#I do love leeta and rom though

[idonotbitemythumbatyou]

Dr Bashir I Presume is sort of the quintessential DS9 episode in how it casually drops a world shattering character reveal as just one element of the A plot. It’s like

Bashir has been chosen to be the model for a holodoctor!

They need to interview people who know him well to create a psychological profile for the program but - uh oh - he doesn’t get along with his parents because

They had him genetically engineered when he was six to “fix” the perceived flaws in their perfectly healthy child in his natural state which is highly illegal and stigmatized and he’s lived in fear of being found out since he was 15

he considers himself a fraud and a monster and in all the years we have known him he has been stifling his abilities to appear more normal. he has carried this secret for so long it is almost a relief to be free of it and when he walks to his captain’s office to tender his resignation it is not with anger or sadness but rather a weary resignation.

Will Leeta and Rom get together?

[andromedaexile]

Are They a Stoner? DS9 Edition:

Captain Sisko: Being raised in the south means he has most definitely lit up, and I refuse to believe otherwise. However, after his father caught him smoking and he got stuck on clam duty for a month, he learned his lesson.

Jadzia Dax: Let’s be so real, if she played Tongo with a bunch of Ferengi why would she not own a Betazed bong??? She definitely begged Worf to try it but after his experience with Deanna he only fucks with Blood Wine.

Kira Nerys: OH 100% she was a stoner during the occupation. How would you even attempt to relax in that situation WITHOUT weed? Once the occupation ended Kira stopped messing with weed, but Kira would often hangout with Jadzia, who no doubt brought something to share with Nerys on multiple occasions.

Worf: Blood wine and prune juice.

Dr. Bashir: Before knowledge of him being an augment was made public he never touched anything that could potentially make him not in full control of himself (he did drink a little though). After the knowledge was made public Dr. Bashir and O’Brien definitely were lighting up in the holosuites. That’s why they don’t remember the Alamo.

Erzi Dax: She was straight edge through and through before she was joined with Dax. However afterward…Let’s just say Dax would never turn down an edible.

Odo:

Elim Garak: After the wire was removed Garak decided to stay relatively sober. However, for harm reduction reasons, and to help him cope with his headaches Dr. Bashir prescribed him some medical gummies. He eventually waned off of them completely once Erzi started helping him (he still some times smokes and sews which is why sometimes your trousers don’t always fit right).

Miles O’ Brien: He swore off the “devils lettuce” when he first came aboard the Enterprise. But once stationed at DS9 he quickly realized he would need some of Keiko’s supply of Cannabis-infused tea to remain sane.

Quark: Being a bar owner (best bar on the promenade btw) he is not a big supporter of weed because his main source of profit is alcohol. However, Nog explained to him what a cart is and how you can make a profit from selling them to hoo-mans so he is looking into that as a possible new business opportunity.

Rom: You can’t be a leftist and not have at least tried weed. Also an engineer, so yeah.

Leeta: Oh 10000%. In fact, she’s the plug for the other dabo girls. She even bags her “merchandise” in handmade baggies she makes from recycled textile/fabrics from Garak’s (he owes her because she gave him boy advice).

Nog: No. He follows the rules of StarFleet academy to a T.

Jake Sisko: Hes going to school for writing so yeah. Definitely an edibles kinda guy. His dad has yet to find out despite how many times Jake has come home and slammed an entire pot of jambalaya in 10 minutes.

Keiko O’Brien: Who do you think on DS9 is growing it in the first place?

Gul Dukat: No, he is a snitch who hates fun.

Weyoun: Yes, he is a snitch who loves fun.

Kai Winn: She gives me cop vibes more than Odo does so I’m saying she is a snitch who also hates fun. She also unironically calls weed the Pah-Wraiths Herb or something like that.

Kasidy Yates: Yes, but stopped after jail.

Ziyal: Art school attendee/ art school drop-out. You tell me.

Damar: He’s only a fiend for Kanar (someone help that dude).

[walkingstackofbooks]

DS9 5x07 Let He Who Is Without Sin thoughts (I’m re-watching, so beware spoilers for future episodes!) [14 Sept ‘23]

Odo and Sisko ribbing Jadzia about her sex life XD

It's so cute that Worf still calls her "Commander" around others.

Hmmm, I was firmly against Worf last time - and I still don't like his whole thing against Boday - but also Jadzia is pretty disrespectful to what he wants, immediately telling people after Worf says it's a private matter.

"Have you ever noticed all the stars look the same?" I love Leeta so much, I can't wait to see more of her when she and Rom pick up.

"What's jamaharon?" "I'll show you later." XD that look!

Their "casual" outfits! Oh, 90s fashion crimes... I miss you

"Aren't you uncomfortable in your uniform?" I mean uniforms and not having to decide what to wear are The Best. (And also I am very much on the autistic Worf headcanon and can imagine uniform gives him a sense of comfort in a very uncomfortable environment.)

Worf! That was Very Romantic! I did not expect you to compare Jadzia to a nebula, ngl.

As much as I think Jadzia should be allowed to reconnect with a friend without Worf's jealousy, she's also not very considerate of his feelings. Blagh.

I actually kind of like this episode more now that I'm not just anti-Worf? I do wish Jadzia was allowed to just be the single, flirtatious woman - or polyamorous, flirtatious woman - she was meant to be, though.

Worf's scowl upon finding his "bathing suit" is Very Justified.

Worf's dumbfoundment at Leeta not being with Dr Bashir is hilarious. I do still like messing with his sense of what is "right" and "wrong".

Ugh, this man wants to paint himself as a "victim", doesn't he... "I can only imagine what you must think of me." Yeah, no, it's not that people hate you because you know some secret "truth" they don't want to hear, but because you're an awful, paternalistic, condescending killjoy.

"I may be wrong, but didn't he just insult us?" I love Julian.

Boy, do I want Jadzia or Julian to stand up and speak about their experiences with the Klingons or Dominion that he couldn't begin to understand.

"You two dishonour each other with your actions!" "You mean... We didn't tell you why we came here." Actually hilarious, Julian, how?

"I hope we proved our point." You wouldn't have if Worf hadn't stopped Jadzia attacking back, you'd be on the ground.

"I did not say you were doing anything wrong. It's just that some of your behaviour-" Aghhhh, I actually hate understanding Worf because this speech is awful but also it's coming out wrong. What he *wants* to say is he's feeling hurt by her disregard for his feelings but he can't put it like that.

And what he actually says IS awful - "At times, your are too impulsive. You act without thinking. You have no self-control." - because HE'S just as impulsive as her, and in ways that have actually hurt him and Starfleet - look back to his trial!! His fight with the Jem-Hadar when working together on the Defiant! He cannot stay himself when it is his Klingon pride at stake.

And Jadzia is rightfully hurt by these words, and how Worf has generally been acting, because if he meant it the way it sounds it would really not be great of him! I hated him the last timei watched this, and I really wasn't expecting that to change!

"Jadzia you are my par'machai... and everything you do reflects on me." That was not how that sentence was supposed to end 😅

I hate it but I'm actually liking this episode quite a bit - it's the classic miscommunication trope, but genuinely not from lack of trying on Worf's part, simply from lack of ability.

