#black fungus infection causes

[panem-crustus]

SOUDOUGH SALUTATIONS!!!

I am the one and only Carbohydramancer on/ in the @wizard-island-trading-co! I am a Carbohydramancer, that is, a manipulator of Carbohydrates. A bread wizard, basically. My magics are based mostly on semantics. If it can technically be called bread, I can make it.

Pronouns: He/Him

CURRENT STOCK

Battery Acid Hawaiian Buns: An extremely potent electromagical power source. Boosts the power of any electromagical devices and machines hooked up to it. Requires Bottled Lightning and Lithium to bake. Handle only with insulated gloves.

Loaf of Armorsoul: Temporarily boosts defense In organic beings and repairs Automatons when consumed. Any bread baked using @odd-animated-armor's chest cavity results in this bread. This is the only way I've been able to replicate the recipe thus far.

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UPDATED: Starlight Sourdough: A mystical, mostly untested recipe. A potent, edible source of mana that is arguably more appetizing than a vial of purple goo. I used the Spores of a rare Starlight Mushroom as yeast for a Sourdough Starter, resulting in a promising way to cultivate the notoriously finicky fungus. The recipe has been stabilized, and is being used as a mana power source for @wizard-island-trading-co's Moon-Garden Dyson-Swarm.

Starlight Sourdough-Based effects (made to order):

Total Cleansing: clears all magical status effects and transformations, aside from Trans Magics.

Vitality Enhancement: Enhances your body to handle deadly poisons and fight off any disease or other foreign infection .

SPONTANEOUS MANA COMBUSTION: Causes your mana pathways to overload and have a meltdown that deals devastating damage at the cost of your ability to use magic, at least until you can be properly healed. ⚠️USE WITH EXTREME CAUTION⚠️

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Bread Bowls full of The Stew: They're bread bowls full of The Stew. Delicious. Mmmm stew. NOT LIABLE FOR ANY INJURY CAUSED BY THE STEW.

Accursed Garlic Bread of Breath Cleansing: Asexual Vampires Rejoice! Consumable for vampires and freshens the breath! All the good of garlic bread with none of the bad! Hurrah! Huzzah!

Sunlight Loaf: Imbued with Radiant Energy, this bread is a bite of sunshine on even the cloudiest of days. It perfectly replicates the nostalgia of Mom's cooking (or nostalgic equivalent) to give a bit of comfort when you need it.

Moonlight Loaf: Baked with Midnight Flour, this bread is a taste of darkness on even the sunniest of days. It perfectly replicates the traumatic experiences of your youth (or any point in your life) to add a dash of despair when you just need a good cry.

CUSTOM ORDERS!!!

Need a pita with a purpose? A magical managerie of baked goods can be at your fingertips! Just tell me the desired effects and I'll see what I can do. I don't take money for my services, however. I take exotic ingredients from which to craft new and exciting pastries.

Please place your orders through the root post or askbox, thanks :)

SOURDOUGH SAYONARA!!!

SECRET BLACK MARKET BREADS:

Biscuit of Testicular Torsion: Leave this unsuspecting biscuit in your victim's fridge. They will eat it, guaranteed. Just wait and listen for the screams. Does not work on those who lack testes.

Baked Horrors: do not. dont. Don't do it you won't like it. Neither will they. Dont.

Bread That Gives @the-gnomish-bastard a migraine every time you take a bite of it: This bread's effects are a mystery.

Not Bread: this is just some gravel I shoveled off of a riverbed.

[paused-waterfall]

Soooo does the black stuff remind anyone else of that parasitic fungus that can infect ants and manipulate how they act before killing them and sprouting out to continue its lifecycle? Cause I'm not liking the resemblance.

#qsmp #cw: dead insect #⏸️

[messrmoonyy]

It’s the apocalypse, sweetheart

Tess Servopoulos x fem!reader

Prompt- I did accidentally delete the original prompt but it was along the lines of ‘ reader is Bills niece and has raised her since she was little. When Tess and Joel visit her and Tess are a little flirty and they end up sharing a kiss ‘

A/N- let me first say. I literally re wrote this ENTIRE thing at 3am this morning. Idk what writing god possessed me. But. Here it is. And yk 2010 Tess was truly a blessing and I will take any and all opportunities to write about her. I love these more creative prompts. If anyone has seen Orange is the new black Bill and reader are totally giving Frieda and her dad vibes in this cause that’s what I was watching when I wrote the first half lmao

Warnings- I don’t think there’s any. I can’t even put my usual ‘Tess’ warning cause 2010 Tess is a soft baby lmaoo.

Word count- 8k ( I’m so sorry )

Masterlist

Reblogs and comments are always appreciated <3

You sat in silence, eyes on the screens in front of you, your fingers drumming nervously against your leg. Officers had been in town all day, pulling people from their homes and loading them up onto trucks. They’d been lurking in town since yesterday morning, after putting up the notice that the town would be placed under mandatory evacuation with 24 hours notice. Fencing the town off and pushing evacuation notices through everyone’s door. 

You and your uncle, Bill, had been tucked away in the bunker for the last 3 days anyway. Ever since you’d watch the news on outbreak day, watched as the world had gone to shit over night. 

But thankfully for you, Bill had basically been preparing for something like the current situation his entire life. He’d seemed almost excited by the entire thing at first, finally able to give a big ‘fuck you’ to everyone that had called him stupid for preparing. 

Though mind controlling fungus hadn’t exactly been on his doomsday checklist, he was prepared all the same. And therefore, so were you. Your entire life has practically lead up that exact moment. 

Instead of sending you to the dance class in the town hall as a child, he’d taught you how to assemble a gun in the fastest way possible. Instead of buying you a nail kit for your birthday, he’d gifted you a knife. You’d thought it was pretty awesome, the girls in your math class hadn’t. But fuck them. You could see some of them clambering onto the trucks, crying and holding onto their mothers. 

Dance practice wasn’t looking so practical now was it. 

The sound of footsteps above you halted your fingers, muffled talking of the officers trying to clear the house. Bill turned to you with his finger to his lips and you nodded. You weren’t stupid. The officers walked around, calling out for anyone home until you heard a faint ‘ all clear sir! ‘ through the floorboards. And a smile tugged at your lips. 

“ not today you new world order jack boot fucks “ Bill muttered reloading his gun as way of punctuating his sentence. You turned back to the cameras, watching as they loaded up the last trucks after deeming the house empty. Deeming the town empty. 

“ what fuckin idiots “ Bill exhaled sharply though his nose beside you, some half attempt at a laugh. You watched the cameras as the trucks left town “ where do you think they’re taking them? “ Bill shrugged, pushing buttons on the keyboard to switch which cameras were showing on the screens. 

“ closest city is Boston. But I doubt they’ve managed to lock it down yet. There’s more further out, smaller. Probably already full “ you nodded understanding what it meant for them. 

What was it that you’d overheard an officer say?

Dead people can’t get infected. 

You watched the trucks on the screen, all filing out of town in a trail. Like some fucked up snake weaving through the streets and out through the gates. 

Bill flicked through the cameras once more before standing up, nodding towards your gas mask. 

“ let’s go make sure it’s clear. Mask on.  If there’s any left they might have tear gas. And grab your gun “ you pulled your mask on, letting Bill pull at it to make sure it was secure before he headed for the exit back upstairs. You picked up your gun, double checking it was loaded before following him. 

He’d given it to you on your last birthday. After spending your whole childhood teaching you how to use them, assemble them. He’d decided you deserved one of your own ‘ just in case ‘, something a little more exciting than a knife. 

 “ I’ll take the front. You take the back “ you nodded, shaking the nerves out of your hands and taking a deep breath “ I prepared you for this. Don’t look so damn nervous “ 

He went up first and you followed close behind, gun up and ready to shoot at any fuck wit of an officer that might still be lingering. You headed for the back of the house, movements careful and precise as you checked over the kitchen and the back rooms before stepping out  onto the back porch. You scanned the bushes at the end of the garden for any sign someone might be there, before deeming it empty. 

You almost wanted to laugh. You loved your uncle and his quirky ways and plans. But a tiny part of you had always thought that maybe he was just insanely paranoid. But he clearly knew exactly what he was doing. 

You made your way back through the house, finding Bill on the front path pulling off his mask. You stood next to him and did the same. Listening. 

The town was silent. The wind in the trees and the sound of birds all that could be heard. And you did let yourself laugh then, tucking your gun into the holster strapped to your leg and folding your arms across your chest. 

“ looks like we did it kid “ 

“ hell fuckin yeah “

“ they’re here! Bill!? Come on! “ you were startled awake from where you’d been napping on the couch, by Frank charging through the house and clapping his hands to grab your attention “ come on honey! You too! Up! And straighten those cushions back up again. I just picked them up on the outer perimeter cameras, they’ll be here any minute. Come on!” You squinted at him through your post nap haze, brain attempting to register what the fuck he was even talking about. 

Frank had too much energy on a regular day, but today he seemed ten times more hyped up. You didn’t know how someone could be so cheerful in such circumstances. He’d even had a smile on his face when you and Bill had found him, bottom of the pit outside the fence. Though you guessed if you’d have been in his position, you’d have been happy too. Of all the places to end up, Lincoln was the safest. 

You hadn’t trusted him entirely at first. But Bill had. You’d never seen him like that. Like some lovesick little puppy and you’d spent the night sulking out on the porch, ready to go in and shoot him in the face if you needed to. 

Of course, you hadn’t. 

“ were they armed? “ Bill appeared from where he’d been hiding in the kitchen for the majority of the day, somehow being convinced by Frank to cook a fancy ass meal for everyone. You smelt what you thought was chicken, your stomach growled in response “ just the two of them? “ 

“ just the two of them! And of course they’re armed, what you want them to walk all this way with no guns? Jesus Christ Bill “ your sleepy brain finally woke itself up enough to remember what was going on. 

Frank had made… friends. You’d over heard him chatting away to some woman on the radio one night, had then let it slip to your uncle. And now they were coming to fucking visit. Bill had gone ape shit when he’d first found out. But Frank had his ways, he knew how to wiggle into the tiny little soft spot in Bills heart. No matter how deep. Deep. Deep. Down it was. 

“ Honey. Will you please get up, sort your hair you look like you’ve been yanked through a hedge “ you scoffed at that but ran your fingers through your hair anyway “ make an effort would you. Both of you. This is good. Seriously we need some friends… especially you two “ Bills face matched your own, as it so often did, a frown and a look that simply said ‘ are you fucking with me right now? ‘

“ we don’t need friends “ Frank simply waved a hand of dismissal at Bill and walked over to you, nudging you with his arm 

“ you’ll like Tess I think. She sounds really nice. And she’s not much older than you “

“ you make me sound like a little kid that’s going on a play date to the park  “ you said with a sigh. 

“ this is good. Friends. We need friends you need friends “ you scoffed at that and Frank just rolled his eyes “ only talking to your uncle and me is not healthy “

“ in case you hadn’t noticed, we’re not exactly surrounded by options to talk. Oh shall I go sit outside the fence and chat to an infected? Frank, I think theres worst things to worry about than my social life, and lack there of “ 

“ you. Are just like your uncle Jesus Christ “ Frank said mostly to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes for a moment “ come on. They’ll be at the gate any minute. Time to make friends. Whether you like it or not “ part of you did think that maybe. Just maybe. It would be nice to talk to someone that wasn’t your uncle or Frank. Especially another woman. You’d spent 7 years in the safety of the compound now, 3 of which had included Frank. Some new faces would be nice. But also. The world you lived in… there were no friends to be had anymore. No one you could trust. 

In your- and Bills- eyes, this could all only end badly. 

You and Bill were far too alike for your own good, that’s what Frank always said. But you had been with him practically your whole life, he was more of a dad to you than you real dad was. And yeah, maybe his forms of raising a child hadn’t been exactly… traditional. But you had a pretty good feeling that you were faring much better than the girls who had been at parties whilst you were being taught what to do if the world ever went to shit. 

Which is exactly what had happened. 

In fact you’d watched most of them get carted away on outbreak day. Whilst you and Bill had sat silently in the bunker and watched, listened to them searching the house above you to make sure they left no one behind. Stupid fucks. 

You and Bill had only needed each other. You hadn’t had friends then. And you didn’t really want them now. But you decided to humour Frank at least. 

So as you finally dragged yourself away from the couch, you grabbed the gun you’d left on the coffee table when you’d gone to sleep. Slipping it back into the holster on your leg and checking your pocket for your knife. Just to be safe. 

Bill clearly had the same ideas as you had, as when you found him waiting for you at the front door he too had a gun strapped to his leg. It almost made you laugh at just how similar you both were. 

“ c’mon kid. Let’s get this over and done with “ he grumbled and headed outside to where Frank was practically bouncing on the spot with excitement. Though he did drop his smile for a disappointed frown when he saw you two stroll down the porch steps sporting guns. 

“ really? “ you simply shrugged and joined him in the road, arms folded over your chest. Frank went to walk towards the gate at the end of the street but Bill swung an arm out to stop him. 

“ no. We wait here “

“ they’re not gonna sho- you know what fine. Here is fine. Let’s wait here! “ he said with a slightly forced sense of joy. 

You tried to think slightly positive, if just for Franks sake. Trying to conjure up an image of who these people could be. You knew they were from the Boston QZ. That it was a man and a woman. And that was about it. 

You were slightly surprised they’d even made it out this far, you didn’t know much about quarantine zones but you did know they were controlled by FEDRA. You wondered how they’d managed to get out, as far as you knew the only one and outs of a zone were for things like ration shipments or deliveries. Not visiting some strangers you found on a radio. You’d only had a small sampling of FEDRA yourself, the day they had come to clear the town. 

Promises to the residents of taking them to a QZ. Taking them to safety. That staying in their homes would be dangerous. 

They’d have faired much better if they had stayed. 

You could still remember the day you and Bill had secured the outer perimeters of town, past the fences and gates. The shallow grave and the people left to rot. You could still remember the smell if you thought about it hard enough. Could still see the faces of people you had once walked by on the street, brought eggs from in the shop, lived across the street from.  FEDRA had promised them safety and had done the complete opposite. 

No wonder people wanted to leave the QZ. 

“ there! I see them- you disabled the traps right? “ you gave a snort of a laugh in an attempt to conceal it, the thought that they might just blow up before they even reached the gate tickling you. And clearly Bill too, his lips twitching with a small smile “ I hate you both “ 

“ we’re well aware “ you all waited where you were as Joel punched in the temporary code Frank had given him over the radio, the static buzz sounding as it swung open. Frank was done waiting clearly, hurrying off towards them with a huge grin on his face. 

“ that gun loaded? “ Bill asked in a low voice as you followed a few steps behind Frank. 

“ obviously “ 

“ anything else on you? “

“ knife in my pocket “ 

“ that’s my girl “ as you drew closer and finally got a good look at your guests, you were mildly taken aback. You didn’t really know what you’d expected. Maybe some gnarled, scary and dirty pair of people. All you knew about QZs came from Frank and from what you knew they weren’t exactly great. But these people didn’t fit the thoughts. 

The man had a stony face to rival Bills, dark hair and a slightly scruffy beard. But you weren’t interested in looking at him. But her? Her you were interested in looking at. 

Maybe it was simply 7 years of having nothing but the posters of Kate Bush, Avril lavigne and Beyoncé on your walls to look at in terms of women, finally laying eyes on a real, non fungal looking, very much alive, woman again. She made you clam up for a moment, cheeks flushing and rational thoughts escaping you. 

She was beautiful. There was no point trying to deny it when it was so plainly obvious. You didn’t know what you had expected. But it certainly wasn’t… her. 

Maybe Frank had been right after all, you did need someone new to talk to. Because clearly your lack of human interaction over the years had rendered you absolutely useless in the face of new people. 

“ it’s so amazing to finally meet you! “ you and Bill both hung back as Frank enveloped Tess into a hug then held his hand out for Joel to shake. You both must have looked a picture as Frank turned around mouthing ‘ smile! ‘ at the two of you. You threw him your best ‘ go fuck yourself ‘ smile and he sighed “ Tess, Joel. This is Bill. This is y/n. They’re not exactly huggers “ 

Joel held his hand out and Bill reluctantly took it, shaking it for a time far too short to be welcoming. But he was trying you supposed, for Franks sake. He took Tess’ hand next and then she turned to you. Your eyes flickered over to Frank who gave you a small nod and you looked back to Tess, taking her hand. In the way that Bills hand shake had been a second too short, yours was a second too long. 

You attempted to ignore the blush on your cheeks and took Joel’s hand too. 

“ you hungry? Bill is a wonderful cook. He’s prepared dinner for us all, do you like chicken? “

“ oh I’m starved “ Tess said with a smile, following after Frank as he gestured for them to follow him up to the house. You and Bill hung back again, arms folded over your chest as you watched Frank talking animatedly to Tess and Joel as he walked up the street. 

