14851/Friend or foe

Friend or foe
Date of Scene:	25 March 2023
Location:	Interior - Wayne Manor
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Batman, Poison Ivy

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Batman has posed:
The strangeness of getting a call from Ivy was weird enough, wanting to meet to chat weirder still. But despite his reservations and

Batman has posed:
misgivings for her he agreed. As much as he was loathed to admit it she is close to his girls so he should at least attempt an olive branch. So he allowed the meet now he awaits her hoping he hasn't been duped into a trap.

Poison Ivy has posed:
Ivy's not one to play about, or disguise herself unless it's with purpose. Infiltrating a company, furthering some scheme. She's disguised herself before for such purposes. Not this time. She strides to the appointed meeting place in full green-skinned, vine-and-leaf wearing terrible glory. Eyes are sharp, alert, sweeping around the surroundings. As much as the Batman is wary of a trap, Ivy's equally concerned. The meeting at Wayne manor is... strange. But Wayne supports the police, the police support Batman, and a manor house /is/ removed from Ivy being able to take hostages. She heaves out a sigh, voice calling out, "Okay, I'm here. You're here. Somewhere. I'm assuming Harley's not because I don't hear her giggling uncontrollably. So we can talk."

Batman has posed:
Bruce Wayne steps out of a shadow in full black and gray glory bat emblem upon his chest and cape billowing behind him. "Of course Harls isn't here. As I said I don't trust you and given what she's told me about what you've done to her I have good reason, whether she likes it or not." He says in a gruff gravelly batman tone. "Anyway, you wanted to meet, and talk let's chat, what's on your mind?"

Poison Ivy has posed:
Poison Ivy finds herself glad she didn't bring a beverage, or she'd be doing a spit take like some kind of terrible 90s sitcom and she'd never live it down. As it is she has to choke back laughter, that particular 'I'm laughing because otherwise I'll scream' sort of laughter, her eyes flaring as she practically shouts "What? Giving her an antidote to my poison so I could touch her without worrying she'd die? Keeping her safe from that chalk-faced lunatic who only saw her as a tool and a trophy? You know, he wasn't very happy I helped her either. What makes your handling of her better? Because she's promised not to commit crimes in your city? Because she's looking for stability and comfort and you've decided that means... what, being your pet? What do you think I did to her other than give her the confidence to realize she can be her own person?!"

Batman has posed:
Bruce Wayne laughs and takes a step forward. "You treated her as a guinnea pig for something experimental that you didn't know if it would or wouldn't work." He shrugs. "You gave her confidence, no no you made her reliant upon you." Batman shakes his head again. "And all the other stuff, the chalk faced lunatic was already handled by me. You didn't save her Ivy, you can't save her." He steps away for a moment. "And truthfully you don't need to touch her or influence her any more. Just because she promised not to commit crimes here, no but do you think I don't keep a close eye on things? That if she tries to commit a crime elsewhere I won't be there to stop it, come on you know me better than that. The point is part of being her own person and better is to get out of crime and experimental drugs." He shrugs. "And if you truly care about her you'd see that, and see why what you did was a bad thing."

Poison Ivy has posed:
Ivy sneers, lips curling, eyes rolling. "Oh please. Some Batman. Some dark defender of Gotham. You're not defending anything. You're just another ridiculous, self-important broken, sad little man, lashing out at anything that he can't control because the idea of a woman making her own choices and _not choosing him_ is the most terrifying thing that he could possibly comprehend. Do you think I just stirred a bunch of gardening supplies up in a test tube and dumped it over her head? Do you think I didn't do research? Tests? Did you forget I'm a _goddamned brilliant chemist_ you short-sighted fool? Do you think I'm here, that I called, because she _didn't want to see me_? She visited my greenhouse, you buffoon. She cares about me just as much as I've always cared about her. And here you are, chumming around with Gotham's most eligible and useless billionaire. Every year the people who have nothing somehow wind up with less, and it gives you another reason to show up and use your goddamned rocket car, and your ridiculous _airplane_ to cripple and concuss the people who are forced to live outside the law in an effort just to live. You know, I thought you were something more. I thought you were a symbol. You're no symbol, you're no inspiration. You're a broken man who desperately wants to control everything around him. And one day you're going to get bored of Harley. Like the Joker did. And you'll tell yourself it's Harley's fault. That you tried to fix her and she didn't want to be fixed. And then you'll build a goddamn bat-shaped robot or something and punch a longshoreman through a plate glass window and tell yourself you've _really_ made a difference. Go ahead. Tell Harley you /forbid her/ from seeing me. Do you want me to call you when she slips away to see me again because she knows I care about her unconditionally?"

