9650/Gotham Crazy Gotham

Gotham Crazy Gotham
Date of Scene:	19 October 2019
Location:	April's Apartment - Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Vanessa and April discuss Gotham vigilantes, and Harley's having visited April's home twice now.
Cast of Characters:	Copycat, April O'Neil

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Copycat has posed:
Vanessa had called up, asking of April minded if she came by. There would be a bottle of whiskey involved, Vanessa promised. Or perhaps warned. The finely tuned investigative skills of April might have caught a bit of an exasperated or tense sound in Vanessa Carlysle's voice.

About an hour later, there's a rap-rap-rapping on the door. "It's me. With whiskey. And sour mix. And coke. I didn't know what you like to mix with. If you want to mix," Vanessa calls through the door.

She's wearing a long skirt and a light sweater, and has her hair drawn back. Her purse hangs from her shoulder, probably with her ever-present pistol in it. A paper bag from a liquor store down the street is held in the other hand.

April O'Neil has posed:
April had just gotten home from the gym when she'd gotten the call from Vanessa, so she'd took a few minutes afterward to unwind and then hop into the shower to clean up and get dressed. When Vanessa does arrive, the front door is partially open because the building itself is what is locked downstairs, Vanessa has the keys to get inside there so the apartment upstairs being open isn't that big of a deal.

"I'm in here." April says from her office. She's seated in her office chair with one foot up on it and the other out on a drawer that she has pulled out on her desk, wearing a white tshirt with yellow sleeves and a picture of Tweety Bird on the chest, a pair of shorts and some socks pulled up to mid-shin level she looks pretty chill and relaxed.

"Oh, I'll have whatever you're having." April wasn't the best when it came to mixed drinks. She knew some of them from going out to bars and such, but truth be told she wasn't sure how to distinguish one from the other that well. "Wait, whiskey?" She is sure whiskey is a rough one though. "Thats somer serious drinking, Van. Doesn't that stuff make you irritable?"

Copycat has posed:
Vanessa sweeps into the kitchen, setting down the bag. "Irritable? Not any more than usual. I don't think. Why, was I acting irritable sometime we drank?" Vanessa calls, but her tone is moderately light-hearted.

Vanessa goes through the cupboards, finding the most appropriate glasses and then adding some ice and making whiskey sours. "Better to get a shot at the club than a beer. Both will get you drunk but the beer fills you up. Plus they can water down the shot easier if they know it's going to a girl," she says.

Vanessa brings the two glasses into April's office. She passes one over. "So I was in Gotham. Which, is probably a frequent prelude to these sorts of stories," Vanessa says with an exasperated sight. She takes a long drink from the glass like she needs it.

April O'Neil has posed:
April has her ipad in her lap by the time Vanessa enters the room and her legs crossed at the ankles with her heels up on the edge of her desk, the top foot gently wiggling around as she's staring at something on the screen. On her desktop computer's edgeless monitor there's an article up that she'd written for the C6 News website, she'd been going over it after it'd been posted.

A slight grin shows on her lips and she shakes her head. "I don't mean you, no. I just mean, I heard... well, someone told me once that drinking whiskey makes you angry. Probably just an urban legend, there's so much damn misinformation out there its a wonder any of us know how anything works." She accepts the drink from Vanessa then and sniffs it, then sips it. Its tough for her, thats clear, she's kind've a girl's girl, and hard liquor is hard for her!

After a little cough she tries to smile to maintain her 'cool girl' front. "What happened in Gotham now? That place is a circus, you know?"

Copycat has posed:
Vanessa finds a seat to drop into. "Oh, yeah, there might be people affected like that. But frankly I figure those people just probably are like that in the first place. Maybe because they can get drunk quicker? I don't really know to be honest," Vanessa says about the effects of whiskey.

"But the, making sure it gets you drunk part is why I want it now," she says, shaking her head. "So, one of the girls, has this older guy who got sent up to one of the Gotham prisons. Been trying to get her to stay away from him. But he was getting out, and she was determined to go meet him. So I went along with her, figuring maybe I could try to help keep her out of trouble, right?" Vanessa says.

