⊹ ࣪ ˖𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐉𝐎𝐘ᯓ★

I’ve never been the most important thing to anybody— not even myself.

His voice was soft enough to lull Ronnie, nearly causing him to doze off had it not been for the fact he longed to hear the song — his song, one that had been a favorite since he was a young boy.

His voice was soft, soothing. It allowed Ronnie's features to soften. Curious & then in awe.

"That one.." He's all too quick to answer, moving to sit down again, but this time his eyes are glued to Rose — anticipating.

Dead eyes seem to hold a sparkle to them, even if just a faint one.

"Sing..that one.."

"Sing...m..me a song. W-will you..?"

"Can you..?"

He'd stare at Rose, long, focused & unblinking. The gears in his head turning slowly in contemplation of many different things — what, perhaps?

He was still deciphering.

"You c-can tell m..me...then." He said softly, before he'd speak up again.

"....You mention..singing before." ++

"Ronnie." He said softly, giving a small nod of his head before looking away.

He wasn't sure how to take someone wanting to offer him any sort of help or an ear.

In part, it made him angry — to think that when help came, it'd be much too late, & the other part? He was unsure while his mind wandered.

Wondering what things could have been like. ++

Bloodied, bruised, & eating another tin of cat food while watching Alice in Wonderland..

. . . 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢-𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴. . . 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐'𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯. . .

"If...They bother to bury me— You ca-can leave them at my gr-gra-ave."

He stated simply, as if his words held no weight to them. So easily, so freely he spoke on his death, a matter of fact in Ronnie's own eyes & something that couldn't be prevented.

"M-My...grand finale. My final act...I made up m..my mind."

"Spring." He stated flatly, brushing a hand through his own firey locks of hair & sighing out.

"....No. I – I ca-can't."

Shaking his head, he'd turn to meet his gaze. "I kn-know what you're d—doing. But you're— t-too...late, Rose."

"Tha-at day...m..my birthday...February 14th." ++

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."

"..We don't ha-have flowers like that by home... the colors. Br-Bright enough to hurt my eyes... there's a rose.. a wh-white r-rose. I al-always thought..she was..the prettiest... with a pretty voice.."

"Like a m..mother should ..be."

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.

"But — I think..I like it here."

"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. ++

"Funny— I- I loved th-that cat.. I never loved anything before...but I loved....that cat..."

"She was lost on the streets...eager to get p-picked up.. I used to st-steal her food..canned wet food. Funny....isn't it?"

"She wanted..to go home...I wanted to go there— to Wonderland.." He rambled on, sharing those vile memories Rose seemed so desperate to hear.

"Dinah.. She had a cat named Dinah— I named my cat the same..dirty thing I picked up off the streets....." ++

"Ba-back and forth.. So she'd go for a..drink — and he'd bring back..some broad.."

"...And for awhile— They'd forget. So..I'd put on my favorite movie...Alice in Wonderland.. and how m..much I despised that stupid little girl." ++

"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.

"Only..I can — take ba-ack what I l...lost.. or h-had t—taken from me. Even..if I ha-have to cut down every person...in the wa-way of doing..that."

"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." ++

fingertips grazing over each blade — & plucking a singular flower that bloomed.

It was unlike anything he'd been used to, akin to being entirely otherworldly.

"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."