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disappearinginq · 4 years

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If you're still doing these: Top 5 fictional characters? Top 5 books?

I like avoiding chores, so yes - definitely still answering asks:

Top 5 Fictional Characters:

1. Sherlock Holmes - I will admit, the more recent versions of this character with Benedict Cumberbatch and Robert Downey Jr. are probably my favorite versions of Holmes, but I will read or watch pretty much anything about this man. I have even Young Sherlock and Moriarty sitting on my shelves, and even House of Silk (when I get the time). I just...I like characters that are the smartest in the room, and while I appreciate the surprise of a humble smart character, I am much closer to Sherlock and his “you can’t really be this dumb...oh. Shit. You are.”

2. Robin Hood - again, I will read or watch pretty much anything about this character, though I will always love Kevin Costner’s Prince of Thieves - and I actually did like Taron Edgerton’s portrayal in the most recent one, even though both versions were absolutely panned by critics. Probably because I wholeheartedly subscribe to taxation is theft, but also because I like any character who rips off people who have it coming to them.

3. Merlin - I should say the mythology of King Arthur and Knights of the Round Table and anyone associated with it. But anyone who knows me likes a bit of subtle magic and either snarky secret wizards or cantankerous old wizards, and to this day, Sword in the Stone is my favorite iteration of this storyline.

4. Tony Stark - Probably for the same reason I like Sherlock Holmes, I like Tony Stark, especially in the MCU. It’s one of the few times that someone is shown with a relatively not pretty version of CPTSD, and how it can alter your brain chemistry to the point of making wildly poor decisions because in your mind, it seems perfectly rational. (Do I like how Steve and everyone else just compacts the problem by complaining that Tony tries to control everything but also that everything is Tony’s fault? No - but that, in a way, is also accurate). Tony is also one of the few characters that witnesses fallout to his decisions, and learns from them. Again, not always the right lesson, but his character does learn.

5. Aliena of Shiring from Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - I will admit, I added her after wondering why I had no women fictional characters, but I realized most of it has to do with the terrible way that women characters are written. Aliena manages to be what I would call unconquerable. The amount of crap that woman puts up with for 1000 pages and still manages to not break, keep strong, think and out maneuver life is truly awe inspiring. I love her character so much.

Top 5 Books.

Hmm. Well, we already said I would read anything about Sherlock, Robin and Merlin, so...let’s branch out.

1. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Follett primarily wrote spy and action novels, so this historical epic about cathedral building in a small town in England in the 12th century. It has epic everything. The characters are fantastic - True Good and True Evil, there’s a nun who places a curse on the bad guys and becomes a witch who lives in the woods. It has everything that is good about the church and everything that is bad about the church. It deals with the every day peoples’ dealings with the constant change between rulers (Empress Matilda and Stephen of Blois were going at it in a civil war after the death of Henry’s only legit son). It has a literally epic love story between Jack and Aliena, to whom every love story will forever pale in comparison, and Aliena legit walked across all of Christendom to find her True Love. Movie counterparts are Eddie Redmayne and Hayley Atwell. Everyone who is good gets a Happy Ending. Everyone who is evil gets their goddamn comeuppance in the most horrible of ways and they fucking deserve that shit.

2. Okay, so on the heels of “the most epic story of all time”, I present to you a “It’s not the greatest but I love it anyway” - Rise of Renegade X, by Chelsea Campbell, which is in fact a series, and I love the second and third installment the most, but it’s about a made up city where there are superheroes and supervillains and that’s just how life goes. Heroes are marked with an H on their thumb when they turn 16, villains with a V (it’s a plot point to explain why, but it’s a genetic thing, like a finger print), and on the main character’s 16th birthday, he expects a V and instead gets an X. He eventually tracks down his super hero dad who didn’t know that he existed, and convinces the kid to come live with his family - where he has three other children, and a wife who was permanently crippled by a supervillain. As it goes along, the series deals more and more with prejudice, racism, classism, Good versus Evil compared to Right versus Wrong, and the MC, Damien is the first person narrative, so you get all of his snarky sarcasm first hand.

3. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. 100% because of the world building, the fact that it is a fantasy version of Ocean’s Eleven, but also because I truly and deeply adore Kaz Brekker. One of the few characters with no particular power, he’s perfectly human, and absolutely terrifying. And while he has a character arc that I adore, it does not fundamentally hinge on him changing who he is. At the end, Kaz is still a fucking cold hearted, brilliant and scheming bastard, but the audience has an insight to him that maybe Kaz doesn’t even have himself. His issues don’t magically go away. He doesn’t have a Scrooge moment. He has his own set of principles and he stays by them, and what is so lovely is that the love interest accepts that.

4. Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. Murder horses based on Irish/Scottish Mythology, and a horse race with said murder ponies. Need I say more?

5. Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. This is going to sound weird as a recommendation, but this book is the book of fucking nightmares. I read it for a class on Ireland because we had to pick either a story about Ireland, takes place in Ireland, or was written by an Irish person. I read this in I think an afternoon and I didn’t sleep that night. Despite the main character being like 11 years old, I would never let a kid read it. It’s a dark, true-to-Grimms’-source fairy tale that is like the twisted version of the Chronicles of Narnia, and a psychological trip and a half. I loved it. It is a true fairy tale - the kid, David, mom dies in the first chapter, and David feels like he failed her because he’d developed this SEVERE OCD ritual that he believed would keep his mother alive (it obviously doesn’t), and his dad, months later, remarries and has a second child, whom David hates. The baby cries all the time, the young mother is preoccupied with a baby and no husband (he’s off fighting in WWII), and David is left to occupy himself most of the time. They move out of London because of the Blitz, to David’s mother’s family estate. It’s old, and creepy, and the garden seems like something is calling to him, that sets a dread in the pit of his stomach when he goes near it. Enter the Crooked Man, a man who offers to give David everything he wants if David tells him his brother’s name. David refuses, and that night, a German plane crashes in the garden, and it turns out, that’s the portal/wardrobe to another world, and David gets dragged into it. And it just goes from there.

Thanks for the asks! They’re always fun!

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szopenhauer · 4 years

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What shirt you’re wearing now? my old Mickey tee Last video you watched on yt?

youtube

I’ve felt like on drugs watching it <3

Who is the tallest person you know and how tall are they? my ex classmate Z.B. is but no idea how tall exactly, I’ve been “dating” him in pre-school which is even more funny when you know that me and N.A. were the shortest kids (and still are petite adults) What are you listening to? Natural by Imagine dragons

How do you get songs out of your head? listen smth else or wait for it to pass? Have you seen all the High School Musicals? I don’t think so, I know I’ve watched at least one because my sister forced me to but I hate musicals and Zac buffoon is no good Do you dress appropriately for your age? no What song reminds you of summer? many Do you like your neighbors? nah Has a bird ever flown into your window? chimney, don’t worry, it survived Do you have nicknames that are longer than your actual name? sorta, could say so

What did you do today? visited gastrologist Do you like to sleep a lot? kinda, would say so Have you ever been in a class that you thought you were too smart for? oh well... Who was the last person you apologized to? my gf because I wasn’t able to write back as I wasn’t feeling well and was a little busy Would you ever get a pet tarantula? nope, I’m not scared of it but feeding spiders is gross and also my current partner has a phobia so no point of getting a pet like this Do you charge your cell phone every day? yeah Do you use tumblr? <I dislike ppl who say “what’s tumblr” as a response to questions like this because those surveys weren’t made in here so chill> Don’t you hate when people stare at you? ugh... Do you have a secret you’ve never told anyone? I do not Are you Jewish? I am not Does anyone copy the things you do? some ppl used to and yet been bullying me for what I was doing - stupid Is your dad still alive? luckily

Are you OCD about anything? you either have ocd or not, you can be obsessed about smth but then it’s not a disease, I might have this mental problem but it’s more likely just my BPD

What breed of dog are you the most similar to? pug? Is anyone madly in love with you? hmm...

