down pale corridors of routine

[restingstitchface]

WHO: Crane and You
WHEN: June & July
WHERE: Arkham Asylum
WHAT: Investigating
WARNINGS: Psychological Abuse

[Hidden amongst the urban sprawl covering the harbour from one end to the other, visible only from the correct vantage point, stands the utilitarian and unadorned psychiatric hospital that is Arkham Asylum.

The interior is cold in atmosphere and appearance, with dim corridors and exposed bricks and stones, reflecting its stark and monolithic design. Public access is restricted to designated administrative and visitation areas. Outpatient wards are accessible to those willing to remove keys from reception. Access to patient rooms, staff offices and laboratories is restricted to those with proper clearance - or the equipment and skills to break inside. But they will discover any evidence of illegal dealings has been cleared from the site.

The old hydrotherapy room beneath the asylum has been repurposed by Jonathan Crane into a research laboratory. This restricted area is part of a labyrinthine basement that is extremely tough to navigate. The basement runs beneath the asylum and is connected to the water mains that run throughout Nova City.

Crane is working inside his office one day, categorising notes and organising them into folders. Come the afternoon, he is sorting chemicals inside a laboratory on one of the upper floors. Come the evening, he is descending a stairwell and heading into the basement.

His routine becomes persistent, repetitive, predictable. The pattern draws people deeper into the web that is his asylum. Let them come. Let them get tangled. It might make life here more interesting. Certainly such a dangerous life would be more fascinating than attending the beach or camp and making friends and singing songs around the fire.]

Comments

[zauneyete]

[ He comes by early enough after the building is up, because Crane had let him know it was there. He'd been interested to see what a place like this would look like, actually. Mostly, because Silco doesn't know anything like that as it was. Zaun barely had doctors beyond small clinics, so it's half-curiosity, ahnd half business meeting that draws him by.

A bottle of liquor in hand, too. He knows of some etiquette, event though he chooses when to indulge in it, and when to disregard it. Crane seemed the type to find a nicety... well. Amusing. Silco certainly isn't doing it to butter him up. He doesn't even care if Crane drinks.

It's always an appropriate distraction, at the very least.

He doesn't bother with looking at the wards, or exploring on his own, but he does knock at his office door. A sharp rap to catch his attention. Knock knock, Doctor Crane. Time to hang with your bestie business partner and talk shop ]

[restingstitchface]

[The door opens to reveal a typical office for a typical doctor. Certificates on the wall that attest to his education. His BCH. His MD-PhD. Graduated in psychopharmacology and forensic psychiatry. Crane is proud of his achievements and sees no reason to hide his accomplishments.

Not the legal ones, anyway.

He holds the door open until his business partner has stepped inside, then he gestures towards the desk towards the ill-lit corner of the room. There are no personal effects to notice. Anywhere.]

Vodka. Nice choice.

[Though he prefers gasoline. The only bad thing about alcohol is being unable to set it aflame without the correct percentage.]

[leastdramatic]

[Of all the Gotham buildings to show up in Etraya next, it just had to be this one. Great. Blackgate might as well show up too. The layout appears to be different from the one Jason knows but there's no mistaking that this is an Arkham Aslyum from someone else's world. There's the same level of creepiness for one thing. Must be a multiuniversal trait.

Jason doesn't attempt to break in until it's the middle of the night when most of Etraya is probably asleep. Though tonight's objective is just recon, Jason's fully dressed and armed with his Red Hood gear. He's not taking his chances with whatever nasty surprises there could be. He goes to investigate the patient rooms first. He's not taking the keys from the reception desk as he has his lockpicking tools]

[restingstitchface]

[There is little to find in the patient rooms but the state of the rooms themselves. Clean and hygienic, disinfected and degreased, scrubbed and sanitised. But the walls hold the grime of corruption no matter how hard one scours them clean. And the patient themselves would have been without any creature comforts except for uncomfortable beds.

Footsteps approach from down the corridor. Crane's voice is heard after, before he can be physically spotted, reciting the proper names for certain medications.]

Olanzapine. Quetiapine. Clozapine.

[All are commonly prescribed for various mood and psychotic disorders. All cause sedation in common.]

[leastdramatic]

[Jason hears the footsteps. He mentally notes the medications cited as he ducks into an empty patient room. He then closes the door as softly as possible before ducking into the shadows next to the doorframe]

[restingstitchface]

[Crane continues walking until he is a meter short of that closed door. He glances down at his paperwork and flips between pages without making a sound. The first page is his diagnosis, the second is his letter to the court arguing for admittance, the third is a treatment plan.

The fourth he leaves be.

Nothing seems out of the ordinary. The only thing inside the patient room is a bunkbed and a small grated window to the outside world. Barely enough to see anything.

Crane continues after a moment and rounds the nearest corner to his left, where he heads through an open door.]

[leastdramatic]

[It's only when Jason hears Crane round a corner that he comes out of his hiding spot. He opens and shuts the patient room door as softly as he did before. For a man of his stature, his footsteps are surprisingly quiet as he then follows after Crane through the open door]

[restingstitchface]

[The open door leads to a narrow stairwell. Crane's footsteps can be heard downstairs, heels touching stone. He opens and closes another door and proceeds down another corridor. He chooses his path like a man trying to be evasive, cautious of the threat they are being followed. But he does not know he is being followed at this moment - if anyone has been watching they might notice this is instinct.

What happened to make him evasive?

The question goes unanswered as Crane turns in another direction and opens another door, where there is another stairwell descending towards the basement.

