#this post is about the gorn

[funnywormz]

one thing about me is that whenever a series introduces a species of alien/monster etc and is like "these guys are all evil. every single one. completely irredeemable. they love killing and destruction and they have no function in the narrative outside of being awful and hurting people. they're all the same and none of them have the capacity to be good." i will always turn around and be like "but what if there was a nice and friendly one"

[chipthekeeper]

"Burn the land and boil the sea. You can't take the sky from me."

[worfianism]

Listen whoever decided to pair up La'an and an alternate version of Jim Kirk in a romcom style classic time travel episode actually galaxy brained. Freaking great episode.

[commanderpelia]

The relationship between Pike and Captain Batel continues to confuse me because in season one they were like a situationship and then like after she arrested Una I thought that would be the end of it but now the writers are portraying it like they’re exclusive and Chris has some kind of deep emotional connection to her that is strong enough to bring back his memories and it all feels very forced?? Like this girl doesn’t even have a first name yet I’ve just been calling her Wynonna or The Pancake Lady

[buckypascal]

Pour one out for Nemik, Taramyn and Gorn, y'all

[countess-of-edessa]

hey did you guys know. if you want. a way to make catholic guys less happy overall is to say "aragon" instead of "aragorn". this will make them upset and unhappy

[zefforuins]

The thing is guys I really liked Gorn. I am so sad

[joshuaalbert]

lol I love when the message of star trek is just that an entire species is unilaterally evil and cannot ever be reasoned with 👍 you know how star trek is always in the business of writing an entire species off as irredeemable 👍

[star-trek-fandom-confessions]

Re: many of the various about the Gorn or listing SNW's handling of the Gorn as one of its major problems.

Perception not matching reality, what is/is not a monster is a huge theme throughout SNW.

Ghost of Illyria – Those light monsters didn’t murder the Illyrians, they are the Illyrians and were trying to save Pike and Spock all along. Everyone (except Una ofc) learns a lesson that Illyrians can’t be lumped in with the Augments and need greater understanding Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach – Turns out that nice lovely civilization is literally torturing children. The terrorists are actually trying to save those children. The Serene Squall – Surprise the counselor is a pirate Ad Astra Per Aspera – Continues with the Illyrians deserve understanding theme. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow – That helpful reporter is actually a Romulan. Even notorious tyrant and mass murderer Khan Noonien Singh was once a scared child. Lost in Translation – Starfleet is the monster, accidentally torturing and killing a life form they didn't know existed. Under the Clock of War – Turns out the lovely ship’s doctor is actually the Butcher of J’Gal and capable of murdering someone in cold blood. War can make a monster of anyone.

Yet so many people seem to think they’re not going to pull something similar with the Gorn? Even though the show has taken time to establish that the Gorn are intelligent and have a religion?

The thing about the Gorn is that people have died - La’an’s family, Hemmer, some other members of the Enterprise crew, nearly the entire crew of the Cayuga, multiple colonies - and possibly Marie will be added to that list before the two-parter is done. That creates an environment where it’s understandable that the SNW characters would not want to have their perception that the Gorn are monsters challenged, because the harm they have caused is so personal.

It creates a really interesting conflict for the crew, because how do you find understanding, how to you fight the will for revenge, when there’s been so much pain?

I could be wrong about this being the route the SNW writers are going down, but I’m really excited to see if they do.

Posting this as a response to several earlier confessions.

[bardicious]

Star Trek TOS/SNW Prompt List

Okay, for now this is what I got, and I'm thinking maybe Ill try to make a list like this every month (???maybe?) to get my brain working. Might do another Garashir one tomorrow or after tomorrow. 🤔

Spirk are beamed down to a planet of giants

Spirk fixing a console problem from outside the Enterprise

Spirk feels their T'hy'la bond across the galaxy from each other. (Conceptualization of the T'hy'la)

Spock murders the giant Omni (The Price of Phoenix) in defense of an injured Jim.

The moment Spock mind melds with Jim (as Janice Lester) and the memories that pass between them.

Professor James T. Kirk, a stack of books with legs, teaching a class with Mitchell and Carol in attendance and Janice Lester as co-professor.

Jim takes a moment to mourn his brother, Sam, and his sister-in-law, Aurelian with his nephew Peter.

Jim fights the Gorn (SNW style)

Jim watches the Enterprise as it pierces through Tarsus IV's clouds. The crowds that are left stand in shock as well.

Trelane comes back, older (as teen personality vs TOS's young boy personality), a menace as ever. How will Spock and Kirk deal with him this time?

M'Benga in the middle of the Klingon War.

Doctor M'Benga and Doctor Chapel marry, post tmp. The Enterprise (TOS/SNW) are in attendance.

La'an mourns her Jim as the timeline switches back into place.

