#like that fungus that controls ants

[yfantis]

Cringetober - Day 4

Fursona

It’s me! In a way…

[splicejunction]

like i realize i always end up talking about this but someone did invoke comics in the replies so i feel like i'm allowed. but the fact that i don't think i've even seen shatterstar in the background of a panel in a pride issue in like 2 years is insane to me like that man has been written as gay since 1994 if you trust the word of god (fabian nicieza) (which i do) but like. whatever. i don't read modern big 2 comics anyways so it doesn't even matter. or maybe he doesn't show up because he sucks and is lame and i have some kind of Shatterstar Brain Fungus like i was thinking about him while getting infected by whatever that thing is that mind controls ants and now the fungus is obsessed with sword and eye and haunted doll and the number seven and its incurable so i'm just going to be like this until i die and everyone around me is just going yeah man sure he is kind of a haunted robot doll angel made out of dogs blood and white plastic and radio waves because they don't want to anger the fungus and cause me to go on a killing spree or something

[ntls-24722]

following charseraph does things to you

i was supposed to draw a homovastator zombie info sheet but i failed because i made homovastator's fungalsona and i had to make everyone elses. Also, first representation of eastern tortamica!

i sort of anthropomorphize/visualize the perspective of the various controlling fungi in the 1zombieband universe as these fungalsonas in a white void/blurred version of the world above the ground.

Cordyceps Homovastator: An ominous, floating orb. There's a giant crater that leads into a single white dot, representing the human mind it so desperately relies on and how much it hides it away and abuses it. Extremely large. intimidating. Basically just an animal but despite this, it's somehow arrogant - so arrogant and trusting in its massive numbers it becomes naive. Western tortamica has been able to be good trading buddies with it. Eastern tortamica avoids it like the plague.

Western Heliokalamos Tortamica: Normally, you know it as Nulgi. But there's also That thing representing the individual as a whole - A branching, tree-like thing buckling under the weight of its own connections. What was originally just a bonus ability of being able to be mycorrhizal has become its entire life, underground, exhausted and tired of living as a delivery service and carrying ecosystems on its back when it should be connecting with and managing the needs of its hosts instead.

Eastern Heliokalamos tortamica: Tortamicas' lives revolve around their hosts,. Unlike its western counterpart, eastern tortamica primarily lives above ground, in the bodies of chimps, bonobos, few humans, 1 gorilla, and therefore eastern tortamica sees itself as one. Currently making a life for themself, creating infrastructure and cultivating crops. Laid back, content, happy, only needing to flash teeth to settle most disputes. It's well-versed in caring for its hundreds of thousands of hosts after millions of years - it's fatherlike, loving.

also, note, i changed tortamica's genus to heliokalamos (and i probably should've done the same for homovastator) and i was GONNA post an info sheet about that too (with an actual Eastern Tortamica appearance) but i procrastinated. but tl;dr i changed cordyceps to heliokalamos since there's way more parasitizing/symbiotic/"fungi-that-live-and-control-you" fungi in this world than just ant-infecting cordyceps, the 1zombieband earth is moldier and it makes more sense that it's a completely different fungus.

bonus: the info sheet i DID finish for western heliokalamos tortamica/our favorite freak nulgi

[awkness]

Hanahaki disease/zombie apocalypse concept where if the hanahaki isn't resolved, it doesn't just kill the person, but the flowers take over and control them, turning them into a flower zombie that kills others (think of that fungus that mind controls ants)

This type of hanahaki can work with all types of love, platonic included. The factor that kicks off this disease isn't an unwillingness to confess, but the perceived feeling of rejection. So, if a child feels like they are unwanted by their parents, or a friend feels unimportant in their friend group, or a family member is being ostracized from the rest of their family, then that's grounds for hanahaki to develop. Again, it's about perceived rejection, so the patient can be loved, but miscommunication/other circumstances can make them feel like they're not, still making them vulnerable to the disease

The only way to get rid of hanahaki (before it turne you into a zombie) is to experience acceptance by the person you love or to become completely detached from them. Though surgery is theoretically possible, by the time a person has noticed the disease developing, the roots are so entangled in the lungs/nervous system that it's impossible to remove without killing the patient

How long it's takes hanahaki progress into full-on zombieification depends a lot of the patients mental/emotional well-being and the stability of the other relationships in their life. If someone has no history of mental health issues and has a good support system, they can last for years, some even having it for nearly a decade with minimal progression. With so much time, most are able to find a way to resolve the hanahaki. However, if someone is mentally unstable and has little to no support system, it can result in rapid progression, with complete zombieification happening anywhere from a few months to a few weeks. Few are able to treat the disease in these circumstances

The zombie part comes in as though their are plenty of people who are perfectly set up to develop hanahaki, the disease itself doesn't magically manifest. It needs to be implanted into a viable host. So, if a person experiencing rejection were to get bitten/cut by a flower zombie, inhale any of its pollen/petals, then they would begin developing it. If a person who feels secure in their attachment/has no attachments were to experience the same thing, they wouldn't be in danger of developing it

All parts of a person's developing flowers are capable of spreading disease, so even pre-zombieification, when the only symptoms are them coughing up petals, those can spread the disease to others who are vulnerable

