#A list of some alterhuman identities and groups

[frameacloud]

A list of some alterhuman identities and groups (cut version)

About this article

This article is a five-minute read. It gives definitions and sources about (in alphabetical order) alterhumans, constelics, daemons, dragons, endels, furries, fictionfolk, nonhumans, otherkin, plural systems, therianthropes, tulpas, and vampires. These alterhuman community historians, archivists, and writers wrote this article together in August and September 2023: Orion Scribner, House of Chimeras, Page Shepard, Dinocanid, Ryuu Yumemoto, Draconic Wizard Workshop, and others. You have permission to repost this article, if you keep the list of authors, don't change what the article says, and don't use it for money. This is shared under this type of Creative Commons license: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND).

Alterhumans

In 2014, Lio of the Crossroads System created this word as an umbrella term and identity for anyone who feels they have an identity beyond the scope of how one might typically think of “being human.”^1 Later, the alterhuman advocacy group Alt+H popularized this word. According to the coiner and Alt+H, it includes but is not limited to nonhumans.^2 Some groups who can opt-in to considering themselves under the alterhuman umbrella are otherkin, therianthropes, fictionfolk, plural systems, daemians, vampires, voluntary identities, furries, and more.^3 This umbrella is very broad because its purpose is to give these communities something to unite under without erasing their distinctions.^4

Constelic

Coined by Extranth in 2021, a person who is constelic identifies with or as one or more entities, objects, concepts, species, items, or characters throughout their life.^5 A constelic may collect or hoard any number of these identities for any number of reasons, as their identities are non-inherent and are considered to be entirely extrinsic.^6 Constels may be voluntary or involuntary identities,^7 and can be intense or casual, but they are often non-permanent.^8 

Daemians and daemons

Daemians are people who have daemons, which are most often described as mental constructs or a part of an individual’s consciousness which has been assigned a unique gender, form, and personality.^9 Some daemians consider themselves plural.^10 Their community started in 2002, inspired by Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials fantasy novel trilogy.^11

Dragons

The dragon community started in the 1990s in an online group called alt.fan.dragons.^12 They identify as dragons for spiritual or psychological reasons. They are draconic, and they refer to this part of themselves as their draconity.^13 In the 2000s, the dragon community started to mingle with the other communities: with dragon otherkin (dragonkin)^14 and dragon therians.^15

Endels

Mental health experts say that being alterhuman isn’t the same as being mentally ill.^16 For alterhumans who do have mental illnesses, that can be an important part of their everyday life and their sense of self. Endel is a word for alterhuman identities that are rooted in or greatly influenced by delusion. Babydog coined this word in 2021, by and for delusional alterhumans.^17

Furries

The furry fandom is a large subculture that began at sci-fi conventions in the 1980s.^18 It’s for creating and enjoying art, stories, costumes, and roleplay about fictional human-like (anthropomorphic) animal characters, called furries. Many fandom participants choose to represent themselves as their furry persona (fursona), which can be just for fun, though it can be meaningful about who they are.

Fictionfolk

Fictionfolk is an umbrella term for many sorts of identities that come partly or wholly from fiction.^19 Fictionkin identify as characters or species from fiction,^20 and their community started in the early 2000s.^21 A plural system member with origins from fiction is a fictive, which psychologists call a fictional introject.^22 When someone has the brief experience of becoming someone or something from fiction, that’s a fictionflicker, which psychologists call experience-taking.^23 

Nonhumans

An umbrella term for those of us who identify as partly or wholly not human: therianthropes, otherkin, and more. Many nonhumans opt to include themselves under the alterhuman umbrella.

Otherkin

Otherkin are elves, dragons, or other beings, usually from mythology. It’s always an important part of who they are throughout their lives, not role-play for fun.^24 The community started in the Elfinkind Digest mailing list in 1990, when they started calling themselves otherkind or otherkin.^25 Their reasons for being otherkin are often spiritual, for example, from reincarnation.^26 However, otherkin is not a religion.^27

Plural systems

Plurality (or multiplicity) is an umbrella term for all experiences and identities in which more than one entity, consciousness, or pseudo-consciousness exists within one physical body,^28 for systems who are or can be diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID), formerly called multiple personality disorder (MPD), as well as systems who do not meet those diagnostic criteria. Plurality and multiplicity as terms have always been inclusive of systems regardless of their origin or diagnoses.^29 Some plural systems have members who aren’t human or who are fictional characters or species.^30 Multiplicity can be an interchangeable synonym for plurality, or multiplicity can mean a form of plurality in which more than one person, self, or identity is within a single body.^31

Therianthropes

Therianthropes are people who have a lifelong identification as a certain species of animal on an integral, personal level.^32 Some are other species than animals from Earth.^33 The therian community started in 1993 in an online group, alt.horror.werewolves.^34 They developed jargon about shapeshifting to describe feeling more animal-like at some times. These changes are mental or spiritual, not physical.^35 Some have sensations of phantom limbs.^36 Some feel consistently animal-like at all times.^37 In the late 1990s and early 2000s, therians started mingling with the otherkin community.^38

Tulpas and tulpamancers

A tulpamancer is someone who practices tulpamancy, which is the act of creating tulpas.^39 A tulpa is an autonomous conscious entity who shares the body and brain of their creator.^40 Tulpamancy is often considered to be a part of the plurality umbrella.^41 

Vampire Community

The vampyre or vampire community (VC) is for people who identify as vampires and require sustenance.^42 Those who drain energy are energy vampires or psi-vampires.^43 Sanguinarians drink blood.^44 Hybrid vampires need both.^45 Vampire lifestylers and donors are in the VC, too.^46 

None of the above

Some participants of our communities are not themselves alterhumans. However, they’re here because they’re curious, or they’re our friends, family, and partners.

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Endnotes

Please click to open this so you can read all of the sources that we cited. They are all here below.

1. Lio of the Crossroads System (September 26 2014). "This will probably be my last post on semantics..." Phasmovore. https://phasmovore.tumblr.com/post/98482696958/

2. Lio of the Crossroads System (May 27, 2023). https://x-rds.tumblr.com/post/712949341799727104/ Alt+H (September 17 2021) “What does alterhuman mean?” Alt+H. https://blog.alt-h.net/post/165592493965/what-does-alterhuman-mean

3. Kiera Ember. “Alterhuman Dictionary.�� Beyond Humanity. https://www.beyondhumanity.net/alterhuman-dictionary/dictionary-a Ana Valens (September 25 2020). “Otherkin are the internet’s punchline. They’re also our future.” Daily Dot. https://www.dailydot.com/irl/otherkin/  Alt+H, “FAQ” https://alt-h.net/educate/faq.php

4. Lio of the Crossroads System (February 19, 2023). https://x-rds.tumblr.com/post/709694807213211648/

5. Extranth. “An Introduction to Constelic” https://web.archive.org/web/20230519124625/https://constelic.carrd.co/

6. Extranth (May 19, 2021). “Constelic!” https://extranth.tumblr.com/post/651652168396472320/constelic-1-whats-constelic-constelic-or

7. Constelic (May 27, 2022). “How are Constelic and Otherlink different?” https://constelic.tumblr.com/post/685380822139813888/how-are-constelic-and-otherlink-different

8. Constelic (April 12, 2022). “The wild thing with stels for me is how sometimes…” https://constelic.tumblr.com/post/681308197084135424/the-wild-thing-with-stels-for-me-is-how-sometimes

9. The Daemon Page, “Introduction” https://daemonpage.com/introduction.php

10. Daemians & Daemons (March 18 2023). “Hey there! This is a bit of a discussion question…” https://www.tumblr.com/daemians-n-daemons/712142103972560896/hey-there-this-is-a-bit-of-a-discussion-question Rani (June 21 2022). “Okay so I was right dæmonism is turning into my…” A Dragon’s Journal. https://a-dragons-journal.tumblr.com/post/687725978250870784/okay-so-i-was-right-d%C3%A6monism-is-turning-into-my

11. House of Chimeras (October 8 2022). “A Timeline of the Daemon Community” pg. 3 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GVSBMvwKIyTvDIqyqXy2C_7Q4Qx4UK3A/view 

12. ExistingPhantom (October 3 2001). “Alt.Fan.Dragons Frequently Asked Questions.” Dragons Must Be Here. https://web.archive.org/web/20050219002348/http://www.dmbh.org/dragonfire/IndexFAQ.html 

13. Baxil (December 1999). “Draconity FAQ.” Tomorrowlands. http://www.tomorrowlands.org/draconity/faq/index.html  Orion Scribner (September 8, 2012), Otherkin Timeline, version 2.0 http://frameacloud.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Scribner_Timeline2p0.pdf p. 36

14. Orion Scribner, Otherkin Timeline, p. 53.

15. Daski (August 17, 2022). “Therian: Dispelling the Earthen Animal Myth.” The River System. https://theriversystem.neocities.org/essays/EarthenMyth.html  

16. Gavia Baker-Whitelaw (February 22, 2015). “Understanding the otherkin.” The Kernel. Archived March 18, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150318110839/http://kernelmag.dailydot.com/issue-sections/features-issue-sections/11866/otherkin-tumblr-definition-pronouns/ 

17. Babydog, “Endel” https://endel.carrd.co/ 

18. Fred Patten (July 15 2012). "Retrospective: An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996". Flayrah. https://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966%E2%80%931996 

19. Poppy (January 24, 2023). “Quick guide to fictionfolk terminology.” Aestherians. https://aestherians.tumblr.com/post/707370073217695744/ 

20. Mordax. “What is Fictionkin? An exploratory definition”. From Fiction. https://web.archive.org/web/20220728060858/https://fromfiction.net/index.php/what-is-fictionkin-an-exploratory-definition/ 

21. House of Chimeras (June 21, 2021). A Timeline of the Fictionkin Community, Version 1.0. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w4vGsWkiGPjYtXvTe4PyCcZsPba1kb_p/view?usp=sharing Page 4.

22. Ryn (Aristocrats) (October 18, 2021). “Fictives: A short introduction” https://pluralsoapbox.wordpress.com/2021/10/18/fictives-a-short-introduction/  Sark (The Interstellar System) (August 9, 2021). “Fictive and Factive FAQ”  https://interstellarsystem.weebly.com/fictive-and-factive-faq.html 

23. Geoff F. Kaufman, Lisa K. Libby (2012). “Changing Beliefs and Behavior Through Experience-Taking.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2012; DOI: 10.1037/a0027525 https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0027525

24. Lupa (2007), A Field Guide to Otherkin, Stafford, England: Immanion Press, pp. 27, 108-109.

25. Arethinn (September 6, 2021). “A brief(ish) history of the word ‘otherkind’.” Mythsong. https://www.mythsong.net/history/wordhist.html 

26. Lupa, pp. 57-66, 287.

27. Lupa, p. 30; and Devin Proctor (May 2019), On Being Non-Human: Otherkin Identification and Virtual Space. The George Washington University. https://search.proquest.com/openview/e156c24bf65c4efb0918a8db37433cce/ pp. 94-95.

28. FreyasSpirit (Lucia Batman) and Irenes (Irene Knapp), “Plurality Playbook” https://freyasspirit.com/plurality-playbook/ 

29. LB Lee (May 28, 2020). “Quick'n'Dirty Plural History... Part 1 (1811-1980ish)” https://lb-lee.dreamwidth.org/1111069.html  LB Lee (June 30, 2020).”Plural History part 2: The Memory Wars” https://lb-lee.dreamwidth.org/1116190.html  LB Lee (July 30, 2020). “Plural History, part 3: Usenet and its spin-offs and Soulbonders” https://lb-lee.dreamwidth.org/1120824.html  LB Lee (August 31, 2020). “Quick'n'Dirty Plural History, part 4 (LJ, the Genic Slapfight, and THE END!)” https://lb-lee.dreamwidth.org/1129216.html 

30. House of Chimeras (May 1, 2021). “A Collection of Mentions of Nonhuman and Fictional-Based Members of Plural Systems” https://drive.google.com/file/d/17TKE_8Lx2ljuTpHNclvaXqvA5AAlkG90/view 

31. Manchester Metropolitan University, “Understanding Multiplicity” https://www.mmu.ac.uk/mmud8/media/10605/download 

32. Sonne (2008). “Terms and definitions.” Project Shift. https://projectshift.therianthropy.info/terms-definitions-by-sonne/ 

33. Daski (August 17, 2022). “Therian: Dispelling the Earthen Animal Myth.” The River System. https://theriversystem.neocities.org/essays/EarthenMyth.html  

34. House of Chimeras (19 November 2021). A Timeline of the Therianthrope Community, Version 1.1. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jDmjl78hQ2BiQtzQMTV3yRQkrIgB9eUZ/view?usp=sharing P 9.

35. Clegg, H., Collings, R., & Roxburgh, E. C. (2019). “Therianthropy: Wellbeing, Schizotypy, and Autism in Individuals Who Self-Identify as Non-Human.” Society & Animals, 27(4), pp. 403-426. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-12341540

36. Jakkal (October 6, 2001). “Therianthropy- an overview." Shifters.org. Archived 2002-11-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20021101165313/http://www.shifters.org/overview/therianthropy.asp

37. Akhila (April 2005). “The Contherian FAQ.” https://akhila.feralscribes.org/2005/the-contherian-faq/ 

38. House of Chimeras (November 19, 2021). A Timeline of the Therianthrope Community, Version 1.1. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jDmjl78hQ2BiQtzQMTV3yRQkrIgB9eUZ/view?usp=sharing Pp. 27, 56.

