Both The Joker and The Queen

[sweetcandygirl]

One definitely can say that when Harley Quinn has a mission in mind, she puts all her passion and dedication into it, and gets things achieved that seemed impossible.

Take today for example. In the last few hours, in the middle of the plaza, Harley has been setting up several different poles, and securing them. She whistles to herself as she sets up a mini stage underneath where the poles sit. And then even climbs the poles to secure aerial silks to the top of each one.

There is a moment of connecting a sturdy interconnecting chain link between the poles, that might attract people to what is about to happen on the stage before.

For those who have never seen her do one before -- Harley Quinn is going to perform an aerial silk dance.

Right in the middle of the plaza.

Once everything is set up and secured, and a safety check is done. Harley sets up some lights, and some music, to attract even more people to the mini stage.

And then after a quick little costume change, into a silky white garment, Harley takes to the center of the stage. And for the next 30 minutes performs a breath-taking aerial piece, with plenty of twists and turns in the silks, with jumps that send her across from one silk to another, and drops that have her so close to the stage itself that people gasp with wonder if she would catch herself in time.

Harley always does. Each graceful move, every twist and turn on the silks, is done with purpose. It is poetic and speaks to an emotional state of Harley's mind that some might never see again.

And when she is done, she sits on the stage, wiping her sweat away, with another little happy whistle.

She glances up over the structure, that she will soon tear down, and glances over to someone close by.

"You would think as a hired mercenary one gets used to death. I never think about it myself, when I am on a mission. Until I get home and I realize who didn't make it back. Ya' think my tribute to the fallen is a little over the top?"

"Do you think they would appreciate it?"

[OOC: musical inspiration -- "The Joker and The Queen"]

Comments

[rogueinladysclothing]

Harley's performances are always breathtaking, and Amelia never tires of being able to see one. This one in particular is full of deep emotions and close calls. The rogue never completely lets go of the worry of Harley getting hurt, but she knows the woman isn't being reckless. When she's up on the silks, Amelia knows her friend is in full control.

She smiles as she watches the performance, clapping excitedly along with others when it finishes. At the question turned in her direction, her smile warms and she shakes her head. "It's not too much at all. Those who know you know this is your ways, and that you always give your very best to anything you do. I think they'd like that you honored them in such a unique way."

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley grins. And immediately stands up to give her dear friend a hug. A slightly sweaty hug, she was just on the aerial silks after all. But it is the hug that matters.

"I hope they do too."

"Ya know, with the name Suicide Squad, we sort of expect that not all of us get to return safely. Those morons at the government never can tell how much it pains each one of us. Like they never expected any of us to be that close."

[rogueinladysclothing]

A sweaty hug is still a hug, and Amelia's happy to get one from Harley when the woman comes over.

"With a name like that... I suspect your government thinks of you all as disposable." Amelia frowns. It's a horrible thought, but it makes sense given everything she's learned about the Suicide Squad from Harley. The people sending the squad out on missions haven't given the impression that they care what happens to anyone on it. "Do they at least allow you time to mourn after you lose someone?"

[sweetcandygirl]

“Well to them we are criminals who they can throw at horrible missions and it don’t Matter if we don’t make it back.” Harley has not freed everyone of the nano bombs yet. It is a long play of building trust and finding those who want their freedom.

“Not really. But since I can come to the Nexus… what I do here ain’t on their radar.”

[rogueinladysclothing]

"Criminals or no, you all deserve better." How terrible must these people be if they can't acknowledge someone's humanity? Some of the Suicide Squad members may not be entirely human, but they still think and feel like humans. To know that and ignore it makes those "in charge" of the group's activities makes them far worse criminals in Amelia's mind.

"So you have at least a little time," she muses. It's not much, but it's still helpful to hear. Her expression turns thoughtful. "Can you bring of the others here, should they need the time? I don't know how much it would help or is even necessary for some of them, but it could help."

[angelic_asshole]

"Oh, well after seeing such a dazzling display, how can anyone say no to that? I for one found it riveting, darling."

Balthazar now clapping after witnessing Harley's rather impressive display first hand. The angel passing through on the way to picking up some more booze for his bar. A special delivery of sorts. What a show though! The whole set-up impressing the angel and no doubt any other passer by who might witness the display for themselves.

"How have you been lately, Harley? We should chat more and I really need to take a break or two from my bar but duty calls as they say. A drunk client is a happy client!"

[sweetcandygirl]

"I could say people do have a hard time saying no to me. But it would sound like I have an ego. So you are free to say it for me." Harley grins at Balthazar.

"Well, I was on special mission. And you know how those usually go... get home feeling lucky to be alive." Harley shrugs her shoulders. It is part of her normal to be a little flippant about what she sees and witnesses during Suicide Squad missions.

"Well I am free for drinks. At least I won't be one of those drunk sob stories that try to lean too much on your shoulder. Or feel you up."

"I just will feel you up despite needing to be intoxicated." She winks.

[angelic_asshole]

"When you're over two hundred and fifty million years old like me an ego is a given. But then I never flaunt it, do I, darling?"

Balthazar could speak bullshit until the cows came home and right now he was enjoying Harley's company and glad she put on such a magnificent show in the Plaza. The angel bowed a little and then glanced back to where his bar stood in the row of establishments just behind them on the street.

"Of course! Oh, I do believe my Jack would have a little giggle at that if you squeezed my backside. The scandal, darling! Of course where is the fun in a little flirting, hm? We're all friends here. What is your poison, Harley? A multi-coloured cocktail with a fruity delight?"

