#larva animated series

[mice-rats-daily]

Today’s rat is Grey from Larva!

[seandwalsh]

Who lays the nectar eggs found in the Pikmin games? It might seem like a silly question, but for a series with such extensive lore surrounding its creatures it is surprising that it remains a mystery. Nectar eggs are a mysterious item found in Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 4. The eggs themselves are rarely acknowledged by the leaders and can contain a wide array of different things.

When broken, nectar eggs usually release a form of nectar or raw material. Curiously, there are also several creatures associated with these eggs, but it’s never been explicitly stated which actually produces them. Let’s look at the candidates:

Firstly, there are the Honeywisps. Honeywisps sometimes carry nectar eggs as they float through the air back to their nests. However, they don’t seem to be producing these eggs themselves, as in Pikmin 1 they can be seen carrying pure nectar collected from flowers.

Given they intend to feed the nectar from the nectar eggs they carry to their young, it seems more likely that they sometimes just steal nectar eggs from their nests of origin instead of collecting nectar from flowers.

“This timid creature flies around collecting nectar from flowers.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 1, December 2001]

“This creature collects nectar for the larvae waiting in its nest.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 1, December 2001]

“This cutie swims though the air with a heavy-looking nectar egg dangling below its translucent body on its way back to its nest where its offspring await lunch.”

[Source: Dalmo, Sozorian Animal Enthusiast and researcher, Non-Player Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

The next creatures are the Mitites. Mities are a type of insect that occasionally hatch from broken nectar eggs in great numbers and produce nectar when defeated, which initially makes them seem like good candidates for the producers of these eggs. However, the nectar eggs notably don’t resemble insect eggs - and for good reason! The Mitites are actually parasites that lay their eggs within the eggs of a “particular species”, with their larvae feeding on the nectar the eggs provide.

“These parasitic insects feed on eggs. Upon reaching maturity, they excrete a special pheromone that attracts females of particular species, enticing these females to swallow the mitites whole. (Pikmin, however, seem to dislike the scent.) After entering the host female's body, the mitites lay their own eggs inside the host's eggs just prior to the host spawning.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 2, August 2004]

“The cheeky Mitite lays its eggs inside the eggs of other creatures to provide its offspring with an easy first meal.”

[Source: Dalmo, Sozorian Animal Enthusiast and researcher, Non-Player Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

Similarly, the egg-like Sunsquishes can also be found within nectar eggs. These are explicitly “other creatures’ eggs”, making them a species that parasitises on the eggs like the Mitites.

“A type of primitive organism called a protochordate. In its juvenile state, it has a skeleton-like structure called a notochord. It flaps its finned tail to move and lives within other creatures' eggs as it grows.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

That leaves us with the Burrowing Snagrets. In Pikmin 4, Downy Snagrets, the infant form of the Burrowing Snagret, occasionally hatch from nectar eggs. These seem to be the most likely candidates for the actual producers of nectar eggs.

As established in a previous post, almost all extant life on PNF-404 is made up of nectar, which would extend to the nutrients in the egg yolk.

“Nectar is a vital source of nutrition that most life on this planet depends on. Whether it's in the form of an egg yolk, sap, or honey, I leave up to your imagination!”

[Source: Dalmo, Sozorian Animal Enthusiast and researcher, Non-Player Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

Nectar eggs also strongly resemble bird eggs and Burrowing Snagrets are certainly large enough to produce them. They’re also large enough to swallow Mitites whole and are even said to eat insects in the Piklopedia.

“The majority of snagret species lie in wait to ambush and capture prey, with a body type perfectly adapted to such sudden strikes. It violently attacks small, surface-dwelling insects.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 2, August 2004]

What’s more is that Snagret has the widest distribution of a species after the Bulborb, which explains why nectar eggs can be found all over the world across the Pikmin games.

“Distributed across a relatively wide range, subspecies of snagret suited to the varying soil conditions have emerged, making the snagret the most geographically represented species besides the bulborb.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 2, August 2004]

So in short, female Burrowing Snagrets lay their eggs. Those that are fertilised will produce Downy Snagrets, while unfertilised eggs will produce nectar. Sometimes, a female Burrowing Snagret will eat a Mitite, resulting in Mitite larvae hatching within and feeding on the eggs laid by the Burrowing Snagret. The larval Sunsquish also finds its way into these eggs, while Honeywisps occasionally steal the eggs to feed the nectar within then to their own larvae.

[dougdimmadodo]

Lion's Mane Jellyfish (Cyanea capillata)

Family: Cyaneid Jellyfish Family (Cyaneidae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Unassessed

Named for its frilly "mane" made up of over 1,200 long, stinging tentacles, the Lion's Mane Jellyfish is among the largest known jellyfish species; while this viral image showing a diver next to a Lion's Mane Jellyfish has been edited to make the jellyfish appear far larger than it actually is, members of this species still dwarf most of their relatives, with a bell ("main body") diameter of over 2.4 meters (7.89 feet) and a tentacle length of as much as 30 meters (98.4 feet), making it one the longest animals on earth. Typically found near the surface in the Arctic, northern Atlantic and northern Pacific Ocean regions, Lion's Mane Jellyfishes, like all jellyfishes, lack brains, eyes, hearts or respiratory organs (instead exchanging gasses directly between the water around them and their extremely thin tissues,) and rely heavily on waves and ocean tides to travel, but are able to slowly propel themselves in a given direction by expanding the 8 bag-like lobes of their bodies to take in water and then forcing it out again to push themselves along (although they can also to some extent detect and react to their orientation and surroundings owing to a series of frilly sensory structures located around their body's rim, know as rhopalia.) Like most jellyfishes the long, trailing tentacles of a Lion's Mane Jellyfish are lined with touch-sensitive, harpoon-like cells called cnidocytes that fire venomous barbs into any animal that touches them, and after a tentacle has stung and ensnared suitable prey (mainly fish, large plankton and smaller jellyfishes) it is pulled back towards the body where the prey is passed through a mouth-like opening on the jellyfish's underside and into a simple body cavity where it is digested, with any indigestible matter, such as shells or bones, later being ejected from the body through the same opening it entered through. The life cycle of the Lion's Mane Jellyfish, like that of most jellyfishes, takes place in 4 distinct stages and seems highly elaborate compared to that of most animals; the bag-like adults that we typically think of as jellyfishes, known as medusas, are either male or female and reproduce sexually by releasing gametes into the water around them, and should these gametes meet they fuse and develop into tiny larvae. The larvae then settle onto a solid surface and develop into polyps (a second, immobile life stage resembling a sea anemone,) and each polyp then asexually reproduces several times, with genetically identical, slow-swimming young splitting off of its body as buds. Each of these asexually-produced individuals will then develop into a medusa, continuing the cycle and meaning that each single instance of sexual reproduction in Lion's Mane Jellyfishes produces multiple asexually-produced offspring. Despite their massive size medusas of this species only live for around a year, although their polyps, which only reproduce under ideal environmental conditions, may remain dormant for longer than this.

