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Description
Broke it up so it wouldn't get messed up
Here's part 1!

www.deviantart.com/fae-captain…
---

---UPDATE---

Thanks to SkeletonDanc3r, Airbenderedacted and Apathetic-Coffee on Tumblr, i have been inspired to update Wander's bio with more explanations about his PTSD and how it's affected him.
Thanks so much to those guys, they're amazing!

---

Wander Over Yonder is property of Disney.
The art belongs to me.

Trigger Warning:

Death, violence, PTSD
---------------------------------------------------------

~~Found Family~~

When Wander turned 48 he was captured by a creepy android bounty hunter known then as Killbot 85.
But the robot hadn't been his only tracker; a zbornak named Sylvia had also been hunting him, and she wanted his outstanding bounty of 1,000,000 credits to herself.
With Wander trapped in a sack, he endured a lot of mayhem as woman battled robot.
In the end she was far stronger, and all but destroyed Killbot while claiming Wander as her temporary prize.
By now he was all too used to being captured for bounty, and like always, he went along with his captor and talked her ear off.

Sylvia was wise to tie Wander up, and begrudgingly kept him fed along her journey to deliver him to her client.
For the first several days she was merely annoyed by him, told him to shut up, stay put, the like.
Wander was never discouraged, and would casually get free from his bonds in order to randomy play his banjo, or pull something from his hat when Sylvia expressed a need for something.
She found him bothersome, and rejected his offerings under the suspicion that he might poison or otherwise harm her.
And of course, if she wanted to drop him off alive as necessary, Sylvia had to keep him fed and somewhat healthy.
As a strong hunter, she was exasperated that her new prey was, of course, a vegetarian.
She complied, however, finding food for Wander when he chose to behave and stay tied up.
And all along the way, through tremendously hot days, cold nights and rugged terrain, Wander stayed positive and tried to befriend the zbornak.
Though she didn't want to admit it, deep down she felt something soft beat in her cold heart.
In their journey the nomad managed to put cracks in her shell, but the closer they got to their destination, the more and more she had to fight it.
Wander acted oblivious, but he knew he was getting through to her.
Eight days into their travels, their fate was sealed when an entire gang of bounty hunters showed up to kill Sylvia and take her prisoner for their own.
After a fatal slip-up she was left disabled, but Wander saved her from the other hunters by overwhelming and annoying them with music, song, dance, and everything else he commonly used to escape disaster.
He was clever, and the others could only take so much before abandoning ship.
They would have killed him, but that would have meant they still wouldn't get the bounty, so they high-tailed it and remarked he was "her problem" now.

Sylvia couldn't believe it.
He stayed with her until she could move again, and pulled supplies from his hat to dress her injuries.
When she asked why he did that, Wander happily answered that "that's what friends do."
It both warmed, and broke, her heart.
After a night's rest, she somberly told Wander they had to keep moving, so despite everything, Wander didn't hold it against her.
He let her tie him up and followed her by rope, chattering as much as ever.
But Sylvia's heart had softened just enough for her to now wonder if she was making the right decision.
Regardless, at the end of that last day, she delivered Wander to the jail he was wanted in.
She was granted her reward and told him it was nothing personal, but she needed the money.
To her surprise, Wander told her he understood, and was just happy she got what she needed.
That didn't make her decision any easier, and with a heavy heart, she left him there with her payment.

Jailed, Wander was compliant.
Pulled his banjo out and played a few songs while gazing at moonlight through the barred window of his cell, and even sang a song about his new friend, Sylvia.
He was to be hanged the next morning, so he sang to make peace with his demise.
But what he didn't expect was, for the first time ever, hours after his incarceration there was an explosion in the jail.
It was Sylvia; she couldn't leave him after all the good he did for her.
She threw the money down before the crime lords and, after beating them down, tore off the door of Wander's cell and pulled him out.
Smiling, he was elated to see her, and threw his arms around her scaly neck.
Sylvia placed the nomad on her back and told him to hang on and darted out of the jail, leaving a trail of dust under moonlight.
From then on the two became inseparable; she told Wander he "must've put something in her food," because she felt guilty about leaving him there to die when he clearly had never done a thing wrong.
She asked if he really believed there was good in her, and of course he did!
He didn't say it, but it was obvious to Wander that Sylvia was the statistic of a vicious cycle -- he'd seen it all too often.
But to his surprise she was also nomadic, calling no place "home," having no family or friends that she were willing to speak of.
And she too, got into a bit of trouble, and thus felt it was safer to keep moving.
For the first time ever, both of them had a true friend to travel with, and chose to stick together.

Somehow, having a permanent friend made Wander more hyper and enthusiastic.
He had so much to show and tell her!
And of course, so many lessons to teach about how to let the best in oneself shine, how to help others and solve problems using kindness.
Most of that took as time went on, but Sylvia was adamant that sometimes violence simply wasn't off the table.
It was a hard lesson for Wander to learn, but as they traveled, he saw the benefits in her ways.
When she couldn't be vulnerable, he was there to cushion the emotional imbalance.
When Wander couldn't be strong or use force, Sylvia had his back.
And a couple of months into the friendship, Sylvia surprised Wander with a present; a bridle and saddle for him to ride on her back more efficiently.
He couldn't believe it!
As headstrong and independent as she was, he double checked that she was okay with literally being ridden by someone like an animal.
But Sylvia assured him that because it was her decision, she saw it as more of a compromise of their friendship.
And, she added, it was like a funky fashion statement.
As a token of appreciation, Wander pulled a small blanket from his hat, which he always placed before the saddle.

For the next eight years the pair were inseparable, but despite spending so much time together, they only learned about one another's past in increments.
Both had trouble opening up, and neither wanted to dwell on their pain -- even if facing it would have been healthier, they figured things were good, so why mess with it?
Sometimes things slipped out or one of them would vent, but no matter who learned what, Wander never spoke a word about the violence and hell he experienced on Litche many years ago.
Even during the occasional night when Wander would awaken in a heap of tears and screams, Sylvia never got answers as to what haunted him so desperately when he closed his eyes.
But she respected his space, and never pried, and it was obvious Wander appreciated it.
All Sylvia knew for sure was no one, including Wander himself, had any idea where he came from, and that he had no known parents.
His DNA was all his own, and thus the enigma of his nature lives on.

They bought a small spacecraft (Sylvia wanted to steal it but Wander insisted otherwise), which the two of them used to traverse the cosmos, fueling it with orbble juice.
When in a dire need of escape, orbble bubbles were fine, but a craft was always better (and safer).
Whenever they landed somewhere, Wander would...stick the spacecraft in his hat, and then pull it back out when they needed to travel...

---

Dominator didn't enter the game until Wander was 51, and was defeated the same year.

After the events with Dominator, Hater, Peepers, and a few of the watchdogs finally conceded to Wander's ways, and nervously joined them.
Ten months into their travels they met Zoc (OC), a nonbinary alien in desperate need of a friend.
Now they are exploring the stars and spreading good, a dysfunctional and beautiful family Wander never even fathomed he could have.
He's also steadily opening up more about his pain and sharing it with his loved ones, and in turn of course, is helping his friends open up, too.
In time, everyone gets to know what happened when Wander was a little boy, he finally finds the safety in his soul to share it, and is better off for it.
But nothing changes; he is a good-doer who spreads that message wherever he goes, never tied down by his pain, and never without hope.

~~Personality~~

Everyone pretty well knows Wander's personality by now, but what many might not understand is he isn't always as naive as everyone thinks.
An Aquarian mastermind, Wander is excellent at playing dumb and letting events play out around him.
Additionally, it's hard for him to always emote recognition of negative emotion, but that doesn't mean he doesn't notice when someone is suffering -- or even hates him.
He's simply persistent and stubborn, and determined to leave a streak of joy behind.
He's also not oblivious to the fact that the love he tries to spread means consequences for those who reject him, but to his mind, that's simply nature's way of telling his "frenemies" that they're on the wrong path, and would be happier if they changed.
But that being said, he is not aware that this is a result of his species or energy, and he isn't aware of the severity of the consequences his chosen people may face.

Much of what makes Wander so childish is the lack of a childhood he got to have, or anyone to teach him any differently.
But regardless, his pain gives him deep empathy and drives his will to save others rather than defeat them, and no matter what, he will never surrender the hope in his soul.
A childlike approach to life keeps things fun and new, and when others catch on, it's very contagious!
Additionally, he can be a bit overbearing in his friendships because, whie it's easy to forget, he didn't have true blue friends until he was in his 40's.
That's a long time to not know how to properly navigate close relationships, and he isn't perfect with it.
He's not perfect at anything, so despite seeming like he has life figured out, he's still bound to make big mistakes.
He questions everything, curious and intuitive with a powerful, analytical mind.
But as he always says, mistakes are just another opportunity to learn.

Wander doesn't believe in being too old to have fun, and while he does experience shame and embarrassment, very little of that has to do with having fun or being himself in public.
He's not all that ashamed of his emotions or outbursts either, because according to him all feelings are natural and sometimes they just fly out!
And in a person with as lacking a filter as Wander is, this is a very big reality.

He does have PTSD from his childhood, but much of it was dealt with and accepted in his 20's and early 30's.
But as he also knows, those scars are for life, and so occasionally he is rattled by nightmares, panic, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, or may dissociate.
The memories hurt, but the joy and life he's grown around the grief has made it much easier to bear, and he knows his bad dreams will always subside.
Wander values the good in his life far greater than the pain, but acknowledges it's the most important part of him.
Given the chance, he would not change his past.