Leeta's so vicious in smashing the dish!

Quark is so hopeful with Leeta's revelation that he might see some of those "fireworks" he was taking about... xD

Hmm, not so sure even the Bajoran ceremony quite makes one ready for that sort of honesty, quite so soon, Leeta...

Worf calling her "Dax" as he spots her with Arandis. Seeing her as the symbiont and Curzon, not Jadzia.

Ugh, "you're too much work". Why did you have to say that? Though I guess if the situation was reversed and it was Jadzia saying it, I'd just take it as good natured teasing...

"What I want is Worf." "Why?!" "Because he has the courage of a beserker cat and he has the heart of a poet." "And the brain of a pigheaded idiot." "Yeah, sometimes." She says that last sometimes so fondly though... maybe if she loves him that bad she does jut need to put more effort in... (Also loving 'beserker cat' rather than simply 'beserker' or 'beserker warrior' XD)

"Maybe we have forgotten how to deal with adversity." Maybe the point of having a civilization where adversity is rare is making the most of happiness? And maybe those who do face adversity - like the Starfleet staff - deserve a fucking vacation? Most people on Risa are on holiday - they have jobs and other life stresses, even in automated space communism utopia. I think Fullerton is probably the one who needs a little experience of *true* adversity. -_-

Last time Worf's story made me go "booo, a little not of tragedy doesn't mean you're allowed to be a massive misogynist." But actually, Jadzia is right, it does explain a lot. And I do give most of the other characters some slack in the misogyny area given they were written in the 90s...

"Or at least get out of this room." "... Very well." Fullerton actually sounds disappointed to be asked to leave the room that's about to collapse. Oh god, he wants to be a martyr, doesn't he? 🙃

"I will do as I please." *throws him across the room* FRICKING IMPULSE RESTRAINT WHAT, WORF?

"I am on holiday." I'm glad that amused you, Jadzia, but what?!

"I better go find Bashir. He brought a horga'hn down to breakfast and that's the last I saw of him." Quark looking out for Julian is not something I realised was a thing? But that definitely sounded a little like concern. (Unless it's a hope he can join in, I guess... 😅) (Was not expecting to get on the Quark/Julian train either but if there was a time when it was going to happen...)

Huh, the worst thing this time was actually not Worf, but Julian and Quark objectifying Jadzia... and at least on Julian's part, I think it was in jest, given I don't think she was being her best self at that time?

Alright, well - for all that people hate that episode, which had included me… I enjoyed that, genuinely! Surprises never cease...

[quarkslobes]

deep space 9!

ok here we go:

blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most)

it used to be odo but now by far sisko, mainly because the benny russell plotline is my absolute favorite star trek plot ever. is he sisko or benny.... if he ascended to the prophets or whatever did he create benny?? if benny russell was a real author in strange new worlds... what does that mean. "you are the dreamer and the dream" is rotating in my microwave brain constantly. odo is still my emo repressed babygirl though.

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped)

if couples count, worf and jadzia. yes they can and have gotten away with murder yes i still want to put them in a little jar on my desk. they're legitimately one of the best written tv couples ever. worf is the wife and jadzia is the husband though

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave)

damar, im not saying hes a good person or anything but his arc was so interesting to me and he did have his very good moments at the end

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week)

rom and leeta. roms development was also SO good and leeta is the cutest side character ever i love her. like star trek does not get better than wimpy alien man finding his passion for engineering and falling in love with his hooters waitress wife who helps him form a union. that was peak cinema

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave)

i cant think of a character that's necessarily unpopular... maybe lwaxana?? i know she was like a minor villain in tng but i loved her in that ep where she hung out with alexander, and her friendship with odo later on in the show was actually super cute to me. she is a queen idc what tng says. headcanon she's still like alexanders cool aunt and worf is very tired.

also near the end... kai winn?? i do not like her or think she was a good person at all but i did feel bad for her for maybe two seconds near the end. i dont know she spent her life wanting to talk to god only for some alien guy to become emissary so while shes evil and i hate her i kinda have pity for her so shes my meow meow idk

horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason)

dukat for sure. i would drop dukat in hot soup. definitely the best written star trek villain though and marc alaimo is such a good actor, every time i watch a dukat ep im like how does alaimo act so well that i genuinely hate this man with a passion

eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell)

kai winn. i know i just said shes my meow meow but i hate her i hate her. same thing with marc alaimo though, louise fletcher was such a good actor that for 45 minutes i hated her like she was real dude

[ds9jack]

My Intro Post!!

Hi Welcome to my blog I'm insane abt Jack and Julian. Learn more about me under the cut

My name is Jack, but you can call me whatever else you feel like. I go by he/him. I have autism, so if I accidentally encroach on a social rule, give me some grace and make me aware.

Most of my art is centered around my favorite ship Jackshir. I fucking love Jackshir. I'm also a really big fan of Rom/Leeta, Garashir, Spirk (who isn't), Chahura, Lon/Tuvok, Quark/Odo, Geordi/Data, Mariner/Jennifer etcetera. I LOVE GAY STAR TREK PAIRINGS!!

I started watching Star Trek in 2021, and in that time I've finished these series:

The Original Series

The Next Generation

Deep Space 9

Lower Decks

I'm currently on season 5 of Voyager.

I also like:

Repo! The Genetic Opera

Revolutionary Girl Utena

House MD

Scott Pilgrim

Heathers

Death Note

Spore (the game)

Sims 4

Moths

Doll collecting

Plague history/plague doctors

Astrophysics

Biochemistry

Genetics

I'm not 100% on all of these so even though I really like them I might mess up some stuff sometimes okay Okay

Jack is my favorite character, I think he's really underappreciated, so here's a section in my about me dedicated to him and why I like him. I related to Jack heavily, I see a lot of my traits reflected in him and find comfort seeing a character similar to me. A central part to what makes a character likeable is seeing emotional similarities in them, allowing for catharsis in the viewer. I find these similarities in Jack. He's a good place for me to place my more irrational thoughts, into a little contained pod of a character. I've been focused on Jack since about February 2022. In this time I've watched Statistical Probabilities and Chrysalis over 100 times combined, read nearly every fanfiction involving the members of the Jack Pack, and read every official novel/short story containing them with the exception of the Typhon Pact books past the first and the Section 31 novels. I've also photo-scanned the pages of the DS9 Companion and the DS9 Technical handbook pertaining to the Jack Pack. My sketchbook is full of portrait art of Jack. My inner voice sounds like Jack most of the time. Not only do I find emotional catharsis (also the name of a song I heavily associate with Jack btw) in Jack, I also find him a motivating character for me. Whenever I feel like not doing work or self-improvement, I think about Jack and I find a new eagerness to power through whatever I might be hung up on. I also find a sense of confidence from him. Since I view genetic engineering (in the episode of Statistical Probabilities and Chrysalis at the very least) as an allegory for autism, when Jack talks about finding pride in his genetic identity I can draw a sort of pride in my autism from that as well. Jack isn't just a charaxcter to me but a part of my soul. Okay

Okay, thank you for reading! If you want some of my other socials, I have a Twitter, and my own personal website. My Discord is Jack.scr

[udaberriwrites]

Fic Writer Self Rec

Fic authors self-rec! ✨ When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers ❤️

Oooh, a chance to ramble about my fics, I see, well let's do this! Thank you, @sliebman10!