---------------------------------------------

Image Source: here

[neil-gaiman]

Hello Neil Gaiman! Since I adore your work and read your books with interest, I would like to ask a couple of questions that torment my brain regarding the book "Good Omens". Not a series, but a book, I think this will not be a huge spoiler, but just funny and interesting facts. Sorry in advance, there were more questions than I initially expected) 1) What do Hell and Heaven look like in the book? We've seen the posh portrayal of Hell and Heaven in the show, but the book implies they're more stereotypical. Hell - caves, lava, fire, creepy horned creatures around, Paradise - a blooming garden or a beach resort with white angels. Is it so? There were only a couple of hints about the heat in Hell in the book, it would be interesting to know if this is actually the case. 2) What do Hastur and Ligur look like in the book? Are they in human form or real creepy devils? As a designer and animator, this question torments me the most, sorry) We saw that Beelzebub is described as a red-skinned horned monster, but what do the two dukes of the Underworld look like?3) Hastur is more concerned with this issue, is he from the very beginning a bunch of larvae or a demonic creature with larvae inside? Or is he one of them in the truest sense of the word?4) Does the Dark Council of Hell include such high demons as Mammon, Asmodeus, Belphegor, Leviathan, Lilith?5) Stana and Lucifer are different demons or not?6) Are the tortures and executions in the circles of Hell the same as Dante's or are they somehow different?7) Hastur threatens Crowley in a rather interesting way: "You're going to get taken to the bloody cleaners, pal". There are some kind of blood cleaners in Hell and it is better not to mess with them?8) Do all demons have a true form from a crowd of larvae? It's just that not only Hastur loves this image, but also Crowley, which, it seems to me, is not particularly to his taste. So these are their demonic forms?9) Why in the book Hell and Paradise pretend that everything is in order, and do not try to blame someone for the failure of Armageddon? This is the best scene in the series!Sorry in advance, there are too many questions, but of course you can only answer the most favorite and important questions, and yes, thank you very much! 

Generally the best thing about books is that they leave questions unanswered, and the best thing about fanfiction and headcanons is you get to answer those questions to your own satisfaction.

[bestanimal]

Round 1 - Phylum Nematoda

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Nematoda is a diverse phylum of animals commonly called roundworms or eelworms. Most are free-living and feed on microorganisms, but some are parasitic.

Nematodes are very diverse, but usually appear as small, slender worms. The smallest are microscopic, while the largest free-living species can be up to 5 cm (2 in) long. Some parasitic species can be even longer, reaching up to 8.4 m (27.5 ft) in length! Nematode heads are radially symmetrical and, in many cases, have head-shields radiating outwards around the mouth. The mouth has either three or six lips, which often bear a series of teeth on their inner edges. They have a dense, circular nerve ring which serves as their brain. They are covered in sensory bristles that provide a sense of touch. There are two small pits on the head that likely serve as chemoreceptors. Some aquatic nematodes have eye-spots, but it is unknown if they are actually sensory. They have seperate male and female individuals, with females usually being larger than males, though some species are hermaphroditic. They reproduce sexually, and females have a glandular uterus. They lay eggs, though some species are ovoviviparous. Larvae of free-living nematodes look like smaller adults, though parasitic nematodes usually have more complex life cycles.

Nematodes are perhaps the most successful phylum on Earth. They have adapted to nearly every ecosystem: from marine to freshwater, from soils to trees, from tundra to rainforest, at the tops of mountains, in deserts, in oceanic trenches, and up to 3.6 km (12,000 ft) below the surface of the Earth. They represent 90% of all animals on the ocean floor, and 80% of all individual animals on Earth. They often exceed a million individuals per square meter. This ubiquitous nature means they play a role in every ecosystem, most crucially in polar ecosystems where life is otherwise scarce. Of the parasitic forms, about a third of genera occur as parasites of vertebrates, and about 35 nematode species occur in humans.

Propaganda under the cut:

Nematodes play an important role in the decomposition process, aiding in recycling nutrients.

There are approximately 60 billion nematodes per human inhabiting the Earth’s topsoil. Those are your government assigned topsoil nematodes. Do with them as you wish.

One soil-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans (see first image), has had its entire genome sequenced, the developmental fate of every cell determined, and every neuron mapped. They are considered a model organism: a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena.

While some species of nematode are detrimental to agriculture, other species are considered beneficial as they prey on agricultural pests. These species are bred commercially as biological pest control agents which can be used as a much safer, environmentally-friendly alternative to pesticides.

The largest known nematode, Placentonema gigantissima, can reach sizes of up to 8.4 m (27.5 ft) long and 2.5 cm wide. It has been found living as a parasite in the reproductive tract of a sperm whale.

As stated by nematologist Nathan Cobb:

“In short, if all the matter in the universe except the nematodes were swept away, our world would still be dimly recognizable, and if, as disembodied spirits, we could then investigate it, we should find its mountains, hills, vales, rivers, lakes, and oceans represented by a film of nematodes. The location of towns would be decipherable since, for every massing of human beings, there would be a corresponding massing of certain nematodes. Trees would still stand in ghostly rows representing our streets and highways. The location of the various plants and animals would still be decipherable, and, had we sufficient knowledge, in many cases even their species could be determined by an examination of their erstwhile nematode parasites.”

[definitelynotshouting]

Idk if this is Hunger AU canon or my own personal fanon but

one of the "calling cards" that the Watchers used in Evo was bedrock

bedrock is unbreakable by a player

perfect for trapping the player you're using as a Watcher incubator

and the texture looks rough af

when you get desperate you often try to do stuff to escape even if it's impossible, right

so what I'm saying is

probably one of the last things player!Grian did was tearing his hands to shreds trying to break bedrock out of sheer desperation

which makes all the passages in your fic where he's staring at his hands even more *gestures vaguely*

(idk why I typed this out in this format but it felt right so I'm going with it)

MAN OKAY THIS IS SUPER COOL i especially adore how youve connected it with the way i keep having Grian stare at his own hands???? which ftr is smth ive only just now realized i do all the time AKDBWKDJKSSJ this is JUST like the scarian jaw kisses thing HELPPPP 💥💥💥💥💥💥💥😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 but thats such a cool thought!!! And utterly angsty i love it >:]

Its also made me realize i dont think ive ever actually told yall what did happen during that interim where Grian was captive as a Player before he died and became a Watcher, so buckle in i guess as i try to explain this one to yall (obligatory cws for captivity, parasitism, violated autonomy, body horror, and major character death discussion)

Yknow the world borders the life series has?? It was like that, but tiny. Maybe a couple chunks' worth of space to move around in. He spawned into a savannah biome and the Watchers specifically in charge of keeping an eye on him (pun intended) penned him in with the borders, implanted the specially-coded larva, and then retreated back just outside the server's barrier code to, well. To Watch.

