#Rodney: Now you're talking!!

[aquamarineglow]

Layton NPC Appreciation Week

Day 1: Curious Village/Diabolical Box

When I first played Curious Village, I remember really disliking Rodney because he was pretty rude to Layton and Luke.

But now I'm older, I can relate to him more. Man just wants to be left alone to do his work.

@layton-npc-appreciation-week

[fuck-customers]

I get called to a department to help Customer A with something. Before I get to them, Customer B steps in front of me, blocking me, and starts ranting about something that happened at a sister location and is 1. beyond my control and 2. something I'd personally do a thousand times again. Argue with a brick wall, I don't have the time and you'll get the same results. I can literally see A over B's shoulder, and as B is continuing to rant, I look over at A and say, "Sorry, folks, I'll be with y'all in a minute. Thanks for your patience." That sets B off again and they continue to scream at me and just as I'm about to call a supervisor over so I can pass them off and handle A, A butts in with "Alright now you're just repeating yourself over and over, can you go find someone else to be upset with? Ain't none of us got time to sit here and listen to you bitch about nothing." B got so angry that they lost the ability to speak coherently and actually started crying. I felt bad, but if you're going through something, talk to someone. Don't scream at a minimum wage slave over something unrelated. It was a very bewildering experience.

Posted by admin Rodney

[storiesbyjes2g]

Fix it

Hey, guys! It's ME! I'm driving the bus today because there was no way I was going to attempt to make sense of this very sims party! As you can see, Anissa is prepared to TURN UP and is quite proud of what they've done. Let's meet the guests, shall we?

First up, we got Olivia Kim-Lewis-Talla. Say that five times fast! She is married to Duane Talla of Sulani. They have three children and live in Windenburg (I think). We've met their oldest before. She is Noemi's new friend. Olivia is still a princess and got that man working double time to maintain the lifestyle she's accustom to. Is anyone going to tell her that her parents were actually broke and her daddy worked in Rodney's restaurant? 😅

Next, we have Aleah Baker. She's practically a saint and adopted an orphan the day after her young adult birthday. At least that is the only logical reason for her having a teenage daughter as a young adult (she's around Nate's age) without ever being pregnant lol. MCCC never told me about that one. Anyway... She raised her on her own until she met her now husband, Waylon. The daughter, Alessandra, is a friend of Noemi's. We also know Aleah's parents since they frequent Rodney's restaurants. They're the people who asked him what they ordered last time lol.

This is Waylon, Aleah's husband. They live in Glimmerbrook, and for a long time it was the three of them. He's been a great dad to Alessandra and treats her like his own blood. He and Aleah recently decided to expand their family and have two small children together. If you think he looks familiar, you're right! We met him loooooooong time ago when Melany and Anissa were young pups at Britechester. He was the handsome stranger who wanted to play pong with them, and one of the few sims I allowed to be bald lol.

Finally, Duane Talla, everybody. Very unfashionably late too. He's come a long way from being that nice young man on the island. Frankly, he's a bit too relaxed for my tastes lol. You'll see...

Olivia brought all that princess energy and had Anissa plotting evil plans in her head. Y'all see that hand? She had to snatch it back lol. Something about the house being quaint. I was just the photographer lol.

Jorden was looking at Aleah like this all night. Lovestruck says he had an instant attraction. (sigh) Anissa had an instant attraction with Waylon, but I was not surprised lol.

It was all fun and games until Olivia opened her mouth again. Something about it must suck having to work.

If you thought she had a problem keeping her thoughts in her head, get a load of this. As soon as Duane arrived, girlfriend tried to steal Anissa's Lin-Z! In front of everyone! Aleah was appalled at her behavior, but Duane did absolutely nothing. Why are all my Dwaynes ultra passive men?? 😂

Anissa needed a distraction at this point before she actually laid hands on that child. Luckily, Waylon caught her attention. He hit her with the, "Heeey, I know where I know you from." They talked about their time at Britechester, and of course at some point he hit her with the, "Hey, whatever happen to your friend? The famous one." As if you don't know. 😑

This party needed some life. And they weren't hitting the milestones, so I tried to get them all to grab drinks for an easy win. Instead, they grabbed food instead. Weird. Oh well. At least it got them all at the table to get to know each other. Anissa took pleasure in Olivia's embarrassment.

Waylon also couldn't believe Olivia tried to steal and was very uncomfortable being around her. Duane still said nothing and acted like he didn't see it.

Anissa and Jorden were able to grab drinks. When I tell you this man stayed in Aleah's face all night!! I kept telling him not to get in trouble.

If you're wondering, yes, Anissa noticed. No, she did not appreciate it.

I couldn't take anymore, so I ended the party lol. You know this situation will come up again sometime in some form, so don't worry lol. We'll get to the bottom of it!

Have a great weekend!

[smileposting]

changes i noticed in the new GGG demo

compiled based on snapcube's vod and my own experimentation. this focuses more on changes in gameplay/overarching story than new character interactions facilitated by new dialogue, so keep that in mind. full list under the cut!

click clack is now the god of storytelling as opposed to the god of teamwork, at least according to bibo.

razzma v. tazz is either razzma's full name or her pen name (based on the fact that he is also addressed as razzmatazz.)

bizzyboy in da ferris wheel....? not sure if this is new actually

rodney (the dog) is here.

skolopendra is now in the very first section of the grove you encounter as opposed to being on the south island.

bug's got new dialogue if you choose to just keep standing there after he gives you his questline. you're creepin' him out!

very ominous black rabbits found near king cutouts. you can interact with each of them exactly once. said interaction is just the camera zooming in and playing a vine boom adjacent sound.

you can interact with the cardboard cutout of mitternacht and knock it down, but you can't interact with the one of inspekta at all.... hm...

new usable dialogue from P: P here!

new usable dialogue from jacqueline: get ready for pets, cutie pie!

new usable dialogue from skolopendra: tiny weak little bug.

new usable dialogue from rodney: BARKBARKBARKBARK

al had his shaboingboings before the cutscene introducing all the bizzyboys plays, but in the actual cutscene he's still trying gobble down that beachball. either this is a glitch or the implication is that al had two whole plates of shaboingboings and was still hungry afterwards so he ate the ball, and will then proceed to have another two plates of shaboingboings.

capochin calls inspekta "spek"... cute....

new usable dialogue from capochin: GET TO WORK, YOU LAZY PUP!

inspekta's van is also explicitly referred to as a campaign van. interestin'...

inspekta himself is a Lot more noticeably passive aggressive in this version lmao

oh shit they changed the handwriting in king's letter to miss mitternacht.

THEY CHANGED THE LETTER TOO.

whoever wrote this letter has generational trauma swag there i said it. "back where i'm from people WORK for their praise they don't just have godhood HANDED to them" okaaaayyy next you're gonna say you're one of the good ones and embarrass tf out of your kids in the process

i think peeps has a talking sprite now? i think everyone got new sprites for specific actions/responses/emotions actually, gods included.

miss mitternacht being of human origin is called into question; according to sirena, some believe mitternacht was never even alive to begin with.

al does not have his second plate of shaboingboings because he frew up :( but hey at least P joins him on his snack break :)

the beach ball is now a usable item that you can return!

new particle effect on mitternacht's model to make it clear that she is Constantly Crying.

more spanglish in razzma's dialogue. lots of emphasis is placed on her near-photographic memory when it comes to king, and he uses it a lot to calm herself down when he gets too emotional.

oh hey rodney's on this island too.

2nd ominous bunny appears

new eating sfx in the rift psa

the P puppet is going to town on that sandwich (not sure if this is new either)

skolopendra talks about how razzma took king's apparent betrayal especially hard.

new usable dialogue from miss mitternacht: I MISS MY ELOQUENT KING!

jacqueline is PICKING BUG UP BY THE HEAD!!!

new usable dialogue from jacqueline: I AM GOING TO EAT YOU.

"and the next thing you know, you're loading a boat with two of every animal. you don't want that, do you?" MISS MITTERNACHT....?

funny inspekta animatronic; you can free up inventory by feeding dialogue to it.

EDIT 10/15/2024: new usable dialogue from marsha: DON'T WORRY, MISSY! INSPEKTA WILL SAVE THE DAY!

feel free to add other observations in the replies/reblogs if you find em! >;P

[dr-futbol-blog]

Duet, Pt. 7

So, then we have a scene in which Sheppard catches up to McKay in a corridor late at night and boy, there's a lot going on here.

First of all, McKay tells Sheppard that he had been somewhere "clearing his head" between leaving the lab and this moment, seeming to have been gone for a while, and we never find out what he had been doing. Clearly, it had been something. Fine. And having apparently finished with Ronon for the day, it seems as though Sheppard had specifically been looking for McKay to have this conversation with him. Sheppard walks up to McKay with intent and purpose, he catches up to him while McKay is en route to his quarters.