“ you weren’t subtle “ Bill said in that almost light tone that only you- and maybe now Frank - could pull out of him “ blush a little harder next time I don’t think she noticed “ 

“ oh shut the fuck up I didn’t blush “ 

“ sure “

“ you’re in no position to talk to me about being subtle mr wine-and-dine-the-stranger-in-the-pit “ he grumbled something you didn’t quite catch and huffed 

“ go change the gate code to what we discussed. I’m gonna finish the food “ you watched him head up the road, craning your neck to see Frank had Joel and Tess sat down in the garden already. 

“ I didn’t blush. Fuckin asshole “ you muttered to yourself as you went about resetting the code on the gate. Of course that was complete bullshit. You knew you’d blushed like hell but you had hoped it hadn’t been noticeable. And if Bill had seen it. Tess clearly had. You wanted to slam your head against the gate and erase the whole thing from your memory. Is that why she’d smiled at you? Was she making fun of you? 

Once the gate was reset you took a slow walk back up, trying to shake your embarrassment on the way. And create a plan to just completely avoid any and all eye contact and conversation with Tess until she left, seeing as you had social skills of a newborn baby apparently. 

A solid plan. 

As you pushed through the front gate Bill was placing down plates on the table, frown still etched on his face, placing them down a little too roughly so that a few peas nearly went rolling off the plate. 

“ there she is! Just in time “ Frank said with his usual beaming smile, patting the empty chair next to him that would place you between him and Joel. And opposite Tess. Of course. 

You took your knife from your pocket as you sat down and made a point of flicking the blade up, placing it beside you. Much alike the way Bill had his gun placed next to his fork. 

“ I’m sorry about these two “ Frank sighed as everyone tucked in, Bills eyes trained inquisitively on Joel as he cut his carrots without even looking at them “ could you not?”

“ it’s okay. I’m the same “ Joel said in what you could almost make out as some attempt at a joke. 

“ oh? You’re a paranoid schizophrenic too? “

“ I’m not schizophrenic “ Bill mumbled, eyes still glaring at Joel as he chewed on a chunk of his chicken. Tess turned her attention over to you, eyes narrowing a little in curiosity to find you already watching her. 

“ and you? “ she asked, tilting her head to the side inquisitively. The eye contact almost felt like a challenge, and you held it as you sipped at your water. 

“ I’m not paranoid. Or schizophrenic. I’m practical. You’re complete fucking strangers in a world where everyone is trying to fuck everyone else over. You can’t blame me, or him, for being a little on edge “ the look that grew on her face surprised you a little, a look that was almost… impressed by what you’d said. 

“ that’s smart. That’s really smart “ your plan to withhold eye contact and conversation had failed ridiculously fast “ but look. I just want to say, guns and knife aside. Which I get by the way “ she said with a pointed look in your direction “ even if we don’t end up working together on anything, I’m happy we had this. A nice meal with civilised people? I needed this” she sounded genuinely sincere as she spoke. It made you wonder what the QZ was like again. How life differed there. 

Of course it was different but… how different. How tough. How lucky were you really to be out there with just Bill and Frank. No officers telling you what to do, controlling where you went, rationing your food. 

You all ate in silence for a few moments, your eyes flickering between Joel and Tess as she sighed around a mouthful of food. 

“ what’s food like in the QZ? “ you asked, your curious brain getting ahead of your mouth. 

“ not like this “

“ shit “ they both said at the same time and it made a smile pull at your lips. 

“ I can’t remember the last time I had a vegetable that actually crunched “ she said with another blissful sigh, her eyes closing for a second. You looked away before you did something stupid like blush again “ and ate something with actual flavour “

“ we have mostly dried or dehydrated foods. Makes it last longer. Especially if it’s travellin cross country between QZs “ Joel added “ any of the good stuff gets snatched up by the FEDRA officers first. If you’re lucky you’ll get a 20 year old can of beans or somethin “ 

“ you know much about FEDRA? “ Tess asked, glancing around the table but eyes ultimately landing back on you as she sipped at her wine. 

You and Bill both scoffed at that. 

“ yeah. We know about ‘em “ 

“ couple days after outbreak day they cleared town. Told people they were gonna be safe. Going to a zone. You know what they did? Took them up the hill, and shot them all in the back of the head. Safe my fuckin ass “ you mumbled, taking another bite. 

“ yeah. We saw the grave. Heard about that kinda thing but… not pretty “ Joel said with a shake of his head “ how’d you get away? “

“ he’s been prepping for this thing for years “ Frank said with a laugh and nudged Bills arm “ you’re looking at two real life preppers. I thought they were just made up for tv shows! Turns out they’re not “ 

“ survivalist not a prepper “ Bill grumbled. 

“ like there’s any difference “ 

Conversation fell quiet again as everyone finished their food, Frank got Tess talking again once everyone was almost finished and you watched intently. Eyes locked on her as she spoke, not really even listening to her. Just watching. She looked ethereal in the late afternoon sun, her skin almost golden in the light. You weren’t exactly spoilt for choice these days when it came to getting to look at beautiful women, so you took all the chance you could get. 

She caught you watching her once or twice, eyes flickering to meet yours, but you were far past caring if she saw you now. You’d embarrassed yourself enough to last a life time. So you might as well own it. 

She didn’t seem to mind. In fact her face seemed to soften every time she looked over and found you were still watching her, almost as if she liked it. She didn’t come across as someone that constantly craved attention, constantly wanted people watching her and admiring her. So maybe she liked it because no one else was looking at her like that. 

It made your eyes drift briefly over to Joel. They were together… right? You’d just assumed. But if they were surely he looked at her. Admired her. So why would she seem so flattered by your looks?

“ youll be staying next door, with y/n. It’s the only other house In town that’s fixed up, the spare rooms in our place have been taken over by Bill and his hoarding. She has the whole place to herself, plenty of room for you both “ your eyes darted over to Frank, tuning back into conversation as he readily offered them your place to stay without even asking you. He hadn’t told you about that. And some warning would’ve been nice about your new house guests. 

And being stuck in the same building as Tess for the night was as terrifying as it was appealing. Having her just across the hall? You were barely surviving sitting outside with her. If she was in your house you’d have to talk to her. And not just wistfully stare at her from across the table. 

“ I- what? “ 

“ thank you “ she said with a smile at Frank and then you.

“ why don’t you go show Tess around? “ Frank suggested and kicked you lightly under the table, a knowing look thrown in your direction. You scowled at him and he simply raised an eyebrow. God you hated him sometimes. 

“ yeah. Sure “ you said, still scowling at him and his stupid fucking smile as you stood up from the table “ this way “ you didn’t wait for her, heading out of the garden gate and rounding to your own. You heard her footsteps behind you as you climbed the porch steps, pushing open the door and turning around “ after you “ she gave you another smile and a nod of thanks as she stepped inside. 

“ whole house just for you? “ she asked as you closed the front door behind you. You hadn’t done all that much to it since you’d moved in. Frank had insisted you decorated a bit. He’d taken you around the old furniture store and made you swap a few of the things out, and you’d moved the stuff from your old room at Bills over. So it was a little more… you. 

“ yeah. Figured I needed some space to myself as I got older so. We fixed this up. Moved in like a year after Frank got here. Gives them more privacy too “ she nodded, poking her head into the lounge and glancing around. 

“ can I see upstairs? “ you nodded and followed a few steps behind as she went up. It felt weird to have someone in your space. Even Bill and Frank didnt go in too often. 

She stopped at the top of the stairs and you pointed towards the spare bedroom

“ you can stay in there “ she headed in and looked around, hands on her hips. 

“ wasn’t expecting this “ she walked over to the vanity, trailing her hand across the various trinkets that littered it and sending a small cloud of dust particles into the air, catching in the sun leaking through the curtains like glitter. You’d picked over the stuff in there years ago, taking the stuff you liked and leaving the rest. You hadn’t liked the family that had lived there before. So you actually quite enjoyed stealing their stuff “ you don’t strike me as a 1970s chic type of girl “ 

“ I don’t use this room “ you shrugged “ it’s how they left it. Minus a few things I liked “ she looked over to you with a smile at that, she picked up a bottle of perfume. It had gone yellow in its bottle from age and sunlight

“ not a fan of the perfume? “

“ she was like 50 something and always smelt like moth balls. I doubt it smelt any good then, never mind now “ she scoffed and placed it back down. 

