'Especially with the kinds of people we have to deal with. We both have to make reckless decisions sometimes, because not beating them could mean something worse later. That's why I felt I had to go through that portal last night. The risk was worth it.'

Dianne: "Yes, but there were four people behind it, and you almost died. If you need to do things like this, you need armor. A cuirass at least."

'I guess I can live with a cuirass. I just don't want to be dragging full plate armour around with me. And I'm sorry that I scared you back there... Though, to be fair, you scare me a lot, too.'

Dianne: "At least I tell you when I'm about to do something in advisable. Just unfortunate that we're the ones that have to deal with these kinds of situations. But, we're the best fighters of our group."

'That's not to say the others are bad... but yes, we're the best,' said Armin with a smug grin. 'Partly because we're the oldest, I suppose.'

Dianne: "Yeah, we have the most experience. And I have the best gear. And I'm a dragon. No wonder Frederick calls us for help."

'What, does being a dragon have something to do with it?' said Armin with amusement.

Dianne: "Of course it does. I'm big and strong while everyone else has baby arms."

{She replies with amusement.}

Armin chuckled. 'You're also a big target, too heavy, and can't dodge... Wouldn't you rather be like me?' he said playfully.

Dianne: "What, quick but lacking in physical strength and durability? Who needs to dodge when you can just face tank everything?"

{She says, chuckling.}

'Why worry about durability when I have healing powers this good?' Armin countered. 'Even without Pythia's help, I could get shot and be completely healed within a few days.'

Dianne: "Can't heal if you're dead. You have to survive the attack first. Hard to do with your squishy defenses."

{She says, a wide smug smile on her face.}

'You're asking for trouble...'

Armin gave a playful growl, leapt at her, and bit into her neck.

{Dianne yelped, Grabbing the table as to not fall over.}

Dianne: "...Was it something I said?..."

{She ask innocently.}

'Hmmm, well... Maybe you should know better than to mess with a vampire...' he said playfully, leaning further into her as she grabbed the table.

Dianne: "Oh please...I mess with a vampire and the worst he can do is bite me? C'mon, babe, impress me."

{She says, smiling mischievously.}

'But how could anything I do /possibly/ impress such a big, strong, tough dragon?' he said, grinning.

{Dianne leans forward with him, pressing her forehead against his and gazing into his eyes.}

Dianne: "Maybe this big, strong, tough dragon is a little soft for you. Maybe all you need to do is try."

Armin held her gaze briefly, his demeanour shifting, becoming more sincere. After a moment, he lowered his head and kissed her deeply and passionately.

{Dianne holds him tightly as they kiss, closing her eyes. After a while, she pulls away.}

Dianne: "You know...we have a bit of time before the trial...and we were kinda interrupted last night..."

'I think you're suggesting something...' he murmured playfully. 'Maybe we should go somewhere else, then.'

{Dianne smiles playfully.}

Dianne: "Yes, I agree. Let's go to the bedroom."

{Getting up, she asks Barnabas to watch Esme.}

Armin walked with her to the bedroom, shooting her subtle sly glances along the way. Once they were in, he promptly shut the door behind them.

{With the door closed, Dianne turns to look at him, sitting on the bed.}

Dianne: "I saw you shooting me looks. What's that about?"

'Just admiring you. And thinking about what I might do.'

He knelt on the bed with her and pulled her into another, shorter kiss, wrapping a hand around the nape of her neck as he did so.

{Dianne wrapped her arms around him, shuddering at the sensation. She returned the kiss, smiling.}

Dianne: "I love that you know what I like..."

'Mmhmm...'

Pulling back from the kiss, he started to tentatively lean his weight against her to get her on her back, while still giving her the chance to switch things around if she preferred.

{Seeing her chance, Dianne grabs Armin and forces him on his back, leaning down and biting his neck slowly and gently.}

Armin groaned quietly, leaning his head back and gripping onto her sides, fingers digging in just slightly.

'Mhm... that's nice...'

{Dianne then grabs his arms and forces them above his head, growling playfully. Slipping her hand under his shirt , she caresses him.}

Armin's breathing grew heavier as he leaned into the touch, tensing.

'...Why don't you be rough... like the dragon you are...?' he suggested, grinning. 'Just don't claw my stomach, that's uncomfortable to me...'

Dianne: "Careful what you wish for..."

{She then bites the muscle beetween his neck and shoulder rather roughly, digging her fingers into his chest. She grips his wrists and forces them into the bed.}

Armin growled quietly, tensing. He turned his head sideways to give her easier access to the spot she was biting, trusting completely that she wouldn't deliberately hurt him.

'That's more like it...'

{Dianne began biting up his neck, slowly but roughly, focusing her attention anywhere she knew was sensitive.}

Armin's breath got more unsteady and he dug his fangs into his lip as she continued biting. When she found a particularly sensitive area, he whimpered quietly and shuddered.

{Dianne paused, digging her teeth into a sensitive area.}

Dianne: "Heh...Adorable..."

He arched his back and drew his knees up slightly, teeth sinking into his lip hard enough to draw blood.

'...Having fun with this, huh?'

Dianne: "Oh, yes.."

{She then starts biting up his neck, stopping at his ear and whispering.}

Dianne: "I love feeling you squirm..."

Armin turned slightly towards her. From that close, she could clearly hear his thumping heartbeat and ragged breathing. He shivered slightly at her breath on his ear.

'F**k... You might want to get a move on... Or I'm not going to last till the end of this.'

{Dianne chuckles, releasing him and sitting up.}

Dianne: "I really got you going, didn't I? Yeah, let's wrap this up. Just sit there, catch your breath and...enjoy the view..."

(Skip?)

----

Some time later, Armin headed out to the foyer, with his jacket and shoes on, ready to embark on their market run. He looked relaxed and satisfied, with a few bite marks that he had attempted to hide behind his collar. He waited for Dianne and Esme to catch up, smiling faintly.

{Dianne appears with Esme in hand, dressed in her jacket and jeans. She smiles at him as she walks in.}

Dianne: "Ready to go?"

Armin opened the door and stepped out, glancing at her fondly.

'Nice outfit. Yes, let's head off.'

He unlocked the truck for them and hopped inside.

Dianne: "Thanks, sweetheart."

{Dianne hops into the passenger seat, buckling in.}

Dianne: "To the market!"

'Yep.'

Armin set off, the truck rumbling merrily down the country lane.

'So, it's the day of the old bast.ard's death. Good riddance.'

Dianne: "Yeah, but...don't say that to Jerry...It is his father, y'know..."

'I'm not that insensitive. I might be glad his dad is done, but I'm not exactly going to celebrate in front of him.'

Dianne: "I know, I was just saying, this is likely very hard for him. I wish there was something we could do to lift his spirits..."

'Well, what can we possibly do? We've tried to offer our support in the past. I don't even know what he enjoys doing besides working.'

Dianne: "He's not very....vocal about his interests. I think he enjoys fishing....Let's give him a few days, approach him after the funeral. Maybe he'll agree to go fishing..."

'Maybe we could invite him to one of our evening fish grills. If he agrees, I could get some rods so we can all fish.'

Dianne: "Yeah. I think that's a good idea. Now, we just need the lake to not freeze over..."

'Eh, if it does, we can just get you to breathe fire over it,' he said. 'Anyway, let's not worry about Jerry right this moment. Let's just have a nice peaceful shopping trip. Things are going to get grim later.'

Dianne: "Yes, let's..."

{Dianne falls silent, waiting to arrive.}

After a while, they arrived in the city's small shopping district. Armin headed for the supermarket where they could restock all their food, parking up while squinting at the exterior of the building.

'Looks like they've already starting putting Christmas stuff on the shelves...'

Dianne: "Makes sense. They always do that a month in advance."

{Once they parked, Dianne hops off with Esme.}

Armin grabbed a cart and pushed it into the supermarket.

'OK! Where first?' he said, gazing around at all the different aisles. He seemed a bit more enthusiastic about food shopping than the average person. It wasn't something he did often.

Dianne: "We just walk down every isle, starting with produce. Esme needs more fruit and vegetables. We'll get snacks, breakfast stuff, and dinner for the next few days."

Armin hummed in agreement and started down the fresh produce section. He picked up some apples and mangos, dropping them in the cart for Esme. He left Dianne to pick out the rest of the produce.

{Dianne grabbed squash, potatoes, lettuce, and carrots, then some oranges and bananas. She made sure that Esme wouldn't try to eat the produce before they bought it.}

Esme certainly needed a close eye over her, since she was watching not just the cart, but the fruit around them with keen interest. Armin quickly steered them into the next aisle and they continued picking things out.

'I hope you haven't bought any garlic, I might die,' he said jokingly.

{Dianne chuckles, picking out a chicken and some meat cuts.}

Dianne: "No. I don't cook with garlic, knowing it won't agree with you. Just onions."

'Garlic wouldn't actually harm me, that's a vampire myth,' he said with amusement. 'Garlic and onion both smell a bit overpowering, but I can still eat them.'

While in the meat aisle, he picked out some fish suitable for pan frying.

Dianne: "Good to know. Extra garlic on your fish it is."

{She says teasingly.}

'No, don't ruin my fish. Fish should be simple. No unnecessary additions. That's why fresh-grilled is so good. All good fish recipes have just a few simple ingredients.'

He continued on, giving Esme a warning glance when he saw her eyeing the fruit.

Dianne: "True enough. We need butter though..."

{She says, pulling it off the shelf.}

'Yes, butter is important.'

He gathered some eggs, knowing they'd be needed for breakfasts, milk, and some coffee for himself.

Dianne: "Coffee. I remember when I used to put liquor in mine. Glad I don't have to do that anymore."

'That sounds... disgusting. You should have just drunk the liquor on its own if you wanted booze that badly.'

Dianne: "Eh, it's not that bad. Helped a lot after a long night of nightmares. But, now I have you for that."

Armin smiled a little. 'Well, I'm glad. You still have nightmares sometimes, but I'll always do what I can to help. Most of the time now, you just sleeptalk nonsense...'

Dianne: "Yeah...My dreams are a little...scrambled....they're so random...and they carry a strange euphoria...hope it doesn't bug you too much."

'Eh, it's OK. They're kind of amusing to listen to sometimes. It's certainly better than nightmares, either way.'

He absently continued to pick up anything he thought they might need.

Dianne: "Do you often have dreams, Armin?"

{She asks, grabbing bread and peanut butter in the next isle.}

'Not often. If I have nightmares, it's because something triggered them. Once in a blue moon, I have normal dreams.'

Dianne: "Must be nice. I only get horrible nightmares or nonsensical dreams that have me rambling."

'There's no in-between for you, is there?' he said with amusement. 'The last 'normal' dream I remember... I was a kid, in Riverside, and my dad was upset because I took one of his ponies out in the middle of the night. Good times.'

Dianne: "Last night, I dreamed I ordered a steak, but the clumsy chef dipped it in tar. I just remember feeling very, very sad that he ruined it. "

'That's a shame,' said Armin with amusement. 'Mine was better.'

Dianne: "I agree. I wish we could trade dreams. You deal with the madness for once."

'Well, it would be an interesting change. As long as it doesn't turn into nightmares.'

He picked up a bag of dried mangos and tossed them into the cart.

Dianne: "My nightmares are quite intense. You've seen the state of me when I wake. I'm glad only one of us has to deal with that."

{Moving on to the next isle, she gets a jar of strawberry jelly.}

'I do get pretty bad dreams. It's just a lot more uncommon for me.'

He glanced at the cart with an expression of faint surprise, as if only just noticing how much was in it.

Dianne: "Yes, but you don't attack me in the haze of the dream, or try to run out into a blizzard because you cannot separate dreams from reality."

{Reaching the end of the store, Dianne looks at the cart, thinking if she missed anything.}

'Yes, well... I'm glad you don't have them as often anymore...'

Armin eyed up the cart's contents.

'If you've got everything, we should head off.'

Dianne: "Yes. Have a rather important event to attend."

