Dorian took his sister for a walk across the harbourside of Callisto from Victoriana through the Seiiki to a place with a moderate amount of seclusion and to his mind, a vast amount of loveliness. Restless person that he was, he often prowled the isle, both where it was populated and not, like a creature intent on monitoring the perimeters of his domain. Thus he'd found a spot of excelling loveliness, one he'd seen fit to share with his sister. He'd endeavored to keep her focus on him while he walked the last few paces to the vista by remarking on a past experience, one he'd rarely recounted. "You should have seen the number of them that came up with perfect pearls on that beach, it was why I returned home without my second set of boots or gloves, with only one handkerchief and my pendant in my pocket where my watch used to reside. I knew you needed to have those gems, and I was homeward bound besides. The oyster we feasted on that night were only a small compliment to a deal well struck."
Just about then they'd gotten to the top of one of Callisto's scenic stony cliffs, overlooking islets and the vastness of the sea, and he'd sweep out his arm for her to go look, and move to remove from behind a tree a basket planted there by Tetsuo earlier in the day. Early enough to have seen him clear of the spot, but also late enough for insects to not have invaded too far, despite the little bundle of blooms, the sweet port in the small bottle, and the sweets triple wrapped therein.
Dinah held tight to Dorians' arm as they walked, kicking off her heels as soon as they got onto the grass.
"I wonder if there's something in the water that makes the oysters particularly agitated..." she asked curiously, though she grinned and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"I do like oysters a lot, but gracious they are ugly creatures." she broke away from his arm to approach the fence.
"When you are right, you are right, darling. this is lovely" she gushed, standing on her toes to look over the top of the stones.
Dorian beamed when his sister enjoyed the view. His chest puffed a little bit and he'd come to rest an arm around her, endeavoring to sling it low around her waist as he sidled up to her again, casting silver eyes upon the raven haired other half who was taking in the panorama. The basket in his other hand kept slung at his hip behind him, he'd murmur, leaning close to her ear to disturb wind-dark locks near her ear, "It is almost half as lovely as you are. Are you ready for activity on the morrow?"
They were in a fairly secluded place so he'd fret but little about being seen to be so intimate with his twin.
Dinah wiggled a little as his arm came around her and she sidled up to him, resting one hand against his chest to play with the lowest button on his shirt.
"I think so. I think I will be ready playing hostess to the grand unwashed of the isle" she smiled playfully. "It will be fun though. The garden is looking really splendid too, but we might want to keep the bunnies inside in case someone knocks a ball into one" she mused, resting her head against his shoulder.
"Are *you* ready? you and drystan are far more sociable than i am at this sort of thing. at least if it gets to be too much I can hide my way up on the balcony"
Dorian wriggled a bit closer until she just *fit* as his side like they were meant to. Then and only then would he reply, "You have seen to it that our home is lovely. My suit fits. I think we should bring them in, you are right. Those who do not hide from the stampede anyway. It is a simple thing, speaking to these people whom father has not poisoned against me. They do not think much of me past curiosity, from what I can tell... oh..."
Just then he'd loose a chuckle, and kiss the side of her head before he'd pull back and carry on, taking a moment to purr at having his buttons idled with, "ah... speaking of such, there may be talk. I had to run with Widow Esher to safety a few days past. I brought her to our home when she fell faint at the temple. Dinah, she.... I have quite figured it out, or almost anyway." In his way, when he lacked words, he thought at Di. About the memory of a woman saying his touch, because deathless allowed her to see the sun and the world as alive because of some curse. He'd beam a vision of those strange red eyes at his sister, and all that afternoon's events, without any reservation. Afterall, he saw the frail woman as a friend in need.
Dinah smiled as he closed the gap entirely between them and she snuggled his side, eyes on the sea. She let out a soft hmph noise and she nodded again. "noone here really cares that much about the opinion of rigid british blue bloods, to be fair" she agreed. "I dont think there really needs to be anyone like fathers' toxicity here" she paused as he mentioned the widow Esher and she paused, thinking.
"...a city like this. how is it possible...or plausible... that she hasn't seen anybody that can lift such a curse" she muttered, a touch of sulkiness in her tone. "A woman so fragile, if she wasn't babied by everybody, she would have been long dead by now" she rolled his button between her fingers.
Dorian shrugged ever so gently so as not to upset his twin's position, her subtle manipulations of his buttons. He'd reply, "I am sure she can and will find succour, but this is a strange malady. Is it not? And how had she seen us and not spoken of what she saw...? Is that cause for concern, that amount of duplicity?" His chiefest concern came to the fore, that he'd been seen as other. Not so long ago, he'd never have needed to worry about that. He was ignorant then of what he was in the adjacent otherworld. He had the surest guide he could imagine in traversing it in the form of his twin, who might feel as well as hear him speak of his trepidations.
Dinah nodded in thought. "it is a curious thing. Normally curses like that take a LOT of effort to create, much less maintain. that isn't the sort of thing that one would slip and fall into" she agreed, releasing his button to wrap her arms around his arm and she hugged it.
