#otp: i knew i'd like you

[frostysfrenzy]

Rewatching Holiday and how am I just noticing Sam kiss Daniel's forehead when he's in Machello's body! She! The bond! She's so happy to have him awake for a few minutes and so determined to get him back I love them so much

[runefactorynonsense]

Cozytober - Day 25 - Sunflowers

[supermarine-silvally]

Yara, have you met Garp, Dadan and other people of Aces past?

"He says he wants to introduce me someday, but we'll see, I suppose."

Ask Yara (or any of my OCs) anything!

[musical-chick-13]

Also I want to point out that there ARE some horrible women in fiction that I genuinely don't like. Like the girl from fucking Oreshura.

[flightofaqrow]

tag refresh, relationships ( ‘+’ is platonic, ‘x’ or ‘ship name’ is romantic/sexual, ‘branwen twins’ is face value lol )

[its-chelisey-stuff]

Me, going into the EAW tag to reblog some amazing gifsets from the latest ep:

Me, after seeing the mess, the theories and people fearing the worst for the remaining 3 eps:

[norrisleclercf1]

Heyy! Before you read my request I just wanted to tell you that your writing is LEGIT AMAZING and you deserve all the followers and love. (Also i hope the following is clear enough to understand♡♡)

Prompit list:

Stay with me tonight

Scene:

15. Wanting to spend each second with each other, soaking in the feel of each other's presence

Dialogue:

16."I'd do anything for you."

Prompit list:

cozy and content -prompts for your otp cuddling in bed

Playing with their hair and "your hair smells nice..."

With Nico Rosberg

A/N: Nicooooooo I'm so happy with this request because it's fluffy and also the first time I'm writing for him

"I have to go home, Nico." Your boyfriend puffs out his cheeks, pouting at your words. "Noooo, stay please." Making his eyes wide you stare at him. You really do want to stay the night, not wanting to leave him.

He can see the hesitation on your face and smirks. "You know you want to stay." Huffing you let him pull you back down. Getting adjusted on the bed his head lays on your chest, snuggled in tight to you. "Well when you pout like that, I'd do anything for you." Nico chuckles at your words, he knew that pouting would work.

The two of you watch the stupid dating show, just enjoying each other's comfort and silence. You can't help but start to play with Nico's hair. You've always loved this blonde locks, hell when you two shower together you love to wash it.

Nico sighs, leaning into your hand. The soft tugs and scratches has him drifting off, but your words have him waking up again. "Your hair is always so soft, and your hair smells nice." Turning his head he smiles as you.

"I used your shampoo." Snorting you laugh seeing his cheeky smile, laying his head back down. "Such a dork." "Yes, but I'm your dork. Forever."

[archonfurina]

why do you ship neuvifuri? /g this ship is just lost on me because i didn’t read any of their interactions as romantic — i just wanna understand why it’s such a popular ship 😭😭😭

Hii okay so I don't usually like 'defending' my otp but because you seem to genuinely want to know I'll answer. But I'm also curious if you ship anyone in Fontaine because none of them had any romantic interactions. Least of all Neuvillette. But anyway, the following are my own opinions and I can't say if everyone else sees them the same way.

I put off doing Fontaine questline for months, because I had lost interest in Genshin so I missed all fandom reactions etc, I don't know how popular whatever ships are. When I finally played it, I was neutral about things until the final archon quest. When that Focalors cutscene happened with Neuvillette, my eyes kinda opened. I shipped them first before Neuvifuri. His openly shocked/upset/devastated reactions to her were something new, since he hardly emoted before and we hadn't really seen his feelings. And the way he talked about Furina to Focalors, with so much concern and care for her because she's only human with such a huge burden. So then I went on my other account and replayed the whole questline to record it for gifs, because I'd fallen in love with Furina and her story.

They ruled Fontaine together for 400 years. Furina called Neuvillette to serve as the Iudex (though it was Focalors' idea), and Furina taught him to love humanity and open himself up to people. He's like her familiar the way Dvalin is Venti's and Yae Miko is Ei's. Whether it's platonic or romantic, they're each other's most important person and they love and care for each other. In the AQ, Neuvillette becomes increasingly frustrated with Furina because she isn't letting him in and is being secretive. Yet he keeps closing his eyes (literally, in some cases) to Furina's pain, like he's done for hundreds of years.

