Day 18 [2015] . An Intersection of Paths . Stargate SG-1 x Dresden Files; T
Title: An Intersection of Paths
Author: jedibuttercup
Disclaimer: The words are mine; the worlds are not
Rating: T
Prompt/Prompter: xiorlanth, who asked for: "Something from An Unanticipated Detour? Harry meeting Teal'c. Or Bob meeting Vala."
Spoilers: Stargate SG-1 early Season 10, post-"Proven Guilty" for DF
Notes: Apologies for the long delay in fulfillment! One of these days, I'll finally finish this old list; only six to go ...
Summary: There were only two individuals in all of the United States who advertised publicly as wizards, Teal'c had discovered. 2000 words.
Teal'c had had little time to follow up on the business card he had been given by an anomalous sword-wielding individual before Ba'al-- or one of his clones-- crashed into a field near Cheyenne Mountain. And following the resolution of that matter, he had been called off-world to investigate a series of predatory attacks alongside the members of SG-3. The spate of grisly deaths appearing on worlds recently visited by SGC personnel had taken precedence over the mere reported incursion of malignant otherworldly beings attacking the attendees of a 'survival camp for troubled teenagers' ...at least when no other witnesses aside from Teal'c could be located for an interview.
SG-1 would have intervened, had he asked. But the impression he had gathered from the armored man and his companions had not led him to believe much benefit would be gained from escalating the matter with the Tau'ri chain of command. He asked his team to wait for an appropriate opportunity instead, when attention would not be drawn to their movements-- and General Landry's decision to invite them for a weekend to 'get to know each other better' had seemed an excellent smokescreen. Unfortunately, reality-- in the form of the usual consequences of Tau'ri scientists deciding they knew better than those who had created the equipment they acquired from off world-- had intervened.
Once the matter of the Sodan cloaking devices and the invasive, mutation-causing parasites that used them as windows to enter their universe had been resolved, however, Teal'c finally had a chance to look up the name presented on that card.
Harry Dresden-- Wizard. Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties or Other Entertainment.
There were only two individuals in all of the United States who advertised publicly as wizards, Teal'c soon discovered. One of them resided in Los Angeles; the other-- the one whose name appeared on the card-- had made his home in Chicago. Dresden was approximately of an age with the younger members of SG-1, with a personal history that bore a slight resemblance to Daniel Jackson's; he had been orphaned at a young age, spent several years in fosterage, and entered an apprenticeship of sorts for his chosen career the moment he was considered an adult. Thereafter, each had faced the world that scorned their beliefs with equal parts stubbornness and eccentric conviction. However, while Daniel Jackson had entered the official education system and pursued archaeological evidence of alien visitation into employment with Stargate Command, Harry Dresden had acquired a private investigator's license in Chicago and proceeded to assist the city's police force in solving unusual events of an entirely different nature.
Teal'c had not been inclined to believe in magic before that day in Colorado Springs. It had seemed too reminiscent of the superstitions with which the Goa'uld had enslaved his people for thousands of years, or the advanced abilities of Ascended beings and their ilk. But after facing a creature called an Outsider who had chased several robe-wearing youths and their defenders through a portal into Colorado Springs, and then meeting the wizard Luccio's gaze, he had been forced to admit that there were more powers in the universe than any 'sufficiently advanced technology' could account for.
Ones that, Teal'c hoped, might be turned to their advantage in their struggle to defeat the Ori. And perhaps, in turn, allow them to provide some assistance to Dresden's people in their own troubles.
He made an appointment at the wizard's office, then embarked on a road trip from Colorado Springs to Chicago, ostensibly to see more of the world that had become his new home. Specifically in O'Neill's city of origin. The ship currently in orbit could beam him aboard and back to the SGC if an emergency occurred; in the meantime, he would not be officially required at the Mountain until General Landry enacted his plan to 'punk' Colonel Mitchell while simultaneously allowing the members of the various off-world teams a chance for relaxation before the pressures of the current war grew more strenuous.
Teal'c approved of seizing such opportunities when they presented themselves. Perhaps he should consult with Bra'tac on the number of times he had likely passed through a Chappa'ai, for an appropriate future excuse. In the meantime, however, he had a much more serious opportunity to pursue.