"i am curious about that too. she must have seen nigh everyone in the city without their guises if she had that power and yet... mentioned nothing. Knowing full well we are of magical capability because of the warding on the house, and she mentioned nothing" she agreed. "....I do wonder if she would be inclined to mention it to anyone else."
Dorian grumbled a quiet sound of utter contentment at his arm being embraced, enveloped by his sister. He barely had really the ability to talk concerns of any kind because he was so distracted, rapt in her. He'd ultimately manage, gravelly and slow, "Dinah, your dark hair, it is lovely. You are. I only want this moment to go on and on." Afterall, all his thought and will was turned from anything but her, sea, sun, shore, and other moments be damned.
Dinah turned to look up towards him as he said her name and she smiled, reaching for his cheek.
"I love you, Dorian, '' she said softly, pressing a kiss on his cheek, her free hand reaching to tangle in her dark hair. "hunter offered that he could try to change it back. I decided against it. you seemed so fond of it" she said playfully, cuddling against his arm again. "it's so lovely here, with you, and the sea, and the trees." she sighed wistfully, closing her eyes as she settled against his chest again.
Dorian: Her declaration of love was it. It took him from himself and his golden wings spread out with an airy flap. He'd put his arms around her, and murmur into her ear, "hold on." And the next moment they were flying up and up and up past view out to where they'd be seen as distant birds. She'd long said she wanted to see, and what moment would be better than the present? The basket could wait. His hard pounding heart and wish to sweep his twin from her feet literally as she did for him spiritually could not see him do aught else. Even when she surely tensed at his chicanery, he was strong, and if there was one thing he was sure of, even as they took to the air, it was his needful adoring grasp upon her.
Dinah looked up towards him with curiosity when he said to hold on and she slung her arms around his shoulders, pressing herself against him. She gasped though as they were airborne, her grip tightening. She buried her face against his chest before turning back to look over the ground and the sea far beneath them.
she didn't speak, giggling as she released one hand from his shoulder to reach out to the empty air.
<"this is *terrifying*"> she giggled again, her words amused through their minds. <"if i could fly, i'd try to go as high as I could and then dive into the sea but that would *hurt*">
Dorian took care to make sure she got to be on top some of the time to feel like she was the one doing the flying, as they hung together by their torsos like lovebirds. He'd bid her open her eyes on those moments. He could orienteer himself any which way, given the time he'd taken learning to fly near the isle. Something of the sailor in him was an aid in plotting course and position by sky and skyline. He'd taken them far above the sea where one could look and see how small the land was, how small the boats were, how tireless the eldritch wings. But before long, he'd carry them back to the dense edge of the wood near the harbor and was only a few paces short of the basket he'd left before their flight. He at least was laughing when they got back to the ground, a rich full sound that rang off of the trees.
Dinah tried to reach for the empty air again, humming and smiling as they flew. She squeezed her fingers into his shirt and she giggled again, what small sulkiness at the widows' behaviour spiking her cattish jealousy had been chased away by the sky. She hugged tighter to him as he set them down again, laughing and peppering his cheeks in kisses.
"does that not tire you? it's so much more...'heavy' than being underwater. no wonder you're so strong " she cosied herself close to him again, giggling again.
Dorian chuckled as his cheek was kissed again and again, and he'd let her go at long last, freeing her from arms and wings, only because he had a plan that entailed coming close to her again very soon. Yet chuckling, he stepped away and answered her, "I am the heavy one underwater... and it is all just this world, being amid and among it. You do that and traverse the other. You are the one who is strong, clever, and beautiful. Have I mentioned beautiful?"
He'd already be dodging getting swatted at to get the basket and bring it over. He could settle the thing on and arm and pour given his beyond decent coordination and body control. They each got a teetering bowl-shaped cup of sweet thick port. He'd edged open a napkin to reveal chocolatey looking decorative petit fours from the bakery too. The pair of them were prodigiously sweet toothed.
Dinah did indeed swat at him and she laughed, though she nuzzled his shoulder too, relenting only as he set to pour the port and arrange the cakes. She balanced them neatly on the wall, arranging napkins beneath them so they wouldn't ingest lichen in their treats, and she snitched one of the chocolate treats between her forefinger and thumb.
"You have the sky, Drystan has kingship of earth, and i have the water. we've all the world in our grasp" she nibbled at the petit fours and she grinned up towards him. "everything is ours, you know. and it will be til the old ones rise"
Dorian: "Blimey, so we do. There's no realm we cannot enter now... only... I am rather simple, Di. All I want is right here. I mean, a toast! To good port, good pastry and a lovely view."
He raised the glass to his lips then pulled it away and went on explicating as though earnest, though his smirk probably gave him away a bit, “Oh and to my brother, our king, to my sister, our queen. May you ever possess my heart while beats and after." Then he'd chug, flying was thirsty work. And after that, well he'd get into finishing off Di's chosen cake. Afterall, it was a good deal for her, she got to start a new one again. Wasn't that the best part? Plus he'd be chewing for some few moments and scrubbing some ganachey whip onto the napkin.
