Ohhh that was truly lovely, and a fantastic idea! I've often wondered what daemons the SG characters might have, but never took it any further. My heart caught when Nioke settled as a snake instead of a bird; it was so sad, then I thought it might be so that John himself could fly, because if she could, it might hold him back from trying; but I agree with your explanation (I read the comment) because I remember this from HDM too, that people don't always get the daemon they *expect* or even want.
Loved so many things about this story: the way the daemons are gently sarcastic, pointing things out that their humans have missed or are glossing over; the way that Rodney's is a quiet, clever little mouse with plenty of sass; that John's is so unobtrusive yet dangerous in her own way, and that the combat instructors would underestimate her, but Teyla didn't (and mongoose v. snake! Hee! Snake v. mouse is also an interesting pairing...) Loved Weir's raven and Zelenka's hare, and hee, OK, accept both your reasons for Carson's toad although it did raise an eyebrow at first *G* Still, nothing wrong with toads! I loved the way you blended HDM canon with SGA canon, the Wraith taking the daemons' lives before the humans' and leaving them empty, the 'soulless' people who made them feel instinctively ill, and Rodney's Frankensteinian interest in daemon research *G* Getting a bit like Mrs Coulter there... careful Rodney!
I loved the way that John would always ask Nioke 'Run or fight?' and always agreed with her answer, and how she would curl about his neck to comfort him; and finally, at the end, when Rodney notices that she is the colour of the sky, I actually *cried* just like I cried at points in HDM, because you captured the same heartbreaking beauty of the whole *point* of daemons, and that was when I understood why you had made her a snake.
This was brilliantly done, and the only divergence I saw from HDM was that I don't *think* their daemons eat. But if any could, it would certainly be Rodney's *G*
Thank you for writing such a wonderful story! Can't imagine why you were nervous about posting it.
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Loved so many things about this story: the way the daemons are gently sarcastic, pointing things out that their humans have missed or are glossing over; the way that Rodney's is a quiet, clever little mouse with plenty of sass; that John's is so unobtrusive yet dangerous in her own way, and that the combat instructors would underestimate her, but Teyla didn't (and mongoose v. snake! Hee! Snake v. mouse is also an interesting pairing...) Loved Weir's raven and Zelenka's hare, and hee, OK, accept both your reasons for Carson's toad although it did raise an eyebrow at first *G* Still, nothing wrong with toads! I loved the way you blended HDM canon with SGA canon, the Wraith taking the daemons' lives before the humans' and leaving them empty, the 'soulless' people who made them feel instinctively ill, and Rodney's Frankensteinian interest in daemon research *G* Getting a bit like Mrs Coulter there... careful Rodney!
I loved the way that John would always ask Nioke 'Run or fight?' and always agreed with her answer, and how she would curl about his neck to comfort him; and finally, at the end, when Rodney notices that she is the colour of the sky, I actually *cried* just like I cried at points in HDM, because you captured the same heartbreaking beauty of the whole *point* of daemons, and that was when I understood why you had made her a snake.
This was brilliantly done, and the only divergence I saw from HDM was that I don't *think* their daemons eat. But if any could, it would certainly be Rodney's *G*
Thank you for writing such a wonderful story! Can't imagine why you were nervous about posting it.