#might’ve made kirk too big

[possumtion]

Man trap men trapped

Putting them inside boxes for my own amusement

[ichayalovesyou]

The Way To Eden (live reaction):

Spock did you just find kindred spirits with a cult again?

Bad day Jim? Oh! I get it, cult mentality is rubbing him the wrong way.

Aw Chekov buddy, old flame?

I think when he seems this cult, Spock thinks of Sybok. And has recognition and curiousity.

Kirk softens up when Spock explains why he’s patient with these guys awww

NOOOOOO THEYRE SINGING EXCUSE MEEEEEEEEE?????

🎶don’t let the caving get you down Sokka🎶

Pav is just salty she broke up with him lmao! What did you think would happen my dude? Transfer to ships together until you both made Admiral? Lol.

Aww Pav buddy, also more evidence for his little loyalty complex.

Ahhhhhh cult leader dude is an anti-vaxxer? Not fun.

Spock is so patient, I get this poor dude just wants to be happy but man, he’s putting others in danger.

Oh I get it! This cult dude is fake woke! “I’m going to this planet to appropriate this culture because it makes me feel better about myself and unleash a plague on them in the process!”

This is such an interesting episode for Spock! :D Spock is too patient for this world 🖖🏻 fuckin jam session?! Awwwww!! This guitar dude be flirting with Spock lmao

AWW PAV 😂😂 I hope she’s not manipulating him poor guy, awww!

FUCK! She WAS manipulating him!!! 😡 THEY BOTH WERE!

God I’ve met manipulative bigoted hippies just like this guy ☹️ using the rhetoric to serve their interests with no regards for the people they hurt, or the cultures they strip the parts they like regardless of the consequences. Breaks my heart whenever people like this guy get a following like that. My mother and I have skidaddled out of covens like this!

Sulu is VIBING at his console lmfao

No, Scotty stayed inside and built warp coils cuz he’s a dork Jim! YOU were a little shit as a child! We’ve established this!

UGh this is giving me creepy crawly flashbacks to weirdos I’ve met at Faerie Con yuck yuck yuck!! No smelly drum circle man twice my age I am not gonna give you my address!

They reused footage from Spock’s Brain! Lol. Ooooh that’s fucked with the Eden music in the background, I know they’re alive but DAMN that gave me The Stand “Don’t Fear The Reaper” vibes. 😬😬😬

Acidic plants? Subtle! 🙄 aww, poor Adam, we will miss your Spock flirting jam sessions! RIP

Wowwww this dude is not okay!!! He might’ve did that on purpose... oof.

I love Chekov so much 🥰 he’s adorable and I will protect him with my life. He and his old flame were freaking adorable at the end!

Spock is also Good, will protecc

People who don’t like this episode and think it’s just anti-hippie are the same people who don’t like This Side of Paradise. I honestly think this episode is even LESS “anti-hippie” (which This Side of Paradise isn’t but I’ve already done my meta on that) because those people had a choice and their goals were noble, they just had a maniac as their leader. I’ve been a big hippie all my life, and there are some CREEPERS out there that make the whole thing look bad, but I feel like they did a good job of showing that the leader was the bad guy and not the followers. That kind of thing (usually to a bit less deadly degree) happens today all the time!

Again, I really don’t understand what people don’t like about season 3? There’s been way more good, or at least “on brand” than bad episodes. Hm.

[theparanormalperiodical]

9 REAL Curses That You Gotta Know About - Even If You’re Not Exploring An Ancient Egyptian Tomb This Weekend

It’s the 17th February 1923.

We are somewhere in Cairo, staving off the heat of an Egyptian Autumn.

We’re waiting. We’ve been waiting since 1915.

In a silent, swift moment the seal to Tutankhamun’s tomb is broken, and one of the most valuable pieces of history is finally passed to the hands of the historians.

But it wasn’t just the secrets of the past that were unleashed when the seal was broken.

Within 12 years, 8 of the explorers that accessed the tomb were dead. By taking their first steps into this place of rest they had unknowingly released what was to be known as the Curse of the Pharaohs.

Ever since the 19th century British explorers first disturbed the pharaohs, a legend gained ground that claimed anyone who disturbed an Ancient Eypgtian mummy was to experience serious misfortune, illness, or even death.

And ever since they returned home with their spoils of the treasure was this claim proven correct, especially with the supposed curses detailed within the once hidden tombs themselves.

EDIT: Obviously this curse is founded more on the British media sensationalising exoticism, a common tactic of Imperialists in their racist agenda, so be far more wary of that than any old legend.

But what exactly was this curse? And were there any other curses that we should be aware of before we break into any other uncharted tombs?

What Exactly Is A Curse?

It’s founded some of our favourite urban legends and it is still used to stereotype certain communities - but it turns out that they’ve had this reputation for centuries.

In official terms, a curse is a wish that imposes adversity on a person or group of people, an object, or a place. Specifically, it is related to wishes made effective by supernatural circumstances, whether they’re enforced by spirits, or conjured via magic.

Regional divergences also exist, with jinxes belonging to African American Hoodoo, and hexing being a resident of Germany.

Convinced you’ve been cursed?

You have two options if you want to break the spell. One, you can either perform elaborate rituals specific to said-curse, or two, you can pray, like, a lot.

How helpful.

Not sure how you got cursed?

You’ve most likely encountered one of three things:

There’s the cursed objects - if you’ve been rooting through forbidden tombs or looted from a sanctuary, you might’ve brought a curse home, too. This curse typically amounts to bad luck, or the manifestation of strange phenomena.

Then there’s the curses from Ancient Egypt which are often associated with those that disturb mummies in their eternal slumber. The 19th century exploration of Pharaoh’s tombs revived this concept, and would allow the proliferation of our pop culture curses.

And then there's the Biblical curses. They don’t pause for breathe when cursing each other in the Bible, but thanks to my year 8 Religious Studies, I can tell you that at some point snakes and/or Cain was cursed.

(I’m sure Ms Comber would be ashamed knowing I can just about provide a tl;dr of the first few chapters of the Old Testament before the big plot twist.)

What Are The Most Famous Curses To Date?

#1 - The Curse of Tippecanoe

Our scene is set in 1931.

The brains behind Ripley’s Believe It Or Not - the bestselling publishers of unusual and slightly unnecessary facts - might not have much to report in the pre-internet age, but they were the first to note a rather peculiar trend:

American Presidents elected in a year ending in zero were to die whilst in office. This was later adapted to new, uh, data, which suggested years divisible by 20 (e.g. 1920, 1940, etc.) actually followed this trend.

And beyond the publishing date of this thesis in the early 20th century, this theory had been proven correct.

Think of an iconic president. You know, the ones that have changed history and haven’t suggested one consume bleach like shots of tequila on a two-night bender in ‘biza.

They’ve probably been a victim to this curse.

Lincoln. Mckinley. Roosevelt. Kennedy. Even Reagan and Bush followed the trend, but survived their own assassination attempts.

Question is, where does this curse supposedly come from?

William Harrison was killed only a month after being sworn into office. Elected in 1840, he waged war against a Native American tribe over problems concerning land ownership. Also known as Tecumseh’s War, this was a battle over an attempt to regain land against the American government, and it culminated in the Battle of Tippecanoe.

Harrison won this battle, and ‘Tippacanoe’ became a favoured nickname of the president.

However, shortly after the battle, one of the men at the fore of the Native American side cursed Harrison. We might not know the exact terms of this curse, nor if he wanted such a timely effect to take place, but with an election on the cards this year this thesis is due to be tested.

#2 - The Kennedy Curse

Kennedy might’ve already fallen victim to the curse of Tippacanoe, but it turns out that wasn’t quite enough. The thing is, this curse doesn’t necessarily affect just JFK. It affected everyone around him.

The Kennedy Curse allegedly prompted the deaths, accidents, and variety of other problems that have haunted the Kennedy family since before JFK even took office.

Due to the fact that some recent tragedies has supposedly been related to this curse, I’m going to refrain from coughing up each incident, but here’s a few to convince you:

Joseph Kennedy was the first victim in 1944, and died in a plane crash over Suffolk, England.

Kathleen Kennedy met a similar fate in 1948 after a plane crash.

Robert F Kennedy was killed on the night of his Senate victory in 1968.

David Kennedy died of a drug overdose in 1984.

Michael Kennedy died in a skiing accident in 1997.

John F Kennedy died in a plane crash in 1999.

Rosemary Kennedy had a lobotomy and was mentally incapacitated for the rest of her life until her death in 2005.

#3 - The 27 Club

The passing of young people is a tragedy we can’t quite wrap our heads around. Heck, belief in the supernatural is partially founded on how we can’t quite comprehend just losing someone, and that just being it.

Finality is an impossible concept to grasp.

And it’s why we turn to things like curses to explain away our pain and to make sense of it all. The 27 Club is a prime example of this.

A remarkable amount of the most famous musicians, artists, and actors to date have all died at the age of 27.

Like, over 50.

Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, and Jim Morrison are just a few of the figures that represent the phenomenon, a phenomenon which has been referenced countless times in popular culture.

Some researchers may have disproven the alleged curse, but with the 4 founding members dying within a 2 year window (Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison), suspicions will always be roused.

#4 - The Curse of the Iceman

Popular culture phenomenons might form some of the most famous curses to date, but they really started with ancient legends. And this one is one of the most well-known claims of the awakening of a long-dormant curse.

Oetzi was found somewhere in the Alps in 1991.

No, this isn’t the name of some lovable character destined to have his own Netflix series; this is a corpse preserved by the icy temperatures of the mountain range in Italy. And this corpse is from 3100 or 3400 BC, or the Copper Age.

Given the value of this shocking discovery, numerous scientists took the fore in their investigation into Oetzi. But many of these scientists also died as a result of the supposed curse put on those that dare disturb Europe’s oldest natural mummy.

7 scientists that collaborated in the removal and examination of the corpse died in a suspiciously short window of time.

#5 - The Curse of Timur

Some of the world’s most famous curses have affected small groups of people. But this curse was a tad more far reaching.

Like 7.5-million-people-far-reaching.

Emperor Timur was a Turco-Mongol leader from the 14th century and established a highly impressive empire: the Timurid Empire. And this empire was so impressive that Stalin himself took direct inspiration from him.

That’s why he wanted the body of the emperor exhumed from his Uzbekistan tomb for investigation by Soviet anthropologists.

(There’s no explanation why, but the Soviet Union did many things we can’t explain.)

Locals protested, fearing a curse that reportedly started in 1740 when an Afsharid ruler took a slab from his final resting place to Persia. His son instantly fell ill amongst a host of other problems affecting his rule, prompting his advisors to convince him to return the slab of jade back to the tomb.

If the rumours weren’t enough to convince them not to break into the tomb, you’d think the warnings on there would do the trick:

"When I rise from the dead, the world shall tremble."

"Whomsoever opens my tomb shall unleash an invader more terrible than I."

Three days after the exhumation began, Hitler launched an operation that would figure as the largest military invasion on the Soviet Union to date.

#6 - The Superman Curse

Numerous films have been labelled with an alleged curse or a haunting. The Exorcist might be the most famous example of this - you know, with that severe fire burning down the set at one point - but a more specific curse can be attributed to those who played the lead in the Superman franchise.

George Reeves committed suicide in 1959.

Christopher Reeve became paralysed in 1985.

Lee Quigley died at 14 due to solvent abuse.

Kirk Alyn’s career met a dead end after his role.

Marlon Brando experienced a series of unfortunate events after his role.

Margot Kidder encountered serious issues with her mental health after her role.

Even the crew operating on the films experienced similar issues both on-set and in their personal lives.

#7 - The Hope Diamond Curse

It’s the most famous jewel in the world, weighing no less than 45 carats and passing between the hands of French kings and British bankers alike - but it’s value is far more supernatural than the $350m price tag.

It is said that a curse is attached to it, a curse that brings misfortune and accompanying tragedy to those that own or wear the gem.

Suicides, murders, executions (most of which were hangings), being ripped apart by wild dogs and various other mobs… Just wear the earrings next time.

Today it is on exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History in the US.

#8 - The Curse Of The Chicago Cubs

Bill Sianis lived an interesting life.

A Greek immigrant to the USA, he owned a tavern in Chicago affectionately named the Billy Goat Tavern. And it was this peculiar name that led to the curse that until recently haunted the Chicago Cubs.

Sianis took his pet goat to one of the games in 1945, a game that was a part of the World Series. But due to the odour of Murphy the Goat, he was asked to leave for the sake of the other fans.

“Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more”

He declared this shortly after discovering that he would in fact have to leave.

This curse lasted 71 years, and mysteriously ended in 2016 after numerous attempts by fans to utilise rituals  - mostly involving goats which may or may not be alive - to release the team from their magical confines.

Numerous goats have been brought to games with declarations claiming to reverse the curse being used, and even Sianis’ family members have done their bit in attempt to lift it. Yet despite these attempts - and that severed goat’s head sent personally to the owner in 2013 - some good has come from the curse.

Many charitable efforts have sprung forth from this legend, such as Reverse The Curse donating goats to those living in poverty in Third World countries.

#9 - The Curse of Turan

Now this is an interesting one.

Allegedly, the whole population of Hungary has been under a curse for many centuries, a curse that has two potential origins:

The first took place during the Christian conversion of the country in 1000 AD, from which those supporting the old religions of Hungary (Paganism and a mix of other minority religions) cast a curse that would affect Hungary for evermore…

(More… More… Mo...)

Or 1000 years, suggesting the curse might have been lifted already.

Alternatively, it could be a curse created or rumoured to exist during the failed revolution of 1848 which evoked a great sense of pessimism that is a reported symptom of the curse.

Although the previous curses mentioned in this article have a striking number of coincidences one can’t help be interested in, this one is a little, well, vague.

Sure, Hungary - like most countries - has experienced a number of tragedies over the last 1000 years, from the devastating impact of war and invasion, to foreign control, but how far can we pin suffering caused by imperialism on that of a curse?

The high suicide rate which ranks as 6th in the world might not point to a supernatural cause, but the rather darker reality of depression.

(Yeah, I agree, I should’ve finished this article on a cheerier note.)

Well thank god that’s over!

Want to read stuff that’s less depressing and more delightfully spooky? ‘Course you do. Then go check out my other articles about all things horror and hauntings.

I even post a new real ghost story everyday.

Stay spooky!

[illogicalpunkwrites]

Some Misunderstanding

This is a fluffy Scotty x Reader fic! I’ve always had a soft spot for our favorite engineer. If you would like to be tagged in future fics please let me know! Thanks and enjoy!

Rating: T? I guess? 

He really didn’t even notice he was gawking at your in all honesty. You were sitting in the rec room with Sulu, your blue skin glowing in the light, and you cheeks nearly purple with laughter. You were completely unaware of the Scotsman admiring you but others took notice.

“Y’know, you keep staring at her you might give off a bad vibe.” Uhura said, making Scotty jump and spill his drink a bit.

“You scared the poor man, Lieutenant!” Kirk laughed, clapping his hand on Scotty’s shoulder. “He’s just admiring the view!”

“Captain, I’m beggin’ ya to be quiet!” Scotty nearly hissed. “I was just…thinking about technical journals.”

“Uh-huh, sure…“

“You’re blushing, Scotty.” Uhura teased with a broad smile. “You should ask her out! Do you want me to ask her about you?”

“I can do it if I want to!”

“C’mon, Scotty, let us help! I think you two would be a good match.” Kirk added. Scotty only shook his head and began to walk away.

“Yer off yer hide!” He shouted over his shoulder, finally catching your attention as well as Sulu’s.

“What was all that about? Is Mr. Scott alright?” You asked and Sulu just raised an eyebrow at you.

“Concerned, are you?” He asked cheekily but his little comment went straight over your head.

“I’m a doctor, why wouldn’t I be concerned?” You didn’t see Sulu rest his head in his hands or the other two giggling.

XXXXXX

Scotty leaned over his desk, looking over plans for a new monstrous structure in engineering proposed by some students in the academy. It wasn’t terrible but was probably too bulky for the likes of the Enterprise. He heard the jarring beeps of his communicator and flipped it open, not even looking at it.

“Scotty, here.”

“Scotty! (Y/N) needs your help in the med bay lab. Her centrifuge malfunctioned.” Jim instructed. “Don’t be surprised if she just unplugged it.”

“Aye sir, I’ll send one of my ensigns.”

“I told her you would go, Scotty. She seemed quite excited I was sending the best engineer in the Fleet.”

“Captain-“

“Now Scotty, or I’ll make you take the day off.”

“Aye, sir.” With a sigh, he gathered his tools and took the lift up to your area of the ship, wondering if he should pop by the med bay to say hello to Bones. The doors slid open to your lab and you were busy looking at one of the boards that had scribbles all over it, probably in your native language. He felt his heart skip a beat and a flush rising to his cheeks.

“Hello, lass, the Captain said you had some trouble?” You didn’t look at him, you just kept your stance with your back towards him as you mumbled to yourself with your arm across your stomach and the other one supporting your head. “Lass?” You still didn’t move and Scotty couldn’t help but chuckle. He walked up to you and tapped your shoulder, nearly making you jump out of your skin and turn around.

“Ah!” You placed your hand over your heart, feeling your chest heave. “Oh, Mr. Scott! I’m so sorry I didn’t even hear you. It’s my centrifuge, it’s just not working anymore. And before you ask, I did not unplug it. I’m sure that’s what Jim told you.”

“I’m not sure if I should tell you if he said that.” He replied as he bent down to look at the machine, opening a latch to look at the wiring.

“I appreciate you coming here so quickly. I thought I could fix it myself like I usually do-“

“Ya never called engineering before?” You shook your head with an indifferent noise.

“The former head engineer didn’t like me too much. Well, I should say that he didn’t like my people too much.” Scotty breathed in deeply as he looked at the different wiring, hoping to see something that had just popped out of place.

“I’m sorry ya had to go through tha’, lass. Rest assured I won’t treat ya that way.” You smiled and grabbed your marker, thinking of something to add to your formula.

“Of course, Mr. Scott, or else you wouldn’t have personally come up here. Any luck?” He sighed and grimaced when he still hadn’t seen anything.

“Not yet, lass. And please, call me Scotty.” You smiled to yourself and added to your formula and notes on the board.

“Alright, Scotty.” His head was deep in the wiring, or else you might’ve seen the smile that graced his face too. “How’s Mr. Keenser, by the way? Last time he came to medbay he wasn’t feeling well.”

“Wee man’s better now. Just had a little cold.” Scotty shrugged, still struggling to find what exactly happened to your centrifuge. “He’s usually not the biggest fan of doctors but when he started burnin’ holes all over the place I made him go.”

“What’s that earth saying? Like an old married couple?” You replied, making him snort in laughter. A sense of pride filled you when you heard that.

“I suppose ya could say tha-Lass, c’mere.” Your brows furrowed and you set your marker down, bending at the knees beside him. “Did ya put that there?” Your eyes widened as you saw what was inside your centrifuge.

“No!”

“Ya sure ya didn’t try to fix it with that last time?”

“Scotty, this is brand new! And besides, I rarely use my scalpels in my lab anyway!” You replied and he quickly pulled it out and set it on the table. “I’m sorry for making you come all the way up here just for that. I could’ve fixed that! I was just too scared to dig that deep in the wires.” He chuckled and looked at you.

“It’s alrigh’, I’m glad to help in any way.” Alright, Scotty-boy, be brave. “’Specially for a bonnie lass like you?” You tilted your head at him, some of your hair falling into your face.

“What does ‘bonnie lass’ mean? I’ve never met a Scotsman before so I really don’t know. I’m still getting used to Earth customs, I suppose.” The bravery that Scotty had for that moment was gone, he found himself stuttering and trying to find a way out.

“Doctor?” You both peered your heads up from the table to see Dr. McCoy standing in your doorway. “Hey Scotty! Did you synthesize more of the Gangorian Clap hyposprays?” You stood up and walked over to your cabinet with a disappointing look.

“Doctor McCoy, it’s Gangorian Gonorrhea. I don’t understand why it’s called ‘the clap’ anyway.” You replied as you handed him the sprays.

“We need to give a seminar or something about safe sex.”

“I would be more than happy to lead it! I led mine back on Al’Thessia!”  You beamed and McCoy shook his head at you.

“Well you get on that, good to see ya Scotty.” McCoy left while the Scotsman quickly got his things together. You heard the rustling behind you and turned to see Scotty making his way to your door.

“Oh, Scotty-“

“See ya around, lass!” He called behind his shoulder, leaving you alone with your thoughts. Bonnie Lass? You’d have to figure that one out and you knew just who to ask.

XXXXXX

“You owe me big time for doing that.” Bones told Kirk as they shared a glass of bourbon. Kirk just laughed and slapped the good doctor on the back.

“Hey, they just need a little nudging to get together.”

“You’re the captain, not a matchmaker.”

“I’m a man of many trades, Bones!”

XXXXXX

“Captain Kirk, here’s the reports from the other day that you asked for.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” He smiled at you. “Anything of interest?”

“Not quite, I was a little disappointed. Planet Nimbus 7 is much like Planet Brockian so there wasn’t much difference in the medical benefits of the nature there.”

“I’ll never understand how you remember every planet we go to.” Sulu commented from his station, making you and the Captain chuckle.

“It’s quite easy, actually.”

“I find it simple to do, myself.” Spock added.

“So you two can do that but can’t tell when someone’s flirting with you.” You furrowed your brows at Kirk and he just smirked at you.

“Who’s been flirting with me?” Sulu tried to keep his snickering quiet. Before he could answer, the doors entering the bridge slid open and Scotty walked in. Kirk noticed how your eyes lit up and kept from shaking his head in disbelief. Bones was right of course, he wasn’t a matchmaker. But for the sake of everyone on the ship, he had to try to put these two people together. One was oblivious, the other was stubborn. A match made in heaven? It would be if one of them wised up already. “Good morning, Scotty!”

“Good mornin’, Lass. Any more scalpels in your centrifuge?” You laughed and shook your head. “Good! Captain, I-“

Seeing Scotty reminded you of another reason you came to the bridge. You walked over to Uhura and waited for to be done with her task.

“Hey! What’s up?”

“I have a linguistics question, if you have the time.”

“Always!”

“What does Bonnie Lass mean?” Scotty felt the blood in his face leave, his palms growing clammy, and his eyes growing wide.

“Bonnie Lass?” Uhura raised an eyebrow and leaned back in her chair, eyes darting over to a panicked Scotty.  “Why do you ask?”

“Well, Scotty said it the other day and he left before I could ask him.” Uhura smiled gently and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Well, it means be-“ Suddenly,  a loud clanking noise came from behind them. Unbeknownst to you and Uhura, Scotty had knocked the PADD out of Kirk’s hands and had dropped his own too along with Kirk’s mug of coffee all over his shirt.

“Scotty, are you alright?” You asked worriedly, rushing over to him. Kirk looked down at his stained uniform with a sigh; that was the third time this week!

“Aye, I’m fine! I think I had a hand cramp or something.” He babbled, mentally smacking himself on the forehead.

“Do I need to examine it?”

“Oh no, I just need to rest it for a bit.”

“Captain, are you-“

“I’m fine, doctor.” Kirk interrupted, holding his shirt out and dabbing it with a towel Chekov was quick to throw him. “Scotty, come with me to engineering.”

“Captain-“

“Now, Mr. Scott.” The two walked into the elevator while you stood worrying. You hoped the Scotsman wasn’t in trouble for the accident.

“Bonnie lass means beautiful woman, if you’re still wondering.” Your worry quickly turned into a blush on your face, spinning on your heel to face Uhura.

“Finally figure it out?” Sulu nearly sang and you looked between them, the rest of the crew shoving their faces into their work but still eavesdropping.

“He thinks I’m beautiful?”

“And…” He waited, Uhura crossing her arms over her chest with a smile.

“Has he been the one that’s been flirting with me?”

“Thank the stars, she’s finally got it!” Uhura hid her laughter to save her friend further embarrassment. You leaned against the railing and twisted your lips so you wouldn’t openly smile.

“So doctor, what do you plan to do with that information?” It only took you a couple of seconds before you realized what you should do. You smirked and heard Sulu groan.

“Oh I don’t like that look.”

XXXXX

The next day, you made your way down to engineering with your PADD in hand to check up on Keenser. You really couldn’t let him burn any more holes in the ship or get anywhere near the crew if that was still going on.  The smell of metal and smoke got more pungent the closer you got and nearly wacked you in the face when the doors slid open to you.

“Can I help you, Doctor?” An ensign asked, elbows deep in wiring.

“Is Mr. Keenser near?”

“In the office with Mr. Scott.” You quickly made your way and saw Scotty sipping tea from a porcelain cup and Keenser relaxing on the counter next to the replicator.

“Good morning Scotty, Mr. Keenser! I’m here to checkup on both of you!”

“Both?”

“Well, I wanted to see how your hand was doing and Keenser wouldn’t reply to my messages for a checkup so I just came down here.” You explained. Keenser tilted his head at you and muttered something but Scotty coughed over him. You wondered if Keenser ever got those messages. “Come here, Mr. Keenser, let me check your vitals.” You got down on your knees and ran the tricorder up and down his body. “Any more sneezing?” He shook his head. He truly was a man of few words. “That’s good. Didn’t destroy any more of Scotty’s  projects did you?” He shrugged, making you laugh. “I’m sure it was an accident.” He just tilted his head at you. “Everything looks great, Mr. Keenser.” You stood up and smoothed out your skirt. “How’s your hand, Scotty?”

“Just fine now that I’ve rested it a bit, lass.”

“Well I’m glad!” You smiled, making him blush. “Are you coming to the Captain’s party tonight? He really wants to introduce me to some Terran classics so I suppose I have to go.”

“Of course I’ll be there!” He replied and Keenser looked up at him, judging him intensely.

“I look forward to seeing you, siha.” His brows furrowed but you kept a straight face.

“Siha?”

Luckily for you, your communicator went off. New specimens needed to be examined for their medical properties. You quickly excused yourself and made your way back to the lab, leaving Scotty dumbstruck.

“Siha? What does that mean?” Again, Keenser just looked at him. “Ach, what would you know?!” A lightbulb suddenly went off in his head and he rushed out of engineering. Keenser sighed and jumped on Scotty’s desk to get to work.

Luckily, Scotty didn’t have to run to the bridge and make himself look a fool the second time that week. He would only make himself looked like a fool in the halls.

“Lieutenant Uhura!” He yelped, making the woman spin on her heel with an exasperated look on her face. “Siha!”

“What?”

“Siha, what does that mean?” He panted. “(Y/N) called me it before she left and could explain.”

“Getting a taste of your own medicine, huh? If you must know, siha means “my beloved” in her language.” Once again, he was awestruck. Did that mean- “Would you please go talk to her already?  You’re going to give Sulu an ulcer if you two don’t-“ She didn’t even finish before her was scurrying off again towards her lab. Uhura shook her head and pulled out her communicator to tell Sulu, Kirk, and Bones the good news. It might have been better to just announce it over the system since everyone had become invested in the aggravating drama.

XXXXXX

“Thank you for preparing the slides! I really appreciate it!” You told the ensign as you took the crate of samples.

“Sorry these are a bit late, apparently one of the other ensigns put them in the wrong place.” You shook your head with a soft smile.

“It’s no trouble at all.” You were just about to hand the ensign a report when the door suddenly slid open.

“My beloved?” Scotty busted into the room, making yours and the ensign’s eyes go wide.

“Ensign, will you please return to your station?”

“Yes, Doctor.” They hurried away to leave you and Scotty alone.

“That took you quicker than I expected. But it’s what you get for calling me beautiful but not letting me know it.”

“Technically, I did. You just didn’t know what it meant.” He explained and you chuckled. “So am I correct in thinking that you like me too?” He walked towards you and you put the crate on your table.

“You are correct, I just had to give you a-what’s the terran saying? A taste of your own medicine?” He laughed softly and took your hands in his.

“So you would like to go out to dinner with me when we land on K-7?” You smiled and nodded. “Great, I’ll make reservations.”

Before you could say anything else, your door slid open again to see a gaggle of crew waiting: the Captain, Bones, Uhura, and Sulu.

“Thank God!” Kirk exasperated.

“Excuse me, did I say you could come in?” You replied, still holding hands with the chief engineer.

“I’m the Captain, I go wherever I like. Besides I think you should be grateful because I set this whole thing into motion.” He boasted and Sulu looked back at him.

“Oh like hell you did! Uhura and I have been working on this for months!”

“I got Bones to put a scalpel in her centrifuge! What have you two done?” Your eyes widened at the realization of the sabotage of your prized machine.

“Well Captain, since you’re such a matchmaker then perhaps I could return the favor. You and Doctor McCoy seem to be very close. You get awfully affectionate with him when you’re drunk.” Kirk immediately became quiet and Bones became very pale.

“I have patients to attend to.”

“I have a ship to run.”

The two went their separate ways and the four of you snickered amongst yourselves. “That’s something we’ll have to work on.” Sulu said. “Not yet, I’m going to enjoy my time with my bonnie lass.”

“You spoil me, siha.”

 ------

Tags: @bloodangelballerina

[kirbymybeloved]

The Sun to her Moon

Nyota Uhura x Gaila // set in Star Trek (2009) // written for @thundernlightning-lesbian for @sapphicstartrek ‘s 2018 Fanwork Exchange // A thank you to @stuckwithcats for being a great beta reader! // [it’s also on ao3]

Summary: After a big argument, Nyota wants to make amends- when all the other ships are destroyed, however, she isn't sure she'll ever get that chance.

Word count: 1709

A pang of panic shot through her as she looked at the screen. At first, it had been because of the debris from the other ships hurtling towards them, but then it dawned on her- they were all gone. With no time to warn them of the danger they were heading towards, they fell for the trap laid out for them like mice being led into a mouse trap. Everyone was gone now and Gaila…

She couldn’t bear to think what happened to her. Did she get sucked out into the cold vacuum of space? Did she get hit by one of the shots that tore apart the ships? Or was she able to survive, now fearing for her life while stuck in a section of the ship she couldn’t escape from? Could she have even made it to an escape pod or was her life taken from her right before she was able to escape by the hand of some evil irony?

Questions kept racing through her head. It couldn’t end like this. Their argument yesterday had been anything but nice, yet she couldn’t accept that this was how she came to her end. Not before she apologized and gave her ‘I’m sorry about our argument and shouldn’t have said the things I did’ tacos. Nyota smiled painfully as she remembered the excited look on Gaila’s face having discovered tacos for the first time. It had been her go-to comfort food ever since, and somehow she was always able to convince Nyota to eat them with her. Except for last night…

“You do realize you can’t control me right?” Gaila’s tone was a mix between upset and angry, “If I want to see someone I should be able to, I shouldn’t have to consult with you first on whether or not you’re home!” Nyota huffed,

“Last time I checked we live together, and when you make agreements, you keep them so no one has to yell at one another and are able to actually have a decent relationship.” Gaila sat down on the couch, trying to go about her business but couldn’t help replying,

“Actually I know how to live with other people, but maybe you’re the problem here. You should get laid some time if you’re that jealous.” She looked down at her PADD, softly adding, “Might help your stuck up mood too.” Nyota laughed in disbelief,

“You think I’m jealous? Of you? Get a grip. I don’t need some stranger to validate the fact that I feel good about myself. Maybe you should think about trying it out, it’s called self-confidence.” Gaila let out a huff, shaking her heading and refusing to look at Nyota. Nyota slammed down her own PADD on the table making Gaila flinch and look at her again, “Don’t you dare bring another guy in here until one of us moves out.” Gaila rolled her eyes and stood up from the table. She replicated a taco and took the plate. She had walked out, probably heading to eat at one of the picnic tables in the park opposite to the dormitories. Nyota decided to let her be, attempting to revise for her Klingon semantics exam even though she knew full well it was pointless- her focus would be solely on their argument.

She had already regretted all the words that had come out of her mouth and decided to apologize by the next day, but when everyone was forced to attend the hearing of Kirk which then got cut short by the Vulcan distress call there had been no time to actually do so. It had been gnawing on her that she hadn’t seen which ship Gaila had been on, but after a quick look through the crew manifest she figured out it wasn’t the Enterprise. Now this knowledge was killing her inside.

Another series of what-if scenario’s played in her mind, now wondering if she should’ve stayed on the Farragut, or ask that she be moved to the same ship as Gaila, whichever it might’ve been. It didn’t matter though, because Gaila was gone, and Spock had said transporting would be impossible so even if she had made it to an escape pod it would’ve been impossible for her to get back until the device had been deactivated. If that was even possible.

~~

Captain Pike had not returned, leaving Spock in charge. She had tried not to bother him with a possible rescue mission when he was still processing the events that had occurred, but when he headed towards the elevator, she knew she had to talk to him or her chance to save Gaila would be gone.

“I’m sorry,” She looked at Spock, “I’m so sorry for your loss.” The distraught look on his face almost made her feel guilty for asking, but she couldn’t just not ask. “I know this might not be the best time to ask, but I need to know if there were survivors from the other ships.” A look of recognition dawned on his face.

“There was someone important to you on one of those ships, wasn’t there?” She nodded, “We will scan the wreckage to see if there are any survivors.” The turbolift doors opened and he stepped out, leaving Nyota with her thoughts once more. This time she wasn’t about to be consumed by them, however, her hope now giving her the energy to focus on her job.

Thankfully her focus on her job had kept her distracted until they completed the scans, and she hadn’t even realized they had found the escape pods until Spock gave her the order to alert sickbay to prepare for the survivors.

“Lieutenant, go to the sickbay and give me a report of the condition of the survivors and whether they have any information relevant to our mission.”

“Yes sir, immediately.” Nyota mouthed a thank you to Spock, heading straight to sickbay.

Once there she immediately noticed Gaila’s vibrant red hair, and for a few seconds she just stood there, just letting it sink in. McCoy was treating her for what seemed to be a head injury, now turning her head to the entrance she said something Nyota couldn’t hear, but McCoy nodded and walked over to the next patient. Nyota took this as a sign to walk over to Gaila, immediately embracing her.

“I was so worried about you.” Gaila winced, making Nyota let go, “Oh no I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you. Are you alright?” Her expression was filled with worry, but Gaila smiled gently, just like always.

“Mostly. I had a mild concussion and a bruised rib but I should be fine with some rest.” Her expression now became more serious, “I don’t have memory loss though, and I feel I should apologize for my behaviour. You were right.”

“I should be the one apologizing. The way I acted was very immature and I shouldn’t have attacked you like that. When I got angry, every bad thought I’ve had just escaped my mouth before I could think about it, and that wasn’t okay.” She reached out to a strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear, now showing clearly the place she got injured.

“You were right though,” Gaila bit her lip, “I used them to feel better about myself. I guess I didn’t fully realize it until you said it. I never felt anything for them, they were just there so I could feel good about myself. But… the reason I found out wasn’t just because you yelled at me, believe it or not.” They both smiled, Gaila now looked at Nyota intensely.

Nyota was almost scared to ask, but her curiosity got the better of her; “What was it?” Gaila’s radiant smile made her feel butterflies in her stomach. With more certainty than ever, Gaila replied,

“You.” It took a few seconds to realize what she was implying, giving Gaila time to continue talking, “Any time I’m with you I feel at home. Like you’re the sun to my moon. You make my world a brighter place, and I should’ve figured it out sooner. But now that I know, I just want to be with you more than anything.”

Her hand reached out to Nyota’s face, lingering at her cheek. Nyota took her hand in her own, giving it a small peck and leaning forward. Gaila leaned in and closed the space between them, their lips touching. Gaila’s lips were soft, the kiss was as gentle as Gaila herself. Nyota couldn’t help but smile slightly, the feeling was better than any song or book could ever describe. Though maybe Gaila’s words were the closest anyone could get. They parted for a few seconds. Nyota unconsciously touched her forehead against Gaila’s, but Gaila pushed her away with a loud “ouch”

“Ah, I’m sorry! I forgot.” Gaila quickly regained her smile, however, making Nyota raise an eyebrow, “Maybe I should ask the doctor to fix you up.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve felt better than I’ve done in ages.” Gaila retorted, and while she was still worried, Nyota had to admit she felt the same. Catching Gaila’s eye again a blush spread across her cheeks. Biting her lip she wagered another kiss to which Gaila happily obliged. A warm feeling spread through her, the thrill of finally having what she had yearned for so long; it was entrancing. A cough behind her made her turn around.

“I’m sorry to disturb you two but I really need to treat my patient now.” Reluctantly stepping aside, Nyota decided she should get back to her job and let McCoy do his.

“I’ll get back when I’ve given the captain my report.” She squeezed Gaila’s hand which she was still holding as if she was scared to lose her again. “You get better okay?”

“Aye sir,” Gaila replied, both of them smiling, “You stay out of trouble okay? I don’t mind sharing a room, but I’d rather it not be a hospital room.”

“I will do my best. See you in a bit.” And with a final parting kiss Nyota got back to work, though her thoughts were yet again not where they should be. This time, however, it didn’t matter, for she had found her sun.

[sepdet]

Star Trek Discovery: ep 2

Okay, I absolutely adored the premiere, which I liveblogged Sunday night. But I’ve been feeling rotten and groggy and didn’t watch episode 2 until tonight. 

I’m kind of glad I waited.

I’m transcribing remarks I made to a friend in a private chatroom while watching, and then I’ve added some thoughts afterwards.

SPOILERS.

Ep 2.

Raw remarks transcribed from private chat while watching (slightly edited)

So, our cliffhanger ended with Michael committing mutiny trying to save them, her captain betrayed and pointing a gun at her, and a whole Klingon fleet warping in like several buckets of shit flying towards a fan.

I’m still trying to get used to Sarek being nicer to a human trying to Vulcan than he was to a son whom he practically disowned for leaving Vulcan to join Starfleet. But I love Sarek so will try to muffle the "buts." I want Amanda to show up.

Parting word to Michael: "Behave." On the bright side, seems like it took her seven years before she LOL NOPED.

I hope the Klingon fans are happy. This is a very ponderous language to listen to when it's whole scenes of dialog and not just quick commands or insults. But I know there's a whole branch of fans who embrace Klingon culture and language, and I hope they're as thrilled as I was to hear Sindarin Elvish spoken.  (And that they're not too perturbed that the Klingon look has mutated again.)

Oh SHIT. I know the Captain was trying to defuse situation with diplomacy, but did they not have their shields up? Or was this just an old ship and/or Klingons managed to puncture shields. Ouch ouch ouch.

Wow, Michael is not having a good day. Waking up in remains of brig with failing containment fields around her — whole sequence is impressive and sad.

I like the way they're employing FX in service to story. It's hard not to let CGI overwhelm. But here, no matter how spectacular FX are, they're functional, rather than an end to themselves: like incidental music the Big FX moments help set mood/tone and give audience catch breath to process what just happened. As opposed to only using FX to foster one mood, maximum adrenaline, and keep audience off-balance so they have no time to catch breath and reflect on situation.

Intense telepathic scene with Sarek. Man he really likes this kid. He is one crazy ass Vulcan, even if he won't admit it: sharing a katra with a near stranger, especially a human child, is pretty drastic. (Also I'm confused: thought he adopted her after parents died in attack, but it looks like Michael was already his ward during attack?

ARGH.

Sarek: "I did not come here to judge your actions. I came here to—"

*Pumpkin, who likes to snooze on desk next to keyboard and occasionally use it as pillow at inconvenient moments, carefully and deliberately stretches out paw and plants it over ESC key, backing up browser window to several URLs ago, losing livestream.*

Cats. Such exquisite timing.

Back online.

Okay yes [STC sounded slightly noncommittal when I was enthusing about restraint of FX] now they're getting a little show-offy. But yikes. First time I've ever seen a space battle using classical Greek naval warfare maneuver. Trireme beak-ram!

...although it could be coincidence, and I'm reading it that way because of my classical studies background. They might've come up with that unusual and dramatic visual independently. At any rate, impressive.

OOOOO. Just hit scene where Captain, out of options, sees Klingons beaming up their dead, and she sees option.  I've been kind of waiting for her to be proactive instead of reactive. Earlier her hands were tied by trying to avoid conflict (following orders).

...DAMMIT. Just Googled to find out spelling of Phillipa's last name and saw the kind of spoiler I really hate to see. Stupid, stupid me.  I really honestly didn't know, since I had been so strenuously avoiding behind-the-scenes stuff. 

—

[At this point I stopped babbling in the chatroom to watch final scenes, so rest is post-watch thoughts.]

At least we have one great sequence between Burnham and Captain Georgiou, although the lull to confront one another and devise a strategy was a little forced— Klingons being very polite about not finishing them off. And YES, YES YES, finally seeing Michelle Yeoh fighting, which believe it or not I never have. (I don't watch many films or really much media.) 

:( Ouch. So close. Just a second or two longer.

So that's that. Man, that's gotta be a record even for Trek; can't even get through two eps without ship's destruction and crew evacuation. (Mom and I used to get annoyed at destroying Enterprise for shock value; first time was so dramatic and meaningful, whereas repeat felt gimmicky.) 

Not sure Michael's Expository Speech is did her any favors at this trial, but at least now we hear what she thinks.

Teaser for next episode (or "real" Discovery show) follows. Kinda confusing that they're convicts but on a Federation ship? Or did she get transferred from prison?

I am still mourning the captain and really not in the mood to parse the trailer. DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT. I was wary of this show, but after watching Ep 1 I let my guard down and was SO EXCITED.

I had seen one article about this series last spring showing what looked like a predominantly white-dude bridge with generic-looking white male captain and a few tokens, just like TOS. That had dampened my enthusiasm for this show and prevented me from getting into it or looking forward to it.

But recently I saw posts saying, "Yo, WOC captain and first officer!" (or rather, in Tumblr's usual WE MUST MAKE YOU FEEL GUILTY FOR NOT SUPPORTING THIS THING YOU WEREN’T AWARE OF, SHAME ON YOU!!! way, there was a post berating Tumblr for lack of photosets and buzz and excitement over Michelle Yeoh and Sonequa Martin-Green, and why weren't we getting behind WOCs when we'd been all excited for Gal Gadot?) And I thought, Wait—what?! I thought this was going to be generic white dude captain with token black female first officer which is okay but not ANYTHING LIKE as cool as what you're saying?

And since I do try to avoid spoilers and PR I didn't know Yeoh wasn't going to be the regular series captain. Or rather, I was confused why the hype I was seeing now differed so drastically from that one article I’d started to skim and then closed thinking, “Nah, I’m going to avoid spoilers.” Had the showrunners changed their minds and decided to bring in Michelle Yeoh as an upgrade after seeing their version of Captain Pike wasn’t good enough to anchor a series?I was just going to wait and see.

I forgot any doubts when Episode 1 gave me EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED: Two great female characters with a friendship and professional working relationship. Banter. Excellence. Skills and wits. Clunky TOS tech and new shiny bridge set. Smart captain. Brave first officer. With two WOC they couldn't be tokens; they had to be expanded as just... 3 dimensional characters.

I was so here for that. I loved that whole opening minisode, and also the Captain sending Michael off to play in a brief voyage of discovery and enjoying that her first officer was enjoying herself.

Their friendship was perfect, legendary Kirk and Spock material. It was distracting me from the other bridge crew— even Saru, who is an interesting character, but I was focused so much on these two women— but I figured other characters would get filled out in subsequent episodes.

And now?

"Here. Here's what you really wanted. Two women being superbly competent officers with a meaningful friendship, leading a show just the way Kirk and Spock did. And it's going to be about discovery and an older woman mentoring another one, and tackling difficult ethical problems without providing easy answers and— PSYCHE! 

“...FOOLED YOU! Two leading women in a Kirk-Spock dynamic? Oh, we could never do that. So we're killing off your already-favorite character. As consolation prize, here, have an incarcerated and demoralized WOC who has to be 'grateful' to a white dude for letting her out of jail. Power imbalance between her and captain, no close friendship, and oh yeah, instead of voyage-of-discovery and complicated-ethical-problems Star Trek, it's going to be various people being macho and angry, and a depressing Federation-Klingon War."

 I hope I'm wrong.

It feels like they gave me everything I'd hoped for and more, and then, once I'd let my guard down, they took it away. I'm left with a character and actor (Sonequa Martin-Green) I like enough that I'm going to watch anyway...for now. But I'm back to being wary. And here we have yet another WOC/minority being killed to make way for generic white dude. So now I'm disillusioned and won’t trust this show, and we're only at the end of ep 2.

Okay, yeah, I'm pissed. 

Discovery could redeem itself and turn out to be fantastic. There is a lot of potential here and a lot to like. Saru and Burnham are good characters, and I assume some of the others will be too. But they're going to have to pull off a miracle now to keep me from fantasizing about the better show that COULD HAVE BEEN.

ETA: so maybe I should have read the behind-the-scenes stuff beforehand so I’d be prepared for this premiere to be backstory, in effect. I guess everyone else knew her death was coming, and could appreciate the drama while anticipating this would be a tragedy. Either I’m naive, or too groggy/tired to pick up the Obi-Wan vibes.

[janeykath318]

Sand, Sun, And A Grumpy Doctor 7

Jenna spent a quiet Saturday, perusing scripts, lounging around, and visiting with Gaila and Nyota, as well as her mother and brother. She satisfied her friend’s curiosity about Bones, but wasn’t prepared when her mom brought up the subject. “So, Jenna. I heard something VERY interesting on your Good Morning America visit.” Jenna froze, realizing she’d failed to take her family’s watching into account when she’d blurted out her secret on air. 

“What was that?” She asked as casually as she could, smearing syrup over her waffle. Winona gave her the squinty eye. “Oh, you know, the part you just casually mentioned having a fling with some guy on vacation and that you’d fallen in love,” she countered. Sam’s eyes went wide and he turned a far too smug grin on his sister. “Yes, Yes, Jen. Tell us all about it. Who has captured your heart, my dear sister, and why have you not informed us?” Jenna sighed heavily. She was in for it now. Facing Chris didn’t sound so bad now that her piranha-like brother was on the trail. “I didn’t tell you for many reasons, Sam.” She replied. “Mostly because It hurt too much to talk about and I didn’t want violence ensuing toward an innocent man who had every right to end things, given that I’d kept certain details from him.” She looked down at her plate, hearing her mother sigh. “So what happened, dear?” She asked in a gentler tone. “I was on vacation and met this hot grumpy guy on the beach,” she summarized. “We talked, we flirted, we made out, I fell hard, but I led him to believe I was a struggling wanna be instead of an established actress. After we’d been e-mailing back and forth a couple months, he figured it out and called me on it. I don’t think it would have upset him so much if he hadn’t been lied to by his ex. He just couldn’t take that again, so he ended things. Like I said, I should have known better, but that doesn’t change how I feel about him.” “You sure he wasn’t just freaked out by your success?” Sam asked. “Some losers can’t take the woman making more than they do.” Jenna shook her head decidedly. “The public spotlight might have freaked him out a bit, being a very private guy, but there was no jealousy about Bones. He’s a very good doctor who doesn’t waste time worrying about what other people make.” “And you really still think about him five years later?” Winona asked in some disbelief. “Yeah,” Jenna admitted. “Why do you think I haven’t had a serious relationship since him?” “Oh.” Was the response. Sam and Winona exchanged significant looks, but didn’t say much else on the matter and Jenna was relieved. Chris at least hadn’t tattled about last night to them. She sent Bones a text last night asking him how the conference was and if he’d found out what time Phil was meeting Chris. It wasn’t too bad. Might’ve learned a thing or two. Phil says 11 am and that he’ll keep Chris distracted as long as necessary. I think he likes you. Jenna giggled. Dr. Boyce seemed like a very fun loving, perceptive individual and she was grateful for his aiding and abetting. Awww. I owe him big time for dragging you up here. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow!! Same. See ya then. The next day, she disguised herself in a floppy hat and huge sunglasses and drove to the hotel where Bones and Boyce were staying. Sure enough, when she sauntered into the coffee shop, there he was in the corner, waiting for her with a steaming cup of caffeine. Pulling off the sunglasses, she smiled brightly at him and took the chair opposite his. “Hey, Bones,” She said. Oh, Bones was looking FINE in a polo shirt of all things. Very unusual for him, but it showed off those great arms. He looked up at her and looked appropriately dazed for a moment. (She May or may not have dressed to extra cute). “Hey, Jen. I trust you didn’t get in any trouble about this?” “In the clear, Bones!” She confirmed. “Now, tell me all about what you’ve been doing the last five years and what led you to San Fran. Before, you seemed really attached to staying in Atlanta.” “Yeah,” He said. “The Ex and her new husband were making it an unbearable situation, much as I loved my job there. You wouldn’t believe the ways she has of continuing to make my life miserable. I took out a restraining order even.” Jenna cringed. The poor man. Sounded like he’d really been put through the wringer by this crazy woman. “She’s left you alone since then?” She asked, perusing the menu half heartedly. “Yes, Thank heaven.” He shuddered involuntarily. “So how are you liking San Fran?” She followed up. “It’s a gorgeous city......if a little off the wall in some places. Now that I know it better, I’ve found new hang outs and connections. It’s starting to feel like home finally.” “I’m glad to hear it, Bones.” She told him. “I told you California isn’t THAT bad.” “I guess not,” he admitted. “It’s got You in it, after all.” This compliment made Jenna flush with the quiet honesty. That was how Bones worked: when he said something sweet it was always sincere. He did not waste time with flattery. “Thanks, Bones,” she replied, smile still playing at the corners of her mouth. “I’m trying to actually be the person you thought I was five years ago—up front about who I am.” “I’m glad for you, Jenna, but I should never have been that hard on you about it. I was very gun shy at the time and not able to handle it back then. I’m sorry for not giving you a chance.” Slowly but steadily, Jenna moved her hand forward until it rested on top of his. He didn’t pull away, but held her gaze with his hazel one. “I know this may sound crazy after five years,” she began, heart starting to pound as she approached the important question, “But would you like to take that chance now?” “So you meant what you said in that interview a few weeks back?” He asked in return, eyes boring into her. Jenna flushed again and nodded. “If it’s the one where I admitted I’m still in love with you, then yes. I didn’t think you’d seen that.” “Oh, I sure did,” Bones said with a certain tone and a smirk that made her shiver with delight and smile back just as meaningfully. “I don’t know this would work: me there, you here, and nosy reporters just itching to make it a story, but I sure as heck want to try,” he went on, lacing their fingers together. “I couldn’t forget you, Jenna Kirk, no matter what I did.”

[its-just-like-the-movies]

July 2017 Viewing Log

I beat my previous record!! 43 motherfuckers!! And so many 2017 features to boot, too. It’ll be neat to see what happens to my viewing patterns once school starts. Moving in the 10th, semester starts the 22nd. It’ll be a jam.

The Beguiled (17, B): I miss some of the 71′s psychosexual mess but this is a legit interpretation with its own interesting tone and style. - 07/01/17

 Mulholland Drive (01, A): Getting better acquainted with Lynch and seeing this a second time have done wonders for me. I’m in a dream place. - 07/02/17

Practically dares you at all times to question its unreality, its presentation, sometimes beats you to the bunch. But fuck is it real.

XX (17, B): As uneven as any respectable horror anthology, with admirably singular approaches. Clark & Lynskey, Kusama & Kirk stand tallest. - 07/03/17 (review)

Black Christmas (74, A-): Nasty atmosphere has room for zesty textures. Conveys potent thesis on misogyny without prurience. Fuckin’ scary. 07/05/17

The Forbidden Room (15, B-): Never as much fun for me as it was for everyone making it. Impressive as an exercise but I can’t get too worked up. - 07/05/17

Orlando (93, A): How much does & doesn’t change over 400 years? As much Potter’s, Powell’s, Swinton’s as it is Woolf’s. - 07/05/17

Can I say my other favorite thing about Orlando is that is possesses an economy that Woolf, wonderful as she is, clearly did not have.

Dolores Claiborne (95, C+): Script, actresses strive for poignancy that Hackford isn’t dexterous enough to fully match. Flawed, but compelling. - 07/06/17

(talking to someone about Judy Parfitt) So amazing with Bates! And I’m impressed with how well she handled old age. She coulda contended if it was released in November.

Coquette (29, D-): Awkward, garish, strenuous, smacks of inconceivable bullshit applied on every conceivably level, cranked way past eleven. - 07/06/17

Atlantic City (81, A): Whole somehow greater than the sum of its parts. Perfect city to refract its characters. Perfect performers to realize them. - 07/06/17

Terms of Endearment (83, B/B+): Winger/Daniels stuff so my favorite, but the humor & emotional currents of each scene work like a charm. - 07/07/17

Jupiter Ascending (14, D+): Imagination abound, comfy with nonsense mythology, but fuck does it get boring. Badness isn’t even that novel. - 07/07/17

Hustle & Flow (05, A-): So comfy with a seedier protagonist than any music biopic in recent memory. Colorful, vulgar, ace cast, great beats. - 07/07/17 (review)

Godzilla (54, B): Can’t survive most dated effects but still carries plenty of raw power. Photography, score, sound invaluable assets. - 07/08/17

Get Out (17, A-): Look, I’m sure the fall will be stacked, but from here I can’t imagine not putting this goddamn gem in my top ten. - 07/09/17

Marnie (64, A-): Dangerously, perversely unpredictable, in character and plotting, right until the very last minutes. Lord, what the fuck. - 07/11/17

The Void (17, B): Grosser than I’m used to but gory, monstrous, ball-to-the-wall insanity the perfect antithesis for It Comes At Night - 07/12/17

The Bling Ring (13, B+): Crimes as commodified and celebrated as fashions, friendships, fuck ups. Hilarious, stylish, nasty as its characters. - 07/12/17

Bird (88, B-/B): Struggles to do right by other black characters, lighting iffy. But Whitaker and Venora take it a long way. Glad I saw it. - 07/13/17

The Interrupters (11, A-): Honors a group of people who deserve all the praise and attention we can give them. Powerful, brave material. - 07/13/17

That still feels like I’m grasping at straws for how to praise the film. I hope it did wonders for the Violence Interrupters.

Happy Together (97, A): I could just list everything this film did right or how its dangerously oversaturated red says everything. - 07/14/17

Viscerally might’ve been better. Passionately? The way that technically imperfect camera captures and shows the film’s story is such a marvel.

How To Survive A Plague (12, A-): Galvanizing, angry, properly honoring another group of people who deserve all the respect we can give them. - 07/14/17

Shadow of a Doubt (43, A): No wonder Hitchcock loved this one so much, even with all the perfect films he made. Wright, Cotten so perfect. - 07/14/17

A Quiet Passion (17, B+): Meek prologue gives way to an increasingly potent, electric, unwavering dive into Dickinson’s life and mind. - 07/14/17

Davies is a great director, but this film would not work without Cynthia Nixon’s prickly, intelligent, verbally and physically astute performance.

Like Hopkins in Nixon, she dives so deeply into her character she pulls off that rare feat of making the real person look alien next to her work. 

Whip It! (09, B+): Melina has decided her roller derby name will be Hermione Danger and that is that. Also why were Ellen and Alia gays. - 07/16/17

Endlesssly fun. Cast fills the film’s lovingly sketched cliches with warmth, heart, humor. Can’t wait to make all my friends watch it and love it.

Ah!!!!! I loved every minute of it.

In the Loop (09, B+): All the ways it shouldn’t be funny - all the ways it’s sort of terrifying - only make it funnier, and more powerful. - 07/16/17 (review)

Sounder (72, A): As light, tender, and thorough an examination of a family as I’ve ever seen, especially under these circumstances. Tyson!! - 07/17/17

I kept thinking about Cicely Tyson’s big open-armed, open-hearted run in Sounder and fuck if that wasn’t the most I smiled all night (7/23/17)

The Savages (07, B): Entertaining yarn, especially between siblings. Trips a bit. Linney and Hoffman add more texture, warmth than Jenkins. - 07/17/17

Last Men in Aleppo (17, A-): So these are what heroes look like, what survival is in a place like that. Its very existence feels dangerous. 07/19/17

Bottom of the World (17, D-): Hateful, especially around Scarlett. Nonsense logic turns it into a weird object. Bottom of the pile. - 07/20/17

Lovesong (17, C): The kind of pleasant, adeptly-made lightweight that’s as hard to criticize as it is to recommend. Leads help. Neat kid. - 07/20/17

Scott Pilgrim vs The World (10, B): Lapses, sure, but deliriously fun, and a feast for the ears. Such fun edits, cast. My favorite Wright. - 07/21/17

I do think it honors such dense source material, and I can’t even fathom how influential Wallace Wells was on my personality/gayness

The Salesman (17, A-): What’s the gulf between public and private humiliations? Ambiguities give way to even more powerful finalities. - 07/22/17

Dunkirk (17, B): So technically prepossessing it becomes a distraction to the film’s emotional currents. Completely affecting. - 07/23/17

The Lure (17, B-): Delightfully off the wall, with indelible peaks. But frequently feels more like riffs than a fully formed idea. - 07/23/17

The Big Sick (17, B): Would you believe it’s more charming and fun than Dunkirk? Messy, feels longer than it is, but so so worth it. - 07/23/17

Arsenic and Old Lace (44, B-): Works so very hard at fun, zany, and perverse that it has a hard time being any of those things. - 07/25/17

The Act of Killing (13, A-): As terrifying a recreation of history as 12 Years A Slave. And when history is alive, how does it see itself? - 07/27/17

War for the Planet of the Apes (17, B): Handsome. Over-scored but scored well. I like what it’s doing, but doesn’t engender much to add. - 07/28/17

The Player (92, A-): Satire that drowns its Hollywood send-up with such a light, finessed touch. Essential Altman, Robbins, Peroni. - 07/28/17

My Fair Lady (64, C): Wonderfully dressed, set, and scored, but lord is this a misogynistic dinosaur of a film. Every song long in the tooth. - 07/28/17 (review)

So deadly low on energy, and uncinematic. Almost every man a creep, almost every song awful. I liked Hepburn and Nixon. That horrid ending!!!!

Dog Day Afternoon (75, A): Look I’ll think of something more sophisticated later but that’s one of the most perfect films I’ve seen. - 07/29/17

Excitingly interacts with eveyr mode of filmmaking, genre it touches. Packed with energy. Hard to think of anyone realizing it better.

Pacino is astounding, but so it Durning Sarandon, Allen. And, of course, John Cazale. What a run he and Pacino had!

