Updated 19-Apr-2002
I've decided to revise some of my earlier opinions. I did say I could do that in the original contract, right? I haven't written all, or even 1/6th, of these pairings. Some I've never even seen before. However, if you happen to get the overwhelming desire to write one of the rarer pairings on this list, please tell me! I would love to read it. (Fanfic whore? Who, me?)
Everything in this little rant is just my opinion; none of it is official. I don't think there is anything official for pairing in GW. If any of this pisses you off, I have two things to say:
Standard Pairings (or what shows up with greater frequency):
2+1/1+2: GW fandom thrives on this pairing. Debates on who should be the 'top' can become truly nasty, but entertaining. Enough UST going on it's amazing they don't spontaneously combust. Aesthetically, it's gorgeous. And the angst potential has been proven over and over again.
1+R: I can only see this one working after the Eve Wars. Both of them need to grow up enough to see beyond the idealizations that they've made of each other. (I think Heero does it as much as Relena, it's just not as obvious.) I have only seen one believable 1+R 'ship, and that would be Karen Seraph's "Revelations" arc.
2+H: ^________^ I love this pairing. It's second only to my fixation on 2+1+H. The cute factor is only dwarfed by the sheer hentai possibilities. (For all you Duo/Hilde 'shippers out there Sabacat runs the kick ass D/H Addiction site. *drools* More stories than you can shake a really big stick at.)
3+4/4+3: I think I need to visit the dentist. Sap and sweetness overload.
13+5/5+13: Shota, yech. I don't like this one because the age gap is too big, and I don't think Wufei would sleep with the enemy. Sure, he'd angst about wanting to, but I don't think he'd actually do it.
5+S: As the very wise Katsu once said: 'Sally is not a sugar momma.' ;p Maternal/sisterly feelings is about all she has for him, IMO.
5+M: I don't think Wufei realized he loved/respected/admired/whatever her until after she died. I love this one in AU's. I love it when her ghost shows up and smacks him around for being the uber-ass that he is in the series. ^.^
13+6/6+13:
6+9: >.< Yes, it would make Noin happy. Yes, it's the standard het pairing for these two. No, I don't like it. I think Zechs is a Bish Billy (if you get this ref, email me and I'll write you a fic), and Noin deserves better.
13+11: I used to thing that these two were wonderful together, but the more I thought about it (and the more Hope kept baggering me on it) the more I realized that their entire relationship is sort of ... well ... fucked up. I mean, why should they be the only ones to have a normal relationship? HOWEVER, I still like it. I think I actually like it more with all it's intensely messed up qualities. Angst, baby, angst.
R+D/D+R: *_* Absolute perfection. Intensity, longing
looks, chemistry, angst, UST, bishoujo... I think these
two work together better than 2+1/1+2. And the
chemistry between them
9+11/11+9: I can see this. No matter what Hope says, I
can see this.
9+S/S+9: My favorite Noin pairing. Sally, unlike that damned bish Billy, would treat Noin right. Besides, it's two strong, beautiful women. *_* What's not to like?
Alternative Pairings (not necessarily odd or weird ones, just not as common):
5+R: My all time favorite pairing for Relena next to D+R/R+D. I love the two of them together. Wufei would not be one to idealize her, and after the Eve Wars I think Relena would appreciate that. She'd be able to show him that you don't have to fight to demonstrate your strength. I just like them together, dagnamit! (There are seriously not enough fics for this pairing. If you know some, point me at 'em!)
1+H: ^________^ I love the aesthetics of this one. For some reason I can see this relationship working. I think they would be friends after the Eve Wars if nothing else. I think Heero would like her for all the reasons he seems to be fond of Duo.
2+R: ^.^v I like this one. I don't understand why everyone seems to insist that these two hate each other. I don't see that; I think if you got Heero out of the way they could easily end up together. There's a site called 'Deathwish' dedicated to this couple that goes through all the reasons they could work together.
3+D: I thought there was something going on in that scene on the Libra. There is a potentiality here that I think would never get actualized because of Dorothy's fixation on Relena, and the Trowa/Quatre dynamic.
5+2/2+5: ^.^v There is a fic at the Nanashi site called 'Time' under best over all fic for 1999. Go read it. It exemplifies all the good points of the 5+2/2+5 relationship.
2+3/3+2: ehhh... I don't like this one. I don't know why. But Astrokender-sempai has written a really good fic that almost has me changing my mind. (Go read "Crossed Wires" in her section) Karen Seraph's 'Heaven and Hell' series also has me changing my mind. But she writes a damned good Trowa.
1+3/3+1: The war of the silences.
