Topic: Assurance

Seren Lowell

Date: 2016-05-03 20:24 EST
Home can mean many things. Home can be a place; four walls and a roof, a strong door to keep the world outside. Home can be a person; the one person with whom you can be entirely yourself with no artifice. Home can even be an idea; that untouchable ideal held in the mind that remains inviolate.

But for one couple, newly met and newly mated, home was each other, and for now, it was contained in a tiny house upon the crowded bank of the river that ran through Rhy'Din city. Even more localized ....right at this moment, as afternoon slid delicately into dusk, home was a tangle of sheets and limbs, smiles and kisses.

Seren breathed Dorian in, longing to tell him how he made her feel, how he calmed the animal inside her that had no outlet. But for now, she kept her tongue still, waiting for him to regain his strength after their very busy afternoon together.

For Dorian, too, home could have many meanings. Home was the caravan, where he and his friends lived while they were traveling from destination to destination. Home was the tent where the little troupe practiced and performed for an audience. Home was the place where he'd grown up as a boy - a place he had left years ago when it had grown too small to hold his imagination. Home was in the arms of the woman he loved, even if he'd only met her a few hours earlier. Home was, someone wise had once said, where the heart is - or maybe it was with the one who held your heart.

Dorian had done a good job of keeping his illness a secret from those around him. Even those closest him suspected nothing was amiss, but he could not keep it secret from Seren. It was almost as if she had seen right through him right from the start, understanding him like no one ever had before. He had given her everything a man could give, and yet, he was only human. There had been a time when he could make love to a woman all night without tiring, but no more. He had done his best to keep up with her, but it had cost him, and now as he lay there in her bed, he barely had the strength to remain awake.

He dozed briefly, warm and content and trusting that she wouldn't abandon him, and when his eyes opened again, it was to find her watching him with an intensity that surprised and startled him.

She saw the surprise in his eyes, her smile softening the intense expression on her face as she gently traced his cheek with her fingertips. "Sorry," she murmured, the warmth in her voice his to enjoy, his to understand as love for him alone. "Didn't mean to startle you."

"You didn't startle me," he corrected, shifting slightly as if to stretch his limbs to work out the ache that had settled in his legs and arms. "I drifted off, didn't I?" he asked, realizing he'd fallen asleep. Gods, that was a romance killer, wasn't it' Drifting off to sleep when you had a beautiful woman beside you.

"Only for a little while," she assured him. "You needed it." Easing closer, her tousle of deep red hair falling over her shoulder, she touched a tender kiss to his lips, nuzzling to him for a long moment. "You weren't asleep long, don't worry about it."

"Gods, you're beautiful," he thought aloud, clearly a little in wonder of her, as he lifted a trembling hand to touch her hair and trace the curve of her cheek. "Have I already died and gone to heaven?" he asked, a faint smile on his face.

"Not funny," she told him, though she was smiling with him, nipping the end of his nose for the gentle tease. "How do you feel" Is it time to feed you?"

"Are you going to take care of me now?" he asked, a hint of amusement lighting his eyes at her question, chuckling a little as she nipped his nose. He wasn't worried about getting back to the troupe anytime soon. He'd called and explained as much as he could without telling them too much, and they knew him well enough to know it must be a woman that had distracted and delayed him. If he stayed away too long, they'd come looking, but for now, he was safe.

"Are you planning on arguing if I say yes?" Seren countered, her eyes bright as she smiled at him. Herself, she wasn't needed at the studio until tomorrow afternoon, and she was prepared to discount certain clients whose photographs she was supposed to be editing right now. This, and Dorian, was far more important.

"No," he replied, a little surprised to hear himself say it, though it was easy to say when all she was asking about was a meal. He wasn't so sure about the coming weeks and months when it would become more and more difficult for him to take care of himself, but he didn't want to think about that right now. Still, there was a lot that remained unsaid between them. "What did you have in mind?" he asked, touching a finger to her nose, as she had done his.

She had to think about that one, trying to remember what was in her cupboards. "Um ....bacon, eggs, tomato, toast?" she suggested, fairly sure she'd be able to produce something approximating a cooked breakfast, even if it was for dinner. "There might be some sausages down there, too." A wicked little smirk flickered on her face as her gaze also flickered along his form. "In the kitchen, I mean."

