#ITS CALLED NEURODIVERSITY FOR A REASON-

[tyrianludaship]

the only reason people call medic a megalomaniac, an abuser or a psycho every chance they get is because he is coded as mentally ill in ways the other characters are not. it's bad to take that coding to mean that he doesn't care about people when he is clearly shown to.

it's the same as the demo thing and the way people treat his alcoholism. it is NOT fine to stereotype him in ways that he is not shown to be and it's frankly quite offensive.

when tf2 fandom discourse twt find out that being neurodivergent and mentally ill doesn't solely begin and end with rearranging trains based on HEX code or being uwu shy beans, we're fucked.

[tealfruit]

this is true but can I also just add that like. how about we go a step further and don't worry if transmasculinity is a choice or not. the whole "gender isn't a choice so we shouldn't punish people for who they are" is a great sentiment to start off with, but what about the people who did choose their gender? do we punish them for making the "wrong" choice, or for having the "wrong" reason? or do we remember that bodily autonomy is a thing and that we have no say over other peoples' identities. and, also, that being a man is completely morally neutral. i s2g people need to get over their whole man-hating and/or bioessentialist mindsets and just let men be dudes in peace. whether they chose to be or not.

Transmasculinity is treated as a choice by everyone outside our specific community and I am sick of it. If transmasculinity was a choice I would choose it again, but it isn’t and it’s been used to try to say something shitty about us over and over. Cishet transphobes say we chose it because we’re mentally ill and taking it out on our bodies. Cis lesbian transphobes say we’re gender traitors responding to misogyny and lesbophobia by giving up womanhood and trying to become straight. Cis gay transphobes say we’re trying to trick gay men into sleeping with women. Trans transandrophobes say we just wanted to move up a rung in the patriarchy and use our male privilege to step on transfems. Consider that I’m literally just some guy trying to live my life without any ulterior motives or whatever.

[planefood]

Autism and Isolation, discussing my experience and my characters

I think i've said here before that my robot characters represent my experience growing up disabled where I live. My characters being robots specifically were made to represent feelings of being made to feel less human in some way due to it. While all my characters in that story are on the spectrum and represent different parts of my experience, I used Mikey as the cover of this post because he represents a certain part of myself that makes me incredibly attached to him (there's a reason I say I like writing him so much, despite him not being the main protagonist). He's the part of me that understands I need help with things but is too afraid to ask leaving me in horrible positions, he's the part of me who screams in public when I feel trapped, he's the part of me that could probably never live by myself, he's the part of me who's scared and vulnerable. Among other things. But also he's the part of me who, like many of my peers, feels isolated in everyday spaces and autistic spaces alike due to peoples perceptions of what autism "should" be, these same people welcome fidget toys and stimming with open arms turn around and think its okay to call me the r slur or infantalise me or make fun of until I cry. But I only cry because I thought i'd be welcomed in those spaces with my autistic peers and I cry because I told my younger self it would get better and people would be nicer to us once we were an adult with like minded people. These same people who, despite being open and proud about supporting neurodiversity still think its okay to use the word autistic as an insult against me. I feel like while people appear so much more accepting of disabled people with these small gestures than I was when I was growing up, I still feel like an outsider in these spaces but this time it feels like I've hit a wall. Like a, "who will support me if the people who are meant to don't?" it leads to a lot of insecurity and self loathing, it makes me feel like I'm not autistic in the "right way" and there's just something wrong with me as a person. I wrote these into Mikey, which makes him seem like he has a 'thin skin' to people like Tandy. Mikey, in my story, is often left behind or teased by other characters in my story even the ones who are also on the spectrum. They also struggle with their own battles with facing ableism and self hatred due to it but don't realise the first step to tackling that is unpacking how they treat others around them. You'll never be able to love your true authentic autistic self if you throw ableist rhetoric at people around you. That includes saying shit like "I'm autistic and I don't act like that guy does whats their excuse" or "I'm not making fun of them because they're autistic they just act weird" I'm low support needs autistic, I've seen how people treat high support needs autistic people and its even more sickening, other low support needs autistic people like to pretend they don't exist or throw them under the bus to make themselves more appealing to ableists: "See autistic people don't actually act like that, support me because I can mask" or even trying to say autism isn't a disability. My characters and writing while being a representation of myself being disabled is also a scathing criticism of the cruelty I see in the world at large, the cruelty I see in other people in ND and disabled communities and the cruelty I see within myself. I get scared about my future with how people treat me, but when I have characters I can write these struggles into it makes it a little easier. I know there's people who love me for who I am and there's people out there who love you guys for who you are too.

[alpaca-clouds]

The Pain Scale is kinda useless

Yes, this has to do with neurodiversity. But also about general disabilities, about sexism and racism and other things.

I spend a lot of time last week in hospital, because I had a biking accident last week and was in the ER, as well as going to two check ups, the last one earlier today. And there I once again realized how useless the painscale is.

See, the entire idea of the pain scale is that you should tell doctors the pain you are in on the scale of "no pain" to "worst pain imaginable". But... the thing is that this runs into several problems:

How bad the worst pain imaginable is varies a lot depending on what the worst pain someone has ever experienced is.

People, who have to fight chronic pain, generally have a very shifted pain scale.

A lot of neurodiverse, especially a lot of autistic people, have problem with interoception - so actually telling what they and their body feel. And this can at times include pain.

And then of course there is the issue that because of a lot of people who genuinely just at the moment are experiencing their worst pain imaginable, even though for someone else it might just be a 5 or 6, makes doctors always like "Yeah, sure" when someone arrives and tells them "yeah, I am at a 9". While also saying: "So, its not that bad," when someone arrives saying "Yeah, I am at a 4 or 5?"

Just two examples for me. Earlier last year I had done something to my back and I was in so severe pain that I barely could move. But of course I did not call the ambulance, but had my roomie bring me to the hospital. So, I hobbled into the ER there, and when they asked me about my pain, I was like "8 to 9?" And they were like: "Oh, you came here on your own, it could not have been that bad."

Another one was last week. You should know, that as a teen, I had a really, really bad internal infection, with really the most horrible pain imaginable. Like, "I was screaming until they gave me morphium" bad. So, trying to focus on how my body was feeling, I came to the conclusion: "4 or 5?" And the doctor was like: "Well, than it cannot be so bad." Welp, psych. I ended up having a fracture. And the doctor just looked at me like: "... How can you still move?" And I was just: "Well, I know much worse pain."

And it should be noted. I have had several fractures during my life and... I never considered the pain of a fracture as that extreme. I do not know whether it is because of messed up interoception or something. But yeah. I move around quite fine with a fracture.

Really, I kinda feel like even for doctors it is not really the most useful evaluation tool. Because I see a lot of doctors go "Well, it is not that bad that you need treatment" if you are telling them a number smaller than 5, but as soon as you go above 7, they basically go: "Press X to doubt".

And that is without going into the problems of sexism, racism and the like. Because when a woman talks about her pain, doctors will go like: "She is just very sensitive." Meanwhile if the person is not white they will also assume other things. And of course men in general often are made to underplay their pain, to be ruff and manly.

Don't get me wrong. I know why the pain scale exists. But... I do not think it is very useful as it is right now for the reasons named above.

[familiaralien]

Giant monster tamer megathread

Decided for the sake of education and my own neurodiversity to make a post including every video game series or stand alone title I know of that focuses on creature capturing competitions that isn't Pokemon.

One big exception: the game has to be a reasonably playable state. So no games that are effectively or literally lost media (like Micromon) or games that only playable state is currently a short demo (like Bestieball). With that in mind here we go:

Digimon

This one is pretty obvious. While more of a multimedia franchise it has tons of games to its IP. The one that probably would appeal most to Pokenerds is Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and its sequel as they're turned based RPGs with a monster capture mechanic.

Monster Rancher

Another one I think a lot of folks have heard about or least millennials would remember. I haven't personally played any of these titles myself but from what I gather they're raising sims with tournament combat. For a while their availability was mostly limited to emulation but Monster Rancher 1 and 2 have been ported to modern systems like the Switch.

Yo-kai Watch

A mid 2010s franchise that had a whole lot of initial success in Japan. Its an RPG series that doesn't take itself very seriously with cute and goofy monster design based on the Japanese folklore creatures called... well yokai. Has real time combat instead of turn based and more luck based capturing mechanics than Pokemon.

Palworld

Brand new game that's only in its alpha release as of now. Its effectively a parody of Pokemon where you're stuck trying to survive in the wilderness so you must build a base and farm resources to survive. Game did have some initial controversy due to some of its designs stepping a little TOO close to being outright ripoffs of existing designs. Also you can capture and enslave humans which may not vibe with some folks.

Temtem

Basically Pokemon meets a MMO lite. The game can be played mostly as single player campaign but does unfortunately still require a constant internet connection. Battles are turned based but 2 versus 2.

Shin Megami Tensei

What could be consider the original monster tamer game. The series is aimed at a somewhat older audience and the plots tend to be more philosophical then like "gotta be the best *insert title here* ever". Focuses a lot on fusing monsters as well as trying to convince them to join you. You actually battle alongside your monsters.

Dragon Quest Monsters

Monster Capturing mechanics do exist in the mainline DQ games as well (at least since DQ5 I think?) but its these games have them as the main gameplay. Much like SMT it focuses on fusing monsters as one of the main ways to expand your library off available species.

Nexomon

Franchise that started its life as a mobile game but has since gotten ports to other systems. Its very similar to Pokemon in terms of creature designs and combat but the worldbuilding is quite different as is its tone being a lot more comedic.

Coromon

Indie game with visuals similar to Pokemon Black and White. Its story was originally kinda so-so and its ending pretty abrupt but its since gotten a free patch that smoothed that out quite a bit. Also has a sorta unique "shiny" system where alternate colors are associated with higher potential which can actually be altered once. Also has a built in randomizer and "nuzlocke" mode.

Cassette Beasts

A pretty recent indie game. Unlike all the others you don't capture or hatch monsters but rather record them to transform into them yourself. Battles are always between you and a companion which there are multiple to befriend throughout your journey (including a dog!). Has some really interesting quirks with its type chart that adds a lot of extra depth. Will soon be releasing a mutiplayer update for anyone that's into that kind of thing.

Monster Crown

A game with visual based on the Gameboy era. It has some pretty fascinating breeding mechanics and a somewhat darker tone than Pokemon. WARNING: DO NOT GET THE SWITCH PORT! For whatever reason its especially glitchy and I have genuinely gotten entire save files ruined by game breaking bugs (such as my player character getting stuck in walls or clipping out of a bounds). As far as I'm aware the PC version is not nearly as much as a mess though.

Monster Sanctuary

Monster collecting meets metroidvania. Has a really fun skill tree type move learning system that allows for quite a bit of strategy. Also the monster designs are way less Pokemon and more inspired by traditional roleplay monsters (so there's like Goblins and stuff). My only gripe with the game is how you get monsters involves getting specific scores in battle which makes getting 1 of each monster way more tedious than it needed to be.

Fossil Fighters

Franchise is maybe dead since there hasn't been a new entry in it since the 3DS but its still easy enough to these games. Anyway this series involve reviving dinosaurs (and some other ancient animals) into new lifeforms called vivosaur and using them in 3 on 3 combat. Vivosaurs are obtained with a fossil digging minigame which is kinda neat.

Spectrobes

Another franchise that's been pretty dead for a while (it last entry was on the Wii). Spectrobes has a more sci fi like setting with its monsters being aliens you revive from fossils. Combat is real time and you participate alongside a couple of your monsters. I'm btw describing only the first game because I haven't played either sequel!

Evocreo

Mobile only monster game with a style similar to Pokemon Black and White not unlike Coromon mentioned above. Has a lot of focus on split path evolution. The devs are apparently going to release a sequel soon but its been in development hell for years so I'll come back and edit this if that actually happens.

Monster Hunter Stories

I have not played nor watched gameplay of this one so I can't really describe it that deeply all I know is its a spinoff of Monster Hunter involving befriending and using the titular monsters in combat.

Telefang

Its sad this game series is most famous for being badly translated and repackaged as a Pokemon game. Anyway these are Japanese only titles though fan translations exist. The gimmick of this game is that you call monsters up on your cellphone to get them over to participate in combat. This series this sprout out when cellphones were consider newfangled and hip so it makes sense.

Anode Heart

Pretty sure this one is PC only. Takes some inspiration from the Digimon World games and is semi open world. Sadly this one I don't know much about outside of that though it does have a free demo on Steam for anyone that wants to try it for themselves.

Ooblets

Extremely wholesome monster catching and farming game. Battles are actually dancing competitions instead of violent confrontations and monsters are recruited simply by beating them in a fight. Thing is monsters will only fight you if you offer them their favourite food so that's where strategy comes in.

Moonstone Island

I know very little about this one except its also a monster catching and farming game. I've heard that its really good though and I believe its PC only right now but has a planned Switch port.

Timenet

Probably the most obscure ass monster tamer on this entire list. This is a Japanese exclusive set of Gameboy games featuring very cute monster designs... and Hello Kitty. Yes Sanrio made a monster tamer back in the late 90s. I only learned this even existed after scrolling down a comment section on a random YouTube video.

Abomi Nation

I'm mostly excluding roguelike games due to most having nothing but battles an 0 plot but this one does actually has a story! You play as the actual monster as you make your way through somewhat randomly generated maps with lots of other randomized elements. The game allows for a lot of customization including turning off permadeath if you're not a fan of that. The visual style is a bit crude but its still a pretty cute game.

Jade Concoon

Another somewhat obscure entry but at least this one got an English release. Anyway its an old RPG for the PSX with monster capturing and a very fascinating monster fusing mechanic that uses an algorithm to determine the appearance of the fusion. The player character can also participate in battle and the plot is very complex. The game also has a sequel on the PS2 but I know even less about that one.

Robopon

Now if you thought Palworld was bordering on some copyright infringement this game is basically nothing but "Pokemon but the designs are robots". Still worth bringing up I think!

Ni No Kuni

Not sure how I got to mentioning several obscure titles and somehow didn't mention something that really isn't. Ni No Kuni is real time battles between you and 2 party members. You can both battle as the actual human characters or switch into a monster. Wrath of the White Witch's visual style in particular is very whimsical and even has some animated cutscene done by Studio Ghibli. I haven't played any other game in the franchise.

Siralim

I haven't played any entry in this series yet (there's apparently 4 games + a spinoff) but from reading up on the most recent entry these are basically procedurally generated dungeon crawlers with an insane level of depth. The story is apparently not that great but the games themselves apparently also make fun of it so it seems its an intentional dev choice. Battles are 6 on 6 and there's over 1000 monsters to collect.

Disc Creatures

A monster tamer with a visual style similar to the Gameboy and Gameboy Color. It has 3 on 3 combat. Impressively I'm pretty sure it was developed by just one person in the RPG Maker engine (I'm honestly surprised this is the first indie game made with ya know... an engine meant for turned based RPGs).

Monster Harvest

A Dungeon crawler mixed with farming. Its a bit shorter than anything else I've mentioned here and its a bit glitchy but its a cute little game worth picking up on sale at the least. Notably also only about a 1/3 of the monster in the game are combative with the rest being either used for farming resources or as mounts.

