#pinnguin

[telltalebatman]

Pls tell me more about the band/musicians AUs omg I'm in love with them!!!

OK SO

for frankie and mac: they are in different bands. he's the drummer of sinister six - a rock/metal band and she plays the organs and writes lyrics for a goth band the first daughters. he is down BAD for her since their first meeting at a music festival and frankly his bandmates are getting SICK of it, because he just won't shut the fuck up about her. to quote the six's vocalist the vulture (an old man), "it's like i'm picking up my daughters from middle school again, man. not even high school. MIDDLE FUCKING SCHOOL."

eventually tho mac helps frankie out of a sticky situation and he lets her stay with his band for a few days until her girls can come pick her up, and they kinda just... click. he realizes she's a very sensitive gal who feels very lonely, and she realizes he's just head over heels in love with her, like a lost puppy. "if that makes you feel weird, i can get over you probably. give me some time." "no, uhm, you, uhm, you don't have to get over me. it's, uhm, fine. i'm fine with it."

(he thinks she wants to drive him insane and kill him because it'd be so good for her goth image if she had an actual body count and he is more than okay with it, he can kill himself for her on stage if that's what she wants-)

(also at one point he records a cover of are you gonna be my girl by jet where he changes the girl's hair color to black in the lyrics. go figure!)

(also doc ock is the six's keyboard player and he teaches her some tips and tricks to really fucking rock out on the organs)

(sinister six: the vulture on vocals; doc ock on keyboard; scorpion on drums; electro on lead guitar; rhino on bass; mister negative on violin the first daughters: frankie on organs; delphine costa on cello; mina kernelli on guitar; tonya cicero on vocals; lisa manfredi (mac's girlfriend until they break up and she becomes a thing w/ mina) on drums)

charlie and oz: charlie is a pg-friendly popstar with an immaculate public image. she is Good and Nice and Sweet and Wholesome and Pure and she is a Role Model For Girls and she never swears, never kisses anyone, never drinks. she is a 3d flat image. she is entrapped in a contract with her predatory and abusive manager who may or may not have had a hand in the tragic demise of her parents. the world thinks she is perfect and happy; but in reality she is depressed beyond belief as having to repress her very human urges is killing her.

cue oz: the frontman of the children of arkham, a grunge/punk band. he is a menace, an alcoholic, he flirts with his fans, he gets naked on stage, he's violent and mean and he saved charlie's life one night after meeting her in some dingy bar she ran into as she was escaping from the paps. they fell in love hard and fast and he is the first person she can truly be human around - she can swear, she can drink, she can fuck, she can have messy hair, she can be a person. naturally due to their wildly different environments they have to keep their relationship a secret, and it is killing them slowly.

eventually, during a show on her goddamn birthday that she isn't even allowed to celebrate on her own terms (so with her boyfriend, eating a pizza, watching some garbage movies, and getting fucked to the point of being unable to speak properly) she has a very public breakdown on stage, and afterwards just straight up kills her manager in self defense as he assaults her. with her career finally over, charlie opens a new chapter of her life (as her bf's band has a practice session in the garage. she sometimes provides additional vocals for them, and she takes great joy in screeching into the microphone, and the children's fanbase eats it up, because what's more punk than a fallen popstar who violently broke out of the establishment!!!!!)

#pinnguin #sorcione

[iv-kplpt]

OF HALVES AND WHOLES: a batman: the telltale series oc/canon fic series inspired by kingdom hearts.

in a world where it's not uncommon for people to split in two in moments of great despair, many memories get lost. what does it mean to be human? what part of me is the real me? which memories are my own, and which ones belong to a shadow of me? if one of my halves falls in love - will this love remain even after i become whole again?

charlie fell apart once; one of her halves led a short, happy life at oswald's side. but all good things come to an end; and sometimes, those ends take a form of a bullet. sometimes, they never leave you. and sometimes, a person your half loved shows up at your doorstep.

PART I: chasing echoes (finished) - 5 chapters, 48,240 words PART II: under the skin (ongoing) - ?????

