mashimero (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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sgareversebang2010-07-09 10:24 pm
mashimero) wrote in sgareversebang2010-07-09 10:24 pm
Entry tags:
Encircled/Ring of Pure and Endless Light
Artist:
crysothemisTitle: Encircled
Medium: pencil, colored pencil, photoshop
Pairing(s): none
Notes: nonsexual nudity (no visible dangly bits). Lots of room for interpretation, potential for angst (or not -- it's really how you want to look at it), science fiction elements.
Author:
asyouleftTitle: Ring of Pure and Endless Light
Wordcount: ~5,500
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): McKay/Sheppard
Summary: They'd heard many stories about Doric, about the people who went there, about how they'd go in with their burdens held high but would leave feeling at peace with life.
Notes: Title comes from a poem called, "The World" by Henry Vaughan, while the inspiration for the story is purely from the beautiful artwork. A big thank you to
disneyvirigina for the advice and loves_bitch for the beta. 
Ring of Pure and Endless Light
The first thing Rodney had done was making sure that the Rejuvenation wasn't just another quick fix for the Ancients to use as a means of Ascension. They'd heard many stories about Doric, about the people who went there, about how they'd go in with their burdens held high but would leave feeling at peace with life. Ascension was John's first thought when he heard about it but it took Rodney a few seconds to determine Ascension had nothing to do with what was happening. It took almost a year after they'd first met with the people of Doric for them to allow John's team to visit and allow them into their society to find out what this whole Rejuvenation really was.
They were allowed to watch one take place, the Doric's offered it as a show of faith for them. They were not going to be hurt, in fact, just the opposite their leader had told them, they will walk away free from what was holding them back. They offered Rodney samples of the water, samples of the land and all the scans he could want to take in order to assure them, this was real and this was safe.
The Rejuvenation took place on an unnaturally still pool of water encased by large pillars with orbs of fire balancing on top of them. There wasn't a way to figure out how deep the water was, even standing right in front of it, there were no reflections found in it. The pillars were floating on the water, as if held up by an invisible force field. The path that led to the pool was covered in stone and trees, but they cleared out to nothing once the water started. It felt unnatural there, like it had been lifted from some other location and placed right at the start of Doric's large natural ocean. The water within the pillars wasn't quiet blue, instead a swirl of purples and pinks, as if it was forever reflecting the image of a sunset. Behind the pillars was dark blue water, ebbing and flowing with the tide and yet leaving the Rejuvenation pool completely undisturbed.
John watched the golden haired young girl shed her golden robe and walk down the stone path, stopping right before her bare pink toes hit the water. She looked scared, her eyes blank, staring out pass the pillars and into the endless blue of the ocean. John had heard what happened to her, her whole family was taken away by the Wraith on her home world. The Dorics told them she was one of the only survivors from the culling, that she witnessed her own Mother's life being ripped from her when the Wraith had stormed by foot into the village.
A lump was forming somewhere in John's throat as she started to slowly walk into the water. She remained above the water, like the pillars, simply suspended, before she knelt down and brought her knees to her chest and hugged them close. The water remained still, except for tiny little rings starting to rise around her. There was no noise around them, it felt as if the entire world had lost of it's sounds, the thought made John's heart start racing in his chest. The girl was mouthing something, John couldn't help but to see it, to hear it even without the word. The movement of her lips felt as if it were hypnotizing him, making his head start to swarm with thoughts and memories.
He watched her for another minute before closing his own eyes, he thoughts racing so frantically in his own mind. He could remember everything so clearly, no matter how hard he wished to push it away. The color of the sky through the tinted windows, the feel of the air condition against his skin, the sound of the radio, playing a song he'd never hear again. Then the sudden movement, the surprise jerk, the sound of glass breaking and metal turning, the painful screech and the sharp pain of the glass as it fell like snow right before his eyes.
Even with his eye closed tightly, he knew she was still mouth it, over and over again. John could feel it deep down inside somewhere and without wanting to, without meaning to, he began to mouth it too. Over and over again, until he couldn't anymore.
