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vulcanistic-tendencies · 1 year

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S1E2 Charlie X: "To The Victor"

As her grandfather was often fond of observing, Janice was a go-getter. She had very little trouble deciding what she wanted, how she wanted it, and what she needed to do in order to make it hers. It made her a formidable adversary in most strategy games and team sports, to say nothing of the rare occasions when someone or something tried to interfere with her career goals.

It didn’t do much for her love life, though.

See, Janice was pretty. She didn’t mind that – in fact she worked very hard each morning to apply her makeup and to press and arrange her hair just so to match the latest fashion. She enjoyed looking good, and any extra effort it took was simply worth it.

But looking good meant being chased, being sought, being fawned and fought over. It meant leers and lewd gestures and lewder comments made just within earshot. It made her into a prize to be won.

Well, Janice was no one’s fucking prize, and if anyone was going to be winning anything, it was her.

Enter Lieutenant Nyota Uhura.

When Janice had been assigned to the Enterprise as Captain Kirk’s person yeoman, she was less than thrilled. She’d had her fair share of unwanted suitors of every class and gender, but in her experience, high-ranking men tended to be the worst.

It came as a pleasant surprise, therefore, when Kirk turned out to be friendly, charismatic, and unfailingly professional both on and off the bridge. His gaze and touch were never anything but completely appropriate and respectful. Beyond that, he had a presence about him that could instantly set everyone at ease. Honestly, if he hadn’t been extremely off-limits due to their respective ranks and positions aboard the ship, Janice may have been tempted to test some decidedly less-than-platonic waters with him.

Ah, well. Maybe in another life.

Kirk’s command crew was fairly easy to work with as well. Granted, First Officer Spock could often be blunt to the point of rudeness, and Chief Medical Officer McCoy was something of a serial flirt, but on the whole they were harmless. Janice even found herself becoming fast friends with Lieutenant Sulu, who shared her sardonic sense of humor and took a genuine interest in her painting hobby after catching her hard at work in an empty rec room during her second week. (She did her best to reciprocate by showing interest in his botany projects, though in truth some of the more mobile specimens were…unnerving to her.)

Then, there was Nyota.

If Janice was pretty, Nyota was gorgeous. There was a softness to her features, an almost ethereal kind of beauty that was only enhanced by the gentle grace with which she moved. Her smiles were wide and bright, her voice smooth and musical whenever she spoke. And when she sang…

Well. Janice normally wasn’t one to wax poetic, and maybe that was for the best because Nyota Uhura was certainly not in need of any poetry. She supplied all of it quite skillfully herself.

Perhaps that was what Janice found so intimidating. Nyota was a woman self-possessed; by no means just a beauty, she was also sharp as a tack, fleet of foot and wit, and surprisingly – dangerously – mischievous when the mood struck her.

She was the first person Janice had ever encountered who truly gave her pause. Not because she wasn’t sure what she wanted when it came to Nyota, but because she wasn’t sure what she could have.

Enter Charlie Evans.

What struck Janice the most about Charlie was his sincerity. He was awkward, sure, and clearly a little out of his depth when it came to understanding and adjusting to the culture of the Enterprise, but who could blame him? His life up to that point had been a blank slate – totally unburdened by social rules and customs – and as such his actions and words bore an honesty that was as refreshing as it was unnerving.

He was sweet. Genuine. A good kid. All he really needed was some guidance.

Just not from Janice.

The very moment they met, she could tell she was going to have trouble with him. His eyes – wide and bright and ever so confused – landed on her like the glowing light of a meteorite on a collision course. She knew those eyes. She knew very well what they meant.

She also knew that she was unequivocally the worst possible person for him to hitch his poor naïve adolescent wagon to. Sure, Janice was nice – she was polite and professional and friendly, but she wasn’t…gentle. She wasn’t sweet or tender or patient. Not like Kirk could be.

Not like Nyota was.

She tried, of course. She tried to be soft for Charlie. She tried to ignore the weight of his eyes on her. It didn’t work. The meteorite still came. It still careened right into them with the sharp sound of a palm hitting flesh.

And then, Janice simply wasn’t.

Reenter Yeoman Janice Rand.

She didn’t talk about Charlie after everything was over with. She wrote her report, because that was her job, and she submitted to a brief psych eval, because that was Dr. McCoy’s job, and that was that.

From what she could tell, Kirk and the others who had been present for Charlie’s departure were of a similar mind. Better not to dwell.

And yet…

And yet Janice could not keep the image of Charlie’s wide, earnest eyes out of her head. The simple, terrible truth he spoke so plainly to her.

(“You can understand, can’t you? You know about being with somebody? Wanting to be?”)

Yes, Janice did. She did, and yet for the first time in her life, fear and doubt had kept her frozen in place.

Well, no more of that.

She found Nyota alone on the observation deck, watching the stars and humming softly to herself. Despite her new resolve, Janice hesitated in the doorway.

Charlie had been alone for too long. He didn’t know how to work around the needs of others, how to cope with rejection when it came. Janice – well, she didn’t like rejection, but far better that than this hopeless pining she was doing now. Life was just too damn short to waste time like that.

And so, Janice went to go get her.

#op:ficpost #s1e2 charlie x #star trek tos #janice rand #nyota uhura #charlie evans #bisexual janice rand #holy shit guys #the idea for this came easy but after the first like page it fought me HARD #anyway as you can tell I subscribe to the sims' logic of sexuality when it comes to star trek #which is to say that no one really talks about it because it's the 23rd century and everyone's just kind of vaguely bi/pan #listen just let me dream okay #so yeah I really liked this episode and I also really liked the rec room scene with spock and uhura and janice #so i thought I'd play around with the idea of janice being a little bit in love with uhura and how charlie's story intersects that #star trek

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safetythirst · 2 years

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Lots of people feeling very entitled to the future relationships (canon or not) and forgetting there is a journey to be had TO those relationships. And sometimes you don't know that there is an option to not have a relationship with the people your society told you was acceptable. You need to follow that path and go on that journey to the future relationship.

#yes this is about spock #and bi-erasure #and i cannot believe i am here #at this point #but wow can you please let people and characters exist outside your narrow perception

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cozyforjate · 10 months

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It surprises me when people say Chapel doesn’t have a trait, personality, or plotline other than being Spock’s love interest... Let me list all the things we know and have seen about this amazing character.

Christine Chapel is a nurse on The Enterprise. She is on civilian exchange from the Stanford Morehouse Epigenetic Project. She is also a part of Starfleet’s initiative to better observe alien cultures without contamination.

M’Benga treats her as an equal. Pike called her “doctor” in the very first episode which suggests that her medical knowledge and experience must be impressive.

She is an expert on genetic modification. She can mess with your genome and temporarily turn you into an Alien. And she makes it look easy.

She is also interested in archeological medicine. She is doing fieldwork, making discoveries, and writing papers on the subject while doing her other duties on the ship.

Long story short she is quite the genius!

She is outgoing, friendly, witty, funny, adventurous, strong, brave but also compassionate and emotional.

She doesn’t judge, she accepts people for who they are.

She is confident in her abilities. She doesn’t take anyone’s BS. “I don’t think the Vulcan Fellowship is ready for me”… No one, not even Vulcans can bully or make her feel insecure.

But when she was a kid she was bullied. Milo, her Malamute, bit one of those bullies. Good boy!

As it was implied in one of the episodes she is most probably bi.

She has a vulnerable side. She is afraid of commitment. Afraid of romantic relationships getting deep. Perhaps even afraid of falling in love. She uses humor when things get too serious or personal for her. There is a story waiting to unfold in time. And i can’t wait to know more of it!

She was in the Klingon War with M'Benga. They witnessed the ugly face of war and had to make some hard decisions. They used (perhaps even developed) an illegal serum that temporarily gives them enough power and stamina to survive against Klingons. This left a scar on her as much as it did on M'Benga. We will revisit this story in episode 8 (i guess).

She knows how to fight. She is a quick thinker during stressful situations. And she is a badass. For example, she can handle space pirates and all she needs is a hypospray! She can deal with baby Gorns and survive!

She is heroic. She would jump into space without an EV suit to prevent a war.

Oh and she is also Spock's love interest and it's a delicious relationship that enrichens both characters.

This is what we got in 15 episodes. I'm sure we'll learn more about her and she will get new storylines in the seasons to come.

#in this house we stan Christine Chapel #haters gonna hate #btw romance doesn't destroy a female character if its well written #but romance is not Chapel's only thing #you just have to watch the episodes #and care about the character #jess bush is a gem #she is such a great actress #christine chapel #my favorite character in SNW #star trek strange new worlds #strange new worlds #star trek snw #spapel #spock and chapel

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formosusiniquis · 1 year

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In a turn of events surprising exactly no one among the group, it's Dustin's who starts the whole thing. He calls a formal party meeting, and an hour after the message goes out over the walkie Steve has a living room full of anxious freshman and Eddie Munson -- and him and Robin who are mostly there because the meeting had to be held at Steve's house for some reason.

Dustin's sense of dramatics have come to rival Eddie's, and he waits until they're all seated before he even bothers coming out from where he hid himself with a manilla folder under one arm and the only white sheet in Steve's house, that had definitely come from off of his parent's bed, under the other. He doesn't say a word as he throws the sheet over the entertainment center and comes back again wheeling in an overhead projector. Steve can still faintly make out O'Donnell written on the side. "I'm sure you're wondering why I've gathered you all here today," Dustin punctuated his sentence with the heavy click of the projector being switched on.

The fan doesn't drown out the screaming from the crowd.

"You made it sound like an emergency."

"How did you get that here?"

"How did you get it at all?"

"Please," Dustin interrupts, "save all questions for the end." From his manilla folder he slaps a pre-written laminate down on the light table. Projecting, enlarged for everyone to see, 'Why Lucien is secretly the big bad of the whole campaign: a presentation by Dustin Henderson."

"This is the lamest reason for petty theft ever." Eddie gripes. Clearly more upset than Henderson had actually figured the plot twist out, Steve remembers how proud of himself he'd been when he talked himself through it weeks ago.

"Did you help him do this?" Steve asks, afraid of the answer.

"Obviously not, why would I spoil my own-"

"The projector, Eddie."

"I mean barely, I was more of a getaway driver. Really, if she wanted to keep her projector she shouldn't have moved it out into the hallway so they could wax the floors. I didn't know he was going to use it for evil."

Henderson clears his throat, a disgusting phlegmy hem-hem, "If you're going to talk through the presentation, you'll be asked to leave."

The attitude on the kid, really.

It becomes a thing after that. Steve already has the projector, it's not like he can bring it back to the highschool. What would he even say, 'Sorry about the confusion, my overhead projector looks just like this one.' When there's nothing good at Family Video to rent or it's raining too hard to use the pool, they'll all go to different corners of the house with a stack of ten laminate sheets, a wet erase marker, and a vague theme. Then they come back and share what they've come up with.

The group is incapable of not instigating some kind of competition, at the end of the night they'd fight and argue over whose presentation was best. Steve participated half the time, but more often than not let himself be talked into playing referee to make sure no one's feelings got too hurt. On those nights he'd add onto Robin's. His favorite: why star trek is better than star wars (with footnotes from Steve)

It's at least twice as gay, kirk and spock are basically alien married and uhura definitely had a thing for spock's wife. All star wars has is the robots and they're barely main characters.

Steve note: Spock's half-vulcan status can be looked at the same as being bi or genderqueer, not feeling like you belong right in either half of your identity cause you aren't enough of one or the other -- Luke is just a twink with a nice wardrobe.

The Party could argue about anything, but Steve wasn't exactly surprised when the young adults got in on the fun too. The projector didn't usually come out until they were all drunk or stoned enough to admit that they had been waiting all night to make their presentations. Unlike the kids who mostly treat the games like debate team: who's the most powerful fictional character, what's the best PC class, what character from star wars would survive the Upside Down (he thought Erica's presentation: why the my little ponies could take down tiamat but wouldn't because they're too civilized, was especially inspired). The older teens treated it more like an amped up game of truth or dare, making up things that someone else in the group should have to do and encouraging the rest of the group to join in too.

They started the night off with Argyle's "Why Steve should give me his secret brownie recipe" which turned out to be mostly about how good they would taste as weed brownies and Eddie and Jon were quick to join his side.

They go around like that advocating for bad decisions like consequences don't exist, like they could be kids again. Robin thinks they should get tattoos, Steve is easily swayed. Jon proposes a road trip back to California. Nancy says they should all move to Boston with her. Eddie thinks the core four should start a band. Steve waits for his turn.

Steve has had his pages written and waiting for days. He knows exactly how long it takes his friends every time they meet to get wasted enough to give in to the temptation to wheel out his contraband projector. Once Robin is finished shouting at Eddie about how they're the only ones with any musical gifts he takes his turn.

"Why Eddie Munson should go out with me: a presentation by Steve Harrington."

#steddie #at the end but it was the foundation on which the rest of this was built #stranger things #stranger things fic #my fic #i saw a picture of one of the old overhead projectors and had a visceral flashback to my school years #they were being phased out but my 8th grade math teacher insisted on keeping his til he retired #honestly superior to the smart board #core memory drawing on the one in my moms classroom as a kid #hands stained by wet erase expo markers #anyway if theres a will theres a way and the party would eat up those ppt presentation nights

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candybatwings · 3 months

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Thank you to everyone who’s supported my McSpirk bullshit 😭 I love drawing these spacemen so much they make me so happy I can’t describe it. Here’s my personal designs and head canons for the boys.

Kirk is genderfluid and bi, Spock is agender and gay, and I think it would be really funny if Bones keeps insisting he’s straight because Kirk and Spock are both nonbinary but let’s be real bro is bi as hell. I tried to keep pretty close to their canon heights and ages while injecting a bit of my own head canon ;) they are all in love and married. This is also canon.

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flameeagleheart75 · 8 months

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Ramble about Star Trek.

Star Trek, TOS, Season 1 Episode 14.

