#i just want to make timelines make sense in equivalents rather than working strictly in time units

[transingthoseformers]

Wait i just remembered something from my tfwiki dive i did trying to find out character ages

Bumblebee was created towards the end of the war, and he's supposed to be 20ish right? Define end of war, because before this point i was working under the assumption of the war being equivalent of 20ish years in Cybertronian timescales.

Though, I've agreeded in my head as of today that Cybertronian lifespans don't work like human lifespans. Basically, they seem to skip all of the younger stages, and automatically online in the teen range. And while mathematically all of the adult stages are much longer, mecha seem to stay at the thirty-ish and middle aged stages than the fresh adult.

[askelectrochromic]

Ghor, Kypros, and Helena

Just some thoughts on Ghor’s inclusion, Kypros Station, and Helena the Stationmaster, since I’ve finally posted the chapter she appears in.

This one got long, so, Electrochromic AU worldbuilding under the cut, featuring mention of a slightly obscure RPG system, Greek mythology, discussion of backups/synths, and an as-yet-unwritten series timeline.

As always, the inbox is open for further questions and clarification!

I knew early on that I wanted to include Ghor and expand on the technology of “backups” in the Metroid universe. Ghor especially struck me as the type that there was no excuse for him not to be backed up. Being familiar with other Sci-fi media where consciousness backups are commonplace, coming back to Fusion and seeing Samus’s genuine surprise, and the fact that the GF’s backup system seemed to be sort of an open secret rather than common knowledge, made me want to expand on that a little more. 

(To digress: My familiarity with the vocab for this, especially from the Eclipse Phase RPG system, made writing some of these sequences tough initially. I don’t use EP’s vocabulary of “ego” vs “morph,” as these aren’t established anywhere in the Metroidverse. In fact, they seem to go about things the long way, referring to Adam’s backup in Fusion as a “consciousness uploaded to a computer.” While that makes sense for the plot-dump at the end of the game, I wanted a shorter way to refer to things for the ease of telling the story. Hence why I tend to go with “backup” or “upload” to refer to the conscious component, and “frame” to refer to a physical body. 

Notably, “eidolon” is borrowed from Eclipse Phase; the digital equivalent of a “morph.” An eidolon is a framework for an ego to run on that can be tailored, like a custom-built body, to specific tasks. For the sake of argument/in EP terms, Adam’s eidolon is fairly generic, probably with a mild specialization in multitasking. Mainly it serves as a sensory template, as discussed in “Cyanide.”) 

Back on track: I wanted to give Ghor a place outside of Federated space, as I liked the idea of backups being sort of a grey-market thing in the setting. Not strictly illegal, but hard to come by if you’re going through the “proper” channels. But Ghor having his own station or miniature hab seemed... a bit much. He’s a humble guy and strikes me as very community-minded, so it would be hard for him to live all alone somewhere, even if he had something like the Twins to keep him company.

“Kypros” was the working name for the station and it ended up sticking, I liked the Greek mythology theme for the naming conventions, which is consistent with existing stuff in the Metroidverse. Helena herself fits this motif too. The implied backstory of Kypros evolved as I looked more at the setting and tried to flesh out Helena herself. I’ll probably write more about this in another blog, maybe once I finish “Iron and Sulfur” (No doubt you’ve noticed references to “sovereign-corporate habitats” and “The Horus Rebellion.” I took a heavy dose of inspiration from Eclipse Phase again, and I’ll expand on those later.) Essentially the station is a “company town” for Kypros Mining, most inhabitants are employees or travelling business contacts in some capacity.

As mentioned, Kypros’s trade and location make it a hotspot for synthetic individuals. Similar to the way backups are grey-market, I imagine there’s some discomfort surrounding synthetics/androids/AIs in Federated territory, so these individuals tend to keep to the fringes. While not outright outlawed or persecuted, “biochauvanism” (another EP term I have borrowed) seems a likely thing, considering the treatment of M.B./Melissa and the notable lack of unmanned mechanoids in the GF’s employ. This is part of why Samus makes a point of apologizing to Adam for her comments on the BSL; she doesn’t consciously subscribe to a biochauvanist mindset, and wants to be sure she isn’t unconsciously espousing those values by treating an AI poorly, regardless of its identity.

