Beyond - Legends Friends No More [Jag and Shawnkyr] - COMPLETE - Replies, 2/13/05!!!

OK INARA.

This is it FOR REAL.

OK. First of all, I love the description of Csilla--and the ice fishing! Hehe. Ice fishing huts are such a remnant of my youth They're fun.

The conversation between Syal and Shawnkyr was really good--it was a nice reminder that it's not just the Chiss who are uncomfortable with the relationship. And this Syal is great--she still has those imperial prejudices, but she's willing and able to put her son's happiness ahead of all that. Plus, she's actually honest with Shawnkyr, which is great. No sugar-coating.

Shawnkyr looked puzzled. "His family? Not yours?"

Syal's mouth tightened. "His family."

Poor Syal.

"Though I would venture to say that although Jag has returned empty handed, his hands will not remain empty for long."

Ahahaha. I love Cem. He's such a smartass.

OK, this paragraph is one of my favorites in this story, I think:
It was as though the weight of constant winter in Csilla's severe, remote climate had helped physically shape him, burdening his back, searing him down to stubborn sinew and nerve. His jaw was firm and rigid, his eyes piercing in their intensity. He was striking in a masculine sort of way, and his quick, warm smile that he did not seem conscious of made his bird-of-prey features instantly, alarmingly beautiful. Stark, yes, but beautiful.
The description here is stunning--it's not the typical details, hair color, eye color, whatever, but the picture you paint is so much clearer. Even though what you're describing is physical, the words go beyond that--like his appearance is reflective of who he actually is. It's neat stuff.

Also, the hand-holding stuff is beautiful. Watching Shawnkyr struggle with her newfound human tendencies has been one of the most fun parts of this story, and this: and his hands would still shake sometimes as if he were afraid she might let go is just...mmm. It's lovely.

Stupid GFFA.

Umm, I'm not going to lie: I'm going to miss the mushy Jag/Shawnkyr scenes. You manage to write thoroughly PG-rated sex scenes that are so much hotter than--well, other sex scenes. Heh.

She did love Jag, but saying it aloud went against her very upbringing. Though her entire life was now tilting on its axis, she had struggled to retain her identity. But professing her emotions seemed so human. It was the ultimate proof, not of the change she had undergone, but in fact, of what had always been there.

Mmm, exactly. That's really where it comes to a head--it's one thing to think or feel differently, but to acknowledge it, to actually put those words out into the world--it's a bigger step.

YAY WEDGE.
And, wow, Jag is really not happy with the Solos. And though this story generally inclines me to side with him, um, Jaina made me cry. And Shawnkyr is awfully nasty to her--I know she's just defending Jag, but--ouch.

Thinking about this: It's interesting how Shawnkyr has, to some degree, taken on the role that Jag played in his relationship with Jaina. She's giving up some of her dreams, the respect of her people, and who knows what else in the long run, for a guy who is, in fact, her "first love." That said, she's a good deal more mature here than Jag was during the Vong war--in that she seems like she's well aware of what she's giving up, and she doesn't care--or at least doesn't care as much as she does about Jag: Yet she also found much contentment at that idea, that simply being with him would give her all the fulfillment she would ever need. So that statement makes me happy, because both he and Shawnkyr are that kind of person. Jaina, not so much. It's one reason why this pairing works so well here, I think--Jag and Shawnkyr are so evenly matched. You don't get the impression that there's an imbalance in their feelings for each other, even if their expressions of those feelings differ.

And, well, you know I love the last scene between Jag and Shawnkyr.

And then...the Jaina scene. OK, this felt like a knife to the stomach after all the happy stuff. Twist,

 

I read this and somehow my reply went with the proverbial sock from the dryer, into some galactic void.

Anyway. Tis sad that it is over. Although I wanted Athan to be a man and win Shawnkyr's heart, it was nice to see that she was able to give Jag what he wanted, her love.

It was a great story and I enjoyed reading it. I'm looking forward to your Soontir/Syal story.

 

It?s so sad to see this brilliant story completed, but alas, all good things must come to an end. Therefore, here is my uber-long (and as hilarious as I could make it) review. Oooh, and the debut of my first really serious comment too!


