(You can skip and start this time, if you want.)

(Ok, one sec...)

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{The next morning Dianne awoke to Armin lying on top of her. At some point in the night, she had pulled him like a blanket again. Once again, she had scratches and bite marks in various places, and was missing an undergarment. She simply looks fondly at Armin as he lay there.}

Armin seemed to sense when she woke up, as he stirred shortly afterwards. Squinting as his eyes adjusted to the light, he looked briefly puzzled before realising that he was lying on her. He had faint but noticeable bite marks all the way along his neck.

'...Good morning, amateotl...' he murmured as he settled against her, entertaining himself by using the Ferrosian word she normally did.

{At that, she just laughs, leaning her head back.}

Dianne: "Heh, you're just adorable....Sleep well? I know I did...."

{She wraps her arms around him, holding him tightly.}

'Yes, I slept very well. I guess tiring myself out right before bed helps.' He gave a yawn, lying there with his eyes contentedly half-closed. 'I don't have any memory of how this happened, though. I guess you kidnapped me in my sleep again.'

Dianne: "Certaintly seems that way...How could I not kidnap you? You're just too sweet..."

{She leans forward to kiss him on the forehead.}

He smiled slightly. 'That's nice. You're very sweet as well. I can't say I mind being kidnapped by you.'

At the end of the bed, Esme was deeply asleep. Rex had kept her entertained last night, letting her upstairs shortly after they'd finished their activities.

{With the widest, most genuine smile she's made in all the time Armin has known her, she wraps her arms around him and starts to affectionately nuzzle him and snuggle against him.}

Dianne: "Well, good....Because I have no intention of stopping...."

At that, Armin made a contented noise in the back of his throat. He went limp and passive in her arms, letting her snuggle with him, very much enjoying the affection. 'I'm still a little... in awe... that you actually like me this much.'

(Oh, look, she's so happy. Well, time to stab her with a pike. XD)

(Rude. XD)

{Dianne grins at him in response, momentarily pulling back.}

Dianne: "And why is that?"

'Well... until we were travelling home from the mountain, you never showed any interest in me. Or were comfortable being close to me, at all. HeII, the first night we camped, I remember touching you, and you flinched from it... And now you're incredibly affectionate with me... which I enjoy very much.'

Dianne: "Yeah......It's like you said....I just needed time to....figure you out....and now that I have, I very much like the person you are."

{She then continues to nuzzle and snuggle him.}

Exhaling comfortably, he lay quite still in her embrace, soothed by the physical contact. At that moment, there was no place he'd have rather been.

'...I wouldn't mind a hair rub right now... Though I'll probably fall asleep on you, like usual...'

Dianne: "Go ahead. I don't mind."

{She whispers into his ear, moving a hand up to his hair and gently kissing his cheek.}

He shifted into a more comfortable position, resting his head near the hollow of her throat and settling down. 'Love you,' he murmured affectionately.

Dianne: "Love you too, amateotl."

{She continues to stroke his hair, settling comfortably with him in her arms.}

He lay on her, eyes closing as he relaxed into the sensation. After a short while, it became obvious from the sound of his breathing that he was asleep.

{Dianne closes her eyes, quickly falling asleep with him. At that moment, she didn't have a care in the world.}

(So, you got a planned hunter assault today?)

(Yes)

(Do you want to skip to around the time that'll happen?)

(Yes, I'll start.)

{Hours later, in the afternoon, Dianne was lounging lazily on the couch, boredly tossing the ball for Esme each time she brought it back.}

Armin had been in the kitchen, drinking blood. When he saw the ball roll past, he shifted into his wolf form and grabbed it in his jaws, prompting Esme to skid to a halt and snarl at him.

//What now?// he taunted her with telepathy. Esme raised her wings menacingly, contemplating attacking him for the ball.

{Hearing the commotion, Dianne props herself up to look into the kitchen.}

Dianne: "Be nice in there. I won't be faulted if she starts spitting fireballs at you."

//Hey, she needs to learn that spitting fireballs isn't the solution to every problem,// Armin replied. Nonetheless, he threw the ball for Esme, then padded over to the couch. He jumped up, then shifted to human form, settling beside Dianne.

