#worf: at last my perfect match

[thegeminisage]

ok, its time for a QUICK tng update before xm*s proceedings. saturday we did "best of both worlds part ii" and "family" and last night we did "brothers" and "suddenly human."

best of both worlds part ii: I LOOOOOVED THIS EPISODE. mwah. EVERYTHING i wanted. creepy little cyborg implants. brainwashed picard. his beautiful perfect cgi tear (which may or may not have been cgi, this is a point of debate, experts please weigh in). data bravely doing a robot mind meld. 1000000/10 more borg episodes please please PLEASE

can you imagine if the borg has ben in tos btw. what a thought experiment, except for how i quite literally can't think about it or i'll get so excited i'll pass out

did guinan imply she and picard were lovers in this ep...girl you can do better

my one nitpick with william riker was him promoting that lady he hated instead of someone who deserved it, like worf or data. it probably would have given worf ptsd but can you imagine that enterprise having a captain and first officer being gay on the bridge again...wonderful. except this time there would also be deanna <3

"how much do you remember" "everything" AHAHAHAHA GREAT. GOOD. WONDERFUL. anyway

family: extremely unusual episode but i loved it nonetheless. i was really shocked worf's parents were so sweet!!! i fucking loved them. they're like the cutest people on earth i can't believe they raised such a taciturn and stoic guy like worf...

picard's family i wasn't sure about at first until the wrestling match in the mud. sometimes you need to punch a guy and his brother stepped up to the job admirably. i kept thinking he looked like michael caine, which would have been an incredible choice.

WESLEY.....................................................we don't need to talk about it

everyone's accents in this ep were wack. why does picard have a totally different accent from his brother. why is worf's accent different from his parents. ik its not that deep but its making me crrrazzzyyy

brothers: i didnt even get a look at the title of this episode before we started bc vumoo (the shady site im using to watch) doesn't display them but it was SUCH an unexpected pleasure to get a data episode

absolutely scuh-reaming at the ease with which he hijacked an ENTIRE goddamn starship. he's so competent i love that. a real "glad he's on OUR side" moment, not unlike spock commandeering the enterprise in "the menagerie" (rip i wish that had been a better episode).

lore grew on me really fast. i was neutral on him during his last appearance, the meme aside, but in this episode he was really fun and unsettling. brent spiner can do horrible, horrible things with his face

this ep felt a little cut off? i expected another confrontation with lore, a getting back of the chip, or at least some kind of burial or funeral for dr soong, but we just quit like 3/4 through the episode. maybe less time spent on the opening section of the hijack could have fixed this

anyway i love the foil between data and lore...one has support and the other does not...but it doesn't make sense for lore to get the emotions chip because it seems like he already HAS them??

oh yeah and data repeating "i am not less perfect than lore" got funnier EVERY time he did it. little man was really going thru it i was cracking up genuinely <3

suddenly human: this episode was wack

ok, did you guys read face on the milk carton when you were in school? i did when i was way too young to be reading it and it fucked me up real bad and i completely forgot about it until i watched this episode and then i got to unlock that memory in real time

anyway, while it is obviously the correct choice to return a child to their family when they are kidnapped as babies, it is also hugely traumatic for an older child to be ripped away from a loving home* and transplanted with strangers, which those books explore in horrific detail. so the whole episode i found myself going "i KNOW it's bad politics but could they not just CONSIDER leaving him with the only family he's ever known as a possible choice" and then they DID THAT and i wanted to be ill because it was obviously the worst choice in the world

* this is a different scenario than the first tng episode involving kidnapped children, which strongly resembled the residential schools from real life. THIS particular situation, minus the method of kidnapping (during warfare), more closely resembled the crazy cult shit happening in those books, where the kidnapped girl was being raised by people who thought they really were her biological grandparents and weren't bad people and her biological family also weren't bad people. a "no fault" situation EXCEPT FOR HE KIDNAPPENED THAT BABY DURING WARFARE.

anyway this is the second time tng has dropped the ball on this subject so i think from now on they should not do episodes like this anymore. really really really really bad.

NEXT TIME: "remember me" and "legacy"

[onetragicalnerd709]

"After plaid shirt days and nights when you made me your own, back before you lost the one real thing you've ever known" "It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well..."

Truly late to the party but back when it was the 30th anniversary of of Star Trek Deep Space Nine, I finished a beautiful piece to commemorate my favorite badass space worms and their Ridged Warrior "poet" husband.

To many older DS9 fans, Ezri is the lower-rate, largely disliked replacement for Jadzia, mostly due to the tragic and overwhelmingly unfair exit of the well-loved character, a unanimous show favorite. I, however, alongside younger fans, have adored Ezri from the start, her sensitive, bubbly personality, and her caring nature captured my interest and heart. More importantly, her journey of self-discovery and fears/doubts of her true purpose, mirror many emotional experiences that young people face IRL. Because of this, I have found space to love both Dax's equally without question.

