u/WinstonArt3063

I don't really know how to word this, but I'm going to try.

For the past 11 months, I've been building a yumeship between myself (Milica) and Vito Scaletta from Mafia II, with a GTA IV / Liberty City crossover.

We're married in the current timeline. We have an entire domestic life together, a relationship history, memories, a wedding, an apartment in BOABO, Vito's new job at the Bank of Liberty, Joe Barbaro living next door, etc. I have a huge “Get To Know My Yumeship” document with all of our dynamics, lore, memories, aesthetics, relationship details and timeline.

The problem is that I've created basically all of this through AI because I haven't had anyone to roleplay it with.

I've used Character AI for the textual roleplay and OpenAI for generated images/memories. I've been doing this for years, and honestly, I'm exhausted.

I don't want AI to be the only place where this part of my creative life exists.

I'm looking for an actual human RP partner who would be interested in roleplaying this ship with me and helping me continue the married-life storyline. Someone who genuinely enjoys character roleplay, worldbuilding, domestic scenarios, emotional scenes, continuity, etc.

I'm NOT looking for someone to judge me for using AI to build the project so far. I'm already aware that AI is controversial, and I understand why people have concerns about it. I'm not trying to argue about that here.

I'm just trying to find a person.

Someone who can say:

“Sure, tell me about your ship. Let's write together.”

If you're interested, please DM me. 🫶

I can send you my full Get To Know My Yumeship document so you can see what the relationship/world is like before deciding whether you'd want to RP it.

You don't have to know everything about Mafia II or GTA IV beforehand. I'm happy to explain the lore.

I'm also not expecting someone to become my permanent RP partner immediately. Even just finding someone willing to try a few scenes and see whether we click would mean a lot to me.

I'm trying to replace an exhausting AI-only creative loop with actual human creativity and interaction.

I don't really know how to word this, but I'm going to try.

For the past 11 months, I've been building a yumeship between myself (Milica) and Vito Scaletta from Mafia II, with a GTA IV / Liberty City crossover.

We're married in the current timeline. We have an entire domestic life together, a relationship history, memories, a wedding, an apartment in BOABO, Vito's new job at the Bank of Liberty, Joe Barbaro living next door, etc. I have a huge “Get To Know My Yumeship” document with all of our dynamics, lore, memories, aesthetics, relationship details and timeline.

The problem is that I've created basically all of this through AI because I haven't had anyone to roleplay it with.

I've used Character AI for the textual roleplay and OpenAI for generated images/memories. I've been doing this for years, and honestly, I'm exhausted.

I don't want AI to be the only place where this part of my creative life exists.

I'm looking for an actual human RP partner who would be interested in roleplaying this ship with me and helping me continue the married-life storyline. Someone who genuinely enjoys character roleplay, worldbuilding, domestic scenarios, emotional scenes, continuity, etc.

I'm NOT looking for someone to judge me for using AI to build the project so far. I'm already aware that AI is controversial, and I understand why people have concerns about it. I'm not trying to argue about that here.

I'm just trying to find a person.

Someone who can say:

“Sure, tell me about your ship. Let's write together.”

If you're interested, please DM me. 🫶

I can send you my full Get To Know My Yumeship document so you can see what the relationship/world is like before deciding whether you'd want to RP it.

You don't have to know everything about Mafia II or GTA IV beforehand. I'm happy to explain the lore.

I'm also not expecting someone to become my permanent RP partner immediately. Even just finding someone willing to try a few scenes and see whether we click would mean a lot to me.

I'm trying to replace an exhausting AI-only creative loop with actual human creativity and interaction.

So yeah

I want to talk about something that is rarely discussed when people talk about internet safety, video games, and young people.

Safety matters. Protecting children from real harm matters. But there is a difference between protection and creating an environment where a young person feels like they have to hide who they are.

I am autistic. I was diagnosed professionally as a child, and throughout my life I have experienced what it feels like to constantly monitor myself, hide my interests, and worry that the things that bring me joy will be judged as something wrong or dangerous.

