'I just don't like her because she's annoying, and rude, and I think her 'romantic' habits are stupid,' said Armin. 'I don't hate her, I just don't have any respect for her at all. And it's fun to pick on her.'

Dianne: "Fair enough. Yes, it's very entertaining to poke fun at her. I don't understand, how does she have a new suitor every week? How is that even possible?"

'She must just walk around in the street, asking random attractive strangers to go out with her,' mused Armin. 'She obviously doesn't have a meaningful relationship with any of them... What's the point in dating someone just because you find them attractive? It's never going to last. I wouldn't want to do what she does.'

Dianne: "I know. It's a waste of both participant's time. And she has the gall to call me jealous. I definitely don't envy her in any way."

'She's crazy,' said Armin, slightly amused. 'But, her so-called love life is quite entertaining for the rest of us, at least.'

Dianne: "I guess so...Ok, it is pretty funny. Let's make some bets, when we get back, how many boyfriends do you think she'll have cycled through? I'm guessing...three."

'Hmm... how long's it been since we left? About a month with some change? I'll bet you fifty squalls that she's had at least five by the time we get back. Although, we can't force her to answer truthfully how many she's had...'

Dianne: "Well...there may be a way to get around that. If we make her afraid of us knowing the real number, Barnabas will know what it is. I think that's a fair wager. Deal."

'Yup. Heh, Ivy's going to be so confused about why we want to know that...'

He fell silent, just gazing thoughtfully out of the window. Behind them, Esme was dozing on top of the supply box.

{Dianne falls silent as well, looking at the first raindrops from the coming storm. Settling into her chair, she thoughtfully gazes into the dark clouds.}

(Should we skip ahead a little to evening?)

(Sure, you go.)

----

As evening began to fall, the storm was raging outside. The initial few raindrops had turned into a downpour hitting the roof of the truck, complete with ominous rumbles of thunder and occasional lightning.

Armin had moved to the back of the truck, where he was playing a game with Esme, holding an apple up high and trying to encourage her to fly for it, like Barnabas had done back in the tavern. Esme was jumping and flapping her wings gamely, but had yet to reach high enough for the apple.

{Dianne sat on her bedding, watching the pair with amusement.}

Dianne: "Careful, she might just claw her way up your legs for it. That's what I would do in her place."

Armin smirked. 'So far, she doesn't seem to have figured out that she can do that.' Esme made another high leap, her teeth snapping within centimetres of the apple. In response, he lifted it even higher, so she'd have to jump to the ceiling to reach it.

Dianne: "Well, at least she's making progress. She can get pretty high now."

{She then looks out the window thoughtfully.}

Dianne: "Hmm. I hope Forde is ok, wherever he is. Those poor people lost everything."

'I hope so too,' said Armin. 'Maybe him and the other survivors will find another pack to join up with. For safety in numbers. I'm mostly just glad Esme's not with them. Wouldn't have been a very fun situation for her to grow up in.'

Dianne: "That's true. I am glad she's here with us and not that "old couple" Forde mentioned. I know I'm one to talk, but most old people in my experience, well....suck."

'Well, they'd probably be in a pretty sour mood considering what happened to their pack,' Armin remarked. 'Definitely not the kinds of people Esme should be raised by. But hey, not all old people suck. You're old, and technically, so am I.'

Esme's teeth grazed the apple, despite it being at the ceiling by then. She was slowly becoming stronger at using her wings.

Dianne: "Yes, I'm old, but I'm young at heart."

{She says, chuckling.}

Dianne: "Huh, she's gaining wing strength. That's good."

'Yeah, she's improv--' Armin broke off abruptly as Esme suddenly started climbing one of his legs, digging her claws into his jeans. 'Ow. Hey, that's cheating, you overgrown lizard. Here, catch this.'

He tossed the apple to Dianne, so that Esme would get off of him.

{Dianne laughs, catching the apple and standing.}

Dianne: "Here, Esme. See, I told you she'd figure it out."

Esme pulled her claws free with some difficulty, squeaked in response and trotted over to Dianne. Armin grimaced slightly. 'I thought she wasn't smart enough to figure it out.'

Dianne: "Never underestimate a dragon, even if you think they're just...overgrown lizards."
{She willingly gives the apple to Esme, as a reward for her hard work.}

As Esme crunched hungrily on the apple, Armin sat down on his blanket pile. 'She's only a few months old. I'm surprised she's developing this fast. Though, I don't know how fast her species normally grows. Maybe it /is/ normal for her.'

Dianne: "I did. It's not unreasonable to think she might as well."

{Reaching into the crate, Dianne retrieves the half eaten fish.}

Dianne: 'Here, Esme. Are you hungry?"

'You grew up in a rougher enviroment than her, though... I guess she's just eager to learn.'

Esme kicked the remains of her apple away, lifting her head when she scented the fish. She gave a small squeak, seeming to indicate that she wanted some.

{Dianne beckons Esme to sit next to her, tearing off strips of the fish and offering them to Esme.}

Esme snapped up the strips of fish. She seemed to have taken a liking to it, despite it not being fruit.

Armin gazed towards the back window as the storm hammered the exterior of the truck. '...I like the sound of rain at night. It's peaceful.'

(Hey my WiFi has been dead for a day now, so you might not hear from me for a bit.)

(Ahh alright, no problem. Thanks for letting me know what's going on, I was starting to get a bit concerned.)

(Wifi's back, Spectrum sucks, and when they get moving again, I'm going to do something to stress Armin out again, assuming you have nothing planned.)

{Dianne looks up from feeding Esme.}

Dianne: "That makes one of us...It just reminds me of being cold and going hungry..."

