HIHI!!! Ive just binged ur whole blog an im. grjkfmkf. ur so silly :O
but umhg anyway uh in your own words, what's the difference between a fictionkin, alter and an IRL?? I wanna hear it from u, maybe itll help me understand it i guess?? Idk hhghn have a great day mr mephone man :)
i just woke up from HIBERNATING so sorry if im like. messy and bad at Words
First and foremost, an alter is a member of a system
Long story short, a system is a group of people that all share a brain and body (I have a long big explanation about WHY this happens but usually cause of trauma) (..me coded..)
Those in systems may also ask not to be called alters - if they do, respect these wishes! Our collective preference here is sysmates / headmates, although there is ONE person in my brain who is okay with being called a 'part'
A fictionkin is someone who identifies as a fictional character due to a strong connection iirc?
An IRL is near the same thing, but may be involuntary, and may include false memories.
THESE TWO ARE JUST MY PERSONAL DEFINITIONS BASED ON MY OWN EXPERIENCES! TAKE THEM WITH A GRAIN OF SALT
Since discovering I was the host of a system I have ALSO found another term that describes me quite well - COPINGLINK
A copinglink is where you choose to identify as a fictional character (either of your own creation or an already existing character) as a way to cope with your trauma and stress.
In my experience, I already had a strong link to the character Mephone that was NOT a choice because he has very similar trauma to me, and then I WILLINGLY chose for that to be my outward identity
Due to the big Dissociation part and Escapism that comes with being a system, I also gained false memories of being Mephone because It Be Like That Sometimes
ALSO friendly reminder that labels about identity are just a tool to describe things! They arent required. and they dont have to explain exactly the same thing for everyone! I personally feel a lot better when I have labels that fit me, as it makes me feel more grounded and stable