Being a “sovereign-corporate” station, Helena is the owner and CEO(?) of Kypros Mining, and also responsible for the physical station itself as Stationmaster. She’s a busy woman. And very much a part of the station itself. While it isn’t explicitly said, I wanted it to be hinted that Helena’s goal of sorts is to become one with her station once her body can no longer support her. Digitizing herself and living within Kypros’s network after her biological death.

Originally, Helena was just an elderly woman with a strong engineering background. A sort of hyper-practical but still matronly figure. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to make her a “cyborg” to rival Ghor’s original depiction in Corruption. I wanted to include a disabled character that felt powerful and was clearly confident and comfortable in her situation. Helena’s sense of presence for Samus and the reader were important to me; she’s not just an old lady melting into the background, she’s everywhere, and every bit as capable as Ghor or her employees.

I also wanted to throw some minor trope subversion into her bond with Ghor. I wanted Samus and the reader to wonder about his relationship with this woman; is this a crush? a partnership? just a business contact? They both talk about Phobos and Deimos like family, do they “have kids” together in the form of these twin AIs? I even purposefully used the term “meet-cute” in Ghor’s dialogue, and set up the scenario like something out of a rom-com. But it should be evident that, while he may have a certain affection for Helena, the relationship is one of intellectual attraction and mutual respect.

To throw a further wrench into the “rom-com” aspect, while I haven’t posted a full timeline yet, by my reckoning Helena was already in her 60s when she met Ghor. I liked the image of this stern, experienced engineer chastising a much younger Ghor for being careless on a long-haul flight. But it was not a “motherly” attachment, not even really a mentor-student bond. Just two people with a strong, shared inclination finding one another and bonding over their mutual interest. It’s highly likely Ghor isn’t even human, or knew/cared much about the human life-cycle at the time. Helena was just another engineer, or rather, not just “some engineer”, but a kindred spirit, regardless of her age, gender, or species.

Anyway, that’s all for now. Thanks for reading! A reminder that the inbox is open for further questions, not just about what I have here but about the series as a whole. Until next time!

[crescairis]

I was wondering if you had another source that otherlinkers were explicitly excluded from the original definition of otherkind in 1990? The source on AnOtherWiki leads to a 2001 FAQ that doesn't mention anything like that. Also, otherlinkers aren't the same thing as KFF.

(just as a warning, this is going to be a LONG post, but i'd rather not put it under the cut for archival reasons, in the case that for some reason this blog disappears)

firstly, i'd like to apologize for phrasing things as if KFFs and otherlinkers were the same thing; a better phrased way to say things would be for me to say that i think many KFFs would be otherlinkers, were they to acknowledge that their experiences don't fit the definition of otherkin.

something else i'd also like to note that i've been thinking about (while it isn't exactly related to this question) is that perhaps people are misinterpreting the terms "voluntary" and "involuntary".

i feel that many people think "voluntary" simply means the initial decision to willingly take on an identity, which is, in part, true! however, voluntary identities are very likely to become involuntary, simply because it becomes too emotionally/mentally difficult to separate oneself from the identity that they've chosen.

being drawn to something, or someone, enough to take it on as an identity can often be a sign of something deeper! i would see this as a form of awakening in and of itself—like cracking open a geode, or perhaps like putting on training wheels before you experience the real thing.

but back to your first question: the way i initially phrased that post was also rushed, as we were trying very hard to write it during a single lunch break at work.

the term otherlinker is a very recent invention (coined in 2018 on the alt-h discord server, while copinglink was coined in 2015 by who-is-page), as being otherkin has always largely been considered a serious, personal experience. only recently have people NEEDED to specify that it's involuntary, so the only sources i can give you are ones that cite otherkinity as being intended as a serious identity, as well as those that state that otherkinity is not as shallow as a game or roleplay.

also important to note is that many of these pages were made and existed before fictionkin were a largely documented (let alone accepted) presence, thus they are scarcely mentioned, (and typically with skepticism or even scorn,) save for on their own, smaller pages. for our own personal comfort, we will not be listing sources that discredit fictionkinity completely.

firstly, here's a full timeline of otherkin history by orion scribner, to show the scope we're looking at

Otherkin Lexicon by Orion Scribner: "Otherkin are real, non-fictional people who identify as other than human. Otherkin identify as creatures from myth and legend, usually elves, faeries, and dragons. This is a sincere identity, not role-play. Many otherkin identify as other than human for spiritual reasons; that is, they classify their identity as otherkin as a personal spiritual belief. Being otherkin is a very individualistic thing: each otherkin reaches his own explanation for how and why he is an otherkin. Some of their common spiritual explanations include that they are other than human in spirit, or they were other than human in past incarnations.187 Although spiritual belief is often involved, “otherkin” isn’t a religion. As such, each person who identifies as otherkin practices whatever religion he individually wants. It has always been the case that most of the otherkin community practices Neo-Pagan religions, and so that religious perspective shapes the common views and ideas in the otherkin community. Some otherkin don’t use spiritual explanations. Some otherkin believe that they are physically other than human, or that their ancestors were."

A Field Guide to Otherkin by Lupa: "The definition for Otherkin I will be using for this book is: a person who believes that, through either a nonphysical or (much more rarely) physical means, s/he is not entirely human. This means that anyone who relates internally to a nonhuman species either through soul, mind, body, or energetic resonance, or who believes s/he hosts such a being in hir body/mind, is in my own definition of Otherkin. Some people do have more stringent standards. However, for the purposes of this book, I am including a wider range of people.

"This is not a roleplaying game. When a person says s/he is a dragon, or a wolf, or an elf, s/he is not referring to a character that s/he only becomes during a gaming session. That which is Other is a constant part of the person; s/he is the Other at all times. Grey, a wolf therian,says it marvelously: “Perhaps I should say that if a being is a color, or a sound, I am two items merged to form a different color/sound. The two are within each other. Sometimes plain to see, sometimes deeply mixed.”"

A Simple Introduction to Otherkin and Therianthropes by Orion Scribner: "Some real people think of themselves as kinds of creatures from mythology. These people call themselves “otherkin.” An otherkin has the belief that he is a creature from mythology, such as an elf. He says that elf is his true self. It is his identity. This is real to him. It isn’t a pretend person that he plays in a game."

The Otherkin Resource Center: "1 : one who identifies with various mythological archetype as vehicles of spiritual evolution and self-expression, similar to Native totemism only with a stronger level of self-identification.

"2 : someone who believes in reincarnation, and that not all of their reincarnations were as a human."

What are Otherkin? by Tirl Windtree: "By far the most common explanation from those who fit the definition (even if they don't claim this specific label) is that whilst their physical forms may be human, their essence, soul or equivalent term is not.

"Of those, the majority make their claim based on reincarnation - what they have been in a previous incarnation so strongly affects their current incarnation that they still identify with it. Obviously this requires a belief in reincarnation, and in the transmigration of souls. Both are reasonably common in a number of religions and spiritual beliefs across the world."

"The most frequent accusation is that all otherkin are lost in fantasy, they've played one too many D&D games and gone over the edge. Personal study seems to indicate this is actually one of the least frequent explanations. Most roleplayers know they are roleplaying, even if they are also otherkin, and roleplaying can be a very useful tool in self exploration."

The Lostkin Project by Gazer: "Otherkin are the supernatural among us. They are the elves, dragons, nymphs, and trolls that used to live more openly amoung humankind. Some are from other dimensions and other places. You may occasionally see them refered to as Otherkind. Otherkin is the more generally accepted term."

Otherkin Coalition by Kreyas: "What is Otherkin?

In a nutshell, Otherkin are a coalition of people who share in common the belief that some internal part of them is somehow incongruent with the rest of the human race. Beyond that, beliefs vary too widely to classify them into any one group.

Some of the most common beliefs are that the soul is somehow different from human. This may go in hand with a belief in reincarnation and “imprinting” (in which a past life as another species leaves an imprint on the soul which is then carried over into the next life), or the individual may believe that this is his/her first life and they are simply different.

