Session One.{Joker;;}

[Harley Quinn]

Dr. Harleen Quinzel shifted in her chair, tapping a pretty designer shoe against the hard marble floor. Two minutes. She crossed her legs nonchalantly, shifting in her pencil skirt, as she looked over the case file once more. She had read it at least a dozen times that morning, and by it's coffee-stained, crumpled, highlighted and annotated disposition, it was quite obvious that she had obsessed over the file for at least the last few weeks. At some point, the manila envelope had consumed entire days, and more than once throughout her dreams she could find herself mumbling the lines of diagnosis, visualizing the underlined passages about the variety of prescriptions they had tried, and she often had nightmares about the gory and unfortunate fates of several of his previous doctors.

One minute. Was she frightened? No. No, she didn't allow herself to be. She had worked too hard, stepped over too many co-workers to get there. She had lost too many friends, made too many enemies. She had back-stabbed, slept with and deceived too many people to get there, and she refused to allow herself turn back just because a little case of the jitters. She deserved this. She even deserved the book deal she was offered by a prestigious editor the day before, to write an expose' on her new patient's behavioral patterns in Arkham. She adjusted her black-rimmed glasses and shifted the file back to her lap, tilting it to look as if she hadn't touched it since she entered the room. It was time; the door crept open slow, and eerie enough to make her back shiver and the creeping shuffle of feet was enough to make her heart pound. There was no turning back now.

(A bit short, but it's a start!)

[Joker]

[j o k e r.][/color][/font]
let's put a smile, on that face!


To say things were quiet in Arkham, would be a complete lie. It seemed as though everyone was on edge; even the receptionist, whom never needed to set foot into the actual halls were the madmen, and women, were held captive. Yet the distinct buzz of anxiety seemed to roam around the whole building, effecting everyone, except for the oh-so natural source of this unsettling, and nervewracking, feeling. If anything it gave the bearer of this emotion even more joy, and energy -- just in his own sickeningly humorful way. The Joker was currently held in one of the most pristine, re-einforced cells in the asylum; bored, and twiddling this thumbs, anxiously rocking back and fourth on this crisp bed. His almost ever-present smile widened considerably, when a couple of buff and armed guards (with sedatives) came to pick him up, for his scheduled 'appointment'.

"Oh! Is it time for my, ah, sponge bath already?"

His giddy coo bounced off the walls, evolving into a hearty laugher that only he could ever pull off. Although it brought a grim scowl, or a facade of nervousness to some of his escorts, it didn't stop them from placing him in a straightjacket (for the walk), and roughly leading him down the halls. Many of the other inmates hooted and howled, whether it was because they were that far gone, or simply excited, one couldn't be sure. Not that it bothered him -- it only fueled his already twisted sense of comedy even more. Joker was brought down a familiar hall, one where many other employee's have tried to probe the deep, and complexities of his pyche, only to fail miserably. Each time such a thing had attempted to happen, it was all..repeatitive. Yet something tugged in the back of his brain, hinting to something a bit more tangible.

In a paid chivalrious grant his escorts graciously opened the door for him, showing a still grinning Joker inside; a head of blonde catching his attention, causing a casual tilt of his head. Despite being labled as criminally insane, he was rather good at faces, especially of those he planned to kill, or already had. But that head o' hair looked vaguely familiar. Clearly, there had not been enough interaction between his new psychiatrist and him. Hm, there will be plenty of time now, won't there? His mind lulled as those burly men effectively sat the clown down in his seat, and took of the general straightjacket -- but left a pair of handcuffs, as a safety measure.

"Well, hello beautiful."

The lazy purr of his voice unmistakeable as to the face behind the distinguishable voice; expression clearly smirking a bit now, however with a curve of a playful emotion etched into some of the muscles. Dark eyes were pinned against the figure of the woman, already intent on prying apart that Grade-A mind of hers, and utterly destroying it. Honestly, the act itself wouldn't be anything personal; unless she managed to seriously piss him off.

