#ncthingstars

[indigoworks]

The prologue and chapter 1 of “The Kind of Thing that Could Be” are out on AO3! ★ It’s a Quark-and-Odo-centric DS9 prequel exploring their lives during the Occupation, with a hearty dose of shenanigans ★ Co-written with the incredible @ncthingstars ! I made the chapter art. Here’s the link!

[constablegoo]

[ @ncthingstars​​​​ .

     FREECLOUD,     that loud, bombastic, fantastic, full-of-life, low-brow, high-stakes paradise rife with cryptic characters and guileful gamblers...  was not at all  unlike  a certain big-eared, sharp-smiled entrepreneur:  each held their charms like an ace card.

it had to be the  last  place odo had ever envisioned himself wanting to be.

the bar was impossible to miss, easily  four times  or more its original size back on deep space nine,  ‘Q-U-A-R-K-S’  spelled out and glowing red in towering, garish channel letters stacked directly above the front entrance.

subtlety  had  always been one of quark’s strong suits.

and it had also always been one of odo’s. he vanished into a small throng of patrons piling in for happy hour, eyes out only for one little bartender in the middle of it all, and--  ah.  yes, there he was, practically glowing with early evening business.

so odo waited, watching--  observing  and indistinguishable from the quieter corners until those corners became near as quiet as everywhere else. only when quark was left alone with the day’s tills did odo pull himself from the shadows.

there had been much to observe throughout the day, but only one thing worth seeing.

“ quark, ”  odo wore his strange smile.  “ it seems business  is  as good here as you say it is. ”

[storytelers-arc]

“Okay, okay, okay! I’ll tell you!” Worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, Ezri had the most pitiful look on her face. She was so disappointed in herself; body after body had mastered this art, had been able to do keep up, as the humans say it, a poker face like nobody else, but Ezri Tigan had been a horrible liar, and the Dax symbiont failed to help her in this matter. The senior staff played a round of cards three night ago and despite remembering and mastering the strategies, everyone knew exactly how good her cards were from the look on her face. Tongo was one of her favorite games, but she was sure she would go completely bankrupt after one round. “Actually, I won’t. I don’t want to tell you. Just go on without me, play tongo with your friends.” She really tried to keep the wistful tone out of her voice, but it was a lost cause. 

                                    @ncthingstars​ ♥ ds9 starter call

[heroscarred]

@ncthingstars​ liked for a starter: SOJI ASHA

“I didn’t get time to thank you. For helping Picard and I escape.” Hugh had risked a lot for her and she’s beyond grateful. Soji has always admired his protection of the xBs and now even more so she valued his kindness. “Is there anything I can do to help? I can ask Captain Rios to get some supplies if you need them?”

[astraldestiny]

✗ @ncthingstars​​​​ → continued !

   “ It is not a terrible idea in my opinion. ” She wasn’t sure if Twelve was joking if she was honest, but even if she was joking, she didn’t like it. Trust was not something she gave out easily and she wanted Twelve to know she truly did trust her a lot ... for GOOD reasons. Perhaps she didn’t want her trust. She wasn’t sure how to react if that was the case, or if there should be anything she could do about it. 

     She liked spending time with Twelve. The other seemed so SURE of herself, so confident in a way that she envied her for. She hoped to learn at least a few things from her over time, improve her trust in herself with Twelve’s help. Of course she could not expect the other to fix her and put all this work into helping her but she hoped being around her would help all on it’s own. “ What is our destination? ”, she asked, hand reaching out to the other to try and keep their balance. She had never gone hiking before and she wasn’t sure the rocky beach was an IDEAL first route for her. “ Are you sure this will help? ”

[ltbroccoli]

@ncthingstars​ ( plotted )

Reg peeked into the room cautiously, even more nervous than usual. Geordi had assured him that this drone was no threat, and that he even had a name -- Hugh -- but it was still unnerving to see a Borg simply standing in the science lab.

Finally realizing he just needed to do it, Reg slipped all the way into the lab, keeping his distance from the drone and clutching his tools against his chest. “I -- I’m -- ah -- C-commander La Forge sent me to -- to -- to bring you -- bring you this. For your -- your, ah...” Awkwardly, he gestured to Hugh’s eyepiece, nearly dropping a spanner in the process.

[therapardalis]

[Red Dwarf starter for @ncthingstars​ (Lister or Rimmer, up to you ;) )]

Ex-Infinity Patrol starship TD-X 503, AKA ‘Freefall’ ... 3 mill and counting ...

Well, that was a bad moment to get hit. Not that there was ever really a good one, but just as you were spinning the Calendar dial with one hand and reaching for the Jump switch with the other ... (and maybe she should have been steering with something other than her knees, but getting out of there had been a priority).

The jolt from the incoming blast had thrown her forward, both hands had hit the console, and aside from finding herself suddenly steering with her boobs, her planned jump of three years had become ... she glanced at the Log to see just how far the dial had accidentally spun. Three aaaand ... and that was a lot of zeroes.

Like, a lot. But at least the shields had held and the rest of the Freefall seemed to be OK. Except maybe for the piece that just fell out of its housing and rolled off across the floor. Thera puffed air over her lips and turned to the scanners, checking for somewhere she might be able to land.

And ... what the heck was that?

[iteradastra]

@ncthingstars​ plotted starter

Hugh stands by the wall of this new room that the security officers transported him into. It is different than the sickbay was. He twists his head back and forth, trying to see all of it. His vision is limited without his eyepiece. He can’t tell how far or close anything is, can’t tell how large the room is, can’t see exactly where the forcefield starts, although he can hear its low hum.

Dr. Culber had told him to be calm when the security officers had come to take him away from the sickbay. Dr. Culber told him that he gave him his name, so he’s responsible for him now, and he would make sure no one hurt him. Hugh doesn’t understand the logic of that, but Dr. Culber is the one who taught him what a name is; and so he imagines protection must be one of the functions of a name.

So he does not to walk the perimeter of the room to determine the dimensions of it, does not try to find where the force field is, does not give in to the constant impulse to find a way back to the--

There is a darkness where that thought should be, like a door in his mind that’s been locked shut. Yet the impulse to go back remains, even if he doesn’t know where he wishes to go back to.

He stands by the wall, trying to be calm like Dr. Culber told him, breathing evenly to slow his rapidly beating heart.