Introduction

I wrote this over at Cranky Old Fangirls and thought it would be a good introduction for my personal blog too. :)

Preferred name: Mara

Imzy handle: inameitlater

Imzy community/personal blog: https://www.imzy.com/inameitlater

Other current handles (Twitter/Tumblr/AO3/etc): https://twitter.com/MaraVenToday http://archiveofourown.org/users/inameitlater

Former pseuds (how else might we have known you?): In English speaking fandom I was, until recently, only a lurker that occasionally commented and liked stuff. 😳 In German speaking fandom I was more active but I have left that completely beyond many years ago.

Fandoms: I’m currently living with Hannibal and my last relationships before that were with SGA and Due South. I’m still on good terms with both of them and we see each other occasionally.

I flirt with Kingsman, MCU, Teen Wolf, Hobbit, Merlin, Death Zone, Dresden Files, Gargoyles and XMFC but never become too serious with them. Still love them to pieces tho.

Don’t tell Hannibal – he is a bit obsessive- but my One True Love is actually Fandom fandom.

Fandom was my imaginary friend when I was young and made up Gargoyles Mary Sue fanfic in my head.

Fandom whispered in my ear when I literally dreamt about Kirk and Spock kissing and couldn’t forget that image after I woke up. For years!

The first time someone else saw Fandom was when I started rambling about Sailor Moon to a real life person and gained a very close friend thanks to it. She totally saw Fandom too.

I met Fandom for real - and totally fell in love - when I went online (I was over 20) and stumbled on yahoo mailing lists and Bulletin Boards. Fandom lured me onto LJ and made me remember that I had always wanted to write.

Fandom taught me English, which enabled me to go abroad and live in another country for a while. Fandom step by step lead me to the conclusion that I’m asexual and shared my relief and delight afterwards. Fandom showed - and didn’t tell - me the importance of feminism and diversity.

But I must confess that my relationship with Fandom suffered for the last years. My boss from a few years ago saw me with Fandom and said that Fandom is a bad influence for me. They said I couldn’t tell anyone that I’m seeing Fandom. And because I was afraid of losing my job I started to hide my relationship with Fandom.

Fandom knew why and was very supportive but I felt guilty about what I was doing and even after I left the company and that boss I felt broken from what had happened and how I had handled it. I felt like I had betrayed Fandom.

Especially as Fandom had suffered a lot during that time of separation as well. Fandom had lost their home in LJ and after some vagabonding found a new one in AO3. But the time without a home changed Fandom.

Now Fandom is over at Tumblr all the time and partying with the norms ❤ and being catered by The Powers That Be. Sometimes I think it’s great. Fandom seems to have fun there and brings home cute strays. But I miss a lot of stuff I shared with Fandom in the past. Like long meta posts and ship manifestos and reccing communities. So I wouldn’t mind dragging Fandom onto Imzy and making Fandom sit and slow down a bit. (1)

I’m bad at endings so I will just quote the Slash Report at this point: “We have to move on…”

Ships: Hannigram, John/Rodney, RayK/Fraser, Harry Dresden/John Marcone, John Smith/Walt Bannerman, Merlin/Arthur, Harry/Eggsy, Harry/Merlin (Kingsman), Peter/Stiles

I also shipped Jack O’Neill/Daniel Jackson but then Vala Mal Doran showed up and I totally shipped her and Daniel. Jack/Daniel were still cute tho.

Favorite characters: Too many! I like my characters weird and damaged and strong and thankfully we are getting more and more of those.

Anything else?: (1) I might have gone too far with that metaphor…

And I kind of want to work a bit more on that text and post it as Fandom/Me on the AO3. 😆