(When we timeskip to the next day, do you want to start? If not, I can.)

(I’ll start. Give me a minute...)

(Hello! And sure thing.)

{The next day, in the morning, Lucci was in the streets, walking down towards the markets. He was looking intently at all the vendors, seemingly seeking something.}

Armin and Rex were also in the market, browsing. Unlike Lucci, they obviously weren't searching for anything in particular.

While Rex was busy examining some wares, Armin glanced up and noticed Lucci walking in their direction. He raised a hand in greeting. //Are you looking for something?// he said telepathically, to make sure Lucci would hear him over the market noise.

{Lucci smiled and nods to Armin.}

Lucci: //Oh, I'm going to go visit Dianne today, and I've heard it's customary to bring food. So, I'm looking for the biggest game fowl available. How about you?//

//Oh, we're just looking around, enjoying this nice morning,// said Armin. //I don't need to buy anything, but it's always interesting to see what's up for sale.// He was making his telepathic speech audible to Rex as well, so the other vampire would know who he was talking to.

Lucci: //That’s nice. Exactly what would you see that would make you think, “I have to have that”?//

//Well, I don't plan on buying anything, no matter how nice it looks,// said Armin. //There's really nothing I need. And I'm pretty good at not impulse-buying stuff. By the way, if you're looking for food vendors, most of them are over there,// he added, indicating the northern end of the market.

Lucci: //I know. I can see them from here, remember? I’m just making these movements and gestures to appear normal. Looks like that one on the southern corner has the biggest goose. Thirty pounds. Seems good to me. On an unrelated note, may I ask you a question?//

//Huh, I keep forgetting you can do that. You do a really good job of seeming normal. And sure, what is it?//

Lucci: //Why do you hate Ivy? You and Dianne were throwing all kinds of shade last night. Is it because she’s always dating and flirting?//

//I don't HATE Ivy,// Armin replied without hesitation. //She was a loyal ally when we were fighting against Sargon, and I respect that. I just like making fun of her sometimes. She spends all her time trying to force people to go out with her, and honestly, I just find her lifestyle kind of pathetic.//

Lucci: //Give the girl a break, she’s /nineteen/ for heaven’s sake. She’s still in that ‘young and stupid ‘ phase, and all her old friends and family were taken from her very suddenly. She probably just doesn’t want to be alone.//

Armin took a moment to consider this. //Yeah. Maybe she'll grow out of it. I know she's young and that lots of young people are like her. I'll try not to judge her lifestyle so quickly. Although, just wondering, why do /you/ care how I talk to Ivy?//

Lucci: //I’m concerned about all my allies. I fear if her current relationship fails, which is well within the realm of possibility, she might not take your teasing all too well. After all, she’s already shot you over it.//

//True, but I don't think she'd do something that stupid again,// said Armin. //But don't worry. I won't make fun of her. Unless she's /really/ asking for it...//

Lucci: //Thank you. When you do insult her again, and I know you will, do try not to verbally evicerate her, ok?//
{Lucci then starts to walk towards the vendor with the geese.}

//That goes for you too, Rex. No breaking arms, biting people, or calling people hoes. Ok?//

Rex blinked. //I would never,// he replied. //Unless it was necessary.//

Armin watched Lucci walk away. After a moment, he decided not to follow, and instead returned his attention to browsing the market, though he could still talk to Lucci telepathically. //So, what are you going to visit Dianne for?// he asked.

Lucci: //As you know, I'm her acting therapist. So, I'm going to see how she's doing, to diffuse the "angry farmer" situation that will take place this afternoon, and have dinner with her.//

//Angry farmer situation? I'm not sure whether I want to ask about that or not...// said Armin.