There seems to be a clear echo here, up to and including both men rubbing their faces, to the infamous scene in Sanctuary (S01E14) where McKay accosts Sheppard outside of Chaya's quarters and they have this exchange:

Sheppard: Rodney. What are you doing up so late? McKay: I was just, uh… I couldn't sleep, so I was going back up to the control room to do a little research. What about you? Sheppard: Oh, no thanks. McKay: No, I mean, what were you doing up so late? Sheppard: I'm always up late, Rodney.

Very likely the two of them had already been... involved when this took place, as the dialogue just doesn't make sense in any other context than that Sheppard understood McKay's line about research as an offer of some kind, interpreting it as innuendo. In addition, it clearly shows us that they know about each other's sleeping habits by this time. Sheppard is surprised that McKay is up so late as in his experience McKay is seldom up so late, and the way he reminds McKay of the fact that he's always up late indicates that he expected this to be something McKay should have known about him already. But although I argue that they were hooking up by this time, they were not yet sleeping together in the sense of actually sharing a bed and spending the night.

This being the case, it's interesting how the scene is revisited here. Their roles are opposite in that McKay is the one going somewhere and Sheppard is the one that walks up from behind to talk to him. But then Sheppard makes the same observation as he did then, that McKay is up past his usual bedtime. Previously, it seemed as though McKay had been hanging around Chaya's quarters to be able to catch up with Sheppard and here it seems as though Sheppard had been the one hanging by McKay's quarters to catch up to him.

But this scene doesn't just parallel the one from Sanctuary, it very obviously also parallels the earlier scene in this episode where Katie Brown caught up to McKay as he was walking down a corridor. These scenes are obviously and purposefully contrasted.

With regards to this, it's interesting how often female characters are used to show us why Sheppard is "the one" for McKay (and vice versa). Like literally that is their function. It is very easy to see it as we compare these two scenes with Cadman's lines removed (and do note that the length of these scenes matches exactly):

Brown: Rodney? McKay: Katie! Hi. Brown: Is everything OK? McKay: Yes! Yes! Everything is just fine. I was just… talking on the radio. You're well, I take it? Brown: I heard you ran into some trouble off-world today. McKay: Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes, but everything's fine now, it's all been sorted out. Back to normal. Brown: Good. So we're still on for tomorrow? McKay: Yes, yes. Yes, actually, I'm… very much looking forward to it. In fact, I'm sure it'll be a… you know, a wonderful… evening, and what not. Brown: Right! Well, I'll see you then.

Sheppard: You're up late. McKay: Mmm. I... couldn't sleep, I was trying to clear my head. Sheppard: I... hear the transformer test didn't go so well. McKay: Well, you heard right. Sheppard: Listen... I wanted you to know that I gave the command to take the dart down. McKay: Look, much as I'd like to pretend that this is remotely your fault, the thought of what would've happened if you hadn't shot the dart down is… Sheppard: So, we're cool? McKay: No, you're cool, I'm fine. Sheppard: You should get some sleep. McKay: She says she's tired. Sheppard: ...Good night.

In the first scene, Katie catches McKay's attention by using his name. Sheppard does not need to do this and he has a thousand other uses for McKay's name beyond catching his attention. Also, Katie and McKay greet each other, they begin and end a conversation. Sheppard and McKay do not greet each other because their conversation never ends, they never say good-bye, their conversation is only ever temporarily paused, and they pick it up when ever they see each other again. This being the case, Sheppard gets straight to the point.

Where Katie Brown asks McKay if he's OK, Sheppard does not need to ask because he already knows, he can tell that McKay is not OK just from the fact that he's still awake at this time. He can tell from the set of his shoulders, from the way that the man walks. And McKay likewise seems to understand the implication in Sheppard's words, answering the unspoken question there. And with Sheppard, he gives an honest answer. He tells the truth. With Katie, he lies. In fact, in the short exchange they have, McKay manages to lie 8 times, and all of them lies are in the service of getting away from her, whereas the two lies he tells Sheppard are to make sure that they will be able to sustain their relationship.

Both Sheppard and Katie had heard that something had gone awry for McKay. Where it's possible Katie had just overheard this, Sheppard definitely was keeping tabs on McKay. He had visited the lab and received this information from Zelenka on purpose, in order to find out how McKay was doing. However, while Sheppard has clearly checked up on McKay via other people, this isn't what he came here to talk to him about. As Sheppard mentions having heard of the failed test, this is him pussyfooting around what he really wanted to say, why he had sought McKay up at this time. It's basically small-talk as he tries to work himself up to say what he came to say. And you can see him do the lip thing here. He is nervous and vulnerable, standing here before McKay (but he does also very much check him out, even with the soldier standing in the background and another one watching him through McKay's eyes, he does check him out here). In doing this, we can see that Sheppard is really trying to mend things between them.

Katie's interest in mentioning what she had heard seems to be about her, she wants to know if he's well enough to be able to make good of his promise to have dinner with her. Sheppard, on the other hand, is interested in how McKay is. He's asking because he cares, not because there's anything in it for him. In fact, during this time, he has no personal stake whatsoever in McKay's well-being and his only motivation is unconditional love. He expects nothing in return for making sure that McKay is as well as he can be. And it's clearly not easy for Sheppard to do this. He rarely thinks that he's wrong about anything and even more seldom would actually admit that this is the case. Even when he has done something wrong, Sheppard usually tries to rationalize it. He probably has not apologized many times in his life for anything (and definitely faked it through having to apologize and show remorse for something as a child), so for him to do this now is a huge step. This, here, the fact that he apologizes (although, again, "not in so many words"), witnesses to just how much McKay means to him.

With Sheppard McKay tells him the truth, with Katie he lies. Sheppard deserves to know how things were and he had no reason to lie about it besides, whereas with Katie, he can think of no reason why she should know what had happened to him. Quite the opposite, he wished she would never find out. With her, he pretends. With Sheppard, he could not pretend if he wanted to because he knows him much too well.

Katie wants something from McKay, a confirmation that they're still on for tomorrow. Sheppard wants nothing but for McKay to know that he's sorry. And where McKay had every intention of canceling on Katie, he gives Sheppard what he seeks immediately: forgiveness. Where Katie wants something from McKay, she wants his evening to herself, Sheppard suggests that McKay get some sleep for himself. Katie cares about Katie where Sheppard genuinely cares about McKay. Sheppard gets the real McKay, Katie gets a facade.

However, McKay does also lie to Sheppard, at least by omission. Sheppard asks him whether they are cool meaning that he doesn't want there to be any ill feelings between them about this, and instead of acquiescing McKay flips it into a kind of joke. We're not cool, you're cool, he says. But at the same time, he does leave it unsaid that he thinks they are cool because they're really, really not. If they were cool, he would be heading toward a bed he shared with this man. If they were cool, he wouldn't be hurting every time he sees Sheppard. If they were cool, he could ask Sheppard to just hold him until it all went away. But they're not cool. And the latter part he says is a flat out lie. McKay hasn't been fine for a long time and as it is, right this moment, he's pretty damn far from fine. There is also an interesting connection in this to the earlier scene with Katie Brown. There, Cadman told McKay to be cool and he clearly failed spectacularly. Here, Sheppard asks if they are cool, and McKay tells him that cool isn't something he's even capable of being, he's as uncool as they come compared to Sheppard.

The way Sheppard says good night here is also interesting. He seems to want to say something else besides but, reminded that a soldier under his command is listening in on them in McKay's head, he seems to decide otherwise. He thinks better of it. These two men used to sleep together, used to share a bed and a room together, and for all we know, may still have been occasionally hooking up because why not, there aren't that many options when you are shut in with a couple hundred people in another damn galaxy and the sex had been really good, that had never even been the issue. Hooking up as they are would be playing with fire, to be sure, but we have no info on what kind of an arrangement they might have had. For sure they at least still seem to want each other. Accidents happen. Sheppard might even have been looking for an accident after what he had witnessed both at the gym and in the armoury earlier, and had sought McKay out to confirm that there definitely was still a marine under his command stuck in his brain so any quick accidents were out of the question, just checking.

Earlier, Heightmeyer (and the episode, the show) defined a couple as "a pair of forces equal in magnitude acting in opposite direction." In both scenes, we are observing a pair of forces. The only pair of forces in the episode that are equal in magnitude are Sheppard and McKay, and this remains consistent throughout the run of the show. Ronon is never equal in magnitude to Sheppard, and Katie Brown vanishes altogether eventually. But it's the "acting in opposite direction" that is goddamn telling in this regard. Because in this episode, in this episode in which we were given this definition of a couple, they have Katie Brown with McKay and Sheppard with McKay basically do the same thing, act out the same scene, only Katie Brown and McKay are heading in the same direction whereas Sheppard and McKay come together and then take off in the opposite directions.

