7342/Not My Kind Of Party

Not My Kind Of Party
Date of Scene:	27 April 2019
Location:	Gotham City - outside the Iceberg Lounge
Synopsis:	After Harley's "Escape From Arkham" party, Catwoman waits to offer a few words. Takes place directly after Log 7250, "Great Big Gotham City: Baby's on Fire."
Cast of Characters:	Harley Quinn, Catwoman

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Harley Quinn has posed:
Harley's been at this party all night. A bit of fun, some dancing with The Joker, and he basically proposed to her in front of tons of thugs and miscreants. Of course, nothing lewd happened, but she did get to point at some random stranger to have him killed. That was fun, but Joker eventually had to attend some other business leaving Harley Quinn enamored with her Mistah J but also disappointed. He's always leaving her when she's so primed to keep him close. Dangerously close.

Then there's no longer a reason for her to stick around so she grabs up the meals she had a chef make for her pups and decides to head away to give them out as treats. They are in the back alley allowed to rummage on their own, but now Harley's going out there to toss them food. A few steaks and some random sides that got added. They are big hyenas, they'll eat anything.

So, there Harley hops up on a trash dumpster, it's lid down, wiggling her red and black alternating legs, the babydoll styled minidress also alternating sides with red and black and her diamond shaped logos alternating on each part of the chest support. Though her shoulders are mostly free and so are her arms, she's got on makeup like usual, but with her hair black and red dyed, along with a detailed out black diamond set on her left cheek. She smiles as she watches Bud and Lou lightly fight over food.

Catwoman has posed:
"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to be in there all night," comes a voice from the shadowy areas, a couple stories up. Focus puts it along a fire escape, remaining above the area the hyenas have been left.

The owner of that voice? None other than Catwoman. Why is she here? What is she up to? All that and more, no doubt soon to be revealed, but at her own discretion.

The costumed catburglar adds, "I heard you got out of Arkham, again."

Harley Quinn has posed:
The voice comes out, and Harley almost faux startles. There aren't a lot of things she's actually afraid of, but she can still be surprised by a sneaky Catwoman, "You gotta not sneak up on a woman alone in an alley like that, you gave me the heebie jeebies. Fer a moment I thought something nefarious was about to happen to me." A quick pause as she cants her head, "Now I'm feelin' a bit disappointed it ain't." Hopping up onto the top of the dumpster, she looks over to Bud and Lou, waggling a finger at them, "And you two. So busy eating you don't even warn your mommy that there's danger lurkin'? Worst guard dogs ever." And then she smiles big, "But best baby boys. You two are so cute, yes you are." As the hyenas are fighting over meat, tearing and ripping it to shreds.

More in the direction of Catwoman, Harley turns, and offers a little curtsy, "Arkham ain't so bad. At least the food is decent, an' ain't a lot of places that'll give you free electric shocks."

Catwoman has posed:
A piece of raw meat plops down from Catwoman's position, perhaps one reason the hyenas weren't too busy alerting anyone she was there. "Don't worry, it's not tainted. I might be a cat person, but I'm not going to poison 'dogs,'" she says, emphasis on the last word. "And I didn't sneak up on anyone. I was merely waiting."

She remains in place, keeping a higher perch especially with the hyenas down there, and based on the way the low light sets, a gleam off the goggles can help pinpoint her location along with pale skin framing a smile. "Disappointed? I know Joker was in there with you. Are you saying he left you..unfulfilled? And after your newfound freedom? Tsk."

Batman would never do that..would he? What /would/ he do? A distracted glance elsewhere might be the only indication something else is on Catwoman's mind, but she brings it back to Harley Quinn. "I'm a fan of staying out of Arkham. You might not mind people knowing who you are, but some of us have secrets to keep. All the same, Gotham will be less boring with you on this side of the walls again. I was wondering how long it'd be until you went back to the Joker."

