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

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[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

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?

Ah- course, course.

[It's hard, and it means laying on the stump that is his right shoulder, but he reaches over to lay his hand over her head. Gently, wary of snarls in her hair or his wooden fingers catching anything, he strokes it.]

[New conversation, huh? He can do that.]

So when do ya think Tamaki will go and propose then?

[That feels nice and comforting. She hates thinking about this, mostly because she can't stand the idea of leaving Joker alone-- but also because she knows she has to tell Joker she doesn't want to leave. Tamaki tried to encourage her to tell Joker the truth and do what made her happy, but there's a difference between saying she's going to do something and actually doing it. Especially when she knows Joker won't like it. Doll closes her eyes and relaxes into Joker's touch, feeling almost like they're back in some doorway and she can't sleep.]

[Bringing up Tamaki, especially in that light, makes her eyes open wide.]

Wha? Ta who?! [This is distressing information. Tamaki has somebody he's sweet on...?]

[Frankly, he thought she'd get flustered, but that she misread what he meant, that she's so distressed about it- Joker bursts out laughing so hard that Feathers flaps off in alarm.]

I was tryin' ta tease you! I was- ain't no one, ya silly-

[Good thing Feathers flew off. Joker is starting to fall into the water now, laughing all the way.]

[Doll's face goes very pink as the other shoe drops. No, Tamaki doesn't have a sweetheart that Doll hasn't heard of-- Joker was talking about Tamaki proposing to her.]

Joker you're terrible!

[She helps him into the water with a great big shove.]

[He's absolutely horrible, and he doesn't stop laughing until a mouthful of lake water forces him to. That's only a temporary deterrent, however, as he heaves out breath and flaps hastily out with his wings sopping wet. The spray goes everywhere.]

Oh, ya should've seen yer face!

Oh shove off! [Her face is so pink, and she's so irate over Joker's ridiculous suggestion that Tamaki would marry her. How ridiculous! They'd barely met!]

Someday Joker--! [Doll doesn't mind the spray so much, she's already wet, but she does look very unsure watching her brother flapping around out of the water. She really hopes he's not going to fall and drown, because that would put a real downer on everything.]

S-someday I'll see that look on yer face!!

[There's no need to worry. It takes him a few times, since his wings aren't exactly meant for the water, but soon enough he's rising up into the air again. Oh, he's absolutely soaking, but he's airborn.]

[And still laughing.]

Oh, I'm sure ya would like ta! But didn't ya know? I'm a rogue and a scoundrel~. It won't ever happen~.

Well, don't you know? [Doll carefully stands up on the float, gaining her balance easily. Even if it's a float on water, it's not much different than a rope in the air.]

I'm tenny-cious, and nosy! [She leaps up in the air trying to reach Joker.]

[All she'll get for her trouble is a face full of water, and maybe a few leftover feathers.]

Oh, what's that mean? Are ya gonna try and matchmake me with someone?

[THIS TIME JUST WATER AND AIR, BUT SHE'LL GET IT NEXT TIME. She swims back to the float and climbs back on.]

Don' hafta! Y'already got a good one! [She leaps again, reaching!] Mister Ginko!!

Edited 2017-10-22 04:41 (UTC)

Ginko-

[Oh boy, there's more laughter, and he almost falls back down into the water again with how hard it's coming. At the very least, he clutches his stomach, and his flight wobbles.]

Doll, I think you've gone and gotten all mixed up!

[Feh, no dice again! But she's persistent, she's going to make it up to Joker one of these leaps!]

Naw I haven'! He told me so! [Doll smiles, very self-satisfied, as she paddles back to the float.]

Don' think he'd lie t'me, specially not about you!

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