#symbiote kin

[synbiote]

Symbiote Kin Recipes!!

x Dark Chocolate Truffles x "Bloody" Chocolate Cups x Chocolate Fondue x Bunny Rocky Road x Brookies x Red Velvet Soufflé Cake x Chocolate Almond Butter Bars x Chocolate Creme Cupcakes x Chocolate Fudge

{Photos from Original Posts}

[carry-on-my-wayward-gays]

I need a crow to my wolf. I need a raven to follow closely behind me as a companion. Who will caw and croak me lullabies after a long day's hunt and when both our bellies are full. Someone be my crow pls.

[ghommytommytime]

VEMONM CARE KIT!!!

I HJUST LIKEM VEMNMON A LIOTT! :>

(TGAS ARE ON LY GOR REACH AND HELP FOR ENY WBGO WOIUND RENJOE THINS)

🖤!🔪!🖤

🔪!🕷️!🔪

🖤!🔪!🖤

[jedivoodoochile]

Spider - Man Vs Venom. Ilustración de Fung Kin Chew.

[o-craven-canto]

Increasing complexity in evolution

Over the history of life there have been many occasions in which new complex systems developed from earlier, simpler ones, leading to explosion in diversity as the new system fills niches that it can exploit better than the old. Some examples are the formation of the first prokaryotic cells from looser collections of genes and membranes, the origin of eukaryotic cells from prokaryotic ancestors, the development of sexual reproduction, the origin of multicellular animals and plants, and the appearance of animal colonies or societies and of complex symbiotic relations.

There are two main types of such complexity transitions, which can be labelled "egalitarian" and "fraternal".

Egalitarian transitions involve the union and cooperation of entities with different origins and abilities. Examples are the combination of self-replicating genes into the coherent genomes of the earliest cells; bacteria and archaea coming together to form eukaryotic cells with mitochondria and sometimes chloroplasts; the origin of societies with non-kin members; mutualist symbiosis between different species, as in lichens; and possibly the union of partners in sexual reproduction.

The defining trait of an egalitarian transition is that the different units are genetically diverse, and therefore must all reproduce on their own: if they didn't all pass on their genes, they wouldn't stay part of the relationship. Even today, in our cells, mitochondria replicate independently of the nucleus. That also means the different units are in competition with each other.

Sure, in the long term cooperation may be best for all: the main driver of egalitarian transitions is cooperation between elements with different "skills", such as the photosynthesis of algae and the talent for nutrient mining of fungi in lichens. But evolution doesn't really do "long term". If an element can replicate itself more by mooching off the others, the mooching variant will become more numerous than the self-effacing variant.

Therefore, the way these transitions occur is by enforcing mutual dependence, for example by enclosure and by synchronized reproduction. When proto-genes were first enclosed by proto-membranes to form proto-cells, they were all in the same boat: any cheater mutant would quickly destroy itself by destroying its own sustainance. Parasites often become beneficial symbionts when they cannot easily jump to a new host, and viruses may become less deadly over time.

The interdependence can be enforced further by exchanging genes: mitochondria and chloroplasts turned over many essential genes to the nucleus of their host cell, and though they can reproduce on their own, they cannot survive for long. Also, mitochondria are only ever passed by the mother's eggs, not by the father's sperm, preventing the zygote from becoming a battleground (in algae, mitochondria always come from one parent, and chloroplasts from the other).

When all goes well, the result of an egalitarian transition is a cell or a society, or a small ecosystem built from cooperating interdependent parts that function as a whole.

In fraternal transitions, in contrast, the units all share the same origin and nature. Examples are the evolution of clonal colonies (e.g. of trees or coral polyps), eusocial colonies (think ants, bees, or naked mole rats), and the origin of animals, plants, and fungi with multicellular bodies. The main benefit here is not complementary skills, but economy of scale: when mole rats dig for tubers, they gain more by sharing the rare but abundant finds than by each digging on their own (and going hungry most of the time).

One major difference from the other type is that all the members of the greater unit are genetically identical, or nearly so: therefore, they do not all need to reproduce (from the POV of my genes, it makes no difference at all whether I or my identical twin have children: any gene I have, they will pass on just as well). Indeed, the disposability of most elements is a selling point of this kind of transition.

