Add a Story to the list!
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pluralstoriesIf you have a story you want to add to the list, leave it in the comments below! Anyone can do this; you don't need an account!
This catalog purposely takes a very broad, ambiguous view of what constitutes "plural." Make our day! Story types that have been accepted in the past include:
* Spirit possession
* Imaginary friends
* Spirit marriage
* Exploring geographies of the mind, imagination, and fiction
* Bodysharing symbiotes
* MPD/DID
* Plural stories
* Telepathic bodyhopping shenanigans
Rules for submission (changed 5/17/2024):
Does the story qualify? Then submit it using the form below! (Feel free to use the tags page for pointers.)
[Title] by [Creator/s] ([genre] [medium], [year released])
"[insert a cool quote from the work here]"
Blurb:
Why is it worth your time?:
Plural/1+ Tags: Choose from the ones on the tag list, or add your own!
Content Warnings: please include spoilers! I have this comm set up so that individual posts have only plural tag spoilers (because that's what folks are here for!), while content warnings will be in the comments. That way, people who want to remain spoiler-free can read the post itself and be fine, and the people who want all the warnings can scroll down.
Accessibility Notes: See the tag list for examples. Also note how you can get it. Is it an easy library book? Has someone digitized it and put it elsewhere? Is it backed up anywhere?
Misc. Notes (if any):
Is it long, medium, or short?: I wrote the standards here.
It is for kids, teens, adults, or everybody?
This catalog purposely takes a very broad, ambiguous view of what constitutes "plural." Make our day! Story types that have been accepted in the past include:
* Spirit possession
* Imaginary friends
* Spirit marriage
* Exploring geographies of the mind, imagination, and fiction
* Bodysharing symbiotes
* MPD/DID
* Plural stories
* Telepathic bodyhopping shenanigans
Rules for submission (changed 5/17/2024):
- Only submit stories. We're willing to play with what defines a story, especially for personal experience accounts and experimental work, but self-help, philosophy, 101 and such do not belong here.
- Don't submit your own work. Boost your fellows!
- Please do not submit more than four titles by the same creator/s. When this archive gets bigger, we'll expand how many entries one creator/s can have.
- The story must be made by an adult (or at least not easily identified as made by a minor). This is to prevent malicious submissions and harassment of kids.
- The story must be publicly available. No unrecorded LARPS, rare books, or stuff on account-locked websites.
- If incomplete, the story must at least have a decent stop point. No just-started webcomics, please! They may not endure!
- You must have taken in the whole story (or at least all that's available at the time of submission). This is for complete content warnings and stuff.
- Spirited/many-selvedness must be core to story or main character/s. If you can remove it from the work without the whole thing falling apart, then please do not recommend it. (If you're not sure, ask! Make our day!)
- You must say why it's worth plurals' time. It doesn't have to be good, exactly, but it's gotta be worth it. This is to avoid completionist spam.
Does the story qualify? Then submit it using the form below! (Feel free to use the tags page for pointers.)
[Title] by [Creator/s] ([genre] [medium], [year released])
"[insert a cool quote from the work here]"
Blurb:
Why is it worth your time?:
Plural/1+ Tags: Choose from the ones on the tag list, or add your own!
Content Warnings: please include spoilers! I have this comm set up so that individual posts have only plural tag spoilers (because that's what folks are here for!), while content warnings will be in the comments. That way, people who want to remain spoiler-free can read the post itself and be fine, and the people who want all the warnings can scroll down.
Accessibility Notes: See the tag list for examples. Also note how you can get it. Is it an easy library book? Has someone digitized it and put it elsewhere? Is it backed up anywhere?
Misc. Notes (if any):
Is it long, medium, or short?: I wrote the standards here.
It is for kids, teens, adults, or everybody?
no subject
Date: 2022-07-28 02:23 am (UTC)Creator/s: Hotta Yumi (Author) Obata Takeshi (illustrator)
Medium and Genre: manga; coming-of-age, sports, and supernatural according to wikipedia; slice of life magical realism by my reckoning
Year Released: 1998-2003
Blurb: When average 6th grader Shindō Hikaru finds an old Go board in his grandfather's warehouse, he is possessed by the spirit of Fujiwara no Sai, a master Go player who lived about a thousand years ago, and from that moment his life changed forever. Although Hikaru originally had no interest in the old board game, through spending time with Sai he gradually comes to appreciate the game and Sai becomes his guardian mentor and teaches the game to him. Thanks to Sai's actions, Hikaru manages to catch the attention of a young go prodigy his own age, Tōya Akira. The two develop a mutual interest in each other and Hikaru dedicates himself to studying the game so that he may become a player worthy of Akira.
