#solitaire headcanons

[willows-woes]

I think Tori Spring was in a manic, or at least mixed, state at the end of Solitaire.

Also, just a heads up that this post is long and detailed. I'm not making up a headcanon based off nothing, y'know? Also, spoilers. If you don't want to be spoiled, please don't read this post until after you finish Solitaire. Note this post is VERY, VERY detailed with a shit ton of psychiatric mumbo-jumbo, to put it informally. A lot of clinical terms and definitions are used here because I'm a fucking nerd when it comes to this stuff. Due to this, I really don't expect this post to get popular, haha.

Did I, seriously, research Bipolar Disorder just to make a point? Yes. I did.

According to the official NHS website,

The manic phase of bipolar disorder may include:

• Not feeling like sleeping

(It is implied she hasn't slept.)

• Feeling full of great new ideas and having important plans

(She's talking about Solitaire as if it's some big, important thing she has to do. She's been obsessed with it. As I said in my previous point, it's implied she refused to sleep because of the obsession.)

• Feeling very happy, elated, or overjoyed

• Talking very quickly

• Being delusional, having hallucinations and disturbed or illogical thinking

(This is up to interpretation. She could be using a metaphor, but she mentions being scared of the "giants and demons" multiple times throughout the book.)

Now, you may be asking: Willow, why manic instead of hypomanic?

Good question. Hypomania cannot involve hallucinations or delusions. Psychosis does not occur in hypomania, only mania, which is more severe.

Another question you may ask could be, Okay, but why did you bring up mixed states if mania seems to fit well?

Also a good question.

You see, a mixed state is when someone experiences both hypomanic/manic and depressive symptoms at once. Which may, also, be what Tori is going through.

While Tori, at the end of the book, shows more (in my opinion) symptoms of mania than depression, the latter isn't nonexistent.

Back to the NHS descriptions.

During a period of depression, your symptoms may include:

• Feelings of emptiness or worthlessness

• Suicidal ideation

(There's more examples in this part of the book, but in my opinion, this is the clearest expression of suicidal intent she gives, as well as the earliest.)

• Feelings of guilt and despair

(Note how she says failed. She thinks very lowly of herself in this sentence, clearly. Even though it wasn't her fault, and, objectively, she did all she could.)

Of course, there's more symptoms of mania and depression than what I just listed, but those were the ones that I had proof of Tori experiencing. If you want to look up bipolar disorder for yourself to learn about it more in-depth, by all means, do.

Back to the point of this post. Tori Spring shows symptoms of mania at this point of the story. However, depression can also involve psychotic symptoms and difficulty sleeping. THIS is where it gets complicated.

In my opinion, however, it's not entirely impossible that she was experiencing a mixed episode, OR that maybe, at the very end of the book, she experienced a sudden drop into depression. Both are possible, and since I'm not in Tori's head, all I can do is guess.

A misconception you may have is, Wait. Willow, doesn't Bipolar require mania and depression for diagnosis? If Tori was only experiencing a mixed episode, she can't have bipolar, right?

You're actually wrong.

Let me take out an ICD-11 description.

Although a single Manic or Mixed Episode is sufficient for a diagnosis of Bipolar Type I Disorder, the typical course of the disorder is characterized by recurrent Depressive and Manic or Mixed Episodes. Although some episodes may be Hypomanic, there must be a history of at least one Manic or Mixed Episode.

So, therefore, Tori Spring can classify as Bipolar with a "history of at least one Manic or Mixed Episode." Which, she has.

I think that's it. If you made it THIS FAR without falling asleep or getting confused as shit, I applaud you.

#tw suicidality #bipolar headcanons #tori spring #solitaire alice oseman #tori spring headcanons #solitaire headcanons #heartstopper headcanons #mental illness

[starlight-bread-blog]

What are your hcs for michaels parents/familly

I don't really have any, I rarely get ideas for hcs. But I can think of some.

His parents chose Michael's house, so I'm gonna assume that they're nature loving loners. But they also have a son who wins national competitions. Michael said they're likely not to come to see him skate.

What can I make of this...

Filled their house with plants.

But work a lot to keep their house.

