Pushing Hope To The Edge

When Cinderella asked for her and Jetsam’s first date to have a carousel involved Jetsam found that and easy request considering New Orleans had Carousel Gardens City Park in town. He thought about Sherwood since that was a more normal place for him to hang out, but considering Cinderella and Flotsam’s history, he decided to go a different route. 

He’d show up in his normal attire, boots, and rocker slash hunting gear mix of fashion sense. Still, it looked like he brushed his hair a little more and put on his eye make up with a little extra flair. There might have even been a few more feathers tied under the back of his hair than usual. He even cleaned the mud off the bottom of his roach stomping boots. That was his version of cleaning up and getting all gussied up. He’d taken a shower and even thrown on a big of cologne he stole from Uncle Zeke. He was date ready with his gutting knife in the side of his boot, dagger at his hip, and mojo bag of black magic tricks he barely knew how to use in his pocket. 

So, there this young adult lazarus was forever stuck in his failing 17 year old body that was starting to feel more like he was 50. His mind wasn’t though. His mind was as stagnant as and stubborn as a rock, barely changing with time, and just as nervous as a late bloomer in a situation like this might be. 

A late bloomer emotionally maybe, but experience he didn’t lack otherwise. But, never, not once, had he been on an actual date. This was new territory for him. He looked up at Cinderella and spoke with a smoke, “This place good enough for ya, Whale? It has one of them merry go rounds in it like you wanted?” But, mostly he was thinking about what was under her outfit since she teased him with it before. 

💎 ― Since this was the very first time she’d have a d a t e with JETSAM.  Every minute seemed to tick by slower as she waited to meet up with Jetsam at the front gates.  As the time approaches to meet up, her pulse quickened.  She couldn’t tell if she was nervous or excited.  It was probably a combination of both.  After all, this was a one in a million, hell, one in a billion chance.  Carousel Gardens!  She’s only heard great things from this place.  && they had one thing that she absolutely adored next to merry go rounds: 

       GARDENS!  O h, how she loved gardens, statues, flowers, && wishing wells.  Jetsam was like a dark rocker prince standing among rather commonplace people.  Breathtaking, in his own eely way.  Cinderella couldn’t be happier seeing her ever after putting effort by taming his mane, extra feathers, && put his extra flair of eye makeup.  Astounded as Cinderella never expected either of her boys to ever wear cologne!  At least not in this lifetime.  Jetsam reminded Cinderella he was perfect the way he was.

       Jumping she’d wrap her arms around Jetsam's neck smiling.  Her hair in a side braid held by a blue flowery hair clip, && glistening aquamarine star earrings.  While she wore a form-fitting long-sleeve low v neck black && blue gradient dress.  With an airy blend of swamp rose && swamp water lilies.  With a secret surprise of her own.  “Oh, yes! Yes! Very!”  She seemed to sigh as she’d kiss his cheek as she dismounted herself.  “This place is perfect.”  It was everything she could ask && more.

“We’ll have to find a way to get a flower crown around those horns of his,” Esmeralda laughed at the thought. The little goat had been with her for a long time, longer than she cared to think about considering the not so long lifespan that the animals had. He was even with her when she danced on the streets for coin, before starting her job at The Court of Miracles. They had their own routines, their own shows, they did practices and all - why, if she were ever to have a show business partner, it was sure to be the little devil himself!

“Do you really think so?” Esmeralda said, turning to raise an eyebrow at her blonde friend. “I do like having people to depend on, and having people depend on me but in this world - you can only truly depend on yourself. Parents, friends, loved ones,” She shrugged, her words coming across as pessimistic but it was something she had just accepted as fact a long time ago. She didn’t have any feelings either way about the matter. “I love my papa but if he tried to arrange my life like this - oh, he wouldn’t be my Papa anymore.”

“You have an eye for these things, I feel I should be paying you.” Esmeralda said with a smile, then paused for a second and looked at Cinderella over her shoulder. “Or rather, my mother in law should be paying you.” She wasn’t going to sink a dime of her own money into this sham, although she was growing into the idea of it. Something as extravagant as this event was just wasteful. This coming from the woman who felt guilt if she bought herself a new dress because hers had too many patches in it.

“Oh, you’re going to make me blush so, Cinderella.” She took hold of one of her friend’s pale hands in her own darker ones, then kissed the top of the fingers. She was affectionate to those that she cared for, and it was how she showed her appreciation. Most of these bridesmaid dresses were hideous, generic things, with tulle skirts or one-shoulder straps or just were not flattering. “I do not understand - does the bride want her friends to look ugly?” She questioned, finding a dress that was the color of pea-soup, with much too many ruffles.

She did find something that wasn’t as ugly as the rest. In a stunning shade of emerald green, with a v-neck, sexy low back and slits in the front, it was much more Esmeralda’s style than anything else that she was seeing around here. She pulled it out and felt the fabric between her fingers. “I don’t want to spend all day trying on dresses,” She sighed, the idea of so much time wasted making her feel a rage in her stomach. “So I may just choose this one.”

💎 ― Blinking she’d have her mind wrapped around that one for a moment.  Maybe that’ll pose as a problem but she’ll figure it out.  The worse of the worse was he’d eat most to all of the flower crown by the time he was down the aisle but that was just because of his big appetite Esmeralda talks about.  TIME && t i m e again life has not been easy but she understood Esmeralda.  “I know you aren’t alone.”  There will always be someone who shows up in the darkest of times.  Sometimes its someone who one doesn’t always expect but no one is ever truly alone.  Some get lost along the way && some come to a sad ending.  But one is truly never alone.          Gently placing a hand on Esmeralda’s back as she’d make a sweet but soft humming noise.  “Your father would want you to marry for love.  He wouldn’t want to arrange any part of your happiness.  But for now this is an improved situation than before && it won’t last forever so everything will find a way to go back to normal.”  Esmeralda was a captive but not to the man or priest who kept her locked away.  Esmeralda was free to breath && eat && choose what she desired.  Though restraints still lingered it was nothing like before she assumed.  A gentle snicker as she found today rather fun but the comment about her mother in law really hit the spot.  “Honestly I don’t get out much so I’m having a good time && that is enough payment.”          As much as she adored being a mother there were still bits && pieces missing in her life.  Her hand held as she felt a gentle kiss upon her hand.  How peculiar.  She never thought she’d be kissed on the hand by another women!  A cutesy titter as she didn’t seem to be much bothered.  Her eyes glancing from one dress to another as she sighed tragically “I think this lies more towards the designers fault for giving up && not so much the Bride.”  After all, there wasn’t much to choose from these designs.  “But it would work in a Brides favor if she didn’t like her brides maids.”  She teased gently as she’d find one or two she passed that had made her shiver in humiliation if she had to wear.  Clapping gently as she’d have a dreamy sigh escape her.            The dress was very gorgeous as she could do any alterations to fit Esmeralda’s figure perfectly && go over the stitching with real silver or gold to give it a soft shimmer.  Clasping her hands together.  “It is a very beautiful dress && I love the back && it’ll look divine on you.  What accent were you thinking of wearing?  Gold or silver. Oo!  Were you thinking of wearing shoes?!”  She’d look amazing in both.  Gold or silver.  Shoes or no shoes.  Esmeralda was beautiful inside && out.  Confident.  Charming.  She was very strong && very real.  Smiling as she herself didn’t enjoy spending all day trying on dresses when she’d rather spend the day trying on shoes personally!

And then came an embrace. 

An embrace so warm Flotsam could have given up his sparks to feel this forever instead. She tried to say something cute and clever back, but he didn’t need that either, cute as it might have been. “Shut up-” He whispered, “-and just stay right here.” 

He had such devilish thoughts at first, but that hug was enough, all he wanted to feel from his precious Gem. Flotsam had become and eel of the little things, the special times, tender times, and this was a perfect ever after moment to him, holding his princess, one he thought a swamp cowboy like him would never really be able to hold onto. 

💎 ― “As you wish,” she whispered in a very Westley style from the Princess Bride && hugged him oh so tightly.  Closing her eyes as she giggled into his chest sighing s w e e t l y.  He was being a bit assertive but she found that part of him charming m o s t of the time.  

The train wreck of terror that contorted Jane’s face as her eyes took in the rock creature was exactly the shock that had Jetsam turn quick in the right direction to find Cinderella. She fell clean over backwards stumbling over moss and brush trying to look up so high. Shaken to the core. 

Jet was ready to attack the thing with the impression it had swallowed her whole until he put her down and they realized this rock creature had actually protected her. It reminded Jetsam of her metal beasts and put two and two together that this might have actually been a configuration of his Whale’s own making. But, he stayed on guard until he was sure she was safe.

A gorilla’s chest. 

To rise and fall naturally?

Naturally to Kerchak was going to mean fatally to Cinderella and Jetsam Laveau.

The problem was Cinderella didn’t realize what Jane did. Jane knew there was no way Kerchak was dead. The rumors Jet and Gem were discussing earlier were true. There were only a couple ways to kill a werewolf, or in this case, a were-gorilla, and electrocution wasn’t one of them. That was why the woman who entered the scene by swinging vine was tried to shoo them away. Their aggressor was not an average gorilla. 

Cinderella was essentially doing chest compressions on a werewolf during a full moon. They were lucky he was out cold as she tried to wake up a feral homicidal predator who had his target sights on them.

When Jane and Jetsam finally got passed the grandeur of the golem and located Cinderella, both of them went screaming running towards her waving their arms, 

“NO! STOP! STOP!” 

Then boom. Clutzerella went down. Jane’s run stopped in their muddy tracks. 

“Oh my. Well that was unexpected.” 

Jetsam didn’t slow. He splash-slammed himself into the wet shore and held her up in his arms when she said she lost her shoe. Of all things to say, she lost her shoe again. Even under that much stress and danger Jet had to smile down her he was so relieved he hadn’t killed her. 