(Nope, go ahead.)

'That sucks.' Armin continued to gaze thoughtfully out the window. 'At least you don't have to worry about that anymore.' A rumble of thunder shook the air, and Esme, finishing her food, looked up with a curious expression. 'I like storms, but I hope we don't run into any more. It really slows progress.'

Dianne: "Tell me about it. Don't worry, once we get inland, it shouldn't be a problem anymore."

'Hopefully...' Armin gave a yawn. 'Well, I'll probably turn in around now. I guess we won't be setting off again until the morning.'

Dianne: "Probably not. Ok, do you want to do this the same way we did last night?"

{Dianne picks Esme up into her arms.}

'Sure,' said Armin. 'That way seemed to work.' Esme twisted her neck around to blink curiously at Dianne, then settled down in her grasp without a fuss.

{Settling down under her bedding, Dianne simply lies on her side, facing the wall.}

Going over to the bed, Armin settled in behind her, lying on his front and resting his head on his arms. 'G'night,' he mumbled as he closed his eyes.

Esme had already drifted off with the speed only a baby dragon could manage.

Dianne: "Goodnight, Armin."

{She then closes her eyes, drifting off to sleep.}

(Skip?)

(Yep, who go first?)

(I'll start us off)

(Okie)

...

{The next morning, Dianne opens her eyes. Seeing that the storm had passed, and that the weather was now clear, Dianne whispers softly.}

Dianne: "Barnabas, go tell Titan to get us moving again."

{As Titan picked up the car, Dianne settled back in, closing her eyes.}

Armin was asleep, lying in the same position he'd drifted off in. He stirred slightly when he felt the truck rolling into motion, but didn't fully wake. He simply shifted closer to Dianne and settled down again, too warm and comfortable to wake up. Esme was also still fast asleep.

...

{Dianne remained asleep until late afternoon. Looking around the car, she contemplates getting up.}

As soon as Dianne awoke, Esme scrambled free and wandered off. At this, Armin stirred, eyes opening a crack and observing Dianne. 'You're awake? Huh, it looks late,' he said blearily.

{Dianne chuckles a bit at Esme's eagerness. Rolling over, she looks at Armin.}

Dianne: "It is. I woke up earlier and had Titan get us moving. Sleep well, I hope?"

Armin eyed her drowsily, his head still resting on his arms. 'Yeah. In fact, I'm surprised I slept so long. This is late even by my standards. It's nice to catch up on sleep, though.'

Esme had clambered into the front of the truck to gaze out the window at the rushing scenery, seeming content to wait for breakfast until everyone was ready to get up.

Dianne: "If you actually slept this long, it means you needed it. Guess I needed it too."

{Standing, she starts to rummage throught the supplies.}

'We're probably both missing years of adequate sleep,' Armin commented half-jokingly. 'We have a lot to catch up on.'

He propped himself up on his side and watched lazily as she went to the supply box. Esme perched on the edge of the driver's seat, peering down at Dianne eagerly, expecting food.

{Dianne pulls out an orange and a banana for Esme, and the leftover fish for herself. With the food in hand, she sits in the passenger seat and beckons Esme over.}

Esme clambered over to take the fruit. Armin stretched out towards the supplies to get a blood bottle for himself, then retreated back to the warmth of the blankets and sipped it thoughtfully.

'So, how much of the way back are we by now?' he asked.

{Dianne shrugs at the question.}

Dianne: "I don't know. A quarter of the way, maybe? We're kind of taking the long way around here."

'Hmm. And we're getting delayed by the storms, too.' Armin subsided into silence, gazing towards the window as he drank.

Dianne: "Relax. We'll be home soon enough. I know this is trip was ruined, but...let's try to make the most of it."

'It wasn't /ruined./ Sure, it might've been more fun before the hunters showed up, but that doesn't mean it's ruined now. I'm still enjoying travelling with you, seeing the sights and thinking about other places I'd like to travel when all of this is over.'

Dianne: "Oh. Well, I'm glad to hear that. Also, I'm sure this is the best sleep you've gotten in years. Enjoy it while it lasts, I guess..."

'It is,' said Armin pensively. 'I appreciate you helping me sleep better, you know. You didn't have to.' He drank some more, then put the bottle away. 'Even though it'll probably return to normal once we get home and stop doing this, it's good to catch up on sleep while I can.'

Dianne: "Well...If there's ever a time where you feel like you just need a good night's rest...you're free to come over. I'm sure Esme would enjoy seeing you from time to time."

Armin smiled faintly. 'I'd appreciate that. If I need some sleep, I'll just come and crash at your place. I plan to visit a lot, anyway. To see Esme growing up, and just to talk to you. After all of this, you'll be bored without my company,' he said jokingly.

{Dianne laughs a little at that.}

Dianne: "Alright then. You'll know where to find me."

{She then looks to Esme.}

Dianne: "...I wonder when she'll shift into human form..."

'Who knows? From what I know of her species, they can't fully control their shifting at first. It kinda happens spontaneously. And they usually don't start shifting until they're four or five years old, so you might have her as a dragon for a while. Hopefully, her growth slows down so she doesn't outgrow your house before then.'

Dianne: "Hopefully. She'll break my bed if she tries to sleep with me as a twenty-footer. If that's the case, I'll have to sleep with her outside."

Armin scratched his head slowly, thinking. 'What are you going to do when she's much older? I know sleeping with her staves off your nightmares, but you won't be able to do that forever. Not when she's a teenager, or an adult. She might not even be living with you by then.'

He took a moment to contemplate the idea of Esme having a love interest, and if Dianne would simply drive off everyone who got near her.