Let's tag... @mikaharuka , @alpaca-clouds , @thememoryofthatday , @sapphosewrites , @axolotlsupremacyowo , @0nelittlebirdtoldme , @kayedium-writes and @tsunderewatermelon !

Ok, ok, so... as usual, I'm going to be jumping around, because you guys know how my attention span can be xD

1. Life is a Rollercoaster; or Tao Xu's Fight Against the Big Butterfly of Doom (Heartstopper | 11.1k | Fluff, Humor, Time Travel)

Tao got the chance to go back in time and undo his worst mistake. Tao prevented Charlie from being outed or bullied. Tao changed things enough that, the second time around, Charlie didn't get assigned the seat next to Nick Nelson in form.

…Fuck.

Or: the Butterfly Effect sucks, and if Tao has to take desperate measures to ensure his friend's happiness, he will. He draws the line at Iron Man 2 though, someone has to keep some standards around here.

I binged the show and immediately got the urge to write something for it, but I didn't expect it to blow up as it did! I had fun with this one, and the readers were super nice and encouraging, plus sharing this one is what led me to eventually meet @mikaharuka as we rambled over our fics, so for that alone it's always going to have a special significance for me 😁

2. Neither Grief Nor Glory (TSOA/Hades | 7.6k | Angst, Smut)

Dying had been a relief, but death is turning into its own kind of torment.

Dying was just the beginning. Achilles' journey back to Patroclus is a long and twisted one. Along the way he'll have to confront his unaddressed grief, face his many regrets and learn to truly become a man worthy of Patroclus' unconditional love.

But like all journeys, eventually he'll reach his safe harbor.

My first yuletide! This one took months and a couple of minor breakdowns, but the end result is something I am very proud of, both in terms of the prose and the worldbuilding. And my giftee left the loveliest comment ☺️

3. All That Matters (Asterix the Gaul | 2.6k | Character Study, Queerplatonic Relationships)

Asterix has always felt different, but he has Obelix, and that is usually enough. Everybody else has questions, however, and he grows tired of answering.

"He wants to shout, even if he still doesn't know what he wants to say, even if he knows that if he lets his frustration take hold of his tongue, he will regret the harm he will cause."

This was... very, very cathartic to write. I remember rewriting sections of this so often, and I am humbled by the response it had. It was a very validating experience.

4. Life is a Flower, Love is the Honey (Deep Space Nine | 9.5k | Romance and Fluff)

“I don’t think Julian would like that,” Leeta said, without pausing to think about it, but… “We could ask him,” Rom had replied. And wasn’t that an interesting idea?

(A self-indulgent, mostly Rom-centric, Julian/Leeta/Rom fic because I was re-watching ‘Bar Association’ and this happened. I have no regrets.)

The one that brought me back into writing, after several years of hiatus... and the one that gave me confidence to push on, even if I nearly backed out due to it featuring a strange rarepair. This story is always going to be special for me <3

4. When You Speak, I Hear Silence (Deep Space Nine | 1.8k | Friendship)

Terok Nor is no more, and strange new aliens are coming to the newly named Deep Space Nine. Nog doesn't expect life to change; but then he finds a friend, who gives him the greatest gift he will ever receive.

If there's a fic where I wouldn't change a single word or a moment of the writing process, it has to be this one. I'm so glad I didn't go with my initial idea, because this version with Jake&Nog just made things click for me ^_^

[a-stitch-in-time-and-space]

"Dad," Jake begins, shuffling a bit from foot to foot.

Uh-no, he thinks. He can pinpoint how worried Jake is by the mixture of movement, tone of his voice, and inability to look him in the eye. Did someone die?!

"Yes Jake," he says, giving him his full attention -- earnest and soft.

"Dad, I... have something to tell you... um... and you can't get mad about it or weird about it. And you can't interrupt until I've finished telling you, okay?"

"Sure."

Another second. Two. "Dad I've been dating-"

"But that's great news Jake," he says, relief no-doubt visible on every inch of his face. "Why would I be anything but happy for you?"

"Dad!" Jake interrupts. "I'm dating Nog. And have been for awhile..."

That makes him pause for a second. Okay, Nog. Makes sense. They've been inseparable since Jake first arrived on the station.

"Why didn't you tell me before? I might have opinions about his uncle on occasion, but that's nothing to do with him. He's a fine Officer, bright, loyal, brave-" as he speaks he warms to the whole thing more and more. A few years ago he might have had his doubts, but... and sure, he'll invite Rom and Leeta around, which means having to invite Quark around, but it's a small price to pay. Overall a good family, good people, and some people who grow on you if you're on a space station with them for years on end.

Jake clears his throat. "I also... am dating... Ziyal."

He stops dead in his tracks.

"Tora Ziyal?"

Jake nods. "Do we know another Ziyal?"

"Dukat's daughter?"

Jake frowns. "Dad, I said you couldn't do anything until I was finished."

Ben's own frown mirrors his son's, but he breaks it to hold up his hands. "Alright, alright. You're dating Nog and Ziyal. I'm sure Commander Kira will be happy about it."

Yeah. Yeah, okay. Dukat's daughter, but hasn't he long abdicated the right to come calling for in-law heart to hearts? Ben certainly won't be busting out the real peppers for him if he ever does mysteriously find out, but Kira has been Ziyal's default parent for awhile now and is naturally always welcome - and Ziyal herself is an up-and-coming artist, lots of groundbreaking work being platformed on Bajoran-Cardassian identity, explains why Jake's been writing so much on the subject for awhile now. Kira has every right to be proud, and even though the Dukat thing niggles in the back of Ben's mind, he's sure he can put it aside for hers and Jake's sake.

Ah, and Elim Garak would have to be invited too, come to think about it... he'll have to think about that one, but at least it'll make for an interesting dinner at this point.

"And Ezri."

"What about Dax?" Ben asks, jolted out of meal-and-seating-planning (well obviously Kira and Quark can't be seated next to each other and he doesn't trust Garak next to Rom, and he thinks Leeta and Ziyal might get on well)--

"I'm also dating Ezri. Well, it's early days, we're still... but I asked if I could tell you and she said yes, but she didn't want to be here when I did. I think Dax- uh, Worm-Dax that is, isn't sure how you'll feel about it, because you've known each other for a long time. But. Ezri's her own woman, you know."

He says the last part very seriously, like he's expecting disapproval, but Ben's not halfway through processing the first part, when the second part belatedly careens into him... "Dax?" he says, a little strangled.

Jake shrugs. "Ezri said if you could keep Jadzia and Curzon out of it, that would be great." A pause. "Especially Curzon. I know there's some memories or... but. I mean, if Dax accepts it then everyone should!"

He bites his lip a little, like he used to when he was much younger and was worried he'd gone too far with something or other.

"Dax..." Ben says faintly. And under his breath: "oh the trill-commission are going to love this..."

