#parasitism is just one type of a symbiotic relationship

[regular-gnome]

Time for a random hill I am willing to die on, so what in the Titans name is Hooty

beginning with few things we know:

He is a bug type demon and demons are born from a titans body & magic

House demons are not common but also not extremely rare (coven heads are confused in Hollow Mind but Amity is like, yea, house demons do be like that)

Hooty is not dependent on the place he lives in - can freely detach himself from the house and just go somewhere what does not affect neither him nor the house

Hooty is terrotorial and protects the place he lives in

There are organs with own pulse inside the walls of the Owl House

All of this being said, I believe demons later called "house" demons were born from wounds on titans body. After titan got hurt, lost an eye in some manner, a bug type demon formed or moved into the wound establishing in there sort of symbiotic relationship. Maybe protecting the space from other creatures that did try to feed on the wound. Long after titans were gone they just continued to live in crevices and protect spaces around them what was later was used by witches to guard their homes earning them the name "house" demon.

Role of house demons on titans might be similar to the one of Oxpeckers on big animals that are unable to get rid of small parasites. Titans are huge and seeing how some characters were literally walking through their empty veins it would be extremely difficult for them to get rid of pests themselves.

On how is he attached to the space around him, I think he might have some kind of specialised organ letting him attach and form new connections to the space around him.

With time the connections gaining mass and requiring better energy flow they start form organs around the space and a circulation system (that's why there is a pulse even after Hooty is not longer in the door). And that's also why King, Lilith and Luz might have had such disgusted reactions to seeing him leave his place. But whatever he uses to attach to the house it might be pretty vulnerable, so he acts like a hermit crab getting from one shell to another and thats how we get porta Hooty.

But HEY if he has organs that connect him to the house why can he just take of his skin like a sock. My brother in Titan. Skin is a organ too and we literally saw him leave some spare ones in the door. There is literally nothing that says he even requires it and cant be just a skeleton horror with only the essentials near base of his body.

On why I dont think he is a parasite like Cymothoa exigua (tongue eating louse) is because I'm pretty sure Titan would be able to get rid of them himself (and it would mean Hooty ate his way into the titan witch I refuse to consider). It can't be comfortable to have a weird bug in your eye socket just singing to themself all day, so they had to have benefited from it somehow, or at least didnt mind, as Hooty is protective of his space that wouldnt be a strech. Also if they were parasites it would just add insult to injury if they hanged around even after death xD

Im sure Im not the first one to have this thought but I literally searched for theories on him and only found the parasite interpretation witch I don't vibe that much with

and while we are at the topic of Hooty I highly encourage to listen to unhinged Dutch Hooty, I was in tears the first time I heard him. Apologies for video quality tho, it refused work any other way

#and a side note #parasitism is just one type of a symbiotic relationship #and the relationship entirely revolves on that do both parties get from it #other types include mutualism commensalism and competition #so even if we conclude hooty is a parasite its still a demon that establishes a sort of symbiotic relationship with titans #I had 4h physics class but my brain had other plans #condutors were not part of it #toh #the owl house #hooty #hooty toh #toh analysis #titans toh #tw parasite #tw body horror #again

[sinfullyrosey]

Shrimpmer!Reader

Floyd Leech X GN!Shrimpmer!Reader X Jade Leech

Warnings: Mild Violence, Brief Mentions of Accurate Shrimp Cleaning Methods (kind of gross)

I literally had written up a mini fic showcasing the tweels first meeting Shrimper!Reader… and lost it. Have no idea where it is. Searched through my drafts and got pissed, so just started over from scratch.

Can be read as platonic but with a lot of sus behavior ngl

The Basics (aka an Introduction to Shrimpmer!Reader)

Shrimpmer!Reader is a cleaner shrimp, a type of shrimp known for cleaning off parasites, algae, insects, and other bad stuff from fish. They’ve even been known to eat the mucus and infectious material around a fish’s wound to reduce infection and aid in healing. There are different species of cleaner shrimp, ‘scarlet skunk’ or ‘white-striped’ cleaner shrimps being known for cleaning the mouths of moral eels specifically.

Shrimpmer!Reader specifically comes from a family of cleaner shrimps that have a long-standing business partnership with the Leeches. Their family provides their cleaning and patch-up services to better the mereels’ health and heal any injuries, and in turn, the Leeches provide protection. It’s a mutualistic relationship where both benefit. And congrats, they were assigned to the tweels when they were but a mere fry and twins were still little elvers.

But what is it that Shrimpmer!Reader does exactly? Well, they have a cleaning station set up (i.e. a flat rock for the tweels to lay on while they work) and they go over the twins’ body, ridding it of any parasites and other debris. Picking at their scales and skin like a fine-tooth comb. They’ll even clean their sharp teeth using specialized brushes and tools to make sure nothing is stuck and strengthen the dentin (real shrimp physically go inside eel’s mouths, but shrimpmers are too big for that). Whenever the twins come to them with an injury after one of their scuffles, Shrimpmer!Reader will clean and disinfect the wound, being sure to remove any parasites, then wrap up the wound to heal faster.

In terms of anatomy and size difference, Shrimpmer!Reader is much smaller compared to the twins, but not on the same scale difference as real shrimps and moray eels. They’re not tiny enough to fit in their mouths but are small enough to be carried with ease. The best comparison I can give is like with the dwarves and Neige, but the tweels’ eel forms are much bigger compared to regular humans, so Shrimpmer!Reader would be shorter compared to a human as well. Floyd would joke about them being “child-sized.” Just like the Octatrio, their bottom half is that of a white-striped cleaner shrimp while the rest of their body has the matching miscolored skin, fin ears, and a pair of long, white antenna on the top of their head. No, their hands aren’t claws/pincers, but they do have sharp nails that aid in cleaning.

The Shrimp and the Eels Headcanons

Like mentioned above, Shrimpmer!Reader was assigned to Floyd and Jade back when they were all still children. Each new generation of Leech ends up being assigned a cleaner shrimp who are around the same age so that they can grow together and build a proper symbiotic bond. You just ended up unlucky ‘cause Mr. and Mrs. Leech had twins and you were the only available one in your family at the time. A two for one deal, as it were.

Rough first meet (the twins are asses even back then), but you eventually adjusted and they learned how much they actually enjoy getting all those nasties off of them. You were gentle and efficient, it was very soothing, almost therapeutic to them. But it was only after one particular cleaning where Floyd came to you, a week after he got into a fight, wound infected and riddled with parasites, that they fully realized just how much they needed you. Neither twin skipped a cleaning or wound treatment after that.

You are tiny and not built for fighting, so the twins are more than happy to do so for you!~ Some predator is stalking you, trying to get a taste? Floyd is already grabbing them by the tail, pulling them away from you and towards his own dangerously sharp jaws. Another merperson is bulling you, picking on your smaller size? Jade’s looming right behind, tail at the ready to squeeze the life out of them. Most of your patch-up work was from attending to their wounds sustained in fights defending you.

Floyd and Jade both have their tails wrapped around some poor, unfortunate soul who was pulling on your antenna. Jade is taunting the crying fry while Floyd is “playfully” biting their tail fins.

“Jade, Floyd, let them go already. You’re going to get in trouble…”

You do meet Azul later on, though never quite befriend him per say. His contracts made you uncomfortable and untrusting of his intentions. In turn, Azul was stiff and reserved around you on the account of the overly protective eels threatening to chew his tentacles off if he tried anything.

You’re not a student at NRC nor a student of RSA. Magic isn’t your forte (or your concern really), the tweels are. Which is why you do visit the schoolgrounds frequently, especially after the two (mainly Floyd) start complaining about “needing their shrimp.” They’re not even in their eel forms most of the time, but they do still get into fights and the nurse on staff isn’t good enough.

Congrats, you’re now the Leech’s designated Health Support Cleaner Shrimp, or whatever bullshit the twins pulled out of their tails when forcing requesting to Crowley that you be allowed to stay at Octavinelle! Double congrats, because you also work at Mostro Lounge as a janitor because you literally clean for a living!

In your human form, you are much shorter than most of the other students and you have two long cowlicks that resemble your antenna. You aren’t the biggest fan of this form, finding two legs to be difficult to navigate, especially since you kind of skipped the prep class. Floyd was impatient and claimed him and Jade would just teach you themselves. An unwise decision really.

I mean, you could also just request to have the potion adjusted so you can be taller too, I guess idk the twins aren’t going to tell you that.

You sometimes turn back into your merform with the tweels and swim together because you miss it. Floyd definitely missed curling his tail around his little shrimp and pinning you down with his much bigger size. He especially loves to flip you on your back and watch your little feetsies wiggle around in a panic.

Jade misses the cleanings more than anything else. Being a vice dormleader while also working at a lounge and doing schoolwork is stressful for one eel. So, being able to just relax and have you attend to him while he prattles on about mushrooms is absolute heaven. That’s not to say he doesn’t mess with you either. Jade will gladly use your height against you by putting your cleaning supplies on a higher shelf, so you’re forced to ask him for help, teasing you all the while.

