A Minor Variation

That pairing meme, stolen from annwyd and a few others.


Name six ships you like:
01. Squall/Rinoa (FFVIII)
02. Sorata/Arashi (X/1999)
03. Mwu/Murrue (Gundam SEED)
04. Sango/Miroku (Inuyasha)
05. Rogue/Gambit (X-Men)
06. Kyouya/Tamaki/Haruhi (Ouran High School Host Club)

Three ships you used to like, but don't anymore:
07, 08, 09. You know, I really don't seem to do this, somehow. I tried to think about pairings I'd liked and stopped liking, but even in the case of fandoms I've lost interest in, I tend to still like the ships I liked... I just don't think about them so much any more. It may be because most of the pairings I really like are confirmed canon. So I will have to skip the questions about these, I'm afraid.

Three ships in your various fandoms that you don't ship:
10. Squall/Laguna (FFVIII)
11. Squall/Seifer (FFVIII)
12. Aya/Omi (Weiss Kreuz)

Two ships you are curious about but haven't actually started shipping:
13. Curio/Francisco (Romeo x Juliet)
14. Youko/Keiki (The Twelve Kingdoms)

1) Why do you dislike #11 so much? (Squall/Seifer)
My big problem with the ship is that I just don't see any reason that Squall would voluntarily participate in a romantic or sexual relationship with Seifer. It doesn't have to do with gender preferences, because Squall is so screwed up that I can't imagine gender matters that much to him... but in my understanding of both characters, their dynamic will always be characterized by a certain amount of conflict, and there will always be baggage from their interaction before and during the game. Squall is hyperconscious of his vulnerabilities and finds it extremely difficult to make himself vulnerable to other people, and I think that while he has, or can develop, a degree of trust in Seifer, it will always have limits and careful boundaries.

That means that, while he and Seifer will always be important to one another, Squall is never going to be able to have a romantic or a sexual relationship with Seifer because he will always be at least a little on guard around him, and his characterization in the game demonstrates that Squall has an all-or-nothing approach to relationships that would not allow him to accept a relationship in which he had to stay on guard. This is especially true in terms of a sexual relationship; even Rinoa, for whom Squall would cut his own throat without flinching if only she asked, has probably got her work cut out for her in that regard.

2) Who is someone you know that ships #13? (Curio/Francisco)
Nobody, because as of yet it is a total "they look pretty" crackship. We're only two episodes in, and Curio doesn't even have a personality yet; I'm still waiting to find out whether or not the series will provide any basis for it whatsoever. But, as with Francisco in general, I am willing to be persuaded, if only because thus far RxJ just seems like that kind of show, what with everyone already being gay for Juliet and all. Curio and Francisco are apparently childhood friends or something, and Francisco seems pretty neat, and I doubt I'm going to be able to take any shipping in this series very seriously, so... give me an excuse, Gonzo, and I am there.

3) What would be your ideal scenario for couple #3 (even if the show isn't on the air anymore)? (Mwu/Murrue)
Ha, all of my ideal scenarious for them are pretty much canon anyhow. <3 My answer for this one is kind of cheating, in that it relates more to potential RP on TIG than to a number one canon scenario I'd want to see... but the canon was so perfect that I really can't think of anything to add there. I would, however, love to get a chance to have Murrue get a chance to pull Mwu's own self-sacrifical stunt on him - and use his own catchphrase on him while she's at it - because I am evil. And she so would.

4) Which is your favorite moment for #1? Try to pick just one. (Squall/Rinoa)
Just one? Uh. I would have to pick the concert scene at Fisherman's Horizon, particularly the version of the dialogue that you get if you choose the irish jig for the music... because in that conversation Squall really for the first time reveals the extent of his damage, just how broken he really is, and there's this fragile but really beautiful connection that the two of them make when Rinoa gets it, and says things that nobody else has thought to say up to that point, and offers him the unconditional affection that he wants so desperately. It's a major turning point of their relationship, even if Squall is too much of a pessimist and an emotional retard to respond until later when she's in a coma.

5) How long have you been following couple #6? (Kyouya/Tamaki/Haruhi)
I was won over by Tamaki's crush on Haruhi early on; I didn't start contemplating the idea of Kyouya having a personal interest in Tamaki - and possibly also Haruhi but choosing to support Tamaki's efforts instead of pursuing her himself - until somewhere around the Newspaper Club episode and Kyouya's Horrible No Good Very Bad Day At The Mall. I really got behind it during the school festival chapter of the manga, in which not only did Tamaki and Haruhi have a moment of beautiful connection, but it also became a little more apparent how much effort Kyouya exerts on Tamaki's behalf for no immediately visible benefit to himself. It's all so complicated and messy and cute and hilarious and I dig it.

