#yes that is Kukalaka

[youngpettyqueen]

what if an episode with a transporter accident and she got de-aged to 6

[comic-sans-chan]

Garak's the type of bitch that would go on a tirade the first time he sees Kukalaka, full-blast asking every question and balking at every answer and going off on a philosophical spiel about the implications of such a ferocious earth beast being a children's toy and what it implies about Julian's psyche that he has kept it all these years - and in such poor physical condition! - all while hugging Kukalaka to his chest. When Julian interrupts him to smugly point this out, Garak just scoffs and walks into another room, still hugging Kukalaka.

The next time Julian even sees the toy is weeks later and it's mysteriously acquired a full fashionable wardrobe, and when Garak is questioned about it, he just scoffs again and says if it's going to plague their quarters with its ghastly appearance it may as well be useful and model some of Garak's new designs. It's very practical, he's saving a lot of fabric by doing it this way, you see. And no, that is not a replica of Julian's favorite shirt. It might appear that way to an untrained eye like the doctor's, but it is entirely different, actually.

[bijoumikhawal]

Dakh’voh pthak

For Bad Things Happen Bingo: Toxic Gas. Additional warnings for canon typical violence and anti-augment sentiment, set in a daemon AU

Vulcan mantras are from: https://visakavuhlkansuvulcanlegacy.wordpress.com/vulcan-mantras-zhit-kohlanlar-vuhlkansu/

Read on AO3

---

Julian turned to get to the docking bay, only to immediately bump into someone, making him drop his bag.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, oh, fucking-" It was another science officer, with their own dropped bag.

"It's fine." Julian mentally winced at his own tone. "I wasn't looking where I was going." he said, more gently.

The other officer bent over picking up the bags. "And I was looking, but I ran right into you. I- damnit, I really am sorry, I have a debriefing." She handed him his bag. "This one's yours, I think. Again, I'm really sorry, if you catch me in Rec Room 5 later I'll make it up to you." She ran off.

Julian rubbed his face as he slipped the strap over his shoulder to carry it properly, but he found himself smiling a bit.

He supposed there was something nice about hearing the word "sorry" from someone who didn't know him at all.

Kukalaka wove around his feet. "We're going to be late."

"No, we aren't." After a moment of thought, Julian picked her up and started walking.

Kukalaka bristled for a moment, but settled into the carry. She was picky about anything thst could lead to someone thinking of her like "a baby"- it was a carry over for cat daemons from how people saw their pets. Many people mistook her for a Bengal or Savannah, and did not realize that her form was that of a wild cat. People still avoided touching her, of course- but just as Julian often found himself annoyed by people talking about his youth, so did she with the assumption that she was a housecat.

However, she did like to be held. Just rarely in public.

---

The building was dark. Julian mentally noted that the auxiliary lights needed to be repaired. Long shadows were cast by old storage units and pieces of equipment as he flicked on his torch.

He and Kukalaka walked slowly, carefully observing the contents of the room and the overall condition everything was in. This building seemed to be primarily storage, and disused. It wasn't especially interesting- no computer stations that he could see.

As he entered the second chamber of the building, his light went out.

Julian shook his light, annoyed. It didn't come back on. He sighed and put it back in his pocket. He and Kukalaka could see just fine without it.

There were four chambers in all, with two small refreshers and a small room Julian supposed might be an office, and a slightly larger room with a two tables indicating you could take lunch there. It took Julian about 40 minutes to make a full perimeter circuit in the dark.

He really needed to do more than just the perimeter, just in case, but to do that he'd need a light. He quickened his step as he saw the door again, and pressed the button to open it.

Nothing. Nothing? Again- nothing.

Julian hit his comm badge. "Bashir to Defiant. The door to Building H has locked. Does anyone know another way out of here?"

Kukalaka got up, balancing on her hind legs to try and inspect the door. It was silent as she looked carefully, sniffing a few times.

"Bashir to Defiant. I'm serious, I didn't see another exit on the map in the mission briefing."

Kukalaka's ears flicked. "Julian."

"Bashir to- yes?"

"Do you hear anything?"

"No, and I wish-" He paused. Then he listened again.

It was silent.

Meaning Julian couldn't hear the electrical hum he had heard nearly every minute of his life for the past several years.

"Damn." Julian's mind started racing. Kukalaka dashed off in one direction to look for another exit as Julian turned the other way to do the same.

If he couldn't hear the electricity, of course the door couldn't open. And worse; the manual override didn't work properly on some of the buildings. It was why up until now, this outpost had been used only sparingly. They had come to retrieve some cached arms, yes, but they were also helping O'Brien take stock of what shape everything was in to see how long it would take to prepare it for rigorous use during the war.

Part of Julian sarcastically remarked, well, there's one more strike against being able to use this place, as he kept walking, feeling the wall panels.

If it was just that, Julian could have waited it out. Maybe, maybe it would've been worth trying to force the door. It was too thick for him to try the phaser. But if he couldn't hear the electricity... then life support wasn't working either. And there were no stores of food or water in this building. 

He forced his breathing even, remembering a Vulcan exercise he used to calm himself.

Tash-tor kashek vukhut. Tash’voh kashek heh fa-wak zahal-tor vukhut.

One of the strategic possibilities for this outpost was that it consisted of several seperate buildings, spaced each a quarter mile apart, each with its own life support and atmospheric shield. It was an attractive redundancy, especially as they likely could upgrade the shields with defensive capabilities. Combined with the lower grade technology that could minimize it's presence on radars, well.

All of those particular characteristics reminded Julian of Camp 371.

If they were lucky, the atmospheric shield was still operational, and they'd been the only ones hit. He'd use his tricorder to see before they tried whatever exit they found, obviously. Once they were out, he should be close enough to visually signal someone, since his comm badge was on the fritz. If they couldn't find an exit, they had air for a more than a week. A few years ago, he wouldn't be tense at all about it- but with a war on...

Why was his comm badge on the fritz?

Tash-tor kashek vukhut. Tash’voh kashek heh fa-wak zahal-tor vukhut.

Focus. Focus.

---

Julian had circled the building twice, passing Kuks. It was on the larger side, and even though he wasn't tired, he took a rest anyway.

He pulled his bag into his lap and flipped it open, pulling out his tricorder and clicking it on.

Well. He tried to. The tricorder screen was black. Julian squinted as he tried it a few more times.

Tash-tor kashek vukhut. Tash’voh kashek heh fa-wak zahal-tor vukhut.

