"...oh, I see." Darrell responded.

"I often find that my younger patients merely need an outlet for their emotions." Lindsay said.

"If they can take their feelings and put it into some artistic work, it can work miracles." he went on. "Sometimes it's something as simple as a healthy way for them to let out their negative feelings, sometimes it's a way for them to express themselves overall, whether positively or negatively, and sometimes they discover a hidden passion they never knew they had." he explained further.

"That DOES make a lot of sense." Darrell agreed.

"Casey would happily do it for free, but paying her makes things FAR easier when it comes to balancing my books and such." Lindsay then added.

"We're a weird house." Evan chimed in.

Darrell seemed a bit... overwhelmed by all that was said.

But just as Evan was about to make some comment to Kelly about him receiving that power boost, Darrell spoke up.

"Wait, what?" he asked.

"You don't like to talk about what animal you were crossed with?" he asked Ash.

Ash just grumbled quietly for a moment.

"Yeah, well..." he said.

"Not really important." he told him.

"...even though it's extremely beneficial for him, it's not as... 'badass'... as a dragon or a phoenix." Lindsay chuckled.

"Wooooah." Darrell mumbled.

"That's pretty freakin' cool." he told Ash.

"Heh." Ash chuckled.

"Yeah, when you put it THAT way..." he said, trailing off some.

"Anyway, let's continue eating!" he then declared.

"I'm sure everyone has stuff to do today!"

Ash just chuckled lightly.

"That's true." he said.

With that, they continued to eat their breakfast.

Later that day, everyone was still doing their thing, and Darrell was still working on making his new room more personalised.

It had been about 5 hours since breakfast, and Casey was up in the attic working on a project and listening to the radio.

However, she suddenly heard something on the radio she didn't like; a storm warning. Or, rather, a potential storm warning. It seemed like currently there was A 45% chance that a torrential downpour would come out of nowhere and dump on the area they lived it.

But if she looked out the window, the sky was as friendly-looking as could ever be.

...she knew that weather could be fickle, though.

"Yo." Ash replied, stepping away from the fridge with the drink he'd grabbed.

"Sup?" he asked.

"You look concerned." he went on.

"Something happen?" he asked further.

"I'd ask if something went wrong with your project, but... doesn't seem it from how concerned you look." he then said.

"So yeah, what's up?"

Ash paused for a moment.

"Wait, what?" he asked.

"Now?" he asked further, looking at the sky, through the window.

"I mean... if you're THAT concerned, I can help..." he told her.

"But... REALLY doesn't look like it's going to storm..." he admitted.

"If you just want to look for her, then yeah, I can go along..." he finished, taking a drink of the liquid he had.

Ash was about to respond, when he got a text.

He checked his phone, and sighed.

"Now, of all times..." he mumbled.

"Sorry, Casey. Cass wants me to go to the guild." he told the woman.

"Seems like there's some weird discrepancy or something, and she needs a statement and blah blah blah." he went on.

"I'll join this little hunt as soon as I can." he promised her.

"Right." Ash replied.

"I don't know how long this will take, but I'll let you know when I'm back." he told her.

He then made his way to get his own shoes, shaking his head slightly.

"Still. Of all times." he mumbled.

"Hopefully this is all for nothing." he then said.

"Which is to say, hopefully this supposed storm doesn't come to pass." he clarified.

"And there's nothing to worry about."

Ash looked back at her and nodded.

"See ya." he responded, before vanishing.

As he did, Casey swore she heard something.

Did she hear thunder in the distance?

Or was it her concern and imagination?

Regardless, it gave her an ominous feeling.

About 8 hours later, Ash groaned as he returned home.

"Ugh, that took TOO long." he said, before looking outside... and seeing that the sky was now alarmingly darkened, and water was falling from it.

".....shit." he cursed.

I'm finally back. he texted Casey.

Ash looked around, before checking for some telltale signs of Sammy's return.

None. he texted back.

I'll rally a search party. he then sent.

Then he brought his fingers to his mouth, and let out a loud, shrill whistle. One that was sure to be heard by all in the house.

Sure enough, Evan and Darrell heard in it Darrell's room.

"Come on." Evan said after a pause.

"Emergency meeting." he told him, as the two started to make their way downstairs.