The address on the card led to a ten-story building, located amidst many newer, taller edifices at the heart of a very large Tau'ri city. It was not Teal'c's first time in the Windy City, but definitely his first from a tourist's perspective, and the vast press of humanity and all its works still sometimes made him feel as alien on this world as he had the first time he had stepped through Earth's Stargate with SG-1. The Goa'uld had never permitted either such density of population or audaciousness of native architecture on any of the worlds under their rule, and the evidence of Tau'ri advancement made him hungry to see what the Jaffa would build, now that his people had achieved their own freedom.
A venerable security guard stood watch in the lobby of the building; he directed Teal'c to the stairs with an amused snort, past an elevator blocked off with a sign indicating that it was in need of repair. Apparently, a large, muscular man wearing a ball cap was not out of the ordinary for a visitor asking directions to the wizard's office, an assessment Teal'c had not been expecting. Though perhaps he should have, given the martial nature of the one who had directed him that way.
The office itself was on the fifth floor; a door inset with frosted glass declared its occupant to be HARRY DRESDEN, WIZARD. Teal'c reached for the knob, found it unlocked, and stepped through without knocking, the better to take the measure of the man inside.
The individual behind the desk seemed tall for a Tau'ri, but otherwise no more unusual in appearance than Teal'c himself. He wore neither armor nor a robe, and was engrossed in a paperback novel whose title Teal'c recognized from Samantha Carter's 'guilty pleasure' bookshelf. One of his hands was badly scarred, burned at some point in the past, but no other unusually distinguishing features were visible. He was pale, dark-haired, and clean shaven, though he did not quite meet Teal'c's gaze as he looked up from his book-- a tell-tale mannerism perhaps? Teal'c recalled the wizard Luccio had done likewise until she had thought it necessary to ascertain his trustworthiness.
What had occurred when their gazes had met had been... profoundly disturbing. It had felt unsettlingly akin to the soul-baring induced by the Rite of Mal'Sharran, though in this case shared by both parties; a glimpse of one's true path normally only sought at great need and at the risk of one's life. Illuminating, but hopefully not to be required a second time.
"You must be Mr. Murray?" the wizard said, dog-earing a page in the novel and dropping it on the desk as he looked up.
"Indeed," Teal'c replied, inclining his head in greeting. "You are Harry Dresden?"
Curiously, the formality seemed to miss its purpose; rather than being set at ease, the wizard tensed slightly as Teal'c closed the door behind himself.
"Have been all my life," Dresden replied warily, shifting a hand toward the back of the desk where a drawer was likely situated. "How can I help you?"
Surely, the wizard's associates had told him of their meeting, and the manner of it. But Teal'c could understand the desire for confirmation, particularly if Dresden also numbered among his foes those who could easily change or disguise their outward forms.
"A man named Michael gave me your card," he replied calmly, "following a most unusual battle on the streets of Colorado Springs."
Dresden gave an amused snort, but curiously, did not relax his wary posture. "That's one way to put it. Usually, people try to forget that they ever saw anything unusual in the first place, not join in."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "It sought to prey upon children. And I have had much experience fighting powerful beings who would subjugate others. My choice was clear."
The wizard sat back slightly at that statement, studying Teal'c without ever quite looking directly at him; then gestured toward a chair across from him in belated welcome. "I can respect that. So-- did you have questions? Or are you here for my professional services?"
Teal'c eyed the chair; its sturdiness seemed questionable, but he would not refuse the hospitality. He sat gingerly, taking in the rest of the office as he did so.
A table near the door bore a coffee pot, and a collection of flyers emblazoned with titles such as 'Magic for Dummies'. A row of worn filing cabinets, folders full of papers visible within one half-opened drawer, confirmed that Dresden's investigative license was not mere pretense. A pair of cardboard boxes sat to one side of the desk, filled with additional paperback books in various states of wear. And the most advanced piece of Tau'ri technology in view was a landline telephone.
"Perhaps both," he said, reassured by the mundanity. "If the answers are sufficient." No being who thought themselves above their less powerful compatriots would tolerate such surroundings.
"And who determines if the answers are sufficient or not?" Dresden asked, frowning slightly. "You, or the authorities you mentioned to Luccio?"
