She was young, she was wild…

[crownedmostholy]

Unexpected things happen when you’re married to a god. It must be said, therefore, that Ariadne is not entirely surprised when she finds herself in a new place. It is plain enough to see that is not the Underworld, though Pluto and Persephone’s gardens are impressive, they certainly do not hold a candle to anything one can find in the mortal realms. She is in a garden, she can tell that much; but it has been so long since she has felt the warmth of the sun¹ that she cannot help but linger in it for a while before she sets to business. Ariadne is clever enough to realize that when unexpected things happen, her husband is usually somewhere at the center of it, and in a new place (without some yarn to guide the way), the best thing for her to do is wait. Surely he’ll be along sooner or later. She sits in the gardens, then, enjoying the too-long-missed feeling of the sun in her hair and the smell of flowers, awaiting the presence of Dionysus.

It’s getting cooler out, and as a result Dionysus is spending fewer hours each day outside. Once he finally thinks the sun has warmed things sufficiently for him to handle it, he heads outside, and as he approaches his garden he immediately regrets not coming out earlier.

For a moment he can’t believe what he’s seeing. He forgets to breathe, he wants to cry, and he’s not even sure how exactly he crosses the distance to her but suddenly he’s there, she’s there, he’s wrapping shaking arms around her and pulling her in for a very, very deep kiss.

She makes a slightly startled (if pleased) noise at the sudden arms and the kiss, wrapping her own arms around his waist with a smile. “Hello, dear.”

He draws back from the kiss just far enough to rest their foreheads together, both of his hands cupping her face. He can’t bear to stop touching her, to stop looking at her, because then she might cease to be. “You’re here,” he says. “You’re really here?”

“Yes,” she says simply, nuzzling a little closer. “Not – not permanently, I think this is just a visit. But it’s better than nothing.” It’s better than the underworld. Come to think of it, she’s certain it’s not the underworld, but she doesn’t exactly know where she’s ended up. “Where are we?”

Not permanently. Ah. So this is just… just what, exactly? It feels crueler than the normal pranks the mansion plays on them. It feels more wonderful than the normal gifts the mansion gives them. To only have her for a day. Well, it’s longer than the, what, five minutes they had twenty years ago? He should be grateful. He is grateful. He wants to scream and argue and fight with the mansion spirits to let it be longer than a day, please let it be longer than a day, she was so young when she died.

Rather than answer her question, he gives her another long kiss, then finally says, “Don’t know. A bunch of people just sort of… wind up here. Different dimensions.” And, because that’s clearly enough talking for now, he goes in for more kissing.

She returns it, of course, but she would like a bit more explanation than just kissing. The kissing is pleasant. It’s more than that, in fact, but she has pressing questions. “And how does a god come to wind up in a different dimension?”

“Don’t know,” he says, shrugs, and kisses her again. Oh, but she deserves more of an explanation than that. It’s really a shame he can’t kiss and talk at the same time. “Something – someone, I suppose, pulled me here. There’s no way to leave. …Except, of course,” he adds, bitterly, “for occasionally, when they bring us visitors.”

He grabs both of her hands and brings them to his mouth to kiss. “Love, I never thought I would see you again. And now – to only have you for a day--”

She smiles and squeezes his hands, coming to a decision. They can’t just sit in the gardens all day, after all. So, ever-practical, she replies: “Well. If we’ve only got a day, let’s make the most of it, hmm?”

“Of course,” he says, smiling back. And after another kiss he wraps his arm around her waist and starts leading her to his rooms.



¹ Hello, brother-in-law.

Comments

[vineleaves]

He wraps Grantaire up in a hug and gives him a kiss. "I love you, sweetheart. I -- you'll stop back by later, right? I think you two would get along, I'd like it if we could all, y'know, spend some time together¹. And, ah," Here he pauses, and looks back at Ariadne. His achingly beautiful wife, who he has mourned for longer than entire civilizations last, who he has again for only one pitifully short day. "I'm -- I'm going to need you tomorrow. I don't think I'll be able to bear it a third time."



