romantic state of the muse;
Okay, so, this is following on from a combination of conversations that I've had, various meme answers, and getting very easily distracted. Cue, the romantic state of the muse.
…and I never thought I'd be doing this for Spock of all people. But here goes.
Canon; XI vs TOS;
First things first, I'm just going to set out my own, personal opinions on Spock and shipping based on canon alone. As I've said before, I really don't ship a single thing in XI. While the movie has a single, obvious pairing for Spock, the canon itself doesn't provide enough evidence to support it. Maybe it's something that will be addressed in XII, maybe not. But when the next movie comes out, I'm sure my opinion will change in some way. I'd also like to point out here that even in TOS, I find it difficult to ship anything. Even Jim/Spock is something that I can only honestly view as a bromance. And without putting Bones into the mix, it's still lacking something. The three work best as equals as opposed to romantic interests, and it's as simple as that.
Again, let me point out that this is all my own opinion, and I'm not telling anyone how they should think.
Now. While I've stated that I don't ship anything in canon, RP is another matter entirely. Every feeling I have toward a ship is based largely on the interactions that those involved have had in-game. (Obviously canon also plays a large part when it comes to ships with canonmates).
There's a whole lot to go through, so I'm just going to break it down in to each "pairing".
Nyota Uhura;
As I said, canonically, I don't ship it. But that's largely because the majority of their relationship takes place off-screen. Each time that they're alone together, Spock has been emotionally compromised in some way;Uhura requesting to be transferred back to the Enterprise - They'd received a distress call from his home planet. Their meeting in the turbolift - Vulcan had just been blown up. Their kiss on the transporter - Spock didn't know whether he'd be coming back. And on another note, Spock asking Jim to give Uhura a message if he didn't make it counts in a way too.
My feeling on their relationship as a whole is that Uhura is the one that gives him balance and emotional stability. She's the one that grounds him in reality; in knowing that yes, he's Vulcan and supposed to be one of the most brilliant minds in the galaxy. But he's also human, and he's allowed to make mistakes, to doubt his actions, or to simply feel. She doesn't judge him based on what he is, but rather who he is. And the largest part of that is the fact that she's Spock's friend. His first true one.
(I also feel like I should point out here that there are certain similarities between their relationship and that with his mother. Just with obvious differences, thankfully.)
There was a comment in an Orci interview somewhere that basically states that Spock needed someone he could talk to who would offer him the support (and hug) he needed after the destruction of Vulcan, and it couldn't be Jim because of the state of their friendship at the time. Which is a large part of why they ended up deciding to pair Spock with Uhura. She could be that confidante that he needed.
With the background story that Ophelia and I have come up with, it helps to support those claims. Their relationship took more than three years to reach the level it's at, through her persistence more than his own. She's offered that support to him without seemingly asking for a single thing in return, and while he may not have openly accepted that at first, it provides him with a comfort that he's been lacking.
Spock cares about Uhura; it's a simple fact. And while he may have still reached the exact same place he's at now had they never met, she's still had an impact upon his life that has helped to keep him whole. Without her there to keep his human side from being entirely suppressed, he wouldn't be the same man he is now.
Jim Kirk;
This one is based solely on Bete Noire canon. In no way, shape or form can I find a reason to ship Spock with XI!Jim. While they may share far more screentime, they spend the entire movie working their way toward the first strains of a friendship. Nothing more than that. And yes, I understand that there are people out there who ship it, and I'm not going to judge them for it. Personally, I just don't see it.
Now, back to the point. When Spock first arrived, Jim was very much the only person he had to rely on. Those strains of friendship and trust he had toward his own Captain were transferred automatically across to Jim. That wasn't something he wanted, but it happened anyway. It's why he's been doing his best to try and distance the two men in his mind. He knows he can't place them both on the same level because they really are entirely different people. But with every difference he finds, there's usually twice as many similarities.
The relationship that Jim has with Spock Prime also plays a large part in Spock's feelings toward the Admiral. With Jim, there's so little that he has to explain. The other man already knows so much about Vulcans and their society, and Spock rarely has any gaps to fill. Even when there are spaces in Jim's knowledge, the fact that he isn't pushed for answers makes it that much easier for his feelings to progress toward friendship in no time at all. He trusts Jim now because he wants to, not because he's an alternate of his Captain, and to a level that almost rivals that he has in Uhura. In a number of ways though, that concerns him.
With the amount of time there was between his own arrival and Uhura's, Spock's sole form of solid support has come from Jim, and he knows he owes the man a great deal for it. The fact he's also fairly certain that Jim and Spock Prime didn't part on the best of terms also makes it that much harder for him to cut back on the amount of contact they've had. Pity plays a very small part in it, as does duty, but the majority is due to what he personally gains from trying to fill a similar role to his elder self. It gives him a feeling of usefulness while in a situation where control has been taken from everybody.
