User blog:DragonianGirl/About Otherkin, and my POV with it

I want to talk about otherkin, as well as my current experience with it (as limited as it is, so far).

For those who don't know what otherkin is, this is the simplest current definition: an individual who's inner identity relates to or embodies that of an animal (usually).

Backstory (on my part)
Now, before I actually talk more about my thoughts and POV, let me throw in a little bit of my own backstory (you can skip it if you want, it only adds to how my experience developed)."Quite recently (almost a month ago), I figured out why I always felt so disconnected to society, my own body, and hell, the world itself - I found myself to be (as I'm currently calling it) drachegenus. Ever since I knew what dragons were, I felt connected to them, almost to a spiritual level. At first, I always brushed it off as this obsession I had, which looked and felt obvious enough. But now that I'm a bit older, it feels... a little more than some 'platonic attraction,' and not just because I'm a furry, either (but that's a topic for another day-). I actually feel like I belong with dragons, as a dragon."

My Thoughts on Otherkin
Yeah, no one asked, but I'm pushing it in anyways. I honestly don't "click" with the label otherkin, and here's why.

Otherkin's definition has been painted over many times, hell, some even consider it a "culture." To me, it's nothing like that. It could be that my inner self is a creature that doesn't actually exist, but something about that still doesn't settle well with me. I don't know how rare otherkin is, and I don't know any other dragon-souls out there (I YEARN to meet them, though...). So for now, I want to form a label that suits me, and maybe even suits others...

Soul. A very common concept that we all agree to, that life on Earth has souls. This word feels much more comforting than a label that only works for my gender and/or sex, and I believe it'll help people like myself feel assured of who they are in this small world.

How I'd Define "Soul"
This may be a touchy subject for the religious folk, as I'm well aware that souls are talked about across many different religions and cultures. So this is just a little warning, these are my thoughts and personal feelings, and in no way do I want to force this onto anyone.

Now, to me, one's soul is your inner being, the ethereal life that controls your physical vessel. I'd imagine most people see their own souls as a refined version of their human bodies, or even something as abstract as colors. For me, it's always been a bit fuzzy... I know myself to be quite the "chameleon," in that I mimic the people around me to fit in easier, but even if I saw myself as my human body, it feels. Off. As if I'm not actually looking at myself. When I started seeing myself as a dragon on the inside, I never felt that "unease." If anything, it felt like I finally found the key to a door I've been desperately trying to open for ages.

So, that brings me to my own official definition of soul; an inner identity that a person sees themself as. This differs from gender in that soul is a state of being, instead of a state of feeling. A birthsoul is what a person's original soul is/was, and an othersoul is a soul that's different from a person's birthsoul.

Personally, I'm going to call my soul a "dragon-soul" for being the reincarnation of a dragon. I certainly see wyverns, drakes, lindwurms, and all other mythological reptilians to be dragon-soul, but perhaps a better term will come along to suit them all!

Finishing Thoughts and POV
This is the section where I ramble on about a bunch of different topics without any rhyme or reason, so have fun reading the scribbles of a possibly-mentally-ill dragon.

"If you're a dragon, then why don't you act like one?"
I know a lot of people may ask this, and honestly, I have a pretty thorough response to that. You see, many otherkin have an animal to relate their actions to - cats, dogs, birds, even snakes or bugs. For me? Well, my situation is a little more complex... I can't just go to the local wildlife area and be with my own kind. Hell, I can't go anywhere and be with dragons, because I'm well aware they don't exist. And to be fair, it does make me feel lonely.

Now, to answer the question, I was raised a human, taught to be a human, and I live in the body of a human. Yeah, I have a vague idea of how dragons acted, but when you're constantly in the position of living in a strictly-human society, you subconsciously throw away anything that isn't "human." Why else is it common to resent furries or even something as arbitrary as the paranormal? The only thing I know how to properly act like is only human, and in the condition our society is in, I feel most comfortable with pretending to be the same as everyone else.

"What's it like being a dragon living in a human body?"
Well, I wish I knew how to describe it to a T. Since this is still a very recent discovery, there's still a lot I have yet to know about. Besides, I don't know what it's like to be a human living in a human body.

Looking back on my younger years, I do recall a lot of "acting" as different animals, more notably quadrupeds. I had a fascination between predator and prey, having my fair share of both sides but always more comfortable playing as the predator. Of course, I was in no way well-suited for living on all-fours, that's just how the human body is. If it wasn't so rough on my body, I would prefer being on all-fours for general travel. In no way do I hate walking on two legs, however! It's amazing to walk and hold stuff at the same time, and I wish quadrupeds could get to experience it, too.

I also enjoyed (and still enjoy) making animal noises. When I was younger, I was certainly not good at it, but I've refined my mimicry skills over time. No, I don't go "barking" or "roaring" in public randomly, I only respond in animal sounds when contextually appropriate - most often, I call back to bird songs, or even my dog and cat. I have even had a few bird calls returned, assuring myself that I was understood.

Feeling connected to nature, I believe, is definitely a tie with my inner dragon. While dragons are certainly intelligent creatures, they are just as wild, too. I would imagine dragons are smart enough to craft themselves crude (but beautiful) homes in caverns or woodlands, but they don't strike me as very social creatures, either. At least I'm not. So, being an isolated beast means that you must be even more connected with wildlife. Being one with my environment (more specifically nature, itself) brings me great comfort and relaxation, as if I could finally be accepted for what my soul is.

Others? Like me?
Psst, hey... if you are or know any otherkin (or othersoul), please let me know! Especially if you/they're dragon-soul, too... I'm dying to meet another dragon-soul, I just want the slightest bit of hope that I'm not alone, and someone I can confide to about dragon-soul stuff!