"Even from this distance, I can tell how smug they look." Syal?s melodic voice jolted Shawnkyr out of her reverie. "They feel very proud that they have escaped from the house to do manly things in peace."
Manly things like ice fishing, slapping each other on the back, drinking some ale, laughing at anecdotes about Twileks, and uncomfortable silences when reminiscing about the camping trip years ago, when the cold and loneliness crept into each of them, and they learned more about each other than they ever wanted to know?sorry. Ninja Plot Bunny strikes again.

Children, more often than not, looked to their mothers when they needed guidance, especially during trying times.
Now if only Jaina could learn this lesson and take advice from Leia. But no?

Shawnkyr did not deny Syal's use of the word love. Pleased, Syal continued.
Yay! Shawnie?s finally accepting her emotions, despite their oddity. Or maybe they?re just odd to me. Blegh. Emotions. Now, emoticons, those are a whole other story. Drunk happy faces always make me laugh.

?So if you think he is not as nervous or scared about this as you are, then we did a good job in teaching him not to complain too much,"
Now there?s an important lesson that most don?t learn until after marriage. Jag?s still one step ahead of the curve.

"And expectations do not always work out either. I expected that Jag was going to be a girl for the first sixth months I was pregnant with him."
Well, it?s an easy mistake at that age. Now if she expected Jag to be a girl six months after he was born, then there?s a serious problem.

"A fight is a fight, Shawnkyr. And he will be proud to have you with him." Syal smoothed her errant blond hair. "Go with him. He will be glad of your company and most honored to present you to the rest of his family."

Shawnkyr looked puzzled. "His family? Not yours?"

Syal's mouth tightened. "His family."
Hmm?how interesting. I think this deserves further examination. Much deeper and more intricate examination. Possibly even a fic about the situation.

"I am today's winner," he announced smugly.
Oh, you definitely are. There is no way Cem can?t win. Especially with me. In bed.

How did Cem manage to throw everyone around him off-kilter?
Because he?s talented. Mmm. Cem in a kilt.

Soontir almost refused ? men were supposed to take a lady's burdens, not hand his over. But seeing the look Jag bestowed upon Shawnkyr, he acquiesced rapidly.
Oooh. Jag?s looking to have a little fun in the shed?

"You arrived here yesterday, and though you have had a question hovering in your mind ever since then, you wait until our first moment alone to ask it?" He entered the shed and returned the fishing gear to its proper location before coming back out and taking the bundle from her arms. "We need to work on your timing."
There are some things you just can?t talk about in front of the future in-laws. Too many dirty looks otherwise.

It had never happened to her, so therefore, she did not believe such a thing existed.
Shawnie?s in for a bunch of surprises, isn?t she?

"I think we should ask ourselves if we can have children, Jag."

"Genetic studies indicate that we can," he said defensively.
Aww?Jag wants Shawnie to have his babies. His light blue-ish babies.

But it was new for Shawnkyr. Yet instead of hiding in her room, Shawnkyr took in the whispers, the glares, and the scorn directed at her and fought back with nothing more than cool, clear eyes, a head held high in pride, and a spine that was ramrod straight. Shawnkyr was a strong, courageous woman who was unafraid to fight her wars.
This description is almost enough to make me fall for Shawnie.

She looked around them, and seeing

 

"Genetic studies indicate that we can," he said defensively.
Aww?Jag wants Shawnie to have his babies. His light blue-ish babies.


Haha!! I always thought they'd be a light purple color, seeing as how humans are sort of a pink species.

 

Clean up in aisle 7....and we have a lost little boy...you can pick him up at the courtesy desk...

 

Trillian--you just compared Jaina and Shawnkyr to Stalin and Trotsky?



That's awesome!

 

Inara, I marathon read this at about midnight a few days ago, and it's high time I replied.

First off, incredible job! Your writing style drew me in and kept my attention. You kept the pace moving, and there was always something more that I wanted to see.

While I don't think J/S will happen, you set their eventual marriage up very well. Impressive and interesting.

Very nice work.