Are you over-protective of anyone? possibly ^^” Would you say cancer rates are on the rise? it seems Do you have a good memory? it’s complicated How do you normally pose in photos? not... normally XD Are you looking forward to tomorrow? knowing that my sis won’t come? more than I did an hour before, sorry not sorry Will you hug anyone tomorrow? my parents obviously Could you name all 50 states off of the top of your head? no way When was the last time you were scared? always, more or less What’s your favorite song by Rihanna? Bitch better have my money - dunno why Do you have a pretty eye color? it’s fine in my opinion What’s your favorite Mel Gibson movie? despite him being an ass irl I was a huge fan of his old movies Do you ever put ketchup on your cereal? umm... what? hmm... Do you hate the person who last texted you? we’re in a relationship Do you ever wear plaid? at times Where are your parents at the moment? dad’s working and mom’s asleep Are you procrastinating as we speak? drying my hair, drinking water, responding to my father’s text and going to sleep Do people ever make you smile stupidly at the computer? yup Do you take painkillers? nope

Have you ever hugged someone you didn’t know? for example - there were those women in heart costumes on valentine’s day who were giving away lollipops and they hugged me Do you think God actually exists? I believe so Who did you last give a piggyback ride to? to J.N. and P.N. brother D.N. Did you know that a banana is actually a herb? wtf Do you like little random facts like that? love Who was your favorite Beatle? Paul What’s the ugliest trend you’ve ever seen? can’t choose only one

Do you say ‘legit’? nah

Have you ever solved a Rubik’s Cube? tried, failed, gave up

Who do you think is the easiest to talk to? my dad and @jonasz-cat Would you ever date a friend’s ex? hell no Do you think Ke$ha is good or no? I don’t listen to her music Are you talking to anyone right now? online

Where did your last hug take place? home

What did your last text message say? jest akuratny :)

which of these prints did you last wear: animal print, striped, checkered, plaid, floral print, polka-dotted, argyle, or houndstooth? floral print (and plaid)

out of you and your friends, who is the pickiest eater? ME

is your room cleaner now than it was a week ago? mhm :3

who was the last person you picked up at the airport? -

What’s your favorite color of shoe? it doesn’t matter much

Do you post music on your facebook? yup What do you think about people who don’t have facebook? they should unless they’re old Would you rather go to school or have a job? job gives money so... Take pics with phone or actual camera? depends If you could paint your bedroom walls any color what would it be? I wanna a vintage wallpaper tho Chocolate or vanilla ice cream? vanilla Camping or going to the mall? mall Swimming or Hiking? hiking Do you collect stickers? I got ‘em as gifts for my scrapbook and didn’t use Stuffed animal, flowers or chocolates? stuffed animal Pizza or pasta? pizza Italian or Mexican food? italian Do you walk around barefoot in your house? ewww, yuk Do you have a ring on your ring finger? not rn What band shirt would you wear? my fav bands of course What band shirt would you not wear? guess... What do you think about cigars? remind me of Aquarius from my book

Pencils; Mechanical or Traditional? traditional

Does it weird you out when people much younger than you, hit on you? creepy Is there anyone you know is into you right now? :D Do you tend to want what you can’t have? I want health What are you most confident about, physically? pfft What are you most self-conscious about, physically? my skin Have you ever felt trapped in a relationship? sigh...

Is it wicked hard for you to sleep when its hot in your room? it’s harder

Do you ever think people are just saying dramatic things to get attention? there are human beings who act this way

Are you easily offended? I’m sensitive but not the worst?

Is most of your email spam? D: 99,99%

Do you laugh at the expense of others? when they “deserve” it

do you have any bruises? on my knee which is weird as I barely ever get any and I didn’t hurt myself lately would you consider yourself a drama queen? to some extent when you were little did your mom ever sing to you? from what I remember ever feel like you don’t belong? because that’s true does your printer need ink? black

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stripesthesupervillain · 7 years

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The Mad Hatter’s Guide to Happiness: Chapter 14

<<- First

<- Previous

Next ->

I really need to start putting links in my spare time. I will soon enough once I get the free time.

Aaaanyways, sorry for my absence. Update schedule will return to normal.

Summary: Nygma is dealt with while Jonathan and Jervis try to calm down and get some rest. You know what that means, right? That's riiiiiight. Road trip banter!

Don’t wanna read it here? Check it out on Ao3!

“Okay, okay, here’s one,” the Riddler spoke up after the few minutes of silence. He seemed to sit up straighter, despite the gun pointed at him and the ropes that tied him to the chair. “Though useless when received by the foreigner, I travel around the world, but stay in one corner. What am I?”

Rocky sat back, playing with the barrel of the shotgun a bit as he thought for a moment. His brow furrowed in light confusion as he searched for the answer, much to Nygma’s delight. Still, the henchman took several blind stabs in the dark, and decent ones at that, before giving up. “Alright alright, what is it?” he asked, just as the other was getting ready to gloat.

“A stamp. It’s rather simple,” Riddler boasted. “Even a child could solve it, really. Perhaps Scarecrow should hire children instead of the usual smooth-brains that he usually employs.”

Rocky quirked a brow. He had been called several intellectually insulting names throughout the day and in the past, but that was a new one. “Smooth-brains?” he puzzled. Riddler gave a dramatic sigh as he slumped in his bindings. “I suppose I have to explain everything, don’t I?” he muttered, before taking in a deep inhale. “Some species of animals, most famously koalas, have such underdeveloped intellectual abilities that their brains are-“

“You know what?” Rocky interrupted. “Never mind. I don’t really wanna know.”

“Of course your kind isn’t interested,” he replied after the usual scoff. “That’s why minds like mine and somewhat lesser intellectuals such as Crane or Fries do all the thinking. Even light-hearted banter proves to be too much for people to keep up.” The underling grimaced as he took a hand to rub the tiredness from his eyes. “Geeze, I’ve heard you were conceited, but I always thought it was over-exaggerated until now,” he muttered.

“Conceited? Ha! I’m surprised you even know the word,” Riddler spat, sitting back in his seat. “You’re just intimidated by superior intellect.”

“Well… you’re smart, I’ll give you that,” Rocky shrugged. “Smart?” Nygma huffed, almost sounding offended at the compliment. The henchman quickly found he error of his ways and gave an apologetic ghost of a smile. “Understatement?” he chuckled. Riddler only looked away in annoyance, though he seemed to have given flexing his intelligence a rest for now. However, he still needed to get one last word out there. “Of the century.”

“Okay, I got one,” Rocky spoke as he thought of a riddle, taking his mind off of the villain’s haughtiness. “So, I make you weak, but I also make you strong when you need me. I-“

“No rhyme?” Riddler interrupted, not exactly annoyed, but just judgmental enough to get Rocky to forget what he was trying to say. “Does it have to rhyme?” he asked with a light groan. “Do I need to teach you about aesthetic,” the villain scoffed, to which the henchman returned a confused look. “I wouldn’t think into aesthetics,” he retorted, to which Riddler truly became annoyed. “Well, simpleton, haven’t you noticed that everything I wear or use is green you absolute dullard?”

“Yeah, and haven’t you noticed I have a shotgun pointed at you?”

Rocky’s attention was caught by his phone ringing in his pocket. He blinked and picked it up. “That’s probably the boss,” he muttered. Riddler didn’t seem too pleased about it, his shoulders slumping. “I suppose he’s going to ask you to gas me now, hmm?” he sighed as the man across from him answered the call and put it on speaker. “Yeah Mister Scarecrow, sir?” Rocky answered in his gruff voice, waiting for the inevitable order to be rid of the captured villain.

A tired sigh rang out from the other end, the thin voice on the other end confirming that it was indeed his boss. “Rockwell. Is Nygma still alive?” Jonathan spoke, his voice keeping its usual firm a dignified frame, but it was clear he was exhausted. “Uh, yeah, he is,” Rocky replied. “I’m looking at him right now. What’s up?”

The good doctor paused in his answer, letting out another exhale. Riddler cleared his throat, being prepared to negotiate his life with the sadist.

“Let him go,” Jonathan clipped.

“What?” Rocky asked.

“What?” Ridder sputtered.

“What?” came a familiar English voice from the other end.

“What?” Crane questioned.

“Well, uh… nothing,” Rocky shrugged, getting up and putting down the phone and shotgun. “So you want me to gas him or something, Mister Scarecrow, sir, or…?”

“No need,” he replied. “I’ll be returning in a maximum of three days should there be no interruptions, so I’d rather you be more focused on keeping more dangerous intruders out. Nearly dying and having a shotgun pointed at him for over twelve hours is fine enough punishment. I’m sure he’s well afraid of the consequences should he cross me again.”

Nygma opened his mouth to dispute it, but Rocky shot him a warning look as he untied him. The mastermind took a moment to consider what would happened if he really told the Scarecrow he wasn’t scared of him; he then promptly shut his mouth, rubbing his arms and trying to restore blood flow once the bindings were off. He stood up, grabbing his hat that had been carelessly thrown to the side. “Well while I’m surprised by your change of heart, I suppose I can’t be angry,” he huffed, grabbing his cane as well. “I must venture back to my own lair.”

“Just don’t pull a stunt like that around the likes of me again,” Jonathan warned, to which Riddler only chuckled in response. “Oh Crane, I knew you weren’t going to kill me this whole time,” he countered. “Even if you’re not on my intellectual plane, I know you’re not dumb enough to kill me and waste future opportunities of defeating the bat!”

The phone was silent for a moment. “Rockwell, put the phone off speaker and give it to him.” Rocky shrugged and picked up the device, handing it over to Riddler, who quirked a brow in light confusion as he brought the phone up to his ear, walking over to pick up his cane. He paused, however, when he heard the strain in Jonathan’s voice, sounding almost tight and with the tired weight behind it more obvious when off speaker.

“Nygma,” he breathed, “I could tell you right now that you are the most insufferable, useless, arrogant, and worthless man I have ever met, with no value or contribution to this plane of existence, nor any of our lives, and if I had my underling kill you right now, no one would notice, nor would they care.”

Edward stared forward, unsure of even what to respond with. While sure, he had been insulted before, never had it really been from someone who had literally nearly killed him hours before. Anger sparked within him as he clenched the phone in his hand. He should just burn Scarecrow’s precious lair to the ground for even daring to speak to him like this, as if he was some common criminal and not someone who had nearly duped and finished the Batman on numerous occasions. Speaking to him as if he was nothing. Looking to the side as he internally seethed, he pulled the phone away and prepared to hand up.

“However…”

He paused, slowly bringing the phone back to his ear. While he was enraged beyond comprehensible words, he wouldn’t be able to go back not knowing what Jonathan had left to say. Call it OCD as most do, but he just needed to know. “However?”

Jonathan took a deep breath on the other end. He could hear Jervis’ English accent say something incomprehensible before Crane continued.

“However, I would be lying.”

Nygma blinked, his brow furrowed. “This is one of your psychological tricks, isn’t it?” he accused. “Or is it that you’re just ill?”

“Nygma, in this risky business we’re entwined in, it’s hard to come across those you actually trust,” he continued, “and though you are, at times, insufferable and your obsessions can lead to catastrophe after catastrophe, you are one of the best to work with and one of my few preferred choices of company. We’ve worked together on very few occasions, but in the time that we’ve known each other, I’ve felt that you are one of only a few people that I can trust, which is why it causes me unfathomable rage to know that we’re even having this conversation whilst you’re in my lair. If your knowledge-driven OCD is so intolerable that you have to break into my base to get some answers, you honestly could have just asked me. Even if you don’t have my number, I know you’re smart enough to somehow get in contact with me. Through some negotiations, I most likely would have given you your answers. So, with that said, I am putting trust in you by letting you go this time with a warning. You are genuinely one of the most intellectually refined people I’ve met, so don’t be an imbecile and betray my trust, or so help me god I will personally lobotomize you.”

Riddler was silent for a moment. He never suspected Jonathan Crane of all people to speak like this to him. Still, he was backtracking to try and take in everything he had just heard. “Could you repeat that last bit again? About me and my intellect?”

“You owe me, Nygma.”

With that, the call ended. Edward stared at the wall for a moment, before pulling the phone away and tossing it over his shoulder, where Rocky luckily caught it before it hit the ground. “I believe it’s about the right time for me to get going. Bats to catch and whatnot. I’m sure you know,” he said, keeping his voice casual and upbeat in tone. He thought for a moment, before bending down and picking up his cane. He felt sick just being here now. He grimaced to himself over his own sensitivity at that moment. He was about to head towards the door and just leave, but he stopped to look over at Scarecrow’s henchman. “He’s not dying is he?” he queried, to which Rocky cautiously shook his head. “Not that I know of,” he answered. “Why?”

“Well, for one, that would cause everything that Jonathan said just make sense,” he muttered under his breath before heading out of the lair.

“Well that was generous of you, throwing such comments in there when you didn’t need to,” Jervis hummed, tapping he steering wheel as he continued to drive down the freeway. “I don’t believe I’ve ever heard you compliment someone in that manner before. Usually they’re paired with thinly veiled threats.” He let out a soft yawn. “You called him one of the smartest people you’ve met for the Red Queen’s sake.”

“I didn’t say he was street smart. The man needs a good ego boost every now and then,” Jonathan sighed, resting back against the cushion of the stolen car. “It’s essential for individuals to receive outside encouragement and mental stimulation in order to sustain a better attitude. Not to mention you talked me into the entire thing.”

Tetch tossed him a look with pursed lips. “Oh, you were going to leave him there for days, the poor mouse,” he countered. “Though, I only asked that you take the gun off him. Freeing the little Dormouse and giving him that address was no such request of mine.” Jonathan visibly rolled his eyes in light annoyance, though he felt too tired to make any sort of argument out of it. “I’m also not exactly feeling myself right now, Tetch. You’ve caught me at the weakest I’ve been in over a decade. Trust me, by tomorrow, I’ll be back to my usual dignified self again. Let’s get some rest before I fall asleep right here,” he murmured. “Ah, tell me all about it,” Jervis exhaled to himself, his mind elsewhere as the last bit of red faded from the sky. A smile crept up to his face, not unnoticed by his companion, but certainly ignored. “Whatever it is, I don’t want to know,” Crane muttered, but Jervis didn’t seem to want to let it die so easily.

“Well, speaking of being yourself…” Tetch trailed off. That meant he was going to ask something potentially irritating.

“Spit it out already,” the good doctor sighed, tired of skirting around issues as they had done so many times before. “I’d like to hear you speak,” Jervis requested. This received a questioning look from the psychiatrist. “Pardon me?” he replied, fiddling with the glasses that hung from the neck of his long-sleeved shirt as he awaited clarification. “I’d like to hear you speak normally,” Jervis explained, a stupid grin spread across his face. He only got the most unamused stare he’d received in the past hour, which was a bit of a record. Still, he pressed on. “I want to hear you speak normally,” he repeated. “Now that I know all you speak are imitations and impressions and impersonations, I implore that I hear you speak normally for once. Just once.” As he said this, he found and pulled into a small motel; a small enough that you might suspect a man and his dead mother might be residing in it. While the two didn’t want to stop, they had to if they wanted to keep driving without incident. Seeing as Jervis came from a country with the exact opposite rules of the road, it wouldn’t be a wise idea to have him tired and behind a wheel.

“No,” Jonathan stated firmly as they pulled into a small lot. “We are not talking about this.” He turned to get out of the lot, but flinched and stopped when his arm was lightly touched by his partner in crime, just barely enough to catch his attention. Jervis was looking up at him with a jovial grin and an apologetic gaze. “You already said you’re not yourself; this is the only time I’m sure I’ll ever get the chance. Just this once?” he requested. “Then I’ll never bother you again, I swear on it Alice herself.”

“Jervis, this is how I normally speak,” Jonathan countered, his temper rising. “Poppycock!” Jervis denied, letting go of him. “If that was true, you wouldn’t have any slip-ups! There’s no need to be embarrassed, Hare. It’s just an accent.”

“I have no accent,” Crane scoffed, opening the door of his car. “You’re acting like a child. Stop with this foolish nonsense.” Jervis quickly pulled away, frowning softly as he realized he was pushing the envelope. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Jonathan, who seemed to have much to say today. “I’ve had enough of this trip as it is, so I’d rather not keep being reminded of the roots I thought I’d left behind years ago. I’m from a different part of the country Jervis, so is it really so odd I may have a few quirks in my voice? You don’t see me asking you to call me ‘mate’ all the time just because you’re British like it’s some neat party trick. As much as your prodding has aided any underlying problems today, I’d much appreciate that you drop this subject.” Jonathan paused as he was about to exit the door, noticing the apologetic ghost of a smile he was receiving. With a sigh, he closed his eyes for a split second, as if to internally scold himself for something. He took a quick glance at the keys.

