lostcarnival | GETTING OLD NEVER BOTHERED ME ANYWAY (OPEN)

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GETTING OLD NEVER BOTHERED ME ANYWAY (OPEN)

Who: Steven and OPEN.
When: Day 23
Where: Steven's new Fortress of Solitude.
What: Steven has decided to run away from his problems Princess Elsa style, and
Warnings: A teenager's existential crisis, as also possibly violence directed at you.

In the end, there was no one he could trust with this.

People from the carnival wouldn't understand. Other Harbingers... well, they were chosen for a reason, it seems like. He was just as bad, probably. He remembers vaguely how, at the start of this, he'd had the idea that maybe it would be fun. Like he could be free and in control in a way he'd never been before.

He's not, though. Lashing out isn't fun, and he isn't in control. At least, he wasn't out there, or in the penthouse. Despite all these new powers, he was still terrified of encountering the fae, and he couldn't seem to stop letting people hurt him. Maybe he wasn't strong enough for this.

So, for now, he's done. He wants to give up at giving up, and he doesn't know where that leaves him. So, he decides to hide.

From the outside, this is all very conspicuous, because it has resulted in a literal jungle of plants filling the block surrounding the supermarket he'd almost destroyed a week earlier, twisting itself into the perfect example of a nature element dungeon in an adventure video game. Vines have created a structure of caverns and crystal windows, coloured in shades of dark purple all the way to lilac. Various flows glow with an inner pink light, illuminating things from the inside.

There are no more fruit animals or vegetable pals. Instead, there is a bizarre uptick in lost and confused children in the neighbourhood - children that seem like they've appeared overnight. When spoken to, they seem to be just like any other child. The only difference is they have no idea how they got there, either.

[OOC: Steven is using his Growth Spark to reverse aging in a number of civilian interlopers that have appeared to hassle him, who now are very confused and also very physically young wandering the streets. It also means that their adult counterparts have gone missing. You can NPC anything you want regarding this, since they are just normal people who've been reserve aged into kids, and don't remember how besides that Steven was involved.]

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"Oi! Steven!"

There's certainly one person at least who'd realized immediately what all the plantlife had meant, although Joker has to admit that all the children around are new. He's done what little he's able to in herding them to somewhere they can wait out in relative safety, away from whatever mess might show up next. If there's one of the carnival playing at hero, well, hopefully they'll take care of that. Joker has nothing up his sleeves, and, frankly, he doesn't want to waste too much time on it anyway.

The reason he'd shown up is the reason that everything is covered in greenery, after all. At least, he feels relatively sure of that. Joker's spent a bit of time walking around the fortress, Feathers taking to the skies to see if there's any way he can get in from above, but finally the pair venture inside the jungle. Joker had meant to see if anything else wild had been happening... And, well. This is sure 'wild'.

He just hopes this doesn't mean that something worse has happened to Steven after the boy had already been in such a state... because all he has is a phone, a texting ring, a throwing knife, and his cloak.

...And, you know. Feathers.

"...Joker?"

For the first time that day, it feels, Steven's voice sounds interested - eager, even. Like a kid who's been having a really hard day, and wants the comfort of a parent, or a close friend.

Steven appears from behind the curve of a giant vine, aesthetically taking the place of an archway. He looks confused about Joker's presence, but also like he's been crying a lot in the last few hours. His eyes are dark around the bottom, like he hasn't slept much either.

He stays partly hidden behind the doorway. He's still in his Harbinger form.

Immediately, Feathers puffs up in interest and Joker's own ears flick up with a jangle of earrings. "Steven, there ya are!" Certainly that was a faster response than he was expecting. With this mess, Joker has to admit that he was expecting to be in here for ages.

Well, don't look a gift horse in the mouth, and all that. Joker hurries forward, trying to take in everything about the younger boy. He's been crying and exhausted, but it doesn't look like he's hurt...

Best not to take chances. "Yer not hurtin' or anythin', are ya? I mean, physically." Everyone in this mess is very clearly messed up in other ways.

"...No," Steven admits, hesitantly, like he's not sure what Joker will do with the information. "Childermass tried to get me, but I got rid of him first..."

The way he says that sounds pretty foreboding, but Steven doesn't remark on it. He stares into space off to the side, like he's caught up in remembering something, an uncomfortable look on his face.

Meanwhile, a certain Fomantis has snuck around behind Joker and Feathers - with measured confidence, Bud jabs her claw into Feather's wing, like she is having a go at defending Steven from a lurking threat. It's not very effective.

