♕ 001 // Action for Route 29

[lackingbeauty]

What the 'ell is goin' on 'ere? Use this damn thing fer wha-

[The video feed flicks on to show a woman's face far too close up, brow furrowed, looking quite disturbed.]

ndklanadfnkla

[Switching from text to video, she apparently doesn't know what the hell to do with the Pokegear either.]

Dagger? Wendy? Peter? Jumbo-

[The video is shaky, and only shows... a rather ponderous bosom.]

Doll? Snake?

- Joker?

[She waits, as if for a response. But the only sound is wind rustling through the trees and grass.

Another minute, before the video feed moves too fast for the feed to really pick up- grass, grass real close, black.]

... I'm goin' mad.

Comments

[pipers_son]

[Of course he is.]

[He's probably just being selfish, he knows, but he can't bear the thought of her being on her own right now. He needs to know she's there, whether with his own two eyes or by a lad like Jimmy who he's come to rely on the past few months. If he takes her eyes off of her, she could just... disappear.

[Like Doll, or Suit, or any other number of people he doesn't really know but he's heard of leaving friends and loved ones behind.]

[That's the big cruelty of this world. Almost worst than London for all its prettiness, because it doesn't even let you make peace with a body.]

[He settles down besides her, giving a small smile.]

I was hopin' ta introduce ya ta this all bit more gently, but I suppose there's no helpin' it. S'too different from home.

[lackingbeauty]

[She doesn't look up or at him, not at first when he sits down beside her. Her hands are in her lap, squeezing the peculiar cup? jug? bottle? between her fingers and watching the plastic crinkle beneath the pressure than pop back in to shape once she took the pressure off- mostly.]

S'this it, then?

[Beast sounded somewhat... Defeated. It was only then that she cast a glance Joker's way, her gaze lingering all too obviously (most things with her were "all too obviously") at where his prosthetic ought to be, then down at her own hand again.

It made her think of that last pretty memory, shining bright despite the tarnish on so much of the rest of their youth. Except with the way she'd chosen a seat on the bench, even if she had the courage she couldn't have closed the distanced between their hands- he didn't have one there any longer. And she wanted to push, demand to know what had happened because she knew Joker, knew he wouldn't just lose it and be fine with that, but there were so many other pressing concerns, and-]

We really are jus' stuck 'ere?

[pipers_son]

[He shifts where he is, fingers curling over the edge of the bench seat. It's been long enough that he no longer has to catch himself from failing to remember he's missing weight on one side. He just settles in, neat as you please. It's disquieting to realize he's been here in a foreign land for that long, almost entirely on his own.]

[Bizarre as the creatures and people are here, he's almost grateful for them all. At least they provide a welcome distraction from his own dark thoughts.]

Seems like. Folks go back home all the time, but... It's just like bein' brought in. Not under anyone's control, never predictable. [A huff of breath.] Fairytales never were always kind.

[A pause, and then, quietly-]

S'what happened ta Doll. She was here, 'til a few months back and then she wasn't.

[lackingbeauty]

But Doll never went anywhere.

[The last protests of logic, even if this place was making it perfectly clear to her that logic had nothing to do with goings on, far as she was concerned.]

An' ye certainly never left-

[The gaze she'd pulled upwards to look him in the eye when she protested jerked away too quickly, fingers tightening on the water bottle in her hands with a loud crinkle. The last thing she'd wanted, (any woman wanted, really), was the reminder if being left behind before even being allowed to confess feelings out loud- where they'd be irrevocably real instead of painfully obvious glances and looks.

She didn't want to remember anything that had happened since she'd opened her mouth and asked Joker to leave Father behind. If she could at least forget the weakness, and hate herself a bit less-]

... Not like that.

[pipers_son]

[For a moment, he wishes they could have arrived together. It would have been easier, then, and they wouldn't have been alone. They'd have still been confused, but... Maybe it would have been manageable.]

[Of course, he wishes they all could have come here together, even Snake.]

[Going over the hill holds no joy when you're all on your own.]

[He scoots a bit closer, bumping her shoulder with what's left of his own.]

Try not ta mind it. We're with each other now, ain't we? And the others might turn up soon enough. Snake's here too.

[lackingbeauty]

[She wanted to take comfort in that. In contact, in reassurance. But to her, fresh from one of the darker moments of their adult lives, the ones that reminded them they had a foot in Hell itself no matter how far they came... It didn't seem right. It was wrong, to be content. If they could be happy here, like it seemed Joker had been happy...

It was wrong to be happy if it was just them.]

We can' jus' sit 'ere!

[Though that sounded like what they'd have to do. Beast couldn't fathom the idea of Joker being from "after" her- everything in time happened at once didn't it?]

We're in the middle of a bloody mission, Joker! To get Father that damned boy 'e wants an' be done with it!

[Her voice was strained, the sort that came from wanting to shout but having to keep quiet for fear of being overheard.]

We're already down a man with ye off like that, now me-

[What would happen to them?]

[pipers_son]

[There's a grimace, and he looks away.]

...Yer not gonna believe me, but nothin' is gonna move on without us.

[lackingbeauty]

[He was right.

She didn't. More like- she couldn't.]

Stop talkin' nonsense, Joker-

[Beast looked at him like she'd just realized she might be the last sane person on the Earth.]

Please-

[pipers_son]

[His fingers are digging into the bench, but that's okay, that's good. He needs something to hold onto.]

It's either truthful nonsense, or I lie ta yer face. Which would ya prefer?

