A Trip to Gotham Event Part 3: Fool's Paradise
King crimson
Confusion Will Be My Epitaph
- Location
- Los Angeles
So the winning vote from last time appears to be:
[ ] [Exo] Tell Oswald that you'd need time to consult with the US government
[ ] [Submarine] Get rid of the submarine by transferring it to the US Government and getting them to pay Oswald an "acquisition fee" in exchange for a favor
[ ] [Menagerie] You'll secretly give members of the Menagerie jobs at LexCorp provided they want out of Gotham in exchange for Selina owing you a favor
There will be expansion on the Menagerie vote available at the end of all of this. That being said there will be plenty to enjoy unrelated to that in this update. I'll be trying to cover a few different things with this update and you'll be getting your first opportunity to pick three additional things to do while in Gotham. I hope people enjoy and I will affirm that I'll continue to deliver quality content as time goes on.
This update isn't as huge as the last one but it's still got plenty of content. You've got an update or two till things get loud but when it does it's going to be interesting. Bruce Wayne's party is liable to be an absolutely massive update. As always there is a 1 hour moratorium on voting. Furthermore there will be both plan and approval format voting in this update, please separate plan format votes and approval format votes by at least two lines.
A Trip to Gotham Event Part 3: Fool's Paradise
Vicki Vale (First week of Lex Luthor's trip to Gotham)
Friends in high places meant more obligations, Vicki had come to learn. Lex Luthor was visiting Gotham and he'd decided to drop by the Gotham Gazette to speak with her. While Vicki didn't dislike working with Luthor the man was oftentimes reclusive and with his own media interests expanding she'd had little in the way of exclusives coming from him. It meant that if she wanted to get more from him she'd have to prove competence on her part. It was easier said then done especially when the meeting had been sprung on her with so little advance warning.
Horten as always was accommodating when she let him know that she might be very busy following Lex Luthor's visit and that he'd probably need to work with Alexandra or Olivia to finish up the article on his investigation into the current drug trade in Gotham. Olivia had teased her while Alexandra was rather annoyed at potentially being disrupted from her own work. Still they'd all understood what was going on.
Vicki was determined to have this meeting go right since it could be a huge boost to her career. Luthor had his fingers in enough pies that something she could get from him would be newsworthy. The man himself arrived at the Gotham Gazette building about five minutes before the meeting was scheduled. Vicki idly wondered if it was some kind of business trick he'd picked up to keep others on the backfoot but dismissed the idea as soon as it popped into her head. She was a professional, she knew what she was doing and Luthor had no reason to want her to fail. She plastered a smile on her face. She noticed that next to Luthor was a dark skinned woman dressed in a suit near Lex, albeit one that was significantly less extravagant then the one he himself wore. The two were swiftly ushered into the building.
"I hope you don't mind Talia attending" Luthor calmly said as they made their way to one of the conference rooms in the building "I don't quite feel comfortable on my own in Gotham"
"It's fine" Vicki responded not wanting to cause a scene. It was understandable to not want to be on your own in Gotham but from what she could tell Lex Luthor wasn't frightened of what lay in Gotham in the least. He likely was being misleading intentionally but Vicki had no intention of digging deeper there and only causing herself more problems down the line. She turned to the other woman.
"I'm Vicki Vale, you might have read some of my articles" Vicki introduced herself to the other woman extending a hand to shake. The other woman, Talia, shook her hand but kept a blank expression on her face.
"Talia Haguall" The other woman said letting silence last for a while before dropping the handshake. Vicki felt a little awkward about it all but they were already at the conference room and they could talk business.
"So" She began "Is there a particular reason for this visit?"
"Nothing particularly urgent" Luthor responded "I just wanted to touch base with you on a few things"
"Alright" Vicki boldly declared "Lay it on me"
And so Luthor began to make her his offer and discuss what they'd be doing going forward from here.
Lex Luthor (First week of the Trip to Gotham)
Chinatown was an interesting locale within Gotham. The very fact that it was named Chinatown was in and of itself a misnomer. There were far more cultures all blended together and mixed here. There was some degree of homogenization here but for the most part the cultures remained fairly distinct even while united against all outsiders. The dozens of youth gangs in the area were an interesting symptom of the discontent people in this area felt. You were unworried though.
You briskly made your way through the streets even sampling a few interesting dishes, Talia shadowing you all the while. Some people gawked at you, while dyed hair was in vogue amongst youth here, bald men were an anomaly and bald men in suits were even rarer to see. Still though you had no intention of hiding yourself and what few thieves that were bold enough to approach you swiftly found their efforts utter failures.
You eventually made your way to the now infamous Chong's Tea House. The whole place was rather kitsch now playing on stereotypes of Asian Culture while also proudly displaying that you could buy both weapons and memorabilia of the various infamous criminals of Gotham. There were dozens of white and red cat masks, double headed coins and even Joker t-shirts available to purchase there on top of all of the weapons. Talia looked rather disgusted at it all even as she idly eyed a calendar that contained the names of the Holiday Killer's victims in place of the holidays.