To additionally commemorate the memory of Jadzia Dax and the relationship she built with Commander Worf I wanted to show the growth of grief into acceptance of the new with both his "wives" embracing him, Jadzia looking on with pride and adoration for the warrior she soothed when she was alive and continues to soften alongside and within Ezri.

I would have liked to have seen a rekindling of their relationship with Ezri in the last seasons of DS9 run, however, some things aren't meant to be. I can only allow my imagination to run wild instead with a handy pencil and procreate at my side.

Behind them are lineless interpretations of swimming Trill symbiotes, The larger lighter blue symbiote is inscribed with Trill markings which spell out "Jadzia" while the darker smaller symbiote reads "Ezri"

I thoroughly enjoyed expanding upon the images I have seen of on-screen symbiotes and giving them some extra flare of my own. The little flowing tail whiskers are my favorite. I'd like to think they would be of similar proprioceptive use and tactile use to symbiotes while swimming and attaching to the host's body pouch.

To top off this tribute, I added a song I have seen associated with Ezri, Jadzia, and Worf on TikTok. I know that even though Worf may deny it, he's Taylor Swift-coded as much as his space wives are. "All too Well- 10 Minute version" is by far my favorite song of "MOTHER" and because DS9 is my all-time favorite Trek, I knew they were a perfect match.

This is the TikTok and image that inspired it all!

Now do you "remember it all too well?"

[mccoy-says-yalldve]

my neighbor is running heavy y machinery at 5:15 in the morning so here's my rating of a few popular star trek ships from TOS, AOS, TNG, DS9, and DISC.

Spock/Kirk

10/10 I ship it. It has a long and glorious history, and there's just so much homoeroticism in TOS. They stare at each other so freaking much. Also the hand thing. Plus, even if you don't see it as romantic, they definitely could be a queerplatonic relationship. Gene Roddenberry himself said Spock thinks they're soulmates sooooo yea.

Kirk/McCoy

10/10. While Kirk and McCoy may not have had quite the level of heart eyes that Spock/Kirk did, they vibe really well together. They've also got a great friendship in AOS, despite JJ Abrams kinda mangling everyone's character.

Spock/McCoy

9/10. It loses a point because of how often McCoy called him a hobgoblin. Their frenemies like relationship reminds me a lot of me and one of my friends.

Scotty/Uhura

7/10. I see this one mentioned a lot in fics and I just don't see it. It's a good ship, people do a good job writing it, but I personally don't ship it.

Spock/Uhura (AOS only)

4/10. I do not approve. They just. No. Why. Who's decision was this? They don't go well together in TOS so why were they together in AOS?? Also did they get together while she was his student or after? Because l have more opinions depending on the answer.

Sulu/Chekov (AOS only)

4/10. I've only seen this in AOS fics and I have objections. Chekov is 17 in the first movie and while Sulu's age is unknown, his general accepted year of birth is 2237 which would put him at about 21 during the first movie. That's only a fourish year age difference so, after the events of the first movie? I'll accept it. They've got a good vibe, I can see it. But during academy era or the events of the first movie?? Absolutely not. And guess which one I see more of.

Picard/Q

12/10 it's hilarious. It's a total enemies to lovers trope and I am here for it. I can just see like, Picard slowly warming up to Q but refusing to acknowledge that and Q slowly falling for human and at first being like wtf but then wholeheartedly accepting it and annoying the shit out of Picard with like thousands of rose bouquets.

Data/Geordi

10/10. I haven't seen this in very many fics but I've loved it in the ones I have. I've also seen a fair bit of fanart for them here on tumblr and it's honestly adorable. They would make a great couple.

Riker/Troi

10/10. They're cute. They're a canon couple I like and that doesn't happen often. They had a good arc in TNG and seemed pretty happy together in Picard.

Jadzia/Worf

9/10. I'm getting into territory I don't entirely know here cause I've only seen a few episodes of DS9 but I have seen quite a bit of content about them on tumblr and they seem like a good match. The fanart is cute at least.

Garak/Bashir

8/10. I sincerely hope I spelled those right and got the right characters. Again, I've really only seen fanart and incorrect quotes on tumblr but they seem like a good couple.

Michael/Mirror Georgiou

10/10. Definite enemies to lovers trope and while canon has been a bit shitty at addressing that, some of the fics explore the nature of their relationship so well, it's just like, amazing. There is so much potential and everything and I just love it. I love it. 10/10.

Michael/Tilly

10/10. Adorable. Freaking adorable. Tilly is adorable and she and Michael are like perfect together. Don't tell me you can't see Michael and Tilly on a date where Tilly is excitedly talking about the latest project in engineering and Michael is just listening and watching her with a soft smile. Small kisses in the turbolift on the way to work. Cuddling in their room after the alpha shift. Michael encouraging Tilly every time she feels like she can't do the command track. Just everything about them is like, yes. Make it canon, please.

