Description: Jezebel was thrown away. Used and tossed away. She had no more dillo. Johnny would never let her have him again. And now, at the waning end the of Zack Island's tournament, Jezebel had only one person left to count on: The young lady who inspired her, who fought her, and who brought a glimmer of magic in her heart. The young lady who, in her daily live, was a reflection of who Jezebel always wanted to be: Naerose.
So he was gone.
Jezebel would wake up to the note on the dresser. A note and a costume. 'It was fun being your Dillo, Jez, but now that the tournament's over, it's back to our regular jobs. Hit me up sometime, maybe I can get you a part in my latest film. Your friend, Johnny Cage'. That was the note. That was the end of it all. Johnny was done with Jezebel. He was done being her Hoedown Dillo.
At least he left his autograph.
Now Jezebel just sits on the beach. Knees tucked up into her chest. Holding the Hoedown Dillo costume in her arms. Dressed in the costume of Lightning Spangles. And she just... stares into the distance. Stares into the ocean. She didn't feel hurt. She didn't feel depressed. She felt...
Well, she felt numb.
Sometimes it is hard to imagine how others feel and share their pain, or lack of pain. The day someone's favorite car is wrecked, someone else is celebrating a birthday. This is the case for right now, except a little ways down the stretch of beach there isn't a birthday, but a mild panic.
A while back Naerose got invited to accompany someone, whose name she already forgot, to a tropical island and despite being clearly a resort, the red witch instantly decided she was stranded like like that Tom Hanks movie (whose name she also forgot). Now skip ahead to now and the person who she forgot and the movie she forgot (which they don't show on planes anyway) are long gone and there is only Naerose (and still a pretty populated resort but nevermind that. SHE IS STRANDED.
So doing what anyone would do in her shoes, Naerose first formed her camp to try and survive, spelled out the word 'S O S' on the beach a ways from where Jezebel is sitting and started trying to build her raft. Man but did it look easier on the movie, because unlike the more ocean worthy rafts people make in media, Naerose manages only to lash together branches in a way that resembles what would happen if you tied branches together. Like what are you going to do with that, build a fire? Well yes.
Escape plan take three (One was the S O S, two was the raft) she sets the raft on fire and tries to signal help with smoke signals. So far she's got a fire on the beach and no way to do smoke signals. She tried with her hat but it didn't get her very far.
"Man, I need a blanket or something, " She remarks.
Currently Naerose is situated in the midst of her hidden beach side camp in a copse of trees. An 'S o S' speled in rocks in the beach in front of her, and her raft in a small sand pit on fire with the witch standing there in a red dress, heeled boots (not beachwear) and her sunglasses just sort of waving it over the fire that hopefully won't set the copse of trees on fire. Also she has a tent made out of tarp she snagged that was advertising some drink with non other than Lightening Spangles as the spokes person. Terrible tent though, it had holes cut in it to let wind through.
It is hard to pull out of the abyss.
Jezebel was far gone now. Not reflecting on what Johnny did to her. Not reflecting on the victory of the island. This is how she felt after she is used by the people she loved. It wasn't the first time this had happened. This won't be the last time. Right now, it felt like there was nothing she could count on. Until she hears the voice. A blanket. There is one thing Jezebel could count on, one thing she believed in, one thing she was always a champion for.
Innocence.
Naerose was innocent; and immediately that draws the woman out of her numbness back into her costume. Lightning Spangles surges to the surface, as Jezebel begins to smile. Standing up on the sand, she stretches, turning back over to the sad example of tent and flame. Bounding over, bouncing a bit with every step, the hollow joy flows back in her as she forgets her pain, and pipes up.
"Hey, aren't you that witch I fought in the volcano?"
Normal responses to such a question might be, why yes, or hello and how are you. Less than normal responses would be could you pass the mayonase? And Naerose's response is a big "Huuuuuuuhh?"
The Red clad 'witch' adjusts her sunglasses, puts her decidedly pointed witches hat on her head and then looks at the now here person who was apparently off camera a moment before. While one had their pain or numbness, the other was apparently oblivious just like she was oblivious to the obvious and easy ways of getting off the island.
