#autistic ballister

[puddlestheduck1]

MY NIMONA HEADCANON’S

I think ballister would’ve hidden the fact he couldn’t read or write for a long time

[slimi-kaito]

Ok, so I know Nimona's gender fluid and the whole shape shifting thing is a queer allegory.

BUT. (Don't worry)

I also think it’s an allegory of neurodivergency and disability! And I wanna talk about it:

To me, the « I wouldn't die die but I sure wouldn't be living » discussion feels very reminiscent of autistic stimming and masking, masking being explained here as the constant state of « that second before you sneeze ».

With that in mind, Nimona and Ballister's discussion in the train hits a lot closer to home for ND and disabled people in general because Ballister says « it would be easier for you » which isn’t actually true and shows how a lot of the world views disability. For people your disability is completely fine until they see it, they say they are disability allies but will shame you if you start stimming etc…

I think Nimona’s reaction to what Ballister said also shows that she is used to that kind of rethoric, she tries to lead him to the true answer « normal? » you’re normal for people if they can’t see your disability, « easier for who? » easier for him, easier for society because if they don’t see it they can ignore it. At the end of that conversation he doesn’t understand though and even think he is a hero for it « a lot of people aren’t as accepting as me » except what he does is actually the bare minimum, treating disabled people like actual people is the bare minimum whether you can see their disability or not!

At the end, Ballister understands that he was in the wrong and goes on to actually see Nimona as a person, as who she is « I see you ». And theoretically/utopically it’s the same for the kingdom’s people BUT it took the literal sacrifice of Nimona’s life for them to start treating her like a person which again should be the BARE MINIMUM. I think it is especially sad that it’s the way our society works as well, disabled people, queer people etc… shouldn’t have to earn the right to be treated as a person.

Thanks for reading all that, byeeee!

[thefruitsaladdemon]

So I really really really loved Nimona,,,,

[dandelionjack]

"why would you, only having watched series 1 for the first time a week ago, skip forward all the way to the recent specials, then resume watching right back at series 2 after you're done, with nothing but a dozen hours spent unraveling mile-long wiki articles in between? at the ripe old withered age of 19? a children's show with a billion episodes and also books and audiodramas? and enter that phase of a budding special interest where you begin to relate everything around you to it, even though your knowledge of the media itself is hanging by a single wire?? that fucking show that was specifically infamous for being exceptionally annoying on this website???"

well you see.

it's called i'm doing rehab out of order

[ditzydoodiary]

autistic ramble about twilight sparkle because i love her sm and shes my fave autistic comfort character !!!

this took a really long time to make, and im really proud of it, so any reblogs/reshares would be appreciated ! especially if you like mlp !!

when people say she isnt autistic, i always find myself very surprised. i think to myself, have these people even watched the show??because yes, while the writers and lauren faust may not have intended for her to be explicitly autistic, she is very clearly portrayed that way, intentional or not. not to mention that lauren faust (creator of friendship is magic) has recently responded to a tweet saying that she thought pinkie pie being adhd was obvious; lauren faust has adhd herself, so its not surprising that so many of the mlp fim characters also posess many of the same traits as her. and i also raise the question; if she thought pinkie pie was obvious as having adhd, then why would twilight be any different?? she is very clearly autistic, but i dont think twilight's obvious neurodivergence has been addressed by lauren yet (unless im wrong of course, but i just haven't found anything about it when ive searched for it).

anywho, to list just a few of twilight's autistic traits:

- trouble socialising and making friends (this is literally the main plot point of the first few seasons and is even still present in the later seasons, so its not like this was just a one time thing). an example of this would be in the very first episode when twinkleshine, lemon hearts, and minuette invite her to moondancer's party; she awkwardly declines, saying that she needs to catch up on her studying instead. to this the other ponies say, "ugh, does that pony do anything except study? i think shes more interested in books than friends"

- she has a very obvious special interest in reading, books, research, and the study of pony magic. she indulges in these interests to such a level where she often loses track of time and stays awake all night, and often misses out on opportunities to socialise with her friends. when she cant indulge in them, she gets upset. this ties into finding comfort in routines, too.

