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rebelcourtesan · 4 years

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Hordak - Peeling Back the Layers

Alright, if you’ve been following my blog for a while, then you know how much I like villains. A show is only as good as its villain and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power have given us several awesome villains.

Since it’s a reboot, all of the characters have underwent redesigns. From She-ra’s more modest outfit that brought out raging fanboys, and the wide range of ridiculous 80′s outfits remodeled to be more practical and stylish. Perfuma isn’t wearing a flower on her head and Catra is actually a cat girl and not a lady stalking around in a tight red dress.

long post below

One of the biggest changes is Hordak himself. Instead of some muscle bound brute, they remodel him to have a slimmer build and wearing a tunic/tabard with a technological mind.

In season 1, we actually do not see him in person until the end of the THIRD episode. Though he is the leader of the Horde which should put him as the main antagonist, I consider Shadow Weaver to be the main antagonist of season 1, mainly because she makes more appearances and has more influence over the actions that hamper the heroes (BFF Squad). At best, he’s a recurring character, at least in the first season.

However, even then, I was drawn to him because I liked his redesign so much and was quite intrigued with him. He was shrouded in mystery and kept himself distant from current affairs unless it’s to make a brief appearance to intimidate Shadow Weaver and receive reports on what’s happening outside his sanctum via monitors.

In the original She-Ra series, Hordak was much more attached to Adora. In SPOP, he dismisses her as a lost cause and in turn makes Catra the new Force Captain, overruling Shadow Weaver’s selection, which shows a very pragmatic side to him. He also overruled her when it came to using the Garnet runestone to attack Bright Moon.

He pretty much remains a static character throughout season 1. We still don’t know more about him other than his being the Leader of the Horde and he has a cool disposition towards his underlings.

It not until we hit season 2-3 that multiple layers are stripped away to allow us a closer look. And the one responsible for peeling back those layers is Entrapta.

I’ve gone on in length about why these two work so well together as a couple. With her lack of social skills and obsession with science and experimentation made her to the perfect companion of a man who isolates himself from others and considers Etheria a backwater planet with no concept of interstellar travel. They suited each other as if cut from the same cloth.

Imperfection is beautiful.

These are the words that sparked a deep relationship he had never experienced before, that he had never imagined and we’re given Hordak’s background . . . or a side of it.

Hordak plays the part of an unreliable narrator when he talks about his past. An unreliable narrator. An unreliable narrator is a narrator whose credibility is compromised. Whether its someone who is bias towards events (racist), naive of certain events (a child), has an askew perception (Humbert Humber, the pedophile narrator in Lolita.

In Hordak’s case, it’s his programming as a clone and strong attachment to his ‘brother’ progenitor Horde Prime. We’re given only one part of the story and we’re led to believe that his ‘defection’ was a physical disability that causes his body to break down and chronic pain. And for a long time, until the end of Season 4, this is what we the audience believed was the case.

However, we are quickly shown the true reason why he was discarded. He had attained a mind of his own and individuality.

Which asks the question, did Horde Prime allow Hordak to come to the conclusion that it was a physical defect? Or was it Hordak’s won misconception that led him to believe such? There had to be a reason why his ‘brother’ would reject him so and he body was falling apart. So that must be the reason, and therefore he must rise above his frailties to prove himself strong in Horde Prime’s eyes.

Yet, he meets Entrapta and experiences genuine acceptance. Unconditional love and affection from someone he didn’t have to prove himself to. Entrapta who created a suit to ease his pain and make him more functional without expecting nor asking for anything in return, but did it simply out of friendship and love. It’s literally an eye opening moment for him.

From this point on, he shows a wider range of emotion beyond that of anger, cool reception, or frustration.

He struggles to give his thanks to Entrapta, even going as far as to assure her she was worth something.

He demonstrates regret at the thought of returning to the Horde Prime.

Hurt when he believes Entrapta betrayed him.

Loss and grief over loosing her.

Pleasure in the battle field.

Embarrassment when the Imp teases him for thinking about Entrapta.

Season 4 has Hordak leaving his shell or sanctum to lead the Horde army in taking over Salineas and has a taste for battle.

