Mostly Harmless by Betacandy (PG)

[abyssinia4077.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Sam and Daniel Friendship
Pairing: none
Category: Sam, Daniel, episode related, character study
Warning: none
Author on LJ betacandy
Author's Website: betacandy_sgfic
Link: Mostly Harmless (original version)
Mostly Harmless (rewrite)

Why This Must Be Read:
Set just before "Nemesis" Sam and Daniel meet for breakfast (and Daniel is very talented at waffle-eating) and end up discussing what they do to their appearances to get people to make the assumptions they want them to make. It's a wonderfully in-character study of both of them and how much more aware they are of the outside world than either sometimes wants to let on.


She smiled wearily. “Appearances matter, Daniel. You know that.”

Daniel stopped eating. Her answer must have captured his attention, because he couldn’t be full yet: he hadn’t even touched her plate. “Yes, that’s true. I’ve just never heard anyone illustrate a direct contrast like that. How did it change?”

She sat back, crossing her arms and wondering if he would understand. Men usually didn’t. Neither did some women. “Well, you know some people are intimidated by intelligence.”

A light went on in his eyes. “Yes, particularly men with intelligent women, or women working in fields traditionally reserved for men.”

“And there’s an unfounded assumption that blonds are not-so-bright,” she added.

He cleared his throat, wiped the corner of his mouth with his napkin and put his fork down. “You dye your hair to keep men from realizing you’re smarter than they are?”