"Yeah... but... still, just... I can't help but worry...", Perla told Lampwick as she nodded, "I don't blame you... but right now, let's just enjoy our lives for the time being, and we'll plan that whole trip to wherever the compass takes us some time later... after all; not exactly that cheap to properly travel the continent. ".
Perla nodded softly, "I guess you're right. If he's safe yet cursed, I...I suppose he's technically able to wait for me for some time...", before sighing, "Do you think Miss Evangeline might have an idea of whatever he is?".
Lampwick hummed, "She might, as the Evening Star is seen around the world at night, and we will ask her when she comes once my mother arrives in town soon...But you know, curses are not all the same, as you apparently found out by asking the compass.".
Perla nodded as Lampwick took a deep breath, "Look, we'll deal with it when we come along with it... but right now... let's focus on the here and now... like what we're going to do about today as well as about my mother.".
Perla kissed her on the cheek, "Your mother won't be here for a couple of days yet, but now, yeah, Papa will notice sooner or later...", with a sigh before they picked up the smell of breakfast being prepared, and they landed downstairs, with Figaro mewing as he greeted them, sniffing a bit of faint mating on the couple, but he went along with it, shrugging as he can see that his young mistress appears fine.
Perla petted Figaro, "Morning, Figaro!", as he purred under her gentle touch, and mewed as Lampwick scratched behind Figaro's ear, as Perla then greeted Cleo, "Morning, Cleo!", as Cleo swam around, dancing around Perla's finger.
Giggling softly, Perla looked at her father setting the plates as Jiminy settled in as he floated in by his umbrella, "Morning, Perla, Lampwick!", and Perla smiled, "Morning, Jiminy.", hoping that she isn't too sore to sit.
"Everyone sleep well?", Perla asked as Jiminy chuckled, "Yep... well, I think everyone's been sleeping well ever since things finally calmed down...".
Lampwick grinned, "Sounds like everything's good.", sitting down with a slight adjustment, relieved that she's not that sore down there. Perla giggled warmly as she sat down, wincing in slight pain as the pressure of the seat pressed on her ass and thighs.
Lampwick really was surprised by the wincing in pain that Perla was suffering from. She couldn't have done that much to her the night before, could she? Perla noticed, and reassured her, "I will be fine, Lampwick. It will ease off in a while.".
Jiminy comments, "Okay, I feel like I missed out on something.", and Geppetto replied, "Do you need tea for the headache, Perla?", expecting that the pain was from the remnants of a hangover thanks to the wine.
Perla shook her head. "No, no, it's not a headache I have, just... feeling off...", she told the table as Geppetto looked back at his breakfast; wondering if he said something wrong there.
Lampwick lowly whispered to Perla, "I think he knows that we drank the wine, hence the headache hangover.". Perla blinked before nodding, and exhaled, whispering, "Maybe he knows the tea for internal sores...", giving the look at her, asking if it's okay to say it.
Lampwick smiled with a soft nod as she knew that Perla hates lying... Perla took a deep breath, "Papa, do we have tea for sores?".
"Sores?", Geppetto asked as he raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay?". Perla nodded. "Yeah... just a bit sore from an accident I had last night... still a bit stinging..." Geppetto took a deep breath, "An accident or your first time?".
Perla and Lampwick widened their eyes, and Geppetto replied, "I won't ever lose any other family on my word years ago, and I intend to keep my word. I'm just a happy old man who's happy for his daughter, and that will never change especially when the act happens under my house.".
"Wait, what?", Jiminy asked as it took him a moment for things to click. His eyes widened as well when it hit him. "You mean they-!?".
"Jiminy, please don't make this a huge thing; Geppetto obviously isn't.", Lampwick was quick to say something before Jiminy could do anything like have a little freak out. Wouldn't want the neighborhood to hear him if they were able to.
Jiminy took a deep breath as he wasn't involved in much of any humans' lives, as he is a cricket, a smarter cricket than others, but still. Yet now he's part of a family which had never happened before, and honestly, he could have been upset if they were younger or something, but after what they had been through, and well, if Perla's happy, he's happy. And Geppetto was right as this is his house, not Jiminy's.
Jiminy then replied, "I haven't cared much about the laws of humans as they never intended to be for crickets and such, and it's kinda weird to me that females can't be together as much as males, when humans are...kinda like crickets in a way.".
"So, you don't have any issues either with what we had done?", Perla asked as Jiminy shook his head. "I'm with Geppetto... if being with Lampwick makes you happy... then I'm all for it.", he smiled.
Lampwick smiled in relief, and Geppetto replied, "I have the tea for sores, thankfully. But there's something that's bugging me. As you know, I am prone to loud noises like that paint can incident the night I wished for you.", referring to the night Perla was Pinocchio, having just came to life.