Ah; it was not Teal'c the wizard was wary of, but those he represented. That said much about Dresden's past experiences and potential priorities. Once again, this strange Tau'ri culture-within-a-culture reminded him far more of his interactions with those on other planets than with the people of Earth. It left him on more familiar ground than he had expected to find in this encounter.
He considered possible answers, then carefully shaped his reply. The matter of Ally could wait; after glimpsing her for the first time in many years among the robed teenagers being ushered to safety, he desired a means of contacting her, and Dresden seemed the likeliest source. But he would also be unlikely to reply in a helpful manner until the air between them was sufficiently sterilized. "I am here of my own accord. Though should we come to an agreement, certain of my compatriots would necessarily be made aware. Defying false gods is neither a simple, nor a solitary endeavor."
Dresden straightened in his chair, expression stilling in a manner that immediately stiffened Teal'c's spine in instinctive response. The wizard's 'mostly ordinary' demeanor had melted away, leaving Teal'c with the surety that he was in actuality seated across from an extremely dangerous individual.
"False gods," Dresden repeated. "Somehow, I don't think you mean that metaphorically."
Teal'c inclined his head again, letting his own seriousness speak for itself.
"Then I think maybe we do have something to talk about, Mr. Murray." Dresden's eyes flicked up; not to Teal'c's own gaze, but to the brim of his cap.
Teal'c removed it, and saw the immediate recognition in Dresden's gaze. If not of the tattoo's origins, then certainly of its significance. Apparently, some knowledge of the Goa'uld had survived the millennia since Ra's banishment from this world, merely not in a form Daniel Jackson could access. He had definitely made the right choice in coming here.
"You may call me Teal'c," he said. "Is there somewhere more secure we might speak?"
"That depends," Dresden said, rising to his feet and reaching for a length of wood propped against the end of his desk. "How do you feel about beer?"
Teal'c eyed the staff, then stood as well, abruptly curious whether it was useful in a physical fight as well as a magical one. Sparring partners were not easily come by among the Tau'ri. "A superior socially lubricating beverage," he replied.
A more genuine smile broke over the wizard's face. "To McAnally's, then."
Teal'c inclined his head and followed Dresden out of his office. "Indeed."
-x-
Author: jedibuttercup
Disclaimer: The words are mine; the worlds are not
Rating: T
Prompt/Prompter: xiorlanth, who asked for: "Something from An Unanticipated Detour? Harry meeting Teal'c. Or Bob meeting Vala."
Spoilers: Stargate SG-1 early Season 10, post-"Proven Guilty" for DF
Notes: Apologies for the long delay in fulfillment! One of these days, I'll finally finish this old list; only six to go ...
Summary: There were only two individuals in all of the United States who advertised publicly as wizards, Teal'c had discovered. 2000 words.
Teal'c had had little time to follow up on the business card he had been given by an anomalous sword-wielding individual before Ba'al-- or one of his clones-- crashed into a field near Cheyenne Mountain. And following the resolution of that matter, he had been called off-world to investigate a series of predatory attacks alongside the members of SG-3. The spate of grisly deaths appearing on worlds recently visited by SGC personnel had taken precedence over the mere reported incursion of malignant otherworldly beings attacking the attendees of a 'survival camp for troubled teenagers' ...at least when no other witnesses aside from Teal'c could be located for an interview.
SG-1 would have intervened, had he asked. But the impression he had gathered from the armored man and his companions had not led him to believe much benefit would be gained from escalating the matter with the Tau'ri chain of command. He asked his team to wait for an appropriate opportunity instead, when attention would not be drawn to their movements-- and General Landry's decision to invite them for a weekend to 'get to know each other better' had seemed an excellent smokescreen. Unfortunately, reality-- in the form of the usual consequences of Tau'ri scientists deciding they knew better than those who had created the equipment they acquired from off world-- had intervened.
Once the matter of the Sodan cloaking devices and the invasive, mutation-causing parasites that used them as windows to enter their universe had been resolved, however, Teal'c finally had a chance to look up the name presented on that card.
Harry Dresden-- Wizard. Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties or Other Entertainment.
