Summary
Pine Sheltered is a community that encourages the broadening of creative horizons - all while we keep our fellow Pinecones in mind. With our friends’ safety and well-being in mind, we would like to ask that each post containing potentially triggering content be tagged appropriately in accordance with our Tagging System Guidelines. Should you have any questions or concerns about a post, you are more than welcome to reach out to a member of staff for review, or explanation
• Every post containing creative content must be classified with a tier and the applicable categories. You may generalize, or if you feel like something specific should be noted, you may phrase your trigger appropriately.
Example: Mild Violence, Moderate Mental Health
Example 2: Mild Violence - blood/knife wound; Moderate mental health - panic attack, fear of dying
Humorous tags are allowed, so long as actual triggers are properly noted and not hidden within a pun that someone outside of your roleplay may not comprehend.
• The very first post of your thread must contain a generalized warning about the content a reader may encounter on any post within that given thread.
Copy written warning label from screenshot
Example: include screenshot of one of my rp’s front pages??
• Tags must be no smaller than size 70.
[ size=70] text [/ size]
• Tags must be visible at all times on each post.
Do not hide or otherwise conceal warnings with graphics or coding. Triggers must be on every single post that contains explicit content and is easily eligible.
All content that may be potentially triggering to a user should be tagged appropriately under a corresponding “tier”. While triggering content is subjective to personal view, we ask that you use your best judgment while adhering to the general examples given below. If you see a post that you feel is incorrectly labeled, please report it.
As the reader, we ask that you use personal discretion to decide whether you are comfortable risking encountering these triggers. If the user properly labels the content, it is your responsibility to find the triggers on the post and make yourself aware of them, before you proceed with your reading.
Mild genuinely refers to things that are mentioned, suggested, or otherwise alluded to. Some things may not bother one person, but could potentially trigger another - we ask that you note down things that may disturb another user. Mild content can still be a continuous theme throughout a post or only a small passage in the overall material. Be mindful that a user can’t properly document how much of the noted trigger is within the content.
Moderate refers to more in depth and potentially more triggering content. A moderate warning suggests that the post is more intensely involved with the triggers mentioned, or to some, it may be quite intense. This included descriptions, dialogue, or disturbing themes that may cause a reader some unease. We recommend more detailed warnings for moderate content, if you think a simple trigger tag will not explain the content well enough to give a proper warning to the reader. We will never discourage detailed trigger warnings.
Extreme content may be severely triggering to the reader. These trigger warnings should be as detailed as you can, as extreme content can be incredibly disturbing to some users. Please refer to all the content that is banned and make sure you are familiar with what qualifies as “extreme” content. This content must be properly labeled at all times. Repeat failure to label extreme content may result in official warnings on your account.
A user has one week to edit an inappropriately labeled trigger, unless another time frame is discussed. If the user is unavailable to edit within the timeframe, the staff will edit the post accordingly, but it is otherwise the user’s responsibility to adhere to adjustments the staff request to be made. If you are confused about our guidelines, you’re more than welcome to ask any questions regarding our tier system.
Content that is violent of any nature, such as bodily harm, physical assault, description of injury, etc. written in any form. Violence comes in many different shapes and forms - it can disturb a reader and thus must be flagged appropriately.
MILD
• Physical fighting/combat: punching, kicking, bodily contact with intent to cause harm.
• Mentions of blood without graphic depiction of injury, mention of broken bones
• Description of bruisings, marrings/scars (please reference mental health for self harm guidelines).
• Mentioning a history of or alluding to a history of physical abuse
• Mentions of, reference to an off screen death
• Mentions of or references to combat/physical confrontations
• Verbal threats that depict physical or emotional violence.
MODERATE
• Detailed descriptions of wounds, injury, or bodily harm: the content goes in depth to describe the injury
• Detailed descriptions of physical violence: in depth depictions of physical confrontation with or without a weapon.
• Disturbing dialogue that goes beyond “I’ll punch you.”/”I’ll hurt you.”
• Excessive mentions or repetitive themes/storyline of murder, killing, or war.
• Mentions of brief, non-descriptive physical, emotional, or mental torture
EXTREME
• Prolonged or in depth descriptions of physical, mental, or emotional torture with or without instruments or tools.
• Excessive or graphic descriptions of body mutilation or mutation.
• In depth description of “on-screen” self-harm: please reference Mental Health! On-screen suicide is prohibited.
We are all adults, but not every person is comfortable reading in-depth sexual content. We permit descriptive sexual content on Pine Sheltered, but it must be tagged appropriately. Anything sexually suggestive, or considered to be an “innuendo” should be labeled accordingly. If your content goes beyond a kiss/unexplicit physical contact, then it should be flagged as sexual content. This includes inner monologue/dialogue.
All content must involve characters that are of 18 years and older.
Scenes where drugging are concerned: we do permit this content, but only if it is not in a sexual nature. You may not post content involving the mention, or ‘On-screen” scenes of drugging in order to commit sexual assault or abuse.
MILD
• Sexual suggestion, innuendo, sexual thoughts be it in dialogue or description - i,e, a character thinking sexually about themselves, or another person
• Alluding to sex, the mention of sexual acts
• “On screen” sex without in depth description/mentions of genitals
• Nudity, mentions of lingerie, items of a sexual nature
MODERATE
• “On-screen” or mentions of masturbation
• “On-screen” in depth descriptions of sex/sexual acts or descriptions of genitals
• The inclusion or mentions of mild kinks or consensual sex work
• “Rough sex”/Angry sex should be tagged, as it could be potentially triggering to others
• Demeaning language: using slur words of a sexual nature
EXTREME
• Extreme kinks that involve blood, BDSM, dungeons, etc.