Then it happened. It was quick, and the Englishman almost didn’t catch it from how hurried and deliberate it was. Jonathan looked over at him and reached for the keys. “Can yew han’ me mah keys? I’m gonna be drivin’ nex’ time.”

It was slurred and it was slowed like there was a certain weight behind his speech. It was improper, but it was smooth and natural, as though the speaker had been talking in such a way for years. Even though Jonathan was clearly the one talking, it didn’t even sound like him, as it lost all the thin, clipping, and cold nature that made his usual speech so distinctive. Jervis couldn’t help it. He slapped a hand to his own mouth, trying to hide the ever-growing grin that threatened to take over his face. A soft “oh my” left his mouth as lifted another hand to hide his giddy expression.

Jonathan visibly turned red, tearing the keys out of the ignition and exiting the car. “You’re unbelievable,” he muttered, now regretting the little gift he had just given his foreign partner. Jervis let out a little gasp as he left the car quickly. “Oh no no no, mate, don’t be embarrassed!” he called apologetically, strolling after him as Jonathan stormed towards the motel. “I was just unprepared for it, that’s all! I love it, I swear!”

“You’re unbelievable, Jervis,” Jonathan muttered, ignoring the smaller man’s little titter. “No no no no, don’t be shy about it,” Tetch encouraged. “Your voice is like fine treacle! I just want to store it all in a well and keep it forever!”

Jonathan looked back at him, stopping at the door to the lobby. “Well what did you think it was going to be like?” he scoffed, to which Tetch stopped. He removed his hat, playing with the rim as it was soon him who became the shy one. “Well… I thought you would say something else when you did it,” he confessed, trying to wipe the grin off of his face. “Well, what did you think I would say?” Jonathan questioned.

Jervis’ voice became small as his next words were uttered; he looked to the side, trying to hide his heated face. “‘What in tarnation?’” he squeaked.

The fearsome villain stopped in his tracks, bringing a hand to his own mouth as he tried to keep something from slipping, though a little “snrk” was able to break out. He wasn’t prepared for that.

“I hate you all so much,” he murmured, going inside the motel to greet the poor fool inside. “As you do everyone, Hare,” Jervis tittered, following him inside after placing his hat back upon his blonde mess of hair. “By the by, don’t you mean, ‘I hate ya’ll so much’?”

“Jervis, I swear on everything I love that I will make you feel fear like you have never known,” Jonathan swore, to which Tetch just smiled politely at him.

“Then I suppose it’s a good thing you’ve never loved anything before, hmm you cold-hearted bastard?”

Dirt kicked up into a small cloud as the Batmobile came to a sudden halt in the dirt road. The thick glass canopy sliding out of place, the Dark Knight smoothly removed himself from the cockpit of his car. The recently shadowed landscape made it difficult for those untrained to see anything of interest, but even in his black and gloomy surroundings, his hawk-like eyesight wasn’t hampered.

“Batman, how’re you doing out there?”

Batman paused, listening into his radio transmission as he heard the distinctive voice of his protégé. “Better,” he answered, looking over to the shadow of the aged chapel in the distance, shrouded by the branches of looming trees that seem to have sprouted for the sole purpose of hiding whatever secrets contained within. “How’s Gotham?”

“Could be better,” Robin sighed. “Ivy’s paired up with Harley and have gone a bit haywire. Nothing I can’t handle, though. We recently captured Firefly after he tried to burn down a building. He was sure surprised to see it was only me.” Batman frowned, continuing his observation of his surroundings. “Do they know I’m missing?” he questioned. He could hear Robin hive a hum of denial. “Nah, but I think they’re starting to catch on. You might want to hurry up on catching Scarecrow and Hatter. How’re you doing on that, by the way?”

Batman looked back at the road, turning on his night vision installed into his cowl and following the tracks paved into the impressionable ground. “I’m closing in on Tetch and Crane,” he reported. “They were recently here. The tracks are fresh and match the wheels of the stolen vehicle reported.”

“You sure it’s them?” Robin asked over the transmission, the hum background noise indicating he was driving through the streets of Gotham. “Definitely,” Batman replied, standing up and following the tracks with his eyes. “There’s no reason a random thief would stop in my location and make a complete U-turn and drive back. It seems they’re taking the route back to Gotham.”

“Think you’ll be able to catch up with them?” his partner inquired, his voice not showing a hint of worry. He knew his mentor would be fine, despite facing against two criminal masterminds at the same time.

“Definitely,” the Knight answered, moving back to his vehicle. “Blood scans from the warehouse indicate both were injured.”

“From the SWAT raid?”

“From each other. I found a bullet coated with Crane’s blood, fired from his own gun. Tetch’s blood was also found, but without a bullet, I can only assume it must have been from one of Crane’s other weapons. Possibly his scythe or a knife.”

“Whoa. They tried to kill each other?” Robin murmured, grunting as his motorcycle came to a halt on the other end. “I thought they were working together.”

“Tetch is an unpredictable and violent schizophrenic,” Batman answered, getting back into the driver’s seat. “Crane has an antisocial personality disorder and had shown faint signs of having dissociative identities. They were bound to get at each other’s throats at some point, especially given their past together. However, whatever happened at the warehouse, they seemed to have made up. There isn’t enough blood to indicate the death of either one, and I found medical supplies with traces of both men, indicating Crane patched Tetch and himself up. There’s also the fact that the entire SWAT team was picked off by both of them.”

“Pfft, they’re friends again? It’d almost be sweet if they didn’t precede to kill twenty people and weren’t also the Scarecrow and Mad Hatter. How fast do you think you’ll be able to catch them?”

Batman revved the car. “Within tonight, surely. Keep Gotham safe, Robin. Before dawn, I’ll have them and I’ll be heading back.”

With that, he took off down the road.

#MHGH #Jonathan Crane #Scarecrow #Jervis Tetch #Mad Hatter #Edward Nygma #Riddler #fanfiction

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thorne93 · 7 years

Text

This isn’t Stockholm

Summary/Prompt: Imagine you got abducted with Claire, Marcia, and Casey in Split, but you’re not high schoolers - you’re grad students. Your area of study is Psychology with your focus on DID. Can you work with Kevin and all of his identities to survive?

Warnings: SPOILERS FOR SPLIT - if you haven’t seen the movie, and want to, don’t read this. Language, abduction, mental disorders, (if you watched Split, it’s all of the content in there).

Word Count: 5695

Notes: I saw Split the other day and was inspired. I am a psychology student so I loved the film and this is how I wish it would’ve ended, haha. If you haven’t seen it, this may be hard to follow what’s happening. beta’d by my best girl @like-a-bag-of-potatoes

~~~~~~~~~~~

When you, Casey, Claire, and Marcia woke up, you had no idea what happened. You were in the car, when that man had gotten in and--did he spray you? Everything was so fuzzy right now. You sat up as Claire and Marcia gripped each other and Casey sat on the end of the cot you were on. You were closer to Casey than the other girls, but you were all friends none-the-less. It’s hard not to be when you share an apartment for grad school.

Terror was hard to swallow, but in this situation, panicking would get you nowhere. Thinking of all the things that could happen to you, you just pushed the fears down. After Marcia had wet herself to fend off your abductor, Claire had started to suggest to just attack him but Casey didn’t want to. They asked for your vote on the matter and you thought four against one were pretty good odds, but it still scared you regardless.

But the most...shocking moment was when you all heard the woman. The others started to scream for her help, but when she opened the door...it was your abductor, dressed in women’s clothing. At first, you didn’t understand and you couldn’t help the image of Psycho that ran through your head of Norman Bates running around in his mother’s clothing.

“Don’t worry,” he said in a motherly sort of voice. “I’ll talk to him. He listens to me. He’s not well. He knows what you’re here for, he’s not allowed to touch you. He knows that. Mmm-mm.” He shook his head-- or was it she? “Hmm?” he said as he glanced to each of you then left the room.

After that, the girls didn’t know what to think, but you knew. You began to understand.

A little later, he returned, dressed as the first man you’d met, the abductor with a dark button down and pants. He looked in the bathroom and mentioned it was unacceptable, but he was much less intense than you expected from him. It was almost as if he was simply requesting that you clean the bathroom. He didn’t shout, he didn’t scream, he didn’t seem impatient...He looked as if the disarray of the already spotless bathroom made him anxious. Did he have OCD? He told you all to clean it and said he’d color coded the cleaning supplies, then went on to explain that Patricia had reminded him that you’re sacred food. Patrica must be the identity you all met earlier.

You had sat up with Claire and Marcia, sitting behind Casey as she slept. Ideas, thoughts, and analysis ran in your brain. You couldn’t help it. This was going to be your career soon enough, to analyze and help people like your abductor, you couldn’t turn something like that off.

Suddenly, the door had opened and a new outfit was on your abductor. He was sitting in the doorway and told you his name was Hedwig, and that someone awful was coming for you.

Casey understood the situation and began to ask questions and you observed, naturally.

“How old are you?”

“Nine,” he answered proudly.

“You’re not the guy who took us?” Casey asked and you couldn’t help but observe his behavior. You’d seen one other case of this before during your internship but in circumstances like these...it was extraordinary.

“No,” he scoffed.

“And you’re not the lady?” Casey continued

“No. Are you blind?” he asked.

“Could you help us?”

“I’m not even supposed to be down here,” he said, shaking his head. “I stole the light from Mr. Dennis but he’ll be back real soon.”

“Dennis, is that the man who took us?” you said. It was the first words you’d spoken to him.

“Yeah, he’s real strong, etcetera,” he informed, his childlike behavior fascinating you. “See you!” he said before jumping up to close the door.

“Wait,” Casey begged. “We heard something.”

Your eyes darted to your best friend, wondering where she was taking this.

“We didn’t understand it at the time, but we do now. Do you know what we heard?” she asked as she got on the floor and sat cross-legged.

“What did you hear?” he questioned, curiosity in his eyes as they shifted to the girls on the other cot.

“Come here,” Casey offered. “I’ll whisper it to you.” Your eyes narrowed on her as your blood pressure spiked. She could do something to trigger another identity to take front and center stage, but you had to trust her.

“Okay.” He walked in a crouch toward Casey as you slightly moved closer to hear her.

“This guy...is coming for you,” she said and your blood boiled and yet it ran ice cold at the same time. If Hedwig felt threatened, Dennis could return, seeing as he seemed to be the dominant one so far.

“You’re a big fibber,” Hedwig responded.

“I never lie, Hedwig,” Casey said.

Casey and Hedwig continued to talk as Casey tried to convince him that this time they wanted a boy, not girls. He said that Miss Patricia wasn’t mad at him any more.

“Casey, that’s enough,” you chastised as you moved to the floor. The site of him being scared of the other identity was ripping you apart. Rather than scaring him, you wanted to make him trust you. “Hedwig,” you said sweetly, trying to get him to look at you. Finally, he looked away from Casey and turned to face you. “Hedwig, we won’t let them come after you. We’ll protect you. Okay?”

He gazed at you a second.

“How--how would you protect me?” he stammered.

“Well, you’d have to help us first. We would all need to get out of here, then you wouldn’t have to worry about Miss Patricia or Mr. Dennis. We would keep you safe, and happy, and we’d play. How does that sound?”

“Wait a minute. No, we can’t leave. It took forever to get this area safe. You can’t leave!” he said before he jumped up and shut the door.

“Why did you stop me?” Casey demanded as she turned back to you. “I was going to get us out.”

“By scaring a little boy?” you asked.

“Y/N, that’s not a little boy,” Claire said. “He’s just a man with some mental issues,” she reminded. “He is probably going to kill us.”

“I know, I’m aware, but right now we need to do everything we can to not set any of these personalities off. If we do, it’ll bring Dennis out or someone else much stronger. We need to continue to appeal to the gentler personalities.”

“Oh, do you want us to sing a lullaby to him?” Claire asked. You knew how scary and frustrating this must be so you didn’t fault her for being short.

“Claire, I know this is hard, but please trust me.”

“You know you don’t have your doctorate yet.”

“No, but my dissertation is on DID, so just...go with it okay?”

The girls nodded. Then Marcia reminded you all of the “making the room safe” comment. After searching, Claire found something metal under the drywall and using her heel, she began to pull out the drywall and found a grate as you, Marcia, and Casey tried to keep the door closed. Hedwig was on the other side of the door, asking to come in, pushing on the door. He was getting angrier by the second of being kept out of the room. You knew in a matter of seconds, Hedwig would give way to a dominant figure. Just as you predicted, right as Claire vanished into the vent, the door had no trouble opening and before you stood Dennis.

Shit.

Dennis went and found Claire while all of you paced. You thought of jumping into the vent as well, because he couldn’t catch all of you, right? But you knew you had a better chance of understanding him if you stayed. When Dennis returned, he sealed the vent.

“You will not see your friend again,” he promised. “You will be kept separate.” He packed up his things then told Casey to take off her shirt, Marcia to take off her skirt, and told you to take off your jacket because they got dirty from the dust.

Fear no longer bothered you. What good would it do? The entire time you were in that room you were thinking of a way to get to Dennis and the other identities he may have. All you wanted to do was help him.

Eventually, Patricia made her reappearance as she came in and brushed Casey’s hair and became motherly. You complimented her outfit.

“Thank you, child. It’s just an old thing I put on. How are you enjoying your sandwich?” she asked.

“It’s delicious, thank you.”

“It has paprika,” she said as if it was a trade secret and you grinned at her.

She took you all to the kitchen and began to tell you fascinating facts while Casey and Marcia were arguing silently about whether or not to blitz attack her. You were begging Marcia not to but she was doing it anyway. Before you could stop her, she slammed her chair on Patricia’s back and ran. When she stood up and tried to go after her, Casey rammed the table toward her but she just moved it back.

“Go to your room. Shut the door,” she ordered at you two. You grabbed her hand without hesitation and ran to your room and shut the door.

“Marcia shouldn’t have done that,” you said as you paced. “We have to be understanding. We have to help him.”

“How? How can we help him?” she begged. “Come on, you of all of us should be able to get inside his head.”

You just stared at her. Casey was going to grad school for child studies, to work in child protective service. And Claire was going for Literature and Marcia was there for her Juris Doctorate. You knew she was right. Your experience in this field was the only hope of getting out alive...and helping Dennis.

You and Casey fell asleep on each cot, knowing that Marcia would be put somewhere separate. You woke up and Casey was still asleep but as you looked, you saw the door was open. You began to sit up when you felt it - the presence and weight of a leg over yours and an arm around your waist. Your mind whirred and you waited.

“That wasn’t nice what your friend said about Miss Patricia,” he said, and you knew it was Hedwig and breathed a sigh of relief. “You guys lied and scared me, etcetera.”

“I know, Hedwig, and I’m sorry. I would never lie to you or try to scare you.”

“She wears a lot of shirts, that’s what Mr. Dennis says,” he informed.

“Yes, she does.”

“I like the one she has now.”

“It’s pretty, huh?”

“Looks soft,” he said. “Do you know who Dennis and Miss Patricia are?”

“No. Why don’t you tell me about them? I’d like to get to know them,” you said and he rolled over and sat at your feet as you got up.