{Lucci communicates with Armin while buying his goose.}

//She has told you about her irate neighbors, hasn't she? Well, today's the day one has too many drinks and tries to threaten a literal civilization killer with a shotgun. So, I need to make sure that she doesn't pull his head off...Or Titan stepping on him...Or a centaur pulling his limbs off.//

Armin laughed. //Well, good luck with that, then,// he replied. //Maybe I'll fly over when it happens... It sounds like it could be funny to watch.//

Lucci: //If you don’t want to miss the show, then come by at three today. It’s bound to be a hoot. Just try not to kill him yourselves. He’s going to be spouting some fairy abrasive things.//

//I'll be around. And don't worry, I won't hurt him. I've heard so many racists and bigots in my life that I'm kinda desensitised to it. I'll probably find it funny more than offensive.//

Lucci: //Good. I'm sure I don't need to tell you why a dead farmer will bring a lot of trouble.//
{Lucci starts to walk back, goose in hand.}
//I'm heading there now, so I guess I see you all later.//}

//I'll fly over around three,// Armin replied. He then turned to Rex.

'So, are you going to apply for that job at the bar or not?'

'I suppose I should,' Rex sighed. 'I need /something/ to do, and I have a lot of experience of being in bars, if nothing else.'

The two of them continued wandering through the market, browsing stalls and chatting.

(You can have someone else interact with them if you like; if not, I'll skip ahead to the afternoon!)

(I'll throw someone at them.)

{Lucci departs with his goose. Shortly after, Jerry comes walking into the market.}

Jerry: "Hey, Armin, Rex. How are you?"

Armin looked up in surprise at being spoken to, then smiled. 'Hey, Jerry. Haven't seen you in a while. What've you been up to lately?'

Jerry: "Oh, nothing in particular. Just been working on cases. Most of them have been pretty ordinary. Investigating cheating partners and locating daughters who have run off with their dirt-bag boyfriends. How about you? Done anything interesting lately?'

'Sounds uneventful, but maybe that's a good thing. You can take a break from all of the weird magical and murder stuff,' said Armin with amusement. 'I haven't been doing much. Thinking of finding a job, but I don't know what I'd even do. Oh, and I had drinks with Dianne last night. That's the most interesting thing I've done lately.'

Jerry: "Yeah, it has been a nice break from all that. Oh, you two are talking again? That's good. No hard feelings, right?"

'Not at all,' Armin replied. 'We both screwed up. We both apologised. It doesn't matter anymore. What happened last week was just a series of mistakes.' He paused, then added, 'Also, Dianne and I /might/ be heading off on a dangerous expedition soon. That could be interesting.'

Jerry: "Yeah, you definitely could have handled that better. Dangerous expedition? Why? And where? I would think you'd be adventured out, at least for a good while."

Armin smirked. 'Because of the rumours of Triticum's tavern. I don't know if you know this, but Triticum's the guy who invented the ale we all drank at the party last month. According to legend, he built a tavern on top of a snowy mountain, where no-one would find it. We're going to ask Lucci if the rumours are true, and if they are, then we're planning to travel to the mountain and bring back as many bottles of liquor as we can.'

{Jerry just looks incredulous, then facepalms and chuckles.}

Jerry: "Of course it would be liquor that would bring you two together. Yes, I'm familiar with the tale. If it's true, it sure isn't close. Are you sure you want to take that kind of journey?"

'Why not?' said Armin lightly. 'Ever since we beat Sargon, I've just been hanging around in this city, doing nothing. A little adventure would do me good. I'm just hoping the rumours are true.'

Jerry: "Because wherever it is could be even farther than Ferros. You'll have to be on this journey for weeks, with Dianne and her draugrs as your only company, feeding on whatever wildlife you can find. Are you sure that's what you would want to do?"

'Look, I know it could be long and dangerous,' said Armin. 'I know it's probably not going to be fun all the time. But it's better than staying here with nothing interesting to do, and I really want some of that Akhetian Ale. Besides, I've survived a lot - I can handle it.'

{Jerry just shakes his head, grinning.}

Jerry: "Sure, but can you survive living alone with Dianne for weeks at a time? Think you'll get sick of each other's company?"

