unreliable doorstop

[temporal_affairs]

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

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[manofmyword]

"Whatcha feel like?" he asks, kissing Timer's cheek. "Or should I surprise you?"

[temporal_affairs]

"I'm up for surprises. I'm allergic to gluten, though. Doesn't torch me, just mighty uncomfortable."

[manofmyword]

"Gotcha," he says, and kisses him again, and hops out of bed to go survey the kitchen situation.

The kitchen situation needs improvement.

Well, that's what magic is for.

[temporal_affairs]

Timer, meanwhile, checks the other parts of his apartment for debris that's accumulated since the last time he checked. He finds four things, three of which go in the to-trade box by the door and the remaining one of which (a tube of toothpaste) is kept for when he runs out of the current one.

Perhaps he doesn't need to bother with any of this with the Joker right there, demonstrably as minty as this toothpaste, but a century's worth of habits and the decent odds that the Joker's going to go home and be with Nathan instead of Timer add up to doing it anyway.

[manofmyword]

And the Joker makes dinner.

It will be impressive, and tasty, and gluten-free.

[temporal_affairs]

Nathan will gobble it up appreciatively!

"You," he pronounces, "are a good cook."

[manofmyword]

"I know I am!" he beams. "I'm glad I got to cook for ya."

[temporal_affairs]

"It was definitely a conspicuous omission. Let's see, what else did we never do because I wasn't enough of an organism?" Timer snorts. "Surprising that being dead makes me more of an organism."

[manofmyword]

"Mmmm, I dunno," he says. "Is there anything you want to do now that you're all blunt and squishy and food-eating? ...Tickle fight?"

[temporal_affairs]

"...Have you somehow managed to form the impression that vampires cannot be tickled? Because they can. But of course, so can I."

[manofmyword]

"Wouldn't be much of a tickle fight," he says brightly, "if you were a vampire. Not unless I boosted up some."

[temporal_affairs]

"Mm, there is that. You can probably give me a run for my money. Even post-presto-changeo."

[yourheartstrings]

"Even?"

[temporal_affairs]

"Well, I dunno all the details of how you do it, but naively I'd expect upper body strength to take a hit?" he shrugs. "Make it a little harder to pin me down and inflict wiggly fingers? C'mon. Prove me wrong." And he gets up and saunters to near his bed, arms out, inviting tickle-attack.

[yourheartstrings]

The Joker pounces.

She definitely does not seem impaired in her tickling abilities, not that Timer has a baseline to compare her to.

[temporal_affairs]

A good time is had by all!

(Nathan flails around rather adorably when tickled.)

[yourheartstrings]

It is the cutest fucking thing and she loves him so much.

"That is the cutest damn thing in the world," she informs him, "and I love you so much."

Cuddlepounce!

[temporal_affairs]

"Love you too, babe," laughs Nathan, catching his breath over the course of snuggles.

[yourheartstrings]

She wraps her arms around him and squeezes enthusiastically, then settles in at his side.

Contentedly: "Mmmm."

[temporal_affairs]

"Ah, I am glad to see you, babe," sighs Timer.

[yourheartstrings]

"I am glad to see you too," she says, nuzzling his shoulder.

[temporal_affairs]

It's about time for Timer to visit Fractal.

Also about time for him to say:

"This'd be the best time for you to head back to Eights's place. Without me. It is not at all a good time for me to go to her place. I'm betting one of her interesting friends is gonna be there."

[yourheartstrings]

"Ooooooooh," says the Joker.

And: "Do me a favour, sweetie? Hang onto these—" and Timer acquires his very own coin bandolier, full of most of what the Joker's got on her. "Just in case," she says, giving him a kiss.

[temporal_affairs]

"All right, babe," says Timer, and he returns the kiss and loops the bandolier onto his person.

[yourheartstrings]

Okay, one more kiss.

Two more kisses.

And thennnnnn she touches one of the pentagons in Timer's new coin stash, and it and she disappear.