"We haven't broken any laws," Jake says, defiantly.

Ben puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. "A four-person interspecies romance? Oh, I'm sure you are."

Then pulls him into a hug, and adds: "the variation on cuisine and custom within a single meal will be an interesting experience for us all though. I think I know how I can make it work..."

Jake laughs, relieved, and hugs him back as he continues to talk.

*

*The big problems don't start until the wedding planning several years later... meal prep really is the least of it.

Jake and Ziyal: softTM, bond over shared sad-mother stories, being young civilians during wartime, art, both of them are connected to Bajor - bonus points that dukat and sisko would be in-laws

Jake and Nog: friends to married, ultimate tol and smol, worried Jake when Nog’s away, long-distant relationship, they already know they can live together - bonus points quark and sisko would be in-laws

Jake and Ezri: their brief interactions were Good Chemistry, he’d help her find her bearings as Ezri, so supportive, they’ve both come off age pretty similarly, soft beans, bonus points sisko and the worm would be confused as heck 

[fictionkinfessions]

me, a noncanon romulan who petitioned the federation for asylum from the empire and lived on ds9: welp. good thing i don’t bother looking for canonmates, because the likelihood anyone would remember my gay little ass is Fucking Abysmal.

still, though — i hope nog, quark, rom, and leeta are doing well, regardless of whether or not they’re from my timeline. they were my family, and i love ‘em all to bits. hugs for all of you <3

🌷

[holodeckprotocols]

really forgot how badly ds9 treated leeta for most of the show. it’s tough to watch! we just got to doctor bashir, i presume which is obviously a big Ugh Of An Episode (TM) for several reasons, but i forgot how vile dr. zimmerman was to leeta, and it was just treated as some kind of amusing b-plot! and to think she was going to leave with him! and quark is extra misogynist for no good reason! and then she’s naked, randomly! wretched! bad!!!!

[astrangergivingthestrangewelcome]

Oh second thought if I'm Dr. Julian Bashir. And I start dating Leeta and she asks to borrow Kukalaka bc he's cute and I give it to her even though I absolutely don't want to that's my bear Leeta bc I'm a ball of insecurity and just want to do the things that will keep me in a relationship, any relationship. And then she breaks up with anyway and I think maybe for once I can be ok about bc it's not like I was feeling like she was the love of my life anyway and sure yeah we can be friends with our exes I am Paragon of Healthy Romantic Relationships ha HA. but actually she broke up with me for Rom and like 3 months later they're engaged to be married and I'm still """"""dating Julian Bashir"""""""". Oh my god I'm not as good as Rom I can't keep a partner but ROM can I'm fundamentally wrong everyone will find love but me I'm going to die alone. And before I can bring up Kukalaka I head out to this medical conference which should help distract me right except no I'm kidnapped. and in prison for over a month and in the meantime there's a changeling on the station and it's like well what if Leeta DID offer to return Kukalaka to the changeling and he said no. Finding out would require bringing up to Leeta the time I was replaced and none of my friends noticed which sends me into a ✨spiral✨. So yes of course the most reasonable thing to do is to pay two teenagers to break and enter into her house with illicit medical supplies that are at least a little dangerous. What would you have done???

[nostalgia-tblr]

ds9: bar association

Does 'Bar Association' count as a Ferengi episode and if so is it the best one? It is the one where Rom leads his fellow employees out on strike, leading to violence and mayhem and Leeta falling in love with him. And they win the strike! (Technically they dissolve the union but they do get all their demands met.) Worf crossed the picket-line though! D: I am so disappoint! I thought you were an honourable man, Worf! Morn did too but he's Morn he has literally nothing else to do on this show except sit at the bar and be a running gag.

And Vulcans are too ethical to cross picket-lines! Canonical fact now! And no shock to anyone that Miles Proletarian O'Brien is descended from striking miners. He has the luck of the working-class, after all. "He was more than a hero, he was a union man," he says of his murdered ancestor. I think Rom a bit loves him now. Certainly Rom has got a job with him now, so clearly I am right about that.

Other things that happened were that Worf and Jadzia clearly fancy each other now, and Worf has moved onto the Defiant to live alone away from other people and that's quite a big mood.

9/5 would unionise again.

[vonkarma2]

deep space 9 for the show ask? (i have not seen ds9 but i still enjoy reading ur thoughts on it)

favorite male character: I think I’m going to say Jake Sisko but Bashir (yeah yeah I know he’s annoying and all which is true but 1) That makes him funny 2) he’s also representation for people who own plushies) and Ben Sisko are close. I like a lot of them though I like Rom, Quark, O’Brien, Odo if you count him as male… Damar even though he’s overrated as all hell. So is Weyoun but at least he was gay. And purple

favorite female character: For main characters I think I’m still going to say Kira even though I feel like they ran out of things for her to do for a while, her whole backstory is very interesting + sympathetic and it’s crazy how they portrayed her as such when just a few years later people would have lost their minds yk. Also she’s a lesbian and all etc etc and her oh outfit and haircut were cool and I really liked her personality. For side characters Lwaxana Troi I loved the fake marriage with Odo episode 

least favorite character: besides like the irrelevant boring ones like shakaar bareil eddington etc… I dislike the way they wrote Kai Winn towards the very end I feel like she would have been a better character with more nuance considering everything she went through during the occupation. I dislike the way the Pah-Wraiths subplot ended up being handled in general tbh like it’s not 100% bad but I don’t think they ended up building it up as as much of a threat/as interesting as the dominion so it felt kinda anticlimactic and black and white/contrived in nature. Especially since only Sisko was really involved with it out of the main cast. Don’t get me wrong I think being the emissary is a very interesting part of his character, but there’s not much that interested me abt the plot other than that and that made it feel small and self contained rather than the huge scale of the dominion conflict. Sorry that got off track.  Also I hate Sloan for being boring and for being in the CIA. As a person rather than like as a character it’s Gul Dukat and it’s not even close  

prettiest character: hmmm it’s close but I have to say Ezri. Wait I take it back it’s Leeta

funniest character: this one’s even more difficult… weyoun and quark are contenders… Sisko sleeper candidate for #1 but even then it’s hard to say. I think everyone has really funny moments at times. I’m going to say Dukat  (< even though some things he did were fucked up not in a funny way. But overall he’s just so deranged and out of touch with reality it’s really funny to watch a lot of the time)

favorite season: seasons 5 and 6 were fire I think I’m going to go with 6 though it was amazing lots of great episodes 

favorite episode: Rapture is my favorite (Dr Bashir I Presume being second) it’s so good literally look at this 

my third place is take me out to the holosuite fourth is in the cards and fifth is just the scenes where Odo had the baby changeling that one time that was so cute. I do hate Dr. Mora though I feel like it’s disengenuous to characterize him as completely sadistic and evil bc yk he was a bajoran living under the occupation and he had no idea what the nature of the sample was at first but he still fucking sucked he was such an asshole me when I refuse to admit I was wrong and don’t ever change or take others’ feelings or experiences into consideration or apologize for physically harming my liquid son. + I feel like the show was way too willing to present him as right when a lot of the time he just was not 

