{Dianne doesn't look convinced.}

Dianne: "That doesn't make me any less concerned. Sleep's kind of important..."

'Yeah, well... I haven't been able to sleep consistently since the night I was Turned and dragged away from my family. Ever since then - apart from on rare occasions - I can't relax enough to sleep through the whole night. Either I have bad dreams, sleep fitfully, or just can't drift off in the first place.'

He shrugged slightly, as if trying to make it seem like no big deal.

'After so long, I don't really expect it to improve. It's how things are.'

{Dianne leans back, contemplatively scratching her head.}

Dianne: "...That's a long time to go without comfortable sleep....When I recalled the curse, I started having nightmares almost nightly, but since I've been having my...theraputic sessions with Lucci, they've decreased in frequency considerably...Maybe there's an underlying psychological cause to your restlessness?"

'If there is, I have no idea what it might be,' said Armin. 'It started the very first night I was separated from my family. After I befriended Rex, I slept a little better when he was around... Then he left, and my sleep schedule kinda went to sh.it.' He rubbed the back of his head wearily. 'I don't know what caused it, besides loneliness and stress. Eh, I don't plan on going to therapy anyway.'

//Hmm...Why is he so accepting of this? And why does he sleep better with me? Do I remind him of Janet somehow?//

Dianne: "Why not give it a try? It worked very well for me. Why willingly suffer?"

'I don't particularly like the idea of discussing such personal things with someone I don't really know or trust. Like Lucci. He's great and all, but it creeps me out that he'd know everything I'm going to say.'

Unable to leave the fish on the spit any longer, he removed it and cut off a portion for himself.

'Besides... maybe there /is/ a chance my sleep could improve over time. I was in Sargon's organisation for over 200 years, and I've only been free of it for about a year... Maybe I'm just expecting to get better too fast...'

Dianne: "I didn't necessarily mean Lucci...I know how he can be..."

{Seeing that the fish was done, she cut herself a portion. Splitting it in half, she beckons Esme to come.}

Dianne: "It is possible that it's just too soon. If it wasn't for the prospect of you getting hurt...I would stay with you to see if it helped any in the long run..."

(I just noticed the title lmao)

Esme padded over, scenting the air curiously.

'Don't worry about it...' said Armin as he cut into his fish. 'Honestly, I have doubts that you'd actually go as far as to attack me, even if you had nightmares. But I know it's a concern you take seriously. I won't ask you to stay with me, if you're afraid that will happen.'

(Yes
It sucks and I hate it)

(Colors: Our spaghetti code go brrrrr when you comment a lot.

You: Thanks, I hate it...

XD)

{Dianne offers Esme fish pieces as she thinks.}

Dianne: "Well...There's one thing we can try but....Naw, better to not risk it..."

Esme snapped up the offered food. Armin gave Dianne a mildly exasperated glance.

'Hey, you can't say something like that, and then not even tell me what you were going to suggest.'

(Colors f i x your s y s t e m)

{Dianne chuckles amidst feeding Esme.}

Dianne: "I was just going to say that...I feel a lot calmer when I sleep holding Esme, to the point where I think it mitigates the night terrors. So, I'm going to sleep tonight while holding her and...if you want to risk an untested hypothesis...."

Armin tilted his head thoughtfully, his gaze shooting to Esme as he considered this.

'Alright, let's give that a go. I'm willing to take the risk. Having her close by does seem to help you a lot. Honestly, I don't think you've even had any of your usual nightmares recently; I always assumed it was because of Esme.'

Dianne: "That's the thought. Yeah, having her around....keeps me peaceful..."

{She subsides into silence, alternating between eating and feeding Esme.}

Armin also fell silent, focusing on eating. He then tossed the remains into the fire, and leaned forwards on his rock, resting his head on his hands as he tried to stay awake.

'Can I ask you something? On a somewhat similar subject to what we were already talking about?'

{Dianne looks up, chewing the last of her fish off the bone.}

Dianne: "Yeah, sure. Shoot."

