#//I don't remember my tagging methods for this blog aa helpo

[emmondsokolov]

//Pacing around the kitchen and thinking about OCs and not sure where to put this so y'all are getting it on here :)

Anyone who's stuck with me long enough and seen me develop characters or rp with me knows how much I love to delve into and explore character psyche.

Every single one of my OCs will have at least one mental illness or disability, not a single one gets by me unscathed. And it's not like that's my intended goal from creation! It usually starts with an idea or a design I think could work, or a story element is missing and I build someone up to fill that hole. They get a loose backstory, and a personality to go with it. Then I set them free inside my brain and let them mingle with my friend's OCs for a few instances.

Maybe a month or so later, after fleshing out their backstory more and seeing how they respond when put in situations, I'll sit back and just... Analyze them. Pick them apart. And have a big think over why they are that way. Their personality will almost always change from what they're first presented with. For example, Urzula was a much more cool and collected mageslayer, reserved and polite, but deadly when necessary. Now I know her reserved and quiet nature comes from a place of anxiety and she is very timid, especially in regards to how other people perceive her, and avoids killing as much as possible where it can be avoided.

I don't particularly have the medical training or knowledge to back me up 100%, but I have my own and many of my friends and family's experiences to draw from and add to my understanding. And when I don't have the word for a particular condition, my partner is especially good at tracking down and researching symptoms, and finding what they can add up to.

BEAR WITH ME I'm rambling and haven't even reached what I wanted to say yet.

And I'm not sure how exactly to lead into this but, all of this is to say:

Antisocial Personality Disorders are extremely interesting to read about, namely psychopaths and sociopaths. And I think more people could stand to consider this for their characters!

Most people only think of the most extreme cases and villains for these conditions, and media does portray them in a very misleading way. Psychopath is also used as a common insult or tease flung around willy nilly at anyone so much as acting a little bit goofy or even having a nervous breakdown.

To save further rambling, this is a very very very basic breakdown of the two so I can get on with it.

All of this is to say, Marloix is definitely a psychopath. Combined with crippling depression and substance abuse he even displays sociopath behavior sometimes.

Aleks is another OC I had for a long time who I also pinned as a psychopath years ago, although her whole demeanor is very different to Marloix. She also has depression but has a lot more of her shit together.

Nelandrie has a lot of similarities to some sociopath traits, but hers all comes from severe PTSD, and contrary to what one may be led to believe, she does care. She cares a lot. And has 100 years give or take of coping mechanisms to squash all that down into a pointy little box in her heart. She has anger and impulse issues, a desperate need to be in control at all times, and certainly a power complex of some sort. I'm still figuring her out.

This is getting long enough already so I won't bore my minuscule followers with further details unless anyone asks me to elaborate on anything. I'm happy to talk about this sort of thing in further detail, as you may have noticed this is an interest of mine.