(not Luna??!)

[reenka]

You know what's really kind of silly? (I make this mistake a lot, btw.) Over-identifying with people I like (or, characters, but I won't even get into that). I mean, at heart, it's just a faulty assumption-type thing. Over-generalizing is often at the root of most evil along with the usual drive for power and fear of death (but I won't get into that, heh).

I mean, I'm not Luna. Rinse & repeat three times, as necessary: I'm not Luna. I'm not Luna. I'm not Luna. Woo, what a relief. (Btw, if anyone wants a Luna-centric fic, I just found `Butterbeer Caps', which seems good.)

I keep trying to root it out of me (well, half-heartedly), but it won't go.

So if I see someone who seems to "get" the beauty of Buffy/Spike -aaaand- the beauty of Kyou/Tohru, all of a sudden I'm like, OMG WE R SOULM8ES!!1 (well... sort of), and then I'm crashing down to earth 'cause they also like Heero/Relena (OMG TEH EVAL, OMG) and Harry/Luna (which... isn't -bad-, precisely, just really not... romantic at all). But that's because I a) shouldn't extrapolate someone's view on romance just from a couple of things they believe (and I don't even know if they believe the same things I do about said relationships); b) shouldn't project myself so blatantly onto Luna (or whatever character) that I feel a bit silly shipping her with -anyone-. (I mean, I should know-- Luna "just isn't ready"). On the other hand, if you made Luna darker-- or better yet, mad (OMG PLOT BUNNY)-- you could do a Hamlet/Ophelia thing. Woo, I can see Ophelia!Luna. But then she'd have to die :D

It seems either people heavily identify with each other, thus kind of stealing another person's individual identity in a way, or they project their vision of the Other (that is to say, their ideals of what's perfectly Attractive-- or horrid-- in someone else), thus idealizing them past the point of possessing any real humanity. Bleh.

I don't even know if many people define themselves or rather, see a trend of similar rationales for the "way they ship" like I do. That is to say, every ship I believe in fits into a trend in my mind, of the way I generally perceive "romance" in the first place. Because, as should be obvious, pretty much -everything- is premade 'meta' a.k.a. 'on Plato's crack' in my head. :>

Basically, all the couples I like have something about their "spirit" in common, so I assume if someone likes more than one example of romance as I do, we must both be seeing this "spirit" (which makes me think we're ourselves compatible for friendship).

So that's why it boggles my mind that people can possibly like Buffy/Spike (a passionate, fighting-opposites-attract tragicomic sort of insane romance) and Heero/Relena (a lukewarm, idealize-your-anima/animus, the-hero-gets-the-girl cliche). It's like, duuude, Heero/Duo is much more like B/S (in my head)-- 'cause like, they're opposites-yet-equals in the whole complementary cliche sort of way.

Then it occurs to me to rethink Heero/Relena, and possibly you can see how Buffy/Spike can also be about the idealizing-the-anima cliche from Spike's pov (though that's not what I like about the pairing at all), and suddenly it all makes sense. You can definitely see how Heero/Relena is like Kyou/Tohru, which I adore (ACK ACK ACK STOP ABORT PANIC). In fact, I tend to blatantly ignore the unhealthyness of a boy idealizing his female love interest and focus on their disagreements and the romantic friction-- bleh, thus leading myself into a quagmire (I used a big word!) of sloppy thinking & projection-onto-perfectly-innocent-characters.

Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
    But it all makes sense in my head, I SWEAR!!1

Comments

[lasultrix.livejournal.com]

and possibly you can see how Buffy/Spike can also be about the idealizing-the-anima cliche from Spike's pov (though that's not what I like about the pairing at all)

Yes, that's one of the things which make me dislike it so much. ;)

I remember, a long time ago, you posting about being baffled by people like me who hate the Spuffy and love the H/D, or vice versa. I think you've touched on it there - certain aspects of pairings stand out more strongly to different people, and so some people will see Pairing A and Pairing B as having very similar dynamics, and others won't.

