[If he isn't tired as Cinderella after her stepfamily has come back boozed up and rowdy.]
[Not that he's anywhere near pretty enough as a fairy tale princess, he muses, and he stretches his good arm out in front of him with the fingers spread out. Not flesh, not anymore, but wood, gnarled like it grew right out of him instead of smoothly polished like a normal prosthetic. Well, that's true anyway.]
[Can wood even feel tired? Joker is pretty sure it can, because he's exhausted with everything he's had to deal with lately. Taking on Wardrobe Manager duties along his usual Stage ones, some of his performers going missing after that mess in the Matrix, the attack, the Ringmaster calling all of the supervisors, learning magic... For just a little while, he needs to relax away from the carnival, which is why he's tucked himself away in the tree branches just outside of the carnival. Close enough to rush back in if there's an emergency, but still not where most will bother to go.]
[Far down below on the forest floor, he hears the sound of someone running, and sighs. There's always at least one person who tries this, at just about every stop. Well, they'll learn eventually. Or maybe they won't, that's happened too. Either way, he guesses he should play the role of a responsible adult, shouldn't he? Rolling his neck, he adjusts himself away from the trunk and starts to balance himself on the branch he's been sprawled across-]
[A voice wafts up, tugging against every single bit of him.]
[Joker freezes, and feels even his very heart stop.]
Doll?
[Out of his mouth before he can stop himself, voice a little strangled from surprise and half a dozen other emotions he doesn't think he could name in the moment.]
YELLS (trying to leaf)
[Not that he's anywhere near pretty enough as a fairy tale princess, he muses, and he stretches his good arm out in front of him with the fingers spread out. Not flesh, not anymore, but wood, gnarled like it grew right out of him instead of smoothly polished like a normal prosthetic. Well, that's true anyway.]
[Can wood even feel tired? Joker is pretty sure it can, because he's exhausted with everything he's had to deal with lately. Taking on Wardrobe Manager duties along his usual Stage ones, some of his performers going missing after that mess in the Matrix, the attack, the Ringmaster calling all of the supervisors, learning magic... For just a little while, he needs to relax away from the carnival, which is why he's tucked himself away in the tree branches just outside of the carnival. Close enough to rush back in if there's an emergency, but still not where most will bother to go.]
[Far down below on the forest floor, he hears the sound of someone running, and sighs. There's always at least one person who tries this, at just about every stop. Well, they'll learn eventually. Or maybe they won't, that's happened too. Either way, he guesses he should play the role of a responsible adult, shouldn't he? Rolling his neck, he adjusts himself away from the trunk and starts to balance himself on the branch he's been sprawled across-]
[A voice wafts up, tugging against every single bit of him.]
[Joker freezes, and feels even his very heart stop.]
Doll?
[Out of his mouth before he can stop himself, voice a little strangled from surprise and half a dozen other emotions he doesn't think he could name in the moment.]