tielan
in
jack_built
fic: Cultural Conflicts
Sequel to " The Love Doctor Is In"...with Vala's unvarnished opinion at the end of it!
Cultural Conflicts
"Miko's been coming over a lot lately," Daniel said as Liz moved about the kitchen getting drinks for them. They'd arrived back from classes at the same time and Liz had invited him in.
"She is teaching with Rodney." Sort of.
Liz' head popped up over to the kitchen bench, astonished. "She is?"
"Uh..." Daniel glanced at Teyla. "Not quite."
"She sets up the classroom for him," Teyla clarified her statement. She had tried not to think her talk with Miko only a week ago. There was no advice she could have given that the Japanese girl would have taken.
Daniel nodded. "He says she can't do anything right, but...you know Rodney."
Sadly, they did. "I don't know what Rodney's said to her, but lately, she comes over and cleans the apartment."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Liz asked sweetly, causing Teyla to muffle a laugh. Daniel and Rodney's apartment was well-known for its clutter - as compared to John, Cameron, and Vala, who were simply slobs.
"I guess..." Daniel didn't sound too sure about it. "I feel bad about letting her..."
"So do it yourself," Liz interrupted.
"I try! But she's just..." There was a curious flush rising on his cheeks. Teyla eyed him and he flushed further. "She came around yesterday while Sha're was over and we were practising Arabic. And Sha're didn't say anything but..."
Ah. Teyla had met Sha're one evening while learning how to D&D roleplay. She had ended up abandoning the game in favour of sitting with the Egyptian girl and discussing the Egyptian view of the war in Iraq. It had taken a little while for Teyla to draw Sha're out, but her efforts had ultimately been successful and a long and fruitful conversation had ensued regarding culture and social expectations.
"You guys can clean up after yourselves, Daniel," said Liz a little impatiently.
"Rodney won't."
"It's not rocket science."
"Which is why Rodney will not," Teyla said. "Anything less is an insult to his intelligence."
Liz brought the drinks over and the conversation turned to other matters - such as the vendetta presently carrying on between Sam and Mr. O'Neill. They passed into study talk, until Liz received a call on her cellphone from her boyfriend Simon and went into her room to take it.
"Got any plans for Thanksgiving?"
"Family lunch," Teyla said, selecting a potato chip from the bowl Liz had put out. "Then shopping on the Friday. You?"
"Nothing much," Daniel said. "I don't have much by way of family, so I was thinking of holding a Thanksgiving celebration here. Nothing big, just a few of the residents and Sha're."
"She will be staying here for Thanksgiving?"
"Well, her family don't celebrate it and the college will be mostly empty. So I thought that maybe she'd like..."
He trailed off. Teyla ventured a question.
"Are you dating?"
"No!" Daniel's denial was a little too fast and he seemed to know it, because he flushed again. "Her family's very strict Muslim. No dating."
Teyla frowned. "If her family are strict Muslims, then will not Ramadan be a problem for her during Thanksgiving?"
"I'm pretty sure it finishes just before..." Daniel trailed off. "I like her. She had to fight her family just to come to America to study. And while her father sounds pretty okay, it doesn't sound like the rest of her relatives are quite so progressive."
For a moment, Teyla wondered why Daniel was bringing this to her. His major was archaeology with a touch of anthropology for good measure. "Are you not friends?"
"Yes."
"A friend is never unwelcome."
--
"Personally, I don't understand what he sees in her," Vala said, her lazy tones dismissive as she swirled her swizzle stick in the martini glass. "She's a dowdy little thing. No style, no adventure, not even lipgloss." With a shrug of her shoulders, she tipped back the rest of her drink and speared the olive in the bottom. "Daniel could do much better."
"Such as you?" Teyla asked sarcastically.
Vala perked up. "Now, there's a thought. He's got that whole yummy geek thing going. I bet I could train him up real well."
"Like a dog?"
"Well, I think he'd beg very nicely."
- tbc -
Cultural Conflicts
"Miko's been coming over a lot lately," Daniel said as Liz moved about the kitchen getting drinks for them. They'd arrived back from classes at the same time and Liz had invited him in.
"She is teaching with Rodney." Sort of.
Liz' head popped up over to the kitchen bench, astonished. "She is?"
"Uh..." Daniel glanced at Teyla. "Not quite."
"She sets up the classroom for him," Teyla clarified her statement. She had tried not to think her talk with Miko only a week ago. There was no advice she could have given that the Japanese girl would have taken.
Daniel nodded. "He says she can't do anything right, but...you know Rodney."
Sadly, they did. "I don't know what Rodney's said to her, but lately, she comes over and cleans the apartment."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Liz asked sweetly, causing Teyla to muffle a laugh. Daniel and Rodney's apartment was well-known for its clutter - as compared to John, Cameron, and Vala, who were simply slobs.
"I guess..." Daniel didn't sound too sure about it. "I feel bad about letting her..."
"So do it yourself," Liz interrupted.
"I try! But she's just..." There was a curious flush rising on his cheeks. Teyla eyed him and he flushed further. "She came around yesterday while Sha're was over and we were practising Arabic. And Sha're didn't say anything but..."
Ah. Teyla had met Sha're one evening while learning how to D&D roleplay. She had ended up abandoning the game in favour of sitting with the Egyptian girl and discussing the Egyptian view of the war in Iraq. It had taken a little while for Teyla to draw Sha're out, but her efforts had ultimately been successful and a long and fruitful conversation had ensued regarding culture and social expectations.
"You guys can clean up after yourselves, Daniel," said Liz a little impatiently.
"Rodney won't."
"It's not rocket science."
"Which is why Rodney will not," Teyla said. "Anything less is an insult to his intelligence."
Liz brought the drinks over and the conversation turned to other matters - such as the vendetta presently carrying on between Sam and Mr. O'Neill. They passed into study talk, until Liz received a call on her cellphone from her boyfriend Simon and went into her room to take it.
"Got any plans for Thanksgiving?"
"Family lunch," Teyla said, selecting a potato chip from the bowl Liz had put out. "Then shopping on the Friday. You?"
"Nothing much," Daniel said. "I don't have much by way of family, so I was thinking of holding a Thanksgiving celebration here. Nothing big, just a few of the residents and Sha're."
"She will be staying here for Thanksgiving?"
"Well, her family don't celebrate it and the college will be mostly empty. So I thought that maybe she'd like..."
He trailed off. Teyla ventured a question.
"Are you dating?"
"No!" Daniel's denial was a little too fast and he seemed to know it, because he flushed again. "Her family's very strict Muslim. No dating."
Teyla frowned. "If her family are strict Muslims, then will not Ramadan be a problem for her during Thanksgiving?"
"I'm pretty sure it finishes just before..." Daniel trailed off. "I like her. She had to fight her family just to come to America to study. And while her father sounds pretty okay, it doesn't sound like the rest of her relatives are quite so progressive."
For a moment, Teyla wondered why Daniel was bringing this to her. His major was archaeology with a touch of anthropology for good measure. "Are you not friends?"
"Yes."
"A friend is never unwelcome."
--
"Personally, I don't understand what he sees in her," Vala said, her lazy tones dismissive as she swirled her swizzle stick in the martini glass. "She's a dowdy little thing. No style, no adventure, not even lipgloss." With a shrug of her shoulders, she tipped back the rest of her drink and speared the olive in the bottom. "Daniel could do much better."
"Such as you?" Teyla asked sarcastically.
Vala perked up. "Now, there's a thought. He's got that whole yummy geek thing going. I bet I could train him up real well."
"Like a dog?"
"Well, I think he'd beg very nicely."
- tbc -