Omni (The Price of Phoenix) abducts Jim, on Vulcan as Spock prepares for Kolinahr hears Jim's distress. (pre-tmp) (yes, I am obsessed with this villain and the books)

Jim with his Tholian child, Bright Eyes, find themselves in Sulu's botanic lab.

Mirror Verse!Spirk meet over Pike's dead body, Uhura and Spock are aligned, and impressed with their new Captain.

The SNW crew ARE turned into bunnies, Jim, Spock, and Uhura have to care for them while they fix the problem

The Enterprise and Farragut crews team up to deal with a situation on a Greek themed planet. (SNW)

Harry Mudd and his double? is once again found doing something criminal and ridiculous. 

McSpirk finds themselves in the Mirror Verse's past, an earth where Khan wins, and successfully conquers the Earth (my headcanon on why the Mirror Verse exists).

Young Jim copes (or doesn't) with his first kills on Tarsus IV, while holding young Kevin Riley.

Uhura is planning a musical, sadly many of the bridge crew decline participation, surprisingly Spock does not! He plays the music. Their show becomes a yearly tradition.

Admiral Kirk sits alone in his home on Earth, and drinks. He thinks about Spock and the Enterprise and wonders how it all went wrong.

Yeoman Rand brings new Earth trends to the Enterprise, Uhura, Chapel, La'an, and Una all try something new.

Yeoman Rand and Captain Kirk fight a group of hostile aliens, their movements are in sync. (Yeoman Rand is Captain Kirk's protégée in this prompt)

Rand, Uhura, and Sulu attempt to talk to the local parliament comprised by what looks like sentient flowers.

Future!Spirk get time displaced and find themselves on the SNW Enterprise, not knowing whether they've stopped at an alternate universe, or the past, they keep quiet on the state of future affairs. Between a living Sam Kirk, and an uninjured Pike, both Jim and Spock are stressed.

Jim hesitates to fire at the dikironium cloud creature, and loses consciousness as the creature sets upon the Farragut.

Jim and Spock, and begrudgingly Droxine, catch the view from Stratos.

The enterprise picks up a child from a dying ship. The child with prophetic powers opens a popup storybook that involves the future of the enterprise, the art style depicts a style like the tos series, and two indistinct figures of a captain and his first officer. Chris Pike watches in trepidation as the story unfolds.

[ireallyamabear]

Aldhani heist modern AU for Andor Appreciation Week 2023 - Day 3: Favourite Arcs ##

(Coruscant/Aldhani Valley) Vel Sartha, society girl, implicated in last year’s Aldhani Bank heist

Leaked documents from the Security Bureau allege collaboration of political and criminal elements on a not yet seen scale.

An investigation into the claims of Security Bureau agent Lt. Dedra Meero, who assembled the leaked file using confidential security documents, has been started. Experts doubt the validity of her claim that a yet unnamed leader, code name “Axis”, orchestrated the attack - in which eight bank employees and security officers lost their lives - with the goal to raise funds to establish a broad revolutionary alliance.

The investigation into the heist, in which over 12 tons of gold and an unknown amount of legal tender was stolen, has notoriously been kept under wraps, with no official suspect being named by Aldhani Valley Police as of yet. A political dimension had not been part of the conversation about the motive for the heist up until the leak. Some of the file was assembled from confidential sources, including a politically highly incendiary illegal missive by the SB about Sarthas’s cousin, Senator Mon Mothma. Parts of the document seem to come from redacted files and sources, with no explanation how Meero has obtained these. According to inside sources, intra- and interorganizational security leaks in the Bureau are already being investigated. The document claiming to identify the perpetrators and their motive was leaked online by a yet unnamed person, going by “A friend of Lt. Meero”, who claims to “not longer be able to sit idly by while a good officer who knows the truth gets no recognition for her work”. Meero’s lawyers maintain that she herself has not broken confidentiality and did not leak the document herself. Whoever leaked the documents faces charges for disseminating confidential SB information. The file also names Karis Nemik, founding member of the Alliance of Socialist Students (ASS) and a former officer of the Imperial Army, identified only as Lt. Gorn as co-conspirateurs. Also named are Cinta Kaz and Taramyn Barcona, two veterans of private security outfits that have served in multiple military tours overseas, as well as two more men, Cassian Andor and Arvel Skeen, who have minor criminal records. There are no current criminal investigations into any of the seven suspects. Besides Sartha, none of the accused have been present in the public or on social media in the last year. Unsourced rumors that at least the accused Lt. Gorn was actually one of the bodies found at the scene have yet to be confirmed.

Meero draws alleged connections between the suspects foremost through photographic evidence. Most of this evidence is already under scrutiny by officials and a vocal crowd online, with claims of image manipulation already going viral.

