questionauthority: (Ruh-roh)
Edward Nigma | The Riddler ([personal profile] questionauthority) wrote2011-07-03 11:56 pm

Riddle 030: Half-Life (50% Droning)

[A - ACTION: The Kitchen of 726 Anderson Lane.

Eddie's in the middle of preparing a nice, hearty breakfast for his family. Question: How best to spend this Fourth of July? Take his beautiful wife and kids out for a picnic in John Doe Park? Maybe see if Jonathan and his family want to come along? Honestly? It's days like this that it feels pretty damn good to be Edward Nashton.

Wait. That... isn't right. It's Nigma. Edward Nigma. He'd taken that name to get as far away from that miserable childhood as possible. ...hadn't he? No, all Eddie can think about now is a childhood here in Mayfield. His old man teaching him how to ride a bike. Playing catch with him in the backyard while Mrs. Nashton made her world-famous lemonade. The day he'd come racing home to tell his father he'd won a contest at school. And his father had been proud of him...

No. Stop it, Edward. You'd cheated that day, remember? Your father was never proud of you. That's why you strove to prove yourself better than everyone else, because you are better than everyone else. You're a genius. Cleverer than Crane. More intelligent than Lex Luthor. You've got bigger brains than Batman.

...and it's here that Edward Nashton---Nigma, dammit---comes to a haunting conclusion. There never was a Batman here in Mayfield, was there? There was never a reason for one. There was never a reason for the Riddler, either. All of a sudden, Eddie's feeling much less enthused about today.]


[B - PHONE: Shortly after breakfast.]

"Bury deep,
Pile on stones,
Yet I will
Dig up the bones."

Memories. Something... something isn't right. I'm starting to remember things that didn't happen. Things that should never have happened.

[Or should they have? What's wrong with the life Edward's leading here in Mayfield? For once in his pathetic life, he has the chance to be happy. Yet again, the Riddler is beginning to question himself.]

None of this is real. ...is it?

[C - ACTION: That afternoon, various places around town.

The Riddler needs to clear his head. Perhaps some of that fresh Mayfield air will do him some good. Those who bump into him may hear him reciting a little riddle to himself. Something to keep him anchored in all of this confusion.]


"Up a hill,
Down a hill,
Over them I may roam,
But after all my walking,
There's no place like my own."

[This neighborhood, these streets, this perfect little slice of American suburbia. This place is a far cry from Gotham. This place isn't truly home.

...right?]

[identity profile] tapshoetomove.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 08:07 am (UTC)(link)
[If there's any kind of odd reaction from Edward, Luke doesn't notice. Today felt just like any other normal day in Mayfield except for the strange dreams and the occasional memories and with it being Independence Day he imagined he and the rest of his family would be spending time together. Lighting off fireworks, playing baseball with Slugger, the sort of things you'd expect a young boy to do on a hot summer day.

He looks through the daily crossword and solves the first two easily. And then he gets to the third one and can't bring himself to concentrate long enough to solve it. A brief memory of time machine in a clock shop flashes through his mind.

It's getting kind of uncomfortable, so he decides to distract himself by talking. Since Luke's obviously been born and raised as an American, he wouldn't have that silly British accent that he keeps thinking he should have.]


Oh um, papa, can we light off some fireworks today?

[identity profile] brotherseyes.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 08:09 am (UTC)(link)
[She was thinking more like 'the human mind,' but that's close enough to be meaningful. And give her hope.]

Right. And life in Mayfield is even more of a riddle than usual. Isn't it? After everything this town has put us through?

[Please, please remember everything it's put them through. Remember Christmas Day, remember Port West...]

Phone & 50%

[identity profile] uranophobe.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 09:21 am (UTC)(link)
So, this is one of those strange "events" everyone kept mentioning?

[He seems remarkably calm, considering the situation. But, really, he's already got the "stark raving mad" thing already.]

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 09:23 am (UTC)(link)
[Glad to see you're adjusting so well, Jonny-boy.]

It looks that way. [He thinks?] Can you... Do you remember anything unusual, Jonathan?

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 09:29 am (UTC)(link)
Perhaps later, Luke.

[When his mind isn't on the verge of tearing itself in two. Likewise looking for something to distract himself with, he returns to preparing breakfast.]

How many pancakes did you want to start off with?

[identity profile] uranophobe.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 09:58 am (UTC)(link)
It's almost as if there are two separate realities in my mind, but it can't seem to decide which one is real-- But, that's just silly, isn't it, Nashton?

[He pauses. You best believe he's taking notes on this.] We never knew each other as children. We most likely grew up in entirely different areas of the country. [The inflections on the end of the sentences make them seem more like questions than statements, ones he's most likely asking himself.]

C - 75%

[identity profile] demonoaths.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 12:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[Mao's dealing with the same problem as well. He knows he's been here all his life, right? So why does he see things that aren't there?