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

Hee. The other sucky thing is just -how many- het pairings have idealizing the anima (or just, idealization) at their center. *le sigh* If anything, that's part of the nature of "romantic" love, isn't it? I like to pretend 'romantic' really means you start out with ideals and progress towards recognizing each other's personal truths through lots of like... fucking passion and stuff :>
It's funny because in the end, I'm often most comfortable with the people I disagree with in terms of little philosophical kinks, 'cause we tend to hash out our respective pov's more thoroughly so we understand each other better, instead of assuming we do 'cause we supposedly like the same exact things~:))

Hehehe and yeah I mean you :D

[ashjay.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm right there with you. I've had people who love Harry/Draco exactly the way I do, and Kurama/Hei, and Buffy/Spike for that matter, and then they recommend Heero/Duo fics where Duo is basically Relena after a surgical procedure and combat training, and I always feel just like... huh? Aren't you supposed to be just like me? What now?

...on the other hand, then I find a site like Raygun Works where all of the stories are chosen by one person, and I find that nearly all of the stories, even things like 1X5 that would normally have me running for the hills, are exactly right for my particular taste. And I want to send her love letters for it, but... yes. It makes me think about how attached I am to the *dynamic* as well as to the characters.

Also, any short thing you ever wanted to see animated? Because I'm practicing animating anime style (ala my icon), and after I do Sirius and the freaking Veil I'm going to need something else to do, quick. *grins*

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

Dude, dude, duuuuude!! Your iiicooooon!!!
*mad ♥!!*
(though honestly, I can't imagine Draco would have Harry pinned against the wall for very long, ahahahah, he can certainly try. Ack ack, you make me have mad visions of H/D animated 5-minute features, ahahahah). *evil laugh*

And definitely, it's all about the dynamic. Like, the difference between Heero/Relena & Heero/Duo is that 1x2 actually have romantic chemistry together, forget all my vaunted "meta" which backs it up 'cause they're "complementary". No theory matters if it doesn't seem to work in practice, y'know. Heh. I just like things that spark and ignite. *sigh* I actually once found myself liking a Heero-and-Trowa (EVIL) friendship dynamic (in Sol's fic) to the extent that I could see it turning into romance by this author -maybe- and the same thing sometimes happens to me in fics that are also 1x2 but with a good Duo-and-Wufei friendship (in Maldoror's fic). 'Cause it's like, snarky & has bounce and UST (ALL IMPORTANT). I don't usually see 1x5 friendship made yummy in 1x2 fic, though, so I wouldn't know. Heh. Though... I'll just be stubborn and say I don't like like-coupled-with-like romance anyway :>

And! AND! I'll so hand over my firstborn to see H&D animated sword-fighting :D :D :D
If you want inspiration, read Aspen's `Quicksilver (http://papermoon.velveteen.net/quicksilver.html)' again and then again and again and again :D :D

[ashjay.livejournal.com]

(Whoops - having posting problems. Let me try this again...)

Hee! Isn't it pretty? I lost the big version in a hard drive crash (600X400, man), but I still like it. There's a slightly clearer, larger, and longer version here, but it's all draft quality. Which makes me sad, but there you go. (And hey, he was going to keep Harry distracted with some unexpected...moves. *grins*)

Actually, the feature is what I'm going for. I'm making a four minute animated music video to So Sad So Lonely by Matchbox 20. Because I'm insane. And have had nothing to do but learn to draw anime since an injury six months ago. But still, all in good fun, eh? (I will someday have ulcers, yes I will. Heh. )

Yes! Heero and Duo have this crazy chemistry that I can't pretend to understand, but it's just *there*. I've actually read some pretty good 1x2x5 out there, but it's always secondary to the 1x2. Speaking of which, any recs you might have? Like, ever? Me. Day or night. *grins*

But read Maldoror's "The Arrangement", really. It's 1x5, the only one that I've ever read, and it's... amazing. Her Wufei makes me happy, and I'm like you in that way - all about the opposites. I can't explain it, but she makes it work. (Besides, hot like wow. But also, y'know, the excellent writing. *cough*)

Sword fighting! I love it! Anyone you want to be winning/losing? And particular start or end? Want Harry, um, licking a sword? Guh. *goes back to read the fic again*

... er, yes. But that's, you know. Not so much sword fighting. But I could do it. It would require lots of rereading, though. Yeah. (Would kill for voice actors, me.)

