Finished The Polished Sketch!! I’m Super Happy With How This Turned Out!

Okay okay… so what I’m gettin from this is: nematodes and fungi are mostly uninteresting, but human body facts are.

I’ll be sure to tailor to your tastes next time :)

HIII!!!

I have more horrifying biology to share, if you’re interested? Today’s fun facts involve fungi and nematodes, so if anyone is squeamish about creepy mushrooms doing creepy things, or lots of little bugs everywhere, they should look away now

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Everyone who doesn’t wanna know gone? Good!!

oKAY SO

The world is covered in woerms. Nematodes are a phylum of animals that live in the earth’s topsoil, rivers, lakes, oceans and seabeds. They’re EVERYWHERE!! They’re even in the polar regions!!! These lil suckers’ estimated biomass is about 4/5ths of all humans on earth. And these are microscopic little worms! Nematodes are a pretty important kind of critter because they’re decomposers, so they cycle nutrients back into food webs by consuming dead things. They’re also parasites and predators. They wear a lot of different hats! So cool!!

But nematodes aren’t the star of today’s show. Let me introduce you to the nematophageous fungi: fungi that actively hunt nematodes! Similar to predatory plants like the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) and the sundews (Drosera genus) these fungi set traps for our wormy little friends. But these fungi take it a step further than the plants do, and here’s the part that’s disturbing: instead of luring their prey in with a sweet-smelling promise of calories, the fungi eavesdrop on the chemical communicators that nematodes use to talk to one-another and set their traps in areas of high comms traffic. The fungi are stalking their prey. HOW FREAKING COOL IS THAT???? A living thing that is not an animal and has no central intelligence actively stalks prey!!!

AUGH I just can’t get over it!!!

So anyway, the fungi build three different kinds of nematode trap: your classic tree-spring noose, a glue trap, and an even scarier glue trap. Hyphal rings are a kind of hyphae (essentially the fungus’ body: think plant roots but if the plant is the roots) that end in a loop. When a nematode wriggles on through, the fungus pushes water into the hyphal ring, causing it to swell shut around the worm. Then the fungus pierces the nematode’s cuticle (it’s skin, but woerm skin) with its hyphae and eats the worm from the inside. Yum!!

Adhesive hyphae are exactly what they sound like: sticky mushroom fingers!!! These hyphae grow nodes or form nets that secrete a glue when they sense a tasty treat. The nematode gets stuck and the fungus can pierce it’s cuticle and eat the worm at its leisure.

The last kind of trap is exactly the same as the sticky fingers, but it adds a nematotoxic chemical to the glue, which poisons the unfortunate wormie so it doesn’t struggle and damage the fungus when it’s caught. It’s the same concept as venomous predators which envenomate prey so they don’t have to hold onto an animal fighting for its life.

I hope you’re having a lovely day, and I hope this knowledge brings a smile to your face the same way it does for me!! Actually… I squealed and wiggled with excitement when I first learned about these guys, so maybe don’t. That might be a bit embarrassing, since we all know Echo is Always Watching.

You can learn more about nematophageous fungi here and here!!

It appears that @imperial-strategist infiltrated my personal communication channel and took it upon himself, alongside his "assistant," to discuss these items with you whilst I was busy with my research.

Since they are such experts on the subject matter, I will leave this in their capable hands. Far be it from me to interrupt.

My big sis did this to the back of our car on a road trip once. I was an unwitting accomplice. Our parents were SO MAD 😂

BATCHED: a Clones Zine [ICheck]

Welcome to BATCHED! 

This is a 𝐍𝐎𝐍-𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐓 / 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘 Zine centered on all the clone battalions of Star Wars. 

This zine is a Gen, SFW project. A happy AU (Everybody lives/Nobody dies) where our favorite bois are living happily. 

We welcome themes such as brotherhood, adventures, fun shenanigans, found family, Modern AUs…

Interested? Fill our ICHECK and let us know what would you like to see come out of this project.

FAQ | [ICHECK] THANK YOU SO MUCH!

What kind of flowers would you like, love? Perhaps red and pink carnations for the ache of your devoted, but now trampled heart?

Anybody else remember that scene where Hunter teared up as Hemlock took Omega in season 2?

Lula doll :)

Echo: I have a headache.

Kix: From 1 to 10, how intense would you describe your pain?

Echo: Fives. It's Fives.

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Interested in more Clone shenanigans?

We may just be your kind of cookie! Fill our interest check for the fanzine Batched: a clones Zine [Here]

MY DUUUUDES

THIS

This is how you apologize for Art Crimes!!!

Did OP trace someone else’s art? Yes. Did they do it because they wanted to profit off the art? A little: the posted it on social media, after all. Did they transform the art significantly enough and with the clear skill of an artist who knows how to use a reference? Yes. They clearly know how to draw and proportion things.

WHEN THEY WERE CALLED OUT DID THEY APOLOGIZE AND REPOST THE TRACED ART IN CONTEXT WITH ALL THE WORK BOTH THEY AND THE ORIGINAL ARTIST DID? YES!!!

Should OP have traced the art? No. They are clearly an excellent artist themself who could have done this on their own using the original artist’s art for reference rather than a base. And they’ve owned up to it and given credit where credit is due.

sillies

@shyranno gave me the idea from one of their the Bad Batch: Downtime comics that Crosshair might have saved Omega in s1e16 out of love for Hunter, and not because he felt like he owed the kid. Somebody else, I can’t recall who though, convinced me of it with their interpretation of the scene: they said that Crosshair was preparing to stun Hunter to prevent him from trying to rescue the drowning child. He just happened to be able to see her and was able to reach her with his cable.

Anyone who knows anything about water rescue knows you’re not supposed to go in after a drowning person. You’re supposed to throw them a floatation device, especially in deep water. The reason for this is because the excess weight can drag you under as well, and their struggling can prevent you from swimming. Both people more than likely end up drowning.

So I think Crosshair, despite caring enough for Omega to want her safe from the impending fight between himself and his brothers, wasn’t planning on rescuing her from the ocean. It was a coincidence. And this piece came from my desire to see Hunter concede to Crosshair’s point that Omega is in danger as long as she is with the Batch. It might not be as much danger as if they’d left her on Kamino, or with the Lawquaines, but she is still in danger.

It’s also an excuse to indulge in a little Hunter hugging Omega properly, because that’s clearly not gonna happen in cannon anytime soon 😂

tiny Locks 🫶

Skelepajamas for Ghost!! Big man deserves to be comfy <333