#Andorian biology

[indignantlemur]

I finally got around to creating proper chitin maps for Shral, Thelen, and Thoris! Detail shots below the cut, as usual!

Primarily, what I wanted to do here was illustrate (1) the actual chitin patterns for the characters so I could keep a clear reference picture on hand for future art, and (2) an example of how the average body types for Andorians tend to look. Andorians by and large tend to be narrower in builds - willowy, even - but they can be bulkier as well. They'll never be as bulky as Humans can get, however. It's important to remember that Andorians don't store anywhere near as much fat as Humans do, as well, meaning that they tend towards being very lean.

Unlike Humans, Andorians have much less variety in their natural shapes and sizes, though they do also have outliers and exceptions.

Shran, for example, is unusually short for an Andorian - a species whose average height for males and females tends to be 6'0 even according to most sources. Jaro, from Deck the Halls (and Not The Vulcans) is unusually large - he's basically the Hafþór Björnsson of Andorians. Between those two extremes, you tend to see folks built more like these three above for the male half of the population.

In terms of genitalia - Andorian males keep everything retracted. Having dangly delicate bits in a frozen hellscape is a terrible idea, and keeping everything internal most of the time means that the gonads can be kept at a consistent internal temperature.

When in a neutral state, such as depicted here, the genital slit is naturally held closed and has partial protection with single, narrow plates of free-floating, vestigial chitin on either side, sandwiched between softer lines of more flexible cartilage. These plates are very thin as well, which renders them slightly flexible compared to chitin found elsewhere on the body. At one point, these chitin plates attached to a long-since lost plate section in the lower abdomen. As it is, Andorian biologists estimate that in a few hundred years or so the free-floating plates may no longer develop at all in the majority of Andorians.

Thelen has the bulkiest build of the three, heavily muscled and heavily armoured - the jaguar build, over leopard or cheetah. His chitin patterns are more extensive than the other two's, and they are more organic in nature, following the lines of muscle fibres to allow for maximum movement while still maintaining a high level of protection. Many lines of chitin can collapse and resettle into a neutral state very like an accordion as the muscles beneath them flex and relax, but quite a few are more rigid and inflexible.

Sannev have so much chitin that it does limit the range of motion that they have in some limbs, and the extra weight makes them a bit slower as well. Additionally, all that weight from their chitin means that Sannev Clan members burn far more energy in a fight (and on a daily basis) than most other Andorians. This fact, when combined with the rapid metabolism Andorians evolved with, means that the Sannev were forced to adopt a strategy of short, brutal combat using overwhelming force to compensate. When a Sannev man - or woman, for that matter - goes on the warpath, the conflict is resolved in very short order.

Thoris has a moderate build, neither built for speed nor for brute force but landing somewhere comfortable between the two. I mentally map Thoris' build to be more like a leopard than a cheetah or jaguar. His chitin is much less extensive, and unlike the Sannev pattern, the Kor pattern is primarily made up of layered plates of chitin which can compress and fold due to being a little thinner and having a degree of flexibility to them. His spine is heavily armoured, as are his ribs, but the plating throughout his legs, arms, and even torso is much less prominent or widespread than Thelen's.

Some would say that this means Thoris occupies a sweet spot between being light and mobile and being well-protected. Thoris would call those people fools. Being in the middle of the road for speed and natural defenses meant he had to work twice as hard to attain any level of physical prowess compared to his peers (many of whom had natural advantages over him) and this is particularly true where duels were concerned. The Kor Clan are traditionalists, and their duelling style favours minimal movements, the development of uncanny reflexes, and maximize energy conservation over brute force or speed. A Kor Clan member will dodge by a fraction of an inch, a mere turn of the head, a slight shift of the hips. No energy is wasted, no movements are more extravagant than they absolutely need to be - and no strike is anything less than exactly as strong and as fast as it must be to get the job done. A competent Kor duellist is one of the hardest opponents in a ushaan duel, simply because they can outlast every other opponent.

Shral is one the narrower end of Andorian builds, more like a cheetah than a leopard or jaguar. He's built for speed rather than raw strength, and so he lacks the bulk that makes Thelen such a close quarters powerhouse and the more extensive chitin patterns that Thelen and Thoris have for overall protection. The upside of his build is that Shral is not limited in his range of motion or otherwise weighed down by the extra chitin - and the mirroring downside is that he's much more vulnerable as a result. He's not quite a glass canon, in that he can take a hit and keep going, but he'll take much more damage than someone like Thelen would.

What Shral does have is meant to reinforce key areas and protect the spine, and little else besides - a common trait among the Hrisvalar Clan, and one they account for with their duelling strategies. Somewhat ironically, Hrisvalar and Sannev go about solving the problems posed by their inherent chitin patterns and the body-types that most often crop up in their lineages by adopting the same strategies; quick and brutal. While the Sannev go about this using the brute force method to overwhelm their enemies, the Hrisvalar prefer a more delicate touch. They teach their members to strike quickly, to do so with ruthless efficiency, and to remain extremely mobile in combat. A Sannev will break every bone in your body, and a Kor will defeat you with technical excellence and cold efficiency, but a Hrisvalar will hamstring you and cut your throat before you even know what's happening.

Not every member of the three Clans mentioned will be built as Thelen, Thoris, and Shral are - they are just examples of what's typical. Exceptions certainly occur in every Clan.

@the-lady-general  @starrynightgardens  @emilie786  @horta-in-charge  @emochook  @velvet-luvie  @creature-of-the-stars @unknownfacelessfanfictions @auroramagpie

[zineobiology]

Welcome to the Zine O’Biology (closed! Release early 2025)

A multi-fandom Star Trek Zine.

Do you have strong opinions on Vulcan fra’als, Cardassian tails, or how the heck Trill symbionts reproduce? We want to hear from you!

The Zine O’Biology is a fictional comparative xenobiology academic journal set in the Star Trek universe. If you’ve always wanted to wax eloquent for up to 3000 words about your theories on alien biology, welcome to your new home!

We want all your theories about all your favorite aliens! This is a friendly but competitive academic journal where the content of every paper is a little bit suspicious (is this paper based on rumor or fact? What is the methodology?) and some competing authors leave snarky comments on one another’s work. So just like a real academic journal, except ours features the Great Green Anthurium.

We welcome xenobiology articles on all Star Trek aliens from all series!

The final format will be a PDF that you can scroll at your leisure or print at home in order to have a physical copy of the Zine. (This way there is no money involved.)

--SEEKING SUBMISSIONS FOR--

Alien biology articles

Alien biology artwork

In-Universe advertisements

Letters to the editor

ALIEN BIOLOGY ARTICLES

How do Andorian genders work? Are Cardassians actually lizards? Why do Klingons have so many redundant organs? What’s the biological purpose of Bajoran nose ridges? What’s the best cement mix for emergency surgery on a Horta?

You’ve been pondering alien biology for years. This is your chance to infodump all your favorite theories to an eager audience of your fellow nerds!

Articles will be separated into two categories: reproductive biology or general biology. Yes, we also want all your theories on what every species is packing downstairs…and how they use it.

Journal articles should be fun and engaging, but also written in your interpretation of a pseudo-academic style, since this is a highly respected Federation xenobiology journal. If you want to keep things more lighthearted and less academic, check out the section on Letters to the Editor.

ALIEN BIOLOGY ARTWORK

If you have independent illustrations about alien biology we would love to see them! If you would like to provide illustrations for one of our journal articles, tell us what species you want to illustrate and we’ll do our best to match you up!

Art should be in a square, scaleable format, printable at high resolution at 4x4 inches.

JOURNAL ADVERTISEMENTS

Even in a post-need future, academic journals will need a little extra funding. Submit your ads for Ferengi Oomox Creme, Self Sealing Stem Bolts, Gently Used Federation Technology, and, of course, “reproductive aids.” The weirder the better! Have fun with it!

All art needs to be printable at high resolution

Ad Sizes:

full page: 4.5" x 7.5"

Column: 2.21" x 7.5"

Half Page: 4.5" x 3.75"

Square: 2.21" x 2.18" (i know its not a perfect square but trust me)

Half square: 2.21" x 1.1"

Banner: 4.5" x 0.83"1.75

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Do you have a great idea, but it’s not enough to fill out a 3000 word article? Submit it as a “reaction” to a previous journal article. Feel free to lay into a mythical researcher who does NOT understand why their biological theory is wrong and yours is right!

Max length 800 words. Enjoy making these plenty frothy!

WE NEED SUB-EDITORS!

The creators of this Zine are all notorious Vulcan Fuckers. Since we want the Zine O’Biology to be open to all alien species, it is only logical that we seek your expertise.

We’re seeking fans from all over the Star Trek universe to spread the word that yes, it’s time for us to all come together in the spirit of explaining how our favorite aliens come together.

Sub-Editors will be in charge of helping us solicit articles and art for their specific race of aliens and editing those articles in order to fit into the Zine. If we don’t have a sub editor for a species, we’ll do our best, but the chapter on that species won’t be as good as it would be if folks with real fanon knowledge were involved.

WANT TO GET INVOLVED, BUT YOU’RE NOT A WRITER OR ARTIST?

WE NEED:

Graphic designers to help with Zine layout

Social media promoters

Alien art and article wranglers (ie: get your fannish friends involved!)

--HOW TO GET INVOLVED--

Fill out the Art or Writing (Applications now closed) Google Form letting us know your interests or reach out to the Editor in Chief at zineobiology@gmail.com

DEADLINES:

August 1, 2024: Last date for everyone seeking an art or writing partner to submit their request. We don’t guarantee you’ll be partnered up. It depends on how many people are interested and what aliens they want to draw/write.

August 18, 2024: Art/Writing partners notified. NOTE: it’s both fine and encouraged if you want to submit as a team from the start! This is for people who do not have a partner and would like us to find them one.

August 30, 2024: Final call for all journal authors, artists, and advertisers to let us know what species they’re working with, how many submissions they plan to send, and whether their submission will be general or reproductive biology.

October 30, 2024: All art, advertising, and journal submissions are due

We hope to have the Zine O’Biology ready for your enjoyment by New Year’s Eve 2024. We all have full time jobs and lives, so that date may change depending on the volume of submissions.

FAQ

What if my biological theories are totally different from another author’s?

Yes. Perfect. We love it.

We want to see everyone’s theories! Canon gave us scraps, but together we will make a meal! Expect to see many mutually contradictory articles. That’s part of the fun!

What about Smut?

Yes, we are accepting E rated submissions! The journal will be separated into two sections:

General Biology

Reproductive Biology

General Biology is everything but the genitals

Reproductive Biology should include actual descriptions of the mechanics and biology. Think of it as creating reference material for smut writers and artists.

