Armin smiled slightly, tightening his arms around her.

'I know who my family are now. You, Esme, and Fred. And I'm very grateful to have you all. Oh, and Rex... he's not in the family, but he's my best friend in the world and I'm very grateful to him too.'

Seconds after he spoke, Rex walked through the living room, heading towards the kitchen to get something. 'You said that because you heard me coming,' he grumbled as he passed.

{Dianne chuckles a bit at that.}

Dianne: "But it's true, Rex. You mean the world to him."

'Oh, yes, he's said so many times before.'

'Just so you don't think I've forgotten you,' said Armin drowsily, still relaxed against Dianne. 'Don't want you making any assumptions...'

Rex came out, holding a blood bottle. He paused behind the couch to reach over and ruffle Armin's hair affectionately, before continuing on back to his room, humming to himself.

{Dianne smiles fondly at that, settling into the couch.}

Dianne: "He's a good friend....We're lucky to have him..."

'He's a good guy. Doesn't deserve everything that's happened to him...' Armin snuggled closer to Dianne, eyes closed, too comfortable to even stand up and walk upstairs.

{Dianne closes her eyes as well, dozing lightly with him.}

When the movie finished about twenty minutes later, Esme headed upstairs to bed, squeaking to get their attention as she left. She didn't want them to just stay asleep on the couch.

{Dianne stirred, looking at Esme and gently patting Armin to wake him up.}

Dianne: "Hey, babe....we should probably go up now....Esme's left us behind..."

Armin stirred a little, keeping his eyes closed. 'Mhmm... I don't wanna get up. You can carry me upstairs, right?' He spoke in a joking tone, but also wondered if she actually would.

{Dianne didn't think he was joking. She smiles, stands, and hefts him over her shoulder with ease.}

Dianne: "Easily, my dear."

{She then starts to ascend the stairs with him.}

Armin let out a grunt of mild surprise when she actually did it, then just smirked as she carried him up the stairs. 'Very useful, you being this strong...'

Dianne: "Oh? Why's that? Have trouble opening the pickle jar?"

{She asks, laughing.}

'I don't /own/ a pickle jar,' said Armin humorously. 'But you never know when I might need someone stronger than me. In any case, I find it kind of hot.' At that point, it seemed like his drowsiness was making his mouth run ahead of his brain.

{Dianne raises a brow at that, smirking.}

Dianne: "Really? My strength is a turn on? I'll have to find a better way to take advantage of that..."

Armin took a moment to digest that thought. '...Hhm. I'm not sure whether to be intrigued or concerned by that...'

He squirmed free of her grasp, yawning and stepping into the dark bedroom. Esme was already asleep on the bed.

{Dianne stands at the door momentarily.}

Dianne: "Well, I won't do anything you're uncomfortable with. Anyway, I'm going to shower first. I'll be in soon."

'Of course. I trust you.' He yawned and started to take off his jacket and jeans. 'See you in a minute, then.'

{After a few minutes, Dianne reappears in her sleepwear with damp hair and smelling of soap. She proceeds to lie on the bed, looking fondly at Armin.}

Armin was on the bed, wearing an old black t-shirt and boxer shorts. He'd stayed awake waiting for her to return. With a contented noise, he cuddled up to her, draping an arm across her and nuzzling into her shoulder. In contrast to his earlier, almost-aggressive passion, he was now just being extremely affectionate.

{Dianne welcomed the affection, pulling him into a tight hug.}

Dianne: "I love you, amateotl...."

{She then starts to nuzzle him back and kiss his face.}

Eyes closed, he reached one hand under the back of her shirt and started rubbing her back and shoulders. He briefly nuzzled at the base of her neck, then settled his head there, where he could hear her heartbeat.

'Love you too, Dianne.' He didn't actually say her name much when he spoke to her.

{She settles in contently, sighing comfortably.}

Dianne: "...Mmmmm....Back rubs are the best..."

Shifting slightly until he was comfortable, he continued slowly rubbing her back until he started to doze off, his movements gradually going still.

{She dozed off qui quickly, on account of his rubbing her back. She peacefully drifted off, feeling completely at ease.}

(You can skip to morning, if you want.)

(Ok.)

--------

{The next morning, Dianne opens her eyes groggily, to find Armin in her arms. She just smiles and settles down again, closing her eyes.}

Armin stirred a while later, shifting slightly and yawning. Unsure whether she was awake or not, he just lay there, absentmindedly trailing a hand up and down the part of her back that he could reach.

//Mhm... we're home, and apparently safe... or, safe enough, according to Lucci. I guess that's a nice thought to wake up to.//

(Weelll, there are still the Garvey family, and Alicia is still alive. But, I think I should give Dianne a break from being hurt. XD)

{Dianne stirs at this. Not opening her eyes, she puts her head against his chest.}

Dianne: "....Good morning....."

