Fic: Fly Wishes to the Sky (McKay/Sheppard, NC-17)

[sgasesa-admin.livejournal.com]

Title: Fly Wishes to the Sky
Author: cathalin
Recipient: ca_pierson She said she loves aus and McShep, and likes stories with the Team and Zelenka (she also likes Carson, but he just didn't quite make it into this story, sorry!). I loved writing this, and I really hope she enjoys it.
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Rating: NC-17
Summary: John Sheppard owns a kite shop on the Oregon coast. He's had enough drama in his life, and has created a safe, if limited, life for himself. One day, Rodney McKay, a college professor in town for a conference, comes looking for a last-minute purchase before he has to leave town, and things start to change for both of them.
Spoilers: None-AU
Words: ~25K

Fly Wishes to the Sky

Please note, due to the size of this story, it is hosted offsite.

Comments

[darkmoore.livejournal.com]

That was just awesome and I envy my sis very much for having been gifted wwith this wonderful story.

Great job, dear mysterious writer!

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! It was wonderful to have the first comment on this fic be from someone close to the recipient. I did as much research as I could into what she might like, but I was still omg what if she doesn't like it? :)

[darsynia.livejournal.com]

This is SUCH a masterpiece. The whole thing has me in such a state that I really can't be more effusive in my praise, even though I want to. Just--perfect. Everything flowed SO well, the sex was incredibly hot and realistic, and just... so, so pefect. Love your Teyla, Radek, Torren, Madison, everything. ♥ like woah!!!

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Your comment made me so, so happy, you sweet thing. After spending so much time with these characters, it felt like just...throwing it into a void. Heh. So getting this comment relatively early on made me take a deep breath and go, okay, it's going to be okay...:)

I'm thrilled the sex felt hot and realistic -- I wanted that for this fic, and also thrilled you liked the other characters. I really wanted the Radek-Rodney dynamic to come through in this fic for the recipient, who loves Zelenka (don't we all omg!), and of course wanted to do justice to Teyla and Ronon and everyone else as well.:)

Thanks again, so much, for the lovely comment.:)

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

Oh that was lovely!! The story is just fantastic and the imagery and writing are superb. It's the emotions that got me, though. Beautiful John POV voice. Just spot on.

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Thank you so very much for this comment. It really meant a lot that you liked the writing. I enjoyed writing this so, so much. I love John *so* much, and I'm just thrilled that you felt his pov voice worked. It was challenging, in the good way, deciding how much to reveal, and when. And in fact, John revealed some things to me as I wrote that I didn't know!

[tharaist.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful story, so full of want and longing! I loved the John POV, and the characterizations were brilliant, plus all those details about kites filled me with glee!

Thank you so much for sharing.

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Thank you so very much for your kind comment. I loved writing from John's pov, and so enjoyed my first attempt at writing an au in this fandom! Writing these beloved characters, translated to another setting, was just a great (though occasionally challenging) experience.

The details about kites filled me with glee, too, particularly as I realized what John's actual back story was.:)

[propinquitine.livejournal.com]

Oh, this was great! I particularly liked how you worked Torren and Kanaan into the story -- one of my favorite parts of AUs is seeing what other lives people imagine for the characters, and Kanaan-the-supremely-talented-architect was a really neat idea!

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! This is my first au in the sga fandom, and it was so fun figuring out what roles the characters fulfilled here. For some reason, I had this complete image of Kanaan and Teyla's house on the beach, very present in my head. So it came pretty naturally that he had designed it. Since he's pretty much a cipher in canon, I suppose a lot of things would work for him.:)

I was surprised when Torren ended up playing the role he did, but pretty happy about it. Thanks again!

[d_odyssey.livejournal.com]

Excellent story! Loved how the characters were used in this story, each one to his/her strength, even having Torren befriend Madison. Wonderful metaphorical use of the kite shop, weaving in the flying and freedom, the wish kites and the tie in to the horrors of Afghanistan. Really touching. Perfect voices for John and Rodney, the build up and then freak out and anger and forgiveness. Every bit of this story was heartfelt and wonderful. Going to bookmark this now. Thank you.

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you so much for this comment. This was one of those stories that surprised me, that kept telling me new things as I wrote it. Originally I thought it was going to be purely lighthearted, but...John told me otherwise. So I'm thrilled that the kites, flying, wishing -- that that all came together and worked for you.:)

I'm also thrilled you liked the voices for John and Rodney: I love these particular guys a lot, so that's great it worked for you.:) I knew the road was going to be a little rocky: I initially maybe didn't realize quite *how* rocky for them.

