Poem: "Damask Speaks"
Jun. 24th, 2013 09:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis prose poem is a character overview. It makes a good introduction but could be considered spoilery. It belongs to the series Polychrome Heroics in the Terramagne setting. If you don't like spoilers, start with "Cut to the Quick," which is the origin story poem.
"Damask Speaks"
I am Keane. I came into being with Mindflare twisting through my thoughts like a knife. I take the pain and channel it to protect the others. I look nothing like the body I wear -- dark skin and hair instead of lighter, stocky instead of slim, male instead of female. I am myself anyway.
I am Mira. My first thought was to hide, to occlude, deceiving Mindflare as he worked. I spin illusions in the open air. I am the moon to this body's sun, straight white hair and ice-blue eyes. I am a woman drawn to women: this much of me is truth and not illusion.
I am Clarity. It was mine to understand Mindflare and act to block his goals. My gifts concern the thoughts and emotions. I am neither masculine nor feminine, but androgynous, and it is not flesh but intelligence which attracts me. Sometimes, though, it is hard to tell where I end and others begin.
I am Ham. I was born fighting, made to strike back against Mindflare. With my mind alone I can lift and throw things. This body is wrong for me. I am tall and muscled, black-haired and olive-skinned. I am handsome, too, a man who wants and is wanted by men.
I am Clement. I came forth to fix what was broken by Mindflare. I heal what damage I can. I do not mind hiding my auburn hair and softly padded shape inside this shell. It is only the hearts of men that I desire, not their bodies; but men do not care much for a man as awkward as myself. So perhaps it is better this way.
I am Maze, and not Maisie. She who was born in this body, died under the onslaught of Mindflare's power, leaving only memories behind. My birth was less bloody but more violent, made to deal with the aftermath of the attack and the hovering superhero Savoir Faire. I handle the social obligations, fake being Maisie because it is expected. I keep everything secret and safe. It helps that I look like her: the same tinted skin and lovely feminine form. But my eyes are green to her brown; my hair is short electrum-blonde, not long curls of honey. I still desire men, I think, but it takes me longer than it did for her. I hardly know who I am, but this I know: I am not Maisie. I am someone new.
We are Damask. This is our story.
* * *
Notes:
This character was inspired by a comment under my "Stacking vs. Not Stacking" post. I thought, gosh, that would make a terrific superhero. So Damask is a six-person multiple system in a multiracial female body. I also thought it would be fun to start at the very beginning, with the origin story, so "Cut to the Quick" gives a subjective view of that. It will take a while for the members of the system to discover each other and their respective powers, learn how to get along, and find their calling.
Multiple systems are people with more than one soul sharing the same body. This can happen in a variety of ways. Some multiples are healthy, others not, just like any other group of people -- although the proportions are skewed because extreme trauma can cause splitting. Below are some resources on this topic.
"MPD for You and Me" and "Rude Questions for Looney-Brain" are two excellent nonfiction comics by Loony-Brain, a multiple. They present an excellent overview of what it's like to share a body and have people think that makes you a freak. There are some great discussions about being multiple, writing multi characters, and multi abuse too.
"Multiplicity: The Missing Manual" is a big wiki section about various kinds of multiples, their challenges and solutions, and related topics. "The Layman's Guide" similarly talks about the nature of multiple life. "Healthy Multiplicity" is an archive of websites and other resources by and about plural people with a positive view of their condition. "Understanding Multiplicity" is a guide written for college students, more open-minded and supportive than most materials.
"Astraea Glossary" lists some terms and meanings related to multiple systems, their experiences, and related matters. People use different terms and that's okay. Often a term has special positive or negative meaning for certain people; it may fit some but not others.
Here are some tips on how to treat a plural person. I don't know if it's written by a plural person, but it aims for non-judgmental and practical advice.
What used to be called Multiple Personality Syndrome is now called Dissociative Identity Disorder. Some people consider this reasonably accurate; others find it inaccurate or at least incomplete as an explanation of multiple systems. An official reference is included here for sake of completion. Trauma can cause splitting, so there are resources for "DID and Healing."
Sometimes the members of a system have trouble getting along. Keane becomes the system scapegoat.
