Peter will not grow up, and Wendy will not so cripple herself to stay with him.

Wrote this yesterday, as part of my Try To Post Non-WIPs On A Regular Basis effort. Is short, but I like it.

So, there's fic. *eyes it dubiously* Wrote it in under an hour, and I think it shows, but it's something, and that's all I really care about at this stage. Some of the internal logic/cause-effect is a little wonky, but that's what I get for speed-writing it.

A few of you may remember me saying something about my brain wanting to write fanfic for comic books that exist only in a cross-over AU . . . well, this is the result. Be warned.

For kensieg: The Ilm of Itibar. Life lived as a reflection.

For libitina: Wing Bones. John's always wished for wings.

For saphanibaal: Roses and Magic: a how-to guide. Three ways to make a rose out of something else.

For kriadydragon: A History of Flight. John, flying.

For violeteyedcat: The Sweep of the Sea. Ronon and the ocean.

This doesn't really fit the prompt - sorry! - and wasn't what I was trying to write, but it's what came out.

Er. Maybe I'll write you another one about John that's less of a downer and actually fits with the title you gave me? Yeah. I'll do that.

*

It's a long way down
Wendecker was an idiot. John always makes faces when Rodney says this, but it’s true. The spells wrought by the man are slip-shod, a hard death waiting to happen. If Rodney could, he’d redo John’s wings, recast them into surety instead of faith. All faith’s ever done is get people killed.

But he can’t—doesn’t have the time, the desperation, the blind determination. Doesn’t have the bone-deep need for sky shared by Wendecker and John. All he can do is perform pre-flight checks, watch from balconies, pray to a God who probably doesn’t exist that John won’t become another Icarus.

This is based partly on what I've come up with over the past year or so, and partly on a conversation I had with anathelen tonight over dinner.

( Eventually this will actually make sense - I hope. )

Please feel free to give suggestions, ask for clarifications, or tell me to stop being silly and go do my homework.

I'm doing the plot20 challenge, which is one story for each basic plot, and just expanded the first section of Sharp and Sided Hail to meet the challenge's guidelines. That meant making it a fair bit longer, so it's not exactly the same story now. If you don't feel like rereading the whole thing, the first section can be found by itself here.

Please let me know what you think of the changes.

In which John jumps off a balcony.

Epilogue to that story where John turns into a bird - the one that isn't written yet. Written for pentapus's ficlet prompt-post thingy.

Since people have been asking questions about this AU I've been working on, I figured it might be a good idea to share some bits of John's backstory. He's so closemouthed about himself that this stuff will probably never get explained otherwise. Some of these are specific to the AU, some also fit into how I write canon John.

( Things John doesn't talk about. )

This is the result of my frustration with the episode "Michael" - one of those stories that insists on being written, no matter how much other stuff is waiting to be done. Fills the 'transformation' slot for plot20.

...It turned out a bit longer than I expected.


Michael makes a choice. John teaches him card games.

( I have turn'd away my former self. )

Figure it's about time I post this in its entirety. Now with the first section expanded to meet the plot20 guidelines. Plot 3: pursuit, 16: sacrifice.

John carries more history on his back than he's willing to share.

( Sharp and Sided Hail )

John carries more history on his back than he's willing to share. Fills the 'pursuit' slot for plot20.

I | II | III

( III. Three and a half parallel seams, running diagonally from shoulder to rib cage )

Okay, I think I'm done.

John carries more history on his back than he's willing to share. I | II | III

( II. A thin white line running just under his shoulder blade )

I vacillate over this one - it came out rather different from the first, and I'm not sure if it works as well. But I do like the ending.

Vermin Control
for saphanibaal's prompt of 'vampire pirates'

The thing is that the sun doesn’t really do anything to vampires. They don’t like it, but that’s because they’re nocturnal. Sunlight certainly doesn’t make them burst into flames, at most giving them a terrific headache.

Consequently, the shadowless expanse of the ocean isn’t much protection against them. So most of the merchant ships sailing the Caribbean carry more religious paraphernalia than some cathedrals, and a priest or two to boot: holy water does more than give vampires a migraine. But despite the hassle, few sailors complain—after all, throwing holy water at regular pirates only gets them wet. And cranky.

*

Um. So, I'll write something about the French Matter sometime soon, yes?

Purring
for rose_sous_globe's prompt

He got almost used to it after a while, the inaudible hum that marked the tension between natural and artificial, animate and inanimate. Not that it stopped making his teeth itch and giving him goose-bumps, but they were getting paid well to keep an eye on the thing, and Ian seemed to like it for some reason, so Gabe held his tongue and found excuses to be out of the apartment.