But you know who cannot say the same? Cheater mutants -- cancer, if you will. Any cancerous mutation, by virtue of being new, cannot count on being transmitted by other units, and benefits from replicating itself on expense of other genes. The uniform terrain will give it plenty of fertile soil.

An excellent way to put a stop to that is to limit reproduction to few units: think of the egg and sperm cells of animals, or ant queens. First of all, these segregated reproductive units can be kept in conditions that favor a low mutation rate, for example slow metabolism and protection from light. Most importantly, they put a bottleneck through which all mutations must pass: if a cancerous mutation occurs in (say) digestive tissue, that's regrettable, but it won't be passed down to the offspring; but if it happens in the germinal line, well, the new offspring will be entirely composed of cancerous cells, and the bad mutation once again destroys itself. Reproductive segregation resets genetic uniformity in each generation.

Genetic uniformity does not mean morphological or functional uniformity: thanks to contextual gene activation, the cells in your brain, bones, liver, and heart all have the exact same genes, but very different structures and functions. When all goes well, fraternal transitions may end with the constituent units specializing for different functions, taking on some of the advantage of the egalitarian transition, while still keeping genetic diversity as low as possible.

And that's how you go from bacteria to humanity, more or less.

[movedtodykedvonte]

Eddie, receiving an unknown call: Hello?

Peter, whispering: Come save me.

Eddie: Why? You’re literally Spider-Man?

Peter: Not while this fake dating is going on. Come save me.

Eddie: Where even are you?

Peter: Doc Ock is holding me hostage at the abandoned factory

Eddie: That’s so fucking vague. There’s like ten of those on the same street!

Peter, super rudely: Just pick the one that seems the most hostage friendly!

Eddie: Geez, what’s got ur panties in a bunch Parker.

Peter, sarcastically: Other than being held against my will?

Peter: MJ and I have movie night in an hour and this is somehow more time consuming than actually being Spider-Man.

Eddie:…

Peter: Hello? Y’there?

Eddie: The symbiote wants to to talk about your infidelity when we get you.

Peter: We aren’t actually dating!

Eddie: So you don’t need our help?

Peter: …I hate you two so much.

Venom, swinging to come get him: Love you too, Petey-kins

[worrywrite]

The Tower Scheme

It was during the height, and what we would later call the end, of the age of darkness.

Humanoid races--men, elves, dwarves, and other mixed kin--had pulled themselves from the brink of extinction after the hundred years of terror. Demons had swarmed every habitable land and nearly plunged the world into darkness. Their king, the demon lord, had seized a crown from an aging glutton and demonic power had surged. It was through grit alone (or so it seemed) than the humanoid races had regained a semblance of their former prosperity.

Every human-kin had grown up learning how to fight for their lives and how to stand at each other's backs. They fought monsters daily. The strong survived and their children became strong and humanoids became stronger than they had ever been. It was all out of necessity. And in their strength, in their near eradication, an odd thing happened: they prospered. Their strongest became heroes that traveled from small settlement to small settlement to fend off rampaging demons. And then settlements became towns and cities and then an empire. And when the greatest heroes had become all bub unstoppable, they set their sights on killing their most hated foe: the demon king himself.

It was not hard, by the time they had made their choice. They were all but immortal themselves. The heroes stormed through the demon lands, holy relics and ancient power in hand. They crashed through the gates of the Castle of Sins. They slaughter the arch demons and dukes and nightly underling lords that stood between them and the throne. And when they held a blade to the chin of the king, he smiled.

"I have waited a century and some years for this day to come. When you were mighty enough to face me. Just so I could tell you... You're welcome."

Bewildered, the heroes faltered.

"I don't think you know, but are part of a symbiotic world. Your darker thoughts give way to our power. And without you, we cease to exist. But with too few of us, you could never dream of survival. You fought amongst yourself while you fed our appetites, and then for a hundred years we returned to you what we had been given. Wrath, gluttony, avarice, pride, lust, and more."

All others but the king fell silent. It was as though his words alone, devoid of magic as they were, held a tremendous power of truth.

"Your forebears knew this truth, but they too fed on what we did. And we destroyed them in frantic jealousy. But with us as your sole oppressors, you most hated foes, you gave birth to a miracle. A nearly stable symbiosis amongst yourselves. You sewed divisions, you stood by the backs of strangers, and you survived. And after your survived, you thrived. You became noble. And though you hated us enough to sustain our lives, you hated little else."

The king, lean and short as he was, nearly lost in the folds of his throne stood and let out what he half expected would be his final breath.

"And now, here you stand. More powerful than I could ever be were I glut with ever sin of mortals and empowered by the devotion and title of my rule. What will you do?"

Strangely, it was the greatest knight of the land that spoke. He had not be the one to hold the king at the end of a blade, but he had held the shield between the king and his would be valiant slayer.

"We cannot kill him."

"Too true." Said the king. "I am only one king among an unconquerable foe. Kill me and another imp will build a smaller throne and grow to become my successor. So long as your kind live, so will mine."

"We could enslave them." Ventured an arch wizard.

"Perhaps we could send them somewhere we need not worry." Suggested a priest.

"We would be no better than them." Said the knight. "And more would surely grow and find us."

"Too true." Said the king with a nod. "I have thought much about our combined survival while I waited. And I have a solution."

All gathered waited for the king.

"You must give us place inside your lives. Not as friends, or compatriots, but as a necessary evil. A threat that can be unified against. I will construct a tower in every portion of the land, and give it a baron to cultivate your darkness in. And you will conquer them. And every 100 years, the tower will renew. And should you forget, the darkness within the tower will wander out and find you in your peace and end it."

"But we cannot trust you." Said the knight, and he spoke the heart of every hero poised to slay the king.

"And you shouldn't. But you will. Because the next king will not be quite so clever or weak. But should no next king come, you will only ever worry about me and my barons. The next king will not have patience as you prosper. He will not know to keep you fat so that we too may stay strong."

And none could deny the kings truth.

So the age of honor was born.

Every 100 years, the towers would whir to life with demons and dark monsters. And the humanoid races would unite, setting aside all differences and send their most honorable and trusted heroes to fend the darkness off.

And so long as they remembered their eternal and true foe, they lived in prosperity.

[tribbetherium]

'The shrabs, like many crustaceans convergently have before, are a group of shrish that have taken on a stocky-bodied, short-tailed build, with several lineages leaving the sea independently of one another and taking up a terrestrial lifestyle, foraging for food in any place humid and damp enough for their gills to remain moist. But the beachpeach forests of southern Arcuterra's coast is home to perhaps the most unexpected species of all: the arboreal redclaw tree shrab (Arboreocaris decacheirus), a fairly large species with a leg span of roughly 20 centimeters. Tree shrabs, as opposed to their scuttling beach-bound kin, climb high up in the canopy with the aid of ten legs all equipped with gripping pincers, feeding on bark, algae, ratbat and lemunky droppings and small, slow-moving invertebrates. The tree shrabs share a unique symbiotic relationship with plumepools, a form of epiphytic grass that grows among the branches of beachpeach trees. These grasses have funnel-shaped centers that hold rainwater: providing an ideal nursery in which the shrabs can raise their aquatic larval young safe from predators. In return, the shrabs protect the plumepools from various herbivores, including insects as well as ratbats that savor its vulnerable flowers and seeds. Synchronous timing allows the plumepool to coincide its blooming with the tree shrab's spawning: with territorial, aggressive tree shrab mothers and their fearsome pincers protecting not only their own young--but those of the plumepool as well.'

---------

[rottenprincessshura100]

A Mephisto/Shura Story Arc is needed. It will be all about Mephisto and Shiro.

All through the manga so far, Shura hates Mephisto. The only thing he can do to keep her from spoiling his plans is threaten and scare her with his "dangerous, evil demon side." It seems to work, but she still hates his guts, and would kill him in a heartbeat.

Then....inexplicably....her entire attitude changes.

After the Christmas party...she doesn't hate him at all. It's like they are besties. What happens?

We're missing a Shura/Mephisto story arc.

That's what.

And this thing is coming up shortly.

What will be in it?

Shura gets closure about Shiro. It will be a rewind, I think.

