'I can do that. You sure you won't run into any problems getting custody of her? I don't really know anything about the process.'

Dianne: "Well...It's supposed to be a long process, with background checks and such, but...I think Lucci pulled some strings, otherwise I don't know why he'd ask me to do this in three days...I'm sure it'll work out..."

'Huh. I really wish Lucci explained more sometimes... I'm sure it'll be fine, though. He wouldn't have asked you to do it if it wasn't possible. They'll be a way.'

Dianne: "Well, to his credit, he always does ask if we have any questions...guess I should have asked."

'True, but that's not really something we should have to ask about. He should just /tell/ us important things like that. But, nonetheless, I'm sure everything will go OK.'

As they turned onto the street of Armin's house, he looked up, relieved to see it was not on fire.

{Dianne chuckles.}

Dianne: "Well, it's still standing, so...there's that. Let's get inside."

Armin opened the front door and stepped into the house. In the living-room, Esme was playing with her rock, kicking it around and chasing it. Rex was on the couch, drinking some coffee and reading a newspaper, keeping an eye on her.

'Well, everything seems to be intact...' said Armin.

'Of course,' said Rex without looking up. 'Though I was tempted to let her shred a few of your jackets.'

{Smiling, Dianne walks in, putting the groceries on the table.}

Dianne: "Well, I'm glad to see you two are getting along."

'Not hard to get along with her,' Rex observed. 'She's young enough to be entertained by extremely simple things.'

Armin started to sort through the shopping bags, putting some things in the fridge or freezer, and others in the kitchen cupboards.

Dianne: "True. Esme, are you hungry?"

{She walks over to the table and gathers some pears.}

Esme pricked up her ears, and smelling the fruit, walked over to Dianne to investigate. Having put most of the groceries away, Armin left the bag containing Esme's new toys on the table.

{Dianne kneels down, offering the pears.}

Dianne: "Here, try these."

Esme snapped her jaws over a pear and started to devour it hungrily, seeming to like the soft flesh and juicy texture.

'This fruit supply ought to last a few days,' Armin observed. He retrieved a large bowl from the kitchen, set it on the table, and placed all the remaining fruit inside it.

Dianne: "Yeah, but when the hunters come knocking, how are we going to resupply?"

{She stands and walks into the kitchen, and starts to make herself something to eat.}

'If we run out of food while there are still hunters around, then me or Rex can go out and restock. It'll be best if you don't leave the house too much. Not to say that there's no chance of the hunters targeting /us,/ but... you'd be in more danger.'

Dianne: "That's my concern. None of us should go anywhere alone. They may try to capture one of us. Thanks to Jerry's bast.ard father, they know who we all are...."

'We'll go out in groups,' said Armin, 'and we'll be careful. I'm not letting anyone get killed or captured.'

He subsided into silence, looking pensive.

{Dianne walks back in with an egg sandwich. Sitting on the couch, she looks at Armin worriedly. }

Dianne: "Hey, don't forget, we do have Pugna on our side, and he's just waiting for an excuse to be let off the chain. That guy has made it his sole purpose to pick fights with people he deems strong and completely eviscerating them."

Armin nodded slightly. 'He's not friendly at all, but he does seem like he's looking for any opportunity to start a fight. He can't be everywhere at once, though, so we still need to be careful when any of us goes out. If the hunters find out where we're living, they might even try breaking into this house...'

Dianne: "Come to think of it, that might explain why he hasn't moved since he got here. I think he's guarding the house. So, we leave in groups and anyone who stays will have Pugna to guard them."

'OK. That should work... We'll still try to leave the house as little as we can.'

Armin pulled out the rubber ball and experimentally tossed it towards Esme. She initially growled and leapt back, but then curiosity got the better of her and she ran off to retrieve it.

{Having finished her meal, Dianne stands.}

Dianne: "Alright. I need to go to the palace. I'll be back in a bit."

(Notifications aren't working again ._.)

