Overflow: shipping meme
Sep. 24th, 2012 08:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lunasarielOK, let's try this again! Hopefully it all fits onto one post this time...
Note: these are only for ships that I’m active in (a.k.a. currently read fanfic for), so a couple of my absolutely IRONCLAD OTPs, like Sam/Sibyl, Bill/Fleur, Ryo/Dee, or Faramir/Éowyn, haven’t made it on here. And then there are those fandoms that I adore, but just don't have any serious OTPs for (i.e. Dresden Files, Babylon 5) Also, I this is only a quick’n’dirty (*shifty glance at 18 pages in Word document*), semi-partial list. If there are any egregious examples that I’ve missed that you know I ship, or fandoms you know I’m involved in, feel free to let me know, and I’ll add them in! Hey, like I said earlier, I’m feeling the need for braincandy right now. ;)
Zoë/Wash
- When or if I started shipping it: This actually wasn’t a ship that leapt out at me from the beginning. My first time around, I paid more attention to the flashier ships, like the will-they-won’t-they of Mal/Inara, or the they-will-if-Simon-could-keep-his-foot-out-of-his-big-damn-mouth of Simon/Kaylee. But Zoë/Wash is what I like to call a Joss Whedon Special, where he creates this wonderful couple that sneaks up on you, so one day you turn around and realize that, despite impossible odds, these two lost, lonely people have found their soulmates and created an ironclad partnership based on trust, love, and mutual awesomeness that will last for the rest of their lives and beyond. And on that day, when you realize just how much you ship these two, one of them gets horribly murdered before the other’s very eyes, and you know that they will never be truly, completely happy ever again. Dammit, Joss! < / soliloquy>
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: Because it bears repeating: Dammit, Joss! Do you normally feed off the tears of your fans? Is that just a thing for you? Are you incapable of creating a beloved sub-main character and letting them live a happy, contented life with the person they love? Or just letting them live, period? I love that these two aren’t here to make a point. I love that nobody ever gets up on a soapbox and pontificates about how Zoë is the more physically competent of the two And That’s Okay, and that she’s a black woman in an action show and isn’t fetishized and/or the Sassy Black Woman and/or killed off and/or a Faux Action Girl and is actually competent and really good at her job, and how her race and gender and his role in the relationship aren’t after-school specials or the entirety of their character, they’re just aspects of their characters, and I’m not entirely sure if this sentence makes sense any more. They’re just so comfortable with each other and with their lives (aside from, y’know, the ever-present possibility of a horrible violent death for both of them), and they’re drama-free in the best way possible. I tend to gravitate towards couple like these, a series’ Official Couple who prove that a relationship doesn’t have to be filled with strife and conflict to be interesting, or relatable, or just plain awesome.
- What makes me happy about them: They just…work. It doesn’t get much more As Different as Day and Night than them, but they’re practically perfect in every way. They’re both utterly secure in their love for each other, and thus in their roles in the relationship. And, also, the actors have fantastic chemistry together. To me that one shot in “Our Mrs. Reynolds” (you all know the one) is a pretty perfect description of their relationship: he’s got his arms around her, but she’s got her gun close to hand and, oh my god, the looks on their faces. She looks so perfectly peaceful and content, like she wasn’t leaping out of covered wagons and shooting people in the face just six hours ago, and he has this hopelessly besotted look, like he doesn’t care who knows that he’s the luckiest guy on this or any other world, and they both look like they’re falling asleep a little. The best part is, this isn’t a one-time thing. It’s rarely in the foreground, but they’re always giving each other these “you’re amazing. I love you. Please marry me.”/”We are married, dummy” looks.
- What makes me sad about them: Aside from the obvious (LALALA Big Damn Movie never happened and they’re still flying around having adventures LALALA), Joss apparently said that, had Firefly continued, they would have been the one couple he would never have broken up. *sob* Also, had the series continued, there’s so much more about them that I want to know: what was their wedding like? How did they get together? Was there ever anyone else they considered marrying? Where did they come from?!
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: Zoë being disdainful of Wash, Wash being jealous and bitchy after “War Stories” has taken place. So, basically, OOC-ness. Post-BDM fic can be heart-wrenching, but is often well-done, so I would call this more something that I avoid than something that annoys me.
- Things I look for in fanfic: Zoe to the rescue!, both of them being parents, suitable levels of snark, Wash getting his share of Big Damn Heroes moments, either of them being tempted to cheat but refusing out of hand, people not believing that they’re together and then being proven very, very wrong, and Wash unexpectedly turning into a ball of raging fury when Zoë is hurt (Zoë is only different in that, from her, it’s not at all unexpected). Oh, and Wash being alive, of course, if this even needs saying.
- My kinks: Wash having a serious thing for Zoë being a badass (although they institute a “no live ammo in the bedroom” rule after that one time, which is later supplemented by a “check the chamber for live ammo” amendment), Zoë having a serious thing for Wash’s pilot’s fingers, adrenaline.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Um, maybe Zoë/Jayne, waaaay in the future, but in a kind of Loras/Jaime way where it’s mostly a matter of convenience and mutual lust/stress relief, but I really can’t see Wash with anyone else. He pings me as largely straight, and him/any of the women on Serenity? No. I mean, Wash/Kaylee? No. Wash/Inara? No. Wash/River? Definitely no.
- My happily ever after for them: Wash surviving the movie (along with Book, as long as I’m dreaming), Wash freaks the hell out when he finds out that he’s going to be a father, and the entire crew alternately spoils the baby rotten and teaches him/her various illegal-but-highly-useful life skills.
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: From what we’ve seen, they seem to be about 50/50.
- What is their favorite non-sexual activity: Zoë would say thrillin’ heroics, Wash would say not dying.
Renly/Loras
- When or if I started shipping it: I admit I went in a little pre-spoiled, but for some reason, the lines “I fear Lord Renly has left the city […] he took his leave through a postern gate an hour before dawn, accompanied by Ser Loras Tyrell and some fifty retainers” really got me a-thinkin’, as well as gave rise to what![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hamsterwoman has termed my “everyone is happy in Highgarden” AU.
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: In a nebulous “ASOIAF characters get deposited into the modern world” AU that’s been floating around the more remote corners of my brain, one of my favorite scenes is a Navy SEAL or an Army Ranger or one of those super-duper elite solders making the expected “lol ur gay lol fag” comment re: either Renly or Loras, and then cut to a face-on shot of whichever modern world person is in charge of Westerosi relations facepalming and watching a video screen facing away from the audience, from which come the sounds of an ass-kicking in progress. The dialogue runs something like this:
Westerosi relations guy: You said he’s how old?
Navy SEAL/Army Ranger’s CO: Seventeen, sir.
Westerosi relations guy: Jesus.
*sounds of various things breaking, some of them possibly attached to humans, from video screen*
Both wince*
Westerosi relations guy: Were thos teeth?
Renly: (standing behind others): >:D (Is totally not thinking “That’s my baby!”)
- What makes me happy about them: They’re one of the very, very few healthy relationships in Westeros, and of those few, pretty much the only one to end in the less gut-wrenching form of tragedy where there was nothing anyone, including Loras, could have done to save Renly, Renly’s death was swift, and it didn’t turn Loras into a monster and/or drive him nuts. …And that’s ASOIAF, folks, where death via eldritch abomination and lifelong mourning and a faceful of molten lead count as a *happy* ending. But really, they were the knights of summer: they were fun, they were smart, they were ruthless, they were loyal when it suited them, and they were pretty: it all came crashing down, but while it existed, it was nothing short of awesome. I just really like to watch them be simultaneous snarky badasses.
- What makes me sad about them: “When the sun has set, no candle can replace it.” That is all. Also, it’s my headcanon that after Tommen ascended to the throne, Loras didn’t feel quite such a driving need to protect Margaery, and became something of a Death Seeker, so the Great Tyrell Conspiracy took the form it did because Olenna figured that it’s better to get him fake-killed, leaving him free to do something actually useful, than let him go off and get real-killed on his own.
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: This isn’t an annoyance per se, but, like, 85% of Renly/Loras fanfics following the same formula (Loras’ POV; reminiscing on initial crush –> skylarking about during GoT –> “Renly’s going to make the most awesomest king evaaaaar” –> Margaery doesn’t mind being a beard –> “lol Brienne is ugly” –> “Ser Loras, stay and help me pray” –> pre-battle sex [forebodings of doom optional] –> Renly dies –> flash-forward to Loras joining/in the Kingsguard) gets a little old after a while.
- Things I look for in fanfic: healthy relationship dynamics, fangirl!Sansa, secretly!besotted!Renly, not-at-all-secretly!besotted!Loras, clever!Margaery, the Tyrells being the Tyrells, and snark. Lots and lots of snark.
- My kinks: I like two kinds of R/L pr0n: sweaty post-jousting/sparring f*cking or long, sensual, lyrical set pieces replete with imagery, metaphor, and a hint of bittersweetness. There is no middle ground.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Jaime/Loras, but in a frenemies-with-benefits kind of situation where they’re both using each other to work through losing the loves of their lives via lots and lots of sexually-charged sparring followed by aggressive sex in the White Tower. (HEADCANON TIME: I know a lot is made of Loras being OMGSUPERDUPERINLOVEFOREVERANDEVER with Renly, but I think that Renly’s love for Loras was very, very far from the calm, cool, snarky persona he presents to the world. Loras would basically be his first and only experience with unconditional love, since Robert only remembered Renly when he started to look like him and became old enough to drink, and, um, shall we say that unconditional love isn’t really Stannis’ thing. But then along comes someone who not only thinks that Renly is awesome, which Renly would consider nothing less than his due, and thus not all that remarkable], but who genuinely and unshakably loves him, and, to Renly’s unutterable shock, sticks around after fulfilling what Renly was sure was a one-off power fantasy. This, to me, is the big difference between Renly and Robert, who could have otherwise ended up identical in *every* respect: it’s unclear whether Lyanna reciprocated Robert’s feelings, but she died young enough that it didn’t really matter either way, whereas Renly had someone who loved him, but was also [presumably] willing to call him on his shit.) Oh, and I find the idea of Renly/Littlefinger not exactly plausible, but intriguing. Renly would certainly be a much worse person without the Tyrells to keep him honest (figuratively speaking), but he’s not dumb, and I’ve got an inkling that he and Littlefinger would make a hell of a power couple, although it would be all treachery and snark and competitive sex, as both of them having a serious thing for powerful men; there would be very little love actually involved, and Renly would probably end up being a fairly awful person, but, like I said, interesting.
- My happily ever after for them: Like I said, “everyone is happy in Highgarden.” The shadowbaby assassination attempt fails, Renly allies with Robb, steamrolls Stannis, eventually defeats the Lannisters, and becomes king. This is book!Renly, who is a BAMF, not HBO!Renly, who is comically terrified of boobs, so Margaery eventually bears a decent-sized litter of little Baratheons, while Loras, whose job is basically Top Bodyguard, takes it very seriously and guards Renly’s body assiduously. They took Sansa (who used to be a huge Loras fangirl before she married, and eventually even came to love, Willas) and Arya (who married Tommen, went back to the North, and spends all her time keeping the Greyjoys in line with Nymeria) with them before they lit out for Highgarden in the first place, so that even ends well!
