#it's why I'm so obsessed with star trek and space

[sapphosewrites]

top 10 ds9 fan fics you've written, ranked?

Oooh, tough question, friend! I don't even know what the criteria for this would be, because the most AO3 popular ones are not always my favorites... Okay, you know what, here we go. I'm just going to go for it and make some decisions. I'm giving myself a rule, though, that I can only chose one from a series, so I'm not just listing everything in the Terok Nor AU. I'll also try to hit different kinds of fics I've written.

10.) After the End of the World: A Survey of Seminal Works of Cardassian Post-Apocalyptic Literature from cross-posted to tumblr. 533 words, "An examination of the Cardassian post-apocalyptic literary genre before and after the Dominion War." This isn't my most popular or my best written but it's one of my favorites; I like in-world diegetic texts and worldbuilding and I'm obsessed with the idea of post-canon Cardassia as post-apocalypse.

9.) Never Have I Ever from The Game Is Afoot, 1,294 words, T, "Julian introduces Garak to the human game never have I ever." This was fun to write and is fun to reread every time! I often spend a lot of fic space on angst and identity and all the reasons why it's a bad idea for Julian and Garak to get together, but in this one we just get to spend time seeing them be clever and enjoy each other's company.

8.) Tribbles, Togetherness, and the Great River, 1,742 words, G, "In their shared quarters, Nog and Jake discuss tribbles, pets, and telling their families about their relationship." This is my only full standalone Jake/Nog fic, and it's another that was a pleasure to write and still makes me smile. It's fun to spend a sweet moment with two young people figuring out how they fit together.

7.) Del Floria's Tailor Shop, 336 words, also known as the space tumblr one. I think this is possibly the funniest thing I've ever written.

6.) Push Me Til I Break, 4,653 words, M, also known as the one where Garak interrogates Julian, and the role play goes wrong. Maybe the most tense thing I've ever written, and really leans into the ways in which two deeply hurting people can choose to hurt or hold.

5.) Growth, 45,843 words, T, "Julian and Garak grapple with their pasts and their feelings for each other at the end of the series." My super long post-canon Cardassia fic, back when I had no idea how to string a multi-chapter idea together. There's a lot I would change if I wrote this now (I've grown as a writer in many ways, including my ability to have scene transitions), but some of the conversations and moments in here are still absolute favorites of mine, particularly around ideas of self-forgiveness, the clash between values and actions, and the importance of choice.

4.) Predetermination, 22,200 words, T, Mirror Bashir arrives at the station and suddenly the nature/nurture debate has never had higher stakes. This is one of the places I think I've been most successful in using sci fi to ask big questions that hopefully resonate in the modern day, about who we are and how we become. Also, the ending takes inspiration from one of my favorite TNG episodes, and that was cool too.

3.) Especially the Lies, 13,019 words, T, "Something is going on with Garak, and no one knows what, except for possibly Julian Bashir." This is my only archive-warning-applied fic and it was really important to me to tell a story about care, for a character who I think doesn't believe he's allowed to have any, in a real world circumstance that too often people have to go through alone.

2.) Necessary Storms, 15,149 words, T, Julian and Starfleet Spouse Garak get entangled in Trill politics. I feel like this is one of the things I've written that most feels like it could be an episode of Star Trek, and is also a fairly unsubtle (though initially unintentional) way to explore populism, demagoguery, resource distribution, and revolt at a very particular moment in national politics with the aesthetic distance that sci fi offers.

1.) Old Friends: An Enigma Tale from Terok Nor AU. I'm exceedingly proud of this whole series, which started as just "what can I do with the idea of dabo boy Julian" and has turned into a sweeping journey covering how Terok Nor becomes Deep Space 9. This most recent installment is perhaps not indicative of the series as a whole, but it was a lot of fun to write and is also a dip into my other favorite genre aside from sci fi (murder mystery).

#my writing #confess nothing is statistically my most popular fic but i don't think it's my most interesting #almost made the list are made to measure and son of tain #also none of my fairy tale things are on here but i think i have lots of interesting ideas in those as well #if you have a fic that is your personal top of what i've written i'd love to hear about it!

[ladyofdecember]

My childhood was Zenon Girl of the 21st Century and Phil of the Future 😍🥺

#it's why I'm so obsessed with star trek and space #phil of the future #zenon girl of the 21st century

[very-bad-poetry-captain]

WIP Wednesday! (though it's Thursday... anyway)

Tagged by @appleofmyonlyeye and @ncc1701ohno thank you both💕

I'm not counting my ongoing wip Headspace in this and also I can't reveal the plot for the McSpirk Big Bang fic I'll write, but these are the star trek fics I've started typing!!

Untitled - "love is blind TV show" AU mcspirk

McCoy arrives at a nice resort on an alien planet for some much needed rest after his messy divorce, and accidentally ends up double booked with the filming of the interplanetary version of dating show "Love is blind". The contestants are all split in two by a mysterious alien and Jim, who produces the show, is more than happy to convince McCoy to join the show. There, he meets Spock while talking in the pods... spones with endgame mcspirk!

Clearing his throat, Jim shifts a bit in his seat. They’re in matching seats, something like a mix of a beanbag and an armchair. Threatening to swallow you whole. “Well, the participants aren’t split up in any traditional way, like gender or sexual orientation or anything like that. Instead we’ve got a couple of Minirians dividing everyone.” He waits for the rest of the explanation, but Jim looks finished. “And these Minirians… How are they dividing people?” Surprise colors Jim’s expression. It makes him look younger. “Interested?” He grins, leaning forwards, elbows resting on his knees. “They refuse to explain it. One half is kanschtaar and the other half is tsiirm. I’ve been trying to figure it out but I gave up, so… It’s a blind date show, you know? Like you get to talk to the other half of participants but not see them or describe appearances. So I’m assuming the Minirians can tell somehow that each half won’t be attracted to their own group.” Maybe it’s the stress of a long space flight, or the weirdness of the whole situation, but McCoy is intrigued. A dating show across species? Then he remembers. His divorce was only months ago. He’s possibly hurtling down the path of alcoholism, is already a workaholic, can’t stop twisting and turning his dad’s death in his mind and… He feels, honestly, like a failure of a person. “I don’t think I’m date material,” he mutters, sinking lower into the baggy chair. “Whatever they base it on, it can’t be that at least.” Jim rolls his eyes. “It’s a TV show,” he says. “I mean, not to dismiss anyone’s hopes of finding true love, but… You’re good-looking enough for TV if you’re worried about that.”

2. Untitled - aos x tos crossover mckirk

This is inspired by gunstreet's tos Kirk x aos McCoy (endgame tos spirk) fic called Looking for an interruption which I am only slightly obsessed with and I needed to write an aos Jim x tos McCoy version... with endgame aos mckirk

Jim returns to the mess hall to find Leonard still on his own, though he’s smiling and humming to himself. There are several people watching him warily, and Jim can’t blame them. It’s not that Bones is never happy – it’s just rare to see him looking so pleased. “How’s your coffee?” Jim asks as he sits down opposite him. “Not too bad,” he smiles, taking a small sip. “Good to know my taste buds are the same in this universe, at least.” Blinking in confusion, it takes Jim a moment to realize he’d just punched in Bones’ usual order without even asking. Leonard’s smile takes on a teasing note, and Jim’s cheeks redden at the sight. “Well,” he mumbles, coughing a little. “I should have asked.” “Old habits die hard, as they say,” Leonard waves him off with. He eyes Jim like he wants to say more, but ultimately decides against it. The teasing smile remains, though, visible around the edges of the mug. Jim’s heart beats a little too hard in his chest, and he can’t figure out why. Is he nervous? It’s just Bones. Sure, a slightly older, smiley version of him, but still. He usually has to keep careful count of Bones’ smiles, a rare treasure to be memorized. He’s irrationally jealous of his counterpart for having such easy access to them.

3. mcspirk month

So far I have four oneshots started for mcspirk month but they're all untitled so... here are two (slightly nsfw) snippets (the other two are a bit too short yet to add)

Spock and McCoy get trapped together in a shuttle for several days (they are both dating Jim)

A small voice in the back of his head reminds him that he more than tolerates Spock, but that’s on a good day. He’s having a bad day, currently, and so is Spock. Though he’d never admit it, of course. It’s probably logical to stay calm and wait for rescue, and keep your mood bright while you’re at it. If it weren’t for the clipped tone and occasional dark look, and the way he talks back rather than tell McCoy to relax, he’d believe Spock was unaffected. “We should have made Jim go down with us,” he sighs, rubbing at his cheek with a palm. “He’d make the time pass faster, if nothing else.” “It would have been against protocol to send three of the ship’s most senior officers to a planet prone to unpredictable weather, when only two were needed.” “I’m bored, Spock. To hell with protocol!” Spock turns, then, to face him properly. The shuttle doesn’t have beds installed, only emergency sleeping bags, and so they spend most of their time in the pilot and co-pilot’s seats for comfort. The view outside the windscreen is blocked by heavy rain pelting against it, the sound of it an ominous backdrop to the muted lighting from the emergency light strips just barely allowing them to see each other. In profile, Spock had appeared stoic. Now, his face bathed in shadows, he looks more thoughtful, considering. “May I assume, then, that had Jim been present, you would have spent some time engaged in sexual intercourse?” “You bet your pointed ears we would have,” McCoy grumbles back.

Jim, Spock and McCoy have to dress up according to alien culture for diplomacy reasons...

Spock, of course, takes great care with him, easily slipping the gloves on. When he lifts his gaze to Kirk, there’s something heated in them. Oh. Maybe it’s highly intimate for a half-Vulcan, too. He licks his lips, considering him. “You know, I think Bones could use some help with his, too.” “What? I know how to put on a pair of gloves, Jim.” “I believe Jim knows that, Doctor. I also believe that he wishes to see us both engage in an intimate act under Voresebian culture.” Kirk can’t help but chuckle a bit at being caught out. “Alright, you’ve seen through me. I think we can spare a moment for some fun, can’t we?”

#idk who to tag in this :o feel free to simply do it if you want to!!

[threespacemonkeys]

Twenty Questions to Ask A Writer:

Thanks to @candycurlsofmaddness for this concept.

How many works do you have on AO3? Currently 70 with an additional 2 WIPS that are almost finished.

What's your total A03 word count? 437,647

What fandoms do you write for? oh, god. What I don’t write for would be a better question. A piece of media will stick with me and then I just obsessed with it. I think Star Trek is my biggest fandom with the most stories though. And two after that with the most stories would McLoed’s Daughter and Criminal Minds. I'm most active in the Star Trek/Star Wars/Stargate fandom spaces though.

What are your top five fics by kudos? Star Wars: Roads Paved with Good Intentions Numb3rs: To Assume Blacklist: Two Stranger in a Dark Club Hawaii 5-0: Accidents Happen Hawaii 5-0: Accidental Discovery

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I do try my hardest, but sometimes I get caught up with life and forget. I do reply if it hasn’t been like ten years.

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Oh, Choices, the third in my law and order criminal intent series. Main character death after a short but full romance, ended with a funeral and no leads on the murder

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Most of them are pretty happy, but probably Western Justice, one of my Bonanza stories.

Do you get hate on fics? Yep, but not as a writer strangely. As a reader I had a reply to my comment that told me to kill myself and called me the C word. That was not fun.

Do you write smut? I do! Though it’s only been recently and only if I feel like it fits into the story and fandom. I’m a big fan of fade to black as well as non explicit smut. That’s my favorite kinda, sexy, but we don’t need all the bits and bobs, but that’s my opinion.

Do you write crossovers? Not usually! I’ve only done one, Highlander/Criminal Minds.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know off, but with AI, probably.

Have you ever had a fic translated? I have! And it was a great honor.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Nope and I don’t have a strong desire to do so? I could switch off my chapters with another author’s but writing a whole story together? Not my bag.