Neuvillette is enchanted by Furina's performances on stage, and wanted her to return there in Furina's story quest, and said his appreciation of her was always genuine and he wishes she knew that. Even in his voice line about her he says if she were to return to the stage, he would attend the performance and give her his heartfelt applause.

He gave her a special vision, possibly the first vision since he gained his full powers. If you look closer, it has dragon claws on it.

In the AQ, Furina fooling the heavenly principles wouldn't have worked without Neuvillette. He forgave the people of Fontaine and together they prevented the prophecy. Even though it was all Focalor's plan, and Furina did the hardest part, if Furina hadn't made Neuvillette care for the people it wouldn't have worked.

Immediately after the AQ when Furina had to leave Palais Mermonia, he got her a new apartment, and he said he will provide her with food, clothing, travel, whatever she wants. Meanwhile Furina's voice lines say it's been a while since she went to the Palais and that she thinks it's better for the both of them. Ouch. She's even avoiding him in Liyue.

There's insane angst and potential for a tragic ship. Furina lied to him for centuries, and now thinks it's better if they don't meet. She was incredibly lonely yet she couldn't confide in him, her closest friend. She's now mortal as well, whereas Neuvillette is a dragon. So she can actually get hurt, and die.

Plus they're beautiful together. They have matching color schemes, height difference, they have amazing synergy in combat. Their in-game abilities complement each other. Like they were made for each other.

[honeysucklethornsandalligtrhorns]

for the fandom ask game! 1. yr fave otp from tma/tmagp ? and 2. what do you like the most about gerry and michael ?

WAHHHH SORRY I DIDNT SEE THIS I SUCK AT CHECKING MY INBOX :'cc

1- my otp from tma... that's definitely a hard one to answer. obviously i'm a huge nerd for jmart/simswood, but i also adore terminal velocity, like, wayyy more than i should. and doorkeay has been growing on me a lot recently... but basira and daisy have such an interesting dynamic... ughhh lol there's too many!! for tmagp, tho, i'd have to say dyhard. LETS GO LESBIANS >:DDD

2- honestly, i adore their opposite aesthetics. dark goth meets a literal kaleidoscope... it makes the fanart SO fun. i also love how they're the same but opposite-- michael basically knew nothing about the fears, was under the impression that gertrude was harmless and that the world was safe and normal, and then got killed/eaten by the most abnormal, otherworldly, mind-bending sect of a fear. Gerry always knew the fears, had basically grown up with them; he knew how dangerous Gertrude was and, similarly, how fucked up the world was; and yet, his death came from something as ultimately human as brain cancer. they're such an intriguing duo.

[chrysalis-the-butterfly]

Can you do Alastor please 🥺

Yep!

Send me a character and I’ll list:

Favourite thing about them: The radio filter on his voice! I'm a sucker for characters with artificial voice filters like that. And his disdain for "frivolous television technology" is amusing.

I recently rewatched the first episode of Hazbin Hotel with my dad, and he liked Alastor's radio filter too. (Yes, my dad watched some of Hazbin Hotel. And he decided it was "a bit too out there" for him.)

Least favourite thing about them: His design, I think. Yes, the creepy smile that never leaves his face is a nice touch, but that bob? It does nothing for me.

Favourite line: It's a close tie between, "Do you like blood, violence, and depravity of a sexual nature? Of course you do! That's why you're in Hell!" and, "Well, my dear, I haven't been active in Hell for some time, and everyone remembers me from my radio show! The proper medium to express oneself! But you insisted on this ... noisy picture box advertisement. So I had a little fun with it."

brOTP: I like his friendships with Mimzy and Rosie. The fact that he and Mimzy knew each other when they were alive is really interesting. And I can see how he and Rosie would bond over their shared fondness for cannibalism.

Plus, I just think it's funny that Alastor has been building this platonic girl gang around him. He's asexual, but also a chick magnet.

OTP: I don't really have one for Alastor. He's definitely ace, and he might be aro too, and I have yet to see a character that's made me go, "Ooh, I'd love to see what would happen if they were in a romantic relationship with Alastor."

But if I had to pick an OTP ... maybe RadioRose? Two cannibalistic Overlords causing chaos together? That would be pretty neat.

