She Prefers Scoundrels

INT - Tunnels below Windgrace Manor to EXT - Roof of Windgrace Manor

Dorian approached his sister after days of sullen silence and inquired, "Will you come somewhere with me, please?" He was dressed and clean and had spent the morning preparing his little surprise.

Dinah had been in her tunnels, her plushie rabbit under one arm and clipsy under the other when Dorian had approached. she'd seemed a little...hesitant when he spoke, but she nodded in silence, padding out of the dark and up into daylight with a visible wince, fishing Helios from her dress and setting him on her shoulder.

Dorian had contrition in his face for Helios to see once they were amid the light of day, and would, once they'd broken the surface, reach for Dinah's hand to walk with her around the backside of the manor. Then when they were out of safe eyeshot, he reckoned, of any onlookers he'd endeavor to scoop his sister up with arms around her shoulders and behind her knees in a bridal carry, careful of the crab that he'd not fall. There would be a few short flaps of xanthic unlight wings that bore the pair to the roof of the manor before he'd set her upon her own feet again.

Up there the view was less obscured than indoors and what coudl be seen despite the fog was the scenic isle's environs. Up here the air was a little clearer, just by virtue of the open space. The rooftop tiles were fairly flat and white flower petals were picked up and dragged by the gentle breeze. Apparently Dorian had sprung for every white flower he could find, had gotten some treats and laid them out for them. Naturally he'd go to a place  opposite where she'd been spending her time, somewhere aloft and open. It was not a contrast he considered, but he did inform her, "I made us a little picnic. It is long past time I reconciled myself with you, I think. So... please allow me to say--" The taller of the twins would plant his silver eyed gaze upon the milky white eyes of his sister and after a short breath let it loose, "I am truly very sorry to have broken my word to you. To have hurt you. It is past time that I trusted you to decide what you want for yourself, even if I do not agree. I may be accustomed to thinking that what I think is what we both think, but it simply is not true. I am sure I do not have half the thoughts you do when mine are really rather simple. And I betrayed the most important one, which is to always work toward making you happy." The low tones in which he spoke were earnest, and reasonable, as he could sometimes be.

Dinah had tensed as he had grabbed and lifted her, seemingly somewhat defensive. Her eyes were red-ringed now she was out in the daylight, skin patterned and marked with relatively freshly healed ritual carving. She too kept a hand on the crab as they were lifted up to the roof; at least she'd be able to get down if she were so inclined without shattering her legs. Her expression, somewhat troubled and still silent, softened a little at the sight of the picnic. Even in her tunnel she had heard of the troubles up top sourcing food. Food and flowers must not have come easy.

Di swallowed, turning to watch him as he spoke, her lower lip trembling a little. Helios snipped his claws beside her head.

"I saw what you had done, Dorian" she said quietly, but there was no anger in her voice. "the hole in him. you would have killed him this time, wouldn't you?" she turned to face him, lowering her hands to twist her fingers around the emerald on her finger.

"I love you. I always have. I always will. and it hurts me  to think that you constantly thought that I would be so easily seduced from your side. I have promised you always that no matter what happens in this world, I would never leave you. Do you believe it? Actually believe it?"

Dorian shook his head once against her having already gone to Roesler. And then again when she asked if he believed it. He had not shaken his head over the question of trying to kill Niles. It would have been a lie to indicate otherwise. When he found his voice he would make himself look into her unseeing eyes again, knowing she could sense it, and reply, solemnly, "It is not that I think you faithless, Divine One. It is that I know you could do better than me. He has a crown. Has much to offer you that I do not. And even though I cannot be sure of his intentions... I know you are strong. And clever. You can take care of yourself."

<So what do you need me for? When I cannot give you children nor be your husband? Not truly...> Was the unspoken part that she'd not only be able to hear him think, but she could see the conclusion of that upon his face. And his sorrow over the facts as he understood them.

Dinah sighed softly at his words, the spoken and unspoken, and she reached for his cheek. "Need? why would I need you, Dorian?" she said quietly. "I do not need you. I want you, by my side, always. What necessity is marriage but for the approval of others? I..." she did trail off at the thought of children, but she sighed.

"He MIGHT have a crown, darling, but he is not you. You are the other half of me." her fingers reached for his hand, pressing herself  close to rest against his chest. she'd missed him, missed the proximity of her solar half. "I am fond of Niles. I can't pretend I am not. but nothing we have will ever compare to you, Dorian."

