nexus_crossings | Enjoying the Feeling of Freedom

Enjoying the Feeling of Freedom

For the past couple of weeks or so, Harley Quinn has been exploring the vastness of the Nexus. She has not really returned to her door (and might have forgotten where she had left it). Instead, she has been enjoying the freedom of being able to go anywhere, and just living her life to the fullest. It is a nice break from reality... and perhaps the main reason why she has not tried to go back home.

And she has been surviving on her pure wits. It is nice to fend for herself.

Right now, she is leaned on a bench, watching people come and go. Inspiration hits and she gets an idea for a question. "Okay! You are stuck in the Nexus, and can only have three objects with you. What would you want to have?"

Does the question have to do the fact that she only has three objects on her person right now (besides her clothing)? Possibly...

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"It is a place where they lock up criminals, who are usually insane, or a danger to the community." Like Harley. She has a dark past.

"Um... the usual reason people shoot at us. They want to kill us." Harley looks over the coffee machine. There doesn't seem to be a cappuccino setting. But she is just happy to have a cup of joe.

Edited 2017-08-14 00:49 (UTC)

Adia blinks and gives Harley another look. "Oh. Um." She's not scared -- maybe a little nervous, but only socially. How does one politely ask what sort of past they have that gets them put into an insane asylum?

Harley's pithy answer makes her blush and look down at her hands. "No, I know, I mean... um, were you in a war zone?" For someone who lived through a war, she seems awfully sheltered about what sort of activity insane criminals can get up to.

Unfortunately this coffee machine is not that sophisticated. Sorry, Harley. At least the coffee is decent. Adia will politely wait for her to make a cup before getting some hot water for tea.

"I used to date this crazy guy..." Harley explains to Adia's unasked question. "And got arrested for doing things I ain't proud of."

She pours about three-fourths of coffee, then mixes in a lot of sugar, until the cup is filled. Perfectly sweet.

"Not a war zone. We, the Suicide Squad, are sent after bad guys who are so dangerous that no one else can handle. And we sometimes have to dodge bullets to survive the day."

Her nervousness eases and she nods sympathetically. She can even relate a little, although her Cylon ex never turned her to a life of crime."I'm glad that's in the past for you."

Adia uses far less sugar for her tea. She listens to Harley's explanation while she lets the teabag steep. The word "suicide" causes her to tense slightly, but she gets the name. "Isn't your team going to miss you, if you're here and not helping them?"

"Someone told me that time doesn't move back home, if I am here. Is that wrong?" Harley pops another bubble.

"It depends on the world," she answers honestly. "Time keeps moving on my ship, just slower than it does here."

How is Harley going to drink her coffee while she chews her bubblegum? Adia can't help but wonder while she blows on her tea.

"Guess I should find out if it holds true for my world." In answer to Adia's internal questioning, Harley places her gum on the edge of the coffee cup, before drinking the coffee itself. "But I would have to find my door to do that."

"Do you want some help?" Adia offers. She carefully takes out the tea bag and tucks it into an empty cup before stacking it under her full cup of tea. She's turned not wasting tea bags into a veritable art form. "The portals move around, but after two weeks, it shouldn't be too far from where it was."

If it still exists. But she doesn't want to disappoint Harley unless she has to.

"It should be easy to spot, if you do see it. I drew a big heart on it, using my lipstick." Harley explains.

Adia can't help but smile. "That's cute," she says. Is it strange that she likes Harley's style? "I'll keep an eye out for it."

But how will she let Harley know if she finds it? It reminds her of the other thing she meant to show her. "The PINpoint vending machine is just over here." She heads back down the row of vending machines, looking over their contents until she finds the right one. "This one. You can enter the number for the style you like, but they don't cost anything. I think they were donated at some point by the woman who invented them."

"That is some smart gal..." Harley moves over to the PINpoint vending machine. She examines the different models, different styles. Until she finds one that has a unique black and red design.

She presses the number to claim that one as hers.

"Neat." She picks it up with a smile. "And so, I can now put people's numbers in here?"

"That's what I've heard. I never met her." Harley's choice doesn't surprise her. It makes Adia wish she'd picked something a little more colorful, but she went with a smaller model. The easier to hide it and keep it safe.

"Yep." She smiles shyly and hesitantly offers, "We could exchange numbers? In case I find your portal."

"Sure thing. Show me how to put that in." Harley holds out her new PINpoint.

"Oh! Okay..." She leans in a little to see the screen. It's not like her PINpoint, but it reminds her enough of a smartphone that she finds it easy enough to navigate. "That button is your contacts... the number at the top is yours. Then you press the plus button below to add people. Or... hold on, I'll send you a text, and then you'll have my number automatically."

She reaches into her bag and pulls out what looks like a stopwatch crossed with a pager. She peers at Harley's number again before entering it into her PINpoint and then sending her a text.

Harley's PINpoint buzzes. Hello, this is Adia. :) appears on her screen. "You can add my name at the top there if you want so if I text you again, you'll see that it's from me."

Since Harley's PINpoint is a little like a smartphone, it really doesn't take her long to get the hang of it. And pretty soon she has Adia's contact information saved.

"Sweet! This is awesome."

"Glad I could help," Adia says with a pleased smile. She takes a moment to enter Harley's name into her contacts before tucking away her PINpoint. "I've been coming to the Nexus for a long time, so if you think of any other questions, just send me a text and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

"I think you would be more my reference of what works as the rules around here." Harley has Adia pegged as a 'good example' already.

She certainly seems to know what she's doing, even if she's rather understated about it. "That's fine, too, although... well, the Nexus is inherently malleable. Sometimes things don't work the way you'd expect them to. Have you read the pamphlet?"

"There is a pamphlet?" Harley looks around. She had arrived in an unusual manner. And this is her first time of hearing of these things.

Adia isn't entirely surprised by Harley's question. She looks around, too, and manages to find a stack of them on a nearby coffee table.

"I don't know who wrote this, but it's more or less accurate," she says, handing one to Harley. "It talks about the anti-violence field, curses, and I think the general layout, although that has a tendency to change."

She falls silent, giving Harley a chance to read it herself.

Harley reads it carefully. Then folds it up and puts it in her back pocket.

"So I guess I should count myself lucky, that I haven't run into any trouble yet."

She gives her an encouraging smile before looking away self-consciously. "Yeah. Although that luck may last you a while. It was a long time before any sort of trouble found me in the Nexus."

"I ain't no stranger to trouble." In fact, most people consider Harley herself to be trouble.

"You need a bodyguard or something. Sounds like you had a bad deal..."

"I guess not." She doesn't mean it to sound flippant. It's easy for her to feel sympathetic to Harley's past. "But trouble in the Nexus can be pretty unusual..."

For someone who gets distracted easily, Harley is surprisingly perceptive. "I, um... I have a stalker. In the Nexus." She twists the strap of her messenger bag before elaborating. "I don't know who he is, or why he's stalking me, but a few months ago, the anti-violence field fell and he took advantage of it to kill two people and stage a scene for me to find them."

It probably sounds like child's play compared to one of Joker's schemes, but it's clearly had a profound impact on Adia. She shrinks in on herself, looking around nervously. "I probably could use a bodyguard, especially if the AV field falls again, but I can't afford one. I have some friends looking out for me... it's the best I can do, for now."

"Tell you what... you can add me to your list of people who will watch your back." Harley smiles. "You helped me. So I will help you!"

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