In short, Spock cares a great deal about Jim, and he trusts the man implicitly. Rank has nothing to do with it anymore. And while Spock would openly consider Jim to be his friend, the relationship from his side is starting to reach that hazy point already.
Something else I think needs pointing out is Spock's relationship with his parents. While not strictly connected to these pairings, the relationships he had with each of them helped to define Spock's view on love and friendship far beyond anyone else. I'm going to break them up too because those two relationships differ far too much to take as a whole.
Amanda Grayson;
Amanda is very much the driving force behind Spock's humanity, in more than just the genetic side of things. As the only human on Vulcan, she was the one connection that Spock had with a home he barely knew. At least, before joining the Academy. Despite his reluctance to actually embrace his human half, his attempts to be a regular Vulcan, it his heart that ended up overruling his head, and gut decisions are what finally pushed him on to the path leading toward Starfleet. Amanda is the one who continually gave him unconditional love. She was his mother in every sense of the word, and one of the only people on the planet who didn't view him as an abomination. She supported his every decision in the hopes of Spock doing what he wanted as opposed to what he should. It's her actions that proved to Spock that he could be his own person and that being half-human and half-Vulcan didn't mean that he had to pick between the two.
Sarek;
The straight-laced and serious parental unit. Because yes, the relationship between the two of them was largely a clinical one. However, at times during Spock's childhood, Sarek still managed to show a level of concern that would be seen as alien to any other Vulcan. He taught Spock about being a hybrid, but in his own way. And ultimately, Sarek is also the one who taught Spock that it's okay to accept your feelings and to act upon them. Just that single admission from him that he loved Amanda was enough for Spock to realise that he's capable of feeling the same way, and that there really is nothing wrong with it. Of his two parents, it's ultimately Sarek's acceptance of him that affected him most. An admission of a feeling such as pride from a Vulcan isn't something that was meant to be aired, but Sarek willingly set aside correctness in favour of being a father to Spock when he needed him most.
So, the overall point that keeps coming up is the fact that Spock isn't the type to make friends easily. Acquaintances, yes. Trust, grudgingly so. But there's very few that he'd consider a true friend. And the problem with his first real friendship coming from the woman he's now dating is that all friendships end up having to try and fit the same mould. He doesn't know how to change them to suit those involved. The simplest way of putting it is that Spock almost has a checklist to follow now. He needs to mark off each point before moving on to the next step. But the end of that list moves all the way in to relationship territory, and while he usually knows just where the line is between the two, it becomes hazier the closer he gets to it.
Wellll that's about it. IDK, like I said, I just wanted to get my thoughts down on this. So there you go. Also, this doesn't take in to account anything to do with his feelings as a human. That'll come when I've actually thought over everything that happened there.
…and I never thought I'd be doing this for Spock of all people. But here goes.
Canon; XI vs TOS;
First things first, I'm just going to set out my own, personal opinions on Spock and shipping based on canon alone. As I've said before, I really don't ship a single thing in XI. While the movie has a single, obvious pairing for Spock, the canon itself doesn't provide enough evidence to support it. Maybe it's something that will be addressed in XII, maybe not. But when the next movie comes out, I'm sure my opinion will change in some way. I'd also like to point out here that even in TOS, I find it difficult to ship anything. Even Jim/Spock is something that I can only honestly view as a bromance. And without putting Bones into the mix, it's still lacking something. The three work best as equals as opposed to romantic interests, and it's as simple as that.
Again, let me point out that this is all my own opinion, and I'm not telling anyone how they should think.
Now. While I've stated that I don't ship anything in canon, RP is another matter entirely. Every feeling I have toward a ship is based largely on the interactions that those involved have had in-game. (Obviously canon also plays a large part when it comes to ships with canonmates).
There's a whole lot to go through, so I'm just going to break it down in to each "pairing".
Nyota Uhura;
As I said, canonically, I don't ship it. But that's largely because the majority of their relationship takes place off-screen. Each time that they're alone together, Spock has been emotionally compromised in some way;
My feeling on their relationship as a whole is that Uhura is the one that gives him balance and emotional stability. She's the one that grounds him in reality; in knowing that yes, he's Vulcan and supposed to be one of the most brilliant minds in the galaxy. But he's also human, and he's allowed to make mistakes, to doubt his actions, or to simply feel. She doesn't judge him based on what he is, but rather who he is. And the largest part of that is the fact that she's Spock's friend. His first true one.
(I also feel like I should point out here that there are certain similarities between their relationship and that with his mother. Just with obvious differences, thankfully.)
There was a comment in an Orci interview somewhere that basically states that Spock needed someone he could talk to who would offer him the support (and hug) he needed after the destruction of Vulcan, and it couldn't be Jim because of the state of their friendship at the time. Which is a large part of why they ended up deciding to pair Spock with Uhura. She could be that confidante that he needed.
