#shawngus

[mycroftrh]

I could write a dissertation about this and instead only have time for a few paragraphs but. Looking back on Psych with more knowledge about neurodiversity and how people feel about actually being around folks with neurodiversity-related traits…

I have a LOT of feelings about how Gus has so many of the autistic (and some ADHD) traits that people find annoying and grating and get pissed off about (correcting people, infodumping, dropping special interests into unrelated conversations, rigidity in folllowing rules, etc) and Shawn has so many of the ADHD (and some autistic) traits that people find annoying etc (physical and verbal hyperactivity, jumping between tasks and jobs and so forth, habitual lying, interrupting in conversation, etc), BUT

With each other they sort of… build their relationship around those things, instead of treating them as Problems. Gus corrects incorrect things and Shawn forgets correct things (or habitually lies or etc) so they build an entire recurring bit around the situation where those traits intersect (“I’ve heard it both ways”) that turns it from a source of conflict into a shared in-joke ritual. When Shawn starts up one of his elaborate lies Gus immediately swings into commit to the bit back-up mode. Shawn treats Gus’s infodumping as a social strategy.

They balance each others’ extremes without genuinely resenting each other for needing that. Gus is overly rigid about rule-following, Shawn is overly impulsive about rule-breaking, and they pull each other towards a more sustainable middle ground. Gus is overly fond of routine and risks stagnation, Shawn is overly prone to starting and then abandoning things, between them they’re able to form a life that’s interesting and includes novelty but isn’t unlivably chaotic. (We see what happens with that one when they’re not together to balance each other out! During the time they were apart, Shawn had a jillion jobs and quit all of them, while Gus became a dead-eyed pharmaceutical salesman with zero, like, Upward Mobility.)

And then of course there are the traits they share! They both clearly have echolalia and a drive to stim, for instance, and instead of policing each other they just periodically break into random dances and vocal exercises and “singing” and general sensory-seeking nonsense together, matched to each other.

I just??? The fact that they visibly display all those autistic and ADHD traits that drive other people crazy but instead of being a wedge between them that’s exactly why they’re perfect for each other… and how it’s not that it doesn’t ever cause them annoyance because they’re just like naturally soulmates who never get annoyed by anything about each other, but that they’ve worked out rituals and strategies so that what maybe bothered them in the past now instead is a shared bonding activity, or acts to balance their weaknesses against each other…

Just. Got Dam, that’s the dream

[toytle]

masterpost of ALL my psych fanart EVER!!! (mostly 2022)

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IMAGE 1: psych fanart of shawn spencer holding a furby in his childhood bedroom, exclaiming, “dude! did you know i had a furby?!” on a red rotary phone.

IMAGE 2: shawn and gus sharing a pineapple drink. shawn is excited abt sharing it with gus while gus looks apprehensive/flustered about it.

IMAGE 3: gus showering, peeking an eye open as a question mark pops above his head. a shadow forms behind the curtain.

IMAGE 4: shawn pulling back the curtain and nonchalantly asking gus a question: “hey are we—stop screaming, it’s just me—are we out of cheetos?” gus shrieks and covers himself up.

IMAGE 5: shawn holding lassiter and gus’s heads in psychic concentration. annoyed, lassiter asks, “does he have to do this every time?” gus responds indifferently, “you get used to it.”

IMAGE 6: shawngus redrawn as twink boutta pounce meme. gus is infodumping about special interest #148, explaining what T-rexes used to sound like, while shawn looks at gus fondly, very much not listening.

IMSGE 7: shawn putting his fingers up to his temples, directing all of his energy at a floating slice of pizza. gus pretends to look shocked, holding the pizza up by a string behind his back. lassiter is taken aback, wondering, “how is he doing that?!”

IMAGE 8: headshot busts of lassiter looking annoyed, shawn and gus looking at each other with a knowing apprehension, and juliet looking serious. 

IMAGE 9: lassiter grabbing shawn by the collar and shoving a finger in his face, angrily saying, “now you listen here, spencer—“ shawn is distractedly looking down at his mouth and smiling like the cat who got the cream. a tiktok screenshot in the background reads: me instigating a fight becuase the guy was hot and i want him on me.

IMAGE 10: juliet, gus, and shawn redrawn as the powerpuff girls applebees comic meme. gus rambles about state capitals while shawn says exasperatedly, “stop talking about states.” juliet turns to gus and asks “do you wanna go to applebees?” gus responds, “sure, hang on,” then turns to point at shawn and says, “fuck you.” shawn crosses his arms petulantly.

IMAGE 11: various shawn doodles. the 1st looks unimpressed and says, “i could solve all of the unsolved mysteries myself. it’s not that hard.” the 2nd is a redraw of a screencap subtitled: [shawn meows]. the 3rd shawn has his hands up in unearned surrender, saying, “i’m staying out of this” while an arrow pointing at him reads: guy that started it. the 4th is a redraw of shawn covering his mouth in a laugh.

IMAGE 12: 2 shawn doodles. the 1st shawn walking in with a speech bubble of a textpost that reads: hi sorry for ghosting you im being tormented by psychic horrors beyond your wildest comprehensions. the 2nd shawn gestures to himself humble-braggingly with a speech bubble of a textpost that reads: talking about your feelings is SO important i won’t do it but you guys definitely should. an arrow points to him reading: local man w/ undiagnosed adhd + autism allegedly “proud of not having to go to therapy.”

IMAGE 13: 2 gus doodles. the 1st gus is leaning over as if to gossip and says, “heard about pluto? that’s pretty messed up.” an edited textpost above him reads: absolutely love it when gus goes “lately i’m obsessed with” and then says the most mundane thing ever. the 2nd gus points to a laptop agitatedly with a speech bubble of a textpost that reads: did it hurt? when i told you google it and i was right.

IMAGE 14: gus is obliviously typing on his laptop as shawn is staring at him in concentration with his fingers to his temples. brain wave doodles are sent in gus’s direction. shawn’s thought bubble is a textpost that reads: it’s so rude when someone doesn’t feel you yearning deeply for them… bestie how much more brain waves do i have to fire at you.

IMAGE 15: shawn is leaning on gus’s shoulder with an airy delight and says with a speech bubble of a textpost: love the way we finish each others sentences. it’s like we’re soulmates or the beastie boys. gus smiles at him fondly.

IMAGE 16: shawn and gus as furbys named shawnby & furgus. shawn is pineapple-themed with a pony bead necklace that says SIKE! gus is blue and purple with busines pinstripes and a purple-pink tie.

[itshype]

1/∞ times Gus matched Shawn's freak.

[assiraphales]

the thing that anyone who shawn & gus date need to realize or the relationship will never work is that they will always come second to whatever it is that these two got going

[lassie-farce]

character who thinks they’re unloveable x character who finds loving them as easy as breathing (sometimes easier)

[mentallyillmindmeld]

TV knew they would be too powerful if they ever had a crossover episode

[fatalisticme]

[thatonedudeinthecorner]

And the wedding ring is pineapple yellow ofc