[Mingler] The Death of Agrippina

[cyranosavignien]

It's been a long time coming - many hurdles have delayed the event, but it has finally happened. Posters have been put up in various places throughout the Mansion throughout the past few weeks, from the moment that the date was set.
The Death of Agrippina
A tragedy in 5 acts
Caesar Tiberius holds Rome in the palm of his firm hands. General Germanicus

Comments

[ofsandandstone]

Lystra's here too, of course. She's been looking forward to the play for a long time, and there's no way she would miss it. Tyan remained mercifully quiet throughout and actually slept through most of the performance.

She can be found lingering in the ballroom afterwards, practically walking on air because she thought the whole thing was so wonderful. Tyan has woken up and is toddling after her, rather unsteady on his feet because he hasn't quite got the hang of it yet.

[surfaceshine]

Because Dean is not the man he once was, it's still Tyan that he greets first, because kids still think he's awesome and he's pretty pleased with them, too.

"Hey, toughstuff - did you understand a word of that?" he asks Tyan loudly, separating from the crowd to crouch before the boy before grinning up at Lystra broadly. "Oh, hey there, sweetheart," he adds, feigning afterthought.

[ofsandandstone]

Lystra's face brightens when she hears that voice. "Dean!"

She's always happy to see you, Dean. Even more so today, because she's in a really good mood, and you just called her 'sweetheart'.

[surfaceshine]

"The one and only." It's really, really fortunate that she finds that endearing, because we haven't found a way to discourage him from doing it reliably yet. His expression had been pretty sincere to start with, but it warms and the grin somehow settles more comfortably over his features when she doesn't react badly. He stands, and thinks about ruffling Tyan's hair, but his fingers don't so much as twitch away from his side.

He glances her over with a low whistle, appreciative but not, for once, on the sleazy side. "You are gonna give someone a heart attack, I swear. You havin' fun?"

[ofsandandstone]

"Dean, why would I give anybody a heart attack?" She's pretending she has no idea what he's talking about.

[surfaceshine]

Dean can play that game, too. In fact, he's happy to; she's been kind to him, and he's in a good mood, and he used to know how to do this. He holds one hand out, palm up, in invitation for one of hers.

"Visions tend to do that to people, I've found," he cheeses. "And I've got the experience to back that up."

[ofsandandstone]

Lystra takes his hand and smiles. "I don't think I know what you're talking about."

[surfaceshine]

"Mm," Dean agrees, lifting her hand to kiss the back of it playfully. He's not normally a romantic, but he knows a few tricks. "I like 'em coy."

Once upon a time, this is where he would've seriously set himself to the task of finding company however Lystra would allow him to; these days, though, he blows the grin up to a more impish expression and goes for playful instead of serious. "You get a night to yourself? Where's the kiddo?"

[ofsandandstone]

He's, er, around somewhere? Perhaps he's wandered off unnoticed while they were talking.

"Tyan?" Lystra asks, glancing over her shoulder at where he was a moment ago.

He hasn't gotten very far. He's only wandered off a little way through the crowd, where he's found a chair and started shaking it so it rattles against the floor.

[surfaceshine]

Dean likes kids and he knows Tyan is going to be Lystra's priority as long as he's around; but he wasn't trying to sidetrack completely onto the boy. The hunter leans slightly to observe the fight with the chair, and nods approvingly.

"Get 'em, tiger. He'll be moving on to couches and coffee tables any day now, the way he's handling that chair," Dean jokes.

[ofsandandstone]

"I think he's becoming dangerous," Lystra jokes along.

[surfaceshine]

"Nah," replies Dean, waving a hand dismissively. "Just ready. You won't need your professional guard much longer at this rate."

[ofsandandstone]

Lystra giggles. "If I'm ever attacked by a chair, he'll be able to defend me."

[surfaceshine]

Dean raises one eyebrow, but he's still in the joking mood.

"If you're ever attacked by a chair, you holler for me. That shit's supposed to be stationary," he says, smirking. "But he'll hold it off until I can get there."

[ofsandandstone]

Lystra giggles. She thinks this mental image is hilarious. "Have you ever fought a chair before?"

[surfaceshine]

"Chairs, couches, duvets, daybeds, coffee tables, some shit I've never even heard of - you name it, I've thrown down with it," he grins back. He should be kidding more than he actually is.