IC; Duplicity Inbox

[redrighthanded]

text | voice | video | action

content warning: some threads may be nsfw and contain references to violence and occult practices

Comments

[mahem]

[ casual affection isn't anything she ever pays that much attention to; her boundaries are somewhat nonexistent, and her focus can tend to be even more flighty, so it doesn't even occur to her that it's anything out of the ordinary for him as she swivels on her feet so that they're still walking hand-in-hand, her skating forward to match his longer strides —

— only to skid to another stop that results in him dragging her along by a few feet while her head tilts questioningly. ]

Guess I shouldn't be surprised you've heard of him, too, if you know about the Bat. [ but she shakes her head at the name he drops for her, resuming her skate again. ] Doesn't ring any bells. But... yeah, Joker and I were a thing. Almost inseparable, really, until we weren't. Sometimes I think Batman didn't even care that much about botherin' with me, though, 'cept by association. [ now she's off on a specific tangent, though, launching into another admission. ] You know, I came up with some of his best plans. But J always took all the credit for 'em.

[redrighthanded]

[ That sudden stop makes him regret pursuing that note of curiosity; he's relieved when she comes back to his side. The idea of her being with someone that causes the kind of chaos the Batman has to deal with isn't particularly worrying for him. He's used to negotiating the arbitrary lines in the sand that tend to get drawn around what people consider "bad guys", usually with him on the other side, and knows better than to assume things are that black and white.

He glances over and down at her, giving her hand a tiny experimental squeeze. ]

Sounds like a real great guy. [ He lets the irony hang heavy in his tone. ] You think this other version of you is still with him?

[mahem]

Oh, I'm almost positive she is if she's rockin' that whole harlequin aesthetic still. But yeah, we —

[ she stops herself before she can let the lie spill out, the lie she's let herself tell so many people so many times, the lie where the breakup was mutual and that it was both their decision rather than what the truth actually is, that he tossed her out on the curb like just another piece of garbage. ]

He... dumped me. [ it's out there now, no takebacks, and maybe she feels better about saying it because of how hellboy's holding her hand, giving that brief squeeze, like she can trust him to not blab that secret. ] And before I mighta thought that we could get back together, but it was for good this time. Honestly, it ended up bein' the best thing that could've happened, in the long run. 'Cause I got to do me, finally.

[redrighthanded]

[ Hellboy makes a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat as they walk along. He's tempted to offer his opinion on what he'd like to do to this guy who uses people and throws them away, but he decides to save it. As it is, he finds he can sympathise; his last and, really, only meaningful relationship had ended in a similar way, feelings on his side unable to be returned, and he'd had to accept it and move on whether he wanted to or not.

He rubs his thumb over Harley's fingers, trying to be comforting. ]

Get out on your own. I can understand that. [ He's spent most of his life that way, after all. ] Sometimes you're the only person you can rely on.

[mahem]

... yeah. [ it's encouraging, really, knowing that he gets it, at least partly understands where she's coming from — hell, has even heard of her ex, although apparently not enough to have his own opinion on the guy yet.

and she feels better having said the truth of it out loud too, because he doesn't let the silence linger between them, doesn't let her feel awkward about it before he's already offering something on his end. it makes her expression lift before she glances up, realizing they're almost to the corner of the street and the diner's just across the way. ]

Ooh, we're here! [ she points in the right direction with her other hand, tugging on his in her excitement. ] I swear, you will not be disappointed.