Pinocchio shook her head, "No. I was only focused on going to school, singing and practicing on the stage, crying and trying to get out, escaping Stromboli, getting home, talking with Honest John and Gideon, and then you know...".
"Honest John?", Lampwick raised an eyebrow. "You know him?", Pinocchio asked as she nodded. "Yeah... lousy...", Lampwick growled. "Was the one that told me about Pleasure Island too. Probably working with that Coachman...". There was a pause as Pinocchio got closer to her.
"Lampwick... you... you know what these are, right?", Pinocchio gently cupped her own breasts. Lampwick nodded. "Yeah, um, well, those are called breasts...", she blushed as she obviously wasn't really the right person to explain to Pinocchio about the ins and outs of the fairer sex.
Pinocchio nodded, realizing that she overstepped a bit as she never saw Lampwick blush before, and spoke, "Well, they are definitely not coming off...I actually like them...They make me feel kind of nice and pretty...", looking at the mirror again..
Lampwick chuckled, "It's a very distinct way to tell the difference between women and men, that's for sure.", looking at herself, "And I actually ain't bad looking either...No wonder why Mama calls me Romeo...".
"Huh?", Pinocchio looked at her in confusion and curiosity, and Lampwick smiled sheepishly, "Well, I should tell the truth too...Since you told the truth about that you wanted to be a real girl, and here we are...Through you're not exactly a girl, but a real woman, a pretty dame at that...".
Pinocchio blushed red for the first time, smiling shyly, and Lampwick chuckled, "Lampwick isn't my real name...It's a nickname I got on the streets and all...My real name is Romeo. Mama said that the real Romeo in a story she told me was a hero and brave, and handsome.".
"Romeo...That's kinda nicer than Lampwick...But I like Lampy better for you as a nickname...", Pinocchio replied, and Lampwick grinned, "And you can still call me Lampy, Slats.", lugging an arm around her, bringing her closer where their breasts touched, and they felt a small new sensation they had never felt before.
Pinocchio blinked in surprise, somehow feeling way better than before, and went to see if they could do it again when a shout was heard, "Pinocchio! Oh, please, please, be there! Where are you?".
"Jiminy!", Pinocchio gasped, widening her eyes, turning around to see Jiminy flustered, panicking as he ran into the basement room, "Pinoke! We gotta go! The Coachman, the boys, they're turning into women!", urging for her to run when he realized finally of what he's seeing, with a loud gasp of shock.
"Too late...", Jiminy said as Pinocchio ran over to him, "Jiminy! You came back!". She wanted to hold him and squeeze him in a hug, but obviously the size difference, especially now, that was probably a bad idea. "I'm sorry! You were right and I was wrong! About everything!".
"It's alright, Pinoke... we'll... we'll figure something out for you... but first we need to get out of here!", Jiminy warned.
Lampwick stared at Pinocchio's ass, and her mind is starting to cloud up, walking slowly to Pinocchio as she touched herself, moaning quietly, "Pinocchio, you're so pretty...So cute...You got an adorable ass...", reaching with a hand stroking Pinocchio's back.
Pinocchio gasped in surprise, moaning as Lampwick started to peck her neck, her hand starting to stroke downwards, "Lampy...", as Lampwick went to squeeze her ass, and Pinocchio cried out in surprise, the good magic in her fighting the lust as she spun around to slap Lampwick sharply on the cheek.
"OW!", Lampwick fell to the floor; the cloud that was trying to take hold of her mind violently dispersed thanks to the hit as Lampwick slowly tried to sit back up. "What's the big deal!? You wanting to fight?", she argued as her mind then caught back up. "Wait... what just happened?", she asked.
Jiminy replied, "The lust, that's what happened! The Coachman, he drugged the boys, so they won't remember their past lives, their parents, everything! When the boys are all completed into full-on women, they are in lust mode so they can be caught, checked, and thrown into cages easily without fighting or giving trouble! The Coachman, he's selling the women by the shipload! If you want to get out of here, come with me! We got to find a way out before the Coachman catches you two!", Jiminy urged hastily, and Pinocchio grabbed Lampwick's hand.
