theansweris: (Mischief)
[personal profile] theansweris
[text ~ voice ~ video ~ in person]

Date: 2020-06-23 08:34 pm (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 014)
From: [personal profile] paxpenguina
[The day after this, starting in the early afternoon, Ed's device starts to see a fair bit of traffic...]

Date: 2020-06-23 08:38 pm (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 034)
From: [personal profile] 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...

Date: 2020-06-23 08:43 pm (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 066)
From: [personal profile] 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--

Date: 2020-06-23 08:46 pm (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 024)
From: [personal profile] paxpenguina
Look. I know you're angry with me but-- Ed, please. You need to pick up.

Call me back.

Fifteen minutes later--

Date: 2020-06-23 08:48 pm (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 028)
From: [personal profile] paxpenguina
Honestly, Ed! This is important! Just... Pick up, will you!

Five minutes later--

Date: 2020-06-23 08:53 pm (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 048)
From: [personal profile] 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

Date: 2020-06-23 08:54 pm (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 070)
From: [personal profile] paxpenguina
This is incredibly petulant, you know, Ed.

Call me when you get this.

A whole four this time--

Date: 2020-06-23 09:00 pm (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 026)
From: [personal profile] 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--

Date: 2020-06-23 09:05 pm (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 030)
From: [personal profile] 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.
Edited (Belatedly noticing typos do-do-do...) Date: 2020-06-24 12:05 am (UTC)

Fourteen whole minutes--

Date: 2020-06-23 09:07 pm (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 041)
From: [personal profile] paxpenguina
Edward! Listen here! You n--!

[Oops. He cut himself off early by mistake.]
Edited Date: 2020-06-23 09:07 pm (UTC)

And then one minute--

Date: 2020-06-23 09:11 pm (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 059)
From: [personal profile] 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--

Date: 2020-06-23 09:19 pm (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 061)
From: [personal profile] 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.]

Date: 2020-06-24 09:12 am (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 034)
From: [personal profile] 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.]
Edited Date: 2020-06-24 09:13 am (UTC)

:> !!

Date: 2020-06-24 09:45 am (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 002)
From: [personal profile] paxpenguina
Compared to the sharp splash of green that Ed brings to the faded tones of the connected city, Oswald looks a little more blended in. He's still got more colour than most of the surroundings, but his current wardrobe is-- well, it's a work in progress, okay? He's not been around that long!

Ed approaching is quite the sight though and Oswald's breath catches in his throat before he swallows down thickly, relief and excitement at seeing Ed mixing with nervous anxiety of what he is sure will be a futile exercise resulting in pain.

"Thank you for coming," he offers when Ed is close enough, somehow managing to keep his voice level and free from cracks.

He gestures down through the thoroughfare before simply saying "Come with me," and striding off, his own cane clipping lightly on the floor as he walks. He doesn't want to do this in the open, doesn't want Ed or anyone else to see him standing still in the open too long and see the little faultlines in him.

Instead, in relative quiet, he immediately leads them toward a funny little stone clocktower with a warm wooden door.

Date: 2020-06-24 10:19 am (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 046)
From: [personal profile] paxpenguina
(No need to show off, Ed!)

There is a lot to talk about and Oswald knows it. The clocktower was actually something he'd been wanting to talk with Ed about in isolation--making good on his promise to move and advance in this space as soon as possible.

Taking a key from his pocket, Oswald unlocks the door and heads down the stone steps with every expectation that Ed will follow him.

"You'll have to excuse the state of everything."

The space at the bottom of the stairs opens up into a wide open area. Maybe it had been a wine cellar at some point or a secret cult hang-out. There are some places with chalk scrawled on the floor and walls, some maps of Duplicity and Insincerity pinned up, a cheap notepad with some scrawling notes, and a box with The Supermarket printed on the side. Beyond that, there's only minimal additional contents--definitely a work in progress.

He turns back to Ed then, the very tip of his tongue rolling against the bottom of his upper set of teeth before he clears his throat and--

"How... was your day at work?"

Yeah, nice Oswald, very strong start.