- taking things literally (e.g: that part in "look before you sleep" where she takes rarity's statement about them getting warmer in regards to playing a game literally). look before you sleep is also a great episode showing her need to have everything planned out; in this episode, twilight has her first slumber party, and uses a slumber party planning book as a guide. she thinks has to follow every single instruction in the exact same order, and when rarity and applejack dont oblige, she gets upset.

- HEAVILY relies on schedules and planning. she utilises all kinds of lists; visual lists, written lists, checklists, etc. when she's unable to stick to her routines/plans, she becomes irrationally upset and/or angry, lashes out at other people and can have meltdowns. this is again shown all throughout the show, but is more prominent in the episode "lesson zero".

- LOVES organising, lining things up, and finding visual patterns in all sorts of things. she'll often just do this for fun and as a way to calm down, while others might find this more of a chore. i suppose this can be done as a form of visual stimming? I don't really know what this is called; but i know a lot of autistic people do it. i suppose this could also tie into needing routines and structure, as organising things can help autistic people feel more in control and can provide a sense of stability.

- she can often come off as insensitive or rude without meaning to, and sometimes she struggles with tone as well as being quite blunt. this is most likely due to her misunderstanding or being unable to read typical social cues. this could also perhaps be linked to low empathy, which is something a fair few individuals on the spectrum experience. this is especially true in the earlier seasons, but still shown in the later seasons as well.

- twilight also struggles with regulating her emotions and having meltdowns; this is typically the result of her needs not being properly met and her routines being changed. and when she's not having full blown meltdowns, she can at least be seen being snappy towards her friends when overwhelmed.

- stimming !!! oh boy does she stim a lot. stomping her hooves, jumping up and down, PACING (this is a big one), teleporting spontaneously when overwhelmed, flapping her wings, etc. in fact, twilight once paced so hard for so long that she made a groove in the floor without even realising !! (this was seen in the episode "its about time" - which is also a good episode that showcases her autistic traits)

- shes also sometimes shown struggling with overstimulation; in the third episode of the series, "the ticket master", twilight gets overwhelmed by her friends crowding around her and loudly shouting, resulting in her running off and snapping at them.

- shes often shown struggling with generalised anxiety, which is another common trait of autism.

and the best part is, this is obviously a common occurrence, and her friends fully support her through her struggles !!! her meltdowns, overthinking and anxiety are so frequent, that her friends know exactly what to do and how to help her.

obviously, this isn't every trait, this is just all the surface level stuff !!

i would have included more video and photo examples, but tumblr has a limit on how many you can add to a post :( i hope i still got my point across despite that !!

all in all, i think she's wonderful autistic representation !! even if this wasn't intentional, i still think it's great and love the way her personality and traits were portrayed. the main character of a children's show possessing these traits is awesome and something you don't see too often !! i hope lauren or at least someone on the production team talks about this, because it means a lot to myself and many other autistic people who love mlp <3

[juliethedumbass]

How to torture the nimona community

Step one :

>:}

[deerteetharepretty]

Ambrosius being autistic and adhd with sensory issues around texture, certain sounds, and heat.

Most people think he’s being a picky but polite jerk about sensory stuff because he doesn’t know how to explain it.

With clothes most of the time his skin is SCREAMING at the texture unless it’s his knight wear undergarments or his comfort but cute lade back clothes.

Him coming off as a little bratty to people controlling his image but clearly trying hard to be polite and patient because it’s their job and the weird rules he has to follow make him mask constantly and ignore sensory issues.

What I’m saying is they made this man cut his hair from the long beautiful waves with an undercut to short bangs and I KNOW HE WAS DEVASTATED AT THE SENSORY LOSS

let him grow his god damned hair back or the fans will riot. Or he might.

[tiddie-taylor]

Me forcing everybody I know to watch the Inside out 2 teaser trailer

[nesquikflavoredchapstick]

hair touching my face AND people are trying to change what i already put down for this project??

