Comments: 38
Enigma-Nyx [2017-06-15 00:26:55 +0000 UTC]
To me, a fursona is a [furry] character who represents you, the artist. To me it doesn't matter if the character actually looks like your physical self, so long as it's a reflection of who you are. It's always bugged me a little when people refer to all their OCs as fursonas, because it's not a fursona to me unless you use it to represent yourself. Doesn't matter how the character represents you, just that it does.
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HelixHound [2017-05-21 11:22:48 +0000 UTC]
My fursona is 100% me, except for the wolf form and powers of course. Rather than that, a 100% me ^^
I think it's a good way to express yourself in a harmless manner as long as you don't get carried away with it. But you should be you, not try and be someone you're not, unless you warn everyone and say that it's just a representation and not actually you... it even that could get dangerous.
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unsightly-illusion [2017-05-11 03:03:18 +0000 UTC]
This is such an interesting point. Having just stumbled a crossed this dilemma, I can say that both definitions make sense in a way. I went through this moral problem myself as I could never figure out what this very thing meant to me. Just like there are many different people, it will mean different things to the person interpreting it. For me it is number two. It is a representation of my true self. I can't separate myself from the fox and I see no reason that I should. XP At the end of the day I'm quite content with allowing others to see the me on the inside. Though I guess I could say that I've been quite attached to my other half named Sparky who's a Pikachu. (There are a lot of Sparkys out there to be honest but that's ok. XP) I see Sparky as a furry and not basically a gijinka as he is a full anthro Pikachu. Is he an OC or another fursona? I suppose the latter in a sense as I see him as also being me before I discovered my true self. So in essence that makes them interchangeable in a way. So I guess that fursonas can change much like the seasons change. I went from seeing things as number one and wound up at number two in the long run. That makes me feel complicated but as long as I'm me, then there is nothing better in the world. It makes me a very happy fox. :3
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NightfallBlessing [2017-03-15 14:35:33 +0000 UTC]
My fursona is basically me. The real me, the version of me that I can't express irl, when I use her I can finally let go of my barriers and do stuff I normally don't dare.
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RowdyChickens [2016-10-01 23:57:07 +0000 UTC]
a fursona is the ultimte warning sign of being an extreme furry the end
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Milkfake [2016-09-21 16:05:23 +0000 UTC]
I cannot seem to find myself in just one fursona or character. My Jacket character definitely is a place I go to most of the time when I want to vent out my feelings, though, but she still seems to lack a part of me I have in reality. But, I still feel comfortable to say she represents how I feel more powerfully than any other character.
I do not really agree with trying to label fursonas and give them a specific definition. Some people might use them to cope, others to find themselves, others to find or create stories, to just have an oc that looks like them, all of that, or even much more options! I feel like fursonas have been experimented with so much through social media and more so through art, you can't ask two people with fursonas what they mean to them and have them say the same thing.
Even in this comment section alone, people all have their own experience and opinions.
I do not think fursonas are a thing to be defined. In fact, I feel many personal things about a person cannot or should not have a label that defines them. People and their creations are complicated and almost constantly changing.
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Devildart [2016-09-20 06:03:42 +0000 UTC]
For me a sona should always have a part of yourself in them whether its the personality, some of the scars and details, and or the actual design. For example my sona Dart looks nothing like me and being what i want to look like, however she still has my entire personality, all my scars, issues, and sometimes even clothing. Usually I see the term Fursona meaning a design that represents the artist maintaining all their traits and personality instead of being what that person looks like as an animal or a seperate character with a backstory all their own.
Characters meanwhile have their own lives, their own stories, emotions, traits, and ideals, theyre too fleshy to represent someone. granted there will always be characters that seem like they would or should represent you but in reality theyre too seperate to do so. For instance I have a character named Seth, now he is the one character i have that i relate to the most and i did in fact consider making him my fursona for a while, however his personality and views differ from my own and thus wouldn't work.
This is of course just what I view the terms as. i must thank you for posting this as it helped me settle a debate i was having over who my sona should be.
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CatwithPajamas [2016-09-19 20:47:20 +0000 UTC]
This is a good topic for debate
Now, I once had the same problem as you in the beginning with the term fursona and what it meant. Back then I thought it was like a main character so I had, I'd say, about four fursonas, who had their own backgrounds and personalities and everything.
My main character now used to be my fursona for a long while since she was the one I drew most of the time. But when it came to personal things like vents, it didn't always feel right using her as I couldn't pour myself out through her (do you know what I mean?)
