Character meme

[bop_radar]

*takes a deep breath*

OK, radioreverie wheedled effectively... and clearly I don't have enough to do (*hysterical laughter*), so I'm doing that meme that's going around.

Name a character (from a show I'm familiar with) and I'll give you three (or more) facts about them from my personal canon/fanon. (Personal amendment: with characters you think I know well, you may also choose an aspect of their lives so I have a focus.)

ETA: You can ask for a character that's already been asked for--I don't mind. It might take me a while to get to them, but I promise I will do so.

Comments

[latteaddict.livejournal.com]

I'll make it easy for you. Lee Adama. I would like to know your personal canon/fanon on his academy years :)

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

HA! That is not easy AT ALL! It's harder, in fact. *frets* I'm making myself do the meme because other friends said they found it rewarding, but it does not come naturally to me at all. When I think of characters outside of what we know in canon, I just see this infinite range of possiblities and kind of blank out on them. *whinges*

OK, ok, I might have to sleep on this one. *is pathetic*

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Well perhaps sleeping on it was a bad idea because I've gone from having too little to say to too much. *sigh* I have no fixed ideas about this, because it exists outside the timeline we've been shown on the show, but here's some ideas.

1. Lee first met Kara at an orientation drinks night. 'Met' is too strong a word. Lee spent the night in the corner of the bar with the couple of guys he already knew from school. They spent most of the night taking the piss out of everyone else--especially Kara, who was busy trying to outdrink any cadet stupid enough to take her on. She was flirting with half the bar as well, and Lee quickly gathered she already had a reputation. Lee's friends dismissed her as slutty, but Lee secretly envied her her freedom. He was all too conscious of the fact that he was (to his knowledge) the only virgin in the bar--something he was determined to change as soon as possible, but life until that point hadn't provided much opportunity for scoring with girls--if he wasn't studying, he was needed to sort stuff out at home.
Kara and Lee only talked once that night. He found her bent over a basin, emptying her guts out. It startled him to see a girl look that ugly. This must have shown on his face because she glanced up and caught his reflection in the mirror and glared. 'What?!' Before he could recover his manners and ask if she was ok, the door had slammed behind her. Lee's never asked if Kara remembers that night--he assumes she doesn't.
2. In their second month at the Academy Kara and Lee got paired together for a tactics assignment. Kara seemed annoyed about this right from the start, though Lee couldn't think why--his marks were decent and tactics was one of his best subjects. She was the most uncooperative partner he'd ever had and they quickly descended into squabbling. She absolutely refused to see his point of view no matter how many rational arguments he put to her, and he got red in the face trying to point out where her own slapdash suggestions were flawed. They ended up screaming at each other in front of the whole class. Noone had ever seen Lee angry before and his friends were awkward with him about it afterwards. Before their instructor pulled Kara off Lee (she was trying to pin his head down on his textbooks), she hissed 'just because I've frakked more women that you have!'. Lee had no idea what this had to do with anything but it blindsided him. Despite the fact that he'd upped his own score to two by that stage (an older student took pity on him in second week--it was passionless but reassuring--just what he'd needed; and he'd hooked up with one of the other cadets just that past weekend--he wasn't sure if this meant they were dating yet or not), Lee felt instinctively that she was right. It never occurred to him to think it was a lie.
Later that night Kara showed up at his dorm room. She lounged in the door and said 'Come on'. Lee was confused. She rolled her eyes and said 'Don't make me say it!' and Lee knew she meant don't make her apologise. He grinned and followed her and assumed that they would hook up that night. Though he started the night determined that he was going to reject her (she wasn't THAT pretty), by the fifth drink he was pretty sure he wanted it to happen and too tired to care what his friends would think. But nothing happened. She deposited him back in his room around 5am, kind of half lifting him into the bed and throwing a quilt over him, even though he was still fully clothed. He threw an arm around her and for a moment she stayed bent over him, sort of half hugging. Her cheek brushed against his and her lips grazed his cheek in an almost-kiss. 'G'night'. And then she was gone. He woke in the morning with his boots still on and a thumping headache, and he never made the mistake of thinking they would hook up again. It made drinking with her easy, and he found himself doing so more and more. He started to pride himself on being the only person who didn't want to get in Starbuck's pants.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

