"S'okay." Harvey admitted and then he came over and sat down next to Edward, putting his hand on his thigh in a comforting manner and slapping it lightly before he pulled away. "I had a client once who was going to Blackmate, he hurt a lot of people and apparently you were one of them but the Bat already took you to Arkham while you were unconscious. Anyway, I spoke to him and he told me 'I couldn't help it, I had the opportunity and the Riddler is fun to hit' and I remember thinking that it would have been nice to beat your ass all those years ago when you were just Ed Nygma."
Harvey hmmed and then turned to Ed, nodding in approval. "It's satisfying, I'm not gonna bullshit you. You're whinier than I expected though."
Or maybe he was about as whiny as expected. Hard to say. "And for the record, I do-- did kickboxing."
"Well then. I do tai chi, so if you ever come at me reeeeeally slowly, I'm gonna kick your ass." Edward rubbed his chest, still looking at Harvey. Touching established, some boundaries shifted. Some tension released and no major injuries. So far, he was taking it as a win. "Look, anyone who's into hitting me also wants to hear me whine about it, else why do it? If you do it really nicely, I can do more than whine, but I think you're a bit too vanilla for that talk."
He grinned at him, reaching out again. Harvey had touched him, therefore it seemed fair game to touch him again too, this time to place a hand on his arm. "You didn't get all of that bulk just from kickboxing, did you? Very impressive. Those suits didn't do you justice."
"Kickboxing, jogging, weight lifting, sometimes crossfit if I could find the time. I haven't worked out in a while, this ain't even my peak." Harvey lamented because it was strangely nice to have something resembling a normal conversation, even if it was with a fucking asshole like Nygma. It wasn't about his face or his change or anything like that. Working out. Very easy going, very nice. "I can bench press 127kg these days, my goal is 150 kg."
He only wished he could have fought Maroni fair and square. He'd never have gotten the acid even close. All it took was a fucking bullet in the end, when the game wasn't fun and he was lost in pain but it would have been nice to trash the bastard. "You lift?"
"Wow. You can almost lift me twice." That was hot, Edward had to admit. He was still feeling up Harvey's arm, since the man hadn't protested. Felt very nice, made him wonder what he looked like without a shirt. Especially with the burns, did they go down any further? It was fascinating in quite a number of ways, some of them more sexual than others. "I lift a little, but-- Compared to you? I lift twigs."
He flexed his free arm, then laughed, good-natured about it. He wasn't weak compared to the general population, but given how bulky most inmates tended to be? Yeah, he could get tossed around, whenever he wasn't careful with his leverage. "I work out for looks more than anything. Looks and stamina. What can I say? I like to be pleasing in all the ways when I'm vying for attention."
"I did it for health and protection. I got a lot of death threats, got a lot of attacks, lots of rogues breaking in." Harvey had provoked and it was like poking an ants nest. Once he provoked, more came out and then there were fucking everywhere, ruining his good time. The Joker in his home, Falcone's men following him home, Maroni in his court - it was a fucking nightmare. "If you ever want to improve your reps... we're here a while."
And Harvey had no idea what to do with that. He was humiliated to be here, angry and frustrated with the world and not sure how one went about breaking out.
"Does this place had a gym? I assume not. Seems like a lot of damage could be done if you give the joker something weighted..."
"Used to have one, didn't last. Killer Croc has a pool downstairs, I guess." More or less, anyway. "I'd not recommend taking a dip there." For very obvious reasons. "I do resistance training. Kinesiology really helps. I've had to get creative for whenever I'm stuck here, though my home gym set-up is beautiful right now."
He missed it, honestly. Alas, nothing to be done about it. "We're not going to be on a similar regime though, I've a feeling that we're going for widely different looks. Look at you, all butch and handsome."
He could get into it. "I like the growl when you're angry, really goes with your general vibe. I can never pull that off, I'm better at sounding affronted."
"If you say so." Well, he guessed Edward was as weird and as queer as he had been when he first met him. He didn't mind, he knew that this was the way Edward was and he was trying to just make peace with it. He smiled at Edward, with only one side capable of moving. "Guess you got a point, we aren't exactly in the same league. Though all I'm going for is strong enough to hold my own, I ain't looking for a vibe."
He was supposed to be here for a couple of years but he assumed it'd never work like that so he was mostly just killing time until the inevitable. He would have to find new ways to keep in shape, he supposed he could work on his legs more.
