Fic: Beasts of War and Burden (McKay/Sheppard, NC-17)

[sgasesa-admin.livejournal.com]

Title: Beasts of War and Burden
Author: taste_is_sweet
Recipient: tarlanx
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard; Background het pairings
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 38,000
Disclaimer: Definitely not mine, though I do have a lot of fun with them.
Warnings: Graphic violence and depiction of injuries.
Author's Notes: I was lucky enough to get tarlanx! I've enjoyed her stories starring the myriad of actor David Hewlett's characters for years and was really happy to have the chance to give her something back this time. She wanted a McKay-centric story with angst, hurt/comfort, drama, action/adventure and humor, but mostly a plot. :) She also really wanted a story using one of the alternate universes from the TV series.

All I can say is that I tried very, very hard to give you the kind of story I thought you'd like, Tarlanx. (This fic is try number four, as a matter of fact.) I really hope you enjoy this!

Happy holidays! And thank you again for all your wonderful stories.

I also want to thank my Betas of Awesome: squeakyoflight and anna_bird. You both are hugely appreciated, as always. Any inadvertent goofs or suckage was put in after they went over the story, and are entirely my fault.

Summary: "Oh my God. We've landed on fucking Pern."

( Beasts of War and Burden )

Comments

[sexycazzy.livejournal.com]

Wow...this is really brilliant! I loved this wonderful story in the 'dragon' universe and the alternative universe Jeannie and everyone else...just brilliant!

Full of WIN! ::))

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. :D

[tarlanx]

Oh wow! Thank you, Santa! I cannot wait to start reading this :) If I had my way, I'd start immediately...but I have to be up for work in just over 6 hours :(

[tarlanx]

Just finished reading it and I LOVED IT! I won't go spoiling it here but I adored the ending where Jeannie helps figure out how to save her AU brother. Such a lovely story :) THANK YOU!

[gottalovev.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed this a whole lot! the play on the different realities and their specificities was fascinating. and ow, the transformations were very vivid, I held my breath every time.

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! :D

[rabidfan.livejournal.com]

I'm a huge AU fan...and there can be no doubt that Dragon!Rodney is very AU! I recently read some of the Pern stories to my hospitalized nephew so your story was very engaging to me. Well done all around!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I also hope you nephew is all right!

[kg99.livejournal.com]

That was a wonderful story.

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[busaikko]

This was absolutely awesome. I loved Daedalus Variations, and I'm so glad to see Sobol and the rest of her crew, as well as the very AU dragon!verse. I totally mainlined this story last night (way past my bedtime) because I couldn't stop reading. Very realistic nasty Ancient device used well for the plot, and some great (and gory) visuals. Loved Jeannie and Kawalsky, and John being his impulsive self, and Rodney even trapped in dragon form. Thank you!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Considering I think of you as the leader in all things scary and disturbing (not to mention AU) when it comes to SGA fic, your praise always means a great deal. And knowing that you stayed up late to read it is wonderful praise indeed. :D

[margec01.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed this story, seeing Jeannie and Kawalsky from the AU especially. And John, Rodney and Lorne as dragons! Also the way the dragon and Wraith battle here--very interesting. But I'm so glad to see Rodney back as human in the end!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I was determined to restore poor Rodney to his normal self by the end, so I'm very happy you enjoyed that part too. :)

[blackchaps.livejournal.com]

Enjoyed this so much!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[sian1359.livejournal.com]

Great read.

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

:D Thank you!

[danian.livejournal.com]

That was marvelous - I love the way it jumped into the story, no build up at all (and none necessary) and it was all go from there. Two fascinating variations woven skillfully together in a very engaging story makes for a perfect way to spend a couple of hours.

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :D I always like to have a slower reveal in stories, so it makes me very happy to read that you enjoyed it. I'm also glad that you thought the two different AUs were fun. I was going for something recognizable but different from canon, and I love Jeannie and Kawalsky so I was very happy to have an opportunity to write about them.

