Right, so, I was going to review a book today but then this thing happened over the weekend and now everything is…different.
What is that thing (you may be asking, I don’t know, I’m not you, I don’t even know if I’m me anymore)? Well, I started watching this fantastic little show called The 100 (AIRING WEDS AT 9 ON THE CW AND YOU SHOULD TOTALLY MAYBE THINK ABOUT WATCHING IT BECAUSE WHAT IF IT’S CANCELLED? I HONESTLY CAN’T BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT I WOULD DO) and I fell so hard and so fast for an OTP I am still picking up the pieces of my life and looking at them blankly like what are you for? Then setting them down and wandering around in aimless circles.
I have been to the scary place, my friends. Then I went so far past the scary place, the scary place a fond and distant memory and here I am typing words at you and for real what is life anymore?
(For more information on why you should be watching The 100 and why I need this OTP like oxygen–One True Pairing for those that don’t speak fluent tumblr–please check out Tatum’s fantastic post.)
Some of you know what I’m talking about. Finding an OTP is kind of like getting hit by a bus. You’re just walking along, living your life, birds are chirping, the sun is shin-WHAM RUNAWAY HIGH SPEEDS MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION AND NOTHING IS THE SAME.
For those of you that have your shit together and are able to experience things without letting them take over your life, let me break down the 21 stages of discovering a new OTP.
1. Hmm, I spy a ship! This could be a good thing.
You’ve found a new ship, everything is full of possibilities. Punctuation and lowercase letters are still a part of your life.
2. Binge everything.
Life outside your couch does not exist. Food? Hygiene? Human contact? They don’t matter. There’s something in the fridge, you’ll survive. Keep going.
3. DID I SAY SHIP? I MEANT OTP.
Your grasp of lowercase is slipping.
4. “Hello friends. Here is this thing that seems pretty cool. Maybe you should sort of, kind of give it a shot. NO PRESSURE.”
You carefully monitor your capslock so you don’t alarm them. You can still do that sometimes.
5. ANALYSIS TIME.
You scrutinize key scenes looking for previously missed details and possible subtext.
6. HOW DOES THE ENTIRE WORLD NOT REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS?
THIS IS EVERYTHING. YOU KEEP TRYING TO TELL PEOPLE BUT IT’S LIKE THEY DON’T CARE
7. WAIT, I HAVEN’T CHECKED TUMBLR YET.
8. THANK GOD FOR TUMBLR.
YOU ARE MY PEOPLE, MY NATION, MY SPIRIT ANIMALS AND I WOULD BE LOST WITHOUT YOU.
But wait…
9. HOLY MARY, MOTHER OF YOUTUBE.
THE VIDEO COMPILATIONS THEY HURT THEY HURT SO GOOD*
*sadly, this one generally only applies to tv
10. DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME I AM NOT OKAY.
11. Should I…should I fic?
12. WHAT IS LIFE WHAT IS AIR EVERYTHING IS SHIP
It’s been an intense concentrated period of time since you boarded this ship. Possibly only 36 hours. You’ve consumed 5 lbs of Reese’s Cups and are subsisting mainly on ancient corndogs you’ve dug out of the icy bowels of the freezer. Maybe you’re starting to smell. You should probably…something?
13. Go back to tumblr. Yes, that was it.
14. SO WHAT IF YOU’RE REWATCHING/REREADING ALREADY? IT’S OKAY. YOU’RE OKAY.
YOU COULD’VE MISSED SOMETHING. SURE, YOU CAN RECITE ENTIRE CHUNKS OF DIALOGUE BY HEART BUT THAT MEANS NOTHING.
15. what are words? what are life? everything ship.
16. OKAY. TIME TO GO TO REJOIN THE WORLD.
17. Other people: “words that aren’t ship”
18. “Hey there! What have you been up–?” “GOOD TIMES. WEEKEND TIMES. YES. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT DON’T LOOK AT ME.”
