EXT - Seiiki Onsen; afternoon-evening
Dorian had dragged his long-working, long-suffering, twin sister to the onsen, talking along the way, "Did you hear that it may be the case that more samurai were women than were originally thought? I read that from a dig that happened, but it is being disputed, by laggards who think women somehow have different minds, in a way that is not..." he could not even say it, as it he sank his own tensed up shoulders below the hot spring water. Clearly women had every right to rule as men did, his sister had more of a mind for it than he did, and he'd never wish it to be otherwise. His job was easy by comparison. Making sure a goddess took breaks now and then. When she turned to look at him he'd have a pair of fingers set to flick water in her eyes, but be unable, when he fell into her eyes too.
Dinah was a little hesitant at public bathing. not out of any sense of modesty more than the idea of bathing with the rabble, but with her brother here, she'd follow his lead.
"The culture of the Japanese certainly does seem rather contradictory in many ways, but then again. I suppose our own is no better in that regard" she admitted as she settled into the warm water. "...i hope this doesnt make my skin dry" she murmured, lifting her hand to play her fingers through the falling stream of water. She smiled, shifting herself back against the stone.
"do you suppose they used those strange swords too?" she asked with interest, pinning her hair up atop her head.
Dorian had chugged a whole cool beer between getting down to his nearest undergarments, and settling in beside his sister in the warm water that let up a steady stream of steam from the hot spring the Japanese had thought to include in their side of the isle. Letting some geothermal vent through to heat a pool. Though another set of people were also here, Dorian got very close to his twin, to be able to lean in prime position to talk to her behind a steam of falling water, "The public sense of decency is certainly to be admired. And the tilting of Shinto toward peace, like Buddhism? Even if war is that path to that?" The suggestions of his observations came behind the water fall and a cupped hand, accompanying his thigh straying over toward her to bump the side of her knee with his own. His body was clearly luxuriating, and he'd sink his shoulders under the flow of warm sulphuric water while locking glamoured silver eyes with hers.
There was a somehow attentive attendant looking to see if Di wanted a drink or if Dorian wanted another.
Dinah finished pushing her hair up off the nape of her neck and she smiled, splashing her fingers through the water "peace through war is an interesting concept. I hope it works. War is exhausting and i'm not even a part of it" she agreed, shifting so she could settle a little bit closer without sitting beneath the flow of the pipe.
"it's far warmer than I expected. I confess, it's very different than the sea" she tilted her head back to rest herself against the stone, resting her hand on his arm.
"...we should find a way to build one of these at the house. we've plenty of space around the back, would you say?"
Dorian:|| A big dopey grin answered, and he wouldn't open his mouth til several moments later, when he had shifted to get his neck above water so as not to take in a mouthful of hot springs. The moment he surfaced, he requested, "Ni ban of the genshu please, totemo samuidesu." He knew it was the perfect choice for what he wanted so got two of them. If she indulged him in his efforts, he would reach for her, past and beneath the falls to grab up one of her hands to twine fingers with but leave unseen eyes alone, inquiring behind the stream, "Do you enjoy the new work, sis, would you bathe thus?"
[Two of the genshu style sake please, very cold]
Dinah grinned as his hand dipped into the water, lacing her fingers with his and brushing her thumb against the back of his hand. "I don't think I would bathe in public without you beside me, dorian. I rather feel I would be too worried looking about for scoundrels otherwise. but you have always been so adept at spotting and scouting them out for me" she bumped him lightly with her shoulder. "As for the new work...it's interesting enough at least. a lot of the students don't really show much of a care of it, but at least I like the sound of my own voice enough to continue. and some of them are quite sharp in their ways. you should come up with me some time, darling. you'd like to see the floating isle, I think.”
Dorian let their palms kiss with a gladsome grin and peered through at her with the water between them, but then just sunk back, eyes closed and let his unseen self know she was there because they had their hand locked. As in the womb. He was down to his nape when he grumbled, "I would like to hear you speak about anything, Sis. May I come and listen, I have needed to look at more beyond the dueling grounds, as it is. Is there room enough in the lecture hall? For someone like me?"
He was not a serious scholar, he was no Drystan, but he never failed to be enriched by his sister's presence or words. Gladly would he follow her aloft. Just for the chance to be near. So the grey eyes turned ever upon her, despite the wariness of ears and other senses to anything that might encroach.
Dinah gave his hand a squeeze and she made a little grumble of her own, dipping her head through the water to rest on his shoulder for a moment.
"you're twice as bright as some of these obligatory halfwits and if anybody gives you jape for coming up, i'll throw them off the academy isles myself" she promised, wrapping her arm around his. "You are the finest man I know, and I shan't have anybody offending you by their own false superiority" she promised, detaching herself but for her hand again and sliding herself to lay against the stone with a stretch, a smile on her face.
"you'll do splendidly, Dori."
Dorian cuddled over toward her, so the fall of water between them was the most ephemeral bundling board they'd ever faced, especially with their hands kissing palms. He'd chuffle brushing blond locks back under the stream and then peaking out to explain, "I am not bright, Pa-that just is not my gift. It doesn't mean I do not like hearing things, hearing stories and learning from you how things work."
