#Tuvok: Can you be quiet???

[bumblingbabooshka]

One of the best Voyager scenes to indicate Tuvok & Neelix's dynamic and how I think Tuvok is just as if not more 'annoying'(positive) than Neelix is when Neelix pours Tuvok a fresh squeezed glass of a fruit juice blend and Tuvok's like (paraphrased) "I don't want to drink this." and Neelix is like "Can you please try it?" and Tuvok's like "I don't want to, you're really bad at this sort of thing. It's going to taste bad." and Neelix says that Ensign XYZ said she LOVED it, she even had a second glass! And Tuvok says Ensign XYZ could drink poison without a second thought and Neelix is like "Tuvok could you please just TRY it? Just try a little SIP of it PLEASE??" and Tuvok sighs and rolls his eyes and sniffs it before taking a sip and it turns out he loves it. Turns out it tasted good actually. And then after all that Neelix tries to talk to him over eggs (which he's again cooking fresh for him) and Tuvok tells him he doesn't wanna hear "the life history of his breakfast." Absolutely insufferable this man I would have burned his eggs on PURPOSE!!!!

[trekkietales]

Pon Farr

Vorik x reader

Fandom: Star Trek

Requested: no

Captain’s log:

so i started watching voyager again and i can’t get Vorik out of my head. And no one posts for him. So yes this is just to fulfill my need of a random side vulcan.

You were a new crew member and even though you can do a lot you were told to report to engineering. You have been there a week and everyone was so welcoming. Except a certain vulcan.

“I just don’t understand. Why doesn’t he like me? I am super nice and helpful. Even tuvok likes me so its not a vulcan thing.” My best friend Tom Paris just shrugs.

“I can’t help you. I don’t know him well. All i can say is-“ Tom was cut off by the vulcan himself.

“Excuse me (y/n), i need help with something” There was something about his eyes but I couldn’t place the look. I nodded and told him to lead the way.

Once we get there i notice it was stuff that Vorik is proficient at and it was simple and he shouldn’t need help with at all.

“Vorik, I don’t mean to pry but why did you ask for my help? You do this everyday and never need help.”

“I wanted to be alone with you. I needed to propose something to you.” I nodded, though I was confused. “Do you happen to know what Pon Farr is?” I gave a slight nod, and he understood that I wasn’t an expert but knew he could continue his speech. “I wish to ask you to bond with me.”

“You have barely talked to me. Are you sure we would bond well?” I was worried he would make the wrong choice.

"Yes, I have observed you with the others, and you will make a fine mate. Meet me at my quarters at 5 for dinner, please,” and with that, he turned and walked away, leaving me confused.

I dug through all my clothes and decided on a red dress, red heels, and a nude makeup look, letting my hair out of its tight bun.

I knocked on his door at 4:49 and waited patiently until he opened the door. When he did, his normal neutral look turned dark. I had wondered if I had picked the wrong outfit, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me into the room.

“You look divine. I almost want to rip that dress off.” The combination of his deep voice and dark eyes went straight to my core.

“I was hoping you would,” I said, looking in his eyes.

“How much do you know about Pon Farr?”

“Just that you need to mate or you could die.”

“Mating doesn’t mean just sex; it also means to bond mentally. If you are not okay with that, I would recommend you leave now.”

“I am ready for anything.”

“I will also state this could take hours or even days before I will be able to stop.”

“Days!” Your yell caught him off guard and he gave a sad look. You knew instantly that he thought you were leaving him.

“Yes, days.” He looked down.

“I am sorry I yelled. I just wasn’t expecting you to say days. But i am here for you however long it may take.” I smiled at him brightly.

“Thank you. Now if you are ready, I would like to start.” I nodded. I felt like my voice would give out if i tried to talk.

Vorik put his hand against my face and i melted into him. He then put his hand up against my temple down to my jaw. I had no idea what he was doing until i felt it. Or rather him. I felt the way he yearned for me. I felt how needy he was for me.

“I am assuming by the way you are looking at me it worked.” I was about to answer when he held his hand up.

“Answer in your mind.” I felt our bond grow stronger by the second as we communicated.

Vorik kissed me and the need between us built until he pick me up bridal style and threw me on his bed.

The quiet Vulcan i knew was gone. He was now almost moaning words into my ear.

“Tell me what you want.”

“That’s my good girl.”

“Use your words.”

And a slew of Vulcan that i had no clue what it meant. Though i could definitely tell it was dirty. I had finally found my voice.

“You, I want you.”

“What about me?” He wanted me to say it.

“I want you to fuck me!” I couldn’t take his teasing anymore.

“Such dirty words for such an innocent looking woman.” His teasing continued as he pulled up my dress. His hand slowly going up my leg to the spot i needed him most.

“Please stop teasing me Vorik.” I tried to sound annoyed but my voice came out in a needy whisper.

“If i go the speed i want to go, i will break you.” I know it was supposed to be a warning but i couldn’t help but be turned on.

“Do it. Break me Vorik.” As i looked into his eyes I saw his control break.

Vorik flipped me over and put me on my hands and knees. He ripped my underwear off in one tug. It was a good thing I was already wet for him because he plunged himself into me.

"oh god!" His moves faltered a tiny bit to make sure I was okay. When he saw me, his speed became relentless.

Three hours went by before he even slowed down. When he was done, he pulled out of me and helped me lay down. "I am sorry. Did I go too hard?" Seeing him care so much was so cute.

“No, I am absolutely okay. I thought there would be more, to be honest." I tried joking with him, then I saw his smug smile.

"We are not done yet. This is what you guys would call a cool-down. Get some sleep, and I will wake you when I need you again."

"Please don't leave me while I sleep."

"I will be right here by your side the entire time."

I slept better than I have in my entire life. I was awoken by hands roaming my body. I opened my eyes and saw Vorik leaning over me. He noticed I was awake when his eyes met mine.

"I am sorry. I was starting to need you, but I didn't want to wake you yet."

"Don't you dare apologize. I said I was here to help." He smiled at me.

"This time is going to be about you." I was confused until he positioned his head between my legs.

"Vorik, I appreciate you wanting to do this, but don't you need me to take care of you?"

"The more we have sex, the more control I will have. And while I have complete control, I want to thank my fiancee." He could tell I was confused about him calling me his fiancee.

"When we bonded, that was me asking you to marry me. If you want it reversed, we can go back to my planet and ask the council to sever our bond."

"Absolutely not! I just didn't know that was what you meant by bonding. I am honored and excited to be your partner."

His eyes grew wide, and I could tell that he had never heard anything like that from anyone. Without saying another word, he dove into me. His lips wrapped around my clitoral area, and I could see stars. Before I knew it, I had come three times.

"I can see by your face that you are tired again. Would you like a nap?"

"No, I want to take care of you." He raised his eyebrow. I turned us over and slowly undid his pants. His member was hard and begged to be freed.

"Please don't tease me." I expected his voice to be commanding, but it was needy. If I were more mean, I would have gone slower, but seeing him beg made me want to help him more.

I pulled out his member and licked a stripe up to the tip. His eyes rolled back into his head. I took him into my mouth fully and continued to please him until he pulled away. I looked up, thinking I had done something wrong.

"It would be a waste to come anywhere but inside your womb." He mounted me again, and we went another four rounds before he was able to stop. We laid down and talked about what being engaged to a Vulcan meant.

When I started my new job, I never thought I would find my soulmate. But I am glad I did.

Captain’s log:

okay so i might’ve gotten carried away. But i had fun writing this. Hope you all enjoy it. And like i always say my requests are open!

[catgirljaneway]

For the character ask game: Kes + 1, 12, 20

Thank you so much for the ask!! (Ask game in question)

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

Ok! So I'm a huge Kes fan, and I was initially drawn to her because she's got this little aura of joy, and you can't help but love her, which you can see in other character's interactions with her on the show. Any room she walks into instantly gets a little brighter and she's just so fundamentally kind and gentle and full of love.

So that's what initially drew me to her, but what hooked me, was that fact that the longer you watch, the more we learn about her, the more deeply strange she gets. We've got that fantastic scene in elogium where she eats all those fucking bugs with that deranged expression, and of course, my all time favorite, this one scene where the doctor tells Kes he has some autopsy reports for her to read because he knows she loves autopsies. This by the way, is NEVER brought up again which I think is a terrible loss, because what thing to say about a character and then never mention! What a fact!

So you've got this little elfish looking girl, who's still fundamentally kind and gentle, but now we also know "oh she's a bit of a freak!" and she's wicked smart, and then she learn, oh, she's got these terrifying powers at her core and actually she might not be as fundamentally gentle as we (the audience) or kes herself thought. And now Kes has to grapple with this, and she's still a deeply good and loving person at heart, but now she has to try a little harder to suppress these urges and that makes her fundamentally more interesting.

Also her relationships with Janeway and Tuvok and The Doctor all bring me so much joy. Janeway's love for her, and the way she smiles when Kes is around, the way she hugs her when she leaves just!! Rip me to pieces. And Tuvok's mentorship and quiet protection of her?? And that scene when the Doctor holds her in Twisted. Kes has 3 parents, and honestly all three of them think they're taking care of her, but they need her more than she needs them.

And what's kept me loving her, is in a way her missed potential. So much about Kes wasn't explored, so much was left unanswered, and getting to rotate her around in my head and think about all the things she could have been is so fun. I deeply wish she had been used more, because on paper she's such a fascinating, deeply weird character. And she was just starting to come into her own when we leave her. She's broken up with Neelix, she's making her own choices, and I want to imagine where that would have gone. (I have further thoughts on this, but this is already ridiculously long, so I will continue this in a different post)

Long story short, she's a lovable little weird girl, and I like weird little girls. She'd crawl around on all fours and make up weird stories at recess in fourth grade and I like that about her.

Also she reminds me of the "a little guy!" > "oh they're actually fucked up" meme.

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

Well I LOVE the art where people make her look a little more bug like. With weird pupils and antennae and such. I love that, I definitely headcanon her looking a bit creepier like that.

I also headcanon her as a lesbian. Her whole relationship with Neelix baffles me. I honestly LOVE them as friends, they're so great when they're just silly best friends, but I cannot stand them as a couple. She's a gay girlie.

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

SEVEN!! Seven!!! GAH! The missed potential! Pretty much a weirdgirls club with Seven, B'elanna, and Kes. Kes would have been the perfect person to help Seven reintegrate into society, because she's patient and kind, and she'd get a huge kick out of Seven's deadpan humor. I mean, the EMH is her best friend, she's very good at dealing with people who others consider hard to get along with.

Kes wouldn't make Seven feel bad about the way she is, or try to pressure her to conform to what she wants from Seven. She'd take her how she was and love her for her whole being, not for what she could be. Also Seven would be Kes's scary dog ❤️ Because people meet Kes and think she's an easy target or a pushover (even though she could probably obliterate anyone if she so felt like it) but then Seven is standing behind her looking menacing and they hurry away as quick as they can, completely unaware they were scared of the wrong blonde.

[coffee-in-that-nebula]

TOW Neelix nearly murders everyone with ice cream

Fandom: Star Trek Voyager

Summary: My response to the @flashfictionfridayofficial prompt!

It takes place in early season 2. It's been 1 year since the crew of Voyager got stranded in the Delta Quadrant, and everyone feels upset. Neelix tries to cheer them up by making some special gelato for them. It's silly, funny, and I loved writing it. No-beta though. Not an English speaker, but I believe I'm good.

Rating: G

Thank you, @pc-corner for your help!

When Chakotay, Tuvok, and Kathryn entered the mess hall, everyone else was already seated. Neelix rushed toward them with an enthusiastic grin swept across his face. He opened his arms when he reached them as if to embrace them. The command team instinctively took a step back , but Neelix, in his eagerness, didn’t even notice it. 

“Welcome,” he greeted them in a cheerful voice. “We’ve been waiting for you! Follow me, please!”

Without waiting for a response, Neelix led them to the only empty table that stood in the center of the room covered with a gleaming white cloth. Tom, Harry, B’Elanna and the Delaney sisters occupied the table right next to them. Harry  stood up abruptly to salute his superior officers, but Tuvok’s stern glare and Chakotay’s silent laugh made him sit back down. He was confused. 

“We’re off duty, Ensign. No need for salutations. Just enjoy your time off,” Kathryn informed him trying to hide her amusement. 

Harry nodded. “Thank you, Captain.” Tom couldn’t hold back a laugh. 

Neelix clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “The celebration can begin!” he announced, and a few crewmen, who had volunteered to help him, started serving sundaes to everyone. 

“What are we celebrating anyway?” Chakotay murmured. 

“We’ve been stuck in the Delta Quadrant for an entire year. Isn’t that reason enough?” Kathryn responded sarstically. 

Tuvok intervened, even though both the captain and the first officer were ignoring him.  “Mr. Neelix confided to me that he has recently overheard many crewmen talking about the negative feelings they have been experiencing realizing that it has been already a year since we got stranded in the Delta Quadrant. He said he had a surprise to cheer everyone up, so I gave my permission.”

“He’s a morale officer who takes his role very seriously,” Kathryn observed raising her eyebrows. 

Chakotay nodded. “Everyone has been upset - he’s right about that at least. Maybe that’ll be a good distraction.”

Then, a crewman approached their table and placed a sundae in front of each of them. Much to their astonishment, they saw the most vibrant pink ice cream that anyone could ever imagine. 

Tuvok was about to make a question, but Neelix’s voice interrupted his train of thought. 

