Doing This Here by Purna (Earthside Challenge)

[purna]

Doing This Here by purna
McKay/Sheppard
~6,200 words
NC-17
Summary: "Busy, busy, then," Rodney says after a pause. "We'll both be busy. No time for--"
A/N: Beta thanks to lamardeuse. Spoilers through Season 2.

Comments

[linaerys]

Oh my God. John's jealousy and inability to DO anything here are physically painful. This is such amazing characterization. You made the jealousy here feel stifling and claustrophic and impotent, rather than angry, and it worked SO SO well.

I could pick out a lot of lines I loved, but here are a few:

But he's not Rodney, and nothing John does here will fix what's going on there.

AND

John keeps eating, but he's lost his appetite. It's almost funny, the fact that John's been screwed over by other people plenty of times, but this time he's done it to himself.

GOD. So perfect.

[purna]

Hey, thanks! I'm so glad John's emotions came across so well. I find him a tough POV to write in how he's kind of closed off.

It's funny, this was started by thinking about how much we can know about another person, about how little we can really pick up nonverbally. About how if things are left unspoken, the emotions on one side of the friendship could really spiral out of control, without the other side being aware.

That combined with a John who doesn't even really accept that he's having these emotions. Anyway, so glad you liked this. Thanks!

[lydiabell]

Oh, WOW. That's fantastic.

I like the way the breaking of one rule -- "we don't do this here" -- catalyzes the crumbing of the rest. That's something I always find challenging: figuring out, what changes? What makes characters who have been friends for years start having sex, or characters who have been buddy-fucking deepen their relationship? The change in setting, and the presence of Sam, worked really well as triggers.

You really sustain the emotional tension, with John being angry at himself for messing up his chance with Rodney, and trying unsuccessfully to distract himself with someone else. And poor Rodney, knowing that the ground is shifting under him, and not really sure what it means.

"Today I mentioned it to her. Said something about what happened down there, and she...didn't know what I was talking about. It was all in my head. All in my head. All this time, I've been thinking one thing...and I was fooling myself. Isn't that weird?"I've been wishing for stories that showed the first meeting between Rodney and Sam

[purna]

Oh, yeah, I love stories about that shift, too. What triggers that change? I thought Sam and the return to Earth made a good catalyst. When they're on Atlantis, John can kind of go along kind of obliviously, he's just helping out a friend, his emotions unexamined. Once they start up with the sex on Earth, and John's forced to analyze why he's hating on Carter, well, all bets are off.

I'm very glad the emotions came across so well. John's such a hard one for me to write, so I'm glad you liked him here.

And I adore the themes of GUP so much. And sorry to confuse you there. I was trying to get across Rodney's own confusion about that -- Rodney knows logically that Sam wasn't there, but on an emotional level, he feels he owes her, it feels like she was there.

[3jane]

Mmm. Lovely.

[purna]

Thanks!

[fluffyllama]

Oh, lovely. I have such a kink for jealous!John, and unlike Rodney I have no shame about that at all :D

[purna]

Well, Rodney didn't have a huge amount of shame about it either. :)

I think jealous John intigues me because it's a chance to see him ruffled, to see him affected by Rodney. He's normally so smooth, unruffled, and seeing him all churned up just punches my buttons.

Thanks!

[kimberlite]

He's used to seeing Rodney and Zelenka do the freaky scientist mind-meld thing, but it's disconcerting as hell to see Rodney melding with the object of his wet dreams, the infamous Colonel Carter.

Fantastic! Neat to see John wrestling with his feelings for Rodney and possible change in their relationship. I liked the interaction with the geologist (but poor thing only getting off world twice -- he needs more field work). Rodney was excellent and yay for the ending. :)

[purna]

Glad you liked this! And poor Sean, indeed. He doesn't get the guy AND he doesn't get to go offworld enough.

Thanks!