1. He isn't, actually, intending for this to be a veiled reference to having a threesome. He's not opposed to that though. But he does actually mean just spend some time together. Unless they want to have a threesome, which, again, he is not opposed to.

[crownedmostholy]

The wife in question is currently browsing through the piles of plays and cushions that exist in Dionysus' rooms, looking mildly bemused about it all. "Is everything alright? I don't want to be a bother."

[futaille]

"You're not a bother, I promise. You're lovely, you deserve every one of the stars from your crown. But you also certainly deserve some alone time with your husband. I'll be back in... a few hours?"

[vineleaves]

Oh right, her crown. He's pretty sure she doesn't know about the whole stars thing, considering last time he saw her she asked if he could bring her crown back, which wouldn't really even be possible if he was still in his regular universe. He'll explain that... later. Right now, he gives Étienne another kiss. "Thank you, love."

With that, he moves back over to where Ariadne is holding one of the many scripts he has stolen from the library. He wraps his arms around her waist from behind and kisses her neck before resting his chin on her shoulder. "Please tell me someone down there has explained what a play is to you in the time you've been dead."

[crownedmostholy]

"A little," she says, leaning into his touch. "It's probably better when actually experienced, I would think."

[futaille]

Meanwhile, Grantaire musters a little smile and slips out the door with his book.

[vineleaves]

"I would take you to see every play," he says, his hands starting to roam of their own accord. "If, y'know, I could."

He wants to ask her why she didn't go with him twenty years ago when he was in Hades. Why she decided to stay behind. He could have talked Uncle Pluto into letting him bring two people back; if not, he could have left Shakespeare there. They had a chance to be together for real again, but --

She chose death.

Now they've only got one day. They get a whole day. They get a whole day.

"I told you I would bring you your crown," he says, turning her around in his arms so they're facing one another. "But I don't have it, my darling. Would a new one suffice?"

[crownedmostholy]

"I suppose it will have to," she says, but she doesn't entirely sound as if she minds that. She takes the opportunity to pull him close and let her hands wander of their own accord as well, smiling as she nuzzles against his shoulder.

"Oh, I've missed you."

[vineleaves]

"I've missed you too, my love," he says, kissing her again for the ???th time today. "Wait, wait, let me -- before we get carried away and lose track of time and I forget --"

He draws back just far enough to be able to shape some vines between his hands, twisting and weaving and knotting them together, until he's finally left with an exact replica of the crown he made for her on their wedding day. He places it on her head, stares for a long time, and then finally can't handle it anymore. Dionysus takes her hands and leads her to bed.

[crownedmostholy]

Some time later, Ariadne is quite contentedly curled up next to her husband, leaning against one of the myriad cushions that exist in Dionysus' rooms. She turns to give him a very thorough kiss, smiling. "Mm. Thank you for my crown."

[vineleaves]

"Of course, my love," he says, stroking his thumb over her cheek, then trailing his hand slowly down to rest at her hip. "I'm only sorry I didn't have time to make one for you twenty years ago."

[crownedmostholy]

"You're forgiven," she says, smiling playfully at him. "Are there any other...plans you had for our day?"

[vineleaves]

"Bored of me already?" he responds in mock-surprise. "I know it's been a few thousand years, but I didn't realize I'd lost my touch that badly." This does bring up a question he has occasionally wondered over the years though, and there's no time like the present to ask it (literally, no time, he won't have her anymore after today).

"My love -- is there -- do you have someone in Hades you've been able to love? I know -- I know I can't be there with you, but you've got a boyfriend or a girlfriend or several, right?" She's a fuckin' catch, of course she should have lovers. People should be lining the damn streets of Hades to wait for a chance to try and woo her.

[crownedmostholy]

"Of course not, I was just wondering if we were going to be -- mm --" She pauses to give him a brief kiss -- "--Occupied all day. I wouldn't mind if we were."