Some hanahaki zombies act like regular zombies, just taken over by flowers. Most, however, are able to retain some of their previous memories/feeling, mostly about the love that rejected them. Usually, this results in a lot of anger at their lost object of affection, resulting in them trying to hunt down and kill the person they used to love, or lash out at anyone who vaugely resembles that person. (Depends on how much memory/feeling is left behind)

Some, however, are actually able to retain varying levels of their sentience. On the extreme end, it's almost like they never became a zombie. They retain human level critical thinking/problem solving skills and can comprehend human speech, and might even be capable of rudimentary communication (depends on how much the hanahaki has degraded their body). They even seem to retain most of their personality, often acting in similar ways they previously did before the disease took over. And even though the disease makes them compulsively seek out their object of affection, if their loved one looks distressed enough, or rejects them enough times, the zombie will leave them alone, finding purpose elsewhere until their body decays to the point it can't support them anymore

But those are rare cases. Most of the time, if a zombie is able to retain sentience, it's minimal, and results in serious personality changes. This includes heightened aggression, and an intense fixation on the object of affection, which in itself can manifest in numerous ways, from stalking, to abduction, and in extreme circumstances hurting/killing their loved one

[dying-marshmallo]

Wow I love your Wanted Dead or Alive AU so much (the angst is making me go insane /pos) and I have some questions ^^

Has the zombie infection only affect the surface, or is it in the Hidden City too? 

Are Mikey and Leo completely docile, or do they only not attack Donnie and Raph? (If they don't attack others, then Donnie & Raph would probs have to protect them from other survivors)

This is probs spoilers, but who gets infected first, Leo or Mikey?

Would Raph and Donnie ever switch zombie buddies, or are they pretty set in Raph&Mikey and Donnie&Leo?

Anyways don't feel pressured to answer all/any of them I love this au ok byeee :3

☆ AAGGH i'm really glad!! I need to draw more of them :') HERE ARE SOME ANSWERS THO!

The zombie infection has affected both the hidden city and the surface. The hidden city is doing a much better job of quarantining the infected and keeping their unaffected citizens safe (for now), i mean, they have a much better advantage over their infected AND over the human infected who've found their way to the hidden city, they have magic and other cool powers. But keep in mind that since the zombie infection in this au relies on the body's memory, this means that the infected ALSO may have those things. So...

Mikey and Leo are docile until they think (or rather the parasite in their body) believe the host is in danger. Since Donnie and Raph pose no threat to them, the parasite / infection does not recognize them as a threat and therefore sees no reason to attack them (and even if they did become a threat, the body recognizes them as safety so they'd likely never fight back if raph or donnie where to attack them suddenly, the parasite may believe they are hurting them for a reason. But also, it knows Donnie and Raph will never have the strength to kill them.) Leo and Mikey are also somewhat dependent on Donnie and Raph. They consider their company / presence "co-hosts" since they provide them with food as much as they can. They will not attack them because they are providing and keeping them safe. In turn, the parasite repays this by "protecting them."

Leo got infected first and then Mikey immediately after!

Raph and Donnie do switch zombie buddies :]! I mean, its not like they have a favorite zombie brother to be attached to you know? Donnie still cares alot about Mikey as much as Raph cares about Leo! I'm just lame when it comes to presenting these duos (Smarts n Crafts and Magnetic Duo) cause I happen to like Disaster twins and Sunset Duo way more ^^;

Extra Info, the way I believe (saying as if I do not have all the information for my own au) the Zombie Infection works is that it's kind of similar to the hair worm or zombie-ant fungus! It replaces and takes control from the inside and puppeteers them!

In the process of taking over the host, they will try to maintain certain functions like the body's ability to walk, run, jump, climb, chew, bite and so on! All of this is to make sure that they as a parasite can continue to live on until the body eventually decays and they can reinfect whatever animal feasts on the corpse (if they were unable to bite anyone to spread it that way, then natural spread can happen this way)

Parasites will attack:

Uninfected if they are healthy and strong, "the perfect host", their main goal is to maintain the spread and continue to live on for as long as possible. This includes animals (SORRY)

Perceived threats to the body, including animals (sorry guys)

Parasites will not attack:

those who seem to be keen on helping maintain the body (you may find alot of uninfected parents and protective zombie children, or siblings like donnie and raph with the other two)

other infected UNLESS they are trying to attack their co-hosts.

Physically / Mentally weak uninfected, if you are considered sickly / they see you are going to die soon, they won't attack. Why would they want a body that will not survive for long?

Anyways with all this in mind, the infection is scary cause imagine you are healthy and strong and the parasite recognizes it, you run, parkouring to get away. You look behind you and the zombie is parkouring too, and it becomes very clear it is not going to stop chasing you until it bites you or until you kill it.

