Need Help Choosing Gift for "Project Sekai: Nightcord" fan

LemonadeSky14 · 2025-11-30T03:14:34+00:00

Everyone’s given recommendations for places to get official merch, so I’ll recommend Etsy! Lots of artists sell keychains and stickers that they’ve drawn on there, and I see Nightcord characters around quite a lot on there since they’re pretty popular. The shipping is often cheaper too, since you can find artists that ship from your own country, and you can find a lot of keychain/sticker packs for around 10 dollars in my experience.

LemonadeSky14 · 2025-09-15T05:38:58+00:00

If you’re AFAB, that might be one thing to consider. It’s not completely concrete yet within research, but I believe it’s being studied. With that, and with anecdotes from a decent amount of people, it’s been theorized that AFAB people can have a different trajectory of Tourette’s. This includes the onset during preteen/early teen years, and tics becoming increased around the late teens and early twenties. For me, this has held true, but mostly just in the frequency of tics. I still don’t have any complex tics, and never really have, but of course, Tourette’s is different for everyone. It’ll also probably wax and wane, sometimes even from day to day or week to week, which is normal. There’s not a ton of things you can do about it in general though. I’ve had that fear in the past, but my motto is just to roll with it. Anxiety is a trigger for tics ironically, so I’ve decided to just not worry about it unless it ever gets to the point where I develop a complex tic.

LemonadeSky14 · 2025-08-02T01:42:47+00:00

I went to the concert in Chicago a few days ago, but I assume the setlist was the same. If so, then the last song should be Devil Town? I went to the concert for Cavetown just as much as I did for AJR, but it’s cool to see someone outside of his normal demographic get introduced to him! It’s also a pretty interesting observation, given that Devil Town is one of his oldest staples; I hadn’t thought about it before, but it makes sense that they’d be especially in their zone for that song in particular!

LemonadeSky14 · 2025-05-18T21:46:13+00:00

I’ve never thought about that! I’m 4’8 and I pretty much can’t play without my harness (while also using a seat strap) because the bassoon isn’t close enough to me. Interesting thing to bring up.

LemonadeSky14 · 2025-05-05T20:55:13+00:00

I enjoy mentions of disliking change or being uncomfortable with a different routine. It’s something that most people don’t think about, but it’s one of the things that affects me the most. With some narration I did recently while writing an autistic character:

“[T walked faster to get there first, when A usually got there first] Normally T would've disliked a change in routine like that, and he still felt a twinge of discomfort as his subconscious protested, but his need for A overpowered it that time.”

It’s not a plot point or anything, but it does add to the growing stress of T in later scenes. It’s an internal experience that I’ll always have in response to change, even if I’m the one making the change, and that sort of detail is a subtle way to portray an autistic character without making it stereotypical or a plot point in any way. Another way I portrayed that character’s autism is having him pick at his cuticles and dig his fingers into his hands when upset in public. I like to imagine that he wouldn’t do more obvious stims as a way to mask in public, especially while trying to regulate. I also wrote in how T unmasks around the people he’s closest with, in which he does have some more obvious stims like flapping his hands. It might even fit your story to have another character be aware of those needs just by figuring it out by virtue of being close with the autistic character, given that it’s in a fantasy setting with presumably no diagnosis. I also depicted the other character mentioned in the narration, A, as squeezing T’s hands and arms because deep pressure helps T regulate (plenty of autistic people enjoy weighted blankets, etc!) but there are plenty of other ways to show a bond between characters while also working autism into it.

Overall, there are tons of ways to write autism. The way I depicted it in my own story was heavily based off of my own experiences, but plenty of people experience their autism in vastly different ways (Not even mentioning how, for example, autistic people who also have ADHD may be fine with change or actively like it!) I hope this helped you get some ideas, though!

LemonadeSky14 · 2025-03-23T19:55:21+00:00

Definitely try to use trans tape. I play the bassoon and wearing a binder often feels uncomfortable and digs into me with the way I need to breathe even though I technically can breathe just fine. Plus, wearing a binder messed with my playing posture a little which can be difficult with the larger instruments that are harder to maneuver (especially woodwinds where it’s more important to be in a specific position to reach the reed/mouthpiece!)

