The maintenance of psychopaths and their house pets

[ha_in_havoc]

For a dangerous killer, the Joker has taken very good care of his captives. There's been occasional shouting, he's stormed out, meals have been delayed or missed after disagreements or fights... but never more than one. Aside from those instances, both of his house guests are fed three times daily. Mostly fast food, microwaveable fare, pizza, or

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[notatvcharacter]

It's surprised Luke, but only a little. He's trying to let go of his expectations, trying not to look at what the Joker's granted him as anything remarkable, or unnecessary. He knows the mechanisms behind Stockholm Syndrome, and he wants to keep as far away from that as possible.

(But the man could have killed them both weeks ago. He knows that, too

[ha_in_havoc]

The Joker wants his captives not to worry too much about leaving. Not to feel any urgency. It's also, quite honestly, less work to treat them decently than to torture them. If he wanted them dead, that would be one thing, but with them being useful alive... Alive and well is easier.

Unaware of his staff taking Luke's money without going through him, he hasn't stopped it. Not yet. They're unlikely to ever notice the codes. The clown, though, would expect it. It's so hard to find good help these days. Especially when your hostages provide them with therapy.

The Joker shrugs, not much caring for the actual time until it becomes relevant to something. He comes in and has a seat at the foot of Luke's bed.
"You've been talking a lot, haven't you? Tsk. I can't have you breaking my staff, you know. They're not easy to replace!"

[notatvcharacter]

"I don't know about breaking." Is McCoy annoyed at the Joker's apparent viewing of therapy as a detriment, when it's his employees who are getting it? Sure. But he's not surprised. "They want to talk to someone who'll listen. I'm obliging 'em. It's not like I've got a hell of a lot else to do." He knows as soon as he says it that he's going to regret it, and raises a hand on the futile hope of forestalling the consequences. "That wasn't a request."

[ha_in_havoc]

"Well, if they're less useful to me..ah...then they're broken." See? Is it that hard to see that he's handpicked them for their specific flaws and likes them that way? "Don't oblige them. If they need someone to talk to, they can come to me. I'm an understanding boss. I've got an open door policy and everything."
Except walking in that open door can get you shot. Still, being the only small comfort or hope these men have is sort of solely his position. He can't have Luke upsetting that balance.

"I could find you things to do, though. Interesting things."
He shrugs and runs one gloved hand over his hair.
"Do you talk to Harley, too? Hmm?"
The Joker's smile as he asks is not a very positive sign. It means the answer matters.

[notatvcharacter]

Aw, hell. See, this is what he gets for opening his fat mouth.

(Not that he's going to give up talking to the boys, if they really need it. He'll just have to be more careful about it.)

He can tell that the question about Harleen is an important one. And he knows that's not good. Thankfully, he can answer truthfully, and have it be the right answer. "Not too often. She's a funny girl."

[ha_in_havoc]

He quirks a brow and his grin is wry, tired, and unamused.
"Hilarious."
Harley has not been making him laugh, of late. Not at all. Maybe he was wrong about her from the start.

"She doesn't like being here, I don't think. Of course...she doesn't seem to like breathing."
The clown shrugs. Maybe he'll kill her. Maybe that'll make her happy.

[notatvcharacter]

None of these 'sessions' have been particularly easy. But this is starting to look like a doozie. Delightful.

"If you don't mind my asking, why'd you bring her out here in the first place?" He does his best to keep anything even remotely resembling criticism out of his voice. Curious and nonjudgmental is the name of the game. Don't make him think, any more than he already might, that the decision was a bad one. There's a girl's life at stake.

[ha_in_havoc]

He does mind, sort of. Asking him questions is just generally a bad thing. However, he started this himself and it's a fair inquiry.
"Why? Because it's what she wanted. Or she did... She was very attentive to me in Arkham, doc. But...ah...others have turned her against me. So fickle."
The clown shrugs with an exasperated sigh that has a tone of 'women, right?', as if this were a normal conversation two men might have...when one is holding a girl hostage.

Moving their 'appointment' along, the Joker begins unbuttoning his shirt; his suspenders already hanging down. He's hoping he can stop bandaging his ribs. They feel...mostly better.

[notatvcharacter]

"What others?" Careful, Luke. Careful. Don't prod too hard at the paranoia.

When Johnny starts taking his shirt off, Luke pushes himself up, standing to approach him and give him a physician's once-over. No new injuries? The old ones healing? He'd prefer not to have to give a lecture, on top of the psychoanalysis...