So post Evo dragon fight the Watchers convinced Grian to join them without telling him what that entailed. They then proceeded to whisk him away to the server cluster's dev crystal, which is where the remnants of this Watcher colony made their semi-permanent home. There, held together basically only by the Watchers' ability to manipulate code, they had Grian make a brand new server.... and immediately trapped him in it.

He spent a year there slowly dying, eaten from the inside out by a parasite that was collecting his memories, copying over his stats and personality, with very limited space and resources to get by with. I know he built a tiny house out of acacia, but it never got any bigger than a starter base. He lived off of mostly bread and the meat from a few animals that spawned in with him; he primarily used stone tools, because those were what was most readily available. It was a very terrifying and lonely year, where all access to the outside world was cut off, and he was meticulously watched over to keep from dying while the larva inside him continued to grow and destroy him.

The Watchers were mostly hands-off in terms of interaction, but they did do regular check-ins to ensure the larva was alive and that there was no danger present to its host. Hostile mobs were carefully warded off, and Grian spent most of his time alternating between begging them to let him go (they never responded), trying to figure out ways to escape (it never worked), and tending to baseless chores just to keep from going out of his mind as his body grew weaker and weaker and more unstable around him.

I have a lot of feelings about this tbh, bc its just such a bleak scenario to think about-- trapped in a tiny cage with something killing you from the inside out, and your captors wont even talk to you about it properly. Being left otherwise to your own devices, with the terrible, lingering knowledge that, even if it was under duress, you still agreed to this. The fact that, after a certain point, after your questions and pleas are summarily ignored and brushed aside, you finally realize: you aren't meant to survive this. You are going to die.

A juvenile Watcher's first meal are the emotions during their host's last few moments. Grian was no exception; he cracked his way out of his own ribcage, and, without meaning to, amplified and feasted on Player!Grian's agony and terror as he died. With their memory codes finally disconnected, Grian had to watch himself through the eyes of a stranger as his terrified consciousness dissolved and his body fell apart into nothing more than loose strings of code.

Only then, still weak and flailing and helpless, was he was brought into the colony proper, in order to teach him how to be a Watcher. It wouldnt be for another few years before Grian gained the strength, control, and insight required to make his desperate escape. In total, i wanna say he spent somewhere between.... 4-6 years??? with the colony against his will. It would take another 4 for him to finally scrape together the courage to contact Mumbo and finally ask him for an invite into the Hermitcraft proper

One of these days i do plan to write that reunion, actually, which i'll add to the series as another prequel just like all the words that i forgot to say, which takes place roughly 6-8 months after Grian finally joins Hermitcraft. And if yall want to read an absolutely fantastic fic that deals with the moment Watcher!Grian was born and Player!Grian died, you should absolutely check out my friend @raichett 's fic Divergency, which ive pretty much canonized bc it REALLY hits the nail on the head for that situation.

Okay this got a lot longer than i meant it to sidhskdjej also those timeframes are a little squiggly bc i havent fully settled on where they fall on the general timeline. I wanna say Grian had been a Watcher for abt a decade by the time Mumbo got him onto Hermitcraft, though, so thats the loose timeline im working off of when i talk abt this :] anyway thanks for giving me an excuse to write this all out!!! while your idea about the bedrock isnt necessarily canon, i absolutely ADORE it and can totally see Grian just tearing up his hands while scrabbling against the world border.... utterly heartbreaking we fucking LOVE to see it. Thanks for sending in your ask!!! I always love seeing what you have to say about hunger au!!! :DDD

[postal-ech]

MORE METROID BULLSHIT

Alright because I've gotten hyped up on Metroid again, like the autistic fucking gremlin that I am for all things metroid related, let me tell you all about the Metroid

UNDERNEATH THIS BREAK OF COURSE!

LETS START WITH THE BASICS:

SO

WHAT IN THE FUCK IS A METROID???

In the layman's terms, for those just getting into the series either from Dread or the Prime remaster or Prime 4 being REAL: Metroids are little energy parasites that latch onto the heads of their prey to literally suck the life energy out of them in their entirety

The most important thing to understand is that they are the larval stage of their life cycle

See, when the Chozo were expanding out from their homeworlds, they discovered the vibrant, hollow planet known as SR388 - Ili Agar Nalima, in their language.

And that planet contained the most god-forsaken, horrific parasite to ever exist in the galaxy (right up there with Phazon, which we'll discuss later)

The X Parasite

See, the X have this horrifying ability to Mimic their host down to the individual strand of DNA and even their memories - like The Thing on fucking steroids. A single X Parasite could infiltrate an organized Galactic society and within weeks, let alone even days, totally convert the populace into more X Parasites.

The Chozo understandably flipped the fuck out and decided the best course of action would be to kill a nuke with another nuke

Enter: The Metroid

The Metroid's lifestyle was made to counter the X Parasite's cycle entirely - As they are utterly immune to the parasitification of their DNA, even outright consuming them entirely should the X pass through their membrane, the Metroids utterly changed the balance of SR388's ecosystem.

Now keep in mind, the Chozo DID understand the implications of an energy-sucking parasite taking over the planet, so when they were first created, they were made only with the intent to have the larvae as just their primary form

Unfortunately, however, there was something the Chozo didn't factor into their creations: their ability to adapt to their environment to an extreme degree

For some reason that's still unknown in the greater metroid canon, Metroids began to evolve, and obtained a life cycle of their own - What were once easily controllable larvae became highly aggressive alphas, betas, gammas, zetas and omegas, and eventually one Queen as well.

Now it's not really known if the Chozo created the Queen with the intent of producing larvae, or if the Chozo mass produced the larvae themselves, but whatever the case was, now they were an uncontrollable animal that had to be sealed away, deeper in the planet itself.

(Image source: warahi on DeviantArt)

The biggest thing to note is that this lifecycle gave the metroid an immunity to cold - all larval metroids have an inate weakness to colder temperatures, but metroids past that larval stage on SR388 remain immune or heavily resistant to it.

And this is where the most important thing comes to mind for the metroid.

While All Metroids have an incredible ability to adapt to ANY PLANET'S ATMOSPHERE.

This has allowed their exploitation by other parties and, by extention, the creation of other strains of metroids.

For example, the Mochtroid!

So in an earlier post I mentioned they're created through Gamma radiation!

THAT IS FUCKING INCORRECT!

It is actually through the use of Beta Radiation!

And they are considered fucking failures!

See, Mochtroids are the results of exposing the baby metroid in Super to Beta Radiation. This can also create actual copies of larval metroids too, but for some reason this had a result of producing Mochtroids too

It isn't exactly stated as to how these Mochtroids are produced, as they could very well just be a failed space pirate experiment to make metroids more akin to their SR388 variant or just attempting to make their own much like the Chozo, but either way, they're real and they're absolutely pathetic.

The biggest thing to note is their singular nuclei, and their very weak grip strength.

Now the Mochtroids we see in the Prime 4 trailer look more akin to normal metroids too, so perhaps this may be a more refined, mass produced version of a mochtroid - like a mass produced jeep, sort of reliable but not as god-tier as the God damn original.

(Car analogy, I know, but bear with me)

But another thing to keep in mind is that metroid morphology will adapt to their atmosphere, as said above, but this can also be a negative for them too

Like the Talon metroid!

See, Talon Metroids have a characteristic to them where they are FAR. FAR WEAKER compared to their Zebes and SR388 variants, but not as weak as a mochtroid

Where Metroids take a shitload of firepower to kill, and need to be frozen to kill, and Mochtroids can just be shot out of the air with a grapple beam, the Talon IV metroid is kind of like a middle ground - you can kill it with conventional arms, but freezing it and firing a missile at it just outright kills it entirely.

Now this could be because of the atmospheric exposure to phazon, but this also resulted in the Hunter Metroid! My Beloved...

And an artistic concept to boot

Hunter Metroids developed an adaptation where these mother fuckers hunt from range

No longer do they need to get up close and latch to you when they just fling a tendril at you and just murder your shit in!

They also are just as strong as a Talon IV metroid, however that shouldn't degrade their overall danger

It's very much thought that they're the next step towards the Hatcher Metroid from Prime 3 given their similar appearance, but we'll get to that later.

Eventually in the Phazon Crater, you'll even find Fission Metroids, which are immune to freezing and even split themselves in two as well! And that isn't considering the Metroid Prime, which is a very VERY heavily mutated metroid as well!

The most unique variant is the Aether Metroid imo. It's a Talon Metroid that has adapted to Aether's atmosphere and have this harsh red membrane to them. They're also have the ability to reproduce on their own!!! They have nest structures that incubate their larvae, and these larvae instantly mature through the consumption and exposure to phazon as well! There's also the Dark Metroid but that's an Ing possession we won't cover here.

Prime 3 really deep dives into a metroid life cycle fully exposed to phazon.

The Phaazetroid is a Metroid so heavily exposed to Phazon they're essentially considered a different metroid species with a completely different life cycle.

They start off as miniroids, or little baby metroids

(These are Infant Metroids from prime 2 but pretend they're miniroids)

Eventually they'll mature and evolve into Phaazetroids, which have a much more unique body shape compared to a normal metroid

They almost look like Mochtroids, don't they!?

Now eventually these things will evolve again, and we're not sure which ends up next, but eventually a Hatcher Metroid becomes reality - the only metroid in their genus capable of producing eggs

And then you have the Hopping Metroid, which looks very, oddly similar to the Metroid Prime...

(Unfortunately I ran the image limit here so imagine a funni quadraped little bastard here)

Eventually they evolve into Phazon Hoppers...and then it's implied they eventually become a Metroid Prime themselves, with enough time given to them

Overall, with Prime 4 coming out in 2025, I'd say to expect some more metroid fuckery when it comes to the Space Pirates and Sylux. What those metroids of his may be could very well be a new and refined variant of Mochtroid...or it could be another metroid strain entirely!

But GOD DAMN I can't wait!

Thanks for attending my metroid Ted talk by the way, expect more of this shit eventually.

[chimeride]

how do you avoid making a creature that's too similar to another?

Excellant question, because it’s a perfect occasion for me to discuss about diversity, a central theme in this serie, and how to illustrate it !!

The first method is creature design in its purest form : what does my creature looks like ? And then breakdown every aspect of what makes a monster. For anatomy i see 2 main parameters :

architecture : how many limbs ? heads ? and where to put them ? For example you can see “gryphons” as a kind of structure, with 4 legs, 2 wings and a beak (roughly) and play around with this structure

proportions : the same chimera with different proportions makes very different monsters ! You can play with the head/body ratio, make some limbs vestigial, or big wingspan to make them impressive, etc. For chimeras, this is the main difference between drawing and taxidermy !

Another aspect for my case with chimeras is which species i’m using. Unless i have a precise idea in mind i always make some quick research :

for example if i need a flamingo i check all the different kinds of flamingoes on wikipedia ; sometimes i go back up the phylogenic trees to see similar animals but slightly different

if i’m illustrating a monster from a precise geographic location i try to look for local species too, to make it more consistent

sometimes the design is based around a particular specie of animal i find interesting

i guess it goes with species, but you can obviously change patterns (on fur, wings etc) or colors (not my problem tho).

For example, lately i’m drawing Lemures where i combine bodies of lemurs with heads of larvae : the architecture is always the same but the possibilities are endless !

Second method is more concept-driven :

it’s how can i challenge definitions and concepts (whats is a dragon ?? seriously ???), try to explore it and cover all the range of the definitions and push them at their limits (ok now i have no idea what a dragon is anymore)

it can also start with a theme (what if i combine all the animals behind the symbols of the Seven Deadly Sins to make a chimeric representation?? what if that beach i went once 2 years ago were full of creatures ???), and it could be something very abstract (what if that music is actually about a monster ??)

you can also mix concepts together (metachimeras) !!

I also start from prompts (through asks, challenges and shittycryptids, mostly), because there are many ways to interprete them : sometimes i try to channel different inspirations by previous interpretations into one design, sometimes i just give what people wanted to see, but i have more fun when i respond exactly to the prompt in the most unpredictable way.

All of these methods bring a lot of diversity, and i will never run out of ideas ! The possibilities for chimeras are endless, and these are some methods i’ve got to find them. If you have other methods please share them !! And if you are interested by the methodologic aspect, i’ve done a masterpost that explain the tags for different categories and links to check the chimeras behind.

And also, most importantly maybe, but i try to leave some space for intuition : if something works or comes in my mind and it looks good i just go with it ! I always have a sketchbook for when i’ve got random ideas coming to me. Intellectualizing the process is fun, but creation isnt only about methodology.

[freakattack]

Thoughts on the warioware staff directory

I love you mona you are so cool

Orbulon's page is more consistent with his pre-gold characterization than i expected which is encouraging. I really like the pixel font animations. I also love wario referring to him as his "eldest employee"

I LOVE THAT MIKE'S TEXT AUTOMATICALLY HIGHLIGHTS LIKE A KARAOKE MACHINE. Also

Mikey.....