"Sounds good," he replied, stretching his limbs to relieve the ache before curling his arms around her. He chuckled at her flirtation, already easy in one another's company. "I hope you're not planning on putting it between two slices of bread."

"Swallow it whole, more like," she laughed, nestling into his arms once again. She would get up at some point, but for now, she was warm and comfortable and safe, and she didn't want to abandon that feeling too soon. "Would you prefer toast, or fried bread?"

He laughed. "Well, at least that still works," he said, making a joke at his own expense. "I would prefer to stay here in your arms forever, but I suppose that doesn't really answer your question, does it?" he asked, his expression all at once teasing and serious.

She growled teasingly, half-warning against that sort of joke, even as her lips touched his throat tenderly once more. "Well, there's no rule that says you have to stay up here when I go downstairs," she pointed out. "You might not have noticed when we came in, but there are these things we call chairs down there that will carry your weight for you so you don't have to stand up all the time."

"I wasn't planning on staying here. Where you go, I follow," he told her, sucking in a breath when he felt her lips touch his throat, parts of his body betraying him at the brief caress. "I just don't want this moment to end just yet," he told her with a small frown. If he could, he would freeze this moment in time forever. "Ask you something?"

"It won't end until we're hungry enough to have to move," she promised him, propping her head up onto her hand to look down at him curiously. No doubt he had a great many questions; she could only hope she would be able to answer them for him. "You can ask me anything, Dorian."

He frowned up at her, a serious expression on his face, even if the question he was about to ask seemed rather whimsical. "This is gonna sound silly, but if you had three wishes, what would they be?" he asked, dark eyes looking up at her as he if was trying to memorize her face in detail.

Seren Lowell

Date: 2016-05-03 20:24 EST
"Three wishes?" Well, she hadn't been expecting that, but it was an intriguing question. "I've never really thought about it. I guess ..." She frowned thoughtfully, though in truth, the question didn't require any thought at all. "Well, I'd wish to find my brother safe and well. I'd wish for you to be safe and well. And I'd wish to stay with you for the rest of my life."

He blinked up at her, startled once again to find her wishes were almost identical to his, with a few minor differences; but it was the word "brother" that gave him pause, his expression turning curious, puzzled even. "Brother" You have a brother?" he asked. "I thought you said you were an orphan."

"No, I said I was put in an orphanage when I arrived here," she corrected him with a faint smile. "I have three brothers and a sister, actually, but only one brother that I want to reconnect with. My childhood wasn't the happiest, but he protected me and looked after me. I haven't seen him in almost fifteen years."

Clearly her upbringing had been entirely different from his - entirely different from anything he'd ever heard of, but then she wasn't human, at least, not entirely. "I'm sorry," he said, looking about as confused as he felt. "I'm confused. Maybe you should start at the beginning," he told her. Or maybe she should explain over dinner, he thought as he did his best to ignore the rumblings of his stomach.

She smiled, leaning down to kiss him. "Put your pants on, I'll talk while I'm cooking," she suggested, slithering reluctantly away from him in the tangle of sheets to reach for her pajamas. They were exactly where she had left them that morning - in a pile next to the bed - but they would keep her modest enough while she was cooking.

He returned her kiss, reluctant to let her get away, and yet, one really couldn't live on love alone. At some point, they had to leave the love-nest and eat; the bed would still be there when they were finished. The more he got to know her, the more intriguing she seemed. They both had their secrets, and yet, his life seemed so ordinary compared to hers. Who would have thought he'd end up with someone like her" It seemed it was time to swap life stories, or at least, the important parts, and then they'd go from there. He watched her a moment with an admiring gaze while she dressed. Clothed or unclothed, there was no other word for her but beautiful. He rolled toward the edge of the bed, reaching for the pants he'd left in a pile of the floor. There wasn't much point in bothering with a shirt, but he'd feel awkward without pants.

Strange that he should think her beautiful. It wasn't a word she applied to herself, but it was a word she would apply to him. He was beautiful, to her. Wounded and haunted and beautiful. Shaking her hair from the neck of her shirt, she glanced back to offer him her hand, leading the way back down the stairs and to the street level of her little house, where the kitchen resided. "Are you familiar with what happens when a bloodline inbreeds too much?" she asked him curiously. It might have seemed an odd question, but it had relevance to the story she was about to tell.

