No, no... she HAD to be joking. He knew jokes and this was.. it was... HILARIOUS! What the hell could she be thinking...?
A first glance would show she was calm, but he saw more; her pupils were dilated, her red colored mouth was slightly opened to ensure an easy flow of air to her lungs. Nervous, dear? And, laughing gods, she was wearing an outfit that screamed 'please, violate me, I need it!' A red top with ruffles that was snug around her breasts, a short black skirt that showed too much thigh to be acceptable. And the cherry on this cream pie was the heels. Most staff wore sensible shoes. Ones that allowed them to try to escape quickly. But she put fashion first... What was she, crazy?! HAhahAHhahHA..
She was clearly trying to be professional, to earn respect of her colleagues and she was sabotaging herself! He liked it. Wondered if she would fight dirty for respect.. or... approval? He was repulsed and provoked at the same time by her ignorance of life. It didn't matter if people respected you, the only thing that mattered was if you got the joke! That was it, wasn't it? The ignorance of this woman grated his nerves, made him want to bash her head in. To see her pale flesh get bruises of purple, black and green from his fists, to have that pretty skin marred with her own blood. He wanted to beat the ignorance out of her. Perhaps that was it...
That being said, even he had to admit: red and black was good for her.
Well, time for the show! Let's see if she can play her part well...
As he walked into the common room, all heads swiveled his way. Some cowered, naturally. A little gangly man that had been staring Ivy down now shrank into one of the corners of the room so much so that it seemed as if he were trying to go through it. It made Joker crack a smile. That was one thing he always enjoyed, witnessing the effect his mere presence had on people. A young woman sat with her back to the room, and gaze fixed on the television that was mounted on the wall, the screen flickering every so often behind a metal cage that kept the inmates from ripping it off the wall. No music was playing on the news channel but regardless, the woman swayed as if hearing music.
There were a few others who puffed out their chests and kept him in their line of sight, preparing for what he might do. Two-Face, Ivy and Riddler. They were scheduled at the same time he was, well look at that! I can have some fun after all. Two-Face and Riddler returned to acting as if they hadn't noticed him, but still didn't put their back to him. Ivy just glared at him but he didn't care, the weed was never much fun. Although, he had wondered what would happen if he sprayed her with pesticide. He'll have to save that for a rainy day. Two-Face and Riddler, now there's a few laughs to be had! At their own expense, of course.
Cash was eye to eye with Joker, his weapon pointed at Joker's heart as the non-descript guard unlocked his cuffs and shackles. The madman simply smiled at him. "Try anything, Joker," he said, "and I'll make sure you never see the light of day again."
"Oh, Cash, you're sexy when your mad, but I don't give it up on the first date," Joker said and winked at him. Cash sneered and began to back away towards the entrance door, keeping his weapon still trained on Joker until he was out the room, the door electronically locking in front of him. Joker chuckled and wiggled his fingers in a funny wave-good-bye motion. Cash glowered and walked to the guard station to monitor him better.
Spinning on his heels, he directed his attention to the other inmates. He could feel the doctor's eyes burning holes in his back. Two-Face was sitting at a table and seemed to be in a foul mood. Joker strode over toward him and dramatically sat himself down in one of the chairs. Two-Face gave no reaction. Joker swiped up a battered deck of cards that were clearly missing a few judging by the weight in his hand. A quick glance out of the corner of his eye told him that new doctor was scribbling madly on her little notepad. He leaned back in his chair, kicked his feet on the table and turned toward Two-Face.
"So Harv, how're things on the flipside?" Joker asked, grinning.
Still tossing the coin, and keeping his eyes on Ivy, he growled, "As fate would have it, still in this stinkin' joint."
"Righty-roo! I know just the thing to cheer you up! How about a little... gardening?" Joker implied, making Two-Face's scarred side smile.
"She's looking at you." Two-Face said, glancing at Joker, who had begun flipping the cards in the air and catching them.
"I don't care if weed looks at me," Joker said, shuffling the cards between his hands now.
"The doctor."
Joker paused for a minute then turned toward the guard station, staring straight at her. She began to blush so much he couldn't help but wave at her, making her cover her smile and turn away for a minute.
"So that's the way of it, is it?" Two-Face's harsh, gravel-toned voice rumbled with interest. "Tell us, clown, what are you planning? Is it the new doctor?" Two-Face stopped flipping his coin and leaned forward. Joker just continued to flip his cards and smile. He knew no one would make a move on the new doctor if they thought he already made a claim on her.
"Harvey, you were the District Attorney. Surely you should be able to figure out this child's puzzle, at least."
Two-Face's eyes shot towards Riddler and a low growl emanated from his half-scarred throat. Like most of the super criminals, they all hated one another.
"Now that's nosey of you, unless.. Ooh, think you already know the joke, do you, Eddie?" Joker asked, turning to Riddler who continued to stare at his newspaper, acting superiorly indifferent. "Want to find out what the punchline is?..." Hearing that, he saw Riddler's shoulders hunch in the slightest manner, like the beta wolf not wanting to challenge the alpha.
