, then adds, "And your outfit is fine. I knew a guy once who did the large-hat-and-bandanna thing. He made it work, and so do you." There, he thinks he's answered her points, and no, he won't hold the awkward rambling against her, either. If anything, it's nice to see that she's trying to get past it to talk to him. He appreciates the compliment that implies.

Awww. Poor Devil. "We'll pet you lots later," She promises. "You gotta get better first," Rain points out. Poor wolfie. Rain doesn't encourage him. "Though... I haven't tried to heal a wolf before..." She considers. "I wonder if it works just like on people." Ponder. "I'll pass on fame for now. I don't need to add 'is a known vigilante' to my profile just yet," A quirked smile. "It lets me sneak around a lot," Rain shrugs. "I'm not very strong physically," She points out. She's hardly a match for Kit arm wrestling, for example. "And yeah? Well, it's kind of western I guess..." She replies. "You don't have to do anything back. I offered the tea. You've been nice, so." To Rain, that means a lot. "That, and it was pretty cool to see you fight," She admits. Hey, he totally engraved a dude's face. That's pretty brutal. And kind of awesome. "But mostly, you've been really nice," She smiles.

Another chuckle from the Phantom, ignoring Devil's continued looks of being very unappreciative of not being allowed up. "It doesn't matter how physically strong you are, but how much guts you have--and you've got guts to spare, Rain. Don't let anyone tell you different, you hear?  And I know I don't /have/ to do anything back.  It wouldn't be the thoughtful gesture it's supposed to be if I /had/ to." A lift of his brows, there. He doesn't answer the bit about healing Devil; that's up to her, he doesn't want to seem like he's forcing her into it, or be falsely humble by refusing--especially since he really wouldn't refuse, not for Devil.

Aww. Poor wolf. "Hm... that's true, usually." Rain considers. She shrugs and smiles. "If I mourned all the good things I didn't have, I'd be too busy crying and eating chocolate to deal with heroism," She admits. "Still, you're really kind to say that," She smiles to him. "And hmm. That's true," She considers. "Well. I can try, if you two'd like. I don't really heal many animals since there's not a lot in the city," At least, not a lot of range between alive or dead depending, either. Squirrel vs. truck is a lopsided battle. She takes a deep breath.

A glance to Devil, then the Phantom looks back to Rain. "I--think I can safely speak for him when I say we both would love that, and would both be in your debt." Another polite inclination of his head, and Devil even stops trying to move. The thumping doesn't stop, now; he's not stupid. He knows what he knows, and he knows more about Rain than the Phantom does, likely. He's also intelligent enough to understand a fair portion of human communication, though the fact that her scent comes through the window-thingy just as her voice doesn't exactly hurt.

Rain can't stop the awww. "..." She smiles faintly. "I'll give it a try. I haven't done much magic through a portal," Rain admits. "So I'll reach through a bit. The glow is just cosmetic, so you know I'm doing something," She explains. "... it's kinda boring looking," She admits. Regardless, she'll likely reach through then, and carefully stretch out her fingers. Rain's casting makes her look /zoned/. Like she ate the whole pan of special brownies and is now watching Clerks or some space documentary with lots of shiny, shiny lights. It takes her a bit to build concentration and energy, after all.

"Thank you," says the Phantom before she starts her--trance? Whatever it is. He continues to scritch Devil as she reaches her hand through. He's not sure whether he should take it or move the wolf closer, or what. She didn't say, so he's going to assume none of the above and stay crouched right where he is until she says otherwise. The Phantom may not know much about magic, but he knows enough to trust the woman who does. He'll wait until she tells him she's done, or there's a notable effect, or whatever else.

Wavy time lines! They're wibbly wobbly! And keep people in the audience from going to sleep! It takes a few minutes, which is why Rain may not be the best battlefield medic, but - well, it works. There's a reason she heals 4 food. Or did, anyway. It's pretty effective, despite the target not being human. Rain blinks, looking a bit surprised. "Sorry, it's um, well, I have to concentrate a bit was all," She shakes her head. "How does Devil feel now? And I keep thinking maybe I should add music so people don't get bored. Or they can hum something..."

