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Parasites - Blog Posts
I don’t wanna ship characters that never met
but thE PARASITES WANT ME TO SHIP THEM
I don’t wanna ship characters crack ships
BuT THE PARASITES WANT ME TO SHIP EM.
So I’m 30 episodes into The Magnus Archives so far and while I do miss being able to go to bed without fearing for my life, I’m gonna keep listening.
I have thoughts on one of the creatures we’ve met so far, the worm hive/nest specifically. The source being ‘Plight of the Living Dead’ by Matt Simon, a book I’m currently reading about parasites that zombify their hosts. I’m not an expert on parasites, I just think they’re cool and I wanna share my thoughts.
Unlike the fungus ophiocordyceps, (the zombie ant one), the worms don’t bother trying to be sneaky; they completely decimate their host making their presence obvious to uninfected individuals. Similar to how Massospora cicadina eats away at cicadas’ abdomens until they’re almost completely hollowed out. This unconcern for appearances probably means the worms don’t have a predator/threat to hide from.
Also, I’m wondering if this parasitic behavior of spreading themselves like an infection is part of the worms’ life cycle, like how real life nematodes need to get themselves into different animals’ guts to reproduce. If they are actually worms this could simply mean finding a new host, laying eggs and multiplying their numbers within the body until they’re ready to find another host. Or if they aren’t worms but grubs/larvae instead, that could mean that they have a mature adult form they could metamorphose into. Which would be so awesome and make for an episode with more insect/worm body horror! Anyway, it’s fun to analyze the ecology of fictional monsters.
Kickstarter now live for the Leucochloridium plush! I had this smaller prototype made already, but the final plush is going to be BIGGER and more realistically proportioned!
You can preorder a plush, an enamel pin, or a combo of both for the next 30 days. The plush will need a couple thousand dollars in factory costs alone, but if successful, there’ll be at least 100 of them made with some left over that I’ll put up on etsy by fall/winter!
Can't get over of this master piece.
PARASITE (2019) dir. Bong Joon Ho.
I met with some very cool people today to discuss their new research project about parasite-animal-human relationships, which hopes to touch on social and biological anthropology, primatology, veterinary medicine, human medicine and others. It's genuinely one of the most amazing projects I've heard about recently and I'm thrilled to (hopefully) be a part of it.
For my fellow scientists, please suggest your favorite books, research papers, anything really on the subject of parasites from any point of view!! I'd really appreciate it.
A new bio/reference sheet for my sona, Pepper! :3
self rb because I FORGOOOOT to mention that, in relation to 'fresh going in through the eye' thing, he doesn't have to be in the skull/head to be possessing someone's body, like in the True!Fresh image CQ drew, he's lower than the ribcage and still controlling the body fine...(the other colored tendrils are fresh's parasite offspring, you coouulld argue that they're the ones controlling the host but ehhh) So I like to think that despite the soul Always showing up in the eyesocket, Fresh doesn't have to be in the head to feed on it.
More weird questions I've just thought of, this time pertaining to the Fresh parasite
What is the texture of the parasite like? Is it squishy and slimy, or is it like a shark or sturgeon, in that if you run your hand over it one way, it's smooth, but if you run your hand over it the other way, it's rough?
Is it like an octopus, with being able to squeeze through just about any space? Or are there limitations?
Does the parasite have organs? Other than its one singular eyeball, I mean
Can I squish it, or is it a bit more firm?
Is there any way to deter it and keep it from hijacking people's bodies? I'd use "like salt with slugs/snails" as a comparison, but that's not a deterrent, that just outright kills them
How heavy is the parasite? Can it bounce?
Is it sticky, or does it have little suckers on it to help "climb" flat surfaces?
When it hijacks the body of a human (assuming it goes into the eye socket), what does it do with the eyeball? Does it just pop out the eye and make itself at home, does it eat the eye, or?
I know it doesn't need to breathe, but could it kinda sorta suffocate when placed in a hot enough environment? Is it weak to extreme temperatures?
Okay take this with a grain of salt because CQ doesn't talk about Fresh parasites much, but here's what I've gathered.
It's a common thought to have, but I doubt they crawl into the eyesocket unless it's open like with Sans (or someone missing an eye like Undyne, since Error in askerror mentions Fresh has possessed Undynes multiple times). Remember the kiss list? After CQ said Fresh likes to kiss people as a prank and keeps a list book of people he's kissed, people speculated that he not only kisses to see their reaction, but also when he needs a new host he uses that as a method to possess people via mouth. So no eye eating, only soul sucking.
idk about touch texture but Fresh is stretchy, during a roleplay CQ joined called Timeparty(I may be wrong about it being timeparty but it was one of those events), Fresh stretched his tendrils from his host and wrapped up another character just to threaten them.
I personally think that since Fresh can stretch out so much, he can also squeeze through small gaps like an octopus... makes the 'parasite invading bodies' thing easier.
Gotta use your imagination for the rest... or just ask CQ, though she hasn't written parasite lore in a while lmao. (F in the chat for Capri and Slinky 😔)
And I WILL use my imagination cus I like to headcanon that Fresh parasites don't have internal organs or blood and instead have a ton of tiny orb-shaped organelles throughout their body that serve both purposes.... like... like those orbeez balls..... lil orbs they fill with soul energy all circulating around their bodies...
More weird questions I've just thought of, this time pertaining to the Fresh parasite
What is the texture of the parasite like? Is it squishy and slimy, or is it like a shark or sturgeon, in that if you run your hand over it one way, it's smooth, but if you run your hand over it the other way, it's rough?
