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A bit of crack. [livejournal.com profile] millari, this is the one I started in the comments :) Enjoy!!

Title: The Stories We Tell
Author: [livejournal.com profile] lls_mutant
Rating: PG
Pairing: None, except that both Tighs are in the story.
Characters: Gaeta, Billy, Baltar, Cottle, Tigh, Ellen, Cavil
Summary: We all want to be something we're not every now and then.
Notes: Crack. Serious crack. Thanks to [livejournal.com profile] fading_echoes for the inspiration on this one!



Billy gaped at Gaeta. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, I'm serious. If you ever want to join us…" Gaeta's voice trailed off invitingly.

Billy thought about it. "It's been so long. I didn't think I'd ever have the chance again. Especially being with Dee. She'd never be into that kind of thing."

"Tell me about it. I suggested it once to her and she nearly laughed herself sick."

Billy cringed. "You won't tell her, will you?"

Gaeta shook his head. "Of course not."

"It's just that it's so hard to find a good Master…" Billy sighed.

Gaeta grinned evilly. "Trust me. This one is… you won't regret it."

***

I can't believe you're doing this, Six complained as Baltar stuffed the notebooks into the nearest lab drawer. It's not befitting of you at all. If anyone ever found out…

"Yes, well, they won't, now will they?" Baltar said. He moved aside some vials. "It would really hurt my reputation."

You could forget the blondes, Six mused. She brightened. Maybe there are worse things.

"Can't think of too many." He moved a few stools around.

You are not going to do it on the table.

"Why not? It's not like there are better places in here." He seemed supremely unconcerned by it. "And no one ever comes down here. We won't be disturbed."

Six sniffed. You'd better hope not, or you'll never be taken seriously again.

***

Cottle checked his smokes. If this went like usual, he'd need a full pack, at least. Maybe more, if that nutcase of a doctor decided to mooch a few off him. If it wasn't for the fact that the man was so frakking skilled….

But this sort of thing was like an addiction. You might think you can do without it, but try it for a few years and you find out you can't. Of course, Baltar was nothing like old Martin had been, but there weren't many people into this sort of thing, and you had to take what you could get.

With a furtive look around he slipped out of the sick bay.

***

"I'm just saying it doesn't always have to be about sex," Tigh said as he strode through the halls. "Why is it always about sex?"

"Because that's what people do, Saul. I'm surprised I even have to explain this," Ellen said. "Come on. Won't you consider it? Please?"

"It's sick," Tigh insisted. "That sort of thing just isn't right."

Ellen sniffed. "You're no fun at all."

***

Cavil grabbed his notes and walked through the halls of Galactica, whistling cheerfully. This sort of thing was such a fascinating look into the human mind, and what they were capable of creating. What they were capable of believing. Really, it was appropriate that it was held in a lab, because behavior like this certainly required study.

***

The lights in the lab were low. Gaius had even lit candles for ambience, a move which had thrown Six into hysterical laughter. But honestly, if you were going to do this sort of thing you had to do it right.

"All right," he said, pulling his chair up to the table. Gaeta was sitting next to him, hands folded as he glanced over the notes Baltar had made. Roslin's young aide Billy looked nervous and excited at the same time- completely normal, with new partners. Cottle was smoking, Cavil was watching Ellen and Tigh bicker bemusedly. Baltar pulled out a small box.

"All right," he said. "You enter a small room, and you hear breathing. Roll a D20."

***

"Billy, do you have your character sheet?" Baltar asked. Billy nodded. "Let me look." He took the sheet and brightened. "Oh. Oh, yes. This is good. Quite good, actually. Who knew you had it in you?"

"I did," Ellen said. "He totally looks the type."

"Should I be insulted by that?" Billy asked.

Gaeta looked over Baltar's shoulder. "Druidic magic could be interesting."

Baltar swatted him away. "Stop peeking. This is fine, Billy."

"Well, then, let's get started," Tigh growled. "I'm in the mood to kill things."