Why is it worth your time?:
Because only Hikaru can see and hear Sai and they talk to each other in his head, the way the two live together is very similar to the experiences of many plural systems, especially the "host and soulbond" type. The story portrays their relationship and their struggles in a very human way that a lot of systems might find relatable. It was this story that first motivated me to get in touch with my system.
Also the gay subtext between Hikaru and Akira is so strong it might as well just be considered text. Since it's early 2000's Shōnen Jump there is no official confirmation of the nature of their feelings for each other, but I wouldn't consider it queerbaiting either; it is what it is.
Plural Tags: Spirit possession
Content Warnings: The major content warning I can think of is very relevant for plural systems but is also a spoiler, I'm not sure how to note this.
Accessibility Notes: As far as I know there is no script for the manga so it's not screenreader accessible, however the anime by Studio Pierrot follows the manga reasonably closely. Unfortunately the anime doesn't cover the entire manga and the english voice acting is not very good, so if you listen to the dub I recommend listening to the original Japanese voice acting to get a sense of how everyone actually sounds.
no subject
Date: 2022-07-28 04:34 pm (UTC)(Plural spoilers are inevitable, so don't hold back from adding those! I figure those are the spoilers people WANT to know!)
I will add that information to this post. Sorry about that! ^_^;
--Sneak
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Date: 2022-07-28 04:43 pm (UTC)--Janusz
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Date: 2022-07-28 05:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-07-28 05:56 pm (UTC)But he does get to meet Sai again in a dream and is able to get a sense of closure that way
--Janusz
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Date: 2022-07-28 06:06 pm (UTC)--Sneak
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Date: 2022-07-28 06:31 pm (UTC)--Janusz
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Date: 2022-07-28 06:32 pm (UTC)--Sneak
not to plug our own work but im gonna plug our own work (dw it fits the submission criteria)
Date: 2022-07-29 06:36 pm (UTC)Title: tales of the Raven King
Creators: The Salt Institute
Medium and Genre: written (available on AO3), hopepunk prose poetry, at the intersection of fictional and autobiographical (it's explicit-selves-insert autobiography through allegory a little bit in our world and mostly in other, fictional, worlds)
Year Released: 2020
Blurb: A piece of prose, poetry, and prose poetry; about identity, plurality, and memories. Written by three of us& during NaNoWriMo 2018 - we pantsed it that year and ended up writing a half-fantasy half-earnest journey of selves-discovery. Also known as: the Salt Institute goes on a journey throughout the multiverse by interacting with weird trees and encounter various places with Mysterious Vibes as well as a couple(-ish) interesting folks.
Why is it worth your time?: so i am a little bit biased considering i took part in writing it and it's allegorically autobiographical on the topic of Existing As A System And What That Means For Our Shared Life. but we reread this piece on occasion when we remember it exists and think it still holds up after all those years -- we still think the Message is Important, the world and visuals are Pretty And Nice To Imagine, the writing itself is Enjoyable -- and the whole vibe of it is Reminders We Much Need that Not Everything Is Fucked Up Actually and Authentic Connection Is So Important On Many Levels. we have also received two (2) reviews not by friends or acquaintances on it, including one that said things to the effect of "This is beautifulll and I'm so glad to see more writing about plurality (even though it only has 20 hits WHICH [...] IS A CRIME!!)" and "Might-definitely share this with like literally everyone I know because it absolutely deserves to be seen", so it's probably not just us who got something from it even if they're not necessarily the things (or all the things) we actually meant to put in there that i just talked about
Plural Tags: fictivity/soulbonding, plural creator (maybe also potentially realitymashing given the rest of the stuff in that tag?)
Content Warnings: just to be safe, exploration of (the effects of) abuse and ableism, on a deeply allegorical level with 0 graphic or detailed depictions. the most there is are a few vague mentions + a couple lines said by a cartoonish-type over the top villain
Accessibility Notes: N/A
Re: not to plug our own work but im gonna plug our own work (dw it fits the submission criteria)
Date: 2022-07-29 08:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-08-01 12:25 am (UTC)Creator/s: Kat Zhang
Medium and Genre: Y/A Novel, Dystopian(?)
Year Released: 2012
Is it long, medium, or short?: long (343 pages)
Blurb: Eva and Addie are two souls born into the same body. Everyone is born like this, but it's expected that one soul will fade away and the other will take over. Eva never faded away. She lost control of their shared body, but she still exists, something that could get the girls institutionalized if it were discovered. When Eva is offered the chance to learn to move their body again, she springs for the opportunity... only to be found out. The girls must fight to escape the institution before it's too late.
Why is it worth your time?: The main characters remain plural throughout the entire book, and this isn't painted as a bad thing to the reader. To the contrary, the idea of Eva and Addie becoming a singlet against their wills is painted as something unwanted and immoral despite the world around them doing its best to kill off Eva. It's a bit of a rare find for a book to paint plurality in a positive light despite a society in opposition to its existence. There's also a parallel to the plural pride movement in the form of a resistance movement against the institutionalization of "hybrids" like Addie and Eva. Despite the author not being plural, she did a pretty decent job of depicting plurality in the first person. Switches, co-consciousness, and co-fronting all happen reasonably accurately. There's even a slip-up with plural pronouns.
Plural Tags: Metaphysical
Content Warnings: Forced fusion/identity death, institutionalization and unwanted medical intervention, nonconsensual brain surgery, general medical unpleasantry, general themes of societal stigma against plurality.
Accessibility Notes: N/A
no subject
Date: 2022-08-01 07:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-08-07 08:10 pm (UTC)Creator: Emily Short
Medium and Genre: Video game, text adventure + puzzle
Year Released: 2012
Is it long, medium, or short?: Medium. A blind playthrough might take a while.
Blurb: The rebel Andra and her partner-in-crime Alex live in a world where words are reality. There are tools that can change the names of things to transform the things themselves. These even work on people — Alex and Andra have disguised themselves from the police of the oppressive island nation Anglophone Atlantis by portmanteauing themselves into a single being named Alexandra. Now, armed with only a letter-remover, they must escape from Atlantis before the day is over.
Why is it worth your time?: The way Counterfeit Monkey uses plurality as a narrative device is interesting to us. The player character's headmate is the narrator of the game. He often expresses his own opinions on the situations you find yourselves in and suggests things for you to do, and the game is sprinkled with scenes where he takes control to deal with things on his own. He's repeatedly acknowledged as a separate person from the player character by others who know of their predicament. It's a surprisingly good depiction of plurality despite the fantastical circumstances, and even though the author is (as far as we are aware) a singleton.
Also, the player character and their headmate remain in the same body for the whole game (aside from one bad ending that the game immediately lets you undo).
Plural Tags: on purpose, switching
Content Warnings: Mild body horror (Dismembered body parts can be created with the word-changing mechanics. (e.g. removing the "M" from a tome turns it into a toe.) They're not described in detail, but creating at least one body part is required to reach the end.); Dehumanization (Atlantis's government sentences criminals to be turned into inanimate objects. This is portrayed as horrific.); Non-graphic death scenes in some bad endings; Gender dysphoria (not deeply focused on, but Alex remarks on feeling uncomfortable in his and Andra's shared, female-presenting body.);
Accessibility Notes: Free. Can be played in a web browser. Only requires you to read and write. There is an ingame tutorial. There is also a walkthrough (or "Invisiclues"). There are visuals (in the form of a map on the side of the screen), but you don't need to be able to see them in order to complete the game.
Can be found here: https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=aearuuxv83plclpl.
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Date: 2022-08-07 10:53 pm (UTC)--Sneak
no subject
Date: 2022-09-14 05:25 pm (UTC)Creator/s: Ayreon, more specifically Arjen Anthony Lucassen
Medium, Genre, and Format: Music, progressive metal/rock opera, album
Year Released: 2004
Is it long, medium, or short?: Medium? It's 102:14 minutes long with 20 songs.
It is for kids, teens, or adults only?: Teens and adults
Blurb: (taken from Arjen's website) A man lies comatose in hospital after a terrible car accident. The accident was bizarre: it happened in broad daylight with no other cars in sight. The man’s wife and his best friend are keeping a bedside vigil, trying to understand how the accident happened, and hoping for any sign of recovery.
Unable to communicate with the outside world, the man finds himself trapped in a strange realm where his emotions — most of which he’s repressed for a long time — have come to life to confront him with all the choices he has made in his life — and their consequences.
Why is it worth your time?: The majority of the song's go revisit's the main character's memories with his personified emotions talking along the way. While emotions, they'll converse with each other and agree/disagree on what to do and give input on memories. The album is like a radio drama but with flute solos.
Plural Tags: mindsharing
Content Warnings: The main character is in a coma from a car crash, child abuse from the father, cheating
Accessibility Notes: Lyrics can be found online.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-14 07:42 pm (UTC)--Sneak
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Date: 2022-09-20 05:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-21 04:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-05 03:15 am (UTC)Creator/s: Alicorn
Medium, Genre, and Format: Text, fantasy, online at http://alicorn.elcenia.com/stories/exaltation.shtml
Year Released: 2018
Is it long, medium, or short?: Short (16k words)
It is for kids, teens, or adults only? All ages
A cool quote from the work: "It says you need five people," said Sam.
"We're five people," said Emmy, and the comb came off the page into our hand and turned ivory and gold and all the flowers were made of sparkling gems.