Mother, mother, mother, mother, mother, mother.....
-
“Are you going to do it?” Rodney was sitting besides him on the bed they'd shared the night before. The Dorics were putting them up for the night and today they'd have to deiced wither or not to take part in the Rejuvenation. Teyla and Ronon were a whole room away, presumable having the very same conversation. Little was said between anyone after the Rejuvenation had ended, the girl rose from the water after a short while and the Dorics covered her with the golden robes before caring her off and away.
John's mind was still buzzing with what he'd seen, the images still bordered at the edge of his dreams all night, swarming around like shark's around a boat in the ocean. He awoke early, Rodney was sleeping on the very edge of the bed, unused to the size compared to their own bed on Atlantis. John spent the time between morning and Rodney awaking by sitting on the window's large ledge, staring into the pastel colors of the sky during the world's sunrise. When Rodney woke, they shared a kiss before they took turns in the tiny bath the Dorics provided. A chime had gone off after John emerged, notifying them that breakfast was soon, downstairs in a large dinning room.
John was pulling on his boots when Rodney asked, they'd dressed in silence until then. “Are you sure it won't kill anyone?”
“I wouldn't be asking you if I thought it would.”
John finished tying his boots up half way, the Dorics were a people who lived their entire lives barefoot but didn't require their guests do the same, only made a suggestion for them to do the same. Teyla and Ronon had shed their shoes immediately, while both John and Rodney still clung on to their normal ways. They trusted the Dorics enough that none of the team bore their tact vest or P90's, although they all were packing in their own separate ways.
“It reminds me of both a baptism and final confession at the same time,” Rodney continued when John didn't answer. He had his shoes on already, as well as his tablet on his back and John could see the outline of his LSD tucked away in his jacket's pocket.
“We don't even know what really happens, do we?” John asked, he stood up and looked towards the door. He could hear the sound of Rodney's stomach craving it's normal coffee and breakfast foods. But when he turned to look, Rodney was still sitting on the bed, his hands clutching at his own thigh's.
“These people are coming here full of regret and guilt but they walk away... happy.” He looked up to John, his eyes so bright and clear, face so plainly showing John just how much that idea felt so real to him. “How can I not want something that like? How can anyone not want to walk away without carrying any more burdens?”
John knew of all the things that fell on Rodney's shoulders, he knew well all the deaths and all the failures that he'd faced in Atlantis alone. He knew there was so much more that he didn't know about, before he met Rodney that turned him into the person he was today.
“Aren't our trials what make us what we are?” John asked, it suddenly occurred to him that was a line his own father had used on him before. When the weight of John's world was resting on his shoulders, before he left for good.
“Yeah well,” Rodney started, and then like a switch was turn he stood up quickly, the honestly in his face melting away to something else, something more constructed and fake, “we should head downstairs, I need food.”
Rodney walked past him out the door and John followed without hesitation.
-
“I do not want to participate in the Rejuvenation. I do not wish to forget anything.” Teyla was sitting against the head board of John and Rodney's bed, her feet up and crossed at her ankles. It was after breakfast, they'd all gathered in the room to discuss their next course of action. Their hosts had allowed them all the time they needed before they either left or Rejuvenated.
“You don't forget,” Ronon called out, he was sitting against the window ledge, where John had sat only a few hours earlier. The fabric had been pulled away from the windows, letting the bright sun cast a shine into the room. They couldn't see the pool from their window, but they were still facing out into the vast ocean. John could tell he'd had this conversation with Teyla before, from just the tone of his voice.
“Still,” Teyla persisted, “I do not think this is a good idea.”
John was sitting on the chair at the foot of the bed, closest to the door. He'd kicked his boots off when they'd reentered the room and had one knee hooked around the arm of the chair. He could feel the tension in the room, between his team mates and he wanted them to relax back into their normal groove.
