Reconsider Me

Fanfiction
Title:	Reconsider Me
Author(s):	GreenWoman
Date(s):	1997
Length:
Genre(s):
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: DS9
Relationship(s):
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Reconsider Me is a Kira/Odo slash story by GreenWoman.

Reactions and Reviews

Reconsider me, indeed. I've just completed my fourth re-read of this and I already have that indefinable sense I have come to develop that tells me this is a classic fanfic story. I don't say that often. I don't have that feeling often. Fanfic is, by and large, a fleeting phenomenon with it's avid pursuers always on the chase for the next high, the next thrill, but some few stories possess the power to haunt, to tantalize and to keep the mind playing back scenes or dialogue even days, *weeks* later. This is just such a story.

What could happen if give becomes take between two friends of the heart? Odo here is presented as the selfless one, not an unusual theme in the realms of Odo fanfic, but "Reconsider Me" adds the crucial element of psychological insight into his character, providing much of the reasoning behind his actions and choices. As such, a simple, if emotionally charged, love scene becomes far more...becomes, as the writer notes, a rite of exorcism...and not just for the taker, but the giver as well.

In the aftermath of this act of touching selflessness, Odo finds the price is high indeed to pay without some form of recompense. But what form of recompense can be found between 'friends of the heart' after the final barrier is crossed? Is true reciprocation possible? And if not, will this one selfless act of giving continue to abrade Odo's worn and heartsore spirit? "Reconsider Me" poses these questions and provides the gentlest, and most genuine of answers.

The dialogue is affecting, generally true to character, if occasionally Kira seems a touch shrill, but in the confines of this particular story it is fitting. The descriptive powers of the author are deft, never too much, always moving the story forward. And the erotica is -- in the best tradition -- lush and generous, but never straying to the carnal or the florid. The little touches employed by the author that remind the reader of just what these characters have been through in their respective histories, are well-distributed, providing a sense of continuity as the story unfolds.

My only complaint? The ending has the feeling of an afterthought. It is not at all inappropriate, but it gives the impression of closure without actually providing it. It is inevitable, since the only closure to be found between giver and taker is always in the act of reciprocity. Do not misunderstand, this is not a disappointment -- this story delivers a powerful emotional wallop, and frankly, any true sense of regret is from the fact that, like all good things, the story had to come to an end at all.