Michael/Pike

7/10. Why are there so many Michael ships. Anyways. I could not see this one at all until I read a few fics with them and then rewatched a few episodes of season 2. There's definitely a dynamic there that I like, but I don't think it would last even in a timeline where they didn't have to go to the future. Pike would be going back to the Enterprise and I can't see Michael leaving Discovery for him. Long distance relationships can work, yes, but we're talking millions and millions of miles of space and they wouldn't even meet up often on shore leave because Enterprise and Discovery have entirely different missions. I like the ship, I just don't think they would easily stay together long term.

Kayla/Owo

10/10 yes. They work really well together. I haven't read many fics so I can't give an in depth analysis but I definitely ship it.

Okay that's it. I haven't seen season 3 of DISCO yet btw, so any new characters or ships, I don't know about. And these aren't all the ships I know or like by any means, just a few of the more popular ones I see on ao3 and tumblr.

[niennavalier]

Okay I wasn’t planning on doing a DS9 rant post but here it is, under the cut in case I get annoying about DS9 and romance and Julian in particular

Okay, so I swear, the writers went into the show with this idea that Julian Bashir was gonna be this fresh-out-of-med-school brilliant, attractive doctor with charm to spare and something like this ladies’ man kinda attitude. Maybe (hopefully) not that sleazy, but still. And then it didn’t really work in season 1 in regards to Jadzia, so they dropped that storyline (thank fuck).

But then it’s so weird when I think they’re trying to kinda keep it alive through the show, except it literally never really works quite right? Even though the DS9 writers are legitimately good with writing the other romances on the show?? Kira and Odo? Absolutely adorable, I would die for them. Jadzia and Worf? Who would’ve that that’d work? Not me! But I’d die for them too!

(Yes, all of these characters have other romantic interests at times, some good - like Lenara Kahn - and others less so - Bareil is really boring and Lwaxana Troi DID NOT need to be there - but they also get these fantastic long-term stories)

Meanwhile, for my favorite doctor? I might be missing some but here’s what I could think of whilst typing: Melora was...sorta forgettable (I forgot about the episode until I was just scrolling through all of them). Technically fine but...forgettable. Leeta...honestly I never understood this pairing. I legitimately don’t remember ever seeing them get together on screen; best I recall, they were just together one day and we were supposed to just accept it. Which...whatever, I’m not a fan, and this pairing did nothing for either of them. Serena, I actually liked; they were cute together in that one episode, but at the same time I’m torn because I truly believe the writers made the right choice in that she had to experience the world for herself. For all the cuteness, I much prefer her discovering her own self-worth and think that’s better for her as her own character.

And then. There’s Dax. The first couple seasons? Awkward as fuck. No thanks. But then him and Jadzia become like, best science buddies! And he painfully third-wheels for her date with Lenara in Rejoined! And it’s like “wow now that’s true friendship right there”. And I loved that relationship so much! We watched Julian grow up a lot since the pilot, and honestly, him becoming best friends with Jadzia matched that change really well. Going from this kinda juvenile crush and strange persistence to a much more mature friendship. I mean, there’s one episode (which I can’t place at the moment) where there’s some crisis on the station and they’re hiding somewhere, she’s hurt, and they’re both freezing. And he’s holding her, and she makes some comment on how past-him would’ve used this as an opportunity to try and spark something between them. But present-him isn’t like that anymore, and watching as the audience, there truly isn’t weird romantic tension between them. It’s intimacy and familiarity and comfort without the weight of romance. And it’s perfect.

But then all of a sudden, the back half of season 6 starts happening, and apparently he’s always loved her? And it’s like...where did this come from?? You were doing so well, writers, what happened?? It just...suddenly brought back all the awkwardness of season 1, except at least this time, he’s not acting on it. So instead it’s just weirdly angsty and 100% out of left field. (Also Quark loves her, which is random but less concerning to me cause at least it wasn’t reviving an abandoned plot point, like with Julian) (The Quark point isn’t relevant, but I just felt like saying it)

And that whole thing just put the biggest pit in my stomach, cause I knew about Ezri joining them in season 7 and I was just like “nooo pleeeease don’t get him together with Ezri”

Apparently I just live to be disappointed.

Full disclosure, I actually haven’t fully watched the scene where they get together, but my roommate did end up coming upon a scene of them together in bed, and I’m not that stupid. Bonus: I’m about 6 away from the end, and that in itself is kinda concerning, because now I’m double concerned that it’s gonna be rushed even worse than I thought it would. Because, as of now, she has had barely any contact with Julian, outside of just being part of the senior staff (aka being a main character). I can honestly only actively remember them having one conversation, which just existed for her to say that if Worf hadn’t shown up, then Jadzia would’ve chosen Julian. Which...okay...what now? Worf didn’t show up until season 5, wtf is this about? If Jadzia was actually in love with Julian, she would’ve done something about it. Jadzia Dax is NOT passive about what she wants, and it’s what makes her such a joy to watch. She’s even willing to act against her own culture out of her love for Lenara, despite hesitation because yeah, that’s a lot of risk. She’s willing to leave her friends to be with the dude she met in that weird world that blipped between universes. She acts with her heart and without fear, even in situations where there are barriers stopping her from doing what she wants. There was never such a barrier with her and Julian, so yeah, no, if she’d wanted him - truly wanted him - she would’ve gone for it.

The scene only exists for them to try and justify putting him together with Ezri, and it SUCKS on every conceivable level.

(Also yes, I know they have some other, normal conversations, but they’re never particularly interesting or impactful, so I don’t remember them, and that probably says something in and of itself)

For one, their lack of conversation and just...general shared screentime is so small that I can’t buy the idea that the two of them actually know each other that well. Even if they did bond off-screen, thus far, the show itself never actually gives any evidence of that while they ARE on screen. They have the same level of chemistry that Julian and Kira should have (although, strangely, the characters have much better chemistry than their screentime would seem to indicate but...well they were married IRL so...yeah). Friendly colleagues, but that’s really it. And yet, he’s gonna fall in love with her?

I don’t think so.

He’s in love with Jadzia (apparently. but that’s a different complaint, seen above). He’s in love with a past life of the Dax symbiont. That past life just happens to be contained now within Ezri, and it’s the only conceivable reason I have for why he’s interested in her at all. Realistically, had Ezri Tegan never become Ezri Dax, I doubt Julian would’ve had the same thoughts about her. Granted, people can meet by circumstance and fall in love - I’m not shitting on that idea - and I’m not implying that Julian is a dick by any means, but the show itself doesn’t give us any reason that he would fall for her. Like...what traits of Ezri does Julian find himself attracted to, aside from the fact she was once Jadzia? I don’t think the show ever actually gives any answer to that question. She may carry some shades of Jadzia’s habits and idiosyncrasies and such, because that’s how joined Trill work, but she’s also very much still Ezri. And, for the sake of her character, that should be really important? So, frankly, it’s actually just...really insulting to Ezri? That she’s not loved for who she is, but who the Dax host was. And that’s honestly just awful.

And I actually just thought of this while writing this post and complaining about that one conversation, but it also sucks for Julian a bit, too? Like, the way Ezri phrases that one line - “If Worf hadn’t come along, it would’ve been you” - it feels to me like he was very much the second choice. And...would that not feel awful to be told that? Basically that you were someone else’s back-up plan. I mean, I can’t speak from experience, but I can’t imagine that feels good. And plus, now he knows that Jadzia apparently had those feelings for him, which Ezri now carries with her. Which...wouldn’t something about that just feel wrong? These aren’t Ezri’s feelings exactly; she’s just stuck with them. And Julian is fundamentally a good person who has some idea of how the Trill work; wouldn’t this be a little like he’s...not quite using her, but allowing her to act on feelings that aren’t actually, truly hers? So the situation ends up being that she might not really love him, not as Ezri, and that would really suck for both of them.

Granted, that’s not to say she couldn’t decide that on her own; she totally could, but the show hasn’t laid the groundwork for that. And it’s also not to discredit feelings that linger from past hosts. Jadzia and Lenara are drawn to each other because of Torias and Neilani, but they also do legitimately fall in love with the people they are now and bond over their shared interests in their present forms. Honestly, the show even makes this distinction? When Ezri and Worf are stuck together, they definitely sleep together, but the show makes it fairly clear that it’s pent up tension from the two of them not talking, combined with the fact he and Jadzia were newly married. I’m pretty sure they decide it’s not really something to pursue; it was just what happened out of old instincts, not out of actual love between the two people actually involved.

Mostly, I take issue because of the first sentence of that last paragraph. The show just never sets it up. If it showed her and Julian having chemistry, I’d have far fewer complaints about this. (For fuck’s sake, I think she had a deeper conversation with JORAN. THE MURDERER. Than she really did with Julian. Now that’s a problem)

Long story short: they really shouldn’t have kept trying to shoe-horn romance in for Julian. All of his stories work better without, particularly in the long-term. The chemistry is just...never there with his long-term potential partners the writers throw at him. He really does have the best chemistry with Miles and Garak. That’s all fantastic.

(Which is to also say: I get that it was the 90s but I really wish we could’ve gotten our disaster bi doctor and his lizard spy boyfriend. Just saying)

[randomnessunicorn-imagine]

Hope of it's alright if I send another TNG request in? I simply love yours. :) How about Headcanons for a young reader who looks up to Worf and Data emulating their behaviour and so on? Perhaps with the reaction of the crew as well?

{ I just love thisask!

I have written adrabble for it.

I don’t want to makethis post too long and so I will create another post with Data’s reaction,I think I’ll write a drabble for him as well, since I really like your ask. 

Now you can read Worf’spart.