39. Tulpa.io, “Terminologies” https://web.archive.org/web/20160405214050/http://tulpa.io/terminologies 

40. Luigi.exe/The Dragonheart Collective (January 12, 2020). “Tulpamancy FAQ” https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-Yb6dfm4JxR5u_oNpHrttJyJHc0NvMhkKUP4Btc4jPc/edit#heading=h.h3onkkn

41. Tulpa.io, “What Is A Tulpa?” https://web.archive.org/web/20160318054103/http://tulpa.io/what-is-a-tulpa 

42. Jayden Night, “What is Vampirism?” https://web.archive.org/web/20080511200648/http://sphynxcatvp.nocturna.org/articles/jn-vamprism.html 

43. Fvorboda, “Psy Vampirism” https://web.archive.org/web/20080513030621/http://sphynxcatvp.nocturna.org/articles/dyscracia-psivamps.html 

44. #Sanguinarius IRC (May 26, 2007). “A Discussion of Sang and Psi Vampires” https://web.archive.org/web/20080108215555/http://www.sanguinarius.org/articles/sang-and-psi-disc.shtml 

45. Enygma, “Real Vampires” https://web.archive.org/web/20080511201408/http://sphynxcatvp.nocturna.org/faq/most-enygma.html 

46. Sanguinarius: The Vampire Support Page, (July 4, 2006). “Sainguinarus Terminology & Lingo” https://web.archive.org/web/20080521005735/http://www.sanguinarius.org/terminology.shtml

[interstellarsystem]

Coping With Alterhuman Identity Dysphoria

This is a list of tips we’ve compiled, to hopefully help you cope with dysphoria relating to your alterhuman identities. This isn’t exclusive to species dysphoria and can relate to any sort of dysphoria you feel as a result of your alterhumanity–nonhumanity related or not! This is also not exclusive to otherkin–any alterhuman with identity dysphoria may benefit from this and we’ve specifically tried to avoid otherkin-centric wording. “Identity” will be used in place of “kintype/hearttype/fictive identity/theriotype/factive identity/nonhuman identity/etc” to save space and be wholly inclusive.

The tips will be organised into sections of things that may cause dysphoria such as body parts (wings, snouts, fins) and location (missing the forest, living in another country), as opposed to species like cat/bird/rabbit in order to be more inclusive and make it easier to find your specific source of dysphoria.

This list is not extensive, and some tips may seem basic, but we’ve included as many as we could think of in order to help people who might not have thought of even some of the more common tips.

This post will be updated on our website (+ direct link) from time to time, the tumblr version of this will not be edited to include new additions.

4,000+ words, so this is under a readmore.

General Appearance

Wear clothing that reflects your identity. This could be in the colours of your identities skin/fur/feathers/scales/etc, something similar to the clothes they would have worn, something in a style that reminds you of your identity, or anything that makes you feel more “you”.

Wear pins/badges of your identity or something relating to it. You can find plenty on Etsy and similar places online–some places even do custom pins you can upload your own image to!

Get a fursuit, partial fursuit, cosplay gear, cosplay props or anything similar that might reflect your identity. You can wear it around the house or to conventions (where you’d most likely be able to be treated somewhat closer to the thing you’re dressed up as). Maybe even get together with a local furry or cosplayer group and go out together.

If you want a “if you know, you know” sort of thing for people to know of your alterhumanity, try wearing something with a symbol on it such as the otherkin/elven star, a theta-delta, plural rings or the alt key symbol. You can just explain them as pretty designs if you get asked by someone you don’t want to tell. You could make/buy pins, patches, shirts, etc.

Diet/Feeding Habits

Research what your identity (or closest thing to it) in this world eats, and try looking up recipes involving those ingredients or the closest things you can get to it. Get creative, and if you have multiple then mix them all together if you think it’d taste good–sometimes soups are good for that. If it’s safe to eat raw and that’s what your identity would do, you can do that too for a more authentic feeling.

Grow your own food, even just a small pot of herbs if you don’t have much space. It could replicate the feeling of foraging for things to eat or living in a farm community, if those were things your identity did. You’d be surprised how nice a small planter can be!

If your food of choice doesn’t exist here, try making something that tastes, feels or looks similar. If you can’t get it exact, you can try just focusing on the aspect of it that’s most important to you, such as texture, taste, colour or shape. Make it out of materials that are similar in texture to things you would’ve eaten if that’s most important, or find something with a similar texture. Trying to make it look outwardly the same as you remember with food colouring, cake making or candy molds (which novelty ice cube trays can also work for) could also help, depending on what you’re making.

Get food you can eat in the way your identity would. Food you don’t need cutlery for if it’s not normal for you to use, food you can scavenge for yourself (via safely growing/finding them or other safe methods), using cutlery your identity would use as opposed to your regular ones, etc.

Check out alterhuman recipe blogs. Most are otherkin-centric but might be able to help anyway. Even if they’re inactive, try searching the tags for something related to you.

Go (legally) hunting/fishing if that’s something your identity would do and if it’s accessible to you! Make sure to be aware of local laws and conservation efforts.

For gemstone/rock eaters, rock/crystal candy is amazing and you can even make it at home. You can buy the kind on the stick that looks like crystals, or chocolate rocks, or even come up with your own recipe.

For meat eaters, get some more meat into your diet! If your identity would eat meat raw, there’s some cuts of meat that are actually safe to eat raw–though they’re expensive in some locations. You could also try having steak as rare as you can get it. If you’re someone whose preferred type of meat doesn’t exist on this planet, try as many types of meat as you can here and see what’s closest!

Make your own recipe book based on things you would eat as your identity! Foods people on your planet made, or dishes involving ingredients you would’ve foraged or hunted for. Save it somewhere personal or even share it online for others to see–maybe they’d have feedback.

Environment/Location

Decorate your living space to reflect what reminds you of home to the best of your ability. It doesn’t have to be exact, but anything that might remind you of a place that feels like home to you might help. Add more plants for a forest, add more lights for a city/futuristic look, place gemstones and fossils around for a cavey vibe, hang pictures that remind you of home. Depending on where you work, you might be able to have a plant or a picture or something else around your workspace to make it feel more homey there too.

Listen to ambiance that reminds you of home. https://mynoise.net has a lot of different ones (and they’re very adjustable). Music that you might have liked as your identity could also help, if you can find a similar style or the same thing here. Look up playlists for your identity and see if there are any, or make one yourself.

Add art or photos of your identity or something relating to that (a friend, a similar species, your home, your habitat, something else related) somewhere in your living space or workspace.

Find somewhere physical that reminds you of home and plan a trip. The ocean, a forest, mountains and things like that are obvious, but to get vibes of less this-world-centric environments, you might need to be creative. An empty desert might be close to a barren planet you were from, certain events like carnivals might be closer to places you lived. Anything that is “close enough” might help–mix and match!

Now for some more specific environments…

Darkness/Nocturnal

Darken the area you’re in. Close curtains, turn the lights off, maybe light some candles so you can still see.

Turn your devices to night mode! This might not seem like a big one but having them on night mode means you can still use them while it’s dark without straining your eyes or entirely ruining any lightless vibes you have going on. 

Open a window once night falls if you’re able, and just listen to the regular night sounds–maybe even sleep with it like that. Try nighttime ambiance instead if your local area doesn’t sound the way you’d like it to.

Keep your area cool and quiet. Having it feel a bit colder than normal can make it feel more like nighttime.

If possible.. Have a nocturnal sleeping schedule! Not everyone can achieve this, but you can absolutely get jobs where you work the night shift instead of having to be up in the day–just keep shop, doctor, and other building closing times in mind. In the end, it’s your life and you can choose how to live it.

Get blackout curtains! Great for people with migraines, and great for hiding the sun.

Decorate your room with darker coloured things–dark wallpaper/paint, dark shelving and dark bed sheets. You could also add little glow in the dark stars to the roof/walls if seeing the sky above you is important to you. Adds to the overall nightish atmosphere!

Go camping, and sit outside after dark. Maybe go for a little walk. Focus on the sounds you can hear, look at the sky and your surroundings, really take it all in. Make sure you’re following all the safety procedures for your local area.

Aquatic/Water-Loving

Bathe and shower! Sure, you might do this anyway, but keeping your alterhumanity in mind while doing so may prove euphoric. If it wouldn’t be detrimental, do it more often! Take some focus out of cleaning occasionally and focus more on the water and your alterhumanity.

Go out in the rain or swim in a lake/stream/ocean whenever you can. Splash in puddles, search for cool rocks in streams, enjoy the water in general! Having some friends to go with you could be cool as well–friends into nature might be easier to drag along to a random lake than others.

If you don’t live near water, plan a trip. Maybe a trip to the beach, or camping to a nice lakeside, or next to a big river. Make a holiday out of it.

Some slime stim toys might feel liquid enough that playing with them can be nice and species affirming!

If it feels right, get a fish tank! Be sure to thoroughly research how to care for a tank, and what fish would be best for you. Though they don’t have to be fish either! You could simply have aquatic plants, or other kinds of aquatic animals. Bring the water to your home.

Decorate your living space with watery colours or watery decor! Photos of the ocean, blues and greens, waterbased animal plushies, etc.

Go (legally) fishing! If it’s similar to something you would’ve done before, why not? It gets you near water, and engaged in something connected to your identity.

Arctic/Cold Climates

Keep your environment colder. Make sure you don’t get colder than your body can handle, though.

Go skiing, snowboarding, ice skating or anything similar! Maybe make a routine of going out to winter-related sports/events.

Eat colder food, if it gives you a sense of home. Ice cream, popsicles (which you can make yourself in species-affirming flavours, colours and shapes), frozen fruits/vegetables, cold smoothies, refrigerated food such as leftovers from a warm meal, etc.

Eat foods that might be sourced from climates similar to where your identity is from! Fish, certain types of berries, other meats, etc!

Make sure you’re cozy when it is cold outside! Wear clothes that might remind you of how you would’ve survived the cold before–thermal jackets, warm fluffy scarves, gloves, hats, etc! Lots of creatures from colder climates have certain ways to stay warm, try to see if you can mimic those in some way!

If your identity lived around hots prings or might have used them, have a nice hot bath when it’s cold out!

Arid/Warm Climates

Keep your environment warmer! Maybe even wear an extra layer to feel a bit more cozy. Keep to a safe level though!

Eat foods that might be sourced from where your identity is from!

Get a dry-loving plant that might be similar to something your identity would see in their environment. Maybe get multiple!

Make sure you’re cool when it is hot outside. Go swimming, stay inside in the cool, wear particular clothes, etc. Creatures from warmer climates tend to have ways to keep cool and survive, see if you can mimic some of those! If your identity sheds their winter coat, so can you!

Spend time in the sun! Go on hikes, explore nature, just be outside in the warmth! Maybe bask on a nice warm rock if you’d like. Remember to wear sunscreen and other sun protection!

If you would’ve taken mud/dust baths, do that (somewhere safe). Great way to keep cool while connecting with your identity.

Forests/Woodland

Have lots of plants, if possible! Get some that are easy to grow in your house, plant some outside, just have plants! Bonus points if they produce something edible.

Get native grasses, shrubs or plants in general, plant them in your yard to fill it out more. Research what should be growing where you live and plant it! You’ll attract more native wildlife which is great for the environment, and it’ll make you feel more in tune with nature.

Listen to forest ambiance, go to a park with lots of nature, or go sit out in the woods if possible–and listen to the sounds! Try to pick apart all the different sounds you can hear. Maybe learning how to identify different bird calls or bug noises could help you feel more connected?

Go camping in a forest! Campgrounds are generally in forests and if you have a nice place near you, plan a trip! Research what’s around you–some places have cabins if you need those, and some have areas you can place a tent.

Get plushies or pictures of animals that would be around in your identity's habitat, and decorate your house with them!

Decorate your living space with homey things. Vine decorations, potted plants, photos of forests or trees, sometimes those little string lights can feel like sun shining through leaves.. Get creative with it!

Underground

Make a blanket/pillow fort resembling a den or cave! Maybe even have a permanent little area or room in your house that’s dark and comfortable, reminding you of home. Reading nooks can be great for this!

Keep your environment cooler if your habitat was cold, or keep it warmer if it was hot! Cold, damp cave? Get a humidifier, maybe sit in a cold shower for a bit. Hot, dry cave? Get a dehumidifier and turn on the heater.

Turn off the lights, keep your environment dark and quiet. Maybe have some very faint ambiance–slight dripping/running water, quiet birdsong, soft wind, etc.

Keep lava lamps and similar things around if you were near underground magma or something similar–might be a bit silly, but it could add to the atmosphere!

Decorate with low-light thriving plants!

Digging in the dirt outside for any purpose might give you species affirming feelings of digging underground. If you can, maybe go to a site where you can dig safely in an established digsite!

Visit local caves, or plan a trip to go see some! There’s a lot of cave tours and some caves are even open to the public without a tour needed.

Get a loft bed and drape blankets or something similar over the edges so you can hide under it and do whatever you want! Make it dark and quiet and cozy. Similar to a pillow fort but more solid and usually a lot more room.

Cities/Societies/Other Cultures

As a long-term goal, move to somewhere that feels more homey. Maybe your home feels like a town in the mountains, or a big city, or a village in the desert. Find somewhere like that and see how feasible it is to plan a move.

If you’re unable to move to a location like that… Plan a trip! Book a hotel, fly, drive or catch a train over there, and enjoy!

If the place your identity is from has certain traditions and customs, follow them. Maybe your society had certain superstitions, or ways of interacting with others, or habits and other little social things. (If your identity is from somewhere that has a this-world equivalent, make sure you’re being respectful of any cultures that may be connected to it.)

Make or buy foods you would have eaten before, or something close to it. Eat it in the way you would have before too, if possible!

Decorate your living space as you would have before. Plants, furniture, colours, imagery, decor… Take all those things into account!

Specific Body Features

Wings/Flight

Wear unzippable hoodies with pockets, have it unzipped and put your hands in the pockets. Discount wings! Capes and cloaks might also give a similar feeling, as would clothing with long, loose sleeves.

For the feeling of weight on your back, wear a backpack instead of using other types of bags. If you have money to spare, you can also get “wing backpacks” that are made to look like 3D wings! They mainly have feathered wing designs but there’s also insect-like and bat-like ones. You could try modifying your own backpack too!

Cosplay wings of various designs and complexities could help. If you have the money, you can get mechanical ones but they do cost a lot of money.

If you want a flying-like feeling, driving or riding with someone on a motorbike feels similar with all the wind rushing at you, just on the ground. Some places actually do rides where they have you on a bike of some kind with them and they do a drive around, so you don’t need to own one yourself or have a license. Regular bicycles could also work for a similar feeling!

