Harley loved nature but she was a cosmopolitan girl through and through. The lack of city life was eating at her. The people, the art, the chaos, the criminality... that made the city. - Not to mention her much beloved breakfast sandwich from Sals. It was just a nihilistic mess of uncertainty now. It had been delicious in the first few days but now she was growing bored. She was tempted to give Jonathan a slap upon next seeing him. She hoped that would be soon. She was almost tempted to convince Joker to take her on holiday somewhere far away. Warm or cold didn't matter. She needed stimulation.
On the thought of sandwiches, Harley tried to think back to the last time she actually had eaten.
"Mista J, I'm so hungry!" She decided to declare seeing if she could get any immediate attention for her newfound dilemma.
"Harley, honey, have some fruit, Daria's definitely had her fair share of the tree today." Ivy gestured to the pear tree and Harley swore she saw the fruit swell merely from Ivy's wrist movement.
"Ivy, you know I can never say no to eating your fruit," She threw a wink over to the redhead before rolling the chair over to the tree, collecting four pears and rolling back to the desk.
Daria's mood had perked up even more with the socialising. It showed her as a psychology student that despite her introverted ways, humans were social animals. Those who Daria acknowledged as Scarecrow's friends had put aside their efforts of 'decorating' Gotham to hang out. It was a humanising moment. Daria had always seen the people in the room with her as untouchable masters of their craft, now she was seeing them as people like her - however, still in a slightly higher position than her in their respective world. They did seem to view her as an equal rather than talking down to her, and she was grateful - surprised, even. She wished she had a phone to text Jonathan to come join. She had a comforting feeling that he would find his way to them soon. She couldn't imagine what else he'd be doing, unless he truly aimed to write data about what was occurring in Gotham.
To what effect?
"What's that Daria?" Harley asked before spinning on the chair Daria had occupied earlier. Daria assumed she'd thought out loud. She had been getting strongly invested in the imagined discussion with Jonathan in her mind.
"Uh, nothing I was just thinking about-"
"How boring Gotham is becoming?" she interrupted, now leaning her head on her hands, elbows pressed onto the duty-librarian desk. Her voice was muffled by a mouth full of pear chunks.
Daria felt incredibly conscious of her blinking and looking away from Harley upon saying that. The ex-psychiatrist winked at her when she was able to make eye contact again.
"I feel ya sista," Then she went back to spinning on the chair as fast as she could.
"I am pleased with the current situation," Ivy defended, sitting in a throne-shaped tree, bedded in moss, "The toxin is dissipating. We need to get ahead while we can." To her right, Edward sat on a low hanging thick branch, nodding in agreement. Jervis sat on the floor leaning against the fruiting tree, the sickly looking girl had laid her head in his lap and he stroked her cheek gently. Daria had noticed Edward give Jervis a look of distaste once or twice since the group had made home in the Library. Her curiosity had been caught. She wondered what stories everyone had from the chaos so far. She expected the sharing was to come as the hours progressed.
Harley stopped her spinning, emitting a dizzy groan decorated with a fluttery giggle before letting out a shriek when the Joker got a hold of the chair and started pushing her around the smooth floor of the ground level, knocking into everything and trying best to ignore his intentionally destructive aptitude.
The other rogues shared silence, watching the Joker and Harley play about. The girl laying on Jervis threw up without any warning indications. Edward's expression of distaste increased into a full frown and grimace.
"Who is she and why is she here, she's useless to your projects."
Daria did not know much about the Mad Hatter other than what Jonathan had told her. She was doing her best to detach herself from the situation, she did not know whether the girl needed saving or if she was being cared for.
"She's my Alice! She's been with me for weeks now. The toxin made her oh-so sick. That and her sickness." He smiled very briefly at his own words before adopting a quizzical expression.
"Ivy, any plants you can use on her?"
Ivy huffed, "have you seen the amount of work I have been doing?" she then looked to the pathetic girl on the floor who kept leaning towards her pile of vomit as if wanting to lay in it. Jervis held her back, without expelling much strength.
"Jonathan will be able to help," Daria found herself saying. She could only offer a psychologist perspective and a week of first aid training. Jonathan had both a medical and psychopharmacology PhD. Harley did too but she was occupied with the Joker in that moment and Daria was afraid to get in between them.
"But where is Jonathan?" Edward asked.
"I... don't know," Daria almost mumbled. Everyone still heard her thanks to the acoustics of the room. "I'm sure he'll find this place soon. Besides, he loves libraries." She was awash in a sort of faith. Everything was going to work out as she thought it would.
