Blinking himself back to reality, Ronnie would look toward Rose, his eyebrows coming together to a furrow. "I— " "No — I.. I can't."

"...Hydrangeas." He answered without missing a beat as he thought of his favorite flowers, ones he'd seen only a few times within the shop. He almost forgot why he was here, what they had been talking about — now lost simply in thought. "B—Blue ones .."

You're useless... less than useless. You're sick. People like you don't deserve to live.

"...Yes." His voice softened more, his gaze seemingly distance while they stayed ahead, locked on that very same spot at before. "...There's.. a flower sh-shop I'd wa-walk by s-sometimes aft-after school.... I n–never wanted to-ro leave."

Ronnie finds himself slowly sitting on the floor, envisioning his childhood bedroom, the spot he'd sit in front of his old TV — thst fuzzy picture film trying its damned hardest to play. He trained his eyes on a singular spot. "The flowers .... the singing flowers..." ++

. . . . [ Brows furrow – wondering how many this guy had. ] Rose.

"Sane....? Maybe yo-you and n-not-not I.. Sane.. I don't think- Think I can be that." A quick glance towards the other as he moved besides him, & for a moment Ronnie thought to create further space between them. But he stayed, his focus back to the flower, plucking a single, colorful petal. ++

"Okay..Let's talk— You want to t-talk? With the cr-crazy clown boy...?" "To let me..vent..? Daddy used t—to hit me..mommy de-dearest pre-pretended I wasn't — there? An-And when it wasn't him hitting me— they hit eachother." ++

Allowing himself to drop completely into the grass, surrounded by the a wave of green that danced in the breeze— he let himself soak in that warmth & the fresh air that fill his lungs. Peaceful. "What a place to die....." He muttered softly, holding up the flower to admire it's color.

"Right— and I'm..bl-blind and stupid, right..?" A roll of those eyes, cold & lifeless before he'd click tongue to teeth in disatisfaction. "...I've already been through— more than you can imagine, I-I'm s..sure. And you...can't ta-ake that back." ++

"No.. We'll — stay." Despite the brightness, he was admittedly fascinated by the sight before him. Though he came with the intention of gore, he was far too entertained by the strange beauty that came from nature & new sights. Dropping to his knees, his hands brush through the green of the grass+

"...So insistent for someone...who doesn't...know me. Hardly anyway.." "You p—pity me." He crosses his arms over his chest, lips pulled to a taught, straight line. "...You can't – even help yourself..you can't help me. I know— about you with The Joker."

The sun was something near foreign to Ronnie whose life had always been shrouded in the smog of his city — Narrowed eyes blink at rapid pace, adjusting to the brightness that came from overhead. He never got out much. "...Bright....."

Your— so-called father figure insisted t-that h—he'd make sure you don't...pester me...or I'll— kill you.

"Camp.. a—and here I thought I'd never get the — camp exp-perience." A partial scoff from the clown, his eyes scanning the open area of trees. Far different that the streets of Gotham, a place he rarely left. "Right..W-Well....this is y-your show isn't it...? ..then... the st-age it yours." ++

A softened breath taken through his nose, an attempt to stave off emotions he didn't have to words to understand. Anger? Annoyed? — Sorrow? Walking towards Rose, he'd bring both hands to his shoulders, firm in his grasp. "....You think— you can help me..? Fix m-me?" ++

"Future...What future?" "...I have no future. ..I exist..for entertainment...just to— fi-fill the void.. temporary rel-lief." "A rotten fa-amily.. a rot-rotten son..this rotten...world. I will fulfill my m-mission.. then I am..free."

"You.. are making unneccesary problems..fo-or yourself.." "I to-old you.. I will die, in two m-m..onths time. Don't waste yo-our breath on me now."

" .. I don't have th-that." "I did .. once. O-Only once. That w-was my mista-ake." ".....Don't pretend..you care. I am not yo-your son. There's no..reason to get attached."

"I'm not a kid— kids are..innocent, pure..unt-touched by the— r-reality of this wor-orld." "I haven't been a k—kid in.. a lo-ong..time.."

Mmm... But it's funny.

Quizzical. Skeptical. Bewildered. Confused. " .....Why?"

" . . . . . . " "Why?"

Good. Then I'll come back in- in a fe-ew days. Maybe.

You're— not allowed to talk to me.

"Pipe..down..noisy—" "I didn't eat it— I could smell it."

One or the..other.

"There's....rat poison in-in my cat food to-today....."

Are your tears quiet or does nobody care about your weeps .ᐣ

Eyes narrowed — cold in the way he stared, though he merely meant to observed him, watching & listening with the intent to note anything down of interest. Ronnie found him to be .. peculiar. "Yes." A straightforward, simplistic answer, often finding himself quick to his points when necessary.

No—? So...picky. And annoying.. Then I can le-leave the chair in- in traffic. Hm? Yo-our pick.

"What— an..interesting time to be- g-getting deep. But su-ure. Why n—n..not?" His hand brushed against the door's frame as he passes by, his eyes following the other as he leads. "I — was bo-born a monster. Had to of been .. So I st-ayed one. If that was m-my calling. Better to be a m-monster."

I wo-on't kill your pathetic, ugly son. Bu—ut I won't hesitate..to d–do what I must if he..gets in m—my way. Or an-anyone.

I won't be satisfied u-until...they are gone... along with – B-Batman.

I'm going to — leave you tied and come back i-in a few days.

"You a—and me bo-oth. My days are num..bered.. anyway." Ever so calm in his own reply, he'd hardly bat an eye at Ash's own comment while hands roamed his jacket in search of weaponry. One could never be too careful afterall. ++

No — It's what they get .. F— For everything. For the b-boy who wanted just s d-damn minute of the — their time. For the b-boy who — who lost .. everything before life began. And for a moment .. I'll take it all ba—ack.

They— made me.. this way.

I'm going to kill my parents.

I ran away wh—en I was..six..sixteen. I..lived on the streets. Off an-and on. I'd get pi-icked up. I go back out — I sta-ayed place to place. Then Joker found me.. I we-ent with him.

"I'll come.. But like I said — If he's real .. I'm pushing you down a-and le-etting him take you." "I ha—ave plans.. Not dying to so-ome prude monster." He definitely meant what he said by the look in his eyes, fully intending to leave Ash as bait if he needed to.

Gotham.. With my parents. My old home before — I left a few years ago.

You're tr-trying to humanize the c..lown boy. It's unnecessary.. Besides. I'm going b-ack home for..my birthday.

I need to— kill Batman bef-ore my birthday.

The—There is nothing you can give me.

I'm ha—having a birthd-day party... My first..one.. I've waited a long t–time for it.

19 i—in February. A—And then .. forever.

I — It's . . T — Too late. Yo—You c..an't help m—m..me. I've already been dead — a long .. time. I was dead the d— day I was b-bo-rn.

You make you-ourself b— bait. You ha-ave a weird thing for wanting to be v–victim.

"The most — intrica-ate way of hitting on m—me, I guess." Nonchalant in his response, he watched Ash & his reaction to the whole ordeal. "But if we — find the monster, I can just — give y-you to him."