#not even a collector. I think I'm just autistic.

[keitheaverage]

MLaaTR/Barbie joint fans when they learn that when Takara-Tomy lost their licensing to Barbie from Mattel in 1986, they continued making the dolls and changed her name to Jenny: Hey did you know that when Takara-Tomy lost the licensing to Barbie from Mattel in 1986, they continued making the dolls and changed her name to Jenny?? Like how XJ-9 changed her name to Jenny? Isn't that coincidence just soooo crazy?

[not-5-rats]

Why do you hurt my heart so excellently with your angst writings? You’re raising the bar too high for us other writers to keep up. /j

Also, do you have any fluff headcanons about the gator lads?

Awwwwwh!!! No stop I'm blushing <33 /lh

Ik it was silly joke but please remember your writing is amazing <33

If Fluff is what you want then Fluff it shall be!

Fluff HC for the Gator Boys!

I like to think Bodie's love languages (romantic or platonic) are quality time and acts of service, not sure why, he just seems like when he cares about somebody he constantly invites them to do EVERYTHING with him

He won't force people to go with him, he won't follow people around like a hurt dog but if he's off to do something he puts out the offer. Everytime he goes somewhere he's just like "Well Bug I was just going off to *insert wtv he's doing*, you wanna come with?"

Or if there's something around the house he notices needs done, like sweeping or smth Bodie's on it. Bug's thinking of painting their walls? Bodie's done it. He does loads of little things just to make Bugs like that lil bit easier

If Bug can't sleep, or is cold, or even just feeling a bit down or wanting a hug then Bodie will let them curl up in his arms, their head rests against his chest or shoulder and they just sit there. Nobody says anything, they just sit in peaceful silence they're just happy to be near each other

Bodie and Marco have 'tea parties' whenever Marco's home. I mean they sit in Bodie's house with their little cups of tea and some biscuits, and they talk about what Marco's seen when he was away or how Bodie and Timmy have been. It's so sweet <3

Speaking of tea and Marco, they're a tea collector. I mean bro travels the lands, he finds odd or local teas and brings them back so them and Bodie can try them (sometimes Timmy joins but I don't see him as a huge tea person)

If Bug (or anyone else) can't sleep Marco'll sit with them and tell stories/ tales from the places they've been. Whether it be mythology or their own experiences they have endless stories to share

Has a basic understanding of flower language, so sometimes if they visit but nobodies home they'll leave a little bundle of flowers to remind people that they care

Marco and I are married

Marco loves holding hands, there's just something so innocent and sweet about it. Like holding hands is the purest form of affection there is to them

Timmy's a sneaky lil boy, so sometimes when Marco finally returns and doesn't notice him Timmy'll hide in the trees and suddenly launch himself onto Marcos shoulders...they've stopped being suprised by it

Timmy sits on the ground rambling bout his crystals whilst Bug sits on some form of raised platform behind him and gently braids/ unbraids his hair. It's so sweet and they both feel so safe

He does that thing when he goes up behind people and he wraps around them like a koala on a tree (especially Bodie & Bug)

He may seem like a ball of confidence but you do so much as wink at that lil guy and he's silent. He just goes silent and burns up instantly

Timmys autistic and (like me) he constantly wants to chew on things, so Bug made him a chewy necklace. Like a leather necklace with one of those chewy jewels on the end of it (they have matching ones)

Timmy forced Bodie to watch as he learned to do a cartwheel, Bodie didn't mind honestly he was pretty proud when Timmy finally managed to do it

They're all sweethearts and I adore them with my entier lil soul <3

That's it, that's all you get!! (...I'll be back, maybe angst maybe fluff you'll find out)

[salvadorbonaparte]

2024 in Films - Part III

I watched a lot of stuff again, some even for grad school.

August

Lola Rennt (1998) - banger soundtrack and editing

Vertigo (1958) - the most boring of the Hitchcock films I've seen so far

A League of Their Own (1992) - makes me want to watch baseball

White Men Can't Jump (1992) - did not expect jeopardy to be so important in this film, also loved the fashion

The Fall Guy (2024) - my mum loves the original series so we had to watch this and I had an amazing time

Blinded by the Light (2019) - the dialogue is strange at times but a banger soundtrack (obviously) and some amazing editing, very uplifting and I watched this on my flight to the US btw

Good Will Hunting (1997) - I watched this during my first week in Massachusetts before starting grad school here

Alien3 (1992) - this film says so much about gender, actually

Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears (1973) - taking lots of liberties with Texan history and also surprising homoerotic subtext

September

Causeway (2022) - a film that I originally only found meh but then kept thinking about all the time

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) - equally blood libel as the og with an added bonus of cycle of violence, might write an essay about this

Sleepaway Camp (1983) - another horror film that says so much about gender and I could write an entire essay about it

My Best Fiend (1999) - Werner Herzog must be studied under a microscope

We're All Going to the World's Fair (2021) - not as good as I saw the tv glow imo but asking some important questions about online communities and reality

Jacob the Liar (1974) - the film felt a little too empty but I also don't want to say something negative because I am still angry about a bad review I saw

Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson (2024) - absolutely transformed the way I think about stand up comedy

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) - the old lie dulce et decorum est pro patria mori

The Shock (1923) - as ableist and racist as you expect from the 20s but with a great performance from Lon Chaney

Trap (2024) - I actually really enjoyed this, even though I was waiting for an even crazier plot twist

Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll (2014) - a documentary that nearly made me cry

Hudson Hawk (1991) - technically a rewatch but I need to speak my truth and it's that I like this film

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) - I have so many issues that this would take an entire post or even conference paper

The Russians Are Coming! The Russians are Coming! (1966) - had me in stitches half the time, I love a good cold war comedy

The Bone Collector (1999) - spooky!