'The Conscience of the King'

AKA-

Spock desperately tries to get Captain Kirk to acknowledge his trauma for 45 minutes; while Kirk loses yet another friend and tries to bring a former dictator to justice before anyone else gets hurt. Also, Shakespeare, yay!

Would not be the first or last time Spock tries to salvage or rationalise around Kirk's mental health and it's fascinating how often that's a reoccurring theme (when he erases a memory that is too sad for Kirk to bed in a later installment comes to mind).

There's this tendency in a lot of pop culture, I think to show Kirk as this freewheeling playboy who takes risks for the sure sport of galavanting across the universe in his beloved ship but whenever I sit down and rewatch the original series and films I'm always fascinated by how much he takes on a mental burden and is determined to carry the weight himself without discussion.

"Logic is not enough, I've got to feel my way, make absolutely sure." -Kirk

He's often referred to as the 'unflappable' or 'infallible' Captain Kirk in summaries but we see so many times that while he will always do what needs to be done, the toll is always steep. That's what makes his grounded friendship with McCoy so good and, of course, what lends so much to his dynamic with Spock.

In this very episode, Spock uses logic to try and help Kirk reach a conclusion but the whole time he is also aware that Kirk is both concealing information and is not coping as well as he's letting on. Spock himself seems more openly frustrated than he usually is because he knows the threat to life that Kodos's lingering presence can cause.

And yet, he had to learn that information on his own because Jim, his friend; could not share that part of his past and trauma with him. The scene with the overloaded phaser comes to mind. If Spock hadn't been aware of the situation by that point and wasn't down in the room discussing the logic of Kodos's identity, what's to say that the phaser wouldn't have gone off and taken half the deck with Kirk?

If Spock hadn't been empathetic and, furthermore, had a deep understanding of his friend, the entire crew might have been kept in the dark on the situation until both LT Reily and their Captain were dead.

And what's fascinating, it's only after his friend is killed, his crewman poisoned and his ship almost destroyed that Kirk moves and accuses the man he believes to be Kodos directly. He does not focus on his own safety but whenever others in his care are threatened, he jumps into action without delay.

James T Kirk carries the weight of a star system on his shoulders all his life and by his side, always is S'chn T'gai Spock, son of Sarek and Amanda. The half Vulcan, half human man who understands him better than perhaps anyone.

I just think that's interesting.

(Also I headcanon Kirk as Bi)

-Flame watches Star Trek

#s'chn t'gai spock #james t kirk #star trek tos #k/s #tos spirk #star trek

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ithinktheygotthealias · 10 months

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a (draft) list of evidence james tiberius kirk has The Big Bi™

*this version will be deleted when (if) i fix this list up with some gifs and screenshots*

so, i have decided to compile some independent evidence on a few points that have been in (more than usual) contention lately in the fandom. my focus, as always, is tos. this first one is a bit of preaching to the choir consideirng my usual haunts, but i hope it will at least strengthen the argument for a bi/pan kirk, by virtue of bypassing the "spock" part of the discussion entirely.

and why despite being vocally not into the show it is still my hope in my heart of hearts that the canon!bi kirk in snw rumours from a while back are true

following up will be a similar draft list on all the times spock had any kind of interaction that might be construed as romantic in the show. the goal is to have one on all of the references to chapel's feelings for spock too, but that will be more work so maybe in a few days? never trust any promises i make on this blog

so, without further ado, the list, divided on categories for my our convenience:

arguable:

Gary Mitchell (Where No Man Has Gone Before) - i've put him down as arguable bc i've also seen ppl compare how jim acts towards him to how he acts towards spock as evidence for his being into spock. i think they had something going on at some point, but it had long ended by the time of the episode.

i will fight anyone on this:

Ben Finney (Court Martial) - embiterred former lover, much? he even named his daughter after the guy ffs. and that was BEFORE the revenge fixation.

Captain John Christopher (Tomorrow is Yesterday) - poor jim wanted that 1960s wasp booty so bad his flirt overflowed into every single man they found in the past

"Don't you believe in male androids, Harry?" (I, Mudd?) - speaking out for himself and all men lovers out there

Tyree (A Private Little War) - they lived together, come on

man-magnet jimothy:

Trelaine (The Squire of Gothos) - depending on your interpretation: bratty toddler with a favourite toy, toxic child with a first crush and no idea what to do about it, or manchild outright trying to eliminate the "competition" aka spock? obviously not reciprocated. might count as meme evidence instead.

Garth (Whom Gods Destroy) - both the orion battygirl (pun intended) and her #1 megalomaniac boytoy had a twisted little something going on for the captain

meme evidence:

I'm Not Sure He Likes This Guy, But He Sure Likes His Rock Dildo (What Are Little Girls Made Of?) - iconic.

Jim's Favourite Colour (Arena) - this fight is kinda... is.

"Are there any men on this planet?" (That Which Survives) - while much beloved by all, this quote is taken kinda out of context, and even the rainbow flag was still years away from being invented when it aired, let alone the bi flag. sorry, guys, meme category it is.

#please feel free to add to this #i'll put your additions in the final version if i get around to doing it #if i get really into it i might make a uhura one as well #never quite liked her treatment in aos #til the actress for martha the orion was THE batgirl of all time #that one #star trek #star trek tos #spock #jim kirk #james t kirk #spirk

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instantpansies · 9 months

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ok i'm finally watching amok time and i'm trying so hard to take it seriously i really am but

"it has to do with biology"

"what"

"biology"

"what kind of biology"

"VULCAN. biology"

"you mean... the biology of vulcans?

bi,ology as in. reproduction ??"

it's just so absurdly, brilliantly awkward. the way spock looks like he would rather be dead. the fact that they're treating pon farr like it's an enemy they need to be real careful of or they'll never get out alive. the way spock says "we must return home. and take a wife." so morosely like okay gayboy we get it marriage to a woman is your worst nightmare. lets get on with the plot. i've seen sixth graders at church youth group talk about sex more straightforwardly than this scene. i'm obsessed. it's awful. i love it so much

as for the rest of the episode... where do i start? the scene where all the ritual stuff is happening before kirk decides to accept the challenge is shot just. so jarringly. the zooms and cuts to random objects and focal points throughout the scene?? like are they trying to build tension rn because this just looks like a high schooler with a video camera trying to make a short film about drugs (i say this lovingly).

the fact that the episode almost perfectly follows the beats of your standard classic western. the VERY FIRST SUCCESSFUL BLOW being the famous titty window slice (wow they were not holding back). the loud musical stings whenever something remotely tense happens - which are a completely different motif and style than anything we've heard on the show previously. the proportional lack of dialogue comparative to the rest of the show (in my perception?), but the simultaneous exponential increase in cheesiness as well. chapel crying??? when she goes into spock's quarters????? what's that about??????? and going off of that, the weird half-one-sided relationship hinted between those two that came out of nowhere and seemed completely arbitrary. THE SILLY LITTLE VULCAN OUTFITS!!!

tldr; this episode just can't fulfill its supposedly angsty and tense premise because the execution is just so absurd and silly. this is a comedy. it's absolutely a masterpiece in campiness and completely missing your goal (but in the process finding something at least as good). it's so good

