ratherastory: (Big Bang 2011)
ratherastory ([personal profile] ratherastory) wrote2011-07-11 03:59 pm
Entry tags:

Epilogue —Rebirth

[Master Post]

Part IVb

Epilogue —Rebirth

Jensen spends most of the next few days drifting in and out of consciousness, aided in no small part by the massive doses of painkillers that Max administers to him with Norm's blessing. Jensen mutters darkly about traitors but can't keep his eyes open long enough to see the worried looks on their faces. Norm isn't in great shape himself, badly shaken from having his avatar killed while he was still linked to it, but he's soldiering gamely on, clinging to sanity like a lifeline. Jensen was too panicked, trying to get to the emergency re-breather mask, to see what happened to Norm, but he found out later that the avatar had died long before Quaritch and Jensen had ever come near the outpost, catapulting Norm back to his human body and leaving him to crawl, barely lucid enough to grab one of the spare exopacks, back to the relative safety of the Omaticaya.

He's being sent back to Earth, along with every single other human left alive on Pandora, Trudy and Max included, as well as the remaining avatar drivers –who'd been locked up the minute there was any sign of real trouble, lest their loyalties prove to be with Jensen and the Na'vi. . Selfridge, who somehow managed to escape with his life if not his dignity, has made it clear that the Pandora project is a write-off as far as he's concerned. Two transports are heading back to Earth, one with most of the military personnel, the other with the civilians –a safeguard put in place to make sure Trudy, Max and Norm don't find themselves on the wrong end of someone's gun or knife on the voyage back. Not that they really expect trouble, but Jensen would rather not take chances with that.

With the humans gone, there will be no one left to man the equipment here, whatever is left when it's all dismantled and shipped back to Earth along with the people. It quickly becomes apparent that the relays have been sabotaged, no doubt Quaritch's work, which makes it impossible to send word through the relays or to get anything back, for that matter. There has been complete radio silence for weeks, with no way of telling what awaits them back home until the transports physically reach the first working relay station several dozen light years away.

Against all of Max's instructions, Jensen spends what time he's awake and conscious linked up to his avatar, coordinating the evacuation. His own decision has been made, although it was harder than he ever thought it would be. In a way, it feels like choosing between two different kinds of death, rather than between life and death. He wonders if Grace felt the same way, when she underwent the process. He can't go back, though, he knows this. Even if he survived the voyage back, which is unlikely according to Max —something about the strain of being put into cry and then taken out again being too much for his system to take after everything that's happened— there's more to tie him here than there is to link him back to the planet he once thought would be his only home.

Everything in his life before he came here was done for his family, to make sure they were taken care of. Put Tommy through university, get his parents off the ranch. Now, though, Tommy's gone and has been for years, and if all the money he's sent home isn't enough to help them, then it's likely nothing ever will be enough. He's sending back a message to be delivered by the returning crew, along with the remnants pay he'd been setting aside for his own surgery. There's no need for it now. He still misses his parents, but even before he came here, even before his accident, it had been years since he'd been home. Years since he'd done more than exchange a couple of messages a year with them. They've lived without him for nearly seven years, he tells himself, they'll be able to manage.

These past few months mark the first time he's ever done something solely for himself. It was a bit of a shock when he first realized it, but he finds it's not so uncomfortable an idea as he thought it would be. Jared is the best thing that ever happened to him, although he feels guilty about everything Jared has had to sacrifice for him. None of the Omaticaya are questioning their bond anymore, but the question of Jared's needing a successor is still up in the air. Jared himself seems pretty sanguine about it, pointing out that it's not just his own children who are born with the gift, that they can always foster a child to become the next tsahik. Or at least, that's what Jensen thinks he said, unfamiliar with the actual Na'vi word he used. He's not sure he understands any of it, but he's too damned selfish to let Jared go, so he just goes along with it as though he understands. Maybe, he reasons with himself, someday he will.

He falls asleep almost the moment he emerges from the link for the last time, exhausted beyond the limits of endurance. He barely has the energy upon waking to pull himself into his chair, aided by Max, who fusses until Jensen has to wave him off.