"I hope this isn't what you were looking for when you came out here" She groused "This is the reason why Cobblepot getting accepted as some kind of modern day aristocrat is so demeaning to the very idea of any of Gotham's upper class being in some way noble"
She wasn't wrong but again she missed the point.
"Honestly I was just interested in trying out some food and seeing the culture of the area." You wryly stated "And the fact that anyone interested in gaining my favor in Chinatown can locate me in a place that is very firmly neutral ground is just a bonus"
Talia nods in understanding when less than a minute later a teenager tells you that the Carp would like to meet with you at the Koromodako restaurant. You now have an opportunity in hand.
As you leave the tasteless shop Cobblepot set up you ended up running into an individual you weren't expecting to see now.
"Detective Yin?" You inquire as you vaguely identify the woman in front of you based off of what you remember of that party in Gotham a few years ago.
"I haven't been a detective for a few years now Mr. Luthor" She retorts without any real heat "I'm technically Lieutenant Yin now if you want to go by title"
"Regardless of official rank, what are you doing here?" You respond getting the conversation back on track.
"I'm one of the few police officers the GCPD has that can effectively blend into Chinatown and I was running an investigation concerning the whereabouts of Silver Monkey in concert with a few others" Yin responds "When I heard that there was a rich white man ambling in the middle of Chinatown I grew concerned that someone would get attacked by a particularly bold criminal. Now that I know that you are the individual in question I'd recommend you leave or seek police protection considering Silver Monkey has targeted you before."
You smirk happy to note that the GCPD hasn't picked up at all on Talia yet. You were likely safer than any of the others in the area including the police officers themselves. You have decided on a course of action to take for the rest of the night. Your little trip into Gotham's Chinatown might prove more interesting than you'd initially hoped.
Jerimiah Arkham (Second week of Lex Luthor's trip to Gotham)
Lex Luthor's arrival at Arkham happened relatively quietly. The last thing Dr. Arkham needed was a media circus coming to the asylum and giving the inmates an opportunity to escape. No it was far better to keep everything subtle and secret so that as few people as possible could interfere in the day to day running of the asylum. It was going to be a mess anyhow. This whole situation involving Lex Luthor was honestly more of a disruption than Dr. Arkham would have liked but unlike most people eager to get a look at the inner workings of the asylum he couldn't deny Luthor out of hand for fear of offending him and causing much larger complications later on down the line. Hopefully he could have this situation work like it did with Wayne and he'd get the billionaire out of sensitive business he didn't understand but still willing to donate money so that the asylum could be run properly. Dr. Arkham still had his dreams if only that
Lex Luthor arrived alongside a woman who he'd had introduced to him as Talia Haguall. Dr. Arkham didn't know who she was nor did he truly care but it was even more people getting involved.
"Mr. Luthor" He began hoping to properly direct this problem so as to minimize damage "We're going to be on a fairly strict tour of the asylum if you want to see it in its entirety so I insist you stay with the program and do not deviate from our instructions if you in any way value your safety"
"Oh?" The woman taunted "I'd have thought you could manage your own inmates with all of the numerous quality staff?"
Dr. Arkham chaffed under the sarcastic question. He hated it when people questioned the way things were run. It didn't matter how good the asylum's staff was if they were also dealing with some of the most deranged individuals in the entire world and were supposed to keep them in semi-humane conditions without aggravating their numerous psychoses.
"We can handle them" Dr. Arkham bluntly replied "But much like how you wouldn't aggravate a rabid dog kept in a pen, it's recommended you follow instructions and don't make things worse"
"I'd actually like to speak with the staff if possible" Lex Luthor interrupted "I feel as though their input and experience would be both valuable and interesting"
Dr. Arkham wasn't going to give Luthor much of an opportunity to do that. The man clearly wanted to poach some staff members and Arkham couldn't afford that.
"You'll have an opportunity to speak with our expert staff over the course of the tour" Dr. Arkham tersely replied. The two guests of the asylum exchanged a quick look that seemed to convey something before following after Dr. Arkham.
The tour proceeded to run smoothly with Dr. Arkham able to expound about the asylum's history and elucidate its context within Gotham as a place of healing that had always been overshadowed by its darker reputation. It was then that he ran into Dr. Strange who seemed uninterested in waiting for a better time to speak.
"Good evening Dr. Arkham" Hugo drawled in his deep commanding baritone "We've had a bit of a situation"
Dr. Arkham cursed Hugo's terrible timing. Did he not see that there were guests here with him.
"What happened?" Jerimiah hissed under his breath hoping to avoid arousing suspicion from the two guests following behind him while Hugo just stared at him impassively
"Joker decided to aggravate both Miss Doe and Mister Wales nearly causing a fight, the situation has been contained but Dr. Carver will be speaking to Miss Doe for a while now to calm her more intense delusions and Quinzel is with the clown"
Dr. Arkham released a sigh. At least the staff had kept things under control. His guests wouldn't be getting too terrible of an impression. Still he had to turn this around.
