What's the difference...

[The Joker]

Players: Joker and Jonathan Crane
Location(s): Arkham Asylum
Plot Summary: A look into the walls of Arkham with Joker and Scarecrow!


"...between a water bottle and puberty?" Joker posed the thirtieth set up to the collective of Gotham criminals in the wide open social break room of Arkham Asylum. It was obvious that the deranged clown was annoying all of the patients and the few brutish orderlies who lined the walls but not a soul dared to interrupt the clown for fear of becoming his next punchline. Joker searched the faces that looked up at him, his smile growing with each passing second as he realized he had them stomped. "A water bottle's already hit Justin Bieber! HAHAHAHAHEHEHOOOO!!"

[/b]

Joker clutched his gut as he bent over laughing himself hoarse. A few orderlies snickered but everyone else rolled their eyes or stifled groans at the joke. The clown straightened himself and wiped a tear from his eye just as lunch time for the inmates was announced and the others began filing out of the room. "Okay we'll meet up back here after lunch. I have hundreds of Biebz jokes."[/b] The Joker chuckled as he followed the others out of the break room and toward the cafeteria.

"Fries, old buddy old pal!"[/b] Joker slapped Mr. Freeze on the shoulder, "When'd they start letting you out without all us warm blooded folk?"[/b] The clown snickered while Fries did his best to just ignore him. "Burrr, cold shoulder. HA ha!"[/b] Slipping around Fries Joker limbered behind stout little Jervis Tetch, shoved the man's hat down over his head, and slipped past him as well.

Skipping his way through the lunch line Joker finally had his tray loaded up with mashed potatoes, some kind of slop that was supposed to be meat, and a hard rock of a dinner roll. As the line moseyed on down Joker watched as the dessert rack was picked clean. The joy-filled clown's face sloped downward into a frown as Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow, walked off with the last pudding cup.

Immediately Joker was on Crane's tail, leaning forward to whisper in the man's right ear. "Boo."[/b] He then quickly jerked over to Crane's left side and snatched up the pudding cup from Crane's tray. "Tsk tsk, don't you know, Craney? Sweets make psychos all the more crazier. Trust me, I should know! Heehe!"[/b] Walking past Crane Joker found an adequate seat in the cafeteria and plopped down. He ripped the top of the cup off and dug in with his plastic spoon. "Mmm rich!"[/b]
[/blockquote]

[Scarecrow]

That laugh and be heard from anywhere within Arkham Asylum. Everyone would either cringe or do their best to stay away. Many of Gotham's rogues learned to ignore him and keep their distance. The poor sobs who weren't smart enough to think that way got their ears talked off by some of the worst jokes imaginable. Crane sat at the end of the room, waiting for lunch to begin. He liked to be first. There was always a greater chance at getting the best of what's offered. Sure, it wasn't the best food money could buy, but it was better to eat the best of the worst rather than having to scramble for the scraps. By then it's all uneatable mush.

The Joker's silly jokes were old and tasteless. Some people snickered and Crane was among the inmates who rolled their eyes. The Joker was an interesting man, though annoying for all it's worth. He loves a good laugh, as long as it's by his standards. His standards are those of a child. Crane could never let himself sink so low as to laugh with him at those pathetic attempts at comedy.

With a snobbish scoff and a rise from his seat, Crane made his way to the door that opened to the cafeteria. He was one of the first in line. With a step in and a grab of the stacked tray, he made his way down the odd smelling buffet. Cringing and with a hunch of his back, Crane could hear the mad man getting closer. His voice was distant but it was getting closer. One bad joke at a time. "Sigh..." He stepped further down the line and began to rush in his taking of what looked most appetizing.

His hands snatched a nice little salad, though some of the green looked a bit pale, some chips, a glass for water and a butterscotch pudding that sat at the end of the buffet. To serve as dessert at best. Shortly, the Joker's voice was put to a quick halt. That alone made Crane's paranoia heighten just slightly. He was debating on whether he should look behind him or not but he resisted and made his way forward but was quickly caught off guard by the sudden pitched 'boo' that cooed in his right ear.

"Ah-!" He jumped from his body being so tense and looked behind to see no one, but he knew that blasted clown was there. Turning his gaze back to his tray, he noticed a key item missing. Looking up to the left, he saw the Joker with the pudding. His teeth grind down with irritation at the clown's words.

"You're one to talk." Crane hissed with little to no fair tone. The Joker made way past him and sat down, quickly taking the first bite. "Why don't you get your own!?" Crane growled. This man was irritating him to no end. Before there was any contact, he was already annoyed with him, but now he was greatly tempted to smack him sideways with the lunch tray.

[The Joker]

Jonathan Crane was a strange fellow amongst the strangest of fellows. While many housed within the ever plagued walls of Arkham would have you believe they were perfectly fine and sane, Crane appeared to have even himself believe it. No doubt the good doctor was sick, as sick as any of them, but he had this way about him that just shouted his arrogant misconstrued views. Jonathan Crane was crazy. There was no doubt about it. But its the crazy one's who're the most interesting! That's why Joker never cared for Penguin, the man wasn't at all insane; just freakish lookin!

