Nymphlopedia

Entry 40: Bacteria Nymphs

Alright. It just looked like a forest. A forest with tall, tall, definitely grass.

It's just that in place of proper 'plants' were giant cell-looking... things.

Vince read about that in books and studied it back in school. But even compared to the other (non-evil) biomes he went through, the Bacteria Forest just sort of creeped him out.

That time, Tania interviewed the dark blue-green Nymph standing out in a relative clearing. Sonata was coughing.

"...And so why did you join the Naked Empire?" Tania asked.

The Bacteria Nymph shrugged. Her hair, too, was shaped a bit like a gigantic neuron. Even though brain cells aren't bacteria, whatever, Vince stopped questioning logic a long time ago and Tania and Sonata were never the type to do so in the first place. "Because it's a nice way to meet new people, I mean, I think everybody else who joined was sick and tired of bloodthirsty Nymph life."

Sonata coughed up another storm. "Yep! Here! Guilty of that as CHARGED!"

The Bacteria Nymph leaned down and started ruffling her hands through the... weird cell-ish 'grass.' She picked something up from deep below. A suitcase. A large one. "I can't really say I'm thrilled about teaming up with the Dryad. That's gonna piss off a lot of people I know."

"Yes, I-" Tania began.

Sonata hacked up a storm, and both of her teammates went over to her.

"Are you okay?!" Vince asked. "You could use a visit from Madeline."

"The sixth time today?! No thank you, she needs to know that I'm an independant Nymph! I don't wanna look like a wuss!"

"I mean-"

"Hey that's why it took you two days to visit her after you got your arm chopped off in the Crimson."

"Can you please not talk about the Crimson?" Asked the Bacteria Nymph. "It's a sensitive subject around here, the other Cell Nymphs might get mad if they think you're comparing our place to that."

"Sure, I know the feeling." Tania said.

Sonata leaned over, looking like she was about to puke.

"...Definitely take me to another doctor, though. Any other doctor."

"Xirigua?" Tania asked. "He's a Wi-"

"Yes! Perfect!"

Bacteria Nymphs.

Terrarian bacteria can REALLY come in all shapes and sizes! Their patron Nymphs would be happy to remind any enemies of theirs that it is possible to be "infected" even with bacteria the size of your entire body.

Preferred Environment: Bacteria Patch.

Environment Threat Level: Dangerous.

Environment Stats: Wet. Cold. Fantastic. Rare. Patches usually underground that have what resembles "macro-sized bacteria," which is its own sort of lifeform.

Other Names: Germ Nymphs, Plankton Nymphs, Cell Nymphs, Microbe Nymphs.

Affinity: Water.

Color: Dark Aqua.

Traditional Costume Weapon: They mostly coat themselves in various clear/colorless fluids tied to their microbes, but their "main" "costume" is a long, thing, white, string "cell"-like object often loosely coiled around one leg. They can examine and make slight tweaks to the cells in a body, most easily white blood cells.

Vince's Comment: PLEASE VACCINATE YOURSELF BEFORE EVEN STEPPING IN TO THEIR BIOME. Even if you're close friends with them and know you're going to a place with Microbe Nymphs that are friendly with you! That is all!

Sonata's Comment: I know these aren't "eye" eyes, but it feels like their "plants" are watching me with all those circle things. Kinda creepy. I mean, I love being "watched" as in looked at, because I'm great and sexy and have this amazing body that I want everyone (EVERYONE. Except children in a sexual manner. A nonsexual manner is fine though) to see, but enough is enough! And it's a shame, I think I have more Bacteria Nymph friends than I do with any other Variant! Yeah, that's including Oread, it's quite a feat since it's my type and there's more of them so just like statisically or whatever I know more of them.

Tania's Comment: Bacteria Nymphs.
Nymphae Cellula.
This is another biome that may be confused with a force of evil, the Plague in this case. The best way to tell them apart is to know that the Plague has a virus theme and a sickly lime atmosphere, an ominous haze blocking your view. The Bacteria Patches, on the other hand... well, it looks more like something you would see out of a science display. Bacteria Nymphs can actually be seen as an "immune system" of sorts of the planet herself, when my type is standing on its last legs, which it currently is even with the Curse now lifted.

Closing AN:

Fun fact I originally went with "Microbe Nymphs" for their "main" name, and the Microbe Nymph in question was even going to use that instead of "Cell Nymphs," but I thought that if I saw that later I might have thought it was a mistake and panic a little.

I didn't want three Water-affinities in a row but then I thought... meh, fuck it. I mean, the "Dark Set" is loosely the "Water Set..." kind of... basically, the affinity of the twenty-fifth in the set.

By the way if you thought Vince's comment was some kind of heavy-handed vaccination commentary or were thinking "Why is this political" you should probably just save yourself frustration and anger and stop reading what I'm writing entirely because I wouldn't even say that this is a commentary on anything. Diseases and vaccines and stuff are, well, timeless, and this is just... well yeah, it's about bacteria and cells and stuff. This ain't "the COVID Nymphs in the COVID biome." It's a video game trope to have big bacteria and whatnot. I want this story to be timeless and I honestly fucking hate COVID jokes because there's only like five possible jokes unless you really dig deep and the Internet... doesn't dig deep in general, so they've exhausted them. So this chapter ain't a COVID joke.

Also I think this is the first time this story's ever mentioned the Crimson.