'Wow...I wish I could eat more, but I'm stuffed!" Aria said with a sigh of contentment, her smile relaxed as she sat at the dining table just to the right of Alastor, who chose to sit at the head of the table as he primly dabbed his mouth with a cloth napkin.

"Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed it, my dear!" Alastor said happily with an upbeat, old-timey tune playing in his radio background as he snapped his fingers and made the dirty bowls and plates disappear as the last of the ratatouille and lamb bites that had been battered and fried had been eaten up as Aria sat back in her chair and sighed.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Alastor, your cooking is so good that I'm starting to think Hell isn't such a bad place if I can eat like this!" Aria admitted with a sheepish grin, her smile shy and awkward as she felt the fear rise inside her again at saying the compliment out loud, but she tried to just ignore it.

"Oh? Is it really that simple to win you over? Ha! To think that all I had to do to get you to forgive my rather rough handling of you in the kitchen earlier was to fill your stomach! I'll need to remember that for next time!" Alastor chuckled as he stood up and pushed his chair back into place as he offered his hand to her as she took it with a bewildered look on her face as he helped her to her feet before pushing her chair back against the table like a gentleman.

"Next time!? Are you planning to hurt me again, or...right, no. With what we just found out about these lockets, I should count myself lucky that I still have my arms attached to my body," Aria said with a weak smile, trying to lighten the mood as her fear rose further as she sent a thought to her choker and realized it was already almost nine o' clock in the evening, making her dread what was coming next. "Alastor...I hate to bring it up, but...what are we going to do about...sleeping arrangements?"

"What do you mean, my dear?" Alastor asked politely, but an edge had appeared slightly in his tone, his smile a little less relaxed as he looked at her with his eyes narrowing a little as the sound of tuning rose in his radio background.

"Sigh...fine, I'll talk about the elephant in the room," Aria said with a tired sigh as she made her way to the door Niffty had disappeared behind and peeked inside the entryway to the ballroom to see if the coast was clear.

Finding no sign of Niffty, Aria looked at Alastor with a nod before stepping through the doorway as he followed suit with an amused smile on his face. Only the smell of wood polish and cleaning supplies greeted her from the dark room as Aria waved her hand to summon small balls of light. Watching them float up and festively light up the room, their gentle glow gave her an idea as she groaned, but something inside her with a warm laugh nudged her to go for it. Wondering if Major was trying to send her a sign, Aria was terrified of being herself so boldly out in the open, but she remembered that long list of what she owed to her subconscious and realized going back to how things were wasn't really an option, anymore. She knew better.

"Okay, okay...I'm a little out of practice, so...bear with me, okay?" She whispered to herself, making Alastor look at her with a raised eyebrow and narrowed eyes as he cocked his head at her in thought as she took a deep breath and dove into the crazy idea as something inside her lit up like nothing she'd felt before!

Aria waved a hand and a soft beat stirred as the sound of invisible violins rose around them in sweeping tones as she looked at Alastor in embarrassment before she cleared her throat and tentatively took a breath as she began to sing.

"Now that we're together,

Not necessarily by choice,

You and I have something

That we really need to voice!"

Alastor grinned from ear to ear as he watched her try to start a number. Shaking his head and chuckling to himself at her amateur efforts, his radio background came into play as bracy trumpets and jazzy clarinets stepped up the tempo into something more energetic. The colors surrounding them changed from the simple colors of the wooden dance floor and the shadowy red, black, and gold-painted frescos above them with tiny, cute demons happily torturing souls, to vibrant blues, greens, pinks, and yellows that made Aria feel like she was at some sort of fancy dance club!

"You say we need to linger,

Which of course, is very true!

Whatever is the matter,

Now that I'm here, stuck with you?"

Alastor wandered over to Aria as he started his verse, like he was just chatting with her nonchalantly before grabbing one of her hands when she wasn't looking! Pulling her in, a two step started followed by a set of swing moves! Alastor laughed as Aria struggled to keep up, relinquishing most of her control to him as she realized she'd step on his toes otherwise!

"We have a lot of room to spare,

But which one shall we choose?

You're hotel room is at the top,

While mine, wait! Is that blues?"

Aria found the sudden tempo change unnerving as low, slow blues took over as Alastor got dangerously close! Aria's sensitivity to Alastor's touch heightened as things got way too intimate for her! She kept trying to make more space between them as she used the vast, available space of the ballroom, while Alastor grinned wickedly as he obviously enjoyed her dismay as he closed the distance between them easily, making her flush with frustration and annoyance!

