#cardsmen

[shyrose57]

Dream SMP Descendants AU. I have like three different ideas for this, so...

Version one/Three Princes Crowned Of Ice AU:

Isle kids consist of Wilbur, Techno, and Tommy.

Tommy is the son of the leader of a group known as The Organization, Clara, who rules with an iron fist.

However, the rest of the kids of the Organization and Tommy tend to run together, and they’re all a gang called Business Bay, that controls one of the dock areas. They’re also allies with Boffy, son of the Snow Queen.

Wilbur is the son of the Sky Gods, who were sealed for their malicious behavior, but used the last of their magic to create a heir.

Techno’s the son of the Blood God, who was sealed for causing war and bloodshed everywhere.

The two get along due to their ties to divinity. They’re both reluctantly fond of Tommy as well.

Anyway, Phil’s the king of the Antarctic Empire. When the three kids are taken from the Isle to be enrolled in Auradon, he offers to host them until school starts, since it’s summer. 

Tad bit awkward since the Organization was his antagonist to the throne, and the three are just wary in general, but he’s doing his best, trying to make them comfortable and ready for school.

Basically SBI based.

Version two/Raze The World And Raise Your Crown AU:

Isle kids consist of Phil, Wilbur, Techno, Tommy, Bad, Dream, Ranboo, and Puffy.

Phil’s the son of Maleficent and Hades-the Angel of Death bit was too good to pass up, honestly, and now we can give him wings!

Dream and Ranboo are the sons of Dr.Facilier and the Queen of Hearts. Dream was born naturally, but Ranboo was created(blood from a man, tears the shadows weep, and the heart of a cardsmen) due to Facilier wanting a heir, and the Queen wasn’t willing to let him have Dream.

Tommy is either their half brother on the Queen’s side, the son of the Evil Queen, or the original queen that cursed the brothers in the tale of The Six Swans. Haven’t decided yet. 

Wilbur’s going to be his brother though, so he’ll also be the son of one of those. That, or the son of the Enchantress that cursed the Beast.

Puffy’s the daughter of Captain Hook, of course. 

Bad’s the son of the witch from Hansel and Gretel, as well as an unknown demon. 

Techno’s the son of Madam Mim and Hans.

The eight arrive to Auradon and discover that it’s not as free as it suggest, suppressing magic. Lucky for them, the students of Auradon have their ways around this problem, and are eager to welcome them all to the fold. 

Unique dynamics and everyone bonding and supporting each other while trying to figure out how to flip the entire system on it’s head.

Including George as the son of Sleeping Beauty, Quackity being part fae and forming a friendship with Philza, and Niki being a mermaid.

Version three/Hardly Need A Hero For A Fairytale:

Isle kids consist of Tommy, Tubbo, Purpled, and Ranboo. 

Purpled’s the son of Maleficent, Ranboo’s the son of Cruella and Dr. Facilier, Tubbo’s the son of the Evil Queen, and Tommy’s the son of Captain Hook.

They’re all very close to one another, even if they pretend otherwise. 

When they get sent to Auradon, everyone becomes attached soon after, and would probably die for these kids.

Purpled and Ranboo commonly run together, as do Tommy and Tubbo, Then Tubbo helps Ranboo, the two became friends, and the two groups join together, despite Purpled and Tommy being at odds.

They’d all literally kill for each other. 

[obamyself]

Remember when

[amongthebriars]

Under Cover || Hartus

@titus-sands​

Harland had amused himself upon arrival in Fox territory by plying his trade at the card tables. It was harmless enough and, with the face he wore, the Sidhe was able to ply both drink and money from the hands of less experienced cardsmen. It was a little known fact that Lord Briar was a player of cards, just as it was little known that he was good at it. But Kovarro Yaasib was an expert at reading fae, plying them for their money, and smiling charmingly while he did it. 

He also knew when the hand had shifted and, after a final hand, Harland pulled his newly won coin into his purse, shot off a cocky smile and his excuses, before retiring to a more secluded corner of the Corridors. The cold that flourished in the earth made his bones ache but the freedom of being out of Wisteria and able to enjoy the evening was enough for him to ignore the discomfort. It was offset by the deep, powerful thrum of magic that hummed in his blood. This close to the heart of the mountain, his true magic was blazing with it, singing in his veins as it responded to the Erthe that surrounded him. 

It created a sense of calm to wash over him here, deep in Solitary territory. It created a sense of mischief about him, as well. When he glimpsed a familiar, if brooding, face, Harland crossed the stone floor with a confident stride, a winning grin curling at his mouth. There was no harm in having a bit of fun and, as he sidled up alongside the Shark chieftain, he felt almost familiar again. Normal, even. He sipped at the drink in his hand, relishing in the fact that it was quality Solitary ale and not the piss Wisterians drank.

“I feel as though you would look better covered in my furs than all of this finery. Though, if it’s any consolation, you look better than most fae here.” 

[stripesthesupervillain]

Mad Hatter's quirks relating to the Lewis Carrol books

Traits directly from the book:

These are just a reference for me to look at for future Batman fanfiction and shitposts because I want to get them right, and perhaps for anyone who hasn’t read the book Alice in Wonderland, or its sequel, Through the Looking Glass. If Jervis is truly trying to mirror the Hatter to the letter, he should get all of these. 

If you want to see the traits alluded to instead, they’re under the cut. If you’re interested in some of my personal headcanons, they’re also just under the cut.

Anyways, here we go.

- According to illustrations, he’s small and wears a proper dress shirt, coat, and bowtie, along with a large hat with a card stuck in the top reading “In this style 10/6”

- The Hatter appears in chapter 7 and 11 of the book, Alice in Wonderland. He’s with the March Hare and the Dormouse, who can be perceived as his best friends.

- In Through the Looking Glass, he actually makes a small appearance, and is one of the four reoccurring characters, the others being the Hare, Alice, and her real cat, Dinah. He’s referenced being in a prison/dungeon (no idea why) in chapter 5, but you meet him in chapter 7, where he’s inexplicably let out of prison (again, no idea why) and watching a lion and a unicorn duke it out.

- Also on that note, he isn’t called the Hatter, he’s called Hatta. The March Hare is called Haigha (pronounced Hayor) (get it? Hare?), and they’re both messengers for the white king but it’s clear they’re the same characters; they’re practically best friends, and Hatta is seen always sipping tea and eating bread, and is depicted as wearing the same exact hat as before. So yeah, he can also go by Hatta, and will sometimes call the Hare “Haigha”. No Dormouse, though.

- If you attempt to sit down uninvited at his table, he’ll shout “No room! No room!” even if there’s tons of room available.

- If you sit down without his invitation, he’ll be grumpy. Even though the Hare does this, Jervis can offer you wine even if there’s no wine at the table, calling you out for sitting without an invitation.

- He has an odd need to cut Alice’s hair. “Your hair wants cutting.”

- “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” This is the most common question he’ll ask people. Those who get it right will put him in good spirits with them.

- The answer to the riddle, by the way, is “I haven’t the slightest idea” or just saying you don’t know. There is no answer. Lewis Carroll never came up with an answer until a bunch of fans of his work wrote to him, so Jervis stays faithful to the book.

- He’ll easily confuse you if you contradict yourself. For example, when Alice says that “I mean what I say” is the same thing as “I say what I mean”, the Hatter replies with the notion that it’s like saying “I see what I eat” is the same as “I eat what I see”.

- He has a pocketwatch that tells the day, month, and year instead of the time. And it’s two days off.

- He can’t tell the time because he believes that it’s 6:00 all the time. This is because Time, who is described as a person, doesn’t like him, and thus stopped moving for him.

- 6:00 was British tea time back then, which explains his obsession with tea.

- He loves stories, and will demand one from others.

- He also sings. Yes, he sings. “Twinkle twinkle little bat, how I wonder what you’re at. Up above the world you fly, like a tea tray in the sky.” Luckily, that’s all.

- He’s also no stranger to rude remarks, even calling Alice stupid at one point.

- There’s a point where he tries to shove the oversized Dormouse into a teapot. I like this idea because I like imagining Jervis grabbing Riddler by the hair and slamming his head into a teapot.

- He collects hats to sell them, so he has a large variety.

- He has a large fear of the King and Queen of Hearts. In fact he gets extremely anxious in these situations when under a lot of pressure and fumbles when he speaks to the point where he even fucks up a few of his movements, biting a piece out of a teacup instead of his bread.

- This is a rule for practically everyone in the book: if someone is trying to make sense of things, they’re automatically an idiot. If you try to reason with something weird Jervis says, he’ll probably think your stupid. That’s the attitude of almost every character in the book.

Jervis’ possible quirks according to the books:

These aren’t particularly attributed to the Mad Hatter, but can be used as references that are good to know. Most of these are about Alice or Wonderland in general.

- Alice prefers picture books, so, being in a place of imagination, it would make sense the Mad Hatter would like them more. However, being a genius, he will read regular books if he really must. He just finds them boring.

- Despite speaking more than proper English, there are some made up words sometimes from the book that Alice or the characters use, like the infamous phrase “Curiouser and curiouser,” which was a word made up and coined by Lewis Carroll. Though, it’s not considered a legit word. Examples also include “pleasanter”. Some are just completely made up, like “brillig” (meaning 4 o’ clock), or “mimsy” (a cross between flimsy and miserable). Expect Jervis to use a few of those.

- The metaphors are very odd and almost always come from the books, and are hard to understand. For example, “shutting up like a telescope” means to get smaller. 

- At one point, Alice gets confused about who she is, believing herself to be another little girl instead of Alice. It would make sense for the Mad Hatter to call other people he believes to be “Alice” by that name, believing they’re just confused over who they are.

- He’ll sometimes speak to animals as if they’re people. Does he expect them to answer? Maybe.

- Alice is actually learning French. It would make sense for Jervis to deliberately learn French for this purpose. He just might be bilingual.

- Alice carries around a box of comfits and enjoys marmalade. Jervis might be more favorable to sweets.

- Most of the denizens of Wonderland are animals, so it can be guessed that Jervis would have a love of them.

- “We’re all mad here,” says the Cheshire Cat. Jervis could very well know he’s nuts and just rolls with it. Hell, he might even desire it, possibly refusing psychoactive treatment.

- Flowers can talk, too. Yeah. Apparently, the only reason they don’t is because the ground is too soft. Jervis might speak to flowers or something. He doesn’t speak to daisies, because they’re annoying.

- In fact, pretty much everything can talk to him.

- Not trees, though. Trees bark. *wink*

- The Looking Glass world is actually a separate world, where everything is backwards. The more practice you have riding a horse, the more you fall off it; if you want to stay in the same place, you have to run as fast as you can; you have to pass around a cake for everyone to eat before you cut into it. Those sorts of things. So if you get thirsty, expect a dry-ass biscuit for refreshments, because yeah, that happens, too. If Jervis believes he’s in this world, the things he says might make even less sense than before, and he might demand you call him “Hatta”.

- Being a messenger in Through The Looking Glass, that might contribute a bit to his character. Maybe he’ll talk about serving the white king or, y’know, going to prison, or how he needs to get the drums to “drum” the lion and unicorn out of town after watching their fight. Yeah, it’s a weird book.

- Some of the sayings in the book can be interpreted differently, and some of the poems can get kinda dark. You might see him use those to express his opinion or mood. 

Personal headcanons:

- It’s already been established he’s short as fuck, but hey.

- Jervis names every supervillian and hero in Gotham after a character in the book. For example, Jonathan is the March Hare, Batman is the Jabberwocky, Joker is the Queen of Hearts and Harley is the king, things like that. Anyone who’s a doctor or police officer or just a citizen are usually reserved to the rolls of “Cardsmen” or “soldiers” or just “chess pieces” and “pawns”.

- He has very proper English and uses complex vocabulary, as well as made-up words from the book. The only ones who can really understand him completely are Scarecrow, Riddler, and Batman, who have read the books front to back to understand him.

- He has a copy of Alice’s Adventures with him at all times. He’ll hand it to someone if they can’t understand what he’s talking about. Scarecrow dubs it “Jervis’ dictionary”.

- To calm himself down from a particularly harsh schizophrenic episode, he hums some of the rhymes from the books.

- The rhymes and phrases he mutters to himself when it gets quiet also dictate what mood he’s in. Usually he’s pretty cheerful, but the poems get darker as the more disgruntled or sadistic he feels.

- He’s prone to suddenly stopping himself in random conversations and quiet situations to squeal that he’s late or needs to deliver a message or something like that. He’ll continue to freak out for a good thirty seconds before calming down and continuing to talk like nothing happened.

- No one actually knows what he’s late for, but reminding him of it is a good way to stop him in his tracks for a good few seconds. The only time this doesn’t work is with a serious event going on or if he’s upset.

- His most prized possessions are his hat and his copy of Alice in Wonderland, but in case those are every destroyed, he has, like, twenty other duplicates at home.

-He is bilingual in both French and English.

- He’ll take a hammer to any copy of the Burton movies he comes across.

- He owns a Tiger lily that he likes to talk to. He keeps it watered and generally well kept.

- Many of the sayings he takes from the book and he’ll use to express his opinion or desires. For example, if he offers you wine, it means he’s annoyed with you and he doesn’t consider you an ally. If he says “your hair wants cutting” it means he wants to kill you.

- The “tea party” refers to the rogue’s gallery in general. So anyone like Two-Face or Joker is considered a part of or invited to the tea party.

