rec - coming home by xanthe

Okay, been up for an hour with--shocking!--tooth pain after *four hours* of sleep, so basically at this point, we can just go with I'm clinically insane and no longer responsible for what I do. My first act will be to declare myself queen of--hmm. Actually, I have no idea. But I would like to belatedly thank all the people on my buddylist for distracting me most of last night, since this has been getting steadily worse for the last couple of days. I love you all. Should I ever be queen of anything, I swear, brownies to everyone. And you know. Hot sex slaves. That sort of thing.

Okay, so comfort fic. Currently, and I honestly am still surprised I'm saying this, the prize for making me ungodly happy is Coming Home by xanthestories, prequel to General and Doctor Sheppard (link leads to part 1).

This isn't a conditional rec, but a--hmm. If you really liked General Sheppard, you'll like this one. You are group one. This is not aimed at you. If you, like me, did *not* get into the first one, okay, this rec is specifically for you. You are group two.

I didn't like the first one--nothing against the author, but I'm fairly specific on my bdsm and *really* specific on my John characterizations. The compare/contrast of universes did not work for me mostly because the AU was *too* different and I couldn't get context for a *lot* of the behavior. Coming Home, just for the fact that the author managed--and I have no idea how she did this--to build the freaking universe these people belong to? AWESOME. I mean--seriously, that is freaking *cool*. It's like candyland. Everyone's hot and wearing leather every day and being growly and possessive and seriously, who cannot love Miko in PVC boots, okay? Christ. The internal logic is sound, there are very intersting variations on characterization--but this is a strong enough AU I feel fairly comfortable with a wider field of characterization than I usually do. It's a wonderful, cuddly BDSM romance, Harlequin taking a trip to the toy store, but more than that, it's a good story. Just with floggers and collars and things.

I love that she's trying this, that she obviously put *thought* into this world and how this society might/could work, and frankly, she gets a ton of credit off the bat for attempting something this ambitious. I love how she keeps good internal logic. I love that she's hitting and bouncing on a lot of my kinks, period. I love that I am, for the first time in a long time, *obsessively* following a wip to see what on earth she'll do next. I am happy. I'm hitting *refresh* obsessively from midnight to one-fifteen--which seems to be her window of posting.

Comments

[logovo.livejournal.com]

I'm curious as to how she writes Rodney in this one. It was one of the things that I didn't like about the first story, so... Hmmmm...

[seperis.livejournal.com]

On John I was okay. Rodney? Hmm. That depends on how strict your Rondey characterization is. I will say the AU!Rodney in General is *not* like the AU Rodney in Coming Home.

[logovo.livejournal.com]

*taking a look now*

Thanks for the rec :)

[kalikahuntress.livejournal.com]

I feel the same way too, I wasn't into the first one but I'm loving this prequel a lot and I feel John and Rodney feel closer to the way I see them if they lived in this kind of society.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Yes. With the context of the entire universe? Definitely works better.

[sunglow66.livejournal.com]

I'm a group two, I read chapter 1 of G&DS, got no further and wasn't intending to read CH at all, but my sister moonglow11066 told me how great it was so I gave it a try. I'm not a BDSM fan but I really like this universe and the way she's written it.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Yes, it really does work. General just--could not. But here, where it's all AU? Hugely fun.

[yin-again.livejournal.com]

Ha! If I read my friends page before posting... I just posted an entry almost exactly like this. Great minds and all that. Mine is obviously the lesser (or slower) mind. However, you hit on a lot of the things I was thinking, too.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

OMG! YOu did it too?

I've been trying for *days* to figure out how to rec it, because it's just--really *not* like the usual SGA fic, even the crack. We? Totally rock.

[frogspace.livejournal.com]

It's a wonderful, cuddly BDSM romance

So true. I almost cried when John asked Rodney to accept his collar. The romance! The angst! (And the hot sex *cough*)

The compare/contrast of universes did not work for me mostly because the AU was *too* different and I couldn't get context for a *lot* of the behavior.

I couldn't get into the General and Doctor Sheppard AU because the compare and contrast thing kind of made me feel embarrassed for our John and Rodney and I have a huge embarrassment squick. Coming Home on the other hand stands on its own so I can enjoy it as the alternate universe it is. And I really like that AU. Comfort fic indeed. :)

[seperis.livejournal.com]

So true. I almost cried when John asked Rodney to accept his collar. The romance! The angst! (And the hot sex *cough*)

OMG ME TOO! And oh my GOD sharing a plate. I was all melting into my bed.

Plus, the *collar*. That was just--guh.

I couldn't get into the General and Doctor Sheppard AU because the compare and contrast thing kind of made me feel embarrassed for our John and Rodney and I have a huge embarrassment squick. Coming Home on the other hand stands on its own so I can enjoy it as the alternate universe it is. And I really like that AU. Comfort fic indeed. :)

Yes. The embarrassment thing for John, and for Rodney *especially*--twitch. Here? I'm just *flowing* with it. All "aww, their first time with cuffs!" which seriously has never been a place I would go aww. God. I'm going to be teary-eyed at the romance of the first flogging, I swear.

[yin-again.livejournal.com]

Embarrassment squick - you just hit exactly why I couldn't deal with the not Alt. Universe parts of the first one. Everytime "our" J&R were on-screen (as it were), I had to read through my fingers, but the parts with Alt! J&R were hot.

I like AU comfort fic, too. And not just this one. I am a sappity sap sap sap.

[enname.livejournal.com]

Eh, I am still in three minds on this. Maybe even four. The narrative movement is compelling and sucks you in, but there is something still trying to claw out of me about the characterisation. Rodney's mostly.

