As I read through the Ascendency trilogy, it is becoming more and more clear that the Chiss Ascendency is as hateful as the Empire. And it's odd how few people call that out. I think it is because Zahn does a fantastic job at hiding it through Chiss POV, but even then, the Chiss are still incredibly xenophobic and controlling. Yes, this includes Thrawn, he isn't the saint that so many people like to paint him as and frankly could be argued as worse.
I keep thinking about Ar'alani admitting she never saw non-Chiss as people. She is brilliant and kind, but only to other Chiss. We view her in a purely positive light because the POVs in these books are primarily Chiss, who agree with her. Of course her mindset is normal amongst Chiss, of course it isn't questioned, of course Ar'alani herself never questions it despite her experience off-world. It takes a direct and pretty personal interaction for her to think twice, and even then it is difficult for her to accept the humanity of a non-Chiss. They are lesser in her eyes. They are lesser in the eyes of most, if not all, of the Chiss.
It is fascinating, it really is. It's an interesting look into a xenophobic society without the initial hate from the reader. Because xenophobia is born out of misunderstanding and perpetuated systems of ignorance. If a similar situation was told but through the eyes of Imperial officers, fewer people would be willing to see the nuances. Because Empire=Bad and anyone associating with it is also Bad, right?
But, propaganda and cycles of ignorance are also to blame. Not every Imperial Officer was born hating aliens. Hell, even TARKIN started out incredibly sympathetic to alien species according to the canon novel by James Luceno. But his family taught him otherwise, just as the Chiss Ascendency teaches its own children see other species as lesser.
This mentality from the Ascendency is also seen in Thrawn: Treason with how Eli Vanto is treated simply for being human. The majority of officers hate his existence, insist he must prove himself (despite being at a lower rank than he was at when with the Empire), and are distrustful of him. Very similar to how Ronan treats Thrawn in the same novel.
This isn't, like, a call to love Chiss characters any less, but it's a bit odd to imply that Thrawn, or any other Chiss, would be against the Empire for the same reasons the Rebellion is. The Ascendency doesn't like the Empire because it could encroach on their rule, their space- not because it's xenophobic and oppresses too many people to count. The two systems are remarkably similar, which may be part of why Thrawn was inclined to help the Empire. It is familiar, and a system Thrawn himself has never opposed, even without taking Legends into account.
(SIDE NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT BRING UP SPOILERS FOR GREATER GOOD OR LESSER EVIL ON THIS POST. I AM STILL READING THOSE BOOKS AND WOULD LIKE TO ENJOY THEM SPOILER-FREE)
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Heart and Mind still help each other when they're injured despite fighting all the time.
Mind will dislocate a finger and Heart will fix it for him, or Heart will get a cut on his hand and Mind will bandage it, even though sometimes they're the reason the other is hurt in the first place
Headcanon #506
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The society of positivity, from which negativity has disappeared, is a society of bare life, which is exclusively dominated by the concern “to make sure of survival” in the face of discontinuity. This is a slave's life. Concern for bare life, for survival alone, strips life of all vitality...
Byung-chul Han, The Agony of Eros
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cellbit as a gm type sort himself simply can't handle this type of battle royale event, i feel for the man, take the mental health break you need, i'm sure the up and coming village of cannibals will still continue on in your name <3
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I just dug out my e-reader for the first time in a year so I could read the papers for my current seminar on it and you know while I'm at it I might as well connect it to my account so I can read Septimus Heap on it, right?
Now it insists I need to update it. Which doesn't work. So it's stuck. I want to throw a chair
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yoooo heres some ways i make qsmp streams more accessible as someone who has overstimulation problems!
one! usually if i know theres going to be a Big Lore stream (or just any stream im really excited to watch) I'll make sure i take a nap before hand. because in my experience being tired makes everything so much worse,
two! i give myself 5 minutes breaks every hour or so. i just find a relatively chill time and go to the bathroom or fill my water bottle or something. since its just a short break, when i come back its pretty easy to figure out what has happened since i left. and if i did somehow miss something insane, i just spend about 2 seconds on twt and find someone who's already clipped it PFFFFT
three! i only wear one earbud/side of my headset. i feel like this one is pretty much what it says one the tin, less earbud/headphones = less noise :D
four! streamers that are generally less overstimulating:
Phil!!! Philza minecraft!! Both he and tallulah get overwhelmed by noise, so he'll turn the sound down or just go takes breaks himself. also when he's not around other people his streams have got the perfect mix of music and talking that is just right (at least for me).
Cellbit is also the same way with his qsmp streams! (great music taste and more chill talking) However when he's playing with other people -especially during big events- his streams are usually very loud. super fun, but very loud!
(note: this is in no way a comprehensive list, there might be other povs that are really good too! I'm just speaking from my own experiences but i'd love to hear if any other the other ccs are similar)
for me personally i love watching roier's streams, even though they are SO loud and very chaotic. I just use my break system and i still have a really great time! :D
five! make sure you've got all other senses covered. room brightness, right temp room, comfy clothes + comfy chair, etc. basically just trying to eliminate anything else that could overwhelm you!
and in closing, just remember its okay to miss out on a stream if you arent feeling well, you can always catch the important stuff later! take care of yourself, cuz you're important! <3
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