On terminology
I’ve seen a little bit of confusion between the terms ‘fictionkin’ and ‘fictive’ since settling her on tumblr; and to be honest, I was initially a bit confused myself. Fictive wasn’t a term that was in use when I was originally in the community. Here’s a handy cheat guide of what I’ve picked up, to help anyone else who is confused. Examples are hypothetical, and do not necessarily reflect the author’s kintypes or experiences.
Fictionkin
- born on this Earth/original inhabitant of current body
- Experiences association with a character or fictional universe as a deep element, but not the whole of, the current, singular ‘self’, and/or as a past life experience. (ex. “Before I was born on Earth, I was Ken Ichijouji. I remember parts of my life, but not my whole experience as Ken, and parts of it inform who I am today.”)
- Typically fictionkin experience memories of the person or place they associate with, rather than have conversations with them.
- Experience an ‘awakening’ where they realize their association with their kintype, often involving traumatic memories.
- Often experience feelings of dysmophia and dissociation long before their awakening, which the awakening helps explain.
- When multiple kintypes are present they ‘stack’. (ex. “I used to be Mami Tomoe, but before that I was a pikachu. When I was Mami, I didn’t remember my pikachu kintype consciously, but I liked the feeling of rubbing balloons on my cheeks”)
Fictives
- Not born on Earth/not the original inhabitant of the body; rather show up some time later in the original inhabitant’s life.
- Experiences association with a character or fictional universe as the sum total of their personal identity. (ex. “Stop calling me Dana, I’m Karkat and I don’t know how the fuck I got here! Dana’s busy and now I’m sharing her stupid hornless body!”)
- Typically do not experience an awakening, rather the PwF (person with fictives) realizes they are there fairly suddenly.
- Presence if not typically felt before the PwF experiences the source material.
- Typically fictives can have internal discussions with the PwF, and/or any other fictives or headmates present.
- When multiple fictives are present they typically do not ‘stack’, rather being distinct and separate entities from one another, and from the PwF. (ex. “I had a Sephiroth fictive, and then Kuja showed up. They have a lot in common, don’t mix them up or Sephiroth will get mad.”
- Some fictives are stuck in the PwF’s body, and some can travel freely between it and their source material or other planes.
BOTH fictionkin and fictives
- May experience dysmorphia or dissociation
- are subject to all human physical limitations
- May have headmates who are or are not fictives
I hope this helps clear up the terminology. If you have any questions, or anything I said doesn’t seem to be accurate please feel free to let me know.
From what I understand, fictives: in a multiple system. Fictionkin: singlets, ie.: Have no headmates.
And this post leaves out the experiences of fictives like myself who own the body that they’re in. I’m not the original, but this body is mine. And I’m a multiple, so I consider it insulting to be called fictionkin because in my experience, systems have used that term to deny my having headmates/being a multiple.
I am myself a fictionkin with headmates (some fictive, some non) so in my experience Fictiokin itself does not denote singlet. If multiples are using the term to be offensive toward systems with fictives or -kin in them, then I’m insulted as well.
As for fictives who entered the body and then became its owner, I definitely understand that that’s a phenomenon and tried to leave room for it in my explaination. Can you help me come up with a phrasing that expresses it better?
