Armin gave a slight shrug. 'You don't need to do that. Though... if you have any idea what the dam.n thing was saying to me, and /why,/ I'd appreciate some sort of explanation.'

Lucci: "Yeah...so, when it said it accepted your offering, it was referring to you killing Alicia. Because you killed her, an agent of the light, in defense of Dianne, his acolyte, he just wanted to welcome you as her guardian. So, basically, he approves of your relationship now."

'Oh, how /sweet,'/ said Armin, with a touch of sarcasm. 'Well, at least he does approve, and doesn't want to murder me, I guess... What about the rest of it?'

He was trying not to bring forth the image of Janet in his mind.

Lucci: "About that...He wants you to make peace with your dead wife ASAP and fully commit to Dianne. He tried to bring her forward from the land of the dead, so you could talk to her, but, he saw it just freaked you out, so he stopped half way...."

Armin grimaced. 'I guess I can understand that. Yeah, I'm going to talk to her... as soon as Dianne is well enough to do the ritual for me... Honestly, I've been procrastinating on it, because... I guess I'm afraid of what she might say. But I want closure... I have to say goodbye, if nothing else. Just so that I can close that chapter, so to speak...'

Lucci: "Yes, that would be for the best. Say your goodbyes and have closure. I promise, she will understand."

'Alright...' Wearing a pensive expression, Armin turned to stare at the alley wall, instead of at Lucci. It was a few seconds before he spoke again.
'Anyway... you need to talk about anything else?'

Lucci: "One last thing. Rex. He can't be getting drunk like that. Any percieved threat to Esme, even Rex will likely be dealt with permanently. You gotta make sure that doesn't happen very often, or you might wake up one day and find Rexin a bad way."

'He's not a threat,' said Armin. 'He's just an idiot. In any case, I do try my best to stop that from happening. Are you suggesting Dianne would kill him just for getting drunk? I know she's protective of Esme, but even I have a hard time believing that.'

Lucci: "I don't mean Dianne, I mean the aspect. Look, you don't know how important Dianne is to the aspect, or the consequences if something happens to Esme. Dianne is one of two remaining acolytes, and if Esme dies, it's game over. I know Rex won't do anything to her, but the aspect thinks otherwise, and is not pleased with his behavior."

'Fine... I'll make sure he knows that. Honestly, the incident the other night was kind of a one-off. He doesn't get drunk like that anymore.'

He looked up at the sky, contemplating.

'Anything else the /Aspect/ wants us to know, or is that all?'

Lucci: "That's it. You can get on with your errands now. Good day to you, Armin."

{With that he begins to walk away.}

""By the way, getting Rex a guitar is a wonderful idea. With how happy Dianne's been, she might just start singing with his tunes. I've tried for so long to get her singing again..."

Armin looked back at Lucci with a thoughtful expression. 'Huh, really? Yeah, that reminded me... I need to take him out to get one soon...'

He shifted to hawk form and leapt back into the sky. //Well, thanks for coming,// he added. //I appreciate you being the Death's Aspect translator. I never understand what that thing is muttering about.//

Lucci: //Yeah, that thing is terrible at expressing what it wants. I'm more than happy to help with that.//

{Lucci disappears from sight entirely, leaving Armin to continue with his day.}

(I guess we skip to Pythia now?)

(Yeah, you can start with that, if you want.)

{Later that afternoon, Pythia was once again out and about, looking for a suitable property to buy. As promised by Frederick, Ryder was with her, just in case Crowley came back.}

Pythia: "Well...there's one property on Rancher Ave I think we should go to first."

Ryder was walking alongside her in human form, gazing around in a relaxed but alert manner. 'You're looking for something pretty big, right?' he said as they began to head for Rancher Avenue. 'Are you going to turn it into a sort of makeshift hospital?'

Pythia: "Sort of...It's pretty clear that Murphy is useless, and the people here are unlikely to leave me alone, so I'll need the space to help them when they inevitably come. What else can I do?"

'You're a generous one, to keep helping them even though it's not your job anymore. Although, I guess you don't have much choice either way... They'll keep coming no matter what.'

Ryder fell silent, following Pythia and dutifully keeping an eye out for danger.

Pythia: "Helping people is all I know. When others need help, I can't just send them away..."

{Walking up to the property, Pythia looks through the wrought iron gate. It was a large, two story house with spacious unkempt gardens. The exterior was all white marble, but the building seemed in minor disrepair.}

Pythia: "Well...it's certainly large..."

Ryder gazed up at the building.