[ratmoved]

Ive been meaning to change my lil theme for so long and i WAS gonna have another rat oc be my pfp again but the lil paws have me very happy so it stays

[puddlestheduck1]

@ambrosius-goldheart this post you made is kind old but I wanna make art but represent autism correctly ;-; do you have any advice at all of what to avoid. This is probs a weird question but if I’m making art on something like this I wanna relates my it well. Also anyone else who sees this post can help too

[isitoctober212015yet]

hm. mob is going to alter my brain chemistry. i can tell.

[cosmicbucket]

hey hi. about nimona. yes it's 100% about being trans. but as a nonbinary autistic person? this movie was really touching in ways I didn't even realise were possible.

the entire train scene actually killed me.

"Can you please just be normal for a second? I just think it’d be ... easier if you look human."

"Easier for who?"

"For you. A lot of people aren’t as accepting as me."

then, when Ballister asks what shapeshifting feels like - if it hurts - the way Nimona responds hits very close to home on my experience with stimming.

"Honestly? I feel worse when I don’t do it. Like my insides are itchy. You know that second right before you sneeze? That’s close to it. Then I shapeshift, and I’m free."

And then. "What if you held it in?"

"... I just... sure wouldn’t be living."

not to mention in the original comic, Nimona's parents believe that she's something synonymous to a changeling - that she's something that replaced their "real child". this myth was likely born as an "explanation" for neurodivergent or developmentally disabled children. the townsfolk talk about her getting "better" in the comic. as if there's a cure for the way she is. which is something autistic people deal with all the fucking time.

to end on a more lighthearted note, "I'm not a girl. I'm a shark." was so real of Nimona. I'm so happy they kept that in from the comic, because it was real when I was younger and it's even more real to me now.

this story is a trans allegory loud and proud. I do not want to discredit that with this post. but this story also makes me, an autistic person, feel seen. and that's so fucking important in today's world.

I love this movie to pieces. Please go watch it, and remember to be kind. You will change someone's life for the better.

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Sword gays showdown, round 2, bracket three

Propaganda:

For Xie Lian:

The BIGGEST nerd about swords and swordfighting and martial arts it's his special interest and he's incredibly good at it! He ascended to godhood because of his prowess. He can literally defeat people with powers in swordfighting at a time he has no powers of his own. Talks people's ears off about swordfighting and recommends what specific weapon is best for them. Definitely has sword related trauma for *reasons* and doesn't like actually using them to harm anymore, but that doesn't mean he's not still incredibly skilled at using them when he needs to. And he'll still gush over any sword you give him to look at ❤️. A great quote from the book is: The Flower-Crowned Martial God: Sword in one hand, flower in the other. [they] only remembered the flower, but had forgotten:  Xie Lian ascended because of his sword.

Xie Lian basically has a special interest in swords. He's literally so good at using swords that the only person on par with him was the Heavenly Emperor and that was when he was 17!!!! He is LITERALLY "The Flower Crowned Martial God, Sword in One Hand, Flower in the Other". He knows everything about every kind of sword and all the history of every sort of legendary sword. His husband gifts him a whole armory full of swords and he spends a few hours geeking out about it. He's so good at swords he came up with a special technique to absorb the blow from two other swords so that only he himself is harmed but the other two he's trying to get to stop fighting Aren't harmed, and it's so special that he's *recognized* by it even after centuries. He also got stabbed by a sword a hundred times in one night does that count. He REALLY loves swords and is SO good at swords. He's the sword boy.

He is so incredibly autistic about swords. The author descibes him as a sword otaku. He canonically had a massive collection of swords in his youth that he carted around everywhere and wore a different one each day so they would all be appreciated. His love interests most successful flirtation was showing him his armory and just letting him run around picking everything up and infodumping about swords for several hours. Also he could wreck anyone. AND he's gay.

