free time means meme time
First of all, I want to say it before I forget, because this is kind of important and I am prone to forgetting important things: I'm moving within two weeks. I may have to hiatus as the packing/unpacking steps up a notch, but I really don't know the exact time that'll be. Expect me to be near-dead online during this time.
In the meantime, I'm tired of real life. So it's time for a shipping meme!
SIX PAIRINGS I LIKE:
#1. Luffy/Nami (One Piece)
#2. Adrian Monk/Natalie Teeger (Monk)
#3. Bruce Wayne/Zatanna Zatara (DC Comics)
#4. Shepard/Garrus Vakarian (Mass Effect)
#5. Phoenix Wright/Maya Fey (Ace Attorney)
#6. Link/Midna (Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)
THREE SHIPS I'VE ABANDONED:
#7. Sasuke/Sakura (Naruto)
#8. Link/Medli (Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker)
#9. Dick Grayson/Koriand'r (DC Comics)
THREE SHIPS I'VE NEVER LIKED:
#10. Bruce Wayne/Selina Kyle (DC Comics)
#11. Pucca/Garu (Pucca)
#12. Bruce Wayne/Anyone in the Batfamily (DC Comics)
TWO SHIPS THAT HAVE PIQUED MY INTEREST:
#13. Soul/Maka (Soul Eater)
#14. Nami/Zoro (One Piece)
QUESTIONS:
1. Why do you dislike #11 so much?
This, in a nutshell.
The whole show is about Pucca's various violent outbursts when people get between her and Garu. This occasionally includes Garu himself, who for the most part wants no part in her affections. I don't think that's funny or cute. I know it's a gruesome double-standard. Maybe I'm over-reacting to this, I don't know, but I don't care, either.
2. Who do you know that ships #13?
...Idk, I guess it's a pretty popular ship in the fandom? I can see why, and if someone asked me what I shipped from the show, I'd say Soul/Maka. It's cute and pretty damn canon so far where I'm concerned; I'm simply not quite as invested in it as I am with some other ships.
3. What would be your ideal scenario for couple #3?
I just want Bruce to stop playing Romantic Musical Chairs and sit the hell down already. Frankly, I've already gotten the best moment I'm guessing I'll ever get from these two:
Bruce: Part of me wants to open every door to you.
Zatanna: And the other part?
Bruce: Cares enough for you to keep them closed.
...
Zatanna: I can't be in a relationship with a man who is more passionate about his demons than he is about me. The one time I sparked the most passion from you was back in the League, when I betrayed you. It was an honest emotion...if we are to have anything more...it has to come from a love that's just as honest. I don't know if you can give me that right now.
Bruce: Can you ever forgive me?
Zatanna: I always have.
I love that exchange. Forever and always. It's so rare to see interactions like this, with two adults speaking honestly and calmly about their feelings - and especially coming from Batman. There's no games, no lust; just two friends talking about whether or not they can ever become something more. I know there's something to this pairing when I ship it from the rejection scene.
4. What is your favorite moment for #1?
Oh yes. You know what I'm talking about.
I will bet you my life's savings that the March on Arlong Park is the birthplace of every Luffy/Nami shipper. It's definitive; the first (and certainly not last) time Luffy entrusted Nami with his hat, and the first (also not the last, unfortunately ;;) time she asked for his help. I really don't think I need to say more about this scene; every LuNa fan knows exactly what this scene is.
Which brings me to the second clip. I was a bit hesitant to list it, as I've always been kind of iffy on whether or not Strong World is canon, but Oda wrote it and that makes me happy. I don't think I really need to explain this scene, except to apologize for the lack of subs >_> - but everyone who's seen this movie knows what it's about. I have honestly never seen Luffy so overwhelmed with rage that he is unable to speak. That has never happened. Frankly, when it was happening, I was too busy feeling my insides twist at Luffy's incoherent stuttering to realize what an amazing Luffy/Nami moment it was.
Okay I can talk about this ship forever MOVING ON.
5. How long have you been following couple #6?
The Zelda games tend to be pretty standalone in terms of characters, so there hasn't been much to follow considering TP was released back in 2006. I do sometimes find myself browsing fanart or fanfiction, though, and LoZ sequels aren't unheard of; I'd jump back onto that ship obsession in a heartbeat.
6. What's the story with #8? What made you stop caring?
I saw some fanworks and it just didn't work for me. It wasn't a fault on the fanworks' part - all the art I saw was well-drawn and all the fanfiction I read was finely written, but none of the interactions quite clicked. Guess I just misfired that one.
7. Which ship do you prefer--#2 or #4?
I do love Monk/Natalie, but god. Shepard/Garrus just blows it out of the water, and I'll explain why later.