Harley Quinn has posed:
The meat comes down to Bud and Lou and Lou quickly snatches it up, as Bud tries to sneak off with what remains of the cooked steak. Then Lou is in quick approach, and they start play fighting over the steak, tossing and tearing, rolling around one another, making a ruckus. Harley doesn't seem to mind it, in the least.

"Our personal lives are ours. Mistah J satisfies my heart, an' soul. The rest of me in his own time, I ain't tryin' ta pressure." Harley offers with her hands kind of clasping together as she smiles and talks about the violent and sociopathic man. "Why would I stay away from my puddin'? I know, I get upset at him sometimes fer sure so I storm off in a tantrum, but that ain't healthy. Did you wait out here for so long just to congratulate me on gettin' back together wit' the love of my life? He just told me I'm his Queen, fer reals this time. And we sat on thrones together, an' danced. I'll invite you to the wedding, when I got a date fer it."

Catwoman has posed:
Just why Catwoman had steaks in her possession, one may never know. Perhaps she spotted the hyenas there and went to get something. Whatever the case, it keeps them occupied, and quite easily at that.

"Ahh, true romance," she states, her tone bordering on allowing some sarcasm to creep in without it being blatant. "I don't think Gotham is ready for that wedding, but I'll look forward to the invitation. I'll probably bring my own snacks, though. It's not you, but I wouldn't eat anything the Joker offered me."

Finally, she vaults down from the fire escape and lands in a soft crouch, rising from it slowly, casually. "But who am I to stand in the way of love, dangerous as it can be sometimes? I'd be lying if I said I've never felt that tug toward someone."

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Yeah, we're the greatest couple Gotham's ever seen. It's like Mr and Mrs Santa Claus and all those cookies they steal. I wonder if they double date." Harley thinks on this in a more serious tone, still standing on top of the dumpster and not down where the Hyenas are, but there's plenty of space for a Catwoman here as well.

"I ain't sure why you wouldn't eat nothin', worst case it'd just give ya the laughs." And there's a small shrug of Harley's shoulders, until Catwoman starts talking about her own romantic feelings and Harley claps a bit, excitedly, "Yay. Are we gonna have one of them girl talks? We should do a sleep over, and have fun games. Like, two whips and a pair of handcuffs. Pin the tail on yer best friend. And Truth or Dare. Watchin' movies all night. You could still bring yer mask, but only if you bring yer whip too. It'd be great. And then ya could spill he beans about who this person is yer all crushin' on? Else you could tell me now, I'd keep it secret. Cross my heart, stick a thousand needles in my eye. Which ain't that bad soundin', you don't have nerves on your eye."

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman makes a face. "Congratulations. You just made me think about Mrs. Claus and a bunch of elves. I'm going to need the brain bleach after that." She has a spot for herself that's not too close to Harley or her exotic pets, maintaining a sense of aloofness fitting for a feline, or one who takes after them.

"I like to laugh on my own terms, Harley. And I don't think I'm ready to open up about my relationship problems. Besides, I don't see a couch around here," she points out, gesturing with a gloved, clawed hand. It looks like there might be some remnants of one that had been tossed out, but...no. Just, no. "The whip goes everywhere with me, yes. Even the bedroom." Talk of needles in eyes? She'll leave that alone.

Harley Quinn has posed:
"It's exactly at the point in time that you don't feel like yer ready, that you gotta start talkin'." And Harley Quinn puts out her hand, "Gimme one of yer snacks. Then yer a payin' customer and I gotta keep your secrets confidential. Its patient doctor protections." And she wiggles her fingers, smiling in the direction of the Catwoman and squinting at her like she's specifically studying the Catwoman.

And then she quirks her mouth, "It ain't Mistah J, or at least it better not be. If it is, I'll cut your skin from your body and wear it as a halloween costume doing the whole trick or treat thing, and then won't you be jealous. What with all the candy I'd get?" A pause as she offers her odd threat. "Is the person married? Part of your job? Has a cat allergy?" Throwing out different questions, and maybe having derailed the entire reason Catwoman showed up here in the first place.

