I keep dancing on my own

MELITA

A play, a jest, a stage for them to act upon pretenses and silliness was exactly what she craved, what she required, after LongNight and even darker days before, dipping, twirling, laughing, strung along by Remi’s careful arts and foils. “Oh, tread cautiously!” She giggled again, lively, wild, and uproarious, glorified in her element of ridiculous natures and diverting amusements. “We gourd Amazons are very quick to anger!” She pretended to have the ill humor moments thereafter, a furrowed brow, a sharp clicking of teeth, a hiss, a growl, before falling away to more light laughter and wonder, returning to her original position, standing along the ground.

She didn’t expect him to soften just when the skit had started, and she regarded him gently too, as if the rest of the lines and gestures had already siphoned off. Her head tilted, examining him fully, pondering what she’d said to draw the sighs, the slight bout of sadness, wrinkling her nose slightly before he proffered assistance.

Let me know if I can help came again, all these people coming together to offer her guidance. She didn’t understand how they kept arriving in droves, so utterly willing to give her what she craved – some guidance, some wisdom, some enduring strength for when she went to conquer the rest of her demons. Like a greedy little serpent, she took them all, incapable of understanding how and why she inspired such radiance, such beneficence, such compassion, but she’d give it back tenfold. Somehow. Someway. “I would consider training with a mighty beast any day,” she winked, so eternally grateful for him and the myriad of others who lent her their sagacity. Her smile was beautiful and incandescent again, and she twirled at the end of his grasp once more. “Thank you. Please tell me if there’s anything I can do for you.”

This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight