#also the drive to the escape room is prob ine of the things making me nervous

[raksh-writes]

I have a small birthday celebration planned for today, really just a few people, some cake and pizza and then we're going to an escape room in the late evening, but of course Im So Stressed about it, ughhhh. Im excited too, but my anxiety is having one hell of a field trip rn 😩

[sweetlikehoneystingslikeabee]

If it’s not to much trouble, could I ask for some scenarios about how the dork squad (general or Arkham) would react to not seeing a particular Arkham employee (who they may have grown fond of / caught feelings for) suddenly not showing up to work for a good week or so? No explanation given and either the rest of the staff won’t answer about their whereabouts or they refuse to ask in the first place since such personal information could be used against them in therapy sessions. Maybe they would start to worry about the reader getting hurt during a security breach, fired, or even killed (there’s really no telling in Gotham)? Eventually the reader returns and explains that they were just sick.

I’ve been feeling a little under the weather (prob another sinus infection tbh) so this idea just stood out to me. Take your time since it’s three characters and if you want to tweak this to be less characters than I’m cool with that. I just had to share this idea and fell in love with your writing recently

"Sick Day" Riddler, Scarecrow and Mad Hatter

You're so sweet of course this isn't too much trouble! I hope by the time you read this, you're feeling a lot better, okay? I'm actually going to go with general for this one since I haven't really gotten to yet for these characters.

Tw: surveillance, fear toxin, isolation, sedation

Riddler

- Meets his favorite employee when he's in an isolation room for causing problems with the other patients (again). Between having his locks switched constantly because he figures them out and the amount of chaos he can cause in the general population, higher ups love putting him to far corners away from others when he's bad.

- His cell is bare. They won't even give him crayons after his newest little stunt. Not only is he isolated, he's BORED. A horrible combination of things.

- So when the nurse assigned to his check-ins and medicine actually chats with him, he's taking it for all it's worth.

- "Hello, Nurse! A riddle for you. What is it that given one, you’ll have either two or none?"

- The nurse pauses. Thinks on it. "A choice?"

- "Correct! That was an easy one-" "Uh-uh, medicine first. That's not a choice." He does the most pathetic sigh, "Fine! You drive a hard bargain."

- This continues even when he's (reluctantly) let back into general population and... shockingly, he's behaving. Lots of flirting, smug grins with thinly veiled threats of all the horrible things he could do to the city.

- When the nurse disappears and no one will tell him anything... he decides it's time for blackmail. It's amazing the things you learn when you hear bits and pieces of things and have the brain to put it all together. Not to mention the camera access he has when he's not in Arkham.

- A guard here, a guard there... he has markers, blueprints and a burner laptop stashed away in a cove on the island. He manages to hack a couple cameras on the mainland... that and he stole employee files and knows their address. The creep.

- He actually figures out they're sick as he watches. If he's feeling particularly cheeky or wanting them to be convinced of how clever he is, he'll have cold medicine sent to their door with a vague riddle.

- When they come back he'll play aloof. Oh? You were sick? Well. He wasn't worried, of course. It's not like he went through a bunch of information he was saving just to ensure you were okay.

- "Cold medicine with a riddle? You must have caught the eye of some other dashing Riddler in Gotham. Not as intelligent as I am, of course."

- The next time he escapes from Arkham, he'll make sure they get locked in a cell safely away from others/the distraction he's going to cause. Then the games can begin :)

Scarecrow

- He'd come to enjoy the almost daily tit-for-tat conversations with his favorite Arkham employee. A rather lowly psych orderly, they were stuck with the most demeaning or mundane of jobs in the facility.

- This also meant a lot of interaction with the patients. Feeding them, check ins, and the occasional distraction when nurses or guards needed to catch a patient.

- He met the orderly when they were put on observation duty as he was carted to his appointment in restraints and bite/spit protection mask. They looked so fresh.

- "They're sending the new technicians to look after me now?" Then, he notices their keys sticking out of their pocket, "I'd get a locking carabiner for those, if you must have them on you. So easy to steal."