Right Now, Wrong Then (16, A-): Unbroken cuts, rich script, earnest leads and direction create real tension of lives being lived. - 07/30/17

Strange Weather (17, B): Desperate tale of maternal validation compellingly crafted, well-spun, acted to gold by Hunter & co. Great finale. - 07/30/17

[junker-town]

Predators fans throw catfish. What should fans of other NHL teams throw?

Cultural (and legal) ideas for the 30 other teams.

When a rogue Predators fan threw a disgusting dead catfish onto the Penguins’ ice in Game 1, fans tuning into the Stanley Cup Final might’ve been asking one question.

Why?

Yes, that. Thank you.

But I bet some were also wondering what their own fanbase throws on the ice. Surely all teams do this!

Nope. Only a few teams have caught onto this tradition. Which leaves us with the daunting task of coming up with ideas for all 31 NHL teams.

So far, as you’ll see, the three teams who do this regularly stick with animals. So for this thought exercise we’ll try to adhere to a few rules. We won’t nominate ideas:

If PETA is going to get pissed about it

If it’s illegal

If it’s offensive to a lot that goes on

Notice I didn’t say if it’s not possible. Anything is possible.

Let’s do this.

*Disclaimer: Don’t actually do any of these things. SB Nation does not condone the throwing of any of these items. I’m just idea-making here. Ideas are not endorsements. Wink.

Boston Bruins

If we were just going to stick with mascots here, we’d have to suggest a dead bear. But that doesn’t pass the PETA rule or the cost rule.

Simple googling tells me that wild turkeys are abundant in Massachussetts. You’re telling me a fan can’t smuggle a whole turkey into TD Garden?

Even if they couldn’t, you could totally hide a turkey breast or leg. This has potential.

Buffalo Sabres

One of two. Serious and non-serious.

Serious: buffalo wings. C’mon. Easy.

Non-serious: actual sabres. The players are basically wearing body armor. They’ll totally be fine.

Detroit Red Wings

Already figured out.

Florida Panthers

Also already solved in the Panthers’ third season and their 1996 playoffs run. From ThoughtCo.:

The story began during the franchise's third NHL season at the Miami Arena. Forward Scott Mellanby killed a rat with his hockey stick, which had tried scurrying across the team's locker room before the Panthers' home opener on October 8, 1995.

Mellanby went on to score two goals in the game with the same stick in which he killed the rat with. After the game, Florida's goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck then nicknamed Mellanby's feat the "Rat Trick."

Fans caught onto the story and started throwing rubber rats onto the ice after goals were scored. That led to this glorious scene:

So, yeah. No need for a new suggestion.

Montreal Canadiens

Canadians. Literally throw the Canadian next to you onto the ice.

Ottawa Senators

You can’t throw a senator unless you want to get arrested. Ignore the fact I just suggested you wouldn’t get arrested for throwing a Canadian. Just ignore that. Don’t worry about it.

You can, however, throw a gavel.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Unless you’re Zeus, you’re not going to throw lightning onto the ice.

Googling tells me that redfish are one of the more plentiful sporting fish in the Tampa area. So they could throw those.

But we all know that the Florida ecology is threatened. Why not help out by throwing these little buggers onto the ice?

That’s an Asian green mussel, an invasive species that wreaks havoc on intake pipes on ships, marinas and power plants. They also look ugly.

Okay, maybe just save those for when opponents score or something. Throw an alligator instead.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Imagine watching a fan trying to throw a leaf from his seat onto the ice. Hilarious.

But no. I also think that might be insulting to greater Canada. So fans should throw a maple tree onto the ice. Not branches. Entire trees.

theplantingtree.com

Don’t ask me how you’re supposed to sneak that into the arena. I provide the ideas, you provide the execution.

Carolina Hurricanes

If you really wanted to dig deep here you could throw tobacco. Maybe even barbecue.

But Krispy Kreme was started in North Carolina, and it would be absolutely wonderful if fans threw doughnuts onto the ice. Maybe even whole boxes! The fans get a fun sight and the players and refs get an in-game snack. Win-win.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

If you’re going to fire a cannon after every goal then you have to let fans throw cannonballs onto the ice every once and awhile. Them’s the rules.

New Jersey Devils

Devil-based idolatry might offend many people. Understandable. That’s why you throw traffic cones. I hear traffic in New Jersey is awful. A governor once told me that.

New York Islanders

Photo by Stephen Chernin/Getty Images

You have to celebrate Long Island’s seafood. Lots of options here. You could throw Blue Point oysters. You could throw clams.

But you could also get away with throwing Long Island ducks. Duck farming is apparently a big thing on Long Island, so nobody will get mad if you buy a duck and decide to launch it into a hockey game instead of dining on it.

New York Rangers

... blue shirts?

I’ve got nothing.

Philadelphia Flyers

My Philly coworkers tell me the food is good in Philly. Sure. I’ve never been, so I can’t disagree.

I almost put hoagie down for New Jersey because that’s where I thought it was from. Nope. It’s from Philly. So congrats, Flyers arena staff. You get to clean up after launched hoagies splatter all over the ice.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Awww. You can’t throw dead penguins onto the ice. That’s actually pretty disturbing.

But what do you associate most with Pittsburgh? That’s right. Bridges. Fans should throw a bridge onto the ice. Failing that, throw something made of steel. That’s safe enough. Probably safer than a bridge. Probably.

Washington Capitals

I’d say throw a swamp but that’s been drained, right? I was told that was drained.

I think it’d be a nice way to honor one of our greatest presidents by throwing top hats. Save your generic, normal hats for hat tricks. Top hats only come out for playoff runs.

Or throw a politician. Either one.

Vegas Golden Knights

Dice. Duh. Moving on.

Anaheim Ducks

Well. Ducks have already been taken by the Islanders. I know. This is confusing.

But fans can still honor the Mighty Ducks tradition by throwing Mighty Ducks action figures. Way better than real duck corpses.

Arizona Coyotes

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Cacti. Are you kidding? Cacti. This was way too easy. Next team, please.

Calgary Flames

Throw fire.

Just kidding. No, throw lassos or cowboy hats or cowboy boots. Alberta (and Calgary, in particular) has a neat rural, ranching culture. And Calgary also hosts the Stampede, Canada’s largest annual rodeo festival. Embrace that and toss some rodeo items.

Like saddles! For the Saddledome! Perfect. Throw saddles.

Edmonton Oilers

Throw first round picks away. Wait, they’ve already done that a few times.

This is a deep cut, but stick with me.

Throw milkshakes to honor one of the best oil boom movies ever.

Los Angeles Kings

Crowns. Duh.

I guess if you wanted to throw something related to L.A. culture you could throw ... red carpets? Money? Flashing lights? Movies?

Wait. Yes. Movies.

Throw DVDs onto the ice. Boom. Forget the crowns. That was dumb.

San Jose Sharks

Too easy. I bet you could buy a shark at a market, right? A small shark, not a fully-grown one. Though if you can manage to smuggle in a whale shark then more power to you.

Vancouver Canucks

Another coastal town. So let’s go back to fish. And let’s go with a readily available Vancouver staple: salmon.

Or monkey puzzle trees. Because they sound and look funny.

123rf

Chicago Blackhawks

Lots of food-based options here. But I like the idea of smuggling a deep-dish pizza into United Center in your coat for two periods before frisbee-ing it onto the ice.

Colorado Avalanche

I have family members who’ve lived in Colorado and told me stories about being late to work because they had to wait for a herd of moose or elk to cross the road. Antlers can’t be too hard to acquire, right? You could totally toss antlers, as long as they weren’t all sharp and stuff.

Or mountains.

Dallas Stars

As a Dallas native, I feel uniquely prepared to answer this. Dallas fans should honor their city’s traditions by throwing corporate buildings onto the ice.

Kidding. Kind of. Dallas is way less “Texan” than you’d imagine. Cowboy stuff wouldn’t fit too well. But as the only Texas NHL team, they have to represent the whole state.

So, fine. Stars fans should throw cowboy stuff. Maybe hats. Maybe boots. Maybe horseshoes. Let’s go with horseshoes.

Minnesota Wild

Apparently there are a lot of lakes in Minnesota. And gophers. If you don’t mind offending some fellow fans by throwing a dead gopher on the ice, then go for it I guess. But if subtlety is more your game, go to your local Minnesota lake with an empty water bottle and fill it up. Toss it on the ice. Hope somebody gets the joke as you’re escorted out of the arena.

St. Louis Blues

What better way to celebrate the blues tradition than throwing saxophones?

Winnipeg Jets

Again, you could go moose antlers here. Or plane tickets.

But I like the idea of low-tech references to your team name. So make some really cool paper airplanes and toss those.