Icon from a picrew by grgikau. Call me Tir or Julian. 37. He/They. Queer. Twitter: @tirlaeyn. ao3: tirlaeyn. 18+ Only. Star Trek. Sandman. IwtV. OMFD. Definitionless in this Strict Atmosphere.
Nsfw headcanon: Cardassians have “strap-ons” but instead of straps, they have a uniquely shaped base that fits inside the ajan and stimulates the pleasure centers there while allowing the wearer to use it just like a real cock.
To answer your question about how reptiles smell with proper hygiene re:Cardassians I read about this awhile ago and basically they just smell like whatever you cleaned them with if they smell like anything- I think sometimes they produce smells other reptiles can sense but humans cannot smell whatever that is because we just don't have the olfactory organs for it. Basically to humans I'm pretty sure Cardassians smell like nothing or like whatever they hang out around that rubs off on them.
Ah thank you!!
With this info, Things Garak Smells Like at Various Times:
Very faintly of soap: because he would use unscented soap.
Fabric and possibly Cleaning Products/Glue/Steam from an Iron: from work
I like the idea that Cardassians have copulatory organs, which are usually retracted or inverted and stored inside the body, similar to reptiles. So, when Garak’s trousers are down, it could look somewhat like this. Above the genital slit is the third “spoon”.
Bonus clip - Andy’s thoughts on Garak with a tail:
Here’s a little preview of another convention video from 1996, in which Andy addresses that issue. I’ve got to be honest - my personal preference is for Garak to be predominantly humanoid - that’s how I like him. Scales and ridges, yes; tails and claws - maybe not… But I know others have enjoyed imagining him differently. So what did Andy himself think? I’m sure this very short clip will entertain some of you.
Personally I think Cardassians evolved from their equivalent of dromaeosaurids but they lost most of their feathers like humans lost their fur HOWEVER as young children they are covered in fluffy down feathers.. little balls of fluff. like a tribble
I envision when they freshly hatch they don’t have all their fluff and look pretty awkward.
Their eyes are very sensitive and remain shut for a few weeks. In this time their fluff comes in.
Within a few months they will have their first molt; the soft molt. The follicles give way to dimpled scaly skin that will eventually develop into smoother scales upon their next molt.
so what was that weird neck ridges phase that happened w garak late season 6/early season 7. what happened there
Lolol Idk! Sometimes I wonder if it was some sort of? Second puberty? Next stage in maturity? Some weird sickness? A physical manifestation of his increased stress levels? If the ridges are protective, do they grow larger when Cardassians are stressed? Or fearing for their lives?
my new favorite hobby is coming up with speculative anatomy for fictional aliens - i think it would be cool if Cardassians were a little more snake-like since their silhouette was meant to emulate a cobra, and also it would funny if cardassians had tongue-flicking and gaping behaviors like snakes and lizards do. only, they’d probably have a ton of weird etiquette rules and hang-ups about it, lol.
oh i love this! i was just speculating this last night!
i decided that cardassians also have tapita lucida which means their eyes glow in the dark when a light is shined on them (like a cat). apparently crocodiles, alligators, and caimans are some of the only reptiles who have this!
also, nictating membranes. i like the thought of garak sitting there with his weird semi-translucent extra eyelids closed and julian being like “aw he’s asleep!” and then garak talks to him and he about jumps out of his skin. though like the tongue flicking, having your eyelids closed like that is probably impolite and you wouldn’t do it in front of people.
did you know that crocodiles can apparently sleep with one eye open? for a species as structured around paranoia as the cardassians, I feel like this is a regular thing for them to do.
pleurodont dentition is a cool concept too! where they have a bunch of teeth that regularly fall out and regrow. molly o'brien loses her first tooth and is like “look, uncle garak!” and garak shows her one of his that he just lost and miles is like “…ew”
tl;dr: cardassians with glowing eyes, creepy eyelids, and 4 rows of teeth that fall out and regrow. i love aliens
Oh dude AWESOME addition!! Also I headcanon Klingons as having pleurodont dentition as well, so I’m really enjoying the idea of like. Garak babysitting Molly at some point (since he and Keiko are totally gardening buddies somehow) and she loses a tooth and Garak shows her one he lost, as above, and then a few weeks later when Worf’s babysitting her she loses another one and he (totally independent of Garak) does the same thing and Miles begins to wonder if it’s everyone else that’s weird or just him for thinking this is gross
Anyways I love the nictitating membrane idea lol, I keep giving nictitating membranes to like all the aliens but I feel like Cardassians in particular definitely have them
Also if anyone wants another fun Cardassian headcanon thing, I’ve been headcanoning their hair as being much more feathery (like you know the teeny wispy bits on ostrich or peacock tail feathers? I imagine one “Strand” of hair, for a Cardassian, as a reeeaaalllyy long wispy bit, complete with that super itty bitty flexible quill in the middle of it)
