Un meme

[owlmoose]

I haven't been memeing very much lately, and this one appeals to me, so here you go. I've seen it in several places now, but most recently ganked from mako_lies.

Name two (or more) characters from any of my fandoms (see interests for a semi-complete list; no crossovers, please) and I'll tell you:

1. What they most commonly do during sex (if they are the sexing type)
2. Who has prettier (or just more attractive) hair
3. What they argue about most often
4. Who'd cope best if the other one died
5. The happiest plausible happily-ever-after I can think of for them
6. The most tragic possible ending for them
7. What I enjoy most about their dynamic
8. What I find difficult to write about them

Comments

[mako_lies]

Ummmm... let's see... Serena Aeducan/Alistair...?

(If not, how about Dagger/Zidane?)

[mako_lies]

XD

Meant

Sereda Aeducan

(That's what I get for always changing their names, XD I have a terrible memory.)

[owlmoose]

Heh, no problem; I knew who you meant. Also, yay, my DA OTP right off the bat. :) (Really, I ship Alistair/Warden generally, but this combo is so far my favorite.)

1. Alistair will always be a little shy about his lack of experience, so their sex life is fairly tame, if highly satisfying. The emotional connection is what's most important to both of them, anyway. But Sereda does tempt him into more challenging things from time to time. As you might expect from an athletic man who's good at following directions.

2. My Sereda has shoulder-length auburn hair that Alistair admires greatly. Not that this keeps him from still obsessing that every strand of his own stays in place, mind you.

3. If Alistair is king (which he was, in my Aeducan play-through), he fusses at her unwillingness to stay with him at court, and she gets irritated that he's trying to control her.

4. Probably Sereda. Alistair spent his whole life waiting for someone to love him for himself, and losing that would be very difficult for him.

5. Of all possible endings, the happiest would be for them to ride off into the sunset as Grey Wardens and live happily ever after (well, for 30 years, anyway). But when I played Aeducan, she made Alistair king and married him to Anora. So within those constraints, I'd choose reaching an understanding with Anora that lets the two of them stay in a relationship as long as it doesn't get in the way of ruling the country and producing an heir.

6. Oh man. There are so many ways for any Alistair/Warden pairing to end in tragedy. And no matter what happens, they aren't going to be growing old together. But probably most tragic, in my book, would be Alistair becoming king and giving her up because he feels he must, for the good of Ferelden, and then she sacrifices herself to end the Blight. Gutpunch after gutpunch.

7. For any Alistair/Warden pairing, the part I like best is how it's the two of them against the world, the strength of the bond they forge while fighting the blight. With Sereda specifically, though, I adore the parallels in their backstories -- the exiled princess and the bastard prince -- and all the ways those could play out. I've started playing with that in fic and it's so much fun.

8. From a practical standpoint? The height difference.

[mako_lies]

♥♥♥

This is just yes.

(Also, eight made me laugh. XD)

[owlmoose]

:) It's got to be at least what, a foot and a half? Maybe even more? Alistair is not a short man.

[lassarina]

*flails around*

Since the one above me already asked Alistair/Warden, I will go with Balthier, Ashe, Al-Cid.

[owlmoose]

OTthreeeeeeee :D

1. Most of the time, Ashe splits her time between the two men -- Al-Cid most of the time, Balthier when he's around. Because she sees him less often, her nights with Balthier are more intense; with Al-Cid, she's settled into more of a pleasant companionship. And then sometimes the mood strikes, and all three of them get into bed (or couch, or sitting room floor). Always explosive, and a hell of a lot of fun.

2. Al-Cid. He knows it, too.

3. Al-Cid and Balthier engage in a little bit of competitive posturing from time to time, especially at first while they settle in to the new situation. But they have a definite respect for each other, beneath it all. Balthier and Ashe get into fights all the time about whatever little thing catches their attention, mostly because it's so much fun to make up. It's rare for Al-Cid to argue with anyone, especially Ashe, but they don't always see eye to eye on politics, especially when it comes to whether Dalmasca should take a leg up on Rozarria, or vice versa.

4. This is a hard call, but I'm going to say Ashe, Balthier, Al-Cid, in that order.

5. I can imagine a pretty nice future for the three of them after "Reconcilable Differences": Ashe marries Al-Cid, and he gives her the heirs she needs and supports her rule, while Balthier is a regular presence both for a much needed alternate perspective and occasional escape; the men become allies and close friends and after a bit of initial friction, learn to share with no ongoing drama. This is, in fact, the happiest possible future I can imagine for Ashe, in particular.

6. The triad falls apart completely under the pressures of keeping up appearances and a populace that refuses to accept their queen keeping a sky pirate as lover, and Al-Cid and Balthier never come to terms with the situation. Balthier gets herself killed pirating, Al-Cid leaves and takes the alliance with Rozarria with him, and Ashe once again ends up friendless and alone.

7. I just love all three of them: individually, in each duo, and all three of them together. The potential for snark and smooth banter is epic, and I think they all bring something the other two people need: Ashe's resolve of steel, Al-Cid's calmness, Balthier's devil-may-care attitude.

8. You know, I don't know that I have an answer for this, espeically since writing Differences. All three of their voices come easily to me, separately and together. I should get back to them more often.

[lassarina]

I heartily encourage writing more of the three of them. That was an amazing fic, too.

*rolls around in OT3*

[owlmoose]

I"ve come to realize lately that, even when I write other futures (the DA crossover, for example, is in an Ivalice that's quite different),"Differences" is basically my post-game headcanon now. I am very okay with this. ;)

[sarasa_cat]

Awesome meme -- mind if I jump in late??

Lassarina already asked the OT3 I would have asked (I love this OT3 so much. If I finally find time to write their story in my headcanon, it is definitely closer to your #6 than your #5. I have so much trouble imagining happy endings for Ashe.)


Take your pick between either Ashe/Rasler (feel free to think about alternatives to canon on this one) OR Lulu/Auron (definitely feel free step outside of canon! ;)

[owlmoose]

Never too late. :) muggy_mountain actually already asked me about Auron and Lulu, so I refer you to my answer there. I will get back to you on Ashe/Rasler.

I didn't know that you're an Al-Cid/Ashe/Balthier fan! (edit: although now I recall, you asked for it on the reversathon, didn't you? I hope to still get to more of those prompts someday.) Awesome. As I told Rina, they have basically become my headcanon, and I wish more people would explore their possibilities. If you ever write your less-happy ending, I would definitely love to see it.

[sarasa_cat]

Your Auron/Lulu #6: 0_0 Ouch! That would make such a good tearjerker story.

The potential of future Al-Cid/Ashe is pretty blatant in FFXII & RW canon, as is UST!Ashe/Balthier so it just plain makes sense to think about Al-Cid/Ashe/Balthier futurefic. :D

I have an entire row of my kink bingo card (sadly collecting dust) that is devoted to Al-Cid/Ashe + Ashe/Balthier + Al-Cid/Ashe/Balthier. I keep toying with the idea of writing an Ashe novel but haven't yetfelt happy with any of the test scenes I've written.