Into the Wishing Well (Lou and L'aire)

Lou stared at the dancer for a moment, watching her intently. He could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice. There was fear there.

"You're lying to me." Lou said calmly. "You are afraid."

The Draconic took a breath and exhaled audibly, interlaced his hands together and rested his chin upon them. "And there's no going back is there?"

The fire in the Draconic's eyes twinkled. "You should leave, L'aire. But before you do, I need something from you. No one must know what happened between us tonight. And I'll need you to seal it with a pledge. I can't trust the word of someone who's afraid of me. Do you understand?"

Lou's eyes had brightened again, but the fires in them slowly, gently.

The Fairest winced when the Draconic called her out. Shit this is going all wrong wrong wrong. “Fuck.” L’aire whispered and covered her face with her hands briefly. There was a long pause of silence without even a breath. The Dancer was trying to get her bearings and her mind clear before she spoke any further, and dug into the hole of fuck she’d started.

Drawing in a breath as her hands washed back over her face into her hair she shook her head. “Yes, but not entirely for the reasons you think.” Her fingers expanded stopping herself trying to put her thoughts into words. “Or at least I think you may think.”

Her eyes closed and she bit her bottom lip while another breath drew in. “Going back… well… no.” For a moment, she debated whether looking at him would change anything. Her violet eyes lead her head to turn upward to the pearly Draconic. “But there is… moving forward.” Which she meant every word.

Sighing, more or less frustrated with herself. Actually pissed off at herself for a number of reasons, none of which had anything to do with the man standing before her. “Lou, it’s not your fault the way I am. The reasons I recoil.” Although this time her tone didn’t have the same finalization to it as it may have before. It was essentially open. Because by now, there was no going back like he said. She was already digging.

Tonight was supposed to be about him, not me.

As if startled by Lou’s suggestion her eyes got wide. “What?” L’aire’s face obviously perplexed. “Do you want me to walk out of here with a pledge and a broken friendship?” Pointing to the entrance to his Hollow.

“Or do you want to discuss this, like friends do.” L’aire was latterly flying by the seat of her pants on this. She’d not had any conflict with another Lost before on this level. Yeah there was the occasional, stop being a dumbass in public or don’t screw over the freehold stuff. But this... this was different. This was personal. The Fairest didn’t know what she was expecting when she came to visit Lou that evening, never did she imagine that it’d turn into whatever had just happened. Perry understood L’aire for some odd reason. Pressed her once in a while for stuff but not hard enough to cause her to panic. More or less to encourage her.

“Unless you don’t want that anymore. In fact right now, I don’t know…. what do you want Lou?” The violet-eyed Fairest’s eyes were soft and still confused with a twinkle of worry floating within.

What is with his instance to make a pledge? It wasn’t that she didn’t understand them, but the Dancer believed there was a time and place for those things.

"What I want..."

Lou levels his eyes with L'aire and runs his large hand through his golden-blond hair.

"What I want is to eat copious amounts of meat. I want people to cower when I enter a room, and to shudder when my name is mentioned. I want to be respected and feared. I want to keep things... treasures, secrets, trinkets, anything that I possibly can, just so I can have them. I want to hide in a cave and only come out just when I need some entertainment... which usually involves one of the above things I said."

Lou rocks back slightly on his heels. "Or at least, part of me wants those things, and wants them badly. I do everything... dancing, running, working out, avoiding meat... I do all of those things to distract myself from those desires."

"So, no. I'd prefer it if our friendship didn't end here. But knowing you're afraid, no matter the reason, it entices that part of me that wants to take advantage of that fear. And then every time I'm with you, I'll have to battle with it to keep from doing something rash."


Don't you dare cry.

Lou tried not to, but it was well beyond his control. Tears began flowing from his eyes, glistening beautifully against his pearly scales as they did so.

"I want to have friends, L'aire. I just don't know if I can keep them."

The Fairest couldn’t help but watch intently while his hands ran through his hair. A regal demeanor about it, like a lion’s mane. But L’aire shook that image out of her head and quickly back to Lou’s mouth when he began admitting a few things.

The first part of what the Draconic said made sense. It was very clear now why Lou wanted to keep her secret to himself and carry her burden. Yet he didn’t really seem like he wanted to hide… but apparently that needed acquirement of what he mentioned.

“Fear you? For respect?” Which was something the Dancer knew all about being on the receiving end of her Keeper. Lorenzo may have never raised a hand or his voice to her, but that always loomed in her mind. But the Winter brought something up again; little things were important at least to her. “Because despite what anyone else may think was small and pointless; when you stepped in front of me that was powerful. That is something I remember. That is why I respect you. You were fearless.”

The Dancer really didn’t know what sort of rash he may have been referring to, but little did some know that the Fairest had a few tricks up her sleeve. More or less for self protection should she ever need it. “Because you’re aware of this, it makes you stronger Lou. Or… at least that’s what I see.” Everything was a bit foggy after she used the P word. “Why do you think you’d do it, though?” “I mean, I know what you want deep down and sorta what you’re afraid of.” L’aire understood why he wanted to do a pledge, but they were essentially even in her eyes. “It’s not like its leaving this room using my lips. I have nothing to gain, but I’d have something to lose.” The Winter seemed to struggle a little to get the words out, evident that she was trying not to word vomit into a disaster of utter confusion.

L’aire blinked in disbelief at first to the glistening streams from Lou’s eyes. Oh dear. She was searching her pockets, and it dawned on her that the Kleenex was in her jacket. “Well you have to try, sometime, right? And you don’t know if you can until you do.” Tonight was hard for them both so it seemed. “Not everything is easy and we both know that very well.” Her search ended as she added. “Sorry, my tissues must be in my jacket.” Which she wasn’t wearing at the moment.

Ah, the Autumn Coronation.

"Even then that part of me saw you as nothing more than a treasure to be protected, an object. And though I know I chose to intervene in that situation, sometimes decisions like that are pure reflex, instinct; but they're not the instincts of a person, a human being. It sees you as... I see you as mine, L'aire. And you are... you are my friend. I just don't want that possessive to get obsessive."

You sound ridiculous.

The Draconic shook his head, letting his tears fall from his face. "Why I think I might do it, is because it feels good. Look at how bare this place is. I have dreams about it being full of stuff that I can just lie in. I don't even care what it is so much that it's valuable. Not only that, but sometimes I need that part of me, either to survive or get through situations that the timid fat kid couldn't bare to handle. It's all about balance, and it's a constant struggle. I just don't want to make it easier for the Dragon to win out. I don't want to be that monster, that much I know. But I need it to survive."


I have a name. Say it.

Lou pointedly ignored that command. He watched as L'aire rifled through her pockets, and at her offer for tissues raised his hand and shook his head. "I don't need tissues, thanks. I'd rather just let it out. But thanks."

Lou paused and a wistful look spread across his face. "For everything."

Despite Lou sounding like some crazy possessive… something, his heart may have been in the right place. His way of caring was a bit different than others. Even though it did make her wonder about certain things. L’aire let what he said resonate in her head a moment to pull out the pieces and separate them herself; man from dragon. “Okay, I sort of understand it now, I think.” Which was entirely true, but the Dancer wasn’t 100% up to speed about the nature of Dragons or Draconics for that matter. Great, I have to pick up a book… wonder if they have anything on audio anywhere. Not that she hated reading, the Fairest just didn’t like to sit still. “Well, I do have a few friends, so let’s hope it doesn’t get like that.” Which the Winter felt strange saying, after many years she didn’t think she’d find herself saying that.

The Fairest had this strange image shoot through her head while Lou described what he’d do with his loot. “Then you need to look at me as a person, always.” L’aire said gently. “And to remember that hoarding me isn’t the right thing to do as a man, not a Dragon. That putting me on a pedestal like that isn’t a way to survive.” L’aire paused and rubbed her temple shaking her head. “Uck this isn’t coming out right…”

Being of the Onyx court, the Dancer was accustomed to tears. Not like this though. “You’re welcome Lou.” Softly, with genuine warmth even though that chill of Winter still held tight to her. Her face went back to trying to figure out this situation, which she thought she’d never be in…again. “We are friends. But I don’t know what to say to differentiate me from something you want to possess. Why you’d want that, I’m not even sure.” Why the Draconic even thought of her this way was an uncanny resemblance to Lorenzo. How he had her on display but never wanted to let her be herself.

The thoughts only lead to the Winter Dancer slipping out something else as her eyes averted momentarily. "And part of the reason I'm so terrible at conveying myself...." And then there was a pause, wondering if she should even complete the sentence. "I was someone's arm candy literally - for a couple of years." You know, the one's you'll never get back with mom.

Lou nodded and listened to L'aire as she tried to help. It was endearing, and Lou couldn't help but softly smile at her awkwardness.

Somehow, she reminds me of me.

"I don't think you can say anything, L'aire. I've just got to work hard at keeping myself focused on what's real.. and what's not."

As L'aire mentioned being someone's candy for a while, Lou frowned. "I'm curious, but I don't know if I want to know... not now. I don't think I can handle anything else too serious right now."

Lou cocked his head half sideways as he asked, "Do you mind if we just go back to dancing?"

Sighing slightly, the Fairest realized the Draconic was right. “Well, if there is something I could do to help, I will.” As much as she could.

“Yeah, that’s probably the best for the time being.” The Winter admitted, although she was still skeptical about this evening. She’d put a lot of herself out there, more than she realized as it spewed out of her mouth earlier.

She was really afraid of Lou anymore. He was at least aware of what he was capable of, and that made her fear nearly diminish. It wasn’t his fault, being like this. Another curse of Arcadia. Although she was worried about what would happen when she walked out of the hollow later and after that. How would he look at hr now that he knew…

Stepping toward him again, moving closer to take up their dance steps again. L’aire’s arms moved outward at first to meet with his frame as before. But as she looked to his eyes a moment, the Dancer was slightly overcome by the events of the evening, the back and forth awkward sharing session. Moving into him further, L’aire’s lithe arms wrapped as far around his torso as they could in a gentle manner. Her cool cheek pressed to the scales on his chest for a moment , hugging him and she whispered her own gratitude. “Thank you too, for everything.”

Somewhat surprised by L'aire's hug, Lou immediately froze for a brief moment before leaning in before wrapping his arms around the dancer in return and squeezing carefully and with a great deal of care. You're welcome, whispered the Draconic softly into the dancer's ear, relishing every moment of their embrace. He closed is eyes and smiled softly as they connected, pleased that this strange night had drawn them closer instead of pushing them apart.

Selena If it's good with you, I think this is a good place to end this scene

Sounds good to me as well
End Scene. And ty I really enjoyed it