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queerofthedagger · 1 year

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Merlin Bingo 2022 Masterlist

It was a bit of a scramble at the end there, but I blacked out my card for the @merlinbingo for a second year, ey! Unlike last year, I got it into my head to fill them all with fics and also grab all the bonus badges along the way, because apparently, I like to make things difficult for myself—who knew?!

Once again a huge thank you to the mods for running this, as well as to everyone who reads my stories! This is one of my favourite fests in this fandom, and I can't wait for the next round <3

Without more rambling from me, a list of all 25 bingo fics beneath the cut ✨

don't you love the way (I drag you down)

[Merlin/Arthur | M | 2,3k]

M1: Betrayal | Canon Era

Merlin smiles, mirthless and grim as he bares his throat. “Come on, then,” he says, voice dripping with a taunt. “Are you not going to kill me, my Lord?” The bile is back. With it, nausea roils in Arthur’s gut. The silver blade glints in the dim evening light, orange and pink and shadows dripping off of it; a stark contrast against the virgin white of Merlin’s throat. ___ They have never been good at talking, exactly, but if anyone had asked Arthur how he thought this would go, the answer would not have been magic, a dagger, and the release of year-old tension.

brittle parchment, scattered truth

[Arthur & Ygraine | G/A | MCD | 1,5k]

M2: Pen Pal AU | Canon Era

But you are my child, and so you deserve the truth. ___ Five letters Queen Ygraine wrote to her son, and one letter that was written in response.

run deep, run wild

[Elyan/Gwaine | T+ | 1,3k]

M3: Bookstore AU | Modern Era

Viña del Mar is a city of flowers and fountains, of gleaming, towering buildings, and the ocean an ever-reliable constant against rocks and sand. He can see how Elyan, of all people, would like it here; for the first time since this little game between them started, Gwaine yearns to find him. To not only chase him, through foreign cities and more or less obscure literary references, but to dig his fingers into sun-kissed skin and hold on to it, too. ___ Elyan leaves him clues in bookstores around the world, waiting for Gwaine to catch up. There is nothing Gwaine would rather do.

The First Pride Was a Riot

[Merlin/Arthur | T+ | 5,1k]

M4: Hugs | Modern Era

The first pride was a riot, and Arthur stands amongst the wreckage of glass on cobblestone. He stands amongst blue and purple and pink, amongst all the colours of the rainbow, and Arthur— —well. All that Arthur can think of is Merlin. ___ The first time Arthur goes to a pride march, he doesn't feel like he belongs, doesn't think that being bi has to change anything. The first time Arthur goes to a pride march, he meets Merlin, and it changes everything. As it turns out, Arthur discovers that perhaps, change isn't such a bad thing.

On Bending, Breaking, and Mending

[Merlin/Arthur | G/A | 2,3k]

M5: Napping | Canon Era

The teasing remark is already sitting on the tip of Arthur’s tongue but suddenly—suddenly, Arthur is so very tired of this game between them. For months now it has felt as if they have fallen out of step with each other, as if anything either of them said always just landed slightly wrong. He is so very tired of walking on eggshells around Merlin, each and every step questioned a hundred times. He is so, so tired of watching Merlin work himself to the bone and wondering whether he is the right person to say anything about it. ___ Merlin is Court Sorcerer, Albion's Golden Age is right on their doorstep, and still, things between them are anything but alright. Sometimes, the most obvious answer is the one most difficult to see.

bleed the truth (I will never re-undo you)

[Merlin/Arthur | T+ | 4,2k]

A1: Tattoo Shop AU | Modern Era

Loath as Arthur is to admit it, there still is a part of him that has never moved on from the sixteen-year-old boy who let his best friend stitch black ink in disorderly letters across his skin, and let those same hands press him into messy sheets after. That has never moved on from the enormity of it, not in seven years, and he can’t help but think that if there is to be a chance to salvage even a fraction of it, the gesture has to be as grand as it all had felt, back then. “He knows,” he repeats, his voice firm, and the girl across from him watches for a beat longer before she shrugs and writes him in for an appointment two months from now. ___ They say to be careful about what you get inked into your skin; Arthur has never been particularly good at not being reckless, even less so where Merlin is concerned. It might take seven years and some detours, but in the end, it does all pay off.

What If You're Someone I Just Want Around

[Merlin/Arthur | T+ | MCD | 2,9k]

A2: Secrets | Canon Era

Arthur has always known that Merlin is keeping secrets. He has known it when Merlin stood up to him in a marketplace, eyes full of defiance and not a shred of fear to be found. He has known it when Merlin swung a mace at him even though it was clear that he had never handled one before, refusing to cower before anyone, prince or not. He has known it when Uther had made Merlin his servant, and Merlin looked as if he would walk out of Camelot right then and there. From the first day they’ve met, Arthur never wanted anything more than for Merlin to consider him worthy of each and every part of him. ___ Sometimes, you love despite, not because. Sometimes, finding out does not change anything.

Nothing Left to Prove

[Merlin/Arthur | T+ | 6k]

A3: Gym AU | Modern Era

“Your father really is a prick, huh?” Merlin says, approximately three streets later. Arthur smiles and tips his head back, trying to catch a glimpse of sunlight on his face. He throws his arm around Merlin’s shoulder to pull him close and says, “That he is; luckily for me, I have an amazing boyfriend who somehow thinks I’m a damsel in distress.” Merlin laughs and wraps his arm around Arthur’s waist, his eyes bright in the tentative sunlight. Arthur thinks that the best decision he has ever made was to antagonise a random guy in a gym, and getting put on his back for it without any mercy. ___ Or, five times Arthur appreciates Merlin's skill, and one time Merlin makes good use of it.

Like Honeyed Summer Days

[Arthur/Lancelot | G/A | 700]

A4: Protectiveness | Canon Era

The point is, Lancelot has never considered himself a religious man, but he is sitting in a clearing, late summer blooming around him, and there is a king lying with his head in Lancelot’s lap, hair spun gold and eyes closed with trust. There is a king lying in his lap, face turned into the palm of Lancelot’s hand, and the small smile quirking his lips is so content that Lancelot fears he will choke on the happiness of it all.

Live for the Hope of It All

[Merlin/Arthur | T+ | 2,3k]

A5: Innocence | Canon Era

Arthur shrugs, tilting his head to look at him. “Are you mad?” “Oh, you—” Merlin says, pinching the bridge of his nose; it is solely for the sake of hiding his smile, Arthur can tell. “Of course, I’m not mad, Arthur. This is very stupid, but it is also very, very sweet which makes it, conveniently, very you. A little bird whispered to me that, unfortunately, I might be slightly fond of that.” ___ August days, a stealthy plan to make sure that for once, Merlin will take a break, and the heaviness of memory that tends to come with late summer days. Arthur wouldn't change it for the world.

Since Avalon

[Merlin & Kilgharrah | T+ | 100]

G1: Kilgharrah | Canon Era

Merlin knows when Kilgharrah dies.

gentle bite

[Merlin/Arthur | E | 100]

G2: Paddles | Canon Era

Impact; count out loud; rush of gold and warmth.

Four Anniversaries and a Bust

G3: Free Square | Modern Era

[Merlin & Arthur | T+ | 6k]

“Let me get this straight,” Arthur says, once he calms down. “You want me to spend my birthday at some kind of restaurant that I could most likely pay with less than what I make in an hour, for a piece of free cake, pretending we are a couple?” Merlin pulls a grimace and shakes his head. “Not really, obviously; I’d miss out on the cake before I pretended to be your boyfriend—” “You’re lucky that you are just as aro as I am; otherwise, this would be insulting as fuck.” ___ Merlin discovers that, apparently, there are restaurants who give out free cake on people's anniversaries. Really, there is no reason why this shouldn't apply to the anniversaries of a friendship, too. And if he and Arthur decide to stretch the definition of what counts as an anniversary a little—well, no one has to know, right? Right.

sacrifices (freely given; intolerable)

[Merlin/Arthur | T+ | 2,3k]

G4: Whump | Canon Era

Well, the thing is that Arthur does not want to die. He wants countless nights like this, Merlin’s steady breathing solace against his side. He wants to find out if Merlin would let him tilt his head up, what he would taste like, beneath Arthur’s lips and his tongue and all the raving hunger. He wants the sun-soaked mornings and Merlin’s cold hands reaching for him, and he wants to never again see the red of Merlin’s blood well to the surface. The thing is that, more than anything, he wants Merlin to be safe. Unfortunately, the reality of Arthur’s life has always been that the people he loves are safer the further they are away from him. ___ The Questing Beast injures Merlin, not Arthur. This changes nothing, and it changes just about everything.

My Golden Crown of Sorrow, My Bloody Sword to Swing

[Gwen/Morgana | T+ | MCD | 2,5k]

G5: Deals with Demons | Canon Era

You can help me,” Morgana breathes, and she still does not understand. Gwen smiles, and she does not feel like a queen. She feels like a goddess, ichor burning through her veins. “I could,” she says, smiling down at Morgana. “But do you really think that, after everything you have done, I would?” ___ Gwen finds Morgana just before she dies. Morgana has taken almost everything from her, and there are things Gwen has left to say.

Felix Culpa

[Merlin/Arthur | E | 1,5k]

I1: Lawyers AU | Modern Era

“God, but I hate you,” Merlin chokes out, and it sounds horrible. It sounds like a lie, and the shattering truth of the matter is that Arthur has always been excellent at sniffing those out. There is a reason why he makes a great lawyer. Merlin simply wishes that things were different, at least in those rare moments where he admits it to himself. Ironically enough, most often that happens when he is drunk, or when he is about to come; ironically enough, it is still Arthur who, more often than not, is responsible for either. ___ It is bad form to hook up with the competition; it is worse form to keep hooking up with your ex. Somehow, Merlin's questionable life choices might lead to something good—great, even—anyway.

Golden As I Open My Eyes

[Merlin/Arthur | E | 2,9k]

I2: Frottage | Canon Era

In the end, it is for the best. In the end, these are the truths that he knows: Merlin has once been his friend. Merlin would never betray him, loves Camelot more than he loves himself. Merlin has always believed in their destiny above anything else, and Arthur— Arthur has always believed most in Merlin. ___ Sometimes, the unravelling of secrets is the easy part. Sometimes, what is most difficult comes after; how do you relearn something that you thought you knew better than yourself?

An Instruction on the Virtue of Patience

[Merlin/Arthur | E | 1,4k]

I3: Orgasm Denial | Canon Era

It has been a week; Arthur stopped considering himself above such things as begging somewhere halfway through. ___ Merlin is of the opinion that Arthur needs to learn some manners; Arthur is the opposite of complaining about the employed methods.

Bad Choice of Words in my Alibi

[Merlin/Arthur | M | 22,2k]

I4: Issues | Canon Era

“I never believed that you would betray me,” Arthur says, because Merlin knows him, even if the same might not be true the other way around. Merlin could tell when he was lying, when he was lashing out to protect himself, long before a bond tore down all the defences Arthur so carefully erected around himself. “Do not pretend that you ever believed me capable of truly hating you. I could not, no matter how much I may want to.” The way Merlin’s face twists reveals that there is another story there, and words echo within Arthur’s head, guttural and ancient—a half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole. He wants to laugh at the truth of it, at the absurdity of it all. Here they are, a prince and a servant, Uther Pendragon’s son and one of the most powerful sorcerers to ever walk the earth—caught up in a fight over who possesses more devotion, who is going to ruin themself for the other’s sake first. ___ One hot summer day and an ill-advised kiss leave Arthur with an incomplete soul bond, panic about all his secrets coming to light, and the question of why Merlin is so afraid of Uther. Actually, scratch that—why is Merlin afraid of him?

Insult to Injury

[Merlin/Arthur | T+ | 3,1k]

I5: Secret Siblings/Evil Twins | Canon Era

Perhaps that is why he feels bereft now, magic just another trivial matter between them; Arthur prefers his baths scalding hot, and Merlin loves blueberries. Arthur secretly hates killing more than he mourns his mother, and Merlin actually has magic. They both love each other more than they were ever meant to, but as long as they do not speak of it, they can ignore the cataclysmic consequences. Merlin doesn’t think he can bear it, to leave it as yet another unspoken truth between them. That this will not be what breaks him. ___ On a grief-soaked day in November, Arthur reveals that he knows of Merlin's secret. Except. If only it were that easy.

Romance, Romania, and Relocation (the Dating, Dragons, and Disaster Remix

[Merlin/Arthur | T+ | 3,8k]

C1: Selfless | Modern Era

Arthur thinks of how Merlin has always been too selfless for his own good, and the tabs in his browser that catalogue the history of a dream he has never once told Arthur about, but that Arthur knows the shape of, all the same. ___ It isn't possible to raise a dragon in London, once it is past a certain size. Arthur and Merlin struggle to separate from Aithusa after the first year, though, no matter how much they both know that it's for the best. Sometimes, unconventional problems require unconventional solutions, and Arthur thinks Romania is rather beautiful, really.

Still I Surface in Morning Light

[Merlin/Arthur | E | 11,4k]

C2: Bodyswap | Canon Era

“Merlin,” Arthur says, and his voice has calmed, but there is still steel in the substructure of it. “You asked me to conjure fire; tell me how you've got the burn scar on your chest.” It is everything Merlin can do not to laugh, hysteria gathering in the hollows of his teeth; of course, this is the scar that Arthur would ask about first. “No. Ask about another one.” ___ An attack gone wrong leaves Merlin and Arthur stuck in each other's bodies. While Merlin thinks the most complicated part is that Arthur ends up with his magic, it does not take long until he is reminded that it can always, always get worse.

We Could Be So Good

[Merlin/Arthur | T+ | 5,1k]

C3: Insults that mean I Love You | Modern Era

A fragile, reckless kind of hope replaces it in the hollow spaces between Arthur’s ribs. He lets it grow, lets it twist around his bones, and then he keeps it there. Merlin is still going to leave in less than two days, and something might have changed between them, but Arthur— Well, perhaps, Arthur has missed his chance. The hope that things could have been different, the bittersweet regret of it, is better than the risk of rejection, of jumping now only for twelve months and an entire ocean to destroy it, after all. ___ Five times Arthur thinks that he and Merlin could have something amazing but doesn't make a move, and one time Merlin finally does.

Mine (pronoun; possessive)

[Merlin/Arthur | E | 1,4k]

C4: Marking | Canon Era

Tomorrow, Arthur knows, he will wear the marks with the same ease that he wears his sword with. He will press his fingers to them throughout the day, will relish the dull pain of them even as the court gossips behind his back, and let it settle something restless within him. ___ Arthur is used to how everyone treats the body of a prince as something not entirely his own; Merlin decides to do something about it.

our glinting, bloodied legacy

[Tristan & Ygraine | G/A | MCD | 800]

C5: Tristan de Bois | Canon Era

Ygraine marks her time in Avalon by the threats to her son’s life, and how many of those are preceded by an easy movement of the wrist that carries the blade aiming for his heart. ___ The rise and fall of a kingdom and its bonds, told through the spin of a sword.

#bbcm #bbc merlin #merlin fic #merlin bingo #mona's writing #unlike what the card suggests it's not exclusively merthur altho it is. mostly that #looking at this gives me a specific mixture of pride and 'bitch are you good??' but alas #enjoy??

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camelots-daffodil · 1 year

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MERLIN BINGO MASTERLIST

Wow! When I got my card in February I thought I would fill out 1 or 2 prompts, max. Anyway, I ended up with 13 fills (11 of which were fic) and 3 bingoes!

Thank you so much to the Mods at @merlinbingo for all their hard work and the effort they put into running this event- no one could do it better!! It was so fun and I can’t wait until next year!

Anyway, my fills are all posted below the cut! If any pique your interest, I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did writing them!

**All fills are ‘no archive warnings apply’ EXCEPT I1, I2, & I5, where ‘archive warnings may apply’ (though very loosely, I can’t think of any tw that need listing)

M1: Hatred - Morgana Pendragon GIF Set

Julyrical Bonus Badge

M2: Heart Attack - How Many Are There?!

Ship: Merlin & Leon, Merlin/Arthur

Summary: Heart Attack (Noun): What Leon is going to get if Merlin keeps revealing these big ass secrets.

Rating: G

M5: Competitive Idiocy - At Least Out Loud I Won’t Say I’m in Love

Ship: Merlin/Arthur

Summary: Merlin and Arthur are fighting, and its driving everyone in Camelot insane. Tortured, the Knights get to meddling, and when that doesn't work, they leave it to Morgana.

Rating: T

A4: Misunderstandings - For You, For Me

Ship: Merlin/Arthur

Summary: Taken captive by a slaver with slightly deranged tendencies, Arthur claims that he is his consort and in order to save Merlin's life. Their captor decides he wants to test the strength of Arthur's love for his supposed consort.

Rating: T

A5: Cuddling & Snuggling - Holding onto You

Ship: Merlin/Arthur

Summary: There was only one bed

Rating: G

G3: Free Square - Knights of Camelot: Just Add Water

Ship: Gen

Summary: Merlin was expecting Arthur to rise up out of the lake eventually. What he wasn’t expecting were the Knights of Camelot popping out of random water sources wherever he went, one by one.

Rating: G

G5: Under A Spell - The Kissing Fever

Ship: Merlin/Arthur

Summary: It's spring time in Camelot and you know what that means... love is in the air! Only Merlin thinks that there might be a little too much of it when everyone in the land seems to be unable to stop themselves from kissing anyone near

Rating: T

I1: Selfless - Love in a Time of Dragons

Own Goal Bonus Badge

In Progress

Ship: Gen

Summary: Merlin is not only the boy who lost it all, he's Emrys. Dragonlord, prophesised, fated. One Side of a coin. After Merlin loses everything, he needs to find something new to live for, at least for the time being. The thing? Dragons.

Rating: T

I2: Imprisoned - I Slithered Here From Eden

Ship: Morgana/Gwen

Summary: While she's imprisoned with Aithusa by the Sarrum of Amarta, Morgana dreams only of Gwen.

Rating: T

I5: Protective Arthur - No One Hurts Merlin

Ship: Gen, Merlin/Arthur

Summary: Merlin, Arthur, and Leon are captured while on a quest, by a woman claiming to have a way to identify Emrys. The way? Poison.

Rating: T

C1: Canon Divergence - Happy For You

Ship: Arthur/Gwen, Merlin&Gwen

Summary: It's Gwen and Arthur's wedding day, and Merlin and Morgana have their hands full. Gwen misses her family, and Merlin comes through for her.

Rating: G

C2: Music - BBC Merlin Love Theme Notation

Treble, B-Flat Minor

C5: Pillow Fight - 5 Times Merlin Didn’t Say it + 1 Time Arthur Did

Ship: Merlin/Arthur

Summary: Just as the title says - Merlin is being a tease and not saying something... Arthur is desperate to find out what it is. He's also desperately in love.

Rating: T

#merlin bingo 2022 #bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #morgana pendragon #merlin emrys #merlin x arthur #knights of the round table #gwen pendragon #the adventures of merlin #bbc merlin fanfic #gwaine #sir leon #bbc leon #bbc lancelot #bbc arwen #merlin fanfic #merthur #morgwen

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odcd-podcasts-official · 7 months

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Hi! I just started listening to Either and I’m loving it so far! It’s really peaked my curiosity.

I noticed that farther down the feed is a special Christmas episode and I’m wondering if it’s canon and/or the next episode chronologically or just a special standalone thing that can be listened to whenever?

Hey, thanks for giving our little pod a shot! D1 is a standalone special episode and can be listened to at any point- though I recommend getting to M5 before listening so you know all the characters involved!!

#asks #either podcast #audio drama

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gonebutnotentirely · 1 year

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toronto (23 september 2020)

#photography #film emulation #canon m5 #lifeasiknewit

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helluvatimes · 1 month

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A Classic Lingers On

A Landrover Defender making an appearance in Chinatown on a fine afternoon. Photo credit: Jonathan Chua.

The camera was held nearly on the ground for this shot. Shutter speed was too fast to create any meaningful motion blur so this had to be done in post.

#photographers on tumblr #canon eos-m5 #canon photography #car pics #landrover defender photos #photography editing #photography tips #sports photography #sports/action #street photography #street pics #tamron 18-270mm

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justbasicwork · 2 years

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The Eye

Eye of a creature from the Avatar movie in the conservatory.

Lighting was pretty dim here where the staff were working on this prop under a drape. Nell had the ISO pushed up to 6400 for this shot. The resultant double digit noise level was fixed in post.

#the eye #street photography #flora and fauna #gardens by the bay #avatar fauna #cloud forest #canon eos-m5 #tamron 16-300mm #photographers on tumblr

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north-park · 8 months

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Gimme a hot take on Kenny McCormick

Listen, people love to project their ideal sexyman persona onto this papercut orange blob and it's FINE it's harmless fun but I think people go so, so, so overboard with it

I know Kenny's dynamics with anyone beside the M5 and Karen are severly lacking in canon and he's kinda of a fun blank state to fill in that regard but i'm sure he is not the kind of guy to fuck tons people left and right, he isn't even popular at school, Kyle has more game than him, he would be bitchless, let's be real for a second

I geniunely think he would get in very very few relationships in his life and the serious one being like, one or two, them being with the M5 ofc cuz he loves them more than they love themself but that's another discussion

Honestly I see Kenny like the kind of guy who would be just happy and hyped to have a SO in first place, because that's what we see from Kelly and Tammy, he doesn't like Britney Spears clones his type is slighty weird girls who are cute and sweet!

#i was kinda unsure on which hot take to use #this isn't even that hot tbh just a classic one #time to break in with my headcanon and say kenny is gay and his oversexuality is more a sign of abuse and overcompensating #a lot of his persona and traits reflect his wish to be seen and understood by his male friends (mysterion) but also loved by them (princess #PK in particular is his outlet for his most effeminate traits and his wish to have. guys crush on him #all the time. there is a lot to unpack here #anyway thanks for asking!#my post #ask me

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hasufin · 1 year

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Crew

I know this is fanon, and justifying stuff in-universe that otherwise kinda doesn’t make sense. But I was thinking...

I think Starfleet’s biggest problem is - and has always been - getting enough personnel.

Now, let me break down a few things. These are canon:

The NX-01 had a crew complement of 82, not counting the MACOs. Which isn’t all that many, but that’s in a ship with only 7 decks and 230 meters long (including nacelles). From what we saw of the interior, the spaces were not uncomfortable, and nobody hot-bunked, but they didn’t have all that much space either.

Now, the NCC-1701 - the original Constitution class Enterprise - wasn’t much longer at only 288 meters, but it had 22 decks and originally had a crew of 430 personnel. Which roughly makes sense. (Out of Universe, the crew size and layout of this Enterprise was informed by Roddenberriy’s military background). When the DS9 crew found themselves on this ship, Dax commented “They really packed them in on these old ships”. The original Enterprise was probably the most crowded of the starships we saw. Interestingly, the enlisted crew had similar accommodations to those on modern US navy vessels: 8 people to a cabin, each one having their own bunk and locker.

The next iteration of the Enterprise, the Excelsior-class NCC-1701B, was a whopping 466 meters long, with a crew complement of 750 - but also 34 decks. It was significantly larger than the Constitution class, but nowhere near as crowded.

Next we get to the Ambassador class Enterprise: 478 meters long (or 526, sources vary), 33 decks, 1,320 crew. This one is actually pretty easy to compare - the Ambassador class has 570 more crew members than the Excelsior. It is worth noting that while the Excelsior class remained in use even into the Dominion War, Ambassador class vessels are unheard of in that era.

Now, the big one: the Galaxy Class NCC-1701D. Sometimes derisively referred to as a “cruise ship” by fans, Galaxy class starships were 641 meters long, and 473 meter wide - wider than the next largest ship is long. The crew complement varied widely, from 1000 to 6000 depending on the mission. This may seem like a lot, but that’s on a whopping 42 decks. The 1000 figure is the standard for the ship to be fully operational, which suggests that while the Galaxy class starship was easily 8x the size of a Constitution class, it could operate on little more than twice the crew. This vessel had science labs, leisure options including holodecks, a ship’s lounge, and an arboretum. Senior crew members were given entire suites (typically a luxury only afforded the captain and sometimes visiting officers), and had education facilities for shipboard families.

In some ways the Sovereign class bucked this trend - it was much more combat-oriented and did not have families on board. However, it was even bigger, 700 meters long with 29 decks. While probably having somewhat smaller volume, the crew complement is only 855.

Starfleet keeps building bigger ships - and more of them - but with fewer crew relative to their size. We don’t ever really find out how much of that interior space is livable or most other details. But we do see the accommodations progressively improve. This is actually somewhat similar to how US Navy berthing has improved - when it transitioned to an all-volunteer force, crew got better berths, more pay, and better food. This seems like it would continue in an ostensibly post-scarcity society: “Give up your comfortable house, life of leisure and personal pursuits, and your private unlimited replicator usage in order to live in a closet and eat gruel while getting shot at” is a pretty tough sell.

We also see two important considerations.

At least since the TOS days, Starfleet has pursued heavy automation. - the M5 multitronic computer, and later we see the use of holographic personnel (a practice which apparently becomes very common on civilian vessels), significant automation in the Prometheus and Texas class vessels (the near-loss of the one due to that automation, and many deaths with the other do not dissuade Starfleet, suggesting a significant need for the automation.) In Picard we see that Starfleet has integrated Borg technology into their ships, which results in a major security hole - though, to be fair, one that has to some extent always existed, as apparently it’s possible to take remote command of any Starfleet ship to some extent. All this suggests that Starfleet is desperate to reduce crew requirements.

And, you know, this tracks. We only ever see Starfleet as having a singular academy, located in San Francisco. Which is... well, worrisome. Sure, the US Navy only operates one officer’s academy - but the US Navy isn’t trying to field a fleet of starships for hundreds of planets. Unless Starfleet is running dozens of other academies - something which is never mentioned - they simply aren’t commissioning enough officers.

We see in Prodigy that Starfleet is able to essentially replicate small vessels, and in Picard the idea of (with extensive use of synthetic lifeforms) building enough ships to evacuate all of Romulus and apparently much of the Romulan empire is entirely realistic. The Federation’s industrial base is adequate to field an enormous navy. They simply, plainly, don’t have enough people to crew them. Even in TNG, when they assemble a fleet to stop Romulans from supplying the Klingon civil war, they have trouble coming up with enough officers to command the ships.

The idea of having more ships than commanders is such a foreign concept today. Even in WWII, when every country was cranking out as many vessels as they could, they were always able to find people to command them - perhaps not well, perhaps lacking in experience - but they were never hamstrung by empty captaincies.

Whatever the reason, Starfleet just doesn’t have enough people. That’s their biggest problem, and seems to have been the case for all of Federation history.

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titanicfreija · 1 year

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(Rise is gonna kill me for putting him on blast like this, but I'll rez.)

"Rise."

"What?"

"Rise-26."

"What?!"

"What. The fuck. Is that."

Rise looked to see where Freija had locked her eyes, finding a Long Shadow buried in amongst the vault data. Freija nudged Rise out of the way and flipped a page and gasped aloud. "This explains so fucking much! Go make dinner or something, I promise I will help you hunt down a new one if you miss literally anything I scrap. The glimmer stays yours."

"Some of them were popular," Rise complained, pouting at Freija. "Be nice."

"Long Shadow," Freija insisted, pointing at the screen. "I don't care what mods were on it, it's a shit gun. You have no excuse for having it." Freija dismantled it while the exo continued pouting at her. "And the toil--you have two Toil and Troubles why? Slideshot? You don't slide! You don't go into the Crucible! You don't even use shotguns! Why?"

Rise's mouth brightened and dimmed, then she spun on her toes and vanished. She appeared across the room, sprawling in front of the couch.

No one else was in the shared living room, so Rise was spared the embarrassment as Freija flipped through the pages of data, giggling, sighing, and faking outrage. "Light within, what is with this shotgun collection? It's very nice, don't get me wrong, but why do you have it?"

"Thank you, Freija," groaned Rise. "They were popular!"

"In crucible. Where you do not go. In close range combat in crucible, no less. Where you go even less. I am giving you homework, though. The ones that are easy to find need to be sorted out, picked through, and I want you to get rid of at least one, but preferably the bottom quarter or half."

Rise glanced over to see Freija gesturing at a list of five Night Watches and six Imperial Needles. "Take them all out and shoot them one at a time, pick your favorites and get rid of the rest. You'll feel the difference. They're good weapons with good mods, I'll let you pick through."

Rise didn't see what she moved to next, because she deleted it before it finished loading properly. "What was that?"

"Matador 64, I am leaving you very specific shotguns and that ain't one of 'em. Do you have this Dire Promise because I like it? You have three Seventh Seraphs, there is no reason whatsoever for you to have any other hand cannon that uses real bullets."

"You were right about how fun it was."

"You haven't used it since... Ever. It's gone."

Freija glanced at her friend and smiled. "I know I'm being harsh, but the only thing I'm judging were those Toil and Troubles. My M5 recoils in horror."

Author's note below:

(The way I figure inventory works is it's data storage. We have enough memory for the items on our person and the rest goes to the vault in the walls when we transmit the data there. There is limited memory allotted to each guardian at any given point, thus our issues with space because we complain too much about it for that not to be canon. Thus, dismantling into glimmer.)

I helped Rise clean his vault. He's been complaining about space since his second season. I went in there thinking he's done any cleaning at any point in his history and that I'm gonna have to pick between good and better guns that I know he likes.

Mother fucker was sitting on shotguns and sniper rifles from before Witch Queen because they were PvP godrolls, hasn't been in the crucible in two seasons and certainly never played by the shotgun-hand cannon meta when he was, and doesn't snipe in PvE, let alone PvP.

And not even real godrolls. Godroll perks, but the guns themselves were trash half the time. *Grumble grumble Slideshot on a fucking toil and trouble seriously*

#destiny 2 #d2 #ocs #freija #rise-26 #writing #scribble

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