Arc of the Wolf: Distant Horizons

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction' started by SLWalker, Nov 1, 2008.

  1. SLWalker

    SLWalker The OG Scotty Fangirl Premium Member

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    Arc of the Wolf: Distant Horizons - Distant Horizons
    Pulled for story control
     
    Last edited: Jun 12, 2023
  2. Nerys Ghemor

    Nerys Ghemor Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Arc of the Wolf: Distant Horizons - Distant Horizons

    Wow. Scotty decked the dentist? And didn't get in trouble for it? Again: wow.

    Don't take this the wrong way, but the more I see--the more I start to think your version of him is quite the messed-up individual.
     
  3. SLWalker

    SLWalker The OG Scotty Fangirl Premium Member

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    Re: Arc of the Wolf: Distant Horizons - Distant Horizons

    Nah, why would I take it the wrong way? He is screwed up at this age. Not in any 'evil, crazy' ways, but just has a whole slew of half-wild instincts and not a whole lot of more normal, well-adjusted coping mechanisms. Though, he didn't deck the dentist. ;-) At worst, he probably snagged the guys wrist in self-defense (not because the guy was a real threat, but because instinct took over) and accidentally twisted it while he was bolting. It does make sense in broad context, though it takes a very long time before a full portrait of the hows, whys and 'what happeneds?' comes together.

    But, I figured that the dentist probably had to deal with twitchy people just by virtue of his job, even if it is a much kinder profession in that century, and some eighteen-year-old kid who was visibly spooked would one: Not be a surprise and two: Obviously didn't mean it in any malice. Why ruin a potential career over a mistake?

    Thanks for the comment! And, no worries. Scott does start settling down. ;-) It just takes a bit, given how far he started behind the curve.
     
  4. Gibraltar

    Gibraltar Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Yeah, as you’ve presented him, I almost wonder if Scotty doesn’t have a mild and undiagnosed form of Asperger’s Syndrome or autism? His reaction to new and unfamiliar situations (the dental exam foremost among them) would seem to indicate that he’s wired differently than most others.

    Continued excellence in your writing, making this character a joy to read about. :bolian:
     
  5. SLWalker

    SLWalker The OG Scotty Fangirl Premium Member

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    First: That's a wicked awesome observation! Honestly, I'd never even considered that angle! I've written this more with psychology in mind, and that one hadn't crossed my mind, but it's a neat thought.

    And now, a discourse on psychology! Time for me to ramble again. ;) Sorry.

    I dunno if I'd go so far as to say that he's even mildly autistic, if only because there's a lot more psychology to it than physiology. Think about it: It's already established by now that he was left to fend for himself quite a bit of the time. Neglected, really, though not to a degree where he didn't learn language or that sort of thing. But he definitely wasn't socialized terribly well -- the very first people that babies and children learn about interaction from are their parents and family members. And in order to really start reaching out into the world and not being afraid of things, you have to first have the certainty that you have support behind you and a stable home base to retreat to. Curiosity is innate in children, and he's no different, but if you're constantly wondering if the people who should be caring for you and protecting you are even home, it creates a messy tangle in the supposed-to-be-simple mind of a child.

    It's a bit like Maslow's Hierarchy -- the pyramid of survival. Physiological needs always come first, because while you're worrying about those, you can't worry about much else. He got pretty adept at watching his own back fast; one of the things going for him that might not pretain to others being that he's extremely adaptable (a good and bad trait, depending) -- he's a survivor, and by this point it's still a pretty prominent part of how he views the world. What's a threat, what isn't, how to potentially deal with those threats. Except, because he was left to learn all this by the school of hard knocks, he handles it all very primitively. Never was taught that there are better ways to handle a scary situation, or something new, he automatically defaults to instincts and those instincts are feral instincts.

    Still, though, he's got a lot going for him, too -- he's very smart. And he's very hard-wired for mechanics, not just in the sense of understanding how things go together and work, but also being able to really get things in a full-sensory way. Pretty much his whole world, he views with all of his senses.

    You can see pieces of this early psychology even much later on in TOS canon. One: Scotty's hyper-responsible, which he learned early when his basic survival was pretty much in his own hands. He takes threats to his ship and crew seriously, and is very vocal about it when he thinks his Captain's about to do something ill-advised, regardless of the mission objective. Two: He's not exactly all that good at expressing himself; That Which Survives is a good example of him not being able to find the right words to convey this 'something's not right' feeling to Spock. It's also a good example of instinct, being sensory and being very aware of how all those things come together -- he knows something's wrong, he KNOWS it, even though almost all of the instrumentation disagrees with him, and even though Spock (who has literally heightened senses) can't feel it. And he's right. And he's proven right.

    There's a whole lot more there... I could spend hours talking about the psychology of this one character, nevermind any others. :lol: If you haven't guessed, I have a pretty keen interest in how nature and nurture works to make people who they are, and fanfic is a great way to explore that.

    But for now, I'll spare you more rambling. I've gone on longer than some of my fics are by now. Thanks again for a really interesting notion, as well as commenting and reading!
     
  6. Gibraltar

    Gibraltar Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    ^It's really a shame you haven't put more thought into Scotty's character! :lol: :techman:
     
  7. SLWalker

    SLWalker The OG Scotty Fangirl Premium Member

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    I know, isn't it?! I've totally been slacking off on it.

    :guffaw:
     
  8. Mistral

    Mistral Vice Admiral Admiral

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    4me Junkyard Dogs is next. So far, i'd have to say that you have a singular voice. I like what I've read so far but don't have time to read so much at once-so I'll be back.
     
  9. SLWalker

    SLWalker The OG Scotty Fangirl Premium Member

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    Take all the time you want! ;-) The stories aren't going anywhere.
     
  10. Mistral

    Mistral Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Done! And, well done! Now on to the next! This was a lot of fun and brought a lot to Scotty-I can still see how what you are portraying can end up as Doohan's character. Great work!
     
  11. SLWalker

    SLWalker The OG Scotty Fangirl Premium Member

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    Thanks much! I actually drew a whole lot of the inspiration from Doohan himself -- the rough childhood, and the early and overpowering need to get out, some quirks. Different means and methods, but he was definitely a major source of inspiration.
     
  12. SLWalker

    SLWalker The OG Scotty Fangirl Premium Member

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    Arc of the Wolf: Distant Horizons - Random Artwork
    All defunct.
     
    Last edited: Jun 12, 2023
  13. Gibraltar

    Gibraltar Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Re: Arc of the Wolf: Distant Horizons - Random Artwork

    Very nice! It's great to put some 'faces' to the story. :)

    Just one question, though... did they have a sudden shortage of hair product in the 23rd century? ;)
     
  14. SLWalker

    SLWalker The OG Scotty Fangirl Premium Member

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    Re: Arc of the Wolf: Distant Horizons - Random Artwork

    ::blinks:: Hair product?
     
  15. Gibraltar

    Gibraltar Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Re: Arc of the Wolf: Distant Horizons - Random Artwork

    I get that it's a windy day in the panels displayed, but damn... beam those guys down some mousse! :lol:
     
  16. SLWalker

    SLWalker The OG Scotty Fangirl Premium Member

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    Re: Arc of the Wolf: Distant Horizons - Random Artwork

    Do any of them strike you as the mousse type? :hugegrin: You've got one scientist, one junkyard owner and one barely civilized kid. I'm pretty sure none of 'em spend a ton of time preening.

    Well, Scott probably did when he actually managed to get a date, but that was short lived.
     
  17. Gibraltar

    Gibraltar Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Re: Arc of the Wolf: Distant Horizons - Random Artwork

    Look, Scottyville has to be young and hip and fresh! I want those guys in designer 23rd century clothing (think McCoy from ST: III/IV) and big 90210 sideburns and perfectly sculpted hair that wouldn't move in gale-force winds! :D
     
  18. SLWalker

    SLWalker The OG Scotty Fangirl Premium Member

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    Re: Arc of the Wolf: Distant Horizons - Random Artwork

    You're real damn lucky I wasn't taking a sip of my coffee when I read this. :guffaw: