The blue marker

“Hey, Thrawn?” Che’ri asked, swinging her legs back and forth as she colored in her drawing.

“Yes, Che’ri?”

“Are you ever going to get married?”

Thrawn paused and put down his questis to regard her over the desk. “No. Why do you ask?”

“Thalias was telling me about her friend who’s getting married this weekend. I guess I was curious. Is it because you’re in the military? Or because you’re the captain?”

“Neither,” he answered.

“Then why?” she frowned. []

“Because I do not want to,” Thrawn told her.

“Thalias wants to get married someday,” she informed him. “At least, I’m pretty sure. She always ends her stories with people getting married and living happily ever after.”

Thrawn’s face twisted slightly. “I’m sure,” he said. “Many people want to get married. Perhaps you may want to, someday, when you’re older.”

Che’ri wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think so.”

“Well,” Thrawn smiled. “Perhaps not. But people aren’t always interested in the same things. Thalias is interested in marriage, in meeting someone and falling in love. I am not.”

“Okay.” That made sense. Except-

“You’ll still have friends, though, right? Everyone in the books always stayed with their spouse.”

“Of course, I’ll still have friends,” Thrawn told her softly. “I have you, and Thalias, and Ar’alani, and everyone else to be my friends.”

“That’s okay then,” Che’ri nodded firmly. “Can you pass me the blue marker?”

Thrawn passed her the marker, and she went back to her drawing.

A springhawk, of course.

[From "Five Times Thrawn Explained and One Time He Didn’t Have to" by v838monoceros on AO3]

~

Asexual and aromantic representation in the media is limited and rarely openly acknowledged by creators or authors. Many characters are potentially but not explicitly confirmed aro or ace, leading to a form of hurtful erasure.

Among them, Sherlock Holmes -the known inspiration for Thrawn- is portrayed by Conan Doyle as uninterested in sexual or romantic relationships, with the intention to characterize him as solely driven by his intellect.

So, for my 4th Pride #ThrawnThursday, I felt compelled to acknowledge this undeniable aspect of Mr. Zahn's *canonical* portrayal of Thrawn, as a caring, loving aroace character.