I Will Go Down With This Ship: Lina & Zelgadis (The Slayers)

Art From:

• Fanmanga TO RETURN part 3-25 by ~EugeneCh
• Oh lighten up Zel by ~cowgirlem
• Rest Stop by ~cowgirlem
• To join LinaZel club by ~EugeneCh

Slayers is, without a doubt, my oldest intentional foray into fandom, and Lina/Zel has always been my favorite ship. Yes, I am aware it is fanon crack. It’s delicious. I like the ship because I see it as a match of intellectual and power-class equals (ok, well Lina is stronger magically but Zel excels in the magical fields that she does not). Lina was the first person he met in years that didn’t run from his appearance and she pushed him repeatedly to not avoid people, to accept himself with the curse as still a valuable and whole person, and to move past his need for vengeance and a cure. Zel is a match for Lina’s mind, and a practical voice to many of her extreme plans, but he can tease her too. He has an extreme side like Lina’s, and is both capable and willing to keep up with her wild and destructive side. Some of he best fic of this ship does explore it as a post-her-relationship-with-Gourry idea (whether he’s dead or they just grew apart romantically) or as unrequited (usually from Zel and his self-esteem issues holding him back). I love me some tragic ships, but this one plays fluff and emotional support beautifully too. The fanficcers and fanartists in the 90s sold it to me.