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Quick lil thing about cell expressions. I never know what to add to these posts lmao

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How would hiccups work in your AU?

(In my fictional world, I've always imagined it as cells in the diaphragm preforming a ritualistic "Party" that involves making loads of vibrations so the diaphragm contracts and launches them into the air like a trampoline).

So kinda like?

For tho I’ll have to get back to you on that bc first I’d need to figure out the Lungs lol I have literally no development on em as of writing this other than It’s A Warehouse. I’ll ponder it and post if/when I get a workable idea down, your idea is cool tho!

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An Osmosis Jones esc body would be cool! I'm a stickler for civilizations that live inside caverns.

But I understand if it's too complicated for you.

(Fun fact: in my interpretation of an anthropized human body, the world is lit up by plant-like nerve cells [Not all cells are sentient]. When the body goes to sleep, those nerves stop glowing, which is the cell-equivalent of night).

Ooo I love that interpretation!! Very whimsical I must say.

But yeah it’s not that it’s too complicated, I’m just picky as all hell lmao. If you’re new here you’re gonna see that the reasoning behind a lot of my creative choices are just

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How exactly does the sun work?

If cells live inside us, wouldn't they see our insides like a lush cavern?

Not exactly a cavern, but I see your point. All I can say for certain is that it isn’t a real sun, but rather an artificial light fixture built and programmed by the Hypothalamus to help the other cells gauge how far they are from the next expected sleep cycle so they can act accordingly. Think of it kind of like that fake moon that China wanted to put into orbit at one point to replace street lamps, except it’s a giant stage light. That way it can move with day-to-day changes in sleep patterns, unlike a real sun which is chained to the regularity of orbiting. It moves in the south-north axis (rises by the legs and sets by the head) along an arched track that gets obscured by all the sand in the air from the desert, so all you can see is the light. This is also how the light gets scattered and has such a wide reach compared to its size. And instead of actually “setting” and going beneath the horizon, it just turns off and moves south again. Here’s a sketch I did real quick to show how that works. Not to scale.

But to answer the second question exactly would be to answer the question of “what is the Body, really?” And due to all the intricacies and moving parts of designing the entire Body, I don’t expect to ever figure it out, as I mainly just develop what interests me and/or is relevant to my writing. All I know is that it’s on a slanted plane with desert all around it, and even this conflicts with questions like how does it eat? What do the skeletal muscles do if the Body is static? How is it not raining sand on the cells all day? How does it fuck?! Because unless I make the Body be a giant mech running around like Vah Naboris, I don’t see that happening anytime soon (I mean I *could* go the Osmosis Jones route and make it actually 3d but really the only reason I’m not is because I’d have to redo a year and a half of writing and I just like the plane layout better lol).

Thanks for the ask tho, made me think about stuff! Haven’t done that in a hot minute.

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The Red Thing and the Blue Thing got new art last night, so I made them some fake ad posters lol

Also last name change I hope, their names are Red and Tide now. The NAME OF THEIR BAND was literally staring me in the face all this time and I’m like “he looks like a Nathan.” Driving my head into the ground like an ostrich /j

And the Cytolic version (fictional cell language) just for funzies

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I was really bored and low on ideas so I made “crests” for different body systems? Idk what tf you’d call em but I had fun nonetheless lmao, I used to love doing geometric designs and don’t know why I stopped. Hiding explanations under the cut so you can guess which is which >:)

From left to right/top to bottom:

Digestive (enterocyte)

Immune (leukocytes)

Nervous (neuron)

Endocrine (thyrocyte)

Integumentary (spinous cell)

Musculoskeletal (skeletal myocyte)

Excretory (hepatocyte)

Circulatory (erythrocyte)

Respiratory (pneumocyte)

Reproductive (zygote)

Also some quick lore: in the cells’ language, the words they put on the crest are the same as the names of the systems (for instance “sanctuary” and “immune” are the same word but can mean either the system or the concept depending on context). I imagine they’d put a lot more emotion into the systems than we do and name them in kind of a way that implies respect and gratitude to the organs. Like, humans just said “this system digests things so let’s call it Digestive.” Meanwhile the cells said “this system provides us with everything we need to thrive, so let’s call it Prosperity” and I think that’s sweet lmao.

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DC IS HERE! A little more toony this time bc I felt like it

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Hope I’m not too late but HAPPY PRIDE! Reminder that your body doesn’t care how you identify or live your life, and there’s no such thing as “going against biology.” What’s it gonna do, shut down all your mitochondria if you think about wearing a skirt?? No! Sorry to be this blunt for once but bigots are not welcome here and will be blocked on sight. And for those of you who stick around, stay strong and take care this month and always!

