[ SECRET POST #3181 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3181 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.


__________________________________________________



02.


__________________________________________________



03.


__________________________________________________



04.


__________________________________________________



05.


__________________________________________________



06.


__________________________________________________



07.


__________________________________________________



08.


__________________________________________________



09. [WARNING for rape]



__________________________________________________



10.



__________________________________________________



11.











Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 070 secrets from Secret Submission Post #455.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Anon you are replying to

[des_pudels_kern]

Aaaaactually, now that I've rewatched the scene, this can very much be interpreted as Garak showing interest.

Remember that episode where that Cardassian engineer developed a crush on O'Brien and we learned that Cardassians flirt by being confrontational? Sure, Garak does seem to be criticizing Bashir for his "new" personality, but if insulting = flirting, then really all he did was engage Bashir in a quabbling discussion just like the ones they used to share over lunch on the station (albeit with a more serious topic to reflect the dire circumstances), make sure to point Bashir's talents and how impressively suited for thriving under these circumstances he is (healer, highly intelligent, very quick to calculate odds and react accordingly, calm and collected even in the face of likely defeat and death).

I like to assume that their friendship started out on Garak's side as motivated by loneliness and the old habit of wanting a convenient in with the people in charge, but that he understandably saw Bashir himself more as an intelligent yet very young and sheltered human who could benefit from a bit of mentoring and having his mind expanded, a low-key protégé to mold but more so to play with, and that his attitude changed slowly as the show progressed and Bashir showed himself to hold determined strength and potential (early key episodes being The Wire, and that one episode where Bashir was stuck in his own mind after being attacked by some alien, his subconsciousness cast Garak as the villain, and Garak ended up being so very pleased with that). Their personalities strongly differed and clashed in regards to sacrifice, with Garak very much putting himself first while Bashir will not hesitate to risk his own life to save others (Our Man Bashir) while they in reverse disagree on The Neverending Sacrifice. By that point in the show, however, Garak had firmly thrown his lot in with Starfleet and the main cast's fight for the Alpha quadrant, and Bashir had seen his fair share of war and shown no problem with putting the lives of his friends second to the greater good of fighting the Dominion.

Really, Bashir not being so boyish anymore should be what makes him a potential partner in Garak's eyes rather than an entertaining and at times useful diversion, their characters are much more compatible at that point, and by Cardassian standards Garak is likely flirting here. Granted, he spent enough time exiled that he might be talking to human Bashir as to a human, insults just being insults, but that interpretation is not as relevant to my interests.

Edit: ...Forgot to anon. Oh well, at least I'll get notified of possible replies.