#toast watches #star trek #star trek tos #amok time #it's just. so silly and nonsensical and doesn't fulfill its goal at all. it's absolutely a comedy #to me #and i frankly wouldnt want it any other way #not my favorite episode overall - there were a few in season one that just AUGHGHGH. but a deeply silly and extremely fun one. i'm a fan #btw sorry for weird spacing in the dialogue bit tumblr is being mean to me

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grizzlybeartist · 1 year

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I haven't posted any writing here yet but. i am rotating him in my mind rn so. have some hc's abt the blue pixel priest

-When he gets scared or overwhelmed, he gets the hiccups. This is very inconvenient if he is trying to be quiet. If he gets absorbed in a book or smth and someone yells his name he will startle, followed by a solid 15 minutes of hiccups

-Star Trek nerd. idk why it just feels like it fits

-in tandem to the last one, realised he was bi because of that one scene where Spock and Kirk fight and Kirk gets his shirt cut open LMAO

-Autistic and somehow never diagnosed despite how obvious it is (see: literally all of his dialogue)

-his time in the psych ward did not help at all. it actively compounded his trauma and overall made everything worse, he just learned how to mask his symptoms so he could be let out (this one is. basically canon)

-not a huge fan of physical touch until he gets comfortable enough to be vulnerable with you. then he's practically glued to you

-this man has seperation anxiety so bad, please frequently remind him you care abt him if you have to be apart for an extended period of time

-him and Lisa have more of a sibling type of bond than anything, having both (cannonically) grown up as orphans housed and raised in the same monastery. (i don't judge those who ship these 2, since they do have great chemistry, it's just not my cup of tea)

-both mommy and daddy issues

-terminal case of babyface. he sometimes gets carded trying to buy alcohol

-Lisa smokes weed, and he accidentally ate a few of her edibles once thinking they were normal brownies, and needless to say he did Not have a good time—he'd literally never had weed before that, he got really anxious. he threwed up : (

#sfw #written #john ward #john faith #faith the unholy trinity #faith headcannons #john ward headcannons

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starfleetimagines · 1 year

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Slow and Steady [C. Chapel]

Pairing: Christine x female reader

Word count: ~1k

Summary: Y/N and Christine are best friends. After spending the day together, Y/N admits to not only being bisexual but having feelings for Christine, too.

Notes: Requested by an anon. This is my first time writing for Christine and my first full Trek fic in a while, so I apologize at its quality. Still accepting queer prompts for Pride month!

Tag list: @agent-catfish-kenobi @space-helen @plaguedoctorsnake @shadyfirecollector

Yours and Christine’s laughs bounce of the walls of the corridor as you make your way through the ship.

“I can’t believe you almost let me buy that,” you say between laughs.

Christine grins at you. “I didn’t know what it was! If I had realized sooner I would have stopped you before the shopkeeper came over.”

You roll your eyes, but smile. While the Enterprise is docked at a space station for a few meetings, most of the crew has been granted some R&R time, either on the station or on the ship. You and Christine decided to have a friend date on the station and see what it had to offer. You went to a few restaurants and a bar, visited a Vulcan meditation garden, visited an old fashioned movie theatre, and walked around the shopping level where you almost bought a Klingon sex toy.

In your defense, the shop had been called Treasures of the Galaxy and boasted their collection of items from all different worlds. What you thought was a pretty vase had been sometime else entirely. Luckily no one other than Christine had witnessed that, so at least you wouldn’t be teased about it by anyone else.

“I would have bought it for you if I’d known you were so into that kind of thing,” she muses teasingly.

You shove her shoulder and scoff. “You’re terrible.”

“I know.” She flashes you a grin and you can’t help but smile.

When you reach your quarters, you tilt your head to the side. “Want to come in? It’s not too late.”

Christine smiles cheekily. “Why, Y/N, if I had known I would be invited over I would have at least paid for dinner.”

You smirk and open the door. “You can buy next time.”

“So my lack of date etiquette hasn’t put you off?” she asks as she walks backwards into your quarters.

You laugh, though you wish you were both being serious. “Not in the slightest.”

“Good. Because I need someone to explore places with me.” She walks to your couch and gestures for you to sit with her. “Spock will only do so much with me.”

You give her a look as you sit next to her. “I thought you were over that.”

“What? Over Spock?” She smiles and leans her elbow against the back of the couch, propping her cheek against her closed fist. “I am. Don’t get me wrong, he’s amazing to look at, and I like spending time with him, but that silly little crush is long gone.”

“Oh.” You hope she can’t see the relief on your features.

“But speaking of crushes,” she drawls, shifting to pull her knees up. “That guy at the bar was totally flirting with you.”

“What?” You scoff.

Christine raises an eyebrow and smiles. “He was cute. You should have asked him out.”

You shook your head and looked away. “I didn’t really notice.”

“Really?” She laughs quietly.

“I was distracted,” you reply simply and you lean your foot out to nudge her ankle.

“Oh come on, I’m not that distracting,” she defends with another laugh.

You shrug and smile at her softly. “You can be.”

Christine rolls her eyes playfully. “Well, I’m sorry for cockblocking you, then.”

You laugh at her choice of words. “You didn’t. I… Kind of have my eye on someone else, anyway.”

Christine leans forward, eager to learn more. “Oh? What’s his name?”

You shift and clear your throat. Christine doesn’t know that you’re bi. She’s only ever heard about your ex—a guy you dated at the academy—and your attraction to women never really came up. You didn’t want your coming out to her being you admitting your feelings for her, but… The way she looks at you, the way she touches you every chance she gets, the way she laughs with you… It gives you hope that maybe the feelings are mutual.

“Um. Her name,” you mumble.

“Oh,” Christine says, then shrugs a little and smiles. “Okay, what’s her name?”

You try to hide a grin. Of course, you knew she’d react fine. She herself isn’t straight, and you knew it wouldn’t really be a big thing. But sharing this part of yourself with her, no matter how she feels about you, feels freeing and comforting.

“Um,” you repeat. “Her name is Christine.”

You see her eyebrows furrow and her lips part slightly.

Your heart hammers against your ribs, and you try your best to ignore it as you move closer. “It’s you. I uh. Maybe kind of have a crush on you? And I know you’re not—not really big on commitment and relationships stress you out and we don’t have to do anything or—or be anything but um—I thought you should know—”

Christine leans forward and cups your cheek with her warm, soft hand. “Y/N,” she says softly.

Your tongue darts out between your lips and you meet her gaze. You see a tenderness in her eyes that makes your stomach flip.

“Y/N,” she repeats, quieter this time, barely a whisper. Then she closes the gap between the two of you and kisses you. You involuntarily sigh through your nose and lean closer. The kiss is short, only lasting a few moments, but you’re both smiling stupidly when it ends.

“Wow,” you whisper, and Christine giggles.

“You’re adorable,” she says, leaning up to feather a kiss to your forehead.

Blushing you smile. “So… Can we consider today our first official date?”

Christine smiles, too, but she leans back a little bit. “I… I want to. But… You said it yourself, relationships stress me out.” When your smile falls, she quickly continues, “I want to try it though! With you, I… you make me feel like I could do it. But I just. Can we go slow?”