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WORLDBUILDING BOTES: ADVANCES FROM CERTAIN AREAS OF THE BODY

-Neurons were the first to develop electronics for both commercial and personal use, and were also the first cells to use complex language in the form of flashing lights. Modern Cytolic is descended from this with rigorous modifications.

-Blood cells invented motor vehicles. This began as ramshackle go-carts that the cells would fly down the Aorta in! This prompted the speedy investigation of a safer way to travel the Body.

-Stomach cells invented and popularized acid-washed apparel, as well as acid-proof suits.

-WBCs invented weapons, with NK cells being the first to experiment with non-natural tools (this is because before humans were civilized, neither were their cells, who used to be quadrupeds. When NK cells evolved an extra set of limbs for pinning cancer cells, they became the first to have free dexterous hands for manipulating objects. Following their success and clear path to sapience, other cells started freeing their forearms to cash in on this new age. NKs were the first in a lot of things for this reason, actually).

-Intestinal cells invented most building materials (minerals can be turned into cement, tile, or smelted into metal, fiber* can be spun and dried to make a wood-like substance, certain sugars can be heated and turned into glass, something something microplastics, etc). They also invented taxidermy- the non-sapient opportunistic bacteria get preserved for research all the time, and after a parasitic worm gets defeated, they stuff its hide and hang it in their museum.

*I know humans don’t actually absorb fiber, this is more from an in-universe perspective- if they find out they can use it like that, why wouldn’t they?

-the Liver was the first organ to start studying chemistry, because while complex chemical processes happened all the time, no one really understood how they worked. Hepatocytes were morbidly curious about how the dangerous chemicals they worked with were actually neutralized and why they became safe after being destroyed.

-Hair follicle cells invented most beauty and personal care products, many of which are still made from succulents that grow in the Corneum

-the Thymus invented systematic education and the idea of designated teachers, instead of cells being taught everything from their peers as was previously the case.

-Bacteria were the first to create art, music, and literature. Most cells didn’t understand what they were seeing at first -the fact that it was unrelated to work was particularly tough for them to grasp- but it rubbed off on them sooner than later.

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Finally sat down and designed a *real* cell sona. I’m an enterocyte janitor who does stupid shit in the background while the MCs are trying to talk

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If cells drive, that means that instead of those Walmart looking gates, one-way blood vessels would have these fuckers

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No lore today, just some art I did for one of my chapters. I missed doing busy backgrounds <3

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WOLDBUILDING NOTES: HYDRATION & THE INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM

In comparison to other body systems, the skin is pretty unique. It’s the only system that always contacts the outside world, and forms a barrier within which the delicate balance needed by the other organs can be upheld. Thus, the cells making up this essential organ must be hardy and uniquely evolved for uncontrollable conditions.

In this Body at least, the scene above shows what the lower regions of the Stratum Corneum look like. Areas like these lie just beyond the wall that encircles nearly the whole Body, marking the boundary between urban cityscapes from untouched wilderness. The vegetation and oases act as sweat glands, in that they can store and expel water on command, more on that later. No cells live permanently beyond the wall, and any bacteria that would be on the “surface” of the skin live so far across the desert that no one even knows they’re out there. But it’s not uncommon for the elements like extreme heat waves, cold fronts, or thunderstorms to roll in over the horizon- though they usually lose momentum and strength as they travel across the desert (to simulate the insulating barrier of the skin), similar to how hurricanes lose momentum once they hit land. To maintain homeostasis, cells near the boundaries enact protocols to counteract incoming changes. For instance, more heat might be generated to neutralize the effects of a cold front. And speaking of cells…

There are many, MANY more types of cells that live at the barrier, but these are two of the most common. This whole thing started when I learned that spinous cells are also called “prickle cells” which? First of all that’s lowkey adorable?? So I knew I had to take some inspiration from spiny desert lizards like thorny devils and such. These cells live inside the wall (which also acts as a giant condo complex), and form very close bonds with their family groups, in reference to real spinous cells forming very close physical connections with each other. Their job is mostly to maintain the wall, make sure they’re not losing resources to the outside world, and even monitor the ecosystem’s health on the other side. To do this, they evolved tough keratinous scales over their membranes (similar to some bacteria) that insulate against temperature changes and prevent water loss, which is something you don’t need to worry about in the rest of the Body. These guys frequent the desert more than anyone, and have invented tons of dune buggy-centric sports to play out there, with racing being the most celebrated.

When it comes to the spinous cells’ roles in actually forming the Corneum, that happens after they’ve passed. When a cell dies, their loved ones will load up a buggy and drive as far into the desert as they can. Once they think they’re far enough, they will bury the deceased in the sand, hold a vigil until sunset (ie when the Body goes to sleep), and drive back. They do this with the understanding that the cell’s body will turn into more sand and expand the vast desert, pushing the great unknown from which the harsh weather comes farther away from their home.

