Snowflake Challenge Day 10
Jan. 20th, 2021 12:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
turpsChallenge #10
In your own space, write a love letter to Fandom in general, to a particular fandom, to a trope, a relationship, a character, creator, episode, or it could be your fandom friends. Share your love and squee as loud as you want to.
Dear Fandom,
I'm sitting here trying to think what to write, honestly, I'm not sure but will wing it instead.
Right now I'm sitting with the remains of a smile on my face after just reading two stories that made me very happy. I'm sure you know what I mean, when you've smiled so hard the ghost of that smile lingers for hours.
I'm looking around, and in front of me I have a print of Groot hanging on my wall. I have a Magic Mike XXL mug on my desk next to pins of Clint Barton and Bucky Barnes. I look to the side and I can see my Kobra Kid ray gun and the mask created by Mikey. If I turned I could see a shelf full of Funkos, mostly MCU with two dragons and riders from Game of Thrones. I have Musketeer cats and A4s of the Musketeers, and that's just a few of the things that are in this room.
Upstairs I have shelves full of Njunk from my popslash days, marionettes and bears and bobbleheads. I have signed photos of Trek actors hanging on my walls. I have a model of Voyager I use as a paperweight, and maybe right now you're thinking, why is she listing the stuff she has? And my point is, fandom is a huge part of my life, it's part of me.
And not just physical things. It's the emails. It's the comments. It's the laughter when I share funny moments and read them in return. It's wiping away tears when I read something sad. It's the people who reach out when I need them. Who held me up when I was drowning after losing my parents. It's anger when I see negativity directed at those who don't deserve it, and solidarity when I get that in return.
Fandom is dancing with other fans at a con. It's sitting with strangers who invite you to eat with them even when you're so nervous it's impossible to say more than a few words. It's going to Camp Sparkle and drinking copious amounts of coffee and tea. It's having people thread sparkly sticks in your hair. It's people who accept you unconditionally even when you're at your worst and feel socially awkward. It's laughing until you cry and having in-jokes about Lava Lamps and murder kitties and inviting people into your home to stay for as long as they want or need.
Fandom is watching things that will stick with you for years, reading things that make you laugh, cry and be pulled into another world. It's reading something that makes you think, the fuck am I reading?! But finishing it anyway, though maybe that's just me. It's having people that will always understand, where you'll admit to an obsession with The Hardy Boys when you're young and someone will say, me too!
Fandom is waking up from a dream about going to Camp and missing your friends and realising that you've known some of your fandom friends coming up to 20 years now, and having the knowledge they've watched my son grow. Media fandom friends, popslash fandom friends, bandom fandom friends, all labels worn off until they're just friends. Fandom is clicking with people instantly and watching others drift away.
Fandom is that insane rush of happiness when you find something new that makes you sit up and take notice, and you share that squee with others. But it's also the friends that stay beyond a shared passion or fandom, where the fannish connection has faded but that doesn't matter at all.
Fandom is things and shows and books and music and a thousand other things. It's happiness and sadness and shaking your cane at the newbies while reminding yourself that change is good and has to happen while missing what's gone before.
Fandom isn't all of me, but it's a huge part of me and has been for a long time.
In conclusion, fandom, I love you ♥
In case anyone is interested, the stories I've just read are Shortly, Sweetly, Mine. by ermengard which is a series of just lovely MCR prompt fills, each one so different and thoughtful.
Access All Areas (or: How Spencer Smith Got His Groove Back) by MistressKat which is an old Ryan/Spencer, but one I hadn't read before and it's the most fabulous AU I loved loads.
In your own space, write a love letter to Fandom in general, to a particular fandom, to a trope, a relationship, a character, creator, episode, or it could be your fandom friends. Share your love and squee as loud as you want to.
Dear Fandom,
I'm sitting here trying to think what to write, honestly, I'm not sure but will wing it instead.
Right now I'm sitting with the remains of a smile on my face after just reading two stories that made me very happy. I'm sure you know what I mean, when you've smiled so hard the ghost of that smile lingers for hours.
