INT - Windgrace Manor, day
Dinah was still in bed, but she was upright. The french windows were open and she was carefully holding a cup of tea that had long been cooled down. She still trembled a little, the blankets pulled up around her waist. She lifted her cup tentatively between both hands and took a sip, lifting her gaze as it lowered again to stare out towards the trees, watching as the mist-free wind tousled the leaves around.
Dorian had hidden away the newest addition to his Niles collection of elicit toys and then come back to consider whether he'd lurk some more. After a moment of lingering, he'd knock twice and then let himself in. He was clean, dressed in some of his loosest fitting clothing and again hadn't even taken out Irene in favour of fretting around the house. He'd not slept much, but he had spent hours practicing what to say. So, after presenting himself, with a little smile tucking his mouth up one side of his stubbly face, and seeing her with tea, he opened gently, his voice just a hair above a whisper, "Please, don't let me interrupt you, drink. It is good to see you." That much was obvious and true, and he tried to just live in the moment, in the relief that came with simply beholding her. From being in her company. Concern yet resided in his brow, though, for all his presenting a good face.
Dinah looked up as the door knocked, blinking still somewhat dazedly towards the door but she smiled on seeing her twin. She huffed a soft laugh at his remark about the tea and she obliged him with another sip.
"I think it's mostly honey" she mumbled "emily made me drink it. my voice hurts still." she shuffled, as if trying to get up, then thought better of it and leaned back into her cushions again.
"have I been out for long? it feels like I was" one hand parted from the teacup to rub over her eyes as if she'd not long woken again.
Dorian evaluated her with a stormy shade of blue ruling his eyes, clouded with questions, concern and a concatenation of feelings that were not immediately helpful. So, shoving them aside, focusing on her, he'd sniff out a little laugh through his nose, shaking his head as his first response to her question. "Two days. But-- I don't think you missed much. You should drink up, Emily was right. You're going to need to get your strength back, dearest. If you drink that down I might consider bringing you something a little stronger. Something with olives in it, hm?"
He stood yet at the foot of her bed, forcing himself not to cross his arms and look defensive. One hand would idle with flower petals, running his thumb over them, and the other hand by his side. That would do since he was not putting his hands upon her. For now.
Dinah nodded. two days seemed about right, and she wobbled the cup to her lips to take another hesitant sip.
"it worked though?" she asked hopefully, glancing towards the window "...everywhere?" she added almost worriedly, reaching one arm out to gather her bunny plushie and drag it against her side, tucking it against herself, the blankets shifting and rearranging to be a more definitive cocoon around herself, leaving only her hands and the teacup free to make it easier on herself. "was everyone else okay? No one hurt?"
Dorian acquainted himself with just how recently she'd awakened. That made it easier for him to keep his voice soft, like he didn't want to break in with hard reality by tone alone, when he replied, "Everywhere. When I walked to the harbour this morning, I saw a few brave souls venturing out in fishing boats. The island is coming back to life. People are out, there's a horizon again. You did it. But I wouldn't say no one was hurt."
The halfway ventured sideways smile tightened, sadly, and instead of stating the obvious about her very much not being fine, he explained, "I didn't see where that... Calliope went off to, but last I saw her she was holding her own. I am mostly healed up. Niles went home yesterday after he rested and cleaned himself up. Are you hungry? I think our first ship is due in after midnight tonight. I am sure there will be chocolate." He'd not mention his own hurts which were mending supernaturally quickly, but still smarted a bit when he forgot and twisted in certain ways. It was easy to forget in light of what he had learned when Niles was there.
Dinah puffed out a soft, relieved sigh. the thought of it having NOT worked, or not worked as well as it ought, had stopped her from approaching the windows to check. just in case. she'd probably still find herself getting a little tense when winter came and the mornings were misty.
"fishing? already? I will have to check in with grandpa. I want to make sure his people are safe too. I dont know if he would understand if I wrote to him though" she chewed on her lip a little, peering into her teacup as she listened.
"Calliope and you ought to talk sometime. she's the one i mentioned who also follows the bright hunter" she said softly, but she looked up, genuinely surprised when he mentioned that Niles hadn't gone home right away.
"Niles stayed?" she tilted her head a little, but shook her head at the question of being hungry. "not yet. maybe later. but chocolate does sound good." she stuck an arm out of the blankets towards him, reaching for him without moving.