'Just how long is it going to take Lucci to revoke the damn bounty?' he complained.

{Dianne shifts slightly to make room for Armin.}

Dianne: "I don't know....The human legal system kind of sucks, so it takes a long time to get anything done...."

Pugna: (Muffled from outside) "It won't be long now. The radio people estimate a few days before the legislation is passed."

Armin tilted his head at Pugna's voice coming from outside. 'Does he hear everything in here? That's creepy.' He scratched the back of his head. 'I guess that's good, though, if it's true... Not much longer to wait around...'

Pugna: "Yes, Armin, I hear everything."

Dianne: "Yeah, Akhetians are a wierd bunch. You get used to it after a while."

Armin paused, not sure he liked the idea of Pugna hearing /everything,/ but shook it off. //A slight lack of privacy is better than having our house unprotected...//

Having nothing else to do, he leaned his head against the back of the couch, lazily listening to Esme run about with her ball.

{After sitting there for about a half hour, a strange feeling comes over the atmosphere. It was the feeling of the atmosphere being charged with magical energy, much like what Jerry and Ivy felt before they were attacked. Dianne, sensing it, sits up abruptly in alarm.}

Dianne: "Hey, you feel that?"

Armin jerked upright at the same moment, listening carefully and scenting the air. However, the thing in the atmosphere wasn't something he could smell or hear. It could only be felt, like charged electricity before a storm.

'Magic,' he said in a low voice. 'That's magic being built up.'

Pugna: "Get ready in there, I'm thinking we have company!"

Dianne: "Sh!t! Barnabas, get Esme and go to the basement with Ivy! Defend Esme at all costs! Armin, with me!"

{Dianne leaps off the couch and runs up the stairs, loosening her dress as she goes. Barnabas scoops up Esme and runs down to the basement with her.}

//Stay where you are!// said Armin telepathically to Rex, who was in his room. //We might have company. Don't do anything unless they attack you.//

He took off after Dianne, jumping the stairs two at a time.

{Getting to the bedroom, Dianne quickly changes and starts putting on her armor.}

Dianne: "Armin, under the bed are my weapons. Get me the ghost bladed pike and the Shrouded Bastion. Barnabas, tell Ivy to call Fred, let him know what's happening!"

{Outside, the sounds of portals opening is heard, followed by gunfire ricocheting off of Pugna and the centaur's howls.}

Pugna: "You fools! You are no match for me!"

Armin dropped to the floor and swiftly reached under the bed for the weapons, pulling them out for her. //Huh, I didn't even realise these were under here...// He then went to the closet and pulled out the Witchslayer, the magic-deflecting blade that she had given him.

After Barnabas notified Ivy, she grabbed her phone and dialled Fred. She could hear the shouts and gunfire above the basement, and knew something was up. 'Fred?'

'I know what's going on,' Fred replied shortly. 'One of the telepathic relay saw hunters gathering near Armin's house. I'm calling the royal guards now. Some of my other associates will be there soon, too.'

{The moment Dianne took her weapons, a vampire burst through the window with a saber. Dianne quickly turned and viscously stabbed him with the pike. The pike ignored all armor, damaging only flesh.}

(Feel free to control some of the baddies.)

The first vampire hadn't been careless enough to go in alone. Right after Dianne stabbed them, another vampire wielding a pair of serrated daggers burst in after them. He tried to make a low dive underneath Dianne's pike and stab her, but Armin stepped forwards, kicking him viciously in the ribs and slashing his neck. He collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

//What the heII is going on?!// Rex growled at Armin telepathically.

//Hunters. They're getting in. Just... get your gun and stay put in there.//

Dianne: "Armin, we need to hold up somewhere. What's the most defensible room?"

Pugna: "Paxton! Come! Face me and die in glorious combat!"

Paxton: "Oh, come on! I just got here, and the Akhetian is already focusing me?! Not cool!"

