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anewstartrekfan · 4 months

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Reading an old Star Trek book and to my surprise Jim Kirk has always had Daddy issues

So the only Star Trek book I’ve read was the one explaining how the tribbles episode was made and the aftermath, so trying to read Enterprise (1986) with some basic knowledge of trek post 2009 is fascinating. Cuz you see where the breadcrumbs of some of the characterization and even backstory come from.

In chapter 2, Sam Kirk and Kirk’s mom show up to Kirk’s ceremony where he takes command of the enterprise. They talk about George Kirk Sr. being in Starfleet, (he’s dead here too) something that I don’t think was in any of the episodes or movies. And how he was always distant and away. And they’re clearly going for some parallels/dramatic irony with the Wrath of Khan when it comes to Kirk not believing he could’ve developed a relationship with his father as an adult. And it plays into the tragic aspect I love about Kirk.

Upon reflection he’s happy that Carol rejected him (he proposed to her in chapter 1) because he doesn’t want to leave anyone behind while on the job, only returning for sparse visits the way his father did. But at the same time, Jim craves companionship. And he can’t get it in his current job because as captain, it is not ethical for him to date anyone else on the Enterprise.

Anyway the long and short is if we take this book into account, Kirk has always had daddy issues. It’s just in TOS EU it was abandonment issues whereas in 2009 it was dad sacrificed himself so high expectations issues.

The little details like the mom’s name getting carried over into the aos movies are a good touch, but then seeing George Kirk being a Starfleet officer actually get incorporated into the 2009 movie as an important plot point, and then also using his absence in Kirk’s life but just in a different way as part of Kirk’s backstory is so cool to me.

A difference though is unlike fanfic tropes, Winona is actually a good mom and wants Jim to succeed in his career where his father failed in his Starfleet career. Unfortunately though Jim appears to be falling into the same pitfalls. As in lack of communication and unwillingness to play workplace politics.

That last burn from Winona tho… like damn girl I felt that.

Another thing I want to backtrack to, Sam Kirk. Sam being the alleged chosen child, the one that was supposed to follow in George Kirk’s footsteps but didn’t, and then Jim strolled in and did even more than what Sam was supposed to do, and Sam and George never reconciled. Like dudes this book is almost 40 years old and this stuff was in strange new worlds last year. Tho xenobiology appears to have morphed into xenoanthropology (tho according to the fan wiki he’s still a biologist so idk what the deal is)

For the record Sam’s characterization isn’t remotely the same here. Likely the choice to keep him out of Starfleet all together removed any sort of resentment of Jim potential like he has in SNW. There’s still tension though, as Sam tries to force Jim to confront why he’s reacting like this to his first mission for the enterprise being an escort job for a flying horse.

Shifting gears back to Jim needing to learn how to play workplace politics. The assumed reason for Pike leaving the enterprise. While SNW is doing the whole, Pike knows he won’t fly the enterprise forever and about the disfigurement and is cool with it, I find if fascinating that he’s more, sad about it here and that he got promoted out of the way for pushing too many buttons. It would be a sad ending but I wonder if SNW would incorporate that into its eventual ending. Hell I wonder if that’s what happened to Kirk between TOS and TMP.

Anyway big picture is this book is a fascinating time capsule and it’s fun seeing just how much has stuck around over the years both in fandom and in the franchise itself. Whether or not that’s the book’s doing is questionable but still. Fun to think about.

#star trek #star trek tos #james t kirk #spock #star trek enterprise #Star Trek enterprise 1986 #it’s a fun read #sam kirk #Star Trek meta #Star Trek analysis #star trek strange new worlds #strange new worlds #snw #star trek the original series #Star Trek enterprise the first adventure #Star Trek AOS #star trek alternate original series #Jim Kirk meta

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comdrspock · 1 year

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True Blue

It wasn’t unheard of for Amanda to receive a message from her son Spock, though he was most often stationed far away in a different quadrant of the galaxy. He did his best to stay in touch in spite of his often unpredictable schedule, and she appreciated his efforts a great deal. Sometimes, however, she selfishly wished he would do a poorer job. It was one thing to be aware of how dangerous his Starfleet career could be and quite another to hear a detailed account of his most recent brush with death. That Spock always recounted these adventures as drily and matter-of-factly as possible was, if anything, worse for Amanda’s nerves than learning the gory details.

This call was out of the ordinary in part because it had nothing to do with any of Spock’s most recent missions. He inquired about her experiences as a human woman on Vulcan and even, to her great surprise, about her courtship with his father. The two of them usually danced around the subject of Sarek, with whom Spock had barely been on speaking terms since he left Vulcan to attend Starfleet Academy years ago. Though he posed them with his usual impersonal, academic curiosity, the questions themselves raised Amanda’s suspicions.

She knew, of course, about the fractured engagement between Spock and T’Pring. Arranging a marriage for her son at such a tender age had always made her uncomfortable, but as in so many things in her marriage, she hadn’t protested Sarek’s insistence on following his tradition. As the human wife of a very stubborn Vulcan man, she had to pick her battles. She and Sarek had been away on a diplomatic mission and therefore unable to return home for what should have been Spock’s wedding, which was probably for the best. Her husband had been furious at what he perceived to be an insult to his house and his son. Only time and distance had cooled his head.

At the time, she’d been hurt for Spock, too—who could ask for a better husband than her son? But her romantic heart had whispered that now he was free.

She hadn’t thought much about the matter since then. When she did hear from Spock about his work, he mentioned his close colleagues only in passing, so that she knew the captain’s name, but no one else’s. He had certainly never talked about any women. Yet now...now, she wondered. Why these questions, and why now?

“Spock,” she asked, wishing she could reach across the unfathomable distance that separated them and touch his dear face, “is there a reason you’re asking me all this?”

Though she had no telepathic abilities and though he’d carefully trained in all those Vulcan mental disciplines, Amanda knew him better than almost anyone in the galaxy. She’d given birth to this boy, raised him, and knew his tells. As she watched him glance away from the screen and watched the corner of his mouth twitch, she had to keep herself from laughing out loud.

He looked back at the screen and, after a moment’s silence, he said, “You will certainly be the first to know if there is, Mother.”

When the call ended, Amanda was on cloud nine. Her head was full of thoughts of weddings and grandchildren and a thousand questions about the woman who had brought that softness into Spock’s face. Amanda loved her already, whoever she was, whatever she looked like, whichever position she held aboard the Enterprise.

* * *

Spock felt better after talking to his mother. He was more sure of himself and of his plans and more confident about asking Christine to bind herself to a him despite his alien ways. After all, if his mother could live with Sarek on Vulcan with few qualms, surely it was logical to think that Christine could find contentment with him on a starship or even a colony somewhere. Though their future after this mission was still hazy, he doubted that either of them would leave Starfleet, and he had no intention of returning to Vulcan permanently with or without a human wife.

He now had to consider a proposal and balancing Christine’s human expectations with his own more reserved nature. They had discussed the ways in which Vulcan marriage went beyond the human notion of matrimony only briefly. His mother had reassured him that she found her own mental bond with Sarek, while it had taken some “getting used to,” wonderful. He only hoped that Christine, medical professional that she was, would not be intimidated by the idea.

But this morning there were other matters at hand. The Enterprise had picked up a message from a nearby Class M planet that had, it seemed, very recently developed the technology necessary to contact potential life beyond their planet. Their society was reminiscent of that on Earth several centuries earlier, and the captain assembled a small landing party that included Spock, Uhura, and one of the ship’s anthropologists to beam down.

“Their energy clearly comes from a non-renewable and toxic source such as coal, captain,” Spock remarked with distaste as soon as they materialized on the surface. The acrid smell of smog that hung in the air made his tricorder readings completely unnecessary to back up that particular observation.

@multirptrash

#this silly title comes from my equally silly spockstine playlist lol #*tb #i was thinking a small landing party goes down (maybe uhura can be there?) and when they meet korby she's the one who's like D:#'chris you need to come down here...' bc spock will certainly be emotionally shutting down oop.#but you can take it wherever you want from here! it doesn't have to be exactly like that #dee 💙

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13thspectre · 10 months

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Long ass ramble on Mariner and Boimler and their relationship

I think the first step in why Mariner comes to care for her purple dork is the fact that he surprised her. These two idiots knew each other for about a year by the first episode, had probably been around each other a lot being bunk mates, so Mariner probably had a confident idea of who Boimler was deep down. She saw him as a product of propaganda and social engineering. The kind of guy who would sell her and a ship of refugees out for a superior's nod of approval. Someone who saw rank as the end all be all of what Starfleet had to offer.

So, when he ends up not ratting her out on that first episode, I think that may be one of the first times since she'd become more cynical towards Starfleet that Mariner had gotten someone wrong, that they proved them to be a little bit better in her book. So from there, she becomes attached, thinking there's hope for this bootlicker. Maybe, if he turned out to be better than she pegged him for, he could be trusted. Maybe this organization where she's been listlessly dragging herself up and down the ranks in some kind of administrative limbo can really do good. And some part of her that's been questioning if she belongs here at all, doesn't even believe she could really belong on her own mom's ship, thinks that maybe she's found somewhere and someone with whom she does belong.

