#canine dentition

[bleachbleachbleach]

wtf is komamura's whole deal species wise? I never understood it

WOW this is an excellent question, because even though we technically have an answer, it’s never really made much sense to me either. First off, I want to acknowledge that it is stated in several sources that Komamura is an anthropomorphic wolf. His character profile says he is a wolf. In KaraBuri+ it also says he is a wolf (although many people mistake him for a dog). If you were looking for the straightforward answer, I suggest you stop reading here. I know that Komamura is a wolf, but am choosing to do this the hard way, using SCIENCE to find a more definitive answer. (I say this, as if I actually know how to wield science to do anything.) Strap yourselves in, because this is a long one.

Komamura identifies as a wolf, although I don’t think he looks much like what you would stereotypically imagine as a Wolf™. However, we know that phenotype/morphology isn’t always the most indicative of species identification since there’s so much variation, and we don’t have much to compare to. That, and he’s not a true wolf anyway, being some kind of wolfman/werewolf. But also, wolves/dogs/canids come in all sorts of shapes and colors. 

We’ll start off by looking at the history of wolves in Japan. Sadly, the Japanese wolf went extinct in the early 20th century due to disease, deforestation, and policies that allowed wolves to be hunted. Honestly the wikipedia page on the Japanese wolf is actually really interesting, and I suggest you give it a perusal for some interesting tidbits on Japanese history and wolf trivia you can use to impress your friends. Science also has an interesting article on the Japanese wolf and history of dogs, which is a little easier to consume.

Of note, the Japanese mainland was inhabited by two types of canids: the wolf (ookami) and mountain dog (yamainu). The ookami was described as “a devouring animal, the body of a greyish-brown colour, the long tail ash-coloured with a white tip; the lower jaws also white-spotted. The mouth wide, the teeth quasi in double rows, perfectly shaped for holding the prey. The eyes appear triangular, sparkling at night. The toes are webbed, so it swims well pursuing and catching deer in the water.” Meanwhile, the yamainu is “very similar to the Ookame [sic], usually yellowish-brown and sometimes speckled; the toes are not webbed and its claws are hollow? Usually it is lean and stinks like waterfowl.”

Due to some poor record keeping and a mix up of specimens however, there is some confusion about which canid is which. If we're going purely off looks though, I feel like Komamura looks more like a wild dog? Plus, his grandfather has long shaggy fur and kind of looks like he could be the ancestor to the Japanese spitz? Look, time is Jeremy Bearimy and we don’t know at what point the timelines might have intersected for the gene pool of modern dog breeds, but I’m saying it’s a possibility.

Note: I feel like Kubo does not know what a dog looks like nor did he use references, because dog shoulders/arms do not work like that.

Recently scientists have been using CT scans and mitochondrial DNA testing of existing specimens (of which there are very few) to describe the Japanese wolf. Interestingly, they have some genes in common with modern Japanese dogs breeds, suggesting there was some interbreeding at some point. Unfortunately we cannot do a CT scan on Komamura, nor can we get a sample of his mitochondrial DNA. We also don’t have a good reference specimen with which to compare his appearance. So what can we examine to determine what he is?

The closest structure that we can examine is TEETH. Luckily for us, one Komamura gets rid of that bucket helmet, there are plenty of instances where he shows his teeth.

In order to provide you with some context, let’s first talk about canid teeth in general. The dental formula for most canines (including wolves and dogs) is incisors (I) 3/3, canines (C) 1/1, premolars (P) 4/4, molars (M) 2/3. The slash indicates upper jaw/lower jaw. This formula is for only one side of the jaw, and the same formula holds for the other side. This means canids generally have 42 teeth (21 teeth on each side of the mouth). Importantly, the maxillary (lower jaw) fourth premolar (P4) and the mandibular (upper jaw) first molar (M1) of canids are modified to oppose each other and maximize the shearing efficiency when biting into prey. The modified teeth are called carnassial teeth.

According to Endo et al. (1997) the Japanese wolf has a very large M1 compared to the Akita (dog). We have nothing to compare to in the Bleach universe, but let’s assume that M1 will be prominent. 

Now that we know all this stuff, we can finally look at some pictures of Komamura!

