Difference between revisions of "Log:Jokers Wild - Homecoming"

New Year's Eve, 2017

The Jokers Wild Crew returns from their various adventures, meeting up together on their way back home.

Boston Train Station

New Year's Eve. The actual eve, too, for the most part. THe plane landed a while back, but the paths of our interpid heroes wouldn't actually connect for a while. A short train ride later, Sid and Lucky meet up with Joel, who is coming back from his European adventure, and the three board the bus to Vermont after their usual (and probably barely appropriate for all viewing audiences) greetings. Though there's not much time for chit-chat before the bus boards, so they save most of that for after they're seated.

Lucky shoves his green army surplus rucksack (currently containing basically everything he owns) underneath the seat, having adamantly refused to put it in the cargo storage area, before practically falling into the seat as he looks toward the others. "At last. On our way back to home sweet... uh... whatever it's called."

Joel climbs onto the bus. He has surprisingly little, just a large backpack and that's all he took with him to Europe. Anything he brought back, he had shipped back to a friend's place. He flops into a seat across the aisle from Lucky and slumps back against the window. It's not a very crowded bus, and so he takes up both seats for himself, settled sideways across them both. He gives a yawn and then says, "Yeah.. gonna be weird to be back."

Sid wasn't a big guy and made no qualms about spanning te gap sitting next to lucky and have his feet take up the one that was already holding up Joel's feet. A lot of a lot. The Dusk was riding on that groove train of a few shots on the plane and just going back to... Vermont. He didn't really know why, but it felt right. That saafe place one rebuilds their life in or...something. "Yeah you think Enid missed us?" he stiffled a snicker looking from Lucky to Joel and back. and back to Joel. We'll get back around Midnight. we should like... do a thing. Something. I dunno what yet."

"It's New Year's Eve," Lucky reminds them. "I'm sure that -someone- is drinking and having a good time. And if they aren't," he notes, "that's a crime, and we'll have to correct that. As for Enid..." His eyes light up a bit, and he pats his pack. "Don't worry. I've been reading her posts online. I've got some ideas." Though he looks over to Joel, beaming at the man. "How was Europe? Did you see any castles? Fight any knights? Kiss any queens? And most importantly, did you bring me anything?" He leans across Sid to peer at JOel's backpack like a kid at Christmas, wondering what could be inside.

"I'm sure we can find a party to crash, or start our own if there isn't one to crash," Joel says with a bit of a grin. Though once there's a barrage of questions aimed at him he stares at Lucky with those solid black glossy eyes. "Europe was great, actually. It was cool to see all those places I'd onlyr ead about before. Yes, I saw castles. Did not fight any Knights or kiss any Queens. And of course I brought you something. Though it's not in the backpack. You have to wait for it to arrive. I shipped everything from there."

Sid was kinda lazy, but could be counted on for always being all in on mayhem. Hell he might be rolling on something for all anyone knew. The professionally pretty train wreck squint up at Lucky and blinked. THat Audacity of asking for pressies!? Admirable! He looked from Luck to Joel and between them a couple times, now with interest renewed. "He shipped something? Maybe it's a ship? Ooh or one of those shipping ships shipping shipping ships?" He shook his head in alazy figure 8. "Joel, you are... amazing. Come to Cali with us next time. This is a must. I insist on insisting." because having his house back that was two stories of mostly glass and open to the beach on one side? It sure wasn't heartbreaking.

Lucky follows right on Sid's heels. "It could be a ship. Or maybe a sword!" Glancing at Sid, he ponders, "I wonder if I would even remember how to use a sword? That's probably something that'd be good to know before I have to actually use a sword. Remind me to find out later." Of course, it's Lucky, and he doesn't bother to keep his voice down, so the other patrons on the bus are giving him 'that look'. That one that says they aren't sure if this is the regular 'person on the bus' crazy, or maybe the 'Alert Homeland Security' crazy. Though he does turn his attention back to Joel, grinning. "I'm sure whatever it is, it's lovely. And I'll have much fun with it. Thanks in advance! You're the best." Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out battered old pocketwatch, handing it to Joel. "I found this for you," he tells the other man. It's silver, and antique looking. Still in working order, though a little tarnished. "The initials inside say P.T.B. Dude told me it used to belong to that Barnum guy," he tells his motley-mate. "Probably bullshit, because I'm pretty sure the guy was just looking to go score, and needed money. But it could have been! And now it's yours!"