What's your all-time favourite ship? Jack/Sam from Stargate SG-1 has a special place in my heart, but I don’t think I’m a die hard shipper normally.

What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Ooof. There’s some for Star Trek TNG that I’l never finish. Too cringey.

What are your writing strengths? I’m great with dialogue, pacing, and action scene.

What are your writing weaknesses? grammar, spelling, run on sentences, maybe plot some times?

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I’ve done it, but figuring out the translation or getting it so no translation is needed even if it’s a foreign language. It’s messy.

First fandom you wrote for: Star Wars believe it or not, but published was CSI NY.

Favourite fic you've ever written? Oooooo. Tough one. I like all of them, don’t make me choose a favorite child. Rude.

#writers #writer's ask #ao3 #writing #fanfic #fanfiction #fandom life #star wars #star trek #stargate #criminal minds

[goldenworldsabound]

OKAY so anyway that aside I also forgot to mention my husband and I will be starting to watch Star Trek Discovery.

Many of you are new here and will not know that Spock is the OG fave for me. TOS Spock specifically. When I self shipped in high school (I wrote so. much. fic. in my diary. loved that for me, helped me cope so good) it was Spock and Spock only. Everyone in my life knew I was obsessed with him. And you know what? I knew SO MUCH about TOS. Grown ass men tried to gatekeep my high school self and got fucking schooled by me. I knew everything there was to know about Vulcan.

I don't, anymore. It's been some time. But Spock still holds the SPECIALEST place in my heart even though I haven't talked about him much later. I did revamp our ship a few years ago - or rather, made a new version since I'm too attached to the original but wanted something more...mm...more like how I make my ships now, I guess? The original one was a straight isekai - due to time travel shenanigans I end up on the Enterprise and Spock and I fall in love (I knew it was him though like there was still Star Trek on TV and all that so fdksjahf). It was really helpful to me at the time and honestly it could fully happen with how TOS tends to be. Time travel is par for the course KJFHEWKFHW that one was "Love is Fascinating".

The new one is "Across Time and Space" and also came with me shipping with Kirk as well ("Solar Flare Love") and naturally the poly (cause how can you be a fan of TOS and not ship Spirk (I'm joking but like also it's truly iconic and important for popularizing slash fic)) which is "Interwoven Stars".

And that one I am QUITE proud of what I came up with. Beneath the cut.

In the new lore, Spock and I grow up together on Vulcan. We're really close. I'm not a Vulcan - I wasn't born there, and I've lived on a multitude of planets since they've moved for their jobs a lot. I'm a human. But we stay on Vulcan the longest of any of them. Spock and I, accidentally and unbeknownst to us, sort of form a childish and ill-formed Bond. A telepathic one, as Vulcans do. We don't realize this and no one else does either.

Eventually, I have to move away. It sucks. No one liked that.

Somewhere along the way, something goes super wrong during our travels. My parents die and I'm cryogenically frozen for several years. I'm eventually rescued and revived but...well my family is dead now. Oops.

I go into Starfleet, several years behind Spock.

Which puts us in this position that my first assignment is the Enterprise. And Spock is the Enterprise's Science Officer. And I am reporting directly to him.

We recognize each other!!! It's exciting.

Unfortunately. Spock has realized that we have this awkward incomplete bond. And once we've taken off he determines that, well, he's engaged, so, he's gotta break this off. And he does. And omg it fucking hurts. For both of us. Our minds have been in contact for so long. He's always been with me even if I didn't realize it. So I'm. Upset.

There's a shore leave right then (which is why he waited until then to do it) and I go to that and am Hella Depressed and LO AND BEHOLD Kirk and Bones are like ? We're adopting you as our friend now. You WILL have fun and that IS a threat.

So now I'm besties with the CAPTAIN and the doctor. And Bones and I bond real fucking fast I tell you fkjdhsakjf Kirk thinks I'm cute but like he's well aware of the power dynamic so he's not trying to make a move.

Anyway I don't tell either of them what happened.

Over time I think it just becomes apparent that Spock and I have feelings for each other/are awkward, and Bones gets on me about it like, "you and the green-blooded hobgoblin should just get together already" and I brush him off a bunch until I finally snap about how we can't cause he's engaged. He's very sympathetic after that.

Kirk and I are also somewhat awkwardly on and off trying out dating (with an open relationship) which is like. I like him!!! He likes me!!! But we also both like Spock and it's just...tense and awkward at times?

the whole Pon Farr thing will happen and then Spock is free to...to choose me fkjdhsakjfhdsak and we'll rebond and stuff. And Kirk is like, "congrats" all awkwardly thinking he's out of the picture now. But Spock and I will invite him into our relationship after some time of getting to know each other again!!!

so yeah that was a lot fkjsadhfkjds but that's the basic premise. I love Spock a lot-

#across time and space #interwoven stars #solar flare love #wip #it's not but pretend it is #I do have some fic of this!!!

[mappinglasirena]

Upper Deck Under Construction

I have spent the last few weeks amassing a new set of screenshots for season one of Star Trek: Picard, to replace the lower quality ones I had somehow managed to pry off of Amazon Prime back in the day. And as I'm staring lovingly at images of anything and everything La Sirena, occasionally, I notice things I've never noticed before. Usually those are very small things, but every now and again, I discover something absolutely delightful.

So, I thought I'd drop in to share one of my latest observations!

I've probably mentioned before, and many others have, too, that when Admiral Picard (retired) first arrives on La Sirena, the ship is undergoing a bit of a refit or possibly some repairs.

For one, the transporter console is nowhere to be found:

The console is clearly mobile, we see it move around the deck on other occasions.

But apparently, when Picard arrived, it had been taken somewhere else entirely for a while.

Similarly, the chairs on the bridge undergo a lot of transformations throughout season 1 (so many, in fact, they deserve their own post), but one of the most stark ones is from episode 3, "The End is the Beginning" to episode 4, "Absolute Candor":

Clearly, while in orbit over earth, someone on Sirena decided it was a good time to reupholster all the bridge chairs.

