nirauan

[nirauan]

It’s just 🤌 the theme of him using art in all its form to understand and to maneuver others while never creating or actively participating in it himself

[nirauan]

The thing about Thrawn always being in uniform is there’s so much room for interpretation in terms of his civilian wardrobe. Personally? I’m convinced Thrass gave him a reliable formula of: “If casual, wear this; if formal, wear this” and he’s never deviated from it. He’s particular about the fit and the feel of his clothing, but he sticks to a reliable color palette (mostly dark neutrals) and doesn’t get creative with accessories. The only time he deviates is in a circumstance where presenting himself a certain way will provoke a certain reaction or if he wants to test what reaction it’ll provoke.

And, I do think dress in the Ascendancy can be reliably simplified to a formula. They take social standing very seriously and use clothing to convey that. This necessitates clear rules (both rules of society and actual laws imo) so that others can ascertain your status, especially relative to theirs, at a glance. There will always be subtleties of “if you do a half twist before pinning your robe and show up 7 minutes early to a luncheon hosted by a Clarr, it means you oppose the Dasklo’s proposed tariffs”, but in a broad sense, there needs to be clarity and uniformity. (And, I think Chiss are generally very conformist anyway.) So in that sense, it’s not much different from Thrawn’s military uniform. It’s necessary to convey x status, so he needs to wear y items, and as long as he doesn’t get creative with that formula, he’ll be fine.

Spending so much of his imperial career in the Unknown Regions is a blessing in this regard as well. He’s either in uniform or he’s in Chiss civilian clothing, and either way it’s generally a safe choice. When he’s closer to the core, that’s another matter. Honestly if he’s not in a situation where he can wear his uniform — which is rare — he’s specifically tailoring his outfit to the company he expects to be in and the reaction he wants from them. I do think that often means very Chiss styles. Not because they’ll recognize them or understand the symbolic elements — they won’t — but because it emphasizes his competence to hold the position he does despite being an “alien”. He’s been cheeky with his choices on more than one occasion, though.

[nirauan]

I Did Think, Let's Go About This Slowly

by Mary Oliver

I did think, let's go about this slowly. This is important. This should take some really deep thought. We should take small thoughtful steps.

But, bless us, we didn't.

[nirauan]

The Chiss in Legends are just the Star Wars version of drow

[nirauan]

Answer again. Why do you seek Imperial favor? ADMIRAL THRAWN IN TALES OF THE EMPIRE: "THE PATH OF ANGER" (2024)

[nirauan]

Y'all don't understand my agony that we got so little of Thrawn in Tales of the Empire specifically because that is the most perfect depiction of him I've seen to date

[nirauan]

Obi-Wan: There you will learn from Yoda—

10yo: YODAAAAA [applause]

[nirauan]

The funniest part of Han and Leia having that “you wanna kiss me so bad, admit it” exchange on Hoth is the average Joe rebels just shimmying past with their heads down pretending they don’t see

[nirauan]

I would love to talk about pride re: Thrawn but I honestly don’t think there’s an equivalent among the Chiss. Gender as far as we can tell is a total non-issue for them. I have to imagine this includes being non-binary, trans, etc. I don‘t think gender is really attached to roles or clothing or items. Rank and social standing are, but that has nothing to do with gender for them.

In a similar vein, romantic and sexual orientation is also a non-issue. Maybe in the far past they considered it re: heirs and marital alliances, but that became obsolete a long time ago. Which all means that none of these identities are considered queer identities. The ostracism and persecution that have shaped these identities in our world simply don’t exist for them.

Which does I suppose make it a weird thing for Thrawn to navigate when he interacts with other cultures. I’ve said that gender is so far down the list of priorities in terms of identity markers that he’s never given it serious thought. (Not that he’s necessarily cis or not cis but that it’s literally not important enough for him to think about.) His presentation tends to read masculine to others, so he uses masculine identifiers for himself because they do. It’s easier. In some cases (like the Empire) it’s even beneficial. Lots of sexism there. He genuinely does not care how he’s referenced, though.