[Harley Quinn]

As the guards pulled and pushed her new patient into his seat and out of his bindings, Harleen let off a cool glare. They had been in the same room for a few simple moments, and the guards had already disrupted her plans. Not that she wanted the guards in the room at all; she wanted her patient to feel as if his secrets were safe with her. She wanted to convey a message of safe place in the room, to each of her patients. She wanted them to be comfortable, and open, she needed them to be, for her own personal gain (afterall, a book doesn't sell when it's full of lies). There was no way anyone could feel comfortable being manhandled like that.

"Well hello, beautiful."

Harleen felt her mouth curve into an unwelcome smile. She knew she was beautiful. It was an ever-necessary plan B in her attempts to get just what she wanted. But the simple sentence served as a reminder for something that rarely was mentioned. There were other reminders, the glare of a portly woman twice her age, the whistle from construction workers when she walked down the street, but she was never one for such subtleties. Needless to say, the sound of his flattery and attention put her in a considerably better mood.

"It's Doctor Quinzel, Mr. Joker." Her response was stiff and humorless. She needed to maintain the professional mannerisms that were so important the stuffed shirt psychiatrists that ran the building, if she was to keep such an extravagant patient. She let out a little huff at their faces in her mind. They didn't seem to mind her smiles and the flutter of her eyelashes when she spoke to them, but she knew if they saw her smiling at a patient, a sincere smile, not the false-caring bullshit they served up when they spoke, she would be served a sharp reprimand, maybe even a demotion. How did they expect her to get a patient to open up without being caring? It didn't matter now. She always had blackmail from her affair with the head of the board to maintain her job.

She opened the file once again, trying to maintain an air of casualty, though she remembered the document line by line and looked down at the wrong page.

She let her tongue make a 'tsk' noise.

"Well, quite frankly, I'm surprised you're even awake right now..."

[Joker]

[j o k e r.][/color][/font]
she loves the way that i tease



Oh yes, eat it up darling.

Joker had heard a small deal about this new girl at Arkham -- and all were incredibly good: brains, definitely. Good worth ethic. But everyone had failed considerably in mentioning just how damn attractive she was. His own mind had concoted someone older, perhaps sterner, and much more experienced. But she was but a lamb, and he, the lion. That smile that peeled across her features only confirmed his beliefs, egging him on silently in their not-so-private quarters. Considering how young she appeared, he figured she would be less wound-up then his other doctors. More liberal, a bit of a wild-child, maybe; and perhaps somewhere underneath that business facade there was. But that was not whom she was presenting to himself. A little chuckle escaped with her correction, causing him to lean out of his chair, a little bit.

"Aw, c'mon now, Doctor Quinzel, don't ruin all of my fun! I'm already locked up, aren't I?"

For now, his subconscious chirped; causing a little brightness of recognition to illuminate his fathomless gaze. The painted curl of his lips broaded some, a leg crossing over the other, arms folded behind his head in a leisurely manner. Wrists twisted a couple of times, as if testing the durability of his newest accessories, before directing his full attention back to her. Broad shoulders shrugged; an feigned air of innonence and purity birthed. "This is a special occasion-ah. Wouldn't miss it for the world." Joker's gaze shifted to the half a dozen rent-a-cops posted in the room, a scowl tugging across his crimson mouth and behind; this would most certainly not do.

"Y'know, I like what I've heard about you: especially the name, Harleen Quinzel. Oh yes, I know." He crooned happily like a proud peacock from his seating, heel bouncing a little from its perch across his kneecap. "Rework it a bit, and you get Harley Quinn!" The pitch was full of as much honest mirth as he could muster, ignoring any suspicious glances from eyes beyond that of the good, new doctor. An eyebrow raised in curiousity to register her reaction -- any and all of the tiny emotions that were boud to flutter across those soft features of hers, and ruin that pristine appearance for something much more....real. Or so he hoped, anyway.

