'Interesting... Well, I hope it's comfortable. I'm used to firmer beds. At least we know it'll be big enough. I'm pretty sure you said it was huge.'

Dianne: "Oh, it is. Us and all our friends can fit at once. Not that I'd want to share a bed with all of them."

Armin chuckled. 'Yes, let's not invite anyone else along. Anyway, are you almost back?'

Dianne: "Yeah, I'm almost there. I can see the house. If you open the front door, you'll see me."

'Alright, I'm hanging up then.'

Armin put his phone away and went to the door to wait for her.

{Soonafer, Dianne opens the door.}

Dianne: "Ok, let me grab a few things and we'll go."

Armin had packed a couple of bags for himself, which were sitting in the front hallway. 'You might want to bring stuff for breakfast. I doubt there's any edible food at your house.'

Rex was on the couch, reading a book and drinking some coffee. He paid little attention to their preparations.

Dianne: "Good idea. Hold on..."

{Walking upstairs, she gathers a bag of her clothes. Coming back down, she gathers what they need for breakfast. With both bags, she heads back to the door.}

Dianne: "Ready."

Armin picked up his two bags in one hand, lifted Esme onto his shoulder, and glanced back at Rex.

'Don't have any wild parties while I'm gone, OK?'

'As if I have anyone to invite to a party,' Rex replied, glancing up. 'Well, goodnight.'

Armin headed out into the cold night with Esme. She didn't seem too bothered by it.

'Huh, I just realised... Both the lakeside and your house are miles away, outside the city. It's going to take a while to walk there.'

Dianne: "Actually, I thought We'd walk to the park, then I'd fly us from there. No way I'm walking that distance."

'Yes, that sounds like a better idea. It doesn't matter if we scare a few bystanders.'

Armin headed off towards the park, enjoying the fresh night air.

Dianne: "Cold night. Looking forward to starting that fire."

{Shivering slightly, she picks up her walking pace a little.}

'It'll be nice. Nothing better than a roaring fire on a frosty night.'

When the park came into view, it was clearly deserted. Nobody wanted to go out on a leisure walk at this time of evening, in the cold and pitch darkness.

{Placing her bags down momentarily, Dianne shifts, then scoops them back up.}

Dianne: "Get on. "The

(Ignore the 'The')

Armin put Esme down, clambered up Dianne's back with his bags, then beckoned Esme to fly up to him. She did, albeit ungracefully.

'Topaz or Bloodwater, your choice. Bloodwater's bigger, but further away.'

Dianne: "First, we're going to my place to drop the luggage. Then, we'll go to Bloodwater. The Tussock Brothers were last seen headed for Topaz."

{With that, she takes to the skies.}

Armin pulled his jacket tighter as they flew, and Esme huddled under his arm for shelter. Up here in the sky, the wind pushing against them was bitterly cold.

{After a few minutes, Dianne lands at her house. She waits for them to get off before shifting back.}

Dianne: "Ok, let's get the luggage inside."

Armin carried his share of the luggage inside, with Esme riding on his shoulder.

'Well, I guess your zombie staff did clean,' he remarked as they set foor inside. 'It doesn't smell terrible.'

Dianne: "Is that really a surprise? They've carried out far more complex orders before."

{Leaving her clothes bag in the foyer, Dianne takes the food to the kitchen and puts it into the refrigerator.}

Dianne: "Bufo."

{At this, a draugr appears.}

Dianne: "Start the fireplace, please. I want the house nice and warm by the time we return."

{The draugr wordlessly complies as Dianne heads for the door.}

Dianne: "Ready?"

Armin had deposited his clothes in the foyer alongside hers. He was staring around the house with a look of slight awe when she returned.

'I'll never get used to how big and extravagant this place is... OK, let's head to the lake.'

With Esme, he stepped outside into the darkness once again.

Dianne: "I know. Can you believe the king gave it to me for free?"

{Shifting, she waits for them to get on.}

'Of course I can. He's scared of you. And he probably wanted you further away from the city, so he let you have this villa on the plains... Shame for him that you don't live here anymore.'

Armin climbed on, once again letting Esme fly up on her own.

{Dianne takes off, towards Bloodwater lake.}

Dianne: "Yeah. Heheheh, he probably doesn't like the idea that I'm within walking distance of his palace."

'Eh, he's got to get used to us eventually. We live here now, and he's going to have a riot on his hands if he ever tries to kick all the non-humans out.'

Dianne: "Riot? Try a war. He tries to kick me out of my home and I'll raze his palace to the ground."

'Ouch... Well, I suppose he'd have to be very stupid to even consider doing that. But... if you're ever forced to leave, for any reason, I'll go with you.'