This in turns makes it odd for me to add labels to his romantic / sexual orientation. I think the best equivalent is gray-romantic and gay. He’s attracted to a particular personality type most of all. Outside of that, he tends to be attracted to, like, masc-presenting people, y’know? Honestly I don’t think he himself would label it, and that makes it hard for me to label it. He knows what he’s into. That’s all the information he needs.

That having been said, it’s unclear how much stigma there is against queer identities at the heart of the Empire / whether there is stigma. He keeps his private relationships truly PRIVATE regardless. He’s targeted enough for being non-human. He’s not giving anyone any more ammunition.

[nirauan]

ASCENDANCY / MARRIAGE, PART TWO.

SPECIFIC TRADITIONS REGARDING WEDDING ceremonies vary across families, but the general itinerary has become standardized. These ceremonies traditionally take place at the family homesteads on Csilla.

The first day involves a formal reading of the marriage contract before the betrothed, their patriarchs, and their patriels. Other high-ranking family members (i.e. speakers) may be invited as well. Once the contract has been read to those assembled, they will be allowed to propose revisions or reject the marriage entirely. This rarely happens. The reading is mere formality as the contract has been painstakingly negotiated beforehand.

The second day involves another reading of the contract. This is again more formality than anything else. This time only the betrothed and the patriarchs will be present. Together they construct a joint family shrine: a temporary one meant to be unmade at the end to show that their families rise and fall together. The contract is then recited once more so the great who came before may issue or withdraw approval.

The third day is a buffer. This is when the rest of the invitees begin arriving. Technically all is well as long as they arrive before the fourth day, but if you aren't early, you're late. This is also the time for any last minute alterations to the contract — although again this rarely happens. The day ends with an exchange of gifts between the families to symbolize their future joint prosperity, topped off with a formal dinner.

The fourth day is the actual signing of the marriage contract. This is done before all in attendance. Families typically have their own additional rites to be carried out at this point (i.e. vows spoken in a family's ancient language). This concludes with the patriarchs bestowing a pendant on their new in-law that will allow them to act as a member of the family they've "married into" if need be. So say a Stybla and a Mitth married. The Stybla patriarch would give a pendant to the Mitth spouse, and the Mitth patriarch would give a pendant to the Stybla spouse. This would allow the Mitth spouse to act as a Stybla if need be and vice versa. The day is ended with a party.

The fifth day is a chance to blow off steam. Attendees compete against each other in a series of games. Rather than families competing against each other, however, the teams are blended. Again this symbolizes their future cooperation and joint prosperity. Prizes are given to the winners with the Ruling Families offering the most lavish prizes of all. Usually the higher-ranking family members judge the games, and those who don't recuse themselves or simply watch. Because of course these events double as an opportunity for junior family members to make connections.

The sixth day is an opportunity for the families to show how this marriage will benefit all Chiss. The families sponsor a public contest sometime after the betrothal is formally announced. Can be academic, innovative, athletic — whatever the families jointly decide. The winner is announced on this day. There is great incentive to participate in these contests if sponsored by one of the Ruling or Great Families particularly as the winners (and sometimes others who distinguish themselves) are often offered the chance to become merit adoptives. If so, overseeing these adoptions becomes one of the newlyweds' first duties. A low stakes assignment beneath their pay grade to test how they function together.

The seventh day is when the newlyweds show gratitude to their families and guests before they return to their homes. There is a breakfast or brunch, some early-ish meal. Many will have traveled to attend and will have to travel back. Afterward the newlyweds are expected to personally see off each guest before they go. Technically they only need do so for this day, but it is considered a slight if an attendee is leaving between one to three days afterward and the newlyweds don't see them off.

[nirauan]

ASCENDANCY / MARRIAGE, PART ONE.

Evidently, I far surpassed word count for this post, so I'm splitting it up. This part gives you an overview of the general Chiss attitude toward marriage. Part two will give an overview of a typical wedding.