4. DRIBBLE MADE THE DANGLING SPITZ DOLLS?? That's so cute also i didn't know spitz was an AUTHOR I knew he liked science fiction but i didn't know he made his own. And he showed it to dribble.....that's so cute considering they started out the series hiding their sci-fi obsession from each other out of embarrassment. Live your beautiful truth

5. This bit from Dr crygor:

Honestly i don't blame him for wanting to dissect that guy. Have you seen the cross-section in the wario world manual? His guts are nuts

6. JIMMY'S PAGE FORMAT IS A TEXT CONVERSATION??? IT'S SO GOOD. The designs of all these webpages are so creatively fun. I'm obsessed. I also love how they translated jimmy's pigeon-watching comment into a pun:

7. PENNY!?!?!?!!,!?

8. I enjoy that wario has to mention that he doesn't pay anyone every time he talks about an employee

9. Generally speaking I really love how much established lore is referenced in these staff pages. Some series are really loosey-goosey with their established canon but the warioware people did NOT forget that mona's favorite animal is "moth larva"

10. Obsessed with the confirmation that ana is "a little bit scared" of wario. I want to give her a hi-five

12. THEY LINKED TO THE ORIGINAL MEGA MICROGAMES WEBSITE!!!! Love isn't dead

13.

[jupiterswasphouse]

WASP REVIEW - ZINGER (DONKEY KONG SERIES)

[Image IDs: Two renders of the Zinger from DK: Jungle Climber and the original Donkey Kong Country respectively /End IDs.]

and were back to the wasps based entirely on eusocial species! This time, the basic Zingers (although having a few different recolored iterations) look the most like some black and yellow species of paper wasp or yellowjackets. Given Rareware's home of operations and the homeland of designer Steve Mayles, being England, I feel like it's fairly safe to assume that they're based on one of three species of wasp: the common wasp (Vespula vulgaris), the European wasp/German yellowjacket (Vespula germanica), or the European paper wasp (Polistes dominula)!

[Image Sources: Wildlife Insight, and Wikimedia Commons, Sharp Photography | Image IDs: Two photos of yellow and black wasp species, the former being the common wasp, a type of yellowjacket, on a grey wood surface, and the latter being the European paper wasp on a stone or concrete surface /End IDs.]

They're not entirely accurate; the markings aren't too precise, they only have two wings as opposed to the four on a real wasp (Although the DK: Jungle Climber iteration changes their shape to at least imply a second pair), and obviously real wasps don't have a trail of spines/stingers running down their metasoma nor a pair of signature Rareware cartoon eyes. However, the original model especially is surprisingly accurate for being based on an animal that the designer himself said he was scared by! I especially appreciate the original's fairly accurate legs and addition of setae!

It's in the games themselves where we run into more inaccuracies to these particular species, however. In the original DKC, the queen of the Zingers is named Queen B. and is fought on the boss stage titled 'Bumble B. Rumble', clearly being a direct reference to real world bees, which are several familial branches away in the wasp subclade Aculeata from the previously listed Vespids. This is honestly, while a little frustrating, not a big deal. But, when we get into the second game in the DKC line, we discover their hives.

The Zinger hives throw a major spanner in the works. The wasps mentioned make paper nests, with the yellowjackets nests having a round, closed structure, some yellowjackets building inside of trees or in dirt burrows, and the paper wasps having an open, umbrella-like structure both including cells built in hexagonal shapes, built to contain their larvae and often having silk caps covering them. Meanwhile, the Zingers have nests that match the hexagonal cells, caps, and larvae of these wasps, but are clearly made of yellow wax and contain honey, like that of honey bees.

[Image Sources: Carolina Honey Bees, and Wikimedia Commons, Dicklyon | Image IDs: Two photos showing the nests of the western honey bee and the european paper wasp, followed by a screenshot of one of the Zinger's hives /End IDs.]

Honey bees will also cap their honey and larvae with wax, and while a few notable species of Vespid wasps do, in fact, produce honey, the european paper wasps and yellowjackets are not a part of that particular set of species! Oddly, some of the cells appear to contain notably smaller adults as opposed to other cells that contain larvae. To add further confusion, one of these hive levels is titled 'Hornet Hole', hornets being another completely different genus within Vespidae (Vespa).

On top of all that, at the end of the area that contains the hive levels, Krazy Kremland, you fight another Zinger boss, this time named King Zing. As you may know, no wasps have a 'King', solely having a Queen, with hives having both Kings and Queens among eusocial insects being moreso found in termites, belonging to a completely different order (Blattodea).

Outside of their nesting behavior and hierarchy, their behavior is generally unremarkable for platformer enemies, with amped up aggression from that of a real world wasp (although admittedly not nearly as aggressive as a real world wasp would be if you were a monkey with a baseball cap and an unquenchable thirst for bananas invading their nest, as you play in DKC2) to give the player an obstacle to overcome in these levels. It is, at least, implied that these wasps would collect nectar from flowers to turn into the honey found in their nest.

Plus, as I wondered in my review of Fallout: New Vegas' Cazadores, I have to question what exactly a wasp of such a size hunts to bring back to its young! Hopefully Donkey or Diddy Kong wouldn't find themselves on the menu!

All in all, these wasps get a few things right, but are quite the mixed bag of confused species with a couple outright inaccuracies not found in Hymenoptera in general thrown in there. Though I can commend the effort by the designer!

-

Overall: 4.5/10

-

Leave your wasp review suggestion in the replies, tags, or askbox!

Make sure to tune in next week when we cover the Circuit Bees and Mask Hornets from Lethal Company!

[iamthekaijuking]

So it's pretty much confirmed that PNF-404 from Pikmin is Earth in the distant future. Any thoughts on what the native creature enemies are descended from? I hc Bulborbs as some kind of derived gastropod that convergently evolved a pair of vertebrate-like legs (since the Bulborb Larva is legless), and the Pikmin themselves as a composite organism between a highly-specialized social insect and a Cordyceps-like plant that, rather than being parasitic is instead mutualistic.

Most of the creatures aren’t too different from their inspiration so it’s pretty easy to tell what they are. The grubs and beetles are grubs and beetles, the clamclamps are clams, the wollywogs are frogs, the mites are mites, etc.

Others are just completely out there and impossible to truly tell what they are. Like the wraiths, mamuta, honeywisps, and the Longlegs and Gatling groink. The last two honestly feel like leftover biotechnology.

Some we’re actually told what they’re descended from or related to, which is also usually believable. So like the Hermit Crawmads being hermit crabs or the skitterleaf being a water strider.

The “Scarpanid” family I’d hesitantly call beetles.

The Goolix is just a giant amoeba, which isn’t too out there considering there are plenty of giant unicellular organisms IRL (algae, seaweed, slime molds getting ready to reproduce, Xenophyophores, etc).

Snagrets are likely very strange birds. They could be descended from any number of burrowing birds or even passerines, which make up 60% of all birds and owe their success partly to a genetic code that is predisposed towards speciation.

