#I like thinking of the leaps spock would have to make to go ‘this is definitely a decision rooted in logic and not emotion’ wjdbwksb

[archersartcorner]

Still thinkin about yesteryear. so here’s a silly little alt plot for it. just kidnap your baby self you know you’d take care of him better!!!!!!!!!

[sleepymccoy]

A ship manifesto is like an argument defending a ship or providing proof of why it's as good as canon. I think you'd write a good one if you wanted to!

Go on then, I take very little convincing (also thank you that's kind!)

Why you should consider shipping spones

So, genuinely, spirk is the more convincing ship if you like canon. I'm completely with the spirkies on that. They're endlessly supporting, interested in each other's opinion, and just so lovely

But that's kinda dull for me. Where's the grit? Where's the tension?

I do not believe spones should be canon, no show is ever gonna give them the time and complexity they need. That's why it's so much fun in fandom! The second these guys open their mouths they insult each other, both of them.

But like, they don't really insult each other personally much. McCoy insults Vulcan philosophy and Spock insults human ethics. McCoy insults Spock's alien features and Spock insults McCoy's vocation. Tit for tat, but within that is this constant simmering respect and admiration that they never talk about. And as soon as one is attacked by an outsider they leap to the others defence. Like, that's a wild dynamic! There's so much opportunity to make that fun to read by just adding a little bit of sexual desire

Like, why are you so obsessed with Spock's ears huh? You want to lick them? Grow up about it. And Spock's always needling McCoy, always talking about logic being the be all end all even when it's almost irrelevant, just to get a rise out of him! Schoolyard bully with a crush, both of them

It's a great dynamic. So much depth to plumb. And it's pretty hard to get them to get together!

Other fandoms I've been in tend to lean towards couples who are perfectly suited for each other and the world is conspiring to keep them apart. For spones, they're what's keeping them apart. It's like mixing oil and water, without some real attention from the author they'll fall apart. It's hard! It's a challenge! It's fun!

It's so fun, there's so many opportunities for tension with them and you can take tension to make sex or humour and both are so fun!

And the way they challenge each other. You think Spock is going to settle for anyone who doesn't offer him some personal or professional growth? He learns constantly with McCoy, often showing great exasperation, but he's learning and adding to his knowledge. And McCoy, he's had his little picket fence life and needs something completely different. And he needs a good fuck, I think these two would have absolutely spectacular sex

Anyway. Give it a go because it's fun!

Also I've realised all the gifs I pulled off the tumblr search function are from @aenslem so thank you for your service

[obstinatecondolement]

Discussion of incest cw

Apparently some anime has made a popular yaoi ship canonically cousins and I'm just like... okay. So? Are you familiar with infamous incest shipper Jane Austen? Maybe this is the "from a small island nation" jumping out again, but this doesn't need to be an obstacle on par with them being siblings a la Luke and Leia.

But like, incest shipping discourse is never going to stop being fucking bizarre to me. The peak was when I saw some very well meaning people saying extremely earnestly that it was incestuous to ship David Marcus/Saavik on the basis that Saavik is fanonically Spock's adopted daughter and David is Kirk's estranged son who only met him as an adult. The leaps you have to go through to arrive at this conclusion...

Like.... do you think adults who did not grow up together or even know each other as children whose parents get married shouldn't be allowed to date? Do you think that would be functionally equivalent to sexual abuse at the hands of a family member? Do you think that is not an incredibly trivialising thing to say to survivors of incest? Are you aware that the problem with incest is that it is almost always a form of sexual abuse when it happens in real life and not that it's just Forbidden for nebulously defined reasons of ickiness?

Also, the "Saavik is Spock's adopted daughter" thing comes from the novels, and Spock also married Saavik in the novels, so I feel if you're going to play the "which makes David/Saavik incest" card, this is something you may have to reckon with.

[bcbdrums]

Fave character from an oldy show / fave line from Soul Eater / how would u handle it if u were the Tweebs' music teacher?

i see you.... heheh thank you for the ask.

How does one choose...between their children... No seriously this is hard. Top choices I'm stuck between are Adam Cartwright from Bonanza, Al Calavicci from Quantum Leap, H.M. Murdock from The A-Team, or Spock from Star Trek. I love them ALL for very different reasons, but they all have things in common. Dark and angsty characters with difficult lives (in different ways) who struggle to overcome things and never quite achieve their peace... And...while the character I've spent the most time on is probably Spock, I think ultimately I have to go with Adam. I suppose I relate the most closely to him, because his struggle is so human and relatable to many. A good upbringing not without challenge, a steady adulthood offered to him...but he simply is never satisfied. And we never get an ending for him in canon! So he appeals to me and my creative side, both as an exploration of himself and as a way to process through some things of my own. Al, Murdock, and Spock all a semblance of peace in the end or at least we're told they get it (some more than others/in unique ways) but Adam just...vanishes, and we never truly know. So I guess he'd be the fave pick. (But how can one choose a favorite child, heheh.)

I chose from the anime because I need to re-read the manga (even tho I do have a favorite manga moment). And I must give must preamble to this... So you know how from Death the Kid's very first introduction he's falling on the ground and having fits about possibly having done something wrong, leaving something asymmetrical (which...symmetry for him is symbolic of the balance between good and evil, which he as a Reaper must uphold), and in these fits he has he calls himself worthless garbage and he's basically given up in all of these situations and his weapons have to talk him out of it and it takes a lot of effort? And these moments are always played comedically right up until one moment... His final moment of development in the anime, right before facing down against Asura... After first he thinks he can't help, then Lord Death is defeated, and so he resolves to protect the world. He has one more of these self-deprecating rants, but...this time it's spoken to this dad, who he thinks could be dead. This time it's not calling himself worthless for a lack of symmetry, but not worthy to be his father's son... You really feel the weight of everything he's been going through up to this moment. BUT...this time... Instead of declaring himself worthless and that's the end of it, Kid says, "Maybe I don't have what it takes to do this... But... I can try!" That's my favorite line from Soul Eater.

I'm thinking of them at their age in the beginning, as ten year olds. So first of all they'd be percussionists in the 5th grade band cuz they'd get to do a variety of things. Since that wouldn't be enough, I'd give them extra (optional of course) challenges to learn some solo pieces for percussion. And knowing they'd wanna take everything apart and make new things, I'd also hang around with them after school to show them instrument maintenance on all types, explain how all the things work. And if I had some instruments broken beyond repair (we often do and keep them for spare parts) I'd let them play with those in whatever way pleased them. Lol they'd likely make their own frankenstein'd instrument... Or do chemical experiments on the brass since there's some toxicity risks.... Yeah. And that's just band (but I'm tired now so that's what you get lol). Meanwhile, I'm operating on the assumption that they are good, well-behaved kids at school unless they're either bored out of their minds or the teacher is lousy.

[leohtttbriar]

a right to your intimacy

Pon Farr awakens vampiric bloodlust in Vulcans--Nyota doesn't find this erotic, at all. Written for trektober: Day 28 monster of the week

By the time they made it to Vulcan, Spock had tried to suck nearly half the crew dry and McCoy managed to lure Spock into the brig and lock him behind the reinforced shields while he raved and spit and otherwise made a nuisance of himself. 

“Let me out, Jim,” he had said, as if he wasn’t covered in three different people’s blood. 

“Do you think he understands ‘No,’ at this point, or is the vampiric lust addling his language functions,” said Nyota. 

“I think he’s completely nuts,” said McCoy rubbing his hand over his neck in the exact spot Spock had almost bitten him. “But he needs help.”

Spock launched himself at the brig walls. 

It was possible the shields weren’t going to hold with the way he was expressing his profound rage at not being able to sip at McCoy's arteries.

Nyota and McCoy (being the most well-spoken and the most "medical-professional" of the crew) were sent to greet T’Pring as she was beamed aboard—the woman Spock had called before the blood-hunger had officially taken the driver’s seat. She was tall and imperious but that could’ve just been Nyota projecting, who was feeling rather short and helpless in that particular moment. 

“Where is he?” asked T’Pring. 

“In the brig, ma’am,” said McCoy, like the polite, southern weirdo he was. 

Then, as they were exiting the turbo lift on the security deck, the alarms blared and Chekov’s tinny voice echoed from the speakers: He got out! Run for your lives!

“Why couldn’t Spock have attacked him instead of Sulu,” said McCoy. 