Where the further down Jason goes, the more he can notice the environment is beginning to turn. Wide stairs begin to narrow. Painted walls begin to plaster. Bright lights become dark. The air feels damp. Walls seem to close in and become oppressive.

Feels like home, doesn't it?]

[leastdramatic]

[Ugh. Maybe too much like home. Jason is making heavy use of the darkness and keeping distance as he continues to follow Crane. It doesn't take long for Jason to notice that Crane's path is one of trying to shake off a tail.

As he goes down the stairs, he feels the change in humidity. As heavy as the air is, he's still not taking his chances. The helmet stays on]

[restingstitchface]

[Electricity charges the air. Old light fittings that need replacing buzz gently as each man passes beneath. Up ahead, a path to the right, at the end of which are a heavy pair of doors, an elevator leading up towards ground level.

But Crane continues moving forward. He knows the elevator need keys to access the panel and isn't too concerned. His path twists left and turns right, down another corridor where he finds himself alone for a second.

He immediately ducks into a room and closes the door.]

[leastdramatic]

[Some kind of work must be getting done here. Why all the electricity? Though keeping distance is helping with Jason's stealth so far, it also gives Crane opportunity to slip right into something Jason can't get to without getting detected.

He hears and just barely catches a glimpse of Crane slipping into a room.

Stepping forward quietly, Jason leans towards the door hoping to catch something. He also slips a bug onto the door frame. Just in case]

[restingstitchface]

[Crane pushes himself back against the wall; head, heels and shoulders pressing forcefully into tone. His heart beats at an even pace. His head rolls on his neck. His lungs expand as he inhales - and collapse as he release air in preparation.

Turning againt those who torment him. He remembers this feeling. He savours it - and when Jason eventually turns away from the door and walks down the corridor? Now he's the one following at a distance.

This is one of those rare times he needs his mask.]

[leastdramatic]

[It's quiet as expected. The hairs at the back of Jason's neck prickle though. Arkham seems to have that effect on people, even if it's largely empty. But Jason's feeling like something there's something more. He purposely takes his time walking towards the exit, just in case he misses anything from his investigating]

[restingstitchface]

[Crane walks with a practised gait, not fast enough to cause his heels to click on stone, but slow enough to remain unheard. He considers making his heel click against the stone, contemplating closing the door with enough force to be heard. But he prefers depriving people of any number of their senses. Their fear becomes predictable and that makes them easier to control.

Jason will arrive before a large elevator down the hall at whose end is a heavy pair of doors. If he braces himself and pushes them open with his hands, he will reveal a landing overlooking a makeshift laboratory.]

[godsandbats]

[Arkham's arrival surprises Kirk. But then again, there are a number of Gothamites here, including himself. Based on his last conversation with Dr. Crane, he suspects the psychiatrist is aware of its arrival as well. The men had been polite and civil enough to each other and Kirk is curious to know more about him and the building. How different is this Arkham from the one back home? So Kirk decides to make a rare daytime visit.

It's about mid-afternoon when he walks through the front door. Despite the summer weather, Kirk is dressed in long sleeves and pants. He also has a fedora hat on. Someone really doesn't like the sun]

[restingstitchface]

[Crane is crossing the landing at the top of a grand and gothic staircase, reading from a patient sheet, when he hears the opening of the front door. The heavy weight that tells him he is no longer alone. He looks up from his work at his latest visitor.]

Dr Langstrom. This is rather unexpected.

[Or not. Arkham has a habit of snaring people.]

[godsandbats]

[Kirk calmly looks back at Crane through his red sunglasses. His hands remain visible to show he doesn't intend to be hostile]

My apologies for startling you, Dr. Crane. I noticed this building and was curious about it.

[restingstitchface]

[Gentle body language. A lack of hostiliy. But Crane remains curious and continues studying. He knows neither mean a lack of hostile intention. Because he has been on the receiving end and dealt it out in turn.

His notes are gently closed.]

Ah, this is Arkham. [A beat.] I thought I might as well keep myself busy by catching up on work while I'm stuck here.

[godsandbats]

It's a little surprising this would come to Etraya. I didn't recognize it as Arkham as it looks different from the one from my home.

[It looks bigger for one thing...]

[restingstitchface]

Siblings look dissimilar yet originate from the same source. Unless identical, of course.

[He observes, sliding his flat file beneath his arm.]

[godsandbats]

True. This is just applied on a multiuniversal scale. How closely did the bots recreate this Arkham?

[Asked out of curiosity as the bots also bought in the Tower of Justice but unfortunately didn't bring along all of the security features]

[restingstitchface]

It seem accurate. But I'm still exploring, of course.

[Crane could come downstairs. He doesn't. He feels more secure on high ground. But he knows that is an illusion.]

I suppose you're expecting a tour? I'm afraid I'm a little too busy to accomodate you right now...

[godsandbats]

It's fine. I was the one who dropped by unexpected.

[A well practiced activity frankly]

What are you working on?

[The question is asked in casual curiosity than of suspicion. There doesn't seem to be patients here?]

[restingstitchface]

Ah, I'm just catching up on homework. Updating patient files, devising treatment plans. We have enough downtime between missions that I'm starting to grow restless.

[Fortunately, it is the truth. He does like the order and control he feels in assigning people into categories.]

I'm not a sentimental man but Gotham does have an effect on you...

[godsandbats]

It does, for better or for worse.

[Gotham was where Kirk got a fresh start and expanded his horizons more than his small rural hometown full of narrow-minded people ever could. But Gotham was also where he became a vampire and saw how deep the city's corruption is. It's a mixed blessing]

It leaves a long lasting impression.