Dianne: "Heh, I won't lie, it might be hard. I suggest you invest in room heaters to make it easier on me. Also, I'll need new jackets. Won't have a good time of it without them."

'Well, we both do.' //And the best ones we can get are in Alexandria.// 'I'd rather you didn't get hypothermia from trying to leave the house without a decent coat. In fact, we should probably get several coats... considering how often they seem to get torn up.'

Dianne: "Agreed. I don't want to get a nice coat, only for it to be ruined and for me to have to go out in the cold to get a new one. I honestly just wish people would leave us alone..."

'Well... that's not likely to ever happen,' said Armin. 'We've both done too many unpleasant things, and most people don't care about our reasons for doing them. We'll always be hated and targeted. Personally, I don't mind a bit of action every now and again, but it's not /always/ fun. Not when they're hurting your friends and destroying your belongings.'

Dianne: "Welcome to my life...Not always fun? When is it ever fun? Contrary to popular belief, I don't enjoy being bed ridden. And watching you all get hurt makes me feel bad about myself, like...you're all suffering because of me."

'Hey,' said Armin a little sharply. 'Don't start with that again. How is it your fault when I, or the rest of us, get hurt? Sometimes it can't be prevented, and we probably all have enemies.'

(Hm, Armin doesn't like it when she shows any sign of depression, does he?)

Dianne: "...Ok...just saying, Paxton's lot came because of me, and people got hurt..."

Pythia: "Dianne, you know none of us blame you for that, don't you?"

(Well, she has a habit of blaming herself for things that aren't her fault. He's become quick to jump on it, in an attempt to stop her.)

Armin folded his arms, his eyes flickering sideways to look at Dianne before shifting away.

'No, none of us do. The Bloodrazors were just money-hungry lunatics, evil enough to try using your friends against you. You don't deserve to spend your life alone just because we might get pulled into conflicts for being near you.'

(Lol, that is true.)

Dianne: "I know...That's not what I meant...I just don't like to think I'm causing you pain."

'I lived through a lot of pain before I even knew you. At this point, it doesn't really matter to me anymore.' Armin shifted, a little restlessly. 'What's bringing this on all of a sudden?'

Dianne: "...Fred getting stabbed...The sheer fact that I can't seem to have nice jackets, because people keep ruining them..."

Pythia: "But the guy who stabbed Fred was someone from his own past, not yours. You've nothing to feel bad about."

'Yeah, what are you talking about? That guy hated Fred because of what he had to in Shacklestone to make Sargon trust him... If someone came after me for the same reason, would you say that was your fault too?' he said, a touch of impatience in his tone.

{Dianne just rubs her face wearily in response.}

Dianne: "I don't know anymore, just....forget I said anything..."

Armin narrowed his eyes slightly, eyeing her sideways for a long moment before looking away. He was concerned about how suddenly this depressive episode had sprung up, but didn't try to pursue it further. He stared pensively across the room, silently waiting for Fred to awaken.

{Dianne silently leans back into the couch, a similarly pensive expression on her face. She knew this wasn't her fault, so why did she feel bad?}

Dianne: //I guess I'm too used to being the reason people get hurt. It wasn't even my presence that attracted him, so why do I feel responsible?//

After a few minutes, Armin heard a creak of bedsprings and a weak, hoarse voice from the other room.

'...Hello?...'

'Hold on.' Quickly, Armin got up and made his way to Fred's room, not looking at Dianne as he passed her. 'What's up?'

Fred regarded him with a tired look. 'Just wondering why I could still smell you and Dianne... Why are you still here?'

{Dianne looks at Armin as he passed and gets up as well.}

Dianne: " We wanted to ask you something. Armin doesn't want to leave you here to recover so we wanted to ask if you'd like to stay with us for the next few days."

Fred eyed them both, squinting a little. The light wasn't bright in here, but it still hurt his eyes, and he had a raging headache. //Now I remember what's so bad about getting staked...//

'...I'm not opposed to that. Though, I'm sure it's safe here. I have more than enough associates to keep this house guarded.'

'I know you do...' said Armin. 'But, just come with us for a couple of days. Just in case.'

'If you insist. I believe Ryder has his car outside, so...' Fred coughed and winced before continuing. 'You two go on ahead, and I'll get him to drive me over to your house.'