United Front Boot Camp explains how the members of a multiple system can learn to function in a healthy manner. There is nothing inherently wrong with being a plural person; it's only a problem if headmates can't cooperate enough to handle everyday life. Here is a look at system governments.
"Does It Work?" explores how to tell if you are a plural person. "The Power of Naming" touches on similar territory in discussing who has the right to decide that.
"Beginning Communication, Building Safety and Trust" offers ideas on how to create a healthy relationship among headmates within a system.
Dragon's Roost has some links about plurality and this archive. Here is an archive for the related concept of soulbonding.
This page lists many stories by and about multiple systems.
"Some Stuff on Integration/Fusion/Becoming Singlet" bylb_lee explores resources on integration for people who wish to pursue it, and a discussion of how fraught that choice is. This author also has a huge list of plural links here.
"Damask Speaks"
I am Keane. I came into being with Mindflare twisting through my thoughts like a knife. I take the pain and channel it to protect the others. I look nothing like the body I wear -- dark skin and hair instead of lighter, stocky instead of slim, male instead of female. I am myself anyway.
I am Mira. My first thought was to hide, to occlude, deceiving Mindflare as he worked. I spin illusions in the open air. I am the moon to this body's sun, straight white hair and ice-blue eyes. I am a woman drawn to women: this much of me is truth and not illusion.
I am Clarity. It was mine to understand Mindflare and act to block his goals. My gifts concern the thoughts and emotions. I am neither masculine nor feminine, but androgynous, and it is not flesh but intelligence which attracts me. Sometimes, though, it is hard to tell where I end and others begin.
I am Ham. I was born fighting, made to strike back against Mindflare. With my mind alone I can lift and throw things. This body is wrong for me. I am tall and muscled, black-haired and olive-skinned. I am handsome, too, a man who wants and is wanted by men.
I am Clement. I came forth to fix what was broken by Mindflare. I heal what damage I can. I do not mind hiding my auburn hair and softly padded shape inside this shell. It is only the hearts of men that I desire, not their bodies; but men do not care much for a man as awkward as myself. So perhaps it is better this way.
I am Maze, and not Maisie. She who was born in this body, died under the onslaught of Mindflare's power, leaving only memories behind. My birth was less bloody but more violent, made to deal with the aftermath of the attack and the hovering superhero Savoir Faire. I handle the social obligations, fake being Maisie because it is expected. I keep everything secret and safe. It helps that I look like her: the same tinted skin and lovely feminine form. But my eyes are green to her brown; my hair is short electrum-blonde, not long curls of honey. I still desire men, I think, but it takes me longer than it did for her. I hardly know who I am, but this I know: I am not Maisie. I am someone new.
We are Damask. This is our story.
* * *
Notes:
This character was inspired by a comment under my "Stacking vs. Not Stacking" post. I thought, gosh, that would make a terrific superhero. So Damask is a six-person multiple system in a multiracial female body. I also thought it would be fun to start at the very beginning, with the origin story, so "Cut to the Quick" gives a subjective view of that. It will take a while for the members of the system to discover each other and their respective powers, learn how to get along, and find their calling.
Multiple systems are people with more than one soul sharing the same body. This can happen in a variety of ways. Some multiples are healthy, others not, just like any other group of people -- although the proportions are skewed because extreme trauma can cause splitting. Below are some resources on this topic.
"MPD for You and Me" and "Rude Questions for Looney-Brain" are two excellent nonfiction comics by Loony-Brain, a multiple. They present an excellent overview of what it's like to share a body and have people think that makes you a freak. There are some great discussions about being multiple, writing multi characters, and multi abuse too.
"Multiplicity: The Missing Manual" is a big wiki section about various kinds of multiples, their challenges and solutions, and related topics. "The Layman's Guide" similarly talks about the nature of multiple life. "Healthy Multiplicity" is an archive of websites and other resources by and about plural people with a positive view of their condition. "Understanding Multiplicity" is a guide written for college students, more open-minded and supportive than most materials.
"Astraea Glossary" lists some terms and meanings related to multiple systems, their experiences, and related matters. People use different terms and that's okay. Often a term has special positive or negative meaning for certain people; it may fit some but not others.