favorite romantic ship: I wasn’t on board with Kira/Odo at first at ALL but I was kinda sold on it eventually, although I do have some problems with its execution (mainly I don’t think they focus on Kira’s feelings and perspective nearly enough I really loved the episodes leading up to them getting together. Actually I take it back I still think in concept it is pretty sweet but a lot of what they did with it in execution was not it to me, what I like abt it in the actual show is more abt what it said abt or contributed to or whatever to Odo’s character, it really didn’t add much to Kira’s in my opinion which is very sad bc she was my favorite character in the earlier seasons. So I guess that leaves Lenara and Jadzia as my favorite. I might be biased for obvious reasons but I genuinely really liked their relationship, like the way it was written and acted during the episode. Ofc it only had to last 1 episode so it wasn’t the most in depth or anything but I really enjoyed watching it. Idk if it should be #1 though. Jadzia and Worf were pretty hit or miss, Miles and Keiko I actually liked but they were kinda dragged down by shitty writing on occasion. Sisko and Kasidy I like but I wouldn’t say theyre my favorite I feel like they didn’t have that good of episodes together, like they did have some but there weren’t that many times when they were on the same side which is a shame (and they have the same thing as Kira/Odo where they don’t focus on her perspective enough in my opinion but it’s to a lesser extent). Kasidy was based for helping the Maquis though. Non canon ones I don’t see a lot of evidence for so I’m not including them (like I’m not against them I can see all of them but I don’t think that in the actual universe of the show they are romantic in nature. Well romantic and reciprocal at least Garak was definitely into Julian at least initially). Ok I guess I’m going to say Miles and Keiko whatever whatever they were cute ok I don’t care what people say I liked them. I liked them in Time’s Orphan and the badminton or raquetball or whatever it was episode.

favorite family ship: do I even have to say it Jake and Ben Sisko <33 their relationship was like my favorite part of the show since s1. I haven’t talked abt Worf in this whole post so I’m going to talk about him here, I think it’s funny how he did not parent his son whatsoever. That’s mean I’ve only said negative things abt him on this post I like him. The episode where Jadzia almost fucking died was good and the one where he was babysitting Kirayoshi was also good. The one with like his brother or whatever was bad though

favorite friend ship: julian and miles aren’t my favorite but honorable mention for their strangely gay moments that was great always loved to see it on screen. I like them all it’s so hard to pick just one. Kira and Dax was probably my favorite though I loved like all their conversations and whenever they would just like hang out. They were also kinda gay as well like that holosuite scene

^although ofc I strongly disagree with the she doesn’t swing that way part. I’m referencing homosexuality too many times I swear that’s not the only or main reason I like this show the plot is really good 

worst ship: I’ve talked abt this before many times so not to beat a dead horse but Garak and Ziyal makes me cringe he’s so much older than her its so awkward not to mention it’s completely out of character. Jake/Ziyal should’ve happened instead it would have been so cute. I know I just undermined this man’s credibility but he was right to regret this

Also Ezri/Worf (ofc that was only for like 1 episode) and Ezri/Bashir made me very uncomfortable I watched their scenes like this 😐 it sucked that they retconned him being over Jadzia too like I actually really appreciated the way he moved on initially 

[autisticburnham]

Profit and Lace

Literally the only reason I'm not skipping this episode is bc on Women at Warp's episode abt transness in Trek, one of the guests said the way Rom pays attention to gender presentation stuff like how to move your hips when you walk gives credence to a genderqueer Rom reading

Why do I just know this is leading up to Quark harassing this girl?

Jesus christ

Honey, please tell Benjamin about this and have him kill Quark

Isn't Leck the assassin? Why does Rom still talk to him?

Oh, Ishka. You're usually a fashion icon, but I hate this look

Actually, now that we've got a close up, I love all the rainbows. I still hate the boob outline though

Gross. The women should have rioted and one of them depose Zek. Oh my god, Pel should have come back and deposed Zek. Much less transphobic crossdressing

When I was rewatching Enterprise I went to Memory Beta to see if there was any info about the slug (named Sluggo) that Hoshi introduced to an alien planet to see if there was any environmental consequences, and it wasn't there. But what was there was the history of Sluggo, the founder of Slug-o-cola and it reads like a gay tragedy. He bought a house with his business partner and they raised cats together but then he betrayed him to make more money

Nobody cares about you because you're a self-centered, misogynistic, asshole, Quark

I do love when Julian gets bitchy on behalf of his patients

They really should have brought Pel back

Quark's outfit looks like about three pride flags threw up on him

Granted, I haven't done much research into top surgery, but I don't think it should affect your hormones this much, especially when you can turn into a Klingon with no problems in this universe

Sorry, Women at Warp contributer whose name I've forgotten, while I do like this episode, it doesn't come close to redeeming this episode

Love that Leeta loves it. Rom's nonbinary and he and Leeta are t4t

Oh!

Nog, your dad's gnf af

Rom, please start wearing a Bajoran earring

Slug-o-cola for her

I realize they had Quark harass that Dabo girl at the beginning so they could turn the tables on him, but it's still gross

Truly the worst thing about this episode is the knowledge that the writers wanted the assault to be portrayed as more comedic and Siddig's the only reason it's as serious as it is and that Armin fought against some of the sexist stereotypes in the script

Wish we could get the gay Quark rights without the transphobia

He tried to rape you, Quark

Wish we could get the quodo rights without the sexism and transphobia

Damn, didn't realize this chick was trying to fuck Quark in exchange for a raise

It is cool that they touch on the idea that oppression has an economic factor and that horrificly, they best way to get better legal rights is to appeal to rich assholes, but they should have leaned way harder into that instead of "man in a dress" and sexual assault jokes

I'll take Move Along Home over this any day. 1/10

[walkingstackofbooks]

DS9 3x25 Facets thoughts (I’m re-watching, so beware spoilers for future episodes!)

(06/06/2023)

I love Nog's determination to join Starfleet, he really is putting his all into it, and good for him.

"Why can't you take after your friend here? He knows enough to stay out of Starfleet. Even a human can see that there are a lot more profitable opportunities out there for a young man with ambition." "Uncle, he wants to be a writer. There's no profit in that." XD yep Quark's argument definitely backfired there - surely he knows humans work for enjoyment, not profit!

"I've noticed they've [Jadzia and Leeta] been spending quite a bit of time together." Oh I can really see them being excellent friends, I wanna read more about Leeta&Jadzia...

Oh I've just realised what episode this is - hell yeah! Definitely looking forward to seeing this again!

"If you don't mind... I'd like to borrow your bodies for a few hours." I'm sure they've all heard of stranger things, but also That is Quite The Request to just come out with. 

Leeta being the one person super informed about the Trill is everything - and Julian looks at her so admiringly, it's sweet :3

The way Kira says yes is somehow so intimate, I can't with the way she smiles at Jadzia.

Ughh, I HATE oomax being used to force Quark into doing things, at any time, it's just gross - but especially here, when he's being asked to do something uncomfortable with his body but is expected to agree straight away without being given thinking time.

The special effects are so weird - the memories glow?

