#and fungus that can control ants

[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

[rip-bugsandbobbit]

Coprin and Ralis‼️‼️💪😼

Coprin is the black bat, Ralis is the brown bat

It's nice how they were confined lab subjects with the ability to fly but trapped in a building not built for it, and now they can actually use their wings!

[bloom-of-zeros]

AU that got brought back from the dead because I got really excited by @welcome-home-multiverse-project's work and hopefully I will register it once I have enough compiled :D

This is Mushroom au, inspired by the zombie fungus that takes over ants and when I found out it does not take over the brain... it takes over the muscles. (No I have not seen The Last of Us so I do not count it as such an AU)

Premise and some lore below the cut:

The First infected is Frank, with Eddie as the second infected as he desperately tried to help with Frank’s illness until it was too late, no one knowing what it was or what effects it would have on the neighbourhood.

The premise is a zombie au where the people effected are completely conscious yet only in partial or zero control of their body.

Each neighbour attacks in different ways, such as Eddie being mainly passive unless you threaten him or those he cares about, or Frank sending Insects or minority controlling other infected to protect him instead.

Eddie is an unintentional vector through his job, connections and friendly nature. He has some control over himself and is mostly conscious.

Frank can control bugs and infected and tends to stay inside or around his house, sometimes attempting to visit Julie (a survivor). He is a vector through their control of bugs and just how many get infected due to the nature of the zombie fungus initially being through insets, and him trying to help one was how they got infected in the first place.

Fungus can also grow in massive bursts when strong emotions are experienced by the neighbours, such as the side of Eddie’s face bursting out with growths of Devils tooth fungus when a event happens later in the story.

All fungus chosen for each character is purposeful and so fun to research and think about.

Eddie has the Lactaire mushroom and Chicken of the Woods. These are both Mycorrhizal fungi, which means they provide nutrients for the plant it’s attached to and in exchange gets some from the plant; a mutually beneficial relationship. Eddie has mycorrhizal fungi because he is incredibly helpful and known for always be willing to help others. However, the chicken of the woods and other mycorrhizal mushrooms are also incredibly useful to the ecosystem in general and if overharvested, it can lead to issues. It reminds me of Eddie being the first to experience whatever is happening to the neighbours and how despite being seen as annoying or easy to be cast away, he is helping out in ways people do not realise nor appreciate outside of their own goals (other than some outliers like Frank of course, but Howdy and Sally are prime examples of taking advantage of Eddie for their own gain).

Frank also has mycorrhizal fungi, one of theirs is the Fly Agaric, which is hallucinogenic but doesn’t kill, which was partially chosen for its hallucinogenic and poisonous properties and recognisability. The other is devils tooth, which looks scary, but is also mutually beneficial to its plant and is harmless other than being bitter to the taste, kinda like Frank himself.

Frank has one mushroom corresponding to every neighbour and its placement typically indicates how he feels about them. Eddie’s is growing from his heart and Julie and Wally from his head for example (frankly dear is canon in this AU because I said so). Howdy being on his lower leg shows his annoyance or distance from him but how he isn’t really on his mind much, compared to Sally and Barnaby being higher on the legs due to their constant tension and fighting.

I will expand on others fungi when I draw them but a lot of this is my interpretation of the characters so far (Such as Howdy getting parasitic mushrooms such as the Cordyceps (Chinese caterpillar fungus) due to the way he uses others for his own gain)

[cupiid-777]

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐢 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 (𝐂𝐚𝐥𝟐𝟐) - The virus in my post apocalyptic dr

Physical symptoms (before major infection): Muscle spasms, muscle cramps, skin sore outbreak, vomiting, fatigue & temperature fluctuation, a burning sensation in the skin, dulling of all senses. Psychological symptoms (before major infection): Confusion, despair, paranoia, irritability, visual hallucinations and loss of facial recognition.