“I like it,” said Nyota, pinching her fingers and pulling the corners of her lips down, dramatically. “It adds a certain… je nais se quois.”

“Did you just say something in French?” asked McCoy. “You looked like a French chef for a second there.”

“I would never say something in French,” lied Nyota. “Or English. You know that.”

“I believe Spock is coming this way,” said T’Pring. She pushed in front of Nyota and McCoy and shifted into a defensive posture, fangs coming out. “Stay behind me.”

A loud noise, like an elephant tripping on a basketball court, emerged from down the corridor, and then suddenly there was Spock with fresh blood on his face and shirt and hands. 

“Oh hell, I hope he didn’t kill Jim,” said McCoy. 

Then Spock was on them. 

Or, really, on T’Pring, who was really on Spock, if one was doing the math right. He leaped at them all, claws out, hissing, and T’Pring snatched him out of the air and threw him to the ground. 

They fought viciously, green blood splattering, clothes ripping, snarling, growling, yowling, and everything else that was violent and gruesome and decidedly bad. 

“Should we run?” muttered McCoy, watching anxiously as T’Pring locked her thighs around Spock’s torso from underneath him and tugged on his hair.

“That might make it worse,” said Nyota, who was also staring at T’Pring’s thighs. “Might trigger his predatory instincts.”

“I think that’s bears,” said McCoy. 

Then Spock, strong from the feast of at least four different people now, threw T’Pring off him, and slashed out with his fingers, catching Nyota on the arm and then yanking McCoy to him and sinking his teeth into his neck with a fairly inappropriate groan. 

T’Pring leapt to her feet, pinched his neck, and he dropped. 

McCoy swayed on his feet. “Whoa nelly.”

T’Pring hoisted Spock onto her shoulders and said, “I have brought Vulcan strength restraints. Where is sickbay? We can begin the transfusion now.”

After McCoy had transported the thoroughly fainted Captain to sickbay and then got Spock set up in his specialized handcuffs with a steady supply of T'Pring's Vulcan-blood juice on a drip, he sat himself down in a chair to watch his sickbay of blood-deficient patients recover while he snacked on a packet of chocolate chip cookies. 

Nyota led T’Pring to the mess hall, figuring the least they could do was thank her with an inadequate, replicated meal. 

Just before they reached the hall, however, T’Pring stopped Nyota with a cold hand on her arm. 

“You are bleeding,” she said, gesturing to where Spock had snagged Nyota in the flesh of her bicep. 

“Oh yeah,” said Nyota, ripping the fabric away on her sleeve to reveal the gashes. “That’s annoying.”

T’Pring said, “May I?” Which should have been enough to clue Nyota in to what she was about to do, but, as it turned out, it was not. 

Nyota said, “Sure,” and then T’Pring was pressing her to the bulkhead and laying her mouth on Nyota’s bleeding skin. 

Nyota gasped as T’Pring licked up and down the wounds, careful and detail-oriented and definitely too sensual for Nyota’s state of mind. A tingling started as T’Pring’s saliva dried and Nyota watched in astonishment as the gashes sealed and healed like they were years old instead of minutes. 

T’Pring stepped away and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. 

Nyota said, “On second thought, I have food in my quarters.”

It clearly did not occur to T’Pring that Nyota had meant herself until they had reached a place behind closed doors and Nyota was pulling T’Pring’s teeth onto her neck, saying, “Plenty to spare.”

But, of course, T'Pring responded logically. 

[quordleona03]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

I was tagged by @marley-manson and @ofmdmash - so I will tag:

@topshelf2112-blog @remyfire @allcanonisrelative @jaelijn @amrv-5 @mycenaae @muirmarie @thebreakfastgenie @uncomfyfriendly @rescue-ram @blistersonmefingehs @fieryphrazes

(but don't feel obliged unless you want to play, and if you'd like to play, consider yourself tagged!)

How many works do you have on Ao3?

253.

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

1,393,465.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Primarily (and in more or less chronological order): Blake's 7, Star Trek: TOS, The Professionals, Highlander, Star Trek: tng. MASH, House, and The Fugitive (the film with Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones). I have also written fanfic for MacGyver (the 1985 TV series), the West Wing, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Quantum Leap, , and various literary fandoms as an exercise in pastiche.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

The top three are MASHfics: Tuttle, All We Know, Go, tell them in Sparta - and four and five are both Star Trek fics (both Spock/McCoy): A Man of Integrity, and Through A Glass, Darkly.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh, that's a difficult question. Possibly it's ""I would not be you for a kingdom" " - my Villette slash story: though in that case I was just using the angst Charlotte Bronte handed me in the novel. Likewise with the Blake's 7 story Cruelty Has A Human Heart, and the Good Omens story Let this cup pass from me, and the Highlander story Day and Night But, even what with stories where the angst is built into the source material, I think the angstiest ending is that of the long series The Games. (I considered MASH in Drabbles and concluded that as I wrote the 80 or so drabbles in the sequence individually and out of order, it doesn't really count.)

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

That is an extremely difficult question to answer. I like writing in universes full of angst. Many of my stories have hopeful endings, which make me happy, but I think the unequivocably happy ending is the MASH story Responsible Indefinitely For Each Other’s Welfare. Because there they are, together, at the end of a long life: and Hawkeye is still the same delightfully annoying trickster as ever.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Sometimes. Usually for ridiculous reasons. "I hate that pairing!" Well, don't read it then. "So-and-so isn't gay, he's too masculine!" - Oh, honey, let me introduce you to some big strong bears, you'll love them.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I would say mostly no, but occasionally yes. I believe sex scenes should be essential to the plot and full of character development, so I rarely write just pure smut. But I did write a Stargate Atlantis story, What I Tell You Three Times Is True, which was purely written as a sex scene, after a giggled conversation with a friend who was into Stargate Atlantis.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I love crossovers, both the reading and the writing of them, and have written dozens. I would say the weirdest one I ever wrote was a West Wing / Star Trek:tng / Drop The Dead Donkey crossover, No More Overtime.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I know.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not as far as I know.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes, sometimes. It's a fun thing to do with friends. I co-wrote the More Deadly MacGyver/Highlander crossover with Jakrar, sparked out of a paragraph she sent me in an email.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

"All time" - I don't think I have one. I've loved and still love Avon/Vila, Spock/McCoy, Bodie/Cowley, House/Wilson, Holmes/Watson - but right now my favourite ship is definitely Hawkeye/Mulcahy.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

The Buffy/MASH crossover. I just don't see where I'd find the time.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue, perseverance, imagination, angst.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Heterosexuality. Certain words which I always misspell unless I look them up, each time. Not understanding what is going on in people's minds, see 'heterosexuality' - also racism, sexism, and classism.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Mais c'est impossible. I prefer to write in English but signal that this is a different language being spoken. Bene, plerumque. I had to think about this a lot when writing ASL dialogue for All We Know.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Blake's 7.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Usually the one I am writing at the moment, which is to say All We Know - and the one I want to finish: A Hawk Through the Mirror. But I think technically one of my best is Friend and Stranger - a story set three years after the events of the 1993 movie The Fugitive, written in form as much like the movie as I could make it, full of sudden POV changes between Gerard and Kimble and attempting to get the emotional intensity and chemistry between the two of them that we saw on screen, down to a satisfying conclusion.

[icepixie]

SNW 2x07

Spoilers

THAT WAS THE BEST THING EVER OMG OMG OMG

I rarely rewatch episodes but I might watch this SEVERAL times.

I have no coherent thoughts, so have some reactions:

The animated bit at the beginning was rather transparently set-up for the episode, but I was not expecting the Orion scientist thing to play such a large part in the narrative, so good on them.

The Lower Decks uniform looks fantastic in person. The next live action series needs to use it. (Live action Lower Decks miniseries, y/y??) Although it looked like Mariner kept pulling her shirt down, so maybe it wasn't as practical as it was good-looking.

YESSSSSSS THEY ANIMATED THE CREDITS!

Oh man, Boimler is the perfect character to come back in time like this. Not only does he enjoy it the most but he's so terrible at keeping his mouth shut it can only cause more complications.

OH MY GOD, Boimler is how Spock/Chapel gets nuked before TOS time? DUDE.

(I feel for you, Spock/Chapel shippers. And I feel bad for Christine, even though I want her out of that relationship.)