"I'd rather stay just where I'm at,

So now you know the setup!

I hardly think you have the nerve

To force a change, so cheer up!"

Aria frowned worriedly as he slid a hand down her back as he supported her in a very deep dip that made her almost touch the floor, his face too close as he brought her back up and spun her! Feeling dizzy, she almost fell over as he caught her by her hands and brought her in closer as their chests met, while his eyes glowed blood-red! Aria's flush went deeper as the fear inside her spiked, making her imagination go wild as she wondered if he was insinuating something before she shook her head and pushed against his hands hard to get back some space!

"I can't allow a man like you,

To be that close to me!

I need my space, my privacy!

Is there nowhere else for me?"

Aria pushed back, her steps strong and determined as she willed Alastor to give her space as he eased into her rhythm playfully before catching her off guard. Thinking she'd gained some ground as they moved to the other side of the ballroom, Alastor suddenly gave into her movement so much that he sidestepped her completely, his body now behind her! Catching her arms in a firm grip, she realized that he'd caught her as he slid his hands to her wrists! Swaying and stepping from side to side, Aria tried to turn around, but Alastor just encouraged the turn until she was back facing away from him as he led her by her arms, his grip telling her to ease in as her fear and unease grew deeper!

"You have nothing to fear from me,

Or so I've proven thrice!

Once after our little deal was made,

And out in the city twice!"

Alastor moved her arms into herself, holding her folded arms in his own embrace as he moved them both across the room. It felt like they were both in their own, small, whirling box as the colors spun in Aria's vision until Alastor whirled her to a stop. Daring to open her eyes, she found him facing her again as he encouraged her to unfold her arms gently as his hands slid down her arms. When he stopped to her hands, he pulled them up until their hands were in front of them as his face was inches from her own, making her nerves spike with clarity as she thought about how he'd helped her.

"You helped me when I was sick, it's true,

At the cafe, I was saved.

You made sure I wasn't a four-course meal

That those cannibals had craved!"

Easing her hands down as she trembled with the fear of vulnerability she felt, something was pushing and shifting inside her as she chose her next move. Hesitating before she grit her teeth in fear, she slowly leaned in for just a moment, her forehead touching his chest in surrender as her hands gripped his like a vice! Slowly, she willed her legs to move as she tried to know how to dance this close in sync with him instead of as an opposing force.

Alastor's smile deepened as his glowing eyes took her in eagerly as he stepped along with her as he accepted her move and pulled her in! The close-knit dance that flowed beneath a slow, blues tune melted, stepped, dipped, and pulled her into something that Aria couldn't quite put any rhyme or reason to as the music flowed around them. Muscle memory from her life at The Stage slowly took over her body as she started to ease into Alastor's movements even more as she closed her eyes and let herself go! The rhythm picked up as Alastor twirled and spun her gaily, while she found the balance and timing easier as years of practice with a partner, despite the source, began to revive inside of her!

"Give into me, and you will see

A deeper song to dance to!

Though even locked inside our box,

There is a growing virtue!"

Aria lost herself to the song as she found herself resting her back against his chest as she extended her arms as though in flight! Feeling a spark of inspiration, she took that thought as she lifted Alastor and herself in the air with her levitation abilities! Laughing with delight as Alastor took the new turn and ran with it, they defied gravity as they bent, twirled, and stepped along a merry chase as Aria began to lose her fear. How long had it been since she'd felt this free?

"Will freedom come by being bound?

Am I really locked away?

Why do I find my worried mind,

Starting to slip away?"

Alastor gripped her close as he twirled her into his arms, the rhythm slowing down as she heard his tune slow the tempo as she reluctantly eased them back to the ground. Stepping down first, Alastor caught her by the waist, making her twirl a little as her feet stepped lightly on solid ground again, but her heart hungered for more. As her body slowed, her mind began to fog with fear, again, making her look at Alastor in confusion as she suddenly let him go.

"The moment's past, the wings are gone,

Yet I see it in your eyes.

What you hide away, it glitters.

Your soul just longs to fly!"

Alastor tried to grab her, again, but all he got was an invisible wall that stopped him. Aria forced him away with her levitation powers as she turned her back to him. What the hell were you thinking, she thought to herself in panic as she shut her feelings away and found that it physically hurt!

"Let's go before we regret it.

It's safer to just be.

I'll sleep on the couch in the library.

Sigh...you don't know me."