For Season 4, he has the mannerisms of something had just been spurned by a lover. He disallows Entrapta’s name to be spoken in his presence, has her things thrown out, and yearns for her while desiring her work and recordings to help him finish his arm cannon. He even wanted to face in her battle as if he wanted to show her up or have a confrontation.

He has become a leader that is more open with his underlings now, more confidant and isn’t a malignant being that intimidates his followers from the shadows as he had done in Season 1.

Then another layer is stripped away when Double Trouble (lauded as a hero for this) reveals what really happened to Entrapta.

Now we see him as a man in pain, suffering loss and grieving for a loved one. He had been the fool that had discounted her loyalty. And with sending someone to Beast Island is considered a death sentence, in his mind, Entrapta is dead, murdered by Catra to gain his trust and steal power.

Then he does something out of character for himself.

Remember, in Season One, he was calm and collected, pragmatic and cold with his mind focus on his goal.

Then as the Horde is posed to win the war, he attacks his second in command Catra. Which is understandable reaction to see revenge, but it’s a very human thing to do. I’m using the term ‘human’ loosely as many of our favorite characters aren’t human as a race, but you know what I mean.

He destroys a good portion of the Fright Zone, his own lair and base, trying to kill Catra, consumed with fury over Entrapta and being tricked. One doesn’t need to be a soldier or a general to know how this would weaken his position in a war. Yet, the emotional pain has put him past caring of how this would weaken him. All he wants is to avenge Entrapta.

Then we have the final layer removed. The false hope.

We are finally given a missing piece of a puzzle that we didn’t know was missing. We learn that Hordak’s true defect was having a will of his own.

When we are introduced to Horde Prime (and brutally so), he completely outstrips Hordak as the main villain of the series and lays him bare to raw vulnerable person seeking affection he never truly had.

Let’s compare.

We went from this, when we first see him in the series. Cold, calculating and feared.

to this. On his knees, begging for approval, and frightened.

What I love about this is that it happened so naturally over the course of four seasons in a way I cannot find fault or call bullshit on. This is a character whose barriers have been stripped from him, first through love and then fury, and then fear and rejection.

His motivation throughout his life had been to please Horde Prime and his actions which has been the cause of so much strife in the series from the war, banishing King Micah, Shadow Weaver betraying Mystacore, Adora’s seperation from her family, Catra, Lonnie, Kyle, and Rogolio’s childhoods, have all been to reunite with an abuser that not only outright rejects him, but then rips away what was left of his mind.

When Season 5 comes around, we’re going to see a new Hordak. Not a reprogram amnesiac (though I believe he’ll start that way), but someone who has to find a new purpose. And in finding a new purpose, he’ll likely become a new man.

But predictions are for another post.

#hordak #essay #she pop

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diyunho · 5 years

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The Joker x Reader - “Lady Silence” Part 2

Frost’s younger sister came to live with him 6 months ago; one could say Y/N is a bit of an oddball because she doesn’t talk and she doesn’t like to be touched. The Joker allowed her to help the crew from time to time without knowing that the only reason for the woman’s presence amidst them was actually him.

You stretch a little bit and yawn, wanting to cuddle up in Shiro’s arms when you realize he’s not in bed; that makes you open one eye and after a few moments of confusion you see your husband standing by the windows.

“What time is it?” a sleepy Y/N inquires.

“Almost 6,” he smiles and you get on your elbow, signaling him to return by your side.

“It’s still early,” you slide down the pillows and he doesn’t need another invitation when you propose: “Let’s have a lazy morning.”

Shiro glares at the sunrise while running his fingers through his long hair, perfectly aware of how attractive you find his gesture. You even opened both eyes to savor the view: wearing nothing more than a pair of boxers, the head of the Ozunu clan knows that he doesn’t have to put too much effort in order to get his wife’s attention.

He snickers as soon as you yank him in your embrace and start covering his face in soft kisses; there’s nothing Shiro enjoys more besides the intimacy of a marriage he risked everything for, including succession to Yakuza leadership.

“I saw The Joker walking by,” he informs and you don’t seem surprised.

“Probably he can’t sleep and decided to explore the property.”

“Most than likely; maybe some stuff will look familiar,” your husband agrees and wants to share his thoughts on yesterday’s events but something about the tone in your voice stops him.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in life,” you whisper and peck his lips. ”I really don’t know what I would do without you.”

