I was born in Edinburgh and have lived there for much of my life. I developed a habit for reading in nursery, and was known to go under the piano with a book at times. I got into Doctor Who after watching the first two parts of The Curse of Fatal Death, and rented the Paul McGann TV movie from his local video shop later on to find out a bit more about it. Some while after, I first discovered Doctor Who on UK Gold, and watched the Peter Davison episode Mawdryn Undead.
The first Doctor Who book I ever read was Vanishing Point by Stephen Cole, which prompted me to write my first major story (Which has unfortunately been lost due to my computer catching a virus and needing a new hard drive). I then got a bit more interested in Buffy and Angel books, but I mostly favour the crossover novels rather than a book featuring just one or the other-, and from there, having discovered this web site, my writing interest has just snowballed onwards. My favourite fantasy film is the special extended Lord of the Rings: Extended Edition trilogy, while for sci-fi I incline towards The Matrix Revolutions. For superheroes, I favour either Spider-Man or The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. In my spare time, when not writing, I enjoys reading, playing on my game consoles, and trying to sort out my moderately complex personal problems.
Regarding couples in some of my favourite Books, TV Shows and Movies, I am a particular fan of the following pairings
Andromeda: Dylan/Beka (I know Rommie's the preferred choice, but I just don't think she and Dylan quite work as a couple, in my opinion; besides, I have seen Dylan and Beka share quite a few moments- such as Beka's nearly-jealous reaction to the idea of Dylan bringing Sarah back to the future with him, or Dylan's willingness to risk his life to save Beka from the Abyss- that seem to have more meaning behind them than is initially apparent (Plus, of course, I think they have better chemistry))
Harper/Rommie (A weird one, I know, but given that Harper was strange from the beginning and Rommie will never exactly be 'normal', coupled with him having pretty much created 'Rommie' in the first place, I think they could work out to have a pretty good life together (Plus, I found a rather interesting story with them as a pairing; check out "Mutual Gifts" if you want to see what I mean))
Angel/ Buffy: Angel/Buffy (As someone- I think it was Cordelia- once said, 'they've got the whole ultimate forbidden love thing going down'. I think it SHOULD work out, quite frankly; after all, when you get down to it, it was only the curse that forced them to break up, rather than anything else)
Cordelia/Doyle (It never even had a chance in the show, and I like to see stories where it did ("Impact" being a prime example)
Xander/Faith (Eh, she was his first, and they seemed to have some pretty decent chemistry when she wasn't going psycho on the gang; I'd say it had potential)
Angel/Cordelia (It's a tricky one at times, but after seeing a few more episodes of Angel with a more open mind than in the early days, I think they had some potential after the first couple of years as Cordelia matured and the two of them became closer)
Artemis Fowl: Artemis Fowl/Holly Short (So long as the writer acknowledges the difficulties that the two of them would have making it work, it has potential; I may like the pairing, but you have to be realistic, given the double-age-difference- Holly being (Apparently) younger physically while Artemis is younger chronologically- and the fact that Artemis is NOT the most emotionally aware of people)
Batman: Robin (Tim Drake)/Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) (Having read the absolutely FANTASTIC "The Gotham Knights of Middle-Earth" by Phoenix83ad, I was INSTANTLY a fan of this pairing once I reached the end of the story. In many ways, it's kind of cute; the member of the Bat-family with the most life OUTSIDE crime-fighting, helping to give the one whose ENTIRE life is the Bat-costume a reason to live that DOESN'T involve just beating up the bad guys all the time)
Charmed: Piper/Leo (After all they've been through, I think it's pretty much a guarantee that they're meant for each other, wouldn't you say?)
Phoebe/Cole (Eh, it reminds me a lot of the Buffy/Angel romance; I'm just a sucker for that kind of 'love makes the bad guy defect' thing, I suppose. Of course, it doesn't work if Cole turns Phoebe evil, but hey; details, details, right?)
Danny Phantom: Danny/Sam (Admittedly, my experience of this show in general is kind oflimited, but what I've read and seen is definitely... intriguing, to say the least. Maybe it's the names reminding me of my 'Stargate' favourite pairing- Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson-, maybe Agent-G's Spider-X series- with Rogue of the X-Men: Evolution cast having a relationship with Peter Parker/Spider-Man- gave me a fondness for goths getting the guy... either way, I think this one works best)
Digimon: (Childish, I know, but there's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes) Tai/Sora (They had some excellent chemistry in the original series- as much as a primarily kid's show would allow them to have, at any rate- and they were already close to each other even BEFORE entering the Digital World; I don't know what happened to incline Sora towards Matt in the intervening four years, but I'm nevertheless confident that the relationship between those two would NOT last with a history like Tai and Sora's 'competing' against it)
TK/Kari (Their Digimon are both Angels; add in their clearly strong friendship, and the outcome of this relationship seems pretty much inevitable)
Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor/Martha (I liked Rose as a character and a companion, don't get me wrong, but I think Martha works better as the Doctor's romantic interest; if nothing else, she was significantly more independent than Rose was (Rose always seemed to need the Doctor to encourage her and kept on wanting to go back and visit her mother, but Martha was known to take long-term independent action by herself; given what the Doctor deals with, an ability to think on their feet would be an essential quality for the woman he loved))
Farscape: Crichton/Aeryn (Eh, you know how it is; some couples, you just know it's going to work out, even if they had to deal with everything from drastically different backgrounds to that whole mess with John being 'twinned' and all)
Crichton/Chiana (When you get down to it, Crichton was the first person Chiana ever met who showed any kind of faith in her; if that doesn't lay the groundwork for a potentially promising relationship under the right circumstances, I don't know what does, quite frankly. Should you need further convincing, check out "Left Behind"; the writer may not be writing a sequel, but what there is definitely makes you think...)