He managed to get his pants on without much trouble, leaving his feet bare and taking her hand to follow her back down the stairs to the kitchen. His illness wasn't readily apparent, unless one knew what to look for, but he'd been assured it would only get worse. That wasn't what he wanted to talk about right now, though he couldn't ignore it forever. "In theory," he replied. "It increases the chances for genetic disorders, I think," he admitted, though he wasn't quite sure where she was going with that or what it had to do with her.

"Genetic disorders, congenital psychoses, and even little things like flat feet," she nodded, gesturing toward the table and chairs. "Make yourself comfortable." As she opened the fridge, she went on. "I was born into a werewolf pack that believed very strongly in never watering down the bloodline. So they mated with each other, and over the generations, each litter became less and less ....predictable. There were five born into my litter. Only two of us were true werewolves, able to change shape and be controlled by the pack leader."

He might have asked if she needed help, but she seemed to have things in hand, and he hadn't learned his way around her kitchen yet. Or at least, those were the excuses he made for himself, as he gratefully dropped into that chair. "And the others?" he asked, almost afraid to ask, knowing she was one of them, as was her brother. She'd already dropped a few hints about it in the park earlier, but he'd been too worried about Zane to have absorbed what she'd said.

"We were freaks," she shrugged, long since having accepted the term. "Lyall was the first one it showed up in - he changed completely unexpectedly when we were around five, and he never came back. He went wolf, and as far as I know, he's still there. Last I heard, he was a champion sheepdog." She flashed Dorian a faint smile. "He seemed happy, once he was away from the pack, anyway." As she spoke, she was busily setting bacon to fry in a pan on the stove. "I never changed. I never showed even the slightest inclination toward changing. I still smell like a wolf, because I am a wolf. I'm just a human wolf. The full moon has never affected me, and it never will. But there is a chance that any child I have will be a true morphic, a true werewolf. And Emrys ..." She sighed softly, pain touching her features as she thought on her favorite brother. "He's even more complicated than I am."

To his credit, he remained quiet while she explained, letting her tell him as much as she wanted with interrupting, without asking questions. He didn't doubt what she told him, though it seemed hard to believe she was not as human as he was. As far as he was concerned, she wasn't a freak, no matter how much inbreeding was involved. It was no fault of her own, after all, anymore than it was that of her siblings that they'd been born as they were. He knew others might not share his thoughts, but he had good reason to think differently on the matter. "Not so complicated," he mused aloud. "So, you don't change and the moon has no effect on you. So what? That makes you practically as human as I am. What's so bad about that?"

"My blood's as pure as theirs, but because I don't change, I'm not one of them," she tried to explain. "I was an embarrassment. They only kept me alive because they might have been able to breed true from me. And Emrys ....Well, Emrys tipped the scales. He didn't change until we were thirteen, but the only thing about him that changed was his mind." Brushing her hair out of her face, she looked over at Dorian, hoping he understood. "He was a wolf in a man's body. And he attacked me, because I was the closest vulnerable body to him. I almost died that night, and I'm sure they told him that I did. But I know he's still alive, and I know he's on Rhy'Din somewhere. I just need to find him."

"Gods," he whispered, mostly to himself, his face turning pale. He'd boasted that he wasn't afraid of anything and he wasn't. He'd made his peace with the Grim Reaper already, but he couldn't say the same when it came to someone he cared about. "So you can tell him you're not dead, that he didn't kill you, and that he's not alone," he said, understanding perhaps a little too well. "How do you know he's still ..." He trailed off, remembering something Zane had said. "What if he hasn't mastered it yet' He might attack you again."

"Well, this is where it gets weird," Seren admitted, though she had a feeling the story was weird enough without the little twist she was about to share. "The only reason I survived that night is because he saved me. Him and his mate. But, get this ....it wasn't the Emrys I knew. It was an older version of him, and he had complete control. He was even shifting like a normal werewolf. His mate was a werecat, and if they hadn't been there, I would have died. Instead, they knocked my Emrys out, and they brought me through some kind of special portal. They patched me up, and left me here, in the city."