No, you can’t clean anybody else, merfolk or otherwise. Only them. Azul almost lost a tentacle after suggesting such a thing when he noticed business was running slower.

You’re their cleaner shrimp, and they’re your eels. Anybody aware of the Leech’s influence know to back off lest they end up missing under mysterious circumstances.

Oh yeah, and the tweels, at some point, made it a habit to kiss you after you finished cleaning them under the guise of you “cleaning their teeth.” It’s become something so casual between you three now that when Azul caught sight of the twins and you locking lips, he nearly fell over at not realizing the three of you were (supposedly) an item.

#Twisted Wonderland #TWST #Floyd Leech X Reader #Jade Leech X Reader #GN!Reader #I had indented to add a section dedicated to reader dating the tweels but I got creatively burnt out at the end #maybe I'll post a part two at a later date

[o-craven-canto]

Increasing complexity in evolution

Over the history of life there have been many occasions in which new complex systems developed from earlier, simpler ones, leading to explosion in diversity as the new system fills niches that it can exploit better than the old. Some examples are the formation of the first prokaryotic cells from looser collections of genes and membranes, the origin of eukaryotic cells from prokaryotic ancestors, the development of sexual reproduction, the origin of multicellular animals and plants, and the appearance of animal colonies or societies and of complex symbiotic relations.

There are two main types of such complexity transitions, which can be labelled "egalitarian" and "fraternal".

Egalitarian transitions involve the union and cooperation of entities with different origins and abilities. Examples are the combination of self-replicating genes into the coherent genomes of the earliest cells; bacteria and archaea coming together to form eukaryotic cells with mitochondria and sometimes chloroplasts; the origin of societies with non-kin members; mutualist symbiosis between different species, as in lichens; and possibly the union of partners in sexual reproduction.

The defining trait of an egalitarian transition is that the different units are genetically diverse, and therefore must all reproduce on their own: if they didn't all pass on their genes, they wouldn't stay part of the relationship. Even today, in our cells, mitochondria replicate independently of the nucleus. That also means the different units are in competition with each other.

Sure, in the long term cooperation may be best for all: the main driver of egalitarian transitions is cooperation between elements with different "skills", such as the photosynthesis of algae and the talent for nutrient mining of fungi in lichens. But evolution doesn't really do "long term". If an element can replicate itself more by mooching off the others, the mooching variant will become more numerous than the self-effacing variant.

Therefore, the way these transitions occur is by enforcing mutual dependence, for example by enclosure and by synchronized reproduction. When proto-genes were first enclosed by proto-membranes to form proto-cells, they were all in the same boat: any cheater mutant would quickly destroy itself by destroying its own sustainance. Parasites often become beneficial symbionts when they cannot easily jump to a new host, and viruses may become less deadly over time.

The interdependence can be enforced further by exchanging genes: mitochondria and chloroplasts turned over many essential genes to the nucleus of their host cell, and though they can reproduce on their own, they cannot survive for long. Also, mitochondria are only ever passed by the mother's eggs, not by the father's sperm, preventing the zygote from becoming a battleground (in algae, mitochondria always come from one parent, and chloroplasts from the other).

When all goes well, the result of an egalitarian transition is a cell or a society, or a small ecosystem built from cooperating interdependent parts that function as a whole.

In fraternal transitions, in contrast, the units all share the same origin and nature. Examples are the evolution of clonal colonies (e.g. of trees or coral polyps), eusocial colonies (think ants, bees, or naked mole rats), and the origin of animals, plants, and fungi with multicellular bodies. The main benefit here is not complementary skills, but economy of scale: when mole rats dig for tubers, they gain more by sharing the rare but abundant finds than by each digging on their own (and going hungry most of the time).

One major difference from the other type is that all the members of the greater unit are genetically identical, or nearly so: therefore, they do not all need to reproduce (from the POV of my genes, it makes no difference at all whether I or my identical twin have children: any gene I have, they will pass on just as well). Indeed, the disposability of most elements is a selling point of this kind of transition.

But you know who cannot say the same? Cheater mutants -- cancer, if you will. Any cancerous mutation, by virtue of being new, cannot count on being transmitted by other units, and benefits from replicating itself on expense of other genes. The uniform terrain will give it plenty of fertile soil.

An excellent way to put a stop to that is to limit reproduction to few units: think of the egg and sperm cells of animals, or ant queens. First of all, these segregated reproductive units can be kept in conditions that favor a low mutation rate, for example slow metabolism and protection from light. Most importantly, they put a bottleneck through which all mutations must pass: if a cancerous mutation occurs in (say) digestive tissue, that's regrettable, but it won't be passed down to the offspring; but if it happens in the germinal line, well, the new offspring will be entirely composed of cancerous cells, and the bad mutation once again destroys itself. Reproductive segregation resets genetic uniformity in each generation.

Genetic uniformity does not mean morphological or functional uniformity: thanks to contextual gene activation, the cells in your brain, bones, liver, and heart all have the exact same genes, but very different structures and functions. When all goes well, fraternal transitions may end with the constituent units specializing for different functions, taking on some of the advantage of the egalitarian transition, while still keeping genetic diversity as low as possible.

And that's how you go from bacteria to humanity, more or less.

#biology #evolution #that alien god #longpost #natural selection

[malue-505]

Operators

(Just like my other posts, the info below are my headcanons! These headcanons are inspired by Slenderman’s original and contemporary Mythos, Slenderverse, The Necromancer from the “Creepy Frozen Pasta” comic by LostWight, the Slenderman in “The Seer” comic by Madame Macabre, @the-catcake’s character Red Spider and Slender Doll Ally by @the-slender-doll! I am very open to questions about this species, I am sorry if some of the info below is worded weirdly or I’ve missed a typo. This post does not indicate the final product of the species as it’s still in long development. This serves as a semi-detailed overview and introduction to the Operators.)

(Anyone can use this whole species for their AU as long as credit is given to me. Credit should not be given to me if it is something I based it off of such as the hybrid aging, the Influence, the name “Operator” and the Slender and Necromancer Class. Keep in mind that this info is subject to change as it has changed a lot over the course of the years I’ve worked on this.)

(Side Notes: The Classes, Influenced and hybrids will, hopefully, get their own dedicated posts in the future. Most of the info here is simplified for the post.)

“An Operator’s thirst is never fully satisfied. Even the ones who wish to live in peace with their Influenced are not satisfied but they do not notice due to their ignorance. Our kind is not from this world but we don’t know our true home, perhaps we don’t have one and we keep looking for it.”

- Lord Luxult, a Shifter Operator

In the presence of every Operator lives an uncanny amount of mystique and an other-worldly aura. They are often seen as symbols of power, dominion and control.

Operators are a species that are most known by their psychic capabilities to control other beings via their minds. They generate their own force, known as the Influence, that is regarded as their most defining trait.

Through their iron will and their Influence they conquer their way through the Realms and fight against other Operators for territory, servants and vanity. When an Operator is at the center of operations, others become wary as they have been given a sense of the possible scale of the operation when an Operator is in charge.

Operators come in different types, or Classes, requiring Influenced to fulfill certain specialized roles. Because of this, certain Classes of Operator require their Influenced to be specific species. These species are called Influenced Species, which are tailor made for Operators to use.

Classes

Classes are the way Operators are identified and categorized. There is no “original class” or “main class.” Subclasses exist whenever genetic mutations happen within a Class to the point where they can split off. Subclasses of Subclasses can also exist.

Hundreds of Classes exist and have various differences such as: appearance, birth procedures, behavior, abilities, symbiotic relationships, complexity and Influence control. Each Class has a Base Bloodline that originates from the first ever born Operator of the Class, beings that converted to Operatorism may start their own bloodlines within the Class they got converted into.

Attributes

Operators tend to share common characteristics, mind control being the most prominent. Mutations in the gene pool are also common amongst the species, this leads to variations in a species that asexually reproduces a lot and leads to powers that are unique to an individual. Specialized sicknesses are also common amongst Operators, specifically the parasitic Classes. All full-blooded Operators cannot talk in Human Realm and instead use their Influenced to talk for them or use telepathy.

They are immune to most stimuli but every Class/Subclass have their own weaknesses. Every Class has their own type of “6th sense” that allows them to be psychically in-tune with their surroundings. All Class Senses can detect any physical beings or objects around them.

Every Operator has a drive to control and feed. This drive is simply named as the “Operator Hunger” and it is practically impossible to fight back against. The Operator Hunger is like an urge or an itch that they have to satisfy. If not, it becomes barely livable to linger with. The only way to satisfy it is to control over beings and to continue to feed and hunt. This solution is only temporary as an Operator needs to indulge more and more. The more they give into the Operator Hunger, the more likely an Operator will lose themselves in it. It’s a vicious cycle that sees no end.

Shifters & Slenders

Slender is a Class of Operator that are most known for their extreme parasitic nature towards their Influenced. Slenders used to be known as Shifter Operators (short for Shapeshifter) until roughly about a thousand years ago when the then new generation became stuck in a slender humanoid form. Slenders should technically be considered a Subclass but the fact that they have fully replaced the Shifters has led to the entire Class being renamed. Their past Shifter bloodline still spiritually lives on in more ways than one.