'Is there any particular reason why you're so... comfortable around me? It's not exactly a secret that you have a hard time trusting anyone, and you didn't even /like/ me during the Shacklestone War.' He tilted his head contemplatively, watching the fire. 'What did I do, to make you trust me enough that you can get this close to me? I mean, you let me give you /back rubs,/ which according to Praetorus, is a pretty rare thing...'

{Dianne just smiles, throwing her fish bones into the fire and looking up at the dusk sky.}

Dianne: "It isn't a particular reason. It's the culmination of you earning my trust and proving that you're not a child predator. When I first saw you, I thought you were preying on a little girl in a bar. The times after that, I was sure you were a double agent. However, as time went on, you proved that you were just another victim of Sargon's malice and not a perpetrator. At that point, I sympathized with your case. After you saved my life in Agamidae, that's when I saw I could trust you...But, perhaps the most important factor was that....I've spent most of my life either alone, or surrounded by my enemies. Being alone is an exhausting way of life and...I guess I'm finally tired of it..."

Armin's eye twitched when she mentioned the girl at the bar incident, but he let it slide.

'Well... I guess that's understandable. To be honest, when we first set off on this trip, I was hoping you'd grow to trust me more, because I felt like you could use a friend.' He yawned slightly, looking up at the sky as well. 'Despite that, I guess I wasn't really expecting it to happen. I'm glad you consider me worthy of trust. I haven't exactly had a ton of close friends in my life, so it's nice to have you as one.'

Dianne: "Neither have I. I have to say, it feels good to have genuine friends. Not a bunch of homocidal maniacs I have to pretend to like..."

{Sighing slightly, she looks to the truck.}

Dianne: "Want to get moving, so you can sleep?"

'Yeah...' Armin slowly stood up, glancing over at the coast as nighttime began to fall. He then made his way into the truck.

Esme hung back to wait for Dianne before climbing in as well.

{Once everything was packed away, Dianne got into the truck and they were off. Dianne proceeded to remove her armor.}

Dianne: "So...how do you want to do this?"

Armin shrugged as he took off his coat, leaving it hung over the back of the driver's seat. 'I don't know, whichever way's easiest, I suppose,' he said. 'You being able to keep Esme with you is a priority.'

{Dianne sits down on her bedding, beckoning Esme over.}

Dianne: "How about this. I'll lie down with Esme first, then you find the most comfortable way to come in."

'Alright.' Armin leaned against the metal wall to unlace his shoes. Esme came padding over to Dianne, pricking up her ears and giving a friendly chirp.

{Dianne wraps her arms around Esme and gets under the covers. Turning on her side, she settles down for the night.}

Done with his shoes, Armin contemplated the pair for a moment. Esme had settled down quickly, folding her wings tightly against her back. With a yawn, Armin went over and climbed into the blankets behind Dianne, where there was some space available. He then lay on his back, quietly gazing up at the truck's ceiling.

{Dianne quickly dozed off with Esme in her arms and Armin at her back.}

(Skip?)

(Who goes first?)

(I'll go.)

(Alrighty!)

...

{It was late in the morning, almost afternoon when Dianne awoke. She blinks and lifts her head slightly, looking around the car.}

//...Hmm...I haven't slept in like this for a while...//

At some point, during the night, Armin had rolled onto his side to face Dianne's back. He was still asleep, though beginning to stir faintly. Esme was also asleep, having eaten enough the night before to stop her waking up early from hunger.

{Seeing that everyone was still asleep, Dianne puts her head back down, closing her eyes.}

Dianne: //I'll just lie here for a while longer, just until they wake up...//

A few minutes later, Armin cracked his eyes open, squinting sleepily against the light, and found Dianne in front of him. //Huh... seems to be around midday... that's odd. I didn't expect to sleep this late, but I guess I needed it... And I certainly wouldn't have expected Dianne to still be asleep by now.//

After a moment's deliberation, he spoke up. 'You awake...?' he said, talking very quietly in case she wasn't. Esme stirred, but didn't wake up.

{Upon hearing Armin, Dianne stirs and cracks her eyes open.}

Dianne: "Mmmmm....G'morning..."

Armin smirked slightly, propping himself up on his elbow and looking down at her. 'Did you sleep OK last night? It's really not like you to sleep in so late...'

