Alara Rogers (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
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crack_van2005-01-16 10:25 pm
alara-r.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2005-01-16 10:25 pm
Entry tags:
From Me To Q, by Julia Houston (PG-13)
Fandom: Star Trek: TNG
Pairing: Picard/Q, but with some serious plausible deniability
Author on LJ: none known
Author Website: Star Trek Voyager Reviews (that's what it's called, but that's not all it is)
Why this must be read:
There's something very satisfying about a fanfic that reads *almost* like an actual episode. Sure, we've all read fics with loads more sex than you'd ever see on TV, hot explicit manly love, and plenty of intense romance. But a story that's *almost* like an episode, except with just a tantalizing hint of more emotion from certain characters than we get to see in the series, gives you a feeling like it could *be* an episode, and therefore, it feels more *real* than the hot'n'heavy manlove.
In this story, Picard and crew go to investigate the disappearance of a Federation anthropological team on a world undergoing an upheaval. They run into Q, who warns them to leave. They also run into Mary Sue. Except she's *not.* In one of the most entertaining sudden reversals I've ever read, an enjoyably written but somewhat Sue-ish original female character who's played up by the author as being all mysterious and intense and stuff turns out to be a canon character from the future... and it would spoil it to say who, except to say that the characters are both nothing alike, and enough alike that you can, indeed, believe that this woman is the future self of the canon character. Somebody's going to do a lot of growing up one of these days, you see.
The thing with the crew happening to run into Q doing something that has nothing to do with them but is his own agenda is something I *always* wanted to see on TNG (sadly, when it finally appeared on Voyager it wasn't nearly as cool as this story is.) The regulars all get something to do-- this story doesn't fall in the "I only care about one or two TNG characters so only they will get anything to do" trap fanfic often falls into. And I may be rare, but I *like* stories where the slash is kept at just a slight level higher than the series subtext. Q's feelings for Picard eventually become evident to the reader, but never actually to Picard himself, which frankly is more in Q's character than the passionate declarations of love I've seen in some fanfic.
The captain shook his head, feeling the familiar tension at the base of his neck, and absently reached a hand around to rub at the strained muscles.
"Not enjoying your reading, mon Capitaine?"
"Q!"
The name was out of his mouth before his head had finished its quick snap up from the monitor, and his eyes went unerringly to the form sprawled out along his ready room's couch.
"How about that hug you're always promising me?" Q actually threw out his arms with a smile.
"What do you want?"
The question was more guarded than hostile: a positive sign, Q thought, and he smiled less mockingly as he lowered his arms to their sides. He watched as Picard's eyes glittered over the sight of his tidy Starfleet captain's uniform. The captain seemed determined never to grow comfortable with Q's choice of attire. How delightful.
"Aren't these a little drab?" the entity asked, indicating the gray swath at the top. "You all look ready to don widow's veils. Not that they wouldn't be an improvement..."
"Is there some point to this?"
"Stay away from Ha'tel."
Picard's eyes widened and then narrowed. "Is that an order from the Continuum?"
Q toyed with the many possible responses. "No. It's a suggestion, from me."
"Suggestion?"
"Are you getting deaf in your old age? Or has your little brain disorder started to make you senile already?" Picard's lips tightened and Q exulted in a little private triumph. Picard had no reason to be worried about that lesion in his flawed gray matter, but the captain didn't know it, and wouldn't, as far as Q was concerned, for some time.
Picard studied the semi-omnipotent entity on his sofa, trying to see what he could in that expression, wondering hardly for the first time whether it were worth the effort. "Tell me, Q. Is there any real relationship between your real nature, your true being, and what I'm seeing now?"
"Curiosity? About moi?"
"I've told you before that we find your species fascinating."
"Yes."
"Yes? Yes to which?"
"Senility it is, I see."
"Q!"
With a smooth movement of legs and arms Q was off the couch and standing before Picard's desk, leaning forward to place his hands on the edge, as he had done before. "Yes, this body you see reflects aspects of my true nature."
"Which aspects?
"Oh, well, that's for me to know and you to find out, isn't it?"
"Q, we have an observation team which seems to have disappeared on Ha'tel. We cannot simply abandon them there."
"You should never have left them there in the first place. Horrid planet. Have you seen what those people like to wear?"
"Q, if you have nothing to offer me but recriminations well after the fact, I have no time for you."
"There's no need for you to be so rude, mon Capitaine, and in defense of the Ha'tel, no less. I'm surprised at you!"
"I am...not defending the Ha'tel."
"Sounded like it to me."
"Q..." Picard fought off the urge to bury his face in his hands. "Q, do you have any constructive purpose for being here?"
"You remembered my word for the day! I'm touched. Sure I can't get that hug?"
"I'm going to take that as a no. So, if you will excuse me," Picard stood up and began walking to the door, "I have business to attend to."
"So impatient, Picard?" Q murmured, stopping the captain in his tracks by stepping directly behind him and leaning towards his ear. It really was the best way to get the man's attention. "Don't you want to know why I don't think you should go to Ha'tel?"
"It's something other than their fashion sense, then?"
"They're running out of time, Picard, and that's making them desperate. The Land of Ha't will soon be swept clean, and then darkness will fall."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Picard demanded, twisting around to look at Q. But the entity was gone, and his own voice echoed ridiculously against the bulkheads.
