Plural Stories

(words by Martha Bonds, music by Marcia McCombe)

Do I know you?
Are you dreaming of tomorrow?
If so, it seems you're a starchild, just like me.
The night's alive,
And we travel 'cross the light years,
TV screens and books of dreams can set us free.

Blurb: A fan (filk) song about how fans find meaning, joy, and other worlds through Star Trek.

Why is it worth your time?: It's an old fandom song about finding home and new worlds in the fictional. Definitely worth a listen to, for any fiction folk around!

Plural/1+ Tags: abuse not mentioned, creator speaks from experience, otherworld, fictioneers

Content Warnings: None

Accessibility Notes: I will post the lyrics in the comments! Otherwise, it is only available in The Complete Omicron Ceti III Lyric Book (not screenreadable) and the record album Only Stars Can Last.

"You think you can just leave me behind?
That's unfortunate. I don't think so."

Blurb: A theatrical song from the perspective of the "bad" headmate of the protagonist of the video game Celeste, explicating their selves-hatred and -sabotage.

Why is it worth your time?: This is a very unusual remix, with a musical theater feel, very far abroad from the original soundtrack song it's based off of. It's free and short, give it a shot!

Plural Tags: abuse:intermediate focus, enmity, voices

Content Warnings: selves-hatred, commands to suicide, sudden screaming

Access Notes: Available for free to listen on Ocremix.org! Lyrics are here.

Thanks to beepbird for telling us about this!

"She and her and us and we
All of us love all of you
And that's all we know how to do"

Blurb: A plural love song by an all plural therian band.

Why is it worth your time?: It's cute, bouncy, and fun!

Plural Tags: abuse not mentioned, creator speaks from experience, romantic

Content Warnings: None

Access Notes: Available for pay what you want on bandcamp! Lyrics now available in the comments below! (Thanks, synecdoches!)

Submitted by erinptah! Thank you, erinptah!

"It's like we're all on a bus. And sometimes I'm driving the bus, and so that means I have access to my body and my words and things like that, and then sometimes I'm on the back of the bus, and I have no ability to do anything -- but I can see what's happening. And I feel like it's gotten to a point, for the most part, where I feel like all the parts that need to be around are driving the bus together."

Blurb: When Andrea Dunlop's sister was investigated for medical child abuse (popularly known as "Munchausen by Proxy") more than a decade ago, it tore her family apart. This catastrophic series of events sent Andrea on a journey to understand a form of abuse that many people don't want to believe exists, speaking with experts, the occasional perpetrator, and a lot of survivors. Season 4 follows the story of Jordyn Hope, a survivor Andrea became friends with while making earlier seasons, as they unravel the secrets of their childhood.

Why is it worth your time?: The podcast is excellent in general, with the host neither sugarcoating nor sensationalizing the abuse she covers, and getting a wide range of relevant voices on-mic. Jo had guest appearances in earlier seasons to give a survivor's perspective, and this season they step into the spotlight. Their multiplicity is only discussed in Episode 5: Revelations (Youtube link), but symptoms like dissociation and amnesia come up elsewhere in the season -- and obviously they're plural the whole time. It's rare to see DID come up in a series where that isn't the focus, and refreshing that, in contrast to all the negative/damaging health effects Jo deals with as a result of their abuse, the multiplicity is presented as neutral-to-positive.

Plural Tags: abuse high-focus, cofronting, dissociation, relationships: teamwork, type: medical, type: switching

Content Warnings: Medical child abuse (from Jo's mother), emotional abuse, sexual abuse (from someone else), gaslighting, narcissism, alcoholism, racism toward Jo's biological father, eating disorder, inpatient mental health stays. Jo's mother dies in the course of the season, which they and their sister struggle with at the end.

Accessibility Notes: Audio, available on Apple Podcasts and other podcast services. The Youtube uploads have auto-generated transcripts, with all the errors you would expect.

Misc. Notes (if any): Added the "switching" tag because Jo talks about it happening in general while they made the season, though they don't call out any specific switches on-mic. They're not the main creator or editor of the podcast, but with this specific season I'd say they're involved-enough to rate the "creator: plural" tag.

