Get to know…
THE SUPPORT SYSTEM
As you might have already guessed, I am the person who is out/fronting the most often—also known as the “host”—in our system, but in total there are eight of us (as far as we know)!
Keep in mind while reading that any alter can have a wide variety of reasons for being formed, but we’ll be more focused on the basics as you get acquainted with some (but not all) of the other alters in our system. Here you will be able to learn about their roles/jobs inside, see what they look like in the “innerworld” or the place that they call home, and how their personalities differ from one another.
P.S.— I created each of the portraits you’re about to see and every single one was a BITCH to get right, but this is probably the closest we’ll ever get to having real pictures of each other apart from just me.
Alec
I have been "aware" of Alec since I was around five years old, even if at that time he didn’t have a name and I could only picture him as a tall silhouette that simply felt comforting in some strange way. He is not only the alter that has been around the longest, but he is also our primary protector and a major trauma holder for the system. This means he essentially has been through some serious stuff and is always the first point of contact when more of it comes our way. Whether that be new challenges, old issues cropping up, or just simple everyday troubles; you name it, he's dealt with it. Now obviously that can be stressful, so at times he can come off as a bit aloof/cold, but at the end of the day he cares very deeply about all of us and wants to make sure that he's doing his job as best he can at all times. On a lighter note though, Alec and I both love art and writing, but our styles are EXTREMELY different. He also adores our cat, Depeche Mode, Ethel Cain, and is the only alter in our system that is religious.
Alec is 50, he ages very occasionally, and his birthday is February 7th.
Shawn
Shawn is our caregiver and that means exactly what you think it does. He takes care of us both emotionally and physically, likes keeping things tidy where he can, and does a wonderful job calming everyone down whenever they're distressed. He even loves to cook and/or bake (while listening to Mary J. Blige), which he's amazing at let me tell you, and never likes to "do nothing" for too long when he's out. Another interesting fact about Shawn is that he and Alec are married! Personal relationships between alters like this are actually very common within systems in general. It all boils down to symbolism and what each alter requires emotionally to function, so the two of them were quite literally made for each other.
Shawn is 45, he ages alongside Alec so they are always five years apart, and his birthday is March 30th.
Beth
Beth is a tricky one. I'm almost positive a major part of her role is to help distract us from any immediate stress/tension we might be feeling in the moment. Because of this, she has a tendency to be a bit hyperactive and never really lets herself get too serious, but this actually helps her carry out her job in our system. That’s not all, though. She's also been around for ten years at this point and (unlike almost everyone else) has stayed relatively the same until recently when she developed an interest in maintaining/creating structures in the innerworld. So far, she has added a Super Kmart and a 7-Eleven.
As for her hobbies and interests, she treats pestering Alec like a sport, loves early 2000's comedies, and likes playing Jeopardy.
Beth is 37, she does not age, and we have no clue what her birthday is because even she doesn't know. She feels it might be in June or July, though. "Something hot and with a 'J', for sure."
Jessica
Jessica was formerly a persecutor, which means she used to act out in ways to "keep us safe" in her eyes, but recently has been really trying to change this pattern of behavior for the better. However, she still has one hell of a stubborn streak and can be pretty guarded around others (even if they are family). Her favorite hobbies include running, listening to Rob Zombie, and caring for our pets whenever possible. Jessica is also the daughter of Alec, so if you were thinking that less-than-happy expression looked a little familiar, you were right! And like the bit I wrote before about when alters consider themselves to be married to each other, this type of familial bond isn't too wild for systems in general, either. To her, Alec is her parent just as much as yours are to you.
Jessica is 14, she does not age, and her birthday is March 7th.
Eric
I feel terrible admitting it, but it's only been recently that I've gotten to know Eric on a personal level, so I'm not quite sure what is role is (which is ironic since Beth is his mother and I have the same issue with her to some extent). It's not even that he hasn't been around long, it's just that he is a very anxious person and keeps to himself most of the time. Eric does hang out with the other kids in our system regularly and loves video games (especially sandbox-type ones), but he definitely enjoys spending time alone when possible. One thing I learned not too long ago was that he has a knack for writing as well and, unsurprisingly, has his own style just like me and Alec do. He also enjoys a lot of indie music with Odesza being one of his favorite groups.
I hope I get to find out more about him as time goes on!
Eric is 14, he does not age, and his birthday is November 4th.
Tom
Last, but certainly not least, we have Tom! I don't know a ton about him either, but that's because he just came out of dormancy. This means that for some reason or another, he became completely unresponsive and unreachable for quite a while until...poof! He was back in action as if he'd been around the whole time. Since then, he's mostly just stayed inside and observed the others handle big tasks so he can get to know the flow of things while he figures out his own personal role and goals within the system (because remember: the brain never creates alters "on accident"). Other than that, he's very friendly, loves playing games with Jessica and Eric, and is always eager to help where he can! Also yes, he is aware that he looks like a "Walmart version of Tilda Swinton". His words, not mine.
Tom is 14, he doesn’t age (or at least we think he doesn't based on the other kids in our system), and none of us are sure what his birthday is. If he could pick, he'd like it to be in December.
Oh, one more thing. Tom is one out of only two people that are in our system and not related to any other alter in some way, shape, or form. I find that interesting.