The new movie might not have given me much, but one thing I'm certainly thankful to it for: I've started reading Star Trek: TOS fiction again, that is, original K/S slash.

Now that the K/S Archive has had a major overhaul, it's finally searchable by word count, and as usual, I've started with the longest stories. Of course, I've discovered that I've already read perhaps 95 % of them some time in the past, but even despite that, it's been very entertaining.

Aside from my old pet peeve, that is.

First of all, let's state that I'm a Kirk girl all the way. I have to say that I've always found TOS!Kirk more visually appealing than TOS!Spock. Not that I consider young Leonard Nimoy unattractive, but him, I would shove out of bed for dropping crumbs. Young William Shatner, though? Not so much.

Character-wise, I believe I've always found Spock more interesting, due to his mixed heritage, his past, and his balancing act between two cultures as well as between his logical, Vulcan and his emotional, human half. My appreciation for Kirk's character came only later, although not very much later. He was styled as the ultimate hero on the show, and somehow his heroic characteristics always came across as genuine virtues, not as fake, superficial airs. His friendship with Spock and McCoy, his sense of responsibility for his ship and his crew, his empathy with strangers, his honor when facing equally honorable enemies, his ingenuity, his intuition, his willingness to sacrifice his personal happiness for duty or friendship... I could go on and on. Add to that a past at least as intriguing as Spock's, and I was hooked.

Jim Kirk survived Kodos the Executioner's massacre on Tarsus IV at the age of 13 (which can provide a really interesting backstory with sexual abuse in fanfic), was a studious and quiet student ("a stack of books on legs", according to his old friend Gary Mitchell) during his time at Starfleet Academy, and didn't become the womanizer he's famous for until he got into space. His first girlfriends were all serious relationships, and apparently only these break-ups, his love for command, and the example of his parents' marriage - George Kirk was almost never home - caused him to settle for short, casual affairs from then on. He worked for his rank of captain, for his command of a Constitution class starship, and didn't become Starfleet's youngest captain due to luck, arrogance, influence, hotheadedness, or unwillingness to study, apply himself, or take his challenges seriously.

The stories that showcase his character best, I think, are UKJess' 'Lost and Found' and 'Strong Together'.

Last but not least, Kirk is an Alpha personality. He is very much the captain, even in his private life, and not a submissive little flower looking for a protector from the bad, bad world.

Which is why I so, SO detest a certain view in K/S in which he's written as Spock's willing bottom, sextoy, and slave. Kirk might very well pretend to accept a submissive role when in a dangerous situation, but all along he'd be planning how to escape and save himself as well as the people he's responsible for.

Not that I ever see Spock as being willing to crush Kirk's bright, forceful personality into the dirt in order to get a broken, pliant shell of a man, but that's another rant altogether.

And all this because, once again, I was too stupid to stop reading soon enough in a story in which Kirk is brought into Vulcan's past, enslaved by Vulcan warriors, and collared by Spock - a Spock who plays mighty ruler of all, makes his decisions without consulting Kirk, treats him like a toy, forcibly melds and bonds with him, and is generally a domineering asshole of the first order. Urgh. My brain hurts, and my stomach's upset.

Some characterizations? I will. Never. Ever. Understand.