Blurb: A young system goes on a magical quest.
Why is it worth your time?: The main characters have a satisfying narrative arc where they each get to be in their own element while also working together. Plurality and otherkin are treated with empathy. Generally fun fantasy adventure story.
Plural Tags: bodysharing
Content Warnings: Implied (not depicted) maternal abuse, mentions of poverty and bullying, standard adventure story danger and conflict, mild animal mistreatment (they are rescued)
Accessibility Notes: Text is in minimally formatted html
Misc. Notes (if any): The author has another plural-focused story (Hubward) that I will recommend after reading over again for metadata.
no subject
Date: 2022-10-05 11:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-06 07:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-06 02:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-27 12:36 am (UTC)Creator/s: the Inmara Ktletaccete Fenumera
Medium, Genre, and Format: prose, both print and digital versions for purchase, a free version is also available. https://sunspot.world/ , sci-fi
Year Released: hardcopy paper version of just this story came out Sep 2, 2022
Is it long, medium, or short?: long (336 words/over 300 words)
It is for kids, teens, or adults only?: Teens and adults will get the most out of the book.
A cool quote from the work: Have the opening words;
" “Metabang, if everyone is genetically engineered, then why are there people like us?”
I was expecting this question. It’s common for Students with major differences from their peers to ask it. I’ve had a lot of Students, and the Pembers were one of the rarest types.
I could tell that it was Myra who had asked the question because of xyr posture, expression, and vocal inflections. The differences were very subtle between xem and xyr other system members, but I’m particularly suited for tracking these things.
Myra continued as if I didn’t already know what xe was talking about, “Why are some people plural and some not? Wouldn’t the Crew make us all singlet?” "
Blurb: "A story about plurality, consciousness, the fight to overcome physical dysphoria, and self advocacy in a world without assigned gender. Also, some good old fashioned wish fulfillment."
Why is it worth your time?: Have you ever wanted to read sci-fi with a central plural and nonbinary characters? Have you wanted to read sci-fi with characters like that that that *isnt* a coming out/discovery story and is BY a transgender plural system explicitly about their system members? Do it! Theres a free version even!
Plural Tags: Temporary Fusion/integration, Introjects, Realitymashing, Otherworld(note- there are instances of a plural character's headspace being put into a digital environment, unsure if this counts as otherworld for that), relationships: community, queerplatonic, teamwork, switching, nonhumans (note- they call themselves humans but they do not look like humans do)
Content Warnings:
Quoted from the websites blanket content warning list; " eugenics, suicide, a bombing, descriptions of severe physical dysphoria, dissociation, conflicting needs, possibly messy depictions of various disabilities, cultural amnesia, personal amnesia, social engineering, carceral “justice”, transhumanism, social stratification at birth, explorations of consciousness and self, accidental death, mourning, and the monster from under our bed writ large "
Accessibility Notes: the free version on the website is screenreadable as its html
Misc. Notes (if any): This story is explicitly about the author system heavily fictionalized and put into a science fiction setting. Even if several characters in the book were not plural, its a plural story just because of that.
Submitter has only read the first story in the sunspot chronicles in full, and is working through the rest, so only the first has been submitted at this time.
If you want to wait to take the submission until after we read the whole series let us know and we will resubmit when we do!no subject
Date: 2022-10-28 04:26 pm (UTC)--Sneak
no subject
Date: 2022-10-29 11:44 pm (UTC)Creator/s: Left at London
Medium, Genre, and Format: song, ? genre, digital
Year Released: 2019
Is it long, medium, or short?: short
It is for kids, teens, or adults only? Teen and up, might be a little dark for younger kids.
A cool quote from the work:
" It’s common I’ll talk to myself
But it wasn’t my own voice that told me
"Don’t scream
One word & I’ll crash this car
I know that you don’t know me
But I know just who you are" "
Blurb: From the artists twitter: "A lot of people think 6 Feet is metaphorically about the “call of the void”. It is not.
It is, very literally, about living with OSDD-1b. I did not know I had it when I wrote the song. Writing it & talking about the song with my therapist lead me to get officially diagnosed."
(source: https://twitter.com/LeftAtLondon/status/1248869575749332993)
Why is it worth your time?: The song is well produced and catchy, as well as depicting the writers experience with OSDD and having a persecutor. For systems who have had or currently have antagonistic relationships with each other or may have had a very upsetting plural egg cracking, this may be quite the cathartic song.
Plural Tags: enmity, OSDD
Content Warnings: antagonistic headmate, threatened car crash
Accessibility Notes: The official youtube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx415xT0gB4) has the lyrics in the description.
Misc. Notes (if any): The creator has OSDD-1b, and the song is about her experience with that.