#oops! impromptu rendering practice!

[flickering-nightfall]

Playing with some ideas mostly regarding gender/reproduction in RW, and slugcat colonies.

Full transcript under the cut!

Creatures in Rain World are typically simultaneous hermaphrodites but require partners to reproduce, with either individual capable of being a genetic donor or carrier. Alongside what we are familiar with, this has lead to interesting reproductive strategies such as rotating donor/carrier roles, or dual/simultaneous genetic swaps.

Rotating donor/carrier roles - A K-selection reproductive strategy. One partner carries the first child, the other partner carries the next child, and so forth. Allows each partner to recover from the demands of childbearing.

Rain Deer aren't quite monogamous, but they tend to choose the same breeding partner whenever mating season rolls around. They serve as a donor one season, then bear and raise a child the next. Calves are raised away from the rain and worm grass, in places that have less food but more safety. Calf wool is softer, not yet gunked up by the dirty rainfall. Their legs are sturdier as children, allowing them to run for cover while the parent wards off threats.

Dual/simultaneous genetic swap - An r-selection reproductive strategy. Parents fulfill the donor and carrier role for each other. The more children you make, the more likely some are to survive!

Multiple batflies lay thousands of eggs in a single "blue fruit." Several eggs congeal and become nutrient paste for the surviving eggs (and for hungry slugcats). Like some plant seeds, batfly eggs that are consumed before pupating can survive passing through the digestive system. Ew.

Ancients also fell under this umbrella. Their genders (and the genders of iterators by extension, who have no sex anyways) could have been determined by a variety of other factors, such as societal role, donor/carrier preference, or simply different categorizations of personal expression.

It's difficult to say how well their common pronouns would translate to ours, but it seems they can translate to an extent, given what Moon and Pebbles use canonically.

Slugcats, like real slugs, can have children with a partner or self-fertilize. Unlike real slugs, they are often known to adopt.

In the case of self-fertilization: children who are born from one parent may display a large amount of genetic diversity despite the circumstances. Maybe slugcats have some sort of... genetic reservoir independent of their own genetic code?

Slugcats live 20-30 years on average... if they manage to reach adulthood. Their mortality rate is sadly rather high, especially in pups. If they were to develop as a civilization, it's likely their lifespan would increase dramatically.

Slugcats in a colony are more likely to have more children, and to successfully rear those children to adulthood, than those who wander alone or in small groups. The safety and stability of a colony cannot be understated.

Colonies either have a set, cycling migration path, or wander continuously. Survivor and Monk's tree home was a nesting site that their colony frequents about once a year. So it's likely that they'll see their family again!

...also, the strength of large colonies are why scavengers are likely to become the dominant species. In the time of Saint's era, continuous migration has become more of a risk, and it has become more difficult to support large populations. Slugcat populations have shrunk back to the more forgiving equatorial zones.

Saint's tongue is pretty unusual and probably unique to them, or to a small population that they hail from. Fur (of varying thickness) is much more common.

Meanwhile, scavengers are bulkier and covered in thicker insulating fur. They:

have seemingly massive populations

have a burgeoning society (the existence of merchants, tolls, bartering, elites and leaders)

are adept at communicating (non-verbally)

manipulate their environment

can build structures (scavenger-made structures were a scrapped idea from Saint's campaign)

can create complex weapons and tools

may have agriculture behind the scenes (unsure if scout parties prioritize exploration or hunting)

I would wager on scavengers developing more quickly than slugcats, but it would be nice if there was a future where both could co-exist.

[lovelylemoncake]

.☆《 POV: You're on a picnic date when...? 》☆.

[ Xavier x MC Reader ]

Warnings: Some Harassment

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The blanket splayed out on the plush grass was probably going to be a tight fit with the amount of food you both brought. Orginally, you had planned for only a handful of dishes, but your picnic plans got put off ("Emergency mission again?!") every single week until bordering the end of spring. Eventually, you and Xavier both ended up adding new snacks to the picnic list until you had a full-on feast to eat at the park.

