#sometimes sci fi should explain things

[semisolidmind]

Wait a minute, so how does your dogday hunt/eat? Like, does he have teeth at all?

idk man, how do any of the toys in poppy playtime eat? how do their digestive systems work? how does stuff get absorbed into their bodies? does it pass through? if they're capable of eating and apparently starving, how have they lasted as long as they have without food?

i don't know how to answer most of these. they eat, and they can starve. im sure the game, like a lot of sci-fi, won't actually explain any of the science to us. so i don't know how to explain how something without teeth or any visible gullet can eat anything.

however, i can explain how dogday (at least the survivor version who never lost his legs) would go about hunting. he's got speed, stealth, and strength from surviving in the factory for so long; and he's got an axe from y/n's barn.

if what y/n makes isn't enough and he's feeling like killing something, off into the woods he'll go.

[eddiazx]

homecoming - eddie diaz x reader

Eddie hears her before he sees her.

An adorable voice that comes from several feet away. A voice belonging to a child, a child that was roughly 7 or 8 years old, probably the same age as Christopher. 

Eddie had been with the 118 for three months by now. He truly loves the job; it was rewarding and he loved being in service of people. Among their calls though, there were quite a handful of cats getting stuck in trees. Which was why they were currently at a park, Eddie resting a foot behind him against the fire engine, while he watches Buck climb up a ladder to extract the cat. Chim was popping his gum, explaining a new sci-fi flick that just came out to Hen, who to her credit, was doing a great job acting like she cared. 

“Are you a firefighter?” The voice had asked. Eddie looks down at the little girl, a girl who looked so very familiar with her hair in two braids and brown doe eyes. 

Eddie smiles automatically, and crouches down to be at the same height as the girl. “What gave it away?” He jokes, and he’s met with the sweetest giggle that he swears could cure diseases. 

“My mommy said that firefighters are unsung heroes. We actually had one come to the coffee shop that my mommy owns. It’s named after me! I don’t drink coffee though, I’m still too little. I do love the honey banana bread she makes though! That's why my mom calls me bee."

Eddie listens with patience, a soft smile on his face at the little girl’s rambling. Chris does the same thing - gets very enthusiastic and starts over-explaining with run-on sentences. It’s the most endearing quality ever, in Eddie’s opinion. 

“Yeah? Do you know where your mommy is now?” Eddie asks.

“Bee, what did we say about you running off without telling me?” A voice asks. Eddie’s eyes follow the voice and is met with an assault on all his senses, including a very clear pang in his chest. 

You look even better than you had nine years ago, which Eddie didn’t even think could be possible, since he already thought you were gorgeous when the two of you had dated at 18 years old. 

Your face drops when you realize who your daughter was talking to. The boy, or rather the man, who had broken your heart all those years ago. The one who your daughter shared DNA with. The one who didn’t even know he had another child, because you had left Texas for L.A. the second the strip turned pink. 

You recover quickly, putting your hands on your daughter’s shoulders. “Hey bee, Milo was asking if you wanted to play go-fish. Can you head over there? Mommy will be just a minute.” 

“Okay!” She tells you with a beaming grin. She then turns to Eddie, and says, “I liked talking to you firefighter man! You should come to my mommy’s shop sometime!” With that, she runs over to where your friends and family were. 

You internally curse the fact that your daughter was such a social butterfly, before finally meeting Eddie’s eyes. He looks like he was struck by lightning; eyes wide and mouth gaping. He was reeling, and you couldn’t really blame the guy. 

“She’s mine.” He says, eventually. It isn’t a question, rather, a simple statement, but you nod anyway. The familiarity that he had seen in the child makes so much sense now, down to the quirk of her smile that you have - but he could also see features of himself in her. The pang in Eddie’s chest was now reduced to a chronic, dull ache at all the years and memories he wasn’t there for. Again.

“I know it’s a lot to ask”, he starts, voice rough but surprisingly steady for someone who just received world-altering news, “but I think Christopher - my son, and I would love to get to know her more. I feel like they’d get along great. Could we all get to know each other?” The words feel wrong a bit, because there was a time where Eddie and you had known each other inside and out. Likes, dislikes, dreams, fears, and life goals - you had practically been an Eddie Diaz encyclopedia.

You’re pensive as you consider his request. You knew this day would come, where you would have to have this conversation with the father of your child. It doesn’t stop the fear gripping your insides, the fear that he would get close to the two of you, and then proceed to leave. It was a fear that was supremely unfair to Eddie, because he didn’t know when he chose to marry Shannon that you had been in the same predicament. And you didn’t know that hours before he was due at the altar, he had stood in front of your then empty house, desperately hoping you would tell him not to marry Shannon.

So with a rapidly beating heart, you smile softly. “Yeah. Yeah, let’s get to know each other.” 

[xx-dinah-writing-xx]

i love it when love interests in shows/movies end up dating irl. There’s something so sweet about it I can’t explain. Imagine a Matt x reader who started dating after starring together in Doctor Who and the fans just loving it.

Love your works btw!

Pose

Matt Smith x reader Fluff

————

The Doctor Who set buzzes with energy. Cast and crew dart about, prepping for the next scene. You stand off to the side, in costume, just one of many extras for a background shot. Your heart pounds as your gaze finds Matt Smith across the set, cracking jokes with Karen Gillan.

You’re young, new to the industry, still trying to figure out where you fit. Watching him work is like watching gravity in motion—he’s charismatic, magnetic, totally at ease. You admire it quietly, from a distance. That’s all it can be. He’s lightyears ahead of you, in fame, in experience… and you’re just one face in the crowd. He probably doesn’t even know you exist.

You spend the day filming your brief scenes, staying out of the way, sneaking glances when you can. He’s kind to everyone. Warm. That laugh of his echoes down corridors. And the way his eyes sparkle with mischief? Dangerous.

By the time the day wraps, you haven’t worked up the nerve to speak to him. Not once.

“Maybe someday,” you whisper to yourself as you walk off set, clutching your tiny moment of experience like it’s something sacred.

Years Later – House of the Dragon Set

The halls here are nothing like that old sci-fi soundstage. Everything feels heavier, richer. You’ve grown—your name holds some weight now. You’re no lead, but you’re not invisible anymore.

And then there’s Matt.

You see him at the first table read. Older. Sharper around the edges, but still impossibly magnetic. That same charm, that same light. Except this time… he sees you too.

It starts subtly. Shared jokes on set. Conversations over lunch. His eyes find you in every room, and you start catching him looking—curious, amused, drawn in.

“Have we worked together before?” he asks one day between scenes.

You smirk. “Maybe. A long time ago.”

He tilts his head, eyes narrowing in mock suspicion. “You’re not gonna make this easy, are you?”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

He’s hooked. It’s not just your face, or your voice, or the way you hold yourself now—it’s something deeper. There’s something about you he can’t quite place, and he’s desperate to.

Weeks later, during a casual chat with a crew member, it clicks.

“You were on Doctor Who, weren’t you?”

You grin. “Good memory. Just an extra.”

“Noticed you?” He steps closer, voice dropping. “I’ve been noticing you every day since we started this.”

Your heart jumps. This can’t be real. But it is—Matt Smith, the man you watched from afar, is here. Right in front of you. Interested.

After that, everything shifts. He looks for you constantly. Finds excuses to talk, to linger, to touch. Running lines becomes an excuse. So does sharing tea. He’s smitten—completely, obviously.

Sometimes he teases you about the past. “You should’ve said something back then,” he says, smirking.

You roll your eyes. “I was a kid. You were the famous Doctor.”

He laughs and pulls you closer. “Better late than never, right?”

Present Day – London

It’s one of those rare days off. Late afternoon sun spills across the pavement as you and Matt walk hand-in-hand through the streets of London. He’s in a fitted black t-shirt and boots; you’re in a sundress and denim jacket. It should be simple, private—but nothing about your lives is private anymore.

As you step out of a cozy café, his hand resting on the small of your back, the unmistakable click click click of camera shutters cuts through the moment.

Three paparazzi. Across the street. Watching.

“Smile or run?” you whisper.

Matt chuckles. “Pose.”

He leans down and kisses your temple, lingering there. His other hand stays tucked in his pocket like it’s the most casual thing in the world. You tilt toward him, laugh warm and easy.

