#I'm gonna be a star (Musings)

[walkingstackofbooks]

My vision for endgame Data/Julian which has consumed me ever since I watched Picard 😅

A few months after the Dominion war, the Enterprise docks at DS9 for a short while allowing Data to meet his long-time pen-friend, Julian, again. Julian's not doing well, but since he seems to enjoy Data's company, Data decides to take a couple more weeks of leave to spend some more time with his friend. However, Julian starts becoming more and more withdrawn and anxious, and after an incident one evening where he becomes agitated to the point of storming out, Data reaches out to Deanna to see if she can give him any insight into his friend's behaviour. She has some ideas, but also suggests that Data ask Keiko, and after talking with the O'Briens, Data believes he understands what's wrong. When he asks Julian if he's correct in thinking that his impending departure is what's upsetting the doctor, Julian's surprise at the question is enough that he answers truthfully - yes. To Data, the solution is obvious: if Julian is distressed by the idea of someone else leaving him, then Data will not leave. (Julian begs him not to make promises he cannot keep, and has a minor breakdown when he realises that Data is deadly serious.) After a lot of conversation, some favour-cashing, and the fortunate coincidence that one of Beverly's doctors was beginning to look for a promotion to CMO, Julian ends up transferred to the Enterprise: technically a demotion, but after so long having so much on his shoulders, it's actually a relief.

While on Enterprise, Data and Julian get closer and closer. Their relationship brings some difficulties when it becomes public, though: some see the fact Julian's dating an android as proof that he's not really human; others wonder how Data's affection can be real, and feel that if he were as human as he wants to be, then he wouldn't be dating an augment. Julian's parents definitely berate him for wasting all the gifts they gave him by marrying an android - if only he'd talked to them before the wedding, they could have adbised him against it! - making him a zillion times more grateful Data talked him out of inviting them every time he started to feel guilty about it. But that's by the by. They're together, happily married, endgame Julian/Data achieved, right?

... Wrong. I hate Nemesis, but imagine Julian following Data down before he throws himself into space, knowing he could probably stop Data from doing this if he asks. Data saying, "I know I promised never to leave you," and Julian shaking his head and barely being able to choke out the words "It's okay," and then Data's gone. And Geordi's trying to reassure Julian (Geordi's trying to convince himself...) that Data will be alright, he's got the emergency tranport unit, and they get back to the bridge, and Picard transports in, and Data's still on the ship that's blowing up, and Deanna's asking what happened and Julian's sliding down against a wall, horarsely whispering "I let him go..."

20 years later... Picard season one. I haven't quite decided when I want Julian to appear, because the idea of Julian fighting for android rights is everything to me, but also I kind of like the premise of changing as little as possible in canon... (Maybe Julian had tried to be part of the movement for android rights, bu the media had really latched onto his augment status and used it as another reason to discredit the movement, and so he'd withdrawn from it, as it seemed his presence was doing more harm than good….) So the Picard crew all return to the Riker-Troi household after the final showdown and Deanna welcomes them in with a "Guess who we finally managed to get in contact with" and bring them into the lounge where Julian' anxiously waiting. And of course the initial introduction is awkward and Julian's talking a million words a minute until Will pokes him and then over the next few days he's trying to keep his distance so that Soji doesn't feel that she needs to let him into her life... And meanwhile Soji is still, you know, coping with ALL the feelings and trauma that the last - what, week? - have given her and so she has no idea what to do with this man, who was apparently her father's husband, especially as she has no clue how he feels about the whole suddenly-having-an-android-stepdaughter thing. But eventually they do manage to have a conversation (/are forced to talk it out) and they get on so well and Soji realises how much Julian genuinely wants to get to know her for her sake and while Julian's terrified at the prospect of having a daughter, he's also delighted (and Will and Deanna make them both stick around for a whole while, 1. because they do enjoy having them both around, 2. because Kestra adores Soji, and the two are pretty good for each other, and 3. because, while they have kept in contact with Julian over the years, they also know how long he's been on his own for, and they want to make sure he's got a solid base and people to lean on. As much as Julian wants to be a good father, Soji deserves more than one traumatised, lonely man doing a best that would quite possibly not be good enough...)