Here are some tips on how to treat a plural person. I don't know if it's written by a plural person, but it aims for non-judgmental and practical advice.
What used to be called Multiple Personality Syndrome is now called Dissociative Identity Disorder. Some people consider this reasonably accurate; others find it inaccurate or at least incomplete as an explanation of multiple systems. An official reference is included here for sake of completion. Trauma can cause splitting, so there are resources for "DID and Healing."
Sometimes the members of a system have trouble getting along. Keane becomes the system scapegoat.
United Front Boot Camp explains how the members of a multiple system can learn to function in a healthy manner. There is nothing inherently wrong with being a plural person; it's only a problem if headmates can't cooperate enough to handle everyday life. Here is a look at system governments.
"Does It Work?" explores how to tell if you are a plural person. "The Power of Naming" touches on similar territory in discussing who has the right to decide that.
"Beginning Communication, Building Safety and Trust" offers ideas on how to create a healthy relationship among headmates within a system.
Dragon's Roost has some links about plurality and this archive. Here is an archive for the related concept of soulbonding.
This page lists many stories by and about multiple systems.
"Some Stuff on Integration/Fusion/Becoming Singlet" by
lb_lee explores resources on integration for people who wish to pursue it, and a discussion of how fraught that choice is. This author also has a huge list of plural links here.
Thank you!
Date: 2013-08-03 05:12 pm (UTC)That's good to hear!
>> I kind of wish I'd read them the other way around now to see how that would've affected my reading of the poem. <<
You can always go back and reread them later.
>> *bounces about* Yay for a new series! (I find the older ones a little intimidating when the poems are all spread out the way they are even when I have landing page links to guide me. :/ *pokes her brain*) <<
Sorry that the big series seem daunting. There's another recent one, Walking the Beat, on the Serial Poetry page.
Re: Thank you!
Date: 2013-08-03 08:02 pm (UTC)Exactly. ^-^ Not when I've got the ones I've read still fresh in my mind, though. (Are the three I read the only ones up on DW or did I just manage to miss you posting the others completely? I wouldn't be surprised by the latter. ><)
Sorry that the big series seem daunting. There's another recent one, Walking the Beat, on the Serial Poetry page.
Not your fault, really. I'm just already struggling incredibly to keep up with online reading nowadays, so while I try to read people's newly posted pieces at least vaguely within a decent timeframe I'm not yet at a point where I'm comfortable going through big backlogs as well. The fact that a lot of your poetry stands fine on its own is actually pretty helpful to me since I don't mind reading things out of order where I can. ^_^ And hopefully I can get caught up this month. That would be lovely.
That all said, have you ever considered compiling some ebook collections of (parts of) the bigger series? I don't know if it'd be worth your while to do, though, so mostly I'm just curious what your thoughts are on that as an option.
Re: Thank you!
Date: 2013-08-04 04:49 am (UTC)Fair enough.
>> (Are the three I read the only ones up on DW or did I just manage to miss you posting the others completely? I wouldn't be surprised by the latter. ><) <<
I think those are the only ones I initially posted on DW. Others may have been posted first to LJ and then ported over here. You can find the whole series listed under Polychrome Heroics. "Through the Haze" and "Headmates" are the other two Damask poems; the others are about different characters.
>> Not your fault, really. I'm just already struggling incredibly to keep up with online reading nowadays, so while I try to read people's newly posted pieces at least vaguely within a decent timeframe I'm not yet at a point where I'm comfortable going through big backlogs as well. <<
That's understandable. A lot of my poetry appears first on LJ, and then I echo it over here with an import at the beginning of the month.
>> The fact that a lot of your poetry stands fine on its own is actually pretty helpful to me since I don't mind reading things out of order where I can. ^_^ And hopefully I can get caught up this month. That would be lovely. <<
Yay! Some series are more sequential and others are more episodic. I try to make the individual poems as coherent as possible though.
>> That all said, have you ever considered compiling some ebook collections of (parts of) the bigger series? I don't know if it'd be worth your while to do, though, so mostly I'm just curious what your thoughts are on that as an option. <<
When a series concludes, I plan to make print and ebook editions if possible. Prior to that, getting a single-collection printout is one of my donor perks.