"I suppose we could help ourselves to the books to keep ourselves busy," Edward sighed in defeat. "I'll go out to make more exciting traps in the city but for now I'm enjoying not having to wear a gas mask on my face." Daria liked his plan and agreed to his idea. The Hatter was too busy muttering - soothing? - words to the girl who most likely was not called 'Alice'.
Ivy swung her legs over one of the arms of her 'throne', (as Daria had decided to describe it) and nuzzled into the mossy bed it provided.
"I'm going to rest for a while, why don't you read beside me?"
Daria felt that it was a comfort thing and a defence thing. She most happily would watch out for Ivy and make sure she was safe in her sleep. She wondered if it was a lack of trust in the people in the room, such as the Joker, or a lack of trust in the world.
Daria had begun to feel drowsy halfway through reading an honestly crappy dramatic novel about vampires in New York. She looked to Ivy who was still peacefully sleeping, dramatically displayed on her mossy throne.
Edward was on the second floor with his legs through two bannisters, hanging off the edge of the mezzanine floor. Daria wondered what book managed to captivate his interest. He seemed interested in all things, wanting to be the best and all-knowing as he could be. Daria admired that and wondered if she'd ever manage a similar level of self-discipline and sustained burning intrigue.
Harley and Joker still hadn't been seen for a good few hours, whether or not they were in the building was unknown. Nobody felt inclined to check on them for obvious reasons.
Jervis had decided to join the book club after 'Alice' had fallen asleep. He had taken to the duty librarian chair, not daring to spin it at all. Daria raised an eyebrow at such restriction.
The room was so silent, that everyone turned their head immediately at the front door's soft squeak as its hinges were contracted to allow entry into Ivy's little ecosystem.
Daria used the last reserve to push herself off the floor and almost sprint to Jonathan. He took off his mask when he noticed the library's interior. He had more stubble on his face. Daria had never seen this. He was incredibly conscious of hair on his face and would shave every other day.
Daria did not jump into his arms nor kiss him immediately. She wanted to see his actions first so she knew it was safe to do so. He smiled softly at her and gave her a swift kiss on the lips.
"Let me just see the others and then I'm all yours," He whispered against her lips. She nodded, smiling.
"Of course, it's so good to see you again."
"Johnny! Finally!" Edward called from the second floor.
Ivy stirred from her sleep, wiggling herself upright and standing up slowly. Jonathan went to give Ivy a delicate hug, running a hand through her long red hair whilst doing so. They exchanged smiles and nothing more.
Edward had walked quickly down the stairs to greet his friend and partner in numerous crimes. Jervis waved to him from his floor space. Jonathan's eyes fell to the helpless girl. His soft smile flopped into a grimace.
"Even in a time like this, Jervis?"
"She's been with me for weeks, she's my Alice!" Jervis defended.
"She's a nuisance and dying from god knows what," Edward complained. "Daria said you'd look over her to see the problem."
"I..." Daria stuttered, "I suggested he'd know how to help. I didn't speak for him!"
Edward sent a smirk in light of her discomfort.
Rather than looking to either Edward or Daria, Jonathan sighed and crouched down to the girl, pushing her onto her side and reading her pulse.
"Oh come on, Scarecrow!" Joker had reappeared. "There are so many sick or dead folks out in Gotham, by your hand might I add." He walked towards the girl and Jonathan. "She is no special case, if you want to pity her and get her well then leave her for one of the Bat's servant boys."
"I am in agreement with the Joker on this," Edward declared. In the meanwhile, Jervis had crawled over to where 'his Alice' lay and shunned others from laying hands on her.
Daria decided to step back from any possible responsibility and go find Harley. Ivy was behind her in a matter of seconds, thinking likewise. They both found Harley doing a form of aerial dancing with two thick vines that hung from one of the tallest trees in the building; It rose up the wall and curved over the ceiling.
Daria watched Ivy staring at Harley with such appreciation. She could relate when watching Jonathan's quirky behaviours. The two were darn cute together.
"Well Daria are you gonna stand and gawk or are you gonna have a go?" Harley's voice pulled her from her thoughts.
"I'm clumsy and hardly used to long walks these days," Daria laughed, embarrassed.
"Go ahead, you've got a bed of moss to catch you in case," Ivy encouraged. Daria watched as green moss laced with itself, creating a depth that tempted Daria to dive into and be welcomed by a springy softness.
Now filled with trust and curiosity, Daria took hold of one of the vines and tried to follow Harley's rapid explanation.