Day 24 - Couple you like, but is overshadowed by another couple in a fandom



Faramir/Eowyn

I adore this couple, and they are definitely overshadowed by Aragorn/Arwen (or the multiple non-canon ships fandom comes up with). He is such a...warrior poet is the term I want I think. He's obviously a good leader of men - his Rangers follow him without hesitation - and he's a scholar, someone who is looking beyond the surface. He doesn't just want to be a fighter, a simple man. He's got layers of complexity when you start breaking down his interactions with Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, Pippin, and even Gollum, let alone his family and followers. She, on the other hand, wants to be someone simple. She is tired of bearing the burden of womanhood, court, caretaker, niece, sister, etc. She just wants to be free.

I find it amazing the two are able to find each other. He would be exactly the sort to let her test her wings while always ready to welcome her home - because of that, she will not need to fly away. She knows the door is open and can stay in confidence. On the flip side, she will guard his poet's heart with the ferocity of a mother wolf. He would not always have to be the fighter, the strong man, because he has a partner who can take the burden from time to time.

Well, I lost track of this for a LONG time, but then rinkafic asked a question and I figured I could go ahead and finish...so here we go. (Previous entries are all tagged the same so you can check it out if you want.)

Day 23 - Couple you only shipped after a long time



Sarah Williams/Jareth

I always loved the movie, but I was still in the good/bad, never the two shall meet type mode for the longest time. It took me awhile to move beyond the little girl 'princess' loves the good guy to being an adult woman who likes guys with an edge. Once I did that, these two took on a whole different image for me. I like them - once Sarah grows up and out of her "It's not fair!" stage, she stands up to him, she claims her own power. Even in relationships where someone chooses to be submissive, they should all possess and claim their own power - until they do, the relationship is doomed. Once she claims her power, she can stand equal to him, and the field is open for the creative at that point.

It may take me forever, but I'm determined to finish this.

Day 22 - Saddest unrequited love

I don't know that I actually have one of these. I'm trying to think of something, and nothing is coming to me. Most of my ships either happened and fell apart or didn't happen at all. I have a few that actually worked. Unrequited though? Well, this is probably the closest I can come to it, and I think another couple of episodes would have fixed that problem. (Darn BBC for cancelling!)



Barbara Havers/Thomas Lynley

From the Inspector Lynley Mysteries

Chalk and cheese...apples and oranges...these two should not work...on paper anyway. Barbara Havers is a tough as nails woman from the working class getting by on grit, determination, and bulldog stubbornness. Thomas Lynley is the 8th Earl of Asherton who uses manners, decorum and suave persuasion. While everyone expects the partnership to breakdown and send both of them running, they end up being perfect partners - their different points of view give them a better overall picture, and they share a strong sense of justice.

While their mutual attraction grows to the point of being all but undeniable, they never do act on it. You can see it building though, and a few more episodes might have finally seen something work out.

Day 21 - Favorite opposites attract couple

Oh my gosh! This is probably my absolute favorite trope. I love the idea of opposites attract. I always feel it makes for better sparks! Instead of trying to pick one, I'm just going to pop a handful of pictures in.



Jennifer Keller/Ronon Dex - compassionate healer and "shoot first" fighter



Barbara Havers/Thomas Lynley - working class tough woman and noble class refined fellow



Eowyn/Faramir - woman with the heart of a lion and soldier with the heart of a scholar



Temperance Brennen/Seeley Booth - cold-minded scientist with a hidden heart and people-person cop with a sniper's eye

We could go on indefinitely if I stopped to think about it.

Day 20 - Favorite couple played for laughs



Janine Melnitz/Egon Spengler

I don't normally do comedies, or sitcoms, etc, so I was really having to think about this one. I finally settled on a classic comedy for my choice. These two were funny to watch. She was so dry and deadpan with the others but definitely lusting for him. He was so uncomfortable with her. It was hysterical!

Day 19 - Favorite Hero/Villain pairing



Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy - I like the potential mix here. The good girl and the bad boy; the bookworm "commoner" and the partier (for a wizard) "noble" - they have a huge potential for sparks. Sparks can go one of two ways, good or bad. I think Draco had the potential to be a great deal more than the foil for Harry's school career. In book 4, at the World Cup, you saw a glimmer of that potential when he reminds them the Death Eaters would eagerly go after Hermione since she was a muggle-born. Hermione lived up to a great deal of her potential, but she seemed forced into the relationship with Ron. It didn't feel like it grew naturally to me, and I think her cutting intelligence would have been a fabulous foil for Draco's airs. He would have challenged her, always pushing, always poking. I think it would have been a pair to see.

((Please note, Rinks stole my first choice of Sarah/Jareth.))