3. Academy was brutal, and cadets were culled every couple six months. By final year, there was only a quarter of the original group left. Lee had no idea how Starbuck had managed to be one of them. For his part, although he'd found time for partying, sure, he'd had to work harder than he ever had in his life. Kara never seemed to work at all. His friends from school failed the penultimate semester and he took them out to commiserate with them. Kara showed up at the bar, swaggering in and making much of the fact that she'd passed. A fight broke out and Lee found himself dragging Kara outside. His friends called insults after them but he didn't care. He walked Kara home--she was drunk and rude and made fun of his friends, though they weren't really his friends any more anyway. Truth be told he'd never felt that comfortable with them--he'd always been sure they were talking about him behind his back, that they didn't really like him--just hung out with him because he was an Admiral's son. He laughed at Kara's imitations of them. That was when he realised they were friends. He'd never really thought of them that way before. But despite Kara's constant teasing, he felt like he knew where he stood with her. No-one else gave him that feeling. He liked her honesty and the way she didn't seem to like anyone that much--Lee sympathised with that though he never said so.

[http://users.livejournal.com/wisteria_/]

These are just COOL. My first thought was that I'd love to see you flesh them out into fics, but now I think they're perfectly-formed ficlets in themselves.

I'm about to do a rewatch of TSAR-C2, and these will definitely be in my mind. :)

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

now I think they're perfectly-formed ficlets in themselves
That's a relief! Because I really don't like writing. :-)

I'm glad you liked them though! :-) I had fun thinking about them.

[daybreak777.livejournal.com]

Wonderful about Lee and kara. I like number 2 because it's sweet and shows the softer side of Kara. And number 1 used to be part of my own personal canon on Lee, that he didn't get much action. But he's so pretty, I still don't get it. He did have to pay Shevon for sex though, what's up with that? But in the beginning, when I was new to fandom, I thought Lee didn't get much. Something about the way Lee looks at Kara sometimes. He doesn't just want sex, he wants love.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

number 1 used to be part of my own personal canon on Lee, that he didn't get much action
*nods* Well, we don't know that he had any at all in season 1. And I reckon he would have come late to that stuff simply because his childhood and teenagehood was so angst-ridden and he's so conscientious, family and school would have come first. I think he would have lacked confidence as a young adult and gained it by the time he became a pilot proper. I think after a while he would have worked out that his looks meant he could pull if he wanted to. But, as you say, it's love he wants most, not just sex. He would have worked out that he could get sex if he wanted it, but that would have felt like a pretty hollow victory. Because Lee's mother left him with an aching need for love and affection. Neither of his parents gave him anything close to unconditional love and Lee's emotional development was stunted accordingly. I don't think he separates sex from love, as mushy as that sounds, so sex isn't much good to him if it doesn't come wrapped in acceptance and affection and trust.

He did have to pay Shevon for sex though, what's up with that?
I don't think he had to (agreed--it makes no sense!), I think he chose to. Lee's got huge hang ups when it comes to relationships: he failed Gianne and he doesn't want to hurt anyone/lose anyone like that ever again. He's also got control issues, especially emotionally, and the relationship with Shevon allowed him to keep things controlled, with him in a 'benefactor'/'protector' role. He deliberately chose someone who would let him indulge in showing affection, but choosing a prostitute also worked as emotional masochism--it shows Lee thinks he doesn't deserve any better or doesn't think he could live up to someone else's expectations (he was shown to have jitters around Dee at that time to--'what do you want from me?'). It made him feel good to protect someone disadvantaged--that plays into the part of Lee's psyche that protected his brother from his mother and took on the emotional burdens of three people in that family, not just his own. It's his way of loving, and he was shocked when Shevon rejected it. He'd thought he'd chosen someone who would be grateful for that kind of love/protection.

