#i hope she never sees quark lol

[tgaiii]

the universal trek experience of having non trekkie family/friends call your favorite characters ugly...

[justmeinadaze]

Aftercare (Steddie Ask)

A/N: This an ask by @corrodedcorpses <3. She wanted something where the reader didn't know what aftercare was so the boys showed her after an instance with her boyfriend or a partner. It intrigued me! You always give me interesting ones, mama, that I can connect with! Lol I seriously didn't know what aftercare was until I started reading smut. All my exes never did it and I always felt like ugh after they would leave.

I hope I did you proud!

Warnings: Light smut (she said I could :D ), more so Steddie looking after her, there are mentions of the aftermath when her boyfriend leaves (bruised wrists, welts from a belt), Steve mentions her bleeding and Eddie gets protective, reader is stuck in a little/submissive headspace

Word Count: 2555

Steve tossed Eddie some movies on the couch as he shuffles off his Family Video vest and slams his body exhaustedly onto the adjacent sofa.

“You’re films you requested, my liege.”

“Cool, man. Thank you.”

“No problem. Where is Y/N?”

Eddie’s eyes shift towards the closed door of your bedroom. “With her idiot.”

“I thought they broke up.”

“Yeah, well, I guess not.”

The door suddenly opens, your boyfriend adorning a huge grin. “I’ll see you later, Y/N! Have a good night, boys.”

They both respond with an aggressive hm as Steve gets up to follow him out and lock the door behind him. “Fucking prick.”

“I can hear you; you know!”

“Good because I wasn’t hiding it!” 

“Hey, sweetheart. You want to watch a movie?!”

“Not tonight, Eds! I don’t… feel so hot.”

They glance at each other at your change of tone. They had known you since high school and since you guys had agreed to move in together, you all had learned each other’s little quarks. You always seemed to have a smile on your face especially around them but in every one of your relationships, you appeared to become more and more lethargic. 

You confided in them once that you felt like there was something wrong with you. 

“Maybe I’m not meant to be happy in a relationship.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? Of course, you are, honey.” Steve couldn’t believe what he had heard. 

“Any man would be lucky to have you, princess.”

“Please, you have to say that because you’re my friends.”, you giggle.

Eddie rose from the couch as both boys headed to your room. It was oddly darker than normal and Steve flipped the switch to turn on your white Christmas lights you usually had on above your bed. Your clothes they remembered you wearing that day were tossed around on the floor but you appeared to be clothed insomething since they could see the light reflecting off the silk against your skin. You were laying on your side as the blanket covered you up to your waist. You seemed incredibly small and it scared them a bit. 

“What’s wrong, Y/N? You’re feeling sick?”

“No, Stevie. Just… tired.”

“Y/N, did that fucking asshole hurt you?” You both turned to look at Eddie as Steve followed his eyeline. Your wrists were starting to swell where you had pulled at the handcuffs that were currently hidden in your dresser. “I’m gonna fucking kill him.”

“No! No, no, no.” You quickly got up, running after him as he started heading for the front door. “No. It’s… it’s not what you think.”

“Honey, you’re bleeding.” 

You try to look at your behind, wincing as you sigh. “He hit me a bit too hard. NO!” Eddie starts to head for the door again as you grab his arm. “I…I wanted this. Fuck.” The metalhead’s arms shoot out to catch you as your knees buckle. “I feel really heavy and…”

“A little clingy?” As you found yourself still stuck in your little girl headspace, Eddie’s protective grasp around you had you feeling safe. You couldn’t help but nuzzle your face into his chest as you nodded. Both men look at each other with a mutual understanding of what’s going on.

“What fucking prick doesn’t do aftercare after something like this?”, Steve asks.

“What’s that? After care?”

Both sets of eyes widen at your question. “Y/N, you’re telling us, you want to do things like this but no one has ever taken care of you after?”

“Well, that stops today.” Eddie lifted you into his arms and carried you towards your bathroom. “Harrington, take over really quick, I have some first aid stuff in my room. I’ll be right back.”

Steve sits on the edge of your tub as he looks up at you with admiration. “Do you think you can stand for a shower or do you want to take a bath?” He sees something flash through your eyes that seems like trepidation. “Hey. You’re still in that headspace?” You gently nod your head. 

“That’s ok, sweet girl. That’s perfectly alright. Did you want to ask me something?”

“If…if I take a bath, will you sit with me?”

He tenderly smiles as he pulls you into his embrace. “Yeah, honey, I can do that. You can ask me and Eddie anything you want to, okay? We love you.” You grin with giddy pride at his last sentence. “This is gorgeous by the way. Did you buy it?”

Your hands fly down to run along the silk nightie you had forgotten you were wearing. “I did. It came with these cute panties and stockings. I don’t like those though. The mesh feels weird on my feet.”

“Hm, I bet. What do you like?”

You shrug as he lifts the garment over your head. “What do you like?”

“Honestly, I’m not a big fan of extras like stockings.” The pads of his fingers glid up your leg to the middle of your thigh. “I like to be able to feel my girl’s skin.” He grinned as you blushed. 

After turning off the water, he held your hand as he guided you into the tub. You flinched as you slowly lowered your behind into the warmth, your eyes darting to his after you were seated, waiting patiently for him to join. 

A pleasure filled sigh left your lips as he gradually removed every item of clothing he was wearing. You had seen both of them without a shirt numerous times but seeing him now was sending a different kind of electricity through your body. When he removed his boxers, your breath caught in your throat. He was much bigger than you expected him to be.

“Wow. Didn’t take you long to get naked, huh, Harrington?”, Eddie grinned as he entered the bathroom. Steve made a face at the boy before climbing in behind you, pulling your shoulders back so you could lean against his chest. “I got my first aid kit laid out on your bed with some comfy clothes. I was thinking after we take care of you here, if you’re feeling up to it, we could order a pizza and watch a movie.”

You smile up at him as he takes a seat on the corner of the tub so he can face you both. 

“Is it ok if I ask you some questions?” You nod your head to the metalhead’s question as Steve delicately runs his palms over your arms. 

“You said you wanted this. Wanted what exactly?”

“I like…being controlled.”, your eyes look down in shame.

“Princess, look at me. There’s no judgement here. You’re safe with us, ok? Can you repeat my last sentence back to me?”

“I’m safe with you.”

“Good. Good girl, baby.” His words with the proceeding smile made your body shiver. 

“Now you like to be controlled but it seems like the idiots you’ve been with haven’t been doing it right if you don’t know what aftercare is. It’s extremely important after playing like that.”

Your eyes meet his as your bottom lip trembles. “I just thought there was something wrong with me. That’s why…I feel like this after…like I’m broken or something.” 

Steve’s arms wrap around you as he pulls you closer to him, kissing the top of your head. Your gaze shifts between them as you feel the love they have for you radiating off them. You ARE safe.

“He hits me too hard sometimes. It makes me feel like trash especially when he just leaves after.”

“You’re not trash and you’re NOT broken.”, Eddie growls. “I fucking hate that guy. Fucking every guy you date is a fucking imbecile. I swear—”

“Can I kiss you?” His head straightens up as his brown eyes look at yours in confusion. “I’m sorry. Was that…to much? I just… seeing and hearing you both be so protective and caring…watching your lips move…I just wanted to kiss you.”

The metalhead smiles as he all but jumps into the bath making you laugh as he carefully straddles his knees on either side of both your legs. His palms grip your cheeks as he brings his lips to yours. It was a delicate kiss; careful to not cross a line but you desperately wanted more as soon as he pulled away. 

“How are you feeling now, Y/N? Starting to feel a little better?”, Steve asks, smiling as you nod your head. You were feeling so much better in fact that you grew bolder, leaning back to place your lips on his. When you pulled away, his kisses trailed up your jawline and down to your shoulder.

“How…how do you guys know about this stuff?”

“Aftercare? Because we’re fucking gentlemen.” You laughed at Eddie’s statement making them both grin seeing the personality they were used to slowly pushing through. “Sweetheart, even if you weren’t into the rougher stuff, who wouldn’t want to hold you and spend time with you after?”

He kisses your forehead before rising to his feet, water cascading from his now soaked attire. 

“Really? At least take off your clothes before stepping out so you don’t trench her floor.”

“I think you just want to see me naked, Harrington.” Eddie winks as he slides his shirt over his head and yanks down his shorts with his boxers, tossing them to the far corner of your tub. 

Jesus. How could both your friends be so well endowed and you have no idea. The metalhead reaches for your hands but pauses before you can reach up for them. 

“Is this okay? Do you feel comfortable touching me while I’m naked? I can go grab boxers or here! Maybe Steve’s will fit—”

Your palms grip his as you pull yourself up. “Eddie, it’s fine. I trust you.”

The man smiles as he reaches for a towel and dries you first before himself, tossing it to his friend to utilize as he guided you back to your bedroom. He sat on the bed as he placed you in front of him, turning you around so he can see the wounds on your behind.

You hear his breathing stutter as you feel the pads of his fingers trace down your sides. “I’m sorry. I just…you’re really fucking beautiful. I mean…I always thought you were…gorgeous…I just—”

Turning back to face him, you kiss his lips again, this time with much more vigor than before. 

