"Just unlock it and then you can skedaddle for a few. Get yourself a hot chocolate." Jerome told the guard and waited for the door to be unlocked, while folding a piece of toilet paper he'd found on the ground. He tucked it into the guard's shirt pocket as if it was a tip and patted it gently. "Off you go. Buy yourself something pretty."
He watched the guard walk off, shaking his head. "I worry for the state of our security here, honestly. Lax. Very lax. Drives one crazy how underfunded mental healthcare is."
With that, Jerome was left alone. Alone with Jonathan Crane, that was. He walked through the door into the cell, looking around and whistling. "Spooky. Scary. Skeletons. Really does send shivers down my spine."
He shuddered in an exaggerated way and then turned his focus to the man himself. "Oi, Jonny. Is anyone home or can you at least take a message after the beep?"
Jonathan looked in the direction of Jerome but he mostly just stared, his movements sluggish and slow. He had been drugged heavily for the past two weeks after his outburst during shock therapy. It was difficult to keep himself under control, not with the Scarecrow looming. It was always watching, always following, always after him.
Even now, he felt it in the room, all of his hairs were on end and his pulse was racing.
Jonathan shoved himself back against the wall and covered his head with his hands, not in the mood to talk to anyone. His brain was full of fear and cotton. He hated the sedatives - they didn't help the fear, they just ensured he couldn't fight the Scarecrow.
No message, no talking, no one else was worth it right now. He just had to keep himself still and safe from the bad things.
"See, the thing with you... I appreciate the vision. I really like what you've done--" Jerome bent down by Jonathan and knocked on his head lightly. "--with the place. What you've had done to it, anyway. And, your interior decorating skills?"
He gestured around the place sweepingly, taking it all in again. "Top notch. A true artist. The only thing we've got to work on with you is the single-minded focus. I like the gimmick. Fear's great. Fear's versatile. We've just got to unleash it. Unleash you."
Crouching down in front of Jonathan, he put his heavy hands on his shoulders and looked at his face. "You have to diversify a little. So much more to fear. So much more to scare. Y'know?"
That said, he suddenly leaned forward and bit Jonathan's neck, hard.
"No, no! Please, don't!" Jonathan cried out as he jerked away from the monster invading his space. There was rambling, words and then suddenly, like a demon lurking, there was a burst of something and there was Jerome, right in his personal space. "No, no, y--y-you don't understand!"
The bite made Jonathan cry out, his body seizing and his brain went into full panic mode. It always seemed to happen. Any time he had external pressures, the internal mechanism went array.
"It's j--just m-my head. It's my head." This wasn't a monster. "It's n-not a Sc-Scarecrow. It's a b-bully-jock."
"Bully jock, yeah? Has a ring to it." Jerome kissed where he'd left a bite mark, then laughed. Of course he laughed. He felt it couldn't hurt to get Jonathan used to that beautiful sound. One day, all of Gotham would be haunted by it. Seemed only right to get started early with someone this consumed by fear. "Jock, joke. There's something there, I can feel it."
He smacked his lips and petted Jonathan's head. "It is your head. But you're all alone here stuck inside your head, so what's worse than whatever's lurking in there? You've got the Scarecrow already. Add the clown. Make it a circus."
"Clowns?" Jonathan frowned as he tried to focus himself, his eyes not wanting to but he managed to use all of his willpower to finally look at the guy who was touching him. Ginger, stupid grin, about his age, not special ... except his eyes. Maybe it was the fear toxin but his eyes were bright red. Maybe. Ha, of course it was, no one had red eyes.
"I met a c-clown once. I cried." Jonathan laughed, he had to, it seemed so silly now. To be scared of a man handing balloons out when the Scarecrow was here. He was always so scared. Stupid little Johnny. "You're one of t-them?"
"Ah, no. I'm never one of them. I am more than a clown. I'm more than a man. I'm an idea, my boy." He ruffled Jonathan's hair as he smiled at him, that smile that was a little too much of a lot of things, the eyes that held knowledge and darkness and the most terrifying mirth. "I'm a curse upon Gotham and I'll haunt that city for eternity."
With that grandiose declaration, Jerome laughed again, a sounds that went from dark to bright, until he shrugged his shoulders and continued in a much more casual tone. "I just think it'd be more fun to have some friends along for the ride. Do you wanna be my friend, kiddo?"
"I don't have any friends..." Jonathan was calmer now, his heart was racing but Jerome was a distraction. He could breathe. He could control his speech and sound a bit less idiotic. All bonuses. Jonathan blinked several times to try and refocus himself and looked at Jerome. A tall, monstrous clown demon looming over him - but the laugh wasn't scary, it was a spark. A fun, little spark.