"It's a name that puts a smile on my face," Emphasized by that trademark grin, maped out by pointer fingers on each cuffed hand, going all the way to the end of his poorly stitched scars. "Makes me feel like there is someone here I can relate too. Someone, who might want to hear my secrets." His voice dropped a little intentionally, like it was some kind of pact to be made verbally; an offer that held an expiration date, and certainly wouldn't come around often, to anyone, if ever again to the same person. And with a last, infinitive gesture to all the Arkham goons in the room, who were there to ensure the safetly of Miss Quinzel, he commented in a singsong voice:

"But, I don't like to share....excessively."

[Harley Quinn]

"Well, alright." She gave in. It was true; he was locked up, and there were no other women on the ward. Well, no one she considered a woman...though, some of them did have all the necessary equipment. She could hardly blame him for pointing out the obvious.

But. for some reason, his smile made hers less shy.

"Y'know, I like what I've heard about you: especially the name, Harleen Quinzel. Oh yes, I know." He paused."Rework it a bit, and you get Harley Quinn!

She knew why her parents had given her the name; the same reason all those damn celebrities gave their children names like Zelda and Apple and Bandit. They wanted to seem meaningful and unique, when really, all she was to them was just another thing to check off their list.

“Like the clowns? Oh, I’ve heard it before.”

Twice. She had heard it twice before, though she was sure it was said many more times. The first time she heard it, she was fourteen years old, and had just perfected a gymnastics move not even her teacher could master, just as the woman had finished saying it was impossible for any of the students to do. Harley remembered the woman saying it with spite in her voice, though she attempted to sound warm. Harley Quinn. Like she was a circus freak, like she was unwelcome. The second time she had heard it was on her twenty-first birthday. Rumors were flying around the college campus, rumors about her and at least two professors. Harlequin. Like the novels. But she didn’t mind; attention was attention. She soaked it up like a sponge.

She took notes as he told her how much he enjoyed her name, describing his mannerisms, and the way he spoke, dotting several question marks next to her possible diagnosis of schizophrenia, underlining a drug and writing a new dosage. The second he mentioned his secrets her pen stopped dead in its tracks. She stared down at the paper, her apathetic look turning into a smirk. With his secrets, maybe even a confession or two her book would be…why, it would be a best seller! She could feel the lights of cameras on her, for being the one person who truly understood Gotham's most infamous criminal. Unfortunately there was one problem. Actually, six or seven problems.

"Oh, I know what you mean." She glared up into the faces of each and every one of the problems, then allowed her eyes to look back across the table. She smiled the smile she only could when she know she would get her way. "And I'm sure I can arrange a much more private setting for us to chat."

After all, she had the board of this hospital wrapped around her finger.

[Joker]

[j o k e r.][/color][/font]
i will find you


"Then surely you must know how entertaining such a name can be! The possibilities are endless."


Her promises, unlike the others, wasn't some empty bottle just being tossed around in the air; like something that could be, but wouldn't. No, he firmly believed this woman was fascinated with him -- not they he knew why, exactly, she hadn't experienced his redeeming qualities -- and was fully bent on exploiting them without a second thought. Oh, and that name. It was like some sick accident waiting to happen: a Joker, and his Harley Quinn. Much too rich to be passed up, unless of course she proved to be much more trouble then she was worth, heh! "I would like that. I would like it. A. Lot." He popped the consonant with a smirk, enjoying how the guards would visibly flinch at any strange accentuation he decided to throw it; and he reveled in the power he had other them, even know.


As of right now his goal was to find the Harley beneath the exterior he was being shown so shamelessly; being a man to work with all kinds of people, it didn't take him long to recognize a front. The woman beneath was only a fraction of the 'Dr.' on business -- something much more then simply a psychiatrist seeking to pave her name in gold, and live the life of luxury. "There are so many things that I can tell you," And as if he was about to spill one of his sought-after secrets he leaned in, and seeing how they weren't too far away, wasn't wary of breaking any personal space issues; taking long, calculated breaths and making sure to pin her with his immaculate gaze. "So many things I can show you." The natural sexual innuendo was leered without a second thought; not above trying to create primal attraction or need to begin the stages of probing and breaking. Besides, it only fed his ego that much more.


