LCF Fic Battle!

Jul 12, 2008 21:08

And we are open for business!

The prompts are listed here. They are broken into Gen and Pairing sections, then listed in alphabetical order by character last names in each section. Threesome prompts are in a separate section, as are SG-1 Crossovers and Other Crossovers ( Read more... )

miera, fic battle

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"Psyche's Candle", Emmagan/Sheppard, candlelight, PG-13, tielan July 13 2008, 12:14:50 UTC
There was surely a moment when Psyche held the candle over her husband, looking down into the face of the man she loved, and thought to blow it out. Before tenderness overcame caution, before the wax dripped, before love was denied, surely there was a moment.

It's not candlelight. Teyla's not his wife. But there's a moment all the same.

The sun is setting over the sea, descending into dark flame and dragging daylight with it. In the rec room lounge, everything is shadows, but for the last gleaming tints along the topmost curves of the couches, their lined cushions, and the Colonel who sprawls among them.

Teyla pauses at the end of the couch, her feet bare after sparring, her gaze soft on the man below.

In sleep, John's face is relaxed, easy, without conscious guardedness. A complex man - both open and easy, but with his deeper emotions closed.

Only occasionally do those emotions push through.

His mouth moves on hers, hard and hungering, and an ache opens up in her belly, but there is a splinter in her mind - in his! - and Teyla pushes him away, gasping.

His eyes stare up at hers, pleading for his life against the hundreds in their rooms, awaiting gassing. Teyla apologises, but she knows she will remember his words long after he is dead.

His hand reaches out to hers, hesitating, as though the contact might break him - might break her. The pat is as awkward as his words, but Teyla is aware that he has placed in her a trust. She would not break it.

His cool forehead rests against hers, intimate and comfortable as they stand in the Gateroom. This is goodbye - at least for the moment - and the smile he gives her is tender and rueful. "Take care."

Teyla knows she could kneel beside the couch, brush her fingers across his cheek, move her lips over his mouth, awaken him like the enchanted royalty of Earth fairy tales. He would not gainsay her interest.

Yet they come from different worlds, fight the same war, balance an alliance between them - so much more than just John and Teyla.

She was taught to bear the burden of choices, to balance the risks.

And this, she believes, is more risk than she can bear.

In the Greek legends that Dr. Houston has been telling her, the god Eros chose Psyche to be his wife, but Psyche was not content with love in the night - she wished to see her husband and know him, and doomed herself in the fulfilment of wanting.

Self-preservation blows out the candle.

Teyla walks away, leaving love where he lies.

fin

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Re: "Psyche's Candle", Emmagan/Sheppard, candlelight, PG-13, skieswideopen July 13 2008, 16:04:08 UTC
Oh, I love the first two lines! All the language is beautiful here. This is a lovely story.

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Re: "Psyche's Candle", Emmagan/Sheppard, candlelight, PG-13, tielan July 22 2008, 12:34:27 UTC
Thank you! I've had those opening lines lying around for weeks now. I'm glad they came in handy!

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Re: "Psyche's Candle", Emmagan/Sheppard, candlelight, PG-13, renisanz July 13 2008, 17:15:15 UTC
Very nice. I love the lyrical quality of the words, and how you described all the significant moments between them in the past.

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Re: "Psyche's Candle", Emmagan/Sheppard, candlelight, PG-13, tielan July 22 2008, 12:37:14 UTC
Thanks! I like lyricism for the stories that deal with old mythologies - it gives it a more atmospheric feel to it.

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Re: "Psyche's Candle", Emmagan/Sheppard, candlelight, PG-13, sanssong July 13 2008, 20:39:14 UTC
You used my prompt! Yay! Very lovely, but so sad! Nicely done.

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Re: "Psyche's Candle", Emmagan/Sheppard, candlelight, PG-13, tielan July 22 2008, 12:39:55 UTC
See, I'm not sure that I see this as sad. Psyche wanted too much too soon; Teyla's willing to wait for her time with John. Which I imagine will come in time and with the right timing.

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Re: "Psyche's Candle", Emmagan/Sheppard, candlelight, PG-13, madjm July 13 2008, 21:42:03 UTC
Oh, ow! Lovely, though. :)

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Re: "Psyche's Candle", Emmagan/Sheppard, candlelight, PG-13, tielan July 22 2008, 12:42:33 UTC
Thank you! I saw it more as delayed gratification - not wanting too much all at once, but it was supposed to have that tension there, unresolved.

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Re: "Psyche's Candle", Emmagan/Sheppard, candlelight, PG-13, doxymom July 14 2008, 18:27:27 UTC
Aw, that's so sweet. I loved it.

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Re: "Psyche's Candle", Emmagan/Sheppard, candlelight, PG-13, tielan July 22 2008, 12:43:22 UTC
Thank you!

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Re: "Psyche's Candle", Emmagan/Sheppard, candlelight, PG-13, azure_horizon July 19 2008, 00:54:14 UTC
Guh... duuuude. Duuuude.

"It's not candle light. Teyla's not his wife. But there's a moment all the same."

That's the line... that's it. It's just... so THEM.

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Re: "Psyche's Candle", Emmagan/Sheppard, candlelight, PG-13, tielan July 22 2008, 12:43:49 UTC
Hee. I love it when you go all speechless on me. :D

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Re: "Psyche's Candle", Emmagan/Sheppard, candlelight, PG-13, azure_horizon July 23 2008, 22:19:33 UTC
Well you should write more to make me speechless! :P

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Re: "Psyche's Candle", Emmagan/Sheppard, candlelight, PG-13, raksha38 July 19 2008, 07:25:33 UTC
Wow. Gorgeous and painful. Lovely!

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Re: "Psyche's Candle", Emmagan/Sheppard, candlelight, PG-13, tielan July 22 2008, 12:45:13 UTC
Thanks! It wasn't supposed to be angsty, just lacking the outright happy ending. :)

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