#harley’s thoughts 💭

[poisonousquinzel]

Harley Quinn (2016) #58 | Harley Quinn (2021) #43

screaming crying foaming at the mouth

[callieyanderechan]

Me: i don't have a type

Also me:

[brookebeamsbig]

💭 harley quinn #32-37

it's time to process tini howard and sweeney boo's second story arc. unfortunately, harley is still hammering it out with the multiverse, but this time she is working with lady quark instead of against her. kinda.

now we have a new force to reckon with - the brother eyes.

howard is again enjoying throwing in dc deep cuts with the brother eyes (meaning I once again got to do a google deep dive). I do appreciate this true conceptualizing of harley in a broader, shared universe.

in howard's story, the brother eyes work for lady quark. on a craft level, this is an excellent setup for what howard's trying to do in this arc because so does harley. this creates a parallel within howard's tale that mirrors the overarching parallel howard bases her story reasoning upon.

because why are the brother eyes so interested in harley? in watching her and understanding her and mapping her? because she was once a sidekick who made something of herself. and they want to do that, too.

I like this idea. I like it a lot. it creates a unique story around one of the things that makes harley truly special. but I never said howard had bad ideas.

but before I get into the perils of howard's writing, I want to do a run down on some other important players in this arc.

in harley quinn #32, we get introduced to lux kirby, p.i. lux is a completely new character from this creative team, but I couldn't help feeling a sense of deja vu when they appeared. the "detective" seeking out a multiversal harley murderer felt a lot like something out of stephanie phillip's last arc. just sayin.

however, ultimately, I liked lux and what they brought to harley and this story. they were a fun catalyst and means to much of the action. I always vibe with a character like that. and they were a good friend. harley struggled a lot with her mental health and self-perception in these issues, and lux helped ground her.

speaking of friends, KEVIN'S BACK :DDD. and acting like kevin. god bless.

I was sososo pissed when howard essentially fucked kevin over at the beginning of her run. but she definitely put in the time here to make it up to us. that sequence where harley had to anticipate kevin's choices in order to locate him in the multiverse was genius.

there's also two groups of characters from the first arc that play an important role in this one - bud and lou and harley's college class.

y'all know I always love the babies. I appreciate that howard wanted to do something big and bold with them. I liked the twist where they were the suspected murderers. BUT a lot of their actions here were just convoluted to create conflict and drama. like... we can't tell harley the brother eyes are out to get her because... why???

and I thought it was fun having harley's class get dragged along in her adventures. but every time, it felt like howard got the concept but fumbled the execution. harley's class ends up on warworld? cool! but it feels too smooth and rushed and weird. harley's students get turned into omacs? oh no! except there was no emotional or consequential impact.

sadly, that's a common occurrence for howard's writing. howard has exciting ideas, but her writing is too surface level with bad transitions and flow. much of the time I feel like I'm reading her bulleted outline, not the final story.

she rushes pivotal moments. we end an issue with the brother eyes about to reveal harley's worst moments, but then we gloss over that at the beginning of the next one. she throws out plot threads and doesn't carry them through. we should be concerned that the warworld royal family has been turned into omacs, powerful weapons to be used against harley, but then we don't see them anything until they're healed.

that's not to say every single line or scene is bad. howard has said that harley's mental health is one of the most compelling parts of harley's character to her. we can see that reflected in the comics - in the storyline and themes but also in the moments that shine.

I thought the multiverse sequence in harley quinn #37 was the strongest part of this arc. (this does not count the framing narrative.) each scene portrayed harley's fears and doubts about her own capabilities and power in a creative way. what if she became the controlling one in her relationship? what if she was good but still so unstable she had to be locked up? what if she pushed everyone who cared about her away?

sweeney boo's art also had some great moments depicting harley's mental state from her spiraling to her negative self-talk.

however, as with everything in this run, the depiction of harley's mental health has its downsides. howard leans too much into sentiments like "oh no, everyone will think I'm bad!" "oh no, everyone's just putting up with me! "oh no, I'm such a screw up!" and "oh no, I'm going to get in trouble! better hide!" it reads too childish and infantilizing for a capable grown woman who has a PhD in psychology and a lifetime of living inside her own mind.

