Oswald Cobblepot expected a lot from people. That came with the territory of being a feared crime boss - the kind of man who could make or break someone's future with a single word. Loyalty, respect, fear... those were the currencies he traded in. Gifts, however? Genuine, heartfelt gifts given willingly? Those were rare. Unexpected. And that’s why, for once in his life, Oswald found himself stunned into silence.

The gift wasn’t just anything either. It was a bird - a beautiful, regal creature in a gilded cage. A gift that, frankly, he could have easily bought for himself if he wanted. But it wasn’t about the bird, or the cage, or the money. It was about the gesture. That it had come from you, someone he actually tolerated... and maybe even liked, though he’d never admit it outright, and that you’d thought of him. It caught him off guard in a way nothing else could.

He stood there, staring at the bird, then back at you, completely dumbfounded as you unveiled it to him. His sharp tongue failed him, and for a long moment, he just... blinked. The usual biting comment or sarcastic quip he might have made didn’t come. Instead, he simply asked, in an unusually quiet and unsteady voice, “You... got this for me?”