Shippy meme

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Meme snagged from penny_lane_42:

Comment on this entry with a pairing I ship from one of my fandoms and I will tell you:

1. When I started shipping them
2. What I think their challenge is
3. What makes me happy about them
4. What makes me sad about them
5. What moment I wish had never happened
6. Who I'd be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other
7. My happily ever after for them

It occurs to me that, since I rarely talk about any other fandoms, you probably don't KNOW what pairings I ship. (And, to be fair, with the exception of Veronica/Logan, I don't think there's any pairing that comes even close to the crazy fangirling that Spuffy inspires.) I don't really want to list them all out here, so how about I list the fandoms, and if you don't know which pairings I like in that fandom, ask and I'll tell you, then you pick one. Is that too complicated, lol?

BtVS and AtS (obviously), Veronica Mars, The West Wing, Friday Night Lights, How I Met Your Mother, Battlestar Galactica

Comments

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I don't even know what your Friday Night Lights ships are (except, I assume, Coach/Mrs. Coach because if you don't ship them YOU HAVE NO SOUL), but tell me about one of them. Any of them!

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LOL! Yes, of course I ship Coach/Mrs. Coach! Also Julie/Matt, Julie/Tim, and Tim/Tyra when the mood strikes. So, hmmm, let's go with Julie/Matt, but keep in mind I haven't seen any of the 4th season yet.

1. When I started shipping them - Pretty much as soon as Matt started showing an interest in her. Julie reminds me a lot of myself at that age, and Matt is totally the guy I wish I'd dated in high school.
2. What I think their challenge is - Nobody ever wants to stay with their first high school boyfriend. You grow up and you grow apart, or you think you can do better - but you know what? When you're dating Matt Saracen, YOU PROBABLY CAN'T. HE IS AWESOME.
3. What makes me happy about them - Cutest. Couple. Ever. They are almost enough to overcome my intense cynicism about love and relationships. Also, I love how Coach became a father figure to Matt, and then there was that awkwardness of "I think of you as a son, but you're dating my daughter, so I'm gonna have to intimidate you." (Best scene ever: Matt and Coach in the backyard after he and Julie had sex.)
4. What makes me sad about them - That I know it won't last. I haven't seen Season 4 yet, so I don't know if Matt stays in Dillon or not, but you can kind of just tell, you know? They're so innocent and sweet, and you just can't stay that way once you grow up.
5. What moment I wish had never happened - Um, all of season 2.
6. Who I'd be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other - Julie with Tim, since that's my other ship, which I love for completely different and yet kind of the same reasons - I have a type and Tim is it, lol (see also: Spike, Logan Echolls), but Coach/Tim is the same sort of father/son dynamic as Matt. Plus, they were so cute when Riggins was living with the Taylors. Matt with... I don't know, I don't ship him with anyone else on the show, and it is an extreme understatement to say that I was not fond of any of his other choices in women. He just deserves a nice girl.
7. My happily ever after for them - Married and living somewhere other than Dillon.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Aw! I love Matt/Julie. I actually haven't watched S3 yet, even, and I need to do that sometime because the show is beautiful (plus: I've been spoiled for forever about a lot of things).

but you know what? When you're dating Matt Saracen, YOU PROBABLY CAN'T. HE IS AWESOME.
AMEN.

They are ridiculously cute and happy and Coach just makes it so much better.

don't know, I don't ship him with anyone else on the show, and it is an extreme understatement to say that I was not fond of any of his other choices in women. He just deserves a nice girl.
Again, I agree completely.

Married and living somewhere other than Dillon. That's a lovely thought. *wistful sigh* They be Coach and Mrs. Coach 2.0!

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I actually haven't watched S3 yet, even, and I need to do that sometime because the show is beautiful

YES! You should. I thought S3 was a lot better than S2. They abandoned the soap opera type plots and went back to the more realistic tone that made S1 great. I do feel like Tim/Lyla got flogged to death, but I never liked them to begin with, so maybe it's just me. But the Matt/Julie stuff in this season is priceless.

[ladypeyton.livejournal.com]

I'd like to hear about your favorite West Wing pairing since I'm currently in the middle my first ever viewing of of season 3 and have fallen in love with the show. (ZOMG! Poor Mrs Landingham!!!)

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Heh, I don't know if I could pick a favorite. Most of my West Wing pairings are canon, so let's go with the one non-canon one: Sam/Donna.