She moved over to the bed, pushing her hands down on the mattress and soothing her hands over the blankets. 

“ almost forgot what a nice bed felt like. One we have in the QZ is thin as fuck “ 

“ most of the stuff here’s pretty nice. Most families in town were well off. The dicks that lived here were too, lucky for you. Smelt like moth balls but had a shit ton of cash “ she laughed a little and shrugged 

“ Lucky me “ 

“ you can take anything you want out of here. I don’t need it. It’s mostly old lady shit but. Go for it “ she placed a hand on her chest and gave you an over dramatic look

“ wow. Just wow. Thank you. I’ve always wanted a girl to give me free reign at ‘ old ladies r us ‘. Some moth ball perfume? Man. You’re really spoiling me sweetheart “ 

Your breath hitched a little at the pet name. She’d been joking but it still made your cheeks prickle, made a funny feeling blossom in your chest. 

If she noticed she didn’t say anything, simply averted her eyes to look around the room again. 

You headed over to the en-suite then, clearing your throat lightly to try and appear as normal as possible. She turned to face you as you opened the door so she could look inside. 

“ uhm. Bathroom. All the pipes and plumbing and shit works so you know. Use the facilities as much as you want to “ her eyes practically sparkled as you spoke and she walked into the room and over to the sink, turning on the hot tap and sighing as the water ran over her fingers. 

“ hot fuckin water “ she said softly, mostly to herself it seemed “ in the QZ you get two types of water. Freezing or slightly less freezing. If it’s the summer and the suns been on the pipes you might get lucky and actually get lukewarm. Rationed too it shuts off after a few minutes “ 

You couldn’t imagine that. You loved being clean and warm, loved long showers that left the bathroom steamy or baths that you stayed in until the water was cold and your fingers pruned. 

You really were starting to realise just how lucky you were in Lincoln. You’d probably be dead if you had gone to a QZ. You didn’t take orders well. And you liked your home comforts. 

“ you can take a shower. If you want. I can get you some new clothes and there’s a bunch of soaps “ you said scratching your head a little nervously wondering if that would come off the wrong way, like you were insinuating she needed to shower. Which you weren’t. Of course. She seemed to spot the internal panic plastered on your face and smiled warmly at you 

“ Now? Cause that’d be fuckin awesome “ you gave a small nod and shoved your hands into the pockets of your jeans. 

“ sure. And don’t worry. It’s not gonna shut off. Hot water might run out if you’re in there too long but give it a few minutes and it’ll heat up again “ she turned to face you with a genuine look of gratefulness in her eyes. 

“ thank you. Really “ she took your hand and gave it a light squeeze. She did exactly what you had done when she arrived. She held it a little longer than she should of, her eyes soft as she held your gaze. You couldn’t figure out the exact colour of her eyes in the late afternoon light coming through the frosted glass of the window. If they were blue or more green. 

You wanted to know. You wanted to see them in the bright morning sunlight. In the moonlight. In the winter sun. The summer sun. 

You wished you’d paid more attention outside. 

“ I’ll leave you to it then “ you said after a moment “ I’ll go get you some clothes, I’ll leave them on the bed for you “ she gave you a small nod and you stepped away, closing the door behind you. 

Maybe you understood Bill more now on the day Frank had turned up. How incredibly strong a sense of longing could actually be for someone you didn’t really even know. How overwhelming it could suddenly feel. 

You took a breath and closed your eyes for a moment. Before heading out of the room. 

As you went into the storage closet at the top of the stairs to look for some decent clothes for her, you realised you hadn’t left her a towel. You hurried through into your own bathroom and grabbed one from the cupboard. It was probably nicer than one that had been boxed up for months on end. So you took it back through. 

You knocked on the bathroom door, not hearing the water running yet and hoping you’d caught her before she got in. 

“ Tess? I. I have a towel. Forgot to give you one “ the door opened a moment later and all words escaped you, mouth hanging open slightly and closing again like some kind of fish. She was stood there in her underwear, that same gentle smile on her face as if it were truly the most normal thing possible. That it was an everyday occurrence for you to see her stood there like that. You knew your cheeks were flaming and you cleared your throat slightly, avoiding looking at her at all and staring at the floor instead “ t- towel “ 

She took it from your hands and you chanced a glance up at her face to see her smile, eyes narrowed slightly in question. Could she see how flustered you were? Could she tell? 

“ thanks. You okay? “ you turned on your heel and left the room before you could embarrass yourself further, not even giving her an answer. 

“ fuckin idiot “ you muttered to yourself as you went back to the boxes of clothes and sighed. Had your lack of human interaction affected you that much? That one interaction with another had turned you into a silly stumbling mess of a girl. This wasn’t you. You were strong. Brave. 

It made you think of Bill again. How he had all but melted on the spot after half a day with Frank in the house. 

You were almost a mirrors image. 

One meal. Letting him shower. Letting him stay. 

You leant your elbows on one of the boxes, cradling your face in the your hands with a sigh. You had made fun of him then and still did. Yet now? Maybe you got it. Maybe you were more like him than you’d ever allowed yourself to accept or see. You had pushed down that deep, aching, yearning in your chest for so long just like he had. 

Yearning and longing for… someone else. Someone that looked you the way people did in those stupid romance movies. But also saw you for what you were. Brave. Strong. Capable. Accepted it and nurtured it, protected but wanted to be protected right back. You had wanted it all along. But had suppressed it. Forced it down in favour of focussing on things you deemed more practical. 

Exactly like Bill. And it had taken a whole fucking apocalypse to see it. With him. And you. Some stranger leaving a QZ. In your case though, that stranger was going back again. But she’d be back. You hoped. 

You gave another sigh before looking though the boxes of clothes, looking for something that looked relatively decent for her. You plucked out a few options and too them back through into her room. 

You could hear the shower running, a small stream of steam seeping under the door. She must’ve had the water as hot as she could stand. You placed the clothes down on the bed and tried not to think about the image of her behind the door. You wanted to know what she looked like, feel how soft her skin felt under the hot water, look and touch and map out every detail. See the way the water droplets caught on her eyelashes,  trace patterns in freckles. 

You left the room, suddenly feeling too hot. As if it were you under the stream of scalding water and not her. 

You busied yourself with finding out some clothes for Joel too. You wondered what he was talking about with Bill and Frank outside. 

Were they talking about Tess? Discussing relationships and telling stupid stories of how Bill met Frank and how Joel met Tess? 

It made your chest hurt. And made you realise that maybe you weren’t in the same situation as Bill after all. Frank had been alone. Tess wasn’t. Tess had a… Joel. Whatever he was to her. And there you were getting flustered over her in the shower. Idiot. 

You loitered by the storage closet for a while. A pile of clothes for Joel in your hands but not entirely sure what to do. You didn’t know if she was done yet. She hadn’t come out. If you listened carefully you couldn’t hear the water anymore. And you couldn’t stay on the landing all night. 

So you headed over to the door again, knocking lightly. There was some shuffling for a moment and then the door opened and you clammed up again. It’s not like she’d looked… dirty before. But now she just looked. Clean. Her hair was wet and tied up on her head, her skin that shiny glowy pink that came from a hot shower. The clothes fit her well. And a waft of the coconut body wash she’d clearly used drifted into your nose. You used the same stuff yet it didn’t feel as dizzying on you as it did on her.

“ sorry. I was just- you okay? “ 

“ I’m good. Thanks for the clothes “ she said and walked back into the room, sitting down on the bed with a content sigh “ I haven’t felt this clean in so long “ you stepped into the room, closing the door softly behind you “ you don’t realise how good you’ve got it here “

“ I’m starting to realise “ you said softly, dropping the clothes for Joel onto the vanity and moving to sit beside her. She seemed almost wistful. Looking around the room and hand tracing the embroidery on the blanket absentmindedly. 

“ how’d you end up here? With Bill and Frank? Frank was never really clear about it on the radio “ 

“ Bill is my uncle. My mom died when I was little and my dad was about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. Thought a bottle of vodka was more important than a tin of baby milk. Bills the only other family I had, before my mom died she asked Bill to take care of me. He didn’t exactly want a kid but. I don’t know, he loved my mom. So. Here I am “ 

You didn’t like talking about your past much. You’d avoided it as much as possible before the outbreak, you hated the looks of pity you always got. You didn’t want pity. You couldn’t do anything with pity. 

But Tess didn’t give you that look. Instead she smiled. 

“ should’ve known you were related to Bill. You both frown the same “ you scoffed at that, but you knew it was true “ he’s been preparing you for this shit you whole life then? “ 

“ not this exactly. But something. Don’t poke fun at it. If it wasn’t for his smart thinking you wouldn’t have just had a hot shower “ it came out a little more snappy than you meant to and she raised her hands in mock surrender 

“ I didn’t mean anything by- “

“ sorry. Sorry “ you sighed. You ran a hand over your face before standing up and deciding to just get out before you embarrassed yourself further “ I’ll leave you to it. I found some clothes out for Joel I’ll take them next door and- “

“ no no “ she reached out and grabbed your hand “ stay? I wanna talk to you more. It’s nice to talk to someone other than Joel “ you hesitated for a moment before sitting back down. 

“ you don’t like talking to Joel? “ she shrugged and flopped backwards onto the mattress, throwing an arm over her eyes

“ his brother was the more talkative one. But he’s gone. He wants to save the world. Joined the fireflies “ 

“ like the bug? Is this some kind of metaphor or- “ Tess laughed at your clear confusion. An actual laugh. Not like the small little chuckles you’d heard once or twice in the day. You liked it. Liked the way it made her eyes crinkle and her nose scrunch. 

“ are you being serious? I can’t tell “ you rolled your eyes with a huff, not exactly fond of her making fun of you “ okay. Serious “ she pulled at your arm until you lay down next to her and she smiled at you “ there’s a group. Trying to make things how they used to be. No FEDRA laws. They’re fancy terrorists basically “ 

“ and Joel’s brother joined them? “ Tess propped her self up on her elbow and turned to look at you. 

“ Joel said he’s… ‘ a joiner ‘. He wants to change to world “ a lot of people wanted to change the world. And a lot of people failed at it “ it’s a shame. He was nice. Joel… he has his moments but. He’s not much of a talker “ 

“ And you are? “ 

“ maybe “ you were hyper aware suddenly at how close you were, lying there beside her and looking up at her. 

Her eyes were green. 

The setting sun outside was shining across her face and you could finally see them better. Green. 

“ I don’t know if I’m much of a talker “ it came out far quieter than you’d meant it to, but she didn’t seem surprised by it. 

“ i gathered that from the way you were just staring over dinner and not actually joining in the conversation “ your cheeks were aflame, your eyes blowing wide in a mild sense of horror. Of course you’d known she’d seen you watching her. But to have it confirmed out loud  wasnt exactly what you were expecting. You went to sit up and escape the situation as fast as possible but she grabbed your arm again to keep you down “ hey. Don’t… you keep doing that. Runnin off “

It was instinct to run. 

She didn’t let go of you even when it was clear you weren’t going anywhere, her hand sliding up from your wrist to your bicep and squeezing softly. 

“ im sorry- “

“ don’t be. It’s nice “ her voice was quiet now. Soft. It made butterflies erupt in your stomach “ you’re also really not subtle with it. When I arrived. Over dinner. When you gave me my towel. Now” you hadn’t even realised you’d been staring that time. But you had. Examining the green of her eyes again. 

“ I’m. Sure I’m not the only one “ you have Joel for that 

She shrugged again her hand moving from where it been burning into your arm, up to tuck some of your hair back behind your ear. 

“ only one worth looking back at though” her fingers grazed across your jaw, lightly over your lips before coming to rest on your cheek “ stop acting like you have to be tough all the time. Even your uncle seems to have let down his guard if he let in Frank “ You didn’t know what to say to that. How she seemed to have sussed you out incredibly fast, seen through your facade “ so let me in too “ 

You hadn’t expected her to kiss you. So it took you a moment to process it when she did, closing the small gap in between you and capturing your lips in hers. 

But as soon as you accepted what was happening, you pulled away and sat up, your brain screaming at you for how wrong it was. Joel was only downstairs and you were there kissing his girlfriend? 

“ no. We. I- can’t- Joel “ you said it a little broken but she got the point, her brow furrowing and her hand on your shoulder. 

“ Joel? What’s Joel got to do with- oh “ her eyebrows shot up and she let out a little laugh again. The same kind as the one from earlier, the nose scrunching, eye crinkling kind “ you think? Me and Joel? “ you folded your arms across your chest, a scowl forming on your face as you realised she was laughing at you again.  

“ what was I supposed to think? “

“ look. Me and Joel… it’s not like that. At all. I promise you “ she reached out for your hands, turning to face a little more  “ don’t give me that look. You look so much like Bill when you scowl it’s off putting “ you couldn’t help the way your lips twitched as you tried to suppress a smile at that. Frank often said the same thing. That you and Bill both had the same pissed off face. The same everything face. 

“ you could’ve told me that earlier “

“ what? You think casually slipping into conversation that me and Joel aren’t fucking is just easy? “ you huffed, the scowl still etched into your face “ hey! It’s so lovely to meet you. I’m Tess and this is Joel who’s not my boyfriend. Oh chicken you say? Awesome I’m starving! “ she said with sarcasm dripping from her words “ I thought. I thought I was being as obvious as you were. Clearly not “

You thought you’d have noticed. You had been staring at her all day. But you hadn’t. Too consumed with admiring her rather than paying full attention 

“ would’ve stopped me ruining our kiss if you’d just said something“ you grumbled and she sighed, sliding a hand back up to cup your cheek again. 

“ yeah well that’s the thing about kisses, you don’t just have to do it once. You can redo it. Over. And over “ she pulled you in closer as she spoke, her nose brushing against yours “ and this time, please don’t think about Joel. Knowing you’re kissing me and thinking about him is a real fuckin turnoff“ 

“ shut up oh my god “ she did just that, pulling you back in again. It was better than the first, of course, it lasted longer than a few seconds for a start. And you didn’t have a voice in your head telling you how wrong it was. 

You revelled in it. Letting her pull you closer until you were practically sat in her lap, fists twisting into the material on her shirt too scared to actually… touch her. She wasn’t afraid though . Her fingers were laced into the hair at the nape of your neck, the other hand holding your face to guide you at the pace she wanted. 

It was a little clumsy. You weren’t exactly open to opportunities for practice when it came to kissing, well… anyone. But she didn’t seem to mind. Your heart was pounding so loudly in your ears you were afraid you’d go deaf, your skin prickling with goosebumps. So starved of touch for so long that you didn’t even know how to fully react. 

But the way she inched her fingers just under the collar of your shirt, told you she was probably as touch starved as you were. 

When her tongue brushed against your bottom lip you wasted no time in letting her in. The whimper that escaped your throat was slightly involuntary, and at any other time you thought you might have been embarrassed by it. But you were far too preoccupied with her to care. The fingers splayed across your cheek burning into your skin, guiding you and keeping you grounded. You were running out of air but you couldn’t find a single part of you that even cared. 

You didn’t want it to stop. But the world, as it so often did, had other ideas. 

“ y/n? Tess? “ you startled as Franks voice sounded from downstairs, his footsteps growing nearer as he climbed the stairs. You practically dived away from her, hurriedly trying to soothe your hair and look somewhat normal. She didn’t look even remotely concerned, falling back against the mattress again with a smug smile stretching across her face “ hello? “

“ in- in here! “ you called, clearing your throat mid sentenced as it cracked with your nerves. 

Franks head popped around the door, his usual goofy grin in place. 

“ you two doing okay? You’ve been up here a while “ his eyes flashed between Tess and you and his smile took on new light, quirking an eyebrow at you “ honey? You’re all red. Doing okay? “ the little shit

“ I’m fine “ you said with a glare that only made him smile more. 

“ well the alpha male energy out there is becoming unbearable. Come save me? “

“ is Joel in one of his moods again? “ Tess finally spoke, getting up and smoothing her hands over her shirt “ I’ll come save you. Let’s go “ she gestured for Frank to lead the way and headed for the door, grabbing your hand as she passed and pulled you along “ you too sweetheart. Looks like you’ve got a new member to the grumpy club “ 

“ I’m not grumpy “ you muttered under your breath. She simply scoffed and headed back outside, hand still laced with yours. 