6) What's the story with #8? What made you stop liking them/caring?
Skipped.

7) Which ship do you prefer--#2 or #4? (Miroku/Sango or Sorata/Arashi)
I find this question terribly funny because the pairings are so similar. but I choose Sango/Miroku; I relate to Sango better than I do Arashi, and I adore Miroku to no end for being outwardly such a flat-out failure at being a monk thanks to his lechery and his appreciation of comfort and his temper and his great skill at lying, cheating and stealing... who, despite all of that, has a genuinely priestly core of deep spirituality and maturity... and who would, despite the fact that practically his whole life has been about the goal of defeating Naraku and ending the curse on his family line, unhesitatingly destroy himself just to make things a little easier on Sango or allow her to live for a few minutes longer. The relationship grows into place so gradually and seamlessly, and it's so good for both of them but still pretty messed-up in some ways, and they have such a fantastic partnership with so many different facets to their dynamic. There's a bit in the opening of the second movie where, during combat, Miroku simply calls Sango's name, and without any more communication than that she knows exactly what his intentions are and acts in sync with them. I love that so much, and there are a billion other little moments I could mention too.

With Sorata/Arashi, I'm just not as familiar with the story as a whole, having only seen the TV series and not read the manga. So I don't fangirl them as completely, although I greatly appreciate their dynamic. Also, X/1999 is a darker series, and dark isn't really my thing.

8) You have the power to make one ship non existent. Choose from #10 or #12. (Squall/Laguna or Aya/Omi)
Squall/Laguna, definitely. Aya/Omi is a ship that I'm just profoundly "..." about, because there are so many things about the canon that stand in opposition to the 'ship that I'm not sure why it would ever even occur to anyone in the first place. Omi is underage. Aya has no sex drive whatsoever, and that is practically an explicit canon fact. Omi prefers his dead cousin girls. They're members of a team that's already too fucked-up to risk further unbalancing it by bringing sex into the dynamic, and they're both smart enough to know that. They both hate what they do so much that I can't imagine they'd be comfortable in a relationship with someone who does the same thing; by Fight Fire With Fire, Omi is telling Aya that he wants Aya to lead Weiss because he knows that, if he himself starts going wrong, Aya will kill him. And beyond even that, you cannot ship in Weiss. You just can't. It can only end in tragedy. So for me, the pairing is just really not there at all.

Squall/Laguna, on the other hand, actively ticks me off, mostly because of the fandom. Never mind that it's father/son incest and therefore automatically a bit squicky even if the characters never had a familial relationship - never mind that Squall is obsessively devoted to Rinoa by the time he and Laguna actually meet, never mind that by the end of the game Laguna is still clearly deeply in love with Raine - never mind that they only interact face-to-face about two times in the game and Squall is typically monosyllabic and >:| >:| >:| - from what we see in the game, Squall really doesn't like Laguna very much, and, what's more, he doesn't respect him very much. While there's room for a relationship to build, we already know what a tough nut Squall is to crack. It's going to take a lot of work for them to connect at all.

9) What interests you about #14?
Mostly Keiki's side of it, admittedly, and the utter lack of canon basis for it is what keeps it on the level of something I'm interested in but don't actually ship. From Keiki's side, however, it's pretty awesome for a variety of reasons, starting with Keiki himself: kirin, holy beast, creature of mercy, with a stick so far up his ass that he has difficulty bending at the waist. The kirin of Twelve Kingdoms in general entertain me greatly; they're like what Mercedes Lackey's Companions would be if they were less idealized and more realistic.

Add to this the layer of complexity which comes from the fact that Keiki's previous chosen queen decided she was in love with him and went homicidally insane.

Keiki has Issues.

So the dynamic between him and Youko becomes really interesting, and I'll admit that it hits my kink about the guy being the more submissive one in the relationship.

Not gonna happen in canon, but I still like to imagine Keiki going silently and stoically . o O ( <3 ) at Youko throughout their interaction.

10) When did you stop liking #7?
Skipped.

11) Did your waning interest in #9 kill your interest in the show?
Skipped.

