Alterhumanity
Welcome to my page all about my alterhuman identities! I personally see alterhuman as an umbrella term for all the ways in which I experience non-humanity, including being otherkin/hearted, fictionkin/hearted, and therian./p>
If you don't know what all of this is, I recommend checking out my my friend's website as a good introduction to the world of alterhumanity, therianthropy, and otherkinity.
My experience with alterhumanity started sometime around 2014, with Tumblr being my first introduction to the phenomenon. Before, I had always had very strong psychological connections with certain animals and fictional characters, but never had the terminology to describe what I was experiencing. Now, over a deacade later, being alterhuman is still a very important part of my identity, even with many people on social media seeing it as something that's "immature" or "childish."
A lot of my reasons for being this way mostly come down to psychological and emotional factors, especially with my identity problems as a symptom of mental illness, but I hope to start exploring the spiritual side of my identities too one day.
I'm okay with doubles for all of these!
PS: I'm sorry for all the times I have to link a Fandom Wiki article for many of these.
Walter "Radar" O'Reilly | M*A*S*H
Oh Radar, where to begin with you... I suppose I can start with the fact that my awakening in him was almost instant. From the moment I started watching M*A*SH in 2022, I would end up finding so many similarities between myself and him, to the point where he's become one of my highest identifying fictionkin types. I feel he represents a side of me that's more childlike and naïve, thrown into the tense enviroment that is a U.S. Army field hospital unit. Despite this, we're both highly resourceful to the people around us, we're both fairly savvy and knowledgeable, and we both have a bit of a devious side to us!
Tobias Jedidiah "TJ" Hess | Echo
This one was just recently awakened in me, but even before I started playing Echo, I knew there was a connection between TJ and I- something that even my friends vouched for. He was also the route I ended up going for first, which may or may not have been the best idea, as his story ended up being the most dread-inducing. Him and I are similar in many ways, with the both of us having been brought up from a religious background, as well as us both dealing with anxiety since childhood. We're also both very charitable and sensitive, which unfortunately ends with us getting taken advantage of pretty often.
Norman Bates | Psycho
Okay so I know how this looks having him here, but I consider Norman to be who I'd be if I were a much worse person. Much of my identity in him stems from trauma, having had an incredibly tragic upbringing that would shape the person (or, rather, multiple people) he would become. I know that having him on my kinlist is a red flag, but I like to imagine that I am the kind of person Norman could've become if he had any opportunities to heal and better himself. The curse of being dutiful and obedient to authority figures who end up being all you have or know is real, to say the least...
Cyril Figgis | Archer
Yes, another red flag of a kin, I realize there's a trend happening here, but Cyril at least shows some progress as a human being throughout the show's run. Still an absolute manchild regardless, Cyril is another example of my worst traits dialed up to 100, all stemming from his father's constant disproval towards anything he did. With a deep-seated insecurity in his masculinity, Cyril is prone to experiencing an extreme amount of emotional dysfunction that has rendered him bookish, awkward, and lacking self-confidence- all things that I myself have experienced while at my lowest points in life.
Edward & Percy | TTTE/RWS
These two go together due to being part of the same franchise, and also because I want to talk about both of them in their own dedicated section.
Edward was the character I ended up latching onto as being part of my identity pretty early on into my first few rewatchs of Thomas The Tank Engine when I got back into it nearly 20 years after I first started watching it. He's definitely a version of me that's more mature and wise, with many of the smaller engines looking up to him as a mentor due to his resourceful and helpful nature. He's also a much better mediator than I am, with The Fat Controller sending him to soothe things out between the other engines when they misbehave or act out (which tends to happen very frequently!) I imagine Edward being the version of myself who is a lot more level-headed, people-smart, and confident, and is someone I honestly strive to be one day.
Meanwhile, Percy is like the current version of myself- cheeky but kind, a bit impulsive and naive, hot-headed when continually pushed beyond his limits, and very brave despite his timid nature. I draw a lot of similarities between him and Eddie Kaspbrak's appearances in the original It books (you'll see why I make this comparison elsewhere on this page,) and I think that's why I slowly started to realize how much him and I are alike! He's unfortunately a very easy target for teasing from the bigger engines, but Percy is a very no-nonsense character who doesn't stand for injustices, which is something I see in myself a lot.
Also I'm not sure if anyone cares about this, but for the record; my kin identities in Edward and Percy exist outside of my ficto relationship with James, and I also have no interest in shipping either of these characters with him. I know it was popular for people to kin the character that's most commonly shipped with their fictional other back in the day (Edward, in this case), but that's not something I really practice myself.
Introject identity
Eddie Kaspbrak | It
So, this isn't related to being alterhuman whatsoever, but it's still a very important part of my identity, hence it's inclusion here... I'm a fictional introject of Eddie Kaspbrak from It! Specifically the 2017 and 2019 movies (which aren't really great movies, I should mention,) but my identity also takes some beats from the original book and miniseries adaptation.
Please please please, for the love of god, treat me like a normal human being despite this. My existence does not start and end at being an interpretation of a fictional character, and I'm tired of seeing fictional introjects be reduced to just 'being that character but in real life.' Just because this is important to me, doesn't mean it has to be important to you, and my identity has since grown to encapsulate more than just who I was when I started to exist.
Pokemon
Skitty
Espurr
Meowscarada
Swoobat
Blitzle
Sylveon
Togekiss
Shaymin
Digimon
Ganvivormon
Tailmon
Marineangemon
Fictionhearted / High Comforts
Theriotypes
Common Vampire Bat
The common vampire bat, a small, leaf-nosed bat native to South America and parts of Mexico, is most known for feeding on the blood of other animals, which in this case would be livestock. Approaching it's prey at night and waiting until it sleeps, the bat uses it's razor-sharp teeth to cut open the skin and laps up the blood with it's long tongue.
This is a theriotype I feel very strongly, and is one that was awakened thanks to my partner, who originally suggested it as a potential fursona species. The more I looked into vampire bats, however, the more I realized how much I see myself in them. They're often regarded as being pests by local farmers who have had to suffer losses in their livestock due to rabies transmissions, with there having been many attempts to kill of large portions of the vampire bat population. In a way, I feel like I've been through much of the same things that vampire bats go through because of my disabilities, with people seeing me as an unwanted pest that must be dealt with.
I also highly relate to the idea of vampirism in general, especially as a metaphor for disability. Much like how these little bats need to feed off of the blood of livestock, I also have to feed off the lives of others to sustain my own. I have to rely on others in order to keep myself alive, much like how vampire bats have to rely on the lives of cattle and other livestock to give them the nourishment they need, and something that they can't go on without.
Although many people would regard vampire bats as being creepy and scary, they also socialize and help each other out much like humans would. Vampire bats are known to reguritate their own food and share it amongst others in the colony who might not have been able to get a meal that night, especially if they share a kinship with each other or have helped each other out in the past. These bats also participate in mutual grooming, and this is done not only to clean one another, but to also strengthen their social bonds.
Calico Scottish Fold
The Scottish Fold is a breed of domestic cat most known for it's signature folded ears, which is the result of a natural dominant gene mutation. Unfortunately, due to this mutation being associated with osteochondrodysplasia, this means that the collagen throughout the cat's body is affected, causing skeletal deformities and abnormalities in their bones and cartilage. Obvious disclaimer, but I do not support the breeding of Scottish Fold cats due to the massive health impacts on the genetic mutation that is being capitalised on. That being said, I identify heavily as a Scottish Fold due to the fact that I, myself, am the result of genetic mutations that have lead me to experience widespread pain from collagen defects, much like that of the Scottish Fold.
On top of this, my pelt colour was that of a calico- something that is notoriously rare amongst male cats! Yet again the result of a genetic abnormality, the chances of a male calico cat being born are only about one in 3,000, and occurs when the male cat develops an extra sex chromosome- two X's and a Y. Another result of this combination is sterilization, as well as the increased risk of health problems that shorten their lifespans, including diabetes, joint pain, and heart disease as a result of increased body fat.
In addition to being captivating due to their genetics, calico cats have spawned many myths and superstitions across many cultures over the years. For instance, Irish folklore states that calico cat's tail can cure a wart, and within Japan, they're seen as symbols of fortune, hence the Maneki-Neko commonly donning the calico tricolour pattern.
Even with the challenges they face due to their health, Scottish Folds are known for being gentle and playful kitties, and while they may be less rambunctious than many other breeds, Scottish Folds are always happy to spend time with their owners, no matter what they're doing. Although their voices are more on the quieter side, Scottish Folds still love to be vocal, and you can expect a lot of chatter in return when you talk to one!
I've always known I've been a cat for all of my life, but the exact type/breed has flucuated. Right now it's this, but it might change in the future!
Alterhuman type
Vampiric Moth Faerie
(Artwork by VoidBugs, click the image to see the source)
My alterhuman identity is that of a faerie-vampire hybrid! My faerie identity is more in-line with how Irish folklore sees faeries as being fallen angels cast out of heaven by God, although I have yet to figure out why I ended up being casted out of heaven.
My true form is very much reminiscent of how the artist Void Bugs draws their moth faeries, with fluff covering my body, large moth wings and antennae, and a short tail. I was also vampiric, and sustained my energy by feeding off of the blood of humans.
Hearttype
Grant's Zebra
The Grant's zebra is the smallest of the seven subspecies of plains zebras, growing to be about 6 to 8 feet long, 3.9 to 4.6 feet tall, and weighing about 660 pounds. Preferring savanna woodlands and grasslands, these zebras are distributed in Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, although recent civil wars in many of these areas have caused dramatic declines in their wildlife populations, including that of the Grant's zebra. Each year, around 750,000 zebras will undertake one of the biggest migrations on the planet, from Tanaznia to Kenya, in order to reach greener pastures.
Like many other zebras, Grant's zebras are highly social, and will not only change companions every few months, but are also capable of changing herd structures frequently. Due to the fact that they become easy prey whenever they're alone, dominant males will usually surround themselves with a few females, who will act as defense against potential predators. Larger congregations can also form during feeding times and seasonal migrations.
Unlike the common vampire bat and Scottish Fold, my identity in Grant's zebras feels voluntary, and more akin to a coping mechanism I picked up as a result of being diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which is most commonly associated with zebras as an awareness symbol. This doesn't make my identity in zebras any less than that of the vampire bat or Scottish Fold! But it is notably different in how it presents itself.
Otherkin types
Pygmy Hedgehog
Lovebird
Mallard Duck
Schipperke
(Cream colour)
Vampire
Unicorn
Sparklefur
(Click img for credit!)