With that, the song was over and Aria felt cold inside as she wrapped her arms around herself as she walked away from Alastor. He was oddly silent as they left the ballroom together and, as Aria found their way to the main elevator, she dared to look back at him. The look he gave her showed nothing but his unreadable smile as he summoned his staff, while his radio background replayed the song they'd danced to. Realizing that the feeling of rising guilt was building up inside her, she flushed and looked away quickly as she regretted ending their dance the way she had. Unable to find the words, she pressed the elevator button and silently walked into it when the golden doors slid open as Alastor walked in after her and pressed the top button with his staff.

Alastor let the song play between them, humming it to himself as they stood there in silence, the awkwardness getting to Aria with each passing second. When they finally arrived at the library, the lights were all out except for the fireplace. Walking over quickly to the fireplace, Aria found a soft, red blanket and a black pillow waiting for her. A pink note was on the pillow that was scribbled in a spiky handwriting that Aria didn't recognize.

Hope you two have lots of fun!-Niffty, Aria read, making her crush it as she wondered when that little imp would leave them alone as everything that had happened that day threatened to drown her at that moment, while Alastor looked on with a curious grin on his face.

"Did someone leave a note for you?" Alastor asked amiably, making Aria struggle to figure out how to answer, not really wanting to say anything as she chose to just shove the note in his hands as she sat down on the couch and sulked, while his eyebrows shot up at her behavior, a bewildered and amused smile on his face. "You know, you could've just told me, my dear! I hardly think your poor attitude and childish pout are necessary, given you were the one to start that little number in the first place!"

"Just read the note and say good night!" Aria answered snippily as she sent a thought to her clothing as the same long sleeved, purple shirt and black pajama pants she'd worn the night before appeared on her before she wrapped herself in the soft blanket until she couldn't see the library or Alastor, anymore.

Aria didn't hear anything from Alastor for a moment, making Aria think he must've been reading the note as she fought back tears. She didn't want Alastor to see how much stepping out and being herself had shaken her so badly as she wiped her nose and eyes with her sleeve. Feeling the material go dry and clean almost instantly, she at least thanked God for her blessed clothes as she thought about her day and groaned to herself in embarrassment! Just wait until he reads that blasted report, Aria thought to herself bitterly as she hid her face in her hands and wished for a miracle as she fought against another wave of anxiety.

"It seems that Niffty assumes a great deal about our relationship and it's only going to get worse, I imagine," Alastor said carelessly as Aria heard the sound of his shoes and cane walk around the couch until she felt him stand in front of her near where her head rested on the couch, making her hide away more deeply under her blanket, hoping he'd lose interest.

Her hopes were dashed as she heard the sound of fingers snapping as her blanket poofed out of existence! Staring up at Alastor in shock, her tear-stained face, watery, red eyes, drippy nose, and helpless-looking expression were revealed for all to see! A deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car wouldn't have looked much better as she gasped and put her hands to her face, her body shivering for a moment as her body prepared itself for something terrible!

"No! Don't look!" Aria cried out pathetically as she fought not to sob as she felt so bare lying there for Alastor to peruse without the much-needed protection of the blanket as she summoned a white blanket from her own private, guardian angel stores and huddled under it!

"My dear, you are utterly mystifying! What in the world are you trying to hide?" Alastor asked with a smile of baffled amusement on his face, completely at a loss at her behavior as Aria felt him grip one end of the blanket and tug hard, taking the blanket with him as she failed to get a grip before he snatched her blanket away! "You finally start to have some fun and let your guard down a little and the next thing I know, I get an invisible wall in my face! Then, with no provocation on my part, I find you crying like a baby under a blanket! It's utterly absurd!"

"Well...what am I supposed to do!?" Aria cried out defensively, sweeping out her arm in front of her for emphasis as she angrily glared at him before regretting the way she was acting immediately as she groaned in frustration, feeling at a loss as her hands balled into fists as she put them over her eyes as she leaned back into the couch, feeling frustrated, sad, and angry! "Just go away! You're going to find out everything about me and hate me, anyway, so just get it over with!"

"...That's it?" Alastor asked, the tone in his smiling voice revealing the absurdity of her outburst as he poked and prodded her with his staff as she lay there, growling every time he prodded her until she grabbed his staff and pushed it away from herself hard as she gave him a very pointed look as she fought to not have a full melt down. "You're upset because you assume that I'll treat you differently after I peruse this copy of your personal life that Rosie kindly made for me?"