Dorian had not taken any liberties since he'd carried her up to the roof, had not touched her soft face as he would have liked nor idled with the illusory hair, not showered her with kisses. So when she reached for his cheek he'd close his eyes and make a deep sound of gladness, of reprieve for their having been sundered. When she pressed close he'd put his arms around her and keep his eyes closed. Hearing her admit to being fond of another man was hard to hear. So he was quiet for some time as he tried to live in this new reality that he'd told himself for days was the only one. He'd tried taking Niles off of the board and failed, and worse made Dinah most unhappy. He'd have to continue on the journey of learning how to share the world with Roesler. And his sister, who was his world. There was no doubting he had unsettled feelings about the sidhe still, only his feelings for Dinah ran deeper, were torrential and everpresent. He'd only answer, grumbling to her hair, "I believe that I got the last of the  chocolates from the florist. There are another few boxes in the larder."

Dinah took a deep breath and pressed her face against him, burrowing herself against his shirt. One of her hands closed around his tie, and the other rested over his heart, feeling his heartbeat percussing against her fingertips. She remained silent even after he spoke again, and once more, she smushed her face against him as if she'd be able to see into his ribcage.

"I hate being apart from you. I hate us being cross with each other. I hated thinking that I couldn't trust you. I hated thinking that you had thought so low of me" she mumbled into his shirt. "you are my heart. my existence. We are one-as-two" the hand that held his tie looped around him to squeeze against his chest.

"do you trust me, Dorian? do you believe me?"

Dorian held fast to her, having also hated being apart from her. He wanted to kiss her and be done with words, but they were important, important to her in particular when she'd asked what she did. He continued speaking in a grumble to the top of her head, holding her close to his warm form, "I cannot think lowly of you, only be envious when I think you prefer another. But beyond my feelings, I must trust you, I will always follow your lead, even if you say you want me even without land or title. You are the stars in my sky, my heart, my every thing."

Dinah giggled, shaking her head whilst still pushed against him. "I couldn't prefer anyone to you" she lifted her face to look up towards him "I would compare everyone to you, forever" she stood on her bare tiptoes to press an almost chaste kiss to his lips.

"he has asked to be a suitor. to court me in earnest. I told him that my family, that you, would always be my priority. He accepted that. He also said that he would have no expectation of intimacy between us either." she said quietly. "I told him that he would always come second to you. To Drystan. he accepted that. And I would hold him to it"

Dorian's mood darkened when she revealed this last and he was quiet for a long time. The hand that had been moving slow circles between his shoulder blades stopped moving and the air seemed to be taken out of his sails, his chest. But he kept his remarks to himself, unformed rage and fear working their way through him. After some heartbeats he'd continue rubbing circles upon her back and hold his silence. It couldn't surprise her much that it hurt him to hear this. Only instead of flying off to end the threat this time he stayed where he was, face tightening with an inability to dissemble. As he had nothing kind to say, nothing constructive, he simply held his silence apart from one small sound of acknowledgement, "Hn."

Dinah returned her face to his chest, clinging her fingers into his shirt.

"Do you still believe me, dorian?" she asked him quietly, looking up towards his face. "Do you trust me? Do you believe me when I tell you what I said to him? That he will never, ever stop you and I being together, as we are?" she drew back enough to capture his hand between her own. "I mean it. I swear it, on all of the old ones. On our blood. On our names." she murmured, watching his face. "I would not want you to hear anything like this from anyone else. you are my everything, dorian. and I need to hear you say that you do believe me"

Dorian did in fact look rather stricken by this new information, and past the furious flow of blood in his veins trying to drown else everything out with his adrenal glands firing him full of the hormones to face this problem as he'd tried in the past. He'd take a long breath and another before he answered lowly, barely moving his mouth to say, "I do not understand... ...but I believe you." It was the best he could do to admit bewilderment, to not do has he'd done so many times before. Adding to his jewelry collection of trophies. Instead he tried to calm his pique and protectiveness, his obsession could only allow him so much.

