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kinetic-elaboration · 3 years

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June 25: 2x24 The Ultimate Computer

Belated notes on my watch of The Ultimate Computer yesterday.

Kirk’s definitely in Captain Mode today. You can tell when he’s on edge and suspicious and serious.

Yet another old Kirk friend. Does he know everyone in Starfleet?

War games lol. But it’s “not the military.”

Spock is super into this computer.

A-7 Computer Expert Certification.

The crew’s not needed? Wow, okay, this is going to end badly.

“This gadget.” How do you really feel, Kirk?

And there’s Spock literally making faces behind the Commodore’s back. He is soooo that type. He’s like “Jim, are you hearing this? Can you believe this guy?”

I’m insulted on Kirk’s behalf right now. Replacing people with machines so blithely is offensive.

Of course Bones doesn’t like it.

Oh yeah triumvirate walking scene. I love them. it takes so little for me to think ‘what badasses.’ S2 is really stepping up this dynamic in particular.

And Spock is comfortable enough around Bones to be sassy around him

Oh no, the computer is already glitching, and there is no backup and no plan B.... Bones is completely right in his assessment. This is essentially a Titanic situation: way too much hubris involved. Nothing can go wrong so nothing will go wrong so we’ve planned for nothing going wrong!

McCoy has BFF Clearance. He can go wherever he wants.

“It’s the M-5? What happened to Ms 1-4?” Channel #5.

Ahhhh little gratuitous touch to Spock’s arm. They’re In Love.

“There are certain things men must do to remain men.”

“The right computer finally came along.” Damn Bones.

Jim’s suspicions about the computer coming right after that line make it look like he’s jealous that Spock likes it so much.

He’s getting a “red alert right here.” Computers don’t have that kind of intuition.

Jim’s so thoughtful and self-aware. He really cares both about his instincts and about interrogating those instincts for bias and unreasonableness. This is giving me real S1 vibes: the quiet, intelligent, idealized hero Captain at the fore.

This whole scene is perfect, eminently quotable, and sounds exactly like something that could have been written about automation in 2021. You’re okay with it when it’s happening to someone else but then the computer comes for YOUR job....

Uh-h, M-5 is turning off all the lights...

Space merchant marines... good to know.

HOW are the Captain and CMO “non-essential personnel”? The first sign that M-5 is illogical. They should bring some doctor on the landing party mission given that uh humans are going on it and might get injured.

Anyway I can’t wait for Kirk to destroy this bitch and save the day.

Lol it turned off the lights on Bones in sickbay.

Damn, now it’s trying to take Uhura’s job too!

Chekov is so bored.

Spock wants to serve under one man and one man ONLY. Loyalty to one man... sounds like a wedding vow... and Kirk looks so soft...

So, if Spock has to describe to McCoy what that (unnecessary bitchy and catty) “Captain Dunsel” remark means, by saying that it’s a phrase that “midshipmen use at Starfleet Academy,” is this to imply Bones didn’t go to Starfleet Academy?

He’s never felt so at odds with the ship.... a lover’s quarrel...she’s cheating on him with another man...

Jim Kirk, certified Poetry Nerd. He’s such a romantic.

So glad Bones got him a drink so he can return to the bridge and a possible emergency with just a little bit of a buzz going.

Spock in the chair...

Huh, an automated ship with no crew. Interesting concept.

Oh no M-5! She’s got control of the ship and she won’t let go!

Kirk’s face when Enterprise attacks.. the betrayal... his beautiful lady used for mindless destruction.

“Only a robot” ship--! Bones is insulted.

Kirk orders the computer turned off but we’re only halfway through the ep so...

....And the computer is sentient now.

That was the shortest Captain’s Log ever. “The computer has taken over the ship the end.”

Scotty’s like, “...Well what if we just unplug it?”

Okay so now they only have 19 crew.

Spock and Bones are on point today. “Don’t say it’s fascinating.” / “I won’t. But it is... interesting.” This bitch knows exactly what he’s doing.

The computer isn’t a child, guys!

We need powerful computers “so men don’t have to die in space”--like uh that man your computer literally just killed?

I don’t get Daystrom’s logic at all. He talks as if people, like, needed to do work in space, to survive or something. We don’t need to. We want to! We want to go out and meet cool aliens! This guy is no fun.

What is the thing “greater” than fact finding in space that the robots are going to free us to do? Like what is more impressive than SPACE? I don’t even get that.

Time to mix up fake sci fi world-building references with real references! The Nobel and Zee-Magnee Prizes. Sitar of Vulcan.

A theory emerges... the computer acts illogically...Daystrom won’t let Spock near it... I know this isn’t where this is going, but it kind of sounds like they’re implying it’s a scam, lol. He sold an idea he didn’t have so it’s like.. not a real computer.

Spock’s little protege, Chekov.

“We have been pursuing a wild goose.” Aw, bb’s trying so hard to be colloquial. (Also he 100% learned that phrase from McCoy in The Gamesters of Triskellion and now he’s trying it out on Kirk...when McCoy isn’t around.)

“Not to offend you by using the h-word, but... could it be... human?”

Kirk’s really mad at Daystrom now.

The Commodore really set up that dramatic turn to camera there.

Poor Kirk. His ship is being used for evil.

“They can’t destroy the ship, what would happen to the computer?!” Yes, the computer. And the other 19 people and himself but mostly the computer. Daystrom really has lost it.

I love the actor who plays him, though.

“You are great. I am great.” Nothing weird happening here.

Spirk attack! (Spork it out.)

Spock’s way too sure Commodore Wesley is about to die. “He was decent, it’s a shame the ship I’m on is gonna kill him.”

And now another round of Kirk versus the computer and Kirk’s logic wins.

M-5 should argue that it did not commit murder, it committed homicide in self-defense. But then Daystrom didn’t program it with a lawyer’s brain.

It’s uh just gonna leave? Not turn the lights back on?

Kirk is so smart! I know I say this all the time, but it’s true! He knew what to do to save the ship because he knew Bob Wesley. He had formed connections, he had experience and knowledge that doesn’t come from logic. He is not replaceable!

McCoy’s like “Spock, fight me. Debate me Spock. Fight me. I’ll be fun.”

Spock HAS answered the computers versus humans question--he likes humans. He wants to be surrounded by humans.

That was really good! One of the better S2 episodes. Great Kirk, great triumvirate--as a trio and all three sides of the triangle--great sci fi concept, great guest star, great social commentary--still 100% relevant today.

i definitely have to think more about the ‘human computer’ concept. I liked that they specifically went out of their way to explain why the computer was human, how that was part of its design, and then tied that into its creator, his background, his belief system, and his insecurities. I feel like most ‘sentient computer’ or ‘advanced AI’ narratives just assume a computer that’s powerful enough will eventually be alive, which is not something I believe. The scariness of advanced AI to me is the incredible power it has to act quickly, but in a complete black-box way: you can’t literally see the logic string of its thought processes, and nor can you figure them out easily or completely using the creators’ intentions or logic because the machine has ‘learned’ since its inception, and its learning processes are not human. There is a real alienness to them that I find scary. And I do think this ep captured that nuance in M-5: it has the speed and abilities of a super computer, the “human” qualities of its creator for well-explained reasons, and the unpredictability of a mechanism that is NEITHER human nor human-controlled tool. And of course the ep’s ultimate thesis--that humans cannot be completely automated or replaced, and that we should not want to automate or replace humans--is comforting and of a morality I can and want to agree with.

This was also one of those eps that made me curious about the differences in AOS and TOS Kirk--in other words, an ep that relied on his history with Starfleet and his experience, on the reality that he’s a 34 year old man with 15+years of experience in the Fleet. Time, experience, connections, these aren’t things you can replace no matter how smart you are, and I feel like it would have been interesting to see AOS!Kirk deal with some situation that is trickier for him because he’s a Captain with a startlingly small amount of institutional experience. It’s not just about being young or generally inexperienced, in other words--it’s about NOT knowing every Captain, Admiral, and Commodore in the service, it’s about NOT having friends across the galaxy because he just hasn’t had time to make them. Even in deep space, that matters. And I think it’s something that I appreciate more as an adult myself, with actual real world experience of the importance of connections and experience and time, especially in sort of insular or smaller work communities.

Anyway, next is Bread and Circuses! Another great ep for the triumvirate. I can’t believe we’re almost through S2!!

#the year 2021 #2021: star trek #star trek tos #2021: fandom thoughts

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thesadchicken · 4 years

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Hello! Sorry to bother u but may I ask if you have any recs for tos spirk fics? Ideally more cute/lighthearted than like... rly long angst... sdkfjhskjhdfk thanks and i hope u are well!

Hey there 💕

I answered a similar ask a while ago, here’s the link (nothing but tos spirk fluff!) and here are a few more recs:

I Still Do by @plaidshirtjimkirk (Rating: M) “Jim and Spock attend the wedding of Admiral Komack on Risa. While the planet and reception are beautiful, Jim's attention is drawn only to how damn good Spock looks in that ceremonial robe. Can they slip out the back door and get to their penthouse suite in time?”

Tidying Up by @jimkirkachu (Rating: M) “Captain Kirk enlists the help of his husband, Spock, in tackling one of their greatest challenges yet: cleaning out the closet! Set around the year 2290, somewhere between The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country; the boys are still in command of the Enterprise-A but their workload is winding down in preparation for their eventual retirement, so they get to spend a good deal of time on Earth, at the Academy, and generally just at home in their San Francisco apartment.”

You’ll Marry A Music Man by @victorian-sexstache (Rating: T) “Jim buys Spock a special gift.”

The Valentine Incident by @fictionandtheatre (Rating: T) “In which Jim uses traditional Terran techniques to woo his very un-romantic Vulcan first officer.”

For As Long As the Stars Shine by @plaidshirtjimkirk (Rating: T) “Commanding a starship that sees plenty of action means leading a rather uncertain life. However, if there's one constant in the entire universe, it's that Jim and Spock are there for each other no matter what--whether it's through Valeris' betrayal or leaving the Enterprise for the final time. This story begins during The Undiscovered Country and shows just how much Jim and Spock mean to each other behind closed doors.”

The One Where Everyone Knows by @victorian-sexstache (Rating: T) “Jim and Spock’s secret relationship isn’t so secret anymore...”

I’m also going to go ahead and recommend my own stuff (don’t call me out lmao) because I’ve written a lot of spirk fluff:

Close To You (Rating: T) “A collection of Kirk/Spock short stories. Mostly fluff. Each chapter is an independent piece.”

First Comes Love (Rating: G) “Alternate Universe where Jim is a single-parent and Spock is a child doctor.”

(not the hell) Our Whales (Rating: G) “The Universe hasn't been kind to Jim and Spock lately. But everybody knows that whale watching is the cure to just about anything. Right?”

Spock-o'lantern (Rating: G) “Jim promised Spock a full demonstration of all Halloween traditions and he's going to keep that promise. It doesn't hurt that he has something else in store for his fearless, emotionless first officer...”

