Simulacrum Collosi

“No. But you’re acting weird,” Sydney replied with a shrug. She had no reason to believe Nathaniel was actually jealous. But, knew something was up and she intended to get to the bottom of it. “Somewhere,” she questioned with a frown. “Oh. Yeah, it has. It’s nice to see you too,” she nodded. “But, shouldn’t you go look for your plus one if you don’t know where she is?”

“Well, can’t help that,” Nathaniel shrugged. He’d seen her plus one of course, and had taken the opportunity to approach when his back was turned. “Her? She’s just .. someone to scribble on, I guess. Why did you bring him?"

💎 ― 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!

“I never liked the idea of marriage. It always looked like ownership to me. Of course, that’s not how everyone sees it-” Esmeralda motioned over at Cinderella, who she thought had a good thing going with Flotsam. She was reminded of how she had punched the young voodoo man in the face, thinking that he was some demon that Frollo had sent for her. He loved his religious imagery far too much. It was a good punch, she had to admit that much. Were it a actual demon, she wouldn’t have felt bad about it. “You see those couples on the street, yes? Women ruling over the man or man ruling over the woman. I will never be owned. As long as he knows that, we will make this work.”

This is harder than anyone will ever know. Even the loophole was tough. At least she was not being wedded to Frollo. She would rather die here, then find a way to die in the underworld than let that happen. She would rather dance on coals, swallow poison, be hung from the rafters, anything. Even being in this store now, though Cinderella was brightening it up, made her feel a little sick to her stomach.

“I used to make my own clothes when I was younger. I’d take whatever I could get for free or cheap - I stole more than I would like to admit to as you can imagine - and sew it all together. Everything looked like a patchwork quilt but I used to be so proud! I’d still rather wear those clothes than most of these,” Esmeralda chuckled. She loved the little reaction that she had gotten out of Cinderella. The girlish giggle. It suited the blonde well. “Oh, I’m sure it would! I should force my mother in law to wear something like this, as a personal favor.”

“Gold,” Esmeralda smiled, thinking of her father. She wasn’t going to steal his colors, but she had made gold her own before, such as the anklet that she wore under her skirts, and the bangles on her wrist. “I wasn’t thinking anything fancy. Maybe buy a necklace from one of those tourist shops. Would it be too cute to get one with a P initial?” She blushed slightly, thinking about her future husband’s handsome face. No, she did not want to be owned, but nonetheless, he was a handsome man and he was always good to her, even if a little challenging at times. “Flat shoes, I think. Sandals. I do not like heels unless I am working.”

@simulacrum-collosi​

Elsa had definitely gone viral. There was no way every villain in the French Quarter wasn’t already talking about her powers and still in shock and awe no matter what was going on there now. Flotsam had no memory of any of it. 

But, as Elsa explained that the Loa trusted in her to help him then, that reminder helped him open up. Even now when everything was going so wrong he wanted his tendency was to turn to the Gods and seek advice there. 

He opened up his secret and she accepted his apology for how frustrated he was getting with his unforeseen consequences. He liked when Elsa spoke so flatly about what he’d done. He was so much better with directness than anything candy coated. It was true. They needed a new plan. She was still right too, he was hardly powerless. But, he understood and so practiced in using his magic when he had another to focus with. He almost could hear the ‘me’ about to come from her mouth. He had her and to be honest, that helped. The idea of taking her hand and trying again felt good. But, good god-loa-damn, did it feel even better when what actually came out of her mouth was ‘us.” 

Us. 

He looked down with his one good eye at River and smiled back up at Elsa. 

“Yeah, I do. Let’s try again.” 

Let’s… as in us. He wanted them to try together to gaze into that crystal ball, or scrying mirror, anything. He stood up and fished the gazing ball back out of mess he’d just made by throwing. He sat it back down on it’s little stand and put his hand out for Elsa to hold. He knew this wasn’t her favorite thing to do in this world, but it was a gesture for connection. He wanted to try and channel himself with her and River too. But, since he knew she wasn’t  a hand fan he said, “If you think it’d be better to link elbows or something, I’m up for anything. I can do this. We can do this. We can find out what’s going on, I know it. I just need a little help.” Then he took his seat back in front of the orb and admitted the last piece of the secret in a complete leap of faith, trusting her. “I ruined it for River too. I was able to see through him too. Maybe if I’m lucky he can still connect to me even I can’t with him. Either way, We can do this.” 