Honestly, it'd be more foreboding if it wasn't coming from a young teary-eyed boy whose first act of villainy was to harass people with animated vegetable and fruit animals. Joker takes it in stride, certain Childermass is fine, and instead leans forward to pat the boy's head.

"Sounds rough. Why won't we go sit-" Feathers suddenly flares up a little bit, wings batting out, and Joker bites on his tongue to stop from swearing when he gets smacked in the face. "Oi, what's that- Bud, no! Don't you and Feathers get inta it!"

This is a serious moment, dammit.

Steven response well to the gesture at least - being patted like that is a familiar and comforting thing. He really feels starved for physical affection at the moment. Even Bud being naughty doesn't do much to disrupt that feeling, and he gives her a distracted look as Feathers bristles.

"Bud, it's okay," he says softly, putting out his hand to her. She looks a bit bashful, shuffling over to Steven like she's now afraid of retribution from the bird, for obvious reasons. "Joker's the one that brought you here, right?"

He casts one last cautious look to Joker, before leading him further into the fortress.

"We can go over here," he says. The next room has even more diverse plant life, illuminated by large glowing roses overhead.

Fortunately, Feathers is a well trained owl with a type advantage. Despite his posturing and flapping, he stays firmly on Joker's shoulder. In fact, once Bud is away from him, Feathers immediately and anxiously fusses over his disturbed wings. Absentmindedly, Joker reaches up to pat him on the head. He knows his anxiety bird has his quirks. What's more important is following after Steven. He glances around as he walks, taking in the softer lighting.

Well, it's better than the last room, at least.

Joker sits down where he can, gesturing for Steven to come next to him. "Alright, why don't ya tell me what happened. Was Childermass pickin' on ya?" He's kind of a dick as a Harbinger, after all. Joker has already learned that.

There are patches of grass and moss around, which means there's plenty of places to sit. Oddly enough, there are some potato chip bags littered around as well. It's similar to the natural build up of trash around a recluse's computer.

Steven sits, bringing Bud into his lap, as he stares down at the floor. He's lost in thought, and those thoughts look pretty dark.

"He was trying to take CY-Ren's things. I told him to stop, and he... did something." His shoulders hunch up, an immediate fear reaction. The memory is fresh in his mind. "I... I thought my mom was there. My bad mom. I thought it was real..."

Automatically, one of Joker's wings stretches out to go around Steven's back and shoulders, as good as any arm just without the fingers. And considerably more feathery. Speaking of feathers, his Dartrix hops to the ground to give his poor shoulder some rest, and peers around at Steven as he starts to speak.

As the boy explains things, Joker's expression dims to sympathy. A 'bad' parent, huh... "Ya didn't deserve ta go through that," he says after a breath. "I'm sorry I wasn't there ta help, although I wouldn't have been able ta do much, I suppose." Not against Childermass, not yet.

Steven folds his own wings so that Joker can get his wing around his back, but he still doesn't look at him. Bud makes a few sympathetically sad sounds in Steven's direction, who nods his head a little and sniffs.

"Nightshade is around, though, and... and I know she'd want to take me back to her.So it could have been real, and... and I'm scared and I hate it. I thought it was supposed to stop when I started being a Harbinger. Everyone keeps betraying me and now you'll probably end up betraying me too!"

Despite accusing Joker of that, Steven doesn't pull away or show any desire to move. He just says it like it's a sad reality.

Edited (phrasing) 2018-03-09 19:46 (UTC)

Well. Now he's gone and been called out rather bluntly like this, although he knows it's less from Steven having any true suspicions or proof, and more that the boy is stressed. Joker still raises his eyebrows at the accusation.

"I wouldn't betray ya, unless I wasn't myself," he says, the mixture of lies and truths weaved together perfectly. On one hand, he knows he'll be going against Steven's "wants", with the boy as he is.... but it's also not a betrayal to get him out of this. It's.... complicated, in a way. At least the answer is a simple and easy one, however much Joker knows it will be difficult later.

"Listen.... Would it make ya feel better about Nightshade and all that if I stayed here?" With a shrug, Joker grins a little. "No need ta go back ta the carnival when things are gonna end soon, right?"

It's to Joker's advantage that he's an old enough hand at this that his emotions don't betray his intentions. Steven can sense some of his general feelings, but none of it spikes enough for him to make anything of it. Lack of proof either way is the best thing he has at the moment.