#tess servopoulos #Tess servopoulos x reader #the last of us #tlou hbo #the last of us fanfiction #Anna torv #x you #x reader #fluff #Joel miller #Ellie Williams #bill and frank #lgbt

[jazzzzzzhands]

Ok FOR REAL Theory Time!!! Gonna be massive spoilers plus mention of bugs/fungus! So I'm calling this the Mold Theory And what is the Mold? It's the black stuff under Home! (Mold under a house is very suiting, right?) The Mold has contaminated Every single thing that the Restoration team has found! The team talks about the envelopes, the antiques, and the artwork found for Welcome Home and how it is alwasys Wet and covered in Grime. The stuff that is "Growing" all over the found items... Staff must wear gloves or they will get covered in it

You can see it all over the gloves, the Walls, and even the Website Itself! It's also been shown on the restored art prior to the update. But one unfortunate person seems to have touched it. and that is.. The Question Answerer! (The head person of the Restoration team is also most likely infected) Now what this Mold does is, It seems to have an effect of the person's mental state. Causing them to see and hear things, as well as having lucid nightmares and an overwhelming urge to draw spirals. From the very moment of contact, it seems to have effect "When I Unwrapped the first letter, I felt it. I heard it. Open Open Open. I want it out, I'm Going to get it Out" Instant Hallucinations and Obsession! Now I'm going to be Comparing this Mold to a Real fungus called Cordyceps, or the Zombie-Ant Fungus. It is a fungus that can control BUGS (familar themes right?) and take over their minds, forcing them to act unnaturally and wander far in order to spread itself! ~Similarily~ this Mold can take control of the Host's mind as well. The "Spores" that it is trying to spread are the drawings of the spirals/eyes. And the more eyes are Drawn, the more Wally can SEE. Wally has made it truly apparent that he can see us through any rendition of his eyes. "I've seen you every time you've looked into my eyes" "I have more eyes than I did before, you know how to draw eyes You draw mine, many times. I know it is thanks to you, Neighbor.. That I can see.. but it is still.. I can't see" He is giving us instructions.. "You have work to do" -Giving us instrustions on how to draw an eye... "Please Open, Let me In" Now I find this last instruction very funny He doesn't say "Let me Out" No... He says "Let me IN" Into What? What are we Opening? Our doors?Our EYES? our Mind? our Heart?? I think that could be exactly it!!! Letting him.... into You!!! (The collective You) Isn't that Funny? A Funny little thought?! The Puppet becoming the Puppeteer! ooh hee hee hoo hoo I think I'm very clever about that! But there are so many themes of Strings/Control/Scripts That I simply couldn't help myself! Now does that mean I think Wally is Evil? Absolutely NOT I LOVE Wally, and hey, what's a bit of mind control between Neighbors? <333 I'll borrow a cup of sugar and you can borrow my sanity! That's what Neighbors are for! <3 Jokes aside, No I Do NOT think Wally is Evil!! No, he might become a Puppeteer over the Real world... (and It might be for good reason, to save his friends and himself) but he is still very much a Puppet himself. Literally and Figuratively, And the Real Mastermind behind the strings is... Home!

Afterall? Isn't that where the Mold is coming from? From Down Below? Below Home?

This image gives me BIG TIME Obediance vibes Reporting/Worship/Subjugation I very much see Wally as the Lure of a very big Angler Fish.. The bait, the perfect little puppet that has captured our hearts and led us by the hand into Welcome Home. Isn't that very much how it has gone in real life? (Oh I KNOW I got the Mold BAD!!! ahahaha) (I can't stop drawing himmm!!! :3c ) But this is where my rambling stops, Until Next Time! I will just say that: The Relationship between Home and Wally (And by extension, YOU) Is a Strange one for sure! And I cant wait to see it further! And Just one more extra note on this whole Fungus thing.. Did you know that the BIGGEST Organism on the entire Earth.. Is a Mushroom? It is because they are connected through their Roots... (Down Below) and Houses kinda are shaped like musrooms... I will Leave it at That! Ahahahaha!

#im very very normal about all of this! #lyinggg #mold theory #welcome home #wally darling #welcome home theory #i know i can be a bit sparadic i hope this all makes sense!! #i can go a bit off the wall sometimes!! #its hard for me to articulate what i want to say sometimes! #i swear its so much more in my brain!! #also i am really bad at typing #im going to look for mistakes but im sorry if i typo! #jazzisaspazz #long text post #shout out to my sister for putting this into my brain #maybe i will have more thoughts later! #i do have a bunch of random things written down #maybe i will make an “observations” post? #will u guys be interested?? #please feel free to send me asks and theories of your own! #feel free to add on or to correct me!! #i mean u can also send me art request ...;w; #or to randomly tell me about how you also enjoy cereal on ur hot dogs.. no? just me? ok #i have a really nice art coming tmrw that im so so proud of.... #saving it for tmw... cause its my birthday tmrw!!! #a gift for me! to post something that im really really happy with!! #oof oog i talk a lot in the tags #i'm talking to myself really #if you made it this far... you get ... a gift.. #its an apple! 🍎

[randomcollection-o-stuff]

I saw your tags on the mycology tumblr post - I challenge you to scare me with a mushroom fact. I’ve harvested and eaten wild mushrooms a few times, I’ve got my share of guidebooks and worked on research my university did on suede boletes. I’m no spring chicken of the woods but i’m also far from an expert. Scare me with the Deep Mushroom Lore

Woaaaah this got a bit lost and im a bit late, yikes! Anyway it looks like you were focusing on the Basidiomycota phylum which is where a lot of the frontliners and popular ones are. But let's look at the Ascomycota, lots of scary stuff there, lord there's so much but baseline ig is cordyceps which everyone knows about now. They can alter and control insects, a big example is bullet ant behavior to makes them climb as high as they can and bite onto the grass or whatnot to secure themselves until the host dies. They go as high as possible so when the cordycep actually grows the fruitbody the spores can spread as far as possible. Luckily for us human nervous systems are way too complex for the cordyceps....for now.

I mean any parasite that controls it's host is crazy and I 10000% recommend looking into it.

There's another fungus Laboulbeniomycetes that grows exclusively on arthropod exoskeleton.

A lot of fungal diseases make me shudder, there are probably fungal spores in your lungs right now! Pneumocystis is the genus of a yeast that loves your lungs and you guessed it, causes a strain of pneumonia that's very hard to diagnose! Yippee! Mostly because it is very hard to culture.

Let's look at everyone's favorite yeast Conidida. This guy is DIMORPHIC so it can be a yeast or invasive hyphae depending on environmental triggers/conditions, and wouldn't you know it, lives at human body temp. This guy causes yeast infections and the like.

Aspergillus is one that ferments soy products BUT can also cause Apergillosis which can cause an allergic reaction and eventually a fungal ball growth in your lungs, aak!

In a different phylum, Mucoromycota, Mucormycosis is probably my least favorite as the group USUALLY targets your fruits and is that pesky mold. Well another version of it will target the sinuses of immunocompromized diabetics. These are sugar loving molds so uhhhhh, no bueno. I recommend looking at pictures with CAUTION it is gross. The eyes can get really messed up, black lesions can show up on your face really really nasty stuff.

Anyway, Ascomycota cool group, lots of human diseases (many of which are hard to cure because of how close fungi are to animals so we target very specific things in their cells but OOPS resistance is on the rise), have fun with this info ::)

#mycology #ascomycota really popped off on the diseases #ollie rambles #<<<yea no i RAMBLED #but yea apologies for how late this is been reaaaally busy #long post #call me patient zero the way fungi have consumed my mind

[bracketsoffear]

The Fireman (Joe Hill) "A mysterious fungus has begun to infect the world's population, causing a condition popularly known as "Dragonscale." The illness manifests as a pattern of black and gold markings on an afflicted person's skin, eventually causing them to burst into flame and die. There is no known cure, and the fungal spores easily become airborne from the victims' ashes."

Firestarter (Stephen King) "The Department of Scientific Intelligence (aka "The Shop") never anticipated that two participants in their research program would marry and have a child. Charlie McGee inherited pyrokinetic powers from her parents, who had been given a low-grade hallucinogen called "Lot Six" while at college. Now the government is trying to capture young Charlie and harness her powerful firestarting skills as a weapon."

#desolation poll #the desolation #poll #the magnus archives #leitner tournament #the fireman #joe hill #firestarter #stephen king

[possessable]

sorry i heard song about character giving up their morals for what they perceive as ultimately the greater good and blacked out and then this existed

also it's might be obvious from context already but i'll explain it anyway because i like explaining things,

The version of Oas with the flames coming out of her face is the Visual Representation of Her Consciousness, it looks Like That because when she originally got infected and Deatais tried to contact her in a dream, her consciousness:

1. had a big hole in her face from The Fungus

2. was unconscious [ironic]

so he couldn't even dream-talk to her like normal and kind of just tried to heal her with magic , which caused orange light to burst from the hole in her face and now she kind of just has magic flames emanating from there at all times

#animatic #espialposting #characterOas #characterOlen #[sorry olen] #video

[archercoinsillness]

White Rot Fungus

Stages of Infection:

Stage 1 (Days 1-7): Fatigue, low-grade fever, muscle aches, altered sense of taste and smell.