Blowhogs I’ve always been unsure of but the tusked blowhog in 4 indicates that they’re possibly pigs. While the tusked blowhog isn’t a true blowhog it could be a primitive close relative that lies just outside of true blowhogs. I think Porquillion could also be related.

Vehemoth seems like a weird aerial salamander.

The meerslug is probably descended from a fish of some kind. One that burrows.

Dweevils I’m not entirely sure on.

There’s so many pikmin enemies that I’d be here all day covering them so I’m just skipping to the Bulborbs.

I’ve mentioned that I love @just9art’s slugborb theory even if it had to handwave that breadbugs are canonically not too closely related to grubdogs. I also just love the artwork and am so sad that their renditions of the grubdogs are not real animals I can hold. However, Bulborbs and breadbugs are so nondescript that people have purposed that they’re possibly terrestrial mud skippers or anglers (specifically ones like handfish) and they all work. Some people think they’re frogs, and @aphid-kirby covered it in a series of YouTube videos. https://m.youtube.com/@fictionalbiology1921/featured

As for pikmin, I do think a lot of the mobile plants form a family, which includes pikmin. But pikmin themselves are very weird (from here on is spoilers for PIKMIN 4).

Pikmin seem to be composite organisms, but apparently they can also force horizontal gene transfer onto other organisms as seen in the bad end for pikmin 1. This is also a main plot point for the fourth game as the main antagonist is actually Olimar being pikminized. All of this means that pikmin might not even be a species in a traditional sense.

Speaking of spoilers for 4, the final boss is a giant dog like Oatchi and is heavily implied to be a feral version of the ancestor of Oatchi’s kind. Meaning that they might actually be earth canines. However, the various spacemen of the games are also said to have had these canine companions for a long time, which could also mean that Olimar and co aren’t actually aliens, but descendants of humans who took dogs with them to space. While they evolved to be tiny (just barely big enough for their inner ears to still work), they selectively bred their dogs to be like jerboas. Humanity has been away from home for so long they don’t even remember it.

[fruityuncleskeletor]

On Vegas and his hedgehogs

I have accepted it as a fact that Gun made a habit of killing Vegas' hedgehogs even when they happened to be thriving and not die on their own.

Hedgehogs were a means for Gun to keep his son trapped in a childhood headspace, in a state of blind submission to him. The way Vegas talks about hid hedgehogs to Pete in that moment of heartbreaking sincerity at the safehouse, he makes it sound like a ritual, like a bonding thing his father extended to him... effectively stringing him along and reinforcing the illusion that they are a family and for that he is owed blind loyalty. Gun knew. Gun knew fucking well that Vegas is more capable than he ever deigned to be. The moment Vegas went into hiding, the family businesses went to shit one by one and instead of being a leader and taking the reins, Gun drove a four hour roundtrip every day to hit Vegas for not being at work, being exploited like a donkey to make Gun look good. The hedgehog, while cute, is not an animal that makes a good pet. You can't just throw one in a cage with a straw and call it a day. And from what we saw in the series, Vegas kept his in a bird cage, with straw or wood shavings on the floor and fed him food in powder form. My dad has hedgehogs in his garden. They are the size of small cats and eat centipedes, worms, larvae, small mice, lizards, snakes, every bug that crosses their path and cat food they extort from my dad's cats. They are noisy, they bully animals tens of times biger than them and are the biggest Gs in that patch of land. Vegas' hedgehog did not have a single item counting towards enrichment in his cage, he had shit food and got ignored for hours and days. And it's not because Vegas didn't want to do a good job and didn't love his pet. But again, Gun held him up to the expectation that pet care goes without saying and if he is not successful at it, it's a failing on his part. And I fully believe Gun made sure all of Vegas' hedgehogs died just so he could tell his son he is so worthless and incompetent, he can't even keep a small animal alive. If he can't even do that, how can he possibly lead a large crime family? (Nevermind that Vegas is already doing that, de facto). The hedgehogs and their repeated deaths are symbolic of Vegas being kept in that state of powerlessness and self-hate so that he doesn't grow strong and into a direct threat for Gun himself. When he finds himself alone with an unconscious Pete, Vegas sees an all too known scenario play out around him. We see him tell Pete over and over that he is treating him like a pet, then panic when Pete is unresponsive after the beating. He is scared that he won't be able to help Pete, and we know Vegas has no qualms about torturing people and killing them; but with Pete it's precisely because Pete carries the pet label, Vegas gave it to him to mock him and to inform his status as a captive. Vegas knows his track record with pets is terrible and he is afraid that Pete will die because of him, by his hand and not from punishments but from Vegas' perceived incompetence. If Pete dies, it means his father is proven right yet again, in an impossible to ignore or dismiss way.

Then, when the hedgehog at the safehouse gets sick, we see Vegas sitting next to a sleeping Pete with the animal in his hands, staring at it. It's only when Pete suggests solutions that he gets into gear and decides to take the animal to the vet. As though it only occured to him that is a thing that he can do. He rushes out the door and abandons his captive and his schemes for the moment, leaving the handcuff key behind. Vegas lives within the limits his father draws up for him every day, and while he can't see the bars, the cage is always there. It takes someone else from the outside (Pete) telling him he can just open the door and walk out for him to do it. The most heartbreaking things about it are this: Gun keeps his son in this dependent state to prevent him from surpassing and likely dethroning him, and he dangles the promise and specter of family love over Vegas' head. And it works because this is all Vegas ever wanted - to be loved, even if just in that mundane way of "at least don't shoot him down before the world does" that is a minimum for a parent to do. But as we know, not only does Gun not intend to give his son a single crumb of love and acceptance, he is also incapable of those things himself, so Vegas is chasing shadows and beating himself up for nothing. The lesson Vegas is meant to learn from the hedgehogs is not how to make himself comfortable in the cage, but to see that being forgotten and neglected in a cage inevitably leads to death.

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Week in Review (June 25-July 8, 2023)

I picked a bad time to skip a week lol

Ultraman Blazar, the 35th entry in the Ultra Series, has made the scene. Episode 1 throws us right into a battle between humanity and a space monster. Blazar's the pushy type, all but forcing Gento to transform, but he doesn't speak Japanese—just yowls. For now, that makes him the show's central mystery. The show's defense team, SKaRD, won't actually form until the next episode, at which point we should have a better sense of it. But I'm intrigued so far.

Free streaming TV service Pluto TV has added a Godzilla channel. It boasts, or should soon boast, all of the Japanese Godzilla films minus King Kong vs. Godzilla and Shin Godzilla, plus Rodan, all the Mothra movies, The War of the Gargantuas, Godzilla (1998), and Godzilla: The Series. A Blu-ray.com user has composed a detailed rundown of the versions of the films used—short version, nothing we haven't seen before apart from a few small changes.

I got to see Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken before its official June 30 release date thanks to Regal's Monday Mystery Movie series. I guess I didn't retain much memory of the trailer, because it surprised me how early in the film the title character first grew into a kaiju. I can't give it an especially enthusiastic recommendation—comparisons to Luca and Turning Red are inevitable and don't flatter Ruby at all. But I get a kick out of seeing kaiju in such alien territory as a hyperactive animated kids' movie, and they continue to show off their flexibility as metaphors (Ruby is plainly neurodivergent). 7 outta 10.

Nimona dropped on Netflix the same day, and that's one anyone reading this column should sprint to watch. It saves its kaiju for the third act, and I've held off on posting much about that part of the story yet, but trust me, Ishiro Honda would be proud.

After years of lackluster Gorgo home video releases, Vinegar Syndrome seems poised to finally do it right in 4K Ultra HD. (If you're like me and don't have a way to watch such discs yet, don't worry, it comes with a Blu-ray.) New scan, new audio commentary, special features both new and old, and a killer cover. For those unfamiliar with the company, note that this release is "only available on [the Vinegar Syndrome] website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them."

Every episode of Chibi Godzilla Raids Again is now subtitled, a fine excuse to get acquainted with one of the Reiwa era's biggest surprises. No stakes, no budget, just a bunch of Toho's biggest stars acting like a bunch of fools.

There's always more Godzilla toy news than this column can hope to cover, but a few highlights:

Bandai's ever-expanding Movie Monster Series will release Gamera 1965, Gyaos 1967, and Battra larva later this month. The defunct Daiei Kaiju Series last offered a Showa Gamera in 2006, and never covered any of his foes from that era; here's hoping Gyaos is the first of many.

Hiya Toys now has the license to produce figures from the Toho Godzilla films, not just the Monsterverse.

Super7 will be selling ReAction figures of Godzilla chomping some helpless people on a subway train at San Diego Comic Con. They just get it (and hopefully the many of us who aren't going will have some way of getting it that doesn't involve scalpers).

The new unit in Godzilla Battle Line is Monster X/Keizer Ghidorah. The former evolves into the latter after his first death. Keizer is a heavy hitter with a twist: he regains 20% of his health with every defeated foe. Great against swarms, but you don't see too many of those these days.

Believe it or not (many are still in denial), but Pacific Rim turns 10 on Wednesday. Thankfully, per this Tweet from director Guillermo del Toro, the effective start of the Kaiju Renaissance (and one of my all-time favorite films) won't go unrecognized on its first big anniversary. I'm guessing a cast reunion?

More translations from Noah Oskow await on Toho Kingdom, these a collection of synopses of early versions of Godzilla vs. Mothra, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, and Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla from the Toho DVDs. Much of this has been translated in greater detail already, but the later drafts are interesting.

[godzillajuniorreborn]

My Rankings of Godzilla material (minus the comics)

Gojira: The OG Classic 10/10

Godzilla Raids Again: Not as good, but lay the groundwork for future films 6/10

King Kong vs Godzilla: Could be better, but DAMN is Kong ugly 7/10

Mothra vs Godzilla: If not for the stupid larva scene, one of the best 8/10

Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster: The original Avengers movie 8/10

Invasion of Astro Monster: Who got their Star Trek in my Godzilla? 6/10

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep: How did we go from two Ghidorah movies to a lobster!? 5/10

Son of Godzilla: Surprisingly heartwarming, if you ignore Godzilla's butt-ugly design 6/10

Destroy All Monsters: Kind of a slog, but still nostalgic 8/10

Godzilla's Revenge: For a kid's entry point into the Godzilla franchise, not that bad. 5/10

Godzilla vs Hedorah: I get what Banno was going for. 5/10

Godzilla vs Gigan: If they wanted it to be like a manga, it should've been animated. 4/10

Godzilla vs Megalon: Godzilla felt shoehorned in... which he was! 3/10

Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla: A fun, pulpy way to celebrate Godzilla's 20th anniversary 6/10

Terror of Mechagodzilla: Easily the saddest of the late Showa films. 7/10

Hanna Barbara Godzilla: It's just Scooby Doo with Godzilla. 5/10

Return of Godzilla: Nothing like a return to the roots. 8/10

Godzilla vs. Biollante: One of the most tragic Godzilla films. 8/10

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah: My first Godzilla movie. Kinda makes my head hurt now. 7/10

Godzilla and Mothra: Battle for Earth: Godzilla just feels like a guest character. Battra's cool though. 6/10

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II: Mecha-G looks like Barney. Also, best Godzilla son. 8/10

Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla: The weakest of the Heisei films, SpaceGodzilla's a good villain. 5/10

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah: Best movie of the Heisei series, ending still makes me cry. 9/10

Godzilla 1998: F*ck Roland Emmerich for making this movie. Series was good. 1/10

Godzilla the Series: One of the good things out of the 1998 film. 9/10

Godzilla 2000: The other good thing to come out of the 1998 film. 7/10

Godzilla vs. Megaguirus: It just looks kinda... cheap. 5/10

Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack: If Hayao Miyazaki directed a Godzilla film. 8/10

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla: Who got their Evangelion in my Godzilla!? Akane's best girl BTW. 7/10

Godzilla: Tokyo SOS: It's Terror of Mechagodzilla spliced with Mothra vs. Godzilla. 6/10

Godzilla Final Wars: The movie that revived my love for Godzilla. 7/10

Godzilla (2014): Now, THIS is more like it! 8/10

Shin Godzilla: God, this is so BORING! Why do fans like this again!? 3/10

Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters: Considering what comes next, not all that bad. 6/10

Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle: What the hell was that!? 2/10

Godzilla: The Planet Eater: How do you make a Ghidorah battle BORING!? 1/10

Godzilla: King of the Monsters: When somebody's Godzilla fanfic gets turned into a movie. 9/10

Godzilla: Singular Point: It has some good moments, but it made my head hurt. 7/10

Godzilla vs. Kong: The movie that saved theaters! 8/10

Godzilla: Minus One: EASILY the best Reiwa film. It really is that good. 10/10

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire: Yes, YES! WITNESS OUR VICTORY, DOKTOR SKIPPER, NERDSTALGIC, AND LITTLE PLATOON! (Kinda wish the Godzilla fights were a bit longer though) 8/10

[moderator-monnie]

Slammer Sonic/Slammer Worms Lore

Slammer Worms can completely devour/corrupt a game however can trick a player/pc owner into seeing the game as normal.

However, a keen eyed player will notice all the character's sprites being more monochromatic in color if Slammer has been there, they also seem to lose idol animations, and only move if scripted or if the player makes them.

What happens if Slammer fully consumes a game? Well you know how you can't eat the same exact pizza over and over again?