Boimler's side of things is... very similar. Mariner surprises him. Constantly surprises him. She breaks protocol, disregards authority, spits in the face of the Prime Directive. She's an ensign, same as Boimler himself, but Mariner is easily one of the most frustratingly amazing and impressive people he's ever met, having stories rivaling many starfleet legends, and having the skills and contacts to back them up. And she shows him that she's not just some tantruming rebel, she actually does care, wants and is willing to go the extra mile to help. To do the kind of things that Starfleet often professes to do, but so often just never gets around to.

Mariner challenges everything that Boimler thought was concrete: the infallibility of starfleet, the concrete importance of established protocol, the belief that the achievement of rank is the most certain sign of purpose and importance. She is everything he wants to be and not. She is sociable, likable, able, strong, witty, quick on her feet, and yet she also possesses none of the bigger-picture ambition to do something widespread and worthwhile with her ability. Mariner lacks some of the sensitivity and cautiousness that comes with avoiding unnecessary disaster, and the desire to achieve a higher rank to actually combat the shortfalls of Starfleet she complains so much about.

It's in that mutual challenge that their mutual importance is found: they're each other's anchor. Mariner anchors Boimler so he doesn't get swept up in monotonous idealism, and Boimler anchors Mariner so she doesn't wash away in listless despair.

And I think that's why Mariner is so angered by Boimler's leaving for Titan. It's why despite professing some kind of cool when it comes to dealing with disappointment, she is so stuck up on him that she leaves him dozens of angry messages, demanding an explanation. Why, months after he left and no chance of him returning, she still keeps onto the idea that he's still there or will be back, like keeping spaces for him in the showers. Because it wasn't just that he betrayed her, and right after professing friendship. It's that him leaving her, and so coldly, implies that she was right about him from the beginning. Boimler leaving for the Titan proved her instincts right, that other people, especially those in starfleet, couldn't be trusted. To do what really matters. You couldn't trust others to not hurt you if you trust yourself to them.

Boimler, I think, does not realize he's lost his anchor. He doesn't realize it for a while. On the Titan, trying to survive every batshit crazy operation Riker sets them on takes precedence. When he isn't screaming his lungs out in a wordless prayer to the cosmic koala for survival, he's trying to reconcile what he thought he joined Starfleet for and what he actually wants to do. Boimler isn't in this for the missions, or even the glory (mostly, he still likes to brag a bit, I mean who wouldn't). Boimler wants to be an explorer and a diplomat. Someone who wants to learn what there is to know about this insane deadly universe they're somehow prospering in (he's someone excited for anomaly consolidation duty, and sometimes has a close to encyclopedic knowledge of the things they're dealing with, like Tendi and the cube). He wants to find and learn about other cultures, wants to find and learn how to make new friends (even if his execution on that last bit is clunky and awkward at best, at least for now).

Boimler realizing how important Mariner is to him doesn't come until 2x5, when only he is able to get into Starfleet's biggest party with its biggest names. The shouting pulls through, the hurt comes back, and Boimler and Mariner go separate ways again. But when Boimler finally has his dream of rubbung elbows with the top brass, he sees the party differently. Maybe a little more like Mariner would. Boimler doesn't see people schmoozing and networking. He just sees a party, full of people enjoying the company of those they trust and love. This is where Boimler realizes some of the true weight of his leaving, and just how much it affected him in turn, not having his anchor with him.

Now I'll be honest here in that I haven't really watched much TOS, so I'm missing some of the full gravity of the comparison betwen Kirk and Spock and Mariner and Beckett. What I do know is that they were combative but also complimentary, one was the charismatic daredevil that flounced the rules, and the other was more by the book and research-oriented, though the LD dynamic duo I guess has much more in the way of neuroticism and personal dysfunction. I know I'm doing a bad job of distilling Spock and Kirk's dynamic, so please let me know if I'm off the mark, or elaborate on how this might fit into my little spiel. But the point is that here is when both realize how important they are to each other. Seeing those names carved into the counter of a bar, following perhaps a similar story of how Kirk and Spock ended up there, Mariner and Boimler now realize that they can come back from this. They have the potential to do great things together, but more importantly, they just want to be in each others' lives again.

When they get stranded, there's once again the issue of trust. Mariner still clings to that idea that she is the mentor and better of Boimler, and so she has to look out for him, whether or not he realizes or wants it. She doesn't trust hum to do well on his own or to make the best decisions. At the same time, we see Boimler stepping up a bit. He takes the douche-bot AI with them against Mariner's idea to just bury it (at first) to keep monitoring AGIMUS, he tries to climb the tree to get fruit himself because Mariner is injured, and even just shuts Mariner down a bit when she's anguished that that shithole planet's fruit somehow also tasted like black licorice. We see hints of Boimler being a bit more confident, a bit more capable and sure of himself, without empty pride being the only thing in his arsenal. And when it seems like Mariner was right all along and Boimler fell for some manipulation, it's revealed that he was playing AGIMUS, playing both of them like a fiddle. Boimler had a plan, executed it flawlessly, apologizes to Mariner for deceiving her, and gets them rescued. Now, both of them still know Mariner is far and away the more capable of the two in most areas, but Mariner now doesn't see Boimler as some hapless naive child. She'd still go out of her way to save his butt, but not because he's her self-proclaimed responsibility, rather because he's her friend.

In 3x1, Mariner is depressed and angry. Her mother's in custody, in a public trial, and she can't do anything, except apparently trust the system. Despite empty assurances from her father, Mariner is unable to find hope for her mother. So she goes to her anchor, Boimler, to try and find hope where none exists. And here, we see the growth of their bond. Even stuck planetside, they find each other. They're anchors, in a sense. Through Boimler, Mariner is able to find some kind of hope thst she can save her mom. Through Marjner, Boimler finds a new purpose so doesn't waste away at his family's vineyard. Hell, Boimler is so ride or die at this point that he helps Mariner steal a fucking amusement park starship and board a locked down Cerritos!

During the season two finale when Mariner is about to go down in cetacean ops to release the final panel, Rutherford, Tendi, and Boimler all talk sense into Mariner, convincing her to make up with her mom before they all die or never see Captain Freeman again in what I think is a very satisfying intervention. But something I want to point out is what Boimler tells Mariner. Boimler says they'll all either die soon, or Mariner's mom will get promoted and the two may never speak again, and he asks Mariner if this is how she wants things to end. It makes me think that Boimler's talking about when he left. He left without clearing the air, without saying goodbye, without anything. He knows in retrospec how painful that actually was, how much it hurt both of them to never really try and reconcile things until the party, and he doesn't want Mariner to go through that again with her mom.

In 3x5, Boimler tries his best to keep Mariner calm and out of trouble, but he loses it, throttling conspiracy weirdos' necks like Mariner would, despite attempts by Mariner to try and calm him down. And while that is fun, something that really catches my attention is how once people start coming to their tent in genuine interest, impressed by Boimler's confidence and defense of Starfleet, Mariner actually seems genuinely interested in finding ways that people could join Starfleet. It's some kind of inversion of their roles, with Boimler being the impressive act of violence that wows everyone, and Mariner being the eager one to bring it all up to protocol.

Crisis Point 2 comes around, and even without knowing what's up, Mariner still tries to stick things through with Boimler for a while, knowing Tendi and Rutherford are off actually having fun on something with Boimler's holomovie, something she had just been teasing him about earlier. She can easily tell that he's going off his own script, but she still goes with him, not yet realizing that she's watching her friend go through an existential spiral. When she does learn about William's death, Mariner immediately goes to Boimler to be his friend. She tells him that the story may not be a good one, but it is a Starfleet story, so it's worth telling, and so they should try to find the ending they're after. This brings up two ideas: one is that Mariner hopes the holodeck can provide the same kind of therapeutic realization it gave her. The other is that she's telling Boimler that his story, irrevocably a Starfleet story, may not be glamorous or exciting the way others' are or the way he wanted it to be, but it's still important.

When Mariner leaves, things apparently get a little weird. By Rutherford's own admission, Boimler loses grasp of reality without Mariner around. He's lost his anchor, and he's a bit adrift. For Mariner, things are going well. It's honestly a bit like the Titan all over again, with Mariner having her own adventures. But something still feels off. She tries to find reason to distrust Petra and this new purpose, but it's just Mariner trying to find a reason to return. Back to Starfleet, back to the Cerritos, back to her friends and family, back to her mom, back to her anchor. In saving the Cerritos, Mariner brings back every California-class ship. In one act, she demonstrates her faith and trust in Starfleet, or at least the people in it. She finds the others that had been given up on and gives them another chance. Similar I think to the way Boimler did for her in not reporting her that first episode, and again when she welcomed him back to the ship. When she comes back on board, the first thing she does is rush and hug Boimler, finding her anchor. And what Boimler does is own up to his own lack of trust and action, apologizes, and promises to make up for it. Afterward, Mariner changes direction and wants to try her hand at making her way in Starfleet again, finding hope in her purpose in the same way she did when Boimler first decided to trust her.

