Open: Takes a lot of medicine to make it through the wintertime

[vineleaves]

The first day of Dark was difficult enough to get through. When the situation didn't improve after a few days, however, Dionysus really began to worry. That the house would stop cooperating when it comes to creating food at the same time his own powers of generation have become so severely diminished... it doesn't sit easy with him.

He is grateful that he still has some powers, but he's been finding it difficult to produce grapes or wine (or any related products) of any quality, whereas before it came to him like breathing. But he considers it his duty to do what he can to offset the dwindling supplies, so every day he spends a few hours creating what he can: grapes, raisins, cartons of grape juice, and of course, bottles of wine, before diligently distributing it to the various kitchens and eating-places in the house. Wherever he thinks people may go to look for something to eat. Should anyone need him, he shouldn't be too difficult to locate.

Comments

[ravkanwitch]

Nina does preen, just slightly. "I was great. I'm not sure when we'll put on our play... I think Dark has everyone focusing on more important things."

[vineleaves]

"Gives us something nice to look forward to, doesn't it? This month will end, along with all of its problems, and then we'll be able to get back to planning the show!" He hopes.

[ravkanwitch]

Nina smiles at him. "The weather will be warm before we know it!"

[vineleaves]

"It always is." He smiles back. Bad times do always end, it's the 'getting through them' part that sucks.

[ravkanwitch]

"Do you... do you need a hug?" Nina asks, on a whim. "I give really good ones. You can also tell me no, Nina Zenik, you're being too forward and friendly--"

[vineleaves]

Dionysus immediately hugs her, very tight, and stays like that for several long moments. He doesn’t start crying, only because he thinks it would be rude. He isn’t the one in any sort of danger here, and while normally he thinks it is definitely best to feel all of your emotions fully and honestly, maybe crying at a kid - even if that kid is your friend - would do more harm than good. He’s trying to be responsible. Okay, maybe there’s one or two tears, but that could just be rain. Indoor rain. From his face. Don’t question it.

He finally pulls back and wipes his cheeks dry, definitely feeling at least momentarily better, and smiles. “Now, Nina, never let anyone tell you you’re being too friendly. There’s no such thing.”

[ravkanwitch]

Nina gives really good hugs; they're warm and all-encompassing. She pretends to not notice him wiping off his face and gives him another smile. "Good. I like to feel useful."

[vineleaves]

"Me too! If I can't help someone out, what's even the point, you know?" He's all smiles again, the hug having done wonders. "So! What's the next stop on our tour?"

[ravkanwitch]

"I suppose you've been to the café already too... What about the bone room? --animal bones, I mean," she clarifies.

[vineleaves]

"...There's a bone room?"

[ravkanwitch]

"Yeah!" Nina grins. "It's full of other creepy things as well. Let's go."

[vineleaves]

"There's not --" he pauses, trying to mentally weigh how uncool he's willing to look right now. He decides Nina is obviously his friend and therefore obviously can be trusted with this. "There's not frogs in there, are there?" Bones are fine, frogs are another story entirely.

[ravkanwitch]

Nina carefully watches his expression. "There might be. I think I saw some preserved in jars. Do you... Is there something wrong with frogs?"

[vineleaves]

Is there anything right with frogs? "I've had... a bad encounter with them. One tried to eat me." To be completely honest, he hated frogs before all of that, but that's not important right now. "If they're dead in jars though that might be okay." He still doesn't want to look at them, but at least they can't attack.

[ravkanwitch]

"I think they're kind of cute," she says, then backpedals slightly at the presumed expression on his face, "but I'm sure there aren't any live ones in this room. I can tell you if you need to cover your eyes."

[vineleaves]

"Okay, but if any of them try to eat me again I'm not making snacks for your party." It's an empty threat though, he totally still would.

[ravkanwitch]

"Deal," Nina says. Laertes showed her this room a while back and she in turn showed Gideon. It's one of the more fascinating rooms in the Mansion, not seemingly there for any particular recreational purpose -- unless, of course, you're very interested in taxidermied animals and bones. Which Nina is. So maybe there is a purpose. She leads Dionysus to the door and pushes it open. "Here it is!"

It's a bit dusty but the room consists of shelves full of taxidermied creatures, skeletal remains, and glass jars of -- things.

[vineleaves]

Dusty is right -- nearly everything is coated in a gray layer of dust and cobwebs. He looks around a bit. No frogs yet, which is a plus. He frowns at what he's reasonably sure is the skull from a young cow. A negative.

"My sister¹ Persephone would probably like this place. She's into... dead stuff like this. Queen of the underworld."

1. sister/cousin/aunt

[ravkanwitch]

"Queen of the underworld? That sounds really impressive!" As his gaze roams around the room, over the jars of things and creatures, she makes a jarred frog wave at him and stifles a smile giggle. "I wish I was into dead stuff. This place would be a lot more interesting... if I was."

[vineleaves]

"Yeah, she married our--" he lets out an incredibly loud shriek, because that frog definitely moved, right? He ducks behind a nearby table. It's dead, it couldn't have moved. Arguably though, the frogs that live in the River Styx are also dead, yet they were the liveliest frogs he's ever seen in his whole life. And it's been a long life.

"Nina. Nina. It waved at me. Please be careful."

[ravkanwitch]

Her eyes widen dramatically as she looks toward where he had been staring in horror before he ducked behind the table. "What? It's dead, Dionysus! It can't wave??"

[vineleaves]

"Lots of people here are dead! Maybe the frog is in the same boat!"

[ravkanwitch]

"But it's dead dead. It's preserved in a jar! It can't move... Unless..." She says this part very dramatically, with a hint of menace to her tone. "Unless there was a Corpsewitch here who could control dead frogs and use them to take over--" She breaks off, unable to continue anymore, bursting into laughter instead. "I'm so sorry, I absolutely had to."

[vineleaves]

He peeks up from the table, visibly annoyed, once she starts laughing. He can piece together what 'corpsewitch' means from context. "You're gonna give me a heart attack, you know." He doesn't sound too upset though. "You really should meet Persephone, you two would get along like a house on fire ...and brimstone."

[ravkanwitch]

"I'm sorry," she says again, but she doesn't look too sorry, judging from the smile on her face. "I won't do it again. ...Well, I might do it again, but I'd warn you beforehand. It's just... where I come from, Grisha - people with abilities - are sometimes persecuted for it." She shrugs, then waves a hand and makes a couple of small bones float through the air. "It's nice to be somewhere where it doesn't matter as much."