#depressing headcanons

Military school/ joining the military becomes mandatory to “help people control their quirks”

People with more combat based quirks get wesealed into staying longer/starting a military career because “think of how this can serve your country”

You don’t see people with combat quirks older than like 15 out and about very often and when you do everyone treats them like a pariah. America’s history of nationalism making the general public think of anyone who “should” (people with combat quirks) join the military not doing that should be seen as some kind of treason.

-Is an only child

-Wasn’t born and raised in Gotham, but in a suburban area about two hours’ drive away.

-While not raised in the kind of poverty Fish Mooney and Oswald Cobblepot faced, didn’t have much money growing up and lived in a lower-middle class, blue-collar household.

-Was raised in a somewhat conservative household.

-From an early age his IQ has been nearly off the charts, but started showing signs of OCD and Apserger’s, which to his parents was unacceptable.  

-While not physically abusive, both parents, especially his father were emotionally and verbally abusive.

-Didn’t have friends growing up, at least among his peers.  A few of his teachers liked him, humored him when he went on tangents, and let him eat lunch in their classroom.  They told him it would get better in college or adulthood, and for the longest time he believed them.

-First guy he ever liked was a teacher; a cool teacher fresh out of college who taught English at his high school.  He hadn’t known romantic or sexual orientations could be fluid, that he could like a boy if he’d like girls before.  It took a few years and research for him to learn everything he wanted to know about romantic orientation, sexual orientation, and gender identity, but it helped.  He’d been worried it was yet another thing that made him abnormal.

-Was put on a lot of overlapping behavioral medication to “fix him”, sometimes to disastrous effect.  When he tried to avoid the meds, flush them down the toilet, his parents forced him to take the medication and would supervise to a humiliating extent.

-The turning point, the moment for which Ed can’t forgive his parents and doesn’t want to see or interact with them again, was the worst episode of overlapping meds when he was a teenager and went through a series of medically-induced epileptic seizures and was sent to the ER.  His parents didn’t seem sorry at what they did to him, but instead seemed annoyed at the inconvenience.

-Found a community college that offered classes to high school students when he was fourteen, and rode his bike there four times a week after school.  Speaking with college professors and getting college credit as a high school student is one of his better childhood/adolescent memories.  It made him feel acceptable, like there was not only a place for him, but he stood to be more successful than his more socially-savvy peers and the kids who called him “freak.”

- “You have any idea how much money you’re costing us trying to fix you?”

-His original surname is Nashton.  He had it legally changed to Nygma in college.  He hasn’t spoken to his parents since he was twenty, and he imagines they don’t miss him, either.

Okay, so I’ve had random ideas about Dark Ash for some time now. Here’s my latest one.

Thanks to an incident in the Mirror Cave, a darker version of Ash is created. One that symbolizes the embodiment of his negative emotions. Of course, he wreaks havoc and shit, but what I want to go over is his demeanor.

This Dark Ash doesn’t look evil, or insane, or bloodthirsty. No. He has a scowl on his face. As for his eyes... he looks like he’s about ready to angrily burst into tears. He’s even got markings running along his cheeks that vaguely resemble tear streaks. And they pulsate a dark purple when he’s ready to attack, like he has actual tears streaming down his face.

Even his movements and poses seem depressed. When he’s absorbing Dark Aura, he curls up into what resembles a fetal position- a position one would make when upset.

And to top it off, the only word he speaks is “why”. And he says it as if he’s asking Arceus why something bad happened.

As for why he’s like this? Four words: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Yes, Ash has it in my canon. He’s been abused by his childhood classmates, and neglected by his teachers. He’s been burying those feelings for years, and been doing a pretty good job at it. He always appears happy and optimistic, so long as no one mentions his childhood... and thankfully, no one has.

Dark Ash represents what those feelings he’s buried inside: Loneliness. Hurt. An intense longing for the affection he was denied as a child. And most of all, a growing distrust towards the world around him. He attacks because he thinks the world’s going to hurt him again...

Steven’s half-Gem right? And Gems live for what appears to be forever, or close enough if they’re not damaged. So like, not only is it highly likely that he’ll outlive Greg (which is the norm in parent-child relationships), he’ll also probably outlive all of his friends, and more broadly, all of beach city. In fact, if he turns out to be a good fighter, he’ll probably outlive every friend he makes, with the exception of the Crystal Gems.