of course, I think harley's going to have worries, doubts, and fears as she navigates being a hero. exploring this is good since this is the story route we're taking. but howard often fails to strike the right balance.

unfortunately, this bleeds over into the depiction of harley and ivy's relationship. there's this idea that ivy has to handle or deal with harley. that harley's too loud and too much. that harley could disappoint ivy at any moment. harley shouldn't be a problem. harley should be a partner.

along those lines, when harley and ivy aren't fighting, ivy isn't doing... anything. she's just there. in a way that feels eerie. like we're still in knight terrors: poison ivy #1. you can see it in the facial expressions.

harley hides her shenanigans from ivy for most of howard's twelve issues because "oh no, ivy's going to be mad at me!" even when harley finally tells her what's going on, ivy sits it out. and it just... really sucks. ivy is harley's PARTNER IN CRIME. always has been. she should be IN ON THE SHENANIGANS.

I do acknowledge that this might be a broader dc editorial problem since ivy has her own ongoing and concurrent story, but STILL.

this second story arc was far from one of my favorite harley quinn tales, but at least now we can move on from this multiversal madness. (please gawd let us move on from this multiversal madness.)

[acircusfullofdemons]

DAYDREAMTOBER 2024 [DAY 15 / FAMILY]

╭──→ 💭 ──  DAYDREAMTOBER 2024

│ 🌫️ PROMPT ❞ 15 / family

│ 🌫️ PARAS ❞ gaz dellacroy, natalia dellacroy, oscar dellacroy, irene dellacroy, seth dellacroy, luciana potenza, harley dellacroy, rowan dellacroy

│ 🌫️ PARACOSM ❞ eternal labyrinth

│ 🌫️ WORD COUNT ❞ 1,444

╰──────────── 🤍

Was gonna write about Cali meeting Rowan’s family for the first time, BUT it would’ve been a little complicated. The joys of having your paras go to an alternate reality for fun. THEN it was gonna be more infodumpy. And now it’s just a one shot of Seth acquiring a small child.

Technically a rewrite, since I did write about this scenario before, but that was back when Egyptian & Norse mythology was still part of this paracosm and obviously things have changed since then.

You know the drill. Not proof read or edited.

Seth knew he was in trouble when his parents called for him. Not serious trouble, hopefully, but trouble nonetheless. He swallowed, trying to push away the knot forming in his stomach. He was a grown man. For all he knew, his parents were just announcing that they were moving to the countryside. 

Satisfied with the thought that their summoning of him probably had something to do with their retirement, Seth opened the door perhaps a little too eagerly, given what actually ended up being on the other side. 

There were his parents, naturally, sitting next to each other. His brother, Oscar, and his wife, Irene. Harley, their son, was notably absent, though as he was only two, they probably opted for a sitter instead. 

In the middle of the couch was Luciana. 

It had been more than a couple months since he had seen her last. Really, he should’ve been more concerned that he hadn’t heard from her as of late. Then again, the two never had consistent contact with each other. Seth was sure he wasn’t Luciana’s only sexual partner.

“What are you doing here?” He asked. Luciana adjusted the ball of cloth she was holding. It was then that he realized — “Is that a baby?!” 

Luciana gave a nervous look to Natalia, who returned with a glare before sighing and turning to Seth. “Yes. Luciana has reason to believe it’s your child.” 

Seth wished he was sitting down. He should’ve moved to do so, but all he could do was stand there with a blank look on his face. “What.” 

His mother raised her hand to stop him from saying more. “Nothing is confirmed yet. We will do a DNA test, and if the results say that you are the child’s father, then—” 

Oscar cut their mother off, throwing a packet onto the table. “He is. I already checked.” 

Natalia glared at him. “I told you, we were going to wait until—” 

“I’m a detective, Mom. I had to know.” 

“Don’t blame him,” Gaz said. “I asked him too.” 

Before Natalia could scold both of them, their words finally sunk in for Seth. “Wait, you knew?!” He glared at Luciana. “You thought you had my child and you went to my parents?!” 

Luciana shrunk, averting his gaze. “I wasn’t sure how you’d react. You always avoided the topic of having a family.” 

“Yeah, a family with you.” Seth spat out. 