"Yeah," Joel says to Sid. "Sure, I'll come next time." He certainly doesn't seem against the idea. He rests his head back against the window to look between the two of them, not seeming to care one way or another if people on the bus are staring at them. But when guesses are made as to what it might be, he just gives a tiny myserious smile and says nothing. Surprise gift will remain a surprise for now. Though when he is handed the watch, he leans forward to take it and turns it over in his palm, examining it, both one side and then the other, running his thumb over it. His smile warms a little bit and he says, "Hey. You didn't need to do that. But that's really cool. Thanks, Lucky." It doesn't matter to him whether the story is real or not. It's a cool piece, and it's a fun story.

Sid actually had a hope for a pile of boats on a boat. Hey hope was weird, but the Dusk wasn't in a funk about it. Well played Joel. Seeing Joel smile Sid shrugged, "Well... you're one of us. We couldn't leave you out. We missed you, man." SObriety was a lot to ask from teh goat, sincerity was not. He watched the exchange with a content smile and hunkered down. He was on a perosnal quest to be comfortable for a couple hours. He was making this happen.

Lucky leans in, placing a kiss on Sid's forehead, right between the horn nubs. "Don't go scaring him off," he tells the goat. "We practically just got him. Let's at least get him good and indoctrinated first." Though he leaves Sid to revel on whatever it is he's rolling on. The engine of the plane -did- seem to sputter a couple of times. Chances are high that the goat is riding a wave of glamour euphoria as much as anything else. Looking up to Joel, he says, "Hey, so long as you believe it, it counts, right?" He reaches across Sid, patting Joel's foot playfully. "Sometimes, you just gotta roll with it. It's a lot more fun that way."

Joel didn't say that the didn't get them a pile of boats on a boat, either. But he doesn't seem to be any closer to revealing what he did get. "Yeah," Joel admits. "Missed you guys, too." Probably more than he'd care to admit. He then chuckles just a little bit at Lucky's warning to Sid. He continues to toy with the watch with one hand, turning it over and over as they talk. He nods then and says, "Hey. I'm totally billing it as belonging to P.T. Barnum."

Sid preeeened. God he could soak up that attention like a sunflower all damn day. Optimism was hard fought forhim weirdly enough but it was brilliant when one could outsource it. When Joel was told to 'roll with it' he broke out in singing "Rooooooll with me Hen-RY! Aaaaall night baaaaby." doing the voices. this got MORE looks from more people who didn't care whaat they were talking about so long as they were doing it quietly so they could nap on the but. This didn't seem to bother the satyr. He was though, as a Blackbird, and moreso just as Joel's friend, aware he didn't do a lot of close contacts and kept his cards close to his chest. The goat's foot nudges Joel's foot like yeah man we got you. Sobering slightly, but not really he pointed a dramatic finger to Joel, "Perception becomes truth. Take it from me." As a Romancer? Yeah he'd know that much. "Like santa, it's what it needs to be. So we agree? it is." Lucky was becoming elf-couch as time went on.

Not that Lucky ever really minded being elf-couch. At least this time there was a seat that they could all sink into, relaxing on their voyage back to Whatever That Place Is Called. It'd been a long series of months. But the elf looked contented. "I think he really just wants a boat," he tells Joel. "But I'm not sure that we should get him one. Chances are it'll get sunk in a day or so. Probably better if we just steal one for that. The evidence goes away in the accident." Though he glances at Joel, asking, "So that shit with your uncle. Did he actually, you know --" Survive his encounter with the Vegas Mafia? There are at least -some- things that the elf leaves unspoken.

Joel can't help but smile just a little bit when Sid starts singing, shaking his head just a little bit in amusement at the looks that they were getting from others on the bus. He couldn't possibly care any less so long as they didn't get thrown out and have to walk to Vermont. Both brows raise a little though and he says, "Yeah, I get it.. didn't I jut say...?" But he shrugs, whatever. He's content, and he has a cool present, and he tucks it into his pocket where it will be safe. "He may, in fact, just really awnt a boat," he agrees with Lucky. "But nobody really wants a boat. People just want a friend with a boat so that they can enjoy the boat and not have to deal with the money pit that a boat actually is." The question about his uncle, though, has him nodding a bit. "He's recovering. They roughed him up a bit. He lost both clubs. But he's a fighter. He'll pick back up and be back on his feet again. It'll take a while, but he'll get here."

