Harley takes the cup offered to her, and nuzzles back against Goro when he reclaimed his seat on the bed. She gets closer to him, so there is space on the bed on the other side of her for Amelia to sit, if the other woman so desires.
"When I left university, I thought I was ready to conquer the world. I was in my 20s... I was confident. Bold. And smart enough to pass the tests that played by the rules... and daring enough to break the rules when necessary."
"I was no innocent when I walked into Arkham, believing that I could solve the twisted mind of Joker. But I was still too naïve to deal with him."
Harley twirls a lock of blonde hair in her fingers. Goro and Amelia might know her well enough to realize she does this when she is upset. Or nervous.
"He pretended that he came from a broken home. Like me. He pretended that he had an abusive father. Like me. He lied to me over and over again, until I thought that we had so much in common... that it made sense to believe every word that he told me."
"And I believed him that he would only get better, if he was able to escape Arkham. I got him a gun... his Goon Squad raided the whole place. They captured me." Harley closed her eyes. "He put me on a table, and decided to see how far he would push my dedication to him... with electro-shock therapy."
"I survived that. It only made him angry. It was not what he had expected."
"He took me to his Factory, where they were making vats and vats of his infamous Joker Toxin. He took me to the catwalk, where we could see everything. And he held a gun to my head." Harley shivered. "He asked me if I would die for him. I told him yes. He said that was too easy..."
"He asked me if I would live for him. And I..." Harley shivered again. "Jumped. Into a vat of Joker Toxin."
"You have to realize the only other person who survived drowning in Joker Toxin was Joker himself..."
"And he thought for certain that I had died. For him. And I did." Harley looked up at the ceiling. "I saw my life flash before me. I felt the Joker Toxin consume me. I laughed myself to death. Glorious Glorious Death."
"The next thing I remembered was seeing a shadow come towards me... it was Joker. He had dove into the vat after me. I thought it was to save me." Harley gasped sharply, drawing in a sobbing breath. "I lived again. But I had been re-born. I was his Precious Porcelain Doll."
"And because of him... those memories haunt me every 16th of February. The moment when everything changed."
Trigger Warnings... it's Harley's backstory. they are there
"When I left university, I thought I was ready to conquer the world. I was in my 20s... I was confident. Bold. And smart enough to pass the tests that played by the rules... and daring enough to break the rules when necessary."
"I was no innocent when I walked into Arkham, believing that I could solve the twisted mind of Joker. But I was still too naïve to deal with him."
Harley twirls a lock of blonde hair in her fingers. Goro and Amelia might know her well enough to realize she does this when she is upset. Or nervous.
"He pretended that he came from a broken home. Like me. He pretended that he had an abusive father. Like me. He lied to me over and over again, until I thought that we had so much in common... that it made sense to believe every word that he told me."
"And I believed him that he would only get better, if he was able to escape Arkham. I got him a gun... his Goon Squad raided the whole place. They captured me." Harley closed her eyes. "He put me on a table, and decided to see how far he would push my dedication to him... with electro-shock therapy."
"I survived that. It only made him angry. It was not what he had expected."
"He took me to his Factory, where they were making vats and vats of his infamous Joker Toxin. He took me to the catwalk, where we could see everything. And he held a gun to my head." Harley shivered. "He asked me if I would die for him. I told him yes. He said that was too easy..."
"He asked me if I would live for him. And I..." Harley shivered again. "Jumped. Into a vat of Joker Toxin."
"You have to realize the only other person who survived drowning in Joker Toxin was Joker himself..."
"And he thought for certain that I had died. For him. And I did." Harley looked up at the ceiling. "I saw my life flash before me. I felt the Joker Toxin consume me. I laughed myself to death. Glorious Glorious Death."
"The next thing I remembered was seeing a shadow come towards me... it was Joker. He had dove into the vat after me. I thought it was to save me." Harley gasped sharply, drawing in a sobbing breath. "I lived again. But I had been re-born. I was his Precious Porcelain Doll."
"And because of him... those memories haunt me every 16th of February. The moment when everything changed."