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: Renly is the big spoon, duh. I imagine Loras likes being snuggled.
- What is their favorite non-sexual activity: I was going to say sparring, but the way they do it is the exact opposite of “non-sexual activity,” so I guess sit back and watch each other be awesome? We’ve seen that Renly is the president and founding member of the Loras Tyrell Fan Club when it comes to jousting, and I imagine Loras would have the least subtle proud boyfriend smile in the entire world on his face while at some feast, listening to Renly match wits with Littlefinger and the Lannisters.
James/Sirius
- When or if I started shipping it: Not for a good long while. At first I was, y’know, eight, so I didn’t really ship anybody. But even as I grew up, Potterships were never really my bag. But during a read-through in high school, these to kind of leapt out at me. I forget where exactly in canon it was, probably when James is showing off in front oLily irius in the Pensieve, and certainly by Sirius’ death.
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: Back when I was in high school, I wrote an epic-length “how they got together” fic for them. It never made it onto paper or online, of course, but I remember thinking that this is some Rowling-worthy shit right here. Specifically, I have a very strong memory of writing (if it can be called that when I’m not writing or typing) the confession scene. There was a willow tree and lots of misdirecting banter and awkward small talk and Dumbledore fanboying (the plot involved something about Sirius being a spy at Grimmaud Place, the Death Eaters finding out about it, Dumbledore coming to the rescue, and James tagging along), and I fell asleep thinking “wow, that was some good stuff! Sure hope I can remember it tomorrow.” And, of course, by the next day, I’d forgotten all of it. XP
- What makes me happy about them: They, too, were the knights of summer. They lived it up while they could and pretty much personified “live fast, die young.” Oh, and also, they’re also everything else I love (not to sound like a broken record. I have a Type, okay?) - a Battle Couple replete with snark and undying loyalty who are friends as well as lovers. I also love just coming up with theories about how they became friends. I mean, their personalities were pretty much identical, but they just came from such different backgrounds: the Potters had been living in the idyllic village of Godric’s Hollow, in (secret) harmony with their Muggle neighbors, for centuries, while the scions of the noble and most ancient house of Black had been waging a secret war in order to remain “pure” for about the same amount of time, and hated everybody, even each other. I imagine James was enchanted (*ba-DUM-tish*) by the chance to actually get into trouble, and Sirius by the chance to get into trouble and only receive comparatively light punishment. I dunno, they just always struck me as a couple that was always happy to be together, and I like couples that are happy to be together.
- What makes me sad about them: Dammit, why do all my OTPs have to end in death and tragedy?! These two are even more Renly and Loras in that Sirius considers James’ death to be his fault, and that we get the aftermath from an outsider’s point of view. And it’s from this outsider’s point of view that the true effect on the reader comes, because all we get are these little glimpses of this fathomless, unimaginable grief. This was a good move on JKR’s part, I think, as an unmitigated angst-fest probably wouldn’t have been as effective.
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: Lily-bashing, Sirius being immature (well, in contrast to James’ OOC high-mindedness. Basically, James was just as much of a jerk as Sirius, and I hate it when fic writers have Sirius act like a child and James is suddenly the mature adult).
- Things I look for in fanfic: pranks/shenanigans/adventures, Remus shipping them (my 'verse has him being in love with Lily himself, and her liking the nice little werewolf nerd much better than his brilliant-but-jerkariffic buddy), them draping all over each other in an ambiguously sexual manner, the Potters being nice.
- My kinks: Magically-aided sex, the Astronomy Tower (that’s still a thing in Potterverse fics, right?), competition, mutual awareness of hotness, James having a thing for Sirius on his motorbike.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Well, James/Lily, of course. I’ve never really seen the draw of Sirius/Remus beyond their similar animal forms, but maybe, like, Sirius/Tonks? Or Sirius/Romilda Vane? She seemed to have been pretty badass.
- My happily ever after for them: My AU where Remus was also in love with Lily, so she ended up with him when she got fed up with James. Sirius is still their Secret-Keeper, though, and doesn’t pass it off to Pettigrew. They are made Harry’s godparents and work as Aurors, where Sirius spends possibly too much time tinkering with Muggle vehicles with Arthur Weasley and James toys with the idea of quitting and playing pro Quidditch after the Wizarding War is over.
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: Sirius is the big spoon, I think, although it takes quite a bit of firewhiskey for James to admit it.
- What is their favorite non-sexual activity: Trolling Death Eaters.
Fingon/Maedhros
- When or if I started shipping it: This fanmix. I was a bit shocked to find any Silmarillion fanmixes at all, as it’s not exactly a high-visibility fandom, so I was going through anything and everything I could find, and this one really got me thinking, and ultimately converted me.
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: For me, these two are all about guilt and redemption. Aside from being the usual sort of star-cross’d lovers that Tolkien seems to favor, they would have had to, of course, address the Fëanor question, as well as that of whether, after the whole Kinslaying incident, either of them was even worthy of a relationship. The fact that one of Manwë’s eagles answered Fingon’s prayer seems to have given a pretty solid answer to that, but they would still have a hell of a lot to work through.
- What makes me happy about them: They were each other’s saving graces. Aside from the fact that Fingon literally saved Maedhros from Thangorodrim, Fingon could have easily taken his brother’s route and shut himself up in a city and stayed there, but he didn’t, and instead chose to go riding around having Adventures.
- What makes me sad about them: The Doom of Mandos pretty much guaranteed that they would end tragically, which ended up being played out perfectly when Fingon died when Maedhros was supposed to be protecting him, and this was the last little push that Maedhros needed to jump right the hell off the sanity cliff. Oh, and their families probably ended up very…Capulet and Montague, if you will, after Fëanor’s treachery led to Turgon’s wife’s death and Certain Fëanorions Who Shall Remain Nameless gleefully perpetuated the reputation that he had built up.
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: *shrug* Eh. The only Tolkien fanfic I read these days is on HASA, so is pretty much guaranteed to be awesome, so nothin’ but love for this fandom. Oh, I’m not too fond of Fingolfin picking up the Unaccountably Mean Elven Dad torch from Thranduil. The guy was the acknowledge greatest High King the elves ever had! I mean, I can’t see him being thrilled that his eldest son and heir insisted on continuing a relationship with the eldest son of the guy who literally invented new and exciting ways to screw them all over, but still, I’m sure he would have been understanding about them.
- Things I look for in fanfic: melancholia, Shipper on Deck Maglor, politics, Back-to-Back Badass moments, post-Thangorodrim H/C, Maedhros freaking out when Fëanor burns the ships (canon, people!).
- My kinks: gift-giving/paying tribute, sneaking around, deceptively mild-mannered Fingon, Handicapped Badass Maedhros.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I guess Fingon may have had a wife, if Gil-Galad really was his son (I subscribe to the other text that says he was Orodreth’s, of course), but I can’t really see Maedhros with anyone else, ever; he’s very much the type to just become a Lone Wolf and mourn his cursed existence until he dies.
- My happily ever after for them: After his death, Maedhros gets into Mandos and is reunited with Fingon, which is honestly just about the happiest ending I can think of for these two that doesn’t involve the whole mess never happening in the first place.
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: Maedhros would have been the big spoon in Valinor (they don’t call him “the Tall” for nothing, y’know), but after the Thangorodrim incident, he would have needed some serious cuddling, and so Fingon, who had already learned to be a source of comfort for grieving loved ones on the Grinding Ice, would have become the big spoon. After a few centuries they start changing it up a little, though.
- What is their favorite non-sexual activity: pre-Kinslaying: skylarking about, hanging out with Oromë, noodling around in the smithy making doodads. Post-Kinslaying: riding border patrols, finding evil to slay.
Apollo/Midnighter
- When or if I started shipping it: They were actually the reason I got into The Authority in the first place. I was typing up this big rant on the lack of queer characters in comics who weren’t villains and/or jokes (because this is the kind of thing I used to write spontaneously ranty essays on in my spare time), and ran across them while I was doing research. I honestly thought that either I had just found a bunch of fanart or, failing that, all the panels I kept running across were taken out of context. But then I actually started reading the series, and, nope, they’re like that all the time. Squeeing commenced.
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: It’s not just that they’re such a strong couple that it literally took re-writing the universe plus mind-control spit (long story) to split them up, but they’re awesome parents. They made damn sure that everyone knew that Jenny may not be related to them biologically, but she’s their daughter nevertheless, and they did their best to give her a healthy, if not exactly normal, childhood. They made sure she knew was loved and protected, and she grew up with a remarkably clean bill of mental health, and clearly idolized them both. Oh, and in my personal headcanon, they delight in making up ridiculous pet names for one another. They’re canonically very, er, openly affectionate, but I imagine that they would get a kick out of Midnighter, six feet and some change of black leather who can commit a war crime merely by addressing someone, calling Apollo, 300+ lbs of literal god incarnate “Sunshine” or “babe.” Apollo’s nicknames for Midnighter run along the lines of “baby” or “honey.” When Jenny comes along, she gets her own set of nicknames, of course. Apollo gleefully humiliates her by calling her “Pumpkin” in front of her omgsuperdupergrownup friends, and Midnighter, oddly enough, has a set of ultra-girly nicknames for her, like “Princess” or “girly-girl” (and that last one is canon, no less).
- What makes me happy about them: I firmly subscribe to the headcanon going around that Midnighter finally defeated the evil computer in its head when it told him to kill Apollo, and he refused point-blank, and won the ensuing contest of wills. Some terrible writers got ahold of them in the later years (seriously, Human on the Inside till actually makes me angry. Say it with me, people: domestic abuse is not comedy), but early on, they were my favorite type of Battle Couple: they had each other’s back whether in battle or out, communicated well, and had Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathons together.
- What makes me sad about them: Hey, remember back when they were married? And they had a daughter? And were great parents? And had mysterious backstories that might never be fully explained, and they were okay with that? And everything was awesome? Apparently, neither does DC.
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: weepy!querulous!Apollo, “I am not a lover. I am not a father. I am not a friend”!Midnighter (Linkara interlude [because Midnighter’s solo series definitely deserves sporking]: “Yes you are! You are precisely all of these three things! These three things neatly summarize your character outside of your ability to punch things! Gaaaah!”).
- Things I look for in fanfic: Them being sweet and silly together, domestic fluff on the Carrier, Angie and Apollo being BFFs, neat team dynamics.
- My kinks: Superpowered sex, of course, and heat/light and fighting the computer.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Um, nobody. This is one of my few OTPs where they pretty much wouldn’t be alive if they weren’t with each other. Midnighter would be a villain, certainly, and it’s doubtful whether Apollo would have survived their initial mission.
