Likely and Unlikely Creature Pairs

One of my recent concerns centered around the possibility that my Creatures 1 Grendels, Adaon and Arianllyn, would never meet up again. It took several hours, yet their reunion was a relatively happy one! They were so excited to see one another that I had to separate them a couple of times to get them to remember the importance of food. Good friends make life’s necessities not so vital, apparently! I imagined that they would decide to add to their family immediately, but they were more levelheaded than I thought. Arianllyn waited until they were reacquainted!

The one thing I was not expecting at this point was a death. The recent disaster was still fresh in everyone’s mind, and the survivors still had massive amounts of leftover antibodies in their systems. Blackcap welcomed Drongo to the island, but the poor guy dropped at a very early age. Drongo has just hit the 9:03 mark when his time abruptly came to an end. I was more shocked than sad, since it seemed far too early for a mostly healthy Norn. His life was quite fruitful, though, with four children to carry on his name. I was very upset that I could not see his body properly for the last time, courtesy of the cart. Blackcap looked on solemnly, and paid the final respects for everyone in the world. Rest in peace, Drongo.

A lull in excitement finally settled into the world. It was like Albia realized what a horror it had gone through, and just wanted some quiet time. My Norns and Grendels were in great shape, aside from the occasional restless one who forgot about food and sleep. With a little help, most were very healthy and happy in no time! The two latest additions were rather attached to one another. Towhee and Whydah were unusually obsessed with toys. In time, Towhee grew up and headed off in search of more interesting prospects. Whydah was left alone with the toys, and I realized I had omitted a couple of important genetic mutations that explain her behavior.

Receptors

Chemical receptors define parameters for a certain chemical. When these parameters are met, an element in the Creature is affected. These genes can increase drives, define life stages, control fertility, and more.

Default: 237 Emb B MutDupCut Creature, Sensorimotor, Invol 4=’shiver’, chem=Coldness, thresh=141, nom=0, gain=255, features=Analogue
Mutation: 237 Emb B MutDupCut Creature, Sensorimotor, Invol 4=’shiver’, chem=Coldness, thresh=141, nom=1, gain=255, features=Analogue

This gene is responsible for defining when a Creature shivers, typically in response to the coldness chemical. When it reaches a certain threshold, the Creature shivers, and the action typically helps to warm him or her up. The mutation in Whydah is very minor, with the nominal value going from zero to one, but this actually makes a major difference. The nominal value can also be understood as the rest state when the threshold has not yet been met. In almost every case, it is set to zero so that the involuntary action does not occur. For Whydah, though, that nominal value means that she shivers regularly. It isn’t enough to completely interfere with her life, yet it is certainly noticeable!

Stimuli

Stimuli genes define the chemicals that a Creature expects to receive in response to an action. These actions can range from interactions with the hand to involuntary actions like coughing or sneezing.

Default: 102 Emb B Mut ‘I am quiescent’ causes sig=0 GS neu=255 int=0 => 8*Boredom++
Mutation: 102 Emb B Mut ‘Object comes into view‘ causes sig=0 GS neu=255 int=0 => 8*Boredom++

This might seem like a coded message, but the gene is fairly simple: It states that when a Norn is quiescent (inactive or doing nothing) boredom will increase slightly. Think about sitting still for a really long time and doing nothing… It certainly would be boring! For Whydah, the tables are completely turned. When she is inactive, she does not get bored, which might actually encourage her to be more inactive. She experiences a boost of boredom whenever an object comes into view. I could be mistaken, but I am pretty confident that this occurs when an object associated with a spoken word comes into view, and not just when she looks at something. When Towhee was with her, Whydah constantly heard the word “push toy.” When the toy came into view, she experienced some boredom. This would also explain why she never left the toys. On her own, without anyone to mention the objects, her boredom decreased quite a bit. It seems like she might be a good candidate for a very quiet, solitary life.

Solitude was not quite in the cards for Whydah, though! I actually spent some time watching Towhee, who was surrounded by two males and was ready to start a family. Yet she moved off without a second thought, and I followed Manakin around. He was, quite possibly, the best Norn. Not that I was playing favorites: He actually ate on his own, moved away from the others to take naps, and was just a very independent fellow! He met Whydah in the garden, and she finally found something much better than an old ball. An egg was on its way! I laughed at the way the two of them started to walk together. They were in perfect unison, and Manakin knew the secret to making Whydah happy: Silence. It was amazing that the youngest Norn was already an adult. How they grow up so quickly!

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