As some time went on, I started to recognize fursona as a character that represents you as an animal. So I created and kept my one fursona who is also one of my mascots (a mascot along with one or two others. Some people mostly associate me with my main character while other correctly associate me with my actual fursona)and she resemble me even though she is a little different then me in some aspects. She is who I am irl but also who I am inside and who I wish I was. Actually she has two sides, and her background and story is rather flexible. And although she is my fursona, she has her own background, it's just not really concrete, I just make it what I want whenever I want. Just as people can do whatever they want with their own characters/fursonas and shouldn't worry about other people's judgements or opinions
Honestly, the definition of the term fursona is up to the person. But to me, personally, it is most of who I am just not 100%. Again it is all up to the person as the definition is rather flexible and not set in stone. Some people, like I do and have done, make fursonas or characters for different personality traits. Some have fursonas that are also alter egos while others have fursonas that are literally them just as an animal of choice. It's all up to you
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Neffiie [2016-09-19 20:30:57 +0000 UTC]
I had a fursona, it mostly consisted of Grey and white. White meaning the purrity of my personality, grey showing the rough times in my life. (there's a lot of greys man.) and two feathers my father came back with one day (looked like this: prntscr.com/cjylik ) I have a some-what similar character, I'm not really fond of her... 10 I dumped my fursona only because it was getting too painful for me to actually know that it was me, and they way i was acting really made me wonder about myself.. so now im fursona-less i suppose but i guess it really can represent you, it doesnt really matter about the colors unless it has siggnificant meaning like it did to me, like who says it had to be brown just because you have a brown skin color? or it has to have black hair because you have black hair. :3
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Shaymon [2016-09-19 20:08:24 +0000 UTC]
((This seems to be a very interesting topic. Unfortunately I cannot see your whole comment, it glitches so that I can only see your comment till you mention Fausto's reference. Is there a way i can see your whole comment? I've tried to refresh the tab, opening and closing it again but nothing changes))
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Ziboe In reply to Shaymon [2016-09-28 07:14:02 +0000 UTC]
Did you manage to access it? or is it still cut? I have a copy in my sta.sh
What is a fursona? DISCUSSIONFirst of all, please forgive me if I make grammatical and spelling mistakes, English is not my main language. If this bothers/pisses you at some point I am utterly sorry, feel free to leave a comment showing your opinion.
Lets have a bit of a talkative moment, for a long time there has been a question that has bothered me, what exactly does fursona mean? Which meaning is the correct? I will cover both sides, the ones against the original term and the current one. I have done a bit of research and from what I have gained I want your opinion because I am really confused because both sides are so contradictory, I will also include personal experiences.
First to start with the terms which there are probably more than two but I will use the ones I tend to see the most, the ones were people display an alter ego or a persona they wish could be, and the other fursona were it is a close representation of them a an, sorry for the late reply, I am really busy with my finals.
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Shaymon In reply to Ziboe [2016-09-28 12:02:11 +0000 UTC]
Uh, sí, sigue cortado, aunque ya empiezo a dudar que es problema mío porque aun mirando en Sta.sh no se ve bien. He probado incluso a mirarlo desde distintos dispositivos (el móvil, la App de la misma, otros ordenadores) y sigue igual, lo que es bastante extraño (se queda cortado de esta forma sta.sh/05t669b1995 )
Y no pasa nada con lo de los exámenes, no hay prisa (aunque sí que es un tema interesante)
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Arch-Core [2016-09-19 19:35:47 +0000 UTC]
I personally used to always have to make a new fursona, as it never felt right. I prefer my main character to be like me, but it's hard to understand myself, making the character hard to imagine. A few times I've gone with a character different to me, but it felt too out of place, like I was labeled as things I wasn't. It took a long time to come to where I am now, with my main Ray. Ray is my perception of what I would be in my world. As I am the one who created it, Ray is the main god. Ray shares a lot of traits with me, including my intelligence, but my watchful nature, choosing to watch, then act. But they also have other traits such as being more outgoing. I built Ray to be moldable, changeable to how I grow as well. Having no true physical form, and only choosing some out of interest, or habit. Ray is the kind of character meant to grow and change. I'm even compared them to ditto a couple times. I also am still finding traits from my old fursonas in my characters, meaning they never truly left.
Because of my own experiences, I feel that a fursona is up to the person. It can go either way depending on what the person wants. It can be an exact copy of yourself as an animal, or even a complete opposite. I see it as finding a character you are comfortable with and pretty much attaching to them. I do not actively call Ray my fursona as I do Main, Alter Ego, Me, or other terms. It depends on the person overall. Some people spend a lifetime finding that one character they consider the best or them, while others figure it out on the first go. Ray is my release, a way that I feel disconnected from the real world, like I belong somewhere else. Ray is my portal. Others see theirs as a way to have fun, make friends, or even be themselves.
Of course, these are just my opinions. I never say anything is backed by fact, and everyone has their own views.
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smolroll [2016-09-19 19:18:32 +0000 UTC]
To me, my fursona is basically myself, but as an animal XD
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pixelthepikachu [2016-09-19 19:13:48 +0000 UTC]
oohh interesting! but like many others said "fursona" is a lot different for others. but for me my sonas represent facets of myself. like happy/upset/moody. it's kinda like an identity type thing
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IceHeishiou [2016-09-19 15:36:00 +0000 UTC]
My fursona is something I want to be becouse it is who I really am, without walls.
This is who I am just to me, but in reality, for others, I'm just the opposite.
My fursona is energetic, funny but rude, with her creepy smile and weird actions.
I, in reality, am shy, quiet, asocial.
But I try to be like my fursona becouse this is who I want to be.
With best friends I act more how I should be, more like my fursona, my real me.
But when I'm alone I'm just my sona.
So...
I want to be like her but I just have my... walls?
And I can't break them.
She is something like my authority, something like I am without these "walls".
Can't really explain that, I love my fursona, she is just perfect, I love her so much and I don't wanna be anyone else, just her.
I had other fursona for short time and that was the time I REALLY missed her ;----;
I changed fursona back.
It wasn't me, but in some way she was closer to me.
She was my wall, it was me with walls.
And now.
I hate her.
But I love my current fursona and I will never change her I love her so much ;------;
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crowid [2016-09-19 05:22:11 +0000 UTC]
i just made a design and gave it one part of my personality, so for me a fursona doesn't have to be the WHOLE you. in fact, back then i made one for every personality trait i found important (angry side, depressed, jealous, crazy, etc)
but nowadays i don't really care tbh as i started drawing humans, i practice a lot and don't have time to draw them. i'm kinda stuck but it'll eventually work out.
(forgot to say, the designs are random)
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gIowcloud [2016-09-19 02:38:53 +0000 UTC]
that's a pretty good argument dude!
For me, my fursona(s) are more who I want to be, and or who I was in a way.
Like with Basta, my Aussie you drew for me, is a reflection of who I wanna be one day; out going, social, really friendly. Basically very sociable, male, and an all around sweetheart.
Though Ryuta, my Catosaur (whom I actually intend to redesign) is a different story?? She sorta gives off who I was when I was younger, I don't super dwell on it, but at the least, I was very feminine
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Ink-aroo [2016-09-19 01:44:33 +0000 UTC]
from my experience, fursonas are different for everyone, for some ppl they are what they wish to be, and for others, like me, they are a more literal representation of themselves, theres no "set" thing that defines it, just like theres no set definition for furry. something is your fursona if you design it and say it is. it can be as different or as close to you as you want it to be. many ppl will have alt designs representing different aspects of there personality, or have one thats more like they want to be, and have one as a main thats more like them, its not unusual to have any of those, its all up to you.
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DOSHLORD [2016-09-19 01:36:09 +0000 UTC]
My fursona is more of an avatar to me, I like rats, and I like to draw, so I draw myself as a rat. I don't see myself as a rat, I only see myself as a human.
Tbh I'm not sure if that even counts as a fursona I just call her my fursona
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edelilah [2016-09-19 01:35:44 +0000 UTC]
i think people are open to creating whatever kind of fursonas they want... in your case, when i read your story, saying you had like 20 fursonas at age 11 is pretty... normal? you're a young child trying to find out who you are and nobody should ever expect you to be able to define yourself, even through the appearance/personality of one furry character. kids are particularly cruel so i don't judge you for being aggravated when people make fursonas that are not based upon what they look like, because kids instilled that annoyance in you.
however, a fursona is only an avatar used to depict your (ideal) self, meaning that it can look nothing like you or have personality traits that are nothing like yours. this also goes for identifying with your own characters because of traits they might have even if other traits that person might not particularly agree with... the point remains that as long as they are thoughtfully critical of the issues that exist there is truly nothing stopping that character from being a fursona in the loosest sense. the need to put the word fursona in a box and force people to identify with the appearance/personality of a design/character is ridiculous and uptight. we're all just trying our best and human identity is a fragile thing.
there are a lot of ways to define yourself and none of them are wrong.
