I've seen discussions sometimes about how fanfiction-based fandom culture is heavily influenced and dominated by people who are not cis men.
One thing I haven't seen discussed as much though is how much of fandom in general is shaped by neurodivergent people.
I mean, you have autistic and ADHD people with special interests or hyperfixations collecting information and writing detailed meta, connecting very strongly with characters and fandoms. I would not be surprised if the percentage of autistics in fandom communities was significantly higher than in the general public.
And that's not even getting into other types of neurodivergencies and how they influence fandom culture.
I sometimes see people try to divorce fandom culture from the idea of being a "geek", and I understand that this is sometimes because of the association with the sexist geek stereotype, but I also know that there is a connection between the two concepts, and it's probably us neurodivergent people.
Iāll go slightly further here, and say this (well. this plus ableism) is the root of a lot of current issues in fandom.
Back when I started being in fandom, a couple decades ago, Iād argue that damn near every single person in fandom was autistic or ADHD.Ā Youād only join fandom if you were obsessive and were chill with doing things that werenāt socially acceptable.Ā (Because being a fan absolutely was not socially acceptable at the time!Ā We went to ridiculous amounts of effort to hide that we were fans!)
And fandom culture was absolutely shaped by this.Ā The standard behaviors in fandom were those of happy autistics.Ā Thatās how you were expected to act.Ā You remember āsqueeingā?Ā The visual image of it is generally someone so happy and excited they canāt physically contain it so they make a high-pitched noise and flap their hands and - a squee is literally just a happy stim. And so many fans at the time did happy stims that we gave it a special fandom name!Ā So even if a neurotypical person happened to stumble in, theyād learn that theĀ āsocial normā in a fandom space is basically just āact autistic/ADHDā and assimilate.
But then... fandom got mainstreamed.Ā It became socially acceptable.Ā And then the neurotypicals started showing up in large numbers.Ā And instead of assimilating like they did before, when they were the minority, now that there were a lot of them they started goingĀ āwhat the heck is this! why are people here acting so weird!Ā this is embarrassing!ā
...and then we got cringe culture within fandom.
No one saysĀ āsqueeā anymore not because fans donāt squee anymore - happy stims donāt just go away - but because the neurotypicals showed up and told usĀ āsqueeā is a cringy word and concept.Ā Which they had ALWAYS told us out in public, but we used to have fandom as an insular autistic/ADHD-dominated space where we were safe and free to be ourselves.
You know how everybody talks about how cringy and embarrassing 2012 tumblr was?Ā Dude.Ā We were literally just acting like happy autistics, because thatās what we were.Ā Itās just that - like you always have - you think autistic/ADHD behavior is cringy and embarrassing.
This isnāt new.Ā Ā āCringe cultureā isnāt new.Ā Itās just a new euphemism for the exact same ableism thatās always existed, with the only difference that now itās coming from inside fandom.
All those posts sayingĀ āif these people were bullied more they wouldnāt act like thisā?Ā Theyāre not just bizarrely tasteless jokes.Ā Theyāre because the people making those posts were bullies.Ā Are bullies.Ā Fandom used to be where the sort of people who were victims of peer abuse went - where we went to be safe from bullies and be openly ourselves - but now the bullies are in here with us.
On the happier side, while mainstreaming has resulted in a lot of neurotypicals showing up, autistic/ADHD people are absolutely still the backbone of fandom.Ā Weāre the ones collecting tiny bits of info and connecting the dots to write galaxy brain meta.Ā Weāre the ones churning out new content every single day, rain or shine.Ā Weāre the hyper-verbal ones writing 250k fics and the ones who hyper-relate with the characters and make incorrect quote posts so spot-on they sound canon. They may think weāre embarrassing - but they still need us.
Fandom would be nothing without neurodivergent people. Because thereās nothing on this earth that can rival the white-hot intensity of an Autistic or ADHD person in full-blown hyperfocus or special interest mode.
Side bar: at my school pre Covid we launched a successful "comic con" and let classes and individual kids sign up (as a field trip) . Overwhelmingly this included kids who were on the spectrum or had a classification. We justified it to admin by saying "These kids need a place to be unabashadly into their things without judgment and to show off what they know and can do with special interests" and it was wildly successful. We want to get back to it next year.
Youāre the daughter of the local librarian with a seemingly dull life. But your family holds a deadly secret, one that the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow desires. Will you help him on his journey?
