#my PikeUna is showing too

[the-redhead-in-a-dress]

Random things I want in SNW Se3

Diplomatic Function with shenanigans

Una and Pike centered episode. Potentially being kidnapped à la T'Pol and Archer in Shadows of P'Jem. Maybe even throw in some flashbacks to Una and Pikes' early career/first meeting etc. Or just go with that and have the entire episode just be baby Ensigns Chin-Riley and Pike on an adventure...shenanigans ensured.

An actual conversation between Una and Chris recognizing the hardship of her having had to hide her true self for so long but not having to do so anymore

Una facing discrimination from others in SF/Federation...some recognition at least that her plight didn't end just by her being granted asylum. Chris going bezerk over this.

An Una and Illyrians centered episode. Maybe even her finally getting to contact her parents again, maybe an episode where she gets to actually see them/go back home. Maybe just an episode akin to The Illyrian Enigma (comic) where the Enterprise meets other Illyrians in space.

Una out of uniform!!! Anything will do, but please let the woman relax without the SF dress code! Preferably tie this in with the diplomatic function and have her in a fancy ball gown (please!)

Reconciliation/At least addressing the tension now between Admiral April and Una/Chris, given April's less than kind words at her trial!

Captain dinner!

Post-dinner Pike and Una discussing the crew/missions maybe even having a drink or two

Crew night off, some karaoke, a movie or something, maybe some dancing on or off the Enterprise

Spock & Una friendship episode...maybe they get stuck on a planet and have to figure things out together. Anything that really centers their friendship/mentoring relationship with one another. Maybe Spock can confide in Una his relationship issues etc. Maybe Una can admit she has little experience with relationships because she's always pushed people away for fear they'll get too close. Spock notes that she's never pushed Chris away. They'll be heavy implications, she'll go to respond and maybe Chris interrupts over comms and bam they're rescued...implications still heavy in the air.

Girls night!!!! La'an, Uhura, Erica, Christine, Una....give me the girl love here!!

Things I'd rather not have

Captain Batel/Chris' romantic entanglements generally

Kirk...please this is not a TOS prequel...get you're own reboot

[curator-on-ao3]

for the director's cut thing, i would LOVE to hear you talk about the light before dawn! (sorry if you've already done it lol) it's one of my absolute all time favourite pikeuna fics <3

Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Thank you so much, @belannaswlonkderfulworm!! ❤️ That’s so kind of you and deeply meaningful for me. 🥹

To explain: The Light Before Dawn lives in my heart. I started writing that multi-chap during Strange New Worlds’ first season and I think about it often with so much affection. I know fandom wisdom is people don’t like modern AUs, but I wanted to write it anyway. Something about that story just needed to be told.

I began by trying to figure out Una’s secret. I would have liked to have made her in the United States illegally, but then marriage could fix her problem and I didn’t want that pressure on her and Chris’ relationship. I also considered making Una trans, but I don’t feel qualified to write that experience. There was the option of making her a religious or ethnic minority, but then she would hopefully have a community and not be so alone. The idea of genetic engineering correlating to medical device implantation and ableism finally hit me and really resonated.

For Chris, my first idea was that he could be an equine therapist. But that didn’t work out geographically and, once I figured out Una’s secret, I also decided I didn’t want Chris in any kind of medical profession. (That’s why Joseph and Christine are barely in the story.) Making Chris a modern-day peacemaker seemed right.

Once I had the facts straight, the story had one rule — nothing bad could happen during the course of the narrative. This would be a story about emotional recovery from trauma. Even misunderstandings (like the one Una and La’an had) would be in the service of recovery. I feel like that came through, in part because one of the story bookmarks has the note “comfort in words.” I’ll tell you right now that there are times when I’ve had a shitty day, I look at or think about that bookmark and it helps me feel better that my words were able to comfort someone.

All that being said, there was so much I wanted to fit into that story and couldn’t:

I had this idea in my head that when Chris and Vina got divorced, Chris wore brown loafers with tassels to Family Court because he knew Vina hated those shoes … and he felt guilty at doing something so petty, but also free from trying to please her. As Chris made his way down the front steps of the court after the divorce was finalized, he nearly danced on the concrete with the shoes his wife — ex-wife — hated.