Dianne: "And I appreciate that, but damn it, I've been forced out of too many homes already. If I have to leave one more house, I'm going to burn the friggin' continent."

'Yeah, and that's just going to piss off even more people. I'd rather you don't do that. I'm sure it won't happen. You've pretty much got the king wrapped around your finger.'

Dianne: "Yeah, that's true. Speaking of that guy, I need to talk to him about funding my defense project."

'What, with the automatons? Well, he was willing to fund Pythia so she could keep healing his subjects. If you tell him that you can use these to help defend his city, I'm sure he'd be willing.'

Dianne: "I bet. Should help with everything. Next time hunters roll up, they won't get past the bouncers."

{Coming up to the lake, Dianne sets them down.}

As soon as they landed, Armin jumped down from Dianne's back, swiftly followed by Esme.

'OK, let's get a fire going. Just like the good old days, when we were travelling. Can you make a hole while I gather some branches?'

Dianne: "Yeah, I can do it. Heh, like the good old days? You want to go on another trip?"

{Using her claws, she digs a hole for the fire.}

'Someday,' Armin called back as he walked towards a clump of trees. 'But right now, no. It's too cold to make you go out.'

He started to gather sticks from around the bases of the trees and, when he ran out, began to tear branches off the trees themselves.

Dianne: "Yeah, traveling right now is going to be very uncomfortable. Better to stay inside, where it's warm."

Armin returned within minutes with an armful of sticks, enough to keep a fire going while they cooked food. He dumped them into the hole Dianne had dug.

'OK, now to get the fish...' He paused to survey the lake. 'That's got to be freezing...'

Dianne: "Well, don't dive in. Just skim it like you do."

{Lighting the fire, she lies down next to it.}

Dianne: "Have fun."

Armin shifted to hawk form and took off. He circled the lake, watching the surface for any hint of movement. When he saw a fish, he dived down, submerging his claws and successfully hooking it. This was repeated several times, until there were three medium-sized fish lying beside the fire.

Armin returned to the shore, shaking his feet dry before shifting back. He then began to assemble a spit.

{Dianne eyed the fish, keeping Esme huddled against her.}

Dianne: "Nice haul. I'll shift back when it's done."

'Why? Are you warmer in that form or something?' said Armin curiously. He worked to behead and gut the fish, impaling the strips of meat on the spit to cook.

Dianne: "Yeah. Wings help keep me warm. I'll shift to eat though.0

'Mhm.'

Once the fish were on the spit, Armin glanced around.

'I just realised, we don't have any plates or cutlery. Just that knife I brought to gut them with.'

Dianne: "I can fly back to my house to get some. I think i will, here, watch Esme."

{Picking her up and putting her down next to Armin, Dianne starts to head back to her house.}

Esme shuffled closer to the fire, staring fixedly at the dancing, flickering flames. Armin watched Dianne disappear into the night sky, then returned his attention to the fish.

//Peaceful... I need to do this more often...//

{Minutes later, Dianne returns with plates, cutlery, and napkins.}

Dianne: "Here you go. How long until it's ready?"

'Only another minute or two.'

He used his knife to turn and examine the fish as they sizzled over the crackling heat.

'Got any stories that are good to tell around a campfire next to a spooky, dark lakeside?'

Dianne: "Well, I told you about the things I've seen in the wilderness over the years...You just looking for a ghost story?"

'Mhm... I'm not sure if it's a good idea to talk about anything /too/ horrifying with Esme there. She might understand too much.'

He rested his head on his hand, contemplating.

Dianne: "Well, do you have any scary stories?"

Armin considered briefly.

'Once, when I was young, I sneaked out of Riverside to explore in the woods. Came across a small cave in an outcrop of rock. When I got close, I heard the most horrific crunching, grinding noises coming from it. Of course, I was petrified, but I also wanted a cool story to tell everyone, so I crept closer, and then I saw... this creature, a hulking beast, hunched over a partially eaten human body. Head gone, huge chunks bitten out of its limbs. The thing looked up, our eyes met for a split second, and then I turned and ran like hell back to the village.'

{Dianne looked mildly intrigued.}

Dianne: "Truly? What was it?"

'I don't know,' said Armin. 'I didn't see it for more than a few seconds, and it was a very long time ago. Similar size and shape to a werewolf, very thin fur - like a sphynx cat - and long twisting horns. Green eyes. Sort of bipedal. Never seen an animal like it since.'

Dianne: "Strange. Never heard of a being like that."

Barnabas: "Tell me, Armin, was it wearing any...jewelry? A necklace, or a ring, perhaps?"

Armin started slightly at Barnabas's sudden voice.

'I don't recall seeing any jewellery, but I might have missed it. What does that have to do with anything?'

