(open) i have made the fire up bright

[pipers_son]

Who: Joker and whoever else
What: The best way to recover from trauma is to aggressively ignore it, right? And bake.
When: D13 and onwards, with special shoutout to D19
Where: The Carnival Cookhouse, and about the moon

A - D13 onwards, Cookhouse

[Joker can't exactly say he understands fae holidays, which he supposes is nothing new. Despite the fact that they all live under the Ringmaster's employment and interact with her fairly regularly, very few people probably understand the details that go into the fae life. Still, he understands the concept of giving gifts well enough, especially with the various worlds he's seen which all have their own holidays. He figures he can come up with something well enough.]

[While the marketplace is and well and good, Joker doesn't have nearly enough for the amount of people he wants to give things to- especially some of the new faces around, who he suspect might be feeling a little fish out of water. Well, fortunately, there's always one thing guaranteed to be done.]

[For the rare soul that ventures down into the Carnival for whatever reason... They will find that smoke is wafting up from the cookhouse, and the lights are all on. Opening the doors will find a certain song wafting out from the kitchen. Its singer is wearing some jeans and a simple white sweatshirt. His cooking gear that he won't mind if it gets a little messy.]

Tom, he was a piper's son...

[The small of gingerbread is thick in the air, along with a couple of other things he has in mind, and Joker is casually at work decorating what appear to be, yep, gingerbread men. Feathers the Dartrix is on the counters, casually observing, and looks up when someone appears. Enjoy the cooed greeting.]

B - The Moon, various days

[With how long he was out of commission, just laying around and trying to deal with being poisoned, that really hasn't given his wings much time to get their usual exercise... So Joker is back on the moon with everyone else, flying about.]

[....And other things.]

[As the snowball going for someone's head will attest to.]

Watch out~.

[Look at this smug asshole, in his glittery jacket and his striped scarf. It's made worse by the fact that he's actively juggling snowballs in his one good hand.]

C - Joker's Wild

[This post will also be used for various 1x1 things for Joker to do, but if you have something in particular to approach him about, let me know! I'm flexible for him to do all sorts of things now that he's recovered from poison.]

Comments

[dontpokethat]

Yeah, well...

[Ginko shifts uncomfortably in place, and looks to some corner of the cookhouse. He shoves his hands into his pockets.]

It still happens. And... I can't do a lot about the rest.

[The getting kidnapped and poisoned and turned into things. If only he could do something about those.]

[pipers_son]

[There's not a lot anyone can do about him, Joker thinks, but only in private and to himself. This is the kind of thing that's always going to happen to him... but that's not something anyone ever wants to hear.]

[So instead, he finishes putting the other earring in before reaching forward... and lightly grips Ginko's cheek inbetween his fingers.]

Hey, cheer up, now! It all works out in the end, and I'm still ain't I~?

[Just a little worn down, maybe. Or worse.]

[dontpokethat]

[Okay well that's... unexpected. And would probably be a lot more poorly-received if Ginko didn't know Joker as well as he does. He still tenses up a little at that first contact, but, honestly, he seems to relax a little once he realizes what Joker is doing.

It's Some Bullshit, so that's basically normal.

So, instead of bothering to try to pull away, Ginko just... looks at him, considering how to answer that. He can't say out loud that being here now doesn't make him dying alright. He can't say that he'd rather Joker not go through that shit to begin with, and that Joker has already been through too much shit.

He should probably be able to say some of that, of course. But, as seems to happen all too often, no combination of words that comes to mind seems acceptable.

So he manages a barely-visible smile, and tries to stop his stupid traitorous ears from drooping too much.]

...Guess so.

[pipers_son]

[Damn. No dice.]

[Maybe he shouldn't be surprised. They've been working together for a couple of years now. Surely that's enough time for Ginko to have adjusted to the ways Joker invades other people's spaces, even if he's still a little awkward sometimes with it himself. Nonetheless, Joker had hoped that it would have snapped him out of any upset of his situation at least a little...]

[Yet his efforts only give him that little smile that's nothing at all like the one he'd gotten at seeing the Ruvian. Only animals and Tanyuu deserve that look then, huh? For a second, Joker's hand relaxes around Ginko's cheek, cupping it properly instead of pinching, and his smile is, for about as long, painfully fond.]

[Then he pulls his hand away, instead twisting on his feet so that he's besides Ginko looking down at the small group of animals at their feet. Feathers is peering over the Ruvian's head at Miu now even as snuffling happens.]

But there's somethin' more important than that! What are ya gonna call yer new pet?

