DUPLICITY: IC INBOX

[theansweris]

[text ~ voice ~ video ~ in person]

Comments

[permanentlyexhaustedbird]

It will be a week or so after New Year's Eve when Ed will find a package delivered to him. Inside will be a handheld video game console that originated from Duplicity and a couple of games of different varieties.

Inside is a note from Tim.

'I'm sorry I missed Christmas but better late than never?

Merry Christmas.

Tim Drake'

Action

[prideinbattle]

[ After all that she's been through she's desperate for anyone who would show her some shred of decency. She just wants all this to go away. Every other time she's tried to explain herself she's been misunderstood but this one seems different. She'll take a chance and maybe he can help her. She shows up at the coffee shop and finds him just as easily as he said she would. Settling in across from him she regards him with a sideways glance. ]

I gotta say it really surprised me that anyone would want to hear what a creep like me would have to say.

I use prose, but I'm cool with you using action spam.

[theansweris]

He regards her quietly, taking in the slightly alien features of her hair and eyes. He has a hot chocolate cradled in one hand, the other taped up with physio tape around the thumb.

"Don't internalise their words and names. They aren't worth you beating yourself with their judgement." He scratches under his chin, down the line of his mark. "They don't understand you and they don't want to understand you, just shame you for being different.." He offers out his drink warmed hand to shake. "You can call me Ed."

[pathofvigilante]

[ So first, there's the card, signed inside with John's atrocious writing.

Then, waiting proudly on the kitchen table is a rather sizable, obnoxiously green gift basket. Huge green heart-shaped balloons bob from their strings, tied to the handle of the basket. Sparkly green ribbons and shiny green plastic wrapping encase the plethora of gifts inside, which, surprise surprise, are also all green.

There are silk ties in various shades; and some are actually extremely high class, chic and stylish, while some absolutely awful to behold. One of them might have an avocado on it. There's a variety of green candy; green jellybeans and green lollipops and green gummies. Green taffy, green chewing gum. There's seemingly random bits and bobs like green buttons, a few green fidget spinners, green sticky notes and green pens. And of course, a green glass apple paperweight.

But there are a few more significant gifts hidden in the chaos. A necklace he'd found. A mask. An innocent enough looking green and black umbrella with a surprisingly sharp tip and handle with a particularly curious shape. A switchblade. A set of 9 green smoke bombs.

And at the bottom of the basket, there's a picture frame (only you better believe those peace signs are questionmarks/Js) with the first photo John had ever taken of the two of them together.

These are all the items John intended to be in the gift basket. There are however, a few items that he (probably) never intended to be there, because Duplicity Fuckery (TM Duplicity). Obviously, you gotta have the green apple lube. And the green braided silk ropes. Those don't come without a green leather horse-crop, either. The green ball-gag was probably complementary. And no one was ordering the green nipple clamps so those were also freebies, most likely. ]

un; PuddinJ | Voice

[pathofvigilante]

Hey, buddy!

Haven't heard from you in a while! Thought I'd check in, see if you need someone to watch you while you sleep or something. You still seeing Oswald around? He got anything interesting to say? Hows the bed bug situation?

Anyway... just wanted to let you know I'm thinking about ya. Maybe we should do a picnic lunch on that roof I pushed you off of? Friend-date! What'd you think?

text | un: mister_e

[theansweris]

The phones are not secure. He's reading my texts and probably listening to my messages. You want to talk, come over. Do not break my window or I will break your hand.

text | un: superbia

[prideinbattle]

I have good news!

text | un:mister_e

[theansweris]

[ The reply takes a while because he thinks she's going to share WHAT that news is unprompted. More fool him. ]

Oh yes? What is it?

text; un: diversions

[cryfrustration]

so I met ya boy Oswald

text | un: mister_e

[theansweris]

He's not my the Oswald I know.

I mean, he is, he's from my Gotham, but he's some six months ahead of where I'm from.

voice; un; PuddinJ 1/2

[pathofvigilante]

Eddie, Riddleman! Just wanted to check in, see how you guys are doing!

I bumped into Oswald! Like, the real one! Those baby blues are just as pretty in person, I gotta say. First thing I asked was if YOU knew he was here, and he said yeah!

I'm so happy someone so special to you showed up! I mean, not in a your-friend-is-trapped-in-a-sex-city way, but in a you-get-to-be-with-your-person way

We can have a game night, and invite Vrenilla too! Ooohh we have to!

... Please?

text | un: mister_e [private]

[theansweris]

I met him as he got out from arrivals, brought him back here for a clean up and some hot food. He's been avoiding me since.

And we can have a game night, but if it's you and Riddler's type games, I think you shouldn't invite Oswald. And if it's more my games, Oswald doesn't really like those, either, actually.

Who did you know among the arrivals?

2/2

[pathofvigilante]

Oh, and one last thing I wanted to mention

Someone else I know showed up in the city, too! Isn't that a crazy co-inky-dink?

[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!

For Adam and Chainsaw

[theansweris]

He's in Riddler's Square as promised, wearing his emerald green coat and spinning his cane idly in his fingers. He gives an air of being idle and disinterested, but his gaze roves constantly, taking in details and looking for threats... or opportunities.

[hisownmaster]

Adam is definitely underdressed in a tee shirt and jeans, his sneakers old and worn. Gaunt and too thin for even his tall frame, but he moves with an easy step, a large raven perched on his shoulder. Her gaze is nearly as sharp and keen as his own.

It's easy enough to find the other man though. He looks him over, grinning. "That's pretty sharp." Maybe he means the outfit, maybe the cane spinning. "Thanks for meeting me. I really appreciate it.

He looks as young as he is, but he's polite and offers his hand. "I'm Adam, and this is Chainsaw."

She scee-raws at being introduced.

❄️ [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.

[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

text | un: mister_e

[theansweris]

It's amazing how often 'sub' and 'handler' turn into the same thing for some people.

Your message didn't go where intended. I have no interest in testicular leashing.