serialbydesign

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AARON ✉ DEXTER

Aaron: No, Dex. I'm fucking not. The fact that mine, yours and Sebastian's name are all on that same fucking thing is creeping me out. I'm with him now, and this shit isn't fucking moving.

Dexter: I'm coming, where are you? His place, I assume.

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AARON ✉ DEXTER

Dexter: Are you okay?

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elysiumfrannie​:

That is unfortunately very true. I appreciate the perspective. I’m sorry, I wish I had better news to give. I understand, of course. Family is important. It is no trouble, really. Aaron seems like a good guy.

So you already know him? 

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aaronmorgan​:

I sure as fuck hope I’m drunk enough for this.

Yeah, sure. Come on over, I guess. I have a few people on the way too, but… I guess having you here wouldn’t be that bad. I need to talk to you anyway. This place is getting too fucking weird. Right when I think it’s done, boom. More weirdness.

Other people? Who? I’m not sure I trust anyone here but you. I have no reason to. I think we need to talk too, in person.

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aaronmorgan​:

When I find out who gave these shitty fucking presents, I’m personally gonna be beating some ass. Anyway, I got a whole fuck ton of beer over here if anyone wants to come join me in drinking myself to death. Thanks a fucking lot.

It’s no coincidence that our captors gave me one of my kill room supplies. They know. The last thing I need is Aaron finding out what I am. This place is trying my patience.

Are you still looking for company?

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islezoiebeiste​:

Your sister definitely sounds like she’d have had it right in this case. This is really, really beginning to be just a bit more than a bit too much.   

My brother and sister are both... verbose, what can I say. You’re not wrong there.

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islezoiebeiste​:

As if it weren’t obvious before, this place is legitimately fucked. Merry fucking Christmas. I’m sure we’re all in the same boat tonight. 

Merry fucking Christmas, as my brother and sister would say.

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islezoiebeiste​:

While tonight’s events sound lovely, I think I’m going to pass on this one. Truth be told, I haven’t been feeling my best today. If you’re planning on going down, I hope you have fun. Let me know if I miss anything exciting, guys. 

It’s The Grinch and Krampus, I don’t think you’re missing much.

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aaronmorgan​:

So, uh… anyone want to go with me to this thing tonight? Not gonna miss anything else after the last one, as if I’d ever consider missing Home Alone, but also not down to go alone.

We could go. Nobody seems to be worried about the situation we’re in, so... when in Rome, right?

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AARON ✉ DEXTER

Aaron: Yup, that I remember. I couldn't agree more. Come over around 5? Does that work for you?

Dexter: 5 works for me, of course. Do you need me to bring anything?

Dexter: How are you doing with... all of this? Being here?

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AARON ✉ DEXTER

Aaron: So, uh... what do you say you come over later? I got a couple porterhouses and a 6 pack of beer from that grocery run, and no one cooks'em like you do.

Aaron: ... from what I remember, anyway.

Dexter: I'd love to. You know I'm the steak and beer guy, a slice of normality sounds like just what the doctor ordered. I've got nothing but free time, so just let me know when to come over.

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santislecastillo​:

Yeah. But kidnapped to enjoy a nice vacation sounded way better than just stalked for years and then kidnapped. I think this is literally the first time in my life that hearing I’m special doesn’t make me feel special at all. Funny joke, now I’d appreciate if whoever is pulling it over would just… show up and let us go. 

The only problem with that thought process is that it doesn’t make much sense. Not that this makes any more sense. I don’t think anyone is going to be let go any time soon either. After whoever did this put so much effort into getting us here, and setting all of this up. I’d be impressed if I wasn’t here myself.  

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elysiumfrannie​:

I suppose I shouldn’t find that surprising, I’m apparently batting zero in the comforting department today. Nice to meet you, Dexter. I’m Frannie. Oh yes, Aaron! I fed him one of our first nights here. Well, the majority of us have been here for…Six days now? Seven? That whole losing track of time thing is really beginning to set in. I do believe you may be right about that. Are you…Settling in alright? Do you need a meal or anything?

It’s not personal, I think we’re all a little beyond comfort at the moment. Knowing that this has already gone on for a week doesn’t help. More like losing control like this doesn’t help. Nobody outsmarts me. It’s a kind offer, but I should see my brother before I make plans with anyone else. I’m glad he’s had someone here.

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Psychopathy is a condition characterized by the absence of empathy and the blunting of other affective states. Callousness, detachment and a lack of empathy enable psychopaths to be highly manipulative. Nevertheless, psychopathy is among the most difficult disorders to spot.

Psychopaths can appear normal, even charming. Underneath, they lack any semblance of conscience. Their antisocial nature inclines them often (but by no means always) to criminality.

Psychopaths spark popular fascination and clinical anguish: Adult psychopathy is largely resistant to treatment, though programs exist to treat callous, unemotional youth in hopes of preventing them from maturing into psychopaths.

Brain anatomy, genetics, and a person’s environment may all contribute to the development of psychopathic traits.

The Signs of a Psychopath

Psychopathy is a spectrum disorder and can be diagnosed using the 20-item Hare Psychopathy Checklist, which features traits such as lack of empathy, pathological lying, and impulsivity, each scored on a three-point scale based on whether the item does not apply (0), applies to a certain extent (1), or fully applies (2) to the individual. The bar for clinical psychopathy is a score of 30 or higher; serial killer Ted Bundy scored 39.

