An average day. The late January chill was in the air. The sky was gray, yet the sun beat down. Unfortunately, not hot enough to dispel the cold. Being in crowded places helped, with the body heat, but he'd still chosen to wear a scarf. It was red against the black of his suit, and he really shouldn't have been doing what he was doing in it. Riley would never have approved. Then again, when did she ever of his Good Samaritan schtick? He stuck a leg out.

A man who'd been running fell neatly onto his face. Crouching down a moment, Aurum extracted the purse from the sweaty male's greasy grip. The man was out cold, but definitely alive. A small trip like that wouldn't kill him. As he turned to catch the purse's owner's attention, he also managed to dual-task in flagging down a police officer.

"Mugger." He nodded to the balding and mildly overweight man. "Didn't mean to bump into him like that. Ah, here's the purse's owner now."

The police officer was about your average height for an African American woman. She wasn't as tall as the woman she turned to. An eyebrow arched as she asked the woman "This your purse?"

She was pissed. So pissed. Not so much about the mugger grabbing her purse on a crowded city street. That, she could have handled. An easy thing, that. She would have caught him and taught him a lesson he'd never have forgotten. And maybe even given him a few honest words of advice. Helped him. Nobody ever said she wasn't a good Samaritan. No, what she was pissed about was Dudley Do-Right's interference. Maybe this guy thought he was something special. A Samaritan. But who was he helping? If she'd done her thing, he wouldn't have been arrested. He'd have made a new contact, gotten some tips, some good advice. She might have even taken him under her wing. Even small-time muggers can become useful. But no, he'd just walked in and played the role of a vigilante like an idiot. If a cop had stopped him, she would have been passive about the whole situation. Neutral. She wouldn't have cared. But his face was familiar. And he was an idiot. So.

"Yeah," Lenna said tightly to the police-woman with the dark skin and darker hair. "It's my purse. Thank you. The situation's resolved itself. I won't be pressing charges." Maybe it'd help if she didn't press charges. Maybe it wouldn't. He'd still been caught red-handed, and her knowledge of American law wasn't so hot. She was so often breaking it. What she knew best were loopholes and clever ways to avoid being detected breaking said law. And guns. She really knew her guns. Mugger rights, she didn't have a freaking clue about.

The police woman bobbed her head and hauled the guy to his cankles, helping him along without much of a word to either of them. They both seemed alright. None the worse for the wear. They were fine, and could handle themselves.

Lenna's eyes fell on Mr. Annoying. With a sigh, she addressed him, running a hand through her hair. "I would have thought you'd have learned after getting doused by alcohol at the bar that one time. Women don't like you. Especially," she noted seriously, eyes flicking away from his in annoyance. "Right now."

It had been a while ago, and she was a little foggy on the details, having had something traumatic happen to her involving being shocked to near death. It hadn't even been all that near, she remembered. But it had changed everything. The little details like their working relationship after that, she didn't even care. He'd been annoying one of her friends, and eh, he was a pain. Lenna didn't have enough initiative to form an opinion beyond that.

Though she sounded like she knew him, he really didn't remember her. Passed the woman her purse uncertainly, eyeing her warily.

"Do I know you...?" He said slowly. Had she been someone who'd thrown a beer at him? But that didn't even happen... except for that one time with Riley. He didn't make a habit of pissing women off. Unless they were Riley. And-- Well, wait. Something clicked. He brushed it away.

He'd got her purse back. As far as he was concerned, the conversation was over. If she wanted to start a fight, she could do that. But it'd be with the wall. He'd be long gone.

There were two different reactions she had that happened simultaneously. One was a subtle pride at having been stealthy enough to remain forgotten. Another was a flash of annoyance at him having not remembered her. As she recalled it, she'd likely given him the incentive. But then, she had only met him the one time, and while she was better about remembering things, he obviously was only human, and forgot. She forgave him his weakness, but not entirely.

"We only met the one time," She shrugged one shoulder, the one her purse was dangling from, and didn't meet his eyes. "You were bothering a friend." She supposed the woman had been a friend. At least, to Lori. They hadn't really spent enough time together to be best buds. "She tossed a drink in your face. And then I left." A basic summary. Not too in-depth. Again, it was a long time ago, and if he didn't remember, that was fine, though why she was giving him the summary at all was beyond her. The man was an idiot, not worth her time.