Funny. He forgot funny. That wasn't something he got much of any more. "Sure." Jon smiled wonkily at the offer. "Me, you and Scarecrow."
"Wow, two for the price of one? Not a bad deal, Mr Crane, I like your offer." He also liked seeing some clarity in those eyes. It was nice to know he was being recognised. As long as it stayed at just a given value of clarity, anyway. Jerome valued a good dose of insanity in any potential friends. "Now, listen. All I'm asking of my friends is that they entertain me. I know, I know, you've got your--" He vaguely wiggled his fingers in front of Jonathan's forehead. "--own stuff going on, keeps you internal. I get that. But sooner or later, Spooky, you've got to snap out of it. Join me in the waking worlds. Then we can bring your nightmares to all of Gotham, what do you say?"
"F-F-Fun but unlikely." Jonathan slipped off his bed and landed on the floor, crawling along the floor to where he had drawn the Scarecrow. He touched the picture and felt it screaming back out at him. "I'll never leave Arkham." It just didn't seem possible. He'd been here a long time now and he'd be here even longer. Forgotten entirely by anyone who could or should care.
Jonathan turned away from his Scarecrow, looking up at Jerome curiously. "Prove me wrong?" He wanted to be wrong. He wanted to go out there. He wanted everyone to suffer like he suffered.
"Oh, I will prove you wrong. Don't you worry. You think you can't leave the asylum?" Jerome grinned even wider, getting up and looking down at Jonathan. "We will turn Gotham into the asylum. We'll have the lunatics running the city. Then you'll fit in just fine, Spooky. You'll feel right at home. And we will spread fear and have so. Much. Fun."
He laughed again, then turned to walk to the door. "Don't forget me now, my boy. In those nightmares of yours. The clown can keep you company. I'll be back for you soon."
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no subject
He watched the guard walk off, shaking his head. "I worry for the state of our security here, honestly. Lax. Very lax. Drives one crazy how underfunded mental healthcare is."
With that, Jerome was left alone. Alone with Jonathan Crane, that was. He walked through the door into the cell, looking around and whistling. "Spooky. Scary. Skeletons. Really does send shivers down my spine."
He shuddered in an exaggerated way and then turned his focus to the man himself. "Oi, Jonny. Is anyone home or can you at least take a message after the beep?"
no subject
Even now, he felt it in the room, all of his hairs were on end and his pulse was racing.
Jonathan shoved himself back against the wall and covered his head with his hands, not in the mood to talk to anyone. His brain was full of fear and cotton. He hated the sedatives - they didn't help the fear, they just ensured he couldn't fight the Scarecrow.
No message, no talking, no one else was worth it right now. He just had to keep himself still and safe from the bad things.
no subject
He gestured around the place sweepingly, taking it all in again. "Top notch. A true artist. The only thing we've got to work on with you is the single-minded focus. I like the gimmick. Fear's great. Fear's versatile. We've just got to unleash it. Unleash you."
Crouching down in front of Jonathan, he put his heavy hands on his shoulders and looked at his face. "You have to diversify a little. So much more to fear. So much more to scare. Y'know?"
That said, he suddenly leaned forward and bit Jonathan's neck, hard.
no subject
The bite made Jonathan cry out, his body seizing and his brain went into full panic mode. It always seemed to happen. Any time he had external pressures, the internal mechanism went array.
"It's j--just m-my head. It's my head." This wasn't a monster. "It's n-not a Sc-Scarecrow. It's a b-bully-jock."
no subject
He smacked his lips and petted Jonathan's head. "It is your head. But you're all alone here stuck inside your head, so what's worse than whatever's lurking in there? You've got the Scarecrow already. Add the clown. Make it a circus."
no subject
"I met a c-clown once. I cried." Jonathan laughed, he had to, it seemed so silly now. To be scared of a man handing balloons out when the Scarecrow was here. He was always so scared. Stupid little Johnny. "You're one of t-them?"
no subject
With that grandiose declaration, Jerome laughed again, a sounds that went from dark to bright, until he shrugged his shoulders and continued in a much more casual tone. "I just think it'd be more fun to have some friends along for the ride. Do you wanna be my friend, kiddo?"
no subject
Funny. He forgot funny. That wasn't something he got much of any more. "Sure." Jon smiled wonkily at the offer. "Me, you and Scarecrow."
no subject
no subject
Jonathan turned away from his Scarecrow, looking up at Jerome curiously. "Prove me wrong?" He wanted to be wrong. He wanted to go out there. He wanted everyone to suffer like he suffered.
no subject
He laughed again, then turned to walk to the door. "Don't forget me now, my boy. In those nightmares of yours. The clown can keep you company. I'll be back for you soon."