Above all, Otherkin is a spiritual belief.

"Are Otherkin really a bunch of delusional, socially maladaptive kids like I read on that website?

NO. As with any group, not everyone fits the stereotype. Any community is going to have its bad apples which stand out in people’s minds better than the typical members. In my experience, Otherkin are usually levelheaded and able to question their beliefs and function in human society.

"Is it a Roleplaying thing?

NO. While some Otherkin may participate in roleplaying, strictly speaking the beliefs are separate from the roleplay - even if they are roleplaying as their identified “kintype”."

Otherkin FAQ v 4.0.1 by Arhuaine, Miaren Crowsdaughrer, Thistile Kachunk, Golden Syrpent, Knight of Ghosts and Shadows, Jarin Dreamsinger and The Crisses: "The Otherkin are those people who believe themselves to be spiritually and/or physically other than human. While mythological species (elves, satyrs, fairies, dragons, and so on) are widely accepted as being included under the term "Otherkin", many people in the community prefer to include aliens, vampires, furries, extraterrestrial humans, and other nonhuman races. A mythological or literary equivalent is not necessary to be included under "Otherkin"; there are types of otherkin that have not shown up in known legends or fiction (star-dragons, Elenari, etc.)."

What are Otherkin, Anyway? by Adnarel: "Otherkin is a term that is generally used to describe people who, In some way or another, physical bodies aside, do not feel that they are “human” in the conventional sense of the word. We (they) feel as though their spirits are not human, nor have they ever been, despite our physical bodies and outward appearance. Some otherkin have testified that they feel that this is their first time on this plane of existence, a.k.a. Earth. Others feel that they have been here numerous times to teach and to heal people. Maybe once they were here in their “true forms”. Otherkin use the term “true form” to describe what they feel to be the shape and nature of their true selves."

What Are Otherkin? by Arhuaine:

"Put simply, someone who is Otherkin feels that they have a soul (or souls) other than human. Usually this encompasses what are commonly regarded as mythical beings such as elves, dragons, fae, satyrs and so on. A broader view of otherkin might also include therianthropes (were-creatures) and those with animal souls (such people are sometimes known affectionately as "furries"), and also perhaps people who consider their souls are alien (often called star-born). The lines between Otherkin and Furries or Star-born are often blurred.

"Most Otherkin feel for most of their lives as though they don't belong. Human society seems alien and unfamiliar in many ways. They may feel isolated and unhappy, yet unable to explain these feelings at first. Then, perhaps they may begin to remember a life other than their own. Sometimes it is not easy to understand such memories, and sometimes the awakening to Otherkin-ness is a difficult and frightening process, especially if they are going through it alone. It is something not easy to share with others, for fear that they may consider you crazy.

"Being Otherkin is not something to crave, nor is it glamorous. It is a difficult and lonely path to tread, and sometimes it seems to bring only sorrow. Memories of loved ones long lost, a home that can no longer be reached, cause great pain. And yet, the life of the Otherkin is not all sadness. It is a life filled with wonder and magic, and a way of looking at the world that humans can never understand. Because magic is so much a part of an Otherkin's outlook, they may be drawn to Paganism or other New-age philosophies."

Are You 'Kin? by Gazer: "To really find out if you are otherkin takes searching. No, not on the internet, inside. You have to reach inside yourself and really look at yourself. This ,for the most part, is an inner journey. You have the answers, not me or anyone else. If you are otherkin then it is a PART of you, but you may be the only person able to find it.

The best others can do to help you is to provide pointers. Show you ways to search inside yourself, tell you how they found something inside themselves. We can hold a mirror up to you, but you won't see anything unless YOU do the looking, and what we see from our side of the mirror may not be the truth."

Otherkin Phenomena: "Otherkin are people who believe themselves to be something other than a human being on a spiritual, psychological, energetic and some even on a biological level, and choose to identify with that non-human fragment of themselves to the point where they count it as a permanent and ingrained part of their personal mythology and/or identity."

and there's plenty more! i'm just tired

i hope this helped answer your question, and perhaps gives others some insight as well!