[IC] Roses & Laughs

[Platinum Cobra]

Harley moved through the back alleys of Gotham, it had happened again though instead of 'Mr. J' breaking her and sending her off in a rocket. She had left him, there had been a moment of clarity where she had broken the usual mad love trance she was in and it had been just enough. "So long Mr. J" were her last words leaving the Joker starring at her as she left. The bells in her hat jingling, packing a bag she had changed out of her outfit and put on a stylish dress instead.

'Red' or Poison Ivy was the only one she could really talk to about anything, after Ivy had helped her once Harley hoped she would be able to do so again. With a baseball bat in one hand and moving down the street's in another she had the same face painted on and look of pure annoyance that sent the gutter rat's scurrying out of her path. The usual low life's also moved quickly out of her way knowing if they didn't they would have to deal with the butt end of her bat, literally.

One unfortunate person was the brunt end of her punch as the man hadn't realized who she was and tried to grab her, "Let me go baldy." she said her face spreading into a file as she stomped on his foot. "Batter up." she said and swung her bat sending the man flying backwards with a diamond emblazoned on the side of his face. "I always loved batting practice." she said and walked away laughing.

Starting to near Ivy's lair she looked at all the plant's and wondered if Ivy already knew she was coming. "Hey Red, open up." she screamed at the door and waited to see the only other woman that had been able to get close to Harley. They weren't exactly friends, but Ivy seemed to be the closest thing that Harley had to someone she liked besides Joker. Now Joker was no more and she didn't want to be near him, none of her henchman had even come with, "Everyone chooses Mr.J." she said shaking her head.

She started to laugh her maniacal laugh that she was known for. "Come on open up Red, I know your in there. I brought presents." she lied starting to pound on the door slightly.

"Don't keep me waiting, it's been a long night Red." peering through the glass window inside Harley tried to get a good look at the gardens though all she could see were plant's. "Well fine, I didn't want to be near you either Red." she screamed and walked away her heels clinking against the wet concrete.

[Engel]

Poison Ivy had reclaimed and cleaned up the botanical gardens after getting out of the Asylum. It was quite offensive to her that someone else had dared to set foot in her domain while she was gone, what was worse was that they seemed to have fought with her babies, but she’d find them and have her revenge soon. Her babies had done a fine job defending themselves and the gardens, but no matter. People who hurt her darlings deserved anything she could come up with. She wanted more than that though. It wasn’t enough that a few people paid for trespassing in her home. It wouldn’t be enough until she’d seen humanity on its knees, brought down by the very thing it would never stop destroying – nature.

Ivy turned on the sprinkler system to give her babies water and nutrition, then sat down on a bench to enjoy it with them. It wasn’t long afterwards that she became aware that someone was approaching the gardens. The plants told her. Those who’d grown so large that they had burst through the walls and the ground, growing sprouts and flowers in the nearby vicinity outside. It was a marvel to behold the destruction they’d caused on a human structure, and continued to do the more they grew.

She was prepared to use force on whoever it was this time, but decided to wait until they entered. It would be difficult for them to get away if they did step inside. Some of her more carnivorous darlings needed food too. Surprisingly, the individual shouted for her to open and knocked on the door. Ivy wasn’t as surprised by who it was, as Harley might be one of the few people who didn’t just barge in anymore. Perhaps the times she’d ended up caught in vines had taught her something. Harley was also one of the few, maybe only, humans she didn’t outright hate. She wasn’t sure why the woman had come to visit her though, or if she should let her in.

Ivy remained silent and motionless at first, but got up when Harley said she was leaving. There was no harm in asking why she’d come to visit, maybe she had something important to tell her. The door was opened behind Harley as she began to walk away by one of the vines. Ivy soon emerged, and placed herself in the door. Her body was somewhat soaked after she’d relaxed in the sprinkler system, but it didn’t bother her and felt good.

“Ah Harley, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Poison Ivy said, and leaned against the wall. “It’s been a while since I had such a late night rendezvous with anyone.”

[Platinum Cobra]

Harley stopped her stiletto heel shoe abruptly hearing the creak of the door and her head turned slightly to just look over her shoulder. She could see the movement of a plant moving back into it's original position and it wasn't long before Ivy herself was at the door. It wasn't until Ivy spoke that Harley turned around and watched the water falling off, she looked up and saw it wasn't raining. "Been messing in the water Red." she said sarcastically. Though her face soon got serious, I got rid of Mr. J, his abusive ways and tugging with my heart grew to much and so it's over."

She said and her eyes fell, she wasn't one to ever really show her true feeling's. More she kept them bottled up deep inside of her and didn't let anyone close enough to see them in their true form. Yet she could feel the bottle slowly cracking since she had left Mr. J. Whatever the case a small crack of her emotion flashed on her face long enough for Ivy to be able to see it before she was forcing it down again and hiding it. "You helped me once before Red, I was hoping you would be able to help me once again. This time..I won't be going back to him."