[doebrain]

DEATH RATTLES IN THE CORDYCEPS WALTZ

i swallow the ant & the ant becomes me / not in digestion, not in reverence / but in that slick sick mimicry of biology / i am the spore & the spore is the dream / & didn’t you know? god wears velvet gloves when he puppeteers insects / my knees knock & knock & knock again but the door is not wood / the door is cartilage. someone else’s. maybe mine / maybe the ant’s / there’s no difference, not really / (cordyceps does not discriminate) / mother said: you were born too flexible, that’s why they twisted you / the body snaps back if you’re lucky. if you’re not—it dances / pretty parasite, pretty host, pretty parasite / i love like a fungus: invasive, posthumous, celebrated in museums / what a girl i was, skipping through autocratic daffodils / i buried three cats & never cried / i cut off all my hair in year six and told the class it was for a philosophy experiment / i knew the word “nihilism” before i knew how to flirt / & that’s the problem, isn’t it? / some of us are just rotting a little too early / some of us wear rot like silk, like oh don’t worry i’m biodegradable / my therapist asked if i felt in control of my impulses / i said i am colonised by whimsy / no, colonised by control pretending to be whimsy / [the difference is who gets to write the paper on it] / i keep seeing my body from above like a drone shot. like a surveillance tape in reverse / like the footage of that ant in the rainforest, the one who climbed a tree just to die at the perfect angle / oh god it’s so choreographed / who’s directing this? who gave me blocking? why do i always stick the landing when it’s painful? / my spine was never meant to carry a narrative / & yet here i go, back-bending for plot / tell me why i memorised every shakespearean death before i knew my own postcode / tell me why i thought tragedy was something earned / like if i suffered enough, it’d be poetic / like if i crumpled correctly, i’d be studied / the fungus blooms on the back of my throat now / it smells like old books & petty resentment / i think i’ll name it after the boy who told me i was too precocious to be palatable / or maybe after the history teacher who said girls shouldn’t raise their hands so much / i wish i could say i’ve forgiven them / but the fungus likes to feast on bitterness / & i’m such a good host / there's no god in this story, just an organism smarter than me / & i let it take root because it sang in latin / because it made me feel useful / because it whispered—move left, now right, now kneel, now smile / & i listened / god help me i listened / i dance & i dance & i dance & i dance

[emma23]

Weird, but definitely not boring :

Jake lockley x reader

If you want to support me, feel free to check this out 💕

https://ko-fi.com/settings?tab=profile

The old taxi hummed down the dimly lit street, its interior smelling faintly of gasoline and worn leather. Jake Lockley kept his eyes forward, hands gripping the steering wheel as he navigated through the chaotic traffic of New York. His gaze was as sharp as ever, glancing occasionally at his rearview mirror—never for traffic, always for people who might be following him.

Jake was a man who thrived on silence, on control. He liked his world simple, brutal, and efficient. But that was about to change the moment you climbed into the back of his cab.

It was supposed to be a routine ride—another random customer flagging him down for a quick trip. But from the moment you settled into the backseat, it was clear you weren’t like his usual passengers.

"Hi," you said brightly, your voice cutting through the silence like a bullet through glass. "Did you know that pigeons can recognize themselves in the mirror? That makes them one of the only animals with self-awareness."

Jake's eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, catching your reflection. You had this wild look in your eyes, like your brain was running a marathon while the rest of the world was still at the starting line.

"Uh-huh," he grunted, hoping that a non-committal sound would be enough to keep the conversation at bay.

It wasn’t.

"Oh! And did you know," you continued, leaning forward with the enthusiasm of someone about to share the secret of the universe, "that there’s a fungus that can control the minds of ants? It’s called Ophiocordyceps. It makes the ants climb up to high places and then… poof!" You mimicked an explosion with your hands. "Fungus city."

Jake clenched his jaw. This wasn’t the kind of conversation he was expecting. He’d driven mob bosses, scared tourists, and drunks, but a full-on monologue about pigeons and fungus was a first.

"Right," he muttered, hoping you’d get the hint and settle back in your seat.

But of course, you didn’t.

"Do you think humans could be controlled like that?" you asked suddenly, your voice dropping as if you were about to uncover some deep conspiracy. "Like, what if we’re all just ants, climbing up to the top of our personal skyscrapers, waiting to go... poof?"

Jake sighed, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. "Not unless you’ve got some serious issues."

"Me?" you laughed, settling back into the seat. "Oh, I’ve got issues, alright. But not the kind that come from mind-controlling fungus. Mostly just bad decisions."

Now that, Jake could relate to.

He glanced at you again through the rearview mirror, taking in your appearance for the first time. There was something off about you—not in a bad way, just… off. You were dressed like you couldn’t decide between going to a rave or a library. A beanie pulled low over your hair, a wild assortment of bracelets on your wrists, and an oversized hoodie with some obscure band logo on it.

You were a weirdo. And Jake Lockley was starting to realize that weird wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

"So, what are you doing tonight?" you asked suddenly, leaning forward again with a grin that made you look like you were about to cause some kind of trouble.

Jake frowned, taken off guard by the question. "Working."

"Working, huh? What, no secret double life as a vigilante or something?" you teased, completely unaware of how close to the truth you were.

Jake’s lips twitched, the ghost of a smile threatening to break through. "Something like that."

You looked at him for a moment, eyes narrowing like you were trying to figure him out. Most people would back off when they realized Jake wasn’t interested in talking. But not you. You leaned in closer, uncomfortably close, your chin practically resting on the back of the passenger seat.

"So, you’re a man of mystery," you said with a dramatic flair, your voice dropping as if you were narrating some noir detective story. "A shadow in the night. The man no one knows, but everyone needs."

Jake couldn’t help it—he snorted. It was brief, but it was there. A crack in the wall he’d built around himself.