She takes another deep sip of the whiskey sour. The sour mix takes some of the roughness out of the drink.

April O'Neil has posed:
April just smirks at the talk of the alcohol and she tries another sip, feeling as though maybe its getting a little easier, maybe... "Whew... God." She states then after a bigger drink.

Her eyes raise up though to go to Van's when she explains why she was in Gotham. "Tell me it wasn't Blackgate." She says then. "I know enough about Gotham to know that Blackgate is filled with some serious a-holes. Like the kind that would strangle you just to get a quarter for a condom machine... or, kill your dog... for its milkbone, I don't know." She huffs out a breath in a frustrated way. "Just the worst kinds of people."

She takes another sip of her own drink and once again winces from it. She's a lightweight, its how it goes.

Copycat has posed:
When April mentions Blackgate, Vanessa does an exaggerated motion like Vanna White or some other game show hostess revealing the prize when the contestant gets it right. "You got it in one. So this guy is part of a motorcycle gang. I don't mean the accounts who get together to ride on weekend sorts. Those one-percenters you hear about who give all the rest a bad name. And are proud of it," Vanessa says, letting out a rueful sigh.

"So, he gets out. Of course, his first thought is take her over to a motel. I go with. He thought, well doesn't matter what he thought, he wasn't getting that from me anyway," Vanessa says, her tone firm. "So we walk into the room though, and there's one of those costumed Gotham vigilantes in the room. Swings the door shut. Purple, had a crossbow. Really sexy physique. God I wonder what their workout plan is."

April O'Neil has posed:
April is wincing at more than just the alcoholic beverage that Vanessa gave her now that she's hearing more of the details of this story. "Jesus. He probably wanted to stuff drugs up you to run them to Canada or something." She says to be both silly and well... mostly just silly. "I'm glad you didn't... ya know, do whate--" She pauses then, her feet come down from her desk and she turns in her chair to look at Vanessa. There's other chairs in the office too, of course, if she wanted to sit!

"This guy got out of jail legally and there was a Bat-person there in the hotel room waiting for you to beat him up?" She asks then, narrowing her eyes. "Which one of them wears purple..." She tries to run the mental images of all of Gotham's vigilante's through her mind that she knows of. Nightwing, Batgirl, Batwoman... None of those wear a lot of purple that she's seen in images or video of them.

"What happened?" April asks then.

Copycat has posed:
Vanessa gives a nod and takes a sip of her drink. A big one. "Yep. Must have slipped in there just ahead of us. I mean unless, she was psychic and able to predict, or make him... Lord I don't even know. Anyway, she was in there," Vanessa says.

Another big swallow. "So she wanted information on some weapons deal his gang is involved in. He played stupid, belligerent and aggressive. And she kind of, well, it wasn't that bad to be honest, but looked like it hurt more than damaged if you know what I mean? And then he apparently did know what she was talking about," Vanessa shares.

She shakes her head. "So soon as I realized she wasn't going to give us any guff about being there, I shooed my friend out. Think it actually worked out ok. Put a scare into her, enough I think she'll stay away from that loser."

Vanessa takes another big drink. Obviously her friend was not the only one who had a scare over it.

April O'Neil has posed:
"Hopefully she does." April says with regard to Van's friend staying away from that thug. Een though girls like that just always find a new terrible one anyway.

A soft smirk is shown then. "Are you sure it was a really well trained Gotham vigilante or maybe just a jaded lover who was in a costume? It is that time of year after all... though, really that kind of hero impersonation stuff is really on the rise now as people are trying desperately to make a mark as a super cape themselves."

April raises up her Ipad then and switches the screen over a few times to an article that she shows off to Vanessa. "Look-it." She says. Its an article with a headline that reads 'Three Amateur Super Heroes Found Dead'.

"These teenagers all took a six month course in martial arts, then went out and hit the streets to stop crime in their neighborhood. This stuff is getting worse every year. Not that they mean to do it... but the really good ones? They get so much air time now that they're encouraging all these underqualified -kids- to... take terrible risks."