Slenders are the most versatile and adaptable of all the Classes, making them particularly dangerous. Traditional Slenders usually lead lavish lifestyles often expressed through their attires and their residences.

Necromancers

Necromancer is a Class of Operator that are most known for raising undead corpses to be their Influenced. They are Parasitic Operators. Necromancers are also very sensitive to temperatures due to being made of “organic ice” that is essentially their skin.

Necromancers have to live in extremely cold temperatures which is why they are usually found on snowy mountains, giant ice caverns and frozen valleys.

Recluses

Recluse is a Class of Operator that is most known for being the most reclusive Class of Operator. Recluses become blind once they reach the age of twelve. Most, if not all, Recluses are unaware of the world they live in, much less their own bloodline. These Operators are also known for their camouflage since they coated in plants and flowers that belong to their respective habitat. Recluses are sensitive to extreme weather and climate changes due to them having actual plants on them that become a part of their skin. They are Mutualistic Operators.

Sirens

Siren is a Class of Operator that is most known for having a lot of Siren-like qualities from mythology. Siren Operators are beings that live in the saltwater oceans. These Operators don’t usually claim any territory as they keep searching for prey just above the surface.

Similarly to Sirens in mythology, Siren Operators spread their Influence by using their alluring voice to lure in prey with hypnosis to attack and to feed off of. They are Parasitic Operators.

Elves

Elf is a Class of Operator that is most known for having a lot of Elf-like qualities from mythology. They are also known for being the Class that is the most friendly with their Influenced. Unlike most Operators, Elves gather together in a group and build their own small neighborhoods known as a “community.” They are Mutualistic Operators that spread their Influence by recruiting humans to their community.

Influence

The Influence is an invisible force that is only generated and manipulated by Operators. Its main purpose is to mind control other beings to benefit an Operator. However, the Influence is quite versatile and has since been applied in other ways for different situations. The Influence can also act as an “applier” or “relay” for Operators to use their abilities whenever, wherever and on whatever is needed. Another common usage for the Influence is more marking permanent territory, both for keeping out trespassers and luring in prey.

Influence generating occurs whenever an Operator comes of age, some Classes can’t generate their Influence until later on in their development. Their Influence grows stronger the more they grow and the more they utilize it.

Influenced

Influenced are the beings that are mind controlled and/or connected to an Operator. Depending on the Class of Operator, an Influenced may experience certain side effects. Influenced of Parasitic Operators face erratic symptoms such as migraines, insomnia, dissociation, and feral outbursts. Influenced of Mutualistic Operators may experience similar symptoms but at a much milder rate. An Operator can sense where their Influenced are, what is their mental state, what caused that mental state, and (in the case of a foreign Influenced) detect what Operator is influencing them.

There are certain conditions that stops an Operator from sensing their Influenced. These conditions include: being too far away, resisting their Operator’s mental will, or a change in brain chemistry. The change in brain chemistry is usually caused by certain types of medication and drugs that can affect the brain.

Two Operators, or more, can fight for control over an Influenced in the Influenced’s mind however this will cause extreme discomfort which would result in painful migraines depending on how many Operators are fighting for control and how strongly.

As a side effect, an Influenced may start gaining some of their Operator’s abilities overtime if they aren’t an Influenced Species already.

Aging

Operators are biologically immortal, meaning that they can’t die from old age but by being killed. The more they grow up, the slower they age. Operators as old as 12 are considered children and Operators in their 90s are considered to be in the last years of their adolescence. Through their years of adulthood, they age even slower when they reach 500 years of age.

Operators are considered full-grown adults at the age of 100. This is the age when Operators are able to reproduce. Most Classes can generate their Influence earlier in life however Slenders can only generate theirs at this age.

Only full-blooded Operators from birth properly age like this.

Operatorism

Operatorism is the phenomenon of a being stepping into Operatorhood as a different species. Only full-blooded Operators can turn others into Operators. How the conversion works and how it happens is shrouded in mystery.

The current age of the being that’s being converted dictates how many years they skipped and have to catch up on when they convert. A 20 year old human that has been turned into a Slender Operator will look like a 100 year old Slender since that is the age equivalent. In this example, the former human will have to wait 100 years in order for their body to continue aging. They would also have to wait those 100 years to be able to reproduce.

Operatorism only applies to beings that turn into full-blooded Operators.

Hybrids

Operator hybrids can be a complicated situation. Considering the complicated nature of Operator genes, their hybrids can get very unstable. The only types of Operator hybrids that aren’t unstable are the Operators that are hybrids of other Classes or Subclasses of Operator since it is of the same species. They also have all of the abilities from each Class/Subclass they are, they don’t experience near any negative side effects. They exhibit all the usual Operator attributes.

Operator hybrids are at times difficult to predict when it’s a hybrid with a different species. Human/Operator hybrids are amongst the most hard to predict as well as the most unstable usually. Operator abilities are usually too much for the human soul and will cause the soul to split and develop two or more forms based on the Operator genes. This also causes them to have weak copies of Operator abilities, even then they get very few of them. Operator hybrids with other species cannot generate an Influence nor do they suffer from the Operator Hunger.

Some hybrids suffer from constant necrosis and various other side effects, every hybrid is an individual case. Some are more similar than others.

Aging when it comes to hybrids are also a one-by-one case. If they are undead, it further complicates things. Unlike beings who became full-blooded Operators, how a hybrid ages depends on if they were born or made a hybrid. Those born as a hybrid will age like how their other species would and stop aging when they reach adulthood. Beings who are not hybrids at birth will, similarly, stop physically aging when they reach adulthood. Undeads, who were not hybrids at birth, will slowly age according to how Operators would normally age albeit a bit delayed.

Operator hybrids all have one thing in common: they must possess Operator blood in their body.

Origins & Reputation

Even after existing for thousands, possibly millions, of years, Operators are still regarded as being mysterious. It is suspected by the older members of the species that they are alien in origin. Others don’t know what to make of their origins. To some, they have either always been here or just appeared with no explanation.

Over the millenniums, Operators, particularly the parasitic ones, have dominated over a lot of other species. Slenders especially have gained a fierce reputation. Due to shallow beliefs, many apply the standards and expectations they have for Slenders to the entire species.

This has made them gain their reputation as nothing but malevolent beings who want nothing but everything to themselves and to claim everything they see as their property.

Trivia

Since Operators have the tendency on getting out of control and any individual can possible be a threat, the Council decided to use the same system of identifying individuals with surnames as human society does. Their Class name serves as their surnames to further be specific on what Class of Operator they are. This only applies to the Base Bloodlines.

Operators, particularly Slenders, practice Proxism quite a lot since they use it to further gain control over their Influenced. It also helps them establish hierarchies between their servants.

There are many ways for Subclasses to be made. One of which is experimentation through dissecting and changing a Class’ genes.

Operators cannot impregnate other species through intercourse. Beings born as a hybrid Operator with another species usually happen through weirder means.

For Operators that are hybrids of other Classes, they are only made from birth. Usually by combining the blood of Operators of other Classes and combining the reproduction procedures from each Class involved.

Operators have no known creator. Their origins are completely unknown.

The name “Operator” refers to how Operators, through the mind, can potentially operate an entire being. They used to be known by other names such as “Conquerors,” “Psionic Rulers” and “Masters of the Mind.”

Operator blood is quite unique. They are often named after elements or ingredients of alchemy such as Azoth for the Slenders’ blood.

There is only one species representative for them at the Council which is Councilor Nathaniel Slender, Slenderman’s oldest brother.

#creepypasta #creepypasta fandom #creepypasta au #creepypasta headcanon #slenderman #slenderverse #creepypasta slenderman #slenderman headcanons

[cilil]

I don't know if you take random prompts, but... Irmo inventing hallucination mushrooms with Melkor 😂❤️

AN: I do and I apologize for taking so long - TRSB and S&D kept me busy for a while. Anyway, this was a really fun idea and I hope you enjoy this silly little thing😂💜

๑ Characters/relationship(s): Melkor & Irmo ๑ Synopsis: Melkor shows off one of his favorite creations - mushrooms! Irmo, fascinated by these strange new things, has a few ideas. ๑ Warnings: I guess this falls under drug use (kind of)? XD ๑ Short oneshot

"And what can they do?" Irmo pokes the colourful mushroom in front of him, giggling when it bounces back. 

"A better question would be what mushrooms can't do," Melkor says proudly and places another pot on the ground, containing a decaying piece of wood and more mushrooms growing on it. 

"Oh?" Irmo resumes his tactile examination of the wondrous new things he has just discovered; it appears as though the squishy texture provides him with endless delight and entertainment, Melkor notices, pleased with himself. 

"Simply put, mushrooms can grow everywhere and eat everything," he explains. "All they need are a few adjustments depending on what their purpose is supposed to be." 

"Are they like plants?"

