James T. Kirk (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
original_fine) wrote2014-07-03 10:45 pm
original_fine) wrote2014-07-03 10:45 pm
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ten_fwd
Your name or online alias: Kris
Your email: mydaroga [at] gmail [dot] com
Another preferred means of contact:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
original_fine
Character's Full Name: James Tiberius Kirk
Character's Canon: Star Trek: The Original Series
Character's Journal Name:original_fine
What would you like your character's tag to be?: James T. Kirk
In 300-500 words total, tell us your...
Character's background (their past and present): Memory Alpha entry
Character's personality: At first glance, Jim Kirk is the quintessential macho hero: strong, blandly attractive, a lauded captain of the exploratory and peacekeeping Starfleet organization. He makes decisions quickly, is good in a fight, and seems able to have any woman (and some men) fall under his charismatic spell in seconds flat. What is less obvious is that he takes his responsibility very seriously, and underlying the man of action is one of compassion. A man of both action and thought, he is ultimately a very adaptable, flexible person within the confines of his moral beliefs.
As a captain, Kirk listens to his subordinates and welcomes their input and debate. He maintains most of his crew at arm's length, while cultivating a familiarity that has resulted in a degree of loyalty which means they would do anything for him because they want to, not because he outranks them. While gregarious and open, he can be short-tempered under duress, but always apologizes. He can be overly familiar, but does not cross personal lines of conduct he has set for himself. In fact, he is a lonely man, having found that his first responsibility is to the ship and the crew, and that this does not mix with romance.
As demonstrated throughout his dealings with other races and the unknown, Kirk has a genuine compassion for all living things, a boundless curiosity about life, and a rigid belief in right and wrong. He has, to some extent, internalized the values of the Federation to the point where he no longer separates them from his own--leading, at times, to overstepping his duties (if not outright re-interpreting them) as its representative. This is demonstrated in instances where he violates Starfleet's non-interference directive in order to put right a situation according to his own interpretation. Justice is, however, always tempered with mercy, and second chances are always an option. While diplomacy is not his chosen field, Kirk would nearly always prefer to talk out a conflict than fight; on numerous occasions, he curbs his more violent instincts in order to determine that the threat can be neutralized another way. He often discovers that the perceived threat is not one at all, and has been known to make speeches to the effect that Man, while containing natural inclinations to violence, has the reason and compassion to act otherwise. He firmly believes that we as a society have evolved beyond such conflict, and that a mark of our civilization is that we need not resort to our baser instincts. That being said, he seems to revel in the opportunity to fight, and prefers close, unarmed combat to remote methods or sophisticated weaponry. In this way he illustrates his vision of mankind perfectly: containing simultaneously the ability and instinct to fight, and the capability of settling differences more compassionately. And above all, maintaining a personal involvement.
Though compassionate and understanding, the above also illustrates that Kirk is not without arrogance. While accepting input from others (and usually able to admit when he's wrong), he is quite capable of asserting his vision as the correct one, sometimes in ways which seem naive or pedantic. When encountering other cultures, for example, he does not hesitate to remove sources of authoritarian rule from power, without necessarily considering the mess he may leave behind or the authoritarian quality of his own interference. Though he can be understanding of cultural differences, he is also certain about the "right" way for a society to evolve, and if the differences are fundamentally opposed to his values, he steps in and overturns them. An example would be in the episode "The Apple," in which he learns an idyllic, Edenic society is being kept from evolving by a computer they revere as a god, he destroys their god and leaves them to fend for themselves. Notably, similar scenarios unfold multiple times over his career.
Ultimately, however, Kirk is a good man. What makes him a rich personality beyond his heroic status is the blend of playfulness, flirtation, compassion, and authority, rendering him complex without being contradictory. He can be said to be playful in his work, and serious about his play, devoted beyond all else to his mission and those he commands but not above lightening the mood without taking his job lightly. It is this quality which can make him either compelling or infuriating to those around him, as he cultivates a sense of community and familiarity without sacrificing control. With both men and women he is expressive, touchy, and warm, though his is the sort of energy which takes over a room--it is possible to find it utterly charismatic or, resisting it, find him overbearing.