From Me To Q
Pairing: Picard/Q, but with some serious plausible deniability
Author on LJ: none known
Author Website: Star Trek Voyager Reviews (that's what it's called, but that's not all it is)
Why this must be read:
There's something very satisfying about a fanfic that reads *almost* like an actual episode. Sure, we've all read fics with loads more sex than you'd ever see on TV, hot explicit manly love, and plenty of intense romance. But a story that's *almost* like an episode, except with just a tantalizing hint of more emotion from certain characters than we get to see in the series, gives you a feeling like it could *be* an episode, and therefore, it feels more *real* than the hot'n'heavy manlove.
In this story, Picard and crew go to investigate the disappearance of a Federation anthropological team on a world undergoing an upheaval. They run into Q, who warns them to leave. They also run into Mary Sue. Except she's *not.* In one of the most entertaining sudden reversals I've ever read, an enjoyably written but somewhat Sue-ish original female character who's played up by the author as being all mysterious and intense and stuff turns out to be a canon character from the future... and it would spoil it to say who, except to say that the characters are both nothing alike, and enough alike that you can, indeed, believe that this woman is the future self of the canon character. Somebody's going to do a lot of growing up one of these days, you see.
The thing with the crew happening to run into Q doing something that has nothing to do with them but is his own agenda is something I *always* wanted to see on TNG (sadly, when it finally appeared on Voyager it wasn't nearly as cool as this story is.) The regulars all get something to do-- this story doesn't fall in the "I only care about one or two TNG characters so only they will get anything to do" trap fanfic often falls into. And I may be rare, but I *like* stories where the slash is kept at just a slight level higher than the series subtext. Q's feelings for Picard eventually become evident to the reader, but never actually to Picard himself, which frankly is more in Q's character than the passionate declarations of love I've seen in some fanfic.
The captain shook his head, feeling the familiar tension at the base of his neck, and absently reached a hand around to rub at the strained muscles.
"Not enjoying your reading, mon Capitaine?"
"Q!"
The name was out of his mouth before his head had finished its quick snap up from the monitor, and his eyes went unerringly to the form sprawled out along his ready room's couch.
"How about that hug you're always promising me?" Q actually threw out his arms with a smile.
"What do you want?"
The question was more guarded than hostile: a positive sign, Q thought, and he smiled less mockingly as he lowered his arms to their sides. He watched as Picard's eyes glittered over the sight of his tidy Starfleet captain's uniform. The captain seemed determined never to grow comfortable with Q's choice of attire. How delightful.
"Aren't these a little drab?" the entity asked, indicating the gray swath at the top. "You all look ready to don widow's veils. Not that they wouldn't be an improvement..."
"Is there some point to this?"
"Stay away from Ha'tel."
Picard's eyes widened and then narrowed. "Is that an order from the Continuum?"
Q toyed with the many possible responses. "No. It's a suggestion, from me."
"Suggestion?"
"Are you getting deaf in your old age? Or has your little brain disorder started to make you senile already?" Picard's lips tightened and Q exulted in a little private triumph. Picard had no reason to be worried about that lesion in his flawed gray matter, but the captain didn't know it, and wouldn't, as far as Q was concerned, for some time.
Picard studied the semi-omnipotent entity on his sofa, trying to see what he could in that expression, wondering hardly for the first time whether it were worth the effort. "Tell me, Q. Is there any real relationship between your real nature, your true being, and what I'm seeing now?"
"Curiosity? About moi?"
"I've told you before that we find your species fascinating."
"Yes."
"Yes? Yes to which?"
"Senility it is, I see."
"Q!"
With a smooth movement of legs and arms Q was off the couch and standing before Picard's desk, leaning forward to place his hands on the edge, as he had done before. "Yes, this body you see reflects aspects of my true nature."
"Which aspects?
"Oh, well, that's for me to know and you to find out, isn't it?"
"Q, we have an observation team which seems to have disappeared on Ha'tel. We cannot simply abandon them there."
"You should never have left them there in the first place. Horrid planet. Have you seen what those people like to wear?"
"Q, if you have nothing to offer me but recriminations well after the fact, I have no time for you."
"There's no need for you to be so rude, mon Capitaine, and in defense of the Ha'tel, no less. I'm surprised at you!"
"I am...not defending the Ha'tel."
"Sounded like it to me."
"Q..." Picard fought off the urge to bury his face in his hands. "Q, do you have any constructive purpose for being here?"
"You remembered my word for the day! I'm touched. Sure I can't get that hug?"
"I'm going to take that as a no. So, if you will excuse me," Picard stood up and began walking to the door, "I have business to attend to."
"So impatient, Picard?" Q murmured, stopping the captain in his tracks by stepping directly behind him and leaning towards his ear. It really was the best way to get the man's attention. "Don't you want to know why I don't think you should go to Ha'tel?"
"It's something other than their fashion sense, then?"
"They're running out of time, Picard, and that's making them desperate. The Land of Ha't will soon be swept clean, and then darkness will fall."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Picard demanded, twisting around to look at Q. But the entity was gone, and his own voice echoed ridiculously against the bulkheads.
From Me To Q
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