'What? No, I want to,' said Armin. 'It's fun while it's actually happening. Yes, we won't feel good the next day, but you don't really think about that while in the moment.' He paused. '...Though, if you'd rather not do it again, I'll respect that.'

Dianne: "No, I'm doing it, I'm beating you, and then...I'll probably puke my guts out, but it'll be worth it."

Armin smirked. 'Competitive, aren't you? Well, I'm up for it whenever you're ready. Just give the word...'

Dianne: "After this is all over, get ready to lose."

{She says chuckling.}

Dianne: "...Where are we going to put the barrels when we get back?

'I'm not sure. How many did we pack, again? You could keep them in your house, but if you don't feel comfortable putting them there while /you're/ not there... I might be able to find space for them at my house...'

Dianne: "We have about...15. Do you have a basement?"

'Yes, I do. A small one. But I don't use it for much, so there should be plenty of space.'

Dianne: "That'll do it. we might have to lock it so Rex can't drink it all..."

'Hey,' Armin objected, a little sharply. 'Give him /some/ credit. He's not going to drink through fifteen barrels of liquor, and locking it away from him will just make it obvious that you don't trust him. He's better than he used to be.'

{Dianne raises a brow at Armin's sharp interjection.}

Dianne: "Hey, you're the one who told me that he's trying constantly trying to break into your liquor stash. You know him better than I do, so I'll follow your judgment."

'He's asked about it once or twice... But that was when he was on his own. I'm sure he's not going to steal our booze from right under our noses. If he was constantly drunk on Akhetian Ale, we'd be able to tell.'

Dianne: "True, I guess...If you're certain he won't hurt himself with it. Anyway, two more days in the truck from the looks of it."

'Yep. We'll see Vallis soon...'

At that moment, a sleepy-looking Esme came crawling higher up the bed. She climbed onto Armin's chest and seemed to settle there, like a cat. Armin eyed her briefly, then reached up to pet her.

{Dianne smiles as she looks at Esme, reaching out to pet her.}

Dianne: "...So cute..."

Esme made a purring noise and stretched out her nose to nudge Dianne's hand. Armin closed his eyes and got more comfortable, his head on Dianne's shoulder while he absently stroked Esme.

'She is. I'm glad we have her. If I hadn't gone out onto the mountain that day, I doubt anyone would have found her soon enough...'

Dianne: "Yes. It was very fortunate that you found her when you did. I'm glad we have her with us."

(Psssttt, the RP tag on this one is incomplete.)

Esme laid her head down, her gaze flickering back and forth between them.

'Going to be interesting seeing her grow up,' Armin murmured. 'Seeing what kind of person she'll become. I can see her being the confident, adventurous type. She kinda reminds me of my daughter. When she was a young kid.'

(Noooo
I'll fix that in a bit)

Dianne: "It will be. We'll just have to see what personality she'll have. However, like I said before, don't be taking her to do dangerous things behind my back."

Armin opened his eyes, shifting slightly so that he could give Dianne an unimpressed look.

'I already told you that I'm not going to deliberately put her in danger. Do you really not trust me with her at all?'

{Dianne closes her eyes and sighs.}

Dianne: "Don't take it personally. You've no idea how terrified I am of losing her. And when you told me about all the thing you did when you were young, well...That doesn't instill me with confidence..."

'Look, I know I do stupid things sometimes, but I never /intentionally/ endanger anyone besides myself. And I know how scared you are of losing her. Especially after that incident with the ice dragon. I might be a thrill seeker, but I'm not a heartless jerk.'

Dianne: "I know, but I can't help but worry. I'm going to hold you to that. Thrill seek all you want, but leave Esme out of it. Please."

Armin sighed slightly. 'Again: you don't need to tell me. I'm not going to drag her into anything dangerous.'

He sat up, causing Esme to jump off his chest. He got up and went over to the supply box, while Esme sat down on the space he had been lying in, blinking sleepily.

Dianne: "Ok."

{She then rolls over to face Esme, reaching out to pet her.}

Armin retrieved a bottle of blood, then sat down on top of the supply box, sipping from it with a pensive expression. //Of course she doesn't entirely trust you around Esme. Look at some of the things you've done. You don't exactly inspire reliability... But I'd never deliberately lead Esme into danger. I couldn't.//

Esme squeaked and playfully swiped at Dianne's hand like a cat, before grabbing it in her jaws and shaking her head back and forth.

{Dianne winces, smiling and laughing.}

Dianne: "Ow, hey. I'm not a chew toy. I'll have to get you some toys once we get back so you're not chewing up Armin's knick-knacks and electrical cords."

Esme growled and used her front paws to pin Dianne's hand to the floor, like it was a prey animal she'd hunted down. Her jaws curled in what seemed to be a grin.

{Dianne pulls her hand away.}

Dianne: "Ok, Esme, that's enough of that."

{Sitting up, she looks over at Armin.}

Dianne: "You ok?"

Esme, looking satisfied, trotted away from Dianne and over to the crate to get breakfast. Armin tossed her an apple, then continued drinking, looking distant.

'Eh... I might be taking your warnings more personally than I should...'

{Dianne looks a little concerned by that.}

Dianne: "I didn't mean to be rude....I just...I needed to voice my concern."

'I know, but... Look, Esme means a lot to you, and /you/ mean a lot to me. Even if that wasn't the case, I wouldn't knowingly put a defenceless child in danger.' He paused, then continued. 'I just don't get it. You trust me, yet you still see me as a threat to Esme.'

Dianne: "Armin, it's not like that. I do trust you, I don't see you as a threat, and I know you have Esme's best interests in mind. I was just worried about the instances where it's clear that you /don't/ think. How many times now have you said or done something stupid and justified it by saying, "I wasn't thinking"?"

{She sighs and rubs her face.}

Dianne: "Look. I'm just...paranoid...and traumatized. I shouldn't have said anything..."

'...When it comes to other peoples' lives, I /do/ think,' said Armin, in a low voice. 'I've lost enough people. I'm not planning to lose more just for the sake of a cheap thrill...'

Esme paused in her eating to look back and forth between them, unsure what they were talking about.

Dianne: "I didn't mean it like that...I know you're not that inconsiderate. I....it's just my own fear, that's all..."

Armin looked away, taking a long swallow of blood.

'Sorry... I should let it go. You have good reason to be paranoid when it comes to Esme...'

{Dianne looks away as well, feeling like she failed in this endeavor. She didn't want to upset Armin but it seems that it's what happened anyway.}

Armin quietly finished off the remaining blood, putting the empty bottle back into the crate. Esme, meanwhile, had shrugged off the incident and returned to devouring her apple.

'I'm gonna go out and fly for a while... I'll be back before we stop for dinner.'

Dianne: "Ok, don't stay out too long. And...I'm sorry if I upset you."

Armin nodded slightly, then went to the back doors and opened them. He didn't verbally reply; despite her saying sorry, he was sure she still thought he was going to put Esme at risk. //I guess I'll just have to prove that I won't, by making sure I never put her in a remotely dangerous situation.//

He leapt out, shifting to hawk form as he fell. Esme was too preoccupied with her food to try and follow.

{Dianne stands and closes up the back. Sighing, she sits next to Esme and pets her head.}

(Skip?)

(Yup, shall I go or you?)

(You go)

----

Hours later, when the sun was beginning to set, Armin made his way back to the truck. He felt more at ease after his long flight. //Did I go too far this morning? Might have done... I'm sure she knows I wouldn't deliberately get Esme killed.//

He got inside the same way as before, using his talons to pull open the door, then shifting back and closing it behind him. 'How's everyone?'

{Dianne was sitting in the front seat, wrapped in a blanket.}

Dianne: "We're good. How about you?"

'I'm good. I needed that fly.' Armin walked further into the truck, spotting Esme playing with her rock on the floor. Unsure what to do, he slid down the wall and sat down on the blanket pile. 'Are we stopping soon?'

Dianne: "Yes. Dinnertime draws near. I saw a lake in the distance, so I asked Titan to stop there."

'Sounds good. Hmm, this might end up being our last chance to fish before we get home...'

Armin eyed the radio, then turned it on and started idly flicking through various stations, causing snippets of different songs to be heard.

Dianne: "True. Then, let's enjoy this while we can."

{After a few minutes, Titan stops and puts the car down by the lake.}

Dianne: "Barnabas, scope it out."

Armin switched the radio off and stood up, getting ready to step outside. 'I hope there's not spiders in this lake too...'

{Barnabas appears, shaking his head.}

Barnabas: "This is a no-go. There is a shack of illegal blood traffickers across the lake. They've seen Titan and doused all the lights, hoping we leave. They have prisoners as well."

Armin listened with mild curiosity until Barnabas got to the last part. Then he lifted his head sharply, like a wolf picking up a scent. 'Did you just say they have prisoners? What kind of prisoners? And why?'

Barnabas: "They're blood traffickers, Armin, why do you think?"

Dianne: "Barnabas, who do they have?"

Barnabas: "A handful of humans, a small dragonshifter, and a werewolf. They're chained in the basement."

Armin stood up, his expression serious. 'Right. We're going to try and save them, then,' he said decisively. 'I'm not flying away and leaving them. We might be their only hope for rescue.'

Dianne: "Agreed. Barnabas, what are we up against?"

Barnabas: "Two vampires, one warlock, and one large dragon."

Dianne: "Barnabas, get the centaurs, go through the lake, ambush them. Tear them limb from limb and report back once they're dead."

Armin remained standing, looking out of the window. He tried not to look too disappointed that he wouldn't get to fight the blood traffickers himself. //Disgusting people.//

'Well, just make sure the centaurs know not to kill the prisoners too...'

Dianne: "Armin, these souls have been with me for centuries. They know the drill."

{Dianne starts to put on her armor. Titan releases the centaurs, and the company quietly walk into the water.}

Armin just stood quietly by the window, watching the party head off towards the shack in the distance. Esme sat on the floor, kicking her rock around, blissfully unaware of the bloodshed that was likely to occur very soon.

{Dianne was looking through the window as well, watching the shack on the opposite side. After about ten minutes, the terrified screams of the traffickers and the screeches of the centaurs could be heard from across the lake. A burst of magical energy burst forth from the roof of the shack, then silence. Soonafter, Barnabas returns.}

Barnabas: "All done. They're all dead, and the captives are unharmed.
Dianne: "Very good. Barnabas, stay here with Esme."

{She then moves to get out of the truck.}

Armin followed Dianne outside, wondering how the rescued prisoners were going to react to seeing them.

{Shifting, Dianne takes flight across the lake. Landing in front of the shack, she shifts back and enters the building. The inside was a mess. Tables were flipped, holes were broken into the wall from where the centaurs entered, fresh blood was splattered across the wall from when the centaurs pulled the warlock's head off. Most of the centaurs were waiting outside, but a handful were piling the mutilated bodies of the traffickers in the corner. The floor was littered with drugs, ashtrays, broken glass, and a few squalls from when the table was upset.}

(Posting new room)