In any case, here's the character designs I use, so you know what to expect:

Harry (http://xanadu-dreams.com//drawings/puppygrowsup.jpg)

Draco (http://xanadu-dreams.com//drawings/puppysplaymate.jpg)

And, er, young!Harry. Just because I love the image of him with a sword. *grins*

So cute that it hurts me. (http://xanadu-dreams.com//drawings/puppydogeyesHarry.jpg) *shakes head*

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

Eheheh!! Oh, the cuteness of lost-puppydog-look!Harry. Heeeeee! Though I wish people drew his eyes with more flecks of different shades of green and golden highlights and stuff. But. Er. That's neither here nor there :> But he's adorable :D :D

See, the reason I haven't written a swordfighting!fic yet is because I dunno how in the hell it'd happen. Have you seen the last Bond movie, with Madonna? That's where my kink started. There was like, swordfighting like -whoah- in that, and it was like, jumping over things (chairs) and knocking things over, slashing at portraits and like weird backward flip-type things to get away from a swordpoint to the throat, etc. Harry would be Really Good (more powerful and have more dramatic moves), but Draco would be more elegant and practiced (because he'd practiced). Harry would do weird unexpected things and Draco would cheat, heheh.

Sword-licking comes later, ahahah, 'cause like, no one really -wins-, see, they just.... someone knocks someone else's sword off-- actually, prolly Draco does that to Harry, but Harry isn't impressed. Draco comes closer and Harry sort of grabs his sword and then they're all up-close-and-personal and then it's -really- not clear who's winning or losing 'cause they're um... kind of panting at each other and waiting for the other to break. Um. *coughs*

Your Harry & Draco models are pretty good (though like, slightly aged-up). Though not very anime-ish, per se. Pretty!!

I love your ambition, man. It works well with my kinks anyway, ahahahah-- what I mean is, I have a great love for animation, but would prefer someone else did the dirty work :D :D

I had GW recs here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/reenka/185343.html?replyto=1514239) and here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/reenka/178758.html?replyto=1467206), eheheh. That's just my overall favorite writers of the Second Wave. Now I go back and read my favorites of the First Wave of GW fic-reading, and it's sort of really sad because like... duuude, they suck ^^;;;

I was actually considering reading `The Arrangement' 'cause I love most of Maldoror's other fic except for the ebil Trowa-centric AU thing which sort of boggled my mind, but. Ahahah. I like Wufei. I can ship him with lots of people, though generally I don't like him with boys-- and then I read 5x13 in a 1x2 fic, and it all went downhill from there. I have believability issues with threesomes, though.

Harry is -so- a sword-wielding sort of boy. Oh yes. :D :D
Harry's more of a thicker, heavier broadsword-of-justice type and Draco's more of a long, think, rapier-of-cunning (AHAHAHA I AMUSE MYSELF) type. Ohboy.

[ashjay.livejournal.com]

I *love* cute!Harry. I'm doing the Veil thing in a bit, and I'm still trying to figure out a way to fit him in there. Because, yes, so cute. *grins* You’re right about the eyes, though. Eh, it’s an easy out. (Besides, easy to animate.)

Gah – yes. The sword fighting in that movie (the one with all the ice, yes?) was amazing. It’s going to be a real challenge too, which is great. Don’t know how long it’ll end up being – depends on the plot and how many times I can redraw a leg without wanting to cry – but I love the way you’ve outlined it there. (And also, write it. Write it now. Because really, how much of a setup do you need? Their wands are gone, they’re in a castle that could double as Ye Olde Weaponry Shoppe… pointy things ahoy!)

That’s about as anime as I can get, apparently. Only two shades per area, which was a real pain to figure out. But my ambition, such as it is, does not extend to making 3000+ frames with my realistic shading. No. *shudders*

They are a little aged up – hope that’s okay for you. It’s for the video, which is set after the death of, um, almost everyone. Based sort of on my dark!Harry picture. Lots of people dying and fighting and angst. And making out against walls, because Sara volunteered to be a beta-viewer, and I cater like anything to the people who give me comments. :D

Recs! Granate is right this minute thoroughly and comprehensively rocking my world, and I thank you for it. And them also, but mostly you.

Read ‘The Arrangement’. Read it. If you like Wufei, you will *love* it. It’s funny, but GW is the only fandom where I’ve ever gotten into threesomes. I think it works for me if they slant it as none of them being entirely whole, so that even a pairing isn’t stable enough to survive for long, and none of them being exactly conventional either. And then there’s the angst, which is exactly my type – no fault. *grins*

And I will not respond to the sword comments, because I just stopped laughing. And… *snerk* (But you’re right, too. Make a good picture in itself, that would.)