Firefly: Mal Reynolds/River Tam (I have no idea why I think these two would work together, so don't ask; they just... seem to work, I guess. Age is an issue, of course, but if a two hundred and forty-four year old vampire can fall for a sixteen-year-old girl- or a time-travelling alien over a thousand years old can fall for a nineteen-year-old girl (Just because I don't agree with it doesn't mean I don't acknowledge it happened)- than who cares about a gap of a few years? Besides, that fight scene in the bar got me thinking; why, after knocking out and/or killing everyone else in the bar, did River actually stop when she nearly shot Mal of all people? Something about him got through to her more than anyone else, perhaps? (Check out "What The Eyes See" for a story that provides more information about this theory))
Friends/Joey: Ross/Rachel (Eh, it's destiny; sometimes, predictable is good)
Chandler/Monica (Pretty much the same as above)
Chandler/Rachel (So long as Ross doesn't act like a jerk in it, and Chandler isn't cheating on Monica, it's pretty good)
Joey/Phoebe (They look good together; what can I say?)
Joey/Alex (They actually did end up together, even if the series ended before it could be fully developed)
Harry Potter: Harry/Ginny (In the immortal words of Andrew Lloyd Webber, 'My first love was my true love, and it should have been my last'. Sometimes, it's good to see stories where that phrase manages to come to pass. Plus, hey; Lily and James reborn, right? (And to anyone who thinks that this pairing points to Harry having a Oedipus complex, he never even knew what his mother LOOKED like until he was eleven; how can he have a complex when he only learned what she even looked like at that point in his life?))
Harry/Hermione (I generally see them as more of a brother/sister relationship, but the occasional romantic pairing still works if it's well-written and Ron and Ginny aren't complete pricks about it)
Heroes: Peter/Claire (Hey, when Peter thought he was about to die, Claire was the final thing to cross his mind; just because her power was what he needed right then hardly changes the fact that she was nearly the last thing he thought of. I know that the age difference- to say nothing of the fact that they're related- is a major issue, but, as I mentioned when discussing Mal/River, age isn't a major issue for me, and as for the 'related' thing... eh, there's always AUs where Nathan ISN'T Claire's father, and even in real continuity, it's not like they're that closely related, and they only even met when Claire was in her last year or so of high school, and didn't THINK of each other as their relatives, so I feel comfortable enough ignoring that. Besides, it adds to the tragedy of the relationship- SERIOUS 'forbidden love' going on there, when you think about- and, in the end, who really cares what they do together; it's their choice, and, so long as they're not hurting anybody and they're happy, does it matter that much?)
Invisible Man: Darien/Claire (I haven't seen many episodes of the series, but I just find what I have seen of it kinda cute, I guess. Plus, Claire violated direct orders and risked her job for Darien's sanity in the final episode; her willingness to go to such extreme lengths for him has to mean something, in my opinion)
Justice League (Animated Series): Batman/Wonder Woman (In many ways, I just think it's too predictable to pair Wonder Woman up with Superman. Besides, they're total opposites- the Dark Knight, keeping to the shadows, and the Princess, bringing a message to the world- and I've always rather liked the idea of opposites attract... up to a certain point, of course, as with Jack O'Nell/Samantha Carter, sometimes the differences are just too great)
Green Lantern/Hawkgirl (Well, it seems appropriate somehow. The alien detective and the galactic 'cop'? Talk about a match made in heaven)
Kim Possible: Kim Possible/Ron Stoppable (It's a bit cliche, I know, but as I always say, sometimes cliches became that way because they work; why change a winning formula?)
LXG: Sawyer/Mina (The most Extraordinary member of the team, paired up with the 'least'? Add in the obvious on-screen chemistry they had in the movie- particularly in that deleted scene on the conning tower where Mina almost seemed to be encouraging Sawyer not to give up his attempts at flirting with her-, and it just seems... RIGHT to me)
Matrix: Neo/Trinity (Like some other couples, these guys need only one explanation for why they make a good pair; they belong together, and that's the end of the matter as far as I'm concerned)
Pokemon: (Another case where I feel the importance of childishness is underestimated) Ash/Misty (No matter how many other girls Ash travels with, only Misty was there for him when he was finding his way and really needed somebody that he could rely on to help him and give him advice while he was trying to find his way in his new world. Besides, Ash still carries around a memento of MISTY- her special lure, remember?- even after she's been away from him for so long, and he reacted almost violently to the idea of losing it, while the only thing he has from May is that half-ribbon they won after drawing in a contest; suggestive about his feelings for Misty in comparision to May, no?)
Power Rangers (See above for my opinions on anyone who calls me childish for this): Tommy/Kimberly (Hey; it was the first EVER Ranger couple. It should NOT be ignored just because they broke up for reasons that were never fully explained in the show)
Wes/Jen (Talk about tragic star-crossed lovers; they didn't even live in the same CENTURY, and can't be together without endangering history, but it didn't stop them falling in love anyway)
Conner/Kira (Trent doesn't work; I still feel he should have had the nerve to ask the Rangers for help rather than run off on his own and let the White Dino Gem take even MORE of a hold over him. Besides, these two look pretty good together; they've got some differences, but, at heart, they're both two people who were given a purpose and, although initially hesitant, vowed to stand by their new mission regardless of what it might cost them)
Sky/Syd (Reasons for liking this pairing are pretty basic, really; I just read a good story featuring that pairing and became a bit of a fan, although I'll check out the occasional Sky/Z as well)
Other pairings are more of a casual interest, really; I lost track of the series after 'Zeo' ended, although I picked up a bit during 'Dino Thunder' and watched a little 'Time Force'
Spider-Man: Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/Mary Jane (Hey, it's destiny, and that's the end of that; as far as I'm concerned, the sooner Marvel undoes the events of 'One More Day' and have that damn deal with Mephisto wiped out to restore their marriage, the better, as far as I'm concerned)
Smallville: Clark Kent/ Lois Lane (What can I say? It's destiny, pure and simple; besides, there have been quite a few eps so far- Crimson, for example- where the two demonstrated some excellent chemistry)
Stargate SG-1: Samantha Carter/Daniel Jackson (Well, they look better together than her and Jack; don't ask me to define exactly WHY I think that, I just think it works better. Maybe them being closer intellectually has something to do with it, to say nothing of the fact that they often end up working side-by-side to crack the mysteries they find themselves dealing with on their travels... and, of course, there's Daniel's little query in 'Fallen' when he'd TOTALLY lost his memory and yet almost instantly asked Sam if there was ever anything between them. Suggestive of feelings he had for her that he'd never admitted in the past because he didn't want to get in Jack's way, perhaps? (Plus, having read MaureenT's fantastic story "Alliances of the Heart", I found it hard to be anything other than a Daniel/Sam fan; the portrayal of their relatiuonship there is INCREDIBLE...))
Stargate Atlantis: Elizabeth Weir/John Sheppard (Somehow, it just seems to fit that the two leaders of Atlantis would end up together (And if anyone wonders how I can be a John/Elizabeth fan and dislike Sam/Jack as a couple, the divisions between these two aren't quite as significant as they were for Sam and Jack; at least John doesn't default to 'Economics' or something like that when asked a question on Elizabeth's speciality, while Jack's default technical explanation for anything was 'Magnets'))
(Generally neutral on the subject of John/Teyla; I'll check it out if I think it looks interesting, but I just think that, overall, John and Elizabeth have better chemistry)
Underworld: Michael/Selene (You think otherwise? Did you even SEE the movie, people? You could have cut the sexual tension with a freakin' CHAINSAW, and that's before they got down and jiggy with it in 'Evolution')
X-Men: Cyclops/Jean (What can I say? They've been together in pretty much every X-Man continuity in existence; it may be a bit cliche, but sometimes cliches become such because they work)
Cyclops/Rogue (Well, I thought that they had some potential when I saw them in X-Men: Evolution, and, when you think about it, their powers are fundamentally similar; both of them can never be totally normal because they can't turn off their powers and require 'artificial' means- likes Rogue's gloves and Scott's glasses- to keep them under control)
And, as long as we're on the subject of pairings, I dislike the following couples:
Andromeda: Dylan/Rommie (OK, so they've got good chemistry, but given the rather disturbing example of what happened to Pax Magellanic after the avatar and the captain became involved- the ship went whacko and blew up the planet that her captain was on-, I somehow doubt that Dylan and Rommie would EVER be willing to risk crossing the boundaries of their relationship and put Rommie in a similar position)
Angel/ Buffy: Angel/Faith (He was her mentor, her saviour, the only person who never gave up on her even when she gave him every reason to do so, but her lover? Angel wouldn't do that to Faith after she's spent so long apparently feeling like she's only really good for sex and slaying; she's his daughter if she's anything intimate to him)
Angel/Spike (I don't like M/M stories in general, but this is one of those ones that I really hate. Spike and Angel may have a strange yet close bond, but they're brothers if they're anything to each other; a possible one-night-stand back when they were both evil is hardly indicative of any stronger feelings, when you get down to it)
Buffy/Riley (The man was a steroid-devoted twat with a major inferiority complex on the subject of anything Angel-related who couldn't accept that he was Rebound Guy at best and a convenient shag who wouldn't break if she unintentionally used too much of her strength when they were shagging- and that's just if I want to be NICE about him)
Buffy/Spike (The whole 'he tried to kill her at first' thing? Not conductive to a decent relationship, in my opinion. Besides, he was unstable even WITH his chip, and would have been more interested in killing her rather than shagging her without it. Plus, until he moved over to Angel and had to make his own place in the world, he was basically just an Angel wannabe; everything he tried to be- a mass murderer, Drusilla's lover, a vampire fighting on the side of good- Angel was already. It was only when he was on Angel- which already had a vampire with a soul on the character list- that I feel he really managed to develop his own identity; having him end up with Buffy would not allow him to do that)
Cordelia/Connor (Seriously, even if there hadn't been the whole 'Cordelia was being possessed by Jasmine' thing to take into account here, Cordelia was practically the closest thing Connor had to a mother after Darla staked herself; I may be a Peter/Claire shipper, but that doesn't mean I'll condone ALL kinds of incest, you know!)
Doctor Who: NinthTenth Doctor/Rose (She was a good companion and a good character, but she kept on phoning home to talk to her mother and always needed the Doctor to encourage her to take action; if the Doctor was going to fall in love, I think he'd pick someone who'd be a BIT more willing to stand on their own and leave home than Rose sometimes seemed to be. I'll read stories featuring them as a couple, but it would need to be really well-written, maybe have Rose being a bit older- Gilari's 'Not Alone' works out well enough, with Rose returning to the TARDIS after eight years in the alternate Earth- and not have the Doctor acting too OOC (One of the main problems I have with cheri1's writing; her plots are good, but the Doctor's too human at times for me to really get into it. I mean, the guy's over a thousand, and he's calling Rose Rosebud? That's something a lovesick teenager would do; it doesn't WORK for the Doctor!))
Firefly: Mal Reynolds/Inara Serra (Mal may have chemistry with Inara, but I just don't think they'd manage to actually LAST in a relationship; if nothing else, I don't think Inara could ever love Serenity the way Mal does, so she'd always be at least slightly jealous of a spaceship, to say nothing of Mal's inability to accept her profession)
Jayne Cobb/River Tam (He may have changed his mind at the end, but Jayne nevertheless attempted to sell her and Simon out to the Alliance; I don't see River as the type of person to really forgive something like that, no matter what he did to make up for it afterwards)
Harry Potter: Ginny/Draco (The man is a bastard who was involved in a scheme that would have resulted in her death and always will be; his inability to kill Dumbledore at the final moment because he lacked the killer instinct won't change that fact.)
Harry/Voldemort (Even putting aside my TOTAL dislike of M/M slash stories, this one, I feel deserves special damnation. If nothing else, there IS the fact that Voldemort killed Harry's parents and ruined his life before he was much more than one year old just because of some dumb prophecy; even if Dumbledore was so manipulative that he seemed to regard Harry as a weapon without giving a damn about Harry's rights as a PERSON, Harry would NEVER join Voldemort of his own free will!)
Heroes: Sylar/ANYBODY (The many is a brain-stealing psychopath, people; anything that was REMOTELY attractive in him KIND of gets overruled by that little detail!)
Claire/West (The guy's just too obsessed with his powers and only got together with Claire because she was the first person he met who could do something that not everybody else can do; take the powers away and they wouldn't have had anything in common)
Peter/Elle (She's just a bit... psycho for Peter's tastes, from what I've heard about her)
LXG: Jekyll/Mina (They have some potentially decent chemistry, I freely admit, and I'll tolerate a story where they're a secondary factor behind a more central plot, but I wouldn't read a story looking exclusively at them as a pairing; when you get down to it, Hyde's existence makes everything a bit too... uncertain, in my opinion)
Mina/Dorian (The man was a traitorous bastard with the ethics of a weasal, a vanity that would make a peacock think he was being an idiot and the conscience of a dead slug; Mina would NEVER fall for him)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow/Elizabeth Swan (Jack's the type of guy Elizabeth's type of girl have the brief wild passionate fling with just to get it out of their system; they would SUCK if they tried to have a real relationship)
Pitch Black/Riddick: Riddick/JackKyra (Iman expressly stated in Chronicles that Jack saw Riddick as an older BROTHER; were people not paying attention at that bit or something?)
Pokemon: Ash/May (When it comes to this pairing, my views aren't as straightforward as you'd think; I have nothing specifically against the idea of them as a couple, but anything I read just doesn't feel right to me when it comes to the issue of explaining why Misty, who followed Ash around for almost four years, would get over him after just a short while away from him, or how Ash could just get over Misty after being clearly jealous of characters like Danny and Rudy even before he realises how HE'S feeling. Put it simply, I don't dislike the pairing; I dislike the side-effects of the pairing)
Ash/Dawn (Once again, what I've seen of Dawn has led me to conclude that she's a nice enough character herself, but I just can't realistically picture her replacing Misty after everything that Misty and Ash went through together over the years)
Smallvile: Clark Kent/Lana Lang (The fact of the matter is that Lana just doesn't have the kind of personality necessary to cope with the kind of stuff Clark tackles on a daily basis; he may have loved her since he was old enough to think of girls in that sense, but when you get down to it, I think he's admired a dream for so long the reality will just be a disappointment if it ever happens at all (Plus, there's all her whole 'constantly adapting her personality to accomodate who she's dating at the moment' issues to take into account; how can the future Man of Steel, whose strength of will has more often than not played a VERY important in saving the world, be with a woman who can't even seem to decide who SHE is?))
Stargate SG-1: Samantha Carter/Jack O'Neill (It's like my initial thoughts on Angel/Cordelia really; looks good on paper, but their drastically conflicting personalities mean that it would never last in reality. Opposites attract is all well and good, but they need at least some things in common, and that is NOT happening here; I mean, Sam can come up with complex technical info off the top of her head, and Jack's default for anything high-tech he encounters is 'magnets'. In any case, why hasn't Jack DONE something about it now that he's not Carter's direct superior if he feels that way about her?)
Daniel Jackson/Vala Mal Doran (Everything I've seen does NOT lead me to conclude they'd be a good couple; Vala is WAY too forward for the still-kind-of-shy Doctor Jackson. Besides, if he DID like her like that, wouldn't he have RESPONDED to her attempts to turn everything into a romantic encounter between the two of them already? As for 'Unending'... personally, I think he just settled for Vala because he thought Sam didn't feel the same way about him as he did about her and was tired of being alone (See MaureenT's 'Fifty Years'- Teen and Mature versions- for further information on that particular theory))
X-Men: Cyclops/Emma Frost (Look at the facts here, people; Emma participated in the 'Dark Phoenix' saga, she constantly seems to undermine Scott's authority, she seduced him away from Jean just because he was having a bit of a rough patch, she uses her mental abilities with seemingly little regard for anyone's individual rights, and she has the nerve to say that Scott's not a good leader when he once commanded a mass group of heroes that included leaders like Doctor Strange and Luke Cage into battle? I don't care how it's portrayed; I just don't think it makes sense)
Wolverine/Rogue (They have a close relationship- particularly in the movie continuity-, but I really think it's more a father/daughter thing than anything else)
Yu-Gi-Oh: Yugi/Atem (Another case where I feel like making my distaste for this M/M pairing clear; like Angel and Spike, Yugi and Atem are more like BROTHERS than LOVERS as far as I'm concerned)
My 'Do' and 'Don't' List
(When relating to fanfic I'll read, anyway; I respect people's rights to read what they want, just so long as they provide clear warning about what the story's going to be about to stop anyone reading it who doesn't want to)
My opinion on slash is varied; I will read stories featuring characters who are clearly established as gay, but I won't read anything between characters who have been established as straight. So Willow Rosenberg/Tara MacClay would work, but Daniel Jackson/Jack O'Neill is DEFINITELY out. Besides, in the case of many slash pairings, such as Sam Beckett/Al Calavicci (Quantum Leap), Buffy/Willow, Sherlock Holmes/Doctor Watson, Angel/Spike, Yugi/Atem and so on, I feel as though a sexual relationship cheapens their friendship, as though the writers believe that NOBODY can be truly close to someone unless they're shagging each other six ways to Sunday; it is perfectly possible to have an utterly platonic relationship and STILL be remarkably close friends
(OK, so I admit that I'd check out some femmeslash for the mental images on some occasions; I'm a living breathing male, you can hardly expect me to be perfect, right?)
I REALLY don't like reading stuff which blatantly favours specific characters while outright insulting other characters; for example, KColl2003's 'The Paladin Project', which features extensive Buffy-bashing and generally portrays her as being utterly incompetent as a Slayer and a leader while making Xander out to be some kind of demon-busting machine. I have nothing specifically against either view- everyone's entitled to their own opinions, after all-, but when you make your positive/negative opinions on other characters that blatant you detract from the amount of people who might want to read the story in the first place. I mean, making the occasional negative comment is understandable, but if you want to outright insult characters and point out their flaws that's what the internet forums are for; FanFic's meant to be a celebration of what you like about the series, not an opportunity to yell and rant about what you don't like
Buffy-wise, I really hate those stories that portray Xander as some kind of demon butt-kitting machine (The Paladin Project by KColl2003 serving as a particular example of that). Xander's the guy who keeps the Scoobies connected to reality amid the chaos, he's the guy they turn to when they need their mood lightened after a particularly grim battle, but a tactical genius and an expert fighter capable of going up against century-old vampires and walking away the winner? NO WAY! (And I really hate those stories which say that him not mentioning Willow's attempt to re-curse Angelus in Becoming was because he didn't want Buffy not to be focused on killing Angelus. That may have been a factor, but as far as I'm concerned, his main reason was the jealous resentment of a teenage boy and that's it; he just wasn't mature enough at that point to think of another reason as being more important)
In terms of Kim Possible fics, while I like the idea of Ron learning to stand on his own, I DON'T like it when it results in/happens as a result of Kim losing her own status or making dumb relationship/work/whatever decisions; she's good at what she does, and that should be acknowledged (So, in other words, nothing where Kim's failures mean Ron succeeds, or where Kim dumps/is cheating on Ron and then he grows into his own afterwards; they had a great relationship, and I really don't see them ending a lifetime's worth of friendship because a closer relationship didn't work (Zaratan's "Bonnie's Curse" series mainly works because, while Ron develops as a person and a hero, it's due to Kim being in a coma rather than making dumb judgement calls- Monkey Fist can be VERY vicious-, so his own improvements don't come about as a result of her suffering from shortcomings))
HP FanFic 'Rules': I'll read Harry/Luna, but only if there's some other central plot, such as in the story 'Wizards, Heroes and Jackalopes' where the main plot is the fact that Harry's new guardians are Green Arrow and his partners; I don't REALLY see Luna as Harry's type in a stand-alone story
I'm OK with a Ron/Hermione pairing, but in general I just see it as a background, secondary pairing thing; I'm not ENTIRELY sure about Ron's boyfriend abilities to think that a full-length story devoted exclusively to this pairing could work
On the topic of Ron, I will read stories where Ron's a bit of a berk because of his jealousy- he can be a moron; after the events of 'Goblet of Fire' it would be kind of stupid of me not to acknowledge that fact-, but I won't read anything where he JUST became Harry's friend to latch onto Harry's fame and all that crap; you don't stand on a BROKEN leg and proclaim that you'd die for somebody if you don't GENUINELY see them as a friend
Powerful!Harry stories are OK so long as they provide a decent explanation for his 'upgrade' some while before it actually happens- blocks on his magic that got broken for some reason, some mystic source of power he tapped into-, and Manipulative!Dumbledore stories can also work well under the right conditions
When reading Harry/Hermione stories, I'll accept Ginny and Ron ending up with pretty much anyone so long as it is sensibly explained and it isn't a particularly central focus of the story, such as if Ginny ends up with Malfoy and it gets just as much 'screen time' as the Harry/Hermione relationship (I can tolerate them in small doses, but I'd probably try and induce amnesia if I read a full-length story exclusive to them as a couple)
Seriously, stories with Snape as Harry's father? HE LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE JAMES POTTER, PEOPLE; WHO ELSE COULD BE HIS DAD?
Favourite Crossover Pairings:
(Odd section to have, I know, but I've read a couple of crossover stories where the created pairings were so good, I couldn't NOT instantly start to like them. I guess it's true what Terry Pratchett once wrote; "men who can invent things that anyone could have thought of are very rare men".)
Harry Potter/Dawn Summers (Harry Potter/Buffy the Vampire Slayer): "Harry Potter and the Key of Dagon"? One absolutely INCREDIBLE piece of work, in my opinion; an engaging plot, good teamwork between the two sides, dramatic final showdown between Harry and Voldemort, and a very new, believeable-looking relationship between the Boy Who Lived and the former Key of Dagon. Quite frankly, I feel this relationship had great potential; two people, forced to be something they never wanted to be thanks to circumstances beyond their control, find love in each other
Harry Potter/River Tam (Harry Potter/Firefly): It may not have been quite developed the way I'd have liked to see it develop in "Browncoat, Green Eyes"- it suffered from a bit of a lack of screen time, when you get down to it-, but what I saw was very good. It's like Harry and Dawn, really; neither of them asked to become what they became, but when it happened, they managed to learn how to use the powers they'd acquired against the people who made them what they were that fateful day
Jack O'Neill/Faith Lehane (Stargate SG-1/Buffy the Vampire Slayer): "Worth Fighting For"? Brilliant story that- if you ask me- is DEFINITELY going to become a popular series when more stories are written. Two people, scarred by love and life in ways that have left them practically incapable of commitment, each find what they've been looking for in each other, and the differences (Age, background, lifestyle choices, relationship with their families, Jack fighting aliens while Faith kicks demon butt) be damned
J'onn J'onnz/Mystique (Justice League/X-Men: Evolution): The Last Son series by The Writer With No Name may have created many interesting bonds between the heroes of two of fiction's most famous superhero teams, but the implied relationship between these two- beginning in chapter 30 of "The Last Son Book Two: Reckonings"- is unquestionably my favourite idea so far. After all, both of them may come from drastically different backgrounds, but when you get down to it, they have one crucial thing in common; they would do anything for their children (There's the shape-shifting thing too, of course, but that just guarantees their different appearances won't be an issue rather than having anything to do with why I think a relationship would work)
Peter Parker/Rogue (Spider-Man/X-Men: Evolution): Trust me, Agent-G knew what he was doing when he wrote "Spider-X" and paired Peter up with Rogue; two superheroes, always slightly awkward around others due to their powers (Rogue)/intellect (Peter) and secrets (Both of them), find love in each other amid the chaos of their ever-changing world, and vow to never let it go regardless of the challenges life hits them with (And with Venom and Black Cat both interested in Rogue's head, to say nothing of Peter's new enemies in the Brotherhood such as Electro, that is a LOT of challenges, believe me)
(The Spider-Man/Supergirl pairing Agent-G created in his 'Justice League- The Spider' series was good, but I just don't think they clicked quite as well as Peter and Rogue did in Spider-X; plus, I was initially inclining towards Wonder Girl when I read the earlier chapters)
Sirius Black/Dawn Summers (Harry Potter/Buffy the Vampire Slayer: With the age difference having been erased- in Anoron's story "The Key to Marauding" Dawn arrives in Hogwarts while the Marauders are only fifteen-, I was surprised to find that these two made a pretty good pairing; Dawn helps to provide Sirius with somebody ELSE who thinks his family's got some extremely large sticks up their asses, and Sirius provides Dawn with somebody who can really make her laugh despite what she's gone through
Family Ties:
(Characters from two fandoms learning they're long-lost relatives of some kind or another; if done right, it's very interesting)
Buffy Summers/Anakin Skywalker (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Star Wars; brother/adopted sister): Quite frankly, the bond that Naitch03 created in his crossover series works out brilliantly; Anakin provides Buffy with someone who just treats her like a sister and expects nothing more than to be seen as a brother in return- Dawn initially seemed to want to prove herself Buffy's equal when she needed to establish herself as her own person- and Buffy provided Anakin with someone who understood the pressures of being 'Chosen' and could help him keep his feet on the ground
Dominique 'Demona' Destine/Willow 'Wisp' Rosenberg (Gargoyles/Buffy the Vampire Slayer; mother/daughter): The time was that I couldn't see Demona as anything other than a monster (If I thought of her at all; I liked Gargoyles as a kid but it's been ages since I saw an episode of it), but having read "Willow Destine", I think the idea of Demona 'adopting' Willow should work well; Willow provides Demona with a fresh perspective on the humans she once vowed to destroy, and Demona helps Willow learn how to make a more active physical contribution to the fight to defend the Hellmouth than she was once capable of (Plus, who's to say what magic Demona could end up teaching Willow over time?)
Faith Lehane/Rupert Giles (Buffy the Vampire Slayer; father/adopted daughter): It's not a crossover, I know, but this family bond in KColl2003's SUPERB AU take on BtVS- "Faith: The Series", an AU where Faith's Chosen instead of Buffy and is thus adopted by Giles in Boston-, is so incredible I felt it deserved an 'honourable mention'. After all, here we have the Slayer with the troubled past and the Watcher with the (In all fairness to Giles) kinda poor people skills and an (In his own way) equally troubled past, coming together to provide each other with the stable families and lives that they themselves never really seemed to have before they met each other
Harry Potter/Willow Rosenberg (Harry Potter/Buffy the Vampire Slayer; brother/sister): Buffy may be the more traditional choice for the long-lost sibling of the Boy-Who-Lived, but when SoJoGoGo wrote "Rise Against The Dark Tide" and made WILLOW Harry's sister, I was almost amazed that it hadn't occurred to somebody earlier. After all, they're around the same age, they're both powerful magic-wielders, and, based on what descriptions we have of Lily, Willow DOES look a bit like her (I just hope it's continued sooner rather than later; I can't WAIT to see what happens when the two of them finally meet face-to-face)
Harry Potter/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Splinter (Harry Potter/TMNT; adopted brothers & mentor): It's a darker Harry than I'm used to, of course, but with the Turtles available to guard Harry's back in the Heart of the Warrior series by MadnessPersonified, he becomes a far more confident person than he ever was in the original series, always assured that, whatever else happens and no matter what fate befalls him, he has five people who will definitely be willing to stand by him when the situation gets ugly (Even if it's got far more opportunities to get ugly with the Turtles' regular enemies to deal with on top of his own)