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NoodleRyuu [2016-09-19 01:00:02 +0000 UTC]
I have like 2 fursonas.
Both of them are like me in some ways while one is way more one side of my personality and the other is me normally.
One of my fursona's has two forms and those mean things as well in how they act.
As for other fur like sonas or just sonas I base them on myself and what I want to be.
My mascot would be my most iconic character or one of my characters I hold close to my heart.
I consider everything you make to have a piece of you somewhere in it, so its hard for me to just say that only the characters that are like me are my sonas. Each of them are like a piece of me or like a child of mine.
I know its weird, considering I have some nasty beans that seem pretty far fetched to be like me, but bits of who they are bits of me. That's what makes them mine.
I think it really just depends on the person as to what their fursona is for them. I don't really see a write or a wrong in this. My only issue is when people create a character without any flaws of any kind. I see that just hard to relate to.
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Angelfonds [2016-09-19 00:03:40 +0000 UTC]
I like either or has you honestly or why not both??
I mean you saw what I look like does Angel look like me? She might not but honestly I put thoughts into her design & her markings & she has a bit of my personality too. But I also have other side ocs that I use as sonas too...more so cause they fit me I guess & or don't want to depart with them.
As you can see I have more than one in here sta.sh/2dbyxoks7zk?edit=1 & even have a male fursona (would have a pokemon one but designed her as a sketch so far so idk)
So everyone should do themselves! Whatever makes you happy!! My fursona is who I am or wish I could be but also my username...
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aAshleyB [2016-09-18 23:55:38 +0000 UTC]
For some reason, whenever I think of my personality as a "furry", the mental image or ideal always translates as a male. Idk if it's because of how much of a tom-boy I act or what, but it's harder for me to imagine my fursona as a female, even though I am one (and am happy to be one).
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Loxiv [2016-09-18 23:48:10 +0000 UTC]
In the simplest context, my 'fursona' is a hodge podge mix of a design I enjoy
And while they reflect parts of me, there are also parts of them that are unique and individualistic to them, just like an oc
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Hookitchaw [2016-09-18 23:45:39 +0000 UTC]
Sometimes it irritates me how people see my anthro characters and classifies them as furries or fursonas when theyre really just anthro animals i draw for fun...i dont want to turn this into a "What classifies someone as a furry" thing or whatever though aha..
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ThatWildMary [2016-09-18 23:40:36 +0000 UTC]
I honestly see both out there but what I mostly see is the second term kinda thing, a representation of what one is...
When I was creating my own fursona, Mary, back then, while I based myself a lot on my favorite pokemon(before creating her I just represented myself in drawing as an eevee pff) and my favorite animal, but the personality and behaviour would match mine. With time she evolved to represent me a little better in terms of appearance (I think) but overall she stayed the same. I always thought tho, "she has brown fur because I have brown hair! brown eyes because I have brown eyes!" and stuff like that. With that being said she also has a bit of something I wanted to be more like :,^) not entirely sure of what people would expect of me based on my fursona, but at least I THINK what I show through her is a good reflection of me and how I feel...
On the other hand, I have also created other characters that represent other parts of me, or certain events in life, and while I see myself in them somehow and have an emotional attachment to some, and even gave them some symbolic traits or stories, they are very different from me, mostly their personalities. Some could be defined as things I wanted to be, sure. But I've always seen them as characters, not much as other fursonas...
I do believe people many times like representing themselves with the first term kind of fursonas, something they wish to become, something they would like to see themselves as, so it's definitely also valid. Pretty much a way to escape from reality I think.
I wouldn't say myself that there is a "correct" term, but to ME a fursona is term 2, and term 1 is a character... And many people say characters carry a bit of their creators, so hey, one could go with that. It's a pretty complex context and everyone probably has lots of different views on it haha~
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Kazutsu [2016-09-18 23:27:10 +0000 UTC]
For me, I see fursonas as an interpretation of the artist/person as themselves, but just in animal/furry form. Like for example, my fursona Kazu is pretty much a 1:1 match and shares the same height, weight, personality, gender, likes/dislikes, etc. as I do in the real world; the only thing that differs between him and I is his sex (which I've adjusted to match my mindset). Also, since my fursona is myself, I wouldn't particularly draw/put him in situations that I wouldn't do in the real world. Any other character with traits/characteristics that are vastly different than mine, I just tend to refer them as another OC/character/mascot.