Catwoman has posed:
"What, these? Catch." Catwoman tosses a bag over toward Harley and the dumpster, which contains a couple more prime, juicy, bloody steaks. "But..tempting as the offer is, I'm going to have to pass for now. This is your night, not mine. I just came to offer my congratulations," she says, deciding she's not ready to discuss /him/ with her, of all people. Not yet, at least.

The threat is met with a short laugh. Either she doesn't buy it, or she doesn't take it all that seriously. Or, the laugh could just be a way of deflecting it. "If you want into my catsuit that badly, just say so and I'll let you try one on to see how you look in it. But, all right, one little clue. I see him around from time to time when I'm working."

Harley Quinn has posed:
There's an easy motion to catch the snacks, and then she's stumbling backwards toward the back of the dumpster, "Whoa whoa whoa..." And off Harley goes to the ground, right onto her rear, and she groans, "Owwwwwiiiie." She whines but Bud and Lou are immediately upon her and she growls to them. Looking stern, "Who said you could have mommy's snacks? They were given ta me. Now sit." And it's the first time the predatorial opportunistic violent hyenas stop goofing off and being vicious. They sit, immediately and even droop there heads as if upset about something.

"Now, stay there while I count how many." She opens up the bag and looks inside, checking it to count, "Alright. Bud. Come here." And one of the hyenas whimpers and starts walking forward, as Harley fetches one of the pieces of meat, she holds it out to him, and lets him eat it from her hand, then a few pets before she does the same thing to Lou. Then she tosses the bag to the other side of the alley to watch as they run after it to tear it open, and eat the rest.

Back to Catwoman she looks up, and rubs at her backside a bit still sitting on the ground, "I ain't a catsuit kind of lady. I like showin' my true face fer all to see. Ain't no hiding here... so he's one of your work friends, since ya probably ain't got no day job. I'm thinkin' its a complicated mess wit' yer night work." And Harley hrmmmms, staring right at Catwoman, smiling lightly, and she offers, "Well, now ain't that interestin'. Someone strong enough ta be interestin' to you, but not quite... enough open fer ya maybe? Yer a cat, so it ain't no other cat yer mewin' for, but bein' wit' him maybe feels like yer in a cage? Interestin'."

Catwoman has posed:
There are four more steaks in the bag, which means Catwoman must have been lugging twice that around just to keep the hyenas occupied. She offers a brief grimace as Harley takes a tumble, raising an internal question as far as how much the Clown Princess of Crime may have had to drink inside the Iceberg Lounge. Maybe balancing atop the dumpster was just iffy. Anyhow, the beasts are soon further down the alley, and that seems fine with the Feline Fatale.

"Now, now, I said one little clue. That wasn't an agreement for a full analysis, missy." That was not necessarily coming, but already there's some psychoanalyzing taking place from the one-time psychologist. "But that is a difference between us. I work best when nobody knows I'm there. That means I'm getting in and out, no trouble, no bother. Cats don't like to be caged, it's true." She offers no further information on who she might be speaking of.

Harley Quinn has posed:
And up Harley gets from the ground, and she does a little twirl on one foot, like a ballerina and then does a hop backwards onto the dumpster, then bounces off of that. Or so it seems, more likely just a smooth jump, up to the fire escape with a leap that would not be possible for a normal human but ever since she's stayed with Ivy she's been better.

Landing on the railing she balances there, standing up slowly and putting out her arms to keep her balance, a little wobble here or there, and she hrms, now closer to Catwoman. "You jus' gave me snacks, which means I ain't gonna say nothin'. Come on? Tell yer number one gal pal." She grins big and tilts her head to the side, pretty much 90 degrees, so she's looking at Catwoman completely sideways, "It ain't gonna hurt nobody to let out your feelings. And maybe the good ol' doctor can help ya out? Coooome on, its been forever since I gotta help anybody. They're always dyin' on me."