{Dianne turns to look at him, yawning slightly.}

Dianne: "I slept very well, actually. I think the fight yesterday is why I awoke so late. It takes a lot out of me to use spells."

'Oh, yeah... that's understandable. You /did/ completely destroy that guy.' Armin yawned as well, drowsily rubbing the back of his head. Even though he was well-rested, it still took him time to wake up properly in the mornings.

{Dianne took a moment to remember.}

Dianne: "Yeeeaaaahhhh....Sorry you had to see that...But, he was actively targeting Esme, so....he had to die....painfully..."

'Yeah, he was being a creep and threatening Esme. Your reaction was justified. And he deserved it.' Armin grimaced slightly, recalling the sight and smell of the ice dragon's decomposing remains. 'I just wish... I hadn't looked at him afterwards... That was my mistake,' he said ruefully.

Dianne: "Yeah, well...lesson learned, I guess..."

{She continues to lie there, not wanting to wake Esme.}
Dianne: "...I kind of wish we had something to do while we wait for dinner time....A radio, or something..."

'There's not much to do in here, is there?' Armin agreed. 'I guess that's one of the drawbacks of a road trip. Lots of time in a car with nothing to do.' He gazed around for a moment. 'You never know, this truck might /have/ a radio. I haven't checked.'

Dianne: "I'm sure it does, but it'll drain the battery. Times like this I really miss Magnus...Whenever we were on long trips he'd always play songs....it was nice..."

Armin took a moment to remember Magnus playing his guitar at the post-war celebration party. 'Yeah, I bet he was great to travel with. He probably kept it from getting too boring. I kinda miss him too. He was a nice guy.'

Dianne: "Yes, but he's where he needs to be. I'm sure he's very happy where he is..."

Barnabas: "...If you want music, I can play the chains..."

'He's with his family,' said Armin. 'I'm sure he's at peace with them. And Barnabas, please don't start rattling chains.' He glanced contemplatively at the ceiling. 'I've never been musically inclined myself. I like music, but as a hobby, it's not my thing.'

Barnabas: "Awwww." :(

Dianne: "...Everyone who's ever heard it has told me that I have a beautiful singing voice....But, I don't have much interest in making music...

Armin gave her a sideways glance. 'Well... having heard it while we were in the museum, I agree. It /is/ beautiful.' He looked back up at the ceiling. 'Is there a reason you don't usually sing? ...If that's personal, you don't have to answer.'

{Dianne doesn't answer right away, her expression turning distant and contemplative.}

Dianne: "...Well...Yes....Back when I was married...I used to sneak out of the cave in the evening. I told Ogden I was hunting, of course...And in a way, that was true. I always came back with game...But I really did it to attend ceremonies by the ancient human populace...They would throw massive celebrations in which all the tribes of man were invited...I taught myself to shift just for them...I would always be a part of the invocation, singing with the shamans as they asked the divines to bless the feast...and I would sing and be happy with the entertainers..."

Armin's gaze unfocused as he tried to visualise the scenes she was describing; the celebrations and festivities. 'That sounds nice,' he said quietly, though he didn't say anything else, not wanting to interrupt the story.

Dianne: "...Everyone there was rather fond of me. Maybe too fond at times...I didn't do anything compromising, of course. And yet, I wonder sometimes if that's why Ogden did what he did....maybe he found out...Thought I was having an affair or something...And by going out at night, I caused it all...I'm why she died..."

Armin slowly turned from the ceiling to look at her, his expression startled, but sympathetic. Then he shook his head.

'No, I'm sure that's not the reason... Or at least not the whole reason. Maybe Ogden did suspect something. But look, that guy must have been pretty screwed-up in the head to actually /kill/ his own child... You can't assume that your activities had anything to do with his decision. And besides, no matter /what/ you were up to, it wasn't an excuse for him to do what he did. He's the one to blame for everything, not you.'

{Dianne closes her eyes in a grieved expression, hugging Esme a little tighter.}

Dianne: "...Things were different back then...Infanticide was commonplace and socially accepted in primitive dragon societies. I mated with him because I thought he was different...And I'm all the more foolish for hoping..."

(Posting new room)