"This is probably enough to feed our whole department," you say after stepping back to take in the whole lunch spread before you.

"Don't underestimate our stomachs," Xavier says with determination, though you can tell he's also got a hint of a laugh in him.

"Well carrying these from the car did make me work up an apettite," you shrug. "Oh gosh, wait a minute--Xavier, where's the cooler..?"

You stare at each other, blinking in silence.

....Oops.

"It's back in the parking lot isn't it? I have to go up that hill again?" You sit on the grass in a bit of defeat while staring at the long way down.

Just last night you had run several kilometers to eliminate a Wanderer that had escaped from a different team's mission. Who knew that it would render you so sore despite your hunter training? Maybe the muddy terrain got to you more than usual. Your thighs are burning.

"I can go get it," Xavier reassures you. "You don't have to worry about it."

Those words light you up. In the moment, Xavier looks more valiant than usual. He's always shining but today he's extra radiant, huh? You'd have never guessed that he was dead asleep the entire car ride over here with the world's most legendary bedhead. Dependable indeed!

"Really?" You rest your back into the grass, spreading out like a starfish. "I can go too."

Xavier softly laughs, seeing you so unashamedly comfortable. "You rest here. I'll be right back."

You can see him heading back down from your spot. Before he disappears into the lush trail back to the parking lot, you sit up and wave at him.

"You're the best, Mr. Number-One-Hunter!!" You shout with a big, goofy grin.

He turns back to look at you, shakes his head with a smile, and disappears into the trees.

There was a lot of food to guard by yoirself. Luckily there was a bit of a breeze today to keep the bugs at bay. With the clouds providing occasional shade, it would be the perfect day to enjoy the weather. You look at all of the tasty dishes and reminisce about what lead to them all.

For example, the original plan was for sandwiches and juice. Then the mini charcuterie boad got added due to leftover sandwich materials. Later you realized that the leftover cold noodles needed to be eaten eventually, and then after that there was the mochi in your stash on the verge of expiring too... Oh yes, and Xavier wanted to try the stew he learned from a new cook book!

"Okay, we probably should have thought about this a little bit," you say to yourself. You probably should have gone without breakfast to leave some space for this impromptu banquet. All you can do is sigh and laugh a little about how how eager you and Xavier were to accomplish these plans despite a lot of scheduling issues.

Some birds fly by. The trees rustle with the wind. A few colorful kites from some other park-goers are soaring high into the air with pretty tails. The air here tastes so much better than the muddy terrain from your mission last night. You look at the grassy space beside you and wish Xavier would come back sooner so you can enjoy this together.

You're so absorbed in your thoughts, you almost don't notice a few guys approaching you. They look dressed up for some sort of sport. Are they on some sort of team?

"Hey, do you mind if we do some drills nearby?" One of them asks. He seems very nice. "We're sort of loud when we're practicing."

"Dang, that's a lot of food for a shortie like you," the other says, looking at your picnic spread. "Trying to grow more?"

"Dude, Nate," the nice guy says. "Don't be rude." He smiles at you apologetically. "Sorry about that."

You raise a brow at Nate, but it's honestly not that big of a deal.

"Yeah that's totally okay," you tell them.

"You know, you can come watch us practice if you want, shortie." Nate suggests.

"No, I'm good," you shake your head.

"Then why don't we join you after practice? Help you put all this food away--" Nate walks right up to you with some high and mighty expression on his face.

He towers over you as you're sitting down at the moment. A tiny bit annoyed, you stand up and step back.

"Dude, I'm serious Nate. Cut it out," the other guy tugs Nate backwards from the back of his shirt.

"I'm just trying to make friends, Kellen!" Nate scoffs.

"Gosh, just shut-- look I'm so sorry for taking up your time," Kellen interrupts himself to apologuze to you again.