- My happily ever after for them: Their universe, the Wildstorm universe, reasserts itself, and they take Jenny and their friends, and go back to the Carrier and resume their peace-keeping (although less heavily politicized) duties from there. Jenny throws in with a few other preteen/teen heroes from various dimensions, maybe develops an ill-advised crush or two. Midnighter enjoys terrifying her prospective boyfriends/girlfriends, and Apollo is serene about the whole thing.
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: Depends on how the computer’s acting. If it’s fairly docile, or Midnighter wants to piss it off, Apollo is the big spoon, and then it starts shrieking at Midnighter all the ways he (Apollo) could kill him (Midnighter). If he feels like there’s a chance of him losing control, though, Midnighter becomes the big spoon to placate the computer.
- What is their favorite non-sexual activity: Defending Earth from extraterrestrial invasion, having conversation made up entirely of Joss Whedon quotes.
Charles/Erik (Professor X/Magneto)
- When or if I started shipping it: X-Men: First Class. I haven’t read enough of the comics to get to their apparently legendary couplehood there, and Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen were all about the grave, restrained dignity, but gaaaaah, by the time XMFC rolled around, I couldn’t really not ship them, not when they were entwining their minds and honest-to-Darwin holding hands.
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: These guys are my ultimate Tragic Couple, because it actually was both of their faults that things ended up the way they did, instead of purely a third party and/or a cruel twist of Fate. Charles’ unthinking arrogance and Erik’s, well, psychopathy crossed in exactly the wrong way, and we all know the result. But man, while they were together, they were something great. Like, Erik has probably never had a friend before, let alone a lover, so someone clearly being crazy about him and, more importantly, not pitying him/trying to control him would be something new, and he would take some time to get adjusted to, but once he did, he would have had to face that, again for the first time in his life, he was actually considering what he was going to do with his life after Shaw’s inevitable death. And Charles would just be elated that he’s found someone who can operate on his level and that he doesn’t have to worry about taking care of. One thing that I wish had come across from the comics better is that Erik is just as much a genius as Charles is, albeit in a different way, and this was a huge aspect of the fascination Erik holds for him.
- What makes me happy about them: What they could have been. Seriously, they could have done something incredibly constructive together. Like I said, they’re both geniuses, so I just like to watch them spark ideas off each other. It would be exhilarating for Charles to find a mind so close to his own level, and one that doesn't fear him, too. And if it’s wrapped up in a long, lean, square-jawed, green-eyed package, so much the better. And Erik initially has no idea what to do with the spoiled academic who clearly has no idea how the world really works but keeps spewing idea(l)s re: peace and harmony and discovering a new race together and yadda yadda yadda, but he eventually comes to see that Charles is smart and devious and not at all above fighting dirty in order to win, and falls just a little bit in love. Which becomes a lot in love as things progress, and they both realize they’re working with an equal (as dearly as I love Raven, advanced genetic theory really isn’t her thing), with someone they don't have to hide things from, for the first time in their lives.
- What makes me sad about them: *sigh* The usual. You know, their all-too-brief (b)romance being cut short by cruel fate, but this time, unlike Loras and Sirius, it actually was explicitly Erik’s fault. Like, Charles could be kind of insensitive and dumb sometimes, and certainly picked the wrong moment to forget that the Nuremberg Defense probably shouldn’t be used in an argument against a deeply unstable Holocaust survivor, but dammit, Erik! I know you guys had just broken up and everything, but your only friend has just been shot in the back (good job on that, btw) and is now lying stranded on a beach 1,300 miles away from his home with two entire navies pointing every piece of ordnance they have at him. You don't think it would be too much to offer him a lift to a hospital? No? Okay, then, please proceed with your previously-scheduled lunacy.
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: A/B/O dynamics and mpreg are a huge thing in this fandom, but they’re kind of anti-kinks for me. So, mostly that.
- Things I look for in fanfic: Era-appropriate homophobia, Erik being gobsmacked, Charles being smug and flirty and fascinated by everything (especially Erik), people underestimating Charles (especially post-wheelchair), Hank being an adorkable awkward eager puppy, Raven being a BAMF (in fact, BAMFery all around), SCIENCE!, and both of them being Team Dads.
- My kinks: Telepathy/mind-melding during sex, metal-bending during and/or as a result of sex, Charles being kind of a slut, both of them being protective/devoted (especially Erik again), H/C, and Erik learning to not be so emotionally constipated.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Eh. Erik’s wife Magda apparently doesn’t exist in the movieverse, Moira is no longer another geneticist, and Erik/Raven would always have to contend with the specter of Charles. This is part of the big tragedy, at least for me: if not each other, then they really can’t be with anyone, and have to grow old alone.
- My happily ever after for them: OK, I’ve got this all worked out: Shaw’s death sends Charles into some sort of seizure, and Erik is freaked out/guilty about this enough to have him leave off threatening navies and crucifying Shaw, and he gets Azazel to teleport them back to somewhere with a hospital. By the time Charles wakes up (still able to feel his legs, as long as this is a happily-ever-after), both he and Erik have calmed down to the point where they can talk rationally about what’s happened and what’s likely to happen. Now that Shaw is dead, Erik transfers that scary-intense focus from his personal vendetta to Charles and mutant rights, and they run the school together and, of course, live happily (although interestingly, in the Discworldian sense) ever after.
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: Once they actually, literally start sleeping together, instead of retiring to their separate rooms after having sex in the library, Erik is the big spoon most of the time.
- What is their favorite non-sexual activity: Chess and mutant rights activism. (This one was too easy!)
Billy/Teddy (Wiccan/Hulkling)
- When or if I started shipping it: Pretty much from the get-go. They don’t make it blatantly obvious that they’re a couple at the very beginning, but they don’t exactly try to hide it, either. Even from there, it’s kept mostly low-key until the whole Skrull-Kree mess, which is the first time we see Billy go postal. As we’ve seen many, many times since, the best way to be reminded that you’re dealing with the grandson of Magneto here is to point a weapon of any kind at Teddy.
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: These two are my go-to pick-me-up OTP. They were both in not-particularly-good places, mentally speaking, when they met, but they were exactly what the other needed at the time, as their reaction to each other’s powers was probably more along the lines of “OMG THAT WAS AWESOME!!! Do it again! Captain Marvel once did the exact same thing, only he [insert lengthy fanboy diatribe here]” than shrieking and running away, or worse, calling names like any of the variety of unpleasant words beginning with F that had been applied to either of them in the past. And then they went on to save the world several times, along with their nakama. I probably don’t need to say all the other stuff, about them being a Battle Couple and prone to H/C and friends as well as lovers, since that has turned up in pretty much every pairing on here. Oh, and to top it off, they’re canon! They only got an onscreen kiss this year, but they’ve never made a secret of the fact that they’re a couple, and they’ve never been split up by/for pointless drama or wangst.
- What makes me happy about them: They’re so…sensible! Believe me, after a whole day of dealing with superheroes, a little common sense is much, much appreciated. Like, they actually talk about their problems while they’re still small and manageable. They don’t jump to conclusions about each other. They support each other. Actually, I think Billy puts it best, although this applies to both of them: “You are without a doubt the best boyfriend in the world. You’re kind. You’re generous. You threaten to maim people for me.” Of course, this should also add “You geek out with me. You don’t think I’m crazy and/or dangerous. You put up with my family, even when they’re trying to kill us.”
- What makes me sad about them: For once, nothing, really. I know, shocker.
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: Either of them shapeshifting into Tommy, because no, and Billy being querulous (unless it’s immediately post-Civil War, in which case a little querulousness is entirely justified).
- Things I look for in fanfic: The team being teamy, Captain America giving his stamp of approval, beatdowns being doled out to bigots, Billy being spaztastic, Teddy being slow-to-anger-slow-to-forgive, Skrull politics, Kaplan family awesomeness.
- My kinks: Powers in bed, of course, as well as alien biology and (un-shifted) size/strength difference.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Nope, sorry, this one is ironclad. I mean, it’s cute as hell that Teddy used to have a crush on Spider-Man, and Billy on the Human Torch and possibly Cap, but I really can’t see them with anyone else.
- My happily ever after for them: Um, canon, pretty much? Only with Cassie and Jonas still alive. But, oddly enough for one of my OTPs, things are looking pretty good for them right now. They’re engaged, they’ve finally been instated as full-fledged Avengers, the various crazies they’re related to have been dealt with for the moment, and things are just generally going well. Of course, this is Marvel, so we’ll see how long that lasts…
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: Teddy is the big spoon, much to Tommy’s hilarity.
- What is their favorite non-sexual activity: Geeking out. I imagine it’s not so much a thing now that they’re actual Avengers, but I imagine, back in the early days, they exchanged a lot of texts that looked something like “OMG SPIDERMAN IS TALKING TO ME HE KNOWS MY NAME WHAT DO I DO?!?!?!111” And even now, every so often, they just exchange looks like “Yup, this is totally our life. Eatin’ sandwiches with Captain America and Iron Man. That’s how we roll in the Avengers. Of which we are members.”
Laurence/Granby
- When or if I started shipping it: Somewhere around Black Powder War, I think; certainly no later than their first meeting in Victory of Eagles.
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: They’re friends, fellow captains, and brother-officers first and foremost. Laurence initially annoyed Granby by being all “WE WILL BE TOGETHER UNTIL THE END OF TIME I SHALL PROTECT THEE O FAIR DAMSEL,” but while he’s thankfully stopped trying to be chivalrous, Granby has found himself much more seriously attached than he ever thought he would be, and they have a solid relationship. Their dragons ship them to hell and back.
- What makes me happy about them: I love few things better than a Battle Couple, and these two deliver everything I love about Battle Couples in spades. I love that they have more to talk about than “OMG ILU!” “OMG ILU2!”, and that they have a sort of Tarzan/Jane relationship where they weird each other out initially but then act as guides to their two very different worlds. Oh, and they’re funny. Scandalized!Laurence never, ever gets old, nor does Cataclysmically Danger-Prone Granby (H/C FTW!), but they just have a very fun, bickery relationship, and oh how I wish there was more of a fic-writing community for this fandom, because there are no words for how much I want to see Granby getting introduced around polite society, and Laurence being in agony the entire time, and always whispering instructions in his ear until Granby gets fed up and, basically, goes “OMG LAURENCE, I GET IT! I promise not to throw you to the floor in the middle of your parents’ dining room, eat with my fingers, or advocate the violent overthrow of the Government via our mighty armada of dragons, okay?!” (…which does indeed lead to some Laurence-floor contact later, but in a much different context.)
- What makes me sad about them: That Laurence, who values respectability and honor so much, will, at one point, have to do some serious soul-searching with regards to how much he loves Granby vs. how much he values his good name (as much of it as remains, anyway). And, of course, they can never openly be together; the closest they can come is a sort of Don't Ask, Don't Tell thing. Also, as far as my personal headcanon goes, it makes Granby really angry that Laurence is so afraid of being caught with him. This is a complicated issue: first, he thinks he’s just mad at Laurence for being ashamed of him and valuing his damned honor so much. But then he realizes he’s mad at the world outside the covert, the world of the Navy, the world that makes Laurence’s fears perfectly reasonable. And then Laurence gets mad right back at Granby, for being privileged enough to come from a subset of society where he wasn’t raised to consider these things as shameful or needing to be hidden and being too damned kiss-my-hand blithe about it. OK, so they don’t exactly get mad *at* one another, but that’s about what it works out to.