"Sorry ah, I am like totally a witch, but I think I would remember something like fighting in a volcano." She responds and scratches her nose,
"Actually it's been a wild few days, there was, let me see, some talking ice cream, blind folds, swim suits but no actual swimming? Weird oh and marshomellow - . . "
"Oh Yeah! Totally that was you, I was all like, roasting marshmellows and you were all like, hey can I have some and I was like sure and then we made smores!" Nae-Nae grins at Lightening Spangles big time and then sits down in the sand,
"Don't recall fighting unless you wanted more smores than I got or something," She scratches her cheek then shrugs,
"So you're stranded here too? You're name isn't wilson though right? And you're totally not a volleyball, which is good because that means when you float away I can be like, swim back and you will and then we can wave to the shift on our raft together." Someone is having a perfectly fine time being 'stranded' on a desert island it would appear.
The smile begins to grow.
Oh, at first, it was strong. And with Naerose's innocence, she was feeding off the girl. As far as getting off the island... well, the rescue ships were arriving. Lee chaolan was missing, Zack was missing. So at this point, people could leave freely. The only reason that Jezebel was holding back, at this point, was to mope in squalor. To reflect. But Naerose? She was... perfect.
"I... yes! Yes! We could make a raft!"
She begins, as she... she goes all the way back into her character. It was like a second skin for her, second nature as she wraps the cloak around her. The smile was intensifying, and her spirit was blooming. "But don't forget there are all kinds of sharks and pirates out there! Right here on the island, we can be safe until a rescue party comes and save us!" She tips her hat at Naerose. "But I don't think I introduced myself properly, kid- ma'am!" She corrects herself. It was easy to forget that this was a woman, not a child sometimes. Giving a little click of her heels, she rests her left foot's heel as she rises the toe off the sand, digging her thumbs in her jean belt pockets.
"I'm Lightning Spangles, the High Kicking, All-American Cowgirl!"
"What's your name, pardner?!"
Finally someone who spoke the right langauge. This was going to be an easy conversation for Nae who sits back to drink in the whole explanation. Of course she's a cowgirl, look at her. And if anyone is going to take something like that totally at face value that someone was Naerose.
"Me?" She asks, "I'm Naerose Delphine, I'm totally a witch. The Red Witch." An easy to figure out persona (which happens to be her to the core) considering she almost always wears red and dresses like a witch. At least if by witch you meant the sort of witch that existed in corny comics and cartoons.
"So pirates and sharks and dolphin and whale." Naerose scratches her chin and reaches for her broom stick. It wasn't that handy under water,
"But are you sure a rescue is coming? Everything I've seen about being stranded on a desert island seems to say your only hope is escape by building a raft and using lots of fed ex boxes. I havn't quite found the fed ex boxes yet." Then something lights up in her eyes, which she looks over the top rim of her shades,
"Oh hey, I think I'm like from New Mexico. Or Arizona. " She's not apparently sure.
"Naerose Delphine?!"
Lightning Spangles tips her hat with one hand, leaning back. "Well of course you are a witch! What an amazing job!" Being the kind of witch that exists in corny comics was well within the world of Lightning Spangles. "And that's right! Rafting would be dangerous!" But then, she brings up a good point. How were they going to get off. Well obviously on the boats. But in the heart of Lightning Spangles, that did not feel like the right answer. As she says where she is from, Lightning Spangles does a little dance, shifting her feet to have the toe of the right one up now.
"Don't you remember The Harlem Globetrotters On Gilligan's Island?!"
%Lightning Spangles opens her hands, eyes wide, as she begins to explain. "Lightning Spangles good friends, the Harlem Globetrotters, were once shipwrecked on Gilligan's Island, which was getting conned by an evil businessman! The evil businessman wanted the island, you know, because of the large stockpiles of supremium, a rare ore that gives vast amounts of energy! But fortunately, the Harlem Globetrotter were around to challenge the evil businessman's team, New Invincibles, which is a team of robot players. Even Lightning Spangles good friends, Gilligan and The Skipper, joined in. And after they saved the day, they were picked up by a plane." Lightning Spangles nods her head.
"Do you understand what I mean, pardner?"
Say what you will about Lightening Spangles, but she knows how to keep an audience enrapt. Even if they come to different conclusions.
"You mean the Harlem Globtrotters just ditched Gilligan on the island? That's so mean!" She exclaims. Apparently not familiar with that episode (or perhaps even the show) she frowns thoughtfully then forms a plan.