More than happy to wait, the Phantom just crouches there, staying silent. He'll let her do her thing, and not even worry about the few minutes that pass. She might not be a quick battlefield medic, but she's a good medic nonetheless. When she's done and that glow fades, Devil starts thumping his tail quicker. The Phantom grins as Devil gets to his feet and shakes violently, getting a few of the bandages loose. He steps along the cot to the portal-thingy, giving her a friendly grunt by way of thanks. "Thank you so much, Rain," says the Phantom, grinning at both the girl and the wolf. "I think that's your answer. And hey, I don't mind waiting.  I'm just thankful you helped."

It's still handy, and if Rain's left alone a minute or two, really, it'll do. Rain smiles faintly, watching Devil. "Awww, feeling better?" She asks the wolfie. She'll give him some scritches. What a cutie. "You're welcome. Think nothing of it. I'm glad to help," She nods. "If I had stuck around..." There's a look of guilt. "Well, I'm sorry I ran off, She offers quietly. "But I'm glad to see you're better," She nods to Devil. "And I think I still need to catch the name of your kitty, to." Grin.

As she scritches the wolf who loves every second of it--especially now--the Phantom eases onto the bed. Crouching for so long makes the knees hurt, even the well-trained knees. "It's okay, Rain," he says, reaching out to take her hand for a moment. "I'm not going to hold it against you. I don't blame you for being--cautious about sticking around." He gives her hand a squeeze, then releases it. Folding his arms loosely over his chest--as Devil tries to get more scritches--he says, "And I'm not sure. Thinking about Demon." A grin to match hers of a moment ago, there.

Awwwe. Hee. Scritchyscritchy. She pauses in scritching as he takes her hand. Rain blushes for a second and smiles weakly, almost sadly. "Still. It was... kind of rude at best. Thank you," She curls her fingers a moment after the squeeze and nods as he lets go. She resumes scritching, eyes a bit brighter. "And that'd work. Asmodeus was the demon of wrath far as I can remember..." She considers. She manages a half grin as he does. "But I think I'd be upset if I got ditched and left somewhere, too." And granted, Rain kind of -was- given the boot...

"Ha. Asmodeus it is," says the Phantom, grinning again. "Lends itself to an obvious nickname, too." That's said with a small cant to his head, as if he were winking. Kind of hard to tell with the eye mask, admittedly. "I think he'll lose the meaning of the name, eventually. It will just take some work.  For right now, though--don't apologize for being safe.  You should never have to apologize for that." He reaches over and starts scritching Devil's back--which makes the wolf just about ecstatic. He's feeling better, thanks to the woman--who's giving him scritches! And he's getting more scritches. Such an attention-hound.

Rain laughs and smiles. "Awesome. Azzy! Azzy the kitty," Rain tries it out. "Azaz, Azmataz... yeah, you could get some good nicknames out of it," She nods. "I think he'll warm up, it's true," She agrees. "And it's still-" She takes a deep breath. "What's done is done, I'm just glad Devil's okay now," She smiles and keeps scritching Devil. D'aw. Sympathy scritches. She is quiet for a moment, likely resuming her quota of awkward. "Did you like the tea? I hadn't bought from that store before but... I can't say no to chai." Grin.

"Yes, he's okay now and that's what counts," replies the Phantom agreeably. No sense continuing to beat the dead horse, after all. "And yes, I loved the tea, thank you. Had some late last night, as it happens, and it's really quite relaxing." He continues to scritch Devil, looking between him and her--though that's not exactly obvious, but still.

Scritchin'. Rain smiles faintly. "Yeah. He's adorable," Yes, he is! Rain seems happier now, especially as the Phantom is. "And I'm glad to hear that." She nods. "I don't know why I like tea so much," She admits. She doesn't realize the Phantom is looking between her and Devil. She's mostly watching both of them, looking thoughtful. She's not really socially graceful, so she looks away every so often to avoid being creepy. "But, I've been catching up on studying a bit. So things are quiet when I'm not out poking around..." So she likely hasn't gone adventuring these past couple of days.

"You're very welcome," says the Phantom, inclining his head yet again. "And do you go to college, then? What do you study?" A beat, and he breaks out in a grin once more. "I must apologize," he says, turning his head to look at Devil for a moment, as he lightly digs his fingers through the wolf's fur. "I shouldn't be grilling you like that; you have your right to privacy, even though I /am/ curious." That's said as he looks back to her. At least he's turning his whole head, so it's more obvious this time around.

