6.9: Words of Encouragement

Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World more than lived up to its reputation; the warehouse-sized buildings were filled nearly to the rafters with statues, bas-relief images and fully decorated floats, all "props" from past Mardi Gras celebrations. Nearly everything imaginable had been made from wood, papier-mâché, foam or fiberglass, and painted every color ever heard of. There were bears and goats and giraffes and baboons and elephants and unicorns and dragons and dolphins and merfolk and a golden giant seahorse,and some creatures Angela was sure simply couldn't be based on real beings at all, for even Avalon had never seen such creatures on its magical shores. And there were dozens of caricatures of human beings, some as giant heads and some as full figures, scattered everywhere in the halls. Chipped and faded paint and dents from prior rough handling could be seen on many of the older displays, but some of them looked so lifelike, that Angela was almost ready to swear that one of the mermen had winked at her.

Brooklyn was just as impressed as Angela at the displays, and even Broadway was pulled out of his inexplicable black mood, enough to smile at some of the sillier sculptures. That encouraged Angela enough to pull him to one side, as their guided tour was winding down. Cassius was telling a mischievous tale of just what his rookery generation had done once with that sculpture of Marilyn Monroe, and Brooklyn was laughing till he could hardly stand upright, when Angela quietly nudged Broadway with her tail and got him to follow her to behind a nearby parade float.

"Broadway… when we return to the estate later… would you like to have some fun with me, without our escorts?" Angela asked.

Broadway almost visibly perked up. "Really, you mean that?" Then he paused, and asked cautiously, "Uh, what sort of fun?"

"Oh, I was thinking that we could go for a walk together… and maybe take Bronx with us; the hatchlings are stuffing him with so many treats, he surely needs some good exercise."

"Oh. Well, sure, we can go for a walk with Bronx."

"And perhaps more than a walk. Perhaps… a chase?" Angela purred, tapping Broadway playfully on the chin.

Broadway swallowed hard. "Honey, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Mmmaybe…" After a significant pause, Angela continued, "Perhaps we can't chase each other in the air right now, but a good long chase on the ground is good exercise, too. And there's more… I'm going to ask Yvette to make some mating ceremony attire for you, as well as for Lexington."

"Really? You're not going tomake us wait until--"

She touched a talon to his lips as she said playfully, "Shhh, I'm not finished yet... The tuxedo she'll make for you willbetoo small for you right now, but if we keep running together and chasing Bronx and each other, you'll lose those pounds and inches fast enough! And on the night you can fit into that tuxedo…" she leaned in close, her breasts just brushing his chest as she whispered, "I'll let you catch me."

Broadway's eyes were the size of saucers. "Jalapeño!"

To be continued...