"I never had a home gym. Gilda wanted the spare room to be ..." Fuck. "A kid's room, you know?" No, he didn't. He was a rogue, why would he know? "I need to get a new place, that's gonna be a bitch."
Ed wasn't sure what to say to that exactly. Kid's room. Gilda. No, family life wasn't really his thing, wasn't any rogue's thing. Had never been his thing. That might be consistent too, something they all had in common. Instead of saying something, he patted Harvey's shoulder, looking sympathetic. How disorienting that had to be for him. A whole different life, entirely shattered.
He didn't have to fake the sympathy. "It won't be that difficult to get a new place. Not if you know what you're going for. I know a bit about the market, if you let me know... I've a feeling part of you might already have an idea."
It was all about the theme and the pizzazz. He had seen enough of what this man right here was capable of. "Then you can have a home gym. Or whatever else is to your tastes. My primary concern was broadband."
"I just want something to hit, that's all I need." How did it feel to be pitied by Edward Nygma? Not great. He didn't know why he shared, he didn't know why he said things, he just wished he could stop. He wished he was harder, he wished he didn't have to deal. It was easier with Two-Face, he always knew how to handle the ugly emotions. Probably always had cause Harvey certainly never did. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly before yawning. It was quite the sight, Harvey yawning, his face was an experience to say the least.
"You're a genius, eh? That's what they always said." Universal genius. "Tell me, genius, what are my odds of survival if I don't do shit about this?"
He gestured to his face, just curious. Doctors tried to help him but he didn't want to talk to them. Oddly, it was easier to talk to Edward and he figured Edward had some basic knowledge. "Weeks? Months? Years?"
"If you do nothing about it? Nothing at all?" Edward looked it over, his eyes narrowing. it looked gruesome, but focusing on it made that easier to ignore, even if he was aware of the smell. Repulsive, sure, but fascinating as well, especially now he'd been issues a challenge. He could never resist a good challenge. "You've healed remarkably well as much as you possibly could, which says something for your immune system. Impressive. Some healthy scabbing there, less puss than might be expected. But it's still raw in places, friction rubbing and tearing at it. Obviously some of it is entirely eroded, acid burns deep."
Clearly. "As you've said, there's a risk of infection. In here, I'd say that risk is a guarantee. I've got a bit of germaphobia and it's impossible to relax with that in this place, that should tell you enough of that. If it does get infected and you still do nothing, the question is when they'll intervene. Best chance would be if you develop a fever and pass out, then they have to do something. Might be in time before sepsis sets in. Under those circumstances, we're resetting the board, depends on how well they treat you from there. Otherwise, you'll be dead in a few days."
Edward stopped his analysis, his eyes closing for a moment and then focusing on Harvey, expression relaxed compared to the look from before. "It'd be a shame. What will it take for you to do shit about this?"
"It can't be fixed. It'd take years of work to get it to a place where it doesn't look so bad but it's still gonna hurt. I know they could do a graft and then it ain't open no more, that's all and nothing cosmetic but that's the limit. Why change it? Pain is a friend now. It hurts so bad, I don't feel it any more. I don't let myself. If I did, I think I'd really belong here cause I'd lose my mind. When it hit me, I felt my face come off and at first, I thought it was whatever they threw but it was my face, Nygma." Harvey laughed suddenly, abruptly, his eyes not fully focused on anything because clearly, his brain could not handle it. It was almost like a switch flocked and he shut himself down until it was repressed enough. After a few beats of silence, Harvey sighed.
Then he raised his hand and touched the good side of his face. "I don't trust 'em. Any of 'em. They'll put me out and off me. It's Gotham. If the docs ain't psychos, they're probably mafia owned. Nothing is safe here. No one is safe. I'll live with it until it kills me, I think." So a short life but at least he went out on his own.
"I guess to answer you - what it would take is to trust someone enough to let me near me."
"You ever felt safe here?" Couldn't have, Edward wouldn't buy it. He knew enough of Harvey's history, he had read the articles, he had grown up not that far from him. Outside the Narrows, but just barely. "You want to be in control of things, of people. That's the way to trust."
