#i think the other closest thing to it was the recent mlp infection au craze but

[natasha-in-space]

Ohhhh, I'm not big on most of the au's bc I like the og's personalities so much that I don't really get sick of them, but I do have a few that did catch my attention for sure! I honestly feel like au's were a bigger thing before the initial big summer update, because we had so little to go off of in terms of personality. It is rather amusing to see how the vast perception of the characters have changed, though. Like Frank being characterized as the standard 'grumpy' one of the group, when in reality they're actually a big sweetheart who just want everyone to be safe and out of trouble (his interactions with Julie and Poppy are so sweet fr fr). Wally's the biggest contender to this, though, lmao. There is something very enjoyable to me in being proven right that he was never some yandere manipulator who murdered all his neighbors or something like that. Especially so because I relate to his autistic traits as much as I do. Like his manner of speech being read as 'creepy' and 'menacing' when it's just the way he talks. (Shout-out to everyone with monotonous way of speaking who get told that they're either cold, sad, or creepy, I'm there with you). I am very interested to see where Clown will go with him, because I am sure Wally will do something questionable. Be it by mistake, out of desperation or isolation. He's got layers to him, and I do agree that it irks me to see him get treated as a child sometimes 💀 The man is in his late twenties, come on now.

Most of the characters in media I can only headcanon as being on the autistic spectrum, admittedly, so him being a confirmed autistic representation is honestly so important to me. (Also yes! He's canonically autistic! So is Frank and Julie!)

I'd say my favorite au's would be the Real World au by chez-cinnamon, Replaced au by kobaltt, and both the Lights Out au and Fantasy au by carnivalcarrion! I like them all a whole lot, they keep characterizations pretty close to what we have so far, and play around with them in very interesting ways. Love to see those guys put into situations, hehe. Also they are all somewhat angsty, aside from the Fantasy au. I love my angst. Oh! I also very like Infected Home au by suketchi-s! The horror and tragedy aspect is yummy, and I adore the creature design... The fandom sure is full of very creative and talented folks, no doubt about that.

I also very like Actor au by frillsand, despite it having very distinct characterizations from the original... I don't know why. I like the world building of puppets living among humans and how it affects them. I think it's the only 'sassy' Wally I actually really enjoy, because there's a reason behind his attitude. And behind it, he's still a very caring and loving soul.

Neat stuff!

akjdfkjds it's honestly always a treat to me to see that I have some Welcome Home mutuals!! Those silly guys have captured my heart ever since last April. Honestly, take this ask as an invitation to babble about it bc I wanna hear your thoughts! I'm a basic gal who's favorite is Wally bc of his autism 😔 Like I saw that man and went: me. That is me. We are kindred spirits. He's my bestie and I love him. Very excited to see him going through the horrors (I will cry). Also Eddie has really grown on me! He's such a lovable fella, he deserves a good break fr fr. Sally is an icon as well, and as a fellow musical theater nerd, I support all of her hustle.

Honestly, they all have so much personality that I would legit watch a real show with them, horror elements be damned. It's also lovely to see queer centric stories receive so much love and support <3

I too am a basic gal whos favorite is wally, and probably for similar reasons! I do agree with you, wally is definitely autistic in my eyes, and we would probably be the best of buds if he was real. I'm excited to see all of them go through the horrors, but especially Wally and Eddie. But at the same time, PLEASEEEE GIVE THEM A BREAKK. Gonna use this as an excuse to ramble about the au side of the fandom because why not :3 I got super into the fandom side of welcome home last spring, specifically the au side. I think the fall of some of the better known au's kind of killed part of the fan base, but honestly, people shouldn't let some bad creators ruin an entire fandom for them. I do miss seeing more of the au's, ngl. It was so much fun, even if it was SO HARD to keep track of the aus. (There were like over 1,000 aus. What is this, the undertale fandom? /j) At some point I had ideas for an au as well, but i'm pretty sure i've entirely forgotten them by now 😭 (This is why we write down our ideas, BUT I STILL HAVEN'T CAUGHT ONTO THAT YET.) Also, Id totally watch a real show with them. There's a lot of interesting aspects that I think could translate well into 2d or 3d animation, especially the horror elements. I love seeing queer centric projects like these as well, especially when it's not over-stereotyped. Stories like this deserve all the love and support that other stories get, and I do hope we see more projects like this down the line.