(But that said, Spock's attempts at smiling and laughing are super creepy and I hope that ends soon. Since they're meant to be creepy, hopefully they will.)

On a related note, why the hell is Boimler being allowed to walk around the ship? Why wasn't he put in a locked room until they figured out how to get him back to the future? And why was he allowed to just wander ON THE BRIDGE, where he was able to screw up the Orion interaction??? (I mean, well, I guess he had to be allowed there to make it so Tendi was alive...so I guess Tendi wasn't supposed to be there before this time travel trip? Nice.)

Hehehehe, all the bridge officers standing in a line not looking while Boims rejiggers the sensors.

Heheh, tiny Marinler moment when she basically leaps into his arms from the portal. And of course she would be trying to save him only to use up the last of the blorbonium. I liked that, although I also wish she'd been able to be in the episode as long as Boimler was.

Awww, Pelia's advice to Boimler is so good for him to hear.

"Do they sound weird to you?"/"Yeah, all slow and soft." Bwahahaha.

Hahaha, Mariner fangirling Uhura. And Uhura being like, "fuck, I'm famous? Goddamit, I can't take the pressure!" Hee!

Oh thank god, Pike, you finally confined them to quarters. (For two seconds. And they didn't even go.) I was waiting for the blorbonium as a part of the NX-01's hull to become relevant! Heh, and Mariner was the one who paid attention because Boimler was distracted by grapplers.

Heh, everyone notices Mariner is...not exactly model Starfleet officer material.

OF COURSE THEY TRY TO STEAL A SHUTTLE. OF COURSE THEY DO.

Awwwwwww, Una gets to be the poster girl for recruitment! That's gotta be so gratifying after the trial. Such a nice moment for her (and for us). I wonder if Boims and Mariner even knew she was court-martialed, or did Starfleet cover it up and paper it over with making Una the face of recruitment?

But on that note, I was expecting events to be wiped clean from the SNW characters' memories, 'cause there's a looooooot of timeline pollution here. La'an must be horrified. (Especially since this is the second episode in a row to remind her of her own time travel experience.)

Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome are preternaturally good at capturing their animated selves' movements and translating them to live action. Maybe Quaid a little more than Newsome, but I think that's because animated Boimler's movements are slightly more realistic than Mariner's. She tends to do more arm motions or whatever that aren't quite possible in real life.

YES YES YES THE SNW CHARACTERS GOT ANIMATED YESSSSSS! And it's because of the Orion alcohol! They dropped acid and turned into cartoons! (Fringe did this and it was also a blast.)

You guys, I am SO. THRILLED. with this episode. A thousand sins from earlier episodes are forgiven.

[isagrimorie]

[initial reactions] Star Trek: SNW 2x09 - Subspace Rhapsody

This was a fun musical episode! I still say Trek shows should be more than 10 episodes because there are some character beats here that feel it needs more than a few episodes to just be and breathe.

(Once again laughing that Paul Wesley managed to escape a musical in TVD only to leap headfirst into a show that would do a musical and he can't walk away. This is laughing in fun btw 'cause I do like Paul Wasilewski and his real-life snarky dry sense of humor, but also, HAHAHA. They got you, Wasilewski!)

I liked it! It wasn't Buffy the Musical, but that's okay, it was fun and it moved character arcs along!

I haven't mentioned before but I really love the medical uniform Chapel's wearing, which I think originated from Discovery s1 and 2.

I love how it took a while for Uhura to sing but when she did, she hit a breakthrough. I love that this was her episode but it wasn't just about Uhura.

The musical numbers I really enjoyed: Uhura's solo, La'an's solo, and Chapel's whole musical number. The three strongest singers of the show.

I'm glad that La'an was able to tell her secret because it was weighing on her so much and I'm glad that

Speaking of episodes where character beats needed more than 10 episodes. It's such a whiplash to go from Spock and T'Pol breaking up to Christine and Spock being together for what 2 episodes? I am glad we got Christine's song how this was something that can change her life forever. (If I'm not mistaken that guy running the program will be her ill-fated fiance). But we've gone from Christine pinint for Spock, to being ambivalent with him, to Boimler throwing cold water into the fledgling relationship with Spock. I wish we got to see Spock and Christine have just an episode or more to be in a relationship and happy.

There's not enough Pelia! (Speaking of, where are the other engineers? I know the answer is most likely covid restrictions but I wish there were some engineers working in Engineering in the background).

You know what? I've tried but I just had a thrill of happiness at all the moments Spock and Uhura were together. I know it's not as popular a ship as Spock/Kirk and Spock/Chapel but the TOS version I'm most familiar with (aside from the original TOS movies) is AOS. And since then Spock/Uhura is my ship. So, I'm just gonna embrace it. I ship them!

The Klingon boy band!

Uhura really is my favorite! I love how she started as someone uncertain of Starfleet to finding connection and family in the Enterprise even though she still felt alone at times. I love that Communications Officer is a vital part of ship's functions. Also, with the way Uhura is, it makes so much sense she makes Captain in the future. She has an air of someone who would be so good in Command.

Speaking of, I wish Discovery had these kind of fun episodes instead of one long story and I think this episode really highlighted the problem with the crew of Disco. Aside from 4 characters we really don't know the Disco crew as well as the SNW crew, I don't know what the Disco bridge crew's 'I want song'.

"I wan't" songs are, according to Playbill:

"The term is thought to have been coined by Lehman Engel, founder of the BMI Workshop for musical theatre composers, librettists, and lyricists. These songs are more than just inspiring musical numbers—in many cases, they launch the journey of a play, allowing the audience to get an inside look at force driving a character's action. They express a dissatisfaction or a dream of the character that propels them through the musical."

It's really sad that it seems season 5 is the season when the show regains their sense of fun. I hope the crew is written more of an ensemble in the final season. Disco is a good show, it just really needs to fix its ensemble writing.

Back to SNW, that was such a fun episode I'm also glad Una's taking her second chance to build more relationships and be more open with her crew. It makes sense.

BTW with all the Red in security and the Gold in Command... it occurred to me that SNW Enterprise crew probably thought Mariner and Boimler were Ops!

Anyway, that's a good episode! Good penultimate episode!

[hummingbird-of-light]

Against All Odds

Part 475

McCoy

They had been settled in watching a movie when security had knocked and interrupted them. McCoy had felt Scotty tense at the sound, and had squeezed him tighter. A meeting in Mother’s sitting room and they were requested with everyone else.

Eleanor was sitting with Francine where McCoy had sat earlier in the day. Amanda had joined them.

“What’s going on?” McCoy asked.

“Not sure yet dear,” Eleanor said, as McCoy and Scotty settled together on another couch.

Spock was next to arrive and shortly after he was next to Amanda, Leah and Robbie walked in. Their damp hair told where they had been.

“For how long?”

The question hung in the air after Dr. Boyce said he’d take over their instruction.

“As long as need be,” David answered firmly. “Christopher is arranging for your lessons from your classes to be sent to you each morning. Dr. Boyce will help make sure you understand them. You’ll start Monday morning as we had planned, except you’ll be here.”

“We can’t hide away forever!” McCoy protested. “How long will we have to do this?”

“Many factors must be considered Leonard,” David said patiently. “You’re right; you can’t hide forever, but we also don’t want to leap too soon. Captain Paris recommends at least two more weeks. We can reassess then.”

McCoy wanted to get up and pace the room. Two weeks! He was grateful to get the time at home, but he sighed. Two weeks at minimum before anyone would let them return to school. His thoughts churned and he reached for Scotty’s hand.

He took a deep breath and felt himself calm from the contact with his fiancé. An accomplice had been found. Were there others? Would this Lt.

Quantil have more information on that? Could they find that out in two weeks?

“When we do go back to school…

McCoy looked up at Spock’s voice.”

“…will extra security be sent as well?”

David gave the Vulcan a kind smile. “We said before Spock that you have done an admirable job. I don’t want you to think you haven’t or aren’t trusted. But yes. There will be. For a while at least until we know more certainly that it is safe.”

Spock nodded in acknowledgement.

“What kind of teacher is Dr. Boyce?” Scotty asked.

They were back in their room. The meeting hadn’t taken much longer after they had been told at least two more weeks in the palace.