Proud of Michael, but don't usually seriously check up on him.

When they do, a simple "fine" from their son is enough.

Love silence.

Cat people, but love dogs.

As for siblings, I think he's an only child.

Yeah sorry that's really unimaginative, but I don't usually think of these stuff.

#with that being said #hange zoe is aroace #she might had a crush #but she's aroace #also levi is gay #that is canon to me #and semi canon in general #if it's not a fake translation #but whatever #and he's also ambidextrous #i cannot imagen him right handed #how did i start rambling about Attack on Titan #lol #solitaire headcanons #michael holden #solitaire alice oseman #solitaire book #solitaire by alice oseman #solitaire

[nymphrod]

Why is Angel Dust x Husk called HuskerDust and not Spider Solitaire?

#hazbin hotel #hazbin #angel dust #hazbin hotel angel dust #huskerdust #hazbin hotel husk #angel dust x husk #hazbin hotel headcanon #spider solitaire

[jimjamkagaricci]

tori: my boyfriend is wearing a fucking suit to his autism diagnosis appointment.

michael: it’s a special event! :D

tori: shut up.

#incorrect osemanverse quotes #source: tiktok #teehee silly headcanon #bombastic side eye to anyone who disagrees #solitaire alice oseman #osemanverse #tori solitaire #michael solitaire #tori spring #victoria spring #michael holden #sprolden

[pessimistic-gh0st]

For some reason I can really imagine Tori having a letterboxd account, though she doesn't tell anyone about it (obviously) and is under the same username as her blog, so no one actually knows who she is on there. She would log every film she watched even if she does it days after she actually watched it, sometimes give reviews (which are probably unhinged in some way or really indepth or extremely concise and to the point), constantly change her ratings of films because she would end up thinking about one she watched in the past and end up realising how it wasn't so great as she initially thought it was (like what she said about Garden State in Solitaire) and her top 5 films would change all the time. She would have had this account for years and because of that she would end up having a fair amount of followers from obscurely named lists and random reviews she's made over the years.

And then one day, Tao goes to log a film he just watched and sees her review though he doesn't know it's Tori and vice versa. They then realise they like a lot of the same films and have a similar opinion about loads of them and sometimes watch films they see the other just logged and maybe Tao starts debates in reviews with Tori. (I know in the 2023 Q&A Alice showed Tao's Letterboxd and his username is his actual name, but in this he doesn't haha)

#yeah I don't know what this is either #i think we can all agree I'm delusional af #but anyway... #tori spring headcanon #tori spring #solitaire #solitaire alice oseman #heartstopper #alice oseman #tao xu #tao xu heartstopper #heartstopper headcanon #tao xu letterboxd #letterboxd #it's funny because it's true #chronic pessimist #osemanverse #gh0st.txt

[i-thought-it-was-butter]

sprolden headcanons, updated!! <3

Michael loves Disney movies, but he prefers books and tv shows over watching a full movie. When Tori finds out she forces him to watch a 10 hour marathon of her favorites to try and convert him

Tori likes 80s music a lot (which is kind of canon) but Michael is a MASSIVE 60s music fan + swiftie (kind of projecting there)

Michael and Nick become best friends and they have sleepovers where they gossip, paint each others nails, and bond over their love for the Springs

one day, Michael buys Tori a crown and calls her Queen Victoria for the rest of the night. The crown has sparkly pink plastic gems, and it now sits on Tori’s unused bookshelf.

Beetlejuice (the one with Winona Ryder) is one of their favorite movies to watch together.

Michael grows his hair to like shoulder length and Tori chops hers really short and they’re both adorable but they’re both kind of uncomfortable because it’s so unfamiliar so eventually they return to their previous haircuts

Lmk if you want any more of these!!!

#sprolden #solitaire #michael holden #tori spring #alice oseman #headcanon

[lovepersevering13]

Now could you elaborate on Michael's autism

Alright it’s Michael’s turn!

I want to preface this part the same as before: I’m not a psychiatrist, this isn’t how autism is experienced by everyone and let me know if anything is incorrect :) oh also I’m a little bit more educated on how Autism is shown in girls so this one is a bit of a mess.

