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[theansweris]

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[pathofvigilante]

Aw, all dolled up and everything! His foot taps the ground with restless jubilation for a moment before he all too casually steps off the roof, like he's got a damn flying carpet waiting for him. Of course he doesn't, and he waits until the absolute last moment to fire his grapple-gun. The snapping teeth bite the ledge and halt gravity's pull, and John makes only a soft 'oof' at the likely painful strain to his arms. Meh, he barely notices anyway.

He's hanging just low enough to reach Riddler's hand, which he grasps tightly with an absolutely euphoric Cheshire panther grin.

"Gotcha!" he pulls Riddler as he hits the trigger, drawing the other man closer to him (as opposed to hanging beneath him) for the quick trip up. The momentum carries them both an easy foot above the ledge, making it simple and effortless to land solidly on their feet.

"Hey! Good to see ya!" here, have a brief but very tight, very enthusiastic hug. He pulls back just as quick as he pounced, adapting a slight air of sheepishness. "You're welcome for the lift, by the way." Cue a few skewed giggles.

[theansweris]

Riddler is completely unworried by the plummet and when John catches his hand and pulls, Riddler wraps his arm around John's neck to help secure himself.

When they land, he lets go, only to be hugged tightly. He lets it happen, then fixes his glasses again. "Well, I wasn't climbing. Always one of the worst parts of high school gym."

[pathofvigilante]

No need to fret, John's a professional. Okay maybe not, but he is too smart to needlessly splatter himself on the pavement; unlike some murder-happy vigilantes in the universe of an opposing franchise, he doesn't have fancy regeneration powers to rely on. It's not hard it's just basic physics and geometry. Reckless? No! It's just time efficient, and so happens to be fun, too! Being held on to is totally not a huge deciding factor, either.

"You could have used your cane you know, if you didn't change it up like that," he tease is completely superficial and without offense; he's absolutely just being pesky because he can and he's just so happy.

"But I guess it's not big deal; maybe you just want an excuse to give me a big cuddle," he snickers at the absurdity of his friendly mocking and strolls casually over to the shamrock-green picnic blanket he's spread out over the concrete of the roof. He melts into a cross-legged posture, elbows on his knees and chin in his palms as he gazes adoringly at his beloved companion.

"So, how you been! What's the sitch? Sit down next to me and tell me everything!" he doesn't specifically mention Oswald because obviously that's a potentially delicate matter, but also, he's here for all the juicy gossip and he's come prepared with a stock of protective wrath, just in case it's needed.

[theansweris]

He's as much a professional as most Gothamites.

Riddler lowers himself down, stretching his legs out and leaning back on his hands to look out over the buildings around them. "I might need a drink to start unravelling that. Simply put, he's Oswald from my Gotham, but... he's from five or six months further ahead than me. And when we met him, he seemed ready to try and stab me. He ate only when he was assured it wasn't poisoned and only managed to sleep when he could lock himself in my room and was gone when I woke up. Ed is... upset."

[pathofvigilante]

"Sure, sure! Lemme see what I grabbed," without looking John reaches backwards and hauls his cartoonish looking picnic basket in front of him so he can flip open the lid and paw through the mysterious stash.

He pauses though as Riddler continues to explain, jaw dropping open beneath saucer-wide eyes.

"Something Serious must have happened," a ludicrously easy deduction; after all, the same kind of emotional disaster had happened to him and Harley, him and Bruce, like Gothamites are cursed to have miserable chaotic love lives. What the hell, even? He winces with an imitation of empathy that's rather perfect, and probably hides some strange mutation of the feeling beneath.

"I'm guessing he didn't give you many straight answers either," he sinks into cutting calculation, forgetting his search for a few moments. He fishes out a can of fizzy green apple martini and brings it with him as he clumsily shuffles closer, and deposits the drink into his buddy's hand.

"... at least he didn't try to kill you, that's something!" sadly sincere, because by the standards of his own relationships, that is a big plus. "Hey, don't be so blue. A bunch of smart guys like us? We'll figure it out, you can bet on it." He leans to the side, playfully nudging his shoulder against his companion's. "You and me, and me and you. We'll get all the answers."

[theansweris]

Riddler hums and doesn't look, still watching the city. "We didn't ask. Oswald... is like a non-Newtonian fluid. The more you push, the less far you get. You just let him do it at his own pace."

Oswald will tell him. When he can't take not sharing it. Oswald loves sharing a good secret at the right time.

Riddler takes the drink, looks at it and looks at John. His expression clearly says "Really? Really?" though he stays silent on the subject of the drink for now.

"No, but he expects me to try and murder him. Which is not great."

[pathofvigilante]

"Oohh, so it's a waiting game, is it? You do know him best, hmmm..." he continues to listen with an uncommon look of pointed concentration and lucidity. Secrets, eh? Something to use there, maybe...

"What if... you had a secret, too? A big one? Just thinkin' out loud here... but you think maybe he'd crack quicker if you had something on the down low, too?" his fingers strum along the angular line of this chin; it's just a thought, while he has met Oswald, the guy's not easy to get a read on. He seemed... emotional, fidgety, like he was trying to play cool but flipping his burgers inside. Unpredictable. John respects that; he's just not sure what to do with it yet. Maybe if he could just try and push the guy off a roof or something...

