Fic + Cover Art: All That We Sever

[danceswithgary]

Title: All That We Sever
Author: danceswithgary
Pairing: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard
Rating: PG-13 for language and sexual references
Warnings: None
Spoilers: Through S4 (AU after 'Miller's Crossing')
Word Count: 4315
Archive: Fine, just let me know
Summary: "You see, the thing is, McKay, I've never been quite good enough. I keep losing what I love. I've decided that's not going to happen anymore."

On AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24204

Comments

[pfyre.livejournal.com]

oh very nice - very very nice - thank you for sharing this - for a short bit at the start I was afraid that Rodney was actually dead but thankfully I was wrong! :D

[danceswithgary]

I like to add a little mystery and suspense to my fics, but would definitely warn of character death (and I always make sure my OTPs end up happy).

Glad you enjoyed it and thanks!

[gilesbabe.livejournal.com]

This is very good. At first, the thing with Rodney talking in his head, I was afraid that something had happened to Rodney too. Very relieved to find out he was okay, and that he came to rescue John from himself.

[danceswithgary]

I'm so glad the mystery/suspense worked and you liked it! John was a lucky man because Rodney was there to save him all along, just a trifle incorporeal. :-D

Thanks!

[tiggpwns.livejournal.com]

And probably because it's 2.18 am here, but I didn't realize that Rodney *wasn't actually there* until right before he was actually there, if that makes sense. Probably because I've read so many Rodney's!actually!in!Outcast tags that my higher brain was ignoring all of the logic that stated that he couldn't possibly be there, in that situation, because John is alone. But it clicked that John was using Rodney as his mental figurehead for questioning this entire thing, and then when Rodney came and was both better and worse at the same time (better with the, "You're so stupid but come home anyway" and worse with the actual berating) there were little rounds of squee in my head. An excellent fic.

[danceswithgary]

I deliberately wanted the reader to wonder whether Rodney was really there or not, but hopefully I left enough clues scattered about so that it hung together. (shades of 'The Sixth Sense')

You're right that John used phantom Rodney to bounce his ideas off, to help him understand what he was doing. The strongest hints about Rodney's actual presence while they were talking were:
1. All movement and vocal cues stopped during their conversations - it was straight dialogue.
2. John was articulate and never stammered or hesitated, which he does often when forced to deal with feelings in canon.
3. John always entered a 'resting' state before Rodney initiated the conversation.
4. The phantom conversations were always about John and John's actions. The real Rodney would have made a substantial portion of each one about himself.

And that was likely an excessive amount of info, but I was on a roll. :-D

I'm glad you enjoyed it and thanks!

[tiggpwns.livejournal.com]

No, no, it's great so see the efforts that go into planning a fic, and I hadn't picked up on all of them (especially the John-was-articulate, because a lot of authors ignore that fact that he isn't...)

[outsideth3box.livejournal.com]

I had a horrible fear at first that Rodney was gone, too...especially when Nancy said, "...losing them both so close together." But then I got it.

John actually knows Rodney pretty well, I'd say, and that really ought to have been a clue for him, since he said he knew so little about Nancy, back in the day.

Good job, Jack, as well, sending John off to "get his head straight," rather than letting him retire. Sharp man.

[danceswithgary]

Your icon is perfect for this! John was using his knowledge of Rodney to resolve his dilemma. :-D

John deserved to have a few strings pulled for him - good thing Jack was there.

Glad you enjoyed the story and thanks!

[ender24]

that cover is really beautiful!!!

[danceswithgary]

Thanks, sweetheart! :-D

[wanted-a-pony.livejournal.com]

Just DL your fic for reading later but wanted to say: your cover is *gorgeous*! Most evocative pics of John & Rodney I've seen in a long time....

[danceswithgary]

The John picture was the inspiration for the fic, I agree it has a lot to say. Hope you enjoy the story, too! :-D

[zooz.livejournal.com]

I really liked this. And your Rodney voice is fantastic !!

And this line I'm going to put in my pocket and use when I'm feeling down: "John sank a little deeper into his cocoon, the need for long-delayed comfort overriding desire"

[danceswithgary]

Thanks, I work hard at making them both stay in character (with an occasional improvement).

I love when someone points out a particular phrase or sentence they enjoyed. Thanks so much for letting me know you liked it! :-D

[dodificus.livejournal.com]

I liked this.

[danceswithgary]

Thanks for letting me know! :-D

[silverraven11.livejournal.com]

Beautiful cover art to go with an equally lovely story!

[danceswithgary]

I'm happy that you like the entire package - that picture of John started the whole thing. :-D Thanks!

[samjohnsson.livejournal.com]

Loved this, it sounded so right.

Also really liked seeing your process.

[danceswithgary]

Thanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed! :-D

[kirinin.livejournal.com]

Love the art - great picture of hopelessness with John... and Rodney in the bg looks very, very imaginary somehow. (Because he's so far behind John? Because he's standing in the shadows? Because John is at least showing no outward sign he's aware of Rodney, like there are others who might catch him talking to himself if they entered suddenly?) Something in the composition which I am obviously far too inarticulate to express properly, esp. with no training whatsoever in art. ;)

Art aside, the story itself was intriguing. Again, you gave subtle but inescapable cues that Rodney was fictional!Rodney (fictional-squared?)... but like others here I thought he might be dead. It was such a breath of fresh air when the real Rodney arrived - maybe because, while false Rodney seemed to be an expression of John's guilt created mostly to torment him, real Rodney had marching orders, the very concrete goal of bringing John home.

<3 this muchly.

-K

[danceswithgary]

I'm happy you picked up what I was trying to evoke with Rodney in the background. It actually contains another tiny hint to his 'presence' - he's standing in an Atlantis setting (the walls), while John is in the study on Earth. The art drove the writing in this case, as it often does when I'm working - I'm a very visually-oriented person and creating the art often helps the fic gel in my mind and keep it on track.

Thanks so much for letting me know your impressions of the work and that you liked it!

[ccmom.livejournal.com]

Wow. I'm not sure what gave it away, but i knew Rodney wasn't real in the beginning. I even knew he was John's mind yelling at him. So, either, I've read this before and forgot? Or I've read so much of your stuff that I'm starting to know how you think/write. Hmmm. Not sure.

Anyhow...another great story. You realize that you're going to have to live up to higher standards now, don't you? I'm so glad that real!Rodney came through in the end. Go Rodney! Go.

[danceswithgary]

A personal goal of mine is to try to improve with each story so being held to a higher standard only reinforces that. :-D

I adore Rodney so I love writing stories where he's the 'hero'. Glad you enjoyed and thanks!