And let's not gloss over the frustrated sigh from McKay here, at the end. Sheppard had just come to apologize to him, and he bid him good night. Nothing that took place here in the main text warrants McKay making this face, to react to Sheppard walking away (and note also how Sheppard takes his first steps while facing McKay, walking backward because he wants to look at McKay that little bit longer) with a frustrated sigh. Also, let's put a pin on the way the back of Sheppard's jacket looks here 'cause let me tell you, it looks a lot more rumpled in the morning, again.

Also note that if the beginning of this scene calls back to the incident in front of Chaya's quarters, so does the end. There too they very much took off in opposite directions, these forces of equal magnitude. Physically, what they do here is precisely the same but the emotional resonance of the scene is very different. A lot has changed between these two scenes. And yet Sheppard does have the same intensity of feeling for McKay. And in both cases, McKay does end up just as frustrated at the end as he's left alone by Sheppard.

And also, while the prior scene was clearly showing us McKay's jealousy over Sheppard's perceived interest in this alien priestess, it is Sheppard that displays jealousy in this episode, and we'll return to that by the final scene. Jealousy is a whole new feeling for Sheppard. With McKay, he keeps on learning new things about himself.

They didn't need to do them like this, and yet they did. That was the whole point of giving us the definition of a couple like that. To show us that Sheppard and McKay are a couple even though this supposed female love interest is introduced in the episode. Sheppard and McKay are forces equal in magnitude acting in opposite direction. Theirs is the "duet" of the episode: Sheppard's solo section deals with his recruitment and integration of Ronon Dex to his team (to protect McKay) and McKay evades the incursions into his life by three different kinds of women (to protect Sheppard, to keep his secret). Their stories, the distinctive narrative threads, seem to be separate and run parallel in this episode, but they are actually woven together. Now, some people might even find this scene odd because Sheppard has spent most of his day with Ronon, as though he had better things to do and he just wasn't concerned with McKay, when this is the opposite of the truth. In this scene, we are confirmed that Sheppard blames himself for what happened to McKay, and everything he did with his day was his attempt to deal with it.

Their stories have everything to do with the other because they are a couple. This is their story, all of this is their story. It's not the story of John Sheppard gunslinging and kirking his way through aliens worlds, and it's not the story of Rodney McKay safeguarding space and time with science and a magic screw driver. It's the story of war and peace at the heart of which are Pierre and Natasha. It's a love story. It is the story of two of the loneliest people on Earth finding a home in each other in another galaxy. And every time a female character is introduced we are reminded why these two characters belong together and not with anyone else. In this scene, we see that they care about each other. In this scene, we see that they are pining for each other. In this scene, we see that they want each other. And yes, the love, the love, the love.

Continued in Pt. 8

[cevansbrat0007]

Okay so kind of a dramatic ask, but what if Andy bear was out of town for a business trip. And reader just had a shit day. She just wanted to come home and cuddle her man, but he was gone. So she just cries. And lays down. Doesn’t want to eat, shower, you know how a bad day gets you down. She calls Andy to hear his voice and just loses it and cries. How would our Andy talk her off the ledge and be there for her from a far?

Safe With Me Warnings: Fluff, Cursing, Minors DNI ___

So, that's not very dramatic at all. Andy really shines in these moments, because it's not often that his overly headstrong Baby Girl lets him in without a little prompting. Especially early in their relationship.

When she lets down her guard and allows herself to be vulnerable, that's when Andy knows that his woman feels safe with him.

The first time she allowed herself to have a moment with him was when he took a trip to Washington D.C. - right after the events in The Key. While it may have taken a little convincing, Baby Girl did finally agree to stay at Andy's place until her asshole of a landlord, Rodney, got around to fixing her heat.

A couple days into her stay at Casa Barber, she had a really bad day. It was one for the books. We're talking shitty clients, missed deadlines, issues with the commercial printer. You name it - everything that could go wrong did. And she unfairly took quite a bit of heat for mistakes and hiccups that were not her doing.

And all she wanted was to crawl into bed with her Andy Bear and have herself a good cry. She knew he wouldn't hesitate to wrap her up in his arms, sitting patiently while she took her time getting settled in his lap. And once she was comfy she could just let it all out.

They usually FaceTimed every night, or at least they tried to. But she also didn't want to necessarily bother him either. However, it also didn't stop her from climbing into his bed, grabbing his pillow, and burying her face in the soft fabric so that she could inhale his scent.

That way she could maybe pretend that he was there. That, instead of a pillow, she was curled up with the real thing. Her Big Man.

Because she's in a mood, instead of waiting for him to initiate their nightly call she decides to take a chance and dial him early. And when he doesn't answer, she resigns herself to the fact that he's probably busy with more important things. So she leaves him what she hopes sounds like a bright and cheery voicemail before simply giving up.

Because she's a grown woman. And she doesn't want to be a bother. So it's back to wallowing she goes. She doesn't want to eat. She doesn't to shower. She's lucky she somehow managed to strip off most of her clothes before getting in bed, even though she left them all over the bedroom floor.

And she'll be damned before she picks that shit up and puts it in the hamper.

But let's remember that this is Andrew Barber we're talking about. And he does not play when it comes to his Baby Girl. This man - her man - is also unbelievably perceptive. And when he hears the little hitch in her voice he automatically knows something is up.

When he calls her back via FaceTime roughly ten minutes later, she does eventually allow him to see her face onscreen. Albeit, after a fair bit of coaxing on his part. But Andy already knows she's not fine. He doesn't necessarily need to see her face to put all that together.

But his gorgeous girl also needs to be reminded that it's okay to not be okay - especially with him.

"Aw, sweetheart...it's okay." He coos, his gentle eyes filled with concern. "It's okay. You're safe with me. Take your time and let it out. And then we can go from there."

As it all comes bubbling out of her, Andy leans back and listens patiently. While it goes against his instincts - that pragmatic part of his brain that tells him to swoop in with a solution and save the day - he realizes that what his Baby Girl needs now is his ear.

And what's more, she needs his support. It doesn't matter that it's coming long-distance. Even though the only thing he wants to do right at that very moment is hold her close.

While she's talking, her ever-attentive boyfriend quietly busies himself with ordering takeout from her favorite Chinese spot. He makes sure to order all of her favorites - cashew chicken, house special fried rice, egg rolls, potstickers, crab rangoons.

All of it.

And then he takes it even further, surprising her by having it delivered right to his front door. Meanwhile, Andy orders room service so that they can share a meal together.

Turns out, that's just what she needs. By the end of their date, his sweet Baby Girl seems to be almost back to her old self. But just to be sure, he graciously volunteers to hang around while she runs herself a bubble bath so that she can enjoy a nice soak. Under his watchful authority, of course.

Andrew Barber is nothing if not supportive.

Later on, when she's fresh out of the bath and wrapped up in one of his old t-shirts, he reads her bedtime stories until she falls asleep. He makes sure that her last thoughts are of him before she drifts off. It's only when he hears the consistent sound of her low, even breathing that he finally ends the call.

Because while you can say a whole lot about Andy Barber - you can never say that he doesn't love his Baby Girl. Both on good days, and the really fucking bad ones too.

___

Does that answer your question, my dear? Let me know your thoughts. Thanks for the ask!

[dedkake]

SGA Fanworks Only Holiday Gift Exchange 2023

A day you won’t forget by scifi_dancer | g, 2.4k, rodney / john

The prompt I used describes it well: "Nothing goes right - until it does."

A Little Christmas Chaos by WonkyElk | t, 3k, rodney / john

The Cheer Committee nodded in solemn and united agreement. In principle, of course, they agreed that ‘absolutely hosed’ was not the ideal state for a large proportion of the expedition to be in, at any one time, Christmas or not; but that didn’t stop them feeling that the punch could do with being just a smidgen merrier. For morale purposes. Which was why each of them, separately, decided to add just the tiniest amount of extra cheer to the punch.

Big enough to miss by Mas_Pebbles_Sharp | t, 3.9k, rodney / john

Missing scenes/coda to The Daedalus Variations: Rodney's injury from alien weapon fire is worse than they at first realised

Elizabeth’s Pet Demon by Tazmy | g, 2.8k, gen

A mini demon ransacks Elizabeth’s quarters. Somehow, it’s cute. It shouldn’t be. It should be wrong, maybe even disturbing.

Finding Limits by halestrom | g, 3.6k, gen

The only thing John could focus on was getting back to Atlantis, getting a team and finding Rodney before Ford's men did anything. Getting back to Atlantis and finding out that Rodney had rescued himself wasn't a surprise, but sitting and watching his still body as Carson tried to figure out what to do was hard. Not just for John, but for all of AR-1.

