Ed and Riddler both listen and despite their every instinct to speak, they make each other stay quiet as needed.
It starts... where it has to. With that night, where Riddler told Oswald 'Anything for you' and meant it, the only time he valued someone as much, more, than himself. And Oswald says those words and Ed nearly speaks, leans forward, only to be pulled up short by Riddler, a hiss of a reminder in his ear, that he said he'd listen, no interruptions.
And of course Oswald had her killed. Oswald is jealous and possessive and he probably tried to bully her off first and frankly, Riddler understands why, because Ed's desperate want to be 'normal' that has only started fading here. Ed would've grasped at the idea that he could be normal, love a woman, not want his crime lord boss.
And that would only lead to disaster. Because, as he said, he lied and they worked it out and that was a sore spot. Being betrayed.
When Oswald finishes, they look up and maybe Oswald can see it, one of those recently infrequent moments where he's something like the Edward Nygma he could have been without his formative trauma. "Thank you. For telling me all that. I understand why you were so scared and angry."
He pushes himself up from the counter, smooth but not fast, nothing actually threatening in his slow approach. "Oswald, I'm not that Edward Nygma. I'm not even the man who promised you anything, because all these months here have changed me just as much as those months changed you." If Oswald lets him approach, he does so, reaching to neaten his lapels and smooth his tie.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2020-06-24 12:34 pm (UTC)It starts... where it has to. With that night, where Riddler told Oswald 'Anything for you' and meant it, the only time he valued someone as much, more, than himself. And Oswald says those words and Ed nearly speaks, leans forward, only to be pulled up short by Riddler, a hiss of a reminder in his ear, that he said he'd listen, no interruptions.
And of course Oswald had her killed. Oswald is jealous and possessive and he probably tried to bully her off first and frankly, Riddler understands why, because Ed's desperate want to be 'normal' that has only started fading here. Ed would've grasped at the idea that he could be normal, love a woman, not want his crime lord boss.
And that would only lead to disaster. Because, as he said, he lied and they worked it out and that was a sore spot. Being betrayed.
When Oswald finishes, they look up and maybe Oswald can see it, one of those recently infrequent moments where he's something like the Edward Nygma he could have been without his formative trauma. "Thank you. For telling me all that. I understand why you were so scared and angry."
He pushes himself up from the counter, smooth but not fast, nothing actually threatening in his slow approach. "Oswald, I'm not that Edward Nygma. I'm not even the man who promised you anything, because all these months here have changed me just as much as those months changed you." If Oswald lets him approach, he does so, reaching to neaten his lapels and smooth his tie.