Picard season 3. Julian and Soji are visiting Geordi at the museum when the Picard crew come along, and are swept into the action... Julian learning that Data's alive - kind of... Julian tenderly kissing Data before they take down the partition, telling him he has to win so he can meet their daughter... The two of them barely having time to reunite before having to rush off to their respective duties in saving the ship... (I have VISIONS of Soji and Julian working desperately together to find a cure for the transporter virus, while Julian's augment physiology has done something weird to make it that he's turning, but very, very slowly. Julian making sure that Soji is armed, and making her promise to shoot him if he turns too quickly. Soji telling him he has to keep fighting it and refusing to think about what it might come to. Julian realising he's about to lose control and getting Soji to restrain him. Soji despairing that she won't be able to find a cure by herself - she's not a doctor doctor like he is - and Julian reassuring her that he believes in her, she just needs to do her best... but most importantly, if she doesn't find it, it's alright, it's not her fault, and he loves her. Resistance is futile. A phaser shot.) And afterwards, when Soji's found the cure and it's been distributed, Julian wakes up to find Data sitting next to him and Soji hovering nearby. He tries to scramble up and leave to help the rest of the crew, but Soji informs him that just as he took longer to turn, he took longer to get better, and he's the last one to wake up from it. And then she makes to leave, to give the two of them some time alone, and Julian tells her that's nonsense, she needs to meet Data, and Soji says that it's fine, they've been talking while he was asleep, and Julian replies that now he feels left out, so she definitely can't leave, come here, sit by me, I'm not letting either of you out of my sight.

[merrycatblackwood]

"lovers spend years denying what’s ill fated. resentment rotting away galaxies we created, stars placed and glued meticulously by hand next to the ceiling fan. tried wishing on comets. tried dimming the shine. tried to orbit his planet. some stars never align. and in one conversation, i tore down the whole sky. spring sprung forth with dazzling freedom hues, then a crash from the skylight bursting through."

space-themed imagery from lover onto ttpd

[pinkrose05]

Shoutout to Jing Yuan for appearing every single patch for six (6) patches in a row now.

[stcries]

okay y'know what, let me just poke dash really quick ... the heat may be trying to dampen my motivation, but now that i'm actually here, i'm starting to fight through it.

so, here's a small starter call for me to get things going! starters may only be a small paragraph or so, depends on how much i can last in this weather. a few new muses have been slipped onto the blog, so i will list them below, who are all available to be requested:

husk and lucifer (hazbin hotel. if you request these or any of my hazbin/helluva muses, please let me know if you've seen the hazbin episodes or not.) vegeta (dragon ball) discord (my little pony) apollo justice, herlock sholmes (ace attorney, there will probably be more as the brainrot continues)

[protect-namine]

you don't understand how much I felt the slow saline drip of gaining interest in a character, and instead of going, "oooh. interesting. new blorbo?" I instead went, "...really. that guy? oh. oh no."

<- guy with a li tianchen icon ends up blorbofying liu xiao. alas, I have played myself 😔

[mcltiples]

{ OOC } i slept like shit last night and i spent two hours fighting for my life (i won't elaborate, but i'm being dramatic, i promise, it wasn't that bad) so i'm gonna chill out today

i'll get to those music related headcanons bc i'm in a yapping mood today and i have a lot of thoughts to get out~ on another note, i gotta change Morti's birthday bc it's in February i'm just undecided on the day 😔

[cienie-isengardu]

Fixer: Sir, are people always so illogical or I'm the weird clone here?

Vau: You're perfectly fine, Fixer. It's people who are weird.

Fixer: mhm

[general-kalani]

Starstrider, before pets: Do not touch me in that way, for your hand may be severed.

Starstrider, after pets: ... Please continue-

[mayhemmaybe]

I sense rain. It dampens the air filling stifled lungs with humidity.

[lieblxng]

i saw this going around so i had to try it :3 feat. some muses from @ofthedelta this was hard because i dont see any of my muses as scary or "gonna or might kill someone" all my muses are baby (that's the sonno curse babeyyy winks) but i tried anyway from what others might think i guess???

[oblitum]

Very much struggling to get words out today (or recently but that's another story). Partially because I am super fatigued because hangovers suck (I also generally struggle with fatigue on a day-to-day basis too) and partially because I feel like everything I am writing is trash and I do not want to be perceived?

[omniishambles]

UPDATE ON MUSE ACTIVITY

My awake muses are on the pinned post. They're who I'm feeling the most rn and actively seeking new threads/interaction for. You can still send memes for muses that aren't awake! Just be prepared for a potential wait in regards to it being answered.

Plotting with 'sleeping' muses is fine and welcomed, you can let me know your ideas and we can discuss. But I ask that you lead the plotting conversation. And again, be prepared for a wait if we do start something!

I'm still answering drafts (at a geriatric snails pace) but I can only do what my brain allows on any given day. And I always feel guilty about which muses are awake and which aren't, so updating the pinned post was getting stressful for me. For now I've whittled the list down to four muses that are easiest to conjure up at the moment!

[viatrixtravels-a]

So when’s the wedding? 👀

"...Ask Xiao."

ー Dodging the question like she dodges incoming attacks on the battle field.

[pinkrose05]

Folks, if you know a Ren main who watched the concert today, you should probably check up on them.

[stcries]

heading out with my mother to watch sonic 3 today, so i'll be out and about for most of midday/afternoon.

that being said, since it's viktor's birthday today, feel free to still send things whilst i'm gone, i'll answer them when i get home.

[glass-needles-and-futurisms]

After seeing that "Matt wiggling his butt at Chris" video, I think the funniest possible direction album 10 could take would be if Matt went into his full "slutty ho" era