#main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) )

[lietwice]

        @galacticforces​ said: ❝ how long are you gonna lay on me like this? ❞ ~galacticforces (Julian)

        FLUFFY AND CUTE PROMPTS

        JULIAN’S CHEST SEEMS TO HUM AS HE SPEAKS.    The vibration doesn’t bother him so much as add to his relaxation, however. It’s a remarkably soothing combination of sensory input; the gentle vibration beneath his cheek where it rests against Julian, and the sound of his voice, close and yet similarly distant. Ignorable, perhaps. He could let it float, unacknowledged, in the cool air around them. How long would Julian let his words go ignored? It could be amusing to find out, but alas, there is a more entertaining way to respond. Garak sighs.

        “OH, I WOULDN’T EVEN CARE TO HAZARD A GUESS.”    He could choose to release Julian at any time, but there are so many factors preventing such an easy solution, and why, after all, shouldn’t Garak allow these factors to interfere? Why should he choose to release him, unimpeded? The warmth, for example, emitting from Julian’s body, should prevent him from doing so. Humans are so terribly warm to the touch. It’s like having a hot water bottle beneath him! Who is Garak to argue with such an obvious solution to the chill of the station?

        EVEN BEYOND THE IMMEDIATE SITUATION, THERE ARE MATTERS TO CONSIDER.    If Garak were to release Julian, the young doctor might wander off and go and do something dreadfully boring like research. He overworks himself quite enough as it is, and so to do something which might further the problem... well, it’s quite unacceptable, to say the least. Who can possibly say, then, how long Garak will lay on him? It doesn’t seem as though these interfering factors will be changing much, so there is currently no reason to move. A lazy smile spreads across Garak’s face. “As you humans say, what is the length of a piece of thread?” 

#he's actually so annoying #galacticforces #answered. ( how mortifying to be the one who remembers. ) #main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) )

[lietwice]

        @theresastargirl​ said: " what do you mean, you've never built a blanket fort before?! "

        BLANKET FORT PROMPTS

        “WELL, PRECISELY WHAT I SAID.”    Clearly, he’s missing some context here, if the surprise and disbelief in her voice is anything to go by. Perhaps this ‘blanket fort’ refers to something else entirely. He can’t be certain, but the name itself sounds quite ridiculous. “I’m afraid I would never be so foolish as to construct a fort out of such unsuitable materials. Why, you’re practically asking for it to be invaded! Forts are generally made out of building materials, my dear. Or, perhaps, they aren’t, on your own world?” 

#theresastargirl #main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) ) #answered. ( how mortifying to be the one who remembers. )

[lietwice]

        @starslcst​​​ said: "is that … my shirt ?" // it's time to bully her poor fashion ✨️

        QUESTIONING MINDS

        “AH, YOU’RE HERE!”    Though the mannequin is quite visible enough where it is, Garak adjusts its position to place it centre-stage before her, standing beside it with a pride one might ascribe to a parent standing beside their child. “Correction, my dear --- it was your shirt. What you see before you is a much improved version.”

        NOT THAT CREATING SUCH A THING WAS IN ANY WAY DIFFICULT.    It would be an improvement even if all he did was tear the garment into scraps. As it happens, he’s gone above and beyond. Outdone himself, really. The shirt no longer resembles its previous unfashionable shape; it has been transformed instead into a panelled tunic much like Garak’s own style. 

#starslcst #i hate him #main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) ) #answered. ( how mortifying to be the one who remembers. )

[lietwice]

        @lykaiia​ said: “well, i guess that’s broken.” (hello hello!)

       RANDOM DIALOGUE PROMPTS

        IT’S RATHER AN UNDERSTATEMENT.    Broken things can sometimes be repaired; this unit, on the other hand, is beyond hope of salvage. A shame, really. Their plan, scraped hastily together between introductions and confirmations of no, I don’t know how I got here, and no, I don’t know where ‘here’ is, did rather hinge on this main unit of the nearby wreckage being somewhat operable. 

        STILL --- ALL IS NOT LOST.    “I believe you may be right. However, if we are agreed that it is, as you say, broken, I assume you would not object to breaking it further into its component parts? We may be able to construct something from any that remain intact. If we explore further, perhaps there will be more broken parts we can use. Now, my dear, I don’t believe I asked --- have you any engineering experience?”