{Fully visible, Barnabas sits in front of the fire.}

Barnabas: "In Kynigos' order, we have tales of the Tainted Gifts. Long ago, Kynigos' acolytes were at war with the ancient vampire lords. It was a bitter, taxing fight, one the acolytes were losing. In response, Kynigos gifted them with enchanted trinkets. These trinkets gave his acolytes new beast forms, far stronger than what they had before, and with magical capacity. However, only Kynigos' favored were allowed to wield such power. Those who tried to take the trinkets and were unanointed were cursed instead, becoming mindless beasts, forced to feast on the flesh of the unwary for all eternity. These forms were....unnatural. They often seem like a mix of different animals. The annointed were gifted full control of this form, while thieves and traitors were cursed with mindlessness. You may have seen a victim of Kynigos' wrath."

Armin listened to this story with interest.

'Well, it seemed like a mindless beast, so maybe that's what it was. No way of knowing for sure, though. And this is a story of something that supposedly happened long ago. If it was even true, then the cursed werewolves should have died off by now.'

Barnabas: "The tales say for all eternity. The curse might have made them immortal."

Dianne: "Divine curses are particularly cruel. Who knows how long they could survive for."

'Divines are messed up,' said Armin distastefully. 'And here I thought Death was bad enough.'

Seeing that the fish were ready, he un-skewered the smallest one and put it on a plate for himself.

Dianne: "Ooh, is it done?"

{Shifting to human form, she starts getting herself and Esme a plate.}

Dianne: "Mmm, this is good."

'I should hope so.'

Armin sat back more comfortably on the cool grass, cutting his fish into pieces. Esme sniffed her share, then began to devour it ravenously.

{Dianne continued to eat in silence, enjoying the taste.}

Dianne: //It is a nice night out. Too bad we can't do this once the snow sets in.//

It was a while before Armin said anything. He'd been focused on his dinner.

'So, that hibernation thing. Have you ever actually done it? Slept for the whole winter and not had anyone to wake you up?'

Dianne: "Never intentionally. Happened plenty of times, though. I remember one time I was set up in an abandoned cabin over winter. Those flimsy walls sucked at keeping the heat in, so I go to sleep in December, with Magnus under the order to wake me up if I don't on my own, and I wake up in mid march when the thaw came through. Turns out he couldn't raise the room temp high enough to wake me up once I fell asleep, so he just stayed with me, doing his best to keep me from freezing to death altogether."

{Dianne sighs as she reminisces.}

Dianne: "I shouldn't have kept him as long as I did. I didn't deserve him."

'He was a good person. Maybe you shouldn't have kept him so long, but I think he grew to care about you.'

Armin swallowed a piece of fish before continuing.

'What prompted you to decide to let him go after the Shacklestone War? That can't have been an easy decision.'

{Dianne sighed at the question.}

Dianne: "Honestly, I felt guilty. When I had the Liquid Death in a bottle, I couldn't...feel very much, emotionally. Once I reabsorbed it, I felt so much guilt over that...and other things...I figured I needed to stop being selfish and finally let him go."

'You did the right thing. And it happened at just the right time, too. After the war, we all convinced you to stay in Vallis with us, and you had us as friends, so you didn't need to rely on Magnus for company anymore.'

Dianne: "Yes, I agree. You're all the greatest friends I've ever had, and I'm glad to have you all in my life."

'It worked out.'

Armin continued eating, scraping the meat off the fish bones. When he was done, he tossed the bones into the fire, then did the same for Esme, who had also finished.

{Dianne finished soon after, having eaten all the remaining fish.}

Dianne: "Ready to head back?"

'Yep.'

Armin stood up. Seeing that the fire was almost burned down, he threw some sand over it, stamped down on the embers, then turned away.

'OK, let's fly over to your place.'

{Shifting back, Dianne waits for the two of them to get on before flying for the house.}

Dianne: "Well that was a pleasant dinner. We should do that again sometime."

Armin leaned forward slightly as he clung to her back, shielding Esme from the wind.

'Yeah, we should. Nothing's better than sitting by a fire on a cold night.'

{Within minutes, they arrived. Once they headed inside, it was very warm.}

Dianne: "Mmm, much better."

'Well, it's warmer than my place...'

Armin let Esme down and picked up his bag of clothes and toiletries from the foyer. After that, he just sort of gazed around, looking a bit lost.

'Can you show me where the hell the bathroom is?'

Dianne: "Yes, up here. A few doors down from my bedroom."

{Chuckling, Dianne led them up the stairs and down the hall. The bath was only a few doors away from her bedroom. It was quite large, with a walk in shower and double sinks.}

Dianne: "Let me know when you're done. I'm going to take a shower.