He sounded so sure of himself. Elsa summoned up what little confidence he had left and brought it to the surface and stood tall. He wasn’t scared to take her hand even if she froze him solid. He just believed he could heat it down if he wanted to, connect them both, and use the conductive properties of them both to focus his witchy ways on that ball and see what they needed to see. 

@twisted-disney

Elsa wasn’t sure how much help she could be when it came to all of this ... voodoo things. She might be the only person in New Orleans who didn’t have an interest, or even the faintest idea about all of this stuff. She wasn’t some Laveau groupie trying to get close to one of the brothers in the hopes of seeing some messed up things - voodoo dolls, magic, the whole lot that came with the reputation. If she even knew what a voodoo doll was, she might assume that someone, like her parents, had one of her tucked away in a drawer somewhere, all binded up. That’s what it had felt like to her, anyhow. But alas, she knew next to nothing, and would be relying on Flotsam for complete instruction.

Hand-holding. How could such a simple thing seem so terrifying? Human contact, wanted for so long as a child, turned into something of a fear. She missed out on so many things, she knew. She’d seen couples strolling down the street, holding hands, even as teenagers. She’d seen them kiss. She’d seem them hug, hold one another, cuddle in the sunshine - so many things that she thought that she would never be able to do. But here Flotsam was, hand out, not just in want but out of necessity. And she had a duty to herself, to him, and to the city to try something new here. To feel the warmth of another person. “No, I think elbows would be worse,” She admitted, since she knew that would be more contact, even with his baggy shirt that she was clad in.

Her hand touched his gently, fingers skimming against his palm. She could feel the grooves, the lines on his hands so strongly, so etched in her brain. She wanted to remember everything about this moment in case it never happened again. One might even say that in that moment she felt love - and wanted to be with him, here, in this cabin, rather than back in her safe apartment. There was a large difference between being in love and wanting to be with someone. It didn’t always mean the same thing. Once their hands were clasped, she looked at Flotsam with wide eyes, looking scared for the first time since the restaurant. But then she squeezed a little, and nothing happened. No ice shooting throughout the room, no melding of their hands together by a block of ice, nothing that she had expected. She even felt a little proud. The corner of her lips went up, and she nodded slightly, ready for what came next.

@simulacrum-collosi​

He nodded his head. Some of the insane wooziness was actually going away since Mambo’s remedies now had time to start working. “No news is good news.” Flotsam decided because it meant nothing was worse for now no matter how unbearable waiting around could feel. 

“Well, I’d go running if you hadn’t told me it was the loa that really brought me here. I can’t betray their wishes on that. It wouldn’t feel right now. I feel stupid texting while people are doing serious stuff. I’d pull a gazing ball to see if I could tap into it and find out what’s going on, but with the eye right now, I don’t think I could pull it off. But, Flotsam wasn’t really one to sound so defeated before he even tried. Not under usual circumstances anyhow, so he said, “Fuck it. I’m trying it.” 

He got up and went shoving things around in the swamp shack that looked like it needed a beware sign over them. Everything of Mambo Laveau’s had that look but don’t touch feel, like it might curse you if you did, but Flo shoved it all around like it was nothing but trinkets till he found what he was looking for. 

“Here we go. Found it.” 

He sat down with it, lit some candles, spread a new fragrance, and tried to focus. He got frustrated rather quickly. 

“This was so much easier when I had J-” His one eye squinted over at Elsa and sighed. “Fuck.”

Fuck it. Some secrets really were hard to keep and this one used to be fun. Now, it was a burden. 

He wrung his wrists trying to loosen himself up, moved his neck back and forth, and gazed at the ball again. He just wanted to see what was going on with the battle. It shouldn’t have been this difficult. He glanced up and Elsa again, frustration turned to anger. He knew it was his lack of Jetsam. It had to be. He didn’t know how to focus without him. 

Suddenly he threw the ball across the room and it smashed through some of his mother’s trinkets. He gripped at his hair when River started crying. “Fuck. Sorry. Sorry. Everything’s fine. Everything’s fine.” He tried to sooth the little guy and walked around with him a moment till he calmed down. He would look over River’s head on his shoulder at Elsa and even apologized to her. “I’m sorry.” 

Words that rarely came out of his mouth till Cinderella got her influence on him. 

“Look. I am sorry. I just- I just want to see the damn city, what’s going on. It shouldn’t be this fucking hard. I’m used to-” 

Then out it came. 