“It's safe,” Rodney said, he was sitting on the bed next to Teyla. They weren't touching, but his legs were out before him, one of them sitting only a few inches from Teyla's. He was on his tablet, John knew he was going over the data he'd collected the previous day and had sent back to Atlantis. Every bit of soil and water had been tested by both Rodney and his team back on Atlantis and it all came back completely normal.
“I thought you didn't know what it was?” Ronon asked, turning back to look at Rodney. John knew he was just trying to get a normal rise out of the scientist and Ronon wasn't disappointed.
Rodney rolled his eyes at him, shaking his head. “I don't know what it is but that doesn't mean I don't know about it.”
“That makes no sense, McKay.” John spoke up finally, letting his arm fall to the back of the seat. If he could, he'd have made it lean back a little.
“Look, it's perfectly safe. These people have been doing it for ages and they seem to come out okay.”
“I am quiet surprised, Rodney.” Teyla reached her hand over, wrapping her fingers around Rodney's arm. “That you are not against this idea. Do you not remember when you let go of every thing?”
It felt like a low blow, at least to John, for Teyla to bring up Rodney's trip to a second childhood. She knew how close they'd come to losing him, she'd been there to support him and now John felt like she was using it against him. He could see the look on Rodney's face, the memory washing over him, making him falter slightly before he could talk again.
“That's different,” he said defensively, Teyla's hand was still on his arm and he didn't seem to want to shake it off, “I was forgetting them, forgetting everything. Like Ronon said, people don't forget. You just stop caring so much about what happened.”
“And you have no problem with that?” Teyla continued, letting go of Rodney and turning her gaze onto John. “I have seen my entire village culled by the Wraith, both my Mother and Father taken from me, many of my friends, my loved ones stolen away before my eyes. Even before I arrived on Atlantis, as much as I would those memories not to be there, I would never want to stop caring about what happened.”
“McKay didn't mean it that way,” Ronon jumped in, getting off the ledge and standing by the side of the bed next to Teyla.
“We can ask to talk to her,” John said suddenly, saying what he'd bee thinking since last night. He wanted to talk to the girl who'd Rejuvenated before their eyes. He wanted to know what happened to her after she was whisked away. If she could really get the image of her Mother out of her mind and far, far away.
Rodney asked, “Who?” as Teyla said, “We could ask.”
“The girl,” John answered to Rodney, “we can ask the girl what happened after her Rejuvenation, find out what you really forget and what you don't.”
Teyla got up from the bed, Ronon moving aside for her. “I will go ask if we can speak with her.”
After she'd left the room Ronon took over her spot, causing Rodney to move farther away from him. “Never though I'd see Teyla that pissed off at us.”
“She doesn't understand,” Rodney answered him, grabbing back the tablet Ronon had gone for, “she thinks we'll walk out of as zombies.”
Ronon and Rodney kept talking, back and forth between them but John's mind wasn't paying attention. He was too busy making a list of all the moments that he'd grateful forget and all of those which he wouldn't. When he was only half way finished, his stomach dropped when he realized the lists were almost the same.
-
The Dorics agreed to let John talk to the young girl, who's name was Mira but only for a few minutes. They explained that she was tired, the Rejuvenation took a lot out of a person and she'd been resting. Rodney tried to insist that Teyla should be the one to talk to her, but Teyla was equally insisted it should be John. Not needing to wait out who would win, John volunteered and found himself walking into a room much like his own.
Mira was laying in the middle of the large bed, she was sitting up slightly, a small doll was resting in the crook of her arm. When John walked in she looked up and gave him an innocent smile. “Hi!”
“Hi,” John walked over and stood curiously at the side of her bed, “I'm John.”
“Hi John,” she replied, “I'm Mira and this is my doll, Shikra.”
John let himself smile and put his hand on the edge of the bed. “Can I sit here and ask you some questions? If you're not too tired.”
Mira nodded, moving over ever so slightly, giving John enough room to sit on the bed, bringing his legs under him and sitting Indiana style. “'m not that tired anymore.”
“That's good. How are you feeling?”