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: You mean the, like, six fanfics there are for them out there? XP It would be easy to fall into the FreeSpirit!Granby/StuffedShirt!Laurence trap, so I’m glad there’s none of that.
- Things I look for in fanfic: H/C, as always. Srsly, Granby!whump is pure gold, especially if Laurence gets to be all protective and/or go on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge, a lá Jack Aubrey, afterwards. Established relationships are nice, as is the entire covert knowing about it, and Laurence being absolutely horrified to find out that they know. Um, either of them being possessive, dragons giving The Boyfriend Talk/casually discussing their captain’s relationship, Iskierka being Iskierka. Also, and I know this is never, ever going to happen: time travel/memory loss. Like, soap opera memory loss. HMD-era Laurence travelling forward to post-VoE but pre-ToS and being all “I didwho hat?” or post-VoE but pre ToS Laurence losing all his memories between HMD and then, or Laurence of any era travelling forward to a dystopian future that branched off from EoI/VoE where Napoleon succeeded in his invasion, the dragon plague actually got released and pretty much drove dragons everywhere to extinction, or both, and then has to go back and try to fix things.
- My kinks: RAAARRR!Laurence, experienced!Granby, being pinned to/slammed against things/surfaces, cuddling, waking up together.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I’m increasingly okay with G/L/T, but I could see straight-up Laurence/Tharkay if he and Granby decide to stay Just Friends, and either casual Granby/Little or intense Granby/Pullings if Laurence can’t be swayed away from the ladies.
- My happily ever after for them: Laurence gets fully reinstated in the Corps, Temeraire and Iskierka are integrated into the same wing, and they fly around the world (but mostly various parts of England) having adventures. Lady Allendale knows all, of course. Once she’s assured that Granby is the better sort of sodomite that doesn’t have any diseases, isn’t effete/a coward/both, won’t blackmail anyone, and (most importantly) sincerely loves her son, they get along pretty well. Oh, and I have waaaaay too much Granby family headcanon, but let’s just say that their general attitude towards John is to sort of shrug helplessly, hug him, and hope he doesn’t get killed, so the additional information that he’s now seriously involved with that crazy guy who was in all the newspapers doesn't change much.
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: Granby is the big spoon, but it took Laurence some time to get used to this. Sometimes Laurence allowed to be the big spoon, if it’s post-Granby!whump.
- What is their favorite non-sexual activity: Um, aside from flying around on their dragons and saving the world from Bonaparte? Just sitting and being quiet in the evenings, talking with the other aviators while Granby draws and Laurence reads.
Horatio/Archie
- When or if I started shipping it: I was kind of side-eyeing it through the first episode, but then “The Duchess and the Devil” happened, and I’m honestly unsure how to interpret some of those scenes outside of a shippy context. I mean, Horatio, I know that you’re glad to see your friend again, and it’s real nice of you to comfort him when he’s having a seizure, but is stroking the vee of skin left bare by his open shirt while you cradle him in your arms really necessary? And Archie, dear, could you try to look a little less twitterpated when Horatio says he needs you? And maybe don’t lick your lips when you realize that you’re going to be locked in a small room alone with him for the foreseeable future?
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: *shakes fist at Tragic First Lieutenant Curse* (well, more like Tragic Fourth Lieutenant Curse, but w/e). Also, VelveteenThestral’ Home is the Sailor eries is totally what happened after Retribution, complete with Dr. Maturin cameo. Archie goes on to get into politics and be a BAMF spy, Wellard (who Stephen also magically brought back from the dead) joins him as his faithful and secretly-in-love secretary Mr. Scarlett, and Archie and Horatio buy adjoining townhouses for appearance’s sake, but only one of them ever gets used. Oh, and what with both of them having positions to maintain and all, they write to each other separately under their own names (as friends/political allies), female pseudonyms (as lovers/spouses), and codenames (as intelligence agents): Archie is Amelia or Ganymede or Apollo, and Horatio is Olivia (because Archie just couldn’t resist the Shakespeare) or Naiad or later Jove (Admiral Pellew was Jove until he retired), or, privately, Honeybee, which Horatio pretends to find insupportably sappy, but (not-so-)secretly d’awwws at. Finally, there’ this, which describes my feelings re: sexuality perfectly: Horatio is demisexual but panromantic (capable of strong romantic feelings towards pretty much any gender, but only mildly/rarely actually wants to have sex with anyone), whereas Archie is bisexual (leaning more towards dudes), but has a pretty strong history of really, really bad associations with sexuality in general, so they’re pretty much perfect for each other in this regard. They share an extremely strong romantic bond and are able to fulfill each other’s not-insignificant emotional needs, but neither is likely to push for more than the other is comfortable with, sexually speaking – Horatio is just as happy with non-sexual physical contact (the above discussion gives the example of a backrub) or even just talking, allowing Archie to set the pace to something still within his comfort zone.
- What makes me happy about them: They bring out the best in each other – without Archie, Horatio would be a hard-hearted bastard who lives a cold, joyless, self-loathing life with sustained bouts of unholy glee/bloodthirstiness, and without Horatio, Archie forgets how to be brave.
- What makes me sad about them: *points to remarks re: TragiFirst ourth Lieutenant Curse* Oh, and also that pretty much the only reading of Loyalty/Duty that I’ve been able to entertain is Horatio, after having lost the love of his life, decides that at least a ship and some big, nebulous idea of England can’t make jokes while coughing up blood and then die in your arms, and just decides to say “fuck it” to emotions in general, especially love, and taking refuge in his job after Archie’s death leaves his life largely purposeless.
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: Archie being a manipulative bitch, Horatio being unable to overcome his book!self’s cold nature and treating Archie like crap, Pellew being an antagonist.
- Things I look for in fanfic: Well, everything by VelveteenThestral, as mentioned above. Infatuation, comrades-in-arms, sweetness, banter, Live Kennedy Universe, back-to-back badasses, and cuddling. I even like her OC’s, and I’m usually very *eyebrow* with regards to OCs.
- My kinks: H/C 4EVA! Also, Archie being smug, Horatio being *guh*, protectiveness/claiming, and noise suppression/danger of being caught. Oh, and schmoop/cuddling. All the cuddling! See above re: demisexuality vs. panromanticism.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Horatio with either Lady Barbara (who I haven’t technically met, but who is, by all reports, pretty neat) or being pined after by Bush, and Archie either having a casual thing with Edrington or eventually getting with Wellard (although I do see him as more of a mentor to Wellard than anything else, and mentor!ships aren’t really my bag).
- My happily ever after for them: For the third time, I refer you to VelveteenThestral for how the Hornblowerverse totally ended up.
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: Horatio was the little spoon most of the time when they sailed together, but after Archie’s near-fatal injury, he tends to be the big spoon more often.
- hat is their favorite non-sexual activity: Pre-Retribution: roistering, outfitting/manning their dream ships. Post-Retribution: skullduggery and going to the theater.
Note: these are only for ships that I’m active in (a.k.a. currently read fanfic for), so a couple of my absolutely IRONCLAD OTPs, like Sam/Sibyl, Bill/Fleur, Ryo/Dee, or Faramir/Éowyn, haven’t made it on here. And then there are those fandoms that I adore, but just don't have any serious OTPs for (i.e. Dresden Files, Babylon 5) Also, I this is only a quick’n’dirty (*shifty glance at 18 pages in Word document*), semi-partial list. If there are any egregious examples that I’ve missed that you know I ship, or fandoms you know I’m involved in, feel free to let me know, and I’ll add them in! Hey, like I said earlier, I’m feeling the need for braincandy right now. ;)
Zoë/Wash
- When or if I started shipping it: This actually wasn’t a ship that leapt out at me from the beginning. My first time around, I paid more attention to the flashier ships, like the will-they-won’t-they of Mal/Inara, or the they-will-if-Simon-could-keep-his-foot-out-of-his-big-damn-mouth of Simon/Kaylee. But Zoë/Wash is what I like to call a Joss Whedon Special, where he creates this wonderful couple that sneaks up on you, so one day you turn around and realize that, despite impossible odds, these two lost, lonely people have found their soulmates and created an ironclad partnership based on trust, love, and mutual awesomeness that will last for the rest of their lives and beyond. And on that day, when you realize just how much you ship these two, one of them gets horribly murdered before the other’s very eyes, and you know that they will never be truly, completely happy ever again. Dammit, Joss! < / soliloquy>
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: Because it bears repeating: Dammit, Joss! Do you normally feed off the tears of your fans? Is that just a thing for you? Are you incapable of creating a beloved sub-main character and letting them live a happy, contented life with the person they love? Or just letting them live, period? I love that these two aren’t here to make a point. I love that nobody ever gets up on a soapbox and pontificates about how Zoë is the more physically competent of the two And That’s Okay, and that she’s a black woman in an action show and isn’t fetishized and/or the Sassy Black Woman and/or killed off and/or a Faux Action Girl and is actually competent and really good at her job, and how her race and gender and his role in the relationship aren’t after-school specials or the entirety of their character, they’re just aspects of their characters, and I’m not entirely sure if this sentence makes sense any more. They’re just so comfortable with each other and with their lives (aside from, y’know, the ever-present possibility of a horrible violent death for both of them), and they’re drama-free in the best way possible. I tend to gravitate towards couple like these, a series’ Official Couple who prove that a relationship doesn’t have to be filled with strife and conflict to be interesting, or relatable, or just plain awesome.
- What makes me happy about them: They just…work. It doesn’t get much more As Different as Day and Night than them, but they’re practically perfect in every way. They’re both utterly secure in their love for each other, and thus in their roles in the relationship. And, also, the actors have fantastic chemistry together. To me that one shot in “Our Mrs. Reynolds” (you all know the one) is a pretty perfect description of their relationship: he’s got his arms around her, but she’s got her gun close to hand and, oh my god, the looks on their faces. She looks so perfectly peaceful and content, like she wasn’t leaping out of covered wagons and shooting people in the face just six hours ago, and he has this hopelessly besotted look, like he doesn’t care who knows that he’s the luckiest guy on this or any other world, and they both look like they’re falling asleep a little. The best part is, this isn’t a one-time thing. It’s rarely in the foreground, but they’re always giving each other these “you’re amazing. I love you. Please marry me.”/”We are married, dummy” looks.
- What makes me sad about them: Aside from the obvious (LALALA Big Damn Movie never happened and they’re still flying around having adventures LALALA), Joss apparently said that, had Firefly continued, they would have been the one couple he would never have broken up. *sob* Also, had the series continued, there’s so much more about them that I want to know: what was their wedding like? How did they get together? Was there ever anyone else they considered marrying? Where did they come from?!