"I think I get it, we need to form a basketball tournament and lure a team to show up with a plane and beat them so we can be flown off the island, the only problem is we need enough players to form a team or robots to fill the holes." She starts ticking off her fingers as if calculating something,
"I'm pretty sure I saw a rock formation in the shape of a basketball court (it was a real basketball court) In the middle of the island somewhere. So as far as robot players are concerned, probably can't build them, but we might be able to train some of the local wild life to carry us airbud style! Wow you're really a genius miss Lightening Spangles, we'll be off this island in no time!"
Shooting to her feet, Naerose decides it is time to pack and get ready for the trip home. . Which is, "Speaking of, where does the plane land?" She's more of a wanderer.
Meanwhile packing consists of gathering a couple of empty water bottles, the advertisement and rolling them up before shoving them in her pack and starting to kick sand over her camp fire.
Naerose was perfect.
In the rambling madness, a lesser being would have been left awestruck. A lesser being would have walked away, would have not get it. So many potential people responded wrong; it took someone like Johnny Cage to just roll with it. So many people just rolled with it, which was one right answer... but merely a B answer.
But Naerose?
The Red Witch just earned her A.
Lightning Spangles' smile reaches the outer limits, as she nearly springs to embrace Naerose. Gone was her worry about Johnny Cage, gone was the self-loathing. Because Naerose... Naerose had the heart of a child. She might be an adult, but she has that heart. "Maybe the plane will land right here- are you even practicing proper campfire safety? Holy cow!" She nearly falls over, from the sheer awe. She rushes over now, to hold Naerose by her hand, and then just shake her hand, shake her hand wildly. Tears well up in the corner of her eyes, the happiest tears this side of the Rio Grande.
"Naerose, what's your job? Do you have a job?"
Lighting Spangles pauses.
"Do you want a job?"
Handshaking Naerose is an interesting prospect. It isn't that she's afraid of hand shake or anything or like fragile. . I mean her hands are kind of small for a fighter and you wouldn't know it but she'll never throw a punch ever (afraid of hurting her hand) so their actually fairly dainty. The thing is cartoon physics take affect the moment Lightening Spangles starts shaking her hand with emotion that makes her confused. Naerose is blinking in confusion before the shake travels up her hand, past her wrist up her arm to her shoulder and suddenly ALL OF NAEROSE IS BEING SHAKEN UP AND DOWN ! ! ! !1 1 1 ! !! 11!
"A hh a job?" Naerose inquires while using her free hand to fix her shades up her nose and try to steady the shaking,
"Not really, I mean I'm a journalist."
Reaching to her hat, Naerose pulls out an index card with the word 'Press' written, "So yeah, I guess I have a job. Whats a job anyway?" Naerose grins a little.
"You umm, look like you're starving to tears! " She widens her eyes "We're going to starve on this desert island!"
But she, rightfully, brings up the issue of food.
"Starve to death on the island?" Naturally, this was not going to happen. The food, in spite of the horrible storm, was still well stocked to the gills with fine dining. Even the second tier emergency food is handled by top chefs. A canned steak can be amazing with the right blend of dried freezed spices. Lightning Spangles could have just explained it to the woman.
But that would be wrong.
No, Lightning Spangles had to do this the right way. "Starving to tears?" She states, wiping her eyes. "I'm not starving! Not one bit! Here, let me show you exactly how much job works." Pulling away from Naerose, she turns towards the remains of the tree line, hands on her hips. And there, she waves at the remains of the jungle. And then, she waits. And she waits. Suddenly, there is a pneunomic 'thunk' sound, of something being fired. And shortly afterwards, Lightning Spangles is struck in the upper body with a blast of mashed bananas. Keeping on her feet, she wipes her chest, and sticks the banana in her mouth. And then, she waves again.
"THANKS DONKEY KONG!"
Lightning Spangles turns back to Naerose. "There, see? Never have to worry about starving! That's the kind of job you are gonna have, never starving, and being awesome! I just gotta ask you! I really got to ask you pardner. Stuff like that, stuff like all of this? Stuff like being a Showup Hoedown best buddy?!"
"Are you able to handle that lifestyle?!"
Possibly the most amazing thing Naerose ever remembers seeing, this woman just summoned food out of thin air! Naerose can't believe what she has seen or how it is even possible, but then she's a witch so she's magic so whose to say that this Jezebel character isn't too? But there is only one thing Naerose can say to such an amazing demonstration.
"I am so your witch!" She hurries over to Jezebel and starts to shake her hand in much the same way that her hand was shaken and meanwhile her eyes all tearing up behind her round black shades. It's kind of like the emotional display Jezebel just had only reflected back at her, granted for much more shallow reasons.
