u/Emmyskiwi

Good timezone, everyone! ☀ The mod team has been hard at work behind the scenes while we've had FictoHideout closed to new introductions for the past week. We've heard your concerns and suggestions, and we've done our best to improve our rules to make this space safe for all members.

Please note that these rules are edits and clarifications of what was already in place to improve everyone's understanding of the purpose of FictoHideout. These rules were not created because of any one specific incidence, account, post, etc. They have been worked on and discussed for an extended period of time before today. If you have any concerns, comments, or insight about our new ruleset, we encourage you to comment here or send us a modmail.

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Without further ado, here are the new & updated rules of FictoHideout! 🌸

1. This is a “first come, first serve” subreddit.

As a subreddit for non-sharing fictos, FictoHideout follows the “first come, first serve” system.

The first person to publicly claim a fictional character as their F/O in the pinned Introduction Megathread holds that exclusive claim within the community until they explicitly leave or have gone inactive for 4 months. In that instance, their claim would be removed, with moderators’ discretion.

That being said, FictoHideout does not allow doubles as it is a safe space meant for non-sharing fictos. If your F/O has been already claimed by an active member, you cannot join with that same F/O.

This means if you have multiple F/Os but one of yours in claimed, you can NOT mention in this sub that one of your F/O’s is taken by another member, which implies that you are someone’s “double”. This has been known to cause distress, questioning, and trust issues within the community. Please use your best judgement! If you are found to be breaking this rule, you will be issued a warning on the first offense. Your second offense will result in a ban from the sub. If you see a double active in this sub, report them to the mods and we will respectfully and quickly take care of the issue.

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2. New Members: You MUST make an introduction in the Megathread before actively posting. (The Megathread will reopen in a few days!)

To be considered an active member and officially “claim” your F/O, please introduce yourself in the pinned Introduction Megathread. Before you do, please read the "S/O Claim Master List" to ensure they haven’t already been claimed. If they’ve already been claimed, you are not allowed to have them as your F/O in this subreddit nor talk about them, unless it’s explicitly mentioned in the Master List that they can be gushed about (up to the claimer’s discretion). In addition to that, only people with a flair are allowed to comment and post.

If you post your introduction on the main sub instead of in the Megathread, that does not count as an official introduction to be able to post here yet. You are free to make a second introduction on the main sub once your Megathread introduction has been approved.

If you are adding/editing a new claim, please do not edit your original claim comment; mods do not get notified of comment edits. Make a new comment in the Introduction Megathread instead!

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3. Inactivity for 4 months will lead to automatic claim removal; no claim camping (Reiterating from Rule 1).

Members must show signs of activity! Do not claim your F/O and then leave, only commenting every 4 months to keep your claim (also known as “claim camping”). It is up to the discretion of the mods to remove your claim if you do not interact with the community for 4 consecutive months or are seen to be simply “camping” your claim. Please note that this does not mean you have to post or comment every day or every week; we understand life gets busy!  A simple comment or contribution every now and then is all that’s needed; you do NOT need to make posts if you do not want to. Comments count as activity!

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4. Polyfictos and semifictos are allowed! 3 F/Os maximum.

Poly- and semifictos are allowed as long they genuinely love each of their F/Os. Please note that FictoHideout is intended to talk about ficto relationships, however, so we ask that you do not talk about any IRL relationships on this sub.

Polyfictos can only claim a maximum 3 of F/Os. If you have more than 3 F/Os, you are only allowed to talk about the ones which you have claimed in this sub. Please use your best discretion.

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5. No hugblanketing; only claim characters whom you are truly in a ficto relationship with.

Do not claim a character in the means to hurt someone else (example; you hear someone you dislike is about to join, then claim their F/O only to mess with them) or because they’re your “last resort”. This hurts not only the people potentially involved, but the characters too! In FictoHideout, we see and treat our partners as real relationships with real emotions.

Excessive switching and hugblanketing (claiming a character simply because you like them or because it’s “fun to be with a character”) is not allowed. Not sure if what you’re doing is considered hugblanketing or perhaps you’re new to the ficto scene and are still trying to figure your relationship out? Engage with the community and ask questions! There are many kind members who are happy to answer!