CHISS MARRIAGES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN a matter of familial alliance. What exactly this means has changed drastically across millennia, with the advent of the merit adoption system creating the greatest changes of all. This system introduced a way for families to strengthen themselves without relying on marital alliances and biological children by adopting valuable individuals into the family. This also marked the clearest shift from families as kinship groups to families as political bodies. Though blood members still technically hold higher position than adoptive, if an adoptive is made ranking distant, their children automatically become blood members. Cousins, specifically. These changing definitions of family and blood likewise changed the definition of marriage.

Marriages ultimately function as a sort of exchange program to strengthen alliances between families and the members of said families. They are always arranged with the details negotiated in advance and outlined in a contract. These marriages can involve more than two partners from more than two families, and gender is in no way a consideration. Rank within their families is, however (i.e. only blood members are candidates, not adoptives). The spouses essentially act as ambassadors preserving and furthering their families’ alliances with one another. Children are not the goal of these marriages, and spouses do not have to cohabitate (though they typically do or at least live in close proximity). These arrangements are usually for life, though they can be arranged for shorter periods of time. Divorce is possible and usually clean thanks to the marriage contracts. However, divorce typically represents a breakdown of the relationship between the families, and that gets messy. Thus there is a certain stigma often attached to divorce as it means the spouses failed to do their jobs.

This is not to say that Chiss never enter long-term or lifelong romantic partnerships. They absolutely do all the time. These simply aren’t termed marriages. Indeed, there’s no need to involve the government in such arrangements at all. They are personal. That having been said, partners usually make arrangements regarding shared property such as a home, though finances typically remain separate. Traditions regarding such partnerships (i.e. family ceremonies to acknowledge them socially) vary across regions and personal preference. On a somewhat related note, gender is in no way an important consideration for Chiss in any aspect of life. Romantic / sexual partners is no exception. There is stigma attached to becoming involved with someone of lower social standing than you or of poor reputation, but gender is a complete non-issue. If it ever was, that has been long forgotten. Even where children are concerned, medicine has advanced to the point that biology is a near non-issue and adoption is an extremely valid, normal, common option.

Weddings are thus very large, extravagant affairs. They are not about the individuals but about the families. Depending on the standing of the families involved, there will be hundreds, sometimes thousands, of attendees. They also typically last seven days but can go longer. There is no honeymoon, but it is standard for spouses to spend the following week sharing meals and free time in order to get to know each other better. Harmonious personal relationships should facilitate harmonious working relationships.

[nirauan]

lmao no apparently I'm just surpassing character limit on that one post by like 3,000 characters. I always knew this would happen to me someday

Is tumblr not letting me post anything???

[nirauan]

Is tumblr not letting me post anything???

[nirauan]

I don't need Chiss weddings to typically last seven days but by god do I want them to for some reason

[nirauan]

I love Masana Tide honestly

[nirauan]

GIDEON THE NINTH SENTENCE STARTERS, PART ONE. book one of tamsyn muir’s locked tomb series. change pronouns as needed.

take this much farther and you’re in danger of enjoying yourself.

you chatter so much for a debt.

come here, and i’ll black your eyes for you and knock you dead.

don’t make the mistake of drawing on me.

i’m not that dumb.

save the drama, you baby.

i know of your desires.

i’ll keep my nose clean. keep my mouth shut. i’ll even  -  you can write this down, you can quote me here  -  do my duty.

you forget yourself.

will you come of your own accord, or will you disgrace me?

i guess i’ll disgrace you. i feel like i was born to it.

hey, what can i say? i’m a tactician.

take your hand from your sword, you’re humiliating yourself.

you know what i know.

how coarse and ordinary.

i completely fucking hate you.

i don’t even remember about you most of the time.

can i appeal to your sense of duty?

i swear by my mother.

i gave her my whole life.

you make it so easy.

i do fear death, my lady.

let us pray.

she never keeps her promises.

you have always suffered from a want of duty.

