[open] ring the bells that still can ring

[pipers_son]

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.]

Comments

[steadydollypegs]

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.]

[pipers_son]

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.

[steadydollypegs]

['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.]

[pipers_son]

[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.

[steadydollypegs]

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?

[pipers_son]

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?

[steadydollypegs]

[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...?]

[pipers_son]

[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.]

[steadydollypegs]

[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.]

[pipers_son]

[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!

[steadydollypegs]

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!!

[pipers_son]

[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~.

[steadydollypegs]

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.]

[pipers_son]

[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?

[steadydollypegs]

[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!!

[pipers_son]

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!

[steadydollypegs]

[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!

[pipers_son]

Oh really?

[Getting his breath back, Joker wipes the tears of mirth from his eyes. There's a cocky kind of tease to the way he hovers in the air, legs straight out and his hand moving to his hip.]

And what'd he say, exactly? Because last I knew, him and my good friend Psi were together.

[steadydollypegs]

Eh? [Doll stops, standing (shockingly) steady on the float and giving Joker an open mouthed and confused stare. Well that didn't seem right, not with how Ginko was talking when they were in that field and when he'd brought Joker home three sheets to the wind.]

[Well damn. She'd thought for sure that something was afoot and Ginko was just being shy about it. Or thought it was too embarrassing to talk to Joker's sister about. Maybe there really just was nothing going on... Doll huffs and turns, her arms folded.]

Nothin' I'm gonna tell you! Was a private conversation!

[pipers_son]

[Cackling, he starts to circle lazily through the air himself, the beat of his wings making small ripples in the water that bump against the float.]

He didn't say anythin', did he?

[steadydollypegs]

He did so!! [Doll turns around to point at Joker, a tiny warning from a tiny acrobat.] He said--!

[Oh right. This is exactly what she'd asked not to talk about. Swallowing down the tightness in her throat and lowering her hand, Doll takes a deep, steadying breath and says it all at once:]

He promised that when I'm gone, he'd look after ya! Like family...!

[She sits back down on the float hard, like she's seven again and pouting after Dagger teased her about something silly. It's better to look put out about a little teasing, instead of ready to cry again after just the mention of being separated.]

[pipers_son]

[...Oh.]

[Joker's smile softens around the edges, and he almost doesn't notice from the painful blossom of affection sprouting in his chest. (But he always does, in the end, some times faster than other.) Of course she'd still be worrying about that. It was the one point of contention between them, when she wanted to join this place alongside him.]

[Well... There are worst people than Ginko she could have chosen, and few better. Gently, he follows the air currents down until he can skim along the water's surface with the soles of his feet disrupting it just barely.]

[And then he shoves her into the water with his bare feet.]

[steadydollypegs]

[And in she goes--]

[But only halfway, her hands darting out to catch his ankles before she falls completely off the raft. How long she can hang on is another story, but she's still celebrating.]

Ha! Gotcha!!

[pipers_son]

[Flapping his wings all the harder, Joker laughs down at her.]

But not for long!

[....Probably. Maybe.]

[steadydollypegs]

[Doll's eyes go wide as Joker starts flapping, and her eyes go very wide at the realization that she has close to no purchase on Joker's legs. She throws herself up and wraps her arms around Joker's waist, flopping around as Joker tries to throw her off.]

Nooooo!!

[She's fluent in dramatic lines now.]