Interspecies Courtship Rituals
| Star Trek DS9 Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Interspecies Courtship Rituals |
| Author(s): | Kathryn Ramage |
| Date(s): | 1997 (print), 2000 (online) |
| Length: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine |
| External Links: | online here |
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"Interspecies Courtship Rituals" is a Star Trek: DS9 Garak/Bashir story by Kathryn Ramage.
This story was printed in Doctor, Tailor, Officer, Spy and is online.
Summary: Finding himself the object of an intense and frightening Cardassian-style pursuit by Garak, Bashir tries to teach his suitor a thing or two about human relationships.
Reactions and Reviews
Garak's idea of romantic pursuit is too intimidating for Bashir's comfort. This is a wonderfully written and sensual story. Bashir gets a chance to show his spine. [1]
Many romance novels have the disturbing habit of showing reluctant heroines that, after being unwillingly bedded by the strapping male lead, fall hopelessly in love -- portraying violence against one’s partner and non-consensual sex as incredibly romantic (there have been some great discussions about this habit in fanfiction over at epic_rants).“Interspecies Courtship Rituals” shows how this cliché should play out: scared by the aggressive way Garak has been courting him, Julian, despite already being in love with the Cardassian, refuses to give in and enter in a relationship where he will not be an equal, but a submissive partner. Not only does he stand up for himself, but he also has no qualms about asking for help when he knows he could easily be physically outmatched.
I love the way that Julian stands up for himself. While Garak is not portrayed as the villain of the piece (he is acting according to time honored Cardassian traditions and truly can’t seem to understand why the doctor won’t give in when he clearly desires him), he is not allowed to get away with acting in a way his partner finds unacceptable. This fic is a breath of fresh air for all of us who are tired of seeing characters get away with abusive behavior and sometimes even be rewarded for it. [2]
This fic shows us just how different romance and courtship could be with an alien race. Bashir trying to navigate Cardassian seduction dos and don'ts while attempting to educate Garak about the human method is marvelously achieved, and finally resolved! Despite early violent almost non-con, the fic has sweet ending. The fic is an old-school newsgroup posting; you'll need to scroll past the various headers for each section.[3]