“He’s good,” McCoy answered. They had been quiet on their walk back. McCoy had been thinking. As tired as he was getting of a tight security tail, he knew it was for the best. Scotty’s safety was everything to him and he knew it was the same for their parents about all of them.

“He knows how to ask the questions that make you really, deeply think about what it is you’re working on. He always encouraged asking as many questions as you need. You’ll like it.”

McCoy flipped the covers back on the bed.

“Oh. Were ye ready for sleep?”

“No. We can finish the movie. I just wanted to be more comfortable. Stay warmer,” he added sheepishly.

“Ye really are cold?”

“Just a bit,” McCoy admitted as he got in bed.

“Well come back over here,” Scotty grinned. “I think I can help.”

McCoy grinned back. “Should I even start the movie back up?” He raised a questioning eyebrow.

Scotty shrugged, then pushed in for a kiss.

Part 476

Scotty

The next week came faster than any of them had expected. And though Scotty really wished that he was back at school with their other friends, he still liked Dr. Boyce's way of teaching.

Leonard had been right. The doctor really knew how to get one thinking. Never before had Scotty felt like his genius was really appreciated by his teachers, but Dr. Boyce managed to challenge him just to the extent he needed.

"Is everything alright, Scotty?"

The Scotsman looked up when he heard the older man's voice next to him. He gave him a smile.

"Aye, sir. Everything's fine."

Dr. Boyce nodded, his eyes fixed on the screen of Scotty's PADD.

"It seems to me like these tasks are... a little bit subchallenging for you."

A smile crossed Scotty's face, especially when he heard his little brother's groan close by.

"There he goes again. My genius brother," Robbie muttered under his breath and Dr. Boyce looked at him.

"Oi, ye got the same scholarship as me!" Scotty protested.

"Aye, but ye're still the smarter one."

Dr. Boyce chuckled softly at the boys arguing.

"You are all very talented students. However, considering Scotty's wishes for his future job, I would suggest more complex tasks in some fields."

Scotty couldn't help but blush a bit at the doctor's words and straighten his back.

"Maybe ye have some suggestions once I finish my school tasks?" he asked hopefully and Dr. Boyce patted his shoulder.

"Of course. I'll search for them right away."

And with that incentive perspective, Scotty worked extra fast. He could get used to this way of classes.

They had lunch with everyone else. David briefed them about the current state of investigation. Apparently there were no other accomplices, but Captain Paris was still doing research.

Scotty was just glad that nothing else had happened. And that they talked to Granddad every evening. Knowing that he was safe, meant everything to him.

"And there were no suspicious activities at the border," David completed his update.

Everyone nodded, however, Scotty was surprised when his mother talked next.

"I think I should return to Scotland too, if things continue to stay quiet. I really have to get back to work."

A pang shot through the older Scott brother's heart at that thought. His mother thought about leaving.

"But Mum..."

Robbie didn't seem to like the idea either as worry washed over his face. The brothers exchanged a look.

"Francine, are you certain? If it's about the financial situation-" David said, but Francine quickly shook her head.

"No, it's not that. I just... miss me hometown. And I want to help Alasdair. He thinks he can do everything on his own, but he tends to forget that he is not the youngest lad anymore."

Scotty swallowed. That was true. His grandfather often thought, he could do anything.

"But I will wait another week. I want to make sure ye're okay, after all." Francine placed a hand on Robbie's cheek and gently stroke it with her thumb. Then she looked at Scotty, waiting for his response.

"We... understand, Mum."

A smile crossed Francine's face and she gave her oldest a nod.

"Thank ye, Monty. I trust ye to take care of yer little brother."

"Aye."

Of course he would. Just like Robbie would take care of him.

[raisinchallah]

i was curious about the next discovery episode see how things got resolved with the whole spocks mental illness and finally understand his and michaels relationship but im left with more questions than answers like the absolute terrible cant come back from thing michael did was... be nasty to him when she was 10....... after they had presumably known each other for like a year and this was something amanda couldnt forgive her for... being a scared child... and irreparably damaged her relationship with spock and also i guess she was in active danger by living on vulcan which sort of makes no sense when u would think if there were extremist vulcans hating all humans amanda would also be a target? and again its like why the fuck was michael put in this awful situation but its like im left wondering were her and spock ever close cuz this moment supposedly reveals the rift between them happened when they were so young its not like they had a relationship to rekindle or anything also tbh i realize for the longest time i had misremembered the spoiler and thought that michael was the red angel and that what was making spock go crazy was a premonition about michael being gone and i thought that would be very cool but um the time thing felt so silly but like god... i really felt like until more details were coming out it felt like their rift would have been something that happened when they were older and maybe something where they were both wrong and like had to heal their relationship rather than something perfectly constructed so u dont actually feel like anyone did anything wrong but also just feels like again another illustration of what an awful situation michael was put into and nobody supporting her and idk i just wish that instead of some like oh wow spocks falling apart cuz he has a messed up understanding of time which feels so silly it could be that he had a premonition about michael leaving into the future or how her moms the red angel and it was like him having to confront the buried pain of his distance from his family or fear of losing michael and that bringing up the pain of them not speaking for years or just you know djkla;kljs he could be mentally ill for normal reasons like theres just like it feels like a few small changes could make the emotional reality of it a lot stronger..... idk its just a lot of quick fixes that sort of leap over character development i did really like hughs section of the episode the focus on his alienation and trying to rediscover who he is... which did pair well with like i think what they were going for with the spock and michael parts of the episode nice to have like thematic consistency..

[funkymbtifiction]

What do you think causes people to overestimate how many characters are INTJs? I’m not just talking about sensors being mistyped as intuitives (Katniss Everdeen, Black Panther and Spock come to mind), but (also) other intuitives who are mistyped as INTJ (Gregory House, Rodney McKay, Samamtha Carter). Why do you think that occurs? It’s really easy to do. Even I struggle with it a lot -- going, is this character INTP or INTJ? -- especially when the movie doesn’t really make the character strongly defined in their typing. House, for example, seems like an INTJ (mostly because of his intuitive leaps and tendency to shoot down everyone else’s ideas, which he needs them to generate for him so he can say no) -- except TeFi does not screw with people for its own amusement, which is his primary method of operation. He will needlessly buck authority and do things just to tick people off and even if he were an 8 core NTJ, they still don’t do anything that has no external factual impact. It’s low Fe that likes to mess with people when it gets bored, because it feeds off getting some sort of an emotional reaction from “less rational people.” While Katniss is often typed iNTJ, she is also widely typed ISTP, but she’s really rubbish at Se -- she has her one thing (hunting/archery) that she is good at and mostly does that. And she has zero Ni. Girl has no big picture focus, it’s just about her experiences and those she loves, and a lot of inferior Ne anxiety about things going wrong. Black Panther is extremely traditional - an INTJ Black Panther would have a vision for his country and let nothing stand in his way, but he passively allows himself to be replaced out of respect for ‘how things are done here’ (IMO, 9w1 ISJ?). People assume “smart = INTJ.” People assume “interesting = INTJ.” People assume “cool = INTJ.” And it doesn’t just happen with INTJs, either. Villains are often typed NTJ, even if they show zero Ni. A lot of villains seen as ENTJs are actually ESTPs (reckless, opportunistic, and use tert-Fe to screw with/play mind games with the hero). There’s also way, way too much over-typing of strong, interesting female ESTJ characters as NFJs. People think somehow because a female protagonist or side character isn’t an asshole, and cares about people, that she must be a feeler, and they mistake grounded realism (don’t do that, it’s stupid and will backfire) is ‘intuition.’ No, Ni is specific, not general “that’s a stupid thing to do, Harry Potter.” ;) INJ in fiction is usually best seen in a character who only has ONE life’s goal or purpose, and who cannot back away from it, even when it goes wrong, because they have nothing else, they have this thing pictured in their mind, and their inferior Se is too poor to read the situation and realize they were wrong. Like the guy in Prometheus who refuses to realize the aliens are dangerous and will kill him, instead of what he wanted them to be -- or Doc Oc in Spider-man 2, who when everyone is screaming at him to turn his invention off, refuses, and continues insisting it is going to ‘stabilize’ -- in the process, ignoring all the direct evidence he is wrong (literally, it is peeling the steel paneling off the walls and becoming a black hole). It kills his wife, and he still wants to build another one, because he just ‘knows’ it is going to work this time. He’s pictured it!!! THIS IS MY LIFE’S WORK!!! Basically, I’d look for evidence of singularity and an inability to turn aside when things go wrong (another example -- Amelia Brand in Interstellar, who heads off the ship to pick up parts and doesn’t turn back even when confronted with a dangerous, destabilizing environment, because her Ni-dom is locked into ‘this is what I am GOING to do’ despite the ISTP screaming at her not to be stupid). That is, fundamentally, what INJ is -- a preference for a single course of action, viewpoint, or belief, that devalues any and all information in the sensory environment that proves them wrong. (Or in the case of Alien’s heroine, instinctively knowing she ought not to let her teammates back on the ship, even if everything sensory around her indicates ‘it’s fine.’ Intuition >>>> proof.) If the character is generally intuitive + thinker + introvert but doesn’t show this kind of arrow-focus / absolutism, assume they are INTP instead. And you should always start off by assuming the characters will all be sensors -- the intuitives then really stand out because you soon realize they’re making connections no one else in the story is generating. (EG: Stiles in Teen Wolf.)