"How've you been holding up?"

[ha_in_havoc]

The clown's eyes narrow in annoyance, and he wonders if Luke needs him to say or if the doctor already knows and is just playing with him. How much does Harley say? Does she talk about that insane, man-hating redhead and how she wants to go back to her?
"Some kid...an artist.. ah... and Pam Isley. Harley's got a thing for Arkham patients. ... I suspect she's switched teams in more ways than one."

The Joker seems to have actually taken reasonable care of himself. A few lazily bandaged cuts are hidden under his gloves and there are a handful of bruises on his hips and torso from accidents in exercising and pushing too far in testing himself (also some that look like he's been fighting, though...he hasn't run into Batman or been caught by police...huh).

[notatvcharacter]

Luke never lets what he knows interfere with what he asks his patients. It's useful to hear their take on things. "And why do you think that might be?"

He makes a disapproving sound, seeing those new bruises. His hand hovers above one, indicating it without touching. (When it doesn't get in the way of his work, he does try not to touch Mr. Doe, knowing how he feels about it. When it doesn't get in the way of his work.) "A little more tender than last time."

[ha_in_havoc]

"Maybe she..ah..grew out of her clown fetish." He shrugs and huffs a distant, disinterested sort of laugh. "I don't know, doctor, you tell me."
He fixes his eyes on Luke, clearly very aware he's not the sort of person people generally want to be around. The only reason any of this bothers him is that Harley used to want his company. Used to practically be begging for his attention. What does some other crazy have to offer that he doesn't that could turn this girl fully against him?

The Joker tilts his head and smirks at his doctor, sighing over the fresh bruising.
"I fell down the stairs."
It's said with all the believability generally offered from a battered housewife.

[notatvcharacter]

"Yeah? Those stairs have a name?" Unfortunately, now, he does have to poke and prod to check the clown's ribs.

"How've you been treating her? How were you treating her when she was sweet on you?" Psychopaths in lo... li... possessive fixation. There's a hell of a book in this, just begging to eb written.

[ha_in_havoc]

"Probably." His smirk says 'definitely'. His staff are his to do with as he pleases. If the Joker wants to order them to fight him and watch them struggle with whether or not to let him win, well..that's his own business.
He tenses a little at the touching, but he's gotten better about it...if only marginally. There are spots that still get a sharp breath in response, but for the most part his ribs have reached a point that is 'tolerable' for him.

The clown scowls at Luke a moment, as if the man's prying and he hadn't brought it up himself. This 'talking to someone else about his problems' business is still not something he's really good about or comfortable with. It can be useful, though.
"I've treated her well. Like I do with you, Doc...but with..ah..more gifts. Before, well, we had our...disagreements. She seems to be all worked up about me deciding to...split up...while breaking from Arkham."
He shrugs. Pfft. Women. Holding grudges about being left for dead or actively threatened.
"Before she was loyal. She'd do anything. ..

[notatvcharacter]

"Define disagreements." Or don't. Luke's read the files. "Even the best dog, you kick it enough times, it's gonna run off."

Poke. Prod. Watching Mr. Doe's face as he does. Knowing that his typical reactions to pain are extremely atypical, but he's gotten enough of a fell for his baseline by now, and it's been enough time... "Mmm. I think you're alright to take these off." He'll get right to that, in fact, fetching the small pair of bandage scissors his captor kindly let him have from his mismatched collection of medical supplies.

"Any other problems? Anything strange or unusual?"

[ha_in_havoc]

"She thinks Isley is likable and should be allowed to live. I disagree. ... The two of them were already..ah..against me when I used Harley as a hostage. She was available."
He shrugs. Was he expected to be 'sweet'? The girl is more delusional than he knows if she was expecting that.

The clown makes no effort at all to give helpful responses to pain in check ups. He'll answer --to the best of his ability-- whether or not something hurts, when asked, but even that's not entirely useful. For now, though, he's thrilled to have the bandages off and wouldn't dare say anything to stop that. He imagines he's 'healed enough'.

"My left side. I'm still not responsive enough." Yes, he does expect to be back at 100% already after being shot. It's fortunate for Luke that he hasn't taken up blaming the doctor for this...not completely. Not yet. "And...sensation is too dull in my left hand. It hurts my accuracy..." At what? He isn't saying. A lot of things.