[a-noone]

Blood

Humans have hemoglobin

Andorians have hemocyanin

Vulcans have chlorochruorin

Klingons have hemerythrin

Ferengi have vanabin

[baylardian-1]

Moidrah and Philippa :)

i figure they'd have spent a few years working together aboard the same ship, the USS *working title*, while philippa's a commander and moidrah's her captain respectively. probably a science vessel, i figure it'd be a lot of like, working in quarantined planets to help prevent the spread of diseases, helping out in warzones with medical supplies and training, other science-y missions,,,,,,

i only have bits and pieces of ideas,,,,, like i had it in my mind that philippa's stuck in a lieutenant position for a while bc no one will risk taking her on as a commander,,,,, maybe it has to do with her hot-headed temper, or maybe it's because she'd entered the command track late so she's like, pretty unremarkable and inexperienced as a candidate. moidrah handpicks philippa to be her XO and no one, philippa included, can figure out why she'd take the risk.

im still kinda chewing on what their dynamic will be... like i think theyd bond over being genetically "different." rrrrgrhhg moidrah's difficult for me in that like she always has this hidden agenda involving augments and i think philippa having come from a similar upbringing as her captain would be the only one to see it. PRIOR TO THAT though i think philippa would try her darndest not to disappoint her captain so she plays more by the starfleet book for a while but she comes to find out they're both a little rule-bendy in an echo chamber, enabling each other in a way that MIGHT be a little bad lol. ;) but i think itd eventually serve to show philippa why they're supposed to be more STARFLEET CODE with things.

[justlisalisa]

Hello Shrancher-Community...

I want to write a Bodyswap fic, and I NEED inspiration. And ideas. Because I have too many and need to streamline them. Here are some of them:

Consciousness swap, so the traditional bodyswapping. Shran feels like a damn god looking at everyone's heads from above instead of looking up, but hates how squishy he is. Archer in Shrans body feels strong and maybe- just maybe... he will finally have the upper hand against Shran in a sparring match.

Or rather some kind of transporter accident, so they merely swap species. Mostly because I think human Shran would be a little cutie pie. A silly little goober, you may call him. Andorian Archer being tall, strong but still his easily peggable self is also throwing me for a delicious loop.

EITHER WAY THEY ARE GONNA SO EXPLORE EACH OTHERS BODIES!! THIS IS NOT NEGOTIABLE.

I am so very normal about them :3 teehee

Since I'm currently writing my own Andorian-OC longer fanfiction, I'll also draw from the partly non-canon Andorian biology that I've come up with. Any interaction is so, so welcome. Even if it's literally just one person.

Tysm!!

[abyssalaquarist00]

andorian biology / ethnicities headcanons, crossposted from twitter. sex distinctions & gender is coming up next

[mytardisisparked]

📥🌝💻 for the ask game!!

LOL I JUST REALIZED I SAVED THIS TO MY DRAFTS INSTEAD OF POSITING IT, FORGIVE MY IDIOCY

🌝 Who is one character you haven’t yet written for that you would like to?

I'd be interested in writing Monica Reyes, I just struggle a bit to pin down her voice, I think. Maybe someday soon!

📥 What is your fave fic to receive comments/messages on?

hehehe I really like when people comment on And Still, The Sea is Salt and Ghost of You because they usually bring about strong reactions :)

💻 Do you do research for your fics? What’s the deepest dive you’ve done?

I do if there's a specific detail I need to know. For example, I went down a huge rabbit hole the other days about the history of voicemail inbox technology for a fic lol. I also once tried to figure out how Andorian genetics work since they have 3 genetic contributors for offspring instead of just 2. And then I made a very cursed Punnett Triangle to test it out. That haunted me for, like, weeks. I still think about it. Usually in fics, genetics and animal biology are what I dive into.

[auxiliarydetective]

The Aenar - Evie Edition

In building my newest Star Trek OC, Ezori, I took a deep dive into the Memory Alpha and Memory Beta articles on Aenar (and Andorians), and I came up with some headcanons and additions that I figured I could share with you guys.

Disclaimer: I am not a biologist, or an anthropologist, or a zoologist, or whatever else you might need to be to have professional opinions on this. I am a history student with a hyperfixation and going off of what feels right. If you don't like what I came up with, you can give me contructive criticism (please do, I like realism) or leave <3

With that being said, let's get into it! We'll be using my dear girl Ezori as a reference from here on out, so here she is out of uniform! This is going off of the ENT-era Aenar design mostly, since Ezori is an OC for ENT.

Almost everything on Memory Alpha/Beta still applies, so if I don't touch on something, you can just assume that whatever is said there is also true for my Aenar lovelies. Also, some of these ideas were inspired by the takes on Aenar by @nichestartrekkie0-0, so check out their Aenar tag! They've got some really cool ideas there!

Now, for our first topic:

I. Biology !

Very obviously, I gave them tails. I got the idea because their antennae are there for balance. Obviously, you'd need great balance as an ice-dwelling species, because ice is slippery. And what else gives you excellent balance? That's right: A tail.

The tail is very long (about the person's full height plus maybe 10%) and prehensile and grows out of the body about where a human's tailbone starts, so just above the butt. When navigating tight, crowded or familiar/safe spaces, an Aenar might keep it wrapped around their body for practicality reasons. Almost the whole tail is fairly sensitive because it's also one of the main sense organs of the Aenar. Besides touch, they can sense shifts in temperature and also whatever waves telepathy travels by - though these are mainly picked up by the antennae and ears. They also have a lot of strength in that tail for reasons which will become a bit clearer later. As a side note: Andorians are born with some semblance of a tail, but since it's non-functional, it's usually removed directly at birth or shortly after - it's essentially a vestigial organ for them.