"Quit clucking," he manages, arms wrapped around his aching ribs as Max pushes his wheelchair toward the main doors. "I just have to last long enough to get out there."

Max scowls disapprovingly. "That’s what I’m worried about."

There’s nothing to say to that, so Jensen stays silent until they get to the main doors, dons his re-breather mask when Max hands it to him, lets himself be hauled up into the waiting tilt-rotor. He watches Norm and Max, standing at a safe distance from the tilt-rotor, waves weakly at them as the motor hums to life, and they wave in return. They already said their goodbyes. When Trudy returns, they'll get on the last transport out, leaving Pandora to the Na'vi once more.

Jensen drifts once he’s buckled into his seat, oblivious to Trudy’s worried glances, watching the world go by in a blur of colour until they set down in the clearing closest to the Omaticaya’s new settlement. Jared is waiting just at the edge of the clearing, hands on his hips, looking at once fearsome and a little nervous, a combination Jensen can’t help but find endearing. Jared hesitates when he sees him, then visibly steels himself and pulls himself up into the chopper, bending down so that he can both fit inside and look Jensen in the face even from his great height. It feels a little like being loomed over by the Friendly Giant, Jensen thinks, giddy from the painkillers Max forced on him before they left. They're probably a good thing, the only thing keeping him conscious, but they've also made everything a little fuzzy around the edges.

"You are ready to leave?"

Jensen nods, grits his teeth when Jared easily lifts him out of his seat and into his arms, cradling him like a child. He can’t help but suck in a pained breath when the movement jostles his ribs, and Jared gives him a worried glance.

"You are well?"

"I’m okay for now. Let’s blow this popsicle stand. I’ll explain later," he adds when it’s obvious Jared has no idea what he’s talking about. "Hasta luego, Trudy," he turns his head toward her, summoning up the remnants of his high school Spanish. "Gracias por todo."

She grins. "De nada. You watch yourself, okay? I didn't go through all this shit so you could get yourself eaten by a Thanator."

"You got it."




It feels strange, seeing the forest like this through the protective plastic of his mask rather than with his own eyes. The colours are slightly muted, the sounds not as clear, but he thinks that might have something to do with just how difficult he’s finding it to cling to consciousness. He lets his head rest against Jared’s chest, eyes at half-mast, decides that he should probably feel a little embarrassed at how safe he feels like this, protected and cherished, but finds he can’t muster the energy for it. It’s all he can do just to keep awake, to breathe through the pain that’s become his constant companion for the past ten days. Jared strides through the woods with newfound confidence, easily scales the huge tree that the Omaticaya have chosen as their new home without so much as breaking a sweat, even with Jensen in his arms.

Jensen hasn’t had the chance yet to see Jared’s new living space—their new living space, he reminds himself—but even once they’re inside he can’t appreciate it fully. His back and ribs are on fire, his lungs protesting every breath he draws, sweat beading on his face even though this should barely count as exertion. Jared lays him down carefully on a pallet, gently stretching him out until he’s lying flat on his back. For a few moments Jensen loses track of him, can only hear vague scuffling sounds as he moves around, making preparations. Finally he appears again, expression serious.

"I must prepare you now."

Jensen nods, tries not to stiffen up too much as Jared removes his clothes, one item at a time, moving slowly and painstakingly so as not to hurt him accidentally. For a moment Jared pauses, looking at him wonderingly.

"You are so small like this," he says, and although Jensen figures he should probably feel insulted by the comment, he isn’t, not really.

"It’s not the size that counts, it’s what you do with it," he jokes, and is rewarded by a smile.

Jared takes a breath, picks up a small container of pigment and begins the laborious process of applying it to Jensen's body, smiling a little when Jensen shivers under his touch, goose bumps forming on his skin as Jared’s fingers brush against him. Self-conscious and maybe just a little turned on by the gentleness and reverence with which Jared is treating him, Jensen smiles back, determinedly fixes his eyes on the roof over his head and tries to think of anything other than Jared’s hands marking his skin.

