#gcl riddler

[gl1tchr]

happy pride month!!! shout out to... the Gays!!!

[blood3red]

I wonder what’s going on in his microwave.

@gl1tchr

[gl1tchr]

cleaning up my GCL Scarecrow and Riddler :]

[gl1tchr]

Is...is there a Mrs. Cobblepot? 😳

tl;dr - no <3

[gl1tchr]

[ OF MICE AND MEN ] ``Please - sir, I need this job.``

[gl1tchr]

How would your Edward Nygma react if he saw this thing standing outside is base?

(So like, for context I have a cringefail Riddler-stan named The Quizzical and she’s more of a joke Roguesona. She’s Riddler’s number one fan!)

he's not Thrilled

[gl1tchr]

The Riddler's Maze

Obviously my favorite Rogue/Henchmen dynamic in GCL is Riddler and Mouse but ESPECIALLY when he starts going by Maze

Working under Riddler, Kieran's main tasks revolve around physical labor that Riddler doesn't want to do. This could range from delivering payments across town to laying wire from one end of Gotham's underground to another. Despite this lofty work-load, Riddler classifies it as menial busy-work and insists Maze is no more than an errand boy.

[gl1tchr]

himb

[gl1tchr]

YAY!!! Are they in love?? Do they want to beat each other senseless??? What is their history, what is their deal?? Are Maze and Raven aware that these two have something going on?? What about Oswald and Sionis?? The masses need to know

THESE ARE ALL FANTASTIC QUESTIONS - some of them, though, are *lore important* and I don't wanna share them until it's time in the narrative! I can answer a good chunk for ya though >:]

Do they share a genuine love, or something less healthy? ABSOLUTELY something deeply unhealthy. I'm of the belief very few Rogues and ESPECIALLY Edward and Jonathan are at a point in most of their stories they can't form especially healthy relationships of any kind, and in GCL, these old farts have been working with "The Underground" for up to a decade and some change. GCL!Riddler is a very cut-throat information broker, he knows dirt on EVERYONE and loves to hold that over people to assert his dominance to make up for his less intimidating physical demeanor, and Jonathan is - disliked by everyone in the Underground. He's creepy, they don't like him. But they only know The Scarecrow, EDWARD knows him as Jonathan Crane as well, because they both work at Gotham University. He has a *unique* connection with Jonathan that results in a sort of silent quid pro quo. Jonathan actually LIKES Edward's emotional distance. It's what he's used to. It's what he thinks affection should be. It's up to Y'ALL to decide if their bond is something quietly genuine, or if it's just two men holding a mutual knife to the other's neck, "I know your true identity and you know mine - now what?"

Their history is fairly simple, before the Underground was properly formed, Edward, Jon, Oz, Sionis Sr., and Voronov were all functioning roughly on their own. Voronov approached each of them and formed The Underground, but no one could find Scarecrow. The initial goal was just to take him out, a serial killer running around the city did make it harder for their runners to deliver drugs, be out late at night, etc. BUT when Riddler actually did find him, and saw he was his work associate Dr. Crane, he saw opportunity to control two-fifths of every vote or decision in the Underground. If he could shackle Jon with the threat that his life hangs in the balance of his cooperation, he'll always have two voices on his side of any argument. Before this encounter, they hadn't really spoken much - they knew each other as coworkers, but weren't friends. Now? It's something different. It all gets complicated when Voronov is "killed" and the Underground points the finger at Sionis Sr. and accuses him of breaking rank, which is why HE is 86'd and Sionis Jr. takes his seat at the Underground. They attempted to contact Voronov's next of kin, assuming his young son that Sionis Jr. had someone been raised with would Also be the next in line for the Voronov seat, but he'd already been sent overseas to India in the wake of his father's "murder".

I can't tell you what Maze, Raven, Oz, or Sionis Jr. knows! That's all stuff that's *very* important to the meat of City Limits >:3c

[gl1tchr]

I am very curious about Kieran and Edward's relationship now. Does K trust him? Hate him? Is he loyal or fully resigned or just trying not to get fired? I know E doesn't think highly of him at all, but does he verbally abuse him or thoughtlessly trust him or just pretend he's part of the wallpaper most of the time?

THANK YOU FOR THIS QUESTION I LOVE IT Kieran and Edward have a complicated dynamic that shifts throughout the story. Despite having a somewhat abrasive personality, Kieran IS well-liked by most people in his community because he does go to a great deal of effort to help others. Yes, he can be obnoxious and dominate a conversation and has very little sense of personal space, but he's not a *bad guy*. The problem is, he feels like most people in his life don't realize how intelligent he is, he's something of a math savant and was going to school on a full-ride scholarship for Engineering, but most people peg him as a bit of an airhead bum, even if he is nice. Edward is the opposite. Edward sees the raw talent and is disgusted by everything else around it. He's almost *disappointed* that someone operating at such a mental level has reduced themselves to drug addiction, hedonism, and menial labor. Both of their stories revolve a LOT about a relationship with one's father. Edward is exerting his childhood trauma onto Kieran in the role of a father and Kieran is reliving his own trauma by taking on the role of a son. Edward is holding him to extremely high standards in an attempt to mold Kieran's mind in his own image, but it's also to get his kicks making someone else feel as shitty as his dad made him feel. Kieran is using the resources provided by Edward to prove his intelligence, and he needs to maintain access to those resources, so he grits his teeth and takes it, despite having the very same aversion to shit-talk the Riddler does.

Kieran doesn't *know* how he feels about Edward. He says he hates him, but there's a deep respect. Edward knows how to use his mind, it's like a tool, but Kieran never could figure that out, he runs from it. He numbs the loud noise with drugs and parties and boyfriends, but Edward has *embraced* the noise, something Kieran WANTS to learn how to do. It's a genuine respect that's clouded by a lot of anger and resentment, which Edward doesn't do much to curb.

Edward doesn't think much of *anyone*. He has a unique dynamic with Kieran because of the way he takes on this paternal role, but I think he would claim it's just having fun with his dumb little henchmen. He definitely isn't fully aware he's projecting a lot of self-hate onto Kieran that he has for himself, and that the two could actually be an extremely powerful duo if he were at all capable of sharing credit for his successes. Edward and Kieran are kind of supposed to be two halves that make a whole Riddler lmao. Edward is, obviously, the more Investigator-Tactician-Flavored Riddler who's absolutely a tech wiz, but the most you could ask him to build himself is Scarecrow's modified sawed-off. He can't *visualize* like Kieran can, Kieran is incredibly physical and visual with his intellect. He's the Arkham Knight Riddler flavor, he's the tinker, the builder, the one who gets his hands dirty. On their best days, when Edward just isn't talking much, and Kieran is highly focused, Edward will offer a "it's coming along" to one of Kieran's projects, and Kieran will reply "thank you, sir". That's their best day.

This dynamic does get more *messy* towards the ladder half of the story because of Things but for the most part, this is their vibe! thank you again for asking!! :]]

[gl1tchr]

Fun GCL Fact: Edward and Kieran both have OCD, but Edward has what's normally called "Pure O OCD" or Pure Obsessional OCD. This might imply he has no compulsions, but the name is misleading, it's actually just to say he has no physical compulsions like nail biting, he has MENTAL compulsions (his puzzles, his desire to leave clues). Kieran has Sensorimotor OCD, he's hyperaware of his physical being and extremely attuned to the spaces he's in. This is why Edward will imply Kieran is weak-willed, because he thinks he's "mastered" his compulsions by keeping them internal, whereas Kieran's are very physical (he snaps a lot because reverberations help him get a sense of space, blinks in rapid succession so his eyes adjust frequently)

[gl1tchr]

What about the rogue’s sexualities?

aaaabsolutely!

Riddler; Doesn't like labels, exists somewhere on the aroace spectrum and the only person he's shown interest in Ever is Jon and that's in his very Edward Way

Scarecrow; Cisgender gay man, has Very little to do with dating tho and would prefer to have no inclinations at all

Black Mask; Cisgender, uses "fluid" to describe his sexuality, interpret that as you will

Penguin; Cisgender heterosexual man

[gl1tchr]

everyone seems to have a fun little -verse name for their aus like how we call them Reevesverse and Nolanverse, should Gotham City Limits be called Glitchverse or just Gotham City Limits ghjsdg I worry it could get confusing but also. I wanna be like da cool kids 🥺

[gl1tchr]

I'm curious if I remember the lore correctly all of those silly ocs are trying to work for a rogues.

Mouse for Riddler, Raven for Scarecrow, Hound for Catwoman, but what about fox? What rogue are they trying to get

SO GCL and the Strays have gone through some slight adjusting since its last major posts but you're still mostly right! Mouse and Raven work for Riddler and Scarecrow, Hound actually works for Roman/Black Mask. Very much inspired by Ramsay Bolton from Game of Thrones for my Roman!! And the Fox is inspired by Vic from Penguin, he's Penguin's driver :] Hound doesn't work for Catwoman but they know each other, TRUST‼️‼️‼️

[gl1tchr]

I adore how much thought you put into GCL! How’s Vincent’s relationship with Scarecrow?

YOU'RE SO KINDA TO SAY SOOO hopefully I can start turning it into something you guys can really sink your teeth into, instead of just a couple lore drop posts!!

Vincent and Jon have a VERY unique dynamic. Without spoiling too much, the Rogues don't really *know* the Strays are working together. It's the crux of Vincent's overarching plan of usurping them and taking their place as head of Gotham's criminal underground. Jonathan has never cared much for being part of the "group", it's only when Riddler found out who he was and basically told him that he could either accept his help and join their little circle or he'd quickly be caught by the police because he'd been covering his tracks BADLY. So Jonathan sort of begrudgingly works with Penguin, Sionis, and Riddler (though he and Riddler Do have a slightly more. Complicated relationship) so he can do what he DOES enjoy; tormenting people with his fear toxin. Right now, he can't really do that, he's the mob's dog-on-a-leash that they only send out on specific missions to scare or kill people THEY specifically want him to.

Each of the Rogues has a bone to pick with the other. Riddler hates Penguin, Penguin hates Scarecrow, Scarecrow hates Sionis, and Sionis hates Riddler. Scarecrow hates Sionis because he sees Roman as the inferior version of himself. His methods of inflicting pain and fear at *tacky* and unrefined, it's more about Roman's pleasure than it is the victim's terror, and Jonathan finds that insulting to his work. Also, given his closer relationship with Riddler, one less person in Penguin's camp means he's closer to having a majority rule within the group. Vincent uses this to get in good with Scarecrow by offering to take care of Sionis, allowing him to run rampant through Gotham like he wants. Early on, their dynamic is VERY beneficial to them both and they keep it very professional. Vincent uses his education and access to VAST amounts of money to improve upon Jonathan's toxin, and Jonathan (much like Riddler and Kieran) almost sees him like a son.

However.

Crane can't just be *scary*. He's the MASTER of fear, and what does it say about the Master of Fear that his own henchman isn't afraid of him? Vincent has never once flinched, yelped, ANYTHING. This simple fact is what starts souring their dynamic going into the later plot points, but overall, they have the best working relationship of any of the Rogues and their Strays lmao

[gl1tchr]

I think to get back into the swing of Batman things I'll be updating my GCL Riddler n Scarecrow designs 🙂‍↕️