Pure Bodies and Clean Hearts by Speranza (Virgin Challenge)

[cesperanza.livejournal.com]

Title: Pure Bodies and Clean Hearts (26k)
Author: Speranza
Pairing: McShep
Summary: John gets a do-over.

Thanks to shalott, giddy, and res for beta beyond the call of duty.

Comments

[cesperanza.livejournal.com]

Yes, totally, though the problem with summaries--and ratings and warnings and pairings and disclaimers, oh, how I hate them all!--is that it gives too much away; I mean, you want to read the line in context, I think, and not give your hand away before the story starts about who's a virgin and where and why (in fact, in that way, John's almost a red herring; midway through the story, you think, oh, he's the virgin, and I hope there was some readerly surprise when it was revealed that, no, the others all are too.

And yeah, totally, renewal should be hard! These villagers know how to throw a ritual cleansing, by God! *G*

[kylielee1000.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, sorry, unclear--I don't think you should rewrite your summary in any way. I was just saying that, if I had to pick a single line from the story that best expresses it, that would be the line I would choose.

There was indeed readerly surprise at everyone being a virgin, and I liked that bit! I was very taken with Teyla's assertion that chastity made someone a better warrior. All that pent-up sexual tension, I guess.

[cesperanza.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I didn't make that up--and it still holds true in sports, no? No sex before the big game, etc?