"Hold your breath," Jared says after what feels like an eternity, then lifts the re-breather mask, working as quickly as he can to apply the pigment to Jensen’s face before replacing it. "You are well?" he asks again.

Jensen nods, grimaces. "Never better."

He watches as Jared strips off his hunter’s vestments and pulls on the intricately-woven bead necklace that will show his rank as tsahik, living embodiment of the will of Eywa. Jared deftly begins applying several different colours of pigment to his own skin in a pattern far more intricate than the one on Jensen’s own body with a skill that says this is not the first time he has done this. Jensen wonders if he was made to practice on himself, or if he had to do this during official ceremonies even before he tried to help Grace. He wasn't painted, then.

"You are ready?" Jared asks when he’s done.

"Ready as I’ll ever be."

"Then we will go now."




Jared carries him easily to the gathering place by the Vitraya Ramunong, cradled against his chest. Jensen doesn’t even have the time to feel awkward about being entirely naked in front of the tribe before he’s laid down at the foot of the Mother Tree, side by side with the sleeping form of his avatar. If he turns his head he can see that the body has been similarly prepared, naked save for white, black and yellow pigment applied in an intricate swirling pattern from head to foot. The avatar looks peaceful, curled into a foetal position on its side. At Jared’s urging, Jensen turns as much as he can onto his side, and when positioning his own legs proves too painful Jared kneels to help him.

"All will be well," he says softly, laying his hand over Jensen’s heart.

Jensen swallows hard and nods, wishes they weren’t separated by the plastic of his mask. If all goes well, when this is over, they won’t be. He takes comfort in the steadiness of Jared’s hands, feels the frantic hammering of his heartbeat slow a bit under his touch.

"Eywa will take you up in her arms," Jared says, raising his voice so that it can be heard by everyone gathered there, "and she will guide your crossing."

Dimly Jensen is aware of someone translating into Na'vi, but it’s a voice he doesn’t recognize. So many friends dead and gone forever, he thinks numbly, and then all thoughts of the past are driven from his mind as his whole body begins to tingle with a now-familiar sensation. He shivers a little as the Mother Tree reaches toward him, twining delicate tendrils of root-cilia over his body, around his arms and legs, wrapping him gently in its embrace. The world begins to fade, sound and colours washing out until he’s surrounded by nothing but a gentle white light. All around he can hear the soft whisper of the voices of the ancestors, though they’re speaking a language he still can’t understand. He’s shrouded by the tree, rocked and comforted and enfolded, feels himself borne aloft on what feels like a wave, a surge of emotion he can’t begin to quantify. There's light all around. Peace overwhelms him, the crippling pain of the past few days a distant memory. It would be easy, he thinks, just to let go. He’s so damned tired…

The choice is yours.

The voice is clear in his mind, like a bell.

"I see," he replies. He’s already made his choice, he just needed a reminder of the direction he’d already picked to travel.

It’s nothing like the way he’s used to forming the link with his avatar. There’s no falling sensation now, only a wave cresting beneath his feet. He’s already left his dying body behind, and he allows himself a moment to let sorrow wash over him for everything he’s leaving, for the death of what was left of his humanity. Then he steels himself, imagines himself stepping forward into the light.

When he awakens again he finds himself staring into a familiar pair of gold-ringed eyes and smiles. Knows that, for the first time, he truly understands what it means to see.

"Ìla’rey," he says, reaching up and placing his hand against Jared’s chest, just over his heart. "Oel ngati kmeie."

Jared smiles back. "I see you too, Jensen."

~END~

Thanks & Author's Notes

[identity profile] sorrow-95.livejournal.com 2011-07-11 09:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Really enjoyed the story which suprised me considering I'm not a big fan of the movie. Perhaps it was because J2 were in it! Really well written and so glad I decided to read it. I'm bookmarking it for re-reading over the weekend!