*edited a bunch of typos and some weird wording

#star trek #lower decks #long post #star trek lower decks #beckett mariner #brad boimler #spoilers #i guess for the whole series?#marinler #that last one isnt necessarily a hard fact of this post #i do ship them #but i wrote with with the intention of them being platonic soulmates #sorry if you finished this #i hope it makes half sense #i watched all of lower decks in the past 4 days and wrote this with on like 2 hours of sleep #most use ive put my english major to all summer #please tell me if i remembered events wrong

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justreckin · 6 months

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“Not my first rodeo, Sess. Or should I call you Q?”

“Q?” the demon reeled back, yanking the contract from her hand. A moment later his face was centimeters from hers, squinting fiercely. Recognition seemed to dawn on him and his mouth fell open in delight, “Well I’ll be. It’s Commander, isn’t it? Commander Una Chin-Riley? You always were Kathy’s favorite.”

Eve blinked, “Do I want to know who that is?”

“Oh, delightful woman, I assure you.” Suddenly his face was in hers once more, “So, how did you come to be here, I wonder.” Sesselman, Q, circled her slowly, an absolutely delighted grin on his face. From the corner of her eye Eve caught the look on Sam’s face. That would be something to deal with later. “Time travel? You Illyrians always were rather long-lived.”

Eve grit her teeth, “I wouldn’t know.”

“No?” Q circled her again.

“No.” Setting her jaw, Eve stepped right up to the demon, “But we’ve got more important things to deal with.”

“More important?” Q glanced down at the contract in his hand, “Ah yes. You mortals, always so serious about a little death and destruction.”

Eve arched an eyebrow, “So if I make a wish, are you going to follow through with it?”

“Oh yes, yes,” Q waved a hand. “The contract is binding. And I always play by the rules.”

“I’m not sure I believe that.” Eve rolled her eyes when Q pouted, “Fine, I wish you were human.”

“Haha! Wrong—wait, human?” Q whimpered a little, a fiery orange glow bathing the demon’s body. “Starfleet,” he gasped, “Never any fun.”

“Wasn’t trying to be.”

Q snickered, “Well played ma chère. Until we meet again, Commander.” With a snap of his fingers, and a bright flash of light, he was gone.

Eve jumped back.

“Okay,” Sam snapped, “What was that?”

Eve shook her head slowly, “Extra-dimensional… Y’know what? Let’s not go there.” She turned to cross the street.

“Wha—wait, Eve!” Sam scrambled after her, “Eve. How do you know that man?”

“I don’t.”

“That didn’t sound like a conversation you have with someone you’ve never met. Hey,” they’d made it across the street and Sam reached out to grab hold of her, “Hey. Eve, talk to me. Or… what did he call you? Commander U—”

Eve whipped a hand up, “Don’t.”

“C’mon Eve! You’re the one who was all over me this morning about lying! And now, what? Twice? In one day?”

“I’m not lying!” she snapped. “I’m not,” she repeated at his skeptical look. “I wasn’t lying then, and I’m not lying now. I don’t… I have no idea what that man was talking about.”

“You knew enough to call him something completely different—”

“You’re right, I did. But Sam, I don’t have answers to your questions. For either of us.”

#the librarians #eve baird #sam denning #sesselman #strange new worlds #una chin riley #q #this popped into my head while watching and the infernal contract #because i love the theory that all john de lancie characters are just q playing in different universes #and then this wouldn't leave #yes i have already had way too many thoughts about it #no i do not know if any more will be written #but we can talk about it #let's talk

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trillscienceofficer · 13 days

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“In the first year [of Star Trek: Voyager] I talked with [executive producer] Jeri Taylor about directing,” Roxann Dawson recalls her own route to the director's chair. “I had directed in the theater and I just liked bossing people around! I wanted to give it a try but I honestly didn't know if I'd like it. I told Jeri I'd love to learn, if they'd give me the opportunity. Then she and Rick Berman opened up Director in Training.” Over the course of seven seasons, [Robert Duncan] McNeill and Dawson, along with fellow VOYAGER cast members Tim Russ and Robert Picardo all helmed at least one episode of the show as directors. The process of swapping Starfleet uniform for megaphone involved going back to school. “We had DiT school,” explains prolific VOYAGER director David Livingston. “‘Director in Training,’ where Rick Berman would allow actors and crew to go through a training program, observing as much of production and post-production as their schedules would allow, showing a commitment to study. Even though I went to film school, I had never directed on a large scale until I got to STAR TREK. Rick offered me that opportunity.”

[...]

“I became a Director in Training and I could go into everything,” adds Dawson. "I observed other shows that were shooting at Paramount. I did so much observing, I would be on an all-nighter downtown in Los Angeles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then come into work on VOYAGER at 4am so I could take a nap. I learned a lot and put myself out there.” “Roxann would come and sit with me in the editing room,” remembers Livingston. “She was very observant, asked a lot of questions and it was clear she knew exactly what was going on. Roxann recognized that she needed to go through the process to be grounded, not only in the aesthetics of how to do this, but the technical aspects of it. I respected and admired her for that.” While directing his first episode of VOYAGER during season 6, John Bruno remembers Dawson's observant approach to DiT school: “I had one day on set in the conference room when I was shooting two overlapping cameras. Roxann was standing beside me, looking over my shoulder at my storyboards. I explained what I was doing, and then I realized she was going to direct a show. She was following me, and I didn't really know what I was doing!”

[...]

“The reason I started directing later [in the course of the show] is because I was pregnant and we waited until after I gave birth in order for me to start,” says Dawson, whose first directing assignment was the early season 6 episode ‘Riddles’. “How prepared can you be for something you've never done before? You can prepare and prepare and prepare, but if it's an experience you've never had before, for somebody who really likes to be prepared, it's torture. There are a million scenarios that you'll be facing, things that you couldn't possibly have prepared for because you had no idea and no experience. It's learning to deal with all that with grace under pressure.”

[...]

“You're with people that you love and want you to succeed,” Dawson says of the support she received from her fellow VOYAGER ensemble. “It made me a better actor. I began to understand that I'm not just dealing with this part of the pie, but the entire pie. All of a sudden there were so many moving parts of which I was this much a part of. Often, actors need to be myopic, they need to concentrate on what they're doing and I respect that. But as a director, I've come to respect and understand those insecurities, understand that actors need to do that in order to show up and do the job. But at the same time, I've had payback. I've been on the other side, I've paid my dues in terms of actors doing things that have cost me time and money and face. On every level! I've had payback because in the beginning I was one of those actors who judged every director that came in.”

[...]

“After the first time I directed, I was in so much physical pain, there was so much pressure I didn't know if I wanted to continue with it,” Dawson honestly recalls the aftermath of directing ‘Riddles’. “That was a learning experience. I would call my husband after the first few episodes I did and let him know if it was a two Advil day or a six Advil day. I literally was in physical pain!”

[...]

“After I did my first episode,” remembers Dawson, “Rick Berman came up to me at the wrap party for that season and said he liked ‘Riddles’. ‘So I'm going to give you another opportunity to fail.’ It was the oddest wording, I will never, ever forget that!” Dawson subsequently directed ‘Workforce, Part II’ during season 7, and has since become a highly sought-after director on some of modern television's biggest shows. “I just fell in love with it,” Dawson say[s], looking back. “It was trial by fire, especially moving out of this STAR TREK world into the rest of the world that didn't care whether you succeeded or not. Now it's a complete and utter joy. I love directing and I have loved it for a long time. I'm so glad and so grateful to Rick Berman and Jeri Taylor, who gave me this opportunity and literally changed my life.”

From “Star Trek: Voyager - A Celebration” by Ben Robinson (2020)

#star trek voyager a celebration #roxann dawson #several parts of this are striking but the fact that she basically didn't sleep to go see buffy being filmed...#trek novels #<- not a novel. this is my trek book tag

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sun-lit-roses · 1 month

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you for the tags @curator-on-ao3 and @emonydeborah! I apologize for how long it's taken me to respond 💛

I'm so late to this, I have no idea who's already done it. If you haven't yet, please, please consider yourself tagged - and tag me in your response so that I can read your answers! (Actually if you have done it already, also link me so I can read your answers. These are fun questions with bonus fic recs so I'd like to see them all!)

Anyway, I got a little rambly, so I'll put in a cut to not murder anyone's dash 😁

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 82.

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 397,560.

3. What fandoms do you write for? I've been primarily writing Star Trek (Strange New Worlds and Voyager) lately, with a dash of The Librarians and Leverage.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Fringe Benefits (SNW) - My beloved monument to ridiculousness where I approach the totally canon subject of Chris Pike's horse skills via Number One's hair.

October 2373 (Voyager)- My magnum opus! The one time I've managed to achieve completion of an October prompt list - five of them. In one coherent (ish) fic. Granted, it did take me until December... but the point is that I finished it! It follows a very eventful and occasionally random month aboard the Starship Voyager, where they have to deal with imprisonment, alien attacks, diplomatic meetings, and Kathryn's inability to talk about her feelings.

For the Captain Who Has Everything: A Prixin Story (Voyager) - Look. You can't just give me three delightful misfits for ONLY ONE EPISODE and not expect me to adopt them as my own. SO this is what happened next for the little Good Shepherd flock, where 'what happened next' is shenanigans to set up their Captain with her First Officer as a gesture of gratitude.

Growing Pains (SNW) - Aw, one of my early Chris and Una fics! This is one of the set I wrote while the first season was just airing weekly - hard to believe that was almost two years ago 😲 This one was the aftermath of Una 'I'm just fine-ing' her way into emergency surgery and Chris letting her know that there were things up with which he would not put - top of the list being losing his Number One.

Command Advice (SNW) - Another of the early SNW set! This was my 'spicier' take on the resulting conversation between Chris and Una after she learns about her Where Fun Goes to Die nickname. In one version, they have a very serious conversation about Starfleet principles. In *this* version, they're less serious. Also naked.

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes! Or at least I try. I love and cherish every comment, but I tend to run (very) behind on responding and have to play the game of 'is it weird to reply to a comment this late?'

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? My very first fic ever! Actually I think it might be my only fic with an angsty ending. I guess I got it all out of my system early. That one is Wednesday, a Sanctuary fic where Helen has a very sad day.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Literally everything else. I can't even pick out of my collection of sappiness.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not really.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yes, there's very little I would not be willing to at least try writing! Up to now I think I've written at least mildly smutty M/F, F/F, and F/M/M sexcapades and/or BDSM. I'm working my way around to some F/F/M for SNW if I could get the three of them to cooperate.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I think I've only written one crossover and it was for SNW/The Librarians, bringing about a meeting between Eve Baird and Una Chin-Riley, which we would have in a fair and just universe.

Wait, I take that back! I also had a little snippet on Tumblr where Hawkeye, BJ, Jonathan, and Ardeth meet up, because The Mummy/MASH is... certainly a combo. Actually, I think I also had a snippet of Gomez Addams meeting Hawkeye and BJ? What is it about MASH?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Also not that I know of.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Kind of? The Discord crowdsourced the plot to a ridiculously hilarious fic and I wrote a bit of it for fun, but I'm not sure if that counts? Co-writing does sound like a good time, though!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? Voyager! The happiest little ship in the Delta Quadrant 🚀

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I have a lot of bits and pieces on my hard drive that will never be finished and released into the Ao3 wilds - the plot didn't work out/was barely a plot, I've moved on from the fandom, I was trapped in a fever dream of my nieces playing Frozen on repeat, blacked out, and woke up to 3 chapters dealing with the socio-political ramifications of Elsa decamping and Anna appointing the prince of another land in charge rather than Arendelle's Privy Council. Anyway.

The WIPs I have posted, though, I fully intend to finish at some point! It may take a while and it might not be my original planned ending, but they haunt me. So one day I will have to put them to rest. Possibly with a 2x4, tarp, and shovel.

16. What are your writing strengths? I like to think I'm pretty good at getting into the character's voice. I hope so, at least; I spend a lot of time on it! Also, humor, although that one is objective, of course.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Commas. Clearly.

Structurally, it varies per fic, but I have a habit of running thin on plot. I start strong at A, want to get to B, but the middle gets kind of wander-y. This also leads to me sometimes stalling mid-project if I get distracted or pulled away - hence my current three WIPs. Though it doesn't help that the past six months have sucked on letting me have much free time.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? If it was short, easy dialogue in Spanish or French I might be able to swing it. Otherwise, I would need to phone a friend.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Sanctuary!

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? This is a hard one. I love them all for different reasons, some of which have more to do with the time I was writing them than with the actual contents. Reluctance was my first multi-chapter fic ever back in the FFN days, so that seems like a pretty good candidate. I learned so much while writing that fic!

#this was a fun trip down memory lane!#or my works list on ao3 at least #apologies for talking a lot #now i need to hunt up everyone else's so i can see their answers!#writing

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indignantlemur · 11 hours

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What are andorian cosmetics like? And what about skin care? Or even something like perfume?

Hey! Great question!

I spent some time thinking about this and I think, generally speaking, Andorian cosmetics/haircare/skincare/perfumes are largely similar to Terran cosmetics (with different formulations and colour ranges, of course) in terms of the basic types of items. Lipstick, shampoo, moisturizer - that sort of thing. The key differences are going to be in the formulation/ingredients and the colour ranges where cosmetics are concerned.

I also made a very rough chart of all the canon Andorians I can find with different degrees of cosmetics:

The first row is Andorians with no cosmetics. The middle row shows small amounts of cosmetics. The bottom row shows the heaviest use of cosmetics I can find.

For cosmetics, that means eye/lip/cheek products are all common, though I add a caveat here in that it doesn't look like most Andorians use any kind of mascara to darken their eyelashes outside of Talas and Tarah. Everyone else, with the exception of Tysess (who has the excuse of not being animated in a hyper-realistic style) tends to have pale eyelashes - presumably uncoloured/tinted, but with the older images it's a nightmare trying to get a close up with the resolution I need to be sure. I included two pictures of Talas to show the contrast between the two looks, one of which shows her with darkened lips and eyeshadow, and one which shows more nude tones that make me think she's meant to appear to not be wearing any cosmetics. I find it interesting that the males depicted either have no cosmetics whatsoever or oodles. Part of that is because TOS-era cosmetics were done stage theatre-style, meaning overly dramatic to be seen well from a distance, and I try to take that into account with my headcanons.

(The use of purple and violet tones is probably meant to be a mirror of how Humans use red/pinks in a lot of our cosmetics, since Andorians are purported to flush a purpled-blue tone rather than a dark blue. )

Where my headcanons are concerned, Andorians are very fond of vivid colours in all aspects of their lives, so it makes sense that cosmetics would play into that somewhat. A number of the Andorians we've seen on screen have been members of either Starfleet or the Imperial Guard, or otherwise engaged in official business - not the sort of place you show up with neon orange eyeshadow and lime green lipstick. Military folks are expected to keep whatever they wear professional, muted, and otherwise unnoticeable. Civilians, by contrast, have a great deal more freedom in terms of the what and how much of their cosmetic choices. Both men and women utilize cosmetics freely on Andoria - or don't as their preferences dictate. On the whole, wild and vibrant colours are quite popular with civilians, though neon shades go in and out of fashion randomly as far as any outsider can tell. Now and then there's a 'natural' trend that runs through the populace, but it rarely lasts more than a year or two. Most Andorians consider 'natural' makeup very boring.

In terms of skincare (and these are purely my headcanons from this point onwards), the Andorian formulations would run in similar veins to what Humans have on the market, but the formulations would be very different. Andorian hair and skin is very similar to Human hair and skin, but it is not the same. Andorians have much less active sweat glands, for example, and their semi-osmotic circulatory system likely means that they absorb chemical through their skin a little more easily than Humans do.

As such, Andorian cosmetics and personal care items are all made with extremely 'clean' formulations. They don't tolerate harsh chemicals in their products, and some of the things that are in modern Emigre-era Terran cosmetics would likely cause adverse reactions - particularly the preservatives. Likewise, Andorian-formulated cosmetics might cause contact allergies in Humans, up to and including itching, redness, peeling skin, rashes, hives, even chemical burns.

For haircare, I had to consider the effects of being in a high humidity, high-salt environment on Andorian hair - which is tricky because Andorian hair has a different structure than Human hair does. It has a highly porous core surrounded by a thick outer shell. This unique structure helps retain heat in icy conditions, but makes it a nightmare for hair products to have any effect on. So, Andorian hair products are generally formulated to contain heavy, deep-penetrating oils and place a great deal of emphasis on moisture-retention and smoothness. Most Humans, excluding those with very dry and very curly hair, would find Andorian hair products far too heavy to use, and even then such products are liable to leave one's hair feeling uncomfortably heavy and oily.

With regards to perfumes, I feel like Andorians would actually be really enthusiastic about perfumery. The natural materials found on Andoria would be rather different than what Humans might be used to, of course, as the planet is not exactly known for hosting a vast array of flowering plants. Many early perfumes were made using distillations of fungi, extracts of the few deeply coveted flowering plants available, fruits, and an array of animal-derived musks which ran the gamut from heavy and indolic (I mean this in the perfumer's sense of the word, not the other way; that is, having a waxy, pungent, and/or buttery quality) to light and almost sweet. Very rarely, materials would be harvested from the sea as well - though these were exorbitantly priced due to the danger presented to the harvesters.

Perfumes on Andoria are solid, rather than alcohol- or oil-based, largely out of necessity due to the freezing temperatures. In earlier iterations, rendered and purified animal fats were used as the bases for these solid perfumes. Over time, animal fats were replaced with soft waxes and refined fruit butters, though purists maintain that perfumes made with rendered animal fats have a more complex scent profile. The average perfume-wearer can't tell the difference, of course.

Much like with cosmetics and skincare, there is a risk of adverse reactions to Andorian perfumes when worn by aliens, though many modern perfumes are made with replicated or chemically-identical, lab-created materials that lack the potential irritants (usually trace amounts of naturally occurring chemicals) that naturally sourced ingredients would carry. It's very much a your-mileage-may-vary sort of thing.

