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nebulouscoffee · 2 years ago

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OP I looove what you're saying about narratives and roles here, because I think another very compelling character arc to view through this lens is that of Dukat's main foil: Benjamin Sisko! (I can already feel a giant essay forming so I'm just gonna warn for that and then put it under a cut lol)

So DS9 gave us a great set of parallel stories, I think: one about a man who sees himself as The Hero, progressively going more and more off the rails as the story refuses to cooperate with him- and one about the actual hero, who surrenders himself to faith and lets the currents of the narrative sweep him along instead.

See, as far as the Ben Sisko of S1E1 is concerned, he is literally Just Some Guy. He's a Starfleet officer and single father and he's got his own demons and loved ones and a vaguely defined job to do; nothing more. He doesn't yet know he's the hero of the story- a story that's so much bigger than him, that spans across space and time, that will make him a historical figure in more than one century and change the fate of the quadrant. He doesn't know his birth was arranged by the Prophets. He never asked to be the Emissary. He didn't even want to be there on DS9! And he decides to stay and help Bajor, sure- but he doesn't presume to consider himself Of Bajor.

And then there's Dukat, lol. This guy decided he was the hero of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine right from episode one- and, like you say, he never lets anything change his mind. Unlike Sisko, he very much sees himself as someone who belongs on Bajor- who has every right to be there, who should be celebrated as their hero- and it just kills him that the Bajoran people straight up adopt (and quasi-worship) Sisko almost immediately, but still refuse to acknowledge him! Sisko just showed up and instantly got what he'd been wanting for years lmao!

I love how the show sets this up- Dukat walks into Sisko's office like "hi, this was my office too, btw ;)", and from this moment, becomes obsessed (obsessed!!) with trying to convince Sisko that they are, in fact, just the same. Which they're not! And Sisko never, ever gives him that satisfaction. What drives him crazy in the end is that nobody- not Sisko, not Kira, not anyone else- ever tells him what he wants to hear. Dukat is irredeemable because he's literally incapable of seeing his actions as wrong- there'll always be a justification, a way to make himself the misunderstood victim. Dukat is the villain precisely because he never stops seeing himself as the hero.

Over the seasons, we see Sisko growing more and more connected to the Bajoran people. He respects their religion and culture. He starts using Bajoran terms to self-identify, instead of forcing the opposite (I'll admit the show didn't always do the best job with this, but it does remain a significant difference.) He even fights his own people (Starfleet and the Federation) to protect Bajoran interests, and after a certain point, visibly grows uncomfortable with Starfleet's attempts to fit the Bajoran people/wormhole/Prophets into terms they can understand- because that's so fundamentally colonialist- and as far as he's concerned now, his job is to protect Bajor. He even intends to settle down there- not as a Federation colonist, but as a Bajoran. Yes, he is an outsider- but he put in the work, he formed relationships with the planet and all the Bajorans he works with, and by the end of the show, The Sisko really is Of Bajor.

Dukat, on the other hand, wants to put in no work, and still receive not only Bajoran forgiveness, but Bajoran adulation and gratitude. He fundamentally believes he's of a superior race- and, unlike other Cardassian characters on the show, he never unlearns this. Everything about the way he interacts with Bajorans is modelled on conquest and possession. I think the way he treats Ziyal is very telling here- he expresses love for her only when she's respecting and loving him back. Every time she expresses disapproval of him or loyalty to anyone else, he abandons her. One of my favourite such scenes is when he tries to give Kira that dress during the S6 occupation arc- she rejects it, and Ziyal walks in a moment later, and he just smoothly gives it to her! He straight up acts like it was always meant for her! (Literally framing him trying to "win" one Bajoran's love, failing, and then picking an "easier" Bajoran target- see how interchangeable they are to suit his needs!)

His obsession with Kira is also very "my narrative demands it" imo- she is, in Dukat's mind (where he is the Hero and she is his love interest), his ultimate conquest. And he simply cannot handle that she never stops rejecting him. He tries to make do with the "love" of other Bajorans- Ziyal, those cultists, Kai Winn (by deception)- but it's never enough. He needs Kira to love him, he needs to defeat Kira by making her love him. I also think, in some twisted way, a small part of the reason he values Ziyal so much is because she's his best chance at this- the only time Kira shows him the barest shred of approval is when he's kind to Ziyal, and Ziyal's death means losing that opportunity forever. (Contrast this with the way Sisko loves Jake so unconditionally and respects him and his individuality and takes care of him and literally would do anything for him and... wow.)

This is one of the reasons I actually quite like the pah wraith arc at the end- it's just Dukat losing the final bit of his chill! Deep down, he's realised that Kira and Sisko will never give in, so he lets himself go Full Villain Mode. Dukat's story was always one of godly delusion, imo- and the fact that Alaimo and some of the 90s audience thought this arc reduced Dukat's complexity or made him "suddenly evil" is quite telling of how insidious people like Dukat are irl. This is a great ending for him! He literally tries to become a Bajoran god and amass worshippers, but it's The Sisko who ascends. (I know many people wish Kira had offed Dukat, and I agree it would've been satisfying but like- Sisko just makes sense to me! It's the outsider Bajor chose, banishing the outsider Bajor rejected- all to protect Bajor.)