'Good luck,' said Armin, hiding his apprehension. 'I'm sure everything will go smoothly.' He stood up to walk with her to the door.

Dianne: "I'm sure it'll be fine. I'll be back as soon as I can."

{Giving Armin a brief hug, Dianne heads out the door.}

(How mad would Armin get if Dianne comes back injured, having been attacked by someone?)

(He wouldn't take it very well. He'd probably want to hunt down whoever did it, if they were still alive.
But who is there to attack her right now?)

Armin watched her leave, then headed back into the living-room, sitting beside Rex with a groan.

'I can't wait for all of this to be over with.'

'You think?' said Rex absently. 'I only agreed to come back with you because I thought Vallis was peaceful again. Now we all seem to be in danger again.'

(There's no one who would do that. I was just curious. XD)

{Dianne then walks up the street, in the direction of the palace.}

The area around the palace was mostly quiet today. The main entrance was flanked by two guards, who looked bored, conversing in low voices.

{Dianne approaches the guards, simply looking to walk inside, and nothing more.}

The guards eyed her up and down with a hint of suspicion, but allowed her to pass unhindered, seeming to recognise her.

'Having non-humans around the place still creeps me out,' one guard quietly commented.

'Oh, come on. You work with a vampire. That Frederick guy's OK, isn't he?'

'Eh... I guess so...'

{Dianne ignores the guard's conversation, walking in and turning to the area that handles permits and paperwork}

(You'll have to control whoever she talks to about the custody stuff. I don't really know what should happen.)

{That was the plan, I was just waiting to see if you wanted to describe anything. I'll write something now.)

(No, I got nothing else. XD Go ahead!)

{After standing in line for a while, Dianne gets to the person behind the glass. The receptionist eyes her curiously.}

Receptionist: "Hi. How can I help you today?

Dianne: "Hello. I need the paperwork to obtain custody of an adopted child."

Receptionist: "You're Dianne, right? Lucci said you'd come. Come with me."

{The receptionist switches their sign to closed, much to the annoyance of the twenty people behind Dianne. The receptionist leads her to a back room and hands her an envelope.}

Receptionist: "Here. Just don't ask too many questions. While this is technically highly illegal, you don't have time to go through the whole process. Plus, I'm pretty sure Lucci paid off all the right people to look the other way."

Dianne: "Thank you. This...this means a lot."

Receptionist: "My pleasure. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to quit my job and buy a luxury yacht."

{The receptionist leads Dianne back outside, then walks off.}

(Lol, Novel. XD)

(Oh no, all those people behind her. XD)

(XDDD Lucci pays well enough for people to quit their jobs.)

(You can continue if you want; I don't really have anything to do unless you want Fred to interact.)

(No, I got it. XD)

{Putting the envelope into her purse, Dianne take out her phone and texts Armin.}

>>On my way back. Went very smoothly.<<

Back home, Armin was sitting on the couch, watching Esme chase her ball around. He then heard a text alert buzz coming from the phone that he owned but had forgotten to bring on their expedition. He picked it up, smiled faintly, and sent a response.

<That's good to hear.>

{After about another tem minutes, Dianne comes through the front door.}

Dianne: "I'm back. How's everything?"

Armin got off the couch and went over to her. 'Good. So, did it all work out? You were a lot faster than I expected.'

Esme glanced up when Dianne entered, then continued playing with her new toy.

Dianne: "Yeah, Lucci payed them all off in advance to just give me the document without the process. Do you have a safe I can put this in?"

'A safe? No, not really. There's a chest of drawers in my room where you can put it, if you want. The bottom drawer is empty. That's probably the safest place I can suggest right now.'

Dianne: "It'll have to do, I guess..."

{She proceeds to walk up the stairs with the intention of putting the document away.}

'If people manage to break in here, they'll probably be trying to kill or capture us, not steal our legal documents.'

Armin glanced at Esme, who had tired herself out playing, and was now sitting on the couch. Rex was absent, having returned to his room.

Dianne: "True enough."

{She walks back and flops onto the couch.}

Dianne: "I'm going to rest for a bit, then I'm going to get some of that gold exchanged for squalls and put into my account..."

'I'll have to do that eventually. Not right now, though.'

Armin went over to the couch, picked up Esme, sat down in the space she'd been occupying, and then placed her on his lap. She curled up like a cat without protest.

{Dianne smiles and watches the pair.}

Dianne: "Looks like she likes her toys all right. The rubber ball was a good call."

'Nice that she has something to entertain herself with. I don't want her being bored all the time; that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.'

Armin leaned his head against the back of the couch and closed his eyes, resting a hand on Esme's back.

{Dianne just leans back, resting and watching the pair.}

Dianne: //Peaceful atmosphere....This is nice...//

(Should we maybe skip ahead a bit?)

(Sure, I'll go...)

{After an hour, Dianne stands up and stretches.}

Dianne: "Alright, I'm going to gather some boullions and go exchange them. Can you make dinner for Esme?"

Armin opened his eyes, glancing at Dianne, then at Esme on his lap.

'Sure. I'll take a look at the things you bought and make her something.' Esme lifted her head with a yawn.

Dianne: "Thank you. I appreciate it."

{She then walks down to the basement and retrieves three large boullions. Putting them in a leather knapsack, she walks out of the basement and to the door.}

Dianne: "I'll be back."

Armin nudged the sleepy Esme off his lap and walked to the door, giving Dianne a quick one-armed hug. 'See you in a bit.'

He then turned to the dragonet. 'Alright... c'mon, Esme, let's see what we've got...' He headed into the kitchen to make something, and Esme woke up enough to follow him out of curiosity.

{Dianne smiles at the hug and walks out the door. She turns down the street towards the nearest bank.}

Armin looked over the results of their grocery haul, eventually settling on cooking one of the steaks along with a few vegetables. 'I hope you like vegetables as much as fruit,' he muttered as he got everything out. Esme just sat on the kitchen floor, watching him work with a sharp, intelligent gaze.

{Dianne walks into the bank and requests a meeting with an exchange representative. Once she gets into the private room she sits with the appraiser.}

Appraiser: "Good afternoon, m'am, how may I help you today?"

Dianne: "I need to exchange these for squalls."

{She pulls out the boullions and places them on the table. The appraiser's eyes widen at this.}

Appraiser: "Oh, wow.....Ok...."

(Appraiser: o_o)

At home, Armin had put the food on to cook and was standing around, waiting for it to be done, sometimes conversing with Rex via telepathy. Esme lingered in the kitchen, curious as to what he was making.

{The appraiser takes a few minutes to take some notes and inspect the gold. After that time, the appraiser speaks up.}

Appraiser: "The bank is prepared to exchange these for 30,000 Squalls each."

Dianne: "Come on, don't lowball me."

Appraiser: "P-pardon?"

Dianne: "These are from the Sularian Dynasty, a thousand years ago. You can see the royal insignia stamped in the side and the purity. In our terms, it's 24 karat. They're worth more than 30,000 each."

{The Appraiser doesn't look pleased by this.}

Appraiser: "I'm sorry, but that's all I'm authorized to give."

Dianne: "That's ok, I'll just go see what Weatherby Savings and Loan can offer..."

Appraiser: "Wait....I'll go get my boss..."

When the food was done, Armin put it into a dish and offered it to Esme. 'Here, have something that's not fish or deer...'

Esme approached, sniffed at the steak, licked it contemplatively, then began to eat without protest. Pleased, Armin got himself a glass of wine and sat on the couch.

//Might as well just wait for Dianne... Wonder how much she'll get for that gold...//

{After waiting for a bit, an fat, old man with grey hair walks in with the appraiser.}

Appraiser: "M'am, this is Mister Clasterstone, the bank's owner."

Mr. Clasterstone: "Charmed to meet you, Miss Dianne."

{The man spoke with a refined accent. Dianne stands and greets him.}

Dianne: "It's a pleasure."

Mr. Clasterstone: "Now, I understand that you are in possesion of some rare and incredibly valuable gold boullions, and you're seeking a fair exchange. Please, have a seat."

{Dianne sits as he continues.}
Mr. Clasterstone: "Well, I've called an expert on that particular region and time. Assuming that he finds these to be authentic, I am prepared to offer the full appraised price. Would that be to your satisfaction?"

Dianne: "Yes, it would be."

Mr. Clasterstone: "Wonderful."

(You can continue, I think Armin and Esme will just chill until she's done.)

(K. None of this is planned btw. XD)

{After a little while, a disheveled young man with messy hair stumbles through the door.}

Man: "Here I am, Mr Clasterstone. Hello everyone!"

Mr. Clasterstone: "Excellent. Mr. Jamison, this is Dianne. She's the owner of the boullions that I mentioned."

Dianne: "A pleasure to meet you."

Mr. Jamison: "Hi. Ok, let's take a look..."

{He begins to inspect the gold.}

Mr. Jamison: "Where did you get these?"

Dianne: "I pulled them from the clutches of a ghoul in a crypt up north."

(I'll have to finish this later, currently in class.)

{Mr. Jamison looks up in surprise.}

Mr. Jamison: "You actually went into a haunted dungeon to get this stuff? That's hardcore!"

Dianne: "Yeah, well, I'm a bit of an adventurer."

Mr. Jamison: "I'd love the opportunity to go dungeon crawling, but...It's awfully dangerous, and my wife would kill me if she ever found out."

Dianne: "It definitely takes a particular set of skills."

{After inspecting the gold for a little longer, Mr. Jamison speaks up.}

Mr. Jamison: "Well, Mr. Clasterstone, it's all real."

Mr. Clasterstone: "Wonderful. And what's it worth?"

Mr. Jamison: "I'd appraise it at....45,000 Squalls per."

Mr. Clasterstone: "Alright, does that sound fair to you, miss?"

Dianne: "Yes, it does."

Mr. Clasterstone: "Excellent. Susan, transfer the money into her account."

{Dianne stands and shakes Mr. Clastersone's hand.}

Dianne: "Glad we could come to an agreement."

Mr. Clasterstone: "Likewise. After this is finalized, I'll walk you out."

{Once everything was said and done, Dianne left the bank and started walking back. She pulls out her phone and texts Armin.}

>>I'm on my way back. Be there soon.<<

Upon hearing his phone buzz, Armin sent back a quick <Alright> before getting up to clean the dish Esme had used. She had eaten everything, aside from a few peas that she had taken a decided dislike to. The dragonet was now curled up on the couch, snoozing.

{Dianne came through the door some twenty minutes later.}

Dianne: "I'm back. How's everything here?"

Armin approached her. 'Well, I fed Esme. She seems alright with steak. How much did you get for those gold things?'

Dianne: "After some negotiating, I managed to get 45,000 Squalls each for a total of 135,000 Squalls. Ooh, steak, I'm starving.
{She walks past him for the kitchen.}

Armin gave an appreciative whistle. '135,OOO? Well, I guess we're not running out of money anytime soon.'

Dianne: "Nope. We've barely scratched the surface and, I have more at my house."

{She puts her steak on a plate and sits on the couch to eat.}

Dianne: "We're good in the finances department."

'Good.' Armin sat on the floor to avoid disturbing Esme, who was dozing on the other seat of the couch. The dragonet briefly opened her eyes at the smell of steak, then settled again. 'You planning to buy anything in particular or are you just keeping all the money for when it's needed?'

Dianne: "Well...If I learn to drive, I'll probably get a car. Can't be scaring the people with my dragon form all the time. Also, I need to buy a new jacket. Other than that, I'll just hold onto it."

(Posting new room)