Can I ask furries and co a question? What does being a furry mean to you? I've been around furries for a while, since high school, and never thought of myself as one, but someone asked why not given I rolelpay being a fox with friends regularly.

I always thought it was a pretty intense thing. Like, my platonic ideal for having a 'sona is @chr and it seems to be a powerful part of who they are? The furry I knew in high school I didn't really talk to about it, but she wore her cat tail to school every day, despite some resulting bullying, so it must have been pretty powerful for her? I know for @brassmerino it is more aspirational, but still seems powerful?

For me its like, I picked a fox due to someone I was flirting with suggesting it, and the fact it lets me do both cat and dog* behaviours and be a smart, sometimes magical, trickster. It is relaxing and silly and fun, but not like, a core part of me? I could just as easily role play a cat or weasel or dragon (heck, I made this account for that reason) or something, and I never get the feeling of looking in the mirror and wondering why I'm not a fox that I've seen other furries and scalies describe.

Anyway, I'm just curious if I've been getting a really biased sample, or what?

I'm aware this might be odd coming from a dragon account, and talking about a fox, but I figure it makes the most sense here, and I made this one to play with a specific person.

*Yes, I know this is a terrible way to describe fox behaviour

Something @brassmerino said sparked me: I don't be a dragon or fox because they are me, though both Pyrite and Unnamed Fox have bits of me in the, I will play one of them when I don't want to be me for a while, I just want to mindlessly frolic and get attention.

Well, or if I want to do some sexy roleplay with Pyrite, but its hard to find partners for that and no more fun then being a human doing it most of the time.

@Pyrite @chr

I don't have the "looking in the mirror and wondering why I'm not a dragon" thing either, but dragon is definitely part of my personality that I focus on when I need to get out of my own head (though only really at the same level as my D&D characters, I think)

@Pyrite @chr

like, I may not always be a dragon, but the dragon is always me

@brassmerino @chr

Huh, Ok. I don't think of being a fox or dragon that way, but they are fun things to be when I'm feeling bad and need to relax. Like, just fun not to be me for a while.

@Pyrite @chr @brassmerino I've long heard furryness just as "an interest in anthropomorphic media", which includes both people with more intense interests and people with more casual interests? Also, @chr, you're therian/kin, right? (You mentioned that in a recent post and also, you're, well, a dragon.) So that's a thing that can overlap with furryness but isn't remotely defining of furryness.

@Pyrite I don't have furry as an Identity, but that doesn't mean I can't be a furry here and there as part of what I play with. For some people an interest, kink, or personality component will be defining and a major part of their self image. This is valid.

For some people it will just be a *part* of them they play with/use when they want it. This is also valid.

It's not a competition, it's a self-exploration, and it's ok to try something on and see where it fits (or even if it doesn't) in your identity.