Dione
| Dione | |
|---|---|
| Sapient | y |
| Universe | Skyward Universe |
Diones are an alien race in the Skyward Universe.[1]
Appearance and Anatomy
Diones are basically humanoid, with two arms, two legs, and a single head.[1] They tend to look androgynous and are usually referred to by the genderless third person pronoun "they."[1][2] While diones lack hair, they have prominent eye ridges in addition to bone-like growths underneath their eyes.[1] Diones have one of three skin colors: crimson, vivid blue, or dark purple.[3]
Each shade of skin indicates a different relationship status: purple skin indicates an individual that is searching for a partner or has recently broken their pair-bond, while the crimson and blue tones are reserved for individuals who are not searching for partners.[4] The gender of diones is complex and different from that of humans: they have neither sex nor gender until they breed for the first time.[4] Breeding involves two diones merging into one to create a draft which has the features and personality of a possible offspring.[5]
Behavior
Diones have achieved a peaceful culture, considering any violence or aggressive tendencies to be the mark of an uncivilized species.[citation needed] The reason for this achievement is that diones re-draft their children until they get a personality that fits the status quo. Accordingly, drafts with aggressive personalities must prove that they are worthy of existing in peaceful Dione society.[6] Diones often apologize when bumping into others, even if the contact is completely the fault of the other being.[7]
History
There are many diones living on Starsight. However, it is unknown if this is the race's primary home. Diones have primary citizenship and members of this race can hold government positions within the Superiority.
Known Varieties
Drafts
Drafts are unborn diones[8].
Appearance
Drafts have a very particular coloration, being entirely crimson on the right half and blue on the left.[citation needed] Similarly, a draft's facial features are split into two, with each side being that of the respective parent.[6] Otherwise, Drafts look just like any other dione.
Biology
Drafts are created from a literal merger of their parents as a way for the rest of the family to meet the newest family member before their birth.[4][9] They inherit a mixture of skills, abilities, and memories from both of their parents, but not everything.[6][5][10][9] They are curiously not twice as massive as an average dione, implying that some of the mass is shed in the pupation process.[6] Drafts have two copies of most internal organs, one from each parent. This includes brains, which fuse together to create the draft's brain.[6] This fusion is not perfect: from time to time, drafts will have small conflicts between their sides, such as reaching for a tool with both hands instead of just one. These conflicts wax at the end of the drafting period, as the two halves of the draft are preparing to once again separate into individuals.[9]
Redrafting
Redrafting is the name of the process in which a draft separates back into their parents -- the leftparent and rightparent, respectively.[6] After five months have passed, the draft will either split back into their parents so that they can give birth to this new dione, or be redrafted into a draft with a new personality.[6][9] This period can be cut short by the draft if desired.[9] Redrafting does not hurt, even though the personality and most memories of the previous draft are erased.[9] The drafting and redrafting processes take place in a drafting pod, a wooden bed-like object with a divot in the center. The draft lies in the hollow center among a nutrient bath which aids the process.[9]
Once the redrafting period has ended and the family has settled on a personality they all like, the parents produce a child. These baby diones require a few years to develop before they start taking on characteristics of the personalities they had as drafts.[11]
Cultural References
Gestures
Diones employ a variety of gestures and body language signals implying their moods.
- Sweeping two fingers two the side in front of the body is a dismissive gesture.[12] Sweeping one's fingers in a different ways can be indicative of ambiguity or noncommittal behavior.[13]
- Pressing lips together is a sign of friendly behavior, similar to a smile in human culture.[10]
- Waving the hand in a low-key or understated manner is used for beckoning.[10]
- Puckering the lips is a sign of discomfort.[10]
- Bowing the head is likely a dione shrug.[10]
- Baring teeth is a sign of aggression, violence, or hatred.[10] It can also be a sign of distress.[14]
- Making a crossing gesture is the equivalent of clearing one's throat.[13]
- A curved hand gesture indicates affirmation.[9]
- Twitching fingers indicate distress.[11]
- Diones raise their hands in surrender, nod, and point in a similar fashion to humans.[14]
Notable Diones
Trivia
- The Diones are one of the five main species that lead the Superiority.
- According to Morriumur, diones have cultivated their souls to lack any aggression or violence.[6]
- Elder family members in dione families are referred to as Grands. Other family members, of an uncertain relation, are referred to as piblings.[9]
Notes
- ↑ a b c d Starsight chapter 9#
- ↑ Starsight chapter 13#
- ↑ Starsight chapter 10#
- ↑ a b c Starsight chapter 12#
- ↑ a b Starsight chapter 22#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Starsight chapter 16#
- ↑ Starsight chapter 30#
- ↑ Starsight chapter 15#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Starsight interlude I-3#
- ↑ a b c d e f Starsight chapter 28#
- ↑ a b Starsight epilogue#
- ↑ Starsight chapter 19#
- ↑ a b Starsight chapter 31#
- ↑ a b Starsight chapter 45#