This was starting to feel like too many coincidences. He'd done his pre-mission check right before the meeting, since they had to board immediately afterwards. Everything had worked fine before then.

Julian heard a tinkling noise. Confused, he looked down at his feet, then around him. He hadn't stepped or sat on anything. It was too close to be Kukalaka.

He held open his bag to put the tricorder back.

Tash-tor kashek vukhut...

Julian gagged as a horrible smell hit his nose.

He saw what made the noise. A delicate little glass vial- about the size of his finger- now broken, with a simple circuit taped to it. The circuit, it seemed, had been triggered to shatter the glass.

Julian threw the bag as far away from him as he could out of instinct.

This wasn't a matter of coincidence.

His mind went back to the other science officer. The bags.

Had someone been trying to take out the Starbase? Or- perhaps her mission, and the vial had been timed wrongly, and the opportunity to present her with failed equipment hadn't gone as planned.

He picked up the bag again, cautious, and emptied it. There was the bits of glass, a dermal regenerator, a spare phaser, a hypospray, the trauma kit, a pair of gloves, a small tool kit, and that was it. It looked like she was also a doctor.

He slid on the gloves and felt along the lining.

His heart sank as he felt a large lump and a line of stitching. He tore it open and pulled out the offending object, about the size of his palm. A mobile EMP generator.

Julian forced himself to put it down gently instead of throwing it. It was evidence. His eyes watered, and he couldn't tell if it was from the smell or not.

The atmospheric shield might still be in place. This sort of device had a limited range at this size, and there was a perimeter of breathable air outside the building. But he had no way of finding out. And whatever was in that vial meant he had no way of knowing if he'd be alive by the time everyone else had noticed something was wrong.

Julian stood up. And for the first time in a very long time, he gave into the urge to scream.

---

Kuks had come running, of course. Their emotional bond wasn't as strong- consequences, consequences- and it was easy for one of them to have growing emotions of unease that the other only perceived as vague anxiety. But the scream was undeniable.

She let Julian hold her tight to his chest for awhile, rubbing her head against his face and neck as his fingers dug into her ribcage. But eventually, it was too much, and she had to squirm away.

"I'm going to keep looking for an exit."

"Kuks-"

"Julian." If she could stamp her feet with any seriousness, she would. "We aren't dead yet. How long has it been since the vial broke?"

"22 minutes."

"We aren't showing serious symptoms yet. It could be it's not concentrated enough to kill us for another hour, or even longer, because of how big the building is. Even if it isn't, we aren't dead yet."

Julian knew she was right (of course he did- she was himself and vice versa). But he didn't feel up to it.

She sighed. "Help look when you can." And with that, she bounded off again.

Julian sat there for a few minutes before forcing himself to get up and continue the search.

Not long after that, he started feeling dizzy. Rather- Kukalaka had started feeling dizzy, as there was a vague, achy quality that told him it wasn't this body feeling it yet.

He'd gotten used to the smell, but it was already everywhere. He didn't recognize it- it was godawful, and if it had ever shown up in any of his labs, he'd never have forgotten it. It made the dizziness worse.

He kept walking, feeling along the wall panel. He remembered the map so clearly, with its single marked exit point. Even if he found another door, it'd be the same as the first. What he really needed was a weak wall panel. Something he could pry off and shoot a hole though the other side, or something of the sort.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

It was so dark, his eyes hurt. They were strained, and he was fairly certain that gas vial was indeed irritating them.

He tugged on the neck of his undershirt. The old one had a bit of stretch, and he could've pulled it over his mouth and nose by now, protected them a bit.

He was almost directly across from where the vial had broken when the dizziness intensified, and he knew this body was feeling it too.

Julian pressed a hand over his mouth, desperate not to vomit. He was fairly certain it would only make things worse.

Dakh’voh pthak. Ri nam-tor ret na’fan-kitok abi’dakh odu pthak.

He kept walking. He wondered how Garak had known he recited Vulcan mantras- that crass little dig after he'd smacked his face into a bulkhead hadn't been random. He'd never mentioned it, though others knew- what a fascinating web it would be, if you could track the flow of the station rumor mill and chart it out.

Dakh’voh pthak. Ri nam-tor ret na’fan-kitok abi’dakh odu pthak.

Next chamber.

---

His head was spinning. Surely, someone had noticed by now? Gotten bored, tried to comm him- with one or two people spared for each building, the rest securing the cache or manning the Defiant, check in was at three hours. It had been three hours- longer than, actually, but who was counting? An hour and a half since the vial broke.

He'd stopped being able to walk ten minutes ago. He'd leaned against the wall for a break, and found himself sliding down, down, down it.

He wondered if Kukalaka had found a place with clearer air to stay. Her body was smaller, more susceptible- if one went, they both would. His eyes were hard to keep open already, and he couldn't tell which body was feeling it.

He wondered if he should've left a note with the abandoned bag. The vial and EMP seemed obvious enough, but what if they weren't? What if they thought-

Julian shuddered where he laid against the wall, gripped by a strange sensation. It wasn't a wholly unpleasant one, though it was clouded by the burning that had spread all over his face. Was that a symptom of whatever was in that vial?

There was a strange calm that came with it. That was nice, at least.

Julian hummed quietly to himself.

A streak of blue crossed his vision. Then again, flapping towards him.

"Butterfly...?" He hadn't hallucinated up to this point. This was new.

The streak of blue settled above his head, and started making a terrible racket. Julian lifted his shaking hands, trying to plug his ears as he squeezed his eyes shut, giving in to the urge to close them.

He thought he heard something else, but soon after his body felt weightless and heavy at the same time.

He wondered it it felt different, depending on which body went first.

---

He was certain no one had ever thought of Dr. Bashir as small before. Perhaps his daemon, comparatively, but even that seemed silly. Size was not their typical vulnerability.

It was telling that he and Itzik has sat at their bedside for quite some time before remembering to remove their air masks.

Dr. Bashir and Kukalaka had been intubated the second they'd gotten to the Defiant's infirmary, which had made flushing their eyes with water a bit of a hassle. Once the readings of uzducine gas exposure had come up, Chief O'Brien, their chief security officer, and several others had been immediately sent down to investigate.

Garak would naturally have volunteered to go with them, but his hands were full of (metaphorical) pins and needles. He wasn't sure he'd he useful. Given the others (and he had seen the regret and anger on their faces) would not be able to visit Dr. Bashir until they were underway back to the starbase, he felt obligated to sit vigil until relieved.

