As one of the xiyao troll’s favorite targets — a key goal of this activity is to make us feel lonely and disheartened and isolated. This person wants us to feel bad about writing what we do, as if something is wrong with us.

This is why the troll says fic is OOC. It’s also

why the troll leaves transphobic, queerphobic, culturally ignorant, sex and sex-work shaming comments. This is why the troll leaves comments on fic with moderated comments. This is why the troll has left comments on fic of mine that isn’t even mzds or cql.

Above all, this is why shows of community enrage the troll — when it’s shown they’re the one on the outside, the lonely one, the object of universal disapprobation, the troll escalates by getting more mean, more vicious, leaving more and nastier things.

I shut down the troll's ability to comment on my fic, so the troll went after other ways I participate in our community. When I rec a fic, for example, the troll consistently shows up to leave shitty comments EVEN IF IT ISN'T XIYAO. The troll has shown up be shitty to me

and me specifically in the comments of OTHER PEOPLE'S FIC, asking lol how could i like this it's so different than what I write [string of hilariously inaccurate personal attempts to insult].

The troll wants to break down community bonds.

The troll wants us to feel singled out and alone.

People should absolutely deal with this troll showing up in their inbox however they want. Part of what the troll wants is to take away our choices about how to interact with

people online -- by repeatedly showing up where they're not wanted, the troll wants us to feel like we lack the power to exclude them. So I have 0.000% problem with people never mentioning the troll at all in a fandom-facing way.

But it's also important to realize that this

isn't just a commenter with too much time on their hands and a poor sense of boundaries.

This is a person out to try and fuck with us individually. They want to hurt us, in no small part because we have friends and interests and people who like us.

They want to break down our community bonds and make each of us feel like we're wrong and isolated and that nobody likes us.

Instead, I've just gotten a bunch of fic from people whose writing I adore, made connections with fandom folks that I might not have connected

with otherwise, and am having a grand old time in my first fandom in years and years. And it wouldn't be possible if I weren't open with the fact that the troll thinks that I'm, um, a bored housewife? Because that's supposed to be an insult?

NOW OFF TO READ THIS ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL FIC BY GENDERGRIFFINS ABOUT LXC/JGY/QIN SU POLY THREESOME WITH BREEDING KINK????????? THAT THE TROLL'S LATEST ROUND OF NONSENSE INSPIRED????

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/BUT_WHAT_ABOUT_QIN_SU/works/26961205