Batman has posed:
It's Bruce's turn to laugh now and it's a truly terrifying sound a booming thing but terrifying because it never happens. "That's what you tell yourself is it?" He asks. "How you justify using Harley for your own ends." He shakes his head. "Take a walk with me let me show you something." He leads her to the gardens and green houses where fresh fruits and veggies can and are grown. "All of this, every last bit of it is taken to the homeless and less fortunate." He turns glaring at Ivy. "I'll never get tired of Harley I love her truly and unconditionally. That's why I want your influence away from here, if you didn't want her to still act outside the law things would be different." He looks back to Ivy. "The massive amounts of money donated to the orphanages, hospitals, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, hell even employment opportunities, and clothes to help the poor and underprivileged do better, but no were just keeping them down not trying to help them in the least? Right?" He snarls. "You think you've got me all figured out? You don't, not in the least. You care for Harley, you want what's best for her? Then let her turn over a new leaf. Let her be better than what she was, let her have the happiness she's found here with me." He growls out. "It's not a matter of her not being her own person because even under your influence she's not. The facts are the facts here, either respect what she's trying to do, and don't try and get her to commit Crimes, Let me help you turn over a new leaf yourself, or stay away if you can't do the first two. We have a good thing going you need to respect that, and if you don't it proves you don't love her."

Poison Ivy has posed:
Ivy quirks a single, icy eyebrow. That laugh doesn't phase her, not as they walk into the garden and the plants quiver, sway, rustled by a breeze that doesn't exist. But it seems to lessen that heated rage in her eyes. She snorts softly, "Yes. Can you imagine if people went outside the law? Why, imagine if some self-appointed vigilante raised an army of equally costumed extralegal operatives to roam the city and strike fear into people's hearts to keep them in line. It would be just /terrible/."

"I don't want her to act outside the law. I want her to act _how she wants_. I want her to be free. To not be shackled to the clown and his insanity, or you and your rivalry with him." She snorts and rolls her eyes, "Oh, so the ones that slip through the cracks. The ones that _don't_ get Wayne's handoffs, you beating them stupid because Riddler or the goddamn Condiment King offer them enough money to pay their kids' medical bills are what, the price of doing business? And oh yes, such a good thing, ignoring the fact that, again, _she_ came to see _me_, you costumed prick. You know, at least Doctor Freeze is polite enough to keep _his_ blonde under glass in suspended animation so she doesn't have to perform as the bird in a cage she is. Harley's not choosing a new life. You're choosing it for her. You're exploiting that same broken, tragic codependence the Joker did. The only difference is your choice of suit has a better color scheme than purple and green." Ivy stalks towards the walls of the manor yard, tree branches bending and twisting, forming a spiraling staircase for her to ascend from the grounds as she calls over her shoulder. "Tell yourself you're helping her when she says she wants to see me and you forbid it. Tell yourself you're giving her freedom when she's not allowed to /consider/ how to live her life. And trust me, if we never cross paths again, I'll be more than content. But don't think I'm going to let your threats stop me from doing what the planet needs done to stave off the death of everything from humanity's corruption. Convince your billionaire friend to invest in even more windfarms if you want. One day you're all going to realize I was being reasonable. And that I was right about the Earth being poisoned." And she springs from the branches over the outer wall of the manor.

Presumably she's got an Uber waiting down the hill or something. Or she's just going to do one of those angry walks where you keep going until the anger fades or your legs lock up. Or she's going to have a tree walk her home. She's got options.

Batman has posed:
Bruce Wayne shakes his head with a sigh. "You're not listening, I didn't force this change on her. I am helping her just come back here and listen for a second, let us both put our passion and love for her aside and discuss this in a logical and scientific manner shall we?" He calls to her. "I'd rather this not be a you or I situation I'd rather her be able to have both." He says with a sigh putting up his hands. "I promise no aggression, no anger just a real discussion

Poison Ivy has posed:
Ivy's voice calls out from a distance, still raw, though less fiery and angry. Maybe a little more emotionally raw than righteously furious. Like her frustrations with humanity and capitalism have faded and all that remains are her concerns for her friend. "I'll call that number again. Maybe. Maybe." And then she's gone. Really, all in all, for a first meeting it went pretty well.

Batman has posed:
    "I wouldn't forbid her from seeing you, or anyone. I give my opinion my recommendation she does as she pleases." He says honestly. "I want her to be happy, and she's been happier here, getting back into her psychiatric practice and helping others than she has been in years." Sighing again. "I'm just concerned for her and what falling back into that life would do to her. You know as well as I how broken she is. We both want to help her heal, why not work together on that?" Batman asks. "If you're willing I may...even let you in on a secret of my own and future plans that may help your cause."