Dinah chuckled quietly and she shrugged a shoulder. "I don't really understand either. I told him so. He said that.. how was it that he phrased it." she paused, contemplating a moment "there is more to life and companionship than carnal pleasure'. He does not hate you, beloved, and if he is happy to claim suitorship over me whilst having no obligation to me...to us...then it will discourage anyone else from trying, won't it? it will stop mama from trying, should she ever attempt it again." she lowered her head, pressing a kiss to each of  his knuckles in turn. "I even called him a madman for considering it, especially considering you had tried to kill him. I did not visit him for days, you know. I wanted to just..hide until everyone forgot me" she added softly. "...something I noticed, when I visited him. He looks towards the Shard like you look at me." she smiled wryly. "i hadn't ever seen him smile like that at me"

Dorian had a question for her, the only one he could pull from this whole, to him, terrible situation. So he'd reach to take both of her hands in his own holding them gently with his fingers threaded among hers, then ask, "Can I destroy him if he hurts you?" Dorian may have wanted to kill Niles but he'd never thought he'd be able to punch all of the way through the man, he'd literally never hit anyone that hard before. The sick squelch of flesh, bones and organs giving way was still a fond memory for the blood thirsty parts of a brain being denied its usual and so currently clear avenues toward violence. He didn't need to tell her that even if she was fond, even if she thought the German grand, that he did not agree. He'd seen Roesler look at his sister with desire, he'd heard the man talk with that passion on his lips, and was starting to doubt Dinah was seeing clearly. But that was the direction trouble lay so he mumbled his argument obstinately, "He desires you. No matter how he looked at Blake's father. I have seen it in his face, heard it in his voice."

Dinah smiled again and she reached for his cheek, scuffing her thumb across his facial hair. she giggled at his question, and she slipped her fingers up to his curls.

"if he does. and I say he does. not if you decide it. then yes. But if he hurts me, I will destroy him myself. Or try to, at any rate." she complied with another soft kiss to his jawline. "If he does, I will tell both Drystan and you. But I am not some wilting flower, darling. I would be as quick to claw him myself" she rested her cheek against his chest once more.

"so what if he does? he's still never looked at me the way he looked at the shard." she shrugged a shoulder. "He's not the first person to want me if he does, darling, and even if we do court then that isn't likely to stop. Unless I mutilate my face, perhaps. But making it stick would be the difficult part" she trailed off as she considered it as an option. "with the exception of when I used literal mind control magic on him, he has still only ever been a gentleman to me. And that is  what matters, isn't it?"

Dorian was gladly dandled, her fingertips had been too long away from his face from his person, and while he wanted very much to kiss her, he was trying to wait, trying to use his words. It was important to talk things out sometimes even with her, though they were two as one. he made another noise deep in his chest when his jawline was kissed. From then on he was looking at her intently, eyes all over her beloved face and he could not seem to stop himself. He'd be bending to kiss her, starting to get a good one in and words be damned, but she was talking about being gentlemanly mattering. He shook his head in answer to her question. "No, you prefer scoundrels." Then he'd bend to press his face to hers, to settle his lips upon her silken own. It had been too many days and he'd deny himself no longer.

Dinah laughed at his words and she grinned, reaching her arms up over his shoulders as he leaned in to kiss her. she kissed him back, pressing herself up on her tiptoes to meet him. She didn't draw back for a long, long while, deepening the kiss before she'd withdraw, but even then she remained hugged up against his torso.

"trust me, dorian. always trust that I love you best of the entire world, and I will set it all on fire, if it would obstruct us." she whispered earnestly. "should you ever want to ask questions, I will answer. should you want to hear nothing, I will tell you nothing. but always, always trust that I love you best"

Dorian's world became whole as she pressed in to kiss him back. For a few seconds, to him, or maybe a lifetime and more nothing else existed but the pair of them. United, close as close. It made him more tractable and he'd keep her pulled up against him so he could feel her all along his body. He murmured gravely, because he was serious as could be, "That I can almost believe. But just one more kiss will make me certain. Just one more, hm?"

He knew better than to think he could handle frequent updates on her getting courted by a certain tall dark and handsome stringbean with wings. But he also was not beyond angling for more affections. He was hungry for her as it had been too long since they'd joined lips or loins.

Dinah let out another soft laugh against his chest, pawing at his shirt. "welll, i don't know... If you aren't so easily convinced, perhaps i never could~" she said playfully, but she didn't hold true to her threat. This time though, she didn't merely stand on her tiptoes to kiss him but reached for his shoulders, springing herself up to catch him with her knees and pepper his cheeks in dozens of little smooches before punctuating it with another long, lingering kiss to his lips.

Dorian instinctively reached to hold her up with a hand upon her backside and the other arm around her lower back to give her free reign for her kisses. Once she was fully in his arms and that last kiss was done and he'd needed to take control of his breathing again he still held her near, forehead pressing against the side of her head to whisper to her his heart's truth, "I stand convinced." He also stood wanting more than kisses, but it'd be a shame to waste the carefully pinned blanket and remaining flower petals strewn about it and just let perfectly good food go to waste while rationing was in place. He carried on surreptitiously speaking in a susurrus by her ear, "I love you, my Divine One. And I have another surprise. What would you think if I told you someone approached me about needing help breaking the veil that keeps this world mundane?" He'd not move to let her down even though he probably should until she sought to split herself away from him.