1. When I started shipping them - "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail"
2. What I think their challenge is - Well, there's that little wrinkle where Donna's been in love with Josh for eight years, but I always kind of felt that Josh didn't deserve her, because he took her for granted so much. But I think Sam probably would never have gone after Donna, because he's a good best friend and wouldn't want to get in the middle of whatever was going on with Josh.
3. What makes me happy about them - They're so cute! Plus, Sam treats her with respect. I like that their interactions can be completely silly (like the whole Karen Cahill debacle), or completely serious (Sam's dad in SGTESGTJ) or both (Sam getting himself into a pickle over the California 47th).
4. What makes me sad about them - That they didn't get to interact more.
5. What moment I wish had never happened - None I can think of, really. I haven't watched in a while, but what I can remember of their scenes together, I enjoyed.
6. Who I'd be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other- Um, I kind of love Sam with everyone - either Laurie, Mallory, or Ainsley Hayes will do. I thought they all had potential. Donna... eh, I guess Josh. I think she deserves better, but I didn't mind it when they finally got together in canon. Although I did like the two Republicans she dated, Jack Reese and... that other guy from Ways and Means whose name I can't remember.
7. My happily ever after for them - Sam runs for President, after serving as Governor of California. Donna makes an awesome First Lady. And why yes, I did perhaps have all of this outlined in a fic.

[shinybaum.livejournal.com]

BSG, any.

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Hmm, let's do Kara/Lee, since I've been doing cutesy, lovey-dovey ships and I need some representation from the fucked-up side. :)

1. When I started shipping them - Pretty much right off the bat. When did I STOP shipping them? Season 3. At first, I liked them as a romantic pairing, because all the angst and drama was sexy (they had such issues!), but then they went and married other people and I kind of hated them for being cruel to Dualla and Anders. By the end of the series, I saw them as more of a brother/sister relationship than anything else.
2. What I think their challenge is - Just one? LOL. I think, as close as their bond is, they have trouble being honest with each other when it comes to their romantic feelings. I think they also have so many outside issues affecting their relationship that they tend to overcomplicate things.
3. What makes me happy about them - No matter what kind of relationship they have, it's always fascinating.
4. What makes me sad about them - They can bring out the worst in each other.
5. What moment I wish had never happened - Kara marrying Anders the day after sleeping with Lee
6. Who I'd be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other - I was actually fine with the Kara/Anders and Lee/Dualla ships when they happened. I just wanted everyone to make up their damn minds.
7. My happily ever after for them - I'm probably the only one in the world to say this, but I actually liked how they ended. By that point, I didn't expect them to get together or confess feelings or anything. I'm just glad that they were on good terms at the end.

[shinybaum.livejournal.com]

Eh, two frakked up people doing what people do. I didn't care about either of them but I liked their relative partners.

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I think I have a particular aversion to cheaters. I'm all for both of them frakking around and not knowing what they want and hurting each other, but don't marry other people and expect me to still sympathize with you.

I've seen a lot of Spuffy fic where Buffy's still dating Angel or Riley or whoever, but she's having sex with Spike - and it's the boyfriend who's at fault for standing in the way of the Spuffy. That bothers me a lot.

[shinybaum.livejournal.com]

Yeah :(

At least admit your characters are at fault and flawed. I love a good flawed character but hate the excuses and delusion. At least Lex is completely insane, which I consider a valid excuse for many things :D

[clevermonikerr.livejournal.com]

Veronica/Logan

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1. When I started shipping them - When Veronica was helping Logan find his mom. The idea had started creeping up on me, probably since "An Echolls Family Christmas," and by the time Logan was sobbing in Veronica's arms in the hotel lobby, I was hooked.
2. What I think their challenge is - I'm going to sort of copy penny_lane_42's answer and say that Logan wants to protect Veronica, when Veronica doesn't want to be protected. (Although Veronica may not appreciate it, I do love that Logan is willing to do anything for her.) I think Veronica also has a huge problem trusting people, which she needs to get over if she ever wants a functional relationship.
3. What makes me happy about them - Oh, the angst! The snark! I love their history. I love how they used to be really close friends, and Lilly's death shattered that, and it's been a slow rebuilding, with a bit of a detour through seething hatred before they became friends again and then fell in love. There's this sense of clinging to each other because they have no one else left, and yet it's not like they're settling, because they're absolutely perfect for each other (except for the part where they fight and break up all the time). Come on, guys, they're EPIC. Ruined lives! Bloodshed!
4. What makes me sad about them - The part where they break up all the time. Ruined lives. Bloodshed.
5. What moment I wish had never happened - Madison
6. Who I'd be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other - Logan can only be with Lilly. Veronica, hmm. I totally loved Troy, up until the whole drug thing. (I wish they'd brought him back for Season 3. They teased me with that "Rapes of Graff" episode, planting the idea that he might go to Hearst. That would've been fun.) I liked Piz, too, but I don't think he could handle Veronica. ETA: Weeveronica! How could I forget Weevil? And what an awful smushy name, lol.
7. My happily ever after for them - Veronica has said she's never getting married, so I think as much as she loves Logan, it would be a tough sell even for him. I can't really see them settling down in the suburbs with a picket fence and 2.5 kids, either. But that doesn't mean they wouldn't be happy together. I think Veronica would probably get kicked out of the FBI for not respecting authority (or for breaking too many laws), and she'd have a career as an investigative journalist, and she and Logan would travel the world tracking down stories.

Hi there!

[ravenholdt.livejournal.com]

What ships do you sail in BTVS and ATS?

Re: Hi there!

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Hoo boy. Well, Spuffy primarily, by a long shot. Also in BtVS, Willow/Oz, Willow/Tara, Xander/Cordy, Xander/Anya, Buffy/Xander, Xander/Dawn, Spike/Dawn.

In AtS, Cordy/Doyle, Angel/Faith, Angel/Darla, Gunn/Fred, Gunn/Gwen, Spike/Angel.

Crossover pairings: Buffy/Gunn, Dawn/Connor.

I may have missed some. Those are all the ones I'll read, anyway. I've only written B/S, W/O, W/T, X/A, C/D, and D/C.

Re: Hi there!

[ravenholdt.livejournal.com]

Well then...I'm definitely interested in your thoughts on either Spike/Dawn or Spike/Angel.
Both fraught with angst.
Do tell! :D

Re: Hi there!

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Hmm, let's go with Spike/Angel, then, since I only like Spike/Dawn in very specific situations (either post-series or when it's disturbing and wrong).

1. When I started shipping them - It was definitely well after I'd watched both series. I don't have very good slash goggles, so even with AtS S5, it still took reading fanfic to see the shippiness.
2. What I think their challenge is - Oh, so many things, lol. For one thing, their relationship has a lot of sibling rivalry overtones, which can be difficult to get past. Note: I don't see it as an obstacle for shipping them, the way I see Buffy/Faith's sibling rivalry as making the pairing weirdly incestual. Probably because they're vampires, so all their relationships are incestual to some extent. I think it's an obstacle for THEM - it's hard to be a couple when you're so fiercely competitive with the other person. I think, possibly for that reason, they both hate to admit how much the other one means to them. That's why I see them together most believably in a post-NFA situation where they've lost absolutely everything, when all they have left is each other.
3. What makes me happy about them - The snark! God, I can't stand schmoopy Spangel. If they're not snarking at each other, I don't recognize them. Also, I love their complicated history - and the fact that it's so LONG. How can you know someone for a hundred years and not feel close to them?
4. What makes me sad about them - Angel has a tendency to belittle Spike, which I think goes back to the sibling rivalry thing. He's the older one, and he feels the need to put Spike in his place. (I'm also not a fan of overtly dom/sub themes with them, which seems to be popular in fic, especially Angelus-rapes-William.)
5. What moment I wish had never happened - Hmm, I can't think of anything offhand. There are a lot of individual moments I don't like about both characters, but none that really relate to their relationship.
6. Who I'd be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other - Spike with Buffy, obviously. OTP! And Angel with Faith, which makes a nice little parallel, since I see Angel and Buffy as being very similar, and Spike and Faith also as similar, so you end up with similar dynamics when you switch up the pairings. I also love Angel with Darla. I think Darla honestly was Angel's most significant relationship. He seems to put a lot of stock in Buffy, and she certainly had a huge impact, but with Darla it goes back to the history thing - you can't know someone for 250 years and not have them shape who you are.
7. My happily ever after for them - This is more of an angstily ever after, I think, lol, but post-NFA, they're the only ones who survived. Both having lost everyone who was important to them, they cling to each other and do their best to continue fighting the good fight. And neither one of them ever gets the shanshu (because that would only come between them).

[mikeda.livejournal.com]

Since no one's asked this...

Ships in How I Met Your Mother ?

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Not too many there. Marshall/Lily and Barney/Robin.

[mikeda.livejournal.com]

I'd like to hear your thoughts on Barney/Robin.

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1. When I started shipping them - I think probably the first time Robin played Barney's wingman, though I can't remember what episode it was. I never actually expected them to get together, though, so I only really started rooting for it to happen once Barney realized he had feelings for her.
2. What I think their challenge is - Um, they're both players and commitment phobes, lol. But that's also why they're perfect for each other, since I don't think they could ever find anyone else who'd be satisfied with that.
3. What makes me happy about them - They're AWESOME. They're both pretty much awesome separately, so together is like sonic boom awesome (yes, I went there).
4. What makes me sad about them - The tragic decline in awesomeness after they got together. I blame the writers, though, because I don't think it was inevitable that putting them together had to stifle their characters to the point of making them unrecognizable. I believe Barney and Robin could still be Barney and Robin in a relationship.
5. What moment I wish had never happened - The part where they broke up. It felt like the writers just didn't know what to do with them, so they gave up. I'd have liked to see more of an effort made.
6. Who I'd be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other - Well, it seems silly to say it, since we already know it won't happen, but I liked Ted and Robin together. Barney? Wow, I don't know if there's another woman out there who could handle Barney.
7. My happily ever after for them - They get back together and have awesome babies.