Shiro touches your nose with his, paying attention since he knows you too well: you’re getting upset and he has an idea why.

“The honor is all mine,” he growls and hugs you tighter when the question echoes in the quiet bedroom:

“Do you know what I miss the most?” and your bottom lip quivers as you continue. “Our son sneaking in here at the crack of dawn and his little feet thumping on the floor… “

Shiro caresses the small of your back in a faint attempt to soothe you.

“Me too,” he sniffles and you start crying on his shoulder.

“I m-miss our b-baby,” the heartbroken Y/N barely manages to utter. “There’s so much silence without him…”

“I miss him too… more than anything…” the other grieving parent admits and wipes your tears. “I’ve been thinking lately…” and he hesitates for a few seconds,” that I would l like us to try for another baby. Hm?...”

“I’m…I’m scared…” you stutter because he brought it up in the past and your feelings haven’t changed. “What if something happens again?...”

“Just think about it, OK?” he kisses your temple. “There’s always a risk… yet I want us to try again when you’re ready…Alright?”

You nod a yes, grateful the man you loved since you were teenagers can be such a comfort after all the hardships life has thrown your way.

“Shiro…” you sigh, “can we get married again?”

Your husband tucks your hair behind the ear, having absolutely no objection to the candid request.

“Just you and me…I don’t care if we have a priest, a monk or a pastor… And my brother as a witness, just like the first time. I just need to say the words again, that’s all. Do you want to?”

The answer doesn’t disappoint:

“Of course I want to; who else am I going to remarry if not my girl?”

“Can we do it at The Shrine?” the emotional Y/N suggests.

“No better place,” he sadly smiles. “We can have someone here in the next hour. Are you sure you don’t want anything big this time though? When we got married 11 years ago, I was an outcast and we didn’t have money for a proper reception; now we could organize a lavish party.”

“No,” you shake your head. “Only me and you again, please.”

Your husband squeezes you closer to him, repeating your words:

“Only me and you…”

*************

The Joker is taking a third left on a convoluted path towards the guest house, enjoying the labyrinth –like maze. He’s been inspecting the estate for almost two hours now and boredom didn’t settle in; pretty rare for The King of Gotham not to lose interest in such a trivial activity so here he is, still roaming around at 7:53am.

J suddenly sees you and Shiro emerging from an alley bordered by lighted Japanese lanterns; the breeze carries over bits and pieces of a dialogue he can’t understand. You are wearing a white summer dress and your husband opted for a light blue suit; his hair is gathered in a ponytail and yours is braided.

Not that he’s spying on purpose, but there’s something going on that makes The Joker stay behind the granite sculpture he happened to pass by. He sees Shiro breaking a small branch from a cherry blossom that he offers to his bride in exchange for a kiss and the couple resumes walking after a few seconds.

J leaves his temporary hiding spot and lingers by the statue before reprising his stroll, already having a goal in mind: go down the path you came from because it’s a new sector to investigate. He scarcely makes a few steps when he hears a stern command:

“Apologies Mister Joker, this area is reserved for family members. No exceptions,” one of the guards entrusted with securing the perimeter makes his presence known. J didn’t notice the man perfectly blending in with the landscape and he sure likes to think he has a sharp eye.

“I’m just going that way for a hike,” the stubborn guest tries to push it and as soon as his foot is up in the air for the next step, six more guards surface from the slight mist, completely blocking passage now. They are dressed in black and their faces are covered with a dark veil, just like the ones that The Clown Prince of Crime encountered at Frost’s house when he met Shiro for the first time.

J frowns, displeased at the small group’s action; they are actually part of the clan’s most skilled assassins and they take their duty very seriously. Something hard to comprehend for The Joker that believes no rules apply to him.

“I’m just taking a hike,” he sarcastically smirks.

“No trespassing!” another sentinel reiterates and touches his sword as a last warning they are ready to act if the visitor doesn’t turn around. “Family members only unless you have special permission from them to go to The Shrine! Please go back Mister Joker.”

“And what happens if I don’t, huh?” J cracks his neck, defying all common sense like he always does.

“Let him pass! Mister Joker is with me!” Frost yells and quickens the pace; he is going back to the main house after spending 5 extra minutes at The Shrine in order to make sure the monk called to officiate the short ceremony was properly escorted back at the eastern gates.

