rose_griffes | ships and shoes and sealing wax

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ships and shoes and sealing wax

Rose's embarrassing tale of shipper woe and angst. Yes, more talk about Battlestar Galactica.

I'm not sure how much my earlier post conveyed this, but I was feeling like I'd been punched by the end of 'The Ties That Bind.' After watching I did the fetal position curl for a bit (also known as 'nap time,' so it wasn't actually all show reaction), had some lunch, then did some errands... Now I've had dinner with friends and gone shopping, and I finally figured out why I was distressed. Here's my big conclusion: writing fanfiction makes me like some characters more than I would otherwise. I wrote a Cally story once--hadn't really thought much about her beforehand, though I didn't hate her like some viewers. (Why such extreme reactions to Cally, I will never understand, by the way. But I can probably say that of all the characters on the show who cause vitriolic reactions in some fans.) Writing made me like her a bit more, or at least care more what happened to her. And now she's dead and I'm all sad.

And.. AND: writing fanfic made me reluctantly shippy.

daybreak777 called me on it during an AIM conversation a few weeks ago and she was right--against my will I have started feeling shippy about Kara/Sam. Even though I know it's doomed. Heck, knowing me, that only adds to the attraction. Feeling shippy of an existing pair that's going to fall apart is no fun. They're being so brutal to each other and I don't want to see them disintegrate, and I'm all sad again. Another unexpected consequence of reluctant shippiness--now my head is imagining exactly what happened between Kara and Sam in that commercial break. Me, the queen of gen, busily plotting who said and did what... weird.

One last unexpected consequence of writing spec-fic for the show: I was hoping for our fanon version of new!Kara coming back from the dead with slightly less angst than old!Kara. Instead we get new!Kara with bonus angst! Well... at least we still have Kara, whatever her state of mind.

On a non-fanfic, non-shippy, non-character love note--how's the CIC going to function without Felix and Helo?! Dee can't stay awake around the clock!
Wouldn't Felix and Diana make a cute couple? AAAAAAHHHH... stop it, brain!

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I was just thinking the same thing about Kara taking most of the command crew. What is Adama left with, Dee and the rest of the cylons?!

The thing that bothers me about Cally's death is that I felt like the writers wanted us to not like her for a while with her cylon hatred, then put just enough life back into her for us to care about her and then, wham-o! kill her. It all seemed very disappointing to me, in regard to what the character could have become.

Anyhow... long story short, I am sad too.

The thing that bothers me about Cally's death is that I felt like the writers wanted us to not like her for a while with her cylon hatred, then put just enough life back into her for us to care about her and then, wham-o! kill her. It all seemed very disappointing to me, in regard to what the character could have become.

Yes, it's frustrating. Ensemble shows have this weakness sometimes--not enough time given to secondary characters. I don't like it, though, and I feel indignant in her behalf.

writing fanfiction makes me like some characters more than I would otherwise.

Heh, I just said this in reply to your earlier post. I'm sorry you felt like you got punched. I was spoiled that what we saw in the promo was real, so my punch came last week. I think writing Cally really did make me care more about her. Though I think I would have found the episode disconcerting, anyway. I haven't been able to read any reactions because of the NY trip, but I wonder what they were like - is it like Ellen, where everyone loathed the character until they killed her, now we all love her? Or are people celebrating. (They certainly weren't at the Con. Poor Rehka, she didn't do it! But those were mostly male fans and men tend to go easier on women.)

And same with Kara/Sam. *sigh* If the show ends with them hating each other I'll be so sad. :/

So far I've seen mixed reactions. One person on my f'list can't stand her and is fine with her death, most others are a bit sad but not to the degree I am.

Though I think I would have found the episode disconcerting, anyway.

Yeah, it was a brutal episode, even without my extra dose of Cally-love.

Oh, and I meant to say: yay for you going to the Con! So exciting! Heh, poor actors getting dumped on for what their characters did, that's both amusing and bizarre.

Edited 2008-04-20 13:14 (UTC)

Muwahaha... you've been infected by the shipper bug.

And with a particular ship, too! That's always hard, especially when they're doomed *waves to all my own ships, some of which have sunk ;)

I found myself getting too attached to Kara/Sam also, so I tried to mentally prepare and pull myself back from them before the season premiered. Which... kind of worked, mainly because I tried to just focus on my Kara love. Heh.

But yeah, shipping is hard. It kind of makes you even more invested in the outcome of the show, and then it can turn out really badly for you and your satisfaction with the show, I think. Of course, with BSG, focusing/expecting anything seems to invite disappointment...

and yeah, I'm STILL disappointed over this ep. We should talk tomorrow about it on AIM. But yeah, it just seemed like a waste of Tory and Cally in a lot of weird ways.

