First time posting fic to this particular comm. Please let me know what you think of it.
Title: Four tattoo’s Daniel didn’t get; and one he did.
Author: Lady Taevyn
Rating: T
Summary: Title says it all.
Disclaimer: SG-1 and all related characters are not mine. Please don’t sue.
AN: This idea came to me in a rush the other day, and I wanted to get it written down. Major thanks to the SG-1 TWoP board, and Angus Crow for the tattoo idea and the final line.
1. When Daniel was six his parents had taken him with them on a dig. He stayed out of the way most of the time; in the evenings he would listen studiously as his parents talked about what they had uncovered. He would often carry pots and pieces of jewelry from the site to the tents to be recorded and packed.
“Momma, it’s bad to draw on yourself; isn’t it?” He asked one evening as he was getting ready for bed.
“Why do you ask?” She responded knowing that Daniel had probably seen some of the men’s tattoos.
“Well you get upset with me if I do, but you don’t say anything to the men that have drawings all over them.” Daniel stated with a yawn.
“You’re right, I do get upset. The reason I don’t say anything to the others is because I’m not their mommy, and that is one way they choose to express their artistic nature. Most of the men you see with the tattoos drew the designs themselves. But don’t you go getting any ideas young man. At least not until you are older.” His mother replied couching the stern-ness with a laugh.
“Yes ma’am. But one of the men has a mermaid on his arm that dances. It’s so cool looking.” Daniel said softly drifting off to sleep.
2. On his 18th birthday Daniel stepped into a tattoo shop; just to look at the designs. When the girl behind the counter caught his eye Daniel blushed intensely.
“What are you into?” She asked trying to gauge if he would really get a tattoo.
“Oh, um, Celtic knot work, and Egyptian hieroglyphs.” Daniel replied quietly. The girl turned around and pulled the back of her shirt up displaying a Celtic cross in the small of her back flanked by a sideways figure eight, and the Greek symbol Omega. After a second she put the shirt back in place and turned to face Daniel.
“Will’s the guy to go to for Celtic anything. He’s booked for the rest of the day, but if you come back tomorrow with some ideas he can help you.” She said kindly. She wasn’t surprised when he didn’t show up.
3. As Daniel slowly realized that the lecture hall was emptying he briefly wondered how many languages he could translate ‘Stupid’ into; and how much it would cost to get them all tattooed on him.
4. Daniel had been on Abydos for several months before he felt comfortable enough with the language to ask about the marks that he had seen on several of the couples. Sha’re laughed as she explained the tradition.
“The mark is permanent. Couples get them done by the religious leaders after they have been bonded for one year and one day. We will get ours soon enough. Worry not husband.” She had shown him several ideas that she had been working on since childhood. They had finally decided on a design that incorporated both of their personalities and ideas the evening before she was been taken by Apophis.
5. On the two month ‘anniversary’ of Daniel’s decension, from whatever higher plane he had spent over a year on, Jack insisted on a team night. Daniel had slowly been recovering his memories; the good and the bad. He was tempted to claim tiredness or a need to work but the expression on Jack’s face said he wouldn’t accept either. Making their way from one bar to another Sam happened to see the tattoo shop that was just down the block. She urged them to at least go in and look around. She had always wanted a tattoo. Orchids were her mother’s favorite flower so she told the man; his name might have been Vinny, or Jimmy that her favorite color was blue. And that she wanted it on her left hip. Daniel went into the back with her and held her hand.
“Daniel, you should get one too. Come on, it doesn’t hurt.” She half begged half dared him; he wanted to if for no other reason then to prove that he was alive. But something in the back of his mind was keeping him from agreeing. A long ago conversation with his mother; she had said it was bad to draw on yourself. She had also said it was an artistic expression, so it couldn’t be all that bad.
“Ok Sam, you talked me into it.” Daniel said. Vinny-Jimmy got him paper to sketch his design. It was a simple drawing; a triangle missing the bottom with a circle just above the top point.
“Do you want me to stylize it at all? I can do something nice with the initials at the base.” The man said looking at the paper.
“There’s no need to pretty it up. Just make sure the initials stay just like they are; the J and D on one side and the S and T on the other. SG-1 at the bottom. I guess it can go on my shoulder.” Daniel said. The significance rested easily with him; the Earth point of origin. It was where he had come from and returned to surrounded by his team; his family.