"Mr. Luthor, Ms. Haguall may I introduce to you world renowned psychologist, criminologist and psychiatrist, as well as one of the most veteran members of Arkham's staff, Dr. Hugo Strange" Dr. Arkham proclaimed, hoping to distract them from Hugo's previous statements.
"The pleasure is all mine" Luthor responded shaking Hugo's hand firmly. The woman he was with seemed disinterested but then again Hugo wasn't exactly good at public relations, hence why Dr. Arkham tended to do these things.
"I hope you don't mind if I join the tour?" Hugo said surprising Dr. Arkham with his eagerness to join.
"Not at all" Luthor responded preempting Dr. Arkham's denial. That was going to be a problem but he could work with it.
"Well then why don't we enter the main wing of the building?" Hugo continued blithely unaware of how he was derailing all of Dr. Arkham's carefully laid plans. "I assume Jerimiah has told you about the three rules of dealing with the inmates?"
"He has not" The woman coldly answered. Hugo let out a wide grin.
"The rules are simple" He began "Do not respond to provocations, many of the inmates will do whatever it takes to throw you off balance emotionally. Ignoring them will prevent them from leveraging any emotional imbalances they can find. If you want to speak make sure you are staying calm"
Dr. Arkham relaxed ever so slightly. At least the rules as Hugo was laying them out would hopefully discourage them from doing something stupid.
"Do not give any personal information about yourself that the inmate is unaware of, many of the individuals here hold long memories and even longer grudges" Hugo continued "And lastly don't tap on the glass"
Dr. Arkham internally groaned at the joke he knew Hugo was going to make.
"It agitates them" Hugo smugly concluded.
Dr. Arkham desperately hoped that they didn't catch the implications of what Hugo referring to inmates as animals meant. The last thing he needed was some idiots with more money than sense drumming up problems for Arkham Asylum due to "inhumane conditions".
The tour proceeded into the inmates housing area. There was the usual din of the inmates as they made their way through things. Humphry and Jervis were especially loud to day, arguing over whether or not Humpty Dumpty could ever be put back together again. Hugo pointed out how those two were being treated by Doctors Ravencroft and Flanders respectively and how Humphry in particular was slowly learning to overcome his darker urges. Everything was going smoothly until they passed the cell now nicknamed "the batty cave" by some of the more impertinent officers.
"Criminal scum!" Thomas Carma yelled from his cell "Know that your reign of terror will be over as soon as Batman is freed from the shackles you have placed upon him!"
"Do al inmates get to decorate their cells?" Lex Luthor idly questioned.
"They do, provided they behave well" Hugo answered laconically. Dr. Arkham knew he needed to step in to clarify the whys that Hugo so often never bothered to explain to others since he thought everyone could keep up with him.
"We find it helps encourage better behavior" Dr. Arkham elaborated "It's also a productive outlet for many of the inmates"
"I think it's rather cute" The woman smirked. Dr. Arkham boiled at the barefaced mockery but he held his tongue.
They passed by Julian Day who made no comment and Basil who attempted to provoke Luthor into letting him out by pretending to be his father only to immediately be scoffed at by Luthor who claimed that his portrayal was outdated and incorrect. It seemed as though everything was going to go smoothly even when he had to cover for Zsasz screaming bloody murder at Dr. Sinner once their therapy session was over. He even managed to get the group to observe the baseball game that Dr. Faustus had organized.
It was only a matter of time before everything went to shit though. Harvey was out to therapy with Whistler and Camilla was naturally quiet but with the Joker there was always some complication. This time the complication appeared to be Dr. Quinzel fraternizing with him in his room.
"Quinzel!" Dr. Arkham roared causing the blonde trollop to leap back in fright "What the hell do you think you're doing!"
"Why doc, we're playing hangman" The slimy voice of the Joker oozed out "You do know how to play that right? So far Dr. Quinzel's guess N, M and S but theres so many more letters if you want to take a whack at it"
Dr. Arkham had no words. However as he mustered up what he wanted to say the Joker cut him off again.
"Say is that Lexy out there come to visit little old me?" The Joker crooned even managing to slightly unnerve Lex Luthor "Who is my second favorite bald man doing?"
Dr. Arkham sputtered but Hugo remained as cool as ever.
"Who is your favorite?" He placidly asked unconcerned of the mockery being made of the asylum.
"Why good old Chucky Nigaff!" The Joker brightly exclaimed before turning and directing a stage whisper at the guests "He's a bad, bad man"
The Joker then began to start madly cackling.
"Charles Nigaff is a psychologist here who used to treat the Joker" Hugo continued "He eventually asked to stop after Joker threatened him one too many times."
"It's not my fault the inmates are running the asylum!" Joker gleefully kept cackling "I'm just being honest about it all!"
The damn laughter continued even as they headed back away from the area the inmates were kept in.
"Don't forget to write!" Joker laughed as the group left him. Dr. Arkham would chew Quinzel out later for her severe breach of conduct. "I'll be here all week!"