'It could use a bit of work to get it looking nicer. Nothing too major, though. You could move in and live there comfortably enough. Is this the one you're going for?'

While they inspected it, a pair of gleaming yellow eyes observed them from the shadows of another house's front garden. Ryder hadn't noticed yet.

Pythia: "I think so...It's nice. It's spacious. Let's have a look inside."

{Walking up to the front gate, she takes the key out of the lockbox and enters the grounds.}

Ryder calmly walked after her. In the shadows, moving almost silently, Crowley sneaked around to the back of the house and started inspecting the windows.

//Heh... what if I just... climbed through here and ambushed her inside the place? Oh yeah, that would scare her. Little wimp...//

{Completely unaware of her stalker, Pythia opens the front door. The inside was dark and dusty, with white walls and tile floors.}

Pythia: "Tile. Well, that'll make it easy to clean."

{She walks inside, looking around curiously.}

Pythia: "Hmm...I think this will do well...I'll have to furnish it, however..."

'Well, if you need any extra furniture, I've got a few old things I don't need anymore. I'd be happy for you to take them off my hands,' said Ryder, looking around the place. 'It does seem like it will suit you well.'

Pythia: "I would appreciate that, Ryder. I don't have much in the way of furniture."

{Moving to the stairwell, she takes in the size of the place.}

Pythia: "Hmm...Now, what to do with the second floor?"

'If there are spare bedrooms up here, you could use them for housing patients overnight. Like, the ones that need extra watching... Maybe you could also have a storeroom, for medical stuff? I don't really know what you need. But at least you'll never have to worry about lack of space.'

Pythia: "That's a great idea. Next time we all need to huddle under one roof, I can accomodate everyone."

{She then surveys the top floor, nodding in the approval.}

Pythia: "Ok, I like it. I'll have to contact the owner."

Before they could go back downstairs, they heard a clicking of claws. Suddenly, a familiar dark-blue shape appeared from the stairwell, walking confidently up towards them.

'Heeeey, it's my old pal Pythia! What a coincidence, I was just wondering if you'd go outside today...'

Ryder did not look surprised. He calmly pulled out a handgun and aimed it at Crowley. 'You're to stop harassing Pythia now. Boss's orders.'

{Pythia's expression dropped when she saw Crowley.}

Pythia: "Crowley!? Why do you keep bothering me? I told you, I don't want to fight with you! Whay can't you just leave me alone!"

'Weeell... It's just fun to mess with you 'cuz you NEVER fight back,' said Crowley, grinning. 'You're so weak and cowardly, I bet you wouldn't even fight to protect your stupid friends, would you?'

Ryder kept his gun aimed at Crowley, but was reluctant to cause bloodshed and damage inside the house unless Crowley attacked first.

Pythia: "I am /not/ a coward! And I'm not weak! You're just an a$$hole!"

{She yells at him, fists clenched and shaking from anger.}

Pythia: "Of course I'd help my friends! At least I have friends!"

Crowley rolled his eyes, looking arrogantly confident and completely unfazed by her anger.

'You're acting tough today... Come on, everyone knows you're a weakling. Last time you saw me, I didn't even hurt you, and you ran off screaming like a five-year-old girl,' he taunted.

Pythia: "Well, I didn't say you could climb on my back, now did I? But you did anyway! Just leave me alone Crowley! There'a a reason no one wants you around!"

'You think I'm gonna leave you alone just 'cuz you /ask/ me to? Yeah, sorry, it's not that simple.'

He took a step closer, pausing when Ryder cleared his throat.

'Hey, I suggest you get out of here and don't talk to Pythia again. Unless you like being shot.'

{Pythia closes her eyes and sighs, remembering everything Frederick said.}

Pythia: "Crowley, if I fought you, and kicked your butt, would you finally leave me alone?"

Crowley blinked, then narrowed his eyes.

'...Maaaybe,' he said. 'Because I guess if you weren't such a wuss, it wouldn't be so fun anymore...'

{Pythia just hangs her head and sighs.}

Pythia: "Fine. If that's what it'll take to get you out of my life...Let's go outside and settle this then."

{She starts to walk for the stairs, secretly dreading what she had just agreed to. It was her hope that maybe she could just push him around a little with her wards and water, and he'd give up.}

Crowley gave a loud cackle and bounded down the stairs, leading the way outside.

'Be careful,' said Ryder in a quiet warning tone. 'If he's fighting you, I might not be able to shoot him without risking hitting you, too. The best I can do is shift and try to pull him away.'