Stage 2 (Days 8-14): Fever worsens, cognitive impairment becomes apparent (confusion, memory loss), auditory and visual hallucinations begin. Strange white mold-like spots appear on skin.

Stage 3 (Days 15-21): Immune system crashes, leading to susceptibility to other illnesses. Auditory and visual hallucinations become more vivid and disturbing. White mold spreads over the body. Paranoia and manic episodes occur.

Stage 4 (Days 22-28): Complete psychosis sets in, with violent outbursts. Seizures, paralysis, and uncontrollable vomiting of white liquid. Skin takes on a pale, mold-like texture. Black sores appear on skin.

Stage 5 (Day 28-35): Coma-like state. Mold completely covers body. Blood oozes from eyes, ears, mouth. Still alive but completely unresponsive.

Stage 6 (Death): Vital organs shut down one by one. Cause of death unclear - combination of system failures. Entire body becomes covered in white mold upon death.

It is suspected to be highly contagious, though transmission methods are unknown. No effective treatment exists. Quarantine is recommended but ultimately futile. This disease brings about a painful, psychologically tormenting death over the course of a month.

Versalcoined by @archercoinsillness

#xenomalady #mus #medically unrecognized illess #medically unrecognized sickness #🦠📝

[ladybugoflove]

Nobody asked for my opinion, but here it is anyways: 'invasive' or 'aggressive' species are indictive of ecological disharmony

The occurrence of which IS natural, but always eventually balances out (unless artificially maintained)

Eventually, the plant/ animal/ fungi/ whatever will be predated on and population reduced in size, so it doesn't crowd out entire species or destroy entire ecosystems anymore. This can look like hogs eating large patches of fireweed, or black smut fungus infecting a cherry monocrop.

If left alone, garlic mustard takes approximately 10 years before it's population starts to die down (I'm not sure what leads to the degrowth), and I'm positive that with enough time, an animal or plant disease will move into or evolve to eat it in North America.

Every single species in every single ecosystem has been new or 'invasive' at some point in history. Why it's so important to manage them now is because civilizations have already caused ecological disharmony across the globe, and plenty of species are endangered. So instead of waiting for the destruction phase to pass, ecologists are attempting to artificially predate on these new species, and keep endangered and endemic species and ecosystems alive.

Because the food chain is being absolutely destroyed, and we rely on it for existence.

This is not to say that we should be cruel to invasive species- they are not doing anything wrong. They do not deserve to be curb stomped or shot or fucking tortured like too many people have proudly filmed themselves doing "for the environment".

And what a vast majority of ill-informed people are doing is falling into nazi ideology; they fetishize a specific "primordial" environment untouched by "undesirables", be it invasive species or select groups of people. Which is completely ahistorical.

Most humans have never seen an environment in harmony. Most humans have never seen real topsoil or rock lichen at work or 2000 year old trees.

Besides, the environment is always changing, it will always be changing. A swamp eventually fills and turns into a forest, which can be burned down by lighting, be colonized by primary species, and grow right back into a forest. It's called ecological succession.

Plants are supposed to be eaten and felled. When environments are overgrazed and exploited, they can turn into badlands and dust bowls, which are their own ecological niches, but ones that are hostile to mammals.

And whilst the tiktoker was slightly off, they were right that a lot of what is called 'invasive' actually just means "agricultural pest". Because we actively choose to poison the land with pesticides instead of eating insects like weevils and cockchafers simply out of habit, not bc we can't.

And we actively choose to use herbicides instead of companion planting because it's easier to harvest monocultures. It doesn't give us more food, actually it increases chances of famines

The system we have is fucking stupid.

If you wanna kill an invasive species, then at least eat it or use it in some way. Or kill to protect a specific plant or animal (not it's entire species; it's not possible or sustainable for such little people to do). If it's a plant, you should replace it (grow mycorrhizal fungi & mix it with compost + plant the seeds of a fast-growing native or naturalized species like dandelion).

Killing for the sake of killing.. well, it's really no better than European settlers shooting bison from moving trains.

#invasive species #pina.posts #im too sick to add links but in a few days i will!! #lmk if you want me to forward this post to you when i add links

[hidden-clue]

I was looking up poisonous mushrooms, for foraging purposes, and I stumbled into one called 'Ergot fungus', and I thought, wait, I know this word, I've heard it somewhere. It went on to say it causes 'ergot poisoning' and it clicked - ergot poisoning from Midnight in Salem!

It turns out ergot fungi is a fungus that infects rye, wheat, barley and other cross-species of cereal, it grows inside of them like a little black worm. Then if the cereal is consumed, it poisons people. It does cause psychosis, seizures, migraines, nausea, vomiting, but the long term effects are as bad as gangrenes - skin falling off, loss of body tissue, limbs rotting and falling off, and in the end, death. Midnight in Salem did NOT impress just how intensely deadly this is.

There were outbreaks of ergot poisoning in the middle ages, and in the 19th century, and the effects were horrifying. People eventually figured out that ergot can be sterilized by placing the yield in a brine solution, deep plowing the infected fields and rotating crops.

There's an interesting article on wikipedia discussing whether the symptoms of ergotism were blamed on the witches during the witch trials in Salem, all of the symptoms were mentioned in the records. However it was concluded that the symptoms were already known by then, and would be recognizable as ergot poisoning, so it was not the case. It was interesting to find Salem directly on the 'ergot poisoning' wikipedia page!

It's making more sense now why Nancy was asking around who was eating cereal-based products and why ergot was used as a plot device, it was after all, connected to witches and to the history of Salem, and also a big problem in the middle ages.

Now would ergot also infect water from some infected plants being put into the water supply? I have no clue, that part is a bit far-fetched, but I am glad the poisoning wasn't as extreme as it could have been. Insane to want to revive such an awful plague.

Sorry for talking about Midnight in Salem! I still play it for Halloween so I wanted to share the extra knowledge I just gathered, getting real-life knowledge from Nancy Drew games still is one of my favourite things.

#nancy drew games #midnight in salem #ergot poisoning #ergot fungi #witch trials in salem #middle ages

[mediblog21]

Sinusitis Relief with Home Remedies | MedyBlog

Fighting with sinusitis is about maintaining a balance between infection and immunity. Our body can fight out the infection in acute sinusitis with good immunity. When the body does not control acute sinusitis, it progresses to chronic sinusitis. Immunity alone cannot fight chronic sinusitis. Our immunity is the only fighter against any infection, and antibiotics or antifungal are weapons that empower our immunity.

Home Remedies-

1. Small but many workouts daily

2. Steam inhalation

3. Magical immunity booster combination for sinusitis relief

4. Stay hydrated

5. Adequate sleep

So, adding supportive Home Remedies to Relieve Sinus Pressure to acute sinusitis can prevent the transition to the chronic stage and provide relief.

#symptoms of middle ear infection #sinus cause ear infection #home remedies to relieve sinus pressure #ear infection #mucormycosis curable #black fungus curable #acute on chronic sinusitis #acute sinus infection symptoms #severe sinus ear pain #Problems with Sinuses #Aspergillus Niger #fungal ear infection

[flyonthewallmedstudent]

Rhizopus & Mucor

Both belong under the umbrella term, mucorales. These are bread moulds naturally on fruit and bread that we breathe in and out without much issue particularly if immunocompetent, but in some immunocompromised it causes rapidly fatal and progressive disease: mucormycosis. Due to the weakened immune system.

Spores released either land on skin or into blood via open wounds, then deposit tehre, invading local vessels, thrombosing them and cutting off supply. this rapidly leads to ischaemia and necrosis. Dead tissue.

Now for a Case Report. This one in Frontiers of Medicine. A 35 yo man with diabetes presents with a facial rash, that rapidly progresses to an eschar and ulcer. To note, there are graphic images in the link of his face.

This was initially associated with nasal discharge and epistaxis. Diagnosis was initially a peridontal infection which did not resolve with standard antibiotics for this, similarly he was next diagnosed with uncomplicated, stock standard cellulitis (usually staph or strep pyogenes caused). Both treatments failed.

eventually he was diagnosed with mucormycosis, but by then he had extensive damage to his face, the subcut tissues, muscles and facial bones. He also had significant weight loss, fevers, splenomegaly and thrombosis.

To muddy the waters, he was concurrently diagnosed with a T cell lymphoma but the authors also picked up Rhizopus.

What is Rhizopus? (also related to mucor, another mucorales) It's a fungi, more specifically an opportunistic pathogen commonly associated with diabetics (esp poorly controlled) and the immunocompromised (in particular solid organ transplants, see further case report in resources below, HIV, malnutrition, haematological malignancies - eg leukaemias).

Also associated with steroid use, form of immunosuppression so has been seen in severe COVID patients requiring dexamethasone (Rare though).

As a mould it likes the acidotic states in DKA and iron, so any iron overload states as well.

Why poorly controlled diabetics - it becomes an immunocormposed state in and of itself. The sugars suppress local inflammatory responses like neutrophil chemotaxis or phagocytosis etc. You can however, get chronic forms too. So don't rule it out if it's not wildly acute. These occur over weeks, slowly. Considering it's a mould, it's particularly "prolific" in hot weather and warm/hot climates.

Classically it is an infection that affects the face, parasinuses, nose and even the brain. You'll often hear the term rhinocerebral with it.

Consider it if you see discolouration around the face and definitely if you see a necrotic eschar. Actually, any black spots, fevers, rash, call ID urgently. Unsurprisingly, it is also called the black fungus.

Is also possible to have it affect the skin (particularly in IVDU and in burns), lungs and GI (more rare). IN lung involvement symptoms are typical for the organ - SOB, fevers, chest pain, haemoptysis. in GI: nausea/vomiting/GIB.

Thrombosis can occur as a complication as it invades the blood vessels.

In brain involvement from disseminated disease, expect confusion and altered state if not reduced GCS.

It's also been recently featured in the fungi podcast by the Curbsiders. Which is worth a listen.

It's filamentous and has hyphae.

You'll also hear the term mucormycosis = which just refers to the disease process that is rapidly fatal. Mortality is 30-70% of rhinocerebral cases, 90% in disseminated and 100% in AIDs --numbers from StatPearls. Survival improves with antifungals and surgery to 70%.

Early diagnosis and intervention is essential, as illustrated in the case report above. but is rare, so not infrequently missed.

It's also missed, as early symptoms are very non specific depending on how it affects the host. You can simply get lethargy, headache and eye pain. Blurry vision too, or simply epistaxis and rhinorrhoea.

Image from Wiki

Now that you know the clinical presentation and the increased risk groups to think of this diagnosis in,

How do you confirm your suspicions?

investigations:

It's associated with neutropaenic states and one hypothesis is acidosis in diabetics with poorly managed sugars (so really unwell). No serology (as compared to other bugs), would come up in fungal cultures and on tissue biopsy. key words on biopsy: Ribbon like hyphae branching at 90 degree angles.

Also from wiki, that suggests it looks like Moose antlers.

Pathologists will also note or look for necrosis and haemorrhage.

Blood cultures rarely pick up it, so consider it if they're unwell and culture negative.

On imaging - gold standard in rhino cerebral is MRI but CT is most accessible and fast. Looking for signs of blood vessel invasion and reverse halo or less specific halo sign.

Reverse halo per radiopaedia: ground glass within a consolidated crescent shape.

From radiopaedia:

Okay, this sounds both difficult to pick up and investigate. No magical PCR or serology.

Pro tip from stat pearls: just maintain a high index of suspicion in anyone with increased risk or risk factors. Biopsy tissue quickly particularly if necrosis is apparent. Early detection method is unsurprisngly CT --> we all seem to have a low threshold for this, but looking for hyperdensity (mucosal thickening) and erosion of the facial bones.

Also essential is the age old adage that most clinicians follow --> empirical therapy for the most common organisms, close monitoring/observations. then failing that, broaden the differentials and keep investigating or altering treatment quickly.

Treatment:

The strong stuff. Liposomal Amphotericin B for 4-6 weeks (the long duration) as it is highly invasive/progressive. Alternatives; itraconazole.

You may also hear of hyperbaric O2 therapy, which aids the neutrophils to kill the fungi. Also in stat pearls

Surgical debridement after antifungal therapy with washout depending on extent of damage.

Sources used for post:

Case reports, wiki and radiopaedia as above And largely Statpearls --> there is much more further detail and more to read on differentials and complications.

I'll try to use free resources as much as possible.

Another Case Reports of interest include: NEJM - lengthy one reminding all to consider this diagnosis in an unexplained rash in an immunocompromised host.

#infectious diseases #mucorales #mucor #rhizopus #mucormycosis #medblr

[brazenautomaton]

also funny that they did so much research for the last of us TV show

and then made "there is no cure for fungal infection, the only thing that prevents us from being infected by fungus is it can't adapt to our body temperature, if a fungus adapts to that then it's instant apocalypse everyone dies" such a load-bearing pillar of its setup

when it's just... very obviously not true? not a little bit? a fucking yeast infection is a fungal infection. black mold is a fungus. fungi cause sepsis. anyone who's watched a medical drama has heard of antifungal drugs.

#the last of us

[spearxwind]

On the topic of fish diseases, here's a few fun ones that might be interesting to modify to fit CD. NO PRESSURE but food for thought

Columnaris: bacterial infection that can cause white cotton lookin growths in the gills and mouth, discoloration, lesions along the body

Dropsy: kidneys fail and the fish starts accumulating fluid and puff up. The scales raise like a pinecone. The swim bladder fails and the fish can't float/sink at will

Fish fungus: an injury gets infected and grows cottony fungus along the old scars

Velvet: a rusty flaky scaly lookin disease with black spots appearing amid the rusty flaky scales

Anchor worms: worms attack fins/tail and can be seen hanging off/trailing from the fish

There's treatments to everything but if untreated can be deadly, and super fuckin contagious in a lot of cases. Consider? A ship on a hunting trip happens to bring an infected sailor on board, and the symptoms show up when they're days away from help. Maybe it's standard practice to have a first aid kit of cures on board, maybe they don't have cures on board and the crew is struggling to make it back to land before they all die :)

Just food for thought

OOOHHH YOUR BRAIN IS LITERALLY SO MASSIVE FOR THIS ACTUALLY im putting all of these ideas in my mouth

#ask #cd insp #challenger deep #PUTTING IT IN MY TAGS TO REMEMBER WAH

[drawingpad-studios]

This is inspired by those MLP Infection AUs that have been popping up recently.

chartamalady

(derived from the Latin word of papyrus[/paper]; Charta and the Synom of Disease; Malady)

It's a zombie-like "virus" that spreads across Paper Robloxia, especially infecting those that have the paper element in them. It is caused by a fungus that has spores that spreads via air, bodily fluids like blood and saliva, and touch.

Basically once someone is infected they shall change their personality and routine without their control before getting the final symptoms where they lose full control of their deteriorating paper bodies by the virus, along with becoming highly infectious.

Symptoms:

Early infection: slight discoloration of the entire body, a cough, and an itch that starts to grow. Most of the symptoms can be misdiagnosed to be other viruses like the common low and sketchy pox.

One month after infection: development of symptoms that are similar to paper defects you can find in real life. This includes but is not limited to: Pinholes, Black spots, Stripes, and Bugs. This is where their personalities and routines start to change. Though it's slow at first.

3 months: these symptoms vary from species to species, but all species share the same symptoms of body deterioration. Some of the other symptoms that vary from species to species include: Horn/Halo rot, feather itch and loss, Cardboard Mania, infection to the eyes and optic nerve, rust, and purposeful malnutrition or overfeeding.

Full loss of body control and spore release from the fungus.

There isn't really a cure yet, but treatment in the early stages(with the personalities starting to change is the latest treatment can start) can make the fungus leave and find a new host

I will probably draw examples of how the main cast are dealing with the outbreak if I have the time like on my break during work today, Idk.

#super paper roblox #infection au

[bracketsoffear]

Frankenstein (Mary Shelley) "Due to the Creature's repulsive appearance, he is denied any human kindness or connection. Even on the rare occasion when encounters someone who cannot see his hideousness, the people around him drive the Creature away. Embittered by this, he demands that his creator make him a partner. When Frankenstein refuses, the Creature responds by slowly destroying everyone he loves."

The Fireman (Joe Hill) "A mysterious fungus has begun to infect the world's population, causing a condition popularly known as "Dragonscale." The illness manifests as a pattern of black and gold markings on an afflicted person's skin, eventually causing them to burst into flame and die. There is no known cure, and the fungal spores easily become airborne from the victims' ashes."

#desolation poll #the desolation #poll #the magnus archives #leitner tournament #frankenstein #mary shelley #the fireman #joe hill