Connecting with other systems

[teh-kerry.livejournal.com]

Something we did the other day, that freaked us out marginally, and we were wondering if anyone else had experienced it before.

There's this other system that we're pretty close to - most of us have partners over there, we spend a lot of time with them and we're pretty involved in their affairs. For a while, we've known that we can make some sort of connection with them - we can visit their 'inside', and they can visit ours.

Normally, we need some sort of external physical connection to do this, but recently, we've worked out that we can 'leave people' over there temporarily. They leave our system, and take up residence over there - they can even take front over there, which is pretty freaky. For reasons that're way too complex to go into now, we 'left' Liam and Steve over there the other day, to help out with something.

This has affected us a lot more than we thought it would. It feels really weird not having around two people who we're used to having around, and we don't have a chance to 'retrieve' them until Tuesday. Which might not seem like long, but it feels incredibly odd to have two pretty important members of our system missing, even for a couple of hours.

We were just wondering if anyone else has done or tried something like this before, and if anyone has any tips for coping without two people who we're used to relying on and having around.

Kelly

Comments

[laura-isaac.livejournal.com]

I'm not entirely multiple (I think I'm median but I'm still trying to sort things out but that's for a different time) but I can leave the boys in my head with their wives in my girlfriend's system and vice versa :) even though we are 4500 miles away. They even help out in her system if they are needed.

BTW, totally unrelated question, your icons? How did you make them? The boys are prodding me to make ones of their own?

[hold-me-coldly.livejournal.com]

The icons are made here (http://www.dookyweb.com/avatars.swf). Won't work on AOL though, if you use that. We have to do it in Mozilla or Explorer. ;o)

[laura-isaac.livejournal.com]

Many thanks, at least they might calm down now, lol.

[teh-kerry.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's the address :) I'll warn you though, there isn't as much scope for guy icons, they tend to all look the same. There's only a very limited number of guyish hairstyles. That's fine if you have a small group, but we have 20ish guys, and none of the pics look that different.

[laura-isaac.livejournal.com]

*smiles* there's only 2 main guys so we're good at the moment :)

[cactus-guys.livejournal.com]

Like Kelly said, we have 20ish of us, and we all look very similar when you compare all the pics. *sigh* You're lucky having so few of you, it gets really confusing with all of us.

Btw, we can't take credit for using that site for pics first - Pack Collective (or something - sorry, I'm bad with names!) gave it out about a couple of months ago, and we've been using it ever since.

[ricktboy.livejournal.com]

you're absolutely right :)

Rick
Pack Collective

[ricktboy.livejournal.com]

I don't know...we managed to have our guys look different ;) *points*

[cactus-guys.livejournal.com]

Even then, ya've only got what, 5 of ya? We've got 15 icons on here - can't be arsed to pay for an account - and we all look a bit similar anyway, loads of us have short black hair or something.

Ya did it anyway, so yeah, well done I suppose.

Pete (bloody out of it today, hate the female body...)

[our-menagerie.livejournal.com]

We do that all the time with the other system we are involved with. We have been doing it for a couple years now and they are more comfortable with it than we are. Sometimes our people being over there can be hard and if its been too long they will sometimes come back here spontaneously which can be very confusing for both systems. The other hard part for me is if one of their people is over here and I really have something important to say to them I would prefer they talk to me from their own body. That may sound silly but they remember better that way and I dont have to second guess myself like I sometimes do if they are talking to me from here...like did she say that because she knew thats what I wanted her to say type of thing. As for coping, the only thing I can tell you is dont panic. I think if you really want them back before tuesday write the other system an email or msg them however you do and tell them you need/want them to come back home. It just takes getting use to and even though Im use to it, I still prefer to talk to people in their own bodies most of the time. But sometimes it helps, it can be a useful tool for both systems. Just I wouldnt do it with anyone I didnt absolutely trust.

sj

[tej-agni.livejournal.com]

There are some who've visited the realm for the group I'm with. Visiting other people? I think Amirah can do that. She's visited a few people in the past. Some others might be able to do it too, but I'm not sure. Hot tea sure is good! :)

-Butterfly

[teh-kerry.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all the tips :) We got them back today, managed to see the system we'd 'sent them over' to. The problem we had was that we need physical contact to make a link, which isn't always possible.

(I'm currently wishing we didn't have them back, actually :P They've done nothing useful, they're just sprawled around the place eating, drinking and making a mess. But that's guys for you).

[cactus-guys.livejournal.com]

Oi! Not that I'm sexist or anything (Claire'd kill me), but you're way too feminist for your own good.

I love this thread. It's all about me. And Liam, I suppose. But that doesn't stop it feeding my ego. :D I never knew you all missed us... hell, I didn't know you'd ever miss me. Guess I'll remind you of that next time you're yelling at me.

[gryphons.livejournal.com]

*nods* we visit our partners' household.. among other locations.. fortunately it doesn't take physical contact for us.. since they live in a different town... so yeah.. it happens.. as far as tips.. *shrugs* try not to stress about it.. they'll be back.. Micah and Gabe, two of our primaries, spend a LOT of time with their wife.. it's still weird.. at times.. but they come back feeling much better.
-Rain

[anhedonicjester.livejournal.com]

uhm, how does that work? does that sound rude? i mean, im kinda assuming most of you dont know exactly how either just that you can do it... but does anyone have some insight into how switching bodies is possible?

[ricktboy.livejournal.com]

we've done it. let people help other people, or borrowed someone else. the lending isn't so odd as the borrowing... when we have more than two visitors, the body's head feels strange... like when you've eaten a large meal and your belly feels PACKED and full? that's how the head gets.

Blendyness
Pack Collective

[ksol1460.livejournal.com]

http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=multiplicity&keyword=traveling+%26+visiting&filter=all

We have done this since we were about ten. The way we do it, when people we are used to relying on are absent, we have other people take their place.