A Ha-Hacienda(#1159RFJ)

This is a rickety platform erected above the broken and disused stage of
an ancient vaudeville house. The velvet curtain is little more than a
motheaten rag and all of the audience's chairs have been removed, making
the cavernous space below more than a little vertigo-inducing. But this
platform seems very stable, and has been painted in almost hysterically
cheerful colors. It is divided into two sections: an extravagantly
appointed office and a dingy little area of seating with a rickety card
table in the center of it. The ladder leading downwards is iron and
extends crazily down to the floor of the theatre. 

Contents:
Handsome Dan
Little Bill
Little Ed Little
Obvious exits:
Out <O>

Handsome Dan looks at himself in a mirror, and remarks casually to Ugly
Don, "You really should get a paper bag for that face of yours." 

Little Ed Little fingers his switchknife, running a lizardly tongue over
his pale lips. He looks sideways at the others, humming a little tune
under his breath. 

Little Bill sits at the table "Well come one guys." He says in his
somewhat high voice "We going to get these cards delt? Huh are we huh
huh?" 

Marie has arrived.

Handsome Dan glances over at Little Bill. "Cards? How passe...unless
you're planning on paying Baccarat..." 

Little Ed Little closes the switchblade with a lazy sort of disturbed
smile on his lips. "Its going to be a cool jive when the boss arrives...so
many games and so many toys..." he says, cooing to himself. He paces over
with an odd gait towards the others. 

Little Bill gives Dan a look, "Ah sh!t Dan you know I don't know squat
about dat lame game of yers." 

The door to Joker's office echoes with a peal of insane laughter that
makes all conversation lull for half a moment, then everyone starts again,
trying to cover up the nervousness. 

From the shadows of the stage, Marie makes her self known, as she steps
out, eyeing everyone with a sneer, before her eyes widen at the sound. She
forces herself to calm down, and sinks to the edge of the stage, legs
swinging down, as she regards those in the room once again. 

Little Ed Little's lips pull back into a wide toady smile. "Oooh...he's in
the groove kittens. He's in the groove." He looks with bulging eyes up at
Marie. "....ooooooOoOOooh..." He burbles. 

The ladder creeks as Marie, situates herself more on the rungs. One hand
moving around the rail, while the other sits in her jacket. With a shake
of her head, she watches everything still, eyes narrowed to miniature
slits. 

Handsome Dan just shakes his head at Bill, glancing down at his
fingernails for a moment. "You should learn about the finery of a true
gamblers game, not this petty thing you attempt to engage in." He glances
up at Marie and smiles for a moment, and then directs the smile back at
his reflection.

Little Bill glances over, his little body shifting, to get a look at
Marie, then Ed "Jeez Eddy you do dat ever dang time..." He checks Marie
out again "Don't blame yaz, but still." 

Marie ignores the 'boys' below, as her eyes drift towards the door, before
back again, just as quick. 

Little Ed Little's eyes go a bit unfocused as he leers at Marie. "She's so
very very special to me, Billy. She just doesn't know it yet. Playing with
Little Ed Little is very special for the darling kitties, always." He
seems to lose track again, and shifts his stance.

The other people of the Joker's organization alternately mill around,
looking for a place where their backs will be to each other, and a place
as far from the door as possible... 

Little Bill gives Dan a smirk "Ah I think youz just chicken cuz I cleaned
yaz out last time Dannyboy" 

Handsome Dan offers up a glorious half laugh as he turns to regard Bill
again. "Please...my good man, you merely obtained that which I had already
ceded out to be lost in the pursuit of sport. Were you to learn the
intricacies of a game I truly appreciated, you could stand the chance to
actually reap some significant gains, instead of the mere trifles you
received last time." 

Little Bill looks completely lost to what Dan just said "Ummm... yeah.. so
you want to play or what?" 

Handsome Dan just shakes his head, bringing out a brush to pass through
his hair slowly. 

Little Ed Little places his fishbelly color fingers against each other, by
the tips, lightly fiddling. Anyone who looks hard will notice beads of
sweat forming on his lip and forehead. "...posies posies...all fall
down..." he mutters, in a little freak mantra.