Shallow emotions were okay!
"Haha! Oof." Lightning Spangles puts a tender hand on her chest and throat for a moment, trying to rub out the bruise. That hurt! Certainly, it wasn't magic... but it was movie magic! The kind of magic that Lightning Spangles was a master of! And as tears come to Naerose's eyes... they come to Lightning Spangle's eyes as well. "And I am your cowgirl! This is incredible!"
"... But there is one condition."
Wiping the tears away again, the actress regains her banana-smeared composure. "Now this is a bit awkward, but I remember seeing you wear this earlier. I don't know how you feel, but... There is one requirement, if you are going to be part of my posse."
"Are you comfortable wearing an animal costume?"
"You mean the fish monster?" Naerose inquires casually, "The terror of the deep, the horror from the depths? The thing that came out of the tide? Yeah I wear that thing all the time," She says easily enough because it's one of her favorite disguises.
"So, all you want me to do is wear the fish monster and then everyting is okay?" She's stopped sobbing by the way, now that she's asked a serious question. "I actually made that version here, I have a much better version back on the mainland, well main water, you see I found a cage with like these underwater cockroaches and I was like huh I could keep my fish monster costume here, so I did. If I knew I'd be stranded here I would of brought it." She scratches the back of her head with her free hand, seeming very easily distracted.
Fish monster?
Sure, why not. I mean, nothing sounded odd about this. With Naerose stopping her crying to get very, very serious, Lightning Spangles keeps that full smile on her face as she is explained about the costume. Water cockroaches? Underwater cockroaches? That sounded absolutely like something that a magic fish costume would be held in. It isn't until much, much later, when Lightning Spangles is about to fall asleep, when she promptly realizes what Naerose is talking about.
And she will be so PROUD of her.
"Well, we can just find out where you put it, and get you set up!" As she brings up the stranding, she puts a hand on Naerose's shoulder. Leaning in, with a mouth full of smile, she leans in close. "We just need give you a special name while in the costume, like a superhero name! It can be..." She pauses a moment.
"Nae Nae The Dolphin?!"
"Help me out, pardner, your name is like a cutie mark in this!"
Cutie Mark where has she heard that term before. . . .
It isn't until much later when Naerose will never remember where she heard it from or that she was even trying to remember. She did hear that term before though and it gives her a moment pause.
% r "Oh well, I always just went with Fish Monster Naerose, or just Fish Monster." She adjusts her shades and seems to be self aware enough to realize that it isn't exactly what Lightening Spangles is going for, so Naerose turns this one back on it's head.
"I'm not really good at naming things, you know? It's kind of hard. Help me out here." Yep she just asks for the same thing she was asked to do in the first place.
"Fish Monster Naerose?"
Lightning Spangles considers. She ponders. Certainly, the cutie mark thing was... was something different. It would be something much more important. An idea, something something ponies. The actress moves her hand back to the side of her head. As banana chunks roll off her chest, she rubs, thinking about it. She extends her arm out, weighing out the invisible idea. Balancing it. "Fish Monster Naerose..." She repeats.
And her eyes light up.
"I got it!" She exclaims, her face brightening into a full grin. "Paint me Yellow and call me a wagon! I got it! Fish Monster Naerose is a little too scary; we don't want little children to be afraid of you! But we can do... Fishy Friend Naerose! Fantastic! That's hotter than a... hot thing... that's hot." Lightning Spangles narrows her eyes, focusing into the distance. She pauses, jaw slack, lips running wordlessly. And then she snaps out of it.
"Texas!"
And it was Fantastic. It was remarkable that it never occurred to Naerose herself. She has to marvel at the creative energy that this cowgirl has managed to bring up in such a short amount of time.
Naerose, eating a banana, that a moment ago wasn't there, responds,
"Yeah, Or even just Fish Friend Naerose. That's great, that's stupendous, that's a word right?" She asks and finishes the banana before chucking the peel. Seems harmless but a moment or two later and a go-kart goes spinning out of control in the background. Naerose fails to notice this.
"So.. when do we escape?" She asks, having decided to simplify the question from the one that could of been something more like when do we get the basketball team together?
How were they going to get off the island?
Lightning Spangles holds up her own whole banana, already peeled, as Naerose raises her own up. Eating the banana in tandem, it was an important question. Reality said... reality said that the Harlem Globetrotters weren't going to make it there. So the question was there: How WOULD they leave the island.