Speaking of Vina … there are songs on my fic playlist for Vina, a character who doesn’t even appear except for Chris mentioning her. But I have so many thoughts about Vina’s frustration with Chris, her pain at him pulling away from a life she thought was good. Vina, a financial planner, helps money make more money. She shops at chic stores and pays too much for haircuts. She moved to SoHo after the divorce and doesn’t really enjoy sex with her dates but does it to reassure herself that she’s “normal” and “fun” and “cool” because all of that is so desperately important to her. I hope she snaps out of her need to impress others, I really do, because Vina’s life could be better if she just lived it for herself.

I considered including that in the mornings when Chris’ light didn’t go on that he was at Judge Batel’s place feeling like absolute garbage. But then who discriminated against Una and cost Una her dream? It got too messy so I just left Batel out and I’m glad I did.

I was going to have the kitchen renovation company belong to Hemmer but when the show killed him, I nixed that.

At the last minute, I edited out a part where Una told Chris that when she was little and her parents would drive past the garbage dump, she would get scared they would drop her off there and leave her. But that was just too sad, even in the past.

In the universe of the story, Rukiya 100% lives to be an adult. There is no cygnokemia in New York City. After they read and run around at the park, Joseph and Rukiya go home to Debra and the family plays board games until it’s time for dinner.

In terms of good stuff, I’m really pleased with some of the details in that story — Una’s nail polish bottles, Chris’ Eagle Scout award (the highest award in Boy Scouts), those two discussing leaky scaffolding (a relatable New York City experience), the reveal of what happened to Gabriel Lorca. Also, I know I’m biased, but when Una set the stars at the planetarium to Mojave, California, so she could see what the sky looked like for Chris when he was a child at night, I think that’s so goddamn romantic of her.

I’m less pleased with my decision to have Una’s quick conversation in the mail room be with a nameless neighbor. My original thought was the neighbor could be any one of the Discovery women — Kat Cornwell, Michael Burnham, Phillipa Georgiou, etc. Meh. Then I wrote and deleted a whole section that made clear the neighbor was Christine Chapel. Maybe I should have kept that and removed the fleeting Chapel reference later. I’m not sure.

I stand by the Spirk joke at the end, though.

I also stand by Una not being a model patient. She’s mostly good about things, but she doesn’t always carry her card with her … just like a real person. And I am gleeful that Eagle Scout Mr. Moral Compass Christopher Pike uses the work printer for personal documents because, come on, we all do it.

Oof, I could keep talking about this story but I should stop. Thank you for this absolutely lovely opportunity, @belannaswlonkderfulworm, I’ve enjoyed every second of babbling about my beloved The Light Before Dawn. ❤️

Want more information about a fic I wrote? Send me an ask.

[emonydeborah]

SNW and DISCO spoilers

so I watched the Una episodes of discovery with no other context. So it’s just the episode where they find the sphere and the last two episodes of season two.

they really go buckwild on this ship. Tilly is being eaten by fungus and no one tells anyone. Jett and the mushroom man get high and slap each other out of it. Also did Jett appear from the vents? Michael is having a family crisis. Saru asked his friend to help him commit ritual suicide and I think a part of his brain fell out. Also I didn’t know he spoke so many languages so that was cool.

they are so dramatic here. The shocked and horrified stares around at each other made the finale an hour long otherwise it would have been like 30 minutes. I expect this from Chris but good grief. The letters goodbye one bye one? Sarek and Amanda somehow showing up ahead of a whole fleet to tell Michael they love her? The sibling fight as the ship is being fired upon? (that one tracks actually) I like it for the big moments but are they always like this?? And is the “eyes up” thing a thing and why doesn’t Chris do it anymore?

I do like the found familyness I am sensing. The whole fam banding together to go with Michael was sweet. And their goodbye to Chris. This is the level of found family where I’d expect to find at least a few of those foster kid fanfics where they refuse to leave each other and the foster parents get six kids at once. I have not looked but I would be disappointed if there aren’t any.