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: Zoë being disdainful of Wash, Wash being jealous and bitchy after “War Stories” has taken place. So, basically, OOC-ness. Post-BDM fic can be heart-wrenching, but is often well-done, so I would call this more something that I avoid than something that annoys me.
- Things I look for in fanfic: Zoe to the rescue!, both of them being parents, suitable levels of snark, Wash getting his share of Big Damn Heroes moments, either of them being tempted to cheat but refusing out of hand, people not believing that they’re together and then being proven very, very wrong, and Wash unexpectedly turning into a ball of raging fury when Zoë is hurt (Zoë is only different in that, from her, it’s not at all unexpected). Oh, and Wash being alive, of course, if this even needs saying.
- My kinks: Wash having a serious thing for Zoë being a badass (although they institute a “no live ammo in the bedroom” rule after that one time, which is later supplemented by a “check the chamber for live ammo” amendment), Zoë having a serious thing for Wash’s pilot’s fingers, adrenaline.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Um, maybe Zoë/Jayne, waaaay in the future, but in a kind of Loras/Jaime way where it’s mostly a matter of convenience and mutual lust/stress relief, but I really can’t see Wash with anyone else. He pings me as largely straight, and him/any of the women on Serenity? No. I mean, Wash/Kaylee? No. Wash/Inara? No. Wash/River? Definitely no.
- My happily ever after for them: Wash surviving the movie (along with Book, as long as I’m dreaming), Wash freaks the hell out when he finds out that he’s going to be a father, and the entire crew alternately spoils the baby rotten and teaches him/her various illegal-but-highly-useful life skills.
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: From what we’ve seen, they seem to be about 50/50.
- What is their favorite non-sexual activity: Zoë would say thrillin’ heroics, Wash would say not dying.
Renly/Loras
- When or if I started shipping it: I admit I went in a little pre-spoiled, but for some reason, the lines “I fear Lord Renly has left the city […] he took his leave through a postern gate an hour before dawn, accompanied by Ser Loras Tyrell and some fifty retainers” really got me a-thinkin’, as well as gave rise to what
hamsterwoman has termed my “everyone is happy in Highgarden” AU.- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: In a nebulous “ASOIAF characters get deposited into the modern world” AU that’s been floating around the more remote corners of my brain, one of my favorite scenes is a Navy SEAL or an Army Ranger or one of those super-duper elite solders making the expected “lol ur gay lol fag” comment re: either Renly or Loras, and then cut to a face-on shot of whichever modern world person is in charge of Westerosi relations facepalming and watching a video screen facing away from the audience, from which come the sounds of an ass-kicking in progress. The dialogue runs something like this:
Westerosi relations guy: You said he’s how old?
Navy SEAL/Army Ranger’s CO: Seventeen, sir.
Westerosi relations guy: Jesus.
*sounds of various things breaking, some of them possibly attached to humans, from video screen*
Both wince*
Westerosi relations guy: Were thos teeth?
Renly: (standing behind others): >:D (Is totally not thinking “That’s my baby!”)
- What makes me happy about them: They’re one of the very, very few healthy relationships in Westeros, and of those few, pretty much the only one to end in the less gut-wrenching form of tragedy where there was nothing anyone, including Loras, could have done to save Renly, Renly’s death was swift, and it didn’t turn Loras into a monster and/or drive him nuts. …And that’s ASOIAF, folks, where death via eldritch abomination and lifelong mourning and a faceful of molten lead count as a *happy* ending. But really, they were the knights of summer: they were fun, they were smart, they were ruthless, they were loyal when it suited them, and they were pretty: it all came crashing down, but while it existed, it was nothing short of awesome. I just really like to watch them be simultaneous snarky badasses.
- What makes me sad about them: “When the sun has set, no candle can replace it.” That is all. Also, it’s my headcanon that after Tommen ascended to the throne, Loras didn’t feel quite such a driving need to protect Margaery, and became something of a Death Seeker, so the Great Tyrell Conspiracy took the form it did because Olenna figured that it’s better to get him fake-killed, leaving him free to do something actually useful, than let him go off and get real-killed on his own.
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: This isn’t an annoyance per se, but, like, 85% of Renly/Loras fanfics following the same formula (Loras’ POV; reminiscing on initial crush –> skylarking about during GoT –> “Renly’s going to make the most awesomest king evaaaaar” –> Margaery doesn’t mind being a beard –> “lol Brienne is ugly” –> “Ser Loras, stay and help me pray” –> pre-battle sex [forebodings of doom optional] –> Renly dies –> flash-forward to Loras joining/in the Kingsguard) gets a little old after a while.
- Things I look for in fanfic: healthy relationship dynamics, fangirl!Sansa, secretly!besotted!Renly, not-at-all-secretly!besotted!Loras, clever!Margaery, the Tyrells being the Tyrells, and snark. Lots and lots of snark.
- My kinks: I like two kinds of R/L pr0n: sweaty post-jousting/sparring f*cking or long, sensual, lyrical set pieces replete with imagery, metaphor, and a hint of bittersweetness. There is no middle ground.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Jaime/Loras, but in a frenemies-with-benefits kind of situation where they’re both using each other to work through losing the loves of their lives via lots and lots of sexually-charged sparring followed by aggressive sex in the White Tower. (HEADCANON TIME: I know a lot is made of Loras being OMGSUPERDUPERINLOVEFOREVERANDEVER with Renly, but I think that Renly’s love for Loras was very, very far from the calm, cool, snarky persona he presents to the world. Loras would basically be his first and only experience with unconditional love, since Robert only remembered Renly when he started to look like him and became old enough to drink, and, um, shall we say that unconditional love isn’t really Stannis’ thing. But then along comes someone who not only thinks that Renly is awesome, which Renly would consider nothing less than his due, and thus not all that remarkable], but who genuinely and unshakably loves him, and, to Renly’s unutterable shock, sticks around after fulfilling what Renly was sure was a one-off power fantasy. This, to me, is the big difference between Renly and Robert, who could have otherwise ended up identical in *every* respect: it’s unclear whether Lyanna reciprocated Robert’s feelings, but she died young enough that it didn’t really matter either way, whereas Renly had someone who loved him, but was also [presumably] willing to call him on his shit.) Oh, and I find the idea of Renly/Littlefinger not exactly plausible, but intriguing. Renly would certainly be a much worse person without the Tyrells to keep him honest (figuratively speaking), but he’s not dumb, and I’ve got an inkling that he and Littlefinger would make a hell of a power couple, although it would be all treachery and snark and competitive sex, as both of them having a serious thing for powerful men; there would be very little love actually involved, and Renly would probably end up being a fairly awful person, but, like I said, interesting.
- My happily ever after for them: Like I said, “everyone is happy in Highgarden.” The shadowbaby assassination attempt fails, Renly allies with Robb, steamrolls Stannis, eventually defeats the Lannisters, and becomes king. This is book!Renly, who is a BAMF, not HBO!Renly, who is comically terrified of boobs, so Margaery eventually bears a decent-sized litter of little Baratheons, while Loras, whose job is basically Top Bodyguard, takes it very seriously and guards Renly’s body assiduously. They took Sansa (who used to be a huge Loras fangirl before she married, and eventually even came to love, Willas) and Arya (who married Tommen, went back to the North, and spends all her time keeping the Greyjoys in line with Nymeria) with them before they lit out for Highgarden in the first place, so that even ends well!
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: Renly is the big spoon, duh. I imagine Loras likes being snuggled.
- What is their favorite non-sexual activity: I was going to say sparring, but the way they do it is the exact opposite of “non-sexual activity,” so I guess sit back and watch each other be awesome? We’ve seen that Renly is the president and founding member of the Loras Tyrell Fan Club when it comes to jousting, and I imagine Loras would have the least subtle proud boyfriend smile in the entire world on his face while at some feast, listening to Renly match wits with Littlefinger and the Lannisters.
James/Sirius
- When or if I started shipping it: Not for a good long while. At first I was, y’know, eight, so I didn’t really ship anybody. But even as I grew up, Potterships were never really my bag. But during a read-through in high school, these to kind of leapt out at me. I forget where exactly in canon it was, probably when James is showing off in front o
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: Back when I was in high school, I wrote an epic-length “how they got together” fic for them. It never made it onto paper or online, of course, but I remember thinking that this is some Rowling-worthy shit right here. Specifically, I have a very strong memory of writing (if it can be called that when I’m not writing or typing) the confession scene. There was a willow tree and lots of misdirecting banter and awkward small talk and Dumbledore fanboying (the plot involved something about Sirius being a spy at Grimmaud Place, the Death Eaters finding out about it, Dumbledore coming to the rescue, and James tagging along), and I fell asleep thinking “wow, that was some good stuff! Sure hope I can remember it tomorrow.” And, of course, by the next day, I’d forgotten all of it. XP
- What makes me happy about them: They, too, were the knights of summer. They lived it up while they could and pretty much personified “live fast, die young.” Oh, and also, they’re also everything else I love (not to sound like a broken record. I have a Type, okay?) - a Battle Couple replete with snark and undying loyalty who are friends as well as lovers. I also love just coming up with theories about how they became friends. I mean, their personalities were pretty much identical, but they just came from such different backgrounds: the Potters had been living in the idyllic village of Godric’s Hollow, in (secret) harmony with their Muggle neighbors, for centuries, while the scions of the noble and most ancient house of Black had been waging a secret war in order to remain “pure” for about the same amount of time, and hated everybody, even each other. I imagine James was enchanted (*ba-DUM-tish*) by the chance to actually get into trouble, and Sirius by the chance to get into trouble and only receive comparatively light punishment. I dunno, they just always struck me as a couple that was always happy to be together, and I like couples that are happy to be together.
- What makes me sad about them: Dammit, why do all my OTPs have to end in death and tragedy?! These two are even more Renly and Loras in that Sirius considers James’ death to be his fault, and that we get the aftermath from an outsider’s point of view. And it’s from this outsider’s point of view that the true effect on the reader comes, because all we get are these little glimpses of this fathomless, unimaginable grief. This was a good move on JKR’s part, I think, as an unmitigated angst-fest probably wouldn’t have been as effective.
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: Lily-bashing, Sirius being immature (well, in contrast to James’ OOC high-mindedness. Basically, James was just as much of a jerk as Sirius, and I hate it when fic writers have Sirius act like a child and James is suddenly the mature adult).
- Things I look for in fanfic: pranks/shenanigans/adventures, Remus shipping them (my 'verse has him being in love with Lily himself, and her liking the nice little werewolf nerd much better than his brilliant-but-jerkariffic buddy), them draping all over each other in an ambiguously sexual manner, the Potters being nice.
- My kinks: Magically-aided sex, the Astronomy Tower (that’s still a thing in Potterverse fics, right?), competition, mutual awareness of hotness, James having a thing for Sirius on his motorbike.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Well, James/Lily, of course. I’ve never really seen the draw of Sirius/Remus beyond their similar animal forms, but maybe, like, Sirius/Tonks? Or Sirius/Romilda Vane? She seemed to have been pretty badass.