Sid kept on singing; he had his friend back, and wa son a world jaunt with his elf, life was weirdly not as harrowing as it had been last few months and he was riding that calm and a plane load of glamour. At the notion of wanting a boat he nodded along (did he have headphones in?!) "I got mah flippie floppies..." One hand tapped his nose, teh other pointed to Joel. THAT. owning a boat, though not one that was obscene, he could vouch for that. At leas they had fun with it. His brow furrowed and he rolled his head back back back to look up up to Lucky and whispered, "He means establishments." Because in this mindset he wanted to be clear to the gambler that it was aplace, not a suit. Not that Lucky missed any of that but the goat was kinda buzzin. See? Helpful! (not really helpful, but supportive at least)

Lucky nods at Joel's explanation, a bit more solemnly. "Good," he tells the man. "Then there's still something left for him to hope for. And it's even more positive than 'I hope they don't break my kneecaps so bad they have to amputate'." The Dawn will find hope anywhere he can take it, even in the darkest things. That's kind of their schtick, after all. Though as Sid adds in his clarification, Lucky raises a challenging eyebrow. "You sure about that? I don't think he'd be in so much trouble if he had any diamonds, and it doesn't sound like there was an abundance of hearts there, either. It kind of sounds like they came at him with straight clubs, and he didn't have any clubs or spades to defend himself with. Don't be so hasty here."

"Nah," Joel says, "They wanted his money and they wanted to ruin him. He didn't do anything bad enough to warrant killing him, and they could do all of that shit legal. I mean, that's practically a bonus, to not even have to cover it up when you take everything a man has." There's a certain darkness there in the words as he speaks them, but then he shrugs his shoulders. He's had a month to come to term with things, to see some castles, drink some wine in Paris, and not deal with the reality of what he was coming home to. He was mellow still, even if reality would come soon enough. There's a flicker of amusement though as the suits are run through and his lips twitch into another almost-smile.

Sid squirred a look at Lucky and stuck the end of his tongue out at him, though there was no malice in it. Sid was generally a man without malice period and certainly not for his people. Tapping his foot to Joel's he nodded and assured, "What our esteened counterpart means is when you run into things, remember you got backup. I still got a lady taht owes me a bumpy cake. And hey technically? We have been through worse. We'll...figure it out. Together or some /satire/." Yup. Still censored by TBS, public television, and viewers like you.

Lucky smiles down at Sid as the censors still manage to catch his every attempt to get around them. He's gotten so used to it, it would almost be strange if he actually -pulled it off- one day. Instead, he just scratches the Satyr's head and nods his agreement to Joel. "For sure. We've got each other's backs. And you're our dude. This? This ain't no big thing." Which of course it -is-. But it's better to look on the bright side, right? "Now the -real- fun starts." And that grin grows dangerously wide as his eyes light up. "Now that we have the brains of the operation with us."

"Everything's going to be fine," Joel says with a slight rise and fall of his shoulders, and he actually sounds like he might actually believe it. "I've got all my own personal profits from the club, and though I don't have the building or any of the physical stuff anymore, I an still do.. something. I just have to figure out what, and find a place to crash, and ... well there's a lot, but it'll be fine. For tonight I'm going to enjoy New Year's Eve with you guys, and then.. tomorrow new plans for the new year."

Sid murmured as a tired sated satyr does, "Mmmm ya'welcome." No, Sid, you were certainly not hte brains of the operation, or maybe it was all part of an ingenous plan, but not likely today's plan. Turns out goats were sometimes as bad as cats. Half awake and fading he murmured, "Yeah stay w'us. I mean we'll see what we can do. Not like we risk starving. New...start in /sheep/." He pulled Lucky's arm down over his shoulder which for him was as good as a security blanket in a thunderstorm. In a very palpable way they were all rebuilding themselves which meant the sky was open to them at least, but not the hatch on the bus roof. That would be way too drafty.

Lucky laughs at Sid stops making sense. Or making less sense than he usually does, anyway. Instead he focuses on Joel, watching the man. "Of course you're gonna crash with us," he tells him. "There's plenty of room at that hotel I was staying at. You can either sleep in our room, or we can find you one of your own. And maybe we can start that whole, you know --" He waves a hand nebulously in the air. "That thing you do when you want to buy a house. Crow-whatever. I'm sure there's one big enough for all three of us. You're a part of the crew, man. You're never gonna have to worry about where you're staying, unless we're -all- royally fucked."

Joel watches Sid and Lucky from where he sits across the aisle, his lips twitching again as Sid falls into incoherence and eventually to sleep entirely, but it seems he gets the general gist even if the specifics are hazy. He smiles a lot more, or at least almost smiles a lot more than he did before he went to Europe for a month. It seems to have done him some good, which might be odd for a guy who is now homeless -- but honestly, he seems to be doing okay. "Escrow?" he asks Lucky when he starts talking about buying a place. "I have enough to put a down payment on a place if it isn't super fancy. We could look. Pretty sure we could find something. Til then, the motel's fine, yeah." He then says a little more quietly, "I'm actually.. not as worried as I thought I'd be."

