plotting to unnerve her

[self_composed]

Bella finds Milliways in the moon palace instead of one of her balconies.

"Huh," she says aloud.

Then, to Alice, Libby, Elena, and Mary, and Lazarus except he autoreplies with a busy message, [Hey folks, Moonstone Palace grew a bar that I don't remember putting in, come check it out.]

Comments

[self_composed]

"That doesn't surprise me overmuch," says Bella. "Both of them or just him?"

[manofmyword]

To answer this question as concisely as possible, he makes a blowing-up motion with his hands and adds the appropriate sound effect.

[self_composed]

"Mm. Mine's parents divorced rather acrimoniously as soon as there were public allegations. I've always found Judith sort of vaguely inoffensive. But I can understand not caring much if she was collateral damage."

[manofmyword]

"Yyyep," he says, "that sounds like mom. Never says a word as long as he can keep it under wraps, but once it gets out there—abandon ship!"

[self_composed]

"At the trial she said she was afraid he'd turn on her," Bella says.

[manofmyword]

He shrugs. "Maybe she was."

[self_composed]

"At any rate, Alice mostly doesn't live with her anymore. Hangs around the house sometimes - he's fond of the housekeeper, she's neat - but I made him an underground lair where he hangs out and bakes and sews and sets himself on fire."

[manofmyword]

The Joker flashes a quick, appreciative grin. "Sounds like the life."

[self_composed]

"He likes it," Bella says cheerily.

[manofmyword]

"I'll bet he does." He smirks slightly. "So are you two...?"

[self_composed]

"Oh, he fell in love with me way back in February," says Bella. "Then over the summer we zoomed around Europe a bit and I decided to kiss him on top of Mount Everest and start referring to him as my boyfriend to random people to whom such a reference might be called for."

[manofmyword]

He giggles.

"That's sweet," he says, clasping his hands to his chest. "Do you liiike him?"

[self_composed]

"...Yes?" Bella laughs. "Not in the habit of doing either of the above with anybody else."

[manofmyword]

"We-ell, you could just be after him for his pretty face."

[self_composed]

"He has got a pretty face, but nah, I also like him."

[manofmyword]

"Must be nice," he muses.

[self_composed]

"So," Bella says, "how about you? Also nice? Not so nice?"

[manofmyword]

"The girl I like threw me off a building last month," he says dreamily. "Caught me on the way down, but you can't have everything."

[self_composed]

"Why, were you hoping to splat? If you had Wolverine powers like me and Alice I think you'd be less visibly damaged. He burned off all his scars by setting himself on fire without fully thinking it through, and hasn't put them back so far."

[manofmyword]

"He have any good ones?" he inquires. "Or didja not see 'em all?"

[self_composed]

"I didn't personally lay eyes on all of them in person," Bella shrugs, "but I can read his mind and we also have perfect recall, so, if I'm ever curious, the information's there. There was one on his neck he sometimes touched as a nervous habit." She peers at the Joker, looking for a match. "The others had less... interesting... stories."

[manofmyword]

He tilts his head to the side and rubs at the makeup along the underside of his jaw, revealing a thin line. It's not quite the same scar, even accounting for age, but it's obviously a close relative.

"Like that?"

[self_composed]

"Similar. Not exact."

[manofmyword]

"And what was the story?"

[self_composed]

"You know, I'm not actually sure of the status of that story as a secret or not, and it's the sort of thing that might be. Are you interested enough for me to check in with him?"