- Speaking of which, I might as well name everyone after an Alice in Wonderland Character, huh? Alright, let’s do this. These are the names Jervis refers to everyone and why.

- He adores animals, since Wonderland is practically made up of them.

Batman: The Jabberwock. In the poem, it’s considered the most dangerous of beasts.

Robin: Jubjub bird. Also something you need to watch out for, apparently. Appears in the Jabberwocky poem, but in passing.

Batgirl: Bandersnatch. Also appears in the same poem in passing, but is still pretty bad. Also said to be fast.

Jervis Tetch: Hatter/Hatta. Duh.

Scarecrow: March Hare. C’mon, the two worked together. They’re pretty much best coworkers. Also because he’s pretty intelligent and plays along with Hatter’s rhymes and whatnot.

Riddler: The Dormouse. Also intelligent and can understand Jervis. Nerd squad.

Joker: Queen of Hearts. Yeah, I know, he’s a guy, but the bitch is insane in the book, executing everyone for the craziest of reasons, kinda like Joker.

Harley Quinn: King of Hearts. Still debating.

Catwoman: The Cheshire Cat. Not good, not bad, and likes to disappear and be sly and all that. Plus it’s a cat.

Poison Ivy: The Tiger lily. Basically rules the other plants and is top-dog. Plus its a talking plant.

Mr. Freeze: Mock Turtle. This one was kinda hard to decide. He’s always sad and a bit of an abomination. Not really a villain like the other are, like how the Mock Turtle isn’t a real turtle. Might change.

Zsasz: Carpenter. A god damn murderer. The Carpenter got a bunch of baby oysters to trust him and then killed them

Killer Croc: Walrus. Basically the same as Zsasz, but you can now include the fact that he’s an animal and eats the oysters.

Clayface: I actually can’t think of anything. Griffin, maybe? Wouldn’t suit him.

Bane: Also hard. Maybe the Lion?

Professor Pyg: The Duchess. Basically a play on him being obscenely ugly. Has a weird obsession for correcting things, and the Duchess’ baby turns into a pig, too, so yeah.

Doctors/People/Police: Cardsmen/Pawns/Chess pieces/soldiers.

[micajoy-blog]

Painting MY roses red!

New Blog Post, Mica Joy

I’ve found myself with great fascination and connection to Alice in Wonderland’s song “Painting the Roses Red” since I started painting my three rose painting series in 2015. It’s funny how in life we sometimes find ourselves with one kind of something but yet we need it to be something else.  These poor guys (the cardsmen) are…

[ao3feed-danganronpa]

Makoto In Wonderland

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2ogPu7Z

by hopeforbagels

After disregarding Touko's warnings, Makoto falls down the rabbit hole and into the twisted world of Wonderland. As he comes into contact with the despairing inhabitants, one thing lingers in his mind...when will he return home from the madness?

Words: 540, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Alice in Wonderland (1951), Super Dangan Ronpa 2

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Naegi Makoto, Fukawa Touko, Yamada Hifumi, Hagakure Yasuhiro, Togami Byakuya, Enoshima Junko, Ikusaba Mukuro, Maizono Sayaka, Oogami Sakura, Asahina Aoi, Kirigiri Kyouko, Monokuma | Monobear, Oowada Mondo, Ishimaru Kiyotaka, Kuwata Leon, Souda Kazuichi, Nidai Nekomaru, Celestia Ludenberg, Fujisaki Chihiro

Relationships: nothing too serious - Relationship, might as well mention them, Ishimaru Kiyotaka/Oowada Mondo, Fujisaki Chihiro/Celestia Ludenberg, for a reason - Relationship

Additional Tags: Crossover, Alice in Wonderland References, i mean it's the au, We've got crazy characters, mad bikers and their hares, queen of cards - Freeform, confusing despair sisters, Naegi be trippin okay, minor Super Danganronpa 2 characters, i didn't have anymore cardsmen

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2ogPu7Z

[festpop]

The dust has finally settled after another successful edition of Beyond Wonderland. Held at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, the 8th edition was a fan-favorite springtime festival. More than 70,000 dance music fans traveled from near and far to be transported down the rabbit hole to a psychedelic realm filled with curious creatures, peculiar plant life and sensational sets from over 60 of the world’s top dance music artists. J. Worra slayed her Friday set at the Cheshire Woods stage with her cutting edge sound and infectious style entirely her own.

Beyond Wonderland 2018

The most important headliners of Beyond Wonderland were of course the festival-goers themselves. Headliners were welcomed each day to a backdrop of neon lights and vibrant late-afternoon skies. During the days you could wander through a picturesque venue dotted with decorative elements in the spirit of this year’s theme, Alice In Wonderland. Unique art installations such as the flaming lily cups in the middle of the lagoon were on display for all to see.