Dianne: "Alright. I'll leave Barnabas to watch over you. Armin, shall we?"

'Don't be long, OK?' said Armin. 'Get Ryder to drive you over as soon as you can.'

Fred raised his eyebrows slightly, his expression tired. 'Just go... I'll be over in a bit.'

Armin then left the room, heading outside to the truck and jumping into the driver's seat.

{Picking up her helmet, Dianne trails after Armin.}

Dianne: "Ok, we'll be waiting for you."

{Walking outside, Dianne enters the truck with Armin.}

Dianne: "Armin, about a few minutes ago....I know it's not my fault this is happening...I think...I just have a lot of guilt and...I have a bad habit of thinking I'm responsible for misfortunes..."

The truck roared into life and slowly peeled out onto the road. Armin didn't respond until they were on their way.

'If you know it's not your fault, then stop saying it is. I don't like hearing it. You need to get used to the idea that you're not responsible for every problem - just like I need to stop being guilty for all the times you got hurt while I was standing right there.'

{Dianne looks at the road ahead, as they drive.}
Dianne: "Yeah...Guess I need to work on that..."

'If there's anything I can do to help, with those... negative thoughts... let me know. I don't like seeing you brood over things that were never your fault.'

Dianne: "Yeah...I think I just need to be a bit more self aware in the future. Accept that, when things go wrong, it's not always my fault....As for you helping...you just being there to talk me out of it is a big help on its own."

'I hope so.' Still looking faintly concerned, Armin drove in silence until they arrived at his house. He climbed out of the truck and went inside, looking around.

Esme was sitting in front of the TV, which Rex had put on to entertain her.

{Dianne followed him in, heading upstairs to take off her armor. When she came back down, she sat next to Esme, picked her up and held her close for comfort.}

An odd squeak of surprise escaped Esme, and she craned her neck to look up at Dianne before seeming to accept the embrace.

Armin took off his shoes and put his sword away. After returning to the living room, he settled on the couch beside the pair, and wrapped his arms around them both in a hug.

{Dianne leaned into Armin slightly, enjoying his embrace. She says nothing, content to sit there among her family.}

They all remained in that position for a while, before Esme got tired of being held and squirmed free, returning to sit on the floor and watch the TV. Armin shifted so that he was leaning against Dianne.

'You alright?' he said quietly.

Dianne: "Yes, I'm alright...Are you feeling better, knowing that Fred's coming to stay with us?"

'Yes... I think so... It's probably not necessary, but I do feel safer having him around for a couple of days.'

Armin then picked up his head and gazed vaguely around the room.

'I'm not sure where he's going to sleep... Maybe I'll just kick Rex onto the couch and Fred can have his room.'

Dianne: "No, don't kick Rex out of his room. I can go get my camping cot and we can put Frederick in the store room, so long as stone altars don't creep him out..."

{She then wraps her arms around Armin, returning his embrace.}

Dianne: "Probably not a good idea to put him in the bedroom with us..."

'Hm, the storeroom? I think he'd much prefer that to sharing our room or using Rex's. Knowing Fred, he'd probably take the stone altar over sleeping near other people...'

Dianne: "Yeah...That boy sure doesn't like company, does he? Well, we'll ask him what he wants to do when he arrives."

'He's always been that way. He was never very social, affectionate, or open as a kid. Sometimes I wonder if we did something wrong, to make him that way. But no, I think that's just him.'

Dianne: "Some people just aren't social. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just who they are."

'Of course I know that. It was just... odd how he could be so different from the rest of his family. But it doesn't matter. As long as he's happy.'

He briefly found himself thinking of Mira, and wondering what /she/ had been like. //Well, she died at a very young age. Her personality probably hadn't come out yet...// He would have asked, but was afraid of triggering something.

{Unaware of Armin's unspoken inquiry, she snuggles into him, leaning back with him in her grasp.}

Dianne: "His happiness is all that matters. It's his choice if he wants to be alone."

'Yes, it is... I don't really care how he chooses to live. I'm just happy that he's alive at all. If he hadn't been turned into a vampire, then he'd have died a very long time ago.'