“I’m used to having Jetsam to boost me.” He pointed to his eye in complete confession. “I forked my eye out because I didn’t want to see him anymore. I couldn’t watch that shit. I see him. Get it? I always see through his eyes, him through mine. I got so angry. I was trying to have a fucking dinner with you and I just…I couldn’t fuck take it, him and his eyes mentally fucking Cinderella, his… hands all…. UGH… it was just fucked up okay. It was too much. I didn’t think about what else it would fucking effect. I might have just fucked myself out of my own damn magic. I’m used to focusing with someone.” He tried his best to explain, but wasn’t sure if he was making sense. “Even when we’re apart it’s like we’re always holding hands.” 

@twisted-disney​

“That’s what they say,” Elsa responded, feeling uncomfortable at not knowing the fate of the city. She had ruined things, she knew that. The world would know that she existed. She may not be on the internet much but she somewhat understood what ‘going viral’ means, and a woman creating ice walls in one of the best known cities in the world was sure to create a stir. What had happened to the wolf who had taken her away, what happened to the witch who had gotten into her head, what had - no answers, not a single one.

Flotsam seemed to have just as many questions as she did. But alas, no answers were incoming and all that she could really do was watch Flotsam to make sure that he didn’t hurt himself further, and then peek outside every couple of seconds to see if danger was looming on the horizon. Nothing felt right anymore, nothing felt safe. She didn’t have any instincts as to what was going on,  no feelings or premonitions. She’d been useless before but this was a whole new level.

She winced at the loud noises of things being pushed aside. As the adrenaline was wearing off, she started to grow more anxious. She had felt powerful, almost like a Queen for a little while there, saving people and riding off on the back of a a ‘mythical’ creature to go and protect the only man who stirred feelings in her, and his son. But now, she was back to being a scared, naive child who couldn’t keep control of a single situation, alone with a man with a severe eye injury and a child. Powerless. Nervous.

“You stabbed your eye out right in front of me, Flotsam.” Elsa said gently, taking a step away from the window when Flotsam stopped himself from speaking for a moment. “Secrets or not, we are in this together now. I’m depending on you, just as Loa had depended on me to get you away safely. You might as well tell me everything. Perhaps we’ll find something useful in it all.” If witches were to approach, she would surely hear them, perhaps feel them. They had made their intentions known, there was no use in them hiding. After all, they had the loud mouth rockstar at their helm.

She flinched again as the ball went flying across the room, but she kept her eyes on Flotsam this time, as he walked around with the crying baby. There was nothing that she could say to make things better, to make things work better, she knew that. She didn’t have a connection to him the way that Flotsam did. Her magic was just - was just snow and ice, wine popsicles, makeshift weapons. A hell of a lot more than she thought that she was capable of, but still not enough for this frustrating situation.

💎 ― Cinderella’s lips pressed together in a bemused smirk.  She had no doubt Esmeralda could scare them with or without the use of tools.  She could tell Esmeralda was a lady of many beautiful talents.  Her heart was melting with each telling about Djahli && Esmeralda’s absolute fondness.  Shaking her head with a slow smile spreading across her features picturing Djahli doing such stunts.  Rummaging for her notebook from her purse she’d pull it out && flip quickly to the next clean page jotting it down.          “That is a wonderful idea, Esmeralda!  It’s perfect.  He’ll be happier being by your side all the way.”  Delighted Esmeralda came up with the idea as Cinderella felt it’ll be for the best if Djahli was with Esmeralda through it all.  None of this was easy on her.  But with Djahli next to Esmeralda it’ll be more natural && hopefully she’ll make unexpectedly good memories to look back on this wild && crazy situation she’s forced into.  “Great.  We’ve found the ring boy && the groom will get a nice little k i c k out of it.”          Stomach clenching.  This does put them in a dangerous situation.  Esmeralda more than herself.  Instantly thinking back to her glass slippers && what Coven members were capable of && the horrors they could have done to a line up of wedding dresses waiting for Esmeralda BUT they didn’t predict what type of w o m e n Esmeralda was.  With such short notice, they’d be targetting all the wrong dresses && they didn’t have to worry about accessaries.  Keeping a wary eye out && her guard up they’ll be alright for the most part.        Though a dreamy haze entered her lapis lazuli orbs with golden metal specs softening her features.  “But you have to admit it is magical.”  She spoke in a dreamy tone as her chest lifted in a silent sigh “to have someone that loves && supports you no matter what.”  She was genuinely happy for Phoebus to have a mother that loved him very much even if his mother was a little abnormal.  Not that Cinderella had given River’s future that much thought.  She’s content taking it one day at a time.          Because she might not be apart of his in the future.  Anything is possible.  This war is far from over.  It’s best to enjoy each day she has with her special little family.  Biting her lip, she had to come up with a different approach.  “Alright!”  She clasped her hands together gently thinking about how to add a little color as she followed behind Esmeralda breezing past all the bland-looking gowns.  “White flowers && white decor would look great reflecting against colorful glassware && those Turkish Moroccan lanterns,”       Candlelit mosaic lanterns would be absolutely lovely to gaze at after sunset.  Patterns of colors coming alive against white lace && flowers would be very dazzling “especially after dark.”  Fingertips brush along one lacey gown after the other as she tried to think of other ways to add that s p l a s h of color.  “Is that so?  I’m happy to hear that.”  A warmth came out as she wasn’t expecting that.  What Esmeralda must be going through was tough but if Esmeralda thought about it being part of the few steps she has to take for her own freedom.        Then it might not look so bleak?  She’ll be able to divorce in a year && that’ll go by so fast among a friend like Phoebus && her trusty Djali.  Smiling she didn’t doubt her when Esmeralda said she had nothing to worry about.  Clopin raised one hell of a strong woman.  Noticing she passed the purple && gold.  Two very important colors but two colors that don’t quite reflect her desires.  “Emerald?  The color of life, nature, ― && the color of your beautiful sea-green eyes.“ ( && the color of Lucifers eyes ) a strange pause for a split second as she almost said something very peculiar && way out of place.  

       “I think you have exquisite taste.  Pull one out you like && let’s see it!”  Bouncing excitedly on her tippy toes she clapped her hands together once.  Excitement coursed through her wanting to see her pull her very first dress across her figure to see it in full view.  

@cinderella-elvesden​

“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.

@simulacrum-collosi​

Flotsam’s head was pounding from his injury and his anticipation of her answer was amplifying each thud. 

Then she said: 

“If that’s what you want”

And the ache his chest almost relaxed. 

Almost. 

The permission was granted with a stern warning by his domi. He looked up to her cringing as straight faced as he could so she’d see he was taking her seriously. He didn’t answer right away. He identified with that expression. He felt it deep and reminded him of times he’s tried to warn Jetsam, his enemies of what would happen if they made another move, never sounded like a cold-hearted threat, just facts, simple facts, and to Cinderella too, when he warned her what life would be like if she stayed with him. He felt like she was wearing the same look of Gods when they warned he had to change Cinderella’s loyalties or they’d kill the mother of his child. He understood that look. This wasn’t a bicker battle with Jetsam or Zeke. She actually meant it only she spoke it so casually that he could have sworn for 2 seconds he could see his mother’s face in her eyes. Elsa was very much like his adoptive mamma, Mambo Laveau. She only spoke what she meant and always meant what she said. Elsa was very much alike.   

He reached over and was about to take her hand, but knew this wasn’t something Elsa was the most comfortable with, powers considering. He wasn’t afraid, but was trying for once in his life, to be respectful, and pulled back. “I understand. It is what I want. I want to come with you.” 

He even agreed to let himself rest and heal and if anyone knew Flotsam at he was more the type to jump up and go running straight for battle back in town, electric eel sparks a-glowing, completely wounded, and visually impared or not. But, he listened to her. Flotsam listened to Elsa. Maybe the whole dominatrix thing was always a joke between them, but maybe he decided it was time to stop acting on his instincts, and just listen, and do as she says. He looked around his empty shack. Yeah, it was time. He hugged River a little tighter and would watch Elsa standing guard.  

“Yeah, how hard can it be?” The sarcasm was thick even though he wanted to just up and leave now that he’d made the decision, Elsa was right on. Flotsam could never leave without first making sure his mother queen was back to safety. She could pick a new hougan from there. The entire encampment deserved someone more dedicated to them than him. It had been weighing on him for a long time now. That obligation wasn’t his dream anymore. Sometimes dreams change right in the middle of having them.

And so he’d sleep awhile and he planned on packing a bag or two, something easy to carry considering he’d have River too. So, this time when he woke up, River was still napping. Oh River had gotten up more than once for Elsa to have to deal with while Flotsam was out, but maybe it was for the best so he’d sleep now and he’d have a moment to focus better. He had a very groggy voice when he first awoke looking for her again. He looked around right away wondering how long he’d slept and of course, for Elsa. 