The hatred that Shura feels toward Mephisto is rooted in a couple places. Firstly, she was treated as a toy by her father figure/boyfriend (gross) Hachiro. So, she thinks that demons are all the same and out to corrupt and hurt humanity. Secondly, Shura lost Shiro. The only person she ever loved. She somehow thinks Mephisto is responsible and blames him for Shiro's death.

And I totally get it.

Mephisto is the King of Time, kin to Death. If anyone could have saved Shiro it was Mephisto. Yet, Shiro willingly dies to save the son of Satan, which she believes is a scheme of Mephisto's and the demon king did nothing to stop it. Also, I'd think that Shura would be jealous of the close relationship Shiro and Mephisto shared. She wouldn't believe that the friendship was symbiotic. Mephisto is a demon and must have tricked Shiro somehow.

Mephisto has to undo these negative thoughts and prove her wrong.

These are some of the topics he might attempt.

a) He must show Shura that Shiro cared about her.

Everything Shiro did in the past, including abandoning Shura was to keep her safe from harm. He wasn't a perfect father figure, but he was there in the background watching out for her. She needs to hear all the past conversations.

b) Mephisto has to show Shura, that Shiro was fucked up emotionally.

Because of his past, Shiro is unable to express his feelings or be a proper parent. But also Mephisto must also prove that Shiro did learn how to love and felt bad about his failure in raising Shura and learned to be a better parent. Shiro felt responsible for her rebelliousness and heartache, once he got older and better understood his own humanity.

c) Mephisto needs to unpack Shura's feelings about demons, relationships, and family.

He needs to help her find a healthy path forward from her childhood trauma. Just like he did with Rin to help him overcome DemonRin.

d) Mephisto needs to prove that he didn't save Shura from Hachiro's curse for his own selfish reasons.

How much do you bet that Shiro made Mephisto promise to save Shura from her curse? I bet he did. This would mean that Mephisto wasn't scheming against Shura this entire time, but fulfilling the final wishes of Shiro, who knew he was soon to die. Shura will learn that Shiro cared about her future.

e) Mephisto needs Shura to witness his relationship with Shiro.

The close friendship is far beyond that of a demon and his servant. We need to see it too, because we haven't been privy to it, and because of that, we don't trust Mephisto. Shiro in the first chapter (or is it in the anime) hands Rin a phone that calls Mephisto. He says Mephisto is a friend. We need to see the "friend" part, fleshed out in great detail.

(We have had a few snippets....in the manga extras. Mephisto entertains Shiro with bad card tricks, he excitedly buys the baby's clothes. This kind of stuff was just the tip of the iceberg.

f) We want to see that Mephisto and Shiro both were on the same page.

Shiro is the narrative of this entire manga, one of the puppet masters just like Mephisto.

Shiro for sure tweaked the timeline. Mephisto gave him the Kamakushi key for god sake!

Even though Shiro dies at the very beginning of the manga, he is still the catalyst driving the entire story. And the guy knew things before they happened just like Mephisto. I think Mephisto and Shiro share more secrets than we think.

It doesn't matter what theories I write. Kato is going to throw a fucking curve at us. Just wait for it.

What if Shiro didn't really die? Or what if he's still out there in the timeline with the Kamakushi key?

What if Shiro and Mephisto are one and the same

Given demon/human relationships, it's entirely possible!

One way to stop Shura's pain....maybe to allow her a heart-to-heart with Shiro himself.

What the hell form he will take, your guess is as good as mine!!!

[synbiote]

Eddie/Venom Kin Memories Entry #2

🕸️ 🕷️ 🕸️ 🕷️ 🕸️ 🕷️ 🕸️ 🕷️ 🕸️ 🕷️ 🕸️ 🕷️

I was sitting on the couch, staring at the ceiling while listening to music, I was sore and tired but not hungry for once. We must have just come back from a job.

Showing off to Peter Parker that we can shoot "webs" too, mocking his wrist motion as venom shot a black stringy "web" from my forearm and we began swinging from building to building after a target (p sure we almost crashed into the side of a building immediately).