"I'm right there with you, brother," Cavil said.

***

"All right," Cottle said slowly. "My paladin prays and swings his broadsword."

"Roll," Baltar ordered.

"Missed," Cottle said, and swore.

'Right. Colonel?"

"Let's try to take this bastard down with the axe." He rolled. "Yes! Hit!"

Baltar rolled his own die. "Eight points of damage. The dragon roars in pain and rears back."

"Yes!" Tigh hissed.

"Billy."

Billy shook his head. "My wilder elf picks up a rock and throws it."

"A rock," Cavil deadpanned.

"Well, what else can I do?" Billy asked. "The frakker broke my staff, I've used my spell for the day, and I've fired all of my arrows. I'm not going to just stand there and become dragon food, so I'll throw a rock."

Baltar snickered. "Roll." Billy obeyed and rolled a twenty. Baltar raised his eyebrows. "Critical hit. Roll the D100." And he pulled out a table from his notes.

Billy did so, and silence fell over the room as they all froze.

"What?" Billy asked.

"What the frak are the odds?" Cottle breathed.

"What?"

Baltar was still staring at the table. "A fifty is instant death to your opponent."

Billy goggled, and Gaeta started laughing. "You just killed the dragon with a rock," he said. He buried his head in his arms, his shoulders shaking.

"A rock," Ellen repeated.

Tigh reached down and pulled up the bottle he'd brought. "I think it's time we all had a drink."

***

"Yes! Barfight! My warrior jumps over the table and punches him!"

Tigh sighed. "Will someone please take the booze away from Gaeta before he gets us all killed?"

"I had no idea you were so bloodthirsty," Billy said, removing the bottle.

"I am in the military," Gaeta pointed out. "I'm the one that fires the nukes. Viper jocks only wish they could kill as many Cylons at one time as I can."

"Easy there, Tiger," Tigh growled, taking the booze from Billy and pouring out more for himself. "But you said there are five guys there?" he asked Baltar. Baltar nodded. "Fine," Tigh conceded. "My orc is in. And don't make your elven mage swoon," he ordered Ellen.

Ellen shut her mouth abruptly. Then she regrouped. "Why not?" she demanded. "It's all part of the story."

"The story?" Tigh demanded. "Who the hell cares about the story? The point is to kill things."

"No, Colonel, Ellen's got a point there," Baltar said.

"Thank you, Doctor," Ellen said, smiling flirtatiously. "It's a story, and a story is about more than just the violence."

"But it doesn't make any sense," Cavil complained. "What's the point of introducing a sexual relationship into this campaign?"

"Because it's not just sex," Billy spoke up. "When people are in love, it determines what they do."

"Well, that's just stupid," Cavil said. "I like to think humans are more intelligent than that they can be led about by their cocks."

"His character is an orc," Gaeta pointed out helpfully. Cavil ignored him.

"It doesn't add anything," Cavil insisted.

"It's not that simple," Billy said. "Love doesn't determine everything you do, but it certainly adds another dimension. And not just romantic love- any kind of love. Fraternal, parental, friendship, patriotism…. Unless our characters are all out just to kill things and get treasure, of course."

"But he's an orc!" Tigh insisted. "Last time I checked, orcs were crossbred between goblins and-"

"No," Cottle said, lighting up a cigarette. "They're elf men, corrupted and distorted by magic."

"See?" Ellen asked. "And because my mage is in love with him, she's looking for a spell to bring him back to his original form."

"Well, that's very romantic, but I still say that there's no point in it," Cavil groused.

"Wait a minute," Gaeta said, "if the orcs are all male, then how-"

"Stop!" Baltar demanded. "We are not discussing the mechanics of orc sex right now, all right? There is a bar fight to attend to that I've very carefully planned out, and would you all mind getting back to the gratuitous violence so we can continue on with the campaign?"

"Fine," Ellen sniffed. "But my elf mage still swoons."