Alastor waved his right hand and suddenly, the report appeared in it, his left hand resting on his cane nonchalantly, while he gave her a teasing, careless grin. He was obviously baiting her and Aria found it impossible to resist as she suddenly lunged for the packet of papers and found herself on the floor as he quickly stepped out of her reach easily. Crying out in pain as she rubbed her sore nose that had face planted onto the floor, Aria swallowed down an embarrassed sob as she blushed scarlet in humiliation. Getting on her hands and knees, Aria sat down on the floor and leaned back on the couch as she refused to look at Alastor, unable to find anything to say.

"Ha! Nice try, my dear! Did you really think it would be that easy?" Alastor goaded her with a laugh and a smile of superiority as he used the packet of notes like a fan for a moment before taking a look at it as, to her horror, he started to read it out loud! "It seems Aria is in conflict with herself! Her subconscious obviously has a chip on her shoulder for Aria not being fully honest about who she really is. Despite admitting that she's happily married, her subconscious made some rather bold statements suggesting more lascivious intentions towards myself, despite the fact that I'm a woman! To Aria's credit, she refused to act on these attempts at wooing me from her subconscious, but it remains to be seen how many other temptations and desires Aria has sought to quell, hide, or refuse to act upon!"

"What are you doing!?" Aria cried out, appalled and horrified that Alastor would read her most intimate weaknesses, desires, and thoughts with such abandon right in front of her as she rushed to stand and stop him as he put a hand on her shoulder firmly, keeping her at bay, while keeping the packet out of reach! "Don't read it out loud! What if someone hears you!? Do you want everyone in this hotel to know my every weakness!?"

"I have my own ways of knowing it's just us here, my dear, so don't get your knickers in a twist! It'll just be me reading out loud your most intimate weaknesses and chilling fears, while you get to watch helplessly as I do so!" Alastor said happily, completely unrepentant of his behavior as Aria tried to lunge at him again, but he just poofed away in a puff of darkness before reappearing on the other side of the couch, while she barely saved herself from face planting, again, as Aria caught herself with her levitation abilities. "I am a demon, my dear! I would've thought you'd have figured it out that juicy secrets such as these must be aired out by demons such as myself, since watching you suffer such irresistible, emotional pain such as this brings such a smile to my face!"

"You have no right!" Aria said angrily as she glared at Alastor helplessly, unsure of how to stop him as she thought of using her choker, but was afraid she'd destroy the library, limiting her options, while he stood calmly before her with that cheeky grin on his face as he adjusted his monocle before continuing to read her report out loud.

"Upon further inquiry and inspection, I was able to divulge a wealth of information! What fun! Let's see what Rosie found out, shall we?" Alastor said with growing amusement on his smiling face as the invisible audience oohed and awed, while Aria sent a thought to her choker and immediately turned into a little, black crow, dive-bombing Alastor's hand holding the notes in hopes of snatching them, but he just kept stepping out of her line of flight easily while reading her report. "Aria was bullied at a young age where she desperately sought connection and acceptance by her peers and instead found rejection and abject cruelty! This explains her need to please others to gain acceptance from others, which has made her rather pliable, to my delight, since she's been very cooperative, as delving victims go!"

"I was not!" Aria cawed out angrily before Alastor puffed his staff away and, after she tried to aim for his hand that held the packet of notes, again, Alastor suddenly lunged and, in one motion, his free hand closed hard around her, leaving her no escape as she struggled to get out of his grasp! "Let go! Let me go! You're crushing me!"

"You're incessant need to squirm is going to get your bones broken if you don't relax, my dear," Alastor said eagerly as though he hoped she'd struggle against his grip and break herself in the process, making her suddenly go still as he brought her close to his enormous face, his toothy smile huge and lethal.

Aria realized as Alastor suddenly loomed large over her tiny form that it may not have been wise to have chosen a form that could be so easily broken as she suddenly wished she'd prayed before losing her temper!

"You know, it would be so easy to just squeeze the very life out of you bit by bit until there'd be nothing but a ball of feathers," Alastor said softly as all she could see was his dark, leering smile as her tiny, black eyes held a helplessness that was all too fitting for her tiny, crow form. "Just a little pressure to your wings, and they'd pop right out of their sockets! Of course, your little heart might burst from terror, first, if you don't slow down your breathing. I could just cut you up with my nails, however, and watch your life drip out of you until you turn into nothing but a husk! Really, the temptation to do something to you while you're in this state is practically palpable!"