You wrap your arms around her neck loosely and nod. “Of course. We can go at whatever pace makes you most comfortable. I get it, I really do. I’m not going anywhere.”

Christine visibly relaxes and she sighs. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

“I try,” you reply with a smile.

Laughing quietly, Christine leans closer and kisses you again and this time, it lasts longer than just a few moments.

#christine chapel x reader #christine chapel fanfiction #star trek fanfiction #star trek imagine #star trek reader insert #star trek x reader #star trek snw fanfiction #star trek strange new worlds fanfiction

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ichayalovesyou · 2 years

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Carefully and Respectfully Attempting to Diffuse Concerns about Spock’s Orientation in SNW

I can’t pretend I haven’t been… heated, about this topic before. Partly because of my own Spock interpretations, partly because elements of this debate touch on sensitive elements of my queer identity. I also can’t pretend it hasn’t come back to bite me in the butt. So this is me trying to genuinely state my argument in a way relatively sympathetic to the opposite opinion. It also might be the last “long post/meta” piece I do on this topic for a little while. Full discussion under the cut.

Concern #1 : The current showrunners are being queerphobic.

My Argument: The current era of showrunners have shown that they don’t hate queer fans. They clearly obviously care about doing queer representation the right way. At the very least, they are not openly, adamantly against queer representation to the point where they let writers introduce many queer characters into the Trek universe.

They’ve Ret-queered two major characters already (7 of 9, Christine Chapel). The Kurtzman era of trek has had queer rep (of varying quality/gracefulness) since season one of Discovery. We’ve got Culber/Stamets, Seven/Raffi, Adira/Gray, Jessica/Beckett, Adira, Zero, and Captain Angel all use they/them pronouns. Gray Tal is a canonically transgender man! Melissa Navia has implied on Twitter that her character Erica Ortegas is some form of queer, at least in her interpretation. Which we might (and kinda have in Elysian Kingdom) end up seeing in canon. Especially since thus far in canon there have been moments that imply she may be attracted to Chapel or Una or both.

No one with a major production role in the new batch of Trek has (to my knowledge) deliberately spat in the face of Spirk or the idea Spock or Jim being queer as an interpretation. Something other Trek creators, like JJ Abrams or William Shatner absolutely have done. There’s no Rick Berman to deliberately wedge apart characters of the same sex that are being shipped. The one time the current showrunners seriously stumbled and everyone thought Discovery was about to do a “bury your gays” trope with Stamets and Culber. They “spoiled” the fact he was very much going to be back in season two to dissuade our fears.

No one has gotten laughed at, if anything every response I’ve seen has been respectful/acknowledging the history of K/S. Even if they don’t pursue directly it in the new batch of canon (which I don’t personally think they absolutely have to do) they’re not degrading the people who interpret Spock and Jim’s relationship as something not quite heterosexual.

Concern #2: Spock has always been gay/ace (any specific subdivision of queer), it’s basically canon! They’re taking that away from us!

My Argument: Spock being queer in any way, no matter what kind, has always been something up for interpretation. Something that the creators of Trek have been more receptive to than many, many other pop culture phenomena. Any interpretation of Spock’s implied orientation requires you to ignore at least some of the established canon.

I personally think a lot of fans (including myself in my own internalized bi/a-phobia and willingness to ignore canon elements) have hand waved certain canon things in TOS that Spock has said and done. Specifically regarding the women he has been interested in.

The real question is does a character “not being in their right mind” change their sexual/romantic orientation? Would Spock have been physically attracted to Leila at all if he was gay, even if the romantic feelings were imposed by the spores in This Side of Paradise? It’s hard to say. Did regressing back into ancient and unrepressed Vulcan emotions make Spock interested in women somehow? Or was his intense attraction to Zarabeth from All Our Yesterdays something else? What about the other times he’s flirted with women? Up to interpretation, all moments frequently ignored or explained away. “Spock’s got serious game with women, he can’t possibly be gay.”

What about the interpretation that he is straight? You would have to ignore a LOT of text to draw that conclusion too. For one, you’d have to ignore Amok Time’s deeper message. And every time Jim and Spock chose each other over whatever love interest of the week they had. Every longing, meaningful glance between those men, or the implications of hand holding in the Vulcan context. Ignore half of the meanings of the word t’hy’la. Or if you wanna drag SNW into it, ignore the way Captain Angel (who is non-binary) played Spock like a fiddle akin to the way Alora manipulated Chris in the previous episode, albeit more subtly. “Spock is in love with James Kirk, he couldn’t possibly be anything other than gay.”

The truth of the matter is Spock being queer-coded was a happy accident. A result of him being an outlet for fans who feel “other”. Reinforced by a queer screenwriter who used that otherness to be allegorical for queer people. Reinforced by Roddenberry and Nimoy being comfortable with the interpretation of the K/S relationship. Reinforced fans writing heaps and heaps of fanfiction, some of which got published as Star Trek novels! All of which embraces and handwaves the actual text of TOS almost in equal measure.

I have to keep asking, is it queerbaiting if it was never deliberate? Is it queerphobic if Spock’s not the type of queer you personally extrapolated from the text that was important to you, as well as the text you ignored/explained away?

Concern #3: They’re shoving female love interests in front of Spock to prevent him being interpreted as queer.

My Argument: SNW, in my opinion, is providing depth to pre-established canon romantic prospects into something that gives both women depth, and could potentially enhance Spock’s queer narrative. Redefining some of their more, questionable, one dimensional actions in TOS. As well as to recontextualize a very sexist/creepy aspect of Vulcan worldbuilding. Something I don’t think was intended as “we need to make Spock straight.” and more “what if these relationships weren’t fundamentally informed by 1960s sexism while also deepening the characterizations of everyone involved?”

What about the interpretation (and possibly the truth we’ve yet to know) is that while Spock obviously cares about Christine and feels compelled to make things work with T’Pring, he’s not in love with either of them?

Wouldn’t Spock coming to that realization lend itself further to the implication of Spock being on the ace spectrum and/or being more interested in men (or rather, one man) romantically? SNW has only had one season, we’ve got the building blocks of two relationships we factually know are going to fall apart in favor of Spock’s relationship with Kirk. If the showrunners have a plan for the set up, surely they have intentions for where the dominos will fall.

By Chapel and Spock having known each other before as friends, a friendship made complicated by one’s (or both’s) romantic feelings. It makes Chapel’s struggle regarding Spock in TOS go from “the kinda creepy advances of a woman he doesn’t really know and isn’t super interested in, but seems to care for despite some boundary issues”. Into an intriguing story about how close friendships can fall apart in unexpected, painful ways beyond our control, especially when romantic interest is involved.

Which can be read as something queer about Spock or read at face value. I also think it’s worth pointing out the two of them aren’t actually romantically involved (and might never be), because Spock is engaged and Chapel is visibly holding back. Still, even if they were it would be a queer relationship because Chapel is canonically bisexual, and no amount of m/f romance is going to magically un-bi her.