I want to discuss the appalling lack of of consistency and regard for normal anatomy in the anime. At first I tried to get anime screencaps to use as reference, but then I saw THIS offensive picture and immediately got angry and stopped looking.

DO YOU SEE WHAT’S WRONG HERE?? Do you see that unicorn incisor in the middle of the mouth??? We already discussed dental formula and you’ll notice that teeth are mirrored in the mouth, with the same number of teeth on the left as on the right. They come in PAIRS. I can’t think of any animals that naturally have any teeth that are not paired. Even narwhals have paired teeth (the horn is a modified left canine). So this tooth sticking out in the middle is EGREGIOUS.

Moving onto the manga screenshots…

Honestly… I don’t know what’s going on here. We start off ok with that volume cover where it appears Kubo used a reference. I see (I) 3/3, (C) 1/1, and the first few premolars on the bottom. But then... looking at the side profiles... It doesn’t look like any kind of canid mouth I’ve seen. Definitely doesn’t seem to follow the dental formula and the number of teeth seem to change. All the teeth are so sharp…? Where are the premolars and molars? Especially the carnassials, which as we learned, are the hallmark of a canine mouth? If you ask me, these almost look like shark teeth…? Shark teeth fall out/are replaced constantly. Could this explain why Komamura seems to have different numbers of teeth at different times...?

The upper and lower jaws of the blue shark Prionace glauca.

Turns out, looking at Komamura’s dentition didn’t actually give us many answers… Apparently we’ll have to take his word for it that he’s a wolf. Although personally I think he might be closer to a wild dog and I think there’s some evidence for it too, at least going by his appearance. And maybe he’s part shark too??

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If you’d like a more philosophical and in depth take on the wolfmen of Bleach, I highly suggest you check out this post by @littleeyesofpallas, because it explains much more than I could ever hope to. 

And as it turns out, someone already realized that Komamura has some really messed up teeth, and tried to fix it. Honestly, that fix soothes my soul.

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So, what did we learn about Komamura? … nothing really. But LOL we took a journey to get here and learned a bunch of other things along the way (maybe?).

Btw I did some legit research for this ask and if you’re curious about any of the papers I referenced/linked/read in preparation, please DM me and I’ll send them to you! I considered formatting this like a research paper and providing a separate references page but I decided to spare y’all.

#if you made it to the end of this post congratulations #somehow this ended up being the length of a final paper for mammalian anatomy 101 #pretty sure that i've successfully bored everyone to death but I had fun at least #lol because even after all this i didn't even answer the question #komamura sajin #canine dentition #no brain just bleach #japanese wolf #B3's B3

[taonpest]

I see a lot of people drawing young Kain as this very, very handsome man and then there's mine. He's a little goblin full of mischief and if you flick him you'd break all the bones in his body

#legacy of kain #lok #my stupid thoughts #he also has braces #Vorador put them on his teeth because his canines were fucking his whole dentition #but that's a sorry for another time #he's also like. the Schrödinger cat of the brain #is he a genius or a dumbass? nobody knows........... #anyway #I'm so happy to see all the different versions of him #to see people drawing him and thinking of him a different way than mine! it's fun it's fun sksk #I need to draw him again #I need to draw young Sebastian as well #I need people to see that disastrous duo #they hate each other and also care about each other with the same burning passion sksksksk

[artbyifer]

Myrna

#anthro #canine #creature design #dentition #furry #ink #ink brush #marker art #original art #pen art #traditional art #dog #dogs

[tysonfurybattlepass]

strawberry cheesecake semi-arboreal serial killer

#i made his carnassials too large but honestly thats just because closed mouths look better when the teeth connect #as it is the felid gap between the canines and premolars looks very silly when drawing smiling characters #but maybe i’ll give mach some fuckhuge garden shear molars to illustrate the difference in dentition between the species #oc megantereon #jordan’s drawing again

[rusted-phone-calls]

i do not know how to talk to people

#fo the record #i do not get teeth dentitions either!! i cannot distinguish between incisors and canines in photos

[information-2-0]

#dentition #dent #permanent #lait #primaire #incisive #canine #prémolaire #molaire #denture #Youtube

[tourettesdog]

Been thinking of some cousins for the Far Frozen yetis for some time now, specifically spirits of similar origins that have embodied different elemental cores. This fella on the right has a fire core.

