5221/Smile!: Method of Madness

Smile!: Method of Madness
Date of Scene:	22 August 2018
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Joker and Harley talk movies and plans.
Cast of Characters:	Joker, Harley Quinn

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Joker has posed:
The building is either the lair of a madman, or the warehouse for a carnival, and the owner can't be bothered to box anything up in any manner of organization. Objects are everywhere: tents, props, sections of walls of a haunted house. There's a method to it, but that method might be madness.

    In the far back, there are four carousel animals lined up. Two of them create a bench (an ostrich and a giraffe), and then there's a horse and a lion. The lion in particular is in disrepair, covered in bullet holes and electric neon paint. The others are in good shape. They're positioned in front of a huge rich red drape, a popcorn machine, and some long tables full of weapons. There's at least one rocket launcher present, even if there's no ammo nearby of that type. A few bins populate the zones near it, as well as costumes: flung masks, and so forth.

    Joker climbs the horse, to try to get a better angle for his remote on the machine that's casting light onto the big red sheet via projector. He jams on the remote, then frowns, and inspects it, yanking the back open to rearrange the batteries.

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Whatcha doin' Mistah J?" The voice chimes brightly, and the harlequin it belongs to is weaving between the props and instruments of madness strewn all over. She is wearing a jester costume of sorts. A black and red tunic, and black leggings beneath. Her pale hair is in pigtails, one dipped red, the other black. And a black domino mask over white paint. Blue eyes are glazed, seemingly vacant at the moment, beyond her inquiry, and the actions of the one holding the remote. She purses her black painted pout and cock her head. "Need some bettah batteries?"

Joker has posed:
"ALL of life is a hunt for better batteries," Joker replies with a grand spread of both hands as if demonstrating the whole of not just the projector, but the warehouse, or of the grandness of life. "What MOVES you," Joker continues, with a showman's graceful flutter of left hand, before drawing in the remote. His motion caused him to drop one of the batteries, and it makes a 'tic' noise as it hits the carousel animal and lands on the cement.

But he starts digging around in his pocket, coming up with some other options. Whether he has to extract or trade a battery out of some other toy is more the question. "A hunt to not have to get UP, but to recline in proper laziness for a good show." His bright green eyes blaze to her suddenly. "WITH popcorn." That's Jokerspeak for either 'sit down and eat it now' or 'how dare you touch my food'. Things kind of swing wildly sometimes.

Harley Quinn has posed:
Harley watches the Joker, head tilted, as he fiddles with batteries and the lack thereof. But when the command comes, she flounces over to the bench between the two carousel animals and plops down. The floofy ruffle on the bottom of her tunic bounces when she takes a seat, and Harley plucks a piece of popcorn from the popcorn bucket on the bench. The split second that the puffy corn passes her lips, she sure hopes it's fresh and not left over from some other grand charade.

Joker has posed:
A grumpy array of creepy profanity escapes Joker as he attempts a few more batteries. "...everlovin' goof juice popsicle," Joker comments, and then "AHA." There. Dead batteries get flung over his shoulder to skitter off in the murky semi-dark of that side of the warehouse. He finally climbs down off his high carousel horse to get closer to the source and the remote finally works.

He stalks back over, shedding his stripey bowtie as he walks, and flings himself down next to her, partially on her dress. He doesn't notice, just sprawls. "I guess I should let you have a vote on what to watch," Joker says, bending across her to pick up the whole popcorn container and put it on her lap for her. Or him. Or whichever. "Did I used to do that? It's been, what, years?" He doesn't remember. Still, she's familiar in a way.

Harley Quinn has posed:
Harley trails her fingers through the Joker's vibrant green hair and holds the popcorn on her lap along with part of his sprawled form. "Been awhile Mistah J, but it's whatevah you wannit to be." She smiles, seemingly at least a little at peace, for the first time in what seems like forever.

"I watched cartoons alllll mornin', so I'll watch anythin' you wanna watch. You wanna watch Tombstone again? We could watch Tombstone again. Or somethin' with a lotta crazy shit in it. I know you like that stuff."

Joker has posed:
The popcorn's fresh enough to be warm. Someone recently brought it or made it. The butter is... buttery.