Going from there, I thought about what other features might be practical for ice dwellers to have, and then it hit me: Spikes! You can use them to hold on to things if it gets slippery and, even more crucially, you can use them to help you climb. So, I added spikes to the tail - which is why their tails have to be this long and strong. You have to have reach with them and they have to be able to support a lot of weight. But I didn't want the Aenar, who are known pacifists, to carry around full-on spiked whips all the time since it didn't really fit their theme, so I decided that the spikes should be able to lie flat against the tail. My inspiration was HTTYD's Deadly Nadders. So, as you can see, they have five rows of spikes, the third row being the biggest, as well as one tip spike. Beneath those rows of spikes are the most sensitive sense organs of the Aenar. Think of the spikes as eyelids and the receptors beneath as the eyes being protected by the lids. So, whenever an Aenar splays their spikes, it's not a show of aggression. It's ye olde fight or flight response. Because while, yes, technically they could ram those spikes into whatever is threatening them, even more crucially, the spikes being splayed out allows the receptors beneath to receive more stimuli, which makes navigating your environment a lot easier for when you have to run away. These spikes are, obviously, not sensitive, since they're supposed to be rammed into ice, but the receptors are. There's a more robust, scalier area that sort of blends into the rest of the tail just beneath the lowest row of spikes.

Additionally, Aenar have little bumps across their backs along their spines. These used to be further spikes but turned into nothing but small bumps in the course of evolution. They're also usually fairly short because the energy that could be used to help them grow goes into warding off the cold.

As another biological adaption to the cold, Aenar (and Andorians) have a different chemical composition of their fat layers which makes them more insulating - this is why Andorians (and also Aenar) can sustain both extreme cold and extreme heat. Aenar also have a habit of using only non-tiring movements when in cold environments. This comes off as somewhat "graceful" to other species because these movements are very light and fluid. When in warmer environments, they need to snack a lot to keep their energy levels up and stay healthy. They might even be some form of mesotherm, but I'm hesitant to really apply this term here.

Their "vision" works based on all of their other senses to compensate for their blindness. They navigate their surroundings through sensing changes in temperature (ice walls are colder than their surroundings, for example), and "echoes" of both sound and telepathy waves, as well as touch if necessary. Additionally, they have a good grasp on where people or animals are based on telepathy alone, and being around seeing people helps them navigate usually harder-to-grasp environments through picking up what those people see as telepathic "background noise". All of this leads to Aenar being able to navigate familiar environments better than unfamiliar ones because they get accustomed to those stimuli, as well as them having more trouble perceiving inanimate objects than living and/or sentient ones.

In my head, Aenar skintones range from a pale icy blue to almost entirely snow-white with only some blue-ish contours/undertones. Eye colors range from blue to grey and are either pale or almost white - in which case they can look to be almost shimmering in a lot of different colors, kinda like opals or those "color-changing" blue eyes some humans have. The pupils arent much darker than the irises. Their hair is practically always white, only very rarely platinum blonde. I also gave them white eyelashes since it just made sense. I'd imagine body hair isn't that common, but you wouldn't be able to really see it either way since it would be white. Also, I changed the top part of the antennae to blue because... why would they be pink? The insides of their mouths are also blue, same for any other area where humans are pink. Also, Aenar freckles are golden. This has no logical reason other than that it looked like that to me with the makeup on the show. They blush very easily because their skin is so light and their blush is blue.

II. Culture !

This deals with a very broad understanding of culture, just so I don't have to create a bunch of mini categories.

First of all, I'm convinced that chubby = attractive to Aenar. Not because they think that that body type looks pretty, obviously, since they can't see, but because chubby = warm and soft (and also more resistant to freezing).

With that in mind, I was convinced that Aenar would like to accentuate the stomach area - which led me to the idea that Aenar have a rich culture of body jewelry (and they're probably a little disappointed and confused whenever they meet a species that doesn't). Belly button piercings are very common and almost everyone has them, similar to how a lot of humans have pierced earlobes. Speaking of pierced earlobes, there is an Aenar belief that ear piercings increase your hearing and telepathic abilities. Piercing your antennae is fairly rare since they're very vulnerable and piercing someone's tail is difficult. So, people might wear rings around them instead. A special sort of ring is when the main "shackle" part that holds the jewelry in place is semi-transparent (and usually a similar color to the person's skin) and (in the case of tail jewelry) has a hoop attached to make it look like the hoop is loosely dangling from around the tail, or (in the case of antennae) has chains attached to form a sort of net falling across the hair. The hoop method is less common for antennae since hoops are heavy and any chains on the antennae are usually attached at the base so as to not impact movability - unless for special occasions. The spikes can't be pierced because they're too hard and the forehead/eyebrow ridges are rarely pierced because they're also hard and a bit impractical to pierce, but it's not entirely impossible. If someone doesn't want percings, cuffs or body chains are common alternatives.

Piercings are a sign of prestige, especially if they're made of precious metals. More piercings = more prestige. This is also why being a piercer is a very well-respected job. Giving people piercings has some semblance of a spiritual/ritual tradition, so there's a lot of respect and honor involved. It can also be a very intimate thing. Aenar often get piercings for weddings, anniversaries, the birth of a child, and other festivities, and they also often get piercings together to strengthen their bond with each other.

Aenar are also eerily quiet. This is, on one hand, because they hear so well, and on the other because of their light movements and because they just don't have the need to talk much. Whenever they do talk, they're usually soft-spoken. Because Aenar are so quiet, treading lightly and whatnot, they seem to sometimes just appear next to people who can't feel them coming through telepathy.

They also just... don't lie. Why would they? They're convinced that everyone around them would know when they're lying because everyone around them has telepathy, so why try? This doesn't mean that they're extremely straightforward or blunt though, they're still very soft-spoken and polite. If they insult you, it will be through backhanded compliments and sly little comments that only you will hear.

