2, 10, & 11
2. What is your current OTP?
Geez, I don’t even know where to begin; I like way too many couples, and then I always end up listing the same things. Ah well.
Pride and joy is still Bowser and Mario, that’s like one constant that I can’t let go. That’s good though, since I’m writing their story together.
It’s been about a year, but I’m still really interested in my take on Bigwig and Fiver for Watership Down. They have barely any content, but I feel like it’d be a really cute couple.
For Pokemon, I’m still on my usual kick of Machamp/Alakazam and Kadabra/Machoke, which is funny, given what happened to them in my stories. Besides them, I still like the usual, Nidoking/Rhydon, Samurott/Typhlosion, Greninja/Chesnaught, and the list of familiar pairs goes on.
There are a handful from Generation 7 that I like, but I’m going to keep those quiet for the moment, in case I want to use them in fanfics in the future. A less common couple that I want to briefly mention is Nidoqueen/Kangaskhan, which I actually love a lot, but stupidly didn’t come up with back when I originally started my fanfics. Ugh, it’s so cute, and I’m kicking myself for never using it.
A bunch of Fire Emblem ships that I’m currently thriving on, namely from Fire Emblem: Three Houses, but there are too many from that. I’ll just give a quick shout-out to Dorothea/Edelgard, which is really cute and I feel underrated, but at least it exists and people enjoy them together.
Since I’ve been watching some Netflix cartoons lately, I’ve also enjoyed couples in those. She-Ra keeps teasing and then destroying pairings, but one that seems to bubble up every so often is Spinnerella and Netossa, who are very minor characters, but their interactions together are precious.
There’s also a possible couple happening on the Dragon Prince, but I’m nervous because they rushed it, so I’m not sure if I’ll like it; I was hoping they would build it more organically, which I will find out with the coming season if they will or will not.
I’m sure there’s more stuff that I’m excited for, but that’s the current stuff that’s on my mind.
10. Do characters have to have canon interactions for you to ship them?
Ha, not at all; I ship Pokemon couples, so that already shows off how little I regard canon.
Do I like and/or lean towards couples that have interaction? Sometimes, yeah; it can be easier to work on established relationships. But, I still like building up bonds when and where I can.
Plus, even when a pairing has canon interactions, those are not always what I like following. Sometimes I go, “but wouldn’t it be great if they were romantically invested instead of just friends?” And then it flows from there.
Basically: canon helps, but is not a requisite for me.
11. What makes a great ship in your own opinion?
This is a good question, but I don’t think it’s one that can be answered with unilateral justice. Even putting it to my opinion, I have different tastes for different couples. In one breath, I’ll tell you “opposite qualities are cute,” while in the next, I’ll come out with, “it’s so cute when they’re so similar!”
So, my honest answer is that ships vary and my interests shift based on their dynamics.
But that’s not a fun answer on its own, so I guess I’ll give some general points that I like! Personally, I feel like a great ship is determined mutual attraction and both really getting into one another. That sounds simple, but it’s really nice when two characters develop investment. It doesn’t have to be where the couple is blushing, stammering messes around each other, or they constantly coo at one another. Just liking each other a lot and displaying some level of affection between each other is great.
Also, I’m a really big sucker for characters that can boost one another up and comfort each other. Life is hard, and when someone is around to either share one’s burdens or alleviate tension, that’s super sweet. No, I don’t mean that one should give up their live for another, I HATE when one character gives up their dreams; I just like it when one struggles with life or personal tragedies, and the other helps bring them out of it. Hurt/Comfort stuff is really wonderful.
...Ok, and I do like silly flirting and blushing, embarrassing messes for couples, I admit that. Those are cute, especially when they take turns teasing and being embarrassed.