Riddler's expression in response to the drink only earns him and extremely eager and overtly proud smile in response; the glee in his grin shuts his eyes and he flashes a friendly and affirmative thumbs up.

"Eventually he's gonna realize that's not true; you don't gotta do anything about that for it to change at some point... but who likes the boring ol' senic route, anyway?" his buddies are upset here, as much as Oswald is probably ( hopefully ) smart enough to figure that much out, John doesn't exactly wanna loaf around waiting for that to happen, either.

[theansweris]

"No."

That's not how Oswald works and it's not how they work. Riddler hates secrets, because he likes bragging a lot. Oswald might be provoked into sharing with bribery or coercion, but it will plant resentment and no one can hold a grudge quite like Oswald can. Riddler's revenge is complicated, but not usually overly delayed.

Oswald, he suspects, will wait years if he has to to avenge his mother's murder. And will savour every moment.

"He knows it. But he doesn't, ugh, feel it yet." Feelings. Disgusting. "We're going to the Rubies party, him and me, with my friends Cinder to escort us. The Rubies are very pro marked, but also female dominated. It seems safer to be able to claim spoken for." Or something like that.

[pathofvigilante]

John shrugs casually when his idea is discarded; he was just spit-balling, and obviously Riddler's got a far better read on things than he does.

"You guys being, well.... you guys, I probably couldn't think of anything you didn't come up with first... probably," that is to say he's not going to quit puzzling about it. He wants to help. It's almost, almost like he needs to.

A briefly disgusted wince crosses his face in a mirror of Riddler's distaste, because yeah, feelings. A long sigh deflates him and he melts backwards like a liquid until he catches himself on his elbows. His head rolls back with a frustrated, petulant groan and he mutters "I hate waiting." As though to say it's something Riddler and Eddie ( and thus John, vicariously ) are all going to have to endure.

"Unless you got some genius plan? And, hey-- it's probably a good sign that he's willing to see you again, right? And what'dya mean 'spoken for'?" because who doesn't entertain multiple trains of thought at once? Certainly not this guy.

[paxpenguina]

[The day after this, starting in the early afternoon, Ed's device starts to see a fair bit of traffic...]

[paxpenguina]

Ed. I appreciate our last chat was... tense. But we need to talk. Urgently.

Call me when you get this.

About ten minutes later...

[paxpenguina]

Ed, I tried to call earlier and I'm just... checking in. To make sure it went through.

Just... Call me when you get this, okay?

Another ten minutes (probably less) later--

[paxpenguina]

Look. I know you're angry with me but-- Ed, please. You need to pick up.

Call me back.

Fifteen minutes later--

[paxpenguina]

Honestly, Ed! This is important! Just... Pick up, will you!

Five minutes later--

[paxpenguina]

It's me.

Again.

Could you just... call me. There's something I need to tell you. It can't wait. Truly.

A whooooole ten minutes later

[paxpenguina]

This is incredibly petulant, you know, Ed.

Call me when you get this.

Not quite five minutes, not quite ten, so probably around seven minutes later--

[paxpenguina]

Edward. Call. Me. Back.

A whole four this time--

[paxpenguina]

All right, fine!

I am sorry that what I said upset you! There! I said it!

Now, answer your phone!

Andddd back to around the nine minute mark--

[paxpenguina]

Now is truly not the time for this! This is a matter that cannot wait--I really must speak with you about it.

Call me.

Fourteen whole minutes--

[paxpenguina]

Edward! Listen here! You n--!

[Oops. He cut himself off early by mistake.]

And then one minute--

[paxpenguina]

Ya'know what, screw it! If you insist on carrying on this manner, then you leave me no choice! I am coming over there myself right now!

About half an hour later--

[paxpenguina]

Well. I called. You... were not home.

Would you just--

[There's a pause, followed by the sound of a long, deep exhale and then another longer moment of silence.]

I have some things I wish to share with you, that's all. Things that I owe to you that are well overdue at this stage.

So... Whenever you are ready to talk, I will be also. And until then, please, take whatever time you need. I'll be waiting.

[He doesn't try to call again.]

Around 7pm.

[theansweris]

Oswald... I was at *work*. In full safety equipment. Of course we can talk. I'm in the lab at the Up presently, when and where?

[theansweris]

"Oswald will move at his own pace. He always has. There's no point pressing, he'll just get irritible and he still has my switchblade." And while Riddler is quite capable of ignoring pain, he'd rather not have to. And Ed is not so inured to it.

"Spoken for... oh the Rubies are very Submissive dominated and female dominated. A party like this? Best to come with company and Cinders has business with them anyway. Oswald wants to meet the Madame, and I'm just curious."

[paxpenguina]

[Oh. Right. That would explain it. He gives this some thought, his fingers twitching with nervous energy, trying to think of where to suggest.

Then, it comes to him--the club space he's signed for and is just sort of assuming he'll find a way to fund it in time. Or, presumptuously, assuming that Ed will find a way to fund it. Without even talking to Ed about it yet. Typical Oswald.]

Insincerity. I'll meet you on the other side of the gateway.

[There is absolutely no way any wires will get crossed in this process at all.]