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February 7, 2016

Preparing for Heartbreak | The OTP Tag


The charming Carlisa at Confessions of Carlisa tagged me for the OTP tag, just in time for Valentine's Day (really it was a couple of weeks ago, but we are going to pretend that I am not a procrastinator for this post).

The rules of this tag are pretty simple, even if the decisions are not. Many of you probably know that a "ship" is, and no, we are not talking about the kind that floats on water, a relationship between characters that you promote, love, and in dire cases, cry over. The OTP, or ONE TRUE PAIRING, is the same thing, but they do not have to necessarily be the relationship in the book. You can think anything is an OTP, like peanut butter and jelly or chocolate, and, well, anything. 

Also, just so you know, these are my personal opinions. You may not agree with me, which is fine. But please let's just keep this fun and civil.



An Unpopular OTP that you Ship


I am a fan of one of the most unpopular OTPs out there: 

Katniss and Gale from The Hunger Games 

(cue the booing, food throwing, and hate comments)

I loved Katniss and Gale's relationship in the book and how close their friendship was. Gale was always there for Katniss, before and after the Hunger Games. He hunted with her and taught her how to make traps and snares. He helped her feed her family and deal with the death of her father. He took care of Prim and her mother during both of the Games. Would Peeta have done that if he was not in the Games?

Gale also never pushed Katniss into a relationship. Their friendship was always extremely real and realistic, while Peeta and Katniss's relationship was essentially founded on a lie to win the Games.

I get that Peeta can bake and decorate some cakes and he threw bread to Katniss one time, but Gale was the person who kept her and her family alive for years. At least that is how I see it.

An OTP that You Didn't Ship at First


America and Maxon from The Selection series

For the first half of the series, I was firmly Team Aspen in regards to The Selection. If you have not caught on by now, I have a talent for picking the wrong side of the love triangle. At first, Maxon seemed like some kind of programmed prince robot without feelings or thoughts of his own. He did not have much of a personality and I did not know much about him besides the fact that he was a prince. But then the story changed, and Aspen got annoying and a little bit creepy, so the story shifted in favor of Maxon.  

Your Most Hated OTP


Lena and Julian from the Delirium series

I loved Alex. He was the spontaneous, caring, and a rebel against the oppressive culture of the story. He was a knight fighting for love, and I adored that. 

Then, this Julian robot came in and tried to steal Lena from him. And I did not take it well. I still had no concrete confirmation that Alex died. I am clairvoyant sometimes. And I hated to see Lena waste her time with this stupid rich kid who did not even know what love was. I was almost ready to stop reading the series due to my hatred for Julian.

An OTP that Took WAY too Long to Get Together


Karou and Akiva from The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series

This is one of my favorite series, and consequently, one of my favorite couples. But man, did they have to go through a ton of obstacles, adversity and wars before they could get together. In the long run, I think that is what makes them an amazing couple to me. They had hope in their love even during the darkest of times. They refused to settle for the ordinary or for the "good enough." They only wanted to be with each other. 

Your Favorite Non-Canon OTP


Haymitch and Effie from The Hunger Games

I think this relationship might have been hinted at in the book, but it was definitely not a concrete thing. I love the idea of grouchy Haymitch and effervescent Effie in a relationship. They are the perfect example of opposites that would work so well together. Throughout the series, Haymitch helped Effie shed her preconceptions about life outside the Capital and eventually turned her into a rebel who helped in District 13. They brought out the best in each other and worked as an amazing team to ensure that Katniss and Peeta won the Games.

Your Favorite BROTP


Percy Jackson and Grover from the Percy Jackson series


Technically, Grover is not even human, but I am still counting him for my favorite bro-relationship. I love his banter and jokes with Percy. Grover was Percy's guardian, but he was more importantly his friend. They helped each other through their struggles against monsters, demigods, and even the gods of Olympus themselves. Nothing was too big for these bros to tackle with their bravery, friendship, and hilarious jokes.

An OTP You Adored in the Books but not as much in the Adaptation


Harry and Ginny in Harry Potter

I was never the biggest fan of Harry and Ginny (Hermione and Harry for the win) but I eventually accepted their relationship in the novels. Unfortunately, I was not able to do that same in the movie adaptations. Their relationship was kind of brushed to the side, which is kind of understandable since there was already a lot going on. I wish that they would have given Harry's few moments of happiness with Ginny throughout the story more of a chance to shine. In the novel, their relationship gave hope for the wizarding world and for love in general. If Harry could find love in the middle of war, anyone could, right? It makes me incredibly sad that this was ignored in the movie.

An OTP that You Just Cannot Ship


Elias and Laia from An Ember in the Ashes

Again, I ended up rooting for the wrong people in this weird love triangle. Personally, I think that Helene and Elias had a more solid background to form a relationship on and would have made a good couple. I do not think that a slave who has been oppressed, tortured, and hurt by the Empire could have fallen in love with one of the main executors of the Empire's torture so quickly. I feel as if it was just thrown together with a major case of insta-love that I had a hard time swallowing. 

Your All-Time Favorite OTP



Tris and Four from Divergent

Tris and Four were the couple that first truly got me into swooning over character relationships. I loved how strong their love was (even stronger than supposedly Divergent-proof serum) and how realistic it seemed in the books. They were not overly lovey-dovey, but they still expressed their affection in the sweetest ways. They are also another good example of opposites attracting and bringing out the best in one another. When their relationship got tough, they talked and dealt with the issues instead of pushing them aside.

They earned this spot because they have a model relationship to me.

I tag anyone who wants to do this tag and has not yet.

Who is your favorite OTP? Do you have a habit of rooting for the wrong side of the love triangle too? Do you hate me for liking Gale more than Peeta?


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