nice
I know you have all probably seen the esims for gaza posts circulating. Some of you have probably looked at them and thought maybe you should help out, but have weighed up the daunting process of signing up for something you're unfamiliar with vs. the gut-wrenching scale of the things people are going through on the ground right now, and you've put it off or questioned whether it will make enough of a difference vs. some other future kind of activism you could put that $6+ towards. I'm not calling you out or scolding you, it is natural to feel conflicted and ambivalent about the multiple calls for aid that you are seeing on social media.
but consider this: what would you do if you suddenly had to leave your home? how would you cope? how would you begin to plan where to go next, or figure out what to do to take care of yourself? most likely you would reach reflexively for your phone.
telecoms access is not a petty luxury in 2024. a loaded esim means the ability to call family members and find out where they are and whether they're safe, and whether they need anything you can provide for them. it means access to maps and regular updates on the situation unfolding around you. it means you can look up whether it's safe to drink rain water, or how to tie a type of knot you've never had to think about before, or how to treat an injury without medical supplies. it means the ability to tell people outside the situation what you are seeing, what you are feeling, what you are thinking. it is an absolutely crucial resource. and it starts at $6 for 7 days.
many many people have observed that internet access is changing the way the world understands genocide. internet access is life or death, and it is shaping modern history in front of you. and it starts at $6 for 7 days.
please, please visit gazaesims.com and spend 5 minutes and $6 to change the way this plays out for everyone.
your ocs should be friends with mine btw. my ocs told me they want to be friends with yours. theyre too shy to ask so i have to tell you. my ocs are asking your ocs to be friends with them
~Mostly Mollusk~
Part 2 - Part 3 Here - Part 4
Species
Many species of bug, marine, terrestrial or in-between, make their homes in or simply visit the Cities, some only seasonally.
---Clams
Now is the time for that random trivia bit you know about sand or shell, because clams (and oysters, and mussels, though these are found more below the water's surface) are all ears (don't take that literally--who knows if they have ears at all). Trade in your fact, trinket, or other means of providing information to get a bit of knowledge in return, or even a story if you're lucky, because after living so many seasons, and encountering so many explorers like you, these species are chalk full of facts one might call nerdy (call them that though, and you'll earn a painful chomp). While they can be found almost anywhere, many tend to coalesce in the Archives, sitting amongst tablets on its shelves.
---Crabs
The most diverse group of species in Taranoake and not all that rare in Citadell, you might see these CRABBY creatures skittering sideways in and out of sand dunes and under rocks throughout town, but don’t fear their pincers. Most won’t hurt you unprovoked, and in fact, they might be some of the kindest neighbors you could have.
Mole Crabs
These crustaceans are shyer than most, preferring to burrow in the soft sand of the bays rather than interact with others. Be careful not to step on one of their many tunnels if you don’t want your ankle bitten. Despite their initial appearance these creatures aren’t hateful, they just need a bit of time to warm up to strangers and are easily startled, they’re actually fairly social once you get to know them.
Ghost Crabs
These adorable creatures are enjoyable to be around, but you’ll have to get used to them appearing out of nowhere due to their uncanny ability to camouflage and change color to match their surroundings, which you’ll see in action if they ever get startled. This gift has also earned them an unsettling amount of admiration from the Citadell scientists...
Mite Crabs
These species are actually named only for their appearance and ferocity, as they are so small their actuality is hard to determine and they largely resemble crabs. ...Or mites. They make great fighters for the Colosseum despite their size, and while you may figure it's because they skirmish in groups, you'd be wrong. They are normally so aggressive, they'd start attacking their own species rather than the larger prey depending on who’s closer!
They’re not well-known in Citadell though.
---Lobsters
Despite being closely related to crabs, these creatures are rarely seen in either of the Cities being mostly sea-dwelling, the Arbiter a main exception. They're mostly friendly, rather chill and unperturbed.
---Ladybugs
Among other beetles, ladybugs are the most commonly found in Taranoake, especially in the marketplace. While they rarely fight in the Colosseum, contrasting their larger kin, they're known to drive a hard bargain over their goods and as such make great (or terrible, depending on how you look at it) vendors.