Perla remembers that with a sheepish smile, and Lampwick replied, "I can answer that...Miss Evangeline made our magical compass able to protect us, soundproofing the room and making any other people unable to see through the window and all...", with a blush.
"Ah... now I understand.", Geppetto nodded. "That had been on my mind the entire night when I found out.", with a hum. "Yeah... sorry we didn't tell you that sooner, Father.", Perla apologized.
Geppetto smiled with a wave of his hand, "It's okay. Yesterday was a big day of celebration with you finally a true woman, and things could chance to be forgotten for a moment. Now let's eat before our breakfast gets cold, and don't worry, I'd be sure to give you the tea before you two go off to do your chores, alright?".
"Yes, Father.", Perla nodded as Lampwick leaned over to her. "Not going to mention the whole true love thing?", she whispered that only they could hear. "You said it yourself, not to worry about it right now... it'll be okay.", Perla commented lowly.
Lampwick nodded, and so, they went to eat breakfast, with Geppetto giving Perla the tea for sores before chore time, and so, during today and the next couple of days, the girls acted as best friends, laughing in the grass or riverbanks after chore time, chatting over groceries and such at the market, while at nighttime, Perla and Lampwick went with gentle pleasure with a bit of passion here and there, not wanting to aggravate the pain of the sores within Perla that's thankfully diminished with the help of tea and baths.
Then the day came when Lampwick saw her mama. She was helping Geppetto in the forest, pushing the wheelbarrow as Geppetto searched for the right wood to carve the next project of his job, as Perla is at home, doing studies with Jiminy's help about traveling.
Geppetto frowned, "Hmm, birch or oak...what do you think, Lampwick?", as they're deep in the forest, and Lampwick replied, "We only got an axe and a saw...Probably go with a young oak, and a strong birch, but like skinny ones or particular mature ones.".
"Very good point, Lampwick. And besides, if one of them doesn't work for the project, I'd have a backup. You really have a good eye for the big picture.", Geppetto smiled warmly, and Lampwick smiled, "Ah, it was a good aid on the streets, and thanks, Mr. Geppetto.", before hearing a choked voice, "R-Romeo?".
Lampwick came to a dead stop as she heard that voice and turned... knowing who it was but still just... the feelings of the situation was hard to explain as so many emotions were running through her.
Only a few feet away, is Romeo/Lampwick's mother, and Geppetto would have mistaken them both for sisters, if it wasn't for Lampwick's eyes, nose, smile, and height being from her father.
Lampwick's mother is in her late 20s, having hazel eyes, an inch shorter than Lampwick, and her name is Lelia. "M-Mama...?", Lampwick whispered as the two of them slowly started to walk towards one another, slow in their steps as the wave of emotions was like a storm in their minds for a minute.
Lelia herself was almost exhausted after the compass showed her this morning that she wasn't far from her baby, and she sought a few rides, and now...she knew what Miss Evangeline told her, but right here, right here, it's even more real...
Lelia couldn't stop looking at her baby...a near-copy of her if she was taller and more youthful, yet her baby still has her first love's eyes, nose, smile, and height...Gods, her baby has been gone for more than a year when she thought she did something wrong, and then to find out that the bastard of a second husband she had, he abused her baby!
She whispered, "My baby...You're my baby always, I love you...", sobbing as something snapped in her, "Why did I fucking marry that bastard who hurt my baby?! Damn those villagers who pushed me to marry again!", collapsing down to her feet, crying as Lampwick widened her eyes, eyes swelling as she never, ever heard her mother swear like that, and dropped down to hug her, "Mama, I'm okay! I'm here, Mama...Mama, I missed you...", tears falling down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry...", Leila sobbed. "It's all my fault...", tears falling down her cheeks. "Mama, please... don't blame yourself... for anything... I'm not upset with you... I could never...", Lampwick was trying to assure her as she held her mother tightly in her arms.
Leila sobbed as she held into her daughter's arms, shaking in grief for her failure to protect her baby, and Lampwick rubbed her back, trying to kiss her mother on the forehead, trying to think what to calm her mother when she remembered a precious moment in her past, and she slowly, softly started to sing a lullaby, a lullaby that her mother used to sing her to sleep after bad dreams.
Realizing the familiarity of the lullaby, Leila widened her eyes, tears falling down in bittersweet happiness as she slowly stopped shaking in grief, her sobs halting into hiccups, and then sniffles as she calmed down, hearing her daughter's voice.
Lampwick finished the lullaby, and Leila cradled Lampwick's cheeks, smiling softly, "It's truly you, my baby...You still take a bit after your handsome father, yet you're my reflection...my daughter...What do I call you for the moment being?".