"I was one of the first women to serve as a council member. When I started out, I talked with my hands a lot. Lots of emphatic gesturing. I discovered some of my male colleagues were imitating of me, so I started to do this." It's always strange but interesting to see alien societies have the exact same problems as Earth - though for Trill, this was in the mid-late 2100s, so (god I hope!) long after women were treated equally on Earth. I'm curious now about how Trill society treated joined women whose symbionts had lived in male hosts, or if they once had a strict gender binary that meant symbionts were only passed down in same-gender lines? 

"It's so strange. It's like you really are Lela." Actually I had completely forgotten it was Kira's body too - Nana Visitor is an incredible actress!

I love how tenderly Shimerman is acting as Audrid - he isn't playing this for laughs.

I cannot take Torias' American accent seriously I'm sorry XD I can't tell if it's believable or not but at the very least it sounds wrong coming out of Julian's mouth!

The music and Sisko's soft voice... Chills

"I think that's enough of Joran for now." And you just believed him, Jadzia? That didn't even SOUND like Sisko!

I do love it when there's a scene and someone's head just pokes around a corner. 

Rom's bumbling about is very endearing no matter what Quark says

Rom ordering a uniform! So cute!

Odo kissing Quark on the forehead! Odo saying "Did I ever mention you're a magnificent scoundrel?" WELL THEN

This Curzon/Odo thing is quite a lot of fun though. 

"He's right, you know. And it's not fair. Starfleet has no idea who it's passing up. Nog, you would have made a good officer." Quark! That's so sweet?

"Yes, but the truth is, I felt sorry for you." FUCK YOU CURZON

QUARK YOU DID WHAT?!!! THAT'S WHY YOU WERE SO NICE TO HIM EARLIER?? YOU'RE THE WORST!!!

"And if you ever do anything to hurt Nog again, I'll burn the bar to the ground." "You wouldn't dare." "Oh yes I would. My son's happiness is more important to me than anything, even latinum." Rom is just so good. (Also, makes me think of when Angelica sings, "I love my sister more than anything in this life, I will choose her happiness over mine, every time!" in Hamilton.)

He's definitely far more Curzon than Odo imo - he's got Odo's mannerisms but Curzon's enjoyment of life and personality.

"You can't intimidate me, Curzon. And I'm not a little girl anymore." YOU TELL HIM, JADZIA

The music.. Are we supposed to feel sorry for Curzon about his revelation he loved her? Because nope. No. 

I love how we get to see Julian and Miles playing darts and Sisko, Kira and Jake having dinner together just cos. That scene could have started with any generic Quark's bar shot but it didn't :3

ROM IS SO SWEET. 

Everyone's fond smiles <3

Nog it's too :3333 "I know I haven't earned the right to wear it yet, but my father got it for me." He's obviously a little uncomfortable knowing he shouldn't be in uniform yet but he still wears it to make his father happy <3

"It just occurred to me. As soon as that kid graduates from the Academy, I'm going to have to call him sir." I love how O'Brien says this with fond amusement.

"What can I get you, Nog?" "A root beer. It's an Earth drink. Something they serve at the Academy." "A root beer. This is the end of Ferengi civilization." Always so dramatic, Quark.

[lieutenantcharleslorem]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Relationships: Julian Bashir/Elim Garak, Julian Bashir & Molly O'Brien Characters: Julian Bashir, Elim Garak, Kira Nerys, Jadzia Dax, Jake Sisko, Nog (Star Trek), Rom (Star Trek), Leeta (Star Trek), Molly O'Brien (Star Trek) Summary: Molly doesn't want to spend Halloween on the station with no human kids, so Julian offers to take her to Earth for the last week of October. Taking others with him to experience the holiday, he could probably relax and lean on them as fellow chaperones. But he has a full itinerary for Molly, with no idea she would have any plans of her own for him.

Note: Apologies for any mistakes, I wanted to get this up by the end of the month. Also, I took some liberties with Molly's personality, and by that I mean I gave her one. But hey, my mom thinks it's accurate to 8, so... 😃Oh, and I'm planning on this story remaining rather wholesome, but since there is a ship I've rated it teen just to be safe until it's all up and I have a better idea.

Quark shuffled over as Chief O’Brien and Dr. Bashir sat down at the bar a few seats away from Morn.

“Hello, boys!” he said, “Care to try our new drink for the hu-mon season? It’s called a Jack-o-lantern!”

Miles groaned and put his head on the bar. He was ignored for a moment while Bashir asked what was in a Jack-o-lantern.

“It’s a spiced rum drink, with pumpkin and carrot juice. Sure to remind you two of home! Plus it comes in these cute little face glasses,” Quark said pulling out a short glass with the black triangular eyes and a toothy grin of a carved pumpkin.

“Wow, you really went all in on the theme if you bought glasses, Quark,” said Bashir.

“Actually they’re sonic-dishwasher safe stickers. Leeta says she can get them off with her long fingernails when your creepy season is over… What’s wrong with him?” Quark pointed a thumb toward O’Brien who had lifted his head to listen to the drink ingredients, but still looked out of sorts.

“What’sa matter, Chief?” asked Bashir.

“Oh, I’m just stressing out about something that probably won’t end up mattering that much.”

“So the usual?” Quark said walking away and returning with two beers. They weren’t sure if Quark was saying Miles always worried about things that didn’t matter or just talking about their drink order, but he disappeared to help another customer immediately after, so they would never know.

“What’s the trouble?” asked Bashir.

“Keiko is really busy on Bajor and can’t take time off for Halloween.”

“Sort of an unusual Holiday to take time off for anyhow.”

“Sure, but now I have Molly because Keiko is so busy, and there definitely wouldn’t be any Halloween business on Bajor anyway.”

“That important, is it?”

“It’s Molly’s favorite Holiday. Last year Keiko took her to my parents’ house on Earth for the week. But I just can’t get away, not with the lifts acting up, and the power cells that went missing—”

“And no one else can do those things? Rom?”

“Oh… It’s not that Rom isn’t capable of being in charge, but he does get, you know, nervous when he thinks people have high expectations and… to be honest he’s been getting on my nerves lately. It’s not him. It’s all the things around here going wrong making me irritated with everything.”

“Do you have any plans?”

“Ugh, I think Keiko thinks I’ll try to make it special here. But Molly knows that’s a bust and isn’t being shy about it. There’s no other human kids here, Daddy. I’m gonna feel silly dressing up. She never used to feel silly being the only one doing something.”

“Well, she’s getting older.”

“Yeah but still so little. If she was older and making a fuss, I’d just send her on a shuttle by herself and have her Gran pick her up on the other side. Used to do that sort of thing when I was a kid, but not ‘til I was a little older than her.”

“Hmm… Well… Miles… I could take her.”

“What?”

“I have some leave. And unlike you I think my staff can handle things while I’m gone. I mean if some horrible disease breaks out, I’ll come rushing back. But it’s just a little trick or treating, right? I could handle it.”

“I… I guess you could. It’s just, there’s a lot of kids and a lot going on—”

“I did in fact trick or treat as a child, Miles; you’re not explaining it to a Vulcan.”

“Well I—”

“Oh! But I could take Garak with me!”

“Garak?!”

