#lunatics running the asylum

[socialjusticeinamerica]

This is outrageous. Kennedy is a Qanon, anti-vaxxer, and deranged kook. He is not a scientist, a medical researcher, or a doctor. In fact he has no expertise at all regarding drugs, vaccines, or nutrition. He was a pretend attorney hired because of his family connections.

The common man thinks all rich people are smart and everyone with a degree is automatically an Einstein level genius. Studies have shown that the public has been conditioned to follow the lead of any tall man in a suit, or woman in business attire.

Just because someone dresses like a business person and knows a little more about issues than Joe Sixpack doesn’t make them a f—king expert. It’s easy for the ordinary person to believe in conspiracy theories when they don’t know how anything works.

The Dunning-Kruger effect doesn’t literally mean too stupid to know you’re stupid. Rather it is a cognitive bias in which people with limited competence in a given field overestimate their abilities. Neil deGrasse Tyson on his podcast Star Talk describes this as a hobbyist thinking they are on par with highly educated scientific researchers.

We have the entire MAGA movement thinking they understand everything because they read a blurb on the internet from random strangers with no credentials. Worse yet most of this “I did my own research” crowd are unwittingly being strung along by professional propagandists.

The Joe Sixpack crowd thinks Trump and Musk are highly educated and have a grasp of everything under the sun. In fact they each possess a bachelor’s degree in economics and nothing more. You couldn’t teach elementary school or be a librarian without a master’s degree. They are totally outclassed by the majority of politicians, statesmen, world leaders, financiers, scientists, medical professionals, and virtually everyone they come into contact with. They each have only two things going for them. One, they were born rich and two, they promote themselves endlessly to the masses as stable geniuses when in fact they are drug addled fools. Again the lower class thinks they are rich so they must be smart.

RFK Jr thinks because his law firm handled some environmental cases, mostly unsuccessfully, he is an expert on medicine and science. In point of fact he is merely the hobbyist Neil deGrasse Tyson has described. The hobbyist who doesn’t understand the big picture or the finer points of how anything works.

Public, and private education, hasn’t failed us. In red states which are now the majority, Republican politicians and oligarchs who own for profit charter schools have deliberately dumbed down education in their states. It is not the fault of the teachers who are mostly well educated and good intentioned fighting an uphill battle against the willful ignorance of Republicans who want an electorate of sheep that simply obey without question. Pile on top of that the radicalization of the red states masses by right-wing propaganda outlets and you have a recipe for disaster. For profit charter schools are underfunded, have lower paid staff (unqualified) and are not held to the strict standardized testing criteria public schools face.

[whyisthereacentaur]

Duolingo and the official Helluva Boss account had a moment in the comments on their tweet as well:

I’ve changed my mind, I do like this timeline after all

Guys I'm dying-

THIS IS THE OFFICIAL DUOLINGO TWEETING THIS-

(THE ACTUAL TWEET FOR PROOF-)

(Here's some fanart of this tweet-) Edit: it's aislinceivun on [tumblr], go check 'em out!

IT IS REAL.

DUOLINGO IS SHIPPING THEMSELF WITH ALASTOR-

I AM DYING HELP ME-

[rilgar]

I really hate this site at times lmao

[see-arcane]

I know it's a day late, but I'm thinking about the possible Watsonian reasons for Renfield simply not addressing Jonathan at all, even to say he does not know him, whether it'd be a truth or lie. We know the Doylist reason is that Stoker flubbed the meeting in the initial version and Jonathan only got tucked into the visiting group after the fact and so he didn't get a blurb where Renfield does his 'ooh look how much I know about you~' bit.

But hey, Jonathan's there, technically. Renfield obviously sees him. Yet he goes unmentioned. Let's examine the possibilities:

A) Even reduced and dehumanized as he is in his cell, it's a slight flex of class. Mina he did not know when she arrived. He outright guessed that she might be the girl Jack proposed to--therefore assuming she was someone of good background. Jonathan is a surprise to him, a blank space among these well-known higher class gentlemen. Being a blank space, it could be assumed he is the lesser/nobody among the group. (Which, in terms of the social and societal ladders, he is.) So, in the most uncharitable light, the silent treatment for Jonathan is a little bit of leftover toff peeking through as Renfield puts on the former-upper class peacock routine. I personally don't buy it, but the possibility is there.

B) Renfield simply does not have a PowerPoint presentation locked and loaded about the guy who Jack and his asylum have known for barely three days. Doesn't have so much as a gossip flashcard on him. Embarrassing. Move on, don't make eye contact.

C) Renfield is shown to have some kind of heightened Sense when it comes to Dracula's presence. Whether that's the Count himself or things saturated with his essence (ala the dirt boxes), somehow Renfield is extremely aware of all things Dracula, perhaps as his own wisp of psychic talent. And that means when Jonathan Harker walked into the asylum, he got a strong twitch. When he walks into the cell, it's like a mallet to the brain.

Because here is someone who spent two solid months having Dracula's presence inflicted on him every single night. Even with a few months behind him, there's no scrubbing that out. Renfield Knows this young man was in Dracula's jaws, literally and metaphorically, for most of a season. And he's wearing a wedding ring. Like Mina's. Dots connect.

Confronted with this, and with the betrayal trapped under his usurped tongue, and with the full knowledge of what a monster he's sold himself to and what that monster must have inflicted on this earnest and haunted man just shy of being a boy, what can he say? What must he want to say to this member of the group more than any other, even dear Dr. Seward?

("He has been here! He can enter this building because I invited him! He has come to her, he will come again, he knows what she has done against him, what you have done in slipping him, what you are to each other! You know his teeth, you know what is coming! Both of you must run before it is too late!")

I imagine all this and more came sprinting up his throat the instant he recognized Jonathan Harker for who he was, even if he had no name for him. He sensed it. And with that urge, that impulse to address Jonathan directly in a deluge--Dracula slams his mouth shut and turns him firmly away from Mr. Harker entirely.

Only the others can get your song and dance, pet lunatic. Not a word to the solicitor. Do not even look at him.

[writers-potion]

You have a post about writing introverts, can you do one for extroverts? Ambiverts? Thank you!

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬, 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬, 𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬

The extrovert vs. introvert divide runs deep down – to neurology. 

Extroverted brains have more “mirror neurons” that are responsible for responding to other people’s actions. Introverts use more parts of their brain when they’re at rest – increasing the blood flow to their brains even when they’re told to do nothing. That’s what makes introverts more tired than usual when they’re required to use up even more energy to interact with the external world. 

For more tips about writing introverts, refer to my post here. Today, let’s walk over to the other side of the spectrum.

Traits of an Extroverted Character

They gain energy from talking to others

Highly extroverted characters will feel sluggish/disinterested when they cannot talk. Once they start getting hyped up about a subject, their energy levels will spring back up. 

They are more prone to peer pressure.

Scientific research has proved this. In an experiment where subjects were constantly told that a blue box was green, extroverted brains were more likely to give in and actually perceive the box to be green. Introverts, on the other hand, stood by their original belief. 

They’re more sensitive to social cues – and have a strong tendency to align themselves with the eternal world. 

They’re good at being the center of attention

Let your extroverted characters naturally be the first to speak in conversations, the most talkative in the war strategy room, and the first presenting member of the class. 

Extroverted does NOT mean popular.

Talking more doesn’t get you on the good side of everybody – it can even be a downside (think your high teen movie bullies?)

Extroverts tend to like trying something new

Similarly, extroverts like talking to new people – which can make them likable, especially by introverted characters who want to strike up a conversation but don’t have it in them.

They use open body language

In a conversation, extroverts would display their hands, face the other person straight, make eye contact, smile, and/or lean closer. Slip in one or two phrases about what the extroverted character is doing with their body during a conversation.

This use of body language would also make them appear more confident and outgoing.

They are generally positive..

I say this with caution – of course, extroverts would be hurt by negative feedback. Unlike introverts who spend time mulling over a comment someone made and attacking themselves in the thinking process, Extroverts are more likely to brush off rude comments and not get their emotions poisoned during a heated conversation.

“There’s no such thing as a pure extrovert and introvert. Such a man would be in the lunatic asylum.”

The psychologist Carl Gustav Jung was the first to define this difference between introverts and extroverts. However, it is more of a spectrum rather than two separate doors. Most of us would fall closer to one end than the other – but some of us stand smack in the middle: ambiverts.

Traits of am Ambiverted Character

They don’t care whether they’re working in a group or by themselves. Your ambivert protagonist would genuinely like working with others, but also not hesitate to go off on their own.

Being the center of attention is fun, but they don’t like to last for long.

They “switch” based on the people they’re around. Introverts would also tend to be more talkative around closed ones, but ambiverts would have a more balanced ratio of people with whom they act more extroverted or introverted. 

They don’t fear small talk, but it tends to get boring. 

When they’re alone, they feel bored/restless, but when they’re with other people, they wish to go home. Think about that one friend who calls you to a party full of their friends, then suddenly disappears early on.

[i-platypus]

Please. Go watch Network.

https://youtu.be/1cSGvqQHpjs?si=oYv2PahIyFJHun-j

[Note: This poll is a re-do of an older poll, as the original poll received less than 2,000 votes.]

[sardonic-the-writer]

𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩

↳ summary: you ask your distant and cold professor for some help with your thesis. good thing he seems to be an expert on fear

↳ warnings: mentions of murder, booze, guns, and some gore. canon type gotham violence. a wiff of stalking maybe?

↳ song: aleph—gesaffelstein

masterlist!

University life wasn't much different than you had expected. Television and movies glam it up to make it sound like the peak of your young adult life. A time for exceeding expectations and drinking cheap booze out of those weird solo cups in a random person's basement. But this was Gotham—where crime is the highest in the country and misfortune runs galore. The closest anyone got to walking into a stranger's basement these days was with the threat of a gun at their back.

In preparation for the quote-unquote finest school Gotham had to offer, instead of going out and buying the list of supplies your school recommended, you simply lowered your expectations. Not like there was much to begin with in the first place. You could get a protractor later.

Your thought process proved to be worth it too. Barely an hour into your first day, the campus was evacuated as a precaution for a major villain sighting in the area. Something about filling up a building with highly dangerous gas. As of weeks later, details still hadn't been released to the public. That was fine by you. All you cared about was not getting ripped away from your precious lunch again.

The campus cafeteria was drafty and smelled of mold, parties were thrown way too often, and most of your professors were stern with classes people only took so they could get their degrees.

In that case, Mr. Crane was no different from any of the other teachers.

There was certainly no lack of students in his class on the first week—the largely female percentage most likely gathered because of his pretty face. But by the end of it, over half had already dropped out.

You were not one of them. Somewhat regrettably, you had begun to think after hours of pouring over papers in just the first week. But you needed this class to fully understand your thesis topic and you'd be damned if you moved all the way out to Gotham for nothing.

That was what you were thinking about as you rounded the back row of Doctor Crane's class, staring blankly at the missed call from your mother atop your phone's home screen.

It had practically become a ritual for her to call you at least once a day since you'd moved to the city. Anytime you didn't pick up, it would send her into a frenzy—despite your multiple explanations of why you have your phone on silent during lectures. But that wouldn't stop her from constantly pleading for you to come back and finish getting your degree at home. Because even if it would take longer, and completely drain your bank account, at least you would be away from those lunatics. Or so she called them.

"You have nothing to worry about." You'd told her one time while watching a bowl of ramen bubble angrily on your stove. "Even if I was mugged or something, I'm sure the Batman would save me."

It had been meant as a half joke, said only to quell your mothers worries. Yet the more and more newspaper stands you passed on your way to the store, the more the vigilanties name came up. Often accompanied by the words HERO or SAVIOR afterward.

The sudden memory of newspapers stopped you right as you were about to cross the threshold from the lecture hall to the rest of the building. You were quick to turn around, flipping your phone back into your pants pocket loosely before approaching the professor's desk. A few more students filed out from behind you, one even tossing you a wave, before it was just you and the professor left.

Doctor Crane was nothing short of intimidating. Everything from the clean cut suit he worse, to his icy blue eyes—and even his second title as lead doctor in the nearby Arhum Asylum—was surrounded by an air of stoic professionalism.

The man hadn't even been there on the first day of school. Something that would have off-put you if not for the sudden evacuation, haulting any chance of first impressions. Instead, he had shown up the next day like nothing had happened: lips pressed into a tight line and eyes dull as he spoke to the class without really looking at anyone.

He had made it clear on multiple occasions that he was rarely available after class or for tutoring hours, but you doubted that even if he was, nearly anyone would show up for a one on one conversation.

Looks like you would have to be the outlier today.

You waited patiently as he shuffled from one stack of paper to another, eyes never once drifting over the rim of his glasses to look at you. Occasionally you would catch a glimpse of his usually devoid face break into a little frown before making a mark on a paper and moving on. You resisted the urge to peak and see if any of those papers were yours.

"Yes?" He adressed you by your last name suddenly. Packets and papers continued to shuffle. This time he did spare you a glance, a flash of something swirling in his cold eyes before disappearing. Or maybe that had been the dim light. It had been to quick for you to catch.

You cleared your throat before speaking; adjusting your bag unconsciously.

"I had a question or two for you about my thesis topic." You said with a level tone. He asked what it was somewhat dismissively, his monotone way of speaking ever present.

"I've been researching fear and its effects on the human brain for quite sometime, so I felt it was only fitting for that to be my topic."

That seemed to gather his attention. When you looked up from your examination of the plain black stapler on the corner of his desk, you were met with one raised eyebrow. His hand was writing on the stapled essay before him considerably slower.

If you squinted hard enough it almost looked like he was smiling.

"May I ask what has garnered your interest in such a subject?" He pressed. For a moment your mind went a little blank, not expecting such undivided attention from him. It was unnerving, concidering that before today he probably didn't even know your first name.

"Well, I've always been interested in how much emotions have a grip on the mind." The words were now tumbling from your mouth in a flurry of half-baked thoughts.

"It was only after moving here that I really realized how it can affect an entire city, much less just one person. Everyone knows how absurd the crime rates here are, but I don't think they've ever seen the stark contrast in the Gotham residents from, say, another neighboring city.

And not to mention there's a whole group of personas parading around the block inspiring pure fear. When the bigger crimes aren't outwardly released to the public, I'm starting to think the ones the police can cover up are being covered up. I did a quick search of specific types of crimes related to the patterns of people like the Joker, Bane, and Scarecrow, and too much adds up for it to all be a coincidence."

You reminded yourself to breathe. You knew you were passionate about this subject—hence the decision in thesis topic—but you were never this chatty with it. Something about Doctor Cranes' unwavering stare drew it all out of you in one go. He was a surgeon at the moment, prying your brain apart from the inside out and turning it over in his hands.

Or maybe you were over analyzing things again.

"And what do you think of this Scarecrow?" He had stopped grading now, plucking the clear rimmed glasses of the bridge of his nose and folding them neatly beside him. In a second, his icy blue gaze seemed to intensify in strength, pinning you in place like a specimen of his to observe. You made the brief connection between this and a lepidopterist pinning up butterflys by their wings. It was quick to leave.

Instead you thought back as news clippings and articals flashed in bold print on your mind. Pictures of the victims he had since left behind followed.

Most of them had died from shock or poison, toxins coursing through their bloodstream too fast for their bodies to handle. Not a wonderful way to go, but it was no better or worse than the dozens of mugging gone wrong that occurred everyday. If you ignored how they had all clawed their eyes out in terror, that is.

Your response came slow and methodical, words chosen with care. You were well aware that people had been thrown out of prestigious universities for speaking their minds about less, and you couldn't afford that right now. Besides. He had asked you a question. Who were you to deny him?

"I think what he's managed to make, to do, is a breakthrough in the scientific and medical field." If your professor noted the way you swallowed thickly he didn't say anything.

"What else?" It was almost like he knew every thought that crossed your mind before it even formed. As if he had been preparing for this exact moment.

You could continue. You could tell him that you'd started sitting by your thoroughly locked window at night, waiting patiently to catch a glimpse of a masked maniac. You could tell him that monster was the exact thing that pushed you to move to Gotham. You most certantly could tell him that you wanted to get your hands on that gas to do some tests of your own—see exactly what this Scarecrow had managed to create.

But instead you looked to the left and told him that was it.

"Well if that's all, I would like to continue this conversation at a later date." Doctor Cranes glasses were back on now as he stood up and began gathering his things.

"I'm not sure—"

"I'm quite interested in what you have to say." He adressed you by your last name again, shutting his briefcase closed with a chilling click. "After all, I have written some papers on this exact subject."

You know. You had read them in your search for more information on the Scarecrow's toxin.

"I'll keep that in mind, professor." You glanced at the doorway, wondering if it would be unacceptable to make a dash for it. You didn't want to be late for work any more than you were already. And if you were being honest this conversation had taken a turn you weren't prepared for.

By some grace of god he let the conversation drop. Not caring to spare another glance at him, you took to the door, planning out the route home in your head.

If he watched you go, you didn't notice. It wasn't until you had gotten home in your stained work uniform, beat up trainers grayed with labor, that you noticed your folder for his class was missing.

"Shit." You dragged a tired hand down your face, kicking off your socks as you lay next to the spread out compartments of your backpack.

You sighed. Looks like you'd be seeing Doctor Crane again sooner than you thought.

[tasiales]

writing prompt idea - Alcina Dimitrescu x reader (long text below)

you've just recently started your new job as a nurse at the asylum, and it's during one of many meetings with one of your patients you're assigned to now what makes you trully fear for your life for the first time since you started your working journey there.

it takes one quick glimpse towards the haunched woman sitting seemingly peacefully on her bed scribbling something away in her journal to take your breath away. the woman before you is stunningly beautiful; her features and soft curves of her body hidden underneath all the clothing remind you that of someone sculpted by the gods themselves. it's only after your quick introduction to her that you've been pulled aside by one of your new colleagues to warn you in hushed whispers about previous unfortunate accidents revolving all other nurses ever interacting with your new patient you'd just met.

she's dangerous, they said.

be attentive around her, they warned.

she's a lunatic, they proclaimed.

how could she be, you thought, when she's one of your peaceful patients who you never had a problem with and whose sign of acknowledgement is barely there nods and tentative smiles she gives you during your rambling episodes to fill the silence in the time it takes you to finish your tasks. honestly, she's a delightful company in regards of not messing with you like others tend to do throughout your regular checkups. you try to focus on staying professional but it's hard to resist the pull you feel towards this mysterious woman who barely speaks. you'd been told she has amnesia and doesn't remember much, and you can't help but be sympathetic towards her with that bleeding heart of yours.

you don't give those warnings you'd received at the beginning of your job any ounce of significance until it's too late.

you have no clue what could be the cause of her enraged moment - snapping at you like that - but you don't feel like finding out any time soon. it was one of your checkups during which she suddenly lunged at you knocking the tray you were holding out of her way, pills and other equipment scattering on the floor and getting crushed under your feet. you had barely any time to think of screaming before there were hands around your throat and strong legs weighing down on you pinning you to the floor which you hadn't even noticed you were pulled down to. luckily for you, all the commotion taking place in the room was loud enough for one of the guards to take notice in; with their line of work they were accustomed to picking up on even the slightest signs of sound disturbance. you would never in your life forget those eyes staring down at you; they shined alarming golden - which was as disturbing as the fact she's physically strong enough to kill you - smoldering and daunting making your blood run cold, and in that moment you came to realize one thing that was probably meant to be kept as secret... that woman is not entirely human.

now resting in the safety of your apartment recovering from your miss death encounter, your fight or flight instinct though still in overdrive making you paranoid and jumpy, you're thinking back to that moment - with the woman you've been attracted to for a while squeezing the life out of you - you should've recognized something amiss when those eyes of hers - normal human grey-ish color before she went berserk - had started staring you down; should've heard the low tremble of her growls stuck in her throat waiting for the moment to be unleashed. you should've seen it coming, should've paid more attention and not getting your guard down like you'd been warned about not to do. but you were too preoccupied with chatting away believing in the innocence of your patient. now you know better.

you still don't know what was the reason for her to lash out in such a way, with such ferocity and animalism - the only topic you talked about when she decided it was a good day as any to choke you was Greek mythology(it's being your hobby since childhood), with Cassandra being brought up that particular day - and those golden eyes that still haunt your dreams is another mystery you're not sure you ought to crack open.

Or

you're a new nurse at the asylum getting attached to one particular patient of yours - mysterious Alcina Dimitrescu with amnesia who your colleagues claim to be deranged and a lost cause - until she assaults you during one of the checkups, and you're left wounded and terrified for your life. it isn't until few weeks later you have a chance at civil conversation with her but what you hear makes you want to rethink your eager approach to forgive her because cults? some cryptic sounding Miranda responsible for getting Alcina locked up at the asylum? her daugters being in danger from that woman? even though police claimed them to be dead? them being not entirely human? you talking about Cassandra triggered her memory? the two last ones you may believe but the rest of it? you find this all hard to be convinced of with no proof whatsoever. you would've thought her crazy if not for the fact that while looking at the sketch of that Miranda that Alcina showed you, dread starts pooling in the pit of your stomach because you recognize this woman staring at you from the confines of the journal; she's been everywhere you look after the choking accident making you all the more suspicious than you already were. now you think you were right to be unreasonably fearful of people surrounding you these days.

the question is... would you dive in into this sea of madness helping a complete stranger who you feel a pull towards and resurface unscathed, or would it consume you without mercy? only time will tell.

[stardustprompts]

the outsider - stephen king sentence starters change tenses/pronouns as needed !!  some lines have been edited for clarity / length / ease of roleplaying tw ; death , language , mental health

‘i’ve got a good feeling about this.’

‘how’s the other guy look?’

‘I think I’ll wait for my lawyer.’

‘doesn’t look like a monster, does he?’

‘please stop nagging me!’

‘this is a nightmare.’

‘you’re in shit up to your waist and it’s getting deeper.’

‘drop the bullshit and confess.’

‘you have the wrong man.’

‘this is awful. it’s like the whole world turned upside down.’

‘I don’t like that. I don’t like it at all.’

‘you got him. you got him, so what’s wrong?’

‘i’ve made some mistakes, but nothing like this. it’s as if I went blind.’

‘it made sense then and it makes sense now.’

‘that happens to be the dirty truth.’

‘I don’t expect you to believe it, but it’s the truth.’

‘don’t you want to know what happened?’

‘don’t you want to get this right?’

‘you are going to die.’

‘this is your chance to clear your conscience.’

‘you did what you had to do.’

‘did you come here to convince me or yourself?’

‘it’s just a loose thread that isn’t loose anymore.’

‘I haven’t said a word against you. why would I?’

‘your fucking point is fucking taken.’

‘belief isn’t the point. it’s a metaphor.’

‘sometimes the tracks just stop, and we have to live with that.’

‘time to do something besides brood.’

‘let’s go back to bed. I think I can sleep now.’

‘I don’t believe in the supernatural.’

‘you scared the hell out of me.’

‘you had your think-face on.’

‘you need to get out of here.’

‘I need to talk to you. please let me talk to you.’

‘I had my reasons, but they weren’t good reasons.’

‘I feel broken.’

‘you’re in a hell of a mess.’

‘i’m tired of this. and I’m tired of you.’

‘I made a mistake i’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.’

‘what I’m saying is that I understand why you lost perspective.’

‘it doesn’t make things better, but thanks.’

‘maybe we’re all on the same side here.’

‘I have a crazy idea. want to hear?’

‘that is weird, but probably not substantive.’

‘you see what I meant when I said this just keeps getting weirder and weirder.’

‘so is that what you think we’ve got here? the boogeyman?’

‘do you think I’m crazy? is that it?’

‘there is something very wrong about this. the more you find, the wronger it gets.’

‘wake up, (name)! wake up to what's right in front of you!’

‘I can’t accept it. it goes against everything I’ve believed my whole life.’

‘you’re stronger than that.’

‘(name) is dead. you can let it go.’

‘can’t you let this go now?’

‘i’ll tread with utmost caution.’

‘don’t expect any sympathy from me.’

‘I think it’s good that you’re sad. I hope you’ll be sad for a long time.’

‘anything is possible. anything at all. the world is full of nooks and crannies.’

‘if you tell anyone that, I’d have to kill you.’

‘you know what they say, there are none so blind as those who will not see.’

‘so what? he went crazy, and crazy people don’t give a shit.’

‘don’t move. if you move, I’ll kill you. if you scream, I’ll kill you.’

‘i’ve been threatened before.’

‘i’ve been threatened before. any cop worth their salt has been threatened.’

‘may I say that I think you’re being sort of a fool?’

‘you may be opening the door on things far beyond your ability to understand.’

‘I can’t believe that. I will never believe that.’

‘I believe that you believe.’

‘I know you made a mistake. I know you’re trying to atone for it. but what if you’re making a worse mistake by keeping on?’

‘i'm no genius, but I didn’t hit my head falling out of the dumb- tree, either.’

‘this case is like a zombie that won’t stay dead.’

‘I know how far out it is, we all do, you don’t need to keep telling us, like you’re the only sane man in the lunatic asylum.’

‘you’re making leap I’m not ready to make.’

‘I’m not a hundred percent on board with this myself.’

‘you need to at least keep the possibility in mind.’

‘if you run into something you can’t handle … back off. and come home to me.’

‘I need to tell you something, and it’s important. are you listening?’

‘you’re a good man, (name). a good man who made a bad mistake. you’re not the first to do that, and you won’t be the last.’

‘you have to live with that, and I’ll help you. make it better if you can, but please don’t make it worse.’

‘you need some sleep. you look very tired.’

‘sometimes it seems as if the more tired I am, the harder it is to go to sleep. especially if I’m worried and anxious.’

‘if you want to live, you better run for it!’

‘I have no appetite for your bullshit.’

‘you’re sort of amazing.’

‘no offense, but your sense of humor is a little weak. you should work on that.’

‘this is a horrible place, isn’t it?’

‘I can’t let you leave. it seems we’re at a standoff.’

‘people are blind to explanations that lie outside their perception of reality.’

‘you never should have come looking for me.’

‘overconfidence breeds carelessness. cops see a lot of that.’

‘that’s all you are to me—- cattle.’

‘I can’t do it again, (name). not ever. ever ever ever!’

‘that’s not me being funny, that’s true admiration.’

‘you’ve been through this before. or something like it, haven’t you?’

‘I don’t think I’ll ever be together again.’

‘sometimes life can be very poopy.’

‘is it over? that’s all I care about. is it really over?’

‘dreams are the way we touch the unseen world, that’s what I believe. they are a special gift.’

‘i'm a very curious person. sometimes that gets me into trouble.’

‘if you can’t let go of the past, the mistakes you’ve made will eat you alive.’

‘what you’re feeling … and I’m feeling … that’s normal.’

‘reality is thin ice, but most people skate on it their whole lives and never fall through until the very end. we did fall through, but we helped each other out.’

[dead-boy-detective-agency]

Hello, after very much not breaking into a haunted lunatic asylum from the 1800s and stealing someone’s former offering of a cigarette for the spirits, I have had a run of bad luck. Can cigarette’s be haunted? What should I do with it? Please be nice, I’m a Pisces and I will cry easily

Firstly, I have been recently informed that cigarettes can cause a myriad of health issues, so I highly encourage not to smoke.

To get to your issue, ghosts can be attached to significant objects, especially if that object was important to them in life. I highly recommend leaving the cigarette back where you found it.

Finally, please be careful going to old buildings. Old ghosts can be very testy when they have been alone for a long time.

Please be safe.

- Edwin

[pacifierbby]

Summary - you and mason going to an haunted lunatic asylum. Mason used to only playing football while you were used to watching the creepy haunted videos on YouTube, so you decided that you were going to go to a haunted lunatic asylum and have a feel for you guys self.

Rewind- Grabbing hold of masons hand. "Shall we go upstairs?". Walking towards the bottom of the staircase, hearing two big bangs jumping ever so slightly "um what was that?"

Note- Hello Lovelies, I had to 2 part this series now, I guess, instead of imagine?

Warnings- swearing

HALLOWEEN

《Part 1

Slowly walking up the creeky stairs, making sure that the floor underneath them didn't break. Turning left, opening a door to what seemed to be a little boys' room, teddies stacked up onto each other on the bed lollipops and sweets in between the teddy's legs.

Slowly walking over to what seemed to be a white note picking it up unfolding the piece of paper mason wrapping his hands around me putting his chin on my shoulder "it's seems to be what happened to an investigation team when they came here" looking up at mason then back down at the note reading it to Mason

"we've tried to find out this little boys name but we've had nothing come back from our evp sessions it's like someone or something is holding this little boy back however we've had endless evps of the little boy shouting for his mummy making us sad when we hear it back after the evp sessions has ended however like you read online the team also had an encounter with the little boy.

The team was downstairs in the theater room looking at all the xrays and the other belonging that the nurses and doctors left when they heard a bang coming from upstairs the guys ran towards the stairscase and shined the light ontop of the stairs and their he was just standing there he seemed confused and lost just so much sadness in his eyes. but before the team could even react the boy vanished" finishing reading the note placing it back onto the Teddy bears arms turning around "that's so sad but I'm just wondering if his mummy passed away in this hospital and that's why he's stuck here he's trying to find his mummy?" Giving mason a hug a little bit of tears coming from your eyes mason rubbing it away "that could be true my love" sighing a little looking back around the room shelves been put up with more teddy's placed on the shelves and old music instruments mason giving you a light kiss on your head.

Hearing another massive Lound bang a lot louder and a lot closer than the last one before, "What was that!" Grabbing hold of masons jumper." I don't know, but we should look, " Mason said, letting go of you walking towards the door. When you turned around the corner there inbetween the two other doors stood the little boy the same little boy that people have been talking about online the boy that investigation team was talking about in the note you and mason doing a massive scream grabbing each others hands rushing down the stairs not caring about the floor this time running where the door had the tape on rushing towards the window your nor mason not even bothering to looking back jumping out of the window running to the car mason quickly unlocking it both jumping in "what the fuck" you expressed looking back at the window then back at mason.

Mason stiff with his hands on the wheel "we should get out of here" mason quickly said turning the engine on the car roared making the journey back home. Getting outside of the car grabbing the bag from the backseat walking towards Mason who was unlocking the front door once you both sat in your livingroom instantly cuddling up together netheir of you not knowing what to say to each other. Leaning over to grab the TV remote putting on Netflix Clicking on another unsolved murder documentary "did we actually see that" mason expressed making you jump "we sure did" you nor mason not even talking about what happened at the asylum both of you settled on your couch.

[thesevenumbrellas]

Jokes aside I do feel for Van Helsing with all this “You must share everything, actually I’m not going to tell you, you gotta guess” because what the hell is he supposed to say? He gonna tell the man who runs a lunatic asylum that he thinks his crush is being drained of blood every night by a vampire???

[tachvintlogic]

Mina and Jonathan refusing to voice their thoughts.

The Harker dynamic of being so open and trusting each other is so wonderful, and it is tailor made to receive maximum disruption when Gender Roles™ get reinstated to shut one of them out.

Mina, feeling so rejected, doesn't tell anyone about her nightmare or share her record of it because she fears being shut out more. Except she can't be shut out more than she already is because they're not telling her anything. She's hoping for a chance at crumbs here, and doesn't want to confirm the suitors thoughts that she can't handle it and take that chance away.

Throughout October 1st, Jonathan keeps trying to convince himself that this is fine, telling her nothing is protecting her somehow, and real props to his voiceactor on Re: Dracula because he sounds so doubtful. He does not believe a word he's saying but he wants to so badly.

They're both just itching to get this over with so they can tell each other everything immediately after, which is funny because that's not the impression I got from Van Helsing.

Sure, he did say "We shall tell you all in good time." but I got the feeling that he imagined telling Mina years later after the Harkers have settled down and had kids, if at all. He doesn't understand how his decision to exclude Mina has disrupted the Harker dynamic that they both want to go back to.

And this disruption has also caused Jonathan, the man who is most connected to and comfortable with femininity, to hesitate voicing his own feelings.

Somewhere, looking out from the shadow, I seemed to see the high lights of the Count's evil face, the ridge of the nose, the red eyes, the red lips, the awful pallor. It was only for a moment, for, as Lord Godalming said, "I thought I saw a face, but it was only the shadows," and resumed his inquiry, I turned my lamp in the direction, and stepped into the passage. There was no sign of any one; and as there were no corners, no doors, no aperture of any kind, but only the solid walls of the passage, there could be no hiding-place even for him. I took it that fear had helped imagination, and said nothing.

Arthur thought he saw the Count, and so did Jonathan. If Jonathan had backed up Arthur's statement, then the fact that 2 people saw him suggests it wasn't just a trick of the light, that he might actually be there.

But Jonathan says nothing, and I think there are a lot of factors that caused this:

Jonathan recently had brain fever put upon by doubting his own recollection of what happened. This place reminds him of the castle, so it's no wonder he might suspect his mind is playing tricks again.

He's in the presence of 2 doctors, one who runs a lunatic asylum, and they just got back from rejecting Renfield's request to go home. He doesn't want to give the doctors any reason to doubt his sanity.

His wife has been excluded from the hunt. Van Helsing declared her work "finished" now that all the documentation has been gathered. He helped with that too. Van Helsing could also declare that Jonathan is similarly "finished" and he has no more part to play.

And so, we see very clearly in the October 1st entry how disrupting the Harker dynamic has worsened the open and honest communication that was vital to their initial investigation and gathering the papers, and has also worsened the communication between the Harkers and the rest of the crew.

[brotherslayer]

Your post about Derrick and the possible fiance he had in OG timeline...really made me think ...Frollo vibes.

In an au where OG Penelope fake her death and run away with Eckles.

Would Derrick "know" peace? Bc I see him going mad. There is no Penny but in his mind, she lives rent free...and well, hard being a good husband if you are losing your mind thanks to unrequited lust.

The noble lady is losing the a "dead" woman with low birth as background.

I do think he would snap...either end his life to follow Penny or use some dark magic to bring her back.

Either way, Derrick cuases his own downfall as well for the family.

The version of Derrick that's in my head is basically if you put Frollo and Humbert Humbert into a blender, reduced the creepy age gap and replaced it with incest guilt and increased his yandereness by 120 %. Were noble children allowed to sing in a Boys Choir? Well, my new headcanon is now that Derrick had a gread singing voice and received vocal lessons. He'd slay it in a priest robe as Claude Frollo in Hellfire.

Suicide? I have a different perspective. Derrick is not the type of person who would end his life after losing the one he loves. That sounds more like Iklies or Callisto. Derrick would find suicide emasculating. It might sound strange, because Derrick's character is so strongly defined by his guilt from the loss of Ivonne but I cannot imagine him feeling genuinely guilty about the pain he inflicted onto Penelope. He would regret it that his actions had caused her so much distress that she would have chosen death over him but I feel like if given the choice to go back to the start he would do it again just slightly differently. It would take him countless failed attempts to fix the timeline until he realizes that he is the problem.

I'm unsure about Derrick using magic to bring her back. For once he's not the wizard kind of person, second he doesn't have the connections (yeah Vinter is friends with his dad but Vinter is super secretive about his wizard guild and Derrick acts quite frankly like a cop who would rat him out to the authorities), third he looks like he has been swallowing imperial propaganda (including anti wizard media) for two decades and is perfectly happy to keep doing it for another. Maybe Derrick would lose his mind little by litte until one of his knights gave him the coup de grace to release their master from his suffering. Or his lady wife finally tires of hiding her husband's condition and loosens his saddle before he goes on a hunting trip, hoping he might fall from his horse and break his neck before he could drag her family down with him. Perhaps he'd be declared insane and anonymously committed to a lunatic asylum or sent to the countryside to recover (under surveillance, of course). Everything he accused Penelope of being and everything he planned to do to her happens to him.

In a just world Derrick loses everything he valued. His razor-sharp mind, the spotless reputation of an aristocrat that he had spent years building up, the loyalty of his wife and Penelope (although he had never really possessed the latter in the first place).

[gorogues]

Spoilers for comics in March 2024!

These are from the official solicits for that month, which you can see in full at Adventures In Poor Taste.

There's not a lot of Rogues content this month, but a bit. Digger isn't mentioned in any of the Kill Arkham Asylum solicits, but he is on one cover.

SPEED FORCE #5 Written by JARRETT WILLIAMS Art by DANIELE DI NICUOLO Cover by SWEENEY BOO Variant cover by GEORGE KAMBADAIS $3.99 US | 32 pages | 5 of 6 | Variant $4.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 3/12/24 After teaming up with the rest of the Flash Family in Titans: Beast World Tour Central City, Avery and Wallace are more determined than ever to take down the mysterious forces behind the app that’s brainwashing not only the S.T.A.R. Labs scientists but now the youth of Keystone City. But before they can reach the Big Boss, they’ve got to face off with holographic versions of themselves!

SUICIDE SQUAD: KILL ARKHAM ASYLUM #2 Written by JOHN LAYMAN Art by JESUS HERVAS Cover by DAN PANOSIAN Variant cover by ARIEL OLIVETTI 1:25 variant cover by GABRIEL HARDMAN $4.99 US | 32 pages | 2 of 5 | Variant $5.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 3/5/24 Before the Suicide Squad sets their sights on the corrupted Justice League in the upcoming video game, they have to escape Arkham Asylum, and that’s going to require a lot more killin’ first. Good thing Deadshot is the world’s deadliest assassin. Or is that second-deadliest? Either way, he’s determined to survive the riot to end all riots, in order to live to die another day. But there’s a lot of guards standing between Deadshot and freedom. A lot of other inmates, too. Deadshot’s solution: kill ’em all! Presenting the riotous prequel to Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League! Each print issue includes a redeemable code for a bonus weapon doll digital token in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League inspired by the comic. Get the new Great White Shark weapon doll digital token with issue #2. Paying subscribers with a DC UNIVERSE INFINITE Annual or Ultra subscription (U.S. only) who read the digital issues of Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum will also receive these bonus digital codes.* *Terms Apply. See dc.com/suicide-squad-faq for details. DC UNIVERSE INFINITE is not intended for children.

Plus another Kill Arkham Asylum solicit and the Ape-Ril Special behind a cut for lenghth!

SUICIDE SQUAD: KILL ARKHAM ASYLUM #3 Written by JOHN LAYMAN Art by JESUS HERVAS Cover by DAN PANOSIAN Variant covers by ARIEL OLIVETTI and STEPHANIE HANS $4.99 US | 32 pages | 3 of 5 | Variant $5.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 4/2/24 Wake up, brush teeth, get tortured by guards, get loose and get revenge. It’s just another day at Arkham Asylum for Harley Quinn, except all the cell doors just inexplicably unlocked and now everybody’s going nuts and killing each other. The lunatics are running the asylum today—which is just how Harley likes it! The bloody good time continues in this prequel to Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League! Each print issue includes a redeemable code for a bonus weapon doll digital token in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League inspired by the comic. Get the new Scarface weapon doll digital token with issue #3. Paying subscribers with a DC UNIVERSE INFINITE Annual or Ultra subscription (U.S. only) who read the digital issues of Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum will also receive these bonus digital codes.* *Terms Apply. See dc.com/suicide-squad-faq for details. DC UNIVERSE INFINITE is not intended for children.

For those who like Grodd and the other DC apes...

APE-RIL SPECIAL Written by JOHN LAYMAN, JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV, and GENE YANG Art by KARL MOSTERT, PHIL HESTER, and BERNARD CHANG Cover by DAN MORA Variant cover by BERNARD CHANG Banana Scent Variant cover by HAYDEN SHERMAN ($7.99 US) $5.99 US | 48 pages | Variant $6.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 3/19/24 CAUTION: An ape-surd amount of bad ape puns are incoming. Please be ape-vised. Gorilla Grodd’s recent incarcer-ape-tion in the pages of The Flash has left a void that Monsieur Mallah is more than happy to fill. Ape-sembling a group of the DCU’s most sinister simians, Mallah forms the Legion of D(oo-oo-ah-ah)m, with an eye toward world domin-ape-tion. But the world won’t be conquered that easily! Enter the all-ape JUNGLE L(ee-ee)gue. Can this team of hero-eek anthropoids be the salv-ape-tion we need, or will Mallah’s team of maniacal monkeys bring forth the ape-pocalypse? Get ready to go bananas as we honor DC’s storied history with mankind’s closest relatives in this ape-ic adventure! It’s gonna be orangu-tastic, so heat up a capuchin-o, prepare a batch of chocolate chimp cookies, and get ready to r(ee-ee)d the one comic b(oo-oo)k this year that’s guaranteed to make you go…APE!

[annabelle--cane]

guy who runs a victorian lunatic asylum, encountering his second interpersonal problem: getting a lot of "van helsing has gone mad" vibes from this...