Jack O'Neill/Xander Harris (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Stargate SG-1; father/son): In many ways, the idea of Jack being Xander's father in Tassos' "Bridges" not only made a certain amount of sense from a physical perspective- they DO look rather alike, when you think about it- but it even works on a personal level; both of them are normal people who've suffered great tragedy, but rose above it to deal with a nightmare beyond anything they could have once imagined existed (Plus there's their similar senses of humour to take into account)
John Sheppard/Harry Potter, AKA Jason Sheppard (Stargate Atlantis/Harry Potter; adopted brothers): Even with Harry's- or Jason's, to use his new name- views on life and magic significantly different from his canon views in "Harry Potter and the Ancient's Bane", the bond between these two definitely works. John provides Jason with somebody who he knows will always be there to protect him, no questions asked and no possibility of an ulterior motive, and Jason provides John with somebody with whom he can definitely be nothing more than himself with, even amid the chaos surounding life in Atlantis
Peter Parker (Spider-Man)/Laura (X-23) (Spider-Man/X-Men; father/adopted daughter): It may seem like a strange family connection- although it's only an adopted one, I assure you; Laura's still Wolverine's female clone who broke away from her creators-, but Agent-G's "The New Teacher" really makes it work; X-23, a young woman horribly scarred by life through no fault of her own, is taken in by a man who has been through his own kind of Hell, and yet still manages to laugh regardless of the hardships that he's gone through
Trinity/Harry Potter (The Matrix/Harry Potter; mother/adopted son): It's too bad that the writer doesn't seem to be continuing "Know Thyself" (Or is at least taking a very long time to write the next chapter in the series); the character development in that story is excellent. A woman whose entire life is almost exclusive to war finds a damaged boy who needs someone to love him and will one day have the fate of the world on his shoulders, and the two bring each other the one thing they need to be truly complete as people (Plus, when you think about it, it's a very interesting twist on the idea of Trinity loving the person who will be the One; she does still love him, it's just that she loves him as a son rather than as a lover)
My Crossover Pairings:
(Crossover pairings I've created myself, and the reasons why I came up with them)
Angel/Paige Matthews (Angel/Charmed) (Sent to the Witch series): In many ways, I see in Paige that certain kind of woman whose acceptance of Angel will allow him to better accept himself; a woman who, in many ways, personifies good, but is nevertheless able to see past the horrific crimes of Angelus to see and appreciate the good, heroic soul of Angel. After all, if she can accept who he was, maybe Angel can come to accept it as well...
Harry Potter/Kim Possible (Harry Potter/Kim Possible) (Future project; will begin once my 'Heroes' story 'From the Ashes' has been finished): Admittedly, I had to kill off Ginny Weasley and Ron Stoppable for the two of them to end up together- the characters are just too perfect together for me to write a convincing break-up, so getting them killed was the only option-, but I thought the pairing worked; both of them are, when you get down to it, average teenagers (Although Harry's in his twenties when they meet in the story), with all the angst and drama that involves, and yet they come together to save the world when they're needed and nobody else could have succeeded
Spike/Vala Mal Doran (Angel/Stargate SG-1) (The Ghost in the Team): Both of them have a less-than-decent past and a desire to make up for what they did, as well as having some relationship issues to deal with (Spike's last love interest never cared for him that way and Vala's daughter is currently trying to conquer the galaxy; I'd say that counts as 'issues'); I think they'd fit well together
Favourite Characters:
Buffy/Angel:
Angel: The whole 'tortured hero' thing- coupled with him doubling up as possibly the greatest enemy of BOTH teams when he's Angelus, not to mention his determination to never give up regardless of what he's lost- makes him a VERY appealing character; I've always liked my heroes with a certain 'edge', to say nothing of the whole 'You are your own worst enemy' thing he practically personifies whenever he becomes Angelus
Faith: She fell from grace, but, when she wanted to get it back, she managed to do a pretty damn fine job of it, if you ask me. She had her problems, but, when both sides needed her to fight for them, she was there (Particularly when Angelus got out once more); what's not to like about her?
Spike: He's got his appealing moments, but I prefer him in Angel; in Buffy, I feel as though he's just trying to replace Angel as the Scooby Gang's 'vampire-in-residence', but in Angel, he has to make his own place in the group, and does it rather well even after he regains corporeal status
Charmed:
Cole Turner: As with Angel, the 'tortured hero' thing is the main reason I find him appealing (OK, so he went evil towards the end and had to die; personally I think it was just the ridiculous amount of magic he now controlled making him go nuts as he lost touch with everyone else he knew)
Paige Matthews: OK, admittedly part of the reason I like her is that I think she's the hottest of the four (Particularly during her red-haired phase; the black hair makes her look a bit pale, in my opinion), but there's also something about her history- the whole 'forbidden child' thing- that I find rather appealing about her, as well as the ever-developing nature of her powers and her occasional need to find her place
Friends:
Chandler Bing: I have a MUCH happier home life, thankfully, but otherwise I really identify with the guy- his use of humour as a defence mechanism, his awkwardness with women, little details like that
Firefly:
Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds: As with Harry, Angel, and the like, he doesn't ask to be the hero, but when push comes to shove, you can definitely count on Mal to come through for you and save the day, regardless of his motives or whatever issues he may have to deal with in the process
Harry Potter:
Harry Potter: As always, he's the reluctant hero who does the job despite what it can cost him; very admirable trait, really (Even if he does whine about his fate a lot in the last few books, when the time came for him to risk everything, he did it)
Heroes:
Peter Petrelli: Where some (Nathan) would just deny their powers, while others (Hiro) are almost too enthusiastic about them, Peter finds the balance between the two extremes, becoming a hero both with his powers and as a person. Plus, I see a lot of myself in him, for some reason (As well as that, the whole 'tragic romance' nature of his relationship with Claire, coupled with him having- in my opinion- the coolest power in the entire series, only ADDS to his appeal to me as a character)
Marvel Comics:
Spider-Man: It's a bit corny, I know, but the whole 'With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility' thing? Definitely words to live by, particularly given all the crap he's had to put up with since he put the costume on...
Rogue: She had a tragic life, and her powers just made sure that it would continue to suck no matter how hard she tries to do the right thing, but she rises above her limitations to be a hero no matter how hard it might be at times
Wolverine: As with my other favourites, he's the reluctant hero with a dark side, an attitude problem, and more issues than there are pages in my copy of IT (1 116 pages in that book), but he still makes a real effort to do the right thing
Stargate SG-1:
Daniel Jackson: I'm not as intelligent, and I definitely don't have his nack for languages- it took all my effort just to pass Standard Grade French-, but, in a way, it's like with Chandler; I see a great deal of myself in him, for some reason even I'm not entirely sure about
These stories are dedicated to Nina Spencer...
The beautiful Raven who became my muse one day, and, no matter what paths our lives take, shall always be in my heart
Regarding my LXG stories, they should be read in this order (Excluding 'The Fellowship of Extraordinary Men', for obvious reasons):
SERIES SUMMARY:
Their powers were legendary...
Their origins were unknown...
Their motives were questionable...
Their methods were extreme...
But when the future of the early twentieth century was at stake...
They were the world's last hope
A Spy... a Scientist... a Teacher... a Thief... a Beast... a Machine... a Vampire
They were THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, and this is their story
STORIES:
1. Reminiscing
2. Bloodletting
3. War with the Future
4. Skynet Spreads (Terminator/LXG Crossover)
5. Worlds at War
6. Spirit Walk
7. Resurrection
8. The One Where They Help Save the World (Friends/LXG Crossover)
9. Legacy
10. A Face in the Crowd
11. The Adventure of the Seven Legends (Sherlock Holmes/LXG Crossover) (WIP)
12: Omen of Darkness (Not Written Yet)
13. Talia (Not Written Yet)
14. Grey Knight, Black Pawns, White Queen (Not Written Yet)
For my 'Coven of Reformed Supernaturals' stories, there are only three, but more may come with popular demand and inspiration
TRILOGY SUMMARY:
They were empowered by the demons...
They were saved by their enemies...
Their souls are from the legends
A Champion... A Redeemed... A God...A Warrior... A Healer... A Demon... A Hybrid... An Exorcist... An Assassin... A Dark Knight...
They are THE COVEN OF REFORMED SUPERNATURALS, and these are their stories
(AN: At present, the Dark Knight (Vampire Batman) only appears in the first story and the Assassin (Spawn) only appears in the second, although they will most likely meet in the third story in this trilogy)
(AN 2: Suggestions for other members for the third part of the trilogy would be greatly appreciated; I currently have Ghost Rider, Danny Phantom, the WereCatwoman (From Batman: Bloodstorm, Book Two in the Vampire Batman Elseworld Trilogy), Raven (From DC Comics, without the 'Titans' parts of her history), 'the Crow' and Dante (From the video game Devil May Cry) as a definite, and possibly the demon Etrigan (I'll be using the animated version as I'm not very good at rhyming things) as another, but I'm open to others so long as they remain 'Reformed Supernaturals' who can potentially do some SERIOUS damage in a fight)
STORIES:
1. The Coven of Reformed Supernaturals
2. The Gathering of Supernatural Psychopaths (WIP)
3. The Satan War (Not Written Yet)
In my series, 'Harry Potter/Granger' (Where Harry is adopted by the Grangers when he's six), I have only one story, but I intend to write more in the future; pairings will be primarily Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione, with a Harry/Hermione sibling relationship. The first three books should be primarily the same as the originals (Although 'Chamber' will be more of a detective story than the original one was), with more major changes occurring around the middle of the fourth year and going along from there
SERIES SUMMARY:
One act of abuse...
One chance meeting...
Once, they were two friends
Now, they are two siblings...
One legend, changed forever
STORIES:
1. Harry PotterGranger and the Philospher's Stone
2. Harry PotterGranger and the Chamber of Secrets (WIP)
AN: With the release of 'Deathly Hallows' I'm taking some time off from this series until I have a better idea where it's going in later years; I have SOME ideas what will happen in the end, and I will continue to write it, but I'm simply downgrading its 'priority' until I have a better idea of where I want it to end now that we know, for example, where the horcruxes are and the final fates of some of the characters
My latest series 'Sent to the Witch' (Featuring Angel from 'BtVS' being sent to help Paige Matthews of 'Charmed' become a witch rather than help Buffy Summers become a Slayer) will feature five novel-length stories, each one looking at a season of 'Charmed' and incorporating variations on Angel's own storyline, as well as how his presence would have affected some of the pivotal events in the series (His role in the future where Wyatt went evil, that sort of thing). Pairings are predominately Angel/Paige and Piper/Leo, with Cole/Phoebe at first and then having Phoebe's relationships developing in a similar manner to how things went in the showSERIES SUMMARY:
The Vampire Champion, cursed with a Soul amd a desire for Redemption...
The Witch, conceived by the forbidden union of Witch and Whitelighter, seeking her Place...
A Passion that was never Meant To Be in this world... But IS...
And Two Legends... that shall be altered...
FOREVER
STORIES:
1. Sent to the Witch ('Charmed' Season 4, incorporates elements of 'BtVS' Season 2) (WIP)
2. The Love of the Vampire ('Charmed' Season 5, incorporates elements of 'Angel' Season 1) (Not Written Yet)
3. The Sire, the Son, and the Future ('Charmed' Season 6, incorporates elements of 'Angel' Season 2) (Not Written Yet)
4. The Vampire's Child ('Charmed' Season 7, incorporates elements of'Angel' Season 3) (Not Written Yet)
5. My Charge and My Family ('Charmed' Season 8) (Not Written Yet)
AN: Writing will be temporarily on hold due to my laptop keyboard needing repairs; until I get it- and all the stories that are on it- back, my future projects are indefinitely halted
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