Skydiving, paragliding, hang gliding, bungee jumping and anything similar might be helpful, you just need to get a professional on board and be aware of the risks.

Tails

Buy cosplay tails online–they come in all different types, and you can get custom ones from some fursuit makers without the rest of the suit. You can get ones that are made to wiggle when you walk, and you can also get mechanical ones that you can control with a remote or gestures.

Make a yarn tail. There’s plenty of tutorials for these online, they’re not too hard to get the hang of, and you can make them in any colour you want. They might be a lot of work, but they’re worth it.

If it’s your style, tailcoats and similar things can have similar wedge-shapes at the back that if you squint can resemble feathered birdlike tails.

To replicate tail movement, maybe try moving your foot a little bit instead. It’s by no means the same, but a lot of alterhumans do this on instinct and it may prove helpful.

Claws

Let your nails grow out! You can shape them to be pointier and paint them the colour you’d prefer them to be. You could also wear fake nails over the top of your regular nails–some of them come deliberately designed like animal claws.

Make claw gloves–we personally took gardening glove claw tips and glued them onto black gloves so the colours matched the way we wanted. You can buy the gardening gloves themselves or buy just the plastic bits to glue onto other things. They’re hard to pick things up with, but they’re definitely sturdy enough to dig around with.

Get claw rings–you can find these in various types online. They generally won’t be usable but they might give the visual vibe you’re looking for.

Teeth/Chewing

Get cosmetic fangs. They should be available in multiple types at halloween and costume stores–ones that you can use denture glue to put on, ones that you can shape yourself, etc. Make sure to read the product description and make sure you’re using them safely.

For biting urges, get things that your human teeth can chew through but give similar satisfaction to what your identity has. Beef jerky, certain types of candy, fruits, etc. Anything that has the texture that would satisfy you.

If you need to chew something that doesn’t break, chewelry comes in different hardness levels and lots of different designs! Pick out one you’d like–some stores offer tester pieces to test what their chewelry firmness scale is like.

If you don’t want chewelry, having a pack of gum on hand to chew can also come in handy! Eat a few pieces at once if you need something bigger to chew on.

Ears

Buy cosplay ears online. Elf or animal ears that hook onto your existing ears can be customised, you can buy ear headbands/hair clips in lots of shapes and sizes, and you can learn to make your own (try using fursuit tutorials!).

Hide your current bodily ears if they’re dysphoria inducing. Wear headphones, grow your hair out to cover them, wear hats and hoods.

There are several types of body mods you can do to your ears that might be for you! Ear pointing, several types of piercings, etc–look into them and see if any would be good!

Headphones with ears of different animal types might be species affirming.

Horns/Antlers

Horn/antler headbands! You could even buy some of those cheap christmas ones and reshape the horns to your liking. Using cardboard, wire, clay, or paper mache could achieve the shapes you’d want!

Headphones may help with the feeling of needing something hard on your head. Maybe even certain types of hats! Experiment with what gives the right coverage. Hats could also be great for hiding the lack of antlers on your head too.

Antler/horn hair clips exist! They might be a little hard to find and may be smaller than you’d like, but they are out there and you could even make your own! This could also help with it feeling more natural and less like a bulky headpiece that you just sat on there.

Horn/antler hairpins also are a thing, though slightly different to hairclips in how they’re usually positioned. You can get them made from real horns/antlers too depending on where you look (but remember to source animal parts ethically).

Going a bit more extreme, but you can get body mod implants such as subdermal horns that can help you feel more like you have horns on your head. I’ve also heard of people getting subdermal magnetic implants so they can safely attach a horn to the outside of their skin without the worry of it snagging on something. Be sure to research before you commit to anything in particular–there are risks with any body mod procedure, and these are intense mods.

Digitigrade Legs

Digilegs are a pricey investment, but they might be worth looking into! They’re essentially stilts that make your legs looks digitigrade–though a learning curve to walk in, and they do cost a fair chunk of change.

Wearing heels can give more of a digitigrade feel for some people–just be careful walking in them if you don’t normally wear heels, as you would with digileg stilts.

Get padding to put into your pants, or make a custom pair of padded pants yourself–similar to how fursuit makers will shape the legs of their suits!

Walk on your toes–a thing a lot of people already do, but worth a mention. Remember to stretch and make sure you give your legs the full angles of motion and you don’t only walk on your toes, though.

Fins

Webbed gloves are actually a thing you can buy! Not exactly the same, but they’re a start.

Mermaid suits/mermaid tails are available in kinds where they’re actually able to be used for swimming. Prices vary, but worth checking out. Get one in your colours!

Flippers are basically a type of fins people strap to themselves anyway, give em a try. You could always customise them to make them feel more like your identity.

Snouts/Muzzles

Wear a mask! You can make your own in all sorts of ways–cardboard, foam, beads, etc! Sometimes, even wearing a regular medical mask can give your face enough shape to be dysphoria relieving.

Paint your face to match the patterns you’d have as your identity–makeup can really define and also hide certain features, try it out to see how you can change the shape of your face.

Conclusion

This has been a wip for actually a few years now, and we're never going to feel like it's complete enough--so we're releasing it as-is. If anyone has suggestions, feel absolutely free to comment or add on, and we'll add suggestions to the document archived on our website. Hopefully this is helpful to at least someone.

[wxlfbites]

A Werewolfs Guide to Terminology - an update

Authors Note: Below is an ever developing glossary which will be used by a new, yet familiar, branch of the nonhuman community known as the were community. For all those who wish to distance or no longer associate themselves with the current alterhuman, otherkin and therian communities, respectively, this glossary provides ways of describing one's experiences and identities that are more reminiscent of the "old days". While terms used within all of these communities will be listed here, you'll notice they're written a bit differently, to distinguish between "new" and "old" variations. Any and all questions about terminology are welcome. Any terms coined by individual Were's may not appear in any official Were community glossary unless it proves to be a useful, popular term; we want to avoid as much micro-labeling, excessive coining and term hoarding as possible.

A

Animality - the experience or state of being an animal.

Awereness - when one comes to understand their nonhumanity/animality; they become "awere".

Alt.Horror.Werewolves (AHWW) - a usenet group created in 1992 to discuss werewolves and the werewolf genre, it became the birthplace of The Were Community when others began discussing their experiences with nonhuman identity.

C

Calling - feeling drawn to something, someone or someplace as part of ones nonhumanity, this could be used for a nebulous experience that one might not be able to label otherwise, a placeholder while one is discovering what an experience means to them, or a standalone label : "I feel the call of x" or "I'm having a strong calling toward x".

Clinical Zoanthropy - a psychological condition wherein one experiences delusions of being, transforming into or having previously transformed into a nonhuman animal.

D

Daemon - a thoughtform representation of someone's subconscious, inner thoughts, or soul which is given a name, animal form, gender and, in most cases, sentience.

Daemian - one who has a daemon.

Drop - to no longer identify as or with a specific identity for whatever reason; typically seen in the context of voluntary identities.

F

Flicker - one who experiences a nebulous or temporary identity which is often brought on by the consumption of some source material; the thing one identifies as : "my x-flicker" or "I'm flickering as x".

G

Gear - accessories, including jewelry, clothing, taxidermy, etc. worn to express and connect to ones nonhumanity and/or relieve species dysphoria.

Greymuzzle - an older, well respected member of the were community who has been active for several years; equivalent to an elder.

H

Hearted - the strong connection one feels to something nonhuman which may include an affinity for, relation to, resonance or familiarity with; the thing one feels a connection with : "I am x-hearted".

Howl - an organized gathering of Were's, typically in a physical location.

L

Link - a nonhuman identity that is voluntarily chosen or created; the thing one voluntarily identifies as or with : "my x-link" or "I link to/as/with x".

M

Mundane -  indicating those who are not part of any nonhuman community and do not consider themselves to be nonhuman in anyway, particularly those who do not know of these communities or who do not believe in them.

N

Nonhuman - someone who identifies as something other than human.

Nonhumanity - the experience or state of being nonhuman.

P

Pack - a tightly knit group of Were's who communicate regularly and function as a chosen family; may or may not have ranks.

Polywere - a Were whose identity is that of multiple separate species at once.

S

Shifting - when one feels more like their nonhuman identity at any given moment; refer to part two of this glossary.

Species Dysphoria - a type of bodily dysphoria (i.e. anxiety, distress, dissatisfaction) arising from the perception that ones body is of the wrong species.

T

Transspecies - one who identifies as a species that is different from the one they are assigned at birth; typically used only by those who are also transgender, experience species dysphoria and desire body modifications which may resemble medical transitioning to resemble their species more on a physical level.

The Were Community - the overall population who identify themselves as Were's.

W

Were - one who identifies as nonhuman, specifically as some creature or animal; this can be a physical, spiritual, psychological or mixed-belief identity : "I am a Were" or "I am a Were-x".

Werefeels - the feeling of being closer to or reminded of one's nonhumanity; sometimes triggered by an image, item or sensation.

Weresona - a character created by a Were member of the furry fandom, based on their nonhuman characteristics; for use in furry circles.

Part Two - Shifting

Astral Shift - a shift where one takes on the form of a nonhuman creature within the astral plane

Aura Shift - when one's aura changes to reflect their nonhumanity.

Berserker Shift - when one's animality takes over, characterized by loss of control or an altered state of consciousness.

Bilocation Shift - a shift where one's spirit leaves their body and takes on the form of a nonhuman creature.

Cameo Shift - a shift of any kind that is not representative of one's established nonhuman identity.

Dream Shift - a shift experienced in an unconscious state or dream, where one takes on the form and/or mentality of a nonhuman creature.

Mental Shift - when one experiences what they believe to resemble the mentality and cognitive processes of a specific nonhuman creature.

Phantom Shift - when one experiences non-corporeal body parts associated with a nonhuman creature.

Sensory Shift - when one experiences heightened or altered senses that they feel resembles that of a nonhuman creature.

Transformation - a physical shift which is acknowledged by the one experiencing it to be a hallucination.

[fictionkinfessions]

multiple someone's need to see this, so here y'all go. The tone of this post / reply is completely neutral, please do not assign emotions or read that deeply into it.

the rules page https://fictionkinfessions.tumblr.com/rules

Rules for confessions and ask responses to confessions

In general…

Don’t attack or invalidate other people [ie fakeclaim of kintype duplicated, the ableism of calling systems or system members false]. Do not send responding confessions which invalidate or negatively vague post about other people’s confessions.

Source calls. This is not a call blog. Here is a list of call blogs. [blog page] [blog post] Don’t sign confessions with blogurls or @/mentions. Don’t leave social media links to oneself, such as discord IDs, twitter user names, etc. Don’t ask people to reblog, comment, like, or interact with ask messages in order to make contact with others. These messages will be deleted. Suicide notes. I will block your ip address. Please do not. Hate speech Such as racial, lgbtphobic, classist, or ableist slurs, pejoratives, derogatory language, suicide / rape baiting, and death threats towards specific named people. You cannot reclaim slurs on this blog. It breaks the website’s own TOS and will get it permabanned. Special Text Formatting Please don’t use font colors, tumblr’s optional ‘quote’, ‘chat’, or ‘Lucille’ fonts, tumblr’s Header font style, or excessive bolding or italics, or generated text such as zalgo text or ‘fancy styled fonts’. Confessions in colored font, the above tumblr fonts, or excessive bolding or italics will be posted as unformatted text posts. Some colored text is alright, but full paragraphs will be posted as unformatted text posts. Confessions in generated text will not be posted. [EG Zalgo text] Confessions in typing quirks, such as homestuck typing quirks, are permitted. Please do not make the name(s) and source signatures text extra small, bolded, italicized, or colored. I cannot read small fonts very well. No Delusional Attachments or IRLs in the non alterhuman context People with psychosis and/or delusions are very much welcome here. But DAs aren’t kintypes or system members, and conflating them would be harmful. “Kin is seperate from delusional attachments as being kin is not inherently caused by Psychosis, although some Psychotics do refer to their Identity Delusions as being Kin. Having a delusional attachment doesn’t make one more ‘real’ than one who is Kin.” “Introjects are separate from Delusional Attachments as Introjects are members of plural systems, while Delusional Attachments are caused by psychosis.” Above text from a previous version of this defunct carrd. das.crd.co Please refer to this post for a more information of DAs. https://fictionkinfessionsarchived.tumblr.com/post/708803715909517313/this-carrd-has-some-elements-of-reality-checking Link Content warning. Contains reality checking, racism, ableism, stalking / harassment. Image heavy, mobile users proceed with caution. Call outs, warning posts, or documentation on social media users. We will not manage call outs as a third party. Make your own blog / post about it. Explicit nsfw content This blog is for all ages. Please limit oneself to superficial discussion. Syscourse This blog is not for discourse and we are not here to moderate for you. Factive / Factkin confessions. This is a blog for fictional sources only. Vague post confessions about terminated relationship / friendships Please do not air ‘dirty laundry’ or vague post regarding recent or past break ups / friendships / dissolution of acquaintance(s) that happened in this life. 

This is not the appropriate place to…

make others of the former friend group / relationship defend their reasoning or actions regarding the end of the relationship(s). discussion intimate details of the relationship(s). 

leave backhanded ‘dear john’ letters because you got blocked first.

continue to stalk, harass, guilt trip, or emotionally abuse / manipulate former acquaintance(s).

anything else I might have missed.

Ask Response Rules For ask responses specifically, feel free to come off anon in ask messages to ask anons to contact you. You are also welcome to reply to, or reblog the post asking for contact.

Ask Responses do not receive source, name or fictotype / fictive tags [eg marvelkin, mollyfictive, fictionkin, fictive, soulbond, etc] unless specifically requested for all encompassing blacklisting purposes.

Please include in Ask Responses the ‘@’ symbol, a post link, or any indication that you are respondng to a confession so we know it’s an Ask Response and can tag / post it asap. Otherwise they will be posted as confessions.

Rewritten 2024. Consolidated Ask Response Rules into this page.

The tone of this post / reply is completely neutral, please do not assign emotions or read that deeply into it.