KT

 

I didn't think anyone else could do it, but she did!

 

Great ending to an awesome story!

 

Replies, Part 1

I will admit that my own dislike of fishing came into play here. I went ice fishing once, and that will last me for the next five lifetimes.

I was originally going to have their wedding in the story, but I decided against it. We will, however, see it in Besieged.

I thought about this for awhile, but then I realized that I had built the Shawnkyr-Fel relationship as a close one, and since Shawnkyr lives in a different city than Jagged...

Syal, as you probably can guess, is one of my favorite characters. As for Marel and Shawnkyr - don't cross of Marel just yet. She too will be appearing in Besieged.

I felt compelled to add this after reading that bit about her in FH2, when Saba noticed that Syal was still wary of aliens.

It seems like something Formbi would do.

I agree. Jag is a fighter. And once he makes a decision, he will not only stick by it, he will do so proudly.

He is great, isn't he? *wishes Cem existed in the real world* But you will be pleased to note that PregnantPadme and I will one day be doing a collaborative fic on Cem

It's one of the best things I like writing about their relationship - their conversations.

Those two are trouble like you wouldn't believe. But I guess that's what happens when his first four (or three *snickers*) kids turn out like Chiss.

From the beginning, holding hands has been a theme in this story. It's telling because at one point earlier, Athan has this internal monologue when he says that hand-holding is something Kyrn would never do. Guess he was wrong...

I guess Jag's not the only one who needs to work on his timing.

She's slowly learning her boundaries, of what she can do and what she can't. And she has choices to make as to what conventions she'll keep following.

I'm sure the Chiss have a system of adoption actually. Outbound Flight shows us that. The interesting thing is that with advanced Chiss genetics, I think

 

Part 2

Well, you know my entire goal in life is to make the outlandish happen?

It was kind of fun to speculate those aspects. It surprises me, actually, that though any Jag/Jaina relationship would have similar problems (not with species but certainly with sanity), why fics never bring this stuff up. Surface relationships are easy to write, but what's underneath that's fun to explore.

It's one of the reasons why I wrote this story. Jag and Shawnkyr were really just an excuse to write about cross-species problems. One thing I never liked about the allusions to cross-species in profic was how easy it seemed. For example, the Face/Dia relationship in Wraith squadron and the Nawara/Rhysati relationship in Roque Squadron didn't really go into the complex background of Twi'leks (but then I have to cut the authors some slack since they had other more important things to write about). At least with Gavin and Asyr, we saw some honest problems.

Well, you know how I feel about complex plots. FNM is a character study more than anything else, so what's happening around them does little more than to set up the scene for them to interact in.

What's the height of flattery for me when it comes to this story is that it made a lot of people supporters of this pairing, which was never my intention to begin with. As outlandish as the Jag/Shawnkyr thing was in the beginning, I've tried to keep it within the realm of the realistic, so I'm glad that it worked out.

I was almost tempted to write a sequel, but then I realized that I didn't have much to write about except the extension of the same problems, and I didn't want to write a more action driven plot using them while the rest of the Fel family languished.

We see eye to eye on Syal, so I'm glad you liked her here. In FH:2, Saba noticed that Syal still had reservations about alien species, despite living with aliens. So I imagine that these feelings still lingered inside her, and the baron as well.

 

TrillianTK posted:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aww?Jag wants Shawnie to have his babies. His light blue-ish babies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inara posted in responce
I should hold a contest ? what about a Nuruodo-Fel baby look like?


A contest would be a great idea.

If I deside to write a sequeal to my fic AHAW, there will be a daughter by Jag and Shawnkyr in it. I think their childern would be light blue, because the blue complexion is problably the dominate gene as is the case with dark complected humans. Their hair would be human in texture but dark in color. However, my big question is which set of eyes would be dominate: human eyes or those of the Chiss?

FL

 

Wow, those were some seriously epic replies, Inara.

 

The eye color thing is pretty interesting. I've been pondering this for several months and haven't been able to decide. We know that the pigmentation of the skin of the Chiss is due to Csilla's atmospheric mineral content, so technically, if humans lived on Csilla for thousands of years, I think they too would start changing colors.