Her eyes flashed up to meet Ivy's and she could see the plant's moving around her already waiting to see what their master would tell them to do. She stepped back slightly and the plant's behind her moved out of the way to avoid being stepped on, "So Red, can I come in. Or are you going to sick your plant's on me." she said arching an eyebrow as she felt one of the vines moving like a snake over her foot.

The feel of it hitting her skin made her push it away, though as Ivy was standing right there she tried to do it nicely enough to just move it away from her foot and not hurt it. Usually she would and stomped on the damn thing though today wasn't really the day she wanted to get in more fight's then she was already in. "I had heard you got out of the asylum during the breakout, seems you have already taken up root's in your old place." She said looking around and starting to laugh again spinning her bat around and around in her hand.

"Nice place you got here Red, plant's seemed to have grown larger even with you locked away." she said and then saw a hand fall out of a venous fly trap, "guess they managed to feed themselves."

[Engel]

Poison Ivy shrugged at the sarcastic remark. It didn’t require much from someone to pick the low hanging fruit and throw at her, so she was more disappointed that Harley decided to act like the rest of them. She frowned when Harley said that she’d gotten rid of the Joker and his abusive ways. Oh, this again. How many times had she heard her say something similar before? How many times had Ivy told her that he was no good? There were probably at least one other insane individual out there who could love Harley, so she’d never understood why she let herself get treated that way.

She didn’t allow herself to pity Harley, even if she got the feeling the woman wanted her too. In the end, she was just another human. Besides, she was responsible for her decision to stay with him for as long as she had despite what others advised her to do. Ivy crossed her arms below her chest when she said that this time she wouldn’t be going back to him. It wasn’t amusing for her to watch Harley like this, but she couldn’t be sure she was telling the truth either. Maybe in Harley’s mind it was the truth in that moment. What if the Joker decided he wasn’t done with her though, and came searching for her? What would she do then?

Admittedly, it was tempting to sic her darlings on Harley. She would have done it if Harley hadn’t been as careful with them as she was. Instead Ivy was left with the choice whether to allow her to enter the gardens or turn her away. Anyone else she would have turned away, not even listened to for this long, but she had some sympathy for the woman. Ivy had been in a similar situation once, what felt like a long time ago now.

“Mhm, I escaped from that dreary place with some help. I missed my darlings too much to stay for as long as I was sentenced.” Poison Ivy said, replacing her frown with a smile. “Of course they did. It just wouldn’t do if my babies couldn’t handle themselves. The world can be such an awful place after all, filled with evil and humans.”

Ivy went silent for a moment after that, considering what to do. Eventually, she let out a sigh. “Fine, you can come in. I don’t really have any bed for you to use. It is a lovely garden, devoid of most human necessities.” She stepped aside so Harley could enter. “The sprinkler system is on. And Harley, I won’t take kindly to it if you betray me when and if the Joker comes looking for you. I’m sure we can get through this together, but just a little warning for you.”

[Platinum Cobra]

Harley smiled hearing she could come in. Looking behind Ivy to see the sprinkler's were in fact on, Harley didn't let it show that she was a bit worried about her makeup. With nowhere else really to go, she couldn't be too choosy. Ivy seemed like she was being nice to her, though the warning Ivy gave her before she moved made her nod in agreement. "I can understand that Red, Mr. J doesn't even know I am here." she said hoping that was the case as she hadn't told him anything other then she was leaving. Harley even only packed a small bag, which she must have lost when the goon attacked her. So it was probably sitting in some alley being torn apart by bums.

Harley neared Ivy heels clinking on the ground the closer she got the more she saw how the sprinkler's were looking like it was just pouring down rain inside. With plant's as big as Ivy had they would need a lot of rain. "T..Thanks Red." she said her face was showing how hard it was for her to actually say thank you. "I have had to sleep out in alley's before, when Mr. J would decide I wasn't good enough for a bed that day. I will make do with something. This place is better then an alley." she said looking around as she entered mainly at her feet.

Ivy may be nice now, though Harley really didn't want to step on one of her plant's. She had a dangerous feeling the nice would vanish as fast as it had come if that happened. "So how does it feel to be a free woman now Red?" she asked curiously turning already feeling her hair falling slightly and makeup was running down her face. The more she stayed under the sprinklers, the worse it got. Harley thought this would only be for a short time, maybe she could meet another villain who wouldn't abuse her.

"You know Red, I was never one for the outdoors. But some of your plant's are actually really pretty." she said leaning over and looking at a flower before it opened up and hissed at her. Harley jumped back slightly, "or not, I won't touch anything." Everything seemed like it hadn't even changed except for the plants. Harley could tell Ivy was skeptical about everything that was going on. She had tried to help Harley once before and had ended up being betrayed by Harley instead. Harley wouldn't make that mistake twice.