Dinah grinned and lifted her cup towards his in a toast, sipping it at his words. "There is nothing wrong with simplicity, darling" she agreed. "our brother, the king, and to our boldest knight" she snuggled up close to his side "you already possess *my* heart" she pointed out helpfully, though as he went to eat the second half of her cake she feigned an outraged gasp, shaking her head. "...scoundrel" she muttered, smirking again as indeed, she reached for another. One that looked suspiciously like it would include caramel too. "why wouldn't we be happy with what we have right here? the place is a paradise, really."
Dorian chuckled while wolfing her cake, but was mannerly enough to cover his mouth against it. He'd wash the cake down with port, deposit his glass where the cake had been in the basket nearby, then agreed, "Paradise, really it is. And you think me bold? I suppose then I have a reputation to keep up. Shall I prove myself by not competing in croquet? I think we all are far too practiced at the game, no? I shall play but keep no score just to show them how each hoop can be approached. Do you remember the first time we beat our lady mother? She was ever so cross."
Dinah gulped her port and she set the cup on the wall, nibbling at the second cake. "you *Are* bold. we wouldn't be as close without you being the one to initiate these things. you are far bolder than either of us" she agreed, offering him the second half of her second cake.
"I would be surprised if you were not playing at all. show them how it is done, darling. heaven knows they wont know how to do it otherwise" she sniffed, looking out towards the sea again "...i remember" she smiled impishly. "'it is not seemly to crow about winning, it is not seemly'" she recited with a smirk.
Dorian tacked on, almost in time with her, "Not seemly." And then he laughed again in sincerity, reaching to take her cake half, once the little thing was no longer pretty and perfect, and it's caramel goo had been disclosed, and added, "I have my moments, few and far though they are. Do not worry, I am happy with my place, I do not wish for what either of you has. I am as they say sitting pretty. Or sleeping beside it anyway." Then he was eating the half she had offered.
He'd indicated with a nod that he'd do the opening round and shots of the social game. "I do like croquet punch, and how many small sandwiches there are at these things."
Dinah wrinkled her nose and she laughed "I do wonder how much 'unseemly' there would be in her eyes if she were to ever visit?" she mused "Not that I think she will. she was never so inclined to travel" she licked her fingers clean, shrugging her shoulder.
"you are on your path, you do not need to walk ours" she agreed, though she smiled again
"little cakes, treats, lemonade. The weather had better hold up or I shall be dreadfully disappointed" she stared up at the sky "....I think I could likely bring a storm...but not the sunshine"
Dorian just looked at his twin and held onto some prurient thought he would not voice aloud about bringing sunshine. What was clear was that he disagreed by what his face was doing. "I do not think we have to worry about her here. She hated even sailing to the continent. And perhaps... she too is enjoying herself. Oh, look here, I almost forgot, I made sure there was something for you to carry home." And like a magician whose chiefest trick was moving napkins, he'd reveal the white lilies he'd gotten and had Tetsuo place into their basket.
Dinah grinned at his expression and she laughed, giving his arm a nudge with her elbow. she nodded again at his words. "it's a far longer trip. Though once she'd make it, I think she wouldn't dislike it. but she always was most fond of Cheriton than anywhere" she turned to quirk her brow at his words, though she giggled and took the bundle of lilies to her chest. "I swear. you must be responsible for keeping every florist on the isle afloat. Thank you, Dorian darling" she stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek again "I do love lilies." she played her fingers over the trumpet ends of the petals.
Dorian: "There are worse people to befriend than florists. And I suspect we might miss Cheriton too, if we manage to spend long enough away from it, I am looking forward to that. One day going home and enjoying the place. We had some good moments there." He would not say days, nor afternoons, because those were so rare and when his father had left and not taken him along to squire. To see to his horses. Not that he minded much back then, he'd been too preoccupied trying to please Charles. All that left home a place that was not joyless, but neither was it joyful. Particularly without Di, Drystan and Delilah there.
Callisto felt like home, and like he was just starting to put out feelers for roots. Spring carried a certain amount of hope with the fresh exhalations of green on all the budding plants. He'd come back from his reverie and inquire, "Shall we head back beloved? I think I left my smoking kit at the house and I would rather like to burn one just about now."
Dinah made a noise of agreement in her throat and she pressed her face into her flowers. "I always thought it was pretty but it was so quiet. I am not sure how well i would do away from the sea these days" she admitted, "I wonder if Hunter would come with us" she mused idly, staring up towards the sky. She remained silent for a few long moments as he asked if they should go home and she nodded slowly, puffing out a breath an reaching to take his hand.
"of course" she agreed, giving another last lingering look out towards the trees and she smiled. "I had probably ought to decide what i am wearing tomorrow anyway"