John had seen children after traumatic events before, had watched them torn out of their parents arms, screaming and lashing out. He'd seen them in hospital beds, children who were born out of war, the blank look in their eyes, the hollowness of their existence, a childhood no more. Mira looked happy, her eyes were bright and she smiled as if nothing had ever gone wrong in her life. At that moment, John wanted nothing to do with the Rejuvenation.
“I'm okay,” she petted the top of her doll's head, “we're okay now.”
“I'm sorry for what happened to your family, Mira. Do you remember what happened?” John asked, guilt was starting to boil in his throat, God, if this girl forgot, he would never forgive himself for bring this back up for her.
“I remember what happened,” Mira replied, she looked away from John for a moment, “but when I think about it, I'm not very sad anymore. I used to be sad, all the time, but now it's okay.”
“Okay?” John questioned, trying to swallow down the lump in his throat.
“I know Momma and Papa and all my friends are gone but before they left, we were very happy. I remember how happy we were.” Mira turned back and her eyes locked with John, “I don't need to be sad anymore, I have all happy things to think about now.”
John nodded, his words far, far away from where he was at. Out of all the things he wanted to hear, this was what he wanted and feared the most. She'd witness the death of her family and friends, she witnessed so much pain but she was able to look past that onto something else. The Rejuvenation gave her that, it gave her all the release she needed to move on from pain.
John grabbed her tiny hand and Mira let him and when he squeezed it slightly, she said nothing but squeezed his hand right back.
-
Teyla was waiting outside the room when he exited. From the look on her face, it was clear she knew the decision John had made.
“I cannot stop you from doing this, John. I know you have carried your share of burdens, I do not have to know what they are to see them. You carry the weight of Atlantis on your shoulders and sometimes I think you wish to carry the weight of the Wraith on them too. As much pain as that brings, I do not think this Rejuvenation is what will help you.”
John looked away, Ronon and Rodney were standing down the hallway, heads together and talking. “Do you think I'm selfish?” John asked and then, nodding his head towards them, “do you think they are selfish?”
Teyla hesitated, but for a second, John could see her looking over at Ronon and Rodney as well. “I think there are many people in my galaxy and yours that deserve a chance to release their burdens as well.”
John looked back to Teyla, waiting until she turned and looked her eyes with his. “Can you promise me something? You can be mad at me all you want for this but don't be mad at those two for this. They need this as much as anyone else, they don't deserve to carry this much pain and suffering with them, neither do you.”
Teyla leaned her head in, John followed suite and their foreheads met. “I hope that when you are finished with this, you will still be the same John Sheppard as you are now.”
-
After they'd told the Dorics they were willing to go on with the Rejuvenation, they were allowed to contact Atlantis with the same information. No one tried to stop them, Woolsey was mostly silent, listened to John's case and then told John he'd see the team tomorrow morning, bright and early. The Dorics lead Rodney and John to their original room, asking them to strip and put their robes on before joining them out into the temple, Ronon was shown his room with the same instructions and Teyla disappeared into the temple with the rest of the Dorics. She was going to watch, she told them, but that was the extent of her participation.
Once they were in the room, both John and Rodney started stripping. John folded his clothing neatly, placing them on the bed, while Rodney just tossed his along side.
“Are you sure about this?” Rodney asked suddenly, he was down to his boxers and socks.
“Are you?”
“Yes,” he answered quickly, “but.... do you think after this... that we..,” he trailed looking at John and then down to their discarded clothing on the bed.
It took only a second for John to catch on to Rodney's train of thought. “You think I'm only with you out of some kind of misplaced guilt?”
“I don't know,” Rodney answered, sitting on the bed to slip his socks off, “maybe you're only with me to punish yourself.”
John leaned over kissed the crown of Rodney's head. “No, Rodney, that's far from the case.”
“Good,” Rodney had finished with his socks and stood to drop his boxers. “Would you be doing this if I wasn't?”
John shrugged, completely naked now as Rodney was. “Yes, I would be doing this even if no one else was.”