Armin looked around, 'C'mon,' he said, walking out. Between their bedroom and the bathroom was another door. Opening it, he revealed a dimly lit, musty-smelling, old storeroom. Cardboard boxes and derelict pieces of furniture lay around. There were no windows.

'The door is the only way in here,' he said. 'So pretty defendable.'

In the basement, Ivy stood beside Esme, both looking alarmed. In his room, Rex was standing behind the closed door, holding a pistol and listening to the commotion outside.

(Busy day will reply when I can)

(OK!)

{Stepping in, Dianne starts to baracade the door with the furniture. As she did, Hunters could be heard storming up the stairs.}

Hunter: "Hey, where's they go?"

Hunter 2: "I can smell them...they're close..."

Armin pushed the boxes and furniture she didn't need off to the sides of the room, so they'd have space to fight if anyone came in. Then he stood there, gripping his sword and listening to the footsteps thumping on the stairs. 'How did they get past Pugna?' he muttered.

Hunter: "Hey, they're in here! I heard one ask a stupid question!"

{At that, Dianne glances exasperatedly at Armin from under her helmet. They start trying to break down the door with a sword.}

(Huh, OK. They have some incredibly sharp hearing.)

Armin moved towards the door, positioning himself against the wall on one side of it. He was obviously intending to hide there and hit them the second they came through the door.

(I literally just did that as a joke, but it's still plausible. XD Besides, it'll be more fun this way.)

{Dianne wasn't so patient. As soon as there was an opening in the door, she thrust her pike through it, stabbing one of them in the face. When they retaliated with gunfire, she hid behind her shield, which easily stopped the rounds.}

Armin watched attentively from beside the door. The fact that her shield seemed capable of deflecting the bullets gave him a bit of relief. However, he remained on edge, waiting for an opportunity to strike. He wasn't sure how many hunters there were, but figured they'd force their way through the door before long.

While the hunters were storming the house, a vampire in bird form - one of Fred's relay members - circled high above the area, gathering information on their numbers and the general situation to send back to Fred and the royal guards.

{Once they stopped to reload, Dianne lunged forward, stabbing another. Upon her leaping back, a vampire teleported in behind her. He was dressed in hooded leather armor and wielded long, thin daggers. He attacked Dianne from behind, stabbing between the gaps in her armor. She turns and stabs at him, but he agilely leaps away.}

//Teleporting vampire? Sh.it, it's Sargon all over again.// Armin lunged at the enemy vampire with a flurry of quick slashes, both to attack him and to distract him from going after Dianne again. He figured that his own speed and reflexes would make him better-suited for dealing with another vampire.

{Outside, Pugna was absolutely slaughtering the hunters. The street outside Armin's house was piling up with the bodies as even more hunters poured out of the portal. Only a few of the quickest were able to get past Pugna. The rest engaged Pugna, with little success. Most of the centaurs were destroyed by light mages and weapons.}

{As Armin fought him, Dianne covered the door, protecting Armin from gunfire. The vampire skillfully parried Armin's attacks, tossing one of his daggers at his head.}

//How does it look?// Fred asked the relay.

//It's a mess. There are piles of dead hunters outside, but a few are succeeding in getting past the Akhetian guard and breaching the house. They also have a few light mages. We need more people here to help keep them out.//

//The royal guard are still a few minutes out. Just watch them and keep me updated.//

Armin jerked aside, the thrown dagger missing his head by centimetres. While the hunter was missing one of his daggers, Armin rushed forwards, angling himself towards the hunter's weaponless side and trying to forcefully ram him into the wall.

{The dagger flew past Amin, but it actually wasn't aimed at him. The dagger clashed against Dianne's back, sticking between her armor plates. Armin did succeed, however, in ramming the vampire against the wall, causing him to teleport out.}

(Out of the room.)

Armin looked around, slightly annoyed that the vampire had fled. He glanced at the dagger sticking out of Dianne's armour, but wasn't sure if it had pierced all the way through or not. Outside the room, a large armoured werewolf, like the one who'd attacked Jerry's house, stomped over and started breaking down what remained of the door with heavy claw swipes, roaring.

Hunter: "Watch out, werewolf, that pike ignores armor. Keep her back, men!"

