Oh, that makes sense

[soc_puppet]

I've got an origific plunny I've been sitting on for nearly six months now, just kinda prodding now and again for fun, and tonight I finally realized that the main character is probably autistic, and one of the reasons he really wants a familiar is because they can act as service animals/emotional support animals. I'm not sure that he realizes that's why he wants one (he really wanted one just to have a lifelong companion), but it's definitely a thing.

Meanwhile, the main character's love interest is probably also autistic and/or ADHD and already has a familiar, and is doing pretty dandy if you ask them. I don't know if they realize that their familiar is totally a service animal, but their familiar is totally a service animal (in addition to being a working animal for their job).

Comments

[soc_puppet]

I've just been picturing the characters as early-to-mid-twenties, and I thought YA tended to have a harder age cutoff? But I'm also not planning any sex scenes, which I think means it doesn't qualify as New Adult, either? Urgh, publishing categories 😵 It'll almost certainly be "accessible" as a YA title regardless.

Honestly, a whole anthology about people and their familiars and especially familiars as service animals/ESAs sounds like it could be pretty damn fun! I'll definitely be giving that some more thought. Still gotta actually write that first story first, though 😉