Loves and stratagems

fishpillowses:

Ur friendly neighborhood surveillance state puppet master and Garaks highschool bf from the novels Pythas Lok I just think he’s neat 😭

(via astitchintimefanclub)

the-last-dillpickle:

I might’ve posted about this before but I think something that’s frequently forgotten about is the understanding Garak and O’Brien come to after the events of Empok Nor. They’re not besties but they clearly respect each other, and in some cases are even shown as hanging around as part of the same extended friendgroup (s6e05, s7e03)

Absolutely. I think the events of Empok Nor led to that they understand each other more than most. O’Brien knows Garak has it in him to do horrible things, but he also knows that it took a powerful drug to make him a bloodthirsty monster, and he’s seen his remorse over those actions. In the same way, Garak knows that O’Brien can and will kill if he needs to, but he also knows that he has chosen a different path because he took no pleasure in the violence he witnessed and perpetrated. 

bakasara:

watch this *headcanons that the blue of julian’s and jadzia’s uniforms is slightly mismatched because julian requested accommodations to have his uniform made in a nonstandard fabric whose texture doesn’t bother him*

(via scientific-tricorder)

kirksfattitties:

kirksfattitties:

i mean to me the appeal of amok time, as a queer man, is:

• the fact that we see spock struggle with and agonize over a very normal and natural experience
• and we see how much he despairs over having to tell someone
• how he puts dying in agony on the same level as having to go back to his home world and get married to a woman
• thinking he ruined his relationship with the first person he was honest with by having to fight him
• and then grabbing and holding and smiling when he finds out this man is alive

in a way that very clearly parallels my own and other queer mens experiences in overcoming internalized homophobia and coming to acceptance with who we are (obviously with some cool dramatic scifi bonuses)

not to mention that spocks pon farr was resolved without having to mate in the conventional sense, implying that the fight was enough, the mating was fulfilled in an unconventional way, and/or spocks emotions for kirk dying brought him out of pon farr

and then on the flip side seeing from kirks perspective:

• being a man who is very clearly confident in himself and who he is as a person struggling to help his closest friend
• trying to get this friend to trust you so you can help them but without pushing them so hard that they push you away
• being quite literally willing to die for this friend to be okay
• and both of them at the end finding comfort in each other and the knowledge that are are both alive and well and (even if not showing it) happy

in a way that very clearly parallels my relationship with other queer men who i see working out their own internalized homophobia and trying to help them, even if it means having to experience that homophobia again. and then the solidarity between queer men after we have worked through our issues and finding comfort and love in each other

clearly amok time wasn’t made to represent this exact struggle, but many queer men i know deeply relate to that and to spock in general, especially when masculinity revolves around being tough and unfeeling and when the concept of manhood revolves around attraction to women.

and also, of course, the tits

(via arinaca-st)

A Guide to Writing Ectothermic Cardassians

scientific-tricorder:

apolesen:

apolesen:

First, a few disclaimers. I am not a veterinarian or a biologist, and my understanding of all of this is purely based on reading around. If I make a mistake, please correct me. Secondly, this post is written with the assumption that Cardassians are ectotherms. If that’s not your personal head-canon, that is totally valid, but this specific post is about Cardassians as ectothermic lizards. 

We should also talk about terminology. I will be using the word ectotherm (not ‘exotherm’ - the first part of that word is Greek ektós ‘outside, external’, like in ‘ectoplasm’, not the prefix ex ‘from’, like in ‘exorcist’ - ‘exothermic’ refers to a process that is accompanied by the release of heat, like an explosion). Sometimes the term ‘cold-blooded’ is used, but it is fairly imprecise, so I’m going to go with ectothermy.  

Let’s talk thermoregulation.

There are two pairs of words we should look at: endotherm and ectotherm, and homeotherm and poikilotherm. An endotherm maintains its body internally through its metabolism. An ectotherm does not. A homeotherm’s body temperature remains stable whatever the external influence. A poikilotherm’s internal temperature varies. Humans and endothermic homeotherm - we have a stable internal temperature, and it does normally not fluctuate. Even if you go outside in the freezing cold, you will still have the same core temperature. Even in extreme cold, humans can be outside if they’re well bundled up, because our bodies work to keep warm. Generally, these pair up like so: ectotherms – poikilotherms, endotherms – homeotherms. That being said, there are ectotherms who are essentially homeotherms, as they live in places with barely any temperature fluctuation, meaning that even if they can’t regulate their own body temperature, it’s already regulated around them. However, for reasons I will explain later, I think we can say with some certainty that Cardassians are poikilotherms. From now on, I’m going to take the poikilothermy for granted and just refer to them as ectotherms. 

What does the cold and heat do to ectotherms? 

Often when we talk about ectotherms, we imagine that they have a target core temperature, and they are constantly fighting to maintain it. That’s not the case. Ectotherms are a much broader spectrum of healthy core temperatures, depending on what they’re up to. Let’s for instance compare iguanas and humans. If a human’s core temperature drops below 35 centigrades (95.0 degrees Fahrenheit), that’s hypothermia. If it’s over 37.5 centigrades (99.5 degrees F), you’re either hyperthermic (overheating) or you’ve got a fever (they’re different things, as hyperthermia is externally caused). By contrast, the Galapagos marine iguana’s normal temperature ranges between 24 and 37 degrees depending on the time of day (Butler et al. 2002). Other lizards will have even broader normal ranges. 

As a rule of thumb, lower temperatures bring ectotherms down, higher temperatures pick them up. Warmer temperatures will make Cardassians more alert, their heart will beat faster, their breathing will pick up. By contrast, colder temperatures will make them calmer, even sluggish, their heart-rate and breathing will slow down. This will often be associated with the time of day. At night, it gets colder - the ectotherm gets sleepy. Then, it will warm up in the morning, and be very active while it’s warm. 

Long-time exposure to temperatures that are too cold or too hot are naturally not good for anyone, even Cardassians. If they’re stuck somewhere which is always towards the top of their comfort range or even above it, the Cardassian in question might end up feeling agitated and jittery, which will take a toll. If they’re somewhere too cold, they’ll not have much energy, and their immune system will become impaired (so when Garak complains that it is too cold on DS9, not only is it physically uncomfortable - it makes him feel slow and unfocused, and he’s probably perpetually nursing a cold). If a Cardassian gets really cold, they’ll go into what is essentially a coma. Veterinarians used to (and some may still) use hypothermia as a form of anaesthetic when operating on ectotherms, but studies have shown that even in severe hypothermia, ectotherms can still feel pain, so it’s not seen as humane anymore. This is why I imagine that Cardassian military surgeons will use hypothermia as anaesthetic, because… it’s the kind of thing the Cardassian military would do.

What does ectothermy mean for Cardassian physiology and behaviour? 

The differences between ectotherms and endotherms are profound, going down to a cellular level, so it’s not a surprise that there are going to be some big differences in how Cardassians look, function and behave. Here are some of them. 

• Cardassians don’t shiver. Shivering when you’re cold is a way to regulate your own body heat by generating heat through the shivering. Ectotherms are not able to generate heat on their own. There are some niche cases where ectotherms shiver, such as some gravid pythons shivering to incubate the eggs, but it is a very small minority. 
• Cardassians don’t sweat. Sweating is, again, a way for your body to regulate heat. Your body secretes fluids, which then evaporates, which in turn cools you. Cardassians won’t do this, as they don’t regulate their own body-heat. 
• Cardassians bask. If you can’t rely on your body to fix the heat, you get it elsewhere! This is why I said that Cardassians are poikilotherms. Also, there is canon on Cardassians basking: 

[Image description: screencap from the episode ‘For the Cause’. Garak and Tora Ziyal are lying on stone benches on either side of some hot rocks.]

• Here, it is something that is done for pleasure (and considering how cold DS9 is, I can’t blame them). However, it’s likely that Cardassians also heat up, whether through basking under a heat-lamp or through some other means, in the morning to wake up properly. ‘Don’t talk to me before I’ve had my bask.’ 

• Cardassians won’t always feel the same temperature. Garak’s skin will not always feel the same. Keep in mind that our understanding of what is warm and cold, when we use our hands, depends on our own temperature. I have poor circulation, and every time I bake I’m surprised at how warm 37 centigrades, which is the definition of lukewarm, is. Garak will not feel cold, though he might feel cool (and isn’t he cool?) Also, after a night of sleeping beside a human he’ll be warmer.
• Cardassians will use clothing to help maintain a comfortable temperature. Cardassians love layers, and it’s not just a fashion thing. You warm up under your heat lamp, then you put on your suits and jumpers and long-johns and whatnot, and head out into the world. You will still be losing heat, but you’ll lose it slower than if you went out in a summer dress. (Just like humans, Cardassians can also keep warm by moving. Leatherback sea turtles can maintain a core temperature of 22 centigrades (77 F) in water that’s only 8 centigrades (42 F).) Just as wearing clothes will slow heat loss, it will also mean you’ll heat up slower if you’re already wearing clothes. As a result, wearing layers can be used to avoid heating up too fast or too much. Basically, Cardassians are drinks in thermos flasks, and their clothes help them trap heat or keep it away from them.  
• Cardassians don’t get fevers. Instead, they develop what is called ‘behavioural fever’. When the immune system notices an infection, rather than telling the body to raise the temperature, it sends a signal to the ectotherm blaring ‘you need to get warmer!’ It’s not a rational thought, but an instinct – I imagine it as an urge that they can’t explain. (We know this happens because we’ve observed reptiles who are ill seeking out the warmest spot possible.) The aim is essentially to create the conditions of a fever like in an endotherm but by external means.  
• Cardassians need less food than endotherms. Much of the energy endotherms extract from their food is used to maintain body temperature. Ectotherms don’t do that, so they need less food. This might mean that Cardassians eat fewer meals and/or that they eat less food per sitting.  
• Cardassians change colour. This might be my favourite thing about ectotherms, and Cardassians as ectotherms. Ever noticed that the colour of the Cardassian makeup varies a lot? Sometimes they’re pink, something they’re greyish, sometimes they’re just plain grey.

