Counter Point Café Chapter Three
You know that Jonny is going to be completely dependent on the Joker, aka Jay after this gets going. I'm probably going to change the rating too, because I want to write some other things in this story. Yes, you know what I'm getting at. (But later.) Also, there will be Scarecrow, no worries, he'll show up, trust me. And he's probably not going to be too happy.
I don't own anything, believe me when I say that I would like to, however I do not. They in fact belong to DC Comics, Warner Brothers Studios, Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy, Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, and the late Heath Ledger. All elements of Gotham City are based off of Chicago, IL and are designed around blue prints and street maps I have of that area. Other elements are named for their original comic counterparts, as the back stories and basic personality traits are also based off of the comic counterparts. Read, enjoy, and review! Thank you!
By the next morning, the rules Jay had outlined were hung on the dingy, no-longer off-white fridge, complete in something that looked like red pencil marring the sheet of paper they were scrawled out on. They were taped there by a smiley face sticker, complete with lobotomy markings from a permanent marker, though Jonny couldn't remember exactly what that was supposed to do. He didn't feel it necessary to bother Jay with such a dumb question either, so he'd simply stared at the rules with intent, Hell-bent on memorizing them so he could live up to his care-takers expectations.
Jay was still sleeping.
He didn't want to disappoint him, after all, not when the man was working so hard to take care of him. He felt infantile yes, but loved, and in the grand scheme of things, he could put up with this behavior since it is what Jay said he did before the accident anyways. If he did it before, he could do it again, right?
So Jonny got to reading.
Number One: No going outside without an escort, aka me. Which means don't go outside…Ever.
The first rule was simple, he supposed. It wasn't something overly ridiculous, like only wear purple socks on the first and last Tuesday of the month or something. He could do it. He could do it.
Jonny wasn't to leave the apartment for anything unless specifically told to do so by Jay.
That was all there was too it.
He wasn't to answer the door, to get the mail, go grocery shopping, or even open to door to overly nosy neighbors. (Which Jay had said they didn't have. He wasn't sure why that was so funny to the man with scars on his face, but Jonny didn't argue or question him.) The end of the line in discussion was that he wasn't to leave, as it was bad for him and his health. Or so Jay had said.
And Jay was taking care of him, right?
So why disobey him and make him upset when that didn't need to happen?
No, Jonny pledged to him, right there, crouched in the floor of the bedroom, that he wouldn't go outside unless Jay drug him out with a purpose and logical intent. He promised, and as far as he was concerned, that was a life binding promise. He wouldn't disobey.
On the opposite end of that was the condition that no one but Jay enters the apartment unless there was specific verbal permission from Jay himself. (As in him being there.) Jay had told him it was because of the area of the Narrows that their apartment, and he'd used the words 'our apartment' when explaining, was in. There was no telling what sort of lunatic or murder they might let in. Hell, just look at what someone who'd claimed to be in desperate need of assistance did to Jay's face, and he'd only been passing by on the street with nothing on him but his name and clothing.
'They'd rob us,' he'd said, 'and then they'd do worse things to you.'
Jonny didn't care to know what those worse things were. It was much simpler to just follow the rules and keep it all from ever happening or for him from ever figuring those worse events out.
Number Two: Don't read any of the papers in the apartment, since they are really old and full of lies anyways. Or mail, since you probably wouldn't get anything but bills anyways, and I'm taking care of those.
Well, that was a bit more complex for him, as he was naturally curious, but seeing as how there were only clips and stuff strung about the place anyways, and nothing more than some rearranged ads in heaps under the sink by the garbage, Jonny thought he'd be safe. As long as no one flooded the apartment with mail against his will, he would be able to follow this rule just fine.
Besides, he was a bit afraid of this Joker fellow anyways.