Pythia: "I know. But, Fred's right.I need to defend myself. Or, at least try to..."

{She then follows Crowley outside to fight him.}

Crowley made his way to a deserted back street outside the house. It was large enough for Pythia to shift to dragon form.

'OK, big talker,' said Crowley, standing twenty feet away and shifting from foot to foot. 'Let's see how long it takes for you to run off crying again.'

{Looking determined, Pythia raises her hands, summoning two torrents of water.}

Pythia: "Just try it, Crowley. You can't hurt me."

Crowley snorted. 'Water? That's your grand weapon? You're gonna get me /damp?/ Yeah, that's gonna work out well for you.'

He teleported, appearing above Pythia, and diving down towards her with talons extended.

{In response, Pythia flinched and put her arms up. However, the torrents followed the motion of her arms and effectively swatted Crowley out of the air. Seeing what just happened, Pythia quickly straightened up and spoke in stuttering confidence.}

Pythia: "Uhh...y-yeah! Take that! Had enough yet?"

Crowley landed heavily with a skid, but on his feet. He shook himself vigorously to dry his feathers. Then, without saying anything, he teleported behind Pythia and jumped on her back like he'd done before. Except this time, he clung on and started raking his claws, leaving deep scratches in her back and shoulders.

{Pythia screams, falling over. She pulls herself into a ball and summons a domal ward over herself, separating her from Crowley. Looking rattled, she sits up under the safety of the ward.}

Pythia: "T-that was a c-cheap move!"

Crowley paced around her in a circle, just outside her ward. 'Yeah, well, everything you do is a cheap move! All you do is hide behind shields. What, afraid of breaking a nail?' he mocked.

Pythia: "Haven't you heard that saying? The best offense is a good defense? Well....that!"

{She rapidly expands the ward to shove Crowley away before dropping it entirely.}

Crowley grunted as he was shoved backwards, before pausing to eye her up.

'You're a freakin' dragon! You're supposed to like fighting!' he yelled from twenty feet away. 'That weirdo Dianna, or whatever her name is, was more fun than you. 'Least she made an effort...'

Pythia: "No, western dragons and shifter dragons like to fight. My kind are more benevolent in nature. And if Dianne is more fun than me, why don't you go bug her?"

Crowley grinned nastily. 'Oooohoho, so you want me to go and attack your friends instead of you? Some good friend you are,' he said mockingly.

{At that, Pythia just face palms.}

Pythia: "That's not what I meant....I wish you'd just leave us all alone..."

Crowley scowled a little, getting bored of talking. He teleported behind her again, reaching up and wrapping an arm around her neck. He seemed to think that if he held on tight enough, she wouldn't be able to push him away with a ward.

{Pythia half chokes out a yelp, falling over under his weight. She creates another ward between him and her back, trying to use it to pry him off of her.}

Pythia: "This....Hgk...Is harrassment!"

'You agreed to fight me, you little wimp!' Crowley exclaimed. When she activated her ward, he doubled his grip on her neck in an attempt to stay on. 'Whatcha gonna do if someone who /really/ wants you dead comes along, huh?'

{Getting frustrated with Crowley, Pythia shifts to break his grip.}

Pythia: "I don't know! I don't want to fight anyone, I don't want to kill anyone, so just leave me ALONE!"

{Eyes, glowing, she summons a massive torrent of water from breaking an underground main. The water erupts from the ground and she sends it at Crowley, looking to sweep him away down the street.}

Crowley managed a quick, surprised yelp before the flood smashed into him. He flailed for a moment before his wings became too waterlogged to fly. He didn't seem to realise that he could just teleport out. Halfway down the street, he managed to free himself by grabbing hold of a tree and clawing his way up.

//Urgh... This is no fun, I wanna actually FIGHT someone...//

He turned to look back at Pythia, and defiantly flipped her off before teleporting out of sight.

{Breathing heavily, Pythia looked around for Crowley, an unusually agressive look in her eyes.}

Pythia: "Where is that rat-bast.ard...."

Ryder had shifted too, primarily to avoid being swept aside by the water. He gazed at her with a hint of concern. 'If you actually wanted to deck him, you missed your chance. I think he gave up and left.'

{Pythia just sighs, then looks up at the water gushing out of the main.}

Pythia: "Oh, cr.ap..."

{Using her magic, she tries to force the water back in the hole, but the pressure is too great.}

Pythia: "Uuuuhhhh....Ryder, help!"

Ryder eyed the water running onto the street. 'What do I look like, a repairman? What am I supposed to do?'

