[Arkham asylum]

[confound]

Being institutionalized is perhaps the worst sort of boredom, especially for Edward Nygma. Oh, sure, it's a fair bit better than being sent to out and out prison - his constitution's too delicate for Blackgate Penitientiary, no thank you - it's still... institutionalization. The therapists are mealy-mouthed and annoying. The other prisoners are, well... it's Gotham, quite a few of them have extracurricular activities like he does, generally in costumes less stylish than his.

Group therapy might actually be sucking the life out of him.

He can't really do anything about any of this, either. Not yet, anyway. So he wastes his days trying to keep himself entertained any way he can. Today, that's milling about the rec room since he's re-earned those privileges. He's been on very good behavior, honestly. It's just unfortunate there's nothing really going for the rec room beyond being a change of scenery. There's some terrible board games and a tv with very restricted viewing.

And, of course, other patients. Joy of joys. At least today he doesn't notice anyone particularly unpleasant, so he settles in the sofa to watch the same goddamn original Star Trek reruns again. Sigh.

Comments

[jcrane]

Crane steps into the rec room-- stumbles is more accurate, really, as the thuggish guards assigned to him today shoved him through the door. In any case, he stops immediately inside to straighten his clothes and glance around the room. Mostly nobodies. That's just as well. Oh, and there's Nygma on the shabby couch. Speaking of nobodies.

Jonathan ambles over to an even shabbier recliner and sits as gracefully as he can considering the circumstances. "Back already, Edward?"

[confound]

All things considered, Eddie supposes there are worse people to wander over and join him in the sad little tv viewing area. Crane's at least more tolerable than most of the nobodies and especially most of the somebodies.

"Apparently." He answers with the least surprised fake surprised tone he can manage, shrugging and half-frowning. Arkham's a revolving door for the both of them. This is nothing new. "Fancy seeing you here again, Jonathan."

[jcrane]

Jonathan leans forward in his chair and props his chin on his hands, elbows resting on his knees. "Did you have fun in suburbia?"

Never mind that Jonathan's latest efforts were... lackluster as well. This is about irritating Nygma.

[confound]

"I found holding soccer moms hostage made for a nice change in pace." Eddie just smiles cheerfully, reclining on the sofa. He kicks his legs up across the other side of it; he'd rather discourage any of the nobodies from sitting with him, after all. "I heard your stunt with the marching band was quite a gas."

[jcrane]

Jonathan just smiles nastily at Nygma. "I heard you were having a grand time lounging about in parks, too. Was that part of your grand plan, or were you just enjoying the weather?" There's a brief moment where Jonathan ponders Nygma being menaced by geese. It's a charming thought.

[confound]

Crane is as charming as ever, it seems. Eddie's smile gets exponentially more cheerful however. "Ah, no, but I was enjoying the company of someone who appreciates my puns." Nevermind he'd held her hostage before that, that's a tiny detail anybody would skip.

[jcrane]

"Talking to your reflection hardly counts, Edward. I hadn't thought you were that far gone." Jonathan puts on a very concerned face while privately grimacing. If Nygma got some poor fool to laugh at a couple of his godawful puns, he's probably going to have to hear all about it.

[confound]

"Please. No, it was a rather clever woman, and she managed a few jokes even better than mine." Eddie snorts quietly but does not cease his smiling. His reflection? Really? "And I must say, if that jab's the best you can do I'm rather afraid this place has begun to dull your wits already. Or did they confiscate your sharp tongue along with the burlap mask?"

[jcrane]

Oh good lord. Jonathan can't actually keep himself from rolling his eyes at that. Not that he tried very hard. "That's not exactly a high bar, you know." The second part of Nygma's comment gets a grumpy Crane squint. "If you think I save my best remarks for you, Edward, you're in for a rude awakening." He grins humorlessly. "Though not all of us have had the good fortune of lounging about on Dr. Bartholomew's good graces."

He really isn't at his best at the moment. A couple of the guards have a grudge, and the idiot doctor he's been assigned is... unpleasant. Such is life in Arkham.

[confound]

"Ah, you never have appreciated my humor very much. Alas, there's no accounting for taste." Eddie laughs, but turns his expression into mock hurt when Crane continues on. "You wound me. Truly."

He humorless grin gets a raised brow. "You seem slightly more irritably than usual, Jonathan. Got stuck with Dr. Carrington this time?"

[jcrane]

"Indeed there isn't. You found a woman with taste as poor as yours, you were saying?" Jonathan smirks.

...But the smirk fades quickly at the mention of Dr. Carrington. "As a matter of fact, I did."

[confound]

That smirk just gets a disapproving look in response. "I could do worse."

Eddie actually frowns. Dr. Carrington is... a problem he wishes someone would deal with already. "My sympathies."

[jcrane]

"Oh, touchy already, are we?" Jonathan eyes Nygma thoughtfully. "How interesting."

"Your concern is touching," he continues dryly. "But unnecessary. I consider Carrington an... inspiration." To get the hell out of Arkham as quickly as possible. But he doesn't need to add that.

[confound]

"Hardly." Eddie rolls his eyes, reclining. A glance at the tv and it's... Trouble with Tribbles again. The trouble is he's seen this episode approximately 38 times already.

"Well, as long as you find it...motivating, I suppose that's something." There's no real secret that neither of them plan on staying. Who does, really? Arkham practically has a revolving door.