In fact, what I think is that the affect of the atmospheric minerals is so strong that it takes over whatever the natural pigmentation might have been for a Chiss. Same thing with eye colors, which is a reaction with the oxygen. I think underneath the red phosporescence and blue pigment is a baseline human color, like white skin and green eyes, whose colors gave away to the mutated red.

Now, assuming that Chiss are baseline humans, in a child of Chiss/Human parents, the eyes would be mildly phosphorescent but not red.

Of course this is all one big guess. In September, I started this thread on Chiss/Human offspring in the literature forum, so check it out and see what other people suggested.

I tend to get carried away when I'm responding to the fabulous comments by my readers!

 

Haha...in spirit of the baby discussion (and my cousin just had her first kid, so I currently think babies are cute), I present the newest Fel:

[image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/aubbes/jsbaby.jpg]

Edit- And since Jag needs a daddy's little girl too:

[image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/aubbes/cutebaby.jpg]

 

OMG

The Shag baby is adorable. I think Jag and Kyrn have to have lots of them.

 

Thanks! It was a great midnight read.

Good! Glad to see you're happy.

*laughs* Well, I try not to let my predetermined view of the universe get in the way of enjoying a good fic. I even betaed a Zekk fic a week ago (and I don't particularly care for Zekk), and some time before that began reading a K/J fic, so it's all good. And besides, how could I not read anything with your name on it?

KT

 

INARA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First, you deserve these for finishing your first WIP:



I was finally able to sit down and read through all the updates I missed. Sadly, doing a line by line would take forever, but I just wanted to say,

Thank you.

When I first asked you to write something with this pairing, you were hesitant and unsure of writing interspecies (or in fact, anything reckless). I had really expected Friends No More to be a vignette, but you took my randomly offered challenge and spawned this wonderful story.

FNM is subtextual - there is more going on than just two friends becoming something more. You explored an entire species, you have them personalities, culture, and a history, and even better, you made other people like them. It hasn't escaped my notice that while the Jag/Shawnie 'ship existed before FNM, this story made them, dare I say, almost mainstream? It certainly isnt' a coincidence that there are so many more "Shag" 'shippers.

I liked FNM because it developed slowly and thoroughly. In keeping with the natures of Jag and Shawnie, their behavior was cautious and deliberate (except Jag's unwelcome kiss in the med bay), and everything builds up deliciously.

Both Shawnie and Jag's characters are explored perfectly - you really made two "cardboard" three-dimensional. Reading some of the reviews, I saw that not only did you make a lot of people love Shawnie, but a lot of people who were indifferent to Jag like him too. I think part of the reason was because they were so natural - they weren't behaving in your 'fic as plot devices, as a way to get the romance forward. But FNM is primarily a characterization study, and you just wrote them as they should be. The fact that they also fell in love was an extension of their personalities and circumstances.

OCs: Cem (I know he's canon, but he's basically an OC) - kudos for making him popular too! He has quite the fan following...do your loyal readers know you have a Cem story planned? Also, Athan, Thevan, and Marel - and even Carnen - I think it's great that you've given these Chiss distinct personalities. A lot of times with OCs, especially alien ones, many of them aren't distinctive and get shafted by being labeled with stock characteristics. But you took your OCs, gave them distinct personalities yet still kept them Chiss, and made them loved by your readers (and made Athan top my sexiest SW male list). It was neat reading about Thevan and his broadmindedness, and how you attribute that to his being a soldier and a Nuruodo while his wife from another family (Inrokini?) is more conservative and not as pleased with aliens in the Ascendancy.

What I also thought was cool was how you viewed the cultural and political ramifications honestly. As much as I want Jag and Shawnie to live happily ever after, I know it won't be that way. They'll love and support each other, but you also tell us that their love will be tested and beset by problems from the outside. What also added credibility was how Syal felt uncomfortable with the match, and how Marel hates it.

I love everything you write, but I think FNM is closest to my heart because it's a story about how despite all the crappy situations in life, love can win - painful victories, but it can.

So again, thank you for writing this.