Fangirl

So, it has recently come to my attention that there is a need for me to make this post. So I spent the last few days preparing it. That being said, there is far too much for me to understand on my own, much less explain to you guys.

But this is how it started. I was texting my friend's boyfriend, and we were playing around. He sent me something that got me really excited and I texted him back something like "asdfjkl; AAAAHHHH YES WHAT I CAN'T EVEN" and then he just got really confused and didn't understand me. It was then I realized that I actually do have regular interactions with people who don't speak Internet and Fangirl with nearly as much as I and my normal friends do. (hehehehe normal friends. what are those again?)

So this post is for me to explain what it is like being a fangirl, and hopefully you will come away with a better understanding of most of the population of the Internet. If nothing else, you will recognize when your friends are being fangirls, and be able to react appropriately.

But first, let me show you what it's like to be a fangirl. (credit to whoever created these, I didn't make them):

This is our life. I mean, not totally, cuz we still have to function in normal society, but THIS IS OUR LIFE. And it applies to all fandoms, whether it be Potterheads or Whovians or Directioners or Sherlockians or Seahorses or Danosaurs or Beliebers or Whedonites or any fandom, it doesn't matter. 

So, now you're all looking at me confused, and also slightly worried, because I'm coming off as slightly insane, which you should know by now is my normal state of being. 

I looked back at my life recently and I realized that I was never really a fangirl until about a year ago, when the Avengers came out. And then I died and started this journey and I've learned a lot, which you should all know as well. I'll start out by explaining some simple terms. 

Fandom: Like how kingdoms worked, only instead of being limited by geographical areas, fandoms are comprised of the fans of a certain person or thing. People who like Harry Potter are Potterheads, Whovians like Doctor Who, Directioners like One Direction, Seahorses like the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, you get my drift. Please note there is a difference between being a fan of something and being part of the fandom. It's slight, but it's there. 

Feels: feelings. Typically used when someone is overwhelmed with feelings (either good or bad) and they'll run around shouting OW MY FEELS or RIGHT IN THE FEELS which generally denotes an excess of feelings and emotions. When you encounter someone who is overwhelmed by feels, please step back and do not engage unless you are ready to deal with everything. They might possibly just be sitting curled in the fetal position sobbing, but the best thing to do is just agree with them and let them recover. 

Fanfiction: also shortened to fanfic or just fic, this is writing that fans do about their fandom. 

Ship/shipping: a verb used when someone wants two people to be in a relationSHIP. When you ship someone, you want them to be together. Also with shipping comes crazy ship names. If you really like Tony Stark and Pepper Potts being a thing, their ship name is Pepperony. (is that not the cutest ship name ever?) Basically comprised of smashing their names together, shippers tend to get very devoted and vocal about their couples getting/staying together. Note shipping is generally used for romantic relationships, but is also occasionally used for bromances, but only when denoted as such. 

And with shipping comes slash and femslash: slash is the pairing of two guys, and femslash is the pairing of two girls. I originally thought slash was just same gender pairs, but apparently there's a difference to be denoted. So if you hear about someone who was reading a slash fic, you know what you're in for. 

OTP: one true pairing. This is the ship above all ships, the Titanic of all your feelings, in both that it's your biggest ship and also that it usually crashes and dies because reasons. Never ever EVER insult a fangirl's OTP. Your throat will be in immediate danger of getting ripped out. 

Canon: This is when a ship is endorsed by the writers of the book/show/movie. It shows up and is a thing. Hinny (Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley) is canon in the books and movies. Also is Pepperony and Dizzie (Darcy and Lizzie). 

Noncanon: This is when your ship is not endorsed outright by the writers. Dramione (Draco and Hermione) is a good example of this. As is Clintasha (Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff). Noncanon ships either live in the hope that they will become canon (see Clintasha, there's plenty of opportunities for that to develop in more movies) or try to insist it was there the whole time (Wolfstar, I'm looking at you) or just roll with the fact that it's not canon and live with it. 

ASDFJKL; or alternatively asdfjkl;: This is when someone pretty much just spazzes on their keyboard, generally because feels. also see a;woiehgiu vbghu;ahitoe;najvnjw or AEORITHNWOB;JITEONABEJIO;NTABHINO; or zxdbytiowap. These are all pretty much the same thing. 

*flail: This is typed when either a fangirl is literally flailing her arms in real life or unable to do so but she/he really wants to. (I know I'm using mostly feminine pronouns for this, but fangirls can be both sexes). Sometimes accompanied by squealing. This is usually a good thing, but hyperexcitment yes. 

I can't even: This is short for I can't even handle my feelings, which is also sometimes shortened to I can't, and I've even seen just i being used, it's when the feels are too much you can't even spaz on a keyboard. 

Nyugh, ugh, and hnng: These are all inarticulate noises people make when feels. They're said how they're spelled, and yeah. 

Because reasons: usually said when telling why you did something relating to the fandom. Because reasons, and those reasons are usually feels. 

What even: same idea as I can't even, only you still can, you just what. Typically a more confused state than can't. 

All my feels: when all your feels have been engaged, and it's painful and wonderful and horrible and you just can't even. 

I am a dead thing: your feels have just up and murdered you. 

What is your face: usually said to a computer screen when looking at a picture of person/thing/ship you are fangirling over. 

Right in the feels: your feelings decided to punch you in the gut, usually with no warning. 

Literally sobbing: I don't think I need to explain that one. 

KEY CHANGE: this is something I think only I do, but I do fangirl over music, and there is nothing that gives me feels like a key change, so I usually die there and this is all I leave as an explanation for such. 

Fangasm: this is the internet we're talking about here. It's an explosion of nerdy joy/despair in the most innocent of terms. 

gifs: It stands for Graphics Interchange Format, and is basically pretty much pictures that do the same thing over and over again. Here's an example: http://24.media.tumblr.com/00ad20ba8a0cf88840f72d6496dd4ab7/tumblr_mlkrbvkrSr1rujt6qo1_r2_500.gif 

(LOOK AT LOUIS GIGGLING IT'S SO CUTE) 

Also, usually these things aren't in like proper capitalization and stuff, most it's in all caps or just no caps, but YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT IT MEANS WHEN SOMEONE TYPES IN ALL CAPS. 

So there you go. A bunch of stuff that fangirls say and do, so hopefully I won't have people asking me what a ship is anymore. 

Oh, but before I go, there are two rules that you and everyone must always remember when dealing with fandoms: 

Never judge a fan by their fandom(s). 

And never judge a fandom by their fans. 

In general, fandoms are close-knit communities on the internet where people make great friends and have a fun time with people with the same interests, and it's fun and international and as long as things don't get rabid, it's wonderful.