April smirks at Vanessa. "Like go into hotel rooms with guys who just got out Blackgate Prison..."

Copycat has posed:
"Well, she definitely handled this guy," Vanessa says, "And he's not something to sneeze at. Big dude, and been in a lot of fights, I'm sure. And the crossbow would have been enough to intimidate me alone." Vanessa takes another sip of her drink.

"Well, hopefully I won't have to ever see his face again. That town... I just never seem to have a very good history there. Not that I go out of my way to go there," she says.

"I suppose everyone wants to be special, and plenty of people will think being a 'hero' will do it for them," Vanessa says quietly. She gives a little shake of her head. "Probably as often as not, kids who don't have any kind of real idea what it's actually like out here in the rough parts of town."

Vanessa looks down at her drink, looking thoughtful. "That's where Eddie bought it, you know. Gotham, I mean."

April O'Neil has posed:
"Yeah, well. Some people want to be special. Others just want to be terrible." April quietly responds then before she turns the tablet back into her lap and leans back in her chair again. "I'm glad you got out of there though and I hope you consider staying away from Gotham for a bit." She shows Van a soft smile. "I don't want that town claiming you and turning you into whatever... like... it did to Harley. Poor Harley..." Since the Queen of Gotham's Crime had broken into April's house twice now, and stayed the night on the sofa once, having fallen asleep while binge watching cartoons on a streaming service... April feels like she owns the right to call the infamous Gothamite a 'friend'? Or just someone she worries for and wishes she could get the help she really needs.

"That city just seems to fester their mentally unbalanced, not helping them, just perpetuating the problems." She shakes her head then. "But yeah. It'll have stories told about it for generations to come. LIke the Greek Gods or some such garbage."

Copycat has posed:
Vanessa eyes her beverage, before tipping the glass at her lips and finishing it off. "Need a refill?" she asks as she rises to her feet. "Harley. That one... I don't even like the thought that you were in a room with her interviewing her," Vanessa says.

She heads for the kitchen to refill glasses, whether both or just or her own. But she keeps talking while she's doing it. "I mean, she may have been a good person once. But... I just can't imagine a worse psychopath really than someone who knows the human mind so well. I heard your interview with her. And she was a charismatic and everything, which just makes it all worse."

Vanessa returns soon after. "What's the vigilante you interviewed there look like? She have a crossbow?" Vanessa asks. "I wonder if I can find a picture of the one somewhere." It isn't like Batman's entourage pose for a lot of pictures though.

April O'Neil has posed:
Vanessa rises up, and April along with her. She offers her the glass back. "I think I'm going to switch to Vodka and cranberry. I have some of both actually, Casey brought it by to thank me for picking up his mail while he was in lockup for a week." She says with a smirk.

She follows after Vanessa then and just leans on the door frame in the kitchen, crossing her arms over her stomach. "Harley just showed up here, I never even gave her my address. Twice she's been here now... I keep figuring she must have a short attention span though and will surely just forget about me sooner or later..." She draws in a breath then moves to get the Vodka out of the freezer.

"Spoiler was that one's name who was with me." She replies then, setting out to grab the juice next and some nice. "She was wearing purple that day, come to think of it. She didn't have any weapons on though, but you're right. It must've been her. We... we didn't part on good terms. Think she hated me for 'encouraging' Harley's behavior. I was just trying to have a good podcast. I didn't know the damn woman was gonna break out a day later like it wasn't even a challenge."

Copycat has posed:
Vanessa crosses her arms, and it's very much in a posture that signals discomfort. "Holy shit. She came here. TWICE?" Vanessa says. "April... that... I mean, the woman... Jesus. I mean..." Vanessa adds, before her words falter and she instead just takes a long, long drink from her glass. Her need of another refill is imminent.

Vanessa walks over to her bag and unzips it, checking on the contents. "I suppose calling someone would just make you a target, wouldn't it?" Vanessa asks. She goes over and unlocks the locks on the door and relocks each of them. Firmly. The brunette walks back over. "Ok, so you come stay with me. I'm kind of in and out a little anyway. And, I mean the place is a shit hole but it's better than risking that fruit loop, April."

