Wraithbait

Summary: When negotiations on the alien planet of Silani go sour, it's McKay that gets it in the stomach. Cue some life-death reflections from Rodney, and plenty of tension and drama for his team mates.

Another of my favorite Atlantis stories. I love stories that explore new societies, that take the time to build a new world or culture and make it real enough to hang a good story on. You also did a terrific job with the angst over Rodney's injury, showing that the team worried for him and looked after him without going over the top. Perhaps my favorite moment was when everyone explained, in no uncertain terms, that they had no intention of ever leaving McKay behind. It was so well-done, with everyone being firm and matter-of-fact without, as I said before, piling it on too much. Thanks so much for the story. I really enjoyed it.

Summary: A box of childish treasures in a room of dreams gone awry.

This was so well-done. Painful and beautiful and gut-wrenching in the end. Not only does this work as a poignant stand-alone, it's a brilliant re-mix as well. Thanks so much.

Author's Response: Thank you :)

Summary: Tag to the episode "Grace Under Pressure." Zelenka and McKay deal with their guilt over the jumper crash.

This has become one of my favorite Stargate Atlantis stories. I love how you've given us a picture of Radek's past through those tiny glimpses, building the story piece by piece and letting the reader take it in gradually. I completely believed in all the characters, in their reactions and their guilt and even in the dueling guilt that McKay and Zelenka had over Griffin's death.

Speaking of which, McKay's speech at Griffin's memorial was one of the loveliest pieces of quiet understatement I've read in a long time. It was so very Rodney and it said so much in just a few words.

So, in short, wonderful story, wonderful characterizations, and some wonderful backstory for Zelenka. Thanks so much for writing this.

Summary: John Sheppard is missing and in his place is a german sheppard with hazel eyes and a cocky smirk.

This could have been just a cute, fluffy story about John being a dog, but you managed to do a lot more with it. You took the time to explore what being a dog would really *mean* to someone like John. Even though the story is in many ways delightfully light-hearted, you added depth and complexity that made it more than just a pleasant piece of fluff. I loved the portrayal of John and Rodney's friendship in this, too. It takes a lot of skill to take an idea like this and treat it seriously enough to make a good, solid story out of it while still keeping the tone light. Well done. Thanks so much for posting this.

Summary: Consequential miscalculations

I just wanted to let you know how much I've enjoyed this story. I know from your notes on other reviews that you had planned more to the story, but I have to admit that I rather enjoyed being flung into the deep end. And while the ending was uncertain, the story had already given me confidence in the characters' abilities to get through anything they had to. There was the promise of struggle and hardship and the very real possibility that John might not be all right, but I found that I was okay with that because you had done such a wonderful job of convincing me that the four of them would help each other through.

In particular, I loved the way the team was able to comfort one another, and you did a wonderful job of making their offers of physical comfort non-sexual--or, more to the point, non-seductive--while at the same time still allowing the characters to be aware of their bodies and sexuality. It spoke of a level of emotional ease between them that, I felt, did more than several pages of tedious exposition would have to explain how much they had all come to rely upon each other, and how long they had been in this struggle together. Such a lovely story, and thanks for sharing it.

Summary: This is a little story which happened not very long after the events described in the 'Instinct'.

Lovely story. You did such a great job of setting the tone, making it feel as though Zelenka and Lorne really were in their own little bubble out there on the balcony, quiet and peaceful and removed from the chaos of the rest of the world. Everything about this story was beautifully understated, especially Zelenka's almost casual mention of his powers of invisibility--an idea that many writers would be tempted to let overwhelm the story.

I also liked that you let the reader fill in the gaps, that you didn't over-explain, instead letting us draw our own conclusions from the hints and glimpses. I really enjoyed reading this, thank you so much for posting it.

Author's Response: Thank you. \r\n:) It was written for ‘special power’ challenge on… I don’t remember – some lj community, so I *had to* put some ‘power’ in. But in reality I just wanted to talk about kindness (absence of it) in SGA characters. What a sad, sad movie…

Summary: John's goal is to be the best Ice Hockey Player ever - or so he thought.

Hockey + Atlantis = Win! I love a good AU, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Atlantis characters in terms of my favorite sport.

One of the things that I liked the most about the story is that neither John nor Rodney compromised their integrity. They both did their best. And while it's sad that John lost his career, I still feel that they both did the Right Thing, and they can be together without any guilt that either of them compromised themselves for the sake of the relationship. All around a nice, solid story. Thank you!

Author's Response: I\'m really glad you enjoyed it. I don\'t know alot about hocky, but I asked a few folks. I wanted the point of the story to be that Rodney was the real prize in John\'s life, not a metal cup. That doesn\'t mean I don\'t appreicate the value of the Stanley Cup, it\'s the best time to watch hockey. Thanks for the lovely feedback.

Summary: Imprisoned by a cruel and repressive government, John, Rodney and Teyla are forced to make sacrifices to save each other's lives and keep the flame of hope burning. Warning: Very lightly implied noncon. Also, bugs.

This is truly an amazing story, told with care and deliberation. I was completely sucked into the world of the story, and I so enjoyed the unhurried way in which the story unfolded (even reading it all at once, as I did). I appreciated the way you took your time with details, and yet the story never bogged down.

And what an amazing job of characterization, both with the regulars and the original characters. The relationship between Ronon and Nevillus was one of my favorite pieces of storytelling, poignant without being saccharine or overly maudlin, and completely believable. Dr. Pistoule was a wonderful character as well, complex and tragic. I loved how his story was woven so subtly into the plot, very much present and yet seemingly unimportant until I suddenly realized how very important he was. Nicely done.

The changes in the regular characters were also well-done. You took all of them into very dark and different places, and yet managed to preserve their essential characters throughout. I really appreciated that Sheppard, McKay, Teyla, and Ronon's experiences did affect them, that their recoveries were neither instant nor even complete by the end of the story, and yet they were still themselves. This is a difficult thing to do at all, and you did it very, very well.

Thank you so much for a wonderful story, and thanks for sharing it.

Summary: Rodney's always hated kids. He hated kids when he was a kid. When Elizabeth gets pregnant, he's...well, not happy. He's happy they're helping to rebuild the human race, sure (after all, if anyone should be passing on genetic information, it's him), but on a personal level...he still hates kids.

I'm not sure what to say, except that reading this was like a punch in the gut--in the good "okay, that was unexpected and at the same time where the story was always going" kind of way. It's a very realistic take on the looming terrors of parenthood, and I think you did a great job imagining how both Rodney and Elizabeth would feel about it.

I especially liked the Rodney-centric narrative, where he mostly sees the approaching parenthood in terms of himself. Also, nice touch with his idea of saying "something comforting" being to offer food. This is a nice, solid piece of introspection, and thanks for posting it.

Author's Response: Thank you!

Summary: City exploration was one giant waste of time. Or not?

This was a terrific story. It's so much harder than it seems to say things without saying them, and you managed it beautifully. The whole story was wonderfully understated, written with a fine sense of subtlety and just the right touches of humor. Thanks so much for posting it.