First Embrace by Cyber_Witch85 | m, 2.8k, carson / evan, rodney / john, evan / john

John Sheppard and Evan Lorne rescue Rodney and Carson from a wraith lair. Carson and Evan explore the beginnings of their relationship as John and Rodney sleep.

Golden Slumbers by cassiope25 | g, 3.8k, rodney / john, team

“You should put more trust in me,” Ronon told her gently. "There's nothing a former runner can't take on.” Ronon is there to care for his team, and they care for him in turn.

Hand in Hand by mific | e, 4.7k, rodney / john

"Yes, yes, we're the talk of the town," Rodney said, eyeing them narrowly. "Run along now and if you're ever on Cambara don't agree to do the damn welcome ritual." "And if you do," Sheppard panted, "don't come last."

His Rodney by Jade | g, 1.5k, gen

It’s not always easy to remember who he is.

I Can Do Anything Better Than You! by Goddess47 | t, 3k, rodney / john

John, the traitor, had lured him to this so-called 'social event' organized by some self-appointed group of Expedition members. There had been a promise of chocolate cake and John had hinted at the possibility of mutual orgasms at the end of the night.

i waited ‘til i saw the sun by LogicGunn | t, 1k, steven / elizabeth

Elizabeth remembers.

I’ll keep you warm by puddlejumperpilot | g, 2k, rodney / john

The sky was darkening and fluffy snowflakes were falling from the sky as Teyla gave her speech, but John was distracted by Rodney shivering violently next to him. John swore under his breath and took off the outer layer of his jacket, wrapping it around Rodney’s shoulders. “You’re from Canada, aren’t you supposed to be immune to the cold?” He hissed under his breath. Rodney shot him a glare. “You know I get cold easily!” He replied in a whisper. “I also know that you do this every year. I’m beginning to think you just like wearing my jacket. You’re lucky I expected this, otherwise I’d just let you freeze!”

Just Peachy by melagan | t, 1.7k, rodney / john

John and Rodney are married and living on Atlantis. They have a rare day off together, but things aren't working out the way Rodney planned.

Lighter Than Air by spurious | g, 2.6k, rodney / john

Visiting a trading partner, the team participate in a winter solstice ritual that's more effective than it might seem.

Like A Shot To The Shoulder (And Other Adventures on MXR-338) by audioletter | g, 2.8k, gen

As far as welcomes go, being shot in the shoulder was not what John considered polite.

Solace by A_Storm_of_Roses | e, 7.2k, teyla / elizabeth

Elizabeth wakes with the hangover of the century and a throbbing elbow. She can’t remember how she got here, or where here even is, though it feels hard and rocky and smells like burning metal. Elizabeth and Teyla take a very long walk, and discover each other.

the snow has drifted high by dedkake | t, 1.7k, rodney / john

Rodney and John watch the New Year's fireworks together, just like they always do.

Wraith Rodney by carsonsweebabyturtles (Erindors) | fanart

This is my Holiday gift for Cassiope25. I kind of gambled at making him a Wraith but I hope you like it anyways 💜

You can’t pin joy like a moth by QueenIshtar | t, 3.7k, john / elizabeth, carson / rodney

Elizabeth knows that you can't pin joy like a moth. It's too fleeting. Joy is the soft fluttering of wings you notice only in the still, silent moments. It's your heartbeat rushing, racing when you laugh; when you feel alive. Joy is not a complete, tangible thing.

[twotales]

Apparently I made a whole document of incorrect quotes including Rodney, Radek, Laura, and Chuck 😂

These are my top five:

Cop: You're receiving a ticket for having three people on one motorcycle.

Laura: Shit.

Rodney: Wait, three?

Cop: ...Yeah?

Radek: OH MY GOD CHUCK FELL OFF!

-

Chuck: Whose turn is it to give the pep-talk?

Radek: *sighing* Rodney.

Rodney: Fuck shit up out there, but don't die.

Laura: *wiping away a tear* so inspirational.

-

Radek: Why do you look like that?

Rodney, laying face-first on the floor: Like what?

Radek: Like you're dead.

Rodney: It's because I am dying. leave me here to perish.

Chuck: Rodney accidentally called Laura "babe" in front of everyone today.

Rodney: *sobs into the floor.*

-

Radek: Are you upset that you don't get to be on the same team as Laura?

Chuck: Have you ever played a game with Laura?

Radek: No...

Chuck: Have you ever been trapped in a cage with a wolverine?

*meanwhile on the other side of the field*

Laura, chasing Rodney: I SAID FASTER! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE WORD "FASTER" MEANS? IT MEANS MORE FAST!

-

Laura: You lying, cheating, piece of shit!

Rodney: Oh yeah? You're the idiot who thinks they can get away with everything you do. WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD!

Laura: I'm leaving you, and I'M TAKING CHUCK WITH ME!

Radek, picking up the monopoly board: I think we're going to stop playing now.

[demcntwins]

|| CLOSED || Danny & Rodney ||

@cleverestofclevermen

Portals were not something Danny had training with yet, sure he could sometimes open a tiny one to shove a blob ghost through or aim the thermos into to shove ghosts back into the zone. But sometimes you come face to face with your insane Grandfather who reeks of rotten ectoplasm and you panic. When he showed up in Atlantis he had nearly been shot, apparently, he had come through something called a Stargate. When it was on it looked a lot like his parent's portal but blue that much he knew, but they didn't understand how he had just phased through their shield.

When they saw he was 'just a kid' though he was almost 17 thank you very much, a dude named Sheppard stepped forward to talk to him. After that, they wanted to run tests on him, and he flat-out refused until they said it was just a basic medical checkup and mandatory to make sure he wouldn't get anyone sick. He tried just opening a portal to get back home, but he had no idea where he was or even if he was still in the same world. All the attempted portal had done was make him feel dizzy at the attempt, prompting him to change back from his ghost form to his human form. He'd given in when he realized how low his ecto stores were.

They'd been concerned about his slow heartbeat and slightly lower-than-average temperature, but he'd told them it was normal which just prompted more questions and tests. Now here he was sitting in a lab spinning around in a chair as some guy scanned him with some machine, Danny resisted the urge to change to his ghost form and fly off. "Unless your thing knows what The Infinite Realms is you're wasting your time, look. Can you just call Batman for me?" He'd been hoping he could just get back to earth and not have to get help from Batman or any of the other heroes.

[delormarigold]

Disappearing highway writing 1

i hope yall like this writing :-)

CW : mentions of death, blood, drug usage (weed)

Taylor and Chris pulled into the small parking lot, where the faded paint lines were barely visible against the cracked asphalt. She sighed and glanced at the clock on her dashboard.

“Maybe 6:00 a.m. is too early,” Taylor muttered anxiously, biting her nails. The early morning fog covered the area, enveloping everything in darkness. The scattered leaves on the ground were covered in the morning dew.

“Are you sure this is the right place, Chris? Because I swear if it’s not and I have to knock-“

“Yeah no Taylor don’t worry this is probably like definitely it man” Chris looked out the window of the car. He wasn’t looking at anything.

“Wha- why are you talking like that? Are you nervous?” Taylor said bluntly. Chris shifted in his seat but didn’t turn around. “I mean a little bit but like that’s normal, you know what I mean.” He turned around to look at her. “What if he doesn’t believe you, you know?”

Taylor stared at him in silence, Chris was equally quiet. His eyes were completely blank.

“Well…” Taylor turned to the apartment. “Uhm… I didn’t think that far ahead…” She turned back to Chris, he looked worried. “Well, too late now!” He passed through the car. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Okay, I'm coming. But let's set some ground rules okay?” Chris looked at her listening intently.

“First, no possession. You know you have a hard time controlling it, and it's painful in general. Second, don't mess with the lights or anything. Third, conserve your energy. We don't want that to happen again. Understand? Good.”

“Got it.” Chris said with a smile. Taylor would look back down at the phonebook clipping.

South Greenwood apartment complex.

Taylor looked at the apartment, it was small and couldn't have had more than 100 rooms. It looked old and dingy. The stairs were rusted in places and looked like it could break if more than 10 people were on it.

“This feels more like a motel than an apartment…” Taylor mumbled to herself, shoving the paper back into her pocket. Watching the steps closely to make sure she didn't trip. Taylor took a deep breath.

Room 60. Rodney Steven. God this better be the right room number I had to ask around for this dumb thing.

Knock Knock Knock

There was no response.

“Is he not home?” Chris said, leaning his head through the door.

“Chris!” Taylor reached out to grab his arm, but her hand passed right through it.

“Okay okay sorry!” He said backing back out and putting his hands up.

“...Hello…?”A quiet voice spoke up from the other side of the door. “Who is this?”

“Uh- This is Taylor I need to ask you a few questions. Do- I mean- shit, did you know a Chris?”

