Discussion and Recommendations: Shipping, Het Edition

[cruiscin_lan]

I'm in an overthinkity mood today, so I'm going to discuss shipping. This post is going to be all about my favorite het couples, because I tend to lean more towards het than slash, but if I'm feeling extra ambitious I might make a slash post later. Join in if you want, or list and describe your ships in your own journals, whatever floats your boat.

As a bonus, I've included recs for some of my favorite pairings. Spoilers are inherent, though, so enter at your own risk.

I try to be an equal-opportunity shipper. I'm not too big on OTPs because I can see possibilities in all sorts of relationships. I don't think it's cheating if I like both Sylar/Elle and Sylar/Claire, for example. There are, however, certain ships that I gravitate towards. Here are some of my favorites:

Haitian/Elle

All right, let me come clean. I totally crush on the Haitian. I have a thing for those strong silent types, especially when they're also tall, dark, and handsome. Why pair him with Elle? Because they both practically grew up at Primatech, and there's tons of potential there. Plus, they're both good-looking.

This ship floats my boat because: There's so much potential because of their possibly intertwining backstories.
This ship sinks because: I may be the only one who wants to see fic.
Fic rec: My google-fu might be lacking, but I can't find any fic except the one that I wrote.

Matt/Daphne

There are certain pairings that I like in the show and that I like in fic, which is different at times. While Matt/Daphne on the show sometimes falls flat for me, I like it a lot in fic. I like Matt and Daphne seperately as characters, but sometimes I feel they get shortchanged by Heroes writers, and so I write to give them a little bit of fluff and romance they otherwise miss out on.

This ship floats my boat because: It has potential in all sorts of genres - romance, angst, fluff, or smut!
This ship sinks because: It's not utilized well in canon
Fic rec: Try tiptoe39's What Love Is to start.

Hiro/Claire

He could bend time and space, she was going to live forever. He was going to save the cheerleader and save the world. Still, these two have very rarely met in canon, and now he's powerless. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of fic for this pairing, but I don't think that's an indicator of how awesome they would be together.

This ship floats my boat because: His bumbling idealism would balance out her teenage emo-ness.
This ship sinks because: There's not much canon interaction to go by.
Fic rec: Check out Always, Again by sellthelie.

Knox/Claire

You know they were doing it in 3.04. You KNOW it. Claire was a badass, Knox was a badass, and together they're kickass.

This ship floats my boat because: It's fucked up and sexy at the same time.
This ship sinks because: Yeah... never gonna happen now.
Fic rec: Here's Death Drive by ever_obsessed.

Mohinder/Elle

On a completely superficial note: yeah, they're both pretty. They look good together. Elle couldn't keep her hands off him when they met, and he was appropriately awkward with her. They were always 100% in-character together, and still 100% smokin'.

This ship floats my boat because: Teh prettiness.
This ship sinks because: Half the ship is dead in canon, and it can be argued that Mohinder plays better with other boys.
Fic rec: aurilly's story Stakeout. Or anything by aurilly, really.

Peter/Elle

Their interactions in canon were so messed up - she used him as a plaything while he played her for an escape. They're totally different people, so it would have been interesting to watch a relationship between them progress in canon. Too bad Bob Bishop called her back before she found Peter in Ireland. Still, I think Peter's wide-eyed idealism would balance well with her second-season sociopathy.

This ship floats my boat because: I like the tragic/romantic potential.
This ship sinks because: Peter sometimes seems more interested in his niece.
Fic rec: How about it's death for the living by wings4music?

Sylar/Claire

Anyone see this? Not my secret, but I can see where they're coming from, for sure. Sylar is not a nice guy, and let's face it, Claire is usually mean bitch. They'd be awesome together because they're so full of hate and malice. Plus she even said she wanted to spank him. That's canon, folks.

This ship floats my boat because: Foe-yay.
This ship sinks because: Sylar really only wants her for her mind.
Fic rec: I like Walking Blind by shimmeree.

Sylar/Elle (or Gabriel/Elle)

A psychopath and a sociopath sounds like a match made in hell, which is precisely why this pairing works for me. These two crazy kids are fun to watch, as long as you stay out of their line of fire. What could possibly go wrong between these two? Oh... oh yeah.

This ship floats my boat because: Eyebrows + electricity = sizzling hotness.
This ship sinks because: It really crashed and burned in canon.
Fic rec: Maybe you should just peruse the syelleficawards, but how about sarahetc's The Five Times Sylar and Elle Killed and One Time They Didn't as an appetizer?

So I've shown you mine... now you show me yours! What do you think of these pairings? What pairings do you prefer? Any fic you'd care to share?

I'll share my ice cream cake.

Comments

[ateenwriter.livejournal.com]

lol it literally crashed and burned.
Well put

[speccygeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

You keep mentioning Haitian/Elle, and I keep meaning to test-drive it. Give me a fic idea you want to see fleshed out and I'll run with it for you.


Matt/Daphne is entirely misused in canon. It's pitiful. Then again, I don't think Heroes has written ANY convincing romance (except Gabriel/Elle which was sweet if fucked up, that was excellent for a couple of episodes)

I never considered Hiro/Claire until I wrote Five Times Claire Lost Her Virginity, but then I realized how much potential there was. I haven't found much other fic, though.

Not so big on the other ones, except:

~GABRIEL/ELLE~
They're my het OTP above all others, and I am never going to forgive the writers for making me so happy and then crushing my soul in a two-part episode. Fuckers!


