The Unlovables

[insertusername]

The Unlovables

Everyone loves a hero. As long as they're youthful, hot, charming and conventionally attractive. Meanwhile, all the old, ugly, broke down, difficult-to-love, bastards out there are toiling away in lonesome obscurity trying not to daydream too much about what a relief it would be if someone came along with a soft touch, and a kind word, and the promise that it'll be ok.

Whether canon or fandom branded them as such, whether it's well deserved or not, there's lots of unlovables. They know most beasts never transform for their beauties. They've probably noticed that even in the Disney version Quasimodo ends up alone ffs. Still, props to them for maintaining a shred of optimism about finding love. Even if they'll never admit to being hopeful.

So if you spent prom on the bleachers. If you max-out at a 5 (maybe 6 generously). If you've got a history of first dates and very few seconds; If you can guarantee you'll get the seat to yourself on the train. Chin up, champ. This one's for you

how to play:

Top level with your unlovable characters; State any prefs like gen, shippy or nsfw. Link your permissions pgs. Tell us a bit about what makes your muse a tough sell.

Comment to comfort someone the world finds difficult to love and be the real heroes in this meme.

Comments

[infestedadmiral]

[The young lady was indeed a bold one. Most of the elders in the room talked to him out of obligation. That was part of being an Emissary for the Swarm. Establishing relationships with those outside the Korprulu Sector was best left to someone who was mostly human. It felt so strange, being around this many people and not being self conscious. The years had truly changed him to accept his body the way it was. Alexei had not realized it had even happened until he'd stepped off his young Leviathan and onto this ship full of humans. Every instinct to downplay his infestation was completely gone. It hadn't even crossed his mind until he'd been left to his own devices and he realized his behavior had not been any different than if he had been visiting another Zerg ship.]

Yes, I think it was best that I make the journey. Now that the Zerg are branching out into the universe, I think we should start building some metaphorical bridges. It has been a long time since I have heard my mother tongue spoken aloud. That was kind and thoughtful of you.

[He paused a moment before bobbing his head in a sort of bow. There was no way she did not know who he was. There was only one Zerg emissary here and it was him...and she had spoken to him in Russian...but it felt wrong to not properly introduce himself.]

I hope my reputation does not proceed me, but...permit me to introduce myself. I am Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov, Adviser of Overqueen Zagara and Emissary of the Zerg Swarm. However, I am guessing you knew that already.

[It was true. He did stand out in a crowd.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips and a quiet chuckle rocked his chest. His extra limbs flexed a bit with his thoughts.]

Tell me, Lieutenant Tayrey, did the stars call to you, when you first looked up at them? When I was a boy on Earth, I would look up at the sky and dream of traveling them. I never imagined I would get to see them in so many places and their beauty and power never cease to amaze. It is helpful I think, to be reminded of one's place in the grand scheme of things.

[Stukov nodded at her occupation.]

That is quite an impressive achievement. Practical and wise. A computer may malfunction or break but...

[He moved his left claw and tapped his glowing temple.]

your own knowledge will never fail you.

[astrogator]

[Ari knew some things. His name, and his position, certainly. That had been on the official documentation, and the rumors had made it all too easy for her to pick him out of the crowd. What she didn't know was what it actually meant. It surprised some to learn how relatively insular the Tradeliner ships really were. From the name, other civilisations often expected them to be nothing but merchants. They did conduct trade, but their first duty was always to defend the insured colony worlds out in their sector, independent and Company alike. It kept them close to home.

Ari's ship had just returned from a Keturah run, out to the frontier. She understood that the man before her was Emissary for the Zerg, but what were they to her? Participants in a far-off conflict, in a far-off sector. Some people would have made more effort to keep up with interstellar politics, perhaps, but Ari Tayrey worked a twelve-hour shift in astrogation every day that they were out in the black. She had to prioritise.]

I'll admit, sir, I did have some indication, but there's much to be said for proper introductions. By which title ought I to call you, rightly? I appreciate the chance to speak Russian, very much. My - Lieutenant Savitskaya, who oversaw my training, grew up on a colony where it was the first language, and she taught it to me shipside.

[Ari had been her apprentice, and now Ari was second in her department. It was a close connection, and her voice was warm as she spoke of the older woman.

Then she looked up at the stars again. She was hesitant to lie to him, but her own story was far more prosaic. She was an astrogator because she'd needed to get offworld, and spacers were about the only people who would let a thirteen-year-old girl sign employment contract and not fret over it. Then Captain Kavarai had looked at her aptitude scores - and, let's be honest, her Cardalek upbringing - and told her it'd be a waste if he didn't put her in for command training. In one way, Ari's career was just a series of fortunate probability resolutions - but that didn't mean she hadn't needed to work hard for it all.]

I suppose I'd never thought about it. I grew up in Cardalek Tower. My father was director of finance there, I never saw much of the stars. Going spacer was something of an...unexpected direction for someone like me. I wanted something more than I had, and it was - yes, I think it was the scale of it that appealed. The vastness of the sky. I came to appreciate the beauty later.

[Cardalek was a large corporation which owned its own colony world, a partially-terraformed planet by the same name where most people lived in networks of interconnected towers. The wealthier you were, the less likely it was you ever saw the ground. Ari does nod her agreement at his comment about knowledge.]

They teach us that out on the lines. I can plot a course through ordinary space with nothing but backup charts and a slide rule if I have to. It isn't because we expect all the computers to fail, it's because you understand a thing better if you've looked at it from first principles. Being prepared for emergencies never hurts either. If you don't mind the question, what work did you do shipside, before you had your own command?

[infestedadmiral]

[Stukov shrugged his shoulders and his Zerg limbs shrugged with them.]

I'm far too old to care about the semantics of titles. Stukov is enough for me, though if it makes you feel more comfortable, you may add my rank or a simple "Mr." I'll accept any combination of that.

[He smiled upon hearing where she had learned his mother tongue. So it had been passed to her from a colony world. Warm nostalgia bloomed in his chest and it made him feel happy that some part of the culture he had grown up with had been passed on to the stars since he could never return to Earth and he'd been the only one to speak it at all in the Korprulu Sector.]

It was good of her to teach you. I hope you'll forgive an old man his eccentricities, but there is something comforting and nostalgic about hearing the language you grew up with spoken in a corner of the universe you only just arrived in.

[The glow under his skin was a warm, friendly orange.

He nodded, listening to her talk about how she had started her journey to space. Everyone started somewhere and came to the stars in their own way.]

Much of my work previously was in research. I previously had significantly more...behind the scenes experience than out on the field. That always surprises people. I spent far more times in laboratories than battlefields. Though in the long run, my experience in both textbook strategy and hands on research greatly contributed to my talents for the field when I did serve on vessels. It enabled me to see practical applications of things we encountered.