Or at least that was how he felt. What a nightmare, though, what had happened to Harvey. Ed couldn't imagine the pain. Hell, he didn't want to imagine the pain, the horror, the absolute terror of that reality sinking in. He reached out, touching the other side of Harvey's face. "Fuck the cosmetics of it. I think you own the look, you pull it off. But they can do something to lessen the risk. Maybe not the doctors, you're right, they are all hacks. But there are people in this town with more knowledge than anyone else. Who's keeping Victor Fries alive? Who figured out how the Joker can keep walking?"
It was all pretty simple. "You know the rogues. There's some trust. You're trusting me to be myself, aren't you?"
"I felt safe once." When he was with Jim and Bruce at a party, discussing the future of Gotham, believing that they had a chance. It was a beautiful moment of hope and he knew then that he trusted Bruce and Jim with his life. Hell, he trusted the Bat too. And where were they now? Couldn't even fucking look at him.
And yet here was Edward, a fucker he didn't trust for a second, and he was looking at him and touching him like an old friend. Like he wasn't repulsed or repelled. He was just here. With him.
"I'm trusting you all to be yourselves, yes. You rogues, you'll all do whatever you do. And you stab each other in the back all the fucking time so I don't trust any of you as far as I can throw you." And yet, he did find them interesting. He wasn't a rogue, he never would be, but he knew they could do impossible things and had many times over. "To trust that there is someone in Gotham who can make this mess better is a tall order. I guess by your logic, I gotta let go and trust those who shouldn't be trusted."
Harvey snorted in amusement and pulled away from Edward, shaking his head. "You know, everyone I did trust let me down. Maybe I should trust the worst cause the best, they didn't want me."
"Just keep in mind, you could throw me pretty damn far." Seemed worth noting, given what he'd said. He got up, tried to sort out his hair, which was difficult to do without seeing it, but finally he felt satisfied, brushing himself off instead. "You can trust a rogue to be a rogue. Whatever comes with that."
The betrayal was part of it. Ed knew that all too well. "You've got a name, you've got a theme. Isn't what you wanted shaping the city? Trust me - see? - You can still do that."
He grinned and turned around, pausing after a step or two to look back over his shoulder. "Don't watch me walk away, these uniforms do nothing for my ass."
"I promise you, very happily and easily, that I ain't watching."
Harvey rolled his eyes and let Edward have his moment. He did look though cause Ed brought it up and it was hard not to look. He felt like Orpheus. He hated when people did that shit to him.
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icebergloungers2022-10-23 01:33 pm
no subject
Harvey hmmed and then turned to Ed, nodding in approval. "It's satisfying, I'm not gonna bullshit you. You're whinier than I expected though."
Or maybe he was about as whiny as expected. Hard to say. "And for the record, I do-- did kickboxing."
no subject
He grinned at him, reaching out again. Harvey had touched him, therefore it seemed fair game to touch him again too, this time to place a hand on his arm. "You didn't get all of that bulk just from kickboxing, did you? Very impressive. Those suits didn't do you justice."
no subject
He only wished he could have fought Maroni fair and square. He'd never have gotten the acid even close. All it took was a fucking bullet in the end, when the game wasn't fun and he was lost in pain but it would have been nice to trash the bastard. "You lift?"
no subject
He flexed his free arm, then laughed, good-natured about it. He wasn't weak compared to the general population, but given how bulky most inmates tended to be? Yeah, he could get tossed around, whenever he wasn't careful with his leverage. "I work out for looks more than anything. Looks and stamina. What can I say? I like to be pleasing in all the ways when I'm vying for attention."
no subject
And Harvey had no idea what to do with that. He was humiliated to be here, angry and frustrated with the world and not sure how one went about breaking out.
"Does this place had a gym? I assume not. Seems like a lot of damage could be done if you give the joker something weighted..."
no subject
He missed it, honestly. Alas, nothing to be done about it. "We're not going to be on a similar regime though, I've a feeling that we're going for widely different looks. Look at you, all butch and handsome."
He could get into it. "I like the growl when you're angry, really goes with your general vibe. I can never pull that off, I'm better at sounding affronted."
no subject
He was supposed to be here for a couple of years but he assumed it'd never work like that so he was mostly just killing time until the inevitable. He would have to find new ways to keep in shape, he supposed he could work on his legs more.
"I never had a home gym. Gilda wanted the spare room to be ..." Fuck. "A kid's room, you know?" No, he didn't. He was a rogue, why would he know? "I need to get a new place, that's gonna be a bitch."
no subject
He didn't have to fake the sympathy. "It won't be that difficult to get a new place. Not if you know what you're going for. I know a bit about the market, if you let me know... I've a feeling part of you might already have an idea."
