flying the delta quadrant

The analysis that no one asked for but I’m doing anyway because I want to.

Janeway: Even though she’s had dogs her whole life, Janeway is a cat. She’s crafty, sassy, and flirty in a way that is distinctly feline. Also have you seen the way she sits in her command chair? Cat.

Chakotay: I once saw Chakotay described as a “bored, oversized tomcat” and that was correct. He messes with people for fun. He flirts with Kathryn. He plays little jokes on people. He crashes shuttles with the same energy as a cat pushing a glass of water off a table. 

Tuvok: Cat. Wants to be alone, thinks everyone else is completely irrational. Has some murderous thoughts sometimes. Likes houseplants a little too much. 

Tom: Definitely a dog. He took one look at Harry Kim and decided that they were going to be best friends for life. Easily amused. Tears things apart when he’s bored (like in his car holodeck program). Needs attention all the time. 

Harry: Probably a dog. He’s loyal, ambitious in a very positive way, and seems to benefit a lot from positive feedback. Also the level of floof to his hair in the early seasons looks puppy-soft.

B’Elanna: A dog that was raised by cats. She has the spatial needs of a cat, but the loyalty, bark, and need for positive feedback of a dog. She’s had scrappy instincts trained into her though by the “cat people”  she was raised around. 

The EMH: That level of overdrama is so feline it’s not even funny. He’s the cat who tries to jump on the windowsill, slips and falls, and then acts like he meant to do that.

Kes: She’s a cat that was raised by dogs. She has a nurturing instinct that feels very much like a momma cat, but the loyalty and sociality of a dog. She’s clever in a way that could be feline or canine. 

Neelix: Dog. Wants to be friends with everybody. Only bites when he’s pushed too far. Very upbeat.

Clever kitty

Kirk: *narrowing his eyes* Mudd if you make another xenophobic comment–

Mudd: Why, I’m not being xenophobic, Captain!

Spock: He’s being homophobic.

Superman: Man of Tomorrow #12 - “Superman’s Day Off” (2020)

“I GOT THE JOB!”

“I worked really hard!”

After that, this kid was cleaning out the fridge at least once a week, and I was like, “why are you always cleaning the fridge?” Like, I didn’t mind, but it seemed odd. And he said, “one time I cleaned the fridge and you said I did a good job. I wanted to make you proud of me again.”

Literally, I changed the entire way I interacted with teenagers after that. I actually got a package of glitter stars and I would stick them on their nametags when they did a good job, and they loved it.

My manager had commented on how hard these kids work and I said, “they’re starved for positive feedback. They go to school all day then come to work all evening and no one appreciates it because it’s expected of them, but they’re still kids. They need positive feedback from adults in their lives.”

Teens don’t talk to adults bc adults only ask „so, how‘s school“ to then interrupt them two sentences in. And because they can’t engage in a conversation about buying houses and working in a bank. I would’ve loved to talk about philosophy and politics and history with family the way I did with friends and in class but because I was young no one took what I had to say seriously.

And no, teens aren’t always on their phone. They’re on their phone when they’re bored. You think I‘m on social media when I‘m with my friends? When I‘m talking about something I‘m interested in?

Very frequently, when I first speak to a child while I’m at work, they’ll kind of withdraw and act uncomfortable and shy. Their parents will then rather frequently tell them to not be shy and try to coax them to talk to me – whenever that happens, I always, without fail, politely dissuade the parents from pressuring them.

“I’m a stranger,” I’ll tell the kid’s parents. “I don’t blame them for not talking to me – if they were anywhere else, they’d have the right idea, to not immediately trust me.”

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen that same kid – simply after hearing their initial reaction being validated, instead of reproached – immediately open up to me after that. I also cannot tell you how many times that child and I would go on to start a friggin’ marathon conversation, and I got to hear all about how great their day was or what their favorite Disney movies were or what rides they liked and didn’t like or how much they like a certain Disney character or song…all from me validating that initial feeling and showing genuine interest in what they had to say.

This isn’t just young children, either. I will always remember being positioned outside the Animation Academy one day and starting up a conversation with a young lady, perhaps 12 or 13, who joined the line with her father a full 25 minutes before the class was supposed to start. Now keep in mind, we do a drawing class every 30 minutes: there was no one else in line at that point, and no one else joined the girl and her father in line for a full fifteen minutes. So I could tell pretty quickly that this girl was very emotionally invested in getting a good spot for the drawing class: a conclusion all the more bolstered by the fact that she had a notebook under her arm. I asked her if she was an artist – she said yes, but seemed uncomfortable at the question, so I skipped even asking her if I could see her work, instead admitting that I myself wasn’t very good at art, but that I’m trying to get better and that I love the history of Disney animation. On the screens around us was video footage of different Disney concept art and animation reels, so I pointed one of them out (for Snow White) and asked if she knew the story behind the making of the movie. Upon confirming that she didn’t, I proceeded to get down on the floor so I could sit next to her and her father and dramatically tell the whole story of how “Uncle Walt” created the first full-length animated motion picture, even though everyone and their mother thought he was an idiot for even trying, and how the film ended up becoming the first Hollywood blockbuster. After the story was over, the girl’s father said that his daughter really wanted to be an animator when she grew up, and she finally felt comfortable enough to open her notebook and show me some of her artwork. It was wonderful! Every sketch had such character and you could tell how much work she put into it! And I could tell how much telling her that – and sharing that moment with her, where we got to connect over something we both really enjoyed – had meant. And after the class was over, she sought me out to show me what she and her father had drawn – and sure enough, hers was great! (Her father’s was too, really. XD)

-~-

I feel like I am obliged to add one more thing: don’t ever think that the kids won’t feel your unspoken judgements cause they do!

I felt always like a ‘problem’ in my family, until I was about sixteen, I got this teacher who was litterally the first to tell I was worthy. He changed my life up till this day.