possibly an unpopular opinion but i think that asterisks arent as bad as ppl say it is. yes the weird creepy ppl being like “hello *touches ur buttcheek*” is gross but i as an autistic person find asterisks helpful to describe the nonverbal body cues i do. it also helps me express my mood, like if im happy i might type “*swaying*” or “*does little dance”. i think that it can be nice when done correctly and to not be creepy