---Wasps
These bugs drive home the "militaristic" aspect of the Fort, and while they're not without compassion, you may regret making yourself one's neighbor. They often live socially even outside of the Bay-City, though their methods of communication can be a bit rough. They are not commonly seen in coastal cities unless with larvae--they require sugars the salty Bay can't offer. They often visit most during the colder seasons.
---Ants
While these critters may already have a strong sense of community, they’re still always welcome in the Fort despite their general preference to live in their own ant hills. You may spot them marching in rows fixing deteriorating buildings, or transporting food and supplies to and from the market. Alike their bee-kin, ants are generally upbeat about their hard work.
---Jellyfish
These creatures for which Jellyfish Bay earned its name can be found floating lazily in pretty much any body of water around town. They aren’t great for conversation, but will give a friendly tentacle wave as you pass by. Just don’t get too attached around festival time…
The mood is quite flipped in Citadell however, where they are often revered as fascinating creatures and related to their God.
---Sea Slugs
Despite being confined to the water, sea slugs maintain a friendly and jolly demeanor and are always willing to chat, so don’t forget to stop by Jellyfish Bay and say hello. The majority of crops grown in the underwater farms were tended to and harvested by these kind creatures.
Sacoglossans
Some known as lettuce slugs, some commonly found hiding in the seaweed avoiding their responsibilities, these no go away go away no don’t take what’s going on go away stop it still typing creatures often think they cannot be seen because they look similar to the crops they are supposed to be growing. However, they are rather conspicuous due to their bright purple, blue, orange and often green coloring not at all matching the dull reds and greens of the specific seaweed species grown in the bay. Maybe elsewhere they'd have better chances.
(Elsewhere not including the basins-city, where they are forced to actually work or be kicked out.)
---Scorpions
It is unknown exactly how any scorpions were able to travel all the way to Taranoake, as surely the descent from sanded deserts to the windy shore took more than a few generations of arachnid. Their lack of antennae makes it harder to communicate, and this paired with their fearsome stinger and claws do earn them a reputation for being a bit hostile.
---Isopods
These crustaceans, due to the nature of their gills, are almost never seen in dry Taranoake and yet all too common in Citadell. Like their kin, they’re known mainly for being kind and mellow.
---Mosquitoes
These flies aren’t...regarded very highly. Despite both needing the matter of living creatures to sustain their brood, most carnivores use the entirety of a bug while egg-producing mosquitoes only sap the hemolymph, which is entirely unsettling for a living being to experience, and wasteful to kill for the blood alone. This is why many suck the life-fluids out of the corpses of the ill, for no other bug is willing and the dipterans are immune to most illness, adding another facet to their (mostly unjustified) dislike.
---Desert Rain Frogs
Only one of these creatures has been spotted in our lifetimes, but they used to be a fairly common sight, in the dunes where Taranoake and Citadell now rest, forever ago. Nowadays, most don't even know these adorable creatures ever existed--none who haven't visited their barren town that is.
---Spiders
The largest grouping of arachnids. Like the apids, they’re rarely seen in the Cities and much more commonly inland, though a few have been spotted preying on passersby in the anarchy that is Renin.
---Sea Slugs
In recent times, these species have moved upwards closer to the shores, and are a guaranteed (and pleasant) encounter anytime you head underwater--coalescing in towns of their own creation, though sightings near the shallow bays constituting the Cities are rare. Like jellyfish, most sea slugs tend to use neutral pronouns.
---Jellyfish
Nomadic creatures, rarely taking rest in the undersea cities. They don’t seem to be as advanced as other invertebrates, though still considered sentient.