Day 18 - Most annoying character that tried to come between a ship

Well, Rinks beat me to Lavender, so I had to try and think of somebody else.



Rei Hino (Sailor Mars)

Most of the people I can think of actually succeeded in breaking up or preventing my ship, so I had to really try and think of one who just "tried". I could only come up with Rei, who kept trying to get between Serena (Tsukino Usagi-Sailor Moon) & Damien (Chiba Mamoru-Tuxedo Mask). I like Sailor Moon (& have been stamped as her), but this part annoyed me. Of course, most people trying anything on my ships annoys me.

Day 17 - Ship you talk(ed) about with people in real life



Bonnie Bennett/Damon Salvatore

I know the Vampire Diaries from the books, not really the show. At the end of the 4 book series, when things have basically fallen into place, I was left with the feeling these two might make a good pairing. There was the right amount of tension between them, and they'd had a couple of good scenes.

People who only know the show have told me "no way!", so...*shrugs*

I liked Bonnie in the books, and couldn't stand Elena, so it may be a projection.

Day 16 - Favorite villain pairing



I am seriously not going to give much of an explanation. If you know these two, you know why they are my choice. If you don't know these two, you need to go get the Buffy DVDs and start watching.

Spike and Drusilla are a wonderful pairing. They play off each other so well, and you get a sense of real affection between them. This is something you haven't really gotten from the other vamps on the show. They are fun bad guys.

Day 15 - A ship canon really messed with

Well, I could have gone back to several of my favorites, but I figured I'd use a new one.



Rachel Berry/Noah "Puck" Puckerman

These two had such potential, and it got pretty much squandered. Once Rachel became a person to Puck, he ceased tormenting her. (Note - I did not say he stopped teasing, just tormenting.) Also, he is one of two(?) who apologized to her for his behavior. He gave up football for her. He was willing to put her (& Glee) above his popularity and place in the school. He helped come up with the idea to stop her from having plastic surgery, and he's the one who got her in place. She is more herself with him than she ever seems to be with the others. She doesn't try to change to fit some image with him, and he doesn't seem to expect her to. After his change of heart/attitude, she trusts him. She confides in him. More to the point, he is more of a friend to her than her other romantic interests...at least in my opinion.

The bad boy/good girl angle is a standard for a reason, and they could have played it so well.

Day 14 - Couple you liked even though you knew it would end up badly



Cordelia Chase/Xander Harris

I liked these two! They could drive each other to absolute distraction, both the good way and the bad way. Snark and sarcasm plus some cutting wit - they combined them in some fascinating ways when together. Both of them used their attitudes as a shield - Cordelia's popular girl hid a caring heart while Xander's class clown his a strong loyalty. Both of them got involved in fighting darkness ~ even if it was often less-than-enthusiastic on Cordy side. She still did get involved as did he.

You had to know it would end badly though. Cordelia had no intention of staying in Sunnydale while Xander would not leave Buffy and Willow to fight alone. A long distance romance would never have worked with these two. They need someone with them to shield, lean on, and fight with. Still, I thought their strengths and weaknesses balanced each other out.

Day 13 - Couple you ship that causes intense feelings in its fandom (read: flamewars and the like)



Calleigh Dusquene/Horatio Caine

I could have gone back to Buffy/Riley or Gwen/Jack again, but I figured it would be better to pick a different pairing.

Calleigh/Horatio has been a favorite of mine since I first watched CSI: Miami. They feed off each other so well, and both have always been there for the other. However, the pairing does tend to cause "flamewars" - most especially from folks who want Calleigh with either Jake or Eric. I like both pairings well enough, but it always struck me as Calleigh having to be the mature one. I wanted to see her with someone who could be her rock.

Sure enough, I fell behind! I'm combining these two days since they're from the same fandom.

Day 11 - Character you like with several others
Day 12 - Character you don’t like seeing paired with anyone else

Character you like with several others



Buffy Summers - Over the time of the show, her personality matured and grew. In the end, she became someone I could see with various pairings. Granted, all of them are the protective, fighting types, but still...

Character you don't like seeing paired with anyone else



Willow Rosenberg - Let me start by saying I adored Tara. She was a wonderful character, and I thought she brought a new depth to the cast. However, I really, really prefer the Willow/Oz pairing. While he and Tara shared a stability (which Willow desperately needs in her partner), I felt Oz had more strength. He gave Willow a structure of stability, but also a foundation of strength.

Day 10 - Ship that became canon even though you didn’t expect it to



Lindsay Monroe/Danny Messer

I'll admit it, I didn't expect the writers to actually let them make it to the altar and the baby. I liked them as a pair from the beginning - the big city guy and the country girl. I loved how he could rile her up and how she could bring down his ego. I enjoy them working and living as a family. It is nice to see it ~ TV is full of single people and divorced people. I hope their union continues working.