I’ll admit that I took a little more liberty with the other guys- hair follicle cells are less based on actual hair follicles, and more based on the social aspect of hair and all the emphasis that gets put on looking pretty, and also social media culture in general. Hair follicle cells (HFCs) don’t tend to be as outgoing as the prickle cells. They team up when they have to take care of their hair strand like in canon, a job they are very proud of, but off the clock, they’re pretty solitary. Instead of familial ties, most of their value is placed on constantly one-upping each other, especially when it comes to physical appearance. The HFC beauty standard emphasizes shiny scales, well-kept flagella, and trendy fashion. They also idolize cells who don’t show weakness, and they have a VERY broad definition of “weakness,” which includes normal things like having hobbies or showing emotion. Basically, the prickle cells think they’re too snobby and the HFCs think the prickle cells are too mushy. Most HFCs who try to combat this ridiculous standard are the ones who spend more time with prickle cells, ie. the ones who have gotten a glimpse at what being happy actually looks like, and not what their peers keep telling them to pursue.

As for their biology, HFCs have long tails instead of legs that have more prominent spiny scales as you go down. This is inspired by Kenyan sand boas, which have the same feature that give them better grip on the sliding sand. I also thought it looked kinda like a hair strand under a microscope, so it just worked out lol. And sort of like prickle cells with their eyebrow horns, HFCs have big ears that double as hoods like cobras to shield them from the sun.

Now to flip the script completely: I mentioned sweat glands earlier, so that leads me to hydration. In this proposed model for the Body, hydration is represented by a giant water table that underlies the whole metropolis. Not a tank, but an actual, geological water table that can be tapped into via wells. (I say “proposed” because it answers some questions, but not all, a lot of which are contradictory. For this reason, I don’t expect to ever “figure out the Body” in its entirety because that’s just too many moving parts to put together in a sensible way, at least not without tearing everything down and starting fresh). With every cell across the whole Body using it every second of every day, it requires constant replenishment from the Large Intestine, and to be monitored by the Kidneys. One type of well that takes from the table are sweat glands, where water gets stored in tanks at the edge of the skin. When sweat is needed, a piston in the tank forces the water into the porous soil underneath the desert, where it makes the plants hydrate and the oases flood like geysers. The plants in particular are evolved to hold onto water until this happens, as they only use very minimal amounts of it for themselves, and expel it into the air to absorb heat and keep the Body cool.

Well that was damn near the longest post I’ve ever written so if you made it this far, have a fluffernutter sammich. on the house.

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Big post bout the integumentary system in the works rn. Let us tomfool in the meantime

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FINALLY DONE WITH SPRING CLASSES AHHHHH FREEDOM! First on my to-do list was to redesign an OC of mine

So a little background. JO-1467 (later going by “Joe”) is a KT and the second MC in my fic with the first being Verdant. She has too much lore to fit here but all you need to know is that she used to look a hell of a lot like me. I’m not putting a picture of myself up but basically she’s a repurposed cell-sona who soon became her own character and it shows, but I kept the design for over a year just bc I liked it. But with my family who reads the fic constantly mistaking her for a self insert I thought she needed a glow up lol. And I’m happy with it! All it took was a new haircut and a different brown and suddenly it’s so much easier to see her as her own person which in turn makes writing easier! Win win

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Hi! Im gonna be so honest, I didn’t think about it that hard. But your idea does make a lot of sense, so I say why not! Thank you for contributing to the canon then lol

Insert obligatory “hi I’m not dead”

Drew a brain cell bc I wish I had some. But I had a lot of fun designing this guy! I threw in some SeaWing WoF inspo for the markings. Next time I showcase a cell type I wanna do a couple individuals just to show how not copy-pasted they can look even within that group. But I’ve been busy so don’t count on anything lol

[Start ID: a singular digital drawing of a neuron character, colored and shaded against a flat grey background. They have short brown hair/flagella and medium-to-light toned skin/membrane with blue spots all over it that can light up, showing as a darker tone when they’re not “on.” They have blue, multi-pupiled eyes to match, big frill-like ears, a rounded snout without a nose, and a long tail that closely resembles a real neuron. The end of this tail is light blue and a note reads “they can zap things with their tails.” This particular neuron is wearing a deep red turtleneck, green sweatpants, and muted red crocs, and it’s noted that they’re not really known for their fashion sense and like to dress comfy. A watermark is overplayed in the bottom right corner that reads “FeS2: FOOLISHFOOLSGOLD. End ID.]