lostcarnival | [open] ring the bells that still can ring

Entry tags:

[open] ring the bells that still can ring

Who: Joker and you
What: All's fun and games, but the Performers still need to work. Joker occupies himself with that, and maybe a few other things. Like cooking. Or sunbathing.
Where: The Big Tent, the cookhouse, trailers, and eventually the lake
When: Days 145 - 152
Warnings: Potential talk of trauma? But nothing more than that

A - Time to Work

[It's over the Performance Department's channel on the radio that Joker's voice buzzes through.]

While it's all well and good ta take a break, this is a reminder for folks ta get practice in. We won't be doin' real impressive shows for a while, probably, but that just means it's more important ta keep practicin' for when we move on from the Summerlands.

Any problems or questions, come find me in the Big Top. Oh, and we got some new folk in, in case ya haven't seen yet.

[Sure enough, Joker can be found in the ring, bouncing around making sure people are doing fine, practicing some tricks himself... All sorts. He'll come over the second he sees someone enter.]

B - Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle

[In the cookhouse today? Well, you'll find Joker getting to work, apparently mashing up all sorts of fruits, getting their juices.... Of course, with the one arm problem, sometimes this means needing to get inventive.... Are his feet shoeless? Don't worry about it.]

[Later on, Joker is bouncing from trailer to trailer, leaving jars of jelly and jam for everyone. Why? Well, you'll have to stop him to find out.]

C - Lost in Thought

[Joker knows a lot of people in the Summerlands, what, with the carnival already having visited it once before and Joker being... himself. So it's of no surprise that throughout the carnival's stay, he's often gone into the city, chatted with just about everyone, and acted as if he's perfectly fine.]

[On occasion, however....]

[Those who go to the carnival's lake will find him trying to push what looks like a.... blow-up rubber floating thing out onto the lake's surface with his feet, Feathers the Dartix trying to help him along. Joker is notably not wearing any actual swimwear... besides, like, his usual atrocious mash up of 'modern' fashion.]

[Later on, if no one interrupts him on shore, Joker is out in the water proper, but not... really messing around. He's just sprawled along the pool float stomach-first, his wings stretched out completely and partially in the water. Occasionally the water carries him a little closer to shore- perfectly within talking distance.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The surface of the water is more or less still, aside from some gentle wind-based current. It's quiet too. Maybe too quiet.]

[Something is moving under the water. It's coming for him, making a straight line from the shore to his flotation device. It doesn't move fast, but it is deliberate and determined to reach him.]

[Whatever it is, it has two small antlers that stick out of the surface of the water.]

[Ah, that moment when you're so used to being as you are that you forget the fun little additions to your body that give you away. Joker remembers his younger days in the carnival too, smacking his own antlers into every damn thing.]

[So he just grins lazily as he watches them come for him, waiting to see if Doll remembers to breathe.]

[She took a very big breath before starting her charge towards Joker, but yes, she does eventually have to breathe. Sooner than she'd hoped, but she can work with this. Doll breaks the surface of the water with her hands above her head, roaring like she imagines most sea monsters roar. She's wrapped herself in aquatic plant life for effect.]

Foolish lake-bather, I 'ave ye now! Come ta-- [Shoot, she's sinking again, so she has to drop her monster arms and tread water for a minute.] --drag y'down t'Davy Jones' Locker n-- [Monster arms again.] --feast on yer squishy parts!

[Apparently Davy Jones owns lockers in lakes too.]

[Oh, the aquatic plant life is a good touch, and the whole thing has Joker bowing his head, shoulders shaking in laughter- which he can't quite shake even when he talks.]

Oh no! Don't do that- I'm all skin and bones, I wouldn't make a good meal at all!

[He's actually probably doing just a little bit better than they ate at their circus, with as much variety as this one has, but listen.]

[Okay so here's the thing: Doll really didn't plan any more cool lines like the first one, so now she has to tread water and play The Lake Monster.]

Well! [Treading, treading, thinking, thinking--] Y'may be a tough meal, but I'm too hungry t'care if I break all my teeth on ya! [She makes a grab for the flotation device and makes to start (playfully) gnawing on Joker's shoulder.]

Whoa-! [His wings flap hastily as she suddenly comes for his shoulder, and he has to grip the floatie not to fall off, even as he laughs.] What, not enough fish in the lake for ya!?

'M tired 'a fish! [Doll is unbothered by the flapping and drags herself, seaweed and all, halfway onto the float so she can playfully chew on Joker's shoulder and upper arm.] Too many bones!

[Oh lord above- Joker has to flap a little more just so that the float doesn't tip over.]

And what makes ya think I have any less bones!?

[Oh dear, no she doesn't want to pitch Joker, feathers and all, into the lake. That's too much mischief at the moment, so Doll gasps and backs off, sliding back into the water and holding onto the edge delicately.]

Naw y'couldn' be... a flyin' fish?!

[Oh no, his heart's weakness: bad jokes.]