Looking back at Ivy, as Harley felt her stomach tighten. "You eaten yet Ivy?" she asked almost finding it weird to use her real name but she couldn't call her Red forever. Though it was a good nickname for her, "Cause I am famished, any pizza places around here who deliver to this place?" she asked and started to laugh again. No pizza place ever really delivered, usually Harley would send out a henchman too fetch one though now she didn't have any. "My treat." she said twirling her bat. Harley never did like to pay for things.

[Engel]

Ivy doubted that it would take long for the Joker to find out where Harley had gone, even if he didn’t know it at that very moment. All he had to do was threaten someone, and they’d say in what general direction she’d gone. The botanical gardens weren’t low-key by any means. It didn’t take much of a brain to figure out where she’d seek shelter anyway, as she’d come to Ivy before and Ivy had helped her then. She hoped she wouldn’t come to regret it again.

“No problem.” She replied, somewhat distracted by her own thoughts. “You might come to prefer an alley with roof above your head before long.” It didn’t rain as often outside as Ivy ran the sprinklers inside the walls of the gardens. It was probably the only downside for a human, as long as they could get along with her plants and avoid getting eaten.

“Oh, It’s wonderful. I get to be with my babies, and I get a new chance to give them what they deserve.” Ivy said, then noticed Harley’s makeup and laughed. She hoped there wasn’t any harmful chemicals in Harley’s makeup though, and if there was she’d tell her to stop wearing it if she wanted to live with her. Tests may need to be carried out later.

She shook her head when the woman decided to get up close with one of her babies. Hadn’t she just seen a hand fall out of another plant? Sure, some of her darlings were mostly harmless, but then there were those who could kill a human with ease. A beautiful flower wasn’t necessarily any less dangerous. Several of them could secrete toxins and pheromones that would affect the mind in a number of ways. They’d been improved by her, but those abilities had always been inherent to some species. Some effects were enjoyable rather than harmful, perhaps she’d show her guest some of those. Ivy wouldn’t be stepping on any toes, and Harley had come to her in the end. She found herself staring at her leaning over the flower, rather than warning her about the obvious consequence.

“Yeah, better safe than sorry.” She said. “And uh, I wouldn’t know about any pizza place. I don’t really eat…” It was true, most of the time she could survive on water, nutrients and sunshine alone. “Whenever you get tired of being under the sprinklers there’s an old shed and an office further inside though. They were here before we liberated the place.”

[Platinum Cobra]

Hearing how Ivy didn't eat made Harley look at her a smile, "Alright red, I will figure out something." she said and listening to her talk about the old shed. She had caught Ivy starring at her out of the corner of her eye before their eyes locked again. "I will have to fix my hair before I go anywhere, uh...this water is going to kill me one day." she said jokingly and started to laugh again as she followed the stone path. "Thanks Red, I owe you one big time for letting me stay here." she said making sure to follow the path and avoid the flowers. Without being able to tell what was friendly and what was dangerous she thought it was best to avoid all the plant's together.

Hopefully Ivy would be able to show her which ones were which, though for now Harley was soaking wet and her clothes were starting to stick to her skin. Looking back she still saw how little Ivy was wearing, only a red shirt really covered her with her plants doing the rest down below. It intrigued Harley in a way she didn't think possible of why Ivy would wear so little. Right then though Harley was more worried about her clothes and she realized she didn't have anything.

"Actually how about you show me around instead, I don't really have a change of clothes or anything. Lost my bag on the way here." she said before feeling a plant snatch her bat away. Harley looked at the vines, "Hey..." she said obviously angry. Harley looked at Ivy and then back at the plant, "Give it back you overgrown weed." she said and then covered her mouth. Harley would have to tread carefully with how she treated the plant's around Ivy.

"Sorry..I didn't mean it Ivy. I don't like things taking my things." She said a bit worried of Ivy's temper. She had stayed with Ivy before of course, though without having much time to focus on the plants it had been easier. Now it was going too be much more difficult with all the downtime.

"Just...never mind. Keep the dam thing, I will find something else." she said straightening her wet skirt. Walking over she just stood next to Ivy, her hair was ruined and she grabbed the bow ties she used to make her hair into ponytails. Pulling them out her hair fell loosely around her. The red and black tips looked like highlight's in her hair with how it fell. "So, about that tour of the place."

Living with Ivy wouldn't be the worse thing in the world, Harley could get used to the water and maybe she could actually have a friend instead of someone that just seemed to tolerate her right then. It was a long shot, but Harley wished she had someone at least. Everyone else seemed to have someone, now she was all alone. "So Red, how come you have never dated anyone?"