One difficult issue with DID that I never expected was keeping up daemonism. Prior to Syscovery this was never an issue. My daemons were always noticeably present, 24/7. Even after Syscovery, after I realized we had a diagnosis it was pretty easy, I think right up through the teens (of alter count). But now we're at over 30 alters and you know how sometimes an alter/headmate/part will say something but you're not sure who?

Turns out it can drown out your daemon's voice. We've been attributing most unidentified comments as an alter whom either didn't want to be or we couldn't recognize. But I'm starting to think maybe it's wrong to do that.

After a lot of introspection I realized that, even when I'm solidly in front, my mind is always obsessing over the System. Whether that's my OCD obsession or my anxiety about how many are coming out of dormancy lately, I don't really think that matters. Being able to disconnect and think about other things besides your System is healthy, but a habit I wasn't participating in. I realized I'd been ignoring them so much that I wasn't even telling them good morning/night anymore.

My daemons are endlessly patient, but I still feel really bad about it. So I've spent most of the past few days just really, intentionally giving them attention. Like, right now Ani is flapping around my bedroom as a freshwater ray and Thom's perched beside me as a yellow-headed blackbird (both eclipse suggestions from @xxboarpunkxx,'s Aka <3). And I can feel their excitement about today's eclipse. Their love for me and each other. Their appreciation of being included in my life.

It's surprising how acknowledging their presence clears my mind. I'm not currently obsessing over the System or whether or not I'm faking my DID. I'm not worried about what it means that we have so many coming out of dormancy right now or what the newly discovered sub-Systems mean for us. It's just ... quiet. Positive. I can focus on other things. The brain's quiet for once. Existing with your System is important, but I also think it's important to step away from it for a bit and just be you as an individual and all that encompasses.

100 Q's For Thom Pt. 1/10

.:|Thom|:. 1. What is your name? What is your human’s name? Prothomalion. Most commonly referred to as Thom. My human is Em 2. How did you get your name? I told Em a little of what I wanted and we created it together. 3. Do you have any nicknames? What do you like to call your human? See question #1. 4. What is your gender, if any? I am firmly male. 5. How old are you? Do you know your CIE date? I am 13. My CIEday is 22 November, 2009. 6. How are you feeling right now? Relaxed and preparing for the day 7. What is your favorite time of day? Morning 8. What is your favorite time of year? Fall 9. What is your favorite activity? Anything I have room to run or fly outside 10. What is your favorite food? Does it differ from your human’s? Dark chili hot chocolate is the best thing in the world

We have daemons for days

Welcome to the side blog of @korya-elana! This space is specifically to talk about our varied experiences with daemonism!

Note: Not demons in any form. Think His Dark Materials.

As a DID System of 30+, our experiences with daemonism are highly varied and because it's such a massively important part of our existence and daily life, we wanted to provide resources, personal experiences and general awareness.

List of relevant alters and their daemons below the links!

Alters and their daemons! Note, not every alter has a daemon in our System and not every alter/daemon is very well known. Em (They/Them): -Prothomalion (Thom, He/Him): Settled yellow-throated marten. Eudaimon. Snarky and sarcastic -Elethanye (Ani, She/Her): Unsettled, usually a silken windhound. Sweet as honey. Mental construct. Kay (He/Him): -Kekani (Kiki, She/Her): Settled European Hare. Practical, no-nonsense. We used to see her pop up and check on us occasionally when Kay was the Gatekeeper.

Alice (She/Her): -Z (He/Him). Settled luna moth. Alice won't tell anyone his full name, apparently that's private. We don't know much about him, he's very quiet.

Ashley (She/Her): -Azekia (Ziki, She/Her): Settled(?) ball python. Ziki's never shifted form before per Ashley, but they're both wanting to get into form-finding and figure out what their actual settled form is. She's sweet and practical

"Auntie" (She/Her): -Xxyss (pronounced Chiss maybe? He/Him): I don't know "Auntie" very well. It's hard to really write down or pronounce her golden eagle daemon's name, so this is more guesswork than anything else tbh.

Jasper (They/Them): -???: Red-ruffed lemur. Don't know much about her, she sticks pretty close to Jasper

Kell (He/Him): -Isadora (She/Her): Jaguarundi. Kell took awhile to name her and start interacting with her but it's been beautiful to see their relationship grow as he struggles with the loss of his source.

Eris (She/Her): -???: Purple-toned leopard gecko. I think it's a he?

Sparrow (She/Her): -??? Some kind of male griffin the size of a large housecat

System Daemon: -Demippos (He/Him, referred to by our youngest as Meepo): Melanistic leopard. Demippos is sort of an introject, he entered our System through a mental health app focused on daemons and he was what we got after the quiz. He usually shows up if one of us is needing extra support or serves as daemon to those who don't have one. He likes to sleep with the youngest two.

Thom Q&A Pt. 4/10

31. Are there any forms that you dislike or refuse to take? I was always adverse to humans but that solidified when I took it exactly once. Never again. I will also, of course, refuse to take anything that makes Em uncomfortable.

32. If you took a fictional form, what would it be? I have many, spanning across many fandoms and mythologies

33. Have you ever fronted or attempted to front? Absolutely not. It’s always been a firm boundary, since Em is one of the hosts of a System. But I did it once on accident. Not even a full front, just taking an arm to bring her coffee. It was startling and disorienting and neither of us have any wish for it. 

34. Do you have any regrets? Doesn’t everyone?

35. Do you love your person? What a stupid question, of course I do.

36. Have you ever felt a close bond to another human/daemon/headmate? I love Cayde and Kit of The Crew fiercely. 

37. What are you afraid of? Unfulfilled promises

38. Does your human have a headspace? What does it look like? That is a complicated and detailed question. Very, very simply, there are two main headspaces for Em. 1. The System headspace: This is shared by everyone. It’s a clearing in a dense forest with everyone having their own dwellings. There are other clearings in the forest to explore 2. And Imperial-Class Star Destroyer that we haven’t really explored. Em likes the four main rooms best, each showcasing a different season of the year. They truly are quite lovely.

39. Which form best describes YOUR personality? A yellow-throated marten, my settled form

40. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? Exactly where I am. Hopefully a little wiser.

100 Q's For Thom Pt. 2/10

11. List five of your favorite songs, and five of your human’s favorite songs: Neither of us can even start that process

12. Who was the last person you talked to, other than your human? Kit of Cayde

13. If you could change one thing about your human, what would it be? I’d want her to be kinder to herself.

14. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Nothing, I’m perfect

15. Are you affectionate? Only if I like you

16. Are you introverted, extroverted, or in-between? Very extroverted

17. Do you like to meet other daemons? I do

18. Do you have any friends, excluding your human? A few

19. What do you do during a conflict? Express what Em cannot

20. Are you happy with the amount of time you are projected currently? Extremely. Nearly always

Thom Q&A 8/10

81. Can money buy happiness? Absolutely it can. But it is not the only source of happiness. 82. Do you have any quirks or odd habits? Depends on your definition of "odd" 83. Do you believe that life exists on other planets? It's arrogant to think otherwise 84. Where is “home” for you? Wherever my person is happy and fulfilled 85. Have you ever played devil’s advocate? Constantly. I challenge Em's thinking on the daily 86. Describe yourself in six words. Sexy. Good-looking. Hilarious. Fashionable. Jfc 87. Do you have any inside jokes? If I said what they were they'd no longer be inside jokes. You can't fool me like that. 88. If you were corporeal for a day, what would you do? I would not leave Em's skin. All the cuddles in all the forms. I'd turn into a horse and we'd go on an adventure. 89. What was your favorite moment from today so far? When Cayde My Beloved rocked out Bye, Bye, Bye for me 90. Are you sarcastic? No That was sarcastic

Thom Q&A 5/10

41. What is the earliest conversation you can remember having with your human? Em had just finished the HDM trilogy and thought “I wish I had a daemon”. Being the trickster I am, I popped up as a red fox on the pillow next to her and said “But you do.” 42. Do you have a favorite number? What it is? Same as Em’s. 8 43. What is your favorite color? Does it differ from your human’s? I’m rather vainly fond of my own colour scheme. I keep it as often as I can. Em’s favourite colour is deep, wine-toned reds. 44. How would you describe your sense of humor? Dark, dry and sarcastic 45. What annoys you? Willful ignorance. Wet paws. Unnecessary responsibilities. 46. What makes you happy? Thunderstorms. Bonfires. Everyone in our System and the Crew’s. Hiking and backpacking trips. Travel in general. 47. What makes you sad? “Sad” is not an emotion I experience often but it usually occurs when I can’t help Em as much as I want to. 48. Where are you at this moment, and in what form (if any)? I am currently on the back of the couch behind Em’s head as a yellow-throated marten. 49. Do you use any form of social media (besides TDF)? Tumblr, apparently. I’m not a huge fan of social media, however. 50. What does your voice sound like? It sounds a bit like a cross of Ewan McGregor and James McAvoy

Thom 100 Q's Pt. 3/10

21. Do you have a favorite quote? If so, what is it? I do not.

22. What is your favorite word? Fuck

23. What is your favorite memory? Our backpacking trips.

24. What is your favorite thing about your human? Every positive attribute.

25. What is your favorite thing about yourself? Also everything. I’m perfect.

26. Have you learned anything new about yourself? I learn every day.

27. Where would you like to travel to? Back to the mountains.

28. Is there anyone that you would like to meet or get to know better? That list is incredibly long, even just within the daemon community.