Rain smiles. "Not college. I already have a degree. A Master's would be nice, but... well." With powers, effectively being homeless and such, it's not likely. "I study magic a bit," She nods. She keeps scritching Devil. "And oh, it's fine. I ask you lots of questions, right?" She notes. She did even -scry- on him, if you wanna get all technical about it. "Do you take classes or anything?" She asks, perhaps genuinely curious about her purple pal, Phantom. And she apparently does trust him enough to answer.

A thoughtful nod given to her answer; the Phantom can imagine some of the difficulties. He can't really understand all of them, but he can sympathize. At her own question,he pauses in his scritching of Devil, one brow arching in a thoughtful expression. "You could say that," he says as he sets his hands on his thighs. "I've been known to pick up some books here and there to learn more about the world. I don't always have a focus, but learning for its own sake isn't a bad thing, hmm?" It's not really a lie, per se; the Phantom has studied the world since his inception so many centuries ago. Kit Walker is a college student, yes--but Kit is, ultimately, the disguise. "He" is the Phantom, and the Phantom is a student of the world.

Rain smiles. "There's nothing wrong with that," She replies. Alas, poor Rain. She doesn't realize Kit is Phantom and vice versa. Behold, the magic of a mask. "And yeah, I like it. But..." He probably isn't surprised. "Got any favorites then?" She grins. She lets her grin fade a little as she listens. She rests her chin in her non-Devil-scritching hand. "Besides, I think I'd have a hard time sending in college apps... I've no legal address anymore," She points out. "And that just weirds people out. Maybe I should rent a PO box sometime, I guess." Sigh. "Oh well. I'm pretty boring when someone's not trying to kill me with a forklift."

"You aren't boring," replies the Phantom, sincerely though with a smile. "If you were boring, I wouldn't be talking to you. I do find you interesting, so you'll just have to learn to live with that." A grin, there, for her. "Anyway, renting a P.O. box isn't a bad way to go; I can help you with that, if you like. Or, another idea is to use one of those other services, like U.P.S. or some similar.  That way you could just write the address, the pound sign, and the number of the box.  Technically you wouldn't be lying, just letting them assume it's an apartment or the like." It /does/ edge awfully close to that limit, he'd have to admit, but it would help her get into college, so he's willing to help her that far. Outright lying and deception, no, but.

Rain smiles at that. "Fair enough. And I appreciate that." His grin makes her pause a moment. She looks happy, even if that awkward barrier pops up. "And it's okay. I get by alright with my bachelor's." She shrugs, "Graduate school seems like it'd make heroing hard," She notes. "And ... that would work," She considers. "I'll keep it in mind," Rain promises. "I appreciate the advice." He's making a new fan. Well, okay, so he was cool from the start. Still, she's content, watching and alternating speech with hesitant pauses. "What's your favorite thing to study, then?" Ponder. "I figure talking about me all the time gets old."

"It doesn't get old to me, which you'll also just have to live with," says the Phantom, drawing his leg up to curl it on the cot. "As for what I like to study the most, hmm. History is always interesting.  Sociology, too--you start to learn how cultures work, how the people fit together." A beat's pause as he considers, then he quickly adds, "Laws of the world are also interesting. One way to judge a country is by how it deals with its criminals, after all.  You know, I'm not sure I have /a/ favorite?  Everything comes in handy.  Everything fits together to make the world work." And maybe, just maybe, the comment about liking to study law was intentional. It /might/ be that he's seeing what pieces she can fit together. Kit never said he was a law student, per se, but he /did/ tell her, when they met with the Professor the other day, that he was trying to join Hammer Industries' legal department.

Rain smiles faintly. "That's sweet of you," She replies. She watches him quietly, listening to his answers. She nods. "Well. True. Most of us do like lots of things." Pause. Waitaminute. She sort of double takes. She kind of peers over. "Yeah... I think a friend of mine was doing a legal internship..." That's awfully familiar. Hmm. She isn't sure what to think. He's really thrown her for a loop. Rain does seem to care about what others think and concern themselves with. "Law seems pretty complex, especially when you throw people into the mix." She's slowly making a connection, but she hesitates - identities are sacred to some folks.

