even a wallflower can bloom

𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐀 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐔𝐕𝐄𝐋 as 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄

And like... you do get that that is kinda insane, right?

Because this is something that so often leads to suffering. And I am saying this as someone disabled, who had so many issues due to this in his childhood.

Just three examples: when I was 7, I was supposed to get checked for autism. My mother did not want an autistic child. Since she just could have a "neurotypical" child by refusing diagnosis, she did just that.

When I was 12, my mother had decided I needed a certain plastic surgery (one that had a minor health benefit, but still was largely a beauty thing). I did not want it. I really, really did not want it. We still went through almost the entire process until thankfully there was a doctor who went: "Wait, this is elective. I am refusing to do this on a child that does not want it."

And when I was 14 my mother refused to get me to the hospital when I had severe food poisoning. She refused me hospital treatment for almost two weeks. By the time I got actually taken to the hospital I was almost dead.

And here is the thing: all of this should just not happen. The doctor when I was 12 was cool, but... he refused to do the surgery because he had the right to make a conscience call. Legally my mother was in the right to force me into that elective surgery. And that just should not be the case.

A lot of children die and suffer due to their legal inability to consent - or refuse consent - to medical treatments. And I wish y'all would understand that.

Ace characters (and hcs) are often non human or have an arc that turns em non human. Nothing wrong with that rep since asexuals can relate to the feeling of being “unfit” or broken and therefore othered, but after a while it does develop a stereotype and arguably, it amplifies the assumptions that we are indeed not normal in a human society.

I might not be in the zeitgeist for aroace rep but it took a while until we had another aroace coded character (intentional or otherwise). He is smart but not cold. He’s not in an arc that’s learning to be less alone, he just is. He is a pathetic sobbing mess but also very competent. He builds connections with people fine and they don’t have to be romantic. Not only that, Ryland Grace being aroace subverted the nonhuman trope in which Rocky is the one who isn’t (you can’t really classify Rocky into human gender and sexual orientation too).

Ryland Grace was not a sad man waiting for his demise. He was happy. He loved teaching, his students were SO important to him. He had a good life.

But he didn't fit societal norms and that somehow made his life less valuable? The way Stratt saying "oh you're not married, you don't have any immediate family or even a dog" was treated as part of an explanation as to why he should be more willing to go on a SUICIDE MISSION?! As if that somehow made his life less important? As if it made him some sort of expandable material?

It's genuinely so sad how realistic it is. It's also part of the reason why I wholeheartedly believe in aroace Grace. It's just such a common experience within the community that even if it's unintentional it feels like finally getting some sort of representation.

I’ve been meaning to make this for everyone asking for weeks and I finally found the time to do it. Thank you everyone who loved this cover, it is truly overwhelming the positive response this has gotten. For all of you that wanted a printable book cover this is for you!

Top = dimensions for a hard cover.

Bottom = dimensions for a soft cover.

And, because I am worried about Tumblr messing with the quality I’ve officially set up a Google drive to share these as PDFs along with the high quality tiffs for anyone that wants to do a custom hardcover (Please see this amazing bookbinding job by @autumn--stars!!!)

Additional thanks to @dathen who let me quote this post for the back panel of this cover~

Aroace Ryland Grace Pics + Textposts Part Five