It seems odd to smile at someone casually acknowledging your plan to end the world, but that's what Steven does. It's small and frail, but acceptance is something he's craving right now.

"...Won't the carnival get mad?" he asks. It won't matter for long, but it might result in more of them coming to harass him, which he is sick of.

Joker's emotions are a mess anyway. No one should get involved with them, let alone Steven Universe. Hell, Joker wishes he didn't have to get involved with them.

Instead, for the time being, Joker chuckles a little bit. "Ah, probably," he says, unconcerned. "But it'll be fine. Although I should probably leave a message... Ah!" Reaching up, he untangles one of the things he keeps wrapped around his antlers. Along with his charm for teleporting back to his trailer...

"Tyki got this for me, when we were on the moon." He offers the small texting ring to Steven so that he can see it. "I'll just tell 'im that I'm elsewhere, and that practice is cancelled, all that. What do ya think?"

Steven takes it in his fingers and looks it over curiously. It looks familiar, and it only takes a moment for him to recognize its source.

"I think Connie got one of these... during the Solstice..."

It's said a bit distantly. Things with Connie are hard at the moment. They were both changed by their experience with the Void, and it has made things in their relationship uncomfortable.

"I guess you can stay," he says, after a moment. Really, it's not like Joker is the one begging to stay, but it's easier to allow it that way.

Really, he didn't doubt it too much. It'll be a little tough to manage but... Well. It'll be fine. Leaning back on one hand, Joker chuckles a bit.

"Ya type better than me. Want ta help me figure out what ta send him? Ah-" He inclines his head towards Steven. "And we could ask him ta send messages ta anyone else, if ya wanted. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

At least, Joker plans to make it up to him. He does have that fae ale....

Steven pulls his knees to his chest, frowning, bemused. He thinks about that for a moment, and finds himself confounded.

"I don't know what to say," he admits, and passes the ring to Joker. "I'm not very good at lying."

He isn't really in the mood to try to placate people, either.

"Ah, that's fine," Joker says, accepting the ring back. Carefully, he turns it over in his fingers so that Steven can see what he types, and, because there's no escaping it, the fun and weird ways Joker can bend his fingers to make this not an incredibly frustrating ordeal. "Won't even have ta lie. Here, watch."

And with that, he types and sends a message, pretty simple and clean when all things are said and done. Best not to get too fancy on a thing like this, his typing is atrocious as it is.

Steven looks at it and shrugs in vague approval. He's not sure what Joker could say that would be any better. He knows it'll probably be upsetting for Doll regardless, but he can't really bring himself to care at the moment. He feels like he needs Joker more.

"They probably won't believe you," he says, but it's certainly not a reason to keep him from doing it. Carnival people have more than enough reason to be suspicious of this stuff.

"Tyki won't be a pest about it," he responds, shrugging. As for his little sister... Joker's mouth twists a little, just at the corner, and there's a flicker of.... something complicated and a little miserable that Steven will probably pick up. When it comes to his family, well, even Joker can't hide all of that behind his mask. "And Doll.... doesn't often believe me, about some things." He wishes she wouldn't question so much... but that's only to be expected. She's growing. The lies he told her as a child won't be able to hold up.

Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he puts the ring back and pushes himself up to his feet. "But it's decided either way! So." He looks around pointedly. "Only been' eatin' chips, then?"

That little tangle of misery makes the rest of this more believable, rather than the opposite. The fact that any genuine conflict feels more realistic, at least based on his own experience. He isn't planning on stopping, but his conflicts with former friends have been painful.

Part of him is happy to just skip past that discussion, though. Focusing too much on the past and all of these regrets... it's too much to think about it. He doesn't want to think about it, and he shouldn't have to, because the whole point is it won't matter anymore.

"No! Well... I did eat a lot of chips, but it wasn't the only thing I ate," he says, crossing his arms. "There was a grocery store here originally, and a bunch of the freezers and shelves are still downstairs. I just... like chips."

And has been stress eating, perhaps.

"Oh, I'm sure ya do~. But how about we get a proper meal started up, huh? Somethin' nice and homecooked."

Grinning, he leans down to prod one of Steven's cheeks with his finger. "Or else you'll start growin' chips and soda on the plants instead of just fruits and vegetables~." Well. Probably not. Then again, who knows? They live in strange times and visit strange places. Joker won't say 'no' to one or the other.

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GETTING OLD NEVER BOTHERED ME ANYWAY (OPEN)

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