8. You have the power to make one ship non-existent. Choose from #10 or #12.
What, no B| Let me eliminate that twisty-bunned horror from this physical plane, damn you!
Fine. Well, I hate Bruce/Selina. I despise every letter that makes up the name Bruce/Selina.
But Bruce/Selina is actually the pairing I hate least of this list, and believe it or not? Pucca/Garu is in the middle.
The grand champion of Do Not Want is Batman/Batfamily. No. I don't get it.
Bruce has a paternal connection to pretty much every member of the Batfam. Alfred and Leslie are his parent figures, and he's the father figure to more or less everyone else. I don't want to be "that close-minded person"... but seeing fanart of Bruce blushing like a schoolgirl whilst bathing an eight-year-old Dick Grayson squicks me beyond healthy levels. Even when the Robins are adults, there's just something...not right about it. Bruce is creepy, not a creeper, and ugh.
Can't get around it. Hate it. Leaving it at that.
9. What interests you about #14?
Same reason I ship Luffy with Nami, really - while Nami falls prey to the fairly stereotypical "girl who hits guy when he's being stupid" trope, hers is with a different flavor. She gets the boys on a fundamental level, and while she'll definitely berate them for certain actions, she also grants them a certain leniency because she knows it's just part of who they are. All of the Strawhat boys need a degree of understanding on their lover's side if it were to ever work out, and Nami has that in spades.
10. When did you stop liking #7?
When I gave up on Sasuke ever not being a douche-knotting buttmunch.
11. Did your waning interest in #9 kill your interest in the series?
Nope! Actually, I gave it up mostly because I found a ship for Dick that I liked far more - but even if that weren't the case, it would take a LOT to spurn me from DC.
12. What's a song that reminds you of #1?
Ah, geez. I don't have a taste for romance-y songs in general, so my mental library for stuff like this is pretty miserable.
Uhh...let's go with Face Down by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. You know, Arlong being a dick and stuff. Sure. Except Nami's way more of a badass than the girl in that song.
13. Which of these ships do you love the most right now?
This was hard for me. So hard. But in the end, the winner is Shepard/Garrus.
If you want to know why, this explains things in a way more eloquent and precise than I ever could.
But Mass Effect is a sprawling universe, and it's one that you create and shape yourself, and this relationship is one you can choose to pursue or not - and how far you're willing to run with all the obstacles in your way. That essay is wonderfully written, but words simply cannot explain what it was like to fall in love with this ship through my own character.
14. Which do you dislike the most?
Covered above. Batcreep can get the fuck out of my belfry.
15. If you could have any of these pairings double date, who would they be?
Luffy/Nami and Phoenix/Maya. Luffy and Maya would spend the whole time fighting over the food while Nami and Phoenix linefaced. BFFS GET.
16. Have #2 kissed yet? Elaborate if yes.
Kind of? Natalie has kissed Monk, but only on the cheek, and neither times in a romantic context. The thing is, though, that Monk is HIGHLY germaphobic and freaks out when shaking somebody's hand. The first time she kissed him, she used a wipe to clean his face afterwards, so he wasn't much more than startled. The second time, though, she kissed him on the cheek and left. Monk simply touched the spot with the back of his hand - which he then lowered without so much as a single wipe.
Monk has also fed Natalie a piece of cake with his fork, so if you want to get technical, they've swapped spit. Maybe. Idk, you never actually see if Monk eats from the fork after that.
17. Did #4 have a happy ending? Do you think one is likely?
Hell, I hope so. The last game in the trilogy comes out in 2012, which will also wrap up the romance subplots. A big theme of the series is choice - you often choose who lives and who dies, who you love and who you make enemies of, what you look like and where you came from. I'm more than willing to bet that I'll have to choose the fate of this relationship myself.
18. What would make you start shipping #14?
More canon interaction, really. Then again, I always kind of make goober eyes at one-on-one interactions between the Strawhats. Gimme gimme, Oda.
19. If only one could happen, which would you prefer--#2 or #6?
Uhhh damn. That's a pretty hard one.
I'd have to go Monk/Natalie, methinks. It edges Link/Midna out just a bit on account of the fact that Link is a silent protagonist, while Monk is the most colorful character in his canon. There's simply more solid chemistry to work off of.
20. You have the power to decide the fate of #10. What happens to them?
One of them - either seems plausible - breaks off the game. No more chasing. Selina has a daughter and Bruce has a son. It's time to stop playing. Preferably they'd part on good terms, the status quo: Selina is a thief, and Batman is a hero. Remove the sexual tension and you've still got your cat and mouse.