Since Alice In Wonderland was this years theme, festival-goers could meet a variety of creatures Alice met on her journey through Wonderland. The Pink Flamingo, the Queen’s Cardsmen, and the Tea Time Hatters could be seen roaming around the spectacular two-day adventure. New creatures also roamed the festival grounds such as the Leopard Ladies, Teacup Twists, Fantastical Fillies, and Formal Foxes. Some Headliners may have actually bumped into Alice herself.

Headliners kept their energy up while traveling from stage to stage by refueling and dining at some of the best food trucks and vendors around Southern California. Some to note were Leno’s Tacos, Shake Ramen, Kogi, and Brooklyn Pizza.

  View’s From The Stages

Queen’s Domain

Fans were struck with awe while gazing at the enclosed megastructure as they roamed the expansive NOS Events Center. The Queen’s Domain stage spanned 196 feet by 452 feet, complete with 10 lasers, 623 LED panels and 12 confetti blasters located throughout. As the stage is inspired by the Queen of Hearts, fans shuffled and danced all night long to the sounds of Oliver Heldens, Dash Berlin, Tiësto, Valentino Khan, Alesso and more.

Mad Hatter’s Castle

Bassrush, Insomniac’s renowned bass music brand, hosted the massive Mad Hatter’s Castle stage on Saturday. The Castle featured nearly 200 lights and lasers suspended from truss hanging over the entire crowd. Tastemakers like Kayzo, Andy C, Kill The Noise, and Flosstradamus played those heavy hitting sets all head banging fans could enjoy.

Caterpillar’s Garden

A plethora of delights kept headliner’s minds occupied and their feet stirring at the Caterpillar’s Garden stage. The beautiful oasis pumped out house and techno tunes from Chris Lake, Claptone, Solardo and Born Dirty.

Cheshire Woods

As festival-goers wandered through the festival, they stumbled upon a surreal woodland. The Cheshire Woods stage left people grinning from the sounds of J. Worra, Gammer, Champagne Drip, Jack Beats and more.

Beyond Wench Art Car & Wide Awake Art Car

The Beyond Wench Art Car and the Wide Awake Art Car were oasis’s for music and art traveling around the locales of the festival. Up-and-coming artists could be found on the roving art car stages. Beyond Wench Art Car greeted headliners with hosts Cats & Boots  and Bassrush. Hosted by Space Yacht, the Wide Awake Art Car featured a YDG throwback dub set, LondonBridge & Friends, WAVEDASH and more.

VIP Headliners

VIP Headliners had access to a variety of exclusive amenities to enhance their festival experience. There was a dedicated festival entrance, Kandi bracelet making station, croquet games, interactive photo ops and a beauty and glitter bar presented by Gypsy Shrine. Happy Toast served gourmet, rainbow grilled cheese and glitter tator tots for VIPs. In addition, dedicated dance areas were available for VIPs to get up close and enjoy their favorite set at their favorite stages.

J. Worra

LA based, Chicago-born J. Worra played an 8 PM set at Beyond Wonderland on Friday at the Cheshire Woods stage. J. Worra entered into the music industry to change the tone and show what woman are capable of. Scotty Moore, the CEO and founder of FestPop, had the opportunity of interviewing J. Worra live at Beyond Wonderland. We were able to learn how she became who she is today and what she seeks for the future.

As J. Worra concluded, “if FestPop says it, its going to happen right”. FestPop hopes to see J. Worra and all you headliners at future festivals in 2018, and maybe even Coachella.

For more information on J. Worra, follow her socials:

Website. Facebook. Instagram. Twitter. SoundCloud.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FestPop Staff Writer, Katherine Bennett

  Beyond Wonderland Review Featuring J. Worra The dust has finally settled after another successful edition of Beyond Wonderland. Held at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, the 8th edition was a fan-favorite springtime festival.

[stripesthesupervillain]

The Mad Hatter’s Guild to Happiness: Chapter 2

<- Previous

Next ->

Summary: Jervis and Jonathan start on their trip, with only a few bumps here and there.

It has come to our attention that you had gone uninformed due to your status at Arkham Asylum.  

“It means ‘delightful’, Jonathan!”

“Oh please, any jumble of letters can have connotations if you just place one in a book. That doesn’t make it a real word.”

Jonathan finished placing his scythe in the trunk, covering the weapon and a duffle bag filled with the tools of their trades with a large black tarp. Should they be lucky, they wouldn’t have to remove it. He shut he trunk with a slam, moving to the driver’s seat. “Now we are finished talking about this.”