There were only two individuals in all of the United States who advertised publicly as wizards, Teal'c soon discovered. One of them resided in Los Angeles; the other-- the one whose name appeared on the card-- had made his home in Chicago. Dresden was approximately of an age with the younger members of SG-1, with a personal history that bore a slight resemblance to Daniel Jackson's; he had been orphaned at a young age, spent several years in fosterage, and entered an apprenticeship of sorts for his chosen career the moment he was considered an adult. Thereafter, each had faced the world that scorned their beliefs with equal parts stubbornness and eccentric conviction. However, while Daniel Jackson had entered the official education system and pursued archaeological evidence of alien visitation into employment with Stargate Command, Harry Dresden had acquired a private investigator's license in Chicago and proceeded to assist the city's police force in solving unusual events of an entirely different nature.
Teal'c had not been inclined to believe in magic before that day in Colorado Springs. It had seemed too reminiscent of the superstitions with which the Goa'uld had enslaved his people for thousands of years, or the advanced abilities of Ascended beings and their ilk. But after facing a creature called an Outsider who had chased several robe-wearing youths and their defenders through a portal into Colorado Springs, and then meeting the wizard Luccio's gaze, he had been forced to admit that there were more powers in the universe than any 'sufficiently advanced technology' could account for.
Ones that, Teal'c hoped, might be turned to their advantage in their struggle to defeat the Ori. And perhaps, in turn, allow them to provide some assistance to Dresden's people in their own troubles.
He made an appointment at the wizard's office, then embarked on a road trip from Colorado Springs to Chicago, ostensibly to see more of the world that had become his new home. Specifically in O'Neill's city of origin. The ship currently in orbit could beam him aboard and back to the SGC if an emergency occurred; in the meantime, he would not be officially required at the Mountain until General Landry enacted his plan to 'punk' Colonel Mitchell while simultaneously allowing the members of the various off-world teams a chance for relaxation before the pressures of the current war grew more strenuous.
Teal'c approved of seizing such opportunities when they presented themselves. Perhaps he should consult with Bra'tac on the number of times he had likely passed through a Chappa'ai, for an appropriate future excuse. In the meantime, however, he had a much more serious opportunity to pursue.
The address on the card led to a ten-story building, located amidst many newer, taller edifices at the heart of a very large Tau'ri city. It was not Teal'c's first time in the Windy City, but definitely his first from a tourist's perspective, and the vast press of humanity and all its works still sometimes made him feel as alien on this world as he had the first time he had stepped through Earth's Stargate with SG-1. The Goa'uld had never permitted either such density of population or audaciousness of native architecture on any of the worlds under their rule, and the evidence of Tau'ri advancement made him hungry to see what the Jaffa would build, now that his people had achieved their own freedom.
A venerable security guard stood watch in the lobby of the building; he directed Teal'c to the stairs with an amused snort, past an elevator blocked off with a sign indicating that it was in need of repair. Apparently, a large, muscular man wearing a ball cap was not out of the ordinary for a visitor asking directions to the wizard's office, an assessment Teal'c had not been expecting. Though perhaps he should have, given the martial nature of the one who had directed him that way.
The office itself was on the fifth floor; a door inset with frosted glass declared its occupant to be HARRY DRESDEN, WIZARD. Teal'c reached for the knob, found it unlocked, and stepped through without knocking, the better to take the measure of the man inside.
The individual behind the desk seemed tall for a Tau'ri, but otherwise no more unusual in appearance than Teal'c himself. He wore neither armor nor a robe, and was engrossed in a paperback novel whose title Teal'c recognized from Samantha Carter's 'guilty pleasure' bookshelf. One of his hands was badly scarred, burned at some point in the past, but no other unusually distinguishing features were visible. He was pale, dark-haired, and clean shaven, though he did not quite meet Teal'c's gaze as he looked up from his book-- a tell-tale mannerism perhaps? Teal'c recalled the wizard Luccio had done likewise until she had thought it necessary to ascertain his trustworthiness.
What had occurred when their gazes had met had been... profoundly disturbing. It had felt unsettlingly akin to the soul-baring induced by the Rite of Mal'Sharran, though in this case shared by both parties; a glimpse of one's true path normally only sought at great need and at the risk of one's life. Illuminating, but hopefully not to be required a second time.
"You must be Mr. Murray?" the wizard said, dog-earing a page in the novel and dropping it on the desk as he looked up.
