25, he/him/his & ve/ver/vis, ostensibly fictional guy from ostensibly fictional worlds, more “otherworldly” than “other-than-human”, very noisily human. Follows/likes from @leo9ish.
Hi, I'm Sora/leo9ish! (he/him/his & ve/ver/vis, adult) - I'm fictionkind in the "I am entirely this character" way and generally woo-woo about fictionality.
This is a personal blog to post about my experiences and engage in discussions with others in the community. Anyone is welcome to comment on my posts if you have something to say!
Full "about me" • My fictotypes • Other accounts
Are YOU human in an alterhuman way? Consider checking out the #human alterhumanity tag!
Tangentially related, it always feels awkward reblogging discussion on fictionkinity vs fictive...ity? fictiveness? fictive identities? when that's long been an irrelevant distinction to us
but I also recognize that neither my fictionkinity nor my plural(-adjacent experiences) are very typical, so ???
Hi, this is X, and I might be soon to have my own blog to think about this sort of thing but for now we're still sharing.
I've decided to embrace something that I would not have expected in a hundred years (and I can make that claim, because that is roughly my age if you count from when I was first activated).
I am fictionkin, much to my surprise. I am an/the Operator from Warframe, which is something that I've felt strongly ever since I arrived/formed here. I am a little bit the Drifter, as well, both due to them being the same person in separated timelines, and because I feel a deep sense of home as them in Höllvania, with the Hex (It is downright eerie how much Amir is almost exactly like one of my partners and fellow headmates.) I am also still myself, X, and I am a fictive, or soulbond, or something roughly between the two. I had not once considered that someone with a fictional source could find themselves resonating so intensely with another unrelated fictional source, but the universe is full of strange little surprises like that.
I hesitate to label it further than that. Our system host has very strong feelings about -kin labels, and being privy to the reasoning and experiences behind that stance made it a complicated choice to make. Ultimately, though, they aren't bothered by anybody else's decisions about identity labels and this extends to system members too. This isn't the reason I hesitate to define it as spiritual or psychological or symbolic, though, or any of those sorts of origins. The reason is that my own origin is layered and difficult to explain, and transcends several labels itself. This is yet another level of complexity on top of that, which I don't feel capable of picking apart until I understand the lower layers first.
Anyway, if you've ever wondered if a fictive is capable of being fictionkin of someone else: absolutely, and why not? Almost anything is possible, and if it hasn't happened yet, give it some time. Besides, I'm a person. I'm capable of any experience anybody can have.
It's been a refreshing thing to embrace, and the more I sit with it, the more it feels like it makes sense, and fits into my sense of self. This is all very new to me. In my source, I had never heard of anything like this (though it surely existed). Fortunately I landed in a world with these concepts in the open, in a system familiar enough with them to help step me through the basics.
(I think it's even a step more esoteric than usual, being a reploid in a human body and fictionkin of an accidentally augmented human, but I'll figure it out one step at a time. Or maybe I'll decide there's nothing that needs figured out! We'll see. If anything it's evidence that I really do have that strong of a pull towards being essentially human, despite being not human. Does this make me humankin...? Okay, I'm really not examining that one right now.)
But to summarize: The new website is up! Artist, panelist, and staff applications are open right now and can be found here. Those forms auto-close on June 30th at 11:59pm (US East). This year's mascot vote is also open, and can be found on the same page. The mascot vote only lasts a week, so get your votes in!
The email newsletter is also being retired in favor of RSS, with more details available on the news page.
What do you mean by source separation being medicalist? Well-meaning question, sorry if we're imposing by asking!
It assumes a medical view of fictivity that doesn't inherently apply to all fictives. Not all fictives are introjects and the original use of fictive was for people who experienced characters coming to life, usually through writing, roleplay, etc, which would usually involve them being 100% their source. Some fictives are more spiritual or walk-ins. The framework doesn't work when applied to non-introjects who might have reasons for just being their source.
Even with introjects, I know there are some who reject the idea that they're just "based on" a fictional character and might just consider themselves to be that character. All types of fictives can have deep views on their identity.
This term was also coined by fictionkin, which is another framework some fictives may fit better and likewise "source separation" isn't really a concept in the same way in fictionkin communities because it's recognized as an involuntary identity.
It also doesn't feel like it accounts for natural character development. If you exist in a system as a fictive for decades, of course you're going to be a different person, but you can still identify as your source and be just "source but 10 years have passed that I've been in this body".
There is something to be said about avoiding harmful behaviors based on your source and finding hobbies outside of your existence in a system in general. I know there are also issues with fictionfolk being too possessive of their source, which is where I've seen a lot of people assume fictionality is unhealthy.
The issue is the way source separation implies you can't be a fictional character and be "functional" is a saneist view that also goes against the ones who coined source as it's being used here, which were fictionkin. There are better ways to encourage developing yourself as a headmate and being less possessive over others - the later I think is a much more important conversation right now because of doubles discourse coming back.
While this isn't a subject we can speak easily about (factives can trigger depersonalization and so we usually just avoid discussing it in depth), I also don't think this should inherently apply to factives. While I don't think factives and fictives are compatible (i.e. telling a person you are them is very different from telling a person you are their character), I don't think telling people "just stop identifying as them" is helpful and it's better to discuss actions and consequences than something that's out of their control.
The same goes for genuinely problematic identities. I think it's better to discuss the ways you present those identities and find a healthy balance that works for yourself than it is to force people to stop what is generally an involuntary identity experience. I don't think any of these should be censored and there should still be spaces to discuss them.
I hesitate to call it inherently medicalist, because there are absolutely cases where some fictionfolk might benefit to stepping back from their identity and that's not inherently medical, but the way it's presented in the plural community comes across as medicalist and I think the premise as I've seen it used is medicalist.
Seeing my fuckass lion being circulated after finishing up my submission art is making me giggle. Who am I to deny that this little creature is alterhuman-art worthy.....
There's not nearly enough talk about hearttypes, so we wanted to to get conversations rolling by making a collaborative zine about it!
Otherhearted describes a person who has a strong fundamental connection to a species or character which impacts their core sense of self. This is most commonly described in terms of identifying with a being as opposed to identifying as one, although this is not always the case. - Otherkin Wiki
This zine will be a collection of artwork, writing and more all about being otherhearted. Whatever that means to you - both fiction and nonfiction pieces would be accepted. If you got something you wanna express about hearttypes, we'd love to hear it!
Full submission guidelines below the cut.
What Can I Submit?
Both fiction and nonfiction pieces are accepted. As long as what you have in mind fits the theme, it’ll probably be a-ok.
Off the top of our head, we’re thinking of:
Essays of your personal experiences
Short stories
Poetry
Mock advice columns
Alternative covers
Fictional advertisements
Comics
Recipes
We welcome you to think outside the box and share whatever inspires you about being otherhearted!
How to Participate
Send us an email at nova-dergs(@)proton.me with:
A name you would like the piece attributed to
Title of your submission
Any content warnings that you feel are necessary for the piece
Any social media handle or personal website you'd like linked in the contributor section
A logo or icon for the contributor section
**If you would like to stay anonymous let us know
Members of systems are welcome to submit individually or collectively. Please let us know your preference when it comes to attribution.
Once the deadline has passed, these submissions will be put into the zine and it will be posted on itch.io as a free PDF.
Submissions are due by November 15, 2026.
Submission Guidelines
Each individual may submit up to 3 works to be featured in From Within Our Hearts. Comics and multi-image works count as one piece. Individuals within a system may each submit up to 3 works. All work must be your own! Anyone caught plagiarizing or submitting AI-generated work will be barred from entering any future zines from us.
Written submissions and multi-part art entries should not exceed 10 pages. Please keep in mind the zine’s pages will be 8.5 x 11 and entries will be scaled accordingly to fit that size. We request all art submissions to be sent in either .jpg or .png file formats.
For stories that use multiple different fonts, we will do our best to preserve the general "feel" of your piece but cannot guarantee we will be able to use the exact fonts or sizes due to restrictions in what fonts we have access to, readability and overarching zine style.
Submissions Must Fit the Thematic Criteria of:
Being otherhearted / hearttype appreciation
That’s it! Go wild.
No portfolio or prior zine experience is needed to be included.
FAQ
Q: Where will the zine be hosted? What will it cost?
A: The zine will be hosted digitally on our itch.io and will be free to download.
Q: Is there a cap on total submissions to be included?
A: There is none, as long as the file doesn’t start getting too big for our computer we’ll do our best! If there are an unprecedented amount of submissions, we may have to delay the release. In the event that happens, we would communicate that through updates on our tumblr.
Q: Can I update my submission after it’s been submitted?
A: Yes you may, as long as it’s done before the submission deadline.
Q: Can I rescind my submission?
A: Yes you may, as long as it’s done before the submission deadline. This is because once we begin work on the zine, having to remove content mid-way through would throw off the formatting of everything else after. Please take this into account before submitting.
Q: Will this zine allow +18 entries?
A: No, nothing 18+ will be accepted.
Q: Can I submit already completed/published works?
A: Absolutely! It’s ok to submit past work that has been posted to your social media or website. Our only stipulation is that it cannot have been previously featured in another zine. This helps us keep each of our zines unique and distinct from others.
Q: What is your timeline for the project?
A: Our submission deadline is November 15, 2026. Our goal is to have the zine live by the end of the year. If something unforeseen happens and we are unable to make that deadline, we will post an update about it on our tumblr.
Q: I have another question!
A: Feel free to reach out to us at our email nova-dergs(@)proton.me with any other questions you have about the zine.
Okay, sneak peak of the zine piece I want to do. The colors are just placeholders right now.
Anyway, I mentioned that what I wanted to make leaned a bit into hearthome-y feelings, right? I don't remember if I brought it up in Lion, but my 'hearted feels concerning TLK!lions is very much multifaceted. Like
I feel at home in and enjoy(ed) being in lion form, hence TLK!lions are a hearttype
I spent a fair bit of time around Si/mba's pride and felt like a sorta honorary member of it, so I consider them a hearttype
All that took place in the Pri/de Lands, making that area feel particularly nostalgic and home-y to me, hence hearthome
For simplicity's sake I usually just wrap that all up into being TLK!lion-hearted, because they are all essentially facets of the same experience, and trying to neatly divide each thing into their own (sub)label gets tricky sometimes.
Another sneak peek because I hyperfocused too hard today and now my eyes hurt. but. it is 99% done. and I'm really happy with how it's turned out and my heart is full of joy.
I feel a lot more accepted by the LARP community for my video game than the broader fictionkin community, honestly. The vast majority of people around here do not care about your experiences unless they are a fan of your source material and none of you play games with guns in them. I get that. That's fine, I'm not telling anyone to do anything they don't want. It just feels really alienating and eventually starts to feel like... just more masking?
Hanging around with LARPers means I have to hide the fictionkin part of "Fallout fictionkin", which is hiding something, but it isn't hiding any more than downplaying the Fallout part is to have my advice posts taken seriously is. In either community I'm hiding 50% of who I am. Only one of these communities told me they'd miss me if I didn't show up in November after knowing me for two days.
That's so obnoxious and a letdown tbh! But I get it... practically no one cares about Dragonballz or Bleach or whatever, so we're also in that place where we don't have to hide it here but there's almost no curiosity. It's the old "some people only listen for when it's their turn to speak" thing.
Personally I like watching longplays of games that I don't wanna play myself, to understand the sources of fictionfolk that I know. I might not get a hands-on experience but it can be just as good as watching a movie or series at the least.
For what it's worth, I would notice if you left! I said it before elsewhere but the turnover rate of fictionfolk blogs is high, so the ones that stick around for months into years are noticeable, even if I'm not savvy on all the lore. I'm glad you found a group irl where you get some more relevant interaction though, it sounds like fun!
Honestly I find it really annoying and frustrating in general how much people only seem to care about those with overlapping sources. It creates such a divide and difficulty to foster a wider community within fictionfolk spaces that other otherkin and therian spaces dont seem to have to such a degree, where I see a lot more unity with animal experiences even if they are different animals.
I think we need to have a lot more interest in general fictionfolk experiences and unity there! I do think that means we do kind of need to give some context when making posts about our experiences if we want them to be parseable to an audience unfamiliar with our source, but theres also definately just. A lack of interest I see with fictionfolk for interacton with fellow fictionfolk outside of source mates. And I think thats really sad.
And with that said, I am very interested in general fictionfolk experiences and interaction with my fellow fictionkind! If anyone wants to reach out or just interact on tumblr I am here :D I sometimes write essays on my general fictionkind thoughts or talk about my specific experience with source in a way I *hoooppee* gives some context fort he important emotional beats even if you dont know the characters.
---
Also, kind of separate, but I havent really thought about going to the LARP community much for fictionkind things! I wasnt aware there was one for much outside of DND settings. I was thinking about looking for RP groups, but it is really scary to not be able to say I actually ID as guy, and sometimes RP can be super serious. Though I do want to look into RP groups on VRChat, which is kinda like digital larping, probably?
I've been of the opinion that we don't really have a "fictionkin community" the way therians do for a while now. I've been told we used to, but I had my awakening during the pandemic, so I came too late to be a part of it. It makes me feel angry, honestly. I feel like something's been stolen from me.
I think a lot of people kind of conceptualize "animals" as one big... fandom, for lack of a better word? Anyone who's super interested in one animal at least tangentally cares about animals as a concept. Meanwhile, I don't watch TV, read comics, or listen to podcasts at all. I don't care as much about enjoying a fictional source as identifying shared experiences with the person who has it, so this doesn't serve as an impediment to socializing, but I can totally see how it'd feel like a bigger "gap" than therianthropes have to deal with.
I've noticed that the fact my video game is set in a this-world location can help people who don't know anything about it connect with me. I've got a few followers who are mostly here for the desert aesthetic posts. Because I have that "hook", so to speak, I don't think I have anything on this blog that explains story beats / plot elements / really what F/N/V even is? Maybe I should put together an Arcade 101 post. I don't think much of anyone would read that. I don't know. At the very least the Rangers' website could really use a "what is a Desert Ranger anyway" post.
I told a few people at the LARP I was fictionkind (or "basically a therian, but for N/ew Vegas) and they took it well. They don't use the same frameworks I do, but they could relate to F/allout feeling like more of a lifestyle than a video game, feeling like you're only really at home when you're among things from there, desperately wanting to interact in-character. I don't think online RP communities would be as good about that. The reason it went over so well in person is probably because the part of the fandom they're all in has very little overlap with alterhuman circles other than, like, I guess me. I wouldn't know, though. I have extremely minimal contact with the online F/allout fandom and transformative fandom in general.
We've thought about trying to run a post-apocalyptic, alternate history (F/allout is not alternate history as a genere but it is one in the sense that... words mean things, we have a point of divergence, it's directly expanding on real history and politics, ect cetera), or "problematic" fictionkind community before. It always gets shot down due to the first two being very small niches, the last one being hell to moderate, and us not having the mental bandwidth to run anything of decent size alone.
Mmm, I guess that's another problem, with the fictionkin community being spread pretty thin nowadays. I wish I could help out with those communities (granted, I'd probably be even worse at running a problematic fictionkind community 🥲).
I'm probably not the best person to give this perspective, on account of the chronic lurking, but trying to build a niche is unfortunately a lot of right place, right time, luck, and waiting long enough for the right people to show up.
I feel a lot more accepted by the LARP community for my video game than the broader fictionkin community, honestly. The vast majority of people around here do not care about your experiences unless they are a fan of your source material and none of you play games with guns in them. I get that. That's fine, I'm not telling anyone to do anything they don't want. It just feels really alienating and eventually starts to feel like... just more masking?
Hanging around with LARPers means I have to hide the fictionkin part of "Fallout fictionkin", which is hiding something, but it isn't hiding any more than downplaying the Fallout part is to have my advice posts taken seriously is. In either community I'm hiding 50% of who I am. Only one of these communities told me they'd miss me if I didn't show up in November after knowing me for two days.
That's so obnoxious and a letdown tbh! But I get it... practically no one cares about Dragonballz or Bleach or whatever, so we're also in that place where we don't have to hide it here but there's almost no curiosity. It's the old "some people only listen for when it's their turn to speak" thing.
Personally I like watching longplays of games that I don't wanna play myself, to understand the sources of fictionfolk that I know. I might not get a hands-on experience but it can be just as good as watching a movie or series at the least.
For what it's worth, I would notice if you left! I said it before elsewhere but the turnover rate of fictionfolk blogs is high, so the ones that stick around for months into years are noticeable, even if I'm not savvy on all the lore. I'm glad you found a group irl where you get some more relevant interaction though, it sounds like fun!
Honestly I find it really annoying and frustrating in general how much people only seem to care about those with overlapping sources. It creates such a divide and difficulty to foster a wider community within fictionfolk spaces that other otherkin and therian spaces dont seem to have to such a degree, where I see a lot more unity with animal experiences even if they are different animals.
I think we need to have a lot more interest in general fictionfolk experiences and unity there! I do think that means we do kind of need to give some context when making posts about our experiences if we want them to be parseable to an audience unfamiliar with our source, but theres also definately just. A lack of interest I see with fictionfolk for interacton with fellow fictionfolk outside of source mates. And I think thats really sad.
And with that said, I am very interested in general fictionfolk experiences and interaction with my fellow fictionkind! If anyone wants to reach out or just interact on tumblr I am here :D I sometimes write essays on my general fictionkind thoughts or talk about my specific experience with source in a way I *hoooppee* gives some context fort he important emotional beats even if you dont know the characters.
---
Also, kind of separate, but I havent really thought about going to the LARP community much for fictionkind things! I wasnt aware there was one for much outside of DND settings. I was thinking about looking for RP groups, but it is really scary to not be able to say I actually ID as guy, and sometimes RP can be super serious. Though I do want to look into RP groups on VRChat, which is kinda like digital larping, probably?
I've been of the opinion that we don't really have a "fictionkin community" the way therians do for a while now. I've been told we used to, but I had my awakening during the pandemic, so I came too late to be a part of it. It makes me feel angry, honestly. I feel like something's been stolen from me.
I think a lot of people kind of conceptualize "animals" as one big... fandom, for lack of a better word? Anyone who's super interested in one animal at least tangentally cares about animals as a concept. Meanwhile, I don't watch TV, read comics, or listen to podcasts at all. I don't care as much about enjoying a fictional source as identifying shared experiences with the person who has it, so this doesn't serve as an impediment to socializing, but I can totally see how it'd feel like a bigger "gap" than therianthropes have to deal with.
I've noticed that the fact my video game is set in a this-world location can help people who don't know anything about it connect with me. I've got a few followers who are mostly here for the desert aesthetic posts. Because I have that "hook", so to speak, I don't think I have anything on this blog that explains story beats / plot elements / really what F/N/V even is? Maybe I should put together an Arcade 101 post. I don't think much of anyone would read that. I don't know. At the very least the Rangers' website could really use a "what is a Desert Ranger anyway" post.
I told a few people at the LARP I was fictionkind (or "basically a therian, but for N/ew Vegas) and they took it well. They don't use the same frameworks I do, but they could relate to F/allout feeling like more of a lifestyle than a video game, feeling like you're only really at home when you're among things from there, desperately wanting to interact in-character. I don't think online RP communities would be as good about that. The reason it went over so well in person is probably because the part of the fandom they're all in has very little overlap with alterhuman circles other than, like, I guess me. I wouldn't know, though. I have extremely minimal contact with the online F/allout fandom and transformative fandom in general.
Okay, sneak peak of the zine piece I want to do. The colors are just placeholders right now.
Anyway, I mentioned that what I wanted to make leaned a bit into hearthome-y feelings, right? I don't remember if I brought it up in Lion, but my 'hearted feels concerning TLK!lions is very much multifaceted. Like
I feel at home in and enjoy(ed) being in lion form, hence TLK!lions are a hearttype
I spent a fair bit of time around Si/mba's pride and felt like a sorta honorary member of it, so I consider them a hearttype
All that took place in the Pri/de Lands, making that area feel particularly nostalgic and home-y to me, hence hearthome
For simplicity's sake I usually just wrap that all up into being TLK!lion-hearted, because they are all essentially facets of the same experience, and trying to neatly divide each thing into their own (sub)label gets tricky sometimes.
Another sneak peek because I hyperfocused too hard today and now my eyes hurt. but. it is 99% done. and I'm really happy with how it's turned out and my heart is full of joy.
Okay, sneak peak of the zine piece I want to do. The colors are just placeholders right now.
Anyway, I mentioned that what I wanted to make leaned a bit into hearthome-y feelings, right? I don't remember if I brought it up in Lion, but my 'hearted feels concerning TLK!lions is very much multifaceted. Like
I feel at home in and enjoy(ed) being in lion form, hence TLK!lions are a hearttype
I spent a fair bit of time around Si/mba's pride and felt like a sorta honorary member of it, so I consider them a hearttype
All that took place in the Pri/de Lands, making that area feel particularly nostalgic and home-y to me, hence hearthome
For simplicity's sake I usually just wrap that all up into being TLK!lion-hearted, because they are all essentially facets of the same experience, and trying to neatly divide each thing into their own (sub)label gets tricky sometimes.