Discussion of Marriage, poly rel, in Battlestar

[lizardbeth]

So here's the thing: I'm writing a Kara/Sam/Lee triad marriage/relationship epic. (based on This bit of porn . And I'm trying to do it the bsg-way - or how it might have gone in canon.

And since I didn't actually ever watch Caprica, I have a few questions relating in a general way for flisters who watched it. Plus some bsg discussion.

ON MAWWIAGE ..




We didn't get much in the way of multiples in bsg - Baltar and his harem, and his triad on the basestar. given that, and other hints, it seems that frakking around, without marriage, isn't a big deal. And although we didn't see much, what we did see suggests that same-sex relationships were no different culturally.

However marriage seems to be more serious and different from frakking around. Both Kara and Lee cite being married in EOJ (Lee holds up infidelity as something impermissible, but Kara is from Ellen's school of marriage is forever, but infidelity is no big thing). But it's pretty clear that both of them think marriage changes them from what they were before and it's important in some basic way. I don't think THAT would change in a threesome marriage. Anyway, I've already written how they figure it out.

But what I'm most interested in right now is what everyone's else's reaction is going to be when our three get involved in this way. My thinking is that most people don't care -- in the Colonies, particularly in more cosmopolitan Caprica, poly marriages are rare but not unheard of, and not specifically banned by the Scrolls. So K/L/S might get some side-eyeing and raised eyebrows, but not much worse than that.

OTOH:
I know there was a polygamous relationship (marriage? Was it actually referred to as such?) in Caprica (the show). what was the makeup? (i.e. one girl & two guys) Were they monotheists? Or a LoK group?

Because it occurred to me that if poly was something that the monotheists were doing... well, since we don't hear about non-Cylon monotheism, it must be pretty non-standard in 'modern" Colonies. So I'm thinking they must have taken a hit (in members, in blame, whatev, to reduce their legitimacy) during/after the Cylon War. IOW if they become a dismissible cult of only a few, that no one admits even exists and is driven underground, then it seems likely their institutions did as well, which would create more prejudice against any future poly marriage. ("Poly marriage is something only gods-less heathens do!" That sort of thing)

Or poly might be something even more strictly forbidden by certain branches of LoK faith. Sagittarons are the ones in TWK with the 'no modern medicine' thing, and gemenon are the anti-abortionists, IIRC -- though neither of those necessarily would have to have a problem with poly rels, I don't think. It's convenient to pile on the prejudice, I suppose, but not necessary, I suppose it could be an association thing -- maybe the gemenonese are actually polygamists, so anyone who is also doing it gets tarred with their same crazy by the casually religious...)

I don't need for this to be overly complicated or difficult for our heroes - it would be better if it's not, since they have enough to deal with and I don't really want to write a Very Special Episode of why Prejudice is Bad, BUT otoh, too easy is, well, too easy and that's not how this show rolls. It seems likely that somebody wouldn't like it -- I just don't know who and why...

So, tl;dr:
if you have done any thinking on this, or there are some other details from Caprica that I'd find useful, I'd love to know.



U HAZ THOUGHTS?

And also, I now seem to be in need of a K/S/L icon. Anyone?

Comments

[ivanolix.livejournal.com]

Sister Clarice was like the "head" wife in a marriage that had at least 1 other wife and 2 husbands. Lacy was a little unfamiliar with the concept, but not only was she a teenager but her reaction was more of a "Oh I've heard about this but it's kind of exotic to me". I believe she mentioned that she'd known children at school who came from poly families. None of the adults seemed awkward with Clarice's family, though, so I hazard that it was untraditional but not "weird".

That being said, it was a monotheist thing, at least as far as we could see on the show... And also, societies often regress to a conservative state after a huge crisis. My guess would be that what we saw in Caprica the show was the liberal state of the planet/colonies, and that after the Cylon war things tightened up a bit. However, it was only one generation back, so I don't think K/S/L would face a "You're doing WHAT???" reaction...more of a "uh...okay >_>" one.

[lizardbeth-j.livejournal.com]

Since y'all agree with my first instinct I'll stick with that (apparently fannish osmosis re: Caprica, was even better than I expected!) A little side-eyeing, and maybe more for the gossip of the marriage itself than it's a threesome. Like I said up top it's not as if they don't have plenty to deal with, without people trying to shun them or whatever. I don't think the three of them care about people looking at them funny anyway. The only one whose opinion matters to them is probably Bill.

... crap, I had something more I was planning on mentioning but it got lost in the wilds of tumblr. If I think of it (or reach it in the fic), I'll try again. but thanks!