Hope you enjoy! Have a nice day 💖

#replies #reply #fic recs #recs #fanfiction #anon #anonymous #Anonymous

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fuckyeahspones · 3 years

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1. How did you start shipping Spones?

honestly I've always been a huge multi-shipper, in every fandom I'm/have been in I may have a few ships I don't like, some that I avoid or some that I'm neutral about, and there's usually one or two ships I usually prefer, but in general I vibe with many ships.

I can't tell you exactly when I started shipping Spones, but when I first got into star trek (December 2019, it's been over a year and yet it feels like it was last month) I watched Discovery first and like two episodes of TOS and immediately started reading fic. the first things I read were spirk but one of the first maybe five or ten trek fics I ever read had an element of spones. (or maybe mcspirk? I can't remember rn, but I remember I loved the spones dynamic.) after that I started looking for more spones fics and the rest is history

(I'm still a huge multi-shipper, but any combination of mcspirk, be it romantic or platonic, I love it.)

2. Why do you ship them?

well, it's mostly their dynamic that pulled me in. their characters can obviously be interpreted in many ways, but it think that in most reads of the characters they can complement eachother very well.

3. What are some of the reasons you like Spock as a character? and McCoy?

well for starters I relate to them both. or, I project myself into them, same thing really. but something that always attracted me about Spock's character is the fact that he has so much potential for a study about otherness in every sense of the word; I've legit never found a character more Other in every possible way and yet so... I wanna say human but I'm not sure how accurate that is.

but like, first of all, in context he is an Other in both Human and Vulcan society; both reject him for being "too much" Vulcan/Human and "not enough" Human/Vulcan, which is already a really interesting dynamic to study or play with as a writer (both in canon for the writers of the shows and in fic for all of us). and he's also a perfect character to analyze how us humans (irl, not in-universe) consider Otherness to be and how we interact with it. I just think he's a really interesting character and I love him.

McCoy I honestly kinda took my favourite things about him from canon, took my favourites headcanons about him, meshed it all together in my brain and then deleted what his actual canon character was. in his defence, I do that with most characters in every fandom I interact with, so yeah. I still think his character is great tho, he was clearly the necessary component missing in the Kirk/Spock equation and he helped balance them out. (I think there's an interview where Roddenberry talks about this, it's interesting)

4. Some of your face things about liking Spones: tropes, fics, headcanons, etc.?

I'm a sucker for fluff so I really like soft spones doing domestic shit?? I picture them cuddling a bit on a couch after shift, talking about something sciency, or each reading something in their own PADD, or listening to podcasts tougher??? (I wrote about it in my fic, I made them listen to Sawbones which fits so well I had the idea stuck in my head for a week before I finally caved and added it to the fic) and like McCoy allowing himself to relax, let go of the stress, show his softie side, and Spock allowing himself to drop down his guard a bit, not forcing himself to be so stoicy Vulcan all the time and instead just doing what feels natural, even if that means letting his head drop, relaxing his posture, maybe smiling a bit, the whole thing.

this got longer than expected, and that's considering that I deleted several ranty paragraphs about the brilliance of Spock's character as a way to study otherness, but it's 1am and I'm pretty sure I was just repeating myself so I'll just stop instead

Hey, fellow multishippers unite! It’s so easy to multiship for me so I feel you about vibing with plenty of ships, which obviously includes Spones here lol (Also I too love McSpirk but if I get on that it’ll be a long digression so but you aren’t alone here!)

There are so many things in your answers that I also agree with but if I listed them this post would be long. But yes to all the fluffy, domestic spones stuff and them being able to relax with each other. Ahhhh, such a nice image.

Honestly I would definitely be here to read that ‘rant’ about the brilliance of Spock’s character as a way to study otherness so if you ever want to make a separate post about that and I’m sure many others here would love to read it as well!

[ We're doing a Spock & McCoy appreciation weekend, so send your answers to these questions or anything related you'd like to send! ]

#ask #replies #thisisnotjuli #spones #thank you for your answers! they were fun to read!#it's also nighttime for me here so you're among fellow fans

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kajaono · 4 years

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Open letter to Sarah Z

I genuinely believe that you, Sarah, are a really clever human. How else would you be able to get 700.000+ people to watch YT videos that are longer then an hour in a time where most do not even have the patience to read simple newspaper articles? You know how to polarize people, for sure

Nevertheless here you seem to forget that you are talk about real human beings. You promise to treat us with repsect but your tweets tell another story.

Allready know you comments are full of people calling us dumb (And the video is not even released yet)

Comments like that have allready forced Rebs to take down her videos, because you are not the first nor the last person to make a video about TJLC and creating an influx of trolls and harassment.

You are working with this material for long, were even an ex-fan(?), but many of your viewers will be new to TJLC. Instead of knowing TJLC and all the nuance for years, they will encounter if for 1 to 2 hours. And no matter how respctful your video will be, they will laugh at us. Because they know better. They know how the show ended, we didn’t. Not when we wrote the metas. And most importantly: We are not responsible for how the show ended.

If Johnlock would be canon by now, what video could you make instead?

Another comment came up in your answeres and I know many people will think like that. Maybe even you:

Which is of course wrong. You know why many of us do not use our real names. Because tumblr is one of the few places in the internet noone is paying attention to. That is completly LGBTQ positive. Many people come here to figure out their sexuality or live their sexuality out in the open, because where they come from they are not allowed to do so. TJLC was such a place. I figured out I am bisexual of TJLC. Many people found friends, romantic partners, published Thesis and started with writing, drawing and video editing. Even In a hearbeat is by ex-Johnlockers. We created a safe place with TJLC. A safe place that many left once the show was over. But our posts are still there, for everyone to find. And you, Sarah, decided to dig them out again, present them to your viewers who will also come here and laugh at us. And you know they do.

Some parts of the internet are on tumblr, without real names for a reason. because we want to stay in anonymity. It is free to everyone to enter, but if you want to shit on it, don’t act surprised and as the victim when we fight back,

Let us go back to: Respect, okay? You wrote you will be respectful, but how do you call selling merch with OUR slogans? IF you would be repsctful you would point out people to real TJLC merch. Yes, you retweet Char’s posts, but only to make fun of it, knowing your followers will see. Who attacked Char because they lost their job due to the pandemic. Great fucking job Sarah!

Respect.... Respect would to invite us into your show. Let US talk. Yeah, you might be an ex-fan, but i know way to sure how bitter ex fan can be. Let US, who we are still here in the TJLC fandom, tell our story. Do not talk of us, but WITH us.

Johnlock is even longer around then the Spirk fandom. What next? mocking spirks for hoping that it will be canon soon? Creating content years after the show ended? We are not here for your entertainment Sarah.

WE are real human beings, who deserve some respect. Our content might be out there for everyone else to read, but that is not an inventation to laugh at us, harrass us. We deserve the same repsct as a straight ship that became canon in the end. Even more talking in mind that we are queer beings, who created our own safe space and you want to throw 100.000s of trolls on us.

Respect does not mean that we have to justify us even BEFORE the video is even released

And at least, what goal do you follow with that video? Educate people? Do you really think people died unhappy because they didn’t knew what TJLC is/was? Definitly not. It is for your own profit and amusment. Never forget that.

Signed,

Kaja

#tjlc #sarah z

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1-5-1-t · 4 years

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dnkkkjdsfhdsh my god??? Thank you so much @howlingmusketeers for tagging me, I felt like a creep reading your answer before starting writing my own (it didn’t make into my ship section but the way you described Wangxian watered my crops and cleared my skin) and I feel like got some quality drama recs from your answers, thank you for that as well >:) ❤️

Rules: tag nine people you want to get to know better or catch up with, then answer these questions

Three ships: three??? t h r e e ? ? ? ?

Mattfoggy (Daredevil) I just. I love how they work as both platonic and romantic soulmates, it’s so Good. I have mobile bookmark folders for both of those so I can just decide if I want Strict Bro Feels With Zero Sexual Tension Because They’re Bros And Content Being Just Bros or Married Fluff. And they fill one of my favourite ship tropes, Impulsive and Emo + An Actual Personification of Sunshine and Rational Thought, in whichever setting they’re put into so there’s no way for me to lose.

Spirk (Star Trek) So wholesome,,,,, so good,,,,,,, instant serotonin,,,,, like the 2011 version is feral and edgy and pretty much like an unhinged college au and tos is soft and sweet and so deeply in love hfeiwfhwioegriegh i love them 🥺🥺🥺

Tophling (Atla comics) I have no idea where this came from I have more ships than this and Yaling was in one (1) singular comic and they went on one (1) date to a lowkey riot and broke up right there and then bUT!!! l e s b i a n s

Last song: Officially it’s Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin, but I was listening to my umbrella academy playlist while doing… something, I don’t even know what, and it just flowed in the background because I didn’t notice it and haven’t gotten around to removing it from the playlist yet so I feel weird letting it represent my music tastes. So my unofficial but more accurate answer Hadestown, & Juliet or Six :D

Last movie: The Slumdog Millionaire (2008). I saw it the last time when I was maybe 11 and got so much more out of it this time. Yes, we still skipped The Eye Scene™ because :'( But I didn’t run off crying from second-hand embarrassment / sadness when Jamal greeted his life-long idol covered in poop so some progress was made. I’d forgotten what a serve the soundtrack is oh my god Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny) is such a solid vibe

Currently craving: (a time skip to June 2021 when I’m graduated and free from this pain and misery) chimken nuggies

Currently reading: Oh, how I’d love to respond “to my religion and English exams” but alas, it’s Little Zuko v The World by MuffinLance on ao3 and I’m a procrastinating, blubbering fool 💫 thriving 💫

(I don't have nine mutuals to tag jcjcjchd) @timelordy-fangirl2 @i-will-eat-your-kneecaps but if anyone sees this and wants to do it, consider yourself tagged :') ❤️

(also a small disclaimer i felt really quirky writing this at 12pm but now it's closer to nine and I'm more self aware but also too tired to tone it down so. yeah)

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worldinmywindow2 · 5 years

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Spirk “Pride and Prejudice” AU

So I decided I didn’t feel like waiting for that AU I posted about and I wrote it myself. I’m SOFT for vulnerable!Spock but literally everyone in this is vulnerable. Don’t hate me. I can’t write without angst. I’m tagging people who reblogged the original post in case you want to read :)

Jim stood on the observation deck and listened to the hum of his ship in orbit. The crimson expanse of an unfamiliar planet stretched beyond the window, a sea of ruby sand above which the edge of a dim star began to glow as he watched. Its light caught the edge of his face, and he blinked against the harsh illumination.

Jim tried to absorb the peace of the scene before him, to become the star that shone on despite the chaos that had just unfolded beneath its rays. He closed his eyes, but the sunlight filtering through his eyelids glowed with the brilliance of phaser fire; he turned away from the window as the memory of his First Officer caught in a brilliant flash threatened to overwhelm him.

With his back to the window now, Jim shook his head, trying to dislodge the image of virescent blood spilling like oil over thirsty sand. He failed miserably and looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers against the echo of a heartbeat that had fluttered beneath his frantic palms. He forced a breath through his teeth, fighting the shiver that danced up his spine and clutched at his chest.

He had almost lost Spock, his First Officer, his friend, his—

“Captain.”