In terms of formulation, classic Andorian perfumes used four sets (or chords) of notes. For comparison, many classic perfumes in European history were structed with three chords: the top/head (fleeting and quickly-fading notes; the first impression), the middle/heart (the theme; lingering top notes meeting new ones; the buffer between head and base), and the base (the longest lasting chord; the foundation upon which all other notes rest; rich, heavy, and long-lasting). Andorians include a fourth chord, often something incredibly subtle and difficult to parse from the rest of the notes but which imparts a notable characteristic to the overall scent. Modern Andorian perfumes generally keep to this structure, but now and then a perfumer goes rogue and makes something absolutely unhinged. They're either lauded as revolutionaries, or laughed out of the room when it comes time to present their final product.

There isn't an overall scent profile that Andorian perfumes fall into. They can range from sweet florals to heavily spiced to brightly green and darkly musky - and everything in between. On the whole, the biggest difference between Andorian and Terran perfumes is that Andorian perfumes do tend to be milder, having a much lower sillage (or smaller 'aura') than Terran perfumes usually have. This is partly due to their solid bases, but also a deliberate choice as well.

I think that about covers it! Feel free to reach out with any further questions if I've missed something!

#star trek #andorian #andorians #emigre by indignantlemur #headcanon #Andorian cosmetics and perfumes #Andorian cosmetics #Andorian perfumes #Andorian skincare #Andorian haircare #Talas #Tarah #Thy'lek Shran #va'al trask #Ambassador Shras #Ryn the Andorian

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im-a-doctor-not-a-dragonslayer · 1 year

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Dating Janeway HC's

for @eunoiaastralwings requested through DMs Summery: dating janeway would be like Pairing: Janeway x Reader Reader pronouns: She/her

-a Starfleet ship going by Starfleet rules to quote Starfleet Regulation 256.15: Starfleet officers shall display behavior befitting an officer at all times - which could be see as it isn't befitting of a captain to be involved with someone of lower ranking so Janeway and you would hide your relationship it was rather thrilling really

-given the captain is the captain most of the time you are in her quarters as if someone came looking for her it could be easily written off as a private meeting to discuss urgent matters and it would be rather odd if she where not in her quarters

-you don't get date nights often the closest you get is with velocity or racket ball because they can be easily written off as well or in Janeway's quarters one time Tuvok walked in and you had your arm half way up her replicator fixing it for your dinner but you both suspect the Vulcan knows and just has kept it secret

-Tom has betting pools to see who the captain will be with Chakotay, that hologram from fair haven or a alien they come across

-pet names in public neither of you are big on them as your difference in rank but alone you definatly have pet names

-Janeway would call you her queen if you where feeling down and needed comforting

-PDA is for in private and behind closed doors that's not to say Tuvok has a habit of breaking those doors by accident you are just both lucky that he is a Vulcan and he respect the captain to much to let this get out and he stays out of betting pools

-The doctor probably also knows as you consult in him quite a lot and you have made this Doctor-patient confidentiality and you threatened his program if he didn't keep is secret although he has blurted it out a few times in the captains private company

-She hates sending you on away missions every time you leave the ship you can be in danger if you come back injured she will be worried and since the doctor knows she can show it in sickbay while watching over your sleeping form

-if the crew does find out it is either to a Q or not being careful enough and ending up in a uniform switch lets just say the doctor wins Tom's betting poll and gets his 'tee time' for his golf which make you both glare at him

"Well I didn't tell anyone" the doctor said "Where's the doctor patient confidentiality if you bet on it" you snapped to him "You betrayed my trust doctor" Janeway said "I am going to delete all your singing subroutines and your golf ones" he hissed to him "No wait we can work this out without that" The doctor said holding his hands up

-you are either in engineering or the science division

-you spend your time crawling to and from Janeways quarters in the Jeffares tubes unless it is to fix her replicator then you can be seen passing in to fix it and out after you fixed it or if you are in science medical to catch her for her physicals after all starfleet captains hate physicals

-Tom teases you endlessly when he learns you are with the captain he also trys and gets you to talk the captain to approve his shenanigans which you refuse

-Neelix doesn't get the big deal about it until he is explained it by Tuvok when he is annoying the vulcan with questions

-when voyager gets the time to communicate with earth you decide to consult with data now that you have learnt the doctor is not trust worthy, data would never betray your trust on purpose and there is no way he could tell anyone on your ship although next time you call it's Riker and he is teasing you about it you sigh as data must of asked him out of confusion so now your relationship with Janeway is circling around the senior staff of the Enterprise

#kathryn janeway #captain janeway #janeway #janeway x reader #reader insert #hc #headcanons #janeway headcanons #star trek #star trek voyager #star trek x reader #star trek voyager x reader #mentions of star trek tng #gene roddenberry #tom paris #the doctor #tuvok #chakotay

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motsimages · 1 year

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Being a linguist in DS9 must be the dream job for linguists in Starfleet, in other domains of the Federation and outside of the Federation.

Universities all around probably are looking to establish a Linguistic and Cultural Exchange and Study Center in DS9 with long-term missions there to work on databases and improving interplanetary cultural backgrounds.

There are linguists from many planets working in AI so that the computer can deduce how languages that we've never encountered work. There are linguists working in a more traditional way on specialized glossaries, asking people around, recording sounds, writing things down, asking for books, newspapers, children's letters... There are translators asking people to turn off their translator so that they can practice the language with natives, turning it on again to see how the computer translated the same sentence, making notes on it, improving it later. One of them is really passionate about Ferengi culture and put some extra attention in translating Ferengi children's books which is why we got "Acquire, Brak! Acquire!" to sound like that in English, keeping the alliteration.

There are cultural mediators writing manuals for Starfleet command, for ambassadors, travelers and captain frighters so that they know what to take into account when dealing with people from x planet or y planet or how to deduce what people from an unknown planet want, how to manage a first contact situation. They are all very frustrated because half the time nobody reads them or listens to them.

All of them spend their days trying to get Sisko to agree to take them on a mission to a far away planet so that they can gather data in the planet, in the natural context, but it's always too dangerous so they're stuck with the random traveler who stops at Quark's. They ask the other team members to please carry a recorder and record conversations so that they can analyse them later without the translator's influence. Many of them end up carrying their missions with freighters, runabouts and other non-Starfleet ships.

Some of them tried to offer services as forensic linguists when the threat of the Dominion started to spread so that they could analyse someone's speech and look for alterations, things they wouldn't say or other differences and spot impersonators but Starfleet thought it was slow and risky because what if they were mistaken?

They really love going to the Klingon restaurant because the owner is always happy to help, telling them Klingon idioms, jokes, insults, traditions and correcting their Klingon. Unexpectedly, Morn is also a good contact, he may drink a bit too much and sometimes he speaks and speaks in his monotone voice but he gladly lets them record his speech, writes things for them and brings them reading material.

Quark doesn't want to participate because where is the profit but Rom does, also because he needs translations of engineering and mechanic terminology into Ferengi, the database for Bajoran-Ferengi in this domain is not good enough and half the time they have to use some Starfleet official language as relay.

Garak is also readily available but trying to make sense of Cardassian culture from him is an impossible task. They do have a large database of fabric-related vocabulary in Cardassian. He refuses to acknowledge that he knows about weapons, army or other non-tailor related jobs. He sometimes accepts to tell them about plants, as he was a gardener once. They also have a great glossary of idioms and turns of phrases thanks to Garak.

They keep trying to figure out what is the changelings language when they are not in solid form, but they only have Odo for tests and he has had his share of tests so he only answers a couple of questions at a time before he is very busy. He never accepts to take tests to figure out language in liquid form.

Obviously, the database that is growing the fastest and with the best examples is Bajoran, to and from so many languages. They have samples of all ages and parts of society, they have access to books, music and videos of all sorts. More than one linguist from more than one planet has become the expert of Bajoran cutlure, translation from and to Bajoran, Bajoran religious expressions, etc.

#star trek #star trek: ds9 #long post #fan theory

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dgcatanisiri · 4 months

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The What We Left Behind documentary spitballing the idea of Bashir having joined Section 31 for real (as opposed to the novels opting instead that he joined them to destroy them from within) never really sat well with me, and I think I've finally figured it out.

Bashir may have ended up drawn into that storyline, but it was a storyline centered on him by circumstance more than something that really felt like it was core to his character. Bashir is, at heart, a doctor - he wanted to deal with 31 because he saw it as a cancer in the Federation, a big picture healing, but it doesn't feel like a story that holds JULIAN BASHIR, as an individual, at it's core, that if characters like Sisko or Worf or Riker or La Forge or whoever, had been written into that storyline, it would play out roughly alike.

Like, I mentioned that the novels having him join to bring them down from within at least worked a little better for me, if only because it wasn't about him actually being a part of 31 but trying to take it down, but yeah, I would have liked to have seen his story go in a different direction all the same (but then, I've had a lot of issues with the handling of things DS9 in the novels in the period of time after the Star Trek Destiny trilogy...). It's just easier to swallow over where the documentary was suggesting he'd go.

