Abandonment Challenge: Guns Or Butter by acaciaonnastik

[acaciaonnastik.livejournal.com]

Title: Guns Or Butter
Author: Acacia Onna Stik
Category: angst, dark
Rating: PG
Characters: Athosians, OMC
Spoilers: minor for The Storm
Beta: Many thanks to muccamukk.
Summary: They never meant to abandon the Athosians.

A/N: This is my first shot at Atlantis fic, so I hope it works. I've been wondering for a while how the Athosians managed after that storm..

Guns Or Butter

When young Rylan, who'd always been a bit strange, suddenly declared "Now we know how it is for the Wraith," Halling cuffed him and told him not to talk like that.

He kept on with it, though, and explained. "They do as they do because they are too many and haven't got enough food." His face darkened. "But they take care of each other, so they don't starve."



The people of Atlantis might be forgiven for not having realized the worst effects of the storm. They weren't farmers, after all. And Teyla insisted that they really did not have enough food for so many- they were focused on defenses, and few would trade with the people who had awoken the Wraith, and the food they had managed to get had been negotiated for in real ignorance of the Athosians' need.

Teyla wasn't welcome any more.



Hunting helped. It didn't help enough.

Rylan was the first to die.

Comments

[adelynne.livejournal.com]

Wow, okay. Deeply creepy.

I like how the lack of a lot of description only adds to the feeling of scarcity and sparcity and abandonment.

[canadian-snoopy.livejournal.com]

You say a lot with few words, which is a skill I envy.

Sad and creepy and that last line packs a real punch, even though I like to think that Teyla would be paying closer attention to the situation in the mainland.

Hmm, a thinker; nicely done!

[burntcopper.livejournal.com]

Meeeep.

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

Wow. Creepy. Cool vignette and well-written.