Oh so since it’s April just wanted to make an important announcement: Eddie Kaspbrak, Ben Hanscom, Stan Uris, and Mike Hanlon are all Autistic!! They all take turns listening to each other infodump (Mike being willing to put his fear of birds to the side to listen to Stan) and share stims 

You adhd/ autism post fascinated me could you explain a bit more why you think Sam is autistic and would you class him as a “high functioning” one

Omg um thank you??? I almost forgot about that post ngl haha

Personally I don’t like to think of autism has high and low functioning; though I do understand why people might use those terms. It helps distinguish (in a more professional sense) who might need a little more urgent help to live comfortably. I like to think of it more as a colour wheel so to speak. Some autistic people can handle more input than others but that doesn’t mean they don’t still struggle. That and high function usually just means the person is better at masking their symptoms haha. Many autistic people actually don’t like the labels low and high functioning, but it really comes down to who you ask.

I have many neurodivergent friends, and my mother works closely with many people who on disability because to their autism. My brother also had adhd himself (and I have my suspicions that I have it too lol). So I’m constantly surrounded by them and I guess I just picked up a vibe from Sam? He reminds me of a lot of my friends who masked their symptoms throughout majority of their childhood and didn’t get diagnosed until older because of it.

Sam much like Steve has a strong moral compass. In fact, he’s very stubborn and blunt, but he covers it up with snark and dry humour much like Bucky; plus half his jokes are more for him than anyone else and I know so many autistic people who do this, it’s hilarious. (I should state though that PTSD and Autism have a surprising amount of overlap, but it’s up for debate whether or not that’s because a lot of autistic children are traumatised due to the world not being designed for them. So what I interrupt as Sam’s autism could simply be symptoms of how his PTSD affects his day to day). It’s no surprise that his special interest would be flying, or even just aircrafts/mechanics in general. He pursues flight majority of his life and when he can’t, he’s off tinkering with Redwing, the boat, constantly fixing things — literally and figuratively. I think he’s also got a bit of Oldest Sibling syndrome so that probably adds to how he acts.

Sam is also shown to have a fairly strict schedule before Steve enters his life. He jogs, he works, with how many radios he had around his house and wine corks, I wouldn’t be surprised if after he was dismissed from flying he picked a new interest in wine to fill the hole, but he kept tabs on his wings. Even after probably a year at least, he didn’t forget about his passion for flying.

Sam is also what I call the “master masker”. Man hides so much inside canonically, that I can completely see him burning out alone and picking himself up after and forcing himself forward regardless. Also him being autistic and black, he would have had to learn the social cues for protection regardless if he understood them. It’s a sad truth for many black kids that they have to grow up quickly to survive, and that especially includes the ones with autism.

I like to think that he allows himself to take the mask off slowly with Bucky when Bucky sees how much it overwhelms Sam though. Slowly but surely, I can see Sam learning to seperate himself from the mask and instead using it as a MASK and NOT an identity.

And just for shits and giggles; that whole “Sam just doesn’t share” comment from Bucky? Absolutely Bucky teasing him for being stubborn about his trinkets and how things go around the house. You don’t wash the dishes in sections like he does? He will complain for hours even if they are all clean anyway 😂 Bucky would pet Sam’s head, going down the side and around the ear, while cuddling and Sam would just go “ew no, don’t stroke it that way wtf, you’re doing it wrong, no I refuse to cuddle”. Straight up kicks the man off the couch and pets himself until it feels right again.

I’m rambling because it’s like 2am and I’m excited to talk about it, but honestly the question got away from me because I have so many headcanons to go along with autistic!Sam but I think the only solid answer I can give is; he’s got some traits in canon, but it’s mostly a vibe. I adore that vibe because it reminds me of many neurodivergent people in my life that I love, so I just smacked the label on him and went “Ah, yes, this tickles that spot in my brain”.

💫Moreid Masterlist

GIF by @criminalmindsvibez​

Hurt/Comfort or Angst with a Happy Ending

🌊Still Left With the River

Derek wakes up to find his boyfriend crying on the sofa. Cue the hurt, the comfort, and the fluff.

1.6k, hurt/comfort, fluff, caretaker!derek, autistic spencer, crying, sad spencer

🌳Trees and Seas Have Flown Away, I Call it Loving You

Derek says something hurtful, but it happens to lead to just about the best thing that’s ever happened to Spencer.

3.2k, hurt/comfort, fluff, angst, fighting/making up, angst with a happy ending, autistic spencer, coming out, getting together

🍓A Chronicle of Loss

5 people Spencer Reid lost and 1 person he gained. A look at the traumas Spencer faces over the series, and giving him the happy ending he deserves.

3.6k, grief, loss, abandonment issues, insecurity, depression, hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending, getting together, ‘didn’t know they were dating’, protective derek, autistic spencer

🍯Honeysuckle

The BAU decide to head out for a picnic one summer afternoon, but they’re soon rudely interrupted by a bee sting and anaphylactic shock. Seeing Spencer carted off in an ambulance is not exactly how they expected the day to go.

2.3k, whump, angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, hurt spencer, friendship, medical conditions, severe allergic reactions

🌙The Noiseless Crash of Crumbling Walls

After Derek and Spencer are paired up on a science project in their senior year of high school, they become the closest, most unlikely friends possible. But what happens when Derek finally finds out what Spencer's dealing with at home? Inspired by the prompt “where did you get those bruises?”

4.5k, high school au, hurt/comfort, fluff, angst, hurt spencer, protective derek, abuse, friendship, pre-slash, spencer just turned 16, derek is almost 18

🔥The Insistent Burn of a Falling Heart  - part two

Derek is hopelessly in love with his childhood best friend, and he can't even escape him at home, since they're living together while they study at Cal Tech. He's resigned himself to a miserable, Spencer-less fate until lasagne, bad memories, and a whole lot of crying bring the real truth out into the open.

4.2k, hurt!spencer, fluff, angst with a happy ending, mutual pining, getting together, college au, first kiss, misunderstandings 

💔let him be soft (and let him be mine) part one // part two

After Derek pulls another self-sacrificing stunt at the culmination of their most recent case, Spencer runs out of their apartment as he desperately grapples with how it makes him feel. (Collab with @criminalmindsvibez​! You can find her complimentary edit here.)

2.4k, hurt/comfort, crying, abandonment issues, injured!derek, hurt!spencer, miscommunication, angst with a happy ending, fluff, protective!derek

🪦how the cold numbs everything but grief

Six days after Emily dies, Spencer finds himself soaked in freezing water, catatonic on the bathroom floor. Only Derek can ease the roaring, burning, demanding agony of this grief.

1.2k, grief/mourning, emily’s ‘death’ in season six, hurt!spencer, hurt!derek, hurt/comfort, angst with a hopeful ending (serious tw for grief here)

✨storm-darkened or starry bright 

Spencer contracts HIV. It all falls apart after that.

6.5k, angst, illness, hurt!spencer, hurt/comfort, worried derek, depression, mutual pining, getting together, angst w a happy ending

⛈this heavy humanness

Spencer leaves the oven on overnight, and Derek - whose pent-up emotions get the best of him - loses it, exposing secrets neither of them expected to be spilled, for two very different reasons. They get there in the end.

3.9k, est. rel., past abuse, arguing & making up, hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending, miscommunication hurt spencer

💤I turn and reach for you

Three months after Hankel, Spencer starts getting terrible nightmares that keep him up at night. He tries desperately to keep his secret until one day when it's all too much to bear anymore. Luckily, Derek Morgan is there to hold him together as he falls apart.

2.1k, nightmares, hurt/comfort, ptsd, angst with a happy ending, fluff, literal sleeping together, getting together, post-revelations

Pure Fluff

🌒when I fall asleep (it is your eyes that I close)

Spencer’s not been sleeping, and as much as Derek adores his sleepy clinginess and physical affection, as soon as they get home he’s determined to get to the bottom of it.

1.9k, fluff, hurt/comfort, sleep-deprivation, clingy!spencer, physical affection, anxiety, cuddling

🎄A Christmas Like This

Spencer has a very specific plan for their first Christmas in their new house, and it has to be absolutely perfect. Derek’s going to do everything in his power to make his boyfriend as happy as possible, even if that means a house covered in garlands and a tree covered in animal skeletons…

2.9k, fluff, christmas fic, est relationship, neurodivergence, romance, domesticity, day in the life

💍my heart talks about nothing but you

Derek finds Spencer staring longingly at dancing newlyweds while on a case and once he gets to the bottom of why he’s tasked with making a proposal to a man who knows it’s coming special somehow. (He pulls it off.)

2.5k, established relationship, hurt/comfort, minor angst, fluff, relationship discussions, proposal, protective derek

✨I told the stars about you - part two

Derek and Spencer have their first date. They dance to Frank Sinatra and cuddle in an ice cream parlour, before kissing the hell out of each other at Spencer's front door. That's pretty much it. (Prequel to above fic.)

2.1k, first date, first kiss, pure tooth-rotting fluff, dancing, flirting, protective derek

🎂I can’t hold enough of you in my hands - part three

Derek and Spencer are finally getting married and the rest of the BAU are there to help them through every step of the day. Including a little surprise that Derek has up his sleeve for their first dance. (Third part to the above two fics.)

3.1k, tooth-rotting fluff, marriage/wedding day, team as family, team dynamics, domesticity, paternal hotch, maternal alex, just a whole lotta love man

🔪Shovel Talk

Hotch and Emily find out about Derek's relationship with Spencer and decide it's time for a chat.

1.5k, fluff, humour, est. rel., protective!derek, emily, and hotch, relationship reveal, mentions of past hurt spencer

📚I’ll (Never) Know What It’s Like Not to Love You

Spencer finds his old journals in the attic, and he and Derek reminisce on the days they used to pine for one another. Luckily, those days are over, and they have forever ahead of them.

1.3k, tooth-rotting domestic fluff, past mutual pining, past hurt!spencer, cuddling & snuggling, late canon

Getting Together

🌨Even More Beautiful

The BAU is stuck in Michigan with no case and no way home, so naturally, Spencer and Derek confess their love for one another. (Based on the prompt ‘You look even more beautiful covered in snow.’)

3.5k, fluff, love confessions, shy spencer, insecurity, hurt/comfort

🎧Hear it in the Silence

A short, fluffy chronicle of Spencer realising in increments how in love with Derek he is, and navigating a real, beautifully sweet relationship that's not always smooth sailing, especially since he's been hurt before. (Based on Taylor Swift’s You are in Love.)

3.7k, angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, dev relationship, tw past abuse, domesticity

🎅🏼Secret Santa

Penelope rigs the BAU’s Secret Santa game to finally get Derek and Spencer together with extraordinary success, and they have her to thank for their future first date. Oh, and a sprig of mistletoe nearly throws the whole thing out the window.

2.8k, fluff, getting together, insecurity/anxiety, christmas fic, first kiss, misunderstandings, friendship

🌳The One Constant

Derek wakes up after having his appendix removed with temporary amnesia from the anesthesia, and Spencer certainly isn't prepared for the man he's pined after for four years to a) not recognise him, and b) start flirting with him. It all works out in the end, with a little help from Hotch.

4k, hurt/comfort, fluff, mutual pining, insecure spencer, flirting, getting together, misunderstandings, first kiss

☕️i’ll retire my bones to make you tea and read you poetry

Derek doesn't exactly expect to invite a sleepy Spencer over for a movie night after a case, but his blinding smile in response makes him happy he did. The kiss they share the next morning makes him even happier.

3.6k, fluff, getting together, cuddling, insecure!spencer, pet names, mutual pining, light hurt/comfort, first kiss, love confessions

Embarrassed!Spencer Drabble

A misunderstanding at a BAU get together has Spencer embarrassed and a long-awaited kiss finally happening.

1.2k, fluff, angst, getting together, first kiss

AU

📚100

Spencer's an academic researcher who spends every morning at his local library. Derek just happens to drop by one Tuesday and ask the pretty boy in the classics section if he can help him find a book. Sparks fly.

2.1k, library au, fluff, meet-cute, pining, shy spencer, coming out

💣Mayhem

Imagine that scene in S4E1 when Derek is driving the ambulance loaded with a bomb about to explode, except it’s Spencer on the other end of the phone and they finally get their shit together.

4.2k, canon divergence, spencer is the tech analyst, getting together, mutual pining, insecure spencer, angst with a happy ending, fluff, declarations of love

🧑🏻‍🦽 dry me off and hold me close

Derek has finally relented and is bringing his boyfriend Spencer to meet the rest of the team. That means, though, he has to finally tell them about his boyfriend's disability. Terrified that they'll react badly, he puts it off until he can't anymore. Turns out he was worried for nothing

5.7k, so much fluff, protective derek, disabled spencer, caretaker derek, spencer is not in the bau, team as family, hurt/comfort, light angst, est. rel, chronic illness, slice of life: disabled edition

💐I’ll bloom for you (while my heart still cries)

(Based on the age-old tumblr prompt) "Sometimes I steal flowers from your garden on my way to the cemetery and today you've caught me and insisted on coming with me to make sure the 'girl is pretty enough to warrant flower theft' and I'm trying to figure out how to break it to you that we're on our way to a graveyard."

3.7k, fluff, meet-cute, au: student spencer, fbi agent derek, hacker penelope, grief & mourning, shy spencer, getting together, mutual pining

🌖This Gravitational Pull

Penelope Garcia sets her two best friends Derek & Spencer up on a blind first date. Even with the best intentions and highest expectations, no-one could've predicted it would go quite this well.

2.9k, fluff, first date, au: diff first meeting, shy spencer, insecurity, anxiety, flirting, cuddling, protective derek, silly amounts of affection

Heads up that I will be posting a Dad!Spencer fic (The Prodigy Path) tomorrow at 5PM EST. 

Now it’s time for super late Anon Answers!

(thank you so much for your patience)

1. Hi friend! Welcome! I’m so happy you’re here ☺️ I never really close my requests because I find that closing them doesn’t really stop people from sending them, anyway. That being said, please read my Requesting Guidelines before requesting anything. They are also linked in my Masterlist and Bio in case you lose this post.

I look forward to hearing your ideas!

2. This is too complicated of a question! I usually envision Post-Show Spencer when I write because I am one of those people who struggles to change canon events, BUT - I do genuinely love early seasons Reid. If I had to pick my top seasons, I’d say 2, 5, 7, and 12 (in no specific order). I really do love all of his character, though.

3. You’re my favorite. Thank you to everyone who sent me a star! It made my day 🥰 This is also an excuse for everyone to send their favorite blog the same message.

4. Awwwe thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed Play Dates! Also, do not ever worried about me being too good for you. I am a literal fucking worm and I appreciate that anyone is willing to talk to me at all. I often forget that things I say are being broadcast to thousands of people and I would prefer to not think about it 😂

As for the line I’m referencing, it’s up for interpretation. I don’t remember the exact context because I hate that arc and usually skip it, but it is essentially when Spencer is talking to Alex and he confides in her about the last message Maeve gave him. Some people have speculated that Alex’s response (something along the lines of “She used Merton to say goodbye”) was her way of sympathizing with Spencer about Maeve planning leaving him. In the very least, we know that Spencer was worried about her leaving him, which means that he was insecure enough in their relationship that it was a possibility.

Of course, we find out that Maeve didn’t necessarily want to leave him, but was forced into hiding. But I see where some people get that idea. After all, she clearly had no problems with dumping her fiance. Girlfriend barely even cried when he was murdered in front of her. Whack. That part always confused the shit out of me. Why wouldn’t she say she was engaged? Why did they break up? Why did she think this would end any differently? Why was she willing to risk Spencer’s life, but not his? He seemed like a solid dude. I felt so bad for him.

Also - ayyye! Shoutout to my fellow disabled people! You are the best and I hope you feel loved today.

5. Honestly. I’m so tired of the fridged woman. So, so tired. Thanks for reading!

6. This was just too much work for me to not post for others to see! I definitely agree with everything you said, especially about the fact they consistently tell us that JJ and Reid were besties, but he has more developed relationships shown on screen with Derek, Elle, Gideon, Emily, Hotch, Alex, Kate, Luke, and Penelope. I’m also forever upset they didn’t give us Reid and Tara bonding. They have so many compatible traumatic experiences that I think they really could have been good for each other. But, sadly, we didn’t get to see it.

The two girls you described are Austin and Loker! I wasn’t a fan of Loker purely because I felt like she was written to be a stereotypical autistic person (because we can only like each other, naturally), but I also don’t think there is any real character-based reason to dislike her! She was definitely interesting in the least.

Also, don’t worry about an apology. I love reading people’s thoughts! Thank you for sharing them with me and finding my opinions interesting enough to ask in the first place. It really was fun to talk about (and as you can see above, other people enjoyed it, too)!

The dreamers? 👀

Okay so here’s hoping there isn’t a secret character limit on ask responses because Hoo Boy, I Have Lost Control Of This Ask.

Monomon

A. realistic

Monomon is super hyperempathetic--that’s part of the reason the Foggy Canyon is the way it is.  She’s surrounded by other creatures that prefer to simply exist, who are fine with being left alone, but also don’t mind if she or that odd heavy bug she adopted gives them a little pat on the way past.  That’s also the reason Quirrel is so good with a nail--Monomon could channel the powers of lightning and/or explosions that other jelly creatures seem to have, but emotionally? imagine the toll.

B. not realistic but hilarious

She has NO sense of scale whatsoever. None.  Most bugs in Hallownest measure things against their height, since a bug’s shell is rigid and generally about the same length all the time, but since Monomon is 70% jelly by volume, she tends to measure herself like a cat or a mouse would, by the amount of space she needs to fit into places.  This makes Quirrel’s life...unusual, to say the least.  She gets stuck places sometimes.

C. heart-wrenching

If she’s hyperempathetic, imagine how she fucking feels about Quirrel and the Hollow Knight. I can’t even go off on a three paragraph rant on this one it just makes me HURT.  Quirrel being sent to the Howling Cliffs for No Thoughts Crystalline Memories Empty treatment was probably her best attempt at mercy.  God. I’m never gonna be over these sad fucking bugs.

D. it’s my canon and I choose what parts of it matter

Monomon is a very, very clever conversationalist.  She knows how to talk in just such a way that you feel like you’re being heard and understood, until you suddenly realized you’ve said something aloud you really shouldn’t, and Monomon says “don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul.”

And then, of course, she tells Quirrel, because what is knowledge for if not to be shared?  The two of them could totally take down the structure of the White Palace if they were on the same page about how to go about it.

Herrah

A. realistic

This is more about Deepnest in general, but the Weavers prefer to be left to their own devices, and leave other groups of insects to theirs. I mean, look at the Weaverlings from the Weaver’s Song charm.  They’re the only companion charm that doesn’t actively target enemy bugs, they just sort of...wibble around.  And they’re a relic of the Weavers as they moved towards the heart of Deepnest.  The dangerous, heavily-trapped and hypervigilant Deepnest we see is a product of outside interference, presumably the Pale King being salty that the Weavers didn’t accept his rule.

B. not realistic but hilarious

Herrah didn’t just teach Hornet to be a persnickety little anarchist terror in the White Palace, oh no.  She tried to teach Quirrel to be a feral little gremlin too.  I mean, most of it didn’t stick, but she tried.

C. heart-wrenching

You know that one Tumblr post that’s basically “sorry, all the nice queers are gone, you killed them, so now it’s just us pissed-off cockroach motherfuckers left”?  That’s what happened to Deepnest.  What kind of peaceful or uninvolved society would need anything fucking like the Midwife or the Devouts? Well, they’re perfectly good to have around if peace is no longer an option.  Every once in a while I just lose it thinking about all the culture the Weavers probably had preserved through their tapestries, and how much of it must have gotten destroyed along the way.

Also bonus round for Sad And/Or Horrifying Implications regarding Hornet: most spiders lay hundreds or thousands of eggs at a time.  I don’t have the time to even START unpacking Hornet’s distinct lack of siblings (as in specifically not half-siblings).

D. it’s my canon and I choose what parts of it matter

slaps my little hands on the table.  Even as everything was going to shit, Vespa and Herrah were still good friends, and sent letters to each other over the Stagways.  She got to know a number of Vespa’s subjects very well, including the Hive Knight. Silksong better give us more lore on them.

Lurien

A. realistic

The Pale King loved having Lurien around because Lurien was half of TPK’s charisma.  TPK very much seems the type to get wound up in his own thoughts and image, constantly micromanaging it to get the best response from specific people. (Unrelated, but I think only the Hollow Knight knows what TPK is really like, since if TPK really did believe Hollow had no mind and no voice, why would he bother? People make that exact assumption all the time with disabled people anyways, I am sick of my peers realizing I have a disability and changing the way they act around me send tweet  This is a whole other post, maybe I’ll write it another time.)  So who better is there to have around than someone whose hobby and greatest skill is watching a situation and analyzing it?  Once the Dreamers were sealed, TPK’s public image was fucked, no doubt about it.

B. not realistic but hilarious

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned Autistic Lurien before but he is in my head, so branching off of my own experiences: this guy is the KING of Relatable Lapses Of Insight.  This man has drunk paint water before on accident.  This man has tried to sit on a stack of tablets and knocked himself over.  This man will spend three minutes explaining how light reflection works to try and convey the word he’s forgetting. (The word he’s forgetting is “mirror.”)  I care him so much.

C. heart-wrenching

I cannot overexaggerate how fucking brilliant of a meta-narrative choice the existence of Lurien’s butler is. I *cannot.*  I am perpetually in awe of how good Hollow Knight is with environmental storytelling, and how much material it leaves for people who love to dig way too far into things. 

Why do I bring this up here?  Lurien’s butler is a parallel to Hornet and Quirrel, who are, to Herrah and Monomon, their only concrete link to the present that isn’t at least partially painted over in the Pale King’s propaganda.  And he’s been Light-ridden for gods only know how long.  The popular fanon about Lurien having it bad for the Pale King always gets me thinking about this, because we have Lurien’s journal as our only source on him. A scarce few lines: his sleep is in service to King and kingdom.

I can’t help but wonder if Lurien chose those words especially deliberately, knowing they would be his last. “Though my gaze falls no longer on this city, I will act forever in its protection,” in a journal carefully hidden in a private building of the City of Tears.  Why hide something like that with so much care, unless there was something to be gleaned from it?  Well, whatever information we need to know about Lurien to contextualize anything outside of context clues and the King’s image of him would have been with someone who was loyal and trustworthy enough to watch over him. Someone who was loyal and trustworthy enough that that would be all that remained in their mind, even under the Light’s influence.

Basically, what I’m getting at here: I know for a fact there is something we don’t know about Lurien, and whatever that secret is, it died with his butler.

D. it’s my canon and I choose what parts of it matter

Lurien travels!  He is very good at making up academic or political excuses for it, but we all know why he’s really leaving the city: to paint.  He isn’t quite as skilled with natural features as the regular shapes you see in a city, but he enjoys himself so that’s what matters.

y’know what, it’s been a hot minute, so it’s time to reintroduce myself!

this blog is run by members of a system, but it’s easiest to just call us Avalon, Isle, Crow, or Enigma. we’re 19 and use he/they pronouns! if you care about who’s fronting feel free to ask, but the only affect us being a system will have will activity fluctuating.

as a general warning this blog contains WHUMP THEMES such as violence, alcohol and drug abuse, as well as mentions of child abuse and sexual trauma. anything explicit will be tagged as well as in-depth discussions. this blog also runs as an au to the canon of Homestuck and the media around it. you do not need knowledge of homestuck or its lore to interact with or follow this blog. it largely has its own lore and what isn’t made by me i am happy to explain. this blog is primarily a story/whump blog at this point. DISCLAIMER; IF YOU DONT LIKE WHUMP OR HURT AND COMFORT, DO NOT FOLLOW THIS BLOG. ANONS OR ASKS THAT DISREGARD THIS DISCLAIMER WILL BE DELETED AND I’LL PROBABLY JUST MAKE FUN OF YOU. lore, characters, and locations under the cut.

ALSO; i don’t own the concept of fae or fae trolls! i own this particular branch of lore, and if you want to create fae who exist in the lore i created youre more than welcome to if you bring it up to me! i’m not going to get mad at anyone for having similar ideas or plots unless they’re blatantly copying me

General Lore

There are twelve (main) fae courts, and twelve gods to go with them. The current ruler of the Violet Court is King Cuspim, aka Destal Likaur. Destal is a half-fae who lost most of his court as a child, and was mostly raised in the mortal world. He’s rebuilt his court consisting mostly of lowbloods who escaped from their highblood captors and now live with him. This is the story of how he rebuilds his court and helps the other courts do the same.

Main Characters

DESTAL LIKAUR; King of the Violet Court, also known as Cuspim. A young violetblood with more trauma then he cares to think about. He is known in the mortal world as a playboy and attends parties. Destal is, like all fae in this lore, autistic. He has PTSD as well DID. He is chronically ill and is running a fever more often than not. His matesprit is Vicito (Desvicito, @/ask-the-tarot-trolls), his moirails are Vorrai (I Need A Doctor) and Analit (Pocket Full Of Pansies) (combined shipname; Must Have Been The Wind). He has no kismesis and isn’t actively looking for one. He has several wrigglers in his care. May or may not be the answer to a prophecy. Trans, he/him, Biromantic Graysexual.

JOLENE SAPPHO; Destal’s head guard and best friend. She is the goddess of the gold court, Nadaia. She’s in charge of the caves security. Her matesprit and wife is Minera (Let’s Go Lesbians, @/ask-another-cringey-fantroll). She has no moirail or kismesis, but is currently flirting pitch with Andona and Medusa (@/ask-another-cringey-fantroll). Trans, She/her, Homoflexible

JORDAN RABELL; A mutant greenblood rainbowdrinker who works for Destal, also known as Mingyu. She is in charge of caretaking for wrigglers as well as the cooking around the hive. He has PTSD-induced psychosis as well as personality disorders and ADHD. She is physically disabled, having both a bad leg and a missing eye. His matesprits are Vorrai, Zurlov, Jazper, Tazyna, Spider, and others (she is open to expanding this list). Her moirails are Minera (Idiots Sharing A Braincell) and Medusa (Party Animals) (combined shipname; Party Animals Sharing A Braincell.) She is mourning the death of her kismesis, Apatra (Cold War, @/ask-another-cringey-fantroll) and is not looking for a new kismesis. Genderfluid transfem, She/he, Bisexual

VORRAI ZAQRUK; A purpleblood doctor who found Destal after an attack. He quickly became a confidant and trusted friend of the caves. He is a hesitant follower of the Mirthful Messiahs, and has some religious trauma related to the church. He is autistic, and is known to be low-empathy. He is a very compassionate person and flusters easily despite his stoic personality. His matesprits are Jordan and Zurlov. His moirail is Destal, and he flips pale and pitch for Analit. He is the auspitice for Zurlov and Minera. Nonbinary, he/him, Bisexual.

ZURLOV ARSNIC; The third oldest of The Chessmaster’s sons, Destal’s younger half-brother. He’s a purpleblood gang leader and follower of the Mirthful Messiahs. He has a history with a purple cult known as The Tenebrous Circus and is currently their main challenger. He currently lives in the caves with his siblings. He’s the adoptive older brother of Hesyci (@/ask-another-cringey-fantroll) and the adoptive father of Xurite. He is an arcane hunter, and uses this knowledge to defend the his brother and court. His matesprits are Jordan and Vorrai. He has no moirail, and isn’t actively looking. His kismesis is Minera (Dame’s Rockets And Orange Lilies) and their auspitice is Vorrai. Trans, he/him, homoflexible

EDEUAR CRAERE; A prominant fuchsia heir and Chessmaster’s second oldest son, just behind Destal. He is a socialite and is known for taking out high-profile enemies in creative ways. He’s the adoptive older brother of Hesyci. He has an adversion to touch with few exceptions, as well as PTSD. He is an arcane hunter and has used this knowledge in the past. He is Destal’s rival and current biggest enemy. His mother is Nayima, and he avoids her at all costs. His matesprit is Deshok (Doofenshmirtz Evil Inc, @/ask-another-cringey-fantroll.) He has no moirail and is lowkey looking for one. His kismesis is Farlen. Cis, he/him, Homoromantic Asexual

WESTIN CRAERE; An indigo twitch streamer and one of Chessmaster’s sons. He’s younger than Edeuar, Destal, and Zurlov. He plays games like FNaF, Among Us, and Minecraft. He also uploads streams of executing older highbloods, which tends to get him in trouble. Other videos on his grubtube channel are mostly meme comps and parkour videos. He has his own hive but tends to stay in the caves. He has a history with Nayima. He has depression, and uses his upload schedule as his way of keeping himself from spiraling. His user is “RoyalBlue”. He has no matesprit, but has a pale crush on Tobias and a pitch crush on Haliet. Trans, he/him, no preferred label.

MEEKRA SKKARM; A burgundy witch who also happens to be the descendant of Nadaia. He is partially fae, but prefers using mortal methods for magic most of the time. He has an obsession with bones and the macabre and regularly robs highbloods’ graves to get what he wants. He runs a shop out of his hive in which he does basic herbal remedies, fortune tellings, and some minor necromancy. He is Destal’s royal advisor but is constantly in trouble for doing dumb shit. His matesprit is Dollos (Infodump, @/ask-another-cringey-fantroll). His moirail is Nonika, and his kismesii are Mondes and Mariel. Gender indifferent, he/him, gay.

Minor Characters

ANDONA EGRINO; A cerulean pirate captain who works for Destal. She is in love with the sea and a siren she met. Her crew is made up primarily of women. She has battled the Chessmaster’s fleets several times and won. She’s known for her prowess with a sword and crossbow. She has no matesprit, but is in love with Arilla (@/ask-another-cringey-fantroll). She has no moirail and isn’t actively looking, and is pitch flirting with Jolene and Medusa. Cis, she/her, lesbian

HALIET KULROS; A fuchsia who is a streamer instead of an heir. They mostly do games, but are also really kind of a general influencer. They have a vlog channel and are present on most social media. They have no matesprit nor moirail, and while they don’t technically have a kismesis, they laid claim to Westin ages ago. Nonbinary, they/them, no preferred label.

TOBIAS HIRATH; A bronzeblood box boy owned by Haliet. He’s described as cute and somewhat like a puppy. He’s good at acting innocent and sweet, and is supposed to be an amnesiac. He remembers all the things his not supposed to, but finds no reason to challenge his newfound life of ease as a pampered pet. He has a pale crush on Westin and a flush crush on Haliet. Cis, he/him, bisexual.

MARIEL TRIJET; A purpleblood singer. He’s relatively popular and would like to keep it that way. He is a follower of the Mirthful Messiahs who often critizes the faith. He has a fascination with other species, especially humans. He made a connection with one and even converted her to the faith. The two are now matesprits. His matesprit is Cami. He has no moirail and isn’t really looking. His kismesii are Mondes and Meekra. Cis, he/him, bisexual.

CYRION SKKARM; A burgundy mortal with an extensive knowledge of the arcane. Meekra’s mortal parent. He was at one point in love with Xerost, before he was killed. He was brought back by a spell performed by Meekra. Trans, he/him, gay.

SASABA; A cerulean weretroll who lives in the Arcane Forest. He is part of the werepack and a talented hunter. Like most of the fae creatures, he is autistic and ADHD. They also have PTSD and a history with both Edeuar and the Chessmaster. They’re fun loving and can come across as ditzy, though there is reason to suspect their carefree nature may be a front to hide their pain and anger. Their matesprit is Gyrian, and their unofficial moirail is Sudica (@/ask-another-cringey-fantroll). He has no kismesis and isn’t currently looking. Genderless, They/he, no preferred label.

ZEPHYR; The regent ruler of the Fuchsia Court. He was the hidden son of the former queen and is actually third in line for the throne. He is the youngest sinbling and the half brother of Xerost and Minera. He is currently trying to convince Minera to take the throne, as he doesn’t want it. He is too young for quadrants. Cis, he/him, unsure.

DELVIC; A princex from the Teal Court. They’re devoted to their court and the teal god Quizot. They’re often sick from heartbreak, though they’ve learned to push through it. They are betrothed to Prince Kelier and is very good at hiding their resistance to the marriage. Their favorite tea is hibiscus. They are autistic as well as having chronic broken heart syndrome. Their moirail and betrothed partner is Kelier. They have are in love with Celest (@/ask-another-cringey-fantroll). They have no kismesis and isn’t actively looking for one. Nonbinary, they/them, bisexual.

KELIER; A prince from the cerulean court. He’s mischievous and devoted to the cerulean god, Tumult. He is protective of his moirail, Delvic. He is always up to date on gossip and is known for being eccentric, even by fae standards. Like all fae, he is autistic. He is a minor kleptomaniac. He is deeply in love with Delvic, but understands that Delvic doesn’t return the feeling and will do anything to help them be with the girl the love. He has a pitch crush on Azulim. Cis, he/him, bisexual.

AZULIM; A prince from the Purple Court. He is bigger than most fae and has a reputation for being somewhat tactless and self-absorbed. He is in an unhealthy pale relationship though, without any real friends to discuss it with, he is left without really being aware of it. His moirail, Princess Sozira, has a tendency of taking advantage of him. He’s autistic and at high risk for broken heart syndrome. He was formerly betrothed to Destal and was once his best friend. He is betrothed to and was at one point in love with Celest. His moirail is Sozira, and he has pitch interest in Kelier. Cis, he/him, bisexual.

THE WRIGGLER GANG; A group of children including Quincy Byllon, Parton Sappho, and others. They were gotten in a multitude of ways- rescued from highbloods (Quincy and Krulat), adopted (Xurite), given by anons (Rowwan, Lorcan, Parton, etc), or gotten from the arcane caverns (Aziane, Vexien, etc). Quincy formed a gang which included most of the wrigglers. They are mentioned fairly often.

PYROES; The former king of the Violet Coven. His loyalty has been called into question multiple times, but he seems to have finally settled with being on Destal’s side. He no longer lives in the Coven, as he was exiled by his daughter, the current queen. He lives on the edge of the Arcane Forest. His other child is the current leader of he werepack. Cis, he/him, gay.

LAVIDA LIKAUR; Destal’s mother, the former queen of the Violet Court. She was believed dead until recently and returned to support her son. She is kind and motherly, and takes on that role for everyone around her. Like a mother though, she’s not to be crossed. Hurt her children, and face the consequences. She is the adoptive mother of Ardite (@/ask-another-cringey-fantroll) and adopted Destal’s half brothers Zurlov and Westin, as well as their adoptive sister Hesyci.

NAYIMA TEICED; A fuchsia woman often referred to as “The Socialite Queen.” She attends parties and is a well known figure in highblood society. She is also the mother of Edeuar Craere and has a history with Westin and Destal. She claimed to help people with mental illness, but did more harm than good. Her “help” very nearly killed Destal. Cis, she/her, heterosexual

YEAGER HONDRIS; A former part of the local church who left to form his own. He is a devout follower of both the Mirthful Messiahs and The Signless. He runs a Church of The Signless. He keeps a close relationship with Zurlov, Mariel, Vorrai, and Medusa, though he’s made it clear he will never return to the church. Nonbinary, he/him, aroace.

CIRCUS KING; The leader of the Tenebrous Circus. He defected from the church at a young age and declared himself “the one true messiah.” Zurlov’s half brother and former friend. His quadrants, if he has any, are unknown. Controls his cult with fear and mind control, speaks only through The Vessels. Gender unknown, he/him(?), sexuality unknown.

THE VESSELS; Two of Circus King’s cult members, known as Showgirl and Ringmaster. Ringmaster runs things for Circus King and often wears a crown. Showgirl is a performer with a talent for drawing people in. There is some rumor that the two once tried to escape, and their high status is a prison to keep them from running again. Ringmaster is trans, and uses he/him. Showgirl is also trans as uses she/her. Their sexualities are currently unknown.

Former Characters

XEROST JYERIN; A fuchsia half-fae prince who lived in the mortal world. He was exiled from the fuchsia court for knowing of his mother, the late queen’s crimes. He is also the older half brother of Minera and Zephyr. He is Meekra’s father and the former captor of Jordan, Quincy, and Krulat. He was known for driving his victims to suicide. He at one point plotted to kill the Time Dragon, but was killed by his kismesis after he killed his kismesis’s matesprit’s. His kismesis was Fuuror (@/ask-another-cringey-fantroll). His moirail was Pennoe, and his former matesprit was Cyrion. Cis, he/him, gay.

ARVARI CREARE; A fuchsia known as The Chessmaster. He’s a manwhore who had way too many kids. He killed the majority of the Violet Court, leaving his son Destal and his former lover Lavida alive. He collected arcane creatures and was the king of the arcane black market. He also sold rare mutants to highbloods. While he isn’t yet dead, he is suffering at the hand of his son, Westin. He has no matesprit or moirail. His kismesis is Nayima.

THE BANISHER; Once a part of the local church, he was culled by His Holy Hilarity for making an attempt on Zurlov’s life. He was meant to be essentially an exorcist as well as expelling heretics from the church, though he abused his power and chased out Zurlov, Vorrai, Mariel, and Yeager, as well as others. He had a fling with the Chessmaster and helped in the creation of The Tenebrous Circus. He is the father of both Circus King and Zurlov.

Locations

THE CHURCH; A purpleblood church who’s priest is His Holy Hilarity (@/ask-another-cringey-fantroll)

THE CAVES; Old arcane caves that once housed the Violet Court. Here is where Destal and his new court live. It’s in a cliff overlooking the bay, and opens up at the top to the Arcane Forest, and at the bottom to the Gateway Garden.

ARCANE FOREST; Where the fae creatures under the rule of the Violet Court live. The major groups are the mertrolls, the werepack, the coven, and the herd. It’s seperated from Alternia by a wall of thorns. On one of the thinner barriers is Meekra’s cottage. It’s much bigger than most expect, roughly the size of real world Ireland. It includes multiple towns and cities that are ruled by smaller local governments.

THE HAUNTED TOWN; A fae town within the borders of the Arcane Forest. It’s a day’s trip through mortal alternia, though only about 3 hours through the Arcane Forest. Jordan once took shelter here. Its run by a pack of wereheynas. While it’s mostly supernatural creatures living here, a decent amount of mortals live there as well. Similar vibe as Gravity Falls.

MEEKRA’S COTTAGE; The home of Meekra, Cyrion, and Oliver. The front of the lower floor is a shop, while the back and upstairs area is living space. There’s a garden where Meekra grows vegetables and herbs, as well as fruit trees growing around the area.

ZURLOV’S BASE; The Alternian equivalent of Chernobyl- an abandoned town surrounding a lab. Zurlov and his gang have taken it over, and now many of them live there. Any walls not covered in plants are covered in paint.

EDEUAR’S HIVE; A castle-like hive where Edeuar spends most of his time.

CHESSMASTER’S BASE; An old complex with numerous rooms. The Chessmaster’s staff, now Edeuar’s staff, lives there. It wasn’t built for a fuchsia.

L’ESCOPHY; The world between worlds. Where the fae creatures live. It’s vast and at least as big as Alternia. It connects easiest with Alternia and Earth, though it can connect to any time or place. It has many names- The Garden, The Aether, The Astral Realm, etc. The other courts are set here.

Hello! List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the ask box for the last 10 people who reblogged something from you! Learn to know your mutual and followers! :3 (don't need to do it if you don't want to)

1. Neurotransmitters working correctly. I can't make my own so I use store bought, it's fine.

2. Cats. My cats. All cats. Kittens. I need a box of kittens, stat.

3. Fanfiction. Ninja Turtles fanfiction. Mikey fanfiction. Mikey angst fanfiction that gives him ADHD and psychic empathy and real emotional intelligence with epic wisdom. I've been doing this for thirty years don't make me stop now, it's how I cope. I love my sunshine child.

4. Chocolate. Preferably just plain milk or dark. Do you have any?

5. Being loved and loving in return. Hugs, give me hugs. It's dopamine, I crave it. Yes, I'm one of those autistics who loves hugs, big tight hugs that can soothe my ADHD crow brain because I get to focus on the shiny that is you rather than the shiny that is oh shit is that the depression shadow monster lurking back there.

-

I don't know who to tag but they're probably other people in the TMNT fandom. I dunno.

This fandom makes me happy. It's not toxic like some people assume, it never was, not in the thirty years I've been involved. It just occasionally has some folks who get brought in by newer iterations who start bullying thus spreading toxicity a little, usually over headcanons where the characters represent marginalized identities, which doesn't make any sense because these characters aren't even human and are animal based mutants specifically turtles which let's face it will do all sorts of bizarre things and don't need to be compared to humans who naturally fuck up each other just because someone doesn't look or behave certain ways.

I prefer corvids. And felines. And vulpines. My first real online fanfic OC* was a mutated calico cat human with my own disabilities and orientations and I made her into Mikey's best friend and then surprise lover and then surprise polyamory, because my writerbrain is Like That a lot.

I have a new OC who is a fennec fox humanoid mutant again same hat as the other and I wish I could eat strawberries all day and bounce around and nibble a person's hand to show I love them. I nibble my own hand when I'm anxious, but I'm autistic ADHD and that's stimming and it's my hand though. Oh, and a human OC, same hat, for another AU. Which reminds me that AU fics are Alternate Universe headcanons and not canon thus why the heckity hells do people threaten each other anyway, it's fantasy and we don't own it, we just play pretend and share it with each other in the hopes that we're not alone in wanting to commiserate all these nifty ideas and theories and squee when we connect and curl up when we get scolded; and the very fact that we get threatened because we have shared fiction ideas that will never work out in the real world is a sad fact I still can't wrap my head around, you would think after my literal twenty years on internet platforms I would understand everything but nah. Even the various official creators and different creators coming from fandom into franchise had the same thoughts and I remember the conversations where they said how confused they were too at fans trying to hurt each other, nobody took it so seriously. So I guess what makes me happy is seeing fans open up to each other, make creative content that resonates, rising above bullying that comes from the bullies' own fear and revulsion and hatred and conflation of ideas that shouldn't be the same but they're probably sheltered and naive anyway so I don't hate back, I was sheltered too and I'm still naive. And it's funny and weird how I easily lose working memory yet random long term storage memories keep surfacing. What makes me happy is that I still have a whole mind, full of stuff, brain all wrinkly with knowledge which makes me think of Jason from The Good Place talking about how smooth brains don't have much knowledge or information, and there goes my crow brain again, I really think I want to nickname ADHD and change it to Cognitive Attentive Tempo Syndrome, I have CATS in my brain, my brain is a Kinetic Cognitive Style room full of cats and there's toys everywhere.

I'm happy my disabled body is still standing and moving after forty years since my birth at 26 weeks back when nobody knew anything, and in a couple of months it'll be 41, and there will be even more information and education and I want to be a test subject, an example, of living fairly well past the life expectancy that they used to assume for cerebral palsy and for autism and for ADHD all separate so imagine it all at once, and the neoteny that comes with each, plus now EDS, and wow I'm giving myself so much serotonin just thinking all this, because there's also major depressive disorder that hell might be cyclothymia I dunno I'll talk to my doctors, and then there's temporal lobe epilepsy that a lot of people just die from at all ages, and I've become such an advocate and activist and alive and forever pro choice and autonomy, and my parents still adore the hell out of each other and me, and I'm teaching them through my advocacy just as they taught me, and I don't think I could ever do public speaking but maybe in a nursing college, a disability advocate speaker? Because there is always everything to learn and relearn and discover and uncover and it's important to be able to change our minds and our thinking and our habits and our coping strategies and our understanding of how things work because nothing is static everything progresses, even cerebral palsy which is surprisingly a thing that while static and progressive still leads to changing neurobiological and neuromuscular updates via neuroplasticity, my physical therapist calls me unique among all his patients, a Variable when there shouldn't be, and it makes me happy that we are discovering things about my neuropsychology and musculoskeletal system that nobody ever considered, and I want to be around to see medical science make all sorts of conclusions that could help others like me.

What makes me happy is learning, connecting, passing on knowledge, being cautiously optimistic in this nihilistic sense of how everything matters in the nothingness where nothing matters intrinsically but each small thing matters on the surface, extrinsic, how it is seen and felt and considered. People forget what existential nihilism supposed to mean. I may not matter in the totality, but I matter in the little bits that count for others like me, and that makes me happy.

I've been thinking up an AU where all the mains on the Flash are disabled and use aids and/or adaptive tech. Y'know, out of spite.

This concept is wonderful! Here’s my take on it - with headcanons for each character’s impairments and the assistive tech they use. (I got @stungunmilly2′s approval to do this, since it was their idea!) I’ve gone with canon-divergent or canon-relevant impairments for a lot of them - you could go WAY more diverse with disability types than this… but you know canon-friendly me.

Barry Allen - still mobility-impaired after his injury from Zoom. Even a speedster’s spine doesn’t fully heal from something like that (as Caitlin hinted in canon that it might not). For a year, he used a wheelchair. Now the injury causes him chronic pain, and he has to walk with a cane whenever he’s not tapping into the speed force. Even when he is, every second of running still hurts. He uses a wheelchair when he’s overdone it with the running - which is a lot. Oh, and he also has ADHD.

Iris West-Allen - is now visually impaired, due to a meta attack. She regularly reminds ableist bastards that “I’m not Daredevil” and that her other senses have not magically got stronger to ‘compensate’. She uses a white cane that Cisco’s rigged to give her complex tactile signals in advance of oncoming barriers or dangers. It took a long time for her to learn to use it, though, and there were many frustrations. She took them in stride because she’s Iris fucking West-Allen, but she still struggles, even if she’s not always good at talking about it. She co-runs Team Flash with Cisco now, since he’s often grounded by migraines. They’re both in Barry’s ear, with Cisco watching and Iris leading on strategy.

Cisco Ramon - has the migraines they’ve alluded to in canon (gets them at least weekly), plus other neurological damage caused by the use of his powers. He’s designed a machine he can sit in, for a couple of hours a week, that regenerates some of his neurology and takes the edge off (if he remembers to use it regularly) and allows him to continue to use his powers sometimes. He can’t be cured, though. Is a proud spoonie. Has a ‘chronic pain very gentle high five’ he does with Barry. He still goes out in the field as Vibe from time to time, but only when they really need him. He’s mostly busy coordinating with Iris now.

Hartley Rathaway - is Deaf (and an American Sign Language user). He’s a consultant to the team. Communicating with him is not easy, because most of them don’t know ASL. They’re all learning, but that takes a long time. Barry knows decent ASL because he has a Deaf cousin, but even he struggles with simultaneous translation, which is very challenging. Hartley doesn’t use hearing aids, these days - even the ones he’s designed himself bring many problems with them. Plus he’s an advocate of Deaf culture and just prefers not to use them. He uses a lightning-fast speech-to-text device that he designed himself, which produces spoken English. But he prefers not to, because “I don’t have to spend my life adapting to your language and culture, assholes - it’s way easier for you to adapt to mine. And you should, because Deaf culture is awesome. Also, multiple languages are the future. Learn some.” (Hartley is here because he’s my favourite sort-of disabled DC character, so there.)

Caitlin Snow - everyone in Team Flash would take seriously that she experiences DID and other mental health problems. (”Just because some of it was triggered by an evil science experiment, doesn’t make it any less neurodivergence,” is Caitlin’s statement on the matter.) They all also recognise that Killer Frost nonetheless has the right to be treated with respect, as an alter within the Caitlin-Frost system. Caitlin’s mix of mental health problems often come with a lot of fatigue, and she gets peopled-out. Barry and Cisco arranged a quiet room for her in the basement of STAR Labs - she goes there to sleep or meditate. Sometimes Hartley and Barry use it too. Every so often, someone will wander down to find all three of them asleep on the sofa. 

Harry Wells (e-2) - has PTSD. It was at his insistence that they established the STAR Labs trauma support group. As Caitlin puts it, “Given everything we’ve been through, is there a superhero among us who doesn’t have PTSD?” - and she’s not kidding. (Oliver Queen was the first non-Team Flash person to attend the group.)

Nora West-Allen - has ADHD and an autistic spectrum condition. She has a lot of meltdowns. A week after she joins the team, Cisco hands her a copy of the key to the STAR Labs quiet room and says, “You know, it might be time to set up a second one.” She grabs the key and says, “Oh, awesome! I’ve been hiding out in the time vault!” Cisco shudders loudly as he walks away…

Ralph Dibny - has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (connective tissue disorder that can make people… well, stretchy, but also brings a lot of other impairments.)* Dark matter may have made him even stretchier, but it didn’t take away his chronic pain or joint dislocations. Cisco designed him personalised splints (which hold his joints in place) and highly-engineered fibreglass crutches, on request. (Cisco may grumble about having to design assistive tech for everyone at STAR Labs, but he loves it really.) 

The people from the other teams: 

Felicity Smoak, who has used a wheelchair ever since her spinal cord injury, loves how accessible STAR Labs is. She visits often, wheeling in under the computer desk and logging on as Overwatch, especially when Cisco’s out in the field and Iris needs strategy team backup. “I’m the woman in the chair!” she says, and everyone pretends she’s never made that joke before. 

Oliver Queen hovers around STAR Labs like a shadow when he needs a support group meeting, and he never has to ask for it - most of Team Flash is suddenly available and interested, whenever he looks like he needs one. 

Curtis Holt often joins him, cheerfully reminding Barry and Nora to come along, and that neurodivergent people like them (and him) need to watch their mental health, especially under a lot of stress. 

Sara Lance (PTSD, bipolar) joins when she can. Each time she brings a different skeptical-looking Waverider crew member in tow. 

Speaking of the Waverider, it’s well-known as a haven for neurodivergent and disabled superheroes, who all love STAR Labs for its disability-positive atmosphere. Mick Rory is currently lobbying Sara Lance for a quiet room on the Waverider. He says it’s for Ray Palmer… Nate Heywood pops in to discuss haemophilia treatment options sometimes, since Gideon likes to try and persuade him to let her ‘cure’ him, and he thinks that sounds awful.

John Diggle is at the Labs a lot, too. He never recovered from his nerve damage, and Cisco and Caitlin put their heads together to develop an advanced treatment for chronic pain, delivered via an implant that needs regular maintaining by Caitlin. Barry and Cisco are always really encouraging and supportive about how you can still be a superhero in the field with chronic pain.

On occasion, Kara Danvers has even travelled from another universe just to hang out at the disability-positive STAR Labs. She hasn’t told many people on her earth that she has a sensory processing disorder (she can hear everything) and experiences long-term depression. She, Barry and Iris have had a lot of chats about workplace discrimination. Kara says she has two workplaces where she has to pretend to be a superhero – “even the one where I’m not officially one” – and never show any weakness or non-normalcy. “It could be catastrophic for people to lose faith in Supergirl, but it wouldn’t be much better for Kara Danvers if her bosses did.” Iris totally gets that, as a disabled woman - and she tells Kara about her different, specific experiences as a disabled woman of colour. And then the team all take Kara out for drinks in the more accessible parts of Central City. They all know the neurodivergent-friendly bars, and they don’t blink when she puts on very high-tech noise-cancelling headphones. (”Yeah,” Cisco sighs, “those are my designs, too.” And then Ray Palmer turns around to ask him what ideas he’s got for assistive tech for visual sensory overload and visual stress…)

*Credit for the Dibny headcanon goes to @bold-sartorial-statement. I wouldn’t love sharing an impairment with him, but it does make sense! She also reminded me that Cisco has been shown with migraines in canon. Thanks :)

Tagging people who might like… @pinkletterday @yesokayiknow @hiverforesteevee @arodrwho @wintertruffles @jewishgarygreen @zariadriannatomaz @lacommunarde @terrayoung …I know I will have forgotten someone - sorry! 

Please tell me more about Autistic Syd, I thought I was the only one who had this head canon, I just can't place why I do

Hi!! I need to make more Syd gifs but for now, this one works for everything Syd related tbh because I love it.

Okay, I guess this is my excuse to finally write a meta for Syd. :) First off, all of this rambling about my headcanons for them has to come with the giant warning that because we don’t have a ton of information about Syd except through their relationship with Elena, I’m well aware that this is conjecture and hunches and I can’t always point to specific aha! evidence as to why I interpret them the way I do. In some cases it really is as simple and as complicated as ‘I’m on the spectrum and this thing feels like me, ergo Syd seems Autistic too but you won’t exactly find the thing in the diagnostic criteria.’

Okay, so what do we know about Syd? They’re big into social justice, nerdy fandom, and Elena. They’re also not super good at reading nuanced or complicated social cues, a potential Autistic clue. A lot of what we see between them and Elena when conflict arises is that they either expect Elena to know what they mean even when they’re not expressing it very clearly (Benihana’s), or they misunderstand Elena’s behavior and from it draw the wrong conclusion (the cookie, the lockdown). Now, granted, miscommunication happens to neurotypical people too…but it’s definitely an Autistic flag for me, especially when you can see it in Syd compared to Elena, who is also a social justice and fandom nerd, but who trips herself up in other ways (usually anxiety and inexperience).

What about social norms more broadly? We know that Syd is homeschooled, though we don’t know why. It could be their parents’ choice for all kinds of reasons, or it could have been decided that homeschooling would be the best way to educate Syd and/or their brother for reasons having to do with the kids. We don’t know, because we know nothing really about their home life. Either way, Syd is a loveable weirdo but capable of getting along with others, including new people. They may approach socializing in an unconventional way (see Alex and the zombie video), but they clearly make online friends well enough and seem fairly comfortable among groups of people (like Elena’s family).

It’s impossible to tell whether their quirkiness makes homeschooling a good fit for them, or if being homeschooled helped make them quirky. But I’m not willing to rule out the possibility that Syd’s parents chose homeschooling to support their Autistic needs and sensitivities while they were growing up. The reality is, older Autistic kids aren’t always the media cliches you see of people who rock in a corner and don’t respond to others. Everyone’s different, and a lot of us develop strategies to pass as somewhat neurotypical, or as close as we can manage…and especially those of us assigned female at birth (which it seems like Syd was) who are less commonly diagnosed than Autistic boys, we can get really good at it. I spent my entire school career being considered a freak–overenthusiastic, incapable of controlling my emotions and thoughts, different from everyone else in a thousand tiny ways that nobody could have pinpointed but everybody recognized–but nobody ever thought I might be developmentally disabled. I navigated things well enough that I was just ‘weird.’ With a caring and supportive home environment that also doubled as school, Syd might have reached the same place by the time they were sixteen.

Also, while Syd is comfortable around Elena’s family and in public places like the school dance, they seem pretty introverted too. Faced with a party, they’re more likely to dive into a magazine or escape to the balcony as they are to make small talk. Their interactions with Alex, one-on-one, seem much more comfortable, but that may be because they already have the established common ground of Elena that makes it easier for them to engage in conversation. Introversion also does not automatically equal Autism, but being Autistic can look a lot like introversion, in a social context. I hate small talk and tend to be quiet at parties until I find one person I actually want to talk to, and then I tend to be very animated and never shut up. Sound at all like Syd with Alex, once talking to Elena fizzled out?

Something I’ve found to be true in my own experience is that Autistic people, who have to learn social norms that come easily to other people, are capable of seeing them for the arbitrary boundaries they are. The fact that gender is a social construct is something that’s always made perfect sense to me, because as a society we make all the rules up–and the less sense they make to Autistic people, the more aware of that we are. Breaking them is a choice, rather than some kind of defiance of a perfect higher order. In other words, if Syd is Autistic, that might have helped them become as comfortable as they seem to be in their own skin and identity, accepting their nonbinary nature rather than feeling the need to fight it.

Syd definitely fits the Autistic traits of having specific interests and being logically oriented. They’re not especially rigid or obsessive about them, though, that we see. Their reasons for not telling Elena their sexual history before they’re in the hotel together follows Syd’s own internal logic, whether it makes sense to anyone else or not. And they have some intense interests, that span a range of geeky fandoms. But we don’t see any narrow focus and deep well of knowledge about one area. I certainly know from personal experience that fandom can be a special interest, and if we knew more about Syd outside their relationship with Elena, we might learn that they do have one passion that they’ve spent years fixated on. The big ask shows us that they’re creative in an eccentric, enthusiastic way, which always gets my attention for potential spectrum qualities.

We don’t see any obvious sensory issues with Syd. They don’t show any unusual sensitivities to foods or clothing textures, loud noises, etc. They do have a slightly unusual voice, a little flat in tone with less expressiveness, which can be an Autistic trait.

One other trait that codes Syd as Autistic is their relationship to honesty. Unlike Elena, who sometimes lies, Syd is persistently honest. The traits that make them unusual, even ones that might seem unflattering, they are nothing but upfront about. And they’re trusting, taking others at their word as well. After knowing Elena for months and never once hearing about or meeting any of her friends, they completely believe her lie that she’s popular at school, when other people would have been naturally suspicious. This could be because they are young and in love and want to see the good in the world around them…or it could be because they tell the truth and expect the same from everyone else. When you go from ‘likes to believe that people are honest’ to ‘never even considers the possibility of lying as something people could do,’ that’s a significant spectrum quality.

Now, honestly, based solely on what we see of Syd in canon, are they Autistic? It’s kind of impossible to tell for sure. We just don’t know enough about their home life and how they are when they’re not with Elena, to say with total certainty one way or the other. If they are Autistic, they definitely only display mild traits on the show. No repeating words a lot, stimming, avoiding crowds or small talk, etc. But since every Autistic person is different, and lots of spectrum kids grow up with behavioral therapy support now and learn much better coping mechanisms than I did at Syd’s age, it’s entirely possible they could be Autistic even without showing more intense, ‘classic’ signs in their limited screentime.

So personally, I like my headcanon that Syd may be Autistic. Because whether they are or not, they are definitely a giant, wonderful nerd–and the kind of character I would enjoy sharing a common experience like Autism with, when it’s so often portrayed on TV in ways that are hurtful or unrealistic.

tl;dr Syd definitely has some traits that could be read as Autistic; we don’t see them enough to know for sure; I claim them as one of ours anyway because they’re awesome so I say you can too, if you want :)

Chrysalis, Consequence : Max’s Journey and Choices

Strange men walk around Isolated With a chip on their shoulders They are looking for a smile From you or from me But instead I find myself leaving

Preface: Some of the choices listed here are not in the game. They may not be canon, but they are in character for my interpretation of Max. This is only meant to reference the game’s story alone and give some insight into Max and her choices, some of which tie intimately into other characters’ reactions and fates. Please don’t take this as me pushing my interpretation onto your characters. If you have a muse who features in the game, you are more than welcome to come plot with me about how characters like Nathan, Chloe, Victoria, and Kate may handle things differently/took a different route than what I have described. Episode 1 - Chrysalis one.   Shaken from watching Chloe’s death and subsequent resurrection, Max confesses to Principal Wells that she saw Nathan with a gun. two.   In lieu of rigging the paint can, Max instead messes with the sprinkler system to soak Victoria’s cashmere. A guilt-ridden Max then does her best to comfort Victoria after ruining her afternoon. While searching for a way to prove to Juliet that Dana didn’t cheat, she refuses the opportunity to reorganize Victoria’s selfie wall. Dana’s pregnancy test remains untouched, with Max only aware that Dana and her ex-boyfriend Logan had falling out. three.   Max erases the crude insult on Kate’s slate. She intervenes on Kate’s behalf upon discovering security guard David M.adsen harassing her friend. four.   Ever the nosey one, Max snoops through David’s surveillance system and files. Her sleuthing skills aren’t quite up to par, though, as she leaves evidence behind. When Max’s impromptu reunion with Chloe is interrupted by David, she takes her friend’s advice to hide. But Max’s anxiety skyrockets as hostilities between parent and child escalate, leading her to come out of hiding and take the heat for Chloe. five.   Max saves the bluejay outside of the lighthouse, something that brings her comfort after learning that Chloe has stolen her step-father’s gun. Episode 2 - Out of Time one.   Another day, another instance of victim-blaming shenanigans; Max erases the URL to the V.ortex C.lub video in the girl’s bathroom. After a nerve-wracking confrontation with Victoria, Max returns a borrowed book back to Kate. With her friend clearly depressed over the bullying, the photographer gently questions her about what had happened the night of the video. Fearing that Kate has been assaulted, she urges her friend to report her experience to the police. Kate’s mention of Nathan’s involvement, coupled with Chloe’s previous experience with the Prescott heir leads Max to view him with increased suspicion.   two.   After using her powers to befriend Taylor, Max is faced with an even more daunting task---saying no to a man. Despite Warren’s insistence, she refuses his invitation, feeling sick from her previous discussion with Kate. three.   Max taking the blame for Chloe earns her an earful from Joyce at the diner. While waiting for breakfast, Max convinces her estranged friend that she has powers. Max takes a call from a distraught Kate before they leave, much to Chloe’s chagrin. Her attitude causes Max to reflect on the value of their friendship, questioning whether Chloe is still the same person she loved. four.   The presence of Chloe’s gun stirs up Max’s anxiety. During “target practice” Chloe is accidentally shot, prompting Max to rewind and ask to stop. After experiencing a combination anxiety attack and vision, Max and Chloe are confronted by Frank. As tensions rise and Chloe demands to know where Frank found Rachel’s necklace, Max pulls out the gun to defend her friend. Whatever bravado she has in the moment fades instantly; Frank rightfully calls her bluff and swipes the gun. Chloe’s resentment is keenly felt by Max long after she saves her friend’s life on the train tracks. five.   Freezing time allows Max to reach the rooftop before Kate jumps. She convinces Kate to live by appealing to the strength of their friendship, promising to bring the culprits behind the assault to justice, and asking Kate not to jump for the sake of her sisters. Pulling Kate into a tight embrace, Max and she cry together in the rain. six.   Going off Kate’s earlier testimony, Max chooses to blame Nathan for her friend’s s.uicide attempt. Having previously reported Nathan for having a gun, he is suspended, and Max leaves the office emotionally strung out but triumphant. Episode 3 - Chaos Theory one.   Max argues passionately against Chloe taking money from the school’s accessibility fund for disabled students. Having borne the brunt of society’s ableism as a young autistic woman, Max comes away convinced that Chloe does not appreciate the value of accessibility and inclusion. The disgreement drives a wedge in their relationship, with Max left depressed and alienated from her former childhood friend. two.   The morning after their great escape to Chloe’s house, Max kisses Chloe after she dares Max to do it. The decision comes out of Max questioning her sexuality, and a desperation to reconnect in some significant way with her childhood friend after their argument. Feeling discomfort after having kissed Chloe in Rachel’s clothes, Max trades in the flannel and torn jeans for her outfit from the previous night. three.   Unbeknownst to Joyce, Max deletes the message on her answering machine about the break-in. After yet again snooping in on David’s business, Max sides with Chloe during the M.adsen family’s argument. four.   While looking for a way to gain access to Frank’s RV at the diner, Max takes the time to warn a homeless woman about the storm and save Alyssa from minor disaster---again. Having lured P.ompidou out of the RV with a bone thrown in the parking lot, Max does what she does best: snoop. five.   Max leaves Chloe’s confiscated gun untouched, choosing to let Frank keep it after Chloe’s near-fatal stunt in the Junkyard. Episode 4 - D.ark R.oom one.   Max refuses to Chloe’s request to die, asserting that Chloe needs therapy to see that her life has value. After returning the timeline to its original state, Max resolves to stay by Chloe’s side until Rachel’s return. two.   Max frees the bluejay from the confines of the M.adsen family home. At the hospital, Max makes plans to go on a tea shop tour with Kate after she is discharged. three.   After snooping around Nathan’s room, Max and Chloe are confronted by the Prescott in question, and Max fears she may have to rewind...until Warren steps in. Feeling nauseated at the thought of more violence, Max stops Warren before the beatdown turns serious. four.   Having come to the meeting with Frank unarmed (albeit without the money) the girls leave the beach having peacefully gained Frank’s trust and his list of clients. five.   The discovery of the D.ark R.oom and Rachel’s body sends Max spiraling into a severe depression. Convinced that her powers mean little in the face of so much corruption and violence, Max prepares to get revenge on Nathan in the present. six.   At the party, Max saves Alyssa (for an exhausting fourth time) and warns Victoria to stay away from Nathan. Episode 5 - Polarized five.   Awakening in the Prescott’s bunker, Max discovers that Victoria had heeded her warning---and it led her directly to the D.ark R.oom. This revelation coupled with Victoria’s breakdown and Nathan’s death leads Max to seriously question why she was given powers at all. four.   Fun and wholesome things happen that aren’t upsetting. Victoria’s sobs echo in Max’s head. Puppies and kittens. Jefferson threatens to hurt Kate as many times as he needs to break her spirit. It’s fine! Max’s nightmares will have nightmares. This is fine! It’s fine! three.   Weary of the violence, Max chooses not to tell David about Chloe’s death, leading to Jefferson being captured alive (for the moment). two.   In Max’s initial rush to get to the diner, she saves everyone she encounters, including Alyssa for the final time. one.   Upon exiting the nightmare, Max is confronted with one final choice: sacrifice her hometown, or sacrifice Chloe. Max, predictably, takes a third option. Epilogue - The Golden Hour      On a rain-soaked clifftop overlooking the destruction of everything Max and Chloe hold dear, Max realizes that Warren was incorrect: the storm was about the life she hadn’t saved, the injustice that had started this entire chain of events---Rachel’s death. Max’s epiphany leads her to use her focus power on a certain photograph to go back to the Prescott barnyard. Upon discovering Jefferson’s portfolio of Rachel, Max slips the binder into her bag before running after Chloe to find Rachel’s body. Following a screaming match and a much-needed cry session, Chloe agrees to head back to the M.adsen household instead of rushing over to the V.ortex C.lub. Max gathers as much evidence as she can---including Frank’s list of clients---before using her focus power on a photo taken the summer before she moved away to S.eattle. Leaving William to his fate, Max befriends Victoria years before attending Blackwell, sticking by her side as they claw their way to the top of the “it crowd”. But being popular isn’t easy; Max is forced to mask her neurodivergence hard, navigating the capricious moods of her peers, and walking the thin line between try-hard and just ambitious enough.      There are casualties in every timeline, and this one is no exception. Max’s relationship with her parents worsens to the point where they can hardly stand to be in a room together. Her mother misses the shy daughter who took pride in their shared neurodivergence. Her father misses his kind baby girl, the one who knew her roots and wasn’t afraid to embrace them. Rejecting her identity and giving her parents lip aren’t the only problems. Booze and drugs are the bombshell no one wants to touch, both parents scared shitless that this will be what buries the last dregs of filial affection for good. Max’s mental health is another sacrifice in the rectified timeline. She just thanks the universe that overdosing and drinking to excess gives her much-needed pretext for her breakdowns.      But partying and pissing her family’s good faith away has a purpose; each connection gets her ever closer to finding Rachel.      And when Max gets that full-ride scholarship to Blackwell a year early, she knows her sacrifices will pay off. There is a pile of photos, notes, and evidence shoved underneath her bed, waiting for the right moment to surface. Rachel deserves to know the truth, and to live the life that was so cruelly stolen from her.      Max won’t fail in her task.

I'm intrested in your harry potter head-canons, always fun to hear. Would you mind sharing?

Sure. Hm. Okay, here’s a few:

Tonks was actually the teacher favorite, despite all the trouble she caused. McGonagall was especially fond of her, and saw a lot of Sirius in the way she acted, especially when she was with Charlie, who reminded her of Remus a bit, except a little louder. Maybe more like Remus in his latter Hogwarts years. Except, of course, there was nothing romantic going on.

Luna Lovegood is autistic, and after the battle of Hogwarts she became a status figure among other autistic students. Even though she was still made fun of and many of her friends graduated, she wasn’t alone, and neither were the other students she began bounding with.

Lily punched Sev when he died. I love Severus, but yeah. He got punched.

Hagrid came to every birthday party thrown for the Golden Trio’s children, and always brought a cake, very similar to the one he gave Harry all those years before.

Slytherin students began to band together to get rid of the negative reputation their house received. There are still a lot of kids from old families ending up there who may be bigoted, but the other kids are slowly dismantling that. And they don’t care what people still say about them. Because yeah. Bad shit happened. But they also had BLOODY DAMN MERLIN IN THEIR HOUSE! They’re not all Voldemort. And they’ll prove it.

Hogwarts has a annual prank contest between the houses. Tonks led hufflepuff to victory through the fact she’d befriended the house elves within the first week of starting Hogwarts.

Salazar was not evil. He ended up doing some really messed up things, but I don’t care what J.K. has said since, she made it quite clear in the books the discrimination wizards were facing. He wasn’t right, but what he did was not out of pure bigotry, but fear and anger at the harm and deaths they’d been faced with. I wrote a college paper on this and I am 100% willing to link it. All sources included.

Helga Hufflepuff was bi, and after Salazar left she settled down with a friend who was a teacher and both women practicality adopted their all their younger students. So there might not be a biological descendent, but in reality she has more than any other founder.

Peter had ADD and anxiety, and it was one of the reasons he was able to be manipulated and turned. Because damn. No one pays attention to that, and it was 100% his fault in the end, but how he was described makes me think he had some disability. But he wasn’t dumb. He became an Animagus for heaven’s sake! School system and society failing again!

Fudge and Umbridge secretly had a thing. They’re perfect for each other. The only other ship I’d have for Umbridge is Umbridge x Dementor.

Otherkin Challenge

I got this challenge from the blog @justanotherkin and thought it would be a good thing to fill out on my new tumblr! I’ve made very minor changes to some questions. 

1. What name do you go by? What is the significance of it to you? 

The name I go by usually isn't something I’m very comfortable with sharing here, but that has a lot of importance to me because I’m transgender and choosing my name has made me a lot happier. Online, I tend to go by Bumble, which is just a silly nickname but cheers me up. I believe my selkie-self is called Sìoda but I don’t call myself that. 

2. How old are you? What is the gender you identify as? (human) 

I’m 18 and I’m a nonbinary trans guy. 

3. What are your kintype(s)? 

Selkiekin, alienkin, spiritkin, felinekin, and I’m questioning monsterkin. 

4. How long have you known that you are otherkin? How old were you when you awakened? 

I think I’ve pretty much always seen myself as nonhuman and had connections to certain species and such, from a very young age. However, I didn’t know about the existence of otherkin or therians until much later, and was actually against the communities for many years. I think I was just in denial and wanted to join in with everyone else making fun of otherkin. I only started getting involved with the community about a week ago. 

5. How did you find the otherkin community? 

At first through tumblr, and then just searching around for forums and group chats. 

6. How does being otherkin affect your life? 

It doesn’t really affect me much daily, though I definitely feel a disconnect from humanity almost all the time. I do experience “species dysphoria” but I wouldn’t compare it to the level of discomfort that gender dysphoria brings me. I also have some paranoia about friends/family finding out about my identity. I’m homesick most of the time, too. 

7. Are you “out of the metaphysical closet”? If so, to whom? 

The only people I’m really “out” to are those on otherkin group chats or forums, and that’s very anonymous to be honest. I spoke briefly about my worries with my best friend a little while before joining the community, but didn’t want to press the issue further because she clearly doesn’t get it. She wasn’t mean about it though. 

8. How did/would your family react to you being otherkin? 

They would either laugh at me, ignore me, or think I’m crazy. Probably all three. (Sidenote: I am actually mentally ill, so I think my parents would believe that me being otherkin is a symptom of this. I know that isn’t the case, but there you go.) 

9. What does being otherkin mean to you? 

It simply means that I am aware of my nonhuman identity and my nonhuman selves, in whatever form that might take. It’s just a part of my daily life that I’ve recently come to terms with and makes me understand myself better. 

10. How do you believe you came to be otherkin? Is it a psychological connection? Were you reincarnated? Explain. 

This depends on which kintype we’re talking about, so I’ll give it a go: 

Selkie: I’m living a parallel life with my selkie self 

Alien: I was “reincarnated” into my human body from an alien life, and my soul is still alien 

Spirit: As a being, I’ve always been a guardian spirit 

Feline: I have a feline soul alongside mine 

11. What do you hope the otherkin community will be like in ten years? Are you for public awareness or against it? Why or why not? 

I hope that the community is even bigger in ten years time, and hopefully viewed with less contempt from the outside world. However, I’m not really for public awareness, because I think it will only bring us more hatred. Also, I don’t view us kin as an oppressed group, and would therefore like to focus more on the support of genuinely oppressed groups such as POC and LGBTQ+. 

12. Do you have phantom/astral limbs? What are they and how do you feel them? 

While not so much a phantom/astral limb, I often feel the texture of my seal’s tail as a selkie on my legs, as well as other sensory experiences like seaweed and cold ocean water around me. I also have nose and mouth twitches that I believe are related to my cat’s whiskers. 

13. Do you mental shift? Have you ever harmed yourself or someone else during one? 

I do mental shift sometimes, but it’s never been dangerous. The only possible danger is that I might try to do things that my human body can’t really do (e.g. swim in very dangerous waters, go on very long forest walks - I have a disability so this is impossible). 

14. Have you ever mental shifted at a time when it could be considered inappropriate? 

I think some of the times that I go nonverbal (I’m autistic) are triggered by mental shifts, and that’s always “inappropriate” or at least inconvenient. 

15. Do you astral project or practise any occult crafts? 

 I’m a witch currently trying to get back into his practise. 

16. Do you feel you are any sort of danger to society? 

Not at all! I might have some “weird” beliefs and be nonhuman but I’m generally very peaceful. I wouldn’t hurt anyone unless they hurt me or someone I loved. 

17. Does your nonhuman identity complicate everyday life for you? If so, how? 

As aforementioned, the only real impact being nonhuman has on my daily life is feeling disconnected from humanity. This does cause a decent amount of social and emotional issues, as well as “species dysphoria” interfering with my moods. 

18. Why do you believe are here as a human? 

I’m not really sure about this one to be honest, but it could be linked to me being spiritkin: maybe I’ve been sent to specifically protect the nature on earth for the time being. Still unsure, though. 

19. Are you active among the otherkin community? 

Recently, yes! I’d love to be more active on the tumblr kin community too, but I’m scared about all the anti//kin things that I might end up seeing. 

20. Are you religious? What faith do you follow? Does it contradict your otherkin identity or do you feel that the two are synonymous somehow? 

I don’t follow any sort of organised religion; I like to think of myself as a semi-theistic Pagan. I believe in Mother Earth and have thoughts of a great Universal Spirit, but I don’t “worship” them as such. This does’t contradict with me being otherkin at all - in fact I think it might explain my spiritkin identity. 

21. Have you ever been emotionally, verbally, or physically harrassed simply for being otherkin? 

I haven’t experienced this directly, but the fear of it happening is why I’m very private and secretive about being otherkin. I’ve witnessed a lot of online bullying and mockery of us, and for a long time I was one of those people being mean to otherkin/therians because I just wanted to fit with what I saw people saying. 

22. Do you efel you are oppressed because you are otherkin? 

No, not really. Oppression is based in societal systems and ingrained belief, and to be honest it makes complete sense that humans wouldn’t understand people claiming to be nonhuman to any extent. I do think that the bullying and mockery is unnecessary and cruel, but I wouldn’t call it oppression. 

23. What is your take on fictionkin/mediakin/factkin? What about machinekin and appliancekin? 

I’m not sure I really understand fictionkin, but I’m not really against it. However, anyone who gets angry at a writer or other person involved with fiction because they aren’t adhering to their kin canon is just rude, and threatening to harm yourself over this is incredibly disturbing. I would consider myself fictionhearted with multiple characters, and have no problem interacting with fictionkin as long as they aren’t rude like I said before. I definitely have a problem with factkin, as I just see that as identity theft. I really can’t get my head around machinekin and anything else that isn’t living or spiritual, because I don’t believe that a non-living thing can exist in a human body, but I don’t think those people are inherently bad. 

24. Did the awakening process seem relatively easy or difficult to you? Why? 

If I refer to the process of accepting my nonhuman identity as my “awakening” then it was definitely difficult. Like I said, I spent years making fun of otherkin - not actively or online, but with friends, and I would sometimes look at the tags on tumblr - which I know realise was me trying to cope with being nonhuman. Making the transition to acceptance was scary. 

25. What do you think of the information provided online about otherkin - is it relevant or not? 

Most of the things I’ve found have been relevant, but a lot of articles written by non-kin just don’t have a very good understanding. 

26. How has your otherkin/therian identity defined you as a person? Do you feel as if it has given you morals that you didn’t have before? 

I think that coming to terms with my nonhuman identity has helped me be more accepting of other people’s identities as long as they don’t harm themselves or others. I think my general confusion surrounding vegetarians/vegans comes from me being selkiekin and felinekin, but I have nothing against those people. 

27. Have you learned any life-long lessons due to your otherkin identity? 

Nothing is what it seems. 

28. What do you want to do with your life? 

I’d like to go into animal care as a career (e.g. pet rehoming shelters, conservation, ethical farming, animal sanctuaries, etc.) as well as being a writer and musician on the side. I’m willing to do any job in the meantime that doesn’t involve too much social interaction. 

29. Do you have any tips or advice for young and/or newly awakened otherkin? 

Get the “tumblr savior” browser extension (or any alternative you prefer, I think xkit is quite popular, do your research) and blacklist any anti//kin tags you can think of. This will bring you a lot of mental peace, trust me. Surround yourself with positivity but remember to keep a critical eye. Find ways to live in balance with your kintype(s) as opposed to having a jarring double existence. You may have to accept the fact that “coming out” as kin in your public life will likely cause more harm than good. Make online friends. 

30. Anything else you’d like to share with us? 

I’m so glad I’ve finally joined this community - I’d been scared for years. 

okay i’m making a separate post because i don’t want to derail the other one but i also want to talk about this lmao 

by “the other one” i mean the post about how black characters in video games are always “coincidentally” the ones that get the most hate in fandoms (this post here) 

which is 100% true, hence why i didn’t want to add this to that post and derail the conversation (esp since im white)

but it brought to mind the other characters (as far as bioware goes, i haven’t played fallout) that i see getting a lot of hate- autistic characters. 

the only examples i really have off the top of my head are sera from dragon age inquisition and peebee from mass effect andromeda, but i’m sure i could find more examples floating around if i had the energy for it lmao (and this isn’t even talking about bioware’s writing of canonically autistic characters... that’s another thing altogether) 

but look, these two characters just so happen to be autistic coded, and not only are they some of the most complained about characters in their games, the reasons people tend to give for disliking them are directly linked to autistic traits and it’s really tiring ?? 

first up is sera- and i’m way less invested in dragon age than i am in mass effect, but i still got a lot of feelings about the way the fandom treats sera. i played through less than 1 full playthrough of inquisition and didn’t buy trespasser and i played as a qunari so i didn’t get the elf dialogue that a lot of people are uncomfortable with, so i’m not talking about that; from what i do know, that seems like valid reasons to be upset (though i would argue it’s less a reflection of her character than her writing) 

but the rest of the hate i see from her is related to two things: her being a lesbian, and her being “weird” and “quirky” (and by this i mean autistic) 

this is not about lesbophobia so i’m not going to get into that too much here even though it does contribute to how the fandom treats her. that’s a conversation for another time and a lesbian would be a better person to talk about that anyway (i’m panromantic/asexual) 

but like i said, the MAJORITY of the hate i see about sera is directly related to the fact that she’s autistic/displays autistic traits. of course no one is outright saying “i hate sera because she’s autistic!” but the things that they point out and dislike/hate/mock her for ARE traits associated with autism 

her “weird” social quirks- “rude”/crude language, inappropriate (but blunt and honest) observations about others, not understanding others’ feelings, speech patterns that are slightly off or different, lack of understanding of social cues/conventions... this is all off the top of my head, and most of the hate for her is directly related to this. she’s “rude” or “mean” or “stupid”; she’s “self-absorbed” or “petty” or “disinterested”... she doesn’t fit in and doesn’t feel like others that she is supposed to be like (her issues with her heritage is a lot of internalized hatred, it’s because she knows she’s not what she’s “supposed” to be and it’s HARD to feel completely different). 

and then we move on to peebee, who i’ve already seen called “sera in space” (and... not in a good way lmao) but yeah, they do share a lot of similarities, now don’t they? it’s not a coincidence that the hate i see towards both of them tends to be pretty similar, too. 

“peebee should be NICER” is what i see a lot. which is? kinda absurd to me? like... i don’t remember a single time where she’s outwardly mean or hostile to ryder. she’s guarded and, like sera, she’s blunt and to the point. she doesn’t immediately trust ryder. but she was never mean. 

and, like sera, she’s “quirky” and “weird”, and the way she talks is a bit “off” or different. she gesticulates a lot and her inflections sometimes seem out of place,  she talks quickly, she doesn’t do a lot of standing still (literally or figuratively), she intentionally keeps people out, and guards herself. she has poor communication skills that cause other characters- and the fandom- to assume the worst. 

and people not calling her space sera are calling her liara 2.0, despite her personality being vastly different from liara’s. they don’t have similar personalities at all. (i could probably argue for liara being on the spectrum, too, but that’s a convo for another time). what they have in common is that they both had a specific special interest- liara had the protheans, and peebee has the remnant. (and i will be the first to say that it felt like peebee’s interests/goals were the same as liara’s at first, but as the game goes on it becomes clear that they really aren’t at all) 

this is, as you may have guessed, another common trait of autistic people; special interests that they research and want to know everything about, sometimes they overshare or forget to focus on anything else, not wanting to talk about most things but then when you talk to them about The Thing suddenly they can’t shut up... sounds familiar. 

peebee also shows overwhelm and sensory overload- it’s less blatant, but she shuts down or lashes out when she gets too overwhelmed by something. she sleeps away from the rest of the crew so she can have her own space. when she gets really overwhelmed she literally retreats to a sensory deprivation tank aka the zero g scene. she became overwhelmed and to stop that panic she literally, literally, sought out a vastly different sensory stimulation. this scene was really important to me because sensory issues are one of my biggest challenges as an autistic, and it really sealed the deal for me in regards to her being autistic, too. and before anyone tries to argue that she just wanted zero g sex- literally don’t. sex was clearly an idea she had while they were floating- after they had been floating for a while already. her first priority was to reach a safe space. once she was calmed down, she sought out sex. i also really love that peebee (and sera too) is autistic but still shown as sexual, just because most of the autistic characters i see are ace and/or aro. And like, as an ace autistic i’m not saying this is bad, i’m just pointing it out because of the stereotypes regarding disabled people as innately less/non-sexual 

so yeah long story short fandom is always targeting any characters that show signs of not being “normal” or that marginalized people can relate to, and i don’t see people talking about autistic-coded characters and how fandom treats them much at all 

if you have any questions about autism and my headcanons for these characters or something else related, my ask box is open! also to other autistics feel free to discuss with me of course. 

debate/discussion is fine but if you reblog and try to attack me or start drama i’m gonna block you.