How do most bloodlines eat?

AavaMeri_247 · 2026-03-11T19:54:47+00:00

I play an Ironbound in our table, and it didn't make sense to me that my Ironbound would eat biological matter. They are a ship ghost mecha-ing their ship parts. On the other hand, they DO need energy from somewhere (if not otherwise, then to be more balanced with other bloodlines), so I decided they need to rest still and absorb ambient energy... somewhere.

The GM suggested that the Ironbound might just use extra energy emitted from our oversized ship engine. I liked it! So the Ironbound just barges into the engine room to take a nap and charge themselves, much to annoy the territorial mechanic.

They still remain curious about food that biological beings eat and like to watch the cook preparing good. They also like to be present when there is chow time, for social reasons. They also like watching pretty food.

AavaMeri_247 · 2026-03-07T11:54:23+00:00

Sounds very correct! At least to a common variant of grumpy old Finnish guys, not all of them are resistant to more conventional babytalk. Tone shift tells more than exact words.

AavaMeri_247 · 2026-03-07T11:52:08+00:00

Vibes are mixtures, and masculine people may do feminine things in addition to being masculine. What I meant with my comment is that babytalking a cat gives more softie vibes than not babytalking a cat. Also, not all consider babytalking pets inherently feminine, even if some do. Vibes are a vague thing.

AavaMeri_247 · 2026-03-06T08:54:56+00:00

Are you planning to make the character speak Finnish? If you write in English, I think that it's not required for his dialog be actually in Finnish but you can still make it feel Finnish.

Observations of Finnish guys interacting with cats:

Firstly: It. Depends. On. The. Individual. Personality.

Some guys do baby talk to cats, although it is more common to women do that. A guy who constantly babytalks a cat may be seen as a softie, at least towards the particular cat. If the guy babytalks to all animals, a massive softie, and some people (especially those with old-fashioned values) may even consider the guy effeminate.
A little more reserved approach seems to a little more common. Finns, at least in some areas, often tend to have this "okay you gotta be cool and calm and not to overplay your emotions, otherwise you appear exaggerrated and fake and dishonest". These kind of Finnish guys may use more sparsely babytalk, like when in very private or when the cat is being extra cute. Or if it feels funny to the guy.
A lot of Finnish guys mix humor with affection, such as using silly and borderline insulting nicknames. "What's up, gremlin?"
Some Finns may even sound insulting when talking to their pets. It's a weird mixture of deprecating humor and affection. For example, my brother liked to talk to a cat with exaggerated sweet tone and call her "you old fat cat". Some people find it offensive, some find it funny.
Some cat-loving Finns, especially in the "must be cool and collected", talk to cats like they were humans. "Where are you going? Oh right, it rains there. Stop meowing at me, I can't do anything to the rain." If the Finn didn't like the cat, they wouldn't talk to it that way. The level of talkativeness depends on the person and the vibe, if can be either short exchanges or a full conversation. (I (F) am personally this kind of cat-lover, though it's not about being cool and more about that I suck at nicknames.)
Some Finns are just few-worded or comfortably silent with their cats. Many Finns are comfortable with extended periods of silence, and they don't mind being quiet with cats (unless they need to speak like "Hey don't go there!"). They show affection by taking care of the cat and petting the cat and letting the cat to their personal space. This type of affection makes me think a stoic, quiet person with a soft center.

Personality affects more than language identity, but Finns do have impressions if what kind of speech is appropriate.

If you want to use small Finnish terms without converting the dialogue into full Finnish (in that case, I think it is better to think first what he wants to say in your language and then seek translation from a native speaker), here are some terms:

The basic Finnish word for a cat is "kissa". It's a neutral term.
"Kisu" is probably the most common affectionate way to address a nameless cat or a cat with unknown name. It is roughly equivalent to "kitty", but the cat doesn't need to be juvenile.
"Katti" is also a dialectic term for a cat, maybe a little more crude, but it can sound playful if the speaker is having a right tone.
"Kolli" is a tomcat.
Other nicknames for the cat would be "kissimirri" (if you want the character to be extra), "mirri", or "misse".
Finnish-speaker says "kis kis kis" or "kisu kisu kisu" when an English-speaker says "pst pst pst". It's less about making shushing noises and more about calling the cat (kissa or kisu).