“Enough!” Natalia exclaimed, regaining control of the room. “What’s done is done. Seth, honey, sit down. You look like you’re about to faint and I’d rather you have a short fall if that’s true.” Seth did as he was told, choosing to sit as far away as he could from Luciana. 

Gods, he knew he should’ve been more careful when fooling around with her. He knew it. It was always in the back of his mind: wear protection, make sure she was taking birth control. But neither were the type to be cautious about anything. Maybe that’s why they never progressed farther than friends with benefits. Not that Seth minded, the benefits were enough for him. He didn’t particularly care for that lovey-dovey couple shit most chased after their whole lives. 

Natalia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I think questions are in order.” Luciana looked offended, and opened her mouth to say something before Natalia continued. “No. You kept my son’s child and my grandchild a secret. If you wanted privacy, you wouldn’t have come to us.” 

Luciana seemed to accept this. Long enough for Seth to ask the one question his mind could think of right now: “Why didn’t you just…”

“Get rid of it?” He nodded and she shrugged. “Realized too late. Gestation period is different for Halflings. It only took four months for me. By the time I realized, he was halfway cooked.” 

Seth’s eyes softened. “It’s a boy?” 

“I haven’t named him yet. I thought—” She looked up at him. Somehow, Seth felt bad that there were tears forming in her eyes. “I thought maybe you’d have a name in mind.” 

“If I had time to think about bringing a child into this world, I might even have several. We can — I’ll decide on a name later. After you’ve explained yourself.” 

Luciana scoffed. “What else is there to know?! I got pregnant and had your son. That’s the full story.” 

“You didn’t say why you came back,” Irene piped up. She had barely said a word, aside from the occasional whisper to Oscar. “While I’m sure we…appreciate you telling us, there must be a reason for doing so.” 

She blinked. “Ah, haha,” laughing awkwardly, she looked around the room. “Isn’t wanting my sweet boy to know his dad enough?” 

“No,” Seth said. “If you really didn’t want him, you would’ve given him up for adoption. Or, I dunno, figured out a way to abort him.” 

Luciana closed her eyes and sighed. “Fine. I want you to take him. And, y’know, some money.” 

There it was. Good ol’ Luciana. 

“Hang on,” Gaz said. “What do you mean ‘take care of him’? And where’s this talk about money coming from?” 

“Since I found out so late, I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare. I’m low on funds due to medical bills and needing to pay some friends back.” She paused. “As for ‘take care’...I—I don’t want this baby. I never wanted to be a mother. 

Seth laughed. “Money. Typical. Is that why you didn’t get rid of him? So he could be a bargaining chip?” 

“No, I—” 

“Save it. I know you, Luciana. You only care about yourself.” 

She shifted in her seat. “Th—which is why I can’t take care of him…?” 

“Are you serious?!” Seth yelled. Oscar put a hand on his arm, perhaps a touch too firmly to keep him on the couch. Seth was thankful, for he felt ready to leap over and slap her. 

“Please,” she pleaded. “I can’t take care of a kid.” 

“And I can?!” Seth snapped. “Luciana, you can’t just throw this on someone!” She looked down at the child, avoiding Seth’s glare. He sighed, running a hand through his hair to try and calm himself. A hard task, it seemed. His mind could barely form a coherent thought. 

Thankfully, his mother seemed to have thought this through already. “Luciana. You understand that if you give the child to us, you won't see him again?” Luciana blinked. “If you stay, then you and Seth would have to work out a custody agreement. We are willing to work with you on that. Gaz and I will even provide funding for you to repay your debts. But if — and only if — you stay and take responsibility.” 

The room was quiet for a while. Luciana looked to Seth, as if to plead with him. He just glared at her. She looked down at their — his son. Seth knew the child was solely his when Luciana sighed. Her slowly moving to put the infant in Natalia’s arms was only confirmation. 

She didn’t say anything as she left the room. 

Oscar and Irene politely excused themselves, their presence as moral support no longer needed. Part of Seth wished they stayed. Maybe then this moment wouldn’t feel so…real. 

“Save it,” he said when his mother looked at him. “I know what you’re thinking. I don’t want to hear it.” 

Natalia hummed. “Well, if you already know what I want to say, then there’s no point in repeating it. Would you like to hold him?” 