Remember how I said that Aenar blush easily? Well, they also don't know what blushing is. I mean, they do realize that their face turns hot and whatnot, but they don't know that they turn blue, because they can't see it.

Going back to the topic of mobility, instead of ice picks, Aenar have clawed gloves to aid in climbing. Long distances are covered by ice sled tracks if necessary.

And finally, Aenar clothes are usually white or in light shades of other colors to blend in with the icy environment. Wearing dark or vibrant colors is seen as obnoxious and disrespectful to the community.

SO! I think that's it for now. If you sat through this, congrats! Have a cookie 🍪

Taglist: @starcrossedjedis @oneirataxia-girl @daughter-of-melpomene @bravelittleflower @box-of-bats - let me know if you’d like to be added or removed!

Also tagging @enterprise-come-in

[soylent-crocodile]

Vulcan (Race)

(Saavik by DennisBudd)

(Vulcans are the obvious Star Trek race to convert, and so the next one after andorians. If you can guess the third one I'm converting you win no prize because it is also very obvious, I think. So much ink has been spilled on vulcan biology, although almost all of it can be summed up by "constitution bonus", and the rest makes me wonder how the hell they can produce viable offspring with humans. Did you know vulcans have copper-based blood? Wild.)

Vulcans are elflike humanoids with mysterious origins that developed on a desert planet, where they waged constant wars of conquest and revenge. With time, however, they learned to control their emotions through careful meditation and philosophy- although this did not stop them from feeling emotions, simply from acting on them. Today, they rely on logic to guide their actions, and are known as brilliant scholars and tacticians. 

Vulcans have numerous adaptations to their dry environment, including needing less water than humans, an efficient metabolism, and a membrane in their eye protecting it from sand. Adult vulcans undergo a hormonal change known as pon farr every seven years, where they experience heightened aggression and lust to the point of possibly dying if these urges go unfulfilled. This is considered a great embarrassment for their modern society.

Ability Scores: Vulcans are a logical and hardy people, though also stoic and impersonal. They get a +2 bonus to Intelligence and Constitution, but a -2 penalty to Charisma.

Medium: Vulcans are medium creatures that get no bonuses or penalties based on size.

Speed: Vulcans have a base speed of 30ft.

Languages: Vulcans start knowing Vulcan and Common. Vulcans with high intelligence scores may choose from Elvish, Terran, Andorian, Tellarite, and Aklo as starting langauges.

Practiced Stoicism: When saving against emotion effects, Vulcans may roll twice and take the greater roll. They must do this before finding out the results of the roll.

Deep Passions: When receiving a morale bonus of any kind, Vulcans increase the bonus gained by 1. The same is true of penalties inflicted by emotion effects.

Mind Meld: As a full-round action, a vulcan can touch a willing creature and link their minds. This allows them to share up to 1 minute’s worth of emotions and memories. If one subject of the mind meld is under a harmful mind-affecting effect, however, the other subject must make a save as though targeted by the effect.

[indignantlemur]

I was wondering what do andorians find attractive as a majority and individually?

Thank you.

Hello! To start off, I'm going to a quick and dirty breakdown of what all goes into attraction, and go from there.

Broadly speaking, attraction comes down to biology and psychology. Everyone and their grandmother at this point knows that we are attracted to cues which indicate a potential mate is healthy, is a carrier of desirable genes, etc. I could write an essay on that topic alone, but physiological cues are just one layer of the science behind attraction and mate selection.

A big factor in attraction and mate selection that folks often don't think about is histocompatibility. Bear with me, I'm remembering most of this from a biology professor's mid-class tangent many years ago. Histocompatibility is the sameness or sufficient similarity of the alleles of a set of genes called human leukocyte antigens (HLA), or major histocompatibility complex (MHC). In short: it's checking if the blueprint for your immune system looks a lot like the next guy's or not. Commonly, histocompatibility is tested when looking for compatible organ donors, but it plays a role in mate selections as well. Humans, for example, have tiny little receptors in our mouths which detect MHC markers within a partner's saliva when we kiss.

If a person's markers are sufficiently diverse from our own, we experience a "spark." This person's blueprints are different enough to be a good pairing for potential offspring! Hooray!

If they are too similar, Humans often feel that something is missing, or just generally felt weird/gross/put-off. Their blueprint is too matchy-matchy with yours: that's a firm no thank you!

This, of course, is a Human example. Andorians, presumably, function a little differently by virtue of their markedly different physiology and evolutionary path. Insects are well known for using chemical markers to communicate, and I don't see why Andorians wouldn't have this trait given their evolution, so I headcanon that Andorians are able to consciously parse pheromone markers utilising a vomeronasal organs (VNOs), which Humans don't really have.

(Well, we kinda-sorta do. Humans develop vomeronasal organs as fetuses, but then they go through a kind of regression and remain extremely under-developed forever afterwards. Human VNOs are really quite stunted, especially when compared with other animals on Earth. There's significant debate as to whether or not Humans actually can properly detect pheromones at all, in some scientific circles, while there does appear to be some evidence from recent studies that indicate that we can pick up some reproductive/social cues based on pheromones from our partners. It's a fascinating subject, but difficult to research as I understand it.)

Andorian pheromones would most likely relay subtle and complex indicators for health, fertility, arousal, and even moods to some degree. Andorians with long-term partners or strong relationships would be very familiar with any unique markers their friends, lovers, and family members have in their pheromones, and perhaps able to parse information on a subconscious level based on minute changes to those pheromone profiles. When it comes to aliens, however, all bets are off. Andorians are not built to parse Human pheromones, or any other species for that matter, and the information they do get from alien pheromones is confusing at best.