The guards obey and J rushes by them with contempt, pissed he didn’t manage to control the situation without Jonny’s intervention.

Frost waits for his boss then they start walking together.

“What’s with the restricted area, hm?” The Joker grumbles.

“It’s a private area, sir. Nobody is allowed here unless they’re family or has Shiro’s or my sister’s consent,” your brother tries to explain the privacy concept to a grouchy employer that has trouble grasping such notions.

“Oh yeah? Why?! Is there a secret treasure buried here…” and he halts his tirade as soon as he sees the Japanese style Shrine filled with burning candles and incenses.”…or something?” he finished the sentence, not sure about what he’s looking at.

“Sir…” Frost respectfully lowers his voice and leads The Joker near the sanctuary. “This is a shrine build in the honor of my nephew Haruto, my sister and Shiro’s only child. He died almost two years ago from leukemia…” Jonny bites his lip and lights up more incenses from the pile waiting to be burned. “He was three years old,” Jonny gestures towards the picture of a cute little boy decorated with Kanji alphabet symbols for his name: Haruto Ozunu. Next to the picture there’s a glass case containing a grey teddy bear: your son’s favorite toy.

The Joker stares at the multitude of flowers and bonsai trees beautifully adorning The Shrine, rather curious about the revelation.

“I saw your brother-in-law and your sister earlier,” J informs. “Were they here?” he asks although the reply is evident.

“Yes, sir. They renewed their vows, a spur of the moment thing.”

The Joker is somewhat surprised at the news simply because he doesn’t see the point of remarrying your spouse; maybe if he would have had someone’s unconditioned love and loyalty after what happened to him, he could have a better understanding of such matters. Maybe his fate would have been different too. But he didn’t, thus things are the way they are.

Frost rearranges some candles that are almost out, replacing them with new ones.

“Losing Haruto was very painful for them,” he continues. “My sister didn’t say a word for months; both didn’t really eat or sleep. I mean, even now she only says things to me and Shiro; doesn’t talk to anybody else unless she truly wants to.”

Jonny pauses while taking a deep bow in front of The Shrine, preparing to leave.

“Are you going to get in trouble for bringing me to this place?” J inquires even if he actually doesn’t give a damn about it.

“No,” Frost confidently responds. “Y/N and Shiro won’t object to my decision.”

“You think so?” The Joker smacks his lips while wishing for the opposite.

“The guards alerted them they let you trespass seconds after it happened; it’s their job. Since they weren’t sent to kick you out of here or worse, it means my sister and her husband were ok with you being at The Shrine.”

“I’m humbled by such unexpected privilege,” the ignorant answer makes your brother reprimand his boss’s conduct for once:

“You are the first guest they ever let back here, Mister J! Think about that!” Jonny furrows his eyebrows and the annoyance is so obvious it makes J hiss:

“Are you lecturing me Frost?!”

Your brother decides not to deepen the apparent surfacing conflict and instead diverts the discussion towards another topic:

“Let’s return to the house, sir. I’m sure they are waiting for us.”

*************

The Joker barely hears the conversation you’re having with Shiro in Japanese and the chat stops when his presence is detected.

“We started without you,” Shiro announces when Frost and The Joker finally join the table for breakfast. “I think it’s good to eat outside again since the weather is so nice,” he takes a bite from his plate and J has to comment:

“I hear congratulations are in order,” he grins and your husband takes your hand and kisses it, loving the smile flourishing on your lips.

“Thank you,” Shiro replies.

You play with your hair, J’s attention switching towards the delicate cherry blossom received from your husband earlier: you keep on caressing the delicate flowers twisted in your braid, already planning to save them since they are worth more than all the diamonds you possess.

“Mister Joker,” your spouse addresses the absent minded Clown Prince of Crime, “the merchandise will arrive tomorrow night. There is a slight delay due to the fact that I am adding more trucks to the convoy.”

“That’s fine…” J mumbles, averting his eyes when he realizes you caught him gazing your way; not because he’s shy or anything similar, but because he’s inexplicably puzzled about the strange feeling in his heart: it’s almost like those flowers remind The Joker of something, yet he’s not sure of what.

“Are you still having the poker party tonight?” Frost asks and you nod a yes.