Aria willed her heart to slow and begged God for forgiveness for not seeking His help before jumping into all this! Praying and hoping she wouldn't be tortured, Aria could feel the horrible memories of The Stage bubble up to the surface. The burning of the cross on her skin, the whipping that should've killed her, and the sting of the tattoo artist's needle came to mind as she shuddered from head to toe as a tiny whimper escaped her. Even though pecking at his hand had crossed her mind to get him to let go of her, she was scared of the consequences of it.

"As it stands, I could actually deal out quite a bit of damage to you without consequence, but then there's the question of me needing to help you when you're 'in danger', as it were," Alastor explained as he jauntily walked back to the couch and proceeded to sit down elegantly before lifting her up to eye-level as his smile grew even larger, making her try and shrink back away with anxiety as his radio background tuned a little before settling on music that made her think of an old-fashioned, silent movie. "The wording of our little deal is rather ambiguous, at best, given the interpretation of what you meant. Did you mean when you're in trouble just physically, or does that also mean the state of your emotions and attitude? Frankly, my dear, despite your obvious protests, did you ever consider that you're in danger of ostracizing yourself from anyone who would actually give a damn about you and your mission because of your attitude?"

Aria was about to say something snarky back when she paused and actually thought about what he meant. As much as Aria didn't want to admit it, the holy ghost told her that he was right. She'd already broken the promise she'd made to her inner child and she was ashamed to admit that she'd lost herself to the false idea that she was in danger after starting to reveal her true self to Alastor in the musical number she started back in the ballroom. Believing the lie that having fun and letting her guard down was going to get herself killed, despite that God Himself told her she needed to do just that, the knee-jerk reaction of closing herself off, again, was what she trusted in, instead.

She'd promised to be a friend to her teenage self, too, and yet, here she was trying to hide her teenage self away by trying to destroy the packet of notes Alastor held in his gloved hand. Her fear of Alastor knowing about what happened to her while she was a teenager was bad enough! She might've been able to be okay with Alastor knowing about it if it wasn't for the fact that what happened at the Heart's Desire Diner was in the report!

She was terrified of what he'd think of her after finding out about it and, frankly, she was even more terrified that it would be enough to kill whatever chance they might have to end this cursed locket business! Aria was afraid that they'd be bound together with no way out and without her freedom, she felt almost sure that her mission would fail. Then what would happen to her? What would happen to Hell if she failed?

Yet, none of it would matter if she shut herself out and doomed herself to fear and hopelessness, since they lead to despair and she knew she was dangerously close to losing her powers, again, if she didn't figure this out soon. The way she saw it, her betrayal of herself that happened so quickly despite her experience inside her own head worried her deeply. Had she really sunk so low that she couldn't even be a true and loving friend to herself? Was she really condemning herself to a life bereft of trust, fun, and peace of mind because she felt that something or someone outside her would take them away from her?

As that thought settled into her heart and mind, it was like a light came on as she realized what she'd been doing to herself. By trying to protect herself from others who would try and take her happiness away, she'd already taken it away from herself. The mad reasoning was the same for her lack of trust. She'd locked herself away thinking the bars were keeping her safe from harm, and yet here she was, the torturer and jailer of her own self. Aria felt positively sick at the thought as she just sat there in Alastor's gloved hand, feeling stunned at the revelation as Alastor chuckled darkly.

"I can sense that the turmoil that was boiling and seething inside you suddenly grew cold and numb as you finally realized what demonic nightmare you've created for yourself! Hahaha! Oh, it is a rich concoction, I must admit!" Alastor said with dark, devilish delight heavy in his tone as his radio background played triumphant and eerie music, while his smiling face loomed over her as he held her firmly in one hand. "Now you understand how easy it is for a demon to manipulate a soul to destroy itself so easily. Give someone a traumatic experience, like being betrayed or bullied at a young age, and the soul in question does the rest without much provocation! So many people on Earth put the blame on us demons or other mere mortals for what they choose to do and the consequences of those actions, but as you now know all too well, the soul in question is the worst demon to themselves without needing much help from the likes of us!"

Aria had nothing to say in her defense. He was right and all she could feel was the guilt of what she'd done to herself as she bowed her little, crow head in shame. Refusing to look at Alastor or say anything, she found herself unable to do anything but accept the fact that she'd been the worst abuser to herself. It left her feeling less than nothing.

"Now, then, where were we, my dear? Oh yes! The Heart's Desire Diner section!" Alastor said, sounding positively riveted for what he was about to read aloud as Aria was forced to listen to it all again.

Aria wished with all her soul right then and there that Jesus had chosen someone else to be the savior of Hell as her soul was laid bare before a demon she might be stuck with forever with no way out