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Dusk in Hell's Kitchen. Most young women with any sense - at least the ones who don't live here - are well out of the neighborhood before there's even the threat of sunset. Danielle Rand, on the other hand, has business here. Or at least she has potential business. Yesterday was one of the day when she dives into Rand-Meachum business interests and picks something to look into. One of the things that caught her eye was a building for sale on this block, currently listed as a tenement. So dusk or not, she's decided to look into the property.
A well-kept blonde walking down the street is an odd enough sight. Add in the trousers and the blouse for more strangeness. Add in the fact that they're both designer and you have the trifecta. This woman clearly doesn't belong here. One hand in her pocket, though, Danny walks up to the gate of the tenement building, giving it a little shake once she's close enough.
*
There are not too many people out on the streets of Hell's Kitchen at this hour. At least, not openly walking down the sidewalk the way that Danny is.
However, a pair of teenagers are. From the opposite direction, a rather oddly-matched pair are making their way towards the abandoned old Holy Ghost Church that lays a short distance beyond the tenement. They're sticking close together, which isn't noteworthy in and of itself. It's what they look like that makes them stick out.
"I admit it. I d-d-did miss hamburgers," Tyrone asides to the young woman he's walking with, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his hooded sweatshirt. He looks like much more of a fit for this neighborhood than even his companion does.
*
Mixed-race couples, whether actual couples or not, do tend to stick out— even in New York. Doubly-so when the dark-skinned young man's companion looks like she *should* be palling around with Danielle more than Tyrone. Still, Tandy seems totally comfortable with the company. The blonde girl is wearing a light jacket over tight white pants and boots, and she's so clean and pale-skinned she almost seems like she's glowing at times. Her silvery giggle carries on the air. "See? I told you it would be worth the effort. We really should manage to do this more often, it's good for you."
*
Danny's first push on the gate is a light one. Just to make sure it's not going to fall down. The second one has a little bit more oomph behind it. Turns out for all the gate isn't very good at its job, it's sturdy. That's…something? "Huh. Well." She starts to brace herself, ready to give the gate a real shove, when she hears voices on the other side of the street.
Now that's an interesting pair. Stepping back from the gate, Danny raises a hand, flashing a smile in their direction. "Hey!" she calls over. "Hey, you guys from around here?"
*
Judging by the way a female voice calling out makes Tyrone freeze mid-step and whip his head up to immediately search for the source, like a gazelle looking for a predator? Yeah, he's probably from around here.
It only takes a second for his posture to relax into something less poised for action, though the fact that Danny is who he sees certainly has him looking apprehensive. He casts a brief look to Tandy before he shrugs a shoulder, edging closer to the edge of the sidewalk. "Yeah ma'am," he calls back, tugging the hood of his sweater down off of his head. "Are you l-l-lost?" The stutter makes him wince.
*
Tandy gives Tyrone's arm a subtle, supportive little hug, then releases it. No sense courting extra disaster. She pulls a hand from her jacket to run her hand through her hair, letting some of it fall to cover the crescent mark around her right eye. Good job, girl. Smooth, natural. "More or less, anyway," she agrees with a pleasant smile. "How can we help? No offense, but you look like you took a wrong turn." Says the blonde white girl from Shaker Heights, OH.
*
"Nope," Danny grins. "I'm exactly where I want to be." Reaching the pair, she holds out a hand. "Danny Rand, Rand-Meachum Enterprises. We've been looking at making some investments in the area. Which, you know, as soon as it comes out of my mouth, that sounds horribly sleazy, doesn't it? Sorry, that's why they don't let me do the business stuff."
Of course, the way she's grinning, it doesn't look like she much cares what "they" let her do. "Honestly, the place looks like a hellhole," she points a thumb over her shoulder. "That the management?"
*
The sidelong look Tyrone gives to Tandy is very much an uncertain one, but he reaches out to shake the hand Danny offers all the same. Refusing would be rude, after all. "Tyrone Johnson," he replies, making a noticable effort not to stutter through his own name. He seems mildly pleased that it worked. "Are you sure you're not lost? Nobody invests in the K-k-kitchen." As soon as he starts stuttering again, the frustration on his face comes right back. Ah, well. It was a good run.
*
The effort and failure earn him a supportive pat on the back from his female companion, anyway, so there's that. "Tandy," she offers, leaving her own last name off because… well… her mom's a well-known fashion model and she doesn't want to deal with any of that. Danny's dress and introduction suggests the possibility of recognition where she doesn't want it. "Tyrone, honestly," she admonishes him lightly for the pessimistic editorial, then looks back towards Danny. "He has a point, though… this is not exactly a neighborhood people are clamoring to put money into. Not if they expect to get it back, anyway." She blinks at the question, craning to look in the direction the thumb indicated. "To be honest, I don't really know the management… We don't live in the building, just the area."