"No." Melkor's chest swells with pride; even though part of him despises this question, insinuating that he might depend on the works of Yavanna to make his own, he secretly hoped Irmo would ask - now he gets to explain the true ingeniousness of his creations. 

"They are neither plants nor animals, they are their own kind. It may appear as though they are similar to plants, but they feed on organic substances like animals do. Some help with decay, like the ones here... some may be parasites, some may be symbiotes... I have been experimenting with different types." 

Irmo nods along. "And what about us eating them?" 

Melkor grins. "Well... you can eat them, but some only once." 

"Are they that rare?" 

He has to stop himself from laughing in response to such a naive question, paired with the wide innocence of Irmo's bright purple eyes. 

"No, but some are poisonous." 

The younger Vala pouts. "Námo and Estë won't like that." 

"Námo and Estë will have to accept that not all of my mushrooms want to be eaten." 

The response seems to placate him for the moment, and Irmo picks a mushroom to nibble on it. Melkor stares at him in disbelief, wondering if he either instinctively knew which one to try or if he was just that unbothered by his previous statement. Vala or not, some of his prototypes could have made his fána quite sick. 

Irmo looks up at him, chewing thoughtfully. "But what if it was pink," he muses, "or purple. Or if it emitted glitter when it gets poked or if it made me see things or if it made me feel nice –"

"What are you talking about?" 

"I was just wondering..." 

Ignoring the older Vala's frown, he picks up one of the pots. "May I? Please?" 

Melkor hates being questioned. He usually isn't amenable to suggestions of others either – but Irmo's ideas are so odd and outlandish that he finds himself intrigued nevertheless. What a Fëantur could even want with living things such as his mushrooms is also a bit of a mystery to him; but then again, the younger of the two has always been known to find more delights in the physical world than his brother, his strange penchant for gardening and working as a healer alongside his wife being just two of many examples. 

And so Melkor sits down next to him and listens as he begins to hum a tune, cradling the pot to his chest. They remain like this for a while, one singing, one observing the change in his creations, until Irmo ends his song with a joyful squeal. 

"I am done!" he proclaims. "Our very own marvellous, magical, for-good-mood-only mushrooms!" 

Melkor is already in the process of opening his mouth to correct him when he realises that he said "our". Briefly, he wonders whether such a statement is still an affront to his claim of ownership, but he knows he has to concede that Irmo has put a lot of work into these. Today, he decides, he'll be generous.

The mushrooms Irmo is holding are now light purple, with a few pink and blue ones in-between, their caps have cute dots on them and Melkor is pretty sure their spores would glitter if he poked them.

Irmo offers him the pot. "Try eating one."

"Only if you tell me what they are supposed to do first."

"But I did! I told you I want them to make us feel good and see things." 

"Fine," Melkor grumbles and takes one, watching Irmo enthusiastically consume a handful. 

The first surprise is that they don't taste like cotton candy. The second surprise comes when he begins to feel dizzy, then light, then strangely euphoric. 

Has Irmo's and Estë's garden always been so bright and colourful? Melkor's musings are occasionally interrupted by the Fëantur's quiet giggles as he somehow manages to spin around while remaining seated, seemingly untethered from silly earthly things like gravity.

"See how pretty it looks?" Irmo exclaims, rejoicing. "Now everything can be like a dream, even if you are awake! Is it not lovely?" 

Amused and bemused alike, Melkor nods. Whatever these mushrooms are doing to his fána may not exactly be safe, but since when has being the voice of reason been his job? He'll leave that to Námo, should they end up incurring the ire of the elder Fëantur with their shenanigans – or Estë. 

For reasons inexplicable even to himself, he laughs at the thought. They may come if they so choose, but he's in such a good mood that he might be willing to share. After all, his mushrooms – their mushrooms – seem to be a success, one he will be delighted to relay in great detail the next time Yavanna and Vána complain to him about death and decay. 

Irmo has begun to roll around in the grass, and Melkor takes another purple mushroom. Surely even the other Valar would have to agree that something created in collaboration with one of them, something that contains such boundless joy could hardly be evil?

Thanks for reading!♡

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[grigori77]

Critical Role, Campaign 3 Episode 84

Taliesin makes a Bane "Ooooooohhh ..." sound and derails Matt's opening.

Wait, no ad? Oh wait ... they're doing a Speed style Sam advert ... keep reading, Riegel! We don't want to blow up! No! Don't do it, Marisha! You're still so young! It's not worth it!

I jest ... XD

Oh dear ... Marisha has almost been derailed as well after THAT ...

Laura: "We have merch!" She said that in the cutest way possible and I loved it. :3

Guess we'll just have to IMAGINE the Yasha based awesomeness ...

I really CANNOT get enough of those animated titles ... so good ...

Okay, here we go, back to Ruidus ...

So who is THIS then? They seem very cute ...

Friends of the Imperium? Yes? No? Good or bad ... hmmm ... Detect Thoughts? Smart ...

I think he might be getting confused ... hmmm ... Fearne, that seems like a very weird tangent you're going on ... oh, so there IS something going on with his chest? Hmmmm ...

Wait ... is this gonna be like one of those creepy Shadow parasites in Babylon 5?

Dono? Awwww ... "Don't know?" Oh good grief ...

Druidcraft flower ... wait, does he actually KNOW what that actually is?

Whoa ... extra arms? Oh, no ... oh, it's a PET? Some kind of strange Fay creature ... Kaniey? Okay ...

Pate? Oh dear ...

Dreamers? Huh?

Laudna produces her Jrusar theatre card for identification ... oh boy ...

So the Dreamers are just people from Exandria. Okay, makes sense. Cytaa? Hmmmm ... Bormodos. Oh, a symbiotic relationship? Intriguing.

They learned Common through THEIR dreams? Oh, so THEY dream the dreams of Exsandrians ... strange ... also beautiful ...

NSFW ... yeah ... O.O

Capital city? Kreviris? Okay ... centre of the Imperium? Hmmm ...

Entrapment? No ... don't put THAT idea in his head ... Chetney: "Are you a narc?" Oof ...

Wuukors and avadons ... so THOSE are the beasties ...

A dozen Imperium in the town ... on high alert ... pushing them to work harder lately ... yup ...

Elder Barthie? Sounds like the right choice ...

The Weave Mind? Masters of the Imperium ... connects them to THE ONE WHO SLEEPS ... yeah, that would be Predathos ...

Rezora is the town? Got it.

Turning back into clouds ... he's impressed. Cute ... and now he's EXCITED about what he's about? Oh boy ...

Following Dono through the town ... simple place, but it seems quite pleasant and homely too ...

Ah ... military types ... hmmm ... these would be the BAD GUYS, then ...

Know Your Enemy ... go Orym! So these guys are tough, but nothing SUPER major, at least ...

Wow ... Dono is a REALLY bad actor ...

A-ha ... here we go ... smoother than expected, at least ... and they're IN.

Oh, so is the Elder ALREADY onto them? Interesting ... oh, he seems quite sweet, actually ... oh yeah, he clearly knows what's going on ...

Oh boy ... Elder Barthie is basically Jeff Goldblum ... cute ... I love it ... XD

Oh gods, the head ... oh no, Chetney stop that ...

Ah ... yes, tea. This is clearly going to be ... SPECIAL tea ... O.O

He's 300? Okay ...

Oh, so they're a bit like Tolkien's dwarves, then? Cool.

Recent shake-ups? Hmmmmm ... here we go ... the arrival of the Dreamers has become a major disturbance ... interesting ...

Big fat LORE DUMP ...

The Beating Heart, the Dream Keeper ... Predathos by any other names ...

Orym starts growing Druidcraft flowers ... meanwhile Laudna pulls out her ball bearings ... hmmmm ... not sure where THAT'S gonna go ...

The Dominion? Tectus? Hmmmm ...

"Bonobos?" Oh dear ... do not mention the sex monkeys, that can ONLY end in ridiculousness ...

FCG: "We've asked you so many questions! We have a few more!"

Pastries? Oh boy ... here we go ... Chu? Awwwwwwwwww ... :3

Oh man, it TALKS?!!! Fantastic ... and it's SASSY too ...

Laura's dirty mind gets her in trouble, narratively ... XD

Chu calls Chetney "the bushy rat-man" and Ashton loves it.

Chu is a flat Earther ... oh boy ... FCG immediately approves ... clearly Matt is pandering ...

"Worm territory"? Oh dear ...

Willmaster Edmuda? Hmmmm ... apparently she's a nasty piece of work ... lovely ...

Ah, the Volition, yeah ... so they ARE a kind of resistance effort. Great. That's the ticket. Oh, and Bertie has a friend among them? Zhesh? Cool ...

The Treshi ball is still dark ... phew ...

Minor Illusion ... have they seen Ludinus or Otohan? From a distance, apparently ... but not lately ... now Ira ... not him, then. Okay ...

Something of Zhesh's? Oh, are they going to Scry on her? That might work.

Ah yes ... the Flares ... goodie ... the "Beat" of the Heart of the One Who Sleeps ... hmmmm ...