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

Heee! I would totally write like, a script for you if you want. In fact, I'm willing (and able!!1) to be as involved as you could possibly stand. *nodnod* Like, if you want to run things by me & such, I won't cry :D :D :D
God, I love making out against walls. Well, I mean, not -me-, I mean. Other people. Yeah ^^; Your character designs work well in motion, too. 'Course, it's H/D animated, you could do stick figures and I'd be all OMG TEH LURVE!!1!!!11! >:O >:O etc. Because I am just that lame.

Whoa, baby. I'm like all about the Heero/Duo-into-the-old-age-sunset-together thing, and I'm not that way with H/D, even, 'cause I think Heero's pretty stable like dat, see, and Duo wants a family, andandandand..!..!..!! heee. I just want to read a threesome where it doesn't work out and there's no happy ending-- or at least, the happy ending is, only 1x2 is together at the end, MUWAHAHAH. I could dig that :D :D :D

I totally spent like, a half hour yesterday, looking up what 'broadsword' and 'rapier' actually look like-- you wouldn't BELIEVE how many SCA manuals there are, ahahahahah. And like, sword-sparring societies. And like. Duuuuuude ^^; Yeah.
I totally think Draco would have asked for a rapier for his birthday at some point. Like, a magical one that like... uh... enhances one's magic powers??? Or gives strength and flexibility?? OR JUST LOOKS REALLY COOL. Or he could've gotten the Malfoy Rapier for his 16th, ya know, AHAHAH *hacks, coughs*

Clearly we appreciate a similar vein of extremely dorky humor :> :>

*cheerleads*

[cellia.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. I know you were telling reena, but I am *really* looking forward to seeing what you make if that icon and your past work is any indication of what can be expected from you.

Re: *cheerleads*

[ashjay.livejournal.com]

Aw, that's nice to hear. I'm still a little fuzzy on whether I'm going to be posting the in-progress things and all the little test animations that I'm making, so it's a pleasant surprise to get a comment out of the blue like this.

As a suitably random thank you, here's (http://xanadu-dreams.com//drawings/stumbletowall1.gif) a link to the only surviving larger, longer copy of that icon. It's around 400K, but still. Too small for me. And blurry. *grins*

Re: *cheerleads*

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

Ahhhhhhhhhh!! *squeals*
*loves on* Duuuuuuuuuude!!!!1lkjaf;lskjfd
So pretty! And! He smirks! And! So pretty! And like, flowy! Motion, wheeee! And camera panning..!..!!
...And now I have this need to hear voices BUT WE ARE ALL GIRLS, WHY GOD WHY :((

Um. <3
Do you have like, aim or y!m or something? Are you online? Because. Well. Okay, you get to be my guinea pig if you are, but otherwise I won't bother you~:)) I'm in that just-wrote-something-and-desperate-for-an-opinion stage, so hence the pouncing :>

But er. Mostly just squeeing. *sigh* The pretty. And. Draco's hair's white but he doesn't (quite) look like Spike, ahahahah :D

Re: *cheerleads*

[ashjay.livejournal.com]

I know! It’s so pretty, isn’t it? And yes, I would kill for voice actors, or even for the ability to do a half decent British accent – I have all the necessary software to lower voices. *grins* But I do like it, and I’m just sick about losing the big version. It is to sigh. (Isn’t the motion fun? I finally found a program to help with that, and I love it to an unhealthy degree. It’s like ten years old, but I don’t care. *hugs the box*)

I’m on AIM at the moment – TreeinFlower66 – and I’d love to be a guinea pig. Hit me, baby. Er, except not literally. Because I bruise.

Draco’s hair, man. Will kill me. I keep going back and forth. Darker, lighter, longer, shorter, rrr.

*waits for AIM contact, since I don't have your name*

And now to make myself look intelligent...

[unsubtle.livejournal.com]

Heero/Relena = pukefest
And that's all I have to say about that.


...


=)

:>

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

Heh. Oh man, I'm like that about loads of pairings-- it's sad, really. Hehehe, Heero/Relena included-- though usually I rationalize it every which way, at heart it's just -squicky-, man :>

This was going to be 1 sentence thanking you for a rec, but I got off on a tangent...

[cellia.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the Luna fic rec. Enjoyed muchly.

