So apparently my brother writes fanfiction now.

[seiberwing]

For those who don't know me too well, my little brother has mild autism. One of the things he likes to do is "chatter", which usually involves wandering around talking to himself about whatever's on his mind (with permission and by himself, of course, he understands it's not exactly appropriate around other people). From what he's told me and what I've heard of him doing it, it's basically the equivalent of messing around with one's headcast, just out loud.

And...occasionally into a weird area. Yesterday my mother asked my brother why he was so upset.
Apparently, he was upset that the Hundred Acre Woods caught on fire and Kanga and Roo's house was burned up. So now Roo is an orphan being raised by Aladar (from Dinosaur) and Aladar's teaching him how to survive in the wild. Mom was rather horrified that something like this would actually happen on a kid's show, but David reassured her that it was only happening in his chattering and not on the TV show.

Good, thinks my mom. So, what will happen to Roo? David isn't sure what happens next, which is why he wants to go back to chattering so he can find out.

Freaky? Yes, but it's better than a lot of Kingdom Hearts fanfic. We really do wonder where he gets this stuff sometimes, but it's rather nicely creative even if it does get a bit weirdly dark sometimes. My mom's even encouraged him to start writing it down, but he prefers to keep it all up inside his head--I think he's a bit embarrassed by it. Still, I think it's kinda cool he can get this complex, epic world together and get emotionally attached to it.

It's still a pretty weird fantasy life, though. In the clean sense; discussing my brother's other weird fantasy life would take a whole 'nother post and me trying to remember exactly how I explained to my parents what a "furry" was.

Comments

[stace-s.livejournal.com]

Hope this isn't an inappropriate response, but that sounds really cute! X3

how I explained to my parents what a "furry" was.

Haha, reminds me how I had to explain to my mother what a "woody" was when some guy made an inappropriate comment to us in a parking lot. She thought he was talking about station wagons. 9_9

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

My mom is a bit more educated on sex than that, but furry subculture is a bit out of her grasp.

[revelininsanity.livejournal.com]

Aw! That's so cute. My little brother used to write family newspapers.

[demonlass.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I don't recall me ever getting upset by my... "chattering", but I do know it affects my mood in some ways. I'm quite intrigued for more details on this world in his head.

And it's not freaky. :(

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

I "chatter" in my head, I think most people in fandom do it. The weird part comes in when he does it out loud when walking around and waving his arms dramatically.

He gets very emotionally attached to what's going on in there, for some reason. I've done it when I RP, true, but he does it on his own. I have no idea what the details are but they usually involve a lot of crossovers.

[demonlass.livejournal.com]

I'm not talking about things going on in my head and certainly not things I'm experiencing only since entering fandom. I'm talking about what made my parents decide to sign me up to see if I have autism. Few more tests and the and I'll officially have it.

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

I have no idea how the chattering itself relates to autism, since there's a couple of other things comorbid with his autism and it's all a bit of a mess, but it's interesting to know someone else does it too.

So you do it out loud too? *curious* I'm not sure what the difference is, besides how it manifests.

[demonlass.livejournal.com]

Out loud, yeah. My siblings used to complain about the "mumbling coming from the shower", though they have gotten used to it. ^^

To me, it's a bit like breathing. I do it automatically (when I'm alone enough), without realizing I do and, in a way, I need it. Only when I spot another person do I suddenly realize what I'm doing and stop. My reveries usually prevent me from noticing others though, unless they're near or somehow emphasize their presence (like by slamming the door of their car). The same goes for any movement accompanying the thoughts.

Needless to say this often leaves me quite embarrassed. I remember once when cycling, two girls also on bicycles coming my way started to hum very loudly in what I can only guess was a mockery of what I was doing (as they really obviously were staring at me). That was one of the times, though, that I was less bothered about what people thought of me (and their uncalled for behaviour), but all the more about that the "shock" prevented me from going back to thinking for hours after that. I may not "chatter" consciously, but I do notice when something prevents me from going in that state (again, like breathing). It starts 'hurting' if something is in the way. It feels as if it puts me on the verge of crying, even though I know it can't make me cry even if crying wasn't something I don't do and can't deal with.

My reveries sometimes involve stories like you described your brother doing. But just as much, I am talking and debating with imagined representatives of ideas I've come across or that have come out of something I've come across. Sometimes, they simply are, sometimes the representative is supposed to be someone I know - can be anyone.


I don't really get what autism is period. The symptoms of autism I know don't seem that related to me, and I can't see what is labelled "autism" as anything but a kind of person someone can be. Not a disorder, but a variation. During the time I've been examined, they often asked me what I thought of possibly being an autist. I always answered that it doesn't change a thing - now I just have a word for part of who I am. Also, some of the symptoms of autism I experience, I can explain with childhood experiences shaping me into who I am. Of course, had I not had autism, I may have gotten out of it differently or may not have gotten certain experiences at all. In short, autism may be some difference from the general population that can be defined, but it's still something personal for each individual having it.

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that...that doesn't sound anything like my brother's chattering. If anything, it seems to be the result of simply filling up space. It's a recreational activity for him, something he does for fun or out of boredom.

I think, if you have the capability of posting this much on the internet and gaining this level of introspection, you're not anywhere near the level of autistic my brother is. There's a mild sense of shame in it for him, but mostly because he doesn't want to get told off or teased for doing it.

[demonlass.livejournal.com]

As I said, an individual is an individual, even if they share what is called autism. I don't have his experiences, he doesn't have mine. My knowledge of myself is a defence mechanism left from when I was bullied at elementary school (which probably was due to autistic behaviour) and kept in tact by any later unpleasant encounter with another human. Without that experience, I don't think I would have ever been able to put down what I did earlier. Or, much like a big part of the ways I think would have never been had I not played RAMA as a child. Your brother has his own experiences that mingle with the autistic traits to form his person, which in return colours his autism.

Heh, if the situation calls for it, don't ever forget to tell him he has nothing to be ashamed of. ;)

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

I really don't think we're going to see eye to eye on this one, so I'm just going to step out of the conversation here.

[doctoreon.livejournal.com]

When I was a kid, I had elaborate stories that I would, I suppose you could say, RP alone. So, even into my teens, it was not uncommon to see my walking down streets or in the park and gesticulating and talking loudly about my stories and even interacting with them.

Nowadays, I keep it in my head for when I can't sleep.

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

I usually do that just when I get bored. Possibly when I need fanfic ideas.

[doctoreon.livejournal.com]

Yeah, basically, except I don't write fanfic.