Flystelle and Judelle for Ship, and hrm. Let's do Alexei for the Character. ...or Judith. Or both.
I'll do both! and put it under a cut because it got long.
Flystelle!
when I started shipping it if I did: I started shipping them about a year after I got involved in the Vesperia fandom, so about 9 years ago.
my thoughts: HHHHH my otp for the game. I love them. But I'm also kind of glad they aren't canon because I don't trust Bamco to write them well.
What makes me happy about them: There 2-3 years pre-game when Flynn and Estelle were each other's only friend and I think about it constantly. (Well, Yuri was still Flynn's friend, but after Yuri left the Knights they weren't really lose for those years). Flynn was the first person to show Estelle friendship, and I aaaaaa.
What makes me sad about them: Probably just that they're a rarepair so there's like, next to no content. In canon, thinking about Flynn's role in Alexei's coup and thus his guilt over what happened to Estelle because of him is SO SAD.
things done in fanfic that annoys me: Well, there isn't really much fanfic in the first place, but of the fanfic that exists, I with there was more that dug into the deeper aspects of them. Like, I don't think the way they are in canon is the set-up for a healthy long-term relationship. They've both got some idealized images of the other to work through (of seeing the other as a perfect knight/delicate princess). And the way they work through those unrealistic views in order to love the authentic person is a whole process that a lot of fanfic skips over.
things I look for in fanfic: I'm always looking for any sort of Flystelle fic that has some meat. Like, I can enjoy a quick shot of fluff, but like I said before, I love a fic that digs in deeper. And I am always here for hurt/comfort, but I especially like it when Flynn is the one who's hurt and Estelle supports him. Partly because Flynn is my go-to whump magnet, and partly because it's an inversion of the "expected" dynamic of a knight and a princess. I want to see the knight in peril and the princess rescue him!
Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: My second choice for Estelle is Judith, and my second choice for Flynn is Yuri.
My happily ever after for them: They live together in Zaphias. Estelle is a novelist who works from home and occasionally stays with Rita in Halure for extended periods, usually whenever Flynn is going to be out of town on Knight business for a while. They have a family and work together with Ioder to bring reforms to the Empire. Estelle's biggest job is making sure Flynn doesn't overwork himself.
who is the big spoon/little spoon: Estelle is big spoon when she drags Flynn away from work and pulls him into bed and holds him tight so he can't sneak out to write one more report. Flynn defaults to big spoon in other cases by virtue of being significantly taller so it's just easier.
what is their favorite non-sexual activity: Just sitting around talking. Discussing the books they've read and places they've been and ideas for the empire. They just enjoy each other's company.
Now Judelle!
when I started shipping it if I did: I think it was around 5 years ago. One day I was watching the scene where Yuri talks to Judith in Zaphias castle after the Sword Stair, and the way Judith talks about Estelle suddenly clicked and I said "oh no I ship it now."
my thoughts: Estelle is the anchor that pulled Judith out of drifting aimlessly with Ba'ul. Judith has such a subdued way of speaking, but when she talks about Estelle, she sounds fiercely protective.
What makes me happy about them: I love both of them opening up each other's worlds. Judith represents the freedom Estelle was denied all her life, while Estelle is the stability Judith hasn't had in a long time. I just think they're cute
What makes me sad about them: They're even more of a rarepair so it's almost impossible to find content. I'm pretty sure they only have 1 fic on ao3 and that was written by me.
things done in fanfic that annoys me: Well... there is no fanfic.
things I look for in fanfic: I just want them to be happy and giggly and have fun together. I think they would both make each other better people, with Judith encouraging Estelle to focus and Estelle encouraging Judith to take part in the world and open herself to others.
Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Estelle with Flynn, and Judy with Yuri. Those are my two top ships for Vesperia, so Judelle is more of the "if not those other two, this one" option.
My happily ever after for them: They don't live together, because Judith wouldn't want to be grounded all the time, while Estelle does want to settle. They get together whenever they can. Judith writes her letters while sitting on Ba'ul's back, and Estelle always gets excited when she sees that speck in the distance of Ba'ul flying toward Zaphias.
who is the big spoon/little spoon: Estelle tries really hard to be big spoon, but Judith tackled her into a bear hug.
what is their favorite non-sexual activity: Heading out into the world and exploring.
Alright, on to characters.
Alexei:
How I feel about this character: He's an amazing character. He's a poorly utilized character. He's so complex. He's a one-note villain. I think I see a lot more in him that a lot of people do, and all my interpretations are drawing directly from things he says and does in game, but also at some point reading between the lines becomes doing the writers' jobs for them. I don't know. I really like him.
All the people I ship romantically with this character: I don't really ship him romantically with anyone, but I'm a fan of fucked-up and unhealthy one-sided Yuri/Alexei, and also fucked-up and unhealthy Flynn/Alexei where Alexei is using Flynn's crush on him to manipulate him. Both of these are sorta ships but mostly the premise for drama and angst fics. Oh also his unnamed OC ex-wife who dumped him and triggered a midlife crisis.
My non-romantic OTP for this character: I'm also interested in Flynn and Alexei's relationship in a non-romantic context, but also I like the idea of Duke and Alexei being estranged friends. I like to imagine they were close friends who joined the Knights together, making them an even closer parallel for Yuri and Flynn
My unpopular opinion about this character: I think he has clear motivation for his actions in canon. I know a lot of people say he's just vaguely evil for world domination, but without even looking at content from side materials, he's pretty direct in canon about wanting to reform the Empire in a similar way that Flynn does. He has all the same ideals that Flynn does, but was disillusioned after the war that he could achieve those goals without going to extremes.
One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Not die at Zaude!!!! I've said this a thousand times but he should have been the final villain. He's got all this personal drama with the heroes and then he just dies and we go into act 3 with no one to fight against. And he was just getting really interesting when he realizes he fucked up with Zaude but he died before getting a chance to explore that realization.
my OTP: I mean.... nothing romantic really. Either of the aforementioned Yuri or Flynn angst relationships are good.
my cross over ship: Hm.... I am wracking my brain and cannot think of any.
a headcanon fact: I think a lot of his more grandiose villainy is an intentional act - he failed to save the world as a hero, so he's going to do it as a villain. He'll play the role of villain if that's what the world needs of him, and I think framing it that way in his mind helps him distance himself from what he's doing
And finally, dear Judy
How I feel about this character: She's super cool! I find her hard to write and it's hard to find fics that I feel really nail her. She's so... slippery. Both blunt and subtle. I love the way she slowly opens up to the others over the course of the game.
All the people I ship romantically with this character: Yuri, Estelle, and Flynn are the main ones. I can enjoy Judith/Rita content sometimes too.
My non-romantic OTP for this character: All of the above romantic ships are also good friendships. I love the way Yuri and Judy vibe together, whether they're romantic partners or not. And also her relationship with Ba'ul!
My unpopular opinion about this character: I don't know if this is widespread enough to be an unpopular opinion, but I don't believe she and Rita are sisters.
One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I wish she and Yuri had continued the flirty banter they had in Ghasfarost, and I wish she and Yuri had a more in-depth talk about what she did after Nordopolica and his feelings about punishing her for that, both for Yuri's development and her own.
my OTP: Yuri/Judy
my cross over ship: Judy/Izumi Curtis from FMA would be amazing
a headcanon fact: She doesn't "talk" to Ba'ul with words and full sentences, it's more like a telepathic exchange of emotions and images and moods. She's spent so long primarily communicating with him in this way that she's sort of forgotten how to talk to people with spoken language, which is why she can seem a little weird sometimes.