The door to Joker's office SLAMS open, and there he stands, silhouetted by
the light behind him, grinning broadly, grotesquely, his smile as white as
his skin, his skin as white as a clean sheet of typing paper on which his
lips have pressed a blood-red kiss. He carries a cane with a gold head
and a gold band around the tip, and he savors the reaction that courses
through the platform. 

Joker(#1012Pwces)

Six foot two, maybe three, this tall, thin man with the chalk-white skin
and the blood-red lips cannot be ignored. His hair is wavy and neatly
combed, dark green. His hands are long and his fingernails are an equally
green color. Blue eyes sparkling with some unguessable mirth stare out of
his long, thin and wholly unmistakable face. His appearance and burbling,
musical, ever-changing voice give him a demented sort of charisma,
attracting and holding the attention of onlookers with the casualness of
the s easoned performer or the long-stalking and now suddenly-visible
predator. 
        At present, he is wearing a long, purple coat that hangs casually
unbuttoned to just above his knees. Beneath that, a single-buttoned blue
suit coat covers a forest green vest and a jet-black dress shirt, adorned
with the spiralling colors of a re d-and-blue ribbon tie, neatly done up
into a knot. His pants are striped light purple on dark purple, and his
shoes, wingtips, are blue on green. A broad purple hat with a dark purple
band adorns his head. All the clothes are masterfully tailored, but the y
serve only to further accentuate his bizarre appearance. 

Handsome Dan looks up quickly, stowing the brush and mirror as the Joker
enters, giving him the same rapt attention he previously gave to his own
reflection. 

Marie's eye snap towards the slam, eyes focused on the being that emerged.
She remains, as neutrol and controlled as possible, showing little sign of
any emotion. Though her chest seems to rise a bit too often, perhaps
taking too many breaths as she simply waits.

Little Ed Little splays his hands out and makes an 'o' with his mouth as
the Clown Prince makes his entrance. He blinks a few times, adjusting his
face into a fractured grin. 

Little Bill hears the door and turns to the door "Heeeeeey it's da boss."
He smiles

Joker drifts forwards through the crowd. He holds in his hand a Gotham
Gazette from a few days previous. A few people murmur hellos to him, and
everywhere, everywhere, a tortured smile erupts across their faces. He
doesn't acknowledge anyone, but proceeds straight through to the table,
where he gives Little Bill's cards a very casual look. Then he gives
Little Bill a very casual look. 

A quiet smirk crosses Marie's face, as she shakes her head, the most
minute of movements, while regarding the events though narrowed eyes. . o
O(Mon Dieu, what a putz..) 

Little Bill returns the look "So you got another thing planned boss?
Bigger than de last time?" 

Little Ed Little notably takes a step away from Bill, patting him lightly
on the head. "...oooh...no good pussycat..." he croons in a mutter. 

Handsome Dan glances over towards the figure at the ladder for a scant
moment, an idle expression of appreciation for the fine beauty, and then
his gaze returns to the Joker in his strides about the room. 

Joker indicates the cards with a thin pale hand. "Remove them, won't you,
Bill? I'll give you a special job to do in...half a mo." His voice purrs,
dangerously sarcastic. "I don't mean to interrupt your game, _really_ I
don't." 

Little Ed Little keeps his smile on his face as he takes another sidestep
from Bill. He silently smiles through his brisk adjustment of his tie,
lapel, collar, waistband, and pockets. He stops fidgeting eventually. 

Little Bill nodnods "Yeah yeah sure sure boss. No problem." He quickly
clears off the table, putting the cards in his pocket. Showing off the
table "There you go boss." 

Marie can't help but smirk at the events, a soft snort, the only sound she
makes, not even moving enough to cause the ladder to squeek. She has no
desire to draw too much attention towards herself. 

Joker indicates a spot where Little Bill should stand, right next to the
table. He spreads the Gazette out and announces "Not only is it black and
white and red all over...but as they say, mighty oaks grow from..." He
grins again. "Just a little nuts. Don Pardo, read this article here. Read
it good and loud." A skinny man with a large voice moves into place,
grinning nervously. 

