Somewhere on the Mainland; Tuesday Evening

[totalwildcard]

It was rare these days that Harley had plans, let alone ones that were less immediate than later in the same day at most. Funny what power a "could be free Tuesday" spoken on a Thursday could have! Because now it was Tuesday, and the "could be" had turned into an "am" - and Harley had plans she'd actually put a little bit of effort into!

Or bribed Cass to do something for her ahead of time on the mainland. Potayto, tomahto.

They'd taken the car off the island. It was parked a few blocks away now, to draw less attention to where they were actually going - which was a warehouse, but an old-timey one, all nice red brick, one whose actual warehouse days were long gone. If Marc had paid attention to any of the signage before they'd rounded the corner to the back of the building, he may have caught something about "circus arts".

Harley consulted Cass's messages on her phone to find the right door, then stepped up to it, and rapped a rhythmic knock against it. It wasn't Shave and a Haircut; it was something much more convoluted than that.

"Us circus folk like an elaborate knock," she told Marc with a smirk.

She was not actually circus folk except by a very long stretch, and the knock she'd just performed would not be familiar to anyone.

(NFB and for the one gently modded)

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

Marc had checked in that Watts would be okay on his own. Supposedly the nightmares had faded enough for it to be fine so the night was clear.

And Marc hadn't exactly had a problem not being around the past few days. He didn't want to even without extra reason for Steven to be front and center. Which actually made Marc feel a little shitty because Steven hadn't been having a wholly easy time of it either and while Watts was great with that it was also supposed to be Marc's job to keep Steven from dealing with any of that in the first place and -

- and Marc really needed a distraction. Like whatever this was.

"Circus folk," he said. He looked Harley over like she was suddenly going to sprout a lion tamer's outfit.

[totalwildcard]

Don't worry, Marc, she was just at her regular levels of clown.

"What?" Harley asked, her smirk relentless. "Doncha know what a harlequin is? Should look it up sometime!"

[hasaknightjob]

"Why bother when I already know the original?" Marc replied, giving her a smirk.

[totalwildcard]

"I think the original is hundreds of years back in Italy," Harley couldn't help pointing out, although not without a pleased smirk right back at him, because: "But I like the way you think."

She rapped on the door a second time, impatient.

[hasaknightjob]

"Why am I gonna hang out with some dead person instead of you?" Marc replied.

[totalwildcard]

Harley snickered. "Hey, I don't know everything about what you like," she retorted, "I dunno what all your kinks are!"

The door opened. If the bored-looking guy(?) on the other side had heard the last part, it hadn't impressed him into any particular facial expression. "You Claudine?" he asked, eyeing Harley up and down.

"Why yes, yes I am!" Harley replied, with a big grin and an outrageous fake accent, clearly going for something fancy. "And this is Pierre!" Yes, that was you, Marc. Easy to tell from her big flourish of a gesture at him. "Say hi, Pierre!"

[hasaknightjob]

Marc gave a look as dry as desert sand.

"Hi, Pierre."

[totalwildcard]

Harley gave him a very disappointed pout - for about half a second, before turning her attention back on their gatekeeper.

"Jugglers, they got a terrible sense of humor!" she said.

He just gave her an expectant look. Not even the tiniest hint of a smile! Harley rolled her eyes. "Oh, lemme guess, you're a juggler too?" she scoffed, reaching into... somewhere in her top for some cash. "Fine. Here's what my lovely assistant promised ya."

The guy took the money. And took way too long - in Harley's unbiased opinion - to count it.

"What, it's all there, I promise! Cross my heart, and lungs!"

[hasaknightjob]

Marc thought it'd been a fairly solid joke. Which said a lot about his sense of humor, on the odd chance people hadn't figured that out yet.

He watched all this go down with the cash, trusting Harley had a handle on it.

[totalwildcard]

It was clearly the clandestine deal of the century! Or at least of the Tuesday evening currently in progress.

Either way, after the interminable counting was over, the guy stepped out of the way and half-heartedly mutter something about rules, where the main room was, and 'clean up whatever mess you make'. Harley gave him a winning smile and a dismissive wave. "Oh, we know how all this works! Thanks so much, ta-ta, I'm relieving you from your post!"

Or something!

[hasaknightjob]

"We're gonna be alone?" Marc asked.

[totalwildcard]

"Were you hopin' for adult supervision?" Harley quipped, as their now-former gatekeeper heaved his bag onto his shoulder.

She sailed in through the door, past him.

[hasaknightjob]

"Nobody wants it to be me," Marc replied as he followed her in.

Enjoying the view, as always.

[totalwildcard]

"Oh, I like you supervisin' me just fi--"

The door closed after the guy. Harley abandoned her thought immediately, choosing to clap her hands together excitedly instead.

"Finally! Let's explore."

[hasaknightjob]

Marc looked around. "Roomy."

[totalwildcard]

"Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet!" Harley enthused, grabbing his hand so she could drag him further into the building.

No, she didn't even think twice about taking his hand. But was that even any sort of surprise by now?

[hasaknightjob]

Marc similarly didn't stop her from taking his hand, so there was that too.

He followed along, mostly watching her. And not just for the normal view.

[totalwildcard]

Harley looked excited like a kid in a candy store. Or an adult in a candy store, if that adult happened to be Harley.

She led Marc towards where the guy had gestured the main room would be, and was not disappointed. They entered a big, tall practice space, with safety padding on the floor, mattresses available off to the sides, and various aerial apparatus hanging from the ceiling - including long strips of fabric reaching all the way to the floor.

"Yes, here we are!"

[hasaknightjob]

"We sure are," Marc said.

He had no idea what he was looking at. The general pieces, sure. How they went together not so much.

[totalwildcard]

Lucky for him, that was sort of why they were there!

Harley snickered and pulled away from him, half already kicking her shoes off as she did, then finishing the job when she had. "You'll learn!"

What, she knew he had no idea.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc wasn't any better at hiding that than he was at being Pierre.

"Where am I going?" he asked, since he figured this was a get out of her way situation.

[totalwildcard]

"Anywhere you want!" Harley told him, with a bright grin that turned suddenly into a very serious look of admonishing. "But if you don't take your shoes off before steppin' on the mats, I will have to yell at ya!"

Serious business!

[hasaknightjob]

Marc looked around. "Can I sit?"

[totalwildcard]

"Sure, if ya want!" Harley replied, looking around for -- "Ooh, see, looks like they've even got folding chairs over there!"

Where 'over there' was the edge of the room, where there was a stack of folded-up folding chairs.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc went to get one, bringing it over and setting it up where it looked like it'd be out of the way but have a view of the main part of the room. "Here good?"