***This story contains mainly fluff, and is appropriate for all readers. There are only some minor mentions of blood.***
Summary: translating for a Tusken Raider leaves Mando with no other option than to be vulnerable.
Warnings: Din gets shy and flustered, softness in a shared tent (thereās only oneā¦dun dun dun), kind of a feelings confession, a touch of angst, and thatās about it. I really hope I got the Tusken culture correct please let me know if I need to make changes!
A/N: this is inspired by the incredible BOBF episode 2!! If you have not given that a watch, I highly recommend that you do so! Itās so well done. And thank you all so much for over 600 followers. That is absolutely unreal.
My requests and asks are open! If youād like to make a request or just start a conversation, Iād love to hear from you!
If youād like to leave a like, comment, reblog, or ask, it would be greatly appreciated <3
Din Masterlist
(Gif gotten from Pinterest)
āGo on,ā Din mumbled sweetly. āYou can drink it. Itās safe.ā
The gurgling black drink in your hands said otherwise.
The apprehension was clear in your body language, but you tried your best to be respectful towards the Tuskens.
āItās ok,ā he said one more time. His deep, calming voice was ever so present under the modulator, and you pressed the warm liquid to your lips.
The taste hit your mouth much faster than you had expected. It was somehow bitter and savory all at once, and the thick texture completely coated the inside of your mouth.
If your stomach wasnāt so empty, and you didnāt have four armed Tusken Raiders staring at you from around the campfire, you may have made a face. But the drink was all you had, and the last thing you wanted to do was disrespect these people.
They had allowed you and Din to pass over their land, provided you with the drink, and even offered a tent for you to spend the night. The mission the two of you were on was one of the most demanding yet, and the safety of a cool tent for some much needed sleep was so kind it brought tears to your eyes.
You thanked the maker that Din could communicate with them. He had been translating for you all night.
It was yet another endearing and powerful aspect of the once intimidating man that you now admired, and held close to your heart.
You pulled the cup away and swallowed the thick juice, before smiling at the chieftain sitting across from you. The deep black of the night sky mixed with the vibrant reds of the fire made him more intimidating than ever, but also more commanding.
āHow do I say āthank youā?ā you asked Din over the crackling of the fire.
He pressed his palms together, and let them fall towards his lap.
āLike that,ā he said. āSlowly.ā
You set the cup down next to you and repeated the motion he made with your own hands.
The chieftain became somehow more tense, and bowed his head to you. He then placed his staff down in the sand, and made more motions with his hands, never removing his eyesight from you.
āHe is saying āyouāre welcome,ā Din said. Your heart became louder in your ears.
āHe said that the drink they offered is hard to come by, and he appreciates your respect towards their hospitality.ā
You nodded to the chief, nice and slow, and he nodded back. A breath of relief released from your nose.
The chief Tusken then turned his body towards Din, and the two of them started another conversation.
You picked the cup back up and took a few more sips, getting used to the odd taste and enjoying the feeling of a full belly. You watched Din expertly converse with the chief, and you were completely in awe of him.
He made it look so natural. So easy. You wondered if he learned the language overtime, or in his Mandalorian training when he was a boy. Had he always been so open to the Tuskens, or had he mistaken them for an enemy and learned of their ruthless skills the hard way.
Either way, seeing him in such a domestic and natural state was rare for you, and all you wanted to do was watch him. Only him.
You were slowly realizing that the longer you worked with the Mandalorian, the easier it was to just get lost in his elegance.
His gleaming beskar was the perfect source to reflect light, and it made the burning glow of the fire paint a range of colors on his armor. It stretched over his entire body, giving it an orange-ish glow. Every inch of him was breathtaking, especially his intricately carved helmet.
You knew you werenāt supposed to think about it, you knew you werenāt supposed to imagine it, and you definitely knew you werenāt supposed to daydream about itā¦
ā¦but you wondered just how breathtaking he was underneath it all.
You continued to sit and watch, just thinking and observing your Mandalorian, before the chieftain looked at you once more. You saw him in your peripheral vision, and so you turned your head to look back at him.
You smiled at him as delicately as you could, not showing any teeth, and the chief straightened up again. His shoulders puffed, as well as his chest, and he continued to look at you for some time. You could feel his eyes raking over your body, and you tried your best to stay as neutral as possible.
These people were kind and respectful, especially the chief, and the gratitude in your eyes was the only gift you could give them in return. You wished you could give them more.
Finally, the chief made eye contact with Din again, and signed something longer than before.