[liondrakes]

Autocosm: Finding Plurality Through Me, Myself, and My Other Selves

by Sivaan of Candlekeep

Blurb: A personal essay that discusses my discoveries on my plurality, particularly through my headmates who’re alternate versions of me from parallel lives.

I’ve considered writing about this during my run of the Alterhuman Writing Challenge, but I forgot to do so after going off the beaten path. The beaten path being my own list of prompts, funny enough. Since we’re growing more accustomed to each other, I’ve decided that it’s time to re-introduce myself… and my other selves.

While looking into communal resources, I’ve been easing into the reality that I am plural. I’m specifically a part of an autocosm, which is a network of selves who share the same soul or self-awareness across various realms and worlds. With me are three aliens, two people who should be dead but aren't, a sharpshooting demigod, a flying horse, and an anti-capitalist spacefarer. Each took root within my fictionhood. They are also my headmates.

So far, there’s nine of us:

Ade, a zonai

Solai, a Roman half-blood

Quinn, an undead plush amalgam

Ink, a monster without a canon who took up being a wandering, interdimensional creative

Calvin or “Cap”, a human mutant who pilots The Unreliable

“Bea” or The Beyonder, a reality-warping cosmic entity

Makame, a dream traveler from Phantomile

The Grassland Hunter, a yautja who also goes by their cultural name Sa’ya’la

And of course— yours truly, who is a whole lot of things, including everyone listed above.

Most of my headmates are versions of me from parallel lives. The only cases where this isn’t applicable are Quinn and Sa’ya’la. Rather than be one of my parallel lives, Quinn is a sentient copinglink. Sa’ya’la, on the other hand, is a sentient fictionflicker. Yet, since I still identify as them (or at least the concept of them), they are counted among us.

Not every fictomere is a part of our autocosm, though. I may harbor the memories and thoughts of other versions of me, but not all of them connect with the autocosm. I suspect some don’t even know that we exist.

Furthermore, I know for certain that none of my core identities are potential headmates. Those identities exclusively belong to me, as in the me who is writing this and goes by Sivaan. While we agreed on “autocosmic” as a descriptor, the terminology surrounding autocosm (the noun) tripped me up since I would technically fall in between being a metasoul and a lunan.

For autocosms, a metasoul is the central self that connects us all. In simpler terms, it is our point of origin. A lunan is an individual whose existence stems from the metasoul and shares a sense of selfhood with both the metasoul and others connected to it.

In our case, the metasoul is one of my core species: the gold dragonne. Since we’re parallel lives of the gold dragonne, or me, *dragonsight informs us of each other. Even so, I feel like I’m neither the “center” of our group nor a fragment of myself in the way that my headmates are. The metasoul is one of my core species, but I’m not always that species. It’s an awkward spot that makes me feel a little alienated from the proposed framework of an autocosm. Because of this, we also agreed to avoid using those terms when describing our connection to each other.

*In Dungeons & Dragons, dragonsight is a dragon’s ability to perceive alternate versions of itself from different realities.

Besides autocosmic identity, our experience is closest to a gateway system. I’d say it’s the main label for our plurality, whereas autocosm specifically refers to those of us are, well, me. My selves can depart to and fro from their realms. I’ve had soulbonds who’ve done the same. Early into my personal explorations, I recall referring to the body as a vessel of sorts. Around then, it was in regards to the fact that much of our memories and noemata seemed to pour into this body. However, that was solely from my perspective. In retrospect, it’s possible that this body is a vessel in the literal sense in which it serves as a waypoint between my headmates’ world(s) and our headspace.

There are members who don’t leave, though. Ade and Quinn stick around since they theoretically should be dead in their worlds. On the flip side, the only member who doesn’t leave their realm is Cap. He’s the leader of a whole space crew, so he rarely stops by in our inner world. Instead, he talks to me and whoever else is present through his radio. For a connection so far away, his alternative is surprisingly efficient.

It’s not just us here, either. We’re accompanied by habitans, which is the only autocosm-based term we use. A habitan simply means someone who isn’t one of us. They aren’t someone or something I identify as nor are they a parallel life that I have. Nonetheless, they still live alongside the autocosm.

How habitans exist in our headspace can differ. For example: there’s my dæmon, Maxwell. As a dæ, Max is a thoughtform segmented from my subconscious. He takes the form of a raggiana bird-of-paradise; previously, he was a rainbow boa. His position as a habitan isn’t the same as say, Rina and Hachi, who both entered our headspace as accidental soulbonds. Since many of our daytrippers have left permanently to attend to their own matters, we have a total of four habitans. Our Scrivener Construct is the fourth and final habitan of our collective thus far.

Regarding those of us within the autocosm, we don’t have roles. Although Quinn, Ade, and Bea motioned in favor of having roles and offered to take up roles of their own, we came to the conclusion that collectively establishing roles would be inconsiderate of our selves who’re more active within their own realms. Ultimately, if someone wanted to perform a specific duty within our headspace, then they’re free to do so on their own accord. However, no one is required to do the same.

Recently, Quinn took up the role of being our protector. Although he has a rough history with guarding, he decided to take up this role anyway because he was actually given a choice unlike his past experiences.

Despite being such a wild card, Bea took up the role of a protector as well. While Quinn protects the interior of our headspace, Bea oversees travel to and fro from the headspace, making sure folks reach their destinations safely. They also keep an eye out for any beings from outside of our collective, allowing or denying access to the headspace if need be. No one gets in and out without Bea knowing. Makes sense since The Beyonder, in-source or otherwise, is as far-reaching as it gets, metaphysically speaking. I guess that’d also make them a gatekeeper, but they’re admittedly not fond of that title.

In Ade’s case, he took up the role of being our internal self helper. He helps me keep in touch with everyone and support the structure of our inner world. He and I often share this role by comparing notes and conversing extensively on what we know so far. Scrivener assists us from time to time too. Based on my suspicions last year, there were already signs of them doing that before I came to terms with being plural.

As for me, you could kind of say I’m the “host” since I’m the main one operating the body. To be fair, it’s not exactly a job anyone else wants. Last year, I once thought I stress-shifted into a zonai at my job. However, according to Ade, that “stress shift” was actually him fronting for the first time. It at least explained why “I” suddenly didn’t know how to work the machinery at my job. That’s because Ade’s never worked with earthen technology before! He’s loathed the idea of fronting ever since.

Rina, Hachi, Quinn and Ink are the ones who’re the most interested in joining me while I front. They're like passengers while I drive the car. However, only Quinn and Solai have expressed interest in co-fronting with me. In Quinn's case, he wants to know what it feels like to have a human body again. In Solai's case, it's because it just wants to see the world again without being bothered by quests or otherworldly interruptions.

Occasionally, Cap will ask me to describe things on my end out of curiosity. Although he’s made peace with his Earth going dark, and the fact that our Earth is different from his Earth, he still misses what he once knew. He likes to hear about the mountains I grew up around and the places I’d visit while in college.

Otherwise, everyone else couldn’t care less. Bea has allegedly seen better and is content with the role they currently have. They don’t care to operate the body, despite matching its appearance internally. Makame and Sa'ya'la are disinterested since they’re already familiar with this world as interdimensional travelers, similar to Beyonder.

That then leaves me. Not much of a role when I hold the position that no one else cares to have. I do appreciate Quinn and Solai’s interest, though. I'll take them up on that in the future.

That’s all we have noted for now. Although I’ve had experiences related to plurality since last year, particularly through dæmonism and soulbonding, the reality of being plural is still new to me. We’re not even bothering with -genic labels since it adds nothing of substance to any of us. Our origin is entirely metaphysical. That’s what matters.

All in all, we’re an autocosmic gateway system. Although we technically could label our experience as median, we stick to autocosmic since its terminology acknowledges headmates who aren’t one of us (i.e. alternate versions of me).

[who-is-page]

Digital Bloodsports and Inked Paws: What I Love About the Alterhuman Communities

This is an essay from my website that I wrote in 2021 for my alterhuman NaNoWriMo project, about the things I appreciate and adore in the alterhuman community. I wanted to post the edited, finalized version on here, too. It's a little over 1,600 words long and about an 8-minute read.

It’s easy to talk about what I find aggravating or difficult to deal with in the alterhuman communities—complaints are a dime a dozen, especially since I’m rapidly approaching my ten-year anniversary of activity (is that the barest hint of salt-and-pepper I spy in my muzzle?) But even with all my criticisms, there’s a lot I love about the various parts of the alterhuman communities. There are more wonderful quirks in these groups than I think we ever realize or genuinely acknowledge.

And if there’s one thing that I don’t think the alterhuman communities are given enough credit and love for, it’s our collective ability to never shut the fuck up.

In these spaces, people are always doing, or saying, or creating something. In some ways it reminds me of college, with something always happening somewhere, no matter the weather, time, or day. Whether dead of night or coldest winter day, you’d always be able to find a party, or a study group, or a sportsball match—and in the same way, wherever you are in the alterhuman communities, there’s always something going on: a debate or discussion, a convention (big or small), a newbie asking for help with their identity, a bunch of older alterhumans shooting the shit, a new term being banged out, art and games and comics being created and commented on, collaborative projects or surveys or groups being advertised. The list goes on and on—someone, somewhere, is always dipping their paws in ink, it seems.

Our community thrives off our interactions with one another, and that’s fundamentally shaped both the subcultural elements—such as the way we so highly value content creators and writers, and people who have been in the community for long periods of time and can share stories and experiences that we might otherwise have no knowledge of—and the bizarre forms of (n)etiquette and discourse that we constantly see evolving and changing. It’s a beautiful thing to witness in real-time, watching the customs and terminology and language we have change and shift over the years, and watching the wheels of discourse turn their spokes into previously uncharted waters, a new subject to be written and examined by an invested collective.

It’s a testament to the diversity and fluidity in alterhuman experiences and identity, the fact that so many people with so many different experiences and different explanations can come together time and time again; space and space again; all to hash out their ideas and their thoughts and their differences and their similarities. All to share in the beauty of being other with one another. It’s a sight to behold, like an ocean of a thousand different blues all forming wave after wave of colors, and I get to be a lucky painter who’s too stunned to even figure out where to look first.

Our community’s perchance for debate (or, more accurately, for digital bloodsports) is also something I absolutely adore. Maybe I’m just a young hooligan who’s ready to fistfight the first person who comes through my door at any given moment, with my Ye Olde Discourse days still singing through my veins, but I love the willingness of so many people and groups in this community to throw down over what they believe and their opinions. It’s an admirable fighting spirit that I see in so many alterhumans and, whatever the reason for it, it’s something I feel a deep kinship regarding.

People in these communities care with their whole chest. It gets us in trouble often, but I don’t think these groups and subcultures and identities would be the same without it: we’re loud. We’re stubborn. We inevitably butt heads, but it’s what makes us, us. But it’s more than just our tenacity that I’m talking about here. Being alterhuman, at least in the spaces that I personally find myself in, is about being unabashedly yourself, in whatever wacky, interesting, bizarre, wild, feral way that might translate to.

It’s reminiscent of the queer spaces I’ve been in previously, both in how it harnesses a sense of aggressive pride sometimes, with attitudes of “Yeah, I’m not human—if that’s a problem for you, get lost!” and in how it just purely makes me feel unafraid and unashamed to be nonhuman. This is something I’ve experienced especially at Howls and other in-person group meet-ups.

When I spend time in-person with other alterhumans, it’d be silly to say there’s outright some sort of spark on connection or feeling of family���but there is a feeling of recognition. Of not an “us vs. the world” spark, but of an “we can all be ourselves here,” understanding. It’s so much less dramatic than some accounts I’ve heard, but it’s still a powerful, comfortable, enjoyable feeling. It’s knowing that you can go chasing after a squirrel with reckless abandon without getting judged, or can stop to roll in a pile of especially crunchy leaves just for the sensation of it, and isn’t that its own form of freedom?

And then there’s the beauty of individual identity. One of my favorite parts about my archival work is getting to learn and hear about identities that I’ve never seen before, especially if someone’s written a lot about the “how”s and “why”s. I love getting to not only see how other people experience things differently than I, myself, do, but I love getting to watch the gears in their brain turn as they explain how they got to one conclusion, or other possibilities they’ve considered, or any number of detail-oriented information. Getting to hear about shifts, especially shifts from identities we don’t often see like species-specific fictionkin, conceptkin, machinekin, and phyanthropes, is always such a treat. Hearing how it feels to experience phantom shifts as Southern Live Oak tree, or getting to read about mental shifts from an Alolan Marowak, or any other number of things I’ve been lucky enough to learn about in these communities, is sincerely, genuinely just the absolute coolest. Group experiences and concepts are amazing, but individual experiences are just as, if not more, spectacular.

And speaking on individuals…as a young, teenage nonhuman, I probably would have included a section about how much I admire or value the efforts and works of older alterhumans who are still in the community, and how much I especially enjoy getting to see their content in the communities. How they’re such “inspirations” for me and other such cheesy words. But that feeling has grown and changed a lot as I’ve gotten older: while I still appreciate all the greymuzzles and oldfruits in the community (shoutout to all you grey-furred and grey-scaled rapscallions out there), I feel like the individual age group I particularly appreciate is a lot of the younger folks and ‘new blood’ I’ve seen pop up in the communities.

It’s such a strange feeling to look at someone and go, “Oh man, you’re going to be an absolute force to be reckoned with when you’re older!” but that’s something I’ve definitely experienced. It’s a strange mixture of wistfulness, thinking about my own budding years in the alterhuman communities with probably rose-glassed fondness, and of before-the-fact pride, watching how passionate people are and already being proud of them: for achievements they haven’t yet made, and goals they haven’t yet realized, and selves they’re just now discovering.  It’s genuinely great to see the new, uncharted directions that a lot of the older teenagers are starting to pull and shove the communities in, bringing up old ideas in new ways or just throwing out new perspectives entirely. It makes me feel excited, filled with anticipation for what the future holds and how everything will look like in ten, twenty years.