"Indeed," Teal'c replied, inclining his head in greeting. "You are Harry Dresden?"
Curiously, the formality seemed to miss its purpose; rather than being set at ease, the wizard tensed slightly as Teal'c closed the door behind himself.
"Have been all my life," Dresden replied warily, shifting a hand toward the back of the desk where a drawer was likely situated. "How can I help you?"
Surely, the wizard's associates had told him of their meeting, and the manner of it. But Teal'c could understand the desire for confirmation, particularly if Dresden also numbered among his foes those who could easily change or disguise their outward forms.
"A man named Michael gave me your card," he replied calmly, "following a most unusual battle on the streets of Colorado Springs."
Dresden gave an amused snort, but curiously, did not relax his wary posture. "That's one way to put it. Usually, people try to forget that they ever saw anything unusual in the first place, not join in."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "It sought to prey upon children. And I have had much experience fighting powerful beings who would subjugate others. My choice was clear."
The wizard sat back slightly at that statement, studying Teal'c without ever quite looking directly at him; then gestured toward a chair across from him in belated welcome. "I can respect that. So-- did you have questions? Or are you here for my professional services?"
Teal'c eyed the chair; its sturdiness seemed questionable, but he would not refuse the hospitality. He sat gingerly, taking in the rest of the office as he did so.
A table near the door bore a coffee pot, and a collection of flyers emblazoned with titles such as 'Magic for Dummies'. A row of worn filing cabinets, folders full of papers visible within one half-opened drawer, confirmed that Dresden's investigative license was not mere pretense. A pair of cardboard boxes sat to one side of the desk, filled with additional paperback books in various states of wear. And the most advanced piece of Tau'ri technology in view was a landline telephone.
"Perhaps both," he said, reassured by the mundanity. "If the answers are sufficient." No being who thought themselves above their less powerful compatriots would tolerate such surroundings.
"And who determines if the answers are sufficient or not?" Dresden asked, frowning slightly. "You, or the authorities you mentioned to Luccio?"
Ah; it was not Teal'c the wizard was wary of, but those he represented. That said much about Dresden's past experiences and potential priorities. Once again, this strange Tau'ri culture-within-a-culture reminded him far more of his interactions with those on other planets than with the people of Earth. It left him on more familiar ground than he had expected to find in this encounter.
He considered possible answers, then carefully shaped his reply. The matter of Ally could wait; after glimpsing her for the first time in many years among the robed teenagers being ushered to safety, he desired a means of contacting her, and Dresden seemed the likeliest source. But he would also be unlikely to reply in a helpful manner until the air between them was sufficiently sterilized. "I am here of my own accord. Though should we come to an agreement, certain of my compatriots would necessarily be made aware. Defying false gods is neither a simple, nor a solitary endeavor."
Dresden straightened in his chair, expression stilling in a manner that immediately stiffened Teal'c's spine in instinctive response. The wizard's 'mostly ordinary' demeanor had melted away, leaving Teal'c with the surety that he was in actuality seated across from an extremely dangerous individual.
"False gods," Dresden repeated. "Somehow, I don't think you mean that metaphorically."
Teal'c inclined his head again, letting his own seriousness speak for itself.
"Then I think maybe we do have something to talk about, Mr. Murray." Dresden's eyes flicked up; not to Teal'c's own gaze, but to the brim of his cap.
Teal'c removed it, and saw the immediate recognition in Dresden's gaze. If not of the tattoo's origins, then certainly of its significance. Apparently, some knowledge of the Goa'uld had survived the millennia since Ra's banishment from this world, merely not in a form Daniel Jackson could access. He had definitely made the right choice in coming here.
"You may call me Teal'c," he said. "Is there somewhere more secure we might speak?"
"That depends," Dresden said, rising to his feet and reaching for a length of wood propped against the end of his desk. "How do you feel about beer?"
Teal'c eyed the staff, then stood as well, abruptly curious whether it was useful in a physical fight as well as a magical one. Sparring partners were not easily come by among the Tau'ri. "A superior socially lubricating beverage," he replied.
A more genuine smile broke over the wizard's face. "To McAnally's, then."
Teal'c inclined his head and followed Dresden out of his office. "Indeed."
-x-