• The mentioning of sexual assault or rape: remember, you may never write “On screen” sexual abuse or assault.
We allow the mention and “on-screen” use of illegal and legal substances, but these topics can be especially triggering for many people. Please note the tiers carefully when including the use of themes like alcohol and drug use. If your character uses any inebriating or potentially addicting/mind altering substances for any reasons, we ask that you include a trigger warning detailing which substance they use and to what tier. It never hurts to specify which substance (i.e alcohol, marijuana, heavier opioid, etc.)
Scenes where drugging are concerned: we do permit this content, but only if it is not in a sexual nature. You may not post content involving the mention, or ‘on-screen” scenes of drugging in order to commit sexual assault or abuse.
MILD
• The mentioning or alluding to a substance’s use, be it for fun or in abuse
• The naming of a drug/medication that may be potentially triggering to a user
• The mention of alcohol, or edible substances that cause inebriation
• Participating in these activities for fun, leisurely activity
• The suggestion of such substances in description, or dialogue, but no active consumption takes place
• The mention or alluding to drugging or having been drugged by another character.
MODERATE
• Ingesting substances for the sake of escaping something: i.e a character smokes some weed because they’re sad/drink because they’re angry.
• Operating dangerous machinery, partaking in risks while inebriated. I.e, driving under the influence
• Getting injured while inebriated or directly because they are intoxicated
• The drugging of another character with substances that cause inebriation
EXTREME
• The usage of hard or dangerous substances. I.e heroin, cocaine, and other dangerous drugs.
• “On-screen” harm or death relating to driving under the influence/operating something potentially dangerous while under the influence.
• “On-screen” overdose/poisoning death due to a substance: this includes something fictional, like a magical potion.
• In depth descriptions of, or “on screen” medical episodes relating to the use of a substance: seizures, hallucinations, etc.
• Drugging of another character that results in severe injury or death
We allow the mentions of medical content, such as hospitalizations, treatments, and the mentions of different illnesses or diseases. We also permit heavy mental health and “human emotion” themes, but these topics can tend to veer into dark places, where some of us may not feel well enough to wander. Out of respect and care for our fellow Pine Cones, we ask that you take care to tag any themes that may deal with these burdensome topics appropriately.
Under no circumstances should any content actively be encouraging another character to commit self-harm. This includes jokes or dialogue suggesting a user should commit suicide or “go kill [yourself]”. While we permit heavy mental topics like suicidal ideation, your content must not actively promote or encourage self-harm. “On screen” suicide is not prohibited. A history of self-harm is permitted in allusion, or within the character’s history/character sheet. An “attempt” may not be portrayed in descriptive “memory”. Characters they have known may have died this way, but under no circumstances should there be any detailed descriptions or “memory” scenes.
Please refrain from offering actual medical advice to other users. Do not seek real medical advice, or take someone’s creative prose seriously in relation to your own personal health.
MILD
• The mentioning of poor health, be it physical or mental. I.e chronic disease, mental health disorders or struggles. The mentioning of feeling unwell, feeling nausea/sick to the stomach, or other “symptoms”.
• Mentioning of emotional or mental abuse i.e gaslighting, gatekeeping, etc.
• Mentioning of medical procedures/care without in depth description of said care.
• Mentioning of health facilities, such as a doctor office, hospital, or mental health ward
• The referencing of mental health disorders, i.e depression, BPD, APD, etc.
• The mentioning of anxiety, panic, or situations that are anxiety inducing.
MODERATE
• “On-screen” descriptive medical care/procedures. I.e fixing broken bones, surgical procedures
• Intense medical episodes, i.e seizures, cardiac arrest, grievous wounds
• Intense descriptions of a character being severely ill or suffering from a disease/ailment. I,e vomiting, heavy descriptions or scenes about someone suffering from cancer
• “On-screen” anxiety or panic attacks, where the character actively suffers the attack
• Suicidal ideation, or the desire to die. Suggestions that they would rather not be alive for any reason
• “On-screen” mental health facilities, or scenes that take place in a medical setting or facility where medical care is involved/administered
• The “on-screen” use of medical tools or medications:
i.e scalpels, needles/syringes, restraints, sedatives.
• Alluding to or the mention of self-harm:
i.e self harm scars, contemplating causing themselves bodily harm in any way
• Forced mental health or medical care:
i.e, a patient must be held down, a procedure is done that they do not want.
EXTREME
• “On-screen” intense/very descriptive depictions of medical procedures that note the anatomy/process of the procedure that a user might find disturbing
• Medical care given to a struggling patient in a mental health facility/psychiatric situation
• “On-screen” self-harm or actions made with intention to cause it - these acts should not successfully result in suicide. “On-screen” suicide is prohibited on Pine Sheltered
• The mistreatment of a person(s) suffering from mental health disorders. Please be mindful when writing this content. I.e a patient receives a lobotomy.
Anything else that may be potentially triggering to a user, or something you feel should be warned about can be noted. We always encourage you to detail your triggers as much as you feel is necessary, so long as they adhere to the content guidelines.
The following content is prohibited on Pine Sheltered:
• Pedophelia/Underage romance content (any romantic or sexual content should be 16+)
• Necrophilia
• Bestiality
• Sex trafficking, forced prostitution
• Slavery/SlavexMaster
• Incest
• “Lolita”, sexualizing a “childlike” person, even though the character is legally an adult
The following content is permitted to be alluded to, but you may not write them explicitly whether "on-scene" or via memory. Any instances must be in a "fade to black" type scenario.
• Sexual assault/rape
• Physical abuse
• Suicide
