#i'm writing something about overcoming trauma which is a difficult thing when i haven't even overcome my own trauma yet

[haitokunohonoo]

Meme thing because I'm procrastinating. Originally from here. Don't feel like answering every question though.

1. What is your species? - Ugh....

2. Are you out? To whom? - I talk to friends about it sometimes but I know most of them think it's weird. Twitter and Tiktok kinnies have made things... difficult.

3. How old were you when you realized you were not human? What made you realize it? - [REDACTED]. Friends joked about it. Went and read some studies and anecdotal essays about it. Realized they were right.

4. Do you identify as a part of the “otherkin”, or, “therian” community? What communities do you identify with? - I stay on the edges and just observe but sometimes I use the 'kin label. Can't narrow it down between "otherkin" and "fictionkin," hence an apostrophe.

6. Have you faced any abuse because of identifying not human? - No. There have been jokes but people shut up when I put my foot down.

8. Do you believe there should be non-human pride? What do you imagine it being like? - It'd be nice if more people were accepting of alterhuman identities but it's very hard to get anyone outside the community to take it seriously. Even parts of the community itself don't take it seriously. If these obstacles were overcome, I think a non-human pride event would be similar to a furry gathering but with a larger variety of non-animal things. Maybe similar to a combination furry/anime convention.

9. What does being not human mean to you? - Slow organization of whatever the hell is bouncing around inside my skull.

10. What have other people said about your non-human nature? - They're jealous of my excellent night vision and high tolerance for spicy food.

14. Tell us about a time you met another non-human, whether in real life or online. - The sister of a friend of a friend once dated a guy that was a vampire. Him and the sister had gotten frisky and he'd bitten her and left marks, which her brother was not happy about. I don't think he knew it was just a foreplay thing but the family was weirdly religious. Who knows. Anyway, the brother ambushed the guy and sucker punched his balls. It was brutal, I don't know why they didn't just talk it out. After the guy recovered, they finally came to an understanding about it but the whole thing was wild. He got punched when I was like 4ft away lmao

16. Your favorite “non-human” book (as in, non-human characters are the main focus). - Monstrous Affections by Kelly Link & Gavin J. Grant. It's an anthology.

17. Your favorite “non-human” movie. - Lost Boys is good. Terminator on a technicality.

19. Is being non-human spiritual for you? - No.

20. Tell us a few thoughts about what it’s like being your species. - Always fogging up the damn windows. Weird dreams.

22. What do you believe causes non-human identity? - From the studies I've read, it makes sense that in a lot of cases it's a coping mechanism for some difficult to process trauma. There's the spiritual aspect too, though I haven't read as much on that and won't write about it here. Another possibility is that everyone plays pretend as a kid. You're supposed to just stop doing that once you reach a certain age? Alterhumanity is deeper than just "pretend," but it's bullshit expecting people to not ever feel like something else as adults.

24. Write something or post a picture about non-humans that upsets you. - Two words: Twitter kinnies.

25. What is the worst argument you’ve heard against being non-human? - "It's just a social media/reality/delusion/etc disorder and shouldn't be taken seriously." Like no shit something's off.

26. Who is your biggest ally? - They follow me here (hi)

27. What is your favorite types of cake? - Local place has this chocolate mousse thing with chocolate shavings that's awesome.

28. What is your favorite type of pie? (Or, is pie an acceptable replacement for cake?) - Pie and cake are both killer. I like pumpkin or strawberry & rhubarb pie.

29. Where did you first learn about being non-human? - DeviantArt back around 2005-2007. I knew a lot of wolves, but I was young and mean about it.

[wintersongstress]

"missing your writing" hours😣, but i hope that all is well on your end

🥺 Not gonna lie, this made me kinda sad that I haven't been able to finish anything in awhile, but at the same time I'm happy to know that someone out there will still be interested in whatever I post next, whenever that may be. I am working on something very close to my heart nearly every day. The least I can do is share a snippet of that for now. I hope you enjoy, though please be gentle because it is only a rough draft 💕

From his satchel he retrieved a fold of parchment, secured with twine, where, gathered in its center, a sprig of tiny pink flowers awaited. You accepted it with gloved hands, unraveling the bow with a gentle tug. The page fell open, and your breath left you in the same instant.

It was a drawing of his. Of you, in full, realized detail like you had never seen before. Arthur had shown you some of his drawings in the past and you admired his quick, scratchy style—the way the long streaks of his pencil marks composed so many shapes within a scene, how the lightness and absence of them could suggest where the sun touched, and the darker shadings the natural shadows they cast. A great number of his sketches were half finished, but not this one.

In lovingly long lines and carefully measured strokes, he captured the composure of your features in a serene moment. The set of your mouth was fixed in a soft smile as you held a flower to your nose, its stem tucked gently between your thumb and forefinger. You followed the veins of the flower’s petals to the soft curls of its edges, downwards to the neat crescents of your nails, the creases of your knuckles, and the bend of your wrist where the sleeve of your blouse had gathered. Each fold of your clothing was defined with wedges of shading.

More details and undetectable hints of prowess abounded on the page, more than your mind could wrap around. The thought of how much time this took—how much care and attention and dedication he possessed—cradled your heart with more amazement than you could express in mere words. Such a tender, poignant longing flowed clear from this portrait as you held it in your hands, frozen still, taking in the expression of pure happiness on the face Arthur perceived as yours. But more than that, it was the braid of morning glory vines surrounding the portrait that stunned you the most. It was the flower you held, but more encompassed you in various states of bloom. You soaked in each sinuous tendril and droop of leaf, marveling with a fingertip the buds wrapped in a loosening spiral, eager to unfurl, and the deep bells of the full flowers where the promise of sweet pollen lay.

At length, you glanced away. Your hand had risen to your lips in disbelief, a gasp imparting from them, but you found Arthur staring at the ground with his hand behind his neck.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't've—"

“This is so beautiful," you marveled. "Do I really look like this?”

After all this time, your reflection was still something you avoided. You caught it now and again but never lingered on it, fearful to notice how much it might have changed since.

Arthur forgot his embarrassment, glancing up. His brows furrowed together and he stepped near.

“You think I’m—?” To voice the thought , it was too surreal.

The word caught in your throat, but in his eyes you found the answer.

“You’re more than beautiful.”

The soft clarity in his gaze, the honesty of his lofted brows and the wonderment of his parted lips; one look at him and you believed it for the first time in longer than you could remember. The knowledge of it lifted something dark and heavy that had clung and sapped from you for far too long, and you found it easy to step into the space between you—where the circle of his arms could enfold you, closer than you dared before—and place your hands on his chest.

A heartbeat strong and steady thrummed beneath their press. His lids lowered, his own hands came up and covered yours and kept their place. You leaned in, tilted your head, and tipped forward. With the parting of your lips you pressed against the seam of his until he yielded with a sigh. It was a soft and timid discovery of deep affection, an unraveling. His mouth was full and plush against yours and his beard scratched your cupid’s bow while your nose pressed into his cheek. A warmth enfolded your heart, like a butterfly landing, a rose unfurling, a tide meeting the shore, water sinking home into sand. You stayed that way, soaking in his nearness, and you lingered in the dream of him until you were breathless.

‘Thank you,” you whispered, and it was for more than you could say.