Of course, they're revamping the whole DCU, so ergh. Don't even want to think about that ;;
...Well that was fun. /slinks off to bed >>a
In the meantime, I'm tired of real life. So it's time for a shipping meme!
SIX PAIRINGS I LIKE:
#1. Luffy/Nami (One Piece)
#2. Adrian Monk/Natalie Teeger (Monk)
#3. Bruce Wayne/Zatanna Zatara (DC Comics)
#4. Shepard/Garrus Vakarian (Mass Effect)
#5. Phoenix Wright/Maya Fey (Ace Attorney)
#6. Link/Midna (Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)
THREE SHIPS I'VE ABANDONED:
#7. Sasuke/Sakura (Naruto)
#8. Link/Medli (Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker)
#9. Dick Grayson/Koriand'r (DC Comics)
THREE SHIPS I'VE NEVER LIKED:
#10. Bruce Wayne/Selina Kyle (DC Comics)
#11. Pucca/Garu (Pucca)
#12. Bruce Wayne/Anyone in the Batfamily (DC Comics)
TWO SHIPS THAT HAVE PIQUED MY INTEREST:
#13. Soul/Maka (Soul Eater)
#14. Nami/Zoro (One Piece)
QUESTIONS:
1. Why do you dislike #11 so much?
This, in a nutshell.
The whole show is about Pucca's various violent outbursts when people get between her and Garu. This occasionally includes Garu himself, who for the most part wants no part in her affections. I don't think that's funny or cute. I know it's a gruesome double-standard. Maybe I'm over-reacting to this, I don't know, but I don't care, either.
2. Who do you know that ships #13?
...Idk, I guess it's a pretty popular ship in the fandom? I can see why, and if someone asked me what I shipped from the show, I'd say Soul/Maka. It's cute and pretty damn canon so far where I'm concerned; I'm simply not quite as invested in it as I am with some other ships.
3. What would be your ideal scenario for couple #3?
I just want Bruce to stop playing Romantic Musical Chairs and sit the hell down already. Frankly, I've already gotten the best moment I'm guessing I'll ever get from these two:
Bruce: Part of me wants to open every door to you.
Zatanna: And the other part?
Bruce: Cares enough for you to keep them closed.
...
Zatanna: I can't be in a relationship with a man who is more passionate about his demons than he is about me. The one time I sparked the most passion from you was back in the League, when I betrayed you. It was an honest emotion...if we are to have anything more...it has to come from a love that's just as honest. I don't know if you can give me that right now.
Bruce: Can you ever forgive me?
Zatanna: I always have.
I love that exchange. Forever and always. It's so rare to see interactions like this, with two adults speaking honestly and calmly about their feelings - and especially coming from Batman. There's no games, no lust; just two friends talking about whether or not they can ever become something more. I know there's something to this pairing when I ship it from the rejection scene.
4. What is your favorite moment for #1?
Oh yes. You know what I'm talking about.
I will bet you my life's savings that the March on Arlong Park is the birthplace of every Luffy/Nami shipper. It's definitive; the first (and certainly not last) time Luffy entrusted Nami with his hat, and the first (also not the last, unfortunately ;;) time she asked for his help. I really don't think I need to say more about this scene; every LuNa fan knows exactly what this scene is.
Which brings me to the second clip. I was a bit hesitant to list it, as I've always been kind of iffy on whether or not Strong World is canon, but Oda wrote it and that makes me happy. I don't think I really need to explain this scene, except to apologize for the lack of subs >_> - but everyone who's seen this movie knows what it's about. I have honestly never seen Luffy so overwhelmed with rage that he is unable to speak. That has never happened. Frankly, when it was happening, I was too busy feeling my insides twist at Luffy's incoherent stuttering to realize what an amazing Luffy/Nami moment it was.
Okay I can talk about this ship forever MOVING ON.
5. How long have you been following couple #6?
The Zelda games tend to be pretty standalone in terms of characters, so there hasn't been much to follow considering TP was released back in 2006. I do sometimes find myself browsing fanart or fanfiction, though, and LoZ sequels aren't unheard of; I'd jump back onto that ship obsession in a heartbeat.
6. What's the story with #8? What made you stop caring?
I saw some fanworks and it just didn't work for me. It wasn't a fault on the fanworks' part - all the art I saw was well-drawn and all the fanfiction I read was finely written, but none of the interactions quite clicked. Guess I just misfired that one.
7. Which ship do you prefer--#2 or #4?
I do love Monk/Natalie, but god. Shepard/Garrus just blows it out of the water, and I'll explain why later.
8. You have the power to make one ship non-existent. Choose from #10 or #12.
What, no B| Let me eliminate that twisty-bunned horror from this physical plane, damn you!
Fine. Well, I hate Bruce/Selina. I despise every letter that makes up the name Bruce/Selina.
But Bruce/Selina is actually the pairing I hate least of this list, and believe it or not? Pucca/Garu is in the middle.
The grand champion of Do Not Want is Batman/Batfamily. No. I don't get it.
Bruce has a paternal connection to pretty much every member of the Batfam. Alfred and Leslie are his parent figures, and he's the father figure to more or less everyone else. I don't want to be "that close-minded person"... but seeing fanart of Bruce blushing like a schoolgirl whilst bathing an eight-year-old Dick Grayson squicks me beyond healthy levels. Even when the Robins are adults, there's just something...not right about it. Bruce is creepy, not a creeper, and ugh.
Can't get around it. Hate it. Leaving it at that.
9. What interests you about #14?
Same reason I ship Luffy with Nami, really - while Nami falls prey to the fairly stereotypical "girl who hits guy when he's being stupid" trope, hers is with a different flavor. She gets the boys on a fundamental level, and while she'll definitely berate them for certain actions, she also grants them a certain leniency because she knows it's just part of who they are. All of the Strawhat boys need a degree of understanding on their lover's side if it were to ever work out, and Nami has that in spades.
10. When did you stop liking #7?
When I gave up on Sasuke ever not being a douche-knotting buttmunch.
11. Did your waning interest in #9 kill your interest in the series?
Nope! Actually, I gave it up mostly because I found a ship for Dick that I liked far more - but even if that weren't the case, it would take a LOT to spurn me from DC.
12. What's a song that reminds you of #1?
Ah, geez. I don't have a taste for romance-y songs in general, so my mental library for stuff like this is pretty miserable.
Uhh...let's go with Face Down by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. You know, Arlong being a dick and stuff. Sure. Except Nami's way more of a badass than the girl in that song.
13. Which of these ships do you love the most right now?
This was hard for me. So hard. But in the end, the winner is Shepard/Garrus.
If you want to know why, this explains things in a way more eloquent and precise than I ever could.
But Mass Effect is a sprawling universe, and it's one that you create and shape yourself, and this relationship is one you can choose to pursue or not - and how far you're willing to run with all the obstacles in your way. That essay is wonderfully written, but words simply cannot explain what it was like to fall in love with this ship through my own character.
14. Which do you dislike the most?
Covered above. Batcreep can get the fuck out of my belfry.
15. If you could have any of these pairings double date, who would they be?
Luffy/Nami and Phoenix/Maya. Luffy and Maya would spend the whole time fighting over the food while Nami and Phoenix linefaced. BFFS GET.
16. Have #2 kissed yet? Elaborate if yes.
Kind of? Natalie has kissed Monk, but only on the cheek, and neither times in a romantic context. The thing is, though, that Monk is HIGHLY germaphobic and freaks out when shaking somebody's hand. The first time she kissed him, she used a wipe to clean his face afterwards, so he wasn't much more than startled. The second time, though, she kissed him on the cheek and left. Monk simply touched the spot with the back of his hand - which he then lowered without so much as a single wipe.
Monk has also fed Natalie a piece of cake with his fork, so if you want to get technical, they've swapped spit. Maybe. Idk, you never actually see if Monk eats from the fork after that.
17. Did #4 have a happy ending? Do you think one is likely?
Hell, I hope so. The last game in the trilogy comes out in 2012, which will also wrap up the romance subplots. A big theme of the series is choice - you often choose who lives and who dies, who you love and who you make enemies of, what you look like and where you came from. I'm more than willing to bet that I'll have to choose the fate of this relationship myself.
18. What would make you start shipping #14?
More canon interaction, really. Then again, I always kind of make goober eyes at one-on-one interactions between the Strawhats. Gimme gimme, Oda.
19. If only one could happen, which would you prefer--#2 or #6?
Uhhh damn. That's a pretty hard one.
I'd have to go Monk/Natalie, methinks. It edges Link/Midna out just a bit on account of the fact that Link is a silent protagonist, while Monk is the most colorful character in his canon. There's simply more solid chemistry to work off of.
20. You have the power to decide the fate of #10. What happens to them?
One of them - either seems plausible - breaks off the game. No more chasing. Selina has a daughter and Bruce has a son. It's time to stop playing. Preferably they'd part on good terms, the status quo: Selina is a thief, and Batman is a hero. Remove the sexual tension and you've still got your cat and mouse.
Of course, they're revamping the whole DCU, so ergh. Don't even want to think about that ;;
...Well that was fun. /slinks off to bed >>a