I have never read a fic for it (and any author probably wouldn't do it "right" anyway), but I secretly(?) ship Harry/Luna to a scary degree. Was going to ask you to drabble it last post, but remembered your pairing-Luna-with-anyone squick.

Ophelia!Luna and Hamlet!Harry makes me giggle, but the annoying voice in my head is taking it too seriously and saying that Luna is odd and loopy... but more kind of tao and pragmatic and not generally given to dramatics. One could characterize her as more, um, Delirium-ish, but that's not exactly right either. I can't really think of anyone to compare her to off the top of my head. She's just sort of an odd duck that doesn't quite fit into the standard fictional character-types/roles I can think of, even for "mad girls".

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

I write fics for squicks (...ahahah so lame) all the time, dude, and for you I'd write pretty much anything. The problem is that whole inspiration thing where I'd need more than a pairing to start with :> :> The same girl who wrote that Luna fic wrote a fic where Harry's this hornball who suddenly wakes up and realizes Luna's HAWT and like... ooooh baby, hormones. That made me laugh, ahahahahah. Anyway, fact remains that -my- Harry (this is what it usually comes down to) doesn't go for 'good', understanding, intelligent girls, and more for unavailable pretty girls he admires for a) spirit; b) looks; c) skillz. He's still a boy, basically, eheheheh. *gooses Harry* No one likes girls like Luna 'that way' when she's 15-16, man. Once again, I should know. *coughs* And like, I'm not bitter, even, 'cause she/I/we wacko girls don't like them 'that way' either. Even Hermione is something like that, which is partly why she's resistant to Ron. Though Ron isn't trying hard enough. But anyway.

I like mad!Luna because it's like... the other side of the Luna coin, to have her be more Ophelia/Drusilla-like. If she cracked, y'know, ahahah. I always like it when characters crack. And dude, Luna's kind of the crone archetype in a girl's body. I always self-identified with the crone who lives at the edge of the world, even when I was like, 8, so it totally makes sense to me :> She's the archetypal changeling child, the witch-baby who Sees the other world rather than the typical magician who kind of has a more use-oriented approach.

Luna may be pragmatic, but it's in a very twisted way; like... her process of belief is different 'cause it's more tied with her imagination than book-learning as for Hermione. She's like... a geek, basically, rather than a nerd. *laughs* Y'know those UFO people who read OMNI and stuff. Yeah. *coughs*

[cellia.livejournal.com]

Hm, Luna a young crone...and disconnected geek. I'm wrapping my brain around that idea and liking it.

And, ag. Luna is NOT hawt. No. Bad fanartists (myself included) for drawing her too pretty. She might grow into some prettiness due to unhinted-at genetic luck, but I don't see her taking those grooming steps necessary to maximize this and prettify herself. And I agree 100% about Harry being a teenage boy and liking the pretty/spirited/skilled chicks. Now, Luna is not a standard geek losergirl in that she doesn't seem to have self-esteem issues, but for Harry/Luna I'm not thinking teenage crush or passionate love affair. I'm not even *gasp* particularly thinking about hot porn. (what is WRONG with me?)

I think of them ultimately in their late 20s to 40s as companions kind of constantly surprised by the other. (I don't see romance at a young age unless there is some magical plot device.) I just want to see them hang out. Lots. Like, a gen fic might even fill my needs. I like the idea of them going through the world together, enhancing the other's experience of it, and in their own bizarre/dysfunctional ways taking care of each other.

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

Have I ever told you how startlingly sane you were?? Don't worry, that's a compliment :D :D I'm very glad you're not after teenage-crush!H/L, since that hurts my head. You should read that fic so that your head hurts along with me. Muwahahah, etc.

I want to see them hang out too, see, though I've currently written only one H/L-type scene, for my post-OoTP Sirius-mourning Harryfic. It was beautiful and I wrote it last summer, but I got stuck on trying to make it more H/D-like at the end, because I am stupid and obsessive when it comes to some things ><;;

I so resent the people who make Hermione pretty/cool to make her Harry or Ron's girlfriend. EBIL PEOPLE!!1 >:O *sigh* old issues :>

I just like writing teenagers & teenage-type romance, I think. I must have issues or something. It doesn't even occur to me most times, to think of what "adult"-type pairings you could theoretically successfully have. I think it's just that adult!Harry hurts my head in general. In a similar way that adult!Tim Hunter hurts my head, but that's a whole 'nother kettle of bitter, bitter fish. It's kind of disturbing to realize you HATE a character you -adored- when they were 13. *sigh* But I blame that on the REALLY BLOODY SUCKTASTIC writer. And the art ain't too spiffy either. *stews*

Hehehe. Yeah, sometimes I'm not in the H/D for the porn, either, and just want them to hang out. I'm an odd duck also~:))

[emeraldstorms.livejournal.com]

It all depends on the dynamics, but how many dynamics are there in a pairing? That's what I ask.

