Star Trek: Shaping a Cardassian

[Gul Re'jal]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it

Joral can't understand how Dukat could make decisions, and in result lose his family - she lost hers and would do everything to have them back and/or everything to keep them. Not the same situation, but from her point of view - which is far from normal, after all they were murdered in front of her eyes, that must influence a person - he did something imaginable for her, and she blames... Ziyal. You surely noticed her relations with Dukat is all but simple and clear; a mixture of negative and positive feelings.

Jarol idealizes Damar, so most likely she didn't read correctly what he meant by "ladies". She'd rather assume Weyoun can't tell apart one Cardassian woman from another (her from Damar's wife), just like she doesn't tell apart most of other races faces (eg. Weyoun from Allaran - j/k).

I like your new avatar!

 

[TerokNor]

Ahh, yes that makes sense then, why she reacts that way towards Ziyal, though of course its again somewhat twisted (though most cardassian seem to be) that she faults Ziyal for it.

But wouldn´t she have heart Damars reputation? Though maybe she ignored this as just false gossip, just as Damar ignored lots of things about Dukat. However she did notice his trembling hands and she did stroke Damars cheek gently (as a fake for the Jem Hadar? But then she must have known, what the other ladies do in his quarters.)

TerokNor

 

[Gul Re'jal]

She knew what her presence there was supposed to look like.

People gossiped she slept with Dukat (which was nonsense), so why would she believe hearing that Damar was a womanizer?

 

[TerokNor]

Hm, true, though of course that gossip would be true, but then, she got to know him under different conditions and he is her trusted friend. I like the fact that you made them such good friends.

TerokNor

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

There are two placed you may find awkward. I wasn't sure if I should use Past Perfect for whole paragraph, or Past Simple. My native language has three tenses (present, future and past), so I don't have an instinct to use all those different past tenses correctly.

I understand...it's not an easy thing to explain. When I learned Spanish, at least, it wasn't as difficult because a lot of the same tenses exist--they're just used on different occasions. (The subjunctive, however, was hell to learn--although sometimes, archaic English had something similar.)

It's a shame that Jarol still retains her racist attitudes...not only because it's wrong, but it's not going to help her in the rebellion at all. Hopefully, though, learning that her people and her state can be wrong will eventually end all of that for her.

Of course, the Maquis WERE very wrong to torture them. Yeah, they say it was unintentional, but if someone takes prisoners and actually gives a damn about keeping them alive for some reason, then they'll do their research first. That was also a very uncomfortable scene to read because it reminded me of some of the ways that Christians (and many others considered dissidents) were tortured in Eastern Europe during the Cold War. The cold was very much used as a weapon against them, to try to break their spirits.

I definitely look forward to seeing what she does in the rebellion...I hope she can keep herself and her crew safe!

Oh, and Brennok--his ear doesn't matter to me...he still sounds so adorable!!!

 

[TerokNor]

Couldn´t you draw a picture that shows Jarol, Damar and Brennok together NG, If you have time and if its all right with Gul Re´jal? That would be great!

TerokNor

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I'm not very good most of the time with drawing pictures with more than one person in them, I'm afraid.

 

[TerokNor]

Couldn´t you draw three pictures, one with Jarol, one with Damar and one with Brennok? *G*
And besides you did a picture with Dukat and Ziyal and that one is very good.

TerokNor

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I was VERY lucky with that one...I found a reference photo for the poses. Otherwise I would have been in a LOT of trouble.

 

[Gul Re'jal]

There were those two places, where Jarol was recalling things from past, which had already happened. Corak's case, when she talked to Dukat and Brenok's arrival to Roumar after she talked to Corak. Both those things happened prior to described events, so "in theory" (which I have to follow as I understand it, as I have no instinct) those events should be in Past Perfect Tense. But they sounded so weird in Past Perfect, so I left them in Past Simple. I probably did it all wrong, but well... maybe some day I'll learn

Brenok is supposed to be adorable, so I'm glad I succeeded

Oh, Nerys, if you'd like and have time to draw them, or one of them (especially Jarol or Brenok) I would be really honoured! Actually Jarol looks pretty much like my avatar (a little modified photo of Gul Ocet, of course), but Brenok doesn't have a face in my mind's eye. I mean: of course his hair, ear and scar on his neck ridge I "see", but details of his face - not. I have a reference grafic, which was suppose to be him, but the Cardassian's face is too harsh, and Glinn "the sweet singer" Brenok came out as a very nice and friendly fellow, so that harsh face doesn't match him at all.

 

[TerokNor]

Hmm, but when they happend and are not contuining to happen, but are finished, isn´t Past simple right anyway?

TerokNor

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I'd have to find a good reference...and I have to warn you, I am not a very skilled or very fast artist. It takes me a LONG time to come up with something and to actually do it.

 

[TerokNor]

Ah moment... here in my nice new Cambridge Grammar in Use it says, that the Past perfect gets used when you contune talking about something that happend before a point in the past, for the starting point in the past however you take past simple. "When Sarah arrived at the party, Paul had already gone home."

TerokNor

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I actually saw it drawn out as a diagram once, to explain how to use the different Spanish past tenses (which have a similar arrangement though a very different way of conjugating them). I wish I had that diagram!!!

 

[Gul Re'jal]

"When Sarah arrived at the party, Paul had already gone home."

TerokNor

But how about the continuation? "She remembered when he had come to the ship. ... " and past perfect past perfect and past perfect for whole paragraph? Isn't it too much of Past Perfect? I don't remember reading something like this in any book (I could have not paid attention, so I don't claim there wasn't such case, I just don't recall).

Nerys, you ARE very skilled artists. I love your drawings. The "mar'kuu" animal was inspired by your drawing of the riding hound. I imagine it as a combination of a dolphin with Cardassian ridges, the spoon on its forehead and a tail like Galor class warship

 

[TerokNor]

*scratches head* Uhm..no idea. *looks at NG* How would you continue?

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Well, what I mean is, even though in the end I'm pleased with the result, it doesn't come to me as easily or with the speed that it does for most real artists. I appreciate your kind words, though!

 

[Gul Re'jal]

Even if it takes ages, if you would like to draw any of them, then go ahead. I would impatiently wait as long a it would be necessary

TerokNor, you can draw too, we've got proofs here on this very forum

 

[TerokNor]

:P But not as good as her and no adults.

 

[Gul Re'jal]

:::glares at him the same way Damar glares from his avatar:::

How about baby Brenok?