If you want otherreactions then you can send me another ask with the characters you want (max four). }

➤  WORF & CHILD! NEUTRAL! READER:

『  Klingon state of mind 』

The Enterprise’smission of the day was to rescue a group of Klingon that has been missing aftera motor’s malfunction of their ship.

The survivors were notnumerous but there were still several people to save and most of them wereKlingon families. Or so it seemed.

“There’s one lastperson to be transported, it’s a child.” O'Brian said, looking at hiskeyboard with a confused expression on his face.

“Energy.”The Captain ordered and then the beam of light brought you on the Enterprise.

You were a human andnobody would expect a human there and so the Captain started worrying and hewondered why a human kid was with the Klingons. Even Worf, who was there, wasperplexed since nobody has talked about a human in that group of survivors.

Before Picard couldtalk and ask for some explication, you spoke, seeing the perplexed looks of thepeople here as if they have just seen a ghost.

“I’m *Your Klingonname*, son/daughter of *your Klingon father’s last name*.” you introducedyourself, speaking with a serious and cold tone of voice. The kind of tone thatnobody would expect from a kid.

“Where are yourparents, (Y/N)?” asked the Captain.

“They are lost, I waslooking for them before being teleported, I don’t know where they are, sir.”You answered, nodding.

“We’ll form anexpedition team for your parents. Are they Klingons?” Picard asked with hisusual professional tone.

“Of course, sir.” Youseemed confused at that question but you were also so worried of your parentsbut you did not show it.

You came down from theteleporter’s platform and then, when you have noticed Worf, you startedspeaking with him in Klingon. You greeted him, using some expressions only trueKlingons knew and this impressed him a lot.

He did not expect youto speak such a correct Klingon but, since your parents were Klingons, he couldnot be so surprised.

Even the Captainseemed astonished by your behaviour but maybe you were just worried of yourparents.

“Mr. Worf, escort(Y/N) to the other survivors.” Ordered the Captain.

Worf seemed reluctantbut he followed his orders.

“What happened to yourtrue parents?” Worf asked.

“Uhm? I said they arelost…” you raised an eyebrow.

“I mean, your realparents…” he asked again but the only answer he got from you was a confusedlook.

Worf supposed that youdid not even know your human parents and it seemed you have never wonderedabout them. Maybe you have been adopted by a Klingon family just like he hasbeen adopted by a couple of humans. These things could happen but he couldperceive your discomfort.

His assumption wascorrect because you were adopted and you had never known your real parents.Actually, you thought the Klingons were your true parents and you have neverdoubt to be one of them. Because you considered yourself as a true Klingon.

For some reason, youcould not accept to be a mere human being and your parents have educated you asa Klingon, they have always treated you as a Klingon, and so you had no reasonto think otherwise.

Sometimes, yourschoolmates made fun of you and they told you that you were not a Klingon, youwere a weak and stupid human, you were worthless and so you have stopped goingto that school and your parents wanted to protect you from those bullies.

Worf accompanied youto the quarters where the other Klingons were and then you asked to him.

“Can I help somehow?Can I participate to the research with the expedition team? I want to find myparents.” Your voice was resolute and your glance was the same glance Worf hadseen on some Klingon warriors’ faces.

“It’s not possible.It’s too dangerous and you’re a kid…” Worf said but he could admit, if he was achild he would do the same and he would not be here to waste his time and so hecould understand your point of view but, as a member of the security, he couldnot put you in danger.

“But my parents counton me… Maybe I’m just too little to think that I would be able to protect them…”you said with a voice filled with sadness and, for some strange reason, Worffelt a pain in his chest since you wanted to help your family so hard and hestarted thinking that maybe you were really a true Klingon.

“I promise on myhonour that I’ll find your parents, but stay here and don’t do anything stupid,okay?” Worf reassured you with his usual fierce and rough tone of voice and whenhe promised on his honour, you would be sure he was going to bring your parentsback.

His words comfortedyou and so you thanked him speaking in Klingon and he nodded.

*

*

Worf kept his promiseand the rescue mission was a success and you were so glad seeing your parentsagain but you were still afraid because there would not be always Worf to helpyou and so you took a decision: you wanted him as your Klingon master and rolemodel.

You visited hisquarters with the determination of a warrior that burnt in your eyes but Worfwas not surprised to find you here.

“I wanted to thankyou, you saved my parents.” You said.

Worf nodded, “I’m gladyour parents are fine now.” he declared and he thought you did not want only tothank him.

“I want to become stronger;I want to be like you and so the next time I’ll be able to protect the ones I love.”You confessed, clenching your fists.

“You’re very brave anddetermined, kiddo.” Worf said and he truly appreciated your willpower.

“I want to be apowerful and bold Klingon warrior like you, Mr. Worf… I know that I don’t looklike a Klingon but I really feel like I’m one of them… Even if nobody believesme, they keep calling me freak but my appearance does not match with what Ifeel inside, who I really am.”  You saidand you have never confessed your thought to anybody but you trusted in Worf,he was your role model now and you knew he would not laugh at you.