Right now, using H/D as an example, I can think of two dynamics (I'm a closet shipper, :3):

Angst. Oh the angst of hate/love relationships, and good and eb1l, and dark and light! Sad endings are popular with these dark!fics. I'm not such a fan of them.

Snarky fights. I'm in love with the snarkyness (which is why I love your occaisional snarky!porn ficlets <33) that comes along with the ship. It usually comes around in humor!fics, but is also seen in angst!fics too.

So if you like angst and your friend likes snark but you're both H/D shippers, how do you know which aspect you like? You don't, which is why people like myself get squicked by pairings like Snarry, because ew. There is no snark, only commanding tones and greasy porn. It is also why people who like the angst think I'm crazy when I say, "Ron/Hermione is teh goodship, liek w0ah!!1" Complete lack of angst there, unless Ron accidentally trips over his own shoelace and breaks his back.

But yeah. That's what I think, anyway.

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

Ahahah, I love breaking-his-neck!Ron. OMG <33333333 Yeah, um, if it's not obvious, I'm in love with the snark too, like wh0ah. Though I love angsty!H/D too... I love all sorts of H/D dynamic as long as they still hate each other and there's sex and Draco's not nice. That's all I ask, please, please god, let Draco not be nice and Harry not be a wet noodle :> Can't have porn with a wet noodle, y'know.

Ahem. But I know what you mean, I just think there are complexities in possible dynamics (and hybrids all over the place) that are hard to pin down entirely.

Snarry can have snark too, though not as often. A lot of people write Harry in a way that he stands up to Snape, see (which is canon), so he can sort of dish it out as well as take it, so to speak, but yeah, it's much less juvenile and much more... er... droll? Dryly sarcastic? Something like that. Can't argue about the grease, however :D Ahahah greasy porn >:D :D! <3!

[malafede.livejournal.com]

Pffft, hetters.

[malafede.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I realise I'm wanking here, but shipping patterns are not as easily identifiable as you are painting them. They're influenced by as many reasons as shipping one single pairing is. Like:

a lukewarm, idealize-your-anima/animus, the-hero-gets-the-girl cliche

I ship Heero/Relena, and am sort of resenting your assumption that 1) that's the concept behind H/R, and 2) that's the impetus behind all H/R shippers. Because it's not. Like... a lot of people think H/D is sentimental drivel. And I am like, wtf, mate? It's the nastiest most messed up thing in the world! But trying to put myself in their feet, I actually see why they would perceive H/D as sappy and cliched. This doesn't mean I agree. Cognitive dissonance, learn to love it. ;)

So what I am trying to say, it's possible me and you ship H/D for completely different reasons (kinks?), and this is why we also ship differently in other fandoms (even in HP fandom, as I don't care one bit for Ron/Hr and it's actually starting to creep me, and I won't even get into the S/R issue). Like - you think H/D is all about opposites attracting, or that's just the biggest factor, but for me it's not, it's the impossibility, it's the monster-factor, it's what I think love is. Also! Because I am invested in one concept, it doesn't mean I can't be invested in other themes. Yeah, I like the self accepting the other, but I also care for understatement as opposed to pointless drama, and humanity as opposed to ideals and compassion, and peace embracing the soldier, and ugliness as part of our baggage as humans, and silliness for the same reasons. That's why I ship Heero/Relena.

And to explain this further: I'm really finding it difficult to follow your discussions of Heero/Duo because I find myself wondering if we were even watching the same series. Which isn't meant to ridiculise you, but rather to give another example of how perceptions vary.

I sort of ship Kyo/Tohru, except Tohru's really starting to get on my nerves, and anyway I like Kyo/Yuki more. Shigure/Hatori's were the fun's at.

[malafede.livejournal.com]

wow, i didn't read your post at all, did i?

