Well well well if it isn't Mr Riddler! I hear your trying to go clean as of late, is that true? Ahhh such a shame, I would've liked to see which of us had the superior intellect but I can see now that the title shall always belong to me. -KiteMan
Two donkeys, struck by one fell swoop,
One bears his own yoke,
the other burdened,
by thoughtless words.
A conversation between Edward and @askcelsiwilson following the events of Roman Sionis’ intervention.
The bistro that Edward had picked was awfully posh, all things considered, for such a little place. Upscale but private, and he waited by the door, dressed in a friendly sage green linen suit. "Good afternoon, Celsi." Edward smiled, quite polite. "How are we?"
Celsi walked up, feeling really nervous about this. She knew she had stolen and attempted to steal from Edward quite a few times. But after the last time, he was promptly placed on that no stealing list. She looked up when she saw him. "Good afternoon. I'm doing well, thank you."
"Let's go in, before we start chatting." He gave his 'name' to the reception desk, and the Ambage party of two was taken to a booth in a fairly discreet corner: the rest of the restaurant was visible, but their booth was in a world of their own.
"Two waters to start, please, a twist of lime for mine...and my dear, order what you please." said Edward, taking his seat as he directed the waiter.
"Um... a lemon in mine please?" She said softly, completely confused right now. She didn't know what was going on. "Um, pardon me for asking but did I do something wrong?"
He waited until the waiter leaves before hanging his hat. "No, but I do need to have a serious talk with you, before things get much further as they are. It's just easier when there's food and a neutral space."
She nodded. "I'm all ears. And um... " She passed over a small box. "A white flag of sorts. I'm returning what I had stolen from you before."
He peeked into the box. What was it? it’s been ages, after all...Ah. It was a few of his question mark pens and a tie. "Thank you...you know, I have to ask: why did you take these?"
"I was in a bad place at the time. The orphanage was pretty abusive, and the police would never listen to us. I thought I would break into rogues' place to try to earn a bit of money. And if I got caught, you guys would have to be kinder than the orphanage." She rubbed the scar from her recent bout with Black Mask. "I was wrong about that."
"At the time." he repeated, setting aside the box. "But it's different now, isn't it?"
"Yeah. I have to break out of the habit I have of hiding things. Arkham Jr did a number on me. But I am trying."
The waters are served: are they ready to order?
Celsi looked at her menu. "Um.. May I get a burger and fries please?" She asked.
The waiter was a bit nonplussed, as this is not quite that kind of place, until he saw Edward's expectant expression. Yes, yes. Certainly. Edward ordered the salmon over wild rice pilaf, Brussels sprouts on the side, and a coffee. The waiter absconded, and Edward turned back to her. "Do you intend to continue being a thief?"
"I mean... I want to. But the list of people to not steal from is getting longer by the now." Celsi said softly. "Plus the one jewelry store heist went south so quickly. I didn't know Black Mask owned the store. I thought I was doing a good thing by getting a store that was selling drugs to kids."
"And why do you want to continue to be a thief?"
"Because it seems like a rush. It's fun. And if I can learn to target those who are doing wrong in the world, I can feel like I'm giving them some well deserved karma. It's a challenge for me."
He sipped his water, considering her with some degree of scrutiny as his coffee is delivered and left in a hurry. "...how's that scar of yours?"
"It is getting better, but I have a feeling it's going to stay with me forever. It's the one thing that's making me reconsider staying a thief."
Edward nodded, then pointed to his shoulder. "Gunshot, through and through." He taps his head. "A few concussions, three by the Bat." He tapped his chest and torso in various spots. "Explosive shrapnel, broken glass, knives." His leg. "Open fracture, this one took months of physical therapy. I still carry a cane for a reason."
With that, he prepared his coffee. "Celsi, I'll do something I don't usually afford to people and tell you directly: you're at the point where you don't have to be a thief. You're in a safe home with loving parents and a girlfriend, and the potential for a safe and healthy future. There's plenty of other things that will delight you, inspire you, and you can target wrongdoers in any line of the humanities."
With that, Edward took a sip. "I'm not here to tell you how to live: it's your life. But I am telling you now, in no uncertain terms, that you'll either have to get very good very fast, or you ought to get out while you safely can."
She nodded. "I've been thinking on that for a while, since I had that run in with Black Mask. I've actually got an idea. A way to earn money and challenge myself legally while still in a way doing what I love. I mean, I could test the security systems. See how easy they are to get through, and then help fix the problem. But that's only for the rogue gallery. If they are not in the rogue gallery, I can mess with the system, and then they're wide open for you guys."
"How so, precisely?"
"I found that I really like hacking. It challenges me in a way that breaking into places never did. I mean stealing the same things over and over can get boring after a while. But there's always new things to hack, and more secure things to try to break through. So messing with the system means I can rig the alarm to go off several times, and make it a false alarm. That way, I'm not in danger. Also.. if all that fails, Dad says I could sell my art to museums."
Lunch is served, thank you. Edward chuckled, arching an eyebrow. "Then I have some serious advice for you: do your research. Don't overstep into danger needlessly, and most important of all: study physical systems most of all: there's no need to code when you just need to pull one wire."
She nodded in agreement. "I will definitely be doing that. But I am confused. Why did you want to help me?"
"The rogue life isn't for everyone, and I consider it a poor first choice. In fact, it's a last resort, and a waste of alternatives when you have them."
"So maybe I should just stick to my art?"
"That's your choice, ultimately."
She went silent for a bit, thinking long and hard on her choices. What Edward had said seemed to sink in with her. "You know what. I think I'm going to stick with my art."
He nodded, and gestured to her burger. Eat, it's fresh. It's a fantastically made meal. "A hard decision is the one most worth making."
She nodded, starting on her meal. "I know. And it's the least likely to get me killed." She said with a smile. "Do you mind if I add you in my family list?"
"...family list?" Edward hummed, glancing up.
"Well.. I mean... I'm asking if it's okay to consider you family?"
"Celsi, though I appreciate the gesture, you don't know me well enough for that, nor I you." Edward said calmly. "Just because I'm being good counsel doesn't qualify me for that level of closeness: consider it later once we've got a bit more interaction under our respective belts, hm?"
Celsi nodded. "Friends, then?" She asked.
"Acquaintances." he nodded primly. "I have my own social strata: call it what you will, it's based on obligation. At any rate: I look forward to seeing what you do with art. And speaking from experience, if it doesn't work out, you can always go into rogue work." He smiles a bit.
She nodded again. "Thank you for everything, Edward."
"You're welcome. I thought it was fairly important, and I appreciate your patience in hearing me out." said Edward, setting in. "Now, let's get to lunch properly."