When that proverbial light bulb starts to turn on over her head, the Phantom doesn't react. He's curious how intelligent she is, how much she can piece together herself--and, of course, what she'll do with whatever conclusions she raws, right or wrong. "This friend of yours sounds interesting. I might have to meet him or her sometime," he says conversationally, reaching over to resume the scritching of Devil's back. "I suppose I shouldn't ask for their name, as it goes to the whole privacy issue." Another smile for her; he's not going to push for any information she isn't willing to give, even if it is, technically, about himself.

It also depends on how much she wants to reveal what she knows and respecting his secret identity. She watches him quietly a moment, thoughtful. Squint. "They are. You're both very kind," She notes. Rain is hesitating - does she reveal she has an idea? Is it rude? "What would you think if someone figured out someone's secret and asked about it?" Roundabout. What does one expect of Loki's own apprentice? Though, she's an awfully odd candidate for such. She scritches Devil gently.

"Depends on who they are," the Phantom says as he looks back to Devil. His hand scritches down the wolf's back to just above his tail, making him groan in delight. SO MANY SCRITCHES. "If it were their enemy, someone who would share their secrets--even with their friends or loved-ones--I'd think the secret-holder should lie to them. A friend, or--closer?  Well, depends on the secret-holder.  Depends on whether the secret needs to be talked about.  What would happen if it were discussed?" She's not the only one who can obfuscate and approach things in a round-about fashion.

Devil must be in heaven or overwhelmed. Rain looks amused. Oh, Devil. She has to grin a little. "Well. I wouldn't share it. I'd just ask to confirm, really." She waves a hand. "There are lots of secrets..." Rain remarks quietly. "But sometimes it's nice to make sure of what's true and what's just a bad guess," Rain admits. She seems genuinely worried about upsetting him. "... especially if it's something intensely personal to someone," A little nod. "But I think..." She hesitates. "... I'm gonna feel stupid if I'm wrong." A wry smile.

That makes the Phantom chuckle, and he abandons scritching the near-comatose Devil to lay back on the cot, and using an arm for a pillow. The cot /has/ one, of course, but doing that lets him look at her. "We all feel bad when we're wrong," he says as he lays his left hand on his stomach. "The question is what it's worth to you. Risk/reward analysis.  Or, you could offer a secret of your own in trade.  Think about it like this--it's /not/ 'I have to protect you so you'll protect me', but rather, 'I know something personal, perhaps intimate about you, and perhaps you deserve the same'." A beat's pause a shrug of his left shoulder, then he adds, "Of course, it all depends on what your own secrets are, on what you think of the secret-holder, so on and so forth."

Rain watches him quietly. "Well. I'm not sure what secrets I have to give. Most of mine are pretty open. I'm a homeless witch," She shrugs and smiles. "You've seen me without my jacket and mask, I think," She admits. And she doesn't really cover her eyes. Likely a quirk. Hmmm. "I think you may be Kit. Or those are the hints I'm given." She is quiet for a long moment. "It makes sense. You both seem like nice guys." And really, they both like tea, law... "So I'll let you ask something that you might really think is personal or a secret," She replies. "Because the biggest one I know I can think of... Some people I like tend to blurt it out a lot," She blushes.

An amused expression comes to the Phantom's face, then, as he regards her and listens to her. For a moment, he lets the silence stretch, then he narrows his eyes in thought--made known by the way his brows knit together--and says, "It seems to me, if I /were/ this Kit of yours, I'd be risking an awful lot. I mean, sure, I could ask anything I want, but that doesn't mean you'll /answer/, now does it?" That's said with a grin; yes, he noticed that she said he could /ask/ whatever he wanted, but didn't say she'd /answer/ it. He caught that one. "While I'm tempted to see just how red I can make you get by asking truly um, intimate questions, I know what I would ask. I'd ask what that biggest one you can think of is." Another grin; he wouldn't /actually/ be so crass as to ask "intimate" questions, but it's sure as heck fun to tease about it.

Oh no. Long stretch of silence. Rain looks pained. Her eyebrows lift, finding a new home on her forehead. Aagh, he's good at this. "I wouldn't offer if I didn't mean it, though, that is a pretty big loophole." Apparently it hadn't occured to her. Whoops. She blushes. "Eeh, my life isn't really exciting for scandal," She admits. But his teasing is working. She squirms a bit. Rain's blush is spreading to her ears. "um, w-well, I mean..." Fidget. "I guess - I'm apprenticed to Loki if you wanted to get all technical about it." ... Rain? B-list Witch at best? Weird. She sinks down a little.

