Birds of a Feather (Oswald Cobblepot)

Keep Him Warm

   I follow Oswald into his room, where he sits at his window sill, with a beautiful view of the Gotham skyline,

“You have a lovely view.” I comment, looking out the window with him.

“Yeah...Gotham is loveliest at night, isn’t she?” he tilts his head to the side, “Although, that big skyscraper is covering my view of the Gotham Bay.” he points outs, aiming his finger at the Wayne Enterprises building just off in the distance, “Thankfully, you can still see the bay from the living room.”

I blow a raspberry, rolling my eyes and smiling, “Oh, who cares about the bay? Have you ever been to the bay? Dirtiest thing ever.”

He nods as he swallows, his own smile fading, “Yes...many times actually.”

“Why?”

“Well, I didn’t exactly go by choice.” he explains, “There were these group of boys from school who’d bring me out there and...dump me in.”

“And you didn’t fight back?” I ask.

He sighs, “...I...I was short, still am. Plus, I’m sure you’ve noticed my nose and teeth. I’ve always had those...Penguin, that’s what they’d call me. To them, I was a little Penguin, who couldn’t defend himself...I, I’m sorry, I’m not sure why I’m telling you all this.”

While I’d noticed his slightly elongated nose, I’d never noticed his teeth before, most people in Gotham don’t have dental hygiene high on their priority list anyway, but as he starts smiling at me again, I notice his teeth are not only yellowed out and protruding, but are also slightly sharpened, like all of his teeth are canines.

“It’s fine.” I tell him, “If it helps, I’ll never call you Penguin-” I pause, “...except for that one time.”

He chuckles, “It’s fine, really.”

I laugh as well, “What, me calling you Penguin?”

“NO!” he shouts angrily.

I step back, shocked at his sudden mood swing. He’s changed completely, his posture more upright, his head bent down slightly to emphasize his fierce, shady eyes. Maybe I’d gotten more than what I’d bargained for with this guy. Should I try to negotiate around him? Or is he more trouble than what he’s worth? And did Mrs. Cobblepot hear that as well?

“Okay, okay! It’s agreed, Oswald, I won’t ever call you that again.” I promise him, trying to defuse the situation.

He backs off, “...you’re scared.”

I give a nervous grin, “Well, you certainly gave me a fright for a second there. I never knew you could assert yourself like that.”

He smirks maliciously, and gestures for me to approach him, “Come here, I want to show you something...you’ve nothing to fear.”

My heart starts racing, what is he suggesting? I slowly begin my first steps toward, my body rigid with nervousness. He turns around and suddenly gets down on one knee, searching through a pile of his books and papers. He whips around and shows me a child’s costume, like something you’d see at a Renaissance Fair,

“Do you like it? It was always my go-to Halloween costume as a child.” he presents, his voice returning to childlike innocence and joy.

“It’s...nice. Is it suppose to be any particular character?” I ask, a wave of relief coming over me.

“Why, yes, actually. It’s Hamlet-”

I smile, “Prince of Denmark?”

His eyes light up, “You know the Bard! I...I can’t believe it, I mean, I never thought someone from Gotham would concern themselves with the works of Shakespeare.”