Pike’s stepdad energy is so strong. The whole crew does what they want and loop him in when they feel like it. They are fine without him and have their own system and dynamics going on. He knows it, too, which is hilarious to watch from just knowing him from snw. He really just intervenes to keep his genius stepchildren from straying too far off the mission. They are running around like overexcited puppies (“the sphere is trying to communicate!!!!”) and he keeps them from gnawing on the walls. But he is a good stepdad in that he is ready to throw hands and use his ship as a shield so they can get away from section 31.

then as soon as he gets back to enterprise he brings all of the evil fbi apparently. Una is not surprised and has tricked out the whole ship and the shuttles for battle without prompt. She went Chris was out of my sight for too long we need to be ready to fight the galaxy.

and some more Una notes: Katrina Cornwell seemed tall and commanding until she stood next to Una and it was hilarious how small she was. Took me out of the dramatic bomb defusing moment but I still had fun. And Chris knew someone was going to die from that torpedo and got Una out as soon as he knew there were no other options. My pikeuna heart.

And Una choosing violence with the interrogation sent me. SNW fans know she has been hiding and afraid of scrutiny her whole life, and this is how she shows it. What a woman. She did not even tell them her name. Did we know she was Una at this point or was she Number One all the way until snw premiered?

“Follow the queen.” *Chris immediately looks at Una* I see you Chris.

it is obvious that they did not know how they were going to open snw with Chris being depressed and Una going missing but I liked their shock and happiness when Spock showed up beardless.

idk if I am intrigued enough to watch this whole show but I like Georgiou being their personal annoying gremlin. “Everybody hates you. Congratulations.” Also queen Po going if I die I die.

did not like Una going “in English please” to literally another navigator. We know she’s a genius let her be one y’all. If it were a science person going off a thousand words a minute I would allow it. But Una was talking to a pilot. Do better.

IN GENERAL, a good time. I was there for Una and she was not there much, but that was expected I guess. I was not prepared for how emotional discovery's crew would be. They are all in their feelings at all times. I liked them as a crew and maybe I will return one day.

[fiadorable]

Director’s cut for an ending unforeseen, please. Or breakfast and a show. Or both. 🙏❤️

Both. The answer is always both @curator-on-ao3

Ok, so I'd been looking for an excuse to write an ending unforseen pretty much since the pilot for strange new worlds aired. I couldn't believe the similarities between Pike and Kiley 279 and Janeway and the Caretaker. As strange new worlds progressed, I became more firm in my convictions. Two explorers, separated by over a hundred years and tens of thousands of light years, each with an incredibly tuned sense of justice and tragic proclivity for self flagellation (and clinical depression imo)... what more could I want??

Answer: time travel. The thing these two boneheaded captains love the most. I really needed Janeway to have that moment with Pike when he tells her she's doing a great job because she had so little opportunity for that external validation, and then for Janeway to also give Pike some of her relentless hope as he's preparing to go back to what he feels is his final hour. And the ending. Ugh. I made myself emotional with it. I feel like it's a hair too saccharine, but I dragged that poor man out of a catastrophic accident, dumped him on Voyager, and then had to have them send him back so like he deserves to know his sacrifice was not in vain?? That people respect him and honor his commitment to returning knowing what he's going back to, to have some of his compassion reflected back at him. God, the feelings.

I was a little nervous writing this fic for two reasons. 1) It had been eight years since I'd written Janeway and I was feeling a bit creaky in the characterization department and 2) I was dumping a lot of backstory into the summary so I could get on with the actual important part of the story which was not how or why the time travel worked. Neither of which were actually an issue, of course, everyone was quite lovely about everything. Even the way Janeway pulls Pike aside at the end for a private question just like she does to Chakotay in Shattered which I didn't realize I'd done until after I published OH WELL y'all are nice to not mock me relentlessly for that.

And then breakfast and a show was SO FUN to write, I genuinely enjoyed every second of it, which is, uh, rare lol. Since the show did a musical episode, it felt right to do a Pikeuna piece with Una and Pike. It was fun to use Pike's POV to describe the patter song and think she's perfect and gorgeous and The Best even if she's not much of a dancer. And I wanted them to feel a little "lived in" so I threw in the classic "quiet spouse scares the shit out of the focused spouse" gag.

