fic: Consumed (Star Trek AOS)

[thistlerose]

Title: Consumed
Fandom: Star Trek AOS
Rating: Adult
Characters: Kirk, Spock, McCoy
Contains: disturbing stuff (highlight to reveal) a lethal, mind-controlling parasite manipulates Jim into believing he's pregnant; involuntary (due to mind control) termination of said imagined pregnancy, including graphic description of surgery
Notes: Many thanks to

Comments

[secretsolitaire]

Oh, man, my heart just broke three or four times for Jim there. :-( His loneliness kills me, and the way he kept screaming for Bones not to take the parasite away from him. But I loved the part with Spock in his mind, and the way his crew clearly cares about him. Hopefully he will start to realize it.

[thistlerose]

He's starting to realize it by the end, when Riley reaches out to him and he finds he's able to sympathize. But yeah, his crew is going to be very protective of him from now on.

I'm so glad you liked Spock. I've been wanting to write a story about his friendship with Jim that didn't involve him trying to get Jim together with McCoy. *g*

Thank you so much!

[emluv]

This is amazing. It just broke my heart. Jim's emotions are so real and his loneliness despite everything is palpable. Even once he's come back to himself at the end, and understands what was really going on, that leftover emotion is so true and poignant, I just wanted to hug him.

I thought the balance between Spock and McCoy worked beautifully, and also I loved that it was someone else who actually realized something was wrong with Jim. I think it's too easy to see what you're used to when you're very close to a person, and it's more likely that a crew member with a bit more perspective would recognize the captain's odd behavior. Sorcha is a lovely original character.

[thistlerose]

Oh, thank you! :) He does need hugs. Eventually. When he's feeling better, the poor dear.

I'm so glad you though the balance between Spock and McCoy worked. I wanted to portray them as equals in this, with each trying to save Kirk from different angles. And you're right - when you're very close to a person, and familiar with his quirks, it can be hard to know when something is really off. Plus, even possessed and drugged, Kirk is close enough to his friends to know how to manipulate them.

[almightychrissy]

This is just....this is fucking amazing. Jim's sorrow, his pain, his attachment, are all so perfectly portrayed without going over the top. It's very, very, very real. Spock broke my heart, and McCoy, and Riley there at the end. I also love how you kept Kirk still KIRK there at the end, still that front of bravado while his heart is torn out.

This was seriously incredible.

(It's strange, though, because somehow I saw this very strongly as TOS, so when Spock mentioned Vulcan and Amanda, I had to take a little step back and readjust my head. It's nothing you did; just an oddity in my read of the characters.)

[thistlerose]

Thank you *so* much! When I first finished this, I was worried I'd broken the character too badly. Such an enormous relief to hear that it works!

That's interesting that you saw it as TOS. Sometimes when I'm writing gen, I'll have both timelines in mind, but I think nu!Kirk's youth and comparative inexperience were really contributing to his feelings of loneliness and isolation. Whereas TOS!Kirk was really eased into his role as captain, even though he did end up alone. Hmm. Interesting.

[emiliglia]

I'm gonna go cry in the corner now.

Very, very well done. And I love the different take on the prompt.

[thistlerose]

*petpetpet*

Thank you. :)

Mpreg makes me uncomfortable, but it was there on my hc_bingo card, and someone dared me, so. I had to try. I'm glad you liked it.

[weepingnaiad]

Totally broke my heart for Jim! How he was so desperately lonely, how his own fears were exacerbated and used by the parasite against him. His slow dissolution. It was creepy and chilling. I love Spock's voice and how Bones puts him back together, but I know that emotionally there's still so much to deal with.

[thistlerose]

Yeah, he isn't going to bounce back from this quickly. None of them are.

Thank you so much!