Dorian went for a winter walk with his sister, arm in arm. With white flakes falling, the fog seemed a side-effect of the weather, rather than the predominant feature for a little while. At least to Dorian's mind. He had pulled himself up out of his thoughts enough to keep skirting away from anything worrisome, and was trying to continue that way. So he kept the banter light, even now, remarking from behind woolen coat and sweater, "Do you suppose I could get Darius to let me wear him like that fur you have on? I can't imagine he'd behave, or stay properly clothed long enough to take in public."
Dinah held onto dorian's arm with a smile, humming in consideration at his words. "like a scarf? almost definitely, if you had treats" she agreed. Unlike her brother, her thoughts were predominantly unworried since Hunter had been returned. The troublesome part was done. Eradicating the presence of an elder god was the easier part.
"And if he doesn't, hunter CERTAINLY would. he's got nicer fur anyway. Don't tell our kitty friend I said that, but bunny fur just always feels nicer. I suppose that's why furriers prefer them to cats, I suppose" she shifted her grip to his bicep, crunching into the snow with her heel
Dorian chuckled at the thought of wearing either Hunter or Darius as a scarf, and the mishaps and misadventures he could begin to imagine in the doing. He knew he was not so daring as to try, really. Besides, he didn't exactly want to think about bunnies going to furriers, though he'd surely sent his share that way. He'd rejoin, "Oh I would never tell Darius aught but what a good kitty he is, and a nice kitty, and to put on pants. Say, Dinah... aren't you ready to have some sort of party? It has been too long. I won't start a fight with your pet this time." As he walked his boots crunched, but he was surefooted.
Dinah laughed softly and she nodded, looking upwards to the snow. "I never really imagined myself as a cat person but he is very lovely. I'm pleased he stays around, even if he does leave muddy little footprints all over my bedspread" she agreed, then laughed again "..though yes. he does need to wear pants. or at least something. I dont know how easy it is to train a cat to do anything but I can imagine he'll learn eventually. When the ports open and we can start bribing him with silvervine and tunafish again" she looked towards her twin, contemplating his suggestion "I do think we need one. when the fog is gone, we should have a grand one. We ought to tell the docksmen to get the ships ready to go out on the morning of the day that we plan to lift it so that they can shoot right off and go for a supply run. think of the splendid response people will have when we come back with armfuls. it needn't even be far, just close and as much as they can carry. We can get the good stuff afterwards"
Dorian hadn't thought of bribing the cat with things cat liked, and had yet imagined he could reason with such a creature, until what his sister said cut through about treat bribery. He chuckled again and pulled himself close enough to her to kiss the side of her head. As he stood to his full height once more and renewed the slow stroll through the little winter wonderland, he'd reply, "Most definitely, I suppose Drystan will send ships in every direction to bring as much as they can as soon as he can regain contact. It will be nice to see the island alive again, as it used to be. I rather miss the fresh tropical fruit we used to be able to find with ease. I know our brother can conjure up most anything, but, it will be different having the genuine articles again. It will be brilliant being able to have free air again. I haven't really wanted to leave so much as bring things here. Perhaps we will find the war is over when we reestablish contact out there... ...wouldn't that be something?" He thought he heard faint traces of music from somewhere, something lively, but it was too distant and intermittent for him yet to get a fix on it.
Dinah tilted her head with a happy smile as he kissed her brow, and she snuggled closer with a grin. "I miss actually seeing the sun" she agreed. "I miss the fruit, and I miss not having to be careful what I have so other people don't feel resentful. I've had quite enough of that from the wolf situation" she looked hopeful at the notion of the war being done.
"wouldn't that be something indeed? I've often wondered how the best way to try and help with that, if i ought to. but before everything is broken, it might be a little risky to do that" she drifted towards the edge of the snow around the lake
Dorian drifted after her, following her in this dance, he answered easily, "War does not make sense, even when you come out the winning side. It is protracted madness. I am glad it has not come to Callisto. We should keep it that way, I think." It wasn't that he thought his sister couldn't fix the war, it was that he thought no one could. This most recent one had been lingering and festering so long that he no longer had any taste for anywhere near it, he'd realized, living on on the magical isle with his siblings. He admitted, and realized more, "You know, I started feeling like we were so safe here that we'd not have anything to worry about as far as security went. Wolfe taught me otherwise. No matter where we are, someone will come for us, won't they?" Even without Charles and his disapproval, the Windgrace name invited rivals.
Dinah clicked her tongue and she shook her head "I dont know. i think the war has it's purposes. Nothing pleasant, of course, but it's still a place in the world" she looked out over the ice, but she smiled up towards her brother again.
"We got complacent. We let our guard down, but now we are more aware, but most of the first family rivals are dead. there will always be someone that wants what we have, sweet love" she gave his hand a squeeze. She went quieter for a few moments, scratching her heel in the snow again.
"We will be more prepared. and how we dealt with wolfe, it should discourage people from striking out at us again. but we must be ready to make sure we can crush anyone who tries it"
Dorian had landed on a more solemn topic than he intended to, and he explained part of what was getting to him, "How many of those people smiled at us, joined us in our home when we opened it? Though they are dead now, it was an object lesson in remembering that trust should be a carefully guarded commodity. Even after beginning a new chapter on a new island halfway around the world from home. Of course it will be harder to catch us out next time... You really think war has it's purposes? Or that there's been a glorious one since the Trojan War? That was a war. An angry cuckold and a beautiful woman, even the gods couldn't help themselves, but get involved." Of course his sister hadn't mentioned glory, but war's utility, but of course they have different ways of approaching the topic. He wiped a snowflake from his eyelashes for all the good it did him, and then fixed his blue eyes upon her again, curious about her answer.