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

Well, I was just saying that -my- shipping patterns were ptetty easily identifiable. I don't know about other people, heheh. I think I know why I ship the things I do, and there's a thread binding them all together even if it's not apparent, y'know.

Yeah, I try to love cognitive dissonance all the time, but it's hard 'cause my mind naturally tends towards harmony and generalization. Heh. I try to fight it (as I said) but I just like putting things together and seeing patterns and such. Mer.

I can see myself liking H/R if they had personal chemistry-- i.e., if it was another story. I freely admit I don't actually even like canon beyond the characterizations you have to work with in fanfic, ahahahah. This is how I was for a long, long time with HP, so like, w00t, progress. I think there are all these valid reasons for why they have "issues" together that are interesting to explore (Heero & Relena I mean), but they're not -romantic- issues, to me. Romance isn't all that's interesting to me either (though it's hard to believe, I know) but romance (passionate love vs. other sorts of love) -is- about self vs. other chemistry & pointless drama, eheheh.

I love H/D for all sorts of reasons, you should know that by now, although like... I haven't written a why-I-love-H/D post for ages now... there's some here (http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=reenka&keyword=harry/draco&filter=all). I wasn't really discussing 1x2 here at all-- or any pairing. I find the best way to "explain" 1x2 is to read good fic for them, and same for H/D, actually, ahaha. There -is- no real romance between anyone in the series, so too many discussions of canon seem counterproductive since it's all extrapolation anyway. 1x2 is a more personal-growth oriented pairing-- like, they're both messed up but I think they can make each other forget and they can grow up together. They can sort of be two boys with scars they both understand without needing to talk about it. But like I said, good fics are the only 'proof' :> Plus, Relena is not at all the type of girl I like-- but that doesn't usually impact my shipping. Like, I may not love Tohru (though I like her), but I can ship her if I think the other person's feelings towards her are important, intense feelings. I think after the last ep, Kyo/Tohru was like... yeah. *siiiiigh* I love Kyo/Yuki too, of course, how could I not? It's my only OT3 :> :>

I love romance which deals with the "monster-factor"-- in fact, that's one of my favorite themes, archetypically-- ala `Beauty and the Beast' and Kyo/Tohru (heeeee). Usually in this sort of romance, the other person would possess an exceptional amount of kindness and inner strength and faith, and the monster/boy would need her to understand that he's -not- a monster after all. Her love would kind of... release him from a sort of self-bondage. My problem is probably that I don't see this self-hatred vs. acceptance dynamic in GW, since it's much more about morals and ideals and what's "right" and "true" and Heero & Relena just have different philosophical stances. Relena's pacifism seems more political than emotional, like Tohru's. If that makes sense. Bleh. So while Duo may not bring any sort of peace, he seems more likely to bring acceptance of what -is-; of Heero's reality. Again, I'm probably not making sense. Mostly it's just about the personality friction dynamic I enjoy.

I think I just ship H/D for more diverse and manifold reasons than I ship other peirings I haven't spent as much time thinking about. At this point, I ship H/D for just about every reason there is, both personal and idealogical-- so it's opposites attracting (the snark and the bounce and the chemistry) and the idea of accepting the Other & one's own darkness & blah-blah-the-rest. I can't let go of the snark, though. People have to be "good together", hehehe, to be fun to write about for me. It's a 'bounce' thang. I say po-tay-to, you say po-tah-to, that's what makes a romance sing :D etc. Like... the thing that S/R & R/Hr & 1x2 have in common (for me) is that I ship them for personal-chemistry rather than idealism reasons. They kinda... bounce off each other. Wheeee! Love as a form of good dialogue~:)

I'm so Greek :>

[psychobarfly.livejournal.com]

Happeh birthdeh, chickiedoodle! :-*

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

*squeals!*
<3<3<3<3!! :D
I mean, it was yesterday, but. *beams* thanks >:D

[psychobarfly.livejournal.com]

:"> LJ was misbehaving yesterday, and I did not have the patience to endure the error pages. Thus I am a day late and a dollar short! #-o But still, er, the birthdateness was technically new information to me today, so! :-" *loffs upon*

[malafede.livejournal.com]

what! argh! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOU HEERO/DUO SHIPPER CANON RAPER YOU MWAHAHAHA *cough*.

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

hehehe <3 thankees. *bows*
& also MY SHIP CAN BEAT UP YOUR SHIP :P eheheh