Looking-Glass (by Valderys) (G)
Oct. 8th, 2017 08:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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stargateficrecShow: SGA
Rec Category: Alternate Universe - specifically, fairy-tale type AUs
Characters: OFC, John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex, et al.
Categories: Gen
Warnings: Nil
Author on DW/LJ:valderys
Author's Website: See the AO3
Link: Looking-Glass on AO3
Why This Must Be Read: This is a more unusual one, being allegorical rather than a straight fairy-tale - also it's a fusion with Neal Stephenson's 'The Diamond Age', although it was part of an SGA Flashfic "fairy-tale' challenge. I love the idea and how the SGA characters help the protagonist, also love the outsider POV. It's a lovely story and a great read.
"No, no, no! Am I to be surrounded by incompetent morons every day, who only just manage to save themselves and the city from being blown up regularly by the installation of child proof locks, in order to discover that the child-proof locks don't work, and I get to be bothered by children off duty as well?"
Alise tipped her head to one side and considered. Dr McKay was always like this, but his bark was worse than his bite. She'd noticed that his bad attitude kept people from bothering him though. She wasn't sure she was supposed to have noticed that however, so instead she wordlessly proffered the coffee and muffin. Dr McKay glared at them both suspiciously before opening his mouth. "Black. Only blueberry. No citrus. And you promised," she said, quickly.
He shut it again with a snap and glared, his chin going up, and then down, like a demented seesaw. Alise carefully didn't smile.
"She's got you there, McKay, you got to admit it," said an amused drawling voice from behind her. "You did promise." Alise did her damnedest, oops, she meant best, not to jump. Colonel Sheppard was like some kind of prowling animal, a lynx, or a... a bat, or something. She never saw him coming.
"But she caught me in a weak moment, when I was vulnerable, you can't actually expect me to..." Dr McKay was beginning to sputter. Alise knew she was allowed to smile a bit then.
"I told you what you should buy Madison for her birthday, because you asked me. Because you were desperate. You were going to buy her a year's subscription to Scientific American. And in return you promised to help me with my homework," said Alise, ticking the points off on her fingers.
"You did, McKay," echoed Colonel Sheppard, and Alise didn't need to turn round to see his smile. There was a tiny pause, and Alise just knew it was going to be filled with lots and lots of words, in just a second, so she got in fast.
"I got the highest marks in the class last week on my maths test. Just like you said I would." She shut up then, and watched him. He was wavering, she could tell. "Then Jimmy Perez said that I must have cheated, 'cos I couldn't know all that stuff without cheating, and Mr Hill, the teacher, agreed, and made me take another one, all by myself. I said, how could I have cheated, when I got the highest mark – who exactly did I copy from? Mr Hill didn't like that."
"I'm sure he didn't," said Dr McKay, and it was weird, because his voice went all soft and vulnerable, and Alise found she didn't want to think about that. A hand was squeezing her shoulder, but Alise didn't turn to look at the Colonel. There was an odd pricking sensation in her eyes, and she ignored that too. "Well, great minds are always envied by smaller ones," said Dr McKay, briskly, "It's the way the world works, so it's probably just as well you learn that early. Fighting for tenure's even worse."
Rec Category: Alternate Universe - specifically, fairy-tale type AUs
Characters: OFC, John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex, et al.
Categories: Gen
Warnings: Nil
Author on DW/LJ:
valderys Author's Website: See the AO3
Link: Looking-Glass on AO3
Why This Must Be Read: This is a more unusual one, being allegorical rather than a straight fairy-tale - also it's a fusion with Neal Stephenson's 'The Diamond Age', although it was part of an SGA Flashfic "fairy-tale' challenge. I love the idea and how the SGA characters help the protagonist, also love the outsider POV. It's a lovely story and a great read.
"No, no, no! Am I to be surrounded by incompetent morons every day, who only just manage to save themselves and the city from being blown up regularly by the installation of child proof locks, in order to discover that the child-proof locks don't work, and I get to be bothered by children off duty as well?"
Alise tipped her head to one side and considered. Dr McKay was always like this, but his bark was worse than his bite. She'd noticed that his bad attitude kept people from bothering him though. She wasn't sure she was supposed to have noticed that however, so instead she wordlessly proffered the coffee and muffin. Dr McKay glared at them both suspiciously before opening his mouth. "Black. Only blueberry. No citrus. And you promised," she said, quickly.
He shut it again with a snap and glared, his chin going up, and then down, like a demented seesaw. Alise carefully didn't smile.
"She's got you there, McKay, you got to admit it," said an amused drawling voice from behind her. "You did promise." Alise did her damnedest, oops, she meant best, not to jump. Colonel Sheppard was like some kind of prowling animal, a lynx, or a... a bat, or something. She never saw him coming.
"But she caught me in a weak moment, when I was vulnerable, you can't actually expect me to..." Dr McKay was beginning to sputter. Alise knew she was allowed to smile a bit then.
"I told you what you should buy Madison for her birthday, because you asked me. Because you were desperate. You were going to buy her a year's subscription to Scientific American. And in return you promised to help me with my homework," said Alise, ticking the points off on her fingers.
"You did, McKay," echoed Colonel Sheppard, and Alise didn't need to turn round to see his smile. There was a tiny pause, and Alise just knew it was going to be filled with lots and lots of words, in just a second, so she got in fast.
"I got the highest marks in the class last week on my maths test. Just like you said I would." She shut up then, and watched him. He was wavering, she could tell. "Then Jimmy Perez said that I must have cheated, 'cos I couldn't know all that stuff without cheating, and Mr Hill, the teacher, agreed, and made me take another one, all by myself. I said, how could I have cheated, when I got the highest mark – who exactly did I copy from? Mr Hill didn't like that."
"I'm sure he didn't," said Dr McKay, and it was weird, because his voice went all soft and vulnerable, and Alise found she didn't want to think about that. A hand was squeezing her shoulder, but Alise didn't turn to look at the Colonel. There was an odd pricking sensation in her eyes, and she ignored that too. "Well, great minds are always envied by smaller ones," said Dr McKay, briskly, "It's the way the world works, so it's probably just as well you learn that early. Fighting for tenure's even worse."
