(I'll probably keep disappearing every so often tonight, I might be doing other stuff.)

Hello.

Hey there.

Sorry for my lateness. I made a fairly poor decision last night. XD

It's fine!
Did you stay up too late or something? I do that pretty often. XD

Yes, yes I did. I’m apparently not good at being responsible for my sleep.

Eh, I usually stay up until 1AM and wake up around 11AM, so I'm probably no better.

It's my turn to reply, shall I go ahead and do that now?

Yeah, I stayed up till four. XD
Sure! Go ahead and start!

Jeez, you shouldn't do that. XD

OK, give me a second!

'You can try to make other friends, though, right?' said Wendigo. 'I mean, you have all of us. The people who've been fighting Sargon. They all want to stay in contact with you, from what I heard this morning. You don't have to be completely alone anymore.'

(I know I shouldn’t do that. But there were zombies that needed shooting. XD)

{Dianne rubs her face in a tired manner. }
Dianne “Yes, I know. I’ll be coming back after I deal with what I have to do.”
Magnus: “Yeah, you’ve got plenty of friends here. This is a good place to be.”
Dianne: “...I know. I suppose I shouldn’t delay this any longer. You two, line up in front of me.”
{Magnus walks in front of her, waiting for Wendigo to do the same.}

Wendigo briefly lowered his head to nuzzle at Frederick. 'See ya in the next life, friend,' he said, giving one last toothy grin before walking over to stand beside Magnus. Frederick watched, no expression on his face.

{Dianne faces the two and puts her hand up.}
Dianne: “Magnus, High King of the Land of Iron, loyal friend and valiant warrior; Wendigo, ally to me and friend to Frederick, I hear-by release you from my service.”
{At that, Magnus closes his eyes with an expression of peace. His and Wendigo’s bodies turn to ash, which is in turn, carried away by the wind. Dianne puts her hand down and closes her eyes, wearing a slightly saddened expression.}
Dianne: “...Goodbye, old friend.”

Frederick was gazing blankly at the spot where Wendigo had stood a moment before, the last remnants of his ashes scattering across the city. Armin stepped forwards and put an arm around his son's shoulders.

'Bye, Magnus,' he said quietly. 'You were great. And Wendigo, too. Thanks for all the help you gave us.'

(I might be a little bit slow from now on, I have to use my DS now.)

(Ok, It's all good.)

{With a sigh, Dianne turns and begins to walk back to the palace}

Armin and Fred stayed standing in the courtyard for a moment, looking at the places where Magnus and Wendigo had last been. 'You gonna be alright?' said the older vampire in a low voice.

'Yes,' said Frederick. 'It's just strange... he was here and then... he's suddenly not here anymore.' He sighed. 'Go. I'll stay out here a little longer.'

'Alright. But come back in soon. It's not good to spend too much time brooding - I know from experience.' Armin patted Fred on the shoulder, then released him and began to walk up into the palace after Dianne.

- RR

{Back in the palace, everyone was just relaxing. Jerry is just sitting, talking with a cousin, Pythia is reading in the corner, and Dianne is sitting at a table, looking pensive.}

In another corner stood Ivy with an off-duty Sovereign guard. They were talking enthusiastically, and Ivy seemed to be flirting with him. Armin walked into the room and looked around for a moment, wondering what to do now. Eventually, he decided to sit down at the same table Dianne was at. 'Got something on your mind?'

{Dianne doesn't answer right away, staring blankly into the corner.}
Dianne: "...I just said goodbye to my oldest friend...I need to go on a roughly month long journey to return this locket...and all of it right after I finished a short ground war. Not two weeks ago, I was sitting behind a counter, selling things and experiencing a fairly normal life. I guess...it's just a lot for me to deal with over such a short amount of time."

Armin nodded thoughtfully. 'Yeah, I kinda see what you mean. It feels like everything's been happening too quickly. It's incredible how much has happened just in these last few weeks... It's going to be a while before /anyone/ feels normal again, I think.'

{Dianne rubs her eyes a bit.}
Dianne: "Yeah...it might be a while...At least I won't have to kill anyone for a good while. I hope..."

'Well, as long as you don't plan on getting involved in any more wars, I'm sure you won't have to kill anyone,' said Armin. 'Hopefully, we can all enjoy some peace and quiet now. For how long... I have no idea.'

Dianne: "I didn't want to get involved in this one, but my 'boss' seemed to think otherwise. But, I guess it was for the best. Because for once in my life, I have...friends..."

Armin smiled slightly. 'Yeah, I think it /was/ a good idea. Not just because the rest of us would probably be dead if you hadn't... but also because, maybe, it was a good thing for /you./ Now you have a group of people who genuinely consider themselves your friends and want to stay in contact with you. ...And you're not sitting in a shop all day anymore, which must have been pretty boring.'