It also does make me feel a little left behind and out of the times, admittedly, but that’s not a wholly bad thing: times change. Communities change. Our communities are based almost entirely on evolution, where they either continuously change, or they stagnate and die out. The fact that I’m feeling a little out-of-place more and more these days just means I’m settling into the aspects of my identity and the language that I grew up with for describing it is falling more out of use—it just means that I’m getting older and taking on a different niche than I inhabited when I was younger. When I was still a teenager in the community, I was the teeth-bloodied, hot-headed discourser who was willing to shout down and fight anything with a pulse, who was always in the thick of it no matter what “it” was. Now, I think I’m a lot closer to a scholar; jokingly a warrior-scholar, like my patron, if you had to reference the way I came into these communities, but overall, I’m a lot more content to sit it out on the sidelines these days and focus more on my own research and creation.

I wouldn’t stick around these community spaces if I truly didn’t want to be in them, but there’s so much I love wrapped in them that I don’t want to go, anyways. For every physical shifter that drives me up the wall, there’s a million more things that make me want to keep interacting with other nonhumans and alterhumans and that makes me want to keep being a part of specific alterhuman spaces. I love getting to be here, getting to watch how these communities evolve, getting to hear everyone’s stories; I’m glad I get to be a piece of it all, and I count myself lucky for any positive changes I can help affect just by being here. I would do better to remind myself of that more often.

[winreyplace]

《 Pinned Post 》

Nestled deep in the heart of the woods lies a home known as Winrey Place—a sanctuary for characters in need of comfort, belonging, and above all, love. We are Mel and Lav, munbonders who have diligently woven together this beautiful tapestry of a chosen family since 2016. Each munbond who enters our lives brings so much value to us and we cannot wait to share their stories with you all.

Meet the Winrey Place Collective FAQ Tags List

What we will post/reblog here includes:

General history, resources, and guides on soulbonding

Posts that remind us of our munbonds

Funny and interesting stories about our family

Interactions with the wider plural community

The wisdom and experiences we have accumulated over the years from sharing munbonds together

Our alterhuman identities

Miscelife aka a/b/o lifestyle identities

Immersive daydreaming & the Living Character Phenomenon

and more!

Notes & Disclaimers:

We’re okay with doubles!

All of us are over the age of 18 and enjoy kinky and sex positive content, although we will tag for it. Please be aware if you’re a minor!

Our munbonds have all evolved beyond their original sources and most of them no longer have any connection to their canonical universes.

Some posts may not be rebloggable if they are personal to our family, but you can still engage with them through replies and likes!

We’re happy to answer any questions about soulbonding or our family at any time; if you have an ask for a particular munbond, we will make sure they respond!

We’re quick to block users who exhibit racism, fatphobia, queerphobia, ableism, etc., as well as those who are pro-harassment, anti-endo, anti-cringe, anti-otherkin/alterhuman, and anti-kink. We are a diverse group of queer, polyamorous, neurodivergent, disabled, alterhuman, and kinky people and do not tolerate bigotry or hateful discourse.

➤ Quick Rundown of Our Whole Family (For even more in-depth intros, please click link the above!)

The Bonders:

Lav - ◦ Born 1997 ◦ Munbonder ◦ Bunny Therian/Adopted Werewolf/Ranger Demikin/Miscelapin Aega/Human ◦ Bigender Boygirl ◦ Bi Aro-GreyAce ◦ Autistic, ADHD, PTSD, Physically Disabled

Mel& - ◦ Born 1999 ◦ Munbonder & Mediple System ◦ Changeling; Kin: Fallen Star/Half-Fae; Archetropes: Cleric/Bard/Wizard; Hearttypes: Doll/Halfling/The Doctor; Similies/Synpaths: Bear/Mouse; Paratypes: Wolf/TARDIS ◦ Femme-Neutrois Xirl ◦ Bi Quoi-AroAce ◦ Autistic, ADHD, Mad, Physically Disabled

The Rents:

Logan ◦ Born 1953 ◦ Insourced ◦ Ranger ◦ Autigender Man ◦ AroAce ◦ Autistic, PTSD

Meyleth ◦ Born 1933 ◦ Insourced ◦ Joined Fae ◦ Cis Woman ◦ Bi

Tasha ◦ Born 1984 ◦ Outsourced;Black Widow ◦ Human ◦ Cis Woman ◦ Acefluid ◦ Autistic, PTSD

Howlett ◦ Born 1832 ◦ Outsourced;Wolverine ◦ Mutant ◦ Cis Man ◦ Bisexual Aceflux ◦ Autistic, PTSD

Diana ◦ Born 3000 B.C. ◦ Outsourced;Wonder Woman ◦ Demigoddess ◦ Cis Woman ◦ Bisexual

Butler ◦ Born 1969 ◦ Outsourced;Artemis Fowl ◦ Human ◦ Cis Man ◦ Bi ◦ PTSD, Physically Disabled

Sean ◦ Born 1981 ◦ Outsourced;Grimm ◦ Half-Wesen(Zauberbeist)/Half-Human ◦ Neutrois Man* ◦ AroAce ◦ Autistic

The Mids:

Nick ◦ Born 1987 ◦ Outsourced;Grimm ◦ Grimm ◦ Cis Man ◦ Demisexual ◦ Misophonia

Jack ◦ Born 1690/1989 ◦ Insourced(Dream)/Outsourced;Pirates of the Caribbean ◦ Human ◦ GNC Man ◦ Pansexual ◦ ADHD

Pope ◦ Born 1987 ◦ Outsourced;Falling Skies ◦ Human ◦ Demiguy ◦ Demisexual ◦ Autistic, PTSD

Sara ◦ Born 1986 ◦ Outsourced;Falling Skies ◦ Human ◦ Cis Woman ◦ Bisexual

Quentin ◦ Born 1992 ◦ Outsourced;The Magicians ◦ Miscevulpin Omega/Fox Alterhuman/Human/Magician ◦ Autigender Man ◦ Bisexual ◦ Autistic, MDD, Anxiety

Eliot ◦ Born 1990 ◦ Outsourced;The Magicians ◦ Human/Magician ◦ Cis Man ◦ Gay Bisexual ◦ Autistic (PDA profile), PTSD, Alcoholic

Charlton ◦ Born 1000+ years ago in Fillorian years/1992 ◦ Outsourced;The Magicians ◦ Fillorian ◦ Cisn’t Man ◦ Bisexual ◦ Autistic, PTSD

Margo ◦ Born 1990 ◦ Outsourced;The Magicians ◦ Lycanthrope/Magician ◦ Cis Woman ◦ Bisexual

Alice ◦ Born 1992 ◦ Outsourced;The Magicians ◦ Fox Otherhearted Human/Magician ◦ Cis Woman ◦ Bicurious ◦ Autistic

The Youngins:

Rune ◦ Born 1998 ◦ Insourced ◦ Ranger ◦ Cis Man ◦ AroAce ◦ Autistic, MDD

Liam ◦ Born 1997 ◦ Insourced ◦ Wild Fae ◦ Autigender Man ◦ AroAce ◦ Autistic, Anxiety, PTSD

Damien ◦ Born 1992 ◦ Outsourced;[Redacted] ◦ Atypical ◦ Genderqueer Man ◦ AroAce ◦ Autistic, ADHD, PTSD, Depression

Artemis ◦ Born 1997 ◦ Outsourced;Artemis Fowl ◦ Human Clone ◦ Masc-Aligned ◦ Asexual ◦ Autistic, Savant, OCD, Mild Paranoid Psychosis

Trubel ◦ Born 1995 ◦ Outsourced;Grimm ◦ Grimm ◦ Cis Woman ◦ AutiAce Lesbian ◦ Autistic, PTSD

Theo ◦ Born 1999 ◦ Outsourced;Teen Wolf ◦ Miscecanis Omega/Chimera WereCoyote-Wolf Hybrid ◦ Intersex Man ◦ Lithosexual ◦ PTSD

Li ◦ Born 2001 ◦ Outsourced;Teen Wolf ◦ Miscecanis Alpha/Werewolf ◦ Cis Man ◦ Bisexual ◦ ADHD, IED

Mason ◦ Born 2001 ◦ Outsourced;Teen Wolf ◦ Human ◦ Cis Man ◦ Gay

Corey ◦ Born 2001 ◦ Outsourced;Teen Wolf ◦ Chimera WereChamemelon-Ghost Rider Hybrid ◦ Cis Man ◦ Pansexual ◦ MDD, PTSD, Pica

Adam ◦ Born 2000 ◦ Insourced ◦ Human ◦ Cis Man ◦ Asexual ◦ Autistic, ADHD

Q2 ◦ Born 2023 ◦ Insourced/Outsourced;The Magicians ◦ Foxkith Adult Golem ◦ Golem Man ◦ Bisexual ◦ Autistic, Nonspeaking

Other:

12th Doctor ◦ Born ??? ◦ Outsourced;Doctor Who ◦ Galifreyan ◦ Quoi ◦ Quoi ◦ Autistic, ADHD

Monroe ◦ Born 198? ◦ Outsourced;Grimm ◦ Wesen(Blutbaden) ◦ Autigender Man ◦ Hetero-flexible ◦ Autistic

Living Characters:

Insourced:

Dess – Human Glow | Demisexual | ADHD | Adopted daughter of Logan | Wife to Thad

Thad – Human | Heteroflexible | QPP to Liam | Husband to Dess

Lorella – Ranger | Mother of Rune | Friend of Logan and Meyleth

Rhaneo – Ranger | Father of Rune | Friend of Logan and Meyleth

Lianna – Half-Fae | Daughter of Logan | QPP & Bloodbond of Rune | Facet (Former Parame) of Mel&

Hornrietta aka Horny – Chicken | in C/O Jack

Planty – Alien Sentient Plant Creature | Gift from Loki

Posey – Alien/Earth Cyborg Plant Creature | Planty’s Daughter | in C/O Meyleth

Outsourced:

Jenna – Human | Teen Wolf Fanon | ADHD | Mother of Li

David – Human | Teen Wolf | Step-Father of Li

Beckett – Human/? | Artemis Fowl | Child of Artemis Sr. & Angeline | Brother of Artemis & Twin of Miles

Miles – Human | Artemis Fowl | Child of Artemis Sr. & Angeline | Brother of Artemis & Twin of Beckett

Rosalee – Wesen/Fuchsbau | Grimm | Wife of Monroe | Friend of Nick

Loki – Frost Giant | MCU | Plant mom of Planty

Missy – Galifreyan/Time Lord | Doctor Who | Companion of The Doctor

Josh – Lycanthrope/Magician | The Magicians | Bicurious | Partner of Margo & Fen

Fen – Lycanthrope/Fillorian | The Magicians | Bisexual | Autistic, ADHD | Partner of Margo & Josh | Wife of Eliot

Arielle – Fillorian | The Magicians | Formerly deceased Wife of Quentin | Formerly deceased partner of Eliot

[talon-dragonbeast]

I wonder if there’s a term like genderflux but for nonhumans. Imagine sometimes feeling like wolf, then sometimes a wolfdog, then sometimes a dog. sometimes even a different specific canid. just not all of them. do u know of anything? that they blend and move from higher content of wolf to lower

hm, maybe constelic? thats the only thing that really comes to my mind. ill leave you the definition in case you want to take a peek, and if anyone knows any terms like this please feel free to add on this! :]

"Coined by Extranth in 2021, a person who is constelic identifies with or as one or more entities, objects, concepts, species, items, or characters throughout their life. A constelic may collect or hoard any number of these identities for any number of reasons, as their identities are non-inherent and are considered to be entirely extrinsic. Constels may be voluntary or involuntary identities, and can be intense or casual, but they are often non-permanent." - @.frameacloud, https://www.tumblr.com/frameacloud/729561151173738496/a-list-of-some-alterhuman-identities-and-groups

hope this helps! :D

[milkcolle]

pluralasking's 100 questions!!!!!! wow!!!!!!! I was bored at work lol answers under the cut

1. What is your System name and / or the name you collectively go by?

we're the milky way collective! shortened to milkcolle, but we're all fine getting referred to as seven. technicallyyyy that's nara's internet persona name, but we've all basically gotten used to it being used. so we're all fine with it!

2. Which word do you prefer to use for your System? (example: System, Collective, Constellation, ...)

we're a collective! we're fine with being called a system, since we are, but we use collective in our system name because at first we were really afraid to call ourselves a system or even plural! avoiding the term system in general made it easier for us while we figured things out and realized no, we aren't actually stealing a term not for us.

3. What are your Systems origins, if you choose to label them?

traumagenic did!

4. Do you have any Subsystems?

no idea, but we do have a lot of "groups".

5. Do you have any Sidesystems?

once again, not sure!

6. What is your opinion on you& / your& language and similar types?

im honestly not super familiar but like do what you want? lol. not for us though. just say "you guys" or something.

7. What methodes do you use to keep track of your System and it's Members?

mostly simplyplural at this point! plurali we use to share our list with our singlet friends. we had a neocities at one point but it started getting hard to update with every change. we also used to use pinterest? but then we had a lot of fusions and its likeeee cleaning it up is gonna be a huge task so we stopped using it.

8. What is your Systems ways of communication?

we usually can communicate pretty fine in the head! we don't really have an internal world though so a lot of it is just "I know this now that I'm fronting" or "we can talk but only when we're cocon".

9. Is communication hard or easy for you (and why is it the way it is)?

I mean I hear other systems can talk in their internal world? or have things happen when they're not fronting? so like. hard in comparison to that. sometimes we also get walled off. like now! we're recovering at the moment though so things should get better for our communication soon.

10. Do you view yourselves as parts of one person or as multiple people in one body?

we're individual people! we tend to think of all systems like this unless explicitly told not to.

11. Who are you out to as plural?

just online really! irl we could never talk about this kind of thing.

12. What languages do you collectively / one of you speak?

i meannnn we're only fluent in english. we have been learning japanese but we keep getting sidetracked now that we're not in traditional school learning it and have to self study. we can read hiragana and katakana and Some kanji. we really need to brush up on it though lollll someone yell at us to take out our genki book again

13. What is something you can't seem to collectively agree on?

aesthetic. most of us are into alt fashion but in different ways, and then there's the people who are like super normal and don't really give a fuck about how we present. ouji fashion vs sweatpants and a tshirt vibes lol

14. If you have a collective Identity (such as Gender or Orientation), what is it?

we're a gay gnc trans man collectively!

15. Do you collectively identify as queer / LGBTQIA+?

yes! nobody in our system is cishet anyway

16. Do you collectively identify as Otherkin, Alterhuman or Nonhuman?

yes! the line between kin and fictive is hard for us to identify, so we mainly just identify as fictionkin. if people aren't open to that kind of thing, we do also refer to ourselves as multifictives to help people understand better. a lot of us also consider themselves to be nonhuman otherkin, with many of us heavily identifying as related to the divine or the undead.

17. Do you have a collective rentry / carrd / something along those lines? (feel free to share!)

no, but our plurali is here!

18. What does switching feel like for you?

when we're not in a bad headspace, there's like a pressure in our head and we sort of lose focus for a bit before someone else hops in. if we're in a bad headspace, it's more like someone will lose their hold on front and we end up blurry, sometimes rapid switching for a while until someone can get back up to a solid front again.

19. Are you Monoconscious, Polyconscious or something else?

honestly I don't fully get this but I guess poly? we're all individual people. though we do have a lot of common knowledge and don't black out amnesia most of the time when we're mentally ok.

20. What does fronting feel like for you?

hi this is aira! sometimes there's a fog and I feel a little lightheaded, but normally it just feels like. existing? im just a guy.

21. How many System members do you have?

at the moment of typing: 35? maybe? again we're in a very weird mental situation and have made some changes but we're not sure how much is the dissociation making us think someone new split or if someone new actually split. because mistakes happen! often, actually! that's dissociation for you lol

22. Which word / words do you prefer to use for members of your System?

alters and headmates!

23. Which age group seems to be the most common in your System?

mostly adults in their 20s. and I mean. bodily we're 25, so

24. Which gender seems to be the most common in your System?

most of us are masc, either binary men or nonbinary men.

25. Are there any talents / hobbies you picked up because of a Member?

i got us back into watching anime, though I really like shoujo and the others aren't super into it? meanwhile nara got me and lambda into jfashion (mainly jirai). also dromi is the main reason we play genshin, even though we started playing for maki lol

26. Do you have any in-system relationships?

i think nara and lucio are still /r???????? and there's also maybe something going on with nara and evie but who knows. but most of our relationships are familial! we have a lot of siblings and siblinglikes in here.

27. Do you label roles within your System (and if yes, which ones?)

roles are very fluid! so we don't! plus not everyone has a role, and we don't like the idea that there has to be some larger meaning for someone in our system to exist.

28. Are most of your Members introjected, brainmade or something else?

again, complicated! we rely on fictional identities to have a sense of self. we're like a bunch of fictional characters stitched together. but aren't singlets like that with the people they've met throughout their lives too?

29. Do you use names, emojis or something similar to sign off messages (and if yes, which ones and why?)

emojis! if you look back in our system tag (🌌) you'll be able to find our explanation.

30. Do any of your System members use Xenogenders?

I think ben like? identifies more as a computer bug than any gender.

31. How do Members pick face claims?

usually it's kin stuff honestly. except for io. they're not kin from hsr (probably. we haven't actually started to play yet), they just kind of look like that. one day I knowwww it's gonna confuse someone.

32. Do you have any Introjects of popular sources?

I mean it depends what you consider popular? but like we have danganronpa, nintendo, genshin, etc characters if that means anything.

33. Do you have any Introjects of unpopular sources?

hellloooo to all of our idols and joseimuke characters. shuuen. and then ren is two different pitchloids that were only popular in like 2012.

34. Do you have nonhuman members?

yes but everyone is humanoid. so like. angels. ghosts. demons. etc.

35. Do any of you use Typing Quirks?

maki talks like a lolXDsorandom scene kid and uses kaomoji does that count

36. Do all of you front, or only a selected amount?

we all have fronted! not all of us are frequent fronters though. I'm probably like. top most frequent honestly. and then bottom is like. crow maybe. but that's because he's a bit more fragmented.

37. Are there any Members who can't or prefer to not speak?

waka (our little) struggles with speaking and talks mainly in the third person in kind of fragmented sentences, but that's kind of it?

38. Are most of you short or tall in height

don't talk down to us just because we're short kings lollllll

39. Is there a Member that is collectively loved by all in the System?

rey. 100000% rey. maki also because he's literally the best ever.

40. Do any of you struggle with being front-stuck a lot of the time?

sometimes? not enough for it to be a big issue though.

41. Do you have a Headspace (if not, is there a reason)?

no we have that thing where we have issues with visualization. if a number gets skipped, assume it was a headspace question that we can't answer

43. How do Members look like in Headspace? (example: Cartoony, Foggy, Realistic, ...)

sorry not sorry for being a bunch of anime characters?????

46. Do you remember what happened in Headspace when you switch into front?

yes and no? sometimes we'll have a general Feeling of something having happened or having talked about something. bleeding thoughts maybe? idk

51. Are there any "System Stereotypes" you fit into?

idk what any stereotypes are honestly but I feel like I always see people fakeclaim people for having introjects and specifically for having danganronpa and genshin introjects and it's like ooooooops dangankins and genshinkins in this head

52. Who of you would be considered the "evil alter"? (in a lighthearted, joking manner)

probably lucio honestly LOL or dromi because of the cannibalism support

53. What is your favourite inside-joke with a Member?

once ren said baller and he's not allowed to live it down

54. What is your favourite Plural meme?

nervous system when the confident system walks in (and it's like. hitsugi and shu enstars)

55. Is there any character that you headcanon as plural?

ame/k-angel is the first that comes to mind! also randal and satoru.

56. Is there any show or movie that you believe is a good plural representation, despite that not being its intention?

honestly jojo part 5 was kind of awesome. thanks for the plural rep!!! still think it's crazy how people on twitter baby doppio though like that's a grown ass man with a child. once again randal and satoru also read as plural to me and I love their writing a lot!

57. Is there any song that you believe decribes your plural experience?

ghost (vocaP) in general has a lot of songs that really speak to our mental illness. big fan of uncanny which is literally written about being plural.

58. What about an artwork that describes your plural experience?

honestly not sure! but I think it's always really nice seeing fanart of your source that really does feel like it represents you. like ill never forget how happy io was to see a single piece of fanart of iori with super long hair. because that's them!

59. Which Member of your System do you believe to be the prettiest of them all?

this is hard because I feel like if we said anyone but joshua he'd kill us but alsoooo if we said anyone but yoh they'd also kill us.

60. Do you collectively have a lucky number?

we like 3!

61. When did you first discover your System?

late 2019 was our full system awakening but we did realize and then immediately forget back in like. 2016? maybe?

62. How many Members did you know about during your Syscovery?

3? I think? nara maki and dell. though at the time im prettyyyy sure dell was dormant so it was just nara and maki for months.

63. Was accepting your Plurality a challenge for you?

very much! we were sure we were faking it and lying and stealing terms that weren't for us.

64. How did you learn about Plurality?

we had plural friends growing up!

65. Where there any signs of your Plurality, if you look back at your past?

us and our imaginary friends (all of which were alters) against the world

66. Do you think your Syscovery changed a lot in your life?

100%! I feel like for as bad as things get sometimes, we're functioning a lot better in certain aspects of our life. plus, it's nice to know we're not alone! sometimes we do wish we never found out, mainly socially, but having people who accept us is really nice.

67. If you're out to others plural, have they ever told you later on that they already thought about it before you realised?

yes lol

68. What was the biggest struggle during your Syscovery?

one of the main reasons we dislike sys/course is because it held us back from realizing we were a system. fakeclaimers were scary as fuck and we were convinced we were subconsciously faking. I know nara and maki struggled a lot with questioning if the other was real or just a delusion because we did struggle with those often before our current meds.

69. Was there any big event that led to your Syscovery?

not really? mainly nara kept looking at his imaginary friend in adulthood maki and was like. ok something is up here. and then we realized.

70. What is something you want questioning plurals to know?

it's ok to be wrong! you're not a bad person for questioning your plurality and ending up not being plural/having a different disorder. you weren't tricking anyone. so long as you respect the community, and don't go on to start fakeclaiming others, you're fine!

71. Are you Neurodivergent (and if yes, how?)

we are autistic! we might have adhd also but we don't want to say anything definitively

72. Do you have any physical disability?

we don't that we know of!

73. Do you have a dissociative disorder?

yes, DID.

74. Do you have any other disorder?

not going to reveal everything in one place but bpd and ocd are probably the disorders we struggle with the most.

75. Do symptom vary in intensity depending on the fronter?

yes! mainly bpd. some people it's all consuming, other people don't really get impacted as much.

76. Do you think your disability / disorder has an influence on your plurality?

probably! we've split a lot because of our symptoms.

77. Do you have amnesia of any kind?

mostly emotional amnesia. sometimes blackout amnesia, but usually just during very stressful periods.

78. Are there Members who deal better with symptoms than others?

mentioned earlier but yeah, especially with bpd.

79. Do your disorders / disabilities influence communication or switching within your System in any way?

when we're deep in an episode, any kind of episode, it's pretty much impossible for us to communicate. lots of walls.

80. Does being plural help with your disorders in any way? (example: another Member switching in to take care of the body during difficult times, ...)

it's helpful to be able to get different points of view from different members. writing down opinions on our problems is really helpful.

81. Which is your favourite plural flag?

i've only seen the white yellow black one tbh

82. If you have one, which is your favourite plurality related tumblr blog?

can I say fkf. we've been a regular for years and fictives are more than welcome.

83. What is a fun fact about your System?

ohhhh this is hard. king has umanoprincesama (the japanese title of the my horse prince app) as his twitter handle. he hardly uses it anymore though.

84. What is a flavour of ice cream that describes you collectively?

maki says birthday cake. he won't explain why lol

85. Which pride flag is the prettiest, in your collective opinion?

i know we like the wlw and mlm flags! we like the flowers.

86. If you collectively had to choose between being a sweet or a sour candy, which do you pick?

probably sweet? we love sugar.

87. Your body always morphs into what the current fronter(s) look like, would you want this power or not?

absolutely oh my god. though we are working on making a collective singlet sona

88. Is there a Hatsune Miku in your System?

...kind of? she uses miku as a faceclaim.

89. Who has been in your System the longest (if you can remember)?

we aren't sure! our candidates are like. maki dromi and waka.

90. If you collectively had to choose, would you rather only eat sweet foods or only eat savoury foods for the rest of your life?

ohhhh this is hard. I think savory but I know we'd be missing dessert hard. but we can't live without gyudon.

91. If you collectively had to choose, would you pick to become a vampire or a werewolf?

we're split on this. I think we lean more vampire though.

92. Your body is transfered into one of your Members sources, which do you pick and why?

pokemon obviously lol

93. If all of you turned into animals right this second, which animals would we find in your System?

too many of us for me to assign fursonas to everyone but like. birds. cats. bunnies. that kinda vibe?

94. What would a Minecraft server with all d your Members look like? (example: chaotic, peaceful, laggy, ...)

we haven't played minecraft much actually so I couldn't tell you! when I played I personally just liked building. but I know that a lot of people in our system would absolutely sabotage shit lol

96. What topic would you collectively make a youtube channel about? (it can't be plurality!)

hmmmm we aren't as into them anymore because of the fandom but mobile gacha games probably! i personally love idol games forever thanks

97. Which superpower would your body obtain, if you had to collectively decide on one?

shapeshifting!!!!!!

98. Who would pick the coolest tattoo for the System and who would pick the worst?

king would pick the worst everyone else feels passable except maybe nicola but king would get something dumb as fuck tattooed just because it's funny

99. If you only were allowed to eat one food for the rest of your life, but you would have to decide on the food collectively, what would it be and what would the decision making look like?

gyudon. like. I don't think that's even a question. we collectively fucking love gyudon.

100. What is the most fun about doing polls and answering questions, in your opinion?

we like getting to communicate more and express ourselves as plural! it's nice. we get scared to express ourselves on a lot of other websites so it's cool to be ourselves here and talk about ourselves openly

[ironwoodwolves]

Back Into the Fray

Hello! I'm Talon Ironwood, but some folks might know me as RowanWolf. I've recently moved away from that name, but it was what I was called in the alterhuman community there for a while.

EDIT: On the subject of the blog name, we've opted to change our URL from "talonironwood" (our collective name) to "ironwoodwolves," in a shift back towards our original presence in the alterhuman community. Roughly half the sysmates are some sort of canid, so it does feel appropriate.

I've got a bit more about me as well as some rules and a BYF under the cut.

🌿🐾🌊🌿🐾🌊🌿🐾🌊🌿🐾🌊🌿🐾🌊🌿

Name: Talon Ironwood Body Age: 30s Alterhuman Type: Plural system

Who will be posting here and how they identify:

🌊 : For undifferentiated posts

🎵 : Canadian timber wolf and African golden wolf therian, coastal gryphonkin, kitsunekin, hylapaslink, crowkith, ravenkith, red-tailed hawkhearted, system host.

🔥 : Royal wolf therian, caninehearted, fictish

🐺 : Royal wolf, fictish

💎 : Fictive, demon

🦌 : Fictive, demon

🐉 : Fictive

⚔️ : Fictive, Gideon Nav synpath

🌕 : Harpy extranth, night skykin, starhearted

🦊 : Anthropomorphic fox extranth

🍻 : Fictive, demon

🍒 : Coyote extranth

🪩 : Anthropomorphic "sparklehound" extranth, hellhound estoritive

🚬 : Fictive, hellhound

☄️ : Fictive, demon

♠️ : Fictive, demon

🌿🐾🌊🌿🐾🌊🌿🐾🌊🌿🐾🌊🌿🐾🌊🌿

Rules:

Be kind. To me, to each other, to anybody you encounter here, to any of the sysmates who may choose to post...

This is not an RP blog. No one posting here is roleplaying. Don't treat it as an RP blog.

Don't try to dictate how others eat. It's a thing I've seen before in this community. Do what you want as far as self-imposed dietary restrictions, but leave others be.

In this house we love and respect otherlinkers.

I would appreciate if you not send me DMs if you're bodily under 18. Please do not follow me if you're under 16. I'm not terribly comfortable with kids and tend to prefer adult-only spaces.

If you're here, you're agreeing to abide by this list and that you have read our BYF. We will block those who violate this.

🌿🐾🌊🌿🐾🌊🌿🐾🌊🌿🐾🌊🌿🐾🌊🌿

BYF:

We are all in some way alterhuman beyond just our plurality and we support all good-faith alterhuman identities. This includes otherlinkers and good-faith factkin.

We will block KFFers and "kinnies." These are different from things like funlinks. KFFers are anti-kin and spread misinformation about alterhumans and we will not tolerate them here. This is a blog regarding actual identities.

This is a safe space for systems of all types and origins and we will block fakeclaimers. Fakeclaimers DOES include anti-endos, for reasons obvious to anyone with common sense.

We are uncomfortable with nonconsesual paraphilias. If you are non-contact, you're welcome to like, reblog, comment, follow, and send asks, we just ask that you don't send DMs if discussion of your paraphilias is the majority of your blogs content.

THOUGHT CRIMES AREN'T REAL, DON'T ACT LIKE THEY ARE.

We oppose r*dqueers and transIDs. Pursuant to that, we do NOT consider "transspecies" to be a r*dqueer term, as it has been in use in the alterhuman community since the 1990s, far longer than the r*dqueer movement has existed.

We are opposed to anyone who promotes violence and/or hatred against any group just trying to live their lives and we will block you if you do this.

🌿🐾🌊🌿🐾🌊🌿🐾🌊🌿🐾🌊🌿🐾🌊🌿

Credits:

I suck at making any kind of graphics or dividers. If I did make something, I'll state it, but otherwise any graphics and dividers I use can be found below:

Divider credits

Graphic credits

[frameacloud]

A list of some alterhuman identities and groups (uncut version)

About this article

This article is a five-minute read. It gives definitions and sources about (in alphabetical order) alterhumans, constelics, daemons, dragons, endels, furries, fictionfolk, nonhumans, otherkin, plural systems, therianthropes, tulpas, and vampires. These alterhuman community historians, archivists, and writers wrote this article together in August and September 2023: Orion Scribner, House of Chimeras, Page Shepard, Dinocanid, Ryuu Yumemoto, Draconic Wizard Workshop, and others. You have permission to repost this article, if you keep the list of authors, don't change what the article says, and don't use it for money. This is shared under this type of Creative Commons license: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND).

Alterhumans

In 2014, Lio of the Crossroads System created this word as an umbrella term and identity for anyone who feels they have an identity beyond the scope of how one might typically think of “being human.”^1 Later, the alterhuman advocacy group Alt+H popularized this word. According to the coiner and Alt+H, it includes but is not limited to nonhumans.^2 Some groups who can opt-in to considering themselves under the alterhuman umbrella are otherkin, therianthropes, fictionfolk, plural systems, daemians, vampires, voluntary identities, furries, and more.^3 This umbrella is very broad because its purpose is to give these communities something to unite under without erasing their distinctions.^4

Constelic

Coined by Extranth in 2021, a person who is constelic identifies with or as one or more entities, objects, concepts, species, items, or characters throughout their life.^5 A constelic may collect or hoard any number of these identities for any number of reasons, as their identities are non-inherent and are considered to be entirely extrinsic.^6 Constels may be voluntary or involuntary identities,^7 and can be intense or casual, but they are often non-permanent.^8 

Daemians and daemons

Daemians are people who have daemons, which are most often described as mental constructs or a part of an individual’s consciousness which has been assigned a unique gender, form, and personality.^9 Some daemians consider themselves plural.^10 Their community started in 2002, inspired by Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials fantasy novel trilogy.^11

Dragons

The dragon community started in the 1990s in an online group called alt.fan.dragons.^12 They identify as dragons for spiritual or psychological reasons. They are draconic, and they refer to this part of themselves as their draconity.^13 In the 2000s, the dragon community started to mingle with the other communities: with dragon otherkin (dragonkin)^14 and dragon therians.^15

Endels

Mental health experts say that being alterhuman isn’t the same as being mentally ill.^16 For alterhumans who do have mental illnesses, that can be an important part of their everyday life and their sense of self. Endel is a word for alterhuman identities that are rooted in or greatly influenced by delusion. Babydog coined this word in 2021, by and for delusional alterhumans.^17

Furries

The furry fandom is a large subculture that began at sci-fi conventions in the 1980s.^18 It’s for creating and enjoying art, stories, costumes, and roleplay about fictional human-like (anthropomorphic) animal characters, called furries. Many fandom participants choose to represent themselves as their furry persona (fursona), which can be just for fun, though it can be meaningful about who they are.

Fictionfolk

Fictionfolk is an umbrella term for many sorts of identities that come partly or wholly from fiction.^19 Fictionkin identify as characters or species from fiction,^20 and their community started in the early 2000s.^21 A plural system member with origins from fiction is a fictive, which psychologists call a fictional introject.^22 When someone has the brief experience of becoming someone or something from fiction, that’s a fictionflicker, which psychologists call experience-taking.^23 

Nonhumans

An umbrella term for those of us who identify as partly or wholly not human: therianthropes, otherkin, and more. Many nonhumans opt to include themselves under the alterhuman umbrella.

Otherkin

Otherkin are elves, dragons, or other beings, usually from mythology. It’s always an important part of who they are throughout their lives, not role-play for fun.^24 The community started in the Elfinkind Digest mailing list in 1990, when they started calling themselves otherkind or otherkin.^25 Their reasons for being otherkin are often spiritual, for example, from reincarnation.^26 However, otherkin is not a religion.^27

Plural systems

Plurality (or multiplicity) is an umbrella term for all experiences and identities in which more than one entity, consciousness, or pseudo-consciousness exists within one physical body,^28 for systems who are or can be diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID), formerly called multiple personality disorder (MPD), as well as systems who do not meet those diagnostic criteria. Plurality and multiplicity as terms have always been inclusive of systems regardless of their origin or diagnoses.^29 Some plural systems have members who aren’t human or who are fictional characters or species.^30 Multiplicity can be an interchangeable synonym for plurality, or multiplicity can mean a form of plurality in which more than one person, self, or identity is within a single body.^31

Therianthropes

Therianthropes are people who have a lifelong identification as a certain species of animal on an integral, personal level.^32 Some are other species than animals from Earth.^33 The therian community started in 1993 in an online group, alt.horror.werewolves.^34 They developed jargon about shapeshifting to describe feeling more animal-like at some times. These changes are mental or spiritual, not physical.^35 Some have sensations of phantom limbs.^36 Some feel consistently animal-like at all times.^37 In the late 1990s and early 2000s, therians started mingling with the otherkin community.^38

Tulpas and tulpamancers

A tulpamancer is someone who practices tulpamancy, which is the act of creating tulpas.^39 A tulpa is an autonomous conscious entity who shares the body and brain of their creator.^40 Tulpamancy is often considered to be a part of the plurality umbrella.^41 

Vampire Community

The vampyre or vampire community (VC) is for people who identify as vampires and require sustenance.^42 Those who drain energy are energy vampires or psi-vampires.^43 Sanguinarians drink blood.^44 Hybrid vampires need both.^45 Vampire lifestylers and donors are in the VC, too.^46 

None of the above

Some participants of our communities are not themselves alterhumans. However, they’re here because they’re curious, or they’re our friends, family, and partners.

-

Endnotes

1. Lio of the Crossroads System (September 26 2014). "This will probably be my last post on semantics..." Phasmovore. https://phasmovore.tumblr.com/post/98482696958/

2. Lio of the Crossroads System (May 27, 2023). https://x-rds.tumblr.com/post/712949341799727104/ Alt+H (September 17 2021) “What does alterhuman mean?” Alt+H. https://blog.alt-h.net/post/165592493965/what-does-alterhuman-mean

3. Kiera Ember. “Alterhuman Dictionary.” Beyond Humanity. https://www.beyondhumanity.net/alterhuman-dictionary/dictionary-a Ana Valens (September 25 2020). “Otherkin are the internet’s punchline. They’re also our future.” Daily Dot. https://www.dailydot.com/irl/otherkin/  Alt+H, “FAQ” https://alt-h.net/educate/faq.php

4. Lio of the Crossroads System (February 19, 2023). https://x-rds.tumblr.com/post/709694807213211648/

5. Extranth. “An Introduction to Constelic” https://web.archive.org/web/20230519124625/https://constelic.carrd.co/

6. Extranth (May 19, 2021). “Constelic!” https://extranth.tumblr.com/post/651652168396472320/constelic-1-whats-constelic-constelic-or

7. Constelic (May 27, 2022). “How are Constelic and Otherlink different?” https://constelic.tumblr.com/post/685380822139813888/how-are-constelic-and-otherlink-different

8. Constelic (April 12, 2022). “The wild thing with stels for me is how sometimes…” https://constelic.tumblr.com/post/681308197084135424/the-wild-thing-with-stels-for-me-is-how-sometimes

9. The Daemon Page, “Introduction” https://daemonpage.com/introduction.php

10. Daemians & Daemons (March 18 2023). “Hey there! This is a bit of a discussion question…” https://www.tumblr.com/daemians-n-daemons/712142103972560896/hey-there-this-is-a-bit-of-a-discussion-question Rani (June 21 2022). “Okay so I was right dæmonism is turning into my…” A Dragon’s Journal. https://a-dragons-journal.tumblr.com/post/687725978250870784/okay-so-i-was-right-d%C3%A6monism-is-turning-into-my

11. House of Chimeras (October 8 2022). “A Timeline of the Daemon Community” pg. 3 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GVSBMvwKIyTvDIqyqXy2C_7Q4Qx4UK3A/view 

12. ExistingPhantom (October 3 2001). “Alt.Fan.Dragons Frequently Asked Questions.” Dragons Must Be Here. https://web.archive.org/web/20050219002348/http://www.dmbh.org/dragonfire/IndexFAQ.html 

13. Baxil (December 1999). “Draconity FAQ.” Tomorrowlands. http://www.tomorrowlands.org/draconity/faq/index.html  Orion Scribner (September 8, 2012), Otherkin Timeline, version 2.0 http://frameacloud.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Scribner_Timeline2p0.pdf p. 36

14. Orion Scribner, Otherkin Timeline, p. 53.

15. Daski (August 17, 2022). “Therian: Dispelling the Earthen Animal Myth.” The River System. https://theriversystem.neocities.org/essays/EarthenMyth.html  

16. Gavia Baker-Whitelaw (February 22, 2015). “Understanding the otherkin.” The Kernel. Archived March 18, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150318110839/http://kernelmag.dailydot.com/issue-sections/features-issue-sections/11866/otherkin-tumblr-definition-pronouns/ 

17. Babydog, “Endel” https://endel.carrd.co/ 

18. Fred Patten (July 15 2012). "Retrospective: An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996". Flayrah. https://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966%E2%80%931996 

19. Poppy (January 24, 2023). “Quick guide to fictionfolk terminology.” Aestherians. https://aestherians.tumblr.com/post/707370073217695744/ 

20. Mordax. “What is Fictionkin? An exploratory definition”. From Fiction. https://web.archive.org/web/20220728060858/https://fromfiction.net/index.php/what-is-fictionkin-an-exploratory-definition/ 

21. House of Chimeras (June 21, 2021). A Timeline of the Fictionkin Community, Version 1.0. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w4vGsWkiGPjYtXvTe4PyCcZsPba1kb_p/view?usp=sharing Page 4.

22. Ryn (Aristocrats) (October 18, 2021). “Fictives: A short introduction” https://pluralsoapbox.wordpress.com/2021/10/18/fictives-a-short-introduction/  Sark (The Interstellar System) (August 9, 2021). “Fictive and Factive FAQ”  https://interstellarsystem.weebly.com/fictive-and-factive-faq.html 

23. Geoff F. Kaufman, Lisa K. Libby (2012). “Changing Beliefs and Behavior Through Experience-Taking.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2012; DOI: 10.1037/a0027525 https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0027525

24. Lupa (2007), A Field Guide to Otherkin, Stafford, England: Immanion Press, pp. 27, 108-109.

25. Arethinn (September 6, 2021). “A brief(ish) history of the word ‘otherkind’.” Mythsong. https://www.mythsong.net/history/wordhist.html 

26. Lupa, pp. 57-66, 287.

27. Lupa, p. 30; and Devin Proctor (May 2019), On Being Non-Human: Otherkin Identification and Virtual Space. The George Washington University. https://search.proquest.com/openview/e156c24bf65c4efb0918a8db37433cce/ pp. 94-95.

28. FreyasSpirit (Lucia Batman) and Irenes (Irene Knapp), “Plurality Playbook” https://freyasspirit.com/plurality-playbook/ 

29. LB Lee (May 28, 2020). “Quick'n'Dirty Plural History... Part 1 (1811-1980ish)” https://lb-lee.dreamwidth.org/1111069.html  LB Lee (June 30, 2020).”Plural History part 2: The Memory Wars” https://lb-lee.dreamwidth.org/1116190.html  LB Lee (July 30, 2020). “Plural History, part 3: Usenet and its spin-offs and Soulbonders” https://lb-lee.dreamwidth.org/1120824.html  LB Lee (August 31, 2020). “Quick'n'Dirty Plural History, part 4 (LJ, the Genic Slapfight, and THE END!)” https://lb-lee.dreamwidth.org/1129216.html 

30. House of Chimeras (May 1, 2021). “A Collection of Mentions of Nonhuman and Fictional-Based Members of Plural Systems” https://drive.google.com/file/d/17TKE_8Lx2ljuTpHNclvaXqvA5AAlkG90/view 

31. Manchester Metropolitan University, “Understanding Multiplicity” https://www.mmu.ac.uk/mmud8/media/10605/download 

32. Sonne (2008). “Terms and definitions.” Project Shift. https://projectshift.therianthropy.info/terms-definitions-by-sonne/ 

33. Daski (August 17, 2022). “Therian: Dispelling the Earthen Animal Myth.” The River System. https://theriversystem.neocities.org/essays/EarthenMyth.html  

34. House of Chimeras (19 November 2021). A Timeline of the Therianthrope Community, Version 1.1. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jDmjl78hQ2BiQtzQMTV3yRQkrIgB9eUZ/view?usp=sharing P 9.

35. Clegg, H., Collings, R., & Roxburgh, E. C. (2019). “Therianthropy: Wellbeing, Schizotypy, and Autism in Individuals Who Self-Identify as Non-Human.” Society & Animals, 27(4), pp. 403-426. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-12341540

36. Jakkal (October 6, 2001). “Therianthropy- an overview." Shifters.org. Archived 2002-11-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20021101165313/http://www.shifters.org/overview/therianthropy.asp

37. Akhila (April 2005). “The Contherian FAQ.” https://akhila.feralscribes.org/2005/the-contherian-faq/ 

38. House of Chimeras (November 19, 2021). A Timeline of the Therianthrope Community, Version 1.1. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jDmjl78hQ2BiQtzQMTV3yRQkrIgB9eUZ/view?usp=sharing Pp. 27, 56.

39. Tulpa.io, “Terminologies” https://web.archive.org/web/20160405214050/http://tulpa.io/terminologies 

40. Luigi.exe/The Dragonheart Collective (January 12, 2020). “Tulpamancy FAQ” https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-Yb6dfm4JxR5u_oNpHrttJyJHc0NvMhkKUP4Btc4jPc/edit#heading=h.h3onkkn

41. Tulpa.io, “What Is A Tulpa?” https://web.archive.org/web/20160318054103/http://tulpa.io/what-is-a-tulpa 

42. Jayden Night, “What is Vampirism?” https://web.archive.org/web/20080511200648/http://sphynxcatvp.nocturna.org/articles/jn-vamprism.html 

43. Fvorboda, “Psy Vampirism” https://web.archive.org/web/20080513030621/http://sphynxcatvp.nocturna.org/articles/dyscracia-psivamps.html 

44. #Sanguinarius IRC (May 26, 2007). “A Discussion of Sang and Psi Vampires” https://web.archive.org/web/20080108215555/http://www.sanguinarius.org/articles/sang-and-psi-disc.shtml 

45. Enygma, “Real Vampires” https://web.archive.org/web/20080511201408/http://sphynxcatvp.nocturna.org/faq/most-enygma.html 

46. Sanguinarius: The Vampire Support Page, (July 4, 2006). “Sainguinarus Terminology & Lingo” https://web.archive.org/web/20080521005735/http://www.sanguinarius.org/terminology.shtml

[interstellarsystem]

i have a question- you dont have to answer it- but how do you know if you're a fictionkin/otherkin/alterhuman? Im pretty sure i am but want to know a bit more/double check. Thank you -K <3

Hey, hopefully we can help, haha. Just a quick thing we want to clear up first--otherkin/fictionkin, nonhuman and alterhuman are not synonymous!

Otherkin: Identifying as something nonhuman.

Fictionkin: Identifying as a fictional character/species, can be nonhuman or human.

Nonhuman: Identifying as nonhuman. Otherkin are nonhuman, but there are other experiences that make one identify as nonhuman as well.

Alterhuman: Having an identity that does not follow whatever society deems to be "normal". This can include otherkin, nonhumans and fictionkin, but also experiences that don't involve nonhumanity, such as otherheartedness and systems! This is an umbrella term!

Anyway, onto the actual question:

In the end, all boils down to "do you identify as [thing]". This can be explained differently for a lot of people, and can be experienced in a lot of ways--but if you can say "I am [thing]" unironically, that's some form of nonhuman identity. Honestly, it's more than enough to at least try the label on if you wanted. List under the cut, this is kind of long haha.

Signs of being Otherkin

There's a few. Not all of these are exclusive to otherkin identity, and not every otherkin needs to have them.

Shifts

Shifts are changes in your perception of yourself, or your surroundings. They can be both voluntary, or involuntary--or even a mix of both. Involuntary shifts tend to be more indicative of a kintype, though. These can be things such as:

Phantom shifts: feeling limbs or body parts (fur, snouts, teeth) that aren't physically there.

Mental shifts: shifting more into the mindset of the thing you identify as. This could mean adopting more behaviours from your kintype, or thinking more like them.

There's other types of shifts, but those are the most common.

Dysphoria

Species dysphoria is a common experience among otherkin. This can include:

Disliking, being uncomfortable with or hating being referred to as human. Phrases like "you're only human after all" are uncomfortable.

Not liking looking in the mirror because your body is too human.

Not liking certain parts of your body, and wishing you had nonhuman features instead.

Feeling the need to run on all fours, or fly, or do certain behaviours that aren't "acceptable" or don't work with your current anatomy, and being distressed that you can't.

There's a lot more things that can cause dysphoria, this isn't an extensive list.

Euphoria

On the flip side, you can also get nonhuman euphoria! This can include:

Loving being referred to as a "creature", or as an animal--even jokingly.

Feeling more "yourself" when in certain environments--nature, some place that reminds you of home (even if it's not your actual home), in the water, etc.

Wearing animalistic clothing such as paw-print gloves/socks, a tail, animal ears, beaks or other masks, etc, and enjoying these immensely + feeling like you're more "yourself" with these things on.

Wearing clothing that reflects your potential 'type.

Once again, not an extensive list.

Urges

Otherkin can have all sorts of urges related to their identity. These can be:

Hunting, the need to stalk and catch prey.

The urge to eat raw meat wherever you see it.

The urge to eat very quickly.

The need to flee when seeing predator animals even if your human body is not at risk.

The urge to take flight when hit with a gust of wind, or when birds fly off in groups around you.

For fictionkin or other non-animal otherkin, being drawn toward certain hobbies or actions your potential 'type would have taken.

And so many more.

In the end, you don't need any of the above to be otherkin, other than to identify as something other than your physical body--though you can have both at the same time. But I figured listing out some examples might help anyway.

Good luck with your questioning, anon!

[wxlfbites]

January 21, 2025

360...

It's the year 2012, I have just become awere of my nonhuman identity in the sense that I now have a name for it and know that what I experience is also experienced by others. I identify as a wolf, a black phase wolf with amber eyes. I tell everyone, explaining that for years I have felt this way, and everyone tells me that they suspected something like this because of my behavior as a child. I join Facebook groups filled with other Therians, teen werewolves, and otherkin. I start an Instagram account where I openly talk about every aspect of my identity in depth; this account gaining 11,000 followers at one point. I find new words to describe other experiences I have and eventually my list of labels grows.

Wolf therian, feline-hearted, bear-hearted, horse-hearted, canine-hearted.. all labels that meant very much to me. But as the years go by, they begin to waver under the weight of my growing following and the struggles I face at home. My nonhumanity is unstable, it feels as uncontrollable as my home life. I have a walk-in experience with a fox I mistake as a theriotype, I feel more like a beaten dog than a wild animal and so my identity is now that of a dog cladotherian, I drop all of my heartedtype labels because at some point I am resolved to say that I am simply a polymorph.. too many things happening all at once to fully pinpoint them as anything else.

I am as chaotic as the ocean, the depth of me cannot be understood. I am beyond any terms the alterhuman community can conjure. But I am not satisfied with this. It causes me more stress that I cannot contain myself into at least some measurable form. I cannot control anything. I am unable to control the abuse I face, and I am unable to control my experiences, and it has taken its toll on me. I decide to completely trash any and all things I think I know and start my awakening from scratch. I am no longer any of the things I've said I am, I am nothing but a blank canvas, the painting will result from the extensive private journaling and self-analysis I do using any source I can find to determine my true, authentic identity before I was ever influenced by external forces. I spend years dissecting myself and my experiences and interviewing family about things I don't remember. It is an unending, perilous voyage into the ocean of myself. The ship capsizing quite a few times, I sometimes lose any hope of finding my home again. But alas, hope is not lost.

The year is 2025, and I have been awere of my nonhuman identity for 13 years. My journey through the labyrinth has been disorienting and discouraging to say the least, but I have reached the center. Only... it's not the center, really.. I have reached the point in my journey where I can say that what I was in the beginning, untainted by any of the things I had consumed, untouched by the paws of my peers, is exactly what I am today. A wolf therian (though the word is different now), bear-hearted, horse-hearted... I say coyote-hearted specifically now, but canine wouldn't be inaccurate, and while felines are still being questioned, it's these original labels I find myself confirming again. Hardly any doubts about what I am phase me now. It is all just simple facts of life that I sit with every day. I am content with the labels I have chosen to describe myself. A quiet calm settles over me when I think about what I am now and what I have always been. But my journey is far from over.

[fable-like-hero]

Welcome to my blog !

I'm Desmond/Halley, nice to meet you ! Here are some things about me.

(DNI and silly stuff under the cut)

💔 I use he/they/sea/light pronouns.

💙 I'm a spiritual otherkin and a proud fictionkin with a waay-too-long kinlist. I'm also constelic, otherkith and some other stuff.

💔 I'm the host of a mixed origins system though I'm usually the only one posting here.

💙 I'm belgian, I speak French and English and am currently learning German, Spanish and Sindarin (elvish).

💔 I am comfortable interacting with adults but please keep in mind that I am (bodily) minor.

💙 I'm a self-shipper !

💔 I'm addicted to hyperpop and animation memes.

💙 My main (current) fandoms are Fable, DSMP, Lord of the Rings, HTTYD, The Legend of Zelda, Pressure (Roblox), One Wheat Mark, League of Legends, Magic the Gathering and Arcane.

Do not follow me or interact if :

✂️ Basic criterias : racist, pedophile, lgbt-phobe, antisemitic, islamophobic, etc.

🤍 You are anti-kin (including fictionkin, plantkin, conceptkin, etc.) or against alterhumanity in general.

✂️ You are against endogenic systems/non-disordered plurality and/or you think tulpas aren't real or are cultural appropriation.

🤍 You are against mogai, microlabels, xenogenders, neopronouns or multi-spectrum lesbians/gays.

✂️ You are a radqueer or support them.

🤍 Pro-ana, "cringe comp" or discourse blog.

✂️ You participate in or support cringe culture.

🤍 You hate on self-shippers.

Kinlist :

Note : I have plenty of kintypes, these are just my selfhoods.

KINTYPES ↝

🔹 wanderer, dragon, elf

THERIOTYPES ↝

♦️ seagull, german shepherd

FICTOTYPES ↝

🔹 Desmond Miles - Assassin's Creed

♦️ Lloyd - Ninjago (all canons)

🔹 Link - The Legend of Zelda (all canons but selfhoods are from botw and Skyward Sword)

♦️ Sherlock Holmes - all canons (but the selfhood is from the series Sherlock)

🔹 Mike - One Wheat Mark

SONGTYPES ↝

♦️ Freakshow - Punkinloveee

🔹 Shut Me Up - Mindless Self Indulgence

Tags I use on this blog :

#finn speaks : posts where I talk

'---> also #finn posts

#finn chats : posts where I reblog-chat with other users

#fave : my favourite posts

#finn's label hoard : labels I reblog that fit my identity

#finn's coining posts : terms I created

#important : people who need your help (this is an important tag, please spread the posts tagged with this)

#talented people : art made by amazing and, you guessed it, talented people <3

#things people should know : important things, posts againsts exclusionism or prejudice, etc.

#finn's to do list : things to do or use later

IMPORTANT : Please do not use the pansexual Mike Wheeler icon, the meme next to it and the three last blinkies (not the rainbow line). I've made them myself (using blinkies café templates for the blinkies) and I do not like sharing my stuff unless I made it for you or it's a group/duo thing. Thank you.

[a-dragons-journal]

@hidden-among-stars I'll be honest, I don't understand what point you're making here, especially in context of the original post. My point was that I think people should stop using the term "alterhuman" when they mean "nonhuman and/or fictionkin" because those things aren't synonymous, and it's a problem when people treat them like they are because it erases everything else "alterhuman" can cover. Your point seems to be that people... shouldn't use the word "alterhuman" at all? Should list the specific identities they're talking about in any given post? I'm not sure I understand how this relates to the original post, sorry.

If I've understood you correctly and that is in fact what you meant (and forgive me if I haven't and it wasn't) - while we seem to agree that if people are talking to a specific group within alterhumanity they should address that specific group instead of saying "alterhuman," I don't think I agree with saying that just saying alterhuman when actually talking about all of alterhumanity is "less inclusive" because some people don't like the term. Every label has people who technically fall into it but don't use it for themselves - there are nonhumans who fit within "otherkin" but don't like the term, for instance, and I'm sure there are some who don't like the term nonhuman either, but at some point we just have to accept that and use the words we have anyway in order to get our meaning across. Otherwise we'd never be able to use any term ever because there will always be a handful of people who don't like whatever term the majority settle on, and that gets us nowhere.

Promise this is not vaguing anyone in particular, I've just seen it one too many times from various different people recently and it feels like it need sanother PSA: Can people please stop saying "otherkin/alterhuman" or "fictionkin/alterhuman" as if those things are synonymous? They're not, and to treat them as if they are defeats the entire purpose of the word alterhuman. If you mean otherkin or fictionkin, say otherkin or fictionkin. If you mean "otherkin and other nonhumans," say otherkin/nonhuman, because alterhuman isn't synonymous with nonhuman either. If you truly mean "otherkin and other alterhumans," a) you can probably just say "alterhuman" and b) your post had better be relevant to someone who isn't nonhuman. Alterhuman is a far broader word than that, and most of the identities and communities it encompasses - otherheartedness, hearthomes, furry lifestyling, daemonism, plurality, etc. - are not nonhuman-identifying.

[frameacloud]

The dragon community

"The dragon community started in the 1990s in an online group called alt.fan.dragons. They identify as dragons for spiritual or psychological reasons. They are draconic, and they refer to this part of themselves as their draconity. In the 2000s, the dragon community started to mingle with the other communities: with dragon otherkin (dragonkin) and dragon therians."

- Excerpt from "A list of some alterhuman identities and groups," by Orion Scribner, House of Chimeras, Page Shepard, Dinocanid, Ryuu Yumemoto, Draconic Wizard Workshop, and others, 2023.