"Please, Lampy, for once, listen to Jiminy! I don't want to lose you either!", Pinocchio was looking afraid and worried, and Lampwick took Pinocchio's hand, "Let's go, then! Lead the way, cricket! I ain't going to be sold like a donkey!".
The trio made their way out of the billiard hall at quick speed, while also trying to keep it as quiet as possible since they were all fairly sure that their presence wasn't known yet. They made their way past a few stalls and buildings as they tried to remember their way back to the doors they came in from. The girls ducked down behind one of the food stalls before looking towards the door.
"Looks like they've probably got them locked up tight.", Jiminy whispered as Lampwick nodded. "Yeah... probably to make sure any runaway dames don't get out...", she sighed. "We're gonna need to find another way then, but at least this area of the island seems quiet for the moment.".
"I agree.", Jiminy said. "The Coachman and his helpers all corralled the others to another area where they've got their slave ship on the water. Probably another entrance into the island.". He turned to see Pinocchio's attention on some leftover food. Lampwick turned to see as well.
"Hey, Slats... you still hungry?", Lampwick asked as Pinocchio licked her lips; hunger already taking an effect on her since she had never really had an intestinal system before and didn't really have much of a vital need for sustenance. "Sorry...", Pinocchio apologized. "I'm just..."
"Here...", Lampwick grabbed a leg of lamb and tore some meat off to give it to her. "Quick bite to give us some energy so we can get away. Can't afford to be slowed down.".
Pinocchio was grateful, smiling at Lampwick, "Thanks, Lampy.", as she ate the portion off the leg of lamb, and widened her eyes in delight and surprise, "Oh, this is soooo good...", and Jiminy replied, "Probably because you never had a real tongue and teeth and of course, taste buds...Why it's so good is probably because of the spices.".
"Now I know why the boys stuffed up! This is really tasty!", Pinocchio savored the last bite of the portion as she was incredibly quick, having been hungry, and Lampy whistled, "Golly, you're really hungry...", before watching the coast, and then grabbed some sausages, giving half to Pinocchio and keeping the other half for herself.
Jiminy replied, "Let's keep going while you finish those sausages.", and the girls nodded, following him, quickly and urgently yet quietly as possible, searching for anything to help them escape before Jiminy saw a cliffside of the mountainous island, "There! Come on, let's go!", whispering loudly.
"Wait... you're not suggesting-?", Lampwick whispered as Jiminy nodded. "I know it looks steep, but it's the only way I can see of maybe getting us to the outside of this mountain. One way is locked at the other route is where the Coachman and the rest of his men are.", Jiminy explained as Lampwick sighed.
"Alright... Pinoky... you got to be real careful, okay... one wrong step...", Lampwick sternly yet urgently told Pinocchio, realizing that Pinocchio probably never, ever had climbed a cliffside before.
Pinocchio nodded, "I'll be careful, Lampy.", realizing that she can get hurt now like the boys in the roughhousing tent as she's a real human now, and went to follow the others, taking up Lampwick's path.
The girls hugged the cliffside; carefully moving while trying to keep their balance. The sharp rocks on the step-able edges as well as brushing against their skin certainly made the experience painful; but the pain was way better than whatever fate awaited the rest of the poor boys. Jiminy moved on ahead, trying to make sure that there was an escape route for them.
"You doing alright, Slats?", Lampwick whispered. "I'm... I'm feeling that bad feeling again...", Pinocchio told her. "That's pain, Pinoky, you got to get used to it now...", Lampwick explained with a slight nod.
Pinocchio shook her head softly, "I think I wouldn't get used to pain for a while yet...", and Lampwick reassured her, "Well, you're doing great. We almost there, Slats.", as she kept climbing, and Pinocchio took a deep breath, and then followed her.
