"I'm an engineer," Scotty snapped, "not a paper towel!"
Link to original stamp: McCoy
Name: Michelle
Do you have a gender preference for this theme? Male, I guess, but if you think a female character would suit me better, that's fine.
YOURSELF
Strengths: I'm a pretty smart person, and a fairly good conversationalist; I'm one of those people that likes to stay up until 3 AM and talk about the meaning of life (whatever the hell that means). I'm also a very loyal person to the few people that I'm very close to. I have a strong sense of ethics, even though I don't follow it perfectly. (It's sort of like the Vulcans' utilitarianism, although I'm not sure if they're really utilitarian.) I'm fairly good-natured; I treat people with respect unless they give me a reason not to. And I laugh easily.
Weaknesses: I can be moody and I get depressed easily. I'm very lazy; I procrastinate a lot, so I turn a lot of assignments in late. I can also be a little cold and self-absorbed; I'm not overly affectionate most of the time, and I tend to think about myself first. I'm also very impatient, especially with stupid people.
What do people say they like about you? I think most people would describe me as intelligent and opinionated. I'm a pretty reasonable person, so I like to think they see me as some combination of a devil's advocate and a voice of reason. I argue fairly well--though I wish I were even better--and my speech is very precise. I'm articulate and well-spoken.
That's what 99% of the people I know see in me; there are one or two people who know me a bit better. They would tell you that I'm actually pretty funny, and sometimes even silly. They'd say that I am very loyal--to them, anyway--and loving. It's something I keep pretty guarded, though.
What do people say they find irritating about you? I sometimes tend to speak out of turn, with a more arrogant attitude than my competence warrants. (I may be good, but increasingly, so are the people around me.) I'm also very lazy and don't do well with deadlines or responsibility.
What characteristics attract you to a person? Intelligence is the main one. I need someone whose brain I can pick for years and years. Extra points if they're into philosophy!
What characteristics do you dislike in a person? In intelligent people who know they're intelligent, I sometimes see a really noxious combination of arrogance and misanthropy. It also usually comes with a lack of perspective and self-awareness. People like that just radiate this attitude that humans suck, they're foolish and greedy, and wouldn't the world just be so much better if I ran it? (Answer: No, it wouldn't.)
Oh, and misogyny. I can't live with a sexist person. I've been known to go absolutely ballistic at misogynistic insults, whereas other insults don't faze me nearly as much. Sexism can make me lose my temper faster than anything else, ever.
And now for a very open-ended question. What is love? baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me no more
Everyone's relationship is different, but for me personally, it's a combination of deep intellectual and emotional connections with another person. You have to be able to respect each other's minds, to have interesting conversations and share your ideas with each other, even after those first few months where all you want to do is find out more about the other person and how their mind works. But although that's necessary, I don't think it's sufficient. There has to be some emotional connection there, too: a real concern for each other's well-being, above and beyond whatever concern you have for people in general. At some point, you must be willing to sacrifice a bit of something--even if it's just a bit of time, or convenience--if the other person needs it. The sacrifices shouldn't be made out of a sense of duty, though; it should be something you genuinely want to do because of the joy you feel at spending time with them, or at seeing them happy.
I guess all this could be summed up with something like this: love is something you think, something you do, and something you feel. All three of these are equally important to me.
THE MATCH
Is he/she...(explain if you'd like, it's not always black and white, so gray is allowed)
Serious or playful? Somewhere in between; I guess I lean more towards serious. I don't want someone who's going to be a buzzkill, but I also don't want someone who's going to joke around when I want to tell them something important.
Quiet or talkative? Again, somewhere in between. Probably closer to quiet, though.
Leader or follower? Either is fine with me. I'm not picky. There are leader and follower ST characters with whom I could see myself. I might lean towards the followers a little more, but it shouldn't be a deciding factor.
Kind-hearted or tough-minded? Hmm... somewhere in between, I think. I want someone who's reasonable, rational, and not afraid to make tough decisions, but not a callous bastard who doesn't care about human suffering.
Dominant or submissive? Somewhere in between the two, but maybe more towards submissive? I'm pretty laid-back and receptive to suggestions, but in relationships, I dislike being told what to do. I wouldn't be really autocratic or bossy; I'd just want to have a relationship where we were both open to each other's advice.
Traditional or unconventional? Unconventional. I think "traditional" is usually a euphemism for "holds stupid and outdated ideas about women". Then again, the ST universe seems pretty enlightened, so "traditional" by Starfleet standards might not be so bad.
Planned or improvised? Again, there are characters of both types with whom I could see myself. I suppose I lean more towards improvised, but it shouldn't be a deciding factor.
Controlled or impulsive? Controlled. I find emotional, impulsive people a little intimidating, and I don't want to have to worry about my partner getting angry and acting unpredictably.