Seated at the cafeteria table Joker looked up at Crane with his ever present smile, rolling pudding over his tongue and mashing it against the roof of his mouth until he was ready to swallow. Butterscotch was not a favorite of Joker's - in fact it sucked! - but it was the last pudding cup there was and he couldn't let Crane have it for himself. "Don't get your straw undies in a bunch, Crane. Don't you see I'm helping? You don't wanna be loco like Calendar Man do you? Or worse, Creeper - he's so unfunny!"

[/b] Joker growled at his own mention of the yellow skinned man, but his moment of rage quickly melted away as his smile reappeared on his face.

"Have a seat why don'tcha, I won't bite."[/b] The Joker nodded his pointed chin toward the seat across from him while shoveling another spoonful of Crane's butterscotch pudding into his wide mouth. "Why so tense? Blah, okay I've had enough." Joker scrunched his face up in distaste before picking up the pudding cup and flinging it across the room where it splattered against one of the concrete walls. "So what's the haps, Craney? Tell me a funny story from your depressing childhood."[/b] Joker balanced his chin on the balls of his wrists as elbow balanced on the table top.[/blockquote]

[Scarecrow]

Crane sighed as his fingers curled tightly at the edges of his tray. His dark eyes glaring down at the clown who sat, eating the pudding that was rightfully his. Okay, it was just pudding. Even Crane felt he was acting so foolish over something so small. But Joker.... Something about him made Crane want to punch ever living daylights out of him. He figured the Joker felt he could do whatever he wanted cause he is the Joker. Crane felt that was no excuse. So what? He didn't care. Crane was not scared of him.

"Helping yourself, like always." He hissed coldly at the clown's words.

There was an offer for Jonathan to sit across from him. Looking at the seat with a raised brow and a glare leering back to Joker, Crane scoffed. As if he'd want to sit near this mad man. His eyes darted about as he was prepared to take his leave to another table, but among their bickering and the like, all the tables were filled with angered or irritating patients. There was no such thing as an empty table for this lonely man to sit at and contemplate another escape.

Looking down at the mostly empty table, save for the clown, Jonathan released a deep sigh and rolled his eyes. He wanted to sit and it looked like he had no other choice, unless he was to sit on the dirty ground, which was completely out of the question.

With a loud clank and a scrape of his shoes, Jonathan promptly sat down across from the Joker, but not directly. Crane wanted to eat and sitting directly across from that mad fool would push him completely off eating and he couldn't have that. "Well, you're in a good mood today.." Jonathan grumbled and took the plastic fork in hand as he eyed the off looking salad. With a raise of his head, he watched the half eaten pudding cup get tossed into the near by wall and splattering the contents across the wall. Crane's expression was far from impressed. "I wouldn't say tense..." The tall man turned his head, leaving the irritated expression plain on his face. "I'm mostly annoyed."

He paused a moment and then nodded. "Annoyed at you."

The Joker spoke again, this time, giving a funny comment in relation to his 'depressing childhood'. A twitch formed from under Crane's eye as he lowered his head. "I shouldn't have to deal with this..." He huffed in a faint whisper. "What do you want, Joker? Or are you just getting enough pleasure with annoying me???" He raised his head but kept his back at that curled state, His brows arched low in a glare and an irritated tone stretched over his words.

Joker could be a great ally. They've worked once or twice before when dealing with the Batman, but right now, he would rather not remember the poor choices in aiding this clown.

[The Joker]

"Me? Selfish?"

[/color] Joker batted his eyelashes with an exaggerated look of being hurt by Crane's cold words. "I'm the most generous clown you'd ever meet, ask anyone!" Joker then glanced around to be sure no one was listening on their conversation before he leaned over his tray toward the other man, "Just don't ask Harley, she always complains I'm far too selfish."[/b] He whispered to Crane through the corner of his mouth and added a wink before recoiling to his seat, a broad grin playing on his face as he eyed the Scarecrow.

"When aren't I in a good mood, Craney?! You're too moody and mopey. Look on the bright side of things, stop being so emo! Ha ha."[/b] The clown and the other man were certainly two very different creatures but only on a fundamental basis based on personality, if one were to dig deeper then they would begin finding more similarities between the Joker and Scarecrow. For instance, they both were highly prolific and efficient with chemistry and biology; crafting their own toxins and chemicals. There was also an interest in human nature that they both shared, of course Crane preferred focusing on fear, while Joker was more interested in behavior and what people identified as sanity. The two men were different, but the same, however Joker was sure Crane would deny such facts if they were pointed out to him. A small giggle fluttered in the Joker's throat.

"You get worked up too easily, y'know that? To answer your question, yes, but that's not all I want! You may not realize it Craney, or maybe you do - I'm not a psychic or anything - but we're a lot alike me and you. Sure I'm a rugged good looking devil with a smile and swagger to die for," Joker quickly motioned to himself, "While you on the other hand are a four-eyed, hunchbacked noodle, BUT that doesn't mean we're all different. Just look at us; we're both in Arkham, we both despise the Bat - though if anyone but me kills him they'll be sporting a Columbian necktie - and we even have our own signature poisons. We're like cousins you and I!"[/color] Joker smiled upon reaching his main point, nodding several times in the process. "And if there's anything that I know my cuz wants right now more than anything, its to get out of Arkham. Amirite?" Joker's ruby red lips stretched til the corners of his mouth reached his ears.[/blockquote]