you couldn’t spell  obligation  if i shoved the letters up your ass.

go choke on a dick.

i have work for you.

the only job i’d do for you would be if you wanted someone to hold the sword as you fell on it.

if you want to do something interesting, come with me.

this plan is doomed.

this is your opportunity to come into glory.

i know what you’d do, given half the chance.

oh, i have hurt your heart.

it won’t be the last time i make you weep.

she’ll make me into boots.

while we were developing common sense, she studied the blade.

i would have thought you would have been happy that i needed you. that i showed you my girlish and vulnerable heart.

your heart is a party for five thousand nails.

two out of three is still not three.

anyone can learn to fight. hardly anyone learns to think.

pray they don’t watch you fight too closely.

wherever i go, my heart is interred here.

do you want my hanky?

i want to watch you die.

i came prepared, my sweet.

what can we do, what can we do?

yo, step off.

stand down, you goof.

this is one for the history books.

what must i do to gain forgiveness?

[nirauan]

Some quotes from Disco Elysium -the Final Cut (2019)

these were narrowed down from a specific set of dialogue and descriptions based off this video essay (I Don't Want To Be This Kind Of Animal Anymore | Disco Elysium Analysis) by jeffiot. I highly recommend watching it.

❝ I don't want to be this kind of animal anymore. ❞

❝ You're the type of animal I would like to be. ❞

❝ I'm glad to be me -- an incredibly sensitive instrument. ❞

❝ No one believed I exist -- almost no one. Until you came. ❞

❝ Are you a miracle? ❞

❝ Of all the creatures I've met, you are the scariest. ❞

❝ Of all the creatures I've met, you are the most beautiful. ❞

❝ Of all the creatures I've met, you are the kindest. ❞

❝ Few of us can begin to imagine the horror of you -- with all creation reflected in your forebrain. ❞

❝ It must be like the highest of hells, a kaleidoscope of fire and writhing glass. Eternal damnation. ❞

❝ Even when you're sleeping… And when you wake, you carry it around on your neck. With eyes open that cannot help but swallow more behind the mirror. ❞

❝ I feel great, mute empathy for you. ❞

❝ You told us to fuck off. ❞

❝ Yes. You're sorry. You're the sorriest person who ever lived. Nothing has changed. I've heard this repentance shit a million times over. ❞

❝ We did everything we could. ❞

❝ You are tireless. Madly driven. ❞

❝ Then there's the… self-flagellating issue. ❞

❝ I don't want to be anymore. It hurts. ❞

❝ I've finally gone insane. ❞

❝ Go home. Or fuck off. ❞

❝ There is nothing. Only warm, primordial blackness. Your conscience ferments in it -- no larger than a single grain of malt. You don't have to do anything anymore. ❞

❝ This is a terrible line of questioning, and it will only lead to more awareness. ❞

❝ Alright. Nothingtown to Fuck-All-Borough! ❞

❝ Have you looked in the mirror lately? You have the exact features of a savage art critic. Disheveled and prophetic. ❞

❝ Looks like the circus left town, but the clowns are still here. ❞

❝ I am the vilest of the vile: A traitor, a devourer of nations and infants. ❞

❝ My days of giving a shit and being this type of animal are over. ❞

❝ Don't stop, keep singing. Sing me the song of death. ❞

❝ When you wear your coat, you wear my soul. ❞

❝ Weave this into the story of you. ❞

❝ Do I have a shaker in my hand? Am I wearing a little bow-tie? Am I smiling? Do you see me smiling and shaking my little shaker? No? Do you know why? Because I'm not a bartender! ❞

❝ I'm currently in between names. ❞

❝ What the fuck is a rake? I'm not a gardener! ❞

❝ The streets will flow red once more. You wait and see. ❞

❝ You are obsessed with sadness and with frivolous pop culture. ❞

❝ It's a matter of days. Not weeks. ❞

❝ It's very late. We should be resting already. Tomorrow will be another tough day. ❞

