12099/Holes

Holes
Date of Scene:	31 August 2020
Location:	South Hinkley, Old Gotham
Synopsis:	Duela and June bump into each other.
Cast of Characters:	Harlequin (Dent), June Connor

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Harlequin (Dent) has posed:
Back-alley Gotham is positively swallowed by the grimy darkness of each and evey sinister night. It's here that the dark and lovely creatures of Gotham slip freely from shadow to shadow. Or sometimes, if they're brave or stupid, they create their own light.

In this particular dark alley, a creature slight of form hunches over an mass on the ground, holding out a lighter above it. The lifeless eyes of a man in his late twenties stare obliviously past the flame and into the black void beyond. The form with the lighter sighs and lightly touches the face of the fallen with a gloved hand. Her outline is nothing more than a silhouette: human, in a top hat.

June Connor has posed:
    Her hair's been restyled. Again. For a ninja, June rarely looks discreet. Her hair is sticking out in a fax hawk, shaved on the sides. Between the spikes of platinum blonde and fire-engine red, it looks like she has a torch on her scalp more than it looks like hair.

    A tight black crop top with Muse's brand slapped on it covers her chest, the hint of her dragon tattoo winding on ther exposed abs, and a pair of shredded jean shorts on her lower half, a pouched belt hanging cock-eyed from her hip as her converse sneakers tread through the alley. Why? Well, this is the shortest route, and anyone who wants to lecture her about the dangers of the alleys can suck it. She will do whatever she likes.
    A blunt hangs from her teeth, something her fellow teammates would certainly not agree with, but hey, she was feeling on edge, needed something to cut the tension. It's as good a thing as any. She spots the form over the young man, and arches a single pierced brow. See June, this is why you should listen to people when they tell you not to take short cuts. Then you have to deal with more crime when you aren't 'on duty'. She comes to a stop about ten feet away, and then just places her hands on her hips, waiting to see if the figure notices her. It doesn't look like she's trying to hide, though.

Harlequin (Dent) has posed:
The figure doesn't look up immediately. Instead, she says something softly to the lifeless face before her. And then, in a redirected and rather innocent voice, she asks more loudly, "Do young men burn?" She lifts her face in the direction of her quiet observer. The face is distinctly feminine, painted a pale white with a perfect pair of bow lips, somehow stretched into a disturbing smile. But the eyes, illuminated green by firelight, are wide and solemn. "I'm cold..."

June Connor has posed:
    June narrows her eyes, purple with eye shadow. "That a literal question, or some metaphorical bullshit?" she asks. She doesn't move from her position or stance. She notices the painted face. "Yeah, I'm gonna wish I didn't ask that I think." She lets out a sigh.

Harlequin (Dent) has posed:
"He feels warm. But there are holes," the young woman observes. "Maybe his warmth will make the fire hotter, y'think?" She turns her face back toward the man on the ground, and she repositions the lighter into her other hand, relighting it before lowering the flame to his sleeve. Gunshot wounds are obvious on his chest, and his white tee is soaked down the front with blood. "You can warm up, too. I'm not a monster."

June Connor has posed:
    "Yeah, I tell myself that, too. Doesn't make me less delusional," June answers. She sees the lighter move to his sleeve, and her left hand shifts, sliding a kunai from the inside of her shorts waistband. The hand flings the small blade forward, it's tassle keeping its trajectory straight as she aims for the lighter. "Destroying evidence isn't somethin' I'm gonna allow, bitch," she says. "Cops in this city may suck bad enough not to be able to figure out a crime scene, but that doesn't mean it's okay to go fucking with it. So back your shit off the body."

Harlequin (Dent) has posed:
The young woman doesn't flinch as the lighter is knocked from her hand by a flying knife. She simply looks at her fingertip, now slit and bleeding, then back to the ninja, rising to her full height and facing the torch-headed woman. "I wasn't gonna fuck with it, I was just going to burn it a little. There are holes, you see. A man opened up the holes in this man, and when this man saw them, he knew he was dead before he was dead. And now I'm cold." She holds up her bleeding fingertip to show the ninja, her voice altering as if changing the subject completely. "You cut me."

June Connor has posed:
    "Uh...huh." June's response looks...a little confused. "So, yeah," she says, "You're a couple fries short of a happy meal, aren't ya?" she distinctly places a finger on her forehead. "So like... you have any family you live with or anything?" she asks. "Or got like some meds or somethin'? Cuz yeah, normal people don't light corpses on fire if they didn't kill them."

Harlequin (Dent) has posed:
Duela looks back down at the corpse for a brief moment. "I didn't make the holes. They were always there, just waiting. And that man, he opened them up and showed them to Jase. And when Jase saw them, he knew he was dead." She lifts her gaze again to the ninja and shakes her head. "My father and I have a fantastic relationship. Just don't tell him about it, okay Miss? And then there's God. God is also my father. And God says these guys don't deserve their holes, but 'sometimes bad shit happens to good kids.'" This last is spoken in a deeper and impersonating voice that instantly returns to normal. "So if they don't have holes to do someone else some good, why does the shit happen?"

June Connor has posed:
    "You are gettin' way too fuckin' weird for me, girl," June says, "Kinda freakin' me out, I'm not gonna lie. How about this. You can talk to God and ask him, cuz hell if I know." She moves the finger around on her forehead, as if fighting a headache. "Okay, so, shit happens, yeah, and there's nice guys in blue suits that help stopping more bad shit. I'm just gonna call them real quick, sound like a plan?" she asks. She pulls her phone from one of the pouches on the belt, and begins dialing in the discovery.

Harlequin (Dent) has posed:
Duela nods, at last stepping into a shaft of light. She looks like she escaped from a Steampunk Convention: Leather corset, violet stockings and a violet velvet tophat, bespectacled with green lenses along the hatband. Her green hair is cropped into a chin-length bob, and her white, painted skin extends to her bare arms and shoulders. Violet satin gloves complete the ensemble.

"If you're gonna call them, can you ask if they can bring some food? I haven't had much in awhile." At least she hadn't resorted to using the young man for more than heat. Yet. "And maybe a blanket."

June Connor has posed:
    The phone comes up to June's ear. "Yeah, I'll do that," June says, a slight curl on her lip as she examines Duela's appearance. "Yeah, need the boys in blue, got a dead body to report." She is transferred, and the dispatch comes on the line. "Yeah, over here in Hinkley," she says, "Alley just down from...whatever the fuck this street is. The one near Noonan's Bar. Got a guy shot up here, mid twenties maybe. And got a girl here who... uh, she needs a blanket. And wants to know if you can bring her food." There is a silence for a moment. "Because she is hungry," June says, "And she is dressed like some cosplay chick, and this is fuckin' Gotham. Gonna let you put that together for a second, see if you catch me." She rolls her eyes. Does she really have to spell this out? "I said...she is dressed up like a cosplayer, and she needs a blanket so she doesn't have to light the corpse on fire for warmth. You know, like everyone would do." She could paint a house with the sarcasm, glancing to and away from Duela as she talks. "Yeah, my name is Cara Thomas. I'm the one with the blonde and red hair that looks like an asshole. She's..." June pauses, "What's your name?" she asks, turning her attention back to Duela.

Harlequin (Dent) has posed:
"Duela!" the girl offers brightly. "If they could bring a corndog or something, I'm not picky. I like anything. I had some nachos but the maggots needed them more than I did, so I just kept them safe in the box while they ate," she adds, matter-of-factly. "I named them all Alouicious, because I couldn't tell them apart." Her eyes are shining with the thought of food. "Or some nachos, I mean if they want to bring that. Or pizza." Her stomach growls loudly as she contemplates the possibilities. "But the blanket is for Jase. He's getting cold."

June Connor has posed:
    "Yeah, hear that? Corndog or pizza or nachos," June says. "Yeah, she's really hungry. And she says the blanket is for Jase. I think that's the dead guy. Yeah, I don't know if that's his real name, just get a fuckin' car down here already. Damn, ask this shit when you get someone here, okay? No, there's nobody shootin' right now. No, I didn't hear nobody shoot."

    June closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Okay, yeah, just...okay." She hangs up the phone without so much as apolite goodbye. "And this is why this city has fallen to shit and the only crime fighting happens with people who identify as flying rodents." She pockets her phone.

    "So, they got people comin' to help. Okay?" she says.