Dianne: "Mind numbingly so, at times...I don't think I'll be doing that again for a good while. Maybe when I come back...I'll bring a bit of my hoard and buy a massive mansion instead of a one room loft...But what would I do with such a large space?"

Armin shrugged. 'Don't ask me. In my opinion, the only thing big houses are good for is parties, and you're probably not going to be hosting parties in it. Personally, I wouldn't want to live in a giant mansion by myself. Too much empty space - it'd seem lonely.'

(I think my wifi is going off soon, so I'll call it a night. See you!)

(K, bye!)

{Dianne nods.}
"Yeah...I guess a small cottage would be nice...I'd have to get a new job somewhere once I settle down as well..."
{She rubs her face, seemingly at the thought.}
"..God, I hate retail..."

'You don't /have/ to get a retail job. There must be something else you can do around here.'

Dianne: "Like what? I don't want to do any kind of security or law enforcement job...That'll just end up with a lot of dead people..."

Armin shrugged. 'I don't know. But it's a big city. Maybe you'll find something better to do in the future.'

Around that time, Frederick came into the room, looking somewhat melancholy. He wandered off into the kitchen area by himself.

{Dianne just leans her head on her hand.}
“I guess...what are you going to do for work?”

{Pythia happened to look up when Fred entered. Seeing his saddened expression, she puts her book down and walks in after him.}
Pythia: “Frederick, are you alright?”

'Me? I don't have anything planned yet,' said Armin. 'I have a feeling that being a former member of the army that wiped out Shacklestone might put off potential employers.'

Frederick entered the kitchen and started to make himself a cup of tea. 'I'm fine,' he replied without looking at Pythia. 'It's just going to take a while to get used to him not being around anymore.'

{Dianne chuckles.}
"Well, you obviously don't tell them that. I'm pretty sure the only people who know that are in this room. So long as you keep it to yourself, no one will know."

Pythia: "...Oh. My condolences...If you ever need to talk to someone, about anything, my door is always open."

'Eh, some people might know,' said Armin. 'Back when Sargon was rising to power, I killed people under his orders. I turned people into vampires under his orders. Some people, even in this city, might've heard of me,' he finished darkly.

'Thank you,' said Frederick quietly. 'I appreciate it, honestly. But I wouldn't know what to talk about, or how to talk about it.'

Dianne: "Perhaps. If that becomes the case, just don't get a job here. Try one of the surrounding settlements."

Pythia: "Well...you'd just talk about what you feel. Whatever feels natural, just what you're comfortable talking about."

'Maybe I will,' said Armin. He leaned back in his chair and observed the room for a moment. 'So... when are you planning to leave? Later today?'

Frederick thought about it for a moment. 'I don't think I've ever been very good at that,' he said wryly. 'I guess I'm not particularly comfortable discussing personal things with anyone. But, thanks for the offer.'

Dianne: “In a little while. I need to bring my stuff over from Shacklestone. If I’m going to come back here, I’ll want to have my things with me. Now, I just need a place to put it...”

{Pythia nods in understanding.}
Pythia: “Of course. However, my offer stands, in case you change your mind. Just remember, he’s in a good place. Wherever he is, you can be sure that he’s happy.”

'Hmm. How are you going to find a place safe enough for it all?' Armin mused. 'Maybe the king would let you keep it here in the palace until you come back.'

'It seems hard to believe that,' said Frederick. He poured himself a cup of tea and sipped it slowly. 'He died so young. He should have had years - decades - ahead of him before he died.'

{Dianne just shrugs.}
Dianne: “I’ll ask. If nothing can be arranged, I’ll just put it in your forest base and move it when I get back.”

{Pythia gives a sympathetic look before approaching Frederick.}
“I understand how you feel. It just seems wrong. Unfair, even, that he was taken so soon. But he’s in a place now, where the very concepts of pain and suffering are nonexistent. Where he is, there is no more hardship.”

'Huh, I forgot about that place,' said Armin, a faint note of surprise in his voice. 'I should probably go back there someday, too. There's probably things in there that I need to move out.'

'I hope so,' said Frederick. 'He deserves to be happy, wherever he is. And maybe I'll get to see him again someday. Though it's unfortunate that vampires can't die through natural means. I'll never see him unless somebody kills me.'

Dianne: “Yeah, seems like a good place to keep your stuff. Maybe if all else fails, you could just live there.”

Pythia: “Perhaps. He might not be here anymore, but he is still alive in your memory. With your life, he lives on.”

'Eh, probably not,' said Armin. 'There's nothing up there except for abandoned Shacklestone and abandoned Riverside. It'd be really quiet. Still, I'll definitely be going back there to collect everything soon.'

Frederick nodded, sipping his tea. 'Thanks for saying all of this. It helps a little.'

