but oh my heart is flawed // closed

[pipers_son]

Who: Joker and a whole bunch of people (Tamaki, Psionic, Childermass, Ginko, Doll, Hinawa)
What: After a good couple of years faking it, Joker finally breaks. He just wishes that multiple people didn't see it.
When: Early on in the Alola stop
Where: A couple places, including in a tree
Warnings: Alcohol. Joker's messed up past including child murder. A slight mental break.


[Snake is leaving.]

[Joker see it coming a mile away. All the bits of packing in their tiny shared space, and... Who couldn't see such obvious signs? But even with that kind of warning.... He doesn't do anything about it. Tries to ignore it, get back to work and do what he can, because the alternative is facing not only that hurt but so much else.]

[But there's no ignoring it when he steps into the trailer and all traces of Snake are gone.]

[Keep smiling and move forward. For years, that's been the only way he's been able to survive. Keep moving, keep making for over the hill, and until then, so that no one worries or sees too much... Keep smiling.]

[The words repeat through his head as he moves through the darkened carnival, a mantra to keep him going.]

[Just.... keep smiling.]

Comments

[pipers_son]

[As someone who also had never been to the tropics before joining the carnival, Joker can both understand and is amused at the idea of how Childermass has been learning. As he pours some non-blood wine for him first, he grins.]

I'm all for it! Ended up draggin' one of those myself ta the carnival, fat little owl sorta thing, but he's about as active as me in the daytime, so I let him fly about at night. Didn't want him ta get stuck in my trailer while I'm here havin' a drink, after all.

[atouts]

I don't believe I've spotted anything owl-like out on the islands just yet, though I have picked up a different sort of bird temporarily.

[ He's doing the entire trainer thing and he's just going to talk about it like it's completely normal, not weird at all (it is extremely weird, but let him pretend). In any case, he'll take the glass of regular wine before taking a seat at whatever table Joker's taking over for this.

He'll nod his thanks for it, though. ]

But why an owl, Joker? Is it only because it keeps a similar schedule?

[pipers_son]

[Listen, Strange, everything is weird now, forever, just different variants of weird. Accept your new life. Joker seems to be faking it well enough, so long as no direct questions are asked of him.]

[Ignore the wine he's got for himself now. It's fine. Everything is fine.]

[There is a pause before he just sort of shrugs, however.]

Well, these days, I seem ta have attracted a lot of birds. It was just this one that stuck- ha, I guess because of the schedule thing. Figured, well, there's no harm in takin' it along for the ride, yeah?

[atouts]

Well, there may be some harm. You may want to decline if Strange comes by asking about feathers.

[ Mostly because Childermass truly wants to doom him to nothing but chickens, whenever the other magician even gets around to trying that spell. As for his wine, well, he doesn't seem to be all that inclined to drink it before Joker pours himself a glass of... that. The other stuff.

Although when his attention drifts from the stage manager to the bottle of blood wine, he does find himself asking, ]

How have you been, anyway? Still trying to shake the whole undead issue?

[ Or has he given up? He's certainly lingered overly long as a vampire when compared to some others. ]

[pipers_son]

Oh yeah? [And because he's curious and trying to pretend his own misery doesn't exist- ] What's wrong about feathers?

[Listen. He has feathery wings. This feels relevant to him.]

[He's in the middle of a sip when Childermass asks his question, and that makes him pause a second. Fortunately, it's... been a little while since him and Psi ran into each other. He can manage this.]

Yeah, s'been a right pain. I'm not sure what it is, but I don't think the Ringmaster's vague instructions have been helpin' me any. Would like ta taste cake and things again, but I'm wonderin' if maybe that'll be a while before I get the chance.

[atouts]

He may still be looking for something to use besides chicken feathers for an idea he's had.

[ Childermass most definitely declined to offer raven feathers. Partly because he was being a jerk, mostly because he doesn't want another magician using bits of him for a magic act. But there, fair enough warning. Anyway, after a sip from his own glass, he sets it down and leans an elbow on the table. ]

What were her instructions on that, anyhow?

[pipers_son]

I'll keep that in mind.

[ffs strange]

[Still, is it time to complain about the Ringmaster? You bet it is. Joker gives a small snort and takes another drink, just because he thinks he'll need it.]

Exactly that- look inside ourselves. Somethin' about separatin' ourselves spiritually from the demon part that makes us vampires? It all goes over my head.

[atouts]

Wouldn't rightly know how to do that myself, to be honest. [ Spiritually? But how? He leans back in his chair, considering the problem for a quiet moment before asking, ] Have you tried asking the others with this problem?

[ Which is to say 'the other vampires', still vampiric and former both. ]

Or perhaps it's just telling the demon part to go fuck off, only very adamantly. Something like that.

[pipers_son]

[Okay maybe he should make a commitment to not drinking when Childermass talks, because that makes him snort a bit and he has to hastily put down the glass so he can press one finger to his nose. THERE'S NO BLOOD DRIBBLING OUT, IT'S FINE.]

That's definitely a suggestion! Might have ta consider that one.