Thelen, for example, has noted in the past that Dagmar exudes a sharp, unpleasant chemical signal when in emotional distress, but at the time he had no idea what was being communicated to him.

Beyond pheromones, Andorians would often find markers of good health and diverse genes attractive as well, since that seems to be almost universal across many species. Some examples would be much like the Human equivalents, really: healthy blue skin, mobile antennae, thick hair, and very sharp teeth are commonly viewed as desirable (longer dual-incisors are considered particularly attractive, but there is a limit. No one wants to make out with a walrus.)

(Additional side note: Humans also tend to find longer incisors attractive, as it's generally regarded as a sign of good genes. Most folks find flat incisors a bit boring. Not outright unattractive, necessarily, but nothing to get excited about either. Individual mileage may vary, of course.)

Additionally, certain phenotypes are considered very attractive, such as blue eyes. Blue eyes on Andoria are very rare as the genes which result in this coloration are all recessive, but many believe that there is a beautiful, natural symmetry to an Andorian whose colouration is nothing but blue and white. Historically, a number of religious groups have assigned a kind of inherent divinity to those born with blue eyes, in fact, though modern sensibilities have since stamped such notions out quite thoroughly. That said, the appeal of blue eyes to Andorians cannot be understated: even aliens with blue eyes are deemed to be more attractive by default, and often find themselves on the receiving end of some very aggressive flirtation. Grey-eyed aliens aren't safe, either.

Now, beyond biology and appearance, we also have to look at more external factors, like culture, social pressures, and psychology.

Andorians place a great deal of emphasis on the importance of personal honour, strength, and the balancing act between self-control and passion. Additionally, we know they are a very social species, and that they are taught from a young age to value community over the individual. From this, we can conclude that these core values would inform their ideas of attractive personality traits and behaviours.

Personal honour and strength would, in some ways, go hand-in-hand in a society where duels to the death are still commonplace, but I would caution others to refrain from limiting their notion of strength to that of the physical alone. Mental fortitude is as valuable as physical might in as harsh an environment as Andoria often proves to be. Strength of arms paired with a weak mind and weaker self-control benefits no one, and Andorians look to the health and viability of the quad and the Clan above all.

Andorians are a deeply passionate people, which is what necessitates their often rigid social regulations, but that does not mean that they seek to remove their emotions entirely as the Vulcans are often purported to do. Rather, Andorians are very keenly aware that there is a time and a place for everything, and emotional outbursts outside of those times and places can be seen as deeply unattractive in a potential mate. Exceptions occur, of course - displays of great joy or terrible grief, for example, are given allowances that outbursts of rage or fear are not.

Additionally, childhood environment and parental figures play a huge impact on mate selection, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. Sometimes, these factors serve as frames of reference for desirable traits and circumstances - and, sometimes, what to avoid at all costs.

Beyond that, however, individual preferences are the biggest deciding factors. Andorians are not all the same, nor do they have a mono-culture, and making more than broad generalizations here is a disservice to a complex species comprised of numerous unique individuals.

[zineobiology]

Interest so far!

We have had a few applications so far and here's what people are interested in:

Articles

Vulcan x5

Bajoran x1

Romulan x1

Andorian x1

Gorn x1

Multi Species x2

Open to anything x1

Art

Klingon x2

Vulcan x3

Cardassian x3

Andorian x1

Ferengi x1

Desired Species:

Klingon

Cardassian

Ferengi

Andorian

Caitian

Gorn

Borg

Andorian/ Aenar

Orion

Vulcan

Trill

Xindi

Betazed

Denobulan

Salt Vampires

Tellerites + your favorite under-represented species!

[nichestartrekkie0-0]

Ok, so first of all, sorry to be bombarding you with my silly little asks lmao

Second of all, @deepspacedukat has a headcanon that Andorians and Aenar find chubby partners more appealing on account of the fact that they’re on an icy planet, and more body fat = more warmth for you (and your family when you all cuddle together for warmth). I know you can’t speak for Andorians, but do you agree with this headcanon for Aenar?

Hey! no problem at all! Glad you have questions!!! :))

yes ofc. I think this is a great headcanon- and if I may-- I'll add to it!

More under the cut haha :))

Aenar usually dgaf about appearances- obviously as they can't see visually. There is no word for 'pretty' or 'ugly' in the conlang that I made...

Which brings us to attraction! yay! So, in a society that has no visual sight, what do you go off of to base (physical) attraction? The other senses- aka touch, smell, taste, hearing (less of taste, but u get what I mean haha) So smelling good and feeling good are important! (Aka soft textured clothes and body care products!) People's voices are super important too! (Esp. singing voices) They can be used to 'tell' personality sometimes, eg. someone with a soft voice = kind, and someone with a more deep voice = calmer

Personally, I don't think body type is incredibly important, but it's definitely an added plus.

In short, yes! I totally agree! (I also have some biology headcanons for the Aenar too...oops. I can totally go into detail again lol)

Thanks for asking! :3

[deepspacedukat]

Diplomatic Exchange

I know I’m a little late on this one, but better late than never! Enjoy!

Day 18: Come Slut

SoC prompt list here. SoC Masterlist here. Cross-posted to AO3 here.

~*~

Thy’lek Shran (ST:ENT) x Reader, Keval (ST:ENT) x Reader, Tholos (ST:ENT) x Reader, Thon (ST:ENT) x Reader

[A/N: This is smut, so 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI!!!]

Warnings: Interspecies sex, Human/Andorian sex, four blue bois + one Human, mentions of alien biology, oral sex (male receiving), mentions of oral sex (female receiving), vaginal sex, anal sex, dirty talk, kissing, handjobs, copious amounts of bodily fluids, they’re stealing us but in a legal(ish) way.

