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Ficlet: Q is for Questions (G)
A ficlet, for ![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sg_fignewton's Gen Fic Day, and my part of the Teal'c Alphabet Soup.
sg_fignewton's Gen Fic Day, and my part of the Teal'c Alphabet Soup.When Teal'c was very young, he was also very curious. His mother smiled, patting his head with a hand wet from washing, so that he wriggled away, indignantly. Why did she do that, when she knew he did not like washing his hair? "When will you learn enough, sha'shan? Will your head ever be full?"
"But why, mama?"
"However did you get your tunic this stained, Teal'c?"
Young Teal'c, taking that to mean that she would answer no more questions right now, went to find his father instead. His father was sat on the cutting log, looking off into the distance, to where the temple towered against the sky.
"Father, mama won't tell me why the white birds have blue eggs."
Teal'c's father did not turn around. Teal'c stood patiently, knowing that, in a moment, his father would glance back, with a sober expression, but an amused twinkle in his eye. That was how Teal'c knew that his father loved him: because of that twinkle. His father was taking a long time about it, though.
"Father," he said again, after waiting patiently for a moment more. "Mama won't tell me-"
"Teal'c," said his father, and still did not turn. "No questions right now," he said, but gently. He glanced back at last, and Teal'c felt odd, all of a sudden. His father was not twinkling at him. "I have received a great honor, Teal'c," he said. "The Great God Cronus wishes me to be his First Prime."
Teal'c frowned, puzzled. His father had said it was a great honor, and so it must be true – but his father didn't sound like he was telling the truth.
His father reached out to rest his hand on Teal'c's shoulder, as if he were a man. "Fetch your mother to me," he said. "I must tell her the good news."
Teal'c kept his questions silent in his head, and ran to fetch his mother.
"But why, mama?"
"However did you get your tunic this stained, Teal'c?"
Young Teal'c, taking that to mean that she would answer no more questions right now, went to find his father instead. His father was sat on the cutting log, looking off into the distance, to where the temple towered against the sky.
"Father, mama won't tell me why the white birds have blue eggs."
Teal'c's father did not turn around. Teal'c stood patiently, knowing that, in a moment, his father would glance back, with a sober expression, but an amused twinkle in his eye. That was how Teal'c knew that his father loved him: because of that twinkle. His father was taking a long time about it, though.
"Father," he said again, after waiting patiently for a moment more. "Mama won't tell me-"
"Teal'c," said his father, and still did not turn. "No questions right now," he said, but gently. He glanced back at last, and Teal'c felt odd, all of a sudden. His father was not twinkling at him. "I have received a great honor, Teal'c," he said. "The Great God Cronus wishes me to be his First Prime."
Teal'c frowned, puzzled. His father had said it was a great honor, and so it must be true – but his father didn't sound like he was telling the truth.
His father reached out to rest his hand on Teal'c's shoulder, as if he were a man. "Fetch your mother to me," he said. "I must tell her the good news."
Teal'c kept his questions silent in his head, and ran to fetch his mother.
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And, thank you!
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Glad you liked!
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You wrote baby!Teal'c!
And it was perfect. You managed to convey the love Teal'c and his parents felt for each other in such a small amount of space. And the foreshadowing at the end...so sad but so good.
But more than anything, I love this because you managed to capture a part of Teal'c's personality that too often gets overlooked - his curiosity. Look at how enthusiastically he embraces Tau'ri culture. He's always looking for more knowledge and new experiences, and not just because he's looking for tactical advantages. He is just as curious in his own way as Sam and Daniel.
Great job!
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Baby!Teal'c is a cutie, isn't he? I sort of wanted to write more, but that just isn't happening at the moment, so I went for a little, pivotal moment in time.
And yeah - Teal'c has to be curious. Not so much in words, but in deeds he shows that he wants to learn, that he's not afraid to risk everything on a new, unproven idea. He's not a follower, he doesn't take common knowledge as being set in stone - and I can easily picture him learning about things simply because he has the option. He has a very active mind, but it's sometimes hidden behind his taciturnity.
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His father was such an influence on him and...aw. Very nice, pepper!
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I was thinking about his relationship with Ry'ac, and wondering how that had been affected by his relationship with his own father - whether he was trying to avoid mistakes that his father made, or to try and live up to him. In the end, I figured it was probably a mix. He obviously cared deeply enough to focus his whole life into getting revenge on Cronus, but at some point he must've understood what sort of job his father had been doing. I wonder if they ever got to talk, even if obliquely, about the Goa'uld not being gods...
Ta! I'm glad you liked. :)
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Why do the white birds have blue eggs?