Also, I totally ship Angela Petrelli and Daniel Linderman. ♥


Oh, yeah... all my recs are on my delicious, they're tagged by pairing. ;D

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

Re: Haitian/Elle - I'd really like to see a fic where they're childhood sweethearts/teenage lovers... ideally it would be a little fluffy, a little smutty, and totally, totally heartbreaking in the end when Bob catches on to them. If you did that for me, I'd totally owe you a sexual favor. For shiz.

Re: Hiro/Claire - It is painfully hard to find. There's only like 5 fics in the lj community, which is pitiful. Pitiful!

Re: Gabriel/Elle - It wasn't enough that they had to break our shipper hearts, but they had to do it over two episodes... ouch.

What is this delicious? Whoa.

[speccygeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

Delicious! It's the best way to save bookmarks EVER. They're always available because they're online, and you can share them with your friends, and even directly rec links to them individually if you want!

JOIN US

[acinogan.livejournal.com]

yeah, by the end of season 2, i was all about peter/elle. until i thought about sylar/elle. i like them both. will consider peter/elle recs and get back to you.

anytime i think about hiro/anyone, i wistfully remember charlie, then i go read this:
http://standardtoaster.livejournal.com/1168.html#cutid1
which is sort of melancholy. okay, fine. it's sad, all right?

and oh, one of the first fics i read in the "who's baby noah's mom?" vein was sylar/claire. but that was as a first reader and i don't think it ever got finished. there's something about this ship that is inherently creepy to me. i can't quite put my finger in its brain, though...

hmmm. now i want to go read some mohelle fic.

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

Ha. I enjoy Sylar/Claire but really only when the fic is dark or angsty. If it's fluffy I'll immediately close the window - I mean, dude, he mind-raped her. That just ain't right.

But if they both live forever, it's going to get mighty lonely.

I got turned off to Charlie/Hiro because of that book "Saving Charlie" which was basically glorified fanfiction anyway... except bad fanfiction. I will give the actual fanfiction a try, though!

Mohelle is typically a lot of fun. I like how no one dies at the end.

[aurilly.livejournal.com]

Ok, I don't ship it, but this fic (http://community.livejournal.com/heroes_fic/1076769.html) almost made me ship Haitian/Claire. Just throwing it out there.

In terms of writing, I can't even say I have an OTP, because Mohelle and Mylar directly contradict each other. So I think I'm with you. I dislike Claire and find most pairings with her to be skeevy, but I was ALL OVER Claire/Knox. All over it like woah. I think part of it is that I have a thing for couples where the people look really different---my own evolutionary imperative. I haven't seen much Matt/Daphne, but that's because the Ando/Daphne was BEGGING to happen. I'm really bitter.

You are too sweet. Thank you for the rec. *kiss*

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

Haitian/Claire isn't as interesting to me, because their relationship struck me as purely fraternal (in the sense that they are both specials, I guess) but I'll read the fic and we'll see how it goes.

I would love an adultery-themed fic where Matt and Daphne cheat on each other with their real main attractions. In a lot of ways I think they love each other because of some sort of obligation to Matt's vision, but that's something that could be explored in fic by someone far less lazy than I.

WHY ARE YOU NOT WRITING CLAIRE/KNOX. I would love to see your take on it!

And watch how you kiss me! My boyfriend gets jealous!

[sellthelie.livejournal.com]

I love Hiro/Claire, but maybe that's a side effect of Masi&Hayden being so bloody cute together. I really wish there was more, and not so angsty. Out of all the Claire ships it should be the happiest, but I suppose Hiro in the future has issues.

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, so, maybe I ship Hiro and Claire because I can fit Masi and Hayden in my pocket. But that's only if I'm completely honest with myself...

Why aren't you writing more Hiro/Claire, hmmmmmmmmmmmm? I promise I'll write some non-angsty fic for them if you swear you'll do the same!

[sellthelie.livejournal.com]

I'd love to! I just stole the idea for the one I did write from a larger story that I was going to write, but ignored because too big, too hard. And Elle came and distracted with her awesome, and I stopped liking Claire as much. It's still in my head, so I might get to it one day. :D

[perdiccas.livejournal.com]

Great bunch of recs, thank you!

[aegoceros.livejournal.com]

Hatian/Elle: I like the reasoning you give. Also, considering he could stop her from shocking him would give it a really interesting dynamic from her side of the ship.

Peter/Elle: I wish there were more out there! I miss what a sadistic sociopath she was in season two, haha. Seeing her objectify him was fun xD;

Matt/Daphne: Checking out that fic rec after I comment here. I remember getting so excited when it was first implied that they were going to be together (after being all, "NOOOO! DAPHNE! DON'T DIE!" of course). Canon has been giving everybody the shaft lately, IMO, and I wish M&D had gotten more characterization together.

Gabriel/Elle: I am finally getting over the crashing and burning. Mainly by trying my hardest to ignore the last four episodes of Villains. They were so precious in the flashback--like awkward teenagers or something ♥.

Elle/Mohinder: They literally overload the omfg-attractive-people-doin'-it sensors in my brain. D8 Haha, I just love the way Elle objectifies guys. It's so charming.

Hiro/Claire: BRB, imagining how darn cute that would be.

I'm sorry I don't have any fic recs ;n; But I did appreciate yours!

[aegoceros.livejournal.com]

OH. I found you on the Friending Meme. I hope you don't mind that I butted in here like this xD;