To me, the natural evolution of Bashir's storyline wasn't doubling down on 31. It's trying to help the other genetically engineered people in the Federation, even trying to help more of them like he did Sarina. Call in to question the Federation's ban on engineering. Tackle the stuff that we saw Neera arguing in SNW's "Ad Astra Per Aspera." This is a uniquely Julian Bashir story, because Starfleet basically gave him a reprieve because he's "a good one," someone who's engineering not only was successful but is useful to Starfleet - meanwhile people like Jack, Lauren, and Patrick are locked away at the institute.

THAT, I say, is the natural evolution for Julian Bashir, because these are people in need, people who need help, and because of his position, he is uniquely qualified to provide that.

With talk of further streaming movies after Section 31 with Georgiou, THIS is a DS9-centric thread I'd like to see followed up on.

#dg rambles #star trek #star trek deep space nine #julian bashir

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a-stitch-in-time-and-space · 1 year

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based on someone in my tags saying that there may be more about Mariner and her PTSD in season 4 (and I couldnt tell if that was a hopeful tag or a I Know What Will Happen tag), wanted to write some things I’d love to see more of:

1. I know that we’ve uncovered the truth about Rutherford’s implants, but I’d like to know a bit more about his journey related to having his memories taken from him -- curiosity about his pre-implants self, and what sort of man he’s able to be now (and look, it’s not gonna happen, but he could meet Bashir... they’re in the same time!)

I also don’t remember how much we already know about his family, will simply rewatch and find out, but if not a lot -- want to know something there as well

and this may not come up, seeing as the plotline was somewhat “sorted” in the reveal episode itself, but if someone high up in starfleet was able to manipulate and hurt a cadet (including non-consensual surgery/implants), what sort of blindspots exist in starfleet in regards to augmentations and overall safety of students? this may be more fanfic territory than the show, but I am curious about whether there could be repercussions about that

generally also am fond of rutherford’s mad-scientist tendencies and at least one of his creations is coming back so....

2. I did in fact see that they’re going to Orion so !!!!!!!!!! Is something I’m really excited for! Tendi’s journey of feeling some pride in her heritage has been a great slowburn, so excited for some fallout/payoff?

3. obviously Mariner’s Whole Deal!!!!! which I’ve already written x amount about

4. I also think -- Tendi especially, considering how we’ve seen her doing work internships, but her/Rutherford/Boimler... will get promoted? It’s interesting that the premise of the show in the title “lower decks” creates a tension that three out of four of them want to be promoted and so they’ll be split up (and that’ll be where the show ends? or maybe not?) It’s also got an interesting (queer) idea in it about notions of failure -- lower decks is the bottom rung of the ladder, so technically everyone should be trying to get higher up in the hierarchy of Starfleet in order to be successful

so far that’s been played with -- they’re all very very capable, and so we have Boimler’s confusion about what he needs to do to get noticed, Tendi’s increasingly star student vibe, Rutherford being basically a genius who gets relied on a lot in engineering, and then on the flipside, Mariner’s refusal (so far) to play that game

there’s a longer meta about this concept to be had, but I’d love to see it picked apart a little on the show now that we’re edging ever closer to what feels like the inevitable. my prediction at the moment is that all four of them will be promoted together (or relatively close together) in the narrative, and I’m curious about how these conversations will happen/generally want to see them thinking about it

5. with all of this, I think with Boimler I wouldn’t mind seeing him question the idea that he needs to “fit into the structure” in order to be in starfleet, that there are things to be questioned and he could be part of that next generation (next next generation) to do so. he’s got a lot more power than he thinks he does

6. overall, I like the way the politics of starfleet is depicted. Freeman doesn’t have the same kind of carte blanche power that’s perhaps been seen before (less so with Sisko, although even with him, as a prophet + him being quite far out in space, there was more ability to do some wild stuff) so would like to see more of her fighting to get the respect she deserves!

7. they should go to Cardassia. it’s right there!!!

#lower decks #lwd #st: lwd #star trek #beckett mariner #samanthan rutherford #d'vana tendi #brad boimler

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mybleedingboy · 2 years

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My Favorite Star Trek Fics

Well, after seven years of being in this fandom, I had to make one at some point.

You Don't Have to (Say Yes)

by luminousbeings

Rated: Mature

Word count: 192,321

The abridged sexual history of James Tiberius Kirk.

Or, Jim’s varyingly unhealthy idea of what sex is supposed to be (a it-gets-worse-before-it-gets-better story)

Please read the warnings before you decide to read this. This is one of my favorite fics ever, but I recognize that it is also very triggering for many people. What I do want to tell people about this story is that it's incredibly healing. Yes, it's very painful, but it's worth it for the way this fic handles everything. Other than pure plot, I also love this fic for its dialogue. There's a scene where it's nothing but dialogue, and it always amazes me how I didn't even realize there were no markers. I just knew who was talking because the author gives all the characters such distinctly beautiful voices. I've never been one for rereading, but for seven years now, it's been a tradition of mine to reread this fic from beginning to end every single year. For good reason. Hard recommend.

The Genetic Soap Opera (or, One of the Less Dignified Royal Weddings)

by waketosleep

Rated: Mature

Word count: 6,181

Turns out Jim Kirk's more than meets the eye, genetically speaking. There are a lot of consequences, mostly for Spock and his sanity.

A classic for a good reason. I usually stray away from shorter works because I get too attached, but this work was perfect in length. Just the right thing to get you laughing in the middle of the night while you're trying not to wake anyone up. I read this at least once every time I circle back into Star Trek.

West of the Moon

by distractedKat

Rated: Teen And Up Audiences

Word count: 71,443

They meet Jim in phases, and through him find each other. Once the layers begin to peel back, though, the future bridge crew of the Enterprise finds more than they ever could have dreamed. When the fight to keep him starts in earnest, the cadets and officers of Starfleet begin to learn that not all wars can be won.

Because long before he had friends, Jim had Family, and the Scaretta crime syndicate didn't survive to the 23rd century by letting go of its own.

Jim Kirk will always be a frustration to Spock--even when that's not his name.

I'm honestly surprised I haven't read this until now. I'm still in the middle of reading it, and I'm reeling both from how absolutely insane the idea of this fic was and how well-executed it remains. Insane stuff right here. Heartwarming and kicks right in the main crew feels with a special center on Chekov as the best guy ever.

Know All Your Enemies

by BAMFspock

Rated: Mature

Word count: 351,857

"The thing about being able to tell what people are feeling and thinking is that people generally don't like that."

Jim can't deal with his problems, so he deals with everyone else's instead. Spock can't deal with his emotions, so he pushes them all away. Starfleet can't deal with a post-Kelvin universe in any way except badly.

And what exactly is t'hy'la, anyway?

A story about dangerous conspiracies, doomed crusades, inadequate coping, imperfect control, important connections, and taking care.

The fic that made me wish Jim was actually a telepath. I started creating fanfic in my head for this particular fic. I would think about this fic, and spend my entire break-time reading it every minute I could. That's how much I love this fic. Beautifully slow burn, but I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to talk about the monstrosity (in a good way) that is this plot. It's huge. It's detailed. Somehow, it holds great cohesion despite all the factors. This fic's plot made me question my ability to creatively think. I also, of course, love the interactions between the entire cast and crew. I think Star Trek is Star Trek when the entire crew plays a big role in things. What an absolute delight.

Breaking Points

by Ragdoll

Rated: Mature

Word count: 68,869

When the Enterprise is asked to transport Vulcan colonists to their new home, Spock Prime comes with them. His presence changes everything – and leads to certain revelations for Jim and Spock. A story about growth, self-discovery, and new beginnings.

I am in love with this author, and I might put some more of their fics up here, but I'm sorely disappointed that they didn't transfer this fic into AO3. That, of course, did not stop me from reading it. I personally hate the formatting in the K/S archive, but I squinted through the starkly white pages just to take this entire fic in. Love for Leonard Nimoy aside, I just love the concept of Spock Prime. The idea that this guy we all know and love, this old man who has suffered the death of his loved ones—worse yet, his loved one—being allowed to see his crew and his Jim once again, but only from a distance? Fucking brilliant. I so wish JJ Abrams wasn't the one who thought the thing up. Anyway, this fic hits right in those places. I thought that by now it would be a tried and tired trope for me, but this fic defied those expectations and actually made me cry in the end.

The Sparrow People

by Wingittofreedom

Rated: Mature

Word count: 80,708

5 months after Nero, tensions are high between Jim and his first officer Spock. After a crash landing on an unknown planet, they're rescued by kindly aliens…who happen to think Jim is Spock’s wife. A story about secrets and fruit.

The only unfinished fic I will put here, and for good reason. The summary is incredibly misleading in that it makes the fic sound like it's purely a comedy when it's so, so, so, so, so much more than that. I never expected to fall in love with an original world in fanfiction form, but I did, and I fell hard. I fell in love with the original characters that populate this story. I fell in love with the writer's style, the intimacy behind every interaction, and just the pure love that glows in every written word. I am incredibly sad that this fic hasn't and probably will never end, but to be honest, the author has given me enough emotionally to work with to the point where I can safely say that this is an unfinished fic I am truly satisfied by. I don't think I can say that for many other unfinished works.

