Open: it's time now to sing out though the story never ends

[vineleaves]

[This is being posted early, but it is meant to be occurring on the one year anniversary of Dionysus arriving at the mansion.]

There's a room in the mansion Dionysus discovered somewhat recently that is, for lack of anything better to call it, a dance studio. Shiny hardwood floors, one long wall of mirror, the opposite wall featuring a mounted barre. If anyone happens to be walking by it today, the open door might catch their attention, as Dionysus has his cd player set up playing music, which he is dancing to at the moment. He's wearing a pair of gauzy, loose pants that sit low on his hips, complete with a gold belt with dangling chains that serve to help emphasize his movements. His hair is pulled up into a messy bun, finally long enough that he can get all of it up with only a minimum of strands sticking out oddly.

He has been here for a whole year. To be fair, he's only slightly certain he's got the date correct, but even if it hasn't been a full year to the exact minute or whatever, it's close enough. A whole year. A year trapped, held prisoner for some unknown reason, unable to break out, kept away from all of his friends and family. A year in which he has been given the wonderful opportunity to meet people he couldn't possibly imagine living without now, in a place where anything, even stopping death, is possible.

Dionysus is fairly zoned out as he dances, so if anyone decides to duck in and say hello, it might take him a while before he notices.

Comments

[vineleaves]

"And here I was thinking I'm the fortunate one."

[futaille]

"I would normally dispute that, but I think today we can both be fortunate."

[vineleaves]

"Good," he says, and kisses the tip of Étienne's nose. "Y'know, I'm really excited for tacos later."

[futaille]

"So am I. I remember liking them."

[vineleaves]

"I hope you didn't get into too much trouble when you got back home after that."

[futaille]

He shrugs. "I was used to being in trouble anyway."

[vineleaves]

"You say that like it makes it any better."

[futaille]

"I'm just saying that if it wasn't that, it probably would have been something else, so the delightful taco interlude really didn't end up adding any trouble."

[vineleaves]

"Yeah, I still don't like that."

[futaille]

"How about this, then. I wouldn't be the same man I am now without having been a troublemaker then."

[vineleaves]

It's not however much of a troublemaker Grantaire may or may not have been that Dionysus dislikes about this, but he doesn't really want to argue right now. "I definitely don't want you to be someone else."

[futaille]

"There we are, then. Resolved."

[vineleaves]

He lays his head on Grantaire's chest, snuggling a bit into the scars that brought him here.

[futaille]

Grantaire settles in comfortably at that, lifting his hand to card his fingers lightly through Dionysus's hair.

[vineleaves]

He lets out a pleased sort of hum and closes his eyes.

[futaille]

"I'm glad I'm not someone else too, you know. Especially at times like this."

[vineleaves]

"This would be a very bad time for the mansion spirits to decide to pull shenanigans again and swap you out with an alternate universe version of yourself again."

[futaille]

"Oh, what do you think it would be this time? If the last time was a future me, maybe the next time would be one from the past. Perhaps I'd be a gallant chevalier."

[vineleaves]

"Maybe you'd be from as long ago as that mortal version of me was," he says, and then immediately remembers how Grantaire looked when the two of them swapped outfits that day and has to lean up and kiss him about it.

[futaille]

"Perhaps!" He kisses him back, of course, even if he doesn't know exactly what brought it on. "Oh! Perhaps I'd be a satyr!"

[vineleaves]

"Oh, that would -- that would be fun --"

[futaille]

He laughs. "Apparently so."

[vineleaves]

He's having a moment, give him some time for his brain to restart itself.

[futaille]

Grantaire promptly gives Dionysus a little nuzzle. "That has certainly distracted you."

[vineleaves]

"You bet it has. Sorry, what were we talking about before?" His mind is 99.9% Sat-aire now. Sétienne?