So Imogen wonders if these Flares might help Predathos gain control of the Ruidusborn ... potentially a danger to her and Fearne, then ... hmmmm ... Best watch out for that ...

Laudna: "Do you .. babies?" Oof ... O.O

Matt (As Barthie): "If I could ..." Half the group, together, singing: "TURN BACK TIME!!!" Matt is broken for a few moments ... XD

Good point, IS THERE somewhere to sleep? There's a kind of cellar in this abode. Okay, then.

Working out the next move ...

THERE IS Moon wood! Yay! But not a lot of it ... hmmmmm ... not good for Chetney, then ...

Imogen considers trying a Sending to Zhesh ... hmmmm ...

Someone's coming? On the far side of the village ... causing a bit of a hubbub ... is it a potential problem?

They send Dono to check it out ... okay ...

Imogen reaches out to Zhesh ... she's very subtle about it ... and it DOESN'T cause interference! That's interesting ... she gets a very non-committal answer, but at least she's definitely here.

Imogen mists up to accompany Barthie outside to "see what the commotion is" ... oh wait, someone's already here ...

Crap ... there's a Reiloran at the door. Somebody IMPORTANT, looks like ...

The Willmaster? Shit!

And it's time for a break? NOW?!!! Crap ... WHILE Imogen is transforming, too ... O.O

And we're back ... and proper PANICKING already! AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

Are they visible? Are they rolling for Stealth? Crap ... Matt makes them do it ANYWAY ... it's s bit of a mess, looks like ...

Oh yeah, they're pretty much RUMBLED already ...

FCG just tries to bluff ... and casts Fast Friends? Oh fuck ...

Roll Initiative? Of course it is ... AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

Battlemap! Sweet! Cue Sam plugging Wizzkids!

Oh gods ... I have, like, THE WORST feeling about this ... this is probably going to go HORRIBLY ...

TWO MORE ROUNDS before Imogen can even HOPE to turn back to solid? Balls ...

So, do the run or do they FIGHT?!!!

Orym goes under rhe table then pulls Bait and Switch with the Elder, then just HOLDS ready ...

Laudna casts Hex on the Willmaster, then ... Marisha exclaims "SHIT!!!" several times ... then casts Fireball on her AND the Shrikes?! Oh dear fucking gods ... it's at FOURTH Level? Fuck ... 32 Fireball damage each, with 3 extra on the Willmaster ... ouch ...

Wow ... that causes SO MUCH chaos right out the gate ...

Holy fuck, most of the Vanguard just BREAK on the spot ... XD .. and now Laudna just literally EXALTED one of 'em ...

Shit, so that kid just UPGRADED on the spot and casts Telekinesis on her ... lifting her up OFF THE GROUND!!! Crap!

Chetney casts Blood Curse of Binding on the Willmaster ... which doesn't take! Balls... so he produces and activates Turmoil and casts Shatter on her instead, which she SPECTACULARLY fails to resist, inflicting 30 points of Thunder Damage on her AND others behind her ... oof ...

Ashton immediately RAGES!!! Goes monochrome, so increased gravity as he turns into a MINI BLACK HOLE!!! The Shrike that hrkd its action tries to attack him ... oh, this is going to be VERY interesting ... barely TWO points of damage ... so he casts a Teleportation Pad right under him to punt him right into the animal pen! "FUCK OFF!!!" Then attacks the knewly Exalted one and lands some more serious damage.

The Willmaster is IMMEDIATELY dragged towards Ashton, meanwhile instantly takes psychic control of EVERYONE in the village. Oof ... Jagged Dart? Oh hell ... tosses it at Ashton ... DEFINITELY hits ... 22 points of Force Damage! Argh ...

Fearne cats Charm Person on the Willmaster ... who FAILS to resist! Immediately beckons her back inside the hut, and IT WORKS?!!! Or maybe not? Deception check ... which Ashley completely tanks ... balls ... but at least she thinks SHE'S an ally ...

FCG shoots his grapple at the Willmaster ... 15? It hits? Wow ... damn it, one of the locals just JUMPS IN FRONT OF HER to take it instead! Crap ... so he just ducks up half the damage himself in sympathy ... but they're still hurt! Owwwww ... alive but VERY hurt ...

Orym casts Hex on the Willmaster before attacking for NON LETHAL damage! Nice ... oh, he is BATTERING her hard ... even WITH the Meat Shield? Hmmmm ... two get knocked out in the process ... great ... Action Surge to try and Grapple her head! Thanks to Silvery Barbs from Laudna IT WORKS!!! Sweet! Then an elbow to the face lands more Hex damage! Nice ... she's starting to look ROUGH ...

Sam's flask: "REMINDER! Come up Sith flask idea ..." Oh boy ...

Now Orym's taking attacks ... some of it REALLY HURTS ... then two of them just PHASE out of Ashton's sight ... hmmm ...

Laudna casts Mirror Image on herself ... she's stuck hanging in the air, so unleashes a Ray of Frost on the Willmaster ... half speed now! Nice ... plus 15 Frost damage! ALSO nice ...

The new Exalted pulls Laudna out into the open, then hits her with Blight! Oof ... 33 points of Necrotic damage! Ouch ...

2 of them fire crossbows at Laudna, first misses, second hits! 9 points of piercing damage ... she crit fails her concentration, so she loses her Mirror Image.

Chetney wolfs out snd HEADBUTTS the Willmaster ... instead renders another innocent unconscious ... no more Meat Shield means next hit GETS THROUGH, so 9 points of damage! Phew ...

Ashton charges the Willmaster, Raging Recklessly, hits her with the hammer. 24 to hit! Boom! 22 points of damage and HE GETS THE HDYWTDT!!! POW!!! The Willmaster flues 15 feet and is DOWN!!! Orym rides her doen and lands on top.

Everyone INSTANTLY snaps out of the trance ... so they see the chaos and just SCATTER.

The Shrikes just pause and take a beat to check out their opponents.

Fearne casts Scorching Ray on the fleeing foes and one of yhe Shrikes, takes out the runner, inflicts 9 damage on the Shrike. Then she bamfs out Mister.

Imogen is now entirely MIST. She is now ENTIRELY INCAPABLE of any violence ...

FCG casts Calm Emotions on EVERYBODY he can ... BOTH the Shrikes fail to shake it off. He immediately tells them both to CHILL OUT ... which they do! Crazy ... this is good for a WHOLE MINUTE!!!

Orym turns to the Exalted and flings the Hex at him. Goading Attack! First hit misses, second hits! 19 damage and HE gets the HDYWTDT so the kid is KNOCKED THE FUCK OUT!!! Now he rushes one of the Shrikes and holds an attack, ready for next round ...

The Shrikes are now trying to run off with the unconscious Willmaster ... great ... Orym gets an attack of Opportunity, trips one and puts him on the floor ... Calm Emotions is GONE and now they're focused on him for next turn.

Laudna chucks some Eldritch Blasts at the Shrikes, first misses, other 2 HIT!!! 15 and 14 points altogether, and she just MERCS the first one on the spot! Oof ... HDYWTDT indeed ... he's just pancaked ... she attacks the other one, but all three shots miss him ... nuts ...

The beasts stampede out of their pen and folk ate now getting caught and trampled! Oof ...

Chetney just throws himself in their path and saves one local, then goes for the remaining Shrike and attacks him with Turmoil while he's still prone. Wow ... he just CRITS the poor bastard ... HDYWTDT!!! He just opens the guy RIGHT UP!!! Oof ...

Just the few runners left ... Ashton gets in front of the stampede instead and grabs some of the locals, pulls them out of the path of the herd.

Fearne casts Scorching Ray on the runners, Crits one and hits the other two. 10 on the Crit, then 9 each on the others. Oh dear ... yeah, one of them just gull blown COMBUSTS on the spot ...

Imogen floats up to check out what's going on beyond their immediate battlefield. It's just chaos, but more are coming.

FCG casts Stone Shape and creates a ramp over him and the local he's protecting sk they herd doesn't trample them.

Orym uses Seedling to grapple the remaining runner and knocks him out of the spot.

Everybody scatters out of yhe path of the stampede. Meanwhile Chetney just SUPLEXES one of them down snd starts EATING IT ALIVE on the spot ... dear gods ...

Looks like that's it ... time to clean up while they have a chance. Hiding bodies as quickly as they can ...

And that's it for the night ... phew ... that was chaos, but thank fuck it turned out all right ...

#critical role #crit role campaign 3 #campaign 3 spoilers #crit role spoilers #campaign 3 episode 84 #matt mercer #marisha ray #laudna #travis willingham #chetney pock o'pea #laura bailey #imogen temult #liam o'brien #orym of the air ashari #ashley johnson #fearne calloway #taliesin jaffe #ashton greymoore #sam riegel #fresh cut grass

[aioleis]

★ Symbiosis

⋆ 𝔇𝔦𝔠𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫𝔞𝔯𝔶 ⋆ Symbiosis is a biological concept referring to a close and long-term interaction between two different biological organisms. The term, derived from Greek words meaning 'living together', encompasses a broad range of relationships that can vary in their nature and degree of intimacy.