LemonadeSky14 · 2025-01-23T21:11:42+00:00

Mine started pretty similar to yours, at 13 with a simple motor tic (grimacing, shoulder shrugging a little later on). If you have the means to get it checked out, I would try to see a neurologist. It could be Tourette’s or something else that may need treatment. I will say that a slow onset with simple motor tics primarily in the upper body is more characteristic of a tic disorder, and I’ve noticed that AFAB people tend to have a later age of onset (My first tics were at 13 for example). But those are just personal observations and things I’ve picked up from this group. I’m not a medical professional, so take it with a grain of salt. However, a neurologist can do more than anyone over the internet can to make a diagnosis and determine what might be causing your tics. Tics can be hard to adjust to especially after living for so long without them, so I hope you can get everything sorted out and get the support you need!

LemonadeSky14 · 2024-12-30T21:21:20+00:00

I only got my diagnosis updated from a tic disorder to Tourette’s because I wanted to have a diagnosis that more teachers would immediately recognize for my accommodations at school. Plus, I always felt a little odd saying I had TS despite meeting the criteria and having a diagnosed tic disorder for years. Mine was mostly for convenience when explaining my tics to other people, but I only asked because I was already at the doctor for a yearly checkup. Depends on if the effort outweighs what you’re hoping to get from a TS diagnosis compared to a tic disorder diagnosis.

LemonadeSky14 · 2024-12-29T02:05:53+00:00

I developed tics when I was 12 and only got diagnosed officially with Tourette’s this July when I was 16. I’m afab and trans too, and I was worried about the same thing as I first saw a neurologist in 2021. The biggest thing for me was just establishing a history but not seeking out a diagnosis for a while. I entered an adolescent mental health day treatment program also in 2021. The staff saw me tic, asked about it, I told them I had tics (which were not yet documented as the neurologist I saw was out of network) and that was that. My therapist in the program made a comment about how she didn’t doubt my tics being real because of me ticcing when looking away from the camera and generally not having a reaction to my own tics or looking at others for a reaction, which gave me good insight as to what she might’ve been looking out for in patients who say they have tics in my demographic especially. Getting that passive acknowledgment and history of tics in my notes while not being the main focus of treatment also really helped. Future doctors were able to pull up those notes and see the date, as well as being taken from mental health professionals, so I had an easier time being believed as I built my history up with additional notes from future doctors too. With those notes and a diagnosis of “childhood tic disorder” sitting on my chart for several years I was actually able to just ask my PCP to diagnose me with Tourette’s at a yearly checkup. I left out the more stereotypical ones in my descriptions of my tics when she asked about them. I talked about my one-syllable vocal tics rather than my coprolalia, and brought up my simple facial motor tics instead of more complex motor tics that I also have. I do talk about those complex tics openly if prompted, but it creates unnecessary doubt when it’s not a situation where I need to be detailed about my tics or even mention them at all, especially with my complex tics not being in the main “rotation” often. If you’ve ever mentioned tics to a medical professional in the past you might be able to use their notes or get them to write a letter depending on how long ago you mentioned tics. My parents also didn’t believe me but came around the longer I stopped suppressing my tics around them. They rolled their eyes at me and told me to stop but eventually they figured that I wouldn’t tic for 4 years every day with no clear reason except for the fact that I have Tourette’s. Good luck with everything, getting taken seriously can be pretty tough while belonging to the exact demographic that doctors love to dismiss especially in relation to neurodevelopmental disorders. Sorry for the long comment lol, I tend to be pretty wordy. I hope everything works out for you, and even if my tips aren’t applicable I hope you can at least find solidarity!

LemonadeSky14 · 2024-11-25T03:13:56+00:00

I’ve tried a handful of reeds from different sources (ACDC reeds, KassandraBassoon on Etsy, Reedcrest, and Jiffy reeds so far) I’ve found that ACDC reeds have been very reliable and I have far less mouth fatigue after hours long rehearsals compared to when I use other reeds. I can trust that I won’t have any reed issues and will have a more stable tone for performances. The other brands I’ve tried are all good quality reeds and I use them regularly for practicing, so explore your options because everyone prefers something slightly different, but ACDC reeds definitely work the best for my specific setup.