*
"That just means there's less competition," Danny grins to Tyrone, her grip firmer than might be expected from a woman, let alone one of her size. She doesn't seem bothered by the stutter, nodding over to Tandy's explanation. "And we can afford to take a risk," she shrugs, looking over at the building. "Hell, the way that place looks, the city might give us a medal for making sure it doesn't just fall down in the middle of the street."
Turning back to the pair, she tones the thousand-watt smile down a little bit, giving them a more serious look. "Really, though, all joking aside. Place looks…like it could use some investment."
*
Tyrone's grip, conversely, is… not weak, but light and cautious. Definitely the body language of someone who has not had a great deal of luck dealing with people from outside his neighborhood and is still trying to figure out if this time will be different.
"S'long as the p-people who live there don't get kicked out, yeah," Tyrone agrees, returning his hands to his pockets and taking a small step back. He isn't hiding behind Tandy, exactly, but he is moving to let her stand just a little closer to Danny than he is. A silent request for her to take point in the conversation.
*
It's a request Tandy seems used to, and she lets Ty step back a little, slipping her hands back into her pockets. "It's not as bad a neighborhood as all that," she muses. "…once you get used to it. A little investment, as you say, in the people that are already here and I think you'd see it pull itself up. Particularly if someone does something about the people actively keeping it down," she adds, with an odd tone to her voice, and a little shift to her shoulders.
*
That last bit from Tandy gets a look from Danny, brow quirking. "One of those situations, huh?" She looks back at the building, idly popping the knuckles on one hand. "Conveniently, there are solutions for that, too. And I wouldn't want to kick people out," she adds to Tyrone. "Though it looks like people are a little tight in there, too. Might have to take a look at more of the area to make a worthwhile investment. You'd never know it from talking to the number-crunchers, but there are some investments that are about more than just money."
*
That gets an enthusiastic nod of agreement from Tyrone. "The people here n-need help," he says, immediately forgetting all about staying quiet. Apparently, Danny is gradually winning him over. "If you've got the cash to b-b-burn, there are way worse places to do it. T-tall mountain to climb, though," he notes in a low voice, casting a quick look around to gauge whether or not the street's still as unoccupied as it feels. "Good people aren't the only ones who see it as an opport-t-tunity."
*
Tandy falls briefly silent as Tyrone gets excited, leaning a little to encourage him back into the conversation, with a… somewhat amused little smile playing about her mouth. She nods agreement. "Rumor is there's a few people around making life difficult for those not so good types, though." She manages not to noticably preen about it, but oh she wants to. She loves those rumors when she catches them.
*
"Well good for them," Danny nods firmly to Tandy. "The world needs heroes. Symbols they can look up to, people to inspire them. But the whole point of giving people something to look up to, something to be inspired by, is so they can take action themselves. Doesn't mean anything if it's just a couple of people acting on their own. Whole neighborhood's got to work for it. That's what'll stop those not so good people," she tips her chin to Tyrone.
Hands in her pockets, she turns a slow circle, getting a look around as the shadows grow. "Not right, people not being able to walk the streets at night, you know?"
*
Tyrone makes a quiet humming noise of agreement and, subtly, reaches over to lay a very light hand between Tandy's shoulderblades. Just in case Danny managed to take a little of the wind out of her sails. "Gotta start somewhere. Most folks are still just sc-scared," he says thoughtfully, lips drawing back into a thin line. After a moment, he (somewhat grudgingly) adds, "The b-bad stuff's a lot easier to notice than the good."
*
The support ends up not being necessary— Tandy's gotten a little more down-to-earth and realistic about things over the last couple of years worth of activity. Street justice seasons a person fast. She nods. "Yeah… and I suppose some judicious resources made available when they're needed helps that right along." She seems pretty happy about the whole exchange, honestly. She manages to stop short of literally glowing, but can't quite keep a sort of feeling of warmth and life from perculating through the conversation. It's really not her fault she still projects a little when she gets excited.
*
"Is it?" Danny looks back to the pair, a crooked smile tugging at one corner of her lips. "I dunno, I think you ought to listen to your girlfriend. The good stuff makes a difference." There's something about the girl's glow. It's not chi, exactly, but it's something that speaks to it. Enough that Danny gives her an oddly searching look for just a moment. "So, these folks standing up to the bad guys around here. They have names?"