Thanks again, so much!

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Thank you so very much for saying so!

[beadattitude.livejournal.com]

Absolutely lovely. Just beautiful. Excellent characterization, dialogue, setting, everything. Going into my "cheer-up" file.

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

I LOVE YOU. *G*

Seriously, your comment meant a lot. I wanted to jump up and go, "it's me, it's me!" but I didn't of course.:)

Yay, I finally did a fic that could go in your cheer up file! I was hoping it would fall on that side of the spectrum: I meant this to be a happy fic. They are so very happy!

[romyra]

Simply beautiful!

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much -- I appreciate it a lot.:)

[dossier.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'll man up: I cried. You really captured the breadth and depth of John's problem; revealing it slowly bit by bit. The imagery is beautiful, and I just had to *meep* over Torren and Madison being friends. just gorgeous!

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Okay, this comment meant a *lot* to me. I didn't intend this to be a sad fic, but I *was* gratified to hear from you that this fic moved you.:)

The slow reveal on what was going on with John was, as a writer, a really cool challenge: I tried to get it right, so I'm glad that worked for you.

Hee! Writing Madison was so very fun, and then Torren. *g* Thanks so much!

[sundara.livejournal.com]

Wonderful au! Enjoyed reading this alot. Great scenario, well-used unique set-up. Totally in-character! *Love* how the characters each had their own issues, and they resolved them to give us a happy ending. Can't wait to find out who wrote it.

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Thank you so very much! When I first thought of the kite thing, I was like, huh?!?! But as I let it sink in some more, and considered, John let me know that yes, this was indeed something he would do.:)

I'm thrilled you liked the characterization: I had a blast writing John and Rodney encountering each other for the first time. I'm also thrilled you liked the fact they each had their own issues -- they really, really do -- and that it was fulfilling for you when they found each other at last.:)

Thanks again so much for the lovely comment -- it meant alot.:)

[chaps1870.livejournal.com]

Awesome story. The slow development and hesitation for a real relationship seemed somehow fitting for the story. Their need for each other was so clear in their intimacy. Wonderful and well written story from start to finish.

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm so glad that the slower pace of them getting together worked for you -- thanks for saying that! I had a blast writing them meeting for the first time, and falling in love without quite realizing it.:)

I'm thrilled that the sex worked on an emotional level; that was certainly a goal of mine.

Thanks so much for your comment -- it meant a lot!

[shalom]

Beautifully drawn and such an enjoyable read. Sorry for the hokey analogy, but I loved the ebbs and flows of it all.

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Hey, I love analogies like that, seriously, I'm thrilled you felt it felt like that, like it had ebbs and flows -- awesome!

I appreciate your kind words so very much.:)

[scififreak.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, this story fills up a special place inside of me. I loved it that much. Everyone is perfectly done here. Especially John. Wonderfully done.

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Your comment meant so, so much to me when I received it, and does still now.:) I'm thrilled that this fic resonated on that level for you. I loved writing this fic, loved writing this John, loved writing them falling in love and finally coming together to complement each other.

Thank you so very, very much!

[rinsbane.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness, this is marvelous. It's light and soaring and alive like sunlight illuminating the underside of the fabric of one of John's kites, and that's perfect.

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

I can't really convey to you how very much your comment, this particular comment, coming from you, meant to me. But maybe you will have an idea.:)

It made me smile so hard, thinking about this fic *feeling* like that moment of illumination. Just, thank you!!!

[ozsaur.livejournal.com]

Amazing! Gorgeous! Lovely descriptions. Wonderful John POV. Delightful story from beginning to end.

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. I'm thrilled you liked the writing, and the John pov. I love them both so much, and just loved writing this fic. It was delightful to get to write them meeting for the first time, and sort of without realizing it, falling in love.:)

[oneechan19.livejournal.com]

Oh, -wow-. I love this. I really really love this.

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Thank you so very, very much!

[argosy.livejournal.com]

Aw, that was lovely. ♥

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Your comment meant a lot.:)

[tropes.livejournal.com]

I thought this was beautiful.