Tigh rolled his eyes.

***

"I'm really not sure how we're going to get out of this one," Cavil mused.

"I'm still praying," Cottle said, sitting back and closing his eyes.

"I'm out of ideas," Billy said. "And somehow, I doubt a rock is going to take out these guys."

"I'm down," Gaeta sighed. "You guys might get out of this, but I'm not. That evil cleric is coming right at me."

"Yes," Baltar said slowly, "but…" he rolled the dice and smiled. "My warrior jumps in at the last minute and diverts the blade. I take eight points of damage, and the cleric takes twelve, killing him."

Gaeta's eyes lit up. "Thanks," he said softly, as if Baltar had jumped in front of him, instead of two fictional characters. Baltar smiled back.

"Enough with the googly eyes," Cavil snapped impatiently. "What's the outcome?"

Baltar smiled. "It seems your gods are listening, Doctor," he told Cottle. "Three of the clerics fall over dead."

Cottle grinned around his cigarette. "About time," he said, with immense satisfaction. "Now let's take out the last two."

***

They ended when the clock said it was two thirteen in the morning, and they all had to admit they needed sleep before the next shift. It was odd the way they broke apart, with Cottle heading back to sickbay, Ellen and Tigh to their quarters, Cavil off to wherever, and Billy half-helping a rather drunk Gaeta get back to the racks. It just wasn't something you spoke of outside the room, although none of them could put words to why.

But three nights later, they'd all be back again, and they all knew it.

***

I still don't understand the fascination, Six complained after they'd all left.

"You don’t?' Gaius asked as he cleaned up the lab table. "You live in a fantasy. You of all people should understand better than anyone."

Well, I suppose that their pathetic lives require some sort of escape…

"It's more than that. It's that people can be what they're not. Lieutenant Gaeta, who fights all his battles from a computer console, can pretend that he's physically strong and a warrior. Billy Keikeya can be mysterious and exotic, not bumbling lad who can't speak to women. Doctor Cottle, who inevitably loses his patients, can believe that his Gods really do give a frak. Ellen Tigh can believe that love matters, and the Colonel can protest all he wants, but he can believe it, too."

And Gaius Baltar can be the brave warrior, throwing down his life to save a friend.

"Yes, well, you noticed that?" Baltar replied with a wry smile. "The stories we tell say a lot about us. They lay our hopes and dreams on the line in a way that makes us quite vulnerable, should anyone choose to read into it. The only one I can't figure out is Brother Cavil. There's nothing remarkable about his character, nothing extraordinary. He's simply a human ranger."

Six smiled. I'm sure you'll figure it out, sooner or later. It's just a matter of knowing the full story.

Date: 2008-12-09 10:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rhaella.livejournal.com
sldsabhghegrjfk !!!!!

I love you. So much. For the initial crack, and then for the beautiful piece of character study in the final section. Love how much Baltar can glean from the entire affair at the end.

Date: 2008-12-12 12:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lls-mutant.livejournal.com
Thanks- both for the feedback and the original inspiration! This one was so much fun to write- I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

Date: 2008-12-09 10:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tin-o-biscuits.livejournal.com
Awww~ This made me all nostalgic for my highschool friends (except we never got into tabletop rpgs... our games were arcade fighters. And poker. XD)

Date: 2008-12-12 12:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lls-mutant.livejournal.com
Thanks! I was missing my old DnD group myself, as I was writing it. (In fact, that's where the whole dragon with a rock thing came from, although you probably guessed that.)

Date: 2008-12-09 10:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lurker2209.livejournal.com
O, this fic totally wins. BSG plus DnD = awesome!

Date: 2008-12-12 12:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lls-mutant.livejournal.com
Thanks! :) I couldn't resist this one :)

Date: 2008-12-09 10:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] trovia.livejournal.com
Now that's just sweet! And it's not just crack either, not with an ending like that. So cute with Baltar saving Gaeta's life by fictional proxy. :)

I especially love how Ellen is totally into it, theorizing about stories, and Gaeta is all with the warrior wrath and getting drunk. Cottle's "I'm still praying" cracked me up especially, for some reason.