{Dianne pushes the cart over to checkout, getting her purse to pay.}

The cashier gave them a brief once-over before beginning to scan their items. Once done, she quietly accepted Dianne's payment, handed over a receipt and wished them a nice day.

'How much time is it before the execution?' said Armin as he helped carry the bags out to the car.

Dianne: "Dianne: "Oooooh....about two hours. We got time to head home, put this stuff away, and prepare."

Armin opened the back of the truck and put his bags in.

'What do you think is going to happen? That idiot Jack or the other Garveys had better not show up and interfere. I've just about had it with all of them.'

Dianne: "Hard to say. I doubt they'll try again. We've soundly defeated them twice now. This will probably go off without a hitch, but just in case..."

'We'll be there. And we'll be armed. I don't mind another good fight.'

Armin grinned, showing his fangs, and jumped into the driver's side.

Dianne: "Ok, but this time, you need to wear armor."

{She proceeds to pick up Esme and hop into the passenger's seat.}

'If you insist, but I'm not weighting myself down with anything more than a cuirass.'

He buckled in and swiftly set off for home.

'Worried about me, m'lady?' he said teasingly, giving her a quick grin as he drove.

Dianne: "Given that you've gotten hurt in both fights now, yes, I am."

{She says, smiling at him.}

Dianne: "You can wear my armor from Agamidae. It's noticably feminine, but it will keep you safe."

Armin chuckled. 'Alright. I don't mind, as long as it fits.'

{Dianne simply chuckles, waiting to arrive.}

When they got back to the house, Armin swiftly hopped out and gathered as many bags as he could from the back.

'OK, let's get all of this put away, then prepare for the outing, I suppose.'

Dianne: "Let's."

{Grabbing what she can, Dianne heads inside and starts putting away perishables.}

Armin followed her in and helped. Esme trailed after them; he dug out the apples and gave her one before putting the rest in the cupboard.

'I just remembered. Today's Friday, isn't it? I think we promised to go see Pythia tomorrow.'

Dianne: "Yeah. We also need to drop Esme off with her before the execution. Tomorrow, I teach her basic self defense."

Armin couldn't help a small smirk, but he refrained from any further comments about how unlikely it was that Pythia could ever bring herself to fight someone.

'Once all of this grim stuff is over, we should have a nice weekend... Spend some time with Pythia, have a fish grill by the lake... Go out to a nice restaurant... HeII, I'll even wear a suit if you like.'

Dianne: "That sounds lovely. Yes, let's do that."

{Dianne, finishing with the groceries, heads upstairs to get ready.}

Armin followed her upstairs to get his sword.

'I guess you'd better give me this armour, then, if you really think I need to wear it.'

{Smiling, she goes into the closet, retrieving her armor. It was the same set she wore in Agamidae, but repaired.}

Dianne: "Here, put this on over your shirt and jeans. I'm going to change into my usual set."

Armin resignatedly took the armour and started to put it on. He also changed from his sneakers to the boots he'd bought in Alexandria. Done, he walked downstairs into the foyer with his sword.

'Urgh, this feels wrong...'

{Barnabas appears, snickering cruelly at Armin.}

Barnabas: "Nice armor. Girlfriend get it for you?"

'Hey, I would've gone without,' said Armin. 'I'd be fine. I survive everything.'

{Barnabas simply grins.}

Barnabas: "Guess you're too whipped to even ask for a male set. Nice breastplate."

Dianne: "Ok, I'm ready. Barnabas, lay off."

Armin threw his winter coat on loosely over the armour and stepped out into the cold air. Leading the way to the truck, he jumped in, started the engine and waited for them.

{Dianne hops into the car with Esme.}

Dianne: "To Pythia."

Armin drove quietly and intently to Pythia's house. He was already working up the anticipation of a fight, despite it being extremely unlikely that one would occur. //Whatever happens, it'll be good. Either the old man's death goes to plan, or I get a fight.//

He stopped outside Pythia's place. 'You want to take Esme and run in? We're only dropping her off; we don't all need to go.'

Dianne: "Yeah. Be right back."

{Leaning forward, she kisses his cheek, then hops of with Esme, heading inside.}

(posting new room)