"Watch it, clown." One of the guards hissed from his position by the door; pudgy face twisted into a sneer, gaze fixed into a glare that would've killed him if looks could do that. But of course, Joker simply shrugged it off and returned it with a creepy smile of his own, head inclining a bit in the gutsy guards direction. "At least I'm more then confident in my prowess to express it freely," He taunted, swishing his index finger back and fourth in that 'tsk, tsk' manner -- and didn't even breath differently when said muscle gave a disgruntled, low commentary of expletives, crackling his knuckles, and looking very much like he was going to wake on over and start a fight. "color=purple]You're gonna wish you didn't say that.[/color]" This only made the Joker snicker, holding back a fit of rolling laughter that was threatening to explode from the collar of his issued Arkham clothing.

"Geez, and I thought my jokes were bad."

[/size]

[Harley Quinn]

"Oh yes, there are always new uses for a name like mine."

And there were. Whether they were insult or compliment, her name was always one to be talked about. Needless to say, she loved a name like hers.

"I would like that. I would like it. A. Lot...There are so many things that I can tell you."


Her spine tingled with the dramatization of the word.

"So many things I can show you"

Before she had time to react a security guard opened his mouth to retort, obviously in her defense.

Oh look- she thought, an almost snigger in her inner voice - we're bonding.

It was fascinating to her, the affect he had on people. It took just a split second and one small sentance for a normally calm gentlemen to be violent with him.

She smirked. Certainly, she could use this to her advantage.

"Excuse me sir, but did I ask for your assistance in dealing with my patient?" She snapped, her eyes narrowing just a tad, the cool demeanor she had previously maintained returning without a second thought. How dare he interfere with their conversation! Anything at all the Joker had to say could help her diagnose, and help her. Besides, how could she bond with him, learn his secrets if he was afraid to speak his mind?

I was under the impression psychiatric meetings were supposed to be uncensored, and judgementless. Surely they must have mentioned that in...well, whatever training you need to be a- a-" she paused, a look of disgust flashing across her face, allowing her hand to flit, a gesture making the fact that they were unwanted there completely known.

"a security guard. Now, in order to further this session I'm going to have to ask you to wait outside. All of you."

"Miss Quinzel, I assure you we're only here for your protection." One of them stammered, adrenalyn pumped from the nerves and fright that an average person would feel when thrown into Arkham Asylum.

"It's Doctor Quinzel. And for heaven sakes, he's as strapped down as he's ever going to get, and I've got my panic button right here" She pulled the little button in an angry little hand motion from it's chain around her neck. "Now I'm ordering you to go. Now."

And with that, there she was with a psychopathic, murdering criminal clown.

alone.

[Joker]

[j o k e r.][/color][/font]
you're the girl i've been dreamin' of


"Mmm, I like a girl with a bit of a backbone." But not too much; cause too much spirit just made things too troubling, and less amusing.

He was hardly surprised when the woman came to his defense; with a spark of fire he had not guessed would be inside such a lady. However, it wasn't disappointing in the least. A huge triumphant grin was shot toward the idiotic guards, as they were prompted to leave my the doctor -- rather flabbergasted at her request, too. "That's right; listen to the little lady." The Joker's taunt didn't go unnoticed, but when faced with his own smirking facade and the fired up woman, it looked like things were not within the guards favor; as he left with the others, although begrudgingly so.

Well, well, well....Looks like it wasn't a complete waste to get rounded back up.

