Rocky is seated on the floor behind Althea's chair, while Viktor stands next to her, adjusting the bandage covering her shoulder.

"Well, I guess it's just you, me, and Althea, Viktor. Your beloved protégé is in need of your advice again." Rocky announced. "That is, I'm hoping you can point me in the direction of some superior spiritus frumenti — you know, the ambitious stuff you and yoru scary spectacled friend knew how to get back in the day?"

Althea looked worried as Viktor continued to adjust her bandages without saying anything.

"Viktor? No?" Rocky called before continuing. "I knew it. I should've brought flowers, or upside-down cake or something. What's the traditional way to say 'sorry for getting you into house arrest'? Pie? Or maybe make a cake for Althea too and say 'sorry for that hole in your shoulder'?"

With a small smile, Althea acknowledged that he was very sorry for what happened to her and Viktor the previous evening.

"I bet it's pie. That seems right. Everyone like pie. ...Everyone but the Bolsheviks." Rocky said, looking over at Viktor, who's done fixing Althea's bandages and just staring out the window. "Ahem. Feel free to share if anything comes to mind. ...A tip, or hint, or... Viktor? Vinegar? Viktor?"

To Althea's dismay, he reaches over Viktor's eyepatch and raises it slightly.

"Is anyone in th—"

Without warning, Viktor sucker punched Rocky in the face without looking back. Rocky fell to the ground as Althea watches with a wince. Viktor then finally turned to Rocky once he got up from that punch.

"You are dangerous." Viktor sneered.

"You're ironic." Rocky groaned out in pain.

"No good, helping you. You put Althea's life at risk."

Althea reassured him that she was alright by holding his paw and calming him down right away.

"No? Okay, it's a gamble, I'll admit... But there's little to be lost from where I sit. Unless you're anxious to see our Lackadaisy pass into memory... So you can sooner consign yourself here to the uh, gallery of paisley and regret." Rocky explained. "Don't get me wrong. It has its charms, but—"

Before completing his statement, Viktor sighs for a little moment.

"...In defiance."

Rocky grinned and winked at him.

"Defiance! That's the spirit!" he then gets confused. "...Uh, in defiance of what, exactly?"

"In defiance, Missouri..." Viktor started explaining.

Althea listens to what Viktor has to say to Rocky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rocky exited the room after Viktor gave him the rundown, and before Althea knew it, Ivy had entered holding two sandwiches.

"Well, the boys are off to whatever illicit errands they have left on their schedule today. I was thinking I could linger around and read you the latest Woodhouse or something. You might like it too, Althea." Ivy explained.

Then she scowled at Viktor while crossing her arms.

"But you till have traces of that look on your face. That look you have my new friend... Like you were trying to light him on fire with your eyeball... It leads me to wonder, Viktor... If you're the reason Chad is afraid of me!" she shouted at the end, looking angry and disappointed. "It was you, wasn't it? What can you possible have to say for yourself?"

Althea raised her eyebrow on who's Chad until she heard Viktor's reply.

"Chad vas... bad." he said, glancing away with a judgment.

"Wait... you... used to go out on a date?" Althea inquired inquisitively, gaining an understanding of the situation.

"Yeah! Until he ruined it! And Claude? That was your work too?" Ivy said, frowning deeper.

"Claude vas..." Viktor started.

"Let me guess — flawed?" Ivy said, not looking surprised.

"Ya." he said.

"And Cecil?" she asked again.

"He vas, uhh..."

"Oh, don't bother answering that. Nothing rhymes with Cecil anyway."

"Terrible name. And also he vas no good."

The news that Ivy had dated three men and that they had all broken up with her due to Viktor stunned Althea. When she introduces her father to her ex-boyfriend, who didn't like him, she finds herself and her father both looking at Ivy and Viktor in between. She had to assume that Viktor had concerns about of those men Ivy had dated in the past and didn't like them.

"What's no good is you sabotaging my social life. I thought we were friends!" Ivy shouted.

"No." Viktor said, glancing away.

This shocked both Althea and Ivy.

"No?!" Ivy exclaimed in disbelief.

"You have always these reasons for staying here you shouldn't have. You should not be around here at all. Last night—" Viktor said.

"You mean at Lackadaisy? But I went to all that trouble so I could stay for the summer." Ivy said, now frowning sadly. "And now you're not my friend and you don't want me around? But you're okay with having Althea around? What's this about? You're bored because you can't do all the horrible things you used to do, so now you're playing concerned patriarch?"

