❝ Biscuit, Mr. Joker? ❞
❝ Nah, I'd rather take a bite outta you ❞
in which an aspiring journalist catches the attention of two of the most powerful men in gotham - the joker and the batman.
[ the dark night | joker x oc x bruce wayne ]
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THE RAIN WAS THE PLACE TO BE.
Stephanie realized this, sighed loudly into her hands, and rubbed her face, the coffee cup sitting idly on the tiny table long forgotten. The periodic beeping of the machines surrounding the hospital reminded the young woman of her alarm clock in her bedroom, which she often liked to bury under the covers to soften the sound of morning routine and Gotham lunacy all rolled into the song of sirens on Park Row street.
She had only been to the Rain once about ten years ago when it was Angela Maroni's— now Ricci's — 35th birthday and her brother had thrown a lavish country-side celebration for his beloved wife. From what she could remember, the Rain was peaceful. It was so sublimely quiet that the only sound one could hear for miles was the soft padding of woodland creature's feet in the forest and the gentle trickle of the county river. The air smelled of lavender. with the sun saturating the atmospheric tranquility daily despite its so-called nickname.
It always boggled Stephanie's mind how something so different could be located no more than a two-hour journey from Gotham's city limits. Gotham was like a world in itself with multilingual populations, high-rise buildings, and the occasional vigilante stalking its streets. It was rowdy, with folks who walked too fast and had bloodshot eyes.
Folks like Stephanie.
As she stared blankly at the clock, Stephanie's mind wandered to the last time she was at the hospital, waiting anxiously for news about someone she cared about.
Her eyes trailed over the entrance doors, remembering how she had burst through in a hurry four years ago, struggling after the paramedics pushing Matteo's body through the hallways. After calling the emergency line, Stephanie had been rushed into the ambulance with her estranged father — too shocked to do anything but sit with her fingers still on his neck, counting the beat of his heart. When the paramedic placed her hand in Stephanie's place and flashed her a nod, the young woman's hand fell to her side robotically, suddenly cold.
The ghost of her footsteps rang in her ears as another pair strode up to her, though the doctor's was slower.
"Miss. Carmichael?"
Stephanie looked up, eyes burning momentarily from the bright hospital fluorescents. She got up promptly.
"Yes?" She replied.
"Mr. Maroni's conditions are stable and he is awake. Would you like to see him?"
Stephanie nodded, relief flooding her body like a tidal wave. She followed the doctor wordlessly into Sal's room, noticing how the steady beep of the machine grew louder as she walked closer to her brother. Upon glimpsing the downturn of Sal's mouth and the strangely pitying look on his face, Stephanie felt her anxiety return full force like a sucker punch to the gut.