With nothing to do until Fred arrived, Armin contentedly snuggled into Dianne in return. He reached up, grasping her jaw and tilting her head down so he could kiss her.

{Smiling, Dianne moves one hand up to ruffle his hair as she kissed him, holding him tightly against her.}

He growled with enjoyment at that, drawing out the kiss a bit longer. Then he slowly drew back and snuggled against her. The day hadn't been particularly pleasant for him either, ever since Pythia's phone call, but he couldn't help feeling at ease here with her.

{Dianne enjoyed his presence, slowly stroking his hair. She was content to lie there with him, smiling happily.}

Dianne: "Smart that you pulled back...Wouldn't want Fred walking in on us while we're getting into it..."

Armin let out a long breath, relaxation easing into him.

'So you were thinking of going further if I didn't pull back? You really are eager...' he murmured with amusement.

Dianne: "Well, it's been a hard day..."

{Smiling, she settles in with him, relaxing and waiting for Fred to arrive.}

About twenty minutes later, there was a knock at the door. It was followed by Ryder walking in, supporting Frederick, who had clearly insisted on trying to walk. Armin shifted away from Dianne and stood up, yawning.

'Hey, you two,' said Ryder in a friendly tone. 'Just dropping off the little guy, then I'll be on my way.'

Fred slowly surveyed the room. Esme was gazing back at him unblinkingly. 'Sorry for the delay. I had to set up people to guard Pythia before leaving.'

Dianne: "Jeeze, you never stop working, do you? Still, that is important...."

{Sitting up on the couch, Dianne looks Fred over.}

Dianne: "...You should probably sit down..."

'Good idea...' said Fred, swaying slightly. Easily, Ryder picked him up and set him down on the couch.

'Alright, I'll be off then. Have a nice rest of your day - Dianne, Armin, Esme,' said Ryder.

Esme squeaked at being addressed. Fred closed his eyes, sinking into the back of the couch.

'...Make sure the relay knows to report back to me if anything comes up. They can send messages via Owel, she's closest to here. And you're in charge of Pythia's guards.'

'Gods, Fred, I know all of this. Geez. Just get some rest.'

Dianne: "Thank you, Ryder. Stay safe out there. Frederick, as for your sleeping arrangements, you can either sleep here on the couch or in the store room on a cot. Do you have a preference?"

Fred kept his eyes closed as he replied. 'I think I'll take the storeroom. I'll probably be sleeping a lot, and if I stay here, you'll have the trouble of trying not to wake me up.'

'Storeroom it is, then,' said Armin, looking him over. 'You want anything else?'

'Yes. A cup of tea. One sugar, not too much milk.'

Dianne: "Ok, I'll go set that up for you. Armin, can you get the tea?"

(I think I want to have the Aspect show up briefly, just to see how Fred reacts. XD)

(Oh dear. XD)

'Sure, I'll go do that,' said Armin.

'Are you sure you can make tea?' said Fred critically.

'Yeah, yeah. Well, it'll be drinkable, at least.'

Armin wandered off to the kitchen to make tea, while Fred remained on the couch, trying to stay as comfortable as possible and ignore the stabbing headache and disorientation.

{After a few minutes, Dianne comes back down the stairs.}

Dianne: "Your bed is ready. Would you like your tea here, or when you're settled upstairs?"

Fred stirred, opening one eye. '...I'll have the tea first, then go upstairs. Thank you.'

Around that time, Armin returned from the kitchen with a hot mug, which he passed to Fred. 'Here.'

Fred took a sip, his expression somewhat judgemental, but he refrained from criticising. 'Thanks, dad,' he said quietly.

{Dianne sits on the arm of the couch, furthest from Frederick.}

Dianne: "Alright, just let me know when you're ready."

Armin sat between them, trying not to get too close to Fred.

'So, how many times has this happened?' he asked, raising his eyebrows slightly.

Fred slowly drank his tea, seeming soothed by it. 'Oh, a few times. I had much closer near-death experiences in Shacklestone.'

'Well, that's not surprising... I don't think any of us /haven't/ had near-death experiences...'

Dianne: "Pretty sure we've all had people try to take our heads. Can't say it's a very fun experience..."

'Well, if we were ordinary citizens, I doubt it would happen. Willingly or not, we've all been involved in things that are likely to give us enemies.'