He kept thinking about the feeling of soft fur against his hands and in his arms.

His hands, currently, were curled tight in his lap. He had to resist the temptation to do something troublesome. Such as slamming some fingers into a drawer. 

The Defiant had different patient scrubs, and he liked them far better. These were a light grey-green. The tube crossing over them, he did not like- it was rigid and gross, provocative, primitive, exactly the sort of thing that made Garak avoid any infirmary as much as possible.

Dr. Bashir's hand twitched, and Garak straightened his posture immediately. Those damp, sticky lashes opened slowly.

Dr. Bashir looked around, gaze still unfocused- from the ceiling to the divider curtain to Garak for a long moment, then Kukalaka. Itzik had long since found a hidden perch. He gently began petting his daemon.

Garak looked away. "As I'm sure you have guessed, you have survived an attempt on your life once more. I must congratulate you again on your strength."

Something gripped Garak's hand and tugged. He looked back down.

Dr. Bashir was pulling on him with all his strength- which, considering, even with him in such a state, was hard to resist. Garak let his hand be pulled.

Dr. Bashir pressed Garak’s hand against his cheek and closed his eyes. There was a bit of unshaven hair by his ear- stiffer than the haunting sense memory, but enough that Garak's arm trembled slightly with the effort of resisting the urge to jerk his hand away.

Dr. Bashir's other hand kept stroking over Kukalaka.

He hadn't realized yet.

Oh yes, it had been necessary- by the time he had found her, she had collapsed. The fact that Dr. Bashir was still conscious right as Garak had found him was truly impressive, under the circumstances. To ensure no transporter problems through the thick walls of the buildings, you needed a working comm badge to latch onto.

Garak still couldn't imagine, even so, that Dr. Bashir would so easily forgive Garak manhandling his very soul, holding it in his arms like a small child. And worse- hesitating to let her go when the nurse indicated she needed to be put down on the biobed for intubation.

Or that, unspeakably, he wanted to do it again, kept thinking about it. Wait until no one could see, not even her human half, and cradle her in his arms again as shockwaves of alternating revulsion and shame crashed over him alongside adoration and wonder.

Garak slid his hand away, a contrasting guilt stinging him as Dr. Bashir's eyes opened again. "The nurse will be coming by to check on you in a moment."

---

Dr. Bashir and Kukalaka still needed to be intubated for awhile by the time they returned, and had to be moved very carefully as a result. Jadzia and the Chief naturally crowded around them once they were free of their duties, even managing to find some game to play with them to distract them from the tubes.

It had been a pitiful sight to watch them be shooed out as Julian was questioned for a witness statement. To watch their faces drop into heart wrenching worry and rage again.

Garak, naturally, was not requested to aid the investigation. He, naturally, did not let this stop him from keeping abreast of the matter. Should Starfleet be derelict, he would happily pick up the slack. He was contracted personnel now, after all.

It seemed a young woman- another doctor- had heard about Julian's personal history, and decided an augment was too dangerous to be allowed to live. She rather readily admitted it; from Sisko's notes, it seemed she had expected he would agree with her.

Finding a vantage point to watch as she and her daemon were loaded onto a transport after the court martial had been difficult, but necessary. He needed to know they were off the starbase.

Garak personally saw little wrong with executions. The Federation attitude towards them was laughable- death was a mercy.

Because death was a mercy, once the guilt was sealed, he did nothing. They would simply have to suffer a nice long life inside a cell.

Sisko sought him out not long afterward, brie furrowed with suspicion. His daemon padded along beside him.

"Mr. Garak."

"Captain." Garak tilted his head. "You needn't stand, there's a spare seat."

Sisko took it, leaning one of his forearms on the table as he looked at Garak with intensity. "I'm... surprised by you."

"Mm?" Garak took a sip of his drink. "Are you? What have I done now?"

"It's what you haven't done."

Garak widened his eyes. "Why, Captain. You personally reminded me this matter was best left to you and the other ranking officers- and I must say, you handled it quite well."

Sisko closed his eyes and raised his brows for a second. "Perhaps I believe that. But from what I hear, you haven't been to see Julian and Kukalaka since we got back either, and that makes me...suspicious."

Garak was glad his species' facial expressions were normally considered harder to read beyond what they intentionally telegraphed. "Your fellow officers have kept me busy, I'm afraid. After all, I'm the only contractor of my kind that they have." Garak lowered his voice. "I heard they tried reaching out to a few others, but they all declined."

Sisko's brow eased, and he sighed.

"What?"

"Nothing. I see I had nothing to worry about- nothing that I have to make a report on, at least." Sisko stood up. "Julian and Kukalaka are being fully discharged tomorrow. Back to full duty, allowed to stay in their own quarters again. In case you find some spare time."

[eco-lite]

Some mostly out of context funny/sweet/heartbreaking moments from Una McCormack’s Enigma Tales:

[Text ID: “Renel took the other chair and the two guls, both big men, perched awkwardly together on the sofa. Garak had asked for the sofa’s dimensions to be just slightly too small to comfortably seat two adult males. His cruel streak always found expression somehow.” End ID]

Garak forcing stuffy military men to squeeze onto a tiny sofa together. Utterly diabolical.

[Text ID: “My real pride is, of course, my garden. I have worked hard here. Parmak helps, although he has a tendency to kill plants on touch—worrying in a doctor (previous sentences underlined in red by me). He can’t do too much damage. The plants are hardy, the flowers have their own agenda, and not even Parmak can kill dry stone monuments.” End ID]

I love that in The Crimson Shadow, it’s implied that Kelas takes care of Garak’s garden while he’s away, yet here we learn that he’s actually terrible at it. First of all hilarious. Second of all, very sweet that Garak trusts him to keep trying.

[Text ID: “’There might be another route to Garak,’ Alden said slowly, at last. ‘Ambassador, what do you know about Kelas Parmak?’

‘He is the castellan’s close friend,’ said T’Rena. ‘Probably one of his closest advisors—not officially, but certainly they are often together.’

‘Are they lovers?’ said Pulaski.

‘I don’t know,’ said T’Rena. ‘I do know that Parmak was interrogated by the Obsidian Order in his youth, and that Garak may have been involved.’