'Why do you need this many rooms? There was only one of you living here,' Armin grumbled.

He headed into the bathroom, though could still hear Dianne's response through the closed door.

Dianne: "Hey, I needed something big for the draugr. This is what they had."

Armin took his time in the bathroom, having a brief shower, shaving, and changing into his nightclothes, eventually emerging about twenty minutes later.

'Done!' he called out.

{Dianne emerges from the bedroom, walking down the hall, clothes in hand.}

Dianne: "Alright. I'll be out, make yourself comfortable in the bedroom."

Armin walked past her to the bedroom, carrying his other clothes. Once inside, he sized up the room, still not liking how overdecorated it was. He slowly put his clothes on top of a cabinet and sat down on the bed, which Esme was sitting on the end of.

{The bed was large and ornate, made from an expensive wood. Once he sat on it, he found it to be extremely soft, sinking in a bit.}

Not expecting the feel of the mattress, he reached down to nudge it tentatively.

//Very soft... almost too soft...//

Esme, however, didn't seem to care. She was too tired after her big dinner and nighttime outing to do much except sleep. Armin slowly climbed under the blankets, sitting up against the headboard and waiting for Dianne.

{A few minutes later, Dianne comes through the door in her sleepwear and with damp hair.}

Dianne: "Hmm. Esme's already dozing."

'Hmm.' Armin yawned as he looked over at Dianne. 'This bed's too big. Hurry up and get in with me; I don't like all this empty space.'

Dianne: "Complain, complain."

{She says, amused.}

Dianne: "Love me, love my house."

{Crawling into the bed, she lies right next to him, pulling the covers around herself.}

Armin did not take advantage of the bed's space, immediately rolling over and burrowing into her as he normally did.

'I might not like it as much as my house, but I'd rather put up with it than stay home and sleep by myself.'

Dianne: "Agreed."

{Welcoming his embrace, Dianne wraps her arms around him.}

Dianne: "I just like being warm, to be honest."

'It is nice and warm. Quiet, too - you can't hear the traffic in the distance. I can hear owls calling a way off, though. Quite peaceful.'

Dianne: "Quiet, warm, and peaceful...Just what I needed..."

{Snuggling into him, Dianne begins to drift off.}

Armin quickly dozed off in her arms, listening to the owls and foxes off in the distance. The sounds of the countryside lulled him to sleep, reminding him of childhood.

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

{The next morning, Dianne was still comfortably asleep in the warm house. Stirring slightly, she nuzzles into Armin.}

Dianne: "Mmm....Viridi can suck it...primitive troglodyte..."

Armin was just beginning to wake up, and opened his eyes halfway at the sound of her voice.

//...Viridi? The dragon...? Eh, who cares...//

Drowsy and comfortable, he snuggled against her, not planning to move anytime soon.

{Dianne remained still for an hour more before stirring again.}

Dianne: "Rex...what do you mean the gopher stole your shoe?...Stop being sillly...And take off that cat costume..."

Armin, who had started dozing again, awoke with a confused look and nudged her blearily.

'...Hey, be quiet...' he muttered, half-asleep.

Dianne: "...Whatever..."

{With that, she seemed to fall back asleep.}

Armin settled down and fell asleep as well. He stirred half an hour later, a little more awake this time. He was comfortable though, so he remained lying against her, contemplating quietly as he waited for her to awaken.

{Dianne remained asleep next to him. Why she seemed relaxed, she didn't seem as deeply asleep as she did back at Armin's cold bedroom.}

After a while, Armin slid one hand under her shirt and started lightly rubbing her back, just for something to do. He nuzzled into her neck contentedly, enjoying her presence.

Esme stirred a little, opening her jaws in a massive yawn.

{At that, Dianne began to squirm a little, cracking open her eyes.}

Dianne: "...G'morning...Rex lost his shoe to a rodent...."

Armin chuckled. 'OK. Well, I'm sure he'll be fine.' He kissed her on the head and continued rubbing her back.

{Dianne let out a contented growl as he rubbed her back. Closing her eyes again, she comfortably lies in his arms.}

Dianne: "Mmmm....This is much better than your cold bedroom..."

'Yes, and we'll have a heater soon. But maybe we can still sleep over here some nights, if you want.'

He affectionately pulled her head into his chest as he continued the massage.

'Heh, you're cute when you're all contented like this.'

{Dianne grunts in acknowledgement, seemingly beginning to drift off again.}

Armin just sighed.

Eventually, Esme got off the bed and went to explore the house on her own, oblivious to the fact that she might get lost.

{After a little while, Dianne stirred once again. Burrowing into Armin, she speaks muffledly.}

Dianne: "...Hungry now...but too warm to move..."

(posting new room.)