By then he was also back against warm stone and staring into the mirrors to his own soul, and continued, "I am not as fine as our brother. And.... school seems to be something different than governesses and tutors. Since you showed me how to take my time with the order of words and letters in them. Since you showed me how complex ideas can be.... Their fencing ground is suited to either sort of handedness."
Dinah clicked her tongue and she shook her head, smiling as she reclined "you are bright, as long as you are not *Reading* the words, Dorian." she said gently. "people learn in different ways. I learn best from books, and you don't, and that's absolutely fine. it's a poor teacher doesn't make allowances for such a thing" she sighed, sinking a little further beneath the water until her chin rested on the surface.
"Drystan is a splendid man too, it's true. but you and I are inseparable always. Stan and I are quite similar in many respects but you and I are different enough that I shan't think we shall ever tire of each other."
Dorian:|| Their father had made it clear to Dorian that he was not fit for any type of schooling, save what the military could offer. When the middle son exceeded at this he was given more and more paperwork, in Charles' attempt to break him only Dorian had enlisted sibling power and later hours to get it done. It was not as if he slept well outside Dinah's embrace. So he could at least growl quietly, her way, "We are not two, but one. No one can understand this. Drystan won't doubt it, though."
He looked to her with wide pale grey eyes and spoke to her mind, "[He knows me like this too. I can speak to him. Papa's little games never worked because I could always talk to him. Like you.]" Only steam rose between them in the silence as his order came ever closer to basket floating completion.
Dinah parted her hands and she reached for him, stroking her fingers through his hair
"one soul split asunder. Don't you wonder what the combined 'us' would have been like?" she giggled, smiling towards him "we would have been you, since you were born first, but as both of us." she closed her eyes, settling into the heat of the water.
"Do you remember professor thaddeus? one of papa's friends who had me learning astrology. I remember him saying something when I were younger, the man was a leer-er.. I remember him saying something like 'if i were to cut you, I wonder if your brother would bleed?" she murmured, opening her eyes to stare up at the clouds.
"I told him if he cut me, someone would be bleeding but it would not be you" she chuckled darkly. "Papa tried to play you boys against each other. but we are stronger together."
Dorian clenched her hand tighter, pulled her closer so that she was near fully shielded against tan onsen's lack of modesty by his own body. They'd wind up just one side of the fall of warm water, and he'd lean in to murmur, "I know if you are hurt and want me to know. That was not new to twins like us. I may not bleed but.... it is deeper than that, than blood. I shudder to think what he might have learned if Papa and Mama gave us both over." The rush of water meant that they were at least to themselves. "But Dinah... do you not.... feel it? The loss of him?"
His arms held her close, hoping to find an anchor in the uncertainty of life without charles.
Dinah curled herself close to him, resting her cheek against his shoulder. she considered his question for a long few moments.
"Sometimes I think I do," she admitted. "He was never so cruel to me as he was to you. He tried to spoil me in his way." she said softly. "He has always been there, so to have him gone is... a little daunting. but at the same time, I know that he would gladly keep us diminished for his own superiority. That he was cruel to you and drystan" she sighed gently and shook her head. " that much, I cannot forgive. not from anybody" she tilted her head to press a kiss against his shoulder. "It had to be done. I am not sorry for it. Would that I had done it myself it would have been quicker, but the others needed their chance to set things right."
Dorian pulled his twin onto his lap, and held his arms around her only so long as they floated to the surface. He did not onsen bathe like the Japanese, he was not entirely nude, but his undergarments kept him tucked away for modesty's sake if only he was not with his twin. He'd nuzzle her ear and whisper, "The only father I knew, but... I feel mostly.... relief. Like this...." He'd reach for the basket floated over with two square glasses, filled to the brim with iced cold sake, and push it so she could pick up one to clink against his own.
At the same moment he'd be grinning at her from behind the frosted with condensation cup, and remarking, "Kampai! Cheers! To the goddess!" Only when she accepted this, would he knock his portion back.
Dinah giggled as he pulled her into his lap and she pressed her kiss to his temple, curling herself close to him.
"There's no shame in being relieved, Dorian. He was an awful person" she nodded, picking up the second square glass with amusement. Knocking it lightly against his, she tittered.
"kampai, to her god" she countered with an impish smile, following his lead to swallow the icy drink and she shuddered "Ah! that seems so much colder now than it ought be."
Dorian: "They keep a block of ice, or maybe ice magicians to handle it. It's best that way. The cold inside, against the heat we feel here..." To exemplify what he meant, he'd lean down to press his lips into a kiss to her ring finger, yet under the surface.
He felt the difference, and it was no more difficult to comprehend than her deep water seeking versus his high aerial scouting. That all came to her in the unsaid thoughts as observations, but after that, with her on his lap, he'd pull her to rest against his chest and hook his chin over her shoulder. His wet hair plastered down and golden head leaning toward hers. "My beloved, we are ready are we not?"