A 'shipper On Ripper
by Julie
Deep down inside, there is always a lot of Ripper in Giles. Some viewers tend to remember only first-season Giles, a man who was easily flustered, often confused and certainly asexual. Over time, however, we learned about his past and those events seemed to influence his future. It's not that Giles himself changed, it's that the role he played with the Scoobies changed. He was able to move from father/teacher to guide/friend.As the children matured, they shared more with him, including sexual matters (Buffy and Xander losing their virginity, Willow coming out). He tended to be surprised or upset but he came to accept those changes and eventually react smoothly to them.
As they were learning to communicate with him about these matters, he was starting to open up to them. It wasn't until Buffy was in college that she learned of his relationship with Olivia. He didn't begin drinking or using bad words in front of the Scoobies until a few years into the show. He seemed more disturbed when Buffy learned he'd slept with Joyce than he was the first time he faced Joyce after they'd sobered up from the effects of the spell.
Once you accept that his words and actions were initially tempered to protect Buffy, Willow and Xander, it's much easier to capture more of the Ripper charm and confidence, even when writing first- or second-season Giles. Ripper was always still there but Giles was needed to protect the "children" even if that made him look a little nancy. A fic can be set in the early episodes and, once you accept that he's created a relationship with someone or wants to do so, it's easy to believe that he would open up more, be more like the Giles we came to know in later episodes.
He's still cute flustered and confused but it's important to remember that he tended to stammer and backpedal when he'd been blindsided with something or isn't comfortable sharing something with someone. It isn't that he lacks confidence or is weak; it's that he expects people to behave in a certain manner and values privacy and decorum. Think of when one of the Scoobies would mention something related to sex and Giles would get that very uncomfortable look. It's easy to dismiss that as his discomfort with sex but it makes much more sense with the character that he was simply uncomfortable with references to high-school sexuality.
This sounds a lot like British stuffiness but it doesn't have to be that way. There is a balance between Ripper and Giles. This means you have a lot of leeway in terms of sarcasm, sexuality and behavior in general. As long as you have something of a mix, it will probably fly. If you try to stay on one end of the spectrum, you could have problems. A story where Giles only displays the flustered characteristics or the Ripper persona is going to seem poorly developed if it takes place over a period of time. Giles simply isn't that flat. You can get around that by using some sort of excuse - such as a spell or something - but that really needs to be explained or people will disappointed no matter how great the plot.
Some things worth mentioning:
The language: There are few things more jolting in fan fiction than dialogue that would clearly never come out of a character's mouth. Obviously, in writing slash, there is going to be a lot of unexpected dialogue. You're just not going to hear Giles say, "I want you in me now" --- even if Marti Noxon and Jane Espenson are writing the script. That doesn't necessarily make it unreasonable for him to say that. As long as it fits in with the situation, such dialogue can happen. Clearly we weren't able to see a lot of the private moments that would have occurred for these characters. This means writers have license to create these moments as long as they don't stray too far from the character without explanation.
The bottom line? Sure, Giles can say, "I want you in me now." What he shouldn't say is, "Yeah, let's go at it" or "Yes, I believe sex to be something that might be appropriate at this juncture in our relationship." The first is far too colloquial (think American teen for that one) and the second might be funny if clearly tongue-in-cheek but is just too stuffy if it is meant to be serious. He's a man with a personality (and a nice butt, FYI), not a textbook.
For American writers, it can be tough to correctly use British expressions and grammar. American writers tend to either go overboard --- which creates laughs at inappropriate times --- or simply opt for an overly correct version of American grammar. (Don't feel bad, my fellow Yankees. British writers tend to have completely British phrases coming out of Xander's mouth.)
Luckily, the show can save you on this one. Joss and company have a mixture of experiences (British and American) that they drew upon when writing Giles. Plus, the character spent a good chunk of time in the United States. (And where better to get a crash course in American 101 than California?) This means you can stop loading on the English phrases and stop trying to purify the grammar. Need to feel better about this? Have one of the characters reference the fact that he's spent too long in the States. It's will make you feel like you've just been to the confessional. (I'm doing everything in my power to not follow this up with a clergy-molestation joke).
The pairing: For me, G/X is the one true pairing. I didn't set out for that to happen but one day I noticed it dominated my writing. (Speaking of domination …) It is easy to justify a lot of other relationships - slash and otherwise - because Joss and Co. write in subtle comments that make virtually any 'ship supportable.
There are readers who have no problem with Giles/Spike or Giles/Wes but squick when they see Giles/Xander. They tend to explain that this pairing makes them uncomfortable because they've always thought of Giles as a father figure to Xander. The paternal feelings are a decent argument against the Buffy/Giles pairing because those feelings have been voiced on the show. Giles, however, has never been quick to approve of Xander or do anything else that could be filed under "fatherly concern." If anything, he has been annoyed or kept him at arm's length. These sound more like that actions of someone who is at odds with an age difference than someone who is comfortable playing Dad. You can play with this a little to do away with some of the arguments of those against G/X. Worse case scenario, they don't read it. Best case, you convert 'em.
The sex: This is a man who was completely comfortable having sex on a police car. This is a man who inspires a beautiful woman to fly halfway around the world for what was essentially a booty call. This is why when writers claim that they just can't see Giles as a sexual man, I want to ask if they've been tuning into the same show I've been watching.
On the slashier front, a little speculation is in order. Even the folks, including myself, who dislike Ethan/Giles have to admit that there are some sparks there. Go ahead and hate the pairing but accepting it as a possible relationship of the past can help with some of the writing you're doing. Need more proof of the G-Man's sex bomb status? Do you really think Ethan keeps showing up because he needs revenge or because someone is paying him? Nope, this is someone who just can't stay away from his ex-. Take the experiences that must have inspired that loyalty and transfer those actions onto someone else … preferably Xander. Wha-la. One hot order of G/X to go.