Ivy stirred at Jerry's voice, slightly lifting her head. She still looked tired, though obviously not as bad as he did. '...Hi...' she said hoarsely. '...How are you doing?'

{Jerry takes a moment to assess his condition.}

Jerry: "...Tired and dizzy....."

{He then looks down at his arms.}

Jerry: "....Odd....thought I got shot a couple times...."

{Pythia then stirs, rubbing her face to wake up.}

Pythia: "Hmmm? Jerry? You're awake....We were all so worried about you."

'Yeah, well... She healed you...' said Ivy, making a vague gesture towards Pythia. 'But you had to have a blood transfusion... that's why you're in here...' She rubbed her eyes, shifting to try and find a more comfortable position in the plastic chair.

Jerry: ".....Makes sense.....When can I go home?....."

Pythia: "Oooooh....uh.....well....about your house....."

Jerry: "...what's wrong with my house?"

Ivy closed her eyes, contemplating. 'It's going to need repair work... I mean... you know that two windows got broken and somebody drove a truck through the freaking wall, right?'

Jerry: "...My wall?......" ToT

Pythia: "Yeeeaaaahhhhh......you'll probably have to stay with me anf Fred....Unless you want to stay with Armin and Dianne...."

'Well, where am I going to stay?' said Ivy. 'I'm /not/ going back to my apartment alone, so we have to stay together. Look, I've /been/ to Armin's place, and I don't think it's big enough for another person, let alone /two./ And I doubt Fred's is either.'

Pythia: "Then, why don't you split up? One of you goes with Armin and Dianne, and the other with me and Fred?"

Jerry: "That could work.....but who would go where?"

Ivy sighed. 'I don't mind... We should probably text them both, I guess... See if they have room...' She fished out her phone and tiredly wrote a message to both Dianne and Frederick.

<hey, so stuff happened yesterday and now me and Jerry both need somewhere to stay. do either of you have space for one person?>

{On the nightstand by their bed, Dianne's phone buzzes, causing her to stir.}

Dianne: "Mmmmm......Barnabas, read that text to me..."

Barnabas: "It's from Ivy: 'hey, so stuff happened yesterday and now me and Jerry both need somewhere to stay. do either of you have space for one person?' Yeah, the hunters attacked Jerry and Ivy last night, I've been meaning to tell you."

Dianne: "What?"

Armin blearily opened his eyes. 'Hold on, they attacked Jerry's place? Are they both OK?' he asked. 'And why do they need to stay somewhere else? Did the hunters destroy his house or something?'

Barnabas: "Yeah, they drove a truck through it. It's completely wrecked."

{Dianne sits up and takes her phone from Barnabas, dialing Ivy.}

Armin just lay on the bed, watching. //We really don't have much space, with four people already living here and only two bedrooms...//
Ivy answered the call, wearily replying, 'Yes?'

Dianne: "Hey, what happened? Are you two alright?"

'Urgh... Well... hunters broke into Jerry's place last night... trying to capture us. There were lots of them...' said Ivy. 'We were fighting, and then Paxton himself showed up... he shot Jerry... We probably would have lost, but then the royal guards appeared, and Fred shot Paxton with a sniper rifle. We're in the hospital right now. We're OK.'

{Dianne rubs her face wearily at this.}

Dianne: "Fred shot Paxton with a sniper? Did he kill him?"

Barnabas: "No. I tried to finish him off by stabbing him half a dozen times, but they drove me off with a light weapon."

Dianne: "How's Jerry? Is he ok?"

'Yeah. I'm sitting next to him right now. Pythia healed him, but he needed a blood transfusion, so that's why we're in the hospital. He's OK, though.'

Dianne: "Ok, good....so, you both need a place to stay? Armin, can we house at least one more person?"

Armin rubbed his head, and leaned towards the phone. 'There aren't any more bedrooms. You'd either be sleeping in the living room or the basement. So, if either of you wants to stay here, you can... just keep in mind it's not going to be luxury accomodations,' he said.

'I don't mind sleeping in the basement, as long as you don't keep weird stuff in it, bloodsucker,' said Ivy. The insulting nickname sounded halfhearted.

Jerry: "....I don't mind sleeping in a living room.....Ivy, where do you want to go?"

Pythia: "Jerry, you should stay with me and Fred, so I can keep an eye on you."

Armin was listening closely. 'OK, so Ivy's staying with us, and Jerry's going to Fred's place? Is that settled?'

'Yeah, I guess...' said Ivy.

{Dianne does not look thrilled by this decision.}

Dianne: "Ok. Well, let us know when you're heading over, ok?"

'Yeah... I guess I'll be coming over whenever they let Jerry leave the hospital. I'll call you in advance,' said Ivy.

'Bring something to sleep on,' added Armin. 'And any other stuff you want with you. But don't bring much, OK? You're only staying until it's safe for you to go home.'

'Yeah, yeah. I know.'

Dianne: "Alright, Ivy, keep us posted."

