Tails-hearted

The reason this stamp is tagged under Otherkin is that while Otherhearted is pretty much the opposite of the common term, like many other terms, it falls under the umbrella of otherkin; sharing similarities but is not the same thing. Otherkin is where someone identifies as something non-human whereas Otherhearted is where someone with something non-human - notice the key difference here. Ultimately, Otherkin typically believe in past lives and have carried their identity through each life whereas Otherhearted feel a strong emotional or spiritual connection to something non-human without believing they are that thing. Many would argue that identifying with a creature or fictional character is natural, and I agree. However, what separates normal people and Otherhearted is that the latter are so passionate about how they feel that unlike others who are content with simply identifying with anything non-human, they actually give their feelings a label. A Synpath is extremely similar to Otherhearted; this is where a person strongly identifies with or feels an empathetic bond with non-human entities. In all honesty, I kind of clump these two terms together. But it is important to know the differences.

Otherhearted: This something you feel in your heart you should be. "I want to BE that, that's who I am in my heart, that's who I should be."

Synpath: This is something that you feel a connection with or empathy for, like you're the same. "I want to HUG that, I feel connected to that on an emotional level. I feel a strong sense of empathy for that."

You might also notice the Copinglinker tag. That is extremely important to note because that is what I refer to myself, mainly. A Copinglinker is someone who takes on the identity/persona of any creature or character in order to cope with mental illness, trauma, or other emotional factors. I've been through alot of shite in my life. From experiencing my parents' divorce at around the age of ten, being taken from my mom around that same time period, having my dad pass away in 2013, dealing with and escaping an abusive stepmother, and so much more. As someone I know put it, "I feel like you are using these connections with fictional characters amd beasts to acquire a sense of power, confidence, and superiority that you may otherwise lack because of the trauma you have endured. It appears to me that these are simply coping mechanisms rather than integral aspects of your personality." This person nailed it on the head. Although, I am still debating whether the last statement is true, as I cannot help but feel my kithtypes are a part of my identity (A kithtype is similar to the term kintype and is referring to the character or creature ones identifies with).

I know everyone is gonna be desperately looking for their torches and pitchforks but you know, it really doesn't matter. People's opinions do not matter because this is how I feel and I'm allowed to express my feelings. I'm not hurting anyone, and this isn't part of some major belief; it's part of my identity. Identity is important to me because I don't want to look in the mirror and either hate myself or look and see no visible person staring back at me. I've always been on this never-ending journey to find who I am.

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This is a relatively new kithtype. Me and my best friend were discussing some stuff and I was attempting to convince her how I was like Sonic, but due to my lethargic lifestyle, shyness, and other traits, I am virtually opposite of Sonic. During that conversation, I told her that I was pre-SA1 Tails in that until I am able to achieve all the traits Sonic has (such as being truly free-spirited, confidence, and need for speed) and basically blossom into the person I strive to be, I am like Tails where I yearn to be a better version of me but am not there yet. I was thinking about Tails' theme at the time and the lyrics always spoke to me but for the first time, they were made clear to me at that moment. I may feel like Sonic but I am not actually him because I want to be like him. "I wanna be like him, but that is not something I can do so easily. It's not simply my way, my style, gotta get a hold of my life." I honestly blew my own mind upon the realization of these lyrics and how well they fit my situation. The chorus honestly hits me right in the heart: "I wanna fly high so I can reach the highest of all the heavens, Somebody will be waiting for me so I have gotta fly higher, Gotta keep goin', everything is a brand new challenge for me. I will believe in myself - This is the only start for me." Legitimately crying as I write this because I so desperately want to aim for higher goals in life. My biggest dream in life is to find my soulmate so that I can be whole (this is linked to a different kithtype of mine) and I want to believe that they are waiting for me at the end of the rainbow; the path I need to take to become the true person I was meant to be. Because of this, I try every day to believe in myself and persist through my struggles. Among the other pieces of dialogue I love from my favorite game, Sonic Shuffle, Tails' quote is one I treasure as much as Sonic's line: "When I'm down and I feel I can't go on anymore... That's when I know I have to try harder! Because I have my own dreams!" His dream is to be stronger so he can help Sonic, and likewise, one of my dreams is to be stronger so I can help others in any way that I can. For the longest time, I made Tails my second favorite character but beyond the fact that Tails adorable, likable, intelligent, and that I thoroughly adore the friendship between him and Sonic, I had no idea why I liked him so much. Deep down, I knew I was Tails due his backstory, personality, and other factors. I have always looked up to Sonic as a role model and boy, does that fit Tails to a T! While watching EmuEmi's Sonic Mania Launch Night Celebration video, I cried extremely hard upon hearing Tails' origin story for the first time. Coincidentally, Emi's favorite character is Tails; and I think without knowing it, she influenced my liking for Tails even more over the course of being subscribed to her. 

Furthermore, I have always had an interest in winged creatures and the love for flight. And before I realized this fact, I always favored Tails' gameplay in Sonic Adventure 1 over the others. While I don't really see myself as intelligent, let alone having a high IQ, I have been told all my life that I am in fact super smart by a number of people, even despite my disagreement and the simple fact that individuals with Asperger's are known to have higher intelligence than most. While I am not adept by any means with technology, I have held an interest for robotics and all things sci-fi for as long as I can remember. I am not exactly the most level-headed person in the world but I aspire to be as gentle-hearted and sweet-natured as I can possibly be. The one thing I am undoubtedly is loyal to a fault. I stand by my friends and will not budge from their side. I have always been vigilant to lend a hand and be for the people I care for most in their times of need, whether it's to provide counsel or a willing ear to a problem. Admittedly, no matter how outgoing and open I try to be or how loud and outspoken I tend to be, I am actually quite timid and quiet, especially around strangers. As proven by this very description I also have a really, I mean really bad habit of going on a tangent (though, they are never full of technobabble; just babble in general). Even the little things such as his demeanor near the tail-end of the Sonic Mania trailer are things I have done in real life prior to my knowledge of me being like Tails. This could be a coincidence but in Sonic Adventure 2, I would prefer picking Tails to play as while in the Chao Garden. Under normal circumstances, I choose to play as Sonic as a default but Tails' flight gave me a unique way to play as a Chao caretaker. For whatever unexplained reason, I would take advantage of Tails' ability to fly in the Hero Garden, staying above the Chao. It was as if I were acting as a protector for them, and the only character that felt right being one was Tails. Sure, any character could be a temporary Chaos-like guardian, that's part of the appeal. But it just seemed to fit Tails so well that it just comes natural for me. Controversially, I also experience this condition known as supernumerary phantom limbs where I feel limbs that do not exist. As with my feline Kithtype, I've always felt a tail, ears, fangs, and claws but for the first time, I experienced two tails. One could argue that this was a psychosomatic idea brought on by the realization that I shared alot in common with Tails but my rebuttal is that the shift from one tail to two felt completely swift and natural, almost as if it were actually happening. Additionally, out of all the characters I identify with, Tails was the only other character whose physical traits I could feel besides perhaps Sonic himself. His tails always move constantly and he is the only character with that trait.

Take this with a grain of salt if you wish (you likely will anyway), but perhaps this stamp can be something that someone else could use. If you wanna laugh, make fun of me, whatever. Just know your opinion doesn't change much.

If I feel the need to add onto this, I will.