#lykaiia #hi!!!! idk where they are so feel free to run with this if you'd like to continue! #figured i'd just throw them into some difficult scenario to deal with #answered. ( how mortifying to be the one who remembers. ) #main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) ) #queue. ( how slow life seems to me. )

[lietwice]

        @starslcst​ said: “Get your cold feet off of me!”

        BED SHARING TROPE STARTERS

        “THE INADEQUACY OF THE SO-CALLED HEATING SYSTEM IN THIS VESSEL IS HARDLY MY FAULT.”    Granted, it is his fault that he’s chosen to try and tuck his freezing toes under her leg, but he can hardly be held responsible for the temperature of his limbs. Nor the slight hiss to his voice, audibly displeased as he is. “Perhaps it would be preferable for us both if I refrain from sleeping while we have only one bed between us.” Speaking it aloud is all it takes to convince himself. Garak flings the covers aside and stands, crossing the room in what might be mistaken for a flounce, but is in fact a dignified march, thank you very much. The air is bitterly cold by Garak’s Cardassian standards. It’s not as though he would have been getting a lot of sleep tonight in such conditions anyway, particularly if he can’t use the warm body beside him as a source of even a scrap of heat.

#starslcst #dramatic bitch #main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) ) #answered. ( how mortifying to be the one who remembers. )

[lietwice]

@dimensionalspades asked: you think i could do something like that ? (from Pasiphos, probably about some wild dress idea)

MORBID CURIOSITY STARTERS

SOMETIMES, HIS CUSTOMERS HAVE GOOD IDEAS. Other times, they have... ideas. Garak pastes on his politest smile. "Something like that, yes." It's not the worst thing he's ever seen in his life. For a customer wanting a custom dress, therefore, it's something he can work with. "But, my dear... perhaps you would allow me to make some slight alterations to the design. I am, of course, happy to produce something like this for you, but as a tailor, I simply must make some suggestions. Would you be amenable to a fitting, perhaps, of one of my existing dresses? If we were to work off the basis of one of those, incorporating elements of this... concept, we might arrive at something more cost-effective for yourself and something more seamless in its construction."

#customer service mode! my fave #dimensionalspades #main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) ) #answered. ( how mortifying to be the one who remembers. )

[lietwice]

        @moonshadowed​ said: “Did I wake you? I didn’t mean to.” - from Julian!!

        BED SHARING TROPE STARTERS

        AWARENESS FILTERS GRADUALLY THROUGH HIM, UNWELCOME AND UNPLEASANT.    The air in contact with the delicate scales of his face is cool and invasive, forcing him to withdraw, curling deeper beneath the covers. Garak’s eyes snap open at the sound of Julian’s voice. 

        THE YOUNG DOCTOR SOUNDS GENUINELY APOLOGETIC.    Most likely, he is genuinely apologetic. His disturbance of Garak’s sleep won’t have been intentional. Garak knows this. He’s not, however, inclined to take it into consideration as his eyes begin to narrow into a glare. Curling up under his covers isn’t doing a thing to lull him back to sleep. He can still feel the cool morning air, forcing him further and further from the bliss of sleepiness. And it’s most definitely Julian’s fault. 

        GARAK SITS UP ABRUPTLY, REACHING OUT TO CATCH JULIAN AROUND THE WAIST.    He hauls him back down into bed, not hesitating even for a moment before he traps Julian in his arms and wraps one leg around him too, for good measure. “It’s quite alright, doctor,” Garak says into Julian’s shoulder, insinuating himself further and further into Julian’s personal space as his grip tightens. He’s lovely and warm, as always, so he feels no regret whatsoever about capturing him like this. “It’s quite alright, now, anyway.”