[springwoof.livejournal.com]

awesome and overwhelmingly outstanding! I love all the ramifications and details you lovingly thought out in this AU.

I really liked your OC Sobol--I remember her voice from Daedalus Variations and you've fleshed her out beautifully. I like that she's not precisely sympathetic, but that we can see and emphasize with her POV (and her sense of duty!) anyway, and she's still admirable. Difficult character to create, but you did it splendidly.

Jeannie was amazing, and enough like our Jeannie to be utterly recognizable, but different enough to "feel" AU.

I liked the creation of the dragons, especially their mental processes--intelligent, but with poor impulse control and subject to their emotional urges. I loved how it explained their utter willingness to do rash and very risky things. Their physical transformation was very icky, but viscerally and compellingly written (I know you couldn't talk me into becoming a dragon without a darned compelling reason!).

And Kawalsky! What can I say? That was an EXCELLENT gift all by itself, Santa!

(I tip my elf-hat your way. I believe I know who you are & this is your typically excellent work!)

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Did you guess right? ::g::

Thank you very much for your superlative praise, SW. As usual, I'm very happy you enjoyed it and I really appreciate you taking the time to tell me so in such detail. I'm also very glad that you like Kawalsky as much as I do. It was a great pleasure to find a way to keep him alive and well. Not to mention that he turned out to be very useful, too....

This Jeannie was a lot of fun to write, so it's great to see that you liked her.

::Wiggling my Elf ears back at you.::

[almostnever.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed this! It's so interesting and rich. I like how both the universes involved are different from our own; it was cool that when Jeannie exchanged information with the people of the dragonverse, it was all new on both sides, rather than a lot of exposition about the canon verse that readers already know. I liked all the relationships-- romantic, sibling, friends-- and that last image was so lovely.

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! I'm really glad you liked everything. It seemed natural to change both universes when I started the story so I'm happy you liked that, as well as the relationships. :D That's awesome.

[korilian.livejournal.com]

Epic WIN! It's great how you used the deadalus variations AU and mixed it with such an original AU. I loved how the world you created seemed so fantastic with people that turned into dragons, and giant swarms of flying Wraith, but that it was still firmly rooted in the SG universe.

But er... can Lorne still turn into a dragon? I mean, he might still be able to switch back and forth since he could before and I kind of really want him to.

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

As it happens, I wrote a sequel wherein Lorne can indeed still turn into a dragon. :) (http://community.livejournal.com/sga_santa/324296.html)

Thank you for your comment! Epic win, eh? Whoop! :D

[squeakyoflight.livejournal.com]

Started this last night, and couldn't finish before I *had* to go to bed, but it's SO FANTASTIC!

Loved, loved LOVED the visuals of a 'Pern-like' SGA-AU where they are cut off. Everything from the mixture of homespun and military gear, and the details! like John's head-band because he'd be too busy to cut his hair, or how Dragon!Lorne's eyes matched his skin (the bit with 'Evan has a sadle too,' was priceless!) or even how Jeanie *looked* like Jeanie, even while she was so different. I think the fact that Rodney won't eat the muffin does not bode well for our dragon...

Great internal logic, I bought the whole thing from the start, and I can hardly wait to read the rest!

Awesome story, Santa!

Squeaky

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Hee. Thank you! :D

[djaddict.livejournal.com]

That was really very cool!

I love the concept of dragons and shape changing and I think the way you have done it is unique, nice job!

Great story!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[squeakyoflight.livejournal.com]

Finished the story and wow! What a great ending!

I loved your alternate take on Mitchell. I would love to see more of that messed-up yet strangely charming character. He has a dragon-wish in this story. Perhaps it should be fulfilled?

Sobal's reaction to everything made so much sense, and Jeanie and Evan's blossoming relationship is so cute! Jeanine and Rodney's conversation in the infirmary made me cry, btw. "You fill all the spaces she left behind" is now officially one of my favourite lines. :)

Fantastic, interesting and incredibly creative story! Well done!

