This thread makes me feel old. DLP really changed since I joined it if people are having such a strong reaction to Harry/Lily these days.

The next thing I will hear is that Ginny is the best girl and Snape just needs a hug to be a greatest gay ever.

 

Speaking of Harry/Lily, Vash's Oedipus Flower may have been a contributing factor to me finding DLP. Of course, back then I had no standards at all and read just about anything I got my hands on. I doubt I could read it through these days.

 

I doubt there is any Harry/Lily fic that is readable on its own merit instead of just a taboo fantasy. Though, unless I'm mistaking it for a different one, Vash's gets points for keeping it dark and disturbing till Harry's defeat.

Anyway, CheddarTrek, I'm just laughing at the current reaction of some people comparing it to a different reaction from years ago. I mean, what happened to all these dark and edgy guys and girls?

 

I hate the word "pairing". Actually, I hate a lot of the lingo fanfiction has spawned - like, if I never see the word "chappie" used to refer to a chapter ever again, that would be fine with me. I've reluctantly come around to calling a piece of fanfiction a "fic", but.

The word "pairing" just skeeves me out. It implies that the two characters are lifeless objects you're mashing together like dolls. And dear god, the portmanteau pairing names. "Harmony". "Dramione." Motherfucking "Honks." It just reinforces that undercurrent of... I'm not even sure what the right word is. Lack of agency? Bad storytelling? Fetishization? That last one's probably closest.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good romance. But getting into a conversation with someone who really loves a specific pairing often makes me feel like I need an adult.

 

Newcomb: You'll love this gem from Yahoo answers:

" Why does my daughter "ship" things? What does shipping mean?
My daughter has been acting strange the past few months. She's always on this website called Tumbler and talks to strangers online. When I ask what she talks about, she says "shipping" and "oteepees". Sometimes she says strange things like "my feels" or "my cries". She talks about things called gerita, yousyouk, spamano and a few other weird words. Yesterday she was crying because of shipping. Is shipping some kind of drug term or a cult? I don't want my daughter involved in negative things like this. "


Anyway,
Favorite pairings are weird to me like saying you have a favorite pornstar. It means you're spending WAY too much time on it. Remember, you're really in love with a picture you have in your head of a girl who meets all of Ginny or Fleur's characteristics and has that name.
Personally, all the girls i've enjoyed spending time with the most have all been French - so when I read Harry/Fleur stories, some part of that is me responding to good memories.

Also Jenko keep going the way you're going you'll end up shipping Harry/Lily Luna soon and there's no way back from there

 

Honestly, my favorite pairing depends on what fic I'm into at the time. I don't really have one pairing that's always my favorite. When I younger and more . . . let's go with naive . . . I was big on Harry/Fleur and Harry/Daphne, even Harry/Tonks.

Now that I'm older, I have more of a problem with an age difference between the two characters, and I subscribe to the Marauder Age Rule(as written by nonjon in 'A Black Comedy'). I'm no longer big on Daphne, either, because I really haven't read a great fic with that pairing, or even that character, aside from possibly 'Contractual Invalidation.'

Right now, if we're talking solely Harry Potter characters, my favorite pairing is probably Harry and Luna, because I've read a couple above average fics with that pairing somewhat recently. If we're talking about crossovers as well(which I doubt we are, but I just felt like saying this) then my favorite pairing right now is Harry/Aurora, since I'm once again enamored with 'Awaken Sleeper' and probably will be for the next day or two.

 

The one true reason to like Harry/Fleur is that she's canonically the hottest girl to appear in Hogwarts that entire 7 years. As a wise man once said in one of my favorite documentaries: "Winners go home and fuck the prom queen!" Who wouldn't want Harry to be a winner?

Daphne is a non-character so she could be anything, which is good if you find the more fleshed-out canon options boring but want to pretend you're not writing an OC. Most authors doing this go full wish-fulfillment and blatantly have 0 experience with relationships unfortunately, so Harry/Daphne fics are full of painful M'ladying, "pure blood manners" and other stuff that gives me visions of the author tipping his or her fedora as they write.

Also James was a good guy and a winner. If he had a single flaw it was being way too hung up on one girl for his entire high school career, but Lily was excellent wife material (smart, hot, willing to sacrifice herself to preserve the bloodli- uh I mean their son) so whatever. James-hate is the product of people who sympathize too much with Snape (perhaps due to greasiness, social incompetence, a habit of accidentally calling their crushes ethnic slurs, or simply liking Alan Rickman).

 

I never liked Harry/Fleur and I don't really see a personal reason for it.

Then again, I like Harry/Romilda, so perhaps I shouldn't complain too loudly.

 

I figured. I just know that was the earliest fic I'd ever seen it used in. So I used it as the earliest reference I knew, not the originator of the rule. And by earliest I know, I mean the earliest I'd ever seen it referred to as the 'Marauder Age Rule.'

 

The only female character that i feel was developed well by JK was Hermione. Thats why i like Harry/Herm shipping. But as long as the author developed the female character, I dont mind any shipping. But I am not a fan of slash fics.

 

Pairings have become a peeve of mine over the years mainly because of an author's commitment to the pairing rather than the plot or characters. Too many times I've had to drop a story I was enjoying because the paired characters(and the author by extension) seem to drop twenty points off their IQ when they're interacting with each other.

These days I refuse to read stories with committed pairings unless romance is the sole focus of the story and most of the times not even then.

 

I always loved Harry/Hagrid, because that's the only pairing that makes sense within canon. Hagrid always compliments Harry on his abilities (not his looks, he isn't superficial like that), and Harry always tries to defend Hagrid. That's got to count for something, right?

Also, Hagrid is the one that carries Harry's seemingly dead body, Hagrid is the only "good" person to see him die (and, of course, cries after his love). Don't you see all the clues?

 

How I wish. This also makes me sad that Tehan will never finish Contemplating Clouds, ah well.

 

What's the consensus of DLP now?

---------- Post automerged at 06:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:14 PM ----------

Harry really wasn't Lupin's responsibility.

---------- Post automerged at 06:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:21 PM ----------

What was that rule again? Half the age +7 right?

 

Did you forget the bit where he tried to ditch his own wife and kid?

 

Yup, you know its time for that reread.

 

Honestly, at this point, Harry Potter canon is too distorted for me to recognize. I mean from reading the super-light Potter, to grey-potter, to darker-than-voldemort-potter, and the whole spine-less vs too much spine I have no idea. Some times I feel the pairings are too forced, other times not enough there. Honestly, I feel that unlike it has some truly, TRULY, important contribution to the story, there is no need for Harry to have a "pairing". I prefer the "many flings but no real pairing" ideas since it makes the most sense, I mean, do you expect a 15 year old to find the love of his life and then if we time-skip 50 years still together, married, with children? I don't.