This relationship can take various forms. In mutualism, both species benefit, like bees and flowers: bees get nectar for food, and flowers get pollinated. In commensalism, one species benefits while the other is unaffected, such as barnacles hitching a ride on a whale. Then there's parasitism, where one species (the parasite) benefits at the expense of the other (the host), like tapeworms in mammals. Amensalism, less common, involves one organism being harmed while the other is unaffected, and in neutralism, both organisms are unaffected, though this is rare. These symbiotic relationships are not just examples of nature's complexity but are vital in shaping ecosystems. They influence everything from biodiversity to the evolution of species and are key to understanding ecological interactions.

Symbiosis can occur between organisms in different kingdoms of life, such as between bacteria and plants or animals, or within the same kingdom. The relationships are not always fixed and can change over time due to environmental pressures or evolutionary changes.

In a broader ecological and environmental context, symbiosis illustrates the interconnectedness of different species and how they can co-evolve. It's a fundamental aspect of ecosystems, influencing biodiversity and the functioning of ecological communities. Understanding symbiotic relationships is crucial in fields like agriculture, medicine, and environmental conservation, as they play a significant role in natural processes like nutrient cycling, disease dynamics, and habitat formation.

Types of symbiotic relationships, each characterized by the nature of the interaction:

Mutualism: Both organisms benefit from the relationship. An example of mutualism is the relationship between bees and flowers. Bees get nectar from flowers, which they use for food, while flowers rely on bees for pollination.

Commensalism: One organism benefits, and the other is neither helped nor harmed. An example is barnacles attaching to a whale. The barnacles gain mobility and access to plankton for food, while the whale remains largely unaffected.

Parasitism: One organism (the parasite) benefits at the expense of the other (the host). Parasites may cause disease or even death in the host. An example is the relationship between tapeworms and mammals.

Amensalism: One organism is harmed while the other is unaffected. An example can be a large tree shading out smaller plants beneath it. The tree is unaffected, while the smaller plants might suffer or die due to lack of sunlight.

Neutralism: Both organisms are unaffected. This is less common and harder to document since it involves no significant interaction.

#dictionary

[marztheincredible]

Just watched the finale since I Finally had some free time!

Trying not to go absolutely crazy about just about everything haha!

Like how Belos becomes a cancerous creature that has to piggyback off of others to do damage and see his ideologies and genocide through. And becomes his most destructive once he takes over and hijacks something basically sacred, the Boiling Isles itself. And Luz, King, and Eda (Raine as well) had to literally tear him out of the heart of the isles. Removing Every Trace of Him. And how that could be a metaphor for such dangerous ideologies and how damaging and difficult it could be once they get into the Root of a Society and Government.

And of course about how Belos stans are fuming right now, that will never Not brighten my day haha

About The Titan. Like The Titan Titan. Oohhhohohoho The Titan! A gender fluid god! I loved his design! And also is no one else going to talk about the Hooty like creature coming out of his socket? Which immediately brought to my mind at least those parasites that attach themselves to the eyes of sharks? Is Hooty a type of parasite creature that used to feed off of titans? Maybe less of a parasite and more of a symbiotic relationship?

Or the fact that the glyphs were semi confirmed as a  Language. The Language of the Titans themselves. Does that mean that Runic is the Witch’s written language and Glyphs were the Titans or were both passed down? Ahh the questions, the QUESTIONS!!!

Also can we talk about how poignantly tragic the Titan’s true death was? How Belos managed to commit ONE last tragedy before his death? He annihilated the magic behind the Titan’s glyphs? I don’t think I can properly convene how cruel or or I don’t know Evil that is. He erased the meaning behind them. King, the Sole Remaining Titan, has to Recreate his own language.

I hate that man. Haha but I loved his death scene. I was kinda convinced that he wasn’t going to die, that he was basically going to be trapped in the in between place like The Titan. But OOOH BOY what we got instead was PERFECT haha!

Speaking of perfect, MARZ! MARZ MARZ MARZ! TITAN LUZ?! TITAN LUZ!!! AHHHH THAT ENTIRE SEQUENCE WAS AMAZING!

ALSO THE EPILOGUE!!! Ahhh I died seeing them all grow up and the rebuilding off the isles! All the little details in the backgrounds like the fact that people starting building all the arm and the palisman groves and the basilisks and Bump doing gardening and the detention track kids being teachers and the removal of the brands! And Boscha maybe being friends with the Hexsquad considering she was invited to Luz’s not quite a quinceanera but close enough and speaking of the Hexsquad, ALL THEIR OLDER DESIGNS!!! And EDA’S PIRATE HOOK HAND! also apparently Raine’s fox palisman is named Fiddlesticks? I think I saw that somewhere on Twitter but I still need to fact check that, ALSO THE QUINCEANERA! Also also I saw someone point out that Camilla had a combination of Raine’s and Eda’s ear rings and someone said that meant she was brought into Eda and Raine’s polycule which made me chuckle haha

*cough cough* anyway, fangirling over.

But Hoooooooo I am over the moon! OVER THE MOON! The finale was so good. There is probably more stuff to go over and believe me when I have time to relax (job hunting sucks I have no free time now a days) I will be BOMBARDING you with questions. But Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!

YEAHHHHHH YOU SUMMED YOU MY SIMILAR FEELINGS PERFECTLY DUDE!!!!

#the owl house #toh #ask

[dingbatnix]

My contribution for mermay! Sapnap and George, who are a pair of remora!

Remora are a type of fish that usually hang with bigger sea creatures, like whales, dolphins, and sharks. (Interestingly enough, what the species of remora is usually dictates what kind of creature they hang with.)

They can stick to the bigger fish with a specialized dorsal fin on the top of their heads that acts like a suction cup that they can control at will! (And yeah, the scale-looking things on Sap and Gogy's bellies is that fin. I just thought it would be weird if it was on their backs, so I put it on their front.)

Remora have a symbiotic relationship with whatever fish they cling to. They clean off any harmful parasites on the other fish's body, and in turn they get protection, faster transportation, and scraps of food.

Now comes Dream!

Dream is a lemon shark!

Now, among sharks, lemon sharks are the more likely to eat the helpful remora, but that's irrelevant here. (They're also one of the more agressive breeds of shark, which is kinda relevant.) In real life, most sharks actually seem to like remora, cause they help them get rid of itchy parasites, but that's also irrelevant here.

Here, in this world, shark mers are more prideful, more sure that they can take care of themselves. So, they don't really like remora clinging to them, and it's really uncommon to see a shark mer with any remora. (Others, like dolphins and whales, don't really mind the little guys.) So, to the crueler sharks, remora mers are as much of a viable food option as any other sea creature.

Also, lemon sharks are kinda in the mid-range for shark size, but in this one Dream is kinda on the small side. He's not complaining though. It just means he can be more down-to-level with George and Sapnap. When there's a bigger shark around though...well, let's just say that Dream's had his fair share of not-in-his-favor fights to protect his two smaller friends.

I think that's all I have to say, for now, I suppose.

#yell at me if anyone has any questions? i do like to talk y'know #mcyt g/t #mcyt gt #mermay #mer!dream #mer!sapnap #mer!george #shark mer!dream #remora mer!sapnap #remora mer!george #giant!dream #tiny!george #tiny!sapnap #g/t #i think this covers all the tags #have a nice day! #: P #giant mer!dream #writing #bat's art

[ghostoffuturespast]

4 August 2023 - Field Notes Friday

I was kinda sort of doing this a bit earlier and I don't want to make it too formal, but this series is more of a way for me to share my time out on the prairie and synthesize the knowledge I pickup so I can try to remember at least some of it. I learn somethin' new every day.

Spent a lot of time walking around in the flowers and a lot of time with small creatures this week.

Asteraceae

The sunflowers, prairie coneflower, fetid marigold, and the gone to seed cowpen daisy with the bumblebee on it are all members of the family Asteraceae. This family of plants is one of the largest plant families on the planet estimated to be over 20,000 species.

Asters are composite flowers, meaning the flower head isn't just one flower but many. The large outer petals you see on asters are known as ray flowers (like the large yellow flowers you see on a sunflower). Often, but not always, ray flowers don't have any reproductive structures. The capitulum, the head of the plant, (like the brown section in the middle of a sunflower) is actually composed of hundreds of tiny flowers called disc flowers. These are the flowers that actually get pollinated and produce seeds.

Sunflowers, lettuce, endive, safflower, echinacea, dandelions, and thistles are all members of the Aster family. Often in the field they're sometimes referred to as DYC (damn yellow composites). Because there are so many of them and they're hard to id, even for folks with years of botany or biology under their belt.

Margined Burying Beetle & Funnel Spider

Margined Burying Beetles are a type of carrion beetle and have very distinctive Halloween colors, which I appreciate! I accidentally flooded a bunch of them out when I was watering some trees. Not very cool of me, but it was neat getting to observe them.

Male beetles fly around looking for the carcass of small vertebrates in order to bury them underground in a little house and attract a potential mate. Once a female does show up though, it's not unusual for other beetles to have arrived as well. If that's the case then they all have to duke it out to see who gets to stay, typically the largest male and female win and the losers have to go look elsewhere. The male and female beetles will mate, clean up the carcass of any fur and feathers, and the female will lay her eggs. Burying beetles engage in parental care and one, sometimes both, will watch after the young until they pupate and are able to take care of themselves. Parents will basically feed the larvae vomit until the young can feed on their own.

These beetles can also secrete enzymes that can actually mask the scent of carrion to reduce the chance of other critters trying to munch on it. Which is pretty wild, considering how much dead stuff smells sometimes. Also, if you can see in the picture that beetle has a beige dot on its head. The beetle had a bunch of mites hanging out on it on the underside! I thought they were parasites at first, but did some research and turns out it's a symbiotic relationship. The mites hitch rides to carcasses and like to eat fly larva. Free rides for the mites and reduced competition for the beetle, win-win.

I fed the funnel spider a grasshopper. She was probably happy to get breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the week.

Peace or War?

Couple of mice got stuck in this trash can. Don't know how long they'd been in there, but one of them was very agro. They did not like the mouse with the stubby tail and actually drew blood trying to bite the rest of it off. It was like watching a mini cage wrestling match while I was looking for a place to release them. They all made it out of the trash can, but I can't say what happens after...

Found this beautiful patch of prairie coneflower and spreading fleabane. Got distracted by them and all the bugs.

Young cottontail rabbit and barn swallow eggs. Mom's been sitting on them diligently, so hopefully they'll hatch soon.

#nature #prairie #little ghost on the prairie #field notes friday #asteraceae #prairie coneflower #sunflowers #fetid marigold #cowpen daisy #insects #margined burying beetle #funnel spider #cottontail rabbit #barn swallows #spreading fleabane #mice

[sirwow]

Ough more FK ramble ramble time but about species tm:

Demons and Angels have multiple different races. They mostly are based on region but many can be found elsewhere in smaller numbers. I’ll just be going over the demon races here because 2 angel races still need some descriptions

To start the demon races:

Sirens- a small numbered race but fairly easy to recognize. They originated near swamps and have medium tails. They always have 2 sets of horns; one set large and spiraling down and back their heads with the smaller set being two small horns somewhere on their head.

Dune Callers- Desert born demons, small tailed, larger ear, and some of the only demons with red skin. They can sometimes grow 4 arms as well but unless mixed race, they have terrible vision in the dark unlike most other demons.

Imps- The most common demon type, Thin horns with not much curve to them, long tails, and sometimes dragon wings. Nothing too special about them other then having shaped tail ends and originating from forests and plains.

Athol- Big boi demons from the caves and corners of the world. Tiny ears, smooth horns and often freckled. Athols (like Big Horn) can grow to very large sizes, have weak hearing being adapted to the cave echos, and if living in a frozen area for a long time (20-30 yrs) will grow white thick fur.

Succubus/Incubus- A diversion of the Imp family and similar to them. Their horns curl inwards or outwards and can appear in several colors. Their ears are much pointier then imps and have hearts at the end of their long tails.

Bezelbub*- Both an angel and demon race and most definitely the strangest. Born with 4 legs and bug wings, bezelbubs are the result of parasitic bugs attaching to the people of the mountains but eventually reaching a symbiotic relationship and becoming one species. Bezelbubs can come in multiple forms; Spiders, flies, and very rarely; centipedes. Example of some bezelbubs are Plum and Widow

#tboi #tboi au #tboi writing #forgotten keys

[skgenvs3000w23]

Unit 03: Risk and Reward

My working definition of privilege involves the unearned reception of certain advantages to a group of people, or individual. These privileges are often passed down through generations and typically revolves around identities such as race, ability, socioeconomic status, sexuality, and level of education (Mcintosh in Noel, 2000 p. 115). While many people who live a privileged life are afraid to recognize it, it is an important topic to discuss in order to fully understand the power imbalances that result from it.

Privilege is just as important of a concept within nature interpretation as it is in everyday life. One of the ways I recognize that I am privileged in terms of my relationship with nature, is through having parents that placed values on our natural environment. Not everyone has the same opportunity to grow up in a family that has an appreciation for nature as I did. I am able to recognize this as a privilege as it is not something that everybody grows up with, and not something I ever worked to earn. I was simply born into a family that happened to share the same love of nature as I did, and this ultimately shaped the course of my life. One way this privilege unfolded as I grew up was through travelling. I have been fortunate enough to have parents that understand the value that comes with travelling and can set aside enough money for our family to go on trips. This has benefitted by relationship with nature greatly as it has allowed me to learn firsthand about different environmental topics such as ecology and conservation in other countries. This has bettered my ability as a nature interpreter as I’m able to spread the knowledge I’ve learned on trips with the people around me.

This privilege has benefitted me throughout the course of my time as a student, which even furthered my privilege. A specific example I can remember of travelling benefitting my performance in school was in grade 10. In my biology class we were learning about different interactions within nature, specifically symbiotic relationships. During the Christmas break of that year, my family travelled to the Amazon for an adventure. We were on a hike with a guide who was informing us of the natural history and interactions that occur within the rainforest. One topic he mentioned was the relationship between capybaras and cleaner bird species. He explained how certain birds will land on capybaras and eat ticks and parasites off of them and how this benefits both animals. It was a perfect example of a type of symbiotic relationship, specifically a mutualistic one, and I was able to reinforce what I had previously learned in class with a real-life example. When I returned to school, the information I had learned over the break stuck with me and ended up benefitting me in class. I was able to recognize that this was a unique experience that I was able to participate in and that it was a privilege resulting from my parents.

Privilege is an important topic to discuss, within the field of nature interpretation but also in everyday life. Continuing the conversation is one way to recognize your privileges and understand the power imbalances it creates.

Gallavan, N.P. (2005). Helping teachers unpack their ‘invisible knapsacks.’ Multicultural Education, 13(1), 36.

Noel, J. (2000). Notable selections in multicultural education. Guilford, CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.

[proxy-pages]

Apologies for another ask, but

What sort of creative process do you go through when designing the different slime species? Each of them feel unique from one another and even the subspecies of ones feel distinct from their main

(Also it's just fun to see so many different types then just gooey ones, it's fun to see them show up on my dash every time)

Awwww thank you ;0;

So it started with me just drawing Soda Slimes because I thought it would be really funny if like, idk there was living soda

But I'm kind of weird I can't just let things be I have to have a reason for their existence. So I started thinking about slimes in general. When it comes to creating a new one I think about what niche they would fill in nature, how did their surroundings affect them, and so forth

It's kind of like animals, an eagle and a penguin are both birds but they're rolling nature is different and their body is different because of the environment they live in

And then of course I think about why would they have that consistency. It makes sense that an acidic slime that lives in harsh conditions would have a tougher body so they wouldn't be gooey because then they would dry up.

I also take inspiration from various media. I'm not proud to say this but I looked up different media for slimes and I often got, well adult media. Which is fine and all but a lot of them didn't put any thought in why all these slimes were different so I wanted to do that lol

Aside from media like I said before I take a lot of inspiration from animals: Soda Slimes are like gooey raccoons, Sea Slimes are like jellyfish and sea turtles, Fungi Slime are like the nicer version of the symbiotic relationship between a parasitic mushroom and a bug

(in the case of Sweet Slimes I was taking inspiration from plants hehe)

So yeah my thought process is just picking a theme, picking a niche, and then figuring out what consistency and features make sense for that theme to have

Sorry for the super long answer ^^;

#bleh

[donuts4evry1]

hi, im doing some pokemon esque monster designs for fun (game concept design, not serious, more just "hehe funny amnimals") and all of them have alt designs/species. i would like jellyfish reccomendations!!!

In honour of the

compass jellyfish

I just posted about, I'd like to talk about it in a more coherent fashion!

It's a type of "sea nettle," which has the distinct shape most people think of when they think of jellyfish.

Other than those cool looking stripes, it's pretty normal except for the fact that it's a sequential hermaphrodite (which, despite some opinions I've seen online, is quite rare for a Schyzophoan jellyfish). After maturing into a medusa, it is a male- but eventually, as they grow older, it will develop female gametes. Females will also provide shelter to the planula, rather than simply leaving them behind like other species of jellyfish.

I think the stripes could potentially be a fun design choice, by the off chance you decide to use this. It seems to be one of the kinder species (despite having a nasty sting), so I could see this being a fairy type :).

Next up we have the “Egg Yolk Jellyfish,” similar to such species like the “Lion’s Mane” and such.

It’s cute :), but it also mainly predates on other sea jellies (or so the Monterey Bay Aquarium leads me to believe).

It also has a symbiotic relationship with larval crabs, offering some food/protection/mobility in return for the crabs eating the parasites :). I imagine this species could be like mantine and remoraid (also the idea of crabs being on top of/inside of jellyfish is absolutely adorable to me hehehe), perhaps a flying type in reference to this? Mobility stuff

There isn’t much information on this jellyfish (at least, not individually)- but I’d like to present to you the “Brown Banded Moon Jelly”:

It is pretty much similar to the A. aurita, minus the distinctive brown band lining the bottom of its bell (and usually prefers the colder seas). In principle alone, it’s almost like a variant of what we consider “normal” moon jellies to be. Perhaps a ground/water type just for the mental image the brown might conjure?

Next up is “Nomura’s Jellyfish”, or echizen kurage, as it’s known in Japan.

Not only is it considered the largest cnidarian (growing up to 2 meters tall and weighing over 400 kg), but it’s also a bit of a menace- replicating in immense numbers and being an overall menace to the japanese fishing industry.

Naturally, it also has a nasty sting. Because of course it does. The japanese have tried to find uses for it by trying to make it commercially available as food, though that venture didn’t work (it’s still sold as ice cream tho :>, take that Vanillite!)

I’m not sure what kind of variant this could be, but I’m sure it would make a fine inspiration for a jellyfish pokemon :) (and honestly it kinda reminds me of Jellicent thanks to its size)

I’d love to ramble more about different jellies (I’ve only touched the surface on the various shapes that they can come in) but I’ve definitely taken too much time on this so I think I’ll just end it off with a jellyfish that I used to revisit a lot but haven’t really talked about much, the “Cannonball Jellyfish” (Or the cabbage head jellyfish)

It’s pretty closely related to the likes of the Palau jelly and the Australian spotted jelly- though one aspect of this jellyfish really stood out to me:

It’s VERY big in the commercial jellyfish industry (for food, at least haha)- this one, at least, being Georgia’s 3rd largest seafood export (most of it going to Eastern and South Eastern Asia).

The name invokes the idea of grass type to me- so I feel like it could be one of those pokemon that happens to grow delicious food on it (like tropius or appletun). Perhaps a grass/water variant?

#long post #i hope i didn't get too rambly haha I don't really know much about your pokemon #currently in a rut when it came to working on my own jellyfish dating sim so I thought this would be a nice breather #tbh I still found myself rushing on this ask even tho I didn't really need to haha. #if you need some clarification or want some help researching different species- I'll try to help you to the best of my ability ^v^ #most of my research is swiped straight from the internet until I get my jellyfish book next month but I think I'm quite good at finding- #-stuff about jellyfish in wikipedia :). #ask #mun rambles #jellyfish #good luck with your pokemon design btw! ik those are always fun :>

[pokemon-researcher-alexander]

Adding another researcher to the long tally of RoTumblr users; nice to meet you! Firstly, how are the studies? Studying to become a professor can be quite tedious, especially under Rowan, haha. Secondly, more relevant to academia, how is the formation of Shedinja from Nincada possible? Does this imply that Nincada has sentient skin (or at the very least the ability to instill sentience into its molt)? How does Shedinja automatically inhabit an empty Pokéball?

Nice to meet you as well, sir.

The studies can be tedious, but that's true of almost any scientific profession. I'm sure you know just how much data it takes to draw any reasonable conclusions, but I usually find it to be worthwhile. (Except when three weeks of work need to be thrown out because of a faulty sensor. That's a bit frustrating.)

I'm actually not studying under Professor Rowan right now, though his lab is on the shortlist of doctoral programs I'd like to apply to next year, once I finish my Master's. I suppose that, as a student at CU, I'd technically be adjunct to Professor Oak, though I've never met him. I did meet Rowan at a League luncheon once, when I still lived in Sinnoh, and I think he's perceived as being much harsher than he actually is. It was subtle, but he definitely does have a dry sense of humor.

As far as Shedinja goes, I'm assuming that you've read research papers on your own time, and are asking which hypothesis I support, but I'll give some background for other readers.

The evolution of Nincada is essentially a black box function; we know what we start with and end with, but lack sufficient instrumentation to determine how the results are achieved. This has lead to anyone with any interest at all in evolution putting forth a hypothesis of their own.

While some, such as Shedinja spontaneously appearing from another dimension (Lund, 1997), are generally met with skepticism by the community at large, it is important to remember that they have not been disproven, and could be true, however unlikely they may seem.

That being said, three possibilities are currently perceived as the most logical, all stemming from the original assertation that, as no other Pokémon evolves into two separate organisms, Nincada must actually be two Pokémon themselves (Quackenpoker, 1995).

First is the idea of the theoretical Pokémon which evolves into Ninjask being a parasite inside Nincada (Badel, 2000). This is typically thought of as the least likely of the three, given the clear visual similarities between Nincada and Ninjask.

Second is the 'sentient skin', as you referred to it, which assumes a symbiotic relationship between the two (Entsy, 2003), where the Nincada inside gains an additional layer of protection, and the other Pokémon a more effective means of locomotion. While providing a better explanation for the aforementioned similarities, it, at least in my eyes fails to address Shedinja's typing.

Fewer than 10 Pokémon gain the Ghost type upon evolution, and of those, Decidueye and Skeledirge are the only ones to do so purely through accumulated experience. Thus, the third hypothesis, which I view as the most accurate, treats Nincada as a single Pokemon, evolving into Ninjask. However, the energy involved as evolution nears then attracts an as-of-yet undiscovered Ghost-type, which makes use of Nincada's shed skin to evolve itself, in the same vein as Karrablast using Shelmet's armor (Temin, 2004).

Shedinja automatically inhabiting a Pokéball honestly has more to do with the Pokéball than the Pokémon. As the balls are tied to your Trainer ID, they detect the genetic material from the discarded exoskeleton, and, assuming that this is still your Nincada, whose ball must have broken, automatically recapture them. It is possible to override this by releasing Nincada immediately prior to evolution, but as Shedinja prefer to remain near the Ninjask that they are tied to, they almost always allow themselves to be caught by the same trainer.

#pokémon irl #pokeask #shedinja #nincada #ninjask

[celestialmango]

You don’t gotta, just some random ish ideas that don’t gotta be concerted, just mermay go burr

Mhere reader is a cleaner fish mer, the little babs have symbiotic relationships with other bigger species, who protect them in return. Cleaner fish cleaning our bits of food stuck in bigger fish’s mouths and teeth to clean out things that are way to small or can

On a more separate note, there’s also some fish that are called moth breeders, believe beta fish are an example of such (I’m not an expert so you might wanna look it up yourself); they pretty much I believe keep and store their young and maybe eggs in their moth for either protection or traveling. Beta fish are also real fucking aggressive and territorial fighter fish if I remember right. (Maybe moon would even be the smaller lad for once lmao)

Can’t think of anything that can directly fit Sun besides maybe a bull or tiger sharks, they are infamous for just eating anything and everything they come across, trash babs who get jealous and demand snuggles form divers they known and liked for a long time

… be it on accident, cus one of em was spooked, for protection or one of em (moon) was feeling like a mischievous gremlin, there can easily be noms here. Idk food for thought lol

I actually have a prompt where reader is a rather colorful pilot fish, a type of cleaner that nibbles things like parasites off the skin of larger fish. I will however add this prompt because the pilot fish one has Sun and Moon being shy shark boys because tiny mer is cute and they don't know how to deal with the feelings that causes them.

But the mention of tiger sharks and divers does give me another idea with a diver reader and Shark Sun where their first meeting is as kids when reader is just learning how to dive, Sun noms them then gets sick because he bit off more than he could chew(despite not chewing at all) but reader ever curious starts exploring, rubbing at his insides which helps Sun feel better so he's like not food, tasty but not food, then eventually spits them up giving reader freedom and starts circling them because he wants to memorize what they look like, one time when circling too close kid reader does a pet and then Sun is like Ooo, do it again, but kid reader has to go up for air, Sun gets that and since he's the one who pulled them deeper in the water helps them reach the surface but doesn't let go.

This causes the diving instructor to hurt him to make him let go, reader gets upset because they made a friend and the instructor was mean to him.

Later on they meet again when reader goes diving there when older and finding out that diving instructor got ate.(Sun did a vengeance) Sun does remember them and they remember Sun and Sun noms them again due to him needing readers help because he feels sick and reader helped his belly feel better before, so reader finds some garbage he ate thats hurting him and helps him remove it, one of the things reader finds is a diving tank, one reader recognizes as the one their old instructor's used while Sun swims in circles, spiting up trash that reader helps push back up his throat.

So when reader finishes and thinks Sun is going to let them out now that they've helped him, Sun just..doesn't because he still doesn't feel too great, doesn't plan to hurt reader, just wants his stomach ache to go away and reader knows if he wanted to digest them he could have done it hours ago, I mean reader was checking their waterproof watch so then they have to figure out why Sun isn't letting them out and it takes awhile till they remember what they did as a kid that made Sun spit them up, they do it again and Sun spits them up once he feels better and brings them back to the surface because humans need air and he wants to cuddle. Also wants pets.

#mango answers #☀️🍬🌕 #📝☀️🍬🌕🗒️ #🐯🦈☀️