‘Damn,’ muttered Alden, ‘this place is twisted.’” End ID]

Pulaski just assuming that Garak and Kelas are lovers. A perfectly valid assumption--it’s the same assumption I make myself. Also, Peter Alden pointing out how it is frankly fucked up that they should be lovers considering the circumstances of their past encounter. He’s not wrong... Kelas is just a forgiving angel of a man.

[Text ID: “She picked up the parcel she had brought with her. ‘Hey,’ she said. ‘I’ve got to go now. I hope it’s been good to see me. But I brought you a present. Well, it’s not really from me. Several of your friends got together and found this, and when they heard I was coming they asked me to bring it with me. I hope there’s no injunction on importing livestock. I think I got away with it.’

He was hardly going to unwrap the gift, so she pulled at the paper, revealing the small brown bear inside. She reached for Bashir’s hand again, lifting it and pressing it against the toy, in case the touch stirred some memory. She pressed it against his cheek too, so he could catch the scent. Smell and memory were closely intertwined; smells took you back to places more than anything else. Then she put the bear upon the windowsill, half looking out at the city, half looking back at Bashir. She smiled at it; this little guy had been loved, she saw, and someone had done some stitching that would make a surgeon proud. She reached out and rubbed its ears.

‘He’s an old soldier, isn’t he?’ she said. ‘He’s been through some wars. We’ve all been through some wars.’ She stopped and kissed her lost friend gently on the brow. ‘Come back, Julian,’ she said. ‘We miss you.’” End ID]

Pulaski bringing Kukalaka to comfort the comatose Julian are you kIDDING ME? This scene is so bittersweet.

[Text ID: “’My father would say, all the time, how much I was wanted. How much he wanted me.’

(Next paragraph highlighted red by me) Well, he had wanted something, Garak thought. Telek’s father had not wanted the child he got. And that hurt, as Garak had cause to know; yes, that hurt very badly.” End ID]

Hahahahaaa ouchie.

[Text ID: “Garak realized that he was still holding the phaser. He slipped it back into his pocket, for he would no doubt need it again one day, and then he rested his head against the cool of the window. My poor Julian, he thought. He let himself tremble for a while, allowing his body to process the shock. He might have allowed himself some tears then, too, in the dark while nobody could see, for all that had been lost, for all that he had done; for everyone that he had harmed.

Everyone that he had been unable to save.” End ID]

Despite everything, Garak is a very compassionate person. He very kindly talked down Telek, who was about to kill him, and was sensitive and remorseful that Telek’s Bajoran genetics had been eradicated as a child, at the insistance of Telek’s Cardassian father. And then immediately after that assassination attempt--a moment in which you’re surely allowed to think selfishly--he instead thinks of “My poor Julian,” another man whose father did not want him as he was. And that’s not even acknowledging all the other shit Garak is going through here. It’s a lot.

Love to end on a sad note. But seriously, everybody go read this book! These are just a few great moments among many. Lots of angst, lots of tenderness.

[nebulouscoffee]

bashir garak or ezri

Oooh great picks! I shall answer for all three😊

Julian

one aspect about them i love

That whole backstory with Kukalaka is SO endearing honestly; it really just gets to the heart of who he is, even by itself- but when paired with the whole 'Jules' reveal, it takes on a whole new poignancy

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

I've seen Julian described as naive a lot, usually because he "assumes the best of people"- and I'm not saying that isn't a valid read, but it just feels very incomplete to me! Yes he's childish sometimes, but he's not a baby lol- he's just strongly, strongly driven by the belief that people can always become better. We see him get VERY angry and snarky and (fearlessly) combative with people he believes are in the wrong; people who don't show any flexibility in their perspectives. But the moment a person shows any sort of inclination towards growth or evolution? He puts everything aside and believes in them. To me, this is not naivety- this is courage; even if (especially if!) he may get it wrong sometimes. DS9 (like the real world) is full of people who'll insist that wrongdoers will never change and only deserve to be punished for their mistakes- and imo, Julian makes a fascinating, refreshing, and essential foil to this. (On a more specific note- he does NOT hang out with Garak because he doesn't fully understand the atrocities Garak committed!! Not beyond 'The Wire', anyway. He literally heard (and at the time, fully believed) multiple stories involving Garak being 1. a Gul during the Occupation, 2. a mass murderer (with victims both Cardassian and Bajoran), and 3. an interrogator of literal children. If not the exact details, he certainly knows the magnitude of Garak's crimes- he just chooses to go to great lengths to save his life anyway. This says something way more interesting about him, I think- about his inclination to believe in anyone he thinks would grow better if given the chance, and his willingness to be the one giving them that chance. Which, incidentally, is also why I struggle to see him cutting off his parents, though I do understand why people find value in reading & writing stories like that)

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

He is a polyglot, but this is one skill he very much keeps to himself. The reasons why are complicated, and linked with how his ideas of home and family and lineage and history and Earth and connection and talking and talkative-ness and "skill" are all somewhat tainted by the discovery of what his parents did to him

one character i love seeing them interact with

SO many options, but let's talk about Jadzia- I love how they moved past the initial awkwardness of Julian's crush on her into this deep, supportive, fun (!!!) and extremely loving bond. There's a lot they have in common (Extreme Imposter Syndrome Buddies :D) which means they always know when the other needs a good pep talk, and it's adorable. I love how they have no boundaries sometimes (Jadzia buying him porn will always be funny), I love that they're in cahoots, I love that they make each other laugh- they care about each other so much!! I honestly think it was one of the best-written friendship arcs between a male and female character on Trek, which is why I'm always so *sighs deeply* about Julian's feelings for Jadzia being dredged up again in- ///cuts myself off because you've heard this rant before from everyone and their moogie haven't you///

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

Fascinating conversations Julian Bashir and Kira Nerys could've had (my beloved): long-term health issues in Bajoran mining victims & Resistance fighters; nature vs nurture and their "dangerous" Augment/Mirror selves; Sisko as Commanding Officer vs Sisko as Emissary; nerding out over Bajoran music; why must Jadzia Dax be so beautiful; complicated connections with cultural roots; Kirayoshi & postnatal care; the concept of "forgiveness"; revisiting that "frontier medicine" scene to highlight how much they've both changed; Kira offering a kinder approach to "Jules Bashir died in that hospital" through the concept of a pagh

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

He never, ever let the whole Jem'Hadar thing go. In fact, he actually set up this secret rehabilitation centre in Goran'Agar's name after the war, which now provides intensive care for all the Jem'Hadar and Vorta left behind in the AQ. He told me himself :)

Garak

one aspect about them i love

It's been years since my first watch, but I'll never forget how excited I got every single time I saw "Special Guest Star Andrew Robinson" in the credits lol. You just know you're in for a great one; he's such a fantastic and scene-stealing character!

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

I just feel like, for a character whose most famous line is "They're all true, [especially the lies]", there is WAYYY too much discourse about him that approaches him from extremes? And it always misses the point imo. Garak was a spy, assassin, interrogator and torturer for the Cardassian government, who participated in (or at the very least, aided) a colonial and genocidal occupation, and expresses supremacist, xenophobic and fascist beliefs for the majority of the series. Erasing any of this is would be erasing not just who he was, but who he is. But the lack of imagination re how to move forward with him if we are engaging with such themes is equally, if not more, frustrating to me. Sure, a lot of the cutesy art and fanfics can have him behaving overly sincere and out of character- but the counter response is always "how dare you woobify this racist war criminal he's violent and dangerous and bigoted and therefore he would NOT do or say or feel any of that!!!", and- okay, so is the idea of him designing and sewing dresses out of character, then...? Is the image of him debating books over lunch with a bib tucked in too woobified? Is the notion of him trying to set up a fellow (Bajoran!!) business owner on a date too fanfic-ey? Because guess what- that's literally how he behaves on the show! Garak is a self-aware self-woobifier, that's literally the whole point, he's "just a plain simple tailor" wink, wink- and without at least some element of that comical mundanity, that sort of absurdist domesticity, the character just isn't recognisable imo. Garak is the con artist who fell for his own con; he's spent so long playing various roles that he now over-performs everything and has no idea where the performance ends and the genuine begins, literally what makes his character work is that you're looking at this war criminal just doing benign stuff like sampling drinks or watching a tennis match or gifting his friend chocolates and wondering just WHAT is going on inside his head- and, "he did horrible things and therefore must be incapable of any form of sincerity or affection or regret and the perception of any of those things is woobification" is such a reductive (and boring!) approach to him imo. I don't mean any of this as apologia; there are many, many ways in which a person can be bigoted and cruel, and Garak is those things- I just feel like people often misrepresent the manner in which he is those things (usually by making him unfunny and weirdly macho, which I just cannot understand at all😂)

TL;DR- Garak the poor sad misunderstood baby who never enjoyed any of the bad things he did and only thinks about Julian Bashir 24/7 is out of character, sure- but Garak the violent emotionless villain who treats all Bajorans abusively 24/7 and will never ever grow or change is... just as divorced from canon imo (imo!! Emphasis on "o"!!)

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

Garak himself doesn't always fully remember the details of his past; he has this very Cardassian ability to specifically delete anything he wants to from his memory, and he's better at it than most (though, still not always successful). Only thing Garak regularly tops is the List Of People Garak Lies To basically

one character i love seeing them interact with

Well, apart from the obvious- I think every scene between him and Odo in IC/TDIC is incredibly immersive and top tier! The actors are SO good together, and the only reason Odo isn't in the next category is I actually think it's perfectly in character for both of them to just never bring up the whole torture thing ever again

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

KIRAAAAA but tbh, I'm more interested in their post-canon dynamic than anything, so instead I'll go with Sisko! Every time these two are on screen together, amazing. The effortless back and forth. The intellectual battling. The subtly flirty line deliveries(!!!) The palpable shifts in the power dynamic. The oddly respectful snarking. Again, the way these two actors are SO GOOD

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

Some may claim that Garak hates the more outlandish civilian outfits that Jake and Julian wear. I say he made them

Ezri

one aspect about them i love

The sheer impact of actually getting to spend a whole season with the next Dax (after years of only hearing about Curzon) just cannot be overstated imo. Like, we the audience got to experience firsthand what it was like for Benjamin to first see Jadzia walk out of that shuttle; for Jadzia to wake up one day and find herself the newest link in a long-revered chain- we actually saw the new host struggling to adjust, reconciling all those lifetimes of memories all over again, rekindling and redefining Dax's old relationships (the relationship with the audience very much included!)- and then on top of that, the new host wasn't even trained to take on the symbiont?? What an incredible character premise! I was obsessed from the moment she said "Hello Benjamin it's me Dax"

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

Ezri is Jadzia's successor; not Jadzia's replacement. She cannot replace Jadzia- that's literally the entire point of her arc, that she should stop trying! She's a fascinating character in her own right, and also extremely interesting to think about and discuss independent of whom she will end up/should've ended up with

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

Ezri Tigan was not "anxious" in a rambly nervous way like Ezri Dax, but more hyper-competent and "I'm always unhappy because everything I do HAS to be perfect so I'm never satisfied and I hate myself" (which was definitely how she was trained to think by her mother). For this reason, joining with Dax actually ends up being good for her in the long run! Nothing drives an oppressive voice out of your head quite like suddenly having eight other voices in there lol

one character i love seeing them interact with

I know some people don't like her and Worf mistakenly thinking they're in love and hooking up and then realising they work better as friends, but I actually think it's very understandable for both of them, and the friendship they form afterwards is so wholesome. That scene where he asks for her advice and she just calls out corruption in the Klingon empire is one of my favourite Ezri scenes ever :D

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

It is my firm belief that Sisko and Ezri's S7 arcs should have revolved around each other. Ben's journey at this point is so tied up in his ever-growing disconnect from linear time and corporeality, and imo nothing grounds this better than his three-lifetime bond with Dax! He should have talked about the Prophets and Benny Russell and the whole concept of destiny with his favourite old worm. It also would've been revelatory for Ezri, who herself is trying to adjust to the non-linearity (300 years of memories she can't easily get in order) and non-corporeality (whose body IS this anyway???) of being Dax

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

I know we all have our theories as to why and how and when exactly she and Julian break up, and while I do enjoy the drama sometimes, I still fundamentally feel like it would be short and amicable and they'd remain close friends for life. Or maybe I'm just a big sap hehe

[istherewifiinhell]

KUKALAKA YES. REAL. ALL TIME ALL STAR EP.

[walkingstackofbooks]

Still waiting on the Kukalaka fic 🥺 (no pressure just curious if it's done)

Love your writing

Loads of love and peace

Hi yes, sorry!

It has been started! It definitely helped with getting my writing brain back in gear, too 💖💖

However, I was always planning to spend the summer holidays with Vision Awry as my primary writing project, and I'd thought I'd be able to complete them during term-time/ do some additional writing in the evenings on prompts but I haven't. They're definitely first in line though when I get back to writing other projects -- and I'm really hoping that by the end of next week I'll have actually finished Vision Awry so yeah, hopefully you'll see it soon!

Thanks for the ask - it means a lot that you like my writing enough to both ask for a prompt and follow it up when there has been crickets a few months later 😅 (I did do like one round-up post of my WIPs but my guesses of when I'd complete those by were wildly out of whack )

Actually today's a rest day from VA and this has made me feel like going and working on that prompt now so yeah! Thanks!

(if you see me writing other things before your prompt that's usually because I'm just planning on writing a short "fic idea" type post that gets out of hand - brain's gonna do what the brain's gonna do)

[almaasi]

also, same kukalaka anon here: is that a real quote from siddig el fadil?? have you interacted with him??

if you mean the quote in my sidebar--?

"[Elmie is] not an un-charming person." - Siddig el Fadil, July 2nd 2021

the answer is yes to both - it's a real quote, and yes, i've interacted with him multiple times on zoom over the last two and a bit years.

he was talking to my mother when he said that. he actually said "she's not an uncharming person" and then corrected his pronoun usage to "they" but i truncated the quote for clarity purposes. c:

i met him through the sid city social club, which are free weekly zoom meetings he and his friend mel host, to talk to fans. he'll chat for 15 minutes to one fan at a time, and ask about their life, interests, and whatever sociological curiosity he's obsessed with at the time. (these last few weeks it's been "what's the best idea you've ever had?")

the meetings are still running if you'd like to join! anyone is welcome. the next meeting is on july 5th 2022, 9pm eastern time. they used to fill up in seconds, but there's usually plenty of space these days!

--

fic link: Kukalaka POV (27k, fluff, Julian and Garak observe Ramadan together and explore Julian's Muslim heritage - drawing from my own experiences with Islam)

[astrangergivingthestrangewelcome]

Oh second thought if I'm Dr. Julian Bashir. And I start dating Leeta and she asks to borrow Kukalaka bc he's cute and I give it to her even though I absolutely don't want to that's my bear Leeta bc I'm a ball of insecurity and just want to do the things that will keep me in a relationship, any relationship. And then she breaks up with anyway and I think maybe for once I can be ok about bc it's not like I was feeling like she was the love of my life anyway and sure yeah we can be friends with our exes I am Paragon of Healthy Romantic Relationships ha HA. but actually she broke up with me for Rom and like 3 months later they're engaged to be married and I'm still """"""dating Julian Bashir"""""""". Oh my god I'm not as good as Rom I can't keep a partner but ROM can I'm fundamentally wrong everyone will find love but me I'm going to die alone. And before I can bring up Kukalaka I head out to this medical conference which should help distract me right except no I'm kidnapped. and in prison for over a month and in the meantime there's a changeling on the station and it's like well what if Leeta DID offer to return Kukalaka to the changeling and he said no. Finding out would require bringing up to Leeta the time I was replaced and none of my friends noticed which sends me into a ✨spiral✨. So yes of course the most reasonable thing to do is to pay two teenagers to break and enter into her house with illicit medical supplies that are at least a little dangerous. What would you have done???

[peppernickel]

Listen, I love him, but I hate that DS9 never, not ONCE, let Julian Bashir cry or talk about how much life was weighing down on him. They kept piling trauma onto him and then were like “yes you WILL hold it all in and be depressed”. Let him cry!! Give him a hug!! What do you want me to think!! That the only hug he ever got was from Kukalaka!! Is that what you want!!

[ectogeo-rebubbles]

Writer Tag Game

I was tagged specifically by @sapphosewrites and generally by @cemetrygatess lol! Thanks! :D

I'm tagging @asgardian--angels, @ernmark, @xenobotanist, @conceptadecency, @philosopherking1887, @macneiceisms, @damnhardwork, but anyone can feel free to do this! (and tag me if you do so I can seeee!)

How many works do you have on AO3?

Twenty-four.

What's your total AO3 word count?

93,088

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1) vicarious 2) the spy who married me 3) latent attraction 4) if all our defenses come down 5) delavian chocolates (anything you desire)

So that’s... all of my completed longfics and the two one-shots I wrote for the Just In Time fest haha

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

YES!! I love comments, I love responding to comments, I love to know that someone has read my fic and had feelings about it, I love seeing what resonated with people about my story! I usually have thought about every word in my fics A LOT, so if someone picks out a sentence, I will try to tell them a fun fact or a dumb joke about it. XD 

For me one of the big appeals of writing fanfic is being able to talk to people about my writing and talk about these characters we all love!

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

It’s probably ELIM’S THINGS: DO NOT OPEN!!! which is uhhhh hilarious given the extremely silly title hahaha! It��s the one that ends most ambiguously for Garashir in the actual text of the fic (but in the author’s note I do explain that it then would go on to be an actual happy ending... but I guess I only wanted to write the angsty part lol). I have some TRULY angsty-ending fics in the works, but I get sad when I work on them, so it’s slow going haha

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Hmmmm, maybe Kukalaka Hurt/Comfort? Or latent attraction? Hard to choose, because pretty much all of my fics have ridiculously happy endings haha

Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve ever written?

Nope, not really! I wouldn’t mind doing crossovers with other Treks, I suppose, but, like, in general??? Why would I write a crossover when the holosuite is RIGHT THERE? lmao

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Unfortunately yeah.... but only on ff.net, like, over a decade ago. Back in those days it was typical to ask for constructive criticism in the comments, so MOST of the comments I received contained some amount of negativity, even if the commenter had good intentions, like... “remember, this is concrit, this isn’t a flame! <3 [a few paragraphs detailing all of the ways in which my fic is abysmally written]” (And there were also a handful of comments of the less nuanced “this fic sucks” variety.) At the time, I thought that soliciting concrit would help make me a better writer, but instead it eventually made me not want to write fic again for years and years, hahaha, WHOOPS! Lesson learned, don’t give blanket permission to internet strangers for scathing and VERY PUBLIC writing critiques when you are still a fledgling writer who is insecure about your work! XD

Anyway the Garashir fandom has been very kind to me with comments and I love you all! <3

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Sometimes! Writing smut is def a skill I need to work on. 

