friends across the dark

[enigmaster]

Inter-dimensional Pen Pals

AU CATCHALL



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29 - The Distance Between Two

[agoodname]

[Even after a pep talk from Ed, it still is an additional hour before Oswald can get up the gumption to call Edward. He dials at least three times, closing the phone and opening it again, before he finally presses the send button. Even then, he almost hangs up, his grip white-knuckled on the phone. But he lets it ring, still. Once...twice...--]

[enigmaster]

[And... someone picks up. Reluctantly, but. There's that click.] ...Yes?

[agoodname]

[. . . . . .yep he nearly hangs up then and there. But he can't back out now; Edward's picked up. So. Right. King of Gotham. Mayor. He can do this. Also there's been a marginally too long silence on his end] Edward. I'd like to speak with you, if you're amenable.

[enigmaster]

[He almost considers hanging up, when the silence goes on, but then... that. And Edward frowns a little, too himself. If he's amenable. Okay.] ...Alright. Fine. What about?

[agoodname]

About....[the fact that you hurt me--our fight--]...a business venture. [WELP]

1/2

[enigmaster]

[...] ...Oh. [Of course. What else, right?]

2/2

[enigmaster]

[There's a bit of a pause, but.]

Very well.

[agoodname]

[He's messed it up. A few words in and he's completely thrown it all off the rails--in fact he's diverted the topic entirely. Oswald presses his free hand over his eyes, frustrated with himself. This isn't what he meant to do.] Ah...right. Well. [...now he has to think of something .....] There's, ah, a few things that...that I was considering.... [...yep totally stalling good job oswald]

[enigmaster]

[.......what.] Oh, really, now?

[agoodname]

Yes. [No.] Considering the...the network of criminal activity across Gotham, and...and taking into consideration my mayoral responsibilities, I was thinking about, ah-- [whatever you were thinking about oswald it certainly wasn't this but boy it is now] --aaaaaaaa observation! Of said parties! Just to, you know, be aware of their movements. Both politically and criminally, of course. [yep he sure has been thinking about this a lot. yep. a whole bunch.]

1/3

[enigmaster]

2/3

[enigmaster]

3/4 i lied

[enigmaster]

4/4

[enigmaster]

Hm. I see. Yes. ...I'm sorry, do you want to hang up, call back, and try this again?

[agoodname]

Wh--[and Oswald's irritation immediately spikes, bristling, his hackles going up] I beg your pardon? What is that supposed to mean?!

[enigmaster]

I figured I'd give you an out, let you rehearse... whatever this is a little more, and you can have a do-over. Because that was - and I will try to put this gently for you - the worst lie I've heard in my life.

[agoodname]

[yep, that sure is going to send him sputtering] I-it was not! [---wait shit he just admitted it was a lie] It's a...a perfectly reasonable thing to think about!

1/2

[enigmaster]

Mhm-hm. Of course. Which is why the quality of the lie was even more terrible. That should have been an easy one.

Especially about a question that... I'm rather certain you'd just handle over text.

2/2

[enigmaster]

The offer for a do-over still stands.

[agoodname]

[for a moment, there, he's sputtering again, because Edward is right and damn him for being right]

--oh, well, of course it is! How generous of you! [practically spit] I should've known you'd make fun of me--I don't know why I bothered calling!

1/2

[enigmaster]

Well-- [And Edward has about a million comments ready to go, at that, several at the forefront of his mind, ready to attack Oswald.]

2/2

[enigmaster]

Well. Why did you? [And instead... that.]

1/3

[agoodname]

Because I--! [and he starts to shout it--but then it strangles in his throat, and he's mad, yes, and hurt, yes, but also just--]

[agoodname]

[sad upset still heartbroken, some, but]

3/3

[agoodname]

[there's a silence, for a moment, and then, almost defeated as he just...gives up and tells the truth.] ...because I missed you.