He glances at one of the photographers as you cross the street. “You got enough, mate?” he calls out, grinning.

They don’t respond, but the shutters don’t stop until you’re gone.

That Evening

The photos explode online within hours.

One frame—him kissing your temple, your eyes closed, smiling—goes viral.

The hashtag trends fast: #MattSmithAndYou.

Fan Tweets:

“OH MY GOD THIS IS A ROM-COM IN THE MAKING!!! LOOK AT THEM 😭❤️”

“He’s so boyfriend-coded it hurts.”

“Hands off, girl. I saw him first.”

“Matt Smith, crowned King of Gentle PDA.”

“Most attractive couple ever?? I’m not okay.”

Fan pages go wild. Collages. Slow-motion edits. Captions like:

“Matt and his girl being adorable AGAIN. He stays winning.”

“Not to be dramatic, but I’d die for their love.”

“What’s it like being someone’s moon and stars?? Asking for a friend.”

You’re sprawled on the couch that night, scrolling, phone buzzing nonstop.

“Matt,” you call out, trying not to laugh.

He walks in with tea, eyes narrowing. “What’s funny?”

You flash him a meme. He squints at the screen. “Is that… me?”

“Yep. Apparently you’re ‘boyfriend-coded’ now.”

He raises an eyebrow as he sets the mug down. “Boyfriend-coded?”

“Means you’re setting the bar too high for everyone else,” you say, smirking.

He chuckles and sinks onto the couch, pulling you into his lap. “Unrealistic, huh? Darling, I’m just getting started.”

You roll your eyes, grinning. “Well, congrats. The internet loves you.”

His arms tighten around your waist. “They’re not the ones I’m trying to impress.”

Later That Night

You’re curled up with a glass of wine, earbuds in, lost in a TikTok scroll hole. The edits are already out. Some are soft. Some… not so much.

One catches you completely off guard—a montage of Matt as Daemon Targaryen, Sabrina Carpenter’s “bed chem” playing in the background. Every smirk, glare, and arrogant strut in high definition.

You bite your lip, caught between amusement and something… else. The caption reads:

“She gets to go home to THIS every night? God has favorites.”

You don’t notice Matt come in. He sets two glasses of wine on the table and leans over the back of the couch, peering at your screen.

It takes two seconds before his voice startles you: “Really, darling?”

You nearly fling your phone. “Oh my god, Matt! Don’t sneak up on me!”

He crosses around the couch, arms folded, smug. “You were watching edits of me?”

“No!” you lie. Poorly. You shove your phone under a cushion.

He raises a brow. “That was Daemon. I saw the smolder.”

Groaning, you cover your face. “This is so embarrassing.”

“Embarrassing?” he grins, tugging your hands away. “I’m flattered.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“And yet,” he says, settling beside you, “you’re still stuck with me.”

He grabs the remote. “Should we make it official and watch House of the Dragon together?”

“Absolutely not.” You hand him a glass of wine. “You’ve been admired enough for one night.”

[ewingstan]

So Marvel will lampshade the whole "the world is filled with superhuman inventors whose tech should have completely transformed society" thing. Sometimes they'll gesture to non-scalable resources, sometimes they'll make a somewhat paternalistic attitude towards society an acknowledged aspect of a genius' character. Hell, sometimes they'll bite the bullet and give the NYPD sci-fi stun guns. But outside what-ifs and various one-off storylines, the majority of non-cape society is planted firmly in the technological possibilities of the contemporary.

What I love about Iron Man: Fatal Frontier is how it positions the genius inventors as being as upset about that as anyone else.

That's just a great direction to approach that detail of Marvel's worldbuilding from. Not explaining away why the great technological revolution hasn't happened, but being quietly disappointed that they haven't created a great technological revolution. It plays well with Ewing's tendencies to play with the whole "illusion of change" thing as something characters notice and react to.

[do-u-know-this-autisticcharacter]

Do you know a character you like or love that is autistic or you believe is autistic, even if the show/author etc hasn't actually said so.

We welcome submissions from any genre except what is in our banned media, we allow characters who are good and bad.

Banned media: Community or fan driven/written etc media (Alien Stage, The SCP Foundation and You Could Make a Life).

However, nothing else is banned. You can submit characters from any other media and any genre (good or evil):

~ Books ~ Comedy ~ Horror movies ~ Anime and Manga ~ Western Animation ~ Marvel or DC ~ Foreign/non English TV/media ~ Computer/console games ~ Silent films ~ Indie films ~ media from your childhood ~ Youtube Characters ~ Sci Fi etc ~

Please note, you MUST include evidence or proof or we won't accept the submission. We don't require much evidence, but there needs to something other than "just vibes" or "their whole family is autistic" (we don't know the family my friend).

Proof we do accept include - obsessive tendencies, has no social boundaries, nonverbal communication or delayed language development etc. Or even if creator of said character said so in a social media post etc.

We will only accept submissions through the submission form.

If you submit via Tumblr ask, it will be deleted. The only exception are posts submitted through the form that we require more evidence for.

The spreadsheet of submitted characters is here.

Please note, the spreadsheet has two pages. One page is for accepted characters and the other is for rejected characters. If a character is rejected, we will explain why in the spreadsheet!

Please also be aware that due to the nature of this blog, there will inherently be spoilers, so proceed at your own risk there!

More about us below the cut!

Mod Pixie (she/they): I'm 36 and have been on Tumblr since minimally 2012, so I have Seen Some Things™️.

I love most things nerd and feel like Tumblr is particularly suited to nerddom.

I was diagnosed autistic and ADHD at 33, though I always knew I didn't quite fit in and suspected ADHD for a while. I was always just considered slightly odd, in an Anne of Green Gables way.

Fiction has always been my escape and once Tumblr introduced polls and I found the blogs mentioned, I thought someone should do the same for autistic characters! Full disclosure, it seems someone had the same idea and created a blog, but it never took off.

If you'd like to follow my main blog, please follow @pixiemusing 😄

Mod Sunflower (she/her): Hello there! You can call me Sunflower if you wish. I prefer to remain anonymous on this blog and on @aretheybisexual, but I am the co admin here/there/everywhere. I go by she/her pronouns, 30+, bisexual and am on an NHS waiting list to be diagnosed for autism (2 years and counting). I live in the GMT timezone. Tumblr veteran since 2010 roughly.

Blog mechanics: Feel free to submit ANY character you see as autistic. If you feel the need to clarify whether they are "good" or "bad" rep, feel free in the form! We will accept characters who are "problematic" or from problematic media. We will make sure to tag the media for every character.

I (Mod Pixie) will also sometimes make comment about the submissions well before they are posted. These will be tagged as Pixie Speaks, along with the character and media. The Pixie Speaks tag will also be used for general musings. Just Blog Things will be used for announcements and blog maintenance.

We hope you enjoy and if you have any questions, please DM! Please note that all submissions must be through the Google Form.

For fandoms with more than 2 submissions in a row, the submissions will be broken up with other fandom submissions in between. They may, depending on the number of submissions, be broken up across several days, which may or may not be successive. Polls run for a week.

Thanks again for stopping by!

Just for more awareness:

@aretheyqueer, @do-you-ship-it-polls, @do-you-know-this-queer-character, @doyouknowthisdisabledcharacter, @are-they-a-faggot, @are-they-trans, @late-night-polls, @are-they-gender-fluid, @niche-polls @haveyouhadthisdream @yesornopolls, @honorarylesbianspolls, @videogamepolls, @doyouknow-this-queer-rarepair

[elbiotipo]

I really hate when a story just doesn't explain where people get food from. Like, if it's high fantasy with a mythic vibe, it doesn't matter, because it's not supposed to match material reality, but in something more low fantasy or sci-fi or post-apocalyptic or whatever you need to explain how your world functions. I'm reading a fantasy novel where the main character gets sent to the Demon Realm for a bit, and even though the entire place is a barren wasteland with apparently no agriculture or animal husbundry, there're large mobile cities with markets with bread and meat and food and potions and etc.

Like, they specifically call out that there aren't many plants in the demon realm, and wood is exceptionally rare, and then just don't elaborate on where wheat comes from.