She shrugs, and stretches out. "I do. It's -- not the same, it never will be you, but..." There's a wistful smile. "At least we have today, right?"

[vineleaves]

"We do," he says, and starts leaving a trail of kisses from her ear down to her collarbone, then stops, his arms tightening around her waist and his head resting on her shoulder. In a quiet voice, he says, "Stay. Please. I'm -- I'm sure we can -- figure out some way--"

[crownedmostholy]

"I would if I could, my darling," she replies, combing her hands through his hair. "I think your uncle is expecting me back, though."

[vineleaves]

He doesn't have anything to say to that. She chose staying in Hades over being with him once before, too.

It's only one day, and he'll have to go a thousand more lifetimes without her.

It's a whole extra day with her. He never thought he would get one more day.

After a while of sitting there, just holding her, he starts quietly singing. It's a song from when Ariadne was alive, one of his favorites from back then, about springtime, and trees growing, and one particular verse about two goats who are in love.

[crownedmostholy]

She laughs, a laugh that is definitely not hiding tears in it, and buries her face against his neck. "I wish I could stay. You're not saving the world this time, after all."

[vineleaves]

"Oh, Ariadne, you would love it here. There's -- there's a severe lack of travel opportunities, but -- you would like it other than that, I think, there's a beach, and -- oh the people here are lovely, my dear, are -- are you -- Pluto might not even notice, there's a lot of other people who have died--"

[crownedmostholy]

"There are," she says, still very definitely not crying -- nor is she wiping her eyes on the sheets. "I know you're not often one for rules, but I'm afraid they are very definite. Tell me more about everyone here, though --I'd like that." Maybe it would take her mind off of leaving.

[vineleaves]

He replaces the corner of sheet she's definitely not wiping her tears on with his thumb, carefully wiping at her face in an attempt to dry it. His own face may or may not be streaked with tears as well.

"Of course. So, I suppose first I should tell you about dear Étienne -- oh, love, I'm sure if you could stay here you'd love him as much as I do -- he's so smart, and talented -- he's so good at painting! And he can be so funny, he loves wine, he's, my goodness, Ariadne, you should see him when he's practicing his kickboxing, it's so hot -- ...He's sad, a lot of the time. He came here immediately after dying, he didn't even make it to the River Styx before he woke up here apparently, and his life wasn't exactly the happiest before that either, so you can imagine -- but, I think he's getting better. Adjusting. It's just going to take a while. Ah -- oh, he loves playing games, we have a game room here and -- Ariadne, do you know what pinball is? I imagine there's probably pinball in Hades, right? Game where the little balls go bounce around inside a box thing and rack up points? Anyway, I'm pretty sure Étienne has the high score on the one we have here."

This last bit is decidedly untrue, but Dionysus doesn't really pay much attention to the pinball machine, and is honestly just making an assumption here based on his own incredibly biased opinions, but he seems fairly convinced of it.

[crownedmostholy]

That is ...a lot to take in. But though it has been years, she is used to her husband's tendencies to go on and on about the people he loves. She nods, listening intently, and curls a bit closer.

"He sounds like a lot of fun. His hair reminds me of your satyrs, a little bit."

[futaille]

Speak of the not-actually-a-satyr, having given them a nice chunk of away time, Grantaire is now attempting a return. After listening for a second at the bedroom door just in case, he hears only muffled speaking, so chances a knock. "I can leave again if you want, but..."

[vineleaves]

"He's a lot taller than satyrs -- Oh! Sweetheart, come in, we were actually just talking about you!" he says as Grantaire comes back in. "I was telling her about how you're so good at pinball."

Notably, they are both still very naked, but that's probably not a problem, right?

[crownedmostholy]

It’s certainly not a problem for Ariadne. It may have been a while; but she is still married to the god of ecstasy after all. She will pull up the sheets, though, if Grantaire seems awkward at all about it.

“Hello again,” she offers with a smile.