With the background story that Ophelia and I have come up with, it helps to support those claims. Their relationship took more than three years to reach the level it's at, through her persistence more than his own. She's offered that support to him without seemingly asking for a single thing in return, and while he may not have openly accepted that at first, it provides him with a comfort that he's been lacking.
Spock cares about Uhura; it's a simple fact. And while he may have still reached the exact same place he's at now had they never met, she's still had an impact upon his life that has helped to keep him whole. Without her there to keep his human side from being entirely suppressed, he wouldn't be the same man he is now.
Jim Kirk;
This one is based solely on Bete Noire canon. In no way, shape or form can I find a reason to ship Spock with XI!Jim. While they may share far more screentime, they spend the entire movie working their way toward the first strains of a friendship. Nothing more than that. And yes, I understand that there are people out there who ship it, and I'm not going to judge them for it. Personally, I just don't see it.
Now, back to the point. When Spock first arrived, Jim was very much the only person he had to rely on. Those strains of friendship and trust he had toward his own Captain were transferred automatically across to Jim. That wasn't something he wanted, but it happened anyway. It's why he's been doing his best to try and distance the two men in his mind. He knows he can't place them both on the same level because they really are entirely different people. But with every difference he finds, there's usually twice as many similarities.
The relationship that Jim has with Spock Prime also plays a large part in Spock's feelings toward the Admiral. With Jim, there's so little that he has to explain. The other man already knows so much about Vulcans and their society, and Spock rarely has any gaps to fill. Even when there are spaces in Jim's knowledge, the fact that he isn't pushed for answers makes it that much easier for his feelings to progress toward friendship in no time at all. He trusts Jim now because he wants to, not because he's an alternate of his Captain, and to a level that almost rivals that he has in Uhura. In a number of ways though, that concerns him.
With the amount of time there was between his own arrival and Uhura's, Spock's sole form of solid support has come from Jim, and he knows he owes the man a great deal for it. The fact he's also fairly certain that Jim and Spock Prime didn't part on the best of terms also makes it that much harder for him to cut back on the amount of contact they've had. Pity plays a very small part in it, as does duty, but the majority is due to what he personally gains from trying to fill a similar role to his elder self. It gives him a feeling of usefulness while in a situation where control has been taken from everybody.
In short, Spock cares a great deal about Jim, and he trusts the man implicitly. Rank has nothing to do with it anymore. And while Spock would openly consider Jim to be his friend, the relationship from his side is starting to reach that hazy point already.
Something else I think needs pointing out is Spock's relationship with his parents. While not strictly connected to these pairings, the relationships he had with each of them helped to define Spock's view on love and friendship far beyond anyone else. I'm going to break them up too because those two relationships differ far too much to take as a whole.
Amanda Grayson;
Amanda is very much the driving force behind Spock's humanity, in more than just the genetic side of things. As the only human on Vulcan, she was the one connection that Spock had with a home he barely knew. At least, before joining the Academy. Despite his reluctance to actually embrace his human half, his attempts to be a regular Vulcan, it his heart that ended up overruling his head, and gut decisions are what finally pushed him on to the path leading toward Starfleet. Amanda is the one who continually gave him unconditional love. She was his mother in every sense of the word, and one of the only people on the planet who didn't view him as an abomination. She supported his every decision in the hopes of Spock doing what he wanted as opposed to what he should. It's her actions that proved to Spock that he could be his own person and that being half-human and half-Vulcan didn't mean that he had to pick between the two.
Sarek;
The straight-laced and serious parental unit. Because yes, the relationship between the two of them was largely a clinical one. However, at times during Spock's childhood, Sarek still managed to show a level of concern that would be seen as alien to any other Vulcan. He taught Spock about being a hybrid, but in his own way. And ultimately, Sarek is also the one who taught Spock that it's okay to accept your feelings and to act upon them. Just that single admission from him that he loved Amanda was enough for Spock to realise that he's capable of feeling the same way, and that there really is nothing wrong with it. Of his two parents, it's ultimately Sarek's acceptance of him that affected him most. An admission of a feeling such as pride from a Vulcan isn't something that was meant to be aired, but Sarek willingly set aside correctness in favour of being a father to Spock when he needed him most.
So, the overall point that keeps coming up is the fact that Spock isn't the type to make friends easily. Acquaintances, yes. Trust, grudgingly so. But there's very few that he'd consider a true friend. And the problem with his first real friendship coming from the woman he's now dating is that all friendships end up having to try and fit the same mould. He doesn't know how to change them to suit those involved. The simplest way of putting it is that Spock almost has a checklist to follow now. He needs to mark off each point before moving on to the next step. But the end of that list moves all the way in to relationship territory, and while he usually knows just where the line is between the two, it becomes hazier the closer he gets to it.
Wellll that's about it. IDK, like I said, I just wanted to get my thoughts down on this. So there you go. Also, this doesn't take in to account anything to do with his feelings as a human. That'll come when I've actually thought over everything that happened there.