Kin List

These are characters who I either feel are, to use the parlance of our times, "just like me fr", who I've been kin assigned, or who I imprinted on at an early age and inadvertently became a huge part of my identity.

Dr. Madeline Bergman

Metroid: Other M

Got a character who you imprinted on in high school and inadvertently based your entire adult identity around? Yeah, she of all characters became that for me, and I'm not sure how much was coincidence and how much was weird subconscious shit going on. I studied psychology and computer science, I get attached to nonhuman things really easily, I self-isolate a lot when I feel unsafe and anxious about the world and/or terrible about myself… I even started keeping my hair short and floofy like her!

This sweet little war criminal who made biomechanical abominations and adopted an AI is my number one "literally me" character in anything ever, and I'll never not be salty that all the disturbing implications of her character will never get explored since they got tacked onto the end of a mostly unrelated and much weaker story. The day they bring her back in a better-written game is the day that the galaxy, or at least my nerdy ass, will finally be at peace.

(Also, she's an autistic demigirl lesbian just like me. I can just say that's canon because who's gonna argue with me? The fanbase? The creators? Neither of them ever think about her lmao)

Ness

Mother 2 / EarthBound

And here's the character I imprinted on in middle school and made my whole personality! His adventure across Eagleland and beyond with his newfound friends was such a comforting place to escape to at a time where I felt disconnected from the few friends I did have. He has similar tastes in food and music, a similar affinity for hats, and a similar body type, too! And that's not even getting into the habits I picked up from my Mother obsession as a kid, like giving peace signs whenever I get my picture taken. (And if I had to pick a sport to give a shit about and BattleBots wasn't an option, it'd probably be baseball!) I also really connect to the little hints of how thoughtful and introspective he is despite not saying much, like the flashes of memory at the Sanctuaries and his inner monologue at Lumine Hall and in Magicant… Actually, the whole Magicant section, fighting your literal inner demons is a story I always really resonate with!

Fun Fact: I got the Ness shirt and hat from Fangamer when I was a teenager and wore them when my family took me to Nintendo World in Times Square!

Falin Touden

ダンジョン飯 (Dungeon Meshi) / Delicious in Dungeon

This one I got assigned by one of my best friends, and honestly? Perfect. No notes. I'm an autistic lesbian who wants to help and heal others, gets feelings of wanderlust, loves little creatures, and honestly doesn't feel quite human and therefore is drawn to things like body horror and transhumanism. It's like Falin was made for me to relate to! Plus, all the fanart depicting her with my body type, and seeing people look at that fanart and find her attractive, makes me feel really good about my body, which is a rare thing for me! :3