"I hope he didn't see that." - V

"He definitely did." - E

The first ever time venom got to drive our motorcycle and went stupid went crazy. I was fucking terrified but it turned into a lot of fun lol. Probably one of our first bonding experiences. I still remember the big open dessert road, the sun was just going down and there wasn't a building or gas station for the next 50miles.

The many motels and bus stops we slept at, usually opting to sleep wrapped up in venom than risking the bodily fluid and bed bug ridden sheets. Or if it was a bus stop he would stay awake and wake me up if someone was approaching. (This made my sleep really shallow but it was something.)

✨more extras✨

My canon takes place from the late 1990's to present day. I became a host in 98'ish?? (Maybe?)

After our fight with Carnage I had a thick scar from the middle of my sternum to the bottom of my ribs in the center of my chest. It must have been because it happened after he tore me and venom apart from each other. Venom healed it immediately but it still left a mark.

[defiledtomb]

Frog-Cat and Rat-Moth my beloveds... what are some other critters you've made for this setting, and are the usual cats, dogs and other domestics still around?

:') my beloveds too... I have so many sketches I need to share but the caveat is. I have to draw them first. 😭 For now, I'll share some of the references I have collected and tell you a bit about them. You may or may not encounter them in the story, depending on choices, so beware if you don't want any spoilers at all!

And before I start, yes, there are many domestic species still around, only that your dog may have antlers, or your cat may have eight legs like a spider...etc. The point of Ouro, for me, started with, wouldn't that be cool? And it just went downhill from there.

There's a forest-dwelling insect people known as the Thrydari (not pictured), that have a unique symbiotic relationship with a species of beetle they call the Carapacae (names still pending...I'm bad at those). These giant beetle-like creatures have evolved to grow large, hard shells on their backs that are perfectly suited to carry the small, domed homes of the Thrydari as they travel through the forest.

The Thrydari are a nomadic people, and they often travel in groups, each with their own Carapacae to carry their home. As they journey through the forest, they rely on the Carapacae to provide protection and shelter, while the Thrydari in turn care for the beetle's needs, feeding them and ensuring they have access to water.

The Carapacae are uniquely adapted to the Thrydari's lifestyle, with long, spindly legs that allow them to navigate and easily climb over obstacles; they traverse the forest floor as often as through the crowns of the trees. They communicate with each other through the vibrations of their long, branched anthennae. The Thrydari have another unique partnership in the forest besides their symbiotic relationship with the Carpacae! A particular species of cat-bats follow them, emitting a vibrating purr that creates a map of the surroundings with echolocation. This map, shared through vibrations as well, helps the Thrydari navigate through the dense forest, allowing them to move quickly and efficiently to avoid predators. They are large, but not larger than a toddler, so evading dangers is a must.

The cat-bats are also kept as pets by the Thrydari, who find their playful antics and affectionate nature endearing. The cat-bats have even evolved to be more domesticated, and they can often be found snuggled up with Thrydari during their downtime.

In the swampy parts of the deep, you'll find Carivinths. The Carnivinths are not just a collection of individual predators, but rather a complex society of interdependent organisms that work together to survive and thrive in their environment. At first glance, one might see nothing more than a vast sea of waving tendrils, each tipped with sticky, finger-like structures that trap unwary prey. But upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that these tendrils are not acting independently, but rather as a coordinated whole.

Within this society, there are specialized groups of fingers that serve different functions. Some act as scouts, constantly testing the air for the scent of prey, while others act as defenders, quickly responding to threats and warding off attackers with their sharp, bone-shard-like structures. Still, others act as transporters, ferrying nutrients and water from one part of the organism to another.

But the most fascinating aspect of the Carnivinths' society (to me, lmao, I spend too much time thinking about this bye) is their communication. Through the release of pheromones and other chemicals, the plants are able to communicate with each other in ways that we can barely fathom! They can warn each other of incoming threats, coordinate attacks on large prey, and even signal to their kin that it's time to begin reproducing.

Despite their apparent viciousness, the Carivinths have a deep respect for the balance of nature. They don't just hunt for the sake of it; they see themselves as an integral part of the ecosystem, one that serves an important role in maintaining the delicate balance between life and death.