#telltale batman #batman the telltale series #ff #eng #pinnguin

[ozcobblehot-archive]

otp moodboard: charlie and oswald (penguin and his pinniped) “You said you want to come back without the burden of ideology.” she interrupted him and he shrugged. “Because I do, but as far as people of Gotham are concerned… Me and my lady are one and the same. And that’s how it goes with soldiers following orders - they will never be free from ghosts of their leaders.” “Let’s add philosophy to the long list of your talents.” “Mmm.” he muttered, closing his eyes again and resting his cheek against her left breast, tightly wrapping his arms around her waist; she laughed. “What are you doing?” “World is hard.” he muttered. “Your bosom? Soft.”

#iv.txt #pinnguin #oc aes #I MADE A BETTER ONE #art by my friend megueggu/safilia!!

[flavia8]

Shuffle Challenge

XD I was tagged by 2 people. Thanks @hicristy and @trishmishtree!! Rules: Put your Music on shuffle and list the first songs, and tag 10 people. 1) Haunt- Bastille 2) Hurricane- Panic! At the Disco 3) Lies-Marina and the Diamonds 4)Miss Jackson ft Lolo-Panic! At the Disco 5) Radioactive-Marina and the Diamonds 6) Heat-David Bowie 7)I feel Fine- The Beatles 8) Northern Downpour- Panic! At the Disco 9) I shot the Sheriff-Bob Marely 10) Send them off!- Bastille Fun fact: There are 568 songs on my spotify playlist, which is what I used to do this. XD @twentyfifthbaam, @a-girl-on-uss-enterprise, @bluecubics, @somescoobydoonerd, @pinnguin, @systematic-shark, @miserablemccoy, @imaginestartrek, @kenziekakes, @a-trashcan-made-out-of-fandoms are the people I'm tagging! Sorry if bothering you, do it if you want! Same goes for people not tagged.

#misc

[telltalebatman]

thinkin about very typical band-focused aus for my ships.............

pinnguin: charlie as a pg-friendly-always popstar who has a secret boyfriend who's a frontman of a punk band children of arkham. lots of secret dating. lots of pining due to not being able to be there all the time. eventually she kills her predatory manager and leaves the pop world to live out her dreams of being a twitch streamer (while her bf's band has a practice session in the garage <3)

sorcione: RIVAL BANDS RIVAL BANDS RIVAL BANDS. mac would be a drummer of a rock band and frankie would play something slightly weird in a goth rock band. they frequently clash over everything until one day he saves her from some sticky situation and it turns out his bandmates are actually pretty chill dudes who are honestly kinda sick of listening to their drummer bitch and whine about the goth baddie from the overlooked ones

#4.txt #pinnguin #sorcione

[iv-kplpt]

12,99 words rather introspective, but it's here. chapter 2, in which tentatively the plot actually shows up for once.

"Please get close to Vicki's friends," Louise asked her once, her voice dripping with shame, "I need to know what's up with her. I'm worried. I love her."

That was a request Charlie simply couldn't refuse; after all, how could she refuse? Louise was one of very few people in Gotham she even knew. The list - with which Charlie tormented herself with - really was short; there was Bruce Wayne. There was Louise. There was Oswald (although whether he even counted as someone she knew, rather than someone she used to know in another life and who barged into her current one and whom she was getting to know all over again, even though nothing she learned felt new and everything felt like the last shards of her Darkling, still alive inside of her, waking up, demanding to be freed so she can kiss her lover one last time. It was a long description; and in her mental list, she reduced it to a simple question mark. Times three.); and finally - there was Clementine Hill, the only daughter of Hamilton Hill - Gotham's long-reigning mayor.