April O'Neil has posed:
April gets her new drink ready and she then raises it up to sip from it after dropping the stirring spoon into the sink. She sets the cup down a second later and then reacts to Vanessa's response by opening a cabinet door and pulling two coffee mugs out of the cabinet.

One in either hand, she displays them, big white coffee mugs on on either one is a cartoon picture. One of April's face and the other of Harley's face. "See?" She says. "She brought these. April turns them around then and looks down at them, she frowns. "They're so cute. It really was sweet, in a very twisted sort've way..."

She puts the mugs down onto the counter. "She never seemed threatening while here. Just... very... odd. Like pouring an entire thing of hot sauce into her coffee until she had tears coming out of her eyes from drinking, but still smiling while blinking the tears away. It was, disturbing."

She watches the other woman go to deal with the door locks. "Van. She'll find me wherever I am. A woman like that doesn't stop until she finds the person she's looking for... I go to your house, she'll just ask around until people rat me out. Or she'll go to my studio and sit down while I'm recording a show. Something like that."

Copycat has posed:
Vanessa Carlysle draws a shivering breath as she realizes April is probably right. "That lady is just... rabbits in the pot loony. I really don't like this at all, but..." Vanessa lets out a sigh. She finishes off her drink in one long swallow and starts to make another.

"Well, look, don't be afraid to just... run if it comes down to it. I mean, Jesus. Maybe you can reach out to that Spoiler again and they can... I don't know. Stake out the area?" Vanessa suggests. "I mean not in a way that suggests you're in on it or anything, but... you know. Crossbow bolt. Wham!" Vanessa says.

"Or maybe get one of your friends to come stay with you? I'd have to think one of them could handle himself with her, couldn't they? I mean the shell and all. And Leonardo looked kind of muscular. I mean, for a turtle," Vanessa says. A sentence she never thought she'd utter.

April O'Neil has posed:
"I don't really know how to get in contact with that vigilante anymore." April said. "The contact I used before... well, he's in Blackgate now, ironically." April shows a slight smirk then as she takes her new cup of booze into the living room and steps toward her sofa to sit down on the edge of it.

"Leo is very muscular." She says then. "For a turtle. Heck, they all are. You should see Raphael though. He's... well he works the punching bag a lot more so his arms are like tree trunks." She smirks then. "If you like green arms that is." She sips her vodka and cranberry and then sets it forward on the coffee table.

"I'm supposed to go see them this weekend, they're staying at my family farm in Mass. You're welcome to come with me. They're too afraid to go into town to get supplies, they don't wanna get run off by a small town lynch mob." She states this with a light smirk. "Wanna go on a road trip? Its about a six hour drive. We can take my car." The yellow Camaro with black racing stripes that she bought last summer. It just sits down in the alleyway in a locked-in garage that Casey, and the Turtles built for her one night after buying it. She doesn't drive it much.

Copycat has posed:
Vanessa nods her head at the offer of a road trip. "Yes. Yes I think that would be a good idea. For both of us. Get away. And... getting some country air. It doesn't smell like muddy, mucky water and factory exhaust there, I don't imagine," she says. Her uncles catfish farm, was technically the country after all, too.

"And hey, I'd like to meet the rest of them," Vanessa says of the turtles. "Everyone here will have to get along for a little while without me," she says. The thought makes her wonder a bit. However did it get to the point the other girls looked to her for help and guidance.

April O'Neil has posed:
April leans back on the sofa then and raises her legs up to fold them together beneath her where she's seated, her hands going down to the fronts of her shins to hold them there securely in place. "Excellent." She says with a big smile. "You'll love it there. Its not a cat fish farm, but, hey... it has a big old red barn and a wrap around porch. There's a big pond on the property that is great for ice skating when it gets cold and... well, you know, tire swing and all that jazz. Americana stuff."

"The kind of place Harley Quinn probably wouldn't find, if we ever did need to run away far enough to get out and away from that kinda crazy." She draws in a light breath then. "But yeah, we won't be gone long, so your... friends that need you, won't have to be without you for long."