“Before you all enjoy my creation,” he started in an exciting voice, “I’d like to inform you that this is NOT a common ice cream. This is authentic Italian gelato,” he emphasized. 

Kathryn and Chakotay exchanged a confused look. Tuvok raised an eyebrow and fixated his eyes on the ice cream. He was clearly examining it. 

“Why is it pink?” Tom asked uncertainly. “Didn’t you say it’s the authentic recipe?”

“It does look a little… different,” Harry confirmed.

“The authentic, yes, but with a few tweaks of course! You know how creative I am,” Neelix exclaimed. “About the pink color… I used a very special sugar substitute. I’m so excited for everyone to try it!”

“Have you tried it?” B’Elanna inquired. 

“Of course,” Neelix confirmed, “It’s delicious!”

Over the next few minutes, the mess hall went silent as everyone started eating their ice cream. However, the room soon became uncomfortably quiet. Some crewmembers started discreetly scratching their arms and legs while others’ faces seemed unusually flushed. Tuvok started looking around him. He could hear nothing but whispers, and most of the dishes were still half-full.

“Something is wrong,” he stated calmly, but thoughtfully. 

“What are you talking about?” Chakotay wondered as he ate another spoonful of ice cream. His dish was almost done. “It’s not tasty, but it’s not the worst thing I’ve eaten either.”

“I loved it!” Tom exclaimed. Tuvok noticed that he’d actually finished his ice cream. “It wasn’t exactly tasty, but it was interesting. Its color brought me an odd sense of nostalgia, and its texture was at least intriguing.”

Kathryn shrugged, barely touching her ice cream. She didn’t have much of a sweet tooth.

Harry was one the one who broke that unsettling silence. “Ah!” he yelped in pain. 

His tablemates were immediately concerned. 

“What happened?” B’Elanna asked. 

"I... don't... know," Harry muttered, still holding his abdomen. "I'm in pain! My stomach hurts so bad."

"It must be the ice cream," Megan pointed out, grimacing as she looked at her half-finished dish.

"No way!" Tom protested. "I loved it. It's not bad either; it barely smells like... anything."

"I'm going to die," Harry murmured, looking paler than before.

Suddenly, Tuvok, who had overheard everything, stood up and took Kathryn's sundae from her hands. Kathryn looked astonished.

"Captain, this ice cream can lead to critical conditions. Therefore, you will not have any more."

Kathryn was confused. "What are you talking about?"

“Ensign Kim is in pain,” he informed her indicating Harry’s direction. Harry had just stood up with Tom’s help and he was almost doubled over in pain. 

“What?” Chakotay squeaked. “And you let me eat all of it?”

“You are not the captain,” Tuvok answered sternly. “Also, you’re too gluttonous,” he observed with a raised eyebrow. 

“Everyone stop eating,” Tom yelled, “The ice cream is dangerous! Harry is dying!”

Neelix rushed toward them. “What happened? Captain, commander…Mr. Tuvok… I’m so sorry!I…I don’t know…”

“I need to use the restroom,” another crewman exclaimed and ran past them. 

“You certainly distracted the crewmen, Neelix. Don’t use anymore of that sugar substitute, though. Alright?” the captain said letting out a chuckle.

Neelix nodded with his eyes wide open from concern.

Chakotay let out a sigh as he stood up, and made a face. 

“The Doctor is going to be busy tonight.”

Tuvok nodded in agreement. "I will notify him immediately," he responded, and struck his combadge.

Also on ao3:

[fardell24b]

23rd, 24th November 2024 Writings

23rd

Excerpt from: An Unexpected Connection

Joey entered the pizza place. He looked around and saw that Jeffy and Jamie weren’t there yet. ‘They probably won’t be long,’ he thought. He then went up to order.

“Joey?”

He turned and saw Andrea Hecuba-Croft, a goth who had recently graduated from Lawndale High. “Andrea?”

“Here alone, I see.”

“Yes.”

“Without your friends, or the younger Morgendorffer?” Andrea asked.

“Not Quinn anymore.”

“Not Quinn.”

“Like, she’s a tease.”

Words: 70

Excerpt from: An Alternate Journey

“Prepare to fire phasers,” the leader ordered.

“Aye.”

The two vessels together approached the small starship.

“We're about to enter weapons range. Need I remind you, that Kathiannah has a full weapons coverage.”

“I'm well aware,” Daniel said.

“So am I,” Katelyn said as an alarm sounded. They had entered Kathiannah's weapons range.

“Prepare to open fire.”

Katelyn and Tuvok evaded the terrorists attempts at swatting them out of space, then opened fire.

“Aft sheilds down to 92%.”

“Evasive maneouvers,” the leader ordered. “Drop out of warp.”

“They're dropping out of warp,” Tuvok said.

“Dropping out of warp also,” Hawkins reported.

“Take my lead,” Tuvok reported.

“Aye,” Daniel said.

“Aft sheilds down to 75%.”

“Prepare to fire torpedoes.”

“Aye.”

“They are preparing to fire torpedoes,” Tuvok reported. “Prepare to fire simultanously.”

“Has this ever worked?” Katelyn asked.

“Not very often,” Tuvok responded. “But we have to attempt it.”

“Ready?” Daniel asked.

Words: 151

Excerpt from: Genie Universe Continuity Reboot

Those that did know had been preparing for months. It was an event that would set off a chain of events that bring about massive changes to the city.

Only a minority of people knew what was about to happen that afternoon, after school had finished for the day.

At 3:00 pm there was a secret meeting below Delroy High School. “Are you ready for what is going to happen?” asked the meeting leader.

Everyone there exclaimed in the affirmative.

“Excellent! Now you can go back to class and set things in motion” The teenagers in the room then left, going back to class via the secret corridors beneath the school.

Jane Johnson, an average year 9 student, did not know as she exited the school’s front entrance what role she would play in the history making events over the next few weeks.

Words: 143

Excerpt from: Mysteries of Aurora

Freya nodded. “I guess most are too busy with their studies to do more than scratch the surface.”

“Four or more thousand years of history,” Daniela considered.

Freya took out her tablet and took a photo of the Library as seen from that vantage point. “Another thing to sketch,” she said with a smile.

“So, you do a lot different kinds of art?”

“Of course. I use all sorts of mediums.”

Words: 71

Excerpt from: Ivy and Lily

“It’s been something I have been wanting to do for years.”

Lily was then silent as she took that in.

It was then quiet as she unpacked and Lily sketched.

Ivy finished unpacking. She turned to Lily. “Would you like to look around campus?”

Lily paused her sketching and thought for a moment. “Maybe later.”

“I’ll leave you to it,” Ivy said.

“Actually…” Lily said as she turned a page. “I’ll come.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“You just caught me off guard.”

The two soon headed out. Lily sketched a map as they went.

Words:  99

Excerpt from: Spider Quinn

“The fourth vigilante! I would have thought your name would be known.”

“I don’t seek the spotlight as much as SpiderGirl! But I’m not giving my hero name to you.”

“No? Then I’ll give you my villain name,” Quentin said.

“So, you’re saying you’re a villain?” the Enigma asked. ‘Protection!’ she thought and raised a forcefield around herself as usual.

“Yes. Call me Mysterio!”

“Mysterio, sounds better than Green Goblin at least.”

“I’m not like the Green Goblin!” Mysterio said.

“You didn’t destroy the Historia, but you have disrupted it.”

Mysterio turned away. “You’re distracting me! SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon are rescuing the critics and Ms. Jane.”

“They will take the credit, but that is, like, worth it for Jane and the others to be rescued.”

“But can you keep distracting me if you don’t know where I am?”

“You’ll find that I have powers of perception,” the Enigma said.

At the same time, SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon and Jane swung out of the cabin, and onto the roof.

“I’m glad to be out of there,” Jane said.

“But now we need to get away,” SpiderGirl said.

“There’s a boat nearby,” Dafoanairi called from down from the ground.

“Is there?” Ninja Talon asked.

“I saw it as I approached. We can go back to Lawndale, up the creek, in it,” Dafoanairi said.

“That will work,” Jane said, “Even in this weather.”

“No!” Kalina murmured.

“Where’s the fourth vigilante?” SpiderGirl asked.

“She went inside. She’s distracting Beck,” Dafoanairi answered.

“Then we need to get a move on,” SpiderGirl said. “I’ll bring you up here.”

“Sure,” Dafoanairi said.

‘If she is Daria, she could put me in a difficult position,’ SpiderGirl thought as she swung down.

Dafoanairi let go of the rope and held onto SpiderGirl as she swung them both up onto the roof. ‘There’s something about her,’ she thought, once she had a footing. She wasn’t sure what to make of that thought. ‘I’ll think about it later.’

Mysterio had activated illusions in the cabin’s main room. But the Enigma refused to let herself be disoriented. She closed her eyes, and listened and used her enhanced perception to ‘see’ where Mysterio was. She could also tell that, the other three vigilantes were on the roof with Jane and the critics. “I’m sure they have escaped by now.”

“They are on the roof,” Mysterio said in a pompous tone. “They haven’t escaped yet.”

“What, you have illusions on the roof?”

“No, but I can still catch them, and I have more than illusions to work with.”

“Not if I take you down. I will do anything to make sure that they get away,” the Enigma said,

SpiderGirl looked at the boat and back at the roof she and the others were still standing on, despite the intensifying storm. The trees between them and the boat were swinging wildly.

Words: 476

Total: 1010

24th

Excerpt from: Connection over Literature

The dorm room door opened, revealing a whirlwind carrying unpacked boxes. “Hi! I’m Emily!” she said in high pitched voice.

“Great, another one,” the girl who was already there grumbled.

Emily was undettered and started chatting away as she unpacked. “I come from a small town a couple of hours away. It’s mostly quiet but interesting in it’s own way. If you came there, you’d be surprised by what’s there. Anyway I like reading and writing and hope to be a fantasy author one day…”

The other girl interrupted. “Look. I’m not interested in your life story. I just want some peace and quiet.”

Emily was taken aback. “Oh, sorry.”

Words: 110

Excerpt from: The Alternate Anya

Startled, she looked around the library and saw no one, except one who sat across from her. She saw that she looked exactly the same as her, including hairstyle and clothes, except that she had her eyes closed.

“Who, who are you?” Anya asked, her heart pounding.

“I’m you, but different. A version of you who chose a different path.”

“A different path? What do you mean?”

“I chose to live in the dark.”

Words: 74

Excerpt from: Convergence on Lawndale

“Either way, it would take a while to find her,” Daria said.

“We need to split up,” the Doctor said. “I’ll search the courtyards with Ron and Rufus, and everyone else can check the bathrooms.”

“Ron and I work best together,” Kim said. “But I agree, this time.”

“I would be best if there was a girl looking in the courtyards too,” Quinn said.

“Good point,” the Doctor said. “You can come with then.”

“Great!” Quinn said.

Thus Kim, Daria and Kaelyn went to search the bathrooms.

Words: 87

Excerpt from: Mission with WOOHP

“Excuse me! Get out my way!” she said.

“Sorry,” Kim said.

The girl just stormed past her.

“Reminds me of Bonnie, a little,” Ron commented.

“Same here.”

It didn’t take them long to find the Seniors.

“Ah! Kim Possible,” Senior Senior Senior said.

“What are you up to, Senior?” Kim asked.

“Preparing a scheme here in Beverley Hills.”

Words: 58

Except from: Mysteries of Aurora

“So, you do a lot different kinds of art?”

“Of course. I use all sorts of mediums.”

“Very versatile,” Daniela commented.

“I’ve had to be adaptable,” Freya said as she headed off towards the Library.

Olivia looked out over the university and the city from the rooftop café after finishing her meal. ‘I have called Urbs Aeterna home all my life, and yet I hardly understand it.’

Words: 67

Excerpt from: Spider Quinn

“We have to make a move, now,” she decided.

“I agree. It’s risky now, but we have to do it,” Ninja Talon said.

“I don’t see any other way either,” Jane said.

SpiderGirl looked at Jane, and she knew Dafoanairi was looking at her too.

“What? I’m not only an artist. I run for fun too, and sometimes climb things,” Jane explained.

“Got it,” Dafoanairi said.

“Right, Talon and I will fire a zipline and a webline to the same tree at the same time,” SpiderGirl said. “Do you have more rope, Dafoanairi?”

“One more loop, just as well I prepared for this” Dafoanairi said.

“Spidey can take Kalina and Oliver. Dafoanairi can take Jane and I’ll take the other,” Ninja Talon said.

“That’ll work,” SpiderGirl said. “You two go first. I think Kalina’s going to take some convincing.” She looked at Kalina, who still was huddling with her eyes closed.

“She’s had it the worst,” Jane commented.

At the same time, Leung and his fellow officers arrived. “Report,” he said to Peterson.

“Most of the vigilantes are there,” Peterson said.

“Which ones.”

“The fourth vigilante is confronting Beck. SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon and Dafoanairi are in the process of rescuing the abductees, but the storm is making it difficult.”

Leung grabbed the binoculars and saw Ninja Talon shoot a zipline to one of the trees behind the cabin. “We’ll give them another ten minutes. Then we’ll go in.”

Mysterio tried to tackle the Enigma, but her forcefield held. “I might not be able to take you down, but that doesn’t mean I can’t stop the rescue.”

“I’m sure I can take you down, but I’m not sure what my powers will do to you.”

“Heroism, funny how morals get in the way.”

“Antihero, but morals are what’s between that and being a villain. I may want to confront SpiderGirl sometime, but I don’t want to take her out,” the Enigma said.

“You’re all talk,” Mysterio taunted.

“I could squeeze that fishbowl helmet of yours, but I won’t. I could also tear this place down around you, but some of the others are still on the roof.”

“You’re still holding yourself back.”

“I don’t want to join you,” the Enigma said as she broke the windows, letting the rain and wind in. “That will disrupt the illusions.”

Mysterio turned around and started walking away.

The Enigma smirked and caused him to trip.

Ninja Talon and the critic swung up to a tree.

“This is dangerous!”

“Better than staying there,” Ninja Talon said.

“We’re next,” Dafoanairi said to Jane.

“I know,” Jane said as she looked at where SpiderGirl was trying to sooth Kalina.

“Just as well I can do this,” Dafoanairi said as she lassoed one of the trees. She pulled and the rope held. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Jane said.

“Let’s go.”

Jane grabbed hold of Dafoanairi and they then swung into the trees next to Ninja Talon. ‘Dafoanairi is just using wits and a staff. She’s ill prepared for something like this,’ she thought.

“Kalina?” SpiderGirl said. “I’m going to need you to hold on again. Can you do that?”

“I think I can. You don’t know what it was like. He wanted me to critique his own ‘plays’. He is all sparkle and no plot.”

“Like some of Hollywood?” SpiderGirl asked.

“Wors,” Kalina answered as she stood up. She still didn’t open her eyes.

SpiderGirl sighed and stepped closer. “I’m right here.”

Kalina through her arms around her.

“Now you, Oliver,” SpiderGirl said.

Words: 568

Total:  963

[zorilleerrant]

well most of them wouldn't speak English because that's a deprecated language that people have to learn special to sound cool as they sing along to old music (doesn't seem long enough to me personally but that's what the books want you to think). but I do imagine lots of them have preferences for their home language over Standard and would use that most of the time, even though they have to be able to speak Standard fluently to join Starfleet. (this wouldn't necessarily be true of everyone else in the crew but they probably know some at least enough to get by on charades) I feel like Chakotay at least would intentionally refuse to learn English as an act of liberation and self-love.

what I would love to see done with this which I never see in shows is that, due to the translator malfunction, some of them suddenly have all different accents. some of them should struggle with Standard (represented in English), or speak through a constructed accent as foreign language learners. but some of them should talk exactly the way they always talk, except, like, their voices sound different. Tuvok suddenly starts speaking Classroom Standard. he sounds all RP. someone learned Standard from a smuggler and now talks like they're out of a noir film. people have a variety of regional accents from wherever they're from.

they can all understand each other but suddenly it's weird! instead of the translators consolidating all of that people are using different sets of slang! someone's reminded of a meme that went around the Academy and it turns out Harry's just been saying that all along and it got translated to 'lunch'. other people have been making the same pop culture references and bond over it. someone is shocked by the swearing and has to go sit down in a quiet corner. Neelix is clicking and Kes is making whistling sounds and the Doctor is crying because he can't translate all of this by hand

Voyager would have been an excellent contender for a 'universal translator breaks down' episode bcos 1) shit breaks down on Voyager all the time and 2) Kes & Neelix

[the-goofball]

Two hours, 37 minutes, 13 seconds. That’s how long we’ve gone without verbal communication.

Why is that remarkable?

The Doctor encourages me to engage in conversation during awkward silences.

Did you find the silence awkward?

No.

Nor did l.

[chakotayblendthree]

voyager would have greatly been improved if chakotay had daughter

like can you imagine, a little half bajoran half human who's father joined the resistance after her mother was killed in the planet's ambush by the cardassians. the little half bajoran with barely any nose ridges but she wears her mothers single earring with pride. the little half bajoran pestering her father to take her onto maquis missions and being turned down. the little half bajoran who strikes up with the only other maternal figure who gets her - seska - and her father accepting seska a little more. and a little half bajoran who's life gets turned on it's head when she convinces her father to let her go to this little mission in the badlands.

caretaker, but the ship's injuries have left a scar on the maquis captain's young daughter. janeway and chakotay's first meeting, not on the bridge, but instead as she runs over to a bed at sickbay where the girl sleeps, with an angry gash on her forehead as her father stands at vigil. janeway standing too close to chakotay as she is terrified.

the delta quadrant, where the girl is so isolated from anyone her own age. where she struggles between maquis and starfleet politics. a little half bajoran who still hangs out with seska, even though her father warns her about her, because she's the only one who gets her. the young girl who strikes a friendship up with anyone who'd talk to her.

the captain, who the little half human spends time with, kathryn trying to understand children. her father joining the two on their little booth in sandrines - they both keep her off the alcohol. tom paris, who teaches her how to fly a delta flyer simulator and tells her about old cars and shoot pool. b'elanna, who she's seen as an aunt, all these years, letting her spend time in engineering, bantering with her - coming to see her when she's quiet. understand the struggles of being half one and half the other.

the doctor, who lets her set up shop in his sickbay, like he did with kes. the episode where the doctor imagines kes is his wife, but now the little girl is his daughter too. tuvok who teaches her vulcan poetry and lets her watch as his incense burns in his room.

seskas betrayal, but it hurts a thousand times more since the a lady she came to see as family, turns out to be her worst enemy. chakotay's son's news, and her mind races at the joy of having a younger brother, before understanding the terror of the situation. the kazon takeover of the ship, but seska allows her to stay onboard.

resolutions, but she can't bear the thought of her father leaving her. breaking down at the last video conference they have. the 90s episode, but she beams down with tom paris, fresh faced and thirteen, with a little bit of ripped shirt to hold her hair together. in coda, but she's devastated by the loss of the third maternal figure in her life.

just - any situation where janeway and chakotay need to be together, but are automatically assumed to be a family unit with his little half bajoran daughter

[traxanaxanos]

“Before Mark could reply, Gres spoke at as loud a volume as his soft voice would allow. ‘May I have everyone’s attention please?’ The Ktarian stood in the middle of the room, holding a glass of what looked to Mark like Saurian brandy, and had to repeat his request several times before the room quieted down.

‘I would like to thank all of you for coming. I would also like to thank Quark for his fine catering job.’ The Ferengi bowed slightly.”

and

“‘I agree with Mr. Honigsberg,” T’Pel said. ‘I believe that my husband is alive. Many times over the years he has gone on difficult missions and he has always returned to me. I choose to have faith in his ability to do so again. It is not logical - but the feeling remains, and it would be the height of illogic to deny its existence.’

Smiling wanly, Gres raised his glass and said, ‘Then I propose a toast to the height of illogic. Long may it sustain us.’“

  -from Letting Go by Keith R. A. Decandido in Star Trek Voyager: Distant Shores, edited by Marco Palmieri

4 things:

1. Quark

2. T’Pel and Tuvok confirmed for acting illogically in their love for each other

3. Greskgrendtregk has a very soft and quiet voice and I love that for him

4. Greskrendetregk is a man who fucking loves making toasts. 2 in the span of 27 pages, with the implication he will make another in the future. Ktarian cultural practice? A personal quirk? Weird grief coping mechanism? Who can say.

[bumblingbabooshka]

Rate My Professor . Com

[starfleetimagines]

Mobile Masterlist

I figured it might be easier for my readers to find my previous imagines if I make a mobile masterlist that I update at the same time as I update my desktop one. So here it is! I’ll add to it when I post new imagines, so it should always be up to date. Some imagines are listed in multiple series if the character is found in both - like Q or Pike, for example.

If you enjoy my work, please consider supporting me on Ko-Fi (it’s as low as $1CAD and it’ll go towards my education funds) or check out my commissions! Please check my bio and title to see if requests are open before requesting.

Alternate Original Series/The Original Series:

Being Leonard “Bones” McCoy’s younger sister would include…

Leonard “Bones” McCoy - “Have you lost your damn mind?!”

Being Jim Kirk’s twin would include…

Jim Kirk - “I can’t explain right now, but I need you to trust me.”

Jim Kirk - “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to seduce me.”

Leonard “Bones” McCoy - “I’m going to take care of you, okay?”

Leonard “Bones” McCoy - “Were you ever going to tell me?”

Leonard “Bones” McCoy - mismatched uniforms

Leonard “Bones” McCoy - you get hurt

Leonard “Bones” McCoy - medical anxiety

Montgomery “Scotty” Scott- “That’s a promise.”

Leonard “Bones” McCoy- flirting in sickbay

Pavel Chekov - Period Cuddles

Pavel Chekov - Moving Forward

Jim Kirk - Family

Leonard “Bones” McCoy - Shore Leave

Montgomery “Scotty” Scott - Open Waters

Dating Leonard “Bones” McCoy Would Include…

Being Pavel Chekov’s Betazoid Wife Would Include…

Leonard “Bones” McCoy - Study Date

Spock and Uhura’s Wedding Would Include…

Leonard “Bones” McCoy - Dance Practice

Pavel Chekov - Set Up

The Enterprise Crew Finding Out You’re Bisexual Would Include…

Montgomery “Scotty” Scott x Jayla - Graduation

Spock and Uhura Having A Baby Would Include...

Spock - “To say that was unexpected is an understatement.”

Spock - Fireplace

Deep Space Nine:

Julian Bashir - “Cuddle me.”

Julian Bashir - “It’s almost midnight.”

Julian Bashir - “Just kiss me.”

Odo - “Are you hurt?”

Julain Bashir - “Please hold me.”

Benjamin Sisko - “How do you cope?”

Garak - “I’ll keep you warm.”

Dukat - you get hurt trying to defend him

Odo - you’re his adopted child

Miles x Keiko x Reader - Sunflowers

Julian Bashir - Insecurities

Enemies To Lovers With Odo Would Include…

Garak - Pregnant

Garak - Lulled To Sleep

Quark (platonic) - Marital Advice

Garak - “So, you like me?”

Garak - Rescue Party

Julian Bashir - Growing Family

Garak - Presents

Ezri Dax x Julian Bashir - Moving In

Julian Bashir (platonic) - Worries

Kira Nerys - Stress

Kira x Dax - Pride Month

Weyoun - “I don’t understand.”

Nog x Jake - Pleasure

Weyoun - “You’re the only one for me.” [NSFW]

Weyoun - “Please wake up.”

Enemies to Lovers With Kira Nerys Would Include...

Weyoun 6 Living on the Station Would Include...

Worf x Jadzia - “I love us.”

Weyoun - “Why did you take that shot for me?”

Cuddling With Weyoun Would Include...

Discovery:

Gabriel Lorca - “Did I stutter?”

Ash Tyler - “I need you.”

Saru - Christmas Gifts

Saru - You’re Overworked

Michael Burnham - “That was hot.”

Michael Burnham - She Saves Your Life

Saru - Confidence Boost

Christopher Pike - Longing

Christopher Pike - Longing part 2

Sylvia Tilly - Romance In Sickbay

Saru - Homesick

Ash Tyler x Michael Burnham - “Breathe with me.”

Christopher Pike - You’re In Labour

Being Saru’s First Officer and Best Friend Would Include...

Spock - “To say that was unexpected is an understatement.”

Enterprise:

Jonathan Archer - “Leave her alone.”

Malcolm Reed - you’re his sister

Trip Tucker - de-con talks

Malcolm Reed - PDA

Jonathan Archer - jefferies tube acoustics

Jonathan Archer - “Did you enjoy yourself last night?”

Jonathan Archer - “For some reason, I’m attracted to you.”

Dating Jonathan Archer would include…

Malcolm Reed - “Stop talking about the past, I could be dead in a matter of hours… make me up a future.”

Being friends with Trip Tucker would include…

Jonathan Archer - “Go then, leave! See if I care!”

Malcom Reed - “Oh my god! You’re in love with them!”

Trip Tucker - you’re shy

Jonathan Archer - “I thought you were dead.”

Malcolm Reed - you’re taken hostage

Trip Tucker - sleepless nights

Malcolm Reed - “You make me feel like I’m not good enough.”

Jonathan Archer - “That’s almost exactly the opposite of what I meant.”

Being Trip Tucker's  twin would include…

Malcolm Reed - “Go then, leave! See if I care!”

Jonathan Archer - dress shopping

Jonathan Archer - pillow fights

Trip Tucker being your boss would include…

Cheering Jonathan Archer up would include…

Phlox - you avoid him

Jonathan Archer - nightmares

Helping Trip Tucker in engineering would include…

Jonathan Archer - horseback riding

Malcolm Reed - cuddles after a mission

Jonathan Archer - hideouts

Malcolm Reed - “Because I love you.”

Phlox - Trip sets you two up

Jonathan Archer - “This shuttle was roomier before I realized I’m attracted to you.”

Malcolm Reed - “Can I kiss you?”

Malcolm Reed - sexting on PADDs

Phlox - you hide an injury from him

Trip Tucker - “It was just a dream.”

Jonathan Archer - “Am I dreaming?”

Trip Tucker - “I just want you to hold me.”

Malcolm Reed - Emotional Trauma

Malcolm Reed - He Sees Your Scars

Trip Tucker - “Thank God you’re okay.”

Malcolm Reed - You’re Ill

Malcolm Reed - “I don’t fit in.”

Trip Tucker - Restless Nights

Enemies To Lovers With Malcolm Reed Would Include…

Malcolm Reed - Labouring Mission

Trip Tucker - Jealousy [NSFW]

Dating T'Pol Would Include…

Malcolm Reed - Nightmares

Trip Tucker - Tension

Malcolm Reed - Destiny

Malcolm Reed - “I’m broken.”