“Oh, he loves Molly, and he rarely gets to leave the station. I could show him a piece of human culture.”

“I wouldn’t say he loves Molly. He makes her clothes—”

“He adores her, and would sooner kill someone than let something happen to her. Hmm, I wonder if any other non-humans would like to come learn about Halloween? Kira would probably think it was a waste of time… Dax is probably quite familiar with it, but I’m sure she’d have fun. Oh! I bet Jake hasn’t had an authentic Halloween in years.”

“If you’re going to bring a huge party with you, it’s not really about Molly anymore, is it?”

“Nonsense, the more people I bring the more chaperones for Molly. Besides, I don’t know if any of these people will say yes. Maybe it would just be me and Dax or something. That would be very relaxed. I could do this, Chief, but if you’d rather Molly stuck around here and complained…”

O’Brien gave a hmf that could rival Odo’s. But he nodded, taking a sip of his beer.

“Alright. Not too much sugar, nothing too scary, bed by 9, 10 on Halloween if she twists your arm. Don’t let her wander off on her own, and keep track of her please and thank yous. I don’t want her getting used to being rude because she thinks she can get away with it with you. Call me if there are any problems, and, Doctor… Bring her back in one piece.”

“Can do, Chief. I’ll start asking who wants to come along, and you can lecture all of them too.”

“I will.”

 The next evening, Chief O’Brien ran into Worf on the promenade and stopped him.

“Worf, I was glad to hear you’re going on this trip with Julian to take Molly. I really appreciate—”

“Alas, I am not. Only Jadzia is going.”

“You don’t want to go with her?”

“I have duties here. And I’m afraid I will not get the same things out of the trip that the others will. I did celebrate Halloween as a child, if only because my brother did, and because… when in Rome as the humans say.”

“Right… Well… It’s just… I had hoped, because you’re good with kids…”

“Chief… I’m flattered to hear you say that. While I will not argue, I’m not sure that Molly is particularly enthused with me.”

“Perhaps, but you’re— responsible.”

“Ah, I see. Though I am not often one to praise the doctor, I do think he is up to the task.”

“I’m sure he is. I just thought you’d want to spend some time with Jadzia, and then you’d be extra help.”

“Admittedly, there may be another reason I have decided not to go.”

“Oh?”

“Major Kira has agreed to go.”

“You… you get along with her fine, don’t you?”

“Yes, of course, but with her, and Jadzia, and the chief medical officer gone, I believe someone should remain here. But additionally, when I met Jadzia, she was wearing some sort of fairy tale costume, as was Kira, I believe to play in a holosuit program. I got the impression that they had a friendship in which they embraced their femineity together, as well as other aspects of their personalities which they share. But they have done this very little since Jadzia and I married.”

“Oh! You just want to give her some space to spend time with her friend? That’s so sweet, Worf.” Worf stifled a groan. “And if Kira’s going, that’s a load off. But how in the quadrant did they get Kira to agree to come?”

“Your daughter. She was with the doctor when he mentioned it to us this morning. Kira did not seem interested when the doctor and Jadzia explained it, but Molly said please, and called her aunty and the major agreed immediately.”

O’Brien burst out laughing and said, “I swear she’s learning how to play people.”

  “Are you sure just you and Yoshi will be okay without me or Mommy around for a whole week?” Molly asked as Miles walked her to the docking ring.

“Molly, it’s been just me and Yoshi before. I think I can handle it,” he said with a smirk. “Are you going to be okay without Mommy or Daddy around for a whole week?”

“I’ve been by myself with Grandma and Grandpa before, I think I can handle it.”

“Good. You’ve got everything? You’re sure you don’t want to take an old costume with you?”

“I told you, Mr. Garak has my costume for this yeeaaaar.”

“Alright, alright.”

Waiting for them at the shuttle were Garak and Julian both holding duffle bags.

“Kira, Dax, and Jake are already aboard saving seats,” said Julian. “Ready to go, Molly?”

Molly nodded, but she didn’t let go of her father’s hand.

“Oh, good! We’re not too late!” they heard Rom’s voice from the hall as he, Leeta, and Nog approached.

“I told you the shuttle left at 1300 hours, Father. We’re right on time,” said Nog.

“Well, I still don’t want to be rude,” Rom said shyly.

“You’re going too, eh?” asked Miles.

“I hope you don’t mind,” said Leeta. Julian and Jake said they would show us a little bit of human culture. But we’re happy to be extra eyes too.” She glanced down at Molly.

“Yeah! Hey there-er-uh, Molly,” Rom said as if he’d never spoken to a child before. “I know you probably know the others better but if you need anything, Leeta and I are here for you too.”

If Rom was weird, Molly didn’t notice. “Thanks, Mr. Rom.”

“I want to see what else there is to Halloween beside academy parties,” said Nog.

“Are they still, a hundred people crammed into someone’s aunt’s house drinking cheep replicator beer?” asked Miles.

“Sounds about right,” said Nog.

“You… drank… at parties… at the academy?” asked Rom.

“Sometimes,” Nog admitted. “But, no offense to your people, Chief, but I don’t like beer.”

“Nog, if anyone tells you they genuinely like the flavor of barley beer, and drink it for no other reasons, they’re either lying to you, or to themselves.”

Nog threw his head back and laughed. “Well we better get going. I’ll get this,” Nog said with an air of sarcasm which didn’t make sense until they all realized what this was. He scooped up Molly and put her on his hip.

“Nog, she’s not a baby, you’re gonna hurt your back,” said Julian from the entrance to the shuttle.

“Nonsense. She’s not so big.”

“I’ve never been up, but still so low before,” said Molly, looking up at her father.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Nog chided with a smile.

“Alright, give Daddy a kiss and then you all better get to your seats.”

He leaned over and Molly kissed him on the cheek. “Bye, Daddy!” she said.

“Have fun, sweetheart.”

Rom grabbed Molly’s bag, and they all turned and shuffled onto the shuttle. The last thing the chief heard before the doors slid closed, was Molly saying, “I want to sit with Mr. Garak!”

“Why…” he whispered to himself.

[rotationalsymmetry]

Good morning world. And do you know what I’m thinking about this morning? Keiko (chill, autocorrect) on Deep Space Nine.

Partly because I’ve been thinking about how the show’s done her wrong since a few episodes into Season 1. Partly because, in the wake of the Atlanta shooting, it’s clearly past time to talk about how women of Asian descent are depicted in the media.

Rather go on and on about what the show did wrong, I’m going to start with what it did right, then move on into some suggestions for plot lines that might have gotten the audience into Keiko’s (and perhaps her daughter Molly’s) head better. Feel free to borrow for fanfic purposes. (And let me know if you do, or if someone else wrote some good Keiko and/or Molly fanfic I might enjoy.)

What's right: she’s a, not core character, but sort of second tier character who is on the show often. She has a respectable role: she’s a well-educated professional whose work is important to her, and a wife and mother. We also get hints of her having a life beyond that — not as much as I’d like, but for example at one point in the first season she’s away visiting her mother, and when she’s pregnant with her second child she keeps leading an active life. I think the show strikes an appropriate balance on sexuality: she’s married, we’re pretty sure she and Miles have sex, but she’s not presented as a sex object. And we don’t see her suffering more trauma than the other characters. As of where I'm currently at in Season 6, she's alive, and I have every reason to believe she'll stay alive through the end of the show. (A quick look at Memory Alpha confirms this.) Good stuff.