You pity Kellen a bit. He's genuinely suffering from second hand embarrassment at the moment. You decide that this conversation needs to be over soon.

"You're okay. You can practice wherever you want. I'm just waiting for someone so we can eat," you explain. "Have a good time."

"Yes we will," Kellen nods, trying to pull Nate to come along with him.

Nate doesn't budge however. "Then you both should come watch our practice after you eat. I'd like to show you what these legs can do."

He starts flexing, and as irritating as he his, you also have to suppress the urge to laugh because you're pretty sure you've seen six year olds strike better poses than him. Compared to Xavier's usual grace, he looks like he's trying to do an interpretive dance. Kellen looks like he would like to crawl into a hole at the moment.

You shake your head. "No--"

"No thanks," a warm hand snakes around your waist. This voice is quite calm yet firm. It also sounds like he's ran up a hill.

You look up with a big smile.

"You made it back. That was fast."

"I didn't want the ice to melt," Xavier says, looking away slightly. He plops the cooler down quickly.

You squint a little and take his word for it. In your head, you know he probably started running the minute he saw you and the other guys from a good distance away. He looks composed right now, but you can hear his heart hammering away just a bit as he's flush against your back. It's pretty endearing.

"You're the friend?" Nate furrows his brows at Xavier like his nemesis had just appeared.

You move to correct the guy. "Oh, he's actually--"

"Partners. This is my partner," Xavier's hand sinks a little into your skin, squishing you against him like you'll be taken away.

His blue eyes are burning bright, and though his smile is as gentle as ever, you can sense that the emotion behind it is a little sharp. Amused and maybe just a little touched, you put your hand on top of his hand around your waist. Are your cheeks a little warm and toasty? Yes. Will you ever admit that? Probably no.

"Nate, please," Kellen sighs like a tired babysitter at their wit's end. "Let's go."

Nate finally relents, but he turns around to look at you before he leaves.

"Hey shortie, you should still come see our practice when you're free. I'll make it worth your time."

"We are very busy," Xavier instantly fires back. "We have more important things to do with our time."

Hard emphasis on "we," huh?

You can see Nate open his mouth to reply, but Kellen basically hauls him away with a very angry expression before he has the chance. You watch them disappear, but just a bit later you can hear a fuming Kellen nearby.

("You can do burpees until we leave, Nate!")

Oof.

Xavier just hugs your back for a very long time. You both stare at the clouds passing by in the sky. The kites are still dancing around in the wind. He grips you like you might fly away. Like you're a flower petal about to be swept off of a tree.

"You said we had important things to do," you say after a little while. Its always so comfortable in his arms. It's like time slows down. "Can I ask what that would be, Mr. Xavier?"

He looks at you with those deep blue eyes. Before you realize it, his lips are pressed desperately into yours like every inch of you can't be missed. Taken aback, you grip his shirt and melt into his hold. It continues for some time. Finally, when he steps back, you're a bit of a mess. A bit embarassed, you quickly dig in the cooler for some water or juice instead.

"Be with you," he suddenly says, turning around with a bit of a flush evident in his neck.

"What?" You say, brain processing a bit jumbled after, um, face squishing with each other.

"The important thing." He turns back around. "I would say the most important thing to do... is to be with you."

Every single word is a shot of sugar to your cheeks breaking into a smile and the rush in your heart.

You leap to tackle him with a hug.

Consequently, you're both sent tumbling together down the hillside.

Rolling in each other's arms, you both laugh as the dandelions you pass by have their seeds sent into the air. At the bottom, when you finally stop, Xavier plants a kiss to your cheek. Still full of giggles, you pull some grass out of his hair.

Maybe another trek up the hill for lunch isn't so bad after all.

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A/N: Could you tell i was hungry when I wrote this, lol? I orginally wanted to make this a small fic about eating together, but then I realized I've never written about a jealous Xavier before. I had to make it happen. ^-^