DUPLICITY: IC INBOX

[theansweris]

[text ~ voice ~ video ~ in person]

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[theansweris]

"I'll let you know." Riddler waves a hand. "When I have something. If I get something. In the mean time, ropes, knots, nuts and bolts." He stretches and starts off back towards the elevators.

❄️ [Christmas Eve ]

[paxpenguina]

On December 24th...

A package is left on the edge of Ed's bed.

It's an elegant and clearly professionally gift-wrapped package, as well as three mézeskalács individually wrapped in see-through cellophane and tied off with a black and white bow to match the rest of the wrapping design.

Unwrapping the gift reveals a puzzle, which Ed will no doubt make short work of deciphering.

Inside the puzzle, folded in between a slip of deep emerald green velvet, is a pin.

Beneath the pin is a black paper scroll tied with green string. The writing is in Oswald's own hand, in gold ink:

I bare pearls upon green,

but within the ocean won't be seen

I give nothing to you,

but good luck when joining two

What am I?

Below is small business card to a local boutique with an invitation to an afternoon private suit fitting for two.

Separately, in a smaller black envelope, also handwritten and handled, is a small note written on black paper:

This note may be exchanged for one absolute truth to any question asked by Edward Nygma, about any topic, whenever he wishes to use it.

It's signed at the bottom with Oswald's signature.

Delivery on the 24th

[ragingnature]

[ Persephone spent some time trying to find out what everyone’s favorite baked treat is just for this occasion.

A carefully packaged container topped with a ribbon will be delivered to their residence. Within Ed will find his favorite baked treat, or perhaps his second (or third) favorite if Persephone couldn’t get an answer to his top favorite. The baked goods are as fresh as she could manage.

Attached is a note the reads: ]

christmas delivery—

[mahem]

[ chances are this will show up either a couple of days early or maybe even the day after christmas, because harley's so scattered that she's just been buying gifts at random.

left in a box for ed to find are the following: a pair of question mark cufflinks and a bright purple feeldoe, brand-new in its own box. ]

merry xmas eddie and riddler
find a good place to use these next year
xoxo harley 💋

Xmas Gift

[permanentlyexhaustedbird]

Tim's gift for Ed will be delivered by courier; a red-headed speedster who will make sure that it's signed for before speeding off.

He'll get a clockwork puzzle box that Tim had designed himself at his job with Alessandro the clockwork mechanic and assassin. It's actually about the size of a microwave and designed with largely harmless booby traps and treats inside. He knows of the way the original Riddler thinks and learnt a bit about this one so he's put a lot of work into making this challenging.

There's a note that simply says Was thinking of designing trick lockboxes to sell in the shop. I figured you wouldn't mind giving me feedback and having some fun?

This is nothing he could sell to the public but elements could be used for simpler things.

audio; un: diversions | MISFIRE

[cryfrustration]

Yeah he came over to piss on you.

text | un: mister_e

[theansweris]

Well, that's something I didn't need or want to know about someone you socialise with.

> text

[cryfrustration]

wait what?

[There's a pause as he goes to look what his phone has sent, which is only because this seems to have been happening all over the place suddenly.]

shit
sorry Ed
that...was definitely not what it sounded like

[theansweris]

It wasn't?

Because it sounded like you were telling someone that a guy had come around to urinate on them.

[cryfrustration]

yeah nah it was
...figurative pissing on?
y'know like when a guy walks up to someone he's seeing and grabs their ass while they're talking to someone else just to make sure everyone know they're "his"

[theansweris]

Staking a claim.

I understand. It's still not a visual I ever wanted or needed.

[cryfrustration]

territory marking, yeah
honestly I regretted it as soon as I said it the first time but shit's been wild round here lately
I mean even more than usual

[theansweris]

Oswald was quite territorial for a while. It was awkward. Mostly because he be rather rough with people.

[cryfrustration]

yeah I can't imagine Oswald walking up to you in the club, smacking your ass and saying "hey babe"
pretty much *ever* actually

[theansweris]

There was screaming at people for talking to me. Among other things.

[cryfrustration]

...among what other things exactly?
wait when was this?

[theansweris]

In person. Not on here.

When he had those little wings.

[cryfrustration]

you in the lab? I'll come down

[theansweris]

If by lab you mean the metal ball. Yes.

>> Action

[cryfrustration]

Vrenille can remember clearly how Oswald was with him when he had those little wings, minimal though their interactions were. He remembers Oswald waddling around the house after him, asking him an endless stream of suspicious, accusatory questions: You’re going somewhere? Where are you going? Who are you going to see? What are you going to do with them? What will you do afterwards? When will you be back?

He can’t imagine he was much better with Ed. So he’s already sighing as he steps through the door to Ed's workspace, almost anticipating a headache already.

"What did he do?"

[theansweris]

Riddler's been puttering away anyway, and he keeps doing so while Vrenille asks him that question.

"Accusations that I was developing feelings elsewhere. Reminders that apparently Ed fell in love and Oswald killed her and would do so again. A couple of bodies required disposal and the Arena had to be shut down so I could clean up the evidence."

[cryfrustration]

Thinking of the overly possessive, grumpy squawking he'd received, Vrenille assimilates all of that right up until the word bodies, which absolutely brings him up short.

"WHAT?!"

For a moment his jaw hangs agape. "You're telling me Oswald's killed people? Here?? Recently??"

[theansweris]

Riddler waves a hand dismissively, clearly not considering murder to be that big a problem. "Don't worry, there's no evidence of it. No bodies, no blood, no bullets. I'm very good at clean up, and Ed's possibly better. Nothing will trace back. And it was the Down, I doubt anyone bothered investigating."

Anyway, it happened because of something the city did to Oswald, that makes it their fault and problem. Clearly.

[cryfrustration]

"That's--" The possible continuations of that sentence fall through his mind so fast they end up in a large jumbled heap at the foot of his mental stairs, and there's a delay before he manages to finish-- "not the point!"

Dwayna's breath, where does he even begin??

"Why is this the first time I'm hearing this?!"

But he can practically hear that answer already, even without Riddler supplying it: Because you didn't ask, you idiot.

[misfire] text; un: sandjackals

[shadowstrikes]

i'm his sub not his handler. what do you think i'm gonna do about it, tug him around by the balls?

i mean sure he might enjoy that but practically speaking it's probably going to make him double-down in a way that's fun for me & zero help for you, pal