[umblebumble]

Star Trek Daemons

These choices are based on the newer movie series (AOS) featuring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Carl Urban, etc. I have only seen bits and pieces of the many previous Star Trek series, but I will use what little tidbits I have picked up to help with this selection. My choices are a mix of analysis matching (I like to use the Daemon Forum as a starting point) as well as thematic/plot things. Hope you like them! Please let me know what you think, and your own headcanons!

James Kirk - Indian blue Peafowl. Thematically, I think a peacock/peahen would tell us a lot about Jim and reflect his story arc very well. Peacocks are thought of to be vain, cocky, proud birds who strut around showing off. This seems like exactly what everyone thinks about Jim at first glance, the sort of air he gives off. But peacocks are much more than that, people just don’t realize it. I think that parallel works well since everyone starts by underestimating Jim to seeing past his showy-ness and growing to respect and appreciate him as their captain. Furthermore, peacocks are intelligent, bold, fearsome and very socially oriented. They can fly despite what people think, and they’ve been known to always perch just out of reach of predators. They’re loud and communicative, and will fight and defend what is theirs. They actually have spurs on the back of their feet. Mostly, peacocks are very social - they spend time in flocks or at least pairs, and Jim is a very social person who would do anything for his people, his crew. So mostly thematic reasons, but I think a peahen perched on the back of the captain chair would just really fit him.

Spock - Eurasian Lynx. To me Spock has always been a cat person in my mind: he just exudes the same aloof energy with hints of softness, playfulness and even sassy-ness in the right circumstances. However because he’s half Vulcan and they have that raw animosity and energy they work so hard to tame, I figured it would be a wildcat versus a domesticated one. Lynx’s are ambush predators and have been known to sit in trees and wait to drop on unsuspecting prey. This matches Spocks patience in planning and executing strategy. Lynx’s are solitary creatures, but are very good mothers to young - and while Spock is more of a loner, he cares deeply and passionately for those in his circle. Lynx are also found in all sorts of environments, making them adaptable and quick on their feet. Plus they have been known to hunt deer, showing their bravery and fierce power. Spock is also very technical and sassy and sarcastic when the mood strikes him, which just fits very well with a cat attitude in general. Personally, I like the image of an aloof Lynx at Spock’s side that betrays no emotion until they crack and go for the throat. (Additionally, Lynx’s are known for their tufted ears and I think that would be hilarious alongside Mr. Pointy-Ears himself.)

Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy - Canadian Goose. This one seems a bit odd, but just stick with me a moment. Geese are loud, bold, brash, hardy birds who are hard working, determined, and known for their short-fuse but deep care for others. It’s perfect for Bones. A goose migrates thousands of kilometres each year, and live largely in Canada through very cold temperatures. This makes them very hardy, and hard-working birds. Furthermore, geese - Canadian Geese especially - are known for their temper. They’re given a wide berth because they have clear boundaries and will loudly let you know when you even approach said lines in the sand. But under the abrasive defensiveness and loud protestation of the world, geese make incredible parents. They’re protective, defensive, and very loving to their children, or their flock, or their mate. Those they care about, they are a stalwart defender and provider, and will often immediately adopt any stray goslings that are a similar age to their own babies. Bones is crotchety and loud and stubborn and has a tendency to yell about anything and everything, but he’s determined and smart and a doctor - he cares for people and will fiercely protect those he claims as his. It’s an unusual choice, but once I thought of it I just can’t get rid of the idea.

Nyota Uhura - Steller’s Jay. Since these birds are a species of corvid, they sit among some of the cleverest bird species. Nyota is especially smart and aware of her surroundings, demonstrated by her ability to readily understand Spock’s techno-babble. Furthermore, the smarter an animal, the more mental stimulation and challenge they need, or they’ll get bored easily. Nyota seems like the hardworking type to constantly have something on the go. Steller’s Jays are very adaptable, and a little bit manipulative when they need to get something, which pairs well with Nyota’s drive and tenacity. Furthermore, Steller’s Jay is noted as being an accomplished mimic of both bird calls and other noises. This is a fun thematic parallel to Nyota’s unparalleled auditory and linguistic ability.

Hikaru Sulu - Monarch Butterfly. A lot of people would think that butterfly’s are delicate and emotionally sensitive people, but that is not true of monarchs. They have incredible migrating habits that indicate they are hardy and hard-working. And while they may be sensitive to and aware of their surroundings, they are not as emotionally delicate as they appear. These migrating habits are also rather specific, showing a value of control over things that thematically I like for a main pilot/Command division person. Monarchs are group oriented, and Sulu has a deep care for his crew and his family, thriving among others. While they’re not an aggressive creature, Monarchs are willing to take risks if the reward is worth it and are known for their “wander-lust” tendency to explore and adventure and try new things.

Pavel Chekov - Atlantic Puffin. Aside from being adorable, a puffin matches well with what I know of Chekov. Puffin are a more social bird and will have a good time in a group of any size, or even working on their own. They are also active and energetic, matching with Chekov’s youthful energy and constant work drive. While somewhat cautious in unusual scenarios, they are very proactive planners and are the kind to look before they leap - but they will take the leap. Puffins are dutiful and sensitive, and while Chekov is not shown to be some thin-skinned wreck, he is still very young and has some youthful optimism and outlook that leaves him a little more surprised by the jaded side of the universe. Mostly, I think a puffin is just very well suited to the young but hardy and capable man.

Montgomery “Scotty” Scott - Cairn Terrier. Terriers are smart, clever, stubborn, loud little dogs. They’re more independent than some other dogs, but are still very social. Terriers are very vocal about their thoughts and opinions, and are not afraid of putting others in their place and taking charge. Scotty is as sturdy as they come and is very good at what he does, equally willing and able to take over and run the ship engines as well as dive in after Jim in weird antics and crazy adventures. I picked a Cairn over another terrier type because Cairns are very curious and adventurous and are the perfect middle of the road terrier: not too stubborn, not too sensitive, not too independent, and not too daring. Scotty is the perfect mix of stubborn, sensitive, caring, independent, bold, brash, and cautious all rolled into one loyal, loud, eager terrier package.

*P.S I realize I have selected largely birds for this group, and it wasn’t intentional, I just found myself gravitating towards them. However, I have always equated birds with their wings and flying and freedom. I find birds are always a little more out going and adventurous and travel-hungry by nature, so I think finding a majority of birds on a space ship destined to travel the distant universe isn’t all too unrealistic.

[muirmarie]

Genuinely sorry for the inherent dubcon but the more I think of it even tho it presumably ends spock/bones/kirk it's REALLY a love letter to bones/everyone???

Anyway accidental long bones/uhura below the cut lmao???

uhura breaks her arm (compound fracture even) while they're planetside and won't be able to get back to the ship for [reasons] for at least a few days, and bones sets it, and is just like. "I'll be able to fix it up properly in a few days, but I know you must be in a helluva lot of pain, and. You have options. You /will/ be fine when we get back to the ship, I just. Whatever you want, Uhura, it's up to you."

"If it's not up to /both/ of us, then it's not on the table," she says, sweat on her brow from the pain, eyes steady on his.

"Don't be absurd," he says gruffly, "if I can help - "

"You /have/ helped," she says, glancing down at the makeshift splint. "Do you think so little of me that you think I'd prefer hurting a friend to bearing some pain myself?"

Bones ducks his head, rubs a hand across the back of his neck, because he hasn't - hasn't thought of it quite like that, hasn't -

"Do you think I'd prefer seeing my friend in pain when the alternative is giving us both a little pleasure?" he says roughly, still not looking her in the eyes.

"Leonard," she says, her good hand reaching up to cup his cheek, and he startles a little, finally looks at her.

"You're a beautiful woman, Lieutenant," he says. "It - it's up to you, because I am...I am willing, is all I mean to say."

"/Willing/," she says with a soft laugh. "What a ringing endorsement! No, no, don't backtrack now, it's already said."

"If you'd prefer to wait until we get back to the ship, I fully understand, and I will not argue the point, but if this is some misguided attempt to protect /me/ - " he says, truly angry now, and her thumb slides over his cheekbone, her hand still cupping his face.

"You'd die for me, Doctor. It's a privilege, and it's a burden, to know that, but I know it all the same. Of course I want to protect you. Just like you want to protect me."

He swallows, but he doesn't speak. She doesn't speak for a long moment either, her gaze caught on his throat.

"I'm not in love with you, Doctor, but I love you all the same. And it would be a lie to say I've never thought about it. Those hands of yours? The way you get so riled up, the way you're so immovable in your convictions? All that passion, directed at one person - oh, it's a heady thought. Have you ever thought about it, Leonard?"

His face is flushed, but he hasn't moved away from her hand. "All those languages," he says, his voice still rough, his gaze drifting from her face. "It makes a man wonder what you sound like when - I'm sorry, that's - "

"I /asked/," she reminds him.

He breathes in, holds it, breathes out. "So you did," he says.

"I'll be okay until we reach the ship," she says. He nods, his gaze back on her face, her thumb still sliding across his cheekbone. "You didn't have to offer."

"I'm not in love with you, but I love you," he says, echoing her words back, and she wonders, for one brief, sharp moment, when the last time he's said those words. It hurts far more than her broken arm, and she has to forcibly push that thought aside.

It's a privilege, isn't it, to be loved by him. He'd die for her. He wouldn't think twice. It's a privilege and a burden both.

"Would it be?" she says, going back to the start. "Some pleasure? For both of us?"

He grins a little at that, his mouth lopsided, his eyes warm. "I've never had any complaints," he says, and she thinks, absurdly, that maybe she's not in love with him, but it wouldn't be such a leap, would it? It wouldn't be an impossibility. That warmth, those hands, that passion, that genuine goodness, the way he's looking at her, right now, like she's the only thing that exists - oh, she's not in love with him, but it wouldn't be hard to get there if she wanted. She doesn't want someone who would die for her, though. She'd want someone who would die /with/ her. But maybe in a different life. A different universe. Maybe they can bridge those universes for a little while. Just this once.

"Leonard," she says. "You have to know the rumors about you."

"Let's not set me up against an impossible challenge!" he protests, still grinning. Still her beloved friend. He's left the brooding back a few paces, now that he thinks she's going to let him help. The weight of the world is still there, but he's so good at hiding that, it would be unnoticeable if she didn't love him so well.

"Oh come on," she says, her tongue purposefully wetting her smile, "I'm sure you're /up/ for any challenge."

His eyes are bright, and some part of her, helplessly, thinks /good/ - this isn't all for her, some part of him must also want -

"Come closer," she says in Vulcan, and his cheeks flush, his skin warmer beneath her palm, and oh, he does like the languages, doesn't he, he wasn't just trying to appease her, and that's -

"Nyota," he says, his voice husky, and that's sends a delightful thrill through her as well, doesn't it? "Nyota, may I kiss you?" he says, and she draws him in in answer, says yes in Klingonaase against his lips, feels the exact moment his caution turns into slow confidence.

"There was a party," he says into her throat, "and we both had a little too much to drink, and your smile was so beautiful," he says. She catches on immediately. She's a storyteller, after all.

"I was smiling because you kept making me laugh," she says. "And it got late, and some people left, but I wanted you to keep making me laugh," she says.

"And I wanted to keep seeing you smile," he says. Her hand has slid from his cheek to his shoulder, her nails pressing lightly against his shirt.

"I invited you back for a nightcap," she says, shivering a little at the way his breath brushes her ear. They're not in a cave. She doesn't have a broken arm. She's not forcing - she's not making - he's not obligated -

They're friends. They're kind of drunk. They're kind of lonely. They love each other. This could have happened. If she'd known how he kissed, she thinks, laughing at herself, she'd have done her best to /make/ it happen.

"I couldn't help myself," he says, his hands on her neck, on her waist, and still so careful not to jostle her arm. "I turned when I walked in, and leaned into you. Waited. Hoped I hadn't overstepped, that you wouldn't hate me, that - "

"And I kissed you," she says, because she would have done, wouldn't she. Is doing so right now. "And here we are," she says. "Right here, right now. I could never hate you, Leonard," she says, because it seems like he needs it to be said, even if hers feels like the far greater transgression. "Just a little pleasure for us both, right?"

He pulls back a little, until their faces are mere inches apart, his words ghosting over her lips.

"Nyota," he says, steady, like he's on solid footing for the first time since this began, since he found her: arm broken, bone peeking out, since he half-carried her to this cave, since their supplies went missing and their comms stopped working and the Enterprise wasn't due back for two more days, since he'd taken off his outer shirt and tucked it over her bare legs to keep her warm, since he'd carefully used a sharp rock to whittle some sticks into something that could be used as a splint.

Since he'd bound her arm in the splint, his hands so steady, his eyes so worried as she'd breathed through the mounting pain. Since he'd done all he could normally do, and stood up, and begun pacing. Since she'd waited in his silence. Waited for him to offer. Known, since the first of it, that he would. Hadn't known how she'd answer.

"Nyota," he says, "this may not be ideal circumstances, but I sure as hell better be able to give you a lot more than a /little/ pleasure."

His eyes are dark; his mouth is soft.

(He'd die for her, but oh, all she wants is to save him.)

She laughs, a little, because he's right. They might as well have some fun, after all.

It's never been a burden to love /him/, after all. That's always been the easy part.

"C'mon then, Leonard," she says. "Let's see some stars."

.

I started to do the thing I like to do where I write a couple rough sketches of a story I want to find the shape of but not actually write? And then it got too long????

Anyway the gist of it was (tw: consent issues/dub-cob) st:tos triumvirate (kirk/bones/spock)

due to a translation error and some ~scientific~ magic powers, bones gets a literal magical healing cock, simply because I cannot imagine a man less disposed to sexing up his friends on a whim, but who would probably fuck his ENEMY if it saved their life?? kirk purposefully hamming it up/leering to make bones feel more normal, uhura kissing his cheek afterwards and seriously asking him if she can brag about how good he is, scotty absolutely not asking for permission to brag and fully regaling the engineering dept with "doctor's hands are clever things" nonsense, chekov gets a puppy crush and decides bones must be part russian because only a russian could kiss like that, sulu treats it like the medicine it's intended as and takes it upon himself to bodily drag chekov away from the good doc until he gets over himself -

and of course: spock. spock, obviously fatally injured, and the inevitable dub-con inherent in that on BOTH their sides (and on kirk's because kirk is there in the moments before it happens, because he, too, is worried like bones is that spock'll refuse, but he, unlike bones, is not willing to accept that answer, so he forcefully talks them into it, even tho both feel like they're forcing the other - )

and then spock, hunting bones down in the aftermath to apologize, as if he's a burden, as if bones was somehow unwilling to do that and more, as if -

"I am well aware of your propensity to lay all blame at your own feet, doctor, but the idea of you blaming yourself for saving my life, at personal cost to you, is -"

"You cannot be that stupid, Spock, that you think I wouldn't do anything to - "

"Your martyr complex is hardly a secret, doctor. Rest assured that I know what lengths you'll go to save others-"

"To save /you/, Spock. As aggravating as you are, there's nothing I wouldn't do to save /you/, you green-blooded hobgoblin!"

Even the short version of this got too long lmao, anyway unestablished ot3 when kirk walks in like, "oh are we talking about the fact I forced you two to have sex to save spock's life?" and both of these known kirk apologists IMMEDIATELY have to defend him, like, excuse me, we are adults, we make our own choices, it was hardly a hardship, and kirk jumps in with both feet like NOT A HARDSHIP, HUH? BECAUSE IT WASN'T A HARDSHIP TO WATCH, EITHER, ALTHO NEXT TIME YOU TWO WANNA TANGO MAYBE DO IT WITH LESS DYING, SO I CAN ACTUALLY ENJOY IT, and anyway they all have sex, obviously, and the magical healing cock thing DOES fade, but the ship generally agrees that while they're very glad bones is better, and that all moral conundrums re: his healing powers are no longer on the table, it was kinda nice to have the long-running lore of bones being THEE best lover finally confirmed once and for all

Why do I have so much plot in my head for such a ridiculous idea. Why.

[fireinmywoods]

the heart of the matter (is Leonard McCoy)

Followers...friends. I come to you today, hat in hand, to ask for your support in a certain fandom matter, a trifling concern of little real consequence which nevertheless has been driving me absolutely cross-eyed bonkers for some years now.

Simply put: can we please all agree that Bones is the heart of the Enterprise???

In AOS, I mean. I’m not aware of any debate over this when it comes to TOS, where the roles of the triumvirate have always been explicit, though there are a few different ways to identify them:

Spock = logos = superego = head

Bones = pathos = id = heart

Kirk = ethos = ego = soul

So clear! So clean! So universally accepted by Trek fandom at large!

Oh, but things get murkier in AOS, and there are plenty of posts floating around which suggest that it’s Kirk, not McCoy, who serves as the heart in the Kelvin timeline. Even the writers of the first two AOS films have outright stated that their interpretation of the triumvirate had the original roles switched, with Kirk as the highly emotional one and McCoy as the arbiter between Kirk’s passion and Spock’s logic. It’s true that this technically counts as a Word of God pronouncement by the actual creators of 2/3 of the series thus far, which some would argue renders it canon. However, it’s equally true that those same creators also felt that Kirk was a fuckboi and that Benedict Cumberbatch wonderfully embodied their vision for Khan Noonien Singh, so honestly, who gives a hot hollerin’ fuck what those dingdongs think. This seems as justified a time as any to invoke Death of the Author, and in fact, it’s my firm belief that despite the writers’ intentions, Star Trek and Into Darkness both support the original triumvirate breakdown.

Under the cut you’ll find a long-winded and self-indulgent ~*~character analysis~*~ of the Kelvin-timeline incarnations of Jim Kirk and Leonard “Bones” McCoy, reviewing why Leonard is still unmistakably the heart, unpacking what the hell Jim’s deal is, and finally taking a look at some key examples from canon, because ya girl believes in showing her work.

Let’s get down to business.

[A quick warning, as this is starting to spread beyond my own followers: if you don’t like McKirk as a romantic pairing, you ain’t gonna like part IV, so I’d bow out before then or just take your leave now.]

i. Leonard

Independent of Jim’s characterization, it should be blindingly obvious that Leonard is the heart. He’s by far the most nakedly emotional of our seven core crew members, a trait we see writ large and small throughout the films. He’s reactive; he’s passionate; he’s humane. He cares, first and foremost.

Not about Starfleet, of course. Leonard doesn’t give a damn about playing the game or advancing his career, or even really about the Enterprise’s mission - he has no desire to explore strange new worlds, he’ll pass on seeking out new life and new civilizations, and he spends half his time trying to convince everyone else that boldly going where no man has gone before is a great way to die horribly. Fuck exploration, fuck space, and fuck the Federation while we’re at it. Leonard is perhaps the most improbable of the Enterprise’s senior officers for the simple reason that he seems to resent everything about the job.

Well. Almost everything.

See, what Leonard cares about is people. He cares about their lives, about their stories, about their hopes and dreams, about their suffering. That’s why he entered and has stayed in an extremely taxing caring profession, and it’s why he’s still on the Enterprise despite his incessant bitching about everything they do. He wouldn’t trust anyone else to take care of the crew he’s become so attached to, and he finds fulfillment in helping the people they encounter out there in the nightmare of space.

In every timeline, Leonard McCoy defines himself by what he can do for others: the pain he can ameliorate, the wounds he can heal, the diseases he can cure, the small amounts of good he can bring to a galaxy filled with so much absolute horseshit. Unlike most of his colleagues, he’s not motivated by curiosity or an adventurer’s spirit or a burning desire to make sense of the universe. (Fuck the universe, too, as a matter of fact.) Instead, he’s driven by the incredible depths of his compassion and empathy and concern for the people he serves alongside and those they meet along the way.

Sure sounds like the heart to me.

ii. Jim

I actually totally get why some people characterize Kelvin-timeline Jim as the heart. He’s quite literally a different man than the original timeline’s Kirk, and he definitely has more of the pathos qualities to him. Early on, he’s a total spitfire, fierce and hot-blooded, quick to anger and other sharp-edged emotions we’re not used to associating with James T. Kirk. Even as he grows into himself and leaves some of those traits behind, he remains spontaneous, passionate, protective, and self-sacrificing - easy enough to mistake for the heart if you squint.

But let’s not confuse having a heart for being the heart. Sure, Jim is more openly emotional and reactive than his TOS counterpart, but there’s still a marked difference between the way he and Leonard express and act on their emotions.

AOS Jim definitely has a lot of feelings - big ones - but at the end of the day, he’s not driven by his heart. He’s driven by his gut.

Whenever there’s trouble, Jim makes a beeline right for the center of it. He’s impulsive as hell, rarely pausing to think past his first instinct, because he just wants to be doing something, no matter the odds, no matter what it costs him. He explicitly calls himself out on this in ST:ID when arguing with Spock: “I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. I only know what I can do.” He doesn’t have the patience or the constitution to sit and debate all the options, either internally or with his crew. If there’s a path forward from where he is, even a bad one, Jim’s gonna take it.

[Sidebar: One could make the case that the roots of Jim’s instinct to act reach back to his childhood traumas - canonically ignored abuse and neglect on the one hand, and the Tarsus IV famine and massacre on the other - but that’s a whole post on its own and we ain’t got all day here.]

Jim can’t not act, and while that gets him into a lot of trouble, it also saves lives. Sulu probably appreciated that Jim’s gut drove him to leap off Nero’s drilling platform without a moment’s hesitation after a man he’d only just met. He may have been a real shithead about it, but Jim’s impassioned insistence on going after the Narada and not wasting time on the possibility of a better option was key to saving Pike and Earth itself. And I don’t know why Spock was so surprised that Jim intervened to save him on Nibiru, considering that the reason they were there in the first place was because Jim couldn’t sit back and watch the Nibirans die when there was something his crew could do to help them, even if it meant risking a violation of the Prime Directive.

Jim is a good man with a big heart, and he cares about people, absolutely. But he cares most of all about Doing The Right Thing - which in the heat of the moment often translates to Doing Something, Anything, Hold My Beer.

iii. heart vs. gut (i.e., time for some receipts)

I think one of the main reasons Leonard and Jim’s characterizations get confused is because they both tend to act on instinct, only lightly informed by higher reasoning. However, I’d argue that their motivations and the nature of those actions are super distinct, and those distinctions remain relatively consistent throughout all three films. (And y’all know I really mean this shit if I’m out here calling ST:ID consistent.)

Jim is a big picture guy, figuratively and often literally heaving himself full-body into the mix of whatever problem the crew has encountered for lack of any better alternative. That energy propels the plots of all three films: the chaotic path he carves through the events of Star Trek and ST:ID, and the slightly calmer but still undeniably bananas course he charts for himself and his crew in the second half of Beyond.

As the heart, Leonard operates on a more micro level. His concern invariably lies with the individual people caught up in those grand events Captain Chaos is busy dragging them all through. While Jim’s zooming around flipping plot switches, Leonard can always be counted on to bring it back to the personal.

We frequently see this juxtaposed right there on film. Think of that slow pan through medbay in the first movie after the Narada’s ambush and the destruction of Vulcan: while Jim is stewing over what to do about the Big Bad, Leonard has stepped into the CMO role without fuss or fanfare to care for the wounded crew and traumatized survivors.

Or jump ahead to Beyond: during Krall’s attack on the Enterprise, there’s a gorgeous cinematic shot of Jim sprinting down the corridor with two crew members to take on the invaders - and then we cut to Leonard moving slowly through those same ghastly red-lit corridors, searching for casualties in need of help, visibly affected by what his scanner is telling him about the downed crewman he tries to save.

