@ctrlaltdog@chitter.xyz that actually happened to me with *pokemon* of all things!
i felt that i had to at least be ironically detached when i was first getting into it. even though i just wanted to snuggle every one of them so much
i like how the thing that helped me most get used to the idea of liking things that might get me teased was actually being ABDL–i had an extra large amount of empathy for others being bugged for liking weird things as a result, and that let me accept myself liking things too!