@twisted-disney

“Then I suppose that’s settled,” Elsa said. She felt slightly lighter knowing that she wasn’t going to have to go with an escape plan on her own. She might have some resources - her savings account still held a hefty amount from her inheritance - but though money made the world go around, she didn’t have what she needed most. Something that people called Street Smarts. She didn’t know how to do a lot of the things that were necessary for a life - and she wouldn’t call what she had been doing since moving to New Orleans a life. All she knew was how to hide.

She would be depending on Flotsam more than he would be depending on her.

As she looked out the window, she thought for a moment how the three of them could easily be misconstrued as being a family. River looked enough like Flotsam that the paternity was obvious. Elsa had realized pretty quickly after meeting Cinderella that the two of them looked alike - blonde hair, blue eyes - that similar features on the boy might point at her being the mother. It made her furrow her brow as she looked out at the nature-filled landscape, something she was not used to. Would running away together make them a family? There were so many things to consider - but no. No, she recalled what Flotsam had said was wanted for him. A harem. He wanted to have his cake, eat it, and fuck the baker. That was not the sort of family that she would ever want, not that she thought about it much. She’d have to try to separate a part of herself from this, she decided. That was the easy part. She had done that since she was a little girl.

Little River caught her attention with his fidgeting. There wasn’t much that she could do for him, or that she knew how to do. She didn’t have relationships with children, not even when she was one due to the isolation. When she saw mothers out with their children, she didn’t long to have one for herself. They just seemed to be unnecessary emotional attachments - like cats, which she knew very well because she felt a little sorrow that she would never again see the neighbor’s cat who sometimes came to her window. She didn’t know what children liked, but she remembered seeing them build snowmen when she was out and about, so that’s what she did. She made little snowmen appear, and dance around the little boy. She couldn’t conjure coal or carrots or a scarf, but she could just make them appear to be in shadow for effect.

She stood by the window like a statue as the hours went by slowly. She felt Flotsam waking up more than she heard or saw him. Her arms were crossed in front of her, almost defensively, which gave away her attitude. She wasn’t on offense, she was completely defense, and this house was what she was going to protect. “There’s no sign of anyone coming back yet. This could be a good thing or a bad thing. If the witches had won, they would have been here by now, I’m sure.” She spoke, then finally turned to look at the wounded man. “I don’t know how to proceed from here. I’ve never been in a war with anyone apart from myself before.”

@simulacrum-collosi​

For once in Flotsam’s obstinate life he did what he was told and sat back in place. He felt awful, dizzy, woozy, all over, not to mention the throbbing in his face. Plus, Elsa mentioned River and his son was one of the few things in this world that would gain his attention. That tone Elsa used helped make sure he didn’t just ignore her too. Maybe he was damn tired of being in charge. Maybe he didn’t even mind the thought of someone else just telling him what the Hell to do right then because he sure couldn’t figure out what to do anymore. Everything was backfiring and blowing up in his face. He felt like he entered the Twilight Zone or walked in on one of Clopin’s Topsy Turvy days. Everything was the fucked right the Hell up. 

The cold of her hand felt so good against all that turmoil and hot beneath his skin. . He put the heel of his hand on the head as he listened to Elsa give him the low down on everything to catch him up. Once he was up to speed he just sat there in his funk staring back and forth from River, to the ground, to across the room, through his one decent eye, and back to Elsa again. 

She was going to leave him again. After. That was what he heard. Sure, he heard she was going to stick around for the fight, but then just leave again? His shoulders slumped. Cinderella and Jetsam were gone. He destroyed his own sacred magic sight and all of New Orleans was racing towards a pinnacle battle already in progress and the Loa benched him. He had one damn job. One. Keep himself safe for when the voodoo god needed to use his body on earth and look what he’d done. Now, he was hearing Elsa was leaving too. 

He looked away from her and then back at River. He took another sweep around the old swamp shack he’d grown up in. He didn’t want to abandon his mother or the encampment that became his people too, but damn. He was a man now and had been a long time and far too soon. With how he was feeling right then, he pulled his son up close and hugged him while the overwhelm hit him so hard in the chest. He kissed the crown of his head with his eyes closed like it hurt him inside to do so. Then he looked back to Elsa one more time and asked, “Would you take us with you? After?”