Is it like an octopus, with being able to squeeze through just about any space? Or are there limitations?
Does the parasite have organs? Other than its one singular eyeball, I mean
Can I squish it, or is it a bit more firm?
Is there any way to deter it and keep it from hijacking people's bodies? I'd use "like salt with slugs/snails" as a comparison, but that's not a deterrent, that just outright kills them
How heavy is the parasite? Can it bounce?
Is it sticky, or does it have little suckers on it to help "climb" flat surfaces?
When it hijacks the body of a human (assuming it goes into the eye socket), what does it do with the eyeball? Does it just pop out the eye and make itself at home, does it eat the eye, or?
I know it doesn't need to breathe, but could it kinda sorta suffocate when placed in a hot enough environment? Is it weak to extreme temperatures?
FRESH DRAWING GUIDE:
Hello everybody, I've come to give you all this absurd reference guide for drawing Fresh. yep. I decided to spend hours slapping this together.
If I got anything wrong or should add anything PLEEEASE lemme know! All ideas welcome!
If you want to see my "research" on this character, let me know in the replies, because there's so much to talk about with him and I'd love to do a character analysis or two, I couldn't put much about his personality or source posts in this because it's just a drawing guide!
Link to all the full images
Transcript and close-ups of the text on the image: (May be in a strange order)
Fresh was created by @loverofpiggies (CQ)
Main Outfit:
YOLO sunglasses
Backwards propeller cap
Pink Polo shirt
Crayola Jacket
Gold Tooth
SWAG fannypack
Convertible Zip-off pants
White Heelie shoes
Pink socks
He has thick eyebrows to emote! (The eyebrows are usually depicted with black hair but one human design has eyebrows that match the pink hair color!)
The bag says SWAG on it
His glasses say YOLO by default, but the letters can magically change mid-scene...
this design for Fresh is Tall, we dunno how tall but taller than CQ's Sans characters (or just Geno since he's literally sans undertale with some added steps). But his height is just his host's height sooo it can vary.
those (cyan and yellow) shoe details are on the innerside but not outerside
HE HAS HEELIES!
Pink glove cuffs!
his skateboard is inconsistent dont worry about it
Glasses Off:
The host's soul shows up in their left eyesocket
- The soul tends to look unstable (cracks & a sortve stroboscopic effect.. i couldn't think of a better word.) but not in some cases...
It doesn't have to be a white upside-down heart, that's just a reference to an undertale monster soul.
He has a purple substance full of little RADs that emanate from his eyesockets (when his sunglasses are off)
"The soul in Fresh's eyes CAN be cracked. That soul isn't his. it belongs to his host. And.... after a while.... things go bad for the host, and he needs a new one." -CQ
(example of soul with unstable effect with no cracks) (example of soul with cracks but lacking the effect)
The purple aura(?) can glow and emanate from the eyes when his glasses are on too
i miss this one design specifically. the colors and the SK8 OR B SK8 shirt were peak
I miss the SWAG necklace...
Fresh leaves a rainbow cloud of smoke when he "poofs". Either teleporting him and his host body somewhere or leaving his host behind.
Human Designs:
Fresh can possess humans too.
They all look physically different because they're different people that he's possessing.
Fresh can possess pretty much any body, but I thought I'd show the varied examples of humans anyway
Don't forget the orange jacket flaps! or his hat propeller!
I dunno what's up with the multicolor tongue thing. I think it was extra parasites in the host's mouth? I feel like it was scrapped at some point... but I could be wrong
FURBIES!:
Oh yeah, he also does this: (no image for the bat tho)
"I mean when he fights he pulls Furbies out of his magical fanny pack. takes out a wiffle bat. and hits the furby at his enemies.
And then the furby explodes in a blaze of glory." -CQ
Despite using some furbies as explosives, he seems to 'care' about and treat these two like precious babies:
This one is potentially named McFreshby The Fresh Furbrah (Fresh is mentioned to have one named that, and this is the only other furby he's been depicted with)
It can also do THIS: (roll its eyes back into a spookier look)
This is DJ FurBs. that's all i know about him
The REAL Parasite:
Fresh is actually this little parasite controlling a host body. (if you didn't know that why are you reading this post rn!?! but nah I love new Fresh fans, welcome!)
The main parasite is this purple one with the eyemouth and four(?) tendrils, the other colored tentacles are prrrobably Fresh's offspring (freshmageddon moment?) (I'm not actually sure, I'm just pretty sure they're not part of the main parasite but are parasite tentacles)
You can also see Fresh's five or more purple tendrils here stretching out all over his host's body
All art from CrayonQueen/@loverofpiggies
Reference guide made by PurrpleParrasite/@purrpletiger
pls suggest changes or additions if u have ideas!
That's all!
Happy Valentine’s day! As an aroace goblin I don’t have much loveydovey stuff to post. But since it’s “Freshuary” I thought I’d compile all the characters that remind me of the Fresh parasite! (I wanted to do the freshuary drawing prompt thing but i didnt have enough time or ideas lmao)
I freaking LOOOVE this flavor of characters(radical dudes who are actually evil) with a burning passion but simultaneously hate that I love them lol, I guess that’s why the passion’s burning. I fully blame Alex Hirsch and @loverofpiggies for starting my unhealthy addiction
Aaand here’s a bonus:
All of these are official images from the source material (Making Porty and Starro transparent was sooo annoying) except for the Fresh parasite which I drew myself, and the SCP.
If you think of any other similar characters leave them in the notes!
Hope you had a nice holiday and/or have a fun rest of the month! B)