I think some people are disconnected or uninterested in wondering where things come from in their own life and so they don't apply this to their own writing. But there's also a sense that such things are "boring" or "distract from the story" when they are actually very important to setting up the atmosphere and plot. I mean, why do you have a "demon realm" if you just have markets and such? What's the difference between such a (supernatural?) realm and the material world?

Because this is something I've been also wondering especially with regards to "evil demons" in fantasy. As I understand them as a concept (informed by my own Western/Christian background of course), demons (and angels and everything in between above or below) are supernatural beings and so they don't physical subsistence, at least not in the way we do. They are also somewhat "above" human comprehension, so they don't exactly behave as human. So when you have demons living in the "material" world you have to wonder how that exactly works, if they do have the same needs and way of thinking as humans. And if they do, what does it mean in this context to treat them as entirely "evil" or "good".

(of course, the word "demon" here could mean a lot of things, for example, in East Asian fantasy sometimes it is used as a translation for concepts such as Yaoguai which I would rather say are "monsters", while there are many, many other categories and concepts of the general idea of "supernatural being", there's a lot of nuance here)

ANYWAYS, returning from that tangent. Your world can be as fantastical as you wish. But if there are human beings on it, or otherwise biological material beings, they have needs to be fullfilled beyond whatever quest or context they're on. They need to eat, to drink, to have shelter, to sleep and so on. And this does not mean that you should spend chapters on telling me how your characters eat or sleep, but it does mean that if you want to convince the reader that this is a world with people you should care about, you should write it as if it indeed was a world with people.

[alltheboysandgirlsiloved]

I really loved season 3 despite the heartbreak and pain, but there are several things that, in my humble opinion, could be explored in a bit more satisfying way. When I was thinking about that, I realized that my dissatisfaction comes mostly from the fact that this season relied on emotional reactions and behaviours rather than conversations.

(spoilers and personal criticism below the cut)

Before you say anything, yes, I am fully aware that jwcc/ct have always been shows that played with viewers' emotions a lot, and that relied on the emotional impact that the characters were taking. It's a plot-driven story with a lot of adventure that roots from sci-fi – naturally, emotions play a bit part in it. However.

Seasons 1 and season 2 were seasons heavily laced with drama. That drama was accumulating all the way to season 3, or rather – to the season 2 finale. And I think that season 3 was the time to actually talk about some things. As I was watching season 3, I couldn't help but notice that maybe sometimes a tiny shortcut was taken when it came to solving some problems, or rather – that some issues were skimmed over, briefly mentioned even.

The best example of this is, more or less, avoiding the topic of Ben hiding that Brooklynn was alive throughout the entire second season. That was a massive part of the second season! He was on a whole different quest! I really thought (I was almost certain) that we would get a scene in which he gets to properly talk to Darius, Yaz, Sammy and, of course, Kenji. Instead Kenji was pissed at Ben for an episode or two, and then the "weight" of emotion was shifted onto something else. Instead of talking we got an explosion of anger and quickly moved on.

The other example that I bring up quite often is not explaining why everyone thought that Ben's girlfriend was fake. I said it before, and I will say it again – it makes sense for the viewer (it's a joke), but it doesn't make sense from the lore's point of view. All of Ben's friends thought that she was fake. Ok. But why? Instead of having this conversation, Ben says "it's been a long flight, so I'm gonna choose not to be offended". Dude, sure, but you have the full right to confront them about this later? Especially since in the first season, he actually asked (not a direct quote, I can't be bothered) "why does no one believe me when I say that I have a girlfriend?", which shows that it actually bugged him. Instead, he "chose not to be offended" and then the emotion shifted to immense joy (understandable but... even more so – he could easily ask later, after his friends saw how happy he was).

Another thing that bugs me still – Yaz briefly bringing up Sammy's relationship with her family during their argument. It was a nasty move on her side, but it also... was nasty for me as a viewer? Like Gutierrez family drama has been more or less a mystery since the first season, and all we get is a short dialogue about this? Blink and you'll miss it? It feels like we deserved more context, longer explanation seeing how massively it impacts Sammy to this day. Yes, perhaps they will explore that more in season 4, but as of now: it lacked a lot, it felt like a cheatcode to explain the situation and quickly move on without dwelling into details. Sammy's drama is sprinkled all over the story but with the build up I feel like we deserved to learn a little bit more - even if not during the argument with Yaz, then perhaps later. Maybe during a conversation with Gia at some point? The charm of a brand new character is that you can info dump them which is a useful tool to explain to the viewer what is going on.

I don't know. I feel like some interactions lacked substance, which is a pity because relationships are a massive part of what makes jwcc/jwct so good. The characters in jwct are much older, verbally addressing problems and actually talking stuff out should be an even bigger part of the show. In the third season, I feel like they fumbled a bit. Because no, not everything is a characters' miscommunication; sometimes it's just a bit of lazy writing (?). There was a space to talk shit out but we never got to see those conversations. I kind of feel sad about this. Betrayed even.

I hoped for an emotional pay-off, instead, my emotional attention was shifted somewhere else, and I didn't enjoy it that much. Almost feel like the communication was neglected in so many points and there was no point in neglecting it (yasammy's fight is a different case btw because with I know that we will circle back to it in the next season). The show would be much "smoother" if there were more moments of talking the feelings out instead of switching from one emotional high to another.

(Again – I really really enjoyed the season, but it doesn't mean that I can't criticise certain things).

[rationalisms]

could you recommend an indie game that does disco elysium or its kind of game better? (/genuine)

i'd be happy to recommend some games to you for sure!

but i would like to preface this by saying that my point (which is hard to explain in a pithy tag aside to be fair lol) isn't necessarily that these will be "better" than disco elysium. that's incredibly hard to quantify anyway since so much of this is based on taste. e.g. i disliked some things about DE other people loved (like the pacing) even though i overall had a good time with the game.

it's more that the way people were talking about disco elysium, especially in terms of like... "professional video game journalism" but also definitely on this site and the other formerly blue side, was tinged with this tone that DE is somehow unique or groundbreaking in its attempt to treat a video game like an artform or a serious vehicle for storytelling. which is insulting especially to the games DE clearly draws from.

a lot of people who don't usually play video games played DE based on recommendations, which is great! but a huge part of the response from those people didn't seem to be "wow, clearly i can have a good time with video games if they're like this, i should seek out more". it instead seemed to be "well folks, pack it up, this is the one video game i will enjoy because it's Deep unlike everything else out there". which is incredibly disappointing.

anyway. whether these recommendations will hit for you will primarily depend on what you're looking for when you say "its kind of game", but here's some games that gave me the same general feeling.

planescape: torment is the game that heavily inspired disco elysium. it's a similarly combat-light crpg with a focus on exploration and story and set in a weird, technologically discongruent setting. i would also recommend its sequel, torment: tides of numenera. i didn't enjoy that one as much but it was still pretty good.

kentucky road zero is a game about a truck driver who has to cross the titular road zero and the many people he meets on the way. it's also magical realism so if you enjoyed the genre of disco elysium this might be up your alley.

beautiful desolation is another game which is based on real world culture/history with sci-fi world building on top. in this case south africa. it's really beautiful and rewards exploration in a similar way.

return of the obra dinn is also an atmospheric detective game set on a ship lost in 1803. it's by the same creator who made papers, please (which is also excellent by the way).

hypnospace outlaw has a similar half absurd, half earnest tone. it also felt similarly nostalgic to me. it's incredibly easy to sink a lot of time into this one though so watch out lol.

orwell, and its sequel, orwell: ignorance is strength, are similar "internet" simulators like HO with a much more overt political tone (if you couldn't tell by the name lol). you play as an employee for a government surveillance program.

stasis if you're looking for more isometric point and click games with a strong atmosphere and great voice acting.

sunless sea, and its sequel, sunless skies, are exploration/roguelike games about a weird, fantastical world. if you've ever played fallen london, they're set in the same universe.

what remains of edith finch is also magical realism and dark comedy, so if you enjoyed the tone of DE you might enjoy that.

some say it has always been here also has a surreal and sometimes oppressive atmosphere. i wish this game was longer, i loved it so much.

i miss the sea of japan is another wonderful bitsy game i got reminded of when i thought about SSIHABH. it's wistful and sweet.

i have no mouth and i must scream is a psychological thriller about five people and their dark pasts trying to outwit an AI. it's very atmospheric and also has variously fucked up (by life) protagonists.