He didn’t even think Elsa would want him to after everything, but all things in his life came to this moment, and boiled over, and it was his last ditch effort to hang on to something, anything, someone he cared for. He was tired of trying to convince people stay. Maybe it was time to change tactics. 

@twisted-disney​

The question wasn’t one that Elsa was expecting. She thought about just running away to live with the tigers in Siberia or something like that. Fight global warming by going to the north pole and making everything freezing again. She knew that she could go head to head against witches now and have a chance, some witches at least, but she was better off fighting climate change. What else was she going to do with her life now that she was outed in New Orleans? But having Flotsam, and his son with them? Her heart broke a little at the thought of Cinderella, but then again, the woman did leave these two behind.

Could she go through her life with a baby? She knew it was certainly not her job to help raise it, to a parent in any capacity, but if she was taking Flotsam on, River was coming too. That was a lo of responsibility on her shoulders, since by the looks of the one-eyed man, he wasn’t exactly capable of taking care of himself. His place was here with his mother, he should know that. But one look at him, and she wanted to bring him. Wanted to help him back onto his feet. It might have been the selfishness of not wanting to be alone, but she didn’t even consider that bringing him might just be dragging him down along with herself.

“If that is what you want,” Elsa said, bringing her hands back onto her lap. “But I’m not coming back for anything, you know that. If you want to see your mom, or Jetsam or Cin-” She stopped herself from saying the full name, not wanting to hurt him further. “Then you’re coming back on your own.” She finished. She’d given up on Anna, and the only other person that she had here was the damn handyman, and they were hardly considered friends. Definitely not someone that she would ever come back for.

Originally posted by dreaming-of-imladris

ESMERALDA LOVELACE / @simulacrum-collosi​.

💎 ― Cinderella tried to focus, to figure out what Esmeralda could possibly be talking about, but her mind speculated the weight of her words.  She had a really bad feeling as her words echoed not to p o w e r f u l.  Wouldn’t that mean she’s barely touched the surface of her own abilities?  Wherever her own thoughts were leading, it was awakening new pressure on the burden of responsibility.  She could feel it in her bones.  Trembling with dread noiselessly.  With an unreadable expression on her face, she wouldn’t dare show her discomfort.  “Maybe it’s best to leave it to the experts?  I can talk to Flotsam for you.  It’s better to be safe than sorry.”  It wasn’t like they were in any shortage of HARMLESS rocks in the Laveau household.       A soft laugh && a warm smile lightened her features as Esmeralda talked about Djali && her current goatly situation.  “I accept this goat challenge,” she baited “but can we blame Djali?  All this happened so fast that he hasn’t had time to adjust.  But regardless I enjoy a challenge.”  A goatly challenge that is.  && what could Cinderella do to occupy Djali’s attention to make things run smoothly on their wedding day?  How to win the approval of Djali sounded like a worthy challenge.        Immediately she felt a red flag raised in the back of her mind.  Glancing around squinting suspiciously as the Ladies bustled up to Esmeralda making herself tightening her grip on her protectively.  Auto-Pilot southern politeness came out of her when she conversed with a few pinches of sheer pure air-head feisty remarks to the few who tried to avert Cinderella away from Esmeralda.          Questioning for a moment if that was the truth of the matter o r were they potentially coven supporters in disguise?  Cinderella was very c a r e f u l when it came to choosing a meeting spot && what wedding shops && areas to enter && avoid for their safety.  But it also wasn’t out of the question that Esmeralda’s mother-in-law just called all the freaking wedding stores && sent a headshot of her either compromising her safety.  Pleased with Esmeralda’s sharp bluntness Cinderella raised her hand && wiggled her fingers ironically being that declared friend.        “Don’t worry ladies!!!  I’ll take very good care of her~”  in case they didn’t get the memo.  They weren’t interested in none of their plotted cursed wedding dresses they might have pre-planned beforehand.  Following Esmeralda as she led her along staying alert. “Your mother-in-law’s a piece of work.”  She spoke loud enough just for Esmeralda to hear.  “Oh, it’s not that b a d — look on the bright side!  We escaped the hyena swarm.”  She playfully remarked.          Though she thought about what Esmeralda said next && she found it to be quite riveting!  A mischievous pixie glint sprung in her angelic smile.  “Weeell, what’s stopping you?”  She questioned rose-sweet.  “Why not a bridesmaids dress instead?  Why not have a color-splashed theme wedding.  Were you the bride && your groom are the only two in full color?  Then all your guests are the ones who have to wear white instead.”  Pitching it honestly.