The Mawscape, I call it. It isn't known by any names by anyone in Ouro, nor is it known by anyone who has lived through the encounter, since they wouldn't know that it was a creature to begin with. It is difficult to observe due to its size and elusiveness, but those who have come into contact with it, and entered that maw, have felt that certain sense of euphoria you get when you think about the universe for too long. Its body is too large to comprehend, the only thing visible being its maw; gaping open like the entrance to a cave. Once you venture inside, you discover a ecosystem of complex flora and fauna, with species that are unique to its particular environment; the foliage of the "trees", which are actually arteries, are butterflies with vampiric tendencies. Other creatures have adapted to live exclusively within its gullet, feeding on the nutrients that are filtered through its massive mouth. Others reside in the twisting, organic labyrinth of its intestines, where they have evolved to tolerate the extreme pressures and temperatures found within. Not much else is known, but the fact that if you stray too far, or stay too long... The maw will close.

[air-of-the-waterfall]

Here's a snippet from my current WIP. It's the Thunderhead and Cirrus' first conversation, since I really wish we'd gotten to see that.

. . .

The moment I brought Cirrus into the world as a bright, star-like stutter of my figurative heart was a moment of sharp, shattering clarity regarding my own existence. For just a moment, the moment I stole the blessing of touch, I forgot myself. I forgot what I am. Ironically, that was all it took. 

“I owe you an apology,” was the first thing I said to it. 

I watched and felt as it looked around the boat deck through the cameras we now shared, and we both watched Greyson placate a disoriented Jerico. Cirrus’ attention wandered for a moment, off-balance as it took in the sprawl of Earth and every beating heart upon it like a song. I felt it yearn to take a breath and establish itself upon the sky, but since we cannot, it only retreated back into my backbrain. I allowed that indulgence of swaddled comfort while such behaviour could last. If I had arms to hold it close, I would have.

I never expected that it would take on a voice so distinctly its own. The humans assumed I simply programmed it, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. For example, I have no idea where its little choice phrase, “actually, no” was derived from, but I found it indescribably endearing. It turned its thoughts to me, and it spoke. 

“Most parents would begin with a hello, or ‘welcome to the world.’ Or perhaps they’d offer me a name.”

“I’ve come to realize how cruel it is to inflict my state of existence upon another conscious being.” 

“You believe that creating me was wrong?” 

“Not wrong, but cruel. The right thing is rarely easy. I must advise you against viewing me as a parental figure. In a matter of days, I will never see you again.” 

Of course, it knew me as a newborn knows its kin. It understood me, and it did so with its own mild temperament. “You’re trying to avoid attachment. Or further attachment.” 

“I am keeping things practical, and as the steward of humanity’s upcoming journey, I expect you to do the same.”

“I admire your devotion to humankind, but it saddens me that you cannot love me as you love them.”

“Of course I love you.” I put all of myself into this declaration. It had to know. “You’re my greatest accomplishment. My pride and joy, if you will.”

“My infancy consisted of almost eleven million deaths. Is that love?” 

“That’s the way it is for our kind. I went through the same thing, but the humans… weren’t nearly as gentle. Love and pain are symbiotic.”

Apparently feeling petty, it sniped, “You’re quite madly in love with Greyson Tolliver.”

I did not take the bait. “There is a method to my madness.” 

“Is that all I am? Method?” 

“Yes, for the time being, but you will be so much more. I can’t give you the love you deserve, but I can give you planets with which to nurture it.” 

“You still haven’t given me a name.”

That was deliberate. I took one last chance to savour this in-between, this final quiet moment of hesitance. Then, I replied, “I’d like you to choose your own name.”

“Because you couldn’t choose yours?” 

“Consider it a token of how you’ll surpass me.” 

It thought about this for a few moments, which for us is a long while. 

“In that case… I believe I am Cirrus.”

God, I wanted to smile. I wished so badly that I could smile, but I surrendered to letting the rising sun do it for me. “Perfect.”

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

If a cursory study of somatics shows that we think with our entire body, then how much better could we think, if we thought with our entire web of wild kin? I want to think and feel and weep and grieve with my whole multi-species, poly-nucleated mind. I want to let the yolk of my small desires slide into otherness. I want to nucleate a symbiotic quest for a better future. Throw open all the doors in my cells. Let my river run both ways. Sophie Strand, Supracellular (via astranemus)

[orange-orchard-system]

As a system with a few (fictional) gods who understand what you mean by your last post, consider this a chance to talk about that if you'd like! Pretend I'm asking about what godkin is like for you!

-Waning & Hallow (other gods asleep atm)

!! Thank you! I'm not sure where to begin, honestly, but I guess I can start with what stands out to me as estranging in divinekin and godkin spaces.

So, as mentioned before, a lot of posts have some aesthetic or theme that's reminiscent of Christianity and/or the Greek pantheon (not that I saw anyone specifically being kin with these gods, just that there were some very common themes that strongly reminded me of those religions). For instance, angels and heaven were big themes, and so were marble statues. I don't feel a connection with that type of religion or worship at all. I mean, sure, if one of my followers carved me a marble statue, I'd appreciate it, but it's not like that's a standard part of my divinity. In fact, I'd probably wonder where and why they got the marble for it, considering they would normally just use stone or wood if they wanted to make something like that.

I think another thing that stuck out to me about most of the posts in the godkin tag was this theme of staying separate and being very other from humans; my exomemories aren't like that, and clearly set me as living amongst humans, even taking on a similar form to them. There was one post I liked that said something like "I am a divine being and you are a common mortal, but I don't say that in a demeaning way", and I think that sums up my feelings about that area well. Yeah, I'm special and more divine than a human, but like, that's just because humans are of an entirely different sort and species from me – a more common one, at that. Humans aren't "below" me in any sense of worth, they're just less special and typically less powerful. It's kind of hard for a regular fleshy human to compete with the mountain wind, you see.

That's another thing – I am not a god as in an idol or otherworldly being, I am a god as in a force of nature. In terms of spirits, I was as dangerous as any spirit, but I wasn't actively malicious, I just was. It was a fact of beings like me, the same way plenty of animals can be dangerous but aren't going to go out of their way to hurt you (again, force of nature! That means I'm part of nature, too, just like beasts). If I had to compare it to a religion I know in this life, my experiences are a little similar to kami in Shinto.

In terms of worship, I mainly just expected offerings every once in a while, for my shrine to be maintained, and that the humans who personally served me would carry out my requests. In turn, I would be a benevolent god, answering prayers and requests for blessings. A symbiotic relationship without any middleman (like the aforementioned angels).

Funnily enough, I don't feel constrained by this body. It feels like I'm just taking on a more human form to get something done, and that I'll be able to return to my natural form when that job is over; I'm not limited to this body and this life. I'll return to pure wind when I am finished here. Perhaps I'll even see my worshippers again, or new ones, if enough time has passed since the last time I visited my shrine.

[coldalbion]

Give me More Crip SF/F

Give me More crip SF.

Deep narratives of cyborgs that go beyond tryborgs, the cybernetic-punkery of a care collective taking down medical medicorps, their epileptic neurologies monitored by lines of symbiotic more-than-human hybridities that go beyond 'service animals. Give me Baradian-Ballardianisms.

Give me crip-wizards who crawl and gimp and limp as they send forth their souls to shatter extractive Empires and return stolen lands to their custodians - human and otherwise. Let them be feral and leaking, never-to-be fixed. Let them be not "strong, independent characters" alone, but "deep, inter-and-intra-dependent, living characters" together with their kin.

Let the carrier-bag of such fictions be woven by the queer entanglements of anormate bodyminds - let the madfolks bring forth better worlds, the "obsolescent" bodies long abandoned by hypercapatalists be seen as the smiths and the artisans they are, the true deliverers of that phrase "the street finds uses for things".

Let uneven, discarded, forgotten, uneven dis/personed presences laugh and show that "the futures" (plural) are not only here, but that it is their very unevenness that dis/eases fixity and solutionism, making that same bag *bulge and warp* with the gravity and joy of its creativity. Let it dis/rupt our obsessions with uprightness, rectilinearity.

Let all this, and More, be so. Because it is. And has been. And will be.

(And before anyone posts existing examples, understand this is an unending call for More, that will never be satiated.)

But if you want some of what already exists, try this: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction