DUPLICITY: IC INBOX

[theansweris]

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[theansweris]

No, never. I've established the existence of at least five different Gothams, but no one aside from Oswald, the old, classy, bald Victor Zsasz, Pennyworth and myself from ours. And no other Ed Nygmas.

[shadowstrikes]

have you thought about what would you do if another you showed up? how it'd feel?

[theansweris]

Yes. Several times. But until it happens and we meet, I can't be certain of any result.

[shadowstrikes]

sure but putting the actual result aside & just talking in the hypothetical, how would you feel in the abstract?

like i won't lie, i can't say for sure if i'd get along with myself or want to strangle myself. or take the advice so many folks have given me to go fuck myself. or at the very least have both of us pay a visit to someone who might appreciate it more

i dunno it's a little weird. i barely have my head around clones if i'm honest

[theansweris]

Indifferent.

He would not be me. It would be interesting to compare histories and how that has shaped our development, but in all, he is not me and sharing a name would mean little.

We might get on. I suspect we'd both have a fondness for riddles, games and puzzles.

[shadowstrikes]

suppose that's a way to think of it. i mean, you're right, as far as i can tell the duplicates of folks here aren't exact clones or anything. dunno if that's actually better or worse

like imagine being the version with the shittier timeline, that'd breed some envy i bet

[theansweris]

I have what I want in my world. Why would I be envious of another man having another life?

[shadowstrikes]

hard to say in the abstract but these are the sorta thing i imagine sneak up and surprise you when they arrive. people have all kinds of reactions to unexpected things. or even expected things. we're messy creatures

[theansweris]

There are certain events which must happen to my life to end up with me, Edward Nygma, in Gotham. Without them, all else changes.

No, even if it turns out that others may consider my life to be the 'bad' one, it is *mine*. I shaped it, I made it, I fought for what I wanted and won it.

[shadowstrikes]

yeah ok that's fair. i said actually said something pretty similar to someone recently offering to put me in touch with someone who could possibly remove certain memories & whatever

i think i'd probably be more likely to be kinda pissed at a version of me that had an easier time of life than envy it at this point

[theansweris]

I literally can't imagine an Edward Nygma who had an easy childhood. If Emma doesn't leave and James doesn't hate him, he never becomes... Ed Nygma.

[shadowstrikes]

you're saying all there is to edward nygma is a tough childhood? 'cause shit man that'd mean there's a lotta edward nygmas running around

[theansweris]

No. Don't be more stupid than nature intended.

It takes a certain mind set to pick up your life, change your name and move to another state and city to start all over again as a teenager. And that mindset doesn't come from being "the lucky timeline".

[shadowstrikes]

look, i might've bumped my head a couple of times over the years but... i'm sure i was going somewhere with that but i forgot what it was.

anyway all i'm saying is if bad childhood is the catalyst it's a pretty narrow scope of possibility for yourself. yourselves. whatever

[theansweris]

No. I'm saying that for Ed Nygma, there's a narrow scope. For the person I was before, for the child before Ed Nygma, things are probably vastly different.

[shadowstrikes]

sure. conditions are what makes a souffle not a pancake

gotta admit even people who i know have alternates of themselves running around i tend to only know one version of each & don't try and compared notes or anything. it seems like a pretty pointless exercise in practice but find thought experiment for to sake of following a piece of string

[theansweris]

Like myself with Harley. I only know one, the other is a stranger. And with Victor, well, I find the one that has attached himself to Roman Sionis to be a repellent creature, a cruel mockery of the man who arrived in this city with me.

[shadowstrikes]

huh. this sionis guy sure gets around don't he. sorry to hear he's buddies with a weird twist on one of your pals though. that'd probably be unfortunate for anyone

[theansweris]

Those two thoroughly deserve each other. I wish they'd put themselves out of our misery.

[shadowstrikes]

aww but then roman wouldn't be around to poke fun at!

[theansweris]

Call him out on his age. He really hates that one.

[shadowstrikes]

oh that's a good one! i found out he's got some feelings about his daddy issues and golden showers so that was a fun evening

[theansweris]

In fairness, I have opinions on golden showers.

Ask him how he got his club. Hint: He asked CR Eator for it rather than actually put it together himself or get the money for buying it.

[shadowstrikes]

oh don't get me wrong *i've* got opinions on golden showers but they're not as loud & bratty as rommy's

bless his little cottons! sounds like he's got so many fleshy, delicate parts to tickle. love it!

[theansweris]

It would be difficult to be louder and brattier simultaneously.

I generally can't be bothered poking at him, but Oswald enjoys this strange game they play where they're nice to each other's faces while planning terrible things and hating each other.