Dinah pressed herself close to him, hugging his face to her chest as he carried her towards the blanket, the flowers, and the chocolate.

"I'm not divine, darling" she chided him playfully, but then he spoke about the veil and she pulled away so sharply she nearly pitched herself from his grip, staring at him with wide eyes.

"...what? someone approached you for breaking the veil? who?!" she squeaked urgently, her grip intensifying on his shoulders, though she didn't try to free herself from his carrying hold, merely staring at him with blind, owlish eyes whilst Helios clicked wildly in sympathy to her excitement on their shoulder, dashing in a few mad laps from her arm to him and back.

Dorian wouldn't agree with what she said about herself. Only arguing, "You are divine. And--" Rather than setting her down he'd just lower himself down and her upon his lap once he was right in the middle of the blanket and petals. He'd relinquish his grip on her then and reach for the chocolates moving to hold the box open that she could take her pick as he explained, "It was Naoki Sato, do you know him? I believe he is part of the Dashrix entourage. We saw him with that strange ginger girl Thirteen at the winter festival. He said he was not strong enough to do it on his own and that he wanted the help of our family, AND Hunter knows him."

He thought about explaining the nature of their association but found he hadn't words for it. He'd have to keep thinking how to make any of what was still muddled in his own mind clear enough to expound on.

Dinah held him tighter as they lowered, reaching for a chocolate and nibbling it in thought, still wide eyed as he spoke.

"I will need to speak with him. I remember that boy. The one under the table at Roesler's party? The very stern one when Thirteen was skating? I remember him well enough, yes. I know how. I just need to find the right components. Perhaps he can help me find them" she brightened when he mentioned her favourite squiddle and she smiled. "And if Hunter approves of him, all the better. You know, the pool in the tunnels is connected to the shard? I feed the pool blood and it gives me visions." she gushed, settling herself properly into his lap and offering him the other half of the chocolate.

"if he is with the Dashrixes, perhaps I should write to him? I need to send him word somehow. Did you ask how i ought to find him?"

Dorian did not take a chocolate, but he did take a grape, small semi sweet things grown locally, and before popping it into his mouth he'd reply, "I told him that I would speak to you and when I asked how to reach him...." His face scrunched in consternation as he tried to recall but he didn't find anything in his memory. "He... ah.... well.... Hunter distracted me a bit. Did you know that he can impersonate the pair of us?" He had taken some time to think before he'd started eating, about what she'd said. Finally, he managed to conclude, "I think you should write to him through Dashrix or the Academy. He was wearing school colours and called you Professor Windgrace."

Dinah hummed and she finished the chocolate as he didn't, curling herself happily in his lap. "professor windgrace is usually a giveaway that they know me from the academy, yes." she paused when he said that hunter could impersonate them both and she smiled "I know he can look closer to a windgrace than his G'naih....uhm. Father time. the shard. His first face looked like that" she giggled again and she smiled again. "I will write to him. We shall break everything open, darling. we shall rework the world in our wishes." she plucked another chocolate and grinned.

Dorian nuzzled his face close to her head again, kissing her hair then murmuring to her ear, "I thought this would please you. He was... ....impressed? with our caring for Hunter as we do... and thanked us for it. So I am sure he will be glad to know you already have irons in that fire. I did not tell him anything of your plans or wishes, only that I would carry the message, that we were interested."

Though he could almost always eat, his appetite for anything other than the woman in his lap was distant, feeling her so close. His silver eyes deepened in shade as his thoughts on Sato faded in the fact of his twin so near. Part of him wanted to know what she thought of Dashrix, but he'd not open any cans of other man worms any more than already done. His one hand would find its way tracing down from her shoulder to her wrist, slowly, as if reminding himself of what he'd been missing.

Dinah shivered at the whisper to her ear and she giggled, turning herself better to face him, sitting astride his lap.

"it DOES please me. our little darling has found himself all sorts of friends on the isles, hasnt he? I am pleased indeed. he's so sociable" she giggled again and she nodded. "I will write to him. later. I think otherwise my plans for this afternoon are going to involve staying right here, with you" she added in a whisper, leaning forward once more to press another dozen kisses across his face.