A/N Autumn and Sawyer drew themselves as train engines on Sodor in my last chapter in this fic. This is them playing with their trainsonas another time.
Autumn and Sawyer had drawn their trainsonas, so now they were playing with them, creating stories for them.
Autumn said, "My trainsona's quiet, idealistic, sensitive, happy and cheeky. She's a tank engine.
Sawyer said, "My trainsona's quiet, idealistic, sensitive to others, conscientious and a wise visionary. She's a mature tank engine, like Lady."
Autumn said, "Let's make up stories about our engine selves."
Sawyer said, "My big brother, Nathanial's home from college, so I'll ask if he'd like a trainsona. He's in a local college, learning engineering, so he can work on trains. He was at the library when we drew ours.". She went to ask her brother if he wanted a trainsona.
Autumn asked about if Sawyer's brother had a trainsona, like them.
Sawyer said, "Here it is. He's a visionary tender engine who wants to learn all about the world.".
Autumn and Sawyer imagined their trainsonas wailing and buffer pressing on a siding because Gordon went by, whistling and shouting about the Express and causing them to melt down.
Autumn said, "You haven't been sneezing like you usually are." and added, "Our trainsonas needed their drivers to wipe their eyeballs."
Sawyer said, "I took an allergy pill."
Autumn said, "Did you know The Railway Series, the basis of TTTE was written by a minister? I believe in God, too."
Sawyer said, "I go to the LDS church. People call it the Mormon church because of this.", indicating the Book of Mormon. "I listen to the Tabernacle Choir, in addition to other music, like Thomas music.".
Autumn then pretended her trainsona was crying, with her driver and Thomas comforting her.
Autumn had to go home and after she left, Sawyer's big brother Nathaniel did something that made so much noise Sawyer had a meltdown, wailing and drying her tears with handkerchiefs. She dabbed her eyes and face and blew her nose, so stuffy she had trouble breathing through it from crying so hard. After that, she went on with the rest of her day.
Autumn, at her home, went about the rest of her day, including being told she had a form of autism that was called Asperger's until 2013 and would be going to a special needs camp for a week that summer, then later, her bedtime routine and fell asleep, her stuffed cuddle Thomas in her arms. She dreamed she was her trainsona as she slept, due to listening to the song from TTTE It's Great To Be An Engine, and something made her cry and as she began to cry, she asked her driver, "Can you wipe my eyes?", as they were wet with tears and she sniffled, long and loud.
Engine Autumn's driver heard his engine's tears. "There, there, Autumn," he said, as he softly dried her tears with a flowered handkerchief. He gently wiped her tear-wet eyes and rubbed her sodden cheeks. "I wish I could wipe your sadness, so I shall wipe your eyes. Let it all out," he said, his voice filled with empathy and compassion. He listened attentively, focusing on her cues and tried to understand how she felt.
Thomas gave Autumn a buffer press and her fireman patted her side in comfort.
Autumn cried more, fresh tears filling her eyes. "Keep wiping," she said. She was sniffling hard, coughing, choking on her tears and hiccupping. She gasped and gulped, her nose completely stuffed up and running like crazy from her tears as she wept non-stop and let her driver comfort her.
He said, as he continued to wipe her tears away, "Cry it out, Autumn and let your tears provide relief and comfort. I feel very deeply, so I'm not afraid of emotions and crying. and I use my emotions to connect to those of others. I'm sensitive, which makes me caring and loving, because my emotions are very powerful, overwhelming me, so I can't hold back my tears. I just want to be supportive and understanding, so go ahead and cry into your hanky.". He wiped her nose with the hanky and said, as he held it for her, "Blow." and finished with a final wipe. He reassured her and tried not to be overbearing, pushy or intrusive, just patiently listening and supporting her as he held her hanky to her eyes and wiped all her tears away as best he could, offering practical comfort, letting her cry into the hanky. He felt her tears soak the soft cotton of her hanky.
Autumn's tears flowed in torrents until she could weep no more. Her driver dried her last tears away, wiping her nose, then helping her blow, finishing with a final wipe, then wiping her cheeks and eyes dry of tears. Thomas shunted Autumn to the water column and her crew gave her a drink, then washed her sodden hanky and hung it in her cab to dry by her fire. Autumn smiled, feeling better after crying.
Autumn said, "My tears are the rain of emotion my heart can't hold. When I cry, I'm overwhelmed, so the pain or whatever I'm feeling comes out of my eyes in huge water droplets. I feel so loved when someone dries my tears, so if you love me, wipe my eyeballs when they're teary. If you're my engine friend, if either of us is unhappy, a buffer press, which is an engine hug's the way to go. If you're my engine friend and I'm available, I shall give you one until you feel better.".
Autumn then shunted some cars with Thomas and they played a trick on the Troublesome Trucks, due to their cheeky personalities. Then, Autumn's dream ended and she woke up.
A/N Girl autism presents differently and they're more Asperger's type, so it's very subtle. I have shown them having tearful meltdowns, like Sawyer when Autumn's father had to pass gas because the smell and noise bothered her and Autumn on some occasions, like when she lost her toy or having sensory issues, like Sawyer can't stand being stuffed up and uses a handkerchief because she can't tolerate tissues or Autumn having her hanky for when there's no soft tissues accessible and they have to dry their tears or the intensity of their emotions, like how physically Autumn expresses her happiness and how emotional they can be on the low end. They also fixate on words, like Autumn on the word eyeballs. They're female-type autism, so they're more emotional. However, I consider TTTE to be a special interest of theirs. The Autumn's 11th birthday story request covers the 4th of July. Sawyer's beliefs are to match my buddy, who's sort of her basis. The song Autumn listens to in the story inspired me to create her trainsona, which is her as an engine, along with Sawyer and Nathaniel's trainsonas. Because she's a child, Autumn believes engines can have to blow their noses on Sodor, unlike me now and her night dreams reflect her beliefs, while her daydreams reflect mine.