{Hanging up, she puts her phone down and rubs her face.}

Dianne: "Well.....this is a thing that's happening..."

Armin lay back down, stretching and groaning. 'What, you not happy about Ivy coming over? I'm not, either,' he said. 'But she'll be rooming in the basement; she won't bother us much. And it can't take much longer for Lucci to revoke this bounty, can it?'

Ivy put her phone in her pocket and rubbed her eyes. 'Great, now I suppose I'll have to put up with Dianne going off about how stupid I am...' she said grumpily.

Dianne: "All my gold and ale is in the basement, are you sure that's where you want to put her?"

{Sighing, she lies back down as well.}

Dianne: "I should have tried harder to get Jerry instead..."

{Jerry eyes Ivy.}

Jerry: "Then why did you ask to go with them and not Fred?"

Ivy shrugged tiredly. 'I don't know... Pythia just said she wanted /you/ to stay with her... I guess I just went with that...'

Armin glanced at Esme and found her to still be snoozing, despite their phone conversation. He shifted slightly closer to Dianne, yawning. 'She wouldn't be interested in our booze,' he muttered. 'And, y'know, it's not too late for you to call them and say you want Jerry here instead.'

Pythia: "After you make a full recovery, you can trade places, but I want to make sure you're going to be ok."

Jerry: "C'mon, Pythia, I'll be fine. It's just some blood loss. Ivy, if you don't want to go, call them back and tell them so."

Dianne: "You heard Pythia, she wants to keep an eye on Jerry...I think we'll just have to go through with it..."

Ivy chewed her lip indecisively, glancing back and forth between Pythia and Jerry. 'You were nearly /dead/ a few hours ago,' she said, almost accusingly. 'If she thinks she should keep an eye on you, then you're staying with her and Fred. At least until you feel better.'

Armin shrugged, not knowing what else to say. 'It won't be for long,' he said reassuringly, stretching an arm across her and getting himself comfortable.

{Jerry just sighs at that, closing his eyes.}

Jerry: "Fair enough."

Pythia: "Then it's settled. Jerry's staying with us, and you're staying with Armin and Dianne."

Jerry: "Do us all a favor, Ivy, and please don't pester them about their relationship. I don't want Pythia to have to mend your shattered spine..."

{Dianne shifts, snuggling against him.}

Dianne: "Yeah.....shouldn't be long now...."

Ivy shot him a halfhearted, tired scowl. 'You really think I'd care about /that/ at a time like /this?/ HeII, I'm glad I'll be staying in the basement, so I won't have to hear whatever they get up to at night...' She muttered the last part under her breath.

Armin let out a long breath, enjoying the warmth and her presence. 'Just think about all the things we can do once this cra.p is over. It's something to look forward to...'

Jerry: "That's a relief.....what they get up to at night ain't our business anyway..."

Dianne: "Yeah....Lots to look forward to...."

{She kisses his neck again, settling in.}

Ivy shifted in her uncomfortable chair, yawning a little. She looked around the hospital room. 'Anyway... I wonder when you'll be allowed to leave...'

Jerry: "Hard to say..."

Pythia: "Later today, most likely. Don't worry, we'll be out of here soon."

----------

{Meanwhile, over at Fred's house, a hawk flies down and shifts into Antonio. He was injured, but it didn't seem serious. Limping, he approaches the house.}

Armin drew in a sharp breath like before, and a slight tremor ran up his spine before he settled down with her again. Resting his head on top of hers, he just gazed contemplatively across the room, not attempting to go back to sleep.

'Well, I hope so,' Ivy muttered. 'I don't want to be sitting in this dam.n chair much longer...'

There were guards outside Fred's house, but less than before. Some of them had gone to guard the hospital last night. When Antonio approached, a vampire guard looked him over. 'Hey, you're that guy who helped when Ivy was nearly captured... Are you alright? You look a little rough.'

Pythia: "Why don't you go get some coffe or something, get up and stretch your legs?"

Antonio: "I'm fine....I need to speak with Frederick immediately. I know where the Bloodrazors are holed up."

Ivy slowly stood up. '...I guess I can walk downstairs and get a coffee... You guys want anything...?'

The vampire guard's expression shifted. 'Yeah, go right on in.' He opened the door, sending a quick message to Fred to tell him what was going on. 'The boss is just in the living room.'

{Nodding, Antonio walks in and adresses Fred.}

Antonio: "Frederick, I have some news. Paxton and his clan are currently occupying the ruins of Shacklestone. That's where they're coming from."

Jerry: "Something with sugar, please..."

Ivy nodded, and wandered off, out of the room. //Gods, I hate hospitals...//

Fred had been writing something in a notepad. When Antonio spoke, he stood up. His expression was faintly surprised, but also cautiously pleased. 'You know this for certain? How did you find out?'