Actually, what about RadioStatic? The fact that the normally cool and collected Vox can be made to completely malfunction because of Alastor has piqued my interest. Maybe they were dating years ago, and then something went wrong. Or maybe they had a business partnership, and Vox wanted it to become something more, and Alastor just wasn't feeling it. Yes, Vox has Valentino now, but maybe there's a part of him that still pines for Alastor - which would be ironic, considering that Alastor has little to no interest in him.

nOTP: Charlastor. I prefer them having a "twisted mentor and innocent mentee" relationship, rather than a romantic one. Given that Alastor has positioned himself as a father figure to Charlie (albeit just to annoy Lucifer), it would be weird to think of them dating.

Random headcanon: Alastor has zero artistic ability. He once tried to paint portraits of the Hazbin Hotel staff and residents as part of an art therapy exercise, but they all look cursed. Or like cats. Or like cursed cats.

Unpopular opinion: Sorry, Alastor stans, I can't get on the hype train with this guy. Not yet, anyway.

I like characters that have a mixture of the known and the mysterious - that is, you know enough about them from the canon material that there are traits you can identify and latch onto, but there are also some things left up to interpretation for you to muse over.

Right now, Alastor's just a bit too mysterious for me. Is he going to be an ally? Is he going to be an enemy? I can't decide whether I like him because I don't know enough about him.

By contrast, I already know lots about Angel Dust, and I like what I've seen so far. And there are still things I don't know about him, such as how he met Valentino, that I can speculate on, which I find fun. That's why Angel is my blorbo and Alastor isn't.

Song I associate with them: "Love ka?" (a.k.a. "Rabuka") by Hiiragi Kirai and Ado. Particularly this Yokune Ruko cover. I see it as a RadioStatic song, because the lyrics are about sharks (Vox likes sharks, doesn't he?) and about bugs (which would fit with Vox glitching out).

The ending lyrics translate as, "These putrid 'love you,' 'love you,' 'love yous' have already fallen to the ground and died out. If you don't like what you found within your reach, maybe you should stop looking." That sounds like something Alastor would say to Vox.

Favourite picture of them:

[frostysfrenzy]

This has probably been said somewhere and rightfully so but I'm just gonna say it. Sam being there with Daniel in the gamekeeper is so so important to me. She wants to help. She feels his pain. She's completely supportive and her reactions. Her reactions! It's all on her face the whole time, subtly. Watching her best friends worst nightmare and she's completely helpless. But she understands him even more

[melancholic-pigeon]

Do you have any personal Jason or Thundersibs headcanons?

—

I promised I'd get to it~

So, you had no way of knowing this, so this isn't meant to insult you at all! I just find it hilarious, because asking *me specifically* if I have any headcanons about Jason or the Grace siblings is a bit like asking if I have a pulse 🤣 I love them, especially Jason, and I think Jason especially is WILDLY underappreciated.

i'm a huge sucker for foils, so I keyed into Jason being Percy's right away and immediately adored him. ;; They've been my OTP for about a decade now (holy shit 😂). I could blather about them for ages and ages, but I'll give the highights for now:

Jason would rather be a nurse than an MD.

His comfort action is holding hands—he frequently grabs someone's hand for reassurance in the books!—and it's because Thalia used to hold his hand when he was little (also in the books).

He's very physically affectionate in general, which I think is partly a holdover from being raised by wolves.

His fatal flaw is either love, acceptance, or chivalry, and I can't decide which because I can see cases for all three.

Thalia was immediately soft towards Annabeth because Annabeth reminded her so much of Jason. ;;

There's also the spoilery ones for The Burning Maze...

I am *convinced* that Uncle Rick knew Jason was going to die from the moment of his conception as a character.

there are multiple references to his impending doom throughout The Lost Hero; it's like the gods are the only ones who can see the clock over his head

his first weapon ever was a coin. "Sorry about dooming you, kiddo, this one's on us." (you can thank slash wail at @simha-nakshatra for that one 😭)

Jason is Percy's foil. Percy's arc was learning that he DIDN'T have to sacrifice his life for his friends. Of COURSE Jason's arc was learning that he had the strength to. ;_;

oh and multiple references to stabbing/spearing through the back specifically.

I'll leave it here for now but P L E A S E always feel free to come wail at me about Jason and Thalia AAAAH

[theartoflovingthomashunt]

Happy New Year!

[All Thomas Hunt x Alex Spencer Masterlists] [Red Carpet Diaries]

Pairing: Thomas Hunt x Alex Spencer (F!OC) Book: Red Carpet Diaries Word Count: ~450 Rating: General: no warnings, just fluff Prompts: New Year's Eve @choicesficwriterscreations & @choicesholidays ; first kiss in the new year @choicesjanuary2024

Synopsis: Alex and Thomas spend New Year's Eve at a Charity gala.

