INT - Windgrace Manor, afternoon
Dinah was at one of her usual loitering spots. she lingered near to the orrery, watching the pattern of the planets. She had wine in one hand but it didn't look like she'd drunk much of it yet and was just toying her finger around the edge of it, preoccupied. She was thinking, and as she wandered to the drawers, reached out to pick up a cigarette, striking a match and returned to her spot. She clicked her tongue and frowned, taking a drag on her cigarette and tapping her fingertip to the glass.
Dorian had been spending a lot of time out of late, off on his own, leaving his siblings free from his temper. There was always work to do with the divers, there were always sailors on leave to listen to. There was a haircut to get so that he'd not have to beg his sister for her time nor forgiveness. When he returned home the lack of horse scent and dry hair would indicate the spending time at a watering hole. So too the loosened tie, and the potent smell of whiskey and smoke emanating from him. Upon walking through the door, and spotting his sister at the orrery he'd halt his footfalls then spend a moment considering what to do next. It should not have been so difficult for him just to say, "Hullo." But when he did it was very quiet and his gaze was furtive.
Dinah didn't look up right away, fixated on the date as one of the planets moved into the month of June and she took a sip. Turning at the greeting, she smiled, then paused at the sight of the clothes, the haircut, and the smile faltered to confusion and a little frown.
"Good afternoon Dori" she said softly, setting her glass on the side of the orrery. The farthest reaching planets were far away, she'd not need to worry about it being spilled.
"Long night or very early morning?"
Dorian: "Both," came the growled answer as he started up again, going from stark still standing watching her to walking to her once he ceded the will to keep distant to the one that wanted to be beside her. While he was headed that way he'd fix his silver eyes on her and rather than say another word he'd bend to press his stubbly face to her cheek for what would be a long lingering kiss. If she didn't move away.
Dinah reached for his cheek as he approached, scraping her fingertips against the stubble with a faint laugh. She stood on her tiptoes to meet his kiss, but drew back and pulled an exaggerated face. "whiskey" she muttered, smiling and offering him the wine glass, smoothing her free hand down his tie to twist it between her fingers, unbuttoning his shirt to rebutton it again in the right buttonholes from the bottom upwards.
"Black always makes you look so much taller. I always wondered why that is." she stood on her toes to kiss him again.
Dorian was glad not to explain that after flying around last night and having too much pride to ask forgiveness to get his hair brushed, that he'd decided to get the long tresses chopped. That he was having complicated feelings about a lot of things. Instead he just stared his smitten stare while she fixed him up. His silence lingered while he took the proffered glass, drank it empty, then set it down again, staring intently. His eyes were glazed a little with lack of sleep and long hours drinking and short ones sleeping. But behind that frosted haze was the smoulder that her proximity ignited. He wasn't thinking about what she said. Just what he wanted. Her and no complications, namely. He'd meant to talk about Drystan's remarks, but the bitterness rendered his choice of words untrustworthy. Thus he'd reach his arms around her to pull her up and over, closing all distance, to kiss her more fully, to let his hands find their favorite places. Anywhere on her would do. He'd start with a hip and between her shoulder blades one hand each. Psychically he'd been closed off from her to a dull but insistent thudding, by the work of effort he yet maintained, as if to remind her he was there because that was everpresent truth.
Dinah wasn't used to being closed off from his mind, but she rested her hands on his chest. She stood on her tiptoes again and kissed him as he leaned in to her, and she made a pleased noise into his mouth. she reached up to scuff his stubble again, the hand that was at his chest curling around his tie again, and she pressed herself closer to deepen the kiss. She remained close even when she pulled back from him, resting her cheek against his chest, then turning her brow to his collarbone instead.
"you're quiet" she whispered, reaching up to kiss his jaw, the hand that was at his cheek reaching to his temple and tapping there lightly.
Dorian very much fought the urge to carry his sister upstairs. To keep quiet. The best he could do to answer her, without giving too much away, would be in wrapping himself around her and not letting her get very far. He'd murred when scritched and fawned over. And he'd leaned in to whisper, "Drystan spoke to me. You have my word again that I shall leave your friend alone." He quieted after all but growling those words, to her ear. Then he'd move his face to bury it in raven hair. He didn't want to be far away from her. Not even up the stairs or across the hall which might as well be another world.
Dinah tilted her ear towards his whisper and she smiled, pressing herself close to him. "I know you don't like him. thank you, Dorian," she murmured, snuggling herself against his chest. As his face found her hair, she smiled again and settled her own against his neck.
"I was considering colouring my eyes. But then it'd look different." she murmured, fingertips picking at the knot of his tie. "Blake came to see me. did he tell you? I taught him how to glamour his eyes. strange boy" she smiled in some amusement "we held hands again. he's almost definitely close to cousin now" she talked against his throat as she did, reaching up to curl her fingers in his hair. "...you cut it?"