More info below the cut

I don't have a set name yet for these guys or where they're from (though I'm considering something along the lines of "Distant Flames", or "Endless Plains"). I wanted to draw how I imagine their facial features differ from the Far Frozen yetis.

The fire core cousins most prominently differ in their coats. While the Far Frozen yetis have dense, usually white coats (with a common prevalence of point markings) their fire core cousins favor darker pelts with a common prevalence of spots and stripes.

In addition, the coats of a fire core yeti are much sleeker, particularly around the cheeks and neck. They possess longer, tufted ears, and typically have more narrow facial features.

While it is more common for Far Frozen yetis to have protruding lower canines, it is the opposite for their fire core cousins (though a variety in dentition is recognized throughout both demographics).

While the ornamentations on their skulls appear similar in shape, the icy horns that a Far Frozen yeti possess are very different from the molten antlers of their fire core cousins.

From a young age, horns start to bud on Far Frozen yetis, growing slowly throughout their existence. These horns may be shaved, trimmed, altered, or even occasionally repaired through external means, but otherwise will not deviate much from their intended shape, and do not drop unless damaged (by poor health or injury).

In contrast, the ornamentations crowning the skulls of fire core yetis are antlers. They do not grow at all until adolescence, and will shed and regrow throughout their existence, often changing in size and shape as they do so. Rather than being made of ice, the structure of a fire core yeti's antlers bears a striking resemblance to obsidian, with fiery veins woven throughout. When a fire core yeti drops their antlers, the spot left behind resembles magma, hardening and darkening overtime as their new antlers grow.

#danny phantom #far frozen #far frozen yetis #yetis #danny phantom ocs #dogart #danny phantom art #ghosts #phanart

[are-uwu]

Werebeetle Anatomy Study: Mouth (Warning: Blood.) The second and most painful symptom of the DNA and beetle code linkage is teeth. As shown in the diagram, the shape of fangs and molars become sharper, assimilating the shape of canine teeth.

It is categorized as the most painful, since to acquire these teeth, they will replace the entire dentition of the host. Pushing in its entirety all the old teeth so that they can come out. Obviously, these teeth being a little sharper can cause extreme pain and discomfort. The use of fangs can usually be reached as an effective method of intimidation or fighting. Although only in extreme cases.

Another ability in the use of such in combat is that the strength of the jaw can be compared to that of a Pitbull, since at the time of attack can cause great damage, apart from the fact that once grabbed its target, trying to struggle would be a difficult task, and even counterproductive, because the edge of the fangs can pierce the bone. And if you manage to escape the Werebeetle's bite, you run the risk of losing parts of the muscle and bleeding to death.

An interesting theory is that the fangs can be used to attract mates because they are so large and showy.

#my art #blue beetle #jaime reyes #werebeetle #blue beetle au #blue beetle movie #khaji da

[pacificremains]

Baby and juvenile coyote skulls. Mixed dentition / double canines on the juvie!

#skull #vulture culture #oddities #animal skull #juvenile skull #teeth #coyote skull #baby skull #comparative anatomy

[dougdimmadodo]

April’s Fossil of the Month - Dimetrodon (Dimetrodon spp.)

Family: Sphenacodon Family (Sphenacodontidae)

Time Period: 295–270 Million Years Ago (Late Permian)