Ivy had had enough of this and walked off, tossing a sandwich over Viktor's head and giving Althea a kind hand in another.

"Well, either way, you're just a monster." she stated.

"Ivy!" Althea scolded in disbelief.

"Here. Your neighbor made you two a questionable sandwich. You can eat it by yourself. And don't worry about Miss May, I already called her to let her know you're staying here for the night." Ivy said, walking out of the room and the apartment.

Althea watched her go and then glared at Viktor, clearly displeased with his talk with Ivy.

"Vhat?" Viktor asked, noticing her glaring at him.

"Don't you think it's too far? She cares about you, you know." she said.

"She shouldn't get herself into any business that's dangerous."

With a sigh, Althea lifts the sandwich and breaks open the bread. She hands it to Viktor right away after noticing the foul-smelling fish inside; he doesn't even bother to eat and instead looks out the window. He splats the sandwiches in front of Ivy's feet as soon as he sees her leaving.

"RRRRRRR!!" Ivy growled and pointed at the window. "You must really resent the new boy! He's done all your work for you lately! ...And he has knees!"

Viktor cracked the glasses as a reaction and slammed the window shut.

"That's fine, Viktor, have it your way! I give up on you!"

Ivy then stomped over to the car where Rocky and Freckle were waiting for her. She seemed really dejected as she walked over to them.

"Hey there, sulky-puss. Looks like you're gallivanting in our direction. Need a lift?" Rocky said, seeing the look on her face.

Unexpectedly, Ivy opens the door and gives Freckle a startled lip-kiss before darting between them.

"Well, the sardine flavor put a bit of a damper on that, but we'll do it again sometime. Slide over." she said.

"Okay." Freckle replied, looking dazed from that kiss.

"I asked if you needed a lift..." Rocky deadpanned. "Not a ride in the struggle-buggy..."

Ivy gave him a smack in the eye for it.

"Say, isn't Althea coming with?" Freckle asked curiously.

No, she had to remain under Viktor's care. I don't think I can trust her to disclose the injury she recently sustained. I've already informed Miss May of it." Ivy clarified.

Rocky flinches, feeling sympathetic on Althea's predicament with that large, one-eyed feline.

"You sure it's a good idea to leave her with him?" he asked with concern.

"I'm sure she's fine. They're good friends..." Ivy said, sounding bitter in the end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sighing, Althea turned to face a silent Viktor who was merely staring out of the window. She feels uncomfortable about it, and the tension is intense. She has a notion about how to make this easier.

"Hey, Viktor."

Viktor glances at her.

"Hm?"

"You got any instruments?"

He nodded in confusion, left the room, and returned a little later carrying a violin and a guitar. Viktor clutches onto the guitar as Althea, grinning, grabs the violin and bow.

"Vhat are you doing?" he asked.

"Just thought we could play. You ever play before?" she said.

"Not really."

"Well, I'll gladly teach you so. Just follow my lead."

With that, Althea started playing her violin.

https://youtu.be/9fGzZ8N0ov4

Viktor plays the guitar strings slowly in time with her tunes. He soon began to get the underlying concept as the two play together so skillfully. The music entranced the room around them, almost like magic. The furniture and items appear to float around them. Without making any mistakes, the two continued their game while maintaining eye contact. The room surrounding them stopped shining as if nothing had happened as they gracefully ended their song.

"Good job, Viktor. I knew you can do it." Althea praised.

"Thanks..." Viktor smiled back. "Never knew I can do that."

"Everyone has talents. You just gotta give it a try."

"Take your word for it."

Viktor felt his cheeks begin to warm up when Althea erupted with giggles.

"Hey, uh... I never got the chance to say... thank you for saving my life." he said, glancing away. "You didn't have to do that stunt you've pulled last night, but you did because of me."

"Viktor, you're my friend. Of course I would. Even if it hurts, I'm glad that I get to save you and that's all that matters." Althea said.

"But... to help a monster like me..."

"Don't listen to what Ivy just called you. You are so much more than that."

He turns to face Althea when she puts a hand on his arm.

"I know we haven't known each other long, but I'm willing to stand up for the people I've come to know and care about."

Viktor looked astonished, then chuckled.

"You are a courageous woman or a madwoman."

"I've been told." Althea grinned.

Grinning in return, he headed off.

"I'll get you a nice meal and possibly some drinks."

"Sure. Thank you."

Althea falls back on the chair while he leaves to get her a plate.