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6. Determine whether fictoromance/fictosexuality is right for you before joining. Do you prefer casual yumeshipping instead?

There is nothing wrong with enjoying yumeshipping! However, please note that as stated before, this sub is intended for those who see their relationship with their F/O(s) as real and take it very seriously. Typically, we do not call our partners “waifus/husbandos” and we do not refer to each other as “yumes” as it simply does not match the type of relationship our members experience.

If shipping an OC (that does not represent you) x Canon or a more casual approach/seeing it as a hobby is more desirable for you, we recommend joining a sub more centered around yumeshipping so that you can have an experience catered to your type of relationship. No harm, no foul! <3

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7. Specifications on Harkness Test, character ages, and other criteria.

Characters must pass the Harkness Test at the very least before being claimed. In other words, your partner must have the ability to make conscious, human-level decisions, the ability to have their own sense of agency, and the ability to consent.

For minor-aged characters, as long as they have aged up sources (preferably canonically), or is aging alongside the person, or the person is also a minor within their same age group (e.g: late teens, mid-teens, etc), it should be fine. If you’re not sure, please ask a mod.

We also ask that you have been in a committed relationship with your F/O for a certain amount of time before claiming or posting about them in FictoHideout. For example, being with your F/O for at least a month is a preferred amount of time, just to be sure that they are someone with whom you want to be in a committed relationship with!

Relationships that are clearly between an adult and a minor, or a character who does not pass the Harkness Test, are NOT allowed.

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8. Don't be rude to others.

Being ficto and/or in love with fictional characters is already hard for us to be open about in real life; we don't need to be rude to each other here! Let's treat each other equally and respectively.

Being rude includes:

• Gatekeeping another member’s F/O or their F/O’s source.
• Criticizing someone’s sharing/nonsharing status with their F/O. This sub is intended for nonsharers to have a safe space, so this is definitely not the right sub to be criticizing these views.
• Criticizing someone’s beliefs in the Multiverse Theory (whether or not they believe in it, their stance on it, etc.) regarding F/Os.
• Slandering another user or sub. No vagueposting. If you have an issue with another member or even another reddit user who is not in FictoHideout, please bring it up to the mods in a ModMail to have it assessed. If you wish to vent about something that happened outside of FictoHideout, you must keep any names or titles completely anonymous.
• Unhelpful complaining about how FictoHideout is run/bashing the mods. If you have suggestions, concerns, or questions, please contact the moderators! It’s much more efficient, and we care about what you have to say! Remember, we are human, and we try to avoid personal bias and make this sub fair for all.
• Complaining that your F/O is already claimed here. See Rule 1.
• Anything else that is deemed inherently rude; remember to use common sense and your best discretion! If your post or comment is manually removed by the mods for any of these reasons, we will send you a private message explaining why it was removed.

If one continuously disobeys these rules, a permanent ban will be forewarned.

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9. Do not take blocks from other members personally. Additionally, block if you do not wish to engage with a person.

In 99% of cases, a user blocks another user NOT because they hate them or because they have a personal vendetta against them; it could be for a wide range of harmless reasons! Perhaps they don’t agree with your opinions and so they simply choose to not engage. Maybe your F/O’s source is a sensitive subject for them. Perhaps they need time to heal from something in the past. Whatever the reason, do not take it personally.

Similarly, if you see a member who you do not wish to see anymore, please practice blocking – it’s there to help you curate your space! Do not attack them for their views if you do not like them; simply block and continue enjoying FictoHideout!

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10. Limit how often you switch F/Os.

The limit on how often you can switch F/Os (not including adding them to your claim if you are in a poly relationship) is ONCE EVERY THREE MONTHS. This is to avoid confusion in the claim list, reduce wariness and build trust, and to practice serious ficto-relationship behaviors. If the mods believe you have been switching far too often, you will be contacted, but not outright banned. If you need help, let FictoHideout help you!

To reiterate from Rule 2: If you are adding/editing a new claim, please do not edit your original claim comment; mods do not get notified of comment edits. Make a new comment in the Introduction Megathread instead!

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11. Please create a user flair upon joining FictoHideout.