"They left you alone" Why?" he asked, rubbing at his temple as her story was definitely more complicated than he thought. Fortunately, he'd heard stranger stories, but it still boggled the mind. "If it was an older version of Emrys, then ..." Well, there was only one thing that explained that, and he wasn't sure he wanted to wrap his head around that one.

"Because I told them to, apparently," she chuckled. "It was the right call, obviously. I got through school, I got a job, I got a loan, I set up my business. I did all of that on my own. And sometime soon I'm going to find my brother again, and he'll save my life when we're thirteen, and stay friends in the here and now." As Dorian groped for the answer, she smiled faintly. "I know, time travel isn't exactly the easiest thing to wrap your head around. How do you like your eggs?"

Seren Lowell

Date: 2016-05-03 20:25 EST
He shook his head, as if to shake the rattle of confusion from his brain, frowning in confusion. If it hadn't been for Rhy'Din, he might not have believed her. He'd known time travel was possible, but it seemed almost too easy. It wouldn't solve his own problems, though. They were both proof that genetic disorders weren't that easily cured, even on Rhy'Din. "I, uh ....Doesn't matter," he replied. How he liked his eggs was about the last thing on his mind right now. "You realize how easily this could all come untangled?" he asked her. One wrong move, one miscalculation, and it could spell tragedy for all of them. Knowing what had happened in the past didn't ensure anything if it depended on the future. "What about Zane?" he asked. "Where's he fit into all this?"

"Oh, believe me, I know," she nodded. "That's why I haven't been pushing to find Emrys. I know it'll happen, but if it hasn't happened by the time I'm thirty, I'll really start pushing for it. But that scent Zane picked up ....there's only one person who might smell like me." She shrugged, breaking eggs into the pan to cook alongside the bacon and tomato. "Zane ....I met him on the streets, when I first arrived here," she explained. "He wanted his pack to take me in, but they decided not to. They got me a place at a good orphanage, and they paid for my schooling. I've paid them back by now, but Zane decided around about the time we were sixteen that he was going to mate with me. He's been pushing for that for about a decade. I'm just lucky that there's a certain code of honor that prevents him from doing it by force. If he tried it, his own parents would kill him."

He'd gotten the feeling from his one and only interaction with the man that he was used to getting what he wanted and that Seren didn't share his feelings, whatever those were. "And you think he'd like to get rid of the competition?" he guessed. It didn't take a genius to figure out why the man held such animosity for him if he'd been wanting to mate with Seren for over a decade.

"He's done it before." Seren's shoulders sagged as she looked down into the pan, watching he spitting fat for a long moment. "It wasn't serious, I wasn't in love," she told Dorian quietly. "We were just kids, having fun. But Zane didn't like that. Day before my eighteenth birthday, Kai's body was found in the middle of Founder's Park. Animal attack, it was put down as. We knew it was Zane. His pack disowned him straightaway. He's a lone wolf now, has been for almost a decade. And he still won't leave me alone."

"There's a word for that, Seren. It's called murder," Dorian said, an edge in his voice that might be interpreted as anger, though it went deeper than that. Murder in Rhy'Din, however, was often hard to get anyone to take seriously and even harder to prove. He drew a slow breath, his tone softening. It wasn't her fault and he wasn't angry with her. "Do you think he'll come after me?" he asked bluntly, understanding now why she had told him she'd understand if he walked away.

She was quiet for a long moment, ostensibly examining the toast under the grill while she put her thoughts in order. "Yeah, I do," she said eventually. "I think he'll try and distract me, try and get me away from you, and then he'll attack you. So I'm not leaving you alone, not if I don't have to."

His body might have been failing him, but his mind was still as sharp as a tack, the wheels turning in his head as his brain absorbed everything she was telling him. There was something that she was missing - some tiny detail that had the potential to change everything. "Did your future brother say what had happened to you in his time" What had happened to me" Did he say how he had managed to gain control and learn how to change" Think, Seren," he urged her gently. "It could be important."

