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]

"Aww, thank you, dear. Years of practice, you know."

'Years' is a bit of an understatement.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Hundreds of years, I imagine."

[vineleaves]

"Calling me out for being old, I see," he says, pretending to take offense.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Bacchus," she says, playfully putting a hand on his chest, as if to soothe him... and leaving it there. "That's not what I meant at all."

[vineleaves]

"Oh, it wasn't?" He casually lifts one of his hands to cover Susan's. Casually. "That's good, I suppose. I am, after all, positively youthful compared to a lot of gods."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan's fingers flex under his and she draws a step closer, making direct eye contact. "I'm quite inclined to agree," she says. "Your vitality and experience seem, to me, rather evenly matched."

[vineleaves]

He leans in closer as well. Susan's a bit taller, but more or less a match for his height, so their faces are automatically pretty close to one another like this. "Well, I thank you for the compliment, dear."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan sways closer still. "In the interest of honesty," she says, setting her other hand carefully at his waist, "I should like to kiss you."

[vineleaves]

"I was hoping so," he says warmly before wrapping his other arm around her back to draw her even closer into a kiss.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

He's so tremendously attractive, dressed like this and dancing in this manner, and such a lovely, attentive kisser. Susan does genuinely want to learn more of the dance, too, but he is awfully distracting, and she is awfully interested. She leans into the kiss, responding in a way that can really only be described as 'eager.'

[vineleaves]

He's pretty sure the dance lesson has concluded for now, or at the very least it has been significantly paused, so he deepens the kiss, one hand going up to her hair while the other stays on her lower back, fingernails lightly tracing designs right above the band of her costume pants.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

This is ever so lovely. Susan presses closer, trailing her fingers through his hair, as well - but not so vigorously that she dislodges his bun. The chains of his belt are clinking together, a pleasant little counterpoint to the sound of their mouths.

[vineleaves]

He pulls back from the kiss enough to ask, "D'you want to go somewhere a little, ah, softer?" Like with a bed or a sofa, perhaps.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I very much would," says Susan immediately. "Have you got a place in mind?"

[vineleaves]

"I do, actually. One of my favorite rooms!" It's the room with all of the giant plush cushions and sofas, where he had the post-Dark party last year.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Then," stealing one more kiss, "lead the way, if you please."