Calculi Comosis from an evolved species of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. This species takes control of a patients muscles, and driven to it's need to survive, makes said host eat and spread the virus to other living creatures. It is spread through fluids such as blood or saliva, and we have recently discovered that it is rapidly contagious if any fluid from an infected patient enters another. Often these symptoms may cause young people and senior citizens to pass away before the infection can fully spread due to a rapid overwhelm of one's immune system. From what our research can decifer this virus causes full loss of control over ones muscles and severe slowing of the heart rate. The virus creates and destroys blood cells continuously within the host. It is essential to note the infected seem to be fully conscious (See test subject 8 & 12) However they seem to follow in the ways of the victims ophiocordyceps unilateralis, their physical bodies controlled fully by the infection. So far, we have discovered two varients:

Chriekithuene varient (C1V) Physical symptoms: Seemingly unable to speak, uncontrollable hunger, seem to be relearning how to use their bodies, partial or full loss of sight, enhanced sense of smell, seizures, loss of brain functionality, and apparent enhanced form of muscle paralysis, severe internal bleeding.

Psycological symptoms: Unable to aquire information at this point.

Hypochrynkeite varient (H2V) Physical Symptoms: All symptoms of C1V, Decay in the skin, full loss of sight, hightened hearing, burning in the light, severe enhancement of speed, hunters, highly sensitive flesh.

Psychological symptoms: Extremely aggressive. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

Currently, there is no known cure for Cal22

So I was gonna just do a normal intro for this dr... but then i found THIS from my notes 2 years ago.

NO this was not based of The Last of Us. I hadn't watched it at the time, we had learned about Ophiocordyceps unilateralis (that fungus that controls ants and small animals in the wilderness) in class and i thought it was fucking awesome and wrote a little story. Then realised it was already a thing in tlou. sorry for yapping, this still upsets me /lh

For the JT Circus Event!

Tags ;; @kazuyas-gallerymwah , @jolyne777 , @girlberrie , @zippy-zaparoni , @joc3lynn , @behold-the-sun , @lyuovr , @softbabyskin , @antionettiesjourney , @nothyeri , @harrys-only-angel333 , @marialazer , @etrnvlr , @h1biscusgal , @theshifterbride , @soapyfairie , @a1sft

[INTERACT HERE TO BE ADDED TO MY TAG LIST]

sorry for spamming my tag list guys

[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

[iivari-ii]

My X-men obsession is not getting better, I made a fucking oc and now I can’t get him out of my head

Anyway, Kurt Wagner and his moldy boyfriend, Chester Brown🤲🤲 still working out the details of his mutation, but the basis of it is Spores, Molds and Fungus (specifically the fungus that can take control of ants? Fun stuff)

Not much is fully set in stone with him yet, except for his themes and the fact he’s a charming, but annoying pretend-sleaze bag

Someday I’ll make actual decisions about him and his story, but that day is not today🫡

[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.

[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.

[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

[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! 💖

[final-girl96]

Ageless Secrets Chapter One

August 2007

It's been almost two years since the outbreak. The government, now known as FEDRA, finally had quarantine zones that people could go to. They had them set up a year after the outbreak happened. The QZs were in a lot of the major cities, New York, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, they were all over the place. Right now we were making our way to Boston. We tried getting in the one in Detroit, going all the way back home but it was clear it wouldn't happen as soon as we got there. The road to the QZ was backed up for miles. So we turned around and headed for the one in Ohio but that too was out of the question.

We then decided to just keep going. There was supposed to be one in Boston that wasn't even finished yet. We figured if we could get there early we could be one of the first to get in. But it was rough being out on the road. Supplies were hard to come by, no place was safe, we had to worry about raiders. This was a new world and the old world rules didn't apply anymore. People would kill you for whatever you had.

Eventually, we met up with other survivors. You know what they say, safety in numbers and all that jazz. We turned into those people that we would hide from. It's what we had to do to survive. It's that kind of world now that you kill or be killed. Hiding wasn't always an option. We car jacked, stole, killed, and left people for dead. I am nineteen now and I've been through too much for my age. I used to be scared all the time. I let Tess handle everything. But after A while those hopes and dreams that this whole outbreak would eventually be over vanished.

Cordyceps, that's what the sickness was, it's a fungus. At one point it only affected things like ants. It would attach itself to the ant and eventually make its way to its brain and take control. It used to never be able to survive in the human body with how high our body temperature was. But it adapted. There are three known stages of infection as of now.