“Wait, wait. F-fuck.” Eddie pants as his tongue runs along his lips. “I can’t…we can’t…not right now, Y/N. Let us…let us look after you tonight and then tomorrow…we’ll see how you feel.”

You nod as you adjust your body back to the way he had set it, finding Steve leaning against the bathroom doorframe. 

“What do you think, Ed? Maybe, we can at least reward her for being so honest with us.”

“I don’t see how that would be a problem. Just don’t move her to much so I can finish cleaning and bandaging these cuts here. Baby, what did he hit you with?”

“Belt.”

Eddie grumbled under his breath as Steve fell to his knees in front of you. You hiss as the man behind you starts his task, your hands promptly shooting out to grip the other boy’s shoulders. 

“Hey, whoa. It’s ok. I got you.”, he coos as his own palms grip your waist. “I got you, honey. Is it alright if I touch you while Munson does his thing? I can wait if you want me to.”

You adamantly shake your head as you run your hands through his hair. “Please, touch me.” Grabbing one of his huge palms off your hip, you take his fingers and guide them through your folds. “Here.”

Steve sucks in his bottom lip as he feels how wet you are, bringing his fingers to his mouth.

“Fuck me…you taste so fucking good. Eddie, you have to taste her.”

They gently shuffle you forward so the metalhead can kneel down behind you, opening your legs a bit wider as his face presses between you to push his tongue into your entrance.

“Eddie…”, you moan before the other boy follows his lead; mouth wrapping around your clit. 

The metalhead leans back as reaches for the bandages to cover your cuts on your ass. “Y/N, princess, seriously… fuck those other guys. Fuck… I’ve never tasted anything so sweet before.” He hurriedly finished what he was doing before sliding his own fingers between your puffy lips into your entrance. 

His forehead leans against your back as you whimper at the feeling of his massive digits stretching you open. You turned to look down at him when you heard him spit, wetting his hand as he stroked his length. 

“Is…is this ok?” Eddie slightly smiles when you nod, your fingers tangling in Steve’s hair as tongue flicks against your much more aggressively. “You’re so fucking tight, pretty girl. Jesus.”

Steve’s head suddenly leans against your tummy as you watch him fold into himself.

“Fuck me…”, he pants as you notice the sheen of his cum on his belly. 

He glances up at you for a brief moment before diving back into your cunt with much more determination. You groan their names, your legs giving in as you cum. Steve catches you, slowly guiding you to your knees as Eddie keeps fingering you through your orgasm. The man reaches for tissue on your bedside table, cleaning himself as the metalhead grunts and spirts of his seed land on his thigh. 

He thanks him as his friend hands him the extra tissue he pulled for him. It takes them a few moments before they realize you’re lying on your side against the floor. You feel your body lightly jostle as panties are slide up your legs. Steve lifts you by your arms to a sitting position so Eddie can throw his shirt over your head. 

“How are you feeling now, sweetheart?”, he whispers as you lean your cheek against his shoulder. 

“Safe…calm…” You nuzzle your nose into his neck. “Loved.”

Steve grins, his eyes shifting between you both as he leans up on his elbow. “Good. Because we love you. Now…you can tell that prick that he needs to do this with you every time.”

“What? What prick?”, you ask genuinely confused. 

“Your boyfriend.”, Eddie answers in sullen tone.

“Oh. I… I thought that… was this just a one-time thing? I don’t want it to be.”

“Honey, I don’t want it to be either.”

“Me either and, baby, trust me. We can give you want you want without making you feel the way you’ve been feeling.” You giggle at him as he winks, pulling your head to his lips. “Now, again, I know Harrington just wanted to see me naked but I would like to at least put on some pants so we can watch some spooky movies and eat some food.”

Steve whines as he rises to his feet and lifts you off the floor as Eddie follows. “Does it have to be scary? Can’t we watch like Sixteen Candles or some shit?”

“I like how you asked that like you didn’t bring me those movies from your store.”

“Stevie brought me Fatal Attraction a few days ago. I still haven’t watched it.”, you grin.

“Oooo… sex mixed in with a thriller. Everyone wins!”

[graceisprettygreat]

oh oh top 5 quark headcanons!

OUH. IMMENSE DIFIFUCLTY there is no way i could possibly order them. so i will haave to modify to just. 5(ish) headcanons. starting with a freebie (tenmyouji voice in the chuckie the doll voice) ive got a kid. gendahflooid. as for the full 5 lets see lets see lets see one absolutely entirely fascinated by old forms of travel. i imagine not many in the town have vehicles, their grandpa being among a small handfull. and so the methods that dont exist anymore, she always want to hear all about. airplanes especially. tenmyoui always htought them nothing too special in his trip(s) between japan and the united states, but quark when they wee littler demanded his 'airplane story' again and again 2! their birthday is january 17 2064! this would be the 100 yr anniversary of (from my limited understanding) the first scientfici article published about quark particles. i find it so neat that it just BARELY works. but it does! work! #3 i have a hard time differentaiting what is headcanon versus inference but. unreliable narrator in their letter w regards to their health lol. i think THEY think theyre a lucky and healthy kid. im positive this is untrue lol. i imagine they have pretty severe developmental issues what with. lack of prenatal and birth care, implied prematurity, malnutriton, NOT WALKING UNTIL AGE 2, and lack of tenmyouji able to be w them to get them moving around building muscle. then their illness at age 3. i think they likely are far behind what *we* would consider healthy, espeically in early life. and once she had tos tart working they just had to, work through it! 4. minor physical apperance things! freckles they absolutely have freckles. screen texturing during certain scenes even makes it look like she has freckles! and also, their teeth are SO jacked up. defintely would need braces once they lost all their baby teeth but. well. and just generally. far more scratched up and dirty than the game makes them appear lol. i totally get for the game they had to hide spoilers of course. and can even see tenmyouji trying to make sure theyre as cleaned up as possible and wearing their best before meeting akane. but i just do not think theyre *this* cleaned up lol the fifth one. phew im glad i thought of different ways to format all of the numbers. im funny. but okay the fifth head canon oh god its so hard to pick just one more. but. something entirely unexplored i think abt a lot is, the ideas they had of their mom before they found out they were adopted. that they figured, always imagined, that tenmyouji had a daughter, who was of course their mother. and that its only retroactively they can say "but he'd never been married or had a kid before". so they imagine the daughter that she was. the person that she was. make up stories abt her in their head, thinking abt what she looked and acted like. what she did in their home. if their room used to be her room. and never talked abt it to their grandpa bc they figured itd make him sad. but that led to not understanding until they were 7 that the person they imagined, the daughter of tnemyouji, never existed. and thats a weird thing to grapple with! they dunno how to feel about it. now not having an attachment through that. i hope i aritculated that well! thank you thank you for the oppuruntity to share some if you ever want ten trillion or more (OR TO TALK ABOUT YOUR OWN. THATS ATCUALLY AN ORDER. SEND ME YOUR OWN) please let me know any time!

[walkingstackofbooks]

DS9 1x20 In the hands of the prophets thoughts (rewatching; spoilers for future episodes abound probably)

The opening MilesxKeiko scene is sweet. I don't like irrational jealousy, but it was more teasing of Miles' obliviousness and was just funny and cute

Man I've missed Keiko. l thought she was around more in early season when I was missing her in later seasons, but I guess that was just rose-tinted memories

Oh. Winn's appeared. Ugh.

Keiko using her teacher voice to answer Winn's interruptions - "Yes, on Bajor the entities are worshipped as prophets." *continues lesson* 👌👌👌 Winn's point is not completely unreasonable, but the manner she brings it up is.

I love you Kira, but you don't *really* believe in Bajoran separatism, do you??

Oh my god I hate Winn's fake piety so much, you can tell she resents Sisko with every word she says. Don't you speak about Kai Opaka, she wouldn't stand for you

Yeah ever since Neela started showing up in the past few episodes consistently I knew something was gonna go down with her because frequent side characters are not normal

(side note: what happened to the Federation security bloke? I felt for sure he was dodgy but he never was he just disappeared)

"I've tried to be reasonable" FUCK YOU NO YOU HAVEN'T YOU'VE JUST PRETENDED AND GIVEN NO REAL OPTIONS. STAGING A "DISCUSSION" WITH AN AUDIENCE IS NOT THE SAME AS ACTUALLY HAVING A DISCUSSION YOU ASS

I hate her so much

I cannot

I lowkey love how petty Keiko is in teaching Galileo. Like, honey, no, that's not the way to keep the moral high ground here, and Jake's conclusions from the lessons are very wrong - but it is a Queen Move.

Sisko is best dad and I love the understanding he shows Bajorans when explaining to Jake they're not wrong.

BAREIL. Oh man. Now I'm re-watching I'm just going to be sad about how the Kai elections turn out instead of wildly optimistic whenever I see him, aren't I?

Nah I'm still gonna hope he wins

And I'm still gonna hope Kira elopes with Dax rather than ending up with him -he's fine as a spiritual leader but nah as a love interest

Odo and Quark just doing their thing :3 both "just doing their jobs" my ass

YES SISKO go off on her

FUCK I knew she'd influenced Neela but I'd forgotten about this scene SHE EXPLICITLY SENT A YOUNG BAJORAN GIRL LOOKIGN TO HER FOR SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE TO HER DEATH FOR A CHANCE AT POWER I HATE HER SO MUCH maybe I don't wanna watch the rest of this again I'd forgotten how awful Winn is

Lol the build-up to assassination is so tense and then there's the slow-mo with Sisko shouting "noooo" and I just can't XD

Oh, Kira. Once again, you deserve to have a break.

Welp, I'd forgotten how much I hate Winn and I'm already missing Season 1 and it's lack of her presence up until now.

Guess I'm just gonna have to make peace with the "I know how it turns out but I'm still hoping what was recorded on TV can magically change to become better" feeling.

Like, I don't mind the characters being massively traumatised by every other event. But Winn, being allowed to exist, let alone eventually become Kai? Nah. Nope. Can we not.

[make-me-imagine]

Congrats on making it this far! :D You can identify me by the Nick Wolff(yes 2 f's it's got a reason;)

I'd love a ship for any Stargate series, Star Trek (simply not the new movies pls) and Dr Who? I'm 29, female, bi and slim but muscular. I love sports and play soccer in a team. Otherwise I draw, read play guitar and videogames and love learning: New languages, how things work and so on. I work as a chemistry and physics teacher. At first people are intimidated by my stare but I'm nice. I'm determined, reliable, loyal and honest but most don't realise that I have to keep myself in check when someone is being an ass, I can be quite passionate then. For Headcanons: May I get When they knew they loved you and how they describe you? Thank you for this!

Thanks! I hope you like them!

Stargate: 

I ship you with Cam. 

I think he would be a very suitable match for you. He loves how smart you are, as well as shares an interest in your likes and hobbies (sport, music). He is attracted to your determination and loyalty and never takes your honesty for granted. He also loves when you go off on someone who is being an ass. 

The moment he knew he was in love with you: 

It was quite simple really. 

You had been in a relationship for a short time, and was already crazy about you.

But one day, when he went to see you in your quarters, you were practicing your guitar. 

And in that moment, when you looked so comfortable and at peace in your element and even had a small smile on your face, he had this moment of realization of just how much he loved you. 

How they describe you to others: 

Well one term he tends to use without thinking is “hot”. 

He often describes you as talented, kind and a bad ass. 

He does tend to talk about your looks, but never as much as he talks about how good you are at like, everything. 

Except to his family, he just describes you are wonderful, passionate, great at everything and so kind hearted. 

Cam never goes without saying “Oh, you’d love her.” 

Your best friend: 

I think your best friend would be Sam. You too get along so well. She would often bring you in when she needed help and would teach or tell you about astrophysics. Sam would love your dependability and loyalty and would treat you like a sister 

-

Rest of ships under cut: 

Star Trek: 

I ship you with Kira. 

I thought of Kira first because I think her feisty and strong personality would mold well with your reliable and honest self. She holds honestly, loyalty and reliability to high standards and never doubts you. And in certain situations, she never holds herself back from telling someone off, so if you both do it, rip to whoever was being as ass lol. 

The moment she knew she was in love with you: 

You were in Quarks bar and some visitor was being rude to another person on the staff.

You had been holding back trying to tell them off, until they shoved the other person. 

This was when Kira came in, and she herself was about to go tell them off but you stepped in.

She watched as you tore into the visitor about how they were acting and why they should be more respectful. 

You two had not been together very long, and this was the first time she really saw this side of you. 

She was in awe at how strong you were being and had a moment of true realization that he really cared about you so much more than she had realized. 

How they describe you to others: 

She rarely describes you physically as she does not think that is important for others to know. 

Instead she talks abut how kind, loyal and trustworthy you are.

As well as that you are a teacher, and all the children love you. 

Also that you are often playing sports with others around the station. (This is her way of saying, you have have seem her around). 

Best Friend:

I think your best friend would be Jadzia. You two would mesh well together. Often laughing and working together round the station. She rooted for you and Kira to be together, and was ecstatic when you finally began dating. 

-

Doctor Who: 

I ship you with Ten. 

I chose Ten because I think he would be the most appreciative of your loyalty and reliability. He would admire you so much and would never take you for granted, or let others do so. He loves that you are a teacher, especially of science. He also enjoys that you are interested in drawing and music. 

The moment he knew he was in love with you: 

He dropped you off in your normal timeline for a while. 

He was struggling with the idea of you possibly not wanting to stay with him. 

When he came back to visit, you were at the school, teaching.

He snuck in and watched you from the door.

When he saw how you were as a teacher, and how you acted with the kids, he felt his hearts begin beating faster than expected as  a warm feeling swelled in his body. 

This was a struggle for him, as it made him realize just how much he loved and missed you, and how much he would not want to let you go. 

How he describes you to others: 

“Absolutely brilliant” is a phrase he uses often. 

He describes you as one of the best humans in existence, the pinnacle of kindness and loyalty.

He also described you as perfect, which in his mind you really are. 

He brags that you are a teacher because he loves that, and knows how much you pride yourself on being a great teacher as well. 

Best-Friend: 

Donna. You two would be great together, and a handful. You would team up on the Doctor when he is being stupid or over-dramatic. She is not afraid to get sass with you because she knows you can take it, and dish it out if needed. The Doctor both loves and hates when you are on the TARDIS together. 

xx

[mineta-minoru-is-baby]

I think I found the perfect name for her I want a very androgynous so I chose Aaron or Erin Lockhart (she's technically non binary but she doesn't really know what that is and didn't grow up the terminology) and any students ask her how they spell it she says it doesn't matter

A little back story

She is was in the Marines for 8 years and after a knee injury forced to retire and award with a purple heart. She is trained in hand to hand combat has several black belts. graduated getting a masters in education and social work. She ran several marathons and was on an all womens row team.

She never married or had a serious relationship (demisexual and grayromantic) with anyone tho she does have two kids and 4 grandkids.

She has been a teacher, a principal and has been offered superintendent several times. She used her experience in service to train pro hero teams. In total She founded 6 pro teams and has private training sessions for solo heroes as well

She knows several languages English, Spanish,Japanese, Russian and ALS giving her some opportunities to get information from other countries for the government

She not a social person (even though she has a degree in it ironically) most of her friends were once an enemy or previous coworkers. She stays in touch with her students mostly and gets to see where they're going in life. She's gone to so many funerals that she can't keep up.

Shes in her early 70s after getting a knee replacement surgery she retired from everything until she was offered the job in Japan at a top rated pro hero academy

all of this because she wasn't born with the quirk she wasn't ashamed of it but you still wanted to contribute to the prohero world

She didn't have super strength but she was pretty strong for someone who didn't have super strength

She was really smart for someone who didn't have an intellectual quirk

She was pretty fast for someone who didn't have a speed quark

She was successful and I will respected person inside and outside of the prohero community for someone who did not have a quirk

And she doesn't want one either If she had any sort of power she believes that she wouldn't be in the place where she is right now

She had to work three times as hard then those who did have a quirk

She's what Midoriya could have been had he not gotten a quirk. (Cuz I know hed find some way to work with heros)

Also androgyny for the win! She's a rlly good oc! I can never find it in me to stick with one character. They have to be really really special for me to maintain any consideration for them lol.

I hope her knees stay strong and she has a good tea, maybe an herbal one, and a good book.

[bibiana112]

Yes it would actually

Oh I can imagine how hhhhh it'd be to experience the conclusion of this game while on shrimp emotion - can't feel a thing mode holy shit hope you still managed to rest :'3

Oooooh that, I mean, I didn't finish my replay of this game yet but the impression I got from seeing him give that whole speech again was that? There must have been I dunno a dropped plot thread somewhere?? Like it's a thing that radical-6 was made by Free the Soul so I imagine there was something there idk is it implied he'd have heard it somewhere else before? I don't recall anything like that but I've been doing a less than stellar job at paying attention now that I know the twists, like I really feel like it makes the experience worse to know what's coming in this case and even worse still when I know how ztd goes about stuff too, but yeah back to the Quark thing I just. Yeah I just don't know it feels like it's just there because it's supposed to be an impactful moment and if he didn't say much it would be too quick of a scene to feel like a turning point in the plot

Oh the time jumping thing actually does makes sense I promy!! At least the Sigma stuff is simpler to understand than how it's explained here I think, I made a messy outline of it in Ms paint at some point to explain it to someone, do you want to see that? lol

Underwhelming maybe? This game has a lot of good setup that falls short on delivering in my opinion, especially the stuff that ztd touches on, like, I cannot stress enough how much nicer I'd be toward vlr as a story if I'd never layed eyes on ztd no joke, like it isn't bad to be left with a lot of questions after an ending but it's important which questions you're left with, if what goes unanswered is stuff connected to what feels like the very core of the story, be it the emotional core like motivations still being too abstract or plot stuff that you expected from the beginning to find out about, then it just doesn't feel satisfactory

(I have no words here the jk lol is really getting to me like oh okay??? Hello??????)

Yeah! The impression this cast has always left on me was "I really wish I could like you more than I do :(" but the context of the story isn't doing them any favors for me. Junpei and Akane I still feel are pretty damn well written in this game!! Seriously the one spoiler I genuinely felt kinda bad over letting you in on was that cause it's genuinely one of the most impactful bits of this game finding out that's them,, seeing them so many years later and after so much grief gives their characters such an interesting extra layer while still managing to feel like the same people we followed in 999 again looking at ztd for absolutely fucking that up Clover I do think feels pretty different but I wouldn't even say it's just that she'd gotten more outgoing in a year like I really feel like she comes across as less intelligent and honestly flanderized in this game? I'm pretty sure she was only back for being the fan favorite and like I forgot for such a long time that she's actually a character I enjoyed in her original appearance cause all I remembered from vlr was her trying to seduce Sigma and it working on the bastard and being ready to flip her shit at everyone without thinking about the logistics of who could have killed Alice despite being a year into a job that should have helped her keep a cooler head in this kind of situation?? When who she thought was her brother was found dead she still could think rationally about who could have possibly done it and like we just abandon the whole leaf words thing too like it never happened and sure her third fucking nonary game doesn't sound fun to go through but idk it feels like her past experiences are a point of intrigue that doesn't acknowledge most specifics that we were there to see, like that's a thing I noticed, 999 starts being referenced as vague backstory for some characters in a way that doesn't quite feel like a sequel it feels like two separate things referencing each other on occasion because of an overlap in the recurring cast

Alice is really fun!! I wish she was in a better game and in better clothes but I do find the AB game fuckery when going against her actually pretty fun lmao. Luna is blorbo from my mutuals!!!! She's not really the type of character I latch on cause she's just so good and nice but I perfectly get how her very deep struggle with loneliness gets to people and so many of my friends absolutely love her that I couldn't help but warm up to her too y'know. Where Dio kept the bombs I think was his hat? Or was that the detonator thingy I must be mixing things up but while that's a good question I feel like I've read the answer to it in a Q and A somewhere and the answer was a bit ridiculous lmao but I'm really not sure, and yeah like I was surprised at how many times I actually found his dialogue pretty funny too especially with how instantly everyone is done with his shit. I'm pretty sure Quark only dies with the bomb stuff, maaaybe,,, I hope? Someone commented on one of my Akane posting with "Akane 'It's okay to kill a child when I do it' Kurashiki" and I went????? Wait, does Quark can die????? And I mean even if we don't see it there's still plausible deniability on wether his bracelet would have worked the same as everyone else's with 0 BP or not and I am not sure which one I lean towards being most likely honestly, but yeah, he's baby and I miss him. And!!! I knew you'd like Kyle's vibes some way or another I'm not sure why either I think it's just the similarities with Repliku tbh lmao. Sigma sucks!! His personality is less shitty in ztd but the specific way the story decides to revolve around him certainly makes up for it and probably solidified my strong distaste towards the guy <3 but yeAH PHI!!! I care her in this game :D I also wish we got a more solid backstory for her,,, I mean we certainly find out where she came from,,, but not really in a way that gives insight into what life she'd led before the nonary game so fuck us for wanting to find out more about her like the game urged us to I guess, but yeah her personality in vlr is just my favorite she can be a meanie but I can relate to how she approaches most things

And hell yeah!!!! Finally some appreciation for vlr puzzles, they can be a bit challenging but I'm glad you enjoyed them too ^w^

So.... What the fuck! ( Any thoughts? VLR is wild )

if i put the Junpei what the hell compilation here does that count as an answer

ok i do actually have thoughts yes. so many thoughts. might take me a sec to form words out of em bc of the sheer.. something. whatever just happened and im also lowkey sleep deprived rn i have shrimp emotions and i also cant feel anything

hmm ok one of the things i wanted to mention was that earlier i almost thought Quark couldve been some kinda abondoned Left clone but they have different eye colors so thats crossed off the list. that Does make it kinda weird that Quark mentions freeing his soul during that one scene, but i guess we're supposed to assume he just picked it up from somewhere? like he heard abt it on earth at some point? i doubt Dio wouldve said anything to him abt it in the pod, and even then i dont think hed quote him during That if he did. but how well known were the Myrmidons for him to hear that?? or was it from Junpei/what Junpei was talking abt when he said he was involved during the mars expiriment thing??? idk i just thought that was a weird connection that they didnt directly address.. i think. i couldve missed smth there

im not even gonna try to understand the entirety of the time jumping stuff when it comes to switching bodies and all that. youd think id be prepared for this kinda thing considering all the stuff ive played so far! i am not. looking at the picture they used to show how Sigma's been jumping all over the place legit gave me motivation to do my homework bc that would be easier to comprehend

on that note im like. how do i put this. i was actually super interested in where all this stuff was going for a long while bc the ideas being used were cool even if the execution was a lil wonky. like im so down for time shenanigins (with memory fuckery!! come on!!) and clones and humanlike robots and a lot of other stuff they had going on. i actually like what they were doing when they expanded the morphogenetic field stuff, although i Do wanna think of that as completely seperate from how it is in 999 bc of the retconned stuff :/ other than that what they had going on was pretty cool but. the ending just. i ,,, i dont even know the way it all came together feels so weird???? like it technically makes sense and i get what they were going for. its. ???? i wanna say what im looking for is "anticlimactic" but idk if thats right. its just..... Weird.

however i also wanna say that i am at least glad they touched on the different views of people being stuck in the "worse" timeline? Junpei being glad to have Quark despite everything while Clover and Alice have to deal with leaving behind half a century along with their friends and family. even tho they just kinda went jk lol at that part immediately afterwards???????? but whatever i guess

the characters in general were pretty fun tbh? not quite as real-feeling as 999 but still enough to be enjoyable. it was nice seeing Junpei reference a bunch of stuff from 999 and retain some pieces of himself all these years later, especially when he quoted Light ("fake, a replica, not the real thing...") its horrifying to think abt all hes been thru at this point tho ,,, Clover seemed a lot more outgoing than before but a year can change u so i cant say much abt that, it was cool to see her again regardless. Alice is an interesting one and i liked her even if she was kind of frustrating to go against in the AB games lmao. Luna has lowkey been one of my favorites thru the whole thing but i had a hard time fully trusting her for so long bc of how suspiciously innocent she was lol which wasnt entirely baseless either but yknow. Dio is admittedly funny and ridiculously good at acting like hes a normal person its actually scary. also whered he hide the bombs before planting them bc they didnt seem That small. anyway uhh Quark is a funny little guy and its nice that he straight up doesnt die (usually?? i cant remember if theres a route where he does. other than the bombs) and!!! i actually really enjoyed Kyle. no idea why. wish he didnt abandon me so many times but it fuckin be like that i guess. accidental revenge for absent fatherism. and.. Sigma. when u said u do not like him i think im with u now. not necessarily strong feelings but. yeah. but PHI.. god i wish they actually said where she came from shes just HERE and they never fuckin elaborated man who is she. she is so cool tho i love when she goes on her tangents abt stuff <3

AL OF THAT SAID u were very right when u said the puzzles in this game are fun. even tho i had to check a guide a few times bc i was genuinely clueless for some of em (u have no idea how stumped i got in the darts part of the white room puzzle. i should never do mental math this late i cant live that one down) theyre mostly really good and i did enjoy those sections especially

[sleepymarmot]

DS9 season 1 liveblog

[Season index: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 PS]

Emissary

Wait, "kidnapped for six days"? I thought the timeframe was much tighter...

I hope Kira won't always overact so much.

I like how quickly Sisko can go from barely contained cold hatred to cheerful manipulation.

Bashir's LITERALLY FIRST LINE is flirting! I'm honestly impressed :D

Bwahaha, tell him, Kira!

...Did O'Brien change back into his old uniform just to visit the Enterprise? 

O'Brien now talks to computers just like Geordi.

Is this show going to regularly use baseball as a metaphor, like TNG did with poker? :D

This episode is a much better take on explaining humanity to an alien than "Encounter at Farpoint".

Past Prologue

The entire opening scene is just delightful -- does that even need saying?

Why does O'Brien feel so strongly about not giving the guy to the Cardassians? Has Chain of Command happened already?

Ooh, is this the encounter with the Duras sisters that will be referenced in TNG season 7, or are they going to visit DS9 again?

"Klingons have an odd sense of style, don't you agree?" -- Nah, only those two.

Drinking game: a shot every time Garak says the word "simple".

I didn't expect the show's second story to be so good!

A Man Alone

...Is every episode going to open with a scene where an older person on whom Bashir crushed within five seconds of their screentime is standing behind him and touching his shoulders?

I'm confused again, isn't the O'Brien kid a bit too old?

"Killing your own clone is still murder" -- Was this episode deliberately written as a fuck-you to Up the Long Ladder, or is it just a lucky coincidence?

Babel

What a beautiful script lol

Why aren't they at least trying to build a linguistic database? That was my first idea...

Captive Pursuit

"I'm not a barkeep" Well now I want an AU with Quark as Mrs Hudson...

"They've reversed the polarity of our shields" Sorry I just cannot take this phrase seriously...

Oh ffs, not the Prime Directive again!

Wow, this show really likes O'Brien...

Q-Less

I love the guest appearances from TNG characters! It really helps to establish the show as part of the same continuity.

Q and Vash's Doctor-companion dynamic gives me life.

Oh no, the Ferengi handjobs are back, I was wondering when it would happen...

"I like your new tailor" I thought Q meant Garak, not the change in Starfleet uniforms...

"But it's not going to be the same without you. When I look at a gas nebula, all I see is a cloud of dust. Seeing the universe through your eyes, I was able to experience wonder." I'M DYING THIS IS LITERALLY THE DOCTOR'S LINE

Dax

I was looking forward to this one! But I didn't expect the "how Trills actually work, let's forget about The Host" story to be presented as a courtroom episode, that's pretty clever.

Ah, of course whenever they talk about Dax's past relationship with a woman, they switch to third person and male pronouns -_-

I thought the wife was the murderer.

The Passenger

God, don't they have filters or oxygen masks or anything like that? 

Yoo, a possession episode! This is endearing: TNG season one sometimes felt like revisiting TOS stories with a new cast, this season does the same to TNG.

Move Along Home

Does a fourteen year old really need a strict bedtime?

Kidnapping people is easy with transporter technology -- but how does one change their victims' clothes in the process?!

Quark's breakdown was unexpected; I suppose there'll be a follow-up on that?

The Nagus

Jake and Nog's friendship is very heartwarming.

Vortex

I'm glad to learn more about Odo, but wasn't this episode kinda cheesy?

Battle Lines

Yess, more Kira drama

Let me make a guess: this will be important in the season finale?

The Storyteller

You know that post "Have you ever accidentally befriended someone who was extremely annoying"? It needs to be on a screenshot of O'Brien and Bashir from this episode.

Progress

Kira's subplot is like an unholy hybrid between The Survivors, Ensigns of Command/Journey's End, and Preemptive Strike. Plus, that guy looks like Hannibal Lector.

Jake and Nog's subplot is giving me a bit too much secondhand embarrassment.

"I'm going to tell Minister Toran that she's remained temporarily on Jeraddo at your request" "But sir, that isn't true" "Make it true, Doctor. Now, please" lmao Sisko's methods are... interesting.

He gave a good speech to Kira in the next scene, too.

I'm glad it worked out well for the kids :D I kind of expected the two plots to tie together at the end -- like the old man settling on the piece of land they bought.

If Wishes Were Horses

"Waste of time. Too many people dream of places they'll never go, wish for things they'll never have, instead of paying adequate attention to their real lives." Are you calling all of your viewers out, Odo?

A bit too much technobabble, but funny! I thought this would be not just about imagination, but about youth. The imaginary characters are conjured up by a three year old, a fourteen year old, and by Julian whose immaturity is even commented upon in the cold open.

The Forsaken

Oh... oh my god... it's her

Why is her hair pink, anyway

O'Brien's talking to the computer right after opening credits, just after Majel Barrett's name appeared on screen -- are they doing this on purpose?

this orange hair is even worse

"You are the thin beige line between order and chaos" I'm dying what kind of compliment is this

Odo's grumpiness re: humanoid mating rituals is beautiful

"Every 16 hours I turn into a liquid" "I can swim"

Hello fanfic trope :D

Yes, Odo, I was making the same faces during the episode she's recalling

"Do you hear it?" "Hear what?" The voice" ARE THEY REALLY DOING THIS

"Like a baby" I'd say, more like Lwaxana

"It came here when we downloaded the probe's files. If we upload those same files back to the probe, it might go with them" That's... not how it works...

Universal acceptance is a lovely and very plausible other side of the coin to Lwaxana's eccentricity and odd taste. I've grown to appreciate that. She's always so obnoxious at the beginning of the episode, I completely forget about her sensitive side and she manages to surprise me every time.

wait, so she's been canonically wearing wigs in all those TNG episodes?

Dramatis Personae

Wait, is the infirmary right across the corridor from Quark's bar?

Bashir is acting very strangely

Alright, the question is "who isn't acting strangely"

Is Kira trying to flirt with Dax?

Bashir really won the temporary personality lottery. Everyone else became unlikeable and he just Lives For The Drama. I mean, more than usual...

Will Odo often play this role of the only one unaffected by a disease, like Data did? But unlike Data, he can also manipulate people. I'm only now starting to appreciate that he actually is a "Constable". Very refreshing to see a security officer who's allowed to be smart.

Duet

Oooh, finally it's time for the Bajoran-Cardassian drama again!

The plot twist makes this episode remind me of The Defector even more... And I think it cheapens the conflict; what to do with a bureaucrat who hasn't personally committed atrocities is a difficult and morally grey area -- not so much if it's the Big Bad responsible for everything and proud of it

Alright, he's too hammy, is there another twist coming?

Nice, Dukat is getting nervous, that's a good sign. I love Odo the detective

Okay, but even under his real identity, wouldn't, like, a very public trial and broadcasting his story everywhere have some effect?

I... don't really like how this episode ends on a "Not all Cardassians / Some Bajorans are just prejudiced". Still, it's the strongest story in the season.

In the Hands of the Prophets

Ughhh religious fundamentalists...

Have I mentioned how uncomfortable it is that on this show people's ears are often grabbed with completely different connotations?

Oh god I'm just seething this is too real

The murder mystery is interesting!

I hate her so much

Call! Odo!! Or! Sisko!! Preferably both!!!

General impressions:

A surprisingly even season. There are no outright failures (unlike TNG's first and last seasons -- hell, probably unlike any TNG season) but it's rarely remarkable.

The interior and costume design is quite ugly, sorry to say.

It took me several episodes to adjust after the glorious remastered HD of TNG. Please remaster this show too!

Best character for dramatic scenes: Kira

Best character for lighthearted scenes: Bashir

Most underused character: Dax

Best duo: Odo and Quark (okay, there's not much competition so far, I just wanted them to have their own category)

If O'Brien is such a super engineering pro, why did he spend all these years on the Enterprise manning the transporter instead of being Geordi's right hand man or something?

I don't know what I think of Sisko yet. But I like him more than Picard in his first season.

[lewisgour]

Torture for Info is Illogical.

Why torturing for information fails all logic tests:

1) The frailty & incredibly dodgy aspect of the biological memory process.

The memory process is stored in fragile structures of chemistry, electricity & genetics.

It is extremely prone to physiological inconsistencies.

It is easily damaged by physical trauma.

It is extremely affected by psychology, social pressure & influences, immediate emotions & distorted by deep roots of experience [phobias, biases, etc.].

In short it is not very reliable,

One hundred times so under duress.

2) The 'importance metric' variance from person to person.

Each person is very different in what they consider 'important', ie. the things they choose to not forget.

Genetics, culture, individual experience & interpretations thereof affect what we think is significant & what is especially important to remember.

3) The complete mismatch between trans-dimensional diffuse, complex reality and our moronic idea(s) of the clunky 'certain', 'eternal', 'truth'.

We all have this reflex notion that the truth is a singular, absolute, eternal, [relativily] simple & clear.

If you beat things all around & shatter them the truth will magically pop out whole & intact, like a cartoon?

The 'sword of truth', if you will.

Wow! What could be further from the actual truth?

An examination of physical reality has it very complex. Avagadro's number [ 10^23] is the number of hydrogen atoms in a gram of hydrogen, & if you have that much measured hydrogen, very likely it is not all 100% hydrogen, adding to more complex messiness.

Actual reality is complicated. Some things hold together into managible mostly singular coherent constructs. Even those things can break under certain conditions at the right location.

Important portions of reality are very diffuse, like the oxygen laden air we need to breathe to sustain life & consciousness.

Think about the electro-polar electro-static storm that is a single drop of life sustaining water.

Electrons have various spin & other quantum characteristics. Other atomic particles are made up of some recipe of several quarks with their specific quantum states.

Quasi-particles are coming into & out of existence all the time which causes the casimir effect, when two flat plates are a too short distance apart for these quasi-particles to emerge from & the external pressure pushes them together.

Think about all the micro-gravity wells around each atom that aggregate together to create large object gravity wells.

Trying to comprehend all the total complexity of even some macro-scale limited span of all this is impossible.

Now imagine the very likely possiblity that other universes exist somewhere[somewhen?] else & then what ever might exist as reject detritus between universes.

Coherence is always transitory at best.

Wouldn't suprise me a bit if the speed of light & other so-called 'constants' gradually change over the long spans of the universe.

Actual complete truth is incomprehensible.

Our brains want & probably psychologically need to believe exactly the opposite.

One of the main functions of the brain is to find extremely simplified behaviors to deal with an incomprehensibly complex reality. Luckily that works well enough often enough to make it mostly worth the effort.

4) How are the murky thought processes of torturers 'deciding' which victim screams are the 'truth' or not?

The torturer is aledgedly torturing the victim precisely because they DON'T know what the truth is.

Yet they have already decided this victim knows some objectified 'truth' they care about.

Wow! how exactly does that make logical sense? it doesn't. They are psychic? Prescient? They guess? They hope?

Flag waving lovers of fascism flying blind, not a stepwise structure of logic.

Torture is not done by sensible people.

Torturers don't dare admit they screwed up, e - v - e - r , because then the public will see it is an outrageous, horrific war crime by villains in power.

How the heck do they supposedly 'know' what the 'truth' is when they hear it?

Isn't is about 100 times more likely they halt the torture when they hear something juicy they WANT to believe, or think their bosses will want to hear.

What one wants to hear is independent of actual facts.

Isn't most probable a victim is fabricating melodramas to stop the pain? Managing to believe them so to deliver them with conviction.

The victim most often rattles on & on till some particular litany halts the source of pain.

The torturer's rabid, ballistic brain is going to be the delicate compass of what the actual, delicate, empiric truth/reality is?

The only actual way to determine if someone is telling a truth/fact is to verify it with corroborating evidence.

5) There is not & never will be a body of honest data that supports the false notion that torture is an effective means of deriving information.

As to the American Psychological Association getting 80 million plus dollars to ramp up torture techniques for the US government,

they have all the intellectual rigor of the Spanish Inquisition,

which is to say they are money parasitic, certified

intellectual trash.

What is the REAL use of torture as a tool?

It is the tool of police state terrorists,

used to instigate fear, horror & intimidation in populations they want to tyrannize.

Let me lay out a recent & illustrative example:

https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/waterboarded-terrorist-fabricated-montana-recruiting-effort/article_8636a8fe-1096-5a81-b5f2-83e72b3a6cc5.html

When Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was tortured he said there was a terrorist plot to blow up gas stations in Montana.

The FBI spent millions determining it was a false claim, & Khalid Sheikh Mohammed subsequently admitted he lied.

They kept torturing him, until he confessed he was the mastermind behind 911.

Wow, do you believe that either?

But 'authorities' left that one out there for public consumption,

and paraded it in their show trial,

without even going to the bother of verifiying it.

Why?

Because it fit their agenda.

That made the public think there was closure on the 'official' narrative

AND torture was the self-justified 'key'.

Me?

Having looked at the addmittedly crude video of the Pentagon on 911 i have yet to find a 757 plane in it. That's a pretty large jetplane.

There is a fireball explosion, but there is no 757 that precipitates it.

but what do i know? How dare i use my own eyeballs!

Authorities become married to authority & most of them will do anything to maintain the grip on power.

The only defense you can guarantee is your own skepticism, whenever you hear something & then if possible critically examining it against your own experience, & other, reliable sources.

Call me the Duke of Doubt.

Don't trust the Messiah of Mistrust when he/she/it shows up. They are LYING! They are the deceiving anti-skeptic! 666 on you all! LOL.

[sleepymarmot]

DS9 season 2 liveblog

[Season index: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 PS]

The Homecoming

They're opening the season with a three-parter about Bajoran-Cardassian problems, and Dukat will show up right in the first episode? The writers are not wasting time...

Sisko's unusually cheerful.

Again, I'm amazed at this new heroic O'Brien who is so unlike the background character I've watched press buttons for years.

One does not simply walk into a Cardassian camp! Unless you're these two.

This is completely crazy! What'll stop the Cardassians from destroying their ship?

Just as I was going to say "Why not beam the wounded right from the runabout?", they actually do so -- but just after exiting it. Is there any in-universe reason behind it, or just the ease of fiming?

Why is Dukat being so friendly? Maybe he has spies among the freed Bajorans? If so, it better not be Li Nalas himself...

Bashir you're embarrassing yourself -_-

Quark, why are you always such an ass to your brother? Is that really necessary?

Poor guy.

Oooookay?? The previous scene made me completely trust him, but now my suspicions are stronger than ever. He's replacing Kira? Seriously? That has got to be someone's plan.

Well, this episode was meaty. And it really seems like the show is finding its feet -- unlike Duet, this episode didn't remind me of the other series and feels uniquely DS9.

The Circle

Aw, Odo's being a good friend! I don't remember him ever becoming so agitated before.

Vedek Winn as guest star? *grinds teeth in advance*

what a mess... I don't know if it's funny or sad. What a contrast to Data's friendly, nice and organized goodbye party :D 

"These are my... these are my friends" 

Do the Prophets really need to show her this sexy crap? Also, I'm too faceblind, is the guy in the vision the freedom fighter or the priest?

Odo and Quark!

I don't understand, which of these two is trying to convince the other to support them? And I don't like how blatantly evil they act.

AUGHHHH NOT A STUPID STARFLEET ADMIRAL AND THE PRIME DIRECTIVE!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!! GET THIS CRAP AWAY FROM ME!

(Seriously though, you say "Prime Directive", I hear "stupid bureaucratic crap that gets in the way of doing the obviously right thing". Either retire it or write it better, dammit!)

The Siege

Okay, I might change my mind by the end of the episode, but this might be the strongest of the multi-episode stories so far.

Aww Nog

"The Cardies" haha

Ugh, don't do the "wife asks husband not to be a hero" thing

The freedom fighter becomes a leader for real!

Sisko and Bashir turn and walk away in sync lol

"Is that a spider or a dog?"

Please stop ruining your engaging story with scenes about cartoonish villains...

I've... actually completely forgotten that O'Brien had been in the Cardassian war until this very moment. That's probably why he has been so opinionated, not just because of Picard. 

That's it? Kinda underwhelming.

Ugh, killing Li Nalas? I didn't expect this show to cling so hard to status quo...

The first episode was the most impactful, but the entire story is still very impressive, epic and engaging!

Invasive Procedures

End of previous episode: Everyone happily returns after evacuation! Beginning of this episode: The station has been evacuated

Quark and Odo: *bicker* O'Brien: Ughhhh get a room already

Previous episodes: main characters defeat the forces of the entire Bajor This episode: DS9 is easily hijiacked by a handful of mercs & amateurs

That's an impressive "As you know" speech, Dax

When will poor Jadzia get an episode that's not about her being victimized and quietly accepting death?

Yes, I get it, the entire thing is just a plot device to show us Dax without Jadzia (and hopefully, Jadzia without Dax, if she'll be awake for it?), get on with it please

I hope the second half of the episode is about Dax working against the antagonist literally from the inside

Well, it's pretty disappointing that Dax by themself has so little personality and moral compass. I guess Sisko was all this time really friends with just Curzon and Jadzia, not Dax. Honestly, it's easier to forgive Quark (who sort of redeemed himself with an amusing scene) than Dax after this episode.

I was planning to go to bed after this one, but hell, I need to wash down this nonsense

Cardassians

I see Bashir has gained a lot of confidence since Past Prologue

"I am no more a spy than you are--" "A doctor"

I guess not everyone is fine with strangers touching them haha

"To us, he isn't even one of them any more" uh.....

"They won't hurt you. They're humans, they're not Cardassians" jfc...

"Don't apologize. It's been the high point of my day. DON'T DO IT AGAIN." 

(Sisko seems to chew out Bashir more often than others. Is Bashir just the most undisciplined?)

Oh, here we go, O'Brien's anti-Cardassian racism again, makes sense for it to be in this episode

Poor Keiko, she's trying so hard

Miles is getting over himself! I'm proud of him

Bashir is learning to yell at people! Two episodes in a row now.

Um, Miles, I don't think it's a great idea to tell these things to the boy's father...

Dukat's neck scared me. is that normal

GOD IT'S EVEN WEIRDER FROM THE FRONT why am I so bothered by this lmao. honestly was their casting requirement "not only be able to look ominous without actually doing anything, but to have an extremely long neck so we could sculpt interesting things around it"? i'm sorry i'm gonna shut up about this now

Garak if you hold that satisfied smile for some time more you're going to turn into a child-drawn picture of a sun

I love that Dukat doesn't even bother to finish the conversation, he just turns around and leaves without a word the moment it becomes clear that he lost

Ugh, poor boy... What a choice. Abusive family he loves and considers his own or the planet of strangers from an unfamiliar culture he hates, both claiming to love him and expecting him to identify with them? Even if they didn't tell who took him in the end -- he gets a bad deal either way.

it's much more easier to take Garak seriously when he's not dressed like a grandma who stopped giving a fuck 20 years ago. that's probably why he does dress like this, though... but shouldn't that hurt his reputation as a tailor?

This episode was awesome! Exploration of social issues, family drama, political intrigue -- all tightly wound together and making perfect sense. So far the Cardassian stories are the highlight of the show, I hope it's going to stay this way.

It's really weird how Bashir changed between seasons. He hasn't gotten a lot of screentime apart from this episode, but he seems less naive, awkward and bouncy, he's grown more confident, and the crush on Jadzia has disappeared without a trace. Tbh I'm kind of disappointed -- I was expecting a smoother character arc that would let him grow before our eyes and phase out his immature traits one by one. Same goes for his relationship with Garak -- we've only seen their meeting and now they act like besties, how did they get here?

No, wait, let me get back to the plot of the episode. So Dukat had a politician's child kindapped just in case that politician becomes his opponent at some indefinite point in the future, so that he could go through another complicated scheme to humiliate him? Had he absolutely nothing better to do?!! Did he arrange something like this for everyone who could ever possibly cross him?

Melora

Um, Julian, that sounded a bit too much like Geordi's style of creepy almost-stalking...

Wait, Melora is Grace Holloway? :D I didn't recognize her until the familiar name appeared on screen.

She complains about being treated differently and about following the same rules as everyone else in the same breath. Did the writers make her hypocritical on purpose?

Why is he doing this? Is he actually interested in her as a woman? Does he want to help her acclimatize? Or to put her in her place?

Okay, the low gravity scene is pretty cute even if it doesn't make much sense

Daphne Ashbrook in all your fandoms, kissing all of your pretty Doctors

so far it seems like in season 2 the good episodes are better than in season 1, but the mediocre ones are worse

god, the writing and design are so bad, I don't want to list everything that doesn't make sense to me, let's just move on

Rules of Acquisition

I was tired but the plot twist woke me up!!

Dax is so sweet

Poor Pel :( Shitty Ferengi values win again I guess 

Well, I'm glad he took a stand after all. And that they kissed. HELP I'M HAVING FEELINGS ABOUT FERENGI ROMANCE

Necessary Evil

Aw, Sisko called Rom "a family friend"

...so do Odo and Sisko perform the bad cop-good cop routine often?

yoo a flashback! I was wondering how Dukat was going to fit into this

"Cardassian neck trick" I... think I've already said enough on the subject lol

First meetings!

First meetingS!

I was distracted for some reason and didn't appreciate this episode enough :/ But it was very good!

Second Sight

Yikes Sisko don't embarrass yourself

"She's a married woman" "That would have never stopped Curzon" ew

ah I've missed the starship uniforms

what a boring episode. can we stop with the love interests of the week, please? I don't understand why the writers are suddenly forcing them so hard this season, and watching three of these in one day has turned my brain into soup. okay, Rules of Acquisition worked, but Melora and this episode were terrible!

(only pros: gorgeous woman, gorgeous dress)

Sanctuary

What was even the point of the universal translator not working for a while? This had nothing to do with the story, and the only thing it did was to remind the viewer how implausible the entire concept is.

Second mention of the Dominion -- I guess we'll meet them in the season finale?

Yep, I'd be surprised if the promised land didn't turn out to be Bajor

Bajoran Leia!

Wait, why is famine a problem? Why can't the Federation just provide Bajor with replicators? Prime Directive again? I mean, they almost seem to want me to ask this question by cutting right to refugees in front of a food replicator.

Why are they so attached to the idea it MUST be Bajor? Ugh, I hate these stories.

Rivals

Are you implying that El-Aurians have supernatural abilities and all this time people confided in Guinan not because she's charming and wise but because she mind-controlled them? 

Julian is a NERD and Miles is regretting all of his life choices that led to this point

(Gosh, I didn't realize how much I've missed scenes where the main characters just hang out together off-duty)

8 minutes into the episode and I still have no idea what it's about

Are you saying that O'Brien and Bashir's tennis rivalry is legitimately the B-plot because I'm really into it

"Not in this space-time continuum you won't"

oh my goooood

wait a sec, the listener is only figuring it out NOW?! h o w

finally, a really fun silly episode!

The Alternate

Wait, so when Odo is in humanoid form, does he see and hear like us, or "percieve" like in liquid form? Does he have 360 degree vision?

Put it back! This is either a defense mechanism or the environment needs this column to function for some reason; beam it back down

So Bashir's crush on Dax isn't dead? We haven't seen it for so long, I thought it was over. But why is he monologuing? that's just bad writing.

plot twist! D:

god, this doctor is so creepy with his Measure of the Man reenaction

poor Odo is literally having a meltdown :(

Armageddon Game

Another O'Brien and Bashir episode, nice!

Poor Keiko

Bashir's speech about wife and children at home is weirdly sexist, especially since the previous episode re-established his interest in Dax, and his previous romantic involvement this season was a fellow Stafleet officer too -- he should have the opposite problem (which was already discussed in "Melora")!

aw Quark, you don't have to hide behind the Rules of Acquisition to admit you care

Whispers

Everyone around seemed to be acting like he smells bad, does this mean that's actually true?

"It's not doctors I have a problem with, it's--" "You, Julian"

jfc Miles, she's your wife, you should try to talk at least to her

Quark can't name a rule of acquisition by number? alright, for the first time in the episode I believe someone is fake

O'Brien is a badass

Are they absolutely sure the dead one is the clone and the real one takes his place, not the other way around? That was an awfully convenient excuse to shoot a Starfleet officer point blank without anyone asking questions... 

Poor communication kills. At first it seems like something is wrong with O'Brien, but since people refuse to talk to him about it, he becomes convinced literally everyone else is conspiring against him -- and turns out, no, the problem was with him after all! And then they kill him off for no reason just to maintain status quo and avoid the Thomas Riker situation. They could have told him at literally any point instead of being so stupidly vague, but no, gotta keep the plot moving for 45 minutes! Before they found the real O'Brien they could have arrested the clone and told him everything, I'm sure O'Brien would understand; and after they rescued the real one, they could have just transmitted the image, if they're so averse to words. And after acting so stupid, as a final insult the other characters keep talking over their poor dying friend in third person like complete jerks. The episode is great... until that ending. Which just doubles my frustration, because it's one thing when a story is mediocre to begin with, but it really sucks when a wonderful episode is ruined by shitty conclusion.

Paradise

Yes, yes, I get it, this woman would do anything to keep this way of life and probably sabotaged the technology in the first place

What's wrong with replicated food? I hate this stupid trope

did she send the runabout away too?

what the FUCK

look, it might be useful social commentary to depict these rhetoric and tactics, but watching it is still torturous

it adds another level of creepiness that all this shit is done to a black protagonist -- was it intentional?

she's a more proficient torturer than the guy from Chain of Command

this woman is one of the most horrifying antagonists in all Star Trek. she actually believes all this shit

the engineer is supporting her? they all want to stay? for fuck's sake. she made them all see five lights

well. if the writers wanted to upset me, they succeeded

Shadowplay

"How fascinating" :D

"Women don't react to me in that manner" What about Lwaxana, then?

"After seven lifetimes, the impersonal questions aren't much fun anymore"

Yeah, why does a 15 year old need a job?!

The local guy is surprised at Odo beaming up and back down, like he's never seen anything like this before, and two minutes later says he has scanned for transporter activity

I like how the Prime Directive isn't even mentioned :D Or is it a human colony? But isn't this the Gamma Quadrant?

"You want me to spy on Quark for you?" so excited, bless him :D

backstory for that one time Miles played cello on TNG!

I'm glad these villagers are not as conservative and stubborn as people from the previous episode

I am reminded how much more modern DS9's storytelling is than TNG's every time they namedrop the Dominion -- like Doctor Who did ten years later with Bad Wolf, Torchwood etc

I knew he'd transform for the little girl eventually :') Odo reminded me of Data more than usual this time because of the friendship with a child and the episode's general similarity to Thine Own Self. But while Data gets along with kids partially thanks to his own childish (in a good way) qualities, Odo is more like a grumpy but caring grandpa -- I'd even say there's some First Doctor vibe. 

(I'm a bit disappointed the episode didn't follow up on that promise of "Bashir practicing his purely theoretical spying skillz on Quark for Kira", because that sounds absolutely hilarious)

Playing God

Fun-loving cool senpai Jadzia is amazing

Interesting that Jadzia doesn't identify with Curzon at all in this case, despite presumably remembering their interaction from his point of view too

I didn't really understand how they solved the problem but I don't care

This is my favourite Jadzia episode so far. She finally got to show agency, have some fun, show off her professional skills, and explore her own identity (instead of standing around silently while other people explore it). And I love how other characters' scenes are vivid despite shortness: Quark playing tongo with Jadzia and giving well-intentioned if unhelpful advice to the initiate; Bashir's friendship with Jadzia and O'Brien; O'Brien calling across the border about his pest problem; Odo, Kira and Sisko's different approaches to the ethical dilemma.

Profit and Loss

Yesss! Cardassians!

Ooh Quark has romantic history with the pretty Cardassian woman?! This is getting better and better

A scene between Garak and Quark! is it my birthday?

"Personally, I find this style to be a bit too radical. But your friend seems the sort who appreciates that kind of thing" Does he know everything and everyone?! Though come to think of it, this shouldn't have surprised me at all -- even regardless of special channels Garak may use, these dissidents might be well-known to the point that their info is freely available on something like stateenemies.gov.car/wanted

I love how he casually rips an expensive dress to make his point

Passionate lover Quark is so strange to see

Odo's good at playing hard to get

lmao I've waited so long for someone to finally to hug Odo and... :D I do also love his relationship with Quark but I never expected these two things to intersect :D

so, did Garak change his mind on the fly or was he just stalling until that guy comes and can be disposed of?

alright, I amend my previous statement about one-episode love interests: Quark is allowed to have them, if all women who fall for him continue to be this awesome

Blood Oath

What, the holosuites have no sound isolation?! If so, who would ever use them for anything more... private than a recreation of a famous battle?

These Klingons have strange hair

It's so nice to see a young, human-looking woman as an equal to three old Klingons

ah bat'leth fighting, I didn't realize how I've missed it

-- and that young, human-looking woman is more of an old-fashioned honorable Klingon than the rest of them

what an outfit

I'm glad the Klingon interpreted her hesitation so favorably

*reads TVTropes* Wait, all these three are from TOS?! Damn... I could barely tell them apart. I really liked the episode, but turns out I didn't appreciate it nearly enough. Time for a little TOS rewatch?

The Maquis 1

What does the word Nor mean? Terok Nor, Bok'Nor...

The Vulcan woman looks great; nice dress.

"Jake-o" aww

Do Cardassians have a thing for showing up right in your quarters unexpectedly?

"We'll need one of your runabouts" "Where are we going?" Nice one, Sisko

"So you turn off my controls so I don't have enough light to take my photograph?" :D  

"Education is power. Joy is vulnerability" Dukat is being very quotable today?

"Of all the humans I've met you strike me as the most joyless and the least vulnerable" "I am when I'm with you"

Honestly it's as if they are writing Sisko and Dukat's interactions for me personally

I like how the Vulcan is taking Quark's courtship at face value

Wait, is Gul Evek that reasonable guy from Journey's End?

I'm starting to understand Preemptive Strike better -- so it all took place in the demilitarized zone? That makes sense. (How did I miss that?)

"I was looking forward to showing you more ways to mix business with pleasure" "Perhaps in the future. I do find you... intriguing, Quark" im screaming hooly shit I'd never have guessed that Quark of all people would be the chick magnet #1 on this station?? how did he manage to meet a woman this line would actually work on

good shit good shit

The Maquis 2

Sisko gives a show-defining speech!

"Vulcans are a species that appreciate good ears"

something tells me Dukat wasn't the one supplying weapons and the Central Command is trying to kill two birds with one stone -- oh look, this lie was so obvious that for once the characters saw through it right away too

"The Central Command wants him dead. That's reason enough for us to want him alive"

Interesting, Dukat suddenly started acting in a theatrical manner I've only seen in Garak before. Some Cardassian cultural thing?

Haha, I didn't even realize where Sisko was leading the conversation! He's excellent in this story

"With that kind of firepower, the Bajorans could have launched a full-scale assault on Cardassia" "And lost"

Damn, Dukat really has his Intimidate skill maxed out! Sisko fails the Paragon check, Dukat passes the Renegade check.

Finally we see someone explain to a Vulcan why they're being illogical instead of making some bullshit reference to emotion. I love you Quark

the only bad thing about this two-parter is that it kinda made me like the Totalitarian Lizard Man a bit too much??? how dare you. let me go back to my wholesome crushes on Bashir and Jadzia before I start stanning or something

oh, and also I hoped this episode would make the Maquis more sympathetic so I could feel better about Ro Laren leaving Stafleet for them... nnnot much.

The Wire

What a great episode!! I wasn't liveblogging at all because it was too intense. I don't even feel the need to comment on drama or character development -- the story and acting speak for themselves.

Alright, how the hell did Bashir reach Tain? How does one get the home address of the former head of secret service of a foreign empire?! And how did Bashir manage to convince Sisko to authorize this stunt and give him the runabout -- or did he steal it?

The "Elim" reveal isn't really a surprise after you've spent some time near a fandom where people tag characters by full name... 

What interests me now: is Garak going to act differently now that he's not keeping himself drugged? Will he go through withdrawal? In the final scene he pretends everything is Back To Normal, but... Or was the table-flipping scene the extent of his withdrawal symptoms?

Another disjointed thought: this is a wonderful example of a satisfying hurt/comfort story 

Star Trek has some amazingly intense dramas for two actors. The Most Toys, Chain of Command, Duet... This one is different because in order to bring the two characters together and at the same time isolate them from the rest of the world, instead of captivity it uses doctor-patient relationship. Oh, another story from a different fandom it reminds me of, now that I think of it: Scherzo.

Crossover

Lmao it's nice that even after leveling up at unstoppable determination and compassionate badassery in the previous episode, Bashir still can be a ridiculous dork 

...though it is pretty jarring that right after a high drama where he shows his capacity for patience and caring, and greatly deepens his relationship with someone, the next episode opens with the awkwardest attempt at befriending (and flirting?)

I didn't expect Garak to appear in two episodes in a row!

Why is Mirror Kira walking like this...

I started laughing at "I don't have a designation, sir" because my mind immediately went to "There's no need to call me sir, professor"

Female Cardassian guard! And Kira called herself attractive, heh.

Mirror Quark is dressed so poorly...

Okay, Mirror Kira definitely wants to fuck herself -- wait, that's actually canon? Do all evil Kiras hit on women? I wish they'd let our Kira do that too. I know it was written in the nineties, but I really don't appreciate the "evil=bi" trope

Well this was pretty weak. The only mirror character who works well, i.e. exposes the real character's darker side, is Odo. Kira looks just weak and hysterical. (Remember how I complained about her acting in the pilot?) Mirror Garak is actually less intimidating than our Garak.

The Collaborator

Can't say I'm very excited to see Vedek Bareil again. I liked him in his first episode for ideological reasons, but this romance...

Oh no, the Sydney Opera Hat is on the Promenade again? Is she planning another assassination?

"Welcome back. You're under arrest"

The episode was not engaging to watch, but I enjoyed the Grey Morality (tm).

Tribunal

These Cardassians have lost all shame, what do they think they're doing

Evek again, and I think another familiar face?

Yiiikes

Here comes the good cop

I'm glad they're not spending an entire episode on a Chain of Command remake. 

Not telling the accused what they're charged with: a deliberate ploy to mess with their mind, or do the Cardassians not even bother to think about these things anymore?

Huh, Odo had a Cardassian rank that's still valid? That's useful.

Alright, but wasn't O'Brien still declared guilty? So the scheme to discredit the Federation worked?

Also, a missing molar isn't good evidence. Maybe it means that man was just captured and processed by the Cardassians, like O'Brien. And why would a spy alter his appearance but forget about this? You'd think humans and Cardassians have different enough teeth that he'd have to get dental implants anyway. 

I found one good thing about the Cardassian "court"! The judge has fabulous hair.

The Jem'Hadar

Jake!

"I bet we'll have a great time!" "I know we will" Please don't say things like this in the opening scene of a season finale...

Aw poor Sisko :D

"Guess" "He said yes" "Guess again"

Aw Quark needs a hug

Aww kids

Aww Odo cares about Quark

"If the Dominion comes through the wormhole, the first battle will be fought here, and I intend to be ready for them." Well. That's a chilling line to end the season on.

As much as I like it when the Federation arrogance is called out, Quark's speech just doesn't work. "The way I see it, humans used to be a lot like Ferengi. Greedy, acquisitive, interested only in profit. We're a constant reminder of a part of your past you'd like to forget." Well, yeah! That was basically the original concept for their species! "Humans used to be a lot worse than the Ferengi" -- so what? 24th century humans are disgusted by the atrocities of their ancestors, so why can't they also be disgusted by the exact same things perpetuated by their contemporaries? Domestic abuse and sexism are wrong, no matter who does it. Note how this entire speech sidesteps the violent misogyny, aka the Ferengi's most obvious appaling trait. This is like saying "Don't judge the Cardassian state for being totalitarian! That's just their culture, you don't understand!"

General impressions

Bashir and Jadzia finally got some character development!

I live for Cardassian episodes. It's fascinating to see a dystopia in the universe that started as a utopia, and see how characters from both sides deal with each other. 

(Random thought: I want an AU episode like "Crossover" where another universe/timeline's Cardassia is a free state, and for a Cardassian viewpoint character our world is a nightmare scenario just like the Mirror Universe is for our heroes.)

I don't loathe Winn as much as I did in the first season finale. That makes her kind of underwhelming as a recurring antagonist. On the other hand, that might be a good thing, because getting so angry repeatedly couldn't have been good for my health. But because they're represented mainly by the hateful-but-not-enough Winn and the bland Bareil, the Bajoran affairs are usually not as gripping as the Cardassian. I hope to see more of their secular politics next season.

First season was very even; second has two irredeemably clumsy stories (Melora and Second Sight), but a growing number of outstanding ones, too. 

First season was already an improvement over TNG in terms of serialization, and this one is better. Both multi-part stories are brilliant, too. I hope this trend continues. 

A noticeable weakness in the first season was the mundanity of the Gamma Quadrant. No sense of wonder, no noticeably stranger aliens. The introduction of the Dominion and their overwhelming threat partially rectified that problem, bringing back some of the feeling from "Q Who". Yes, setting foot in a far corner of the galaxy should be awesome in both senses of the word, and lead the previously unimaginable dangers right back to your home.

The costume design has visibly improved in this season!