I'm a bit worried now though. I play ruthless murderers on general principle. :)

Date: 2008-12-12 12:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lls-mutant.livejournal.com
Thanks :) I had a lot of fun with it. (And I admit to totally breaking into giggles when I came up with the idea of Baltar saving Gaeta's "life". :) )

Heh- maybe it means you wish you could do things without the burden of conscience? :)

Date: 2008-12-12 03:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] trovia.livejournal.com
Possibly. I pride myself to have no conscience whatsoever but who knows, I might be lying to myself. :)

Date: 2008-12-09 11:13 pm (UTC)
ext_61669: (Default)
From: [identity profile] emmiere.livejournal.com
This is hysterical and definitely made my day. And this:

"I'm right there with you, brother," Cavil said.

Snerk.

Date: 2008-12-12 12:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lls-mutant.livejournal.com
Thanks :) I was fond of that line myself!

Date: 2008-12-10 12:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] flyingpenguin42.livejournal.com
This is AWESOME. :-)

Date: 2008-12-12 12:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lls-mutant.livejournal.com
Thanks! It was a blast to write :)

Date: 2008-12-10 05:14 pm (UTC)
ext_10249: (baltar/six)
From: [identity profile] nicole-anell.livejournal.com
CRACK!

"Let's try to take this bastard down with the axe."
Heeeeee. Oh, Tigh. He was the one I could not see playing D&D until that line.

"I am in the military," Gaeta pointed out. "I'm the one that fires the nukes."
Srsly! (And hee, drunk geek enthusiasm.)

"What's the point of introducing a sexual relationship into this campaign?"
I C WHAT U DID THERE. ;p

Aww Baltar really can be quite selfless in a fantasy game.

Date: 2008-12-12 12:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lls-mutant.livejournal.com
Thanks! Crack is necessary at times. :)

I C WHAT U DID THERE. ;p

::snerk:: I'm SO subtle, aren't I???? ;)

Glad you enjoyed it!

Date: 2008-12-11 04:16 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] seraya7.livejournal.com
LOL + wow = this story.

Dang it, now I really want to watch Bender's Game.

Date: 2008-12-12 12:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lls-mutant.livejournal.com
Thanks! :)

Bender's Game was quite good, although the DnD stuff didn't really get going until later. But it was still good Futurama. ::Sigh:: I miss Futurama.

Date: 2008-12-11 05:04 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] millari.livejournal.com
Oh, I am so happy you wrote this! It was totally delightful! I actually read this aloud to my husband and in the spirit of the fic, I even did voices for all the characters. ;) We both laughed our heads off.

The meatshield vs. roleplayer debate going on between them in the second half was so spot on and hysterical. And I loved the moment when Billy flummoxed them all by killing the dragon with his puny rock. There were so many nice little details like this told me how well you know this subculture. Speaking of which:

"Stop!" Baltar demanded. "We are not discussing the mechanics of orc sex right now, all right?

This was hilarious not only because it was kinda familiar, but also because I love the irony of Baltar the sex addict saying it.

They lay our hopes and dreams on the line in a way that makes us quite vulnerable, should anyone choose to read into it.
I was especially tickled to see echoes of discussions we've been having recently crop up in Baltar's and Billy's speeches. Those parts gave this fic a bit more than just novelty value, you know?

Oh, and I couldn't comment and not mention the moment where Baltar saved Felix from certain virtual death by evil clerics. Cavil can just shut up about their googly eyes; I thought the two of them were adorkable. ;)

I still don't understand the fascination, Six complained after they'd all left.

"You don’t?' Gaius asked as he cleaned up the lab table. "You live in a fantasy. You of all people should understand better than anyone."


HA! Touche, Gaius.