Squeaky

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you. <3

[mdime02.livejournal.com]

Wow. That was an awesome read -- I confess to being a sucker for AUs, so I loved that you gave us an AU of an AU given on the show...it was great to find out what happened to Col. Sobol & co. I will also confess to being a bit of a sucker for dragons, and I thought that it was really well done. I like that it hurt, that it wasn't easy or something to be taken lightly...they're amazing creatures, but I wouldn't want to have to endure the transformation (and I *love* how Lorne willing to change so he can give blood).

Tarlanx is one lucky gift recipient. Thanks so much for writing this!!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for writing this! What lovely compliments. :D I am also a sucker for AUs and dragons, so it's wonderful to read that you liked reading this as much as I liked writing it.

[popkin16]

Wow! Just...wow. I love reading about dragons, but this version of them was rather heartbreaking (and painful sounding). I love that you used two different AU's, that neither one of them were a part of "our" universe. And Lorne! I love fics with him in it ♥

John and Rodney's relationship was so sweet too. I love that John didn't give up on Rodney, didn't say that he couldn't handle his significant other being a dragon. They are so wonderfully in love~

So much love for this!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

There happens to be a Lorne-centric sequel, if you're interested. ;-> (http://community.livejournal.com/sga_santa/324296.html)

Thank you! Your comment really made me smile and I appreciate it very much. :D ♥ to you, too!

[pionie.livejournal.com]

Fabulous story. I loved everything about it, the way you wove the dragon AU SGA, with the AU Kawalsky and Jeannie et al, the detail of the different worlds. The way you didn't reveal how it had all happened, and that Rodney was stuck until so far into the story. Ditto John and Rodney's established relationship. Carson, Teyla and Ronon were fantastic. Loved that both universes were AU to our canon. Just great all round in fact!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I'm incredibly pleased that everything I tried for with this worked so well for you. What a wonderful thing to read. ♥

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Very cool, thanks.

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome. And thank you, too. :D

[argosy.livejournal.com]

That was enthralling from start to finish. Loved everyone as a dragon, and loved this version of Jeannie. I really enjoyed this, thank you!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[ozsaur.livejournal.com]

That was amazing! Such an inspired AU! Love how all the realities were so different, yet all were reflections of canon. Everyone was recognizably themselves. Really had a blast reading, from beginning to end.

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Wow. Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[astrumporta.livejournal.com]

That was just awesome! I love the fierce protectiveness of John and Rodney toward each other, as human or dragon, and Jeannie's love for her brother. Awesome angst, h/d, and romance!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I love AUs, fierce protectiveness and Jeannie myself, so I'm really glad that you enjoyed how I wrote it. And thank you for letting me know. :)

[skinscript.livejournal.com]

I loved this; and the sequel. This was so wonderfully different, and I loved how Lorne was portrayed too. This is a great interpretation of where Sobell might have ended up, and the whole shapechanging room was brilliant.

Great work!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Thanks for reading the sequel, too. And for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed them. :D I'm so glad you did.

[runpunkrun]

Yay! That was so much fun. LOVED the descriptions of the dragons -- Rodney jamming a nostril into John's coffee cup! -- how they can be playful and possessive and tender and vicious. I appreciate that you made it difficult to be a dragon; it's a painful process, and communication is nearly impossible. Introducing problems like that gave this fantastic thing an edge, a sense of realism that makes the story all the more believable and interesting.

Lorne and Jeannie were adorable together, as were John and Rodney, obvs, and I really liked Carson, which is uncommon for me. ;)

Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

I wrote a story a while ago where changing forms was easy (http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=13314&chapter=1), so I wanted to do something different this time. ;-> I also was intrigued by the idea that something that drastic should have a terrible cost on the body. I'm very happy that the idea worked for you as well. :)

I'm so glad you loved the dragons. Thank you, and thank you for letting me know. <3