“Are you okay, John?” Rodney asked suddenly, reaching out and putting his hand on John's shoulder. “Teyla will get over this, she's not going to hate us for doing this. I don't hate you for doing this either, no one will. You forget that I sleep with you almost every night, I know the nightmares you have, I've seen your face after missions... I know what you try to hold in. As much as Ronon and I have suffered, I think you have it the worse, because you have to pretend it doesn't bother you so we all can look at your strength to find our own. I think it's about time you actually feel as strong as you are.”
John had to close his eyes to keep from turning away. He'd spent so much of his life trying to avoid so much of what has happened to him. Even before he was in command, before he had to show his brave face all the time and as much as he felt he needed to, he was starting to feel it all ware too thin. He knew he was being selfish just a little, but this was for everyone else as much as it was for him.
“Yeah, Rodney, you're right. Come on, let's get going before they think we've changed our minds.”
-
The stones were cold under John's bare feet, making him shiver as they entered the temple. Ronon was waiting for them at the very end, dressed in his bright red robes. John's were a light gray color while Rodney's were a sort of seaweed green. He sudden wish he'd asked what the colors meant to the Dorics, and the reason behind their choices.
When they reached Ronon he gestured towards the pools, only a few feet away. “They told us to wait here while they prepare.”
“You ready for this?” John asked him, giving Ronon a once over. He looked weird only wearing the robes, he had to wonder if Ronon was carrying any of his knives on him still. All the decoration from his hair were gone and John reached his own hand to his neck, realizing without thinking he'd disregarded his own dog tags.
“Yeah,” Ronon replied, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked back and forth between him and Rodney. He settled on Rodney after a moment, looking at the scientist as if he was thinking Rodney would bolt before anything could happen. “I'm surprised you are doing this, McKay.”
“I'm full of surprises,” Rodney cut in, “and I swear, Sheppard, if I get tetanus from walking barefoot in this place or hypothermia for sitting naked in a pool of water, you'll owe me dessert for a month.”
John laughed for the first time since they arrived on the planet, he wasn't surprised to hear Ronon's snort of a laugh. “Maybe this will make McKay less of a whiner,” he joked, nudging Rodney with his elbow.
Rodney squawked at the contact, moving closer to John. “And maybe you'll be less of a barbarian and Sheppard will be less heroically suicidal, it'll be win, win.”
The Doric's leader choose that moment to make his appearance from behind them. He coughed politely and John's team turned to look at him. He gestured for them to start their way down the stone path as he walked pasted them to take the lead. Ronon walked directly behind him and John made sure he was walking in step with Rodney. He reached moved his hand out, catching Rodney's pinky finger with his own. He knew it was somewhat childish and slightly embarrassing to reach out and try to hold Rodney's hand.
Rodney didn't skip a beat, looping his pinky finger around John's as if it was something they do all the time, something completely normal for them to do. “It'll be fine,” Rodney whispered, still looking straight ahead, “this wont change you or anyone else.”
“Maybe it's better if it does,” John answered, averting his eyes to the side to look at Rodney and then down to their conjoined hands.
“No,” Rodney stopped walking and and readjusted his grip so he was holding John's hand within his own, “you might be a heroic, idiot fly boy with an insanely suicidal theory about leaving people behind, but that's what makes you John Sheppard and I wouldn't want it any other way.”
“Then why are we doing this?” John stopped along side of him, looking to see if Ronon and the Doric's leader noticed, but they didn't and they continued to walk ahead of them to the pool.
“We're doing this because both of us need to let go of some things and once we do, we'll still be us but slightly better for it. You might be less inclined for suicide missions, I might snap a little less quickly at people but it wont matter, even if we let go of things, they will have still left their mark on who we are.”
John leaned in and kissed him, just barely hitting the corner of his mouth before pulling his hand away and walking quickly to catch up. Rodney was only slightly behind him by the time they all arrived in front of the pool. John could see Teyla sitting on the bench, along with the female leader of Doric, she looked less upset than she had been before, but John knew this wasn't ending anytime soon.
