[Free candy and ridiculous costumes and all sorts of things.]
[His voice stops at that question. Joker's already given hints, he knows, but there's something that still tries to bind his mouth shut tight. Old habits and older threats that shouldn't have any weight but do still.]
[He clears his throat and forces his voice to work.]
Back in England, me and a buncha other kids- s'close ta a family I've ever known- lived in the streets. Some a us were missin' limbs, our Doll got burned somethin' awful, Peter and Wendy never seemed ta grow past 10, and most folks put Jumbo down as some sorta monster instead a how young he really was.
[The ratta-tat-tat-tat of his fingers interrupts his words.]
Most folks treated us like trash, just waitin' for us ta die and get taken away.
So one day, us starvin' and soaked and practically dead in the gutters, old fella grinnin' like Ol' Saint Nick himself comes and takes us away in this posh carriage. End up in one a those homes- y'know, orphanage. Out in the country side, even, away from the bleedin' city.
Back then, we all thought we'd got real lucky, findin' someone who didn't mind us bein' broken and willin' ta take us in like his own children.
[As he talks, the tapping's rhythm becomes more erratic and violent.]
...Guess we shoulda known generosity like that don't come for free.
[audio | locked]
[Free candy and ridiculous costumes and all sorts of things.]
[His voice stops at that question. Joker's already given hints, he knows, but there's something that still tries to bind his mouth shut tight. Old habits and older threats that shouldn't have any weight but do still.]
[He clears his throat and forces his voice to work.]
Back in England, me and a buncha other kids- s'close ta a family I've ever known- lived in the streets. Some a us were missin' limbs, our Doll got burned somethin' awful, Peter and Wendy never seemed ta grow past 10, and most folks put Jumbo down as some sorta monster instead a how young he really was.
[The ratta-tat-tat-tat of his fingers interrupts his words.]
Most folks treated us like trash, just waitin' for us ta die and get taken away.
So one day, us starvin' and soaked and practically dead in the gutters, old fella grinnin' like Ol' Saint Nick himself comes and takes us away in this posh carriage. End up in one a those homes- y'know, orphanage. Out in the country side, even, away from the bleedin' city.
Back then, we all thought we'd got real lucky, findin' someone who didn't mind us bein' broken and willin' ta take us in like his own children.
[As he talks, the tapping's rhythm becomes more erratic and violent.]
...Guess we shoulda known generosity like that don't come for free.