Esme trotted over to accept her share of the food, while Armin just continuing gaming, with Rex occasionally watching over the top of his newspaper.

(I think I'm going to start something outside their house. What do you think?)

(Sounds good to me, go ahead and do something!)

{Meanwhile, outside the house, Pugna was leaning against the wall. He stands to attention when he sees someone approaching. It was the elf, Alicia. Pugna forms a black bladed Katana out of his matter cloud and goes to confront her.}

Pugna: "You there, halt. State your business."

Alicia: "I know Dianne's here, metal thing. I want to talk to her."

Pugna: "Absolutely not. If you want to get to her, you must prove yourself through trial by combat."

Inside, Rex suddenly cocked his head. 'Heard someone.'

Armin paused his game and turned to listen as well, his expression quizzical. '...Huh, it's Pugna talking about trial and combat or... something.'

He stood up and walked to the window nearest the front of the house, so he could look outside.

{Dianne looks up, alarmed. Picking up Esme, she gets low and moves for the center of the house.}

Dianne: "Be careful."

{Outside, Alicia tries to walk past Pugna, but gets shoved back.}

Alicia: "Get out of my way!"

Pugna: "If you continue to tresspass, I will respond with deadly force, so by all means, continue to trespas."

Rex walked to the window as well. As he did so, a telepathic message passed over the household, in the voice of an unfamiliar vampire.

//The relay system has identified Alicia Martin, a light mage elf in league with the Bloodrazor clan, approaching your house.//

Armin didn't respond to the message, but instead whispered, 'A light mage couldn't get past Pugna, right?'

Dianne: "Yeah, you're a little late on that announcement..."

{She grumbles in response to the message.}

Alicia: "Fine, you want to fight? Horacio!"

{From a fair distance behind her came a large armored figure with a great sword. He took a minute to actually get over there.}

Pugna: "I want to fight Paxton, not you pawns. Stop wasting my time."

Armin and Rex watched through a thin gap in the curtains. 'Think the metal thing needs help?' asked Rex.

Armin shrugged. 'He's an Akhetian. They're basically indestructible as far as I know. Really OP. I'm sure he'll be fine.' A flicker of doubt hung in his voice, but Rex didn't comment on it.

Esme pressed her ears back, not liking the sudden change in atmosphere.

Dianne: "He'll be fine. Armin's right. Those things are hard as $hit to kill."

{Once Horacio showed up, Pugna points his sword at him.}

Pugna: "Last chance, leave or die."

Horacio: "Alicia, come on, let's go. It's not time."

Alicia: "But Horacio-"

Horacio: "Now, sister!"

Alicia: "We're running out of time! Let me go, we can do this! Stop!"

{The armored figure then grabs her arm and drags her off, despite her loud protests.}

Armin pulled the curtains open wider so he could watch Alicia being dragged away by her armoured comrade. 'Well, that was a little anticlimatic,' he remarked.

Pugna: "Pffft. Cowards."

{Dissociating his sword, Pugna walks back to his post.}

Dianne: "Well, the alternitave was for Pugna to cut her apart. Would you have preferred that?"

'I guess not... I think I'm just getting restless because I want to be fighting the dam.n hunters myself, and instead, we have to hide behind him...'

Rex shook his head at this, quietly walking away and going back to his room. Esme looked calm again.

{Putting Esme down, Dianne walks back into the living room.}

Dianne: "Just until the bounty is revoked, that's all."

Armin quietly followed them into the living room. He glanced at his paused game, then switched it off and started flicking through TV channels instead. After stopping on a history documentary, he flopped down on his back on the couch, watching it with vague interest.

{Dianne sat on the arm of the couch and picked up Esme's ball, looking to play with her.}

Dianne: "I think I'm going to need a back rub tonight. Think you'll be up to it?"

Esme pricked up her ears, watching the ball in Dianne's grasp and slowly approaching.

'Of course I'm up for it,' said Armin lightly. 'I usually am.'

Dianne: "Ok, I just wanted to be sure."

{She tosses the ball down the hall, watching to see if Esme would go after it.}

Esme paused for a brief moment before dashing down the hall, grabbing the ball in her jaws before it stopped moving. Looking pleased, she carried it back to Dianne.

Armin, still lying down, eyed Dianne sitting on the arm of the couch. 'Hey, could you get down from there and sit next to me instead?' he asked, shifting along slightly to make room.

{Dianne smirked at him.}

Dianne: "Sure. One sec...."

