BSG FIC: Youth's Final Luxury (Part 4/6)

[lls_mutant]

Title: Youth's Final Luxury (Part 4/6)
Author: lls_mutant
Rating: PG-13-ish
Characters: Felix Gaeta and Tom Zarek
Pairings: Gaeta/Skulls, Gaeta/Baltar, unrequited Zarek/Roslin
Story Summary: Tom Zarek and Felix Gaeta didn't have much to do with each other, until they were both working for President Gaius Baltar.
Chapter Summary: The Cylon occupation begins.

Comments

[strangesicksad]

The only thing I can figure is the Cylons don't respect him at all, because he's not nearly as subtle as I think we're supposed to believe he is :)

Heh. See, personally I think the Cylons would get a kick out of having Gaeta around: he's smart, he's competent, he's quiet, he's deferential, he knows where all the files are kept, and he probably picks up coffee cups and empties ashtrays without being asked. Also, when he starts to become unraveled, he does it in a most entertaining way (see: the "die Cylon die!" doodles. Death wish much, Gaeta?). If I were an occupying Cylon, I'd probably keep him around as a mascot. That said, I'd also take steps to keep him far, far away from: a) vitally important strategic documents, and b) guns.

Back to your writing, though: I should mention I also love your clueless and self-absorbed Baltar, who remains wholly oblivious to the harm he does. The way he seeks sympathy and comfort from Felix, and is initially bewildered when Felix doesn't seem willing to provide either, seems very, very much in keeping with his character.

[lls_mutant]

If I were an occupying Cylon, I'd probably keep him around as a mascot. That said, I'd also take steps to keep him far, far away from: a) vitally important strategic documents, and b) guns.

There's just something about that image that cracks me up. Felix Gaeta- Cylon/human relations mascot :) Poor guy.

I do wonder how he got his hands on some of those documents. The death list, okay, because he was copied on it, possibly even as a "this could happen to you" sort of message. But the jamming frequencies? (Although maybe he was able to work that out?) Security plans and coordinates make sense... but yeah. I'm also fast growing fond of the idea that Boomer vouched for him a lot, which fits well with her character and his.

Back to your writing, though: I should mention I also love your clueless and self-absorbed Baltar, who remains wholly oblivious to the harm he does.

Thanks :) As much as I strongly dislike Baltar (in a good sort of way), I definitely think there are two big things about his brand of villainy: 1.) he abhors physical violence, and will only resort to it as a very last resort (and actually, when we do see him kill someone it was arguably what needed to be done to save humans), and 2.) half the time, he doesn't realize what he's doing. I definitely prefer that with Felix, and I can see that breaking Felix's heart even further because he just doesn't warrant even the consideration of Baltar being cruel, except in Taking a Break.

[strangesicksad]

The death list, okay, because he was copied on it, possibly even as a "this could happen to you" sort of message.

I like to think the death list showed up in his in-box with a Post-It attached: "FYI: we're going to slaughter a bunch of your friends tomorrow morning. Please arrange to have bagels and coffee delivered to the execution site. Thx!"

Cylon/human relations mascot = Worst. Job. Ever.

But the jamming frequencies?

And Tyrol has a line early on about how he's asked his mysterious source for the frequencies a couple of times and received no reply. This suggests to me that Gaeta had to go to a great deal of difficulty and personal risk to procure them (my brain immediately jumps to "traded sexual favors", though Gaeta has probably gone through enough angst and self-loathing without piling that on his head as well).

I'm also fast growing fond of the idea that Boomer vouched for him a lot, which fits well with her character and his.

I like this idea, too: it seems entirely logical that Boomer would keep an eye out for him. I think the only Cylon we see him interact with is Caprica, and she's quite courteous to him, at least until he starts waving guns at Baltar. Interesting to consider the possibility that the qualities that make Adama & co. constantly overlook/underestimate Gaeta (intelligent, quiet, nonconfrontational, diligent) would be very attractive to the Cylons. (Just a thought: I imagine it would make Gaeta feel even worse about New Caprica if the Cylons had been really, really nice to him...)

[lls_mutant]

This suggests to me that Gaeta had to go to a great deal of difficulty and personal risk to procure them (my brain immediately jumps to "traded sexual favors", though Gaeta has probably gone through enough angst and self-loathing without piling that on his head as well).

Yeah. I thought about this long and hard, because the angst queen in me so wanted to go there. One of my "pet plots" is actually male rape, because the issues that are involved with recovery are so tough and compelling. If I was going to do it in the BSG universe, Gaeta would so be my candidate, not because he's such a woobie but because he's got that spun silk strength and survival instinct that would make for a good survivor story. (I was mentioning to trovia in another post that if I'd written the show, I would have so gone there and had Tigh know just enough that during that scene in the CIC where he calls Gaeta a traitor, he would have let the cat out of the bag. And then everyone would have known what happened, and Gaeta dealing with that could have been really interesting.)

Ahem. :)

Anyway, I've wondered about the sexual favors thing, because Lord knows with the Whisper of Doom they've got it set up. (Even if the whisper was really about something else.) But I think I decided it was just a little too much- like you said he's got enough else going on- it just comes across as too much. :P

(Just a thought: I imagine it would make Gaeta feel even worse about New Caprica if the Cylons had been really, really nice to him...)

I've thought this, too. Every time we see Gaeta, he's still dressed well and he looks physically healthy enough. One of the things I didn't manage to pull off but was toying with was the idea that he knew his life was better than most, and there was a part of him that was very grateful he was collaborating. At the same time he felt guilty, but I can see something else being there.