- My happily ever after for them: My AU where Remus was also in love with Lily, so she ended up with him when she got fed up with James. Sirius is still their Secret-Keeper, though, and doesn’t pass it off to Pettigrew. They are made Harry’s godparents and work as Aurors, where Sirius spends possibly too much time tinkering with Muggle vehicles with Arthur Weasley and James toys with the idea of quitting and playing pro Quidditch after the Wizarding War is over.
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: Sirius is the big spoon, I think, although it takes quite a bit of firewhiskey for James to admit it.
- What is their favorite non-sexual activity: Trolling Death Eaters.
Fingon/Maedhros
- When or if I started shipping it: This fanmix. I was a bit shocked to find any Silmarillion fanmixes at all, as it’s not exactly a high-visibility fandom, so I was going through anything and everything I could find, and this one really got me thinking, and ultimately converted me.
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: For me, these two are all about guilt and redemption. Aside from being the usual sort of star-cross’d lovers that Tolkien seems to favor, they would have had to, of course, address the Fëanor question, as well as that of whether, after the whole Kinslaying incident, either of them was even worthy of a relationship. The fact that one of Manwë’s eagles answered Fingon’s prayer seems to have given a pretty solid answer to that, but they would still have a hell of a lot to work through.
- What makes me happy about them: They were each other’s saving graces. Aside from the fact that Fingon literally saved Maedhros from Thangorodrim, Fingon could have easily taken his brother’s route and shut himself up in a city and stayed there, but he didn’t, and instead chose to go riding around having Adventures.
- What makes me sad about them: The Doom of Mandos pretty much guaranteed that they would end tragically, which ended up being played out perfectly when Fingon died when Maedhros was supposed to be protecting him, and this was the last little push that Maedhros needed to jump right the hell off the sanity cliff. Oh, and their families probably ended up very…Capulet and Montague, if you will, after Fëanor’s treachery led to Turgon’s wife’s death and Certain Fëanorions Who Shall Remain Nameless gleefully perpetuated the reputation that he had built up.
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: *shrug* Eh. The only Tolkien fanfic I read these days is on HASA, so is pretty much guaranteed to be awesome, so nothin’ but love for this fandom. Oh, I’m not too fond of Fingolfin picking up the Unaccountably Mean Elven Dad torch from Thranduil. The guy was the acknowledge greatest High King the elves ever had! I mean, I can’t see him being thrilled that his eldest son and heir insisted on continuing a relationship with the eldest son of the guy who literally invented new and exciting ways to screw them all over, but still, I’m sure he would have been understanding about them.
- Things I look for in fanfic: melancholia, Shipper on Deck Maglor, politics, Back-to-Back Badass moments, post-Thangorodrim H/C, Maedhros freaking out when Fëanor burns the ships (canon, people!).
- My kinks: gift-giving/paying tribute, sneaking around, deceptively mild-mannered Fingon, Handicapped Badass Maedhros.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I guess Fingon may have had a wife, if Gil-Galad really was his son (I subscribe to the other text that says he was Orodreth’s, of course), but I can’t really see Maedhros with anyone else, ever; he’s very much the type to just become a Lone Wolf and mourn his cursed existence until he dies.
- My happily ever after for them: After his death, Maedhros gets into Mandos and is reunited with Fingon, which is honestly just about the happiest ending I can think of for these two that doesn’t involve the whole mess never happening in the first place.
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: Maedhros would have been the big spoon in Valinor (they don’t call him “the Tall” for nothing, y’know), but after the Thangorodrim incident, he would have needed some serious cuddling, and so Fingon, who had already learned to be a source of comfort for grieving loved ones on the Grinding Ice, would have become the big spoon. After a few centuries they start changing it up a little, though.
- What is their favorite non-sexual activity: pre-Kinslaying: skylarking about, hanging out with Oromë, noodling around in the smithy making doodads. Post-Kinslaying: riding border patrols, finding evil to slay.
Apollo/Midnighter
- When or if I started shipping it: They were actually the reason I got into The Authority in the first place. I was typing up this big rant on the lack of queer characters in comics who weren’t villains and/or jokes (because this is the kind of thing I used to write spontaneously ranty essays on in my spare time), and ran across them while I was doing research. I honestly thought that either I had just found a bunch of fanart or, failing that, all the panels I kept running across were taken out of context. But then I actually started reading the series, and, nope, they’re like that all the time. Squeeing commenced.
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: It’s not just that they’re such a strong couple that it literally took re-writing the universe plus mind-control spit (long story) to split them up, but they’re awesome parents. They made damn sure that everyone knew that Jenny may not be related to them biologically, but she’s their daughter nevertheless, and they did their best to give her a healthy, if not exactly normal, childhood. They made sure she knew was loved and protected, and she grew up with a remarkably clean bill of mental health, and clearly idolized them both. Oh, and in my personal headcanon, they delight in making up ridiculous pet names for one another. They’re canonically very, er, openly affectionate, but I imagine that they would get a kick out of Midnighter, six feet and some change of black leather who can commit a war crime merely by addressing someone, calling Apollo, 300+ lbs of literal god incarnate “Sunshine” or “babe.” Apollo’s nicknames for Midnighter run along the lines of “baby” or “honey.” When Jenny comes along, she gets her own set of nicknames, of course. Apollo gleefully humiliates her by calling her “Pumpkin” in front of her omgsuperdupergrownup friends, and Midnighter, oddly enough, has a set of ultra-girly nicknames for her, like “Princess” or “girly-girl” (and that last one is canon, no less).
- What makes me happy about them: I firmly subscribe to the headcanon going around that Midnighter finally defeated the evil computer in its head when it told him to kill Apollo, and he refused point-blank, and won the ensuing contest of wills. Some terrible writers got ahold of them in the later years (seriously, Human on the Inside till actually makes me angry. Say it with me, people: domestic abuse is not comedy), but early on, they were my favorite type of Battle Couple: they had each other’s back whether in battle or out, communicated well, and had Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathons together.
- What makes me sad about them: Hey, remember back when they were married? And they had a daughter? And were great parents? And had mysterious backstories that might never be fully explained, and they were okay with that? And everything was awesome? Apparently, neither does DC.
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: weepy!querulous!Apollo, “I am not a lover. I am not a father. I am not a friend”!Midnighter (Linkara interlude [because Midnighter’s solo series definitely deserves sporking]: “Yes you are! You are precisely all of these three things! These three things neatly summarize your character outside of your ability to punch things! Gaaaah!”).
- Things I look for in fanfic: Them being sweet and silly together, domestic fluff on the Carrier, Angie and Apollo being BFFs, neat team dynamics.
- My kinks: Superpowered sex, of course, and heat/light and fighting the computer.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Um, nobody. This is one of my few OTPs where they pretty much wouldn’t be alive if they weren’t with each other. Midnighter would be a villain, certainly, and it’s doubtful whether Apollo would have survived their initial mission.
- My happily ever after for them: Their universe, the Wildstorm universe, reasserts itself, and they take Jenny and their friends, and go back to the Carrier and resume their peace-keeping (although less heavily politicized) duties from there. Jenny throws in with a few other preteen/teen heroes from various dimensions, maybe develops an ill-advised crush or two. Midnighter enjoys terrifying her prospective boyfriends/girlfriends, and Apollo is serene about the whole thing.
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: Depends on how the computer’s acting. If it’s fairly docile, or Midnighter wants to piss it off, Apollo is the big spoon, and then it starts shrieking at Midnighter all the ways he (Apollo) could kill him (Midnighter). If he feels like there’s a chance of him losing control, though, Midnighter becomes the big spoon to placate the computer.
- What is their favorite non-sexual activity: Defending Earth from extraterrestrial invasion, having conversation made up entirely of Joss Whedon quotes.
Charles/Erik (Professor X/Magneto)
- When or if I started shipping it: X-Men: First Class. I haven’t read enough of the comics to get to their apparently legendary couplehood there, and Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen were all about the grave, restrained dignity, but gaaaaah, by the time XMFC rolled around, I couldn’t really not ship them, not when they were entwining their minds and honest-to-Darwin holding hands.
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: These guys are my ultimate Tragic Couple, because it actually was both of their faults that things ended up the way they did, instead of purely a third party and/or a cruel twist of Fate. Charles’ unthinking arrogance and Erik’s, well, psychopathy crossed in exactly the wrong way, and we all know the result. But man, while they were together, they were something great. Like, Erik has probably never had a friend before, let alone a lover, so someone clearly being crazy about him and, more importantly, not pitying him/trying to control him would be something new, and he would take some time to get adjusted to, but once he did, he would have had to face that, again for the first time in his life, he was actually considering what he was going to do with his life after Shaw’s inevitable death. And Charles would just be elated that he’s found someone who can operate on his level and that he doesn’t have to worry about taking care of. One thing that I wish had come across from the comics better is that Erik is just as much a genius as Charles is, albeit in a different way, and this was a huge aspect of the fascination Erik holds for him.
- What makes me happy about them: What they could have been. Seriously, they could have done something incredibly constructive together. Like I said, they’re both geniuses, so I just like to watch them spark ideas off each other. It would be exhilarating for Charles to find a mind so close to his own level, and one that doesn't fear him, too. And if it’s wrapped up in a long, lean, square-jawed, green-eyed package, so much the better. And Erik initially has no idea what to do with the spoiled academic who clearly has no idea how the world really works but keeps spewing idea(l)s re: peace and harmony and discovering a new race together and yadda yadda yadda, but he eventually comes to see that Charles is smart and devious and not at all above fighting dirty in order to win, and falls just a little bit in love. Which becomes a lot in love as things progress, and they both realize they’re working with an equal (as dearly as I love Raven, advanced genetic theory really isn’t her thing), with someone they don't have to hide things from, for the first time in their lives.
- What makes me sad about them: *sigh* The usual. You know, their all-too-brief (b)romance being cut short by cruel fate, but this time, unlike Loras and Sirius, it actually was explicitly Erik’s fault. Like, Charles could be kind of insensitive and dumb sometimes, and certainly picked the wrong moment to forget that the Nuremberg Defense probably shouldn’t be used in an argument against a deeply unstable Holocaust survivor, but dammit, Erik! I know you guys had just broken up and everything, but your only friend has just been shot in the back (good job on that, btw) and is now lying stranded on a beach 1,300 miles away from his home with two entire navies pointing every piece of ordnance they have at him. You don't think it would be too much to offer him a lift to a hospital? No? Okay, then, please proceed with your previously-scheduled lunacy.
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: A/B/O dynamics and mpreg are a huge thing in this fandom, but they’re kind of anti-kinks for me. So, mostly that.
- Things I look for in fanfic: Era-appropriate homophobia, Erik being gobsmacked, Charles being smug and flirty and fascinated by everything (especially Erik), people underestimating Charles (especially post-wheelchair), Hank being an adorkable awkward eager puppy, Raven being a BAMF (in fact, BAMFery all around), SCIENCE!, and both of them being Team Dads.
