Professor Fear III

Chapter 44

Daria woke up before Jonathan.

She went downstairs to make coffee.

Jonathan sat up slowly, waking up. He pushed the hair out of his eyes and pulled on pants before going downstairs. He noticed the yellow-brown bruises on his arms, chest, and stomach. No doubt the mirror would reveal a look of exhaustion.

Daria was staring at the floor, transfixed. Jonathan did not want to abruptly intrude her dissociation, so he went to pour the coffee into the cafetiere and then gently brought himself to embrace her.

When Daria snapped out of it, she returned the hug, smiled up at him and went to press down the coffee.

"How do you feel?" She passed him a freshly filled cup. Jonathan watched her eyes flicker to each mark on his body and then to his tossed morning hair.

"Have you been doing that a lot lately?" His voice was a fighting mixture of concern and curiosity.

"I asked a question first," She pointed out, smiling. She went to the living room to investigate the latest news in Gotham.

"Good Morning Gotham, since our last update, the police have informed us that they are still looking for the whereabouts of these highly dangerous individuals, also we've been informed to warn the public to look out for peculiar smoke, children's toys in the street -"

"Hey! Check me out on the table," Daria laughed at the grainy video of her on the screen which lasted a few seconds, before showing better quality photos of Joker, Harley, Ivy, Scarecrow and Riddler. Daria didn't admit it, but she felt incredibly reassured that Scarecrow in his chosen attire did not betray Jonathan's identity to the public. Sometimes when caught up in it all, she forgot that it was a possibility that he- and now, even her, - could be caught and entrapped into a secure government prison to never see daylight.

"Yes, I was very impressed by that," he revealed.

Jonathan was not surprised that Daria was dissociating as of late. If she has been doing it all her life, then now would be a very key moment of trauma and intense life change invoking coping mechanisms such as dissociation.

It surprised him that he was also doing the same. Well, at least in the sense of being so disconnected from his body and the sensory world around him. He felt all up in his head. The body movements were not Scarecrow in identity, but his own. Yet he felt that he wasn't identifying with himself.

it was only now, in the quiet of the house with Daria, where he could analyse constantly about her and himself. Outside, he had be delightfully busy and distracted. Transfixed on studying and tormenting the people of Gotham.

There was no denying that Daria inspired him, made him flourish as of recent. He saw only a peculiar twisted version of with her personal development. Whether he was helping her overcome her traumas, or whether he was adding to the coping mechanisms, was unclear.

"Woah look at you thinking off into the distance, doing what I do," Daria honed in on it, setting her coffee mug on the counter and pulling him closer to her slowly, careful not to spill his drink. He, smartly, put it down so they could hug.

"What's on the mind on Jonathan Crane?" She asked into his neck, followed by a gentle kiss.

"Oh, nothing important, darling, shall we get ourselves ready for a busy day?"

Sometimes it was like Jonathan and Scarecrow were speaking in harmonious unison.

"Yes, of course, I'll find the clothes I wore last time," Daria migrated herself and her coffee mug upstairs, leaving Jonathan in the kitchen.

After piecing everything together on herself. She got to makeup and hair. A long braid framed her face which wore the same makeup as last time. She was curious to know what her role was to be this time.