Demonic Shiver (System)

a hastily made comic because I’ve been Having A Time. mostly for people who already know what systems are/what polyfragmented means (cuz I didn’t explain it) but feel free to show anyone who you think needs it

[id: on the top is a large box with text reading: "HOW TO TREAT POLYFRAGMENTED SYSTEMS"

a drawn being is shown in 4 panel boxes with text reading:

"being back in plural spaces has shown me some people... do not know etiquette! Which is fine, we all have gaps in knowledge. That's why I'm here to teach you!"

"1. Don't react with disgust/fear/dread/etc."

"How do you live LIVE like that?"

"That's TERRIFYING!"

"I'd kms if I were like that."

"These are real responses we've gotten. Just. Don't. Especially the kys one. Don't say that to anyone. Don't say any of these to anyone Not just polyfragmented systems, but anyone who is unlike you. It betrays a belief that their life is not worth living, that [thing] is so horrible nothing good could impact you outside it."

"2. Don't fetishize it. Fetishize here is used in a non-sexual way, but definitely don't do in the sexual way either."

"Let me study you!"

"How did you get that big? I wanna do that!"

"You have so many friends :33"

"People sometimes presume high headcounts are willogenic. Willogenic high headcount systems exist, but don't assume! For us in particular, it's just... how we are."

"Plurality isn't always sunshine and rainbows. Headmates are a bunch of people shoved in one body, often we have fights or arguments with each other. It isn't some utopia."

"We're just people. Treat us like a normal person."

"3. Don't expect simplicity."

"The whole POINT of the label 'polyfragmented' is that we're COMPLEX. The things going on inside tend to be very complicated and difficult to explain. You don't get it? Great, the system themselves probably doesn't either. That's just how it goes."

"You want a list of all the headmates? It'll take hours. The relationships between them? Don't get me started. Okay, maybe just frequent fronters? There's 20 of them at the minimum. Who's fronting right now? Hell if I know."

"Polyfragmented systems are often expected to 'boil themselves down'. Become palatable, become understandable. But that usually just... isn't possible. Like at all. Or maybe they try and it's STILL really complex, because that's just how they are."

"the point is: we're people, just like anyone else! treat us that way!"

"This guide is mostly for first interactions/acquaintaces. When getting closer to a polyfrag sys (in whatever relationship you wish), it is important to talk out boundaries and how they wish to be treated. Everyone is different, after all. But if you approach most conversations using this guide, I think the chances of it going well with significantly increase!" end id.]

We were trying to explain to some friends earlier that saying "this person is in front" and "this person is co-conscious" isn't always the most useful phrasing for us because either of those terms can mean a lot of different things. We have our own words that we like to use to describe where folks can be in relation to our awareness.

nice for having ephemeral little internal conversations without sending them to discord, experiencing lag, proxy jitter, etc

also good for quoting internal interactions to post on the internet (alt text included)

[text ID: "This system has a habit of introjecting a lot of the host's OCs."]