       But she found the idea to be romantic && creative all in itself.  She took a second to daydream about a color-splashed themed wedding.  With white && black everywhere reflecting multi-colored lights && accents that bring out Esmeralda’s infinite desire for a festive colored night but still have that touch of elegance to it.  “I know a certain someone who can get the message across.”  Waggling her eyebrows as she tried to tempt Esmeralda.  Not that she was really trying to tempt her in any way but she hoped it was a helpful idea.

@cinderella-elvesden​

“That’s alright - if I feel the need, I’ll talk to Flotsam myself.” Esmeralda was not scared of the voodoo goth boy, even though she was a witch. She might be off the grid most of the time, returning to the caravans rather than into the depths of the city, she wasn’t under a rock. She knew about the growing tensions between her kind and the voodoo. She followed her father’s loyalty, trusting him above all. She was with Flotsam and his family, as was probably evident with her ties to Cinderella. “I’m not above scaring them a little myself, without the use of tools.”

“Oh trust me, I know. He still headbuts Phoebus every chance that they get. My little kid,” She laughed heartily, thinking about the way that she and Phoebus had met, and how Djahli had taken it. No, that little goat only seemed to love her, and her papa. And Thomas, once upon a time, but that was no longer relevant. “Perhaps we could make him the ring boy! Point him at Phoebus and he’ll go running!”

“I really shouldn’t be surprised,” Esmeralda sighed, as the topic of her mother-in-law came back up. “She’s been waiting for this day since she found out that she was pregnant. She just about told me so.” Her hands went to her stomach automatically. Though she wasn’t pregnant, she could not imagine spending a child’s whole life focused on something as foolish as a marriage! It seemed like such a luxury, when her papa had worried about finding shelter during storms and putting food in her mouth, and teaching her despite never going to school himself! “Hyenas, yes, they even laugh like the creatures.”

The concept was appealing, and she did take a minute to think about it. “I want the guests to wear whatever they want,” She said, thinking about what her dear father would show up in if he could. Something garish, without a doubt. And there would be no talking Kuzco into wearing all white. “But how about white flowers? White decor? Yes, I want a colorful dress!” She breezed past all of the bland-looking gown that cost thousands of dollars, rushing to the more colorful section.

@simulacrum-collosi​

Zeke understood her. He let it go. No squabble before leaving. But, when she said to ‘bring them hell’ you can best bet he gave her a look that promised it. He might have been in human form, but there was wolf in his eyes. 

Then, Boy if Flotsam could have seen her! She’d have blown his own expectations out of the water too. But, there he laid recovering from all his body had gone through. His son, however, didn’t sleep so long.  His big blue and gold eyes were hyperfocused on the small details of the closest flakes. Without the shared sight changing his vision he was able to see things he wasn’t usually able to notice. 

Never had there been a young boy so focused as River was right then. A couple could spots were felt on Flotsam’s face. It caused him to stir and when his eye opened, even with it squinting from the other side being injured, he noticed the same thing River did. What they gained in magical sight they never knew they lost in regular vision. Both of them were staring at the floating flakes like they were seeing magic for the first time. 

After a moment, Flotsam instinctively put his arms around his son. Then his eye followed the random path of a falling flake till it put Elsa in his vision. The confusion on his face would start to be obvious as he looked around the room and then back at her. Flotsam rarely remembered what happened when voodoo loa took over his body. The last thing he remembered was being upset in Triton’s place at dinner. He couldn’t put all the pieces together. 

“Domi?” He spoke soft and tired. “What happened?” Whatever it was, he knew it had to be more than his dumb fork in the eye episode. They were in his mamma’s hidden shack in the swamps. Guests didn’t just happen everyday. “Where’s mamma?” He put his hand to the side of his head as sitting up some didn’t sit well with him at all. Still he pointed to a flake that landed on his River’s arm hairs and didn’t melt right away showing his son how it sat there perfectly poised till is slowly dissipated. 

@twisted-disney​

“I’m not a nurse or a doctor, but I think the right thing to do right now is to relax,” Elsa said, pulling out the bit of Domi in her that Flotsam had seen. “Just take a breath in and then a breath out, no need in working you or your son up, alright?”

She rested her cold hand on his arm to stop him from getting up further if he tried. She gave him an equally cold look that told him that she would do more than try to hold him down if he were to cause any sort of fuss.