*
The hand against Tandy's back gives a very light tap-tap-tap — which halts abruptly at Danny's comment. Tyrone's eyes widen a bit and he hurriedly holds up both of his hands, glancing between the two, but whatever protest he's trying to make isn't making it very far beyond the first syllable.
*
Oh, this is just too good. Tandy beams, and the life force she's not quite able to keep from leaking out amps up a couple of notches on the scale. Still manages to keep herself from *actually* glowing, though. But she *loves* being coy about this stuff, even when it does absolutely *nothing* to kep her being made. Just can't help it— this is the same side of her that leapt at joining the circus that one time. Poor, poor Ty. "Oh, well, you know… there's those rumors about the Devil of Hell's Kitchen you hear from time to time… I've never seen the guy myself. And a few people around here talk about some kind of guardian angel, or a vengeful demon… I don't know, maybe it's just wishful thinking on their part, yeah?" A shrug, and a smile. Can just NOT resist getting coy about it. At all. "You know, if you keep your eyes open, I'm sure you'll come across something eventually." Courage, Tyrone. At least she refrained from winking this time.
*
"Angels and demons, a devil. Sounds like it's a regular battle between heaven and hell up in here." Danny quirks a brow at Tyrone, that grin starting to show up again at the young man's nervousness. "They getting any traction? Like you guys said, not everyone who sees opportunity here's in it to build things up. Things other than their own hidden bank accounts, that is."
*
Poor Tyrone. The suggestion that he and Tandy might be a couple appears to have broken him. He actually physically clamps a hand down over his mouth to try and break the stutter's cycle, holding up one finger on his other hand in a silent sort of I-beg-your-pardon before he turns and takes a couple of steps away. He isn't leaving, just in need of composing himself.
That's okay. Tandy totally has everything under control. Right?
*
Oh, sure, totally under control. Tandy pauses, as Tyrone takes a moment. She can't quite stifle a little bit of a giggle, as she leans towards Danny conspiratorally, pitching her voice down. "You'll have to excuse Ty. I think you broke him a little. We're not actually dating." True. If not the whole story. But that's between the two of them. She tilts her head a little. "Hey, it's not Hell's Kitchen for nothing. But I guess you could say there's some progress. I mean, things have changed since they turned up. Some older bad stuff cleaned up, some new bad stuff to tackle… But they're still around so it's gotta at *least* break even, right? I'd lay odds on better than that, but it's just an opinion."
*
Danny gives Tyrone a look, looking between him and Tandy. "You should make your move, buddy," she says to him in the same tone Tandy used to her. "I'm just saying." She winks, clearing her throat as she turns back to Tandy. "Sounds like a promising move for the neighborhood, then. Might just be worth the investment. If people in the neighborhood are starting to stand up to the trouble-makers themselves, then they just might be ready to take advantage of the opportunities from investment."
*
Tyrone shoots a look over his shoulder, hand still clamped over his mouth. At least he doesn't look irritated or upset. It's hard to tell in the light, but he doesn't even appear to be blushing. Just an exasperated look that would probably be accompanied by an 'oh come on' if he actually trusted himself to be able to speak without the stutter running roughshod over him. As it is, he keeps his mouth firmly shut.
*
Tandy manages not to laugh, this time. She at least owes Tyrone that much. Plus it'll be easier to get off the subject if she doesn't. "Maybe. That sounds like your area of expertise. We're just a couple people getting by in the Kitchen and doing what we can. And doing pretty well, actually. No complaints from me if I'm honest."
*
Danny relents, hands in her pocket as she looks back to the tenement building. "Well. Thanks, you two," she nods after a moment. "That tells me more about whether or not I want to buy this building than any amount of looking at it was going to tell me. Tells me I ought to call the lawyers and get a good read on the neighborhood."
*
It is a completely different kind of wariness on Tyrone's face when he finally edges back over to rejoin the pair, reclaiming his spot next to Tandy. Deep breaths, buddy. "If you decide t-to try, I hope you can help," he tells Danny with a small smile, keeping his words a slow and short. "We could use some more help out here."
*
Tandy bobs her head once, smiling sunnily. "Glad we could help out," she chirps. "Sounds like we'll be seeing you around soon enough— you don't sound much like an absentee investor to me. It's been nice meeting you, Ms. Rand. We should probably get along on our way before it gets much later."
*
"Oh, I dunno." Danny grins, walking backwards from the pair - deeper into the Kitchen. "The way you two make it sound, this place only gets more interesting late at night." She winks, raising a hand in a cheerful salute. "Nice meeting you Tandy, Tyrone. I've got a feeling you're right. I'll see you around."