In the 60s, the concept of the ‘ownership’ of women and children was a lot more common, Vulcan culture played on that precedent in Amok Time. Yet, thanks to SNW, T’Pring obviously owns herself, she and Spock both do. By making an element of T’Pring and Spock’s relationship something they did as consenting adults, they give more opportunities for conflict and struggle. There’s still more cultural pressure for their marriage than actual emotions, and the bond they made in childhood being of more important still removes part of their agency in the matter. It complicates T’Pring’s role in Spock’s life in a way that doesn’t favor purely vilifying her as a “woman temptress” or victimizing her as somehow Spock or Stonn’s property.

I think we’re getting a lot more insight into Vulcan culture by getting to watch her clash against this betrothal as much as it deepens Spock’s clash with his birth cultures. They’re both trying to be “good Vulcans” both with something to prove. I think it’s really interesting to get to see Vulcans who technically do “fit in”, still struggle in the confines of cultural expectation. The relationship feels forced because it is forced. Nothing about Spock and T’Pring’s visibly failing engagement takes away from the message of Amok Time. That the pain and death and drama would be entirely avoidable if they didn’t feel compelled by their culture to be something they are not. T’Pring is not in love with Spock, she chose Stonn. Spock is not in love with T’Pring, he chooses Kirk.

Concern #4: They’re decanonizing Spirk, they’re taking K/S away from us by making Spock interested in women!

My Argument: Can you decanonize two characters having a relationship that hasn’t even happened yet in canon? If Spock and Jim meet before Kirk becomes Captain of the Enterprise that does it will change what’s currently canon, which I don’t have an issue with. At this point in SNW, 2359/2360, Kirk is serving on the Farragut and depending on the exact timing, might be engaged/married to Carol Marcus. Does James Kirk having been married or expressed interest in many, many women in the past negate his attraction to Spock? Or is Spirk being able to transcend all of both halves past relationships one of the ship’s many charms?

If they meet, chemistry is far from impossible. All the best of Spirk is already canon, we watched it play out on screen in TOS and even more so in its films. I count The Search for Spock as easily one of the most romantic movies I’ve ever seen! I totally get wanting more Kirk & Spock content I want it too! But even if they do choose to fully, officially ret-queer Spock and Jim’s relationship beyond names carved in a bar table. I don’t think Strange New Worlds not directly focusing on it makes that relationship or it’s queer interpretation not matter.

Ultimately there’s very little they could do that would “kill” Spirk. At least that wouldn’t be extremely out of character for either half of the ship or be unnecessarily hostile to the people who ship it. Which I don’t get the impression the current showrunners would do. It would disrupt the well established chemistry Spock & Kirk have in the prime universe if the showrunners went out of their way to put their dynamic into a specific category of relationship, and antithetical to the Gene Roddenberry coined term “t’hy’la”.

I think part of where Spirk thrives is in its ability to be whatever you want it to be, but I understand the need for queer representation, especially from such a historic sci-fi character like Spock. Still, I think things will be fine so long as they don’t make him explicitly straight. There’s plenty of identities within the queer umbrella he could have that are compatible with his m/f canon romance subplots.

TL:DR: I’m not worried, and don’t feel there’s reason to be. I think people need to take the shipping/fanon glasses off if they wanna enjoy the show as it is. If I'm wrong, well, that would suck, lol.

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1shirt2shirtredshirtdeadshirt · 2 years

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Kirk and Spock: Canon Musings and Fandom Curiosities Of an LGBT+ Trek Fan

Here are some thoughts surrounding the fandom controversy of anti k/s shippers who get uppity with those of us who enjoy it; specifically those members of our fandom who have now taken to bemoaning how "woke" Trek has become despite it always being "woke", or the recent fresh flush of anti-LGBT rage stirred up in select fans at our (checks latest reason for outbursts) SNW enthusiasm.

As a member of LGBT+, I can't help but bring my own experiences in this fandom into this, too, because I feel it is relevant. So let's have a conversation.

FYI, This is not in alignment or support of those k/s forcefeeders who try to browbeat all fans into agreeing that k/s is canon, which I'm not cool with. Everyone should be able to enjoy the fandom however they see fit - don't conflate extremism with fandom. If someone enjoys this fandom thinking Spock/Chapel or asexual Spock or platonic besties Kirk and Spock then leave them alone. -_- They have every right to enjoy this fandom in their own way as much as you do. To quote Jim: "Don't push, Charlie."

What I mean is, k/s fans who simply enjoy entertaining the idea as canon for ourselves and like-minded fans, while some other Trek fans get rabid stinging mad and offended about it for some reason.

I've been told that even the idea that Jim Kirk might be bi is "disgusting", "perverted", a "twisted, sick fantasy" to name a few examples. . . No joke. Actual Twitter comments from people who think simply liking both men and women is "perverted". Y'all TIL that just the idea of being bi is a "twisted, sick fantasy". And as a bisexual person in a fandom that gave us a concept like IDIC, I wasn't feeling very welcome or embraced after reading some of that anti-bi vitriol. My existence is not "perverted" or "twisted", nor is the love I have shared with my married partner for the past 12 years. But I digress. I'm not about to be chased away from something I love because of the usual cowardly stream of anti-LGBT+ pearl clutching and dismissiveness from a loud minority that has become so commonplace in our society.

"They're trying to make everything gay now it's so stupid and unrealistic I'm so tired of hearing about gay things" *Looks pointedly at the decades of STRAIGHT ONLY representation being celebrated: straight-centric holidays, the fact that gay marriage was illegal for decades and yet in order to be allowed to visit a dying partner in the ICU, they required you to legally be family; this meant that while straight couples always got to say their proper goodbyes to the loves of their lives on their hospital deathbeds, LGBT+ couples were denied this right on the basis of not being legally allowed to get married throughout the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and early 00s, plus constant cultural straight-washing forced on everybody from day 1 in the form of creepy fake child kindergarten wedding invites and baby rompers that say gross things like "Daddy's Little Lady Killer"*

It all seems rather aggressive for so mild a suggestion pertaining to fictional characters that are living in the future where this would all be a lot more likely and casual regarding gender and sexuality.

Anyway, moving on from that disappointing dumpster fire of interactions that I and others were on the receiving end of as a member of LGBT+ in the Trek fandom . . . the fandom is typically very open minded and welcoming, but there are always a few turd nuggets in any gold heap.

With all that unpacked, it made me curious: just what are they protecting so fiercely? What are they canonically terrified of losing? Swaggering Jim who is doomed to hop from broken relationship to broken relationship? Are they saving Jim Kirk from the Bisexual boogeyman? What exactly are they vehemently defending, if they are so against that take?

I guess what I'm curious about is this: What is their ideal pairing or TOS ship that seems logical to them that we are threatening by loving our ship, if any at all? (Hey I know some of you are just here for the spaceship porn and don't give a shit about any of this, fill your boots. Come on down and ignore us fools obsessed with make believe characters, we love you all.)

If y'all don't think the affection was certainly sufficient enough for their relationship to be considered romantic (as Gene Roddenberry put it) . . . Well then, who or what else? What makes more logical sense, given the canon we have been given? I don't ask this antagonistically, but with genuine curiosity about theories. I'm not here to shoot anyone down, opinions are welcome. I've just always wondered about the other takes.

The canon is so weird in that unlike most other stories where they try to beat you over the head with hetero happily ever after, Star Trek canon keeps Kirk and Spock's long term romantic details -- especially Spock's -- quite ambiguous. We never see them get married, or settle down with anyone specific, officially on screen or in the canon.

Not that characters have to have a relationship to feel fulfilled, but this is all based on what we know of these characters in particular; we already know that Spock and Jim have expressed a desire and need for love, companionship and connection.

We know Jim is brimming with affection; he is a VERY openly affectionate person who often vulnerably ruminates on love and feelings of loneliness.

He constantly expresses a want and need for a partner to understand him and love him as he is, and he talks a great deal about how being alone is a fear or discomfort of his. Even though he romances often, Jim usually ends up dumped or removing himself from the relationship because ultimately, nobody seems to respect or understand his commitment to his ship and Starfleet on a personal level -- they don’t seem to truly understand him -- that is, besides Spock. But Jim is right of course; he shouldn't have to give up who he is and what he loves in order to be loved or understood. True love is what happens when a person sees you just as you are and still wants to buy what you’re selling, warts and all. And the only person who seems to share this love and enthusiasm for his ship and his job with that same keen level of understanding is Spock.

This comes up in even some of the earliest episodes of TOS.

"This vessel. I give, she takes. She won't permit me my life. I've got to live hers." - Kirk to Spock

Conversely, Spock has convinced himself that he doesn't need love or anyone else to survive, and how he grapples with that throughout TOS. By the end of the motion picture, he finally realizes how wrong that is and says as much to Jim by confessing his feelings and how he needs them -- specifically, how he needs Jim.

So if Kirk and Spock aren't the closest to one another and the most likely spouses, I’m curious: who else? What makes more sense then, canonically, knowing what we know about Kirk and Spock in TOS/The Movie canon from start to finish?

We never expressly hear of Spock having an official significant other named throughout canon. A marriage is alluded to in TNG, but we do not know to who -- or anything about their gender/identity. The writer of Spock's autobiography describes him as "widowed" from Kirk. This is just about the closest reference that we get (outside the vague mention in TNG) resembling Spock having some semblance of an intimate love relationship long term.

I genuinely don’t feel there is another character in the TOS canon that reoccurs throughout it that you could argue the canon explicitly intended or set up for Spock to end game be with aside from T'Pring, who shot him down for Stonn.

Usually when people say a character is straight, it is because the canon has already arranged an obvious hetero end game pairing for them with blatant evidence.

For Spock, that never happens -- not an end game situation with another character that is anything remotely close to being as intimate, personal, or affectionate as what he develops with Jim.

The closest we ever get is Chapel, Zarabeth or Leila -- all of which we know for certain were never canonically described or written as Spock's long term partner - we'd know about it by now if that were the case. (Note 1: I didn’t count Saavik here as their relationship wasn’t primarily developed or sold as truly romantic or an end game romance. I feel if that were the case, they would have blasted that from the rooftops -- whereas the mentor-apprentice relationship they shared is prominent and obvious. She doesn’t come back outside the canon she appeared in, they aren’t mentioned as settling down or having a relationship later in-canon. . . Basically she got down with Spock’s mindless meat thrall teen body while his katra was in another castle in ST III so that the body wouldn’t die. If that constitutes an intimate romantic relationship to you, please get help.)

(Note 2: I am writing this from the perspective that Spock is not ace based on TOS evidence such as Amok Time, The Enterprise Incident, All Our Yesterdays, and This Side of Paradise as examples which highlight Spock's capacity for sexual desire and offers a mild suggestion of interest in sex -- however rarely it appears. However if y'all interpret Spock as ace though, my take is one take and it ain’t gospel-- power to you fam, rock that ace Vulcan.)

In Kirk's case, Jim very obviously loves women. He has a number of genuine relationships with them; he most notably has a failed serious relationship with Carol Marcus. That would be the closest thing canon did to assigning an official long term partner for Jim, but the films and comics make it very clear that Carol and Jim were unhappy together -- so much so that Carol left Jim, and demanded that Jim stay away from his only child and not be a part of his life. She denied him the ability to participate as a father selfishly; not for David’s benefit, but for her own personal benefit. She wanted to have nothing to do with Kirk, and she kept their child from knowing his father or following in his footsteps. Truth be told, that wasn’t Carol’s decision or right to choose for David, ultimately. She can raise him, but it wasn’t her right to deny him access to his father or the option of exploring that side of himself. And in Kirk’s case, nor is that the kind of lot that the end game love of your life offers you in regards to a future with you and your child.

Furthermore, what Carol had always feared is exactly what happened; David followed after Jim into the thick of the action, and he died as a product of it. Did Carol ever want to be in a relationship with Jim again, after their son was killed due to him trying to get Spock back? I don't know about you, but I wouldn't if it were my kid that died. There is also no mention in the canon of Jim and Carol ever rekindling, and any relationship Jim has with other people outside of Spock in canon are often fleeting; they never seem last long term. Besides Carol, he never truly "settles down" with anyone in canon for what could be considered a true “end game” scenario.

So my question is, in canon, if Kirk and Spock aren't the most feasible answer for each other in terms of closeness, intimacy, mutual respect, love and admiration, who is?

It has been said time and again that they know and understand each other unlike anybody else in the canon -- that they are two halves of the same whole. Roddenberry himself said he intended them to complete each other: "You are closer to the captain than anyone else in the universe. You know his thoughts."/"Theirs had been the touching of two minds which the old poets of Spock's home planet had proclaimed as superior even to the wild physical love which affected Vulcans every seventh year during pon farr."

The pendant scene written for ST 2009. "I have been and always shall be yours."

The one thing I struggle to understand with anti-K/S fans is, do they prefer the idea that the guys just lived their whole lives for duty, contradicting the message of TMP about how essential love and connection is, and just kind of stayed lonely and isolated for the rest of their lives? Did Spock just have one off pon farr cycles with strangers and never knew what it felt like to actually be loved wholeheartedly by somebody?

Was Jim just destined to be a sad, lonely boss who's relationships always ended in the other person choosing their career over him, of putting him aside or dumping him, never knowing what it is like to be genuinely appreciated and cherished as opposed to discarded? He has had his heart and trust broken so many times. Is that really the life we are so sold to for James T. Kirk?

I can completely understand if folks would rather maintain the perspective that they are friends -- I think folks should enjoy stories in whatever way makes them happiest. I'm not here to say "IT'S CANON" *forcefeed* or that anyone has to buy what I'm selling, I'm just curious.

It blows my mind that the idea of Kirk and Spock getting a shot at real, genuine love -- that good shit you only get when you are intensely close with someone who understands you and you marry your best friend -- that that idea is less appealing to someone out there than "well they were just married to their duties forever, never made any other real long lasting, intimate bonds with other people or found true love, and they just kind of worked until they died. Kirk had an anthology of failed relationships that never stuck and Spock was just lonely till he died. The end." Like really? That gives you your jush? If it does then I love that for you, but for me that is just so . . . Cold.

Just . . . what the fuck? Being forever alone or a failure at love sounds so much more miserable than being secret gay?

Anyway, that's just one little bear's opinion, do with it what you will. But I'm on team "they had a secret but awesome love relationship for the remainder of their lives" over team "forever alone and married to work for the rest of their lives".

I'm on team "my boys deserve happiness".

If you want to ship fucking Horta x Balok fics or if you’re simply here for the nacelle porn a la Monty Scott and don’t give two damns about any of this, I’m here for you: you support something I love, and you aren’t hurting anybody while doing it.

Thanks for coming to yet another long winded, homoerotic Star Trek TedXTalk.

Remember that regardless of why you are in this fandom, so long as you are not hurting somebody else, I’m here for you.

We don’t have to love something for the same reasons or the same way in order to love it just as equally. So even if we don’t see eye to eye about every little fan theory or sentiment, thanks for being here and supporting Star Trek, however you lean; so long as you are kind and open minded, I got you fam. LLAP, and IDIC.🖖 💚

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newtrekcriticisms · 2 years

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I have been trying to wait until the full season is out before going into my criticisms for SNW but I just have to say. Why on earth does SNW Spock have so much sex. Why is sex brought up so much around him. No other character deals with sex as much as him other than I guess Pike, but even then. It is so wildly out of character for TOS Spock I’m not even sure how to react, really. I can only interpret this as a desperate, painfully obvious attempt to assert that Spock is heterosexual.

“He could be bi!” He absolutely could. That would be absolutely incredible and would knock my socks clean off. But do we honestly think that is the intention of the writers here? Especially when there has been nothing to indicate that he likes men at all? He is being repeatedly hypersexualised, and only with women. Unfortunately I don’t sense good, inclusive intentions here. Particularly when they seem to have no issues establishing Chapel as bi.

The truth of the matter is that Spock is such an iconic character that the franchise will absolutely never let him be LGBT in any way. But that didn’t mean that they had to go this far to try and cover up and spit in the face of what so many gay people see in him. And yet asserting that Spock is a squeaky clean straight was so important to these writers that they deliberately disregarded TOS canon surrounding T’Pring and Spock as a person to do so, despite claiming that SNW is some kind of love letter to TOS. SNW Spock makes it clear that it isn’t.

#star trek #star trek strange new worlds #mod x

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ao3feed-spirk · 6 months

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And in short I was afraid

read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/51698179 by Moreta1848 After the events of The Motion Picture, Kirk reflects on why he's never let himself fall in love with his first officer. Words: 5847, Chapters: 4/4, Language: English Fandoms: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Original Series (Movies) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: James T. Kirk, Spock (Star Trek), Gary Mitchell Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock Additional Tags: Kolinahr (Star Trek), Bisexuality, Bi Angst, Biphobia, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, Internalized Biphobia, this one's pretty angsty sorry, just working out my issues with my blorbos, First Time read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/51698179

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #spock/kirk #kirk/spock #spirk #spockxkirk #kirkxspock

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leohtttbriar · 1 year

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7, 12, 16, 18, 20 - that's a lot so take your pick, I just always like seeing your opinions

right back at you! was secretly hoping you would reblog the game :)

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

never really encountered this phenomena before cobra kai except for the vaguest hint of an aversion to samwise gamgee after everyone kept calling him the "real hero," but that aversion never took, and i'm ashamed to admit such weakness even now.

johnny lawrence was one of my favorite characters in cobra kai season one and then i logged onto tumblr and now i just Do Not Get It. a feeling i think from pre-season 3, even, when he was still a good and consistent character in the show. another character was robby. predictably, he was a bit babygirlified and he got soooo much more attention than sam and tory and even miguel and tbh, that made me pout massively. like. i don't care about him :(

i could be intellectual about this (and, okay, clearly the root of this petty hate is that particular sort of frustration that comes over a girl when all the boys in her fourth grade gym class get mad at her for being faster than them and then they refuse to let her play in their recess soccer game even though she's the best player--and it then sticks with her for the rest of her life) but in a vacuum i probably wouldn't feel the way i do. like, my ire is definitely in response to how other people feel about the bully character from 80's sports movie karate kid.

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

you can bet that any female character that has ever been called annoying is at the top of this list. feels like girls like that are always popping up and torturing pop-culture consumers. the only one i can name right now is sam larusso, since that's the most recent model.

but also i read pride and prejudice in seventh grade. didn't get a single word of it, but i did understand that mrs. bennett was extremely annoying. then i read it again a few years later and have been her fierce defender ever since. female characters with high-pitched voices and anxiety: i adore. if you don't like those characters, in my head im thinking you're only as intelligent as me at 13.

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

any sort of portrayal of spock as someone who is violent and angry and just holding it back constantly bc he hates being half human--i do Not Get It. any sort portrayal of an alien species on star trek in which the aliens learn to embrace their humanity, or something. like, i can't stand it.

i want spock to be super-duper logical and stoic. i want that to be a good thing. i want all alien characteristics to be embraced and explored. i want the weirdness. new trek just isn't doing weirdness enough! and if human morality and social structures are so universally important, stop being cowardly and explain whyyyyy.

this also applies to fanfic which is, in fact, disastrously worse on this subject. especially fanfic based on the 2009 star trek movie.

but okay it's like---the roswell conspiracy is really fun and stuff cause it is really just the government stoking some nonsense so the russians can't figure out all the special-stupid weapons and spy-equipment they're making. and then it means that everything in roswell, nm is alien themed: little green faces everywhere, three-fingered hands waving at you on billboards, "greetings earthlings," 50's era space-art, and so on. I am very into that aesthetic, especially in the middle of nowhere southwest desert with not a mountain or forest for hundred of miles. of course people were looking up and being like "there must be Something out there. look how big."

all good, yes, and silly. but people really believe it and they really believe that the aliens look the way they do! the way the "witnesses" described little looking men with big ol eyes in a big ol head and extra long arms. sweeties! that's a primate! that's an earth-creature! there's no imagination! there's no weirdness! what if the aliens didn't have a face. what if they didn't have eyes! what if they were made of a chalky substance that molted every few minutes to maintain a needed basic pH and their way of observing electromagnetic radiation was not light projected thru a lens but like little pores of mucous all over their body like the one's on sharks (ampullae of lorenzini) that absorb electromagnetic radiation and also give the creature poles which means they can block all visible light with special mind powers and maybe photosynthesize or something.

i realize that fanfiction is largely concerned with two attractive men going at it, but for all that people claim to be "monster fuckers," that really hasn't borne out in star trek fanfic. explore eroticism with the weird, with the actually alien. i want that. that'd be great. i know octavia butler and others already Did That but i want to see a star trek go boldly, you know what i mean. also, i want something more like eroticism for the sake of the erotic--not as metaphor about feminine subjugation or something (no offense ms. butler).

even if that doesn't happen, would love to read a fanfic or watch a tv show in which, for example, spock's journey is not about how oppressive being a vulcan is, or whatever.

#i could say so much more about the last one #like it is a High Horse i am riding and im not climbing back down anytime soon #star trek

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