Date: 2008-12-12 12:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lls-mutant.livejournal.com
Thanks! I'm glad you guys enjoyed it (although I think I really would have liked to hear the reading with the voices :) ). It really made me miss my old DnD group. (I'm sure you've already figured that out, but that's totally where the killing-the-dragon-with-a-rock thing came from.) I'm also glad you enjoyed the discussions- I couldn't resist doing that. Not very subtle, but lots of fun :)

Glad you guys enjoyed it! :)

Date: 2008-12-13 09:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] infinimato.livejournal.com
"All right," he said. "You enter a small room, and you hear breathing. Roll a D20."

It took me a good five minutes to stop laughing before I could continue reading.


Date: 2008-12-14 04:36 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lls-mutant.livejournal.com
Thanks! BTW- love the icon. (Although my OTP is Laura/Bill, I have a major soft spot for unrequited Zarek/Laura, because come on- who can resist the hotness of Laura Roslin? Not a mere mortal like Tom Zarek, that's for sure.) I'm not recognizing the scene, though. Refresh my memory?

Date: 2008-12-14 04:53 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] infinimato.livejournal.com
Sorry, I have no frakkin clue :-). I just saw it & loved it.

\o/

Date: 2009-01-03 06:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] prophetkristy.livejournal.com
ZOMG! How did I miss this the first time? (yay for year-in-review memes) This is just about the most adorkable crackfic EVAR. (And in my brain, Giles is saying "I'm a wounded dwarf with the mystical power of a doily.") I love the misdirect at the beginning, where it sounds like they're all going to have a big orgy. (And you thought Baltar's harem was *new*!) (Dear fluffy Lord, sudden mental picture of the harem playng DnD.) I'm also drawing hearts around the paragraph near the end about people being what they're not. <3

Re: \o/

Date: 2009-01-05 01:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lls-mutant.livejournal.com
Thanks! This is one of my pets, surprisingly enough :)

And the image of Baltar's Harem playing DnD is going to stick with me for a long, long time :)

Re: \o/

Date: 2009-01-06 04:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] prophetkristy.livejournal.com
If crazy images like that are going to pop into my head, they must be shared }:>

Date: 2009-02-21 11:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] safenthecity.livejournal.com
"Stop!" Baltar demanded. "We are not discussing the mechanics of orc sex right now, all right? There is a bar fight to attend to that I've very carefully planned out, and would you all mind getting back to the gratuitous violence so we can continue on with the campaign?"

I am seriously sitting at my computer laughing out loud. Of course Baltar is the master. OF COURDSE. xD Freaking brilliant. It reminds me of the last episode of Buffy. In such, such a good way.

Last line? Yes. Yes yes yes.

Aaaand I just broke into another fit of giggles at the thought of this group of people getting together to play D&D. Nothing short of genius.

Date: 2009-02-22 04:38 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lls-mutant.livejournal.com
Thanks! Every now and then, we all need some crack :) I like writing it, if you can't tell ;)

Date: 2009-02-22 05:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] safenthecity.livejournal.com
Crack is good for you. Especially when it involves BSG and DnD.

Date: 2009-03-22 01:04 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] puszysty.livejournal.com
I knew from the second that Billy said "Master" that this would be all of them playing D&D. YES! This cracks me up.

Date: 2009-06-04 08:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] blue-crow.livejournal.com
Why did I not read this a year ago and again once a week?

I love the buildup to the payoff- it could have totally gone another way and I love where it did go. I love how it goes from comical buildup to hilarious joking and then twists around to analysis and sort of perfect clarity, the way your stuff usually does.

And of course Ellen would be the slutty elven mage.

Date: 2009-07-20 04:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kassrachel.livejournal.com
Ahahahaha! This is awesome.

Date: 2009-07-22 07:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hobbitofkobol.livejournal.com
I decided to read this one first and wow, I love it!
Funny, with mystery at the beginning and so in character! especially Baltar's analysis at the end!
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