“Of course,” Shiro reiterates. “Would you like to join us?” the invitation is extended to the guest.

J lifts his shoulders up, picking some food to eat from all the varieties nicely arranged in the middle of the table.

“Yeah, sure. I have nothing better to do.”

“Excellent,” your husband grins. “I must tell you traditional Japanese attire is required for poker night.”

“I don’t own a kimono.”

“You can borrow one, Mister Joker; we have a room full,” Shiro suggests.

“I suppose I can,” the proposal is accepted without too much debate; for some reason the green haired man doesn’t detest the idea.

“Yes?” your husband encourages the hesitant guard that just arrived at the gathering, not sure if he should interrupt or not.

“Shiro-san. Mistress,” he bows and hurries up to your side. He whispers something that makes you frown and there is such an evident change in your spouse’s mood The Joker actually wonders what the heck is going on.

“Bring him here,” Shiro grumbles and the guard bows again, disappearing shorty after.

“Something wrong?” Frost looks at both of you, uneasy.

You scoff and the leader of the Ozunu clan sucks on his teeth, deeply bothered about the news.

The Joker sips on his orange juice, watching two women bringing over a young man in his early twenties. He keeps on trying to escape their grip but it’s useless; they won’t let go.

The captors forcefully drag him over near the table, the woman to his left kicking his shin so hard he falls to the ground on his knees, not daring to struggle anymore.

“I heard you talked about my wife and referred to her with a certain term that I hate!” Shiro snarls, his eyes burning with disgust.

Takeshi nervously tries to explain his mistake, aware he landed in very hot waters due to his own stupidity.

“I… I swear I didn’t mean it like that, Shiro- san. Mistress…” he calls while you ignore him. “Mistress, I swear it was completely taken out of context…”

You don’t seem to care about his reasoning and your husband shouts with such intensity it makes the guilty party shrivel up.

“And what context would make it acceptable for you to disrespect my wife by calling her an outsider??!!”

The Joker is watching the scene quite fascinated first of all because he loves this kind of stuff and secondly because your husband seems to have transformed into an entirely different individual: Shiro Ozunu might be different than his father, but it’s not necessarily a good thing.

��I’m …I’m sorry… I really didn’t…” and Takeshi doesn’t get to finish his apology.

“Who gave you a second chance when you messed up badly, hm?” your husband slams his fist on the table, fed up with the useless conversation.

“Mis... Mistress did…” the young man stutters, more and more anxious.

“And who insisted we should keep you because you have nowhere else to go when you majorly fucked up a third time?” the interrogation resumes.

“Mistress…Mistress did…” the faint reply makes your husband snap:

“You mean the outsider??!!”

Shiro grabs a knife from the table and stabs the kneeled offender with such brutality his collar bone loudly cracks. Takeshi screams in pain, bending over until his forehead touches the grass.

“The cut runs deep and the blade is aimed towards your heart,” your husband describes what he just did. “It’s very close to one of the main arteries; if you take the knife out yourself, you will graze it and bleed to death. I know how to take out the blade without killing you, but I don’t want to. The other person that can do that is the outsider,” he ironically underlines the word. “It’s up to her if she wants to give you a fourth chance. I wouldn’t!”

The young man is absolutely terrified and gathers his strength in order to lift his head up, the throbbing ache making him shiver.

“Mistress…Mistress please…” he begs and you calmly drink water, neglecting to react.“I’m v- very sorry, I meant no disrespect,” he touches the injury, his fingers wrapping around the handle sticking out of the flesh. “Mistress…please…” he pleads again and you finally glare at the victim.

You snatch one of the silk napkins from the table and get up, irritated at Takeshi’s whining. The Joker sees you going around his chair and stomp louder once you are closer to the young man; he actually wonders if you’ll forgive him. There is so much resentment written on your face it totally delights The King of Gotham: he has to admit that being around Shiro and Y/N Ozunu is not boring at all.

Takeshi whimpers when you lift his chin up, immediately closing his eyes when you slap him; it stings badly but doesn’t compare to the stabbing wound. You push his fingers aside from the knife, firmly clutching to the handle for a few moments while trying to balance the compression applied to it. He groans when the blade tilts inwards and screams as the knife is taken out of his injured muscles. A few drops of blood stain your white dress, the red liquid quickly soaking the napkin you cover his lesion with.

