Frederick then emerged from the closet and walked over to them, carrying a few objects.

'Alright, so I thought I'd give you these. Armin, here's one of the blood bottles like what you had before. They're expensive to ship in from Caelum, so I don't have more, but you can use it as emergency supply if hunting ever becomes difficult.'

Armin, looking mildly surprised, accepted the litre-sized bottle from Fred.

{Dianne eyes the bottle, amused.}

Dianne: "That's useful. Now we won't have a repeat of the incident at the tavern."

Armin grumbled good-naturedly in response.

Next, Fred revealed a plastic case containing what looked like a dozen golf baIIs.

'Just in case... The grey ones are mini explosives, designed to go off on impact. Throw them hard against the wall or floor, and they'll release a small blast that can injure anyone standing too close. The white ones are smoke bombs. They work the same way, but they release a cloud of harmless coloured smoke. Might be useful for diversions.'

{Dianne looked at the bombs, rather surprised.}

Dianne; "Woah....I didn't know you had the technical training to make impact triggered explosives..."

'I didn't make them,' said Frederick. 'Apparently some sections of the Sovereign military use them. I was simply able to get my hands on some. Anyway, I'd recommend keeping them in the car when you get to Alexandria. You don't want to be found carrying explosives...'

Armin was eyeing the case with curiosity, but said nothing.

Dianne: "Of course. We'll keep them out of sight."

{Her grip on Esme tightened slightly, thinking she might see them as pebbles.}

'Good,' said Fred. 'They're perfectly safe until they hit something with enough force, so don't worry about them going off accidentally. And here's one more thing.'

He produced a soft, red rubber ball.

'I found this in Luxia's shop. If you squeeze it, it starts rolling around on its own. I thought it might keep Esme entertained in the car.'

Dianne: "Oh, that's neat. I think she'll very much enjoy that. Thank you for the gifts, Frederick."

'You're welcome. Have fun on your trip.'

Armin began to gather up the objects, stuffing the ball into his pocket. //I'll have to test that thing when we get back... Tempted to test a bomb too, but that might be bad...//

{Getting up, Dianne looks around.}

Dianne: "Thanks, we will. By the way, how's that poison dragon we rescued from that cave doing?"

'I believe he's doing fine. I can't really stay in touch - he lives in the Grey Mountain tribe, and you know how they can be with outsiders. But, from what Owel told me, he's unharmed and was very grateful. He was just embarrassed about being in that situation in the first place, so maybe that's why he left so abruptly.'

Dianne: "Makes sense. But, what doesn't make sense is why a wild tribe would ask outsiders for help. I guess he was just desperate."

'Viridi's tribe are not typically shapeshifters,' said Fred. 'So if they were large enough to get him out of the pit, they would never be able to get into the cave in the first place. I suppose that's why Lichen approached us for help.'

'Well, Artie must feel stupid,' said Armin. 'If we weren't here, he could have died down there.'

Dianne: "Poor kid. I hope he's more careful in the future. We might not always be around to save his scaly rear end. I wonder if Lichen told Viridi at all about his plight?"

'Chances are, both Lichen and Artie avoided telling him anything when they got back,' said Fred. 'Nobody wants to admit to their tribe chieftain that they did something so idiotic.'

Dianne: "Yeah, makes sense. They probably wanted to spare themselves the embarrassment."

'Yeah, and Viridi is kind of intimidating,' said Armin.

Fred looked them over. 'Well, it's getting late. You might want to head home. I'll be expecting you to stay in touch with everyone as much as possible.'

Dianne: "We will, Fred. We'll text and call at various points along the way."

{Looking to Armin, she adjusts her hold on Esme.}

Armin stood up with all the objects Fred had given them. 'Everyone's concerned about us going out again. I guess it's not surprising considering what happened last time...'

'It's just a precaution. Dianne does tend to be targeted a lot, and you're known as an 'accomplice' of hers. Also, you have Esme with you.'

'Relax, Fred. We'll be careful, but nothing is going to happen in Alexandria. They support us. Anyway, I'll text you once we get going.'

Armin then began to head for the exit.

Dianne: "We won't be gone too long. A week and a half at most. I appreciate the concern, Fred, but we'll be alright. Bye, Frederick, we'll text once we're leaving."

{With that, she heads for the door, after Armin.}

Armin led the way out onto the street. It was beginning to get dark by then, given that it was early evening.

'Hmm, it's pretty cold...' he said as he climbed into the truck. 'I think I can believe the forecast people saying they'll be snow in a few weeks.'

Dianne: "Yeah. How I wish they were wrong..."

{She pulls the coat around herself tighter.}

Dianne: "Well, that's why we're going on this trip, right? To prepare for the cold?"

'Yep. Hopefully we can get back before the snows start. If not, I hope Titan can fly in extreme cold.'

Once everyone was in, Armin set off back for home.

Dianne: "He flew through the tundra, didn't he? That was way colder than any Vallian winter.

