What You Love
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| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | What You Love |
| Author(s): | sans-pertinence (irrelevant) |
| Date(s): | 2009 |
| Length: | |
| Genre(s): | slash |
| Fandom(s): | Star Trek: The Original Series |
| Relationship(s): | Kirk/Spock |
| External Links: | What You Love (locked); archive link AO3 |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
What You Love is a Kirk/Spock story by sans-pertinence.
Reactions and Reviews
There's been a bit of a dearth of TOS fic since the release of the movie, and although I've thoroughly enjoyed all the new stories I've been reading, TOS is my first love and it was with glee that I spotted and began to read this story. I have to say, What You Love is, by far, the best story I've seen come out of the episode "Plato's Stepchildren". Rather than dwelling on the action of the episode, the author focuses on the aftermath and what rich pickings she's gleaned for us! There was a line near the beginning which made me sit up and take notice, made me realise this was going to be something special: ...this is Spock stripped bare. We demand human behavior of non-humans; we know best, don't we? And here it is, what I thought I wanted and it's not at all... what I want. It both intrigued me and showed me that the author had written something different -- knew I was going to see an alien Spock and a savvy Kirk. I wasn't disappointed. The author's characterisations of all the landing party, including Bones, Chapel and Uhura, are absolutely spot on for me. However, the focus is on Kirk and Spock and they stand out as truly complex, multi-dimensional people who are struggling to make sense of what took place and their own psychological reactions to it. Written from Kirk's POV, he comes across as self-aware and emotionally intelligent. He understands his own strengths and his character flaws, understands how he uses them both to lead and to command. He knows he is no saint, but feels the things he does is always a case of the ends justifying the means. Spock, on the other hand, we only understand from his words and deeds. His inner turmoil over his thoughts of Parmen -- which are literally murderous -- and the shame this leads to, are clear as as his confusion over what to do about it. The pacing of this story was absolutely wonderful. The author's build up of the angsty tension was brilliant. It was late when I read it, but I couldn't "put this down" if I wanted to. I had to see it through to the end, and what an end. This time I'm going to try something besides racial slurs and tritanium conduit. My pulse quickened along with Kirk's and Spock's at those words. This is unashamedly a 'First Time' story. Unlike many I've read, the lead up to that first time is both contextual and believable without any change, for me, from the Kirk and Spock I know and love in the TOS episodes. [1]
one of the most powerful ST stories I have ever read, Kirk and Spock are so real in it it’s breathtaking, and the relationship between them is in its purest, most brilliant form. This author and this fic are a marvel. Please read it.[2]
References
- ^ from Amanda Warrington in The K/S Press #154
- ^ "I'm fairly new to the k/s fandom, and I was wondering which were the "must to read" fanfictions, the ones everyone has read. Can you help me?". Archived from the original on 2023-03-20.