Calm or energetic? Calm. I find really energetic people kind of draining after a while.
Optimistic or pessimistic? Somewhere in between. I'm a pessimist and I think a reasonable optimist would complement and buoy me, but an extreme optimist would just frustrate me and vice versa.
Realistic or idealistic? Realistic, but ethical.
Secretive or open? Open. Ideally, I wouldn't want my partner to keep big, important secrets from me, and I'd be honest with him in return. I couldn't care less if he's open to other people, though.
Mature or immature? Mature, but maybe not too mature. Immaturity is just irritating, but I couldn't stand to be with someone uptight and priggish.
Compassionate or just? Why are these opposed? Any partner of mine wouldn't see them as opposites to each other. He would do what's necessary to protect people from criminals (which is compassionate, I think), but he'd never give some unnecessarily harsh punishment if there weren't an active threat to innocent people from doing so. He'd be rather pragmatic and utilitarian about justice, I think. Questions of justice aren't easy to answer, but I think this artificial distinction between compassion and justice just obscures everything.
Confident or modest? Somewhere in between, maybe closer to modest? I don't want to have to shore him up constantly, but an arrogant alpha male type isn't for me.
Outgoing or shy? Again, somewhere in between, but maybe closer to shy than outgoing.
THE RELATIONSHIP
What's your ideal first date? For me, a good date involves food, entertainment, and preferably a couple of drinks, but the nature of all three of those elements can vary. For a first date, I'd want something casual. I'd want dinner at a casual but fun and upbeat restaurant. There's a Japanese (and American-influenced) restaurant near me that works very well for first dates; it's one of those places where the chef cooks the food at a small grill that's built into the table. Turns out their rare filet mignon is to die for--they cook it with a very simple blend of soy sauce and garlic and some other stuff, and it practically melts in your mouth. I know a good Italian restaurant too, but I like the Japanese one a little better for first dates. I actually did go there on my first date with my boyfriend, in fact, and it was a really fantastic date. It's conducive to good conversation if you hit it off well, but it's not a quiet and serious setting where you feel the need to fill the silences.
After that, if there's time, I'd like to go have a couple of drinks at a casual, laid back bar. I prefer somewhere that's not too crowded or loud, but at a bar you expect a lot of background noise, and bars feel a little dead when they're really quiet.
And finally, we'd go do something fun. Not that the previous parts aren't fun, but I'm thinking of a live music concert, a comedy show, or a sports game. I find that Phillies games make for a really fun date. I love sitting way up in the nosebleed section where you need an oxygen tank to get up the stairs, bantering with the opposing team's fans, and (if the game is hopeless) booing like only a Philadelphia crowd can. Unfortunately, the Phillies have this way of losing whenever I go to see them.
Describe your dream house. My dream home is the condo on the top floor of the Woolworth Building. Yes, that Woolworth Building. It's a gorgeous condo in a big, cosmopolitan city, on the top floor of one of the world's most beautiful skyscrapers. The view to the north is probably one of the best views of any apartment in the world. Since it's downtown New York, I'm guessing there's easy access to public transportation and other amenities. I'd never have to drive anywhere unless I left the city.
What's one thing that's absolutely necessary in a healthy relationship? Some sort of intellectual interest between the two people. If you can't have an interesting conversation with your significant other, there's no point in being together--at least for me.
IN STAR TREK
If you couldn't date a human for some strange, odd reason, which species (Vulcan, Klingon, Romulan, Borg, Ferengi, etc) would you choose to date instead and why? Vulcan. I've always been attracted to their ability to be super-logical and still have a really strong ethical system--it shows that they must start with really good premises with which to use their logic. I think that's something we should all emulate: have ironclad reasoning, and make sure it starts from the right place.
If given the chance to live anywhere in the universe, what sort of planet would you live on? Ooh, is this a Magrathea-style build-your-own planet thing? I'd want a planet with plenty of coastline, and also plenty of cosmopolitan cities, but preferably not in the same places. I don't like beach cities--I like my beaches isolated and not too crowded, and I like to see the stars. (Actually, seeing the night sky in a different galaxy would be really fascinating for me. I'd probably turn nocturnal in a matter of days because I'd never do anything else for a while after I got there.) I'd also want it to have plenty of delicious but blissfully stupid animals that I wouldn't have to feel guilty about eating.
What are some of your favorite pairings in Star Trek and why are you a fan of them? I don't know! I don't really read or write fic with pairings.
For my own amusement, make up a Star Trek-esque pickup line. Really. Give it a try. Hey, baby, you can bounce your particle beam off my deflector dish any day!
Actually, for Star Trek techno-innuendo, nobody will ever beat Voltaire's Sexy Data Tango. I love that song.
