Do You Remember What It Was Like To Be A Star? How Did You Perceive The Space Around You? Also, What

Upon viewing starfall, I was filled with feelings of homesickness. 🌌

Hello Wolf!

we would like to request a moodboard if you’d be so kind as to make us one

we would like coyote, gray cat and falcon as the theriotypes with a forest and dark brown and cream theme.

thank you and we deeply appreciate you, take as much time as you might need

-🕊

💚💚💚

does anyone need a moodboard? feel free to ask!🌟💫🌌

upd: creatures, please don't forget at least basic politeness and manners.

merry christmas!

/pos

merry christmas and happy new year!

not really an angelkin, but can relate soo.

bird like wings or wings made of nature (fire, thunder, light)

halos or horns

warrior or scribe

gardens or clouds

singing or playing

armor or soft linen

sword or quill

possessing a vessel or being born with it

heaven or earth

god or gods

pearls or gold

human form or true nature

church or altar at home

creating life or destroying life (none of it)

worship or be worshipped

pray or answer prayers

rebel or remain

tag: @kastle-thrones , @seraphfagfemme , @sillynamelessentity , @feathers-and-metal , @maxterofnone !

tag game this or that. angelkin edition

bird like wings or wings made of nature (fire, thunder,light)

halos or horns

warrior or scribe

gardens or clouds

singing or playing

armor or soft linen

sword or quill

heaven or earth

god or gods

pearls or gold

human form or true nature

possessing a vessel or being born with it

creating life or destroying life

church or altar at home

worship or be worshipped

pray or answer prayers

rebel or remain

tag: anyone that comes across this

(Non)Humanity and Species Dysphoria: the Forced Transformation Trope

Written by Gavin on August 25, 2024.

As a nonhuman, do you ever think about why there's so many stories and myths and legends about humans being turned into animals? You ever wonder why it's usually a punishment or a curse, or why the characters try to do whatever it takes to become human again? You ever think, "I don't understand, I would love to be an animal and get rid of my human body, what's the problem?"

As a human myself, one whose system has been in the alterhuman community for years, I hope I can help bridge the gap of understanding here.

The way many humans see being turned into an animal as a curse, the way they'd be incredibly distressed about becoming nonhuman?

That is species dysphoria.

That is a human experiencing species dysphoria, because being perceived as nonhuman or other-than-human causes the exact same feelings of pain and wrongness and disconnection from their body that a nonhuman can experience when perceived as human.

(Particularly, this might be an orthohuman, someone who has a normative relationship with their human cultural and species identity, as opposed to an alterhuman, who experiences alternative/nonnormative humanity or a species identity separate from humanity. Human alterhumans can also experience this sort of species dysphoria - hi, I'm one of them.)

Imagine being your species your entire life, the way you know you're intended to be, living in a body you're comfortable in - and then having that body ripped away from you. Being forced to live in a form that doesn't match who you are, what you know you are, and desperately wanting to find a way to change back because you know you're not meant to be like this.

If this sounds familiar because it's what you experience as a nonhuman - that is how a lot of human beings feel about being transformed into something nonhuman. It's the feeling of being the wrong species! It's the desire to return to the form that you know as yourself!

The fact that orthohumans are born into the species they identify as does not mean that they could never comprehend your nonhuman experience. You can explain your nonhuman species dysphoria to an orthohuman. Given all the examples of unwanted transformation stories throughout human history, I think you're likely to find that they'll understand when you put it in that frame of reference.

"How would you feel about being turned into another species against your will, leaving behind everything that feels good and right and comfortable about your human body? That sounds horrible, right? That's how I feel, being nonhuman in a human body, and it's distressing in the same way you would hate being human and stuck in a nonhuman body."

I know that the gap between humanity and nonhumanity looks enormous. The horror of, say, werewolf mythology looks like a completely alien experience when you are a wolf, so you see being transformed into a wolf as nothing short of a wonderful experience, and you don't understand why anyone would see it as horrifying.

But if you understand that it's not about the species, but the experience of species dysphoria, of being trapped in a body that has never been yours and desperately trying to return to one that feels like you, well - that's a lot more understandable, isn't it?

Humanity and nonhumanity are not two opposite ends of a binary, destined to never understand each other. I know many alterhumans who are both human and nonhuman, and their humanity is an identity in much the same way as their nonhumanity. Humans are just another species on this planet, as bipedal tool-using social primates, and we have our species identities just like many nonhumans. You are not as alone in this world as you might think you are.

There is room for understanding and connection. Your experiences as nonhuman are not purely individual, not wholly unique, not utterly incomprehensible to human beings, and this is a good thing. The gap isn't actually as wide as it seems. You can reach out and cross it if you just remember - you have far more in common than you might think.

do not forget who you are.

To you I'm the monster.

Because I bite. Because i growl and howl. Because i claw and tear at my prey.

Im the freak here

Not the one who glares at me. Who jabbed me with their judgmental words. Who isolates me in a cage too small for me.

You blame me when i wish to snap your pointed sticks that you sink into my hide.

You fear me while cornering me and gawking.

Im not your novelty. Im not your prize catch.

Im not a human. I never was and never will be.

Im not one of you. You all make it clear.

This is directed to the humans who act like we are the wrong ones for existing.

ʙᴛᴡ ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴡʜᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀsᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ:

hello, community. to tell you the truth, lately i've been thinking a lot about finding a pen pal, but not via emails, but real letters, like in the good old days. we could put some stickers in there, pictures, and the letter itself. maybe someone wants to try? but i don't want my first letter to go unanswered, so the most important thing is the desire to take part in this. feel free to contact me.