[sweetcandygirl]

"Well I hope Jack knows me well enough to know it is all harmless fun. And I am sure he trusts you enough to know it would just be flirting." Harley grins.

"You know me so well. Color and fruit, that is all I could ask for in any drink choice."

[angelic_asshole]

"Oh, he does, darling. Don't worry about that. A little bit of flirting does no one any harm and he knows how devious and delightful you can be."

The angel beaming at that because he always knew he was a good judge of character when it came to his patrons from mortal to immortal. Harley was a special case indeed with her bright, cheery demeanour.

"Colour, fruit and a little bit of naughtiness."

[ayatantreasure]

Acrobatics and flowing fabrics are like magnets for a Tenno. The long ribbon-like syandana on the warframe's back would not look out of place as part of Harley's act, and their head follows her movements back and forth as she dances in the sky. Not entirely familiar, and yet there feels a certain kinship. They watch from the sidelines, quiet and attentive, standing only slightly apart from the crowd.

They're not expecting to be addressed.

The warframe's face doesn't - cannot - move, but a hand rises to point towards their chest as if to ask, me? But of course, who else might she be speaking to?

They hold their hand up, palm to the sky, and swooping script appears in midair above their fingers. The Nexus helpfully translates: Do you mourn your enemies or your friends?

[sweetcandygirl]

It is interesting, to have the Nexus create script to translate for the warframe. Harley smiles, and bows.

"A little of both. Some of my enemies... to be far... are complete jerks and don't deserve to be mourned. But I can also see how some of them got so desperate."

"Cause I was there. I was the enemy at one point."

"Harley Quinn. By the way!" She sticks out a hand, and smiles.

[ayatantreasure]

Oh, they know this one. Palm enclosing fist, held in front of them, they bow slightly in return over their clasped hands. Formal, practiced, like a martial artist would.

They listen, unblinking optics seemingly fixed on her as she speaks. Ready to comment as before, but then a hand is being offered. They hesitate, knowing what Harley wants of them, uncertain how to respond. Slowly, they reach out and grasp her hand, shaking it up and down twice before releasing her. Yellow fingers flutter wordlessly for a moment, then that blue head nods once, and the hand comes up to relay their answer. This frame is named Volt.

[sweetcandygirl]

“You are quite interesting.” Harley grins.

“Are you new to the Nexus?”

[ayatantreasure]

Instead of answering with projected words, their hand instead wiggles back and forth in a very humanlike so-so gesture. New enough, perhaps, but not freshly initiated.

There's a curious feel to their step as they venture closer to the stage, reaching out to touch one of the poles that holds the aerial silks up high. With an effortless hop, they find a perch halfway up, both feet planted against the pole with one hand to hold themselves secure, as securely as one of the resident Spiders-man might.

[itmeanstruth]

Of course, the moment Minoru spotted the aerial performance, he hopped up on the wall to get a better view. He very much respected Harley’s athleticism and acrobatics. So watching her perform like this was quite a treat. It was beautiful. It was moving - it actually brought a couple tears to his eyes on a few occasions.

And when it was finally over, he couldn’t help but applaud. He gave a standing ovation, still standing on the wall.

“Harley, I don’t think it’s possible for that NOT to honor somebody! That was amazing!”

[sweetcandygirl]

“Hey Minoru.” Harley waved at him.

“Looks like you got the best seat in the house.”

[itmeanstruth]

“I don’t think there’s a bad seat for watching you perform.” He grinned. “That was like poetry in motion up there!”

He knew Harley could do some amazing things, but that was beyond impressive in his book.

[sweetcandygirl]

“You wanna take a shot at the silks?” Harley grins

[itmeanstruth]

Excitement spread quickly over Minoru’s features. “Really?! I can try?!”

He’d never done aerial silks before, but it looked so neat. Of course, he wanted to give it a go!

[vliste_staba]

"That was wonderful!" Deet is always an enthusiastic audience, and Harley gets a round of exuberant applause. "I almost thought you were going to spread wings and fly!"

Which would be plausible if Harley was a gelfling, so it's definitely meant as a compliment.

She sobers at the question, though, moving closer to the stage and looking up with huge, sympathetic dark eyes. "I think mourning is very personal. It comes from your heart. If this came from your heart, you did it perfectly."

[sweetcandygirl]

“Sometimes wish I had wings. But it is different feeling not having them at the same time.” Harley grins, and leans down slightly to speak to Deet.

“Definitely from my heart. Glad you saw that.”

[vliste_staba]

"I don't know what I'd do without mine. The legend says a gelfling girl grew them out of pain to take care of her family. I'm glad mine don't hurt."

She reaches up with a tiny hand to pat Harley's knee. "You have a good heart, and you make beautiful things."

[sweetcandygirl]

"Sounds like a great sacrifice for the people who meant the most to her." Harley grins.

"Thank you. I don't get a chance to feel like that often..."

[vliste_staba]

Deet looks thoughtful at that comment, then gives a soft, sad little smile. "You're right. It was a gift and a sacrifice, both. I never thought of it that way before."

She's in a not-dissimilar position, though, now that she thinks of it. That makes the burden of the Darkening feel a little less unnatural and heavy. This is what gelfling do for those they love.

"When we lose people we love, we have a song we sing. If you would like me to sing it with you some time, I will."