Please link the links to the three members you voted on (if available): 1 2 3
Name: Michelle
Do you have a gender preference for this theme? Male, I guess, but if you think a female character would suit me better, that's fine.
YOURSELF
Strengths: I'm a pretty smart person, and a fairly good conversationalist; I'm one of those people that likes to stay up until 3 AM and talk about the meaning of life (whatever the hell that means). I'm also a very loyal person to the few people that I'm very close to. I have a strong sense of ethics, even though I don't follow it perfectly. (It's sort of like the Vulcans' utilitarianism, although I'm not sure if they're really utilitarian.) I'm fairly good-natured; I treat people with respect unless they give me a reason not to. And I laugh easily.
Weaknesses: I can be moody and I get depressed easily. I'm very lazy; I procrastinate a lot, so I turn a lot of assignments in late. I can also be a little cold and self-absorbed; I'm not overly affectionate most of the time, and I tend to think about myself first. I'm also very impatient, especially with stupid people.
What do people say they like about you? I think most people would describe me as intelligent and opinionated. I'm a pretty reasonable person, so I like to think they see me as some combination of a devil's advocate and a voice of reason. I argue fairly well--though I wish I were even better--and my speech is very precise. I'm articulate and well-spoken.
That's what 99% of the people I know see in me; there are one or two people who know me a bit better. They would tell you that I'm actually pretty funny, and sometimes even silly. They'd say that I am very loyal--to them, anyway--and loving. It's something I keep pretty guarded, though.
What do people say they find irritating about you? I sometimes tend to speak out of turn, with a more arrogant attitude than my competence warrants. (I may be good, but increasingly, so are the people around me.) I'm also very lazy and don't do well with deadlines or responsibility.
What characteristics attract you to a person? Intelligence is the main one. I need someone whose brain I can pick for years and years. Extra points if they're into philosophy!
What characteristics do you dislike in a person? In intelligent people who know they're intelligent, I sometimes see a really noxious combination of arrogance and misanthropy. It also usually comes with a lack of perspective and self-awareness. People like that just radiate this attitude that humans suck, they're foolish and greedy, and wouldn't the world just be so much better if I ran it? (Answer: No, it wouldn't.)
Oh, and misogyny. I can't live with a sexist person. I've been known to go absolutely ballistic at misogynistic insults, whereas other insults don't faze me nearly as much. Sexism can make me lose my temper faster than anything else, ever.
And now for a very open-ended question. What is love? baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me no more
Everyone's relationship is different, but for me personally, it's a combination of deep intellectual and emotional connections with another person. You have to be able to respect each other's minds, to have interesting conversations and share your ideas with each other, even after those first few months where all you want to do is find out more about the other person and how their mind works. But although that's necessary, I don't think it's sufficient. There has to be some emotional connection there, too: a real concern for each other's well-being, above and beyond whatever concern you have for people in general. At some point, you must be willing to sacrifice a bit of something--even if it's just a bit of time, or convenience--if the other person needs it. The sacrifices shouldn't be made out of a sense of duty, though; it should be something you genuinely want to do because of the joy you feel at spending time with them, or at seeing them happy.
I guess all this could be summed up with something like this: love is something you think, something you do, and something you feel. All three of these are equally important to me.
THE MATCH
Is he/she...(explain if you'd like, it's not always black and white, so gray is allowed)
Serious or playful? Somewhere in between; I guess I lean more towards serious. I don't want someone who's going to be a buzzkill, but I also don't want someone who's going to joke around when I want to tell them something important.
Quiet or talkative? Again, somewhere in between. Probably closer to quiet, though.
Leader or follower? Either is fine with me. I'm not picky. There are leader and follower ST characters with whom I could see myself. I might lean towards the followers a little more, but it shouldn't be a deciding factor.
Kind-hearted or tough-minded? Hmm... somewhere in between, I think. I want someone who's reasonable, rational, and not afraid to make tough decisions, but not a callous bastard who doesn't care about human suffering.
Dominant or submissive? Somewhere in between the two, but maybe more towards submissive? I'm pretty laid-back and receptive to suggestions, but in relationships, I dislike being told what to do. I wouldn't be really autocratic or bossy; I'd just want to have a relationship where we were both open to each other's advice.
Traditional or unconventional? Unconventional. I think "traditional" is usually a euphemism for "holds stupid and outdated ideas about women". Then again, the ST universe seems pretty enlightened, so "traditional" by Starfleet standards might not be so bad.
Planned or improvised? Again, there are characters of both types with whom I could see myself. I suppose I lean more towards improvised, but it shouldn't be a deciding factor.
Controlled or impulsive? Controlled. I find emotional, impulsive people a little intimidating, and I don't want to have to worry about my partner getting angry and acting unpredictably.