Little Bill shuffles his little body to his spot, and listens.

Handsome Dan leans back a bit in his seat, watching the proceedings
intently, avoiding even a casual glance down at his nails or some other
such thing. 

Little Ed Little watches, transfixed by the pagent provided by the bossman.

Marie turns her eyes towards from the Joker, to the man speaking, as her
head tilts ever so slightly to one side, a curious gesture as she waits
and listens. 

Don Pardo (now it _is_ his name, no matter what it was before, now it is
Don Pardo) says melliflously. "Gotham Parents League Pickets School
Library. Forty people protested today at the Jefferson Public School #28
library against the inclusion of several books in the high school
curriculum. The protest was organized by the Gotham Parents League, which
stated in a press release that they objected to the use of 'To Kill A
Mockingbird', 'The Invisible Man' and 'Dracula' in the school district's
English classes. A spokesman for the protest said that Gotham parents are
banding together to help their children keep safe." He looks up as if to
say, "That's it?" But he wisely remains silent. The Joker strolls about
casually as Don Pardo reads. At the end, he heaves a mighty sigh and wipes
an imaginary tear from his eye. 

You say "Sad, isn't it? I don't have any children of my own...but they
have to face so much...When we were building up our capital, I saw the
news about Two-Face kidnapping those twins. And I tell you, it just _drove
me crazy_!" 

Little Ed Little makes a small "Oo" sound as he nods to the Joker's
comments, his brow working overtime. 

Marie's lip curls up just a bit, one eyebrow rising as she listens to the
Joker. She forces herself to push her look of confusion down to ne of
sorrow...Though her mind's racing.. . o O(Yeah? So?) 

Little Bill scratches his forhead "Yeah but boss.. they just be books right?"

Handsome Dan leans back, continuing to listen, muttering a quiet comment
about the newspapers confusing 'The Invisible Man' with 'Invisible Man',
and then returns his gaze to the Joker, his eyes showing his curiousity at
what this bodes for the future. 

Joker paces back and forth, staring at the rafters. "You know what this
city needs? It needs someone willing to take _action_ to protect those
children." He pounds a wiry fist into his hand. "_Action_. Protests are
nice for the news, but what do they do? Nothing!"

Marie's mouth twists into a wide grin, enjoying the thought of action.

Joker whirls around to Little Bill. "Ask me that again when I _point to
you_. All right?" He whirls around again. "Where was I? Oh, yes! Action!" 

A pair of idiots in the back start mumbling to themselves over and over
again..."Action, action! He said, action!" 

You say "And who will take it? _Batman_?"

Little Bill descides to shut up and not answer for once.

Joker shrieks this last word. Suddenly a follow spot from below arcs to
life and shines on...is that _HIM_ in the rafters, motionless and still as
the shadows he seems to be made of? No, no, it's just a mannequin. The
Joker suddenly has a knife in his hand. "What kind of role model is _he_?"

A random thug murmurs, "What, that nitwit? He couldn't take action if it
were a book at the free library..." In a continuance with the literary
theme, of course. 

Marie remains silent, not offering to answer, and not wanting to have a
knife down her throat, for doing so. She remains a good little thug, just
watching, and waiting to be told what to do. 

Little Ed Little smiles broadly as his eyes glaze over in the midst of the
Joker's torrent. "We have to save the kiddies!" he says, in a loud sort of
chant. "We have to save the kiddies!" 

Joker throws the knife hard at the Batman mannequin, and it thuds into
it's chest squarely. "No, we can't have _that_. Because, my friends, the
children of Gotham are not being attacked by criminals...they are being
_sold by businessmen_. That is the key. "

Joker, very close to Little Bill, whirls around and points down at him!

Little Bill blinks a few times then remembers "Oh.. Oh yeah.. umm But they
are just books right?" 

Handsome Dan scratches his head idly for a moment, his own logical thought
having already derailed attempting to follow the Joker's own run around
the mountain. It falls down into a gaping chasm and explodes, causing Dan
to blink a couple of times, and then return to simply listening.

Joker sighs, his histrionic rage suddenly deflated. "You have _terrible_
timing, Bill. You screwed up the whole presentation. Three times now. And
you know what they say about that." His cane lashes around in a savage
blow at Bill's head. "Third time's a charm." he cries.

Little Bill gets hit in the head and crumples down with a thud.

Marie's eyes widen, though she gulps down a soft response, her mouth
quirking into a smirk, though most color that was left in her cheeks now
dims. . o O(Stupid male idiot.) 

Handsome Dan shifts to the side a bit to duck a couple of drops a blood
which would most assuredly ruin his complexion, and then straightens to
watch the Joker some more. 

Little Ed Little's nervous smile twitches back into shape. "Oh,
yes....kiddies should behave." 

Joker smoothly grasps Little Bill's collar and half-lifts, half-drags him
towards the edge of the platform, where he grasps a rope looped over a
pulley. "As I say...the key is that they are being sold. And that means
money is changing hands." He hoists Bill's head up and puts it in the
loop, tightening the makeshift noose around his neck. 

Joker waggles a cautionary finger at Bill. "And it isn't just books...it's
video games...the Internet...movies...comic books...sweet
candy...television! Television!" 

You say "My God, Bill...television...doesn't the thought of it
just...oh...what's the phrase..." 

Joker grins. "Give you a sinking feeling?" He cackles and shoves Bill's
unconscious body off the platform. It slumps to the end of the rope with a
sickening crackle. 

Marie's mouth quirks more, deciding to simply enjoy the scene, her legs
stretching out and down one more rung. 

Little Ed Little watches with a half smile, tsking. "Kiddies should
behave." he repeats to himself. 

Blood seeps from Little Bill's head as he just hangs there motionless.

Handsome Dan watches the scene, a glance popping over towards Marie's
legs, highlighted as an object of beauty next to the former Little Bill's
ugly puss, and then back towards the Joker. 

Little Ed Little says "Maybe we fix the kids the same? Solve their
problems, Bossman?" 

Joker turns around muttering something about how he isn't even a very good
sandbag. "So the joke, ladies and gentlemen, is not so much what we'll be
doing...but how we'll be doing it..." He puts both hands on the rope Bill
now hangs from. "And how much we'll be making from it." He leaps from the
platform, his weight added to Bills slowly lowering the rope...the
curtains pull open, and the spotlight swings around and widens to reveal a
broad blackboard with shiny sequins on it. 

Joker calls up from the stage, where he lands with an expert pratfall,
shoving Bill's body out of the way with one neatly-tied shoe. "So come
one, come all, and pick up your assignments...we don't have a moment to
lose! Because after all...childhood is _so_ fleeting!"

Little Ed Little stands back eyes widening in the amazement and wonder one
associates with a tourist at a Vegas show. He works his lips, but no sound
come out. 

You say "We have television stations to burn...Internet viruses to
release...candy factories to rob and poison...movie theatres to
burn...spit spot, folks! This is the future of Gotham we're talking
about!" 

Marie's eyes scan the scene, then the Joker, as she smirks quietly, her
hand moving through her hair, a quiet agitation, before she simply grins.
Hopping from the ladder, to glance down at the Joker. . o O(Now there's
something to look forward to.. Oui... )

Handsome Dan chuckles quietly at this, nodding slowly. "Ah, a fanciful and
well directed blitzkrieg towards all the would be distractions...a bold
move that I am sure will make you the grandest hero the world has seen
since Charlemagne." 

Little Ed Little walks over, his eyes taking on a surreal glint of
deviltry, his face glowing from within with pretty pictures of burning
buildings, shattered faces, and melting crayons. He shouts "Oooh! I want
to play with the candy, Bossman! Let me!" he coos, slithering over.

Joker breaks out into laughter as the thugs start coming down the ladder
and approaching the stage...some of the smarter ones are starting to 'get
it', and are grinning more genuinely...a few in all-black stagehands
outfits are handing out packages containing everything from guns and
grenades to handbills and placards to just satchels stuffed with cash.
Somewhere in the tumult, Little Bill's body is taken away...and over it
all the Joker's insane laugh holds reign...