I'm looking around, and in front of me I have a print of Groot hanging on my wall. I have a Magic Mike XXL mug on my desk next to pins of Clint Barton and Bucky Barnes. I look to the side and I can see my Kobra Kid ray gun and the mask created by Mikey. If I turned I could see a shelf full of Funkos, mostly MCU with two dragons and riders from Game of Thrones. I have Musketeer cats and A4s of the Musketeers, and that's just a few of the things that are in this room.
Upstairs I have shelves full of Njunk from my popslash days, marionettes and bears and bobbleheads. I have signed photos of Trek actors hanging on my walls. I have a model of Voyager I use as a paperweight, and maybe right now you're thinking, why is she listing the stuff she has? And my point is, fandom is a huge part of my life, it's part of me.
And not just physical things. It's the emails. It's the comments. It's the laughter when I share funny moments and read them in return. It's wiping away tears when I read something sad. It's the people who reach out when I need them. Who held me up when I was drowning after losing my parents. It's anger when I see negativity directed at those who don't deserve it, and solidarity when I get that in return.
Fandom is dancing with other fans at a con. It's sitting with strangers who invite you to eat with them even when you're so nervous it's impossible to say more than a few words. It's going to Camp Sparkle and drinking copious amounts of coffee and tea. It's having people thread sparkly sticks in your hair. It's people who accept you unconditionally even when you're at your worst and feel socially awkward. It's laughing until you cry and having in-jokes about Lava Lamps and murder kitties and inviting people into your home to stay for as long as they want or need.
Fandom is watching things that will stick with you for years, reading things that make you laugh, cry and be pulled into another world. It's reading something that makes you think, the fuck am I reading?! But finishing it anyway, though maybe that's just me. It's having people that will always understand, where you'll admit to an obsession with The Hardy Boys when you're young and someone will say, me too!
Fandom is waking up from a dream about going to Camp and missing your friends and realising that you've known some of your fandom friends coming up to 20 years now, and having the knowledge they've watched my son grow. Media fandom friends, popslash fandom friends, bandom fandom friends, all labels worn off until they're just friends. Fandom is clicking with people instantly and watching others drift away.
Fandom is that insane rush of happiness when you find something new that makes you sit up and take notice, and you share that squee with others. But it's also the friends that stay beyond a shared passion or fandom, where the fannish connection has faded but that doesn't matter at all.
Fandom is things and shows and books and music and a thousand other things. It's happiness and sadness and shaking your cane at the newbies while reminding yourself that change is good and has to happen while missing what's gone before.
Fandom isn't all of me, but it's a huge part of me and has been for a long time.
In conclusion, fandom, I love you ♥
In case anyone is interested, the stories I've just read are Shortly, Sweetly, Mine. by ermengard which is a series of just lovely MCR prompt fills, each one so different and thoughtful.
Access All Areas (or: How Spencer Smith Got His Groove Back) by MistressKat which is an old Ryan/Spencer, but one I hadn't read before and it's the most fabulous AU I loved loads.
no subject
Date: 2021-01-20 01:36 pm (UTC)You’re so sweet though and I’ve loved reading this because it made me smile. 🖤You embody the best parts of fandom and I’m glad tha5 I’ve got to know you
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Date: 2021-01-22 06:04 pm (UTC)And I'm very glad I got to know you too. I can't believe it's been nearly two years already.
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Date: 2021-01-20 01:38 pm (UTC)You made me smile and remember fondly the wild dancing at cons, the freebies and other fandom items we collect along the way that sit around our houses and are part of our everyday life. Thos friends we've squashed into hotel rooms and houses over the years, the all nighters because we just don't want to waste a single second of our weekend together.
Then there's the people online, some we've met but many others who we've never met and will probably never get the chance to meet. But it doesn't matter, they're our friends and they are there to share the good and bad times. We embrace new fandoms and new friends to flail and squee with, we share new stories and love with our friends in old fandoms.
Thank you for sharing, both your post and the link to those stories (which I've bookmarked). I keep reading about Camp Sparkle, it sounds awesome!