whispers of a machine is another detective game with more of a sci-fi slant, though it's set in a world inspired by sweden and other nordic countries. it's also very atmospheric and has some great voice acting.

buddy simulator 1984 gave me a lot of the same feelings disco elysium did (wistfulness, nostalgia, anxiety, etc lol). i really loved the first half of the game but wasn't as into the second half, would absolutely still recommend it though.

and if we're talking just straight up great crpgs with a heavily political tone, i will always always always recommend harebrained schemes shadowrun trilogy (especially dragonfall and hong kong, both incredible games. returns is... fine lol but definitely not on the level of the sequels) and fallout 1 and 2.

plus, no rec list about magical realism would be complete without life is strange. :') i haven't played any of the sequels and it's been a long time since i played it, but i remember loving it at the time.

games i haven't played yet but that are on my to play list and which look like they could scratch the same itch:

citizen sleeper, also a dice based game which is very narrative and exploration based.

norco, which several of my friends love a lot.

where the water tastes like wine, which is set in the great depression era of the US and about collecting stories and sharing them.

pentiment, another detective game set in a real world approximation. i love everything obsidian touches so i'm sure it's great, but i haven't gotten round to it yet.

night in the woods seems to be popular with people who like DE so it might be up your alley. i'm pretty sure it's also magical realism?

roadwarden is another isometric point and click game about exploration and friends have said it has a great atmosphere.

i hope those are a good starting point for you! i would also genuinely recommend just hopping on itch.io and typing in a random prompt and seeing what you get. i've discovered sooo many wonderful games (many of them completely free, though i will always advocate for tipping the creators) by just noodling around on there. tons and tons of incredible indie games who don't have the luxury of publisher funding made by people who could really use the support.

enjoy and have a lovely day ^__^

[mayiwritesomething]

Don’t Change (One-Shot)

Wordcount: 600 words

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x f!reader

A/N: just a small one-shot fluff i wrote after listening to INXS haha

It fits a while after chapter 9 from the main series, but can be read as it’s own

> MASTERLIST

——-

“What you wanna eat?” You asked as you emerged from your room’s bathroom, the steam trailing behind you like a scene from a retro sci-fi movie.

“Well…” Pedro said, lounging on your bed with a mischievous smile. “You,” he quipped, causing you to roll your eyes as he chuckled at catching you off guard. “Okay, okay, jokes aside, babe. How about pizza?” You settled onto the bed in a The Clash shirt, and Pedro ran his hands along your legs as you reached for your face serum on the counter.

“We had pizza last time,” you whined, to which he just shrugged in response. “Can we try something different this time? We've already exhausted the hotel menu, by the way,” you pointed out (there was only two more weeks filming) nestling in beside him as he absentmindedly ran his fingers over your skin.

“Are you sure?” He lifted his head to meet your slightly annoyed expression. “Well… Tacos?” he suggested tentatively, apprehensive of your reaction. “Or should we just order something from the hotel for a quicker option?”

“I don’t know,” you murmured thoughtfully. “I'm kind of over the whole lobster, beef Wellington, and all that fancy bland stuff… Gosh, how I miss my spices and my kitchen,” you joked as you stretched your arms. “But tacos sound perfect tonight. It's chilly outside, and I'm starving, so tacos it is!”

"Alright, just give me a few seconds to order the food so we can start our movie. Chicken for you?" You nodded in agreement as he grabbed his phone. While he placed the order, you applied your serum and settled back into your spot. Once he finished, he returned to your side. "I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to eat you," he teased once more.

"Oh shut up, man," you chuckled as he wrapped his arm around you, both of you trying to find a comfortable position in bed. You clicked play on the movie you had chosen.

"Pet Sematary?" he asked within the first five seconds.

"Wow, this was a quick guess," you remarked, giving him a playful look.

"I love how you're all about setting the mood with an '80s horror flick on our date night," he joked.

"Well, we can pick another one if you prefer," you said, feeling a bit foolish about your choice.

"No way, babe! I really like this one," he reassured you. You shot him a skeptical glance. "I'm serious," he insisted.

"Okay, then," you murmured, snuggling into his arm and intertwining your legs with his.

"I really dig your taste in movies, you know?" He complimented, looking at you.

"I know you do,” you laughed. “This one has a killer soundtrack," you explained, eyes fixed on the screen.

"Sometimes I forget I’m dating a fucking awesome composer," he said, cupping your face. You responded with a kiss, which he reciprocated with passion.

"Baby, let's focus on the movie for now. We can pick up where we left off later since you're staying the night," you giggled.

"Yeah, let's do that. Otherwise, it'll be Netflix and chill, but with just the chill part," he joked, as you hugged him and hummed in agreement.

"Babe?" He called out.

"What?" you responded.

"Just promise me you'll never change," he said softly.

"I won't," you assured him, planting a kiss on his forehead.

"Good to know. You're perfect just the way you are," he said, drawing you closer. You didn't know how to respond, so you simply held him tighter beneath the blanket.

"Thank you. I promise I won't change," you murmured as he pulled you in closer.

Don't change for you

Don't change a thing for me

[bucketbender]

Analysis of Tervo throughout the seasons

I think the reason why I love SO so much is because the romance is not the reason you watch the show, at least at the beginning. For 3 seasons straight, the two characters who have so much chemistry aren’t in love. Or technically, they’re not together. Which makes sense, because they’re not supposed to be in love. They are shlorpians with teammate affinity.

(Note that I think the whole Valentine’s Day plot was a bit of a stretch, with teammate affinity being something that’s literally never been mentioned once. But you know what ? I can look past this. There are worst stretches in cartoons. Like the Simpsons.)

What makes their relationship so interesting is that, not only do they absolutely work even though they’re complete opposites (I know, that’s the point of the show), but they have been sharing that braincell ever since the first episode. Terry shows something Earth-related to Korvo, Korvo actually takes an interest because it fascinates him, they have fun and bond, it goes to shit, Korvo goes back to working, and repeat. They don’t have the best dynamic, yet their bond is strong enough to make it work. And it works because even in the first Season, they like spending time with each other.

S1 :

In season 1, Korvo spends most of his time on the ship. Half of the time, Terry is here to keep him company. He doesn’t do anything, he just sits there with a magazine or a Tiki drink and blabbers about human culture. And his inattentive and forgetful nature sometimes gets Korvo hurt when he fixes something. But still, he remains. Even though Korvo could and probably should banish him from the ship for their own safety. But the thing is, he actually likes having him around. Despite all his faults, Terry is sweet, and cares enough about him to stay in this boring ship to talk to him. That’s more than probably anyone has ever done for him, from what we’ve seen of their past.

As for Terry, he sees this guy who works literally all the time, and even if he usually shuts out anything fun, when Korvo does indulge him, they get into some crazy sci-fi action. He also knows his friend works hard, and does all of the chores, and cares for the whole family, even if he never expresses it directly. If you headcanon that he’s sapiosexual (« It is sexy when you know about the ship »), that also explains why Terry had some interest in him as well.

Even in the first season, even when they hadn’t shared a single kiss, they liked each other. (big up to the dumb ray episode that made people go nuts when it came out. We’ve come so far)

They’re not in love, but you can already see that Korvo will be the one to fall for his opposite first. Terry annoys him so much - and by grey gods, he endured more stupidity from his friend every day than my parents in a year. But he knows Terry genuinely chooses to spend time with him even though he could be boning humans literally 24/7. He chooses to stay in this boring ship with him to talk and just spend time together.

S2 :

They pretty much share the same dynamic in Season 2, except that now, they also share kisses sometimes. It’s not exactly a love kiss, at least not yet. It’s more of a way to say « I’m sorry » and « thank you ». It’s not often and it’s treated as a treat. Other than that, everything is the same. Terry keeps going around to have intercourse with humans and comes back in the ship to eat and hang out with Korvo. And… I have a theory. A SO theory. Remember this ?

It’s barely a 1 sec image of Korvo squinting while watching Terry vibe with a random human. It’s from the red goobler wedding episode.

And I think half of the reason Korvo… did what he did in that episode, was because he was frustrated with his relationship with Terry. Or rather, the lack of relationship he was wishing for. And so, there was this other being, that had a deep connection to him, and who he vibed with and who wanted him… and they boned. And Korvo told him they should get married. And their relationship worked for a solid 2 minutes.