...that wasn't what he was expecting. The Phantom arches a brow in thought, and sits up again. He leans over to some crates that serve as bookcases, and after running a finger along the spines, comes out with a large book of mythology. He thinks he knows that name, and he hopes he's wrong. He checks the index at the back, then thumbs through the pages until he finds what he wants. "Loki is one of the major deities in the Norse pantheon," he says, quietly because that's not the important part. His voice picks up again as he reads aloud, "He is a son of the giant Farbauti ('cruel striker') and the giantess Laufey. He is regarded as one of Aesir, but is on occasion their enemy.  He is connected with fire and magic, and can assume many different shapes (horse, falcon, fly).  He is crafty and malicious.  The ambivalent god grows progressively more unpleasant, and is directly responsible for the death of Balder, the god of light." And there he looks up to her, that eyebrow cocking even higher. "I--well. I guess we'll get to that in a moment," he says, then lays the book face down so to keep his place. His right hand reaches behind his head, so pull on a nearly-invisible seam in the cowl, and his left hand reaches up to his mask. A little bit of fiddling, and the thing looses--with an audible click, like something being unplugged from a U.S.B. port. The split at the back of the cowl widened, and he pulls both off--revealing, of course, the face of one Kit Walker. "Hi," he says, his voice the softer tones of Kit, and he gives her a warm smile. "I knew you were darn bright."

Oh my. Rain blinks owlishly. She nods. "He's definitely one of the Asgardians," She admits. "I guess it's sort of an odd match, but he's been pretty kind to me. I'm certainly learning a lot," She offers quietly. And after all, as a magician, it's likely a LOT of education. "Granted, I'm surprised... but ... like I said, he treats me well, I learn a lot and so I figure it's - not too bad." Though, his reading does make her wince a bit. Her eyes go wide as dinner plates as he reveals himself. "Kit!" She chirps, briefly distracted from the awkwardness of what must seem a strange decision. "..." She turns red. "You're really kind..." She murmurs. "I -" She's at a loss, just kind of staring quietly.

A hand tousles his own hair--darn hood-hair--as Kit smiles at Rain. He then combs his fingers through his hair, getting it back to something closer to its usual look. "This is actually kind of a pain to put on," he says with a grin, holding up the mask in his left hand, the cowl in his right. They then get set aside as he says, "You know, now you have to come over at some point. I mean, I don't know where you are, I don't know who else may be there listening in..." That's said with a brow arched in teasing humor; he trusts her more than /that/. Should hopefully be obvious by him doing this in the first place. His gaze flicks to the book, and his smile falters a little. The elephant in the room has two giant curved horns.

Rain smiles at him and his hood hair. It might even be a bit cute. "I can imagine," She admits. She blinks at the invitation, but clearly looks pleased. "I would be honored. And um, I'm pretty sure no one's listening in. I don't get that feeling, and frankly I suspect there are better people to eavesdrop and spy on," She points out. "It's fine. Like I said, I get treated pretty well as long as I don't get underfoot or actively work against the folks from Asgard," Rain remarks. And likely, it's a huge step up from living on the streets. "I've gotten to meet a lot of good people as a result," She adds quietly. She's really torn. On one hand, sure, he's Loki. On the other... well. Look at all the places she goes. Sigh. She folds her arms over her chest. "Well. You can think it over a bit. I should go make sure stuff is cleaned up." Awkward.

"Rain," that's said a bit more softly, "it's--a bit more than that, and you know it. I'm--concerned.  Let me do some more research, okay?  I mean--trickster who kills; crafty and malicious.  Yeah, if that's accurate, he's going to treat you well until he gets what he wants from you.  After that..." He lets his voice trail off, pretty confident he doesn't need to detail it. If that entry was accurate, Loki killed a fellow god. What would he do to some random minion he didn't care about? "Just--let me do some research, and promise--/promise/--you'll keep an open mind. I give you my word, my oath, that I will be as fair as possible.  But--I'm concerned about you." And with that, he reaches into his belt, to pull out a ring very similar to the one he wears on his left and. He leans over to the window-portal-thingy, to hand it to her.