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Thank you so very much! I greatly enjoyed writing this.:)

[panisdead.livejournal.com]

I really liked this. Rodney's reaction to John's freak out worked especially well for me--his continuing anger in the face of John's distress made the situation feel more organic, I think. Very nice.

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

That's really cool to hear about Rodney's anger. Since the fic is written from John's pov, it might at first seem like too much, but if we put ourselves in Rodney's shoes for a minute...omg, John was *such* an asshole! I'm really pleased that rang true for you; thanks for saying so, and thanks for commenting!

[rustler.livejournal.com]

This is lovely. Beautifully drawn, believable, and I really enjoyed soaking it up this afternoon. Thank you.

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. I really loved writing this, and I'm thrilled you liked it.:)

p.s. your icon is just absolutely *gorgeous* and so evocative!

[threnodyjones.livejournal.com]

This was all sorts of super-awesome!

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I appreciate it a lot.:)

[dine.livejournal.com]

great story! I loved the AU, the way they met and how John's screwed up self almost sabotaged things, but finally worked it out.

I could clearly visualize the Oregon Coast settings - I keep thinking Depoe Bay, but couldn't decide what Cape they'd glide off, though my first impulse was Pepetua. you did a great job making the locale a major part of the story, in a way that enhanced it rather than distracted from it.

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Oh, eeeeee! Yes, you nailed it, I pretty much envisioned it as Perpetua, yes!!! (I didn't get my act together enough to include pictures, but I may link to some soon). I was thinking of another little hamlet rather than Depoe Bay, like Neskowin and Lincoln City combined with Canon Beach, lol, but purposely didn't fix it *exactly* -- maybe because I like to think that this reality exists in a 'verse just slightly to the side of ours. :) But yes, Perpetua was absolutely the Cape that John paraglides from, and I envisioned the town as being just to the south of Perpetua. *beams at you* I'm pleased the setting worked to enhance the story; I wanted to include enough that people could get the idea, but obviously wanted to focus mainly on the characters themselves.

Thank you so much for your lovely comment.

[ca-pierson.livejournal.com]

There's no way for me to say how much I loved this story. Thanks SO much, Santa! It's exactly what I wanted for Christmas! I absolutely adored the way John freaked out and how they patched it up. And Madison? Madison was great, better than great.

Thank you so much :D.

*huggles her mystery writer*

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank goodness you like it! I am so thrilled. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed writing this fic, and I really hope it fits your "likes" okay.:) I briefly considered mpreg, but decided I couldn't do it justice in the time I had. Then I saw that you really liked au, and I got excited, because I hadn't written an sga au yet, and it's something I really wanted to do. I did have another au that I had barely started, but decided I wanted to do something brand new to make sure I could at least give a few other characters some good roles. Once I realized what Teyla and Zelenka were up to, I was really happy, because I wanted to try to write you some Rodney/Radek interaction. I had a ball doing that.

Oh, I'm glad you liked Madison! She wasn't on your list, and I didn't mean for her to end up with such a big "part," but she just insisted! *g* I'm also glad you liked the John freakout and the making-up afterwards. I didn't intend for this to be quite so angsty, but John just...well, oh *John*.:)

::hugs back at you, and thank you for the inspiration::

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

What a lovely story, what fucked-up boys. I really, really appreciate how John's backstory is more real, more ambivalent than canon -- he's not just running from a mess with his superiors, but from having done something actually terrible, no matter how unintended. And the kite competition -- that playful competitiveness rarely comes out in an AU, yet it's an essential part of their relationship.

And the gleam of the two kites high in the air -- just gorgeous.

[cathalin.livejournal.com]

Oh, your comment meant so much to me when I saw it go up (and still does :)). I'm thrilled that you appreciated John's back story here; I was a little surprised when John revealed this to me, actually, but then realized, yes. It's unfortunately the kind of thing that happens all too often in war, and for someone like John, well, it would be pretty terrible.

And I'm so thrilled you mentioned the competition and playful competition, yay! Yes, I wanted to show that part of their friendship, because that is so big a part of their canon relationship; I wanted to translate that to an au 'verse. I had a blast writing that, though it was sometimes hard work.

Finally, I'm so pleased that image worked, the two kites in the air with the already-set sun shining off them. I don't know quite why that image came to me, but it did, strongly, near the beginning of conceiving of this fic, and in many ways that's the seminal thing driving the whole fic.

Thanks so much for your comment (and the rec)!