#telltale batman #batman the telltale series #ff #eng #pinnguin

[telltalebatman]

mmmm what if i wrote a ridiculous, over the top, self indulgent to hell and back bachelor/bachelorette pinnguin au that begins with an unprecedented season of the bachelor that features 2 bachelors (harvey and bruce) and that turns into an absolute clusterfuck where a huge chunk of the contestants end up dating each other, one bachelor ends up with 2 girlfriends rather than 1, and the other one pulls a colton and fucking runs away, and THEN proceeds into a season of the bachelorette (featuring my bestest girl as the bachelorette bc she was audience favorite during the bachelor <3) that somehow again features harvey and bruce (it's their punishment for ruining the bachelor) (they both wear house arrest monitors on their ankles) and also my fucking blorbo as the obvious winner-

jk haha unless?????

#4.txt #pinnguin #obviously my bestest girl and oz already know each other in this one and are each other's reason for being on the show l m a o

[iv-kplpt]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Batman: The Telltale Series (Video Game) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Oswald Cobblepot/Original Character(s), oswald cobblepot/charlie schiller-aberdeen, Oswald Cobblepot/Original Female Character(s), Vicki Vale/Original Female Character(s) Characters: Oswald Cobblepot, Bruce Wayne, Vicki Vale, Original Female Character(s), Manchester Black, Angela Hawkins, Lazlo Valentin Additional Tags: KH AU, Mentions of non-con, Mentions of incest, Past Relationship(s), Past Abuse, Canon-Typical Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Orgasm Denial, just a lot of tease and denial in general Series: Part 2 of of halves and wholes Summary:

after a long time - the story continues. in the end, oswald found charlie before she found him; now she gets to find out what her darkling was up to, bit by bit.

or: guess who’s finally back on their bullshit! (it’s me. i’m back.)

#telltale batman #batman the telltale series #oswald copplepot #oz cobblepot #pinnguin #eng #ff

[telltalebatman]

#4 for Charlie & her ship!

4. Their favorite physical feature on each other? 

as for what oz likes the most about her, it's gotta be her eyes. big, blue, earnest - having her eyes on him almost makes him want to be a better person.

and her favorite features of his are a scar across the bridge of his nose and his hands. he has long, slender fingers fit for a pianist, and she is SO into it.

#pinnguin

[telltalebatman]

hey so that ask game about your OC describing their LI, what if the LI described the OC? for frankie and charlie, obvs

oh HELL yeah

oz about charlie:

"Thank you for agreeing to do the interview, mister Cobblepot. Gotta say, I'm honored to be the first journalist interviewing you one-on-one." "Oh, it's nothing, really. Gotham Times is my darling's newspaper of choice. I'd be in the doghouse if I turned this offer down." "I see. Well, let's start with the obvious one. While a great deal is known about your backstory, not much is known about your personal life. So... What is it like?" "Well, as you're probably aware, I am in a situationship with one Charlie Schiller-Aberdeen. It's public knowledge at this point, but it is pivotal to my life outside of this office. We are... Devoted to one another, and to call her light of my life would be to say nothing. She is the best bloody thing to have happened to me in years. And it is my greatest joy in life to have someone like her devour everything I make. Her stomach is as bottomless as are my feelings for her. Waking up next to her in the morning feels like being born anew. And looking at her - really, truly looking at her - kills my need for fine art." "Wow, that's... Surprisingly touching." "Why would I hold back? I do love her. The curls of her hair, the glimmering of her eyes, her freckles - that only I get to see - and her... Akhem... Finer details." "...yeah, I can understand that. So... What do the two of you do to relax, for example?" "Oh, many things. Now I will not get into too much detail, since most of what we do is just between us and our bed... But she is a delight to be around in any case. Sweet like wine, and as irresistible. But sometimes we simply go out for walks. Play board games. Watch movies. I like to take her out to see live performances at the opera, which, admittedly, she likes a lot less... Or so she says. She is not a good liar. But she is clever, way more clever than she gives herself credit. But not clever enough to not run her pretty mouth to her friends about certain things. Yes, darling, I know you're reading this interview. I know what you've talked about behind my back. This is a message to you, my darling: the night will be long, and you best practice your puppy eyes. Because we will sit through the entire performance of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg." "Uhm... Why does it feel like it's not just about the opera?" "Oh, don't worry about it too much, miss Vale. Charlie will know what I mean."

mac about frankie:

"Hmph. You think you know someone." "Fucking christ. What is it about this time?" "Don't act dumber than you are, Gargan. It's about your wife." "And? I'd watch my mouth if I were you, Rhino. Think about your words carefully." "Gargan, please, I can beat you with my eyes closed. But I thought I know you, Gargan. When did you marry?" "None of your fucking business." "No it is my business. The Six sticks together. You know Oksana. But I don't know... What's her name?" "...Frankie." "Frankie. Beautiful name. It means... Free. Truthful. French." "She is two out of those three. Now she is free. Now she can live her truth." "And what is her truth?" "Her truth is that she was meant for greatness. It's in her blood." "She seems nice." "Well, she is - once you get to really know her. She is nice, and caring, and made it worth for me to force the suit off. But I can't do it anymore. The suit is me, and I am it. Mac Gargan is no more. There is only Scorpion." "Mmmm. You're stupid, Gargan. Oksana - for Oksana, I keep Aleksey alive, even as the world only sees the Rhino. And your Frankie - did she marry the Scorpion? Or did she marry Gargan?" "The man she married is dead. She deserves better anyway. After what her so-called family put her through, she deserves the world. Not just money, not just power - she deserves peace. And I cannot give it to her. So I hope she finds someone else. Someone who will give her what she deserves. Someone who will love her even as she flips them off." "...she sounds nice." "She had every right to kill me after what I've dragged her through. But she didn't. Instead, she fell in love with me, and she accepted that I've been in love with her for months. She accepted I've been in love with her even as she told me to die, even as she treated me like scum. I loved her then. Now I want for her to be loved by someone who won't hurt her." "But you didn't hurt her, Gargan." "Oh, I did. And for that, I need to vanish. I'm sure there will be another. Maybe she'll grow her hair out for them. Maybe she'll bake for them. Maybe she'll do those things she hates for them, things I don't deserve for her to do for me. And if I want to see her eyes again... I can just look at the moon. She has eyes silver like the pale moonlight, you know." "Gargan..." "Don't say another word, Rhino. I'm warning you. Don't bring her up again. I need to keep the real her and my memory of her separate. I need to let the real her go. Because as long as I have even the tiniest bit of sanity left, I can return to her in my memories. To her laughter, to her eyes, to all the nights we've spent together. And looking at you is making me lose my fucking sanity." "...fine. Have it your way, Gargan." "And stop calling me Gargan." "Ugh. Fine, Skorpion."

#4.txt #pinnguin #sorcione #god cheer up a bit mac

[telltalebatman]

3. Ask them to describe their love interest. for charlie and frankie?

!!!!

"So... Oswald Cobblepot, huh? He seems nice on TV, but what is he like in real life?" "Well, he's not half as nice as he appears on TV. Now don't get me wrong: he's not an asshole. Not to me, at least. He's the most charming, talkative, affectionate guy I've ever met - but he is a menace. He used to be a boxer, you know. He can punch. And stab. And shoot. Also, cook. He's the best goddamn cook ever, I swear. There's not a single dish he can't make, and they all turn out so good. But also, he is so goddamn full of himself... It'd be annoying, but he is right. He really is the best. And the most handsome. And... Hey, can you keep a secret?" "Me? Sure." "He is an absolute menace in bed. He really likes to tease, and-" "WOAH, I think that's kinda TMI." "I know, but here's the thing: I know he's in the next room eavesdropping, and I really want to give him an excuse to call me a cheeky little thing. Because that means things are about to get really fun." "God, I think I need a drink. I did not think I'm gonna be a part of your sex life." * * *