“But-!”  

Jonathan held a hand up, bringing Jervis to a stop. “Ah ah! Another word about it and I’m leaving you here.” The smaller man snapped his mouth shut, working his jaw tightly for a moment before relaxing and moving to the passenger side door. The two had just finished packing their things and were ready to take off. Jonathan took a quick scope of the car to make sure everything was set before getting in. He looked over at his partner in crime, taking him in for a moment as he started the car.

It was odd to see Jervis look so, well, normal. With khaki cargo pants and a navy long-sleeve shirt, he seemed strikingly ordinary. True, Jonathan had almost never seen the man wear anything other than an asylum uniform or his usual Hatter attire, but it was more than just that; he didn’t have that cold malicious glare of the standard inmate, or their snarky, sadistic expressions they freely showed the world. What he did have, however, was his usual look of reverie as he crossed his legs on the seat. His mind was always elsewhere, and it reflected in the way he looked around idly as the car moved out with a more than content expression. He almost seemed happy. Jonathan couldn’t be farther from that. He was always told by inmates and psychiatrists alike that he always gave off an angry and condescending air to the people around him. “Lighten up, Doc!” Harley had once giggled to him. “Ya look like you wanna stab the world!”

Crane himself was in his normal attire, dressed in jeans and a white button-up. He wanted to seem as inconspicuous as possible, though it wasn’t hard when he was already getting out of town. The only thing that might set off a few radars was the handgun at his hip, but he made sure to keep that covered; that was only for emergencies. He preferred to do things the Scarecrow way, but he couldn’t risk Batman knowing where they were by the police identifying his MO. Removing his reading glasses and tucking them into his shirt pocket, he began his drive, listening to Jervis hum the tune to one of his Wonderland melodies. Lobster Quadrille was his guess; that always seemed to be the Englishman’s favorite.

“So, how far is this home of yours, anyways?” Jervis asked passively as they began their journey. “On the countryside, yes? That’s all I really know.” Jonathan, relaxing in his seat, drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he answered. “It’s in Georgia,” he replied. “A fairly lengthy drive, unfortunately. I’d say it’ll last us two days. Three days tops if we run into any inconveniences.”

Jervis didn’t seem to bothered by that revelation, folding his hand in his lap. “So, I suppose we should get started on our plans, yes?” The other gave a nod, mentally preparing himself for the trek ahead. “Now, where did we leave off in Arkham?” he asked.

“We were talking about using my cards on the commissioner while you do your experiments around the town,” Jervis answered.

“Ah yes. Now, if we are to get our hands on the upper ranks of the police force, you’re going to have to make quite a few more of your cards,” the taller male noted.

“Pah, that’s child’s play, Hare- oh! I mean ‘Jonathan’!”

They continued to discuss the plot of their next endeavor thoroughly as they left town. The sun was only just barely starting to peek over the horizon, painting the cloudy sky a soft blue, inevitably the brightest it would get that day in Gotham with its cloud ever-looming above them. Still, Jonathan wasn’t upset by it, knowing the clouds were clear once they got onto the highway. The two argued over this and that. They weren’t angry at each other, but instead trying to find a middle ground for their plan, both wanting their teamwork to succeed in besting the Dark Knight, or the “Jabberwocky” as Tetch had named him. He was sure this plan would be the vorpal blade that would strike the monster down.

“How soon do you think you could whip up those cards?” Crane asked him, their car entering onto the highway. “Oh, it would only take a good week or so,” the other replied. “We still have to do a headcount of our soon-to-be tea party guests.” He looked out the window, thoughtful. “The only thing we would be missing would be the Dormouse.”

“We’re not letting Nygma in on it,” Crane stated firmly. “He’ll leave Batman to figure it all out in a matter of hours.” Jervis’ lips twisted in slight dissatisfaction, but he really had to just accept that fact. He looked back over at his partner. “Other than a few cautionary steps, it seems we may have most of it figured out. That didn’t take too long at all.”

Jonathan gave a slow nod. “Only about an hour, I’d say.”

The car ride was silent for a few moments.

“So… what now?” Jervis asked, looking up at his companion for the trip. Jonathan didn’t take his eyes off the road for a moment as he answered the question. “I continue driving and you do something safe that won’t cause me to crash.”

The Englishman furrowed his brow, but smiled as he got the idea to lean forward and retrieve his favorite book from the small carry bag he brought with him. The former doctor almost didn’t notice at first, but didn’t hesitate to give the smaller man a funny look upon seeing him start to read.