Actually, Beyond as a whole does terrific justice to each of their roles. (Perhaps because it was not written by dingdongs.) The first act finds Jim flailing around for a sense of purpose and forward momentum - an understandable consequence of a gut-driven character having stalled out for too long - and he ultimately gets his mojo back by spending the rest of the film careening through one insane seat-of-his-pants ploy after another. Meanwhile, in the quieter moments between all the mayhem, Leonard serves as the empathetic sounding board for both Jim and Spock as they struggle with deep emotionally charged secrets and Big Life Questions, helping them untangle their feelings and reminding them of the emotional attachments which are ultimately key to their respective decisions to stay on the Enterprise.

More examples, you say? Don’t mind if I do!

Star Trek

GUT: Jim hurtles around the Narada, improvising almost every step of the way and paying the price for his and Spock’s scheme in bodily harm, and ultimately succeeds in rescuing Pike. HEART: Leonard calls out for Jim as he runs into the transporter room, overwhelmed with relief that he’s made it back, and takes Chris Pike’s weight literally and figuratively onto his own shoulders to begin healing him while Jim runs back off to the center of the action.

Star Trek: Into Darkness

GUT: Jim argues with Leonard, Spock, and Scotty in quick succession as he’s preparing to drag them all off to Qo’noS, immune to their attempts to reason with him because, unraveled as he is by grief and pain, he can only focus on his visceral drive to Do Something. HEART: Unlike the others, Leonard is upset not about the larger moral questions of whether it’s right to go after John Harrison or bring torpedoes aboard the ship, but about the fact that Jim himself is hurt and hurting and won’t accept help.

GUT: Jim makes a snap decision to sacrifice himself by hurling his body against the warp core to realign it and save his crew. HEART: Shellshocked by the emotional grenade of his best friend’s death, Leonard suddenly realizes, through the haze of his own numbness and upswelling grief, that he might still be able to do something for this lonely radiation-ravaged body he’s been brought and the life it represents.

Star Trek Beyond

GUT: At the tail end of an improvised plan to out-maneuver Kalara, Jim quite literally shoots first and asks questions later, igniting a fuel tank and setting off an explosive series of events which he and Chekov just barely escape. HEART: The next time we see Leonard, Spock is opening up to him about Ambassador Spock’s death and his own plan to leave Starfleet for New Vulcan - and while he’s empathetic toward Spock (I can’t imagine what that must feel like), Leonard’s thoughts go immediately to the emotional impact of Spock’s plan on the other people he’s closest with. (I can see how that would upset [Nyota]. / I can tell you, [Jim]’s not gonna like that.)

GUT: Jim frantically strains to reach the final switch in the life support hub, believing that he’s going to die either way since the vent has already opened, but spurred on by the knowledge that his ability to move that switch is the only thing standing between Yorktown and annihilation. HEART: Knowing exactly what’s at stake, with the fate of the station and millions of lives hanging in the balance, Leonard’s greatest concern is that Jim won’t make it out in time.

iv. never bet against the heart

Let’s wrap this up with a deep dive on one of the absolute best examples of Leonard as the heart: his decision to sneak Jim onto the Enterprise in the first movie.

As relentlessly as I drag him for the, you know, poisoning and kidnapping aspects of that whole deal, there’s no denying that it is a god-tier heart move. Is it logical? Absolutely not. Is it really the right thing to do for either himself or Jim, as far as he knows at the time? Nope. It’s 100% the wrong choice for his own job security, reputation, and relationships with his fellow crew, and it’s almost guaranteed to get Jim into even worse trouble. Leonard is a smart dude who must understand that this course of action will likely end up coming back on them both in a real bad way. For someone who argues loudly and often in defense of self-preservation, this is a shockingly bad idea.

But none of that matters, because Jim shakes his hand and tells him to be safe with that horrible empty-eyed smile, and it gets him right in the heart, one-two-three.

One: sympathy, worry, and affection for Jim - his best friend, his wild and troublesome stray, his only family.

Two: guilt over adding onto Jim’s pain, and the instinctive urge to fix whatever‘s hurting him.

Three: fear of heading out into the unknown by himself, the agonizing uncertainty of not knowing what’s coming, craving for the security and reassurance Jim’s presence would give him.

“Dammit,” Leonard says, as his heart wins out over his brain. He knows this is a garbage plan, and he doesn’t care. His heart chooses Jim. That’s all that matters.

So he goes back for Jim, and to his own surprise it turns out that this Very Bad Idea was actually a Very Good Idea because Jim’s impulsive instincts end up saving Earth, and Leonard’s not in the habit of fixing what ain’t broke so he figures he may as well keep on chasing Jim’s crazy ass around the galaxy for a while, through jungles and off cliffs and into the goddamn afterlife when need be, until finally one day Jim’s gut drives him right into Leonard’s arms and he suddenly realizes that this is what his heart was choosing all those years ago: Jim’s wide terrified eyes, Jim’s voice breaking over his name, Jim’s hand pressing hard against his chest, reaching out for what’s his.

But that’s another story.

[apolesen]

The recasting of Ziyal is a thorny subject. I don’t know why Cyia Batten, who was the first actor to play  Ziyal, did not continue to do so. I’ve heard that the second actor, Tracy Middendorf, had issues with the prosthetics (which, speaking as someone who’s cosplayed as Ziyal with latex prosthetics, I completely get), and that was why Melanie Smith was brought in to replace her. There are rumours that the first recasting was done because they wanted to push the Garak/Ziyal storyline, which is possible, but I can’t find anything to corroborate that. 

But in-verse, why does Ziyal go from looking like she’s in her early to mid-teens to looking like she’s an adult, all in the course of about a year? 

One thing leaps to mind: hormones. 

Bajorans and Cardassians are two very different species, enough that it’s a wonder they can produce young. (I tend to just suspend my disbelief and say that through some very odd evolutionary coincidence, it’s possible.) A Cardassian-Bajoran hybrid will in all likelihood have some unique medical needs. Generally, hybrids tend to not be able to reproduce. At least in the case of Star Trek hybrids (I don’t know if it’s the case in real-life hybrids), it seems like they might struggle to reach sexual maturity – in Amok Time it’s stated that they expected that Spock would not go through pon farr. With that in mind, it would make sense if Ziyal basically hasn’t hit puberty yet. Once she’s rescued and taken back to Cardassia Prime, Dukat probably finds her the best hybrid-specialists. I would not put it past him to even bring said specialist with him when he leaves Cardassia – imagine a pissed-off doctor aboard the bird-of-prey who’s been made to leave all her research and patients and forced to follow Dukat of all people into exile. 

When Ziyal is put on hormones, she would start going through puberty. Fairly rapidly, she will look much more adult than before. The fact that it doesn’t happen at once might be an indication that they hold off for a little while - she’s been without medical attention in some very harsh conditions for six years, after all. Nonetheless, I can see Cardassian doctors thinking that kickstarting puberty is important. They might in fact feel it is particularly important that her puberty is Cardassian rather than Bajoran. Attempts to make Cardassian-Bajoran hybrids look more Cardassian is a thing (as attested in Enigma Tales). Although the Project Enigma treatments seem to have been done on prepubescent children, puberty might also play a role. In A Stitch in Time, it is established that the facial ridges become more pronounced after puberty. That doesn’t really seem to have been something that happened with Ziyal, but it might still have been something they hoped for.

(Photo credit: Trekcore)

[lesbianziyal]

on the subject of characters who should go down as famous captains: t’pol.

i am absolutely convinced that she would’ve gone on to have her own command, which would make her the first ever alien captain in starfleet. she gets her own ship, a proper uniform, and goes on to have tons of adventures as well as making leaps and bounds for bridging the gap between humans and vulcans. all that would definitely be in the starfleet history books and remembered for centuries.

the best part is that t’pol is vulcan and could possibly have lived long enough to be a living legend, long enough to maybe even meet spock, michael, even jim and the enterprise crew, though i think she’d get along best with the s’chn t’gai clan for all their similarities. i bet spock would admire her a lot like i don’t think vulcans do posters but if they did spock would have a poster of t’pol in his room because she is just that cool

spock aside i think t’pol would have a really powerful legacy throughout starfleet, and she’d get just as much credit as archer for her role on the enterprise too, being a pretty significant “first” herself!