new story: Take Clothes Off As Directed

[helenish]

Title: Take Clothes Off As Directed
Author: Helen
Rating: NC-17
Fandom: SGA
Warnings: BDSM
Summary: John entered the Air Force Academy in 1987; it was only the third year subs were accepted into the flight program. John wasn't the only one in his class, but he was the only one who looked like he did, and it didn't make him any friends.Oh boy. This

Comments

[aynatonal]

I just read yours. And it was awesome.

[helenish]

Thank you!

[aynatonal]

No, no, thank *you*!

I didn't end up reading the source material, by the way. You explicated the world of the story very clearly, I thought.

Oh, and as someone mentioned further down in comments, John's father is proud of him! My heart is goo!

[helenish]

So far, John's dad is the most popular character in the story - I think we've stumbled upon an unfulfilled market for stories where John's dad is not a crazy homophobic be-a-man type asshole. (I like John's dad, toooo.)

[cathexys]

That was a wonderful story, thank you!

I liked the matter-of-fact with which the sub/dom relations were handled at the same time as you presented the inherent injustice of using a sub's nature to determine his/her professional abilities. And I loved Sheppard *and* McKay being kind of bad at it but only because they didn't fit easy stereotypes and they cared for one another enough to work through it... The back and forth and trying to understand the oTher was great. as were the flashbacks to Sheppard's life before Atlantis.

Finally, I so love that you made Sheppard the sub; b/c I firmly believe that he'd be the much better sub...or maybe it's just images of collared john :D

[cathexys]

I was going to come back to more properly (and theoretically) articulate some of the issues you addressed in this story, but reading the other commenters, I don't think I have to :-)

Just on a much more personal note: I read this story just before going to bed last night and dreamed all night about subs...eh damn or thank you???

[helenish]

Finally, I so love that you made Sheppard the sub; b/c I firmly believe that he'd be the much better sub...or maybe it's just images of collared john :D

See, I feel the same way - in fact, one of the ways this story came about was when I was all "Okay, but what if AU BDSM John and Rodney had shown up and Rodney was all wearing black and ordering people around and John was wearing a tight pretty t-shirt and fetching Rodney dry erase markers and lounging around and wearing lipgloss and looking pretty and our Rodney was really thoroughly nonplussed by him, and our John was confused and angry and annoyed and found himself digging through his chest of drawers to find his tube of chapstick and hating himself for it, and AU-Rodney kept smiling at him like he Knew Something......uh, that'd be cool."

So, clearly, that's not exactly what happened, but. yeah.

So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting.

[ashteth]

So, clearly, that's not exactly what happened, but. yeah.

But if it did, y'know, happen - i know a whole pile of people who would shower you in affection and souls/babies/sock/whatever people are offering great fic these days.

[lovessong]

Oh my god. Fucking brilliant. I love how beautifully you expose the way that the universe Xanthe created is a mirror of traditional gender roles. And I love how despite the strong feminist critique of the universe and its norms that your story provides, it also succeeds as a love story. But even in that success, even within the love story, we see the damage the system of unequal power does to the individual and the relationship. I am blown away.

[amothea]

But even in that success, even within the love story, we see the damage the system of unequal power does to the individual and the relationship.

I had a hard time figuring out how to articulate what you said here and ended up just skipping it all together, well said.

[wychwood]

Yes! Yes! What lovesong said!

I have to admit that I found the "originals" almost completely unreadable. The characterisation was problematic, but just the whole world really bothered me. I don't like biological determinism of any kind, and the level of restriction - it just really, really squicks me. But I enjoyed what you did here.

I love the way you use sexist rhetoric in this, to show how ridiculous it is; the stuff about John not becoming a pilot because he'll just leave and get married ("Tops get married all the time-" / "Don't you think that's just a little bit disingenuous?" she said. "It's hardly the same thing.") and the harrassment he has to deal with, but also the more subtle problems with the more PC types (Lorne trying to "treat him right", Elizabeth doing her best to manage him properly

[kathana_grey]

Hm. Beside the biological determinism problem I think you either haven't read Xanthe's author note and warning and you have taken the fic too seriously. I personally have more problems with rape fic than this universe and I see different weak points in it than you seem to do (too extreme personalities, over the top behaviour f.ex.) It is meant as escapism and fun and is, in my humble opinion and if you are open minded enough to read between the lines, not such a bad mirror at all. Helen's concentrates on the dynamic problems issue which you can translate into gender, Xanthe's focuses on individual characters

[corinna_5]

This was the most awesomest unauthorized homage ever.

Graceful, funny, and vivid storytelling, and just a lovely use of both the original AU and the SGA canon to make something finer still. Brava!

[helenish]

hey, thanks so much!

[corinna_5]

I have to say, a couple of days later, that I keep thinking about this story, and it's not the fantastic use of the source materials, or the social critique that I think of, but the Big BDSM Love Story, which is so sad and happy all at once

[throughadoor]

HILARITY. FANTASTIC. AWESOME.

seriously, i feel like i magically got 345 of those 450 brain cells back!

[helenish]

well, shucks. You know I try.