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The Joker

Mufasa. Joker. Seemed like a fitting set (roughly, although he'd pointed out to her rather dryly that Scar would've been even better, or at least Simba since he didn't die about a third of the way into the movie - but apparently the fact that he was well-versed in the ways of the Lion King was striking enough that they'd never revisited that one), and so here they were. At another mysterious party.

Granted, this one was a bit different from the last... more of a departure from the typical parties he'd known throughout his life. Penkisite allowed Lia to hold onto him, knowing that even the last party in its more normal stages had been entirely novel to her.

He liked the masks, though. - and that he could be himself, here - and he liked that she hadn't bothered to do that ridiculous thing to her hair again. "I suppose." His response was fairly mild, considering, but was anyone really surprised?

The Joker

Penikisite frowned: it did not take much to gather that something had happened. No one could say he was unobservant (quite the opposite, really - just when it came to most people, key word being most, he frankly didn't give a damn), and Lyon herself was not exactly known for being subtle. He would've had to been robbed of all senses (touch included - he'd underestimated the power of her fingers) not to notice that something had happened.

Not to mention it was probably the first time ever that she'd lost track of something she'd wanted to ask him. "What's wrong? - what happened?"

He might have actually sounded vaguely concerned, a little tense now himself as he thought back to the last party.

The Joker

There were a good many things to process in a very short window of time. Penikisite's lips were pressed in a firm line, and to his credit, he made not so much as a sound when she grasped so tightly at his arm. Some part of him mused whether or not it would bruise - not that it was any real concern, a bruise was nothing, but it did speak to the force of the emotion compelling that vice-like grip.

He tried to fit the pieces together, and the circus part of him was oddly rankled by the fact that he did not know who this person was to have had such an impact on her. His true self recognized that for what it was - obviously, he'd only met Lia less than a year ago, there were bound to be people he didn't know - but the agitation persisted in spite of logic.

Even so, he had an inkling. "So, you're dead?" A bit blunt, but. Well. "Who are you?" Seemed a bit of an odd question to follow affirmation on whether he was alive or not, but anyway, "You're not going to attack her, are you?"

Mufasa (Lyonsite)

At the bluntness, the boy grinned. "Bingo. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. How refreshing it is to talk to someone who knows what's up. That's a survival instinct kicking in on her part---glad to see she's hanging with smart people." It was a tease to the woman who was still just staring at him. "I'm not entirely sure what all of this is---but whatever it is, I can't exactly introduce myself, and it almost stuffed me in some ridiculous get up too---so the long and short of it is---I'm a friend from good ol' high school, so, no, I'm not going to hurt her." The boy leaned closer to Penikisite, even going as far to raise a hand like he was whispering conspiratorially to the man. "Have you seen those beast arms? Ghost or no, she'd tear me to shreds."

It was almost like her brain couldn't compute this---two worlds colliding, just talking to each other like this was normal and---but he was right there. Lyonsite suddenly felt the air burn back into her chest as she remembered to breathe, and finally, she was spurred into motion. She lunged for the boy, and the said beast arms wrapped tightly around him in a fierce hug. It felt so different. While she was the same height, he just felt so much smaller. Stuck forever in youth while she got older, but, it was him. Real and warm, and there, and she had missed him. So much.

She couldn't be dreaming this. Her imagination wasn't this creative, and she had spent the better part of seven years trying not to think about it.

The boy looked surprised for a moment as he was easily swept up, but he laughed, and hugged her in return. "Finally. We're burning daylight here---or perhaps the right thing is starlight---"

"I miss you." She said, voice muffled, and the tease fell away from the boy in that moment. "I miss you, too." He replied back in earnest. She was loathe to put him down, but she did, if only so she could look at him. Hands stayed on his shoulders, as she just took him in.

"So, I know you've seen enough movies to know how this goes." The boy said, looking up at her. "Whatever last words there are, let's hash it out."

αρπάζω

"Ah — wait!" αρπάζω started toward the bright orb, hand outstretched, but Genevieve was gone faster than αρπάζω could impotently pursue her. Her chase petered off, and falling flat against her side as she dropped her shoulders with disappointment. Now, for whatever reason, Genevieve was gone — as was αρπάζω's chance at learning more about this foreign place and its foreign powers. So was her chance to gather more information about knights for Giza.

Now she was left wanting answers in the company of someone she'd never met, and frankly, she wasn't sure if this girl could help. Lips pursed, αρπάζω looked her over briefly. Minty hair, short, stocky build, hadn't infringed much. A firm maybe.

Shoulders squared, αρπάζω looked back toward the path of light. "I'm going after her." I need those answers.

"You're welcome to come help, or you can stay here and enjoy yourself." One foot before the other, she began her long wade through the waning crowd.

The Joker

Being conflicted was a strange sensation, and not for the first time since any of this had started, Penikisite didn't really know if he relished it or not. Decisions should be an easy thing. Cut and dry. Simple and logical. To feel any ounce of it - even more when he wasn't sure where it was even coming from, because wasn't the decision fairly obvious? Of course he was going to give her the space that she needed. There was no reason not to let her go and talk to him, and he didn't want to stop her from doing it, so what on earth was he feeling conflicted about exactly?

Maybe it was that he didn't really relish seeing her upset. Emotional pain was infinitely harder to parse out than physical. "You owe me exactly one patrol and one sleep over for all this, " he remarked dryly, trying to put her at ease with some degree of normalcy in something all together abnormal. It worked for some people. Right?

The Joker

He nearly took a step back, and he really didn't understand why.

He did shiver, nearly imperceptibly, granted, but it made the gooseflesh no less real in the wake of her hand as she touched his neck.

His jaw clicked audibly at the ghostly touch of a thumb.

Penikisite didn't understand why his body was betraying him in such subtly visceral ways, and thought it easier to chalk it up to memories he was still learning to subdue - or to embrace - which to do, what to do, how to take it, what it meant -

He lingered nearby to keep watch, but did claim a drink to combat the troublesome burn in his chest.

Killing was easier than this. The thought was so stark and ironic that that, of all things, made him laugh to himself.

Halfwit

As soon as the stairs were finished, each cat was set down into their own power. Helper Cat took to walking under the right train, while Princess Cat huffed and crescent rolled herself on the left train again to be carefully pulled along the edges of the people.

These are all wrapped up in their own dancing and curiosities. I paint myself too much a loner, and lo, there are those maddened by their lives taking wall-flowering to new heights of paranoia in the Astrarium. Lower down may promise less threatening of friendly-fire. May.