I wholeheartedly believe this whole thing was much more about Terry than it was about anyone else. And if this has already been explored in like, 50 fics, I am sorry, and proud that I realized this by myself.

S3 :

Anyway, let’s keep going with Season 3. This one marks a huge change in their dynamic because it’s the year Korvo finally decides to put down roots on Earth. No more fixing the ship all the time, just occasionally. Thus, he spends the rest of the day with Terry or his family.

… Which makes him realize just how much time Terry spends with other humans, with whom he shares more than just hobbies. And it really frustrates him. Along with the Gladwell episode, he openly voices his jealousy this season. Maybe he even realizes that the "smooch on the lips" wasn’t just their thing, but that Terry did it with random strangers in the street ? In any case, he hates it.

(Small detail that even though Korvo craves something more with Terry, he’s the one who shows it the least. He tries to keep this "authoritative and strong and awesome" persona even when he just wants to rip Terry’s shirt off. My proof : « And then after that, we make out ? / Maybe. / That means no. / No ! It means… maybe. »)

This season also doesn’t show Terry having sex with anyone. In fact, it shows him being abandoned by his lovers who turned out to be psychos. Instead, he gets to share more of what he likes with Korvo and spends more time with him (the line, the skull bullet, tacos bell). And he’s obviously very happy with this new dynamic. Not only does Korvo listen to all of his stupid ideas, but now he actively participates in them. Gradually, he spends more time with his teammate and therefore, less with humans.

S4 :

Season 4 is the second best after Season 5, and not just because Dan Stevens joined the party. In season 4, Tervo don’t just smooch. They completely kiss and moan like sexy savages. They have sex twice on camera, even though we only see it once. Everything changes, but they still have the same chemistry they had in Season 1. Do stupid things, get upset, make peace, repeat. Then make out. That’s the difference. Korvo saves Terry in the stock-a-verse with « the power of love » and stabbing, and Terry tells a stranger he can’t have sex with her because he’s in love with his partner. *squint at the Valentine’s Day episode*

But then, after they "finally realize that they have love", they immediately get married. As if what Shlorp told them about their species was the only thing holding them back.

And then… oh boy. That’s some loving, horny rollercoaster we get on for Season 5. I had as many « awwww » moments watching it as I did watching WOY, but not for the same reasons.

S5 :

This time, their dynamic actually shifts. Korvo is more than ever the one doing the silly, stupid shit. And when he’s not spending his time beefing with a human, he’s with his family and/or lover. Tervo don’t argue about stupid shit anymore. They let it slide. And they truly, deeply love each other.

Korvo clearly shows it more, as he’s been dying to express his feelings (the skirt, the endless honey moon, the desperation to keep the what if device away). But he didn’t know if it was normal or even allowed to do before the Valentines Day episode. Now that he knows they can be in love and are, he doesn’t count the seconds, the pennies, the attention : it all goes to Terry.

I’m telling you, that pupa specialist is spoiled as hell every day. But he doesn’t love Korvo for his ways of always going the extra mile. He loves him for the same reasons he liked him at first : he cares for the family, he’s smart as hell, he’s dedicated. Yet he’s still so emotionally stupid. But it’s fine, he can be the emotional intelligence for the both of them.

I honestly wonder if we’ve reached the peak of their relationship or if there will be much more. Maybe in Season 6, we’ll see Terry sacrifice some things for Korvo. Maybe Zarck will kidnap one of the duo and they’ll spend three episodes getting him back. Maybe we’ll finally have the episode that explores Korvo and Terry’s past to understand their daddy issues. Or maybe we’ll have more Gravity Falls style shenanigans with the replicants. I don’t know which idea I’d like more, honestly.

Anyway ! Thanks for reading. That was some long analysis. I’m going to eat breakfast now. Toodles !

[tc-doherty]

Hey! In your practical writing tips - post you said novels require lots of telling. I've noticed this too when I read, amazing books that tell a lot vs. showing but all advice gears to show and that's what I've been learning to do. Since I can't find anyone that teaches when to tell vs. show and how much tell vs. show is right and why telling is good etc. I was wondering if you could elaborate on this? Why some books that tell a lot are very engaging and others can't keep my attention? I'm so interested to see your thoughts! Thank you.

Like I said in that post, teaching people how to write isn't really my jam so this is less a teaching guide and more just my assorted thoughts on the subject based on my own opinions and the habits that I follow.

I guess what it boils down to is this. You can't really say that either showing or telling is more important in a novel, but the things that you show are perhaps more relevant.

For example, if you describe the morning routine of your character in great detail every single morning, readers are going to get bored. The story will grind to a halt. Yes you're showing us that, which most people would say is a good thing based on "show don't tell", but the information isn't relevant. If you're setting up a fantasy or sci-fi story it might be relevant once or even twice to show us how things work, but not every single time.

Similarly, if your character gets news telling them that someone they love has perished, you don't want to simply say that it made them sad. You want to show us their reaction. What do they do? What do they say? What physical sensations do they have? Are they lightheaded, do they feel out of breath, does their throat hurt because they're trying not to cry? That information is all relevant to the character, the scene, and the reader. If you simply say they're sad, then your story feels too shallow.

Many people might consider dialogue a kind of telling, but really it's both. What the characters say, how they say it, and also what they don't say can show us a lot about who they are as a person, which is relevant information to the audience even if they're simply explaining something that would be considered exposition. But what do your characters actually need to say or hear? And what can you relay to us through something happening in the background, for instance?

And what about the genre? I like to write road trip novels, which means I spend a lot of time showing the minutiae of the journey. That's relevant because the story is the journey that's being taken. But sometimes your characters just have to get from one place to another, and you don't need to get bogged down in it. You can just say that they took a bus or boat or horse or whatever.

Balancing it in any given story is the writing equivalent of "this meeting could have been email". What do you actually have to get together in a conference room to discuss (show the readers in detail) versus what can be summarized in a few sentences in an email? What will make you bored out of your mind if you see too much of it, versus what will leave you lost and confused without it?

And of course just because something is telling or summarized doesn't mean that the way that you write isn't important! Your writing should still be engaging even when you're telling. Pay attention to the words you use, the rhythm of your sentences, the variety of sentence lengths, things like that. If something is pleasant to read it will keep the reader's attention on the page. If the sentence rhythms or lengths are too similar, it becomes "monotone" and causes people's attention to wander.

Something I pay special attention to is that - unless the narrator is subjective or unreliable - I don't tell something about characters in the narration which is shown to be false. Nothing gets me riled up like supposedly objective narration which tells me a character is like so and I should feel like this about them, but then their dialogue and actions reveal that to be patently false and I feel some other way. Of course that is something that relies on the narrator being objective and having access to more information than we do. If it's a POV character who might just be unobservant, overly arrogant, biased, or kinda stupid, that's fine

When it comes to showing versus telling in regards to the background/description...well. I struggle a lot with description because I have almost complete aphantasia and can't visualize things easily. So I cheat! Anything that I describe in detail is something that my POV character is actually paying attention to. The level of detail varies from book to book based on what kind of person has the POV and what sorts of things they notice. And again, that's relevant to the audience because it's information which is relevant to the character. This is also really great way to start building up to any kind of romantic interest, because people do tend to pay a lot more attention to people they're interested in!

I feel like this has gotten really long, so if there's anything that you would like me to elaborate on more or I wasn't clear about, feel free to send another ask! I won't say I'm objectively right (usually lol) but I'm always happy to talk shop.

Hopefully some of it can be helpful to you or at least give you some things to start thinking about. And of course, it's always a good way to start by studying books that you read and seeing what you like and what you don't like and how it's been handled in both.

[mwolf0epsilon]

Sometimes being in the SW Fandom is about diving into the annals of the internet researching the most obscure tidbit of batshit insane Canon or EU Lore imaginable to man (which is honestly my favorite thing to do because people have done some pretty insanely funny things with this universe and characters). But for the majority of the time, being in the SW Fandom is also watching people repeat a cycle of asinine arguments that make an absolute ass out of them for the worst possible reasons.