(She’s also in The Next Gen — parts of that I haven’t watched and others were a while back, so I’m going to stick to talking about her role in DS9.)

And...very nearly all the episodes she’s in, are very firmly from Mile’s perspective and not hers. (Even storylines that really should be about her: when she’s experiencing frustration at not being able to pursue her career and ends up going back to work, that episode is entirely from Mile’s perspective. She barely speaks a word in it.)

Contrast this to how Benjamin Sisko’s son and father are shown: Jake very much gets his own storylines and own life, and relationships that aren’t primarily about his father, even though his dad has a more central role in the show (and we definitely see their relationship from Benjamin’s perspective as well), and even though we rarely see Grandpa Sisko (huh, apparently his name is Joseph), you immediately get the sense of him as a strong-willed person who lives life on his own terms, and when he and Ben have conflicts you can understand his perspective easily. In spite of relatively little screen-time. Keiko gets far more screen time, but far less interiority. She’s presented in a way that’s hard to empathize with. And there’s less of a sense of who she is as an individual rather than as a role.

(BTW, if we got to see Keiko’s perspective more, whose would we see less of? Maybe Miles, who gets quite a lot of focus. Maybe Quark, maybe Julian...basically, I’m pretty sure if I went through the season and marked down which episodes were primarily about male characters vs primarily about female characters vs pretty balanced, the ratio would be telling. And it’s not like I don’t like the male characters (well, maybe I could do with less Quark) but... I don’t like them so much that I think the show is better for having shorted the women.)

I want to see Keiko have friends. I want to see her talk to other parents on the ship as a parent. That episode where Keiko’s off station and Miles has to figure out how to get their new baby to stay asleep? I want an episode where Miles is gone and Keiko has parenting struggles. Where we get into old conflicts between her and her mother or father that she has to work through as a parent herself. (This is not an unrealistic expectation -- we got that for Odo in one episode, and we got a similar thing with Kira processing her father's death while another character was dying.) I want Molly to go on her first sleep-over and Keiko to have conflicted feelings about her daughter growing up and for Molly to have conflicted feelings where she’s excited but...also kinda misses her mom.

I want to see how Keiko’s explaining the Dominion war to Molly and what she’s skipping over. I want to see Keiko worried about her husband (which, granted, we’ve seen that) and getting emotional support from someone else (which we haven’t really.) I want to see Keiko pursuing a hobby other than gardening. I want her to be really excited to introduce Molly to something that she loved growing up. (Specifically a Japanese cultural thing or not.) I want her to take Molly to a holosuite program that shows some Japanese architecture or history or gardens. I want there to be some conversation about language — sure, universal translators, but what do people speak on their own, and what does Molly grow up speaking?

(They’ve got an interracial/inter-cultural relationship and explore absolutely nothing about that.)

Since Keiko was a teacher for a while, is she absolutely obsessing over homeschooling Molly now that there’s no school?

I’m not sure I want to see Miles and Keiko have a “no one’s right” disagreement over how to raise their children, but that’s certainly a thing that could have happened. Or could happen indirectly: Miles isn’t the talking type and yet everyone on the station knows when he’s having wife troubles and are willing to give him advice. Who does Keiko get relationship advice from?

When Keiko and Miles are apart and Miles spends all his time playing darts with Julian or reenacting battles with Julian, who is Keiko connecting with?

(Side note: one thing that Brandon Sanderson does well in his fantasy novels such as the Mistborn Trilogy, is couples that are balanced in power and narrative significance. The show made a choice to have Miles be a more central character than Keiko. There’s no intrinsic reason they couldn’t have been on the same level of narrative significance.) (But even if they were going to be at unequal levels of significance, Keiko still could have been done much better.)

(And you’ll notice the show is almost going out of its way to avoid having any female characters with less significant recurring love interests. When they partner up Kira, it’s not with some guy who’s just nice and fun or a supportive boyfriend (someone analogous to what Leeta is for Julian or later Rom), somehow even though she’s one of the most powerful characters in the show (she’s second in command on the station) she keeps getting partnered up with characters who have more religious or civil power than she does, and who become very narratively significant at least for a little while. Female characters can be just love interests or family members, male characters have to be doing something big and important.)

I think the show overdoes romance, so this wouldn’t be my first choice, but...having an old flame of Keiko’s show up could be a thing that happened. Or having a thing where she notices an interesting stranger, and of course nothing happens because she’s married, but we still get to see Keiko as, you know, a woman with desires and interests that don’t always fit perfectly into her respectable well-ordered life. We could see mirror universe Keiko — I wonder what she’s like. Or some time travel alternate timeline story where she’s with someone else, or single and enjoying the single life. (Surely even if Keiko is overall happy with her life, surely sometimes she must wonder about the roads not taken.) We could have some indication that she too misses Miles when they’re not together, or we could see her excited to get more time away or get their quarters to herself while he’s away, or both because people are complicated.

What are Molly’s adventures? Who is she best friends with? Where’s her tension between growing up and becoming her own person vs wanting her parents’ love and approval? Where’s the episode where we’re all wait, she’s really not a little toddler any more, is she?

(We don’t even know what Molly thinks about having a baby brother — and that’s a huge, highly dramatic change in the life of a child.)

Where’s the episode where she desperately wants some pet that her parents don’t want her to have, or desperately wants some toy or activity that one or both thinks is unsafe, or where she wants to be on a sports team but there aren’t enough kids on the station, or where she has to say goodbye to the Bajoran friends she made, or she starts playing make believe games involving evacuating the station...

What if we got to see Keiko’s mother and learn something about her or the family history? What if Keiko had some aunt or uncle or sibling who showed up on the station some time, what might their relationship be like? Is there some family hero that Keiko’s always encouraging Molly to grow up to be like?

If the show’s writers truly couldn’t handle writing a child that young, this is Star Trek and we have time travel — there’s no reason we couldn’t have an episode involving future grown up Molly O’Brien.

What if we got some terribly retconned explanation for why Keiko, a professionally trained botanist, was mysteriously ready and eager to step into schoolteacher mode even though that’s its own profession that requires years of specialized higher education? Did...did Keiko for some reason study to be a teacher, have something go wrong, and then go with botany as Life Pursuits Take 2? (Perhaps she was pushed into being a teacher then decided she loved botany more? But she didn’t actually dislike teaching?)

What if we actually got an episode centered around her being a botanist and exploring alien plants? There’s possibilities there — heck, one of the most popular TOS episodes centered around space wheat, so why not? I want an alien planet where all the plants are yellow or hot pink because they photosynthesize with something other than chlorophyll. Why not? (Did you know there’s an old school Piers Anthony sci fi book about killer mushrooms? Not joking.)

She’s the only woman of color who’s a regular character on the show throughout the whole series. She’s one of the few Asian-descent women who’s on American TV at all. She deserved better.

And I think we should talk about how she, and other characters, could have been written better.