- My kinks: Telepathy/mind-melding during sex, metal-bending during and/or as a result of sex, Charles being kind of a slut, both of them being protective/devoted (especially Erik again), H/C, and Erik learning to not be so emotionally constipated.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Eh. Erik’s wife Magda apparently doesn’t exist in the movieverse, Moira is no longer another geneticist, and Erik/Raven would always have to contend with the specter of Charles. This is part of the big tragedy, at least for me: if not each other, then they really can’t be with anyone, and have to grow old alone.
- My happily ever after for them: OK, I’ve got this all worked out: Shaw’s death sends Charles into some sort of seizure, and Erik is freaked out/guilty about this enough to have him leave off threatening navies and crucifying Shaw, and he gets Azazel to teleport them back to somewhere with a hospital. By the time Charles wakes up (still able to feel his legs, as long as this is a happily-ever-after), both he and Erik have calmed down to the point where they can talk rationally about what’s happened and what’s likely to happen. Now that Shaw is dead, Erik transfers that scary-intense focus from his personal vendetta to Charles and mutant rights, and they run the school together and, of course, live happily (although interestingly, in the Discworldian sense) ever after.
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: Once they actually, literally start sleeping together, instead of retiring to their separate rooms after having sex in the library, Erik is the big spoon most of the time.
- What is their favorite non-sexual activity: Chess and mutant rights activism. (This one was too easy!)
Billy/Teddy (Wiccan/Hulkling)
- When or if I started shipping it: Pretty much from the get-go. They don’t make it blatantly obvious that they’re a couple at the very beginning, but they don’t exactly try to hide it, either. Even from there, it’s kept mostly low-key until the whole Skrull-Kree mess, which is the first time we see Billy go postal. As we’ve seen many, many times since, the best way to be reminded that you’re dealing with the grandson of Magneto here is to point a weapon of any kind at Teddy.
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: These two are my go-to pick-me-up OTP. They were both in not-particularly-good places, mentally speaking, when they met, but they were exactly what the other needed at the time, as their reaction to each other’s powers was probably more along the lines of “OMG THAT WAS AWESOME!!! Do it again! Captain Marvel once did the exact same thing, only he [insert lengthy fanboy diatribe here]” than shrieking and running away, or worse, calling names like any of the variety of unpleasant words beginning with F that had been applied to either of them in the past. And then they went on to save the world several times, along with their nakama. I probably don’t need to say all the other stuff, about them being a Battle Couple and prone to H/C and friends as well as lovers, since that has turned up in pretty much every pairing on here. Oh, and to top it off, they’re canon! They only got an onscreen kiss this year, but they’ve never made a secret of the fact that they’re a couple, and they’ve never been split up by/for pointless drama or wangst.
- What makes me happy about them: They’re so…sensible! Believe me, after a whole day of dealing with superheroes, a little common sense is much, much appreciated. Like, they actually talk about their problems while they’re still small and manageable. They don’t jump to conclusions about each other. They support each other. Actually, I think Billy puts it best, although this applies to both of them: “You are without a doubt the best boyfriend in the world. You’re kind. You’re generous. You threaten to maim people for me.” Of course, this should also add “You geek out with me. You don’t think I’m crazy and/or dangerous. You put up with my family, even when they’re trying to kill us.”
- What makes me sad about them: For once, nothing, really. I know, shocker.
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: Either of them shapeshifting into Tommy, because no, and Billy being querulous (unless it’s immediately post-Civil War, in which case a little querulousness is entirely justified).
- Things I look for in fanfic: The team being teamy, Captain America giving his stamp of approval, beatdowns being doled out to bigots, Billy being spaztastic, Teddy being slow-to-anger-slow-to-forgive, Skrull politics, Kaplan family awesomeness.
- My kinks: Powers in bed, of course, as well as alien biology and (un-shifted) size/strength difference.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Nope, sorry, this one is ironclad. I mean, it’s cute as hell that Teddy used to have a crush on Spider-Man, and Billy on the Human Torch and possibly Cap, but I really can’t see them with anyone else.
- My happily ever after for them: Um, canon, pretty much? Only with Cassie and Jonas still alive. But, oddly enough for one of my OTPs, things are looking pretty good for them right now. They’re engaged, they’ve finally been instated as full-fledged Avengers, the various crazies they’re related to have been dealt with for the moment, and things are just generally going well. Of course, this is Marvel, so we’ll see how long that lasts…
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: Teddy is the big spoon, much to Tommy’s hilarity.
- What is their favorite non-sexual activity: Geeking out. I imagine it’s not so much a thing now that they’re actual Avengers, but I imagine, back in the early days, they exchanged a lot of texts that looked something like “OMG SPIDERMAN IS TALKING TO ME HE KNOWS MY NAME WHAT DO I DO?!?!?!111” And even now, every so often, they just exchange looks like “Yup, this is totally our life. Eatin’ sandwiches with Captain America and Iron Man. That’s how we roll in the Avengers. Of which we are members.”
Laurence/Granby
- When or if I started shipping it: Somewhere around Black Powder War, I think; certainly no later than their first meeting in Victory of Eagles.
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: They’re friends, fellow captains, and brother-officers first and foremost. Laurence initially annoyed Granby by being all “WE WILL BE TOGETHER UNTIL THE END OF TIME I SHALL PROTECT THEE O FAIR DAMSEL,” but while he’s thankfully stopped trying to be chivalrous, Granby has found himself much more seriously attached than he ever thought he would be, and they have a solid relationship. Their dragons ship them to hell and back.
- What makes me happy about them: I love few things better than a Battle Couple, and these two deliver everything I love about Battle Couples in spades. I love that they have more to talk about than “OMG ILU!” “OMG ILU2!”, and that they have a sort of Tarzan/Jane relationship where they weird each other out initially but then act as guides to their two very different worlds. Oh, and they’re funny. Scandalized!Laurence never, ever gets old, nor does Cataclysmically Danger-Prone Granby (H/C FTW!), but they just have a very fun, bickery relationship, and oh how I wish there was more of a fic-writing community for this fandom, because there are no words for how much I want to see Granby getting introduced around polite society, and Laurence being in agony the entire time, and always whispering instructions in his ear until Granby gets fed up and, basically, goes “OMG LAURENCE, I GET IT! I promise not to throw you to the floor in the middle of your parents’ dining room, eat with my fingers, or advocate the violent overthrow of the Government via our mighty armada of dragons, okay?!” (…which does indeed lead to some Laurence-floor contact later, but in a much different context.)
- What makes me sad about them: That Laurence, who values respectability and honor so much, will, at one point, have to do some serious soul-searching with regards to how much he loves Granby vs. how much he values his good name (as much of it as remains, anyway). And, of course, they can never openly be together; the closest they can come is a sort of Don't Ask, Don't Tell thing. Also, as far as my personal headcanon goes, it makes Granby really angry that Laurence is so afraid of being caught with him. This is a complicated issue: first, he thinks he’s just mad at Laurence for being ashamed of him and valuing his damned honor so much. But then he realizes he’s mad at the world outside the covert, the world of the Navy, the world that makes Laurence’s fears perfectly reasonable. And then Laurence gets mad right back at Granby, for being privileged enough to come from a subset of society where he wasn’t raised to consider these things as shameful or needing to be hidden and being too damned kiss-my-hand blithe about it. OK, so they don’t exactly get mad *at* one another, but that’s about what it works out to.
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: You mean the, like, six fanfics there are for them out there? XP It would be easy to fall into the FreeSpirit!Granby/StuffedShirt!Laurence trap, so I’m glad there’s none of that.
- Things I look for in fanfic: H/C, as always. Srsly, Granby!whump is pure gold, especially if Laurence gets to be all protective and/or go on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge, a lá Jack Aubrey, afterwards. Established relationships are nice, as is the entire covert knowing about it, and Laurence being absolutely horrified to find out that they know. Um, either of them being possessive, dragons giving The Boyfriend Talk/casually discussing their captain’s relationship, Iskierka being Iskierka. Also, and I know this is never, ever going to happen: time travel/memory loss. Like, soap opera memory loss. HMD-era Laurence travelling forward to post-VoE but pre-ToS and being all “I did
- My kinks: RAAARRR!Laurence, experienced!Granby, being pinned to/slammed against things/surfaces, cuddling, waking up together.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I’m increasingly okay with G/L/T, but I could see straight-up Laurence/Tharkay if he and Granby decide to stay Just Friends, and either casual Granby/Little or intense Granby/Pullings if Laurence can’t be swayed away from the ladies.
- My happily ever after for them: Laurence gets fully reinstated in the Corps, Temeraire and Iskierka are integrated into the same wing, and they fly around the world (but mostly various parts of England) having adventures. Lady Allendale knows all, of course. Once she’s assured that Granby is the better sort of sodomite that doesn’t have any diseases, isn’t effete/a coward/both, won’t blackmail anyone, and (most importantly) sincerely loves her son, they get along pretty well. Oh, and I have waaaaay too much Granby family headcanon, but let’s just say that their general attitude towards John is to sort of shrug helplessly, hug him, and hope he doesn’t get killed, so the additional information that he’s now seriously involved with that crazy guy who was in all the newspapers doesn't change much.
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: Granby is the big spoon, but it took Laurence some time to get used to this. Sometimes Laurence allowed to be the big spoon, if it’s post-Granby!whump.
- What is their favorite non-sexual activity: Um, aside from flying around on their dragons and saving the world from Bonaparte? Just sitting and being quiet in the evenings, talking with the other aviators while Granby draws and Laurence reads.
Horatio/Archie
- When or if I started shipping it: I was kind of side-eyeing it through the first episode, but then “The Duchess and the Devil” happened, and I’m honestly unsure how to interpret some of those scenes outside of a shippy context. I mean, Horatio, I know that you’re glad to see your friend again, and it’s real nice of you to comfort him when he’s having a seizure, but is stroking the vee of skin left bare by his open shirt while you cradle him in your arms really necessary? And Archie, dear, could you try to look a little less twitterpated when Horatio says he needs you? And maybe don’t lick your lips when you realize that you’re going to be locked in a small room alone with him for the foreseeable future?