The answer reveals itself at the toss of the banana peel.
As the kart spins out, it becomes obvious just who is in it. And what was seen was Mishima. Or at least, almost Mishima. The pointy-hair and robust bald spot of the one Heihachi Mishima was impossible to mistake. And naturally, his bear companion and pet Kuma was impossible to mistake as well. But as the pair come riding by across the sand on a go-kart, spinning out of control at the banana peel, one thing was also readily obvious: They were too small. 'Kuma' was nearly the size of Naerose, and Heihachi's head was far too large. It was more like a caricature of Heihachi, than the true Heihachi. There was another warning, of course. The true Heihachi did not normally dress up in a red suit with blue overalls, and a hat with an M on it.
And neither did Kuma, for that matter.
As the pair of Marios spin out, both Heihachi and Kuma were flailing their arms around. Kuma was making bear noises, as proper for a bear, but Heihachi... Heihachi was making very loud, angry 'wa wa wa' sounds as he balls up his fists. And more Mishimas come. Lee Chaolan, dressed in what looks like a fox costume, rides by with a butler dressed as some kind of falcon man in the back. A figure, eeriely appearing as Jin clad in what looks like a green elf outfit paired with what looks like Asuka dressed as a princess. The Mishimas continue to ride along, zooming past the disabled Heihachi as it slowly accelerates.
And at the end of the line, was Donkey Kong and his partner, Diddy Kong.
The man was in a black gorilla suit, and wearing a red tie with the iconic DK on it. With him was skinnier, much shorter, teenager sitting in the back of the go-kart, facing to the rear of the vehicle. He too was in a gorilla suit, of a brown color. He was not wearing the head, however, and was bearing a red shirt with a red cap. In one of his hands, there was a rather large squid. In the other? A cigarette. Sneering in the sun, the acne-studded teenager takes a draw off as the go-kart comes to a stop in front of the two women. Donkey Kong rises up, a massive coconut gun slung over his shoulder. He looks towards Lightning Spangles.
And he nods.
And he grunts.
Lightning Spangles nods.
And she grunts.
This was their chance. Diddy hops out of the kart, as the actress rushes over to the go-kart. "Fish Friend Naerose." She calls out, as she gets into the driver's seat of the go-kart. There was a smile on her face, but otherwise she was dead serious. "This is how we are gonna get out. No basketball. No airplanes. We are gonna go-kart our way to victory. But we aren't gonna dash off the island." And then, she turns towards the camera, if there was actually a camera that was now zoomed on her face.
"We are gonna Double Dash."
Lightning Spangles gives a wink.
Somehow Naerose too knew what she must do. She quickly jumped on the back of the cart even as she lamented their placement in the race. With a card stopped for this long just about everyone else was going to pass them. It was going to be tough to catch up, but there was a trick up her sleeve,
"We need to get to those boxes!" she exclaimed, pointing up ahead to rainbow question marks, no doubt Jezebel had the same ideal,
"Because. . Everyone knows the best items are reserved for the karts in the back of the pack!" Already the ones passing them showed off their talents, some with masterful use of turtle shells, banana peels and the fabulous sparkling blue sparks. Naerose could do naught but stare in awe as they reflected off of her shades thrown by a kart just as it passed the pair before shooting off with a sudden speed boost. This was going to be really hard!
But wait! Didn't they just munch on bananas? They already had a weapon, brandishing a peel Naerose readied her aim and did the chuck a banana peel in front of them manevuer to try and get the pair a little bit of a start before dashing, no, DOUBLE Dashing off in a race that would surely send an entire room full of friends into a bitter rivarly best described as 'frienimies' because nothing ruins a friendship faster than a night of double dash. There was plenty of race left though and surely Jezebel could handle making the blue sparks they needed for victory.
And they ride.
Oh, how they ride.
Donkey Kong stands beside his Diddy Kong, hand on his shoulder as he watches Lightning Spangles drive away with her partner. Whether they make first place, or last place, it does not matter. As the duo rides off across the sands, where side-stepping crabs, lapping waves, and nazi meerkats stand waiting, there is was one thing, one thing more clear as anything else.
Jezebel and Naerose.
Friends 5 Ever.
Which is more than 4 ever.
*********## ~~~YEE HAW~~~ ##********
*****FISH FRIEND NAEROSE HAS JOINED THE PARTY!*****
Log created on 14:48:46 03/02/2015 by Jezebel, and last modified on 23:09:10 04/07/2015.