//Shacklestone? It's a good place for a large group of people to hide out. I thought they were holed up somewhere in this city... I should have thought of those ruins...//

Antonio: "When they drove through the portal last night, I followed them. I was able to fly through in hawk form and look around before being discovered. They've fortified the city with AA guns and mortars, apparently supplied by Agamidae's mayor."

Frederick was quiet for a moment, considering. 'Then, we know where to find them if we want to fight back,' he said. 'But launching an attack on them, at their own, fortified turf, might be difficult. Some of them died in their failed kidnapping attempts, but they still outnumber us massively.'

Antonio: "I counted 200 strong. If we can sabotage their weapons, the royal army should be able to wipe them out. If they persist after the bounty is revoked, we may not have a choice."

'Keep in mind that the king's army consists almost entirely of humans,' pointed out Frederick. 'That makes them disadvantaged against tougher non-human warriors. But, yes, if we fight alongside the royal army, we should be able to take them out. Two hundred isn't too many. I expected more.'

Antonio: "They're just a clan, not a full fledged army. Honestly, I'm surprised they have this many. We just need to keep Dianne safe for a little longer, then this will all be over."

Fred nodded. 'I'll tell Dianne and Armin about this later. I'm sure they'll be pleased to know. I'll also let all my associates know, so they can begin training and preparing for the conflict...' His gaze scanned Antonio momentarily. 'You risked a lot to get this information. You're sure you don't need medical attention?'

Antonio: "l'll be fine. It was very important that we knew where they were coming from. I might just ask to rest here for a little bit, if it's no trouble."

'No. Feel free to stay a short while,' said Frederick. 'And thank you for getting this information. It is extremely valuable.'

Antonio: "Of course. It is my job to stop corrupt hunters from hurting the innocent."

{With that, he heads down the hall to wash up.}

(Should we skip to later in the day? Maybe when Ivy and Jerry go off to Armin and Fred's places, or something?)

(Yeah, let's do that. I'll start.)

(Alrighty.)

-------------

{Later in the day, the doctor comes into Jerry's room with his discharge papers.}

Doctor: "ok, you're free to go. Don't forget your things at the nurse's station."

Ivy was sitting beside Jerry again, playing around with her phone. She looked up when the doctor spoke and immediately put her phone away, ready to leave with Jerry.

Jerry: "Ok.....I want to get dressed before I leave...I don't like this hospital gown...someone hand me my boxers and jeans and step out for a minute...."

Pythia: "I can handle that. Ivy, could you find Ryder and tell him we're ready to go?"

Ivy looked a bit more energised now. She headed off to look for Ryder, not knowing exactly where he might be. Eventually, she found him waiting near the hospital entrance, gingerly sipping some cheap coffee.

'We're ready to go.' She explained that they were going back to different houses. 'That car's still outside, right?'

'Yeah. Let's wait for Jerry and Pythia to get down here, then I'll drive you all to where you need to be.'

{After a few minutes, Pythia appeared, helping Jerry walk towards the exit.}

Pythia: "We're coming."

Ryder glanced over. 'Hm. You're looking OK. Wasn't expecting that considering you were bleeding to death less than 24 hours ago...'

He began to lead the way out to the car, while Ivy watched Jerry and Pythia to see if they needed any help.

{Jerry seemed to be doing ok. Pythia helps him into the car.}

Jerry: "Yeah....guess I got a knack for bouncing back...."

Pythia: "Ok, let's get going."

Ivy settled into the car and Ryder pulled out of the hospital grounds.

'Do you guys - Jerry and Ivy - want to pick up anything from your homes before I drop you off at Armin and Fred's places? We can't carry too much in this car, but if there's anything important you need to grab now...'

Jerry: "...I'd like to get my guns....They've already attacked twice....who's to say they won't try again....Also, more of my clothes...."

Pythia: "We'll have to figure that out later. First, we're going Fred's and putting you to bed."

Ryder shrugged. '...OK then. I guess we'll have to make a trip out to get your stuff tomorrow. Ivy?' he prompted.

She lifted her head. 'I'd like to stop at my apartment and get some things.'

'Alright, we'll do that afterwards.' Ryder then started to head off in the direction of Fred's place.

{Jerry just kind of leans back and starts dozing. He actually felt a bit worse than he let on, but he didn't want to worry anyone. Pythia keeps shooting him concerned glances as he sleeps.}

Ryder got them to Fred's house a short while later. The guards outside didn't react, having clearly been forewarned of their arrival. 'OK, we're here. Do I need to carry him in?' he said, noticing Jerry's state.

{Jerry stirs, looking rather tired.}

Jerry: "Wha?......What's happening?...."

Pythia: "I think that would be for the best, Ryder. Thank you."

Ryder climbed out of the car, going around to the back and scooping Jerry up.

'I'll wait here,' said Ivy.

As Ryder approached the house, the door was opened by a guard. Frederick was nowhere in sight, so he took Jerry into the living room and carefully set him down on the couch. The room wasn't spacious, but the couch was large and comfortable-looking, and someone had left some blankets on it to turn it into a makeshift bed.

(Posting new room)