“You’re reading in the car?” he asked him with a grimace. Jervis gazed back up at his friend, confused. “You act as though you accuse me of a crime,” he defended. “It’s just a simple book. Don’t you like to read?”

“Of course I do,” Crane huffed, glancing back at the road for a few moments before turning his attention to the book. “But you’re reading in the car.” Jervis didn’t seem to understand what the big deal was. “Is that some American crime faux pas I’ve had yet to hear of?” he asked, shutting the book and placing it in his lap. “You’re not supposed to read in the car,” Jonathan explained with a roll of his eyes. “It will make you sick.”

The scientist was quick to let out a chortle, dismissing the warning with a wave of his hand. “Oh, that’s only a myth, my good doctor,” he claimed, denying the other’s fact. “I am a neurologist. I’ve been across the vast corners of Wonderland and stomached every kind of psychoactive drug those royal cardsmen gave me. I’m sure a little reading during a much less than obstreperous car ride won’t do me any such harm.”

And with that, Jervis reopened his book and began to read the first chapter.

Within an hour, the two were pulled off to the side of the highway, Jonathan patting the doubled-over Englishman’s back as he tried not to hurl onto the ground. “Take your time,” the Master of Fear sighed, rubbing the other’s back to help him feel better. “H-hold on,” Jervis gasped, holding his stomach as he attempted to recover from his motion sickness. He finally stood up straight, covering his mouth and closing his eyes to try and gain control of his surroundings, a feat almost impossible for the Hatter. “Ugh… okay, you were right,” he murmured, trudging back to the car. “I-I feel a bit better now. Let’s just go.” Jonathan smirked to himself, intertwining his thin fingers together behind his back as he followed behind him. “It’s not your fault, Jervis,” he hummed. “Just a lack of experience.”

“Oh qu-quiet you,” the nauseated Tetch snapped, his sickness making him a tad more irritable. “I can feel you smirking.” He opened the car door and hopped inside, leaning his head back so as to try to ease his ailment. Crane was inside a moment later, unable to help the smug expression that he donned. Things could only get worse from here.

“Pawn to C3.”

“Knight to E4.”

“Rook to A8.”

“Queen to D8. Checkmate.”

Jonathan paused, stopping for a moment to review the imaginary board in his head. “Oh damn,” he swore, slumping against his car seat. “I almost had your queen there. It would have been all over for you then.”

“Almost, but not quite,” Jervis checked to himself, seeming a bit better than he was an hour before. “So tell me, what’s Georgia like, anyhow? I’ve never been, I’m afraid.”

Crane paused for a moment, memories surfacing in his mind of his time in his home state. “Well, I grew up on the countryside, as you already know,” he told him. “It truly is a beautiful place. Nice and spacious and with trees all about.” He drummed his fingers on the wheel, his eyes flicking up to the sun that peeked out from behind the clearing cluster of clouds. “Definitely with a lot of sun. I’m sure Miss Isley would have adored it; it’s certainly a change from Gotham’s bleak and gray environment.”

“And how are the people, Jon?” Jervis inquired, noticing Jonathan suddenly grimace at the question. “Are they at least civil?”

“You could say that,” Crane sighed, keeping his eyes on the road. “They certainly are… country, for lack of a better term.” He tapped the wheel once to draw attention to his next point. “Oh, and as a side note, don’t call me ‘Jon’.” Tetch cocked a brow in confusion. “Just a preference,” the psychiatrist clarified. “Only close friends call me ‘Jon’.” Jervis looked down for a moment, a thoughtful expression donned. “Wait, I’ve never seen anyone call you that before,” he pointed out. Jonathan glanced over at him, forcing a knowing smile before looking back at the road ahead of them.

The neurologist frowned for a moment, looking out the window. “So… tell me about-“

“Let’s twist the subject a little,” the other interrupted. “Tell me about England. I’ve never been, either.” Jervis watched him for a moment, before giving a slow nod. “Well I suppose one could compare it to Gotham. Though, much less hectic and certainly less skyscrapers. It’s very quaint, I’d say, especially with its buildings and whatnot.”

Jonathan gave a small “mmhmm” in response to show he was listening. Jervis felt the silence that followed creep in like a toxic gas, seeping in and slowly grating at his nerves. He always fared poorly with silence. He enjoyed noise, and lots of it, and so he concentrated on the sound of rubber against the paved road as they sped down the highway. They were going rather fast, Jervis noted, a good dozen miles over the speed limit.

“Enjoy a high-speed drive, do we?” he asked, looking up at the doctor. The man in question merely shrugged. “After your little sickness, I’m just trying to make up for lost time.” This caused Jervis to frown immediately, a panicked look coming across his face. Memories from Wonderland came to his mind.

