DPP: I still remember the sun always warm on my back...

[rayruz.livejournal.com]

Or not.

The other day, I was flipping through my AO3 archive, and found that I'd started a fic with the line "The other kids started to be afraid of Kara Thrace in the 5th grade," and went on to describe a scene where she pushes a kid for bullying someone else and ends up in trouble for it.

When we think about Kara and Lee's childhoods, I think, as fandom, we generally think about what the show showed us about their relationships to their parents, and...well... abuse, neglect, general not good times. However, I say that we do not think about their childhoods enough. That's the thing about children, whether you like them or not, you were one at some point. Same goes for our lovely pilots.

Today, I thought maybe we could spend some time chatting about what they might have been like as kids-be it in elementary school, middle school, or high school, there's a wide range of stuff out there that made our pilots who they are today. Who did they connect to--friends? teachers? coaches? counselors? Who did they not get along with? Did they play video games, read books? Why exactly can Kara quote poetry off the top of her head? (For those watching Caprica, or not if you're so inclined) Does Lee have any connection at all to his Tauron heritage? First boyfriend/girlfriend/one-night stand? The questions go on and on.

Before it was canon-shafted to hell there were fics about Kara and Lee knowing each other in their younger years, pre-Academy type stuff. Thoughts? Recommendations? Recs.

I'm just throwing it all out there for you. Feel free to discuss and drabble to your hearts content! It's late for me, so I'm gonna swing back by in the morning. <3

Comments

[scifishipper.livejournal.com]

I wrote a short fic with a snapshot of Kara's childhood with her mother. Some might have already seen it. It was part of a writing challenge in which I was asked to portray a character in a robbery.

Fear Gets You Killed (http://sci-fi-shipper.livejournal.com/25767.html)

This post also has me thinking about the thing that kept Kara from becoming hard and taking the typical abused child path to destruction, unhealthy relationships or general fuckupery. When I think about it, there are a few things that come to mind.

Father: Much has been said, so I'll be brief. The one thing that her father taught her, in my mind, was that she is lovable. I know, often she is portrayed as feeling unlovable and I understand the core of doubt that runs through her, but I get the sense that on some level she felt loved by her father, despite his leaving. That love creates strength and resilience that has allowed her to have close and meaningful relationships with Adama, Lee and Sam. Yes, she is self-destructive and impulsive (in school and as an adult), but there is a sweet vulnerability that has not been crushed - I see that as her father's influence.

Mother: Despite Socrata's abuse, or maybe because of it, Kara has developed a strong barrier against traumatic experiences. She has been hardened to withstand abuse and disappointment. Not only does she withstand it, she thrives on the focus it gives her. Her mother never brooked weakness, nor does Kara. Hates it, in fact. Her ability to block off all of the pain and hurt is one of the things that makes her so fascinating (and so hard to watch sometimes, e.g., New Caprica). That also makes her incredibly strong and powerful where others are weaker or more vulnerable. She is amazing under stress. Take away the stress and she's a bit of a mess in dealing with ordinary life.

Intelligence: One of the things I don't read too much about is Kara's intelligence. I imagine her in school as a tough-as-nails bully type with a superbrain for mathematics and engineering. The show does not focus on her intelligence, generally eschewing it for instinct-driven smarts, but she is very very bright. Very intelligent children can use those smarts to hyper-focus on goal-oriented things like work or homework as a way of coping with their problems. Even though Kara was a bully and probably had some discipline problems, my guess is that her mother made her do her homework every single night and pushed her extremely hard to be the best. We see that in Lee because it's not so camouflaged. With Kara, that drive and determination are muffled by her attitude.

Physicality: I think Kara was probably a very physically-active child. She loves sports and uses physical exercise to reduce stress. Another strong coping technique to help her deal with the difficult feelings inside her.

Wow. I'm thinky/gabby today. Sheesh.

[rachelindeed.livejournal.com]

I really like what you say about Kara's intelligence, it makes a lot of sense to me. She graduated 16th in her class despite all her disciplinary issues, which means she scored high in class as well as in the air. And I've always loved that little deleted scene from the Captain's Hand when she rebuts Lee's argument with unexpected trenchance and eloquence, and then sits up and says mockingly, "You hate it when she argues rationally, don't you?"

I think you may be right about Kara being a bully at school ~ I can certainly see some of those schoolyard skills (taunting and picking fights) at play both with her nuggets and with Lee at various points in the series.

I think it was shuchong's "Polish the Stars" fic that postulated that Lee used to try to beat up the *bullies* at his school as an outlet for his own pent-up frustrations, but that it never worked out very well for him. I kind of love this idea (and I kind of wish he and Kara had gone to the same school together, even briefly. It could have been an explosive combination!) I always think of the futilely-beating-up-bullies scenario when I watch the beginning of Unfinished Business and that match between him and Helo. Not that Helo is a bully at all, he's just obviously so much bigger and stronger than Lee that there's no realistic chance that Lee can do any serious damage to him. I'm sure that's exactly what Lee was looking for to let out his frustrations at that moment - he wanted someone he could go all out against who would be largely impervious to any pain he might inflict.

I also like your comment about that lingering uncrushed vulnerability in Kara, that sense that she flowers under affection and knows how to value it. I agree. I think part of that was her father, part Zak, part Helo, part Adama. Part Lee in his own way. But in her childhood, yes, I think the memory of her father kept that spark alive in her.

[ninety6tears.livejournal.com]

I totally agree about Kara's smarts. She had to be a pretty driven student and she's a good problem solver, but people seem to overlook it.