(Untitled)

[dionysos_evios]

He comes in the lushness of midsummer, his music beating in both slave and lord like a second pulse. Miracles follow him on this day; there is a spring running sweet with wine below the twisted apple tree, and another spring issuing forth milk beside it, and beside that a spring of clean, sweet water. The taps in the Mansion all run red with wine

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[cursed_bent]

Valen spends most of his time outside the mansion, often in the woods. This is where he is when the magic of Dionysos takes hold. The desire to dance is as much a part of Valen as the gards on his skin, and with the music pounding through the earth and his blood he has no reason not to give into it. He hasn't learned much of the dancing of the Danae, so it is a wild jig he dances through the trees, faster with every step, an inhuman sort of grace and agility in his movements. After a time, a long time, he falls breathless to the ground on his back with an exhilarated laugh.

This is good. He needed this. And the wine everywhere won't hurt anything either.

[tomboy_22]

And because Anita was starting to be VERY fed up of being sat on, and even if she is the most exhausted person in the known universe, she'll find him this way, and stay, observing him as she leans on a branch, smiling wide.

Of course, now that she's out, she has no excuse. She'll have to go see Locke. Really.

[cursed_bent]

He feels her there, as he lays sprawled on his back on the ground, and once he's caught his breath he sits up to look at her, gesturing to come over. "Anita!" He calls with a breathless laugh still in his voice. "Come dance with me!"

[tomboy_22]

She closes the distance, and looks at him with a bit of disbelief.

"Dance? Big guy, I don't dance. Whatever got into you?" But she's laughing, already. Because she needs the joy, and seeing Valen happy is... precious.

[cursed_bent]

It's not so much something that's gotten into him as something that's come out of him, the call to dance has been in him his entire life, even before he knew what it was. "Can't you hear it? Listen." He cocks his head slightly, listening, fingers tapping the beat against the ground before he jumps to his feet. "Dance with me," he urges her again, gards glowing more brightly than they have yet, wild life in his eyes.

[tomboy_22]

There's something in him that's definitely beyond Anita's understanding, and something else, still in him, that is completely atune to her.

She can't hear it, not unless it is a physical sound, as faint as it may be, but her black black eyes close to his rhythm, and she holds out her hands.

"Don't promise not to step on your toes," amusedly.

[cursed_bent]

It's not a physical sound (as far as we can tell) but he hears it almost as if it were one, the same as he hears the music the Danae dance to through the earth. He just grins again (still?) and takes her hands, pulling her to him and into the dance.

He'll dance as long as he has no pressing reason to stop. If (when?) Anita gets tired, he may even urge her to stand on his feet while he dances for them both.

[tomboy_22]

It's just too happy, not to allow herself to indulge, too happy, to let Valen feel how really exhausted she constantly is, so she falls into his embrace, and the warmth of him gives her some energy.

It is difficult, for her, to dance to a music she doesn't hear, to dance at all, really, for Anita has no such talent. But she tries, does the best that she can, laughing for him throughout the exercise, letting herself fall a little to the joy of the moment.

[cursed_bent]

He laughs again as they stumble through the dance, he tries briefly to hum something to the rhythem he hears but for all his love of music and dance his voice has been (accurately) compared to a carpenter's rasp, and he gives up after a few bars with another laugh.

The dance will have to end, and for Anita's sake probably sooner rather than later, when it does he picks her up and swings her around once before setting her back on her feet and giving her a friendly kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

[tomboy_22]

His poor attempt at singing (let's not get him and Merlin in the same room, on that score) makes her laugh more wildly, and she gets a little light-headed from the swing.

"You're welcome," she replies, still chuckling. But her hand rests on his shoulder to steady her - she's feeling just a little drunk just now.

[cursed_bent]

It's really a shame about his singing, he can't help but join in when he hears a song he knows being sung in a tavern, but he really isn't any good at it.

He's feeling a little drunk as well, and he hasn't even had any of the wine yet. He keeps his hands at her wiast, holding her close and supporting her if she needs it. Finally, still breathless and with a laugh in his tone, he asks her. "What brings you out here?"

[tomboy_22]

"The need for air," she replies, sweetly. "Been locked up too long. Cal and the others are worried about me, won't let me out."

A little smile. She leans into his warmth. "And I missed you. Kind of was hoping I'd bump into ya."

[cursed_bent]

"Sorry," he says, wrapping his arms around her more securely, possibly still swaying to the music he can feel in his bones. "I'll try to stop by more often." He's been spending what time he can bear inside mostly with Locke. "Will they be looking for you, then?"

[tomboy_22]

"It's okay," she says, softly. "Just come by and get me, spare me the trouble of looking for you. Then take me out. I can use the fresh air too..."

The swaying is strangely comforting, even if she can't hear the music.

"Cal will be, I'm sure. Poor darling." A sigh. "How's Locke?"

[cursed_bent]

He nods. "Of course. I'll do that."

"Locke's fine, he's letting me ask Jaenelle to take a look at the wounds. I'm hoping she'll be able to do something to heal them more quickly. He won't panic this time, since he'll know what's going on."

[tomboy_22]

"I'm glad," she might sag a little against him, as if some weight was lifting off her shoulders.

"I miss my moron, you know." She closes her eyes. "How's Jaenelle?" Because another person she's worried about and isn't looking up because of locked up and because, well, Jaenelle. Lucivar. You know.