I Need Some Nonhuman Friends 😭

The struggle to act right in public when you really want to act like the creature you are

I hope any endels, holotheres, clinical lycanthropes, or any other physically identifying nonhuman reading this has a very good day

I think this is so interesting and now I really wanna hear more about the ways different people interact with animals. ​I have many pets and have always been a very animal-obsessed person so I wanted to add some thoughts.

Personally, I’ve have found that the neurodivergent people I know (myself included) tend to personify animals much more than is usual. For example, when I get a new animal it takes me a while to “become friends” with them. (Which is basically just us getting to know each other/getting into a routine.) But everyone I’ve met has always been very confused by that.

Another weird thing is I’m not super empathetic towards people, but with animals I’m hyperempathetic. And I’ve seen tons of other neurodivergent people express this online! It’s such a strange thing I love it!

the cool thing about working with animals is that I have one singular neurotypical colleague (as far as I know). and it’s become super obvious to me that the way autistic people relate to animals is fundamentally different to how allistics relate to animals. and the way people with ADHD relate to animals is fundamentally different to those without. 

(only one of my colleagues has Tourette’s and only two of us have OCD, so I don’t think that’s enough to make any grand sweeping statements). 

anyway. a real interaction between two of my colleagues today.

ADHD: Maggie won’t stop barking at me. I think she’s upset.

autistic: let me go talk to her. I can fix this. 

and that’s not uncommon? my autistic colleagues and I seem to talk to the animals to a much greater extent than anyone else. my ADHD colleagues and I seem to be the best at associating the correct name and breed and dietary requirements to the correct dog, which is weird, because I can’t do the same when it comes to humans.

I know that most people communicate with their animals but… it’s different in a way I can’t quite explain. the communication and connection seems so much deeper… I don’t know, it’s just wonderful. also, the fact that so many ND people work with me… that alone… indicates something. 

I guess I could be considered a shapeshifter since my body changes between different species of snakes. right now (and for the past few days) I’m a California kingsnake. no idea what causes me to change or if I can control it, but it’s a neat quirk of this body.

I’m curious any shapeshifters out there able to control their shifts? were you always able to? how do you do it now?

(me if you even care)

Made a meme about my experience with autism, and it seemed to resonate with people on Reddit so... here ya go.

It's so sad that there are very few places anyone can go that provide that perfect secret little hideaway somewhere in th woods. Everything is someones property, public parks that are just grass, or housing developments now. I just want to be able to take a short walk from my house to some (not even that deep) woods and find a cool tree and make it my hang out spot and to walk along the naturally forming paths from other people and animals taking time to actually enjoy nature.

me: so being autistic effects every part of me...

allistic: ok

me: it even changes my perception of gender...

allistic: that makes sense

me: i identify as autigender because my experience of gender is intertwined with my autistic experience

allistic: AuTisM IsN’T A GENDer?!!!!

———————————————————————

autigender doesn’t necessarily mean autism is a gender, it is simply a term autistics can use to describe the way their gender and autism interact (hope that helps explain it!)

how am i supposed to ever get a job (that i actually like) when all my small brain lets me think about are these dumb animatronics??

as another fae animal, I think we’re naturally good at mimicking those around us. We mimic their forms and we mimic their behavior even though we are naturally distinct from it. By that I mean that we are at our core different, however we’re good at making it seem like we’re a part of this human society.

I don’t know if what I’m saying makes sense exactly, it’s hard to put into words. But I think what you’re saying is an interesting conversation, and I’d like to hear other changelings’ views.

at times i wonder, was *i* specifically switched in for my human counterpart when i was young because my individual fae character makes it easy for me to mimic my parental figures, or does my fae character make it easy for me to "leach" personality traits off of guardians and mirror them to make them more likely to accept me as a fake fae child?

is it an inherent changeling/fae trait? Seems likely honestly, as the ability to instinctively mirror traits to people when young while knowing they're only performed will make your survival and blending in more likely; and specially as a fae animal and not a human-like fae.

shoutout to therians who’s therianthropy fucking sucks, the therians who have severe species dysphoria, the therians who cant function like a human no matter how hard they try, the therians who would trade their current life for the life of their theriotype in an instant.