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-11 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you! Would you believe I'm not actually a huge fan of the movie either? I just couldn't get the idea out of my head once [livejournal.com profile] roque_clasique suggested it. I have now watched Avatar more times than I ever thought possible in one lifetime. ;)

I'm very pleased you liked it and found the J2 enjoyable. :)

[identity profile] shoofus.livejournal.com 2011-07-12 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
yes, very well done, and better than the movie, no question

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-12 02:08 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you very much! I'm so pleased you enjoyed it. :)
ext_120093: (J2 Jared and Jensen by causette)

[identity profile] morganoconner.livejournal.com 2011-07-12 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
So, I did not plan on spending my day reading this. In fact, I figured this was going to be stuck on my to-read list for weeks before I finally got to it.

As usual with your stories, I started the prologue just for curiosity's sake, and then couldn't stop.

*FLAIL*

I have to admit, I really had no idea what to expect with this. i enjoyed the movie immensely, and usually, I don't care for fics based off movies I like.

But this...

This was amazing. Close to the movie in the ways that mattered, and fixing the things about the movie I didn't like. The scenes you added were spectacular, and flowed effortlessly with the rest of the story. Enhanced it so it didn't feel at all like just a bland re-telling.

And Jared... I was really worried I wouldn't be able to wrap my head around him playing Neytiri's role. I never thought you'd be able to make it work, but obviously, I should know better than to doubt you. His characterization was wonderful.

This whole damn story is wonderful. I already want to re-read it! I know you worked your ass off on this bb, and it totally paid off. You are, as always, absolutely brilliant.

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-12 03:05 am (UTC)(link)
I can't tell you how pleased I am to hear that! Although I'm sorry you got pulled away from your writing. ;)

I'm especially pleased that you didn't find the additional scenes too jarring, and that Jared was believable in his role. I angsted and waffled over that and worked on it forever to make sure that it wasn't too implausible.

In short: \o/

*hugs*

[identity profile] peppervl.livejournal.com 2011-07-12 05:10 am (UTC)(link)
Yay! You did it! *twirls you around*

Now that it's up and I got to read it again I can tell you all the things that didn't make it into the beta.

First of all, you just kept me up, past my bedtime, to read this story for, God, at least the fourth time, and that doesn't count the times I went back over sections multiple times when I was betaing it.

I love everything you changed, from the way you incorporated the bits of the prologue into the story as flashbacks, to how you dealt with his parents, to the explanations you came up with for various things I'd nitpicked, to the additional scenes with Jared. I love that we get to see more of Jared from Jared's point of view; it really helps make the story about him as well as about Jensen.

That said, I adore what you left of the original story, too, and I adored it when I first read it. My one regret with betaing is that I didn't have much time, so I wasn't able to go through and point out the bits that I adored as well as the bits that needed help. I know I did a couple here and there, but there were so many more.

I like the way you fleshed out the original characters, and I'm glad that you left it a true fusion, rather than make it all CWRPS. While it would have been fun to a point, you wouldn't have been able to fill all the roles right, and you would have spent so much more time making that work that the story would have lost something.

I think my favorite bit is when Jared comes to visit Jensen while he's sick. That just makes me want to give both of them a big hug every time I read it. (And not just because I generally want to give Jared & Jensen hugs.)

Really, though I just love everything about this. You managed to take the movie and make it better, and while I know that you wish you could have done more, it's damn good. You made the Na'vi a more complex people, you gave Jensen/Jake more humanity, you fleshed out the secondary characters...

... and you wrote smokin' sex scenes. For all that Jared and Jensen (and Jensen and Grace) just didn't want to cooperate with you, you made it good.

Seriously, honey, I'm so proud of you for getting through this, for sticking with it, and for making what I know were some really hard decisions after I sent the beta back to you. It's wonderful and you should be proud of it.

P.S. Your link to the author's notes from this post is missing.
Edited 2011-07-12 05:11 (UTC)

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-12 12:26 pm (UTC)(link)
*beams*

I totally understand about never having enough time when beta-ing something to point out all the things we like. :)

I can't tell you what a relief it is to hear that all the changes I made worked. Funnily enough, while I complained a lot about having to get rid of my Deathless Prose™, the decision to get rid of the bits you suggested wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. It really was a very good suggestion and I knew it from the start.