"You suggesting I'm crazy shit?" Joker says, in a low, dangerous tone, though he didn't react to her touching his hair at all, as if he weren't aware of it. He is. He starts scrolling the Netflix items being displayed on the red-tinted projector spot way faster than anyone could actually read or pick anything at all. It's more a roulette game than actually taking much in of any of it.

The roulette stops. Fight Club. "Absofuckinglutely," Joker declares. He won that round decently. He kicks one shoe off, then inches the toes of striped socked feet into the back of the other to flip it off sideways, and relaxes, letting his head drop back against the bench, eyes closed for a long moment. The sigh is comically loud and big.

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Not at all!" Harley replies hastily. "Just know ya like movies with crazy stuff in 'em!" She smiles brightly, backpedaling desperately. But rather than defend herself further, she watches the screen, eyes wide, glancing down occasionally at her hard-won prize as it relaxes. Her fingers continue to play through his hair despite the lack of reaction. Maybe it's more for her own benefit than his. A reminder of something comfortable, perhaps. Something normal.

Joker has posed:
"S'all right," Joker says, in his most top generous voice. "You're crazy shit, takes one to know one." He opens one eye partially at her, a narrowed analysis as she puts her hands on his head, but deems it fine. Which probably only encourages her; if he hated it he'd have put a stop to it really quickly, possibly with some force. "Did my haircut myself." Which may explain a few things about it.

"Killin' time til they get my new lab set up," Joker says finally, talking over the start of the movie, of course. "The /mood/ inside it better be cheery this time when I visit."

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Wasn't it cheery the last time ya visited?" Harley asks, her voice vacantly adoring, almost vapid. "You'd think they'd be happy to be workin' for a guy with yer kinda charisma and prestige." From the earnestness in her tone, it seems she truly believes it. "They're lucky to get ta work for somebody such as you."

Joker has posed:
"/No/, it was /not/," Joker says with sudden venom. "I had to bring the cheer with me. Shouldn't always be up to ME, they should ...evoke it naturally when they're preppin' a lab full of laughter and cheer and death." Of course. And her yes-Joker attitude is not going unnoticed. He favors her with draping an arm around her, pale hand loose at the far side on her bare upper arm. Some people might find that creepy, like an albino spider on their skin. She might think otherwise; after all, this is Such favor!

"I point out how lucky they are. I cut it into one of them with a knife. He smiled after that, though," Joker grins.

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Ohhh..." A slow smile tugs as her black lips, and it blooms with a hint of the same menace the Joker exudes. She giggles madly and cuddles into his loose quasi-embrace. "Bet they'll remember that next time. Mebbe I could check in on 'em for ya sometimes. I bet I could make 'em smile." She grins down at him. "Or else!"

Joker has posed:
Teeth bare in one of his extremely iconic Joker grins. It has a maniacal height that no doubt was missing from Harley's life recently. Not to worry, here it is, inches from her face. He laughs, sudden and jarring. "I'll watch the hell out of that crazy shit," Joker promises her, hand tightening on her arm, as she's drawn in a little overly tightly. It's a hug and it isn't. He lapses out of it though, as the popcorn spills into his lap. He caused it, but. He looks at the popcorn, then at her. He plucks a piece off his thigh and offers to feed it to her.

"They're just /tense/, because there's Smilex in there," Joker confides quietly, a whisper. "SOOOOOO much of it. Unhealthy, insane amounts." His green eyes glitter.

Harley Quinn has posed:
Harley takes the piece of popcorn offered by the Joker. Her expression is cautious, but she is bent on enjoying this. If there is one thing Harley doesn't do well, it's "alone." She chews the popcorn and gives an excited little "OooOOooh...would you say that there is...a plethora...of Smilex?" she asks with a silly grin. Her eyes betray a hint of fear, but she carefully picks up the spilled popcorn, and then plucks a pristine piece from the bowl, and likewise offers it to her Joker.

Joker has posed:
"Not yet," Joker says, with a huffy breath. "There will be. There /will/ be. Now watch the movie," Joker suddenly pivots verbally, accepting the pristine piece and eating it amid the large smile that features strongly on his face. His arm still remains over her, and she'll feel his lean build relax; suggestive that he'll be reasonable for a little while.

He turns his attention to the movie itself for now. Mostly since it came to a violent part. And he's all for that.