~*~

“You’re sure that you’re comfortable with this?” Captain Archer had asked as we stepped out of the turbolift on our way to the docking airlock. “Given how little we know about their species, I’m sure nobody would blame you if you were a little uneasy about being alone on an Andorian ship.”

“Isn’t that rather the point of this venture, sir? To learn more about each other?” I asked as we rounded a corner. “Besides, you and I both trust Commander Shran. He won’t let anything happen to me. You saw how he reacted when he thought he owed you a favor. He’d never be able to live with himself if he allowed something to happen to a guest on his own ship.”

“You’re probably right, but just in case, we’re only a comm away, okay?” He placed what was probably supposed to be a comforting hand on my shoulder, but I smirked up at him.

“I appreciate that, Captain, I really do, but I highly doubt I’ll need an evac.”

That assertion nearly two months prior had ultimately proven to be correct. My hosts aboard the Kumari were welcoming, for the most part, and those who weren’t generally kept their opinions to themselves once they saw how determined their Commanding Officer was to have this be a positive experience for both his species and mine.

There were times when I felt like I’d bitten off a little more than I could chew - usually when there was a question about my own culture that I couldn’t answer definitively - but I noticed an almost equal amount of reciprocal puzzlement from Thy’lek in response to some of my own questions.

One area in which we had absolutely no problem understanding one another, or even ourselves, was the art of pleasure. It had only taken a week and a half for the subject to be brought up in conversation, and since then, I’d never once found my bed empty.

Thy’lek made sure that he and the three other officers I was personally familiar with were reunited as soon as I came aboard the ship, and soon after, we found ourselves a tangle of limbs in bed. Some nights, the Commander and I were on our own, but most often two or three of the boys managed to sync up their off-duty hours.

Very rarely there were nights like tonight - nights where all four of them would band together to educate their resident ‘pink skin’ on Andorian mating practices. With so many blue hands grasping at me and helping me into different positions, these nights always left me gasping and covered in the liquid evidence of their interest.

The night that the atmosphere of our questions changed from reserved curiosity to definitive personal interest was a memorable one. Shran had invited me to his private mess for dinner with himself and the other three whom I’d met back at P’Jem: Tholos, Keval, and Thon. Over the course of the evening, we’d consumed probably more Andorian ale than we should have, so by the time we’d finished eating, we’d moved on to some of the more risque topics of our shared curiosity.

At that point, we’d all overcome any embarrassment we might have initially felt about needing to ask so many questions, so it wasn’t exactly a surprise when one of the more flirtatious officers finally asked what was on his mind.

“I’ve heard that Human mating rituals are quite different from our own,” Tholos had murmured as a sly smile stretched his lips. He allowed his eyes to skim a little lower than they had earlier in the night. “Could you tell us a bit about how your people...mingle?”

“As curious as we all are about such colorful topics, if you’re not comfortable discussing something so intimate, I assure you, you’re under no obligation to answer,” Thy’lek stated placing his hand lightly over mine where it rested atop the table. When my eyes met his, though, I found my answer tumbling out with barely a thought.

“I’ll be happy to answer any questions you boys might have, on one condition,” I said, and Thy’lek raised an eyebrow curiously. His antennae twitched as I turned my hand over beneath his so that I could hold it. “If I tell you about Human sexuality, I want to learn about the Andorian equivalent in return.”

“We’d be happy to reciprocate.” Keval sounded even more eager than Tholos had. “We could even demonstrate if you like.”

“Oh, really?” I could practically feel the mischief glinting in my eyes as I turned to look at one of the shier members of the group. Keval, I’d learned, was as brave as Thy’lek, but perhaps a little quicker to jump to conclusions than his C.O. He was quite sweet, though.

“Of course. Nothing is too good for our guest.” The hunger in the Commander’s voice sent a shiver of anticipation down my spine.

I’d learned a lot that night - and every night since - thanks to that quartet of officers. My - was ‘friends’ the right word for a group of four Andorians who fucked me within an inch of my life practically every night for a month and a half? Surely not.

In any case, my guides to Andorian culture had given me a crash course in Andorian biology. With four biological sexes and four different types of genitalia to keep straight in my mind, the differences between their species and mine were intriguing. The two roughly-male presenting sexes were the only ones involved in our little orgies, though.

“I’ll never get used to how wet you get for us,” Tholos moaned as he pushed his length deeper inside my slit. I’d noticed that the better his day was, the more talkative he’d be during sex. Whimpering as I wrapped my arms around his neck from my place astride his lap, I felt the bed dip behind me.

“Looks like you’ll have to,” Keval crooned skimming his lips down my shoulder as his hands grabbed at my waist. His lubed cock prodded carefully until he was able to press himself into my rear entrance. “She’ll be here for quite some time.”

From beside the bed, another set of blue fingers grasped my jaw lightly and turned my head.

“You’re ours now, aren’t you?” Thon asked with a flirty little wink, guiding my hand to the leaking head of his cock.

Earlier today I’d gotten a communication from Enterprise. The five of us had been in the middle of discussing what we wanted to do for the evening when the Bridge had alerted Commander Shran to the incoming transmission.

“It seems like your assignment is going better than anyone could’ve dreamed,” Captain Archer said with a reluctant smile.

“What do you mean, sir?”

“Well, apparently, Commander Shran has conveyed how instrumental you’ve been to developing peaceful relations between Andoria and Earth. He’s requested that your assignment to the Kumari be extended.” Archer didn’t sound too enthused about the thought of me staying here, but I couldn’t stop the smile that split my lips. “Starfleet is ready to approve that extension, but...they want my recommendation on the situation, first. Before I answer them, I wanted to talk to you.”