So here's a quick reminder of past arguments to be mindful of and always consider, when you see something in the tags that makes you wrinkle your nose at:

Everyone has something they like or dislike about the overall universe and story. Be it the Original Trilogy, the Prequels, the Sequels, the Animated series, the Live-Action series, EU stuff, Novels, etc. No one is above or below anyone else just because they don't love the entirety of the universe and/or the direction the current writers are taking it.

Canon can be a good baseline for your own creative purposes. You don't have to love it (because yes the whole thing can be inconsistent as hell), but don't get to a point in your fanfic/AU world-building where you vehemently deny that canon is an actual thing. This goes hand in hand with your personal depiction of characters vs someone else's depictions. Reading comprehension and the creative process depend on perspective and how you process the information you're given, so it's only normal that no two person's idea of a character is the same. But saying that your headcanons are how the characters should be written by everyone is not gonna do you any favors in the long run, because it's not up to you to decide on that. Don't forget Blorbo's actual roots and what it took to get him where you took him, but don't try to force someone else to accept the journey you orchestrated for them!

No one's OC should be put on a pedestal. It's good that people feel comfortable enough to play Barbies with each other's OCs in roleplay sessions, or even add a cameo in a fic to a character of a friend and/or artist/writer they admire from a distance. Hell, the fact many people are passionate about someone else's little fella/s is great! But the moment someone's OC becomes an object of obsession within a Fandom community, things can go a little wrong... It stops being fun to be in that kind of space that goes from welcoming OC discussions to suddenly shunning new people in favor of someone's Ultimate Blorbo who now has a Cult Following and should be written into every fanfic ever.

No one is evil for lacking knowledge or self-awareness of certain grievances that people rightfully have with the source material. The SW Fandom has always had a long-standing issue with racial stereotyping, whitewashing, cultural appropriation, sexism and many other equally serious topics that have been more eloquently explained in posts made by people much more eloquent and qualified than I am or ever will be. However, one must recognize that not everyone who joins the Fandom is immediately aware of these things. Especially the younger generations that have either not been exposed to these concepts due to one reason or another (upbringing, biased educational curriculum, etc), or because they were simply never in a position where they could delve into these topics with someone knowledgeable on them (some experiences simply aren't universal, especially if you come from a more privileged family). For the most part, SW is just a silly sci-fi universe that is nothing more than a simple means of escapism or dumb fun. Not everyone is going to study it under a microscope or go through it with a fine comb. That said, another important thing to remember is to listen to those who know their stuff and that have had personal grievances with any of the topics above. You can be excused for lack of knowledge, but you cannot be excused for purposefully ignoring the voices of those who provide you said knowledge for free if you go searching.

This is kinda returning to the second and previous topics, but I really need to put emphasis on this: If you're going to cling to certain design choices with an iron first and incorporate them into your personal ideas/headcanons, please always consider how it SOUNDS when you say characters that are written with basis on real POC people/communities are much better/superior if they have phenotypical trait expressions that are not present (or considered rare/atypical) in their real world basis. This is a CONSISTENT problem I have seen crop up specifically within the Clone Wars and Bad Batch sides of the fandom, especially when talking about Rex (who is a blond) and Clone Force 99 (who do not look like standard clones). Always remember: The problem isn't that Rex can't be naturally blond (genetics can be unpredictable and we really don't have an extensive look into the cloning process), the problem is the way some people think he'd be inferior in some way if he were a bottle blond who chose to distinguish himself (almost as if having darker skin, darker hair and darker eyes is somehow worse than having lighter skin, lighter hair or lighter eyes.. How curious isn't it?). Needless to say, I don't think I need to elaborate further on why CF99's "desirable mutations" giving them considerably lighter skin and less ethnic features, while also making their most POC presenting member look and sometimes act like a moronic brute (something which this Fandom pushes further by infantilizing him relentlessly), is a bit of a red flag...

Star Wars has always been political. It is literally in the name and in the meat of the writing. The entire thing is basically a political and social critique presented in a sci-fi/fantasy wrapper, with colorful plasma swords, cool spaceships, and kickass explosion bow on top. You cannot separate the political conversation from the universe's overall lore, and trying to do so makes you look foolish. Disney may have taken creative liberties with some of its shows, but at the end of the day they can't ever eliminate what the Original Trilogies and even the Prequels tried to tell us about. With that said, complaining about how some of the new shows are "too Woke" or PC is the equivalent of saying you read Romeo and Juliet and that the story is relationship goals. You might need to revisit the original material.

For the love of god if you don't like something, don't go after someone who does, it's not worth it. Sometimes the best thing you can do is either filter something you actively dislike/that makes you feel uncomfortable, or simply unfollow/block whoever is repeatedly bringing it onto your doorstep. And you also have no real obligation to explain your decision to block someone, especially if they hound you for questions. Rule of thumb: Don't like something? That's perfectly fine and valid. Take the steps to make yourself comfortable then, but don't go out of your way to be a royal asshole to someone else just because they themselves enjoy it. This encompasses things from anti-jedi demonization, actual ethnic cleansing in canon, siding with personifications of alt-right extremists, proshipping apologism, etc. The block button was added to this hellsite for a reason. Use it.

Sometimes you can't change someone else's opinions on a matter and that is perfectly fine. Just don't start a feud. People come and go, and their opinions vary (we're all individuals with out own perspectives and unique experiences after all), but getting up in arms every time someone either refuses to yield in a long-winded argument, or continuously tries to shove their unsolicited opinions/advice onto you, or even makes incredibly uncomfortable/forward/gross comments that they definitely shouldn't be saying to a complete stranger on the internet, is kind of pointless and will drain you of energy faster than you can say Death Star. You're not the lesser person for walking away from a lost cause. It's ultimately not your job or responsibility to fix/better someone else. Especially if they don't want to change.

[oiblackestsheep]

Hooooy! MBTI types as movies? :D

HELLO, and thanks for waiting so long for me to do this 😭 I literally typed all the movies like a million years ago and just haven't had any time to put together the little analysis blurbs but I'M HERE NOW SO LETS DO IT.

Also sidenote: I am notriously terrible for remembering the full plots of movies (and don't watch a ton of movie in general) so if anything seems off in these analyses (aside from the fact that I tried not to go FULL STEREOTYPE), I would bet it is more of a problem with remembering the movie than it is understanding MBTI, but hey, what do I know lmao

MBTI Types as Movies

INTP: The Matrix

The GOATed movie for the GOATed type, what can I say. LMAO, just jokes, just jokes on both accounts. I mean, they're both great, but you know, I mean no offense. Still, I think this fits well because you spend so much of the movie how things work in the Matrix because the rules of reality start getting wonkier the more they investigate. Ti loves figuring things out and Ne is all about things being new and/or different, so it was an easy pick. Maybe a bit stereotypical, but hey, at least it wasn't Lord of the Rings or Star Wars (also great movies, but come on, it's been said a million times, we gotta shake it up a LITTLE).

ENTP: Jurassic Park

Watch the scene where Dr. Ian Malcom tells everyone "you were so preoccupied with whether or not you could that you didn't stop to think if you should" and TELL me this isn't an ENTP movie lmao. Jurassic park is ALL about how new and interesting of a possibility modern-day dinosaurs could be, and they had the Ti and science to back up their ambitions. And also the tert Fe to decide to make it a theme park I guess? Lmao, it's like, okay, sure, kinda weird, but I GUESS people will like it.

INFP: Scott Pilgrim vs The World

The movie is very Fi portraying Scott's life because you can feel just how everything is so personalized and tailored to his lifestyle and preferences that even things like his band feel like an extension of himself. The same goes for the other characters in the band too; even minor characters have so much individuality with such little screentime, which appears very Fi-dom to me. And also just like, cartoon + anime logic to fight Ramona's evil ex's is such an Ne premise because of how different and sometime random it is - I love it. Sidenote: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off on Netflix is a super good miniseries!

ENFP: Inside Out

A fun and zaney way of expressing your own personified emotions that all interact with each other and are interwoven with your real life struggles and choices? Can that get any more ENFP if it tried? Not to mention that people have taken to creating their OWN versions of their primary emotions, too. Explain to me how Bing Bong could ever exist without a massive super dose of Ne, lmao.

