"Awww" Rayne said somberly as the waitress fled from his touch and coin. The timid ones were always much more difficult to befriend and he accepted that, given the situation, she would get to elude him this time.<br/><br/>By the time his attention had returned from the fleeing waitress, he had noticed that Gero was heading for the table with members of the kittygirl gang. "Hold on, you don't want to-" His warning came too late as he was mauled by the group of topless thugs. All Rayne could do is look on with an expression that was an even mix of empathy and wariness.  He didn't dare close in to assist knowing that they would have been done with Gero by the time he got there and would have been more than happy to do the same to him. Granted, his skills at martial arts would help to defend himself and possibly even overpower them, but not before they had a chance to get some good hits in and Rayne felt like he would much rather not get hit in the balls today.<br/><br/>Once the mugging passed, Rayne walked over to his fallen companion and gingerly helped him up and back to the table.  "At least I have enough of an idea of what's going to know that neko gangs are forming so that they can defend themselves from us males. I learned this lesson much the same way you did just now, so don't let it get to you."  Once Gero was in his seat, the monk would then return to his. "This brings me to the next issue that I've noticed. The unrest in this city is nearing a breaking point and the neko gangs are getting more bold. We best stay alert because it get the impression something is about to give, I just don't know what yet"<br/><br/>Rayne looked back to the kitchen and got the impression the server would not grace them with her presence again this day. "Perhaps we should look for food and drink elsewhere; might as well get started with the job while we're at it.  With all the mercenaries in the area, this place is a hotbed for gossip and leads that any fair-weather eavesdropper could mine for its potential wealth. Sound like a plan?"