Various civil rights attorneys and organizations have already spoken up about the political dimension in the accusations against Sartha - especially because of her connections to the current senate - and Nemik, who has been an outspoken political activist in recent years. 

Members of the Mothma Senatorial office and Vel Sartha’s PR team have yet to comment.

Meanwhile, Sartha shared a cryptic post with the caption “Throwback to last year - I had been camping all spring!” on her various social medias.

## @andorappreciation

[t0ast-ghost]

Ayup! I’m back with Episode 19 (Arena). The episode where Kirk fights a Gorn:

- McCoy right away is a good sign

- “Doctor, you are a sensualist.” “You bet your pointed ears, I am.” This is said as he looks Spock up and down and lowers his register. Spock looks affronted at Kirk.

- “I’ve got to get to the captain” Spock does some awesome rolls

- That SHRIEK from Uhura

- Single eyebrow raise

- ohhhh so that’s a Gorn

- “It’s not a boulder- it’s a rock!” What I say anytime Kirk almost gets crushed to death

- The boyfriends are WORRIED! “What are you going to do, Mr Spock?” “If I could help him, I would.”

- The Gorn sounds like a dog… if dogs could hiss

- McCoy says “Inconceivable” (do you think they’ve watched the princess bride together?)

- “It’s potassium Nitrate.” Proceeds to watch Kirk eat it out of his hand

- Does the Gorn have a mircrophone?

- He was a faerie

- Lots of episodes about them being predators… hmmm

Admittedly shorter than my others. I wrote this in my notebook because my phone was dying and I wanted to draw so that’s why it’s taken so long to come, I have up to episode 25 already watched so idk when I’ll edit and post ‘em, but most likely gonna make another post today

Masterpost

[starseneyes]

Spock / Nurse Christine Chapel - Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S2 Ep 1

Yes, folks, I am back with more Meta analysis of my unexpected-but-welcomed favorite ship of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. If you missed my Season 1 Meta, here's a handy link to my Spock/ Chapel fun!

Yes, we know from the TOS timeline that it all ends in tears. But I'm still wildly invested because Ethan Peck and Jess Bush are crushing these compelling scripts. If you're like me, you're going to have a blast with this one!

I hadn't decided if I was going to post weekly or all at once, but the poll was overwhelmingly for weekly. So, the weeks we get solid Spock/Chapel, I'll post a Meta. If it's borderline, I'll batch the episodes, instead.

SPOILER ALERT: I'm as liberal with spoilers as Spock is with Blood Wine. Don't click the Read More button if you want to keep your obliviousness intact!

Everyone clear on how this works? Huzzah! Let's dive in.

The Broken Circle

Feeling All the Feels in Sickbay

Spock sits in the observation area with Dr. M'Benga, still reeling from the events of the Gorn. It reminds me of T'Pol confiding in Dr. Phlox on Enterprise. Both Vulcans found themselves in similar situations—usually carefully-guarded emotions unleashed.

And both will have to learn to live with it.

For T'Pol, a part of her enjoyment of emotions was the new intimacy she found with Commander Tucker—Trip. For Spock, his growing attraction to Nurse Chapel is torture.

But I love the set up of Dr. M'Benga as confidant. He is the only one who knows both sides of what's happening, here, even if he doesn't have the details.

All of Spock and Christine's more intimate moments prior to this episode have been in a bottle, so-to-speak. Yes, T'Pring and the Serene Squal crew witnessed the fake-out-not-so-fake kiss.

But T'Pring wrote it off as part of deception, as did most of the crew (save Angel, who was actually paying attention).

None of the Enterprise crew was there to witness their lip-lock and subsequent unease. Nobody was listening in on their conversation in Sick Bay later. When she held him in the corridor, everyone else was at the wake for Hemmer.

To this point, Christine hasn't even spoken to Erica about Spock. She's kept it bottled up inside.

But Dr. M'Benga is observant. And he has a whole array of sensors (or sen-sores, if you're Spock) on our half-Vulcan/half-human boy.

As Spock plays notes and cords his fingers remembering the fundamentals of mathematics and music taught as a child, Dr. M'Benga monitors. Yes, that's helping. His heart rate is going down.

Until, whooosh, she walks back into Spock's life. And his heart rate shoots up. The discordant note rings out as Dr. M'Benga looks back to the monitor.

Spock's eyes follow and he awkwardly stands, trying to right the askew chair without looking back at it.

Chapel greets him without emotion.

"Lieutenant."

This is even more divorced from intimacy than her typical, "Mr. Spock". Because now they both know he has a growing attraction to her.

Before the hallway in 1x09, I think we could argue that Spock was not completely aware of it. Yes, he felt things in 1x07 with that kiss. But both T'Pring and Christine told him what he wanted to hear—it's not possible for him to have feelings for her.