CONGRATULATIONS YOU’VE EARNED YOURSELF A PEEK AT TUMBLR!
19. *sobbing in the bathroom*
Is this just life now?
20. Take comfort with your equally addicted friends.
You may have gone off the deep end but at least you’re not alone. Your friends are what will get you through this. Hug them, love them, appreciate them.
21. Lather, rinse, repeat as necessary until the next episode/book comes out.
(Or it wears off but hahahahahahahaha does that happen? Seriously, does it?)
Now, not to alarm you, but I’ve actually gone through this process a few times. Sometimes it’s a ship (usually it’s a ship), sometimes it’s an incredible story, but something will sweep me away and when I get to the end I’m utterly unable to let it go without wringing every last drop of content I can out of it. It’s abrupt, it’s intense and honestly it’s kind of the best thing ever when it’s happening.
Books That Have Obliterated Me:
- Newsflesh: Feed, Deadline and Blackout by Mira Grant (OTStaff of After The End Times)
- The Lumatere Chronicles: Finnikin of the Rock, Froi of the Exiles and Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta (So many OTPs I don’t know where to start)
- The Raven Cycle: The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves and Blue Lily Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater (OT5)
- Fever: Darkfever, Bloodfever, Faefever, Dreamfever, and Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning (I still can’t tell you if I shipped this or not but I had very strong feelings)
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (this book is disturbing levels of beautiful)
- All the Harry Potter books (for 10 damn years these books were the sun to my Earth)
TV That Has Left Me Unable To Go On:
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Chuck
- Sherlock
- The 100
How about you? What are some books or shows that have hit you like a truck? Were they by chance The 100? I promise I’m better about talking about it without shouting now (that’s a lie, I’m not but I won’t shout at you, just to you).
Sarah (appifanie)
Yes yes yes The Raven Cycle. So much.
Natalie Monroe
Irene/Sherlock. I SHIP IT. Also: WHAT IS THIS LOWERCASE YOU SPEAK OF?
Hannah @ The Irish Banana Review
Honey. HONEY. You are speaking my language. I get OBSESSED with a ship, typically of the TV show variety. There is usually fanfic involved. Youtube clips. I might’ve even made some fan videos.
I feel ya, girl.
Chenise J.
Two of my friends have been going on and on about this series too so now I’m feeling very, very compelled to go binge watch it… This could be a dangerous/bad idea… uh oh.
Natalie Crown
WHAT A GOOD.
EVERYONE WATCH.
THE 100.
BEST.
(Also….Marco and Celia…are….hurting me…)
Christina (A Reader of Fictions)
COFFEE PRINCE COFFEE PRINCE COFFEE PRINCE SHIT NOW I NEED TO REWATCH. AND BY SHIT I MEAN I WILL ONCE AGAIN HAVE SUN AND OXYGEN IN MY LIFE.
I STILL CANNOT TALK ABOUT THIS SHOW WITHOUT ALL CAPS. MAYBE IT NEVER ENDS.
Tori
I have always shipped Garcia and Morgan on Criminal Minds. I KNOW it won’t happen but I keep hoping.
Tatum
OHMYGOD YES
AND YES IT WILL YOU JUST HAVE TO BELIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVE
Holly Letson
OMG!! THIS!!
Britt
THIS.
ALL OF THIS.
*FLAILS*
My first real OTP was definitely Severus Snape and Hermione Granger BECAUSE THEY’RE PERFECT AND MADE FOR EACH OTHER AND SWOON. I will fly on that ship until I die. Reading Harry Potter and writing fanfic really opened my eyes to what it meant to truly fangirl and ship and all this nonsense that never goes away. And while I read countless books, and loved characters, nothing really felt the same as what I experienced with HP and my wonderful, wonderful SS/HG ship.
Then I finally watched Supernatural. And WINCEST IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING ON THE EARTH.
ahem.