This incredibly gorgeous portrait of my OTP is by the amazing ArtbyAinna (Insta). I've been holding onto this art for almost 2 years. I can't even begin to express how much I love this piece. It is one of my favorites of them ever. It's so tender and soft and romantic and it's so very, very much them. I truly can't thank Ainna enough for bringing this vision to life.

The ballroom gleamed with soft hues of gold, set against brilliant black. Flickers of gold twinkled like stars in the night upon the ceiling. The shimmering decor exuded elegance, while the subdued lighting provided a warm, inviting ambiance for the luxurious New Year’s Eve charity gala. The event began with a cocktail reception, followed by a charity auction, and finally, a countdown to the New Year celebration.

While most of the guests let loose near the bar or on the dance floor, moving to the beats of a famed DJ he had never heard of, Thomas and Alex found themselves drawn to a quieter corner, avoiding the boisterous revelry. The strands of lights behind them warmed them with their golden glow, a serene environment for the pair to lose themselves together while the year ticked away.

Their movements were slow and graceful as the pair swayed to a melody of their own. Thomas held Alex close in his gentle embrace, his hands resting softly on the small of her back. Alex’s arms circled around his neck as she nestled her head on his shoulder. Her eyes closed, relaxing in the comfort of his arms. She knew if it were up to him, he would have left the second the auction had ended, perhaps even before, had they accepted his offer to purchase a few pieces before the event. But still, he was here with her—because of her. A radiant smile spread across her lips; there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her, but that feeling was mutual.

“I love you,” she whispered softly. She tipped her head slightly, her gaze meeting his.

His lips brushed gently against her forehead, placing a tender, lingering kiss. “I love you, too, my Alex.”

The cheers of celebration grew louder, the countdown to the New Year beginning.

“Would you like to join in?” He questioned, though his arms remained warmly around her.

“I have everything I need right here.”

“I could not agree more.”

They leaned in, their lips meeting in a tender kiss even before the countdown was completed.

As cheers of “Happy New Year” filled the space, the pair stayed together, locked in a loving embrace. No matter what the future held, as long as they were together, they would make it through.

“Ready to go?” Alex whispered when they parted. She held her hand toward him.

"Almost." He couldn't resist stealing one more kiss. It was the first of many kisses to follow, but it was enough for now “Happy New Year, my love”

"Happy New Year, Thomas!"

He laced his fingers with hers, guiding her out of the ballroom, without a glance back toward the party, still in full strength. All they needed was each other, their children safely asleep at home, and their beloved black lab.

As much as I'd love to hold onto it, I feel like it's time to share it with the world. I know Thomas and Alex aren't a popular pairing but I appreciate any and all support of them now and always.They will always be the couple that I hold closest to my heart.

[flightofaqrow]

tag refresh, ships

(reminder that ‘+’ denotes platonic dynamic)

[your-name-is-jim]

What a Kirk/Spock shipper sees in a Kirk/Female-Love-Interest story [PART 1/2]

[Part 2]

This is a pretty long post in two parts, so I hope you'll find it interesting. Don't worry, I shared a lot of pictures too! :)

First of all, what is it about?

An analysis about a 32-pages comic published in 2020 by IDW Publishing. More specifically, I'm talking about the Valentine's Day special from the comics series Star Trek: Year Five that I recommended here. The title of this story is Captains of Sea and War, and this is the official summary:

"James T. Kirk has had many loves during his mission among the stars, but this time he may have met his match in fellow Starfleet Captain Laura Rhone."

As I said in my review of Star Trek: Year Five, this Valentine's Day special is not linked to anything else in the main comics series. That means it can be read alone or, on the contrary, it can be skipped if you're only interested in the series (where Kirk doesn't have love interests, by the way).

Do I recommend this comic issue?

It depends on your preference! Just like the rest of Star Trek: Year Five series, the art is great and so is the characterization, at least most of the times. Jim is written as a romantic book lover and definitely not as a womanizer. However, if you only ship Kirk/Spock or you're not into Kirk romance with women in general, I believe you should avoid wasting your time and money. Just read my analysis if you're curious! :)

Why am I talking about this? And why as a Kirk/Spock shipper?

Good question. The short answer is that I read this comic and I have a lot of thoughts about it.