Also apart from one or two things in it, btrue bdsm is so not my kink at all. Or at least not in this context and especially not the s part. Actually no, really not.

Even if Carson as a top makes me smile.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*grins* Carson as a top made me giggle insanely.

[callmeri]

*Yes.* (Sorry for butting in here, but I just had to reply to your comment because you've captured *exactly* how I feel about this fic, too. ) The story is really well-written and I'm strangely compelled to read each part every morning, but at the same time, it still rubs me the wrong way, and I often find myself wincing a little as I read it. And it's not about the BDSM stuff at all - that I'm actually enjoying - it's all about the characterization.

To be completely honest, if these characters had different names and the story had been posted as an original fic (or even if it were a fic set in an A/U Atlantis but with original characters), I'd be the first one in line singing this story's (and the author's) praises. A part of me wishes the author had done just that, because then I could enjoy the story without any reservations at all. But this John and this Rodney... it's just a little bit too much disbelief for me to suspend.

slavery

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

hm. I was *enraged* by G&DS because I know a lot about the history of slavery and that's what the General's universe smelled of to me. To my mind a BDSM universe doesn't have enough unreality to be a nice fantasy: we have Been There, Done That in *spades*. The tipping point for me IIRC was when someone asked one of the BDSM guys (I think BDSM!Rodney, but it might have been BDSM!John) "but what about when the top actually hurts the sub?" and he replied, "the other tops won't let him get away with that" and dude, that fucking trick *never* worked before in human history, why the hell should it work now?

It's possible I take slavery kind of seriously.

In any event, the only real BDSM SGA stories that I truly buy into are Kharessa Bloodrose (http://wraithbait.com/viewuser.php?uid=298)'s (can't remember her LJ fic name), because when she writes the pain really hurts, the humiliation really burns.

Re: slavery

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Slavery with the freedom to divorce.

*shrug* I read it for what it is and what it was intended to be--a BDSM AU fantasy. Sometimes, authors can pull it off, and sometimes, they squick me. In this case, for me, xanthe did a fantastic job of making it incredibly fun.

[piplover.livejournal.com]

I'm in group two. The first story just hit all my squick buttons. But this story has totally consumed me, lol. I eagerly await the posts each night. It still squicks me, but that's becuase I think having total control over someone is repugnant. Telling someone when they can come or that they can't just seems abusive to me.
Still, that's just my opinion, and I find the romance more than makes up for it. When Rodney was collared, I was all, "Awwwww!"
It's a guilty pleasure for me, I guess.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Noncon/rape are my big squicks unless handled *extremely* well, and even questionable consent makes me--antsy. I kind of rationalized it as it *being* a choice, which it pretty much is. As a game, I can kind of see John and Rodney playing this on regular Atlantis--adn teasing each other mercilessly until one of them breaks. *grins*

God, addictive collar romance. *facepalm* Never thought I'd fall for it either.

[lillian13.livejournal.com]

It's weird. I liked the original well enough. I saw it as a way for the boys to see each other "that way", and it was kinda cool to imagine John in that much tight black leather. (goes to a happy place)

But I am loving this one. Seeing everyone in context just makes it work for me. But I am a well-known crossover/AU whore--if it's well-written and interesting, I tend to like it a lot. While I am not any kind of a fan of schmoop, yes, the Harlequin Moments are getting to me too.

(Of course, reading that and then auburnnothenna's new Seven Walls bit? Will cause mental and emotional whiplash. Like woah.)

And haven't you seen the oral surgeon yet, kiddo? Let me know if you need a ride or anything, if the fam can't be there.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Tomorrow at three-thirty. I'm *counting* the hours, I'm so not kidding.

Hee! I won't go near Seven Walls. Auburn's a great writer, but that entire fic is based on my biggest squick. When she finishes it, I may try it out, but until then, not so much.

ANd yes! This one is fun! JOHN IN LEATHER OMG. That is just--wonderful.

[mslinda.livejournal.com]

I didn't quite get into the first one, although I read the whole thing, so something must have kept me hooked. I wasn't going to read this prequel until I saw your rec and... I thank you a lot! My husband, on the other hand, does not thank you, as I didn't get to bed until 2:30 this morning. Great rec, as usual.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

*hugs you amazingly hard*

Honey, when you first mentioned that you were enjoying this, I will admit: I rolled my eyes and thought, "Yeah, well, she enjoys Brian/Justin too".

I should have had far more faith in you.

Because this? Is everything you claimed. It's melodramatic, mills'n'boon romance with bdsm. It's... honestly? It's been a long, long time since I've stayed up until midnight reading a story in bed and mourning the fact that I only printed out six chapters.

It's not just an indulgence, it's a complete cause for happiness. And I've been in a fantastically good mood all day, and I'm fairly sure it has something to do with this.

*twirls*

Oh, and good luck on not playing or gagging on your stitches. But mainly, *thank you* for bringing this story to my attention. *hugs it*

[kiranovember.livejournal.com]

I am group 1 - I liked the first one, although there were a few things that squicked me slightly (including the embarassment of other people seeing versions of you act in ways you wouldn't) and I wouldn't say it was my favoritest ever. I also agree that Coming Home is better, for many of the same reasons everyone else is giving. That said, I admit I have a little problem with Top!John, because I like him kinda subby. Seven Walls is pushing my kink buttons like whoa and I almost flipped when I saw the latest part posted.

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

I read the first one, sort of through my fingers although fascinated. The prequel? I liked, even though I find the idea of 24/7 BDSM tiring to even contemplate, in addition to so not my thing.

I think it's interesting that the two groups fall out the way they do on both stories. Has anyone posted about liking the G&DS and not this one?