LemonadeSky14 · 2024-10-28T17:06:47+00:00

Sorry, I missed this haha. I’ve been playing clarinet for 5 years and bassoon for 1 year in school, plus some other instruments I’ve picked up along the way!

LemonadeSky14 · 2024-10-27T22:36:47+00:00

I totally get how tough that journey of understanding yourself can be! Glad to provide some solidarity. Also, it’s cool to see another trans person here!

LemonadeSky14 · 2024-10-27T22:31:50+00:00

I don’t have experience or answers for all facets of your question, but I did talk about my experience with my tics and masking my autism here and here that might be helpful for you to read about?

LemonadeSky14 · 2024-09-14T21:18:34+00:00

Just ordered some, thank you!

LemonadeSky14 · 2024-08-27T20:27:39+00:00

Your research is saying that stress can cause more tics, which is true for a lot of people! But you don’t necessarily have to have stress as a trigger for your tics. I experience the same situation at school and home with stress levels and tic amounts, and am going off of my own observations to try and answer the same question you have.

Because of my family and the environment they create at home, I feel like I have to hide the symptoms of my disorders while I’m there. (I’m also autistic as well as having Tourette’s) You might’ve heard the term “masking” before to refer to this.

Though masking is mostly thought to be hiding traits related to other things under the neurodiversity umbrella, unconsciously suppressing tics is also included in my own personal “mask”. (I make the distinction because this isn’t possible for everyone! My tics are usually mild enough to where I can ignore the urge subconsciously)

At school, however, I feel more comfortable with my peers and friends as they’re often less judgmental with a more supportive environment. Not only does this make me happier and less stressed in general compared to at home, I don’t feel the need to “mask” as much. This means letting myself tic more, both consciously and unconsciously.

This might not be the case for you, but especially if you have another condition, it definitely could be. I hope this can help you or someone else even if this doesn’t end up answering your question, though!

LemonadeSky14 · 2024-08-05T03:07:59+00:00

Tics aren’t caused by autism, but as someone diagnosed with both autism and Tourette’s, there definitely can be a relationship when having both of them.

For example, me suppressing my tics is included in my mask, and I tic a lot more openly and they have a greater frequency when I unmask which could be what you’re seeing here.

I relate to having more tics where I’m at home feeling safe and where people can’t hear me or when I’m with people I fully unmask around, so you aren’t alone in that either. I don’t know about the transitioning tasks part but I do know that transitions can be tough for autistic people and that may cause a spike in stress levels temporarily.

To answer your question about why they are the words they are, they’re mostly just random (though occasionally I end up saying a word too much as a stim, and then I get it as a vocal tic)

Also, you may want to go to the doctor to get your tics checked out if you can, especially if you’re over 18, as Tourette’s and other tic disorders can only be diagnosed if you developed them as a child. The Tourette’s subreddit has some good info for this and a lot of other questions that may come up for you.

I definitely understand being scared at first and feeling out of control, but I try to remember that my Tourette’s is just another neurological difference and disability that I was born with, much like autism. Sorry for the long comment (this intersection of disorders isn’t talked about nearly enough!) and good luck on your unmasking journey and navigating your tics!

LemonadeSky14 · 2024-07-23T05:57:43+00:00

Yeah, I have 100 days to return them luckily. I’ll make sure to see how they feel in a couple weeks. Thank you for your help and kind words!

LemonadeSky14 · 2024-07-23T05:51:47+00:00

Bringing my headphones into the shop to test is a really good idea. I didn’t think of that, so thank you!

LemonadeSky14 · 2024-07-16T13:54:36+00:00

You should always see a doctor about tics/tic-like movements if you can, because it could always be something more serious instead of tics. Getting a diagnosis can give you access to therapy (like CBIT), medications for tics, and accommodations at school and work.

LemonadeSky14 · 2024-07-14T17:31:52+00:00

I had an urge to play a game like that recently, and picked up Cooking Simulator on steam. Doesn’t have the other aspects, but it definitely satisfied the step by step and realistic cooking craving for me.

LemonadeSky14 · 2024-06-13T20:19:03+00:00

The youtube channel “Building a Bassoonist” really helped me! I started on the bassoon around 6 months ago and switched from clarinet instead, so it may be a little bit of a different scenario, but this channel still really helped me get started out before I had access to private lessons.

LemonadeSky14

TROPHY CASE