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

[manofmyword]

"Mm, could be. Could be she's put off by what happened to my first shrink, too."

[self_composed]

"Which was what?"

[manofmyword]

"Well, he decided he did want to fuck me," the Joker says matter-of-factly. "I put up with it for a while because he was funny, and then I killed him."

[self_composed]

Bella's not particularly fazed by lethal responses to things that fall under the umbrella of "rape". "Yes. I'd imagine that would remind people of their professional ethics, if that were an event in recent memory."

[manofmyword]

"She should know better, though, she's known me for long enough." He shrugs. "But maybe you're right. Maybe it'll be different when I get out."

[self_composed]

"I'm pretty sure her professional ethics are supposed to last even after you are no longer her patient, although she might not be technically at risk of losing her license at that point," Bella says.

[manofmyword]

"But why is it against professional ethics to fuck your patients?"

[self_composed]

"Issues of vulnerability and abuse potential," Bella says. "Of course the rules were designed because of that potential in one direction, but you know, I'm not so sure that there's not something sketchy about you having sex with someone who's spent any amount of time having it be her job to listen to you talk."

[manofmyword]

"Do tell," he says, giving her an unimpressed look.

[self_composed]

She shrugs. "What else is there to tell?"

[manofmyword]

"Why."

[self_composed]

"Because with a captive audience - mind you I say a captive audience, someone whose job is on the line if she just gets up and leaves, I'm not saying you're mistreating arbitrary people who can go as they please if you have sex with them - I think you could be unduly fascinating, at least to a certain kind of person who might be disproportionately likely to become a shrink. When the only winning move is not to play, anyone who has to play - loses."

[manofmyword]

"Mm," he says. "Nah. I don't buy it. I could be playing her, sure. But I'm not. I just—" he smiles briefly, there and then gone "—like her."

[self_composed]

Bella shrugs. "I am not infallible. I am Space Empress, not Space Pope."

[manofmyword]

"Like I said, though, I bet you guys'd get along. Doctor Quinzel," he says. "Harleen Quinzel. Funny, right? Keep an eye out."

[self_composed]

"Sure, why not?"

[manofmyword]

He hums to himself, looking down at his solitaire game.

Then he rubs his hand across the cards, stirring them into an irretrievable mess.

[self_composed]

Bella can't see Alice where he's at - he and his new friend have gone outside, which is not visible through the same window that leads to the exploding stars - but she checks to see when he's likely to want to go home.

[edgeofyourseat]

In a word, nope.

[manofmyword]

"Getting antsy?" the Joker inquires.

[self_composed]

"A little. If you're asleep, how do you go home? Do you just stay here indefinitely until you decide to try to take somebody's arm off?"

[manofmyword]

He points at the door.

"If I go out, I wake up." Smiling, "But mostly I don't go out."

[self_composed]

"Aha. Well, I can see how this'd compare favorably with an asylum."

[manofmyword]

"It's fun when I'm talking to Quinnie, but that's only once a week."

[self_composed]

"They only have you in therapy once a week, or you have multiple doctors?"