The door opened slightly, revealing a man in his early twenties of average height. He was wearing square glasses and had brown eyes, with long, curly ginger hair that went down to his shoulders. He was wearing a sublime t-shirt with basketball shorts and appeared as though he had just woken up. His apartment looked like a mess, with dirty clothes strewn about, and it also reeked of weed. Taylor recoiled from the smell.

“Kid, there are a bunch of Chris’s here I need a last name…” He said rubbing his eyes.

Taylor was taken aback. She never knew Chris’s last name or his real name for that matter. That was just a name that he came up with. Taylor itched the back of her head beginning to sweat. “I don't know his last name… uhhh… You two dated back in high school?”

Rodney's eyes widened in disbelief as he shifted uncomfortably on his feet, feeling the awkwardness of the moment. "I still don't know who you're talking about," he said, his voice shaky, failing to conceal the surprise that remained on his face.

Taylor stared at him momentarily, questioning if she should just be honest. “Listen I know this sounds insane but there is this ghost attached to me and in some type of vision type thing, and he remembers you of all people so just please help us.”

Rodney choked and spluttered, “What… what are you talking about?!” His voice cracked as he coughed. “It’s too early for this damn shit… What are you talking about?” His eyes were wide, filled with confusion.

Taylor begged. “Please, please just give me a minute! I promise I can prove it, you’re Rodney Stevens right?” Taylor exclaimed, pointing at his face.

Rodney stared at her, completely bewildered. He looked away, mumbling something under his breath, and shook his head. “Okay. fine.” He moved Taylor's finger out of his face. “You got 5 minutes max to prove this “ghost shit” is real, I got work in 30. He crossed his arms and pushed the door open. Taylor walked inside seeing the true extent of the clutter. Every light but the oven hood was off. She could hear the soft mumble of the morning news.

“Where can I sit?” Taylor glanced over at Rodney, who was busy attempting to make some space. “Uhm,” He rubbed the back of his neck. “The table is fine I guess… So like… Are we gonna summon something or like what?”

“What? No, I'm just going to talk for him,” Taylor said, moving the empty take-out boxes off the chair to make some space. Rodney lit a joint, and she glared at him, rolling her eyes.

“So, like,” he said, taking a long drag from the joint and exhaling a cloud of smoke. “If he is like a ghost why can't he just possess you and stuff? That would prove it right?” Rodney said, turning on the light above the table and sitting down. Taylor rolled her eyes. “Because it hurts like hell, it feels like being electrocuted.” She leaned back in her chair. “Plus, Chris is such an idiot he can't even do anything” She muttered. “Ugh, where even is he?” She realized she hadn't seen him since she walked in. “Chris?”

“I can’t see anything in this stupid pitch-black room…” Taylor said, squinting her eyes.

“I’m right behind you Taylor.” Chris stood over her grinning, Taylor let out a yelp.

“This chick is a fucking freak man,” Rodney said under his breath taking another hit. Taylor scoffed at him.

“You know I can hear you.”

“Yeah, I know…” he said, putting his feet up on the table and exhaling smoke.

Taylor bit her lip. What a fucking dick… She pulled out her pocket notebook. “Okay,” taking a deep breath. Flipping to a certain page, she looked up at Rodney. “So, how do you know Chris? How did you two meet?”

Rodney took his feet off the table, leaned forward, and squinted his eyes at her. “Oh, I already told you I have no clue who you're talking about. Maybe you could describe him for me? That might jog my memory,” he said sarcastically, taking another long drag of his joint.

Taylor glared at him, her anger noticeable. Then she looked over at Chris, who met her gaze with a sorrowful expression. “I’m sorry I don’t know why he’s such an asshole,” he whispered, offering an apologetic smile.

Taylor sighed. “Well… He has brown hair, He’s white, and uhh wears a beanie all the time and has a blue jacket.”

Rodney's eyes widened as he tried to breathe in, He started to choke. With every cough, smoke came out of his lungs, and his eyes began to water. He rubbed his throat, wiping his eyes with a shaky hand. “What—what did you say? Can you repeat that?” He asked, his voice hoarse.

Taylor rolled her eyes. “White with a brown mullet and a beanie. He’s wearing a dark gray shirt with a darkish blue parka and some jeans.”

Rodney's face was etched with disbelief, and he remained silent. It was clear he was hiding something.

Taylor leaned in her eyes wide and listening. “Does that ring a bell?”

“I—I don’t know…” Rodney said, barely above a whisper. He looked away, staring at the wall and mumbling to himself while rubbing his arm, lost in thought. Turning back to her with a scared expression, he asked, “Do you mean CJ…?”

Taylor squinted at him, then glanced over at Chris, who was leaning in with his head resting on his hands.

“Tell me about CJ. What was he like? How did you two meet, and what kind of relationship did you have? Also, do you know anything about how he died?” Taylor asked, preparing to write down whatever Rodney had to say.

“Well…I think we became friends in high school or something…” He said taking another hit. Taylor realized that half of the joint was already burned off.

He's almost done with the damn thing?!

“We kinda liked the same things and had the same classes n’ stuff… We hung out all the time and smoked while listening to music. He eventually confessed and we hit it off but we had to hide it from everyone, even our parents.” Instead of the happiness that comes from reliving memories, his eyes were filled with disappointment and regret. “He wanted to tell people. He was always so dense. I mean that could ruin our lives. This was 91! He was always so hopeful, that’s what I liked about him.” Rodney smiled. He had tears forming in his eyes.

“Eventually… He started getting really paranoid, which was weird for him. He said he was being stalked. I didn’t believe him, I- I thought it was just paranoia or anxiety, some shit like that.” He took another hit. “He always struggled with that stuff.” He let out a sigh, “I wish I could have done something more to protect him. I wish I would have listened to him.” He continued, his voice beginning to break with tears running down his cheek. “I wish I never told him to come over that night. CJ’s death is all my fault.” Taylor looked up from her notes. Rodney sat there, silently sobbing, his shoulders trembling as tears streamed down his face. She glanced at Chris who looked completely defeated, His face was etched with a deep sadness, and his eyes, dull and lifeless,

Rodney continued, his head still in his hands, his words muffled by his tears. “I was so afraid of everyone finding out I didn’t even go looking for him. I didn’t help at all. They never found his body…” He began mumbling to himself again, wrapping his arms around his body and rubbing his upper arms. Tears streamed down his face as his sobs intensified. His hands tensed up, and his fingers dug into his skin, leaving imprints where his nails pressed deeply into his arms. The light above the table began to flicker, Rodney glanced up at the flickering bulb, confused and sniffled, before turning his gaze back to Taylor. His face was wet with tears and snot. He sniffled. "You should go. I have to get ready," he said, standing up and wiping the tears from his eyes.

“Oh, uh, okay. Thank you for having me,” Taylor replied, rising from her seat and pushing her chair in with a soft scrape. “Come on, Chris.” But Chris remained motionless, lost in thought. “Oh, come on Chris, we need to go!” she urged, her impatience growing. He stood up quietly, looking away and not meeting any of their eyes. Taylor turned to face Rodney outside the doorway.

“Thank you again for listening, sir,” Taylor said with a forced smile. Rodney slammed the door in their faces, The suddenness left them both breathless, Jeez… Taylor and Chris walked back to the car in silence. She started the engine, and after a moment, asked, “Soooo… Did you get your answers, Chris?”

He didn’t respond.

“Chris? You alive in there man?” Still no answer.

I guess I'll start driving home.

“Why didn’t he look for me…” Chris muttered, barely above a whisper.

“What did you say?” Taylor replied, keeping her eyes on the road.

“He said he didn’t come looking for me… why? He said he loved me, but he didn’t even care to look for me.” Chris turned to Taylor, bloody tears streaming down his face.

“Oh my god! You’re crying blood! Are you okay?!” Taylor exclaimed. Chris touched his face, staring at the blood that now coated his fingertips.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, leaning back into his chair. his voice was devoid of emotion, looking utterly vacant.

“Is that what happens when you cry?” Taylor asked, a mix of intrigue and worry in her voice.

“I guess…” Chris mumbled, tears still streaming down his face.

“You’re always full of surprises, I swear,” Taylor said, glancing at Chris, but her words were met only with the steady hum of the engine. The silence stretched between them.

“Do you want to go pick up Ivy? She’s only four minutes away from here,” she suggested, hoping to steer the conversation in a lighter direction.

Still, there was no response from Chris.

“Okay,” Taylor said quietly, leaning back into her seat.

“I’m sorry,” Chris finally sniffled, straightening up. “Yeah, we can pick up Ivy.” He turned his head to look out the window, the scenery blurring past him, His expression was distant as he struggled with his thoughts.

"I'm sorry things didn't go as planned," Taylor said softly, "I'll do my best to make it up to you, I promise."

“Thanks…” Chris replied, wiping the tears from his face, his voice still shaky.