It was all about the theme and the pizzazz. He had seen enough of what this man right here was capable of. "Then you can have a home gym. Or whatever else is to your tastes. My primary concern was broadband."
no subject
"You're a genius, eh? That's what they always said." Universal genius. "Tell me, genius, what are my odds of survival if I don't do shit about this?"
He gestured to his face, just curious. Doctors tried to help him but he didn't want to talk to them. Oddly, it was easier to talk to Edward and he figured Edward had some basic knowledge. "Weeks? Months? Years?"
no subject
Clearly. "As you've said, there's a risk of infection. In here, I'd say that risk is a guarantee. I've got a bit of germaphobia and it's impossible to relax with that in this place, that should tell you enough of that. If it does get infected and you still do nothing, the question is when they'll intervene. Best chance would be if you develop a fever and pass out, then they have to do something. Might be in time before sepsis sets in. Under those circumstances, we're resetting the board, depends on how well they treat you from there. Otherwise, you'll be dead in a few days."
Edward stopped his analysis, his eyes closing for a moment and then focusing on Harvey, expression relaxed compared to the look from before. "It'd be a shame. What will it take for you to do shit about this?"
no subject
"It can't be fixed. It'd take years of work to get it to a place where it doesn't look so bad but it's still gonna hurt. I know they could do a graft and then it ain't open no more, that's all and nothing cosmetic but that's the limit. Why change it? Pain is a friend now. It hurts so bad, I don't feel it any more. I don't let myself. If I did, I think I'd really belong here cause I'd lose my mind. When it hit me, I felt my face come off and at first, I thought it was whatever they threw but it was my face, Nygma." Harvey laughed suddenly, abruptly, his eyes not fully focused on anything because clearly, his brain could not handle it. It was almost like a switch flocked and he shut himself down until it was repressed enough. After a few beats of silence, Harvey sighed.
Then he raised his hand and touched the good side of his face. "I don't trust 'em. Any of 'em. They'll put me out and off me. It's Gotham. If the docs ain't psychos, they're probably mafia owned. Nothing is safe here. No one is safe. I'll live with it until it kills me, I think." So a short life but at least he went out on his own.
"I guess to answer you - what it would take is to trust someone enough to let me near me."
no subject
Or at least that was how he felt. What a nightmare, though, what had happened to Harvey. Ed couldn't imagine the pain. Hell, he didn't want to imagine the pain, the horror, the absolute terror of that reality sinking in. He reached out, touching the other side of Harvey's face. "Fuck the cosmetics of it. I think you own the look, you pull it off. But they can do something to lessen the risk. Maybe not the doctors, you're right, they are all hacks. But there are people in this town with more knowledge than anyone else. Who's keeping Victor Fries alive? Who figured out how the Joker can keep walking?"
It was all pretty simple. "You know the rogues. There's some trust. You're trusting me to be myself, aren't you?"
no subject
And yet here was Edward, a fucker he didn't trust for a second, and he was looking at him and touching him like an old friend. Like he wasn't repulsed or repelled. He was just here. With him.
"I'm trusting you all to be yourselves, yes. You rogues, you'll all do whatever you do. And you stab each other in the back all the fucking time so I don't trust any of you as far as I can throw you." And yet, he did find them interesting. He wasn't a rogue, he never would be, but he knew they could do impossible things and had many times over. "To trust that there is someone in Gotham who can make this mess better is a tall order. I guess by your logic, I gotta let go and trust those who shouldn't be trusted."
Harvey snorted in amusement and pulled away from Edward, shaking his head. "You know, everyone I did trust let me down. Maybe I should trust the worst cause the best, they didn't want me."
no subject
The betrayal was part of it. Ed knew that all too well. "You've got a name, you've got a theme. Isn't what you wanted shaping the city? Trust me - see? - You can still do that."
He grinned and turned around, pausing after a step or two to look back over his shoulder. "Don't watch me walk away, these uniforms do nothing for my ass."
no subject
Harvey rolled his eyes and let Edward have his moment. He did look though cause Ed brought it up and it was hard not to look. He felt like Orpheus. He hated when people did that shit to him.
And hey, it was a pretty good ass. Good for Ed.