Ah i don't know for the other members especially since i'm quite new here but as for me at least i think that not a thing to be that much ashamed about i mean teenagers having weird ideas and acting a bit crazy feel like teenagers being teenagers that not exactly breaking news. That being said most mature pagan/otherkin are not that fluffy bunny anymore. The way you phrase it just sound like you got older. That being said even if they still exist which i'm not so sure about because at least as i've heard that trend seemed to be dying out, young girls thinking they may grow a real mermaid fish tail with kitchen-made magic potion may not be very grounded in reality but as far as i heard most of the times their belief are more a way of dreaming like kids love to believe in Santa Claus and does not hurt anyone they may be ridiculous but hey having fun while looking stupid is kinda synonymous with adolescence in my book. At least that was the best way my own adolescence could be summed up. I can't guarantee I and others members will always try and manage to be respectful but i think most of us will do our best even with people who have the most marginal world views.

Interesting, that a bit off-topic but Deviant Art never stop amazing me so many places for underground communities most even i probably never heard about and so many talented artists on that website. Well then ok so they thinks we can be called furries here then? Ok why not, maybe most of us just do not think about it because furries comes from fur and sea creatures don't have fur for most of them but the way you said it that make sense. I don't know if i would feel furry myself because i know next to nothing about furry community besides if we call ourselves part of it but if some merfolk want to be called furries and other furries agree to welcome them in their community i have no objection and i can't think of anyone who would have one.