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cat-downthestreet · 3 months

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hey, listen! this is a rant post about neurodivergent characters in Genshin and my frustration with the fandom's reading comprehension skills. if you're in a bad place or just don't like angry rants, please don't force yourself and go read something else instead. <3

Okay, so, I watched this video recently, and let's just say, I have some thoughts.

https://youtu.be/tYK3297p4rk?si=eMaf8NF57HFlUhfd

This isn't just a Xiao problem- the entire fandom is terrible at characterization. The example that makes me the most angry is the mischaracterization of neurodivergent characters.

Take Alhaitham for example. He's often seen as rude and narcissistic by the fandom- which is especially apparent in Haikaveh content, where people portray him as straight up abusive.

You wanna know why this makes me so mad? The supposedly narcissistic and rude traits Alhaitham has are actually just exaggerated symptoms of autism.

Like, come ON, people. Don't skip dialogue. Better yet, go read through his story quest again. He straight up tells someone who sees him as narcissistic that he doesn't see others as less than himself. Also, his voicelines basically confirm this- he's extremely socially inept and he doesn't care. He has difficulty showing emotions as readily as his peers- that doesn't mean he doesn't have them, just that he expresses them differently. He comes across as rude because he doesn't get that people don't like to hear what they're doing wrong, and he probably doesn't care because that's not his problem. If people don't like how blunt he is, that's their problem. At least, that's how I think he views the world.

And like, there are SO many hints that he's autistic. He wears sound-blocking earpieces, for crying out loud. Hell, the ENTIRE REASON why he helped out during the Archon quest was because he didn't want his life to change too much. Preferring routine is an autistic trait.

And the worst part is, when I talk about this outside of neurodivergent groups, people tell me I'm wrong and that he couldn't be autistic DESPITE THOSE PEOPLE NOT BEING AUTISTIC THEMSELVES.

And I'm not saying that every autistic person relates to Alhaitham, but I certainly do. And I'm actually quite friendly because I'm anxious about being rejected. Alhaitham isn't, and I'm so jealous of him for that. He's living his best life.

Finally, back to the Haikaveh thing... Alhaitham isn't abusive. He doesn't say horrible things to Kaveh, and the one example of him doing that I could find, he immediately backtracked and subtly tried to make Kaveh feel better. Hell, Alhaitham doesn't even actually care about making sure Kaveh pays rent. He says it as a joke, but because he's autistic and his tone of voice doesn't give that away as well, he's portrayed as abusive and misunderstood as narcissistic. Y'all just don't like neurodivergent people and it shows.

Yes, neurodivergent includes Xiao. PTSD is often viewed as a form of neurodivergency, and there are many MANY characters in Genshin that have PTSD or some other form of neurodivergence. Yet people refuse to see them as such and mischaracterize them as "edgy," "narcissistic," "unapproachable," "weird," and the like. Yet none of these characters are any of those things.

You wanna know the true narcissists? The true edgelords? The actually rude people? Might I direct your attention to Scaramouche, Childe, and Dottore, whom everyone makes out to be as misunderstood pathetic little meow meows that need love.

Reminder that only two of those three are actually redeemable, and one is STILL an edgelord who is more rude than Alhaitham could ever be, while the other is a certified insane person with a weird set of morals.

(Side note: I love Scaramouche and Childe as characters. I'm just tired of people acting like they aren't worse than the autistic characters. Scaramouche is extremely rude, but he's trying to be better as Wanderer thanks to Nahida's help. He has severe PTSD, and Childe does, too. But both of them are actually messed up and have done horrible things, yet people portray them as better and more in need of love than the characters with unlikable (read: neurodivergent) traits.)

Don't even get me started on how people portray Kokomi, Sucrose, Fischl, Diluc, Zhongli, Cyno, Furina, Neuvillette, and Albedo. Especially that last one- I WILL get mad if one more person tries to tell me he's just emotionless and rude.

Also, if anyone is wondering where I've seen people misunderstanding these characters, it's mostly on Hoyolab site discussions. There's one too many posts talking about how "rude" and "annoying" these characters are.

With Alhaitham especially, I see many people writing him as abusive in Haikaveh content. I see people arguing about the ship being toxic because Alhaitham is "abusive," "unfeeling," and "cruel." Even people who like the ship portray him as such. And I've seen too many people comparing him to Dr. Ratio, who is literally just a narcissist who views others as beneath him. Don't get me wrong, I understand the comparison. It's just... very obvious that people skipped dialogue during Genshin's Archon and story quests.

And it's frustrating because I've been misunderstood in the exact same way. I've been called "rude," "annoying," and "unfeeling" in the past and it's screwed me up. Seeing people do the same thing to a character I so deeply relate to makes me lose confidence in both myself and people around me.