You grinned triumphantly. "Ha! I knew you had a sense of humor. So, what’s your deal, anyway? I’ve seen you driving around this neighborhood a few times. You some kind of secret spy, or is this just the universe throwing us together again because I made a wish on a shooting star when I was ten?"

"Lady," Jake said, his voice gruff but no longer as cold, "I’m just a guy trying to make a living."

"Sure you are," you replied with a wink. "But you can’t fool me. I’ve seen too many superhero movies to not recognize a tortured soul when I see one."

Jake sighed, shaking his head as he pulled up to a red light. "You’ve watched too many movies."

"Maybe," you agreed, settling back into your seat. "But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong."

Silence fell between you for the first time since you got in the cab. Jake felt the tension in his shoulders ease slightly. Maybe you’d finally run out of things to say.

"Can I ask you something?" you asked suddenly.

So much for silence.

Jake glanced at you in the mirror again. "Depends."

"Do you ever get lonely?" Your voice was quieter now, almost hesitant.

Jake froze. Of all the things you could have asked, that wasn’t one he was prepared for. He wasn’t used to people asking him personal questions, and he definitely wasn’t used to people like you asking them.

"What kind of question is that?" he muttered, turning his eyes back to the road.

"I dunno," you said, your tone light again. "Just seems like the kind of thing someone like you would feel. You know, all broody and mysterious. You’ve got that whole 'lone wolf' vibe going on."

Jake didn’t respond. Because what could he say? That you were right? That there were nights where the silence of his apartment was too much to bear, where the weight of his own thoughts felt like it might crush him? No, he wasn’t about to share that with you. Not with anyone.

But you just shrugged, not pushing for an answer. "It’s cool. I get it. I’ve been there, too."

You fell quiet after that, and Jake found himself weirdly missing the sound of your rambling. Maybe because it kept him from having to think about things he didn’t want to think about.

After a few minutes, Jake pulled up to your destination, the familiar brick facade of your apartment building coming into view.

"Thanks for the ride," you said with a grin, pushing open the door. "And hey, if you ever need someone to talk to about pigeons or fungus, I’m your girl."

Jake rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of amusement in his expression as he watched you go. You were weird. No denying that. But maybe, just maybe, weird wasn’t so bad.

A few days later, Jake found himself parked in front of your building again, his fingers drumming impatiently on the steering wheel. He didn’t know why he was there. Maybe it was the fact that your incessant rambling had managed to get under his skin. Maybe it was because you were right—loneliness had been his constant companion for too long.

Or maybe, just maybe, he missed you.

He shook his head, scoffing at himself. What the hell was he doing?

Just as he was about to pull away, there you were, stepping out of the building with that same bounce in your step, that same wild grin on your face.

You saw him immediately, your eyes lighting up like it was the best thing that had happened to you all week.

"Well, well, well," you teased, leaning against his cab door. "Couldn’t stay away, could you?"

Jake just stared at you for a moment, before letting out a long-suffering sigh. "Get in."

Your grin widened, and without another word, you slid into the passenger seat.

As Jake pulled the cab away from the curb, you turned to him with a sly smile. "You know, I’ve got this great theory about aliens—"

Jake groaned, but this time, there was a hint of a smile on his face. Yeah, you were weird. But maybe that was exactly what he needed.

At the end of the night, after hours of listening to your wild theories and bizarre trivia, Jake found himself standing outside your door.

"See you tomorrow?" you asked, your tone hopeful but not pushy.

Jake looked at you, really looked at you, for the first time. You were strange, no doubt about it. But you were real. And in his world, that was rare.

He smirked. "We’ll see."

As you closed the door, Jake muttered to himself, "God help me."

And with that, he turned and walked away, knowing full well he’d be back.

[futurebird]

The case for domesticated ants.

Domesticated bees are incredibly useful. They pollinate many crops and produce honey. But what could domesticated ants do for humanity?

Ants are much stronger than bees and come in a wide range of sizes. They can be kept healthy on an inexpensive a diet of feeder insects and plant sugars. Ants are fastidious and pay attention to details. They would be excellent for agriculture. Weaver ants are already used for pest control in orchards, farmers place silk cocoons in the trees to attract queens and connect the branches of adjacent trees to help the ants expand their territory. The weaver ants naturally attack most arthropods that enter the tree.

But what if ants could also help with tasks like controlling unwanted weeds? Some species of ants grow fungus gardens and practice weeding to keep the gardens free of inedible fungi and plants. Ants that live in mutualistic relationships with trees and gourds meticulously trim and kill all unwanted plants that grow near their host plant. Domesticated herbicidal ants could collect seeds from weeds and clip seedlings.

Ants could also be used for pest control in enclosed spaces. Army ants sweep over the forest killing most arthropods in a region. What if they could sweep over your apartment, or restaurant every few weeks and eliminate unwanted guests?

Larger ants could be used for search and rescue. Equipped with small trackers or cameras (The larger ants could wear the cameras) they could sweep over a destabilized building and find missing people.

Ants could also help with fiddly sorting tasks, anything that involves putting little objects in piles.

They are also very good at finding leaks.

Really the future is bright if there are more ants in it.

[inknanda67]

Why is it so funny to me to make a "scrisophrenic" Sozonius like, he spent his whole life being sozo and now sozo was something he was... So a version crazy and evil of the silly and harmless ant that we know Lol!

An excerpt/spoiler from "SPORES SOIRÉE" My sadness fic completely inspired by art and au of the wonderful @panoffrying

( I confess that during some scenes I had to stop to read some Sozura fanfics and heavens... @thecursedcake , you gave me the energy I needed, I needed to do this honorable mention since I discovered that you have Tumblr lol)

.^🕷️🐜^.

Sozonius ran closer to the mirror, panting. He looked into his own eyes, seeing a small red cloud passing through his right eye, consuming his pupil, he quickly covered it, panting.

- Sozonius?- Shamura's soft voice called from the kitchen, worried.

- I'm fine!- He shouted, panting.- Damn...- He knew the spider would get up to check on him, so he ran from the dressing table to the shelf behind the bandages. As the ant rummaged through his clothes drawer, he heard a laugh behind him, his whole body stiffened, even his antennae stood up.- No...

- Did you think you would get rid of Sozo that easily, Sozo?- Sozonius pulled his antennae, hearing the sound of the chair scraping from the kitchen, Shamura was coming, they couldn't see him like this.- Look at Sozo when Sozo talks to you, coward Sozo.

- Shut the fuck up. - Sozonius snapped his jaws, ripping the drawer out and throwing the clothes off the furniture onto the bed, finally seeing the red bottle he was looking for. He took a deep breath and reached out to grab it while placing the drawer on top of the clothes, but before the ant could reach the bottle, his lower hands caught it, throwing it towards the dressing table.

The glass bottle burst, breaking the mirror. Sozonius gave a sharp cry of fright and quickly grabbed the shelf behind him, seeing his old form in the mirror, grotesque, with crooked limbs, stuck together and full of fungus. The other Sozonius smiled at the mirror, flapping his jaws and antennae. Sozonius felt his body tremble, quickly covering his face when he realized that the bottle had broken, releasing the spores across the room.

- Sozo? - The ant in the mirror looked at the door. - Sozo, dear.

- Pretty spider, call for Sozo.- The parasitized ant said smiling, even clasping his hands together as if he was moved.

- It's not you they're calling for.- The mycetologist said covering his mouth, crawling to the window, pulling his shirt to try to filter the air.

- Tsk, get lost, Sozo cuckold.- The reflection said, extending its claws out of the edge of the mirror, which made the ant sigh, and shrink further into the wall.- Sozo Pretty spider calls.-Said the Ant reflection in the mirror, putting one of his paws out of the glass, resting it on the vanity table, crawling out of his glass prison.- Let Sozo in!

- To hell i will! - The ant screamed, crawling from the bookshelf to the wall to reach the window near his and Shamura's bed.

The sound of Sozo's cracking chitin was enough to make him desperate, so much so that he couldn't lift that simple bolt to remove the spores from the room. His three hands were shaking, getting tangled and fumbling. His lower hands seemed to be controlled by the parasitic insect, constantly preventing his upper right hand from opening the bolt. The thud behind him could only indicate that the evil ant was out of the mirror. He quickly began to bang on the window in frustration, gulping air to use both hands while he heard Sozo laugh behind him.

- Sozonius? - The ant turned to his fiancé, sighing with fright as he swallowed air, feeling the familiar taste of the menticid spores invade his mouth. Desperately, he began to force a cough, the spider quickly approached, dropping their cane. - Sozonius?! Love?! - The ant coughed even more, feeling his throat scratchy from the effort, he pulled his antennas, hearing Sozo's nasal laughter in his head, while the spider hugged him with their lower hands.

"Sozo is inside again~"

- N-No.... - Sozonius sniffed, covering his right eye that was starting to hurt, he felt the tears burning in his eyes before the daylight burned his back when Shamura opened the window.

- Sozonius, breathe, the window is open. - The former bishop said, lifting the groom's face and wiping his tears. - Dear, what's happening to you?

Sozonius opened his mouth, but his jaws clicked together, he tried to say "I", but felt his tongue slip out to start saying "so" he quickly covered his lips and clung to his fiancé's waist in fear, hearing the other ant's laughter grow louder, more present, his lower arms tightened around the spider's waist with possession.

-Mine~ - His tongue moved on its own, a small smile sprouted from the edges of his lips as tears still ran down his scarred cheeks and his heart continued to beat like a hammer against his ribs.

( omg I know it's stupid, but I laugh so much doing these scenes imagining to see Sozonius talking to Sozo in the mirror when in reality he's talking to nothing and is constantly changing his voice. )

[solarbunzzz]

Hii!!! My friends and I are planning to play with the origins minecraft mod and since I offered to make their skins I thought it would be fun to show a bit of my process :D!!!

These are still a work in progress but the guy from the first image is my character and the other two are my friend's :3

Lately I've been making a bunch of collages for my ocs so I wanted to make some for my friends skins as well, so they could tell me if I was getting the vibe sljdkd

More about the process below because I have so much to say lsbdkd

Please forgive me if I make any mistakes while writing, I am not thinking, my mind is consumed by Minecraft ocs

I feel like I can say so much about these guys but also so little because they're not done, and I don't have the lore of my oc completely figured out.. soo errmmm...

I'll explain some little things of my friends skins because in my head they will look really pretty and they gave me permission to share and I love my friends and- ksjfkd

Anyway, Tulip (@tulipvalyn) first :D!!! Mostly because I have more to say about him. So, her skin is the phantom character lols, I always thought the phantoms were weird bats?? The one thing I felt is that they were not a bird ☝️

But no!!! They are stingrays!!! Huh!?!?! I love those guys, and then I saw one that looked like a red phantom, here:

Cool guys.

BUT THEN TULIP SHOWED ME THIS COOL STINGRAY FROM SUBNAUTICA??? HELLO???

UGHHHHHH GHOSTRAY MY BELOVED!!!!

And from this creature... the idea to make their bones glow was born.... YIPPPEEE

Anyway akdbdk

One day while we were playing Minecraft (this was before I did anything) he told me about the idea of skeletons with a bunch of flowers in them, like they were being consumed by the flowers and that idea made me go a little insane 0_0 Because omg??? That's so cool??? So to the collage they go 🙂‍↕️☝️

The flowers I wanted to add were alliums, mostly because Tulip likes that flower in minecraft and then I thought they would look good with the phantom colors.

The idea of the of the flowers slowly consuming the bones and taking control of the body reminded me of something that makes me go insane, the zombie-ant fungus 0_0

In case you don't know about it and just because I love talking about fungi, in summary, the zombie-ant fungus is something that infect ants and alter their behavior, there's no chance of survival for the infected ant.

Weird cool thing 0_0

So, this phantom has a parasitic flower in their body that is changing their behavior and is slowly eating them, cool, cool, I love it, makes me go RAAAAAHHHH 💥💥💥

Now.

Let's talk about Eddie's skin jij (@bolloagrio)

Their character is a merling, so I immediately thought about mermaids no? But I didn't want them to look like like the mermaid we see every time, my mind went to axolotls.... Because I love axolotls and they are a feature in Minecraft, also, Lizzie empires season 1??? UGH, MY BELOVED!!!!

But I wasn't about to make my bestie look identical to my ocean queen, so instead I used the colors of the cyan axolotls ksbd, I needed to make my tilín blue because that's!!! their!! color!!!!

I didn't have a lot of ideas for them, but I knew I wanted to incorporate coral in some way, because, once again... They are a Minecraft feature, and they are so cool....

When I asked Eds for more ideas they told me about the twin tail siren 0_0 they look... So cool....

Now, back to me talking to Tulip, these two, my besties, are siblings in every universe, the thought of them being two sides of the same coin, but one of them pretty alive while the other.... Erm... Not skbdkd make me go 💥💥💥

Because that meant that I could give them similar features as a hint to let others know that they are related, but I still wanted to keep their vibes different because they are not the same origin in game.

ERM.. I think that's all for now :D

I still need to think more about my character to feel like I can share something interesting 0_0

[astroauroran]

I have a question about obligate I’ve been noodling on since the first series was posted (god it’s been a while) and I was hoping I could ask you about it? I had a lot of fun theorizing with my friends about the potential biology of the parasite as it was colonizing Tommy’s body. We talked about siblings infecting a host together and battling it out in the host’s bloodstream to claim the body, if the parasite had other hosts before/why it would leave if it had, if it was ever co-conscious with Tommy, ect. I was wondering if you had an idea of when you thought the parasite became conscious in Tommy’s body. Did you think of it being active/awake from the start? Or was it not until Tommy actually died that it gained agency? I’d just love to know if you had a specific thing in mind

These are all very good questions that I have no canonical answers for, but I do have my own ideas in the development phase to possibly be used for a future project.

So, one thing that I wanted to be careful with is avoiding harmful tropes associated with dissociative identity disorder. Even though this presents as a very different situation than DID, the "evil personality" trope was adjacent enough that I decided to leave the parasite's motives and morality intentionally vague and its personhood wholly separate from Tommy.

Personally, I never intended them to be co-conscious in anyway, I wanted there to be a clear line between Tommy and this entity that's not Tommy but is wearing her face and hijacking her life. Eventually, the parasite almost became a metaphor for slipping back into old habits of harm (in Tommy's case, this came to a head in the parasite's violent reaction to overt religious celebration stemming from Tommy's own upbringing in a high control religious group)

A metaphor wasn't all the parasite was though, they were based on the zombie ant fungus that hijacks an ant's brain to alter their behavior in the interest of furthering the fungi's life cycle. And with parasitic relationships often being heavily dependent on species, I imagined the parasite as an interesting what if regarding a more intelligent version of a zombie ant fungi. I thought about a parasite home planet where part of their usual host's life cycle was to give themselves up to a parasite, sorta like the Trill in Star Trek except more horror-focused. In this case, our parasite was given to the wrong host and probably taken from its home in its young dormant state before hosts and before consciousness (probably for scientific experiments).

Anyways, I feel like I've been rambling without getting to the point, so yes, I imagined Tommy as being dead by the time the parasite was conscious in her body with the transition phase being more a hostile takeover without a conscious yet behind it. When the parasite said Tommy was hurt, they were right, they just may not have fully realized their presence was the cause of the hurt.

Hopefully that cleared some stuff up, but let me know if you have any questions!!

[ablobwhowrites]

Say your latest post and I immediately LOVE it!

I started to think, what if that y/n meet the vehicon y/n and since you says that that y/n would similarly act or be like cyn from MD, I immediately think of that y/n to used callback ping on vehicon y/n, like tried to take their body and used it for like some kind of sacrifice or a new body for Unicorn.

I like making y/n get even more suffer from their alternative self (•v•) 👍

Possessed y/n would have a hell of a time even taking vehicon m/n or y/n but if possessed y/n was able to then basically it would be then rippin and taking m/n's human body out as a tribute to Unicron as I said they are actually a fucking lunatic. Also they would try to do with other y/n's or m/n's who weren't as 'devoted' to Unicron as them and basically want to be in Unicron's good favor even if it kills them, also when I was making vehicon m/n, he actually died while being fused into the chassis of the vehicon and brought back as as zombie but I scrapped that idea, he got very very lucky dice roll fr.

But also if possessed y/n where to be freed from Unicron’s control, y/n wouldn’t remember what happened and most likely not know what happened due to it kinda being more of them being controlled by Unicron kinda like a how that one fungus controls ants when they get infected. Also was thinking of kinda like how ice king was going insane because of the crowns control and thinking maybe y/n found some kind of headpiece or something from unicron and it slowly possessed them. Don’t know what you guys think cause I take inspiration from a lot of stuff and also take care of yourselves guys! Drink water and stay healthy, thanks for listening to my yap session

[myownwholewildworld]

was it the ants biting her and the whole getting an infection from it??? That has to be it!

I’m so glad she’s immune tho, I was really hoping for it but can’t ever trust you lovely writers to not break our hearts hahaha! I’m so happy she’s better and her and Joel are still together 🥺

ANON MAY I KISS YOU?? PLEASE??

okay i’m going to take this opportunity to talk about something i’ve been dying to since "wherever you go" came to my mind 😭

short answer: YES!!!! 🙌

long answer: when i first posted chapter 1, i only thought of this story as a oneshot. and then i watched a video narrated by the lovely david attenborough where he talked about cordyceps (for those who don’t know, cordyceps is a real fungus!) and ants. my imagination started flowing! that was when i knew i wanted a protagonist who was immune, but unlike Ellie, it was not from birth, but acquired by being bitten by ants.

to summarise the video (this is the one, it’s super interesting so i do recommend watching it, the photography is incredible, like all bbc documentaries), cordyceps infects ants and can kill whole colonies, which is what happened with reader’s terrarium. she picked ants off her yard that had been exposed to cordyceps and brought them to her colony, dooming the whole community in the process of doing so. cordyceps attacks the brain’s motor ability of ants, forcing them to walk back to their colonies to die nearby and spread the spores of the fungus. from what i read too, the host is apparently still fully conscious of what they are doing, but because the fungus literally controls their motor skills, they are unable to stop themselves. this would mean that people infected with cordyceps would be aware of them attacking other people but couldn’t control themselves. how fucking wild is that???

in chapter 8, i wrote: “my parents didn’t even let me have a look at it [the terrarium].” the reason for this is that, if you’ve watched the video, reader would have seen fungi literally growing out of the dead ants. if i had mentioned that, it’d have been a straight giveaway that i wanted to avoid lol

so yes, basically reader is immune to cordyceps because she had already been exposed to it as a child when the ants bit her. it was a milder mutation of the infection though (milder but she still spent 2 weeks in hospital fighting for her life lol), which allowed her immune system to build up the immunity that would protect her in the future. being bitten now would have been like getting a top-up vaccine, hence why fighting the infection didn't take her 2 weeks this time round.

and that’s the story, sorry for all the yapping! but as a scientist myself, i found the whole thing so fascinating! 🤭

thank you very much for the lovely ask and for reading about these two lovebirds! i’m eternally grateful that you were happy about how the chapter turned out! it’s people like you who make me want to quit my job and just write till my fingernails bleed 🥰 much love and forehead kisses to you, lovely! 💖

[pichoshaw]

The kingdom of Fungal Life 

When we think about the natural world, our minds often gravitate towards lush forests, vibrant flowers, and majestic animals. However, lurking beneath the surface and often hidden from plain sight is a kingdom of life that is as essential as it is mysterious: fungi. These remarkable organisms play a crucial role in the ecosystem, contributing to processes that sustain life on Earth. Let’s delve into the captivating world of fungi and explore their diverse and critical roles in nature.

Fungi belong to their own kingdom, separate from plants, animals, and bacteria. This diverse group includes yeasts, molds, and mushrooms. Unlike plants, fungi do not perform photosynthesis; instead, they obtain nutrients through absorption. They secrete enzymes that break down complex organic matter into simpler compounds, which they then absorb. This mode of nutrition classifies them as saprophytes (decomposers), parasites, or mutualists.

One of the most vital roles fungi play in nature is that of decomposers. They break down dead organic material, such as fallen leaves, dead trees, and animal carcasses. This decomposition process is crucial for nutrient cycling, as it releases essential elements like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus back into the soil, making them available for plants and other organisms. Without fungi, these nutrients would remain locked in dead matter, disrupting the balance of ecosystems.

Many fungi form symbiotic relationships with plants through structures known as mycorrhizae. These fungi colonize plant roots, extending far into the soil and increasing the surface area for water and nutrient absorption. In return, the fungi receive carbohydrates produced by the plant through photosynthesis. This mutualistic relationship enhances plant growth, resilience to stress, and nutrient uptake, illustrating a remarkable example of cooperation in nature.

