i start it up, turn it over like a general MINGLE

[deshabille]

Who: Crew of the Caprine and party crashers!!
Broadcast: None.
Action: Caprine unless otherwise noted!
When: All of January!

[IT'S A NEW YEAR. Which means that your captain is ready to drag you into more hideous shenanigans. Strap the fuck in, Capriners . . .]

[. . . it's a mingle. DUN DUN DUNNNN.]

Comments

[hitbyakar]

[ Her eyebrow is still lifted in disapproval -- is that a bunch of crumbs on his pants? Jojo ...

But, she allows the topic change. It just ... takes her a moment to answer. Mostly because what she's about to say sounds a bit odd in her own head, but she thinks it will make him happy to hear it. Hopefully. So out it goes. ]

... I came to see you.

[nextlineis]

[It's fine, Lisa Lisa. A roomba will get to it when he stands up and dusts them off. Don't worry. They won't get space ants.]

[But more importantly, he's surprised to hear that was the reason she was here. Sure, he knows she's his mother, but they haven't really settled into the whole mother-son dynamic yet. Maybe some part of him was hopeful, but it was quiet compared to the expectation that it'd be some other reason that she was here.]

[So, at first, all he says is,]

Oh. [And then he smiles because he is happy. He nods to a nearby chair.] You don't have to stand, you know.

[hitbyakar]

[ ... Right. She just kind of got distracted by whatever he's doing.

She sits at his invitation, though, relaxing a little now that it appears she's doing the right thing. And instead of struggling for a topic of conversation (why was it so hard to just have a normal conversation with her own son after mostly talking business with him for so long, damn it), she actually pulls a small rectangular box from the pocket of her suit. ]

I also brought you something.

[ Of course, he doesn't seem to really be wanting for anything here. But they come from wealth, and that means frequent presents and gifts is an easy way to show affection, even if they're not exactly attached to the Joestar fortune anymore. ]

[nextlineis]

[It's about a half-second into looking as eager as he does that Joseph thinks he probably shouldn't look that eager because a) he's an adult and b) he should really probably not look quite so greedy and materialistic even if he is. But it's too late to take it back, so he just does as Granny would probably make him and doesn't immediately grab at it as he sets aside his plate.]

You didn't have to do that.

[He can sometimes (sorta) have manners.]

[hitbyakar]

[ Yeah, even she can tell he obviously doesn't mean that at all. She'll just offer him the box so he can take it. ]

I had it made after what you gave me for Christmas.

[ That might kind of give it away. Whatever. Anyways, once he opens it he'll find inside the box a small Superman figure, sculpted from the available materials on Arslae -- aka, salt, so it's not exactly posable or anything. But it still looks pretty well made! ]

[nextlineis]

[Well. If Lisa Lisa was ever wondering what Joseph's face looked like when he was a kid on Christmas morning or when he was tearing into presents on his birthdays, she probably doesn't need to wonder anymore. Joseph's whole face lights up when he opens the box and sees what's inside.]

No way...

[He's careful taking it out of the box, more careful than she's probably ever watched him handle something since she's known him, and looks it over because it does look really well made. And then...]

[Well, brace yourself, Lisa Lisa.]

[no jk it's not that bad. But he doesn't really wait for her to be prepared for a hug. It's what you get when you give Joseph a gift he really likes. She should just be glad he's not trying to pick her up.]

Thank you!

[hitbyakar]

[ She knew, on a base level, that she had missed all kinds of holidays and birthdays. But it doesn't quite strike her until she sees exactly how his face lights up, and she feels a sharp pang in her chest, that she missed a lot more than that too.

Fortunately, he doesn't give her time to be too choked up about it, as the hug kind of comes as a surprise (it shouldn't, by now, but it does). She freezes at first, but after a moment she can't help but deflate a little. With an amused sound, she wraps an arm around him back.

You'd think she'd bought him a new car or something. ]

You like it, then.

[nextlineis]

Are you kidding!? It's perfect, I love it!

[That's about as much as Joseph can restrain himself as far as his enthusiasm is concerned. He's so giddy. But he also knows that hugging (still) isn't really Lisa Lisa's thing so he gives her just one quick squeeze before letting go and taking a step back.]

[hitbyakar]

[ She's actually smiling, so it seems like she isn't too weirded out by it. ]

I'm glad.

[ They aren't exactly in the height of space civilization here, so it was kind of hard to find an appropriate gift that wasn't boring or something Jojo wouldn't really use. ]

And ... thank you, for the earrings.

[ She reaches up to move her hair out of the way, so he can see she's wearing them! ]

[nextlineis]

[Oh, you thought Joseph was done lighting up? Wrong. Wrong on so many levels. His expression goes bright all over again at seeing that she's wearing the earrings he gave her.]

Oh, you like them? I'm glad!