[closed]

[dontpokethat]

Who: Ginko and assorted people
Where: Various locations around Portland
When: Late Week 3 and early Week 4
What: After trying to kidnap a child, getting kidnapped himself, and having his face set on fire, Ginko has a lot of catching up to do.
Warnings: talk of aforementioned face-burning probably, others tba as necessary

[Prompts below!]

Comments

[dontpokethat]

"--Oh, Joker! Hey." Ginko looks the usually more put-together angel over with a concerned frown. Man, he's looking rough.

"Yeah, things were... kind of tough for a while there." Look, if Joker doesn't ask, he doesn't need to know in detail about how Ginko got kidnapped by fae, mind controlled, and had to have a plant removed from his eye with fire. 'Kind of tough' is at least close enough for now.

"What about you? Did you... get what you were dealing with worked out?"

[pipers_son]

"Yeah, ya look like shit," Joker says, a little more blunt. At least in his defense, he's absolute garbage mentally. "Still, yer alive, so, ah, big blessings?" Flopping onto the bench besides Ginko, he lets out a huff of air. "With all the shit goin' around, ya never know."

A part of him wonders if he should bring up Psi, or if Ginko already knows that. He kind of wants to whine, just a little bit.

"It's, uh..." Joker grimaces. "A work in progress. I think. Although it outta get better, soon."

[dontpokethat]

Ginko gives a quiet snort; he's not too bothered by Joker's comment, honestly, and... well, it's probably true. “I could say the same about you.” Both as far as looking like shit and being glad he’s still around at all.

“Yeah? Let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later, then.” He slumps back against the bench with a sigh, and adjusts the patch over his eye a little with the hand not holding Miu’s leash. “Better for at least one of us to have his shit together, right?”

[pipers_son]

"Well, the ideal is for both of us ta have our shit together," Joker says, frowning a little as Ginko adjusts the eyepatch. That's.... a new addition.

"Would ya be honest if I asked what happened ta yer eye, Ginko?"

[dontpokethat]

"--Uh." Ginko hesitates, suddenly aware of how he's pulling at the patch. He guesses he couldn't very well have expected it to just... go unnoticed. He sets his hand, very consciously, in the bench between them.

"It's... sort of a long story. Short version is, there was, uh... fire involved?"

Ginko, that explains almost nothing.

[pipers_son]

....Congrats, Ginko. You have successfully shut Joker up for once as he just stares.

Of course, it doesn't last for long, but enjoy it while it lasts.

"I'm pretty sure yer cafe kitchen isn't meant ta spew fire," he finally says slowly, "so, uh, why are ya goin' around burnin' yer face off, Ginko?"

[dontpokethat]

He sure hasn't seen that before. IT'S A MIRACLE.

"Hey, it's not like I did it on purpose, alright? But, uh." Ginko presses his lips together, tapping his fingers absently on the bench. His voice drops a little when he continues. "Long story short, there was an... incident. With the fae. It's been handled now, but it wasn't... it took a bit."

[pipers_son]

As if he needed to get more worried. Joker leans in immediately, brows furrowed together. There's a soft rustling through the air, almost like that of wings shifting, but his don't make an appearance yet... as much as he's suddenly feeling the desire to bring them out.

"Wait- is this from that stuff on the Sanctuary that I heard about?"

[dontpokethat]

Ginko automatically leans back a little at the sudden invasion of space, shoulders hunching.

"Ah... yeah. That... that was when it happened."

[pipers_son]

Well. Fuck. Joker slumps a little, leaning against the bench harder as he rubs at his face. "Aw, shit.... I shoulda been there for ya, but Portland's been just... a mess. Everyone and their rottin' ancestor is in town... I thought ya had kept yer distance, or that Psi woulda whisked ya away."

[dontpokethat]

That gets a frown, and Ginko leans over, sort of... nudging Joker's shoulder with his. He's never been as physical a person as Joker, but... he feels like he should make an attempt here.

"You don't have to explain yourself; you had your own stuff to deal with. You're not expected to be responsible for absolutely everyone you know."

That sure is something, coming from Ginko of all people.

[pipers_son]

That sure as hell is something, and Joker can't help but laugh a little, head falling forward a bit.

"I think we're a little hypocritical, tryin' ta tell that ta each other," he says, looking up again but smiling once more. "But ya know, I don't have too many people as it is."

[dontpokethat]

That gets a quiet snort from Ginko. "Yeah, I guess it is."

At least Joker doesn't look quite as upset now - though Ginko isn't sure he believe that that means he isn't. "...Fair enough. But you've still got to prioritize, right? You can only do so much. That's not something to feel bad for. ...And I know, that's pretty hypocritical coming from me, too, but it's still true."

[pipers_son]

Oh, he's still buggered, but it seems that any version of Joker is excellent at faking it.

Another huffed out laugh, and Joker shakes his head. "Why is everyone we know a hypocritical silly bugger?" he asks. "Psi too, the absolute mad man."

[dontpokethat]

"Like attracts like, I guess." He leans back against the bench, smiling fondly at the mention of the demon.

"--Speaking of him, uh. Guess you're gonna find this out eventually one way or another - I've moved in with him."

[pipers_son]

...Oh.

Oh.

Joker doesn't say anything. Instead, grinning wide, he just stares expectantly. Ginko knows he can't just leave it at that.

[dontpokethat]

Okay, evidently he wants to hear more. Right. Ginko looks away with a nervous laugh. "We... talked about some stuff, and I... guess we're dating now? Apparently I was... mistaken about Foster."

Not that he doesn't still feel sort of bad about it all, given that he didn't realize he was mistaken at the time.

[pipers_son]

The only way Joker could look anymore pleased is if he was attending the pair's wedding, judging by how much he's grinning, and he reaches over to smack Ginko on the back.

"Ha! I knew things would work out for ya! Was he a dumb tit about it? S'fine, ya can complain about it ta me, friends recognize friends bein' idiots."

[dontpokethat]

Ginko lets out another burst of laughter, rubbing at the back of his head as his face turns pink. "Well-- I mean, not really. He wasn't sure about it at first, but... I can't really blame him for that, y'know?"

[pipers_son]

"Yeah well he's an idiot," Joker says fondly, still grinning widely. "I told him ages ago ta get outta Portland because of all the nonsense that looked like it was gonna happen, and then I find him gettin' his arse beat. Twat."

But shittalking Psi can happen another day, and Joker crooks one knee up with his shoe on the bench. "So what does Miu think?"

[dontpokethat]

"Yeah, that figures... sometimes I wonder how he's survived for so long, honestly."

He raises his eyebrows at Joker, but... you know what, why not. "Well, she doesn't seem to object too much. No surprise, given how much he spoils her. She probably feels like she's the real winner here."

[pipers_son]

"Good." That set of raised eyebrows just makes Joker grin all the more. What? "It's an important thing ta ask, ya know! Ya don't want ta date someone that won't spoil yer pig silly, right? She's an important part of the household!"

[dontpokethat]

That gets an amused snort. "Oh, well, of course; would you really expect me to overlook that? If anything, Miu's standards might be too low."

[pipers_son]

"Well, it's Psi," he laughs, leaning back. "At least it's a good kind of low, right?" Psi is a demon, and rubbish.... But Joker would vouch for him. In fact, he is now, he thinks. "Hopefully this'll all pass..."

Except then he's trailing off, recalling the strange memories lurking in his head.

Shaking his head, his smile softens a little. "Well, happy endin' and all that, right?"

[dontpokethat]

"Right. Could be a lot worse." It really, really could.

He picks up on that look, and concern settles over his expression for a moment. He nods, though, slowly. "Yeah... is something wrong, though?"