Eventually, they made it, panting as they collapsed on the flat surface of the cliffside, seeing the moon in the sky with the stars, with the sea visible in the distance, as Jiminy replied, "I found something. Let's go!", gesturing for them to follow, and Pinocchio sighed, "The pain hurts, and I feel like I can't keep going...".
Lampwick urged her, "I know, but we gotta go, Pinoky. We can sleep somehow when we get out of here, okay?", and Pinocchio nodded as she determinedly followed Lampwick, as Jiminy led the way.
The two of them moved along the rocky edges of the mountain before the two of them reached a small cliff. "Salvation's just ahead, boys!" Jiminy told them as he pointed to a tiny island, similar to the mountain in that it was sticking out of the water but at a much smaller size where it was barely taller than either of them. But attached to the island was a small boat that was tied to the rock.
Little did they know was that the farther from Pleasure Island they are, the lust and the final changes of losing their memories, their former lives and such aren't working.
Lampwick grinned, "Brilliant! Come on, Pinoky!", grabbing her wrist, "We're outta here!", before Pinocchio bit her lip, "It looks so high and far...I don't know...".
"Hey, hey, look at me, didn't I ever let you down?", Lampwick asked, and Pinocchio shook her head, "No...You're with me, right?".
Lampwick nodded, "That's right, pal! Best friends forever, ain't we?", and Pinocchio nodded, "Yeah, yeah, we are. Okay...", and Lampwick smiled, "You got this, Slats.".
Jiminy smiled, "Almost home!", before preparing his cricket legs in a couple of hops, and then doing a big jump, focusing on landing either on the tiny island or in the rowboat.
"Wind will probably carry him farther there... we'll probably be swimming...", Lampwick told her as Pinocchio nodded. "Alright then... we'll jump on three, okay? Just keep your legs straight and take a deep breath before we jump, alright?".
She nodded once more as the two of them got ready; hiding their stolen sausages under their hats to try and keep them from getting wet.
"Do the best you can, Pinoky.", Lampwick reassured her, and they took deep breaths as they kept their legs straight, and jumped, not quite as far as Jiminy, but perhaps halfway far as they could, diving and two splashes were sighted by Jiminy as he watched, having landed on the rowboat.
A couple of moments later, Lampwick surfaced, taking a gasp of fresh air, and just after her, Pinocchio surfaced, gasping and blinking the saltwater out of her eyes, and Lampwick gestured, "Come on, Slats!", starting to swim, and Pinocchio followed her, panting as she tried to swim the best she could.
But like maybe 7 feet away from the rowboat, Pinocchio was exhausted, unable to fight against the pain in her arms and legs, and started to drown, panic and dread in her eyes as she struggled, and Jiminy screamed, "Lampwick! Save Pinoke!", seeing the bubbles.
Lampwick turned and dived under; no way she was planning on losing Pinocchio, not after everything they had gone through the past day and just now. She was lucky she knew how to swim as she moved fast to try and reach her before they were both too far underneath the water.
She found Pinocchio almost instantly, wrapping an arm around her armpits as she swam upwards as Pinocchio tried to keep awake, trying to help her along as she tried to swim upwards. Jiminy fretted with worry and horror, watching the surface, "Please, please, come up...", praying to the Blue Fairy, to the stars, and he released a huge breath of air in relief, crying as he saw Lampwick and Pinocchio break the surface, with Lampwick quickly helping Pinocchio swim to safety, to the rowboat.
Jiminy sobbed, fretting over Pinocchio as she was gently lifted into the rowboat by Lampwick, "Thank god that you're safe! God, you're freezing!", as Lampwick got into the rowboat.
The water during the night is even much cooler than during the day, and Lampwick urgently looked everywhere in the rowboat, realizing that the rags were destroyed by the saltwater, leaving them completely nude apart from their bowties and hats.
"Crap, crap, there's no blanket! Slats, come here and sit by me! We gotta row!", Lampwick urged, realizing that they are shivering, and she knew body heat is best to get warm right after doing something else to do.
