Here be bears

A blog for system shenanigans They/them, adult Header: Crystalline Light - William H. Hays

[inside-fishs-mouth]

Inspired by what Orchard System did over here! Moodboards! Wahoo!!

Most images are from around Tumblr and should be findable on our alt; some are from ourselves and some of the wolf ones are from iNaturalist (our beloved)

[inside-fishs-mouth]

Another two! Technically there's a third but that one I don't feel comfortable sharing without a link to image sources so

[semiplural]

Pathos

Plural Catch-22: the path to happiness is lined with people who will call you fake for trying to walk it.

Fuck them. Walk it anyway.

Image ID in alt text and under the cut.

Image one: Red, drawn repeatedly in boxes where she experiences intense suffering: "Why am I more palatable to the Average Joe if I paint myself crying and (censored) and suffering and dying a thousand times over than if I draw my system smiling?"

Part of the system is drawn smiling: Red, Hawthorne, and Gwen.

Image two: "It's pathologization, of course." A drawing of Red as the Vitruvian Man, wings and tail and broken halo extended, head duplicated. Figure one: the broken must suffer to be broken in a way that matters. Figure two: if you're not suffering, then I can ignore you. Figure three: if you're weird and happy, then you're a lying, cheating bitch who deserves to be hung in the public square.

"If you're not normal, then you're suffering." "If you're not suffering, then you're normal. Get with the program and stop pretending you're strange."

Image three: Red, sitting curled up and turned away, broken halo and a devil's tail. "I hate it. I hate that most of the Western, colonized world sees my existence as inherently awful. I hate that my existence is still something to cure. I hate that a system broadcasting their trauma is treated as more real than one broadcasting their joy."

[crimsoncorona]

See, what bothers me is the double standard of it all. We're sick if we're multiple and miserable. We're liars if we're multiple and happy. We were never multiple at all if we fuse, and people will take every chance they get to prove we were faking it in the first place. You're damned if you do, damned if you don't, and double-damned if you try something else.

What does anyone want from us? For us to shut up and disappear so you can call us fake again? For us to drag ourselves over hot coals until we're in enough pain to satisfy you? For us to wring out every drop of our trauma history for your entertainment, just so you can discard us the second you have a different opinion about anything at all?

The plural community's not exempt from this issue. You know which systems get reblogged the most? Which systems get their words taken as Expert Advice? Who gets heard, who gets thought of, who gets boosted? Have you ever noticed that some systems are palatable and others aren't, and that people regularly throw the unpalatable systems in harm's way to justify their own reality as "one of the good ones?"

Do you really think Western medicine thinks any of us are "the good ones?" There are no good madmen, only quiet ones.

[shutup-playthehits]

[transientsatellite]

Some of this is actually probably wrong, such is the nature of having a bad memory for aforementioned reasons

[semiplural]

System Mapping

System mapping is the process of making a model of your system in some way.

Many systems make system maps. A system list is a system map in one of its simplest forms, but there are a lot of other kinds of system maps that people might make to get more information. Some system maps might show internal structure and lines of communication. Some show relationships or opinions. Some show common themes and differences between system members. Etc.

There's really no wrong way to make a map. What matters is that the map is useful to you- it should give you information that helps you work with your system better. It might give you a better understanding of why your system works the way it does, or it might tell you who might need support or who might need to work on establishing communication.

Communication

Sometimes, it can be useful to map out who in your system can talk to whom. This is a very simple kind of map to make, and it gives you useful information about your system that ranges from "huh, these two can't reach each other" to "there's a gap here- are we missing someone?"

Lay out every known system member on a piece of paper. If two people can talk to each other, draw a line between them. If the communication is one-way only, draw an arrow. If two people can't reach each other, don't connect them. If two people can reach each other indirectly but you don't know who's linking them together like that, draw a line with a gap in it.

You might also add dotted lines for weak or unreliable communication, or other kinds of lines for other special cases.

Relationship

It can be helpful to know how different system members get along (or don't). Relationships in a system can be mapped with something similar to a shipping diagram, and looking at the resulting map can make it very obvious if someone is overall liked, disliked, rejected, etc. It can also point out interesting patterns in who gets along and who doesn't.

Draw your system members arranged in a circle. Then, draw color-coded (or otherwise coded- make a key) lines between members that like each other, dislike each other, or have other important opinions about each other.

Structure

Sometimes, drawing the arrangement of your system can teach you how to work with it better.

If two people feel close to each other (e.g. they may have unusually easy communication, common interests or themes, common issues, etc.), then draw them close together. If two people feel far apart (e.g. poor communication, lots of differences and disagreements, don't really understand each other), then draw them far apart.

By the end of this, you have a map that shows you which people are clustered together and which people are disconnected, rejected, or otherwise pushed away. This can be very useful when trying to bring any cast-out people closer to the rest of your group, as it can make isolation very obvious.

You can also map other aspects of system structure. For example, you might consider mapping the relationship between the different places that people can occupy in your system (front, back, etc.):

This kind of map can be very abstract sometimes. We have a few structure maps that we've made over the years, and they probably don't make a ton of sense to people that aren't in our group, but they've helped us a lot.

You might also consider mapping associations. What colors are associated with your system members? Do they have common themes or imagery? Does everyone associated with the color green have a hard time talking to people associated with blue? Are powerful people usually associated with certain species?

Timeline

Sometimes, it can be helpful to make a timeline of important life events that happened to your group. If you have guesses about when some people showed up or changed, then putting those dates on the timeline can give you insight into what those people might be dealing with.

Content warning for trauma, suicide and egocide, and general unpleasantry if you read this one. We censored the most sensitive parts (and those we'd simply prefer to keep private), but it's still heavier than the other maps in this post.

Headspace

If your headspace is possible to map, then sometimes mapping it can teach you something about your system. It doesn't have to be very detailed to help, nor does it have to be entirely logical.

We don't have the one headspace map we've made in easy reach, unfortunately, and it's out of date. That said, conventional land mapping tricks will often work for places in headspace. Recreating headspace in a game like The Sims or Minecraft is also an option.

If multiple places overlap, then consider making a pop-up map or otherwise representing that overlap- it can be useful information. Likewise, if parts of headspace correspond to parts of your body or parts of your system, then it can be helpful to make a note about that.

Adapting for Large and Complex Systems

Larger systems may not all fit on one piece of paper. Complex systems may not fit on a 2D surface at all- there might be layers involved that need a 3D surface. System mapping still works for these cases, but you may need to approach it a little differently.

Try mapping your system's subgroups instead of individual people.

Try making multiple maps for different "regions" of the system. Consider including information on how those maps connect together.

Make good use of color coding and keys to pack more information into a smaller space.

Try mapping by using digital drawing programs and tools. A digital canvas can be much larger than a physical one.

Try mapping in 3D. Make a sculpture, stack sheets of paper, fold the paper, use the back side, draw a 3D shape, and experiment with other ways of arranging the map to better reflect your situation.

Use multiple kinds of map. Each map is likely to have part of the overall picture, and looking at them together is likely to give you useful information about how it all fits together.

Finally: system mapping is not required. It can be helpful for some systems, but it won't work for everyone, and some systems find that it harms them or makes their lives harder to live. If mapping doesn't work for you, then that's okay- there are plenty of other ways to get to know your system better. Do what works.

[gatheringbones]

I love your agreeable and amenable and flexible nature and how none of your wants and needs ever get priority and how nobody even knows what they are to begin with and how you never start or engage in conflicts and never express even mildly unsavory opinions and get along with everyone from every conceivable group, that’s so trustworthy. hey quick question. do you happen to have an enormous pressurized reservoir of rage and resentment you feel like you can’t ever analyze or express because that would break the rules for the kind of person you are and if so, do you think a lifetime of squashing it down might ever backfire?

[an-arctic-circle]

OH 🍏 and 💞 FROM THE OTHER ONE TOO

-lame ass GIRLFRIEND [inconsistent gender + genderfluid guy momence]

🍏 - what’s one experience u look back on from before u knew u were a system and go “oh my god, it’s so obvious i was plural!”

Mentioned before but the “going ❄️-mode to deal with an anxiety spike” even though I was supposedly just an OC is very funny in retrospect. And also all our weird reactions to stuff that happened in the ttrpg game where we were playing a version of me (I.e. reacting too ‘in character’ in out of game discussions, feeling what we thought were ‘vicarious’ changes in gender/sexuality stuff during RP).

💞 - which one of ur headmates would u trust the least with the task of babysitting?

Probably me tbh. My irritability and anger would NOT mix well with having kids around I think. ☁️’s the next least trustworthy candidate because, while they do have a whimsical and comfy vibe that might work well with kids, their distaste for words and desire for low stimulation probably would be a big hindrance. 🧭 is the best option but overall I don’t think we would be that good a babysitter in general lmao.

- ❄️

[slightly-sigilant]

Plural Experiences Ask Game

I keep seeing people say that they wish the plural community would focus less on labels and slapfighting and more on the experience of living as plural, so I decided to make an ask game about it. All systems welcome to participate as long as you respect the spirit of the post and don't drag discourse onto it. Feel free to copy and paste this wherever with or without credit, a bunch of these questions were lifted from other places anyway.

I tried to pick or at least phrase questions to be as inclusive as possible, but I've almost certainly missed things - plurality is diverse and my system only experiences a small corner of it. I encourage people to make their own ask games!

🌱 (seedling) - How did you discover you were plural?

💐 (bouquet) - What analogy would you use to describe your system to a curious stranger?

🌸 (cherry blossom) - What things were major influences upon your system? (e.g. life events both positive and negative; meaningful media; other identities)

🌻 (sunflower) - If you can communicate internally, what is that like? If you can't communicate internally, do you have other methods for communicating with each other?

🍁 (maple leaf) - If you can switch, what is that like? If you can't switch, is it something that you're interested in?

🪴 (potted plant) - If you have a headspace, what is that like? If you don't have a headspace, where do system members normally hang out?

🍂 (fallen leaves) - Do you experience yourselves as individuals, as parts of a whole, or some secret other thing?

🌴 (palm tree) - Is there anything that you do to spend time together?

🌿 (herb) - What tools, if any, do you use to navigate life as a plural system?

🌲 (evergreen tree) - What kinds of relationships (familial, romantic, platonic, etc) exist between members of the system?

🌵 (cactus) - Do system members have disagreements with each other? How do you resolve them, if so?

🌺 (hibiscus) - Is there a "common" plural experience that you don't experience?

🌾 (sheaf of rice) - What does your average day look like? How does plurality intersect with it?

🎍 (kadomatsu) - Do you decorate your space or keep mementos of/for yourself and other system members? (e.g. perfumes, clothes for specific people, art, jewelry)

🍎 (apple) - What advice would you give to a singlet looking to be an ally?

🍀 (four leaf clover) - What advice would you give to a newly selves-discovered system?

🌹 (rose) - Is plurality, overall, a net positive or a negative for you? (Or neither?) If given the opportunity to become singlet (whether through fusion or everyone getting their own body), would you take it?

[an-arctic-circle]

🟥⬛❤️‍🩹 then there's another i forgot i thiiiink 💚

Obviously as your lame ass boyfriend[/the bit] I'm pretty sure i know all of this but. I'm forcing you to dance for me. Mother of Puppets style /silly

🟥how easily accessed is your headspace? (If you have one)

We usually sort of have to like, ‘step back’ from the body to do so? From what we can tell this means we are visibly spacing tf out. ☁️ I think has it come to them most easily, but part of that might be a general tendency towards dissociation / being less grounded in the body while fronting.

⬛how does your system handle in system disagreements in general?

We haven’t had many I don’t think. Current disagreement has been Me Pushing Myself Too Hard and so far that’s been approached with gentle pestering (🧭) and affection (☁️). So. Do with that what you will.

❤️‍🩹how good is your communication with the rest of the system? does it vary much between different alters?

I think we are all decently good at communication? If 🧭 or I need each other it’s usually pretty easy to get the other’s attention esp if they are internally ‘awake’ already. ☁️ is a bit unique in this way as well. As it’s easy for us to communicate with them in front. But they sometimes they are very inaccessible when not fronting unless they themselves choose to appear (it’s hard to ‘prompt’ them I guess you could say). Maybe has something to do with them being so very sleepy…

💚does your system have introjects of any kind?

COMPLICATED. I have the funny situation of not knowing whether I am an introject of a long term OC or if that OC and her iterations were ‘based’ on our internal perception of myself at the time. 🧭 for sure has some amount of Siffrin ISAT stuff going on (and us as a pair relate a lot to the like. Siffrin & Loop dynamic) but they don’t really know if it really ‘counts’ as true introjection esp since we think they formed prior to us playing ISAT.

- ❄️

[inside-fishs-mouth]

Yes, if you combine them all together,

[starfallsystemblog2]

System ask game stolen and edited from r/systemcringe

❤are you medically recognised/diagnosed? if not, do you plan to? (no judgement either way!)

🧡if you are comfortable sharing, what is your headcount? do you keep track of it?

💛do you switch frequently or do you go longer periods between switching?

💚does your system have introjects of any kind?

💙do you have any subsystems?

💜who are your frequent fronters?

🤎do you have any non-human alters? if yes, which species are they?

🖤do you make/buy gifts to other alters in the system?

🤍does the taste in music vary a lot between different alters?

🔴does your system have any type of in system relationships? (familial, romantic, platonic etc.)

🟠how much amnesia do you experience?

🟡do you experience black out amnesia?

🟢what does switching feel like for you? does it vary between alters?

🔵do you experience quick switches or does it take longer to switch usually?

🟣do you get frontstuck often? what do you do to try to get 'un-stuck'?

🟤do you ever not notice you've switched, and suddenly realise that 'you haven't been you' for a while?

⚫can you switch 'on command" or is that something that is hard for your system? does it depend on the alter?

⚪do you have a headspace? if yes, describe it! if no, do you want one?

🟥how easily accessed is your headspace? (If you have one)

🟧is there a place in your headspace where dormant alters go?

🟨do alters have their own rooms/areas in your headspace?

🟩is your headspace big, or smaller? is it complex/less complex?

🟦do you have specific alters that cannot access headspace at all?

🟪did you have to build your headspace over time, or was it just there?

🟫how did you pick your system name?

⬛how does your system handle in system disagreements in general?

⬜is there anyone specific in your system you don't get along with?

❤️‍🔥are you 'out' as a system to anyone? (online friends/partners etc. count!)

❤️‍🩹how good is your communication with the rest of the system? does it vary much between different alters?

💔are different alters part of different subcultures? which ones?

[plural-vrz]

PLURAL ASK GAME!! ⋆˙⟡

⊹ ࣪ ˖͙͘͡★ the randomest and silliest questions :3

!! this post is for everybody! u may use this regardless of origin/beliefs, just remember to follow ur own dni

🌸 - if ur system had a theme song, what would it be?

🍃 - if ur whole system got stranded on an island, who would survive the longest?

🌷 - do u have any alters with an oddly specific role/purpose?

🍏 - what’s one experience u look back on from before u knew u were a system and go “oh my god, it’s so obvious i was plural!”

🪷 - what’s ur most obscure/unusual introject source?

🍀 - what’s the weirdest thing u have overheard another alter say?

💞 - which one of ur headmates would u trust the least with the task of babysitting?

🍬 - do u have any in-sys relationships? if so, which one(s) is the most iconic/important?

🌱 - if u had to assign each of ur alters an energy drink flavor to describe them, what would they be?

🌺 - do u have any belongings that are owned by a specific alter? if so, what are they?

🍡 - which one of ur alters would u think would be the best president?

🧩 - does ur system have any nonhuman alters? if so, what’s the silliest creature u have?

💗 - do u have any rivalries in ur system? lighthearted or otherwise!

🌿 - what’s the most oddly specific front trigger u have?

🎀 - who was the first alter u discovered in ur system?

🥝 - which one of ur headmates is the most likely to participate in stupid internet trends? (e.g. cinnamon challenge, tide pod challenge, etc)

💓 - if ur system had a dance-off, who would be the champion?

[dogwise]

PRACTICE URGE SURFING

[dogwise]

[bunnybites-art]

“So close, no matter how far / Couldn’t be much more from the heart / Forever trusting who we are / And nothing else matters.”

🎶 Nothing Else Matters by Metallica

[transmutationisms]

a danger of talking about diagnosis as though it legitimises xyz functional struggle is that it always carries the implication that people w/out a medical chart designation are not entitled to experience the same difficulties, or more specifically are not entitled to the accommodations for it. this has obviously shitty consequences for people who cannot afford encounters w/ the medical system, but also for those who simply don't fit or don't use specific professionally legitimated nosological taxonomies. this is why it's interpreted as a threat to recognise & accommodate disability w/out requiring a specific diagnostic term or process as a mediator. diagnosis can only grant access to certain resources for certain people by virtue of its antithetical power to gatekeep them from others; and ofc the access it does grant is always & therefore limited and precarious in nature

[alteredpanel]

(obscuring username as not to single anybody out + not negative. just in case someones shy) but this is actually what we did with our journals at first too. we used lighthouse for some time, alongside discord/simplyplural. but with simplyplural being left and not wanting to be as on our phone/computer, we switched to paper.

for people with higher system counts, there are actually really good paperback journal 'packs' you can get at most stationary stores. if buying a 10/15$ journal seems too intimidating, you can get these packs for like, 10 dollars total, and each one only has about 40ish pages.

this way if you have parts that dont front as frequently, you dont have anyone worrying about 'waste' while still providing them their own space. these are just a few examples.

something unexpected this ended up helping with was actually our individual memories too. i noticed some people asking 'how do you journal if you're blurry/have bad memory as a part?' and, well, that's actually why i started doing it. i wanted to remember more than just 'feeling bad' whenever i fronted, so i carry my journal with me and write down basically like, everything.

even just passing thoughts like 'i kind of wish we had beef strips at home for dinner' or 'im really excited for artfight this year'. when you're trying to recover as a system, especially as a part thats been heavily slotted with a lot of 'negative' emotions, its important to give yourself the space to express more than those things. if you only ever remember yourself as being 'angry/bad' then you wont develop much past that, and you start to internalize that shit and really hate yourself.

journaling has been a great outlet for me to vent and draw my own stuff, but it's also given me some dignity and the space to feel like a person outside of just being like. traumatized. i sort of use it as a vault of everything about me, good and bad, important and trivial.

also like, importantly, from both an eco friendly and anticap standpoint, you can really just use stuff you have lying around the house already. i think personalizing your journal is important, but you can also do that without going out and buying 56347875 things. personally i got really into junk journaling alongside writing and drawing, because it gave me a spot to put a lot of the cool stuff that other people would think is trash.

[alteredpanel]

journals