Dia's: Part One.

Ughs. Ughs. Ughs.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuckity fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.
I'm tired. I haven't written in a bit, sorry guys. Between Dia's house, Josie being... Well, Josie, and Gallows and Graves being insane. Then I left, so that drive was fun with Josie directly next to me. And home, can't forget all that fun and detective work. Just be aware, a lot of posts are going to be showing up
Ughs. Starting from the beginning.

So... Yea, car ride. I guess we'll start there. After, you know, telling the hospital a false story and sleeping around there for a few days. We stopped at a gas station and I checked over blog updates, that is when I found out about Lucas and Joel, as well as Drake. I stopped the car when the two ladies were asleep and kept the radio on as some sort of noise filter to keep them from hearing me. So yea, I screamed for a bit, stabbed a tree, then went back to the car. I didn't even pay the other two any mind, I wasn't thinking at that point. I just got in the car and drove, not wanting a single thought to appear.

I drove us back to Dia's place, flipping on the blinker as I turned into her driveway. Waking their asses up I drove to the end of the driveway, where we caught notice of an unpleasant surprise. Gallows and Graves were sitting on her front porch, he casually lifting a hand to wave Dia's wallet. "Oh fuck." I muttered beneath my breath, knowing what would come as I went to park the car.

Dia didn't wait for it to stop, she got out fuming. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." Pure shock now. "What the fuck are you two doing here?!"

I looked over my shoulder at Josie and said sternly, "Stay put." before grabbing the gun and exiting the car. I followed after Dia, landing next to her. She was red in the face, completely flustered by this unexpected situation.

The duo pulled themselves to a stand, Gallows skipping over to meet Dia less than halfway. He tossed her the wallet, hand propping on his bony hip as the other waggled, tsking her. "Ya should be more careful, girlie. Your wallet coulda landed in someone else's hands. I was just returning it is all."

"Could have fallen into-- you're a real piece of work, ya know that? There's no way it just 'dropped out!'" Dia paused a moment, shoving her wallet in her pocket. She looked to the sky for assistance, taking in a few deep breaths as she calmed some. "Thank you for your 'assistance'. Now, please LEAVE."

Dia and I moved a step in opposite directions as Gallows swung his scythe, purposely coming inches from her arm. It halted against his shoulder, resting there as his head cocked to one side. "But ya offered to take us in, girlie." He motioned between him and Graves.

Our host glared at Gallows and gestured back at Josie in the car. "That was when you were traveling with her. Don't you think you made that null and void when you tried to kill her?"

"Kill her? Please. I knew Shady would move her." He winked in my direction, I wasn't amused.

I glanced at Josie who was poking her head out of the car, squeaking briefly before hiding back inside. "You can't go somewhere else?" I dully asked.

Graves cocked her head as well, "We do not know the world. The time it took you to return home it took us to find the home. We have been waiting for only a few hours."

He shrugged off what Grave said. Not familiar with the world yet he was still trying to be. "Come on, we can have us that good time we talked about!"

My head turned into Dia's direction, deadpanned with a sigh. I could only guess just what Dia said to him. Especially after our conversation in the car. Which I will NOT post.

Dia scoffed and waved him off, storming inside the house and muttering to herself about skeletons and pests that didn't know how to go away.

By this time Josie was out of the car and behind me, watching. I looked to Graves sternly before back at Gallows, punching him without any word of warning. "You horses ass!" I hissed, going to punch him again as Josie grabbed me from behind. I dragged her a few steps until she managed to dig her shoes in halt me. Graves tilted the shovel in front of Gallows, as if to shield him. I glared at her, "Don't you fucking dare." I growled, breaking out of Josie's grasp and shoving aside the shovel. Gallows looked down as I looked up, angry. "Go and sit the fuck down before I end a lot of folks suffering and murder you."

Josie was sitting down on the porch already, despite the comment being directed at Gallows. "C-can we please just get along? Just a b-bit..."

Gallows lifted his hands as if surrendering, his eyes smirking as he walked backwards and sat on the porch as well. Leaning forward as he watched us. I turned to Graves, arms folding loosely as we made eye contact, both annoyed. Well, if she could be annoyed she probably was. Her eyes never changed in their empty display. "We're forming a truce or I'm going to go stab happy on both your faces. Your parents won't even recognize you when in the afterlife."

Graves turned away from Gallows, both our backs to the other two as we stood side by side. "Negotiations are in order. We will not kill you three while we are in your company for this period of time. So long as you provide us with more information on the Darklings."

I looked at her with surprise, "But I don't know much else other than what I told you. And that was a freebie as is."

"Then you will learn more, unless you wish for Dia's home to turn scarlet red?" I glared at her bluff. "It is only a matter of time with Gallows' itch."

"Alright..." I let out an exasperated sigh. "I will figure out a way-"

"You will return to Keystone and speak with those Darklings." I stared pointedly at her. "They spoke of the Executor with knowledgeable information last I heard." Her eyes narrowed by the slightest bit. "They may serve well with gaining more information."

I nodded once, scowling as I did so. "Fine. I return to Keystone, when I have the time required for such a trip. You," I turned halfway pointing at Gallows. "and him won't attack, kill, or do major damage to us while staying here."

"Acceptable terms." Graves replied as I turned, walking up the porch and into the house. Josie scrambled to her feet after me, following in suit as I entered the house.

I found Dia locked in her room, no doubt calming down. It's understandable, she's been through plenty in this short amount of time. I didn't disturb her, merely walked back into where the others were. Graves was seated at the kitchen table, watching Gallows hover around Josie. She was cooking a late dinner which gave me some relief. Unless her cooking was horrible, though somehow I doubt she'd actually cook if it was. She's a bit nicer than that. I glared at Gallows and after a minute or two more of harassing Josie he pulled back, purposely swinging his scythe my way. My eyes rolled in their sockets at his behavior, hoping to whoever that they would leave in due time.

Dia came out a little after Josie finished cooking. We all managed to sit together and eat (awkwardly), Gallows complained it wasn't "long pig" as he would come to do at every meal. Somehow he'd always manage to get what was in his cooler (don't ask) cooked, even after Dia said she wouldn't have that happening in her kitchen. He got violent momentarily, saying how he needed it, which Graves stepped in for to take action against. It was resolved quickly. There isn't much to say about the rest of the night. Dia showed us where to all sleep. Graves stood by a window, Dia went off to the bathroom, and Gallows approached Josie and I. He asked Josie if he could sleep in her bed, she hid under the covers and bawled. He turned and got half the sentence out before I threw my knife into the door as he quickly retreated, cackling madly.

Didn't hear from him the rest of the night. I left the guest room where Josie and I were settled into, she was fast asleep. Gallows wasn't on the couch, Graves was still positioned at the window. I slipped outside with my cellphone and dialed a familiar number. Joshua. I left him a voicemail concerning the ones he left me. He was angry about my no-show. I couldn't really say, "Oh, sorry, I got kidnapped and tortured by this beefy burnt up guy." so I told him it was complicated. Right... I then realized that's the worst thing you can say and told him I'd explain it if he wanted me to. Which then I realized was pretty pathetic. And I cursed on the call, realizing again that I was horrible with these sorts of things. Even worse from lack of contact.

He called back about an hour later.

"Hello?"

"^*%&$^#." He greeted with my name.

"Joshua." I returned.

"I got your message. What's complicated? You ditched our meeting."

He was angry, given the hour on top of the circumstances I wasn't surprised either. "I didn't ditch it. I was sort of dragged off..."

"Your family hasn't been in contact with you for a while now."

"I don't mean my family." I sighed.

Joshua chuckled spitefully. "What was it? A proxy?" I stared into the woods, my breathing stopping all together at that. "Thought I didn't know? I found out."

"...Did something-"

"Not personally. I put two and two together, #$@%$^%. Found your blog too, knew it was you instantly."

"So you know about... Well."

"Ferus? Heh, yea. I know about everything."

"Or close enough." I muttered, he agreed dully. I could faintly hear him tapping the keyboard in the background. "Then you're mad about me not telling you."

"And the funeral." Joshua said flatly. "I can't believe you'd miss Billy's funeral. Then you ran away from me in the store."

I shook my head, "Caught that, eh?"

"You broke your promise. Our family's promise."

"No. Not quite." I leaned back against a tree. "I broke my promise to always be there. I kept my promise to always protect you. I tried to protect Billy, but Prosper-"

"I know."

"And Smiles is just..."

"Gone."

"Yea, Billy said he saw her over seas." Joshua's breath hitched for a second. "What?"

He coughed lightly, "Nothing."

"Tell me."

"Fuck off." He paused, "I mean, just no."

"Joshua. We need to talk anyways. I'm not home yet-"

"You haven't been home in over a year, coming close to two now, we both know this."

I scowled. "Yes... My other home."

"In the woods."

I punched the ground. "Look, when I get home can we just reschedule? We need to talk. We both have answers to give one another."

He paused again. "No."

"Jo-"

"No." He hung up.

I tried calling again, he didn't respond. Great.

I spent my time awake all night, everything I can remember swimming around in my head. Lucas and Joel, Drake, fuck... I didn't even get to see them off. Just more funerals I'd never get to attend. Fuck me.

So to cut it short, yea, I went to breakfast with tired, red eyes the next day. Again, Josie cooked and Gallows complained about not having human flesh to eat. He eventually just cooked it on a grill outside. In his boxers and skeleton jacket, which was unzipped much like how Dia described him to wear it at the warehouse, might I add. I looked at Dia and she just shook her head and walked away stiffly. I suppressed and chuckles.

Graves cleaned up, which was unexpected. Seeing that open window I dragged Josie outside and tossed her for self-defense training. I can't even begin to write how pathetic this experience was. She squeaked and dodged or got hit and sniffled. Josie isn’t out of shape; she’s tiny as hell and is actually a skilled runner (no pun intended). But she lacks training, and while I’m not professionally trained I know the ins and outs. If she is so desperate to live through these times she’ll need to not rely on others. Independence is key; if she learns to take care of herself she can someday hope to take care of others. She needed positioning but caught on quicker than I expected. It was actually attacking and defending that she had trouble with, Josie would flinch when in defensive mode and would miss or use barely any force in attack mode. It’s a shame, she’s trained in cross country running and track, with her figure if she applied those practices in a fight it would do her wonders. Cross country runners have to train for endurance, on top of which it is controlling your speed. Track is similar, depending on how long the race is. Sports are a great way to learn control.

If she could get up that aggression when being attacked, confront her attacker and fight back without concern for risks, things would be far easier. Her figure as is presents a perfect model for using speed to do more damage than her actual strength. Velocity is exactly what Road Runner uses and she’s skinnier than Josie. While Road Runner is inhumanly strong she relies on velocity to impact her foes. Example being against Prosper. She either gained distance depending on the strength of the hit she was going to use and where the hit would land, or propel herself off of things and collide into him. Josie might not be able to do anything as effective (power-wise) since she’s only human, but she could apply alike methods which would be just as harsh when she’s confronted with an opponent she cannot escape from.

Luckily, and unfortunately, she does get riled up at the mention of her parents. While that does assist her strength it also makes her clumsy. Some say a “berserk mode” empowers people. Sure… It boosts hits in a videogame, or to street fighters that get insulted in a fight. But it makes them sloppy, they come at you with sheer force all at once, which means they are going to have to get you down in that time frame before they tire out or fuck up. This applies to Josie as well. She flew into a fit, demanding I don’t mention them, so naturally I pushed further. She because telling me, which escalated into her yelling, and finally screaming until she attacked me. It was a good hit, very forceful, but she was sloppy and those openings were clearly seen. Like any opponent I took advantage and she ended up on her back a few seconds later, panting like a dog that finally learned its place.

I hadn’t notice Dia ran off during that time. Gallows was upon us seeing how Graves disappeared off somewhere. He “nudged” Josie with his boot (now dressed, compared to before) and I swatted at him to go away. He swatted back, which escalated into him mimicking everything I did physically. Hit him in the arm, he hit back. Shove him away, he shoved back. I pulled out the knife in warning; he pulled forward his scythe with an unseen smile glinting within his gaze. Dia came back a bit shaken up, Graves appearing behind Gallows when I looked over. I told Josie to clean herself up while I headed over and walked with Dia back into the house. She was afraid of her own weakness, she ran when she saw us all training apparently. Fearful of her own mortality and unable to face her weaknesses. I offered her assistance physically, and was more than willing to listen and give her any advice I can mentally and emotionally. Something I offer everyone, but it means just a bit more to those I consider friends. Dia is one of the few I can put faith into in these times.

That night I was woken up by Graves who teleported me instantly into Dia’s room. Gallows stepped away from the bed and I rounded on him before he informed me Dia was having nightmares. I skeptically looked over his bed wear before directing them out of the room. I sat on the bed with her until she calmed a long while later. I learned early on you do not wake the restless, so I soothed all I could and when she began to somewhat calm I woke her. She was confused and scared, I told her about what was witnessed and she couldn’t hide it. The terrors her mind brought to her while she slept, and I wasn’t one to judge given my own. Once calm she went back to sleep and I left the room. Gallows stole my bed and Graves was back at the window, staring out at the blackness all around.

I wanted to ask her what she was seeing but I didn’t. I sat at the kitchen table and relaxed, skimming though my phone for saved information and picking up on studying it. It’s mostly why I didn’t post for a while, especially while at Dia’s. I was doing everything from my phone and had no patience to record it all into a blog post. I only took notes to apply to these posts here, among other things.

And that pretty much ends the first night and day at Dia’s house.