"I know." Rain is quiet. She folds her hands in front of her. She's an apprentice! Minion is just bonus? Right. "Honestly, there's not much I have that he already doesn't," She shakes her head. "I promise I'll keep an open mind," She nods. She'll accept his - ... ring? An eyebrow lifts and she tilts her head. Her face goes bright red once more. She opens her mouth and then closes it. "Kit... I'll listen, it's true but ... you keep your ring with you, don't you?" She looks worried about taking something important from him. Really, he engraved a mark in a dude with one. That's sorta important if it's one of his shticks. She will accept it to keep from dropping it. "I'm sure it'll be fine. If I see trouble, you'll be the first to know."

"What that means," says Kit, glancing at her ring as he leans back, "is that you are under my protection. For as long as you or anyone in your family wear that ring, the Phantom /will/ help you--no matter what." He realizes what that could mean, going up against a /god/ if it comes down to it--but he and Guran have already discussed fall-back plans. His aunt Heloise has a son, though Kit hasn't seen him in years. The Phantom gives out the Good Mark to only the most special of people, Rain," he tells her as he pulls his legs up to sit cross-legged. At least it's not some weird jungle marriage proposal, so there's that.

Blink. She looks to the ring. She looks to him. There's an awful lot of concern on her face. Rain sighs. "Well. I appreciate it. I'll be sure to ask, but honestly, I'm fine," Handwave. "Really. Believe me on this one." Deepbreath. She waves a hand. "You'll be the first to hear if I'm worried," Nod. "I'm in a pretty safe place," Smile. "At least, it's way, way better than homeless," She points out. Especially homeless in Gotham, where even the pigeons are armed. She blushes though. "... I appreciate the ring. It means a lot." Even if it may make her feel a bit weird. And alas, Rain's destiny to die alone continues unabated. At least she read the book and is appreciated. "It'll be okay," Handwave.

"I can't believe you on that one," says Kit a bit quietly. "That's what the ring means. I can't just accept that you're fine.  Because the moment you won't be, you won't be /able/ to tell me you aren't.  Trust me, Rain--the Phantom has dealt with this for /centuries/.  The Phantom has seen, time and time again, too many good people, like you, become lost--or worse." A beat, and he reaches up to massage just above his right eyebrow. It's not the look of a man with a headache or the like, it's just--this isn't easy, and he well understands that. That doesn't mean it doesn't need to be dealt with, regardless. "And there are other options than homelessness, anyway, if you need them," he says, though he knows that's closer to picking at nits.

Rain pouts a little. It's hard not to. She doesn't look too thrilled about that line. Still. She likes him well enough and she eyes Kit. She takes a deep breath. "... hey. Don't worry. We'll see. Just ... don't do anything weird like hang out in the shrubs, okay?" She smiles weakly. "I'm fine. I can always ask to leave if things get bad." Nod. "And if I do, you'll be the first to know," She adds. "Um. It's kind of you to say I'm a good person. Thank you. But whatever happens, I hope you and the others stay well." She clearly doesn't seem to worry about herself too much. Could be young and dumb. Could be insanely curious. 50/50 odds, really. "No sweat."

"Yeah, you can ask," says Kit, looking at her as he picks up his mask. "That doesn't mean you'll be /allowed/." He's not going to put the mask on; he just wants something to fiddle with. He can see that continuing to debate the point isn't going to get anywhere, and it gives him a bad feeling. He makes a mental note to start seeking out those knowledgeable about such things, in case he needs to get in there. The mask is tapped lightly against his leg, and he's struggling for what else to say.

Rain shrugs. "Don't underestimate the power of contract in magic," She points out. "Anyway. I'm sorry I made you worried." She shakes her head. "It's fine," She promises. "Really. I just feel guilty for worrying you now so ... I'm gonna go for a bit, I guess." She frowns. There is some guilt over worrying about him. "It was good to see you. Be well." Another faint smile and she gently rubs Devil between the ears if he likes. "See you, too, Asmodeus." Silly kitty.

Like Devil will turn down SCRITCHINGS. Tail thumps the bed again as he looks up at Rain. Though there's not quite that same canine smile that there usually is. He can, of course, sense the tension between the humans. When she mentions the cat, Kit arches a brow and looks over--and sure enough, there's Asmodeus calmly strutting back into the sleeping area. He gives the cat a smile, though the one he gives Rain is warmer. Not quite the full-on grin as usual, but--yeah. "Alright, Rain. You--be well, too," he tells her quietly.

((Fade Out))