The young man tries to cling to you because everything is starting to spin so fast he can’t process how close he is to lose consciousness. Takeshi opens his mouth because he wants to thank Y/N for having mercy on him, yet no sound comes out. The ache is so unbearable that it makes his body convulse and he collapses at your feet, hearing Shiro barking at the two women before fainting:

“Get this idiot out of my sight and patch him up!”

***********

J is trying on a sixth kimono, not being able to decide if this is the one he wants to wear at the poker party. The color and patterns are very nice: gold and blue koi fish against a light grey, velvety background. He turns and admires himself in the huge mirrors, thrilled that this particular garment makes his eyes stand out.

The Joker puckers his lips, straining to find some energy for the evening planned ahead; he’s been awake since 3am and now it’s past 7 o’clock at night. He slowly spins so he can analyze his reflection from all angles, vanity making him smirk wider.

“Maybe this one,” he yawns and crashes on the couch, shoving the decorative pillows around until he’s comfortable enough to relax. J was told the other guests will arrive in less than two hours so there’s time to take a nap. He punches the pillow under his neck to fluff it up on the sides, paying attention to the noise: Shiro just told you a joke and your laughter reaches the room where The Joker was left alone to try kimonos.

The sound fades, J’s eyelids getting heavier despite his efforts to stay alert. He impatiently bounces his legs and the movement diminishes soon along with his will to fight off the exhaustion. The Joker’s tired brain doesn’t even acknowledge the ruckus created outdoors by the crew appointed to get things ready for the poker party on the terrace.

A few minutes pass and J mutters in his daze, clenching his fists together.

In the dream he sees his hand reaching for a branch full of cherry blossoms, breaking a few flowers and playfully shaking them to make sure no petals will fly in the wind.

“For you,” The Joker discerns his voice saying as he places the delicate flowers behind Y/N’s left ear. She looks so young, just like in the pictures scattered around the Ozunu residence, only 17 back then.

The girl sweetly smiles as he keeps on caressing her hair and the 20 years old Joker can’t help it:

“You’re so pretty…” he confesses and leans over to kiss Y/N; she doesn’t reject him and his heart is beating so fast it’s deafening. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to do that…” the excuse follows his bold gesture simply because he realizes why he wasn’t pushed away: Y/N seems petrified and definitely taken by surprise.

Why are you looking at him like that?!

The Joker feels his cheeks burning, embarrassed at you reaction.

“Just… just forget it, ok?” he grumbles and takes a step back, regretting his dumb decision of kissing Shiro’s girlfriend.

“It’s fine,” you smile again, not knowing what else to say. “Where are you going?” Y/N sighs when he starts walking away. “Damian, come back please!“

J sprints towards the parking lot, his legs stiff from the humiliating experience he seeks to forget as soon as possible. He’s so distracted he bumps into someone and the impact abruptly wakes up The Joker: he gasps for air, his head pounding with the most horrible migraine.

He tries to get up from the couch but he’s so dizzy he falls back on the cushions.

“Dammit…” he moans when the confusion in his mind is not clearing up.

The knock on the door makes a bit more attentive to his surroundings and merely utters:

“Yeah?...” he pauses and you enter the room to check up on him. “Hey Silence,” J greets and strenuously exhales. “I have a terrible headache,” he rubs his temples and you approach, a bit worried since he seems completely drained. “Can you help?”

You nod a yes and swiftly move near the couch, pulling him up against the soft frame. Y/N begins to massage The Joker’s shoulders and searches for the pressure point under his skin, quickly pinching the tissue once it’s found. He senses the intense pain that comes with the procedure and then numbness takes over as The Clown Prince of Crime enjoys relief given by the skillful Y/N.

You notice J is feverish and the glossy eyes indicate that something’s not quite right: physically he might be fine, but the current state he’s in makes you wonder if he should rest instead of attending the party.

Frost’s sister has no idea that The Joker’s present situation is due to a simple fact: what he dreamed wasn’t just a strange dream, but a triggered memory about something that happened many years ago.

Part 1: diyunho(.)tumblr(.)com/post/182229828411/the-joker-x-reader-lady-silence

Part 2: diyunho(.)tumblr(.)com/post/183762832056/the-joker-x-reader-lady-silence-part-3