Una is singing a Sondheim patter song (a fairy dies every time a Trek character mentions Gilbert and Sullivan and entire multiverses collapse when a Trek person sings Gilbert and Sullivan). They get into a mini food fight after Chris starts "helping" her finish up, but it ends with Una clearing the kitchen island with a single sweep of her arm and lifting Chris onto it to finish him off instead.

I find drabbles quite liberating in their constraints. The challenge to create a perfect soap bubble scene where the reader knows there's story that comes before and story that continues after, but this here is the most important, distilled part is just... chef's kiss.

send me an ask for more behind the scenes info on my fics

[female-fogbank]

@salrevientad thank you for the prompt Pikeuna - while on comms (video). I hope you enjoy... Private Conversation (yes, I couldn't help but name it that 🤣), it can be read on AO3 !

“How much longer is this training exercise going to last?” Chris asked as he sat on the edge of his bed on the enterprise after a long day. He missed Una, she was not making it easier as she sat on his viewscreen dressed in nothing but a short dressing gown on her hotel room couch. Her long, beautiful raven hair was pulled up in a messy bun as she was fresh from her shower. Soft tendrils of hair framed her hair face. She opened a jar of moisturiser and started massaging the cream onto her silky smooth legs. He smothered a groan as his dick hardened at the sight.

“I don’t know, the Vulcans are dragging it out. Spock is loving the never-ending debates and long-winded speeches. Uhura is like a kid in a candy shop and  La’an looks about ready to burn the building down if it means ending the conference sooner.” Una said in an absent manner.

“Tell her she has my blessing if it gets you all back to the enterprise,” Chris told her, Una smiled slyly at him.

“You miss me?” Una asked.

“Terribly, I want you back by side,” he said, he was also growing tired of his left hand. He missed the hot, wet clutch of her body, the way she whispered his name against his ear.

"I miss you too, waking up alone is no fun,” Una said with a pout.

“What would you do if I was there?” Chris asked, Una raised an eyebrow at the question.

“Oh, you know, the usual,” she drawled teasingly.

“Which usual? as I remember there being quite the variety of morning activities that we share.” Chris drawled innocently.

Una bit her bottom lip and then smiled as she knew where this was heading. She closed her jar of moisturiser and sat back on the couch in a somewhat seductive pose just to tease him. It worked as he heaved in a breath and shifted himself on the edge of his bed.   “Well, this morning I woke up very horny,” she said as she teasingly dragged her fingers down the collar of her dressing gown. Chris' eyes followed as she traced a line between her breasts letting the fabric slowly drape open to her navel.

“Did you touch yourself?” he asked, his eyes simmered with a hungry heat and unspent passion. She felt herself grow slick and shifted her thighs to relieve some of the pressure she felt.

“I had to, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to concentrate all day,” she told him in a matter-of-fact manner.

“Show me” he ordered, Una slowly undid her dressing gown, she lifted one leg onto the bed, and let the other drape open. She felt a thrill of anticipation and arousal zip through her as Chris groaned at the view she presented.

Una smiled teasingly as she opened her dressing gown. Chris groaned in delight and frustration as he wished he were with her.

“Like this,” she said as she trailed her fingers down the valley between her breasts past her navel before she slid them into her slick folds. She gave a breathy moan for effect, but her heart beat faster, she felt her skin heat up as she was already incredibly slick and more spilled forth as she saw Chris’ heated gaze zero in on where her fingers were. She circled and teased her clit and gave a shaky breath. She watched his pupils dilate and lick his lips. 

“I slid one finger in and it wasn't enough as…umm my fingers aren't long and thick as yours,” Una explained, it was hard to focus while her core clenched deliciously around her finger. It would’ve been better if he were with her in the room. But this was good enough, she slowly finger fucked herself in front of him. 

“Definitely need that second finger,” Chris told her, he sat forward, his hungry gaze on her as he watched her with a great intensity that turned her on. Una slid in the second finger and this time the moan was real as pleasure lazily rippled through her, she plunged her fingers in and out of her core. Sweat prickled across her skin, she felt her chest flush as she built herself closer and closer to coming.

“Yes,” she gasped as she pulled her fingers out and spread her slick juices over her pussy and clit, she moved her other hand to her clit and started to rub it.

“Don’t go too hard and fast on that clit,” Chris said crassly, as he undid his pants and pushed them to his knees. His erection sprung free. Una bit her bottom lip and moaned as he used his precum as lubricant and started to jerk off. It was incredibly erotic.

“My clit likes it fast and rough,” Una said, she whimpered as she felt her body start to burn as mini waves of pleasure rippled through her and started to coil tight in her lower belly, waiting to be fully released.

“Fuck, I wish I was right there, fucking your hot perfect cunt,” he said between her moans and cries. She watched him through hooded eyes as she kept up the momentum with her hands on herself. 

“Me too,” Una gasped. Their moans and gasps intermingled over the comm channel with the wet sounds of her pussy. Her fingers were gliding through her slick juices, it was an erotic orchestra to her ears.

“Faster, Una-fuck, you look so hot with greedy little cunt sucking those fingers in.” Chris told her, his voice rough as he was caught up in his pleasure.

“Chris,” she gasped,

“Just imagine I'm there, my cock fucking you, I'm so close,” he told her, his fist tight around his cock, he pumped in fast, short strokes and then mixed in a few long ones. 

“Oh god, I'm so close,” 

“Me too, fuck me,” Chris gasped, his features were tortured in pleasure. He squeezed the head of his cock trying to stave off his orgasm. Both of them absolutely lost in the moment and unaware of their surroundings, they didn’t hear the doorbell chime. Watching him, knowing exactly how his cock felt in her hands, and thrust into her body, it sent her over the edge.  

“I’m coming!” Una moaned, the alien computer mistook her for saying ‘come in’. She didn’t hear the door open. She groaned, her core clenched around her fingers, trapping them inside her. She felt her release flow out of her. Una let out a ragged breath and watched as Chris came, his eyes were shut as he gripped his cock, his cum shot out and spread across his chest and lap.

“Una, we nee- Oh my God!” La’an stopped, her eyes wide as she realised what she’d walked in on. She looked at Una’s flushed skin and how her arms were down. The couch covered her view. But there right on the screen was Chris still holding his cock in his hand as he just finished coming. “Oh my god!” She immediately covered her eyes and turned away, “Cock- Captain, I’m sorry I saw nothing! I - UNA, USE THE DO NOT DISTURB SETTING!” La’an shouted as she ran out the room completely mortified. The door closed but not before La’an’s voice carried in shouting something about how people should be locking doors. 

Una and Chris looked at one another in shock for a half a second before they burst into laughter. Una slipped her slick fingers from her pussy, and grabbed a tissue and wiped them clean. Chris was doing the same on his end, grinning as they both knew the crew saw them as pseudo-parental figures. So, it was easy to imagine their sex life was quasi-disturbing to them.

“She’s not wrong, you should lock your door,” Chris told her with a grin as he pulled up his pants and tucked his cock away. It was a shame as she would’ve loved for them to continue but they were lucky to even get 10 minutes away from Chris’ schedule.

“I’ll speak with you later,” Una told him.

“I love you,” Chris told her, Una smiled as she never tired of hearing him say that. “And you should put do not disturb setting on your room later,” he added.

“Is that an order?” she asked saucily, Chris laughed.

“Yes,” He replied, he looked off to the side and Una knew their time was up as something was happening on the Enterprise. “I gotta go,” he said.

“Hey, I love you too, bye,” Una told him, they signed off at the same time. She gave a happily sigh as she laid back on the couch and smiled.

[marymoss1971]

22 Answers for Fanfic 2022

1. Fandoms wrote for this year

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: Lower Decks

Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: Voyager

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

2. Favorite fanfic I wrote

I'd say Moving Forward  since for the longest time I couldn't figure out why Chakotay would end up with Seven. It seemed totally random and out of the blue. So, I wrote this fic to help me understand how it could happen.

3. Favorite fic I read

I don't read a lot but Our Stars by @curator-on-ao3 since it really got me feeling the Pikeuna ship. and her story "Ransomed"  Chapter 13: in Voyager Writing Game Prompts because it showed me that a prompt-fic can be short so it inspired me to write the story I wanted to

4. Favorite opening line/scene I wrote "Owen Paris sat in the War Room dazed. 98 ships. The room was abuzz with activity—people running in and out, people talking all around him, people talking *to* him, but nothing registered. All he could think about were the 98 ships. 98 out of 112 ships gone—just like that. Tens of thousands of people sent to their deaths and that was just in his fleet—the 7th fleet--alone. -- From Pain too Difficult to Process                                 This is memorable because it showed us a different side of the Admiral. We've seen him as the epitome of the confident Starfleet officer. It's interesting that he's so shell shocked by the loss of the fleet that he can't register what's going on around him. 5. Favorite ending line/scene I wrote "maybe she could find another Collector. She probably wouldn’t be able to hear their voice in her head like the Master (there was only one Master, after all!) but it’d be nice to be of service again."-- from The Compelled Starfleet Collector Memorable because it showed that, despite the fact she's no longer under the direct control of he Thought Maker, she's been too heavily indoctrinated.It's a heavy ending but that's what I find interesting about it. 6. A trope I wrote this year The sadistic/maniacal villain in The Mystery of Level 10, Section A --that was my favorite. Also, the regretful father trying to make amends in Seeking a Second Chance The disapproving father trope in Offiering Unsolicited Advice ..The dark comedy version of someone descending into insanity   Doop Doop Doop and Anderson Unhinged

  7. Pairings I wrote

Chakotay/Seven

Owen Paris/Owen Paris's wife

Leah Brahms/Geordi LaForge

Tom Paris/B'Elanna Torres

8. Fic regret this year

That I wrote? I guess How the Tirade Began   It was mainly a test to see if I could put my idea in 47 words. I succeeded but don't think it's very interesting.

9. A song that helped me write

I don't use songs. However, I used the song "Hallelujah" for the Merry Month of Cohen writing prompt. The story was Broken Promise   10.  Total Number of fics I posted

37

11.Total Number of Words I posted

51,283 12. Most popular fic written

Based on kudos, I have a 4-way tie between Knowledge for Knowledge's Sake , An Intriguing Offer , A Clear Future From an Uncertain Past , and A Difficult Debrief  . Based on hits it's Moving Forward 13. Least popular fic written

Based on Kudos, Preconceptions  which makes me a little sad since when it comes to Leah Broahms/Geordi LaForge, I must be in the minority.. Based on hits, it's Sisters and Starfleet                                14.Longest completed fic

The Mystery of Level 10, Section A at  6,218 words

15. Shortest completed fic

How the Tirade Began  It was my attempt at the 47 word prompt. Next is The third Option  at 218 words 16. Favorite character to write this year

I"m going to say Tendi in Knowledge for Knowledge's Sake  It was fun fleshing out her backstory.

17. A fic I didn't expect to write  

Most are unexpected. But The Compelled Starfleet Collecto -- . I loved the idea of the Though Maker as a brainwashing device but it wouldn't work for my one fic so I wrote a story around it.

18. Most Memorable comment/review

"Have you ever considered a full novella about Jellico and his adventures? You have a real knack for his voice and he happens to be one of my favorite characters."-- To hear someone say that I had a knack for writing Jellico--I was over the moon! It also inspired me to write Deep Space 5 19. Trends I noticed in my writing this year

I started out the year decided that I wanted to try the prompts in the Voyager Writing Game, so a lot of my fics came from the prompts. I also was inspired by Twitter a few times. 20.. Fics I wanted to write but didn't

I had ideas for SNW but wanted to wait to see what happens in new season (see next question) 21. Fics I want to write next year

I want to write Spock asking Una's advice when he's offered the position as Kirk's first officer but I want to see what happens when Spock and Kirk meet in SNW. I'd also like to write a Spock/Sarek/Sybok scene but, again, want to see what SNW does

22. An idea from one of my fics that I want people to think about Wow, I don't know. I guess in Friendship Lost where I have Carol Freeman try to process the actions of her  "friend" Les Buenamigo. I've always loved the "someone close to X is a traitor" trope in fiction. So, the idea that someone she considered a friend not only set her up for failure but tried to kill her--that was heavy for me. So, I hope that that story plus others in my series Reflections on Admiral Buenamigo  aka Admiral (not so) Good Friend provided readers closure that provided me when I was writing them.

***

I hope no one minds if I do an honorable mention. This is my favorite set of lines in a fic from this year. From Seeking a Second Chance                                  - 

(Admiral Paris is asking for his daughter’s forgiveness for not being supportive of her career)

“Moira, please!” he exclaimed.

“No!” she interrupted. “It’s bad enough you made me feel like crap for playing the harp, you did the <b>same</b> thing to Tom! If it wasn’t for you, he’d probably be alive right now!”

“Don’t you think I know that?!” he blurted out.

That’s when she saw it. She’d seen many things in her father’s face—happiness, sadness, pride, disappointment, anger. But what she saw now—pain—she’d never seen before.

[regalpotato]

I'm curious, what are your reasons for shipping Pikeuna. I ship them too I'm just curious as how you got into it :)

Oh I have so many reasons, Anon. And I'm not even gonna 'read more' this because I want people to see the gifs I put effort into making.

Firstly, I watched The Cage pilot when I was a teenager, and fell absolutely hopelessly in love with Number One.

She was the First Officer of the Enterprise (back in an era where women were meant to be quiet and look pretty - evidenced by the fact that the network told Roddenberry he could keep the woman or the alien), she was cold and calculating and good at her job. But wore nail varnish, and obviously had emotions she kept under wraps. I was smitten.

Secondly:

I'm a sucker for the Talosians calling her out over her CANONICAL feelings about Pike. (Always love when a ship has basis in canon)

And I mean, they just look like a good power couple okay? And I always love a good power couple.

So I liked the idea of them from the get go, since I was a teenager.

Then Star Trek Discovery happened. And I found out Number One was in Season 2 (played by the original Mystique no less) and I was hooked again.

Here they are making eyes at each other and flirting over Number One's spicy food choices.

I thought, 'they're not going to keep Number One's crush on Pike are they?' I mean they've changed Pike from being a misogynist (thank god), so would they keep that?

But Number One knows him far too well (she told the Enterprise's engineer that Pike would think the holograms were too much like ghosts). So much so that Spock even calls her out on it:

Spock: You have made a most careful study of the captain.

Number One:

She freaks out and then slams her hand against the communication panel to contact the engineer and change the subject. GIRL STILL HAS IT BAD GUYS.

I love unrequited love (as long as it's secretly or eventually requited...)

And they just look GOOD together (Anson and Rebecca have such good chemistry)

And finally, I always ship the 'mum and dad' pairings. Roslin/Adama (BSG), Sam/Jack (SG1), Sheppard/Weir (SGA), Picard/Crusher (TNG), Janeway/Chakotay (Voyager), DeWitt/Dominic (Dollhouse) - and I'm sure I'm missing some. I just like the power couple who are also kind of the parents of the group. It's just my otp vibe.

Plus Una is my fave character, and I always enjoy shows more when I get to ship my fave with someone. And let's be honest GIRL BOSS/MALE WIFE is the best otp type to have.

[curator-on-ao3]

Playlists???? 👀👀👀👀

For Youthful Exuberance?

Also, do you have a Clancy playlist??? 👀

Ahhh, I’m so excited you asked, @emilie786! ❤️ Thank you!

Youthful Exuberance (Pikeuna, E), has three playlists for a total of three hours of music. (This fic lived in my bones.) Some highlights:

So This is Love (Cinderella), of course, for Chris and Una’s first kiss: “So this is love, mmm, So this is love, So this is what makes life divine … My heart has wings, mmm, And I can fly, I’ll touch every star in the sky”

San Francisco (Cascada) for Starfleet Academy vibes: “Poppin’ some bottles, champagne, red wine, And we both giddy up on the rooftop, And watch the city lights, Tell me what you’re waitin’ for, (We’re crossing the Golden Gate, Party at the Frisco Bay)” — I had already written the rooftop date when I found this song so I was very 👀👀😍 about that coincidence