“Every one of us has to wait in a chair, and Barry, he decides who stands in the light. But Barry lost that power because of me. I can wish myself into the light any time I want. It’s a special power. Barry just has to keep sitting in that chair if I want him to. That’s why Dennis and Miss Patricia said I could be with them. They believe in the Beast and what he can do.”

“The Beast...Are you afraid of him?” you asked.

“No, they say he’s going to protect us, he’s going to take care of all of us. Then no one will laugh at me, at us, any more.”

A light shed on your understanding. The Beast was a new identity that would be the most dominant of all.

“Who laughs at you, Hedwig?” you questioned, concern in your voice. It pained you to see him go through this.

“Everyone, but Dennis and Miss Patricia, they promise that once we feed the Beast he can protect us, etcetera.”

“You know, Hedwig, I could protect you. All of you. I’d make sure no one ever laughed at you again.”

“You’d do that?” he asked, hope in his eyes and voice.

“Sure. Why not? No one deserves to be laughed at for being...different or extraordinary.”

“You think we’re special?” he questioned.

“Absolutely. Hedwig, when did you...when did you come into the light?”

“I came around when Kevin got it bad.”

“Kevin…?” He must be the original identity, the body.

“Yeah, he’s my friend. When his mom would yell at him, I’d come out and play.”

“I see. And where is Kevin now?”

“He’s in his chair, silly.”

“Right, right,” you said, you couldn’t help but grin. This was remarkable. This experience while scary, was something you could learn from. You could help Kevin and however many identities he had.

Casey woke up and asked what you were doing.

“I’m talking to Hedwig,” you informed as if it was obvious.

“Hedwig,” she started, her eyes flashing to you. “What do you do when you aren’t visiting us?”

“Oh, I have a cd player in my room, near my window. Kanye West is my main man. I dance to it, like this.” He proceeded to dance just as a child would and you couldn’t help the delighted fascination that crossed your heart and face. You were aware this situation was possibly fatal, but if you could just unlock the key to stopping this, you could help him and get everyone out. As far as you knew, Claire and Marcia were still alive and okay.

Casey proceeded to try and get Hedwig to take her to his room. After a minute he conceded and lead Casey and you to his room. All was well until Casey asked about the window and Hedwig caught on. She tried to redeem the situation and began playing with the walkie talkie that Hedwig stole from Dennis. She tried to call for help and while you wanted to stop her, to not betray Hedwig and yet again bring out Dennis, but simultaneously, your efforts so far had been null. When she slapped him though, you rushed over to help him, you couldn’t help it. You knew none of this was his fault and he just needed help.

“Hedwig, Hedwig! Are you okay?” you asked but he pushed you off and grabbed a bat and ran after Casey yelling.

“Hedwig, no!”

Casey continued to call for help and as they struggled, you saw the transformation happen. Hedwig faded as Patricia took the walkie and turned it off. She told you two to put your hands together in contrition. She told you two a poem as you walked to the room.

“I read that on a sympathy card in the supermarket. It was for funerals, but I thought it was beautiful.”

“It was,” you agreed.

“You know, you’re very kind to Hedwig, and me, why?” she asked once you got to the room.

“Because you’re a person, like me or Casey, you deserve to be talked to and treated with respect. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

“And what makes you so sure?”

“Because if you were going to hurt us, you would’ve done it, but you’re patient.”

“Yes, well Dennis will explain the meaning of this evening,” she said with a slight smile then went out of the room, Casey spotted a screw, crept forward and grabbed it while you thought. What would you say? Could you do this? Could you say the right thing to the Dennis to get him to listen? He had OCD and an attraction to younger women. You thought hard. The Beast, that’s what they all kept talking about. To feed the Beast. Hedwig believed in this being and so did the adult figures, so it wasn’t a figment of the boy’s imagination, rather an identity that had either already emerged or he was about to.

Dennis returned. You knew this would be your only chance. He gave both of you a speech on the Beast and you dissected and analyzed every last one of his syllabus to pick up on something--anything that would help you. He was even withholding his urges for this higher being, by not asking Casey or you for any more of your clothing.

“It’s almost over,” he declared before you stepped forward.

“Wait, Dennis, please, wait. I want to talk,” you said, gathering all your courage. He stopped and looked at you.

“About what?”

“The Beast. About you, Patricia, Hedwig...Kevin.”

“What about them?” he asked, his hard eyes on yours.

“When...when did you come into the light for the first time?” you questioned.

“Why?”

“I’d just like to get to know you better, that’s all.”

“I came into existence when Kevin needed someone stronger than the others. The others were merely distractions. He needs me.”

“Yes, he does,” you agreed. “But...then why does he need the Beast?”

“The Beast will protect us all, he’ll show Kevin and all the others how powerful we can truly be.”

You took several steps towards him quickly and he backed up. You slowly placed your hands on his arms.

“Don’t you see, you already are powerful?” you said. “You’ve accomplished so much for the Beast already. Tell me, why is the Beast going to start calling the shots?”

His eyes lingered on your touch before slowly drifting back up to your face.

“Because he’ll stop everyone from laughing at us. People will finally start to believe us.”

You bit your lip and stared him deep in the eyes. “Dennis, what if you let me protect you?”

“You? What can you possibly do that I can’t? I’m the strongest one Kevin has but when the Beast comes…” he let the idea hang in the air for all to interpret the magnitude the Beast would bring with it.

“I can help you. I think the Beast has manipulated you and the others. He isn’t a being to be trusted.”

“What makes you trustworthy?”

“Because I have vowed my life to helping people like you, Dennis.”

“Really?” he asked, as if you were lying.

“Really. Dennis, I want to help you. Please, let me. But you have to promise me that you and the others will team together to fight this Beast. He’s no good for you.”

“We need someone, someone strong,” he insisted.

“I am as strong as they come. I will fight with every fiber of my being to protect you and help you. You and all the others, you’re amazing. All of you have accomplished so much.”

His face changed suddenly. It softened.

“Amazing? You think we’re amazing?”

“I think you’re astounding. I’m in awe of you,” you informed. None of this was a lie. You really would do everything to help him.

“How do I know you aren’t going to betray me?”

You thought for a moment. You turned around to Casey and whispered, “Forgive me.” You lifted her shirt to expose her stomach - all of her self inflicted wounds for him to see. “See these? I’ve helped her overcome this. She’s been hurt and abused just like Kevin was, I’m sure. There had to be a reason he needed protectors and friends, right?” Casey stood there on display, as you continued to hold her shirt, pleading with your gaze for Dennis to understand. “Now do you trust me?” He didn’t say anything but stare at Casey’s body. You let go of her shirt, squeezed her shoulder, and went back to Dennis. “I will help you, and if you feel that I am failing you, you can let the Beast come forward into the light. How does that sound?” you asked.

“Sounds appealing. But...why would you do all this for us?”

“Because I care about you,” you breathed.

“Very well. I suppose we could...hold off his hunger a little while longer.”

“Yes, very good,” you answered, light coming into your voice and face as you continued to hold onto Dennis. “Does that mean you’ll let the others go?”

“Possibly.”

“I promise to help you get other girls should the Beast need to be fed,” you vowed. At this point you were going to tell him anything to just let them go.

“You’d do that for me?”

“I’d do that for all of you,” you breathed. “I would never hurt you.”

His next move was so swift it took you off guard. He suddenly kissed you, and you couldn’t help but return it. His hands were in your hair as he held your head firmly, kissing you hard. Somewhere, somehow, for however long you’d been down here, you cared deeply for your captor. You were well enough into your studies to know the signs of Stockholm Syndrome, this was not it. You cared for Kevin, Dennis, Hedwig, Patricia, Barry, and any others lurking in his mind.

The kiss wasn’t so much romantic for you, as it was a sign of your pledge and alliance to help him. Yet, you couldn’t deny the feeling you felt deep in your core when you were in his arms, the way his lips felt on yours.

When he broke the kiss, he held you at arm's length.

“You….you kissed me back,” he gasped, astonished as he gazed at you. “Do you love me?”

You smiled at him as you held his hand that had drifted to your face.

“Not yet, but in time, I may. I do care for you deeply.”

“No one….no one’s ever cared for me like this. Dr. Fletcher tries but…”

Your hand flitted to his face. “Shh, I understand. I know how lonely you must’ve been all these years. I know how hard it is to fight for the light. You don’t have to be afraid any more. I’m here. I’m going to help, alright?”

He nodded, looking pained.

“The only thing I ask is that you let the others go, and we can go find you help together. How does that sound?”

He hesitated.

“You do everything you do, to help Kevin, right? What Kevin needs now, is me. Not the Beast. I’ll only help if you do as I ask though.”

He nodded. “Alright. Let’s try your way.”

“Really?”

“I don’t see the harm.”

“Thank you,” you said as you kissed him again. You couldn’t help it. This was miraculous and this was technically your first patient, you were so thrilled to make a breakthrough, your emotions got the better of you in a rather unusual situation.

“We better get you out of here before we change our mind,” he said. He stepped aside as you grabbed Casey’s hand and led her out into the small room. Dennis stepped out before you and opened the door and led the way into the hall. He went to a door and opened it, inside was Claire, shirtless and lying on the floor.

“Claire?” Casey said as she rushed in and helped her up and out.

“What’s happening?”

“He’s letting us go. Come on.”

She came out into the hall and you moved onto the next door where Marcia was. He opened the door and you assisted her. He led the four of you out of the hallway that seemed to never end to a staircase that had exotic animals in them. You were in a zoo? You whispered to the girls to not run or hit him or attack him. They nodded weakly.

It was nighttime now, the air was chilly. You reached a gate and he led all of you out as all of you stood near a street.

“Dennis, can we take them to the hospital?” you asked as you turned to him while he locked the gate.

“I’ll call them a cab,” he said.

“That’s fine.”

“You’re not leaving are you?” he asked with a pained expression.

“No, Dennis, I’m staying right here with you,” you promised sweetly, looking at him with an endearing look.

“Y/N, are you crazy?” Claire asked. “You need medical attention.”

“I’ll get it in time, Claire. Just go to the hospital,” you insisted, staring into Dennis’ eyes.

He called the cab and within ten minutes it was there. You helped them in as Dennis stood away from the cab, near the gate. They piled in and begged you to come with them.

“What if he hurts you?” Marcia asked.

“He won’t. Please trust me. And please don’t tell them about him. Just say you woke up out here, okay?”

“Why are you trying to protect him?” Claire asked.

“Because she cares about him,” Casey informed quietly. You didn’t deny it, you merely looked to Claire and Marcia.

“I want to help him. Please?”

They nodded and you backed up to close the door as the cab headed to the hospital. You turned and walked to Dennis.

“Thank you for helping my friends like that. Now I can help you.” You smiled and kissed his cheek. “Would you mind showing me the way to Dr. Fletcher?”

“It’s kind of late…”

“Please?”

“Very well.”

He offered his hand and you took it, walking hand in hand for several blocks. You finally arrived to an apartment at the top of the stairs. He knocked and after a minute, the door opened to expose an older woman in her night gown.

“Dennis?” she questioned. “Who is this?”

“Dr. may we come in?” you asked.

“Certainly.” She stepped aside and you went in and had Dennis sit as you and Dr. Fletcher talked in the other room.

“Dr. Fletcher, my name is Y/F/N, I go to the University and I’m getting my Ph.D in psychology,” you explained.

“How wonderful,” she complimented.

“Yes, and my dissertation is on DID.”

“Oh marvelous! But what does all this have to do with coming to me in the middle of the night? Has he done something?” Her eyes flashed to Dennis in the chair across the apartment.

“Yes and no. How many identities does he have?”

“23, possibly 24.”

You gasped. “Wow. I only knew about six of them. I’ve met Dennis, Patricia, and Hedwig. They’ve told me about Barry and Kevin.”

“I see.”

“He abducted me. Dennis did. Patricia and him held us.”

“Us? There are more of you?”

“Yes, my friends, but he let them go. I asked him to. He said he was going to feed the Beast. But I asked that he trust me to help him and we could fight the beast. I told him he didn’t need the Beast and that I would protect him.”

“That was very brave.”

“It was the right thing to do.” You twisted your hands around as you stood at her counter. “I think he needs help, soon. I’d like to...be a part of his progress though.”

“Are you sure? He was your captor…”

“I’m aware. Also, no this isn’t Stockholm.” Your eyes flickered to Dennis adjusting a bowl next to him. “I just...I care for him. Maybe I’m too invested because of the situation and I know it’d be highly unethical, but I want to help in his recovery from the Beast and make sure he never comes up.”

Dr. Fletcher stared at you as you stared at him. “You really want to help him, don’t you?”

“More than anything,” you breathed.

“I could let you sit in on sessions, if he permits it. But I think he won’t need them.”

“Why?” you questioned, your gaze returning to her.

“Why do you think he just let you all go if he was going to feed the Beast?”

“Because I told him to trust me. Full disclosure, I kissed him. But it’s not a trick.”

“I know. And now he does trust you. Dennis is the strongest one of the identities and he trusted you to not turn against him. Why do you think he developed the Beast?”

Your academic mind thought about it. “Because the other identities were no longer enough to protect Kevin, or all of them for that matter, from ridicule.”

“Precisely. But now...he sees you as something stronger, a partner, a companion, someone who can really help him.”

You thought about it a moment, frowning. “He said no one had ever cared for him the way I had, except you. But he made it sound like even what you’ve done for him didn’t do it justice.”

“Then I think...as long as you stay by his side, support him, help him, he’ll not need the Beast. I believe you’ve replaced the need for a darker entity to come forward.”

“What if I fail him?”

“Come now, as doctors, we must never ask the question. Failure is not an option.”

“So you’ll help us then?” you said.

“Absolutely.”

“I don’t want to admit him, if you think the Beast isn’t going to come out.”

She thought for a moment.

“What do you think we should do?” you questioned with concern. So far, Dennis and Patricia were driven by the Beast but if he had vanished because of you, then you wanted to keep him out of a mental hospital. At the same time, could the Beast or threat of him return at any moment and they abduct again?

“I think, we should ask him what he would like to do.”

You two made your way back into the sitting area and she sat before Dennis as you stood beside her.

“Dennis, Y/N told me all about your situation. We want to help you and the others. What do you think would be the best thing for you now? We don’t want you to hurt anyone else, and we especially don’t want you to get hurt.”

Dennis glanced up to you then back to Dr. Fletcher. “I think I’d like it if Y/N stayed with me. She keeps the Beast quiet.”

“How do you mean stay with you?” Dr. Fletcher asked.

“I...I want her to be with me.”

“I could do that, Dennis,” you said stepping over and crouching and put your hand on his knee.

“You’d stay with me? With all of us?”

“Yes. I’ll still be in school, if that’s fine,” you said.

“Alright,” he agreed.

“You’re fine with this Dennis? How do you think the other’s will feel?” Dr. Fletcher asked.

“I think….they’ll be delighted to have Y/N watch over us,” he informed, looking down at you.

----------------------------

Two years had passed since that night. You had gotten your degree and license to practice therapy. Dr. Fletcher took you under her wing and you were like her daughter. She taught you everything she knew and got you a great job and even helped with some of your expenses.

As for Kevin, he came into the light and stayed there for the most part. Having you around made him feel safe, so no one felt the need to come forward except for Barry or Jade or Hedwig from time to time. You moved in immediately, to make sure the Beast was at bay. He continued his weekly sessions with Dr. Fletcher which he always let you sit in on. He encouraged your work and eventually, you fell in love with him. It only took a few months and you moved into a proper living space. You cared for him, watched over him, and as if it was inevitable, you fell for him. You loved all 23 identities he had in one way or another. As far as you could tell, they loved you back in the same way. Hedwig saw you as a friend and you saw him as a young companion, Barry was a friend, Jade became a best friend, Patricia only emerged once but treated you as if you were her daughter. Dennis very rarely made an appearance, but when he did, you staved off his unsavory sexual appetite for younger women with your own body.

Sex, love, the entire relationship was tricky, but Kevin’s personality seemed to prevail and you loved him most of all.

You became a strong advocate and fighting force for DID and other mental disorders in your field, holding conferences, speaking at Universities, writing articles and essays over it. You said being in love with a man who had such an extreme case of DID and the way you met and the way you helped him was proof that DID isn’t as evil or bad as everyone makes it out to be. You were young in your field and still had a lot to learn but with guidance from Dr. Fletcher and other colleagues who supported your work, you were making a good name for yourself and having Kevin as a shining example was wonderful.

Kevin and you had even started talking marriage, and even kids. Most people saw it as strange but in your eyes, you just had a giant family, all inside Kevin’s head, each member someone you loved.

You never left Kevin, or felt threatened by him, or wanted to leave. You wanted to be with him just as much as the day he let the girls go.

The girls and you kept in touch. They didn’t file charges as you had begged them not to. They graduated and were all healthy. They began working in their fields of choice. You got Casey the proper help she needed to cope with and get over her uncle’s abuse. Some sessions with you, since you were her friend, she trusted you. Other sessions with strangers that weren’t clouded by any relationship.

As far as the Beast was concerned, he was dead. None of the identities ever spoke of him again or even whispered about him. Like a fairy tale long forgotten.

What had turned out to be the most terrifying day for you and your friends, ended up being one of the happiest events of your life - for this wasn’t Stockholm, it was love.

#this isn't stockholm #james mcavoy #split #dennis #kevin crumb #split fic #split fan fic #split x reader #hedwig #patricia

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mhagnolia · 4 years

Text

avpd asks by @acevoidant

i thought this might be a good (?) activity to better understand myself. i’m definitely on the road to recovery but i had a sad episode today and found avoidant tags on tumblr.

1. how did you find out about avpd? on my fifteenth birthday, i knew i should be happy, but, the whole day i couldn’t stop thinking about my mental space. i think this is one of my symptoms, constantly trying to rationalize and fix my mental state rather than confront the pressing behaviors that cause this (my avoidance). i got ready for bed but i wanted to know what was so wrong that i could never have a normal day. i stopped assuming it was depression, anxiety, ocd, schizophrenia, etc. and considered the next thing i had heard of but never checked: personality disorders. after reading about the criteria for avpd, i found it was strikingly similar to my experience in a way no other disorder has. in short, i guess i just tried searching for an answer for the umpteenth time and found it.

2. are you professionally diagnosed? nope. i don’t know if i really need to be; for me, right now, it’s best if i figure this all out on my own.

3. what age do you think you started having avpd symptoms? my first memories of avpd like symptoms are from second grade when i was about 8 years old. we were let out of the classroom to go to the bathroom and i didn’t want my friends to walk before me (lil meanie) and my teacher called me back into the classroom. i don’t really know what the proper reaction to this is but i went back to my seat, muttered to myself how i was such a bad student, and pulled my hair tie onto my wrist to hurt myself.

4. do you have other mental illnesses? Does avpd complicate these illnesses? If so, in what way? in truth, in truth, in truth, i’m not that sure. i feel anxious often like when i wash dishes or share an opinion but i don’t think its too debilitating. my anxiety is usually just fuzzy chest feelings i get every so often. depression is questionable, but right now, i’m definitely facing a dysfunction that i so often associated with depression (slipping grades, losing sleep, not eating). i believe that my avpd sort of trumps any other mental issues i face and makes my relationship with them much more complex i.e., “i don’t deserve a community/a common place”; “i deserve less than depression”.

5. what do you do to deal with loneliness? i guess busy myself. i never find myself actually reaching out to others.

6. what do you do to deal with depression? if i knew i wouldn’t be writing this.

7. what do you do to deal with anxiety? hmm, i guess try to reason myself out of it? my anxieties usually deal with forces outside of myself, so, it’s much easier to rationalize it. i try to think of my blossoming self growth, my goals, my dreams, and the trust i have in others.

8. if you experience dissociation, what is that like for you personally? i don’t believe i’ve ever experienced dissociation. i think i sometimes do experience depersonalization, though.

9. were you ever misdiagnosed? if so, which mental illness were you misdiagnosed with? how did that affect your treatment? never been diagnosed

10. do you have a safe person? i’ve told my mom i believe i have avpd but we don’t do much about it and i’ve only talked to her about on maybe three occasions. i find a lot of solace in my mom’s side of the family and when i’m with certain cousins i find that my minds quiets and i become a bit of a different person :).

11. have you ever been hospitalized? Ii you have been hospitalized, what was it like and did it help you in any way? never been hospitalized

12. what is your advice to someone who is considering hospitalization or is about to be hospitalized? i don’t think i would really recommend it for anyone dealing with a mental disorder if you don’t pose to a danger to yourself or others. however, honestly, i’m not really versed on what actually occurs in a psychiatric hospitalization. it just doesn’t seem like a positive or pleasant experience that would help,

13. have you ever been in residential treatment? if so, what was it like and did it help? never received treatment

14. what is your advice to someone who is considering residential treatment or is about to start residential treatment? same as above

15. what is your advice to someone who has just been diagnosed with avpd? not sure, i don’t think i could allow myself to muster anything. i guess just find help, whether in a medical respect or in a social respect.

16. who do you look up to that influences your personality/way of thinking? what personality traits/ways of thinking have you taken on because of them? anyone who is materially or emotionally successful, definitely. i find myself often trying to internalize others’ kindness, helpfulness, work ethic, passion, etc. it’s a culmination of different books characters, movie characters, online “personalities,” friends, relatives.

17. who did you look up to when you were young (real or fictional)? i don’t really know, no one really comes to mind in particular.

18. how have you changed since you were first diagnosed? never been diagnosed, however, since i somewhat found my “answer,” i’ve certainly been a lot better than before. whether that has to do with my initial discoveries isn’t clear to me but i am surely better than before.

19. what are some things related to your avpd that you still want to work on? ahaha, everything? the disorder still affects me in the same way than it did at my peak, just to lowered degrees.

20. how are you feeling right now? What is currently influencing your mood? i’m alright rn, we just went to a few parks and walked around different vistas. i had hoji cha bubble tea and i’m feeling ok.

21. do you have any friends with avpd? Ii so, how is that friendship different than friendships with people who do not have avpd? i don’t believe i have any friends with avpd.

22. favorite songs to listen to when you’re in a bad mood? right now it’s ribs by lorde, streetcar by daniel caesar, less and less by maltese, and a story playlist i made for a wattpad fanfic. if i’m in a bad mood and i want to feel better i listen to adam melchor.

23. what do you do to get yourself through a breakdown? i listen to music, watch particular youtube videos, read!!!, or journal.

24. what are your top 3 healthy coping skills? i’m not really sure, i guess breathing, taking a break, and preventing anger/blaming.

25. do you channel your pain into any art forms such as drawing, singing, poetry, etc? “channel pain” lol. i guess i do.

26. are you more of the type to isolate and avoid others or need to be with people all the time because you’re afraid to be alone? isolate

27. are you more of the type to overshare too much personal information or keep too much of yourself a secret out of fear of rejection? definitely keep to myself

28. does avpd affect your appearance? for example, do you change your hair or clothing style frequently? ah, no way. i’ve been 200% better about this recently but a few years ago, i was afraid to wear new clothes and change hairstyles.

29. what keeps you alive? everything and everyone. i love the world, a lot.

30. how open are you about having avpd? maximum security >:( unless you’re my mom. but then again, i think talking about a daily dysfunction-ing disorder twice in about five years isn’t all that much haha.

31. when starting a new relationship, when do you usually think it’s the right time to tell your partner you have avpd? i don’t know if i could start an honest and genuine relationship with someone if i didn’t let them know beforehand. but this could change.

32. do you listen to any songs that perfectly describe how you feel as a person who has avpd? not perfectly but i love first love, late spring by mitski, eartfquake by tyler, the creator, sense by tom odell, if i’m being honest by dodie, why by bazzi, cursive by billie marten, and listen before i go by billie eilish. music wise (not really lyrically) is the entire submarine ep by alex turner, only ones who know by arctic monkeys, singularity by bts, bad religion by frank ocean, and here’s an obscure one: bran-new lovesong by the pillows.

33. were you more of an innocent quiet child or a trouble maker growing up? innocent! i always followed rules.

34. are there any coping skills you want to try that you haven’t yet? coping skills are not really things apart of my routine. sounds like it would be good but i’m just trying to get to college.

35. are you currently in recovery? if so, how is that going for you? i would say yes! it’s going alright, some more lows than highs, but i’m insurmountably grateful for all of my highs.

36. what keeps you motivated? my dreams of becoming a writer/creative/academic and my personal responsibility to stay true to my identity.

37. name five qualities you like about yourself. sorry, this isn’t really a question i’m comfortable answering.

38. do you journal? if so, does it help you cope? yes! though it does help me in a stoic way, like meditation, it also helps because i’m really passionate about all forms of writing.

39. list some of your favorite avpd blogs. i have none; probably won’t ever have one.

40. how do you handle social interaction? i’m pretty good at leveled social interaction and i’ve gotten over my awkward quirky stage of adolescence (i think) lol. anything super deep is difficult for me, though. i almost never have heart to heart’s with anyone anymore.

41. are there any quotes/lyrics/etc that resonate with you? i already have a list of my favorite lyrics so here: “I leave you broken and shaking / but you still call me baby” “Please hurry leave me / I can't breathe / Please don't say you love me / 胸がはち切れそうで / One word from you and I would / Jump off of this / Ledge I'm on / Baby” “You're the sun, you've never seen the night / But you hear its song from the morning birds / Well I'm not the moon, I'm not even a star / But awake at night I'll be singing to the birds” “She said: He might just be a big story / But there's more to life than truth” “in a foreign place / the saving grace was the feeling / what it was the heart he was stealing” “some people think its supposed to hurt / like it couldnt be real / if its putting you first” “its a hail mary / i bet it all that you dont want to see me now / but ill take my shot in the dark / for you” “Don't leave, it's my fault“ concerning quotes, i have none, but aza holmes’ monologue toward the end of turtles all the way down by john green when she’s hospitalized made me sob, really cry. i’ll always remember it as when one of the first times i’ve really felt seen and completely understood. i considered ocd for a bit because of this monologue.

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