The Morning After

by noodleinabarrel

Rated: Mature

Word count: 50,381

Jim convinces Spock to take shore leave with him on Risa, hoping the time together will help re-solidify their bond of friendship after some recent tension. Meanwhile, Spock convinces himself he's on Risa for one reason and one reason only, to prevent his wayward captain from getting into trouble.

After a passionately illogical night of Romulan Ale and chocolate infused liquor, everything changes when Jim wakes with something other than a hangover filling his head. Something he's sure neither he nor Spock can handle. Because if Jim knows anything for sure, it's that his messed up thoughts belong nowhere near Spock's clean, ordered mind.

(Please remember to read the fic's warnings.) From what I remember when I first read this, this fic is very Spock and Jim-centric which means little interaction with the crew. That should already set alarms because I'm suddenly acting incredibly OOC because from my recs, you should know by now that I love crew dynamics and would sacrifice a main ship for them. But! This fic is an exception apparently. I love the interactions between Spock and Jim here. There's a sprinkle of Bones in there too which always makes everything better. A fic that gives you the hurt before proceeding to give you the best comfort in the world. Deals a lot with Jim's insecurities in a way that actually kind of helped me with mine. Trickle-down therapy through fanfiction is very real.

How to Inefficiently Acquire a Human Male in 98.6 Earth Days

by noodleinabarrel

Rated: Teen and Up Audiences

Word Count: 30,391

When Jim Kirk joins the xenolinguistics club, Professor Spock is drawn to the cadet despite his better judgment. Soon, Spock finds himself in a friendship he never asked for, a relationship that is quickly evolving into something more than he can handle. In an effort to free himself from Kirk’s persistent affection, Spock makes use of his anthropological research on human relationships, which has unexpected consequences.

Yes, another noodleinabarrel fic. I am in love with them. I found this fic on one of those "find fic" pages on LiveJournal, and I can safely say that I will take great care never to lose this one for myself. I fell in love from premise alone. I never expected to love this fic as much as I did, but the characterizations? Noodleinabarrel absolutely killed it. Spock was a delight in this fic, and I somehow fell in love with Jim again just this time from a Spock perspective. The writing style is great of course. I've always found it hard to find fics that could successfully do a Spock POV without sounding like a dictionary recitation, and this author did it seemingly without effort. Please read if you want a short, fun, and funny way to spend an afternoon (or midnight or morning, if you're like me.)

A Logical Return

by walkandtalk

Rated: Unrated, but it's Teen And Up Audiences

Word count: 15,417

Alternately titled: A Very Chekov Easter: Prequel to A Logical Match

Jim gets front row seats to one of Spock's emotional epiphanies, but doesn't notice, of course.

Inspired by Jim's remark to Spock about awkward family dinners involving our favorite Navigator and his large family. This could still stand alone. Set directly after STID

I actually read this fic before I read A Logical Match. I actually love this fic much more than I love the original probably because of the whole crew dynamic again, but also because of the absolute hilarity the author crafts in just 15,000 words. Especially that ending. Talk about an ending; I just sat there guffawing at the screen at around 2 AM, screaming.

Definition

By most_curiously_blue_eyes

The life of five-year-old James T. Kirk changes when an elderly Vulcan lost in time crosses his path and saves him. In the years to come, as the boy grows up into a young man, Spock is his driving force, his mentor, his friend, a constant in his life.

Because in every universe, Jim Kirk is destined to meet a Spock. In this one, he gets to meet Spock twice and the experience defines him, shapes him into the person he is supposed to be. A child. A man. A genius. A captain. A son.

I don't think I've convinced you enough that I love Spock Prime. Let me show you again. Almost gave me a heart attack from just how pure it was. If you ever want to be happy? Read.

Another Life

By LullabyKnell

Rated: Teen and Up Audiences

Word count: 61,861

In one moment, James T. Kirk is the acting captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, on his way home to Earth after stopping the Narada. In the next moment, without explanation, James T. Kirk is an Academy cadet on academic probation again, barely a day before Nero will destroy Vulcan.

He dares himself to do better. And with a planet on the line and no proof but his own memories, he knows that "better" means he'll need some help.

Heartbreaking. To see Jim so desperately try to get everything back? Oh, God, don't even get me started on the plot. From the premise alone, you should be hooked, but please, please, please stay for the lovely characterization, for the great use of Pike, for the lovely Spock Prime, and for the absolute angst that is the prospect of time travel. Makes ties into TOS as well which is always a beautiful little thing. The Superior Fix-It Fic.

AT THE SAME STARS

By Spicyshimmy

Rated: Mature

Word count: 136,398

First Officer Spock of the USS Enterprise is part of the away team that discovers the survivors of Tarsus IV. Captain Pike assigns him to the curious case of James Tiberius Kirk, who steals one of Spock's sweaters. There were no sufficient Vulcan poetics to describe the emptiness of the colony as it was found on the morning of stardate 2249.43. The fully-completed residential sector was neither ugly nor beautiful but simply remote; a hollow landscape of metal alloys and sensible architecture, with determined vegetation growing alongside the support beams. They did not flower.

I binge-read this entire thing over the span of three consecutive days (in my defense, I had 12 hour work days for two of those three days.) I'm a killer for characterization, and the way the author crafted Spock and Jim's relationship was perfect and incredibly original. The slow progression to their love was made with such careful... attention to detail I guess is how you could call it. It might be weird to try to describe this, but as I read the fic, I had an image in my head of the author just... letting the words be. Like they were their children. If that makes sense. What I'm basically trying to say is that the author is great at their job to the point where you can sense their love for the characters, for the movies, and for the work itself.

t'hy'la

by Itar94

Rated: Mature

Word count: 137,131

Jim and Spock meet at the Academy as cadets, and history unfolds. A story of first meetings, tentative friendships, and findings of self. (Spans through the Academy Era and onward.)

(Warnings! Read them!) Okay. I lied. Here's another unfinished fic. But just like the last one, I have good reason again. In the notes for this work, the author admits this is their first Star Trek fic... and I just have to say... that is not at all obvious. In fact, you have no idea the sorrow I had when I realized this was their only Star Trek fanfic to date. The fanfic blows you away immediately with its prose. The entire story itself is immersive, and not just because of its word count. So much happens in this fic and yet somehow everything lies fresh in my head. Many painful experiences occur in this fic, and the writing was just so superb that for a second, I let the suspension of disbelief get to me. I just had to put my phone down and walk for a bit in some scenes. It took me days before I could continue down a certain act. I finish this fic in my head all the time. I thank the author for all the work they put into this.

Sanctuary

By WhyMrSpook

Rated: Mature

Word count: 73,351

Eventually, Jim will tell them about Tarsus. Eventually, he'll let Bones be his Doctor and accept that they all want to help him. Eventually, Jim will find out that which Pike would rather he never did.

Academy AU, where Pike and Boyce practically adopt Jim and Bones, Jim and Pike both keep secrets from each other, and Spock is thrown into the mix too.

(Warnings!!!) Some fics make you forget canon and accept their fiction as word. This is one of them. And God, I wish it was the real thing. I love this fic so much, yes, because of the interactions between Pike, Boyce, and Jim, but also for the fun writing style. God, I need to use better words for it. You'll get what I mean just from reading the first paragraph though. Each word, each sentence, each paragraph, every single thing this author puts down has a unique energy to it—an energy the author can use to literally any effect. I believe I first read Sanctuary around when it came out, so I have a long history with this one, and it's always a delight to rediscover it and relive the found family in this fic. I can't wait to read WhyMrSpook's other works tonight (read: this morning since apparently 1:00 AM is considered morning.)

Petrified

By cowboyjimkirk

Rate: Not Rated, but I don't remember any scenes

Word count: 46,492

Two months into his captaincy, Jim comes to a startling realization: he's deathly afraid of his first officer. Spock, meanwhile, starts to develop a crush.

"Jim's afraid of Spock" sounds terribly angsty, but this is mostly rom com with hints of angst and horror. Updates every Tuesday.

One of the greatest misunderstanding fics out there. That's really all I can say here. I feel like the premise should have already sold you alongside the author's tags of: "Romantic Comedy, Horror, this one's hard to categorize because spock thinks he's living in a rom com, while jim thinks he's living in a horror story." As soon as I saw this again in my iBooks I just knew I had to put this here. (Also unfinished for the last chapter, but I don't remember being dissatisfied by that at all. I think it actually stops at a good place.)

(Halfway) Human Nature

By crescentmoonthemage

Rated: Mature

Word count: 37,533

(Enlighten me again, the cadet says. He stands proud and stupid and human, blue eyes hinting danger as he takes in Spock and dismisses him in that same instant. He’s heard the rumors, everyone has. And so Spock tries.)

It happens in four moments.

Set in early 2260 and chronicling the first months of the five-year mission. Mostly epistolary, partly serious, partly pure crack.

I don't usually like fics with what is arguably texting in them, but there are exceptions to everything, and this is it. Is it weird that even though I don't have any friends in the Star Trek fandom because I'm a loser and that even though this fic was only relatively recently published (2020-2021), I consider this a classic? God, I love this fic. It's just so funny and somehow so emotional at the same time. Hits the right balance. I think I'll add this to my list of yearly re-reads (alongside the other fic with parentheses in its title.)