~~Trauma~~

Trigger Warning:

This section covers PTSD, torture, CPR, medical emergencies, death, assault, prison, panic, anxiety, and self-harm.
Please read with caution.
---

Though the bulk of his childhood trauma was eased in the past, as aforementioned things can still come creeping in and get the best of him.
And of course, as he has always been putting himself in dangerous situations, he has consistently acquired more trauma as he's gotten older.
Near-death experiences, multiple death sentences and bounty hunts, prison stays, having been attacked and humiliated by others, and handsy people in the adult scene have left impressions in his mind.
He has tried and failed to save many lives in his lifetime, including children, and has witnessed more death than anyone needs to.
He's performed CPR on multiple people and lost almost all of them -- including a child, which is common when someone has entered cardiac arrest.
Regardless, he doesn't regret his efforts, but each loss takes a small toll.
Wander has also experienced restroom-related anomalies in public, which further add to his deep bodily modesty.
Close-calls with needing the bathroom are hair-triggers for his anxiety, and often leave him in tears even when the crisis has passed.
There was also his first encounter with Screwball Jones, which was a highly traumatizing experience.
The toll of it was so great in fact, Wander had to take on a superhero persona just to cope with facing him.
This persona is only triggered when Screwball is present, and he promptly tosses it when the demon is away.

As great as Wander has learned to deal with many of his pains, as also mentioned above, he cannot hope to defeat all of them.
To reiterate, he is prone to occasional flashbacks, nightmares/terrors, dissociation, panic, anxiety, and most of all, his PTSD from the attack on Litche is what most heavily drives him to need to help others.
It's the simplest way he feels (subconsciously) that he can take power back over the event.
He couldn't save anyone then, and could barely save himself when he was a little boy, and he knows what it means to be totally helpless.
This deep pain and stinging survivor's guilt drives him to do for others as much as possible, even if that pain is far out of his mind.
Friendly reminder that Wander is a genuinely happy and optimistic person, but he isn't perfect and like everyone, needs his moments to reel.

Perhaps the most grave consequence of Wander's survival of all these terrible events, is how it's affected his self-worth.
He loves himself, he knows he's not actually worthless, but the amount of danger he puts himself in on the regular resonates with a severe lack of self-preservation, which is easily a side effect of PTSD.
He has also admitted to feeling worthless as seen in "The Big Job," easily discouraged by his affecting of Sylvia's status.
Wander punishes himself for failures without meaning to (mostly), holding himself to the impossible standard of needing to be there for others even when he's literally dying.
In rare moments, he may relate to peers who are going through a tough time by confessing that he "knows how it feels to feel worthless."
To Wander's mind, his own life is expendable compared to others.
He doesn't have a death wish, he isn't miserable and looking for a way out; he's simply chronically reckless and assumes if he dies for someone or some cause he deems important, it's worth it.

Shockingly, Wander is prone to a little self-harm when his panic and anxiety are at their worst.
The most common one is holding his arms and digging into his skin with his blunt little nails.
He may also do this on his thighs or the top of his head.
Sylvia has grown accustomed to seeing this, and it's often most triggered when Wander is prevented from helping someone under a certain circumstance.
It also may happen after failing to save a life, after a nightmare, or during/after a random panic attack.
Dominator's reign was brutally triggering for Wander, sending him spiraling through panic, dread and anxiety at all the death and destruction he was forced to witness.
The less common but equally alarming mode of harm is pulling out his own hair.
He typically attacks the long hairs on the back of his head, but may also pluck at his arms, front head hair, shoulders and chest.
Again, Sylvia has seen this before, and knows how to stop him.
The greatest way to ease him when he's panicked or harming is to hold his hands and apply weight to him, which is common in many therapies.
Sylvia eases him by hand-holding, holding him tight, laying her head on him, talking to him calmly, and rocking him.
Typically his symptoms will ease within minutes, but it requires calm and patience to help him through.
Before Sylvia was around these habits weren't kept in check by anyone else, so he occasionally had to wander about with nail marks or bald spots.
He has drawn a tiny amount of blood before by nail-digging, but not much.

When not being comforted by others, Wander is usually quite good at grounding himself.
He knows how to feel and look around his environment, will list things off to himself that he can see and hear and so on, and knows to breathe as best as possible.
Usually he can hold back panic and anxiety, but upsets are simply a part of life.
To comfort himself at any given time, Wander likes to hug himself and rock, and may hum.
These things go hand-in-hand with Autistic stimming as well, but have helped him when he's feeling sad, alone, scared, or is tired but reluctant to sleep, or having trouble falling asleep.
Sylvia has also witnessed him hugging himself and rolling back and forth lightly while lying down to sleep.
When she notices him like this, she may scoop him up and hold him, and may even rock him herself if she thinks he'll let her.
Wander prefers to hide his trauma signs as much as possible, as evidenced in his expert ability to dodge personal questions and redirect others' attention, holding in panic and anxiety, and will avoid others is he's feeling episodic.
When discovered feeling anxious or concerned, he will try to comfort the other person/people by insisting everything is fine, not to worry about him, that everything will be okay.
Those closest to him have learned his tell.

~~The Best of the Best~~

Wander has known great pain and loss in his lifetime, but he has also witnessed and performed many miracles.
Because he is so self-sacrificing (and is on Karma's good side), he's managed to save far more lives than he's lost.
He's witnessed and lived through many magical events and conjunctions, met countless mythical beings and deities, and has spread a trail of fortune he'll never be capable of comprehending.
He's inherited fame, infamy, fortune, endless acquaintances, rewards, money, has had many many lovers and enriching experiences with them, and so on.
He's starred in concerts, met "important" people and gotten on good terms with very fierce ones as well, and has made potent and dedicated allies.
Even the little things he's done for others have blessed them, creating domino effects of good in the lives of others.
He's educated, rescued, and enlightened many people and children, and has benefited monstrously from his success.
Each good deed brings good back to him, and being so wise, he recognizes and accepts this, but never demands it.
No matter what happens, the honest best reward for him is the good he feels afterwards.
Even when others reject his kindness, he glows simply because he tried.
He knows that sometimes it's just not meant to be, and although may struggle with trauma, he can accept that loss and change are inevitable.
He can always tell when his good deed is being repaid, and once aware, he relaxes and enjoys the ride.
Wander takes compliments and gratitude in stride, but may be fumbly or awkward about receiving presents.

Two people he's given CPR to have survived.
Two out of ten may not be good odds to most, but he considers those successes miraculous.
He's taken several different classes on different medical topics, and has actually helped a few different people deliver babies in an emergency!
A cliché for certain, but as we already know, the universe has a way of bringing Wander to where he's most needed.
The list of all the lives he's saved is extensive and currently impossible to document, but we all know it's astronomical.
He's helped countless animals as well, even going out of his way to capture injured ones to help them.
In his skillset, Wander is actually quite good at cleaning and stitching small wounds.
Living on his own all his life and avoiding civilization so often, combined with constantly being in danger has forced the nomad to learn to care for his own ailments.
So while he may not like blood and may feel uneasy or put off, what he feels first and foremost at the sight of blood is "someone is injured, and needs help."
Don't forget, the first major trauma in his life involved blood everywhere in his peripheral, for hours.
Climbing over and running past dead bodies leaves marks in the mind.
He may not enjoy dealing with blood, and he'd prefer not to look at wounds, but his compulsion to offer assistance and stop bleeding far exceeds his personal hangups.

~~Physiology~~

Wander is a unique little creature, but that much is obvious.
And the magic in his body is woven into him, giving him strange abilities.

To start, his eyes are default dark grey/black, but can enlarge and actually change colors based on his mood, how excited he is, or the environment.
The color usually only appears in bursts or for moments between blinks, and is jarring to see when it happens.
As for the colors his eyes can change to, the answer is "any."
The extent of how much his eyes express emotion is somewhat startling, as they can appear to grow or shrink based on his feelings and attitudes.
Stars, hearts and other shapes may appear in them from time to time.
They're also placed very forward on the front of his face, which makes him appear odd but very cute!

His head hair has grown and stands in the form of a small mohawk.

While his three fingers and one thumb per hand have short, blunt nails, his four toes per foot have no nails or claws whatsoever.
His feet are more like paws, and despite the lack of nail, he can still detect pressure where he's standing just fine.

A little patch of short whiskers adorn his round chin, having budded and started growing in when he was around 15 years old.
This is their permanent length, and like all his hair, occasionally the whiskers fall out and are replaced.

His insides are reddish pink, and his blood is pink, too.

In Earth terms, his birthday is February 11th.

~~Preference~~

Wander is pansexual and pan-romantic, however he also is somewhat ace/aro.
He is willing to have dates and spend time with whomever he copulates with, but he is not interested in a long-term partnership.
He simply likes to make love and have fun with someone else who is in need of a little decompression or physical touch, and is gifted in the art of healing through pleasure.
Having gotten around for so many years means he's very experienced, often surprising those he beds.
But he's also not a braggart and won't kiss and tell, feeling it unnecessary.
An encounter is as natural and flippant as every moment in life, and when it's passed, he moves on.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------

Good gravy, i'm long winded...
Also you bet your ass i'm fixing that ref soon, gimme time

For the record i went so hard on his backstory because of the episode "The Wanders."
I know what they showed of Wander's Helpless self in the crystal cave was not monumental, but it was a big deal to me.
It was their way of telling us Wander had some kind of trauma, and isn't it a bit odd that the highly sociable Wander was afraid of Sylvia when she offered to help him?
Sure, it's a straight isolated chunk of personality, but i find it very telling; there was a time in Wander's life when he felt terribly helpless, and was afraid of people and hiding from them.
And when he had all his pieces put back together, he shed a tear and mentioned it was the most important part.
Clearly the man went through/saw some shit, and also he was ultra tiny so i assume it represented his inner child.
Season two grinded my gears, but i'm damn grateful for some of the lore we got
DAMN grateful.

Anyway hopefully this was enjoyable!
Please comment

Description
Broke it up so it wouldn't get messed up
Here's part 1!

www.deviantart.com/fae-captain…
---

---UPDATE---

Thanks to SkeletonDanc3r, Airbenderedacted and Apathetic-Coffee on Tumblr, i have been inspired to update Wander's bio with more explanations about his PTSD and how it's affected him.
Thanks so much to those guys, they're amazing!

---

Wander Over Yonder is property of Disney.
The art belongs to me.

Trigger Warning:

Death, violence, PTSD
---------------------------------------------------------

~~Found Family~~

When Wander turned 48 he was captured by a creepy android bounty hunter known then as Killbot 85.
But the robot hadn't been his only tracker; a zbornak named Sylvia had also been hunting him, and she wanted his outstanding bounty of 1,000,000 credits to herself.
With Wander trapped in a sack, he endured a lot of mayhem as woman battled robot.
In the end she was far stronger, and all but destroyed Killbot while claiming Wander as her temporary prize.
By now he was all too used to being captured for bounty, and like always, he went along with his captor and talked her ear off.

Sylvia was wise to tie Wander up, and begrudgingly kept him fed along her journey to deliver him to her client.
For the first several days she was merely annoyed by him, told him to shut up, stay put, the like.
Wander was never discouraged, and would casually get free from his bonds in order to randomy play his banjo, or pull something from his hat when Sylvia expressed a need for something.
She found him bothersome, and rejected his offerings under the suspicion that he might poison or otherwise harm her.
And of course, if she wanted to drop him off alive as necessary, Sylvia had to keep him fed and somewhat healthy.
As a strong hunter, she was exasperated that her new prey was, of course, a vegetarian.
She complied, however, finding food for Wander when he chose to behave and stay tied up.
And all along the way, through tremendously hot days, cold nights and rugged terrain, Wander stayed positive and tried to befriend the zbornak.
Though she didn't want to admit it, deep down she felt something soft beat in her cold heart.
In their journey the nomad managed to put cracks in her shell, but the closer they got to their destination, the more and more she had to fight it.
Wander acted oblivious, but he knew he was getting through to her.
Eight days into their travels, their fate was sealed when an entire gang of bounty hunters showed up to kill Sylvia and take her prisoner for their own.
After a fatal slip-up she was left disabled, but Wander saved her from the other hunters by overwhelming and annoying them with music, song, dance, and everything else he commonly used to escape disaster.
He was clever, and the others could only take so much before abandoning ship.
They would have killed him, but that would have meant they still wouldn't get the bounty, so they high-tailed it and remarked he was "her problem" now.

Sylvia couldn't believe it.
He stayed with her until she could move again, and pulled supplies from his hat to dress her injuries.
When she asked why he did that, Wander happily answered that "that's what friends do."
It both warmed, and broke, her heart.
After a night's rest, she somberly told Wander they had to keep moving, so despite everything, Wander didn't hold it against her.
He let her tie him up and followed her by rope, chattering as much as ever.
But Sylvia's heart had softened just enough for her to now wonder if she was making the right decision.
Regardless, at the end of that last day, she delivered Wander to the jail he was wanted in.
She was granted her reward and told him it was nothing personal, but she needed the money.
To her surprise, Wander told her he understood, and was just happy she got what she needed.
That didn't make her decision any easier, and with a heavy heart, she left him there with her payment.

Jailed, Wander was compliant.
Pulled his banjo out and played a few songs while gazing at moonlight through the barred window of his cell, and even sang a song about his new friend, Sylvia.
He was to be hanged the next morning, so he sang to make peace with his demise.
But what he didn't expect was, for the first time ever, hours after his incarceration there was an explosion in the jail.
It was Sylvia; she couldn't leave him after all the good he did for her.
She threw the money down before the crime lords and, after beating them down, tore off the door of Wander's cell and pulled him out.
Smiling, he was elated to see her, and threw his arms around her scaly neck.
Sylvia placed the nomad on her back and told him to hang on and darted out of the jail, leaving a trail of dust under moonlight.
From then on the two became inseparable; she told Wander he "must've put something in her food," because she felt guilty about leaving him there to die when he clearly had never done a thing wrong.
She asked if he really believed there was good in her, and of course he did!
He didn't say it, but it was obvious to Wander that Sylvia was the statistic of a vicious cycle -- he'd seen it all too often.
But to his surprise she was also nomadic, calling no place "home," having no family or friends that she were willing to speak of.
And she too, got into a bit of trouble, and thus felt it was safer to keep moving.
For the first time ever, both of them had a true friend to travel with, and chose to stick together.

Somehow, having a permanent friend made Wander more hyper and enthusiastic.
He had so much to show and tell her!
And of course, so many lessons to teach about how to let the best in oneself shine, how to help others and solve problems using kindness.
Most of that took as time went on, but Sylvia was adamant that sometimes violence simply wasn't off the table.
It was a hard lesson for Wander to learn, but as they traveled, he saw the benefits in her ways.
When she couldn't be vulnerable, he was there to cushion the emotional imbalance.
When Wander couldn't be strong or use force, Sylvia had his back.
And a couple of months into the friendship, Sylvia surprised Wander with a present; a bridle and saddle for him to ride on her back more efficiently.
He couldn't believe it!
As headstrong and independent as she was, he double checked that she was okay with literally being ridden by someone like an animal.
But Sylvia assured him that because it was her decision, she saw it as more of a compromise of their friendship.
And, she added, it was like a funky fashion statement.
As a token of appreciation, Wander pulled a small blanket from his hat, which he always placed before the saddle.

For the next eight years the pair were inseparable, but despite spending so much time together, they only learned about one another's past in increments.
Both had trouble opening up, and neither wanted to dwell on their pain -- even if facing it would have been healthier, they figured things were good, so why mess with it?
Sometimes things slipped out or one of them would vent, but no matter who learned what, Wander never spoke a word about the violence and hell he experienced on Litche many years ago.
Even during the occasional night when Wander would awaken in a heap of tears and screams, Sylvia never got answers as to what haunted him so desperately when he closed his eyes.
But she respected his space, and never pried, and it was obvious Wander appreciated it.
All Sylvia knew for sure was no one, including Wander himself, had any idea where he came from, and that he had no known parents.
His DNA was all his own, and thus the enigma of his nature lives on.

They bought a small spacecraft (Sylvia wanted to steal it but Wander insisted otherwise), which the two of them used to traverse the cosmos, fueling it with orbble juice.
When in a dire need of escape, orbble bubbles were fine, but a craft was always better (and safer).
Whenever they landed somewhere, Wander would...stick the spacecraft in his hat, and then pull it back out when they needed to travel...

---

Dominator didn't enter the game until Wander was 51, and was defeated the same year.

After the events with Dominator, Hater, Peepers, and a few of the watchdogs finally conceded to Wander's ways, and nervously joined them.
Ten months into their travels they met Zoc (OC), a nonbinary alien in desperate need of a friend.
Now they are exploring the stars and spreading good, a dysfunctional and beautiful family Wander never even fathomed he could have.
He's also steadily opening up more about his pain and sharing it with his loved ones, and in turn of course, is helping his friends open up, too.
In time, everyone gets to know what happened when Wander was a little boy, he finally finds the safety in his soul to share it, and is better off for it.
But nothing changes; he is a good-doer who spreads that message wherever he goes, never tied down by his pain, and never without hope.

~~Personality~~

Everyone pretty well knows Wander's personality by now, but what many might not understand is he isn't always as naive as everyone thinks.
An Aquarian mastermind, Wander is excellent at playing dumb and letting events play out around him.
Additionally, it's hard for him to always emote recognition of negative emotion, but that doesn't mean he doesn't notice when someone is suffering -- or even hates him.
He's simply persistent and stubborn, and determined to leave a streak of joy behind.
He's also not oblivious to the fact that the love he tries to spread means consequences for those who reject him, but to his mind, that's simply nature's way of telling his "frenemies" that they're on the wrong path, and would be happier if they changed.
But that being said, he is not aware that this is a result of his species or energy, and he isn't aware of the severity of the consequences his chosen people may face.

Much of what makes Wander so childish is the lack of a childhood he got to have, or anyone to teach him any differently.
But regardless, his pain gives him deep empathy and drives his will to save others rather than defeat them, and no matter what, he will never surrender the hope in his soul.
A childlike approach to life keeps things fun and new, and when others catch on, it's very contagious!
Additionally, he can be a bit overbearing in his friendships because, whie it's easy to forget, he didn't have true blue friends until he was in his 40's.
That's a long time to not know how to properly navigate close relationships, and he isn't perfect with it.
He's not perfect at anything, so despite seeming like he has life figured out, he's still bound to make big mistakes.
He questions everything, curious and intuitive with a powerful, analytical mind.
But as he always says, mistakes are just another opportunity to learn.

Wander doesn't believe in being too old to have fun, and while he does experience shame and embarrassment, very little of that has to do with having fun or being himself in public.
He's not all that ashamed of his emotions or outbursts either, because according to him all feelings are natural and sometimes they just fly out!
And in a person with as lacking a filter as Wander is, this is a very big reality.

He does have PTSD from his childhood, but much of it was dealt with and accepted in his 20's and early 30's.
But as he also knows, those scars are for life, and so occasionally he is rattled by nightmares, panic, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, or may dissociate.
The memories hurt, but the joy and life he's grown around the grief has made it much easier to bear, and he knows his bad dreams will always subside.
Wander values the good in his life far greater than the pain, but acknowledges it's the most important part of him.
Given the chance, he would not change his past.

~~Trauma~~

Trigger Warning:

This section covers PTSD, torture, CPR, medical emergencies, death, assault, prison, panic, anxiety, and self-harm.
Please read with caution.
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Though the bulk of his childhood trauma was eased in the past, as aforementioned things can still come creeping in and get the best of him.
And of course, as he has always been putting himself in dangerous situations, he has consistently acquired more trauma as he's gotten older.
Near-death experiences, multiple death sentences and bounty hunts, prison stays, having been attacked and humiliated by others, and handsy people in the adult scene have left impressions in his mind.
He has tried and failed to save many lives in his lifetime, including children, and has witnessed more death than anyone needs to.
He's performed CPR on multiple people and lost almost all of them -- including a child, which is common when someone has entered cardiac arrest.
Regardless, he doesn't regret his efforts, but each loss takes a small toll.
Wander has also experienced restroom-related anomalies in public, which further add to his deep bodily modesty.
Close-calls with needing the bathroom are hair-triggers for his anxiety, and often leave him in tears even when the crisis has passed.
There was also his first encounter with Screwball Jones, which was a highly traumatizing experience.
The toll of it was so great in fact, Wander had to take on a superhero persona just to cope with facing him.
This persona is only triggered when Screwball is present, and he promptly tosses it when the demon is away.

As great as Wander has learned to deal with many of his pains, as also mentioned above, he cannot hope to defeat all of them.
To reiterate, he is prone to occasional flashbacks, nightmares/terrors, dissociation, panic, anxiety, and most of all, his PTSD from the attack on Litche is what most heavily drives him to need to help others.
It's the simplest way he feels (subconsciously) that he can take power back over the event.
He couldn't save anyone then, and could barely save himself when he was a little boy, and he knows what it means to be totally helpless.
This deep pain and stinging survivor's guilt drives him to do for others as much as possible, even if that pain is far out of his mind.
Friendly reminder that Wander is a genuinely happy and optimistic person, but he isn't perfect and like everyone, needs his moments to reel.

Perhaps the most grave consequence of Wander's survival of all these terrible events, is how it's affected his self-worth.
He loves himself, he knows he's not actually worthless, but the amount of danger he puts himself in on the regular resonates with a severe lack of self-preservation, which is easily a side effect of PTSD.
He has also admitted to feeling worthless as seen in "The Big Job," easily discouraged by his affecting of Sylvia's status.
Wander punishes himself for failures without meaning to (mostly), holding himself to the impossible standard of needing to be there for others even when he's literally dying.
In rare moments, he may relate to peers who are going through a tough time by confessing that he "knows how it feels to feel worthless."
To Wander's mind, his own life is expendable compared to others.
He doesn't have a death wish, he isn't miserable and looking for a way out; he's simply chronically reckless and assumes if he dies for someone or some cause he deems important, it's worth it.

Shockingly, Wander is prone to a little self-harm when his panic and anxiety are at their worst.
The most common one is holding his arms and digging into his skin with his blunt little nails.
He may also do this on his thighs or the top of his head.
Sylvia has grown accustomed to seeing this, and it's often most triggered when Wander is prevented from helping someone under a certain circumstance.
It also may happen after failing to save a life, after a nightmare, or during/after a random panic attack.
Dominator's reign was brutally triggering for Wander, sending him spiraling through panic, dread and anxiety at all the death and destruction he was forced to witness.
The less common but equally alarming mode of harm is pulling out his own hair.
He typically attacks the long hairs on the back of his head, but may also pluck at his arms, front head hair, shoulders and chest.
Again, Sylvia has seen this before, and knows how to stop him.
The greatest way to ease him when he's panicked or harming is to hold his hands and apply weight to him, which is common in many therapies.
Sylvia eases him by hand-holding, holding him tight, laying her head on him, talking to him calmly, and rocking him.
Typically his symptoms will ease within minutes, but it requires calm and patience to help him through.
Before Sylvia was around these habits weren't kept in check by anyone else, so he occasionally had to wander about with nail marks or bald spots.
He has drawn a tiny amount of blood before by nail-digging, but not much.

When not being comforted by others, Wander is usually quite good at grounding himself.
He knows how to feel and look around his environment, will list things off to himself that he can see and hear and so on, and knows to breathe as best as possible.
Usually he can hold back panic and anxiety, but upsets are simply a part of life.
To comfort himself at any given time, Wander likes to hug himself and rock, and may hum.
These things go hand-in-hand with Autistic stimming as well, but have helped him when he's feeling sad, alone, scared, or is tired but reluctant to sleep, or having trouble falling asleep.
Sylvia has also witnessed him hugging himself and rolling back and forth lightly while lying down to sleep.
When she notices him like this, she may scoop him up and hold him, and may even rock him herself if she thinks he'll let her.
Wander prefers to hide his trauma signs as much as possible, as evidenced in his expert ability to dodge personal questions and redirect others' attention, holding in panic and anxiety, and will avoid others is he's feeling episodic.
When discovered feeling anxious or concerned, he will try to comfort the other person/people by insisting everything is fine, not to worry about him, that everything will be okay.
Those closest to him have learned his tell.

~~The Best of the Best~~

Wander has known great pain and loss in his lifetime, but he has also witnessed and performed many miracles.
Because he is so self-sacrificing (and is on Karma's good side), he's managed to save far more lives than he's lost.
He's witnessed and lived through many magical events and conjunctions, met countless mythical beings and deities, and has spread a trail of fortune he'll never be capable of comprehending.
He's inherited fame, infamy, fortune, endless acquaintances, rewards, money, has had many many lovers and enriching experiences with them, and so on.
He's starred in concerts, met "important" people and gotten on good terms with very fierce ones as well, and has made potent and dedicated allies.
Even the little things he's done for others have blessed them, creating domino effects of good in the lives of others.
He's educated, rescued, and enlightened many people and children, and has benefited monstrously from his success.
Each good deed brings good back to him, and being so wise, he recognizes and accepts this, but never demands it.
No matter what happens, the honest best reward for him is the good he feels afterwards.
Even when others reject his kindness, he glows simply because he tried.
He knows that sometimes it's just not meant to be, and although may struggle with trauma, he can accept that loss and change are inevitable.
He can always tell when his good deed is being repaid, and once aware, he relaxes and enjoys the ride.
Wander takes compliments and gratitude in stride, but may be fumbly or awkward about receiving presents.

Two people he's given CPR to have survived.
Two out of ten may not be good odds to most, but he considers those successes miraculous.
He's taken several different classes on different medical topics, and has actually helped a few different people deliver babies in an emergency!
A cliché for certain, but as we already know, the universe has a way of bringing Wander to where he's most needed.
The list of all the lives he's saved is extensive and currently impossible to document, but we all know it's astronomical.
He's helped countless animals as well, even going out of his way to capture injured ones to help them.
In his skillset, Wander is actually quite good at cleaning and stitching small wounds.
Living on his own all his life and avoiding civilization so often, combined with constantly being in danger has forced the nomad to learn to care for his own ailments.
So while he may not like blood and may feel uneasy or put off, what he feels first and foremost at the sight of blood is "someone is injured, and needs help."
Don't forget, the first major trauma in his life involved blood everywhere in his peripheral, for hours.
Climbing over and running past dead bodies leaves marks in the mind.
He may not enjoy dealing with blood, and he'd prefer not to look at wounds, but his compulsion to offer assistance and stop bleeding far exceeds his personal hangups.

~~Physiology~~

Wander is a unique little creature, but that much is obvious.
And the magic in his body is woven into him, giving him strange abilities.

To start, his eyes are default dark grey/black, but can enlarge and actually change colors based on his mood, how excited he is, or the environment.
The color usually only appears in bursts or for moments between blinks, and is jarring to see when it happens.
As for the colors his eyes can change to, the answer is "any."
The extent of how much his eyes express emotion is somewhat startling, as they can appear to grow or shrink based on his feelings and attitudes.
Stars, hearts and other shapes may appear in them from time to time.
They're also placed very forward on the front of his face, which makes him appear odd but very cute!

His head hair has grown and stands in the form of a small mohawk.

While his three fingers and one thumb per hand have short, blunt nails, his four toes per foot have no nails or claws whatsoever.
His feet are more like paws, and despite the lack of nail, he can still detect pressure where he's standing just fine.

A little patch of short whiskers adorn his round chin, having budded and started growing in when he was around 15 years old.
This is their permanent length, and like all his hair, occasionally the whiskers fall out and are replaced.

His insides are reddish pink, and his blood is pink, too.

In Earth terms, his birthday is February 11th.

~~Preference~~

Wander is pansexual and pan-romantic, however he also is somewhat ace/aro.
He is willing to have dates and spend time with whomever he copulates with, but he is not interested in a long-term partnership.
He simply likes to make love and have fun with someone else who is in need of a little decompression or physical touch, and is gifted in the art of healing through pleasure.
Having gotten around for so many years means he's very experienced, often surprising those he beds.
But he's also not a braggart and won't kiss and tell, feeling it unnecessary.
An encounter is as natural and flippant as every moment in life, and when it's passed, he moves on.
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Good gravy, i'm long winded...
Also you bet your ass i'm fixing that ref soon, gimme time

For the record i went so hard on his backstory because of the episode "The Wanders."
I know what they showed of Wander's Helpless self in the crystal cave was not monumental, but it was a big deal to me.
It was their way of telling us Wander had some kind of trauma, and isn't it a bit odd that the highly sociable Wander was afraid of Sylvia when she offered to help him?
Sure, it's a straight isolated chunk of personality, but i find it very telling; there was a time in Wander's life when he felt terribly helpless, and was afraid of people and hiding from them.
And when he had all his pieces put back together, he shed a tear and mentioned it was the most important part.
Clearly the man went through/saw some shit, and also he was ultra tiny so i assume it represented his inner child.
Season two grinded my gears, but i'm damn grateful for some of the lore we got
DAMN grateful.

Anyway hopefully this was enjoyable!
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