"Oh, you mean my girlfriend." Aurum snapped. He suddenly realized he'd snapped at the realization, and quickly stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. "That's the only time I've had a drink stuffed in my face. So it kind of stands out."

The entire night, he couldn't recall. Just that he'd helped Riley home, he remembered. And something else. Ah, but it didn't matter. "I still don't remember you, I'm afraid." He confessed.

What? Was this some sort of situation where she baited him with being a witch, then tried to get his interest so she could lure him out for conversation and drinks? He couldn't see much point in the conversation, other than idle chatter, because that possibility wasn't happening.

"It's fine," She found herself shrugging again. "Don't worry about it. It was a long time ago." Her ego wasn't weak enough something as small as being forgotten bruised it. To change the subject, she said "I can't believe that woman is your girlfriend..."

It didn't make sense. The guy was an idiot. Stopping muggers with his leg.

A hand brushed through her hair as she sighed. "Next time you see a mugger, don't stick your leg out to stop him. I'd hate to give you the wrong idea and see that woman sad."

Even if he was an idiot, she'd liked the woman enough to tell him that.

On the outside, he gave no hint of being upset about what she'd said. Nowhere would you have found a straighter face. But inside, a vein on his forehead twitched as one eye squinted and he stared at her under his dark rain cloud like she was a freaking idiot. "Why is it people always tell me that..." He muttered with a sigh. A hand casually ran across his forehead to his hair.

"Maybe because it's good advice and playing the hero will get you killed," Lenna said to him, before turning away. It didn't seem like there was anything more to talk about with this man.

"Bull crap," Aurum spat. Lenna paused. "If I hadn't stuck my foot out, he'd have gotten away. I can take care of myself. And doing nothing is worse than trying something, even if you fail."

It was a flawed ideology, and one that would definitely get him killed if he tried it out on the wrong people. Not all muggers lacked guns or knives, and not all criminals appreciated being stopped. None, in fact. Something she didn't think he truly realized. And even if he had stopped a mugger and saved her purse, it was just a purse. If he'd gotten killed on account of something she easily could have managed, that blood would have been on her hands.

She wanted to slap him. Instead, Lenna walked on.

Her voice drifted back to him over her shoulder. "Whatever gets you through the night."

She had said her piece. There was nothing more she could say to a lost cause. Saying more would just prolong a pointless conversation.

She thought it was a pointless conversation. Aurum disagreed. "You should be thanking me," His voice was heated as he took a step after her, clearly in the wrong, but missing the fact. He hadn't yet made the appropriate connections to deduce his wrongness. "Your purse is back. If I hadn't stuck my neck out, you'd be down your money. Your purse. And given a whole lot of trouble over a stupid little mugging!"

What the hell was wrong with her? What the hell was wrong with everyone? Why did they keep telling him being a nice guy was equivalent to finishing last?!

He never saw it coming. She moved fast. Caught his arm, and got behind him, pinning his arm behind Aurum's back and forcing him down.

The police were out of sight. The street was deserted enough she could get away with it. Though it didn't matter. She would have done her demonstration, regardless of whether it was right or wrong.

"Get out of it." Her voice was hard. "Prove me wrong." She waited a minute. He wasn't in a position to struggle, let alone get himself free. One corner of her mouth turned up in ruthless amusement. "Thought so."

Aurum tumbled as Lenna shoved him forward roughly, releasing his arm.

"If you thought I was helpless," the woman sneered. "What about some lame-brain thug you try to stop on the street. It doesn't take skill or brains to use a knife or pull a trigger."

It was a lesson. A harsh one. And as he rubbed his arm, he decided it was a fair one. "Yeah, okay." He fired back. His ego might have been bruised just a little. "Maybe this way of helping isn't the best one..."

She snorted derisively at his injured pride. "There are so many better ones," She commented wryly. "Like carrying a gun and going vigilante. Or doing something about the cause, not just the problem. Or even becoming a cop. Not," She caught his eye as she said it. "That I'm telling you to do any of that. Nor am I soap-boxing. But at least then, you'd have some form of protection, rather than your colossally over-sized head."

"Now, if you'll excuse me." She said, before he'd had a chance to respond to that. Briskly, she walked away leaving him to scratch his head.

(( /end ))