The long answer is that I love TOS Kirk and I'm interested in him as a character, romantic scenarios included. Since Kirk/Spock is my OTP, I can't suddenly take my slash goggles off, so I already knew before reading this comic that I'm not exactly the target audience and nothing is ever going to convince me that Spock isn't The One for Kirk. However, it was an interesting reading in multiple ways, so I'd like to say why!

I want to be 100% clear about my Kirk/Spock preference because even if I will try to talk objectively about the comic to a certain degree, this analysis is biased; if you don't like Kirk/Spock, this is NOT the post for you. That said, you may not see the point in a K/S shipper writing an analysis about a romance between Kirk and a female character, but… well, unless someday they'll release official Kirk/Spock comics, this is all we have.

There are two reasons why I read this story despite being pretty much a monoshipper when it comes to Kirk:

I had already read the main comics series and I liked it a lot, so I wanted to give this special a try.

I thought it was probably going to be okay, because in my headcanon Kirk and Spock don't actually get together until The Motion Picture. Kirk has a lot of love interests before that movie, so adding another one doesn't really bother me. It turned out (as I'll mention later) that I wasn't completely right about the era, but I take Star Trek comics as "extras", so I just ignore what I don't like.

Note: this analysis contains SPOILERS from the entire Valentine's Day special.

However, it does not contain spoilers from the main Star Trek: Year Five comics series. So, if you're planning to read that one, you're safe here! Just avoid this post if you don't want spoilers about the Valentine's Day issue.

Okay, are you ready? Let's go!

So, Jim is on shore leave with Bones. As you can see, the moment a pretty woman gets close to them, Bones leaves, because he's a great friend :)

We already know from the summary that the woman who talks to Jim is Captain Laura Rhone. Now, I'm already going to stop here to take a moment to at least appreciate the creators' effort: as someone interested in fictional writing, I must admit that creating a Valentine's Day special in 2020 about James T. Kirk finding love is an extremely hard task, to put it mildly. Seriously, if it can't be Spock (or the Enterprise :P), how the hell do you even do it? Are you going to give Jim another woman-of-the-week who's going to die? Another blond white woman? Another woman who forces him to choose between her and his ship? Or, on the contrary, a woman who'll choose for him and break up because she knows he wants the Enterprise?

NO.

Star Trek TOS was made in the 1960s, but we're in the 2020s now. Fans are tired to see always the same tropes with female love interests, and some of those tropes are just very outdated. So what does this comic do? Well, first of all, fixing what didn't work in Turnabout Intruder. Oh, let me get this straight: overall, I like Turnabout Intruder. I love the canon bodyswap, and I lost count of how many times I quoted "You are closer to the Captain than anyone in the universe" in my Kirk/Spock fan-fictions. However, there's no way that in the 2020s we're going to believe that a positive future means this:

In the Valentine's Day comic, Janice Lester still exists (she's mentioned once in a dialogue), but since Laura Rhone is a very good Starfleet captain around the same time, I believe we're now supposed to think that Janice was one crazy person who was never going to become a captain because of her personality and behavior, not because she's a woman. This is actually how I've always liked to mentally re-write this part of Turnabout Intruder in my head, because that's how I want to imagine it.

Anyway, back to the comic. Captain Laura Rhone is on shore leave too; she recognizes Captain James T. Kirk and she decides to introduce herself to him. She's very straightforward about her interest in him, so we immediately see that part of her personality.

Of course, the two captains can't enjoy their shore leave until the end. I'm posting this part to appreciate Bones in his beach clothes and Laura's very loyal Andorian officer who slips ("Laura! I mean, Ma'am!") when she sees her Captain in danger and oh whoops now I ship them. She doesn't remind me of anyone, I don't know what you're talking about.

Anyway, wrong ship. I'm obviously not following what the story is trying to tell me, because this is what happens next:

Just a moment to appreciate sleeping Jim. Cute.

So, after that night together, Jim and Laura don't see each other for 6 months. They meet again when the Drake, Laura's starship, has a battle against a group of space pirates and the Enterprise intervenes without consulting Laura first. Laura and Jim have a slight fight about that, but Jim apologizes, and it ends with them in bed again.