But as he wrestled with the floodgate of emotions overwhelming him during Hemmer's wake, it was Christine who was there for him. She enveloped him in her arms, offering comfort and respite. She offered herself as a safe space in that moment.

And as they pulled away, I'm convinced they were still holding hands or she was holding his arm, based on how her arm swung as he departed. Spock didn't understand what he was feeling as he looked at her, but he knew he was feeling.

Spock made the choice to walk away that day because he knew he wanted to kiss her. And she knew it, too.

Christine has always been the one to put up hard blocks between them. He's a shipmate, and I doubt she sleeps with shipmates in her quest to avoid attachments. She certainly didn't want to be on Dever's ship!

And I get the impression she doesn't want to be the other woman. She doesn't even want a real relationship. They terrify her.

But Spock's a relationship guy. She already knows that because he's bloody engaged. So, she's going to do everything she can to create distance between them... even though we all know she feels something for him, too.

The awkward chair adjusted, Spock excuses himself. Christine's eyes follow him long after he's walked out the door and down the hall. Yes, she's putting up barriers... but only because she needs them as much as he does.

"Fascinating." "Isn't that typically his line?"

She's still looking his way. This awkwardness sucks because they actually have a pretty decent friendship. But it's necessary to keep the distance.

"It's just that when he saw you, I-" "Don't even." "No. No. I wouldn't."

These two are dear friends who have been through hell together. He knows her so well, and I appreciate that so much in this episode—their beautiful friendship.

I've replayed this scene over and over. I don't think it's likely she's confided in Joseph what happened in the hallway. But, I think she also knows he's got a unique view, here.

And he knows better than to meddle in her love life.

He also knew from the moment she walked in that she had more to discuss than coming on duty. That suggests to me that he properly took a read on the room—whatever this Spock/Christine thing is... it goes both ways.

Remember that as we work through this episode.

The Plan

Spock stands in front of the amassed group, speaking equally in all directions. What stands out is who he has assembled for this conversation. Most of them make perfect sense, right? Folks from the Bridge, the head of Sick Bay.

And Nurse Chapel. None of the other nurses have been invited to this shindig. But no matter what else is going on between them, Spock trusts her. He wants her there, to be someone to offer counsel, if needed, as she always has.

"What plan?" "I would have thought it obvious..."

Christine is standing on the other side of the island, putting some physical space between herself and Spock. But she's leaning toward him—all in.

He looks to her in surprise, then surveys the rest of the group to see if they are also confused. Yup. Spock managed to leave everyone out of his plan even as he's stating it.

"We must steal the Enterprise."

Look at our girl smirk. I saw a bunch of people post, "hijinks!" at that moment in the show, and it made me laugh. We know she's up for some hijinks.

"Stole the Enterprise? ... Wow. I would have lost so many bets." "Yeah, Vulcans can surprise you."

Christine is swelling with pride looking at him right now—her eyes not leaving him during this entire exchange. It was the right call, even if it technically was the wrong one.

And look at Spock staring back like a schoolboy basking in the radiance of his crush's attention. We both know she's been surprised by him on more than one occasion. But this time is different.

This time, he had to disobey a direct order to make the right call. That's a very difficult thing for any person to do, let alone someone who is half-Vulcan. Logically? This was a crazy call.

But it was the right call. And that's fucking sexy.

Also, there's a very personal edge to Christine's line and the way she holds Spock's gaze. This isn't the first time he's surprised her.

I think nothing surprised her more than his hand on her ass and his tongue in her mouth. Like, seriously, the guy can kiss. But, again, that's something only the two of them (from their crew) know about.

Now, others are getting to see just how surprising their resident Vulcan can be.

"Sir. What if Nurse Chapel and Dr. M'Benga on that ship?" "They thought it worth their lives to prevent another war. Logical."

Simultaneously this hurts like hell and feels like warm sunlight after a frigid night. Because from the point of view of everyone on that Bridge, Spock's words are pretty stark.

Void of emotion. Praising their logical choice of self-sacrifice. Ouch.

But we know beneath the surface, there's a volcano churning and waking, just waiting to erupt.

I think it also makes him care for her that little bit more. Not just that she's in danger, but that she's able to make such logical decisions where others might surrender to emotion. I think they're very evenly matched, there, at this point.

Christine shirks emotional attachments and love. She keeps a shield up around her heart and leans into logic. Spock was raised on Vulcan to be a Vulcan—attached to logic and devoid of emotion.

As he is grappling with the emotions unleashed in the wake of losing Hemmer and battling the Gorn, she is struggling to keep a cap on her own emotions—to keep him at a distance when more and more she wishes she could close it.

It's not a lack of desire that keeps them apart. Spock is engaged and doing his best to stay true to the promises he has made. He's never had to struggle to this degree before.

And Christine understands his struggle more than most—she witnessed him wrestling with it after crushing a bulkhead. She knows he struggled with judgment and derision growing up. She knows he doesn't know what to do about this.

So she's making the decisions for them, and that's a good thing.

"Photon torpedoes locked on the federation ship. Full spread. Mr. Spock?"

Watch his face. He knows he needs to order it. He knows what the logical thing to do is. But his emotions are getting in the way, like he feared.

"Not yet. Any signal from Nurse Chapel or Dr. M'Benga?"

And there it is. He's waiting. He's trying to wait it out long enough to give them a chance to escape. To give her a chance to escape.

"Mr. Spock, it's now or never." "Fire photon torpedoes."

The emotion in his voice. He knows this is what he has to do. It's the right call. But this time it feels wrong.

Spock closes his eyes. He can't watch it happen. He can't watch his order destroy the ship where she is.

He can't handle the impact of his emotions swirling and swimming within him, threatening to explode in the Captain's Chair as the False Flag Federation ship does in space.

He killed her. Of course, we know that he didn't. But he believes that in this moment where he chose to do the right thing... he killed her.

And we all saw how destroyed he was with his loosed emotions by losing Hemmer—a friend. Yes, Christine is a friend, but she's also his safe place, his confidant, the first woman he's ever desired in a Human way.

Notice I put that last. Because the connection he and Christine forged was over shared bullying, over her being a good friend and offering advice, over the two of them sharing hijinks and learning to trust one another.

The desire came in later. It's not desire for her that's destroying him right now—it's the severing of one of the deepest connections he's ever made in his life with another soul.

Christine has been there for him. She stood up for him. She helped him. She accepted him. She comforted him. They forged their bond strand by strand, and to have that cord suddenly severed... it's agonizing.

Spock's eyes finally open, and there are tears in his eyes as he beholds the destruction. He's holding back... but barely. It won't take much for those tears to spill.

"Sir, I'm detecting a Federation EV suit transponder."

Hope. It hits him hard, and he leans into it as he stands and strides off the bloody Bridge to meet them in the Transporter Room.

He doesn't know what he'll find when he gets there. It's a single transponder, right? Will he find M'Benga standing there without her? Find Chapel standing without M'Benga?

All he knows is that he has to be there. He can't hear about it secondhand from the Bridge. He needs to see it with his own eyes—whatever he's about to see.

Transporting to Enterprise

Visually, this is a stunning sequence with us wrapped in the transport with M'Benga and Chapel, then settling with Dr. M'Benga as he reaches helplessly for the out-of-focus, unconscious Christine. We're seeing through his eyes—the blurry vision of a friend who's too still.

We're at floor level when Spock rushes into the room. He can see M'Benga clearly moving, but zeroes in on the lifeless Christine.

He kneels on one knee and shakes her shoulders, hoping for a response, for some smart-ass comment. But none come. He shakes, again. Nothing.

He leans down to her lips, hoping to feel the rush of her breath, hear the exhale and inhale of life. But it doesn't come.

Now, I'm not going to get into the science of Spock's actions, because I've seen a lot of discourse about it, and smarter people than I can say what is feasible and not after 45 seconds in space. I'm only going to talk about Spock, Chapel, and M'Benga.

Spock laces his fingers together, and for the first time we see the perspective staring up at him. The voice is distorted—as though heard through a tunnel.

"I waited. I waited. I waited for you."

Oh my gosh. Spock just admitted to her that he held off on destroying that ship and stopping the restart of the war... for her. How very... human.

And, oh, how Spock's heart is breaking right now. He's desperate for her to know that he did what he could... that he didn't want to kill her... that he chose to hold off. He needs her to know.

And he doesn't even fully understand why, yet. I posit he's never experienced romantic love. Marriage to T'Pring is logical. He cares for her, but he does not love her.

He's falling in love with Christine... and he doesn't even realize it. He doesn't understand it. But when he thought she was dead, a part of him was dying, too. It was revived long enough for him to find her... lifeless.

No. This is not how this ends.

"You don't die. You don't die. You do not die."

It's a plea. A wish. A dream. And somewhere in her haze between life and death—she hears him. She feels him. She knows he's there.

A gasp escapes her lips and as it does, Spock collapses to the side, nearly on top of her, his leg that was holding him up as he administered compressions giving out.

The weight is gone. She lives.

His right hand goes to her shoulder, gripping as though releasing her would lead to losing her, once more. His left hand falls the other side of her as he leans on it for balance.

Christine focuses first on getting air back into her bloody lungs. But her second urge is comfort. She sees Spock hovering over her, knows he's the one who brought her back, and can feel his weight against her.

M'Benga smiles to see her breathing, again, and bears the only witness to this interaction (save the Transporter tech, who is apparently somewhere off-camera and not at all bothered by lifeless bodies).

Christine's hands both reach up, but one can't make it past a bent arm. Her right grips onto Spock's left arm, working its way up to cup his face.

Her fingertips graze his Vulcan ear as her thumb wipes away his Human tear. All parts of him, she accepts. And what a beautiful visual representation of that.

Spock is exposed, here. Completely vulnerable. Yes, the block that kept his emotions at bay has been removed. But he makes no attempts to conceal his pain and relief from Christine. He is wholly himself—for better or worse.

And Christine knows him. Much as she fights what is between them, right now, those lines don't matter. Neither of them is pretending.

She sees that even though she's the one who almost died, he's the one who needs comfort. And as her fingers linger as long as her strength remains, she quips.

"Why you gotta be so rough?"

Her hand falls to his shoulder, then his arm, and then down. Her strength is gone, spent on a moment of comfort for Spock... but not wasted. No, never wasted.

Because whatever this is, it's far from one-sided. Yes, they are both running from it, and for good reason. Spock is engaged. Christine doesn't want to tangle with that, or the threat of an actual relationship.

I mean, c'mon, Spock's clearly a relationship guy. That's not what Christine wants at this point at all.

But in this broken moment caught between life and death, they allow themselves that contact they would otherwise shirk—they allow themselves the moment.

SIDE NOTE: The instinct of Jess Bush to wipe that tear away is so fucking perfect. Do I know for certain that it wasn't in the script? No. But looking at the angles, that perfect falling tear isn't always there. So, I like to think Ethan Peck pulled out an amazing performance and Jess Bush's instincts kicked in and we got that stellar shot that says so much. And I'm grateful.

The door opens and others whisk in. Spock straightens, breaking away from the intimacy, but he holds his grip on her shoulder until Uhura's voice breaks through, calling him back to the Bridge.

Have you ever had someone in your life you could break around? Just completely break down and let all the stuff show without worrying about them judging you? That's what Spock's found in Christine.

He gave into that moment. He let the emotion flow. Yes, he's having trouble controlling it, right now, but we see him composed in the very next scene talking to the Klingon Captain. He can rein it in.

But with Christine he doesn't have to. He lets her see his brokenness. Lets her wipe away his tear. Lets her see his hurt.

He doesn't have to be anything in particular when he's around Christine. He doesn't have to worry about being too human or too Vulcan. He can simply be.

"You wanna know the worst thing about living almost forever?" "The loss of those you love." "Oh, you sweet, un-Vulcan Vulcan. No. That's a pain shared by all those who live with even a half-open heart."

This strikes me. Because while I don't know if I'd call what Christine and Spock share "love", yet, it is certainly a form of it.

Spock nearly lost her before they had a chance to figure out what it is. And while we all know it'll end in tears based on the TOS timeline, I'm still strangely addicted to finding out what happens next with these two.

And, not for the last time this episode, someone calls Spock out on being an abnormal Vulcan. And he appears to take ownership over that distinction a little more each scene.

Angel once told him that it wasn't about "what" he is but "who" he is. And though these emotions flowing freely are a pill, they are forcing him to confront that a little faster than he might've.

Sleeping Beauty

Spock stands over her bed, as if holding vigil while she sleeps. She's still recovering, still resting, still recuperating from her time in space. And much as he doesn't understand it, Spock knows he has to be there.

He has to reassure himself that she's living. He has to relive the moment of losing her, getting her back, losing her again, only to bring her back to life with his own hands.

With his words he killed her. With his hands he restored her.

And yet he still cannot believe it until he sees her there, in the flesh.

"Mr. Spock. I didn't hear you come in. Are you alright?"

It's almost a courtesy to even ask. He can tell from the man's posture that he is far from alright. In fact, I feel like M'Benga is almost giving Spock an out... the opportunity to deflect.

But he is still Vulcan... and lying isn't his strong-suit.

"Yes. I just..."

Because physically, he is alright. But emotionally, he's a wreck. M'Benga reaches out, placing a hand on Spock's shoulder. You can see him relax into his emotions just that touch more with the acknowledgement.

"She'll be fine."

She will. It's true. Someone else said it. And we know how much Spock values people telling him what he wants to hear.

But he's still crumbling. Because he knows, now, what it's like to lose her. Yes, it was only for a moment... but that moment destroyed him.

And, look, I'm not trying to be melodramatic. But Spock's emotions are running crazy, and we already saw what he was like losing Hemmer. He was unhinged. He was denting freakin' bulkheads.

He was angry about losing Hemmer. Losing Christine? He was devastated.

Hemmer was a friend. Christine is so much more. So, even though they're destined to burn out and it'll all end in tears... she's a part of him, now.

And losing her—even for a moment—tore into those fresh emotions like a hot knife through flesh. Burning, aching, agonizing.

Scars from something like that don't just disappear—even with dermal regenerators. Spock is going to be feeling the side effects of that moment for a while, yet.

"I'm not... I..."

Words fail him. Because he doesn't know what truth to tell. What truth this is. Because all of this is new, and it's frustrating, and it's confusing, and he's not sure what any of it means.

There isn't a nice, neat formula when it comes to love. It's messy. It's problematic. It's heartbreaking. It's chaotic.

"I have no words for what I feel."

Facing him fully, Spock puts a level of trust in M'Benga, here. And M'Benga sees just how upset Spock really is... to the point of tears.

"Yes," M'Benga breathes as they both look to Christine.

Spock tears himself away, turning over the same should he did when he left Christine in the corridor in 1x09.

The camera zooms in on Christine, turning a little fuzzy around the edges before cross-fading to Spock's fingers on the instrument... an expression of emotion, right?

And right now, he's overwhelmed with emotions for the blonde nurse who stood up for him against a bully. For the woman who refuted his belief that he was broken, and instead offered him comfort. For the person who bonded with him over childhood trauma, but isn't afraid to tell him plain truth when he needs to hear it.

He plays for himself as he tries to let the melody unwind all the tightly wound emotions choking him within.

This episode spent a lot of time establishing Spock's status as "not your typical Vulcan". The Klingon Captain calls it out. Pelia calls it out. And Spock himself affirms it.

He's still a Vulcan... but his humanity does make him unique.

And while M'Benga established that Spock's emotions are heightened due to his Vulcanness, he's approaching therapy from a Human angle—and it's working.

Is Christine Chapel more than a vehicle for Spock to explore his burgeoning emotions? Heck, yeah! I think this episode did a good job of establishing that for the season. A war veteran. A kick-ass fighter. A brave Human willing to give her life to prevent a war.

Yes, there's going to be more Spock/Chapel to come in this season... but the show did a good job of establishing early in episode 1 that there's so much more to her than that.

And even if she's destined to meet her future fiancé on bloody Vulcan (how cruel is that!?), I'm still excited to see what comes of her and her pointy-eared would-be suitor.

Where do we go from here? Heck if I know. But I do know that I'm enjoying the ride.

Thanks for reading! And I hope to see ya on the next.

[crystal-mouse]

Seen a few posts concerned about the scene between La'an and Jim being romantic/making them 'straight' in the new s2 trailer, and while that could be the case, based on what we know about tos, snw and both their characters (especially with how Kirk was known as "a stack of books with legs" at the academy before taking command of the enterprise) I'm not so sure that this will be the case or the full picture.

While I may have a little bias as a spirk lover at heart- I honestly think this is could turn out to be a misdirection and/or lead into a wider plot.

I get the vibe that maybe La'an and Jim could have known each other in the past (maybe from tarsus or similar?) And that's why they're being awkward and kinda speechless in the transporter room (trauma gang reunion :S)

We already know La'an has some past with the Gorn, it's possible that Tarsus or something similar (futuristic therapy for traumatised kids) could also be apart of her narrative and link into Jim's in a way we don't know yet.

Even if they do proceed down the romance route, we know it'll be short lived (given how tos and all the movies preceded) and could actually be a really good lead into some decent bi rep or other queer realisations for both characters.

Regardless- we shouldn't write off or assume anything in stone this early on, especially as we've only seen short clips out of context..

These are just my takes/predictions on the scenes so far in the trailer, the season looks really fun and hopefully we'll get more context leading up to release (emotionally still holding out a small hope for confirmed canon/acknowledged spirk..even if its a slowburn to get there)

[emonydeborah]

November fluff prompt 25: cuddling

It started with La'an. After being cleared from Sickbay there had been no question of her going back to her own quarters. Una escorted her herself, unwilling to let her out of her sight, and when they got to her and Chris's quarters he was ready with strawberries and hot chocolate. La'an made a beeline for the couch and bundled herself up in blankets, bowl of strawberries in her lap and hands clenched around a mug. Una gave Chris a quick kiss, and when he declined her offer of help in the kitchen, she joined La'an on the couch.

Spock showed up soon later, as Una suspected he would. Chris let him help with more snacks, no doubt sensing his need to move and be useful. But after a few minutes of tinkering around, getting used to the quiet warmth that was so different from the tension and terror of the last few days, Spock carried his own strawberries to the couch. He sat cross-legged next to La'an, close enough that their blanket-shrouded shoulders pressed together.

Nyota was next through the door, and she let out a deep sigh as soon as she stepped over the threshold. She had Erica in tow, who looked unsure as if she was supposed to be there, but she gave Una a shy smile. Chris called a greeting from the kitchen, and for a moment the three of them chattered about nothing. Una stroked La'an's hair and let the noise wash over her.

