so something I've noticed within a lot of fandoms is that people will post their "neurodivergent" headcanons. which is fine ofc, however when they say "neurodivergent" they are typically only referring to autism or ADHD. maaaayybbee ptsd if the character(s) are "traumatized enough" (by that I mean, there's typically one who everyone uwuifies and infantilizes because their trauma is most prominently on display within the media). a common headcanon that often fails to address the trauma of other characters, or that trauma doesn't always manifest itself as PTSD/C-PTSD.
point being, while there's nothing wrong with headcanoning characters with these (autism, adhd, ptsd), maybe...do research? branch out more? imagine how nice it would be if suddenly large amounts of people were not only educated about other lesser-known forms of neurodivergence (ocd, did, npd, bpd, aspd, schizotypal disorders, etc.) but destigmatized them by giving these headcanons to well-loved, popular characters (rather than the villains or antagonists, or even just less popular or even hated characters). (and hey, if you didn't know, schizophrenia and autism can present similarly)
(that being said please do research before you head canon something stigmatizing or ableist.)
it could pave the way for real, genuine, non-stigmatizing or demonizing representation.
and this could probably be a separate post but I wanted to include it here as well:
POC CHARACTERS CAN BE NEURODIVERGENT. POC CHARACTERS ARE ALSO AUTISTIC, ALSO HAVE ADHD, OCD, AND MORE!! STOP LEAVING THEM OUT, STOP ONLY HEADCANONING THE WHITE PROTAGONISTS AS AUTISTIC.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk, please feel free to add on
the day ray toro gets recognized for just how talented he actually is will be the day i can finally die happy.
because not only does he write some incredible lead guitar parts, his background vocals are. kind of nuts. like his voice just compliments gerard’s well anyways but some of the notes he’s hitting with the stability and tone he’s hitting them with is NOT something i usually expect out of a lead guitarist. perfectly belted B4s while jumping around and playing guitar is not an easy feat. he often sings higher than gee would live (though ray doesn’t actually have to sing as much? so he can allot for using his voice more in that way). ray’s voice is seriously very good. go listen to his background vocals on the chorus of dead! from live in mexico.
Back then, when they recorded The Black Parade in Haunted Paramour Mansion, Gerard often suffered with nightmares. Well, not really often, but rather say, every night. At some nights, he couldn't even fell sleep at all. Like this one, for example.
Gerard was tossing and turning restlessly. He couldn't fall asleep for almost 3 hours already. This was just draining and tiring, but apparently not enough to make him fell asleep. He threw all the pillows down on the floor, wrapped himself in a blanket, and just lied, sighing loudly and angry.
And at that moment, he heard a distant, quiet melody.
Guitar was sipping with music. And Gerard knew - Ray also wasn't asleep.
The first time he heard Ray's nightplaying, was truly a magical experience. That evening Gerard finally managed to fall asleep, but nightmares were already waiting for him in the realm of dreams. He run, and he was gettind chased, and he was hurt, and shadows-
Shadows were everywhere. But what dragged him out of this hell, what woke him up that night, was a melody. Gerard could swear to God, he thought it was a guardian angel, saving him from the sufferings. It took him a good couple of minutes to realize it was Ray. And at that moment he wanted to get up and run to him, to maybe, finally find some piece in his arms, to whine about such a cold, cruel world. Because Ray always listens. Maybe because it's Gerard, maybe because it's just in his nature, but it was so easy to open up to him about all your troubles. But Gerard hesitated. He somehow knew, that this is not right. That him, hearing this melody is not right, he isn't supposed to hear it, to listen to it. It's just too intimate, too... Ray. It's like he's witnessing the very Ray's, naked soul pouring from his fingers, and onto the strings, and shaping into a beautiful melody, that Gerard is hearing now.
He felt a wave of heat to his cheeks, thinking about that.
And he was laying in his bed, listening to the distant melody. Slowly, it drove him back to sleep. It was a first time in ages when Gerard could sleep without nightmares.
Later, there was many, many nights like this. Ray was playing guitar in his room, anaware that someone hears him. And Gerard was quietly listening to it, carefull, to not take a louder than always breath and to not scare this melody away. To not to scare Ray's soul.
Gerard once thought about how he sees him as a nymph. A beautiful nymph, that he happened to hear her beautiful playing. He wasn't supposed to, but he couldn't say "no" to himself. So he was quiet.
Gerard didn't really knew, why this playing is so different from any other rehearsal, or show, or concert, or recording, that he heard Ray played on. But somehow, this nightplays were extra magical for Gerard, like something only for him, not for thousands.
Ray would gladfully play for him, though. Gerard knew it. But hearing him play like that, for the void of the night, was much, much more interesting.
Please, let me know if there is any mistakes🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 English is not my first language but I really want to improve my writing
And let me know if you loved it💖🎀
au where i break into the gway heaven by marc jacobs shoot and start amateurishly mucking about