Ok so for Michael I kinda had to think for a bit about some like concrete evidence because I didn’t have anything annotated for him like Tori but I think I’ve come up with a pretty compelling argument (also I thought I’d let you know that as I was doing this I started to realise Michael may have ADHD but I don’t really go into that too much).

Firstly:

Alice Oseman herself supports this headcanon so…. Anhahahahajaja omg I can’t explain how happy this makes me! Anyway, let’s get into what I found in Solitaire!

1. Masking

- “Do you get angry a lot?” I say.

“I’m always angry,” he says.” Solitaire, Page 213

Ok we know Michael generally is a very upbeat, positive person on the outside but as we get to know him we learn he’s only barely happier than Tori. When I think about this covering up of his anger with overly positive emotions it is clear to that he is masking (Suppressing Autistic traits). Pessimism is a common m trait of Autism and the way I see it, Michael is overcompensating for this by acting super happy all the time to cover it up.

2. Deficit in social understanding

- “Do you remember when he tried to get everyone to do a flash mob for the Year 11 prank?” says Nick. “And in the end he just did it by himself on the lunch tables?” Nick Nelson, Solitaire, Page 39.

This quote when Nick and Charlie are talking about Michael shows and extreme lack of care about social consequences.

- “Michael Holden has swooped into the restaurant.” Solitaire, page 46

Ok so this quote and the entire scene on pages 46/47 where Michael shows up unannounced because he wants to ask Tori something displays extreme impulsivity and impulsivity is a common Autistic trait. He also didn’t care about the lack of social etiquette displayed by crashing a hangout he wasn’t invited to.

- “Michael is helping himself to our leftover starters” Solitaire, Page 48

Again, lack of social awareness because you aren’t really supposed to crash someone else’s dinner and just start eating their food.

- “He races inside and, without bothering to let me leave or shut the door, he lifts the toilet seat and starts to pee.” Solitaire, (I forgot the page)

LACK OF SOCIAL ETTIQUITE. DUDE.

- “He’s the strangest person I’ve ever met.” Solitaire, Page 62

- “I know Nick and I said he’s weird - and he is weird -“ Charlie Spring, Solitaire, Page 177

- “He looks sort of out of place everywhere.” Solitaire, (I lost the page)

People with Autism are often described as being “strange,” “weird,” or “peculiar,” because they are different from their peers which can make them stand out and struggle to fit in.

- “I, er, didn’t get on too well with the people there. Not the teachers, not the students…” Michael Holden, Solitaire, Page 148

Because of the fact that people with Autism struggle with social understanding it can be very difficult to make friends and get along with other people.

- “I’ve never been good enough,” he says. “I get so stressed out, I don’t make friends - God, I can’t make friends.” His eyes glaze over. “Sometimes I just wish I were a normal human being. But I can’t. I’m not. No matter how hard I try.” Michael Holden, Solitiare, Page 376

Yeah, this quote hurts my heart. So many people with Autism feel as though they don’t fit in and that they aren’t normal. When you don’t have a diagnosis it can be especially difficult because you don’t know why. You know there’s something different about you, you know other people are doing and feeling things you aren’t and you know you’re doing and feeling things other people aren’t, but you don’t know why. It can be super isolating.

3. Challenging Authority Figures

- “…having that argument with Mr Yates during his mock exams!” Either Nick or Charlie, Solitaire, Page 40

- “I swore at Kent.” Michael Holden, Solitaire, Page 269

It’s very common for people with Autism to challenge authority figures. Generally this is because they often naturally assume equanimity and don’t understand why some people should get more respect then others if they aren’t seemingly deserving of it. This stems from having a heightened sense of justice and empathy.

4. Autism and Sexualtiy

- “I guess you could say I’m not too fussy about gender.” Michael Holden, Solitaire, (I forgot the page)

We know Michael’s canonically Pan and as we’ve previously discussed (read Tori’s part for more info) Autism and the LGBTQ+ community are heavily intertwined. I tried to look into Autism’s correlation to Pansexuality but couldn’t find anything specific.

I also wanted to add in a little fact about how Neurodivergent people tend to gravitate towards eachother and queer people tend to do the same so Michael and Tori makes a lot of sense.

5. Special Interests/HyperFixations

Ok so, Michael gets pretty into Solitiare. Right from the start he’s obsessed. Taking photos of the posts, insisting they go to the meet up. I’d probably say it’s a hyperfixation.

And DISNEY. Holy heck Michael loves Disney… and if you haven’t caught on already, yeah imma say it’s a special interest.

- “He gasps and grabs a third DVD, leaps across the room to the flat-screen and switches it on. “We’re watching beauty and the beast,” he says.” Michael Holden, Solitaire, Page 115

I mean look at how excited he gets over ‘Beauty and the Beast’.

6. School

- “Seriously. I haven’t gotten above a C grade in any subject since Year 8.”

“It seems almost impossible for someone like Michael to be unintelligent. People like Michael - people who get stuff done - they’re always smart. Always.” Solitaire, Page 188

- “When it comes to exams… I generally don’t write what they want me to write. I’m not very good at, well, sorting out all the stuff in my head.“

“I just don’t know what the examiners want to hear. I don’t know whether I just forget things, or maybe I don’t know how I’m supposed to explain it. I just don’t know.” Michael Holden, Solitaire, Page 118

- “Because I hate school!” This is quite loud. He starts to shake his head.” Michael Holden, Solitaire, (I forgot the page)

A lot of people with Autism struggle with school and like Tori points out, it’s not because they’re not smart, Michael is smart. It’s just that the education system isn’t fitted to benefit Neurodivergent children. So many things affect Autism in schools. The dreadful sensory environment, lack of control over what they can and can’t do and the difficult social pressures.

7. Emotional dysregulation

- “He clenches his fist and he snarls. He actually snarls at me.

“Maybe you are a manically depressed psychopath.” Michael Holden, Solitaire, Page 163

Emotional Dysregulation is the inability to control the intensity and expression of emotions. This is common in people with Autism and can result in overly intense emotions and lashing out. I think this is something that heavily impacts both Tori and Michael and results in a lot of their arguments. The aforementioned quote is just one example of how quickly and dramatically their arguments blow up due to this.

- “His face contorts into a kind of scrunched-up snarl, his fists curl, his skin drains of colour, and he storms past the man and tramps over to the benches. He reaches a row of lockers and looks into them, blankly, chest visibly expanding and contracting. With an almost terrifying malice, he throws a crazed punch at the lockers, wailing a subdued howl of rage. Turning, he hurls a kick at a pile of racing helmets, scattering them about the floor. He clutches his hair, as if trying to pull it out.” Solitaire, Page 211

Oh there is just so much to cover here. So this is a prime example of an Autistic meltdown. Autistic meltdowns can be caused by overwhelming emotions (In this situation that is Michael loosing his race) and result in an outburst which can include crying, screaming (“howl of rage”), aggression (punching the lockers and kicking the helmets) and self injurious behaviours (Pulling his hair). It’s probably worth mentioning that a few of the outbursts he has towards teachers that I mentioned earlier are probably also meltdowns.

8. Stimming

- “Michael starts whistling.” Solitaire, page 198

Whistling is a form of stimming, this particular quote is from when they are in Truham looking for Charlie, considering Michael’s disdain for Truham I can imagine it was a slightly stressful environment to be back in which would validly result in a need for stimming. I actually couldn’t find any other examples of stimming except possibly the hair pulling that was mentioned in the last quote.

9. Pattern Recognition

So pattern recognition is the autistic brains increased ability to recognise patterns and in Solitaire Michael is the first person to put together the fact that all of Solitaire’s pranks were related to Tori. I really can’t be bothered to find the quote where they talk about those

10. Safe foods

I think that Tea is probably a safe food for Michael because he is often mentioned to have a mug of Tea in his hands. (But I’m not British so maybe this is like normal? How much tea do British people actually drink?)

1. Miscellaneous Quotes

- Since when did you acquire a body temperature” Solitaire, page 112

I know it’s probably supposed to be related to figure skating but struggling with temperature regulation is very common amongst people with Autism.

- “Most of the time at school I can’t even decide what pen to use.” Michael Holden, Solitaire, page 149

Indecisiveness is very common amoungst people with Autism

Alright that’s a wrap on Michael Holden. I’m thinking of doing a conjoined part for Charlie and Oliver if anyone would be interested in reading that :)

Some of the resources I used:

https://livingautism.com/decision-making-problems-adults-asd/

Thermal Perceptual Thresholds are typical in Autism Spectrum Disorder but ...

https://sparkforautism.org/discover_article/managing-emotions/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7430467/

https://neuroclastic.com/autism-and-responding-to-authority/?amp

#michael holden #Michael Holden Solitaire #tori and michael #tori spring #autistic Michael Holden #autistic tori spring #autism coded #autism coding #autism headcanons #autistic Headcanons #alice oseman solitaire #Alice Oseman #solitaire book #heartstopper season 3 #heartstopper book #heartstopper netflix #heartstopper #nick and charlie

[michaelnotholden]

MORE SPROLDEN HCS PLS

Michael loves cuddling, physical affection is his love language fr!!

And bc of that tori is always holding his hand or arm and playing with his hair

They will connect their AirPods while skating and listen to music

Tori gave Michael her old teddy bear to him

Tori paints Michael’s nails bc he’s bad at applying it himself

Michael put tori as his emergency contact

Even Michael’s tighter shirts are still too big for Tori

Since Michael is always over at Tori’s he and Julio are besties and always talk abt literature or random niche topics

One day tori showed all the photos her and Becky took on her MacBook during sleepovers

Then tori cried to Michael bc she misses becky

Michael and tori decided to rewatch the whole starwars franchise and it took them like five months to finish

Michael is partially the reason why tori and Becky are best friends again :’)

Tori and Michael got lost in Spain during a vacation with the springs and they had no signal for an hour

They both love swimming, their fav thing to do is screaming underwater ??😭

Tori likes watching Michael doing his hair routine

They will spend like ten minutes dancing instead of brushing their teeth for no reason

They had a clubbing phase in their early twenties that lasted three months (they only went to gay clubs tho duh)

#I could do more lololol #this is fun ehehhe #sprolden headcanons #tori spring #michael holden #solitaire #solitaire alice oseman #osemanverse #alice oseman #heartstopper #victoria spring #sprolden #tori and michael

[lemon-towne]

If Michael were in theater at some point he’d be that bitch still on script during tech week

#michael holden #solitare alice oseman #headcanon #osemanverse #solitaire #theater #please I can’t be the only one right #calling myself out

[toris-letterboxd]

what r ur tori spring headcanons?

Ask and thou shall receive……..

My Tori spring headcanons !!

I think she’d listen to Lorde, the 1975, bloc party, Ethel cain, Mitski & the cure

She’d be one of those people who never tell anyone it was their birthday, Michael & becky can’t stand when she does it

She is ruthless with her Letterboxd reviews

Her top four would be .. Donnie darko, LadyBird, Amelie & asteriod city (yes it’s a good film fight me)

Hates reading but can tolerate graphic novels, if it’s not mainstream like marvel duh

Her go to outfit is denim shorts, black tights, a big black jumper with those adidas runners

Loves eyeliner & dark red lip shades but hates having wearing makeup most of the time

Hates twitter bc of all the hate and shit but won’t delete it bc she’s too much of a hater

Dan Howells biggest fan, she’d find the whole edgy “existential crisis” vids relatable

Her and Michael would watch shitty rom coms together “ironically”

Out of the “snoopy, Garfield & hello kitty trifecta” she’s def a snoopy girl

I got more I think idk I’m watching The Holdovers rn so I’m multitasking 🗣️ (it’s very good watch it !!)

#Jen vs the asks #solitaire #tori spring #tori spring headcanons #solitaire headcanon #oseman tag #osmanverse #aliceoseman #heartstopper #michael holden

[thediamondarcher]

Tori and Michael say/do the most autistic/neurodivergent coded things and there are people who are waiting for them to be canonically autistic to call them that, there're real autistic people who don't even have a diagnosis and that doesn't mean they aren't autistic and we're talking about characters here like, bfr

#also why do you get so mad about neurodivergent headcanons #feels abelist tbh #I would love for them to be canonically autistic but we already have SO many things coded so I'm not going to wait for it to be canon #to call them autistic #solitaire #tori spring #heartstopper #michael holden #solitaire alice oseman #sprolden #solitaire book #tori and michael #autistic tori spring #autistic michael holden

[willows-woes]

tori spring had dpdr. sorry.

#in my mind at least #you can disagree. but in my idea of her? shes dissociated. so fucking much #tori spring #solitaire alice oseman #solitaire headcanons #heartstopper headcanon #dpdr #depersonalisation disorder #derealisation disorder #depersonalisation/derealisation disorder

[cecezvault]

Do u have headcanons about what (hearstopper) will share in instagram stories? I just see them all very active in there

ah yes im pretty sure they're all very active there canonically too! might be a different platform im getting mixed up with but heres some:

Nick posts Nellie. a LOT

Tori has a playlist story (she has superb music taste) (idk if u can make insta private stories i don't use it much but if not she posts music on her story)

Charlie also posts Nellie but mainly posts about whenever he's with his friends

Darcy posts memes, ones that she made herself and ones that aren't hers

Tara however posts the most gorgeous poems she scribbled down in like five minutes

Elle posts drawings she does and the clothes she makes

Harry posts his fortnite wins and rugby game wins 😭

Nick and Charlie post each other very often and tag each other in it with funny captions

Michael posts pictures of him and Tori at the ice skating rink

sorry i don't have a ton for this but hopefully this is enough :)

#michael holden #tori spring #heartstopper #solitaire #alice oseman #charlie spring #nick nelson #nick x charlie #tara jones #darcy olsson #elle argent #tori and michael #heartstopper headcanons #headcanons

[your-blorbos-are-queer]

character pride icons pt. 29: book characters

canon queer characters

apollo (riordanverse) - bisexual

tori spring (osemanverse) - agender (hc) + asexual (canon)

feel free to use these for any non-commercial purpose, as long as proper credit is given!

if you'd like to see a different combination of character + flag, my ask box is always open for requests

#queer characters #queer headcanons #character icons #pride icons #icons #pride flags #riordanverse #percy jackson #apollo #trials of apollo #bisexual #bi #osemanverse #tori spring #solitaire #agender #nonbinary #non binary #asexual #ace

[autisticheadcanonsdaily]

Victoria "Tori" Spring from Solitaire and Heartstopper is autistic. Anon says "she sees things through movies, and her comfort food is diet lemonade!"

#victoria spring #tori solitaire #tori spring #solitaire #autistic headcanon #autistic hc #autistic hcs

[pessimistic-gh0st]

What songs do you think Tori Spring would listen to?

Definitely a lot of Radiohead (particularly No Surprises, Let Down, How To Disappear Completely, Fake Plastic Trees, Jigsaw Falling Into Place and Street Spirit (Fade out)) and I feel like she would relate and love a lot of Mitski songs, though she wouldn't know that many considering she prefers to listen to individual songs rather than whole artists. I feel like she would listen to THE LONELIEST by Måneskin at 2am and would have Quiet, The Winter Harbor by Mazzy Star on one of her playlists too haha.

And here are some other ones: Between the Bars by Elliott Smith, I Deserve to Bleed by Sushi Soucy, Telescope by Cage the Elephant, Miss Misery by Elliott Smith, Andromeda by Weyes Blood, A Different Age by Current Joys, Where Is My Mind by the Pixies, Ramona by Beck from Scott Pilgrim, Ghosting by Mother Mother (to be honest I think Tori would like a lot of Mother Mother songs), The Record Player Song by Daisy the Great, Northern Attitude (with Hozier) by Noah Kahan and Hozier, Kids by Current Joys, Tired by Beabadoobee and Clay Pigeons by Michael Cera. There are a lot more to be honest, but I could go on forever

#these are literally just songs chosen from my Tori Spring playlist haha #thanks for the ask anon #answered #anon #tori spring #it's funny because it's true #michael holden #solitaire #alice oseman #solitaire alice oseman #osemanverse #heartstopper #tori spring headcanon #sprolden #nick and charlie #gh0st.recs