Filling my rat nest with trinkets

Not a weird or dumb question at all.

Their negative perception of emotional intimacy (at least in the modern irken empire) comes from the brainwashed logic of "any undying loyalty beyond that to the tallest and empire is treacherous."

Your job, your empire and your tallest comes first, always. There is no room for dear friendships or lasting romances in a good, obedient drone's existence. To make room is frowned upon.

Physical intimacy is frowned upon in the modern empire because the smeetery provides a steady supply of new smeets so sex is considered unnecessary. Physical intimacy could also lead to emotional intimacy which could spread treacherous ideas and/or compromise a drone's imperial loyalty.

The negative perception of nudity mostly boils down to vulnerability. Being vulnerable makes you weak or an easy target. A nude irken is a vulnerable Irken, exposed to the elements, hazards and harsh judgment of the surrounding world. Nudity is also associated with what they consider primitive or uncivilized lifeforms. In short, nudity is for newborn smeets and animals.

Civilized Irkens wear gloves to handle things, not just grab with bare claws, absorbing germs and leaving dead cells and oils.

Physical intimacy, before the control brain takeover, was not demonized nearly as much, but it had a specific time and place.

Irkens aren't like humans in that they are able to procreate all year around. In pre-control brain times, when Irkens had to repopulate the "messy, primitive" way, they would do so once a year as an all-hive inclusive activity.

Physical intimacy was discouraged then (but not always outlawed) in between mating seasons/ fertility festivals because unscheduled pregnancies could throw off the pheromone signatures of the other drones of the hive and potentially cause a drop in population in following years.

Covering the body (especially the neck, wrists, and everywhere else to be sure) is less about hiding physical features, but more about hiding the fragrance of your skin. Covering up from neck to toe helps to mask an Irken's natural sensual scents from each other.

Glad you like my art ^^ I haven't been active posting art lately. Time, energy and motivation rarely sync for me here lately. I'll have more/ better(?) drawings up hopefully eventually.

I personally don't sew or have any real skill in fiber arts. I would live to learn needlepoint one day. I'm terrible at knitting/ crocheting. XD

My grandmother is very good at sewing and crocheting. Her specialty is Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls (she has made Raggedy children of all kinds of colors and various clothing patterns. I love every one she ever gave me)

My sister-in-law is a seamstress who sews amazing clothes/ costumes/cosplays.

Toymaking and Fiber arts has a special place in my heart and I wish more people (at least where I live) understood the true artistic value and cultural significance to it.

As far as my Irken OCs go,

Yeet likes to sew dolls, but she likes to embellish the fabric she uses with embroidery and beads.

Mem, fortunately for her, as a cadet took sewing and embroidery lessons as an elective while in basic training. She worked in the communal laundry warehouse on the Viral before being "promoted" to Lich's table drone. The skills she learned as a cadet (how to make your own silk/ sew) proved very useful to her after being shunned/ exiled by Miyuki.

Mem has taught her daughters and several of her sons the sewing skills she learned. Mem knows how to needlepoint, but lacks the creativity to stitch anything fancy.

Kiz, coddle drone to Kii, was very good at needlepoint. In her time it was still commonly practiced among low ranking drones to sew/ stitch at home as a hobby.

It's a shame Irk's rich history in needlework was lost after the control brains took over.

Soldiers march onward to battle

While the frylord prepares our food

Until my tallest hails me

I am stationed at the loom

Until I'm hailed

Until I'm hailed

I am weaving with the loom

The elite have need of uniforms

I need a way to earn food

Everyone has need of fabric

So I work here at the loom

Weapons are forged in the arsenal

Smeets may be formed in my womb

One day I may be sent to battle

Either one could seal my doom

I hope the tallest does not hail me

So I may stay safe at my loom

But, my duty is to repopulate

My labor honor exhumes

I hope one smeet is born a female

And she takes my place at the loom

Until I am hailed

Until I am hailed

I will never leave my loom

An Irken textile drone poem written in the early first era of Irk and recited by female textile drones up until the control brain revolution. The poem is a rip off of the Disney's Jungle Book song "A Home of My Own" ^^ (it's translated from Irken and does not rhyme perfectly. I'm using that as my excuse for poor writing skills lol)

This is built off my head canon that Irkens, in ancient/ up until the late 3rd era, produced a protein that was used to make fabric (kind of like earth silk)

Because Irken culture is criminally underdeveloped, I over-brainstorm head canons.

To be clear, Irken culture, even in early development is gender neutral in terms of occupation (social/ moral equality is debatable). Irken females were often employed in looms because they produced the protein used to make Irken silk all year around (similar to human mensturation). Males also produced silk and were employed in loom factories; female Irken silk just more durable silk more often.

Both males and females were expected to perform military duties if drafted by their tallest.

Biologically identified females were only excused from military and/or commoner drone service when the need to repopulate arose.

Okay, done screwung around, promise. Gonna tackle my ask box/ self indulge doodle