Idk what “what kind” of smut means? Usually the smut I write is more focused on the emotions, with the actions described as vaguely as possible? And usually it involves a human man and an alien lizard man going to town on each other? lol

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don’t think so

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope! Wouldn’t mind it at all, though, that sounds cool!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not yet (unless we’re counting round robins?), but... @delicatetrashstranger and I have a great Killing-Eve-inspired Garashir AU that we intend to get serious about working on once she wraps up her amazing ongoing fic Keener Revelations.

What’s your all-time favourite ship?

GARASHIR

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I don’t like saying never when it comes to my WIPs haha

What are your writing strengths?

Coming up with comedic or interesting scenarios!  

What are your writing weaknesses?

Dialogue lol... I have to have two characters convey information to each other verbally? And it has to sound like something they’d normally say? Wtf??? XD

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

No thoughts, head empty, star trek brand Universal Translator on...

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Probably HP?

What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

latent attraction! I had so much fun writing it, and I think it turned out spectacular! I thrive in writing extremely fluffy scenarios with underlying mutual pining angst! ^_^

[youngpettyqueen]

wrote something unbearably fluffy and I will be posting it on ao3 tomorrow but I wanted to do something a lil different and post it here. this is because I dont have the energy to do the format editing for ao3 rn but I want people to see it right now immediately

garashir, post-canon Cardassia, short and sweet, fluff that will rot your teeth out. enjoy <3

“Elim?” 

Gentle hands resting on his shoulders rouse Garak from a sleep he didn’t even realize he’d fallen into. He jerks awake with a rather undignified snort, more startled than he’d care to admit as he straightens himself up in his chair. Falling asleep at his desk… he really is getting sloppy.

Those hands squeeze his shoulders gently. He would know that touch anywhere.

“Only me, love,” Julian’s voice murmurs, soft and reassuring, “Didn’t mean to startle you.” 

Garak glances back over his shoulder, wincing slightly at the kink that’s developed in his neck from his awkward sleeping position. “You’ll have to forgive me, my dear,” He replies, offering Julian a tired smile, “I seem to have lost track of the time.”

He takes a moment to give Julian a quick once-over, his eyes heavy with sleep but no less sharp. He looks dishevelled, his hair a mess of loose curls and his jaw lined with a shadow of stubble. He doesn’t have any visible injuries, and his uniform is rumpled, but intact. So today was long, but likely not life-threatening. Good. He’d been worried, before he went and passed out.

Julian smiles back at him, a warm expression, though very tired. The lines under his eyes are deep. “I’ll forgive you, if you forgive me for being so late,” He offers, gently rubbing Garak’s shoulders, “Sorry to have kept you waiting. I was drafting requests for more medical equipment, and lost track of time myself.” He explains.

“How could I ever fault you for such a noble endeavour?” Garak asks, leaning back into Julian’s hands, which are doing wonders for what’s become a permanent stiffness in his shoulders, “I’m sure the staff appreciate your efforts.” His doctor has done marvellously, adapting to working in a Cardassian hospital. It took a couple of crisis situations before the rest of the staff finally took him seriously, but he’s managed to find a place for himself with minimal friction, as far as the hospital staff are concerned. Usually a Human would never have been accepted so quickly, but these are desperate times, and they can seldom afford to turn away such a capable pair of hands. 

“They’ll appreciate it when I actually get the equipment,” Julian replies. He works his thumbs into a knot at the base of Garak’s neck, and Garak all but melts against him, a pleased sound rumbling low in his chest, “Dare I ask what you’re doing with Kukalaka?” 

The question snaps Garak out of his pleased little trance. He glances back at his desk and finds that the bear is, in fact, sitting there, a needle still attached to thread hanging loose from his leg, which is half-sewn to his body. “Ah,” He says, now recalling what he was doing before sleep so unceremoniously claimed him, “Yes, that… well, I was rather hoping to surprise you with that tomorrow…” He hums, feeling a flash of annoyance at his plans being thwarted. 

Julian leans over his shoulder, examining his handiwork. “Oh, Elim…” He murmurs, like Garak has just handed him the world, “You wonderful, wonderful man. You really are too good to me.” He wraps his arms loosely around Garak’s neck, rests his weight against him as he presses his warm cheek to the side of his head.

It never ceases to amaze Garak, just how easy it is to make Julian’s day. The smallest acts have him behaving as if Garak has put the suns in the sky just for him. “Hardly,” He refutes, because he could never be too good for the man who reminds him days after day that good exists in this universe simply by existing, “You may have convinced the little ruffian’s mother that you weren’t upset over Kukalaka being torn asunder, but I know you far better than that. I may not understand the significance of the little fellow, but I would be remiss if I allowed him to remain in tatters when I could easily repair him.” He reasons, and it’s an awfully long way to say I hate to see you sad.

“That little ruffian was all of 3 years old,” Julian points out, a smile in his voice, “And teething, might I add, so understandably cranky. But… thank you,” A warm kiss is pressed to Garak’s cheek, an action that turns him into a puddle of bliss and affection, “I would tell you just how much it means to me, but I’m afraid I’m much too tired to adequately express myself.” He kisses Garak’s cheek again, and nuzzles against him.

Garak hums happily, reaching up to rest a hand on Julian’s arm. “Oh, I don’t know,” He muses, rubbing circles into Julian’s arm with his thumb, “I believe I could infer the depths of your gratitude from, say… more kisses.” He suggests, tilting his head so that he can flash Julian a cheeky grin. 

Julian snorts, buries his face in Garak’s neck as laughter shakes his slender shoulders. When he lifts his head again, he has the loveliest smile lines on his rosy-cheeked face, and the lines under his eyes don’t seem quite so deep anymore. 

“You’re incorrigible.” Julian tells him, earnestly and completely affectionate. 

“Yes,” Garak agrees, “And I do believe you love me for it.” 

“Oh, very much,” Julian agrees, leaning in till his nose taps against Garak’s, “It’s one of your most endearing traits.” 

Garak rubs their noses together, a gesture that is indescribably affectionate and also quite silly. “Tell me again about all those endearing traits of mine?” He requests.

“I’m far too tired for that,” Julian replies, his eyes flicking to Garak’s lips, “I think I’d much rather kiss you silly. Is that an acceptable substitute?” He asks. 

Garak doesn’t respond verbally, just angles his head and pushes up to capture Julian’s lips with his. Julian makes a happy little hum as he kisses him back, and his smile as he presses his lips to Garak’s again and again says more about his gratitude and his love than any string of words ever could. 