The Mandalorian looked rather taken aback once the Tusken finished his statement, and your eyebrows wrinkled in curiosity at his reaction.
āMando,ā you said, not wanting to reveal his true name, āeverything ok?ā
Din continued to look at the chief, holding his hands out in front of him awkwardly as if he was lost for words, before he turned his visor to face you.
āHe saidā¦he said that youāre beautiful.ā
Your mouth instantly went dry.
Beautiful.
You didnāt know if youād ever been called that before.
āOhā¦ā you said, trying to look anywhere but the two men.
āHe said that your smile is like the twin-sunset, and⦠and your kindness is a treasure,ā Din continued. āThey currently have very few women, but the men of this tribe would make sure that a woman like you would find this place very comfortable. They would make it your home.ā
You were dumbfounded. Completely speechless.
A home. They were offering you a home.
You had grown up traveling from place to place, never once having the opportunity to grow roots or feel as if you belonged. You spent your teenage years embracing that freedom and independence, and they were what got you into bounty hunting in the first place.
You had convinced yourself that a home would never exist for you. Your life was the chase and the reward, and you were willing to bet it would stay like that until your final heartbeat.
But when you looked back up at Din, watching the smoke dance around his broad frame and the deep breaths he took underneath all that armor, you knew the truth.
Your home was never meant to be a place. It was always meant to be a person.
āTell him thank you,ā you replied to Din. āBut Iāve already found a home.ā
The invisible mask that Din protected himself with cracked for only a few seconds, and he let his emotions overtake him. He released a shaky breath of relief. You saw his shoulders shake and his hands ball into fists, before he straightened up and put the mask back on.
This reaction to your words was so quick that you barely caught it, but you were so glad you did.
You knew he understood. He always found a way to understand.
You swallowed thickly and let your eyes flutter shut, trying your best to recollect yourself.
Din communicated your statement to the chief, and you swore you saw his shoulders sink in defeat. The chief made his final response, and stood up with his staff in hand. The men around him stood up as well, and they slowly made their way towards their own tents.
āCome on,ā Din said, pulling his body weight up. āWe both need sleep.ā
He reached out his arm to help you up, and you gladly took it.
He led you to a small beige tent near the edge of the camp, and he held the material open so you could crawl in first.
āI apologize if itās a bit cramped,ā he said sweetly. āThis was all they had.ā
āItās perfect Din,ā you said. You missed the familiar feeling of his name on your tongue. āThank you.ā
He nodded, and you took a seat on the warm, soft ground. He remained standing.
āThese people areā¦very kind,ā Din said.
āYes. Very,ā you responded.
āIām surprised you didnāt want to stay with the chief. An offer like that is quite rare.ā
Want to stay?
āWhat?ā you asked him softly. āWhy would I want to stay?ā
āThe life we have, itās never been safe. These people can protect you. Probably better than I canā"
āDinā"
āāthey donāt have to worry about credits, or jobs or, even where their next meal will come from. They know the sand. They provide for themselves. You could live a quiet life, not one in constant danger.ā
He paused, letting his eyes fall over your form.
āIt seemsā¦it seems like itās obvious. You should stay.ā
You looked at him, a light mist beginning to form in your eyes, and you licked your lips. Preparing yourself for what you were about to say.
āDin,ā you began. āWhy would I go anywhere that wasnāt with you?ā
You stared into his ever-piercing visor as you spoke, watching his shallow breaths and emotionless stance.
This silent, brooding Din had once scared you more than anything.
It felt like his eyes were peeling back your skin, seeing every secret and mistake you desperately tried to hide. You could never read him, no matter how hard you tried. And it scared you shitless.
But now, you knew what you were staring at. You were staring at a man who had given you his name, his identity, his child. You knew he trusted you, and you trusted him.
So if he wanted to rake his eyes over every nook and cranny of you, then fine. There wasnāt much he didnāt know already.
āI meant what I said by the fire,ā you continued. āI donāt want to leave. I never want to leave.ā
What you couldnāt see was Dinās clenched jaw, and his stomach was dropping to his feet. He couldnāt physically take his eyes off of you. Even if he tried.
āThis,ā you said, gesturing to the fabric around you, āis not what a home is. Home is a feeling.ā
Here goes nothing.
āAnd you give me that feeling.ā
The words were spoken, suspended in the air, and there was no turning back.
You exhaled, relieved to finally get that off your chest, before standing up as confidently as you could.
āMy place is by your side. Do you understand?ā
Dinās helmet bobbed up and down, and an even longer, harsher wave of relief washed over you.
āGood,ā you said, and turned around to prepare your bed for the night.
The blankets the Tuskens had provided you were soft and thick. They would surely keep you warm as you slept, and your need for sleep was only getting worse.
You laid down the first blanket, and then covered yourself with the other. You laid down on your side, facing the still frozen Mandalorian.
āWe both need sleep,ā you said, repeating Dinās earlier statement, and closed your eyes.
Your body sunk into the sand, but your mind was more awake than ever.
You wanted him to say something. Anything. You had stripped yourself bare for him, being more honest than you ever had before, and he just stood there. You understood his difficulty with words, but at least a āthank youā would have been nice.
It was only a few moments of silence before you heard him walk towards his own blankets, and he began to take off his armor.
You heard the familiar clicks and snaps of each piece being taken off, and he set them delicately on the ground, trying to be as quiet as possible. You had watched him do this many times before, and so the routine had become cemented in your brain. The boots were first, then the chest, then the arms, then the legs.
You had never heard the helmet drop, though. Never.
And so when you heard a foreign puff of air escape, and one last piece of metal was dropped on to the sand, your sleep deprived brain started putting the pieces together.
The helmet was off. In your presence. For the first time ever.
You tried your best to keep up your act of fake sleeping. You felt sweat start to drip down your back and your heart begin to race. Your lungs clamored and begged for more air.
But you held on.
You then felt Dinās body move back towards you, and he laid his own blanket next to yours. Small grunts escaped his mouth as he settled in to the makeshift bed, and tiny pieces of sand flew in the air when he pulled his second blanket over his torso.
He laid his head down, and you had to force yourself to keep your eyes closed. The heat from his breath was so close to your lips, and the scent of his skin made your brain feel loopy.
He had to have thought you were asleep. If he knew you were awake, he would never have done what he did next.
He lifted his right arm and stroked his knuckles over your cheek. His touch was so light against your burning skin that you barely felt any pressure, but your stomach coiled and your cheekbones tingled.
āI lied to you today,ā he whispered. āThese people can never protect you the way I can.ā
Your heartbeat was so loud you could barely hear. Shots of electricity slithered down your thighs.
āAnd I promise you, Y/N, I will do it for the rest of my life. If youāll have me.ā
He traced your cheek with his knuckles once more, and the breaths from his mouth were getting closer and closer to your lips. The puffs of air from your own nose were beginning to mix with his.
āYou really are beautiful,ā he said, and pulled his hand away. He tucked it underneath his blanket, and you resisted the urge to beg him to touch you again. It took every ounce of strength from your body.
Silence filled the tent for some time, and you finally started to relax. You couldnāt hold back sleep any longer.
As the last drops of consciousness were beginning to leave you, Dinās body moved closer to yours, and a scratch of facial hair rubbed against your forehead.
āYouāre my home too,ā he breathed.
The vulnerability and truth behind his words were the final kick to send your brain off to sleep, and the smell and feel of him stayed wrapped around you as you dreamt.
You had finally made it home.
Tag list: (please let me know if youād like to be added to the Din or general tag lists! Iād be happy to add you!) (I apologize if your tag isnāt working!)
Warnings: hurt & comfort, discussion about body image and self-esteem
ā
You pinched at that part of your body you didnāt like, squishing it in and pulling at the skin again. A sigh escaped your lips as you looked at the mirror in your underwear.
Itās not like you believed that you were ugly. You just felt ugly. Today of all days too. It was frustrating because today wasnāt anything special. There was no reason to feel ugly. But thatās how it was with feelings. They come and they go.
The crunch of an apple snapped you from your thoughts and your eyes looked further back in your reflection. There sat Tai in all his glory, muscled body getting obscured by fat as his face got rounder.
He grinned at you as he sat with his basket of fruit, pointing towards the forgotten black dress that laid on the ground. āI like that one.ā
You sighed and looked at the black one, then the colored one, the one with the floral print. He might have liked that one but you didnāt like any of them. It was hopeless.
āWhatās wrong, cutie pie?ā He asked, each step more thundering than the last as his body grew in size.
āYou wouldnāt get it,ā you said, shyly looking at the floor. It was stupid of you to get so upset over nothing. You just needed to throw something on before the two of you were late to your reservation.
He scoffed, āTry me.ā
You told him your dilemma, ending it with an āI donāt know. Iām just being dumb.ā
He sat down with a force that shook the makeup on the counter and you were grateful for the extra security of shock absorbent floorboards. The BMI hero dragged you into his lap, holding you close enough to feel the comfort of his softness.
āYa know what they used to call me in school? Moon-faced.ā
It wasnāt a lie. With his Quirk activated, Taiās face was round.
āI used to be so embarrassed. I didnāt want to be soft. I didnāt want to be round. I wanted to be rough with edges. I hated being called that.ā
You nodded your head, squeezing his hand with both of yours.
āBut then one day, I asked myself, āWhatās so wrong with the moon?ā Itās a celestial force that exudes strength as it controls the ocean. Its beauty has been the muse of artists for centuries. Thereās nothing shameful about being like the moon.ā
He leaned down to kiss you, softly, gently, before pulling you back into his stare, his eyes like the soft glow of the stars.
āAnd like the waves, your opinion of yourself might change from better to worse and back again. But like the moon, Iāll pull you from your thoughts and remind you of just how beautiful you are to me.ā
Pressing your body to his, you kissed every inch of Taishiro that you could before smiling up at him, not caring about what you wore for dinner. It didnāt matter as long as you were able to spend time with the man you loved.
āDidnāt know you could be such an inspiration,ā you teased him.
His voice was teasingly haughty. āHavenāt you heard? Iām a hero. A very hungry one at that.ā
āSo didja decide on what to wear? Now I really do like what youāre wearing right now,ā he motioned towards your scantily clad body. āBut I donāt think itāll meet the dress code for this place.ā
You laughed as you got up, offering your love a hand. āThe moon is beautiful, isnāt it?ā
He took it, kissing your knuckles before pulling you into his arms. āI can die happy.ā
ā
A/N: Read a little blurb about āThe moon is beautiful, isnāt it?ā being an indirect way to say āI love youā in Japanese. āI can die happyā would be the response back. Thought it was cute and fitting.
ā
Restās Main Masterlist // after, love Masterlist // Fat Gumās Masterlist
I was bored and decided to draw some fanart of Raava in her āhumanā form. I decided to give her hanfu style clothing, though Iām not sure which dynasty Wanās era was suppose to be based off of.
Pencil and Micron ink pen (0.05) on paper
He likes to always have some sort of physical contact, be it hand holding or his tail just brushing against your leg Ā
Kurt getting teased that only a blind person would love him
You being there to reassure him how ridiculous that is, that though your eyes might not work like other peoples, you can see how beautiful he is inside and out
He would learn braille in secret, surprising you on your birthday with a handmade braille card, a little poem inside
If you canāt touch something, in order to build a picture of it in your mind, heād happily describe it for you, giving as much detail that he possibly can
Tracing your fingers over the patterns across his skin
Heād read to you, snuggled up together, wrapped up in a cosy blanket
Wanting to help you as much as he can, but understanding that you can take care of yourself
A few lovely people asked me to write some headcannons for this imagine
Ā You had been talking about it for months, and after a particularly bad thunderstorm, you decided to visit your local cat and dog shelter.
You spent most of the afternoon trolling through the large cement buildings, trying to find the perfect fit.
Eventually you found the sweetest little dog, she was a Labrador Alsatian cross. She had been lying on a blanket, but when Alex crouched down to say hello, she shyly came closer, sniffing at his large hand before giving it a small lick.
You found that she hadnāt had the best start in life. She was a stray in Vietnam, and she was rescued and brought home by an American soldier. Sadly the soldier had committed suicide.
And that was it, you had found your perfect fit.
Alex bundled her up and after signing all of the paper work, she was yours.
After you got her home, she spent a good long while sniffing and investigating her new surroundings.
Eventually she tired herself out, and collapsed on Alexās lap, where they both stayed for the rest of the night.
Her and Alex would go for a run every morning.
You often joked that you were now Alexās bit on the side, but of course she loved you just as much.
After any particularly loud noise, she would find Alex and make sure he was alright, giving him a few kisses just to make sure.
Alex told her a lot of things that he didnāt feel he could tell anybody else.
On lazy Sundays, she would get into bed with you both, and make an Alex sandwich. It was these days that Alex realised that he had never felt so loved, or so much love.
During thunderstorms or fireworks, you would all sit snuggled together, and watch a film.
The children at the mansion loved her, she became something of a therapy dog for them.
Ā I had to stop myself. As always requests are open.