Their wasn't anything said before the Rejuvenation, just an eerily calm buzz that ran through John's skin, igniting his fight or flight response. He had to curl his fists around the cuff of the robe to keep himself from turning back and forgetting the whole thing. As much as he wanted this, as much as he needed this, it was still so uncertain.
Ronon disrobed first, pushing it off his shoulders and letting his fall to the ground. He walked out into the water slowly, feet hovering ever so slightly above the water. He settled down on both of his knees and leaned forward, reminding John of praying Monks. The ring of water twirled around him, encircling him in a ring of endless water.
Rodney was next, his robe cast aside and then he was out into the water across from Ronon. He seemed to fall to his knees at first, John had to fight the reaction to rush out and grab him, but Rodney moved so he was sitting with one knee underneath him and one bent against his chest. His eyes were closed so tightly but the normal lines that etched his face were disappearing and he looked more at peace than John had never seen him.
John didn't move for a whole minute, watching both Rodney and Ronon floating above the water, their rings circling colors of blue and pink around them. He took a deep breath before walking out into the water himself, the robe slowly sliding down his arms and onto the dirt. It was odd at the first step, he was expecting to feel cool water against his skin, but instead it felt like he was walking on air almost. He stopped when he was between Ronon and Rodney, set slightly forward from them. He lowered himself to the ground gingerly, when he was seated, he drew his knees up to his chest and brought his head down, wrapping his arms around his legs.
He watched as the circle of water twirled around him before closing his eyes.
-
He was seven again sitting in the front seat of his Mother's light green station wagon. It was the first day of school and he could feel his heart racing. His Batman backpack was strapped around his back already and he was clutching the match handle of his Batman lunch pal. He knew it wasn't real, it wasn't exactly a dream but instead like reliving a distant memory. He could feel his own excitement to start school, smell the warm fall air that wafted through the windows, hear the sound of the music coming from the radio but he still knew this wasn't exactly real.
He pushed himself up better in the seat, desperate to get a better look, watching the trees pass by as they turned onto another block. His seat belt was the only thing keeping him from getting a better look out the front window.
“Johnny.”
His heart shuttered at the sound of her voice, it'd been years, just years since he'd heard it but it was so familiar all the same. Deep down inside, he knew she was going to be sitting in the driver's seat, if his was the memory, then she'd be there. But some part of him had hoped this was something different.
“Johnny,” she said again, “is there something wrong?”
John took a deep breath, it felt like there was never going to be enough air for his small lungs. He turned his head and looked at his Mother. She was beautiful, of course, John had enough pictures to know it but seeing her like this, she was more stunning then he realized. She turned her head to look at him and John had to fight back tears.
“N...no,” he stuttered, the voice of a seven year old floating out of his mouth. There were so many more things he needed to say, so many things he needed to do, but he couldn't. He just could sit there and look at her, breath in the site of her and hope to God this never actually ended.
“You look worried,” she reached over and touched his arm, giving it a squeeze, “but there's nothing to be worried about, baby. You'll love school and when it's over, you can come home and we'll bake some cookies.”
He nodded, just like he had all those years ago, but the promise of cookies didn't settle anything. “I'm gonna miss you, Momma.”
She sighed, looking at him, smiling so brightly and warm. “I'll always be right here, Johnny.”
«You're going away,” John said softly.
“Not really,” she replied back smiling at him, eyes away from the road, “you might think I'm leaving you behind, but I never really will. No matter where you go or where I go, when you need me I will always be there, I promise.”
It was an odd feeling that crept over him at that moment. He knew what was coming next, what would happen when she made the left hand turn at the end of the block. The Rejuvenation wasn't going to save her, he knew, there was going to be no Hail Mary at the end of the day. He'd spent his whole life wanting to relive these moments, to change things but it wouldn't do him any good in the end. John always thought the pain of the memory was what drove him, the anger of not being able to save her, the anger of being the reason she was at the cross walk to begin with but he could see that wasn't it. She'd made him a promise a very long time ago and without realizing it John took her promise and turned it into his own.