I think the way Garak works as a foil to Dukat is very interesting too- they're both proud Cardassian supremacists with histories of violence, but unlike Dukat, Garak actually allows other people (most notably Bashir, Odo and Kira) to reshape his views. Garak may mythologise himself a lot, but none of his stories ever cast him as The Hero- or even a hero, really. He freely owns that he's not a "good person". Dukat is incapable of doing something without making a big show of it (Civil Defense), while Garak prefers to operate from the shadows (ITPM). Dukat demands that Ziyal love and worship him, Garak straight up says honey nooo I'm literally using you to feel less lonely and pathetic and you deserve so much better also I honest to the State thought I was your gay uncle girl wHAT

Like- okay, Garak is genuinely a messed up person in a lot of ways, lol- but he doesn't have Dukat's ego, and that self-awareness is what makes their arcs diverge so sharply imo. I love this scene from 'Tacking Into The Wind', after Damar finds out his family was killed:

DAMAR: What kind of state tolerates the murder of innocent women and children? What kind of people give those orders? KIRA: Yeah, Damar, what kind of people give those orders? (Damar steps forward threateningly, then leaves.) KIRA: Oh, that was stupid. GARAK: Not at all. Damar has a certain... romanticism about the past. He could use a dose of cold water. KIRA: I could have picked a better time. GARAK: If he's the man to lead a new Cardassia- if he's the man we all hope him to be- then the pain of this news made him more receptive to what you said, not less.

I just think it was such a Choice to have Elim "truth is in the eye of the beholder" Garak voice such a black and white take! Here, Garak is doing precisely what Dukat failed to do for seven seasons- acknowledging that Cardassia had no business occupying Bajor at all, and any Cardassian who disagrees is Bad Actually. This is someone who, in earlier seasons, said stuff like "servile work is in their nature" and "Cardassians taught many worlds including Bajor how to keep records"- he's taking a firm stance against his old mindset here, while Dukat is still trying to justify his. This doesn't erase Garak's past wrongs, of course- but it's why he gets to share a laugh with Kira Nerys and start a new life post-canon, while Dukat burns in a fiery pit.

There's a scene early on where Kira says Cardassia and Bajor might be on friendlier terms some day, but not her and Dukat. And it's really cool how that turned out to be true! Kira goes on to form positive relationships with Tekeny Ghemor, Ziyal, Garak, even Damar- but never Dukat. Personally, I think this was a great decision and I thank the Prophets every day that Nana Visitor put her foot down and rejected any possibility of a Kira/Dukat romance lol

Part of what makes Dukat such a compelling character is his core belief in his own superiority and that he is the main character of the universe. This is accomplished through writing but also because Marc Alaimo really, really believed in Dukat as a character. He never plays him with a hint of self doubt. If he experiences opposition to this self image Alaimo plays him as deeply embarrassed, angry or even mentally compromised - all signs of someone who's self hinges completely on this image of himself he has constructed. To the point that any real opposition, like the realisation the universe doesn't revolve around you, crushes him if he can't reconstruct it to fit his own narrative.

Alaimo wanted redemption for Dukat and a romance with Kira. I'm very glad that didn't happen. But the fact that Alaimo never accepted Dukat as fundamentally bad is part of why Dukat works. Dukat can't be redeemed. Not because he doesn't have the opportunity. But because he is fueled by greed and lust for power and that's always behind the choices he makes.

So he needs to be played without self doubt. Without a trace of any remorse. Another actor might have been tempted to play Dukat with cracks in the armor of his bravado where he shows remorse or realisation. Because we want to believe villains have complex feelings about their behavior, right? That deep inside, they doubt? But Dukat always carries this unfaltering belief in himself. He doesn't feel sorry. He doesn't regret anything. In fact, he revels in his crime. In his oppression of the Bajoran people.

It really is interesting how Alaimo having a different view of the character is such a big part of what makes him a good villain.

#SO sorry for writing a whole essay on your post op #apparently I was having thoughts about the emissary and the bajorans and the fascist lizards on this fine 3am #oh well! hehe #ds9

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hyukqi · 9 months ago

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k.t.h. 🩵

drabble of… needy days with taehyun <3

smut, taehyun x reader, fem!reader, subby!mc >_<, meanie dom!taehyun, humiliation, spanking, name-calling, dirty talk

(been ia for a month whoopsies !! rmb when i said i daydreamed about taehyun to get through a power outage ?? ya this is it LMAO enjoy !!!)

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“oh g-god… tae please~~”

"what do you need, pretty girl?" taehyun asks, slowly pulling your panties down. "need my cock in your little cunt?" his fingers slide across your soaked pussy, running against your clit. "need me to fuck you hard and deep?"

nodding with wet tears dripping down your cheeks “p-please.. i..i can’t i need it now!” traces of ruined mascara and lip gloss are smudged across your face, in contrast to his well-maintained look.

"shit, you are so fucking sexy." taehyun groans, his hands rubbing your inner thighs teasingly. “pretty pussy" he murmurs, eyes fixated on your glistening sex, his hand moving to unbuckle his belt. "you want me to fill your tight little cunt up with my seed?" his cock eventually springs free, thick and hard, rubbing against your slick folds. the sight of it makes your mouth water immediately.

after guiding you to lie on your stomach, ass hiked up, taehyun pushes in slowly, feeling your walls stretch around him. he drills his hips deep inside of you until he feels like he’s a part of you, making you his <3

“nghhh—ah!” you can feel your eyes already rolling to the back of your head just from the insertion alone.

he breathes heavily, “there you go, slut… feel me stretching you? see how good it feels having my cock inside your hole? gonna fuck you dumb, mm?” fuck, does he fill you up so good… @_@

lifting his hips, taehyun pulls almost all the way out before slamming back inside you, shoving his cock into your sensitive walls. with a sharp thrust and a wail reaching his ears he grunts out, “you love being fucked like this, don‘t you? god your greedy cunt is so tight.. fuckin’ sucking me in.”

you can only gasp for air between moans, completely consumed by the sensation of being filled by him. “o-oh~! hhah… tyun!!” you find yourself lost in the pleasure from his cock ruining your warm, wet cunt. pretty pussy’s leaking juices onto the bedsheets.. so stupidly eager, aren’t you?

noticing this, taehyun evilly smirks and picks up his pace even further, reaching for your clit with a swipe of his thumb, making you cry out in pleasure as he pumps into you. "you're so fucking wet," he growls, his voice low and rough. "i can feel you dripping all over me. missed me that much?”

“yes..y-yes!! missed you so much tyun! missed your co—mmphh!!!” at this point you were babbling incoherently into the sheets, rendered to nothing but a fucked-out mess.

“thaaat's it, baby. gonna make sure you can’t think about anything but me," taehyun moans, his fingers digging into your hips as he pounded into you harder. his other hand found its way around your body, squeezing your breast roughly.

the sensation was too much for the both of you. your soaking velvety walls dragged across his girth perfectly with each thrust to your gummy spot. you swear birds were circling around your head from just how good taehyun aggressively turned you into his personal cocksleeve.

whining as your head lolls against the mattress, big eyes swelling up with tears that stream down your pretty face. knuckles turning white from how hard you’re gripping the sheets in attempt to stabilize your position, grinding your hips in coordination with taehyun’s thrusts. you hear him hiss from behind as you’re swirling your abused pussy around him.

taehyun’s marveling at the sight before him. he’s got you all spread out completely at his mercy, biting his lip to hold back a moan from watching your pussy engulf him whole. he could tell you’re close by the way you’re creaming on his cock sticky with your juices and clenching repeatedly. a filthy smirk forms on his face as he basks in the sounds of your loud whimpers and cries echoing throughout the room. nasty moans are getting so embarassingly high-pitched. “so fucking noisy… could you be any more louder?” taehyun taunts, his voice deep and harsh.

with cheeks flushing in humiliation and eyes blinking back hot tears, your forehead tilts down. you quickly scramble to shut yourself up by efforts of muffling your moans into your arm and shoving your fingers in your tiny mouth. both attempts were futile as small weak hiccups slipped its way out, and frankly you just sounded more pathetic as ever!

“are you that stupid? did i say to be quiet?”

your body flinches, ears twitching in surprise.

taehyun suddenly grabs a fistful of your hair harshly yanking you up till your back is flushed against his chest and a strained moan creeps up his ears. he leans in closer to whisper, his dick plunged deep into your cervix, “let me hear you, pretty.”

and with that taehyun lets go of your hair, your limp body falling forward, warm walls still fluttering around him, and head n mind oh so fuzzy. almost immediately does he give you a spank to your ass, an imprint of a gorgeous crimson color plastered on your skin.

taehyun’s gaze that was raking down your spine was interrupted by the throw of his head back, a soft hiss at the feeling of a tight clench gripping around the sides of his cock. the intensity of his slap has got you shuddering and spasming, crying out in ecstasy, and toes curling in.

momentarily, taehyun just stares at you almost in a mix of disbelief and amusement, meanly laughing at your pathetic release. “did you just cum from that? hah… maybe i should spank you more often, hm?”

and his pace picks back up, hips fucking you into oblivion, relishing in your screams and legs trembling of overstimulation��

“fucking take it all like a good girl.”

#txt imagines #txt smut #oh to be railed by taehyun #taehyun #taehyun smut #hehe taehyun hehe hes so hot hehe i want him so bad #taehyun x reader #backwards forwards sideways upside down right side up on the moon on the grass on a spaceship in public on a balcony on the beach in the ca #head full of taehyun #well there’s other things that i wish are full of taehyun ;)#MY MAN MY MAN MY MAN #taehyun ohh taehyun oh taehyun hhhhhhhh #I NEED HIM !!!!!!!!! KANG TAEHYUN WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MEEEEEE #writing smut >>>> writing my 2k word essay that’s due in 4 hrs #hyukqi

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