Experiment: Giving characters alternative disabilities

[DESU]

I wonder if Misha would still by hyperactive and happy even if she lost her legs and arms. I could see her running around on four stubs and biting someone's ankle on Shizune's command, though.

that's just wrong, man.

[ContinualNaba]

I can see it now, Dachsund Misha.

[Bara]

I can see it now, Dachsund Misha.

Diving down badger holes laughing, "Wahahaha!!" all the time. Somehow that image of Misha makes me like her just a wee bit more.

[Saraquill]

Lilly with Asperger's Syndrome
How would Lilly act if instead of being well cultured and sociable she would be awkward and antisocial?

Asperger's does not instantly equal antisocial (tiny personal peeve.) I'm not sure how much that would change her, especially keeping in mind that she went to a strict girl's school prior to Yamaku. My opinion is that she would make more of a conscious effort to be well mannered, since she would be aware that it does not come to her easily. She might ask more questions such as "Did I say something wrong?" or "Could you explain what you mean?" Lilly would probably be a bit of a Cloudcookoolander.

Alternatively, all those rules at her previous school would have been massively confusing to her, and/or she might not quite know what to do with herself when she started attending Yamaku with the rules being different and the presence of people (male students) she is not used to being with.

What makes me curious is what Hisao would be like with a visible disability, and the rest of the cast with hidden ones.

[Minister of Gloom]

I think someone already mentioned that it would be interesting to give Hisao burns like Hanako's.

[Darroth]

I think someone already mentioned that it would be interesting to give Hisao burns like Hanako's.

omg He would be even more grumpy. Also, he would steer for Lilly's Path.

[Guest]

What makes me curious is what Hisao would be like with a visible disability, and the rest of the cast with hidden ones.

I think Hisao would have a very difficult time overcoming the feelings of self-doubt from having obvious physical problems and the girls with problems not blatantly visible. Frankly, most guys I know are all about the looks first, and if he feels "ugly" and "unworthy" that could be a mental block that his character has to deal with before any relationship can start.

[Minister of Gloom]

Asperger's does not instantly equal antisocial (tiny personal peeve.) I'm not sure how much that would change her, especially keeping in mind that she went to a strict girl's school prior to Yamaku. My opinion is that she would make more of a conscious effort to be well mannered, since she would be aware that it does not come to her easily. She might ask more questions such as "Did I say something wrong?" or "Could you explain what you mean?" Lilly would probably be a bit of a Cloudcookoolander.

Heh, I'd actually rather like to meet that character one day.

[Loki]

Asperger's does not instantly equal antisocial.

I can vouch for this: one of my friends has it and beyond being utterly unable to take a hint you'd never know.

[ContinualNaba]

I think the only major difference between Aspie Lilly and the one we kow and love is that she would be stiffy-formal, rather than motherly-formal, possibly bitching back at Shizune or ignoring the tone of her body language.

[Minister of Gloom]

I think the only major difference between Aspie Lilly and the one we kow and love is that she would be stiffy-formal, rather than motherly-formal, possibly bitching back at Shizune or ignoring the tone of her body language.

Being blind, I don't think she is really great at recognizing body language as it is...

[ContinualNaba]

That's what hands are for.

[Bara]

That's what hands are for.

That comment makes you wonder if the message printed on Shizune's panties is also written in braille.
Or maybe the lack of braille is the real cause of the fight between those two.

[Minister of Gloom]

Believe it or not, I am actually still toying around with this idea. For a long while now I have wanted to write something nice for this setting, and it appears that this idea has about the right balance between originality and actually being practical (people suggested that I do something with my "superheroes" idea, and I actually gave that some thought, until I came to the conclusion that language barrier or not, there is absolutely no way that I am good enough a writer to get anything out of that idea besides literary toxic waste). As for my skills as a writer, well... I guess more training can only help in this case, right?
I have a box in the basement full of excuses for why not to do this, beginning with "I have better (easier?) things to write" and going all the way to "no time", even though, to be completely honest I have no life and finding time for something like this should not be a problem.
Whether I'll end up doing or not doing it (don't hold your breaths, anyway. I am not the most reliable wretch out there), I'm still interested in your suggestions for how to change characters in a way that will be interesting and such and so. This was an interesting discussion. Generally I am going to go with my first pattern: giving each character the disability of it's "designated pair". This does present some problems though, but I believe that they are fairly minor.

For Hisao, I think I'll keep the Arrhythmia thing. I would have liked to give him an alternative disability too in this alternate universe, but I can't thing of anything else that would fit and that wouldn't be kind of like "stealing" someone else' (okay, nobody said I am not allowed to have two blind heroes here, but I'd prefer more variety).

