questionauthority: (Are you pondering what I'm pondering?)
Edward Nigma | The Riddler ([personal profile] questionauthority) wrote2011-05-06 04:55 pm

Riddle 026: Raining on Prom Night

[A: 726 Anderson Lane - BACKDATED TO THE DAY AFTER PROM.

Riddle me this: Who's as green as his suit and just woke up with the worst hangover ever? Answer: Edward Nigma, of course. Family members and unexpected visitors will find the Riddler downstairs at the breakfast table, dressed in a green bathrobe, half-heartedly fumbling with his daily crossword while he picks at a plate of eggs. He looks incredibly groggy, tired, and somewhat foul-tempered.]


[B: Mayfield High School - TODAY. It appears as though your favorite Ethics teacher is looking a little bit better after a long weekend and some time to recover. On the chalkboard, there appears to be a hastily drawn picture of a man with a long face and a garish smile.]

A dangerous criminal has been apprehended. Caught red-handed. He's responsible for the deaths of countless innocents. Question: How do you proceed? Do you take an eye for an eye and serve him a death penalty? It only makes sense, doesn't it? Especially if you consider the possibility that he may escape from his prison. And it's true. He could certainly escape and kill again. And again.

For the safety of these innocents, and for the good of the people, it may be worthwhile to consider a utilitarian approach. That is to say, you would subscribe to a system of ethics in which you would seek to increase the safety, happiness, and well-being of all mankind to maximum levels. But...

[He draws up another picture on the chalkboard of a cloaked figure, shrouded in a long, flowing cape.]

...there are those who might disagree with you. Those self-righteous radicals who feel as though they should follow the rules. Whose rules, exactly? Their rules. Their morals are absolute. They simply can't be compromised. Even if executing a murderer and a madman will maximize our well-being, murder is still murder to them. Nothing changes that. This is a deontological approach, class. And the ends never justify the means to them.

...so riddle me this. What would you do, if you had a say in this criminal's fate?

[Around Town:

There's a good chance that, after school, you'll find the Riddler on an investigation. He'll be found in one of three locations---

C: Sniffing around the Zemekis Corps Office Building, trying to get a grasp on what exactly it is that people do here.

D: In the Downtown area, glancing into windows and occasionally taking notes on a small notepad.

E: At the Mayfield Hospital, to answer some questions. A hospital in Mayfield seems rather arbitrary, doesn't it? Especially considering that death isn't even permanent. Why would one even be here, then, if that's the case?]

D

[identity profile] riastrad-ridire.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 12:28 am (UTC)(link)
[All in all, Lancer was in a pretty good mood after the prom. He was right back to his usual habit of wandering around town doing investigation in his own way. Which looked remarkably like screwing around and doing nothing.]

[Though that was better than looking ridiculously suspicious with a notepad, in his opinion.]

...okay, I'll ask: what're you doing?

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 01:46 am (UTC)(link)
Taking notes.

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
[Edward spots Warren fairly quickly---a guy lobbing pencils into the ceiling certainly isn't that hard to miss.]

Charming.

[identity profile] riastrad-ridire.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, somehow I guessed that. Notes on what?

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
Deontological.

Try to keep up, Ms. Goldstein.

[identity profile] notsaul.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 01:50 am (UTC)(link)
That's not even a real word.

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 01:50 am (UTC)(link)
They likely would, Mr. Crowe.

Is murder always wrong, though? Consider the possibility of murder as an act of self-defense. Is it still wrong, even in that context?

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
[Edward groans.]

Watch where you're---

[Then he realizes who he's run into.]

Ms. Liebert. ...you'll have to excuse me for the other night.

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
Hmm. How do you go about improving the system, then?
spellbent: (◾️018)

[personal profile] spellbent 2011-05-07 01:59 am (UTC)(link)
[ he shrugs ]

This is what they get for hiring someone who's not a doctor to work in the hospital.

[identity profile] perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
I suppose then I should say the intent of murder is what's wrong... Self-defense is different.

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
[The bright colors are making his head hurt more. So Edward tears himself away from the cover for now, groaning.]

Unfortunately. I made an idiot of myself. Nothing new in this town.

D

[identity profile] crazyclownwoman.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 02:01 am (UTC)(link)
[Popping up behind you.]

Whatcha' doin?

D

[identity profile] greatestmanll40.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Lex walks up to Edward.]

Still trying to solve the riddle that is Mayfield?

[identity profile] strike-you-out.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 02:25 am (UTC)(link)
[He rests the book on the table and straightens against the back of his chair.]

When you passed out, did you see a kid?

D

[identity profile] buildstherobots.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 02:56 am (UTC)(link)
You're taking notes, too? Tell me there's not some new clue hanging around that I've overlooked; Mayfield can't have dulled me this quickly.

A

[identity profile] deaths-heritor.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 03:54 am (UTC)(link)
Ah. The sight every woman wants to wake up to see.

A beautiful morning, Edward, isn't it?

[Susan will lightly sweep towards the windows and draw the curtains wide to let the lovely morning sunshine in.]

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 04:09 am (UTC)(link)
[THE LIGHT. IT BURNS.

Edward shields his eyes with his hands, hissing in irritation.]

[identity profile] deaths-heritor.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
And shall we brighten up the house with some rousing music?

[Susan will head for the radio.]

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 04:15 am (UTC)(link)
[Damn it Susan, are you trying to kill him? He raises a hand to try and stop her.]

No! [A beat, then softer.] No, no. That---that won't be necessary.

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 04:17 am (UTC)(link)
[Oh hey Harley.]

Being productive for a change. I've been slacking.

[identity profile] brotherseyes.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 04:18 am (UTC)(link)
[Nina rubs her head a little. She still seems out of it. She looks up at him, again, and sighs.]

...It's fine. You were drunk. And you were right. It wasn't any of my business.

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 04:19 am (UTC)(link)
[A condescending smirk.]

You don't have to be the smartest man in the world to see that, Lex.

[identity profile] deaths-heritor.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 04:21 am (UTC)(link)
As you'd like.

. . .

Something else that won't be necessary in the future - Towing you home after you consume enough drink to inebriate a small nation and make an utter ass of yourself in front of half the town, including, somehow, the younger version of the man you're so keen on matching wits with.

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-05-07 04:22 am (UTC)(link)
[Edward nods, flipping through his notepad.]

So far, nothing out of the ordinary.

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