"you can’t do anything, we getting in
put some money on a god, i bet we win
i feel the power on my skin, setting in
i feel a demon at my door, LET IT IN"

Blurb: Akwaeke Emezi's debut EP, with the declared premise of, "I'm here, I'm a god, now shake your ass ;)"

Why is it worth your time?: It rocks! It's a kicking album covering themes like spirit lovers, godhood, deviant victory, and Jean Grey! Give it a listen!

Plural Tags: abuse intermediate-focus, otherworld, nonhumans [gods, demons, spirits], dreamfolk, relationships romantic and teamwork, spiritual, visions, voices

Content Warnings: contain spoilers; see comments

Access Notes: All songs come with lyrics and notes. Parts of a couple songs are in Portuguese and Igbo. You can listen for free, but please do buy it on Bandcamp! It's only $7!

Misc Notes: Contains seven tracks, all less than three minutes:

1. Let It In
2. Summoning 101
3. Diabozinho
4. The Thing You're Looking For is Inside Me
5. Jean Grey
6. Banye
7. Light Fantastic

"This isn't really a story about voices. Or it is, but not in the way you think. It's really about what it's like to breathe life into a character, and whether that character can breathe life back into you."

Blurb: "Mel Blanc was known as 'the man of 1,000 voices,' but the actual number may have been closer to 1,500. Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Tweety, Barney Rubble -- all Mel. And in 1961, when a car crash left him in a coma, these characters may have saved him. Sean [the host], Noel [Blanc, Mel's son], Dr. Conway [Mel's neurosurgeon at the time] and NYU brain scientist Orrin Devinsky weigh over what it might mean to be rescued by a figment of your own imagination, and whether one self can win out over another in a moment of crisis."

Why is it worth your time?: It's good! An interesting exploration of the neurological nature of the characters Mel Blanc portrayed, and their beneficial effects while he was in a coma. It's about 20 minutes long, free to listen, and worth the time, I daresay.

Plural Tags: abuse not mentioned, fictioneers, voices (though not in the usual way this tag is meant!)

Content Warnings: calm, straightforward descriptions of a car accident and Mel Blanc's death.

Access Notes: Not textually transcribed. Free to listen online. Listen to it here!

Submitted by monsterqueers !

" 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

Submitted by expmachine !

Me:
Is this a dream or is it real?

Reason:
Sometimes the dream becomes reality

Me:
But I don't know what to feel

Reason:
Then I will guide you through this haze

Me:
But who are you, why are you here?

Reason:
I am you and you are all of us

Me:
I can't think, my mind ain't clear

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: nonswitching, abuse not mentioned, voices

Accessibility Notes: Lyrics can be found online. Available for 8 Euros on Bandcamp!

"Well we all have a face
That we hide away forever
And we take them out and show ourselves
When everyone has gone
Some are satin some are steel
Some are silk and some are leather
They're the faces of the stranger
But we love to try them on"

Blurb: Five minute song about the sides of ourselves we hide from others, and being surprised by a loved one's own "stranger." Like all the other songs listed here, easy enough to interpret in a singlet way as well.

Why is it worth your time?: It's good. Moody and noir-ish, with the air of a rainy city street. Also, it's so old, you can find it near anywhere.

Plural Tags: switching

“Last night right after the show
I had to let myself go
I got too needy wouldn't leave me
For one second alone

But I still sleep with myself
That's kinda complicated
I steal the blanket as well
That gets me so frustrated"

Blurb: A ridiculous farce of a song about having a terrible dysfunctional relationship with your own ego, breaking up, and continuing to have sex with it.

Why is it worth your time?: It's three and a half minutes of catchy comedic absurdity about someone making terrible life choices. It's funny, you can listen to it for free on bandcamp, I'd say it's worth your time.

Plural Tags: in-system romance (in the worst way)

Content Warnings: in case the band name Regurgitator didn't cue you, you might be offended by this song. Think of the sleaziest, scummiest way you could depict such a relationship, and you've about got it.

Accessibility Notes: The original version that I know from the Mish Mash! album is available for $1 AUD, but there are at least three versions of this song available on bandcamp, and you can buy them all in one go for $4 AUD. Mish Mash! is also available on CD and vinyl.