Honestly I Love Super Niche Origin Terms. The Why And How You Exist Is Something That Can Be Super Duper

Sysmeds: I FUCKING HATE MY HEADMATES I HATE BEING A SYSTEM GRAHHGGG

Me, plural enjoyer: *crying to my moots* Scald literally loved me so much he learned a whole Deftones song on his guitar because he knew it was my favorite

(hey singlets you can enjoy this infinite pure love too..it’s so worth it I’ve never felt so happy and complete before)

Plural culture is buying a tub of microwave Mac and cheese that serves 4 then calling 3 other alters to co con to eat with you

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I've always been scared of the future (still am), but being a part of a system really helps with that fear. I know that even if things change or get hard to deal with, I'll always have the people in my head to help support me and help share the weight of it all.

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Me: *hears that bottling up your emotions is bad* oh no! I will make sure I don't do that!

My brain (devious): *makes the bottle invisible and hides all evidence of unconscious bottling up*

Me: see, I'm not bottling up my emotions :) I just don't feel them very strongly and feel very detached from them :)

me: "i dont know how i ever coped as a singlet"

my headmate Ashley: "poorly"

me: "ok i mean that is true but theres no need to call me out like that"

Host: why do i feel so worn out right now?

Caretaker: its two o`clock in the morning

Host: im sure that unrelated.

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In the next 20 years, I would like it to become normal for parents to treat their child's imaginary friends as if they have the potential to be headmates.

Treat them like people and let both the imaginary friend and the host child know that it's okay for them to be there.

Maybe the imaginary friends go away. Maybe they fuse. But they shouldn't be pressured into anything. If they can think for themselves then they're real and should be treated as part of the family as long as they're there.

If the imaginary friends do stick around, then it just means you get to have multiple children with the upkeep costs of one. 😁

You gotta be silly and whimsical and full of joy sometimes so baby systems know they have options. Remember: you, too, can be a random blogger of shitposts on the Internet, or an editor for nonhuman romance novels, or someone who carries a turtle down several blocks to release it into a small lake because otherwise it's going to keep trying to walk into the road. Just because you're a system doesn't mean you're locked into one strict way of life – and it definitely doesn't mean you're doomed to be miserable all the time, forever. Despite it all, we stay silly

As awareness of plurality continues to spread online, that also means more and more people will realize they are plural. And unfortunately, there will be a response from certain gatekeepy exclusionist types, who will push back against these newfound systems and insist on invalidating them. They’ll insist they’re just hopping on a trend, or just fooling themselves, or whatever other justification they can make up to maintain the idea that being plural is extremely rare and being plural means suffering for it.

Don’t fall for it. Being plural presents challenges and difficulties without question, but being plural also can bring joys and clarity that weren’t possible otherwise. Being plural can be hard, and it can be beautiful.

No two systems present and function exactly the same ways. No two systems are plural for the exact same reasons. So we can’t expect there to be an absolute common trait present in every system. So any attempt to weed out the “fakers” is pointless and malicious.

If someone believes themself to be plural, they have good reason to. No further “proof” needed. If someone comes to us believing themself to be plural, we will help them along without critique or question. And above all we will be happy for them. Even if someday they realize they aren’t plural, that process of being allowed to question and experiment is so important, and they should be allowed to do so regardless of where they end up.

Plurality is a spectrum that encompasses a vast swathe of experiences and outlooks. It can be difficult to reckon with, which is why community is so vital. And as that community online grows and becomes more and more visible, we should all do our part, systems and singlets, to make sure these newfound systems feel safe, seen, and welcome.

having crushes on my fellow headmate is so bizarre. like... my heart is racing at the other voice in our head. i want to hold our hands together, i want to wrap our arms around us so you can feel the sensation of us embracing. i want to share meals with you and see what your tastebuds like or dislike compared to mine. i love us because i love you. ✧ julian