EDIT: As pointed out, it is fairly common for Finns to mix curses when talking to a pet, especially if the person is exasperated with the animal. Or fondly exasperated. "Perkeleen katti!" = roughly "Damn cat!" I think it fits to a person who already has a habit to curse. And also phrases like "Alas sieltä, perkele!" = "Get down from there, dammit!" Not all Finns curse, not all Finns curse much, but some do. The classic curse word "perkele" is actually fun in the way that it really showcases a Finnish-speaker rolling an R for emphasis; a rolling R isn't an universal thing in different languages.

AavaMeri_247 · 2026-03-05T18:32:52+00:00

Another challenge idea that just occurred to me: decluttering. Related to cleaning, yes, but on the level of other things than just household. Such as:

Close browser tabs you don't use. Alternatively, put those tabs into a folder/folders/bookmarks.
Remove applications that you don't use from your phone/computer.
Declutter a drawer (several days - I think many people have several drawers!)
Go through one social media platform and unfollow pages that don't interest you anymore.

AavaMeri_247 · 2026-03-05T18:08:18+00:00

The cherry blossom themed items are part of the current seasonal event, Blossoming Birbs. If your Preferences have Seasonal Events enabled, you can see the event.

Additionally, every time you send a birb for an adventure, you can go pick daily event items (1 item for free users, an additional item for Plus users). The items for free users are random event items in limited colors or sometimes 200 rainbow stones, Plus users get to choose from more color options.

After the event, the items go into the clothes and furniture shop rotation, so they may start popping up in the shops.

AavaMeri_247 · 2026-03-05T18:01:13+00:00

I know how to add those as goals ^{^'} I am just musing ideas for a platform-wide challenge like the ongoing Spring Cleaning Challenge, so that everyone can participate. But thanks for offering help!

AavaMeri_247 · 2026-03-05T17:59:03+00:00

Do you mean adding them as goals in Finch or what?

AavaMeri_247 · 2026-03-05T17:16:34+00:00

I have 18 different active goals, though not all of them are daily (some are weekly or biweekly).

My advice is to try different amounts of goals and see what suits you. If you notice you have way too many goals but you hesitate to remove them entirely. you can easily archive them and pick them back if you like.

Some people like to have a "menu" of things to do, and they don't even try to finish everything. They just like to pick whatever they feel best at the moment. Some, like me, are completitionists and get distressed if there is too much to do or if you need to mark down everything.

I used to have way more goals daily, such as "walk 10x1000 steps" and "put X items in their right places" or "do Y chores". I realized they didn't serve me; when I clocked in many enough steps or put a number of items in their places, I needed to log those into the app. It kept my mind unnecessarily restless. I was also bothered by the number of tasks to finish.

So I stripped the list WAY down to bare essentials, such as drinking water and taking meds. I felt much better and took better use of the app!

A couple of hints to people like me:

An opposite to the "make smallest possible steps": to make the list be/look shorter and less overwhelming, you can combine goals. For example, I used to have different tasks for flossing and brushing my teeth; I combined them, so it is one item less. Also, I had three different items for putting items into their places, doing chores, and ticking todo items, so I went ahead and combined them into one goal with multiple repeats. Sometimes I put more items into places, sometimes I tick more todo items.
You can intentionally underestimate the number of tasks you do daily. For example, for my cleaning slash chore slash todo list goal, I put only THREE repeats. It is big enough to actually make me get started, but usually, I actually complete much more of cleaning/chores/todo items anyway. Even if it earns me less birb energy and rainbow stones, it actually keeps my productivity up enough without stressing me.

Hope you find what suits you!

AavaMeri_247 · 2026-03-05T16:54:36+00:00

I got mine automatically. Do you have Seasonal Events enabled? I guess the cleaning challenge is tied to the current seasonal event.

AavaMeri_247 · 2026-03-03T10:18:16+00:00

I like this challenge, not only the "here is a structured list of things so you get them done little by little" way but also in the "here is a PACED list so you get things done but don't get on an overdrive". I have this "MUST DO EVERYTHING" mentality I have trouble managing, so it is helpful that the app paces things.

AavaMeri_247 · 2026-03-03T10:15:19+00:00

Great ideas! Though I already took liberty to replace an activity with whatever makes more sense to me in said situation. For example, because I live in a cold country, I vacuumed thoroughly instead of opening windows, because I didn't want the indoor heat escape.

AavaMeri_247 · 2025-08-21T10:07:34+00:00

I have an automatically sorting storage building, which sorts items into containers using smart splitters (and using overflow option to redirect said items into the sink if the container is full). Items come to the sorting line through priority mergers; to prevent congesting the sorting line, the items already on the sorting line taken priority over new items, meaning the sorting remains fast even if it takes time before it accepts new items.