“Gonna have to at some point.” Seth mumbled, switching seats so he was closer to them. 

Babies always looked relatively the same to Seth. They were small and wrinkly, with smushed faces and minimal defining features. And yet, there was something oddly endearing about the one he was currently holding. Maybe because he had some of Seth’s DNA, and Seth was, naturally, a handsome man. But as far as babies go, he didn’t mind staring at this one a little longer. 

“I know it’s still sudden, but do you have a name in mind?” His mother asked. “It doesn’t have to be permanent. We can change it when all the paperwork is filed properly. But just for tonight, I’d like him to have a name.” 

Seth thought, staring at his child’s unopened eyes. He never thought about having children. Thinking of names for someone that would likely never exist seemed like a waste of time. “Rowan sounds nice,” he said aloud. His parents nodded in approval. 

He looked down at his son. At Rowan. “That was probably the easiest decision I’ll ever be able to make with you, isn’t it?” 

[josephseedismyfather]

💭 don't know if I sent one but dealers choice for Harley's thoughts

(Hello friend! I actually didn't post this prompt, but I am beyond happy to make an exception for Esther. 😊 I ran a little with your reply for Harley, hope you don't mind. 💖) Harley shifted nervously as she watched Esther look over the painting she had recently finished for her. “Thank you for letting me paint you. You’ve always been so kind to me. I’m thrilled we could finally make this happen. Do you think John will like it?” As Esther’s face lit up from hearing John’s name, Harley ignored the brief pang of guilt that tried to bubble up, wondering if she and Jacob would ever be that happy. But Esther’s bright smile had always been contagious, and soon Harley was grinning just as wide as she was. John was such a lucky man.

[janusflipped]

💭 whomever you like lol

Send 💭 for a thought my Muse has had about yours.

💭 - Harley (BoxSant) is very skittish around me. Though I can't blame her.

[arsonistsfirefly]

💭 whomever you like lol

Send 💭 for a thought my Muse has had about yours.

💭 - Harley is very nice but she kinda stresses me out. I feel like I have a bit too much of a short temper, and might set her on edge. :(

[Harley BoxSanct]

[ssa-sapphic-inactive]

i just love it when women—

[southside-otaku]

*ahem* 2021 IS DOING THINGS RIGHT!!!!!! Thanks for my TED talk!

Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn in The Suicide Squad Red Band Trailer

[king-crane]

💭 + Friendship

Friendship SHOULD, in theory, be completely antithetical and anathema to Crane and his worldview. After all, if fear breeds contempt, then shouldn’t everyone hate each other? If strength relies on the galvanization of fear in an individual, then don’t emotional relationships make you weak?

No, not particularly. After all, madness makes for strange bedfellows.

Arkham is a horrible place, but most of Crane’s social and networking opportunities have come as a result of social time with his fellow patients. Whether it’s chess with Eddie, “philosophical” conversations with Harley, discussions of empty dreams with Mary, or thoughts of what to do when they get out with Waylon, Crane has found much joy in companionship and in friendship.

Allies can be used, and fools can be used and discarded. But friends? Friends are what you treasure, what you hold on to. Everything is an exchange, but when it comes to friends, you don’t need to ask yourself whether something is worth it.

Crane is very fond of the idea of friendships and, despite the fact that he seems like the WORST person to be friends with, he actually has many treasured friendships that keep him anchored and grounded.

[revup-a]

💭

˚・`   ♥   [ Q ]   :    send  💭  to  hear  one  of  harley's  thoughts  about  your  muse      ─     @vqndekamp 

                        ❝            gather  ‘round  kiddies    ,    it’s  time  fer  tha’  word  of  tha’  day      :      repression  .    ‘f  i  had  t’  guess    ,    i’d  say  she’s  been  this  way  since  at  least  early  adolescence        —        always  followin’  the  rules    ,    squashin’  down  every  impulsive  thought  she’s  ever  had  .      [  .  .  .  ]      my  professional  recommendation  ?    ditch  the  sweater  sets    ,    pour  a  glass  of  non-alcoholic  vino  an’  just  enjoy  a  night  of  lettin’  that  pretty red  hair  down  .            ❞                    

[pokemonshipheadcannonandthings]

~The aftermath to my last post I guess~

Harley:Hey Drew how are ya?.

