Elizabeth Weir/John Sheppard Appreciation/Ship/Discussion Thread

[ShipperWriter]

I had a problem at first with that too, but then for some reason they just separated in my mind. It's hard to explain. I still have trouble watching Joe do love scenes though, knowing what you said above. But I like that he always looks so uncomfortable in them. LOL Have you seen the screencaps and/or clips from Metal Hurlant? I don't think I want to watch that. And the RPS involving him just puzzles me.

Yeah, I saw some of the screen caps from Metal Hurlant posted on LJ. The only ones I liked were the ones when he's alone.

Just what I said about intimacy. I think their "intimate" relationship was canon, if you take it to mean they were comfortable sharing personal info and understood each other's faults, weaknesses and thoughts. For example, he knew just how she would not want to have her life prolonged but Rodney didn't get that. That was an intimate moment between John and Elizabeth to me. And they did play it perfectly, even if they weren't thinking about romance between their characters.

Right on the money. I would prefer reading a million intimate stories like that over one really "awesome" smut story.

But that's just my age and my beliefs bleeding through.

[Sparky She-Demon]

There are many different definitions of "intimate".

[Eri13]

I like to write intimate scenes because they necessarily don't have to be of a sexual nature. You can show how close two people are without having to cross what you may deem uncomfortable lines. And Sparky is unique because we got to see how they were close onscreen even if they weren't involved in a sexual relationship. And a relationship like that is the best kind. Joe and Torri played it just right.

*bell rings*

Be back later.

Those are the kind I pretty much typically write. I think I also like the whole mental connection aspect to them as well, like SR mentions below. Not that other characters ships don't have an element of that, but perhaps because Elizabeth was sort of an atypical female lead and John was such a perfect compliment--and both were incredibly smart, complicated, caring individuals--it is fun to focus on the mental intimacy.

I had a problem at first with that too, but then for some reason they just separated in my mind. It's hard to explain. I still have trouble watching Joe do love scenes though, knowing what you said above. But I like that he always looks so uncomfortable in them. LOL Have you seen the screencaps and/or clips from Metal Hurlant? I don't think I want to watch that. And the RPS involving him just puzzles me.

Just what I said about intimacy. I think their "intimate" relationship was canon, if you take it to mean they were comfortable sharing personal info and understood each other's faults, weaknesses and thoughts. For example, he knew just how she would not want to have her life prolonged but Rodney didn't get that. That was an intimate moment between John and Elizabeth to me. And they did play it perfectly, even if they weren't thinking about romance between their characters.

I've heard a few things but hadn't seen they'd come out with clips yet. I'll have to check it out. Curious...

[ShipperWriter]

There are many different definitions of "intimate".

Yes, there are. You can have an "intimate" dinner with someone at an Italian restaurant with candles. Or you can have an "intimate" wedding ceremony with a few family members or friends. Or you can have an "intimate" knowledge of a person's wishes and feelings on a subject. Or you can have an "intimate" relationship with someone that you are very close to, and it may not even have to involve romance, like SR said.

Shall I go on?

[Sparky She-Demon]

Yes, there are. You can have an "intimate" dinner with someone at an Italian restaurant with candles. Or you can have an "intimate" wedding ceremony with a few family members or friends. Or you can have an "intimate" knowledge of a person's wishes and feelings on a subject. Or you can have an "intimate" relationship with someone that you are very close to, and it may not even have to involve romance, like SR said.

Shall I go on?

No you do not need to. I think most people will get the idea. Intimacy does not necessarily mean romance!

[ShipperWriter]

No you do not need to. I think most people will get the idea. Intimacy does not necessarily mean romance!

Exactly!

But in order to really get a good sense of the intimacy that John and Elizabeth had, because it's definitely unique, one of the best things to do is watch as many episodes as you can. It'll help you get a better feel for their linguistics, the dynamics of their relationship, their thinking. Trying to write based on what you've gleaned from transcripts is hard - I did it once for EatG. Never again. It's like a man saying he's a doctor just because he's read the CliffNotes.

Speaking of which, I need to call my doctor. Excuse me.

*lurks*

[Sparky She-Demon]

Exactly!

But in order to really get a good sense of the intimacy that John and Elizabeth had, because it's definitely unique, one of the best things to do is watch as many episodes as you can. It'll help you get a better feel for their linguistics, the dynamics of their relationship, their thinking. Trying to write based on what you've gleaned from transcripts is hard - I did it once for EatG. Never again. It's like a man saying he's a doctor just because he's read the CliffNotes.

Speaking of which, I need to call my doctor. Excuse me.

*lurks*

I only have SGA seasons 1-3. I'm working on getting season 4.

[Southern Red]

k

Yeah, I saw some of the screen caps from Metal Hurlant posted on LJ. The only ones I liked were the ones when he's alone.