After a moment, Erica wandered over to their little huddle. Her exhaustion showed in the slope of her shoulders and the bags under her eyes, and her hands were tightly clasped behind her back. She seemed unsure of what to do with herself, and bounced nervously on her heels until Una patted the spot next to her. Erica's face split into a relieved smile and she sat down, carfeul not to press against Una. Una squeezed her shoulder maneuvered her around until Erica's head was in her lap, and though Erica seemed confused, she made no move to get up. Nyota sat on the floor with her back against the couch, and leaned her head back against Erica's side.

The doors swished open, and the last puzzle piece slid into place as Christine took a step inside. She scrunched down into her shoulders, eyes darting around at all of them, and she didn't relax at Nyota's quiet greeting, though she returned it with the ghost of a smile. Chris swept in from the kitchen with a mug of steaming hot chocolate, and he kissed Christine on the side of the head as he deposited it in her hands. Christine's shoulders relaxed and she murmured her thanks, flexing her fingers around her mug.

Spock shuffled even closer to La'an and opened his blanket. The last of Christine's tension melted away as her face crumpled in relief and absolute exhaustion. She sat cross-legged next to Spock and let him tuck the blanket over her shoulders. Their knees brushed each other, and Christine gave him a smile.

Chris continued to putter around the kitchen for several minutes, cleaning up his mess and meal prepping for the next few days. Una closed her eyes and listened to the chopping and stirring. La'an slowly nodded off against her shoulder, and when Una next glanced down, Erica's eyes were shut in a peaceful expression. She couldn't see Nyota's face, but she had gone limp, and when she craned her neck to check on Spock she found Christine tucked into the crook of his neck with her eyes closed. Spock met Una's eyes and his cheeks tinged green. Una just smiled.

When Chris finally emerged from the kitchen, he took in the sleeping cuddle pile, and his eyes softened. He picked carefully over Nyota's legs and leaned over Erica to give Una a kiss, and she savored it, her free hand on his stubbly jaw.

Spock cleared his throat. Chris waved him off, holding the kiss until Una pulled away with a tired smile.

"You need anything?" Chris asked quietly. Una glanced around, and shook her head.

"Nope."

She had everything she needed right there.

-

for @justreckin, related to our post-gorn musings

[igorlevchenko-blog]

A word on Gothic, the game.

I had a brief exchange with @feletida on whether tw*tter could accommodate such literary genre as "giant schizo post" on merits of Gothic as an RPG. So here it goes…

Of course no discussion of the game would be scholarly without first addressing the elephant in the room: the Big Bad of the series is not some malignant deity, nor dragons, not even orcs—it's narcotic swamp-weed. For now, take it as you will.

Ok, what then, of the game's villains?

By the word's etymology, a villain is but a low-born rustic. Not an evil-doer per se, being inherently devoid of chivalry he's corralled into systematic moral failings by his own vices (which he himself cannot quite put the lid on).

By this definition, our five main heroes (PC, Diego, Gorn, Lester, Milten) are too—villains, for each has an unbridled vice salient within him.

Lester is slothful. He prefers never to take an active role in whatever happens to and around him. He spends most of the second game sitting by the fire roasting weenies, before settling into a routine of complaining about his migraines, caused most likely by excessive smoking. Of course he presents this as being forced into the habit by evil pull of hidden. At the start of Gothic 3 he's relegated to guarding the ship—a task he spectacularly fails at by letting it be stolen by pirate-vagabonds. A spell-speaker like Lester (supposedly is) shouldn't have had problems with dispersing a low-level rabble of mooks and yet.

Milton is excessively deferential towards authority and thus often finds himself stringed along into some disaster of altogether not his doing.

Diego's vice is pride, believe it or not. He may pose himself as a man with plans and shrewd ambition, but when Diego finally comes into good fortunes—he finds no gratification and readily discards it all in favour of adventure. The wealth and prestige have never mattered much to him, I reckon—it's been a pretext all along to ply his guile. This is the essence of self-adoration—to feel obliged to give regular libations to one's virtues.

Gorn alone resolves to reign in his vice (gluttony) for the sake of others. For a time at least—specifically when they all go on a sea voyage at the end of second game. All the while the others just continue wallowing in their vices.

Indeed Milten gets to have an authority above him, Lester—to further shirk all responsibility, Diego—to exercise his skills.

As for the PC: do I even have to list everything that's wrong with this beastly character. After all, you—being the player—have the perfect recollection of yourself running around beating friendlies unconscious to steal their weapons, ore and whatnot. The second game has a whole spell-scroll infrastructure to support that kind of play, made canon by Night of The Raven expansion's stringent allocation of learning points.