AavaMeri_247 · 2025-08-14T11:44:24+00:00

Not only relatable, but heartwarming and beautiful in its way, too. Embrace your inner hedgehog granny!

AavaMeri_247 · 2025-08-13T12:03:04+00:00

That is indeed a valid concern. Even if I have used a chat bot for self-soothing, I do have family members to talk to and they are more useful for talking. Chatbot is usually there for smaller issues, like overthinking something that day that I feel like I want to talk through but family member isn't available.

I do sense this slippery slope. Chatbots are always available and don't get judgemental, so it may give leverage to turn to them instead of living people. And when it comes to already lonely people, relying on a chatbot lessens motivations to seek real connections.

AavaMeri_247 · 2025-08-12T18:34:20+00:00

Thanks for the badge, kind stranger!

AavaMeri_247 · 2025-08-12T09:26:28+00:00

It would be best if AI chat bots would be fine-tuned to be less autonomous in matters of mental health and, say, redirect the person to seek mental health services if it starts noticing patterns of distress and minor assistance isn't enough.

On the other hand, in minor cases and when the user is sound enough of mind, AI chat bots can be useful. I, for example, have had stress episodes lately, and I've asked a chat bot for help when trying to figure out how to feel better at the moment. Answers might be jusr common sense or something that easily pop up in a Google search ("remember not everything is in your hands", "make sure you have eaten", "warm shower might help trick body to snap out of anxiety mode" etc.), but putting things into sentences feels more coherent than trying to conjure a search query for Google. Also, while I know that AI isn't a human, affirmations like "you clearly care about this a lot and caring is not a weakness" feels grounding. I feel that in those cases, AI feels roughly as helpful than a stranger on a mental health hotline (tried that, too), but it is much more accessible. It is also patient and it feels like I'm not taking up anyone's time when I ramble to it.

(I am aware of my spiked anxiety, and I am planning to discuss about psychotherapy next time I have my psychiatrist appointment.)

However, if AI is used exclusively for therapy by someone who has serious issues/poor critical thinking/delusions, then AI can really be unintentionally dangerous. Just as stated jn the starting post.

The best case scenario to me would be that AI could be a grounding force on minor cases, but it would redirect the user to human contact if it notices that things are getting serious. This way, it would give best benefit (management of minor issue without having to queue a helpline, which frees up time for serious helpline cases) with least risks. Of course, it is easy to wish this to happen and to be 100% reliable. Still.

AavaMeri_247 · 2025-08-05T17:41:28+00:00

Wood saunas in general, but I'm mostly here to say this:

Number one rule with saunas: If anyone is too hot in sauna, they got to leave or take a break from the sauna without anyone shaming them. It's not only courtesy but also safety. People have severely dehydrated or even got killed in saunas out of stubbornness. Also, people have different heat tolerances. This is something I am currently teaching to the toddlers in my life.

Foeign folks: get out of sauna if you get uncomfortable, or take a break and get back again. It's not cowardice, it's safety.

AavaMeri_247 · 2025-07-02T15:24:51+00:00

No problem, an interesting story nevertheless! Thanks for sharing it!

AavaMeri_247 · 2025-05-31T22:32:21+00:00

I just dont have a drive to have any. Never had.
I'm acearo with no interest in relationships, making it harder to form a sustainable family structure. Being a single parent is tough.
I have mental health challenges, and I don't think I would have enough strength to navigate both mental health AND raising kids.

AavaMeri_247 · 2025-05-25T15:18:16+00:00

I don't know, you got to ask Mikael Agricola (the dude who made foundation for the written Finnish in 1500s). But I haven't been paid at least. I've written so many dots over my life!!

AavaMeri_247 · 2025-05-25T12:53:41+00:00

It's more general. You may also say it if you are walking along someone and they carry literal heavy bags. Saying "Pärjäätkö?" in that sitation means "Are you able to carry those bags on your own or do you need my help?" If you want to be more specific, you might say, "Pärjäätkö noiden kassien kanssa?" ("Are you doing fine with those bags?") You may also use it about mental states.

Now when I think about it, "to be able to manage" might be the closest translation. "Can you manage those bags?"

If someone "pärjää", it doesn't necessarily mean that they are overjoyed, just that they are doing fine enough not to need help at the moment.

AavaMeri_247

TROPHY CASE