Autistic (and aroace) Eva Stratt HC's
*meant to just be about autism but I couldn't help myself
As a kid she never understood how most people would say things that they didn't mean, but everyone else still seemed to 'get it'
She was direct as a kid, saying what she meant and not sugarcoating it
She would sometimes unintentionally hurt other kid's feelings because she just said things as they were. 'Do you like me hair cut?' 'No, it's uneven and makes your forehead look bigger'
She didn't understand why so many people would ask questions then get hurt when she gave them an honest answer
She had a 'blank face' when people would talk to her, leading teachers and students to ask if she was ok or angry. It confused her.
Would crave deep pressure and wrap herself up in as many blankets as possible
Would do her hair the exact same way every day and would wear mostly similar clothes. She created a 'uniform' for herself.
Would go outside and sit after school to decompress and regulate. She learnt all the names of the flowers in her garden.
As a teen would prefer to be alone, though she had a couple of close friends at choir
Definitely used singing as a socially acceptable stim
Was an avid reader, liked fiction because it taught her about how other people...exist and loved non-fiction because it taught her about history and languages
LOVED languages. Grew up bilingual, then learnt two other languages at school but actually was able to speak them after she graduated. They were the perfect mix of creativity and structured rules for her.
As a teen, she would write these really beautiful short-stories which she used to express her emotions and process her life experiences but refused to show anyone. She'd also translate them into as many of her languages as she could. (They 100% would have won awards and been published if she had shown then to someone)
Was a straight A student and went to a competitive school
Would stim by squeezing her hands into balls and releasing them and repeating words in her head. Would also slowly shift her weight from foot to foot, not wanting to attract attention.
Had to have her items laid out in a certain way and would get really upset if someone touched her things
Had a wicked sense of humour but not many people 'got it' (Ryland later would and that's part of why she liked having him around so much)
When everyone started dating she just didn't see the excitement. She'd rather spend her time writing or reading or taking a walk in nature.
She'd get uncomfortable when boys would hit on her in her final year of school and just wanted to focus on her academics
Always felt strange when people would tell sex jokes. They were crass and gross and she just didn't find them funny.
Wasn't overly bothered by knowing she was different to everyone. She didn't really like them enough to want to be like them anyway. She was smarter, had a better memory and did more useful things with her time.
Did well in university, did a double degree in history and languages. Took some creative writing courses as electives.
Wanted more friends as she was older but just struggled too much and decided the effort wasn't worth the reward and stopped trying after her first semester of university.
She never thought about why she was different, but when she was in her 40s and discovered autism and the different presentations she did pause, then keep reading, then just sat and thought for a while, tucking the information away for later.
Running the hail mary operation was simple for her. Not easy, but simple. It required schedules, chains of command, reports, negotiating and giving clear instruction. If it wasn't for the emotional toll of watching so many people she'd grown to like die she probably would have enjoyed it.
She easily gets consumed in tasks, finding it difficult to pull away. Getting to be around the Hail Mary project constantly helped regulate her. No one could tell her to stop, because they all had to be in it all the time.
Ryland was the first person to 'get' her in a while. He found her dry humour funny. Though it was never stated, she sensed that he also felt to 'out of placeness' she'd felt.
She'd still step outside when she needed space and to be away from people. The fresh air always calmed her.
She rubs her hands on her trousers to stim
Hates eye contact but will do it as a power move if need be
Practiced staring people in the eyes as a kid so she could do it when she needed it.
Still never found the interest to date as an adult. Staying single, happy with her flowers and quiet.
Eek I hope you liked it!! I wanna do more Eva stuff!
