topaz119 | Daily December #1: OTPs & Me

endeni asked: What makes a couple an OTP for me? In terms of chemistry, how they treat each other, what makes a couple stand out from a regular relationship?

I don't usually think about this sort of stuff—I just start reading and look up months later to realize I have 103 bookmarks* for the same couple. So, I'm kind of working this out as I type…

Basic OTP conditions include:

Both sides of the relationship have to be functional on their own** (no 'my life is not worth living without you' couples.) The relationship just makes life better.

Both partners in the relationship have to give something to the other. (Han snarks and yells at Leia like she's not a princess—but he never forgets that she is (and he never doesn't come back for her); Leia never actually gives up on Han's better instincts, even when she's dressing him down for pretending like he doesn't have them. Jack gets Daniel out of his head and theories and into reality; Daniel uses his not inconsiderable brain to keep Jack alive. Hardison is willing to wait for Parker; Parker is never going to leave Hardison (and Eliot takes care of them both, while completely missing how they've closed ranks around him.) Sam and Dean give everything, both ways. Danny is an automatic family for Steve; Steve's laser focus never wavers from Danny even when they're screaming at each other. Coulson is the stability Clint never had; Clint is an electrical storm that keeps life from being boring. Natasha always comes back for Clint; Clint trusted her in the first place. Etc.)

I do like a bit of age difference (Kirk/Pike, Clint/Coulson, Darcy/Clint, JDM/JP(JA), Han/Leia, Venetia/Damerel.) This is undoubtedly because I imprinted on Gothic romances when I was still in elementary school.

I have to be able to look at the characters in question and see the potential for a happy/hopeful ending. I don't really do tragic love, or toxic relationships (but people in less than perfect lives helping each other to make things better punch maaaaaany buttons.)

All that's sort of generic, though. Any number of couples fit those criteria—and I am not sure there's a commonality in how the favored couples get their added spark. In some cases, it's the media writers/creators themselves (Vicky Bliss/John Smythe, Eden/Cruz, Han/Leia, Venetia/Damerel—okay, maybe in the case of Han/Leia, I have to credit the editors who took out all of what GL presumably thought of as romance (see the horror show of Padme/Anakin for what happens when GL wants to write a romance, ack) and left only the bare bones.) In other cases, there's a fic writer or two who have gotten in there and made me sit up and fall in love (Jack/Daniel, Mulder/Krycek, Sam/Dean, Clint/Coulson.) And other times, I haven't gotten to OTP levels of love until I'm writing them myself (Kirk/Pike, holy cow did that Big Bang turn on the stars in my eyes; Steve/Danny, though I have never written so early in canon in my long and varied fannish life.)

And now that I've rambled on for so long, the answer is: I don't know that I have an actual answer, but it was fun to dig through it all!

*actual number of Clint/Coulson bookmarks I have on AO3 (out of 210 total MCU bookmarks.)

**Winchester brothers excepted, because they are codependent whether there is wincest or not.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Eh, that was very interesting to read, thanks! ;)

Nice list! I should save this for reference if I ever try to write a post like this.

1. I still can't figure why Clint/Coulson has so many incredibly good and fascinatingly-characterized fics. It's such a "huh?" ship on paper and yet they're usually written so damn well.

2. Han/Leia is my OTP to top all OTPs and I get delighted whenever I find another fan :) I have very, very, very few OTPs -- 90% of the ships I enjoy most are either 'boring' background canon beta couples, or slash ships between characters who I like just as much (or even more) as platonic friends -- so Han/Leia has a very special, unique place in my heart <3

I'm with you for many of your OTP conditions. Especially the one where both are functional on their own and a relationship only adds to their lives.

My fondness for age difference in my pairings came from reading many Harlequin Presents and Regency romances.

Also, your Kirk/Pike fic had me falling for that pairing completely.

You're welcome--I spent a lot of time in the car this weekend and kept trying to figure out what all these couples had in common. It was very diverting!

Thanks, I'm glad it worked for you!

Clint/Coulson have a really fun/interesting dynamic to write, but so much of that is due to the early kink meme & holiday fic writers who ran with the hints from Thor. It's like our own little home-grown pairing & it puzzles so many people!

Han and Leia are super special to me, too. I remember sitting in the theaters watching Empire when it first came out, and you know that scene on Hoth, where the base is blowing up around them, and Leia is still in the command center, trying to get as many people out as possible, and Han knows that she'll still be there and goes back for her. You just know she's steamrollered over every single other person that tried to get her to leave, but he's the one she doesn't ignore. ::happy sigh::

Oh, cool, I loved that Kirk/Pike! It's the only Trek story I've ever written, but I was *obsessed* with trying to make it work. I very nearly gave up, but I ended up at some Trek panels at DragonCon that year and something about being surrounded by that fandom outside of fic finally shook something loose and I wrote like a crazy woman and managed to just barely get the draft in on time.

I agree with a lot of your thoughts. Toxic relationships are no fun to me either.

Clint/Coulson is great!

I know some people really enjoy the vibe of unhappy relationships, but oy, if I want to hear about stuff like that, I can call my cousins.

I do not know what it is with C/C, but I'm still reading happily in that pairing!

This was an interesting read :) I tried to get my head around something similar some months back: here (http://verdande-mi.livejournal.com/183200.html)

And I did not imprint on Gothic romances, so there must be another explanation for my love of age difference :D

hah, maybe Regency romances? Georgette Heyer has a lot to answer for is all I'm saying!

Daily December #1: OTPs & Me

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