Runners: The first and most common stage, occurring within hours or days of infection. They are still human in appearance, but lose control of their faculties and sprint you. Kind of like Andy had done.

Stalkers: The second stage, where the infected show physical signs of the infection, such as spores growing from their head and body. They are also more agile than runners. They like to stay in darker places and they like to follow you. They've been infected for at least two weeks and remain that way until about a year before going to the next stage.

Clickers: The third stage, where the infected become blood-hungry husks. They can't see you because of the fungus overing their face. But they have impeccable hearing and make this creepy ass clicking noise. They've been infected for a least a year or two.

You have to be careful no matter what with the infected, but they seem to like the dark more than being out in the day light. The dwell in builds where it's dark. You always need to so a sweep, being as quiet as possible when you go into a house or building to loat or stay in. You always need to be careful of any spores in the air. The Cordyceps isn't just inside the infected, it also grows around any that have been sitting somewhere for a while. The spores alone can infected you, so wearing a gas mask is the best option in those situation.

A few weeks ago we met two men, brothers. Joel, the oldest and his younger brother Tommy. Tommy was thirty-two, the same age as Tess and Joel was thirty-six or would be soon according to Tommy. Everything happened on Joel birthday, September twenty-sixth. I won't sit here and pretend that I didn't find Joel attractive the second I laid eyes on him. But he didn't pay any attention to me. Why would he? I'm a nineteen year old girl.

Joel didn't trust very easily either, not as easily as Tommy did. Tommy warmed up to Tess and I pretty quick. He the more reasonable one of the two. Joel and Tess had a lot in common, she wasn't very trusting either. I mean, I don't trust people anymore but I'm not as bad as Tess is. I would have trusted Joel in a heartbeat even after he put a gun to my head.

Yup, that's right, Joel had a gun to my head when we first ran into them. They thought we were trying to rob them and we thought they were trying to rob us. To be fair we were going to rob them and they were going to do the same to us. Tess had her gun trained on Joel, daring him to pull the trigger. Tommy was the voice of reason. He's the one that convince both of the to lower their weapons and talk. Tommy came up with the idea to band together all while Joel still had a hold of me.

“Let's put our guns down and talk about this. Joel, come on, she's just a kid.” I scoffed at that, “I'm fucking nineteen, asshole.” Tess glared at me. “Yn, shut up!” I rolled my eyes at her and let out a long sigh. “Joel, please, lower your gun,” Tommy pleaded. Only when Tess lowered hers, holding a hand up in surrender did Joel lower his gun. “Are you going to let go of me? I'm not one that likes physical contact all that much.”

It had all been quite thrilling and terrifying. When Joel finally let me go, he pushed me towards my sister, almost causing me to fall. “Fucking asshole!” Tess had grabbed me and pulled me behind her, telling me to shut up. They made a deal that we would all work together. But that doesn't mean we trust each other fully. Joel was cold towards us, at least he was to me. He got along with Tess more than he got along with me. I was ignored anytime I tried to pitch in ideas.

Tess forced me to stay back when they went to raid people. She acted like I never killed someone. I had killed more people than I'd like to admit. I'm nineteen and have killed men and women. You didn't see too many children anymore. For a while Tess couldn't even look at a kid. She could hardly look at me. I hated that she would make me hang back a lot, but I also understood why she did It.

“Alright, yn, you–” I cut her off with a roll of my eyes. “Yeah, yeah, stay here. Stay out of sight. Don't come out unless I tell you to. You're no help to us. You're useless. You'll just be in the way and get yourself or someone else killed. Blah blah blah.” She let out a heavy sigh, “Please don't start your shit. I just want you to be safe.”

“Whatever, Tess, just go.” I turned around and walked back into the building we had been sitting in for the past three hours. Joel and Tess were watching a group of men across the way. Tommy didn't seem to want to be a part of it but he was doing what we had to do to survive. “I'll stay back with her, keep an eye out from here.” I groaned, rolling my eyes back and stormed off. “I don't need a babysitter!”

“Keep your damn voice down!” Joel hissed at me. I spun around and gave him the finger, "Shove it up your ass!” His jaw clenched and he started after me. “Joel,” Tommy warned. “Yn, please, stop your damn attitude!” Tess said sternly. “Look here little girl–” That pissed me off even more. I know I was acting like a child, but I was getting sick of them treating me like I was unable to do anything.

“Little girl! Little fucking girl! Really? Go fuck yourself, Joel. All of you can go fuck yourself. You all act like I can't take care of myself. You act like I'm nothing but a burden to you. I'm so sick and tired of it. You always thought you were better than me Tess, just because you're older. You always have to be in charge. You're not the only one whole has been having a hard fucking time! I'm not a little girl anymore. I can take care of myself.”

[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.....

[heyitsnyixie]

Speculative bio vampire time: in which I try to make a convincingly functional vampire species with a little fuck you it's magic, just to maintain the spirit.

Here's the changelog:

Things from common folklore I will be keeping:

Hematophagous (eat blood)

Nocturnal

Immortal, NOT invulnerable

Turn into bats

Reproduce by biting

Silver sensitivity

Things I'll be mildly changing/are uncommon traits in folklore:

No solar disintegration, just sensitivity

Garlic allergy not disitegration

Do not need to be invited in but often polite and will ask

Don't rely solely on humans as prey (just an inefficient survival strategy for such large animals), but they only feed on endothermic animals (mammals, birds, certain reptiles, and fish)

Low body temperature

Live in small groups (we'll call them clans)

Able to consume non-blood foods but won't gain any nutrition from them

Retractable fangs

Venom

Swift healing/heightened durability

Things I'm adding/straight-up removing:

Eusociality, think bees, ants, termites

Not undead

Have reflections

Most superpowers, they will have heightened senses, but that's about it. (Better hearing, vision, smell)

More details below the cut

These speculative vampires originated from a fungus related to cordyseps that evolved to use human hosts for reproduction. Unlike in other species, this parsitism is mildly mutualistic, extending the lifespan of human hosts, allowing them to transform into bats and heightening their senses. However, there are drawbacks, such as an increased sensitivity to sunlight, silver, and a reliance on blood meals.

There are four classes of vampires in a clan

Royals who carry reproductive spores that can turn other humans into vampires as well as having mild control over subordinates in the clan (think of it as being really convincing).

Hunters who carry venom, which numbs prey and causes brain fog in humans. They are responsible for gathering food for the clan, having blood repositories that can store excess to be transported back to other clan members.

Elates who are royal vampires that have not started a clan of their own yet. While they have reproductive spores, they do not have control over their "siblings" as their "parent" royals do. They can only become royals after dispersing to form another clan.

Thralls who are "infant" vampires who have yet to develop into a caste type. Most thralls become hunters unless there are too many members in the clan, then they will develop into elates and set off to find their own territory.

Vampires are slow to reproduce and territorial due to their method of reproduction and feeding habits. Elate vampires are often kicked from the clan once they develop. A human can only be turned into a vampire if bitten by a royal or an elate, and only if that individual decides to spread their spores, elates are more likely to do so as they won't survive long without a clan.

Bites appear like bat bites, and their venom is both nonleathal and breaks down in blood fast. These are adaptations gained with the purpose of avoiding detection from humans, specifically as things that prey on humans don't usually have a good time of it.

They often do not eat their fill from one object of prey and instead feed off of many different animals during one hunting session. As for hunting methods, vampires tend to hunt in bat form near sunset and return to their clan around midnight. Hunter vampires will often spread out over their territory in different directions.

Let's talk methods of defense. Vampires, as previously started, are long-lived, they won't die of old age, and their low body temperatures make for horrid hosts for most viruses and bacteria that affect humans. A human looking to kill a vampire could go about it in a few ways:

Anaphylaxis, via garlic or silver.

Starvation/dehydration, depriving them of blood for up to 7 days depending on when their last meal was.

Sun exposure, which will make them weaker and more vulnerable to attack.

Detoxification, in which one attempts to return a vampire to a human by killing off the cordyseps. This has a low success rate as often, fully developed vampire bodies will be codependent with the fungus. Thrall vampires may be more likely to find success, but clans tend to guard thralls quite fiercely.

Those are all the ideas I have at the moment, but I love thinking about speculative biology. My favorite pastime is making up creatures and putting them in environments.