❝ I am the law. ❞

❝ You failed. You failed me. ❞

❝ Time to go work in the shit factory! ❞

❝ Don't worry, we will protect you from her beauty. ❞

❝ I see through deceits. ❞

❝ You are not a fool. ❞

❝ We made each other drink harder. That's why I liked him. ❞

❝ That's why I liked him. ❞

❝ My real name isn't mine. ❞

❝ I am as queer as cabaret. ❞

❝ You're a human can-opener. ❞

❝ I hope that at least that extra lining helps you keep warm at night. I wouldn't like you to catch cold. ❞

❝ It's your disgusting body. Even through your sleep, you feel a vague discomfort suffusing it. Your belly and your sides are unpleasantly tender. You wish you could curl up into a fetal ball of safety, but you cannot -- because of the pain. ❞

❝ You're just pretending that you're asleep, even to yourself. While the world goes on without you... ❞

❝ Thou art honourable and just, sire. 'Tis the snakes who are vile! Hissing in the grass... ❞

❝ You look like shit. ❞

❝ Oh God, ___! oh God, ___, what did you do...?! ❞

❝ I'm sorry ___. I'm so sorry. ❞

❝ The night is always darkest before the dawn. ❞

❝ Look under the floorboards. ❞

❝ Yes, I enjoyed the way he bled. ❞

❝ Habitual alcohol use has made you into a scared little pussy. ❞

❝ People just don't know how to accept gifts, especially taxidermy. ❞

❝ I'm very sorry for your loss. ❞

❝ It's not your place to live their lives. ❞

❝ What going to happen now? Everyone's going to die! What do you think is going to happen? ❞

❝ No one ever cares anymore, why would they cheat me like this?... ❞

❝ The person inside doesn't even know you are here. ❞

❝ It's the world. You're made of it. Every day you're out there you make more of yourself from it. I'm afraid you can't be unmade now. ❞

❝ You're one fine instrument. ❞

❝ You're the son of the World again. A ceaseless agent picking up litter and old newspapers, collecting your little bubble gum wrappers and idiot picture cards. Meaningless, meaningless keepsakes. ❞

❝ All those faces and all those names, all that laughter and screaming and scheming around... Every corner and every street... Recorded in you. Forever. ❞

❝ You're a real political animal. You still don't see that it's the world that's changing you. ❞

❝ I am the city. ❞

❝ I am a fragment of the world spirit. ❞

❝ My heart is the wind corridor. ❞    

❝ I've seen you with her -- and I've seen you without her. I've seen you on the crescent of the hill. ❞

❝ I need you. You can keep me on this earth. ❞

❝ Be vigilant. ❞    

❝ I love you. ❞

❝ You're going to keep your vows. ❞

❝ I'm not going to be played by an upset stomach. ❞

❝ Kill him if you have to. Our ultimate fate depends on it. ❞

❝ It is time to unleash the Other-World. ❞

❝ They said they killed him. They said 'it was a good way to end a Sunday night'. ❞    

❝ Be wary of the abyss. ❞

❝ Okay Mr. Sunshine, I guess I'd be pretty gloomy too had I gotten shot in the ass. ❞

❝ You already were a ghost. ❞    

❝ It's the living who are ghosts. The dead are silent. They don't rattle windows or write letters in blood. The living do. ❞

❝ You are the infernal engine. You never stop. You only get worse. ❞

❝ Sunrise, ____. Prepare for war. ❞

❝ I just don't want to walk into another embarrassment. ❞

❝ I am a creature of pride, you see... I'm afraid of becoming a joke. ❞

❝ Let's just admire this piece of the world we happen to have in front of us, eh? ❞

❝ Sometimes I feel like I don't have a good brain. ❞

❝ I am a deserter, a partisan, and a prisoner of war. This is my term-less surrender. ❞

❝ It's the life of a dog, not a human being. ❞

❝ Men without ideals are only animals. ❞

❝ In truth -- perhaps I'm nothing? ❞