{She kicks off her shoes, tosses the ball for Esme again, then lies down next to Armin.}

Dianne: "Comfortable?"

Esme scampered off after the ball again, momentarily losing it under the table. Armin shifted closer to Dianne and rested his head on her shoulder, using her as a pillow while he watched the TV. 'Yes, much better.'

{Dianne simply smiles in response, draping an arm over him and watching the television.}

(Should we skip to nightfall? I was thinking that after they go to bed, Ivy will sneak out to meet someone and has an encounter with some hunters.)

(Ok. let's do it! Who wants to go first?)

(Mhmm, I'll go.)

----

Much later, after spending most of the day gaming or watching TV (as well as stopping to have a shower and eat some dinner that he couldn't taste), Armin climbed off the couch.

'Well, I think I'm gonna head up to bed. If you come up too, I can give you a back rub before I doze off.'

Dianne: "That sounds like a good idea."

{Standing and stretching, she follows him up to the bedroom.}

Dianne: "Let me change first, then you can do it."

Armin nodded, waiting until she went into the bathroom to change, then changing himself. Around this time, Esme came padding up the stairs, carrying her ball. She dumped the ball on the floor of Armin's room for safekeeping, then climbed onto the bed and promptly dozed off.

{Dianne walks out in her usual sleep wear, and proceeds to lie in her front on the bed.}

Dianne: "Alright, I'm ready."

Armin sat up on his knees, shuffling closer and starting to massage her back the way he normally did, with slow, practised movements. 'You could ask for this more often and I'd gladly do it. I don't mind.'

Dianne: "Mmmmm.....yeah......"

{Dianne smiles and sighs comfortably. She clearly very much enjoyed this, settling into the bed and closing her eyes.}

Armin lapsed into a contemplative silence. After a while, he experimentally slipped his hands under the back of her shirt so he could rub her back without the fabric getting in his way.

{Dianne stirs and opens her eyes in response.}

Dianne: "......That does feel better.......Keep going...."

Armin smirked faintly and remained quiet, intending to just keep up the massage until she fell asleep.

{After about ten minutes, she was soundly asleep, lying there with a contented smile on her face.}

Armin gently drew back, settling into the bed beside her as quietly as he could. He pulled the blanket over them both and lay close to her, ready to sleep for the night.

(Should I start something with Ivy now?)

(Yes)

----

At Jerry's house, Ivy was in her room, staring frustratedly at her phone. She had been talking to Kale, her current boyfriend.

//Gods, I'm already sick of being stuck here.//

She threw a swift glance at the window.

//...It won't hurt to go out for an hour or two. The hunters aren't going to be after ME, are they? They're here to target Dianne and all her friends. I'm not really one of them.//

Making her mind up, she opened the window and clambered outside. In a flash of common sense, before leaving, she picked up a small pistol Jerry had given her once, and stuck it into her coat pocket. She then hurried off down the street, texting Kale to say she'd meet him outside the park.

{Jerry had retired to his room, and was unaware of Ivy's departure. As Ivy walked along, a shady character observed her from the shadows.}

Shady man: //Someone's leaving the detective agency. Looks like Ivy, one of the hostage targets. Moving to tail....//

Upon reaching the park gates, Ivy spotted a lone figure waiting for her. A human man, about twenty-one years old, with dark hair.

'Hey, Kale,' she greeted him carelessly.

'Hey. You're out pretty late.'

'Yeah, but I couldn't sleep and thought, wouldn't it be /lovely/ to have a walk in the park under the stars?' Smiling, she linked her arm around his and practically dragged him off to the park. Being humans, without enhanced senses, neither were aware that Ivy was being tailed.

{As they walked through the park, more and more unscrupulous characters appeared out of sight, hiding in the distant shadows.}

Shady man: //Target has encountered their boyfriend. She's the important one, he is dispensable. Prepare for abduction...//

Now approaching the lakeside, Kale was beginning to glance around nervously. 'I'm not sure we should be out here. I dunno, it just seems wrong.'

'How?' Ivy scoffed. 'It's like, 11PM. There's no-one out here but us. Relax.'

{As she said that, three non humans, a vampire, a wood elf, and a dragon shifter step out of the shadows, pointing guns at the pair.}

Vampire: "Oh, we're around. Hey, there, sweetheart, how's about you and I take a little walk."

Ivy spun around, eyes going wide. Kale did as well, but he looked more confused.

'What do you freaks want!' Ivy exclaimed, talking loudly and angrily to hide her fear. 'I'm armed and I have a phone! Take one step closer and I'll call the police!'

