Fandoms.
They surround us in the form of movies, TV shows, books, music, celebrities... and the list goes on. And with each fandom comes its loyal fangirls/fanboys. These are the people that devote their time, money, and energy to someone or something that they deem important. But there are rules when dealing with these sort of people because the last thing any person would ever want to do is insult a fangirl/boy.
Rule 1: Never remind a fangirl/fanboy that fictional characters do not exist
Oh, you think we don't already know that we can never meet that person from our favorite TV show/movie/book? You think our hearts don't break every time we remember? Yeah, please don't bring us extra pain by bringing it up again.
Rule 2: Never remind a fangirl/fanboy that a fictional character dies
It has been ten years. Ten years and I am still not over Dobby's death. And I am not the only one who suffers from incurable heartbreak at the mention of their favorite character's death. (Not that Dobby was my absolute favorite, but c'mon it's Dobby. That was heartbreaking for everyone.)
Rule 3: Never insult a fangirl/fanboy's OTP
Fictional characters, celebrities we wish would finally realize they are meant for each other... Yeah this is a thing that people do. OTP means One True Pairing for those of you not versed in the language of fandoms, and it is one of the most vital parts of a fandom's existence. Fangirls and fanboys everywhere spend hours thinking about their OTP, writing fan fiction about their OTP, theorizing what may happen to their OTP in later episodes/movies/books... So even if you don't agree with a particular pairing, it's best to keep your mouth shut. Wars are started over this stuff, people.
Rule 4: Never insult a fangirl/fanboy's fandoms
Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean it's bad. People's tastes vary, so it's not fair to insult something that someone else has fallen in love with just because it does not tickle your fancy.
Rule 5: Never steal a fangirl/fanboy's books
Even though I have since left the fandom, I am still bitter about someone breaking the spine of my copy of 'Breaking Dawn.' And every time I go home I make sure that my books are still in the right place (I can immediately tell when my brother has taken one of my classics to use at school). Books are important. Books are expensive. And fangirls/boys cherish them more than you will ever know.
Rule 6: Never talk about a book/series around a fangirl/fanboy
Odds are if you ever say the names "Harry Potter" or "Rhysand" anywhere near me, I will hop right into the conversation. Fangirls and fanboys alike will never miss an opportunity to show some love to their fandoms, so if you do not want to discuss those topics, it's best not to bring them up when with your fan friends.
Rule 7: Never bother a fangirl/fanboy if she/he is getting the feels
Feels are real. They will break a fangirl/boy's heart in two and cause them to reevaluate everything that they ever knew to be real within the fandom. If you do decide to bother a fangirl or fanboy during this emotional and/or traumatic time, it had better be to bring them tissues and chocolate.
Rule 8: Never bother a fangirl/fanboy if she/he is on the Internet
You will have your hand/arm/head bitten off.
Rule 9: Never judge a fandom by the fan
Fans can be absolutely insane sometimes. That does not mean the entire fandom acts the same way.
Rule 10: Never judge a fan by the fandom
And vise versa.
Side affects of doing any of these include: brain damage, concussions, broken bones, black eyes, a lot of tears, and in extreme cases, death.
Do not mess with the fandom.