'I don't get sick of people that easily,' said Armin. 'As long as we can keep things civil and she doesn't try to kill me over some trivial argument, I think I'll be fine. She'll probably get sick of /me,/ though.'

Jerry: "Yeah, you'll probably be fine. I doubt she'll get sick of you, unless you're unbelievably annoying to be around."

'See? Everything will be alright. And no, I'm not /that/ annoying to be around. Or at least, I like to think so.'

'It depends on the situation,' said Rex, speaking up for the first time. 'If you're climbing up a snowy mountain and complaining about the cold the whole way, then she might get annoyed with you.'

{Jerry just laughs.}

Jerry: "Yeah, she'll likely already be agitated from the cold. If you do have complaints, try to keep them to yourself. Actually, Rex, you're not going with them?"

'I considered going,' said Rex. 'I'm not sure I trust Armin and Dianne to be around each other without trying to kill each other... but I don't really enjoy the idea of travelling for weeks on end with an unpredictable dragon. Also, I hate the cold even more than Armin does. I'd rather just stay here and wait for them to come back with the liquor.'

'I had to promise him that I wouldn't get into any fights with Dianne,' added Armin.

Jerry: "Yes...You two fighting is a real concern. Not to mention she'll have you outnumbered...But, she seems to be doing better. I'm sure you'll be fine."

'If the worst happens, I can shift into hawk form and fly away,' said Armin. 'I doubt she or the draugrs would be able to catch up with me. But I'm not worried. She was sorry for what happened last week, so I don't think we'll start fighting again unless there's a really good reason for it.'

Jerry: "That's good to hear. I don't think she likes flying off the handle like that, but she can't always help herself."

{Jerry looks around, taking in the scene of the market.}

"Well, I need to go look into another case, so I'm going to go get Ivy. Might need her to watch my back on this one."

'Alright. I'll see you around,' said Armin. 'Hopefully Ivy isn't too busy with her newest boyfriend to help you out.'

Jerry: "I'm hoping she's free. Besides, it's her job. Ok, see you around, guys."

{With that, Jerry walks off.}

Armin nodded at Jerry in farewell as he left.

'Well, I don't think there's anything interesting for sale here,' he said thoughtfully. 'I think I'm going to go visit Fred, I heard he's got the day off. I'll see you at three this afternoon.'
'What am I supposed to do until then?' said Rex.

'Go apply for that job at the bar. You know you need it.' Without another word, Armin shifted into hawk form and took off over the city.

(So, what now? Should we skip, or have Jerry run into Ivy?)

(Hmmm... let's skip to the afternoon.)

(Ok.)

{It was the afternoon at Dianne's manor. Dianne was inside, talking with Lucci, who had been there for a little while now.}

Dianne: "...So, we just had a few drinks and talked. Nothing too big."

Lucci: "Yes, and that's good. However, it might have been a little inappropriate to grill Ivy's date like that."

Dianne: "Oh please. I just wanted to know what kind of man would actually find /Ivy/ desirable."

In the city, standing outside the royal palace, Armin was chatting with Frederick.

'So, you live here now?' he asked, looking up at the palace.

'Yes,' said Fred. 'The King was kind enough to give me a room, since I'm working here. Actually, I think he just wants to give people the impression that he trusts non-humans now.'

'Well, he might stop trusting you pretty soon. Have you decided whether you're coming or not?'

'I need to think on it, but I'll tell you soon.'

Armin nodded, said goodbye, and flew away. Three o' clock wasn't far away, and he wanted to get over to the plains.

While flying there, he was joined by Rex in raven form, who silently accompanied him out of the city.

Upon spotting Dianne's place below, Armin swooped down and landed in a tree just outside the front of the house. //Nothing seems to be happening yet,// he thought. //We'll wait. Maybe we can eavesdrop on whatever she and Lucci are talking about in there...//

(Oh, out of curiosity, for the Caelum City RP, do I need to detail spells and abilities if my character uses magic? From what I understand, the RP does not emphasize combat, so I'm not sure if this would be important to mention.)