“I understand, sir. How long would the assignment last?” I asked glancing behind the comm monitor on Thy’lek’s desk at the group of four hopeful faces.

“...There was no firm end date. It could even become permanent.” All four sets of antennae behind the desk shot straight up, and I had to dig my fingernails into my palm to keep myself from falling apart in a fit of giggles. “Are you...? Would you be comfortable with that?”

Nodding my head, I tried to seem a little less than insanely-enthusiastic.

“Yes, sir. There’s still so much to learn, and Commander Shran and his crew have been so accommodating. I would welcome an extension, Captain.”

“Alright. Since you’re sure, I’ll send a message to Starfleet roughly this time tomorrow. If you change your mind–”

“I won’t, sir,” I answered with a smile, and the four wide grins that had crossed the mouths of my lovers told me that I was in for one hell of a night.

The whole night had been one big celebration with all four officers switching positions multiple times until one by one they drew orgasms from me and filled me with their own pleasure.

Tonight, Thy’lek had taken advantage of our positions, bending me slightly to the side so that I could suck him into my mouth.

“Are all Humans this desperate for their partners’ come? Or are you the only one who begs to drink it, wear it, and be filled with it?” He asked running his fingers through my hair as I bobbed my head on his length. The cooling seed dripping off my tits and from between my legs was answer enough for all of us. “Looks like we have the best of your people right here. The most beautiful Human come slut...and she’s already our mate.”

Hums of appreciation emanated from the other three as one of them lifted my hips far enough for one of them to balance me over their mouth. Clearly, we still had a long way to go. This night was far from over.

~*~*~

Taglist:

@akamitrani @android-boyfriends @attention-bajoranworkers​ @bigblissandlove1​ @darkmattervibes​ @emilie786​ @horta-in-charge​ @live-logs-and-proper​ @slutty-slutty-vulcans​ @starrynightgardens​ @toebeans-mcgee​

[it-spirk-to-me]

Like Fine Wine(Or Andorian Ale)

ao3 link in title Spock x Kirk (AOS Star Trek)

Rating: E

Warnings/Tags: episode rewrite, s02e11 the Deadly Years rewrite, pon farr

Summary:

With rapid aging and rapid mental deterioration, the crew find their young selves challenged by old age approaching far sooner than any of them were ready for. Doesn't stop doctors and commodores with flirting with their Captain, or from the snarky sass between the triumvirate.

In the rush to get the cure, they forget the biology of certain Vulcan officers.

A/N: this is a very indulgent rewrite for my partner because we both realized the adrenaline shot would trigger Spock's pon farr. fun facts! (Tumblr A/N: I realized I could show off some fics here so I'm starting with my most recent one.)

Excerpt:

Well, Jim never really liked being correct.

Oh sure, there were the bragging rights, Jim mused as ‘Robert Johnson’ spoke, a man he could’ve gotten very personal with a week ago when he saw the report to check in on the science expedition. Now Jim- well, he was into older men here and there, but not senile older men.

Being right about something being wrong though- he hated that. Somedays he wished his instincts weren’t as keen, and he didn’t have to deal with his ship turning into a makeshift nursing home. That was neither here nor there, Jim left the nurse to watch over their new patients as he made his way to the briefing room.

[unlimitedhorsepower]

andorians remind me of tarantulas.they should have hair that they use to feel. they should have hair on their nipples.theyre kinda like weird winter-snail-tarantula people to me

youknow what they should have whiskers since theyre rubbermask aliens and cant have pedipalps bc theyre humans in blue paint and rubber bits. can they please make that andorian silk out of their nipples or w/e. "how does that work" its literally simple biology wtf why are you questioning me (another crewmate for my star trek oc crew. shes the one who doesnt believe in transporters etc and its in the future so its even more like Okay and also shes not some old hag shes like the youngest crewmate so like 30 at least. she just has a suspicious personality)

[mazamba]

"I am gonna kill them," growled Mariner, frenetically pacing back and forth, "no, I'm not gonna kill them. I'm gonna get an anti-Q weapon, make it a boot, and shove it so far up their-."

"This might not be Q," pointed out T'Ana, "this is the first Andorian-human hybrid on record. Andorians and humans have very different biologies..."

Her tricorder beeped, confirming Q's energy, but not in the way they expected.

"No, that's Q all right."

"Ugh, I am gonna-."

"Thank him. He just saved your baby's life."

"...I'm sorry what?"

"This kid should have died a week ago," she informed them, showing traces of genetic surgery in the chromosomes, "an issue with DNA comparability we missed that would have resulted in lethal malformation. He corrected them... and added some stuff. The X gene here is different from what I've seen on other mutants. Best as I can tell, she could stand in front of a Sentinel without setting it off."

Closed RP w/mazamba

This planet Jason was on was once thriving world. A planet full of trees, water, animals, and people. All who lived peacefully on the planet, until a war broke out in this sector. This left the planet in ruins, all of its resources plundered, and its people nearly wiped out. Centuries have passed and the planet has been nearly forgotten.

Jason was told the planet was under the control of a group called the Klingons. He didn’t think too much about it and knew he would be out of here before they found out or one of their allies.

He walks over towards his prize. A box containing a valuable item that he knew would come in for a pretty penny…or whatever currency the people of this universe use. He walks over and begins to disable any security systems around, before getting his prize. He wipes away the dirt from it, opens it, and smiles when he saw what’s inside.

“Just like the buyer said,” Jason whispered before putting the box in his bag. 

@mazamba