The voice hit Jim’s ears and dropped straight to his stomach, sending a different kind of tremor through his body like a pebble dropped into still water. He wrenched his gaze from the floor to the silhouette in the doorway, tall and pale as marble against the vivid blue of a science uniform.

“Mr. Spock?”

Jim spoke softly, ghosting over the syllables as if afraid his voice might weigh too heavily on the fragile figure before him. Spock stepped forward, his hands clasped at his back.

“I did not mean to disturb you, Captain. I simply wished to ascertain your whereabouts, as Dr. McCoy informed me that you had not returned to your quarters after he convinced you to depart from sick bay.”

Jim smiled weakly.

“You’re not disturbing me, Mr. Spock. I’m glad to see you’re back on your feet.”

Spock looked past Jim into the alien sunrise, which sent delicate golden fingers to caress the Vulcan’s angular cheeks. Jim watched the light dance and wished it were his hands that rested against those sharp features.

“Captain, if not for your quick action I would not be, as you said, ‘back on my feet.’ I wish to express—”

“Spock.”

Jim silenced his first officer more abruptly than he had intended, but he found himself unable to stop the words that fell from his lips to fracture like ice between them.

“Spock, there is nothing to thank me for. I let you take that phaser-fire, I let you step in front of me and if you had died—”

Jim took a breath, realizing he had already gone too far. But Spock did not move to stop him, so he continued.

“If you had died, I don’t know that I could have lived with myself. I don’t even remember taking out those Romulans, I only remember falling at your side and listening to your heartbeat slow while we waited to beam aboard the ship. I watched your eyes close and I felt something—” he stopped, took a breath, “—I felt something break inside me and I was so afraid that…”

He trailed off as he realized Spock had taken a step closer. His face, still ablaze with sunlight, looked so fragile that Jim barely restrained himself from rushing forward, fighting the ridiculous impulse to shelter the Vulcan from the imperceptible weight of photons.

“Captain,” Spock said, his voice cracking over a barely-audible note in a way that made Jim’s knees buckle.

“Captain, I stepped in front of that phaser blast because I—”

Now it was the Vulcan’s turn to draw in a shaky breath, and Jim felt the remains of his composure melt at the intensity of emotion Spock had let through his stony façade.

“Captain, I could not face the possibility of watching you die. I could not bear to imagine an existence without your presence.”

He took another step closer, so close that Jim’s shadow fell like the wake of an eclipse across Spock’s brow. The piece of Jim that had broken, the chasm that had opened amidst the red sand and green blood, ripped through Jim like a wound and his breath seemed to disappear into its depths.

“Jim.”

Spock’s voice was a whisper now, barely audible over the hum of the ship, and yet it seemed to burn a path toward Jim’s heart.

“Jim, you have bewitched me body and soul, and I love– I love– ” his body shuddered with the force of his words, “—I love you… and I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.”

Jim was certain something had shattered in his chest, he was sure the entire world was collapsing around him in the sunlight that streamed past like fire. Whatever strength had kept him from closing the gap that separated his body from Spock’s evaporated, and he found himself suddenly clinging to the Vulcan’s slender hand.

“Spock,” he whispered, fingers trembling. He looked up into eyes that glowed like molten copper, and whispered again, “Spock…”

His lips found the Vulcan’s palm.

There was no distance between them, no space and no time and no air, they were one and they would never draw apart. Something warmer than sunlight and softer than breath filled Jim and he realized it was Spock, this presence that pooled in his chest and healed the rift that had yawned there moments before.

“Oh,” he gasped, his lips moving against the soft skin of Spock’s hand.

“T’hy’la,” Spock murmured.

In the hazy gold of the rising sun, their foreheads met— and Jim had never felt more whole.

The end!

Tagging those who reblogged earlier :)

@aoskirk @therebe-whales-here @livinglifeoutsidereality @victorian-sexstache @faehoney @themoonovercamelot @bittergoldilocks @kikutrashcan @venombiote @space-happy @peacelovegeek @ettameme @thatonedeer @babyspock @summerofspock @it-is-a-gut-feeling @ahwou @spirk-erkel01 @panic-romantic @slythieamour-loves-her-guardian @uponasoapbox @garfieldthelesbian @pastmydancingdays @starnarlock @let-me-choke-on-alibis @cumberblocked

#i hope y'all like this!#sometimes i write things that are passable #spirk #ficlet #pride and prejudice #star trek #james t kirk #spock #t'hy'la

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itsclydebitches · 5 years

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The Needs of the Many: A Garashir Reading of “Broken Link”

What’s the current definition of stupidity? It might be trying to write meta for a twenty-six year old show. But you know what? I’m doing it anyway. I make questionable fandom choices and regret mostly nothing.

So. I’m still watching Deep Space Nine—about halfway through season five, but with pretty much every spoiler under my belt considering I have no patience and dove straight into the fic—and I am, without a doubt, absolute garashir trash. Now this is important because as I watch I’ve been on the lookout for all the major scenes and episodes that the fans like to talk about, those that catch our attention for obvious reasons: “Past Prologue,” “The Wire,” “Our Man Bashir,” and the like. However, through my (admittedly cursory) browsing these last few months, I’ve been surprised to find no one talking about season four’s finale “Broken Link.”

On the surface it makes sense. Though Garak gets one of his all too rare episodes, we’ve past the point of no return with Berman’s homophobia and our two lovesick faves aren’t interacting as much as they once did. RIP.

Thus, it’s easy to pass over Garak doing another Bad Thing in the name of his Cardassian devotion, especially when the Bad Thing is circumvented thanks to Worf instead of Julian. However, what’s nagged at me since watching that scene is one simple, yet significant detail.

Julian was down on that planet.

Quick re-cap for those of us who haven’t watched in a while: the Defiant is taking Odo back to the Great Link in order to cure him of the disease they saddled him with in the first place (nice, huh?). Garak realizes that this may be the one and only time they have all the Founders together and potentially vulnerable. He tries to gain control of the Defiant’s weaponry, but is ultimately discovered and stopped by Worf. Sorry, Garak. You might be surprisingly fit for just a plain, simple tailor, but you’ve got nothing on a battle-obsessed Klingon.

All caught up? Fantastic. Now, all around it’s not a terrible plan. There are just two potential issues. The first is the whole, you know, genocide thing. Some of us tend to frown at that, no matter how much good eliminating the Founders might do moving forward. Beyond that pesky little moral issue, we have the problem that Odo, Sisko, and Julian are all down on the planet’s surface, their deaths a surety if Garak manages to succeed in his plan. This is acknowledged too, so we can’t live with the happy assumption that Garak just wasn’t informed about who was accompanying Odo on this particular mission:

Worf: And what about Odo, and Captain Sisko and Doctor Bashir?

Garak: They'll die. And once the Jem'Hadar ships realize what we're doing, so will we. But what are our lives compared to saving the entire Alpha Quadrant?

From a shipping perspective it doesn’t look too good. After all, how loving is your duo if one can so easily sacrifice the other, without a moment’s hesitation or—dare we imagine it—a single tear in sight? It’s a rather grim picture, the sort of scene that jars shippers out of their lovely little pockets, carefully crafted worlds where suspension of disbelief runs wild. The show-runners may not have had the balls to make anything canon until 2017 (good god), but provided the characters in question don’t actively sabotage the relationship, thereby leaving room for imagining something more, you’re good to go. No such luck with this scene.

At least, it appears that way at first glance. It occurs to me that there are a couple of potential readings if we feel inclined to reach for them. I find it notable that Garak is already thinking to the next logical consequence. That is, Jem’Hadar ships bearing down on them, him meeting his own demise soon after Julian. There’s admittedly something romantic in that. The willingness to let your loved one go, safe in the knowledge that you’ll be quick to join them. We could even argue that Garak isn’t thinking straight in this moment. We know he’s a proud man devoted to his people, exile aside, and right before this he has a rather gutting conversation with the primary Founder:

Founder: They're dead. You're dead. Cardassia is dead. Your people were doomed the moment they attacked us. I believe that answers your question.

So, as far as Garak knows, entire fleets of his people were killed in their last battle, including his father—quite the emotional blow, even if Tain was an absolute shit dad. He’s also received confirmation of what the Federation has long suspected, that the Dominion isn’t content to keep the Alpha Quadrant out of their business, but has every intention of seizing control and, given their history, eliminating rather than assimilating it, to quote the Borg. You’re dead. Your entire species is dead. Everyone else you associate with, even those insidious humans, are dead. It’s only a matter of time. As Garak has pointed out seasons earlier, he knows when to cut his losses and that was one hell of a “resistance if futile” speech. If the rest of the quadrant has any hope of survival, now is the time to cut those losses—including Julian.

Which I actually really love.

Because it’s true to Garak’s character. He’s a complicated, morally gray guy, just the sort to blow himself and his shop up in the hopes of saving his life. Or justify killing the entirety of one species to ensure the survival of many. As much as we (or at least I) would have loved a dramatic declaration of love, the realization that he can’t target the Founders no matter how necessary it may seem because his Julian would be caught in the crossfire… that’s just not Garak. Just as importantly, it’s not Julian either. See, I think this scene pairs rather well with “Our Man Bashir.” We can come up with the same sort of potential readings for why Julian was willing to shoot someone he—from the shipper’s perspective—is already head over heels in love with: he’s a doctor and had every confidence in his ability to keep Garak alive until they get out of the holosuite. He’s genetically enhanced and has superb aim, knowing he’ll only create a flesh wound. He was really trying to hit the wall and fucked that one up badly whoops, etc. Regardless of those headcanons though, canonically speaking Julian did shoot him and that’s all there is to it. More specifically, he shot Garak to make sure that Sisko, Kira, Worf, O’Brien, and Jadzia survived, a sacrificing the one to save the many situation, much like Garak’s plan. Or, to put it another way:

Spirk is the ultimate standard for all other Star Trek ships, if not, for many, shipping in general. Lots of fans have already pointed out the similarities between the sickbay hand clasp in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Julian’s moment of forgiveness in “The Wire,”

but there’s another parallel between Spock’s iconic sacrifice and the choices made in DS9. “Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” to which Kirk answers, “Or the one.” This is the same logic that our new duo is abiding by.

Though a notorious liar, we’re left with nothing else that challenges Garak’s words—he truly seems to believe that the Alpha Quadrant’s safety is worth sacrificing those on the Defiant for. Though a doctor through and through, we’re left with Julian’s steady hand and blood on Garak’s neck—he truly seems to believe that potentially losing one friend is worth assuredly saving five. Neither one is willing to compromise their morals for the other and I personally think that speaks to a healthy amount of respect, both for themselves and each other. In the same way that Garak embraces Julian’s Federation-style optimism and Julian comes to understand that lies are how Garak communicates, they simply and completely accept one another. That includes saying through actions if not words, “I love you, but I’m not going to let that love compromise my core beliefs.” Neither is the type to let love interfere with what they perceive as their duty, but that doesn’t mean the love doesn’t exist.

Of course, if we follow the spirk parallel, that devotion to the many is later challenged. In The Search for Spock Kirk reverses the logic and justifies his journey with, “Because the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many.” Anyone who reads any of my metas knows that Context Is a Thing and in this case the context for both films is personal sacrifice. Spock chooses to sacrifice himself to save the Enterprise. Kirk and the others choose to risk their lives and their careers to get Spock back. These are markedly different situations from what Julian and Garak shoulder: sacrificing one another for the many. If you love someone, then giving up your life for them is easy. Having that action save a whole bunch of other people along the way? Icing on the cake. You die knowing that you’ve done the heroic deed and your better half lives on. But can you harm your other half to uphold your oath as a doctor? Can you kill them to save millions of others? I’d argue that Julian and Garak have the far more difficult choice and both of them managed to answer, “Yes.” It’s a testament to their characterization and, given their strong ethics, precisely how well they fit together. They know where the other stands, what they mean to one another…and when they can’t afford to prioritize that love over everyone else.

In the end, neither even knew that their sacrifice would pay off. If Garak had succeeded in gaining control of the Defiant’s weaponry he might have found that the Founders had another trick up their sleeve to ensure their survival, leaving him with a dead Julian and an unharmed foe. Julian doesn’t know if he and Garak will be able to survive the holosuite program—or what might happen to the others if they perish. He might end up losing everyone, himself included. Neither has any assurances when they make their decision and that to me makes it that much more meaningful. They’re both acts of determination and faith. And from a narrative standpoint (with help from a healthy dose of Plot Armor) they’re both rewarded for that faith. Garak isn’t forced to kill Julian. Julian’s shot harmlessly skims Garak’s neck. They made the hard call, lost little, and in the case of “Our Man Bashir,” gained a healthy dose of respect for what the other was capable of.

I think that’s pretty damn neat.

Right. Thank you for coming to my decades late TED Talk. Peace ✌️

Image Credit

#1: https://boldly-yo.tumblr.com/post/183708405938

GIF: http://kuma-la-la.tumblr.com/post/36694488334/the-needs-of-the-many-outweigh-the-needs-of

#2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirk/Spock

#3: https://edosianorchids901.tumblr.com/post/181806580405/garak-and-julian-in-222-the-wire

#deep space nine #ds9 #garashir #garak/julian #mymetas

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potionsmasters · 5 years

Note

Maya daddy please share your favourite fics (doesn't have to be just Snarry). You shared that Spirk fic long ago and I want more

Ohh baby you’re in for it now ;)

Severus Snape/Harry Potter (Harry Potter)

This Time of Ours by emynn (complete; 35k+)Severus Snape wasn’t supposed to die. Neither was Harry Potter.

Snape: The Home Fries Nazi by pir8fancier (complete; 27k+)When Harry defeats Voldemort, all those marked by Voldemort lose their magic. Snape decamps to the United States, where he becomes a fry cook in a diner. Five years after Voldemort’s defeat, Harry comes to him for advice.

Rapture by mia_ugly (complete; 48k+)Snape sees the man, for the first time, on his twenty-fifth birthday.

A Nick in Time + the sequel Growing Pains by tiranog (complete; 52k+ & 120k+)After a strange dream on Christmas night, Harry Potter awakes to find his world strangely altered.

Painted in the Worst Light by asecretchord (complete; 98k+)Severus survived Nagini’s bite and is now on trial before the Wizengamot. Due to a weird loophole in the law books, he has the right to choose any Ministry employee to defend him, and he chooses Auror-trainee, Harry Potter.

Hints From Severus by cruisedirector, Dementordelta (complete; 27k+)When Rita Skeeter seeks Snape’s help with a household advice column, Snape reads a letter from a correspondent with a familiar problem.

Unregistered by htdcd (complete; 72k+)Harry gets a unique opportunity to get to know Severus Snape. Who knew Snape would turn out to be a cat person?

The Courtship of Harry Potter by dkwilliams (complete; 27k+) Another teacher’s interest in Harry Potter forces a reluctant Snape to compete for the young man affections.

—–

Sam Winchester/Dean Winchester*** (Supernatural) ( i can’t believe i wrote Dead Winchester in the original post what a fkin typo amiright)

Courting Death by theproblematique (complete; 50k+)Sam Winchester lived the first six months of his life in a happy family; the next twelve years as John Winchester’s only son, and the last decade as an orphan. He’s supposed to die at twenty-two trying to save the woman he loves from a fire, because he doesn’t have a brother to pull him back. But the night Sam meets his Reaper he discovers that Death is overly fond of pop-culture references, too beautiful to be real, and reluctant to kill him.(I love this fic more than words can describe tbh)

The Truth in the Lie by flawedamythyst (complete; 62k+)Sam and Dean pretend to be gay lovers while they hunt a monster on a bus tour of Nova Scotia. (I love a good fake dating fic like hell yea bruh)

Fumbling in the Dark: Love Advice For the Romantically Impaired by leonidaslion (complete; 72k+)True Love really is blind…

—–

Harvey Specter/Mike Ross (Suits)

Not the Worst Step-Dad in the History of Everything by Pookaseraph (complete; 15k+)When the son he never knew he had is deposited on his doorstep by Child Protective Services, Harvey does the kindest thing he knows how to do: put Mike Ross on the case. Mike responds by doing what he does best: get emotionally attached to the client.

Wear My Name by LunarFlare14 (complete; 55k+)Harvey has always put on a good show at work. He has put a lot of effort into the smoke and mirrors act, and it had worked to his advantage- until now. Backed into a corner by a law he can’t side-step, he decides Mike is his only way out. They’re getting married, and Mike really has no say in it. (Based off “The Proposal” which is one of my fave romcoms)

—–

Sebastian Michaelis/Ciel Phantomhive (Kuroshitsuji)

Under These City Streets by DisgruntledMinion (complete; 90k+)The city held many secrets: hidden pathways that led to a hole in the wall restaurant boasting the best pizza in town or that the dinky looking building off Hickory Ave. was an upscale club. That creatures of the night existed among humans was not one of them. Ciel only wished he remembered that those same beings kept secrets of their own.(hands down the best vampire!AU I’ve ever read. I’m not kidding)

Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier (X-Men)

The House Spouse by Butterynutjob (complete; 78k+)Erik Lehnsherr is an out-and-proud gay author, columnist, and television personality (a la Dan Savage). Charles Xavier is a straight widower with two children who hosts a radio show dispensing (somewhat conservative) advice about sex and love to teenagers (a la Drew Pinsky). Their mutual attraction is undeniable, and yet, frustratingly, Charles still denies it. Erik figures with the right opportunity, Charles will act on his feelings, and when the opportunity to ‘bid’ on Charles to be his ‘spouse’ for the week comes up, Erik wins the auction.

—–

Hank Anderson/Connor (Detroit:Become Human)

Sweet Dreams Are Made of This by MorganOfTheFey (complete; 66k+)Connor has a three year seduction plan to make Hank love him back, and it starts with getting the lieutenant into his bed.(hilarious fic, made me laugh so fkin hard, also sweet&kinky)

Autodidact by yohan (complete; 11k+)After installing new sensory upgrades, Connor’s life begins to change.(this fic is short but it makes me feel A Lot)

A Tourist in a Dream by Octobig (wip; 164k+)(there’s a reason everyone is screaming about this fic and that’s because it’s amazing thanks for coming to my TED talk)

Skin Deep by bughnrahk (complete; 53k+)Hank is 53 years old. He’s never had a soul mark, doesn’t have a soul mate. And he’s fine with that. He cheated the system once and it cost him everything he had. Never again.When August 2038 rolls around and the number ‘313 248 317 - 51’ appears on his arm in perfect Cyberlife Sans font, exactly where a soul mark should be, Hank wants nothing to do with it.

eighteen wheels on an uphill climb by blackeyedblonde (wip; 73k+)Hank is going to die. He’s going to die right here in Kentucky, 53 years old, halfway to broke, and tragically sober. Survived only by a nine-year-old St. Bernard and the 31-year-old twink who delivered the fatal blow.(this fic is my current obsession. I’m not kidding. I reread the WHOLE FIC every time a new chapter comes out. this will put me in an early grave)

#snarry #i haven't read some of these fics in years #but still #wincest #marvey #Anonymous #Owl #i'm exposing like.. half of my pairings #cherik #sebaciel #hankcon #i have more hankcon fics but this is ALREADY TOO DAMN LONG #long post #i'm so sorry #i went off #fic recs #mega fic rec list

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phantomchick · 4 years

Note

Can I ask what are your fav ships pretty, pretty please?

!!! Okay sure.

I’m uh a multi shipper so I’m gonna put a read more after the first 3 if that’s okay?-

Wonderbat - Diana and Bruce are the one’s in control of the justice league’s shared braincells and I love their harmony and their commitment to helping people as much as they can whenever they can. I watched the Justice League Animated series as a child and I’ve never stopped loving their dynamic since. That show is the lens through which I look at this ship. It’s the Yearning. It’s the attraction. It’s the wonder. It’s the way they smirk at each other. It’s everything.-

Superbat - It’s the trust. Clark gave Bruce kryptonite because he was the only one he could trust to be Superman’s watchman. He gave him the ultimate power to destroy him and trusted that he wouldn’t unless it was necessary, he trusted him to be selfless and think of everyone even if it meant hurting a friend, and he trusted him to be the one to end him if he ever went bad because he didn’t want to die to someone who didn’t love him. On the other hand, Bruce trusts Clark with his secrets and also is the one he turns to for advice as an equal. He trusts Clark to be a good person and to remind him that he’s one too when he doesn’t feel like one at all. Also the way they troll each other is fantastic.

SuperHood - Because Kara and Jason both have anger issues and daddy issues and abandonment issues and trust issues and ptsd and yet they’re both fundamentally good people. Also the fic writers and fan artists really brought their A game even if canon didn’t so now I’m infected, it’s too late for me, I will go down with this ship.

RedRed - Red Devil x Red Hood - Eddie was Jason’s penpal as robin and they’ve had zero interaction since Jason came back from the dead. But seeing as Eddie remains the only canon character who actually maintains that Jason was a good robin I am fucking sold on the potential of this dynamic. Also they can be old movie nerds together.

BruTalia - Because Talia isn’t what morrison and recent canon made her. She’s the morally complex daughter of an assassin overlord and Bruce is her father’s most dangerous enemy and her greatest love. In a black and white world full of Villains and Heroes, Talia and Bruce connect in the grey. Talia believes in The Batman and the good he’s capable of more than almost anyone on Earth and I will die on that hill. Bruce believes that Talia’s more than where she comes from and how she was raised, and also has a soft spot for intelligent/beautiful women who can handle his world both as a Wayne and as a Bat. She makes Bruce remember what’s most heroic and noble about himself when he’s at his lowest most self loathing points, and he makes her remember that there’s always a choice. I love this ship because it’s Romantic, in the relationship sense of the word and in the ‘stories of romance and daring do’ sense.

Ren/Kyoko - diving out of the dc fandom here, Tsuruga Ren and Mogami Kyoko’s love story has been making me swoon since I was in secondary/high school. It’s the good stuff.

Merthur - Merlin/Arthur - because it’s hilarious and dramatically romantic all at once. And the fic writers reeeeally bring their game.

Spirk - Kirk/Spock - It’s the premise and we approve. *Salutes the fandom elders who grew this ship from the seeds* Let’s boldly go motherfuckers!

Spike/Buffy - because angel’s condescending and can’t match the sheer witty banter of this dynamic even on his best day. Also Spike is hot.

Germany/Italy - hetalia was an adorable junk food for the brain kind of show that should really have been more blatantly anti nazi even still. But… the fandom as a whole really brought their passion for this ship? Like the pure Creativity and taking silver and turning it into gold with nothing but personal investment in the characters’ dynamic to do it with, kind of passion. There are a lot of fancomics set in the modern era where these anthropomorphic personifications of countries are not currently under the sway fascist governments … and it’s adorable. A guilty pleasure kind of ship.

Joker/Harley - I’m gonna get a lot of flack for this one, but as a dc fan I just find comics with them together more entertaining. Also batman: the animated series made it impossible for me not to love seeing this twisted mess of a ship!Yes it’s an unhealthy relationship, do I still find them fun and enjoy seeing and exploring said fucked up relationship? Uh Yeah! This ship makes me remember the good old days when Harley’s character wasn’t all over the place depending on whether the writer woke up feeling like she’s a hero, an anti hero, a villain or something inbetween - with no discernible transition or actual redemption arc to justify any of it. Also back when The Joker wasn’t the most annoying character alive but actually a highlight in Batman’s arsenal of rogues and a fun antagonist to read about. This ship is mostly sunk by canon and also poison ivy, but I still have fun when I see the fan art.

Kataang - because Aang is always there for Katara and is the first person to believe in her and really listen to her about her dreams and desires for the future. And because Katara grounds Aang and actually cares about his wellbeing more than his abilities as an avatar. Also they’re just cute.

Toph/Zuko - because I like it and for no deeper reason than that.

Clark/Lex - because the identity porn of Lex loving Clark but hating Superman is fantastic and also canon.

Bruce x good writing - the ultimate rarepair when will canon let them be together? WHEN.

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rilldineth · 4 years

Text

So a friend of mine told me that given that we are now in 2020, it will be fun if I did a top 20 ships of the past decade for me and boy, did I thought was a good idea and I have decided, why not right? I will be listing them here and...if followers decide to read it...well...

You will quickly notice that probably that most, if not all the ships fall on the following categories: a) rare-ships that are obv not canon; b) ships that are obviously crack; c) ships that had wasted potential, the ones hinted but never happened or briefly happened in canon and writers decided to fuck up. There’s also only one...one RL ship and I am ashamed yet not, but had to list it because I spent a long time hung up on it so don’t judge me.

So yes list...

Before the list, no list is complete without some honorable mentions, these are mostly ships I either got into the hype to recently (not being dedicated for years as the one I will list) or had my fancy then lost it.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Charlastor from Hazbin Hotel (recently got into it)

Clack from Final Fantasy VII

Cloud x Squall from Final Fantasy/KH series.

Hayffie from The Hunger Games.

TodoMomo from Boku Hero no Academia.

Gency from Overwatch series ( on and off )

RinMako from Free!

Terraqua from Kingdom Hearts series.

TOP 20 SHIPS OF THE PAST DECADE

20. Spuhura - Spock x Nyota Uhura (Star Trek original and reboot): Again this was another ship that I liked, since the original series, while everyone was Spirk this and that, I was like,’’yas, yas give me the sweet, sweet Spock and Uhura interactions’ and I was happy the reboot hooked them up, even if that ended dubiously but for a glorious moment, I had it.

19. Swarkles - Barney Stinson x Robin Scherbatsky (HIMYM): This is one of those ships I am bitter, bitter and salty about, there are more in this list in fact next spot is another one. But I loved it and I did think they complimented each other better than the wet noodle they stuck Robin with, they took the time to know the other, grown separately and then together, the episode where Barney proposed to Robin gave me all the feels and it was so sweet, and then fuck the writers deciding to do what they did. It’s no wonder the finale of this show is so hated.

18. Lotura - Lotor x Allura (Voltron Legendary Defender): When they announced a new reboot to Voltron I didn’t think much of it. I had fancied Lotor x Allura in the original series, as dubious as that was, but then I started to watch this Netflix thing and there was something between them, something more tangible and I was happy. It was this strong woman with an equally strong man encouraging her strength and not putting her in the box of the exotic pretty princess, like a certain dude, and wanted to know her mind and interests, they discovered things together and for a brief moment knew peace and I was here so happy that we were getting something good and then fuck the writers again that decided ‘Nah bro, you’re not getting it’ and you know to fuck off again. I will always have fan fiction I guess.

17. VinTi - Vincent Valentine x Tifa Lockhart (Final Fantasy VII series): This is a ship that I think started to like during my second playthrough of the game, I always figured the both could work, both having loved people that for one reason or another couldn’t fully love them back (Lucrecia due to damn guilt and Cloud because of Aerith) and both were mature enough to fit together, I just like them okay.

16. Helsa - Hans x Elsa (Frozen): Truly, I have never made it a secret that I really dislike this movie, I truly do. The only good things were Hans (which I am still huh at the ‘turns out he is evil’ I still call trolls) and Elsa (because of her damn powers) and then the next step was shipping them and honestly, he should have gone for the older sister lmao, they make more sense and there have very nice fiction out there.

15. Yuzuvier - Javier Fernandez x Yuzuru Hanyu (Figure Skating): Ahh, we have reached my dreaded and dark secret only RPF fancy. Be it broship or more, I always liked the friendship and camaraderie these two skaters had with each other, they were rink mates and rivals but above all friends. I was kokoro break when Yuzuru was telling Javi that he couldn’t do it without him and stop it you two. I just like them, they are wholesome.

14. Victuuri - Viktor Nikiforov x Yuuri Katsuki (Yuri!!! On Ice): And here we have another precious figure skating duo when I started to watch this series it was only because it was a figure skating anime and I love figure skating, I never expected to see a wholesome and wonderful healthy relationship to explode in front of me. The relationship between Viktor and Yuuri is just so lovely, so mature, they both worked through issues, grew from them and accepted them even and I can’t I love it. (Special mention here to Yurio x Mila, as is another ship I love from this series and so underrepresented).

13. Jonerys - Jon Snow x Daenerys Targaryen (ASOIAF/GoT): Regardless of the stupidity committed in the series, I have shipped them since the books, because I can read in between the lines and there are too many parallels between them and their journeys, ones that at will some point collide and bring them together in a way that will be worth it, so better make it count George.

12. Rhaegar Targaryen x Lyanna Stark (ASOIAF/GoT): Yes, mea culpa, I love tis ship and no one can shame me for liking it and boy has people tried to do so. Were these two smart of escaping like that and not saying a thing? Nope, they were so not. Was Brandon smart going to Kings Landing, knowing there was a crazy king with a penchant of burning people and demanding his heir's head? Nope, that was probably the stupidest move of all. Do I want to believe they loved each other? Why not? Martin has a penchant for tragic love stories, I know this ship is problematical for some, but I still love it and if you see spot 10 here, well I have varied tastes.

11. Soriku - Riku x Sora (Kingdom Hearts series): Come on, this is a given. Prior to Kairi appearing, it was clear Sora was Riku’s world and Riku’s was Sora, they were attached to the hip, the rivalry for Kairi more felt like Riku being jealous of Kairi and wanting Sora’s attention back. Then we have KH2 where Sora spent the whole damn game being all ‘Riku, Riku!’ and Riku doing his damn best to help him from the shadows, ashamed to be seen. DDD was more Riku protecting him and Sora leaning on him, even KH3 had Sora wanting to find and reach Riku, and then Riku going once again to find him by the end, so I am sorry but if there was a love story written here it was between these two.

10. Hannigram - Hannibal Lecter x Will Graham (Hannibal): Quite honestly, from all the things I ship, they are probably what one will consider the most toxic one I guess, which fair considering one part of the ship is a charismatic yet cannibalistic serial killer. But there was something in the way this relationship was developed by Fuller and brilliantly brought out by Mads and Hughs that just hooked me, their soft moments, their violent ones, it just somehow worked for me. I guess this is also one of the few canon ships that I have, funny enough.

09. Rivetra - Levi Ackerman x Petra Ral (Shingeki no Kyojin): Who will have thought that a series about human eating titans was going to give me one of my most everlasting and also shortlived OTP’s. Years can pass by and I will still love this ship, my heart will still believe there was something more between them, something that was realized or something that wasn’t, I don’t know, but I will forever love it and even though years have passed since she died, I always enjoy the hints here and there that he still remembers her or hints where we are supposed to do so.

08. Squinoa - Squall Leonhart x Rinoa Heartilly (Final Fantasy VIII): People can say whatever the fuck they want ‘the love story was rushed’ ‘we hate Rinoa’ (fuck you btw) but it doesn’t change the fact that Squall fell in love with her and that Rinoa helped him to open up, to not take things for granted and Squall taught her to be even stronger and conquer her fears, they helped each other grow and it’s what matters in the end.

07. Feanor x Nerdanel (Tolkien): This is probably, from all the romantic relationships that Tolkien has gifted us, which I have loved the most and held my attention the longest. They have the happy times, the ones that were full of joy when they met and fell in love and had their children, then we have the tumultuous times when he became too obsessed with this craft, the separation when he left with their kids leaving her behind in her pain and then their possible reencounter when he leaves the Halls of Mandos and how they might deal with it.

06. ItaHina - Itachi Uchiha x Hinata Hyuuga (Naruto): Both the heads of two of the most important clans of their villages, both with heavy expectations upon their shoulders that nearly broke them, only one was talented from the start and the other had to learn, yet they are also similar. Both love their siblings to a fault, sacrificing so much for them and their happiness, both seem to hate conflict yet know is necessary and both are devoted and loyal to a fault, they would have suited each other wonderfully, in an AU probably they would have gotten engaged, who knows, but it would have been wonderful.

05. SessKik - Sesshoumaru x Kikyou (Inuyasha): A ship that could have been but that we didn’t have. This is a ship that has been with me for years and I don’t plan to let it go, they were the best players (in a sense) in that game against Naraku, also probably the strongest, both level headed and smart, not easily intimidated and calculating, together they would have been quite a formidable force and it’s a shame we didn’t get to see that.

04. Bethyl - Daryl Dixon x Beth Greene (The Walking Dead): Another wasted potential and gone so soon, not to mention forever salty at the waste. The way they were being developed promised so much, in the few time he was with her, well, she taught him to have faith and it’s something that apparently still shows from times to times (I am not sure as I stopped with this show) and imagine how it will have gone if they had more time. Just a waste.

03. Romanogers - Steve Rogers x Natasha Romanov (Marvel/MCU): I have been shipping them for years, like honestly, and when the MCU was showing me the seeds of potentiality I was happy, not even that stupidity with Bruce killed my hope, as they still had this steady relationship, he trusted her and she trusted him, something that she couldn’t say of many, they had each others back and took care of the other...but again another wasted potential right there.