[lackingbeauty]

[Lie, part of her wanted to beg. Lie so maybe I can pretend to believe you. But he was right. Even if she wanted to ignore what she was seeing in this place... No matter how hard she tried certain parts of it were undeniable. The weird animals. The weird jug of water between her hands. Her expression crumpled, slowly; before she averted her gaze. Tried to pretend to be looking at something but it was a ridiculous act, so her eyes dropped to the ground, to her knees (knee and one ball-joint).]

So.

[What could she even say? When even the nonsense things he said weren't anything she could wrap her head around? How could time even work like that?]

We're 'ere until maybe we're not. An' while we're 'ere not a soul 'r second moves back where we came from?

[She wanted to choke herself silent rather than say such foolish things.]

[pipers_son]

Yeah.

[He glances at her from the corner of his eye, not sure what more he can do. You got used to this place, but it took time. It wasn't pleasant, but what could you do?]

...It makes about as much sense ta me, too.

[lackingbeauty]

[There was a long moment before she spoke again, when she just stared at the ground and wondered if it really was that someone had gone mad, and maybe that person was her.]

- then what do we do?

[Here. In this place. It couldn't actually be about..... Those weird animals....

Right???]

[pipers_son]

[To be fair, the weird animals have a lot to do with just about anything. Joker caught onto that relatively quickly.]

...Started up another circus. Over in town- y'probably heard a it already if ya were talkin' ta other folks.

I figured... Well, ain't like any a us know much else. When the others come- [When, always when, he can't let himself get swallowed up by the despair if brings with it] -I figured... Make it known enough, and they'd head right over ta it.

[lackingbeauty]

Might a 'eard somethin' from an awful off fella.

[Shot a look his way, trying to muster some effort, some ability to talk as if this was okay. Somehow. Even when it obviously wasn't.

Jus' been hirin' anyone ye see fit, then? They really professionals at all?

[pipers_son]

Now y'know me better than that! [He gives a chuckle, finally looking at her proper. They're not completely alright, but... They can make it, he thinks.] I got some talent. There's me and Snake, so we've been doin' well on that front. Jim's our greenest, but he's eager ta learn, so I let 'im do a few side acts ta keep folks entertained.

There's a lass who knows her songs, and we have a strongman the size a you won't believe. Can lift- well, a mighty lot. [A dragon, in fact. But he probably shouldn't mention that.] Gonna teach 'im how ta juggle since he's interested in how.

Might have found us someone good with knives, too, but still have ta meet 'im proper before anythin'.

[lackingbeauty]

[Even if she could manage a little, Beast couldn't manage a smile or a laugh. Not yet. But she could scowl, and arch her brows. It was close enough to what she wanted to do naturally in that moment anyway.]

An' yer clowns?

[Because ngl she found one of them quite offputting]

[pipers_son]

Well, there's... a lad who wants ta be but he's a bit... Well.

[And, delicately as he can put it, he taps one finger to his temple.]

Off. Think he's puttin' things in his mouth he ain't supposed ta.

[lackingbeauty]

Well that explains it. Shouldn' let people like that run about with yer circus name attached.

[She let out a breath, and maybe it could be taken as a sigh when really it was a shuddering release of nerves. Attempt at release. Before she stared down at the water bottle and tried to pull the top off like a stopper. Which didn't work so well and it was only a second of effort before she handed it to Joker with a frown. Could she figure it put with a little more effort? Certainly? Did she want anyone to see her struggling with it? No.]

[pipers_son]

Well, he hasn't done anyone harm yet. Suppose we'll have ta see if he's too much trouble.

[He tries not to smile too much when she hands him the bottle, just places it between his knees for a decent grip as he fiddles about with his hand. Usually there's always Angel to help him with mundane things like this which, for him, means another set of hands... But he'll bring her out in good time.]

They can be a bit tricky, eh?

[lackingbeauty]

[She blanched with embarrassment the second she handed the bottle over. Once, on the streets, she'd never had done that. But years under the Baron's "care" had made her forget. But she didn't try and take it back, or say anything- though her expression betrayed her as usual.

She'd gotten used to him having two hands. To her having two legs.]

... What's that noisy coat on it all about, anyway?

[obviously a distraction to cover her blunder but]

[pipers_son]

[He does his best to ignore the look she makes- loss of an arm ain't gonna make some sorta invalid. Well, much a one. He just nudges her arm with it, chuckling.]

Know what? I still ain't sure, but it's a bit a silly business. Lotta things in this country seem ta be.

[lackingbeauty]

S'it all magic, then?

[Considering there were dragons that seemed the logical explanation for plastic, good electricity, and... Everything else.]

[pipers_son]

Nah, it's just... Most a it seems ta be just machines fancier than anythin' I know of.

[It's still jarring sometimes in the morning when he wakes up and there's hot water in the inn or the set up in Goldenrod, whenever he likes it.]

[lackingbeauty]

Machines...

[If she kept talking about that sort of thing... Maybe she wouldn't have to think about the rest. About how they could be here but not be missed back home, how Doll could have come here but never have left. How she'd been so weak as to-]

I don' rightly understand it.

[But it wasn't surprising that she didn't. And it wasn't a call for explanation, either. Even if he could... She wouldn't get it.

But it felt a bit better to mutter complaints about it.]

[pipers_son]

Like any of us would! [Another laugh. This is better- this is more believable for both of them.] But I have a few hired who know how ta deal with it all so I don't have ta think of it at all.