She was quiet as she served out their meal, deep in thought, wracking her brain to try and discover that one small detail he seemed to be searching for. Moving to sit with him, pouring milk into a couple of glasses, she shook her head. "I-I don't remember much," she admitted in defeat. "I was injured, in a lot of pain. I remember his mate healing me, and I remember him telling me not to look for him until I was his age. He said something about not worrying about Zane. I didn't understand at the time, and ....well, I still don't understand that part. He said my future was beautiful, that I would have everything I had ever wished for." Her smile softened as she looked over at Dorian. "I guess he meant you."

But instead of looking relieved, Dorian only looked more puzzled and worried than before. "Seren, I have an inherited genetic illness that's going to cause my body to waste away to nothing. I'm managing for now, but it's going to get worse and when it does, I'm going to go downhill fast. Time is not on my side. I've seen countless doctors and healers. There's nothing they can do. Zane can't hurt me. I'm already dead, but your brother ..." He trailed off, unsure if he should go any farther.

"What about my brother?" she asked, raising a brow as he trailed off. She had a feeling she knew where he was going with this, but she didn't even know where her brother was right now. Would they be able to find him in time"

"If your brother can't shift, he could be in danger. And if he can ..." He trailed off again, hardly believing he'd even dare to suggest this. "He could turn me, and then Zane and I would be equal," he suggested quietly. Of course, there were other options. There was always silver, but Dorian didn't like the idea of killing the man in cold blood, werewolf or not. And then there was her brother's mate. A werecat, she'd said. Where did she fit into all this, he wondered.

"Uh ..." Seren blinked, having to change several mental gears to be able to follow all that. "Y-you ....you want to be turned?" she asked, needing to get that part clear in her mind before they even began to touch on how her brother might be involved in all this.

"Do you have a better idea?" he asked, almost forgetting the food in front of him. He frowned suddenly, realizing it was probably a stupid idea. He'd seen enough horror movies to know he didn't want to live his life a slave to the phases of the moon and killing innocent people. "Never mind. It was a stupid idea," he said, picking up a fork and poking at his eggs.

"No! No, it's not a stupid idea, it's just ..." Seren sighed, trying to get her thoughts together. "People usually don't ask to be turned. I don't think I've ever met anyone who was voluntarily turned. It's usually an accident, or the result of an attack, and they really struggle to adapt to that life. I mean, for the first few months, at least, you'd be tied to the full moon. One night a month, you'd shift and you'd have no control over that. I do know that people learn control, and for the most part, they can shift whenever they like, but I think it's more painful for anyone who wasn't born to it. It's a big change. But ..." She bit her lip. "You'd heal. The only things that might kill you would be silver, or fire, or another were."

"I don't understand any of this," he said quietly, feeling emotional again once she was finished explaining. When he lifted his head to her, his eyes were shining suspiciously, struggling with a decision he never thought possible - a decision between life and death. "I made my peace with the Grim Reaper. I was okay with dying, until I met you. I came here to find my own brother before it's too late, but now ..." He shrugged. "I don't want to die, Seren. Not anymore. Not now that I've met you."

"Wait ....your own brother?" she asked, surprised. "You're in Rhy'Din to find a brother, too?" Coincidence could only be taken so far before it became one big conspiracy on the part of the multiverse in her opinion. "All right, putting aside your brother for now ..." She reached over to take his hand. "Dorian, I never said I wouldn't be overjoyed if you chose to be turned. But I haven't found Emrys yet. I don't know if he has control yet. But I would be willing to ask, if you want me to. I know the Brambles Orchard, sort of. Well, where it is, anyway. I could pick up the scent, and if it is his, we could ....we could visit."

Seren Lowell

Date: 2016-05-03 20:25 EST
He drew a deep breath as he tried to regain control of his emotions. This day had been like a roller coaster ride for his nerves. Whatever masks they'd been hiding behind when they'd first met were gone, and there was nothing left to hide behind. "What if I'm getting my hopes up for nothing?" he asked, unable to hide that fear from her. He'd been there before. He'd tried everything, but nothing had worked, until he'd finally resigned himself to the fact that he would simply enjoy what time he had left and make sure at least his brother knew of his existence.

She bit her lip, squeezing his hand. "His mate is a healer," she reminded him gently. "Even if nothing can be done, she might be able to make it easier for you. And nothing will take me away from you, Dorian. Nothing can do that. I will be with you for the rest of your life, no matter how long that might be."