“You’re not a freakand I think you’re braver than so many spineless Klingons I have known. I’d behonoured to help you.” Worf said and a little smile of satisfaction appeared onhis face, but it lasted half second since he was not used to smile but he trulymeant his words.

A smiled appeared onyour face as well, the first smile since you arrived here and you were happy thatyou could finally realize your dream.

*

*

Worf started trainingyou as his apprentice and sometimes he even forgot you were a human since yourbehaviour could not be defined as human.

Sometimes, you growledat the other children or people, especially at the ones who seemed to irritateWorf. You did not even eat human food because you found it disgusting and itwas not the proper food for a warrior like you, it was food for the weak.

Worf was impressed,some of your behaviours seemed very amusing and you were the perfect pupil.

The other officers ofthe Enterprise found you a little weird but they could understand you have beeneducated as a Klingon and so you acted like a Klingon and you believed to be aKlingon.

“I saw you have taken(Y/N) under your wing, Worf.” Deanna asked to Worf as if she wanted to be sureit was the right choice and she wondered if this could cause some trouble toyour life.

“Yes, they asked me tohelp them to become a real warrior and I’m sure they will.” Worf said in aserious way.

“Do you think it isright? They have never been in contact with other humans. Don’t you think theyshould explore both of the worlds before deciding what the right path of themis?” she asked with her usual calm tone of voice.

“They are true Klingonand I’m going to treat them as true Klingon. They don’t believe to be a Klingonbecause they are.” Said Worf a little irritated.

Worf knew what to be a real Klingon meant and it was not a question of appearance, it was somethinghe felt inside and when he looked at you, he saw a Klingon. Asking you to actlike a human, something you were not, would be like lock you up inside a cagemade of lies.

He remembered when he was a child and every human made fun on him because he was the only Klingon of his class. The only Klingon between the men.

Worf could understand your feelings of discomfort and sadness because being different from the crowd was never easy. 

You felt like a true Klingon but some of the Klingons did not consider you as one of them but you decided to keep fighting and do not giving up. Because you believed there was a place in the universe for you and Worf wanted to help you to find this place.

Even some Klingons have discriminated the poor Worf for acting like a human sometimes, because his values were different but this did not make him a second-hand Klingon. This made him a special Klingon, his sight was wider than the others just like yours.

Deanna smiled andnodded and actually, she did not doubt of your feelings but she wanted to understandWorf’s point of view and he has changed a lot over the years, he has gained anew wisdom.

“They will learn fromthe best Klingon.” Deanna said, smiling and her comment made Worf blushing alittle but, since true Klingons did not show such warm emotions, he just nodded,heading towards your quarters because a new lesson was about to start.

[concerningwolves]

in sci-fi, where aliens are (generally) standard, creators have to get creative with the idea of "otherness". So then you get characters like Spock, who is the poster child for otherness that pretty much every Star Trek fan in the last few decades has latched onto. He's half human, half Vulcan, these two races that are opposed to one another in so many ways. One of the moments that resonated so deeply with me was when he was exposed to that pollen that took away all his inhibitions, and afterwards said that it was one of the few times he'd ever been truly happy. Repeatedly, he has to reconcile his human (emotional, illogical) side with his vulcan (logical, believes in tight emotional control) side and anyone who's had to moderate their behaviour to fit in will understand that on a visceral level.

Then The Next Generation comes out and gives us Data, an android who is (he believes, initially) the only one of his kind. His arc is all about wanting to become human, only to realise that he's his own kind of "human" without being human at all. He gets whole episodes dedicated to him trying to Be More Human, trying to learn how to have a sense of humour and how to navigate friendships, among other things. He gets a cat! He does paintings! He writes poetry! Many emotional and social subtleties go entirely over his head. He's incredibly relatable to so many neurodivergent people, and it means so much to me.

In Deep Space Nine, though... oh, DS9 really goes hard with this whole Otherness thing. (In many ways, DS9 is a station manned by a found family of outcasts and misfits). There's Doctor Bashir, who's so autistic-coded and who was canonically genetically engineered to be smarter, faster, stronger etc because he wasn't developing as fast as his peers. It isn't stated what was "wrong" with him, but his characterisation is so laced with neurodivergent traits that I just. I can't help thinking of his arc as one where an autistic child is genetically altered without his consent so that he better matches the social idea of normal. And even after that, he's still very firmly neurodiverse - prone to hyperfocus, special interests, terrible at reading social cues, will infodump anyone at the drop of the hat and remain absolutely oblivious when nobody is listening, hyper-empathetic to the point where he wants to help their enemies too...