1+4/4+1: I can see it. Honestly. Stop looking at me funny... (Actually, the idea of an uber-manipulative Quatre and a slightly clueless Heero has me intrigued. Someone want to write it for me?)
2+4/4+2: Help! I need insulin shots!
R+H/H+R: Alright, I must admit that I love this
pairing. I really like the aesthetics. However, it
pisses me off that this pairing is so often seen as
some throw-away pairing because the yaoi author felt
like being nice. I do not believe in creating pairings
just to tie up lose strings. There is plenty of
potential in this pairing for some serious angst, sap,
banter, smut, and whatever else your little heart
desires. (Like a nice PWP in that Libra scene. Come
on, someone write it for me...
11+S/S+11: Maybe. I guess.
R+9/9+R: I can see Relena developing a crush on Noin, but Noin reciprocating. I only see Noin having sisterly feelings of responsibilities and exasperated fondness towards Relena, nothing beyond that.
Rare Pairings (Ones I've only seen once, if at all):
3+H: Erm... I don't really see this one at all. Hilde's got so much energy I think Trowa's taciturn tendencies would drive her nuts. I know she says he's cute, but that ain't enough.
4+H: Interesting possibility that I've heard of, but never actually seen done. Maybe.
3+C: Incest. Yech.
6+R: Again, incest. Yech.
4+D: Personally, I think they hate each other. It certainly seems that way after watching the sub. Listen to the way they say each other's names. I don't see this one at all. In fact, I hate it with a deep and abiding passion.
4+9: Age difference strikes once again. I don't see this.
1+5/5+1: The Perfect Soldier and the Dragon? No. I don't think so. I don't think Wufei could get over his competitiveness.
11+R/R+11: I don't see this one. I don't know why, but I just don't.
2+D: Rape. And Duo is not the rapist. (Don't laugh; I've seen it done. It was disturbing. O.O)
13+2: I don't like this one. It makes Trieze seem like lech, and I don't think he's lechy.
13+H: Remember people: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." ;p I actually like this one, but not as a 'let's settle down and have kids sort of thing'. (Actually, that would disturb me badly.) I can, however, see them having a really messed up relationship. I have this evil, evil idea for a 13+H, 2+H triangle that I will write one day.
13+R: I've been seeing a lot of these lately, and I kinda like them. ^^;; Please don't ask me why. There's something vaguely sinister in the pairing, though, and that might be why I like it.
1+D: This just scares me. o.o I'd read it for the sick fascination of it all.
6+2: All that HAIR!
6+D: Again, all that hair! But I have seen this one done, and it was good. I mean really good. I can't remember the author and I can't remember the fic. I think it might have been called '16 ways' or something like that, and it was really good. Dorothy was still her manipulative, conniving self but at the end of the fic you're left with this kinda funny feeling in your chest. So I can deal with this pairing. It's interesting.
D+11/11+D: I have seen this one done. And it was good. O.o I mean, just, O.o... . Wow. Draco is so good that I'll believe her when she writes any pairing. #^_^#
(Actually, I've seen Duo paired with just about everyone from the show, sometimes all at once--don't think about that one too hard.)
Multiples (my favorite!):
2+1+H/1+2+H: My personal axe to grind. I think this pairing is far more possible than the 2+1+R because of the personalities involved. Hilde would be far more willing (hell, I think she'd be downright eager! Go read TA-sempai's "College Threeway" to see what I mean) to be part of a threesome, while I'm not sure that would be as likely to happen in a 1+R. There isn't quite so much interpersonal baggage for the three characters to sort through either. Hilde, as a former soldier herself, would be able to understand a little bit better what was going on in the boys' heads than Relena. I think she'd be a little more flexible. And it's aesthetically appealing to me.
1+2+R/2+1+R: Go read Lilias-sempai's "Complicated" arc. ;p That's all I have to say.
4+3+D/3+4+D: This is the only way that I can see a 4+D relationship even beginning to work, but even then I don't think it really would. Quatre and Trowa are a little too fixated on each other and I don't think Dorothy is all that interested in either one of them. (Hell, I don't think Dorothy's much interested in boys, if you know what I mean.)
9+11+S:
13+6+5/6+13+5: YECH! The aversion to shota hits once again. Sure, they look pretty, but the age difference makes it squicky.
5+2+1/2+5+1: I think this one would work, actually. If they didn't kill each other first. ;p
5+4+3/4+5+3: Is it just me, or is Trowa is always at
the bottom of these set-ups?
H+R+D: This amuses me. ^.^ I might write it one day if I could figure out the sexual acrobatics. O.o
End of Rant 1
(:./dan/rant1)
