Things I learned about Cole in Asunder that might help writing him (spoiler free edition):
He does, in fact, sleep
He also eats
He likes floating in water
Prior to learning his true nature (aka before Inquisition), all the weird stuff he knows he picked up eavesdropping
He has trouble grasping metaphor (at one point he wonders how there can be so many First Enchanters and where all the second and third enchanters are)
He only really uses the names of people he cares about, all others he tends to give descriptive nicknames for to distinguish them in his head (but never calls them those names out loud)
He can always hear Lyrium singing if it is close enough and refers to it as music (this also seems to be true for some more powerful spells, but not all)
His natural state appears to be ‘cold and wet’. Which he finds uncomfortable but never thinks to do anything about it.
He has an aversion to places where the Veil is too thin - particularly if it’s thin because a lot of bad stuff™
happened there
When things are too much for him, he crouches down and puts his head between his knees
Affectionate touching (hugs, shoulder pats, etc) always cause him to first tense up and then relax, sometimes returning the gesture (such as hugging back)
He is asexual (prior to his personal quest), but also not flustered by nudity or sex. He views both much like the disinterested narrator of a nature documentary.
He has met, and fought beside, Leliana prior to Inquisition.
He can make people near him invisible too, but this can often become too much leading to #10 and nosebleeds.
He worries about what the people he cares about think of him and will adjust his behavior accordingly.
Generally, if Cole cares about one person, he then begins to care about the people they care about. This explains his repeated attempts to befriend Sera despite her constant rejection - he cares about the Inquisitor, the Inquisitor (presumably since you’ve got them in a party together) cares about Sera, therefore Cole cares about Sera.
lesbian loneliness is really one of the scariest feelings and my heart goes out to anyone dealing with it on this day and every day. i hope you find support from your community and feel less alone this 2019
when signing out forms to apply for disability / filling out a form for diagnosis
you’re supposed to fill it out as you on your worst days
like, I filled out forms that said I could do most things usually
like, my doctor added in the conditions like “yeah, they can feed themselves when not stressed” “they can do this when not stressed”
but how I should have filled it out was more like
“some days I can’t feed myself” “some days I can’t leave the house”
My doctor didn’t even know this, but I talked to someone who had worked with people with both developmental and intellectual disabilities for a number of years, and she told me to write down how it is for your bad days
this should be a thing they tell you, but it isn’t
part of the reason I didn’t get my autism diagnosis as soon as I should have is because I filled out forms wrong!
This also goes for filling out forms for disabled parking rights. I’ve been rejected multiple times for a pass cause I didn’t find this out till recently.
Wow
Also you’re generally supposed to fill it out as you are without help.
That throws me too. Because the more help I get, the more capable I get. It’s easy to forget what happens when the help falls away even partially let alone completely.
honestly if you want to take proper care of your goths you shouldn’t take them outside in hot weather at all, just winter and MAYBE late autumn/early spring if you live in a cool climate
people really should do this kind of research before getting goths at all but as long as they’re willing to learn and adapt i guess
there are breeds of goth suitable for warmer climes but you have to be very careful when looking for one and you cannot assume that your goth is one of them if you don’t know for sure what they are
even the warm-climate breeds still usually do better in their native locale’s winter temperatures though, and shouldn’t be left outside in the summer unattended or, at the bare minimum, they should be given plentiful shade, cold water, and appropriate music to keep them calm
Honestly, if you want something less fragile than a goth, you should be considering something like a punk anyway. There’s no need to expose goths to the heat, IMHO. Admittedly there’s differences you need to do research on, but punks are very rewarding. And for God’s sake, if anyone tells you ANY emo can handle the heat, run. They don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about.
goths aren’t fragile though? they’re not heat-tolerant but they’re extremely hardy in dark and stormy weather, metal concerts, and dramatic emotional episodes. just because they aren’t well-suited to one weather pattern doesn’t mean they can’t be extremely hardy and rewarding to keep under conditions they’re better suited to.
Forget the climate thing, there’s a more important husbandry issue here:
WHO THE FUCK PUT THEM OUT IN THE DAYTIME?
Direct sunlight is extremely harmful to goths! THey should never be outdoors before twilight!
Do your damn research, people.
you’re missing a key point though
goths need the opportunity to complain about sunlight, it’s vital to their wellbeing; as long as their time in it is carefully controlled and they’re given sufficient sunscreen and shade, it can be amazing and 100% necessary enrichment
Look at that picture. Look at it. Please tell me where the shade is, because I don’t see any. I see two goths wilting in direct sunlight. Just look at how flat their hair is! This is not even remotely acceptable care.
i never said the picture was a good example of goth husbandry, i think it’s sort of taken as a given that it’s not - nobody in this threat is endorsing it, op included
i’m just saying that it isn’t a black and white issue
Fair enough. I’ll concede that a properly-shaded porch or sunroom-type area can help them get the outdoor enrichment and complaining opportunities they need, without putting them at risk of direct sunlight or actually touching anything outdoors. But be careful not to overexpose them.
Aren’t there some varieties of goth that are built for sunlight, or is that me mistaking a similar species for goths?
You’re thinking of either New Romantics - unfortunately presumed extinct, you could tell them apart by their lack of Victorian plumage and occasional colouration - or Emos, which are the product of a crossbreeding with Shoegazers.
As mentioned above, emos don’t handle heat well, although they do better with moderate amounts of sun than purebred goths.
If it’s the ornate Victorian aesthetic you like but you want something that can keep up with a more active, diurnal lifestyle, you might consider a steampunk or steampunk cross? I know they’re somewhat out of fashion these days, but they can be just as endearingly dramatic as other goth breeds, and they thrive on daylight outings.
If you want want to give your goth outdoor enrichment, but don’t have an enclosure with shade, parasols are helpful. Also make sure the outdoor enrichment is appropriate! Graveyard picnics are ideal.
One last bit of advice: if the choice is between an enclosure or more closet space, goths prefer the latter.
Tarantulas in media: great big vicious monsters, insatiable appetites, super deadly, ultra predators, terrifying soulless beasts
Tarantulas in real life: fragile, soft-bellied, eat your dinner or just fucking molt already it’s not that hard, ‘I’m fasting for religious reasons that I’m not going to explain and your offerings of crickets offend me’, ‘oooh nooo I stepped in my water dish and now my foot’s wet I’m going to climb up the glass to sulk about it and if I fall I might DIE and THEN you’ll be sorry’, will yank out ass hair when angry, arches up on tiptoes to avoid belly being touched by passing cricket, might hurt self on own skeleton, leave scraps of web lying around for no reason, constant maladaptive daydreaming, the stoners of the spider world