- They thank him for the advice. While waiting for the doctor, he gives them more advice. He figures they're young, not a threat to him at all. Perhaps put in their head the many ways they could get hurt or die working here.

- Yet they just smile at him, "Thank you, Dr. Crane. I'll keep that in mind." Turns out, they know exactly who he is. A psychology student that has read his papers and seen recorded lectures. Morbid and macabre interests, themselves.

- He casually takes them under their wing, as long as they continue to be courteous and show interest. He finds he has less than mentor like feelings after a time, but he tries to ignore them.

- When they disappear and no one will tell him what's happened... he doesn't get scared, but he certainly gets cantankerous. What if something happened to his young protégé? Do none of you truly care about someone who works with you daily?

- Then he gets quiet. Too quiet. Too well behaved. He's not even as combative in therapy as he normally would be, trying to turn the tables on anyone picking at his brain.

- Staff suspects something is up, but not what. They do sweeps of his cell and areas of the island to see if there's any fear toxin to be found. Nothing.

- In truth, he's been creating it in small doses and hiding it in recreational areas in plain sight. He's planning on putting it into the air systems of the asylum when-

- Oh. You're back. He was worried something happened. Sick? Well. You better take care of yourself, how can he teach you anything or have decent conversation if you're not here? Do keep up.

- He still ends up using the fear toxin to escape the asylum weeks later, but not before creating an antidote. He'll watch his orderly panic for a time, observe their fears- by the time they wake up, they're outside the facility buildings of Arkham. Mysteriously cured of fear toxin effects.

- They are completely safe and covered in a blanket. Need to make sure they don't get sick again, after all.

Mad Hatter

- Surprisingly, his favorite employee is a psychologist at Arkham. Only so many psychiatrists to go around prescribing medication, leading to a team up between the two. For more frequent weekly meetings, it's a psychologist who may refer if more psychiatric meetings are needed more often than twice a week to once a month. Only few patients such as the Joker get psychiatrists for every session.

- This particular psychologist got him in for their first session... with Jervis sedated past any point of being able to answer questions. Got "well he wasn't cooperating, he wouldn't leave his tea set!" In response. Frustrating, to say the least.

- This resulted in psychologist strutting right up to the "hidden" somewhat private alcove where Jervis set himself up, shoo anyone else away and literally... sit down on the ground with Jervis and introduce themselves.

- This, along with being polite, immediately endeared them to Jervis. Asking what his current drawing is. Him saying "the path to Wonderland, my dear." Recognizing that it is in fact a complex diagram of brain synapses and the shortfall effects of certain chemicals and hypnosis.

- The thing about Jervis Tetch is he's unfortunately a brilliant neuroscientist. Knowledgeable in not only chemical effects, but how to use hypnotic suggestion to manipulate the consciousness. There's times it's difficult to tell where the clarity of Jervis Tetch ends and the delusions of the Mad Hatter begins.

- While there might be tense moments, Jervis ends up developing a rapport of mutual respect and fondness for his doctor. So much so he gets snippy when others try to approach hum.

- This results in a complete breakdown of communication when "his" doctor is out and no one will tell him where they are. He will insist, no, DEMAND where they are.

- this is just further indication to staff that he should not be told anything due to potentially establishing an unhealthy attachment which could result in disastrous consequences if fed into.

- Shoutings about the Red Queen and compulsive rhyming begin on day three or four. A combination of poor handling of the situation and him working himself up.

- "The Red Queen traps me in hell, awaits in the shadows of this padded cell! Haroo! You made them say farewell as I dwell upon how you made them unwell! Murder! Murder, says I! Murmurs within the walls the Jabberwocky has-" (This goes on for quite some time)

- Ultimately when the employee returns, they find Jervis has been isolated to his cell on high levels of sedation to control him. Out of his mind with glassy eyes murmuring to himself when he's awake.

- There will be outright sobbing when he realizes they're back. He wants to touch them so badly. To hold them, to be comforted! He's asking how they are and what they've been doing to get better.

- Once the sedation really wears off he's going to start planning...

- He needs to get his dearest companion out of here before the darkness swallows them both.