Once they left Hugo managed to convince him to take a break in his office since he could handle the rest. Honestly Dr. Arkham needed it more than anything else today.
Vicki Vale Discussion subvote
You've managed to meet up with Vicki Vale at the headquarters of the Gotham Gazette. This is an opportunity for you to make the most out of this meeting and either reaffirm her loyalties or have her help push your image in the direction you want it to go. Whatever offers you make out to be good as they could impact how this works going forward. Please feel free to vote for as many options as you'd like from the list below. Please keep your vote in plan format as any votes not in plan format will be discounted. As always there is a 1 hour moratorium on voting. Write-in's are available for this subvote but as always all write-ins are subject to QM approval
[ ] [Vale] Offer to purchase the Gotham Gazette and give Vicki Vale a substantial promotion
[ ] [Vale] Offer to have Vicki Vale in charge of the news company you are forming in Metropolis if she is willing to move there
[ ] [Vale] Offer Vicki Vale an interview on your thoughts about the current state of the world (please write-in what you'd like to talk about)
[ ] [Vale] Offer to promote Vicki Vale on Handshake in exchange for her writing more articles you'd approve of
[ ] [Vale] Write-in
Chinatown subvote
Your trip to Chinatown has unearthed a few different possibilities. There is your opportunity to meet with an individual referring to himself as the Carp in the Koromodako restaurant or you could perhaps find Silver Monkey or even get close to a few members of the GCPD. The choice is yours to make and could have some impacts on things going forward. Please vote for your favorite option from the list below. Please keep your plan in approval format as any votes not in this format will be discounted. As always there is a 1 hour moratorium on voting.
[ ] [Town] Head to the Koromodako restaurant to meet with the Carp
[ ] [Town] Search for Silver Monkey on your own
[ ] [Town] Get protection from the police members with Ellen Yin
[ ] [Town] Buy Cassandra a gift from an interesting shop here
Visiting Arkham subvote
Dr. Arkham has lead you along on a fairly insipid tour of the infamous Arkham Asylum. However with him now out of the way Dr. Hugo Strange is willing to accompany you wherever you might wish to within the asylum so that you could speak to a few individuals of your choosing. This is an interesting opportunity for you. Please pick your three favorite option from the list below. Please keep your vote in approval format as any votes not in approval format will be discounted. As always there is a 1 hour moratorium on voting.
[ ] [Arkham] Harleen Quinzel and the Joker
[ ] [Arkham] Victor Zsasz
[ ] [Arkham] Dr. Anne Carver
[ ] [Arkham] Julian Day
[ ] [Arkham] Basil Karlo
[ ] [Arkham] Harvey Dent
[ ] [Arkham] Humphry Dumpler and Jervis Tetch
[ ] [Arkham] Bethanie Ravencroft and Margaret Pye
[ ] [Arkham] Arnold Wesker, Doctor Faustus and Aaron Cash
[ ] [Arkham] Thomas Carma
[ ] [Arkham] Charles Nigaff
[ ] [Arkham] Camilla Ortin
[ ] [Arkham] Gretchen Whistler and Simpson Flanders
[ ] [Arkham] Alyce Sinner
Menagerie Deal Subvote
In your deal with the Menagerie you have already agreed to offer jobs at LexCorp to members of the Menagerie who want to leave Gotham in exchange for a favor from Selina Kyle. However there is an idea regarding orphanages that you need to clarify. Please vote for your favorite option from the list below. Please keep your vote in approval format as any votes not in this format will be discounted. As always there is a 1 hour moratorium on voting.
[ ] [Menagerie] You'll pay for orphanages within Gotham for child members of the Menagerie in exchange for another favor from Selina Kyle later on down the line
[ ] [Menagerie] You'll pay for orphanages in Metropolis as well as transport to those orphanages for child members of the Menagerie in exchange for a favor from Selina Kyle later on down the line
[ ] [Menagerie] You won't do anything involving orphanages as the deal is good as is
Trip Planning Subvote
With your trip to Gotham continuing on there are a few more opportunities available to you going forward from here. Choosing how you spend time on this trip could be important. Please pick your three favorite options from the list below. Please keep your vote in approval format as any vote not in approval format will be discounted. As always there is a 1 hour moratorium on voting.
