Yeahhh I don't think Shoji knows he exists
and EEEYYAYYYYYYYY GLADLY 😈👹👹👹
Okokokok so heres the complicated thing about Shojis lore... It doesn't really exist.
What I mean is he never really belonged to a story I wrote or anything. One day when I was like ...12?.. I was drawing and kinda going through a gender identity crisis which I later found out was me not being able to understand the concept of social constructs and expectations, and I drew Shoji. Basically homslices was meant to have all my same features and personality traits, just a dude. I officially designed him in a gacha life game on Roblox 👍 (I KNOW, OK? LETS NOT TALK ABOUT THAT) Shojles went through a million different phases but what I've found is that he is now everything I actually like about me, in one guy, while still being me. So essentially I made a persona back when I didn't even know what that was.
And he still is that, somewhat at least. Shojles is also used as a guy I can project my issues, or probelms or stories or hopes or things that make me happy on. Ergo, persona.
Buuuuuttt I wanted him to be his own guy too. I've always loved Shoji and making up little comics and stories and tiny pieces of lore about him. So I eventually decided to give him a real story. The whole point of which is to make an accurate, if it can even be called that, story of an autistic teenagers life. And one with specific child hood that I can only describe as "Well..Better than the alternative" by Will Wood. Because well I wanted to make some kind of connection, or representation or something like that, I couldn't find anywhere (UNTIL I DISCOVERED DONNIE OFC)
At the time I started creating those stories was when I had a hyper fixation on learning all about Autism, because.. "I don't need sleep, I need answers" y'know. In doing that I learned a lot, like that there is no one type of autistic person, not just one kind of guy that can represent everyone on the spectrum. So along with Shoji I began to make other characters (his friends) names being: Marcus, Ameily, Leander, and Liong-Hui. Because of course, I could never cover every area of autism, or every person who is, in these 5 characters but I could certainly cover some.
Making them meant I could not only have fun making new characters and designing the details of them and their lives, and depicting different kinds of friendships, but with the more aspects of autism I covered in each of them, the more I would learn about it
Marcus being my second favorite (don't tell the other children) because I learned a lot from him.
And do I plan on talking more about their adventures and stories? UHH Maybe?? Hopefully yeah. (Do you want that?-)
NOW Actual stuff about Shoji, because that's what your actually asked for lol:
Shoji loves coffee. Yeah ✨projection✨. He loves making it, learning about it, DRINKING it, sharing it, he's uh.. he's a fan. INSOMNIAC . He works at a cafe ran by Marcus's parents actually. His favorite color is pink (WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED IT) and he doesn't realllyyy understand fashion (holy projection) but he does love trying to customize clothing and scrolling on Pinterest for hours searching for inspiration. He DOES NOT live shopping. Specifically for clothes. He's thinks art is great, can't draw for ANYTHING. His pal Ameily can tho, she's very good at it.
He's almost chronically smiling, I remember that's one of the very first things I decided. Mostly it's because hes got a generally happy, positive, outlook demeanor or something. He's a very sweet guy, very kind, kinda afraid of confrontation, but loves helping when possible. In fact he kinda hates saying no or turning people down, because he doesn't want to be a disappointment. People *cough* pleaser *cough*. Will I go into detail about his mental state right now?? Eeeeeeghhhhh no. But it's not amazing 👍🤙.
I personally don't think he knooowwwwss what ninja turtles really are or anything about them but his friend Leander is working on it don't worry.
Shoji I think, is a very good listener, and professional talker. I mean my guy can YAP. Not always intentionally, hyper verbal guy (proje- you know what you get the point). His favorite movie is The Book of Life and surprisingly he's a fan of horror 🤷♀️ although he's high key a scaredy cat. He dose not like historical fiction or history movies 🙂↔️.
He kinda can't control his face:/ homie doesn't do the facial expressions, reaction, or at least proper looking reaction very well. (PROJECTION) SO UH if I draw him answering something and he looks at you like you owe him money, that's why.
BIGGEST THING and this is important he LOVES LOVE. Like HE LOVES it. Also one of the very first things I decided is that he loves love, the concept of it, seeing it in people, loving people, being loved. He loves love 🤷♀️🫴. Which I kinda find hilarious that my very likely ase self has created this guy who is in love with romance andhrgegwvsgssv. But it's not just Romance he loves, it's all the kind of it. He didn't always understand some of them, but he gets it now, so in every way in his life he tries to be as loving as he can.
(@jellyfishsketches INSANE I KNOW RIGHT)
and it's still being added too lol
SO YEAH I won't go on any further loolllll sorry this was so long, totally get if you didn't read it all lol 🙌. Is it obvious that I'm a pretty big fan of him? If you want to know any more about something specifically ask me >:), I'll try and make it shorter than this lol.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR ASKING :D 🩷🫶