Lampwick whispered softly, tears swelling at the gentle touch of her mother, "When around people at market, I call myself Juliet...", and Leila chuckled softly, "I knew my version of the tale would stick around with you...Juliet suits you perfectly...", before her belly grumbled, and she blushed softly, "Didn't eat much this morning as I was really eager to see you...".
"Let's get you to my current abode, Mama...Luckily, Perla gotta be cooking by now for lunch...Mr. Geppetto?", Lampwick asked, glancing at Geppetto, realizing that they hadn't chopped the needed wood yet for Geppetto's project, as the gentle old man was moved to tears by the reunion.
"You two head on home.", Geppetto told her. "I can handle all the woodworking. Done it plenty of times by myself before.", he chuckled.
"Thank you.", Lampwick nodded as Geppetto smiled before she helped her mother up, "Easy, Mama… let's just get you up…".
Leila sniffed happily, "And you're just as kind-hearted as me and your father…I can't believe the Coachman was so close to taking you away from me…".
"Yeah… thank goodness for Jiminy as he pretty much was the reason that we got away… Perla would've probably succumbed to the spell herself… I was already falling victim to it in the mind when Jiminy arrived. A quick slap managed to keep me all good in the head until we got away…", Lampwick explained.
Leila gasped softly, "Oh, I really am so glad that you have friends that helped you…Your…your past friends have already moved on…They were told by their parents that the bastard of that man said that you were weak in the head, but I should have said something sooner when I noticed that he was more smug…I was pathetic…I should have left that village with you in my arms during the grieving process…but instead, I thought about you, and that you were happy with those friends, even if you were mischievous at times…".
"It's alright, Mama… there's no way you could've known all what was going to happen. I would've left had I known what was coming with… my stepfather.", Lampwick sighed.
"I know that it was fear of him that prevented you from coming to me. I must be honest…", Leila started to sniffle. "I don't think I would've believed you if you told me… and that's what I truly hate about myself and all that's happened…".
Lampwick sighed heavily, "Mama, you were so brave to raise me alone for those months while grieving for Pops….I was trying to be happy for you when he was making you smile and all, and then those…those times when you were out….I didn't cry after the first time…I really wanted to run to you, but being called a momma's baby boy, even if when you say it, I was proud, but when he said it, it…it was…like a curse…", tears starting to swell again in her eyes.
Lampwick took another breath, "And after a while… just… I couldn't handle it anymore. He threatened me when I wanted to eventually tell you… and frightened me when he said you wouldn't believe me… that's why I ran away. I just thought it would be better for myself getting away… and I didn't really take much of what you would suffer through because of it to mind.".
Leila sobbed softly, "You were seven, barely turning 8 back then…You were so young, and gods, those villagers, they gave up after two weeks! Just gave up, and I couldn't take enough of their comments that you were kidnapped, sick, or dead…I was packing up when he confronted me….I still believed in my heart that you were alive all this time…He…he became a monster that night…I…I don't know if I killed him, but I ran the first chance I got after hearing everything he said…".
Lampwick widened her eyes, hatred in them, "What?! Did he hurt you?! Did he…", and Leila sighed deeply, "I annulled the marriage with a neutral priest, thank god, but if he's alive or dead, he's far away from here, and yes, it was a close call…He didn't force himself on me, but I still took herbs to clean the sin off…By all terms, I'm a spinster…a tarnished woman…I will respect your decision tonight when Miss Evangeline comes, and you'll always be my baby no matter how old you are, but people will think that we are sisters or that I was raped at a younger age than 16….I want your Pop back, but he's gone…and how can I be loved when I'm pathetic, and even a bad mother sometimes?", a sob spilling out.
"Mama!", Lampwick hugged her tightly as she started to tear up with her. Both of them were just so emotional, especially Lampwick as she really didn't know all this beforehand. The guilt of leaving and everything that happened because of it just hit her like a brick wall.
Leila exhaustedly leaned her head on her daughter's shoulder, feeling a bit better after confessing all of it, and Lampwick whispered, "Mama, you're not pathetic or a bad mother…I..I'm really sorry that I did this to you….I..should be the one who's pathetic for leaving you to…to that monster of a bastard…".
Leila didn't really know what to say upon hearing that. Obviously, she wanted to say that it wasn't Lampwick's fault, which, really, it truly wasn't their fault for everything. The instigator to all the issues was her ex. But hearing Lampwick saying that; now was the time for her to try to be a decent mother for her again.
"No, Romeo…you're… you're not pathetic, you did what you thought was best and that would get you away from the pain… I shudder to think what could happen after a bit more time…", Leila said. The dark thought in her head of her ex being a bit too rough with Lampwick that probably could've ended up with the poor child dead.