[ ] [Trip] Take a tour of Gotham Academy
[ ] [Trip] Visit the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic
[ ] [Trip] Meet with the GCPD
[ ] [Trip] Head to Blackgate to visit the prisoners
[ ] [Trip] Track down and meet with Tobias Whale
[ ] [Trip] Take a tour of Gotham University
[ ] [Trip] Visit the Gotham Natural History Museum
[ ] [Trip] Explore the Tricorner district
[ ] [Trip] Meet with Paige Monroe
[ ] [Trip] Meet with Selina and important members of the Menagerie
[ ] [Trip] Attempt to meet with Aleister Golden
[ ] [Trip] Track down Matches Malone
[ ] [Trip] Speak with the woman who fought with the Batman
[ ] [Trip] Meet with Julie Madison and Paul Dekker
[ ] [Trip] Meet with Gregorian Falstaff
[ ] [Exo] Tell Oswald that you'd need time to consult with the US government
[ ] [Submarine] Get rid of the submarine by transferring it to the US Government and getting them to pay Oswald an "acquisition fee" in exchange for a favor
[ ] [Menagerie] You'll secretly give members of the Menagerie jobs at LexCorp provided they want out of Gotham in exchange for Selina owing you a favor
There will be expansion on the Menagerie vote available at the end of all of this. That being said there will be plenty to enjoy unrelated to that in this update. I'll be trying to cover a few different things with this update and you'll be getting your first opportunity to pick three additional things to do while in Gotham. I hope people enjoy and I will affirm that I'll continue to deliver quality content as time goes on.
This update isn't as huge as the last one but it's still got plenty of content. You've got an update or two till things get loud but when it does it's going to be interesting. Bruce Wayne's party is liable to be an absolutely massive update. As always there is a 1 hour moratorium on voting. Furthermore there will be both plan and approval format voting in this update, please separate plan format votes and approval format votes by at least two lines.
A Trip to Gotham Event Part 3: Fool's Paradise
Vicki Vale (First week of Lex Luthor's trip to Gotham)
Friends in high places meant more obligations, Vicki had come to learn. Lex Luthor was visiting Gotham and he'd decided to drop by the Gotham Gazette to speak with her. While Vicki didn't dislike working with Luthor the man was oftentimes reclusive and with his own media interests expanding she'd had little in the way of exclusives coming from him. It meant that if she wanted to get more from him she'd have to prove competence on her part. It was easier said then done especially when the meeting had been sprung on her with so little advance warning.
Horten as always was accommodating when she let him know that she might be very busy following Lex Luthor's visit and that he'd probably need to work with Alexandra or Olivia to finish up the article on his investigation into the current drug trade in Gotham. Olivia had teased her while Alexandra was rather annoyed at potentially being disrupted from her own work. Still they'd all understood what was going on.
Vicki was determined to have this meeting go right since it could be a huge boost to her career. Luthor had his fingers in enough pies that something she could get from him would be newsworthy. The man himself arrived at the Gotham Gazette building about five minutes before the meeting was scheduled. Vicki idly wondered if it was some kind of business trick he'd picked up to keep others on the backfoot but dismissed the idea as soon as it popped into her head. She was a professional, she knew what she was doing and Luthor had no reason to want her to fail. She plastered a smile on her face. She noticed that next to Luthor was a dark skinned woman dressed in a suit near Lex, albeit one that was significantly less extravagant then the one he himself wore. The two were swiftly ushered into the building.
"I hope you don't mind Talia attending" Luthor calmly said as they made their way to one of the conference rooms in the building "I don't quite feel comfortable on my own in Gotham"
"It's fine" Vicki responded not wanting to cause a scene. It was understandable to not want to be on your own in Gotham but from what she could tell Lex Luthor wasn't frightened of what lay in Gotham in the least. He likely was being misleading intentionally but Vicki had no intention of digging deeper there and only causing herself more problems down the line. She turned to the other woman.
"I'm Vicki Vale, you might have read some of my articles" Vicki introduced herself to the other woman extending a hand to shake. The other woman, Talia, shook her hand but kept a blank expression on her face.
"Talia Haguall" The other woman said letting silence last for a while before dropping the handshake. Vicki felt a little awkward about it all but they were already at the conference room and they could talk business.
"So" She began "Is there a particular reason for this visit?"
"Nothing particularly urgent" Luthor responded "I just wanted to touch base with you on a few things"
"Alright" Vicki boldly declared "Lay it on me"
And so Luthor began to make her his offer and discuss what they'd be doing going forward from here.
Lex Luthor (First week of the Trip to Gotham)
Chinatown was an interesting locale within Gotham. The very fact that it was named Chinatown was in and of itself a misnomer. There were far more cultures all blended together and mixed here. There was some degree of homogenization here but for the most part the cultures remained fairly distinct even while united against all outsiders. The dozens of youth gangs in the area were an interesting symptom of the discontent people in this area felt. You were unworried though.
You briskly made your way through the streets even sampling a few interesting dishes, Talia shadowing you all the while. Some people gawked at you, while dyed hair was in vogue amongst youth here, bald men were an anomaly and bald men in suits were even rarer to see. Still though you had no intention of hiding yourself and what few thieves that were bold enough to approach you swiftly found their efforts utter failures.
You eventually made your way to the now infamous Chong's Tea House. The whole place was rather kitsch now playing on stereotypes of Asian Culture while also proudly displaying that you could buy both weapons and memorabilia of the various infamous criminals of Gotham. There were dozens of white and red cat masks, double headed coins and even Joker t-shirts available to purchase there on top of all of the weapons. Talia looked rather disgusted at it all even as she idly eyed a calendar that contained the names of the Holiday Killer's victims in place of the holidays.