As if by accident, he stumbles again and staggers to his feet, ignoring the aching wounds and focusing on the one that killed his dad and puts his hands to his head.]


What...?

Phone - %75

[identity profile] greatestmanll40.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 03:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah, dear Edward.

You've obviously been reading too many of those foolish comic books.

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 04:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Yet... we did know each other as children, didn't we? We've been best friends since grade school. [His tone is matching Crane's right now.]

We pulled countless pranks on the other students nonstop. Always sat together at the lunch table. Remember Senior Prom? I had to leave Pam behind because Lex had stolen your class ring. [You're welcome for backing you up that night, by the way.]
worstvikingever: (time to set the record straight)

[personal profile] worstvikingever 2011-07-04 04:48 pm (UTC)(link)
I was... [He hesitates.] ...I was going to wish you a happy Fourth of July, but... I was also going to say...

[What? Say what? He wrestles with himself for a moment longer.]

...cane. Yes. Your cane! You asked me to make you a cane a while ago and I finally finished it!

...I think? Why would you need... and how would I be able to... oh gods I am so confused.

A. 75%

[identity profile] deaths-heritor.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 04:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[Perhaps somewhat alarmingly, Edward is met by a Susan wearing a bright pink dress with floral patterns.]

Oh, good morning, dear! And a happy Fourth of July to you! I've made you a special breakfast.

[Hopefully, Edward likes scrambled eggs dyed red and blue.]

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[All Edward can do is alternate between staring at the multicolored eggs and staring at her. She's... wearing pink. It looks almost unnatural. Yet the color suits her very well. She looks like a dream, just as radiant as the day he married her---

Stop it. Eddie clutches his temple abruptly in an attempt to steady himself. This isn't real. It can't be real.]

[identity profile] tapshoetomove.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
A whole big stack of them!

[Because Luke is the tiniest human vacuum.]

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 05:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[Edward's brought out of his mantra when he notices the young man's suffering. Marching over to him, a desperate look in his eyes.]

You're remembering things as well, aren't you?

Phone - 50%

[identity profile] godisachild.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 05:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, you're friggin' right there's something not right.

Something seems off today like we aren't supposed to be here.

But we aren't supposed to be here we're not from here? Right?

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 05:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Comic... books...? Don't patronize me, Luthor.

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 05:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Right. [He thinks.] We were never... we weren't born here. We weren't raised here. As much as this town would want us to believe...

[As appealing as a perfect life really sounds to him right now.]

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 05:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[Everything this town put him through? Meaning his high school years? His career as a respected ethics teacher? The day he first met his beloved wife---]

It's a lie. It has to be.
gotmorbucks: (boo you whore!)

B - 25%

[personal profile] gotmorbucks 2011-07-04 05:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Of course it is. I'd have hated myself for being born here!

Even if I remember the hospital-- but I don't! [Ugh.] If you're so smart, tell me what's going on here!

[identity profile] uranophobe.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 05:30 pm (UTC)(link)
I do remember it. [And yet, didn't he skip prom, opting to reread Carrie and dream the dream? He likes the first one better, even if it involves Luthor being a dick again.]

Perhaps this is the carrot to their stick: Tempting the captives with an idyllic past and future, to replace their own imperfect ones. Maybe they're testing to see if bribery works better than punishment.

[identity profile] godisachild.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 05:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I know! I mean-

I remember this one time, at Slugger's tenth birthday. We had it at your house and Slugger and I thought it'd be funny to set a cherry bomb in the cake but that never happened! I'm not crazy right? I know I've been here awhile but we've....I haven't been here that long!

It's just...it's just the town, right?

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 05:40 pm (UTC)(link)
That---that can't be true. That wasn't how it had happened. It's another...

[But it isn't a lie. It is true. Edward can remember every single detail that Ema rattles off to him. How he hadn't reacted well to their break up, but had managed to move on just as she had. But that can't be right. He still remembers a desperate moment in an abandoned classroom at the end of the world. ...that had been it, hadn't it?]

You're---you aren't really in love with Schuldig. He's a...

[A monster? Or one of his former students and closest friends?]

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 05:44 pm (UTC)(link)
"Tis not, tis is.
Tis good, tis bad.
Tis left, tis right.
Tis day, tis night."

...it's a paradox, plain and simple. But one of them has to be false. So... which is true?

[identity profile] puzzlerprince.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 05:46 pm (UTC)(link)
It... it has to be another illusion. Yet these memories feel so real. I can't...

[identity profile] riastrad-ridire.livejournal.com 2011-07-04 05:49 pm (UTC)(link)
I could recite a few limericks myself, but I seriously doubt poems and riddles are going to help.

I've...got these notebooks I remember writing in. And I remember that whatever I was writing was important. But I don't know what it was and it's in a language I can't read--but it feels like I should be able to read it, I just can't remember how.

Whichever one's right, I'm almost sure it's in there.

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