02. Huddy - Gregory House x Lisa Cuddy (House MD): I spent years, kind of, season after season watching the delicious and lovely UST between these two characters, watching them snark and then help each other, watching the ‘won’t they will they’ dance, waiting for the moment when these two will finally collide and my lord was it glorious when they finally did, and I was eager to see where it went, as they both seemed to be in relatively good places, but no once again forbid the writers to stop House from being self-destructive and another ship I had waited years was ruined.

01. Terrence "Terry" Graham Grandchester x Candice "Candy" White Adley (Candy Candy): And this is still my most important ship of the decade, I was forever bitter they never ended together and that their authors decided to make them suffer so much, but then Final Story came and all clues were pointing that aha they did found the other again and ended together as they were supposed to be, and before anyone says shizz, I did manage to read the novel and I do believe all hints were there to let us all know the identity of her husband was Terry and I am so happy.

And there it is, all the ships of the decade for me lol. Next stop, I should maybe make a list of mythos ships I like lmao.

#(;;blogger talks)#(;;blogger words)#(;;shipping and more)

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letmetellyouaboutmyfeels · 6 years

Note

for the fandom ask thing: C U S T O M I Z A B L E

Ooh and you found a word where no letter was repeated you clever girl!

C = A pairing you have never liked and probably never will:

Listen I don’t care if this pisses anyone off, Reylo can go die in a fucking fire. It’s toxic and unhealthy and rewards a mediocre spoiled shithead who murdered a bunch of children and then his father and then worked his way to head of a Nazi organization and supports his attempted gaslighting of the woman in the ship like honestly fuck all of that shit. Burn it to the fucking ground.

U = If you mostly have heteroships, do you have any homoships:

I feel like my hetero/homo ratio is pretty even? But Sterek (the fanfiction cracked me up even though I have never seen a single episode of Teen Wolf), Eames/Arthur from Inception (yes you read that right, I am an Inception fandom lurker), Bagginshield, Spirk, my messy Flogan boys, Stucky but slowly being lured over into Stony as well, and my darling darling Merthur.

S = Show us an example of your personal headcanon:

I feel like Flynn is an intensely romantic but also intensely private person when it comes to his relationships given that the few times we’ve seen him be vulnerable (with Lucy in, oh, take your pick of episodes, with Wyatt in 1.06) he’s always made sure no one else can hear him, whether by doing it in private or by lowering his voice and speaking quietly/whispering. So I always write him as saying very personal things or being romantic generally when others aren’t around or, if others are around, saying it in a different language (French for Lucy, German for Wyatt) because the things he says are for them and them alone.

T = If you mostly have homoships, do you have any heteroships:

Again, I think it’s pretty even, but I ship Chelenor, Garcy, Caskett, Sculder, Rumbelle, Phrack, Ilya/Gaby, BlackHawk… yeah I ship a lot lol.

And BONUS! My OT3s are Chelani, Finn/Poe/Rey (what even is their ship name?), Steve/Nancy/Jonathan from Stranger Things and… there’s one more… I can’t… I can’t quite recall…

O = Choose a song at random, which OTP does it remind you of:

I have “Fever” by A Fine Frenzy stuck in my head which is a very Garcy song for me lol

M = Your favorite fanart or fanartist:

Tie between ravennowithtea and shalizeh7 (those are their tumblr names, I don’t know them personally so I didn’t feel comfortable @ing them, but search them they’re amazing).

I = Has tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why:

*laughs hysterically* Oh God where to start. Supernatural definitely. Jesus Christ on a fucking cracker. Sherlock, or at least in my experience the fans who stuck around after season three. Doctor Who as well a bit, but mostly because of the whole Superwholock nightmare.

Z = Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go:

Okay but slow burn ships man? Slow burn ships. I fucking love ‘em. I scream (literally) in frustration the entire time but honestly I feel so… so jipped when ships get together quickly. Like honestly I liked Lyatt (not nearly as much as Garcy or Garcyatt though) well enough but they got together sooooo quickly in season two and I was left so unsatisfied? Like was making them have sex really necessary? You couldn’t have stretched it out a bit, still done the whole Jessica thing, made it a deliciously awful “what might have been” situation? Grrr.

Now, stupid drama for the sake of keeping them apart annoys me. There are ships where shit was keeping them apart like… introducing another boyfriend who was just sort of THERE, obviously as just an obstacle and nothing more, that shit drives me nuts. But when the reasons are valid? Mmmmm yessss gimme gimme gimme.

I think it’s because when a slow burn ship is good, you get to see just how much respect and friendship there is laying the foundation of the relationship. Like, let’s take Garcy for example, a slow burn still in its beautiful infancy (I’d say they get together… season four? Mmmmm delicious). They start out as ‘enemies’ where Lucy slowly learns that actually, while his methods aren’t the best, Flynn’s the good guy here. And Flynn definitely gets frustrated with Lucy’s lack of belief in him.

BUT from the start, despite that, Flynn has a shit ton of respect for Lucy’s intelligence and skills, first from the journal and then from Lucy’s own actions (1.06 when she tricks him, for example). He actually loves that she’s got not problem telling him like it is and being a spitfire, and when she tricks him and gets one over on him, as she does a few times in the first season, he’s almost proud of her. And while Lucy doesn’t agree with Flynn, she never underestimates his intelligence, and after 1.10 she respects his pain and grief and you can see that she feels for him. They understand and respect each other’s pain and never try to use it as a weapon against each other. Flynn calls her a genius and when she asks him to follow her orders, he agrees and proceeds to do so. There’s RESPECT and CONSIDERATION. And then later, as we see from 2.06 onward, a blossoming friendship. They make jokes, they share fun moments, they make each other smile, they support each other. And that’s what makes them, and other slow burn ships, so great: we get to see the development of that respect, and then that friendship, and then an even deeper intimacy that grows and grows and grows until it just can’t be denied anymore. And that’s magical.

A = Your current OTP:

GARCYATT GARCYATT GARCYATT GARCYATT (along with Garcy and Flogan)

B = A pairing you initially didn’t consider but someone changed your mind:

*points at @extasiswings* She needs to stop converting me to Stony IMMEDIATELY it is VERY rude of her.

L = Your favorite fanartist/author gives you one request, what do you ask for:

…I do have a hankering for a certain someone’s vampire/werewolf Garcyatt AU…

E = Have you added anything stupid/cracky/hilarious to your fandom, if so, what:

AMY AND JEEESSS, SITTING IN A TREE. K-I-S-S-I-N-G.

Okay so I treat this pairing as a serious pairing, with funny moments and serious moments and all the rest, but if you stop and think about it… it’s two characters who have never met in canon, one of whom was literally erased from existence. It’s the goddamn least possible pairing I could have come up with and yet I WILL DIE FOR THEM. AMY/JESS FOREVER. I WILL CONVERT EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU.

#mads answers things #detrosabiaz #thank you for the lovely questions darling

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thesearchforspirk · 6 years

Text

1 x 1 : Where No Man Has Gone Before {Subtext Study}

As we’re going in production order (which seems to produce a more linear story) the story of Gary Mitchell and his tinfoil eyes is where we’ll begin this journey into Star Trek subtext. There’s quite a bit in this episode to wade through, particularly of the homoromantic quality, so let’s get started.

Tellingly, perhaps, our episode opens on our two main objects of study playing their beloved three-dimensional chess. As someone who has been in Spirk fandom for awhile now, I can attest that 3D chess is mentioned as an activity Kirk and Spock engage in together in their recreation hours in about 99.9% of fanfics (logically, the chances of them having recreation hours that overlap with one another is about slim to none, given their respective positions, but a little willing suspension of disbelief never hurt anyone). However, I think we only see them actually play it in-canon in about 2-3 episodes total, if that.

Still, there’s something significant about the choice of chess as a game for these two to engage in and this particular game’s history as a means of courtship and flirtation.

This is also our first indication that Spock adheres strongly to the fact that he’s Vulcan and “without” emotions and that Kirk delights in teasing him about the fact. “Certain you don’t know what irritation is?” Kirk asks, knowingly, with a shit-eating grin after he makes a move that Spock wasn’t anticipating (having already smugly announced he would have Kirk check-mated in his next move). The banter here relies heavily on the natural affection between the two of them, that which the script wants the audience to be aware of. Though Spock alleges to be immune to emotions he is clearly anything but, and yet, Kirk finds an affectionate delight in this fact. He’s allowed to rib Spock a little bit about this without threat of any real offense, indicating a very high level of trust between them.

Certainly this could be the banter of two who are just friends and have no unspoken attraction or romantic interest between them, but talk like this often manifests as flirtation as well. Kirk’s decidedly sultry smirks at Spock (the first of thousands that would proceed them in the next few decades of material) and his huskier tone of voice are interesting acting choices for Shatner to have made if he hadn’t intended to play Kirk as flirty in this scene.

As I will often disclaim, I’m not suggesting that the original intent was the same as the interpretation I’m asserting here. What I am saying is that the evidence for a layer of flirtation is there, be it intentional or not, and to not at least acknowledge it is to ignore the obvious.

Moving on!

Kirk has been attempting to stay alert for any news about a recently heard Earth distress signal (despite the -ahem- distractions). News of said distress signal finally comes in, interrupting this little verbal tango between our boys, and Kirk and Spock rush to the transporter room to find an old-style ship recorder. Spock asserts that due to the damage on the object it’s likely that something happened to the ship (in the vein of blowing up or whatever I guess). The recorder begins transmitting a signal as soon as Scotty starts feeding tapes into the computer and Kirk puts the ship on red alert.

Enter Gary Mitchell, barely missing the turbolift ride alongside our boys. It’s made obvious right away that Gary and Jim are close from the casual way they greet and chat about ship stuff even under red alert. Gary then turns his attentions to Spock and, weirdly, sort of sizes him up before asking in a more straightforward tone “So, you finished the game?”. Spock nods and moves forward to the doors preemptively while explaining, “[Kirk] played most illogically. His next move should’ve been the rook.” Behind Spock’s back, Kirk grins and makes a throat-cutting motion to Gary to subtly indicate Spock’s obvious loss.

When I first saw this episode, and each time I return to it after a prolonged absence, I always initially get a sort of antagonistic vibe between Spock and Gary. On my original watch I thought it was going to be some sort of bigotry thing on Gary’s behalf against Spock’s being a Vulcan (which does happen with a different character in a different episode) but that ends up not being the case here. We really have no reason to believe there’s anything antagonistic between them, at least nothing that’s addressed directly.

(note Kirk’s got another amused, if not sultry look for Spock here)

The likelihood is that Spock’s cold retreat to the turbolift doors is more attempt to escape mention of his chess defeat than anything else. Gary’s once over of him, however, and hard tone of voice might suggest something else. Could be an organic jealousy in the fact that they share a mutual, close friend and seem to be on equal levels of bonding with the same person, but don’t seem to have much in common with one another and occupy awkward spaces beside him, sort of privately elbowing one another for the same category in Jim Kirk’s life. But what is that category, exactly? Is it just one of platonic friendship or something else?

A common argument against Kirk/Spock is the assertion that Jim (specifically) is clearly a lover of women and has never taken a male lover in canon and so must be, therefore, purely heterosexual and uninterested in men. This is a bit of fallacy in an of itself because 1) of course we never saw Kirk take a male lover in any sort of obvious way, this was a show produced in the 60′s for godssake, 2) Kirk’s frequent and, presumably exclusive, taking of female lovers doesn’t necessarily exclude him from being able to find men attractive and enjoy romantic/physical relationships with them, 3) most of the time when Kirk would take a female lover it was to gain something for the purpose of a mission; only rarely was he actually indulging in sincere feeling or attraction.

All that said, there is an argument that Gary Mitchell might be the earliest precedent and indication that Kirk has taken at least one male lover before and, therefore, has a history of finding men physically and romantically attractive. Due to the attitudes of the time it’s purely speculation based on subtext and ambiguity, but one I’ll explore here as we learn more about Gary and Jim and their history together.

In any case, I will also add that sexuality is fluid and being attracted exclusively to one gender for most of one’s life doesn’t mean that one may never find themselves drawn to something different at some point. Even if Kirk had never taken a male lover, had never found men attractive in any way prior to Spock, it doesn’t mean that Spock couldn’t have been an exception. I would also assume at this point in earth’s social development that relationships of all kinds between consenting adults are accepted with much more open minds, that any bigotry that might keep someone from indulging in or owning up to a desire would no longer exist. Food for thought. Back to our regular programming.

The three men go to the bridge and take their respective places. Kirk orders neutral warp at the edge of the galaxy and puts out a ship-wide message that the disaster recorder came from the SS Valiant two hundred years ago, the hope being that more insight will eventually be granted to them as to what happened to said ship. Meanwhile, Spock continues to have no luck with the burnt out tapes.

The department heads arrive on the bridge as ordered and we meet Dr. Elizabeth Dehner, a psychiatrist that recently joined the crew. Sidenote: if the Enterprise was ever granted a psychiatrist to replace her after this episode (spoiler alert) they certainly aren’t part of the ‘department heads’ club as we never meet them- maybe due to the events of this episode, who knows, but I can at least hope the Enterprise continued to value the mental health of her crew members despite all that. I digress.

Spock announces that the recorder has finally begun to transmit something and Kirk steps up behind him at the science station because it’s absolutely 100% necessary to the mission. Completely. Because it’s not as if Kirk would probably have been able to hear him fine from his chair or anything.

(okay, this one is just me being a bit silly but STILL, really now, Jim)

Dr. Dehner expresses an interest in knowing how the crew of SS Valiant might have fared psychologically under the distress. Gary Mitchell expresses his respect of his female crewmen and women in senior positions of power by openly flirting with her in front of the crew and then, just as openly in front of the Captain, calling her a “walking freezer unit” when she doesn’t reciprocate. He even makes ‘ooo ice queen’ face at Kirk after she rebuffs him. Nowadays that would probably, hopefully, rightfully so be grounds for sexual harassment and something Kirk would’ve had a responsibility to shut down right then and there, but y’know. 60′s. Women in power are scary so we have to knock them down a peg.

Weird how Star Trek is meant to take place in a more open-minded, less bigoted, socially progressive time in our future, but is still sometimes a product of the generation it was produced in. I love it regardless, of course.

Anyway, Spock begins to relay the spotty transmitted information; apparently the Valiant encountered a magnetic storm and then, for reasons that are unclear, began frantically searching for information on ESP in humans. Kirk asks Dr. Dehner about this and she helpfully explains that some humans can indeed see future events, but that the ability is never very strong. Spock continues that one crewman seemed to have recovered and that was when the frantic search for ESP info began, followed by an apparent self-destruct order from the Captain. Unnerved by this, Kirk orders that they leave the galaxy at warp factor 1.

Unfortunately, a magnetic force field appears right about then and the two women on the bridge grab the hands of the men nearest to them because, obviously, right? 60′s. Gary and Dr. Dehner are struck by the magnetic surges while the rest of the bridges’ control panels get various levels of fucked up. Even still, the Enterprise makes it through the storm and Kirk orders Spock to collect damage reports (with a very necessary and much needed hand on his shoulder, naturally). He then checks on Dr. Dehner (who appears to be fine) and then Gary, whose head he lovingly cradles in his hands.

(This tender moment only goes on to show us that Gary has spooky tinfoil eyes now!!! Can’t even imagine how painful those archaic contacts must have been for the actor.)

Upon return from commercial break, Kirk informs the audience that the Enterprise’s main engines and warp drive have been fucked beyond use. He also has Spock checking out Gary and Dr. Dehner’s records for ESP ratings, only to see that they have some of the highest on the ship (these must be old records though because there’s no way those two are 23 and 21 years old, respectively, at the time of this episode- SORRY, BUT TRUE), concluding that this must be why they were shocked and lived to talk about it. Dr. Dehner returns with autopsy results on the deceased, informing that their brains were burned out with the electric shock. She also vehemently defends ESP ability against Kirk and Spock who are suspicious of whether or not ‘espers’ are dangerous.

Kirk then goes to check on Gary who’s been under medical observation and we’re granted a deeper insight into their friendship.

Gary somehow knows it’s Kirk before he sees him or allows him to say anything. He points out that Jim looks worried and Jim replies with a knowing smile, “I’ve been worried about you ever since that night on Deneb IV.” Gary laughs and looks down coquettishly. “Yeah, she was nova, that one.” The fact that we have no idea what they’re talking about and that this conversation barely makes any sense of is no real importance. We’re not supposed to understand. This is meant to feel like listening to two friends who’ve known each other so long and so well they’re almost speaking a shared, exclusive language about experiences and jokes only they understand. Gary talks some about his weird eyes and then he goes back to teasing Kirk. Apparently our strapping Captain was something of a bookworm nerd back in his academy days, who knew?? (His bookishness happens to be one of my favorite aspects of Kirk’s character and one that history so often forgets in favor of him being some kind of machoman womanizer- ugh) To this teasing Kirk responds with a blush that would rival that of a school girl with a crush on her teacher.

(tee hee OH GARY STOP IT)

Gary mentions how he “aimed that little blonde lab technician” at Kirk probably to distract him from being too tough in his student-teaching position, to which the latter responds with, “You what??!” “Yep. I outlined her whole campaign for her.” “I almost married her!” So, we know Kirk likes the intelligent types as much as he is one himself. Fascinating. (Sidenote: I personally headcanon that the “little blonde lab technician” was Ruth that Kirk ‘sees’ in Shore Leave, but that’s for another episode discussion) Gary warns Kirk to be good to him because he’s “getting even better ideas” now. He also has a forebodingly echo-y voice now to indicate to a wary Kirk that shit’s about to get real.

So, what’s the deal with Jim and Gary? Everything is played rather ambiguously between them, certainly in no small part to indicate to us, the audience, that they’re close and have been for years. To have them discuss blatantly spelled out exposition of their shared past would feel in-organic and I’m glad the Star Trek writers chose ambiguity for this reason. But this ambiguity, plus the sultry way Gary teases Kirk and the affectionate, bashful blushes and smiles he gets in return could easily indicate that their friendship may not be platonic (or perhaps it is now, but hasn’t always been- maybe there was some sexual exploration together at the academy and feelings due to this that Kirk never really shook). There’s subtext enough here to believe so, I think. I’ll leave it to the reader to decide whether or not Gary could qualify as one of the earliest indications that Jim may not be so immune to masculine charms as history would so direly like for us to believe.

Anyway, Kirk returns to the bridge to find Spock watching Gary’s superhuman reading speed that is ever increasing. Spock pointedly asks the rhetorical question, “Is that Gary Mitchell? The one you used to know?”. A rather...knowing question for a being that claims to not understand or experience emotions. Kirk orders a 24 hour watch on Sickbay and all the examinations and tests possible. Gary then looks over at the viewing screen, right at Kirk, as if to suggest he knows he’s being watched.

Back in Sickbay proper Dr. Dehner has arrived to...probably do an examination or something but she’s not coming off as 100% professional. Since she’s being a little bit more receptive now Gary reluctantly apologizes for having called her a “walking freezer unit” and she assures him that “women professionals do tend to overcompensate”. Once again, this has been obligatory misogyny thanks to the 60′s!!! This little song and dance continues between them as Gary changes the readings on his vitals panel and pretends to be dead (just to get Dr. Dehner close to him- smooth, buddy) and recites a love sonnet at random from memory (that was actually written by Roddenberry himself when he was an aviator- the more you know!).

It’s funny how het flirtation in this show is only different for being more blatant in dialogue and sometimes physicality. The acting choices, reactions, tone of voice, expressions, etc, are pretty much the same when the subtext suggests it’s two men flirting. Just saying.

Lt. Kelso comes in to check on Gary and Gary informs him exactly what’s wrong with the engine. Have you gathered yet that this guy has special powers now? Gee, I hope so, because it’s not as if the show has been making that abundantly clear.

The Department Heads once again meet in the...meeting room, I suppose, Lt. Kelso showing via a blown circuit that Gary was right somehow. Dr. Dehner is late because she’s apparently in love with Gary now to the point of throwing all sense of professionalism out the window; when Spock points out Gary is transforming into something unnatural, Dehner chides him for not showing more compassion despite those on his planet not having feelings like “we” do. Kirk naturally jumps to his defense and Dehner continues in her tirade, chiding Kirk also for not ‘caring more’ about his close friend. Kirk justifiably reminds her that he and Spock are just doing their damn jobs, lady, JESUS. Also what happened to the professional that wisely rebuffed Gary’s attempts to openly flirt with her in front of her colleagues back at the beginning of the episode? I’m more concerned about Dehner’s changing personality at this point, tbh.

It soon becomes clear that Dehner’s been withholding information about Gary’s abilities. Her defense for having done this is that maybe a superhuman man would be really great thing, guys, like a better kind of human being. There’s a long, awkward, uncomfortable pause while everyone in the room gawps at the fucked up eugenics bullshit she just spouted out and it’s kind of a glorious moment, honestly. Instead, offers Spock, Gary’s power will likely grow beyond their ability to thwart him and they will become a nuisance to him and who knows what kind of shit will go down then. Kirk dismisses his Department Heads with the instructions not to tell any of the crew about this.

Kirk solemnly wanders off to the side, lost in thought and no doubt conflicted about possibly having to watch someone he, well, loves (in what way is up to you) change into a monster. Spock, who can’t seem to go a minute of screentime without himself or some other character reminding us that he supposedly can’t feel or doesn’t understand earth emotions or whatever, stops dead in his tracks and slowly turns around to his Captain. Something has compelled him to stay back and continue talking to Kirk and it certainly wasn’t an order.

(the emotionless, stoic Vulcan who can supposedly feel nothing ever looks on concerned for his friend and captain. Does anyone in the crew really buy that no emotions story or-...?)

Spock basically restates what Kirk likely already knows (that Gary is dangerous, duh) and we also hear the first very important, vulnerable use of the name “Jim” instead of Captain. They’re alone, after all, and despite all protestations Spock knows how this affects his friend and cares about that. Deeply, perhaps. Even still, Spock isn’t one for soothing platitudes. He elects instead to remind Kirk of the facts of the situation and when he’s defensively asked to provide suggestions and not just state the obvious, Spock says they can basically maroon Gary on the planet they need the lithium crystals from or they can kill him. No pressure, Jim.