- My (exceedingly random) thoughts: *shakes fist at Tragic First Lieutenant Curse* (well, more like Tragic Fourth Lieutenant Curse, but w/e). Also, VelveteenThestral’ Home is the Sailor eries is totally what happened after Retribution, complete with Dr. Maturin cameo. Archie goes on to get into politics and be a BAMF spy, Wellard (who Stephen also magically brought back from the dead) joins him as his faithful and secretly-in-love secretary Mr. Scarlett, and Archie and Horatio buy adjoining townhouses for appearance’s sake, but only one of them ever gets used. Oh, and what with both of them having positions to maintain and all, they write to each other separately under their own names (as friends/political allies), female pseudonyms (as lovers/spouses), and codenames (as intelligence agents): Archie is Amelia or Ganymede or Apollo, and Horatio is Olivia (because Archie just couldn’t resist the Shakespeare) or Naiad or later Jove (Admiral Pellew was Jove until he retired), or, privately, Honeybee, which Horatio pretends to find insupportably sappy, but (not-so-)secretly d’awwws at. Finally, there’ this, which describes my feelings re: sexuality perfectly: Horatio is demisexual but panromantic (capable of strong romantic feelings towards pretty much any gender, but only mildly/rarely actually wants to have sex with anyone), whereas Archie is bisexual (leaning more towards dudes), but has a pretty strong history of really, really bad associations with sexuality in general, so they’re pretty much perfect for each other in this regard. They share an extremely strong romantic bond and are able to fulfill each other’s not-insignificant emotional needs, but neither is likely to push for more than the other is comfortable with, sexually speaking – Horatio is just as happy with non-sexual physical contact (the above discussion gives the example of a backrub) or even just talking, allowing Archie to set the pace to something still within his comfort zone.
- What makes me happy about them: They bring out the best in each other – without Archie, Horatio would be a hard-hearted bastard who lives a cold, joyless, self-loathing life with sustained bouts of unholy glee/bloodthirstiness, and without Horatio, Archie forgets how to be brave.
- What makes me sad about them: *points to remarks re: Tragi
- Things done in fanfic that annoys me: Archie being a manipulative bitch, Horatio being unable to overcome his book!self’s cold nature and treating Archie like crap, Pellew being an antagonist.
- Things I look for in fanfic: Well, everything by VelveteenThestral, as mentioned above. Infatuation, comrades-in-arms, sweetness, banter, Live Kennedy Universe, back-to-back badasses, and cuddling. I even like her OC’s, and I’m usually very *eyebrow* with regards to OCs.
- My kinks: H/C 4EVA! Also, Archie being smug, Horatio being *guh*, protectiveness/claiming, and noise suppression/danger of being caught. Oh, and schmoop/cuddling. All the cuddling! See above re: demisexuality vs. panromanticism.
- Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Horatio with either Lady Barbara (who I haven’t technically met, but who is, by all reports, pretty neat) or being pined after by Bush, and Archie either having a casual thing with Edrington or eventually getting with Wellard (although I do see him as more of a mentor to Wellard than anything else, and mentor!ships aren’t really my bag).
- My happily ever after for them: For the third time, I refer you to VelveteenThestral for how the Hornblowerverse totally ended up.
- Who is the big spoon/little spoon: Horatio was the little spoon most of the time when they sailed together, but after Archie’s near-fatal injury, he tends to be the big spoon more often.
- hat is their favorite non-sexual activity: Pre-Retribution: roistering, outfitting/manning their dream ships. Post-Retribution: skullduggery and going to the theater.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2012-09-25 05:14 am (UTC)like he doesn’t care who knows that he’s the luckiest guy on this or any other world
but they’re always giving each other these “you’re amazing. I love you. Please marry me.”/”We are married, dummy” looks.
Also:
Um, maybe Zoë/Jayne, waaaay in the future, but in a kind of Loras/Jaime way where it’s mostly a matter of convenience and mutual lust/stress relief
Heh. But yeah, I know what you mean. (And I also can't see Wash with anyone else.)
Zoë would say thrillin’ heroics, Wash would say not dying
LOL, but also aww!
and a faceful of molten lead count as a *happy* ending
STILL PRETTY, dammit! :/
so the Great Tyrell Conspiracy took the form it did because Olenna figured that it’s better to get him fake-killed, leaving him free to do something actually useful, than let him go off and get real-killed on his own
This is pretty much in line with my own vague handwavy explanation behind the STILL PRETTY sentiment.
Loras would have the least subtle proud boyfriend smile in the entire world on his face while at some feast, listening to Renly match wits with Littlefinger and the Lannisters
Haha, yes he would.
And, of course, you already know I agree with you wholeheartedly on the "Everybody is happy in Highgarden" AU and Jaime/Loras. Hadn't thought of Renly/Littlefinger (Renly/Oberyn is what I've seen around), but that would certainly be interesting, too!
They, too, were the knights of summer
Aww, Marauders :(
What is their favorite non-sexual activity: Trolling Death Eaters.
Heh!
I have no thoughts on Fingon/Maedhros per se (I basically cannot ship anything in the Sil except Feanor/his precious, precious shinies), but I LOL'd at "Fingolfin picking up the Unaccountably Mean Elven Dad torch from Thranduil"
certainly picked the wrong moment to forget that the Nuremberg Defense probably shouldn’t be used in an argument against a deeply unstable Holocaust survivor, but dammit, Erik! I know you guys had just broken up and everything, but your only friend has just been shot in the back (good job on that, btw) and is now lying stranded on a beach 1,300 miles away from his home with two entire navies pointing every piece of ordnance they have at him
Ahaha, I love your summary of the beach scene XD Not the finest moment for either of them, honestly XD
What is it with A/B/O fic taking over fandom, anyway? It keeps cropping up (in mentions, I haven't actually read any fic because I'm still at the WHYYYY stage), and I just utterly fail to see the appeal, especially in universes that have plenty of interesting worldbuilding on their own...
Granby getting introduced around polite society, and Laurence being in agony the entire time, and always whispering instructions in his ear until Granby gets fed up and, basically, goes “OMG LAURENCE, I GET IT! I promise not to throw you to the floor in the middle of your parents’ dining room, eat with my fingers, or advocate the violent overthrow of the Government via our mighty armada of dragons, okay?!”
Priceless mental image XD And, yeah, I'd love to see that (among other scenarios) as well.
RAAARRR!Laurence
RAARR!Laurence is totally a kink of mine pretty much regardless of circumstances.
This is why I can see my way to kinda sorta shipping Laurence/Rankin with horrifying ease...no subject
Date: 2012-09-25 11:00 pm (UTC)*Zoë fan fistbump* This is the problem with Firefly: I keep wanting to declare her my favorite female character, or just my favorite character in general (she is a very stealthy favorite, isn't she?) but then I start thinking about all the other awesome characters, and I really can't pick just one, as it keeps changing minute-to-minute. But in writing this, Zoë definitely became my current favorite!
This is pretty much in line with my own vague handwavy explanation behind the STILL PRETTY sentiment.
Heh, leave it to Olenna to figure out a way to stop him from going kamikaze *and* keeping him Ser Still Pretty.
(Renly/Oberyn is what I've seen around)
Ah, I've seen a bit of that. I remember one extremely well-written fic where Loras was still Renly's squire and they went to Dorne to see if Renly would marry Arianne. All I remember is Renly and Oberyn hooked up briefly, while Loras sulked about said hooking-up and the spicy food. Renly/Littlefinger, though, is almost compeltely meta - there might be, like, one ficlet out there, but I think someone just suggested a "wouldn't it be interesting if..." kind of scenario.
(I basically cannot ship anything in the Sil except Feanor/his precious, precious shinies)
Fëanor/Silmarils OTP! XD
"Fingolfin picking up the Unaccountably Mean Elven Dad torch from Thranduil"
I don't read much LotR fic these days, so I don't know if it's done anymore, but I remember it was, like *the* thing shortly after the movies came out to portray Thranduil as emotionally and/or physically and/or sexually abusive towards Legolas, which always made me grit my teeth. And now apparently Fingolfin has picked up on it...
What is it with A/B/O fic taking over fandom, anyway?
I really, really don't know. I'm also still stuck at the WHYYYY stage. I mean, everybody has their kinks and all, but, just, why? Like, it's not enough that they're already mutants/wizards/space pirates/what-have-you? I also personally find it kind of squicky/dub-con-y (and not in the fun way, either), so, yeah, not my favorite trope.
RAARR!Laurence is totally a kink of mine pretty much regardless of circumstances.
RAARR!Laurence is one of my favorite things about Temeraire, period. This (http://iamthespacecadet.tumblr.com/image/20675482868), for your viewing pleasure, is the best depiction of RAARR!Laurence, as well as proper!Laurence and "IT'S ALL MY FAULT"!Laurence that I've seen, and my headcanon for his various different expressions.
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Date: 2012-09-27 06:25 am (UTC)Renly and Oberyn hooked up briefly, while Loras sulked about said hooking-up and the spicy food
"Renly's Little Rose" by
it was, like *the* thing shortly after the movies came out to portray Thranduil as emotionally and/or physically and/or sexually abusive towards Legolas, which always made me grit my teeth.
I've read some of the sporkings of fics like that, yeah. I mean, Thranduil is kind of a jerk in The Hobbit, to Dwarves in particular, so if one is writing a Legolas/Gimli fic, I guess he's a logical emotional antagonist, but it's a far cry from that to abusing Legolas...
I also personally find it kind of squicky/dub-con-y (and not in the fun way, either),
I just recently finished a book that dealt with the dub-con aspects of mating frenzies (the premise being soulbonded wolves, basically), which was dealt with in interesting in well thought-out ways, complete with the problematic bits. But I'm guessing A/B/O fic is generally not like that...
for your viewing pleasure
Ahaha that's wonderful -- thank you for the link! I especially love the "please direct me to where I can hang myself" Laurence XD
P.S. I might have to steal this meme, if I can think of enough ships I care about to a sufficient degree...
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Date: 2012-09-28 04:56 am (UTC)Many, many of them are eminently sporkable, it's true. It's kind of hilarious how many of them spin his hot temper and racism (speciesism?) out into "Raaaar I'm evil! Pity my poor virtuous gorgeous woobie son!" XD
a book that dealt with the dub-con aspects of mating frenzies (the premise being soulbonded wolves, basically), which was dealt with in interesting in well thought-out ways
Ah, is this that Elizabeth Bear one about the Viking-equivalents you mentioned awhile ago? I seem to recall something about warts-and-all A/B/O dynamics there...
I especially love the "please direct me to where I can hang myself" Laurence XD
It's my headcanon that this is a page out of Granby's sketchbook, and he doodled the "please direct me to where I can hang myself" while Laurence is off on one of his usual "it is Right and Noble that I be publically reviled and then killed for averting genocide" bents.
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Date: 2012-09-28 06:17 am (UTC)Wow, good memory! Yep, that's the series -- I just recently finished the sequel to the first book, which dealt a lot less with those particular dynamics, but they're very much central to the worldbuildin as a whole.
It's my headcanon that this is a page out of Granby's sketchbook
Headcanon accepted! XD That's brilliant, actually :D
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Date: 2012-09-29 07:14 am (UTC)Neat! I remember mentally putting the first one (A Companion to Wolves?) on my To-Read list, since I really would like to read some well-written A/B/O that doesn't want me to find a nice convenient wall to bang my head against until all the stupid comes out, but what with one thing and another, pretty much my entire To-Read list is on hold until I work through some of my current backlog. One of these days, though...
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Date: 2012-09-29 06:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-30 07:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-01 06:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-01 11:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-01 11:36 pm (UTC)