[autisticburnham]

Inquisition

Fun fact, I started doing the rewatch commentaries after I got positive feedback on my liveblog of this episode

Well. At least Kukalaka is in this episode

Julian, baby, you need to stop going to medical conferences

Wouldn't it be easier to give Miles a prosthetic shoulder at this point?

KUKALAKA!!!!!!!!!!💖💓💞💕💖💞💓💓💖💕💖💞💕🐻🐻🐻🐻

Ah, we finally get the second spy psychosexually obsessed with Julian

Julian said 🖕🏾

Oh no, Netflix wasn't working so I switched to Hulu but now I can't skip the theme song

Love that he says please to the replicator

Hello, doctor, do you want to talk about your trauma?

That's bc Julian was the first doctor to treat the Jack pack like they're people

He volunteered bc he knows what discrimination against genetically engineered people feels like and didn't want them to feel that

Don't you like gagh??? I'm pretty sure his first date with Melora was to get gagh together

KUKALAKA!!!!!

He's a bitch and I love him

He's one of "the brave men and women who fight for the Federation"

Love Quark being like "We trust you, Julian! Probably..."

Gross that they're presenting Sloane as a "bad apple." While you absolutely can read this episode as an indictment of the whole intelligence system, but the idea that Sloane in particular is just trying to get revenge for his son gives credence to the reading that it's just the individual

They're people and they're enslaved. It would be an indictment of Julian if he didn't want to help the Jem'hadar

They were understimulated, bitch

Julian, honey, you have every right to be angry, but what are you doing yelling at a cop? Don't you have any sense of self preservation?

Of course he concealed his genetic status!! He would have been locked away in that mysterious fucking "Institute" for no goddamn reason if he had!

Rewatching this episode for the first time made me start a post about disability, neurodivergence, and ableism in Star Trek that has been in my drafts ever since bc I would need to read more on disability rights and rewatch the whole franchise to really be able to make the case I want to, but this episode is pissing me off enough that I want to start working on it again

I see Julian's trying the Kirk style of fighting and just jumping at the dude

Love the dramatic delivery of "Why did you do it, Julian?" Ma'am, do you want a fainting couch?

Julian said my real work dad would listen to me!

I! Hate! Section! 31! And I'm so scared of what their show is going to do the canon of the show

I know ds9 wanted to criticize the CIA, as well they should, but Star Trek's supposed to be message that we can and will get better! And yes, ds9 is the one that says we have to always pay attention to our actions and make sure we are still working to be better, but saying that the Federation has always had Section 31 implies that it's impossible to truly get better, there will always be a dark underbelly

Why do they have a Voyager holosuite?

I have to hope the Section 31 show being lead by a fascist means that it will consist of criticism of the system instead of using it to just do ~Star Trek but edgy~

Pisses me off! In the ways it's supposed to and in ways it's not! 6/10

[autumnleafauthor]

Ya know I'm honestly not sure whether to love or hate this review thing

I posted 48,253 times in 2021

8 posts created (0%)

48245 posts reblogged (100%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 6030.6 posts.

I added 29 tags in 2021

#garashir - 4 posts

#julian bashir - 4 posts

#st ds9 - 3 posts

#ds9 - 3 posts

#star trek - 3 posts

#i guess? - 3 posts

#elim garak - 3 posts

#ye gods - 2 posts

#however - 2 posts

#i mean - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 117 characters

#i personally dont believe in coming outs cause it implies that we need to make a big deal out of our sexuality/gender

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Thank you @sapphosewrites tagging me, I was very happy about that :) I’m bending the rules a little, since this reminded me I hadn’t worked on my WIPs for a while, so this sentence is fresh from this afternoon!

Rules: Write the latest line from your WIP and tag as many people as there are words in the line.

As it were, he could have watched the mesmerising swirl and glitter of the robe all night as it hugged his lover, were it not for the occasion of them being up right now.

Seeing as I don’t really know as many people that write as there are words in this sentence, a few less must do: @shamrockace, @theshapeshifter100, @fairyofsomething, @xenobotanist, @talvenhenki

3 notes • Posted 2021-10-08 14:53:18 GMT

#4

So I've finally gotten fed up with my writer's block

3 notes • Posted 2021-02-18 17:47:54 GMT

#3

Hey so, question to all ds9 people: has anyone ever considered what Garak does during the Siege at the beginning of season 2, either in fic or in general? Like, i don't want to imagine the kinda chaos him getting on one of the evac shuttles would cause, but... hhm

Thoughts/fic recs?

11 notes • Posted 2021-08-31 21:15:53 GMT

#2

Okay I'm wondering now.

What exactly were we supposed to take away from Distant Voices?

Yes ik ik thinkpiece about aging and Julians development. But I'm hung up on the fact that Lethean attacks are supposed to be fatal. Cause. This is at a time where noone was planning for Bashir to be augmented! There are no direct hints, and ST writers are notorious for on the spot decisions so I don't expect anyone to have planned for that for any more than Season 5.

So what are we supposed to think? Why does Julian survive the attack? What is the reason?

23 notes • Posted 2021-09-26 19:24:35 GMT

#1

Julian, entering his and Garak's shared quarters: Hey Elim have you - put the phaser away it's just me - have you seen Kukalaka-

187 notes • Posted 2021-06-08 21:32:18 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[multifandompostcardexchange]

The Multi-Fandom Postcard Exchange: Postcard A-41

Fandom: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Message:

“Garak, is this really necessary?”

“Doctor!  This is your cultural heritage we’re talking about.”

“Yes, well, when I mentioned Halloween, I didn’t think you’d take it as an invitation to design silly costumes.  I don’t even think Quark fits in that sailor’s uniform.  And I shudder to think what awaits me.”

“Rest assured, doctor, it will bring out all your best assets.”

“It’s a bear costume, isn’t it.  God.  I knew I shouldn’t have told you about Kukalaka.”

[startrekjustintime]

Snippets from Julian’s perspective, ages three to 35. By Timefest fellow organiser @aidaran-alha

Little Jules played with the toys he'd been given. He didn't like them; they were hard and pointy and the colors were all... Wrong. But his father had taken Kukalaka away to force him to play with what the doctor had given him.

A bit far from where he sat, adults talked about him as if he wasn't there. In a way, he wasn't. All his focus was on the toys. He'd been told to play, after all, and why wouldn't he do it?

"His language is certainly delayed. He should already be able to say basic phrases, not just yes or no. He does understand when being talked to, but... He's way below average."

Jules had no idea what all that meant, nor did he care.

READ MORE