{The vampire looks at his gun, then back to Ivy.}

Vampire: "I think we have the drop on you, sweetheart. Make any sudden moves and I'll shoot you both. You can't fast draw on a vampire, and it takes a few seconds at least to dial on a phone. Now don't move."

{Nodding to the shadows, two more vampires appear, one with chloroform and the other with a roll of duct tape.}

Ivy kept looking around at them all, trying to come up with a plan.

'Let me guess, you're from Paxton's freak army?' she sneered. 'You want to take me hostage to use me against Dianne in some way? Well, it's not going to work! She's not a friend of mine; she won't care about saving me or anything!'

Vampire: "Sure, babe, whatever you say."

{Clearly, he didn't believe her. The chloroform guy steps forward and tries to grab a hold of her.}

When he got close, Ivy kicked him in the shin as hard as she could. Kale seemed frozen with helplessness.

Meanwhile, Fred's acquaintances had been watching the city for attacks like these ever since the hunters first arrived. One member of the telepathic relay had already noticed the small crowd gathering in the park. Flying high above the park in the form of an owl, she sent a message to the hunters.

//You have been seen, Bloodrazors. Leave the girl alone, or the royal guards and Dianne's allies will be alerted of your activities.//

{The vampire yelps at being kicked in the shin. In response, he punches her in the face. Looking up at the message. The vampire curses under his breath.}

Vampire: "Grab her and let's get to the rally point. Shoot the guy."

(Is Kale important? XD)

Ivy, not used to being punched, fell to the ground with a grunt. 'Don't shoot him!' she exclaimed. 'He hasn't done anything to you!'

The owl didn't waste any more time trying to negotiate with the hunters. She sent out a message that would be relayed to Jerry and Frederick. //Five members of the Bloodrazor clan are sighted in the northern city park. Ivy is under attack. They aim to capture.//

(He is not. XD)

(Mmmmm, should I do it tho? XD)

(I think I will...)

(Depends whether you want to traumatise her or not. XD Ivy has seen people die in front of her before, but in this case, it's kinda her fault.)

{Without any emotion, the duct tape guy shoots Kale in the chest with a double barreled shotgun. The chloroform guy grabs Ivy off the ground, twisting her arm and trying to force the cloth against her face.}

Vampire: "Hurry up, the guard are on their way!"

(Well, this event will put more weight to her descisions later on. She disobeyed when they warned her not to go out and someone died as a result. She may see now that her actions and attitude can have terrible consequences in situations like this.)

Ivy heard the bang of the shotgun and twisted around, fighting against the vampire's grip to see what had happened. Her eyes went wide when she saw Kale bleeding out on the grass. A moment later, they rolled back in her head as she seemingly lost consciousness.

Across the city, Fred had received the message. However, all of his non-human acquaintances were either guarding Pythia's temple or working in the relay. Swiftly, he contacted the royal guards and rallied half of them to accompany him to the park, while the others stayed to watch the palace. The guards armed themselves, piled into cars and sped off across the city.

{Upon hearing the relay, Jerry scrambles out of bed and rushes to Ivy's room.}

Jerry: "Ivy?"

{He opens the door to find an open window and an empty bed.}

Jerry: "$h!t!"

{Rushing back to his room, he started to get dressed and gather some guns.}

{As the group were leaving the park with Ivy, a shot rang out, and the one holding Ivy fell over dead. As the rest tried to figure out what was happening, they were attacked by Antonio from behind. Swinging his rapier, he qwi dispatched the gunmen closest to Ivy.}

Ivy fell to the ground, unconscious and unaware. Seconds later, the lake was illuminated by the blaze of headlamps. Three cars were heading over, filled with royal guards mostly carrying rifles fitted with bayonets. Fred was there as well, but was flying above the park in his dove form to get a good view.

{Antonio grabs up Ivy and dashes for the fence, while being shot at. The vampire guy, seeing the guard arrive, shouts out orders.}

Vampire: "Leave them! Grab up the bodies and retreat to the rally point!"

Frederick swooped above the lake and sent out a command to the guard. //Fire at will. They killed a citizen of the king's land. That is punishable by death.//

The royal guards piled out of their cars, opening fire on the retreating hunters with their rifles. Fred then relayed another telepathic message to Jerry.

//Situation update: Ivy has been saved. She seems unhurt. The hunters are fleeing now.//

{The hunters returned fire on the guard, to provide covering fire while they grabbed their fallen comrades. They all ran for an alleyway, to take cover from the bullets.}

(Posting new room)