After that, because Jim is a romantic man, not a womanizer, and thank goodness the creators of this comic know, Jim asks Laura on a date. As they're walking together on a planet, Laura points out that they're doing things in the wrong order. Jim's reply is rather interesting: he asks her if they need to know what they're doing, and if there has to be a shape or a meaning to it. It's the first sign that even if they're both obviously attracted to each other, Jim is unsure about the kind of relationship he wants with her. When I think about his previous experiences, I believe it makes sense. He may be a romantic at heart, but he suffered so much for love that I can see why he's trying to be careful. There's also another reason, more related to the time this story takes place, which is a few months before the end of Jim's five-year mission. We see it here:

Ah, yes, a typical first date conversation: what Spock talks about. Well done, Jim. Saying "a friend of mine" doesn't make it less obvious; I did my Star Trek homework and I know you're quoting the basis of Vulcan philosophy to her :D

(Of course, now I won't stop imagining Jim casually mentioning Spock during every single date he has with someone… That would explain why his love stories never last…)

On a serious note, as I was working on this analysis I realized something extremely interesting about the context of Jim's lines. Jim is mentioning IDIC when he's questioning his future as a starship captain. He remembers that Spock talks about Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, but Jim can only do one job. However, what will Spock tell him someday, right next to an IDIC flag?

Now, I don't know if the people who worked on the Valentine's Day comic really thought about this, but I think it's still, well, fascinating that Jim is using Spock's words to think about his own future, but he's following the wrong direction. I believe it's also worth pointing out that Spock will tell Jim that commanding a starship is his "first, best destiny" years after finding his own place in the universe. On the contrary, during the time this comic takes place, Spock is busy with his own inner distress.

Anyway, that's enough Spock for now. Back to Jim's first date with Laura…

So, I started this analysis with a question: how the hell do you write a love story with TOS Kirk in 2020? This is the way this comic tries to answer: you create a female character just like him.

Okay, they look cute together. Laura loves being a starship captain! She loves reading! And dancing! And climbing!

Wait, wait, wait. I appreciate the inclusion of Jim Kirk's canon hobbies. I really do! But aren't we forgetting one?

This is interesting. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but this makes me think that they didn't want Laura to have something in common with Spock. Spock is the character who plays chess the most in TOS, so I can see why the creators of the comic didn't want the readers to think about Spock instead of thinking about Jim's girlfriend. That would be too bad, huh? :)

There's also horseback riding missing, but that doesn't appear until the movies, so even if I personally believe that a farm boy like Jim learned how to ride horses when he was young, I can see why they skipped it in this comic. It's also mostly associated to another love interest (Antonia from Generations), but if this is the reason they didn't want to show Jim and Laura riding a horse, I'm just going to think even more that the lack of chess is suspicious, and they're counting Spock as one of the "girlfriends".

On the other hand, since horseback riding is associated to starship captains in TOS and TNG (I don't know about the other Star Trek TV series because I haven't watched them yet), I think it would have been a good idea to have one panel with Jim and Laura riding.

That said, if I had to make a guess about the real reason the comic doesn't show horses… I'm a doctor writer, not an artist, but I believe that drawing horses can be a pain in the ass, so in this comic they just didn't bother haha

Anyway, back to the plot! As I said, Jim and Laura's personalities are very alike. Of course, that doesn't mean they're perfect for each other, but I admit that this premise made me curious when I read this comic. Let's find out if it works out!

I'm posting this picture because of the book Laura is holding: first of all, this is where the title of this story, Captains of Sea and War, comes from. But it's also important to remember the book. You'll see why in Part 2. :)

So, two months later, Jim and Laura trust each other as captains without even talking:

We see Laura's other friend, probably her first officer, trying to warn her, just as Spock does on the Enterprise. I'm taking a little moment to appreciate "Noted, adored, and ignored, Commander", because it's really sweet. Imagine Jim telling this to Spock :D

So, the captains are right, and everything is good, because…

Okay, okay, wait a minute.

Apparently, one of the good things of this relationship is that Jim and Laura make a good team together. They don't even need to communicate to understand each other during a mission. Now… I don't even need to put my K/S goggles on to say that Jim and Spock are canonically one of the best teams in Starfleet, if not The best team. You don't need to ship them to know how many times they understand each other without words in the series, how many times they make plans and just know what the other will do, how many times Spock hears/sees someone that should be Jim and just knows something is wrong, and so on. Of course, as a Kirk/Spock shipper, reading in a Valentine's Day special that making a good team is good for Jim's love life makes me happy!

"Yep. All that sex didn't go to waste."

Jim. Jim. Are you saying that you and Laura are a good team in Starfleet because you had a lot of sex? I'm not even going to say what this makes me think as a K/S shipper… Did I say that Kirk and Spock are the best team? :D

Okay, okay, maybe it's not the same. Because Spock is a man, and Jim isn't attracted to men… right?

Ahem. I lost my mind when I read this for the first time, and I'm going to lose it again.

"There don't seem to have been many ladies in your life. Gentlemen, either." "Well, I've been busy."

Now, let's be honest here: Laura's lines didn't have to be phrased that way. We know Jim likes women, so even nowadays nobody would bat an eye at "there don't seem to have been many ladies in your life"; and if you're the writer of a very heterosexual comic who wants to avoid K/S shippers like me thinking "hehehe, because Jim has a man in his life", you can still write something neutral like "there don't seem to have been many lovers/romantic partners in your life". Or just a generic "it looks like you haven't been on many dates lately".

Laura mentioning "gentlemen" explicitly can make some readers think that men are an actual option for Jim. (Me, I'm "some readers".) Sure, it's not a confirmation, but Jim doesn't deny it. He just says he's been busy. There is room for interpretation in multiple directions, but even if I put my personal preference aside, I think it's important to remember something: in context, in this part of the story, Laura knows Jim. We've seen in a previous panel that they've done a lot of things together. Laura is not a stranger who may say "you don't have a girlfriend… or a boyfriend" because they don't know Jim. Personally, I think it's very likely that Laura asks about ladies and then adds gentlemen because she knows Jim is bisexual with a preference on women. It fits my headcanon for him. (Of course, he can be into anyone, not just men and women, and he has a preference for women because hasn't tried dating Spock yet :D)

Anyway, the other thing that panel points out is that neither captain would give up on their own starship. Well, that's fair.

Okay, okay, I'll be serious: Jim sacrifices the Enterprise in The Search for Spock during an emergency. Of course, it's definitely not a coincidence in the narrative that said emergency happens because Jim is looking for Spock's body. However, we all know how much Jim loves the Enterprise and how bad he feels without a starship, so it's only fair that in normal circumstances, he shouldn't be forced to give up on his "silver lady".

Laura understands that they're the same, so...

This is another thing I appreciated! Who cares about gender norms, a woman can propose to James T. Kirk! :D

Now, just as I said about the "gentlemen" line, it's important to think about the context of this proposal. When the two of them are drinking together, Laura says "I've been asking around about you". That means Jim and Laura's relationship is still casual, to the point that she could have expected him to have flings with other people too. Honestly, this is just my opinion, but I'm not even sure I'd call it exactly an open relationship, because that would still imply a relationship in the first place. I'm mostly referring to the fact that Laura has been asking around about Jim's love life instead of just, you know, asking him? I believe that if they trusted each other and were in an open romantic relationship, either they wouldn't care about each other's partners or they would just talk about it. Since Laura wants to marry Jim and have an exclusive relationship with him, it makes sense for her to bring up Jim's love life. However, I can't really help side-eyeing that "I've been asking around".

Am I reading too much into this? It's possible, but this is another clue about their dynamic that I'll mention later in the story.

Sooo, Laura asks Jim to marry him. What does Jim answer?

Unfortunately, I reached Tumblr limitations of the number of pictures I can share, so… you'll find out in Part 2!

If you're reading my analysis for the Kirk/Spock shipper's point of view, I especially recommend the second half, because that's where things get more interesting! :D

I hope you enjoyed the first part of this analysis! Thank you for reading until the end! See you soon!

Part 2!

[bradshawsbaby]

Ooh, I love those spring OTP prompts! I'd love to see 17 (caught in a sudden rainstorm) with the darling Bradshaws!

As a sidenote, I hope you're not being too hard on yourself about not having motivation! You're a lovely person regardless of whether you're writing and it brightens my day to see you on my dash every time you come across it!!

Thank you for sending in a prompt! I really enjoyed writing this one! ♥️ I decided to set it before the Bradshaws are married!

I really appreciate your kind words! Thank you so much! 💕

“Is it supposed to rain?” you asked curiously, gazing up at the charcoal sky, a few hazy stars twinkling overhead behind a light thicket of clouds.

“I don’t think so,” Bradley replied, his arm tightening around your shoulders as the two of you strolled along the street. There was a slight chill in the evening air, and your boyfriend had gallantly draped his jacket around your shoulders as soon as you’d stepped out of the restaurant. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” you shrugged, snuggling up against his side. “Just sort of feels like rain.”