Dinah 's expression was thoughtful as she watched the light shining on the snow, and she nodded.
"Ate our food. Drank our wine. Handled our coins and shook our hands, smiling to our faces. the man at the bottom of the stairs in the tunnels.. he was a professor, you know. From the academy. he had wanted my job, but I was better at it. So instead of bettering himself he thought the only solution would be to try to drag us down instead" she waved her hand, then patted herself down for a cigarette.
"so many of them do that. that's what our difference is. that's why they will never ascend. of course war has a purpose, darling. As cruel and rotten as the whole business is, it is one of the most fierce forces of advancement in so many things" she wrinkled her nose.
"Glory though? I don't think there's glory in...basically anything outside of us." she admitted. "because so many people are just...crabs. crabs in a bucket that will try to reach and snag and grab and scramble rather than fix anything"
Dorian was intently losing the last traces of his former mirth so that his face was a mask of irritation, with half a sneer on his lips and his brows drawn down. He saw her looking for a cigarette and produced one of his own from its case and a light for her as he replied, "Imagine instead if as a species we progressed through other invigorating pursuits instead. That would be a fine thing. Well it doesn't seem likely the bucket of crabs will change now after countless years. Of course you are right about war and innovation. It just seems a shame. Surely there are higher pursuits than scrambling for position, for resources. But here I suppose our little war with Max has driven us to rethink our position, to tighten up our defenses... so I suppose that will be the good I take from this whole business. And yes, among us you and Drystan are particularly glorious."
Dinah gave her brother a warm smile and stepped up onto her toes to kiss his cheek as he lit her cigarette for her, snuggling up to his side again.
"do you not think that maximillian was a war? I certainly do. a smaller one than normal, it's true, but I certainly think it was a war. A small scale, protracted, guerilla war. in the LEAST a coup" she smiled again, blowing smoke out over the ice.
"I think people strive more during conflict. otherwise there is less... immediacy" she said thoughtfully "oh hush, though. if you are going to start pretending even slightly that you are mine and drystan's lesser in any capacity, I will toss you straight through that ice" she smirked.
Dorian replaced his lighter and cigarette into his pockets when he was done and bent to receive his kiss in thanks with a beaming grin. Once his sister had her smoke and was cuddling up again he'd put an arm around her shoulder and stare at the frozen lake before them, enjoying the feel of her nearby. He relented, "It was a war, for us, but I want this island to be a war free zone. So I am having trouble reconciling the two things, I think. A failed coup at the least. As for me, I don't think there's anything wrong with me thinking my siblings are admirable glorious beings. I don't need to meet the ice over that."
He turned to more fully admire his sister rather than the scenery, and his expression softened as it had since he'd gotten that peck on his cheek. Distracted by his sister's proximity and affections, he'd murmur a question to her as if she was perhaps the ultimate authority on the matter, "Have we won, or do we win when the fog is gone?"
Dinah made a noise of displeasure in her throat and smirked up to him again, one hand reaching to tuck itself into his coat pocket. her hands were cold, after all, but one of them was holding her cigarette.
"a war for us is a war for everyone when the whole island is in jeopardy for it. it's just our fight in particular because of the absolute cretin and his little campaign" she sniffed, shaking her head and smiling again.
"Admiration is one thing, darling, but implying that you and i are not equals? I shall not tolerate it. That you and drystan too? No. Straight in the lake. I will do it, but I really would rather not, so you will just have to stop" she teased, resting her cheek against his shoulder.
"It's over, darling. we've won. The fog will be lifted, and if noone does anything to draw it's attention, it will leave us be again, and everything will be back to normal. Normal-ish. before we break the world open again"
Dorian nodded agreement to a war for them being a war for everyone, thinking that was well put. He even went so far as to bump her hip with his own for emphasis. He piped up, "If we've won, then I shall take the option that does not put me int he lake. I have my moments, I know that. Not all of us were cut out for the banana suit and juggling. I shall take my position of glory how ever I can. I suppose it is better to think of war as useful really, we're sure to see more of it, here and abroad." His long life had taught him that much was a safe presumption. He was careful to lean just so when she had her cheek upon his arm, that he wouldn't encourage her to take flight before she was ready. He concluded with a question, "Break the world open again... remind me what you mean?"
Dinah grinned as he bumped her, flicking her fingers up to gather a fistful of snow with her telekinesis and drop it on top of his head.
"you are glorious, my brother. you are funny, and personable, and utterly fearless. You are the strongest man i have ever met in my life, and even now after all this time and all you have been through....all that all of US have been through, you do not turn your back on people as we are inclined to do" she squeezed his arm "I think if i were given the choice I would live in some remote tower on top of a mountain and only ever deal with the people I actually like" she smiled up towards him.
"you've forgotten, love? lifting the veil. Loosening the shackles of the covenant"
Dorian bent away from her and shook his head after the cold got through hair to scalp when the bottom layer melted to get all of the snow out. He took his lump good naturedly, and didn't even try to get back at her, largely because he needed to remember and show that he remembered what she meant about the covenant. He nodded in response when she clarified. He also didn't make much of getting snowballed, largely because he wanted to snuggle close to her again. He responded, "Oh of course, I remember. I couldn't let you live locked away in a remote tower, Dinah. We would miss so much music! I hadn't thought of the covenant in some time, but, I remember. I suppose then our little war with Max just honed us better for this next fight."
He closed his lips against saying anything about Hunter and the state he'd returned in, that was territory too painful to speak of just now. "I think I want some waffles. Let's go get some before I retaliate with a snowball of my own."