1926/Gotham Calling

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Gotham Calling
Date of Scene: 01 June 2020
Location: Sunny Rose Antiques <Closed>
Synopsis: Batgirl comes calling to find out if Harley is as legit as people say. Jury still out.
Cast of Characters: Barbara Gordon, Harley Quinn




Barbara Gordon has posed:
What is a usual night like for one Harleen Quinzel these days.

Barbara could have answered the question easier when Harley was off in Gotham with the Joker but since she was sprung under really questionable circumstances involving Wonder Woman and ... Waller... well it is really all up in the damn air these days.

Still it doesn't mean Babs is one to trust really easily. Always Verify. There is some sort of saying about that right?

When Harley comes home... from whatever a usual night on the town is ... well this time the lights flicker back off in the Antique shop after they are turned on and a voice echoes through the aisles full of old antiques and product. "Good evening Harls." a pause "You've gone straight I've heard. I find it really hard to believe."

The voice is definitely familiar, after years of tussling. Serious Bat Voice, just the Girl one right.

Harley Quinn has posed:
The nights for Harley, at least these nights anyways, consists of a lot the same as in Gotham, only with decidedly less crime and murder. She goes to work, which is neither criminal nor homicidal, and comes home.. sometimes she goes partying, sometimes she stays with Power Girl in metropolis. All in all, she seems normal.. if a little outlandishly dressed. Wearing shorts that show off her tattooed thighs, a croptop that shows off her tattooed waist, and a headband like this was the eighties.

Slipping in through the antique store usually isn't how she gets home, but she rarely comes down any here... so it's kind of ironic that this is specifically the night Batgirl shows up to check on her.

Immediately alerted when the femaler of the bats speaks up, "How long ya been theah? Seriously, I aint come down heah in like four oah five months... has you been sneakin' aroun' in them aisle that long? What's b-man gonna think?"

Super cash. No threat. No concern either.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Barbara is aware of the Metropolis trips at this point. She is aware of the official legal work at Starrwares in the New York Office.

There is very little that Oracle can't extract from a variety of systems.

So yeah she was aware Harley was in New York and headed this way. What she wasn't aware of is her usual way into the apartment upstairs. Sigh.

Still fake it until you make it or something, Babs may be a bit rusty outside Gotham.

"Long enough and your habits aren't that hard to read Harley. Even if you have been throwing a lot of curve balls lately." she pauses "Also Batman is doing fine. He is happy enough you aren't in Gotham anymore so hasn't spared you much thought. I on the other hand wanted to look into the loose thread and see what happened if I gave it a bit of a tug."

Did that sound right. Eh too late it is out there.

"So you gave up crime and the Joker, really Harley?"

Harley Quinn has posed:
"So ya came ta poke me'n see if I was ready ta go back an' staht killin' people again?" Harley squints at the shadowy figure that is Batgirl standing somewhere down one of the Aisles. She doesn't try to follow the mirage of movement, long ago having given that up. Instead she stands with her hands on her hips with the right jut out just so...

"Well tug away toots, I aint got nothin' ta hide. I been cleah'd of wrong doin', ya seen't, an I aint done shit since I left Gotham.. maybe ya should do tha' too, hmm? Look't me? Holdin' down a real job, wit a real, wit a 401K an e'erything.. I aint even grab't my mallet in two months!"

Hands up from her hips, "But they was Bratva... they deserve't it, okay? An' dont be a hypocrite sayin' ya aint nevah beat up a russian, I know who you ah'."

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Silence from the darkness of the aisles, which well yes Harley is use to the phantoms of movement and honestly her approach is probably the best, until the voice breaks the silence to respond once more. "I'm aware of your run in with the Russian organized crime and the murder Harley. Which to be honest is ... yes miles better than all the innocents you have in your past."

There is a pause.

"Also I am sketchy on the whole cleared, we both know you did all those crimes. So unless you are actually cured of your insanity... well I am pretty sure it doesn't negate everything you did in the past. If Wonder Woman was truly convinced you had changed your ways... that is a start."

Then from another aisle still moving. "But that doesn't mean you have been making up for your misdeeds.. how have you been paying it back .. everything you did with the Joker."

"Also I have a legitimate job and a 401K, it doesn't stop me from helping make the world better as well."

Harley Quinn has posed:
"I said tha same thing, Batsy-grissle..." Harley says to one aisle, then another when Babs moves between them, following the voice as best she can without actually moving from the doorway, "I said I should be servin' out mah time, cus tha's wha I deserve... when I went back, I mean... ta Amusement Mile.." Looking down with a little ruby red frown.

"Someone moah impoahtant to me than tha Jokah evah was tol't me I can't do no good theah.. an' if weah all very honest, Arkham aint curin' shit... not a fuckin' person, nevah has, nevah will.. an' tha simple fact ya think't might is paht of the problem tha' is Gotham."

She lifts her head then, toying with one of the pigtails wrapping around her index finger. "But it ain tha same foah me as it is foah you... You can put on ya lil mask an' go kick people in tha dicks.. but if /I/ do tha? Oh she's such a bad apple, tha' one, up to no good... Oah I get anothah house call from a bat outta the attic tellin' me how I aint really change't cus I aint goin' aroun' punchin' badguys in the face..."

Her hands come up in a big shrug, "So tells me, Batgirl, wha'am I ta do heah? Hmm? I'm damned if I do an' damned if I don't, an If I got to prison, someone'll kill me... oah I can go back to the crazy house an' bein' theah will drive me even moah insane..."

Barbara Gordon has posed:
That. That is a lot of Harley speech to actually try to parse through. Thankfully Batgirl has more than a bit of experience doing that at this point.

It is a bit strange having an actual conversation with Quinzel though and not threats and fighting honestly.

"There are plenty of reformed criminals in the world helping people in attonement for what they did. You don't need to go punching people in the face just because you are strong .. .if you truly have snapped out of the deep crazy and aren't under Joker's spell anymore Harley."

She avoids the whole revolving door on Arkham. She and The B-Man disagree a lot about that place and Gotham's problems. It is why she is doing her own thing so much with the Birds after all.

"I admit... it is strange actually having a conversation with you for once. This is definitely different and new."

Batgirl is sitting on the counter with the cash register, out of arms reach looking closer at Harley no longer doing the shadow movmeents. Enough room to evade and turn it into a fight though easily.

Harley Quinn has posed:
"I been givin' peoples unlicensed therapy.. mostly supah heroes oah folks who does supah heroes activities like Lois Lane... Theahs a lot of PTSD tha goes inta wearin' them masks, ya know?" Harley points at Babs when she appears so closer by. Turning, still unstartled really, but there was a little flinch like she was expecting to be struck..

When it doesn't come, her arms lower back down to her hips from covering her face. "If ya evah need therapy, ya should't come look me up... cus I think maybe yous gots some deep seated traumatic issues bouncin' aroun' in ya noodle, toots..." Wiggling circling finger pointing at Batgirls forehead.

"An' I aint nevah said I was cure't, I said I was tryin'. It's a road, not an elevatah.. Shit takes time... but I'm doin' bettah. Now convince me I shouldn't call the police on ya foah breakin' an' enterin'?" Big ol grin, smartphone in hand. "Man, imagine me ovah heah, havin' tha uppah hand on one'of tha bat kids in a circumstances of morality and legality... This feels pretty swell."

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Harley hasn't done anything to get punched. She was sprung by a shady federal agency and Arkham won't take her back unless she does something that deserves it. So no punching tonight.

"That explains the time spent with various capes." Batgirl notes thoughtfully. It isn't like she bugged them, or Harley, yet. She has been thinking about jacking her phone over completely though to be honest.

"I'm self actualized enough to realize I have a serious hangup about bringing your former boyfriend to justice Harley. As for why I help people and fight criminals in Gotham... more complicated."

"Also I wouldn't be here when they showed up. Also the cops, even NYC Cops, would probably be glad that one of the Bats was keeping tabs on you Harley." she shrugs a bit "That suspicion and weight of your past is going to sit on your head .. probably unless you save the city or the world sometime. So no I am not afraid of you calling the cops."

Pause.

"Even if I hadn't disabled your phone earlier before we had this talk so you couldn't record me.."

"So .. unlicensed shrink to capes and others trying to honestly help them?" pause "Really?"

Harley Quinn has posed:
Harley glances at her phone when Babs indicates she'd disabled it, "You bettah not have mess't up my game of candy crush oah Imma be real cross wit'chu..." That's what she's worried about. She even sounds a little distraught over it, but there's nothing to be done now except put it away. Not like she'd have actually called the police right?

"Yeah, ya crazy, tha's why.. but keep callin' it whatevah ya want. I aint gonna judge." As to why Babs fights crime in a mask in Gotham.

"Look't, I already went an' talk't wit B-Man.. an' he moah oah less gave me a hug, okay? He didn't /actually/ hug me, but he did in spirit.. wit his words.. they was kind an' emotional, I got a little weepy ovah it." Hand to her heart, promise. Super dramatic and extra.

"An' OFCOUSE to actually help'em... an' basically foah free too.. as cheap as any therapy they is likely ta get from someone who graduated top of theah class at 20 is likely ta chahge... An' I got frien's, one of'ems a Titan, even. An' I'm datin' POWAH GIRL.. do ya think I could do tha' an be moonlightin' as a villain? Really?"

Big shrug, "I unno what ya want me ta say to ya, ya mind was made up about me befoah ya evah got heah."

Barbara Gordon has posed:
"I didn't wipe your phone or mess with your Candy Crush." pause "I could though." wait was that actually humor from a bat...

"Right though... not crazy just have some baggage. Also I sincerely doubt that Batman hugged you with his words or his spirits. Trust me. I know Batman. He isn't a hugger in any dimension."

"As for moonlighting as a villain, no probably not. Good for you getting a healthier relationship.... and no my mind wasn't made up Harley. I needed to come see it for myself though not hear it second hand or through lenses... I wanted to hear you talk about it." she considers. "Good talk. I actually hope you manage to make this work and mean it Harley. I do. I don't think the Joker can change but I don't see why you can't."

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Well don't." Harley says of her candy crush game, "Since I got a debit cahd, I been spend' tons of dollahs on them powahups, so don't fuck up my shit, Batgirl..." Warning, accusatory finger pointed at the vigilante bathed in black. "Oah we's gonna have wohds."

Humor from harley is basically expected.

"HE DID!" Hands out, up, exasperated! "He said, Ha'lee I'm so proud of you foah doin' tha right thing an' make'n bettah of yaself.. I hope tha' one day I can come ta look't you as family, tha daughtah I always want't... except foah Batgirl, who I had.. yer his kid right?" Genuine curiosity.

"I assume all of y'all ah, why the hell else would ya do everythin' he tells ya to.." That's the /real/ question!

"I'm doin' juussss fine, so longs I stay the fuck outta Gotham.. I was havin some confusion mental stuff happenin' when I was at Amusement Mile... it was scary an' I don't think I'm ready ta evah come back."

Barbara Gordon has posed:
"I really doubt Batman said any of that Harley." she sounds amused though, because yes Batgirl at least has a sense of humor and all even if Batman definitively does not have one. Not in the least. "Especially the last part."

There is zero confirmation or conversation about why her and the batlings follow Batman there thoughas she moves on.

"The part about staying out of Gotham and far from the Joker and Arkham makes a lot of sense though, and probably for your beast if you do stay out. That isn't a threat but ... I think we can both agree no one wants you to have a relapse or anything when you seem to honestly be making good progress out here."

She taps a wrist unit, delivering a payload to your phone. "A friend put an app on your phone. If you really are helping capes with their problems and you want to try to make up for your past.. well... we may have some opportunties for you that won't end with you back in Arkham or on anyones shit list."

Harley Quinn has posed:
"He said it, Batgirl.. I know'ts hahd to undahstand tha relationship between me'n bats, but it's true.." Harley adopts a totally adult, totally understanding and even empathic tone, "ovah the years we been close'ah than anyone realized, ya see? Fathah an' daughtah... he dropt me off at mah senior prom." Real proud about this made up element of her past.

The not even subtle dodge is noted.

"Yeah, tha's why I said so! I aint goin back theah until I know I'm good an' ready." Definitively, totally cool with being seperate from Gotham for the foreseeable future. Heck, what good has it ever done for her, really?

"Ya mean like a Ha'lee signal? Can ya put it on a big spotlight instead of mah phone? I always want't ta see my name in lights..."

Barbara Gordon has posed:
"Not even remotely likely." there is a note of amusement but finality there.

Is she talking about believing the spool about Batman.

Is she talking about putting a Harley Signal on the top of a building.

Honestly it probably applies to all of the above and who knows what else right.

"We will be in touch, if you want to help you can answer when we reach out. Tell Powergirl hi for me."

The lights flicker out plunging the whole antique shop into darkness.

Like clockwork when they flicker back on Batgirl is gone.

On Harley's phone though is an odd new app, the icon looks like a Green Androgynous face. The name of the app is Oracle. There doesn't seem to be any specific functionality other than the ability to recieve and send messages though.

Harley Quinn has posed:
Harley doesn't expect to find Batgirl when the lights come back on, but she still jumps around the corner of the register counter with her hands up and knees bent, "GOTC- oh.. yer gone.." Turning a small circle, checking all the windows, looking up at the ceiling. "one day, Imma figgah out wheah ya go.. oah how ya sneak in every place an' install trapdoahs... It aint fair, ya know tha' right?!"

Both fists in the air

"As Jewish God is my witness, I'll figgah out ya secrets!"

Now that she's been dramatic and extra, she checks her phone. Squinting at the androgynous face... once activated she sends off a text:

(==3 sploosh.

Then heads upstairs to fix some ramon noodles and watch Air Bud!