Include the name of your F/O(s) in your user flair to prove that you are an approved member of this sub. Users without flairs are often assumed to be bots, scammers, or those purposely commenting to cause issues for other members. If a member is spotted without a flair, they will be asked to add their F/O(s) to their flair.

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12. AI-assisted creativity is allowed.

We are an AI-neutral subreddit and we aim to remain unbiased. AI works of any kind are allowed as long as it's SFW, and you are transparent that it is AI-assisted and not passing it as your own work/art/writing. Claiming the AI generation as yours via prompts do not count; please put a disclaimer on the work as AI-generated. Talk of AI chatbots, whether it is your own personal experience with them, advice, or other conversation is also allowed. If you do not wish to see another user’s AI creations, please kindly block them. Curate your space to your enjoyment!

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13. Be careful with personal information; No explicit NSFW.

We heavily discourage minors (people below 18) from revealing personal videos/pictures of themselves, and their faces MUST be censored for their safety. People over 18 and above can, however, reveal as much as they are comfortable with. Please remember that despite this being a safe non-sharing space, this is still the internet and anyone can see what you post. Use your best judgement.

Implied NSFW is allowed, but it must be spoilered before posting. Explicit NSFW posts are NOT allowed. It's okay to be intimate, connected, and enamored with your F/O(s), but please keep things tasteful for the public eyes. Keep in mind that there are minors in this sub as well as adults.

Repeated explicit NSFW posts that require removal will get you a warning. Refusal to listen to the warning will get you a ban.

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14. English is preferred, with some exceptions.

The majority of this sub speaks English, as English is the most widely known language. Therefore, to avoid mistranslations and miscommunications, we ask that you post in English. However! If you wish to share your culture with the sub, include a poem or message to your F/O in your/their own native language (with an English translation below it), or simply give us a fun cultural fact about your F/O, by all means we would love to see it! Different cultures are to be celebrated!

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15. Do not join FictoHideout if you are a member of purposely toxic subs.

We probably do not have to go into too much detail for this one since the title speaks for itself. If you are an active member of ficto/selfshipping/yumeshipping subs that are created for the sole purpose of doxxing, slandering, or making fun of others, we strongly urge you to look inward and ask yourself if your F/O would approve of this behavior.

FictoHideout is a space intended to build each other up, support the community as a whole, open ourselves to new opinions and friends, and overall share the deep love that we feel for our partners. We aim to handle any negative feelings, conflict, and difference of opinions in a mature and respectful manner.

We understand that doubles are a sensitive subject and can cause you to feel negativity. But remember: you have the power to handle that negativity in a way that helps you! Vent, ask questions, and seek positive guidance/mindsets from members here! If we find that you are an active member of a purposely toxic sub, you will be encouraged by the mods to seek positive help and affirmation with friends in Hideout instead of posting potentially hurtful content. If your posts make others uncomfortable, you will receive a warning.

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We look forward to continuing to see everyone's love for their partners in FictoHideout! The rules that show on FictoHideout will be updated to reflect the above shown. As a reminder, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. We aim for fairness, openness, and a pleasant experience in this community. 🌹

(And I'm not talking about this post, btw!! 😆)

We've all been there - we're new to a space, we want to engage, but we don't know what to say. What if I say the wrong thing? What if it sounds awkward? What if my comment is ignored because I'm new and they don't know me?

Well, that's what FictoHideout is for, friend! 🌟 We're here to support one another and encourage others to share their love for their partner(s). If you're new, we're happy to welcome you into our friendly circle if you meet the requirements for this sub. See someone you've never met before and don't know what to say? A simple Hello or Welcome is always good enough!

New to fictoromance and want to ask questions and get to know other fictos? Many members here love to give advice!

Encountering a problem and want to seek advice from those who may have experienced similar issues? I've posted plenty of vents here in the past, and the advice that members have given me has truly made me feel so much happier, more secure, and loved by the community.

Made some art but you're not sure if it's post-worthy? Post it anyways - we are our own worst critics, and all art is good art! You'll be surprised by how much others here cherish personalized art made by the one-and-only you!

(Nothing in particular happened to prompt me to make this post, but I just finished a huge coffee drink and I am full of way too much energy right now so I thought I'd finally make this post! Have a wonderful day with your loves, everyone! ☀)