Malcolm x Trip - Caught [NSFW]

Shran - Blue Boy

Trip x T'Pol - New Life

Malcolm Reed - The Way I See You

Malcolm Reed - Confessions

Being Trip Tucker’s Sibling and Jonathan Archer’s Partner Would Include…

Trip Tucker - Helping Hand

Being Pregnant With Phlox’s Baby Would Include...

Malcolm Reed - Destressing [NSFW]

Jonathan Archer - Too Busy

Trip Tucker - “You can’t protect me forever.”

Malcolm Reed - Mistletoe

Picard:

Chris Rios - “Thank you for not dying.”

Elnor - Quiet Time

Strange New Worlds:

Christopher Pike - Longing

Christopher Pike - Longing part 2

Christopher Pike (platonic) - Mentor

Christopher Pike - Brink of Death

Spock - “To say that was unexpected is an understatement.”

Spock - Fireplace

The Next Generation:

Falling in love with Data would include…

Dating Data would include…

Data - “Is there a special reason as to why you’re wearing my shirt?”

Data - you tell Tasha and Deanna about your crush

Worf - “You did this for me?”

Data - pet names

Data - “You never told me you had a fucking twin.”

Jean-Luc Picard flirting with you would include…

Q loving you would include…

Being friends with Worf would include…

Jean-Luc Picard - he realizes he loves you

Data - “When I picture myself happy … it’s with you.”

Will Riker - midnight visits

Will Riker being a father figure to you would include…

Data - he protects you

Data - bathing with the emotion chip

Data - you repair him

Will Riker - cuddles

Dating Wesley Crusher would include…

Data - he teaches you how to fight

Will Riker - “I’m sorry I had to kick you out when you were possessed.”

First time with Jean-Luc Picard would include…

Data - “I think I forgot how to breathe.”

Q - “You’re so hot when angry.”

Wesley Crusher - “You said my name in your sleep.”

Data - you get caught kissing

Data - hometown trip

Data - stuck on a cold planet

Will Riker- “If I die, I’m coming back to haunt you.”

Deanna Troi crushing on a girl would include…

Data - “Are you hurt?”

Reginald Barclay - Fencing

Reginald Barclay - Unexpected

Data - Teacher

Deanna Troi - Feeling Down

Data - First Meetings

Wesley Crusher - Hidden Talents

Being Will And Deanna’s Child Would Include…

Visiting Risa With Will Riker Would Include…

Will Riker - Confessions

Beverly and Jean-Luc’s Date Nights Would Include…

Data - First Date

Having Worf as a Father Figure Would Include…

Will Riker - All Partied Out

Data - “You must breathe.”

Will Riker - “I love you.”

Coming Out As Bisexual To Q Would Include…

Being Married to Jean-Luc Picard Would Include…

Worf - “What were you thinking?”

Data - Art Teacher

Beverly Crusher - “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”

Being a Scientist and Dating Q Would Include...

Data - “I suppose we would make a good couple.”

Voyager:

B'Elanna Torres - best friends

Going on a date with the Doctor would include…

Tom Paris - date night

Kathryn Janeway- “You’ve only heard his side of the story. You never asked for mine.”

Doctor - “I love you, you asshole.”

Harry Kim - “I thought you were dead.”

Being friends with Tom and Harry would include…

Chakotay - near death confessions

Icheb - you’re shy

Being Harry Kim’s twin would include…

Being shy around the doctor would include…

Q Loving You Would Include…

Doctor - “You did this for me?”

Being Icheb’s friend would include…

The doctor being jealous would include…

Tom Paris - kidnapped

Harry Kim - “This shuttle was a lot roomier before …”

Keeping the doctor company would include…

Q junior - “You’re hot. Shame about your personality.”

Chakotay - “You love me.”

Q - “You’re so hot when you’re angry.”

Harry Kim - mismatched uniforms

Dating Icheb would include…

Harry Kim - he proposes

Kathryn Janeway - you’re insecure

Icheb - first date

The Doctor - talent show

Harry Kim - “Please don’t go.”

Dating Q Junior Would Include…

Chakotay x Kathryn Janeway - Dancing The Night Away

Date Night With Chakotay Would Include…

Tom Paris - Old Flames

Dating Tuvok Would Include…

Dating Seven Of Nine Would Include…

Q Junior Being Jealous Would Include…

Harry Kim - You’re Tom’s Sister

Tom x B'Elanna - “I’m scared, all right?!”

Kathryn Janeway - Locked Up

Being Kathryn Janeway’s Kid and Living on Voyager Would Include…

Coming Out As Bisexual To Q Would Include…

Tom Paris (platonic) - Different

Seven of Nine - Exploring

The Doctor (platonic) - Aromantic

Comforting Kathryn Janeway Would Include…

Tom Paris - “You are enough.”

Cuddling With Q Would Include…

Kathryn Janeway - Here For You

Friends to Lovers With Chakotay Would Include...

Harry Kim - Avoidance

Being a Scientist and Dating Q Would Include...

[songbookff]

Valentine's j/7 ❤

I’m making this an established janeway/seven. Set whenever you want it to be. Also it turned out a waaaayyy longer than I thought...so I also posted it on A03. Thank you, anon. If you want me to gift you the fic on A03, just message me your username. Or if you want to stay anon, that’s fine too. 

In the early morning, Captain Janeway entered her office and went straight for her replicator. Coffee was calling. She gave the computer her normal order, but to her surprise, when her coffee appeared, so did a single red rose. 

Tentatively, she reached out to touch the vibrantly colored rose. Attached to the green stem was a note. It was odd, to see the cardstock, although replicated and the small ribbon that secured it in place. In printed script, it read: “Roses are red...” 

Kathryn pulled the rose up to her face, knowing that the scent was replicated, but reveling in it all the same. She turned away and made it halfway to her desk before she remembered that her coffee was still sitting in the replicator. Even a red rose couldn’t completely distract her from her morning cup of survival. 

Rose in one hand, coffee in the other, she slipped into her chair behind her desk, only to find a small bouquet of purplish-blue flowers. A blue ribbon tied the stems together and another note attached. This one read, “Violets are blue...” 

She set down the rose and her coffee (after a quick sip of course) and picked up the bundle. These felt different than the replicated rose. Katheryn’s eyes widened when she realized these were from Voyager’s own botanical gardens. They were real violets, not generated by the computer. They felt much more delicate than the rose and she could see the tiny imperfections of being grown rather than created. They were truly beautiful. 

After replicating a small vase with water to set them in, Kathryn tried to start her day. However, there was the faintest smile on her face and she was convinced her coffee tasted better this morning. Finally, she pulled up her data padd to review the reports from the night shift. When the padd turned on, a single message appeared, marked urgent. 

Odd. Usually urgent messages were reported by the computer so that she didn’t miss any when she was sleeping or off duty. She pressed open and the text read: “...I would like to spend dinner in the holodeck just with you.” 

This time, Kathryn didn’t attempt to suppress the smile. Whatever Seven was up to, she had gone out of her way to surprise her this morning. The poem sounded familiar now. It was an old Earth romantic ballad of sorts: “Roses are red, violets, are blue...” usually followed by a rhyming ending that expressed love and adoration. It was clever, really. 

And very unlike Seven of Nine. This of course, only intrigued Kathryn more. 

However, she did have a ship to run. So she pulled up the reports and began reading, trying not to let the beautiful flowers on her desk distract her. It seemed everything had been quiet the night before, so the reports were short. A blown fuse on deck three had been the only excitement of the night and had been resolved within a half hour. 

The door chimed after an hour, and she rose for her morning meeting with Chakotay. He entered the office was a pleasant smile, hands tucked behind his back. “Good morning, Captain.” 

“It has been...” admitted Kathryn with a smile. She couldn’t help but noticed he had a mischievous look in his eyes. “Chakotay, what’s going on?” 

“Can’t slip anything past you,” he chuckled. “Nothing new to report, although B’elanna claims to have come up with an idea to maximize our warp capacity by another percentage. I’ll be sure to have someone double check her math before she begins any experimentation. Although, Tom has volunteered to do the preliminary fight tests on the shuttle. So she can’t think it’s that dangerous.” 

“Just make sure Harry is there to monitor,” replied Kathryn with a smirk. 

“Will do. Also, I have been asked to make a delivery.” From behind his back, Chakotay produced a red box that had been formed in the shape of a geometric heart. He was grinning from ear to ear now, obviously in on whatever Seven was planning by the looks of the box he was holding out to her. 

Curiously, she took the box, surprised a little by the weight of it. Under Chakotay’s excited gaze, she opened it to find an assortment of tiny chocolates also shaped as hearts. They appeared to be different flavors and if she could guess, different fillings as well. 

“What is going on?” she repeated, astonished at the chocolates. 

Chakotay laughed and shrugged, innocently proclaiming, “I’m just they delivery guy. But I do have strict instructions that you are to try one before we get out on the bridge.” 

Chocolate wasn’t something she normally indulged in, especially not for breakfast, but the warm feeling in the pit of her stomach, knowing somehow this was all Seven’s design, forced her to comply. She picked a dark brown piece with a red swirl design and popped it into her mouth. 

“Well?” asked Chakotay, eyebrow raised in anticipation. 

“Dark chocolate with cherry. Absolutely delicious,” declared Kathryn. Then she let out a chuckle at the ridiculousness of the situation. She set the chocolates on the desk next to the rose and the vase she had put the violets in. 

Together, they exited her ready room to start the morning on the bridge. Her crew was bustling as usual. To be honest it had been a dull week, but after all the excitement they had recently, Kathryn was glad for the down time. There was maintenance to be done and the crew were rotating on new shifts to get some down time. So for the next hour, Kathryn read reports in the Captain’s chair, tuning out the business of the bridge. 

That is until Harry Kim was at her elbow. He cleared his throat and hesitated, “Captain...” 

“What can I do for you, Ensign?” asked Kathryn. Noticing the nervous expression on his face, she added, “What did Lieutenant Paris do now?” 

“I’m right here!” came the exasperated call from the helm. Tom whirled around in his seat, throwing his hands in the air. The tension broke and Harry managed a short laugh. 

“As you were,” ordered Kathryn. Tom turned back to his helm, but not before giving Harry a wink. 

“Captain, I need to borrow your badge...and your pips...”

“Excuse me?” 

“Just for a few minutes,” he hastily said. “I just need to upgrade the badge!” 

“And my pips?” Kathryn raised an eyebrow. Harry stood firm under her gaze and reached out his open palm. 

Chakotay leaned over in his chair and whispered, “Don’t interrogate the poor kid. Just give him what he asked for...” 

It suddenly dawned on Kathryn that this was another part of Seven’s elaborate plan. Of course, she had no idea what in the world Harry would do with her badge or rank, but wordlessly she plucked the badge from her chest and allowed Chakotay to help her unpin the four pips from her collar. 

Eagerly, Harry hustled away without another word. Amused glances were being exchanged between her bridge crew and she swore she saw Tuvok give Harry a nod of approval as he left the bridge. Kathryn spend the next half hour wondering what in the stars everyone was up to when Harry returned, velvet box in hand. 

Wordlessly, he handed it to her before scurrying back to his post at Ops. Chakotay was staring at the blur of stars on the viewscreen now, purposely giving her a moment of privacy. Kathryn opened the box to reveal her comm badge and four shining pips staring back at her. She hadn’t seen them this polished since they were new, well before Voyager had entered the Delta Quadrant. 

It wasn’t that she didn’t take care of her hardware, but keeping them shining was the last thing on her mind during most of the journey. But here they were, good as new. The badge gleamed too, no residual fingerprints any more. She pinned it back on and nudged Chakotay to help her put the pips back on her collar. 

Harry cleared his throat from Ops and she turned in her chair to face him. With the slightest red in his cheeks he said, “I think you’ll find I took care of the problem you were having with your badge sticking.” 

“Very good, Ensign,” was all she could think to say. For the past two weeks, she had been complaining that her badge needed to be hit twice on occasion to connect to the computer. If they were in Starfleet space, the comm badges would be replaced regularly so this wouldn’t happen. 

The rest of the morning went on as normal, although now Kathryn was wondering what else could possibly happened. Lunchtime came and she made her way to the Mess Hall. There were a few crew members already enjoying lunch. However, she reached the replicators, a voice called out. 

“Captain! Your lunch is already ready for you.” Standing behind her was Icheb, proudly holding a tray. “Today the kitchen has prepared a vegetable and bean stew with a side of crusty bread.” 

Icheb, still learning about human cuisine seemed unsure of what he was saying, but a steaming bowl sat atop the tray and a slice of toasted french bread rested on a napkin next to it. The stew was reminiscent of one that she had grown up eating, although it was usually replicated if she remembered correctly. It was a favorite of her father. 

“Thank you, Icheb,” she said politely, taking the tray from him. He gave her a quick nod before turning on his heal to go back into the kitchen. Kathryn gave a small shake of her head in amusement. What a day this was turning out to be...

The stew was tasty, if a little heavy on beans and the bread was as crusty as Icheb had said. Still, it was a good lunch, one she had not been expecting. As she wiped up the last of the stew with her bread, Naomi Wildman slipped into the chair across from her. 

“Hello, Captain.” The girl had a broad smile on her face. 

“How are you, Naomi?” asked Kathryn, wondering what Seven could have put the child up to. 

“I have something for you,” replied Naomi with excitement. From her lap, hidden from Kathryn’s view, she produced a small stuffed bear. It was brown with a red bow around the neck and wasn’t much bigger than Naomi’s hands. She pushed it over for Kathryn to grab and then slipped off the chair and skipped out of the Mess Hall. 

The bear was soft and fit perfectly into Kathryn’s grasp. The little thing made her smile, right there in front of the other members of the crew in the Mess Hall. Most were grinning back at her and now Kathryn was certain that the entire ship was in on Seven’s escapade. 

She took the bear back to the bridge with her and said nothing when Chakotay tried to cover a laugh at the sight of it sitting on the arm of her chair. She had no idea what had possessed Seven, or rather Naomi, to give it to her, but she enjoyed the little stuff thing. It was silly, but sweet. 

Two hours later, Tuvok called her attention, “Captain. I believe it is time to report to your quarters.” 

“I’m on shift for another three hours, Tuvok.” 

“I will escort you to your quarters.” The answer was firm and when she looked behind her, he had left his post and was waiting by the turbolift doors. 

Everyone on the bridge seemed to be determined to stare at their consoles and not look directly at her. Well, she had played along all morning, why stop now? With a sigh, she pushed herself out of the Captain’s seat and walked towards the exit. 

“Forgetting something?” asked Chakotay, holding up the little bear. He was failing miserably at keeping his face neutral.

“You have the bridge, Commander.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

Kathryn retrieved the bear with a roll of her eyes and then allowed Tuvok to escort her back to her quarters. “Tuvok, will you please tell me what is going on?”

“I have been sworn to the strictest of confidences.” He continued to look straight ahead. 

“I know Seven is behind all of this...but it’s interfering with my job now.” 

He didn’t answer until the reached her door and then he slowly turned and spoke, “I would never place you or this ship in any precarious situation. I assure you that this is in your best interest and should a situation arrive that would need your direct attention, I will be the first to summon you.” 

“Thank you, Tuvok.” He held up the Vulcan salute and then left her to enter her quarters. 

When the doors whooshed open, she could hear soothing music playing. The lights were dimmed and there was a large porcelain bathtub where her coffee table used to be. And Neelix was standing behind it, grinning from ear to ear. 

“Captain! Welcome to Neelix’s home spa treatment!” he greeted her with a grand motion of his arms.

“How...?” Kathryn glanced back at her closed door and then back at Neelix. 

“We were worried you may not have appreciated the intrusion. But I promise that I haven’t been in any of your personal belongings. I brought all my own things. Your table was the only thing removed.” He winked at her and then, like the showman he was, waved his hands dramatically and began by lifting a small bowl from the small table he had arranged next to the bath tub.“Today I have for you the most luxurious and moisturizing face cream that will leave you glowing and relieved.” 

Placing the bowl back down he reached for a bottle and wine glass also sitting on the table. Pouring the red liquid into in the glass, he said, “A top of the line red wine that comes from Earth, the French region, I believe. It is dry with a hint of blackberries and oak.” 

“And here,” he pulled a leather bound book from seemingly thin air, “Is your entertainment for the evening. A romance novel circa the twentieth century, for your enjoyment.” 

“All of this in what is called a ‘bathtub’.” Neelix motioned towards the tub with a sweep of his hand. “I made some adjustments to make it more comfortable. I have no idea how humans could stand sitting for long period of times with that shape. Seven wanted everything to be as historically accurate as possible, so we’ll just have to keep that secret to ourselves. The water will remain the most comfortable of temperatures for the human body and it has bubbles that give off the scent of lavender.” 

“Thank you?” Kathryn eyed the bathtub wearily and then back to Neelix. 

He had produced a plum colored robe and walked towards her. The silk was soft on her hands when she grasped the it. “I will leave you know. Just let the computer know if you need anything. Your next guest will be arriving at eighteen hundred hours to help you get ready for your dinner on the holosuite. The computer will give you a fifteen minute warning.” 

Neelix left with a wink and a smile, leaving Kathryn alone with the robe and bathtub. Self care like this wasn’t something she indulged in anymore. It made her a little uncomfortable at first, as she stripped off her uniform and put on the robe. 

A sip of wine helped relax her senses and she liberally applied Neelix’s face cream to her face. She figured that even if Neelix had somehow given her something that she was allergic to, the Doctor would be able to set it right. Once the face mask had been applied, she slipped off the robe and climbed into the tub. 

As she lowered her body into the perfectly warmed water, she found the modifications that Neelix had been talking about. Instead of the rounded bottom of the tub, she found a soft, almost cushiony chair, waiting for her to rest on. She sunk back against the porcelain with a sigh. 

After another sip of wine, she reached for the book. She hadn’t read it before, but it looked like something she would enjoy. It as written in the twentieth century, but appeared to take place in the eighteenth. Soon, she was entranced in the story, with nothing but the soothing music, warm water, and delicious wine to fill her mind. 

The computer chimed some time later, altering her that she needed to get out of the tub. There was a towel hanging from the edge of the tub that she used to dry off and then put the silky robe back on. The door chimed and she said enter without even asking who it was. 

To her surprise, B’Elanna burst through the door, a black garment bag slung over her shoulder. She took one look at Kathryn, frowned, and said, “What the hell do you have on your face?” 

Kathryn had completely forgotten about the face cream and hoped she wasn’t supposed to have removed it after a certain amount of time. “I’m not sure she admitted.” 

“Well, go wash it off while I get these out.” B’Elanna made a shooing motion while she walked over to Kathryn’s bed. Kathryn went into the bathroom to wash off the cream. To her relief, her face appeared to be fine. In fact, she felt light and refreshed. 

When she came back in, B’Elanna had laid two pieces of clothing on the bed. One was a dark green gown, with a lace pattern overlaid on the silken material on the chest. It was belted at the waist and floor length. The second was a light grey suit, with a silken green shirt beneath it that matched the dress. Both had obviously been tailored to her size. 

“I have no idea what Seven was thinking, putting me in charge of getting you dressed. So I got some opinions from the other women in the crew and we decided on these two. There is a bet going about whether you will pick the dress or the suit. I’m betting on the suit, so don’t let me down.” 

Both garments were beautiful, but B’Elanna was right, the suit was probably more her style. The dress was beautiful, but the thought of wearing it down to the holosuite for anyone to see made her uncomfortable. 

“I’ll wear the suit, but leave the dress.” Maybe later she could put it on just for Seven. 

B’Elanna clapped her hands together in triumph. “Alright, so Seven wanted this to be authentic, hence the real clothes, but I’m not a stylist. So I programmed the holodeck to do your hair and makeup when you enter. She’ll never know. And don’t worry, I am a firm believer that no one needs makeup, so it won’t be anything heavy.” 

If there was one person on this ship that Kathryn trusted wouldn’t overdo her hair or makeup, it was B’Elanna. “Thank you.”

“Alright, let’s get you into this thing. Wouldn’t want to keep the Borg waiting...” she grinned at her own joke and Kathryn rolled her eyes. It was a teasing that had been occurring since Kathryn and Seven had made their relationship public. 

The pants and shirt fit like a glove and B’Elanna helped her get the suit jacket on. B’Elanna stood back, admiring her work. “Huh. It does look good.” 

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” replied Kathryn sarcastically. “But seriously, thank you.” 

“Don’t mention it.” B’Elanna straightened her collar and added, “Seriously. Let’s never mention this again.” 

“Deal.” 

The two women left the Captain’s quarters and headed toward the holosuite. There weren’t too many crewmembers in the corridors. Kathryn wondered if they had been instructed to make themselves scarce or if everyone was just busy. Waiting by the holosuite was Tom Paris, bottle in hand, leaning against the bulkhead. 

Tom let out a whistle when Kathryn and B’Elanna approached him and his wife punched him in the shoulder for it. Kathryn only rolled her eyes. “Is that bottle for me?” 

“The finest champagne I could replicate. I did a little magic with the replicator to get around the safety features, that that there is the real deal. Harry and I tried a dozen just to make sure you got the best one. It’s authentic as you can get this far into the delta quadrant.” Tom handed her the bottle with a wink. Then he slung his arm around B’Elanna’s shoulder. “My fair lady, would you escort me back to our quarters. I seem to have lost my way.”

“How much did you drink, you idiot?” B’Elanna grabbed ahold of Tom and as they walked away, she called over her shoulder, “Have a good evening, Captain.” 

“Go get the girl!” shouted Tom, encouragingly. He let out a hoot that was quickly shushed by his wife. 

Bottle in hand, smile on her face, Kathryn entered the simulation. She walked into what appeared to be a countryside vineyard of old Earth. A single table for two was set on a stone patio that had fairy lights strung up in the air. A pair of candles lit the table on a white table cloth. Long stemmed champagne glasses were paired with white china plates. 

“Hello, Kathryn.” Seven of Nine walked out of the vineyard across from Kathryn. She was dressed in a beautiful, shimmering full length red dress. The neckline dipped to reveal just enough of her chest to make Kathryn blush. It was held up by slender straps and blonde hair was curled on her shoulders. The color was gorgeous and Kathryn was sure that her jaw dropped. 

“Seven...you look...” Kathryn gripped the neck of the champagne bottle tighter as she tried to find the right words. “You are beautiful.”  

“I am partial to the dress,” replied Seven, looking down at herself. “It is impractical, but I believe it has the desired effect.” 

“All of this is beautiful,” said Kathryn as she approached the table. “Today was been wonderful. Quite surprising, but wonderful.” 

“Your suit fits you well. I find that my attraction to you is heightened in that outfit.” Kathryn allowed herself to blush under Seven’s gaze. Seven motioned for her to take a seat. 

Suddenly, the Doctor, dressed in a tuxedo appeared out of thin air. “May I take that bottle from you, Captain?” 

“I...yes...” Kathryn handed it over, surprised by his appearance. He deftly popped the cork and poured out the two glasses as the women seated themselves. 

“Tonight, I will be serving a lobster linguine. We will begin with a light salad to prime the palate and then we will move to the main course. A decadent chocolate cheesecake will be served for dessert.” He gave them a smile and then snapped his fingers and the salads appeared on the plate in front of them. With another snap, he had disappeared. 

“Seven, what is all of this?” asked Kathryn. “Not that I don’t appreciate it, but I don’t understand.” 

“As you know, I have been studying Earth history to help reconnect with my humanity. I came across several holidays and traditions that have intrigued me. Some of them were based on religious or political movements of the time. I found one particularly of interest now that I am in a relationship with you. It is called ‘St. Valentine’s Day’. Have you heard of it?” 

A smile graced Kathryn’s face. “I have.” 

“I was confused by the history at first. There are conflicting thoughts on the origins of the holiday, but all seemed to be grim. However, it transformed into a day to celebrate lovers. When calendar dates were still being observed, it occurred annually on February fourteenth. I decided to make today Valentine’s Day for just the two of us.” Seven tilted her head to the side. “I thought it would be romantic.” 

“It is...” murmured Kathryn. She took another bite of salad. “I don’t know that much about the history of Valentine’s Day. I understood your poem this morning. I think it is a traditional Valentine.” 

“Yes. Roses and violets. Although, the name violets implies a purple color rather than blue, I did not correct it in order to continue the rhyme. I read that a dozen roses is a common gift, but a single red rose often implies more intimacy. Therefore, I provided a single red rose and a dozen violets.”  

“Chocolates are a traditional gift for lovers, even now. I can’t wait to eat the rest of them.” 

“I too am found of chocolates,” admitted Seven and Kathryn filed that information away for use at a later date. “Another traditional gift is jewelry. However, necklaces, bracelets, and rings are against the dress code. And you do not wear any off duty.” 

“So you had my pips and badge cleaned.” Her heartbeat quickened. Seven had thought all of this through. It really was romantic. Kathryn wasn’t sure she could love the woman more, but somehow, she still had the ability to surprise her. 

“Another common gift was stuffed animals. The Doctor explained that these are not taxidermized animals, but fluff stuffed fake figures. They are more commonly used by children for comfort. A ‘teddy bear’ is a traditional stuffed animal.” 

“It was cute,” laughed Kathryn and to her pleasure, she saw Seven’s eyes light up at her reaction. “The spa was nice, too.” 

“I am pleased that you enjoyed it.” Seven gave her a natural smile. Goodness, she was so beautiful, especially over candlelight. 

The Doctor cleared his throat to announce his return. He snapped his fingers and announced, “Dinner is served.” 

The salad plates disappeared and were replaced by a delicious looking pasta dish, topped with pieces of lobster. Breadsticks appeared in the middle of the table. Seven motioned to the food and explained, “Many references sourced traditional pasta from the Italian region of Earth was a common Valentine’s meal. Others reported that a home cooked meal that was nostalgic was also a good choice.” 

“So you made my father’s favorite stew.” 

Seven nodded. “You don’t have many favorites, but you talk about your family so often. I thought it would be the correct touch.” 

“It was perfect.” Kathryn reached across the table to take Seven’s hand in her own. “All of it was perfect.” 

“I believe the correct response would be that you are perfect. But I think that is incorrect. Everyone has flaws. It is in our nature.” Seven gave her hand a squeeze. “But I feel like you deserve to be treated with perfection, because I love you.” 

“I love you, too, Seven.” The candlelight twinkled in their eyes. 

“We should engage in eating this meal. My research says it will be pleasing to the palate,” added Seven with a tiny smirk. Kathryn laughed and picked up her fork to dig into the pasta. 

Seven was right, it was delicious. And so was the slice of cheesecake that they shared for dessert. When they were finished, the Doctor appeared again. “I hope you enjoyed your dinner tonight. If you will stand please, I will delete the table and leave you two ladies to enjoy the rest of your evening.” 

Both Kathryn and Seven rose to their feet. The Doctor snapped his fingers and the table disappeared. He gave them both a little bow and then snapped himself out of the simulation. Upon his departure, music starting playing. Soft, but with a dancing rhythm. Seven offered her hand and Kathryn accepted. 

The two began dancing, slowly turning on the stone patio together, beneath the moonlight and the tiny string of lights above them. Kathryn pulled Seven’s thin body tightly against her own. She dropped her face to press their cheeks together, breathing in the scent that was Seven. 

Kathryn loved being this close to Seven. They fit together so well. It was something that Kathryn had never experienced with anyone else. She loved the feel of Seven’s body against her own. 

“I am pleased that you are my Valentine,” whispered Seven in her ear. Kathryn smiled and pressed a kiss to Seven’s collarbone. 

Then she pulled back just enough to lock eyes with her lover. Gently, Kathryn raised her hand from Seven’s hip to cup her face. Then she firmly pressed their lips together. Beneath the moonlight, Kathryn kissed her Valentine. 

[ariella884]

Voyager Book Club - February Favorite Fics

So I put forth a challenge of sorts to our Voyager Book Club. I asked everyone to pick ONE Voyager fic that they consider to be their favorite. Now, you can imagine, this is pretty freaking hard! There are so many incredible fics out there. I didn’t say it had to be the best written, or the most in character. I gave examples such as: the one you read over and over or your go-to fic, however you want to phrase it. It was pointed out that a favorite fic can change every hour based on your frame of mind and what you are in the mood to read at any one moment. I get it. Even so....I challenged everyone to only pick ONE. And they did it! Or most of them! I got around 20 different favorites picked! So here is the list of our Favorite Voyager Fics, why they were chosen and by whom. Happy Reading!!

Note: Click on the name of the fic for a link to it! Also, this list is in no particular order.

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@curator-on-ao3: ‘Fragile Things’ by @mia-cooper

“Fanfic is about exploring possibilities. That’s what put this fic over the top to be my favorite. In Fragile Things, MiaCooper examines multiple versions of one relationship, pulling different threads to see how things unravel or knit together. It’s thoughtful, it’s meta, it’s realistic as hell, it’s damn good writing — it’s MiaCooper and it’s excellent.”

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@ariella884(yep, that’s me!): ‘2013′ by PCBW (@pcbw)

“I had a hard time choosing my favorite (like most people here), mostly because as i was gathering them all from everyone else I kept seeing ones and going, ‘Oh! I love that one!’.  I also didn’t want to have any duplicates so I had to change mine a couple times, that being said, 2013 is easily one of my top three (which of themselves is almost impossible to pick just one. I’m lucky that my other two were chosen already and I didn’t have to!). I love 2013 because it is a modern AU, without being a completely modern AU. No, that doesn’t make sense. But you get our Janeway and Chakotay, Starfleet officers and all, and you get them in the modern world. It’s incredible! We see the challenges they go through of being taken from everything they know and put into a world that is pretty much unknown to them. Add to that the personal differences they have to work out together. Splash in the normal challenges that we all go through when trying to live a life in this day and age (jobs, house, money, love, family, etc). This is just an incredibly beautiful story that I have read many times and will continue to read over and over. It’s also a long fic and those are my favorite because I like to get completely involved in stories!”

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@mia-cooper: ‘Deceiving’ by QuantumSilver

“Because it starts with a canon event that is absolutely devastating and shows just how devastated Janeway and Chakotay are by it (and Tuvok and Ayala as well, though they only make a brief appearance). It shows Janeway at her absolute best - every last inch the captain, going above and beyond for her crew not just physically but emotionally in spite of the absolutely gut-wrenching cost to her - and it really kicks off with one of my absolute favourite tropes: mutual pining to the Nth Fucking Degree.

It has Chakotay being every bit the commander, backing her up even though he's dying inside, and REFUSING to let her shut herself away even though he KNOWS she's going to want to murder him for pushing and pushing and pushing at her.

And then OH MY GOD, he's deliberately getting on her every last nerve just so he can wrench honesty from her because he knows if she doesn't tell him how badly he's hurt her, how she's absolutely bottomed out because of him, she will never open up to him or anyone else again.

AND THEY DRINK WHISKEY OMG GIVE ME KJ AND C UTTERLY MISERABLE AND DRINKING WHISKEY LIKE IT'S WATER AND PINING LIKE FUCK AND NOT SAYING A WORD BUT BLEEDING TO DEATH FROM THE HEART AND I WILL DIE HAPPY FOREVERRRRRRR

I'm sorry for yelling but this fic makes me want to rip off my clothes and run up and down the street screeching how everybody should read it and they are just BRUTAL with each other and they STILL do not understand, refuse to, CANNOT understand, that the other would not just die for them but MURDER WHOLE FUCKING ARMIES FOR THEM and it's tragic and devastating but then oH MY GOoOoOODDDDD

So that is my favourite fic and the one i read approximately every two months or more if i really hate my writing that day and want to torture myself with How It Should Be Done.”

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@bizships: ‘Fealty’ by MsDisdain

“My favorite story. I honestly don’t have to think about it. It’s one I always go back to.

I love the way the crew pledges their loyalty to her and the way subtle way they tell her that it’s okay that she’s happy too in that they effectively give her Chakotay for her birthday, by way of him “fighting” Tuvok(Starfleet)  for her hand.”

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@arcadia1995: ‘The Space Between’ by lauawill ( @joyful-voyager)

“The Space Between is a story I return to time and time again when I'm feeling down.  I like that it realistically portrays what might have happened between Janeway and Chakotay right after the returned home in Endgame.  I like that no one in the J/C/7 triangle ends up being a bad guy.  I like the hopeful ending and imaging what might have happened after the fade to black (lots of sex!!!)“

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@wishful-thinker-87 : ‘if you came this way’ by tree

“It’s always a go to for me, even though I don’t usually like AUs. The sex is intense and emotional. The characterization is pot on. And we get Phoebe being an awesome sister and some Chakotay/Molly bonding too. What’s not to love?!”

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BlackVelvet: ‘Bluffing the Crowd’ by @ralkana

“Even after years since i read this, just thinking about this story brings a warm fuzzy feeling to my heart and a huge silly grin to my face. I simply love it.”

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@purpledog47: ‘The Future is Ours’ by Dawn

“My favorite is most definitely Dawn’s ‘The Future is Ours. This is my one fic. It’s super long and it tells us what happened after Endgame and it has a little bit of everything in it: angst, romance, hurt/comfort, Q, babyfic, romance.” 

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@amoderngirl: ‘Time and Distance’ by northernexposure

“If I am ever loosing the thread with J/C, I can always read this and I am immediately in love again.”

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@coffeeblack75: ‘Soft Light’ by northernexposure

“There are so many reasons why I love it that I can't even, haha. I'll start with: it was the first piece of fanfic smut I read, so I love it for that reason - my first time haha. More importantly, it is just beautifully, beautifully written - it's plotted beautifully, it flows beautifully and the pacing is spot on. The author has complete control over all of that & over the language, which is just used masterfully. There's so much subtley going on in this story too - the author doesn't spell everything out for us and instead draws us to the details that reveal what is important - the beginnings of these two getting to know each other. Gosh, it's so hard to articulate haha! But lines like this just make me shiver in delight for their beauty and what they reveal: "he was kissing her, with a lot more sweetness than was wise. Ah god, I could go on and on but perhaps I'll finish with my favourite bit, which is when C feels that first stab of lust & realises she might too & tests his theory by blowing softly on the back of her neck. This moment, omg, the moment is just so beautiful, so quiet, so pointed and private and intimate. You really feel that moment as if you are there. Ahhhhh :)

Also….there are two sequels to it that are equally as wonderful ;)  

Oh and one more thing I adore about this story is the way that the C thinks he is lusting after KJ but it is quite obvious he loves her - even before they come together - but he hasn’t realized it yet. The way the author does this is just incredible - so deft! Everything for C is about taking care of KJ … it’s just beautiful.”

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@caladeniablue: ‘Lifeline’ by helenagray ( @picking-daisies-in-the-outfield)

“Why do I like that fic? An unfinished WIP at that (Started in 2013; last update in Jan 2019. No indication how many chapters to go.) The perfect serial story and that's part of the attraction for me.

The first chapter sets the scene: raw Janeway, alone, without the backup of her ship, her crew or Chakotay. Bare of essentials and with only her courage and intelligence and sheer determination to help her survive, and even she wonders how long those will last her.

And while we learn about Chakotay and how he seeks her while the crew has to move on, I am drawn to Janeway most of all.

The fic jumps back and forth across locations and in time from that first chapter to catch up with it again some 20 chapters later, but there is no jarring. The reader knows immediately what KJ is experiencing , but the past events that led to that situation are as important, and that's one of the many attractions of this story. No overlong flashbacks, no tedious info dump. It's all layered, making one wait for the next chapter and the next one, while knowing all the time where KJ has ended up.

The writing is gorgeous, which is a bonus. And it is pure J/C, distilled to its purest by separation.  Perfect.”

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@keiraniels: ‘Bad Ensign’ (Series) by @curator-on-ao3

“Ok so I chose Curator’s ‘Bad Ensign’ because I come back to it often - - it’s such a freaking brilliant idea that I can 100% imagine being canon, and it inspired so many Voyager Bookclubbers to write Bad Ensign stories”

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@cnrothtrek: ‘War Torn’ by @curator-on-ao3

“Why? I had the pleasure of beta reading this story, and I am so glad that I did. It has a great plot, is well-written and perfectly paced, and is hard to put down. The way it pulls together two pieces of canon backstories for Miles O’Brien and Kathryn Janeway is genius. The characters feel so real and their voices can be clearly heard in the text. And the supporting characters of Captain Benjamin Maxwell, Will “Stompie” Kayden, and Molly Walsh are incredible. The story is intense, absorbing, and emotional. I just can’t say enough good things about it.”

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@theshortywrites: ‘The Dragonfly Oath’ by Koneia

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@emmikamikatze: ‘All the Good Things We Never Did’ by northernexposure

“This story brings me to tears, makes me smile and shiver and fear and worry. It's given me phrases that won't leave me, that keep repeating itself in my head even months (years) after first reading it. There's just the right amount of show trivia to make it a fanfiction, but little enough to make it a unique and original story. ne makes me fall in love with these characters all over again as if I didn't know them beforehand.

This story is special and precious and it speaks to me on so many levels I can hardly comprehend how genius it is. It's a literary masterpiece of fanfic if there ever was one.”

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@missmil: ‘Here I Stand’ by lauawill

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@manalyzer13: ‘Gravitation’ by northernexposure

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@grace-among-the-stars: ‘Filling the Void’ by Spiletta42

“Filling the Void is the one fic I always return to. It has my fave ships, JC, PT and D7. Minor characters play major parts and it is just funny. It makes me laugh every time. 

JC’s relationship is really explored from all angles, this is not just your average, ‘the crew get them together fics’, it is so much more. It has sexual tension, smut, humour, sadness and is pure JC BLISS. It always cheers me up and I was so happy when Spiletta42 added it to Ao3 because this meant so many more people would find it.”

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Anonymous: ‘Bent, Not Broken’ by @killermanatee

“This is an incredible hurt/comfort Janeway/Chakotay fic. The story is painfully written from both characters' perspectives, showing how each is suffering in a different way from the traumatic event that has occurred. In the end, their love for each other will help them come together and they will both be able to heal with time, comfort, and support from one another. This is a beautifully told, emotionally heavy story of one couple's love overcoming tragedy. It is my favorite Janeway/Chakotay fic, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to read a heartbreaking yet fulfilling story.”

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@minakotenjou: ‘Mysterious and Curious’ by @h4t08 

“It was so hard to choose - there are a lot of incredible fanfics out there. This was one of the first...shall we say spicier J/C fics I read and for some reason I still think of it often. It's great smut for sure, but I think it stuck with me because of how it all gets tied together at the end.”

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@leisylaura: ‘The Bitter End’ by @mia-cooper

“We have post endgame books but not one about the original timeline, I remember reading “The bitter end” and thinking “this is it, this is what happened”.  I cried from beginning to end.”

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@killermanatee: ‘The Dying of the Light’ by @cnrothtrek

"This fic is such a gorgeous piece of art. I hadn't seen the TNG episode before reading it and when I did watch it I was very disappointed because this fic is just on such a completely different level. The storytelling is so delicate and intriguing, that combined with the poignant and elegant writing style, so that it was impossible to put my phone down. I can't recommend this fic highly enough."

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@cheile: ‘Marooned’ by Soliquilii9 (aka Running Horse)

“I love how she makes the story unfold in slow steady measures.  Also, she filled in the gaps left by the writers in regards to his heritage by using information from her own Cherokee background and it is done naturally (not in an info dump type manner). “

__________

What do you think of our list of Voyager favorites? Do you have a favorite that isn’t on this list? Reply to this post with your favorite!! And if you haven’t read ALL of these fics yet, I strongly suggest you get started!! Have fun and enjoy!!

[cautious-creation]

“Ensign.” “Commander.”

Fandom & Character: Star Trek:Voyager, Commander Chakotay

Pairing(s): Chakotay x 1st person female y/n

Word/page count: 3300ish words, 3.5 pages

CW/TW: fluff, superior officer x subordinate relationship, past loss of a grandparent, discussion of grief, power dynamic

Summary: an ensign and her commander fall in love in the Delta quadrant

“Ensign.” he walked into the lab, holding what I assumed was the information I needed,

”Commander?” it didn’t make much sense for him to come down to the lab to deliver it. He looked up from the data and gave me a smile in greeting, which put me at ease; at least there didn’t seem to be anything wrong. I returned the smile.

“I’ve got that data from Seven.” he handed me the data.

“Thank you, sir,” I turned in my seat back to my work station, “you really didn’t need to come down here, I was about to head to astrometrics.”  he leaned against the work station beside me, looking at another information pad he’d brought with him.

“Captain’s in command and I needed a break from the bridge. I’ve heard about how quiet it is down here this time of day.” he dismissed.

“That’s why I prefer this shift, sir.” he paused from his work, looking at me.

“You don’t need to be so formal, ensign. After two years stuck in the delta quadrant together I’d think we could all benefit from being a little more casual.” I chuckled.

“I’ll try. It’s become a bit of a habit. Early in my starfleet career I was told I had a tendency to speak a little too casually, particularly with senior officers. I had to… re-train… myself. I seemed to have unintentionally made a few officers feel disrespected.” I smiled, reminiscing.

He nodded in agreement, “I’ve always found it a little problematic, some senior officers seem to use it to stroke their egos.” I laughed,

“That was part of my problem.” he laughed with me. “I understand why it’s necessary, but some people take it too far and it gets in the way of strong relationships being formed by the crew.” he smiled, seeming to admire my perspective.

“I’m glad I came down here. I think we could have some very interesting conversations.” 

I nodded “I think so too.” 

He pushed off of the work bench, “I need to head back to the bridge, good luck with that assessment, ensign.” he headed for the door, giving a nod for farewell.

“Thank you… commander.” he gave me a smirk as he walked out the door. I grinned, turned back to my console to put that luck to use.

-

“Well, my professor for xenosociology seemed to have a burning hatred for students like me, who actually question things, so I decided to move to xenobiology and that ended up expanding out to botany, neurology, anatomy, I almost took a psychology course. That professor made me never want to take a sociology course again, and yet, I still keep on looking into it myself.” Chakotay and I both smiled fondly at the memories of our respective experiences at Starfleet academy.

“Considering the horror stories I’ve heard from some of my Maquis friends, I had smooth sailing through my days at the academy. Sociology is fascinating, but I’ve always loved anthropology.” 

“Anything else for you two?” Neelix came past our table, gathering our used dishes. It was something he tends to do when he’s trying to ‘subtly’ listen in on people’s conversations. He’d been doing it a lot when Chakotay and I had meals together.

“I’m alright thanks.” I looked at Chakotay, he shook his head,

“Thank you, Neelix.” Neelix gave a small nod and left the table.

I waited for Neelix to leave earshot before I spoke again.

“I think he might be spying on us.” I leaned forward and spoke in a playful whisper.

He chuckled “I’ve been told that our… association has become a subject of gossip among the crew.”

We smiled at each other.

“Well, aren’t they presumptuous.” he shook his head in amusement looking down at the table.

When he looked up, our gazes locked on one another. Everything around us seemed to go quiet. I tilted my  head to the side, a furrowed brow and slight smile on my face. He’s a handsome man, charming too. So kind and gentle, righteous, patient. A good man.

Subconsciously, my hand dragged along the table until the backs of my fingers touched the back of his hand. He hooked his index finger over mine. It was practically a ‘pinky swear’. Just that little bit of physical contact felt like so much. It was a good feeling. I looked down at our hands and sighed.

“Are you alright?” his question drew my gaze back to his now concerned expression. I gave a lazy smile and slowly nodded.

“I just… “ I decided to take a risk, “Why don’t we have dinner in my quarters this evening? There’s a family recipe I’ve been meaning to try and I could use the excuse to finally do it.” a small, thoughtful frown crossed his face as he looked at our hands.

“No obligation, commander. Just an option. I’ve put it off this long, and the recipe isn’t going anywhere.” I spoke softly.

“Actually, I was just thinking about timing. My shift ends at twenty hundred hours, yours starts at… oh three hundred?” I nodded, “That doesn’t give you much time to sleep.” his concern was sweet.

“I can manage with four to five hours.”

He beamed at me “Then, ensign, I accept your invitation.” 

I smiled. I couldn’t deny I was excited for this dinner. All our meals so far had been in the mess hall. I’d started to get uncomfortable with all the glances we’d get. Perhaps it’s a bit odd for an ensign and a ship’s first officer to spend so much time together, or to be so close with one another; but it’s not as if we’d been doing anything unsavoury and definitely nothing that would go against regulations. Little goes unnoticed on a ship like this and whatever gossip may be circulating is milked dry very quickly; any new material is quickly scavenged upon. I didn’t want to risk Chakotay’s reputation or even his position. Nothing unbecoming a Starfleet officer.

It would be nice to spend some off duty time together away from prying eyes. We’d come to enjoy each other’s company, and Chakotay was right, our conversations were quite interesting.

He was taking a sip of his coffee when Tuvok called him to the bridge. He excused himself, saying he’d see me later, I wished him luck on the bridge and went back to the novel I’d been reading. Neelix came by soon after Chakotay left, not-so-subtly prying into the nature of our relationship. I played dumb, not falling for any of his sneaky questions. It was amusing to watch him getting progressively more frustrated, my form of justice for his intrusion.

-

I spent that afternoon napping and cooking. At nineteen hundred hours I showered and changed out of my uniform. I couldn’t decide what to wear so I ended up putting on a fresh uniform, sans jacket. I spent probably more energy than I ought to on decisions like what tablecloth to use, candles or no candles, wine or no wine and I decided to only dim the lights slightly. I didn’t want to push it, we hadn’t defined the nature of our relationship, I’d prefer to go too platonic than too romantic.

Five minutes after twenty hundred hours my doorbell chimed and Chakotay presented me with a bottle of wine.

“Oh, fantastic. I couldn’t decide if I should open a bottle.” he smiled and I stepped aside to let him in. He’d clearly just come from the bridge. His uniform made him look quite dapper, but I could tell he was fatigued from his duty shift.

“So, what’s this family recipe you’ve been so excited about? It smells amazing.” he approached the dishes of food on the table.

“How about you sort out the wine while I dish up?” I handed him the bottle and a corkscrew, then moved to the table to give him the story.

“My great aunt gave me instructions for green beans, creamed spinach and butternut puree. The bread is my paternal grandfather’s sourdough recipe; a lot of research and development went into that one; and my uncle taught us the trick of dipping bread in a shallow bowl of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. There’s a tradition that I think my dad started, to fry or grill sticks of halloumi cheese and season them with lemon.” Chakotay had poured the wine and sat in the chair opposite me. I placed a plate in front of him and sat down to mine.

“It might not be the most cohesive meal but together it reminds me of home.” there was a pause, an unprompted moment of silence for those we were so far away from.

He lifted his glass, “To… our families back home, and the one we have right here on Voyager.” I smiled. The crisp sound of the glasses touching split the hum of the ship for a moment. Such a beautifully wholesome sentiment.

“How’s the bridge, commander?” I tore some bread and dipped it into the oil vinegar mix.

“The bridge is just fine, ensign. No alien contact, no helm challenges, refreshingly quiet. How about the lab?” he took a forkful of butternut.

“We’ve been getting some momentum on that analysis. Surprisingly, there’s been a lot of data to sift through. The sample turned out to be far more interesting than we thought it would be.” he nodded,

“That’s good news.” I took a sip of my wine, “Now, enough about work. How’s life?” 

I chuckled, “Life is work and work is life here on Voyager, commander.” he shook his head, amused.

‘Ensign’ and ‘commander’ had become our pet names for each other, an inside joke that he and I shared. With all the prying ears and eyes it was fun to have something they didn't understand, and it helped us to seem more professional with each other for the sake of those concerned or bothered by the relationship Chakotay and I had developed.

“I’m glad we could have dinner without spectators for once.” I nodded, agreeing. It had started to feel invasive.

“It’s kind of unsettling to have everyone watching and listening to us. I get that it’s a small ship but surely that doesn’t mean we’re no longer allowed at least a little bit of privacy.”

“You’d think a crew of Starfleet officers would have a little more discretion than this.”

I scoffed playfully, “at least we haven’t been getting much commentary from our colleagues.”

“The captain said something this morning,” I frowned

“She did?” he nodded

“It wasn’t about us specifically, but the implication was there.”

“What did she say?”

“Something along the lines of being sensitive to the consequences of specific relationships within the crew, considering that we’ll all be stuck with each other on Voyager for a long time to come.”

“I’m impressed, an approach like that to a situation like this takes a lot of finesse on the captain’s part. But I’m not surprised, we’re ‘stuck’ out here with one of the wisest Starfleet captains I know.” He nodded. I could see how he admired her.

“I can’t think of another captain who would’ve been able to keep Voyager going this long out here in the Delta quadrant.” I agreed.

“You know who else’s work out here has been exemplary?” I decided to lighten the mood, “Harry Kim. If it was up to me he’d be a full fledged lieutenant by now.” Chakotay seemed amused,

“His work has been exemplary.” The sentiment was sincere.

“You haven’t done too badly yourself, commander.” His smile was small and bashful.

There was a moment or two of silence and we continued eating.

-

“You must’ve used a week of replicator rations on this.” he sat on the couch, taking the mug of tea I handed him.

“Only two days, actually. The beans and spinach were from the airponics bay. I used some of a weird bulbous vegetable Neelix had in storage to stretch the butternut I replicated and he had some Talaxian spices close enough to imitate cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. I replicated the flour for the bread but yeast was a bit more difficult to get my hands on. The halloumi I had to replicate.”

“What about the lemon juice?” I chuckled.

“Six months into Neelix’s cooking I decided we needed some citrus so I grafted cuttings of about five different plants. We’ve ended up with limes, lemons, grapefruit, blood orange and an oddly bitter variety of Bolian tangerine. Neelix seems to get quite excited whenever I tell him the franken-tree has yielded another fruit. Which is rare because of how small it still is. Fortunately, citrus keeps well. The lemon I used tonight was in storage for about a month and a half.” Chakotay smiled.

“I think that citrus franken-tree is  one of your greatest achievements yet in terms of crew morale.” I chuckled,

“It’s definitely been one of the more challenging undertakings I’ve had while on Voyager.”

“You put a lot of effort into this meal.” I shrugged,

“I couldn’t have done it without Neelix’s help.” I frowned, “And it’s something I’d been needing to do for myself, a little bit of self-care. I’m glad I could share it with someone.” I looked up at him. I was glad that I had him to share the experience with.

“I’m honoured to have been allowed to share this meal with you.” His sincere smile put me at ease. I placed my mug of tea on the coffee table in front of me and leaned back into the couch.

“I’ve been missing home a lot recently. I guess the anniversary of my grandmother’s death hit me harder than I expected.” he took my hand in his, 

“You could have said something.” I responded to his concerned expression with a sad smile and looked down at our joined hands.

“I wanted to try working through it myself. I thought it would last a couple of days and I’d be back to normal.” my gaze became distant as I thought back

“Her leg of lamb stew was legendary. Not even my aunt could recreate it. She’d been cooking it on the day she died.” a small forlorn crease grazed my brow, “Two months after she died, I think it was on her birthday, it was taken out of cold storage and we all sat down to eat the last meal she ever made. It was… almost like a last goodbye. There was such a finality to that meal. I was only nine years old.” a single tear ran down my cheek, Chakotay gave my hand a comforting squeeze, “Her death changed my whole world view.”

“In what way?” His gentle question refocused my gaze. I shook my head slightly.

“I don’t remember.” It was true, but I knew for certain that I wouldn’t have grown into the person I had become if it wasn’t for her influence on my life, as well as the influence of her death.

“She meant a lot to you. I’m not surprised things didn’t just go back to normal for you after two days.” I smiled fondly and sighed, looking up and seeing his caring expression,

“Thank you for having this dinner with me.” he smiled softly,

“Of course. I’m glad I did.”

We sat for a while, my thoughts starting to gather again.

“A while back I programmed a traditional malva pudding recipe into the replicator data banks, well, our family recipe. Would you care for a piece?”

“I have no idea what it is, but I’m willing to try it.” I chuckled, getting up and heading to the replicator.

“It’s a traditional South African dish. My version is a bit different from what you’d find described in an historical database,” I sat back down with two plates of the syrup laced pound cake type dessert.

“Usually it’s served with custard or ice cream, but I think that just dulls the flavour.” one bite and a smile spread onto my face.

“I haven’t ever had anything like this. You’ll have to give me the recipe.” I shook  my head.

“Sorry, commander, that’s a family secret.” he chuckled.

“I might just have to order you to, ensign.” I laughed at him.

“Good luck with that, Chakotay.” it was a little startling to both of us to hear me call him by name, before that, I never had. That sounds bizarre, but it’s true.

“Chakotay,” it still sounded odd, my plate made a thud against the coffee table “I think we need to talk about some things.” he nodded, placing his plate down beside mine.

I took a deep breath. My chest tightened in anxiety. I wasn’t quite sure what to say. I knew we needed to address some things about our relationship but I feel like I couldn’t quite describe them.

“I… “ I looked down trying to find the words, “we need to discuss… ‘us’, the nature of our relationship. What we… want out of this relationship, where we see it progressing. How we respond to the crew and commanding officers about… this.” he held my fidgeting hands in his and flashed me a soft, concerned smile.

“Well, I believe we’ve come to be close friends.” the smile that responded tried to hide my slight disappointment, “But, as for what I see in the future of our relationship… “ he looked down at our hands, “That’s a little more… sensitive.”

I gave an empathetic smile and chuckled, “I know the feeling.”

He sighed. “I care about you, a lot.”

“And I you.” I gave a small smile.

“I’d absolutely be happy to continue as friends,” he locked eye contact, searching for my thoughts, “but I’d hoped we could work towards a romantic relationship.” I grinned. I couldn’t describe the relief that I felt.

“Me too.” he beamed back at me and almost seemed to blush.

One of his hands released mine and came to the side of my face, my now free hand lay on his chest, beside his neck, against the undershirt exposed by his unfastened jacket. The warmth of his body against my skin brought a slight flush to my face. His thumb padded over my cheek. My fingers fiddled with the pips on his collar.

I looked up at his handsome face, his gentle, calming eyes focused on mine.  My fingers itched to trace along the lines gracing the skin around his left brow bone, cheek bone and temple. He was frustratingly close to me. I so badly wanted to reach out and touch those dimples that smiled at me. His eyes enthralled me. 

I took another risk, letting my other hand rise to meet his face, the tips of my fingers lightly dragged along his tattoo. He seemed to sigh into my touch, which made a contented smile cross my face. My heart fluttered, I felt so peaceful.

“I don’t think you’ve told me, why the tattoo?” he smiled.

“My father. He wore it to honour our culture, I wear it to honour him.” my heart swelled.

“That’s so pure.” he chuckled bashfully. I gave him a thoughtful smile.

“You’re a good guy, Chakotay.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard you say my name before today. I like the way it sounds when you do.” it was my turn to blush.

“Chakotay, what are we gonna do about this?” I chuckled. My palm settled against his cheek.

“Well, what I would like to do about it, is to kiss you.” how suave, I’d been smiling every few seconds that evening, now was no exception.

“I’m not quite there yet, Chakotay.” I liked the way it sounded too, “I hope this can tide you over for now.” I leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on his cheek.

“I’ll hold out for you.” he took my face in his hands and gave an equally gentle kiss to my forehead. My hands rested on his shoulders. A gleeful smile spread across my lips.

[angsty-violet]

Agony - Chapter 18

Agony Masterpost

@whumptober2020

Tuvok didn’t sleep much that night. His mind was consumed by thoughts of his captors and what their next move was likely to be. Tuvok was not prone to paranoia. He took appropriate precautions based on the likelihood of something happening. However, he couldn’t help a certain amount of illogical concern over what might happen with the new variable of Verant.

It was impossible to predict what would happen with Kell’an’s partner, which made it illogical to think about. However, Tuvok couldn’t seem to stop his mind from creating possible scenarios that might come to pass with the new alien.

They even included Verant getting jealous and killing Tuvok in a fit of rage. Tuvok found that highly unlikely, but he wasn’t able to discount it either. He finally managed to find sleep in the later hours that Tuvok assumed was night. He had no way of telling time and no access to the sun.

However, Kell’an had a set routine for visiting him, so Tuvok assumed that this was when the man was sleeping.

That thought led him back to ideas about Verant. Were the two of them sleeping in the same bed? Perhaps they weren’t together, Verant at his home and Kell’an lurking in his torture castle. Maybe the two of them were only together for a little while a day, where Verant wasn’t at his work.

Tuvok could admit that it fascinated him a great deal. He had witnessed plenty of relationships in his time. Vulcans with Vulcans and humans. Humans with each other and a variety of aliens. Tuvok had been in Star Fleet for a very long time. He had seen almost every relationship imaginable in every configuration conceivable.

Yet he had never encountered such violent people managing to find their way to each other in a way that no one had ever seen before. They were violent together and very clearly enjoyed each other’s company. How had it come about? Had then been together before or after they knew the other was a murderer the way they were? What had led them to undertake this venture together?

Tuvok attempted to think of something besides his captors, but his crew was the only thing that came to mind. The people he had lived and worked with in the Delta Quadrant for several years. Unfortunately, that led to more concern he was unable to do anything about.

He had no idea if his crew would find him. Even if they did find where he was located there was no guarantee that they would attempt to retrieve him. They simply might choose to continue on their journey and not get their crewmember back. Captain Jane might see it as unnecessary risk.

However, there was also the much more likely scenario that they would pursue him and find where he was being kept. If they came under attack, he had no way of making sure that they would survive the encounter or take as little damage as possible.

Tuvok’s paranoia about his crew was legendary. Never did he allow a crew member to place themselves in danger when he himself could undertake the risk. He had only risked their lives retrieving the Captain and the Commander at their behest. Otherwise he would never have allowed it to happen and would much rather they stay someplace moderately safe. They would’ve survived on the planet easily enough.

Tuvok thought back on his buoy and his message he had sent with Reinchaln, second guessing the decision to seek out help. It might prove the Voyager’s undoing and Tuvok would never have allowed that if he had been thinking straight. He should’ve told Reinchaln to simply go home and never speak of what had happened before. Although, if he knew the way that emotional beings operated, Reinchaln might very well have insisted on staying if that was the case.

Tuvok sighed and rubbed his forehead in exasperation. It was foolish to second guess his decisions without knowing how they had turned out or would turn out. Without the extra data there was no way to know what he should’ve done differently, if anything at all.

Plus, there was the crew’s feelings themselves to remember. Perhaps they wouldn’t have abandoned him as quickly as he had thought.

  Most of the senior officers and a few junior officers were gathered in the mess hall together. Each of them held a solemn expression and were looking expectantly at the speaker who stood apart from the group. Harry Kim had surprised himself with calling this meeting, but he knew that it needed to be done. Each of the bridge officers were there, with the exception of the Captain herself.

“I’ve called each of you here today to speak to you about what is going to happen. I also believe that I have some insight that is necessary about where we are going.”

A small ruckus of shouts infiltrated the room, accusing Harry of not wanting to retrieve Tuvok. He glared at them and waited for them to quiet before going on with what he was planning to say.

“I am more than in favor of retrieving Tuvok. I would be the first person to try and convince a crewmember that his rescue is necessary. I am here to speak to you about what is going to happen after we have him back.

“The Captain hasn’t announced this to the crew but our source says that he’s being tortured. Tuvok is being held by a psycho and experimented on. I know this is deeply upsetting but we need to be ready for what happens when he returns here. He will be hurting in a way that few of us will understand. He doesn’t feel emotions the way we do but there is almost certainly going to be psychological impact. We need to come up with ways to help him through this tough time. That is why I called you all here today.”

“So, you want us to help come up with ways to help him cope after he returns. To assist in his transition back to being on the Voyager.”

“Yes, Tom, exactly. He is going to need the sort of help none of us know how to give. If we start coming up with ideas now, together. Then when we have details, we can implement a plan. Get ahead of what is going to be a very challenging time for him. The Captain didn’t want us to know because she was worried that we would be distracted. However, the repairs and modifications are almost finished and we still have several days to go. We should start now.”

[kyrieanne]

In which I try to convince another person to watch Parks and Rec

In a recent hangout, @elizabethminkel, @imaginarycircus, and I were trying to convince @flourish​ to watch Parks and Recreation. I made the argument that if they like Star Trek: Voyager they will like Parks & Rec. So Flourish agreed that if I made a post laying out my Parks & Rec is Star Trek Voyager in sitcom form argument, they would move it up on their watch list.

So Flourish, here you go...

KA’S GENERAL ADVICE TO STARTING PARKS & REC

Start with Season 2. You can go back and watch Season 1 later. It’s only 6 episodes and they were still getting the tone for Amy Poehler’s character just right. Starting in Season 2, all of Leslie Knope’s co-workers know she is good at her job no matter how out there they (for good reason) think she is.

Pawnee is a character. Kind of like how the Simpsons have all these secondary and tertiary characters that rotate through — so does Pawnee and the town as a character becomes a damn delight in watching the show. Treat yo’ self to this article on the fabulous murals in Pawnee City Hall. (For the record, my favorite Pawnee citizen is this man: 

It’s more serialized than you expect a sitcom to be. You won’t be confused by the story no matter what episode you watch, but the real gold of Parks is watching it as serialized television with real arcs. Assume you’ll want to keep watching once you start.

MEET THE CREW

JANEWAY | Leslie Knope - Leslie Knope is the sitcom version of a young Janeway — kick ass, smart, hardworking, and ambitious. The Leslie you see in Season 7 is probably closer to the Janeway you see when Voyager begins.  Both of these stories center on a woman leading, one at the beginning of her career and the other at the pinnacle of it (cause obviously Voyager made Janeway a damn legend). What they have in common all along the way is a literal crew. Janeway is in the wild, Wild West, without the bureaucracy of Star Fleet, and Leslie Knope is navigating the endless bureaucracy of local government. Both are rule followers until the rules fail to make sense; then they are willing to do anything to care for the people under their charge.

CHAKOTAY | Chris Traeger - They’re both in charge of things. They both principled characters who know what they believe. Often, they are both foils for other characters and they always come through.

TUVOK | Donna Meagle - Both bosses. Both totally who they are and if you don’t like it then that’s a you problem.

TOM PARIS | Tom Haverford - Obsessed with pop culture. Flirts. Got something to prove. Their stories veer in different directions, but they start in a similar place.

B’ELANNA TORRES | April Ludgate - Each woman is unique, but they were both young and savvy. Torres struggles with the two halves of who she is (Klingon/Human) and April, over the course of the series, struggles with apathy vs. earnestness. Like how Janeway gives Torres a shot as Chief Engineer, Leslie Knope will never give up on April and the show rewards the viewer with a great female-female mentorship.

DOCTOR | Ron Swanson - Iconic grumps who find people extremely irritating. The Doctor is a bit more naive than Ron, but both evolve into more than they could have ever imagined. The Doctor, like Ron, gets all the best one liners.

SEVEN |  Ben Wyatt - He’s a ‘numbers robot’ and she’s Borg. Both begin their character arcs a little traumatized by their pasts and without real human relationships. Overtime, they become emotive, hopeful people who show they care by taking action often at a deep personal expense. (see what Ben Wyatt does in “The Trial of Leslie Knope”)

HARRY KIM | Ann Perkins - A really damn good friend and person, both of them. Both have terrible luck in romantic relationships for most of their respective series.

NEELIX | Andy Dwyer - Andy is funnier than Neelix and Neelix is smarter than Andy, but both have a tendency to drop a piece of wisdom when you least expect it.

JOE CAREY | Jerry Gergich - He’s there! He’s got a family! No one can quite remember his name.

KES | Mark Brendanawicz - Kes goes out as a alien beam of light; Mark will have a similar-ish fate. 

SESKA | Tammy 2 - You will love Tammy 2. She is a sex-positive Seska — over everyone’s shit and completely insane.

THE BORG QUEEN | Eagleton - Pawnee’s rival town full of suburban automatons.

KA’S VERY SPECIFIC PITCH TO FLOURISH

First off, there’s that meme - “Be the Leslie Knope of whatever you do.” Janeway is the Leslie Knope of Star Fleet Captain. Trust me on this.

Second, I know you aren’t super into comedies, though you love Brooklyn Nine Nine and The Good Place. But hear me out…

Voyager is a sci-fi drama that is often the red-head step child of the Star Trek franchise because it isn’t dark and political like Deep Space Nine, philosophical like The Next Generation, etc. It had all the hallmarks of Star Trek — adventure, drama, an ethos of hope — etc, but it was also FUN.

Parks is a comedy — I won’t pretend it’s got the angst of a drama, but it is a comedy of IDEAS, a hallmark for any Mike Schur show. Where as The Good Place was about philosophy, Parks is about community. Voyager is about getting home; Parks and Rec is about making the place you call home better. Like Voyager, it takes people who owe nothing to each other and forms a community. Nothing will make you feel FEELINGS like the end of “End of the World” (Season 4, Episode 6) or the end of “The Trial of Leslie Knope” (Season 4, Episode 9), episodes where characters reach dramatic, but quiet life changing moments where they see the world differently than they did before. They change. I think that’s probably what I’m trying to say — Parks and Rec characters change and grow with as much narrative arch as any drama.

Watching that is a damn delight.

KA’S FAVORITE EPISODES BY SEASON

Season 1

“Rock Show” (Episode 6)

Season 2

“Hunting Trip” (Episode 10)

’94 Meetings” (Episode 21)

“Telethon” (Episode 22)

Season 3

“Flu Season” (Episode 2)

“Harvest Festival” (Episode 7)

“April & Andy’s Fancy Party” (Episode 9)

“Road Trip” (Episode 13)

“The Fight” (Episode 14)

Season 4

“The Treaty” (Episode 7)

“Smallest Park” (Episode 8)

“Win, Lose, or Draw” (Episode 22)

Season 5

“Halloween Surprise” (Episode 5)

“Leslie and Ben” (Episode 14)

Season 6

“The Cones of Dunshire” (Episode 9)

“Moving Up” (Episode 21 & 22)

Season 7

“Leslie and Ron” (Episode 4)

“One Last Ride” (Episode 12 & 13)