"Now Harley," He purred with a gaze at half-mast; taking on a hint of a seductive phase to appear even more alluring then his usually self-destructive self was. "What would you like to learn?" It seemed so casual, as if they had been friends forever and he was simply giving her a history lesson on a missed class -- when in fact, it was free ticket to some part of his mind. The only downside was that he was a goddamn liar when it came to these therapy sessions; and anything that spewed from his mouth could be a completely fake, a figment of his imagination. But, it could also be truth, or at least in part, and that was the beauty of it all! No one really knew, no one except himself.

[Harley Quinn]

"That's right; listen to the little lady."

She heard the taunt in his voice and couldn't help but wonder what the implications of the tone were. She imagined the chains of his handcuffs pulled around her neck, the feeling of not being able to breathe. Harley let out a little choking sound and a cough, snapping back into the reality.

"Now Harley," His voice pulled her in, like a moth to flames. "What would you like to learn?"

"Well, it all depends on where you want to start." Her voice took on the same salacious tone she always used when she was trying to persuade someone to help her to get her way. Harley placed her pen in the messy bun she wore , causing strands of snow-colored hair to fall forward, creating a frame around her face. She leaned forward, like she was about to hear the secret location of a gold mine, placing her elbows down against her knees. She wore a look in her eyes that was nearly threatening, as if to demand answers. "Though maybe you could tell me how you got those scars?"

[Joker]

[j o k e r.][/color][/font]
no one is safe on these streets

"Though maybe you could tell me how you got those scars?"


Why was he not surprised? Of course many of the other doctors preferred to work from his childhood and up -- not that he gave them much of a childhood, anyway -- but she got straight to the point. Thus with a smile on he leaned back in a chair a bit, and wiggled around some; getting comfy, like the story was gonna take a long while. Red lips smacked together in thought before gaze flickered over to the curious doctor, the slightest inclination of his skull causing poorly dyed locks to fall over his ear. "Well, you see...I had a wife once, and she was beautiful, like you. But she liked to gamble alot; and I didn't question it, 'cause I just wanted her happy! Anyway, one day, she comes home all carved up, and is just an absolute wreck. I love her, and just wanted her to know I didn't care about the scars -- so I put a razor blade in my mouth, and did this," He motioned to his own handy work. "to myself....And you know what? She couldn't stand the sight of me! Ha! Now, I see the funny side. Now, I'm always smiling."

It didn't seem foreign at all to relay the story; hell, he had even told it to that Dawes girl at Harvey's party! With all of his past loose-ends tied up, there was no need to worry about an ex-girlfriend claiming she knew who the Joker was; or an old buddy who just came home to find his best friend in high school was now a mass murder. No, his past life was dead; it didn't even exist anymore. Now, it was just the Joker. "Would you like to have some of you're own? I do them for free,"

[Harley Quinn]

She didn't know what it was; maybe it had been the casualty of the way he told the story. Maybe it had been the thought that a man would love a woman so much. Maybe it was just the look in his eyes, or the smile on his face. But for some reason, as he spoke the words, her heart sank deep into the pit of her stomach, resting in it's acids. Something about his story (whether it was true or false, she didn't care) had hit some string somewhere deep inside Harley, and for once in the girl's life she felt something besides a constant, unyielding selfishness. For some reason, she knew she couldn't use him. She couldn't even write it down.

"How incredibly..." Her voice cracked as she searched for the right words and found none, letting the sentence trail off into nothingness.

"Would you like to have some of you're own? I do them for free."

She felt herself smile, though she wasn't sure why.

"Well, Mr. Joker, that would be lovely, but I don't think they would fit my face as well as they do yours." She replied. In fact, she kind of liked them. Indeed, they were crooked and a bit poorly stitched, but they seemed to fit his character just right. She was sure most people would find scars such as these frightening, but to her they looked completely natural.

"So...What happened to your wife? Where is she now?"