#i hate him #he's so annoying #moonshadowed #main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) ) #answered. ( how mortifying to be the one who remembers. )

[lietwice]

        [ attack ] — Garak mercilessly tickles Julian ~ @galacticforces​

        FLUFFY AND CUTE PROMPTS

        JULIAN HAS BROUGHT THIS ON HIMSELF.    He surely knows how Garak feels about that outfit, knows how Garak likes to protest when he wears it, knows how Garak demands each time to be allowed to dress Julian in something that isn't such an 'affront to the eyes'. He's been given ample opportunity to improve his fashion sense. Design after design has been created with the explicit purpose of trying to expand Julian's wardrobe beyond the horrible selection of clothes that exist there and in the replicator currently. It seems, though, that Julian is simply determined to insult Garak by wearing the most awful outfits he can possibly find. This latest appearance of Julian's worst outfit calls for more drastic measures.

        HE'S GOT JULIAN WRAPPED UP IN HIS ARMS.    So far, he's been nothing but sweet, pressing kisses to Julian's cheeks as they stand together, coaxing him into a hug, rubbing gently at his lower back. Only once his arms have encircled Julian's waist does he finally put his plan into action. "I couldn't help but notice, my dear doctor," he begins, speaking softly beside Julian's ear, "that you seem to be wearing that outfit again. Didn't I tell you last time that I find it simply unacceptable? That I'd be willing to recreate your favourite aspects in the form of a less revolting garment? And... don't try to deny it, because I vividly recall telling you. And yet, here we are, once again plagued by this shapeless, vile combination of colours. You weren't expecting me to stand by and allow this to continue, were you, doctor?" If Julian was expecting that, Garak suspects he probably isn't anymore, now that a slightly wicked glint has appeared in his own gaze. He doesn't leave Julian any longer than a few seconds to contemplate his fate before Garak’s fingers dart across his sides. 

#i'm sorry this took me 1000 years!!! but here have cute #galacticforces #answered. ( how mortifying to be the one who remembers. ) #main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) )

[lietwice]

        @brashir​ said: ‘ admit it. i was right. ’

        PICK A FIGHT MEME

        “I’LL DO NO SUCH THING, DOCTOR!”    He’s leaning forward, half-primed to push their food aside and plant his forearms on the table in emphasis. “You’re missing the point! You may have predicted the individual actions of the protagonists, but you've yet to show any appreciation for their thematic importance!” Doctor Bashir is right, technically speaking. Truthfully speaking, however... well, truth is in the eye of the beholder, and Garak has yet to behold any truth which would compel him to put an end to such a stimulating argument. 

#brashir #answered. ( how mortifying to be the one who remembers. ) #main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) )

[lietwice]

        @galacticforces​ said: " I'm not an unreasonable blanket fort mayor; I'm not above bribery. The entrance fee can be... one kiss. " ~galacticforces (Julian)

        BLANKET FORT PROMPTS

        “NOT UNREASONABLE, YOU SAY?    On the contrary, my dear doctor, demanding any entrance fee at all to such a poorly constructed fort is quite ridiculous! Why, how can you be so sure I won’t simply choose to break in another way? Have you security officers posted, ready to capture me in the event of such criminal behaviour? Or does the mayor also enjoy acting as a security officer, as a hobby, perhaps?” 

        GARAK CONSIDERS THE STRANGE ‘FORT’ BEFORE HIM.    With only Dr. Bashir and his spindly form to defend its entrance, the fort is surely vulnerable to all manner of attacks. The ‘fort’ itself ( as much as Garak believes it to be unworthy of such a title ) lacks structural integrity and could easily be persuaded to partially collapse on top of Julian. As for its ‘mayor’... well, Julian might have a few inches of height on him, but Garak is quite sure he could engage him in a battle for the fort’s entrance and come out on top. Satisfied with his assessment, Garak looks to Julian, and raises an eye ridge in challenge. 

#galacticforces #main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) ) #adsfhkjadsa why he gotta be so dramatic and annoying #i'm sorry #answered. ( how mortifying to be the one who remembers. )

[lietwice]

        @moonshadowed​ said: " it's not every day you get to sleep in a house made of blankets, pillows and cushions, right? " - from Julian!!!

         BLANKET FORT PROMPTS

        “WELL, QUITE FRANKLY, I SHOULD HOPE NOT.    These are not efficient building materials, doctor. Why, a house made of these would simply blow over!” Exactly how they ended up here, in Julian’s quarters, sitting on the floor inside this ‘fort’ made of blankets and other structurally unsound materials, Garak isn’t sure. It’s not an unpleasant way to spend the evening, he supposes. There are, perhaps, certain appeals to this ridiculous game. Namely, his current proximity to Julian. 

        SITTING TOGETHER ON THE FLOOR IS DIFFERENT FROM SITTING AT A TABLE.    They’re closer, yes, but there’s no barrier to separate them here, either. No specific seats to sit in. No measured separation preventing accidental touches. His hand might brush Julian’s at the table, occasionally, but like this, he must’ve touched him by accident nearly a dozen times since they’ve been here! Then there’s the potential for deliberate touches. Their conversations sometimes wander into a territory in which jabbing fingers at each other’s chests to emphasise a point would not be out of place. When they meet for lunch, there’s usually a table and food to make that difficult. Here, Garak can already feel his fingers twitch in temptation. 

        FROM THERE, WELL --- WHO KNOWS?    Certainly, now that such actions are free to occur without barriers, they may even morph into alternative touches. A hand flat on a chest, perhaps. A small shove to a shoulder. Humans are such fragile-looking things --- what would happen, he wonders, if he pushed Julian hard enough to make him topple backwards into the conveniently arranged pillows? Would he retaliate? Accept this as defeat? 

        THERE ARE SO MANY POSSIBILITIES.    And with these in mind, how can Garak possibly resist attempting to provoke one of their typical heated discussions? “If this is what humans consider to be a fort, then really, there’s no wonder there are aspects of Cardassian literature you fail to appreciate! The magnificence and skill of true construction is lost on you!” 

#moonshadowed #trash lizard attempts to initiate flirting #answered. ( how mortifying to be the one who remembers. ) #main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) )

[lietwice]

        @moonshadowed​ said: are you free tonight ? - from Julian!!

         QUESTIONING MINDS

        JULIAN DOES PROVIDE THE MOST DELIGHTFUL OPPORTUNITIES TO TEASE.    “My dear doctor, a plain and simple business man such as myself is rarely in a position to offer his services for free.” A good, long pause follows. Long enough that he really could be waiting for a response, really could have misunderstood Julian’s words. He stares, eye ridges slightly raised as though in disbelief that Julian would suggest such a thing. His mouth tightens with amusement, but his continued silence conceals the source of it. 

        ONLY AFTER A MOMENT DOES HE PUT JULIAN OUT OF THE MISERY HE HAS DELIBERATELY PRODUCED.    “But I do believe you mean to ask whether I am available tonight. Indeed, I have no prior engagements. And you? Are you ‘free’ tonight?” 

#i'm so sorry idk why he can't just say yes like a normal person #moonshadowed #main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) ) #answered. ( how mortifying to be the one who remembers. ) #queue. ( how slow life seems to me. )

[lietwice]

        @moonshadowed​​ said: ❛ i was worried something happened to you. ❜ - from Julian!!!

        SOFT AND SWEET SENTENCE STARTERS

        “REALLY, DOCTOR.”    Butter-smooth voice, all certainty and practiced steadiness. “You do let your imagination run away with you. You must see a lot of tailoring tool-related injuries, for my everyday activities to cause you such concern. Tell me --- what is it that worries you most? The seam-ripper, or the many potential hazards of using so many pins?” 

        HIS PERFORMANCE IS VERY NEARLY FLAWLESS.    He’s impressed with himself, even. There’s only one problem: something did, in fact, happen to him. And as practiced a liar as Garak is, even he cannot wholly disguise an injury with the consistency he would need to conceal it from Julian while it heals naturally. It could take days. Garak estimates he has minutes, at most, before they need to stand and walk away from their table, at which point he will need to put on the performance of his life to hide the pain each step will cause. 

        OBVIOUSLY, HE HAS A PLAN.    Shifting the focus of the conversation is his best option. Not so much that Julian recognises he’s being distracted, but enough to divert his focus from what might’ve happened to Garak on this particular occasion, to what might happen to Garak in general during his everyday activities. Undoubtedly, Julian will insist that Garak’s everyday activities are more dangerous than he claims, and Garak will argue that he faces nothing more than the hazards of his tailoring tools, successfully creating a distracting conversation which appears to be a mere continuation of their existing discussion. Perfect. 

