#and instead have to face the demonic manifestations of the other person

[stardustneeko]

"I will not hand him over to somebody who doesn't respect duelists like you." "Don't make me laugh, you don't even know him." "We can get to know everything about each other through a duel." "Ah, yes, I do remember how naïve I used to be." "Uhh...Guys? Can I have a little space?..."

(listen i am feral about the idea of Johan getting to know the person that Ryo had left behind in his past and falling for him just as hard as he has for the current Hell Kaiser because, how could he not?)

[violet-moonstone]

once more defending my love, book!elphaba thropp

reading reviews of wicked and im seeing people say they hate book elphaba because she's "unlikable"

so many people love the feel good vibes of the musical while not seeing that they sound exactly like people who would have shunned elphaba at shiz for not being pleasant enough and making them feel unsettled instead of putting them at ease

I'm saying this because I find that people are often much more charitable towards fictional characters than real people -- and people IRL who have Elphaba's severe, unwavering personality and unwillingness to conform often face the same social stigma she did, no green skin required. Like yes, Elphaba was an outcast because she had green skin, but I don't think the green skin is the point of the novel. I think her being green is a visual manifestation of being so at odds with what you're "supposed" to be that people demonize you for it. Book Elphaba is queer and hinted to be intersex. I read her as neurodivergent, so this all tracks to me, and considering that other forms of oppression and stigmatization are very important themes in the narrative, I think the green-ness simply emphasizes to the other ways in which she's marginalized.

Trying not to go into the Wicked rant that I tend to do every few months but I feel it coming on

I'm all here for critiques of the novel, because it certainly has flaws, and I understand why people don't enjoy it -- but there is something funny to me about people wanting a narrative about looking beneath the surface to find true value but hating the version of that story that requires the most compassion to appreciate. Like the musical is fun and well-made but it does not require any effort to like musical Elphaba because she's conventionally attractive woman who's feisty and kinda quirky...oh and she's also green. And her being green matters more to the other characters than to us. We don't care that she's green (because we already know it would be wrong to judge her based on that) and the musical gives us no other reasons to judge her, so we don't really have to process any complex emotions.

(Sidenote, I think if book Elphaba were still green but more conventionally attractive, bubbly, and less political, she would not have been as much of an outcast -- at least not in her later adolescence. Her green-ness could have been a novelty or spectacle that she used to her advantage if she made up for it by being more palatable in other ways. Of course, she would never do this, because that's simply not Elphaba. She could never twist herself to be anything other than who she is, even out of social self-preservation.)

Book Elphaba is so much more prickly and unpleasant --and hell, so was I at the height of my social ineptitude and feeling like there was something so so wrong with me (because why for the love of God couldn't I just fit in and act the way the cool kids my age did).

Her unpleasantness and seriousness and insistence on talking about important things that make people uncomfortable are her green-ness imo. Those are the things that affect how we as the reader experience her, and we must experience her strangeness as well.

And while I understand that if the moral of the story is essentially "don't judge a book by its cover" then yes, you can tell a thematically sound story about a girl who is actually pretty cool but just happens to be green and talk about how she's ostracized simply because she looks different. That's a perfectly fine story -- but I think it can go much further -- because it's not only wrong to marginalize people who look different, it's also wrong to marginalize those who are internally different. Difference is persecuted whether its visual or behavioural.

Even if Elphaba weren't green, there are inherent aspects of who she is that prevent her from conforming to the ideal, both in her world and ours. And I think valuing her with all of those things in mind is a lot more rewarding than simply liking her despite the fact that she's green.

Anyway I love Elphaba Thropp and I don't think her being more palatable would have made the story better — it simply would have made it more popular, and I think on that at least, fans of both the book and musical should be able to agree is not an inherently better thing.

...

OK one last point, I saw someone saw they prefer the musical because it has more "girl power" meanwhile the book feels "obviously written by a man" and I just...dear god what a surface level take

Yes Gregory Maguire is a man (oh, the horror!), but he wrote the women in Wicked as people, without hand wringing about if they're likeable or pleasant enough. They are flawed and raw and not just there to make the audience feel warm and fuzzy. He writes about sexuality without making women feel like sexual objects -- I suspect because he also writes about the sexuality of his male characters (the women aren't just in the story to turn us on) and he himself is gay, so there may be less male-gaze going on than with a lot of men who write fantasy. Yes, characters are described in sexual ways, but this happens regardless of gender.

[bad-and-drawn-that-way]

Another Vox enthusiasts I see? Well if I may...

Vox with a GN Hacker reader who was turned entirely digital after manifesting in hell. They don’t even have a physical form they’re completely stuck within Hell’s databases, their skills are obviously useful to him so he offers them a place on the team which they immediately accept on the condition that Vox makes them a vessel to inhabit because holy shit are they going stir crazy.

I’m not entirely sure how Vox’s abilities work but given he can at the very least project himself onto screens and the like I get the feeling that he’d plug himself into the system whenever they talk. Mostly because it keeps them grounded, they’re alot calmer when he’s actually next to them and not looking in through a screen.

I hope this didn’t get too wordy or long I just wanted to be thorough because I have massive brain rot for this techno mf-

Take your time with this request! Kisses darling <3

-📽

Dude, does anyone else remember having Shimeji's or that internet episode from Fairly Odd Parents? Cause that's what I'm about to write!

Digital Pet [Vox x Digital Reader]

When you first manifested in Hell, you were completely unaware that you had ended up in Hell itself. Because instead of manifesting in the overcrowded circle designated for sinners, you instead found yourself in a digital landscape. Countless screens surrounded you like a million portals. You could see the different shapes and sizes of the devices being used in hell and could even alter whether or not you saw what was being displayed on the screen or what the screen could see itself like a window to Hell.

At first, you had a massive meltdown. From what you could tell, you were the only one in this digital Hell custom-tailored to leave you isolated despite having access to every device in Hell. You wondered what you did to deserve the extra punishment layered on top of not being good enough for heaven, especially since you hadn't done anything particularly evil when you were alive.

You lost track of how much time passed. You entertained yourself by jumping from system to system. You'd watch shows that sinners binged, and you'd watch the city from large advertisement screens that overlooked the sinner's circle of Hell. Anything to stave off the loneliness.

One day, that all changed when you felt an electric buzz make the hairs on the back of your neck stand. You heard the voice of someone swearing and immediately pulled yourself away from the screen you had been sticking your nose into. When you turned, you saw another demon who was still sparking with some bright electric energy as he dusted himself off.

For a moment the two of you just stared at each other in shock. As far as you and Vox knew, you were the only ones who could access the digital realm of Hell's database. Vox is immediately wary, but you are thrilled as you approach him quickly.

"H-Hi, oh my god!" you breathe as you look him over. He didn't look new to Hell, but you had never seen anyone else in the same pocket of space as you before. "Did you just die? Have you seen anyone else? Did you just get here? It's been so long since I saw another person that wasn't on a screen!"

Vox blinked as you rapid-fired questions at him. He looked you over as you rambled something about the irony of his face being a screen when he finally shook his head and held up a hand to stop you.

"Woah, woah, woah, slow down," he started. "What are you talking about? How are you even here? No one else should be able to traverse through the database of Hell but me."

Vox's interest only grows as you explain your situation. "I see," he hummed as he looked you over with new intrigue. "I wonder if you have similar abilities to mine and just got caught in the in-between..."

It was easy enough for him to lure you into a deal. The sheer amount of panic you expressed when he pretended he was going to just leave you there was hilarious at the time. In exchange for you "surfing the web" for him, so to speak, he took you on as an apprentice of sorts. Vox trained your abilities and helped you hone your magic. While you had every hope of one day figuring out how to manifest in the physical realm the way he did, Vox cleverly avoided any pursuit of the possibility.

He liked having full power over you and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't starting to grow attached. While you hadn't learned anything about manifesting physically, you had learned how to appear on his screens. He'd never admit it to you out loud, but he found the tiny image of you running around on his devices and talking with him to be pretty damn adorable.

Despite his manipulation, the two of you actually slowly became friends. He found himself genuinely proud of you whenever you popped up to show him something new you had learned. There was a weird warm and fuzzy feeling in his chest when you would bounce with excitement at your new discoveries.

Sometimes you'd ask him to play a certain show or song for you. Even after you learned how to control inactive devices so you could look up anything you wanted, you still liked to ask him to play things for you just so you could watch them in his presence. You'd send memes to each other and Vox had to quickly excuse himself when you sent him a crudely drawn image of Alastor slipping on a banana peel while he was in the middle of giving a presentation at a meeting.

Vox was emotionally constipated, but he wasn't stupid. He could tell that the warm feeling in his chest was growing and he knew you were the source. He clutched his chest as he stepped into his lair and saw you sleeping on his desktop toolbar, waiting for him to come home after a long day at work. He had promised you that you'd watch the new episode of a show you'd been watching together, but his gameshow had run late.

He sits down with a sigh and traces over your sleeping form, feeling something twist inside of him as his claw only met with the cold, flat surface of a screen. He wondered what it would be like to hold you. To touch you. To have you in his arms while the two of you lay on the couch while you made him watch stupid shows instead of...

"Fuck," Vox whispered to himself as he pulled away from the innocent image of you. He clutched his face as he slumped forward in his chair. He had a decision to make.

And so do you, dear readers! I want to make a part two to this, the real question is:

[comingdownwithme]

Can we see more of Jeff and Toby also is Ben and Ej I’m the comic of not what are your headcanons for them??

Jeff and Toby have always been my favs since I was a kid, so you'll definitely be seeing more of them!

As for the comic, the whole thing is more of snippets and peeks into my interpretation of Creepypasta instead of a solid, sequential storyline, so not a whole lot is concrete, and I won't be posting a whole, fleshed out comic since it's very time consuming. I'm definitely sure Ben and EJ would show up though, especially during Jeff's directionless wanderings

Anyways, Woe! Headcanons be upon ye!

Eyeless Jack

Jack Nyras is a man just trying to survive after he had been left disabled and transformed from putting his trust in the wrong people. Even as the demon contorts and shapes it's host as if it were trying to fit itself it's host's own flesh, Jack remains conscious, all too aware of what is happening to him and the dizzying, maddening hunger that drives him forward

He's gone from a 5'6"-ish guy to a whole 6 foot something of a man after the incident. The demon disfigured and stretched his body to "make itself at home", though it isn't too obvious with his shitty posture and what he wears

He used to go to medschool and was about to graduate as a Valedictorian.

He carries a roll of surgical knives in his hoodie pocket! (My best friend gave me this idea :)))

Burn scars over his eyes! Hot tar does that to you ig, and it harmed him enough to last despite his new form's accelerated regeneration

He's still sane enough to have morals (or at least, he believes he's sane enough), so though he isn't exactly picky, he prefers kidneys since his victims would usually survive with only one, and he strikes at night when his "patients" are sleeping

He's good friends with Jeff (even if neither would admit it, ESPECIALLY not Jeff). They first started out as seeing each other as nothing more than "easy body disposal" and "free meal provider", but each time they bump into each other, they've began to get along past their perceived usefulness

BEN drowned

An angry, vindictive spirit that's been freed from the confines of where he had been sealed. Even still, he can't remember his own face, so despite his newfound freedom, he had taken the form of the model he had been using during his digital imprisonment to manifest. He now wanders the world, vengeful and curious, yearning for a peace he might never get.

His face is stuck between 2 expressions: the calm, neutral look of the elegy of emptiness (which is his usual), or a more expressive- albeit heavily distorted face- during moments of heightened emotion like anger, sadness, etc. Nothing changes from his expression, not even his mouth moves.

The latter is also a reference to how fans usually drew Ben, along with just... .EXE characters in general-

His clothes are always soggy :(

He can manipulate and change his physical form, but the binary scarred into on his calf stays no matter what he does, whether that be changing forms entirely or removing the limb from his "model", in which case the binary moves elsewhere.

Ben is telepathic. He can choose who can understand him at any given moment, whether it be a group, a pair, or a singular person. Everyone else outside of the conversation could hear only gargling, wheezing and coughing.

Avoids areas where water is usually found in large amounts. I.e, lakes, rivers, bathrooms, etc.

[youremyheaven]

The Ugliness of Venus

every planet is associated with certain key themes but being under that planetary influence means to experience its very opposite. the extremes of anything is a meeting point for its opposite.

venus is the planet associated with love, beauty, harmony etc therefore it is unsurprising that venusian influence also subjects one to cruelty, ugliness, disharmony, violence and malevolence.

TW: this post will contain mentions of sexual harassment, rape, violence, murder, massacre, genocide, death, suicide among other things so please beware!!!

in my observations I have often found that Venusian natives are often cruel, callous, ugly (i mean this to refer to their actions/behaviour and not just unconventional appearance because "beauty" is a sum of appearance and traits- what we call Venusian refinement) hurtful, jealous and utterly lacking the charisma and hospitality for which Venus is known.

it is disturbing to think of how soooo many well known and notorious sex offenders have HEAVY Venusian influence in their charts. think of any celebrity who has had a sex scandal and they usually have Venusian placements. it's intriguing that no other planet shows up as much (in my personal observations).

Why is Venus so brutal, cruel and embracing of the darkness/ugliness of humanity?

All 3 Venus nakshatras, Bharani, Purvaphalguni & Purvashada are Ugra (meaning cruel or brutal, this is a 7 category classification in vedic astrology) nakshatras.

Ugra naks are known to be action-oriented go-getters and people who are very self-motivated and determined. Any quality can manifest in good or bad ways, so the shadow aspect of this determination and motivation is often ruthlessness, callousness, selfishness and arrogance.

This is also the reason why Venusian naks suffer. Venus seeks refinement, so an individual who does not filter out their own darkness but instead indulges in it, is inviting wrath. More than any other planet, Venus punishes its natives quite harshly and publicly. So many people who have been known to be horrible people, have been exposed, shamed and punished publicly have Venus influence.

Venus energy must be handled with care. Since Venus is love, it has a quality where it loves blindly, completely and without judgement but discretion and judgement are necessary in life. It is not good to be absolutely consumed by someone or something without considering the good and evil inherent in it. This makes Venus natives prone to evil simply because they don't see it as such. They think of it as the depths of their understanding of love, beauty and harmony. Beauty in its extreme however is grotesque, its ugliness, its frightening. Think of all those IG models who have the same face, there is a blandness to their cartoonish perfection to their proportions, it fails to evoke feeling, it fails to be memorable because true beauty is distinct and flawed, its intensity, depth and exaggerated proportions because Venus is not mild or lukewarm, it like to go overboard. Think of Angelina Jolie, her big forehead, large cheekbones, strong jaw, big protruding eyes, its a face that calls attention to itself, its not simple or readily accessible, its the opposite of the IG face where beauty is reduced to ordinary everyday blandness. True beauty is individuality.