(Hmm, perhaps. XD)

'Morning...' said Armin lightly. He bent to kiss her forehead, then settled back, one arm wrapped over her. 'Anything you want to do today?...'

Dianne: ".....Mmmm....I want to go check on things at my house....make sure everything's ok....it'll be good exercise for Esme anyway...."

'Sounds good to me. I wouldn't mind visiting your house again, even if it's a bit too... ornately decorated... for my tastes...'

{Dianne opens an eye, looking up at him.}

Dianne: "Too ornate for your tastes? What do you mean by that?"

'Well, the big rooms, the armour, artifacts, and weapons displayed everywhere... even in the bedroom... it's a little bit overwhelming...'

Dianne: "Hey...How else am I supposed to admire my collection?...guess that means you won't let me redecorate...."

'Look, I like my nice, cosy little rooms,' said Armin. 'I don't want to feel like I'm living in a history museum.'

{Dianne smirks mischievously at that.}

Dianne: "Well, you should have thought of that before you took a living fossil as a girlfriend. Nearly everything about me is old."

'Well, yeah. But it's not old things that bother me, I just don't want your artifact collection in my bedroom. It wouldn't fit the decor.'

Dianne: "Alright, I'll keep the majority of the stuff at my place, and have a small collection in that unused room. Sound good?"

'Oh, sure, you can put whatever you like in the storeroom. I never had anything to do with it myself... though I guess it was useful when the hunters raided the house...'

Dianne: "Ok, then. I'll get some stuff and bring it over."

{Smiling widely, she snuggles into him and settles into the bed.}

Dianne: "I'll just have one little thing in here, and the rest will go into the store room."

'Oh, really? What's that 'one little thing'?' Armin enquired, peering down at her.

Dianne: "My Golden Aegis. It's a golden ceremonial shield buried with the first emperor of the southern Syrvinites. it's beautifully crafted, depicting two dragons reared up over the throne, and the king sitting before his subjects....I think it would look good over the bed."

'A golden shield? That sounds fine to me,' said Armin. 'We'll go to your house later and pick up everything you want to bring back.'

Dianne: "...Yay....Now stay with me...."

{She proceeds to nuzzle his neck, resting her head between his neck and shoulder.}

(I do want to do some things with Pythia in a minute. I might take that opportunity to also make Fred very uncomfortable. XD}

'You don't need to tell me... Like I'd ever think of getting up /earlier/ than you...' Armin murmured. He tensed slightly when feeling her touch his neck, but shook it off and tightened his arms around her. '...Vampires are supposed to be able to go days without sleeping... but that sounds horrible to me...'

(Yeah, we'll do that. I'm all for making Fred uncomfortable. XD)

Dianne: "Sleep is good...especially on big piles of treasure..."

{Sighing contently, she quickly dozes off.}

-----

{Meanwhile, back at Fred's place, Pythia was sitting in the living room with a cup of tea, when suddenly, there was a knock at the door.}

???: "Open up! Is Pythia in there? I need help!"

Fred was also having a cup of tea, in his bedroom. When he heard the knock, he hastened over to the front door. 'Yes, she is here. What do you need?' he asked, taking a long, careful look at the visitor as he spoke.

{The visitor was a rough, older looking man. He was holding his left arm in a cloth, which had blood trickling past the cloth. Pythia walks over to look at the man.}

Pythia: "Oh, dear, what happened?"

Man: "I got attacked by a pit bull. I'm bleeding pretty bad. Can you help me?"

Pythia: "Of course. Frederick, can you clear the living room for me?"

Fred didn't ask any questions, but walked off to do as she asked. //A dog bite... Well, I suppose such things might be a concern for people who can't heal as easily as vampires...//

{As Fred went to clear the living room, there was another knock at the door.}

Lady: "I-is this where Pythia lives now? Does she still treat here?"

//Yes, Pythia lives here currently.// Fred flicked the telepathic thought towards the person outside the door. //And yes, she heals those who are in need of it. You may let yourself in.// He then finished clearing the room.

{The woman opens the door and hobbles in.}

Woman: "I think I twisted my knee...."

Pythia: "I'll be right with you...Fred, can you get my supplies? They're in my room."

{She starts to examine the man.}

Fred obediently gathered Pythia's supplies, bringing them into the living room and setting them down beside her. //It seems more people are realising she lives here...// he mused. //There had better not be too many.//

{Just as he said that, three more people appeared at the door, complaining of ailments.}

Lady: "My head hurts!"

Man: "I've got severe flaky skin!"

Man: "I snapped mah ankles!"

Fred paused, then turned to give Pythia an unimpressed look. '...How many people used to come to your temple, on average, every day to complain about minor aliments that don't require magical healing?'

Pythia: "Oh....about twenty for every hundred..."

{Pythia proceeded to heal the man with the dog bite, before looking to the door and seeing a line of injured people start to form outside.}

Fred's eye twitched. //...I need to keep things from getting out of hand...// He gingerly stepped out the front door, giving all of Pythia's patients a wide berth, as if he thought he could catch diseases from them.