If that's how you view a fictional character with autistic traits, how do you treat real people with the same traits?

Thanks for reading this far. My previous post seemed to get a lot of attention, so I felt more confident about posting my full perspective on this subject. Can any of you think of other characters that have been constantly misunderstood in the fandom? I'd love to hear about it.

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0shewrites0 · 2 months

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LITG & beautiful/artsy/thoughtful tattoos 🧎🏽‍♀️

So I know I’m being delulu but can we not (just once!!!) have a character with tattoos that look like someone’s put some thoughts into them? Also, where are my stylish, artsy, tattooed pretty boys? Will had fr so much potential but I’m sorry, the tattoos are not it.

Like, look at them and then look me in the eye and tell me you don’t think they’re really bloody hot:

Give me a Joel or an Ingram lookwise and give them nail polish, jewelry and stylish clothes. Also, they don’t even need to be muscular or gym buffs! I’m a simple girl, really, but is it too much to ask for someone like that? My soul craves them pretty boys 🥹😭😭

#litg #litg wishlist #i just wish things were different #how is it so hard for fb to just come up with characters that look like this?#romance club can do it and so do couple up #heck have you seen some of the art scenes on fricking EPISODE!?!!!#i’m crying

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fernisfat · 4 months

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I’m officially spending Christmas alone (my dad is still in the icu, we’re expecting terrible weather, and my mom doesn’t want to risk coming back home in case the roads get bad and she can’t get back to the hospital) but I’m being very brave about it (I’m taking an edible, having my first shower in like a week, and getting drunk) 🙃

#fern whispers #im like unbelievably sad and lonely but I’m trying to just act like things are fine so my mom doesn’t worry #i just wish things were different

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aaravaggarwal9 · 7 months

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In This Life

We were always so near

Yet so far apart

You were always in my sight

Yet just out of my reach

I wish i had accepted it earlier

What i knew my heart was saying

I wish i hadn't been so ignorant

I wish i didn't make those mistakes

Because all I wish now is

We were together in this life

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books-and-cookies · 3 months

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wow the sads are hitting today, awesome 🫠

#ignore me #i just wish things were different #i wish i were happier #i wish i had someone who wanted me #who wanted to give me the world #it's not a great day

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xthescarletbitch · 9 months

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need to let myself enjoy things again

#reminder: i did all i could #if it doesn’t work out then i guess i have to accept that #i just wish things were different #and that i could know the reasons #:(#txt

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stoicallyshi · 3 months

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February 8th

It's not that he doesn't understand but it is that he doesn't want to. He pretends to feel dejected by my thoughts and my deeds, he shows so by that look of unfaithfulness which completely shatters my inner child, a 22 year child which was forced to feel and act like a 25.

He says "it's all a rat race in big cities, I don't like such rushed life, it's not worth it." I say same father I don't either but I don’t explain why. Maybe it's because I like the noise of the sea waves more, maybe because the crowd makes me uncomfortable.

I always look at myself with pity, I sometime don't even appreciate myself much for what I have become for him and behind chasing his dream. I wish I could tell him that this is not I want anymore, I wish I could tell him that my heart belongs somewhere else, beats for a dream which is too far and unapproachable from his pov. I look at him with hope, that one day I might be able to gather the courage and tell him the truth about everything I want to do and everything I want to be. I pray in my mind and make scenarios about how would he react to the far fetched things I would say to him. The silence and the dejected look on his face horrifies me to the core.

The ungrateful look on his face, the pain of not being understood, the weight of his expectations, the non alignment of his thinking and my thoughts, the uttered disbelief in place of "oh do what you like", the folly of wanting him to take pride in me but not receiving enough support from him, it all comes down on me hitting me, tearing me from my very own skin.

I have grown accustomed of not letting him know what I wanna do with my future because I know it will never be a happy thing to know for him. I keep a check on myself for not letting myself flow and blabber out things which I suppress whenever I see him getting a little casual with our conversation. I feel like there are so many things I wanna say to him, I feel a bit overjoyed whenever I feel like am heard but down the brain the only thing that reaches me is the feeling of how ununderstood I still stand.

"Working in one of the metropolitan cities earning 2,3 lakhs can't compare to what you could get from getting into one of these government jobs, do something for the place you were born on". These ain't just words, these are the words that makes me feel doubtful about myself that whatever I'm doing may not be enough for him ever, not today, not in any coming days. Yet he says all he has ever wanted is to see me settled even if it's a low profile job. But this thing in my brain will it ever let me live with peace until I see him being proud for what I did? Will I ever be able to live with the fact that I didn't do enough to satisfy him? It was never enough for the only person I was doing it all for, tell me will I be able to sleep with this constant knock on my body and soul?