“I love you, Momma.” If he said it back then, he didn't remember, things got hazy after so many years of rewind, but he said it then and there because he needed to.
“Oh Johnny, your Momma loves you so very much, that will never, ever change.”
The car came to a stop then but John didn't look out the window, instead he laid back against the seat and looked up into the bright sun of the August morning. Then - a screech, a worried gasp, a crescendo in the music, a loud crunch and glass, like waterfall, falling from the sky.
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Art: I love the colours of the picture. I love the little details that you see when you look for a while at the picture - Johns bloody hands, Ronons bloody thight and shoulder, how vulnerable and strong they look at the same moment... Fantastic and thank you for this picture!
Fic: I like that it was free will that led to the picture - that they met a people which takes care of other people. I love the discussion before they agree to take part on the Rejuvenation and I like the reasons why they decide to do it and why Teyla decides not to do it. Thank you for this fic!
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Thank you! I always like the idea of people in Peagus that actually want to help people as apposed to only using the things they have for themselves.
Thank you for your comment, much appreciated!!
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Also, I loved how you got Teyla in -- she's not in the art, but still in my mind when I drew it.
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Thank you! And once again thank you for the amazing art! The second I saw the preview of it, the story just came straight to my mind (mostly because I thought they were resting on water to begin with, actually!)
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Thank you. :)
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Thank you. :D
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I spend way too much time writing fics about John's past, haha. :) Thank you!
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Nice complement to beautiful artwork.
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Thank you. :)
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Thank you. :)
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Thank you. :) In my mind, at least, things end happily for everyone. ;)
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The story took a totally different tangent from what I expected. Love how the story perfectly matches the artwork. Liked how Teyla did not want her memories changed, but stayed to watch out for the guys. Great idea for the plot and how John was instantly interested in the Rejuvenation. Rodney's support was wonderful. I got a lump in my throat as John relived the accident, felt so bad for him as he has carried that burden his whole life. Very emotional, heartfelt story. Nicely done.
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Thank you so very much for your comment! I'm very glad you enjoyed it!
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The story has such a quiet yet intense feel to it. I understand the decision the men made, but I can also see Teyla's reasoning. I really like that you included Teyla in such an important way.
Very thought provoking, both the artwork and the story.
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Thank you so much for your comment. :)
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Story: Spectacular job of creating a concrete story from an image so open to interpretation! I have to say, I love your Teyla. I really appreciate that you didn't have her give in and take part. Also the way you handled John's struggle with his decision was very in character.
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Thank you very much. :) I'm glad Teyla worked for you, I was worried about how she turned out since I wasn't going to have her give in. :) Thank you so much!
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Great story, I'm so glad you chose to use a positive alien view point, and while I loved the story and the choices they made, I'm with Teyla on this.
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Thank you. :) Yeah, I think I would have went with Teyla on it too myself. ;)
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I liked the story, too. :)
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Wonderful artwork! I like the colouring, the way the water is glittering and the sun in reflecting in the columns. Very nice!
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Fic: This story creeped me out (not in a bad way). /o\ The pool is evidently unnatural, but everyone except Teyla seems so determined to do the rejuvenation, so confident that the entire process is safe. I was definitely on Teyla's side the whole time. *nods*
shine on!
I particularly appreciate that time isn't wasted setting up who this team is, how they first contacted the planet, etc. It was especially respectful of the beautiful art by focusing on John's POV and his relationship with Rodney just being a background fact.
It's a shame the show's creators gave the character of John so much to be burdened by, but never delved into the results. We were told time and again that he was reckless and suicidal, but it came across as devotion. The closest we as viewers came to seeing the true impact of all that has happened was the episode with the fake Koyla in the final season.
My point is that this story, inspired by such a fantastic piece of art that highlights, well, light, fills that void. Illuminates a bit a Sheppard for us.
Thank you both for sharing this with us.
Re: shine on!