Thank you for taking part in the challenge.
no subject
Date: 2021-01-22 06:02 pm (UTC)You made me smile and remember fondly the wild dancing at cons, the freebies and other fandom items we collect along the way that sit around our houses and are part of our everyday life. Thos friends we've squashed into hotel rooms and houses over the years, the all nighters because we just don't want to waste a single second of our weekend together.
That's it exactly!
I love that no matter your fandom, so often we share the same kind of memories and merch. The things that make us smile, both physical and not.
Then there's the people online, some we've met but many others who we've never met and will probably never get the chance to meet. But it doesn't matter
I especially agree with that. Yes. That's exactly how it is.
Thank you for helping run it. I love Snowflake time.
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Date: 2021-01-22 10:00 pm (UTC)I've taken part in Snowflake so many times but now I've taken early retirement I though I would give a little back and help out. It really has been so much fun!
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Date: 2021-01-20 03:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-01-22 05:59 pm (UTC)I'm thrilled so many people had the letter resonate with them.
Fandom should be a shared place of happiness.
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Date: 2021-01-20 04:11 pm (UTC)Absolutely! So much joy.
I met a Harry Potter fanfic reader once in the Lush in Covent Garden. I think I recognised the story she was talking about!
no subject
Date: 2021-01-22 05:58 pm (UTC)That is so cool.
It's always good, if a bit initially weird, when you hear a fannish person out and about. It's that jolt when you think, I know what they're talking about!
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Date: 2021-01-20 07:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-01-22 04:42 pm (UTC)♥
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Date: 2021-01-20 07:58 pm (UTC)Thank you for sharing!
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Date: 2021-01-22 04:43 pm (UTC)Once I got going it was easy to write a love letter to fandom. I love that so many people could relate to what was said.
♥
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Date: 2021-01-20 08:55 pm (UTC)Aww! I like this answer that fandom is everything from personal objects (do you have a favourite Funko?) to words (comments!) to all these different experiences and memories - that it's everywhere.
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Date: 2021-01-22 02:12 pm (UTC)Thank you! Fandom is everywhere, and I love that it is.
I have a fondness for my Clint Barton and Bucky Barnes Funkos for fannish reasons, but visually I love the Game of Thrones dragons ride on. I just need Rhaegal with Jon to complete the set now. If only I had unlimited money *g*
no subject
Date: 2021-01-21 12:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-01-21 09:42 pm (UTC)T, this is the the loveliest letter - *big hugs*
(the fact that your son is a grown man is *so weird)
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Date: 2021-01-22 04:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-01-22 12:12 pm (UTC)T, this is the the loveliest letter - *big hugs*
(the fact that your son is a grown man is *so weird)
Thank you ♥
It is weird. I mean, I can still remember him at your wedding in his silky shirt and tie as he boggled at all the people. Now he's off in the world with his own place, long term girlfriend and job.
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Date: 2021-01-22 04:39 pm (UTC)Exactly, and I love that I can see my fannish history through the things that I own.
it's just such a nice thing, to be able to make such long-standing friends.
It really is. Like this conversation that included A's wedding, it's history beyond the fannish that's lasted for a very long time. I'm so glad I have that, and you do too.
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Date: 2021-01-21 01:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-01-22 04:39 pm (UTC)Yes there will be, and I think we'll all be dancing with grins on our faces when it happens.
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Date: 2021-01-21 07:07 am (UTC)Also, "Njunk" made me snort.
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Date: 2021-01-22 04:41 pm (UTC)I have so much Njunk upstairs. I had to get rid of it for storage reasons, but I suspect the marionettes and bobbleheads will always be lurking on a shelf *g*
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Date: 2021-01-23 06:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-01-24 03:51 pm (UTC)But I know what you mean, I got my Chris bear from Raven, and I think of her each time I see him, even though she's one of the people who have drifted away.
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Date: 2021-01-22 08:45 am (UTC)♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (Is that enough? It doesn't feel like enough!)
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Date: 2021-01-22 11:34 am (UTC)And just so you know, you're totally classed as a friend in all that ♥
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Date: 2021-01-22 07:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-01-23 10:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-01-24 09:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-01-24 03:51 pm (UTC)