Hello! This is more of a temporary guide! I wanted to write out an explanation of the world my beasts occupy. Some people have asked me if they could make a self insert into the world, so I wanted to contextualize the setting better!
...And the answer is yes. If you want to put yourself into this world you have my blessings. Feel free to message me because I would love to see!
★★★★★★
★★★★★★
Overview
My characters all live within a megacity modeled after Instagram, the social media platform. I tend to refer to it as "Instagram dot com" or "Insanegram" or other silly variants of it, but it is a personification of the app. It is an extremely corporate world with a blend of archaic brick buildings contrasted by the presence of robots roaming the streets... And in the same way you can post nearly anything from your phone - nearly anything goes in universe!
For the sake of self inserting, this also means that there are literally no restrictions on powers or abilities or anything of the sort. Want to make a shapeshifter diety? A mad scientist? A regular girl? A regular guy? A fishy pirate? Everything is on the table! In the same way that anyone can post whatever concepts they wish from their phone, Instagram operates as a melting pot of ideas and people. People on the platform don't really question differing backgrounds or abilities. If anything they're curious!
★★★★★★
Platform Relation
A lot of the features you will see on the actual app apply to the world in one way or another.
For example the hashtags on the app, take the form of labeled giant subways and monorails.
I have yet to talk about the aforementioned staff robots in depth, but bots which impersonate people are a very real threat. Human Resources, where Ida, Navy, Air Force, and Mykel work, deals with and disposes of these copies.
★★★★★★
Color Importance
One of the most important features of the world is the colors. Most of my characters have only one to two colors incorporated into their design. This is because every Instagram page visually follows the same simplified visual format. Although anyone can change their profile picture, each page has the same bland blocky format - and this minimalism is a key part of their designs!
If you wish to make a self insert or repurpose an OC to insert it into this universe, they will need to become simplified and minimally colored.
★★★★★★
Origins
In universe, other app personifications exist - however, I only use Instagram so this world is my main focus.
For example Navy is from Facebook but migrated to Instagram in his early 20's.
If you're making a self insert, you can make your character have a "platform of origin" (PO). For example, if you grew up using DeviantArt, you can have that be your OC/Sona's PO!
Also of note! Those with an Instagram PO do not have colors. If you took, for example, Ida out of the universe and put him in the real world, he would not suddenly gain colors. He would look like an extremely out of place drawing of a man with three-dimensions.
★★★★★★
Mannerisms
Many of my characters have grown up in this Instagram city so their speech has the occasional odd mannerism.
For example, Bishi may say "What on Instagram are you doing?", with the same casualty one might go "What on Earth are you doing?". In that same vein Ida will use "Platform" instead of "World" - Like "Best mead on the platform, I promise." Additionally, Air Force will refer to all "users" of the platform as "Citizens". Each of these aspects are common mantra for those with an Instagram PO. They don't know what an Earth is! They only know their home platform city. That being said they have heard so many people who migrate onto the platform mention Earth, that they do not really question it in conversation - but they will not use the terms themselves.
