Let it Snow || Pierce&Owen
Pierce watched the dancers twirl around, partners laughing as they either fumbled or carried out clever moves with a smooth precision. He wished it was him on that dance floor. Pierce was a relatively good dancer, he had attended enough Fey parties to know by now how to dance pretty well, and he enjoyed it too. But nobody wanted to dance with the rather desolate looking faerie leaning up against the wall trying not to look miserable. And he didn’t, not really - he just couldn’t be bothered putting on such an act of happiness. He couldn’t bare to act like he’d forgotten all the people who had died -
-but thinking about it wouldn’t exactly help either. Pierce sort of shook his head, trying to at least attempt to brush off that feeling a little better, when he heard his name being called out. He glanced around at the hall, frowning a little, but couldn’t seem to spot … ah. There, the merman who had helped him take care of the injured kids during the battle. The faerie had been amazed at just how light-hearted he could be. Though it was hard to believe it now, usually Pierce was just as happy himself, but he’d been heavily affected by the recent events, and hadn’t quite managed to keep the smile on his face.
Owen had been able to though. He’d kept the kids distracted while they had worked, and now it seemed the merman was popping up more and more often. Somehow, Pierce found he didn’t mind at all. And that worried him.
“Hey Owen,” the merman did bring a genuine, if small, smile to the faerie’s face for the first time that night. “I’m sure you’ll make quick friends though, you seem to just absorb them without even trying,” Pierce replied. Owen did seem like one of those people that made friends without really thinking about it, and he sort of admired that of him. “No, no, it’s really lovely, they’ve gone out of their way to try to make this pleasant for everyone. Any other night I’d be right out there dancing with everyone else. Maybe I’m not quite feeling it tonight,” he needed more alcohol, really. Each passing second reminded him of what had happened at the end of the last ball.
“How are you though? You seem like you’re having heaps of fun, do they not hold balls down in the water where you live?” he tried teasing a little, coming out of his shell slightly.
The merman laughed, blushing a bit at Pierce's compliment. "Haha, I wouldn't say that exactly, but thank you." It was pleasant to think that he would be able to make friends quickly on land- it would certainly mean he was better at socializing there than he was in his own court. At home, he was considered more of a nusiance than anything else, so for someone to think of him in a positive light was a nice change of pace. However, it was difficult to think that Owen could make more friends quite like Pierce- the faerie was distinctly different in a way which was foreign to him. Whether that was because he was the first friend he had made, or for another reason entirely, it was hard to say.
"That's a pity, since it seems that everyone on the dance floor seems to be having a splendid time." Owen frowned a little, concerned that Pierce wasn't quite into the holiday spirit. It would have been a delight to see him enjoying himself, especially after all the effort the Valentinas had put into lifting the overall mood. The melancholy state of his friend did not sit well with him. "I'm sure it would cheer anyone up to join them. Although I must confess, I've never quite tried it for myself. At least above-water, anyhow." The merman shrugged innocently, trying to picture what it would be like to be dancing among them. It was hard to think of himself doing such a thing, at least gracefully. Pierce, on the other hand, would probably laugh at the attempt and show him the proper way to do things. He was knowledgeable in these sorts of things after all.
It wasn't a bad thought really.
Owen snapped out of his thoughts, realizing that Pierce had spoken again. "Oh! Why, everything's been going about so swimmingly that I haven't really had the chance to sit still. I prefer it that way personally- there's always something new to discover." And there had been plenty of that. From foreign drinks to odd holiday customs, there had not been a lack of things to do. Just the thought of all the new things he had learned excited him. "We do have a number of gatherings and celebrations, but none of them are quite like this. It's thrilling! It's sort of like getting a sampling of what a culture is like- I'm sure you would feel the same should you ever come to one of our festivals."
Despite his enthusiasm, the merman found that his gaze kept wandering back to the many dancing figures in front of them. It really would be a shame to report his findings on land dweller life without the full experience, but from what he could see, he would need a partner of some sort. The idea he had entertained earlier was brought to the forefront of his thoughts and his mouth blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"Would you care to join me for one? A dance, that is? I'd like to try it at least once, even if my landlegs are a bit uncoordinated." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "You're welcome to say no, of course. Not that I would personally prefer that, but I certainly wouldn't take offense! It might be better for your toes, actually."
