libraryofalexandria replied to your post: tinsnip: Chapters: 4/?Fando…

Oh god cardassian children. Can’t deal with cardassian children.

I like thinking about them, fascinating little sort-of-reptiles that they are. I like thinking about little tiny Cardassians in the family bed, and older Cardassians attending school. Mustn’t neglect the education of the little ones, though, so I envision these sort of parent-organized learning parties where one sings songs about the Union and memorizes the alphabet…

And then school. Is it like Dukat says? Education is power, joy is vulnerability? But then again, he’s kind of an asshole, we can’t always trust him. I think that there must be some room for joy. Take the kids on field trips. Organize a sports day: relay racing, combat to first blood. Kid stuff. (No teams. That’s just weird.) Teach them to build worlds in their heads, that learning gives them control so that they can defend the boundaries that are already so incredibly important. Teach them to trust the State; it’s always watching, and it has their best interests at heart. (And if you teach them anything else, for mercy’s sake, do it away from prying eyes…!) Teach them that family is everything, that Cardassians must protect Cardassians, that anything that gets in the way of this goal must be rolled over ruthlessly–

And then, perhaps, teach them that some non-Cardassians are just like Cardassians, with their own learnings, their own goals. Teach them that perhaps there’s power in alliance. But teach them while they’re young, because soon they will be just another cog in the machine that is Cardassia, with no room to flex or change…

I like Cardassians. You may have noticed. And young Cardassians are very interesting people.