Pippa was entirely right. The kind of people Dedalus was warning her about liked to exact their revenge by making the person suffer and they certainly abided by the belief that there were worse fates than death awaiting people that got on their bad side. Some of their favourite methods of retribution involved striking down a person's loved ones and letting the living remain with the guilt of knowing that their words or actions indirectly caused the attack. He was, of course, still worried about Pippa's own safety - so if that thought was what kept her from seeking out answers and talking to strangers, then he would run with that for now. "There you have it, then. We all have a lot of reasons for being cautious these days. Which doesn't mean we shouldn't stand up for what's right...if that is indeed what things are coming to." So much for being reassuring. "We just need to take it one day at a time for now, though," Dedalus added, with a firm nod.
Dedalus gave Pippa a look and shook his head, then finally snickered and rubbed his eyes with his fingers for a moment. "Oh, Pippa," he said, shaking his head at her with an amused smile on his face. "I guess that just means I'll have to be sure to stock up on all your favourites then, won't I? And we may or may not already have our future children's rooms all planned out in the new house. Which isn't to say we're already expecting, but being prepared never hurts." The lighter part of the conversation was definitely helping Dedalus as well.
"I'm glad to hear it," Dedalus told her earnestly. He tried to give advice the best to his ability, but sometimes he doubted himself in that department. Chuckling a bit once she stopped rambling, Dedalus inclined his head toward her, "You do more than try. You might not think so, but you do."
He rested his chin on top of her head when Pippa hugged him. He would do his best to protect her, help her, and be there for her in whatever way Pippa needed him to be. She was a wonderful young woman and she'd always have a special place in his heart. Dedalus squeezed her back before letting go and smiled down at her. "Anytime, Pippa. Please don't ever forget that."
He offered her the crook of his arm, then asked, "So, what will it be? Finish our walk through the park? Grab some dinner? Or are you ready to call it a day?" Dedalus was alright with any of those choices, as long as Pippa was relatively okay for the moment - he wouldn't drop her off at the Leaky until she was ready to go home.