[Joker]

[j o k e r.][/color][/font]
a life without rules


Joker knew that he had her with that little story -- it was always the ultimate clincher, and it was adjusted as necessary to fit the situation. But this was just so perfect! A little, low chuckle escaped; head shaking side-to-side some. "Oh, I could find a way." However he had no intentions of carving up her face, well, at least not anywhere in the near future. It was too soon, and this little doctor could prove to be of a very great use to him, after all. Especially since she smiled at him, which was an odd thing for others whom were supposedly 'sane' to do. Nevertheless, he didn't let his curiosity show to much; yet he had a feeling she was just a little riot waiting to explode under the right...care.

"So...What happened to your wife? Where is she now?" Questions, questions, questions! She was a prodding little kitty, now, wasn't she?

"Her hm? Well, after we managed to lay all of our differences across the table, she decided to go on a permanent, uh, vacation. Trust me, she's so much better off there," He cooed happily, yet there was a darkness curved into his features; obviously this 'vacation' he spoke of wasn't all that nice. Regardless he grinned and tapped his foot against the floor some, head inclining to regard the doctor carefully to his somewhat riddling words.

"She was just so full of lies, and I-ah, hate liars. Never did see the big picture -- and that's the problem with everyone, these days."

[Harley Quinn]

Come one, come all, witness the fall.

---------------------------------------

"Well, who says that humans have to be problem-free? I prefer to think of it like...everyone has their little quirks. People are liars. People are thieves.And yeah, people usually don't see the big picture. "

People are crazy.

She flipped her hair with a little shake of her head, her own smile darkening just slightly, so that if you weren't paying attention you just might miss it. She straightened her back and placed her now idle hands in her lap. Her voice had even changed, just a tiny bit, the sound of the accent she had worked rigorously to rid herself of spreading it's self across her vowels, taking over her sentences.

"But if everyone were honest and trust-worthy and thought the same, where would the fun be?"

But which people are and which people are not?

The door creaked open once again, the sound of shuffling feet and the fumble of a guardsmen trying to open the buckles of a straight jacket filled the air.

And maybe they had already made some progress.

[Joker]

[j o k e r.][/color][/font]
i'm hell in your eyes


"Oh, I know that!"

His rough giggle vibrating through his chest while he swayed in his seat ever so slightly, a huge grin plastered across his face; fingers wiggling in unseen anticipation for whatever that brain of the Joker's had cooked up. "I do hate them, but, they just give me more people to kill! Ha! Ha! Ha!" The man's laughter went full-blown now, feet even stomping on the floor a little within his own overwhelming joy. It seemed as though the only person who could understand that madman's jokes, were himself, after all.

"But if everyone were honest and trust-worthy and thought the same, where would the fun be?"

That caused him to die down a little, barely noticing the guards who were ready to haul him away. Head tilted as he regarded the woman carefully, allowing a few loose ends to click close. Looks like there IS something off about this lady, too! The thought made his heart bubble with excitement; somewhere, he had a feeling she was just a riot underneath the surface, waiting the break out -- and he'd be the one to offer the hammer, too.

"Awh, ah, looks like our time's up, doc. Until next time, hmmm?" Joker purred, subconsciously licking his ruby-stained mouth before being enclosed by overly buff men on either side, grumbling, barely leaving enough time for him to wiggle his fingers goodbye from their awkward position and was being led back to his own cell.

[Harley Quinn]

You're perfectlyflawed

------------------------------

Harley knew it was wrong. She just knew it. But the smile was still pressed to her lips, a consequence of his laughter. It was wrong to smile when a man had just expressed his need to kill humans, people with wives and jobs and mortgages and children. She knew it wasn't right that when he was crazed with the inside joke that his words insinuated that she could only think of reaching out and touching him. She knew it was wrong, but maybe that's why she liked it so much. It was forbidden, maybe that's why Harley wanted it so much.

"Awh, ah, looks like our time's up, doc. Until next time, hmmm?"

"It would appear so. Goodbye then, Mr. Joker." She couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment that their time together had come to an end for the day. But she remained optimistic; after all, there was always tomorrrow.