video.

[highest_trump]

[ when the sound comes on, joker seems to be in the middle of a conversation, tense and clearly uncomfortable, and both voices are a little muffled. one of them is quickly rising, though, frustrated, wheedling. ]

"--Joker, don't--"

--yer 'ands offa' me!

[ rustling, the sounds of a brief scuffle, and a startled hiss. ]

"--orry, I don't-- I'm

Comments

voice;

[kingofrooks]

[ a little dryly: ]

I see you've received the friendly neighbourhood warning.

video.

[highest_trump]

Looks 'at way. Never met a bloke so p'ssessive 'bout a name.

voice forever;

[kingofrooks]

Unlike most normal people, he doesn't have a proper one.

video forever!

[highest_trump]

Neiver do I, if 'proper name' means somefing like 'Steve' an' a fam'ly name.

[ he rests his chin in his palms, blowing a few strands of hair out of his face with a huff. ]

We all picked names fer one anovver when we formed th' Circus.

[kingofrooks]

Yeah? What were some of the other names like?

... And where are you from?

[highest_trump]

Well, there's Beast an' Dagger an' Doll an' Peter an' Wendy an' Jumbo, an' those were all th' firs' tier members. Th' ones I grew up wiv, if yer call it growin' up.

[ his mouth quirks. ] London, Guv. East End.

[kingofrooks]

[ There's a small smirk to his voice. ]

Let's see. You're Joker, so Beast must be the animal tamer. Doll is a puppeteer, and Peter and Wendy are double acts? Is Jumbo a clown? [ He sounds like he's ticking off his fingers. ]

Is that accent Cockney, then? Can't say I've heard the likes of it, and I've been pretty much everywhere.

[highest_trump]

[ he laughs. ] Close! Doll's the 'igh-wire act, an' Jumbo's our strong-man.

[ his expression shifts faintly, wry and a little self-effacing. ] 'S gutter-bred, but sure, we'll call it Cockney. .. So now yer know all 'bout me, but I don' even know yer name.

[kingofrooks]

Bruce Wayne. SPPD's engineer; I can make pretty much everything.

[ Then, as if teasingly: ]

You say gutter-bred like it's a bad thing.

[highest_trump]

Noice ter meetcha', Bruce. Y' can make everyfing, eh? Pretty 'efty claim.

[ a pause, scratching his cheek with his prosthetic, nose wrinkling thoughtfully at the bridge. ] It's an 'ard fing's what it is. Gutter en't kind ter no one where I'm from. Still, I like ter fink I'm stronger'n most 'cause've growin' up that way. [ he rocks back on his stool, laughing briefly again. ] When yer don' 'ave anyfing, y' can do wivout mos' fings.

[kingofrooks]

So far I've made someone a pair of eyes and a board that can fly. [ It would be boastful if he doesn't just state it matter-of-factly. ] Plus a bunch of really nifty weapons.

[ He's looking at the prosthetic, though you can't see it, and his voice is careful and thoughtful when he speaks. ]

I suppose that's true. You get used to new environments easier, too.

[highest_trump]

.. A pair've eyes what can see? [ because he's seen regular old glass eyes before-- some of them are pretty realistic, but they're only fakes in the end.

.. he'd like to be able to give doll back her eye. ] 'S pretty impressive, Guv.

[ his mouth quirks again. ]

S'pose so. That don' mean this place's any less mad, though. Talkin' boxes an' mermaids an' fings-- [ he shakes his head, clearly amused despite the complaint. ]

[kingofrooks]

Yeah. Though I can't take the credit for having thought up of it, and the guy whom I made them for can't see colours yet either. I'm working on that.

... Mermaids? Really?

[highest_trump]

Still.. somefin' like that.. makes me wish Doll was 'ere. [ he makes a gesture to his face. ] She only 'as one workin' eye, 'erself.

.. Really! Or at leas', 'at's what one've th' blokes I work wiv was tellin' me. S'posed ter be a mermaid out in th' water 'ere.

[kingofrooks]

... You sure that the guy wasn't completely drunk?

And say, what year was it, where you're from?

[highest_trump]

Weren' drunk, though I dunno' 'at 'e wasn't just seein' fings.

Y'know, a lot've people've been askin' me that lately. It was eighteen-eighty-nine when I was brought 'ere.