Hi! We’re The Vespertine Array, a mixed‐origin plural system. To our knowledge, we first became plural in 2014 when our host at the time created a tulpa (sometimes called a thoughtform), a headmate made conscious with deliberate thought. Since then, we’ve welcomed a few new members into our system. Everyone we know of is listed below.
Our plurality is non‐disordered, and we don’t claim to have DID or OSDD. We could be described as endogenic (having an origin other than trauma), although personally we choose not to identify with ‐genic labels. Where we came from is less important than the fact that we exist.
Collectively, we sometimes go by Vesper, but we prefer to be referred to with our own names and pronouns whenever possible. Vesper is a team name, not an individual. Please remember to treat all of us as our own separate people.
Members
Photo edited with ChatGPT
Nakali
she/her
Nakali is the system manager, responsible for major internal decisions. Out of all of us, she’s the most social; you’re most likely to meet her at parties, concerts, and festivals. She’s also the most open about us being a system.
When she fronts, she likes going out to appreciate nature, or staying in to watch YouTube and old sitcoms. She’s passionate about plural awareness and education, and would eventually like to do activist work.
Headmates describe her as kind, laid back, and responsible.
Rio
it/its
Rio is the current host, and is in charge of most outer‐world responsibilities. It associates most closely with the body, fronting most often out of all of us. If you spend enough time with us, you’re sure to meet it eventually.
An amateur and semi‐professional artist, it often works on electronic music, experimental videos, and various other creative projects. It loves atmospheric and evocative media, especially works that deal with technology, nostalgia, and the subconscious.
Headmates describe it as creative, opinionated, and clever.
Eve
they/he
Eve’s a queer cyber‐goth who always tries to seem tough, but is secretly an awkward little goofball. They used to be more active around the front, but these days they prefer to stay with Jacob in the subconscious.
Headmates describe them as playful, energetic, and impulsive.
Jacob
he/him
Jacob has been dropping by occasionally since 2022. He doesn’t spend much time in conscious space, preferring to hang out in the subconscious with Eve. When he’s around, he helps with tasks the rest of us don’t have the motivation to handle.
Although he’s progressive in other ways, he has far more conservative views about age than the rest of us. Because of this, he kindly requests that minors don’t interact with him.
Headmates describe him as patient, attentive, and proactive.
FAQs
Q. How can I tell who’s fronting?
A. If you don’t know, ask! Not every system is comfortable with the question, but we don’t mind. If you get to know us, though, you’ll probably be able to tell us apart pretty easily based on our voices and body language.
Q. Can you remember what happens when you’re not fronting?
A. Yes. We’re not always paying attention all the time, but we have equal access to the same memories.
Q. Can I talk to someone who isn’t currently fronting?
A. If it’s for something simple, ask, and we can pass their answer along. Keep in mind that when one of us stops fronting or being co‐conscious for a while, we’ll often zone out, in which case it may take some time to “wake up” and start thinking clearly again. We prefer to front for more involved conversations, or anything else that takes a lot of thought; if it’s particularly urgent, you can request that we switch, but please respect us if we say no.
Q. Can you control your switches?
A. Yes. We need a quiet moment and some privacy, but voluntary switching is pretty easy for us. We don’t have involuntary switches, except very occasionally when it happens in our sleep.
Q. What does “The Vespertine Array” mean?
A. Vespertine means something related to the evening. We all like late evening and dusk, and it’s often around that time in our dreams. And in computer science, an array is a data structure containing multiple elements together in memory. We’re all interested in things like ’90s computer and internet culture, cyberpunk, and vaporwave, so it felt like a fun word to use as a synonym for system.
Q. How can you be plural but not have DID?
A. Plurality is a broad identity that encompasses any and all experiences of being “more than one”. Dissociative disorders are the most well known way to become plural, but they’re by no means the only way. Plurality can also be induced, happen spontaneously for no apparent reason, exist from birth, or begin in any number of other ways. This should go without saying, but all system and headmate origins are valid. This is not up for debate.