#r-selected

[great-and-small]

twitter and instagram are both R-selected species while tumblr is K-selected. this is very clear to me

[sponsored-deactivated20210106]

That this isn't reaching Epstein Island levels of undying outrage among the usual suspects shows how retardedly ignorant and morally/ethically bankrupt they are.

Who are the usual suspects? You know.

Elon’s latest baby mama says she used genetic engineering (CRISPR is not ethically approved by the scientific community for use on humans) to create the perfect human with “enhancements from other organisms”

[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.

[youre-dreaming-302]

[rennyrose]

More magic ✨ tattoo- (and OOC Meryl pfffffffft)

[prettyboykatsuki]

not to derail but which bllk guys are gonna be my "they asked for no pickles" angel when i get shy at a restaurant???

literally any and all of them would do this for you im being deadass. but the best example is reo. he's like that one post let me go find it

[fujiselect]

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

Books of 2025: May Wrap-Up.

Good reading month, in terms of both quantity and quality (many four-star reads, good daisychain flow between books)! Great adulting month (more on this later)!! Even got some good knitting and writing in!

Here's what I read (photos/reviews linked):

GHOST OF THE NEON GOD ★★★★ Impulse buy; wasn't expecting it to worm into my brain but it did. Not perfect, but I had fun! Funny, fucked up, weird--you know my lifestyle.

CATCHPENNY ★★★★ Kitchen sink book (affectionate) about a washed-up thief who can travel through mirrors and doomsday cults and art and a missing teenager, exactly tickled my ODD THOMAS buttons, fucked up and funny and weird.

THE SAINT OF BRIGHT DOORS ★★★½ I really wanted to love this, but it didn't quite stick the twist!ending landing for me. I admire his ambition and his worldbuilding; excited to see how the author grows. Overall a good time.

MINIMIZING MARRIAGE ★★★ Snagged this from the library for Aro Reasons (Brake coined the term "amatonormativity" and discusses its implications with regards to marriage specifically). Chapter 4 was excellent; the rest of it was interesting but not what I was after. Very readable volume in a Feminist Philosophy series.

BRIGHT ★★★★ Thai novel in translation (first one written by a woman!), been on my radar for years. Lovely translation, lovely tonal balance (sweet moments + melancholy; it's a story about an abandoned 5/6-year-old, but it felt Authentic instead of Saccharine or Depressing). Definitely keeping an eye out for her other work in English.

THE LUMINOUS DEAD ★★★★ I didn't mean to binge this in less than 24 hours on a three-day weekend, but Here We Are. This is We Support Women's Wrongs: Cave SF/Horror Edition. Propulsive, tense, claustrophobic, deeply fucked up.

Under the Cut: A Note About ~*★Stars★*~

Historically, I have been Very Bad™ about assigning things Star Ratings, because it's so Vibes Heavy for me and therefore Contingent Upon my Whims. (Example: I don't like that stars are Odd, because that makes three the midpoint and things are rarely so truly mid for me)(I have hacked my way around this with a ½, which is really only applicable for me at ★★★ and up). Here is, generally, how I conceptualize stars:

★ - This was Bad. I would actively recommend that you do NOT read this one, no redeeming qualities whatsoever, not worth the slog. Save Yourself, It's Too Late For Me. Book goes in the garbage (donate bin).

★★ - This was Not Good. I would not recommend it, but it wasn't a total waste or wash--something in here held my interest/kept my attention/sparked some joy. I will not be rereading this ever. Save Yourself (Or Join Me In Suffering, That Seems Like A Cool Bonding Activity).

★★★ - This was Good/Fine/Okay/Meh. I don't care about this enough to recommend it one way or another. Perfectly serviceable book, held my interest, I probably enjoyed myself (or at least didn't actively loathe the reading). I don't have especially strong feelings. You probably don't need to save yourself from this one--if it sounds like your jam, give it a shot! Just didn't resonate with me particularly powerfully. I probably won't reread this unless I'm after something in particular.

★★★½ - I liked this! I'll probably recommend it if I know it matches someone's vibes or specific requests, but I didn't commit to a star rating on Goodreads. More likely to reread, but not guaranteed.

★★★★ - I really enjoyed this!! I would recommend it (sometimes with caveats about content warnings or such--I tend to like weird fucked up funny shit, and I don't have many hard readerly NO's). Not a perfect book for me by any means, but Very Good. This is something I would reread! Join me!!

★★★★★ - I LOVED THE SHIT OUT OF THIS, IT REWIRED MY BRAIN, WILL RECOMMEND TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE AT THE SLIGHTEST PROVOCATION (content warning caveats still apply--see 4-star disclaimer). Excellent book, I'll reread it regularly, I'll buy copies for all my friends, I'll try to convince all of Booklr to read it, PLEASE join me!!

[phinjeet]

* got sick of being bad at colorz when it comez 2 digital art so i made a palette out of the colorz i uzually stick 2 in my traditional art yay

[selectivechaos]

i just want to say that especially in conflict situations, it’s ok to be scared and it’s ok to go into the freeze response. don’t let people make out that you’re using sm as an ‘excuse’ to avoid communication. because that is a fundamenral misunderstanding of what the disorder is. i have spent years trying to talk and move and make eye contact, but i still freeze up.

so many time people think that it is about them personally when i can’t speak. and maybe they are making the situation feel more unsafe, but it is not a choice i am making not to respond to them. i just can’t.

there are countless times i wish i could have spoken in a situation; i have spent years begging my brain to let me, willing myself to speak and yet not being able to. and yet other people always seem to think that they’re the ones that are more hurt by me not responding to them, than i am about not being able to speak. other people always seem to think that they’re more hurt by my mutism than i am. 🌹🌹

[incomingalbatross]

Pet gets her first phone as a present from Zero at the end of Between Jobs. However, given that Zero himself didn't have one earlier, it's reasonable to assume he got his own first phone at the same time, so that he'd have a way of communicating with her.

And, given that, it's also reasonable to assume Athelas is the one who picked out and set up both their phones.

[doomdaysdecays]

i want to kill myself but im watching another old barbie movie w my mom instead

[prettyboykatsuki]

“is there any way to get over a piss kink? asking for a friend”

- the bf

[nightly-nightcat]

day 27 - the night

[winwintea]

wow i love spending my adult money and taking advantage of how cheap everything is in china (rip child labor 💀💀) (i am also broke so buying a lot of stuff is a already a lot for me)

[pilgrimattinkercreek1974]

UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE AT DAWN BY CATHERINE BARNETT

Come morning I’ll make a list of obsessions and maybe you won’t still be on it, only five-dollar bills, telescopes, anonymity, waiting, beauty, silent comedy, the silent comedy of beauty— of waiting. Could I forswear

all these things and just crawl back into the bed you and I once slept in? What would happen then? Play any film backward and it’s elegy. Play it fast-forward and it’s a gas.