But yeah, shipping is hard. It kind of makes you even more invested in the outcome of the show, and then it can turn out really badly for you and your satisfaction with the show, I think. Of course, with BSG, focusing/expecting anything seems to invite disappointment...

If only I'd known the dangers of writing shippy-fic ahead of time! I might've stopped myself! Heh. *sigh* Yeah, having expectations of BSG is just asking for disappointment.

I'll login on AIM this evening; we can chat if you're around.

Sounds like a plan!

Ah, I thought it was about the Cally story you wrote. I understand the feeling. I think that I developed even a more of a soft spot for Sam when I wrote that fic from his point of view. I can't help but like a character more when I try to write them. (Though my very first softening toward Sam happened when I watched a videoblog of Trucco last year. Having seen him today at the con, he is very personable. That long ago videoblog and Sam's stubborn loyalty to Kara went a long way at making me like his character. He seems like a fun person.)

So I feel you on the, the-little-character-I-wrote-is-doomed angst. I feel Sam is doomed. Felix Gaeta. Doomed. Perhaps Seelix will survive, I haven't written her yet.

As for Cally. She did indeed annoy me. She seemed to whine a lot. Granted she had a lot to complain about, her life wasn't easy. But still. I loved when Cally hit Chief with the wrench. I know. But I think that we saw a little more of Cally after she married the Chief, and that was after he broke her jaw. I liked seeing her get her own with the wrench after that. That relationship was all messed up from the start. I think about her in this ep. I don't think she could have coped with the Cylon thing. She was on the verge of suicide before Tory laid a hand on her. So I don't feel that bad that she died, she almost did it to herself and almost took Nicky with her. Now, I'm mostly wary about the other Cylons.

I am sorry that you are sad. *hugs* I have to hunt up my muse to finish your story and cheer you. *nods* And maybe Sam will survive? Maybe?

Don't even get me started on ships 'o doom. Like I said, welcome to the darkside . . . :-)

One way to get those 'commercial' images out of your head is to write them. All your friends are writing it . . . :-) Hee!

One way to get those 'commercial' images out of your head is to write them. All your friends are writing it . . . :-) Hee!

*laughs* Tempting me, eh? Heh. I have no desire to write anything so depressing as that particular scene, even if my lizard-brain appreciates certain aspects of it.

Ah well. Thanks for the sympathy over my woebegone Cally-sadness. Probably I'll live. *g*

oh my dying ships. Sam/Kara, Lee/Kara, (I have somewhat hope for another one that I focus on way too much...but I don't see that ending well either.) This show has proven that relationships in space apparently don't work. But I'll be strong and you should be strong too. I'm trying to stay in my little writing bubble where I can write anything I want. All my season 4 fics are turning really AU anyways. oh well.

I'm trying to stay in my little writing bubble where I can write anything I want. All my season 4 fics are turning really AU anyways. oh well.

Heh, I know that feeling. I still have a couple of things in mind that haven't been made AU... yet.

Haven't watched S4 yet, but I'm happily allowing myself to get spoiled to death, so...

After watching I did the fetal position curl for a bit
Many people seem to have had that reaction. :) And Cally wasn't even *that* popular.

Here's my big conclusion: writing fanfiction makes me like some characters more than I would otherwise.
Interesting point. :)

I guess that, writing fanfic, you spend a lot of time getting into the character's head, you get to know him/her even better than you would as a casual watcher, and inevitably, you get more involved...

I guess that, writing fanfic, you spend a lot of time getting into the character's head, you get to know him/her even better than you would as a casual watcher, and inevitably, you get more involved...

Apparently so. Since I've only been writing fanfic for sixteen months (and twelve of those months the show was on hiatus) I wasn't prepared for the level of woe I'd feel. Heh. Ah well.

Sometimes even just reading fan fic can skew your view on a character.

I too had hoped Kara would have reached some sort of peace after coming back from the dead. Guess not. *sigh* Maybe she'll calm down once she remembers the path to earth.

On a non-fanfic, non-shippy, non-character love note--how's the CIC going to function without Felix and Helo?!

They let Capt. Kelly out of the brig? Or maybe Hoshi is pulling overtime.

Sometimes even just reading fan fic can skew your view on a character.

*nods* Very true.

They let Capt. Kelly out of the brig? Or maybe Hoshi is pulling overtime.

Heh. Baltar better watch out again if they did let Kelly out. I was surprised at how many of the crew were on the Demetrius. Seems kinda strange for a 'stealth' mission to send away all the efficient workers.

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