Once I realized just how tangled up I got that first sex scene I spent a good five minutes giggling before I was able to actually get around to fixing it. :D

Thank you so much for your awesome beta job. The story is so much better thanks to you.

*smishes you and twirls you*

[identity profile] aubergineautumn.livejournal.com 2011-07-12 10:18 am (UTC)(link)
FANTASTIC adaptation. It really worked.

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-12 12:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much! :)

[identity profile] annie200.livejournal.com 2011-07-12 08:20 pm (UTC)(link)
I cannot tell you how much i loved this. i think I'm lucky because I haven't actually seen the film and didn't know the story-line, so this was an absolute surprise, and the fact that you were able to create this world in such vibrancy and colour was just amazing. And i may have sniffled just a little a couple of times. Great job!

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-13 01:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Aw, I am SO pleased! I was a little worried that people who hadn't seen the film might not be able to follow, but so far that doesn't seem to be the case, which is a huge relief. :)

I am really, really happy that you enjoyed it. This fic is the result of nearly seven months of tearing out my hair by the roots, so I'm really glad all that hard work panned out.

Thank you!

[identity profile] katsheswims.livejournal.com 2011-07-12 11:43 pm (UTC)(link)
This was amazing. I loved it!

I've never seen the movie, but this makes me want to.

Keep up the good work!

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-13 01:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much! Uh, the movie is... problematic. Far moreso than my story was (and I have no illusions that I wasn't able to "fix" all the problems with the basic plotline when I wrote it). It's very pretty, but bear that in mind when you watch it. :)

I'm so glad you liked it!

[identity profile] ailinex.livejournal.com 2011-07-13 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
Wow that was brilliant. I had my share doubts because the movie had some flaws but I had hoped you knew to avoid these. And you did! Spectacularly so! I just want to say 'dito' to all your lovely beta said. Great jobs, both of you.
I don't ever want to watch Avatar again* but I will certainly reread Pandora's Box.




*except maybe for the pretty visual effects

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-13 01:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much!

Oh God, the movie. I had to watch it over and over and over again in order to make sure I was getting things right for the story (both what I was keeping and what I was changing), and I am now never going to watch it again because I have seriously overdosed on it. :P

I can't tell you how pleased I am that you liked the story and that I managed to smooth out some of the more glaringly problematic aspects of the movie for you. :)

[identity profile] roque-clasique.livejournal.com 2011-07-14 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
YAY YOU DID IT WOW!

This was so enthralling -- I love how you twisted movie canon and made it your own, I was so emotionally invested even though I knew how it would turn out. Definitely liked this more than the movie *g*. Well done you!

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-14 06:43 pm (UTC)(link)
I did! It's all your fault, you life-ruiner. ;) (Have you seen the art? It's gorgeous!)

I am SO RELIEVED you liked it! After all, you're pretty much the reason I wrote this beast. :D

[identity profile] primrose-1.livejournal.com 2011-07-14 06:39 pm (UTC)(link)
*applause* You did a great job telling this story- making it enough different from the movie so I didn't feel like I was reading a novelization of the film with one little change. You also minimized some things that I didn't like about the movie, and it made your story stronger.

I have to admit, I'm not a J2 girl, although I've read a few stories here and there. Mostly I think of it as a random romance story, because I'm uncomfortable with the idea that they are trying to take two real people and write them in away that they clearly aren't. What I LIKE is good writing, and that overshadows whatever genre a story fits into. You've never failed to write an amazing and compelling story, and knowing that will have me reading just about anything you come out with.

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-14 06:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh yay, you read it! I hope the steamy bits were easily skippable. ;)

Would you believe I'm not really much of a J2 girl myself? I never really think of them as being *really* the boys, because... yeah. Awkward. I tend to treat J2/RPS as though it's original fiction with names I happen to know, otherwise I get all squeamish.

I am very pleased that I was able to minimize some of the aspects the the movie that were problematic for you (there were aspects that were problematic to me, and I wouldn't be surprised to hear they were the same ones) and that you enjoyed the overall story.

*twirls you*

[identity profile] spn-2008.livejournal.com 2011-07-15 06:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Love it!, your version is better that the original, really it's, I'm not a big fan of the movie but I'm a fan of your version

Well done!

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-16 12:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you very much! I'm so pleased you liked it.

[identity profile] fallsslowly.livejournal.com 2011-07-16 07:53 am (UTC)(link)
There are some wonderful BB stories around and I've often felt spoilt by the quality but this is in a class of its own.

I must be one of the few people who've never seen Avatar and frankly I'm glad, your world is so compelling and 'real' I'm happy not to have another point of reference. A story like this can so easily end up with too many descriptions or not enough, your balance was spot on. There wasn't a moment when something didn't feel right and I was jarred outside the narrative to think about it. The characters were beautifully drawn, your writing so fluent it felt I wasn't reading, just absorbing. The part after the battle when Jared was with Jensen in his human form and told Jensen he is real to him, that he sees him - I cried like a baby, tears out of nowhere!

From you notes it's obvious you weren't happy with some parts but I've no doubt that's a characteristic of the best authors. This is amazing and I am applauding you like a mad thing.


[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-16 12:25 pm (UTC)(link)
*beams*

I am so pleased you enjoyed it! There are actually quite a few people on my flist who haven't seen the movie, and I was worried the story wouldn't be clear enough to them, but so far it seems to be okay.

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! :)
embroiderama: (Jared - smiling)

[personal profile] embroiderama 2011-07-17 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
Wow, this was a really amazing read! I love the things you did differently and the things you added (especially the h/c OF COURSE) and the visuals were really gorgeous. Go you!

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-17 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
*beams*

Thank you so much! And yes, I was pretty shameless in the addition of h/c. ;)

[identity profile] seascribe.livejournal.com 2011-07-17 06:02 pm (UTC)(link)
I wasn't a huge fan of the movie, but I totally loved your story! You fixed so many of the things that bothered me about the movie, and you did a great job integrating J2 into the story.

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-17 06:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you very much! I can't tell you how pleased I am that the story worked well for you.

Also, your Merlin icon is adorable. \o/

[identity profile] chiiyo86.livejournal.com 2011-07-17 07:58 pm (UTC)(link)
I haven't seen the movie, so I don't know what you changed or kept, but congratulations for getting through such a huge project! I really liked what you did with the problem of Jensen going back and forth between two bodies (one of them being handicapped). I was invested in the characters and you made me feel all kind of emotions over the course of this tale (Grace, no! does she die too in the movie?). Great job!

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-17 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked it. Yes, Grace dies in the movie too, though I invented her relationship with Jensen for my own version of the story. :)

[identity profile] mystery-spot.livejournal.com 2011-07-19 07:12 am (UTC)(link)
Ever since I saw the movies I've been waiting for someone to write a J2 version. I got my wish granted! Thank you so much! I've had an enormous pleasure reading this and appreciating your talent!

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-19 08:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much! I was quite nervous about this story, so I'm very pleased that people enjoyed it. :)

[identity profile] sinka.livejournal.com 2011-07-24 02:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Finally I had time to read this and as I knew it didn't dissapoint!! I must admit I loved the movie but *THIS* is even better!

It show how many time you have thought and dedicated to this story, going a step further and deepened all the characters and their motivations! I loved Jared was the chosen one, it really made a lot more sense! The h/c was delightful and the relationship betwene Grace and Jensen broke my heart a little. If there is an Avatar movie sequel, you should be the writer!!

Thanks for this wonderful version. Probably you have spoiled Avatar for me forever because now it will never live to expectations of being as good as you fic!

Also, I'm glad you decided to enter the world of J2, for me it's like a world of series and movies in which Jared and Jensen are the lead actors! At least that's what I told myself to get over the inicial reluctance!

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-07-25 01:02 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much! I am so pleased that the story lived up to your hopes for it. I see the world of J2 much as you describe it: a world in which Jensen and Jared play the main characters. :)

[identity profile] anifsemaj.livejournal.com 2011-08-11 10:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Very nice, & definitely an improvement over the original!

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-08-11 11:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked it! :)

[identity profile] bratlupa.livejournal.com 2011-08-17 06:42 am (UTC)(link)
I really really enjoyed this. I love the movie Avatar, but I have to say I love your version so much better then the movie for more reasons other then it's J2. I really loved the background details to the brother that Jensen replaced as a Avatar driver and also on Jensen's feeling of becoming paralyzed. I actually was kind of sad to see it ended like the movie as I would have love to see the after math of becoming a true, true Na'vi. Anyway I just wanted to tell you that I love the story and to thank you for writing and sharing it.

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-08-18 05:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much! I tried really hard to fill in what I perceived as gaps in the movie, things I would have liked to see the movie explore more. As for the end, well, I mostly ran out of time. Someone else could always write a sequel, of course...

I'm very pleased you liked it!

[identity profile] rainylemons.livejournal.com 2011-08-25 03:41 am (UTC)(link)
I technically still have a few pages to read, but I wanted to leave feedback before I said F the world for the night and crawled under the covers to hide. Fantastic stuff, babe. The character development really added so much of what was lacking from the movie. I get it, the movie was a visual experience, but what you added here to the characters gave it so much depth and packed a much more meaningful emotional punch. I think I came out of it feeling much more for the characters than I did in the movie. Strangely, it made me like the movie a bit more as well - like I could somehow just see the Js and their deeper backstory vs. the characters on the screen. With what started as a hugely daunting undertaking and became The Thing That Ate Your Brain, you must know that you kicked all forms of ass in doing this. Great read! Thanks so much for suffering through it and putting this out there. :)

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-08-31 05:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Gah. Catching up, here. I am so happy that you think I managed to work in what I was trying to work in. I am even happier that it made you like the movie better, because let's face it, it's not a very good movie. ;)

[identity profile] sela117.livejournal.com 2011-08-25 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
I've been saving this fic for a time when I could sit down and read it properly and I finally got the chance!

I have not seen the movie, so I can't compare your Pandora to the film version, but I loved the atmosphere you created. I could easily visualize every tree, creature and character.

I loved the way your characters and the storyline developed, it was believable and exciting.

What a beautifully crafted story! Thank you for sharing!

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-08-31 05:53 pm (UTC)(link)
*bounce*

Thank you so much! It took me forever to write, so I'm very happy that you managed to find the time to read through it and leave feedback. :)

[identity profile] jennygeee.livejournal.com 2011-08-26 09:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Loved it!! Every bit of it and now I want to see the movie again :)

Thank you so much for writing and sharing this.

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-08-31 05:59 pm (UTC)(link)
*beams*

Thank you very much!

[identity profile] unplugged32.livejournal.com 2011-09-11 07:49 pm (UTC)(link)
I can't believe I never commented on this! One of the best BigBangs of the year, beautifully written with fantastic characterizations. Your fic made me want to watch the film even though I'd never planned on doing so:)

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-09-13 11:01 am (UTC)(link)
Wow, thank you so much! I'm so very pleased that you liked it so much! I tried to go more in depth into the characters and some of the background socio-political stuff, so you'll probably find the movie a bit different in parts than this story. I hope you enjoy it! :)

[identity profile] asilia.livejournal.com 2011-09-13 09:27 am (UTC)(link)
Finally got around to reading the story - loved it! I also liked the movie a lot but I definitely prefer your version :D Jared makes a very sexy Nav'i :P

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-09-13 11:03 am (UTC)(link)
*beams*

I'm so glad! Jared really does make for a very sexy Na'vi. ;)
ext_63196: (BigBang2011)

[identity profile] beelikej.livejournal.com 2011-09-25 08:22 am (UTC)(link)
Excellent adaptation, I loved that you took us inside both Jensen and Jared's head. I wasn't sure I remembered correctly how the film ended and I was very relieved with the result of the final ceremony;) I held my breath when Jensen had to choose! Beautiful story.

[identity profile] ratherastory.livejournal.com 2011-11-15 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much! I'm very glad you enjoyed my take on the film. :)

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