[Image description: Four photos of Garak. In each he has a different skin-tone, ranging from pinkish to grey.]

• Some ectotherms, such as iguanas, change colour to help with thermoregulation. As any goth who’s endured summer can tell you, darker colours soak up more heat. This can be handy if you’re an ectotherm. If they want to raise their body temperature and there’s light, they will grow darker, thus absorbing the heat faster. If they’re feeling too warm, they will grow pale, slowing down the rate of absorption. (This, of course, is not a conscious thing, but something that happens on a physiological level.) This is not to say that these colours are uniform across all Cardassians – one individual’s skin-tone when trying to heat up might be closer to another individual’s skin-tone when they’re comfortable – but an individual’s skin will not always look the same. 
  

This is just the bare bones, of course. A lot of the good sources on ectothermy out there are either written by veterinarians or people who keep reptiles as pets, but that will only give you the physical side of things. How are these things different for an intelligent, technologically advanced society? How much of the natural rhythm of the day’s temperature fluctuations is maintained in a society with insulation and climate control? How are instincts such as the need to get somewhere warmer when you’re ill conceptualised? In what ways is Cardassian society different, considering things like how down-time is understood, when meals are taken etc.? I think there’s a lot of interesting world-building potential here, and I’d love to see more of it. 

Sources/resources (without links because Tumblr sucks)

Anapsid .org [an absolute treasure-trove on reptiles, especially the sections labelled ‘Health’ and ‘Behavior’]

Butler, PJ. et al. (2002), “The relationship between heart rate and rate of oxygen consumption in Galapagos marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) at two different temperatures” in Journal of Experimental Biology 205 (13), pp. 1917—1924 DOI 10.1242/jeb.205.13.1917

Lizard101, “Do iguanas change color like chameleons?”

Petcoach, “Causes of Iguana Color Changes”

Trekcore, DS9 screencaps

#Cardassians would probably also trend towards maintaining a higher body temperature for longer than most lizards simply due to being large#Some large lizards actually will cause a temporary rise in body temperature from ‘high locomotory activity’#So I can just imagine a Cardassian trying to remain alert in a colder environment periodically jogging in place#And since body temperature helps dictate metabolic rate#Cardassians could use strategic environmental temperature control to mask their lifesigns#assuming lifesigns are recorded from metabolism#Although some ectotherms have metabolic compensation to keep higher metabolic rates despite lower temperatures

(tags from @scientific-tricorder)

These are some great additions! I was thinking that their size would probably make a difference, but I really didn’t know to what extent. I talk a lot about iguanas, because that’s easier to find info about, but I guess the closest ectotherm in terms of size is the Komodo dragon? (Of course we can infer a lot, just by looking at smaller animals and slightly bigger but still small animals.) 

The high locomotory activity thing is great, although I can’t help imagining a Cardassian soldier standing guard and then suddenly doing aerobics to keep alert… 

The whole ‘scan for lifesigns’ seems like such a mess to me - it serves a narrative purpose but it’s really unclear how it’s done - but I think metabolism is probably a safe bet. I love the idea that Cardassians use the fact that they’re not endotherms (like the majority of the Federation species) to their advantage. I can also imagine that the Bajoran Resistance gets really good at McGyvering scanning technology that gets around that trick. 

There’s probably some fancy calculation for the change in heat loss corresponding to the change in surface area/volume ratio due to increased size, but I don’t know it. Komodo dragons would probably be the closest in terms of size and serve as the closest thing to a Cardassian physiological model here on Earth.

The official Cardassian military jumping jacks.

Scanning for lifesigns is definitely one of those narrative convenience things, which leaves a lot of wiggle room. I really like the idea of the Bajoran Resistance coming up with alternative scanning techniques to get around Cardassians hijacking their physiology for sneaking around. And since Jem'Hadar are also basically giant grey space lizards, I wonder if those might at all be transferable once the Dominion War starts? That would require a lot of assumptions though.

The Cardassian military definitely do jumping jacks. 

The Jem’Hadar thing is really cool! Maybe Kira ends up swallowing her pride and teaching it to Damar’s resistance? 

the-last-dillpickle:

Let’s be real here: Julian and Miles have probably done practice kissing before

(via the-last-dillpickle)