#hoverball

[trillscienceofficer]

Star Trek: Voyager Maneuvers // Unity

[tabieeee]

It is me again. Castello the very tall camera man, I will haunt everyone. (Cough)

*Crashes through the wall standing there like a gremlin with the metal claws out, staring into your soul with an ever dead look then just speaks in a very calm and polite voice*

Hello there comrade, I have come to contact you about your expired warranty. Please come back to the agency to renew your agent ID or I will drag you by force in a polite but passive aggressive manner. No further warnings will be given.

they're being dramatic

[novasjaneway]

Unimatrix Zero Parts I & II. This two part ep (like many other episodes) has me thinking about the subtle intimacy between Janeway and Seven. The ending of Unimatrix just gets me so good I just can't help sharing my thoughts about them.

Janeway: "Ooh, the doctor removed my spinal clamps but it will be awhile before I'm playing hoverball again." A playful Janeway is making jokes about recovering from the assimilation but meanwhile, a concerned Seven reaches out to hold her arm and steady her as she loses her balance. Repeat that, Seven is initiating contact with Janeway. I rarely see her do this with anyone. Janeway is so unguarded with her in this scene. Her vulnerability and trust with Seven seems to continuously grow.

Janeway: "If I ever imply its been easy on you these last few years, remind me about today."

Seven: "Noted." And she smiles with playful amusement at Janeway.

Janeway: "Unimatrix Zero might be gone but it looks like the resistance is alive and kicking. With any luck the collective may never be the same." Janeway says this as she casts a peculiar, perhaps seductive, look at Seven.

Seven: "Korok said he would try to maintain contact, keep us informed." Seven seems very pleased that Janeway is satisfied with the outcome and is behind her 100%. And then suddenly, Janeway is curious about something....

Janeway: "Have you heard from your friend?" Janeways voice drops down several registers and her eyes get super heavy, she practically whispers these words to Seven. She doesn't even speak his name. There seems to be alot of trepidation coming from Janeway about the outcome of Seven and her "friend". Is she concerned, or slightly jealous? The mood has definitely changed from playful business to intimate relations.

Seven: "No, but I don't expect to. Axums vessel is in a remote sector of the beta quadrant."

Janeway: long silent pause with an understanding nod. Why the long pause here Janeway? She's looking her over (perhaps waiting for something else to be said or considering her own feelings?) Janeway is rarely this quiet omg she's breaking my heart with her longing. She nods in understanding that Seven will likely never see Axum again, but there seems to be something else going on behind her eyes, some other kind of feeling that she's trying to supress...is it relief, curiosity, her own desires? Just ughghghgh...the long pause. I can't seem to get over it bc she is so quiet about whatever she's thinking and feeling. It's the way the camera lingers on her too, there is a whole story in that expression.

Seven: "If I ever imply that he was nothing more than a friend, remind me about today." There is a noticeable drop in Sevens register as she says this to Janeway. Also note that she is mirroring the phrase Janeway just recently used. Mirroring is a form of intimacy. There is also a hesitation in her soft spoken words that seems to echo back to earlier in the episode when Janeway asked her who Axum was. A trepidation of her own?

Janeway: THIS LOOK. What is she saying to us, to Seven, to herself? Seven has just revealed very personal information to her trusted friend. She IS capable of romance. Janeway, Kathryn, ma'am, captain...just go ahead, kiss the girl.

Clearly they both have feelings for each other and this scene feels like they're exploring those feelings together, treading very carefully. I can't forget that both of them, without hesitation, were on board with Janeway entering into Sevens psyche to even be in unimatrix zero. That's pretty intimate. All through this episode I kept picking up on intimate vibes between these two. A little bit of jealousy from janeway when she was commenting oh how Annika was enjoying her human side. (Was she jealous that Seven was enjoying her human nature with Axum and not with her?) A little bit of guilt coming from Seven when she remembered the true nature of her relationship with Axum. (Were her feelings for Janeway the source of this guilt?) Janeways startled look of surprise when seven first mentioned Axums name. Seven telling Axum that her name is Seven of Nine when he called her Annika. The way Seven and Janeway both look at each other when entering the mind meld. The fact that Janeway tells chakotay she will not pass up the opportunity to see unimatrix no matter how many headaches she gets from doing the meld. The mind melds themselves are intimacy! Without a hitch Janeway beats down the borg to protect seven, while Axum just stands there. Seven visits her in sickbay. The whole episode has me thinking about them very deeply and I'm in my comfort bay alcove.

[breezybangtanbebe]

💎Chapter 4💎

✨masterlist✨

The trek through the narrow winding tunnel finally reached its end as Megan spotted a swelling glow of light in the distance.

Her new acquaintance, who had kept the small talk to a minimum the entire way, sped up the nearer they drew towards the opening as if he knew exactly where they were. At least Megan hoped he did. Her back was beginning to ache from ducking and dodging the random dips and divets in the tunnel.

Thankfully, as the light grew ahead of them, a constellation of twinkling coaxed Megan's eyes to widen in awe as she and Yoongi stepped into what could only be described as a colossal geode. The brilliant array of colors reflected in Megan's eyes after removed her glasses, her lips parting in a silent 'o' of amazement.

Thousands upon thousands of massive amethyst quarts stuck out from the curved walls and ceilings in a cacoon of enchanting gems in varying shades of opal, pink, and violet. They decorated the pockets in clusters, most of them bigger than Megan and Yoongi put together.

"Well I'll be damned.." she exhales, stumbling over the rocks and dirt at her feet, her distracted eyes fixed upwards.

The dome of shards curved up several feet, possibly hundreds, and arched over their heads, the area where they stood dividing the geode in half. Towards its center was a crater the size of two hoverball fields, a steep drop from the narrow ledge of rock they were standing on that was the source of the light that beckoned the pair from the darkness.

Megan shoots Yoongi a side eye before taking small tentative steps towards the ledge, carefully peering down into the giant crater to see the biggest and brightest diamond she'd ever seen.

Its natural cut was oddly symmetrical, millions of sparking triangles that seemed to glow blindingly the deeper they were in the stone. Its radiant purple light beamed from its center in waves, almost like a heartbeat. Pulsing. Living.

"Phor...I think I dug out the wrong rock.." Megan mumbled low enough for only him to hear, but at his lack of response, she assumed their signal to be weak. She tucks her glasses in her bosom before looking over her shoulder at Yoongi. He didn't seem at all impressed with where they were, his attention fixed on his wrist as he tapped at it.

"So...the core, I'm assuming?" she calls to him and Yoongi's gaze flicks to her with a stiff nod.

"Yes."

"And those things are tryna eat that?" she follows up, pointing with her thumb towards the hole they'd come out of.

"Mm." he nods again and Megan lifts her brows.

"Well...Damn..." she turns to stare back down at the pulsating core. Megan tilts her head and squints harder at it thoughtfully, resting her hands on her hips.

"It kind of looks like it's...breathing," she notes, its light reflecting in the center of her pupils.

"That's because it is."

At the sound of his voice, both Megan and Yoongi turned just as a tall male stepped from the shadows of a different tunnel nearby.

He sports an identical uniform to Yoongi, although it fits his body completely differently. His height exceeds Megan's by a few inches but his frame made him seem even bigger than her. His complexion isn't as fair as his counterpart, only a few shades lighter than Megan's. Medium to light-toned brown hair is cut short with tapered sides that give him a distinguished and authoritative look, and his broad shoulders and a notably developed chest call to Megan's eyes as he steps toward them.

"Damn.." she repeats to herself, but for a completely different reason. Her eyes flit back towards Yoongi, who was now standing at attention with his shoulders back, chin up, and hands clasped behind his back.

He also wore a mask similar to Yoongi's and the way his serious reptilian-shaped eyes roved over her curves with scrutiny let Megan know they were cut from the same militant cloth.

"And We'd like to keep it that way." he finishes, stopping in front of her and giving Yoongi a short nod of acknowledgment. The silent signal puts the soldier at ease immediately, although Megan couldn't relate.

Something, everything, about this man made her body tense, her heart racing in either fear or excitement. She couldn't quite pinpoint it. Just from the look in his eyes, she could tell he meant business.

"The captain, presume." Megan lifts her brows, and the sandy brunette lifts his eyebrow at her casual tone but bows his head formally with another nod.

"You presume right. And you're the...code inspector?" he tilts it to the side, coaxing a muffled chortle from Yoongi behind a frowning Megan. She opens her mouth to respond but is silenced by the swift shake of the captain's head.

"Save it. Lieutenant Min, ready the detonators available and inform the ship of our..predicament." he snaps, tipping his chin to Yoongi, the signal sending the subordinate jogging away.

Megan watched Yoongi go warily, a part of her hoping he wouldn't be leaving her with the captain already. While she'd just met the stoic man, she preferred his company over the looming male staring her down as if she were some foreign species. Well, technically she was but that wasn't the point.

She turns back to the captain as he unholsters his gun, also identical to the one Yoongi had. When he notices his eyes widening, the captain placates her with a gentle shake of his head and a furrowed brow.

"Oh please. Don't worry, I'm not armed for you unless you're dangerous," he mutters. Pausing, his gaze returns to her face with a quirked brow.

"Which you aren't, right?" he adds. Megan immediately lifts both her hands and shakes her head, her long ponytail fanning behind her.

"I'm harmless, I swear."

Her response had the captain's eyes going narrow as they scanned her again, this time slower, flowing down the line of her body suit zipper and then back up to her face. Then he chuckles behind his mask.

"Right. So..back to our predicament." he opts to say, blinking at her slowly. Megan blinked back at him innocently, her eyes darting around the geode that was starting to feel smaller.

"Predicament? You mean them thangs running around out there?" she begins to ask but goes silent at the sharpness of the captain's glare. The gun in his hands hums as he cocked it, a line of red notches glowing along the nozzle.

"Somewhat. Look, I don't really care who you are and what you're doing here. Based on what you're wearing, I know it's not to make sure the tunnels meet city regulations. But luckily for you, I'm not a cop."

"Oh?" Megan perks up and the captain chuckles.

"Yep. But unfortunately for you, I'm way worse."

Megan's expression drops as he takes a step towards her. She didn't even have time to be impressed with how natural he sounded speaking Lumin without a hint of a Borean accent, or how attractive his voice was.

"You see that down there? " he points the gun towards the core, never taking his eyes off of Megan's.

"That is the source of all life on this planet. The oceans. The animals. The plants. The people. All of that depends on the very heartbeat of that living, breathing core.."

Boots crunch over the dirt as he takes another step.

"..and all of that will cease to exist the second those pale-faced, bottom-feeding mongrels sink their teeth into it. And they won't stop there. Once they've devoured it, they'll build a new core that will essentially be an extension of their home planet, replacing this one. Everything that was will never be again the second that alien core implants itself."

Another step, this one provoking Megan to step back.

"And you think they'll stop there? Oh no. Then they'll lay eggs. And those eggs will hatch and grow into more bloodthirsty, core-craving sentinels with a hive brain all programmed to spread and consume AND destroy everything in their path."

He walks Megan back until she's pressed against a wall, pointy gems poking her skin.

"Now the core itself emits a vibrational force field that acts like a cloaking mechanism. It's a defense to shield its position underneath the planet's mantle, which we currently are in. We've had knowledge of the sentinel's presence in these tunnels for some time but they never seemed to be able to locate the core due to that vibrational field. So it gave us an advantage and time to prepare."  the captain continues with a softer tone, finally stopping just shy of his chest touching Megan's.

"My job, along with my team, was to strategically plant cylinders throughout the tunnel system in Purpura's mantle containing a lethal gas designed to eradicate anything and anyone that inhales it. We had a plan to deploy the gas once we'd finished placing them. From a distance of course. Anything crawling through this dirt hole would have been exterminated and the core would be safe. The tunnel would no longer be inhabitable but our planet would be safe. So essentially, we had a foolproof plan in place to defend and save everyone."

His voice was almost soothing in the way he spoke to Megan, a deep rich tone that lulled her into a state of compliance. She blinks up at him a few times, breathing in the indescribably masculine scent coming off his tanned skin.

She clears her throat before gulping nervously.

"Well...Good thing your boy found me when he did then, huh?" she jokes haphazardly and the way the captain's eyes form into slits implied that he was smiling underneath his mask.

"Oh yeah. I'd say you're very lucky." he chuckles. At the sound, the corner of Meg's mouth twitches into a nervous smile.

"But while you were "inspecting", the adverse vibrations from your little digging alerted the sentinels of our location and led them right to where we are," he adds, the lightness in his tone prevailing, although now it was clearly sarcastic.

He pauses, his gaze boring into Megan's doe eyes before leaning closer. Their faces are less than an inch apart and Megan's lungs seize at his proximity.

"And look where we are." he then says, so sinisterly that it is almost seductive.

It went without saying that it was because of her little mining expedition for the now laughably sized amethyst in her pocket, that the core's location was compromised and the entire planet was at an even bigger risk of being destroyed. But was it ALL really her fault? Megan stares into the captain's eyes for several seconds, mulling over his words before concluding with an offended scoff.

"Hold on...You tryna say that those things out there busted through that wall because of me?" she frowns, seeming less shrunken than before by the captain's closeness. He blinks at her in mild confusion, leaning back slightly.

"Uh...yes. That's exactly what I just s..Were you even listening to any of that?"

"Oh, I heard you. Loud and clear." Megan tuts her chin, prompting the captain to give her some space. As he backs away, Megan steps around him, effectively swapping their positions.

"And I think it's crazy how you would blame that all on me. If your core's vibrational frequency is so strong, strong enough to cloak itself, then how you know my lil 1000 hertz or less would have disturbed that?"

If she could see the captain's mouth, she was sure he would have been gaping like a fish amidst her questioning.

"Well.." he begins but Megan continues.

"And then..by your logic, if you and your team have been down here planting gas bombs or whatever, wouldn't that require a certain degree of drilling or digging too? Those things were probably already closing in on the core because of y'all!"

It was somewhat comical how the roles had reversed with Megan now walking the captain down with her hands on her hips.

" *krr* Captain.." a voice muffled by static calls to the team lead in his ear but he's too distracted by the ranting Luminasian in his face to respond.

"What? No, we've been tracking them!"

"Oh? So even with the core's emissions, you trust your tech to give you accurate readings?" She tilts her head, ponytail swinging. Now it was his time to scoff, pushing off of the spiked wall.

" ...egan..*krrr* Mega*krrr*" Phor struggles to make contact from his chair, his tone urgent.

"Well, I'd trust Purpura's tech over Lumin's outdated shit. Who the hell do you think you are questioning me?"

" *krrrkrrr*aptain? *krrr*do you *krr*ead me?"

"Megan! *krrkrrr* MEGAN!"

"And who the hell do you think you are blaming your planet's problems on me? I just got here!" Megan yells back, her volume seeming to echo in the massive dome of jewels.

"Oh? I thought you worked for the city? Code inspector" he lifts his fingers to simulate air quotations and Megan scoffs.

"And I thought you were in charge here! Tuh, Captain.." she jabs and the captain is suddenly back in her space, the point of his mask covering his nose grazing Megan's as he glowered down at her. She glares back up at him, completely unintimidated by his size or attitude since hers was clearly just as big. If not bigger.

Meanwhile, static and frantic voices buzz in both of their ears. With a shared sigh, they reluctantly break searing eye contact.

"WHAT?!" they snap in unison but before either of them can get a response, a combination of twinkling chimes and rumbling pulls their attention toward the geode's ceiling.

"Shit.." the captain mutters and Megan gasps just as a violet shard the size of her arm comes crashing down a few feet away from where they stand. Then another further away. And another right behind her.

Seemingly out of some odd protective reflex, the captain pulls Megan towards him at the waist, moving her out of harm's way. His rough touch sends a surge of sensation through her, a feeling she didn't expect. But it's short-lived when hundreds of crystal shards come raining down from the top center portion of the geode, crashing down and hitting the core. Amidst the spectacle of quartz rain, the mass of growls and shrieks reverberate off the crystalline walls. The sound of terror alerting Megan and the captain of two things...

The sentinels were here...

And they'd finally found the core.

[curator-on-ao3]

For your ask game, how about Elnor (surprise surprise lol)?

The prompt: "Preparing tea is a sort of meditation for me."

Thank you for asking, @the-qalankhais-sweetheart! 💕 I hope you like it. 🤞

———

Brewing Hope

He had been quite small, a blunted tan qalanq sword holstered to his back, the blade dragging behind him, when he told one of the sisters how he would grow up to be a great Qowat Milat.

And, of course, in the Way of Absolute Candor, she had crouched in front of him and said, “No, Elnor, you will not. You can train in our ways, but you will never be one of us.”

He had not cried.

Perhaps he had known, somehow, that while he lived among people who loved him, he was not like them.

The sister had made him some tea and told him of the Romulans arriving to Vashti, large transports full of those fleeing the impending supernova, and surely someone would adopt him.

But no one did.

Tea was hope, though, and when Elnor was in need of hope he would ask for tea and, when he was old enough, would make tea for himself, carefully heating and pouring the water, seeping leaves, the first sip a balm to the little boy he was and to the young man he had become.

Then he was at Starfleet Academy, a dorm room with a human roommate who sat cross-legged on a narrow bed and watched as Elnor made — not replicated — two cups of tea.

“Why do you do it that way?” the roommate asked, not rude — only curious — and Absolute Candor was both home and way station for Elnor so this question was easy to answer.

“Preparing tea is a sort of meditation for me." Elnor handed a warm cup to his cross-legged, human roommate. “It allows me to consider what I have, and what I hope to achieve.”

The roommate sipped, contemplative. “What do you hope to achieve?”

And Elnor had thought this was obvious, had believed that what he wanted was what everyone yearned for but few attained. “I hope to achieve belonging. To be a full member of a group that values me for myself.”

Perhaps the warmth of the tea caused redness in the human roommate’s eyes, rapid blinking, and a shaky breath.

“I’d say,” the human roommate held the cup of tea gently, like a treasure, “you’ve got that if you want it, Elnor. A bunch of us are going to play hoverball tonight. Do you want to be part of the group?”

And it had come true, finally, someone had adopted Elnor — not as a child, but as an equal.

“Yes.” Elnor’s belly became warm with tea and belonging. “Yes, I would like that very much.”

———

Send me an ask with character(s) and a prompt and I’ll do my best to brew up something you’ll like. ❤️

[action52]

literally all they needed to show me to sell me on botw2 was stupid gmod hoverball vehicles. fucking rules lmao

[pandorias-box]

Victini - What's your philosophy in regards to winning?

Zeraora - What’s your favorite sport?

Regarding winning, the only way that I see victories as being true is if they are done so within a fair and reasonable manner. Others would try to achieve victory at all cost, and those individuals are solely driven by their own selfish ambitions to succeed….

Oh, this is about winning in competitions, is it not? Sorry, I was…thinking of some other things people could win at. Those that are far less fun than sports and games…

As for my favorite sport, there are quite a few that I enjoy watching in Ultra Megalopolis. There is hoverball, in which contestants are put into specialized antigravity chambers and try to score in their opponents goal, and there is aerostrike, something that I can only describe as being akin to the Terran sport of polo but on the backs of Naganadel instead of equine Pokémon.

[woodelf68]

Just give her a hoverball to study and she'll be fine.

“Jane Foster, you need to come with us.”

[ufohio]

Local Boy Prepares for Charity Bike Ride to the Moon

Earth, Ohio—If you asked any other eleven-year-old boy of Earth what he's been up to lately, he might tell you he's focused on hoverball or rocket hockey, stellagaming, or perhaps even math homework. But if you asked Buster Martianberg, local sixth grader at Sally Ride Middle School, he would tell you a different story.

“I'm preparing to ride my bike to the moon,” says Martianberg matter-of-factly. “I've been working on it since fourth grade, and I'm almost ready now.”

Martianberg first came up with the idea in Deanna Dukes's fourth-grade class. “We had to do a project on Solar System records and come up with something no one had ever done before. Most things have been done? So it was, like, kind of hard?

“I wrote my paper on a bike ride to the moon. And later I started thinking, well, why can't I ride a bike there? My uncle runs a hover- and rocket-cycle shop, and he says in old times, people would ride across the county on antique bikes—with wheels. It would take months.” When Martianberg pitched the idea to his family, they were excited to see him so motivated.

“He came to us with all these blueprints he'd done himself,” say Cosmo and Dan Martianberg, Buster's fathers. “We couldn't believe this was our son! We'd never seen him like this before.” The Martianbergs say they were a bit shocked and initially nervous about the idea, but now, they couldn't be more proud of their rocket cyclist pioneer. “My brother gave him a custom rocketcycle from his shop—and the two of them have been practicing ever since,” says Cosmo.

But that wasn't the end of Buster's journey. In fact, according to Buster, it wasn't even the beginning.

“After we installed the rockets, we had to calculate for distance and rest, figure out how much food and supplies we'd need, fit the bikes with bubble tops and room to sleep, eat, and, well, you know…” In fact, the revolutionary waste disposal system the Martianbergs installed ended up being one of the most costly inventions.

It was Dan Martianberg who then suggested getting sponsorships from local businesses and donating any extra proceeds to a charity that provides children all over the solar system with their very own bikes.

“But I was his first supporter,” says the boy's Uncle Astro of Astro's Hobby & Cycle Shop.

Buster and his uncle expect to be done with preparations for their historical ride by this upcoming summer, just in time to launch toward perigee. They've estimated that the trip will take them two months—that's two months of biking, camping, and laughing … and it's practically all of Buster's summer vacation. “I can't wait,” says Buster. “My uncle’s been everywhere and has the best stories. We're gonna cook on open rocket flames and stuff. It's going to be cool.”

And back on Earth, the Martianbergs will eagerly await their return. “I'm glad,” says Dan Martianberg. “I was nervous about letting him go at first—I love Astro, but he needed a lot of second chances before he got that shop running and settled down. But I'm glad they're spending time together. Buster has really come out of his shell since he started hanging out with his uncle, and you know, Astro has been a lot more responsible, too… I think I was wrong to ever doubt them.”

[delta-queerdrant]

five by five? five by five what? (Manuevers, s2 e11)

Let the Seska arc hate watch commence! I do not remember having a good time watching Season Two, but considering the volume of notes I took while watching these episodes, I seem to have wrung some joy out of it.

We open with Chakotay and B’Elanna bickering after a hoverball game. I love that this episode opens on a friendship moment for the two of them, though the vibe frankly feels a bit flirty when viewed so soon after “Persistence of Vision.” I guess the writers are just reminding us that they're pals, but I am coming to this script with a high level of mistrust.

Voyager has a random encounter with a probe/nebula combo that turns out to be a Kazon attack. It feels like there are four shapes for the opening scenes of Voyager episodes - random alien encounter, gather resources, try to get off Gilligan’s Island, fight a cloud. The result is a formula that easily has the makings of a 45-minute collaborative board game.

The Kazon dramatically board the ship and steal a transporter module. The attack has been orchestrated by Seska, now visibly Cardassian and also at her vampiest, trying to consolidate power among the Kazon in a bid to get home. Chakotay is pissed! Tuvok is catty to him about it, which made me smile. It is goofy boys o’clock on Starship Voyager.

Chakotay decides to run off in a shuttle and confront Seska, leaving poor B’Elanna to play “man whisperer” and explain his motivations to Janeway. It would have been nice if we’d seen any of these alleged motivations firsthand, but instead we just get a vague sketch of a "strong but silent," emotionally fragile man trying to play the hero and protect his dignity.

I enjoy Chakotay and Janeway being at odds, but gods, not like this. Chakotay's relationship with Seska is dull as dishwater, and all of Seska’s on-screen time feels one-note. Cardassians are fun; a lone Cardassian running around the Delta Quadrant getting up to maximal shenanigans ought to be a hoot! So why am I so bored?

Maybe the problem is Chakotay’s conversation with Cullah. Chakotay warns Cullah not to trust Seska, whom he characterizes as a dangerous femme fatale. Okay, so we are in melodrama territory. If Seska is a wily temptress instead of a fully realized person, why did Chakotay, an extremely grown man, fall for it? Who is this guy?

At the end of the day, I think my problem is that Chakotay's adult backstory is unrealized. So much of this character’s arc relies on the conceit that he’s overcome huge personal deficits since joining Voyager, but when? How? He doesn’t read as a messy renegade who’s reformed, he comes off as an extremely mature guy who, with minimal fuss, slotted right into Janeway’s Starfleet crew. Any chemistry with Seska, or potential for real drama, doesn't make it to the screen.

Voyager wins the day, Janeway is pleasingly disappointed with Chakotay (and calls him a cowboy, which is both funny and extremely rude), and we are treated to THE WORST ENDING: a paternity plot that literally no one asked for.

The last note I jotted down was “No one writes Seska fanfic*,” which I think gets at the heart of my contempt for this character. If the purpose of a Star Trek is to vicariously have adventures in the company of a lovable ensemble cast, Seska is a reminder that the writers have failed. We can't even love to hate her, and it's such a bummer.

1/5 quantum resonance oscillators.

*this is a rhetorical point, please do not correct me with AO3 links

[trillscienceofficer]

one thing I'm kind of ??? in the characterization of both Jadzia and B'Elanna is that they obviously both enjoy a workout and are competitive when it comes to sports etc (B'Elanna playing hoverball even with a broken ankle and Jadzia always sparring with Worf even if she loses over and over) but then when their respective boyfriend/husband make a suggestion of taking a vacation (either on the holodeck, like in the case of Tom and B'Elanna in iirc "Waking Moments", or real, in the case of Worf and Jadzia in "Change of Heart") both Jadzia and B'Elanna seems to be like 'ew not a vacation with physical activity, what about something more relaxing'. And obviously it's very possible to like both a working out routine and chilling on a stress-free vacation but I can't help but notice how their characterizations have to be bent in order to fit better the mold of heterosexual dynamics where the girlfriend/wife is the fun police. To be particularly uncharitable, you get to be 'fun' and 'one of the guys' only when outside of a formal relationship otherwise you're a bit of a nag

[tabieeee]

midnight phone doodle of Optical

[aceofwands]

^ the only take on this thread I'm on board with.

Like, sorry op, but there are literally so many examples across the series including the exact things claimed not to be there: Naomi Wildman's Flotter children's holoprograms that the other crew mention playing as kids (which must be the equivalent of Sesame Street lbr); B'Elanna and Odo both read trashy Klingon romance novels; Odo reads heaps of detective fiction (and Picard with Dixon Hill); and we don't actually know how contemporary the Cardassian literature that Garak and Bashir discuss is, like are we saying that things like Pride and Prejudice shouldn't count as popular media today because it's centuries old?

We literally see everyone across all the 90s shows engage with soooo many kinds of holoprograms. There's a whole series of Vulcan Love Slave holoprograms - which come out during the course of DS9 because Quark mentions new sequels coming out! And given that we don't see it during TOS, and Riker's reaction in the pilot, it's kind of implied that the holodeck and holonovels are a relatively new medium for entertainment.

There are plenty of examples of characters listening to or mentioning alien sub-genres of music. Including the Doc's holo-son listening to some sort of awful Klingon music in the episode Real Life. And we meet at least one Bajoran musician during DS9.

They have SO many games - dabo, tongo, springball, hoverball, Dom-jot, Parrises squares, Kal-toh, etc etc.

And “it doesn't count if they're just referencing historical time periods” isn't a valid take imo. Like I'm sorry but how many TV shows and novels today are historical fiction or period dramas???

Not to mention, far more importantly, the Federation is so diverse it's literally impossible to compare to the Expanse and it's what, 3 cultures??

Like ... I feel like this entire take is so heavily influenced by our current media landscape and the dominance of USA media.

Meanwhile the Federation has at least 150 member worlds, and who knows how many countless subcultures there are within that!! Can you even imagine what it must be like? when you have a media library that probably spans billions or trillions of types of content!

I also don't think you'd have the same kind of pop culture environment that we do now, when you're coming from such a diverse range of cultures and backgrounds. So of course a lot of it would be: Here are the action figures that Ferengi boys grew up with! Here's the Bajoran religious poetry that got Kira through the Occupation! Here's the 20th century sci-fi holoprogram Tom made cause he's obsessed with that era!

My one problem with Star Trek is that no one is ever consuming contemporary media. As in media that's contemporary for their time period. Everyone is always reading old novels and practicing classical music. They study Klingon Opera or read old Cardassian mysteries. No one is ever like really into obscure Klingon Nightcore. Nobody is reading shitty Ferengi pulp novels. There's no kids media of any kind. Where is space Sesame Street or junior novels about gaining superpowers from a warp core accident? What about comic books? Nobody is playing crappy indy holodeck games. It's always some recreation of a historical battle or just lounging in a mud pit at some alien spa. Someone give me angsty Bajoran protest music. I need some rebellious teens producing the worst most cacophonous death metal techno that they recorded in an empty cargo bay. I need contemporary pop culture in Star Trek.

[raleeshpoy]

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