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman has chatted off and on with Harley before, even worked on a couple things she's been involved with. It doesn't mean she's ready to trust the woman with sensitive personal information like the sort she's probing for. While she shows no concern with Harley approaching, even resting a shoulder against one of the alley's walls as she crosses her arms comfortably, she shakes her head a few times while watching the other woman showing off and putting herself in a more unique position.

"Sorry, but maybe another time. The problems I'm dealing with, they're the kind I need to figure out by myself, and you know the things we do in this city put us in a certain someone's line of sight," she explains, putting a limit on what she's willing to share for now.

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Look, I ain't sayin' you should be jus' blabberin' to everyone. But I'm a professional." Harley comments and balances on whatever she can till she gets closer to Catwoman. She smiles in her direction, "I know what you're sayin'. You want to think about it, you wanna figure it out, you think that if ya do that it'll be easier cause no one else is involved. I get it." And Harley comes down from where she's at to stand closer to Catwoman, and she holds out her arms, "You think I ain't heard what you are sayin' before? You think yer situation is unique? Well, I wanna let you know, it ain't. And the sooner you seek help, from friends... which I figure ya ain't got too many. Cause, ya dress up like a cat, and are pretty hot like that too. Not that I got any bestiality urges in me, well, not many. I got a thing fer tentacles probably, but what girl doesn't?" A pause as she's gone off on a bit of a tangent, and it's distracted her thoughts.

Shaking her head quickly, Harley rolls her eyes about while she laughs a moment, "Anywho. Without friends, all you got is us professionals. I'm sure you wanna be whatever that person is who's under that mask. Whatever you did before all this, whatever it is, that part keeps ya human. Ya think I ain't got those wants too? You think I always wanna be the person no one trusts? Why? I ain't never broke a promise, I bet you have, an' that Bats sure has. He tricks me all the time inta believin' him. Me, though? I ain't no liar, an' I got skills beyond my creative use of devices. An' I'd like ta be able to help from time ta time. Do a girl a favor?"

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman smirks, to an extent. "Don't forget, I'm a professional too. You aren't going to find anyone better at what I do than me, and I have to protect that. Keeping my secrets is less about not letting you or anyone else help, and more about limiting my chances at screwing something up and ruining all of my hard work."

Beyond that, it's true that she is a loner. Many in Gotham's underworld have partnered up from time to time, and even she has once in a while. But, it's very infrequent. More often than not, she keeps herself on the periphery of whatever plans people like the Joker, Penguin, or Two-Face have. In fact, letting Batman focus on them is better for her.

"Meeow," she teases back at the compliment offered at her appearance, and while she doesn't respond further to a little of what Harley shares about her interests, a brow slowly raises behind one of those tinted lenses over her eyes. She can't help but smile briefly. The catburglar takes in everything Harley has to say to her, nodding slowly. "There may be a time when I'm ready to let you in on more, but I don't know when that will be. What's the favor?"

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Oooh hoo hoo. If ya had done a little claw action my way I'd of gotten the shivers." Harley says about the Meow comment, and then she offers, "The favor would be ta let me help you wit' your personal professional costume no costume problems yer facin'." Harley lets a little shrug of her shoulders happens, "I guess that's it fer now. Unless you know where I can get me about 15 bomb triggers? I need'em for a thing." She says in a kind of dismissive side comment. "Well, if you find those, or you wanna unburden. I ain't too hard ta find." And Harley moves back to the alley area where Bud and Lou are. "Boys, come on, time ta go home. Later kitty..."

Catwoman has posed:
"I can't give everything away all at once," Catwoman muses, though she lets Harley see her flex a few of those clawed fingers just for show now that it's been brought up. "Best I can say for now is we'll see. As for the triggers, sorry. That's less my M.O. and more yours and Joker's. I like it nice and quiet." A pause, just long enough, then she finishes, "Unless it's in bed." She winks as Harley begins to withdraw, finishing with, "See you around, clown." She'll disappear back to another alley, a motorcycle revving up soon after.