"He's just wanting to see if she's free game. We all like to play with our food." Two-Face smirked, then looked back at Ivy, who was still ignoring the conversation. Her leaves hardly moved on her skin now. The small stems and leaflets looked nearly flat against her skin as if resting. She was gazing out at the botanical gardens, her fingers making the slightest of movements as if trying to remembering something.
"I wouldn't sully myself with someone as dimwitted as a random doctor," Riddler finally responded, folding his newspaper in his lap to look at Two-Face. He still didn't make eye contact with Joker. "The only interest I have is solving the next riddle. I don't work with inferiors." Riddler looked at everyone at the guard station as if he were being detained by monkeys rather than medical professionals.
Joker chuckled more, examining the battered deck of cards he was playing with. What he wouldn't give to have his razor card deck on hand right now, at least he could amuse himself. Two-Face leaned back in his chair and began flipping his coin again.
Why not throw the dogs a bone, eh? Gotta have a laugh somehow.
"I just want to see her... smile." Joker commented. The room's temperature seemed to drop a few degrees. Riddler glanced knowingly at Joker, Two-Face smirked, even Ivy's piercing eyes made their way over to Joker. The line was drawn. The doctor was His toy.
"AHAHAHahahahahhahaha!" The gangly man in the corned started laughing maniacally, now getting everyone's attention. Joker and the others turned to watch the scene. Standing up, still laughing, the man began to beat on his head with his fists.
"Now that's the spirit!" Joker exclaimed, "At least someone else has a sense of humor around here, HA he he Ha!"
Two nursing staff came in quickly to sedate the man with a needle as another three guards aimed their weapons at the other inmates. Just as they were removed the man, he looked at Ivy once more as they carried him out the door. Giving a bored huff, Ivy looked back out the window.
Two-Face tucked his coin away in the pocket of his issued patient pants and looked at Joker. "So you gonna deal, or what? We're bored." Smiling wider, Joker shuffled the deck and began dealing out the first hand. "Normally, I play alone, but why not, I could use some assistance."
Picking up on the que, Two-Face shifted in his seat, leaned forward and lowered his voice. "What do ya got in mind, J?"
Harleen could feel her hand start to cramp from gripping her pen too tightly.
After being isolated in his cell for several months and having next to no social interaction, Patient is sitting in the common room, playing a card game with another inmate! Harleen thought as her pen inked her thoughts thoughts down. She scribbled frantically as her eyes glanced back and forth between her notepad and the back of Joker's head. She flexed her hand a bit once she had jotted down all she could and now watched his face on the monitor.
His lips were moving. What could he saying?
"Can you hear what they are saying?" Harleen asked the closest guard to her.
"No, Ma'am. The cameras can zoom, but audio isn't available. Hasn't been fixed since it was busted over a month ago."
"Then can you zoom into my patient's face?"
"Yes, Ma'am." The guard grabbed what looked like an arcade joystick on a handheld panel and maneuvered it around, the effect making the camera lens retract as it magnified. Harleen gazed at her patient and tried to make out the words by reading his lips, but his permanent smile made it difficult.
"Sorry, but could I monitor this screen myself, please?" Harleen's question seemed to confuse the guard. He looked at Cash for an answer, who nodded, and got up from the his seat and offered it to her.
She sat down and stared at the face of a man who terrified most people. But she didn't feel fear. She felt fascination. Excitement. Intrigue. The way he moved, the way he articulated his words. Her cheeks began to get warmer the more she watched him. His piercing eyes took in everything in the room. They looked around but also remained focused on the cards in his hands. Something made him look up. At her. He looked at her. No, not at her directly, at the camera watching him. But she felt it was at her. He continued to stare, not blinking. His smile went higher on one side of his face, giving him a slight smirk.
Her breathing deepened as she stared back into the black and white version of his green eyes. Her shoulders gave an involuntary shake as if she were cold. She was about to take a few more notes when he did something she thought she had imagined. He winked at her. Not like before when he first sat down in the room. It had been comical before. With his intense staring now, it was... heated. Suggestive. Her cheeks flooded with blood as she felt herself blush. It wasn't the way girls normally blushed, this was different. Her checks, neck and chest all felt warm. She was sure she would look sunburned if she turned around now.
Lowering her head and making small, unnecessary notations, she let her thick blonde braid fall to the side of her face, creating a curtain of hair that would shield her until her cheeks drained of the excess blood. After a moment that felt longer than it probably was, she looked back up to the screen, but he was looking at his cards and talking to the other inmate. Had she imagined it? She glanced down at her notes for something to do. She must have imagined it. How would he know she was watching him? She stood by the glass for the remainder of the time that Joker had left in the common room.
"Thank you Mr. Cash, that's all I require for observing Joker today." she said to Officer Cash when her watch told her that time was nearly up.
Cash nodded in response, his eyes still on the monitor he was watching, and swiped his security badge into a card reader. A electrical buzz sounded and the door to the guard station opened to let her out. As she walked down the hall, passing by the large glass windows of the common room, she tried to keep her face forward but couldn't help but look back at her patient before she turned down a hallway. He didn't even notice her leaving.
Why should I care? she thought as walked back to her office. Only a few feet down the hallway, Harleen couldn't resist a smile blooming on her face when she heard the familiar laughing coming from the common room.