unreliable doorstop

[temporal_affairs]

Here they are, having a cute post-death reunion!

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[manofmyword]

The Joker giggles and hugs him.

[temporal_affairs]

Mmm, hugs.

"Time for me to go," he announces. "Babe, you coming with me or loitering in case the reason it's time involves Eights's next visitor being all over pointy or somesuch?"

[manofmyword]

"As fun as that sounds, I think I'd rather catch up with you," he says, giving Nathan a quick kiss on the cheek. "Is it a good time to gimme the grand tour?"

[temporal_affairs]

"Scale of days, yep," says Timer, and he kisses Eights goodbye and meanders out through her preposterously large house.

[manofmyword]

Off they go! Can they be holding hands? The Joker would like to be holding hands.

[temporal_affairs]

Timer will hold hands. Anything more than that and maybe some kissing is going to require turning him back into a vampire (although, how would that work, now, with another him already mated to this particular individual?) or a presto-changeo. He'll bring that up later on when it comes up. (Of course it's going to come up.)

[manofmyword]

Damn right it's going to come up.

Holding hands is just perfect for now, though. The Joker has feelings about Timer. Big warm cuddly lovey feelings.

[temporal_affairs]

"It is good to see you again," remarks Timer, as they get to the transit station, and he consults his eponym and then taps in the necessary data to take them to his neighborhood. "My place is kind of a thimble, but a nice thimble. 'S contingent on how much mourning gets done. It's the kind of place you get when exactly one person is so sad they jump off a cliff and only spend about a minute being sad, except in my case I guess you only spent a minute on it 'cause there's the live one."

[manofmyword]

"Mhm," he says. "I was veeery sad. But Goldie fixed you right up."

[temporal_affairs]

Here is Timer's place. "Behold," he says, "the result of your brief yet intense sad."

He hasn't redecorated much beyond what the place came with - he spends plenty of time outside the home; he doesn't have to huddle scared in his residence like some people, and he doesn't care that much about aesthetics - but he keeps it neat and tidy.

[manofmyword]

"It's cute," he declares, and gives Timer a hug.



Now would be a good time to clarify about the exact circumstances under which presto-changeo is warranted.

[temporal_affairs]

"Mm, babe, I remind you about the aforementioned mate bond patching thing."

[manofmyword]

"Even for snuggles?" he asks, semi-plaintively.

[temporal_affairs]

"Is it a big deal? I didn't think it mattered to you either way," says Timer quizzically.

[manofmyword]

"It doesn't matter a lot. But I don't wanna switch right now, and I do wanna snuggle you..."

He ponders this dilemma, letting go of Timer in the meantime.

[temporal_affairs]

Timer shrugs. "I can hug you whichever way, but I know where you and me snuggling goes, babe."

[manofmyword]

He laughs.

"I'll switch if we go there," he promises, and resumes hug.

[temporal_affairs]

Hugs.

[manofmyword]

Snuggly hugs. Snuggly nuzzly hugs. Snuggly nuzzly ooooh he sees what Timer meant, there.

[yourheartstrings]

Now he feels like switching.

[temporal_affairs]

Ah-ha. There we go.

Timer is not a vampire anymore and cannot throw the Joker around quite so effectively, but he can still acquit himself tolerably well, he thinks.

[yourheartstrings]

No complaints.



Eventually, they are curled up in Timer's bed, snuggling contentedly.

"Mind if I switch back for this part?" she murmurs, pillowing her head on his shoulder.

[temporal_affairs]

"If you want," Timer yawns.

[manofmyword]

He switches back.

"Love you, sweetie."

[temporal_affairs]

"Love you too, babe."

Mate bond is toast, but it left marks.