Dianne: “Honestly I doubt Riverside will stay abandoned. Unlike Shacklestone, it was not completely destroyed. They’ll probably move back soon enough.”

Pythia: “Of course. It’s always hard losing a loved one. You don’t have to go through it alone.”

'Yeah, that's true. Hopefully they'll be a nice population there before too long.' Armin stayed quiet for a moment, watching the other people in the room. 'Hey, if you want any help moving your stuff out of Shacklestone, just let me know. Since I'm travelling up there anyway, to get my own stuff, I could give you a hand.'

'Have you ever lost anybody?' Frederick asked. 'You don't have to answer that if it's too personal. I was just curious, since it almost sounds like you're speaking from experience.'

{Dianne shrugs.}
"Sure. I'd appreciate it. I think I'll go do that in a few minutes."
{Dianne then stands and stretches.}
"I'll go get ready."

{Pythia takes a moment to answer.}
"Well...yes...my mother. I lost her when I was still a teen. It was hard...dealing with the loss. When it happened...I didn't have friends to help me through it. But, you do. That's why I asked."

'Alright. Let me know when you're ready,' said Armin.

'Ah...' Frederick paused. 'I'm very sorry to hear that. It's unfair that you had no-one to help you during that time. I lost my own mother, of course. And my little sister. But it was a very long time ago.'

Pythia: "My condolences...But, for their sake, and in their memory, we need to remain strong. Remember them and do them proud, because no matter where they are, you know they still want the best for us ."

Frederick nodded. 'Yes, we should. I'll always remember him, and the others who are gone.' He finished his tea and placed the empty mug on the kitchen counter. 'Thank you again for taking the time to talk with me. I do appreciate it.'

Pythia: “Of course. The mental health of others is very important to me. I just wanted to make sure you’re alright.”

{After a few minutes, Dianne went outside. She was having her remaining draugrs loaded into Titan so they could come along.}

'Don't worry about me,' replied Fred. 'I'll be fine. I just need some time to come to terms with everything that's happened, but I'll be OK in the end.'

Once Dianne had left, Armin yawned, stood up from the table and walked over to address Jerry. 'Hey, I'm accompanying Dianne on a quick trip to the Shacklestone region. We both need to collect all our belongings that got left over there. Just thought I'd let you know.'

- RR

{Pythia just smiles.}
"Good. Remember, I'm always here, even if you just want to talk. And I can't help but worry. As an acolyte of Symponia, the well being of others is my primary concern."

Jerry: "Oh, ok. Actually, I have a ton of stuff over there too. I'll probably go get it later in the week. Too lazy now."

'Your primary concern? Most people would find it hard to care about others more than they care about themselves.'

'Are you sure about that?' said Armin. 'It'll take ages to drive up there in a car. If you went with Dianne and I, we could all get there a lot faster. But, it's your call.'

{Pythia chuckles and shrugs.}
Pythia: "Well, I guess I'm not like other people. I always did like helping people. I guess it was my calling."

{Jerry considers this for a moment.}
"Weeeeellll, if it's no trouble. I know Dianne has a lot of stuff. I don't want to be an inconvenience."

{At that moment, Dianne walks in.}
Dianne: "Ready to go?"

'Hmm. Well, you're certainly unusual in that regard,' commented Frederick. 'It's a shame there aren't more people like you around.'

Armin shrugged. 'It's probably not an inconvenience. I only have a few things myself, so it shouldn't be any trouble to pick up your stuff as well.' He turned around when he heard Dianne come in. 'Yep, I'm ready. And I think Jerry's coming too, if that's alright with you.'

Pythia: “ Yes...Selflessness is a rare trait these days. But, that’s why I feel that it’s important for me to help those in need. I’m one of the few who is willing.”

Dianne: “Sure.”
Jerry: “Great. Give me one second. I need to go get something.”
Dianne: “Alright. We’ meet you outside.”
{Dianne then walks for the door.}

'Well, I hope you remember to look after yourself as well. Helping other people is important, but you're important too. Everyone is. You don't always have to put others before yourself.'

Armin followed Dianne outside, looking around. 'You're bringing Titan too?'

Pythia: “Yes, I know. I have to look after myself as well. It’s finding the proper balance between helping others and myself that’s the hard part.”

Dianne: Yes. He’ll do all the heavy lifting. And besides, I’m not sure if the Sovereigns got all of Sargon’s men in the fight. They could have fled there.”

Frederick nodded thoughtfully. 'I also heard that you took a vow to never harm anyone. Doesn't that get problematic sometimes? What if someone attacked you?'

'That sounds likely. So, we might end up being attacked by former Sargon minions and having to fight them...' Armin grinned and rubbed his hands together. 'That's fine with me, I was getting bored anyway.'