{They keep up suppressive fire, trying to buy the werewolf time to get through the door. Dianne seems unaware of the dagger in her back.}

Amid the gunfire, the werewolf forced its way through the door, tucking its head down low to protect its neck area. It reared up to its full height, seven feet tall, and started cautiously approaching Dianne, seemingly waiting for her to strike first.

As soon as the werewolf came through, Dianne lunged forward, stabbing the wolf in the chest. The pike went through the armor, damaging the wolf. However, the armor itself was unharmed. She then leapt back as the other hunters rushed into the room and tried to get around her shield.}

The werewolf staggered a bit, not expecting her to be that fast. The pike inflicted a deep wound in its chest. Suddenly, Armin leapt onto its back from behind, stabbing it through the neck. The werewolf jerked, then collapsed, its body taking up about a quarter of the floor space.

Armin then lunged at the hunters who'd just rushed inside, taking advantage of the fact that they seemed focused on Dianne, and stabbing one of them through the side.

{The Hunter turned and fired his pistol at Armin, trying to avenge his fallen comrade. Dianne then shield bashes the hunter and impales him with the pike. Next through the door came Alicia, the light mage. She uses a spell that emits a steady stream of light, forcing Dianne to hide behind her shield.}

Unable to evade the pistol at such close range, Armin took the bullet in his shoulder, but he didn't feel anything except a slight impact. While Alicia was busy firing light magic at Dianne, he shifted into his wolf form and rushed her, aiming to tackle her by the legs and bring her down.

{Alicia kicked at Armin, trying to stave him off. However, he succeeded in topping her. While they were distracted, the teleporting vampire reappeared behind Dianne, proceeding to stab her again. Dianne grunts, turning and shield bashing him, knocking him against the wall.}

Snarling, Armin dragged Alicia to the floor and leapt on top of her, opening his jaws wide and trying to snap them over her neck. He clearly had no qualms about killing her. All the while, he remained vaguely aware of Dianne's position, ready to leap over and help her if she seemed to be in trouble.

On the corpse-laden street outside, cars were pulling up. It seemed like nearly all the remaining royal guards had arrived. They started shooting and stabbing at the hunters around the house, helping Pugna keep them at bay.

{Dianne went in for the kill on the vampire, but he teleported away, leaving grenades in his place. Eyes widening, Dianne leaps back shielding herself and Armin.}

Dianne: "Armin, grena-!"

{The grenades go off, knocking Dianne back and collapsing the floor and wall. The floor falls, creating a makeshift ramp that Dianne and the debris slid down and into the street outside.}

{Once the guard show up, the remaining hunters begin to retreat through the portal. Pugna ruthlessly cut them down as their backs were turned.}

Armin, about to snap Alicia's neck, let out a high-pitched yelp. He was shielded from the worst of the blast, but as the floor began to collapse, he fell down after Dianne, scratching frantically at the debris in a useless effort to gain a clawhold.

The storeroom happened to be right above Rex's room. As the ceiling began to disintegrate, he opened the door and ran into the hallway to escape.

The guards helped Pugna by firing at the remaining hunters. The guards, it seemed, were sick of dealing with Paxton's goons, as they were yelling taunts and insults after them while they fled.

{In the debris, Dianne staggered to her feet. Her ears were ringing and she felt disoriented. Alicia was unconscious in the debris. Everyone who was in the store room was now outside.}

Armin came to a stumbling stop beside Dianne, shaking his head. His ears were ringing as well from the sheer noise. He landed on his feet, but then a falling chunk of wall smashed down on top of him, pinning him to the ground. He yelped, trying to scramble out from underneath it.
From the house's front door, Rex cautiously emerged, shooting at a few of the retreating hunters.

{Noticing Armin, Dianne scrambles to lift the debris off of him. She tosses away the debris, then turns when she hears something. Paxton had shifted into a bird to avoid Pugna, then shifted back behind Dianne. Picking up her pike that she dropped when she fell, he lunges for her, stabbing her through the abdomen with it. She screams in pain, as the pike ignored her armor and impaled her.}

(posting new room)