"I hope this isn't what you were looking for when you came out here" She groused "This is the reason why Cobblepot getting accepted as some kind of modern day aristocrat is so demeaning to the very idea of any of Gotham's upper class being in some way noble"
She wasn't wrong but again she missed the point.
"Honestly I was just interested in trying out some food and seeing the culture of the area." You wryly stated "And the fact that anyone interested in gaining my favor in Chinatown can locate me in a place that is very firmly neutral ground is just a bonus"
Talia nods in understanding when less than a minute later a teenager tells you that the Carp would like to meet with you at the Koromodako restaurant. You now have an opportunity in hand.
As you leave the tasteless shop Cobblepot set up you ended up running into an individual you weren't expecting to see now.
"Detective Yin?" You inquire as you vaguely identify the woman in front of you based off of what you remember of that party in Gotham a few years ago.
"I haven't been a detective for a few years now Mr. Luthor" She retorts without any real heat "I'm technically Lieutenant Yin now if you want to go by title"
"Regardless of official rank, what are you doing here?" You respond getting the conversation back on track.
"I'm one of the few police officers the GCPD has that can effectively blend into Chinatown and I was running an investigation concerning the whereabouts of Silver Monkey in concert with a few others" Yin responds "When I heard that there was a rich white man ambling in the middle of Chinatown I grew concerned that someone would get attacked by a particularly bold criminal. Now that I know that you are the individual in question I'd recommend you leave or seek police protection considering Silver Monkey has targeted you before."
You smirk happy to note that the GCPD hasn't picked up at all on Talia yet. You were likely safer than any of the others in the area including the police officers themselves. You have decided on a course of action to take for the rest of the night. Your little trip into Gotham's Chinatown might prove more interesting than you'd initially hoped.
Jerimiah Arkham (Second week of Lex Luthor's trip to Gotham)
Lex Luthor's arrival at Arkham happened relatively quietly. The last thing Dr. Arkham needed was a media circus coming to the asylum and giving the inmates an opportunity to escape. No it was far better to keep everything subtle and secret so that as few people as possible could interfere in the day to day running of the asylum. It was going to be a mess anyhow. This whole situation involving Lex Luthor was honestly more of a disruption than Dr. Arkham would have liked but unlike most people eager to get a look at the inner workings of the asylum he couldn't deny Luthor out of hand for fear of offending him and causing much larger complications later on down the line. Hopefully he could have this situation work like it did with Wayne and he'd get the billionaire out of sensitive business he didn't understand but still willing to donate money so that the asylum could be run properly. Dr. Arkham still had his dreams if only that
Lex Luthor arrived alongside a woman who he'd had introduced to him as Talia Haguall. Dr. Arkham didn't know who she was nor did he truly care but it was even more people getting involved.
"Mr. Luthor" He began hoping to properly direct this problem so as to minimize damage "We're going to be on a fairly strict tour of the asylum if you want to see it in its entirety so I insist you stay with the program and do not deviate from our instructions if you in any way value your safety"
"Oh?" The woman taunted "I'd have thought you could manage your own inmates with all of the numerous quality staff?"
Dr. Arkham chaffed under the sarcastic question. He hated it when people questioned the way things were run. It didn't matter how good the asylum's staff was if they were also dealing with some of the most deranged individuals in the entire world and were supposed to keep them in semi-humane conditions without aggravating their numerous psychoses.
"We can handle them" Dr. Arkham bluntly replied "But much like how you wouldn't aggravate a rabid dog kept in a pen, it's recommended you follow instructions and don't make things worse"
"I'd actually like to speak with the staff if possible" Lex Luthor interrupted "I feel as though their input and experience would be both valuable and interesting"
Dr. Arkham wasn't going to give Luthor much of an opportunity to do that. The man clearly wanted to poach some staff members and Arkham couldn't afford that.
"You'll have an opportunity to speak with our expert staff over the course of the tour" Dr. Arkham tersely replied. The two guests of the asylum exchanged a quick look that seemed to convey something before following after Dr. Arkham.
The tour proceeded to run smoothly with Dr. Arkham able to expound about the asylum's history and elucidate its context within Gotham as a place of healing that had always been overshadowed by its darker reputation. It was then that he ran into Dr. Strange who seemed uninterested in waiting for a better time to speak.
"Good evening Dr. Arkham" Hugo drawled in his deep commanding baritone "We've had a bit of a situation"
Dr. Arkham cursed Hugo's terrible timing. Did he not see that there were guests here with him.
"What happened?" Jerimiah hissed under his breath hoping to avoid arousing suspicion from the two guests following behind him while Hugo just stared at him impassively
"Joker decided to aggravate both Miss Doe and Mister Wales nearly causing a fight, the situation has been contained but Dr. Carver will be speaking to Miss Doe for a while now to calm her more intense delusions and Quinzel is with the clown"
Dr. Arkham released a sigh. At least the staff had kept things under control. His guests wouldn't be getting too terrible of an impression. Still he had to turn this around.
"Mr. Luthor, Ms. Haguall may I introduce to you world renowned psychologist, criminologist and psychiatrist, as well as one of the most veteran members of Arkham's staff, Dr. Hugo Strange" Dr. Arkham proclaimed, hoping to distract them from Hugo's previous statements.
"The pleasure is all mine" Luthor responded shaking Hugo's hand firmly. The woman he was with seemed disinterested but then again Hugo wasn't exactly good at public relations, hence why Dr. Arkham tended to do these things.
"I hope you don't mind if I join the tour?" Hugo said surprising Dr. Arkham with his eagerness to join.
"Not at all" Luthor responded preempting Dr. Arkham's denial. That was going to be a problem but he could work with it.
"Well then why don't we enter the main wing of the building?" Hugo continued blithely unaware of how he was derailing all of Dr. Arkham's carefully laid plans. "I assume Jerimiah has told you about the three rules of dealing with the inmates?"
"He has not" The woman coldly answered. Hugo let out a wide grin.
"The rules are simple" He began "Do not respond to provocations, many of the inmates will do whatever it takes to throw you off balance emotionally. Ignoring them will prevent them from leveraging any emotional imbalances they can find. If you want to speak make sure you are staying calm"
Dr. Arkham relaxed ever so slightly. At least the rules as Hugo was laying them out would hopefully discourage them from doing something stupid.
"Do not give any personal information about yourself that the inmate is unaware of, many of the individuals here hold long memories and even longer grudges" Hugo continued "And lastly don't tap on the glass"
Dr. Arkham internally groaned at the joke he knew Hugo was going to make.
"It agitates them" Hugo smugly concluded.
Dr. Arkham desperately hoped that they didn't catch the implications of what Hugo referring to inmates as animals meant. The last thing he needed was some idiots with more money than sense drumming up problems for Arkham Asylum due to "inhumane conditions".
The tour proceeded into the inmates housing area. There was the usual din of the inmates as they made their way through things. Humphry and Jervis were especially loud to day, arguing over whether or not Humpty Dumpty could ever be put back together again. Hugo pointed out how those two were being treated by Doctors Ravencroft and Flanders respectively and how Humphry in particular was slowly learning to overcome his darker urges. Everything was going smoothly until they passed the cell now nicknamed "the batty cave" by some of the more impertinent officers.
"Criminal scum!" Thomas Carma yelled from his cell "Know that your reign of terror will be over as soon as Batman is freed from the shackles you have placed upon him!"
"Do al inmates get to decorate their cells?" Lex Luthor idly questioned.
"They do, provided they behave well" Hugo answered laconically. Dr. Arkham knew he needed to step in to clarify the whys that Hugo so often never bothered to explain to others since he thought everyone could keep up with him.
"We find it helps encourage better behavior" Dr. Arkham elaborated "It's also a productive outlet for many of the inmates"
"I think it's rather cute" The woman smirked. Dr. Arkham boiled at the barefaced mockery but he held his tongue.
They passed by Julian Day who made no comment and Basil who attempted to provoke Luthor into letting him out by pretending to be his father only to immediately be scoffed at by Luthor who claimed that his portrayal was outdated and incorrect. It seemed as though everything was going to go smoothly even when he had to cover for Zsasz screaming bloody murder at Dr. Sinner once their therapy session was over. He even managed to get the group to observe the baseball game that Dr. Faustus had organized.
It was only a matter of time before everything went to shit though. Harvey was out to therapy with Whistler and Camilla was naturally quiet but with the Joker there was always some complication. This time the complication appeared to be Dr. Quinzel fraternizing with him in his room.
"Quinzel!" Dr. Arkham roared causing the blonde trollop to leap back in fright "What the hell do you think you're doing!"
"Why doc, we're playing hangman" The slimy voice of the Joker oozed out "You do know how to play that right? So far Dr. Quinzel's guess N, M and S but theres so many more letters if you want to take a whack at it"
Dr. Arkham had no words. However as he mustered up what he wanted to say the Joker cut him off again.
"Say is that Lexy out there come to visit little old me?" The Joker crooned even managing to slightly unnerve Lex Luthor "Who is my second favorite bald man doing?"
Dr. Arkham sputtered but Hugo remained as cool as ever.
"Who is your favorite?" He placidly asked unconcerned of the mockery being made of the asylum.
"Why good old Chucky Nigaff!" The Joker brightly exclaimed before turning and directing a stage whisper at the guests "He's a bad, bad man"
The Joker then began to start madly cackling.
"Charles Nigaff is a psychologist here who used to treat the Joker" Hugo continued "He eventually asked to stop after Joker threatened him one too many times."
"It's not my fault the inmates are running the asylum!" Joker gleefully kept cackling "I'm just being honest about it all!"
The damn laughter continued even as they headed back away from the area the inmates were kept in.
"Don't forget to write!" Joker laughed as the group left him. Dr. Arkham would chew Quinzel out later for her severe breach of conduct. "I'll be here all week!"
Once they left Hugo managed to convince him to take a break in his office since he could handle the rest. Honestly Dr. Arkham needed it more than anything else today.