For Ballister:

he could tell when his sword was switched out for a fake, graduated top of his class so we know he's a good fighter, also the scene where he's fighting is hot because he's so confident with a sword in his hand, also he's gay

A canonically gay, disabled, South Asian man takes down the government with his genderqueer shapeshifter sidekick/adopted daughter! He has a swordfight with his ex-boyfriend! in which he defeats about 20 knights singlehandedly! 

top of his knight class this man is a master swordsman

(Movie) He has used a sword since he broke into the Institutes training ground and ended up becoming a knight

He has very divorced vibes with Ambrosius and he uses a sword.

He's a legit knight! So, it's in the fine print.

According to the Nimona movie, Ballister here has been practicing the art of sword fighting since childhood to earn the trust of the city and he was SO CLOSE to becoming a knight. He's also definitely not dating another one of his knight mates (?). Nope. Not at all. This movie is super straight /s I think he also beats an entire army of knights with nothing but his sword and a chaotic good shapshifter so that's pretty cool. He's also south Asian, has a prosthetic arm he made himself and is honestly such a goofy guy (in a good way ofc) if that's anything.

[mooshie-blue]

🐻‍❄️CAPTAIN BARNACLES HEADCANONS🐻‍❄️

He doesn’t really know what his sexuality is, he’s attracted to all genders but doesn’t think he’s pan or bi, but he is somewhere on the ace spectrum

He’s somewere in his 30’s

He’s autistic, he stims by patting his sides with his hands and tapping his feet, he likes routine, he’s very particular about his own space, given his profession he does expect some chaos and sometimes writes about his frustrations in his captains log to settle himself down and cool off at the end of the day.

He also has PTSD from both being trapped in an ice cavern as a kid and some of the missions he and the octonauts go on. He did let the Octonauts know ahead of time and asked that they be patient with him when he has a flashback, each of them researched ways they can help him when he needs it. They all communicate with each other. The octonauts are very patient with Barnacles and he appreciates it deeply.

He’s good at taking care of and protecting kids, he’s patient and kind with them, but he has trouble actually speaking with them in a non dangerous situation. Whenever they chatter about silly stuff, he just smiles and listens.

When it comes to romance, it’s not something he thinks about a lot. When he finds someone he likes, he’ll know it. He’s had crushes in the past and has dated before but he’s not really sure how to go about it, he feels like he’s too far behind and too awkward to date.

He has very pretty handwriting, in his free time as a polar scout, he would practice cursive.

He doesn’t usually text, but when he does he sends slightly lengthy messages, he doesn’t like using acronyms like “lol” so he says stuff like “that gave me a good laugh!” Or “haha!” He likes using heart emojis because he thinks they’re cute and send a kind tone.

Despite the fact that Shellington is their main caregiver, the Vegimals also see Barnacles as a father figure. He makes them feel safe, and he’s tentative to them as well. They’re always curious about his hobbies and like joining him, like when he sings in the rain, they like watching his shadow puppet shows, they do enjoy his accordion playing (even if it’s bad sometimes)

Has very dark blue eyes, they’re very big and puppy-like, (think Ballister Boldheart from Nimona.)

His love language is words of affirmation and acts of service, he likes receiving hugs but he heavily prefers if someone asks first (claustrophobia) he also prefers initiating the hugs.

Heavy sleeper during the winter the quietness in the air puts him at ease.

Sometimes as a joke, the octonauts (especially Kwazii) call out, “O, Captain, My Captain!” When they see Barnacles, he thinks it’s funny.

Live laugh love barnacles

[variouspolltournaments]

Propaganda

Ballister Blackheart: No Propaganda Submitted

Setsuna Higashi: Grew up under a highly controlling ruler, and encountering the world of the Precure challenged everything she believed in. Nearly sacrifices herself for the villains in desperation before she accepts that it doesn’t need to be that way, and becomes a precure in the process. Takes a while to accept that her friends trust that she isn’t a villain anymore as well

Invader Zim: An autistic icon who paved the way for so many shows people praise today - Steven Universe, She-Ra Princesses of Power, Hazbin/Helluva, Owl House and so many more. Also, a non binary icon, as this beautiful small bean rocks a pink dress and on multiple occasions is the draggest of queen's. Vote Zim for the road he died paving for all the recent LGBT faves to run on.