I particularly like the ones where he's asleep and just woke up. *drools*

Those are the kind I pretty much typically write. I think I also like the whole mental connection aspect to them as well, like SR mentions below. Not that other characters ships don't have an element of that, but perhaps because Elizabeth was sort of an atypical female lead and John was such a perfect compliment--and both were incredibly smart, complicated, caring individuals--it is fun to focus on the mental intimacy.



I've heard a few things but hadn't seen they'd come out with clips yet. I'll have to check it out. Curious...

Oh yeah, there are clips, and one scene will curl your hair.

[Raelis]

I wouldn't say it's not recognizing chemistry. If I didn't see the chemistry, I wouldn't ship the ship. Sparky is an adult relationship, so of course intimacy would be a part of it. It's not about whether they could. It's how descriptive I, personally would get about it in fanon, and that's, perhaps, where I have my hang-up in not separating actors for characters. I didn't see it onscreen in any capacity here, so I don't translate it into writing.

In Supernatural, for example, I'd write bedroom scenes--not descriptively perhaps, but more easily than I'd write Sparky. And for True Blood fandom, I'd go all out and would expect that of fandom. And for my own personal fic, for curious minds, yes, I've imagined/written descriptive smut--because those are my characters, their bodies are mine and their actions are mine. I can be very creative. Where actors are portraying roles, though, it really sort of depends on how those actors portrayed those characters. So for me, Sparky is a little more 'buttoned up' in fanfic.

This is really fascinating. If you don't mind my asking, why writing sex scenes for SPN and True Blood easier than for Sparky? Is it because you don't know as much about the SPN and TB actors so it's easier to see them just as the characters they play? Or is it because those shows had physical intimacy shown onscreen? Or some other reason?

[Sparky She-Demon]

Well, in True Blood, I think its probably easier to write sex scenes for those characters because they are playing vampires. Vampires, in the show and in mythology, are practically hardwired to be "sex gods" for the lack of a better way of putting it!

[ShipperWriter]

I particularly like the ones where he's asleep and just woke up. *drools*

Mmmmmmmmnnnnnnnnn-hhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Oh yeah, there are clips, and one scene will curl your hair.

I'm disturbed but curious.

[ShipperWriter]

To celebrate 3,600 posts, I'm posting a short little Sparky snippet from my new fic. I'm not sure about John, I think I made him talk too much. SR, you mind pulling out your red Sharpie for a few minutes?

Spoiler:

John Sheppard clicked his pen and someone knocked on the door.

"Hey. Do you have a minute?" Elizabeth Weir asked as she walked inside his classroom, her leather work bag slung over one shoulder.

"For you, five." He smiled. "What's up?"

She pulled a paper out of her bag and handed it to John. "Permission form for the play. If Taylor gets signatures from his teachers, he can audition."

"Great. I'll give it to him at practice later." He took the form and laid it on top of his iPhone. "So how was your day?"

She tilted her head in thought. "Rather good, actually. I only had to write up one student today."

John chuckled. "I had to break up a cat fight in the hallway just after lunch. I still don't get how some girls can be so mature, and some are still using a pacifier."

"I never understood it, especially when I was in school. My teachers gave me such praise for being so mature and responsible, yet I was just being myself."

He leaned forward in his chair, groaning in unison. "You're a unique individual, Elizabeth. Your teachers just saw it early on."

Elizabeth smiled, then crossed her arms. "You're being rather complementary. What's going on?"

"Huh? Nothing," he replied, shuffling his papers in embarrassment of being caught. And here I thought I was being subtle.

She perched on the edge of a student desk. "You know I don't believe that for a moment."

John pretended to look for something for a few more seconds, then gave up and sighed. "What were we talking about?"

Elizabeth smirked and gave him a knowing look. It was amazing that they knew each other so well that they were capable of figuring each other out with a single look. Usually she was better at it than he was; he wasn't good at expressing his feelings, which was the primary reason he was having such a hard time asking her out on a date.

He groaned. "I gotta get going to practice. I'll have Taylor drop this off to you when it's completed."

"Sounds good. Thanks, John, for your help."

As she walked out the door and he sat in his chair feeling like a moron, he brought his hands up and covered his face.

"Anytime," he muttered.

[Sparky She-Demon]

I don't think John was talking too much. I think it was just right!

[Eri13]

This is really fascinating. If you don't mind my asking, why writing sex scenes for SPN and True Blood easier than for Sparky? Is it because you don't know as much about the SPN and TB actors so it's easier to see them just as the characters they play? Or is it because those shows had physical intimacy shown onscreen? Or some other reason?

For True Blood it's definitely because they've shown pretty much everything a lot. Most of the actors have left little to the imagination, so how far a stretch is it to imagine more?

SPN I actually know a great deal more about the actors because I'm a diehard SPN fan. But canon has opened up the brothers' worlds to intimacy at varying levels, so I'm fine playing along those lines too.

[Sparky She-Demon]

I'm sorry, but what is SPN?