Bradley chuckled at that, grinning down at you. “The Navy’s really rubbing off on you, honey. You’re starting to sound like a regular sailor,” he teased.

Laughing, you nudged him playfully and slipped an arm around his waist. “That’s what happens when you’re dating the best of the best,” you told him with a wink.

You could practically see his chest puff out with pride, and you knew the tips of his ears were turning pink, though it was hard to see in the quickly fading light.

“Do you have to get home just yet?” Bradley asked in a low voice, brushing a soft kiss across your temple that made you shiver pleasantly.

“Nope,” you murmured in response, shaking your head and smiling to yourself as Bradley lowered his arm from around your shoulders so that he could lace your fingers together.

“Good,” he beamed, squeezing your hand as the two of you walked, no destination in mind.

Bradley had gotten out of work early, and today was your day off from The Hard Deck, so the two of you had decided to make the most of it and go out for dinner. You knew soon enough the night would have to end—Bradley had to be up early the next morning for some training exercises—but you were willing to linger for as long as you possibly could.

Just as you opened your mouth to comment on what a surprisingly cool night it was, you felt a raindrop splatter suddenly against your cheek.

Bradley must have felt the drops, too, because his brow furrowed as he looked up at the sky. “Looks like you were onto something, honey,” he murmured as a few more angry drops fell in quick succession.

“Told you it felt like rain,” you smirked jokingly, just as a clap of thunder boomed nearby and the rain began falling in earnest, heavy sheets that seemed to be coming down sideways.

Reaching for the jacket he had draped over your shoulders, Bradley lifted it to cover your head, seeking out the nearest shelter. “Up ahead!” he called out, pointing towards what appeared to be a bar, if the neon Bud Light sign in the window was any indication.

The two of you raced as quickly as your feet would carry you, out of breath and laughing like fools by the time you finally burst through the door, already half drenched.

“Too bad you didn’t have that sixth sense before we left,” Bradley laughed, brushing stray raindrops out of your hair. “We could have brought an umbrella.”

You giggled as the hostess appeared, asking if the two of you wanted a table.

“We’ll just sit at the bar, thanks,” Bradley told her politely, resting his hand on the small of your back as he steered you through the crowd and made sure you got a seat.

“I feel like we’re cheating on Penny,” you teased, ordering two beers for you and your boyfriend.

“She’ll understand. She wouldn’t want us getting pneumonia,” Bradley winked.

You giggled when you realized there were a few stubborn raindrops clinging to his mustache, and reached out to brush them away with your fingers.

Bradley grinned and was about to say something in response when his eyes suddenly snagged on something just over your shoulder. “Oh my God,” he breathed out, his expression morphing into one of stunned recognition.

“What is it?” you asked, gazing over your shoulder. You didn’t see anything beyond a large crowd of people trying to get out of the rain and an old piano.

“I’ve been here before,” Bradley said slowly, his gaze still fixed on the point just beyond you.

“Oh, really?” you replied, not quite sure why the realization had garnered such a reaction from him. “Recently?”

Bradley shook his head, reaching into his pocket for his wallet and rummaging around for a second before he pulled out an old photograph, bent in one corner. “With my parents,” he said softly.

Your eyes widened as you took the photograph from him. Sure enough, it was the same bar. Over thirty years ago, sure, but the place hadn’t changed one bit. The piano was even still in the same spot. You recognized Bradley’s parents immediately, Goose at the piano with a huge, goofy grin plastered on his face while Carole sat perched atop his lap, laughing. Sitting on top of the piano, with rosy cheeks and the most adorable little cowboy hat, was none other than your sweet Bradley. And standing beside the Bradshaws—

“Is that Mav?” you gaped, amazed at just how young your boyfriend’s godfather looked in this picture. It really put into perspective just how young Bradley’s father had been when he lost his life.

“Yeah,” Bradley nodded, smiling as he gazed down at the picture. “That was the last time we were all together,” he told you, throat tightening slightly. “I can’t believe—I mean, of all the places—”

Smiling tenderly, you pressed the photo into his hand and kissed him softly. “I’m really glad we ended up here tonight,” you whispered, nuzzling his nose.

“Me, too, honey,” he said, dropping a kiss on the tip of your nose. “Thank God for the rain.”

Spring OTP Prompts 🌧️