“Time is lost? What ever happened to Time?” he asked hurriedly. Jonathan let out a sigh, recognizing when the thin line that separated reality and fiction were blurring for the schizophrenic. Luckily he had responses ready for almost any Wonderland related crisis. “No no, not at all,” he assured him. “He’s just a bit ahead of us and we need to catch up to him.” This calmed the Englishman’s mind some, as he soon relaxed.

“That’s good, that’s grand,” he hummed to himself. “Hopefully we catch up to him soon so we don’t have to keep going so fast.”

“Unfortunately, he may get another good ways away from us,” Jonathan sighed. “We need to stop for gas.”

Tetch nodded curtly, having no problem with it.

Before long, they came across a gas station on the side of the highway. He stopped the engine, getting out. “Do you need anything?” he asked, watching his partner exit as well.  

“Hmm… not really- oh! A cuppa tea would be nice,” he told him. “It is six o’ clock, after all.”

It was actually nearing 10 AM, but who’s keeping track?

“They don’t have the kind you like, unfortunately,” Crane replied, shutting the door and looking at the small station, which was situated right next to a simple diner, currently closed. There wasn’t anyone here besides the lone car that belonged to the owner. He supposed it was previously family-run.

“Fine. Sweet tea will do,” Jervis huffed. “If they don’t have that, will coffee do?” Jonathan asked, only to receive a disgusted glance from the other. He would take that as a no. “Fill up the tank,” he told him as he entered the small building.

A quick scan around the inside the station revealed no security cameras. That was good. The thin doctor scanned the single room until he saw the refrigerated section of the store. He quickly grabbed a bottle of sweet tea and searched for a few items. He finally settled on grabbing a bottle of sleeping medication, going up to the front counter where the lone attendant sat. He was an aging man, not yet frail but definitely on the verge of being there in a few years.  

Jonathan silently placed his things on the counter, giving a small “good morning” as he did so. The man returned the greeting and got up to begin checking out his things, before seeming to notice something about his customer. “You from Gotham, right? Where you headed?” he asked, taking the money that was offered. “Texas,” the Gotham resident replied nonchalantly. “Silver City to be exact. Just for family.” The older man coked an brow, before taking a closer look at Jonathan’s face.

Crane sighed internally, knowing where this was going. With how many times he’d been captured, he was sure he was one of the most recognizable men a hundred square miles around Gotham. The fact that he had recently escaped didn’t help things either.

“Hey, you been on TV before?” the man asked, not yet handing Jonathan his things back. The fugitive faked a playful smile, shaking his head. “Ha, don’t I wish. No, I’m afraid I haven’t. You must be mistaken, sir.” With everything checked out, he grabbed the purchased items and began to head out with a simple “good day”. However, he stopped himself, feeling the man’s eyes staring at him intently as he was prepared to leave.

He let out a tired exhale.

“Does this establishment get many robberies?” he asked, looking over at the aging man. The owner, of course, seemed taken aback by the question. His hand seemed to trail down behind the counter. “A couple. Maybe one or two every year,” he answered. Jonathan turned to face him. “And does that make you scared? Having a gun pointed at you? The fact that people are willing to hurt you for money? Willing to kill you?”

The old man glared at him icily, his hand traveling further. “No. Not anymore.”

“Oh,” Jonathan muttered flatly. “What a shame.” He pulled out his handgun, shooting the man straight in the forehead before he could react, splattering red all across the cigarette case behind him and falling to the floor with a thud. He grimaced and went over to the cash register, taking a big chunk of money and stuffing it into his pocket before leaving.

Just as his luck would have it, another car was pulling in just as he exited the store. He watched a young woman exit, checking her phone. “Oh you must be joking,” he grumbled to himself.

Jervis, who had just finished filling up the car, jumped in surprise when he heard the gun fire off again. He cocked his head as he watched his friend approach, leaving the collapsed woman lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. “Here’s your tea,” Jonathan snapped, throwing the bottle over to him, which he only barely caught in time. He swiftly got into the passenger side just as Jonathan entered. “You know, you should let me do all the buying,” he suggested to his taller companion, only to receive a scoff.

“You must be joking,” the doctor chuckled, already pulling out. “You’re English and with the vocabulary of a dictionary. You’d stick out like a nail in a glass of water."

Jervis tittered, finding the comment to be amusing. “Oh, I’m afraid you may have a point there, Hare. You may just have a point. I'm sure Wonderland wouldn't mind a few more rabbits down the rabbit hole."

[obamyself]

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