"That's the thing!" Lucky doesn't seem to mind that he basically shouted it. Sid doesn't even twitch. The other people on the bus grumble a bit. The elf ignores them. Maybe they hope he'll quiet down. That works just fine for Lucky. "Some kind of crow, anyway. I don't really know what a bird has to do with it, but whatever, man. Them's the rules, right? And since when do we need anything super fancy?" Memories of Sid's room, complete with lobster crater furniture and stuff that probably came from Goodwill, flood back, and Lucky's room was anything but the Ritz. "Four walls and a fire, or whatever, and we're set. Fancy just means 'easy to fuck up'."

Joel's place had been pretty nice, actually, not that anyone ever went up to his loft in the history of ever. But he'd liked it. He nods though, and says, "Yeah, I'm not sure what the birds are all about either." Because he damn well knows what escrow is, but it's more fun to go along with it. "So, we'll take a look at places and find something we like. Shouldn't be too hard." He nods in agreement, "I'm fine with not fancy."

Lucky practically beams at him. "Good," he tells JOel. "Then I'll leave the birds to you." Probably the wiser choice, in the long run, as Lucky either doesn't know what it's really about, or does -- but would treat it with just enough lack of care for it to fail miserably at some point. "I'll make sure we have the go-karts and nerf guns." Apparently there is a plan forming there, though he apparently hasn't decided to clue the others in. "I'll send Sid to get the chickens."

"Someplace with a decent sized yard, and uh, really solid floors," Joel ticks off as Lucky's plan begins to emerge. "Are the chickens going to be inside or outside?" Because this matters. Then he says, "Doesn't matter. We'll figure it out." He waves it off. Whether Lucky knows what the birds are about or not, he seems content to take on that portion of things.

Lucky blinks. "No, dude. -Rubber- chickens," he tells Joel, as if this should have been obvious from the start. "Real chickens would be -birds-, and that would be your department." The plot thickens! "But hey, I like big yards, I cannot lie. And solid floors are proooobably a good idea. Might wanna spring for sturdy walls, too. Just an idea. You never know."

"Hey, I didn't know that I was in charge of all birds," Joel says, lifting both hands palms out. "I thought maybe it was just crows. Got it. Birds are my gig." Probably safer for all involved. "Rubber chickens, strong walls. Maybe brick construction," he says thoughtfully.

"Ooh, yeah. Brick would be fireproof too," Lucky adds, helpfully. Because one never knows when the inherent inability to burst into flame might be helpful. "And it would probably help with noise!" Someone from the back of the bus yells, "If you're moving in with him, go for the soundproofing. If this trip tells you anything, you're gonna need it!" Lucky looks back to see who said it, half-heartedly, but he agrees, thumbing that direction and saying, "That man is wise beyond his years."

Joel actually does laugh a little bit as someone in the bus actually joins in the conversation. It's a quiet sound, more a shaking of his shoulders, and a little bit of laughter. He raises a thumbs-up over the back of the seats in answer to the contributor. "Soundproofing, brick, maybe something modernish.."

Lucky nods. "That's why you're the brains of the operation!" He beams at Joel, who clearly has this figured out. Or so he hopes, anyway! "So, I say that when we get back, we hit up a liquor store, find ourselves a party, get good and drunk, and then go pass out in the hotel room. Warning," he adds, "If you like your pants, you can keep your pants, but you -may- need to find them in the morning, depending on what you drink. Or what I drink. And -definitely- watch what Sid drinks, or you might lose your shirt too. Hope your undies aren't, like, embarrasing."

"I'm sure there's something going on somewhere we can join," Joel says, though he's been out of the country for a month so he's not entirely sure where, but it's New Year's Eve, just follow the trails left behind by poor life choices. He raises both brows and then shrugs his shoulders, "I don't think I own any embarassing underwear. So we're good." He chuckles. "I've seen Sid drunk. I am more than aware of what he's capable of." It's said with fondness, at least.

"Yeah, but have you seen -us- drunk?" Lucky emphasizes the word, because the pair of them plotting together tends to create an exponential increase in 'poor life choices'. They might -be- the trail that gets followed. "But hey, if you don't own embarrasing undies, then you're golden! I mean, not your undies. Probably. But. You know what I mean."

There's a bit of a pause as Joel considers and then says, "No, only the aftermath of you both drunk." He doesn't seem particularly daunted, however. "So I guess I'm in for a show." He hunkers down a little bit in his seat and rests his head against the back of it, letting his eyes close. "No.. I'm not.. neither are my undies," he mumbles a little, on the fast-track for dozing off for a couple of hours of the ride, himself.