i was prompted to write this by my remembering that the Elf Queen’s Daughters never called themselves fictionkin. the word didnt exist back then, and they were still who they were even without said term.

why do we call ourselves fictionkin? some simply because it’s how one would define their source, for others, its a signifier that they dont belong on this earth. there are those who dislike the term, as it makes them feel as though others believe them fake. but i’m here to argue that it should be a badge of pride, whipped out when others make you feel small.

there have been movements and individuals within our community that have dropped the “ ‘kin” label in favor of simply saying “I am [x]”. there are personal decisions to it, but it makes sense–why give someone room to redefine your existance by redefining what you call yourself? no one can say “you’re not [x kintype]”, yet we’ve seen gatekeepers redefine and squeeze people out of therian.

the EQD didnt have these other terms to fight over, but i believe that is what the community is also admiring about them–their ability to simply state “i am”, and be taken seriously. no one would ever call them ~cringe~™. there’s an anti-anxiety trick, “act like you belong there, and people will take you seriously/believe that you do (whether you do or not)”. our labels are great for intercommunity communication, but to outsiders looking in (KFF, in this case) they see a trendy gimmick. anyone can say “i am [x]”, but when scrutinized the pretenders fold under pressure. those who really stand by “i am [x]” will continue to stand. it’s how the EQD are still known today.

all of this isnt to say everyone should drop the term fictionkin entirely. but is instead a think piece to consider how often it’s used. think about how often when one meets a therian, or an otherkin, they open with “i am [x]”. so often when one meets a fictionkin, they state they’re fictionkin. is this hiding for being ~cringe~™? or is it being worn as a badge of honor? when a therian or otherkin says “i am [x]”, onlookers typically know what that is and get to say “oh cool, awesome, love [x]”, but when a fictionkin says “i am [x]”, it is sometimes met with similar, but also often met with “what is [x]?” suddenly you are a fantastical curiosity, you come from worlds only imaginable to those from here. while there is sadness at this world being different, there is also wonder at coming from a place few truly know about.

That is the fictionkin power move. That is why you should be [x], in your daily life, not your label. Indoraptor is my identity, fictherian is my badge of honor.