Loomian Legacy

A Roblox monster tamer.... yes there's 2 of those in this (I could even have added 3 but I think one is in still a pretty early state). Pretty sure this started as a Pokemon fangame and become its own thing later. It has your typical 1 on 1 turn based combat and all that. I think its free to play and there's like several hours of content on it so maybe worth a gander.

Tales of Tonorio

Pretty sure this is the same basic deal as Loomian (Roblox game, started as a Pokemon fan game, etc etc) though its has its own world building and creature designs since I'm pretty sure its made by a completely different team.

So yeah that's all of them I can think of right now. If I learn of others and/or there's new releases I may expand this.

PS: There is almost certainly numerous typoes in this. This post is way longer than anything else I've ever made on Tumblr so I can't be arse to fix them you're just going to have to deal!

[littleraccooncarl]

Carl the Collector has been reviewed by Common Sense Media, who gave it a 4/5 and a Common Sense Selection seal of approval. To be honest, I don't really like this website that much because some of their reviews (such as the Codename: Kids Next Door one) are just awful, and the user reviews open the floodgates for Karens and bored teenagers who hate on kids shows for no reason. In fact, there is a one-star review by a 17 year old already, but don't pay attention to it. However, it is good that they gave Carl a relatively positive review. Apparently, there's a paywall on their site after reading three articles, so I'll just copy and paste what they wrote here:

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Carl the Collector is an animated series about a young raccoon with autism (voiced by Kai Barham, who is also neurodiverse) and his woodland creature friends in Fuzzytown. The series celebrates inclusion and encourages noticing each other's similarities and differences. Characters are kind, helpful, and empathetic, learning to express their emotions and work through problems together. There's no iffy content, making the series appropriate for all ages

Any Positive Content?

Positive Messages - Positive messages around including different types of friends in your play, with a focus on neurodivergent friends on the autism spectrum. A strong focus on being kind and helpful to others, as well as expressing your emotions and working through problems together.

Positive Role Models - The characters are all kind, helpful, and empathetic to one another. They model how to work through problems and how to express emotions. They often put others' needs and interests before their own. They do not always get along, but they work together to make it right.

Educational Value - The show models positive problem-solving and social-emotional skills.

Diverse Representations - The show features two characters on the autism spectrum, the lead character Carl the raccoon and supporting character Lotta the fox. They each experience autism in different ways. The characters don't talk about autism, and don't point out the autistic characters' differences. Behind-the-scenes, the production team includes neurodiverse writers, animators, voice talent, and advisors. Other representation includes Forrest the squirrel, who has a tree nut allergy, and Carl whose parents are separated (Carl spends some time living with each). Gender-wise, the supporting characters are both boys and girls, and includes Carl's best friend Sheldon who is an empathetic and sensitive boy. The characters are all animals, and none have an implied race.

What's the Story?

In CARL THE COLLECTOR, Carl (Kai Barham) is a warm-hearted autistic kid raccoon who loves to collect different items. He is extremely detail-oriented, and appreciates all the special qualities of his various collections which range from fake mustaches to bottle caps. Whenever he has a problem, Carl calls up best friend Sheldon (Peter Laurie) the beaver with his walkie-talkie. Carl and Sheldon's other Fuzzytown friends Lotta the fox, Forrest the squirrel, and twin bunnies Nico and Arugula also join in on the day's adventures. They work together to help Carl with everyday problems like organizing his massive stuffed animal collection or tracking down his runaway bouncy ball collection. Carl's Mama (Heather Bambrick) guides the kids as they work through difficult problems and disagreements. They learn about each other's similarities and differences, and have lots of fun along the way.

Is It Any Good?

Creator Zachariah OHora (children's book writer and illustrator) calls his universe of characters "Fuzzytown," and Carl the Collector is sure to give kids and grown-ups the warm fuzzies. Its characters are super relatable: They try really hard to be good friends, but they don't always get it right. They have troubles recognizable to any young kid (like being asked to part with precious stuffed animals). The voice actors sound like real kids, making it seem like the characters could be a friend in real life. OHora's exquisite art is featured in the show's animation, and watching feels like jumping into a picture book. Grown-ups will appreciate the slow, calm pacing and overall gentleness of the show.

Carl the Collector is the first PBS KIDS show to feature a main character on the autism spectrum, and it does a great job of showing how two different characters (Carl and supporting character Lotta) experience autism differently. It simultaneously shows true-to-life characteristics of people with autism, without calling out the differences in a way that feels othering. The neurotypical kids on the show treat the neurodiverse kids the same as their other friends, while having extra sensitivity to how Carl and Lotta interpret the world. It's a beautiful celebration of appreciating everyone's unique qualities.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the empathy characters show in Carl the Collector, or when one character is able to understand the feelings of another character. Sheldon is really good at understanding how Carl is feeling, and helping him to work through tricky situations. Can you think of how Sheldon is empathetic to Carl?

All of the animals in Carl the Collector are really good at communicating how they're feeling. Can you think of a time in the story when one character told another one how they are feeling?

Carl and Lotta are on the autism spectrum, which means their brains and bodies experience the world differently than people who are not on the autism spectrum. How are your friends different than you? How do you find a way to play together even though you're different?

This review confirms that Carl's parents are separated, which is different from being divorced. A legal separation is when a couple lives apart from each other but are technically still married. It's basically like a 'cooling off' period.

[crustaceansingles]

Hello friends, fans, haters, etc. Tonight I want to talk to you about Places You Can Find My Stuff, subtitled Way Too Many Social Networks parentheses Some Are Worse Than Others. Footnote: you can find these all on my Linktree, which is of course linked in my profile. First, allow me to shill for Mastodon/The Fediverse. This one is cool & important for huge nerd reasons, but you don't have to be a huge nerd to use it. The general orbit I've fallen into there is extremely diverse, particularly neurodiverse, and above average in thoughtfulness and measured takes. There's no algorithm, no ads, and tons of pet pictures. Plus posts are called toots. The biggest con for me is that when I signed up in 2018, I tied myself to the basic noob server mastodon.social, which is not well-regarded, and switching instances is still difficult and incomplete enough that I'm staying there for now. Bluesky really does feel for me a lot like the twitter of yore, although maybe slower (non-pejorative) and populated by people who have been through the last decade & are just so tired. I don't post on twitter anymore. It is lost to literal nazis and scammers. Its owner is one of them. I'm on Tumblr as of recently. It's got some good niches and they're commendably apt at cyberbullying the CEO. If you use Tumblr at all, please go follow me. I'm posting for an audience of maybe five people over there. Threads: Stopped boycotting when they finally let users add alt text. I am supremely peeved with the way it takes two clicks/taps to get from the "for you" feed to your "following" feed, the first of which is non-obvious to make. Dark patterns, but what else do we expect from Meta? Instagram: Meta is a demerit. And I'm pretty sure The Algorithm is punishing me for my refusal to use it as though it were TikTok; I don't post or watch video and they hate me for it. I don't even do "stories". But I post the daily comics there for my second-largest number of followers there. Facebook...it's bad. This we know. But it is where I have been the longest. And it happens to be where I have the largest following by an order of magnitude. There's a good crowd that hangs around my page there, and it's where I get the most comments and interactions. If you're still there, you could do worse than having me in your feed.

[chaos-in-one]

Since apparently so many people want to missuse this

What is NOT watering down ableism:

- Pointing out discrimination towards lesser known and stigmatized disabilities is ableist

- Pointing out how many common phrases are rooted in ableism

- Saying it's still ableist to discriminate against someone based on disability even if you don't believe they're "really disabled"

- Talking about the amount of casual ableism in society that disabled people face

- Calling discrimination against people who aren't "severely disabled" ableism

- Pointing out its still ableism to use someone's disability against them or discriminate based off of that even if the person is a bad person

What IS actually watering down ableism:

- Saying ableism only applies to Severely Disabled people

- Calling it ableist to dislike or disagree with any disabled person for reasons unrelated to their disability (and even sometimes related to their disability! Disabled people can be misinformed too! However in those cases I would leave it to other people with their disability to correct them)

- Saying ableism is discrimination against neurodivergent people (it's discrimination against disabled people. Yes this includes neurodiversity because being neurodivergent is disabling, but using that as the definition excludes physically disabled people.)

- Saying it's only ableism if it's towards physical disabilities

[clazberryk]

✨Writing Interview Tag Game✨

Thank you for the tag @roguishcat 💕

When did you start writing?

I ahve bene writing on and off for most of my life, the earleist story i cna remember ithink i was about 11-12. It was terrible so many grammatical errors. I very much journal and have been journalling from a very young age. Writing and books is very much encouraged in our household and its stayed with me into my own household

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

I love reading all sorts, drama, horror (but not typical trope 'everyone dies just because' stuff), mystery, romance. I am a big fan of fantasy embroiled into science, so the fantastical that could be plausible. However i am not smart enough to write that.

And I will write most things, however somethings i really struggle with.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I used to try poetry and tried to write smart, but i find that really difficult to write. I tend to lean more towards what the protagonist/anotagonist character is feeling, almost like an inner monologue but still very much in 3rd person. I ADORE A write called Deborah harkness (All souls trilogy) Seriousyl check her out she is so very incredible and she has a way with words that just sucks you in. I would love to ahve her talent, i very much emulate and look up to her, but I don't think i would want to write like her. maybe influenced by is more approate term.

Writing compared to, not really. Unless anyone can think of one, not compared nope.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

I write very much on my Desktop PC, in my office. It is also my gaming PC. I will write pretty much when the need and desire sparks, so everyday. Its nice and quiet,. However i do find i am writing alter into the night, more often than not.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

I listen to a lot of music. Music is a big influence in my writing, i have so many saved playlists on my spotify, and yourtube channel. If i need to get into a characters headspace i will go to that playlist. Listen whilst doing tasks around the house and then sit down and write.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

I am unsure. I do notice that i tend to lead into emotions, and have then develop and mvoe the story along.

What is your reason for writing?

For my job i am surrounded by disabled/neurodiverse students. I also write very academically, professional and clinical, its very clean and cut, and the reports are at a minuimum 20 pages long. So i write to to release that creativity that cannot be in my daily reports.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

I love all comments, although of course ones that go into detail about which parts readers liked are the best! Feedback is crucial. I realise that my writing is definitely not the best out there (I'm working on improving it!). I also love wqhen readers quote a line or a piece of text, that jsut fills me with joy.

FEEDBACK is crucial to any write regardless of level. Do not get me wrong i lvoe the hearts, and the likes but sometimes an actual comment can go a long way for a writer. I often find myself second guessing if a comment has not been left, i know its terrible but also anxiety/adhd.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I'm not sure exactly how to answer this tbh. I like to interact with readers, so i will tag a lot of people in my post (Sorry to those that get tagged ALL THE TIME) looking at you: @roguishcat and @shewhowas39 lvoe you both very much <3. I do try and interact with everyone. But still unsure how to answer that question

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

The use of emotion, i feel that emotion is key to any character and when that is portrayed right, it just hits the reader, and sometimes the writer differently (I am not saying i am the absolute best). But the emotion is one of the proses, and langauge i really worked on developing in my educational journey. I very much try and go with what i feel natural and what that character would naturally do, or say or think.

How do you feel about your own writing?

I feel very stupid and very much like a fraud (I guess we are being honest now :D ). I will reread my stuff but i ahve to stop, because i type so quickly and my mind is always going a million a minute there are mistakes in my work. Which just impacts me more, especially the silly little spellign mistakes. I am working on proofreading my work more than 3 tiems but it always feels like something jsut slips through the cracks regardless.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

Both. Both. Definately both. I thrive off comments and feedback, and sometimes i will put a poll out asking the audience, but most of the time its oh that person said that, ooooo i will put that in, see if they notice it. If you have left a comment you can guarentee in a later chapter there may be an easter egg to it. (I hope that makes sense)

No pressure tags: @slothquisitor @loquaciousquark @hell-alka

[swiftwaterprawn]

I've been thinking more about Tech's eyes. And before I start, I love Phee & Tech and I love Tech in all kinds of fanfic too, I didn't come here to comment on that whole thing. A few days ago I put to you, that Tech's eyes are fascinating, because we get to see them almost all the time. We see every little emotion on his face. Even without the helmet, his eyes are accentuated by his glasses.

"I may process moments and thoughts differently, but it does not mean that I feel any less than you." (Tech to Omega, Series 2, ep9)

Now, I think it's fair to say that canonically, Tech is neurodiverse. He is on the autistic spectrum. And I wholeheartedly love to see it. And given this, his eyes struck me as even more fascinating. Autistic people sometimes struggle with eye contact, and reading emotions from people's eyes. Yes Tech wears glasses and uses the flip-down visor, but he could still have used them without having a gap in his helmet. In fact, it possibly means it's not as airtight and not as protective as the standard helmets. But he still chose to keep his eyes free. Tech chose for people to be able to see his eyes. He chose for others to see his emotions.

Is it any wonder that Phee chooses to compliment his eyes? Yeah, clones all got the same eyes. But Tech's are different. Being autistic does not mean we don't have emotions. We're not sociopaths. Being autistic does not mean we don't want a romantic or physical relationship. This doesn't mean to say this isn't the opposite case for some. Bear in mind that being autistic means very different things to different people; its called a spectrum for a reason. But it fills me with joy to see Tech on screen with his beautiful eyes, beautiful emotions, and becoming a romantic interest. It's challenging some stereotypes and I love it.

[bog-dwelling-butch]

Thoughts on self diagnosed autistics (a love letter)

By the way this post isn't made so someone can debate me this is me screaming my feelings into the void

I support self diagnosed autistics, I always will, the reasons are so clear to me. Everything medical, including diagnosis is so damn expensive, doctors so commonly don't believe people or gaslight people, even more so AFABs and people of color... Im not here to debate this.

Any complaint like that people are doing it for attention or taking resources or something??? I just cannot care in comparison to my childhood... Neurodiversity acceptance is in the process of happening, many people knowing their autistic is NOT a bad thing.

I was diagnosed at 9 but it was kept a secret from me until I was 14. And that entire time I thought I was the only one in the universe "like this" I truly thought I was an unlovable freak, I thought nobody would ever want to actually be friends with me (as opposed to fake friends who called me the R slur) all of that was traumatic. I cannot stress how much I LITERALLY thought I was alone in the world, and the self-hatred that came with the ableism I was raised with.

It sent my life on a whole different trajectory just learning that other autistic people existed in the world with me.

And compared to the isolation in my childhood I know many autistic people now, and its wonderful! Truly, I am not alone!

I love you, my self diagnosed siblings!

You bring light into a deep cave I thought I would die in.

I have cried tears of joy many times knowing I am not the only one on the planet with a mind like this.

I adore my self diagnosed friends.

I feel a joy that I never want to let go of from knowing you're with me, knowing you're fighting ableism with me.

And seeing how much change has already happened compared to my childhood full of ableism when my mind was treated like a shameful secret, it's because our efforts together.

I love you, self diagnosed Autistic/ADHD/neurodivergent friends.

I am not alone, and you are not alone either. I will always stand with you.

[monsterqueers]

forgive me if this is misdirected complaining, but the whole "autism website" thing also drives me up the fucking wall when there are plenty of folks who have similar traits and *aren't autistic,* but also have a presence here. autism (and adhd, by extension) aren't the only fucking ways to be ~neurodivergent/neuroatypical~ in existence.

Yeah like. I get where people are coming from in the spirit of it. This site has a lot of autistic folks and the atmosphere is *surface level* accepting of that so affectionately calling the site 'the gay transgender autism website' is playing with that.

BUT, many of the neurodiverse traits people claim as automatically autistic are not. Autism only. They arent even neurodevelopmental disorder only! And the way that people reduce neurodivergency to only autism (and occasionally autistic cousin dxes like adhd) when its so much more than that speaks to how many neurodivergences are kicked aside when it comes time to speak because they arent the acceptable in the current subculture flavor.

It kinda sucks that its getting focused like that then for multiple reasons- it ignores every other neurodivergency AND it doesnt even indicate respect for autistic folks.

Like I know people are just having their fun. But it sucks that its not an indicator for like. Not Being Ableist As Hell.

[maxellminidisc]

I think we can definitely have a conversation on how the sort of woobification and frankly reduction of autism and adhd is a bit of an issue or how so much certain issues of identity in the LGBT community can lead to some never ending discourse because of how reductive they can also be that leaves very little energy for tackling the material issues the community faces and makes it a bit more confusing for someone to find answers. But I don't think the solution to that is labeling every confused or lost individual as a poser or an imposter. Especially when you run the risk of alienating people who very much are part of either community, they're just like getting the message in a very very confusing and again, reductive format.

Like there have been many times I disagree with terminology or identity discourse on here but it's never made me feel like "Well this person isn't really trans or gay if they're saying stupid shit like this". They're still very much part of the community I just think they're missing the forest for the trees when we could be directing our energies on more pressing matters. They're still very much my siblings they just make my eye twitch a bit, I'm still going to defend them if they're facing homophobia or transphobia.

Plus I see the surge in self identification with neurodivergency as being for 2 reasons: 1) people finding the information they've actually needed and who are genuinely neurodivergent and now have community and they're just having a laugh now or 2) a sign that life has become so fucking unbearable and unlivable under capitalism that even neurotypical people are starting to navigate the world in such a way that they're having to experience levels of anxiety and depression that its causing IMMENSE dysfunction that they can see no other reason for why they're feeling the way they are and they NEED a reason, some explanation for that inability to overcome "dysfunction".

I dont necessarily think the later is great, especially when some people in the later group use these conversations to be ableist to neurodivergent folks especially those who are autistic with a higher need for assistance, or people with often under looked neurodiversity (and lbr here, even neurodivergent folks with a lower need for help and assistance do this). But when people are otherwise confused and just talking about their supposed hyper fixations or whatever, I have a degree of empathy if that makes sense? Like idk I just think throwing out the baby with the bath water is not the solution, I think we gotta wade the water and find the baby even if it's more work lol IDDK

The only thing I find imperative about some of these conversations is calling out when these channels are being used to be ableist, often transmisogynist, lesbophobic, etc. But I dont think it gives us the right to say certain people arent really gay or trans or autistic because of these biases or misconceptions about certain terminology or neurodivergency. If that was the case like most of us wouldnt be real anything because biases are things that have to be unlearned and most of us do have them even among each other in these communities.

[kkoct-ik]

hi hi hi hi hi i am genuinely really interested in what you have to say about the rise of self-diagnosis among young people and would really love to hear your thoughts, it can be a private reply to this or even dm me if you don't want it in a PostTM i am genuinely so interested to hear what you have to say <3

it is far too late at night for someone to invoke my autism but ok . ok

(the post being referenced)

im prefacing by saying im speaking as a guy with a sociology special interest (im obsessed w how social groups work and develop) and as someone whos been in mental illness communities since he was far far too young. ive been through subcultures built around competitive suffering like a baby through a machine car wash and that has left its mark.

certain friends of mine will know that i am currently obsessed with how mental health communities have formed in the past few years. absolute explosions of mental disorder centric communities, hashtags, whatever.

what has really completely enamoured me though is that these communities... are not built around competitive suffering. in fact they're barely about mental disorders at all. there's been an explosion of mental illness subcultures where people bond over totally normal human experiences, because they mistakenly think its something particularly neurodiverse.

the current climate of the internet is one where misinformation and oversimplification is rampant. and from that, these social groups exist, based around these simplified models of mental disorders. it's absolutely no wonder why it's so common to see people 'disorder hoard'.

for starters, its easier now more than ever to be told something you experience is a symptom, and a sign you have a specific condition.

for seconds, once you've considered having a condition and meet people who have been misinformed similarly— bonding only over your shared condition— it's very hard to socialise outside that. very quickly this condition can be all you know about yourself. i know this step personally, as something i'm familiar with from competitive suffering subcultures.

evaluation? i'm not sure what to make of it. that's probably why im so intrigued. im glad it's not competitive suffering. yeah, teenagers are having their self perception and social skills whacked, but at least it isn't worse.

i consider calling these communities anti-recovery, but when the communities are only about ailment on a surface level? i'm not sure. it genuinely depends case by case, on what behaviour goes unchecked, what attitudes are internalised, and so on. no sweeping judgements here.

there are multitudes of reasons why press about mental illness is on the rise. genuinely worsening life conditions. more accessible information about potential problems one can face. but i think this niche is something that's overlooked, and it's one quite personal to me.

no conclusion really. i'm just really autistic about certain specific online subcultures. thanks for asking lol

[mel0dy-am]

Invasive Species- An Original Poem by Axis

I am an invasive species. I cause harm to anyone and anything I encounter. I don’t do it on purpose, but I do it. I’m a parasite. I attach myself to the people I depend on most, only to do more harm than good.

All my needs have turned into excuses. All my excuses have become invalidated. Needs are called needs for a reason. In this case, no reason is valid. I am invalid.

Neurodiversity is my personal invasive species. It is a parasite. It causes harm to its host. I’m a host. The only difference from real parasites is that this one can’t go away. I feel as though I am something no one desires to have around.

Spotted Lanternflies go after plants for the sake of ecosystem destruction. I am that spotted lanternfly. People are my plants. Activities, places, and stimuli are my ecosystem. I destroy anything in sight just by coexisting.

I exhaust everyone around me; so much so I exhaust myself. It’s impossible for me to enjoy things. All because I’m invasive. I was born to frustrate people with characteristics of mine I can’t eradicate.

I am at fault for just being. It’s me. Everything I do is wrong. Everything I say is wrong. Everything I feel is wrong.

Neurodiversity intentionally does the exact same thing I unintentionally do to other people. Some may say that this is all internalized ableism. However nothing good has ever come out of having the diagnoses that I have. That’s the truth. I live with parasites……permanently.

[serotonincemetery]

Hello! I’m Serotonin.Cemetery! I came over here from Wattpad to share my work!

I am a fanfic writer who has very unhealthy hyperfixations that lead to no sleep as well as a moderate caffeine dependency.

Uhhhhh, are boundaries a thing on here? eh I’m putting ‘em anyways.

You can call me Sero or Nin

(Or Mars, yk who you are one singular person ily /p)

I go by He/Him

please do not refer to me as “she” or “they”

I am transgender, don’t let that differentiate me from other people.

Don’t be creepy or weird, have some decency.

Following that ^ any NSFW adult photo accounts will be blocked. Though I will make the decision at some point to start writing NSFW but for now its a no (Planning to start writing it now. I’m comfy with it). For the same reason of “dont be weird” I do not want to be engaged in such content. But if others do, I don’t control them.

(Though if any nsfw blogs((non bot)) like my non-nsfw content, I take that as a compliment because them mfs have HIGH expectations)

If you request something, I reserve the right to say no.

If my asks are closed. They are closed. No asking and trying to get it done. They are closed for a reason.

MY ASK BOX IS OPEN! I LOVE TALKING TO YOU GUYS!! (idk how to ask this but also just describing things? I like hearing people explain things and describe objects due to the fact I struggle to do so)

Are a proshipper, incest shipper (includes adoptive and step siblings), pedo shipper, anti LGBTQIAP+, misgender trans/enby folks, gatekeep labels, racist, sexist, anti-semitic, islamophobic, fatphobic, ableist otherwise bigoted (includes neurodiversity, body shaming, MAPS/PEARS)

✅Platonic relationships

✅Romantic relationships

✅Fluff

✅Angst

✅Prompts

✅Family Dynamics

✅Gore

✅Requests

✅Poly Relationships

✅POC

✅Disabilities

➖Smut

➖Limes

❌R*pe

❌Addition of an OC in an “X Reader”

❌Sexualizing of minors

❌Things that go against people’s boundaries

❌Things where two characters are different versions of one character and those two being shipped. Idk what its called but I absolutely refuse to write that.

❌Fem aligned Readers

‼️Most, if not all my works will now be done in AMAB perspective, and/or Gender Neutral perspective.

‼️I AM A NWLNW FANFIC BLOG ANY WORKS WITH A FEM ALIGNED READER ARE FROM YEARS AGO WHEN I IDENTIFIED AS FEM ALIGNED.

‼️I reserve the right to say “No” to an ask/request.

‼️Any asks that violate my boundaries

‼️ I know that y’all younger people don’t listen to the MDNI thing or “Dont read if under 18”. So just for the sake of simple hospitality. Don’t interact with my work.

ALL WORKS ARE ALSO FROM MY OFFICIAL WATTPAD. PLEASE DON’T COPYRIGHT OR ACCUSE ME OF PLAGIARISM

Mental Health Helpline

1 (877) 303 2642

Addiction Services Helpline

1 (886) 332 2322

Distress/Suicide Hotline

1 (780) 482 4357

Victim Services

1 (780) 968 7272

Sexual Assault Centre

1 (780) 423 4121

Child Abuse Hotline

1 800 387 5437

Kids Help Phone

1 800 668 6868

MY TAGS:

serotonin.writes

Where you will find my fics

serotonin.rants

Where you will find my bullshit

serotonin.talks

Where you will find my ask responses or any other thing when I engage with you

serotonin.doodles

Where you find my art. I promise I can do art, I take advanced art classes, I just typically have an empty brain

PFP MADE BY Humesteria ON PICREW

You can find that here

My masterlist is currently under reconstruction because this app decided to be a prick

My requests are open!

None yet!!