Kirk's relationship to authority is less well-documented, considering the mission's tendency to take the ship far from civilization. However, it appears that the above-mentioned "hands on" style of his command has resulted in two apparently contradictory results: commendation and censure. Highly decorated, the youngest captain in Starfleet history, commanding the fleet's flagship, it is clear that Kirk is highly valued. However, his ability to act "alone" or outside the boundaries of Starfleet policy have landed him in hot water with Command. He has been court martialed (though exonerated) and several higher-ranking officials threaten him with action when he refuses to follow the rules. He is usually proven correct, and the reasonable assumption to make is that his rule-bending works, and thus allowances are made. (For how long is debatable--while this canon point is before the films, the first movie makes plain that Kirk is behind a desk no less than two years after the five-year-mission depicted in the series, and that it is killing him.) This contradiction was noted even in his Academy days, when he "beat" the Kobayashi Maru test--a test designed to make command-track candidates face death--by altering the scenario so he could win it. He was commended, but there is also a sense that he cheated. His refusal to accept the "no-win scenario" is both an asset and a liability to Starfleet, and the push/pull of his resistance/attraction to authority is a very human contradiction.
Character's skills/abilities/powers: Kirk is a typical human, without any special powers or abilities. He is trained in tactics, combat (both weapons and hand-to-hand), and has a basic understanding of a wide range of skills and technologies, and is physically fit.
Any special equipment your character is bringing along? This includes weaponry, magic items, etc.: Charisma.
Are you bringing your character toten_fwd from another game? If you are, which game?: N/A
Why do you want to play this character in Ten Forward, and what do you plan to do with them? I've tried this before. I love the idea of Ten Forward, but last time I just couldn't get him involved in things. I plan on doing better and hopefully getting him integrated to a point where there is something for him to DO. And he's James T. Kirk, y'all.
Writing Sample #1: Is a link okay?
Writing Sample #2 (optional): I can provide more if needed. I've been playing him since 2009.
Your email: mydaroga [at] gmail [dot] com
Another preferred means of contact:
Character's Full Name: James Tiberius Kirk
Character's Canon: Star Trek: The Original Series
Character's Journal Name:
original_fineWhat would you like your character's tag to be?: James T. Kirk
In 300-500 words total, tell us your...
Character's background (their past and present): Memory Alpha entry
Character's personality: At first glance, Jim Kirk is the quintessential macho hero: strong, blandly attractive, a lauded captain of the exploratory and peacekeeping Starfleet organization. He makes decisions quickly, is good in a fight, and seems able to have any woman (and some men) fall under his charismatic spell in seconds flat. What is less obvious is that he takes his responsibility very seriously, and underlying the man of action is one of compassion. A man of both action and thought, he is ultimately a very adaptable, flexible person within the confines of his moral beliefs.
As a captain, Kirk listens to his subordinates and welcomes their input and debate. He maintains most of his crew at arm's length, while cultivating a familiarity that has resulted in a degree of loyalty which means they would do anything for him because they want to, not because he outranks them. While gregarious and open, he can be short-tempered under duress, but always apologizes. He can be overly familiar, but does not cross personal lines of conduct he has set for himself. In fact, he is a lonely man, having found that his first responsibility is to the ship and the crew, and that this does not mix with romance.