All the news clippings on the walls in the living room above Jay's couch were about him, and though the pictures were distinctly blurry and most weren't even in range, he could faintly make out the colors of clown make-up and a large purple overcoat. The articles said he had scars too, ones that Jay himself sported, and when confronting Jay with this question, he'd been yelled at to stop reading the papers. (Hence the rule…)
But Jay had quickly regained control of himself, and upon seeing Jonny shake with what could only be fear at having upset his only other source of stimulating contact, relented to tell him the story of just how he'd gotten the Glasgow grin in the first place. The Joker, before he'd become a big and famous criminal, had lived in the Narrows, not too far from Jay's apartment, and as such saw him walking to and from work each day. He'd picked Jay as a victim, a practice doll, for which he'd soon make his calling card grin. The results were anything but pleasant.
Jonny hadn't brought the news paper clippings or the Joker up again.
Number Three: No whining or crying. Just…no.
Jonny would hope that the other him, the really real him, didn't do this so much that this rule was spawned from it. He hoped that this rule was a precaution, or an aversion, since he didn't really think Jay knew what to do with upset individuals anyways, least of all him. But he'd make it a fairly important point not to do either of the things put in bold on this list.
For Jay, at least, if not for his own dignity.
He wasn't a wallflower after all; he wouldn't wilt at the first sign of danger or terror. But, for the life of him, he couldn't remember where he knew that word from, or why he wasn't one. It had just popped up into his mind of its own will. Hmm, that might take a bit of thought on his part, but otherwise he should be okay. The doctor said the body knows him better than he did at the moment, and that it'd try to correct the problem it seemed to be having. So who was he to argue?
Number Four: Leave the mess alone. If something's in a heap, it is that way for a reason. Don't go around picking things up that need to be left in their proper place.
It didn't take all that long to figure out that Jay was a messy, messy person. The state of the living room alone should have been able to tell him that, but for all he had looked around, that room was the only one he couldn't seem to find absolutely sparkling clean. Whoever their other flat-mate was, (Crow, he reminded himself) they seemed to be a bit OCD about the place. He himself was quite content to just let Jay's mess be, unless it started to run out of the living room and into another. But he doubted that even Jay would let it get that far, since he seemed pretty…what was the word he'd used?
Organized chaos…
That seemed like a good way to put it to him in any case.
But Jonny was starting to find out that though chaos seemed to be Jay's favorite word, he didn't always completely live up to it. There were certain aspects of his life, to any life, that he didn't apply this theory of his. His work desk, which was actually just the rickety kitchen table and the floor in the living room in front of the brand new looking TV, was oddly chaotically organized. That was to say, thing were set into piles, but the piles themselves were messy. It was a bit hard to understand, Jonny thought, but he wasn't going to argue about it.
Though, Jay was rather picky about stuff in the bathroom cabinets. He had a bag under the sink, it was black, and it contained all his bathroom necessities, apparently. Jonny was asked politely not to touch it or go through it. All his stuff, he was assured, was behind the vanity mirror, and when he'd checked, he'd found everything there just like Jay had said. He had no desire to go snooping.
Number Five: Don't go into the door at the end of the hallway, to the right.
This was probably one of the most important rules, Jay had explained. Jonny didn't know why it was so important, but if it had to be a rule, then it had to hold true. After all, Jay didn't seem one for theatrics. Though, he had to admit, he was really, really curious to know what was behind that now locked door. It had seemed innocent enough, and it couldn't be all that big of a deal…right?
Jonny had made the mistake of asking about this one.
Jay hadn't outright exploded in anger, though he did seem to have to try very hard to restrain himself as he'd turned back around to Jonny and put his hands on his shoulders, squeezing hard and explaining. By the end of the long and drawn out explanation, Jonny's eyes had started watering and he was whimpering slightly from the pain of Jay's thumbs digging in below his collar bone. Maybe this was why Jay had gone back and added in the no crying or whining rule after all. He tried to not even glance at the hallway door as he walked past it.
Number Six: If you feel sick, say something. Don't put it off or ignore it.
That included voices no one else could hear, though Jay wouldn't elaborate on the last part for him any when he'd asked for clarification. When Jay had just continued on talking about him being really sick and still injured after his encounter with the hood of someone's car, Jonny had just let it drop, thinking it wise to not have another "Locked Door" incident.
He was sick, so he could understand the necessity of this certain rule. His head still pounded and the stitching on his temple itched and burned at the same time, throbbing in time with his heartbeat. And that was only a little of the stuff. He was covered in bruises and scrapes, a notoriously large one on his midriff and left thigh the highlight of his outward physical injuries. (Jay loved to pay those bruises attention, Jonny knew, because he often caught him gazing at them.) Other injuries included his severe concussion and the lovely bout of amnesia he was suffering from, though he wasn't really suffering from the later part, only the first.
But the voices part did worry him some. 'Was that normal for people with severe concussions?' he'd wanted to ask, but hadn't felt it was an appropriate dinner conversation topic over the nice meal of Chinese Jay had brought back after his quick trip out. He'd bought not only the hot food though, but other stuff for the apartment and Jonny, for which he was eternally grateful. Perhaps Jay would even want to watch one of the few movies Jonny had been able to find in the top shelves of the closet in the bedroom they were sharing. He could only hope so, because a certain part of him felt like that was the right thing to do.
Number Seven: That is not a phone ringing in the room off limits, so don't go in there looking for it. (It isn't for you anyways; no one wants to call you but me.)
He didn't like phones anyways; this one should be a piece of cake. Jay had given him a special cell phone anyways that he could use to call him on twenty-four seven. He couldn't make other calls out, but he could receive and make them to the numbers Jay programmed in there, and that was good enough for him.
Number Eight: No dress clothing or dress shoes. Socks are permitted, but only if they're of the funny variety or worn with slippers…which I bought you.
And indeed he had.
Among some of the shopping bags Jay had brought back along with the Chinese, there was a singular pair of Halloween slippers in his size. They were white and in the shape of what looked to be a ghost dog, with long, thin white ears, a happy smile, and light-up pumpkins on each of their noses that sparkled when he walked. They were very warm, encompassed his entire foot, and were oddly easy to walk in. He loved them, and promptly put them on after he'd carefully removed the remnants of the price tags.
He couldn't really see wearing dress shoes anyways, since he wasn't leaving the apartment, and they were sort of uncomfortable. The loafers wouldn't be too bad, but since he didn't want to wear shoes in the house and risk getting the carpet dirty, he just opted to wear the slippers all the time.
The dress clothing wouldn't be too hard either, since he wasn't receiving guests or anything, and the stiff shirts and starched ties were tight about his neck, which he felt was highly uncomfortable. So he'd done some digging through the chest of drawers in the far corner of the room, and in the very bottom drawer he'd found an assortment of t-shirts and baggy, pajama pants. He'd taken to wearing a certain Halloween themed set so that he matched his shoes. (And then wondered why he had so much Halloween stuff stashed in his apartment.) Orange plaid pants with a large black t-shirt with a pumpkin stenciled on it made up his attire now, and though they were all a bit big and baggy on his frame, Jay said they had looked nice.
Number Nine: Any of these rules are up for my debate and what not. If I decide you need more, then you'll get more. You can't change my mind either, since I know what's best for you.
At this one, Jonny had to sigh.
Jay did seem to know what was best for him, but it wasn't like he was completely invalid or something. He could do things for himself, like cook and clean and watch TV, and he could do other things too, but Jay seemed Hell bent on keeping him wrapped up and protected. (Jay had made a passing remark that Jonny was like his newly rescued stray kitten, and although he could clearly move on his own, he still needed to be smothered to recover quicker. Jonny didn't get the metaphor.) At least he knew that someone out there was looking out for him, and though he didn't really know anyone else, and Jay hadn't talked about anyone other than that Crow person, he still was glad that he'd met with Jay first and not some freak in the alleyway.
And even though he was a bit cooped up and curious and anxious to do things properly, Jonny couldn't really argue with the rules written up for his protection and safety. Jay was protecting him from a dangerous city, far more dangerous than just normal criminals, Gotham had people like this Joker fellow and The Batman. And, if Jonny wasn't afraid of the Joker enough already, this Batman who supposedly captured the Joker, sounded even more terrifying. Jonny hadn't asked about him.
Now this list seemed a bit longer than it probably should…but Jonny was going to do it.
He was going to learn and follow the rules.
To make Jay happy.
Jonathan definitely has Zero slippers. Zero is from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
