Cardassiaâs strict gender roles and focus on family have meant for much of the past few hundred years the queer community there, while tolerated, has lived in the shadows. Post-war, itâs all change on Cardassia and weâre proud to report on some of the hottest queer venues (or "tailor shops" in the local slang) on the planet!
#1 The Blue Spoon
Officially a 300-year-old private members club for women excelling in science and engineering (Cardassiaâs traditionally female-dominated careers), this club has been a haven for Cardassiaâs sapphics away from prying eyes. Those in the know of course might recognise the name; âblue spooningâ being a slang term on Cardassia for a lesbian relationship. But theyâve maintained an air of deniability and exclusive privacy.
Reluctantly opening their doors to a new generation, we joined one of their latest parties with these finely dressed women, often with very masculine cuts, dancing to an all-female orchestra. From our conversations with patrons, it seems those women who do serve in the military are in exceptional demand now theyâre allowed in, particularly among the younger patrons. One older Gul was seen carrying two young women around on her shoulders before vanishing towards the powder room.
#2 The Hot Rock
With their preference for the heat and dark, relative to many humanoids, itâs no surprise how popular saunas are on Cardassia. That holds true for gay Cardassians too. The Hot Rock is the biggest gay sauna in the capital and a meeting place for much of its community. Over 4 floors deep under Lakarian Way there is no end of dark corners to arrange a semi-private rendezvous in temperatures passing 90 degrees Celsius in places.Â
The upper floors are dotted with dancers, bars and various entertainment. Not being able to handle the heat downstairs, we talked to a few of the patrons. One ex-tailor we spoke to told us of how prior to the war it was very much a âdonât ask, donât tellâ situation on Cardassia. The primacy of the family always had the understanding of affairs on the side, but on the understanding they were kept discreet.
These days, it seems, the old ways are out along with the old leadership. We asked the patron if there were any prominent gay Cardassians in this new society. He replied, âmy dear, theyâre all gay.â When asked if that included the government, he added âEspecially the government.â The patron himself says that he is just visiting for the sauna and was not gay at all, but his friend Elim used to date a human doctor for a few years who was âravishing.â He grinned as he went back to watching the dancers. Letâs hope this âElimâ finds new love on this new Cardassia.
#3 Dom In Me Cabaret
What was previously an underground satirist group of drag performers during the war is now an ongoing headline show with a full musical comedy based around the Dominion leadership. The king playing the Vorta 'Why-Ooo' steals the show with his sycophantic solos dedicated to his unrequited love for the abusive Changeling.
We lost count of the number of times different characters killed Why-Oooo but the audience cheered mercilessly without fail. The group is currently working on a new act around Tain and the Obsidian Order, something unthinkable a few years ago!
#4 The Ending Sacrifice Bookshop
For a quieter atmosphere, turn to The Ending Sacrifice which now openly sells literature deemed inflammatory to the Cardassian sense of âFamily Is All.â Stories of powerful people forsaking arranged marriages to elope with their true love stock the shelves in defiance of the prevailing ideology. The owner, Manek, explains how they how to challenge the monoculture on Cardassia imposed by Central Command over the past 100 years.
âHistorically,â they say, âthe early Hebitian civilizations were far more liberal and pluralistic. We valued our differences and our culture above military conquest. We want to return to that openness. So much of our society has been suppressed. Did you know that, like most reptilian-like humanoids, Cardassians have the capacity to change sex in certain circumstances? Under the Central Command, this is an unspoken medical disorder to be fixed rather than a natural function of our biology.â
The bookshop hosts literary and academic talks on a number of topics which are free to attend. Drop in and speak to Manek for more.
#5 Obsidian Eyes
Tucked away on the outskirts of Lakat is a BDSM club that only recently opened. For some, the end of the Obsidian order and their eternal monitoring of the whole of Cardassian society (especially itâs queer members) must be something to be missed. Because here, patrons can meet in cold metal interrogation rooms and be watched through âsecretâ one-way mirrors by âagents of the Obsidian Orderâ. At a certain point during their liaison, the agents will barge into the room and place the lovers on trial.Â
We asked staff if the âagentsâ were real, or more accurately former, members of the Obsidian Order or just actors. Each person we asked gave an entirely conflicting account of the whole operation and one just quoted lines from Enigma Tales at us. So weâre not sure what to say at this point other than this is an exhibition and humiliation kink we didnât think weâd see on our trip.
Iâm fond of the idea that cardassia was originally covered in jungle, before industrialization destroyed the environment and turned it into a desert planet. Hence why they prefer low light warmth - theyâre adapted to be under a thick canopy where not a lot of light gets through
"Do you know why we have these ridges, Elim? We are a warrior race."
â¨ď¸ Palandine â¨ď¸
Alternative title: Elim Garak's exact moment of sexual awakening.
I'd like to thank Andrew Robinson for making me fall in love with his beautiful OC. I'm only a quarter through A Stitch in Time and I have no doubt that getting attached to her is going to come back to bite me like a knife expertly slid between the ribs đ.
Hey guys, my old post lost traction, so here's a new one! My name's Charlie, I'm a gay, trans fiction writer, and I want to work for YOU! đŤľ
What do you need to know about working with me?
I'm a fiction writer who specializes in romance and erotica. I'd love to bring your fantasies to the page with your favorite ship, your beloved OCs, or some steamy Your Favorite Character X Reader writing.
I'm a professional who'll work with you every step of the way, whether you've got a fully realized outline that just needs to get down on the page or a 2 sentence plot bunny you want me to chase.
I love writing stories featuring monsters, magic, and meticulously researched detail as to what undergarments your 18th century Dandy twink ought to be wearing.
What will and won't I write?
I'm willing to take a crack at just about anything! If I think I'm not the right writer for your project, I will gladly tell you that upfront rather than deliver a subpar product. I take pride in even the silliest smutty crackship fic!
That said, I do have a few basic limits my work falls within:
I will not create work featuring non-consensual sex, romantic or sexual relationships between an adult and a minor (or any other work featuring minors in sexual situations), bestiality, scat, emetophilia, or sexualized bigotry.
I will not write RPF or Harry Potter
I reserve the right to turn down work for any reason, be it listed or otherwise, or for no stated reason at all.
Unsure if your piece falls within these limits? Contact me! The worst thing I'll possibly do is turn you down.
Price
Stories are priced at $15/500 words, with that being my minimum.
Works over 5k receive a 5% discount!
Have you got a budget? Let's chat and see if we can make that work. I'm happy to work out payment plans for longer works. Standard payment structure is 50% before I begin, 50% after delivery.
If you're first in the queue, turnaround is usually about a week. I want to make sure every detail of your story is just right, so after final payment is received, I'm happy to do a number of minor edits to get things perfect!
Want some examples of my work? Past stories are available via my AO3 accounts, which you can find on my Linktree! [EDIT: Links are currently being renovated. Check back soon for a shiny new portfolio. In the meantime, I can directly send you examples of my work!]
You can contact me here, on Twitter, or via email. Looking forward to working with you! If you're not currently looking for a commission, reblogs are appreciated <3 Not looking for a commission but want to toss a fella who needs it a couple bucks? My ko-fi is on my Linktree too!
Hey guys, my old post lost traction, so here's a new one! My name's Charlie, I'm a gay, trans fiction writer, and I want to work for YOU! đŤľ
What do you need to know about working with me?
I'm a fiction writer who specializes in romance and erotica. I'd love to bring your fantasies to the page with your favorite ship, your beloved OCs, or some steamy Your Favorite Character X Reader writing.
I'm a professional who'll work with you every step of the way, whether you've got a fully realized outline that just needs to get down on the page or a 2 sentence plot bunny you want me to chase.
I love writing stories featuring monsters, magic, and meticulously researched detail as to what undergarments your 18th century Dandy twink ought to be wearing.
What will and won't I write?
I'm willing to take a crack at just about anything! If I think I'm not the right writer for your project, I will gladly tell you that upfront rather than deliver a subpar product. I take pride in even the silliest smutty crackship fic!
That said, I do have a few basic limits my work falls within:
I will not create work featuring non-consensual sex, romantic or sexual relationships between an adult and a minor (or any other work featuring minors in sexual situations), bestiality, scat, emetophilia, or sexualized bigotry.
I will not write RPF or Harry Potter
I reserve the right to turn down work for any reason, be it listed or otherwise, or for no stated reason at all.
Unsure if your piece falls within these limits? Contact me! The worst thing I'll possibly do is turn you down.
Price
Stories are priced at $15/500 words, with that being my minimum.
Works over 5k receive a 5% discount!
Have you got a budget? Let's chat and see if we can make that work. I'm happy to work out payment plans for longer works. Standard payment structure is 50% before I begin, 50% after delivery.
If you're first in the queue, turnaround is usually about a week. I want to make sure every detail of your story is just right, so after final payment is received, I'm happy to do a number of minor edits to get things perfect!
Want some examples of my work? Past stories are available via my AO3 accounts, which you can find on my Linktree! [EDIT: Links are currently being renovated. Check back soon for a shiny new portfolio. In the meantime, I can directly send you examples of my work!]
You can contact me here, on Twitter, or via email. Looking forward to working with you! If you're not currently looking for a commission, reblogs are appreciated <3 Not looking for a commission but want to toss a fella who needs it a couple bucks? My ko-fi is on my Linktree too!
pursuant to my earlier theory about fresh cut grass and gruumsh (i.e. fcgâs memories of dancer and the gangâs death are actually memories of aeor being attacked by the Jolly Green Giant):
one can argue that their memories arenât totally invalid. they were shut down before (presumably by the destruction of aeor); maybe the one-eye monsters they were sent to hunt down triggered a memory?
hear me out: FCG and the gang hunt for the monsters, something goes wrong, and FCGâs mind plays back the memory of being attacked by gruumsh in place of the attack.
the alternative, running off of the theory that fcg attacked the division, is a false memory. sam mentioned that FCG couldâve been anything on aeor -- even a killer. so, FCG sees the one-eyed monsters and, with their divinity-opposed aeorian programming, interprets it as gruumsh. FCG goes into kill mode and attacks
i feel like the inclusion of the one-eyed monster isnât an accident. of course it could very well be some occamâs razor cyclopes, but the mention of aeor, a monster with only one eye, and a party member who isnât dead but is definitely injured is Interesting
wild theory. fcgâs memory has been shown twice now to be unreliable, at least explicitly. but their memories describe a one-eyed monster.
iâm thinking: what if the one-eyed creature they remember is gruumsh attacking aeor, and the members of dancerâs party that they recall are their own replacements for aeorians they were friends with?
when zerxus finally loses himself at dawn (thank you, vespin), he will lose tempus too. but tempus will not be lost. in a year, a little redheaded boy will have a baby griffon of starlight scampering around.