Now, if you wanted to, you could find explanations that fit the canon for all of these changes -- the removed transporter console, the reupholstered bridge chairs, the amount of cargo that increases drastically between eps 3 and 4, all of it could have a perfectly logical reason.

However, as I was looking through my screenshots today, trying to find an image of one particular section of the port wall for my 3D model, I noticed another refit, one that had never caught my attention before. And this change, I think, even the most dedicated canon-wrangler will have a hard time explaining (not that we won't try).

Let's go back to Picard's very first arrival on the ship for a second.

I have, on occasion, wondered how they managed to film this shot. I've never thought about it too deeply, but it has always seemed vaguely off in my mind. The thing is: this shot should be impossible, because this is the port side of the upper deck, and there are quarters where the camera man is standing right now.

Of course, this is a film set, so many of the walls are wild and can be moved around to allow for all kinds of equipment and setup. Maybe that's what I subconsciously assumed happened with the shot of Picard's dramatic entrance.

Today, however, I realized the walls had not just been moved aside temporarily to allow access for the camera crew. Rather, when they were filming the ep 3 scenes taking place on the open upper deck, the quarters on the port side of the ship weren't actually there yet!

It's subtle and a little difficult to see, which is probably why I never noticed it until today, even though I've been staring at every inch of this ship for the better part of three years now. But if you look closely at the middle section of the port wall and zoom in (especially on the second image, right next to Agnes's right arm), you can tell that there is open space where the quarters would be built in later.

(Especially compared to the same section of the deck in later episodes.)

(See how much of the beams and the space in between them is blocked here?)

Now, I'm as happy to wrangle the canon into submission as the next detail-obsessed nerd, but I in this case, I have yet to come up with a fitting, canon-compliant explanation for the discrepancy between episodes. I think, in the end, I'll probably file it under: "these things can happen on a tv set" and move on. (Although if one of you wants to try their hand at a headcanon, I would be thrilled to read all about it!)

For now, let's pour one out for the production team, who must have been stressed out of their minds, getting this monumental set ready for shooting while significant parts of it were still under construction.

#star trek picard #la sirena #upper deck #captain's quarters #raffi's quarters #inconsistencies #minimapping #mappening is happening #long post

[allisoooon]

do you by any chance understand why five got the tattoo of the sigil? in the end, they all just had to stand on the stars so i don’t really see the importance of getting the tattoo in the first place… do you think five simply got it just because his older self had it?

Our Five told Pogo he might as well "complete the loop." This is talking about a time loop or predestination paradox. You know--the time travel trope where you were meant to travel back in time so that history could happen as it happened in your time. It was hilariously explained in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine when a character, having traveled back in time, found a lady attractive, and realized she shared a surname with an ancestor of his (if he remembers correctly). He then spouted off this idea that he was meant to travel back in time, fall in love with this woman, marry her, and become his own great-grandfather. His friend scoffed at this, at which point, he said something like "You'll be sorry when we get back home and you realize I never existed!"

God, it's the best Trek. I know that's controversial, but it is.

Anyway, Five is getting the tattoo in case it becomes important that he saw it. This way, when he's Super Old Five in the iron lung and his 58-year-old self comes along just like he did the previous day, the same thing can happen in case the steps he will take since seeing the tattoo become important.

Personally, I think it was probably a superfluous choice. I think Super Old Five likely got the tattoo not to lead Five to become him, but to lead him away from becoming him. That seems more like a Five way of thinking, and it also makes narrative sense because this obsession with saving the world has always been portrayed as unhealthy for Five (which it is, for the same reasons as Diego's hero complex). That tattoo changes everything about how Five handles the entire season. It leads him to Pogo, who tells him about Project Oblivion. It causes him to vote against going to the Hotel Oblivion, which leads Reginald to kill Luther. It's also pivotal to Five identifying the sigil on the lobby floor.

I've been kind of dreading that the entire plot so far has been part of a stable time loop--you know, where in the end of the series we've essentially reset and realize these characters are living the plot of the show over and over. It's always been a very unsatisfying trope to me. Thing is, Steve Blackman is big on subverting tropes like this--setting us up for what other shows would do, then doing it a different way. I think that the indication with them having essentially new bodies now, Five having his arm back and no tattoo, means they've escaped that particular time loop. Which, I'm hoping, was Super Old Five's intention all along.

#tua meta #the umbrella academy #five hargreeves #tua s3 spoilers #ask answered

[ofsmokenandgold]

1. How many works do you have on AO3?:

53

2. What's your total AO3 word count?:

335,362

3. What fandoms do you write for?

For the longest time I only wrote for Star Trek AOS; with a fleeting dip into Sherlock. Then this year I started writing Star Trek Picard, and that led me down a rabbit hole to The Musketeers, so now I'm writing that too.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

I've Been Chasing Grace Sherlock:John/Greg

A Vibration of Delight Pike/McCoy (ST:AOS)

Winged Desires and Veiled Persuasions Pike/Boyce/McCoy (ST:AOS)

Though My Soul May Set in Darkness Pike/McCoy/Kirk (ST:AOS)

Of Hopes and Fears and Twilight Fantasies Pike/McCoy/Kirk (ST:AOS)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I always try to. Occasionally I will miss one, especially if it's on an old story, but I will try to get to those eventually. Comments are life.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

If This is Goodbye (ST:AOS)- a canon-compliant Pike/Boyce story set around Star Trek into Darkness, it makes people cry. Hell, it still makes me cry.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Done With Bonaparte (ST:AOS) The Pike/Boyce story that is an alternate ending to Into Darkness, defies canon and lets Chris live.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not so far and I've been doing this for decades.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Smut is pretty much my go to genre. My entire Weight of a Man Series is a glorious smut fest - with a lot of relationship-building. I am a little more into hurt/comfort right now, but there is a lot of smut built into the "comfort" part.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I do not, I generally can't write in more than one fandom at a time and now that I find myself equally obsessed with ST:Picard and The Musketeers I can't honestly figure out a way to do a crossover with them (I know, failure of imagination).

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

My very first foray into fan fiction (long before the internet) was a round-robin story with three school friends that we kept going for five years (I still have the notebooks). It was based on The Quest - a very short lived US Western series with a gorgeous young Tim Matheson and equally cute Kurt Russell.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

If you look at my output it's clearly Pike/Boyce (ST:AOS). And they will always be my boys. But right now I'm all things Aramis and Aramis-in-space which has me shipping Rios/Shaw and Aramis/Athos and I think that will sustain my writing for quite a while.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I really don't like to abandon stories and that's why until recently I never posted anything until it was finished. So anything I have started on AO3 will get finished eventually. However, I have stuff in my WIP folder that might never see the light of day, including an early-career Pike/Boyce that is mostly written.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Details, I do details really well, I like to feel immersed in a place or a situation and I do that by giving as many details as feel appropriate for the story. Sometimes that requires a lot of research, especially for Star Trek, but it all adds to the texture of the story.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Adjectives - I use too many of them. I also have a tendency to have way too many run on sentences. Sometimes that's necessary for the pacing of the story, but I always consciously look for them when I'm editing so I can see if I can rework them to be more manageable.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I've only really started doing this with Aramis/Rios and I still don't do much of it, just to make a point. The context usually provides clues to the meaning, and if not then I write the meaning into the text somewhere.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

First - The Quest, and Blake's 7 - For public consumption, Star Trek AOS (first on Livejournal and then AO3)

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

Winged Desires and Veiled Persuasions (ST:AOS) Pike/Boyce/McCoy I wrote it in a gift-exchange for my fabulous beta, and it just came together and works in a way that stories rarely do. It's a perfect little threesome smut-fest with lots of feelings.

If you’re reading this and want to play, I hereby tag you with no pressure. 🥳

[iamstartraveller776]

What's your most deranged bit of headcanon for any fandom?

So I tend to have a general deranged headcanon for all my fandoms: it's not always terrible for the "bad" side to win. Because it's fictional, and I absolutely love exploring that idea.

My favorite stories for Trek are in the Mirror Universe where nobody is good and right and true (by virtue of their hellish existence), but their stories are still compelling.

For Labyrinth, MCU, Shadow & Bone, and Rings of Power, I ship villain/hero. And gosh, I am rabid for the bad guy coming out on top. Not to mention the inherit power imbalance. Jareth is some kind of ambiguous magical immortal (though strongly implied Fae) and Sarah is human. Loki is a demi-god and master sorcerer who has been alive for roughly 1700 years; Jane Foster is human. Alina might be the Sun Summoner, but Aleksander has had centuries to perfect his shadow powers and political machinations. Yes, Galadriel is an elf thousands of years old, but Halbrand/Sauron is a Maia who helped sing the very world into existence, who helped create the beings who now live and breathe there.

It's kind of like Japanese-style horror versus Western-style horror. Western horror is like, "Yeah maybe not everyone survives this, but our main character will somehow vanquish the evil supernatural thing." Japanese horror is like, "Why in the world would any average human be able to defeat a supernatural being? No, evil wins."

I love that in fanfic we get to deep dive into the idea that the underdog does not win, that the big bad gets what they want. It's not merely the "all is lost" moment of the story before the hero finds a way to defeat the evil; it's literally the finale—the end. Evil triumphs. Mainstream fiction could never.

(And as a final aside for my other fandom, OUAT, as much as I adore a reformed and fully redeemed Captain Hook, I have a very special obsession with season 2 "vengeance-at-all-costs is my only guiding star" Hook and season 5 "dark one" Hook. But that fandom doesn't really have a space for that kind of "darkness wins" storytelling, and I'm okay with that!)

Thank you so much!

#about me #curious anons #this is not to say that i don't like 'hero wins' or 'villain redemption' stories #but i LOVE the other kind #star replies

[gar-trek]

you been doing ok lately gar? you haven’t been posting very much and we miss you

aww this is very nice, thanks for asking about me! I'm 100% fine! the truth is I finished DS9 back in October and I just haven't been as passionate about Star Trek since. I have been running this account for (one month shy of) two years now and during that time I slowly worked my way through TOS, TNG and DS9. Never once during that whole time did I feel even slightly sick of Star Trek, and I never ever ran out of things to say about it. During the last two years, I casually partook in some other medias, but they never occupied as much of my brain space as Star Trek did. I was kind of just always thinking about some aspect of the show, and therefore having tons and tons of post ideas and drawing ideas.

Somehow, over a very short period, I stopped thinking about it every day like I used to. It's not that I don't like it anymore or whatever, its just not in my brain anymore. this is gonna come out of far far far left field and SOME may even feel distressed or disgusted to hear this, but for the last month the thing I've thought about every second of every day has been Disney's Zombies. Yep. I finished DS9 on October 14th and then watched zombies 2 with my friends on October 30th and just got like super super obsessed. maybe it was like an obsession rebound ??? maybe just a sad pitstop in my overall star trek journey before i can fully sink my teeth into ent??

right now i AM watching ent and there is seriously nothing wrong with it. in fact id go as far to say a lot of aspects of the show are more well done than other star trek series. but the thing is I just watch an episode, enjoy myself, and then don't really think about it again. perhaps i just need a cold turkey break for a while from anything star trek related before i can get back into it

I don't want anyone to worry, this isn't going to turn into a Diseny Zombies blog or any other weird thing (i have my side account for that @gars-side-trek if you for some reason wanna follow). Even if i start posting a lot less or even altogether, this will always be a star trek blog! I understand why you all follow me and I'm not gonna change it up on everyone like that. This isn't like a dramatic announcement about me leaving or whatever, and probably a good portion of you don't care what I do/didn't even notice I've been more quite. But i did just look back and realize I posted half as much in November as i did in October, so if anyone else was curious about where I've been there is your answer!

#now no one freak out #and everyone go watch the zombies trilogy because there is no fandom for that and i feel so desperately alone

[dwarfsized]

10 characters/10 fandoms/10 tags

the always amazing @aevallare tagged me <3 sooooo:

Astarion Ancunin (Baldur's Gate 3) - getting the obvious one out of the way early. you put a character in front of me who gets mad at you for being good and kind because no one has ever been that to him, who is a bitch and that's a feature not a bug, and im not supposed to become deeply obsessed with that? he is everything. to me.

