spot-has-a-phaser

I love how kind Data is to everyone around him. Like, yeah, his ethics programming prevents him from doing anything to harm anyone, but no one is making him say “good for you!” to Wesley after he tells him about the prank he pulled on a classmate. That programming doesn’t force him to call out a trader on his rude behavior towards Kamala in The Perfect Mate. He always laughs at his friends’ jokes, and even if they don’t sound natural, they are the most sincere laughs I’ve ever heard. In Hero’s Worship he could have left Timothy alone after he rescued him, but even before Deanna asked him to stick around, he let this poor traumatized boy hold his hand in the sick bay while Dr. Crusher performed his checkup. In Pen Pals, he beams down to the planets surface to rescue the little girl who was communicating with him, brought her back to the ship against orders, and kept her from getting scared while she was there. He didn’t have any logical reason to do any of these things. They weren’t part of his programming. He makes a conscious effort to ensure others are comfortable and safe before he thinks of himself, and I adore him for that