[Which is to say that he bursts out laughing so hard that he really does nearly go in the water again, leg dipping in as he struggles to stay on it even as tears start to prick at his eyes from how hard he's guffawing.]

[NO DON'T TIP OVER JOKER. Doll gasps and dives under the flotation device, popping up on the other side to push Joker's leg back on.]

I never seen one 'a yer kind in these parts! Forgive me sir, I don' wanna give you no trouble, bein' all bony 'n feathered!

[Choking back giggles, Joker lets himself be moved back on properly and finds his balance once again.]

Now ain't that just polite of ya! I've never met a lake monster with manners.

We be rare, if I were ta be honest-- but not outside th'realm 'a possibility!

[She shuffles and floats a little by Joker's side.] ...ya gonna use this leg, or... maybe I can have jus' a bite? Askin' nicely, since I have manners 'n all.

[Twisting his head around a little bit to watch her- which isn't as uncomfortable as it might have been once upon a time- Joker grins a little.]

Well, I'll still have ta use it a bit later, but if it's just a nibble, maybe it won't be too bad. Ya are bein' very polite and all.

Naw, naw, nothin' bad, monster's honor! [She grins and digs into Joker's calf, mainly tickling and making fairly gross-sounding eating noises. Finally Doll sighs in satisfaction and slips back into the water, apparently 'full' and happy. She comes back up near Joker's face, arms folded on the float, and rests there for a minute.]

Say Joker, ya work with Tamaki a lot, righ'? [Her brother is the head of all the performances, after all.] He seems like a nice sorta bloke, yeah?

[Doll: Keeping It Casual.]

[The whole sensation makes him want to kick a little, laughing against his shoulder, but Joker resists. Don't want to go and accidentally brain his precious little sister. Soon enough, however, they seem to both ease up, and he raises his wing a little so that she can go under it when she starts to shuffle back up to his face.]

[For a nice long moment, it's just the two of them, taking in the sunshine...]

[...And then she starts asking about Tamaki, and Joker slowly raises an eyebrow. That doesn't mean he stops grinning, by any means.]

Oh, him? Yeah, he's a decent sort. Nice lad. Gonna go take care of his sister when he finishes his stint here.

Oh. [Doll frowns a little. Well, obviously he'd go somewhere that he called home, she's sure he has a bunch of friends who miss him-- and clearly a sister. But hey, that's nice!]

Always good t'have family t'look after! [More to the point-- it's good enough that Joker considers Tamaki decent, Joker's a good judge of character and Doll trusts his instincts.] 'Ey lemme up! [She puts her elbows more firmly on the float and tries to pull herself up so they can lie in the sun together.]

Yeah, and it seems like- whoa!

[Laughing, he tries to adjust his wings so that she doesn't tilt them both right off.]]

Just like that, huh?

Jus' like that! [She laughs right along with him while she situates, soaking wet as she is, right up against him. It's a nice quiet moment, but Doll finds she can't let it stay that way for long. Curses.]

....seems like... what?

Seems like he really likes her a lot, s'what I was about ta say before a lake monster forced her way onta my craft. [Another laugh.] Maybe he'll introduce ya one day.

Lake monster needs some sun. [Also some close physical contact with her brother. Doll is a simple creature with simple needs, one of which is cuddle piles.]

[She smiles to herself and folds her arms so she can rest her head.] Yeah, that'd be nice. [It would be nice to meet Tamaki's sister because it might mean that she'd see him even after she left. Who knows if that would happen, or even could happen.]

But y'know. People come 'n go in th'circus, 'n family's important. [If she didn't see him again, she'd miss him terribly. But she'd understand, she thinks.]

Mmm, yeah. S'just like any other circus, fair folk or no.

[With the wood of his arm digging into his chin a little bit, Joker shifts just to be a tad more comfortable.]

That'll be us one day, too, y'know.

['That'll be us one day, too.']

[The thought of that day coming, though, pains her-- because she knows it's going to come sooner for her than him. Doll is silent as she turns this over, unable to maintain a cheerful or excited air. She just turns her head to Joker and looks at him forlornly, like the aforementioned day was rapidly approaching.]

Yeah. Someday I'll hafta go. 'N wait. [She doesn't want to go, or wait. She wants to stay there with him, but they've been through this already. Doll doesn't want to start a fight again, either.]

[It's not something he likes either.... but it's something he knows needs to be done. The sooner Doll is away from the Carnival, the better. There's just too much danger about it, now.]

[And besides...]

Could do a lot of waitin', at least. Especially if ya could go where ever ya wanted. Could go back ta Tamaki's Japan, even, seems like a nice place and all.

Sure does, ah Joker...

[Her voice is shaking with the effort of holding herself together. Too many questions are coming up in her mind, like how long 'a lot of waiting' is, if Joker would be able to find her, and what would happen if he never came looking. She can't think about those things in front of him, she'll only be upset which will, of course, affect him.]

C'n we, maybe ah, talk about somethin' else?

*theme from Jaws*

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theme from Jaws