[dontpokethat]

[Somehow, while he'd adapted quickly to the dumb pinching, the tenderness in how Joker cups his face, paired with that look, makes something twist in his chest, painful and familiar.

Joker pulls away before he can consider the ramifications of that feeling any further, and Ginko's attention is knocked to that question. He blinks and looks down at the animals, humming thoughtfully.]

...Honestly, I'm not sure. I might need to talk to Tanyuu; she's better at that kind of thing.

[pipers_son]

Noooo!

[Joker's whine is more befitting of a child than a man starting to reach his thirties.]

It has ta be from the heart, Ginko, c'mon!

[dontpokethat]

[Joker are you for real right now. Ginko gives him a look, but then sighs and looks back to the Ruvian. Miu, meanwhile, seems to have decided it's acceptable, seeing as she's shuffling up between its front paws and looking out at him from there.]

I see what you mean, but if you're expecting me to be struck with inspiration at some point, I'm afraid you'll be waiting for a while.

[pipers_son]

[Since Joker has stopped moving for a while now, the Ruvian settles down into a laying position with its paws before it, and snuffles closer at Miu.]

Just say whatever first comes ta yer head! S'what worked for me- right, Feathers?

[The Dartrix looks up and coos softly.]

[dontpokethat]

Uh...

[Hm.]

...See, you might not realize you're asking me to stick this guy with the name "Antlers Dog" forever, but that's what you're asking.

[pipers_son]

...I mean.

Ya could call him Antlers.

[Ginko hopefully wasn't expecting anything else from this conversation.]

[dontpokethat]

...Y'know, I guess I could.

[It's not like the animal himself will be offended, right?]

If anyone criticizes the name, though, I'm absolutely blaming it on you.

[pipers_son]

Ha! Feel free ta~.

[Joker has no shame. None at all. He left it behind a long time ago, probably before he named any of his siblings, god bless their patient souls.]

But if ya don't like it enough, ya can just build from there, y'know~.

[dontpokethat]

I suppose I can. We'll see how it goes, then - and, just in case, I'll hope this guy doesn't mind having his name changed a few times.

[He bends down a bit to gently pet the newly-christened Antlers' head, making sure to move slowly enough not to startle him.]

[pipers_son]

Heh, I'm sure he'll get used ta whatever one ya call him by the most.

[Is it a guy? Joker isn't sure. His experience with animal junk is related to perfectly normal animals a man finds in England.]

Anyway, how do ya feel about gingerbread?

[dontpokethat]

[Well, that's quite a change of topic, but Ginko supposes it makes some sense as he looks at his surroundings.]

Uh... it's pretty good. This have to do with the help you needed?

[pipers_son]

Yup! We're gonna make a castle!

[He'll let that sink in for you, Ginko, and look gleefully proud of himself the entire while.]

[dontpokethat]

A... castle?

[It takes Ginko a few moments to process that, and then:] ...Out of gingerbread.

[pipers_son]

Yup!

Ya ever hear of gingerbread houses? Like that, but grander~. [And then, because he's probably bewildered Ginko enough for the moment...] It'll be a gift ta the Ringmaster.

[dontpokethat]

[That... actually explains it. And, to Ginko, sounds like a pretty damn good idea. He breaks into a slight smile, his ears lifting.]

That... seems like a great plan, honestly. [She hadn't wanted them to buy her anything, reasonably enough, which leaves making something as the best option. Nice.] I'd be glad to help out.

[pipers_son]

Good! Because I invited most of everyone who's been here over a year. At least that outta be sure we have enough hands.

[Also all hell might break loose, but that's just a risk that they have to take.]

Want ta bake or build?

[dontpokethat]

Hmm... build, I think. I don't really know anything about baking.

[Granted, he doesn't really know how to put together a gingerbread castle, either, but he can build some stuff. That's better than it could be.]

[pipers_son]

[Well, they're all bullshitting in the end, so it's fine. For now, leaving the animals to get to know each other, Joker gestures for Ginko to come along with him.]

Then we can get the base of it set up. I've made a lotta big flat parts ta start with, so that outta be fine as the ground, right?

And if the castle doesn't become big enough, then we can just shove candy and cookies and other nonsense ta fill the space, ha!

[dontpokethat]

Sounds like a plan. How are you planning on making sure it's stable?

[pipers_son]

Well, Nui- ya remember her? She's suggested toothpicks ta help out with it, which sounds like a fine idea ta me.

[dontpokethat]

Ah - yeah, is she back? Toothpicks sound like a good plan... might want to use some kind of dowels too, to hold it in place higher up.

[Aaaand now he's getting into planning the structure of this thing. Listen, there's a reason he opted to do this part instead of baking.]