Date: 2020-06-24 11:05 am (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 006)
From: [personal profile] paxpenguina
Partly opening his mouth to speak, Oswald catches himself and pauses to listen to Ed's initial assessment and watch him move in the area. A little crooked smile wobbles across his lips from the pleasure of seeing just how much Ed gets it already, even without Oswald having to offer the pitch--he already sees the vision here, the goals, the scope of what this dark little space can be transformed into.

"Yes... Yes, it's... definitely got potential to be something quite special, doesn't it? It will have to be in order to entice clientele from Duplicity. Or staff who will be willing to work on four hour rotation shifts alongside local employees. It--"

He lowers his gaze slightly and catches his lower lip between his teeth. He hadn't brought Ed to the club to discuss it in detail just yet. Or even hear the details about work. He's actually very interested in both points, but he sort of feels a bit like a pinball bouncing off two impact points while trying to get to one particular area.

With a sigh, he glances back at Ed once more.

"I would like us speak more about this venture, and hear more about this work you've been doing, but I admit my mind is elsewhere and I find myself somewhat distracted as a result."

Date: 2020-06-24 12:19 pm (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 038)
From: [personal profile] paxpenguina
So, he's being given the stage. Suddenly, that feels quite intimidating, the pressure even higher and greater than before without any interruptions. At least with Vrenille it was a conversation, so while the order was a bit muddled to start with it was broken up and somehow made easier with prompts to clarify along the way. Actually, for a brief moment the fear of undertaking this turns to a flash of anger--it was Vrenille who convinced him to tell Ed now, after all.

But it's not Vrenille's fault, it's Oswald's. And he's no fool--this is a confession that he owes to Ed, not one that will end well. If this is the start of the war again, then at least he can look it in the eye directly this time.

He shifts his weight a little, deciding not to prop himself against anything or sit as he works his tongue into his cheek and looks off to the side, fidgeting as he tries to decide how to begin speaking.

After a bit anxious shuffling, he stills, gives a slow, self-affirming nod, and exhales.

"When... you and I were working together in the mayor's office, you... informed me that you would do anything for me. On that night, hearing those words, I allowed myself to accept something I had been grappling and fighting off for quite some time. That I--" he falters, eyes closing for a moment as he shakes his head, unable to meet Ed's eyes back finding this all comparatively easier to say now than before, mostly because it's been spat back and forth between Oswald and Ed in the time he's from.

"That I was in love with you. And that night, I resolved to tell you as much. It was... not as simple a task as I had hoped, my fear delaying me in telling you. Until I decided to invite you to dinner one night. This would be a few days after your cut-off point. I had asked you to pick us up a bottle of wine for the occasion. And then... you didn't show. Not until morning, at any rate."

He pauses, swallows, gives another exhale which becomes one of his nervous little chuckles.

"I mean, I was beside myself thinking something terrible had happened. It was so unlike you, especially then-- You know, I even called the police and--"

He presses his teeth together, forcing himself back on track.

"Turns out you had met someone. That very evening. A woman named Isabella who bared the most uncanny resemblance to Miss. Kringle. Truly, very uncanny. And it transpired that the two of you had whittled the night away talking. You came to me the next morning to tell me you were in love."

The tip of Oswald's tongue sits between his teeth for a brief moment, eyes still averted, trying to concentrate on speaking and note looking at Ed's reactions before he pursed his lips in a mirthless smile.

"So. I did what I would be inclined to do at the time. Looking back on it now with the gift of experience and hindsight, I may have conducted myself differently. However, I cannot take it back now. I felt she was not right for you. That she would use and hurt you and--" a small grimace flashes across his face, then he sighs and drops his shoulders.

"I was jealous. Unwilling to let someone else have you. Unable to see you happy with anyone else. So, of course, I had her killed."

He pauses to swallow thickly.

"You figured it out, of course. First that it wasn't an accident and that it was me later. Initially you thought it was Butch and... Well. I was a coward. I allowed you to pursue that line of revenge uncorrected. But when you'd gathered all the pieces together, figured out what I'd done... Well."