Although the 14-or-so species of stockily-built quadrupedal vertebrates in the genus Dimetrodon are commonly included alongside dinosaurs in popular culture, every member of this genus was already long extinct by the time the first dinosaurs developed (with the most recent known Dimetrodon species, Dimetrodon grandis, disappearing from the fossil record around 270 million years ago, while the earliest known dinosaurs appear some 25 million years later.) The morphology of the skulls of Dimetrodon species (particularly the shape of their temporal fenestrae, a pair of openings behind the eye sockets which housed muscles that operated the jaws in life) suggests that they were actually synapsids - a group of animals containing the mammals and their closest relatives, and while this makes them a “sister-group” to mammals they were still part of a separate group of non-mammalian synapsids with no direct living descendants. While the size of Dimetrodon species varied enormously (ranging from the 60cm/2ft long Dimetrodon teutonis to the 4.6 meter/15 foot long Dimetrodon angelensis, which was among the largest terrestrial animals of its time,) all were alike in possessing a distinctive dorsal “sail” made up of several elongated extensions of their vertebrae, likely with skin running between them. The purpose of this sail has been the subject of extensive debate; it was historically thought to have been used in thermoregulation (with the skin between the vertebral extensions plausibly containing blood vessels, allowing the sail to absorb heat and transport it around the body when exposed to direct sunlight, or to lose heat by flushing the sail with blood to allow it to disperse into the air when in the shade,) but more recently it has been suggested that it may also have served a role in courtship. The name “Dimetrodon” translates roughly to “two measured teeth”, in reference to the fact that, unlike reptiles, members of this genus had two different types of teeth suited to different functions - large canine teeth for gripping and tearing meat, and smaller “shearing” teeth that were likely used to more delicately remove meat from bones. Based on their dentition, it is likely that all Dimetrodon species were carnivores that fed on smaller vertebrates such as amphibians, reptiles and possibly smaller synapsids.

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Image Sources:

 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dimetrodon_incisivus_Exhibit_Museum_of_Natural_History.JPG and https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dimetrodon_grandis_3D_Model_Reconstruction.png

#dimetrodon #synapsid #synapsids #zoology #biology #paleontology #paleobiology #animal #animals #wildlife #prehistoric wildlife #evolutionary biology #permian wildlife #non-mammalian synapsids #prehistoric animals

[kitchin-gryphin]

CatBoy Chaos Comparative Anatomy/Traits Post!!

I asked in the endnotes of ch. 3 of CatBoy Chaos if anyone would be interested in my thoughts about the anatomy of catboy! Danny in my fic, as someone studying animal science, and several people said yes- so here they are! Some things I’m going to talk about in this post have been mentioned in the fic already, but I’m going to elaborate more on them.

SO - Cats and Humans? Are very very different!! (shocker I know) Forcing the human body to have cat traits would realistically fuck you up real good! Just ears, a tail, and eyes is (quite literally,) surface level stuff, and imo a little boring! So here is a list with explanations of my version of Cat-Boy Danny’s traits :

1) Advantageous Cat Traits:

Improved Hearing, he can hear softer sounds, and tell directionally where sounds are coming from! (Directional hearing is something humans are really bad at)

Improved Smell! Cats obviously have a much better sense of smell than humans

Improved Night Vision - cat eyes means a “tapetum lucidum” -  a layer of reflective cells, and what causes cat’s eyes to “glow” in the dark!

Tolerance for Dehydration and Infrequent Blinking - Domestic cats descend from desert-dwelling wildcats. These traits are a result of that ancestry, and now Danny can win any staring contest!

2) Instincts!!

Discomfort with death - (mentioned in ch.2) - animals typically have an instinctual aversion to death, it’s an important survival instinct! For Half-ghost boy Danny, this makes using his ghost powers uncomfortable, and sets him on edge any time he uses them.

Prey Drive! - Cats are predators, they have a prey drive, this will be very fun for me to include, and potentially very embarrassing for Danny... 

Defensive Reactions - will absolutely hiss/bite before really thinking. Think fight or flight made more dramatic.

3) Complete Cat Dentition

Poor boy doesn’t just have the sharp “fang” canines of a cat, he has ALL cat teeth. Cats are carnivores!!! All their teeth are sharp!! 

This totally makes eating and chewing more difficult for Danny.

Hooked “sandpaper” tongue! He’s not going to lick himself, that’s gross, but he does have a hooked tongue! 

below is low quality drawing I did in class of cat vs human teeth:

4) New Dietary Considerations

Cats are OBLIGATE CARNIVORES!! On their own, cats cannot synthesize taurine - an amino acid that is absolutely vital to the body’s function! Danny’s meta gene removed his ability to synthesize it, he either needs meat in his diet, or to take a special taurine supplement. 

Regardless of wether or not he wasn’t before - Danny is ABSOLUTELY lactose intolerant now. Human’s common lactose tolerance into adulthood is unique in the animal kingdom.

Common cat poisons - In chapter 2, Danny gets sick after having a mocha latte - Coffee and Chocolate are two things cats cant have! He’s gotta be careful about what he eats now. Will everything bad for cats make him sick? No, but he doesn’t know what will or won’t.

5) Learned Muscle Control

Humans do have ear muscles, but they’re vestigial. Some people have a little control over them, which is why they can “wiggle their ears”. Suddenly for Danny, these muscles are no longer vestigial.

His tail is an entire appendage that he didn’t have before, 

Until he learns control of these muscles, any emotion shown by his tail or ears is involuntary and instinctual!!

6) Incompatible Skeletal Structure

Oh boy - human bipedalism is already such a mess structurally. From an engineering and structural standpoint, human hips and backs are so very messed up, (its why back pain is so very common). Adding a tail to that mix? yikes.... a tail is a continuation of the spine. Realistically, it would ABSOLUTELY cause severe chronic hip/back pain. It’s not something that’s going to to play a role in CatBoy Chaos, but know that i’m thinking about it and imagining how much ouch that would be.

NO RETRACTABLE CLAWS - YIKES EW NO. Retractable claws would BUTCHER human hands… A cat's retractable claws involve the bone that is equivalent to a human fingertip. I’m not doing that to Danny… ick, no, that would be really gross to me -

 here’s an image I found of what I’m trying to say - (Image Credit)

Also: some small notes about Danny and cat Stereotypes/Myths

“Cats Always Land on their feet” and landing unharmed from impossible heights - For cats, these are a result of directional awareness in the air, ability to “parachute” to slow descent, and the ability to “cushion” the impact when landing. Of these traits, the only one Danny could really have and still look like a catboy as opposed to a full-on anthro cat, is directional awareness in the air.

“Cats don’t like water” - This comes up in ch. 4, so minor spoiler until I post it this weekend, but ultimately Danny comes to his own conclusion that wet fur is not comfortable, and takes forever to dry.

“Cats & 9-lives” - well... he’s still a halfa...

Finally: Of course he purrs!!!

So There you have it! My thoughts about the anatomy of CatBoy! Danny in my fic CatBoy Chaos! 

If there’s any questions about my thoughts, I’d love to hear ‘em! 

#catboy danny au #catboy chaos #danny phantom #dp x dc #danny fenton #weird anatomy #comparative anatomy

[rxttenfish]

i’m so bothered by how brian doesn’t have human dentition here. like.

this mans doesnt have canine teeth. hell, he doesn’t have any differentiated teeth at all, he’s a homodont. is brian even a mammal? are zombies not mammalian in the lore of monster prom?

he has way too many teeth too and they go too far back. what the fuck.

#all the care guide says is 'biomass' #monster prom #Monster Roadtrip #me shaking brian and asking him if he's a sauropsid or a synapsid

[agendervenom]

Nate. Nate. I’m losing my mind at the thought of V specifically giving themself dentition for more efficient and gnarly head-chomping. Maybe some giant polar-bear-like molars at the back, or maybe a second set of jaws in the back of the throat to grab and hold onto prey like an eel, or maybe all of the above, or something completely different. For extra creep factor, maybe he has canines specifically to feel for nerves in the neck like a cougar. The possibilities are endless. TEEEEEF!!!!!!!!!!!

i have no idea how long this has been sitting in the ask box, but ffr Venom could absolutely form more teeth for the sake of efficiency

like im imagining him going from his usual maw of thin but still giant teeth to having a pharyngeal jaw or smth

#answered #anonymous

[artbyifer]

Wily

#creature #creature design #dentition #teeth #pencil crayon #pencil crayon art #mixed media #pen art #marker art #coloured pencil #coloured pencil art #art #original art #ink brush #original #traditional art #canine

[preservationofnormalcy]

Lycanthrope here. Is it normal to have… side effects, from turning? Like, my fur still remains really thick in places like my extremities and down my chest and stomach for up to a week after turning. I also keep my claws for a few days (no longer than 5 days) and my canine dentition for about a week and a half max. My lycanthrope friends don’t have this. Is it normal, or should I get myself checked out or something?

This is probably a question for a vet or other medical professional, not me. I'd check our Therianthrope Resources page for a list of Office-affiliated veterinarians.

I did run this past Jethro, though - he sent me a lot of virology papers that I can't quite parse, but the basic idea is that, yeah, some people might have it worse than others and there's immunoglobulin treatments you can undergo to lessen the symptoms. IF this is a recent development, it's definitely worth talking to a professional just in case.

#office for the preservation of normalcy #ask #advice #lycanthropy

[alumbianchronicler]

EctoberHaunt - Oct. 9 Magic - Dragons

Summary:

Few ghosts reach the tertiary stage of Core Development that marks an Ancient, but those who do must learn to harness their Primordial power and the draconic form that comes with its development.

It's a good thing Danny has a way to get out of the Sol system, because apparently he's going to turn into a dragon. A dragon with a black hole at his Core.

Warnings: Ecto-hunger (only ecto-weenies were harmed in the making of this fic. And a star system). Eating non-food items.

Crossover: n/a

Danny felt like he was starving.

No matter how much he ate the last few weeks, it never seemed to be enough.  Even ectoplasm-laced food wasn't satiating for more than an hour or two, as the destruction of the entire Ecto-Weenie colony could attest to.  Or... couldn't, since it had been eaten.

He paced, trying to ignore the gnawing in his stomach, his tongue running absently along the fangs that had recently grown in, pushing out his human canines. The process had been awkward and mildly painful, but thankfully seemed to be over.

In his human form, at least.

His ghost form seemed to still be experimenting with dentition, fangs growing and replacing each-other, finally settling into some semblance of a predator's maw in the last two days.

He wasn't sure he liked it.

At least his ghost form was more malleable than the human. Stretchier and more prone to shifting instead of tearing, even if that meant that sometimes it moved in ways no human body would ever be capable of.

Honestly, he should go see Frostbite. This many changes, and being this hungry?  With his luck, he was gaining some new level of ghost power that he was going to have to learn how to control if he didn’t want to accidentally hurt everyone around him...

Ok. Snack first, and then off to Frostbite.

Danny slipped downstairs, not bothering to check for his parents, who were usually out on their own patrol around this time of the evening.

A search in the fridge yielded a few slices of leftover pizza, quickly consumed. The trip through the lab gave him a vial of ectoplasm which he downed as well before letting his transformation wash over him and flying into the Ghost Zone.

At least this time whatever was happening with him wasn’t quite literally freezing him from the inside out.

He flew through the vast space of the Ghost Zone, reveling in the feeling. It was freeing, flying like this, surveying the expanse of an entire dimension spreading out to infinity, much like space itself, right down to the distant ghosts of stars that twinkled impossibly far away.

Perhaps one day he would figure out how to fly that far…

To fly, and fly, and never stop. To thread his way through nebulae and around asteroids, to engulf the stars themselves in the singing void of his Core. He hummed, pitching his voice to match the distant thrum of the dead stars, listening to them sing back.

Danny abruptly stopped, coming back to himself in a shock of realization.

That was… weird, right? Those were some really weird thoughts.

He looked down at his hands, disconcerted to see that ghostly claws had extended, leaving them distinctly inhuman.

He needed to get to the Far Frozen.

Thankfully, he had flown most of the way there already, and it only took a few more minutes to finish the trip. Danny barely registered the greetings of the Yetis going about their business as he flew to Frostbite’s personal labs.

The Yeti chieftain was there, looking over some sort of computer readings, and he looked up with a wide smile as Danny landed.

“Great one! What brings you here today?”

“I think I’m going through another weird ghost growth thing,” Danny blurted out almost before Frostbite finished his question. “I grew fangs, and I’m always hungry, and on the way over here I kept spacing out and thinking about flying between the stars and eating asteroids and…” he paused to take a breath he didn’t need, “I’m kind of worried that I’ll just fly off into space for some weird ghost reason and never be able to find my way back.”

Frostbite regarded him for a moment, his cheerful expression morphing into contemplation. “I see. Let me get some readings, and we’ll see if we can sort out what’s happening to you.”

He guided Danny to a table and attached probes to his chest and his back to measure his Core’s energy outputs, turning his screen so that Danny could observe as well.

“When you say you are always hungry,” Frostbite started, tapping the screen to set the desired parameters, “is it for human food, or for ectoplasm?”

“Uh… both. And…” Danny ran a hand through his hair, embarrassed, “not always food. I kind of ate a handful of rocks the other day, just to feel like I wasn’t starving.”

Instead of looking worried by this, though, the yeti just nodded thoughtfully. “Curious.” On the screen, the gently oscillating hum of Danny’s Core was displayed. The dips and rises were a little stronger than last time it had been scanned, but otherwise, it looked fine.

Frostbite tapped a sequence into the screen, changing the display until it showed the elemental outputs of the Core. He stared at it for several long moments, then made a low, confused sound.

“That doesn’t sound good,” Danny commented, worried.

Frostbite shook himself and turned to Danny with a soft smile.

“It’s not bad, Great One. It is simply something I have not been able to study in person, myself. It is not often a ghost develops a Primordial Core, after all.”

“Primordial?”

“Indeed. As you have already experienced, some ghosts, upon becoming strong enough, develop Elemental Cores. This, however, is not the end of Core development. Rarely, a ghost will gain enough power and influence to begin developing what we call a Primordial affinity.  According to records, anyway.”

He closed out of the reading display and pulled up a diagram instead, showing the different types of elemental Cores. “The elemental ones are rather straightforward, usually aligning with the individual’s personality, surroundings, or experiences.”

A few more taps on the screen and a new display appeared. This one showed diagrams of several powerful ghosts. Danny recognized some as Ancients he knew. He guessed the others were either Ancients he had never met, or ones who had Faded or Ended.

“Primordial Cores are a bit more complex, and form around concepts,” Frostbite continued. “Time, Dreams, Weather, and so on. Unfortunately, much like Elemental Cores, they can take some effort to learn how to harness and safely ration one’s abilities, and many Primordials spend several centuries alone in the depths of the Infinite Realms, or in lifeless regions of the overworld, to learn how to control themselves.”

Danny stared at Frostbite, his Core thrumming sharply with anxiety.  “I can’t do that. I have… homework. School. Friends and family. I can’t just… disappear!”

“Phantom,” Frostbite said, sharply but not unkindly. “I believe I have an option for you. I have already spoken with the Timekeeper, and we agreed on a solution, should this development occur. Your Core has already begun developing Primordial traits, and so we can not turn back the clock on it, but we can send you somewhere, and somewhen, that you can safely test your limits and gain control over your form and powers.”

That was… somewhat reassuring. Of course Clockwork would have already seen this potential and made contingencies. And Frostbite had the Infimap. It could travel time as well as space. He could just go back in time a few centuries and…

“Wait, form?”

Frostbite nodded. “Indeed.” He tapped the screen, and the diagrams of the Ancients morphed from the familiar humanoid forms into new ones: long, curling bodies and large fangs, a few with vast wings blotting out the sky, some with horns and claws. All with a sense of immense, unrestrained power.

“I’m… going to turn into a dragon?”

“Yes.”

“What… what kind of Primordial Core do I have?”

Frostbite relaxed, apparently relieved that Danny was taking this relatively in stride, and tapped back to the Core Energy display. The usual cold temperature had plunged to near absolute zero, and the usual bright blue iciness of his Core now had a swirling impossible blackness at the center, the ice-blue light slightly bulging outward as it swirled around it.

Danny blinked. He recognized that sort of object.

“I have… a black hole. In my chest. Frostbite. What the actual heck?   My Core is turning into a black hole?!”  Well, that did explain why he was so hungry, right?  Was that hunger going to be permanent?  Was he destined to consume anything and everything he ever came near to??

“A Void, or Space, Core is exceptionally rare,” Frostbite explained calmly. “I believe Ghost Writer has records of some others, but most in the past, as I am sure will be no surprise, were exceptionally solitary. No one is sure whether those individuals have Faded, or simply lost themselves to the depths of space."

Danny rested his hand on his chest, feeling his Core thrum there. “Will I… lose myself to space, too?”  He had to admit, spending eternity flying among the stars didn’t sound terrible… but he had so many people on Earth that he cared about.  He couldn’t just leave them.

“Considering your half living status, as well as your other Obsessions and drives, I doubt you will seek such solitude in the next few millenia at least,” Frostbite replied, echoing Danny’s own thoughts.  He removed the probes from Danny’s skin.  “You will probably be relieved to know that, once you have learned how to control and regulate your Primordial Core, you will not feel the same hunger you do now, or at least, not with the same urgency, and your Core will still be bounded by your own intent. You will have to be careful interacting with your mortal loved ones, but you already do quite well interacting with them, and I have all the faith that you will manage.”

“Now!” Frostbite clapped Danny on the back, nearly knocking him off the examination table. “Let’s get you some food, and then we’ll send you off. The sooner the better, judging by your Core’s energy patterns.”

Food sounded wonderful, and Danny couldn’t help but feel relieved by the news that this was just… yet another power development.

Sure, he was going to spend a few centuries away from everyone he knew and loved (Did it really need to be centuries? Surely he could manage the powers in a year or two. How hard could it be?), but they would be waiting for him when he got back (from space!), and no time would have passed for them.

Of course, it would have passed for him…

Huh.

It was a long time to be away, alone…

But he didn’t want to risk harming anyone. It was better to stay away, at least long enough that he knew he wasn’t going to accidentally consume anyone with the black hole apparently seated within his chest.

Maybe when he got back, he could let some astronomers take a look and be included in a scientific paper!

The mood at dinner was jovial, as the word of Phantom’s new power development spread amongst the Yetis. They seemed relieved that he was leaving to learn this new power, instead of attempting to practice it there in the Far Frozen, memories of him learning his ice powers keen on everyone’s minds.

All too soon, the meal was finished and Frostbite was leading him to the cave in which he stored the Infimap. A slip of paper rested beside it, a string of numbers written on it in a sweeping script Danny recognized as Clockwork’s hand-writing. Beneath that, it read: “I will come meet you in due time to bring you home.”

Cryptic, but reassuring.  Danny would not be lost in space with no way back.

“The numbers are a set of coordinates,” Frostbite explained. “They will take you to the place and time we decided upon. There, you will be able to wander as you wish, and Clockwork will bring you home when he deems it Time.”

Danny nodded, reaching out to the Infimap. It hummed under his fingers, as if recognizing him.

Frostbite reached out as well, holding on so the Map would take both of them. “I’m going to bring it back after dropping you off this time.”

Danny chuckled. He couldn’t blame Frostbite, after the last time he had borrowed the Map. Holding up the slip of paper, he requested the map to take them to the listed coordinates.

Frostbite did not linger after the Map dropped them off. He gave Danny a hug, wished him well, and then asked the map to return him to his own home and time, leaving Danny alone.

Danny found himself in a star system that was not Earth’s. The star was the wrong color, for one, and the planets he could see were definitely not the ones he was familiar with.

The star itself was more red, large and heavy with the weight of higher elemental fusion.

He found his gaze riveted to it as he floated, watching the way its surface swirled and danced, tracing the movement of flares and slightly-cooler patches of relative darkness.

Danny flew closer, barely registering as the star, looming impossibly large next to him, seemed to reach out to him, a faint strand of hot gas and light pulled toward his Core.

He flew around the star, wanting to circumnavigate it. His body grew as he flew, absorbing stardust into the growing infinity within his chest.

Phantom danced as he flew, pulling a larger thread of light and matter from the star, testing how far away he could get and keep pulling the matter in a steady stream to his Core.

He spread great, nebulous wings after the second circumnavigation, soaring in a wider and wider orbit from the star.

The first planet was a tiny, scorched thing, not unlike Mercury, and the dragon curled around it a few times before devouring it and returning to his orbit.

The other planets were explored and consumed in turn, until finally Phantom turned back to the center of the star system.

He returned to the star, bathing in the heat of its atoms as the pulled strand of fire followed him, forming a swirling accretion disc and illuminating his vast, twisting, void-dark body beneath the nebulae of his wings.

Eventually, the star dimmed and destabilized, too much consumed to continue thriving, and the dragon coiled around it, pulling it into himself, and finally, the loose, swirling gas and dust that had been trailing around him collapsed inward as well.

What had once been a star system grew dark and still, and the dragon Phantom, sated, slept.

#ectoberhaunt23 #day 9 #eh magic #dragons #danny phantom #ancient of space #dragon form