Calm or energetic? Calm. I find really energetic people kind of draining after a while.
Optimistic or pessimistic? Somewhere in between. I'm a pessimist and I think a reasonable optimist would complement and buoy me, but an extreme optimist would just frustrate me and vice versa.
Realistic or idealistic? Realistic, but ethical.
Secretive or open? Open. Ideally, I wouldn't want my partner to keep big, important secrets from me, and I'd be honest with him in return. I couldn't care less if he's open to other people, though.
Mature or immature? Mature, but maybe not too mature. Immaturity is just irritating, but I couldn't stand to be with someone uptight and priggish.
Compassionate or just? Why are these opposed? Any partner of mine wouldn't see them as opposites to each other. He would do what's necessary to protect people from criminals (which is compassionate, I think), but he'd never give some unnecessarily harsh punishment if there weren't an active threat to innocent people from doing so. He'd be rather pragmatic and utilitarian about justice, I think. Questions of justice aren't easy to answer, but I think this artificial distinction between compassion and justice just obscures everything.
Confident or modest? Somewhere in between, maybe closer to modest? I don't want to have to shore him up constantly, but an arrogant alpha male type isn't for me.
Outgoing or shy? Again, somewhere in between, but maybe closer to shy than outgoing.
THE RELATIONSHIP
What's your ideal first date? For me, a good date involves food, entertainment, and preferably a couple of drinks, but the nature of all three of those elements can vary. For a first date, I'd want something casual. I'd want dinner at a casual but fun and upbeat restaurant. There's a Japanese (and American-influenced) restaurant near me that works very well for first dates; it's one of those places where the chef cooks the food at a small grill that's built into the table. Turns out their rare filet mignon is to die for--they cook it with a very simple blend of soy sauce and garlic and some other stuff, and it practically melts in your mouth. I know a good Italian restaurant too, but I like the Japanese one a little better for first dates. I actually did go there on my first date with my boyfriend, in fact, and it was a really fantastic date. It's conducive to good conversation if you hit it off well, but it's not a quiet and serious setting where you feel the need to fill the silences.
After that, if there's time, I'd like to go have a couple of drinks at a casual, laid back bar. I prefer somewhere that's not too crowded or loud, but at a bar you expect a lot of background noise, and bars feel a little dead when they're really quiet.
And finally, we'd go do something fun. Not that the previous parts aren't fun, but I'm thinking of a live music concert, a comedy show, or a sports game. I find that Phillies games make for a really fun date. I love sitting way up in the nosebleed section where you need an oxygen tank to get up the stairs, bantering with the opposing team's fans, and (if the game is hopeless) booing like only a Philadelphia crowd can. Unfortunately, the Phillies have this way of losing whenever I go to see them.
Describe your dream house. My dream home is the condo on the top floor of the Woolworth Building. Yes, that Woolworth Building. It's a gorgeous condo in a big, cosmopolitan city, on the top floor of one of the world's most beautiful skyscrapers. The view to the north is probably one of the best views of any apartment in the world. Since it's downtown New York, I'm guessing there's easy access to public transportation and other amenities. I'd never have to drive anywhere unless I left the city.
What's one thing that's absolutely necessary in a healthy relationship? Some sort of intellectual interest between the two people. If you can't have an interesting conversation with your significant other, there's no point in being together--at least for me.
IN STAR TREK
If you couldn't date a human for some strange, odd reason, which species (Vulcan, Klingon, Romulan, Borg, Ferengi, etc) would you choose to date instead and why? Vulcan. I've always been attracted to their ability to be super-logical and still have a really strong ethical system--it shows that they must start with really good premises with which to use their logic. I think that's something we should all emulate: have ironclad reasoning, and make sure it starts from the right place.
If given the chance to live anywhere in the universe, what sort of planet would you live on? Ooh, is this a Magrathea-style build-your-own planet thing? I'd want a planet with plenty of coastline, and also plenty of cosmopolitan cities, but preferably not in the same places. I don't like beach cities--I like my beaches isolated and not too crowded, and I like to see the stars. (Actually, seeing the night sky in a different galaxy would be really fascinating for me. I'd probably turn nocturnal in a matter of days because I'd never do anything else for a while after I got there.) I'd also want it to have plenty of delicious but blissfully stupid animals that I wouldn't have to feel guilty about eating.
What are some of your favorite pairings in Star Trek and why are you a fan of them? I don't know! I don't really read or write fic with pairings.
For my own amusement, make up a Star Trek-esque pickup line. Really. Give it a try. Hey, baby, you can bounce your particle beam off my deflector dish any day!
Actually, for Star Trek techno-innuendo, nobody will ever beat Voltaire's Sexy Data Tango. I love that song.
Please link the links to the three members you voted on (if available): 1 2 3