“After you ended up scooping your eye out like a scene in some horror movie, the war reached a crescendo.” She knew from talking to Flotsam that the war had been brewing beneath the surface of the city for some time. But it came up to the surface in such a big way now that the zombie walk of the past would just be a footnote in New Orleans history. She explained what had happened, meeting the God side of himself, the witches ambushing her, doing her best to fight against the blonde witch and her mind tricks, the fact that she nearly destroyed that part of the city on her own, meeting Zeke, getting here and then letting him know that his mom was out there, doing whatever it was that she needed to do.

@simulacrum-collosi​

The villains were left in the quarter to battle it out right in town and cause whatever chaos was swirling while Zeke and Elsa were dealing with Flotsam back at the homestead. 

Zeke had started to snatch up some clothes and was jumping into a pair of shorts as Elsa said she’d stay. He considered the power he just witnessed from her and that made leaving Flotsam’s side feel a little safer. 

“Don’t leave him unprotected. The Gods put this in our hands.” 

He looked down at Flotsam with little River all curled up by his side and couldn’t believe this situation. If ever a Flotsam needed his Jetsam it was now. By the time he threw on a clean shirt he said, “I have to guard the queen.” He took a deep breath and said, “I trust you.” The Gods did. So he would too. He didn’t know if any of that meant anything to Elsa, but it meant a damn lot to him. But, that didn’t mean this whole situation didn’t suck beyond all suckage. This was not how he saw his day going when he woke up. He couldn’t help but shake his head as he looked at Flotsam’s injury and how bad things must be in town if Mambo Laveau left her son’s side while he was in this state. 

Then he left just like that. He knew there was no time to waste. 

Once Zeke had gone to the others’ aid back towards the city this left Elsa alone with Flotsam and River in the Laveau’s magically guarded swamp shack. Elsa would be alone with her own thoughts for some time, but eventually River would wake up first. Big, bright blue and gold eyes blinked up at Elsa with his thumb still in his mouth the way he slept. Elsa’s face wasn’t one he was used to seeing at home. He dropped his hand from his mouth and little sparks of electricity were visibly crackling through the tiny strands of drool that strung from his thumb to his mouth until it broke and fizzled out. He wore the confused look of a child unsure if he should be scared or not. So, he quickly buried his face back down in Flotsam’s side only to peek back up at Elsa again a moment later.

 River was already growing moody not having his mother around and had begun clinging to his daddy like a parasite when he was home. Flotsam didn’t mind at all. He liked the attention. But, between that and how strange, worried, and frantic all the grown ups had just seemed, and his daddy acting hurt, and sad, and now wounded, with gramma rushing around mad, no Jet either, his security of stability was shaken, especially with his link to daddy now gone with the eye injury. Now, he’d woken up to a different lady in the house. To say this little boy was nervous right now was putting it lightly. But, those duel colored eyes didn’t leave Elsa again. He kept staring afraid to make a move clutching at his father’s side. All the motion was slowly rousing Flotsam up, but he wasn’t quite awake yet. 

@twisted-disney​

“After everything that we just did, do you really think I’m going to leave him now?” Elsa asked, not looking at Zeke as she spoke. Her voice had a very defiant, almost annoyed tone. She had just blown her own expectations of herself out of the water. She was not in the mood for anyone to try to underestimate her or guess her intentions at this point. No, she was going to stay until Flotsam himself told her to go. Perhaps even after that, she could be a bit stubborn. Besides - at this point, she didn’t have anything to go back to.

Only after a moment, only after trust was brought up, did she look over her shoulder at the tall black man, finally taking him in. The appearance of the strong muscles beneath the dark skin. The way that he had been a wolf - she could see the predator look in his eyes. Perhaps it matched hers at this point. “Bring them hell,” She said to him, before turning her attention back to the only person in this world that she cared about at this moment. More than herself, more than Anna even. Flotsam.

She rested herself on her knees and watched over him. Even when her calves went numb, and the pins and needles feeling came and went, she continued to sit in that exact same position, blue eyes on the two sleeping boys. River waking up did catch her attention though, and she made sure to soften her features a little when he looked up at her. She was not a nurturing person; she didn’t particularly like children or babies, but she didn’t dislike them either. They just were what they were. But she would at least put up an attempt for this little boy, whose father was a wreck and whose mother was AWOL at that moment.

She never thought that she would miss Jetsam but damn, did she wish he was here.