Calling Down the Lightening by dreamwaffles (PG13)

[duonoaikouka.livejournal.com]

Fandom: STARGATE ATLANTIS
Pairing: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Length:55,498 words
Author on LJ: dreamwaffles 
Author Website: none that I'm aware of
Why this must be read:
Dreamwaffles weaves us a incredibly detailed, and downright scary one for magic-users, world where magic is punishable by burning and the people are held in fear of false accusations and lies (those are met by burning as well, no investigations). In this world, the Stargate program is still a reality and the Atlantis expedition is still a go. Rodney McKay, one of the few wizards who has lived past puberty, must weave between hiding who he is and saving the Expedition on a regular basis throughout this adventure of a story. This story is Dreamwaffles' first in the fandom, and this reader urgently hopes she writes more as her writing ability is fantastic. The emotions are crisp, the action is heart-pounding-ly non-stop, and the characters literally jump off the screen in their richness and depth. She draws you into the character's minds and hearts; she makes the reader bleed with their pain and soar on their wings of triumph. This fic is not to be missed! 

 

When Meredith Rodney McKay first learned what a wizard was, it was 1973, he was five years old, and Canada had just passed the Wizard's Execution Amendment, changing the method of capital punishment for magic users from the centuries-old tradition of burning at the stake to death by firing squad. Canada was only the second nation, after Switzerland, to have passed such an amendment, and it didn't look like any other countries would be following suit anytime soon. His parents listened to the news on the radio every morning at breakfast, and when this tidbit was announced, his father snorted and his mother went tight-lipped, poking at her oatmeal with her spoon without ever lifting any to her mouth.

"What's a wizard?" asked Meredith, looking up from his cereal.

"A murderer," said his mother flatly, taking a tiny nibble of oatmeal before going green and bolting for the bathroom again. Meredith and his father both ignored it; she'd had morning sickness for weeks, and they were used to it by now.

Meredith looked at his father, his small face knit into a frown. "Dad?" he asked, hoping for a clearer answer.

His father sighed, deeply, and turned the radio volume down as it went to commercial. "A wizard is someone with magic," he explained, "But they can only use their magic to cause earthquakes and storms that kill people."

 

Calling Down the Lightning

Comments

[jak-frostty.livejournal.com]

Very nice choice! I found this one through the accompanying artwork a while ago.

[duonoaikouka.livejournal.com]

Oh I know! It was that artwork of Rodney calling down the lightening on an off world mission with John watching that first drew me in, too. That and the summary. And thanks. :) It's an absolute fav of mine and I had to share. :)

[jak-frostty.livejournal.com]

Yes exactly! I remember I kept coming across that piece and finally decided I had to read the story that it illustrated. And I don't even read too much Stargate fic as is.

calling down the lightning

[inu-spockya.livejournal.com]

do you know anywhere this story might still be up? the sgabigbang site seems to be gone, and I'm not finding the story anywhere! :-(