Drew:I'm fine Harley,How about you?.

Harley:I'm doing fantastic.

Drew:How come?.

Harley:I just got my last ribbon!.

Drew💭:He really got all 5 ribbons before me,Wow.

Drew:That's cool Harley.

Harley:Isn't it.

Harley:So what about you have you gotten all you're ribbons yet?.

Drew:Sadly no the last contest I was in I lost pretty badly to this random trainer named "Liana".

Harley:Wait did you say Liana?!.

Drew:Yeah why?,Do you know them or something?.

Harley:I don't just know them I despise them.

Drew:Oh god did they not know what a Cacturne was?,Or did they say you're cookies "Aren't half bad"?.

Harley:No of course not they have there own Cacturne,And no again they love my cookies.

Drew:So you despise them because they have there own Cacturne is that what you're telling me?.

Harley:No it's always nice to see other people liking Cacturnes.

Drew:Then why do you despise them?.

Harley:Because they are my sibling.

Drew:Wait I thought you were an only child.

Harley:Well you thought wrong.

Drew:But how they are so nice while you're....somewhat nice.

Harley:l'll take that as a compliment.

Harley:Also I'm working on it.

Drew:I know that's how I grew to like you and not find you as annoying.

Harley:Thanks I guess.

Liana:Teleports behind Harley*

Liana:How's my favourite older brother doing?.

Harley:Ah!.

Harley:Oh hey Liana,also I'm you're only brother.

Liana:I know but you're still my favourite!.

Liana:It's so nice to see you again Drew!.

Drew:It's nice to see you again too Liana.

Liana:So are you two dating?.

Drew:*Blush's*

Harley:*Blush's* Liana!.

[brookebeamsbig]

💭 poison ivy #13

for its first issue as an OFFICIAL ongoing series, this book had a cover that bamboozled us. but honestly, I'm not mad about it.

ivy's back in gotham, a new situation for her within this series. I think we were all a little curious to see how this would go. what would ivy do now? how would her story remain strongly, vehemently HERS?

wilson nestles us back into the gotham setting right away with reacquaintances, reestablishing ivy's place in the batsphere. she's harley quinn's girlfriend, catwoman's friend, batman's rogue. but don't think wilson lets us forget that she's goddamn poison ivy too.

ivy has always had her private paradises. it doesn't take long for her to find another. but this one comes with a twist.

I LOVED killer croc's inclusion. I love rogue interactions because when done well, they're so complex, not to mention entertaining. and I think wilson hit it spot on. I also love how this set ivy up to continue her environmental justice missions.

final thoughts on this issue: wilson hit the ground running with her ongoing status. this issue addressed where ivy's been, where she's at now, and where she's headed. I can't wait to see how this new storyline goes!

additionally, I'm starting to see the strings between the harley quinn and poison ivy ongoings thread together. this soothes my continuity brain, and it shows me that our girls can have strong individual stories with overlap.

finally, shout out to all the artists in this issue. I was worried it would feel a little jumbled when I saw the credits, but it all came together to enhance the issue. each scene's art style heightened its mood and message. amazing work!

[maximummusesarch]

💭 + Harleen for Jay Jay!

Send 💭 + an url or a character's name to hear my muse's true thoughts on them!

“Fuck her.  I don’t give a shit what she’s doing now, Harley isn’t off the hook.”

[selphplusplus]

Comic Universe

Another thought 💭 bubble.

Comic pages, exclamation mark❗️

Iron sharpens iron out the rubble

I’ll be Tony Stark.

I can’t shake wanting to see you again myself.

Joker to the Harley Quinn

Perhaps I’m the one inflicted with a neurotic tendency as well.

Insane crazy,

Bruce Wayne on the John: bat shit.

Riding wavy like I’m Aqua Man surf the sound

Hit the sand on the coast ran my boat through the bush and underground.

Hit it like Bruce Banner Bump no’ Grind on the radio,

with the Ho’gan

Maniac, rearranged a new world order

Red hulk when I smashed it.

[ssa-sapphic-inactive]

you know what’s hot? emily prentiss with a gun.