I love how, despite the best attempts of the writers to give Garak a female love interest (Rick Bman said no homo, guys), it is abundantly clear that he harbors no romantic feelings for Ziyal, and is actually a little uncomfortable because of her crush on him, but doesn’t want to hurt her feelings with outright rejection, considering all she’s been through. Even when she kisses him good-bye during Call to Arms, it’s very much her taking the action and him just freezing up.
I think he likes Ziyal quite a lot, but it comes off in a more avuncular way than romantic. She’s a beautiful young lady, funny and smart, and the only other Cardassian on the station. If she were older or he were younger, maybe he would have courted her seriously. As it is, he cares for her but pretty clearly is not attracted to her sexually or romantically.
Icon by @ThatSpookyAgent. Call me Tir or Julian. 37. He/They. Queer. Twitter: @tirlaeyn. ao3: tirlaeyn. 18+ Only. Star Trek. The X-Files. Sandman. IwtV. OMFD. Definitionless in this Strict Atmosphere.
YES. The whole “heroic death” thing is cheap in comparison to actually needing to live with the people they hurt and try to figure out how to repair some of the damage they caused.
Many relationships would be a lot healthier if we romanticized honest, open and direct communication instead of idealizing the idea of a partner who’s intuitively in tune with your every need. You don’t need someone who can read your mind, you just need someone who’s willing to listen when you speak.
me to a middle-aged woman in retired-teacher glasses at the library as i stamp out her pile of james patterson books: and that’s why the cardassian empire in star trek: deep space nine is a perfect illustration of american imperialism, because although we as the viewers tend to align ourselves with the federation - i.e., the ‘good guys’ - we have much more in common with the jingoistic, ticking time bomb of a failing nationalist state that is the series’ primary antagonist. furthermore, the only sympathetic characters from that occupying culture that we meet are individuals who are in some way divorced from it; innocent, displaced children and deserters or spies. the regime itself gets no sympathy. and even those people must pay the price of alienation, because although it is tempting to believe that a cruel regime can be changed from within, it is just as often true that those who attempt to do so are punished and driven away. your checkouts are due back in two weeks don’t forget to enter the summer reading drawing :)
‘pest’ birds alignment chart
me: writes an over-the-top, emotional post that exposes my heart or w/e
me ten minutes later when my emotions have flat-lined: huh. embarrassing.
Don’t let propaganda and cultural indoctrination convince you that being patriotic is an obligation. Patriotism is a form of respect and pride, and those things should never be the default state; they have to be earned. If you genuinely feel those things for your country, then by all means, call yourself a patriot and act accordingly. But if you don’t actually feel that way about your country, then aside from the minimum level of performative patriotism necessary for your safety, you should feel no obligation to be patriotic. The fact that you live in a country doesn’t require you to be proud of it or respect it. Outside of safety concerns, espousing patriotic views when you don’t believe your country has earned that devotion from you is intellectually bankrupt nonsense.
