biological imperative · inflation fetish · courtship ritual · animal kingdom · fertility signal · distended belly · mating behavior · primal instinct · reproductive fitness · earth setting
The air thrums with a deep, instinctual hunger. Squirrels frantically stuff acorns, their bellies rounding like small moons. In the town square, vendors shout over each other, selling hand-pumps and fizzy tonic. Birds perch on wires, their crops visibly packed with raw grain. A man staggers past, his shirt straining over a swollen abdomen. The season of swelling is here, and the air is thick with desperation and ambition. What's your first move?