{Like clockwork, right at 3pm, a beat up looking truck comes barreling down the road, swerving and skidding. As it approaches the house, it swerves a little too much to the right and hits a tree. The sound causes Titan to peek his head out of the barn nearby, which housed the remaining draugrs from the Shacklestone War.}

Dianne: "Lucci, she's totally immoral. All she cares about is-
What the hell was that?"

Lucci: "Right on time. Please wait here."

Dianne: "Lucci, what's going on?"

Lucci: "Just wait here."

(You should mention what kinds of magic powers they have, but you don't have to go super into detail (unless you want to). Just a basic description of what they can do is fine.)

When the truck appeared, Armin flew up onto the roof of the barn to get a better view. //Woah! He just smacked into that tree over there,// he said telepathically to Rex, who had chosen to land on the roof of the house instead. //Yeah, he's definitely drunk.//

(Ok, thanks. My first ref will be coming soon.)

{Out of the wrecked vehicle fell a rough and unkempt farmer, grasping a shotgun, double barrel. He gets to his feet and starts to shamble towards the house. Upon seeing this, Titan begins to advance. However, Lucci appears from behind a nearby tree and addresses the man.}
Farmer: "I..Uhh...Where's tha' witch....Gonna teach 'er....Disrespectin' me...."

Lucci: "I'll take that."

{Lucci raises his hand, causing the shotgun to fly from the man's hand to Lucci. Upon grabbing the gun, Lucci proceeds to melt it, leaving it as a pool of molten metal at his feet. The Farmer just blinks in disbelief.}

Farmer: "...Dern liquor sto' slipped me a mickey..."

Armin and Rex continued to watch the scene unfold from the rooftops. //He's unarmed, and he must have noticed Titan by now,// Armin mused. //If he was sober, I bet he'd run. But since he's completely off his rocker, he probably won't. Hmm.//

Lucci: “Can I help you, sir?”

Farmer: “....I need ta talk...with...zombie lady....she nee’ta go....this here’s farmer land...”

Lucci: “Yeah, that’s not happening. The police are on their way.”

{Just then, Dianne comes out of the house.}

Dianne: “What the hell is going on out here?”

Farmer: “You! You don’t...belong... go back to the Grey Mountains, you...you...lizard! Cow eatin’ Lizard!”

Armin snorted with amusement. //Lizard. That's about the most uncreative insult for a dragon in history. Can't people think of anything better?//

//What are you going to do with him?// Rex said telepathically to Lucci. //Just keep him here until the police arrive?//

Lucci: //Pretty much. Got a better idea?//

{Dianne blinks a few times.}

Dianne: “Mr Kaliso? Are drunk? And what the hell are you talking about? The king gave me this house. I belong here just as much as you do.”

Mr. Kaliso: “I...I don’t care what the king did...there’s no place here fo’ monsters here. I have a...cow business...and I don’t need ya gobblin’ them all up.”

Dianne: “Look, pal, I don’t eat livestock that isn’t mine. Also, I wouldn’t eat yours, because Mad Cow Disease disagrees with me.”

//No. I was just wondering what you were planning to do,// replied Rex. //Though, how do the police even know what's going on? I didn't see you call them or anything.//

Armin said nothing, just sat on the edge of the roof and observed the scene below with an amused grin.

Lucci: //I called them ten minutes before he or you showed up, so they would get here in an actually timely manner.//

Mr Kaliso: "Mad wha? You trying ta foo' me like one o' them hypnotic sh!tsuckers? Them red eyed, boy band lookin', wife stealin' vampires?
Dianne: "...What? In what universe are vampires hypnotic? What are you going on about?"

Mr. Kaliso: "All I's sayin' is that none o' you circus freaks r' welcome here. An' I brought a gun ta get you out, but I lost it somewhere.."

Dianne: "....Are you threatening me, Mr. Kaliso?"

(New roooom)