#Fictionkind

[fromfiction]

In my heart I am still there.

In my heart I will always be there.

[alterhuman-culture-is]

fictionkin culture is "yes, im friends with like at least 5 different versions of my lover in canon. No, I haven't found the one from my canon. Yes, I still am very close friends with all of them and we laugh about things that happen in eachothers canons and there are a few things that we both remember, and comfort eachother from those memories from canon if its making us sad"

-

[interstellarsystem]

I'm A Skarmory

I haven't fronted in a bit, though I do come out here pretty consistently at least once every 6 months. But man it never gets less weird not aligning with the body's anatomy. And yeah I get it, most nonhumans don't align with the body they're stuck in! But I'm a skarmory, and I see a lot of quadruped experiences, but not much from avians. So I'm weighing in with my stuff!

My feet--my primary gripping tools aside from my beak--are now replaced with simple, hardly useful for holding onto anything, human feet. They're just flat. There's no claws on the ends of the toes and god DAMN are there way too many of them. I understand they're to walk with, but mine doubled as tools and weapons. I guess I can kick people here? It's nowhere near the same, though.

My leg bones are much too long and much too short in places. Walking in this body feels like I'm walking on what should be almost my ankle. It feels like my legs are even just bent in the entire wrong direction, sometimes--definitely a weird feeling!

And my wings are now replaced with... What I'd consider the human equivalent of what my feet were. Gripping tools! Except.... Almost where my wings should be?? Why are my talons where my wings should be? This especially confuses my brain, because it tries to map my phantom talons onto our hands, which leaves my lower half feeling like it shouldn't be there at all. My legs are where my body ends, so if my hands are my talons, then... Why is there more body down there? It's led to me feeling phantom talons on both my hands and my feet on more than one occasion which is definitely something that feels so strange.

One thing I like is that my skin is smooth still. Though it may be smooth, sure, unfortunately it's soft too. It squishes like something I'd have considered food back home--and it's easy to accidentally injure. My body before was polished and metallic, right down to the knifelike feathers. Now if I trip and fall I have to be worried about more than just a little dent or two? You're telling me I can be seriously injured from something so simple? I can't just shed the feather and grow back some more armour?

My mouth. Oh my god don't get me started on the mouth. It's the worst part to me. One, why is it squishy like that. Two, why is the hard biting surface INSIDE the squishy skin? That just lines up with it being all too easy to bite into my own lips or cheek. Three, the teeth are brittle in comparison to my beak anyway! I have to be careful of chipping a tooth and not eat anything ridiculously hard--whereas before my beak was basically a pair of scissors. Why do I all of a sudden need to be so so careful with it? Why is it shaped like that? Why is it so flat on my face?

The mouth being one of the things I used to hold things with in my memories also lends itself weirdly to human anatomy. I can't open it as far, so I can't hold items I'd normally consider easy to carry in it. But it's also not generally socially acceptable to carry things around in your mouth either, for some reason? My hands get full so the logical conclusion to me, is holding whatever's lightest and less likely to be damaged in my teeth! A lot of our system members carry things in their mouth anyway if it's convenient, regardless of the social stigma--but it's still weird to me that there is stigma about it.

Overall the body feels feeble and brittle in comparison to what I used to be. It's also distorted in such a way that my own phantom shifts are inconsistent with how they're arranged, so even when I get shifts it feels dysphoric. It's so weird! I don't necessarily mind having a human body but every time I come to front, it ends up throwing me off a lot more than just a little.

Life here isn't all that bad though, there's plenty of things I like here too. A lot of the lifestyle changes from before are nice, and I do actually like some parts of our body!

I like that we have a lot of fingers, in this body. My feet before only had 3 toes each, but having 5 fingers per hand is actually useful! It kinda helps fit more things with less likelihood of dropping stuff. I think the thumbs on these ones are a lot more useful than my feet were before, too--they're adaptable! Able to be used in all sorts of situations, not just grabbing things! I think that's cool. Like, I'm typing! Much faster than I'd ever be able to with my own beak or feet in my body--if metaphorical me knew how to type, that is.