So pretty much, I see fursonas as #2 most of the time.
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porcuMoose [2016-09-18 23:20:16 +0000 UTC]
I personally like to think that a fursona is just you as a furry/anthro. The character has your development and your personality, and it's a bonus that the character resembles you, to be realistic. I know that's not very fun, but that's just my personal taste.
My fursona is a simple slender-tailed meerkat. *my avatar* I don't see myself as being a gorgeous character with splendid colours and design, as I personally find myself very basic, and my actual looks are as well. I was once referred to as a "protagonist" and that just kinda stuck with me. My fursona's design is basic, but I make up for it by making myself a shapeshifter and can alter my appearance and have all the side-forms I wish, but they'll never replace my meerkat skin.
For me I like the second character being your fursona since she looks very much like you, and I always thought Fausto was just your primary OC anyways. I understand what it's like to have an OC like that though, since I have one I consider my leading character of all my kiddos too, and she once was my sona until she gained a lot of development and backstory, so I made her an OC.
There's nothing wrong in having a fursona that's drastically different from yourself-- everyone is allowed to do whatever the hell they want-- but yeah I have the same feelings as you. There's just this disassociation when a fursona doesn't fit its person ..
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Wolf-Fang4 [2016-09-18 23:19:22 +0000 UTC]
What indeed.
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demiphoibus [2016-09-18 23:19:19 +0000 UTC]
I think that a lot of people think of a fursona as term 1, I have seen many people who have more than one fursona.
But for me, my fursona is just an avatar. It's just something I created because I hate drawing my own face. So I didn't even bother giving it a personality or a backstory, because I use it just as an animal that "represents" me.
But then again, I'm not even sure if that is the correct definition of a fursona....
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DasChocolate [2016-09-18 23:16:21 +0000 UTC]
I wouldn't treat you any differently no matter who was your fursona is. Just cause one is male and other is female doesn't change who the "player" is, if that makes any sense lol. I know I'd be pretty screwed if people thought that way about me since my other online name is Mr. Chocolate and I'm female. xD
To answer your question, I normally stick to #2 as my persona definition of a fursona now but I understand why people pick #1 to represent themselves as a sona. I truely don't think there is a correct way to make a sona. I think its all about how you want to be presented.
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minitiken [2016-09-18 23:12:06 +0000 UTC]
this is super interesting, i think about it a lot!
to me, fursona is like an avatar of yourself. aka it represents you, but its a symbol, and just like if it was a plant or human (persona) it would still be just a symbol to represent you. i think that because thats what i see most difused in the furry comunity.
i did practically the same thing. i made myself a "fursona" but it has a personality that has some points different from mine. Its my first character Frenetic, and is a tad anxious. I am anxious, but not that much anymore. i guess i "grew up" from this fursona and now shes just a character, not representing me anymore, just herself.
i dont like "needing a fursona" as a thing to be accepted on the fandom. since to me its just a symbol, i still dont know if i want an animal to look like me or my mate, or if i should just draw me and my mate, for example, as humans. for the furry fandom, i like drawing the characters, designing characters and doing commissions, and i even think its cute some fursuits, but its a bit "ick" to me saying "i wish i was a wolf and i was pink and etc etc"...
so, for me, fursona is a symbol to describe oneself. that means i dont have a fursona, but some personal characters i like to use interchangebly!
sorry for my english, not my first language either!
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K-MUTT [2016-09-18 23:07:01 +0000 UTC]
I feel like a lot of people have two fursonas, one of who they wish they were and one of who they actually are.
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aAshleyB In reply to K-MUTT [2016-09-18 23:51:58 +0000 UTC]
Agreed; I myself have been considering making two for those distinctions. I would probably have them complete already if I was happy with my anthro art; alas, the anthro bod escapes me! xD
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K-MUTT In reply to aAshleyB [2016-09-19 00:06:39 +0000 UTC]
I have the same issue.
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aAshleyB In reply to K-MUTT [2016-09-19 00:55:22 +0000 UTC]
lol the struggle is real
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mechakaijus [2016-09-18 23:05:54 +0000 UTC]
I've also had this happen to me YEARS ago, and I have to say it's a bit...uncomforting.
About four years ago when i made my sona ben, he looked nothing like me, but he was who i wanted to be. Over time we started looking a lot a like, so now Im actually happy to hear people say, "omg you look just like i thought you would" or "ben is perfect as your sona, you must have made him look just like you!"
Ben had always been apart of me, whether I looked like him or when i didn't.
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