“I’ll get you new shoes. I love you, you dumb, fat, fucking whale! Whatcha tryin’ ta do?  Your dumb ass good heart is trying to shock mine to a shit dumping stop. Don’t fekking do that to me.” He held her to his chest and just hugged and hugged and hugged her tight against him as kersplunked sloppy worried kisses all over the top of her head. 

Jane watched how much the dark haired trouble maker cared for the girl and realized he was right. Cinderella was trying very hard to do a very selfless deed in resuscitating Kerchak, her own aggressor. She looked back at the were-gorilla and down at Tarzan too.  The vampire wasn’t the one she was worried about at all, though he’d wake soon enough. Kerchak on the other hand, his chest was starting to rise and fall more naturally thanks to Cinderella’s efforts and it wouldn’t be long before they had the wild predator after them again. 

She coughed at the pair. “Uhem. I do hate to interrupt this expletive-filled heart-felt moment, and as much as I appreciate your attempts to revive him, such a pure heart you have, I must ask you to go, for if you don’t leave soon, that were-gorilla is going to get up and hunt you down again. Tarzan-” She gestured the pale dread-head that just woke up and was pushing himself up out of the electrified waters already, fangs glistened, sparking from the electric charge“-and I have tried very hard to keep you alive. But, if you insist on dying this full moon, by all means, carry on with your kissing and cursing.” 

Jetsam looked down at Cinderella, “I’ll carry you to safety you shoesless freak.” 

But, even a very rushed Jetsam spared another moment to give her one more kiss before he hoisted her up, and carried the shoeless princess as far away from there as he could, as fast as he could. 

He would hike and hike and trudge his way from the territory and never looked back. 

💎 ― The rock giant was more occupied picking its teeth with the charred tree than worry about what was going on around him or who.  A gentle rock giant.  Fierce looks thanks to Jetsam’s enhancements but it minded its own business for the most part.  in Cinderella’s perspective: werewolves were not gorillas.  Gorillas do not look like werewolves.  How is she suppose to know were-gorilla-shizamajiz exists when it doesn’t have a bottom half of a werewolf?  So Cinderella assumed Kerchak was much like an Eeyore type.          && that the rumors of them being werewolves were misunderstood.  Rather than the other one that showed up: that was a vampire.  She knew with a quick glance that he was a vampire.  && that gave her an idea that m i g h t make them possible allies in the future.  They’ll just have to PITCH it next time they meet.  No biggie.  Thus why killing Kerchak was out of the question!  Before she could stop after there calls she fell.  O o p s.  The ruling queen of being Clutzerella.        If Clutzerella could meet Jetsam with a smile she’d have the warmest smile && a soft glow.  But unfortunately, life doesn’t always play out like one wants too.  Her entire back was covered in icky mud!  She was now missing a shoe.  The ringing in her ears slowly turned into a throbbing earache.  Her stomach clenched tightly wincing as she felt hot flashes of pain searing through her.  She wanted the freedom to talk as much as she wanted to move her own limbs.          But her jaw was clenched shut && her limbs involuntarily twitched.  Not responding the way she wanted them too.  She couldn’t capture all he was saying no matter how sweet it was, dipping in && out of consciousness.  Everything sounded more as if she were underwater listening to them above the surface.  Barely able to make it out.  Wishing she could tell him she had some of their zombie dust in her bag.  She packed it in case they’d need it but how would Jetsam know if she couldn’t tell him?        There was a mix of pain && coldness that radiated from her chest.  Lil’miss Clutzerella was trying to stay awake through Jetsam’s && Tree Girl’s conversation but her eyelids were growing heavy by the minute.  She knew she was in great hands!  She just wished he didn’t have to do everything on his own. Cinderella wasn't supposed to be well a clutz all the time.  It sucked.  It sucked being the weak link in the Laveau family.  One more kiss before she was hoisted up in his arms.          This shoeless princess fell into blackness as exhaustion finally won.  Carried in Jetsam’s arms as fast && far away from Kerchaks territory as far as Jetsam could.  While she was recovering in her own way from the shock.

“Maybe I should be the one asking you if you just found another new power?” Flotsam was dying to see Cinderella get bold enough to get her sexy on in leather. “With great power comes great responsibility, babe.” He walked up to her slow with head that tilted low and snuggly close to her face. 

 “You ready for what comes with using such a power?”

💎 ― She had one long pause for a moment.  Completely speechless.  His words were so intense!  She knew he was playing around but his words vibrated into her viens && struck the inner core of her bones for a moment.  It wasn’t until he walked up to her slow && rested his head snuggly close to her face.  

       A blend of sweet ruby red pomegranate, fiery blackberry spice, && very faint hints of white jasmine.  A loving warm feeling flooded over her. Smiling as she wrapped her arms around his neck holding him close to her.  “Better prepare yourself s t u d I can be full of surprises.”