Chapter Text
The lights had been turned off, so he didn't expect to see anything worth noting from the camera at the higher corner of the room. Ideally, Joker would actually calm down and sleep now that he'd been left to his own devices. Maybe hints of movement if he was restless. At worst, a struggle to escape, but he genuinely hoped that it wouldn't resort to that.
That little hope quickly evaporated as two low-functioning flashlights lit up. He nearly jumped, it took him a second to place the source.
It'd been Joker's eyes, glowing like nightlights despite the quirk suppressants.
Joker slowly sat in his bed as Tsukauchi made note of it.
What followed was like watching a cat warily eye its own reflection: Joker froze, unblinking as the glow of his own irises settled in the other side of the room. It stayed that way for a minute or so, as if the air had stalled just to witness the phenomenon.
Then carefully, he held one hand out in front of his right eye, the shadow of it appearing before him. He titled his head as if curiously examining it.
He put his hand down, loosely wrapping his arms around his knees, and looked around the room.
Tsukauchi flinched when the lanterns landed on the camera. Even if he couldn't be seen, he held his breath as golden discs peered into his soul.
Looking away, Joker shook his head "They really don't want to leave me alone, huh?" he whispered to himself, lacking the usual sharpness and smiles.
Joker sighed after a moment, looking up to the ceiling as if searching for something "Can you guys hear me?"
Who was he talking to? He didn't know Tsukauchi was watching him, did he? Or was he trying to talk to Mona? No, if he was he wouldn't have addressed either of them as plural.
Regardless of who he'd called for, Joker had been greeted with silence.
"At least you're all okay" he said anyway, voice low as if to not wake up the ghosts in the room "I was scared the cuffs would do something to you. I guess you all just… got pushed away deeper than I can reach".
He blinked, it's pace marked by the glow's presence "There's still noise in the space you left though. It feels like TV static, it doesn't feel right."
Tsukauchi made notes as he spoke, slight guilt prodding at him as he realized he probably wasn't meant to hear any of this.
"But at least you're all okay." He said again." That's what matters" A pause, and an intake of breath. Tsukauchi couldn't see it, but Joker gave the empty space a small, tired smile "You wouldn't have made these nightlights if you weren't, yeah? They're nice, thank you."
The grip on Tsukauchi's pen faltered as he added The eye glow isn't voluntary to his notes.
He focused back to the screen. Joker's eyes were on the wall in front of him, with his hands rising together until their shadows blended with the light, revealing the shape of the bird.
"See? Now Yatagarasu's here too" one of Joker's creatures, he assumed. He wasn't able to write down the name, the camera static made it hard to listen correctly.
"Or maybe…" the shadow shifted until it had the shape of a dog's head "Cerberus. Not exactly the most accurate, but it works, right?".
Another change, two circles on top of the other and two lines at their sides. A snowman? "This could be Black Frost. Missing the hat and legs, though" Joker splayed out his hands and put his thumbs together, forming a butterfly "Now, who could this be…?" he stared at his own creation, lightly flapping the 'wings' "Titania with bigger wings? Or is Arsene without the hat better? It looks kind of like a butterfly, so… " he trailed off.
The shadow slowed, Joker's hands sinking to the edge of the discs "... Lavenza."
His hands dropped to his sides, blinking a few times "... She's still there, isn't she? With everything going on with Mementos? I…" he leaned back "...I hope she's okay. With any luck, she and Igor are hiding in the Velvet Room so they don't have to deal with that mess… "
Tsukauchi's left hand hovered over his phone. Those were one too many new terms dropped in one go for his taste.
And yet, he hesitated as the boy continued "I wonder what the others would say if they found me like this" he let out a low chuckle "They'd probably think I'm an idiot, getting arrested a fourth time. You'd think I'd have learnt by now…"
The detective stilled at the word fourth.
"I miss it, seeing them. Those days we just spent at the hideout, not really doing anything while we waited for everyone to get there… I can't wait to do that again" the lanterns kept flickering "Granted- granted everything else is taken care of, haha…" Joker pulled his knees closer to his chest, his voice slowly getting shakier "Can't do that in the middle of the apocalypse, can we?"
Silence followed. The lanterns turned blurrier with each blink.
Joker brought a hand to his eyes as if to wipe something from them. It wasn't hard to guess what, based on how he curled into himself and tucked his head between his knees.
"I want to go home" he said in a broken, staticky breathless whisper.
Guilt gnawed at Tsukauchi as he made his final notes and picked up the phone.
He didn't tear his eyes from the screen as he dialed Aizawa.