Fictionkin in the Vampyre Community

I've commented before on how in recent years the community at large has become a little more welcoming to viewpoints and identities that in the past were controversial. In the past this usually revolved around lifestyle vampyres or the legitimacy of psychic vampyres when compared to sanguinary vampyres. In the present I have personally noted a large influx of fictionkin into vampyre spaces and I believe it's important that we examine the elephant in the room.

Fictionkin are those that identify in some way with fictional characters. This may be psychologically, spiritually, or otherwise. Sometimes the identification is because someone is a plural system and one of their alters is a fictional character. Sometimes the identification is because of a belief that they are reincarnated from an alternate universe where the character is not fictional but a real person. The specific beliefs seem to vary as much as the people that hold them. People may identify with characters like Lestat, Alucard, or virtually any vampire or vampiric character from fiction; print, movies, video games, etc.

It is understandable that those that approach vampyrism and the community from a position of lived experience would have reservations about accepting fictionkin into the fold. Many vampyres take the lived experience of vampyrism very seriously and anything that could make them and their experience look even more suspect is viewed with suspicion. There is a concern of one's condition or experiences being lumped in with escapism, fantasy, and roleplay. There are corners of the community that have fought long and hard for even a shred of mainstream legitimacy outside of Halloween season documentaries and I suspect that for these people bringing fictionkin into the community would be seen as a setback for legitimacy.

It could be argued that most vampyres have themselves been influenced by fiction. Some are awakened by exposure to certain fiction. Many use terminology derived from works of fiction. Lifestylers quite literally model their lives after fictional portrayals of the much older vampire myth. Fiction and myth are the lens through which we come to view our experiences as vampyric in the first place. Fiction and myth contain archetypes that resonate with all people on a deep level and what is difficult to express in words can sometimes best be expressed as a similarity with an already familiar character or trope. Stories are how we come to understand the world and ourselves and we all tell stories to ourselves about ourselves. Even the most staunchly traditional vampyre has a personal mythology that they've built up around themselves in their own mind.

I suspect everyone will have their own line in the sand as to what they will consider legitimate or not and what they are willing to accept as a bridge too far when it comes to acceptance of fictionkin within the Vampyre Community. I think that it is important to consider where we came from as a community and where we would like to go moving forward. Most of us did not choose our vampyrism, whatever form it may take, so perhaps the truth is in the staying power and longevity of the identification. If fictionkin is a fad or escapist fantasy it will most likely not stand the test of time whereas the Vampyre Current, while transforming, endures. As long as someone approaches community in a respectful and friendly way I see no reason to ostracize them for what amounts to a different opinion on the origin of vampyrism.

Let us remember that it is not wise for those in glass houses to throw stones.