Or short, he wanted to remind her, but he didn't. He had told her the truth, and still she had remained, standing by him, even when she hardly knew him yet. "How'd I get so lucky to find you?" he asked, unable to hide the tears from his eyes or his voice.

Seren smiled, the expression tender on her face. "Well, I would say you smelled just right, but that doesn't sound very complimentary," she told him, easing up from her place to move about and embrace him where he sat. "I need you," she whispered against his hair. "I think I'm the lucky one here."

He slid his arms around her, nuzzling his face against her neck. It had been too long since he'd felt this way, since he'd felt this safe with anyone. Maybe he never had. It was almost too much to take in, and his head was spinning like a drunkard. He was shaking again, trembling like a leaf on a tree, but it wasn't fear that was causing it, but joy.

She kissed his hair, her hand gentle as she stroked his back. "I am yours," she told him softly. "You are mine. Nothing is going to change that, not even death." Gently drawing back, she looked down at him with a tender smile. "So what are you doing tomorrow evening?"

"Tomorrow evening?" he asked, lifting his head to look up at her, not even bothering to wipe the tears from his face. He wasn't sure what she was asking him, other than that she wanted him there with her. He wasn't going anywhere, not anymore.

"Fancy a trip to the Brambles?" she asked, gently wiping the tears from his cheeks herself. If it had been her alone, it would have taken her weeks to work up the courage to investigate. But Dorian needed to know, just as much as she did. It was all the motivation she needed.

"To meet your brother and his mate," he said, as if he needed confirmation. If she had been anyone else, he would have been ashamed of his tears, but for some reason, he wasn't. It was like she'd said - he could just be himself with her. "On one condition," he told her. "You come with me when I go see my own brother."

"Yes." There was nothing else she could have said, nothing else she would have said. "Of course I'll come with you." Bending, she kissed him softly. "Eat your dinner." With a wink, she moved away, sitting down at her own place once more. "And tell me about your brother."

His lips were soft but salty with tears as he returned her kiss. He drew another breath to collect himself, scrubbing a hand across his face to wipe the rest of his tears and clearing his throat once she had returned to her seat. "My brother," he echoed, not quite sure where to begin. The irony of it all hadn't struck him quite yet, but it would before long. He picked up his fork, determined to eat before his dinner got too cold, even if his appetite had abandoned him. "He's my twin."

"Does he know you're here?" she asked, using her toast to mop up the juices left on her own plate. They hadn't been huge portions, but enough to keep them both going, for now.

"I don't know. I don't think so. I don't even know if he knows I exist," Dorian said, cutting into his eggs as he contemplated her question with furrowed brows. "We were separated at birth. I didn't even know he existed until recently."

"Oh." She was surprised by that, though her own story was similar, in a way. "How did you find him?" That was genuine curiosity, wanting to know more about Dorian, the way he thought and felt, his own wishes.

"I've always known I was adopted. My parents didn't keep that a secret. My mother used to tell me I was special because I was chosen. She used to say anyone could have a baby, but of all the children in the world, she and my father had chosen me." He smiled at the memory of it, a little bittersweet. "When I found out I was sick, the doctors asked if I had any family. Blood relatives. Siblings." He look at her with an infinitely sad look on his face. "It's hereditary. I had no idea, so I dug into the records and found out I have a twin. I'm not sure if I'm bringing him good news or bad."

"Your mother sounds like a wonderful person," Seren smiled, glad he'd had a happy childhood, at the very least. His uncertain sadness made her frown a little. "It's good news," she told him firmly. "He has an amazing brother, who happens to be his twin. And he gets warning, so that if he develops this" He'll know what?s happening. He'll be able to prepare himself in a way that you couldn't."

"Maybe," he said, with regard to his brother. He was obviously nervous about the meeting, but determined to go through with it. They were brothers and his twin deserved to know that. He smiled a little at the mention of his mother, choosing to focus on that, rather than the sad news he'd have to share with his brother. "She was a very special person. Dad, too. I was very lucky to have them."

"Did they encourage you to go into acting?" she asked him, wanting to help him focus on those happier memories. Though there might be some sadness in remembering, if he could smile at the past, then it was worth thinking about.