Call You Mine (The Chainsmokers) for the cracks — and love — in Chris and Una’s early relationship: “Think about what you believe in now, Am I someone you cannot live without? ‘Cause I know I don’t want live without you, Yeah, Come on let’s turn this all around, Bring it all back to that bar downtown, When you wouldn’t let me walk out on you, Yeah” (again, I found the song after I wrote the part with the bar)

I’ll Follow (ROZES) for more early relationship: “Shoes by the door, And your coat in the closet hallway, You hung your keys, And I knew in that moment you’d stay, You built your bed in my heart and now that’s where you lay, And the sycamore by the river is where our children will play”

When Love Takes Over (David Fuetta featuring Kelly Rowland) for overall vibes: “It’s complicated, It always is, That’s just the way it goes, Feels like I’ve waited so long for this, I wonder if it shows, Head underwater, Now I can’t breathe, It never felt so good, ‘Cause I can feel it coming over me, I wouldn’t stop it if I could, When love takes over, yeah, You know you can’t deny, When love takes over, yeah, ‘Cause something’s here tonight”

Love Somebody (Maroon 5) for Chris worrying about Una when he’s on the Antares and she’s on the Martin Luther King Jr.: “I know we’re only halfway there, But you can take me all the way, you can take me all the way … I think about you every single day … I wanna feel like we’re never ever gonna stop”

What Do You Want from Me? (Cascada) for when Una takes her big risk with Chris on the Antares: “Just tell me, what do you want from me? This is love in the first degree … It’s not too late, now we’re standing face to face, And heaven is the only place, will you understand?”

Playground (Cascada) for service together and the, uh, end of the story: “Sirens ringing bright, They’re taking us to another high, And our hearts are driven wild, You and I both read the signs … Your heart is my playground.”

And Clancy! Oh my goodness, I also have three playlists for a total of three hours of music for The Autobiography of Kirsten Clancy (Gen, T). Again, some highlights:

Believe (Cher) for vibes and Clancy’s righteous anger toward Jean-Luc Picard for walking out on Starfleet when Starfleet needed him: “No matter how hard I try, You keep pushing me aside, And I can’t break through, There’s no talking to you.”

I Think We’re Alone Now (Tiffany) for meeting Matthew Clancy: “Running just as fast as we can, Holdin’ on to one another’s hand, Tryin’ to get away into the night, And then you put your arms around me, And we tumble to the ground, and then you say, I think we’re alone now”

Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springsteen) for fighting in the Dominion War: “You can’t start a fire, You can’t start a fire without a spark, This gun’s for hire, Even if we’re just dancing in the dark”

Rhythm of the Night (DeBarge) for the holodeck parties Clancy took her kids to during the Dominion War: “When it feels like the world is on your shoulders, And all of the madness has got you going crazy, It’s time to get out, step out into the street, Where all of the action is right there at your feet, Well, I know a place where we can dance the whole night away, Underneath electric stars, Just come with me and we can shake your blues right away, You’ll be doing fine once the music starts, oh”

Take Me Home Tonight (Eddie Money) for Matthew Clancy’s pain after the Dominion War: “I get frightened in all this darkness, I get nightmares, I hate to sleep alone, I need some company, a guardian angel, To keep me warm when the cold winds blow”

4 Minutes (Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake) for heroism Clancy doesn’t remember in the Breen prison camp: “Time is waiting, We only got 4 minutes to save the world, No hesitating, We only got four minutes”

Power of Two (Indigo Girls) for old Kirsten and Matthew working at Starfleet Command and going home together at the end of the day: “So we’re okay, we’re fine, Baby, I’m here to stop your cryin’, Chase all the ghosts from your head, I’m stronger than the monster beneath your bed, Smarter than the tricks played on your heart, We’ll look at them together, then we’ll take ‘em apart, Adding up the total of a love that’s true, Multiply life by the power of two”

Thank you again for asking, @emilie786! ❤️ I tried to cull the lists so it wasn’t too much. 🙈

Send me a fic and I’ll tell you a song (or highlights from a playlist) from when the story was banging around in my brain.