The car ride home was silent, interrupted only by the soft hum of the engine, each moment heavy with unspoken thoughts.

[fuck-customers]

For context, I work at a grocery store deli counter.

I get so tired of people walking up to the counter in the middle of a phone conversation. If you know you're gonna need to ask me to weigh out some meat for you, don't come up and hold a ten minute conversation on speaker phone right in front of my department.

I hate that I'm required to engage with the customers and be friendly, but it's fine for the customers to just flat out ignore me until it's convenient for them.

And weren't old people always complaining about young people being on their phones all the time? Aren't they still complaining? So why is it that I get so many older customers coming in, loudly talking on their phones while I'm waiting to take their order? Weren't you the guys against this type of behavior? Is it fine because you're older and now how to do it "responsibly"? Or is it just OK because I'm a guy behind a counter and of course common courtesy doesn't apply to me? Make it make sense!

So many people will talk loudly on the phone while they peruse our meats, and then whisper quietly to me what they want. I can't hear you! And no you can't just say "Pound o' ham.", we have at least 12 different kinds of ham, you have to tell me which one!

I don't care what my managers say, I've just taken to flat out ignoring customers until they can make eye contact at the bare minimum. I've wasted so much time just standing waiting for a customer to respond, (because I am required to give them my full attention!) only to have them wander away aimlessly without ever even looking at me.

I guess really the thing that gets me the most is just how one-sided it is. I have to give the customer my full attention, be polite and "make them feel special" (as management says) and yet it's somehow fine for customers to act like I'm not even there?

I have said to them on more than one occasion "I don't want to be rude, Ill wait until you're done with your call."

-Rodney

[drjohndisco]

Tease | John Sheppard/Gender Neutral!Reader)

Summary: In which John is distracting, and meetings start slow.

Warnings: none

Notes: I am not immune to John and his cringe fail charms!!

( Ao3 Link )

'I swear, if you do that one more time!' You yelled at John, who was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.

'Do what?' John asked, tilting his head sideways inquisitively.

'Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about. You're just doing this to tease me.'

'Come over here and tell me then.' He flirted. 'You know, just in case I forgot.'

So, you moved around the conference table. You were now directly under his gaze, positioned at chest height.

Your eyes flicked to his mouth and them back again, breath catching in your throat. Then, much to your chagrin, he bit his damn lip again.

But, before you could do anything (like, say, kiss your partner) you were interrupted by a loud cough from Rodney (who was in the seat next to your now-empty one.)

'If you two are finished making eyes at each other we have a meeting to get on with.' Rodney said.

(If you were being entirely honest with yourself you'd forgotten he was even there...zoning him out ages ago.)

'Yeah? On whose-' You asked.

'That would be mine.' Elizabeth replied, as she came up behind John. 'Now, please, sit down so we're able to continue.'

'Yes, Ma'am.' John said, letting her into the conference room before taking a chair and sitting down at the table.

Elizabeth followed soon after, placing her papers down in front of her.

Then, John smirked deviously and pulled you down onto his lap - wrapping his arms around you.

'What?' You said, as Elizabeth sighed and Rodney groaned quietly. 'It's technically not fraternisation.'

[spurious]

They're curled together in Rodney's bed, afterglow fading into something quiet and soft, when Rodney remembers the email he'd gotten from Jeannie earlier that day.

"Oh, you're going to like this," he says, grabbing his tablet and pulling up the image folder. "Jeannie sent over a bunch of digitized pictures from a half-decade of miserable family gatherings."

John grins, and Rodney knows he's hoping for material for teasing, but Rodney's already pre-screened the images, so he probably won't find—

"Jesus," John says, his eyes big, and Rodney panics, face heating up, before John continues, "you're always talking about how handsome you were when you were younger, but I thought you were just…" He licks his lips, swallows, and Rodney feels himself blushing for an entirely different reason, now. "Wow."

"Yeah, I know," Rodney mumbles, feeling somehow both flattered and annoyed, not to mention weirdly jealous of his younger self. "What happened, right?"

John shakes his head, eyes flicking from the tablet screen up to Rodney's face, then back again. "It's still you," he says, "just…different."

He seems, somehow, to be sincere, so Rodney just shrugs, lets John flip through the pictures, Rodney at fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen.

"Man, if I'd met you back then I totally would've tried to suck you off in a bathroom stall," John says, quiet and offhand, and Rodney shudders, swallows hard. John looks at him, half-smiling, and sets the tablet aside. "Think you would've…"

-

commentary please!!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼

one HUNDRED years later, an answer for the fic commentary meme: send 500 words or less of a fic, get rambles about it!

this is Teenage Dream, a fic about lost queer youth and the sexual power of star wars on VHS.

They're curled together in Rodney's bed, afterglow fading into something quiet and soft, when Rodney remembers the email he'd gotten from Jeannie earlier that day.

I initially kind of intended for this fic to just be the pillow talk part of it: I find the thought of John and Rodney affirming each other like this to be really sweet and I wanted to explore it a little bit.

"Oh, you're going to like this," he says, grabbing his tablet and pulling up the image folder. "Jeannie sent over a bunch of digitized pictures from a half-decade of miserable family gatherings." John grins, and Rodney knows he's hoping for material for teasing, but Rodney's already pre-screened the images, so he probably won't find— "Jesus," John says, his eyes big, and Rodney panics, face heating up, before John continues, "you're always talking about how handsome you were when you were younger, but I thought you were just…" He licks his lips, swallows, and Rodney feels himself blushing for an entirely different reason, now. "Wow."

every time i see images of young David Hewlett i feel like i am going insane. like i find him hot at every age but he was fucking. PRETTY when he was younger ok??? and it makes me crazy to think of Rodney McKay having looked like that. and of course he thinks John's going to make fun of him, still doesn't quite believe that someone like John would be attracted to him.

"Yeah, I know," Rodney mumbles, feeling somehow both flattered and annoyed, not to mention weirdly jealous of his younger self. "What happened, right?" John shakes his head, eyes flicking from the tablet screen up to Rodney's face, then back again. "It's still you," he says, "just…different."

like i said, i love them affirming each other like this!

He seems, somehow, to be sincere, so Rodney just shrugs, lets John flip through the pictures, Rodney at fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen. "Man, if I'd met you back then I totally would've tried to suck you off in a bathroom stall," John says, quiet and offhand, and Rodney shudders, swallows hard. John looks at him, half-smiling, and sets the tablet aside. "Think you would've…"

so the fic goes on to the two of them sort of falling into a little roleplay of what it would've been like if they'd met when they were teenagers, what it would've been like if John had tried something with Rodney way back then, how Rodney might've reacted. i think Rodney really wants for John to be the key for him, because he's used to John changing his life, John opening up new experiences for him. one of the things that i find so compelling about mcshep is how emotionally battered they both are when they find each other, how they clearly don't believe themselves to be worthy of love; as much as that aspect of them is important to me, it's also very healing to imagine the two of them having each other's backs in their youth the way they do as adults.

[dr-futbol-blog]

Duet, Pt. 13

Next, we find McKay fiddling with some crystals back at the hangar wearing a robe over his hospital gown With Cadman no longer fighting him for control, his brain seems to function well enough to have solved the problem and he insists that they execute his plan immediately, without further trials. And it's notable that he is trying to act like Sheppard here, to trust his intuition and not think too much about what he's about to do and what all could go wrong. Sometimes, you just got to take the plunge. If Sheppard has learned to slow down and think things through from McKay, McKay has seen the benefits of spontaneity from having spent time with Sheppard.

As he makes himself ready to go through with it, we get to listen in on more (semi-)private conversation between McKay and Cadman:

Cadman: Rodney. McKay: Don't try to talk me out of this, I may very well listen. Cadman: I was just gonna say thanks. McKay: Well, you're welcome. I can honestly say that the entire experience has been very... About time!

Again we're left negative space here to fill in what ever we think McKay was about to say. Very educational? Very interesting? Or, if he were honest, very distressing? Very harrowing? Very torturous? Unique? What ever it has been, he sure is glad it's about to be over.

What ever he was about to say, he is interrupted by the arrival of Beckett, Weir and Sheppard, the latter of whom walks right up into his personal space. McKay tells them "About time!" meaning that he had expected them to come and may even have requested that they come because if this is going to be his final moment, he wants the people closest to him to be there. It is also possible he had simply expected Beckett to go and find Weir and Sheppard for the occasion. Regardless, Sheppard steps forward with his hand raised and he actually puts the hand between McKay and the machine, not intending to let him do anything rash. Sheppard references the mice, Rodney, the mice--and it's likely he is not referring to the burnt mice we saw him look at on screen but to the later test conducted by Zelenka, the very latest batch of dead mice, as Sheppard has definitely been keeping tabs on what has been happening in the hangar:

Sheppard: Hold on, Rodney! I thought all the mice died? McKay: Well, what are we, mice or men? Weir: Are you sure about this? McKay: Absolutely, yes.