How will I ever live knowing that maybe one day if I choose to do things of my own, he might not look at me like his own daughter? Tell me how do want me to survive if the reason for making it out through all doesn't find my reasons apprehensive because of the person he is and not because of the person he could be? Afterall why would anyone want to change his grounds of beliefs and ideals if that has been incorporated for more than the years I have lived my life.

A part of mine screams, cries and yearns to be understood and appreciated, not a part maybe it's all me. I don't blame him for anything, how can I when he is all the reason I still live a life better than those who doesn't have one. Maybe I guess someday it will all change. I imagine turning the long rusted wheels of the turbine between us. I wish the flow of the water to be strong enough to wash down all his insecurities and see me as someone who is at her best and did it all to prove worth being a good daughter.

I wish it all was never just on the paper, wish it all was already contemplated somewhere, anywhere !

#daddy issues #it's all chaos #chaotic academia #franz kafka #february #i just wish things were different

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peppermintquartz · 4 months

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drabble from Playroom!verse

Joestafa

*

"I worry about you when you wear that," Joe says when Mustafa is about to leave for the gym. The older man touches the keffiyeh wound around Mustafa's neck. Joe sighs. "I know you won't take this off, not now, but please be careful."

"I will be." Mustafa smiles, wistful and encouraged, and kisses Joe on the cheek. He rests a hand on Joe's broad chest, and Joe covers Mustafa's hand with his palm.

How many of those senselessly killed had had this chance?

Not enough.

Joe sighs and rests his brow against his lover's. "I'll see you at dinner."

#joestafa #i just wish things were different #but this idea came to me and i had to write it #finn's playroom

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aaravaggarwal9 · 5 months

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A Fairytale

He once fell for a beautiful girl

One who had lost those dear to her

Broken and emptied from the pain

Solitude and suffering changed her

Into one who no longer trusted love

She did not accept his affection

Scared to open her wounds to him

She turned a blind eye to his efforts

And distanced herself from him

Not wanting her heart to shatter again

But he loved her truly and deeply

So his hopes remained unscathed

Slowly he got to know about her past

And though he knew she didn't need him

He still tried his best to heal her

One day his magic worked

With all the strength she had

She let go of the bygone days

And steadily her mended heart

Fell in love all over again

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antimony-ore · 9 months

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Ugh I I can't gather a single thought today.... Umm I guess I'm worried I'm putting myself back in another situation and need outside opinions, but I don't want to offend anyone.

#I still may move home with my mom and call my losses on this trailer #I can't do this living with my ex who can't control his anger that I'm still not over until a new wild card moves in #I'm just probably going to stop talking online and go into a terrible mental state if I have to live with my mom again #my parents made me feel like it is unacceptable to like myself if I dom't achieve the goals I set beforw I knew i was autistic #and also think my masking is ok and don't understand why it doesn't work long term #I am just not pleasant anywhere anymore #and if I can't work with othera I don't deserve money deserve food deserve housing #so I am largely back to not eating because I'm falling back in with Jason which I told everyone wpuld happen because I've been trying #to leave for 8 years #and now I absolutely am mad at myself also #I hate myself right now #I'm stupid #incapable of getting out myself because I lack basic social skill #will somebody fricken adopt me I need consistent support until I'm out of this funk #before the funk wins #I keep saying I want a roommate but it's not true #I just wish things were different

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eirxair · 1 year

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Your country being colonized during history is so strange. We're relatively free now, but I can still feel the ghosts of it in my everyday life.

Sometimes I mourn the dying language I've never been able to speak and probably never will, but I revel in the small ways it survives, even as the sharpness of most people's voices, I can still half hear what it used to be.

I see it in the attitude of the people, and in the blatant disregard for others and all-if not most-things different and the self centeredness of them all, because there was a time not too long ago when all you could do was worry about yourself.

I get so angry to the point I could cry researching my own history, because I could have had that. I could've been able to wear my cultural clothes that are practically non existent now. I could've been able to speak my native tongue without consulting a stupid textbook.

But instead I'm forced into a nation that refuses to heal because we've hid our generational trauma in rudeness, alcohol, drugs, sectarianism, paramilitaries and a physical divide. And we've hid it so well in those things that most of us don't even see that there's a problem.

I'm proud of my heritage, and I'm proud of my country don't get me wrong. I just wish my country could heal from wounds that run centuries deep and reconnect with itself.

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ofcutsandoffire · 9 days

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i physically can't do homework anymore or any work I can't do it

#i'm exhausted #i just wish things were different #I just wish school was over #i hate this shit #i hate school

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