'Can anyone with /serious/ problems please make their way to the front of the line first. No pushing or shoving, and don't go inside until somebody else comes out.'

{At that, there was a collective uproar of discontentment.}

Crowd: "Serious? My condition /is serious!......I need this healed before my mother finds out!....I can see my brain!....Stupid vampire, get out of the way!"

'When I say serious, I mean /life-threatening,'/ said Fred coldly. 'If you think you need healing more than someone who's bleeding to death, I suggest you leave right now. If none of you have serious conditions, then just stay in the order you're already in.'

{With a lot of grumbling, the people form an orderly line, bleeding people in the front, broken bones in the middle, non fatal injuries in the back.}

Pythia: "Oh, dear....Fred, I need a bucket of water!"

Fred looked over the line critically. 'Good. Stay there and wait your turn.' //Ryder, if you're not doing anything important, please come and assist me.// He wasn't sure if the dragon was even nearby, but called for him anyway.

He then went indoors and into the kitchen, finding a small bucket, filling it with water, and taking it to Pythia. '...What for?'

{When he walks in, he sees a modest amount of blood on the floor.}

Pythia: "Some of them are...bleeding all over the place...I don't want to ruin your floors...."

{Extending her hand to the bucket, the water rises and proceeds to soak up the blood off the floor.}

Pythia: "You can send the next one in now."

Fred's expression turned mildly disgusted as he eyed the floor. 'Thank you,' he replied stiffly, before hurrying to the front door. //There's a lot of them... A lot of... unclean people who are going to mess up my house...//

However, he gave no sign of his inner turmoil aside from a faint stiffness, and calmly let the next patient in.

(Also, in response to your question:
Yes, you're always welcome to! Practice is good. X) And I'd love to see them drawn together.)

(Alright, cool. I always get the permission of the creator before I draw characters that aren't mine.)

{Pythia eyes Frederick worriedly as he walks away.}

Pythia: "Sorry...again..."

{The next patient was also bleeding, leaving a trail of blood as he hobbled in}

Pythia: "What happened to you?"

Man: "Mah wife got mad I was chatting up the waitress and stabbed me in the buttocks..."

Fred hardly paused to listen to this exchange, promptly shutting himself in the bathroom to hide. //...I really need Dad to give her that money so she can move out...//

Meanwhile, a purple dragon flew down, landing outside the house and lying down near the front door. 'Hey, guys,' he chirped cheerfully. 'You're all here to see Pythia, right? I'll be letting you in one at a time, so don't worry, all of you will get healed.'

(XDD Poor Fred.)

(He does not like people, or messes. XD)

{Pythia rather unenthusiastically treats the man.}

Pythia: "Ok, Ryder, send in the next one."

{The next patient looked rather pale and was helped by another guy.}

Man:"We were out hunting and that buck mauled my boy....We need some help."

Fred had resolved to stay in the bathroom unless Pythia needed him. He locked the door and listened to the various patients walking in and out under Ryder's watchful gaze. //Thank the gods for him. He doesn't appear to be concerned about all the blood and dirt and germs and...//

{As the day went on, the stream of patients didn't seem to lessen much. Hours went by, and people kept coming, some of which vehemently complained of how Murphy was no help and how it took them several days to track down Pythia for treatment. Pythia was running a bit low on antiseptic.}

Pythia: "Fred? Fred, where'd you go?"

Fred opened the bathroom door, tentatively slipping out to address Pythia. 'Yes?' he said curtly, clearly not happy with the situation.

Pythia: "I'm running out of antiseptic.....Could you run down to the drug store and get me another bottle?"

'Yes. I suppose so,' replied Fred, somewhat grateful for an opportunity to leave the house. He walked out, carefully skirting around the line of patients, who were being supervised by a bored but attentive Ryder.

'Any end in sight?' he asked.

'Not really,' Ryder replied. 'I'm sure they'll slow down as the day goes on.'

Fred shifted to dove form and headed off to the drugstore, leaving Ryder in charge of the patients.

(You want to cut back to Dianne and Armin now?)

(Yup, let's do that. You can start.)

(Ok)

{About that time, it was noon. Dianne opens her eyes, finding herself comfortably settled in Armin's grasp.}

Dianne: "...Mmmmm...Armin?....Are you awake?"

Armin was dozing gently. When she spoke, he cracked his eyes open and blinked rapidly against the light.

'Mhm... yes... I think so...'

{Chuckling, she snuggles into him, nuzzling his neck affectionately.}

Dianne: "We should get up now, if we want to get to my house in a timely manner..."

'Mhmmm... I guess so...' However, Armin didn't get up. He just held onto her tighter, smirking slightly, despite knowing she could easily escape his grasp. On the end of the bed, Esme was awake, her head resting on her forelegs as she watched the pair.

(Will post new room before you reply)