Sex, Gender and identity
Mothmen as a species lack a biological sex. As a purely agender and asexual species from another planet, their concept of gender is even more foreign than that of sqwaguls-- sqwaguls have grown in a world where sexual reproduction and gender identity are a standard idea, but mothmen have had no such concepts... well, at least until their arrival to Merlot, that is. Before venturing to Merlot, mothmen lacked even the concept of pronouns-- a construct of their "main" language, which due to its "standardization", lacked a specific way to identify people, things, and even certain objects, instead referring to things by name.
Example: "That dog belongs to her" becomes "Dog belongs to Alice."
Upon discovering the idea of gender from Merlot, opinions were rather mixed-- some found the concept alien and strange, while others began to embrace it and pick up identities of their own. While the standard mothman language retains its lack of pronouns, when "speaking" other languages, many mothmen have chosen to assign themselves a gender for convenience and formality purposes.
Gender, to them, is more often than not a "quirk" of Merlot societies, one of the strange things about our lifeforms, like how we speak with our mouths, or have a weird flappy appendage to pronounce those words. Therefore, for most mothmen, when conversing with Merlot creatures is done, more often than not, they typically resume their normal speech and identity.
Mothmen who were grown and raised on the planet naturally seem more receptive to the idea of gender identity due to an immediate introduction to such ideas. Others who hail from their own native planet seem happy to identify as he, or she, or anything else just because they can. It's all up to the individual, their personality, and their history.
Conception
Mothman reproduction seems to largely be an enigma to the people of Merlot, being that no one has witnessed it (let alone heard about it). Numerous theories exist-- some say they simply "manifest out of thin air," others claim that "they can blast you with their mind rays and turn you into one". The currently most widely accepted theory is that mothmen reproduce by a form of budding, where they grow a second individual on their body, though no mothman has publicly refuted or accepted these claims.
However, it has been observed that a Mothman will occasionally stray from its normal activities, only to return with a fellow mothman in tow. This theory is further supported by the idea that mothmen with multiple limbs, or that are dicephalic are created from a mothman's failed attempts at budding.
Parentage and Families
Regardless of how new mothmen are produced, they have to be reared somehow. Mothman family dynamics seem rather fluid-- an individual may often drop everything to adopt a stray mothball out of the blue. Similarly, family members themselves may drop in and out if their bonds are not particularly strong.
Feeble little creatures, mothballs are capable of walking and speaking immediately after "birth", though they're... not very good at either.
Mothball takes a tumble
Family photo
Small guys in a big world, mothballs have a lot to contend with immediately, between their awkward shapes, and newfound discovery of
emotion. Born, and already imbued with
psychic power, the poor creatures already have the ability to comprehend and empathize with their fellow mothmen. It is... a lot for them.
Why wouldn't it be? Feeling all those feelings, connecting deeply with others, and they are oh-so small. So unprepared for it all. Mothballs often have a particularly pathetic, misty-eyed look on their faces as a result.
As the mothball begins to grow, they'll eventually begin to adjust to their powers and learn to tune out the unintended "noise" that clouds their heads. They will also begin to learn to regulate their emotions and get used to feeling "connected" to others. Their family, of course, will also help tend to the little ones during this time of their lives, teaching them how to hone their PSI, cope with emotions in healthy ways, and deal with the general "overwhelming" feelings that may arise. Mothmen who lack the ability for PSI will notably not experience this part of their lives altogether due to their lack of powers.
Aside from a perpetual "crying phase" of their early years, young mothmen are very low-maintenance, and typically only require the attention of family or friends.
Depending on the planet they were raised on, the mothball may grow in size dramatically. It's notable that due to the lower gravity of their home planet, mothmen grown and raised there will be significantly taller and lankier, while those born on Merlot tend to be smaller, wider, or more stout. Some may even not grow much at all if visiting a planet with even higher gravity.
Romance and Dating
An odd contradiction, mothmen don't typically seem to be interested in romance... until they aren't. Deeply-emotional creatures, and furthered by their
PSI-aligned powers, mothmen form deep bonds with their closest friends and family-- bonds that most species would consider so complex and interwoven to the point that they appear romantic. Indeed, friend-friend and parent-child relationships have often been interpreted by other species as romance-- leading to great confusion and awkwardness between both parties.
For mothmen, their entire closest circles share such a bond. As a result, for them, there seems to be little difference between bonds-- you're either a close friend, or a deeply passionate love interest, with no true "dating" stage in between. The difference between a date and a friend is held back by little more than a wish to be "more", the vow to be with each other through thick and thin. Their vows are stronger than loss or hardship, and they are incredibly devoted to them.
Exes often depart on amicable terms, only quickly to become friends once more. Betrayal and heartbreaks are the harshest blows a mothman's psyche could possibly endure. An individual may mourn a bad breakup for years to come, utterly distraught and wondering why part of their "soul" was ripped from them. It's a difficult burden to carry.
Mothballs
A baby mothman is called a mothball. These poor sobbing orbs have no idea what is going on!!!
Mothball Characteristics:
- Heightened emotional sensitivity and powers
- Round, orb body
- Disproportionately large feet