12) What's a song that reminds you of #5?
The Eagles, "Best of My Love," which really seems to encapsulate how, at the end of the day, Rogue and Remy aren't necessarily all that good for one another but can never be happy settling for anything else; how even when they're on the outs and can't seem to make it work, they still love one another through and around all the damage, and are trying to give the best that they've got.

13) Which of these ships do you love the most?
Oooooh, tough decision. I think I'll have to say Squall/Rinoa, but Mwu/Murrue is very close behind.

14) Which do you dislike the most?
Squall/Laguna, although Seifer/Squall is a close second for the obnoxiousness of the fandom.

15) If you could have any of these two pairings double date, who would it be? (even better if they're from different shows)
Miroku/Sango and Sorata/Arashi. Miroku and Sorata would be like long-lost brothers, and Miroku would demonstrate to Sorata the finer points of surreptitiously groping one's girlfriend (and get clocked by Sango for it), and Sango and Arashi would trade looks of commiseration and discuss sword-fighting techniques and ask one another why they put up with these guys and not be able to answer but come to agreement anyhow. And Sango would end up in a kitchen somewhere watching curiously while Sorata shows off his great cooking skills while Miroku and Arashi are in the other room having a deep, serious conversation about life and death and destiny and spiritual harmony which continues after the other two come back in until Sango catches Miroku's hand on her butt again. It would be gold. If I had a better grasp of Sorata and Arashi I would write it myself.

16) Have #2 kissed yet? Elaborate if you'd like.
They did! Canon, on screen! And it was beautiful. Perhaps I'll screencap it.

17) Did #4 have a happy ending? If the canon hasn't ended yet, do you think a happy ending is likely? (Miroku/Sango)
Inuyasha is turning into the Manga That Never Ends, and I'm not sure I trust Takahashi to do right by Miroku and Sango considering how she seems to be screwing up Sesshoumaru's characterization in the current arc. On the other hand, their dynamic is still a thing of beauty, and there's something that I really still just love about Miroku's current state of calm, quiet determination: he knows, beyond any shadow of doubt knows, that he is dying, and not sometime in the nebulous future but any day now, and is not angsty or afraid about it, just praying to hold out long enough to make things right for Sango and Kohaku.

And I still don't really believe that Takahashi will kill him. She's already made a point of establishing that Kohaku's life cannot be saved, and Sango can't lose both Kohaku and Miroku; it would destroy her. If Miroku dies but Kohaku lives, she and Kohaku still have everything he did under Naraku's control between them, and while I don't think it's impossible that they could get past it given how much Sango loves her brother, dying in peace after resolution with Sango would also be an appropriate end to Kohaku's character arc - and if Kohaku dies, which seems likely, Sango will only be able to survive it if Miroku is there to help her through it.

So I have hope.

18) What would make you start shipping #14?
Some indication from Youko's side of things that she could feel that way about Keiki - or, failing that, some other form of increased closeness on her part. As it is, Keiki's world kind of revolves around Youko, but he is not as central a figure to her, and that's not really a basis for a pairing.

19) If only one could happen, which would you prefer--#2 or #6?
Well, Sorata/Arashi is irrevocable canon, whereas Kyouya/Tamaki/Haruhi is, at best, more potential than factual. If I could have Sorata/Arashi as it is or see Kyouya/Tamaki/Haruhi realized in canon, but not both, I'd have to choose Sorata/Arashi, because I can continue to cheerfully imagine Kyouya/Tamaki/Haruhi subtext regardless of how Ouran plays out, and Ouran probably isn't going to commit to much by way of pairing anyhow - or at least I hope it doesn't, because the million ways the relationships can be sliced is part of its charm.

20) You have the power to decide the fate of #10. What happens to them? (Squall/Laguna)
Initially, Squall would just as soon not have anything to do with Laguna, but over time his lingering resentment breaks down under the pressure of Laguna's earnest desire to forge a connection with his son... with the help of some mediation by Rinoa. Anyone who does not know Squall would still get the impression that Laguna annoys the hell out of him, but in actuality he develops a grudging respect and affection for the man. Ultimately they do achieve a father/son sort of dynamic - albeit with Squall occupying more of the role of the adult than Laguna does, in some ways. Laguna is just happy to have won Squall over, particularly since he sees a lot of Raine in Squall and sees Squall as a chance to make up for not being there for Raine.