Strange - A Nygmobblepot Story

Appearances

Edward caught up with Oswald in the dining room. He rounded the corner, excited for something to eat, and the sight of the table took his breath away. It was piled high with roast chicken and turkey, stuffings and salads, potatoes in every form imaginable, and in the middle, a large chocolate cake. Ed hadn't seen a feast like this on the table since Oswald was mayor. He hesitantly sat in his old seat, next to Oswald. Ivy sat on Oswald's other side, all smiles and chatter.
"Did you make this?", Ed asked her, before he could stop himself.
Ivy stared at him ludicrously and raised her eyebrows. When she realised he was being serious, she snorted and began to chuckle, the sound filling up the room.
"No, silly. It was Ozzie's cook, what's her name, uhh... Olga! Yes, Olga, she's an amazing cook! When I got the call from Oz I knew I'd have to collect you both ASAP, and I knew you'd be hungry, but I didn't have time to cook anything. So I looked in the phone book and her number was marked and circled a lot, so I called her. She didn't speak English very well, but it was clear that she was happy when I told her that Oz was still alive. She said she made the feast in his honour or something, I don't know. She seemed angry when I mentioned that you were coming along, though, Mr. Nygma. I can't imagine why..."
Ed stared hard at the food on his plate, now seriously considering the possibility that it was poisoned. He'd completely forgotten about Olga. He'd barely even noticed the lack of meals and the venomous looks that she'd sent him after Oswald "disappeared". Would she try to seek revenge? No, no, that seemed too drastic. She was just his cook after all...
He was snapped out of his thoughts by Oswald rising from the table, muttering something about going to the kitchen to thank Olga. Ed stared up at him, his eyes screaming,
"Don't leave me with Ivy, she'll kill me."
Oswald just smiled and gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and Ivy a warning look before hobbling off down the corridor.
As the sound of his uneven footsteps faded, Ed turned to Ivy and tried to make small talk.
"Soooo... you like plants?", he said, taking a sip of wine.
Ivy smiled at him and replied,
"Yep! Plants are better than people in my opinion. They have so many uses! There are some plants that can heal you, some plants that can make you tell the truth, some can make you hallucinate, some are just incredible in tea, and others... well..."
Ivy stabbed her knife into the hardwood table, making Ed jump a little in his seat.
"Others can kill you in a matter for seconds.", she said, removing the knife and admiring the gouge she made.
Edward rolled his eyes at her attempt at intimidation. He took another sip of wine and told himself that Ivy was just making empty threats.
"How fascinating...", he drawled.
Ivy smiled at him again and said,
"Why thank you, Mr.Nygma. Do you mind if I call you Ed? Of course not. Well, Ed, another great thing about plants is sometimes, they have no taste. Take for example, the Gutteres Kinatini, a rare plant from the Amazon. It is very deadly, just a few leaves can kill you instantly. However, it has no taste, and death caused by it appears natural, so it is heavily sought after on the black market."
Edward went to take another sip of his wine, but as he reached for his glass, he felt his throat close up. He stared at Ivy in mute terror. She hadn't been joking. He stretched out his hands and tried to ask for help but he found that he couldn't speak.
Ivy just smiled.
"A downside to this plant, though, is that it has a very simple antidote, and it works instantly. The trouble is, very few people know what that antidote is... but I am one of them! I can give you the antidote right now, but you'll have to give me something in return. You have to promise right here, right now, that you will never try to hurt Ozzie again. I know that he's planning on using my perfume on you, but sometimes the old fashioned way works best. This should help to send you a message, anyways... So, do you want my help Ed?"
Edward could barely breathe now, and dark spots were clouding his vision. He could feel himself about to pass out, so he nodded his head as vigorously as he could and hoped that Ivy understood. He saw her smile brilliantly and reach across the table to hand him a little pink vial. He uncorked it desperately and drank, already feeling his throat begin to reopen. When all the liquid was gone, and he could breathe again, he stared at Ivy with a mixture of fear and respect. So Oswald had some powerful friends. He carefully pushed his wine glass away and drank from a cup of water that Ivy placed next to him.
"That wasn't necessary you know," he said, trying to seem nonchalant.
Ivy raised an eyebrow as she tucked into her meal, obviously unconvinced.
"It was for me. Oswald has been very kind to me and I won't allow for him to be hurt again. It's clear that he still has feelings for you, and would care if I killed you. That is the only reason that I made an antidote. As soon as he stops loving you, you're dead. So you better stay on his good side..."
Edward sighed, knowing that she'd probably never believe his side of the story but deciding to tell it anyway.
"Oswald killed someone who I thought I loved, Ivy. It turns out that that someone was just made by Strange, to wreck havoc in my life, but I didn't know that until a few days ago. I thought that he killed the woman I loved because he was selfish and uncaring. But he wasn't. I regret shooting Oswald every day. I missed him so much when he was gone that I started taking pills to hallucinate him. Killing him... it killed a part of me. I'll never be able to say sorry enough."
Ivy stared at him in shock, obviously unaware of these details. For the first time, she looked at him as if he was truly human. She put her fork and knife down, and held out her hand across the table.
"That sounds like a lot of baggage Eddie. I can understand that. I'm sorry about your girlfriend, even if she wasn't really real. But you still shouldn't have shot Ozzie... Truce?"
Edward smiled warmly, and shook her hand.
"Truce."
Ivy's signature mega-watt smile bounced back onto her face and she resumed eating her dinner. Ed finally tucked into his as well, just as Oswald re-entered the room. He had a satisfied expression on his face. He smiled at Ed and Ivy and joined them at the table. For a while, the only sounds to be heard were the clinking of cutlery off china, and the laughter at Ivy's many plant based jokes. This was the happiest all of them had been in a long time.