Monkey Shines (1988) - also horror and gender but also silly

Death in Venice (1971) - boring :/

October

UPSIDEdown (2013) - I watched this one twice, once with the director, also had lunch and coffee with him, I had an issue at first with how child protection service is portrayed but that part is apparently real, also he cast a neurodivergent kid, which is awesome

The Master (2012) - I love when men are also poorly trained attack dogs, also can you imagine sending that guy to the cult from Midsommar? Also still haunted by Philip Seymour Hoffman

Like Stars on Earth (2007) - neurodivergent kids need neurodivergent role models!!!

The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum (1975) - I have so much to say about this tbh

Farewell Disco (1990) - at first I found this kinda boring but then I was also enchanted by the inclusion of Sorbian culture

The Kangaroo Conspiracy (2022) - just read the books

November (so far)

Srikanth (2024) - fairly standard biopic, meanders a bit but solid soundtrack and performance

Innocent Witness (2019) - this one impressed me so much I recommended it to multiple people, also I'm an autistic person who is besties with my lawyer so bonus points for that, I could talk a lot about this too

Hunt (2022) - Probably less confusing if you know more about Korean history, fun plot twist and imo some homoerotic tension

Scarlett Innocence (2014) - tbh I didn't even watch the whole thing because I don't go for erotic thrillers, I just watched the scenes where Jung Woo Sung is a poor little meow meow

Inseperable Bros (2019) - some dialogue was a bit awkward but that might have been the translation, I like that this was about interabled platonic relationships

Remember You (2016) - the first plot twist is predictable as hell but the second one hit me in the face like a brick

The Childe (2023) - Kim Seon-ho has the range (creepy and babygirl) (covered in blood and coughing up blood)

The Good The Bad The Weird (2008) - not only the best western I've ever seen but also one of the best films I've seen this year at all

Sympathy for Mr Vengeance (2002) - very unsatisfying, but in a good way

[9leaguesofmirrors]

My Favourite Reece Shearsmith Characters

So it's Reece Shearsmith's birthday today, so I decided to celebrate this by sharing some of my favourite characters played by this fantastically talented actor

These are in no particular order

Gregory Brewster - Him Indoors

Him Indoors is a short film about a serial killer with agoraphobia. Not only is the premise very interesting, Reece delivers a chilling yet very entertaining performance as the main character. It's on YouTube if you want to watch it, which I highly reccomend you do!

Tommy - Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room

This HAD to be on the list! Reece's performance as Tommy is heartbreaking, we watch a man seems to put-together and serious slowly fall apart and lose control of his calm façade - impeccable work

Sean Stone - Chasing Shadows

Admittedly, I don't know where the watch the full show, but I have seen clips and I knew I had to put it on this list because of Reece's portrayal of an autistic person. You can tell he put a lot of thought and research into it in order to give a realistic performance, which is a testament to his dedication and how much he truly cares about the roles he plays and who he's representing

Tyler - Riddle Of The Sphinx SPOILERS BELOW

If there's one thing Reece is good at, it's how to play a chilling villain. Everything about Tyler is unnerving and he manages to be terrifying without being loud or angry all the time. It's measured and the emotion builds and builds - fantastic work!

Joseph Lisgoe - The League Of Gentlemen

I've mentioned before that the debt collectors were underused, and I simply had to talk about how extraordinary Reece's performance as Lisgoe was. He completely dives into the roles he plays and this one was no exception, not even a light smashing on his closest friend stops him from carrying on a scene (just check out the outtakes!), he simply embodies the part and delivers a performance that terrifies the cast, crew and the audience

Laurence - Merrily Merrily SPOILERS BELOW

Merrily Merrily is an Inside No. 9 episode that I can never rewatched because of how empty it made me feel - and I mean that in the best way possible! Laurence is wracked with pain over the loss of his late partner, and Reece delivers such a subtle yet haunting performance that I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about it

Ross Gaines - The League of Gentlemen

Ross is such a fun character because of how manipulative, calculating and cold he is. Not only does it set him apart from the other inhabitants of Royston Vasey, it makes his scenes with Pauline all the more tense and entertaining - and Reece really does deliver in the role. I'm glad they decided to go with this casting choice

Aiden - Thinking Out Loud

Like with Laurence, Reece delivers a hauntingly stellar performance. What makes this one really special is that it's a monologue. There's nobody for him to bounce off of or react to, he has to reach those emotions himself. And, as always, he nails it

Ollie Plimsolls - The League Of Gentlemen

I've said before that I think Ollie is one of the most cleverly written League characters and I stand by that. As a representation of the Saviour Complex and self-righteousness of people in theatre, Ollie is a character that should be easy to hate... but because of Reece's expert comedic timing and delivery, he ends up being so funny that you can't help but laugh every time he's onscreen

SPECIAL MENTION: Gilbert - Betty Blue Eyes

Reece Shearsmith said in an interview that he wasn't a great singer. Reece Shearsmith is a liar. Don't believe me? Listen to The Kind Of Man I Am from Betty Blue Eyes and thank me later

Also, if you can find it, there's a short bootleg of him in The Producers which is good too!

Of course, this are just a few of his performances and he's never delivered a bad one - whether he's playing a comedic character like Archie in The Bill or a more serious one like in Borley Rectory. And we haven't even touched on his writing skills, I can't wait to see what he does next!

[eeveeswordsman]

Don Quixote Limbus Company

I'm going insane here I started thinking about Don Quixote Limbus Company, my favorite sinner, and thought of something that has me so curious about her, something that doesn't make any sense to me.

So, Fixers, right? One of the major jobs we know in The City, and one of Don Quixote's major character traits. She's obsessed with them, and has merch of several fixers that she decorates her jacket with, and extensive autistic knowledge about them.

Additionally it's not just that she's a collector of merchandise, but actively idolizes them, taking every opportunity where they come up to gush about how she looks up to and idolizes and wants to be just like the Brave and Noble fixers of the city.

So why isn't she a fixer?

Obviously she can't be a fixer because she's a Sinner right now, but what about beforehand? What was keeping her from becoming a fixer before joining the company? Because if she was a fixer all her idolization wouldn't make sense, with how much she looks up to them and wants to be like them. If she "wants to be brave and noble like them" why would she not be one, when she's definitely old enough and fit enough to be one.

Surely if she was a fixer herself she'd talk about how cool it is to be one, or brag about being one, her office, her accomplishments, but nothing.

You might say oh she's just idolizing higher level fixers like colors, but she's been generally like this with like the concept of Fixers in general, not just higher levels like Colors and Grade 1s, and if she were a fixer, just a lower grade one, the way she talks about them still doesn't make sense, why would she sound so detached from being one if she were one? She acts the way she does to be like Fixers, not to be like any specific or high level fixers, but Like Fixers in a general sense, as if she's a fangirl looking on from a distance rather than participating.

I have two theories about what this could mean.

The first is that it's straightforward, something has prevented her from becoming a fixer in the past, though what could hold her back from such an apparently easy goal is a mystery.

The second, however is that she was in fact a fixer in the past, and something happened to her or her office that caused her to block that out, or try to act like it didn't happen, or even she just straight up forgot, and it's possible this "trauma" might relate to her "Windmill" (Which might be connected to the slight carnival carousel theming she kind of has in the background, but we'll have to wait and see)

The third option, of course, would be that the whole "fixer fangirl" behavior is part of her "brave and noble hero" persona she's putting on, but either she's really committed to the bit to go out of the way to amass the merchandise and knowledge about them that she has, or that part is at least on some level genuine.

Thinking about this makes me all the more excited for her eventual chapter, since I want to get into the odd layers her character seems to have. It's possible I'm completely missing or forgetting something, but it just strikes me as odd.

[littleraccooncarl]

Actually, I'm going to copy and paste this entire Q&A that Zachariah OHora did last month.

PBS Wisconsin: What inspired you to create Carl the Collector?

OHora: I originally had this character of Carl who collected stuff and who was a raccoon. And, often I get characters who I don’t really know what to do with for a long time. At the same time, my two boys … were starting school, and we live in an area where we’re lucky enough to have inclusion schools. I didn’t know what that was at the time. Inclusion schools are sort of this philosophy of democratic access for all kids in the school district to have the same access to education as everybody else, no matter what their needs are, in the same amount of teacher time, same amount of class social interaction time. So that means that whatever kids need they get, and that could just be certain accommodations like time out of class or up to having an aide full-time in the class with them.

My son Oscar was just friends with everybody. And there was a kid in his class who was on the autism spectrum. It was just like a lightbulb moment because Oscar didn’t see any difference. It was like, “Hey, this is my friend. Sometimes he needs to take a break in class.” It was all the same to him. And it was such a lightbulb moment for me that with all neurodiverse people that you encounter in life that the earlier you get exposure to them and for them to be able to socialize with everybody else, the better it is for everybody.

PBS Wisconsin: How is that reflected in the series?

OHora: The goal of Carl the Collector is to just show the whole spectrum of humanity as it is. And, hopefully that reflection also sows seeds of empathy for the struggles that people have. And at the same time, the overall idea is that just like we have cutout curbs for sidewalks, for people with mobility issues, that when we understand neurodiversity better that all of, if society can shift a little bit, we’re all going to benefit. Society will benefit from people who think a different way, and they obviously will benefit too by being more integrated into society.

PBS Wisconsin: How did this character and his story evolve from there?

OHora: My background is writing and illustrating picture books. So, whenever I come up with characters, it’s to eventually come up with a story, to make a book. At the same time, PBS had reached out to me, and they were looking for creators that were sort of outside of their normal creative pool for new show ideas. So, we kind of worked on that together, and then it just kind of clicked.

PBS Wisconsin: Can you relate to Carl?

OHora: I’m a collector. I probably have 3,000 or 4,000 vinyl records, and I collected comic books as a kid. And, my oldest son, too, was really into collecting at the time. It got to the point where we weren’t even collecting actual things sometimes. We were collecting containers for potential future collections that didn’t exist yet, which I really identified with.

PBS Wisconsin: How was the experience for you working on this story then, knowing that this would be a TV series rather than a book?

OHora: It was a long process. It’s been a little over nine years since we started talking. I knew nothing about animation or television production or any of that stuff, but at the same time, PBS KIDS was the perfect home for this idea and to incubate it as they really care about authentic representation, getting things right, empathy, all the themes of the show is what PBS is all about. It just made perfect sense and … it kind of seemed like the only place that a show like this would actually happen.

PBS Wisconsin: Integration is really at the core of this new series.

OHora: It’s really all the way through any character that we show who is on the spectrum. The voice actor is also autistic. We have autistic writers, the experts on the show, even one of our autism experts is on the spectrum. And, amazingly enough, he collects argyle sweater vests just like Carl does. Everybody that’s involved with the show has some connection with the autism spectrum. So, it’s really drawing on all those people’s personal experiences and their points of view. It makes it a really authentic representation, that I can’t imagine any other place would take the amount of time and effort to make sure that we get it right.

PBS Wisconsin: What was your role in the creation of the series?

OHora: I did the original character designs, and whenever we have a new character, most of the time I’ll do the initial design of that character. The entire backdrop of it is Fuzzytown, and that is based on my town where I live in Narberth, Pennsylvania.

PBS Wisconsin: What is your ultimate hope for this series?

OHora: My hope is that neurodiverse kids, kids with neurodiverse members of their family and neurotypical kids all see themselves in the show. It’s an ensemble cast of kids. I hope that it’s a fun and funny enough show. There are little Easter eggs for adults, too, that parents are going to not mind sitting down and watching this show with their kids, and enjoy it just as much.

For adults, it seems like a lot of adults with autism love animation, and I love animation as an adult, so I really hope that there’s no age limit on who enjoys the show. But the main thing is just that it spreads more empathy for the struggles that everybody’s going through, particularly in beginning school-age kids, whether they’re neurodiverse or not, trying to figure out their self-identity and sort of find their way in a larger world that they’re being exposed to.

[magpiemagica]

COMMON PBS KIDS W!!

Carl the Collector, their new series about a raccoon boy who like to collect things, stars an autistic boy in the lead roll. Alongside that, he also has a fox friend on the spectrum.

Carl's voice actor is also autistic and there are autistic people present every step of the production process.

This is such a win for disability representation in children's programming. Honestly, I'm not surprised. PBS KIDS has always been a strong ally to our community and even the autism episodes from a while ago like in Arthur still hold up pretty well. Their commitment to kindness and respect does not go unnoticed!!

(Long Side Note: This relates to my fear surrounding my fear of Project 2025, a multi year plan created by The Heritage Project of the American GOP/right wing party. This plan is facist in nature (I recommend doing your own research, I am not saying this lightly) and one of its plans would be the abolishment of The Department of Education (Section 3, Part 11, page 319) You know the ones that help fund PBS Kids? This is rationalized by fear of the "inappropriate political indoctrination of our children" with an emphasis on “traditional families” and “rejecting gender ideology and critical race theory”. Critical race theory is the societal discussion of race and ethnicity btw. Same with "gender ideology". I usually don’t get political on my blog because it is supposed to be my happy place. So much shit is happening internationally and nationally right now that I want a place where I can just rant about stuff that's less serious, you know? But I feel like I need to bring this up when talking about PBS.

The United States is a multicultural country. Seeing a diverse group of kids on TV isn't indoctrination and people existing in a way different from you isn't a personal attack. It's just how people exist. Families speak multiple languages. Kids can be raised by a single parent, a mom and dad, or two moms/dads. People are different from each other; they have different physical features, wear different clothes, have different voices, and navigate their lives in different ways. And that is what makes humanity so vast and special. Kids deserve to see people who look like them, act like them, and have backgrounds like them on screen. And people who don’t represent them as well. I don’t like to “stan” companies or organizations. However, PBS Kids is putting in the work to bring comfort and education to children all over the country and I think that's pretty awesome. You can tell by watching these shows the care that was put in and I really hope that PBS Kids is still around by the time I graduate college. I would love to work there. PBS Kids brought me so much joy as a kid, growing up with shows like Super Why, Sid the Science Kid, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Dinosaur Train, and of course, Sesame Street. I hope children today are having that same experience with these shows <3)

[mythicmin]

Hey! Could I get a matchup please? I'd like it to be a bit smutty plz <3

I'm an autistic queer guy who uses any pronouns and who has a preference for dudes! My personality varies on how I interact with certain people. I shut off around people who I don't click with but my true personality comes out the moment I start to like someone. I love to joke around and blab out whatever thoughts bump around in my brain. I'm a dedicated collector of all things weird and obscure. I get irritated real easy so I'm a bit of a hothead. I'm pretty clumsy and forgetful. I've got a raggedy punk-ish aesthetic with tons of jangly chains and pins and patches! Also, I never shut up! BTW!! I adore the way you write and I trust that you'll give me a stunning matchup!

hehehe… this one i had fun with.

cw: slight breeding , mentions of daddy kink , i think that’s it.

i choose… REAPER

okay hear me out… at first it may not make sense. y’all seem like you would clash, BUT! i think that makes it even better. enemies to lovers some might sayyy???

i feel like, reaper would find it absolutely adorable when you get upset or pouty over small things. he’d just chuckle to himself about it. he’s a fairly quiet guy, so you talking all the time might just be something he needs in his life. it’s a distraction, and i feel like he’d just love to listen to you tbh. but only you. everyone else can kick rocks LOL.

your aesthetic??? hello??? it’s screaming ‘i need a dark daddy please.’ and here, reaper is ready to deliver JUST THAT.

now, when you mouth off jus a lil too much he’s not afraid to put you in your place. the chains aren’t only good for your outfits. reaper DEFINITELY has a thing for taking you from behind after you’ve been in a huffy mood all day.

“good little pets deserve to see their daddy, bad dolls get their face shoved in the pillows.”

NOW LET ME TELL YOU. BRO DEFINITELY WANTS TO CUM IN YOU, ON YOU, EVERYWHERE ON YOU. he’s marking his territory, you’re his, and only his.

the bruises on your hips, legs, and neck are proof of that ❤︎︎

[bilesproblems]

Welcome to Mspec Lesbian Problems, an mspec lesbian blog centered around the struggles we face

New to bi lesbians? Here's some info!

About the blog:

This blog accepts mspec/bi/pan/poly/omni lesbians and is focused on positivity for us

This blog accepts lesboys and other gender variant lesbians, even if not centered on them

This blog also accepts all queer identities. Even the ones that don't make sense. That includes sex favorable aces and romance favorable aros, orchid aces and orchid aros, xenogenders, all aspecs, etc.

This blog is stanceless on syscourse, shipcourse, self dx validity, and other discourse that isn't specifically queer discourse. I have my own opinions but I want this blog to be a safe space for all mspec lesbians even if I don't personally agree with them on other aspects of their identity, or don't agree with their opinions on what is and isn't valid. I can go have a fit about it on my personal blog. Radqueers are on thin ice but I don't post about them here

I said before I would not explain mspec lesbians but I changed my mind I can do that. Check for explanations already posted though like pls. I don't like explaining constantly I just volunteered because I felt like some explanations were... Not as thorough as I could explain them. And sometimes my experience would be overlooked. I conveniently placed a link to a post with more links that has several expos

Discourse won't be tolerated, this is a SAFE SPACE. Like I said on point 4, I can go have a fit on my main blog about my own opinions.

Ableism won't be tolerated either. Using words like the r-slur, c-slur (unless it's being reclaimed) psycho(path) or sociopath or psychotic as insults, narcissist as an insult, autistic as an insult, using "delulu" to water down delusions, or anything that equates disorders to character flaws, is strictly not allowed

You may submit your own struggles thru the ask machine.

About the blog runner:

I am a bi lesbian, poly lesbian, pan lesbian, omni lesbian, neptunic, and lunian. I do use the SAM, but not traditionally. I'm asexual, bi, poly, and lesbian demiromantic, omniaesthetic and panplatonic.

I am a full moon springtide lunian/bi lesbian/poly lesbian, meaning I am not attracted to men. Exceptions may apply to partial men who are also at least partially women. I am also a waxing gibbous springtide lunian/pan lesbian/omni lesbian, meaning I experience pan and omni tertiary attraction that feels meaningful to label. But I do accept all mspec lesbians, not just the ones like me.

You can call me Red, because I use Redtail as my online persona on most things including my main account, or Lun (pronounced loon) for this blog.

I am bigender, and possibly genderfae. I am a hypergirl and aporagender I use she/her and they/them pronouns.

I am self-diagnosed autistic and suspect potential ADHD. I am trying to get a diagnosis but the waits for getting an appointment are ridiculous

I am a young adult at 18, and for the majority of this blog's existence I have been a minor

I personally identify as critinclus because I do feel I'd need to understand someone before accepting them fully, although sometimes I also think of myself as radinclus because I can get behind most people's reasoning. But even those I don't understand are included on this blog

My main account is @redtail-lol

I'm a term collector, and the transition from "normal about labels" to "almost compulsively adding more" started with being a bi lesbian.

[finsterhund]

ALSO not naming names (of this person)

This can be a very sensitive topic though, because not all stuffed animals even handmade ones, are specifically art dolls, not everyone keeps their stuffed animals on display. Some people most notably children, are going to be loving and appreciating toys in ways that may seem rough to some people and the idea that "you shouldn't tell artists you're giving their stuffed animals to pets" because "animals can potentially destroy them from loving them too hard" can just as easily make people feel extremely hurt about the general wear and tear they themselves might give the toy themselves.

Because ultimately nothing lasts forever and to be loved is to be changed. That and humans are animals too and that accidents can and will happen.

This is coming from me, an autistic boy who did in fact chew on his most beloved stuffed animals, because it helped me self soothe as a neglected neurodivergent child, but nowadays I feel legitimate grief and guilt for having done so because it's been equated to violence (and abuse).

A relatively modern mentality to get big in toy collecting is keeping one's collection as perfect and pristine as possible which unfortunately does make for an air of guilt and shame around those who don't just have theirs for display but give them physical attention too. I'm not saying that we should be giving away handmade pieces willynilly and not caring if they're handled with care and respect, but wear and damage are things to be expected from a toy that's going to see some action. Essentially an unintended message of "don't give these toys to animals, they'll get destroyed" is shame towards anyone, particularly those on the younger side, if they love on their stuffy too much. Which may discourage someone from getting a stuffed animal from an artist and instead pick out something mass produced because they don't think they deserve the former. Because they're just going to "destroy it" anyway.

Not at all saying this was OP's intent, but whenever I see people bringing up how soft sculpture is a collectors item or an art piece so that they mustn't be x y or z it does make me feel unwelcome in these spaces as someone who needs to hold and feel and pet and bring his friends out and about. I'm also not saying that collecting toys and never playing with them is wrong either. People are different. Animals are different. Sometimes we aren't consciously aware of how someone else's notions are different than our own.

My favourite special interest comfort object stuffed animals today are both beautiful handmade artist designed soft sculptures and I am legitimately petrified of destroying them even though the artist herself openly wanted her creations to be loved and get use out of them so it's. Idk. A difficult situation.

Additionally, and back on the subject of how somebody else's notions can be different from our own, the "a toy for a pet is intended to be destroyed. This isn't a compliment" is an assumption rather than fact. A toy for chewing or tugging is meant to be destroyed, yes, but especially in mammals, a toy intended for cuddle and downtime emotional regulation is extremely beneficial even if you have to train the individual to fully understand the concept at first. Which if anything makes this a misunderstanding. For someone who's used to their dog bringing his lovey to bed every night may not realize that a stuffed animal artist who lives with Buster Destroyer of Socks wouldn't have positive connotations being told their toy is in proximity of a pet. Without the added context. And vice versa.

You seem to go into this automatically assuming a pet is going to destroy a toy, which from my experience is a relatively alien concept, I've only recently had dogs who are destructive chewers and them destroying their toys is a NOVELTY TO ME that hasn't gotten old yet. My entire life for the most part has been dogs that are about as rough with their toys as the average seven year old. So it's reasonable to assume good intentions and that these pet owners aren't adding your own personal addendums of "so that they can chew on it and pull it apart" to their statements by default, and that this isn't something that crosses their minds even potentially. Despite it being the case for you.

I think the go to for this topic to avoid hurt feelings is for artists to set age ranges and care guides for their designs and for people to specify that the toy is being well looked after by their current owner. That way it can get rid of assumptions on both ends. The page on my stuffed sculptures artist's website explaining how to clean and repair many of her designs legitimately helps me feel better about potentially needing to someday. She understood that life can be rough and for many a stuffed animal is the protector and comfort during these dark times. Protectors and comforters don't always get away without scars.

I guess I feel the need to chime in on this (and sorry for the wall of text) because this mentality does indirectly dehumanize people who may be rougher (than neurotypicals) on things they care about. I know this is also a larger issue in toy collecting as a whole with a lot of "normies" treating individuals who were loved too hard as like "Body Horror" or something. I remember reading something, possibly owner of Bohug specifically, that they were hurt by mean comments about the appearance of the original Bohug(?) (if this wasn't Bohug I apologize my memory is shit) but as someone with a toy in a similar appearance as the original Bohug I've often been made to feel bad and somehow morally judged for him showing his age quite as much as he does.

It's not nice having another child think the closest thing you have to a parent looks "creepy" because they ended up bearing the brunt of your neglect-induced behavioral issues.

I'd also like to point out that the notion that pets destroying their toys is "the default" is also disingenuous. Pets likely don't intentionally ruin things for the thrill of it and going into this with the assumption that it's deliberate and inevitable may contribute to assigning too much blame on a naughty pet for getting into something they shouldn't.

I'd also like to point out this quote from Maurice Sendak:

“Once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children’s letters — sometimes very hastily — but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, “Dear Jim: I loved your card.” Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said, “Jim loved your card so much he ate it.” That to me was one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received. He didn’t care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.”

and yeah, it is important to note that there are not just animals of different species, but fellow humans, who may have love languages we might not understand.

And as someone just starting to dabble in soft sculpture himself, I think personally that I'd rather have a dozen of my pieces be the tatty dragged around comfort object brought for reassurance every chemo appointment and torn up by tooth and washing machine alike than dozens sitting on shelves either because of a scalper or an inaccessible price tag.

Anyways this post is in memory of the original Mister Pengin. The first year of grief I regretted him being cremated with Cazza, and not keeping him. But you know what? She needed him, she loved him, and I don't regret it anymore.

(And for the record, other than some slobber... not a hair on his head was ever harmed)

[lavvythejackalope]

I just remembered something funny that happened to me a year or so ago.

For those who don't know, I was under the impression that i was a Very Normal neurotypical person for the first couple decades of my life.

My mother and I were the only two people on this green planet who were under this impression, which is clearer in retrospect. But around age 30 I started learning more, reading more about it, and kinda got slapped with the realization all at once: yeah babe, you're some kinda flavor of autistic/divergent. We dunno what kind, but neutorypical ain't on the table. So the last couple years have been me sorta... learning to accept that, and examining a lot of things about myself that I'd kind of unconsciously ignored or swept under the rug before. It's a little unsettling at times, but other times it's kinda fun to find out that these experiences have names and that some people feel the same way, and that lots of people don't. All very new to me.

So anyway, I was working as a compost collector (think garbage man but only the stinky stuff) and was stopped to have a conversation with a very lovely, friendly fellow who was a neighbor of one of my pickups. He was pretty clearly also some flavor of neurodivergent (impressively so, since it was clear even to me). While we were chatting, I had to ask him to repeat himself a couple times because of traffic, which wasn't loud or frequent. I explained that I could hear his voice, but it was difficult to differentiate the words he was using. This was the first time I was told about auditory processing disorder, as this fellow merrily explained it to me, and added that it was "A very common thing for people like us."

What a wild, wild experience it was for me to hear those words. "people like us." At that moment, I wasn't even certain what he meant, because I was still tangling with this being part of my identity. It wasn't until we parted ways and I was driving off to my next stop that I thought, "Oh. He's autistic. I'M autistic." And to feel so immediately seen (clocked?) by someone else who was a stranger to me, but recognized these aspects of me seemingly at a glance, because they were familiar to him. I really hope he's doing well, I never ended up seeing him again after I left the job.

I didn't think too much about the encounter. I had a lot on my plate at the time. But I have a shit memory, so the fact I remember it at all is a testament to how much that interaction stuck out to me. It took me a long time to admit how alien I often felt around other people growing up. The feeling has lessened not because I conformed more or became better at understanding social situations, but because I ended up surrounding myself with a ring of lovely people who are pretty much also all some flavor of divergent, who didn't need me to dance the social dances with them. In retrospect, though, those words from that older gent who I only met once really stuck with me.

It's a very common thing, for people like us.

[a-sip-of-milo]

do you think it's possible to have 5 different personality disorders? /genq i was diagnosed with bpd, npd & avpd, but i also fit the criteria for ppd and dpd.

i might just be over-worrying bc of this fdc shit. i have a lot of diagnosed disabilities & also fit diagnostic criteria for multiple others. all i see is them shaming people for having multiple/"a lot" of disabilities. and calling us "disorder collectors" or whatever shit.

like i know that they're just extremely ignorant because a lot of disorders have comorbidities & i'm also autistic with c-ptsd, which come with a LOT of comorbidities. but i still have that annoying seed of self-doubt planted in my head.

r/fdc is full of closed minded people who fakclaim anyone who doesn't fit their perception of normal/dares to challenge their views. I even saw a heap of the members throw a tantrum because someone saw being on there as an achievement rather than getting upset over it! Their sole aim is to hurt your feelings <3

As for your original question, I absolutely think it's possible.

[daughter-of-sapph0]

I've noticed that allistic people will jump through all sorts of hoops to call people autistic without actually saying they're autistic. because if they admit they're autistic, then they'll be admitting that they're ablist for bullying them

like, they'll use "Steven Universe fan" "buzzfeed millennial" "Bluey watcher" "Lego builder" "competitive pokemon player" "watch mojo voice" "squishmallow collector" "fidget spinner" "poppit" "off the meds" "gifted kid" "hand flapper" "can't sit still" and tons more weird hyperspecific things (some of which don't actually apply to them). but they absolutely refuse to call them autistic.

like an actual conversation I had the other day

someone: "why are you playing that game on your phone? isn't that for kids?" (it was a cookie clicker clone)

me: I don't see an age limit on it

someone: "it's just kinda weird. what's the point"

me: there is no point. it's just relaxing.

someone: "I think it's stupid that you're playing it. it's cringe"

me: okay? I don't care? I'm autistic. I do things that you think are "cringe" sometimes.

someone: "you're not autistic" *walks away*

like, they refuse to call me autistic after I literally tell them I'm autistic. like, even after seeing me admit to playing a moblie clicker game and not make eye contact at all, they would rather say I'm just a weirdo so they can call me "cringe" without feeling bad, rather than listen to me and admit to themselves that they were just bullying someone for being autistic.

and this happens all the fucking time online. people will see a person acting "cringe" or "weird" to them, and want to have an excuse to bully that person. so they'll say shit like "I bet you like Steven Universe" or "do you collect stuffed animals?" when those topics are completely unrelated to anything. like, they see those things as negative because they associate those things with autism, and they see that person as negative because they associate that person with autism. but they can't admit that either of those things are stereotypes. and they can't admit that either of those things are actually autistic. because if they do, they'll have to admit that they're literally just bullying and being ablist.

and even worse is when they'll finally admit and accept that you have autism, but they do it in the weirdest way possible. "a person with autism". "a person afflicted by the autism spectrum". "a person trapped in an autistic body" JUST CALL ME AUTISTIC FOR FUCK SAKE!!!

they just can't treat us as normal people. they can't accept that we're literally exactly the same as everyone else, and our brains just work different sometimes. yes, autism is a disability. but all that means is that we should receive a little bit of accommodations sometimes, and that you shouldn't treat us as weirdos or outcasts for existing.

I swear, allistics can't be normal around us. they either see us a "poor little troubled babies who have no idea what going on and need to be coddled and babied and told exactly what to do forever and have no free will". or they see us as "completely normal and definitely not disabled at all. they just act wierd and it's perfectly okay to bully them for it as long as we don't ever admit they're disabled"

[bodybetters]

1, 16, 40, 47!

1) what is the best book you have ever read?

dont do this to me cossette please. anyways i sound like a broken record but it has to be legendborn. like that book has a chokehold on me. sorcery of thorns by margaret rogerson is also a contender

16) do you write in the margins of your books?

i do not. i'm not against annotating at all and i think people who write in their books are so cool and i admire them i just suck at it

40) do you own any "rare" or "collector books"?

ok so unfortunately i have the uk anniversary editions of the second and third h*rry p*tter books but i also own the waterstones exclusive paperback edition of the ballad of never after! i also have an owlcrate subscription so i have the owlcrate editions of threads that bind by kika hatzopoulou, garden of the cursed by katy rose pool, omen of ice by jus accardo, and a study in drowning by ava reid! also i preordered the owlcrate exclusive of a curse for true love! and i have a copy of mary poppins thats from the 1960s i think? it was a gift when i was a kid and i didnt realise it was so old til recently. this was a much longer answer than i intended even though it has a whole lot of nothing in it

47) what book do you feel most connected to?

unseelie by ivelisse housman. its a fantasy book with an autistic main character in a fantasy world that doesnt have a name for autism and it just makes me feel so seen. its a debut novel but i highly recommend it

send book asks!

[takerfoxx]

The Owl House, Season 3, Episode 2, "For the Future," First Impressions!

I knew this was gonna be big.

I knew this was gonna be emotional.

I did not know it was going to hit me like it did, or for the reason that it did.

I wasn't expecting this episode to speak to me personally the way it did, I really wasn't. I was gearing up to see what the Collector had done to the Boiling Isles; to be reunited with Eda, King, Lilith, Hooty, and the rest; to finally see Luz's palisman, to see what Belos was going to do, and all that other stuff that we've been speculating for months about.

Instead, this episode hit me in a way that I haven't experienced very often. It spoke to my own experiences.

I'll cover the lesser (but still very important) moment first, and surprisingly it came from Willow.

Now, I haven't talked much about Willow. She's fine! She's an important part of the cast! But let's face it: for character discussion, she just kept getting overshadowed by the absolute angst factories that are literally every single other main character. Even Gus had more going on in that department!

But like everyone else, it seems that I've been taking her for granted. It really does suck to be the reliable one, to be the one expected to carry the team, to be the one to set your own problems aside for the sake of other people. I've been there, many times. And honestly, like Willow, I'm kind of nearing a break down of my own. You really do start to feel like you don't matter, that your own hurt is unimportant, but if you don't take it on the chin and keep truckin', everything will fall apart and it'll be all your fault.

So yeah, I'm glad that they gave her that moment. Maybe it got tied up a little too neatly and could have stood to have been foreshadowed a little more in previous episodes, but then again, maybe that was the point.

The other moment should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me and has read my other comments on this show, and it serves as a MASSIVE emotional payoff to my one big gripe about The Owl House, one that I've had since the very first episode.

So, we all remember that camp Luz was being sent to, right? Remember all the fuss people kicked up over it, saying that it was basically conversion therapy and that Camilla was abusive for sending her there. It was a real point of contention for a while.

And I'll admit, I was one of those people. I'm neurodivergent myself. I'm autistic and have ADHD, and my parents tried a number of bullshit methods to make me "normal." It was all with the best of intentions, and none of them were as bad as sending me to conversion therapy, but it does mean it is something I'm pretty sensitive about. So when I saw that flyer, I just got the most uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach. Like, how could you do that to your child? And since that was literally the last thing we saw Camilla doing until Yesterday's Lie (aside from a couple quick Vee segments), that feeling stayed for a long time.

Obviously everything we learned changed my perception. Like I've said before, I think the writers realized their whoopsie and made sure to address that, and they did so in the best way possible: weave it into the storyline and use it for character development. Vee's friends showed that maybe the camp wasn't as bad as we feared, Luz really did have behavioral problems that needed addressing, and Camilla was a harried single mother still grieving her husband just trying to do what was best.

But we also learned more about Luz. She wasn't acting out just because she's a wacky kid with ADHD. Maybe that contributed, but she was acting out because she was also grieving. Her father was her bedrock, the guy that truly understood her and kept her grounded, and with him gone, she was desperate for some kind of validation. Her antics were a cry for help, which is why the Boiling Isles was so good for her.

Seeing those two finally sit down and talk about what happened really hit me where I live. They're both neurodivergent weirdoes that have tried to hide what they are to fit in and were deeply hurt by losing the one person that understood them, and in the process unintentionally hurt each other. I loved this. It reminded me of Entrapta's "Imperfections can be Beautiful" speech from She-Ra.

And as it so happens, that bit of honesty is what was needed to finally awaken Luz's palisman. Everyone? Meet Stringbean!

I love the cheeky little references to everyone's speculations of what Luz's palisman might be. And as it turns out, everyone was kind of right! In keeping with the theme of Luz's palisman choosing what it wants to be, it's a snakeshifter! Oh, that is clever.

But also, snake people were also right. Personally I was thinking spider, but even so. We have our new baby!

Oh God, Luz has a staff. Everyone, fear her.

Speaking of palismans, Hunter is still grieving the loss of Flapjack and NOT doing okay, but I'm glad he got that catharsis of realizing that Flapjack is still literally a part of him. It's small solace, but it is something. And as a lot of people predicted, he now has the magic that he formerly could only use through technology. The poor boy, though. I'm glad he and Willow are starting to inch toward one another. They do seem right for each other.

Okay, time to talk about plot stuff!

The Hexside stuff was a ball. I did sort of call Boscha's minions being Kikimora, though it didn't click that her big robot was involved until a few moments before the reveal. And give it up for the best tribute to the best principal!

I miss you, Principal Bump.

Also, credit for Mattholomule for stepping up! Gotta say, he's looking a lot like his big brother now, so much so that for a second I really thought that he was Steve!

I do hope Boscha gets some comeuppance. Not a whole lot, just some humble pie. Willow really owes her a smack. Still, I did crack a smile when Boscha desperately begged for Amity back. Amity was Queen Bee, and Boscha was her sycophantic minion, and can't do it without her, lol!

Now, the Collector!

I do feel sorry for this kid, despite the damage he's doing. I mean, the Collector is just a kid, one that was alone for a really, really long time, was betrayed several times, and doesn't fully understand what he's were doing. Doesn't excuse the pain he's caused (okay, the Terra thing was pretty funny, and we all love to see Odalia get humilated), but it is understandable, at least.

We also get some lore! Collectors literally collect living beings, which explains what that long one was doing to the owl beast, and why the Titan Trappers called our Collector the Great Hunter. But they are also predisposed to wipe out mortals that interfere with their affairs, which our Collector doesn't care for.

Huh, I wonder who sealed the Collector. Was it their natural enemies the Titans, or his own kind for not going along with their genocidal tendencies?

Speaking of villains, damn it Belos, why you gotta be so creepy? Does that mean all of his bodies are former Golden Guards and he possesses each one once they've been used up? No, wait, he still has the broken nose Lilith gave him. Regardless, possessing Raine will not end well for him. But you can't say he doesn't know how to manipulate the Collector, the poor kid.

Man, I know he was probably hallucinating those ghosts, but it would be really cool if they were real and drag him down to Hell or whatever.

Glad Eda and Lilith are doing okay, and that Hooty managed to at least regain some sanity. Seriously, the hell is he even? Also, I actually like that Lilith is going back to her old hair color.

What else, what else, what else?

Okay, where is Steve and the rest of the CATTs? I want my boy! And Katya! I will continue to uphold my fanfiction queen until the day I die!

Also, damn it, Edric! Stop hurting yourself!

[mirajikan]

I'm autistic and I personally would not consider The Collector to be canonically or implied autistic. Even if you feel he's coded that way (I personally don't see it, but everyone has different interpretations), considering it's never confirmed nor implied that it's intended, I wouldn't consider the (many, many...) issues in his story to reflect on how the creators portray autistic people. Especially comparing this to characters who are confirmed or very heavily implied to be autistic, such as Luz and Hunter, who in my mind are portrayed in a very accurate as well as respectful manner. Sorry if this is poorly written, I just feel like The Owl House is one of the few shows that actually does a great job of representing neurodivergent people. But I agree that if the crew did say at some point that The Collector was intended to be autistic, then yeah that would be pretty poor representation. (100% agree with you on Entrapta, btw)

Yes, but Luz is the type of neurodivergent that is "fun and quirky". She's the protagonist, and she's kind, empathetic, and understanding of other people, things that TC just isn't.

I do see your argument for Hunter. I definitely see a lot of myself in him.

But as for the Collector, I've always just seen them as a neurodivergent child. I mean, there's a reason most of his fans are also autistic and why it's such a widespread headcanon. Even most of the big fics on ao3 portray him as autistic

Even ignoring 星星的孩子, there's just a lot to read into.

Personally, as an autistic person who was once a child, and someone who is friends with a lot of other people with ASD (I also know several autistic children), some of the signs I see for him being ND are

-Poor emotional regulation. Kid can flip from angry to playful on a dime

-Struggles to understand other's intentions and emotions. This is why he's gotten tricked so many times and how it keeps happening.

-Sort of following that, he takes things very much at face level, very literally

-Very selfish when it comes to play. This is seen in his hatred of Luz because he fears she's going to take King away from him. Obviously, many kids can struggle with sharing, but for a kid with canonical older siblings, you'd think he'd be more used to it. (I see this sort of behavior in my friend's little brother who refuses to let anyone who much as touch his belongings)

-Struggles with morality. Obviously, this is because he's immortal, but on a metaphorical, metatextual level, this is something that I've seen a lot of ND people latch onto. It's not that he doesn't care about others. He clearly cares a lot about King and about the other Titans. But he struggles to understand concepts like death and pain because he hasn't personally experienced them. He is clearly supposed to be comparatively 7 or 8 (maybe 9 max) and children at that age who are neurotypical do have a general understanding of morality and theory of mind. ND children, on the other hand, struggle to understand things that happen to other people, but which haven't happened to them personally

Maybe someday I'll make like a whole deep dive (I didn't even cover stimming, how he doesn't understand his own strength, or the fact that this kid had a million-year hyperfixation) but that's just a few thoughts of mine.

It's just disappointing to see another autistic character thrown to the side because no one wants to try and genuinely understand them, especially when that character is a child :/

Maybe I'll make this a dual Entrapta stan blog, I miss her every day