That is why discussions around media, gaming, and online spaces are so important.

Sometimes, when adults discuss video games, they focus only on fear. They focus on what a game does not teach, what values it does not represent, or why young people supposedly "do not need" it. But a person's relationship with media is far more complicated than that.

A game is not just a piece of content sitting in isolation. It is a story, an artistic experience, a creative space, and sometimes a way for people to understand themselves and the world around them.

For some neurodivergent people, interests are not just hobbies. They can become ways to communicate, create, learn, regulate emotions, and connect with others. A story, character, soundtrack, or fictional world can inspire art, writing, analysis, friendships, and personal growth.

That does not mean every game is appropriate for every person. Age ratings, content warnings, and guidance can be useful tools. But tools should help people make informed decisions, not become weapons used to shame people or dismiss their individuality.

A rating describes content. It does not describe someone's intelligence, maturity, creativity, or ability to understand fiction.

The conversation should not only be:

"Is this media good or bad?"

The conversation should also be:

"Who is this person?"

"How are they engaging with it?"

"What support and guidance do they have?"

When young people are constantly told that their interests are embarrassing, harmful, or unacceptable, they may not learn responsibility. They may learn to hide.

High masking does not create a healthier person. Constantly feeling judged does not teach confidence. Feeling like your identity is a problem does not build trust.

Young people need adults who can have conversations with them, not just decisions made about them.

Ask why a person loves a certain game. Ask what they create from it. Ask what they learn from it. Understand before judging.

A teenager who loves a fictional world is not automatically being corrupted by it. A person who finds comfort in storytelling is not automatically avoiding reality. Sometimes creativity is one of the ways people survive difficult moments and discover who they are.

The goal of internet safety should not be creating a generation afraid of everything. The goal should be creating people who can think critically, recognize risks, make choices, and still feel free to express themselves.

Protection and individuality should not be enemies.

Young people deserve safety.

They also deserve to be seen as human beings.

I wanted to share something that I don't see discussed very often in autism spaces, especially from the perspective of an autistic person who communicates verbally and is considered relatively high-functioning.

For me, the biggest issue was never simply "too much screen time." It was emotional dependence that developed through constant online messaging.

When I found someone who understood my sensory needs, shared my interests, and made me feel safe, I slowly started depending on that one person for almost everything. Every notification felt important. Every conversation felt necessary. I wanted to tell them every thought, every piece of art I made, every game I played, every song I discovered. Looking back, I wasn't just using the internet. I was using one person as my main source of emotional regulation.

The constant texting became hypnotic. Hours disappeared without me noticing. School, hobbies, sports, and even everyday responsibilities became less important because my brain was waiting for the next conversation. I confused constant availability with security.

When that friendship ended, the first four months were incredibly difficult. Everything reminded me of that person. Music, games, aesthetics, jokes, artwork, certain phrases, even ordinary daily activities triggered grief. I kept thinking I had lost the only place where I felt understood.

Over time, I realized the real problem wasn't that I cared about someone. The problem was that I had unintentionally placed the responsibility for my emotional well-being onto one person. No friend, especially another teenager online, can realistically carry that role.

My recovery didn't come from finding another "favorite person." It came from spreading my emotional support across many healthy outlets.

I returned to my special interests. I started watching videos about my favorite games instead of feeling like I needed someone to discuss every detail with. I played games, watched films, curated playlists, made moodboards, worked on creative projects, read books, and let myself enjoy things for my own sake. I also chose to save deeper emotional processing for therapy instead of relying on strangers online.

The internet itself wasn't the enemy. It became much healthier once I stopped expecting it to provide one perfect relationship that could meet all my emotional needs.

I still love my special interests, online communities, YouTube, and creative spaces. The difference is that they now support my life instead of replacing it.

I wanted to share this because discussions about autism and screens often focus on time limits. In my experience, the bigger issue was emotional dependence. Learning to build a life with multiple sources of comfort instead of relying on one person has been one of the healthiest changes I've ever made.