I SCREAM OUT OF FRUSTRATION ++ CLOSED

[steadydollypegs]

Who: Doll and Ginko
When: Day 59
Where: At the Carnival
What: After this stellar conversation, Ginko checks on Doll.
Warnings: SIBLING DRAMA

It had taken everything in her to not march through whatever obstacles, find Joker, and beat her tiny fists against his dumb head.

'Try to understand the situation I'm in?' Try to understand the situation I'm in. Why was she the one who always got her wrist slapped for wanting Joker to be safe, while she did everything he asked and stayed behind? Why didn't her feelings count when she was worried?

Doll was so tired of it. Physically exhausted from everything Joker got into and she sidelined herself during. Tamaki took the edge off sometimes, but now she didn't have him to vent to-- and that was fine. She had to be fine with that because he was home and safe, doing what he loved to do. And she's trying to do what she loves to do to take her mind off this, but her heart isn't in it and her mind keeps wandering. Slipping off the rope is easy when she's this mad at Joker. But who cares? That's why there's a net.

Usually landing headfirst isn't a problem and she's forgotten that here it's a huge problem. In a matter of minutes, Doll has hopelessly tangled her small antlers in the net and she's crying she's so frustrated about being unable to help herself, Joker, and how lonely she feels right now.

Comments

[steadydollypegs]

It's definitely a start at the very least. Doll is wiping her eyes as she giggles, imagining Joker stuttering indignantly at Ginko but being unable to deny how ridiculously dumb he can be.

"He'd prob'ly make me peel potatoes fer a week if he heard me say that, but that don't make it a lie!" Doll rolls to the side so she can lay in the net next to Ginko. "Y'know, he actually asked me ta tell 'im about the hunt? I looked at 'im like he'd gone mad as a bag 'a ferrets. Why in th'world would I do that, huh?!" She laughs, but it gets a little forced at the end as she replays what she's just said. It wasn't funny at the time, and she's not sure she can find it funny now, objectively.

[dontpokethat]

Ginko goes ahead and lies down next to her, since it doesn't look like they're going to be going anywhere any time soon.

He nods and makes a little bit of a face. "He asked me, too. I... guess he feels like, if this is something that's going to be bothering us, he should know about it. ...Who knows what he planned on doing with that information, though."

Besides, probably, beating himself up over it despite not having done anything wrong.

"...At least he still doesn't seem to remember."

[steadydollypegs]

"AuuUUUuugh, what!" Doll, frustrated, rolls over to sit on Ginko's stomach. As she talks, she waves her hands around to emphasize her points. "He tells us not ta worry 'bout anythin' that happens ta him, but he presses both 'a us fer the story we know he won' like hearin'!"

She growls a little and folds her arms, frowning deeply, visibly getting more and more annoyed the longer she thinks about this.

"Shoulda never told him nothin'. Lotta good it did us."

[dontpokethat]

Oof okay that's. Fine probably. He's only wheezing a little bit. "--Yeah, that's... more or less it."

He sighs, though, and tilts his head at her. "...Seems like, with Joker, you can never really expect information for information."

Ginko supposes he can understand that; he's never been inclined to open up just because someone talked to him, himself. But he's pretty sure he's not as bad about it as Joker.

[steadydollypegs]

"Thought that might change if I said somethin'..." She seems to be shifting from full-throttle annoyance into tired disappointment. Clearly she thought that this would make things better, and create some progress.

"I thought he'd trust me if, ya know, I trusted him with what happened. Like, ya know, how we--" She points back and forth between her own face and Ginko's. "'N Tamaki 'n me. I showed him, he told me 'bout his mum 'n sister..."

That hurts all over again-- thinking about Tamaki, and realizing that the one person who would tell her how he was feeling, honestly, was gone. "'S nice ta have somebody who doesn't keep those things from ya."

[dontpokethat]

"You'd think. But maybe he doesn't see it that way... you might have to be more explicit with him about expecting that." As in, just straight-up present it as a deal you're making, because at least that'll cut off one avenue of escape for this jackass.

Ginko goes quiet, staring up at the top of the tent from where he's lying. "...Yeah. I s'pose so."

[steadydollypegs]

"Oh... not that... he's keepin' everythin' from ya," Doll says with an internal wince. That sounded like she'd touched a nerve that she hadn't meant to touch. And given they were talking about Joker and how he just won't share anything, she imagines that Ginko has similar frustrations.

"He prob'ly shares more with you than he does with me," she says with a little sad and nervous titter of a laugh. "Yer special."

[dontpokethat]

Well, she's half right there. There's also the fact that, when Doll talks about people not being upfront about their feelings, it's... hard not to imagine that she might also be referring to him.

That seems a little less likely, though, with that reaction, and Ginko lets out a weak laugh despite himself. "I doubt it, honestly. And if he does, I'd guess it has less to do with me being 'special' than it does with him worrying too much about protecting you."

[steadydollypegs]

"Mmmmn..." Doll hums in mild frustration and narrows her eyes at Ginko. This nonsense has to stop.

"Tyki told me about you two in the baths on th'moon. Yer not foolin' me with all that 'I doubt it' nonsense, Ginko."

[dontpokethat]

Oh goddammit Tyki. Ginko winces a little, mostly because of course Doll would bring up one of the most embarrassing incidents in his and Joker's shared history as a counter-argument.

"--Hey, now it's not--" Okay, well, he can't truthfully dismiss the topic outright anymore, can he. "...Things being how they are between us doesn't make me special."

[steadydollypegs]

"'How they are?!' I knew it!!"

Doll struggles to do it, but eventually she's kneeling on the net and pointing accusingly at Ginko.

"You 'n Joker are an item! When did it happen, huh? When I was sick?! An' nobody thought ta tell me one nice thing?! I went 'round tellin' everybody 'bout Tamaki!"

[dontpokethat]

Ginko can't believe that after all the bullshit he's survived he's going to be murdered by his boyfriend's teenage sister. He sits up in a hurry, struggling to keep his hooves from getting caught in the netting in the process.

"--No! No, not that far back-- okay, first of all, to be totally clear." To be TOTALLY clear. "We were telling the truth when we said we weren't together back then, alright? And-- we weren't on the moon, either, or... when you were sick. We didn't... we only talked about it a few days ago."

He really can't emphasize enough what a recent development this is, okay!!

[steadydollypegs]

Doll narrows her eyes until she can barely see Ginko's eyepatch standing out against his skin. Could anyone blame her, though? She asks and asks and asks and keeps getting 'Ha ha, you're imagining things Doll!'

Her imagination is really accurate.

"I'm tryin' ta decide if I believe ya."

[dontpokethat]

Listen, in his defense Ginko had absolutely no idea anything was going on between them back then.

"Aw, come on, Doll." This is about the closest Ginko gets to whining, that's how you know he means it. "I... know I'm not always straightforward, but I wouldn't lie to you outright about that."

[steadydollypegs]

Doll sits back with her legs and arms crossed, continuing to frown and gauge Ginko as he defends himself. Eventually, she takes a big deep breath and lets it out.

"Fine. I won't be mad if y'do somethin' for me."

[dontpokethat]

"...Something? Like what?"

He's a little worried, not gonna lie.

[steadydollypegs]

Doll's expression goes a little softer, and sad again.

"He's never gonna tell me nothin'... but he might lean on you. Yer not his little dainty sister.

"Ya have ta promise me that even if it's hard 'n he's not bein' forthcoming, even if y'wanna back off 'n let 'im try ta sort himself out, that you'll take care 'a him whether he likes it or not. Please?"

[dontpokethat]

Ginko wants to tell her that they'll keep working on things with Joker. That, eventually, she'll be able to get through to him enough for her to talk to her.

But she won't believe that, not right now, and he knows it.

At least this is something he can promise pretty easily. He gives a small nod, and a weak but sincere smile. "Of course. Y'don't exactly have to twist my arm for me to do that."

[steadydollypegs]

"Naw, I don', but now I can hold ya t'yer word!" She sits back on Ginko's legs and folds her arms, seemingly quite satisfied with how this is working out. "Alrigh'. Y'have my permission ta court 'n flirt 'n do all manner 'a things with my eldest brother. I approve."

He really didn't need it, of course, but this is what she thinks Joker probably did to Tamaki. Right? Gotta keep up that family terrorizing love.

[dontpokethat]

That... gets a quiet snort of laughter, but it's paired with a firm nod. "I... appreciate it."

Even if he doesn't really need her permission, he does appreciate it. He's not sure what he would do if Doll was upset by his and Joker's relationship, honestly, so this is... it's a relief. Even if her phrasing was a little ridiculous.