It Only Leads to Trouble and Seat Wetting

By Leafling

Rated: Explicit

Word count: 18,541

In spite of his reputation in the academy for being promiscuous, Jim's actually a virgin.

(Warnings. Again.) When I was writing this review, I was incredibly surprised to learn that the fic was so short considering in all of my memories, I had such a deep experience with this fic. Another one of the fics I delightfully rediscover everytime I circle back into Star Trek. So incredibly wholesome. I love Jim and Spock here, but Uhura takes the spotlight.

Atlas

by distractedKat

Between what was and what will be stands James Tiberius Kirk, in all his fractured patchwork glory. Because saving the Federation was only the beginning.

A novel-length continuation of the 2009 movie told in four parts. Cross-posted from FFN.

Oh my god. I didn't even realize distractedKat had written two of my favorite fics. Anyway, this fic, especially the first part is permanently ingrained into my head. I remember this fic all the time. It's just an absolute classic for me and most likely the entire fandom. A must read. Love the crew, love the Genius!Jim in here, absolutely in love with the forever confused and obviously (to us at least) in love Spock.

#spirk #jim kirk #spock #star trek fic recs #star trek

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hollowtones · 1 year

Note

hi holly! i got three questions for ya: what was the ds9 episode you personally had the most fun watching, and do you have an episode that you think is the best overall? Also, do you have a favorite costume from the show? have a nice monday

"Heart of Stone" was real good both as an analysis of Odo and as the inciting episode for Nog joining Starfleet. I like it when Ferengi (mostly Nog and Rom) are allowed to be complex characters and not just weird comic relief tied up in weird antisemitic baggage.

"Rejoined" is another really good one & I'm not just saying that because women kiss in it. I'm a sucker for Tragic Romance stories, it's cool to get a bit of world-building about Trill society, and Jadzia's maybe my favourite character on the show (next to Sisko and O'Brien) so I really liked the episode drilling deep into the who's and how's and why's of her.

"Far Beyond the Stars" is one that lots of people talk about and for good reason. Maybe one of the most compelling "what if?" scenarios I've seen in fiction. Very poignant commentary that still feels punchy today. I like it pulling off the whole alternate world/alternate past thing without feeling like a cheap cop-out "What if Ash Ketchum was in a coma dream the whole time and none of it mattered" type of deal.

I'm realizing now that a lot of my favourite episodes are directed by Avery Brooks LOL

My favourite costume was probably Evil Bisexual Kira Nerys from the mirror universe. She's hot.

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weiying-lanzhan-fics · 6 months

Text

there is no limited dimensions by Stratisphyre

This story was amazing! I read it on a global flight on my phone (therefore couldn’t leave comments as I went). Absolutely will reread this gem of a story again and leave comments. I loved it!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Quotes:

“Regardless of your opinion of the value of such ‘things,’” Lan Wangji repeated coolly, “They must be decommissioned effective stardate 89338.66.”

“Tomorrow,” Wei Wuxian said, “Tomorrow?!” He cast a frantic look around the labs he’d been using, undisturbed, for nearly three years. “How am I supposed to get everything out of here by tomorrow?”

Lan Wangji blinked. “You are not. Having made use of Starfleet equipment and resources, everything is to remain in place pending review and proper decommissioning procedures.”

Wei Wuxian’s mouth dropped open. “I think I hate you a little.”

“Such sentiments are endemic of species who rely on emotion over logic,” Lan Wangji stated. “I hope it will not negatively impact our ability to coexist on the same station.”

“I’d say I’m feeling pretty negative about your existence right now,” Wei Wuxian replied.

“Unfortunate but irrelevant,” Lan Wangji said. He noted a few things down in his datapad. “I shall return to begin the decommissioning process at 0515.”

————

Ensign Su scoffed. “‘Mr. Wei,’” he repeated. “I hear he spent the morning with you. You know it’s obvious to everyone that all he wants is extra lab time.” The operations officer laughed and shook his head. “That Wei Wuxian, always playing an angle.” He leaned into Lan Wangji’s space to whisper in his ear. “You know, he’ll call anyone ‘friend’ if it means getting a handout. I mean, look at how he took over the labs. Everyone on the station knows that he spreads his legs for Captain Nie.”

“Speculating about the personal relationship of your superior officer is the height of unprofessionalism,” Lan Wangji stated. He glanced sidelong at Ensign Su. “According to your personnel file, you have been demoted based on similar such conduct in the past.”

“Doesn’t mean I’m wrong,” Ensign Su said. With a smirk, he pulled back. “Good luck with that one, Lieutenant.”

M, 104k

Summary:

Wei Wuxian whistled. "Wow, Captain, you’re probably glad you managed to deal with that before the new stuffed shirts from Starfleet arrived."

Nie Mingjue heaved a sigh which practically shook the station. Whoever said the only emotion Klingons knew how to emote was anger clearly had never seen one of them irritated. Wei Wuxian had a lot of firsthand experience with it.

Nie Mingjue straightened and turned to the Vulcans standing alongside Wei Wuxian. "Command Lan, Lieutenant Commander Lan. Welcome to Baxia Station."

Oh.

"Are you Lieutenant Commander Lan or Commander Lan?" Wei Wuxian asked the painfully beautiful and definitely annoyed Vulcan beside him.

The question earned him a cutting glare. "Lieutenant Commander Lan Wangji."

Well, that had to count for something, right?

—

Lieutenant Commander Lan Wangji joins Baxia Station as Head Science Officer. Of all the things he anticipates upon accepting the commission, Wei Wuxian is not among them

#wangxian #wei wuxian #wei ying #lan wangji #lan zhan #the untamed fic #wangxian fic rec #the untamed fanfiction #untamed fic #mdzs fic #star trek fusion #long fic

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theflowerofhumanity · 9 months

Text

Never Say Never

Spock had lived his entire life as an outsider, existing on the fringe of Vulcan society in many ways despite his father’s illustrious diplomatic career and family name. His very existence made him a curiosity, which in itself was neither good nor bad—but even Vulcan children could be cruel, and the human DNA in Spock’s genetic code made him more emotionally vulnerable to that cruelty than any of his peers. He rejected his inherent humanity at every turn, embracing only his paternal heritage, and devoted a great deal of time and effort to becoming a perfect Vulcan man. He would prove the childhood bullies wrong. He would prove himself worthy to his father...though in quiet moments of reflection or meditation, he sometimes questioned how Sarek could have chosen to marry and father a child by a human woman, only to then be critical of every human trait that child displayed.

Beyond where he stood, the surf roared and crashed until it crept, whispering, onto the sand. Cold, frothy seafoam licked at Spock’s bare toes before slipping away again to resume its primordial dance, the steps dictated by cosmic forces millions of miles away. He was unsure exactly how long he had stood here, mesmerized as he gazed out on the blue-grey water gilded by the late-afternoon sun, but his face and feet were growing chilled. This was the third afternoon he’d come here. The experience of watching and listening to the Terran sea had a calming, almost meditative effect on his mind. He wondered if it also spoke to some latent humanity within him without really believing such a thing was possible.

His Vulcan features and behavior made Spock just as much of a curiosity here on Earth as he’d been on the planet of his birth. No one could tell that he was, in fact, half human. But now he was also something other than just an outsider. He was an outcast. Sarek had, upon learning of his son’s enrollment in Starfleet Academy, made it clear that he was no longer welcome in his house. While Spock’s imminent departure for Earth had robbed the words of their immediate impact, it couldn’t alter the rejection inherent within them. The many years he’d spent trying to fit in to his society and to please his father appeared to have been in vain.

Now, many light-years away from the burning Vulcan sun and with an alien sea filling his keen senses, Spock wondered idly whether he and his father would ever speak again. Perhaps if he did as well in his Academy courses as he always had in childhood…

Frowning, Spock let that incomplete thought fade from his mind. He wasn’t here to make Sarek proud. He was here because he wanted to be. Rather than settle logically on a career path that he could follow, as was expected of him, to the Vulcan Science Academy, Spock’s sharp young mind had always hungered for ever-more knowledge on all subjects...and his eyes and imagination were forever drawn back to the stars that glittered overhead. The various interplanetary diplomatic trips on which he sometimes accompanied his parents had only furthered his conviction. Someday, he would live and work out there among those distant points of light.

From some distance down the beach Spock heard the cheerful clamor of people gathering. The sun hadn’t yet set, but they had already built a bonfire on the sand. Some part of him—the human part, he supposed, still reeling from the events of the last two weeks—yearned to walk down and join them. But whether they were fellow Starfleet cadets or not, he doubted his presence would be welcome, nor would he have any idea how to conduct himself. Classes began in a few days. He would bury any loneliness and homesickness he felt in his studies and focus on his goals.

He turned away from the sun-drenched waves and began walking towards the rocks where he’d deposited his shoes and cloak. Perhaps tonight he would try to find a restaurant that offered more appealing dishes than the Academy’s food synthesizers.

@multirptrash

#this is pretty lame but the ideas in my head didn't want to translate very well lol #NOT lamer than the title but lol what else is new #I was thinking 'never say never' as in the song by The Fray which seems to fit them pretty welll <3 #*nsn

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