At this point, he lifts his eyes, though it's a strange and contradictory kind of look--sort of unfocused, like he's both looking at and beyond Ed, seeing something very specific without looking at him.

"We all know what you're capable of. What he is capable of."

A slow blink, then he looks down once more.

"I won't lay out the details of what took place, but it was a brutal, grueling process. One I cannot even fault you for. It's no less than what I would do."

Well. Not entirely true, there are some lines Oswald wouldn't have crossed that Riddler skipped merrily over.

"In any case... This culminated in you taking me out to Gotham Pier, shooting me in the stomach, and tossing me over the edge into the river. It really left quite the impressive scar, if I do say so."

The mirthless smile on his face is stretched thin, a slight tremble has settled in his lips at this point, his voice is a little more strained in places.

"Well. Somehow, I did not die from that. And the convoluted details here can probably best be recounted by simply saying that we went through another round of conflict. And another.

"Anyway. Between Hugo Strange's freaks running around, a secret society trying to unleash a deadly version of the Tetch virus on the city, Gordon making a deal with you to trade me for Tetch--you had him at the time, you see--and then murdering Fish Mooney before--"

He takes a deep breath. Mooney's death still stings even now, no matter how flippant he tries to sound.

The moment of silence is drawn out quite long this time, Oswald's lowered eyes looking sad and tired before he gives a short, resigned huff through his nose and pulls himself together.

"At any rate, what I'm trying to say is it was a rather hectic time in Gotham, but the point that pertains to us is that you and I ended up back on that pier. And then, I had Victor Fries freeze you so I could make you the center piece of my club."

Slapping his arms against his sides, Oswald looks up at last, back as straight as he can make it, ready for the damage to begin.

"Well. I think that just about covers it."

Date: 2020-06-24 12:49 pm (UTC)
paxpenguina: (☂ 018)
From: [personal profile] paxpenguina
In spite of straightening himself up as if he's facing down a firing squad, the slight tremor in Oswald's body remains. He's not afraid of Edward Nygma in any shape or form, not scared of violence or death or pain, but--

You will always let your base emotions drive you. Hate. Anger. Fear. Love.

Ed had been right about that and out of everything else it's not the possibility of physical harm or backlash that has Oswald unsettled now, it's what will be done with his emotions. And he does, truly, have a lot of emotions.

As Ed approaches, Oswald's stomach muscles tense, but he doesn't look away, doesn't blink or falter as he takes in deep, shaky breaths through his nose. And when Ed breaks the silence he almost wants to throw his hands up and yell That's all you have to say?! is that it?!

He makes no move to stop Edward in his tracks or cut him off, instead letting him close the space between them in some kind of dumbstruck pause, his eyes wide and his mouth falling open stupidly as Edward straightens him out. Just as he's always done. It brings a strange lump to Oswald's throat and a prickling to his eyes.

Nodding, his gaze dips down.

"No. No, you are quite right. You are not that man, but someone else. Just as I am not the man you knew, but someone else."

It feels like such a pithy remark, like a placeholder as they teeter on a knife edge.

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-24 01:05 pm (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-25 12:48 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-25 10:09 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-25 11:02 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-25 11:37 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-28 09:59 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-28 10:54 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-28 11:18 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-28 12:21 pm (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-28 12:52 pm (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-29 10:32 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-29 11:48 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-29 12:14 pm (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-29 12:37 pm (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-29 01:13 pm (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-29 01:40 pm (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-30 08:18 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-30 08:47 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-30 09:37 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-30 10:13 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-30 11:16 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-30 11:44 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-30 12:10 pm (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-30 12:45 pm (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-30 01:20 pm (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-30 01:40 pm (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-30 02:04 pm (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-06-30 04:22 pm (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

From: [personal profile] paxpenguina - Date: 2020-07-01 09:12 am (UTC) - Expand

Profile

theansweris: (Default)
E. Nygma

April 2020

S M T W T F S
   1234
5 67891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated May. 26th, 2025 12:22 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios