BETA ROUND 1 WEEK 4: RETURNING TO THE HUB

[worldkeys]

Who: The White Rabbit and the Alices.
What: Ken's World has concluded, and everyone is probably in awful shape. Surgeries sure are fun. As are vivisections!
Where: The World Hub.
Warnings: Probably talk of what went on, potentially violence knowing this lot. A lot of broken down people, maybe.

The White Rabbit seems exceptionally cheerful once they finally return, not at all the usual picture of impatience he tends to be.

"At last, we have only three World Keys left to get. His and his, and hers," he says, motioning to Lalli, a certain General, and Harley. "This is wonderful. Would that we could only be able to retrieve them at once... alas, we must continue as we have. A shame he ended up out here, but I see it served you well."

He nods to Sasuke.

"I am confident you all can retrieve the other three and return home."

He seems completely oblivious to the suffering you all have endured, it seems.

Comments

[miseris_socios]

[Harley... hurting her had hurt, on a vague level, even if they all knew that it had to be done. Ken looks up at her, at the black mask and the distressed expression,]

[He'd been afraid, when it had been his turn. He'd fought, but it didn't help. Was it better or worse to be on the operating side? He'd never asked Jin, when he snapped out of it. He'd thought it better not to. Even now he's not sure of the answer, though operating had seemed much more dull, the fear more blunt than sharp.]

[He tries to meet her eyes, tries to keep going even as the goop falls from him.]

... We're real.

[Just hold on to that, if nothing else. Even in this madness... they're real.]

[hesmypuddin]

[Her gaze lifts from where she'd been staring at her nearly bare midriff, the bells of her costume jingling slightly as she shifts.

Where her blue eyes had been full and vibrant, they had dulled to match her faded hair and clothes and seemed faraway and unfocused as she looks at Ken.]

Are we? How can ya be sure?

[She doesn't seem to argue his words, so much as seek reassurance. You wouldn't know, to hear her, that she was more than 10 years his senior.

Her hands hover over the phantom wound... a wound far more symbolic and personal than any surgery Ken could have ever put her through.

Her head tilts slightly to one side after a beat and she offers a faint smile, though it doesn't come close to reaching her eyes.]

It wasn't yer fault... don't want ya ta blame yerself, ya know?

[miseris_socios]

[He reaches out to push her gently, eyes narrowing in a little bit of a challenge.]

Because... if we weren't, I couldn't do that.

[But he shakes his head, hunching his shoulders slightly, the challenge disappearing from his face.]

It was my Heart. Of course it's my fault.

[hesmypuddin]

[Her eyes widen a touch at the shove before she grins back slightly.]

I think their may be a bit'a 'because I said so' ta yer argument, but I getcha. [Mostly. Or did she? Just because she understood, didn't mean she immediately agreed or believed... Her hands drop from where they're hovering near her abdomen and she shakes her head, moving in to lift and rest one of those gloved hands upon his shoulder.

Where'd he'd just bumped her to pull her out of her head, she squeezes and dips her own to catch his eye.]

Nuh-uh. Ya don't get ta choose what shit lurks in yer subconscious... Sure, ya can choose ya 'move on' and 'get better', but that stuff lingers, ya know? It comes back when ya least expect it, an' when ya least want it.

[She smiles, but it's no happy expression... more pained and apologetic.]

I feel like I should preemptively apologize for my own Heart... God knows the shit yer gonna hafta sludge through there. [Oh, she knew some of it that would likely be brought right out in the open, but she was still in denial. Her hand unconsciously falls to her stomach again as she speaks, remembering...

But was it a memory? Was it make believe? She didn't know.

She knew.

She shakes herself mentally, her distant gaze refocusing on Ken.]

We're a fucked up little troop here, but we're all we got, ya know?

[miseris_socios]

[He's tempted to pull away, but why? It doesn't matter. Most of this doesn't matter. Whatever she has in her Heart... it can't be as bad, right?]

Mm. I guess I should be glad you guys didn't have to fight Nyx there... but...

[It's hard to feel glad about anything. It doesn't matter. These are things to just push past.]

... I'm sure it'll be fine.

[hesmypuddin]

[As Rabbit is explaining else thread, they were all picked for this because they're a little fucked up; and Harley was by no means exempt from this. Certainly, her own issues were different than any others experienced thus far, and while not as bad in some ways, were possibly worse in others. Mental anguish and abuse were about equitable in her life to the physical abuse, but that was mild (in some ways) to the things she'd done at the Joker's side and behest.

Were those things worse? What of her autonomy? Her own self worth?

What kind of a person went back to that treatment again and again if they didn't deserve it? If they didn't like it?

Would they face the Joker? Arkham and her fellow inmates? The Joker's gas? Harley herself was immune to it, but what of the rest of them?

She offers a tight smile.]

I'll take yer word about the Nyx guy... an' try ta hold myself together.

[Easy enough to say, even if she's not feeling it truthfully.]

We got three more worlds until we get through this shit... we got this.

[Did they?]

[miseris_socios]

Mm. Two people had to sacrifice themselves to seal her away. It's... not a good sort of situation to drop people in, especially since some people here can't really fight.

[It could have been Ruana. But no, his Heart had seen through to what he was really afraid of - of course it did.]

We... have no choice. We can't stay here.

[hesmypuddin]

[Harley makes a soft sound in the back of her throat, but nods. They could try to say that all of those pulled into this were on equal footing, but that just wasn't so and they all knew it. However, she doesn't touch on that and moves to the latter with another nod.

I know... I know... [It doesn't mean she's happy about it, but she does know and accept it. She just doesn't want to go there... After seeing what the previous Hearts had uncovered, she dreads what might be pulled out of her own; especially with her inability to laugh her way out of it. She exhales softly, chafing her hands over her newly bared arms.]

Ain't no way ta prepare for anythin' we might find in the next one...

[And she hated that.]

[miseris_socios]

No. It's you, Liao, and Lalli left. ... Any warnings, in case it's yours?

[Then again, the way his Heart had gone... he'd expected some of it, but not in the way it had shown up, and seeing it was much, much harder than just describing it.]

[hesmypuddin]

[She makes herself focus on the question and what it could mean to their group; especially after everything they'd already been through. She exhales sharply between her teeth...]

Arkham Asylum, where I worked and then where I was locked up... escaped from and locked up in, again and again... My home away from home. [She smiles, but it's tight through her lips and he will likely notice how she begins to look increasingly uncomfortable.] Some of the worst criminals and psychopaths in Gotham called it home... I imagine we'll see some'a them. [A beat, her gaze darting away as she bites her lower lip sharply.] Mistah J... The Joker... He'll be in there somewhere... Maybe everywhere.

[miseris_socios]

[... He'd never been locked up like the others had, but he'd experienced enough restriction in the Tower to be uncomfortable with the concept. Criminals and psychopaths... he'd seen some of those in the Tower, too. But this Joker person... someone important to her. Maybe important enough that her Heart might make her face things about him.]

[He's not sure. He can only guess.]

We'll get through it. And besides... I won't let people get locked up in there. I'm pretty good at picking locks, anyway.