Fred had already drunk half of his tea, and was starting to look drowsy as he spoke.

(Random note: is Pugna still outside their house? I don't think he's been mentioned since Armin went to look for Alicia.)

(Tbh, I kinda forgot about him. XD I think he's gone now.)

Dianne: "True enough..."

{Eyeing Frederick with concern, she turns towards him.}

Dianne: "You feeling sleepy? Would you like to go upstairs now?"

'In just a moment...'

Fred gave a vast yawn, showing several missing teeth. As he continued drinking his tea, Esme padded over to investigate. He gently but firmly pushed her away before she could climb onto him.

Dianne: "Here."

{Dianne scoops up Esme and puts her on her shoulder.}

Dianne: "How'd you lose those teeth?"

'...Werewolf...' said Fred drowsily. 'He ripped them out. They don't regrow, unfortunately.'

He finished his tea and set the mug aside. Armin winced slightly.

Dianne: "Really? What kind of psycho rips people's teeth out?"

'...He was one of Sargon's. Rowdy was his name. He always hated vampires; I suspect someone from his past had been unwillingly Turned by one. One day, he left the organisation, and while fleeing the city, ran into me. There was a fight. He tried to rip out my fangs so I couldn't Turn anyone. But he only got one before another minion showed up and slaughtered him.'

Fred blinked slowly, then sat up a little straighter, a little discomfited by having said so much.

'...Shame he's dead...' said Armin darkly. 'I would've liked to beat him up.'

Dianne: "Ow. Sounds unpleasant...Although, that brings to mind another question. You two worked for Sargon at the same time. How is it that you didn't meet until that night in Riverside? Were you just avoiding your father all that time, hoping no one would notice the resemblance?l

Fred closed his eyes, rubbing his temple.

'...It's a long story... But yes, while I was in the organisation, I avoided contact with Armin. I was primarily a scout, whose job was to scope out potential threats, and I often worked alone. So it was relatively easy to... avoid directly encountering him. Also, by the time I joined, the organisation was quite large, which reduced the number of people likely to know both Armin and I. I suppose I just got lucky...'

The way he spoke hinted that there was more to the story, but he wasn't willing to reveal it.

Dianne: "Yeah, lucky I guess...Your old man recognized you almost instantaneously. Clearly, you two never saw each other."

{Dianne could tell there was more, but didn't want to press it.}

Fred shifted to the edge of the couch. 'Well, I'll be off. You two enjoy your evening...' He stood up and immediately swayed, nearly falling. All of his balance seemed to be gone. Armin quickly stood up and grabbed onto him.

'Be careful...' With a concerned look, Armin picked him up and started to head upstairs with him. Fred stiffened, clearly not liking this, but he didn't complain, knowing he couldn't climb the stairs on his own.

{When Frederick stood up, Dianne tensed in preparation to bolt and catch him before he fell. However, Armin got to him first.}

Dianne: "Yeesh...Now Iknow how Armin's feels when I do that..."

{In the store room, Dianne had set up he cot in the center of the room, and pushed her altar towards the back wall. The stone depiction of Mira silently and mournfully gazed to the door.}

Armin carried Fred with ease, taking him up into the store room and quickly setting him down on the cot. Fred's eyes drifted to the stone altar.

'Dianne's last daughter, I presume?'

'How did you--' Armin cut himself off, shaking his head. 'Yeah, her name's Mira. Hopefully having a big stone dragon lurking in the shadows won't stop you from sleeping.'

'No, it's fine...' Fred was already beginning to doze off. 'Night, dad...'

Armin smiled, almost sadly, and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

(Wait, how did he know? XD)

{Dianne sat on the couch, looking to the stairs for Armin.}

Dianne: "How did it go?"

(He snoops. XD
Eh, he probably just overheard it from Rex or someone else who knows. He doesn't know Dianne's full backstory.)

Armin sat back on the couch, leaning back and yawning. 'He was falling asleep when I left. Hopefully, he'll spend most of the next two days sleeping. It's more fun than being awake through the symptoms.'

Diann: "I bet...Well, I'd better make dinner now. Night's falling. Any preferences?"

