*Final Pam voice* I BACK!

[gethenian]

o hai so I see this game has been running pleasantly in the background for 8 or so years during my absence HOW ABOUT I JUST DIVE RIGHT BACK IN WITH [EDIT: REDACTED] AND DEAD RUSSIANS ALL LIKE 'SUP MY HOOOOOOOOOOMECATS~~~~~!!

*flings self onto magically appearing jellybean-print throne and tosses legs over one side*

So how's everyone been crackin'? Is AIM still the preferred method of chatting between muns, or have we graduated to Skype, or something else I've never heard of?


EDIT: Also, how do you reserve a character? It's kind of important for Reasons >.>

EDIT 2: I apologize for making tasteless jokes. I sometimes forget where the boundary lines of good taste lie when I get excited.

EDIT 3: I have Discord! I'm "writ in Carrick" #7930 [?] on there. Add me! 8D

Comments

[street_sparrow]

Ven! Hi, Ven!

[gethenian]

Helloooooooo [your name was Kate wasn't it? >.>] ~~~ 8D

[street_sparrow]

Well remembered! And welcome back.

[gethenian]

Thanksssss!!!

[notapilot]

Hello...not sure I remember you but I used to play Ben Grimm back in the day.

Reserves here are different then other games. Here they are intended to encourage contact with other players that might be affected by that character. If you want to play a character, rather than try and have people think twice or negotiate to play them, then you just app the character. And you have good timing as the apps are currently open.

There is much more info here, at the FAQ, about what reserves are here:
http://milliways-mods.dreamwidth.org/910.html#procedures

And here's the info for apping a character:
http://milliways-mods.dreamwidth.org/349.html

[gethenian]

I think Ben must have been after my time, or we never interacted. Hello! Nice to meet you!

...I know what reserves are for. The character I just apped is a pedophile and methinks it would be best if nobody apped the underaged canon object of his obsession. Might get awkward illegal ...awkward. Just a bit. ;)

EDIT: but I hadn't found those instructions on my own, so thank you!

[notapilot]

Ah sorry. Glad your set then.

ETA: I need to add, I don't think there is anything amusing about pedophilia and jokes about it, however you mean it, are distasteful.

[gethenian]

Sorry. You're right. I tend to joke about subjects that are hard to talk about. I'm not very good at remembering where boundary lines of taste are when I get like that.

I'll edit my post. :)

[genarti]

...I was going to say welcome back, but I kind of got sidetracked by all the cheerful pedophile talk. Uh, I hope you'll put content warnings or something on any thread he shows up in, even with the reserve of his canon victim. That's not really a joking matter or a happy pretendy funtime games matter for a whole lot of people, you know?

But hello again, at any rate.

[gethenian]

Oh yes. Very yes. Warnings on top of warnings. He's also not going to be tagging any underage characters without OOC communication happening. And other safeguards as well.

Don't worry, I intend to be very, very careful with this canon. ;)

In all seriousness, although I'm being quite jokey about it here, I'm actually not apping him because LOL edgy dangerous subject matter~~~~ or anything like that.

I'll be posting an in-depth explanation in his journal but the short version goes like this:
Two years ago when my alcoholism landed me in the psych ward, I was diagnosed with OCD. This was a Big Fucking Deal, and also a complete surprise.
I've been medicated for it but otherwise never approached it with my therapists (or anyone else).
This character's narrative sounds EXACTLY like my brain when it goes into OCD/garbage mode.
Therefor I think writing for him will help me establish some sort of communication with and understanding of my messed up brainmeats.
Understanding the malfunctions in my brain that contributed to my drinking and other destructive behavior will, I hope, help me to become a more stable and responsible person.

I know his story isn't an easy one. But I'm trying to use it as a tool for healing. I don't want to cause anyone any kind of harm or stress in the process.

[varadia]

I am really sorry all that happened to you, and I really hope things get better.

I also am really uncomfortable and anxious with making RP in general and this game in specific a therapy tool. Is it possible to provide a way for people who don't want to engage with that to opt out?

[gethenian]

eh.... it's not like... ~A Therapy Tool~ like an official sort of thing? I've always used my puppets to tame my own demons. The only thing different about this one is I feel like I have to explain that quite clearly to make sure people don't mistake my funtimes for something related to creepy fetish stuff or unrelated fandom stuff that exists for his canon.

I'm trying to answer your question accurately for what I'm actually doing, so let me try this:

Is it possible to provide a way for people who don't want to engage with that to opt out?
Yes if that is something people want me to do, ultimately, but also
no because if it sounds like I'm doing something unusual, I'm not explaining this clearly.

The question I think you really want answered is: will it be easy for people to avoid any problematic/triggery content?
Absolutely.

[varadia]

Knowing that you are using RP to tame your own demons actually makes me incredibly anxious and feel incredibly pressured, because I don't even do that for my own family. It's not my job. It has actually taken me a lot of work and therapy to realize that's not my job and to do the work to disengage and break that habit.

So I really am not asking 'is it easy to avoid problematic/triggery content', I am saying what you are using RP for is fundamentally going to fuck me up and I do not want to be involved.

Thanks.

[bringspeopletogether]

...I have to be honest, an opt-out would be a very easy way for people to avoid that sort of content when coupled with warnings and the like, and I'd like that to be an option. In fact, while I'm currently on hiatus, I would very much prefer it if you didn't tag any of my characters once I'm back (this journal, 2goodarms, and mr_gaeta).

[silveraspen]

I remember you.

In case you've forgotten in your time away, this game is largely about collaborative storytelling, with the emphasis on collaborative. No one gets to unilaterally decide how others will engage, or what content they want to read/avoid. No one.

While there is a long history in the world of confronting trauma through art, it's a different thing when one expects someone else to sign on, unpaid and untrained, to aid that journey. Some may, some will have no interest. And that is perfectly right and perfectly fair. You should manage your expectations accordingly.

So: I suggest you do provide those warnings, and that way to opt out. It's simple, it's a community norm around here for difficult content, and it's also the right thing to do.

[herr_bookman]

I would also appreciate not being tagged. I play Autor herr_bookman, and Alana Bloom patterns_bloom.

[cottoncandypink]

Looks like you left just around when I started. But hello!

Chat has largely moved on to Discord, since AIM wasn't playing well with anybody.

[gethenian]

Coooolcoolcool! Hello and thank you and nice to meet you!

[cottoncandypink]

I think I've sent a request, but I'm not sure if not went through. I'm Milesy#2335 if it did.

[gethenian]

It did! \o/

[annalalaith]

I take it you are a Rick and Morty fan.... So, I don't remember you, but welcome back!

Now, I'm just curious about all the redactions! This is why I should wake up with the birds.

[gethenian]

I am indeed, although I have no idea how you figured that out. Any references I made were unintentional. ^_^

The redactions are because some people thought pedophilia was not something to discuss in the form of enthusiastic hyperbolic yelling with comedic intent.

[annalalaith]

I see. Well welcome back. Hit me up on Discord sometime

[guppy_sandhu]

VEEEEEEN! xx

[gethenian]

YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

[have_no_mercy]

Ven, 'tis me, Hanild-Steph. Yes I'm still here and it's all your fault.

[herdivineshadow]

SAME VEN, SAME. ('cept I'm not back, not yet)

[galen_erso]

Ven!! You exist and are back! This is Maru, who used to play Asar-Suti. I still have Teja, whom you might have met towards the end of your time here. Oh, and the Penny Dreadful version of Dorian Grey. And Hannibal Lecter.