Pythia: "I don't know, I don't know! OOooohhhhh....I just got carried away......"

{She starts desperately looking around, fidgeting like a child who just broke a vase and was expecting their parents to walk in at any moment.}

Pythia: "What do we do?!"

Ryder looked around, momentarily silent as he spotted one of Fred's relay members flying overhead.

'...OK, it's going to be fine. Someone reported the main breaking and maintenance people are coming over to fix it. Let's just make ourselves scarce... You're lucky Fred is liked by the king, so he can bail you out of trouble.'

{Looking on the verge of tears, Pythis shifts back and nods.}

Pythia: "O-ok..."

{She then starts to briskly walk back for Fred's house.}

Ryder stayed close behind her, keeping an eye out for Crowley, but he was nowhere to be seen. When they arrived back, Fred was in the living room, with a hard to read expression.

'When I suggested you should defend yourself, I wasn't saying you should start destroying the city's water system.'

(Lmao, she's going to run off to her room again. XD)

{Rubbing her arm nervously, she looks down and begins to explain herself.}

Pythia: "I know...I know....I just...I panicked...I didn't know what else to do, and he was being so agressive....I just got mad...."

(Oh dear. XD)

'Well, yes. From what I heard, you successfully drove him off. But next time, please try to do it in a way that doesn't involve causing that much damage. I can't always make excuses to stop the king from having you arrested.'

(Dianne: "If they arrest Pythia for defending herself, I'm about to tear this whole sh!t kingdom down.)

{Pythia nods, lip quivering and tears starting to form.}

Pythia: "I understand....I'm sorry...."

'Don't look at me like that. The important thing is that you drove him off and survived, the damage will be repaired, and you found a suitable house. Now please don't start crying on me.'

Pythia: "Ok.....//sniff//....I'm sorry...please don't arrest me..."

{Despite Frederick's request, She starts quietly crying anyway.}

'Nobody's arresting you. I doubt Dianne would allow that anyway.' Fred muttered the last part under his breath. 'Just calm down.' He eyed Pythia crying, then looked away and pretended not to notice.

(Ryder is still there, but refuses to intervene because he'd rather watch Fred being uncomfortable. XD)

Pythia: "Ok....."

{Getting more and more upset for absolutely no reason, Pythia starts sobbing and starts to shuffle away towards her room.}

Fred glanced at her again, then sighed under his breath and let her go. He felt slightly guilty for not trying to comfort her, but he had no idea how.

Ryder turned to leave, giving Pythia a friendly pat on the shoulder as he passed her. 'Go take a rest and calm down. You don't have anything to be upset about.'

{Pythia nods then walks to her room and shuts the door. She then proceeds to lie o her bed and pull herself into a miserable ball.}

(Shall we skip? To nightfall, I guess?)

(Yeah, let's. I'm going to be out all day today, so I probably won't reply much though.)

(Alrighty, no problem.)

----

It was rapidly getting dark. At Armin's house, the familiar routine of Rex preparing and serving dinner had just been carried out. He had been coerced into making fish, courtesy of Armin.

Someone had put the TV on, finding another un-noteworthy action movie. Esme was glued to the screen as usual, while Armin was mostly focused on his food.

{Dianne was sitting upright, eating her fish and watching the movie.}

Dianne: "The fish is good, Rex. Thanks for cooking while I recover."

'I don't mind cooking,' said Rex. He was eating as well, but less enthusiastically. 'It's a way that I can make myself useful around here.'

Dianne: "Well, I for one greatly appreciates it. And I'm sure Esme does too."

After they had both finished their dinner, Armin gave a long stretch and a yawn, before sinking sideways to lean against Dianne. He had not told her about his encounter with Lucci, but he did intend to ask her to do the summoning ritual for him once she recovered. //I'm not looking forward to it, but... I guess it's better to just get it done with...//

Esme continued watching the TV, while Rex said his goodnight and retreated to his room.

{Smirking, Dianne wraps her arms around him and settles into the couch.}

Dianne: "Amateotl....when I get better, I need to buy a new phone...I hope I can stand again soon..."

'Eh? Oh, yeah, a phone... yours got broken... we can add that to the list of things we need to do once you're better. Although, I'm not sure I ever want you to go outside again, with all the stuff that happens to you,' he said jokingly.

{At that, Dianne laughs a little.}

Dianne: "So, what, you're just going to keep me in a cage all the time, like a pet lizard? Sounds like a dreadfully dull existence to me."

(Posting new room)