Misha will be deaf, and still Shizune's best friend (only this time, Shizune will be interpreting for her, possibly, at least in part, in order to maintain her unending obedience and loyalty. Shiichan is not above such emotional manipulation, I believe)

Since we don't know what Misha's "canon" disability is (assuming she even has one), I am going to go, I think, with one of the most popular theories and give her (that is, her pair) some sort of cancer or other terminal illness. No, I am not doing this because Shizune's bitchiness means she deserves anything like this. I am doing this mostly because the "ill girl" is a common enough archetype in such stories, and I think it would be a nice subversion for once to have our cute dying girl be a manipulative, hateful bitch instead of uber-moe (this is, again, assuming I have the proper writing skills to make this subversion believable and entertaining)

In this timeline, Hanako didn't get any permanent scars from the fire, but she did lose her sight (chemicals? smoke? Off the top of my head, I'm pretty sure fire can blind you). Like I said before, she copes with this disability about as well as she does with the scars: that is, not at all. Her life is a constant nightmare of trying to imagine how people she can't see are out to get her, and what kind of obstacle she'll trip over next. (So she's a female Kenji?!)

Lilly is difficult for me. According to the pattern she needs some sort of clearly visible deformity that should repulse at least some people. It also needs to be something she had from birth (just like her blindness in the canon timeline). Now, there are tons of birth conditions out there that can make you look absolutely ghoulish, but (and call me a horrible person for saying it, because I certainly feel like one) I really have a hard time imagining a Lilly who isn't beutiful . So I am currently looking for something that would make her less pretty, but not monstrous. I am stuck. Friends have suggested, among other, far worse ideas, Gigantism (which I don't think will have enough impact since, comparing to all the other, Japanese characters, she is already a giant...) and Albinism (which might be nice if the thought of it didn't make my brain do an emergency shut-down every time due to being filled with traumatic images of Illyasviel von Einzbern). thoughts?

Emi will have legs and no arms due to an accident, and I think I'll make her a swimmer, since in this way it's kind of like the opposite of running: it's hard to imagine a swimmer without arms, but there are ones and they are pretty amazing. Plus, wouldn't you like to see Emi in an imaginary swimming suit?

Rin is far more problematic, and I'm sure you see why. She will have arms but no legs due to a generic birth defect. Now for the problem: I can't have her painting, can I? Half the beauty of her character (well, maybe a fifth) is the fact that she can so easily and naturally do something that we can't even imagine doing (I mean... drawing with your feet.). But It's not as wonderful and magical to see someone drawing with their hands, isn't it? But I still need her to be an artist, because she has that kind of personality (technically I could also make her a mathematician, because she would defiantly fit that role, too, but I am afraid that I don't know nearly enough mathematics to make her believable... plus, you don't need your feet for that). But what kinds of art are there that use the feet far more than the hands? I can't use something like dancing because that's kind of like on the border between art and sport, and that would be like stealing Emi's "thing"... can you think of something?

Kenji... hmm. He is half blind, maybe we can make him half deaf? At least he would have an excuse to never listen to reason. And without glasses, we'll be able to see his eyes! The horror!
..............

Any thoughts? ideas? suggestions? Something along these lines? I would be thankful for help with this little project of mine, even if nothing good will ever come of it.
So thank you etc.
Good night, for now. Hope I at least made you smile.

[Sgt_Frog]

Hm...I have been thinking about this thread for a quite a while too.
I imagined Rin would still be an artist, still very "head in the clouds"

Okay, the scene is that Hisao, on a whim, walks into the art room. She sees this red-haired girl sitting behind a large easel/desk/etc. She's very absorbed into her art, very fluid motions, sweeping strokes of the pencil/painbrush/whatever. Hisao says hi. She looks up from her art. Beautiful green eyes. She waves, says hi too, looks back down to her art. Sensing that he is being snubbed, Hisao is about to leave, when..."Wait, I'm almost done here. Can you hold that door open for me, please?" Hisao does so. She rolls up the artwork, and stows it underneath her. And then...it is revealed that she is sitting in a wheelchair, both legs reduced to stumps ending just below the knees. (Yes she is wearing a skirt. It's a bit longer than the usual though. Not quite as long as Lilly's skirt, though). She rolls toward the door. "Thanks." The small smile she gives is warm and genuine. "I'd get the door myself, but I only got two hands. I suppose I might be able to wrap the inside of my knee around the knob..." Hands placed firmly on the arms of the wheelchair, she lifts herself off the chair, what's left of her right leg moving up to the knob. Hisao looks away awkwardly since her skirt is starting to slide up her thighs. She doesn't seem to notice that. She flops back down. "Nah. Oh, and by the way...my name's Rin."
"Um, I'm Hisao. Pleasure to meet you."


Okay, Rin is very out of character here, but I couldn't really type a convincing Rin. what with her strange thought processes and all.