29. How often do you change forms? Constantly. It’s something I will never give up. I know my settled form and it is always ‘home’, but I will never discount the joy of other forms.

30. What are your favorite forms to take? Obviously besides my settled form. Serval with wings. Egyptian Vulture (see image). Northern Wolf. Red Fox. White-Lipped Python.

Thom Q&A Pt. 8/10

71. Do you have any guilty pleasures? *snorts* True pleasure should never be based on guilt 72. What do you do when your human is unhappy? Lots and lots of cuddles and tactile comforts. I am insistent in letting her know I am there, even if she can’t reach out yet. 73. Do you like to cuddle? Only with my loved ones. 74. What’s your plan for the rest of the day? This is the end of the day, but tomorrow we have cleaning plans and Em is mailing a package to their partner. 75. What is your favorite day of the week? Any day we don’t have to work 76. Do you like to sing or dance? I refuse to answer such a silly question.

77. Are you lazy? Only when we can afford to be. 78. Are you stubborn? Absolutely. 79. Have you ever felt lonely? On occasion 80. How do you feel about your human participating in romantic relationships? There have been other partners in which I made my dissatisfaction known, but I adore Em’s current relationship

Thom Q&A Pt. 7/10

61. What type of pet would you want? Why? None. I want the freedom to pick up and go whenever I want to. 62. Do you have any favorite TV shows? I prefer books. Shows and films usually see me dozing in Em’s lap 63. Are you a worry wart? Definitely not. 64. What is something that you hate? An unwillingness to consider more than one’s own side 65. What is your favorite type of weather? -Do I have to be out in it? Hot, dry heat and a clear sky -Is it a day spent inside? Heavy snow or rainfall. 66. Do you enjoy getting caught in the rain? This depends immensely on the circumstances. 67. Do you care much about your appearance? I do. Presentation is communication. 68. Are you talkative, or quiet? Very talkative. I’m always chatting with Em, sometimes with Ani and sometimes with Cayde of Kit. I’m very social, a strong contrast to Em’s persistent introversion. 69. Have you ever made a mistake? Yes and I’m not willing to disclose. 70. What is your greatest personal achievement? I’m not sure what this is supposed to mean. I don’t exist for great achievements, even if personal. I’m just happy when Em takes my advice and it’s worthwhile.

Thom Q&A Pt. 6/10

51. What are your favorite smells?Petrichor, sweet earth, bonfires (particularly with evergreen wood), coffee, chocolate.

52. What images, scents, and sounds do you associate with your human?Bonfires, dust in sunbeams, the smell of old books, anything to do with the moon and owls (especially barn owls), the sound of wings. There are so many I could list

53.Do you care about politics?Only so much as it affects us and our loved ones

54. Are you religious?No. I recognize the existence of deities but feel no need to worship anything.

55. Are you satisfied with your life right now?For the most part. We could do with some more financial and emotional stability, but we’re getting along fine.

56. Is there something that you are looking forward to?Em’s partner is moving in with us in less than a month and we start our new life together with a cross-country road trip. I’m extremely excited.

57. What are some of your life goals?My only goal in life is to stick with Em and that is an easy one to keep.

58. Do you care about clothing? What is your favorite outfit that your human wears?I don’t care as long as it’s cozy and makes them feel nice.

59. Do you wear any accessories?No. I don’t even like Em using photos to represent me that include the form in question with a collar. 60. What is your current eye color? Does it change depending on your form?For the greater part of my life, my eye colour has resembled lapis lazuli

Intro

A side blog for Em, co-host of the Mirror System, and their two daemons to post about daemon things!

Prothomalion (Spicy) Nickname: Thom Daemon Type: Eudaimon Gender: Male Form: Yellow-throated marten Other common forms: mustang, serval, white-lipped python, raven, northern tamandua

Elethanyë (Sweet) Nickname: Ani Daemon Type: TDF Gender: Femme Form: Silken Windhound Other common forms: bamboo rat snake, violet-backed starling, clouded leopard, ragdoll, pyjama shark