Surface Adventures +Other Skits & Interactions (UT/DR/UTY & others)

Ep. 4: Mettaton's Experiences Within The Neurodivergent Community

Mettaton: Good evening, beauties and gentle-beauties! I have had quite the experience recently and I'd like to share it with you. I find it interesting since I never suspected it myself, but it has come to my attention that I am slightly autistic. This is not for attention or pity, darlings. This is all true. I can understand your surprise and I'm willing to explain how I found out. But I'd like to break down a lot of the common myths and stereotypes as well as share what I have done to show my support for those on the spectrum and other neurodivergent individuals first.

Mettaton: As you all know, I happen to be close friends with nuerodivergent monsters and mystics. Alphys was one of my first experiences with them. She seems to be a little... Self-loathing. She's expressed self doubt and possible thoughts of ending her own life after her experiments with Determination went wrong and created a mess of amalgamations. But she's been getting plenty of help as of late and has come a long way since then.

Mettaton: Then, my cousin Maddie has anger issues. Her outbursts have always been extreme. She has been the most violent out of the three of us. Not to mention, she has a tendency to repeat phrases and words three times, progressively getting angrier each time. That was when she was inside that training dummy. Now, she's inside that life-sized Mew Mew doll Alphys kept in the lab underground. She was still upset with the fact she couldn't fully fuse with it, no matter how enraged she was. Frisk then helped her understand anger wouldn't help the situation and suggested a more positive emotion instead. She is still working on that but, she's almost fully fused now!

Mettaton: Blooky was always the quiet one. This can be part of a variety of disorders or illnesses or it could just be introversion. With them also being sad and down most of the time, I think it's safe to say they were also one of my first experiences with nuerodivergents. They're doing better now as well and we have reformed our band. We also repaired our bond after I so carelessly destroyed it when I chose to leave them on the farm in search of fame and stardom. Those were the first few experiences I had with neurodivergent people and I'm so glad they were able to get diagnosed and receive treatment.

Mettaton: Then, I met the mystic royal family. It isn't confirmed that Lioness suffers from any mental disabilities but, we do know her kids do. Both Uniqua and Hothead are autistic and they do have other diagnoses as well. For example, Hothead has ADHD while Uniqua has PTSD and mild depression. Just like my own family, I support them fully and strive to provide accommodations and greater accessibility where they are needed.

Mettaton: I was told Hothead had to avoid consuming anything that used chemicals to enhance and provide freshness, color, or even flavor and offered healthier alternatives to those popular snacks and dishes. As a business owner and manager at MTT Resort and MTT Burger Emporium, I understand both sides. It's cheaper to use anything to maintain shelf life of a product even if that does mean putting someone else's health at risk. But Lioness has done significant research and even spoke with medical professionals about the issue and found that a lot of these chemicals can contribute to extreme meltdowns. The longest one he's had was 6 hours and that's not the worst part. His meltdowns, especially when he was younger, can be quite violent. He once threw a small karaoke machine across a bedroom and is capable of doing the same with shoes. With this in mind, I realized I'd be getting an earful if I ever let him have anything containing such chemicals and a situation escalated into a meltdown. I'd also possibly have to deal with complaints from other guests about the ruckus or injuries he could cause so, I always made sure he had permission from his mother or sister before allowing him small portions to help prevent it.

Mettaton: When I first met these royals, Uniqua seemed really quiet. It wasn't supposed to be a rude gesture at all. She was just overwhelmed because the barrier had just been broken, she was meeting me in-person, and she may have also had a bit of a panic attack. Frisk was the one who introduced us and did her best to help make things go smoothly. Her PTSD and anxiety were worse then and we all agreed that was too much for her at that moment. Frisk and I decided to leave her be so she could process the recent events before meeting anyone from a foreign kingdom. Since none of the humans were open to catering to monsters yet, we had to celebrate our freedom underground.

Mettaton: For the celebration, mystics opened the pathway to their kingdom, allowing monsters and mystics to successfully integrate. Of course, I had to share the news with the public before holding any concerts due to it being one of the first steps towards peace. I also took the time to gather information from Frisk about the mystics and she provided all the knowledge she had. This did come in handy later that night since Uniqua came to meet me herself after taking some time to cope with her anxiety. Over time, I did my research in order to continue supporting them however I could. With Uniqua, I gave her space when she needed it and chose to turn myself into a better man to give her more positive experiences with anyone of the male gender that didn't involve anything too intimate. This also helped me become a good role model for her brother and give Lioness peace of mind whenever she interacted with me.

Mettaton: Now, I've heard from Uniqua that she suspected I'm on the spectrum in the last year and I began looking into that possibility. I then brought this up in a conversation with Hoth, who suggested I get assessed as soon as possible. Well, I did and I'd just like to say getting referrals for it was a headache. Why can't it be simple anymore? Anyway, I eventually got assessed and the results are in. I am on the spectrum. I never noticed this before, in all honesty. I had to look at my life, my interests, and behaviors since that's what everyone else had been doing to properly analyze and diagnose me. Who knew my fascination with humans and their culture was part of an underlying mental disorder?

Mettaton: All in all, I'm glad I finally found the truth. Even though I managed to get this far by covering up most of my symptoms and calling myself normal, I would rather know what it means than continue that charade. If you ever believe something is wrong with you, definitely see a doctor and do your research. Also, ladies, never let your medical professionals give you the wrong diagnosis or treatment. If you think you're depressed, stop all the unhealthy coping and go see a therapist. Even if you think you're doing okay, you should still talk with someone who can help you do better. Maybe you need reminders. Maybe you need a new routine. Maybe you just need new ways to deal with stress. Take care of yourselves, beauties!