Dorian swallowed what leftover shame and rage came from his talk with his brother. It wanted outpouring but not as much as he wanted her not to leave being so very close. He'd toy with the ends of her hair, staring down at her, showing an occasional slow nod of acknowledgement while she spoke. He'd keep his psychic wall up. He'd answer, quiet enough for his voice to be a graveled purr well below full volume toward a whisper, "I couldn't brush it on my own. I am glad you have taken to Blake. You should do whatever you wish to your appearance, Drystan was right about that. You do walk closest to the gods." There may have flickered some of his heated feeling that he tried to keep hidden as he spoke their brother's name. Standing there with her, so their body temperatures mingled, and they were as close as they could get to oneness with clothes on, it was hard not to let his guard slip. His jaw worked at chewing feelings and unspoken words, until he'd bury his face down between her ear and shoulder to kiss her neck. His hands splayed, one upon her side and the other on her back to press her against him more, to pull himself into her, both.
Dinah hummed when he said he couldn't brush his hair and she pouted a little. "well. you could have just asked. or borrowed the maid. she knows. she might have braided it for you though" she closed her eyes, fully unknotting his tie. she smiled, draping it around her own neck.
"none of us walk closer to the gods than any of the rest of us, Dori. if i did, I would be quite mad." she giggled as he kissed her neck, pushing her hair aside.
"do you think I would look strange with darker eyes? i would look utterly different from both of you then. I suppose it is only glamour anyway but.." she trailed off, wrapping her arms around his chest.
"Blake is a very strange boy. I suppose he walks closest, given as he has elder blood." she murmured, glancing up towards him. She could tell he was still hiding something, but.. one arm retracted to return to scruffing across his jawline.
Dorian should have expected her to argue the point about walking closer, and while he was quite devoted to the task at hand, making the mistake of their being two fleshes undone, he was distracted unto laughter when she said Blake walked closest. It started when he was trying to kiss her behind her ear and caused him to pull back to look into eyes that just now looked silver as his did. She knew as well as anyone that his eyes weren't even their native silver any longer. That they burned with fire made of purloined time, and the passion of the spirit within. But not when he was laughing, because he looked so much like his boyish self when given over to such mirth. "I think no matter what you look like like it shan't change what you are," he finally managed after the laughter subsided. And then, "So do you think the gods speak like him then, 'Bajesus, my dude. I am down with the cool.' or however he does it." Another chuckle punctuated, while he looked at her face, trying to imagine dark eyes in it. He got lost in just staring at her though, ultimately.
Dinah tilted her head away as he laughed in her ear and she gave him a playful nudge to the ribs. "I certainly hope they don't. If the elder gods talk as he does, it's no wonder they send everyone mad when they will return. noone will have a clue what they are talking about and assume they've gone insane" she agreed with a titter. She smiled, reaching for his hand as she looked down towards her cigarette, burned down to ash and forgotten in it's holder, though she pouted again and she looked towards the orrery.
"I was considering red...like mars there. But maybe purple instead? I think I would look like a penny dreadful vampire with red." she looked up towards his face to see his reaction with both "I know i already have the teeth for it, I don't need to court the illusion."
Dorian dodged backward just enough to only have one arm around her anymore, and that only for a moment when nudged. He'd pull himself close again, all but draping his longer body, arms and all around her. He could not even be bothered if anyone might see among the staff. When the laughter had subsided, he imagined either color but his brows did quirk at the mention of the Tyrian colour. He even answered to that effect, "Purple. Like the queen you are, that is my vote. Not that I mind you biting me, not one bit. Dinah, my love, no matter what you look like, you will still be mine other half."
<Moon to sun. Sea to breeze. The best and rest of me.> He said silently, all at once letting himself speak to her thoughts again. Letting his inner walls down as he would usually, just enough for laying bare the resentment that was boiling on a back burner if she went looking. If she went only as far as he frequently volunteered. There was a tangle of feelings bound up about her and Roesler and Drystan and their father that he was doing his level best to ignore, but none of it was new. Some of it was just renewed. Inadequacy, inferiority, remorse, rage, fear fueling it.
Dinah smiled faintly as he draped himself around her, reaching for his arms to tighten them around herself.
"Purple." she echoed, though she hummed and grinned up towards him "I dont want to bite you, darling. I don't want to hurt you." she tilted her head just enough to nip his arm through his shirt. not hard, just enough to apply the pressure of her sharp teeth. "Always your other half. that can't change. it wont ever. you're the best and rest of me, you just worry too much" she smiled as he rejoined the mental connection and she squeezed his arms again. The lingering emotions around the rest, she would absolutely find and she turned her head enough to look up towards him.
"you hold onto so much" she murmured, turning herself to curl against his chest again. "you shouldn't. I love you. Eternally, even when they come back and the world is ablaze. And drystan loves you too. you know that, don't you?" she reached up for his chin to tilt his head towards hers to meet her gaze.
Dorian reached down to grab her up behind her knees as one arm slung its way under both of hers for the bridal carry. He didn't mean to even give her the burden of knowing those feelings, so he'd answer quietly, trying not to ruin things, "Let's say I do. Let's say nothing could come between us. Let's pretend so I can get accustomed to the idea that nothing is going to go wrong." He'd love for his fears to be unfounded. He could start by pretending. Or forgetting. He'd explain, "I think I owe you a cigarette, let's take it upstairs, hm?"
Some time down the road, after a certain activity, if she let him have his way.
Dinah grinned as she let him lift her, reaching her fingers through his hair.
"if you think i walk close to the gods, and you see me watch the stars. trust me, dorian. if something is going to go wrong.. ill see it first" she whispered against his ear, nipping him lightly. "you can do that, can't you? and yes. you owe me a cigarette. And another glass of wine. You can tell me how purple looks on me"