It was meant to be a simple group therapy exercise. It was stupid, and everyone in the room thought so, but the doctors were adamant that they participate, so here they were, paying each other compliments.
It was supposed to encourage positive thinking and build self-esteem, two things that Bane was relatively certain he didn't need to concern himself with, and so he had half-assed his way through giving compliments so far, telling the Riddler that he was very smart, mentioning to Ivy that her hair looked pretty…. Fairly obvious things.
And then came the Joker. What could Bane say about the Joker? Nothing was obvious where the payaso was concerned…. He shifted awkwardly for a moment, looking for a way to escape from this trap.
"Payaso," he said finally. "I… Like your…. Socks."
"Thank you Bane," Joker said, flashing the man a surprisingly genuine-looking smile. "I like your coat."
It was the nicest thing anyone said to Bane all day.