This is probably the most important line in the entire episode, the key to how we are meant to interpret it. Mice or men, he says, jokingly. He's referring to the lab mice, obviously, just having quipped to Zelenka that he has no time for him to round up new mice for testing, but he is also making a reference. Now, the saying of whether one is "a man or a mouse," something or nothing, is very old but it's notable that McKay uses the plural form here, men or mice. Based on his name McKay has some Gaelic or Celtic ancestry (Scottish, Irish, Welsh) and given that (very likely) his father had given him the name Meredith, which we admittedly only learn about later, he was also probably proud of his roots. Hence, McKay had likely learned the poem of the national poet of Scotland, Robert Burns, To a Mouse already in his childhood. The poem is famous for the (translated) line(s), "The best-laid schemes of mice and men / go oft awry" or "The best-laid plans of mice and men / often go awry". But while he may well be familiar with the poem, as a reference it makes little sense in this particular moment since he is not expecting his schemes to go awry but is indeed wishing that this were not the case.

There are of course a whole bunch of places where McKay may have learned the phrase. In the form of of a question, "Are we mice or are we men?" it's found in a famous Dr. Seuss comic commenting on WW II and the isolationist politics of the US before entering the theatre. With regards to McKay in particular it's interesting that the phrase here pertains to courage. Mice are timid and man is courageous in the comparison. It is taking a jab at the perceived lack of courage which would work in the context but is still an unlikely point of reference for McKay.

It's also featured in the cartoon An American Tail from 1986 about a young mouse trying to find his way back to his family. While not impossible, it's an unlikely source for his reference as he would have been an odd age to be watching cartoons.

While it isn't found in the form of a question, the comparison of mice and men is most famous from the John Steinbeck novel Of Mice and Men, which is named after the poem. The novel is about love and sacrifice and of broken dreams, and famously contains a lot of homoerotic subtext. In fact, the two main characters George and Lennie have frequently been interpreted as lovers even though it is never explicitly stated in the text given it's publication in 1937. The book is something McKay may have read in school and even if he had never read a page of it, the title is known by most North American people, it is a shared cultural reference for McKay and Sheppard. While there is symbolism in the book, the comparison of mice and men in the title is rather self-explanatory. You are either a man or you are a mouse, and it is the choices one makes that defines this. And we see McKay in particular make the choice of not to be the mouse time and time again.

But what is really interesting is that the structure of the entire episode seems to hark back to the Steinbeck novel. We find the story beats of the narrative in the episode and given that it is a "duet," we find them there twice. Now, because Lennie is famously big and strong and kind of dangerous, it's especially easy to read Ronon as some kind of narrative mirror for him, particularly as he is not a "chatty fellow," as Weir points out. We have no reason to think that Ronon is a dumb, lumbering oaf of a man but he certainly is dangerous. Now, in the novel George tells Lennie what to do and that is basically what we find Sheppard doing the entire episode. He tells Ronon what to do and Ronon does it, and he also tries to contain Ronon's violence as he takes down a woman. Many of the story beats are there and it's also easy to see Sheppard as George, smarter than he looks.

But at the same time, Cadman tells McKay what to do throughout the episode, is in control of him and attempts to educate him in the ways of the world. And although neither Ronon nor McKay kill a woman, McKay also takes a woman down by dipping her, and he personally certainly seemed to want to turn her down. McKay and Katie talk before the incident where Ronon and Teyla have a chat after their incident, as the narratives run in reverse to one another with the mid-point roughly where Sheppard and McKay have a talk in the hallway during which McKay essentially calls Sheppard a man (cool) and himself a mouse (not cool, fine). Is it a stretch to interpret McKay as Lennie? Let me point out the fact that Sheppard very much does shoot McKay in the episode.

The description of George shooting Lennie is real interesting in this regard:

And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie’s head. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger. The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again. Lennie jarred, and then settled slowly forward to the sand, and he lay without quivering.

Because Sheppard did very much shoot McKay at the beginning of the episode, steadying his gun and everything:

It's almost as if though they had taken that very famous description and translated it into an alien landscape with Lennie (containing McKay) as the dart. And this, along with their search parties in the forest, happens at the beginning of the episode because they are running the narrative of the book in reverse order. The book ends here where the episode begins, and this is true especially for Sheppard-George. For McKay-Lennie, the story starts with him and Cadman being driven out of town (the lab) and ends with him being shot and taken down by the wraith beam. For Sheppard-George, the story ends with Aunt Clara (Weir) making Ronon (Lennie) his responsibility. And this what makes it a duet. The same narrative, the plot of Of Mice and Men is told in the episode twice at the same time, from back to front and from front to back with (primary) George and (primary) Lennie meeting in the middle in a chiastic arrangement:

Why do it like this? There seems to be a lampshade on why to do it like this in the novel itself:

Lennie reached for a face card and studied it, then turned it upside down and studied it. "Both ends the same," he said. "George, why is it both end's the same?" "I don't know," said George. "That's jus' the way they make 'em."

Cadman is secondary George to McKay's Lennie and Ronon is secondary Lennie to Sheppard's George. McKay says "What are we, mice or men?" placing both himself and Sheppard in the context of the novel. While in the duet they have their own separate stories, it really is the same story. Sheppard is George and McKay is Lennie.

But why is this even important? As mentioned, there's a lot of subtext in the book. There's heavy subtext. Even though it is never explicitly mentioned, it is extremely easy to read George and Lennie as lovers:

George lay back on the sand and crossed his hands under his head, and Lennie imitated him, raising his head to see whether he were doing it right. "God, you’re a lot of trouble," said George. "I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail. I could live so easy and maybe have a girl." For a moment Lennie lay quiet, and then he said hopefully, "We gonna work on a ranch, George." "Awright. You got that. But we’re gonna sleep here because I got a reason."

The fact that it has subtext is however not the important part. It's the fact that the story pertains to unattainable, broken dreams and sacrifices done out of love. That is precisely where Sheppard and McKay are at this point in the narrative. We actually saw Sheppard's broken dreams in his eyes as he looked at a (possibly) newly wed couple of Weir's office earlier. We watch McKay live through his nightmare. We can tell that both men long for the other. They ache for each other.

Furthermore, the novel is about loneliness and human connection, and in this Sheppard and McKay definitely reflect the characters. They were both lonely and alone before they met each other and then suddenly, they weren't. The way George describes them in the book might just as well describe Sheppard and McKay:

George’s voice became deeper. He repeated his words rhythmically as though he had said them many times before. "Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake and then they go inta town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to." Lennie was delighted. "That’s it - that’s it. Now tell how it is with us." George went on. "With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don’t have to sit in no bar room blowin’ our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us." Lennie broke in. "But not us! An’ why? Because… because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why."

And that's why.

Now, we see Sheppard's face initially as he rushes in to remind McKay about the dead mice but after McKay says that he's going to go through with it regardless, we see close-up shots of the concerned faces of both Beckett and Weir, but once more we don't get to see Sheppard's face in this moment. And it's very noticeable that McKay himself is trying to avoid looking Sheppard in the eye the whole time that they are here.

And this is the same old story between the two of them: McKay does not want Sheppard to read the uncertainty and fear he is actually feeling in this moment right off of his face and he foolishly thinks that as long as he doesn't look at Sheppard, he won't know. But we don't get to see Sheppard's reaction because McKay is too afraid to look at Sheppard's reaction. He told Cadman not to try to talk him out of this earlier because he just might listen, and he knows that if he just saw his own fear reflected on Sheppard's face, he might not be able to go through with this. It's not that he doesn't want to look, it's that he can't.

Part of it is fear of what he might see in his eyes, or what he might not see in his eyes that he hopes would still be there. But part of it is also guilt. McKay had been hurt by Sheppard making the decision to take off to the hive alone and without him where he would have been perfectly willing to die with him. Dying with Sheppard was infinitely preferable to all the innumerable ways to die cold and alone that he foresees in his future. But now he was here, getting ready to do something potentially leading to his death where Sheppard wouldn't be able to join him. And while he was doing this partially in service of another (to save Cadman's life) he was also doing this to save his own hide, so this was not a selfless act by any means. He felt like a hypocrite, and he just wasn't ready to see that reflected in the way Sheppard would look at him. And furthermore, Cadman herself is one of the reasons we have seen McKay avoid looking directly at Sheppard during this whole ordeal. Cadman told him that she felt how nervous and anxious McKay was when he was talking with Katie Brown, and he's been trying to avoid her getting any kind of reading on him near Sheppard by simply not looking at the man at all when they are in proximity. It's really quite noticeable how much he avoids looking at Sheppard during these scenes.

But notice that here, Sheppard has placed himself between the wraith machine and McKay. He has once more put his own body between McKay and the danger. It is again, like so many times before, obscured by the camera angles, the way the shots are framed, but it's very much what is happening here, and it's probable that McKay does not even realize it's taking place. And yet Sheppard's instinct is to put himself between McKay and the barrel of a gun, in front of McKay so that he might take the bullet on his behalf. We see Sheppard do this again and again for McKay, and only for him. And it's not a conscious decision, he doesn't think when he does it. He does it because he does not know how to do otherwise. He shields McKay with his own body because he values him more than he does his own life. He protects McKay with his body because that is what love drives him to do. These men are not friends. Because despite what people seem to think, Sheppard does not have a death wish and we have also seen many times that he has not done this for his friends.

And yet, it meant a lot to McKay that he had come. Sheppard was here even though it probably wasn't easy for him. And he knew that there would be no goodbyes. There would never be goodbyes between the two of them. What ever followed the end of life, he was certain that they would catch each other on the other side. But as much as he tries to not look at Sheppard, he does have to see him however briefly. His eyes flicker to Sheppard just as he steps in front of the machine and that is all that he will allow himself. That minute moment that is gone in the blink of an eye. Sheppard, for his part, seems to have to hold himself back by his own hand gripping his hip. We have seen him hold himself back before and and it is this, holding himself back, that gives him such an odd pose. His free hand also seems to want to rise to reach out for McKay out of its own volition so he presses it against his thigh to keep it down. Because the thing is, McKay does not have to look him in the eye for him to be able to read everything off of his face. Sheppard can easily see the terror McKay is trying to keep at bay, and his instinct upon seeing this is very much to reach out to him.

Note that Sheppard's head also turns to follow McKay as he steps in front of the machine, comes to a halt and then suddenly continues on to look at Weir (again without turning his body toward her, only turning his head). The reasons for this can only be that he either felt like he couldn't or shouldn't be looking at McKay, or wanted confirmation from Weir that this was the right thing to do, that this is something they should allow McKay to do. He exchanges a glance with Weir, and let's remember that by this time Sheppard knows that Weir knows how he feels about McKay. Weir saw how devastated he was when he thought McKay had been killed. Weir had to talk him down from a metaphoric ledge then, and it is something Sheppard is ever thankful to her for. So he is looking at her for reassurance, to give him strength to be able to witness this. Standing helpless by the sideline, Sheppard is terrified and he is looking at her to keep himself grounded.

As for McKay, as freaked out as he is, he still takes the time to try to reassure Cadman, to make the experience less frightening for her. While he is often occupied by his own thoughts and is frequently tactless, McKay does care a lot about other people. He doesn't necessarily know how to express it, but he has a big heart and he tries to take care of the people in his life just like he probably had to take care of his little sister when they were children. And so, while he has no goodbyes for Cadman either, his final thoughts are not about himself and his own fear, they are in service of another:

McKay: Just ... give me a second. Well, Laura, it's been... unique. Cadman: To say the least! McKay: Good luck to us both, right?

Having no way of appreciating the depth of the sacrifice McKay is making here for her, stepping in front of the machine not knowing he will survive the experience and allowing himself to look at the man that he loves for barely the span of the flicker of an eye, Cadman decides she has something that she needs to try out before they go through with this. And man, it's a doozy.

Continued in Pt. 14

[finalgirlkateausten]

"Earth to <insert name>! What are you looking at?" "The most beautiful/handsome/stunning person in the world." for any!!

set post-siege. written because i desperately need john to meet sedge. established but early relationship john/elizabeth

Honestly, John isn't surprised when there's nobody waiting for him when he and the rest of the Atlantis team get released from quarantine on Earth. It's been a long time since anyone had cared enough to go through the military rigamarole of traveling to a random base and waiting an unknown amount of time for him to actually be available, only for the reunion to be awkward and strained by unfamiliar surroundings and security clearances.

He speaks to Ford's grandmother, and it doesn't make him feel better. Rodney introduces him to his sister. In the back of his mind, John is counting down the minutes until he's inside Elizabeth's supposedly crappy (he doubts it) apartment, where he's been invited under the condition that he makes his mom's old rotisserie chicken crockpot recipe for dinner.

Speaking of Elizabeth, John had thought that seeing her in bed illuminated only by the Lantean moonlight would be the most unguarded side of her, but he's shocked that even now that assessment is changing. He turns at the sound of her laughter, just because it's an unfortunately rare sound on Atlantis. When he spies her, she's kneeling on the ground, her arms around a large white dog who's excitedly licking her face.

"Hi, Sedgewick," Elizabeth says, still laughing. Her eyes are closed and she's smiling as much as he's ever seen. "Oh, hi baby. I missed you, girl." She buries her face in the dog's coat, and John sees her shoulders relax. He'd expected to see different sides of his team on Earth, but this is a much faster transition than he'd expected. He feels his heart swell at the sight of an unguarded version of Elizabeth.

"Earth to John!"

He starts, realizing that he's literally only been staring at Elizabeth as she's moved on to talking to the woman holding Sedgewick's leash. "Huh?"

"What are you looking at?"

He can't help smirking at her, stepping closer so that none of their friends overhear him. "The most beautiful woman in the world." In any world, but he guesses saying that aloud would break confidentiality.

Elizabeth turns an adorable shade of pink. "Well while you were brainstorming pickup lines, I was trying to introduce you to my mother."

"Oh." He probably should've guessed that. He shakes the older woman's hand. "Major John Sheppard, ma'am. Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. You can call me Katherine." Katherine turns her focus to her daughter with a smile. "A military man. You've finally found someone exciting, Elizabeth."

"Mom!"

"I'm just saying, there's no thrill in dating academics who collect dozens of the same magazine just because they're featured in it. I can say it now, I always found Simon insufferable."

John raises his eyebrows, but then again, he hasn't mentioned Nancy to Elizabeth yet. Between the near-death experiences and then privately celebrating the not dying part, they've been floating on the relief of coming together too much to ground themselves with serious conversations. He suspects this week will change that.

"You know what, Mom, I'm really wiped from traveling today," Elizabeth says, which is a pretty clumsy topic change by her standards. John chuckles. "Do you want to load Sedge up and drive the boxes you brought me over to my apartment? You can meet us for dinner if you want, John's cooking."

"I would love to." Katherine leans forward and kisses her daughter's cheek. "You'll have to tell me all about how the two of you met."

"That's classified, Mom."

"Oh, you're not getting away that easy!"

John laughs as Elizabeth hands Sedgewick's leash back to her mom and starts to walk away. He takes her hand to give it a brief squeeze, before dropping it again. "Why do I get the feeling she's going to win this battle of wills?"

Elizabeth smiles at him. "I guess talking about you all night isn't the worst way dinner could go."

He winks. "I'll make sure to remind her how awesome you are, too."

[sga-owns-my-soul]

(I'm late bc time zones, but—) niche SGA thoughts!

Chuck teaches yoga on the side. And he's really really freaking good at getting people to do yoga who don't gravitate towards it. IT specialists who sit at the computer for 10 hours. Marines who make fun of that woo woo stuff (but are now free of that persistent hip pain for the first time in six years).

Kate Heightmeyer is a party animal. Beneath that calm demeanor is someone who dances on tables.

If you're new and homesick, you go to Lorne. He has the good chocolate. And he lets you vent.

Atlantis regularly plays matchmaker by trapping people in transporters together. If she likes you and she thinks you should get to know person x better, boom. Transporter malfunction. It happens so often that when a real malfunction happens, people don't believe it and start making out in the hopes of getting it to work again. (What do you want from us, that was a perfect kiss—what do you mean a loose crystal in the second panel... oh god)

When the botanists discover a plant that is exactly like Earth's coffee plant (after they run out of the real stuff), Rodney sends out a memo that nobody is allowed to make fun of them ever again.

no such thing as being late! i will always welcome niche headcanons!!

1) omg yes!!!! chuck teaching yoga is so sweet omg teyla would LOVE his class and i think sometimes he would let her lead a warm down meditation

2) i can 100% see kate being a party animal 😂😂 she suggests basically throwing a rager after the siege and everyone assumes it's for General Stress Relief but they realize very quickly it's because she specifically wanted to go wild 😂

3) lorne is so soft and so caring and so sweet i can 1000000% see that and i love it so so much!!!!! evan lorne my beloved, he turns an unused room near his quarters into a Comfort Space for people to use

4) YES john and rodney get trapped the most (both with each other and pretty much every other person in the city) bc atlantis wants her boys to be happy. john and rodney both hate this and regularly try to talk atlantis out of it because "really, you don't need to play matchmaker for us. we're fine! happy even! please stop!" she does not stop

5) rodney catches someone talking shit about botany and he bans them from having coffee for a month. no one says a word about them again 😂