Vicki Vale Discussion subvote
You've managed to meet up with Vicki Vale at the headquarters of the Gotham Gazette. This is an opportunity for you to make the most out of this meeting and either reaffirm her loyalties or have her help push your image in the direction you want it to go. Whatever offers you make out to be good as they could impact how this works going forward. Please feel free to vote for as many options as you'd like from the list below. Please keep your vote in plan format as any votes not in plan format will be discounted. As always there is a 1 hour moratorium on voting. Write-in's are available for this subvote but as always all write-ins are subject to QM approval
[ ] [Vale] Offer to purchase the Gotham Gazette and give Vicki Vale a substantial promotion
[ ] [Vale] Offer to have Vicki Vale in charge of the news company you are forming in Metropolis if she is willing to move there
[ ] [Vale] Offer Vicki Vale an interview on your thoughts about the current state of the world (please write-in what you'd like to talk about)
[ ] [Vale] Offer to promote Vicki Vale on Handshake in exchange for her writing more articles you'd approve of
[ ] [Vale] Write-in
Chinatown subvote
Your trip to Chinatown has unearthed a few different possibilities. There is your opportunity to meet with an individual referring to himself as the Carp in the Koromodako restaurant or you could perhaps find Silver Monkey or even get close to a few members of the GCPD. The choice is yours to make and could have some impacts on things going forward. Please vote for your favorite option from the list below. Please keep your plan in approval format as any votes not in this format will be discounted. As always there is a 1 hour moratorium on voting.
[ ] [Town] Head to the Koromodako restaurant to meet with the Carp
[ ] [Town] Search for Silver Monkey on your own
[ ] [Town] Get protection from the police members with Ellen Yin
[ ] [Town] Buy Cassandra a gift from an interesting shop here
Visiting Arkham subvote
Dr. Arkham has lead you along on a fairly insipid tour of the infamous Arkham Asylum. However with him now out of the way Dr. Hugo Strange is willing to accompany you wherever you might wish to within the asylum so that you could speak to a few individuals of your choosing. This is an interesting opportunity for you. Please pick your three favorite option from the list below. Please keep your vote in approval format as any votes not in approval format will be discounted. As always there is a 1 hour moratorium on voting.
[ ] [Arkham] Harleen Quinzel and the Joker
[ ] [Arkham] Victor Zsasz
[ ] [Arkham] Dr. Anne Carver
[ ] [Arkham] Julian Day
[ ] [Arkham] Basil Karlo
[ ] [Arkham] Harvey Dent
[ ] [Arkham] Humphry Dumpler and Jervis Tetch
[ ] [Arkham] Bethanie Ravencroft and Margaret Pye
[ ] [Arkham] Arnold Wesker, Doctor Faustus and Aaron Cash
[ ] [Arkham] Thomas Carma
[ ] [Arkham] Charles Nigaff
[ ] [Arkham] Camilla Ortin
[ ] [Arkham] Gretchen Whistler and Simpson Flanders
[ ] [Arkham] Alyce Sinner
Menagerie Deal Subvote
In your deal with the Menagerie you have already agreed to offer jobs at LexCorp to members of the Menagerie who want to leave Gotham in exchange for a favor from Selina Kyle. However there is an idea regarding orphanages that you need to clarify. Please vote for your favorite option from the list below. Please keep your vote in approval format as any votes not in this format will be discounted. As always there is a 1 hour moratorium on voting.
[ ] [Menagerie] You'll pay for orphanages within Gotham for child members of the Menagerie in exchange for another favor from Selina Kyle later on down the line
[ ] [Menagerie] You'll pay for orphanages in Metropolis as well as transport to those orphanages for child members of the Menagerie in exchange for a favor from Selina Kyle later on down the line
[ ] [Menagerie] You won't do anything involving orphanages as the deal is good as is
Trip Planning Subvote
With your trip to Gotham continuing on there are a few more opportunities available to you going forward from here. Choosing how you spend time on this trip could be important. Please pick your three favorite options from the list below. Please keep your vote in approval format as any vote not in approval format will be discounted. As always there is a 1 hour moratorium on voting.
[ ] [Trip] Take a tour of Gotham Academy
[ ] [Trip] Visit the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic
[ ] [Trip] Meet with the GCPD
[ ] [Trip] Head to Blackgate to visit the prisoners
[ ] [Trip] Track down and meet with Tobias Whale
[ ] [Trip] Take a tour of Gotham University
[ ] [Trip] Visit the Gotham Natural History Museum
[ ] [Trip] Explore the Tricorner district
[ ] [Trip] Meet with Paige Monroe
[ ] [Trip] Meet with Selina and important members of the Menagerie
[ ] [Trip] Attempt to meet with Aleister Golden
[ ] [Trip] Track down Matches Malone
[ ] [Trip] Speak with the woman who fought with the Batman
[ ] [Trip] Meet with Julie Madison and Paul Dekker
[ ] [Trip] Meet with Gregorian Falstaff
