If you were worried that Ohwitiil and Cheevwut had some sort of exploitative manager and underling victim thing going on, it's uh... well... it's not QUITE like that. Cheevwut is, in fact, probably the one more pleased about the situation. Also for the record they're a bit of a slob and most avians shower around once a week.
One more reader questions post then it's chapter 4! Thanks for waiting!
Transcript
Dokki asked: Cheevwut, why do you have such terrible taste in spring partners?
Cheevwut: Listen, listen. You're a human, right? You all, like, pick out partners and live with them until you die? Spring isn't about finding a person you can be in the same room with for the next 40 years and not kill each other. It's ALL about the courtship, the narrative, the fun, the way you get to the climax! After that, who cares! You're both back to a regular life. And you know what's FUN? Tormenting a mean old asshole who knows they're gonna be back at my apartment door desperate next spring anyways, 'cause they get one climax a year and I'm still the hottest dun who will let them hit.
Montydragon asked: Cheevwut, how do you get ready for the day? Do avians take showers? Clean molted feathers off their beds?
Cheevwut: Ugh, I HATE showering. It takes soooo long to dry. I do it like every other week break. I do the powder bath like every morning, though. If I don't I'm chafing by the end of the work day. My feathers I preen out after I get home from work, while I'm watching a show. Sometimes I miss the trash can, but I get them with the hand vac. Eventually.
43 thoughts on “RttS Reader Questions 10”
WingyLalka
Bullying partners (in a fun way) is such a mood. What a legend.
Liza
Cheevwut continuing to be super relateable (the showering thing, not the tormenting desperate horny old people thing)
AnaKaye
I didn’t read it as “tormenting horny old people” rather as “tormenting horny partners who still want me once a year”.
Gar G
Honestly makes sense, and very fun! XDD
Also, neat lore! (and we get to see some… well, ‘closer looks’ at Avian physiology too!)
$ilverspoon
I love these birds
Montydragon
So wonderful to see Cheev get the spotlight! And finally my burning avian bathing question has been answered, thank you for the worldbuilding Author Eaton
Egg
Avians only climax once a year? Damn no wonder they think we humans are a bunch of whores
Phlosioneer
It’s pretty weird how humans do it even here on earth. Most species have a designated part of the year, at least, and a LOT have just a day or week. We’re the exception, not the norm.
Joysweeper
Brights get around one to three times, it says somewhere on the worldbuilding pages, depending on their age and condition. I think since duns don’t have that limited supply of eggs to distribute they may get more.
It’s fun that even in season their drives and, uh, abilities aren’t the same as humans. Those rare stable interspecies pairings Jay mentions on their tumblr must require a lot of communication.
The Hollymonster
Cheevwut is iconic honestly <3 a bit surprised they don't have a vacuum robot for cleaning up the stray feathers! Unless they have too much floor junk in the way for a futuristic Roomba, which is also pretty relatable of them.
dokki
I refreshed the page excited for a new character ask and seeing my name up there jumpscared me and I started coughing LMAO
cheev you legend I love you so much
OLD_MAN_TORMENTOR
CHEEVWUT YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW IT IS AND UNDERSTAND ME LIKE NO OTHER
hessian
excellent website name choice
Sparky Lurkdragon
Cheev’s the best, I love ’em.
SheTheTDE
Today on RttS we learned about alien bird s*x and how to shower without water.
HAL9000
cheevut number one gilf hunter and i respect that. you go bird of miscellaneous gender
Johnny
Can avians stand on JUST their hindlimbs, or would they topple over immediately?
Johnny.
Whoops. Didn’t mean to reply to this. Sorry!
JoB
Just my personal guess, but: Avians routinely stand on two, so they *must* have well-working provisions to keep their bodies balanced. From there on out, it should be a question of training – building both muscular force and routine – to get there, very much like with humans doing a handstand.
40
“miscellaneous gender” 😭
Rad Internet Stranger
Cheev might just be my favourite background character
godspeed
Can I shove Cheevwut gently into one of these giant dog dryers professional groomers use?
JoB
[expects the manufacturer to launch a new product line, along with a “dry as you fly” ad campaign, for avians shortly]
Phlosioneer
Real answer, it probably won’t do much. Birds fly. They have wind whipping past them and are aerodynamic. Blow dryers would probably do absolutely nothing to dry them off, it couldn’t pick up any moisture on its way past. That’s the case for earth birds, at least.
You might be able to invent a blow dryer with a nozzle that injects the air under the feathers, like a reverse vacuum, but that would be super tedious.
Kaida
Surely it would depend how they angle their wings? Sure, if they stick it right in their face it’d do very little but if they stand in front of it with their wings up, cormorant-style, it’d be more effective
HAL9000
you can use a blowdryer on earth birds just fine, you point it in the opposite direction of their feathers and ruffle them up a bit to break the interlocking.
aries
CHEEV ILU. ICON BEHAVIOR
Fallingfeather
I love the curved TV screen! Presumably to account for the 6 eyes?
Arcstone
So tldr: “nah, were just horny for a bit, dont worry about it”.
TeethBurglar
Cheevwut is so slay it hurts, we love to see a dun winning.
Green
YEAAAHHHH CHEEVWUT!! I love learning about everyday alien life. You do a great job at worldbuilding!
endless screaming despair
naked cheevwut is far more adorable than they have any right to be
Phlosioneer
Why are avian TV screens curved like that, while still being so far from their head? I could see the utility of an around-the-head screen for their wide vision but when they’re not putting their head near it, that idea doesn’t work.
DanielBro
Will the readers’ questions be in the book when it gets published?
Jay Eaton
The book will probably have some bonus material but honestly I have no idea what it’s gonna be yet. I might publish these as a standalone zine like I did my other character AMA sessions.
Gheesfellow
I’m not sure how much more screen time they have, but I just gained a new appreciation for Cheevwut.
iscah
i bet the fancier avian showers just have a drier built in.
Translunary_Animus
Oh I adore Cheevwut, glad to see they’re still on their Bullying Ohwitiil streak lmao
Greenjoe
Wow, avian TVs are reaaaaally curved, guess that’s to do with how their eyes are positioned on their heads?
1d4Nadg
Nice catch! Yeah, they probably have a very wide field of view, not mentioning a different RGB system than our that accounts for their UV vision!
There are so many details everywhere, I love it 😀
40
Now I wonder how screens work for the various eyes of all the little guys.
Amanda/OwlBear
aaw Cheevwut’s great!
AnormalADN
I like Cheevwut haha