Kirk is upset by all of this so he tells Spock to “get out of here” and Spock insists that those are the choices, whether he likes it or not. “Would you try for one moment to feel?” Kirk rallies back, though he seems more sad than angry. “At least act like you’ve got a heart...we’re talking about Gary...” Spock says that the Captain of the Valiant probably felt the same way- and look at where the waiting got him! Spock also says he thinks he and Kirk probably came to the same conclusion. From the look on Kirk’s face we can assume Spock is right about that.

It’s interesting in this scene that the one thing we already know Kirk finds endearing about Spock -his defensive need for logic in any situation- is the one thing that irritates him enough here to throw back in Spock’s face when he presents the cold hard facts about their situation. However, we as the audience should know by now that the fact Spock was affected and moved enough by Kirk’s mood to stay back and talk to him in private indicates that he does care a great deal. What’s more, that logical perspective, rather than some simpering “poor you” sympathy speech, is exactly what Kirk needed to get his head back in the game and do what needed to be done.

This is the part where I’d go so far as to say Spock has been a better friend (boyfriend, in time) to Kirk than Gary probably ever was. Granted, most of what we’ve seen of Gary thus far has been under the influence of the evil tinfoil eyes, but we do know that Gary was one for toying with Kirk’s emotions to get him to behave a certain way (the “little blonde lab technician”). Gary is even more charismatic than Kirk and one gets the impression he knew what to say to get what he wanted long before the powers. Perhaps Gary was good at telling Kirk what he wanted to hear. Spock tells Kirk what he needs to hear and cares enough about him to bother.

In any case, the decision is made; Kirk will attempt to maroon Gary on the uninhabited lithium mining planet. He, Spock and Dr. Dehner return to Sickbay to retrieve him and Gary has become as cocky as he is powerful. He can read thoughts now so when Kirk asks him what he’d do in this position, Gary says, “Probably just what Spock is thinking now. Kill me, while you still can.” He smiles knowingly as Kirk goes and gives Spock a reproachful, sort of scolding head shake, but no sooner does Kirk come back that Gary strikes him with some kind of electric shock. Was this manipulative little smile just a result of evil tin foil eyes or was this some of a rivalry with Spock resurfacing? Hard to say for sure, as we don’t know much about Gary Mitchell prior to the evil powers.

Once Kirk is struck, Spock, the emotionless Vulcan who we can only assume has no impulse to act on, jumps quickly into action with his phaser because like hell you’re going to strike the Captain and get away with it. He too is struck.

(omg so emotionless, you guys)

Gary goes on some more about how powerful he is and how he needs the right world for his ends when Spock and Kirk somehow take him by surprise and restrain him to the bed (despite the fact that he’s supposed to have super perception and strength, but the plot needs to move after all). They also manage to somehow get him to stand up straight for the transporter despite being unconscious but, again, whatever.

Everyone beams down and Gary is put in a cell while attempts are made to salvage parts for the engines. Gary attempts some carefully worded manipulation on Kirk, recalling the time he intercepted some poison darts aimed at Kirk and nearly died from it, so why should he fear him now? Kirk calls Gary out on his true intentions and the ego that’s grown along with his powers betrays him when he attempts to launch out beyond the electric barrier. The shock drains his power and for a moment he returns to normal.

As Gary’s eyes return to their familiar brown, he says in a very small, soft, almost frightened voice, “Jim...” and we’re granted a much more vulnerable insight into the depth of his feelings for his friend. Perhaps there was some amount of manipulation to their relationship all along, exacerbated now by the god-like powers, but in this very brief moment we’re allowed to believe that perhaps Gary really did care for Jim in a sincere way as Jim so obviously cares for him. Masterful acting, that.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t last. When Gary’s eyes change back he hisses, “I’ll only get stronger. You know that, don’t you?”. Later, Scotty informs Kirk that the salvaged switchboard fits the Enterprise’s bridge and asks if Spock received the phaser rifle he ordered down. Kirk is confused for a moment until Spock shows up with the aforementioned rifle and he’s angered by this. He stomps over to a corner, followed by Spock who explains his reasoning in that Gary keeps getting closer to escaping the force field.

“Dr. Dehner thinks he isn’t that dangerous, what makes you right and a trained psychiatrist wrong?” Kirk argues.

“Because she feels, I don’t. All I know is logic. In my opinion we’d be lucky if we could repair this ship and get away in time.”

Kirk checks on the now completed self-destruct button that Lt. Kelso has rigged up. He shares a long look with Spock before reluctantly ordering the lieutenant to press the button if Mitchell escapes and there’s no other alternative.

This conversation between them is interesting because they’re essentially both avoiding the truths of their respective situations. Kirk sounds not unlike Dr. Dehner did when she was arguing for Gary’s innocence; desperate, emotional, smart enough to know better but compromised enough to convince herself differently. Of course, her arguments were fueled by romantic affection and Kirk’s could easily just be that of a strong platonic bond but...the fact that there’s a parallel between them is interesting.

Meanwhile, the audience should be well aware by now that Spock is quite capable of feeling and acts on those feelings and impulses more than he’d like to admit. I think on some level he and Kirk both know this, so arguing that he “doesn’t feel” wouldn’t really be a convincing argument in this case for someone who knows him so well, if it was meant literally. I think what is really being said here is that Spock isn’t so deeply emotionally compromised by Gary, whereas Kirk and Dr. Dehner are (but not both romantically? Hard to believe). Spock can see and own the difficult truth of the situation where Kirk cannot, or, rather, will not.

Unfortunately this plan doesn’t work out because Gary becomes wise and takes control of some wires to strangle and kill Lt. Kelso. Back at the cell Dr. Dehner continues to argue that he isn’t dangerous and Gary 100% backs her up on this by electrocuting and knocking out Kirk, and then Spock (who of course tries to shoot him with the phaser rifle after he dares to harm the captain). Dr. Dehner finally joins Gary and reveals that she, too, now has tinfoil eyes. SPOOKY.

Later, the not-McCoy doctor comes to tend to the unconscious Kirk and Spock. Kirk wakes first but asks that the doctor not revive Spock until after he’s left to go after Gary- further evidence to the fact that Kirk is well aware Spock feels and acts on something other than logic, particularly where his Captain’s well-being is concerned; either Spock would try to stop him or come with him for protection, but either way Kirk isn’t risking it.

Elsewhere on the planet Dehner and Gary are meandering around exchanging awkward dialogue, making the artificial plant section of Hobby Lobby appear around them and eating fruit and drinking water because apparently despite having god-like powers they still need the essentials to survive. Kirk does a poor job of hunting them from the shadows; they don’t need god-like extra perception to hear Kirk stumbling around, knocking over rocks and otherwise letting the whole planet know of what he’s doing. Gary tells Dehner to go talk to him so she can see “just how unimportant they are”.

The conversation that ensues is the kind that really elevates and defines Star Trek where it is in the pop culture subconscious, one that makes it more than just space people in space doing space things, a layer of complexity that I think has been lost in the translation to the frankly horrific ‘rebooted’ series (my opinion, your mileage may vary). Dehner insists that what Gary is doing is right for her and him and other powerful Espers like them, they are where it will take humanity eons to reach in evolution, but Kirk insists this isn’t true. Though Gary may have ‘god-like’ powers, he still has his inner human frailties and demons that his growing ego won’t resist. A true God needs compassion and wisdom to temper those powers. He begs Dehner to think about this like a psychiatrist would- logically, perhaps? Indeed, Kirk is pulling from that logical need Spock has aptly reminded him of.

Gary finds them again and physically forces Kirk to ‘pray’ to him while assuring him of his inevitable death. Kirk challenges Dehner in asking her if she likes what she’s seeing, “corrupt power corrupting absolutely”. She decidedly does not and finally strikes Gary with her own powers to stop him. He strikes back and weakens her significantly, but she’s done the same to him and this gives Kirk and opportunity to show off his infamous fighting skills, get his shirt ripped open, and straddle his probable former lover in the sand. Not the first time he’ll have borderline erotic fight like this with another man. In the end, he manages to trap and I guess kill Gary in the burial plot made for him. A strategically placed boulder is all that’s needed to stop god-like powers, I’ll have to jot that one down.

(there’s no good reason for this picture other than Shatner was a really hot piece of ass back then and I like to appreciate that from time to time)

The fight has weakened Dehner too much and she dies too, as I clumsily alluded to happening earlier in this write up.

Kirk returns to the ship and adds Dehner and Gary to the list of official losses and ends their service records with the honorable notation that they gave their lives in performance of their duties. Spock, looking concerned, seems to sense the difficulty in this for Kirk and comes to stand silently beside him- a subtle gesture of support and condolence, and it would seem sufficient at that, but then he goes on to assure Kirk that, “I felt for him too” where concerned Gary’s helplessness to the power.

Kirk seems a little stunned at the confession, but the smirk that follows says that he isn’t surprised and is furthermore pleased that Spock would openly admit what he already knows so well. “I believe there is some hope for you yet, Mr. Spock,” he subtly teases with a private grin and knowing look. Spock smiles too, but not until he’s looking forward where no one can really see, not even his Captain.

Certainly there’s a message in this episode about how absolute power needs morality and compassion in equal measure, but there’s also an interesting disparity between Kirk’s two closest ‘friends’. Even before the god-like powers, Gary is very charismatic and knows exactly what to say to make Kirk grin and blush and giggle, whereas Spock is very honest, straightforward, and no nonsense. Gary seems as if he was always emotionally an open book, whereas Spock for many reasons comes across as emotionally unavailable (even if that isn’t really true).

Assuming that there was perhaps a romantic, sexual history with Gary and Jim, it would be a natural assumption that Gary allowed Kirk ‘close’ to him pretty early on, though I think the genuineness of that relationship is difficult to really call for sure. Certainly there was a strong bond between them that I don’t doubt the honesty of, but I get the distinct impression that Gary probably did a lot in the way of bait and switch, reeling Kirk in and then pushing him back out when it suited him, manipulating him from time to time.

Spock, meanwhile, is the exact opposite. Not very charismatic, tells Jim what he needs to hear rather than what he wants to, insists despite the bond growing between them and the feelings and impulses that he acts on that he can’t feel. Or rather, won’t admit that he does. Perhaps this has created something of a frustrating barrier for Jim, always feeling as if he’s distant from Spock where Gary would let him in so readily.

However by the end, it becomes clear that despite his insistence to the contrary, Spock is the more devoted, the more caring, the more dependable ‘friend’, and maybe Kirk has decided he is more than willing to go the extra mile, however long it takes, to help Spock coax down those walls if he so wishes to further their bond...in whatever form that may take.

Thanks for joining me on this long ass study of Where No Man Has Gone Before. I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts and feelings on the episode, what I’ve made of it, things I may have missed, etc. HMU!

Join me next time for a similarly long write-up and subtext evaluation of The Corbomite Manuever.

#star trek tos #spirk #space husbands #captain kirk #spock #subtext study #slash #come hop aboard the uss kirk is pansexual headcanon ship #season one #episode one #where no man has gone before

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