'Oh, yeah. I guess he'll be fine, then.'

Subsiding into a peaceful silence, he continued down the darkening roads.

(Should we skip to a bit later in the evening?)

(Sure. What say you to after dinner?)

(Yup, you start.)

...............

{A few hours later, Dianne was comfortably settled into the couch. Dinner had been eaten and she was just relaxing until it was time to go to bed.}

Dianne: "....I wonder why Esme likes tv so much?...."

Armin had turned the TV onto an old action/adventure movie, which Esme was indeed watching with rapture. He was relaxing, but wasn't too sleepy yet.

'I don't know. She came from a wild tribe, so she wouldn't have seen it before she met us,' he said. 'Maybe it's just a good source of entertainment.'

Dianne: "I guess..."

{She looks over at Armin, smiling.}

Dianne: "Excited for tomorrow?"

He grinned. 'Of course. We're going to have fun, we're going to annoy Ivy, and we're going to hang out in a city where people don't think we're scum. Sounds like a great idea to me.'

He shifted a little to get closer, putting himself in contact with her.

{Dianne smiles, wrapping an arm around him and kissing his cheek.}

Dianne: "I'm glad. It's going to be great. Just keep in mind, we're leaving at six am. But, when Titan takes off, I'm going right back to sleep."

Armin groaned. 'Why the heII do we have to leave that early? We're not travelling anywhere near as far this time.'

Dianne: "What time would you rather leave at? If we leave too late, we'll have to stop for dinner at wolf lake."

Armin sighed a little. 'Well, I guess it doesn't matter. I'm going to hate getting up no matter what time it is, so we may as well make a head start.'

He shifted a bit, leaning into her and turning his head to kiss her jaw.

{Chuckling, she moves a hand up to stroke his hair, leaning back with him.}

Dianne: "Don't worry, we'll just go back to sleep once we get going. It's awfully cold in the morning and you're just so warm and comforting."

'Yeah, we'll make up for it. It's just getting up in the first place that's a pain...'

He let out a contented breath, closing his eyes. Without opening them, he moved to nuzzle under her jaw, quite lightly, as if testing the waters.

{Dianne tensed slightly when she felt his nuzzle, smiling knowingly.}

Dianne: "Is this your way of asking for intimacy?"

Armin smirked. 'Well, we won't be able to do this while we're stuck in the car...' he murmured with amusement. 'Maybe we should get it out of our systems while we still can.'

Dianne: "Heh, fair point. Well, I was going to take a shower before going to bed. Care to join me?"

'Alright.'

He kissed her once more, then pulled away and started to get to his feet, to head to the bathroom.

{Getting up, Dianne looks to Esme once more, then heads for the bath.}

Dianne: "Barnabas, watch Esme."

{Once getting to the bath, she starts to loosen her dress and start the water.}

Armin disrobed more sedately this time, rather than rushing to get in ahead of her. He dumped all his clothes into a messy heap on the tiled floor, watching her out the corner of his eye.

{Once disrobed, Dianne turns to look at Armin, smiling as she ran her gaze over him.}

Dianne: "Mhmm...much more patient this time. Shall we?"

{She asks, stepping into the shower.}

He smirked a little and followed her into the warm cubicle. Ducking under the rush of water, he pressed his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes.

'Heh... you seem to like what you see.'

Dianne: "Heh, so do you."

{She then pulls him into a long, passionate kiss, holding him tightly.}

Armin involuntarily closed his eyes as he responded to the kiss. After they parted, he delved underneath her jaw and started kissing and nipping at any sensitive spots he could find.

{Dianne leaned her head back, letting him have better access. She became tense, her grip tightening every time he nipped her.}

He pulled her closer as he kept this up, his breathing getting a bit lighter and faster.

//...If I was physically capable of holding you down... Oh, I'd have fun with that,// he said mirthfully.

{Dianne smirks playfully, her own breathing becoming unstable.}

Dianne: "Well....You know...I could just /let/ you hold me down...if you want..."

Armin smirked as well, lightly biting the side of her neck before replying in a playful tone.

'Yeah, you'd have to pretend I'm stronger than you. Ha, that might be fun... I'd pin you down like you do to me, and then I could do whatever I like...'

Dianne: "Mmm....alright, go for it...Anything you want to do..."

{She states, holding onto him.}

Armin chuckled, amused. With a lightning-quick movement, he grabbed her wrists and nudged her back towards the wall. He then pinned her arms against the wall by her sides, using a decent amount of strength, though it wasn't enough to actually stop her freeing herself. He started biting his way down the side of her neck, more roughly than before.

{Dianne starts to squirm, letting out a quiet groan. Judging by her face, she was very much enjoying herself.}

Looking slightly smug, Armin kept her pinned against the wall as he drove his teeth between her neck and shoulder. Biting hard enough to leave marks, he drew his head back before biting again in a slightly different spot.