I also like hair, even though everything on my body before was sharp or metallic. I just like the texture honestly--it's soft in a way that isn't all too dysphoric for me. It's a nice, like.. Stim toy, almost? Now that I think about it... Maybe I had fluffy down feathers between plates of armour to keep me warm? I haven't looked into it in all honesty. Not that the enjoyment of texture needs to relate back to me being a skarmory--just some pondering aloud.

I also definitely like that I don't have to be wild anymore. In headspace I can do what I want without fear of some predator who happens to know flamethrower coming up to me and deciding I'm a nice snack or I got too close to their territory. It's nice to be able to feel that in front too--the outerworld feels much more realistic to me and it's great to be able to feel alive and not constantly hunted.

Houses are cool, and so are beds. Having a bed and being able to make it all nice and comfy feels like nesting, to me. Where I would nest in thorns before to polish and harden my armour, this body nests in soft, fluffy things that protect us from getting injured by anything too hard. I think it's nice, actually--both I and this body nest in materials that match their body type! Kind of a cute little parallel.

I guess the conclusion I've come to after I've sat here rambling? Life is complicated, life is weird, but I'm here and I'm going to take as much joy out of living it as possible. Human body, skarmory body, doesn't matter. I'm here anyway, why not make the most out of it?

[leviafin]

It's so easy, and fun!

[insectoidvoid]

if you're fictionkin, there is a very, very high chance you have a little metaphorical devil on your shoulder that constantly yells at you to downplay and minimize your identity for everyone else. and I am here to tell you that you must grab that little devil and dropkick it into an industrial shredder.

[apotheosick]

It's not inherently harmful to want to have unconventional or non-human body parts. Your body is your own, do what you like with it.

[2healing2]

Fictives and fictionkind deserve to be treated like normal people.

Fictives and fictionkind deserve understanding.

Fictives and fictionkind deserve to not just be reduced to their source if they don't want to.

Fictives and fictionkind deserve to have their feelings taken seriously.

[espeonkin]

listen to me nonhumans of all ages and experiences. you must not let your species dysphoria lead you to misanthropy. you cannot, must not let your personal pain lead you to hate. you must keep a tender love in your heart at all times. letting your species dysphoria warp into misanthropy will lead you to defining your life based on hating how you perceive yourself, rather than loving who you know yourself to be. you must learn to love humans, to love humanity as well. be happy for them having found joy in what brings us discomfort. treasure the varied experiences of this world, and in time, others will begin reciprocating the same feelings for us.

[sebastace]

"New year, new me" hits different when you're alterhuman and questioning a label.

[rareblackcat]

You can't make anybody believe you about your identity.

And you can't force anyone to understand you either.

The only things you have control over is yourself.

You know who you are better then anyone else and no one can take that away from you.

What other people think of you on an individual level is none of your business.

[fromfiction]

The reality of being fictionkin or a fictive is that sometimes you'll be sitting there, staring off into space, reliving the moment of your brutal death, and then you'll get up and go into the kitchen and eat a cookie.

[aestherians]

We all need different things from representation, and I don't think that's anymore clear than when it comes to 'otherkin hrt' art. I get it, I get it, it's beautiful, I understand why so many of us feel represented by it.

But I don't. It's painful for me to read those comics and fics. All they do is remind me of what I'll never achieve. I will never become a gnoll, bodily, and I will never be reunited with my gnoll clan. I will never get to live the gnoll life I was meant to live, and stories of nonhuman hrt only deepen my dysphoria.

I'm comforted by stories of nonhumans forced into human bodies. Kazimir the dragon from Burn. Elfangor the andalite from Animorphs. Murder the raven from No Evil. And the other way around too - humans forced to live as animals. Tobias from Animorphs, forced to live as a hawk (I read a lot of Animorphs ok). Kenai from Brother Bear, forced to live as a bear. Werewolf stories where the lycanthropy is genuinely unwanted.