Next in DS9's lineup is Odo, a changeling (shapeshifter) who spends much of his time observing human(oid) behaviour in order to fit in and understand them. I'm already extremely partial to shapeshifters in all forms but the idea of a shapeshifter who is coded neurodivergent sends me absolutely feral because what is shapeshifting, if not an extremely advanced Sci-Fi/Fantasy version of masking? Like, you can be EXCELLENT at masking, at pushing yourself into other shapes to fit the boxes that society wants you to, but it doesn't change the fact that you're Different. It doesn't make you any better at fitting in, its all superficial. I mean, it's canon that Odo used his shapeshifting to amuse people at parties as a way of feeling better integrated and there is something so much like the experience of masking to be sociable in that.

But the character who is really getting to me right now is actually Worf. He's a Klingon - a member of a fierce, warrior race of aliens who value honour and prowess in battle - but he was raised by humans. He's spent his whole life being neither properly Klingon or properly human, and it just. it chokes me up, because he learns all the correct social cues and etiquette but he is never certain that he's doing it right, and he's always got this knowledge weighing him down that everyone he encounters sees him as an anomaly. I didn't consider adding him to my coveted Collection of Characters Who Give Me Neurodivergent Feelings, until one character said to him something along the lines of "You're the perfect Klingon in every way, but you don't have the Klingon sense of humour" and it was like this very large, very bright lightbulb went off in my head. Because that's it, that's the autistic experience down to its basics! You can be the perfect human in every way, but you never quite reach the standards of acceptability. So I started paying closer attention to his character than ever before, and now I'm really quite fixated on this idea, which is why i only got like four hours sleep last night and why i'm too tired to make this into a coherent essay but anyway. at its core, so much of being autistic is about trying to be everyone else's idea of human, and nothing reflects that quite like projecting Autistic Feelings onto non-human characters.

hello everyone today i am having deeper and more complicated thoughts about characters in the Sci-Fi franchise Star Trek than I probably ought to but really, when every single spin-off gives me a character to project Neurodivergent Feelings onto, what else am I meant to do?

[sttngfashion]

True Q - 6.06

Oh, Q, you rake, you scalawag. You’re so mischievous that you’ve snuck into one of these mostly-unis episodes like the scoundrel you are. Also I believe this episode title, much like Return of the King, contains a spoiler within the title. But we’ll get there.

“Don’t even try to out cheekbone me, girl. I’ll eat you for lunch.” —Bev

This blondie is Amanda Rogers (and boy does she look like an Amanda Rogers), and she’s an... intern? She’s 18 years old and is eventually supposed to go to Starfleet Academy but has somehow beat out a bunch of other youngsters for the opportunity to work on the Enterprise before she goes to study. She’s perky and a know-it-all and wears colors that must have been picked out by a girl who grew up idolizing Glinda the Good Witch. She’s rocking that square neck that we’ve seen before, but it’s doing a weird thing with that waffle undershirt she’s wearing, and I’m not convinced any of these colors works with her skin tone. 

RIKER, SHE IS EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD. Get out of her personal space.

Riker is showing her her quarters which, to be fair are pretty lush for someone who should be preparing for the horrors of dorm life. On the other hand this room is definitely not meant for youngsters.

Yes that is a tall skinny bottle of curaçao with matching glasses on the coffee table.

Anyway, after Riker is all up in her personal space, he leaves Amanda alone and suddenly... puppies appear. No, really.

Is it just me or is she wearing Jellies?

Who cares, PUPPOES! They are so floppy and foldy and adorbz central. (Side note: that desk chair is def from Staples.)

Behave? More like BeeHIVE, amirite?

I don’t really understand what is happening here as for most of the rest of the show her hair looks normal. Maybe her hair just got excited by the PUPPOOES!

So after these puppies mysteriously appear, she tells them to disappear, and they do, though kind of reluctantly. And that’s the end of the Teaser. That’s right: after the last puppy disappears, we get the DRAMATIC MUSIC because DISAPPEARING PUPPIES. I may have guffawed.

Okay, plotdump: later on, Amanda saves Riker from getting bonked on the head by a falling barrel or something, and then after that, stops a warp core breach with her hands. WHAAAAAT? Also, this is hand motion she makes when she saves Rikes.

Oooh, I love shadow animals! What is it... an elephant?

Anyway, because this GIRL has magically SAVED THE WHOLE GODDAMN SHIP there needs to be a MEETING.

“Her hooters were like, this big.” —Geordi

Sorry, sorry, I’m being base. Have Deanna’s eyebrows always looked like they were made out of smoke?

Obviously though, this meeting is dumb because we know who’s behind this.

Who decided to design the conference room chairs with an omnipotent douchebag recline setting?

I mean, you gotta give John de Lancie his due: no one can do all-powerful schmuck quite like he can. But he’s only wearing his “I’m crushing so hard on you, Picard” command red uni, so blah.

How’s the rest of the senior staff feel about Q’s arrival?

From left to right: not having it, pissed, I can’t believe this, are you kidding me, and uuugggghhhhhhhh

Everyone is earning their episode rate in this shot, but Beverly and Geordi are owning it.