{She jolted in response to being bitten roughly, sucking in a quick breath.}

Dianne: "Oh....That's more like it..."

Armin moved to the same spot on the other side of her neck, nuzzling there teasingly.

'Like it rougher, do you? Typical dragon,' he said with amusement. He then bit down hard, slightly tightening his grasp on her wrists as he did so.

Dianne: "...Focusing entirely on my neck, are you?...Typical vampire..."

{She playfully retorts. When he bites her, she arches her back slightly, squirming and biting her lip.}

'It's instinct... And you know you like it...'

He shifted position, pulling her wrists above her head so he could hold them there with one hand. He then splayed his free hand across her side and stomach, digging his nails in and slowly scraping it downwards. All the while, he kept his teeth fastened over her neck.

{Dianne chuckled a little, before squirming with greater force, letting out a quiet whimper. Her breathing was heavy now and her face flushed.}

He pressed himself closer, stopping his hand before it went too far down and moving it around to her back instead.

'Hmm... Tempted to just keep this up until you're begging me to move things along...' he said playfully, scratching his nails hard along her back.

{Dianne moved her head down to give him a playful, yet defiant look.}

Dianne: "...You can do things to me...all you want...but you will never hear me beg..."

{She states between labored breaths.}

'Maybe not, but that doesn't mean I can't try...'

With a growl, he nipped at her neck several times in quick succession, before driving his fangs into the muscle and holding them there. His free hand clawed from her chest down her stomach. Despite his roughness, he paid careful attention to her reactions in fear of going too far.

{Dianne yelped at the sudden actions, but didn't indicate that she wasn't enjoying it. In fact, her writhing, whimpering, and fast breaths seemed to suggest that she was very into it.}

Armin drew his teeth out, tasting a faint hint of blood. He bit again in a different spot while continuing to scratch and claw playfully at her body.

By that point, his own breathing was ragged and he was moving unsteadily, but was still trying to keep this up as long as possible.

{Dianne seemed too enthralled by her enjoyment of the activity to coment on Armin's behavior. The most she could manage was a smug grin as she continued to squirm, tensing and fidgeting.}

'Hey, I saw that...'

He kept his grip on her arms as he leaned into her, lazily scraping his nails up and down her.

'At some point... you're gonna have to stop being stubborn and admit you want to move along...'

Dianne: "Of course I want to move along...I just won't beg for it..."

{She says, taking the moment to try to catch her breath.}

'Yeah, and I'm not gonna do this long enough to see if that's possible...'

Chuckling breathlessly, he let go of her wrists, then rested his head against her shoulder for a brief moment, steadying his breathing.

{With her arms free, she wraps them around him, holding him close as she catches her breath.}

Dianne: "A quick breather...Then we bring this to a close..."

Armin remained leaning on her for a few moments, breathing deeply. He could smell hints of blood from the bites he'd inflicted, but made himself ignore it.

'Mhm... alright... you ready now?'

(You can do one more, then we'll skip there.)

Dianne: "...Yes...Let's continue..."

{She takes the moment to simply appreciate his presence, deciding not to check if she was bleeding from the stinging bites on her neck.}

(Alright, where do we skip to?)

(Let's do a quick thing of them going to bed, then we'll skip to morning.)

----

After their shower, Armin got changed and made his way into the bedroom, every movement drowsy. They had been in there for so long that Esme was deeply asleep by that point. He flopped onto the bed with a contented grunt. //If only we didn't need to get up at six...//

(Alrighty.)

{Dianne followed him in, with her usual sleepwear and a tired, satisfied smile on her face. After setting the alarm, she lies next to him and snuggles up to him.}

Dianne: "Mmmm....hold me...."

Armin drowsily wrapped his arms around her. He could barely keep his eyes open.

'...You alright...? No pain or anything?... I smelled blood,' he added apologetically.

Dianne: "Babe, I'm fine... I didn't mind the bleeding...Or the pain...I felt too good to feel the bad..."

{ She then burrows into his chest, settling in to sleep.}

Dianne: "...But, I appreciate the concern...it's always good to check..."

'Yes, it is... And, alright... If you're sure.'

Letting out a yawn, he let his eyes slide shut.

{It didn't take long for her to fall deeply asleep. She was warm and comfortable, which made it all the more unfortunate that they would have to get up in a few hours.}

(Should I skip to morning?)

(Yeah, go ahead.)

----------------

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

{The alarm rang out in the room, stirring Dianne from her comfortable slumber. Groaning, she reaches over to turn it off, then sits up.}

Dianne: "...Ok....Let's get going..."

Armin barely stirred at the alarm. Making an indiscernible mumbling noise, he rolled over onto his front and did nothing else.

Esme had opened her eyes at the noise, blinking with an air of confusion.

{Dianne got up, then noticed Armin. Chucking, she pats him on the back repeatedly.}

Dianne: "Come on, Armin, time to go. We've got a week of adventure ahead of us."

(Posting new room)