unfinishednetwork | (no subject)

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[This is written in a fairly neat handwriting, in a language that may look roughly similar to Arabic to those familiar with it. The paper on the bulletin board has a small note on top, with a lot of space on the rest of the page for people to fill in as needed.]

Since we're all from different worlds and cultures I think there are a few things we should probably get sorted out as a group. First thing should probably be how to address each other. Go ahead and write your name/title/what you want to be called, your gender identifier if that's important to you, and pronouns to use for you.

Kai, he/him

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[what]

I'm sorry, eaten them?

Oh! It's... well someone else mentioned that isn't a thing in most humanoid species. I'm a drider. Arachnoid, I believe they said? But yes. Mothers might eat their young if they're ill. Siblings might eat each other if competition is allowed to become that heightened. A female will almost certainly eat her mates once they've sired a few clutches.

I was... somewhat safe from being eaten growing up. The eighth child is considered lucky. I still had to be careful of course, but at least Mother didn't try and make a snack of me.

[he doesn't know what to say to any of that.]

I see.

This might be a strange question to you, but what is the purpose of it? I think I understand the competition angle, and perhaps the illness, but why a mate after there are children?

Well, once a male's sired a clutch, there's not really much more need for him. Some might wait- if a male is from a line that sires desirable traits or tends to father higher numbers of females, they might be kept for longer. Or if a female genuinely likes their Consort they might wait to eat them until they're no longer able to sire more- that's a bit more romantic though.

Most of the time now it's considered a bit wasteful to only get one clutch before eating a Consort, but traditionalists still might on occasion.

ok but

why eat them at all?

why not just let them live?

I don't know, honestly. I think... in smaller settlements it might be a matter of too many mouths to feed. Aside from that, simply tradition? And if a sibling murders another in competition for power, it's a waste to let the body just rot.

I... wasn't really allowed to ask about things like that.

[oh, that he's familiar with. he remembers Dahin telling him something similar, when he was still young.]

I've never understood that. In the first family I lived with, if you asked questions they just sent you to the elders to learn useful things.

Males aren't supposed to ask questions. It's not... seemly.

[well that's stupid]

I've found that it's usually more about control than people caring what is 'seemly.'

But obviously I don't know much about your culture.

[he still thinks it's probably about control.]

It's... not supposed to be. I think?

[But then by definition he's not one of the ones in control, so how would he even know?]

The Mothers all are supposed to look out for us. Make sure we're strong. A healthy part of the Unending Weave. That's... what we're told, anyways.

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