"I can't believe you're dating that guy." "Hm?" "Oh, don't act oblivious. Gargan? Really?" "What can I say? As it turns out, we kind of clicked. Also, for months on end he was the only person around me who actually gave a fuck when I was going through some shit. Also, are you blind? He is almost stupidly handsome. It actually kinda pisses me off how handsome he is. And how big his hands are. Also, as it turns out, he really is a fun guy to be around. He's funny. He's way smarter than people give him credit. And don't tell him I said it, but he is so fucking good at hugging. I used to think I'm just not into cuddling, but as it turns out, I just hadn't been cuddled right." "Huh. But doesn't he... You know. Torture people for the Maggia?" "I try not to think about whatever he used to do for them, honestly. I mean, shit, who am I to judge? It's not his fault he was raised to be a Maggia soldier. Plus it's not like he put people on wooden horses and stuff. He mostly just... Supplied the chemicals to people who did the actual interrogating." "Jesus. Scarecrow fan much?" "You joke, but Scarecrow actually is his second favorite Batman villain. Right after the Penguin. Personally I've no idea what does he see in this nasty little freak, but eh. To each their own, I guess."

#4.txt #pinnguin #sorcione

[telltalebatman]

7 from the grumpy prompts for pinnguin pls c:

this is set in a very convoluted arkhamverse au that exists only in my heart, basically what if the events of my bat game were also a part of the rocksteady arkham series canon. what if rocksteady pengy was MY pengy lmao

7. “I can never say ‘no’ to you, can I?”

Penguin's men paid her a visit when she was visiting her cousin in Blüdhaven.

Or rather: they kidnapped her from her cousin's home, in the middle of the day. By no means was that her first rodeo; she knew what to expect the moment she opened the front door and looked at their faces. One of them - barely out of boyhood - she even recognized; Richter, they called him. A nice kid; good with computers. Used to be a part of the Riddler's crew - until Nygma grew jealous of Richter's intellectual potential and tried to get him killed.

As they pulled out a sack to put over her head, Charlie only sighed.

"Just a moment, boys," she said, turning around. "Annie," she called out to her cousin. "Don't worry. Don't tell Nightwing. Okay," she added, turning back to face the men outside. "Proceed."

By all means, they were cautious with her; gentle, even. Probably way gentler than they'd be had she not been known as their boss's flame.

Finally - after a lengthy, bumpy ride - she was lead out of the car, sat in a chair, and had the sack pulled off her head cautiously, as to not disturb her hair; and as she blinked a few times, her eyes trying to adjust to the bright light - Penguin, her beloved, patted her on the shoulder gently.

"Good to see you, darling," he said softly. "Now, I... Probably should apologize."

"Yeah," she said with a sigh. "You should. I mean, really, Oswald? You could've just texted me. Or did your phone explode again?" she added, rolling her eyes angrily; to be fair, his phone exploding wasn't even his fault. Black Mask had Riddler program Oswald's phone to explode after receiving a text from her; and it did - except one thing Mask and Riddler failed to anticipate was the phone not being held by the Penguin as the text arrived. "Annie's son wanted to play Minecraft with me."

"And have you snatched away by that glowstick twerp? Na-ah-ah," Oswald said, shaking his head. "Not a chance."

"Right, 'cause Nightwing's known to torture his suspects," she said, rolling her eyes again. "Worst he can do is talk my ears off."

can he though? i'm used to men who never shut up. case in point: a certain bird-loving arms dealer.

"I know you're mad," he said with a sigh, rubbing the back of his head with his hand; and Charlie pursed her lips, crossed her arms, and looked away. Yeah - she was mad. Not about the kidnapping - that was expected. But the very reason she even was in Blüdhaven to begin with - was because she needed a breath of fresh air. After knowing Oswald for years, after sticking with him through thick and thin, after getting herself locked up in the Arkham City for him, getting kidnapped by the Joker, by Black Mask, by Victor Zsasz, by Riddler, by Bane, by Two Face, and countless other individuals who wanted to either get under Penguin's skin, or get to him, or any combination of the two, she thought she knows him. She thought they have built their relationship on honesty, on loyalty, on trust... Up until she found out that for the past months, Oswald - her beloved, the man for whom she dived headfirst into the unknown, the one for whom she risked it all - had been working with Thomas fucking Elliott. A man who hadn't just try to kill her - but literally eat her still beating heart too. He tried - and failed - to marry her mother; he tried to drive both Charlie and Eleanor insane. Hell hath no fury like an incel scorned; and Thomas was a shining example. "Charlie..."

"What?" she said, avoiding Oswald's apologetic gaze. "I'm all fucking ears, Oz."

"I've been selling him faulty weapons," Oswald said pleadingly; and Charlie had to stop herself from looking at him in disbelief. "All rigged to explode."

"Yeah?" she said, finally looking at him; and he looked back at her, and he looked a bit like a kicked puppy in the rain. "Funny how it's been six months of you two working together and nothing had exploded in his face yet."

"That's because I had to earn his trust first," Oswald said in a low, pleading whisper; suddenly, he got down on his knees, put his hands on her knees, and looked up at her; and her heart broke a little as she saw the shadows under his eyes, and his slightly sunken cheeks. "But it's going to happen any time now. The bastard's going down."

"Yeah, right," she said with a doubtful scowl. "Did you really have me kidnapped just to tell me this?"

The corners of Oswald's lips twitched slightly; and she wanted to yell and strangle him, as she instantly knew that he knows she has already mostly forgiven him. How could she not? She wasn't the only one who had risked everything for the two of them to work; back when he was sent to the Arkham City, the crime that cemented his sentence was him covering up for her killing a man in self-defense. Being in a relationship with someone normal and not a fellow criminal was always a risk; because the allure of having a normal life was always there. He had worked hard on earning her devotion; and as years had passed - she had made peace with the fact that he was the only one for her.

But then again - it did piss her off a bit that he knew that.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I wanted to look you in the eye too. Also, I... I have a favor to ask."

ah. there it fucking is.

"No," she replied immediately; hear him out, her heart sang. "No dice."

"Come on, luv," he said pleadingly. "Please?"

"No," she repeated; the walls of her defiance were already crumbling. "Forget it. I'm done being your bait. No."

In the end - after many rounds of pleading and negotiating - she did hear him out; and she did agree to his - somewhat ludicrous - plan of using her as a bait and a negotiator for Poison Ivy. And she did allow him to kiss her, even though she kept her arms crossed and her lips pursed; but as he kissed her, and his hands caressed her - one thing lead to another, and before she knew it, they were both naked.

"I can never say no to you," she breathed out with a gasp as his lips explored her neck. "Damn you, Oswald. Damn you and your words."

"I love you too, darling," he whispered back, his breath hot against her skin. "Quiet now. Wouldn't want my boys to hear us."

you owe me much more than a quick fuck, oz. this is gonna cost you at least three chocolate soufflés... my love.

#pinnguin #man is this one all over the place lmao

[telltalebatman]

3, from the Twenty-Four Touches list, for pinnguin?? pls

YESSSSS

3. Foreheads pressed together, a silent way to say “I’m here”

"GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!"

Charlie let out a quiet sigh at the sound of Oswald's frustrated scream, muffled by the thick, wooden doors to what used to be Bruce Wayne's office, up until... Well. Up until Oswald got Bruce booted out of his own corporation. A lot of things happened in a relatively short amount of time; a lot of hidden truths, revealed. A lot of corpses, dragged out of closets.

And now - Oswald, her beloved, short-tempered, easily annoyed Oswald was a CEO of an international corporation, despite having no qualifications.

(Which, to be fair, did not mean anything.)

"He's been like this for hours now," Regina Zellerbach - the chairwoman of Wayne Enterprises board - said, rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand tiredly. "Unresponsive, and... Well. Angry. I'm sorry for calling you in, but-"

"It's alright," Charlie interrupted her quickly; to be honest - she was kind of glad for being asked to come to the HQ by Regina. Ever since Oswald became a public figure, so was she; which made what should be a nice, relaxing brunch with some friends into a nightmare of paps racing to take the best picture of the new CEO's girlfriend indulging on some mimosas. "I needed to hide from the reporters anyway. Things hadn't been that bad since my dad punched that one Republican on live tv."

Regina - a polite, middle-aged woman who reminded Charlie of her own mother a bit - let out a chuckle.

"The board can provide you with a security detail," she said. "We have some well-trained bodyguards on hand. Surely they could keep the reporters away."

and learn a bit too much about ozzie and lady arkham? yeah, fat chance.

"That won't be necessary," Charlie said, shaking her head. "Anyway. I'll try to talk some sense into him."

not that i was ever able to do so. not a lot of common sense in this guy's head, it seems.

After Regina walked away - Charlie knocked at the thick, heavy door.

"Oswald?" she said; at the other side - Oswald fell silent. "It's me."

After a moment - Oswald opened the door; and Charlie let out a sigh at the sight of his dishevelled hair, crumbled up shirt, and frantic expression. Judging from the shadows under his eyes, he hadn't slept last night - and since it's been two days since she last saw him, Charlie decided it's not that far fetched to assume that he hadn't slept the night before either.

"A sight for sore eyes you are," he said, smiling lightly. "Hey there."

"Regina called me in," Charlie said, stepping into the office as Oswald locked the door behind her. "She says you've been ignoring her... And she needs you to sign some paperwork."

also that you've been screaming like a banshee.

The office - spacious, filled with expensive, heavy furniture, and very well-lit, thanks to the glass wall at the end of the room - looked as if a storm had passed through it. Flipped chairs, papers everywhere, books scattered on the floor, randomly arranged shelves - it all looked like an aftermath of some angry, angry redecorating.

In response, Oswald waved his hand dismissively.

"Paperwork can wait," he said, turning around and walking towards a lone table in the corner of the room. "I am in the middle of digging out Bruce's biggest bloody secret."

"That being..?" she asked skeptically, following him. "That he prefers to keep his books on the shelves?"

Oswald let out a quiet snicker.

"He is hiding something in here," he said, pointing towards the chessboard they were standing next to. "This chessboard is the key. I just... I don't know how to use it," he said finally shaking his head in frustration. "I saw him use it. Bribed a cleaning lady into planting a bug in his office couple of months ago," he added as she cocked her head in confusion. "I saw him use it to open up a bloody secret elevator. But I can't, for the life of me, figure out how," he added; and Charlie sighed at the sound of rising, frustrating notes in his voice. His hands were beginning to shake as well; she saw him like this countless times before, and she knew well that what comes next, is a nuclear meltdown.

"Hey," she said gently, planting both her hands on his shoulders as he kept talking, getting more and more worked up. "Shhh."

He only stopped talking after she pressed her index finger to his lips; instead he stared at her, and the sight of him - his confused gaze, his tangled up hair, his parted lips - almost made her laugh. For a moment, he didn't look like a criminal mastermind with blood on his hands; he simply looked like a tired, confused man.

Silently, Charlie pressed her hand into his shoulder, beckoning him to bend down; and he did, allowing her to move her face closer and press her forehead against his.

With a deep sigh, Oswald closed his eyes.

"You'll figure it out," she said quietly. "Okay? You'll figure it out. You always do. You're a brilliant man, Oswald. And there's no way in hell a single chessboard can defeat you."

Oswald let out a chuckle.

"It's not just a chessboard," he said quietly, in a pained voice. "It's... Everything. I bit off more than I can chew, Charlie. I don't know the first thing about running a company. But I just keep thinking that maybe, just maybe... If I can figure this one thing out... I can figure everything else out as well."

"Of course you can," she whispered back, wrapping her arms around him. "You can and you will. One step at a time, my love."

With a deep sigh, Oswald stepped back; but he did allow her to drag him home, get him into a bath, and then into bed. And as they laid there, the silence only interrupted by their breaths - for just one night, nothing else mattered.

but even if his own hubris bites him in the ass, i will be there. because i love him. be careful, my love. they will not be gentle with you when they learn the truth.

#4.txt #pinnguin #THANK UUUUUUUUUUUUUU THAT WAS A BLAST #also. and this is crucial. i am making shit up SO much #bc we never learn how did oswald know about bruce's secret workshop #or how did he get in #and i even emailed the lead writer about it and he never got back to me : (

[telltalebatman]

a fun thing abt a pinnguin/sorcione crossover is that mac and oz would immediately try to fucking explode each other bc 1. why does that other guy sound the same, 2. that other guy's chosen animal theme is stupid, but since in my heart oz is bi he would also have to deal with finding mac STUPIDLY hot. he and frankie would go out for drinks (platonically) and bond over their shared desire for mac.

#4.txt #the rituals sure would be intricate in this very specific scenario #charlie would step in and go listen. i love you. if you want to get railed by him then you have my support. go and get that dick. #and oz would just get SO offended #bc how dares his gf most beloved suggest that he harbors any desire for that WEIRDO #(he is very at peace w/ being bi and liking dudes. he is not however at peace w being into mac specifically)

[telltalebatman]

34 for pinnguin maybe?

34. "Tell me about your childhood?"

"Hey, Oswald?"

"Hmm?" he muttered, his eyes still glued to the device he was tinkering with. "I'm all ears."

"What was your childhood like?"

After a long pause, he sighed, put the device down and looked up at her.

"It was good," he said finally; Charlie nodded silently. "Dare I say... Perfect, even. Loving parents, endless fun, good friends... Doesn't make for a particularly good story, really. Happiness never does," he added with another sigh; Charlie nodded again. In a way, he was right; it wasn't as simple as happiness is boring - but he was right. "Misery, on the other hand... Oh, misery makes for the best bloody stories."

"Right, but all I really know about your childhood starts with when things started to go sour," she pressed gently. "Not every story has to be groundbreaking, you know. Sometimes people just want to hear about the good old times."

"I've put my good old times behind me," he said, shaking his head; and Charlie raised her eyebrows skeptically. That was a new one; clearly it was a lie - and not very convincing either. Had he shed less blood in the name of vengeance, she'd be more inclined to believe him - but Oswald killed a man who ruined his life. Directly contributed to the murder of another. Tried to kill Bruce too, all because his father destroyed Oswald's childhood. "What about you, hm?"

ah, whataboutism.

"It was good," she said with a shrug; but the words felt heavy on her tongue, heavy and sour. "Mostly."

"Mostly?" he asked, resting his cheek against his fist.

"Well, for starters, mom and dad both worked a lot," she said reluctantly. "You know what it's like. Spent a lot of time hanging out with babysitters while my mom was saving lives at the hospital and dad was yelling at Rudy Giuliani."

"I had my fair share of babysitters," he said with a chuckle. "Ended up driving all of them insane... Except for one."

"That person being..?"

"Wayne family's butler," Oswald said with a grimace; Charlie let out a giggle at the dismay in his voice. "Never quite got under his skin. Still hadn't figured him out, to be honest."

"I think it's too late for that now. Isn't he like... Seventy?"

"His exact age is a closely guarded secret. Even Wayne doesn't know how old his butler is."

"Did your family have a butler too?"

"No," he said with a shrug. "Mum insisted against it, and dad... Dad only wanted to keep her happy," he added with a sigh. "But sometimes I wonder, if maybe... If maybe this is what could've prevented all that shit from happening. Maybe if we also had an Alfred Pennyworth... My folks would still be there, and I'd be rolling around in money."

or maybe he'd backstab you. or die as well. sorry, "disappear".

"I doubt that," she said instead; he sighed and looked away. "Uhm... Sorry. Didn't mean to make you feel bad."

"No, no, it's fine," he said with a wave of his hand; but in his eyes she could see things were anything but fine. "You were curious. I get that."

In response, she silently reached out to him; and he got up, sat at the edge of the couch she was laying on and sank in her arms.

He did end up showing her some old photos; of his parents. His pudgy, younger self. His friends. His home. In return, she showed him her album; and perhaps, in a way, he was right. Maybe happiness truly doesn't make for a good story - but she didn't really care. What does it matter if a story is good or bad? For a short while, all that mattered was the happiness that was once there.

#4.txt

[telltalebatman]

sweats nervously

i made myself a general shippy playlist for all my bastard man/radiant woman ships

#4.txt #pinnguin #gavien #sorcione