Dorian tried to give her more good news of the sort that had put something like relief on her face, "I think some of the fishermen just couldn't wait any longer. You know, everyone had been land-bound for so long." He went on, "Everything has changed. The island is liberated. As far as I can tell. I haven't been for a ride yet. Maybe you come with me tomorrow, hm? You can ride Irene with me, she won't mind. I think there's this one cove where we can see the sunset again this time of year." He'd nodded agreement about Calliope, but did not speak to the brightly coloured stranger. When she beckoned for him he'd come near and take her hand, twining his fingers through hers, and slipping out of his boots, he'd sit on her bed with her. Only then, when he was sitting, holding her hand, and looking her in the eye did he explain, hesitantly as he was unsure of what she recalled, "Niles came to visit you yesterday. He helped you. He helped me help you. I suppose he isn't entirely useless. You don't remember, do you?"
Dinah huffed out a soft laugh and she nodded. "I suppose it must be strange to be at sea for so much and then unable to. but that means the markets will be open again soon, wont it? that's a good thing" she smiled faintly at his words that the island had been liberated, and she nodded at the mention of the ride. "I can try, at least" she agreed. "it'll be nice to be able to go to the sea again. and to see the sun"
She squeezed his hand as he took hers, not nearly as strong as she ought to be but she snuggled up against his side, semi-tucking him into her blanket too.
"I don't remember" she murmured "I don't remember coming up out of the temple at all, let alone anything after." she smiled faintly "Not entirely useless? high praise coming from you. i'm glad he helped though. Enough for you to think so at least" she rested her cheek against his shoulder.
Dorian would sidle right up to her and pull her close to his side, glad she'd pulled him into her cocoon. For a moment he'd just hold her. He'd hold her near for some heartbeats, and turn his head to kiss the side of her head then murmur to the ear that was nearby after he'd done so, "You did good." He pulled away again and just sat beside her for a long moment before explaining, "We carried you back here. You were... more than asleep. You were... well I don't suppose it matters now. But you were rather upset. I am afraid a few of your bits of artwork are going to need new frames. I think they're all salvageable. Niles helped bring you all of the way back. I am sorry for... I am sorry for how hard it must have been to do what you did."
He was dancing around it all, as best he could, while meting out answers he hoped were adequate to sate her curiosity. He did sniffle though and feel a tingle in his eye when he thought about what he'd been trying not to think about for the space of a few seconds. Hopefully with them side by side she'd not see how he momentarily looked stricken while talking about Roesler, and after.
Dinah reached her cup up to finish the last syrupy dregs of her cup and tossed the empty teacup onto the end of the bed, turning her full attention to snuggling into him properly. She remained silent as he explained, nodding slowly as he explained.
"...new...frames?" she looked up to the walls, frowning in thought, but she shook her head and returned her head to his shoulder again.
"it needed doing, didn't it? the isle is alive again, you said so" she tilted her head enough to press a kiss to his neck. "thank you for helping me. and for bringing me back up here." she paused at the sniffle, lifting her head from him "dori?"
Dorian tightened his grip on her so he could close both arms around her, coverlet and all and just held onto her in lieu of answering with words. With her scooped up he'd lean his head beside hers with his eyes going glassy from angry and frustrated tears that shivered on the edge of falling out of his eyes while he composed himself. "The island should bloody well thank you as it's new patron saint." But he couldn't thank her, personally. He sniffled and stifled his tears back down, having to clear his throat to shake his voice loose again, and it was a low admission, "I... don't think I would do it again, knowing what I know now." About how dear the cost was.
There were a few blank spots on her walls where she'd freed some paintings from their nails and sent them crashing. It had all been cleaned up.
He'd endeavor to keep holding her close, almost in his lap. His smile had flattened out and his concern ruled his expression, there was no keeping it back any longer. Or was there? He tacked on haphazardly remembering he was supposed to be taking it easy on her, "The isle is alive again, though." The statement may have lacked joy, but he just rested his head on hers instead of speaking any further.
Dinah was grateful for the feeling of his arms around her,even with the uncertainty of his tumultuous emotions. "we wont have to do it again" she said quietly "it's done, it's gone" she trailed off at his words, sighing quietly. Knowing what he knew now...
she quietened, closing her eyes as she reached her arms out of the coccoon to hug him tightly.
"...are you cross with me?" she asked nervously, her words a murmur
Dorian shook his head, immediately, laughing darkly for a few dry huffs. He'd hold her in silence while he found words. A few heartbeats of this and he'd lean against her once more, or pull her into him, it was hard to say which was which with them so entangled. Then he'd murmur, "No. But I wish you'd left the stupidity and heroics to me. It isn't so dire when I do it. I have had more practice. Especially with the stupidity part." He was pretty sure he wasn't lying, when he thought it over, that who he was angry at was a dead Wolfe. And the very gods themselves. That's what he wanted to be true. That would be sustainable. More than beating up on his poor twin who'd gone through so much to save everyone.
Dinah made a thoughtful 'mn' in her throat as she read his emotions as he felt them, wriggling so that she was just sat in his lap, dragging her blankets with her.
"I had to, dorian. there was noone else to do it" she said quietly. "it's...not what I would have chosen to do, but there was nothing else. I've told you before..nothing with the divine ever comes for free." she burrowed her face against his chest, comforted by his proximity.
"the being we faced is the second oldest of all of them, ever. one of the worst. unkillable. unknowable. that it even worked is still...baffling to me" she murmured. "it's rotten. the whole situation is rotten. but we did it. we weathered it. what was it you said before...big bloody heroes? it was a war, darling. there are always casualties"
Dorian held onto her as if he'd no intention of letting her go once she'd put herself into his lap. He'd wrap legs and arms around her as if that would somehow stop the worst of it from being true. As if he could shield her from everything. He only had one argument, and it cut to the heart of how he evaluated the situation, "You're worth more than this island. A hundred times over."
He'd buried his face against her blanket beside her head, and just snuggled. He didn't want to argue with her when what was done was done. He'd fight anyone who tried to take his sister from him, gods included. He thought better of telling her that though. And instead reiterated, "I am glad you are back. You had me rather worried."
Dinah made another thoughtful noise in her throat, reaching up to play with the curls of his hair.
"you say that." she said softly "but this island is ours. it's our home. it's where we are happy. It's where you took me to the picnic on the overlook by the beach. Where we went to that little field of flowers in the japanese house, and we swam in the sea. it's where we met hunter, and darius, and where we go on horse rides, and we went to play in the snow, and we are together, and we can be together." she murmured almost shyly. "it's where we became free, dori. the people are a part of that, though it's not like...i did what I did for them. do you really think we could have been happy living in a dark, swampy place that was just counting down the days to die? it's not like we could have even left" she lowered her hand to his chest.
"I'm glad I'm back too. i'm sorry i worried you, beloved. but it...it was the only thing that could be done."
Dorian was moved by her soliloquy, enough that a great deal of the air went out of him that might have been used for arguing. Each moment she made note of hearkened to so many happy days that Callisto had been host to. So many joyous nights. He'd confess, "I can't bring myself to be angry with you, though I should be. You're a big bloody heroine. And you're right. I love the life we've had here. Bloody hell, Dinah. Just--" Maybe she could feel why he was so worried, that he had a firsthand hint at what horrors there were. Because the emotions that had been welling in him were connected to fear of losing her, even if it was intangibles, their souls belonged together. But what he said was, "--never do that again, alright?"
Dinah snuggled tight against him. Dorian was usually the one that wore his heart on his sleeve; she was always so much more guarded. but that didn't mean that she wasnt carefully scrapbooking the memories of their life here for herself in her mind. She sniffled and she smiled against his shoulder. The fact that he'd seen what she'd seen...felt what she'd felt...she tightened her hold on him.
"I am in absolutely no rush to do that again. If anything ever raises it's ugly head and some halfwit caster tries to bring another god down on us, I think we should just murder them first and be done with it. someone else can take the bullet next time" she agreed. "I love you, dorian"
Dorian kept his arms around her. This was almost close enough to be bliss. He relished the joy of it: holding his sister in his arms. It was where he belonged and she did too, if he had anything to say about it. Nothing could be wrong when they were this close. There was nothing that could sever them from one another. Not while he breathed. And he'd speak his heart's truth to her in turn, "I love you. And I won't ever let anything tear us apart." Nuzzling against her blanket, he'd make a grumble to punctuate.
Dinah wormed her hands through the blankets, finding his hand to lace her fingers with his. "nothing ever will." she promised, all sincerity even if her soul was marked with the signs of the dark divine. they had let her come back. She sighed, resting herself against him and getting herself more comfortable in his arms.
"If I fall asleep...will you stay with me? or do you have things to do today?" she mumbled against him. "tomorrow...we can try to go out for that ride. I think i will be glad to see the sunshine again."
Dorian parted his grip around her midsection to admit her fingers too, and gladly. Her request to him was so heartbreakingly simple that tears leapt to his eyes again. But he blinked them away quickly and answered her, "I am going to stay here with you. I will be right here. I would have crawled into your bed sooner, but I was far too busy pacing a rut into the floor." He shifted his hips a little bit just to facilitate leaning against her headboard, then stretched out a little bit so she could have a nice angle for falling asleep supine or however she wanted. "Do you know what else we should have tomorrow? Waffles. And cake." There he was, talking about the sort of stuff he should have been talking about all along. All of the beautiful mundane stuff that was going to be pouring into the once again bustling docks.