INTJ: Dune

A futuristic sci-fi universe with complex and realistic political unrest, economic corruption, and ecological issues to demonstrate examples of the abuse of power all wrapped up in one big collection is like the epitome of an INTJ and dominant Ni to me. As silly as this might sound, I really did NOT follow this movie super well, even though it SOUNDS like it should be up my alley as an INTP, and that in part lead me to think it might be more of an INTJ movie. It's got a lot of the same ingredients, but you can tell it's just built different because of the massive world-building.

ENTJ: The Truman Show

I would say the premise of staging Truman's entire life with the expectation that it will persist all the way into his old age as a way of capitalizing on it for profit and TV show ratings is a pretty Dom-Te, Aux-Ni, ENTJ kind of thing to do. A BAD ENTJ thing to do, but ENTJ nonetheless. Everything that happened to Truman had an intended purpose, which was to keep audience engagement with the show. I COULD see an argument made for this being an ENFJ thing, but I decided ENTJ because at the end of the day, they cared more about and prioritized the boons to be gained from continuing the show, not necessarily the emotional reactions of Truman, themselves.

INFJ: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Probably my favorite movie of all time (if you couldn't tell, I really like Jim Carrey) has to go to INFJ. This movie really takes you so far into his head, and really captures what it is like to be doing that dom-Ni thing of looking for and assigning symbolic meaning to things (often times other people's thoughts and actions), especially in such a way that can be dangerous, and seems to be a major cause of both main characters' debilitating depession and self-confidece issues. Not to say all INFJs are like that, of course, but a lot of the themes that come up in this movie are great examples of just how wrong things can go with unhealthy Ni-Fe.

ENFJ: Gone Girl

Similar to ENTJ, Gone Girl has some very potent ENFJ vibes, again, also BAD ENFJ vibes, but still ENFJ vibes. The main antagonist really shows off all of the classic techniques for emotional manipulation via Fe, and the seamlessness of it all as she consistently remains one step ahead of the protagonist the entire time really demonstrates the forthought that can come with Ni. Sometimes she is so far ahead of the protagonist, he even has a hard time decifering what she is even planning to do next, or the intended outcome. ENFJs being Fe-doms lends themselve to still be outcome-driven like ENTJs, but here, the intended outcomes are emotionally and socially colored.

ISTP: Good Will Hunting

The ISTP gets all the glory for being aloof, and dangerous to mess with, and that isn't NOT present in his movie, but what they DON'T get enough credit for is their capacity for an impressive intellect. ISTPs are Ti-doms just like INTPs, so it should follow that they have incredibly logical and curious minds that have an aptitude for understanding how things work - that's a big plot point for our protagonist who solves the infamously difficult equation on the chalkboard, only to find out that he isn't stuff academic like everyone EXPECTED him to be. Grounded by his Se, he even mocks students attending the university for spending so much money on their education, when he has learned just as much for free with his library card. Raw intellect with no fluff (and no fucks to give) is ISTP through-and-through.

ESTP: Catch Me If You Can

Read the book for a school project back in the day and loved it. The quick thinking-on-the-feet to be able to bullshit his way through so many different scenarios, pretending to be a pilot so well that they PUT THE GUY IN THE COCKPIT is absolutely wild to me. This might also touch a fair bit on what developed tertiary Fe can get you if you abuse it a bit too much. I could see an argument made for higher Fe placements too, but I attributed a lot of his ability to say the right things and adapt because a lot of times, he did not seem like he had much of a detailed plan going in, which sounds a lot more dom Se to me.

ISFP: Titanic

Instant classic and based on a true story, which I think really appeals to Se (same for ESTP above, actually!), and is a big reason why I picked it. Overall, a pretty introverted and definitely emotional story because it mostly focuses on the developing relationship between the two main characters and, of course, the tragedy, too. It's such a personal story that does a good job of bringing you into the first person perspective of the main character's feelings and experiences from start to finish - it can be a bit visceral, even. I know it's a romance, but I REALLY didn't want to be like "mushy isfp? idk romance i guess", so hopefully this lands well.

ESFP: La La Land

Ahh, La La Land. Similar to the ISFP and Titanic in that it is still a very personal story that zeros in on the emotional experience of the main characters to the relationship and how they feel about it, but with a lot more sensory stimulation, and intoxication - and not necessarily even alcoholic intoxication, but like, infatuation with life experiences that they get to share with each other and assign their personal value to. Also kind of tragedy in it's own way since it doesn't end since they don't end up together, and despite all of the highs and experiences they share, and despite how much they love each other, but they each have their own vested personal interests that they want to achieve even more.

ISTJ: Indiana Jones

Thought Indiana Jones would go to ISTP, did you? Surprised? It's not that it COULDN'T be an ISTP movie, it's just that Jones constantly talking about how much things belong in museums just REALLY screams ISTJ to me. It just seems way more dom Si to be that passionate about preserving artifacts so that you can study them, reference them, compare them, etc. forever and ever. Not to mention he's got that tertiary Fi that gives him a soft spot and a vested interest in protecting those artifacts. He takes the protection of the those artifacts very personally in a way that I wouldn't expect to see from an inferior Fe user like an ISTP.

ESTJ: Men in Black

The only thing separating this movie from just being a straight up FBI movie is the aliens; most everything else is pretty familiar and grounded in reality. They've got their FBI protocols and directives and a clear objective that is their job: contain the aliens. These attributes make it very Te-Si to me because they work in teams to accomplish their goals, and they do their best to stick to their codes and procedures (and ofc they break them sometimes because it's a movie it has to be exciting). Throw in some wacky stuff like aliens to please the ESTJ's tertiary Ne's craving for a little random fun, and you've got the MIBs.

ISFJ: Groundhog day

Constantly reliving the same day over and over again, having the same conversations with the same people, sometimes getting the same results, and sometimes getting different outcomes by making different choices sounds like an ISFJs inferior Ne kind of personal hell, but it does sort of cover most of the ISFJ experience, even if it's in a difficult context. Special shout out to the montage of Bill Murray killing himself like 100 times because he doesn't know how to break the cycle and is tired of having the same conversations with everyone. It cracks me up every time and seems like very tertiary Ti logic to me lmao

ESFJ: Little Women

Loosely based on a true story, period piece that focuses on the protagonists' relationships with each other (many of them sisters), as well as their places in society, also many of which end up growing into very DIFFERENT roles in society so as to contrast them as they age. This is especially interesting (and also Si lmao) when you take note that you see how they all started out on similar life paths as full-blooded siblings growing up in the same home. Great story, very dom-Fe for comparing some many different relationships that interweave and change over time.

[anticmiscellaney]

I absolutely adore your work! What's your process been like for writing NewOldRare and developing Neil and Louis? Your art and character writing feel so genuine and realistic to me, so I'm really curious how you go about it!

Thank you! I've always been obsessed with character-driven stories and interaction, so I guess this is the result of years of practice and observation, and dismantling stories that do and don't work to see why.

Unfortunately, there isn't a clear way to explain it. It's one of those "you know when you get it right" things, requiring an eye developed over a long time. I will redraw things if I don't feel like I've captured the nuance I wanted to, and a few months later I'll look at it and see where I could have done better. Same with writing. I'm obsessed with pacing and page design, I had a moment of "that's how I think about it too" when Will Eisner described comic panels like music.

The technical approach is I make notes about stories I want to write, then I expand that into outlines, then scripts, then thumbnails, then I draw the comics and colour them and finalise the dialogue. At every stage I'm asking myself if it feels right, if I'm getting across what I want to. That's not to say there aren't surprises and things don't develop organically, but every stage is an attempt to solve as many problems as I can before the next stage. My thumbnails are quite detailed because it makes pencils easier, and I spend a while on them.

I have total aphantasia so I am operating off feeling rather than any mental images. I have no idea how it works and no idea why I pursue this when I'm missing what many visual artists describe as a crucial component. I just do it and I have better things to do (art) than wonder about something I can't change. I don't think it's made me a better or worse artist, though I think it has given me different ways of approaching/developing things. But also, literally everything about you makes your work different to everyone else's work.

You need to care. If your character is into music, listen to that music. If they have an old car that keeps breaking down, read up on common problems for that model. If they work as a film projectionist, watch a training film about using the machine. The characters care about things, have things in their lives that matter, have skills and interests and challenges. If I don't care enough to understand them, why should anyone reading it care, and also why am I writing it if I don't care?