It was only after the construct had been retrieved by its owner, leaving the place once again quiet, that Gabe realized what the hum actually was—a kind of purr.

*

For those who are curious, this is what a construct is, and this is where the idea came from in the first place.

John's world comes to pieces.

( My dead child )

This is one of many attempts (at least eight) at an entry for the doppelganger challenge over at sga_flashfic, but I ended up submitting something a little longer and less depressing, with a more traditional doppelganger. Still, there's something about this one that I kind of like. It doesn't quite fit with the other John stories, so best to think of it as an AU of an AU.

John carries more history on his back than he’s willing to share. I | II | III ETA: Now expanded to meet the plot20 guidelines. Plot 16: sacrifice.

( I. A set of invisible tattoos running the length of his spine )

After reading Wild Nest, No Prison, saphanibaal commented "I confess to wondering what the other history on his back was." And that made me kind of wonder too, so this is the beginning of an answer.

Not all of John’s scars are scars.

( Wild Nest, No Prison )

A transposition of Stargate: Atlantis for sga_flashfic 's scars challenge, originally posted here. There will be further forays into this combo, at some point. I think.

"What's said is said. You cannot now unsay it."

( Choices Made )

I'm not sure what I think of this. At one point it was going to be the first in a series of variations on a theme, but I doubt that's happening any time soon.

Want to send a postcard to your family, but don’t want them to know that you actually went to Glitz City? Afraid of being tracked down by creditors? Mail it here first, include the appropriate postage and a dollar per page, and we’ll send it off. No fuss, and no way for it to be traced back to you.

( Postmarked )

Told you it was likely to be strange....

I did so much lying around this break that I think I might have actually turned into a slug if it had gone on any longer. It was glorious. But here's a silly something I wrote in between bouts of catching up on TV and stuff.

After a while, they sort of forgot that he was supposed to be extinct.

( On the care and feeding of mammoths )

In other news, I need an icon for silly stuff like this thing.

Um. Um um um. I haven't posted in a while, as has been pointed out to me. This is mostly due to end-of-the-year homework (and sundry other responsibilities) madness. I wrote two papers in two days, which was exciting. So this means that I have written only fragments of C&S, but since there isn't really a plot (that I'm aware of at the moment), that's fine.

And boy is mucking around with lj formatting fun--and icons, and all kinds of shiny new things.

( financial aid )
( moving out )
( zoo trip )
( wards )

Well, at this point it seems doubtful that I'll manage to get through 50,000 words by the 30th, but at least I've met my personal goal of 25,000. Not too shabby, considering that I've been working on papers and other stuff at the same time. As long as I can get this thing done by about Christmas, I'll be happy.

25,156 / 50,000 (50.3%)

Summary: His knees kept wanting to bend, and weren’t doing so only because the wall was supporting most of his weight. Walking home–to Gabe’s apartment, that was–wasn’t going to be fun. He really must be tired, to slip up like that, he decided somewhat blearily. Whatever Gabe’s apartment was, it couldn’t possibly be home.

( Corbel & Squinch's Universal Compendium of Everything, part 10 )

And because I had a lot of fun writing this but am not sure where it will fit into the story:

( A couple of compendium entries )

The entry on gargoyles is based pretty heavily on the entry in my old Columbia desk encyclopedia.

More c&s, although not as much as there should be. Yeesh. It shouldn't be this hard to grind something out, should it? I have the nagging feeling that I haven't lowered my standards enough yet to get the job done on time.

On the other hand, my characters keep doing things I don't expect of them, so that's probably a good thing. Makes it more interesting for me, at least.

22,148 / 50,000 (44.3%)

Summary: At some point in the last couple of days, everything seemed to have acquired meaning, and he couldn’t say why–it was horribly distracting.

( Corbel & Squinch's Universal Compendium of Everything, part 9 )

Next bit. Things are beginning to happen, I think. But I did warn at one point that this was likely to be long and rather rambly.

19,168 / 50,000 (38.3%)

Summary: In the center aisle, the rector continued reading the story of repentance and forgiveness and love, but neither of them heard it.

( Corbel & Squinch's Universal Compendium of Everything, part 8 )

Er, here's some more of Ian and Gabe. I am still writing this, even if it doesn't look like it.

16,148 / 50,000 (32.3%)

Summary: "What’s going on is that your father has abandoned you in the middle of your senior year at college, and your cousin, out of the vast goodness of his heart, is going to house you." Gabe said rather flatly, like it was the answer to a too-easy question. "Should you want him to." Ian let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, and the room seemed to revert to its proper temperature.

"You really shouldn’t worry about these sorts of things," Gabe added after a moment.

( Corbel & Squinch's Universal Compendium of Everything, part 7 )