((HEY! I made it to day 10...1/3 of the way there!))

Day 9 - Your least favorite couple



Rachel Berry/Finn Hudson

Mostly I could not stand Finn. Rachel has her faults; she has from day one. No one ever let her forget them. She was pushy, arrogant, and sent Sunshine to a crack house - definitely not of the good, and they are constantly thrown at her. Finn, on the other hand, usually received a pass. He leads Rachel on to get her back to Glee while he's with Quinn; he goes after Quinn while she's with Sam; he lies about having sex with Santana - no one holds him accountable for these.

I don't care for the pairing because I think it brings out the worst in both of them. Rachel becomes a desperate girl clinging to him while Finn's insecurities over his popularity come to the fore. I just think the pairing weakens both of them. I feel Rachel is meant for bigger and brighter places than Lima while Finn strikes me as a hometown boy. While I believe opposites attract, I don't feel Finn has the hunger to move above and beyond Lima to make the relationship work.

Day 8 - A pairing only you seem to like



Gwen Cooper/Jack Harkness - Torchwood

Well, I could have used Buffy/Riley again, but I figured I'd better pick a different pair today.

Torchwood fandom is full of Janto shippers, and there seem to be a lot of people who don't like Gwen at all. So it is no surprise to me that people dislike the Gwen/Jack pairing. I like them. I think Jack gives Gwen a freedom and adventure she needs to flourish while Gwen reminds him of why humanity is worth fighting for. They have a beautiful balance between them, and their ability to touch each other really calls to me.

Day 7 - A pairing that disappointed you

Going back to Buffy for this...



Buffy Summers/Riley Finn

I thought this pairing had some potential. A guy (not a vampire) who knew about the nightlife, and fought it. Someone who could be with Buffy under both sun and moon; someone who could support her as the Slayer while also loving her as the woman. She didn't have to hide from him. It had a chance.

Unfortunately the writers decided to send things in the wrong direction. I enjoyed the "mad scientist" thing with the Initiative, and him going AWOL was great, but after that they had him go into this spiral of jealously and depression that I hated. I don't think they gave the 'ship the chance to grow in a healthy direction. They really seemed to want to stick with the darker, bad-for-Slayer pairings with Angel and Spike. (Of course, I also think they screwed up a potentially great character with Riley, so...)

Day 6 - Series that you have many ships in

Buffy the Vampire Slayer





Well, as you can see by the pictures, I don't ship Buffy/Angel. I like Buffy and I like Angel - I just don't like them together. (I did like Cordelia/Angel in AtS, but that's another story.) However, I love several ships in this fandom.

I liked Xander with both Cordy and Anya - the sparks from two snarky/sarcastic people in a relationship was just too fun. In both relationships, Xander and either girl could give and take insults, sarcasm, and passion with equality.

I loved Willow and Oz as a pair. They were just so cute! The king of stoic and the queen of babble created this wonderful balance between them. He could teach her how to be her own person, not caring what others thought, while she could accept his less-civilized side.

Yes, I am one of the weird folks out there who actually enjoyed the ship between Buffy and Riley...clear up until jealously took over. I would have preferred they try and keep Riley more of the take-charge leader he was with the Initiative. It would have given Buffy someone she could lean on.

I also liked the ever evolving relationship between Buffy and Spike. The constant up-down, love-hate thing could have been completely annoying, but SMG & JM played their characters with the right balance of emotion, drama & comedy. I loved when they were together on the screen.

I thought Giles and Joyce had the potential to add some extra tension to the whole thing, especially if Giles had to try and have the relationship while keeping the Slayer business secret.

Day 5 - A crossover pairing you think would work



Buffy Summers/Dean Winchester

I guess I should say the more mature version of Buffy - after she is brought back and rediscovers the desire to live. At that point, both Buffy and Dean have an understanding of the supernatural, and a desire to keep their family safe. They are both overprotective older siblings, and they get the concept of everything taking a backseat to preventing the apocalypse. It's hard to have a relationship when only one partner comprehends the importance of certain priorities. In addition, they could each be a shelter for the other. When the Scoobies start expecting perfection or Sam is being difficult. Both of them understand responsibility and being in charge. While they have different strengths and weaknesses, they could have an equal relationship.

Day 4 - Favorite Crack Pairing

I really don't go in much for crack. It can be amusing, but I really don't have a favorite "crack" pairing. Now I have some I find humorous, but that doesn't mean the same thing in my mind, so I'm going to pass on this day. Sorry! Tomorrow will be better!