If a game is destroyed on a computer, you can't simply delete and reinstall it on that computer, no matter where the source is from, that game on THAT computer is ruined forever.

But if Slammer Prime/a Clone finds a whole new computer, they can eat the same game again, since it's a fresh PC to work with.

So in a technical sense, many Slammers can come from Sonic CD, but often prefer to explore other games in the same series just for a tad of Verity.

Slammer Prime and the clones all have some things in common, to tell themselves apart from eachother, but also other computer virus and horror au chararters.

Slammer Prime and the clones all have golden shoes, all of them have the same type of Blue Slammer Prime ((aka Slammer Sonic)) somewhere on them.

The Slammer Clones and Slammer Prime also all share an insect theme, before entering a game.

A Clone can choose what type of insect they wanna be, and as long as that insect is worm like during one stage of it's life. Then they can become it upon entering the game world.

Here are some examples.

Slammer Prime is (earth worm) based.

Slammer Tails is (wasp) based, wasps count because they are larva at some point.

Slammer Shadow is (Moth) Based cause Moths have caterpillar forms before they become moths.

The final thing that helps keep each Slammer different then another Slammer is the fact, every single clone has a different video game character host.

No Two Slammers can share the same character as a host, even if from a different game.

However there is ONE other example of a Slammer Sonic, and that Clone belongs to the playground au owned by misscloudiedays.

Playground Slammer is NOT connected to the other Slammers.

Slammer Prime and the Slammer Clones work alot like a hive mind.

They can act independently however they are all connected to eachother, as soon as a Slammer clone get's a host, and finish consuming the game they are in, they are connected completely to the other Slammers and are given access to the same powers and abilities as all other Slammers.

All Slammer clones are at the same power level, once they have connected properly but all are weaker then Slammer Prime.

Upon a Slammer Clone or Slammer Prime consuming a new virus/more code the new information is shared among all of them.

If a Slammer Clone is Killed somehow, the other clones will track it's remains to devour it, and that clones host can be given to another Slammer Clone.

Playground Slammer Sonic, Slammer Amy Rose, Slammer Shadow The Hedgehog.

Are the only Slammer Clones disconnected from the hive, each with their own reasons.

Playground:

unwillingly separated due to the fact all horror entities are made into harmless toddler versions of themselves, because of how this au functions.

Slammer Amy: Willingly separated this is one rare case where the clone spawned into existence with an 'empathy virus'

There is a 0'01% chance for a Slammer Clone to spawn itself with a virus that can either hinder it or make itself stronger.

This Slammer Clone had one that gave it empathy, so it willingly disconnected itself from the hive and share's control with Amy herself.

The only thing it forces amy todo is eat flicky's.

Slammer Shadow: Unwillingly

(unknown why disconnected from hive)

Slammer Prime and Slammer Clones all go by it/its/they/them before they get a host.

Once they have a host, they steal the hosts pronouns as their own.

Best Examples being

Slammer Prime (Sonic) It/Its/He/Him.

Slammer Amy It/Its/She/Her.

The final thing I will mention here is Slammer Prime's first computer/victim is indeed Tom, since Slammer is my take on Sonic.exe as a whole.

Tom his design and story will be worked on at a later date.

Thank you for reading, if you have any questions let me know!

[us-the-voices-and-more-voices-2]

us the voices recommends! shows, and movies! part 1

Larva 11/10

this show is genuinely amazing, I literally have cried multiple times it's genuinely the best show in the whole "potty humour, screaming" genre, literally if you can get past the kinda obnoxious screaming you will be treated with a wonderful show that has so much love put into it.

(most media critics are snobs, this show is awesome. embrace the silly and the cringe.)

Upload (2020) 10/10

black mirror if it was funny and wasn't anti-technology, best take on cyberpunk I've seen in a long time. if you liked black mirror but hated the doomer parts and the trash writing of some of the later seasons and episodes you will adore upload!

(I actually hate black mirror, like it's all short stories at the end of the day and I like some of them so much and others can go in a hole and die genuinely. it's the most mixed bag of a show I've ever seen, because it just kinda is such a doomer show like make up your mind on what it is!!! 4.7/10 overall and 11/10 for select short stories.)

dinosaur king (dubbed) 10/10

if you like "Pokemon" and "Digimon" you will fucking love dinosaur king, it has (for the time) accurate dinosaur facts. the VA's for jessie and James! and I think ash? appear, and it's a all round fun show! lots of dinosaurs and crying to be had!

squid girl (dubbed/subbed) 10/10

if you like anime girl, fish out of water, slice of life, funny shows you will love squid girl! many many squid puns, and general tomfoolery.

Siren: Survive the Island 11/10

a south Korean reality game show, where a bunch of women from different jobs and backgrounds compete to be the last one standing.

it's genuinely the coolest, edge of your seat show I've watched in a long time!

Physical 100 10/10

a reality game show where the top 100 south Korean sports people? compete against each other to win, it's fucking crazy and awesome and I can't believe it's a show.

Star Trek: lower decks 11/10

if you in any shape or form liked Star Trek you will fucking love lower decks! it's a love letter to Star Trek in all ways, it's extremely funny and a fresh take on the Star Trek formula!

(if you think the first ep is a bit meh, stick through it! it gets so much better)

sword art online: abridged 12/10

I have only ever watched, "sword art online: alicization" and so that was my intro to the sword art online series. but after watching the "something witty's" sword art online: abridged I can never go back. it is extremely well written, the characterisation is impeccable, it has the most realistic feel of if a whole bunch of people actually got trapped in a VR game, and is such an amazing version of the show you will wonder why you hadn't heard of it before!

the Red turtle 11/10

if you like beautiful animation, sadness, and to get your brain chemistry changed. you should check out the red turtle! it's a joint production with studio gibbli, and is so visually stunning and mesmerising you will just sob.

this movie is so amazing, and you will adore the hell out of it.

Megamind 11/10

Dreamworks cult classic film, a family movie that breaks down the superhero genre and reinvents it into a tale of redemption, grief, and rejecting what people think of you. one of the best family movies of the 2010s.

bolt 11/10

if Disney wasn't cowards we would have more of these cult classic early to late 2000s 3D movies, but they hate fun.

if you took everything anti-hollywood and a solid critic on the state of cinema and tv and threw in some animals, chucked it in a pot.

you would have this amazing film! genuinely one of the best Disney movies ever, and the fact people don't talk about it more is saddening.

treasure planet 11/10

one of the last 2D Disney movies, it bombed bad in the cinemas but it is an amazing film that deserves love.

the score is amazing, the characters are so weird and wonderful, and it evokes insane feelings.

chicken little 10/10

if you like kinda campy goofy movies about autism coded characters and sci-fi, and also animals you will adore chicken little, it's one of the weirder 2010s Disney movies. lots of fun and a good family movie.

that's all! see you next instalment!