[daybreak777.livejournal.com]

Ah, poor Lee. *pets Lee*

Everything you say makes sense. Though when I thought about my last comment, I realized, "What does money mean in this world, anyway?" Apparently something on the Prometheus but for a minute, I thought, "Where does that money go? Who even gives it meaning?" I give BSG way too much thought sometimes.

I see that Lee tries to love/protect women in his life and it doesn't always pan out. This also strangely explains part of his feelings for Dee and the little sister vibe I sometimes get/got from them.

Always good to check in with Lee's pscychologist! *g*

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

"Where does that money go? Who even gives it meaning?" I give BSG way too much thought sometimes.
Noo, it's really interesting! I like all that societal stuff. I think they've still got a big enough culture that money is worth something at the moment--to buy luxuries and (apparently) some scarce necessities like medicine (which BM highlights).

This also strangely explains part of his feelings for Dee and the little sister vibe I sometimes get/got from them.
*nods* And Dee wants a father figure so it works for them... sort of... until it doesn't. :-p

[latteaddict.livejournal.com]

*yay* It felt like fic! I love that you included Kara in Lee's academy days. I was surprised you were stressing out at first, I figured Lee would be the easiest one for you. You made a perfect blend of good boy meets bad girl...love friendship ensues. *thinks dirty thoughts*

I wonder if Ron will ever be so kind as to give us L/K pre-mini history? I'd swap the 'Peggy' movie for 'pilots: the Academy' days anytime :)

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

I love that you included Kara in Lee's academy days.
Hahaha--I made them all about Kara! ;-p

I figured Lee would be the easiest one for you.
Yeah, sorry about the freak out--not your fault! I have this weird thing where I'm extra anxious where favourite characters (e.g. Lee, Lois) are concerned. It's the same vidding--I'm oddly more comfortable exploring characters I don't know well and kind of finding out about them on the way... I feel like I can't go wrong with them, if that makes any sense at all! (Probably not!) I demand far more of myself with favourite characters, and I'm sure I'll never do them justice. Hence, angst.

Also, as you can see, I can't shut up where Lee is concerned. :-p

I wonder if Ron will ever be so kind as to give us L/K pre-mini history? I'd swap the 'Peggy' movie for 'pilots: the Academy' days anytime :)
I'm not holding my breath. And yeah, I'd swap for the Academy Days in an instant!

[dionusia.livejournal.com]

Damn these were good, but I'm going to pout.


*stomps foot*

*makes the biggest Leemo face ever*

*cries*

Why won't you help Lee?

Can't you see we need some more writers who get him like you do? Dammit, you'd be a champ fic writer, I just know it. These prove it.

PLEASE? He NEEDS you!

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Awww! *hugs you* That is the sweetest comment EVER! (complete with Leemo pout)

I'm flattered you liked them, but I'm not really sure I could flesh them out to fic? I could probably think up more plots but I don't think I have a flair for description or character detail or writing dialogue... Maybe if I had all the time in the world?

Aww, but he looks so SAD! :-(

[dionusia.livejournal.com]

Your refusal to help poor woobie hurts his soul.

What? IT DOES.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Ach! You are making this VERY HARD on me! I is vidding him--does that not count for something?

If you pick a different time/aspect of Lee's life I will write three more things about him. They probably won't be any more fleshed out than the ones above though. Deal?

[dionusia.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, vidding him is good. But...oh okay, deal. Very generous of you.

*schools face into an innocent expression, hoping you won't realize that writing more of these will make you a de facto ficlet writer*

This was really tough to figure out what to request. I mulled it over for a long time, and well, I'm currently playing around with a fic for Jo that deals with the post-Res Ship time period from Kara's POV and I have a lot of thoughts on what's going on with Lee then, but I'd love to hear yours.