The checklist was developed in the 1970s by the Canadian researcher Robert Hare. A true assessment should be conducted by a mental health professional.

The revised version of the checklist includes the following characteristics

glibness/superficial charm

grandiose sense of self-worth

need for stimulation/proneness to boredom

pathological lying

conning/manipulative

lack of remorse or guilt

shallow affect (i.e., reduced emotional responses)

callous/lack of empathy

parasitic lifestyle

poor behavioral controls

promiscuous sexual behavior

early behavioral problems

lack of realistic, long-term goals

impulsivity

irresponsibility

failure to accept responsibility for one's own actions

many short-term marital relationships

juvenile delinquency

revocation of conditional release (from prison)

criminal versatility (i.e., commits diverse types of crimes)

What percentage of people are psychopaths?

Psychopaths exist across cultures and ethnic groups. It has been estimated that approximately 1 percent of males and 0.3–0.7 percent of females could be classified as psychopaths. An individual may show elevated levels of multiple traits associated with psychopathy without qualifying as a psychopath according to a measure such as the Hare checklist.

When does psychopathy begin?

An individual may exhibit early characteristics associated with psychopathy—called “callous-unemotional traits”—as early as childhood (before age 10) and may receive a formal diagnosis such as conduct disorder. However, showing psychopathic features in childhood does not mean that a person will necessarily become an adult psychopath.

What causes someone to become a psychopath?

Like other personality traits, psychopathic traits are substantially influenced by genetics, though research suggests that non-genetic factors are involved as well. Scientists have observed signs of atypical functioning of particular brain areas (such as the amygdala) in people with psychopathic traits. But there is much to be learned about the causes of such differences.

Psychopaths and Violence

For some, “psychopath” may seem synonymous with “criminal” or “killer, but the reality of psychopathy is more complicated. Scientists have indeed found statistical associations between psychopathy scores and violent behavior, as well as other forms of criminality. Elevated impulsiveness, tendency to deflect blame, and other antisocial traits may make a psychopath more inclined than other people to cross moral boundaries and threaten, hurt, or kill.

Yet the link between psychopathy and violence is far from one-to-one. Not all psychopaths are killers or even criminals, and there are other personality traits and forms of pathology aside from psychopathy that may contribute to aggressive behavior.

How many psychopaths are killers?

It is unknown how many psychopaths commit severe acts of violence. Among convicted killers, more than a quarter could be considered psychopaths (compared to about 1 percent of the general population), according to one estimate—and there’s evidence that psychopathic criminals are more likely to re-offend. But many psychopaths do not have histories of violence.

Are all serial killers psychopaths?

Not necessarily—though many (perhaps most) serial killers exhibit psychopathic personalities, showing a lack of empathy for their victims and no remorse for their crimes.

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elysiumfrannie​:

If it makes you feel any better, you aren’t alone in that. None of us are, I’d think. Unless this is the sort of thing someone enjoys partaking in, in which case have your fun but leave me out of it next time. I wish I had some insight to give on those answers, but I’m just as lost as everyone else. I’m Frannie, it’s…Well, not nice to meet you, given the circumstances, but I’m sure you catch my drift. 

Oddly enough, it doesn’t. Right. I’m Dexter. You may have met my brother, he’s here too. Aaron Morgan. How long has everyone been here? From what I can tell, I’m the last to have arrived. 

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santislecastillo​:

Hooray. Definitely not anyone’s lucky day now, I guess. Yeah, the houses. Decorated to perfection. All of them. Now we know how they managed to get that all right, huh? Creepy stalkers, man. The whole “don’t panic” warnings kinda make sense now. It’s weird. Weirder now. Whatever experiment they got going on, I’m sure it’s a pretty shitty one now. 

Clearly not. Though to play devil’s advocate, we already knew that we’d been kidnapped. Now we know that it’s because we’re ...special. Somehow. But we also know now that we’ve been duped for years. Someone’s been pulling one over on all of us for longer than we thought.

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aaronmorgan​:

He just comes back after all this time and pulls the ‘little buddy’ card? What the actual fuck.

Your guess is as fucking good as mine, Dexter. Christ on a fucking cracker. No, I don’t know where we are. Do you? All I know is, we’re on an island and there’s no way off. No airports, boats, cars, ability to make fucking phone calls off of this thing. Everyone somehow blacked out at some point and ended up here. All we have are several stores, a beach, houses and trees. Oh, and fucking welcome parties with all you can eat buffets. I definitely don’t trust those. 

**

And videos of memories past, some of which nobody else should have been privy to. That’s an interesting interpretation of a “party.” One I’ve never heard before. So we know this isn’t a good place. I’d ask what you remembered about the night you were abducted, but I don’t have to. 

It might not be the best idea to talk about anything too serious out in the open. You never know who’s watching, and it’s clear that our captor is a voyeur. My secret wasn’t exposed on that film, but there’s no telling whether or not it’ll be used against me. It’s better to not cross anyone and keep investigating quietly. No need to draw attention to either reason I have for being so good at solving crimes. This place is fascinating.

We should get together. Soon. We can catch up. I think now’s a pretty good time for a beer.