I was wondering for fanfiction purposes. Would it be possible for two alters to have a conversation if they weren’t fronting? And if they did would it be possible for the alter who is fronting not to be aware of it? If Marc and Jake have a conversation while Steven is fronting, could it be a secret from Steven?
I think it would be cool if you guys reviewed the show. Thanks
Hmm…. This might be a more complex question than you may have thought.
I don’t know if I would describe that as a conversation?
As a disclaimer, I’m kind of like the Steven of the group. I’m the one the others might ever be keeping a secret from. Maybe I’ll ask Nick to take a look at this and change it if they think I’ve answered incorrectly.
Also, I personally think less in language than in concepts. Like I don’t think “Oh what do I want to eat?” More I think of the concept of food and things I may want to eat. If I’m thinking in language it’s almost always to reply to or say something to someone I’m co-conscious or co-fronting with. So if I want their input on what to eat I may ask “What should I eat?” And they know to reply. (I don’t normally do that specific question because we can never agree on what to eat). We also may exchange conceptual thinking back and forth occasionally as well. I find it's just a helpful way for me individually to think without the others thinking that they need to answer, and it comes more naturally. I sometimes think if I didn't have DID I wouldn't ever think in language.
So this may also be different for systems who may all think in language all the time.
In something like this case, I would experience more of a transfer of knowledge than a verbal conversation. So it’s more like, if I want Nick to know something that I don’t want anyone else to know, I would kind of let Nick know that there is something I want them to know and we would sort of work together to kind of…let Nick know it. That’s not easy to do for me, or easy to describe. It’s like someone says “I have a secret to tell you” and then you just know what the secret is. Does that make sense? And sometimes it doesn’t work, and all of a sudden everyone knows. I really don't know how to describe it.
I don’t do this very often. I’m struggling to remember a specific time I’ve done this. In my opinion, this type of information exchange isn’t healthy or helpful when you are a system. However, other systems, or even members of my own, may be better at this than I am personally.
I'm not sure why you would need these characters to do this in this way. You could have Marc fronting and Jake co-conscious while Steven isn't "around" and then have them have that conversation. However, if you really need Steven to be fronting at the time for some reason, I think I would let this kind of conversational exchange go in a fanfic, because I’m unsure of how you would write that in an engaging way otherwise. Also, like I said, other systems may describe their experiences in that way anyway.
You may want to ask other systems their input?