Gideon Nav (The Locked Tomb) - tamsyn muir WHEN will my wife come back from the war? Devotion even when you hate it. Being a weapon in more ways than even you are aware of. Love when you don't know what love is, really, getting it wrong and right at the same time. Gideon @ Harrow is just "its rotten work. especially to me especially if its you. i'll fucking do it but christ alive."

Murderbot (The Murderbot Diaries) - i think i am one of the only people who thinks that Murderbot is on the fem-presenting side of androgynous but i do think that and i'm right. I haven't read the latest book yet. Being forced to interrogate an in-between space, Murderbot's "dont look at me" in combination with vulnerability, the desire to cut and run and figure yourself out and then, like. not actually figuring yourself out much. did the running help? did escaping do anything? or should you have stayed?

Stede Bonnet (Our Flag Means Death) - Cringefail fuck-up pirate my beloved, i hate watching him do things it's like looking in a mirror. Theater kid playing dress up, steeped in self-doubt and trying to get everyone to talk about their feelings. In season one he looks at his own life and says "is anyone going to ruin this?" and doesn't wait for an answer. I want to kiss him in the moonlight. Every time I think about him I want to throw up. <3

Keyleth (Critical Role) - The weight of the world on her shoulders because she's been raised to lead her people, and all that simmering rage she tries to keep under wraps, and then she only gets a tiny bit of time with the person she loves before she has to live for years and years and years and watch everyone she cares about leave her. Archdruids with timeless body are an existential nightmare.

Alex Louis Armstrong (Fullmetal Alchemist) - okay listen. when i rewatched fmab in college, I was fully ready to fall in love with Riza. I was very surprised when I realized that it was not the badass with the gun I was fixated on, but the. big muscle-y guy who cries a lot and gets used for comic relief 60% of the time. but. im here. i love him. the ishval flashbacks got to me.

Blue (This is How You Lose the Time War) - Loving someone enough you're willing to let them close enough to kill you. The inherent rot beneath blooming things. Taking the slow path. Not leaving well enough alone. Love, but with teeth. I'm so normal about her (lying)

Cora Sabino (Noumena Series) - I wish I could tell everyone to read Axiom's End because I loved it, but I cant because the sequel fucked me up so bad. Its good! but god the atmosphere is so oppressive and Cora's struggle with depression is extremely real for an alternate history story that asks the question "what if we found out aliens were real during the bush administration?" I was legitimately unwell.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars) - I just think he's the funniest guy with a laser sword. so repressed. had one of the most grey-jedi masters to ever do the damn thing. bitchy. the chosen one is his padawan. honestly he had to know anakin was sneaking out to canoodle with padme and just decided it wasn't his problem. calls himself fucking ben on the hell sand planet. why was he like that.

Spock (Star Trek) - this is the most "i just think he's neat" of all of them. i inherited this blorbo. this blorbo was handed down to me from my mom. he was hers first, im just picking up the torch. "guy who acts like he has no emotions but every seven years enters a fuck or die frenzy" im sorry but that's. that's too good. i have no choice but to rotate him in my mind.

I cannot tag 10 people but i will tag @asterordinary and @werewolfnobody and if anyone else wants to do it go for it! tag me so i can read your response!

#this was so difficult but it was fun! #tag game

[bi-disaster-kirk]

top five favorite star trek characters? :3

This is great question!! Sorry for the predictable answer — I just really love TOS, haha.

Spock is, of course, my favourite. I would die for him. I truly can't put into words how much brain space he occupies. Just thinking about him makes me happy. I project so many of my feelings about gender onto that man <3 <3

Jim and Bones are a close second because the trio is a package deal and they really work so well with each other. I feel like Jim's character gets simplified a lot when people talk about him but I find him fascinating. Same with McCoy. Their whole dynamic is just perfect.

I have to include Uhura. Even though she doesn't get much air time in TOS, she's such an interesting character. From the snippets you get, you can piece together her life. I'm really happy that she's getting more development in SNW and I can't wait to learn more about her!

Lastly, I'm currently obsessed with Data, as I'm watching TNG with my partner. Again, he's another character that grapples with not fitting into life's boxes / roles very well... wonder why I love him so much >_>

#asks #tysm for the question <3 love to talk about my fav characters!

[clericofshadows]

20 Fanfic Questions

tagged by the lovely @rotschopf-thedrow

How many works do you have on AO3?

13

What's your total AO3 word count?

81,052

What fandoms do you write for?

Mass Effect and only Mass Effect!

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

something to look forward to late night conversations space big place! the offer I'm very surprised by the offer since it's... not the kindest interpretation of a relationship between Shepard and Anderson but I'm not complaining.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Always! I don't get many so when I do it's such a lovely treat and I want to gush and interact <3

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

space, for sure. Established Regis's fear of dying in space by making him die in space with Kaidan listening in.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Arguably feeling numb, lost in time as it has Kaidan, Regis, and Zaeed working towards their triad again, Regis and Kaidan reuniting for a brief moment during ME2, and Regis getting some news and slowly getting closure on his resurrection, but it's bittersweet.

Do you get hate on fics?

No

Do you write smut. If so what kind?

On occasion. I'm not the best at it, but I range from vanilla to light dom/sub dynamics. I try to stay away from too much detail, can be a bit vague sometimes, and usually don't draw it out. I want to get better, but it's hard... (no pun intended). I have some WIPs that explore those dynamics a bit, especially between the duos in my main triad.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Not any published, but I do love them. I'd like to one day write some ME/Star Trek or something along those lines with some universe travelling, but idk if I'll ever put pen to paper.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No, or rather, not to my knowledge.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No

What's your all-time favourite ship?

Male Shepard/Kaidan Alenko/Zaeed Massani with any combo of that triad.

What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I have a WIP of Zaeed meeting the Alenkos, some family dynamics with Vikram and Adrian, and Kaidan learning how to Reave as well as telling Zaeed about BAaT, but it's all over the place and I really want to get back to it, but it's not letting me. I think it doesn't help that I haven't established too much about BAaT in my head with Regis, and that writing the Alenko parents is a bit difficult. I love the little universe I've created between ME1-ME2 and I want to explore Kaidan's and Zaeed's grief, their growing relationship, and Kaidan and Hackett dynamics more... I hope to find the inspo one day.

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue, character dynamics/exploration

What are your writing weaknesses?

Too much dialogue, not enough description/action. Hardest part of my WIPs is filling in all the space between dialogue, and my characters can't stop talking.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

It's not something I've explored yet, but I prefer having things translated in fic (or formatted in such as way that makes it quick to translate it). It's likely not something I'll do myself.

First fandom you wrote for?

Publicly? Mass Effect. Privately? Back in middle school I wrote a bit of fic for the Mortal Instruments series, was quite obsessed with it as a teen.

Favourite fic you've ever written?

That's a hard one... honestly, you got me in a chokehold, the fic where Kaidan and Zaeed meet and hookup after Regis's death is one of my favorites. Fun to write, explore, and start dealing with my triad with one meetup at a time. but don't ask about Ryuusei is another fic that I adored writing and exploring my version of Citadel DLC. I need to continue that little series, but writing the casino date with the triad is proving difficult lol.

tagging anyone who sees this and wants to participate!

#tag game

[daisychainsandbowties]

So, I'm task avoiding at work, and had a thought about (and you guessed it) the wn star wars au (and I know your focus is more on the Fallen Order side for Luminous beings, but sw Rebels stuff happens at kinda the same time)

In show, Jillian spends season 1 trying to create a portal (or a gateway) to "the other side" so she can be with Michael forever in a place where time has no meaning, and in the Clone Wars/Rebels, we see The World Between Worlds/Mortis, which exists outside of time and space and can only be accessed through specific gateways...

And then this brings up the Father, the Daughter, and the Son, and the Son happens to also be known as the Fanged God, who is worshipped by the nightsisters...

it's such a fantasy/sci-fi thing to have 'doors between worlds'.

mortis i think is based off of narnia, but there are soooo many examples of alternate universes or places where time/space don't operate the same way (how experience would be possible in a non-temporal, non-spacial 'place? <- a concept which itself is dependent on concepts of space and time. a place is a location oriented spatially in relation to others. to say 'a place' is 'somewhere' is to also imply that it is somewhere at a given time) though, to be fair, we're really talking about pathways between discrete locations in space and time, and there's no pressing reason to argue that, taking junctions in time as an 'if x then y' sort of situation, there might not be, in some manner of existence which is, naturally, unavailable to us, a place where the when's to aborted 'if's' do actually exist.

yes i am always repeating this but listen it's so true, from a craft perspective, that the finished version of any piece of art is haunted by a series of absences. lines dropped, the back-key shredding a sentence, rephrasing and swapping this paragraph to here or there. it's an intoxicating concept - the idea that what might have been exists palpably in what is. and probably why we as humans are so obsessed with ideas of a place where time cannot touch us.

we have this trope in his dark materials, in star trek (discovery, specifically), tel'aran'rhiod in the wheel of time (god also The Ways) i guess there's even the yggdrasil pathways in god of war, & obv in wn we have something similar. but like !!! when you think about it, writing an au plays into this idea as well. i dislocate the characters, i put them together again the same but different. sometimes i rip apart the world i decide to put them into so that they'll fit. but like... this idea of doorways connecting all possibilities, & the fact that i have already written a sort of 'maybe' future for the star wars au. it's all juicy in a very meta way.

i am broadly following Fallen Order's (and, soon, Jedi: Survivor's) narrative so i think, in all likelihood, i won't?? bring mortis into it??

mostly because absolutely no one wants to see me talk about the consequences of so much as putting a single toe a single molecule of 'now' into 'if'.

oh and thinking of the nightsisters and how they assign godly visages to the dichotomy of light/dark 'sides' of the force - a power which is, if we quote Obi, "an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together."

the appeal of something that connects everything, and probably the necessary elusiveness of that thing. or perhaps the refusal to admit that the only thing linking anything in sequence, or lending sense whatsoever, to a lack of linearity is time itself. and time, of course, is not particularly kind.

#i can already feel the #👀 penetrates us?? #jokes they're already here in the room with me #as ever LOVE hearing your thoughts and admire the lore you have in your head #i don't know what this answer is but ghkdlksl i have spent too much time reading the stanford encyclopedia #wn star wars au #knightsofrayx

[annikasevenshots]

Star Trek Picard: Season 3 Episode 1 Reaction

Who's missed these from me. The screaming you all love to hate. Muah.

Beverly is so 🆒. I actually have no notes. Obsessed with Gates' hair it is On Fleek

Laris being the voice of reason and not being written out to make space for Bev? Very interesting.

Old communicator chirp noise my beloved

"No Starfleet" Picard: i know a guy 🥰 hello riker from starfleet who will contact seven from starfleet for help 😋

No one likes the phat ships 😢 Enterprise D it's okay honey we love you for who you are dummy thicc and all 🥺

RAFFI TIME RAFFI TIME RAFFI TIME

THERE'S MY GIRL

excuse me what did that orion slip in that plate to her i've watched this thrice and can't figure it out

NO??????????????????

"my girlfriend left me" NOOOOOOOOOOO??????????????

CALL ME A WEEWOOWEEWOO I AM MENTALLY UNSTABLE

GUYS NO PLEASE CMON I AM BEGGING

I DONT CARE IF SHES UNDERCOVER YOU CANT DO THIS TO MY GAY ASS HEART

GUYS PUT IT BACK I DONT LIKE THIS SHOW ANYMORE I DONT WANNA BE IN A UNIVERSE WHERE SEVENS LEFT RAFFI

I CANNOT DEAL WITH THIS I AM AT MY FUCKING LIMIT.

Ngl seeing the dramatic Titan ship pan just reminds me of the gratuitous Cerritos ship pans in LWD which never fails to make me cackle

Titan theme is so beautiful. I think it's fast approaching my favourite just behind Voyager

The way it intersects with the TNG theme? Chefs mf KISS. Hit me with that shit I want it all

Seven!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Commander Annika Hansen" SHAW COUNT YOUR FUCKING DAYS 🔪🔪🔪

I AM AT MY LIMIT I ACTUALLY CANNOT DEAL WITH THIS ANYMORE

Thanks! I hate it!

bby laforge 🥺 for to blorbo? me for blorbo? blorbo for me? for blorbo to????????

Picard telling Seven she'd make a great captain? My heart cannot handle this shit i'm out

Seriously guys i have to do next week with heart medication i was not made to handle this shit

"Should we tell Engineering we're going at lizard space warp 9.99"

At least the show is self aware that Picard is a bit of a fossil ngl, i respect that

Shaw eating blue meat 🤢 sir tf is THAT

Does shaw season his meat with blue raspberry kool aid. Quickly

I wish shaw a very ✨die✨ ❤️

Hate how Shaw treats Seven but tbh i respect a captain that can stand up to picard and riker. Like he's not wrong they can't just abuse their power that's long gone anyway

Also sorry Picard but you have got to stop bringing your own wine as gifts not everybody wants that shit

seven being 👁️👄👁️ during the meal is a mood because same

Love how Riker and picard just barrel ahead without waiting for or checking on Seven. Especially after how awful Shaw was to her. Way to use your friends guys well done gentlemen

"Good morning, sweet girl" raffi you are killing me

How does she look so good

Raffi having her vape horgl with her on the La Sirena is somewhat bittersweet

Headcanon that there are snakeleaf vines in her room. You are not allowed to disagree ❤️

jesus christ worf mysterious handler why the fuck would you pull up that personnel file 😭

RAFFAELA MUSIKER SHARES MY BIRTHDAY??????????? YALL BE FR I CANNOT DEAL WITH THIS ANYMORE

GOODBYE I AM ASCENDING

WHAT

WHAT LITERALLY

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

SCREAMING CRYING

i. raffi. same birthday. no. oh my god. oh my god.

oh, raffi... :(

How tf is Seven around on the bridge more than the captain. They're making her the not-captain captain of the titan and for what

Seven saying what i've always wanted to say like why yes i too would like to airlock picard for his audacity

Riker: grants permission to speak freely

Seven: speaks freely

Riker: no not like that >:(

Shaw being a snork mimimimi king was not on my picard s3 bingo but you know what. Mood.

Brain is too scrambled to take in the rest but

Oh my god

Loved the music

Welcome back my space moms

Oh my god this season is killing me already

In conclusion i'm delirious because they dropped the episode at 12am after i tried to watch streams of it twice on the world's shittiest wifi whilst travelling across the country. Happy premiere day.

#star trek picard #picard spoilers #reaction #spoilers #picard s3 #s3e1

[funkymbtifiction]

I'm being lazy, listless and lifeless and lost and so irresponsible. Any tangible ways,tips i could take to be more independent, responsible ..

The choice is yours, as to how you spend your day. If you feel you are being lazy -- stop procrastinating and take action. If you feel like you are without passion and "lifeless," go to a therapist to help you work through your depression. If you feel lost, sit down and figure out what you want from life and what you want to bring to it, and write up your own personal manifesto (here is what I want to accomplish; here is how I want to interact with people, this is my mission). If you feel like you are irresponsible, start doing the opposite. What is being responsible? Getting up earlier so you are on time? Finishing a task instead of not doing it? Taking care of chores before pleasure?

Make it real, tangible. Nitty gritty. Get it written down, make a list, and start doing it. Abstractions will get you nowhere. Identify in writing what you don't like about yourself, and then write down what you intend to do about it... and do it.

and how do I find my sense of purpose, vision back as i feel nothing, nothing strong, just sadness.

This suggests a strong depression, for which you should seek professional guidance and help from a qualified therapist trained to help people through depressive episodes. But beyond that, you often need to create your sense of purpose based on what you want, rather than assuming it exists somewhere outside yourself. Who do you want to be? Look around. Look within. Deal with your sadness. What is causing it? A loss? a trauma? the shock of reality? Deal with those feelings. Journal through them. Read books on grief. Watch YouTube videos to see how others deal with it. Educate yourself. Engage with the world.

I'm not obsessed about anyone,just lost idealistic visions, hopes and dreams and came in terms with reality and practical life goals which seem too small and confined and not parallel to really helping the world be a better place, just seeming like a small life, profession.

I can relate to this, it's the bane of being an NF. We assume our lives need to be enormous to have any kind of impact, but in reality... life is cleaning the cat box, and grocery shopping, and monotony. We power through the monotony so we can do what we want, which is to figure out how to inspire people and be creative. So, think about the worth of a small life. Isn't it worth living? Is there beauty to be found in small things? In intimate relationships instead of grand platforms? In being there for your family when wonderful things happen, or when sad things happen?

Why do you feel you need to make a huge impact? Ponder that. Sit with it. Is it pride? A belief that if you don't contribute, you are not worth anything? Can you help the world be better? If so, how are you going to do it? A blog? a video blog? by writing articles? by doing a podcast? writing books? launching a creative space for artists? by standing up for someone? volunteering in an animal shelter? Turn on your sensing function. What can you do here and now that makes a positive difference for someone? Does it have to be huge, or can you just do a random act of kindness for someone, or send them a card in the mail to surprise them? life is often in the minute details.

i read healthy fe use for Infj requires they contribute to the world and feel universally connected in a sense.

Healthy Fe in an INFJ means caring about what other people are thinking or feeling, showing them empathy and sympathy when they open up to you, being aware of what you are doing having an impact on them, and attuning yourself to their needs and feelings. You don't have to have a grand contribution; you can be just as happy and worthwhile being a Star Trek-loving nerd who reads books all the time and just works so she can afford to go to Comic Con, while her real passion is her blog or her cats.

Stop thinking and pondering and spinning your wheels. Start doing.

#question #mbti