Venusian natives are often preoccupied with good and evil, the holy and demonic, heaven and hell, this emanates from a deep understanding of contradictions and the need for their existence. Opposites are an illusion, everything is one. Goodness in its extreme is evil and the extremes of evil touches upon goodness.

So now I'll discuss certain specific examples:

Mao Zedong- Purvashada Rising

He was responsible for the deaths of close to 40 million people who died due to starvation, forced labour and others executed by the state due to their opposition of its policies.

Saddam Hussein- Bharani Sun, Venus in Revati (exalted)

Him and his party used violence, killing, torture, execution, arbitrary arrest, unlawful detention, enforced disappearance, and various forms of repression to control the population. Kurdish people were systematically persecuted and massacred using tear gas.

Hussein was publicly executed for committing crimes against humanity.

Hitler- Purvashada stellium (Moon, Jupiter and Ketu), Mercury and Venus in Bharani

I need not elaborate on who Hitler was and what he did bc we're all very familiar with him but yeah he was a Venusian. He died by suicide.

Stalin- Purvashada Mercury Amatyakaraka

I do not wish to elaborate on Soviet war crimes but Stalin had millions of people die, from starvation, torture, indentured labour etc

R Kelly- Purvashada Sun & Mercury

He is a pedophile and convicted sex offender

Marilyn Manson- Purvashada Sun

He's been accused of assault and rape on more than one occasion.

Idi Amin- Purvashada Sun

Idi Amin was popularly known as "The Butcher of Uganda." Amin overthrew an elected government in Uganda with a military coup, using lessons from the British colonial army. He declared himself president and ruled ruthlessly from 1971-1979. Once in power, Amin started mass executions of the Acholi and Lango tribes. In 1972 Amin forced 80,000 Asians to leave the country, which caused the economic collapse of the country since many were business owners. It’s estimated that through his rule, Amin killed at least 300,000 civilians.

Elon Musk- Purvaphalguni Moon

Sexual misconduct charges, labour law violations, treating his employees like trash and being an insufferable asshole on Twitter among other things. Nobody makes $100 billion without exploiting 100s of millions of people.

Jimmy Saville- Purvaphalguni Moon, Mars in Bharani amatyakaraka and Ketu in Purvashada

He was a pedophile who abused numerous children over the span of 50yrs

Peter Townshend- Purvaphalguni Jupiter & Rising, Ketu in Purvashada

He was found trying to access child porn sites

Chris Brown- Bharani Sun & Moon

He's abused several women, most famously, Rihanna

Here's some examples of people who have risen to prominence by playing ruthless people.

Kathy Bates- Mars in Purvaphalguni amatyakaraka

She is best remembered for playing the psychotic nurse in Misery

Anthony Hopkins- Purvashada Sun

He is best known for playing serial killer Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs

I know this is a very polarising topic and to any Venusians reading this, I sincerely do not wish to spread hate or cause harm, I am only trying to point out some of the things I have noticed. Does this mean every other Venusian you encounter is a serial killer in disguise? No Are all Venusians bad people? Also no. I thought it would be interesting to shed some light on the darker side of Venus which is seldom addressed if at all. Please do not take any of these observations too seriously and do not use astrology as a tool to propagate hatred towards yourself or others.

[phoenixeclipse-lmkau]

an ISAT animatic popped up and reminded me of my favourite trope, so now more crumbs manifest:

TIME LOOPS!

time loop where reader goes back to the very beginning of her adventure, and now has to face the fact that the cubs were warlords, and now she has a second chance to do things over. perhaps this time, she can escape their attention. reader is, unfortunately, a bleeding heart, and always picks them up, so its a case of trying to be as uninteresting and apathetic as possible while getting them to flower fruit mountain.

but reader cant hide how much she cares. throwing herself in front of threats, taking care of their injuries with great care, always being gentle with them.

the only way she could escape their love would to stop being compassionate, but compassion is an inherent trait to reader.

no matter what she does, no matter how much she changes between each loop they still love her anyways. she can never escape.

TIME LOOPS!

time loop where the monkey duo constantly re-experience the day reader successfully escapes back to her world. you would think being overpowered would help, but no. it seems like reader was going to escape them, one way or the other. the very first time they managed to stop her from returning back to her world, she perished, presumably from her injuries.

only after many more loops do they realise that reader is the cause in every loop she has died. today was the day she was going to escape them, one way or the other.

they just keep losing her.

TIME LOOPS!

you know how there is an encounter where sun wukong and macaque fight in jttw/lmk, and how sun wukong kills macaque?(idk how lmk handles it) how about reliving that day, again and again, until wukong can figure out a way to not kill him? starting at the very beginning of the confrontation, ending a few moments after the fatal blow.

one loop he manages to delay the fight, trying to see if making it through the day will break the loop.

nope!

once the sun sets, it loops straight back to the beginning of the confrontation.

and he cant exactly die to escape the loops, can he? and trying to not fight macaque leads macaque to try and kill the pilgrims instead, and if sun wukong doesn't protect them, then its circlet time! he always has to fight macaque

is this punishment for killing his love? to forever relive his final day by his hand?

TIME LOOPS!

honestly someone should do the pilgrims in an JTTW/LMK X ISAT AU, i would read it. its 5 for 5 and if sun wukong takes the place of siffrin macaque could take the place of loop. lady bone demon as the king, tripitaka as the person who is the key to the party's adventure, pigsy and sandy rounding out the team, and ao lie as the support.

idk who would be headmaiden tho. don't know enough characters off the top of my head.

you could even have a reflection in lmk, and draw parallels of the last time it happened, make wukong think he went back into the time loops again, but its mk this time instead

TIME LOOPS!

i can never get enough of them. i hope you like my crumbs as much as i like your fics.

Okay first things first. I am so sorry that I am definitely going out of order with these Crumbs!

I get ideas for one and it’s not the one I’m supposed to be working on and I am sorry. But~ I do love these crumbs and am trying to work my way through them. One at a time~ Get it time hehe!

I can’t honestly say that I know much if anything really about ISAT. So forgive me for only understanding time loops.

Now as for time loops? I can’t say I’d be putting them in my main fic. However! These are amazing ideas which would be so angsty!

One minute Reader in stuck on Flower Fruit Mountian and the next she is back standing under the tree that she first met the monkeys under. They had just fallen and she was holding them in her arms. She wants to throw them out and run, everything in her tells her to run… but, how could she!?

These are her monkeys! The same ones who she cared for and loved for months.

Reader staring at Sun Wukong and The Six Eared Macaque. Both were staring back at her for just a moment before one of them bit her! Even with the tiny teeth biting into her skin she didn’t feel pain, this kind of pain was nothing to her now. Tears filled her eyes catching Spirit’s attention.

“Reader? Are you alright? Damn cub he needs to let you-“ She was cut off as you held the two closer to you trying to push away any thoughts of what was to come.

You could throw them out, you could push them away but… how could you? They were so small, so defenseless right now. Even knowing who and what they are you can’t bring yourself to do anything but hold them. They were perfect like this, they had been so sweet and kind to you with an innocence that you truly believed in. However even while they were still ‘sweet’ and ‘kind’ to you in the future they were so dangerous and murderous now.

"Reader let the monkey go," Spirit said calmly, however at her words you did the exact opposite, you couldn't, you couldn't let them go.

"Flower Fruit Mountain... there is a way home on Flower Fruit Mountain, I know where it is on the island," you finally said.

The way home from there wasn't destroyed yet and you had time. You had the time to get them there and get home before the curse broke. You were sure that you had the time, the time to get Sun Wukong and The Six Eared Macaque back to their home before they would fall in love. Just ignore their looks and don’t let them get out of sight. Easy, it was just that easy.

You wished it had been that easy, at every turn these two tried to run off. They thought they were still invincible and weren’t listening to anything you would say. You tried to be mean to a point but just one look at their faces and you would melt.

“It’s not fair,” you grumbled one night after Spirit laid down to bed. She didn’t think you should bring the monkey cubs along but you refused to leave them behind.

Both monkeys looked at you and cocked their heads to the side. They didn’t run away because it was so dark that you could barely see anything in the forest around you even with the fire blazing in front of you. Monsters stayed away from these flames, it was odd but very helpful in the woods.

“After everything I should hate you two, but how can I do that when you are so… I shouldn’t even be saying anything…” The two in front of you were confused at your words but you attempted not to say anything.

Tears filled your eyes as you looked as you looked at them. It was so unfair. They were defenseless and weak right now anything could hurt them. Maybe that was why, maybe that was why you wanted to see them back in their Warlord forms. At least then they’d be able to fight for their own protection.

“When you return to your true forms… do me a favor and don’t look for me. You don’t need me,” you muttered as sleep overtook your mind.

*Chirp?*

You knew who they were and you knew they’d return to their true forms. Looking at each other they came closer to you curious. You were so quiet when you slept and it was strange to see you so calm rather than running after them. At least not with the tears that had just fallen from your eyes.

Who were you? And how did you know who they were?

Curiosity was always what sparked how the two fell in love with you. They would stop running long enough to know you to learn about you and to love you.

With each time the time changes she would inevitably become the source of curiosity for the two monkeys. They learned about you in every world. Delayed your return to their home to capture you before you could find the way that you return home. Destroy whatever was in their way to keep you by their side.

This one didn’t really go into the time loop part of it too much, sorry about that. But it’s not a bad scene in my opinion at least.

>>><<<< Reader’s daughter (one of them)

However this also depends on what time Reader is taken from the future! Is it during when she’s first taken to Flower Fruit Mountian? Is it during the journey? Is it during the LMK time? Is she with them willingly at this point? Does she have kids?

Yes you eventually have kids, so if its after you have kids with the two warlords then well I’ve had a little scene in my head for a while now. Where one of your children goes to the past and you has to get her back!

“But they hurt you,” Her words cut through you like a knife. You don’t fight with your husbands all that much, so why does she know this?

“Honey-“ You begin to say.

“Uncle Tang told us about how you all met the Warlords, he said that you got hurt more than once too!” She was crying at this point, your daughter, your ever strong and determined daughter was crying.

Your eyes flickered to the monkeys (weather in warlord form or cub form) and sigh. It’s true, they hurt you before. They never meant to but there was more than once that you ended up hurt. But you turned your attention right back to your daughter and kneeled in front of her.

“They did. They hurt me, but they never meant to,” You explain cupping your daughter’s cheeks, staring at her heart shaped mask and deep golden eyes. She looked so much like her dad.

“Then why!? WHY WON’T YOU CHANGE IT!?” She yelled but froze when you laughed. You laughed at the words, you knew why you wouldn’t change anything not a single thing would be changed at least not by you.

“Because, because no matter what happened in the past, I love you, you and your siblings. If what happened in the past didn't happen then how would I have gotten you or your siblings?” You asked a smile on your face, reassuring and calm.

She sniffled, eyes wide with shock as if the thought didn’t cross her mind. However when her eyes went down cast you knew, she had thought about that. She had known there would be consequences but she wanted to spare you the pain.

“Besides, no matter what happened in the past… I love them too. Both of them, through thick and thin, through joy and sorrow. They are mine and I am theirs,” You explained, your own eyes brimmed with tears as your daughter threw herself into your arms and letting out a sob.

It was like when she was a tiny cub again she curled into you as you pulled her close to you. With a sigh you smile and take the artifact that you used to find her out of your pocket. You looked at Sun Wukong and The Six Eared Macaque and give them a soft smile before allowing yourself and your daughter to be sent back to your own time.

Sun Jin, also nicknamed Jinx is mostly like her dad in the aspects of personality and appearance. She has a very low amount of shadow magic, (compared to her siblings) and extraordinary strength. In strength alone she can match many celestials and high ranked demons alike. She is a pure mama’s girl and will do anything to make her happy, even if that means breaking time and space itself.

>>><<< Reader escapes to her world

“NO!” The pure boiling rage echoed through the cavern as the light died down. Everything was still around the now shattered crystal that lay in shards across the cold stone floor.

You were gone, again! How many times has this day reset? How many times had they lost you to the damned portal that continued to take you away!? All they wanted was for you to stay with them and be their Queen. They wanted you safe and cared for, you’d never be in danger with them and you would have everything that you’d ever asked for.

Macaque was the first to move, scooping up the shattered crystal with a look of rage across his face. Every time, every fucking time. You would never stay here- NO! He refused to believe that. They would get you back one way or another, weather you agreed with them or not. You were their beautiful and loving wife, they would get you back no matter how long it took.

As the world around them shifted to them returning to the beginning of the day, Wukong curled around you. Every morning started the same, you three were sleeping in bed before going about your day. The day that you would find a way back to your world, and leave them behind.

No, you wouldn’t be able to do that for much longer. Macaque would make sure of that. Without a word he got out of bed, giving a smile to Wukong who looked at him with confusion. He wouldn’t explain not this time, he wouldn’t give his mate false hope before getting to the bottom of this.

It didn’t work, of course it didn’t work. Wukong screamed as he held your lifeless body in his arms, his body shaking with pure rage. His eyes almost glowing red as if he were about to use his power to destroy anything in his path. He barely held himself back as Macaque stood behind you both.

No! How did this happen!? All he did was break the crystal, the same crystal that constantly took you away from them again and again and again. All he did was take away what was taking you from them!

He couldn’t even bring himself to approach you two instead backing away with a look of horror across his face. This was his fault, in his selfishness, he took you away permanently. Tears, real tears filled his eyes as the wind howled around them, shadows lashing around as the ground cracked beneath his mate. They couldn’t stand this!!

Once again the world shifted to the morning before, hearts pounding in their chests as they curled close to you. They wouldn’t loose you, not this time.

Not this time.

Not this time.

NOT THIS TIME!

>>> Random thought

Okay halfway through this one I came up with an idea! So I have a way for Reader to get home from the island, one that the monkey duo is constantly trying to destroy. A crystal that was formed within one of the caverns deep underground. Now with that information what if the day that she constantly escapes is the same day that she keeps getting sent to the past!

Just a thought, I thought it was neat. In that case the crystal would be what is sending her to the past… oh! Flower Fruit Mountain has tons of artifacts so the one they could be fighting against is a time travel device while there is still another crystal to her own world. Yeah, that could work.

>>> The day Macaque dies

Now I don’t think I’ll be having Macaque die in this Au, and if I do it’ll only be temporary. However- The ANGST! So not at all canon, but how can I resist.

Though I don’t think any of these are fully canon to this Au, but meh they have been so fun to write!!

Blood dripped down the side of Wukong’s staff. Everything in his world froze around him. Macaque’s once vibrant eye the only one visible dimming until they held no light and no life. A scream was heard almost instantly, the staff thrown to the side in favor of Wukong cradling his love in his arms. No, no, no! How could he do this!? How could he do this to his warrior.

His own vision blurred as he pulled his mate into his arms and let out a sob. How- how- how!? This isn’t real, none of this was real. This wasn’t even possible! He tried to reason with himself, there was no way that any of this was possible.

The sun behind him was an array of gorgeous golds, oranges and reds as it set below the sky. Allowing the moon to show from high in the sky, as if it was mocking him.

He opened his mouth to scream once again only for his entire world to shift. And once again be standing in front of his enraged mate.

“I don’t want to fight you!” He yelled, knowing this wasn’t the first time this has happened. However it was only not the first time for him, to his beloved mate? This was the first time they had seen each other in a long while, the pilgrimage having taken him from The Five Fazes Mountain. He needed to complete this journey to be free, to go back to his mate at all.

“Then get out of my way!” So he could get his revenge, so that Macaque could do what he came for.

Time and time again, his own mate’s blood covered his hands quickly making the King go absolutely insane. Blood would cover the ground one way or another this day and there was nothing that could be done about it.

I loved this ask! Again I’m sorry that I took so long with this ask! I do love this idea! And once again I really don’t know that much about ISAT, if you could let me know more about it I might look into it. That is not a promise but I might get intrigued enough to look at it.

[evenmorefatallyobsessed]

Toga’s AU Concept

He visited Sanctum on a whim, he was in Mistral visiting his niece Saphron after all, why not visit the school that was training it’s future protectors… Was it truly chance that it happened when he got there at that moment. That he stumbled upon the horrified students backing away from a scene from a horror movie.

A girl over a boy, her skin pale, hair a dull gold but utterly contrast by the crimson of the boy beneath her, of his blood leaking, his eyes wide in equal parts horror and confusion as the girl above him drank deeply. Her aura lighting, brightening with every drop more she drunk.

But from her eyes another purely liquid dripped, tears that contradicted the madness in her eyes, others stood confused. But not him, never him, he didn’t hesitate, to hesitate was the let others suffer. The girl moved with surprising grace, avoiding him while her features altered, matching her victim’s.

His hand reached out as he enforced his soul into him, willing thew boy’s body to mend though his soul’s light. The second he saw the student’s face gain some of it’s blush ensured his life her turned on her and launched after the girl.

She’d been smart to run instead of fight, it was a fight she wouldn’t win, couldn’t win, but escaping was just a futile. She was fast, agile and athletic yes, but he was a skilled tracker. If she was faster, he just had to rely on endurance to carry him through.

And it did…

She’d been locked up, and they were debating her sentence, the sentence for an aura user with combat training, she was a threat. And perhaps he should’ve left it well enough alone, but he didn’t, and spoke to her.

And he realized the tragic madness that spurred her on. Toga Himiko was not a monster, she was a girl, gifted with a powerful Semblance, great potential and an honest easily corruptible heart. One’s semblance could influence a persons personality quite easily. After all, it was the manifest of your being, of your soul. How could you not begin to ponder its meaning, how could you not attempt to reflect it’s nature on your person, within your actions.

She was dangerous yes, unstable without a doubt… But, she was also alone, her family couldn’t understand her and feared her for it. Somewhere inside he knew she understood her sense of love was twisted. Was not the norm, after all, why else would she have cried when expressing it.

This was no monster, no villain of demon, she was a girl, a pitiful, lonely, misunderstood child who wanted nothing more then to express her love the only way she could. They way her very soul demanded she act out. All she wanted was a connection, was someone to understand her, was to have friends, family and a love that could accept her deviant nature, a nature she had no control of.

How could he call himself a Huntsman if he couldn’t save a single girl from her crippling, cruel loneliness. So he visited her, again and again, using his pull and connection with Ozpin to freeze the freeze the girl’s sentencing while he worked things out.

She started to look forward to meeting him, and he’d admit to the same, after all she was so cheerful and oddly endearing. If not for her eyes being amber instead of blue he’d had thought her one of his nieces.

Apparently after he started visiting regularly she ceased any resisting and even halted trying to escape, he started to bring her things, even cooking for the girl. Not helping but to feel she needed food a bit better then what they served here.

… He hadn’t expected her to cry, she, she couldn’t remember then last time her mom had made her food… The last time they treated her like a daughter instead of a Grimm. It angered him, it infuriated the Arc. But he held his tongue, and focused on what mattered.

On calling in favors, on talking to his family and getting his affairs in order, Jaune was many things, he was a Huntsman, next in line to be patriarch to the Arc House and a teacher at Beacon. But he was also a criminal who’d cheated his way into Beacon once upon a time. His hands had cut down men, his decisions as a leader had led to the death of innocents before as well.

Toga almost killed a boy, she needed help, needed understanding, to be given a chance. And he was all to willing to risk giving her one.

-0-0-0-

She tried to be normal, to live normally, to act normally, to love normally, she tried so hard, it was also such a struggle, other people’s normal. Other people being able to express themselves, to be themselves and be accepted for it. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t right, why couldn’t her way be normal… Why couldn’t she be accepted?

Why couldn’t her parents understand her, accept her, but no, they told her it was wrong, that to be so fascinated by blood was wrong, sick and twisted. That she needed to be normal… Were they saying her soul was wrong? She could feel it, ever since her semblance first manifested, since she stumbled upon it so long ago when she’d licked her wound…

Blood was to the body what aura was to the soul, it was beautiful, profound and unique to every person, and she, she could understand it, could indulge, could become others through their blood, she could understand them, be them… It was her normal.

But her parents refused to accept her normal, society refused it, the world and everyone in it refused it… She obeyed, she tried, she struggled to be everyone else’s normal… Until she met him.

Saito was a amazing boy, he was kind, smart and popular, everyone liked him, everyone respected him, just like a lot of other girls she grew to like him. So often she fought the urge to ask him for some of his blood, she wanted to be like him, to know him, to Become him…

But she smothered those urges, because she knew he could not accept them, nobody could accept a freak like her so she resisted the urge. She fought to stay ‘Normal’ To be a average, cheerful, reasonable, well-mannered girl that others could accept, even if it was all a act…

But then Saito got into a fight, and seeing him like that… so wonderfully bruised and bloodied, it made what was so twisted inside go crazy. And it all came crashing down… And she was upon him, moving on not instinct but pure natural movement, as unconsciously as one breathed she gave to her semblance’s nature.

His flesh parting so easily from a mere box cutter, his aura was shattered in the fight with other beforehand. She drunk from him, his blood tasting like the sweetest of irons, so warm, so filling, so unique to him and him alone…

It was ecstasy, finally, finally she got to be herself, she was able to express her love, she felt herself turning into him. His aura, his soul, his being, she understood it so much more in that moment. She knew it was all over, her life, all her efforts, they would come crashing down. But for just a moment, she wanted it, to be her own normal, to be herself…

And then he appeared, he saved Saito, and stopped her, his gaze held so much in it, there was the anger and disgust she expected, but also something new… Pity.

His name was Jaune Arc, he was a Huntsman, a professor, and he stopped her, but he didn’t stop there. He should up to met her in her jail cell, they talked, well, he talked, asking why she did it. And eventually she explained… And, and he listened.

He didn’t understand, but… But he tried to, he asked more, and she could see it, the disgust this anger and confusion, but never was that all she saw. She could see him trying, struggling to comprehend. Time and time again he’d visit, and talk to her, ask her question she’d never considered, asked if she thought what she did was okay.

She knew it wasn’t you can’t force your love on others, but he understood, not because it was normal to him, or because he was like her. No, because he tried to do what nobody else did… He tried to understand her.

He wanted to help her, and then he asked.

“Toga, I need to hear you say it, where you trying to kill Saito?” She knew he needed to hear her say it, so she did.

“No, I just, I wanted to express my love…” And then he told her.

“Toga, you’re not normal, but that’s okay, everyone is different, it’s what makes us unique, what makes life beautiful.” He hugged her.

“You’re not a monster, or a Grimm, your human, and you’ve been through so much.” He was warm… The words slipped from her mouth.

“Please, can I, can I drink your blood.” He paused and she knew she’d be rejected, pushed away and left alone…

“Toga, listen.” But she wasn’t rejected, pushed away, instead the man met her gaze, a sternness in his gaze but also a sympathy, one she’d never seen before.

“You don’t behave like others, and it can be dangerous.” She knew that, of course she did.

“But it doesn’t have to be.” He begun to glow, a soft, kind but powerful white.

“I know, you can help people, more than even I can with your semblance.” His big, calloused hand landed on her head.

“The same way you can take other’s blood, if you gave your love back, you could help so many people.” She shook, she’d thought that too, but, but never hoped others would, would.

“You’re not a monster, twisted or evil Toga, your just different, your semblance, your soul, your beautiful.” It was the smile of a father, of someone who genuinely wanted nothing more than to help her, then to comfort the girl who’d spent her entire if not short life being rejected by others.

“Himiko, I can’t just let you free, unfortunately the law is very clear on that.” She saw the sadness, the anger in his eyes, it was for her sake. But soon enough they were both overtaken by what she would come to know was his most prominent trait, Determination.

“If you agree to it, to come to Vale you can be put on Probation, under my supervision. I’’ be your guardian and probationary officer.” She knew her parents must’ve given up their rights to her by the slight anger that burned in his eyes.

“We’ll attend therapy lessons and you’ll be taught about aura control by me.” He reached into his pocket and pulled it out then, a vial, the most beautiful shade of red.

“Toga, I know the way you view things are different then mine own, but that doesn’t mean you can’t understand me, you lived in this world, acted appropriately for it as well. You understand how the general public views love.” He offered her the vial, the beautiful crimson flowing with his aura, with his soul.

“I can’t promise others will accept your views, or even try, but I promise, at the very least I will do everything I can to make a environment you can be yourself in… And that I’ll try my best to understand you.” She reached, her fingers grazing the glass, the vial warm… Her heart pounded as she looked to the beautiful crimson.

Slowly, cautiously she undid the top, he never looked away from her, never tore his gaze from the sight, there was no rejection as she took him into her. As she felt his soul through his aura, as his being and iron went down her throat becoming one with her.

She felt herself change, becoming him, her pale ash-blonde hair becoming a shade of livid golden-wheat, her fair skin pinking with a healthy flush. The slits of her pupils dilating, the Faunus trait vanishing as her pupils rounded and turned the most expressive blue.

Her aura converting, her soul changing and being replicating that as her very body matched the new soul she was temporarily hosting. And he looked at her through it all, reaching out and patting her head, the smile was genuine.

“If this is how you want to be that’s fine, I’ll learn to get used to it, but please, don’t stop being yourself, even if your appearance changes.” From his hand aura surged into her, his aura, given freely, pure and unfiltered.

Her answer finally came alongside the tears.

“Yes.”

-0-0-0-

She rushed down the hall from her room, excited for the day she’d looked forward to for so long, she couldn’t wait. Reaching the kitchen she found three people there, her sister and brother, Ren and Nora, two others he’d taken under his wing.

At the stove flipping the immense amount of pancakes the Valkyrie craved was Jaune, they waved to her, well Jaune and Nora did. Ren sat patiently at his seat enjoying his tea, she sat there beside them, besides two people who knew her, truly knew her, who accepted her almost as much as Jaune.

Two simple years was all she spent with him, but in those two years she’d felt more joy, more acceptance then ever before. She’d realized truths about herself and flaws in her actions.

She was free to express her love, but not to enforce it on others, to take from people who did not want to return her affections. It was wrong, cruel and that act whether it be her form of expressing love or ordinary expression of it by others were no less disgusting.

She’d help so many people with her feelings though, a little blood and she’d given so much back in turn, to children who needed it, to people with unique cases and blood types meant nothing to her semblance with regular people. She couldn’t help but want to help, even if Jaune worried, she loved him for that… She loved him, loved him more then others. More then anyone else.

But it wasn’t the same type of love she always felt, always knew, no, this was different, she wanted to both love him and be loved by him. To be loved as Toga Himiko, by Jaune, she didn’t want him to conform to her standard of love.

It wouldn’t be fair, it’d be like who she was forced to follow the standard society before she met him, she wanted to love Jaune as herself but also as him whenever the fancy struck her. But she also wanted to love him as Ren did, as Nora did, as so many of his students did…

And soon, she would be able to, today would be the start of it, a plated landed in front of her then, and looking up she met his smile.

“Are you ready Toga, your three will be trying out for Beacon today after all. So you all need to eat up.” He served her her breakfast, more than Ren’s but nothing near the mountain of pancakes he placed before her eccentric sister. But then again the pile her put before himself was barely any smaller. He needed it after all, because he regularly gave her blood, regularly accepted her form of expressing it and indulged that aspect of her.

She loved him for it, wanted to love him even more, even deeper, more intimately then any other, and once she passed Initiation she would. She only hoped that when she did succeed, her partner would be as understanding as her.

Maybe even being able to understand her love, Or Better Yet! Maybe They’ll Love Jaune As Much As She Does! Oh ‘Giggle’ she meant Professor Arc.

[raconteur-wanpi]

ONE PIECE 1123

Dear lord I have so many thoughts I don't even know where to begin. This was a pretty short and lower stakes chapter compared to all the chaos and the bombs that came before it, but I think despite that, it gave me more revelations and thoughts than some of those ones did. It's all vague stuff like, it's soup in my brain but it just keeps getting more interesting.

Starting off with S-Snake continuously showcasing normal human behavior. I really like the insistence of the story of honing in that the Seraphim are, in fact, people. They are children. Their existence is horrific and it IS supposed to make you feel uneasy, especially comparing them to the rest of MADS' history of experiments. I do think, in a story about freedom, that these authority-chip-ridden-kids will eventually seek out their own freedom and independence to be people instead of weapons. Alber himself was a victim of MADS' experimentation, so was Kuma, Sanji, Mocha, every victim of the Smile fruits, hell- Bonney was a victim of the science of the Gorosei / Saturn. It's very interesting to continuously see Stella's role in all of this, and how Oda showcases that you could put the nicest guy alive into the same system as the most wretched monsters, and they will produce the same results. Which does bring me to this realization moving forward:

Sanji is in fact the person that was closest to the events of Vegapunk's death. He is specifically chosen out of all the strawhats to be the one to grapple with Vegapunks decision and sacrifice, and he is the only member of the strawhats to have experienced the horrors of MADS firsthand. I find that very interesting, it's looking at that dilemma of morality again. How do you judge a person who has spent years creating weapons of war, even if it's been the result of his naivete? How does a person who realizes what he has done, redeem himself? Death? Sacrifice? Admitting you can only throw your life away to undo the damage, to the face of someone who you know understands the horrors of such science? I don't know, it's interesting.

Going back a bit however, I think my favorite page in the chapter, is this. My god. Luffy thanking Emeth, full of joy, smile across his face in his Nika form, juxtaposed to the Iron Giant's dark unresponsive face. It's so moving and joyful and sad, genuinely. The brightness of the sun against the shadow of a sacrifice. Emeth in his "death" looks somehow both content and saddened. Luffy's recognition and gratitude towards him. OK. I'm fine. Damn.

Back to Vegapunk, this has been wild to see said textually when I've seen many people, myself included, discuss it. "Evil" and "Greed" being the two things Stella ended up leaving behind, despite his best efforts to do good. He recognizes greed was his downfall, his desire to continue building and discovering, without thinking about the consequences of it; just what we discussed earlier. It's also interesting that they all suspected Lilith at first, but she turned out not only to be innocent, but also a valuable ally in the battle and the only other survivor. Lilith leaving the garden, Stella being the forbidden apple (of knowledge) that brought about the downfall, the Gorosei being demonic entities that entered that space, it definitely is all very biblical. I wonder if Lilith will see a path towards becoming a more complete person, rather than, as Stella says here, a compartmentalized personification of "Evil". Similar to what I hoped for earlier with the Seraphim and Kuma (or even the Vinsmokes if you want to go there), a manifestation of full (rather than artificially partial or removed) personhood.

This is something I've been thinking about the entire time as well! Is Vegapunk really dead? Is it just his body? What does it mean to be able to keep your consciousness separate from said body? Within other people, even? Is he really dead as long Lilith and York are around? Is Stella himself, still in there, in Punk Records? Could you bring him back? Much to think about.

Aaaand closing in with my second favorite moment from this chapter. The confirmation we're going to Elbaf! Usopp being help up by the giants! His arc begins! I am so so giddy. I know I'm biased considering he's, well, my favorite One Piece character but, god. I am as nervous as hyped. I am so, so excited. This is delightful, he deserves this!

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

Poll prompt #1

From this poll: A citizen kidnapped by a supervillain and brought in a...pretty sweet room actually?

*

This was wrong. This was very, very wrong.

Citizen kept throwing anxious looks around them, their shoulders hunched. They’d expected a cell. They’d expected to be bound and gagged and tortured, just for giggles. Instead, they found themself in a fancy room that would have looked nice in a castle. Furniture carved in precious woods and glittering with golden engravings, velvet curtains that hid the barred windows, a large choice of dishes on a table that would have been enough for a dozen guests, and a canopy bed, there was everything and more.

It was kind of tacky, to be honest. Luxurious, impressive, sure. It wasn’t a room you’d like to spill blood on it (which was good news).

But still, tacky.

Then again, tacky had been their kidnapping, in their opinion. They were just texting in a street corner at the wrong time in the wrong place, and hadn’t noticed the Henchmen until they'd bumped into one of them. It didn’t make any difference anyway. What Supervillain wanted, Supervillain took away. Nowhere was safe.

And then, of course, it had taken a turn for the worse. While Citizen was dragged screaming, something had happened. The same something had happened every time they were stressed, really. The world had shifted. The streets had melted into darkness while thorns had appeared around the villains, daring them to coming further. Vultures came flying and skeleton hands surged from the ground, all of that while a demonic laugh was booming in the air and a smell of rotten flesh polluted the atmosphere.

“Enough!”

Supervillain had yelped this in surprise, then clapped their hands. Just like that, the world had turned back to normal. Henchmen had stopped pressing their heads in pain. Citizen had let out a terrified squeak as their cold hand grabbed their throat, that'd changed into a muffled scream as Supervillain had ripped a lock of their hair.

“You. What are you?”

“Nothing! No one! I didn’t do it on purpose, I swear! It just, it- it manifests.”

They had no better explanation, but needless to say, that hadn’t helped their case.

Well... seeing this gilded cage, perhaps it did.

Maybe it was just to humiliate them, to make them understand they were so weak they didn’t even need restraints. Maybe there was a death trap somewhere. They wanted to search every nook and corner, but the presence of the two Henchmen made that impossible. And these guys were...well, something was just off with them. It might have been something in their face. Or in their posture. Or in all of their persons, really. Not that there was anything wrong with each element in itself, but the men seemed identical. There was not a beauty mark, not a haircut, not a scar to differentiate them. Not even real twins looked as much alike.

Citizen had nothing to do but to wait.

*

Meanwhile, in the main room of the Villain’s lair, no one had a lot of fun either. A group of henchmen, as similar-looking as were the guards in Citizen’s room, were giving worried looks at their boss pacing. They could feel their survival chances lowering by the minute. All glanced at Supervillain’s clenched fist, which was holding DNA results. The machine that had spitted the paper out had confirmed that Citizen and them were close parents.

“It’s impossible. I had a doubt – no one is as powerful as me – but it’s impossible. I have no family left, they were all killed. How can this be?”

The closest Henchmen exchanged an awkward look.

“You see, boss,” warily began the first one, “when two people really love each other, sometimes they hug very hard…”

The end of this sentence was lost for the world, replaced by a strangled scream. The other henchman grimaced, but barely glanced when his colleague screamed, his eyes horrified by the vision that Supervillain had inflicted on them. When the victim’s head exploded, the other politely ignored the splashing of blood on his own clothes, a smile plastered on his face and a sweat drop on his forehead.

“Is someone else going to teach me about the flowers and bees?” calmly asked Supervillain. “Because if there’s a thing I know about it is that I don’t do that. Why do you think I clone all of you? I want to stay away from people as much as possible.”

“Yes, boss,” said one of the henchmen, grimacing a smile and looking away. “ That’s a nice cloning machine you have.”

Whatever was the hidden message here, another Henchman caught up immediately.

“Haha,” he said while staring at his shoes, “Yeah, it’s so nice. And it’s working so well, too.”

Supervillain cocked an eyebrow but didn’t say anything, slowly beginning to put two and two together.

“The cloning machine that Hero had tempered with once?” quickly added Henchman for confirmation, his words coming so fast he was barely intelligible.

“Yeah, that’s right! The cloning machine that Hero had tempered with once with plenty of the boss’s blood and hair on their hands.”

Something broke in Supervillain’s surroundings:

“...Motherfucker.”

*

Citizen jumped when the door of their room opened loudly. Supervillain was there, glaring. The prisoner gulped, quickly swallowing the grapes they had in the mouth.

Oh well, at least they wouldn’t die without a snack.

They stayed frozen as all the eyes in the room stared at them.

“Do I - Can I still ask for a quick death, or did I blow my chances-”

They didn't finish. They knew the answer. Citizen took a deep breath in, trying to welcome death with dignity.

Instead, they burst in tears. The rest of the room fell in a deafening silence. They looked back with as much defiance as they could muster:

"Well? Get on with it!"

Supervillain crossed their arms and rubbed their forehead:

“Get out.”

“I- What?”

Citizen wasn’t the only one to be surprised. All the mouths of all the Henchmen gaped in the exact same way. Supervillain ignored them, focusing only on the prisoner, clearly struggling with themself.

“Get out,” they said in a raspy voice. “And never let me see your face again.”

*

If you want another take on the Gilded Cage trope, I've also done this.

Back to Hero x Villain Masterlist

[aliusfrater]

okay but sam's 8.21 'i'm not clean' monologue in the context of his season four arc and the repeated mantra by both sam himself, ruby and other third party characters wherein sam is referred to as being entirely capable of killing lilith and that although the capacity of sam's monstrosity as well as the various aspects of sam himself that are conflated within it re: sam and dean's relationship plus sam's personal conflict, killing lilith was indeed the ultimate trump card that was worth working towards. like 4.18, "does it? all rest on my shoulders?" / "that seems to be where the story's headed." and the idea that the way killing lilith is framed could be interpreted as a quest; as in, "i remember... thinking, i could never go on a quest like that. because i'm not clean." + 4.04, "i've got demon blood in me, dean! this disease pumping through my veins, and i can't ever rip it out or scrub it clean! i'm a whole new level of freak! and i'm just trying to take this - this curse... and make something good out of it. because i have to." + 4.22, "you didn't need the feather to fly, you had it in you the whole time, dumbo!" his inherent feeling of uncleanliness that he's encapsulated within the revelation of his body tainted by demon blood, channeled into an agency meant to bend the dichotomy of monstrosity and it's inherency blows up in his face. everything is reaffirmed. turns out his uncleanliness has thwarted his attempt at undergoing a quest despite his attempts. but see this time, this time he isn't self-mutilating for usage, he's self-mutilating for eradication, extermination. the trials are purifying him.

also instead of doubling down on his belief both in his own person and ability as well as how that manifests throughout the rest of the dichotomy of monstrosity like he had in season four‚ the trials are his attempt at fitting neatly within his non-role that has molded to his inability to fit within it (especially if the events of early season eight re: sam and dean's relationship are considered) and it almost kills him.

i think ultimately it's possible to see sam's season four and eight arcs as being inverse to one another in an analogous way.

[asexual-angsty-writer]

Beta!Liu Qingge

Like, My brain just keeps replaying this idea:

Airplane added Omegaverse into his stallion novel because of an online friend he had, called 'Asexual-Menace' (Don't ask about the naming convention), who just kept brainrotting A/B/O.

But like, they had an extra focuse oj the socialization, how each dynamic would work, what are their differences and even fleshed out Betas as a subgender. Which, Airplane indulged in and eventually, asked to add their friends ideas into his stallion novel.

'Ace' would often beta read any of his begging drafts, encourage him and even help him with world building — which is why the Omegaverse became a part of PIDW

Though eventually, between Ace... no longer being around and Airplane needing to pay rent, a lot of things were left ambiguous, implied, personal information or small scenarios he wrote to get out of creative ruts at like 1 am.

What came as a consequence, is that all that background information becomes very tangible situations once he transmigrates as Shang Qinghua.

Luckily for him, SQH is a Beta, and thus, he doesn't need to deal with the A/O aspect.

Now he gets to deal with the Beta-aspects his friend had written, which are both good and horrible:

Pros: Great sense of smell, naturally boosted stamina, faint scents that don't stick easily/harder to track, No heats/ruts, rarely goes feral, levelheadedness is easier to maintain, pack-driven which means he can blend into crowds if need be.

Cons: Being the most responsible of subgenders, ferality is a dangerous thing for betas and usually leads to qi-diviations in Beta cultivators, need to run pack-mating cycles, needs to care for Alphas/Omegas/Pups equally, instinctual inclination to battle other betas to release stress

So, he's in a meh state, but overall — prefers to be a Beta.

Though, there was just one plot line he never thought he'd get to see through — but thanks to our resident Cucumber-bro, SY saved Liu Qingge's life and let's the plot line unfold.

You see, Liu Qingge became a peak lord without presenting — he's a late bloomer. His Qi-diviation was actually related to this fact, for obvious reasons; as not presenting makes it so bottlenecks are harder to break.

Though thanks to him being Alive, he eventually does present and as a Beta.

All of his readers assumed LQG is an Alpha and a lot of in-world characters did too — but that was never the case. LQG was meant to be a sort of mentorly-rival/Mid-Boss for LBG to learn/fight with. Him being a Beta was important to that.

Because Betas don't have strong scents, meaning not catching it in time or taking seconds too long to follow it, ends with it disappearing.

In Airplane's drafts, LBG would face off against a semi-recently presented LQG. A LQG who now has the natural boosts of being a Beta, alongside having had several major breakthroughs that were being held back due to him still being a 'pup' in that regard.

LBG would be arrogant, then be knocked down a peg by the War God himself — outlasting expectations and disappearing in tight spaces like corridors because his scent is so faint, LBG can't catch it for more than seconds — while LBG's scent is overwhelming, meaning LQG has the natural advantage. A play of nature/instincts + wisdown/strategy between the Alpha Demon lord and the Beta War God.

There's another layer to this, being a subversion of expectations — LQG had a presence; the way he stood, his tone and cadence, the way he carried himself in and out of battle. It makes sense, when you take stereotypes into consideration that he'd be an Alpha — but thats exactly why 'Ace' argued against it. Why they instead brought the idea of a Beta being the war god and how that would give a better showcase of how A/B/O and the subgenders can manifest the same instincts in different ways.

The readers, just like the characters in the drafts, are meant to be fooled by expectations then be blind sided.

Obviously, that was scrapped for the original novel but now, SQH gets to witness such a thing — though Obviously different to how he imagined it.

Since the Original SQH was the eldest beta amongst them, that means HE has to be the one to help LQG through those first stages of adapting to the changes in your body, to this new hypersensitivity, to the way your qi and meridians slowly change to adapt and the new instincts that come with being a Beta.

LQG has this earthy scent, like fresh soil, mixed in with some scent oil — something remenicent of the oil they use to clean/polish their swords.

Airplane would be so happy to see the plot line him and 'Ace' made come into fruition in some capacity.

Then it would spiral into something he didn't expect, because BingLiuShen + 'Compatible scents'

He was cursing at himself and the 'compatible scent' bs he had made for some of the wife-plots to work.

[dreamingon-forever]

AoT Character Tarot Cards + Merch Sets Implications and Meaning Explained

Every pairing explained here is from the official sets sold together here: 💜💚

Levi and Hange:

[Levi as Judgement]:

According to Tarot, The Judgement card represents some kind of prosecutor that decides whether someone else had sinned, and delivers punishment as seen fit. It can also mean that one's life comes to an important decision period, where they're asked to take action accordingly.

[Hange as The Lovers]:

Hange's Lover card represents partnership and cooperation between two individuals, as well as the general meaning and embodiment of love in itself. The lover card also represents shared values between lovers, temptation of the heart, as well as give and take between two lovers.

[Judgement + The Lovers]:

When combined, the two cards read as if there's an important decision to be taken in accordance to a matter of the heart. It usually represents two lovers coming to decide whether to take a step forward together or choose a separate path. It represents two lovers who are met with a difficult decision, usually one where they would let their hearts come together and choose a life alongside each other. While the other path is the one where they must separate, usually due to differences in careers or duties. Despite it all it represents two people who love each other making a judgement on where they take their relationship. Which makes a lot of sense when looking at Levi and Hange's relationship. Given how long they've known each other, always being seen as a half of the other, it was only time for them to gain feelings towards the other. Not to mention the forest scene when they both decided to put their feelings behind for the sake of humanity, although both wished nothing more than to be together.

Also, note how both cards have the same angel calling judgement upon the humans depicted. Almost as if being burdened by the same judgement and fate.

Ymir and Annie:

[Ymir and the Magician:]

Ymir is represented as the Magician. The magician represents manifesting one's own ending with their will, making what they desire something to strive for no matter what.

[Annie and Strength]:

Annie represents Strength, attributing to both mental and emotional strength. Where in order to be achieve what one wants, they have to face their fears to overcome any obstacles in their way.

[Magician + Strenght]:

When combined, they represent how one is in charge of their own stories in the end. If put in enough energy and you face your fears, nothing can stand in your way of what you wish to accomplish. Similar how we saw these two characters have the strongest personalities in the show, but both had demons to fight to get to their desired paths. But neither gave up and instead pushed on, pushing for the ideal end they wanted.

Berthold and Reiner:

[Berthold as the Hermit]:

The Hermit represents a time or period of self reflection. When one looks introspectively at themselves and tries to answer their inner turmoil and take the time to answer their inner selves.

[Reiner as the Chariot]:

The Chariot represents sheer will to push forward. To push yourself through willpower and strength. One cannot stay still if one wants to achieve something.

[Hermit + Chariot]:

When put together, it means that after reflecting and figuring out what they want, they gain a new insight about themselves and embark on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth. In the show and manga, we saw how these two were given a task as soldiers, but lost themselves when getting close to their enemies, making them take a step back and question their true purpose. But after finally reflecting and figuring out where they stood, they grew to think on their own, forging their own paths.

Sasha and Connie:

[Sasha as the Sun]:

The sun represents happiness and fortune to come. It also symbolizes a time where everything comes to fruition and comes together to aid in your destined path. "It represents the universe coming together and agreeing with your path and aiding forward movement into something greater (Wiki)."

[Connie as the Star]:

The Star symbolizes newfound hope. New realization and hope which leads one away from the darkness and into a bright future ahead.

[The Sun + The Star]:

When combined, it dictates the moment of darkness and unknown being gone. A bright and illuminated future opening up before one as it gives newfound hope, where success is on the horizon. If we place Sasha and Connie together, it might present how Sasha was always the bright one in the friend group, bringing hope and happiness. After she died, it seemed that it was the moment everyone's goals finally aligned, and the beginning of the ending came to be. It also affected Connie as although he lost his best friend, he realized her death opened up a future that was as bright as her, where their goals would finally bear fruit, and that her death wasn't for vein.

Jean and Historia:

[Jean as the Fool]:

The Fool is a card that talks about taking a leap of faith. Not knowing the outcomes nor the chances of something happening, yet still having faith that something would work out. It can be a foolish antic, but sometimes the leap of faith is what you need to get to the end of the road as you put your faith into the universe and the future.

[Historia as the Empress]:

The Empress represents maternity, familial bonds and creation of life. Further analysis show that the Empress also is the card that is open to changes, and welcomes them.

[The Fool = The Empress]:

Together they formulate this notion that letting go of things and ideas that are old might be the right path to take. It might be foolish as to put full trust into something one can't fully predict, but being innovative and taking the chances can sometimes be the solution. Jean is known to be a fool of himself from time to time, and while full of himself, he is always willing to jump into the unknown if there's a chance to help his friends. And for Historia, although she's also given birth to a real baby, she's usually the one in the friend group who comes up with innovative and out of the box solutions.

Erwin and Armin:

[Erwin as the Hierophant]:

The Hierophant is a card representing an older souled figure, a teacher or mentor of some sort. Someone who has extremely well formulated knowledge and is there to guide and teach others.

[Armin as the Wheel of Fortune]:

The Wheel of fortune when looked upright and in reverse can depict different meanings. When upright it can mean good luck and fortune to come, where the universe is on your side. Downright can mean misfortune and lack of support. It shows how turbulent and unreliable life can be, and that you can't rely on luck to follow through.

[The Hierophant + Wheel of Fortune]:

In combination, it tells the individual to go after their desires instead of sitting and waiting for luck to come. Together it shows that one needs to know and stand firmly with what they believe in, and despite times of turmoil as life is never set in stone, one can push to the finish line if they strongly hold to their believes. Similar to how Erwin held onto his belief that his father had been right about humanity being outside the walls, despite what he'd been told he pushed forward to uncover the truth. And in turn, influencing Armin who also had the same vision of a life outside the confinements of the walls. Because they both pushed through, keeping true to their core believes, they managed to be the voice that carried them to the end.

Eren and Mikasa:

[Eren as the World]:

The World is the last card in the deck. It represents endings to a cycle in life where one comes to terms and becomes one with the universe. It's the last event before everything filters back into the universe, and starts once more with the Fool- the first of the deck. "It is also said to represent cosmic consciousness; the potential of perfect union with the One Power of the universe (Wiki)."

[Mikasa as Justice]:

Justice as its name says, it's the fairest decision one can make at a certain time for a situation. The decision cannot and will not be changed as fairness is the right answer. It's also depicted as a figure holding up two swords, ready to strike in the name of fairness.

[The World + Justice]:

When put together it represents completion, as well as full awareness and fully coming to control one's thoughts and emotions. Romantically it can be seen as coming to terms that the relationship had run its course, as well as seeing it as it is and understanding that it's at its last stage. It's the end, but because it IS the end, it means there's a beginning somewhere else- with someone else. When looking at it from the Eremika perspective, we all saw how despite being in love with each other, their relationship was always doomed to be a failure. Mikasa was also the one who cut the final string holding them together, understanding that whatever they had wasn't meant to be. It's also interesting to see how Jean is depicted as the Fool, the first of the deck when The World, which is Eren is the last. Meaning that after Eren, Mikasa's true happiness was the next stage, which is Jean.

Final thoughts:

So this took me about 4 hours to write and put together. But I really hope you guys enjoy reading through it and are as surprised as I am about the accuracy of the tarot cards and the characters they represent. An immense amount of thought had gone into the creation of this set, and I cannot for the life of me get rid of the chills that cover me as to how perfect the tarots fit each character and their personality/situation. I also want to point out that based on this, it does seem very obvious that Eren and Mikasa, and Levi and Hange were meant to be couples. Their tragic love stories match up exactly to what the tarot combination imply, and I think that's beautiful as it is tragic.

Please do share the love and leave comments and likes to let me know if I should continue doing content like this or if you guys want me to do something similar in the future. I'm interested to see how you guys feel about this.

Also, I would like to thank @beatotsundere for helping me put some things together. Share the love by visiting their website if you want to purchase AoT merch!

[mamashenanigans]

MHA The Boys AU

Seriously. Who would like to read it?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m still working on the AU that won the poll. Outlining it, but, due to my silly brain, I came up with this AU idea after watching two seasons of The Boys, so I REALLY wanted to share it!

Anyway, this is A LOT of brainstorming, so Read More under the cut

This AU takes place in the modern setting of The Boys, with Supes (those with superpowers) being created with Compound V. Vought, the evil corporation that manufactures Superheroes to market products, films, and etc for money, still experimented with the compound on some people prior to the present of the fic. One of the first(and actually true) superhero was Captain Hero, who has since died awhile before the events in the story. Captain Hero had fought in some wars, but gave that up as he hated having to use his power that way and instead wanted to help children. Vought saw the marketing opportunity and used him as a basis for what they have continued to do. Thus, the Captain Hero comics.

AFO was the first naturally born Supe, his mother having been experimented on and gaining only small spike growths. The twins were born and Garaki, the head scientist with the Compound V trials, decides to experiment on AFO since his power was the greatest supe ability to ever manifest. Although Yoichi is still frail since TTTS happened, Garaki still uses him as a control due to them being identical twins. After the experiments on him, AFO would always be brought back to Yoichi, who was the only person that treated AFO as a person and not just some lab rat. Yoichi was everything to AFO, LITERALLY, but Vought saw how they could use Yoichi to control AFO since his power and lack of parental figures was starting to create a monster. Vought gave up on allowing naturally born supes due to how terrifying AFO is.

The only entertainment they had were the Captain Hero comics, given in the hope that it would make AFO want to be like the hero. As in canon, he liked the Demon Lord more, but Yoichi always loved Captain Hero, so he eventually goes along with Vought’s plan to make him a marketable Supe because he wanted Yoichi to be happy and see him as a hero just like the one he loves in the comics.

At some point, Yoichi met Kudo and the latter realized that Yoichi was a pawn of Vought to control AFO. He tries to convince Yoichi to leave, but Yoichi knew he had to help keep his twin in control and also knew how hard it would be on AFO(and himself honestly) if he left his brother. After getting into a fight, Yoichi accidentally reveals Kudo’s plan and, in his anger, tells his brother that he WANTS to. AFO starts going insane and, when Yoichi tries to leave, he reaches out screaming at him and accidentally blows him up with a new Supe power he took.

Needless to say, AFO’s brain basically cracks at that point. The only thing that remains of Yoichi is his hand, which Garaki was more than willing to embalm for him to continue to try and keep him quelled. Vought also revealed that they have the recording of him killing Yoichi and, if it is released, no one would ever follow AFO again, so he sticks to his role as the face of the All for One #1 hero group, but also because he still wants to make Yoichi happy.

Since AFO is taking the place of Homelander, everyone is absolutely terrified of him and walk on eggshells all the time since he could snap at any moment even though he puts on a calm and heroic facade. Toshinori is a new hero added to the team with the ability to turn into a super powered version of himself(like he is in canon) for a short period of time. He is the Starlight character that joins because he really believes in being a hero before he realizes what is actually going on behind the scenes. I’m still trying to figure out what other heroes or villains take the place of the rest of The Seven from The Boys.

All Might does become a mole for One for All, the equivalent of The Boys team from the show. Kudo is the Billy Butcher, Bruce is the Frenchie, Banjo is Mother’s Milk, but I’m stuck on whether the other users of OFA are all there or if AFO or Vought has killed some of them. I’m thinking of maybe making Nana Queen Maeve’s replacement, but she has been working with One for All and maybe is the one that brings All Might into the fold?

AFO is known as The Suit since he still wears his signature suit and coat as Vought decided to go with the edgier look like Batman.

The story present has Izuku winning a chance to spend a week with the All for One team and will have a part in their new movie. His favorite hero is the new one, All Might, so he’s super excited to finally meet him! Buuuuuuuut, Izuku has eyes just like Yoichi’s and AFO takes notice quite quickly. He starts trying to bogart Izuku’s time and convince him how he’s so much better than All Might. Izuku ends up accidentally finding out about Nana and All Might being in One for All and they decide to bring him to Kudo and the others before he says anything stupid. Kudo notices the eyes too and learns from Izuku how AFO has been acting. He decides to use Izuku to get close to AFO to gain any evidence to prove how much of a monster he is.

This puts Izuku in a very dangerous position, especially because AFO is creeping towards cracking completely. Vought has spread the lie that Yoichi was killed by those in One for All to gain sympathy towards their hero team and to keep AFO’s denial in tact lest he goes mad over actually being responsible for Yoichi’s death. He had already stated that it’s all Kudo’s fault and Vought runs with it.

Unfortunately, Kudo’s vengeance gets the better of him and he forgets the day Yoichi died until it’s too late: Izuku is with AFO and he finally snaps, superimposing Yoichi over Izuku. Now, One for All needs to do whatever it takes to save Izuku from him and also take down Vought and their superhero team by gaining then revealing sensitive information. Kudo’s idea: find the recording of AFO killing Yoichi, his own twin.

I’m also thinking Hawks will take the place of Mallory, the agent working hard to take Vought down and help with witness protection, funding, and passing evidence off to the government.

I’d love any ideas y’all might have for other MHA characters to be involved!

Let me know what y’all think!!!

[nestasminiaturepegasus]

Nesta Archeron is NOT a narcissist 

People love to argue in my comments over whether Nesta is a narcissist or not, so let's use some basic psychology to debunk this:)

Contextual Understanding: It's essential to consider Nesta's background and experiences. She has faced significant trauma, including the loss of her mother and the burden of caring for her family after their downfall. Such experiences can lead to defensive behaviours and coping mechanisms, which might manifest as aloofness or self-preservation rather than narcissism.

Emotional Depth: Narcissism is characterized by a lack of empathy and an inflated sense of self-importance. However, Nesta exhibits profound emotional depth and capacity for empathy, particularly in her protective instincts towards her sisters and her eventual willingness to sacrifice herself for others. This contradicts the hallmark traits of narcissism.

Vulnerability and Self-Reflection: Despite her tough exterior, Nesta demonstrates vulnerability and moments of self-reflection throughout the series. Narcissists often struggle to acknowledge their flaws or vulnerabilities, whereas Nesta grapples with her inner demons and seeks redemption. Her journey towards self-awareness and growth suggests a willingness to confront her shortcomings rather than perpetuate a narcissistic facade.

Interpersonal Relationships: Narcissists tend to exploit others for personal gain and lack genuine, reciprocal relationships. In contrast, Nesta forms meaningful connections with various characters, including Cassian, Emerie, and Gwyn, demonstrating her capacity for empathy, loyalty, and genuine emotional bonds.

Trauma Response vs. Personality Trait: It's crucial to differentiate between behaviour resulting from trauma and inherent personality traits. While Nesta may exhibit defensive or self-protective behaviours as a result of her past experiences, these do not necessarily indicate narcissistic tendencies ingrained in her character.

Because I kNOW some of you are still not convinced, here is the diagnostic criteria for NPD from DSM-5, and how they do NOT relate to Nesta. 

Grandiosity: Nesta does not exhibit a grandiose sense of self-importance. In fact, she struggles with feelings of unworthiness and self-doubt, which is contrary to the first criterion.

Fantasies of Success, Power, Beauty, and Idealization: Nesta does not indulge in fantasies of success or power. Instead, she often sees herself as undeserving and struggles to find meaning in her own existence.

Belief in Being "Special" and Association with High-Status Individuals: Nesta does not believe she is inherently special or deserving of special treatment. She distances herself from others due to her own feelings of inadequacy rather than a belief in her superiority.

Demanding Excessive Admiration: Nesta does not demand excessive admiration from others. In fact, she often isolates herself and rejects offers of help or care from those around her.

Sense of Entitlement: Nesta does not have a sense of entitlement. Instead, she believes she deserves nothing and struggles to accept kindness or assistance from others.

Exploitative Behaviours: There is no evidence to suggest that Nesta engages in exploitative behaviours for personal gain. Instead, she often pushes others away and isolates herself, rather than seeking to manipulate or exploit them.

Lack of Empathy: While Nesta may initially appear aloof or distant, she demonstrates empathy and compassion towards her loved ones, particularly her sisters, the valkyries, and the humans without protection.

Envy or Belief That Others Are Envious: Nesta may feel resentment towards those who seem to have an easier life or grapple with their trauma ‘easier’, but there's no clear pattern of envy or belief that others envy her.

Arrogant or Haughty Behaviours: While Nesta may initially appear aloof or distant, her demeanour is not characterized by consistent displays of arrogance or haughtiness. Instead, her guardedness and reserved nature stem from a deep-seated sense of vulnerability and self-protection, which are more indicative of internal struggles rather than narcissistic tendencies.

( DSM-5 criteria can be found at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556001/ )

[longitudinalwaveme]

I Diagnose Basically Every Flash Villain

For the sake of simplicity, I'm going to organize the Flash villains by symptom type.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (commonly referred to as Multiple Personality Disorder)

Rose and Thorn: Rose Canton, has two alters, the mild-mannered Rose and the villainous Thorn. Since she is a Golden Age character, we know relatively little about her life experiences prior to becoming Rose and Thorn, so it's impossible to say if her Dissociative Identity Disorder stems from childhood trauma (as it often does in real life). The fact that most of her appearances are in Golden Age comics that I haven't personally read means that I'm also not certain how her alters presented themselves, though from what little I know of the character, it doesn't appear that either of her alters was unaware of the other. Nor did either of her personalities appear to experience amnesia during the period when the other was in control (though this is not a diagnostic trait of the disorder). It seems likely that the Rose personality was the original one, and that the Thorn personality developed later, and it is also clear that Rose was very distressed by the actions of her alter---so much so that she would ultimately commit suicide in order to prevent Thorn form harming her children, Jade and Obsidian. I am also not sure if her alters are able to "talk" to one another like Harvey Dent and Two-Face can, although what little I have read of her seems to suggest that they are not able to do this.

Mr. Element/Dr. Alchemy: Albert Desmond has three alters: Albert Desmond, Mr. Element, and Dr. Alchemy. According to Flash vol. 1 #216 ("The Curse of the Dragon's Eye!"), neither Dr. Alchemy nor Mr. Element manifested until Albert turned twenty, meaning that Albert is undoubtedly the original personality. The two malevolent alters emerged as a response to what I can only assume were chemical alterations in Albert's brain, produced by his body's sensitivity to the fluctuations of a distant, pulsating star. This is ridiculous, of course, but if we accept the rules of comic book physics, I suppose it's not too unreasonable to assume that the pulsating star could have affected his brain in such a way that it produced the symptoms of DID.

Albert's situation is also further complicated by the second Dr. Alchemy, Alvin Desmond, who was initially stated to be Albert's astral twin, but was later revealed to be Albert's darker impulses, given life and independence by the Philosopher's Stone. This obviously has no real-world parallel, but, again accepting the bizarre physics of the DC universe, it wouldn't be totally illogical to surmise that Alvin is one of Albert's alters (given their relative behavior, probably Mr. Element) given physical form.

In addition to not having its roots in childhood trauma, it is apparent that Albert does not have dissociative amnesia when his alters come to the fore; instead, he is usually presented as essentially watching in conscious horror as his alters run amuck. It is less clear to me what Dr. Alchemy and Mr. Element remember of the periods during which Albert is in control. Mr. Element treats Rita Desmond, Albert's wife, like his wife (he reacts angrily when he sees Barry Allen alone with her in Flash vol. 1 #216), but Dr. Alchemy either does not view himself as sharing this relationship to Rita or is so evil that he doesn't care if he hurts his wife, since he abandons her to die in Flash vol. 2 #230 ("The Fury of the Fire Demon!"---Barry saved her life).

Whichever alter was given physical form as Alvin clearly displayed signs of dissociative amnesia once he was given his own body, because, while Alvin is aware that he shares some sort of relationship with Albert, he believes himself to be an entirely separate person (which, at this point, he actually is!), rather than as Albert's alter.

Except when Alvin was literally an entirely separate individual, Albert's alters did not display the ability to "talk" to one another. This is something that some individuals with DID report experiencing in real life, and it is also found in Harvey Dent/Two-Face, but this was not a symptom that Albert displayed. Unlike Two-Face, in other words, the alters are never fronting at the same time.

That being said, Dr. Alchemy has displayed very few signs of Dissociative Identity Disorder in the past few years. Rather than two (or more) personalities fighting for control, there seems to be only one personality; one who could be classified as having Antisocial Personality Disorder. I suppose that it isn't outside the realm of possibility that the Dr. Alchemy we've seen from Geoff Johns' run onward is the Dr. Alchemy alter having taken full control over the shared body, and that the Albert alter is locked somewhere inside his mind, but since there's no indication of a struggle between personalities, it seems more likely to me that Geoff Johns was simply intending to retcon the character into a man with Antisocial Personality Disorder, but without DID.

Magenta: This is another case of two alters. The original personality, Frances Kane, suffered serious trauma when her brother and father were killed in a car crash, one that was the result of her powers kicking in for the very first time; trauma that was only compounded when her mother decided that she was possessed by the devil and disowned her. Wally West, who started dating her not long after the Teen Titans helped get her wild magnetic powers under control, further complicated things for Frances. Both Wally and Frances were suffering from both mental illness and the pressures of being a hero, and, as a result of this, their relationship was tumultuous and ended badly not long after Wally became the Flash.

While Frances' initial symptomology wasn't explored in great detail, it seemed that she subsequently struggled with PTSD-like symptoms as the result of the aforementioned trauma, and, as such, her teammates suggested that she get therapy. This sounds like a good idea, but unfortunately, the therapist that she ended up going to was evil, and used Frances' pre-existing symptoms to induce an alternate personality. The therapist then manipulated this new, more aggressive personality to commit crimes for her until Frances was rescued from this disgrace to the psychiatric profession by her fellow Teen Titans.

Unfortunately, the induced secondary personality didn't go away, and would continue to plague Frances and Wally for a long time---though as of 2016, Frances does seem to be in reasonably good mental health.

Frances is unique amongst the three villains with DID in that, while she had pre-existing trauma, her alter was iatrogenic rather than naturally-occurring. Dissociative Identity Disorder often comes under fire in real life for being a condition that it is easy for psychologists to intentionally or, more commonly, unintentionally induce in patients, so it actually is realistic for Magneta's DID to have been induced by a psychologist.

Neither Magenta nor Frances appears to suffer from dissociative amnesia when the other personality is fronting. They seem to share all of the same memories (especially where Wally is concerned); they simply interpret and react to those memories differently.

Magenta and Frances also do not appear to "talk" to one another; they do not co-front.

With all that being said, it is important to note that while basically all cases of Dissociative Identity Disorder in comics involve a "good" personality and an "evil" personality, this is not what one typically sees in real life. This makes it very difficult to figure out if the "good" alters would be found not guilty by reason of insanity in real life. In comic book terms, I have no doubt that all three of them would be sent to Arkham if they lived in Gotham, since comic book insanity has a very loose relationship with real insanity, but I'm actually not sure how cases like these would work in real life, since I'm not even sure if cases like these would be psychologically possible in real life. I will, however, say that they would probably be more likely to be found not guilty by reason of insanity than most versions of Two-Face, due to the fact that Harvey Dent and Two-Face sometimes co-front and argue with one another. This indicates that Harvey Dent could, theoretically, stop Two-Face's actions, and is therefore legally responsible for not doing so. In contrast, Albert, Frances, and Rose do not co-front with their malicious alter egos, and, in the cases of Albert and Frances at least, they immediately put a stop to any criminal activity the second they regain control of the shared body. Because the "good" alters are either fully in control or fully submerged, there's less sense that they share culpability for the actions of the evil alter(s)-especially since there are currently no drugs that exist to treat the main symptom of Dissociative Identity Disorder (namely, the existence of alters), and we know Frances at least seeks out therapy pretty regularly in spite of her very bad initial experience with psychiatry.

Psychotic Symptoms

Murmur (Dr. Michael Christian Amar): Murmur's exact diagnosis is never specified, but given what we're told of his symptoms (auditory hallucinations which instructed him to murder people and cut out their tongues in order to make them quiet; killing at least twelve and possibly up to fifty people; cutting out his own tongue after a nervous tic caused him to incriminate himself on the stand) strongly implies that he's supposed to have Schizophrenia (since most writers aren't aware of the fact that Schizophrenia is not the only mental illness that can include psychotic symptoms). The nervous tic could be another psychotic symptom, but it could also be evidence of a tic disorder, like Tourette's; it's quite common for a person with one mental illness to have more than one. (For example, I have both Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder.) And, of course, given the sheer number of people Murmur killed, it's very likely that he would also be diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder, especially since he displays no remorse over any of the deaths.

If Murmur was in Gotham, he would definitely be sent to Arkham Asylum, since the only prerequisite to being declared insane in Gotham appears to be displaying a flagrant symptom of a mental illness, but in Central City, he was not declared insane---and that's actually almost assuredly what would happen in real life, as well. While it is possible that he could be declared not guilty under the "irresistible impulse" definition of insanity, most court systems in the United States currently use a variation of the "M'Naghten rule", which defines insanity as a person who is so impaired by their mental illness that they were unaware that what they were doing would constitute a crime. For example, a person with schizophrenia hallucinated that their next-door neighbor was about to stab them with a knife, and then killed that person in what they honestly believed to be self-defense, would probably be found not guilty by reason of insanity under this definition, but someone like Murmur, who murdered people because hallucinatory voices told him to shut them up, would probably not be considered legally insane. In effect, the law treats a person who kills someone because hallucinatory voices told them to in the same way it would treat a person who killed someone because their drinking buddy told them to: in both cases, they knew that they were breaking the law by murdering the person, and they did it anyway.

Depending on how psychotic Murmur was while committing his crimes, he might also be declared guilty but mentally ill, which would basically mean that he would be sent to a mental institution until such time as he was no longer psychotic, and would then be transferred to a regular penal institution to serve out the rest of his sentence. Either way, though, as Barry Allen said in The Flash: Iron Heights (2001), "A "nervous tic" [or a hallucinatory voice, for that matter] doesn't force someone to cut people's tongues out, Mr. Cossi. It doesn't make them insane---or absolve them of their actions." So uh....yeah. Congratulations to Central City's justice system for knowing the actual definition of insanity.

Pied Piper (Hartley Rathaway): Towards the end of Barry Allen's run, the Pied Piper ran a fairly extensive campaign to ruin his foe's life----but, as his scheme went on, it became increasingly apparent that he wasn't emotionally stable. He was very agitated and on edge, and, when his plans ultimately failed, he had a full-on mental breakdown. He openly hallucinated, engaged in behavior that was very unusual for him, and seemed to display some degree of avolition and disorganized speech as well. In other words, he experienced a psychotic episode, and, unsurprisingly, the comic itself stated that he was suffering from "a classic case of borderline schizophrenia" (Flash vol. 1 #339, "Warday!"). This is a term that was once used to describe the combination of borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia, and, since the comic in question was published in the 1980s, it isn't surprising that it would use outdated terminology.

In effect, then, the comic is telling us that Pied Piper suffers from schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder.

According to the DSM-5, the diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder include at least five of the following symptoms:

Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment; this does not include suicidal or self-mutilating behavior covered in criterion 5

A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation

Markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self

Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (eg, spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating) [5] ; this does not include suicidal or self-mutilating behavior covered in criterion 5

Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior

Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (eg, intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days)

Chronic feelings of emptiness

Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (eg, frequent displays of temper, constant anger, or recurrent physical fights)

Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms

And...yeah, that actually does sound a lot like the Pied Piper, especially prior to his reform. And, since the treatment Piper received for his nervous breakdown was, ultimately, successful in curing him of his psychotic episode, maybe it helped him to deal with some of his broader symptoms of borderline personality disorder as well, and that's part of why he became nicer and chose to reform around the time Wally became the Flash.

However, I don't think the schizophrenia diagnosis is applicable in this case. While schizophrenia is the most well-known psychotic disorder, it isn't the only one that can induce psychotic symptoms, and it's rare for a person with schizophrenia to experience only one psychotic episode. Since the Pied Piper's breakdown was brief and appeared to be the result of stress, and he didn't seem to display any residual symptoms after he recovered (at least after the initial Kadabra-impersonating-Reverse-Flash-induced relapse), I think it's more likely that Pied Piper was suffering from a different psychotic disorder---perhaps Brief Psychotic Disorder---or from a mood disorder accompanied by psychotic symptoms.

That being said, after Pied Piper went through the trauma conga line of having his parents murdered, being hypnotized into believing he was responsible, being sent to prison, getting abused by the warden, going on the run, joining the FBI, having the Top mess with his mind, going undercover on a mission that went disastrously wrong and resulted in the death of Bart Allen, being chased all over the DCU by everyone, watching the Trickster get shot in front of him, and then having to drag the Trickster's corpse around a desert, he understandably had another psychotic episode and started to hallucinate that the Trickster's dead body was talking to him. But once again, the psychotic episode seemed to be pretty brief, and he was somehow able to recover without many noticeable residual symptoms---which, again, seems to point away from Schizophrenia. Again, I do think he has either some kind of psychotic disorder or a mood disorder with psychotic symptoms in addition to the BPD, but I don't think it's Schizophrenia.

So, would the Pied Piper have been sent to Arkham before he reformed? It's hard to say. Just wearing a costume isn't sufficient to get you sent to Arkham (Catwoman and Black Mask aren't sent there), but I can't rule it out as a possibility even before his initial psychotic episode, especially given how emotionally unstable he was as a villain---and, since Gotham either has a completely different set of standards for insanity or is just so corrupt that all the costumed criminals can bribe the courts to get them declared insane, that emotional instability might have been enough.

In the story from the 1980s, it appears that Pied Piper was probably deemed incompetent to stand trial, since he was sent to a psychiatric hospital immediately upon his arrest. Presumably, he was tried for the crimes he had committed in the period leading up to his mental breakdown after he had recovered, though this was never directly stated anywhere due to the chaos surrounding Crisis on Infinite Earths. This is all reasonably consistent with what we might expect in real life. His second mental breakdown came after he had reformed, and as such there wouldn't really be a need for a trial in that case (since presumably the FBI had him legally cleared for breaking prison when they hired him).

The Top (Roscoe Dillon): Roscoe Dillon suffered from a very long period of psychosis, one which lasted from Flash vol. 2 #121 to Flash vol. 2 #216. The psychotic break was heavily suggested to be the result of trauma, but, thanks to retcons, there are two contradictory explanations for what the initial trauma was. When Roscoe's psychotic break initially happened, it was clearly implied that he had gone insane as the result of being attacked by the soulless bodies of the Rogues who had died in Underworld Unleashed, but, in Flash vol. 2 #215, Geoff Johns retconned things so that Dillon had been psychotic since before Barry Allen died in Crisis on Infinite Earths, and that he his psychotic break had occurred as a direct result of Zatanna brainwashing him into being good. Notably, when Wally has Zatanna "fix" the brainwashing, Roscoe is immediately presented as being sane again.

In terms of symptomology, Roscoe displayed signs of hallucinations, delusions, strange behavior (in spite of usually being rather fastidious, he seemed unable to maintain basic hygiene during the course of his long psychotic episode) and disorganized speech. There's no doubt that he was suffering from psychosis, but, as underlined previously, that doesn't automatically equate to schizophrenia, which means we need to look at the context clues in order to determine what the most likely diagnosis would be.

Schizophrenia is, of course, a possibility. Unlike the Pied Piper, whose psychotic episodes were both relatively brief, the Top's psychosis lasted for what seemed to be at least a few in-universe years. That being said, the rather rapid onset of his psychosis and his seemingly immediate and complete recovery upon being un-brainwashed would both be somewhat unusual in schizophrenia, and, while his psychotic episode was very long, there isn't really any evidence of him having had any previous---or subsequent--- psychotic episodes. Of course, it's quite likely that Geoff Johns was intending for the Top to have schizophrenia (since that's the only psychotic disorder most writers know about) and just didn't realize that the symptoms he was having the character present weren't especially consistent with it, but in the spirit of the initial post, I will take the symptoms as signs that might indicate a disorder other than schizophrenia (other than the ubiquitous diagnosis of "comic book crazy", which is probably the true diagnosis of most comic book characters with a mental illness).

And if I had to diagnosis The Top with a specific mental illness (other than Antisocial Personality Disorder, which wouldn't explain his psychotic episode), it would probably be Bipolar 1 Disorder, and my reasoning for this is primarily based on his very first appearance, in Flash vol. 1 #122 ("Beware the Atomic Grenade!"). In order to be diagnosed with Bipolar 1 disorder, a person must experience at least one manic episode---and, while it was absolutely not the author's intent, the behavior the Top displays in that issue is surprisingly consistent with the behavior one might expect in a manic episode. He displays an unusually elevated mood (he's much more giggly and unrelentingly cheerful in his first issue than he is in all his subsequent appearances, and he doesn't even seem upset when the Flash carts him off to jail), he displays mood-congruent delusions of grandeur (deciding that succeeding in a few robberies means that he'll definitely be able to take over the world, and also apparently believing that he can blow up half the world and be safe on the other side), he seems to display at least some flight of ideas, he seems unusually driven even by supervillain standards ("One coup after another! Can't slow down while I'm at the top of my form!"), he's extremely talkative (admittedly, the Top does like the sound of his own voice, but talking to himself for like a full page is a bit much even for him), and his attempt to take over the world is much riskier than any crime he commits after this initial appearance, suggesting a degree of impaired judgement.

Again, this was not intentional on the part of the writer, but if we take his first appearance as as The Top having a manic episode, then Roscoe's subsequent psychotic break could in turn be attributed to another mood episode, this one with psychotic features. More specifically, since his psychotic break was the result of trauma of some sort, I would hypothesize that it was either a depressive or mixed-mood episode with psychotic features.

Would the Top be sent to Arkham if he were in Gotham? Absolutely. He's clearly mentally ill, and that's all you need to be declared insane in Gotham. In the real world, he would almost assuredly not be declared insane, since his mental illness doesn't impair his judgement to the extent that he doesn't realize he's committing crimes---and, indeed, since we saw him in the state prison, and then in Iron Heights, it's clear that he wasn't declared insane in Central City either.

That being said, I am somewhat surprised that he was found competent to stand trial after Flash vol. 1 #121, since he was very obviously both psychotic and incoherent when he was arrested, and didn't seem to be any more put together when we next saw him in Iron Heights.

Zoom (Hunter Zolomon): Hunter Zolomon has had a ton of trauma in his life. He grew up with parents who barely ever spoke to him, on the day he was going to leave home for college, his father murdered his mother and was then killed by the police (and he also learned that his father was a serial killer), and, as the result of making a bad call while on a case for the FBI, he was shot in the knee and his father-in-law was killed in front of him. And then, to top it all off, his wife divorced him and he was fired from the FBI. In short, while it wasn't explicitly shown before he became Zoom, I'm pretty sure that Hunter was at least dealing with some PTSD-like symptoms before he even moved to the Twin Cities; and, while I'm not sure he was clinically depressed, he definitely seemed to have some depressive symptoms.

Then, as if all that wasn't enough, he was eventually attacked by Gorilla Grodd, who broke his back and left him paralyzed from the waist down, and when he asked his friend Wally West to go back in time and fix things for him, Wally refused (understandably, but it was still clearly a blow to Hunter) . And if that STILL wasn't enough, when he broke into the Flash Museum to try to use the Cosmic Treadmill himself, it blew up in his face and he ended up in the hospital again.

In addition to the never-ending trauma, Flash vol. 2 #197 also seem to indicate that the time powers Hunter gained as a result of the Cosmic Treadmill exploding in his face negatively affected his mind.

As such, it isn't especially surprising that Hunter started displaying symptoms of psychosis, including delusions and hallucinations (which seemed to draw on PTSD-like flashbacks). Again, there are a number of diagnoses that could be responsible for this psychotic episode, but I would say that the most likely is Major Depressive Disorder with psychotic features. In addition to the depressive symptoms he displayed both throughout his life and more prominently after Grodd broke his back, there's also a distinct suicidal undertone to his attacks on Wally, since his idea of making Wally a "better hero" pretty explicitly includes getting Wally to kill him.

If Zoom was in Gotham, he would be sentenced to Arkham Asylum. Once again, he's clearly mentally ill, and in Gotham, that's all you need to be declared insane. On the other hand, I'm genuinely not sure if he would be able to successfully plead insanity in the real world. While he seems to be aware of the fact that he's committing crimes on some level, his delusional belief that he is "helping" Wally is so strong that it really does seem like there might be a genuine question as to whether he recognizes that his acts are objectionable---though him being found guilty but mentally ill might still be more likely. Although given how openly psychotic he is---and appears to remain---I think that he might be found incompetent to stand trial altogether.

Pyromania (and Cryophobia)

Heat Wave (Mick Rory): The classic version of Heat Wave would be diagnosed with a simple phobia---specifically, cryophobia, a fear of the cold that's so overwhelming it negatively impacts your day-to-day life. As with many phobias, Mick's fear of the cold stems from a traumatic childhood experience; specifically, when he was nine years old, he accidentally closed himself inside of a meat locker and nearly froze to death before he managed to get out. This, obviously, would not get him declared insane, even in Gotham. Probably.

However, when Geoff Johns elaborated on Heat Wave's backstory in Flash vol. 2 #218, he established/retconned in that Heat Wave also suffers from pyromania, a much more severe mental illness.

According to the DSM-5, the criteria for being diagnosed with pyromania are as follows:

The person deliberately and purposefully sets fires on more than one occasion.

He or she experiences tension or affective arousal before the act.

The individual has a fascination with or attraction to fire.

He or she feels pleasure, gratification, or relief when setting fires, witnessing fires, or participating in their aftermath.

The fire setting is not done for monetary gain, as an expression of sociopolitical ideology or anger, to conceal criminal activity, to improve one’s living circumstances, in response to a delusion or hallucination, or as a result of impaired judgment.

The fire setting is not better or reasonably explained by a manic episode or other disorder.

Johns' Mick displays every single one of these symptoms; he is, in fact, a textbook pyromaniac. This would, naturally, be sufficient to send him to Arkham (Firefly is one of the patients there, after all), but it would probably not be enough to get him declared insane in real life, unless he was tried in a jurisdiction that used the "irresistible impulse" definition of insanity. He might be declared guilty but mentally ill, though.

Substance Abuse

A lot of the Rogues have been shown drinking alcohol or smoking, but there's really only three villains where I think there's sufficient evidence to suggest that they actually have a substance abuse disorder.

Captain Boomerang: According to the DSM-5, in order for an individual to qualify for a diagnosis of alcohol abuse disorder, at least two of the following symptoms must be met:

Drinking more alcohol or over a longer period than originally intended.

Unsuccessfully trying to cut down or control alcohol use.

Craving, or a strong desire or urge to use alcohol. (Wanting a drink so much it’s difficult to think of anything else)

Drinking that interferes with responsibilities at home, at work, or at school.

Continuing to use alcohol even when it causes problems with family and friends.

Giving up important social, occupational, or recreational activities because of alcohol use.

Repeatedly using alcohol in physically hazardous situations.

Developing a tolerance to alcohol (needing more alcohol to get the same effect).

Experiencing withdrawal symptoms such as shakiness, restlessness, nausea, or sweating after stopping or reducing drinking.

Given how often Digger is shown drinking or getting drunk, I think it's fair to say that he qualified for the diagnosis.

During Ostrander's Suicide Squad run, Digger was also identified as having Antisocial Personality Disorder; specifically, he was described as a low-functioning sociopath. Given the behavior Digger regularly displays, I think that diagnosis is quite accurate.

Obviously, though, antisocial personality disorder and alcohol abuse disorder are not enough to get someone declared not guilty by reason of insanity, not even in Gotham. Even if he decided to move to Gotham, Digger wouldn't have to worry about Arkham Asylum.

Mirror Master I (Samuel Scudder): In order to be diagnosed with Tobacco Use Disorder, an individual must display at least two of the following 12 symptoms within a 12-month period:

Tobacco is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended.

There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control tobacco use.

A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain or use tobacco.

Craving, or a strong desire or urge to use tobacco.

Recurrent tobacco use resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home (e.g. - interference with work).

Continued tobacco use despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by the effects of tobacco (e.g. - arguments with others about tobacco use).

Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of tobacco use.

Recurrent tobacco use in situations in which it is physically hazardous (e.g. - smoking in bed).

Tobacco use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by tobacco.

Tolerance, as defined by either of the following:

A. A need for markedly increased amounts of tobacco to achieve the desired effect.

B. A markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of tobacco.

Withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following:

A. The characteristic withdrawal syndrome for tobacco (refer to Criteria A and B of the criteria set for tobacco withdrawal).

B. Tobacco (or a closely related substance, such as nicotine) is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Given that Flash vol. 1 #146 establishes that Sam smokes four cigarettes an hour, and the fact that he was shown smoking more than any other Flash villain, I think that it's safe to say he qualifies for this diagnosis.

There's also a good case to be made that Scudder has Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In order to be diagnosed with NPD, an individual must display at least 5 of the 9 following symptoms:

a grandiose sense of self-importance

a preoccupation with fantasies of success, power, beauty, or perfect love

a belief that they are "special" and can only be understood by other special people

a need for excessive admiration

a sense of entitlement, which may include an unreasonable expectation to be treated favorably or for others to comply with their demands and expectations

behavior that is exploitative and takes advantage of others to achieve their own ends

a lack of empathy or an unwillingness to identify with the needs of others

a tendency to be envious of others or a belief that others are envious of them

arrogance, haughty behaviors, and attitudes.

Scudder's pretty much 9 for 9 here. Who would have guessed that a guy who named himself "Mirror Master" would be a narcissist?

Neither NPD nor a cigarette addiction would be sufficient to have someone declared insane in the real world, but, given the precedent set by the Riddler....NPD might be enough in Gotham. Granted, Riddler is sometimes also portrayed as having OCD, and thus an irresistible impulse to leave clues, but still.....

Mirror Master II (Evan McCulloch): Famously, Evan McCulloch is addicted to cocaine. Since cocaine is a stimulant, that would mean that he would be diagnosed with stimulant use disorder.

That being said, McCulloch's issues extend far beyond the cocaine addiction, and, in many ways, the addiction seems to be just another symptom of a larger problem.

As established in Flash vol. 2 #212, Evan has lived through a lot of traumatic experiences, including accidentally killing his father, finding his mother dead from suicide, and being sexually assaulted by an older boy in the orphanage where he grew up (before killing that kid in self-defense). That, naturally, raises the possibility of a diagnosis of PTSD, the criteria for which are as follows:

Criterion A (1 required): The person was exposed to: death, threatened death, actual or threatened serious injury, or actual or threatened sexual violence, in the following way(s):

Direct exposure

Witnessing the trauma

Learning that the trauma happened to a close relative or close friend

Indirect exposure to aversive details of the trauma, usually in the course of professional duties (e.g., first responders, medics)

Criterion B (1 required): The traumatic event is persistently re-experienced, in the following way(s):

Unwanted upsetting memories

Nightmares

Flashbacks

Emotional distress after exposure to traumatic reminders

Physical reactivity after exposure to traumatic reminders

Criterion C (1 required): Avoidance of trauma-related stimuli after the trauma, in the following way(s):

Trauma-related thoughts or feelings

Trauma-related reminders

Criterion D (2 required): Negative thoughts or feelings that began or worsened after the trauma, in the following way(s):

Inability to recall key features of the trauma

Overly negative thoughts and assumptions about oneself or the world

Exaggerated blame of self or others for causing the trauma

Negative affect

Decreased interest in activities

Feeling isolated

Difficulty experiencing positive affect

Criterion E (2 required): Trauma-related arousal and reactivity that began or worsened after the trauma, in the following way(s):

Irritability or aggression

Risky or destructive behavior

Hypervigilance

Heightened startle reaction

Difficulty concentrating

Difficulty sleeping

Criterion F (required): Symptoms last for more than 1 month.

Criterion G (required): Symptoms create distress or functional impairment (e.g., social, occupational).

Criterion H (required): Symptoms are not due to medication, substance use or other illness.

More specifically, Evan's PTSD appears to be of the dissociative variety, since he does seem to display signs of what's known as derealization (persistent or recurrent experiences of unreality of surroundings, e.g., the world around the individual is experienced as unreal, dreamlike, distant, or distorted) even when he's not actively using cocaine.

In addition to the cocaine use and PTSD, there's also an argument to be made for McCulloch having Antisocial Personality Disorder.

I'm pretty sure McCulloch would be sent to Arkham Asylum if he lived in Gotham, more due to the PTSD and associated dissociation than the cocaine use, but I don't think he'd be declared insane in real life. Maybe he might be declared guilty but mentally ill if he was in one of his particularly weird phases, but he's way too cognizant of his actions to be considered legally insane.

Dissociative Disorder

Professor Zoom the Reverse-Flash (Eobard Thawne): In addition to the really, very, extremely obvious Antisocial Personality Disorder, I think that Eobard Thawne has experienced at least two dissociative episodes in his life. Specifically, during the Return of Barry Allen storyline, when a young Eobard Thawne traveled through time to visit Barry Allen, the stresses of time travel, combined with the shock that learning that he was the Reverse-Flash and that his idol would one day kill him, Eobard entered a state of dissociative fugue, losing his memories of his past life and then taking on the name and identity of Barry Allen. His memories eventually returned when Wally West confronted him with his Reverse-Flash costume, but when he subsequently returned back to his native time after being soundly thrashed by Wally, the stress of time travel induced partial dissociative amnesia; he completely forgot about his first trip to the past and would never remember it.

Eobard is also a creepy, obsessive stalker to both Barry and Iris Allen, but to a large extent that's probably attributable to his ASPD.

In the real world, dissociative amnesia of the sort Eobard displayed, where he still clearly has the memories of all of his most heinous crimes, would not be at all sufficient to get someone declared legally insane, and, of course, neither would ASPD. That being said, given the way that Gotham treats the Joker, and the similarities between Eobard and the Joker, I have this horrible feeling that Gotham would totally send Eobard to Arkham.

Personality Disorders

Personality Disorders alone are not sufficient to get someone declared legally insane in real life, but since Gotham's legal system seems to operate under its own totally unrelated definition of insanity, I unfortunately have to go through all the characters with personality disorders anyway.

Blacksmith (Amunet Black): Blacksmith has Antisocial Personality Disorder, but Gotham wouldn't send her to Arkham. She's a lot like the Penguin, and he never gets sent to Arkham.

Gorilla Grodd: Grodd also has Antisocial Personality Disorder, and if he was in Gotham and for some reason couldn't be extradited back to Gorilla City, he'd probably end up getting sent to Arkham under the "Clayface/Mr. Freeze" rule, which states that Arkham is apparently the only penal facility in Gotham capable of housing the more physically abnormal inmates.

Abra Kadabra: Abra Kadabra definitely has Narcissistic Personality Disorder; he's even more of a showboat than Sam Scudder. I get the feeling that he'd probably end up in Arkham because of his flamboyance and obsessive need for applause.

Girder: ASPD. He'd end up in Arkham under the "Clayface/Mr. Freeze" rule.

Golden Glider: I think a case can be made for Golden Glider having Paranoid Personality Disorder. In order to be a diagnosed with PPD, an individual must display at least four of the following symptoms:

Suspects, without sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving them.

Is preoccupied with unjustified doubts about the loyalty or trustworthiness of friends or associates.

Is reluctant to confide in others because of unwarranted fear that the information will be used maliciously against them.

Reads hidden demeaning or threatening meanings into benign remarks or events.

Bears grudges persistently, being unforgiving of insults, injuries, or slights. 

Perceives attacks on their character or reputation that are not apparent to others and quickly reacts angrily or counterattacks. 

Has recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding fidelity of spouse or sexual partner.

Does not occur exclusively during the course of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depressive disorder with psychotic features, or another psychotic disorder, and is not attributable to the physiological effects of another medical condition. 

Golden Glider became a supervillain specifically to get revenge on Barry Allen for the death of the Top, so she certainly meets the "bearing grudges" criteria. In Flash vol. 1 #261-264, she reacts angrily to being administered a psychological evaluation and treats it as a personal attack, which would seem to meet a few of the diagnostic criteria, and she certainly reacts violently to any perceived threats. Furthermore, in Flash vol. 2 Annual #1, Golden Glider accuses Captain Boomerang, Weather Wizard, and Trickster of having blown the whistle on her without any apparent evidence, and in her debut issues, Flash vol. 1 #250-251, we also saw that she was willing to pre-emptively knock out her brother and leave him to the police in order to ensure that he wouldn't try to interfere with her revenge plans. This, combined with her experiences as a child with an abusive father, a frequently-absent mother, and a brother who ultimately left her alone with her father, makes for a pretty good argument for at least some level of paranoia.

Would Golden Glider be sent to Arkham? I'm inclined to say yes, if only because the sheer intensity of her rage. Which, given her reaction to the proposed psychological tests, would probably just make her even angrier.

The Character With No Clear Mental Illness Who Would be Sent to Iron Heights Purely on the Basis of the "Clayface/Mr. Freeze Rule"

Tarpit (Joey Monteleone): Joey doesn't seem to have any mental illnesses as such, but the fact that he's a giant flaming tar monster means that he'd probably get sent to Arkham by default if he lived in Gotham.

Characters I'm Pretty Sure Wouldn't Be Sent to Arkham

Captain Cold (Leonard Snart): Len doesn't have any clear mental illnesses at all (maaaybe you could make an argument for PTSD or alcohol abuse, but that seems like a stretch), and he's so pragmatic that even Gotham would send him to Blackgate with no questions asked.

Weather Wizard (Mark Mardon): He's moody, and does seem to have occasional flashbacks to his brother's death, but there's nothing in particular that I can pinpoint for him. He doesn't really get as much focus as you would expect. And he's not quite weird or flamboyant enough to get sent to Arkham.

Trickster I (James Jesse): Unlike his television adaptations, James is neither psychotic (as in the DCAU) or psychopathic (as in the 90s show and the CW show). Weirdly, he might still get sent to Arkham anyway, if only because of how much he plays up the wacky screwball angle and how bad Gotham is at understanding mental health.

Trickster II (Axel Walker): There's a definite argument to be made for Conduct Disorder, but Axel's effectively just a teenaged punk. Even Gotham wouldn't send him to Arkham. Probably. I hope.

Gotham seems convinced that anyone with a clown theme is insane, though, so who knows.

Peek-a-Boo (Lashawn Baez): Arguably some trauma and depressive symptoms, especially after she was abused at Iron Heights and her father died, but nothing that would get her sent to Arkham.

Fallout (Neil Borman): Again, I can't rule out PTSD or depressive symptoms, given the horrible way his family died and the equally horrible way Warden Wolfe used him to power Iron Heights, but he doesn't do anything sufficiently weird or violent for him to get sent to Arkham.

[nahisummerhold]

Harbinger of Disaster

@daily-writing-challenge - Aug 2024 - Day 4 - Ego/Coincidence

(Part 1, part 2 is getting written because I am having too much fun with the entire situation, might be a Part 3 even but they won’t be on DWC just funsies on my blog)

Sauntering into the bar from a back entrance with a garment bag over her shoulder. Nahi had come in early with her copy of the bar recipes for the Masquerave to go over with Pathyn. It was going to be her performance for the night and she was going to put in the time to make it look good. 

Dressed only in shorts and her Hearts of Tenacity cut off t-shirt because she needed something sassy in her life to help distract her from the portents that were heard in the streets more and more along with the troops that were assembling. Tossing the bag with her stage outfit across one of the tables she turned to the bar just now noticing that there was someone there talking to Pathyn. It iwas not the first time she had performed for strangers but usually she practiced to a point of perfection before she did and she was no where close to that good at bartending.

Tipping her head up she walked over, her eyes only on Pathyn, “Hey there!” She ducked under the flip up entry to the bar instead of opening it, when she stood up she stopped in her tracks. 

“You…” the dark man across the bar hissed softly, “Are you my personal harbinger of disaster?” 

Catching Nahi speechless was a hard feat but seeing the Illidari she spent her last night in Tempest Keep with sitting right there smacked her in the face and took her breath away. Not.. a… word…. escaped her, she just stared.

Pathyn looked between the two surprised at first then a slow grin spread across his face. “You know each other?” 

“Know as in a physical way? Or know as in we even exchanged names?” The Illidari asked, not looking at Nahi, not needing to.

She still just stood there, her heart pounding in her chest, something she was sure he could hear. 

The bartender settled his look on Nahi finally, his voice was as teasing as hers normally was, “The floor is not so sticky as to keep you there.” 

A deep sexy chuckle escaped the other Kaldorei, fel take them both… well she guessed it already had one of them. “Sorry, I just didn’t know you had company, my friend.” One foot moved, then the other and she totally ignored the demon hunter. 

“Yes, he and I are close and he wanted to make sure I was taking the threat to the city serious. Came to help me get my things out of the city.” Pathyn was still just looking at her with a curious look. 

As she hadn’t been asked anything other than if they knew each other, which had been answered already. she got to ignore half of the men in the room. “I am glad you are preparing then. I brought the menu, finally got it.”

Pathyn looked like he was on the verge of falling over laughing, an expression she was ignoring as much as she was the dark presence. Except she noticed everything about the Illidari out of the corner of her eye, he would have been hard for her to miss anywhere she thought. She had just been thinking about him the other night, what did Dina say? You manifest that which you focus on? It was unfair, she hadn’t wished for him to be around, she was just remembering that night. 

Taking the list she opened it on the bar a couple spots down from Pathyn’s friend, “Yes, and they look amazing, and amazingly complicated. Help me learn to make them properly, with a little bit of flair?” She turned pleading eyes on him but there was not a hint of begging in her tone, part of that look was so he could help her ignore his friend.

Well the last was not caught, or he ignored it, “Of course I told you I would, we have worked for weeks on it already. I am sure we won’t mind hanging out a little longer.” He started to look over the menu, “So where did the two of you meet?”

“Tempest Keep.” The other man answered for them both, which was good because she didn’t want to talk about it. Didn’t even want to think of that night if she could. 

“What?” Pathyn lifted his head, and all teasing was gone when he looked at Nahi replaced by more than a hint of concern. “You were there?” He must have heard the story of what happened from his friend because of that look. Fuck.

Nahi drew in a breath and huffed it out softly. “Yes,” she paused and her voice wavered, “it was not the best of nights.”

The demon hunter growled softly, a sound that she had heard before and really liked it, she kind of still liked it, damn him, “Understatement.” 

“Shut the fuck up Kyeanadril.” Pathyn said, “You can be a real asshole sometimes, you know that?”

“Like you can’t?” Humor crept into that deep voice, “And no fair, now she knows my name but I don’t know hers.”

Pathyn snapped back, “And I am not telling you it either. Maybe if you stop being an antagonistic shit head, she might.” He looked at the list again, “Wow, they go all out, these are amazing. You don’t need to do too much to make them special.”

Nahi snorted and then looked back to the drink list, little chance of her telling Kyeanadril anything. “Yes but I want to. I don’t want to be boring.”

“She likes a spectacle,” the Illidari said.

The other Kaldorei spoke at the same time, “As if you ever could be.” He ignored his friend then, just like she was.

The trouble was, Nahi wasn’t ignoring him at all. His comment stung, as it was mostly true, but she was a performer now and it was her job to keep people’s attention on her. “Yes, and I need to memorize them while trying to remember how to make them and actually look cool while doing it.”

“How is your arm?” He asked while still looking at the menu.

“I can do almost everything I could before. Working on strength with it still, but I can grip bottles and glasses, I have been practicing at home.” She said and picked up a bottle and rolled it over the back of her left hand like he had showed her. 

Suddenly fel eyes were on her face, “What happened to your arm?”

“I broke it,” she replied. Fuck, so much for ignoring him.

Which he noticed. “Good girl,” he said with a sexy smile. 

Double fuck. 

Pathyn looked between them again, “Should I leave?”

They both answered, “No.” Agreeing with him did not make her feel any better. In fact his not wanting to be around her also stung.

“Why are you here?” Kyeanadril asked her.

“Work,” she said as she started to pull bottles for the first drink out.

He gave another sexy chuckle, “Work hmmm?” Implying a much different kind of work.

Pathyn sighed, “She sings here, asshole. I told you that the singer tonight is incredible, right?”

“Takes after her mother, hmm?”

Nahi dropped a bottle, yelped, and bent to get it, thank goodness for impact resistant flooring. Pathyn knew nothing about her life, this was getting too complicated, even more than him just being here was. Now, she could feel her friend’s attention on her without having to look up. “Alright… both of you… enough,” he said. “Nahi, breathe. Kyean, stop being an asshole.”

And now he knew her name too, triple fuck. Sun but Nahi hated feeling out of sorts like this, but she listened and took a deep breath.

“Nahi, hmmm?” Kyean spoke lowly, “You don’t tell me what to do, Pathyn.” There was danger in his voice. 

Pathyn took the bottle from Nahi while looking in her eyes, “Sit.” He had never tried to boss her around before, guide her in her learning but he was never bossy. He placed his hands on her waist and lifted her onto the back counter, a spot she enjoyed when she was watching him. Now it had an added advantage of putting her and Kyean further apart. “Kyean, I don’t know what fucked up shit is between the two of you but she is my friend and I am reaching the end of my patience with you being shitty to her. She has asked for my help, and my help does not include being harassed by my cousin.”

Taking another breath she looked at the Illidari, he was just as dark, dangerous and sexy as he had been the night they met. “Yes, I sing just like my mother used to. Well, not exactly the same, but I am a singer.”

“A fucking good one too,” Pathyn said in support.

“If you are so good, why are you learning bartending?” Kyeanadril asked.

“I joined a group of performers but we can’t all be on stage at the same time so I offered to bartend. I can do the basics but there's no reason I can’t do more.” Nahi answered him honestly. Of all her one night stands he was the one that would come back to her most often. He wouldn’t have stayed nameless that night if the keep hadn’t been invaded, she had been enjoying their time too much.

He kept ‘staring’ at her and that made her hackles rise. She wanted to defend herself, or explain more, or do anything but sit here like some child. It was not her fault that she was so short compared to them that sitting on the high counter helped her equal the difference slightly, fel she wasn’t even short when it came to other Sin’dorei, but these men were giants, Kyean more that Pathyn if she remembered correctly, but both made her feel tiny.

Pathyn cleared his throat, “Nahi, let’s get to work on the first one here. Kyean, didn’t you plan to go visit your friend?” 

“No,” he said lowly.

Triple, no quadruple fucks. “Fine,” she said, but smiled warmly at Pathyn, her shortness was not for him after all. “Let’s do this.”

Somehow, they got finished with the first and Nahi felt pretty good about it, she even managed to ignore Kyean after a bit. Popping up on her toes she kissed Pathyn on the cheek as the manager announced that the doors were opening in five minutes.