So…yeah. That’s why I most recently got one HP tattoo, and one Supernatural tattoo. Because no matter how much I lurve other books and shows and movies, nothing reached into my heart and just grabbed me until I couldn’t breathe without it like these two stories.
Cynthia
Dude, this is why when I get inked, it will be snowflakes, hearts, and a crocus. Elsanna4LYFE, Wincest4LYFE, and lustingaftersister4LYFE.
Angie
This post is life. This is what happened to me with the 10th Doctor and Rose, Logan and Veronica, Kara and Lee, Damon and Elena, Oliver and Felicity. THE LIST IS ENDLESS I SHIP EVERYTHING SO HARD AND OH GOD I’M GOING TO END UP WATCHING THIS SHOW EVEN THOUGH I’VE SWORN NO MORE NEW SHOWS DAMN YOU ALL (no seriously I have not kept up with any CW shows this season and now it’s too late to catch up and endless tears)
Emmah
OKAY, BELLARKE FROM THE 100!!
BUT OMG, FitzSimmons on the tv show Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.! They’re like my top OTP EVER!!!
Kate Copeseeley
Veronica Mars (LoVe)
OUAT (Hook and Emma, duh)
Every kdrama ever aired
Trying to think of a good book example, but I don’t think I’ve ever re-read a series for the sake of an OTP, except maybe Anne of Green Gables, becuz Anne & Gilbert FOREVER. 🙂
Mirriam
OKAY SO WHEN I SAW THE TITLE OF THIS IN MY INBOX
MY HEART IMMEDIATELY SAID ‘BELLARKE’
AND THEN I OPENED IT
AND CRIED I LAUGHED SO HARD
AND YES
EVERYTHING THIS
JUST
BEELLLARRRRKEE.
Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
You forgot one!! Those times when your ship never happens and leaves you a sobbing pile of mess! Or angry at the direction things went. But at least there is fanfiction. And YouTube videos. And all the things!
I still can’t get over Katara/Zuko not being it since the Avatar must save the day and win the girl even though he’s, like, 12, and they’re both older and fit together so much better! ^.~
Tatum
i have done this too many times to count but the 100 breakdown 2k14 has been the most fun in ages
IT’S TUESDAY NIGHT WHERE I AM SO BASICALLY IT’S WEDNESDAY *VIBRATES*
Sierra
This was awesome! It spoke to my soul :P.
For me, it is Teen Wolf.
NO SHAME.
I have two major ships on that show (Scissac – Scott and Isaac, and Stalia – Stiles and Malia).
Sierra
And Veronica Mars (LoVe)!
Isabel
For TV – Agents of Shield and Sherlock. For books – SO MANY DON’T EVEN MAKE ME CHOOSE! But, Throne of Glass, Alice in Zombieland, The Selection, The Mortal Instruments, White Hot Kiss, Sweet Evil, just to name a few.
Ani
This post is so true.
Sadly I haven’t felt this kind of shipping FEELS since the days I was obsessed with Harry Potter, though… I kind of miss it.
I used to spend days reading forum topics, searching blog articles, writing fanfiction, re-reading specific chapters and scenes… NO ONE of my friends in Real Life seemed to understand my obsession–not even my brothers who were also Harry Potter fans. I found solace in equal-minded fans and shippers online–online was my paradise. I started blogging about my ideas for how the series should end, who should end up with who, who should get an individual adventure if Queen Rowling were ever inclined to extend the world… I even mentioned to my brothers that there should totally be an MMORPG based off of the Harry Potter world.
They laughed at me. They didn’t understand.
I used to ship couples in anime, fangirl about anime characters… I think the latest obsession I had was Fullmetal Alchemist, but that fangirling didn’t last long enough to pass through the phases.
Then there’s K-drama and we’re on a completely different sphere. They come and go so quickly that before you know it, you’ve already gone through all the phases and moved onto another ship without registering the ship you were just on. It’s like a constant cycle of shipp-y goodness and heartbreak and FEELS and emotions and stuff…
Right now, I LOVE The Raven Cycle and am in love with Gansey (like desperately), but I haven’t gone through those phases with Maggie and her magical writing yet. Otherwise, I haven’t shipped anything in a long time; I haven’t gone through these phases in a long time.
I need a new ship. Soon.
Joy @ The Bookshelf Intruder
I’m such a shipper. I can’t count the times I cried over the Mer-Der ship at Grey’s Anatomy, or Percabeth in Percy Jackson books and all of Stephanie Perkins’ books. Just thinking about it now makes me want to cry with overwhelming emotions.
Natalie
This post made me start watching this show again and OMG BELLARKE.
Other OTPs of mine include: Peter x Olivia from Fringe, Emma x Hook on Once Upon a Time, Lydia x Stiles on Teen Wolf, and about a million book ships that I won’t list because this comment would become novel length.
Karah
I saw the title of this blog and immediately thought of me and Bellarke and was ECSTATIC to see that’s exactly what inspired this. This is an epic post that perfectly describes what finding a new OTP is like. Most of the time when I find a new ship, the feelings are intense at first and then slowly go and then flare up randomly. HOWEVER, that is not the case with Bellarke. I have been watching since the pilot aired live and have shipped them from episode 2 on with them really becoming my OTP around 4. And my intense, have a hard time making normal conversation, thought consuming shipping of Bellarke has not diminished one bit. I love when we get these flare ups that spill into other fandoms and get others interested. It happened in Season 1 Episode 8 with “Day Trip” and now again with these stills/clips. We need all the viewers we can get. It would be a tragedy if it was to be cancelled. I can’t even think about it. Anyways, loved the post and look forward to hearing more of your thoughts on this ship! 🙂
realitygreene
I started watching The 100 last weekend as well! I’m not quite into Bellamy/Clarke as much as you are (yet, anyway). Right now I’m all about Octavia and Lincoln! Holy goodness!!
My other OTPS:
Noah x Mara (Mara Dyer)
OTP: Today. Tonight. Tomorrow. Forever.
OTP: You’re the ocean and he’s desperate to drown.
OTP: Maybe I’ll make you scream mine.
Blue x Gansey (The Raven Cycle)
OTP: I would beg just one off you.
Adam x Ronan (The Raven Cycle)
OTP: Ronan’s second secret.
OTP: Manibus
OTP: Thanks for the straight teeth.
OTP: The center will hold.
Sydney x Adrian (Bloodlines)
Ebony @ Daring Damsels
THIS POST IS LITERALLY THE BEST. And so, so accurate. I just can’t even…books and tv shows that haven’t let me go are…Buffy, Sherlock, Harry Potter, The Infernal Devices, The Raven Boys, the Every trilogy and Mara Dyer.
Shae/Shelver @ Shae Has Left The Room
YES LET’S TALK SHIPS. (A+ giffage, BTW.)
My #1 OTP of OTPs is always Irene and Gen from The Queen’s Thief series. I have LITERALLY hunched over my steering wheel trying to breathe while stopped at a red light because thoughts of these two came out of nowhere and punched me in the stomach. They are everything.
Other books with ships that have ripped up my insides:
– Mycroft and Watts (Every Breath)
– Blue and Gansey (The Raven Cycle)
– Genya and David (The Grisha Trilogy)
– Iolanthe and Titus (The Elemental Trilogy)
– George and Alanna (Lionness Rampant)
– Annith and Balthazaar/Ismae and Duval/Sybella and Beast (His Fair Assassin trilogy)
– Finn and Em (All Our Yesterdays)
TV Shows:
– Meg and Castiel (Supernatural)
– Ten and Rose (Doctor Who)
– Castle and Beckett (Castle)
– Parker and Hardisen (Leverage)
– John and Carter (Person of Interest)
– Fitz and Simmons/May and Coulson (Agents of SHIELD)
– Peter and Olivia (Fringe)
Let’s not even get into movies. And I know that seems like a lot, but those are actually very select lists. Those are the ones that make me make audible noises (I am not a loud person) and/or physical contortions on the couch (I try not to draw attention to myself.)
And let’s not even get into bromances! Oy!
Dana @ The Nerdy Journalist
I love this post so much. It’s basically my life in gifs.
Okay you asked for it:
My #1 OTP is June and Day because OMG THE FEELS! CHAMPION! BITTERSWEET ENDING! AHHHH!
Renee Bookboyfriends
OMG THIS LITERALLY APPLIES TO MY DAILY LIFE!!!!!! I THINK I AM ACTUALLY A PERSON WHO IS ALWAYS HAVING FEELS AND SHIPPING STUFF OMG SO MAN ACCURATE GIFS!!! (thank GOD for tumblr indeed!)
My main OTP is SYDRIAN BECAUSE MY BABIES AND YES THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL AND EVERYTHING IS LOVELY AND THEY ARE THE WHOLE REASON I EVEN READ BLOODLINES!
and then
THE WHOLE RAVEN CYCLE JUST
just
omg just
I can’t even deal with that series. IT’S TOO MUCH!!!
I think I got sucked into that black hole of a fandom from the first words including the poetry and then ‘Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she’d been told that she would kill her true love.’
OMFG!
my brain was gone from there.
and my sanity apparently. 😀
and then Harry Potter omg literally my childhood. Well, my later childhood but still am still a MAJOR Potterhead now!
and of course we mustn’t forget that time in year 9 back in the good ol’ 2012, back when I got enough sleep and was vaguely more sane than I now am….
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
well, that entered my world and then I just- nope my brain. And then I also got tumblr and just
I WAS NOT OKAY! I HAVE BEEN LIVING OFF THE PURE ADRENALINE FEELS BRING ME EVERY DAY FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS NOW!
but omg thankyou for this blog post because I actually needed this. Like, YES I CAN RELATE SO MUCH LET’S ALL HUG AND FLAIL LIKE POINT NUMBER 20!!!
-Major fangirl out. 🙂
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Ciara (AKA Obsessive Fangirl)
*ahem* My OTP is Rocketshipping, it is from Pokemon, indeed, but no one can stop the shipping. I have a thoroughly difficult time shipping them, so many episodes and movies, so little time. I’ll have to wait for summer vacation to watch at least a whole season with OTP analysis. But… THEY’RE JUST SO PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER THEY’RE LITTLE DEMONS BUT THEY HAVE A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP AND THEY’RE CANON IN MORE THAN ONE PLACE (NOTICEABLY THE ELECTRIC TALE OF PIKACHU) AND THEY HAVE FULL EPISODES DEDICATED TO THE SHIP ITSELF AND THERE’S JEALOUSY AND MARRIAGE PROBLEMS AND CRYING AND MY FRIENDS THINKING I’M INSANE AND I JUST CAN’T RELATE TO ANYONE BECAUSE NO ONE’S GONE THROUGH THIS KIND OF ROCKETSHIPPING WHERE ALL OF A SUDDEN IT BECOMES A SIDE SHIP TO AN OTP IN TWO SECONDS AND YOUR LIFE IS DEDICATED TO THEM AND THEY MAKE YOU DETERMINED TO DO ANYTHING
I DID GOOD IN FLOOR HOCKEY IN PE BECAUSE I THOUGHT OF THEM
I HAVE LITERALLY THOUGHT OF SENDING A NOTE TO THE MAIN SCRIPT WRITER OF THE ENGLISH DUB TO MAKE THEM HAVE MORE MOMENTS
HELL I’VE EVEN THOUGHT OF SENDING A JAPANESE LETTER TO THE CREATOR OF THE ORIGINAL ANIME
*ahem ahem* Guess I got a bit uncivilized.
Well that’s becAUSE I FUCKING AM