If you’re involved in fandoms, do you/how do you ship? (gen fic, romantic ships, friendships, queerplatonic ships, etc.)
Ships? I have a freaking armada! Just one OTP isn’t enough. I probably spend an unhealthy amount of time on Ao3 reading fanfics. Honestly, I like the fandoms more than the cannon series most times. I always get really excited when I see an aromantic tag, but I’ll pretty much read anything, good or bad. I treat fanfics as rules free fantasy. I can enjoy whatever I want without having to justify it. I can read dark fics, smutty fics, anything when I’m in the mood for it because Ao3 is my escape, sometimes even from myself. I read fanfiction when I don’t want to think about anything else. I can just read and drift. I don’t have to think about work, I don’t have to think about my identity, and I can just exist in the moment of reading pleasure.
I’m currently reading a John/Sherlock fic series. So far it’s purely platonic, with John developing feelings for Sherlock, BUT! Plot twist: John is the one who’s learning to become “human” (usually it’s the other way around). The story is basically a Pinocchio plot. John is Sherlock’s guardian angel, but he breaks The Rules to save Sherlock’s life from a demon. It’s urban fantasy where Sherlock is aware of the supernatural, but can’t see it and he uses science and magic to solve cases. Because he broke the rules John loses his angel status and falls to Earth. He makes a deal with a pagan trickster god for a body and identity and is given the name and face of the recently KIA John H. Watson. The series then proceeds to navigate the BBC cases with a supernatural twist. My favorite character is an OC who acts as John’s “Jiminy Cricket”. I totally recommend to anyone who likes urban fantasy. I have a weakness for stories where fairies, demons, angels, pagan gods, and just about every myth you know (and some you don’t) all live together in the same world.
Basically while I do have my preferences, I don’t let my aromantic identity get in the way of my reading obsession. Television and movies are another matter entirely, but I plan to keep indulging in fanfics guilt free.
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