Stories of knowing your body is wrong and knowing you're powerless to do anything about it, and finding a way to live with that. That's my representation.

[interstellarsystem]

Nonhumans are here, even if you do not see us. We always will be. We are often hard to spot, but can be found doing all the things a human might.

A cat went to work at an event stall for a mental health service.

A massive sea serpent wanted to go to science class because it enjoyed it more than the rest of those living in its shared form.

The void sat down, huddled up in a blanket, to watch a tv show with its partners. It had to stop watching after a bit, but enjoyed spending time with those close to it anyway.

A wolf went to a psychologist appointment and gratefully drank the hot chocolate they were offered in the waiting room.

A shapeshifting being of pure darkness spoke publicly about trans rights in front of politicians and then went to the pride festival he helped fight to keep alive.

A dragon went to school so the others sharing his human body could have a break.

A manifestation of the fear of madness itself sat in the food court at the mall eating mochi and drinking tea while waiting for its friends to get back from shopping.

A witch drew a picture of his cardinal bird and shared the work he was so proud of with his friends.

A cockatoo borrowed the next book in his favourite series from the school library and almost couldn't wait the whole day to go home and read it.

An alien went camping and watched the birds outside and the way the wind made waves and patterns on the water.

A fallen angel went shopping for sunglasses to shield his eyes from how bright the sun was.

A harpy went shopping for new plants to look after. He named a few because he loved them so much, and sent pictures to all of his friends.

An anthropomorphic hedgehog traded Pokemon cards with his peers at school. He was happy with his collection.

You may not see us, and you may feel alone, but you are not. We are just hidden. We are in more places than you'd think, and in the places you'd least expect. We are complex, we are valued, and we are here.

[leviafin]

Exotrauma

Having exotrauma from a "cringe" or "silly" source sucks. It feels like you're taken infinitely less seriously than those who have trauma from grittier, adult-geared and/or "acceptable" sources. Which in and of itself just isolates you and makes it worse.

I'm not just a silly little thing from your silly little Roblox game that could never show signs of trauma because it's 'just a kids game'--and I'm not your blorbo either. It feels like there's 2 common options for how people treat fictionkind with exotrauma:

Oh my poor little scrunkly, my little cardboard box meow meow.... Going to hold you because I love babying you and treating you like you're not even a person because I see you only as my favourite character. (Mind you, this is distinctly SEPARATE from actual friendly support, you can tell the difference.)

You're not a fictional character, get over it lmao. Yeah I know you are them but like you didn't ACTUALLY live through that, stop claiming it, it's disrespectful. Why are you upset at my memes about your death lol. Get a life.

So like... Maybe fictionkind are people. Maybe I don't want to think about the worse parts of my source. Maybe I don't want my trauma shoved in my face as a little funny joke, even if the context is changed. Maybe, just maybe... Leave alterhumans with fictional sources alone. Even if their source is lighthearted, even if it's for kids, even if it's the most "cringe" media you can think of.

Sonic the Hedgehog might've seemed fine in-source but maybe he's fucked up from all that he's been through. That warrior cat alterhuman isn't just being edgy, maybe they're suffering from the memories of fighting to survive day in and day out. Bluey is allowed to be not okay, and their source shouldn't dictate their experiences. Do you ever think that some Pokemon or trainers don't have amazing, adventurous lives travelling around with their best friends? Mario might have nightmares and flashbacks from his source. Mickey Mouse is allowed to be hurt, and allowed to express that. That MLP alterhuman isn't always going to be just a happy colourful magic pony with no issues whatsoever.

We are PEOPLE, and our sources being "happy", "for kids", "light-hearted", "fun" or anything of the sort should NOT dictate how we are treated here, what our experiences are "allowed" to be, or how we are expected to act. Treat fictionkind--of all sorts--like PEOPLE.

[insectoidvoid]

watching your mutual's source and seeing them appear on screen

[monster-untamed]

Oh btw spiritual doesn’t alway mean past life👍

Be sure to actually ask that therian/otherkin/fictionkin