Lampwick grabbed the oars into the grip-holds on each side of the rowboat, "Watch me, okay? See what I'm doing?", turning the oars and starting to row, heading for the mainland straight on, and Pinocchio shivered, nodding as she sat next to her, with Lampwick giving her the oar on the left side as she is sitting on the left while Lampwick's on the right.
Jiminy stood at the front bow of the rowboat, "Straight on, boys!", pointing to the mainland with his umbrella as a see-point, thanks to the full moon and stars giving them sight, and they focused on rowing, sharing body heat, and eating the slightly wet yet thankfully saved sausages.
It lasted for at least three hours as they were barely experienced in rowing and all, with the moon rising further into an arc, going into midnight or so...They somehow kept awake in fear of being caught by the Coachman even this far.
"You two need another break...", Jiminy said as the two of them came to a stop with the rowing. "Thank you... it's... these dame bodies aren't built for labor...", Lampwick sighed as he got closer to Pinocchio. "Still cold?".
"A little...", Pinocchio said as Lampwick wrapped her arms around her again. "Guess we can let the tide carry us for a little while... the mainland can't be too far away. Certainly, we have to be pretty far from the island.", Jiminy said.
Lampwick glanced at the waters, and replied, "Yep, looks like the tide is definitely on our side, and looks like the mainland looks like at least a half hour off, if the tide is steady.".
Pinocchio sighed in exhaustion, "Now I understand how Father feels...I want to sleep...", and Lampwick smiled, "It's okay, lean on me, I need sleep too...".
Jiminy smiled, "I'll keep an eye out, boys.", and the duo looked grateful, immediately falling asleep, and he looked to the brightest star, whispering, "Thank you, Blue Fairy...", before settling down to sit and keeping an eye out for any other night-venturing boats and such.
About 40 minutes later, there was the sound of earth crunching along the water, and Jiminy called out, "We're coming ashore, boys!", waking up the duo, and they blinked, rubbing their eyes to see that they're on a shore, a familiar shore as they saw their beloved town in the distance.
"I'm home...I'm home...", Pinocchio sobbed in relief, "Father! Come on, Lampy, I know Father will be fine with you staying for the night!". Pinocchio nearly hopped out as both Lampwick and by extension, Jiminy, held on to her.
"Easy, easy, Pinoke!", Jiminy shouted. "Look, I know we should be getting back to your father as soon as possible... but in case you haven't noticed, it wouldn't be good for you two to reach town wearing nothing but your hats.". Both women looked down as Pinocchio blushed, "Oh, right... I um, forgot.".
"Look, you two wait right here, I'll see if I can find anything for you two to wear and then we'll get you back home.", Jiminy said as he hopped out and started to make his way down to the road that led to a small dock nearby them, hopeful to at least find something for the duo.
"Yeah... home...", Lampwick said, downcast. Pinocchio looked at her in concern, "Lampy...you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but what happened? I thought you wanted your Mama.".
"Well... I do...", Lampwick admitted. "But... I can't really go home... not after everything, even if we were still boys...".
"Did something happen? Sorry...", Pinocchio covered her mouth. "Sorry, that's not something I'm supposed to ask, right?". Lampwick chuckled, "Relax, Slats, it's alright... just... Well, you're lucky you've got a father who's a decent man.".
Pinocchio frowned in confusion and curiosity, "But you said before, while, well, in the change, you said that you were supposed to take after your Pop a lot...".
Lampwick gave a bittersweet smile, "Oh, believe me, it was. Before, when I was a boy, I got Pop's nose, face shape, and height when he was my age, along with my buck teeth and skin tone, but now, well, I'm clearly taking after Mama...Pop died when I was little, well, littler than I was...He was tons of fun and he literally could 'fly' me anywhere with his arms when I asked for it...Mama was angry at him for that, but she didn't mean it as she loved him and me...She got really sad when Pop died...She said that it was in the mines...Then she was pushed by people to marry again, for me so I can be raised by a man, not a woman...Something about not being wimpy and a mama's boy, he said...", with a soft glare as she remembered.