So it turns out that this girl is Q, but Q has been sent to find out if she is TRUE Q. I think if she’d turned out not to be, the episode would be called True Q? or Untrue Q or FALSE Q. But you know now how it’s going to end.

Still, we have to go through the motions.

Okay, Q, now you’re really in her personal space.

I suppose there might be some perfect metaphor of discussing Q-privilege but frankly I don’t think I’m smart enough to do it.

OH NO NOT THE DECORATIVE PLATE AND BOWL!

Also it’s amazing the extent to which this is clearly a stunt double. Also also: no more decorative spotlight on the artifacts. The computer was able to sense what was coming, I guess.

I can’t remember exactly what happens here but Gates just looks so awesome and sassy that I had to put it in.

Sorry guys, it’s a low-fashion episode. Oh, but hey, here’s a fashion!

Ghost Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamsweater.

It’s hard to make out exactly what’s happening here, but as best I can see, from left to right again: block gray, block plum, block grape, block grilled peach, block mocha, AMAZING SWEATER OF ALL YOUR MOST BEAUTIFUL COLORFUL DREAAAAAMMMZ. 

These are Amanda’s parents, who it turns out were Q also? I can’t remember what the release of information is like in this episode but basically the Q Continuum MURDERED Amanda’s parents because they wanted to live in Nebraska or something. Which, like, that’s not nice, but also... Nebraska? They were killed by a freak tornado which was engineered by the Q but also IT COULD HAPPEN.

In other news, I have four nostrils and this one dope chain.

Also, this individual has Bea Arthur’s hair. I am 100% not mad at it.

Oh man, I’m really murdering the plot of this ep... these people need help of some sort and Amanda and Q are NOT HELPING. There’s a whole thing where Q wants to take Amanda on Q lessons and so they speed up some experiment that Bev has Amanda doing, but that ruins the experiment or something? I wanted to be like “listen, Q, either you’re doing omnipotence wrong or the writers are” but I love this show so I kept quiet.

What’s Q lessons mean, btw?

WE’RE STANDING ON THE BACK OF THE SHIIIIIIIP

So this is one of those shots that I have basically remembered pretty much exactly since childhood because WHAAAAAAAAT. Looking at it now I’m skeptical as to whether they’ve gotten the scale right, but I guess they’re Q so they can be big as they wanna be or whatever.

Speaking of other things they want.

Welcome to my weird Pride and Prejudice fantasy, complete with gazebo

I mean, everyone is entitled to their own fantasy, but you are wearing lacy pink things and the strangest tartan belt ever seen, and your hair seems to be fashioned after those vines growing up alongside that latticework. Who’s your Mr. Darcy?

WORLDS COLLIDING

Where to start? The velour jacket is great, but the fancy lapelwork there is something I’d more expect to see alongside the jacuzzi that Lwaxana Troi and Worf’s son Alexander were hanging out in. Really the only thing that’s okay about this scene is how uncomfortable Rikes looks in it.

Of course, since the first scene with Riker and Amanda we’ve all been feeling that if anyone is feeling some kind of way about anybody, it’s Riker for Amanda (ew). Still, though, he does the this is not appropriate routine, until she realizes the full potential of her Q-ness and makes him fall madly in love with her.

Disclaimer: I am a gay man. But what is happening to her breasts.

I mean, that just cannot be comfortable. Also, bless Frakes for being like “well, I guess the script calls for me to get all up on this 18 year old.” Anyway, she knows that it’s not real so is not into it. Unanswered question from the episode: DOES RIKER REMEMBER ANY OF THIS?

Okay, so basically it comes down to: does Amanda stay and finish her internship or does she go with Q to join the Continuum and basically become a god? Let’s take a look at Amanda one week after her internship starts:

This job has destroyed me

So first of all, why she gotta always wear unitards with weird textured minidress operations on top? Second of all, though, at least this color is not quite so bubble-gum flavored. This is a lima bean and overdone spinach combination here, which, okay, not super appetizing, but at least she doesn’t look like she just jumped off the Candyland gameboard. Also, those tendrils of hair! That’s how you know she is not playing around anymore.

This planet is burnt

Listen, you guys, some other stuff happens, but I had several glasses of wine while watching FEUD so I’m just gonna wrap it up with this little side-by-side: this is the planet 4-nostrils Bea Arthur was from and that the Enterprise was trying to help, and Q is basically like “Amanda, if you can stop using your Q powers then you don’t have to come be part of the Continuum, oh but here’s a planet with a whole lot of people that are about to die, SHRUG.”

I mean, of course she saves it. The show didn’t have enough budget for an intern character.

UGH FINE I GUESS I’LL GO BE A GOD.

Still, she gotta say goodbye.

“Good luck girl, but don’t ever come for me the way Q comes for Jean-Luc. Because I will own you so hard.” —Bev

Have a great week, everybody!