aint no rain's gonna break my stride
woe! first art post since a month ago be upon ye! take my gay bugs
[Start ID of the first image. A digital drawing of the five bugs forming Team Taranoake, drawn without anthropomorphized biology, short clips of text describing each one's name, pronouns, species, and size. The background is a solid-color pale orange, with the rest of the drawing being similarly flat-colored and golden-toned. The first shows Kritto, an azure damselfly, who stands on two legs with short stilts to counter the length of xer abdomen. She's light teal with black stripes, holding a brown scroll in one claw, the other pair of arms tucked between her two backpacks behind xer. Next is Lidii, a worker of the ant species Myrmecocystus mexicanus, yellow and orange. She's rambling about something excitedly, just barely propping up the thick wooden weapon beside her. Third is Rantan, an ox beetle, brown with yellow fur. He subjects himself to whatever Lidii's talking about, sitting with all six limbs on the ground and a mildly tired expression, resting their head on one claw. Gorge, a light purple coquina clam, is settled beneath two of Rantan's legs, his shell decorated with small notes and scribbles from work as an archivist. Last is the sea slug Ceras, a single-stalk aeolis, pink with bright stripes of yellow and white along their cerata. She's drawn further away from the rest, his head turned back towards the other four bugs. Like Kritto, they're marked as an honorary member of the team, lacking the seaglass bracelets shared by the three close-knit bugs from the center of the drawing. End ID.]
^ once again, these guys are from a universe I made with @froggoexists :]
[Start ID of the second image. A colored sketch of two humanized original characters, Ceras, a sea slug from the previous image, and Thorn, a Hollow Knight vessel. They're both drawn from the waist up, facing forward, close enough that Ceras's hand wraps around Thorn's shoulder. Ceras is shown as a young Black person, their cerata incorporated as long locs dyed pink, white and yellow, and piercings stud their ears and tongue. Thorn is paler-skinned, taller and thinner than Ceras, with pointed ears, and white hair styled at the top into two rows of spikes. Ceras is wearing a studded denim vest, thoroughly decorated with eclectic pins and patches, mostly of bands, bugs, games, and simple declarations of hope. Thorn wears instead a black leather jacket, with long studs at the shoulders and smaller ones along the sides and center. One sleeve is torn off, as they don't have a right arm, and the other is cuffed to display the adaptive device making up half their left. Ceras is sticking their tongue out and smiling, one eye shut and the other turned to Thorn, stimming with their free hand. Thorn's looking back at them with a smile.
The background is simple, a pink horizontal wave. There's a bright, pale halo behind Ceras' head, one which resembles a spoked wheel or a sun, seeming to cast light upon the two of them. A line at the bottom of the image reads "part-god mute disabled they/she/he bug punk BESTIES", and at the top of the image there's a small doodle of their original forms sitting together contentedly. End ID]
The last three currently (also tags cropped from the previous post) (also I forgot to actually label them lol so here are Descriptions)
Part 6A :
-Ven (with and without mask)
-The OG Drawing (currently Lumi is the only one with a character description, however short it is. Also features pretty much Monomon and the White Lady but as cnidarians)
-Tan
-Pando*
-the Cast Shell Pit/Pando's Tree*
-The Agora*
-Just some lettuce slugs*
-Kritto, Gorge, Rantan, and Lidii (clockwise from top)
-Those four again and Ceras
Part 6B :
-Sketchpage of mostly Rantan but also featuring Lidii, Kritto, Gorge and the Arbiter
-Azent, Monti and Kee (featuring Ceras and Machula)
-Ghost (hm wonder what two characters I could have possibly based them on)
-Ne'Mon
-Left-to-right in top-down rows, Bidibi, Pard, Cranton, Claws, Machula, Nell, Quinn, Carmine and Kalanchoe (but in bug form), Blue-Gills, Tawny-Buzzard, Dune, Allibel
-Ganellak
-Left to right, the Champions Tenaram, Amarmallus and Magtauran
-Allibel and Sepinti
Part 6C :
-Cren, Terret, and Aphids (x2)
-Body language (mostly shown using antennae and mandibles and sometimes the white pseudo-pupils)
Part 5 - Part 6A Here - Part 7
Gallery.
Keep reading
So uuh i have become obsessed with rainworld as of recent, so here is a bunch of rainworld art
Heya, I'm Peridots, your average digital artist/entomology enthusiast—they/it/he or any pronouns, please! Haven't actually posted much art in quite a while, so be prepared for occasional Bug Facts and other such randomness. Spam likes and such are all appreciated here! Terfs, zionists and the like can turn 180° for free, however! Profile art by original-character-chaos—oooooh looks like someone sent me perfectly pfp-shaped gift art of my sona a little too close to april fools!
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