As demonstrated throughout his dealings with other races and the unknown, Kirk has a genuine compassion for all living things, a boundless curiosity about life, and a rigid belief in right and wrong. He has, to some extent, internalized the values of the Federation to the point where he no longer separates them from his own--leading, at times, to overstepping his duties (if not outright re-interpreting them) as its representative. This is demonstrated in instances where he violates Starfleet's non-interference directive in order to put right a situation according to his own interpretation. Justice is, however, always tempered with mercy, and second chances are always an option. While diplomacy is not his chosen field, Kirk would nearly always prefer to talk out a conflict than fight; on numerous occasions, he curbs his more violent instincts in order to determine that the threat can be neutralized another way. He often discovers that the perceived threat is not one at all, and has been known to make speeches to the effect that Man, while containing natural inclinations to violence, has the reason and compassion to act otherwise. He firmly believes that we as a society have evolved beyond such conflict, and that a mark of our civilization is that we need not resort to our baser instincts. That being said, he seems to revel in the opportunity to fight, and prefers close, unarmed combat to remote methods or sophisticated weaponry. In this way he illustrates his vision of mankind perfectly: containing simultaneously the ability and instinct to fight, and the capability of settling differences more compassionately. And above all, maintaining a personal involvement.
Though compassionate and understanding, the above also illustrates that Kirk is not without arrogance. While accepting input from others (and usually able to admit when he's wrong), he is quite capable of asserting his vision as the correct one, sometimes in ways which seem naive or pedantic. When encountering other cultures, for example, he does not hesitate to remove sources of authoritarian rule from power, without necessarily considering the mess he may leave behind or the authoritarian quality of his own interference. Though he can be understanding of cultural differences, he is also certain about the "right" way for a society to evolve, and if the differences are fundamentally opposed to his values, he steps in and overturns them. An example would be in the episode "The Apple," in which he learns an idyllic, Edenic society is being kept from evolving by a computer they revere as a god, he destroys their god and leaves them to fend for themselves. Notably, similar scenarios unfold multiple times over his career.
Ultimately, however, Kirk is a good man. What makes him a rich personality beyond his heroic status is the blend of playfulness, flirtation, compassion, and authority, rendering him complex without being contradictory. He can be said to be playful in his work, and serious about his play, devoted beyond all else to his mission and those he commands but not above lightening the mood without taking his job lightly. It is this quality which can make him either compelling or infuriating to those around him, as he cultivates a sense of community and familiarity without sacrificing control. With both men and women he is expressive, touchy, and warm, though his is the sort of energy which takes over a room--it is possible to find it utterly charismatic or, resisting it, find him overbearing.
Kirk's relationship to authority is less well-documented, considering the mission's tendency to take the ship far from civilization. However, it appears that the above-mentioned "hands on" style of his command has resulted in two apparently contradictory results: commendation and censure. Highly decorated, the youngest captain in Starfleet history, commanding the fleet's flagship, it is clear that Kirk is highly valued. However, his ability to act "alone" or outside the boundaries of Starfleet policy have landed him in hot water with Command. He has been court martialed (though exonerated) and several higher-ranking officials threaten him with action when he refuses to follow the rules. He is usually proven correct, and the reasonable assumption to make is that his rule-bending works, and thus allowances are made. (For how long is debatable--while this canon point is before the films, the first movie makes plain that Kirk is behind a desk no less than two years after the five-year-mission depicted in the series, and that it is killing him.) This contradiction was noted even in his Academy days, when he "beat" the Kobayashi Maru test--a test designed to make command-track candidates face death--by altering the scenario so he could win it. He was commended, but there is also a sense that he cheated. His refusal to accept the "no-win scenario" is both an asset and a liability to Starfleet, and the push/pull of his resistance/attraction to authority is a very human contradiction.
Character's skills/abilities/powers: Kirk is a typical human, without any special powers or abilities. He is trained in tactics, combat (both weapons and hand-to-hand), and has a basic understanding of a wide range of skills and technologies, and is physically fit.
Any special equipment your character is bringing along? This includes weaponry, magic items, etc.: Charisma.
Are you bringing your character to
ten_fwd from another game? If you are, which game?: N/AWhy do you want to play this character in Ten Forward, and what do you plan to do with them? I've tried this before. I love the idea of Ten Forward, but last time I just couldn't get him involved in things. I plan on doing better and hopefully getting him integrated to a point where there is something for him to DO. And he's James T. Kirk, y'all.
Writing Sample #1: Is a link okay?
Writing Sample #2 (optional): I can provide more if needed. I've been playing him since 2009.