        OR, IT WOULD BE PERFECT.    It would be perfect, and it is perfect, right up until someone passing by knocks Garak’s arm as he’s standing up. The resulting movement to right himself sends a wave of pain shuddering through his leg and he hisses at the sudden agony, effectively cutting straight through the middle of his own plan. There’s no time to lose now. Garak straightens up, already lifting a hand to dismiss the concern he knows very well is about to be directed his way, and beginning to turn away to make a swift exit. His leg pulses with aftershocks of the sudden pain. There’s no time to pause to breathe through them; he uses his next breath to reassure Julian. “People do walk rather close in here, don’t they? A shock, my dear doctor, nothing more. I’ve spent the morning mostly alone. It’s easy to become accustomed to a little personal space.” 

#moonshadowed #tw injury #answered. ( how mortifying to be the one who remembers. ) #queue. ( how slow life seems to me. ) #main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) )

[lietwice]

        @moonshadowed​​ said: you’d tell me if something was wrong ,  right ? - from Julian!!

       QUESTIONING MINDS

        “WRONG, DOCTOR?”    He knows precisely the reason for this question. He’s been distracted the last few days, focus slipping during their lunchtime conversations, gaze wandering and catching on passersby with unusual frequency. It’s unusual for him to be so distracted, and more unusual still for him to show it. Still, Garak had hoped the explanation he gave the previous day about his latest string of difficult customers might’ve been enough to throw Doctor Bashir off the scent. It would seem not. 

        BEST TO PLEAD IGNORANCE.    A lie now would be as telling as the truth, for either a yes or no would suggest there is something to tell, whether he’s willing to tell it or not. “What could possibly be wrong? We’re both on time to lunch, are we not? We’re both enjoying our food, both enjoying our conversation?” 

#moonshadowed #answered. ( how mortifying to be the one who remembers. ) #main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) ) #queue. ( how slow life seems to me. )

[lietwice]

        @facetedspades​ asked: what was i supposed to do , let you die ? (From Julian)

        QUESTIONING MINDS

        "YES!"    Haven't they been over this? Perhaps not so explicitly, but really, Julian must know his perspective well enough by now to make such an assumption himself. "Do you put yourself at such risk for all your patients, doctor? If you did, I hardly think you would have survived long enough for the two of us to be standing here, having this conversation."

        UNFORTUNATELY, GARAK DOES RATHER SUSPECT JULIAN WISHES HE COULD.    In an idealised and optimism-fuelled world of Julian's own invention, perhaps doctors would risk their lives for the sake of every patient under their care. Perhaps they would dance with the flames of death and come away barely singed each time, lit up anew with the miracle solution to save each and every patient. Such a realm of fantasy, however, is beyond their reach.

        "YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED.    And then not only would you have failed to save me, but you would have been dead yourself, and then where would we be? Two dead instead of one. Surely even you can appreciate that one death is preferable to two."

#ugh why is he like this i'm sorry #main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) ) #facetedspades #answered. ( how mortifying to be the one who remembers. ) #queue. ( how slow life seems to me. )

[lietwice]

        @moonshadowed​​​ said: "how about we don’t do that.” - from Sisko!!

       RANDOM DIALOGUE PROMPTS

        “I WAS MERELY OFFERING A SUGGESTION.”    Not that he expected anyone to like his suggestion, of course. People rarely do. His suggestions aren’t handed out in order to be liked. Obviously, resorting to murder isn’t an ideal solution, but in Garak’s view, it’s the one most likely to result in both himself and all members of the crew escaping this situation with their lives intact. It’s simple logic. “If you don’t want me to help, then I can’t quite understand why you brought me along in the first place.” 

        CLEARLY, SISKO SHOULD NOW CHANGE HIS MIND.    Anyone capable of examining the situation and considering their options should really see that he is right. Garak offers a politely strained smile, bordering on displeased, and bows his head just slightly. Now, he’ll wait. 

#i hate him #answered. ( how mortifying to be the one who remembers. ) #queue. ( how slow life seems to me. ) #main verse. ( bones strain under the weight of lives not lived. ( unspecified. ) ) #moonshadowed