So I do, and in caring I understand them better. This helps me develop characters/story but it also gives me so much more to write/draw. Understanding how things work and how they are done from a physical standpoint makes writing/drawing them easier too. The more you put into your head, the more you can get out later. I'll do way less for a 12 page short than for a 300 page graphic novel, obviously. Pick your battles, a little can go a long way.

They tell artists to collect visual references - solid advice - but you should collect substance too. If you pay attention, you will hear and see things you could never in a million years make up.

I find online socialising difficult, so I go out regularly and talk to people, or just hang around and observe. Chatting with strangers mostly involves listening to them. No one in gay spaces is interested in flirting with me (I'm rather homely and queer men assume I'm straight) but I think an audience is just as appealing sometimes, and maybe even harder to find. You'd be amazed what people will tell you if you're genuinely interested and listening. I once spent forty minutes at a sci-fi con talking to a guy who'd recently gotten into fisting. While I have zero personal desire to partake in that activity (and he had no interest in being fisted by me), I'm engaged, I'm invested, I'm asking questions, spare no detail.

I collect behavior and movement and the ways people interact too. Reading stories on reddit or whatever is one thing, but the words might not be as interesting as the way they're standing, the way their hands move, the way they respond. A guy in a bar once literally humped my leg like a dog because he felt I wasn't paying enough attention to him. I would never think of that as a response to that situation, but he did, and he followed through. Fortunately my friend had just tried to drunkenly sit down and missed the chair, otherwise I would never hear the end of it.

I see the leghumper around sometimes, he's got a boyfriend and avoids making eye contact with me, thank god.

[suzukiblu]

I just wanted to say I think you're really cool in the way you defend your own boundaries while also trying to see the best in people (e.g. off-topic Wednesday asks / etc.). Like you make your ask box feel like it's okay to ask questions or not worry too much about how something might come off wierdly if it's read a certain way but also you don't let people walk over you, and that balance is a fucking skill which takes effort and work.

Thank you. 🧡 I definitely do go to a lot of effort to be clear about certain things I'm cool/not cool with while also assuming the best of people's intentions if I ever get comments or questions that are phrased poorly or seem . . . well, questionable, to make an unintentional pun there, haha. I just don't wanna start shit that doesn't need started or slather bad vibes all over some poor well-intentioned random soul who just doesn't have the most immediately up-to-date/informed language or certain experiences to inform their perspective, AND all over all of your dashes on top of that. Like, we were all confused about shit and awkwardly attempting to figure out what the magic question that would explain that shit to us was at SOME point in our lives, if nothing else. You gotta remember your internal stupid kid and how bad they wanted to figure shit out without having the tools for it!! You just gotta!!!!

Like, I literally did not realize gay and bi people were a thing until I was FOURTEEN, man, I just did NOT have that context/experience as a kid. And then, like, four months later I was . . . uhhhhh I'm pretty sure literally the first kid who was publicly out in my entire very tiny "quaint lil' small town full of well-off retirees with gorgeous lawns and literally nothing for a teenager to do outside of school" high school, and at least as far as I ever knew there wasn't another one until my friggin' senior year. And I didn't figure out what asexuality was OR my gender identity until I was in my thirties, despite actively TRYING to figure those out! I just didn't know! I didn't have the word for it for so long I didn't even GET it was a thing that should have a word!

Though to be honest, I really do get way, WAY more people worrying that they're overstepping and preemptively apologizing about it than I ever do people who are actually doing anything I'd personally consider to be overstepping, and I get even fewer people who are INTENTIONALLY overstepping on top of that. Like, I've been very lucky in the audience I've managed to snare/cultivate in my internet times, I very rarely encounter anyone coming into my inbox in bad faith. "Don't like/don't read" seems to be generally respected and I appreciate it, basically, hah.

Also, like, not to get too extra or serious here, but a lot of the reason I write fanfic is because it can contain a lot of things that standard publishing is less immediately open to releasing--like, especially back when I started, it was just NOT a thing to have explicitly queer kids in mega-popular mainstream YA series or all that much gender/racial/neuro diversity past, like, token presences that were at MOST only diversity-CODED half the time anyway and "didn't like labels". And like, that bugged me a LOT as a kid and as a young adult, and still kinda bugs me sometimes these days. I wanted, you know, that SEEN feeling, and I didn't want to only get it from hyper-niche genres/authors that were only writing about being queer and sad about it. I wanted that shit in my dang sci-fi and fantasy and all the FUN stuff, not just, you know, the tragedy-porn cautionary tales. So I want people who are reading my stuff to feel that way, even and ESPECIALLY when they're some totally different flavor of whatever we are from me, and so I REALLY try to be inclusive and welcoming and assume the best of people, at least to the best of my ability.

. . . okay I got kinda carried away with this answer, maybe, haha, but tl;dr: literally everyone has got enough bullshit going on in their lives, I can at least be nice about weird kinks and random gender/mental/physical/???? issues that I don't always necessarily understand the full nuances of on the internet.

[do-u-know-this-autisticcharacter]

Do you know a character you like or love that is autistic or you believe is autistic, even if the show/author etc hasn't actually said so.

We have no banned characters. You can submit characters from any media and any genre:

~ Books ~ Comedy ~ Horror movies ~ Anime and Manga ~ Marvel or DC ~ Foreign/non English TV/media ~ Computer/console games ~ Silent films ~ Indie films ~ media from your childhood ~ Youtube Characters ~ Sci Fi etc ~

Please note, you MUST include evidence or proof or we won't accept the submission. We don't require much evidence, but there needs to something other than "just vibes" or "their whole family is autistic" (we don't know the family my friend).

Proof we do accept include - obsessive tendencies, has no social boundaries, nonverbal communication or delayed language development etc. Or even if creator of said character said so in a social media post etc.

We will only accept submissions through the submission form.

(Submissions are currently closed as of 2nd Feb 2025)

If you submit via Tumblr ask, it will be deleted. The only exception are posts submitted through the form that we require more evidence for.

The spreadsheet of submitted characters is here. Please note, the spreadsheet has two pages. One page is for accepted characters and the other is for rejected characters. If a character is rejected, we will explain why in the spreadsheet!

More about us below the cut!

Mod Pixie (she/they): I'm 35 and have been on Tumblr since minimally 2012, so I have Seen Some Things™️.

I love most things nerd and feel like Tumblr is particularly suited to nerddom.

I was diagnosed autistic and ADHD at 33, though I always knew I didn't quite fit in and suspected ADHD for a while. I was always just considered slightly odd, in an Anne of Green Gables way.

Fiction has always been my escape and once Tumblr introduced polls and I found the blogs mentioned, I thought someone should do the same for autistic characters! Full disclosure, it seems someone had the same idea and created a blog, but it never took off.

If you'd like to follow my main blog, please follow @pixiemusing 😄

Mod Sunflower (she/her): Hello there! You can call me Sunflower if you wish. I prefer to remain anonymous on this blog and on @aretheybisexual, but I am the co admin here/there/everywhere. I go by she/her pronouns, 30+, bisexual and am on an NHS waiting list to be diagnosed for autism (2 years and counting). I live in the GMT timezone. Tumblr veteran since 2010 roughly.

Blog mechanics: Feel free to submit ANY character you see as autistic. If you feel the need to clarify whether they are "good" or "bad" rep, feel free in the form! We will accept characters who are "problematic" or from problematic media. We will make sure to tag the media for every character.

I (Mod Pixie) will also sometimes make comment about the submissions well before they are posted. These will be tagged as Pixie Speaks, along with the character and media. The Pixie Speaks tag will also be used for general musings. Just Blog Things will be used for announcements and blog maintenance.

We hope you enjoy and if you have any questions, please DM! Please note that all submissions must be through the Google Form.

For fandoms with more than 2 submissions in a row, the submissions will be broken up with other fandom submissions in between. They may, depending on the number of submissions, be broken up across several days, which may or may not be successive. Polls run for a week.

Thanks again for stopping by!

Just for more awareness:

@aretheybisexual @aretheyqueer @do-you-ship-it-polls @do-you-know-this-queer-character @doyouknowthisdisabledcharacter @are-they-a-faggot @are-they-trans