'No, you just make what you want,' said Armin, settling back more comfortably. Esme had returned to watching the TV. 'You know fish is my favourite, but we can't have that every night.'

Dianne: "Actually, we're out of fish. I'll just make pasta and squash."

{Getting up, Dianne walks to the kitchen to start.}

(I think I'll skip to after dinner, then spook Fred. What do you think?)

(Yep, we'll do that. You start.)

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

{After a while, Dianne had finished dinner. She was just relaxing on the couch, enjoying the movie on tv.}

Esme was on the floor, happily watching the movie while starting to look a bit drowsy.

//Fred seems to be sleeping peacefully, which is good...// Armin mused. After clearing away everyone's empty plates, he leaned against Dianne in a silent demand for affection.

{Dianne smirks at this, wrapping an arm around Armin.}

Dianne: "Clingy, aren't we? Come here, you."

'Like you're any better...' he grumbled lightly. He shifted closer, nestling against her in a position where he could still see the TV.

{Dianne kisses his forehead, then settles down with him.}

Dianne: "...Haven't heard from Jerry in a while...I think I'll call him tomorrow..."

Armin just grunted in acknowledgement, having nothing to say on the matter. He supposed Jerry, and Ivy too, were just busy with their usual work.

{Meanwhile, in the store room, there was a quiet shuffling in the corner of the room. It was extremely quiet, but it might be detectable to a vampire's hearing.}

Fred was deeply asleep, but even in that state, he remained somewhat alert, knowing that he was in an unfamiliar environment. The faint noise got through to him, and after a while, he opened his eyes, blinking blearily.

//...Does this house have a rat infestation? I'm sure they would have mentioned if so... What is that, then...?//

{When Fred opened his eyes, there was something unfamiliar in the corner of his eye. A skeletal hand, and half a deer skull, peering at him from behind the altar. The antler visible was broken, ending in a jagged point.}

Fred turned his head to inspect what was visible of the creature through the darkness. A hint of uneasiness slipped through him, born from his current inability to defend himself. However, he wasn't sure how to react yet.

//...Is that one of Dianne's draugrs, maybe? Why would it be in here?//

{The creature seemed to become more solid, coming out from behind the altar. With it, it brought a sinking sense of dread, along with a stench of death. Unlike Dianne's draugr, its eyes were not glowing.}

Fred's uneasiness was growing into the beginnings of fear. He quickly pulled himself up into a sitting position - too quickly, as it made his head stab with pain. That seemed the least of his problems, though. He was very aware that he couldn't run, and that this thing did not seem to be a draugr.

Heart pounding weakly, he tried to address the creature directly. 'What are you?'

{The creature did not answer him. It simply approached him, shuffling forward like the walking corpse it was. As it came forward, its features came into focus. It had an open ribcage, and all manner of snakes, lizards, spiders, and invertebrates living within it. On its right shoulder grew a thorny, climbing vine with blue flowers.}

{Downstairs, as Dianne lay there with Armin, she suddenly tensed up, her face shifting from contentment to alarm, as she could feel the Aspect's presence.}

Dianne: "Do you....Do you feel that?"

Fred shifted backwards on the bed, eyes fixed on the creature. He couldn't run, and he was unarmed. It had been a long time since he'd been in a vulnerable position like this.

The creature's stench of death was overpowering. When he saw what was living inside it, he decided he wasn't letting it come any closer. 'DAD!' he shouted, voice tinged with alarm.

Armin stirred in response to Dianne's words, raising his head warily. When he heard his son's call, he bolted upright and started to run up the stairs to the storeroom.

{The Aspect ignored his call and continued to advance, until Armin opened the door. When the light shone on its features, it stopped in its tracks, looking directly at Armin.}

Aspect: "hIiII, DaAAaAad!"

{It said in a distorted voice.}

{Dianne was right behind Armin as he bolted up the stairs. She knew what would be there, what nameless horror was present, but she went anyway, dreading the sight that awaited her. She stopped right behind Armin, looking into the doorway at the creature that had long had it's boney grasp on her soul. Her eyes widened in a look of shock and horror as she saw it. The antlers, the spiders, the vermin, the scent of decay. Having lived for centuries, seeing the worst sights mortality had to offer, and yet, this deity still frightened her.}

(Got to post new room)