"They encouraged me to do anything I wanted to do," he explained, a faint smile curling his lips. "Well, almost. I mean, I took the violin for about six months before they decided I had no musical talent whatsoever. Ironic, isn't it' Apparently, my brother is a musician. He works at the Shanachie. Plays the cello or something." He shrugged as he turned back to his dinner and pushed some bread through his eggs.

Seren eyed him for a moment. "The cello?" She'd worked with the Shanachie a few times in the past, and she'd seen the band in action during rehearsals and performances. A slow smile touched her face. "Wait right there." Waving a hand for him to finish eating, she rose hurriedly, scurrying over to the bureau in the corner of the room. "I save everything I get from a night out, so it's got to be in here somewhere ....aha!" She came up with a program, waving it triumphantly over her head as she came back to the table. It was for Les Miserables, the first show of the Shanachie's 2015-2016 season, and contained pictures and short bios of everyone involved, band included.

Seren Lowell

Date: 2016-05-03 20:26 EST
He watched her curiously as she darted away from the table, assuming she was up to something, though he wasn't sure what. She'd mentioned taking photos for the theater in the past, but that was before she'd known he had a brother who worked there. "What are you ..." he asked inquisitively, forgetting his dinner, which was mostly eaten anyway.

"One of my colleagues did the actual headshots, but everyone is in here," Seren told him, flipping through the program. "The first musical of every season, the Shanachie makes sure they include the band in the program ....here he is." She turned the program about, handing it to Dorian with a smile.

"Oh," he mumbled quietly as he took the program from her, almost afraid to look at it, though he wasn't sure why. This was in part what he'd come to the city - to meet the brother he'd never known and to get to know him before it was too late, but there was something else, too. He didn't need to ask which photo was that of his brother - it was almost like looking at himself. There were subtle differences, of course. Neville wore his hair different and he was clean-shaven, but there was no denying they were not only brothers, but twins. Dorian skimmed the bio, but it didn't really tell him anything he didn't know already. "It's really him," he murmured further, his vision blurring unexpectedly.

"It really is," she agreed softly, letting him gaze at the picture for as long as he wanted to. She could well imagine what he was feeling; though he had never met his brother, she could tell that it was a longing that came from deep inside him. She could relate to that feeling.

"What am I supposed to say to him?" Dorian mused aloud, more to himself than to her. What would either of them say to their sibling when they met at long last' Her brother thought she was dead, and his brother more than likely didn't even know he existed. "I wish I was meeting him under better circumstances," he said with a sigh as he set the program on the table. "Would you mind if I kept this?" he asked, not quite trusting his voice.

"Of course I don't mind." Seren's smile was gentle as she reached over to touch his hand. "It seems as though we have a busy week ahead of us," she said, half-wary, and half-hopeful. "My brother tomorrow, hopefully, and yours a little after. Not to mention work and play, and a lot of time spent naked with each other."

He smiled as she touched his hand and reminded him what he had to look forward to in upcoming days and weeks ahead. He claimed he wasn't a coward, and yet he'd been procrastinating about meeting his brother, but with Seren's encouragement and support, he couldn't procrastinate any longer. No matter how sad their circumstances, there was still a lot to live for, and he planned on making the most of the time he had left. "Tell me more about this time spent naked together," he told her, turning a smile her way.

Her smile deepened, growing sultry as she leaned toward him. "I could tell you all about it," she admitted teasingly, "but I've always been more of a show, rather than tell, kind of person." Green eyes sparkling impishly, she slipped from her chair to insert herself into his lap, pressing her lips to his in a toe-curling kiss.

It had only been a few hours since they'd met - less than a day - and yet, for the first time in his life, he felt like he was right where he belonged. Whatever it was he'd been searching for all these years, she was it - or at least, part of it. How unfair was it that he'd found her now when his time was running out, and yet, this was Rhy'Din and miracles were not out of the question. And so, the kiss he gave her wasn't only full of passion but hope, too.

She felt that hope, passing it back to him with everything she had to give. Like him, she had been alone for too long, skipping from one short relationship to the next, never long enough for more than harmless fun. And yet with Dorian, she had known almost as soon as he'd sat down beside her. She was his, and he was hers, and no matter how long they had together, be it a few weeks or a lifetime, she would make sure that he knew he was loved. And he would do the same for her.