While many fungi play beneficial roles, some can be pathogenic, causing diseases in plants, animals, and humans. For instance, the fungus Ophiocordyceps infects ants and other insects, eventually controlling their behavior to facilitate spore dispersal. In plants, fungi can cause devastating diseases like rusts, smuts, and blights, affecting crops and natural vegetation. Understanding these pathogenic interactions is crucial for managing agricultural health and preserving natural ecosystems.

Beyond their ecological roles, fungi have significant applications in medicine and biotechnology. The discovery of penicillin, derived from the mold Penicillium, revolutionized medicine by providing the first effective antibiotic. Fungi also produce other medically important compounds, such as immunosuppressants and cholesterol-lowering drugs. In biotechnology, fungi are used in processes ranging from fermentation in food production to the breakdown of pollutants in bioremediation.

Fungi exhibit a stunning variety of forms and colors, particularly noticeable in mushrooms and molds. From the luminescent glow of bioluminescent fungi to the intricate patterns of mushroom caps, fungi contribute to the aesthetic diversity of nature. Some fungi even exhibit bizarre and fascinating behaviors, such as the slime molds that can navigate mazes or the cordyceps fungi that create “zombie” insects.

[necromancy-101]

I read a lot of articles and get a lot of cease and desist letters about how necromancy is immoral and dark and oooh so scary and evil. Let me walk you through why it isn’t.

In today’s lesson, we’ll be discussing why necromancy isn’t violating any “sacred natural order” or some bullshit like that. I think a common misconception people have with necromancy is that it violates some principle that dying things stay dead and that to change that would be an affront to god or something.

For one, most forms of necromancy are just utilizing a corpse as a tool, comparable to making armor out of dragon hide or lopping off a gorgon’s head to use as a weapon during battle. Such things aren’t taboo in society for some reason, as though holding up a woman’s head during battle wouldn’t be considered barbaric, or wearing the skin of a dragon wouldn’t be insulting to the creature in death. Such things are commonplace because of the GLORY that comes with them. Heroes decide to defile corpses in these ways and become legends because of their unique equipment. When a necromancer uses those corpses in their entirety as tools, they’re shunned because animating an inanimate object is unnatural.

What happens when I cast an awakening spell on the gorgon’s head? What happens if I cause the dragon armor to gain life and move preemptively to protect its wearer? Both of those can be done using non-necromancy spells. Relatively easily, too.

Moreover, Druids- at least the ones in my area, don’t have a problem with necromancy. Particularly because it’s not unnatural- fungus has evolved to bring ants to life and control them like zombies. The only difference between that and necromancy is how they go about it, so it doesn’t violate any law of nature- as nature itself has an example of necromancy.

Anyway, feel free to debate with me by reposting or smth. I enjoy a good discussion about ethics. Ultimately, it’s up to you whether or not you choose to practice the dark arts, but don’t force your way of life onto others. That can be said for everything, really.

[glassandhamsandwich]

Tell me Glass, what is your interpretation of the shape/infecteds? Yap about it to me pls I love <3333333 listening <333333

YAYYYY OK!!!! I'm so sorry this is probably going to suck to read because I kept going back and forth between topics....

So I think that the way the shape works is basically like that fungus that infects bugs like ants and stuff, controlling the infected like the fungus does as a way to benefit its growth and spread. But when you get infected it's also almost like getting rabies and every bad emotion you've ever had just completely decks you in the face and it's extremely confusing.. so you just act on whatever feeling is the strongest and stick with it.

Not only is it incredibly confusing but it's also physically painful.. aside from the obvious pain from turning into a big freak.. all of the infected are experiencing the worst migraine ever and all have a bunch of different symptoms and are just having a terrible time..

some specific symptoms -

Muir : basically is just feeling like a deer with cwd because that's what I based him off of.... forever hungry and thirsty and stuff like that

Trots : crazy fatigue and malaise- also not a physical symptom but his behavior changes all the time. Some times he'll be aggressive and sometimes he'll try to stay away from you as much as possible

Rennick : bros got covid 19 basically

Addair : frequent vomiting and dizziness

Gibbo : entire lower half of his body feels like it's asleep.. like pins and needles

Also the reason my designs don't have any absorbed people is not only because I am really lazy and didn't want to have to draw them all the time.. but now it's because I'm going to say that when they kill people, instead of absorbing them they bring them to the main part of the shape for the shape itself to absorb (and by they I mean Addair he's literally the only one who's doing what he's supposed to be doing for the shape). It's like plant food for it.

While they are really confused, the infected are still conscious enough to be on the receiving end of a conversation.. they may or may not be able to respond in a coherent way. Just depends on the moment.

The only way to get rid of the shape is to physically destroy it.. so like if you tried REALLY REALLY hard you could cut it down with like an axe or something.. or you can just blow it up I guess.

.

Ok my brain is very scattered today I can not think of anything else to say.... sigh... guess that means you'll just have to ask me more questions..... /hj/nf

Also I could talk about my "fix it" au if you want to here about that but also it is currently not very well fleshed out because it started as me just being really self indulgent with the infected because I like them all a lot.....