#flytrap city

[scrapsofworlds]

Painted my old docs

These docs have a few holes in them now, so I decided to finally customise them. The low risk made it a lot less daunting. Only problem now is I need to keep these forever now. I went with stars and centipedes because both feature in a zine I’m working on digitising. They’re not exactly neat, but I’m pretty happy with them

[freckleslikestars]

Sometimes I forget that my dad grew up in a time when all the big festivals were, well, much smaller.

[fellator]

I'm not even able to play the game because 1st of all. I do not currently own a computer (specially one efficient enough to run this kind of thing). 2nd of all. I do not have what it takes to move plot forward

[def-not-kaz-brekker]

musicals are so funny to me i cant take any seriously like:

- “little shop of horrors” is about an alien venus flytrap who wants to conquer the world (and succeeds!)

- “be more chill” is about a supercomputer who manages to invade people’s heads and (surprise surprise) wants to take over the world

- “phantom of the opera” is about a music-obsessed ugly-ass french man living in the basement of an opera house and kidnapping the local soprano to seduce her only to find out that you cant win women over with the power of music, homicide, dropping chandeliers, and candelabras

- “dear evan hansen” is about a teenager who lies about being froends with a kid who killed himself to then clear everything up and get the girl

- “les misérables” is about a guy named John McJohn who stole a loaf of bread and went to jail for twenty years and got chased by an officer while a revolution happened in the same city. Also everyone died except for loverboy, pretty girl, and the two lying drunks

- “into the woods” is about some random people who wanted things and fucked up not only their lives but the lives of everyone around them

- “mean girls” is about the new previously homeschooled girl who tries to fit in too hard

- “heathers” is about a homicidal psychopath who is obsessed withal a girl who then gets him killed because she didnt wanna set of a bomb with him at their school for some weird reason

Like feel free to add more i just find them so funny

[copperbadge]

Sam it cracks me up how much you seem to hate the Metra. I ride it 5 days a week for work and I LOVE it. It’s the best commute I’ve ever had. It’s so much freaking more comfortable than the L, it’s very timely outside of the occasional “pedestrian incident”, and monthly passes are cheap as hell if you’re in one of the closer zones like I am.

I realize that it’s probably not as great for random non-commuter riders, but even if you weren’t just using it for traveling on the same line and schedule all the time I still think it’s way less confusing than City buses. Which are TERRIFYING and inscrutable.

Well, I think that's the problem -- Metra is so wholly oriented toward suburban commuters that it forgets that maybe other people want to use it, and it's super hostile to everyone who is not a suburban commuter.

It goes a lot of places I would like to go, but I absolutely refuse to use it unless there's no other option, because of a) no signage and b) no announcements with an optional c) runs ONCE A FUCKIN HOUR. At my last job, if I tried to use the Metra to commute and missed my 4:30 train I was stuck in goddamn Hyde Park for an hour. Sometimes even if you manage to catch the ONCE AN HOUR train, on many platforms only two of the twenty train doors will open, and if you're not in front of one of them, the Metra does not wait for you to reach one, it just says fuck you and pulls away.

It's not that it's "not great" for random non-commuters, it's that it's actively harmful, but it's also really tempting because it Goes Right Where You Want To Go. It's the venus flytrap of trains. The number of people I have told "Do not take the metra. You'll think you can, but it's lying to you. You'll get lost." who I have then had to talk through getting found again when they took the metra and got lost? Eight. The number of people I have told that to and not had to help get found again after they took the metra? Zero. Not a single person I know who has taken the Metra while visiting Chicago has reached their destination without incident.

A city bus comes multiple times an hour and runs on weekends, usually has a clearly posted route number, can be signaled to stop without speaking directly to the bus driver, and all the routes are mapped clearly on Google Maps. The fact you find the bus inscrutable but not the Metra kills me :D

[snippity]

Here's my character lineup of the Bag a Legend NPCs! It's not my favourite writing-wise but it's the one closest to my heart.

Design notes + pics split into layers under the cut:

april:

she's described as short and stocky ingame so i did give her a body type to reflect that more accurately compared to her ingame art. also let me have this one i like butch women

made her a bit older as well. there's text saying she has experience with infernal ammunition (like that used in the war against hell), making her at the very least in her 40s

fun fact she's 4'10" here. i did use a height chart as reference

sinning jenny: not too much to say about her since she has a canon design as well and i didn't really deviate here. in my mind she's tall to contrast april being short though

mother superior:

she has a gold and beryl mask at the end of the ambition which i thought was cool so it's there

holding an ankh because she's originally from the second city - you can see the influence too by how jenny's rosary resembles one. the mask itself was also ever so slightly inspired by egyptian death masks

that's meant to be a pistol in a holster but you can barely see it

scarred naturalist:

wanted to show off his real identity as a snuffer, so i had some of the snuffer tentacles/flesh peek through the skin

gave him a green waistcoat partly to show his connection to the vake

remember the bit where he ripped a guys upper lip off just to wear his mustache. i didn't until a friend reminded me

the vake: looked at fallout deathclaws and venus flytraps for inspiration! i'll be honest i personally think making the masters just straightforward anthro bats is a little boring so i took some more liberties with it. that's a liver it's holding. whose? who knows.

[diggitydoggo]

Beta Daisy and Dandy

I've actually been drawing Daisy for a while so I thought that I should at least dump all the old art somewhere. Time for a trip down memory lane!

First ever drawing

Ah yes. When I promised myself not to make anymore OCs cause I already had a whole bunch of fnaf ones. So much for that.

Her colors used to be a lot less saturated which in my opinion didn't fit in with such a colorful cast. There are some parts of her outfit I kept like the overalls and her shirt. I just changed the sleeves so it actually looks like she's wearing gloves like I intended. Her attitude is pretty much the same.

Doodles!

Fun Fact: Her Halloween costume is just her dad's old clothes.

He was also supposed to be dead.

Still gay as fuck

Next are drawings I made for old tiktoks of Daisy!

(If you wanna find them then my tiktok is linked in my bio)

"Maybe he's blinking when you're blinking."

Second time ever drawing Julie! This is when I started to lean into my more cartoony style for Daisy. She still never trusted Wally.

"You're not my friend!"

Finally leaned away from so much orange. I really liked playing around with Julie's design since she gives off Mable (Gravity Falls) vibes when it comes to fashion. Always wanting to change it up.

"Don't start picking fights with my costumers!"

First time ever drawing Howdy! Really wanted to emphasize how tiny she is compared to him.

"Have you been there the whole time!?"

First Wally drawing! Sneaky little guy. Definitely wanted him to look more off-putting in this one. And new Julie outfit! This one was a little Minnie Mouse inspired getup. I also like the idea of Julie's hair always being really big.

"I know saying someone looks gay is 'wrong' BUT LOOK AT HIM!"

First ever Dandy doodle! This was after I made his beta design and wanted to tease him a little since beforehand I never actually mentioned Daisy even had a brother. Speaking of which.

Dandy!

He used to actually be more two-faced and mean. Heck he wasn't even supposed to be living in the neighborhood originally. His appearance would've been exactly like those episodes in kids shows where a new "perfect" character is introduced but is mean behind closed doors to a certain character and the one character that doesn't like them gets brushed off as "jealous" but then it gets revealed they were bad the whole time to the others, then cue the group hug apology. Basically he would've been a meaner and more manipulative version of Daisy. Someone that really brought out her insecurities. Someone that loved being the "Better Daisy" Which is ironic considering he got replaced with a better version of him. As for his appearance I was trying to go for a more city-like look in contrast to Daisy's rough and tumble country vibe. But after a while to me it didn't feel "kid's show" enough.

Pets

I completely forgot about this drawing so I'm adding it a whole two days later. But yeah they canonically have pets. Daisy has a flytrap she named Gertrude and Dandy has his pet mouse Mortimer.

Last drawings of Beta Daisy

Some things really never change.

Well that's all of my old drawings of these goobers (Yes I only made three drawings of the old Dandy) It was nice looking back on some old memories. It's been a fun eight months having these two idiots live in my head.

[whitherwordswither]

05: Wrapped Up For Your Dreams, Again

Old Town, one of my favorite districts in the whole city. I had a lot of fond memories here. From hanging out at the local pizzeria and brew pub, to wandering aimlessly along the waterfront. The cherry blossoms in spring, late drunken summer nights and questionable choices.

Today, the streets were empty. Abandoned. That should have been somewhat concerning, but the sun was sparkling in the sky and a nice breeze was drifting along. It wasn't my focal point, so it didn't come off as out of place at all. My attention was glued on the two sophonts I was walking with.

These were friends I hadn't seen in I don't know how many years. We were idly chatting about our thoughts on the latest animatronic body horror jazz club ghost inception movie, Hyperbole, while we made our way toward one of the city parks. That was where Rachel's new house was. In a tree. She was very excited to have the owls over for tea and board games. My other friend, also Rachel, said we should all form a book club and read Derrida.

I wasn't sure he had all the words to keep the water wheel turning.

It wasn't long before I found myself losing focus, the Rachels faces becoming blank and featureless as their words turned from coherent to muffled gibberish. The world slowed and my vision tunneled toward an alley up ahead. All manner of vegetation and vines crept around the sides of the buildings, spilling out in to the streets like a thick viscous sewage from an old drain pipe. Pink and purple flowers blossomed between large, leafy fronds. Thorns pierced concrete and asphalt. Time froze. Everything aside from myself and the plant growth turned lifeless and gray, a scene of cement statues. My friends crumbled to dust.

The city followed suit in a cacophony of screaming birds. The vines beckoned patiently despite the collapse and chaos. I raced ahead to greet them as the dream destabilized behind me. They seemed delighted as they reached out, wrapping around my wrists and ankles, my waist, lifting me up and pulling me in to the alleyway. A very large, voluptuous venus flytrap was growing out of a pile of nondescript rubbish. It opened its maw in a yawn as I was brought toward it. I felt no fear response. No panic rose with bile in the back of my throat when the gaping mouth closed around me. The trigger hairs on the inside of the plant's lobe tickled my exposed skin and… I happily let it swallow me whole.

My next moments were spent tumbling down a membranous sinkhole of darkness, walls of silk squeezing around me, pushing. Further. Deeper.

The world turned upside down and inside out. Scenes and places from dreams I had superb recollections of… and also ones that I had forgotten through the years spiraled around me. I felt the distinct impression that I needed to choose one. I reached a hand out and grasped at the first scene that called to me. Ironically enough, it was a dream I had as a child. The setting was the house I had grown up in, my father's residence on the outskirts of the small town where Trimixthis had saved me from myself. The only difference was, in this dream, exactly as it had been before… the interior of the house was covered in wonderful and vivid flora. Small pools surrounded by crystals and minerals were in the spots in the living room where the furniture would have been. The windows still looked out over the deck and the pond below.

Thick fisherman's netting stretched across the arch leading to the kitchen, the island table strewn with all manner of urns, vases and pots of varying color. Succulents of all sorts grew, shivering and breathing in a more animate living state. The scene was so very surreal. I imagine I had chosen it because it reminded me of Trimixthis. It felt right.

And there they were. In the middle of the living room, connected with the dreamflora, smiling that strange and wondrous smile of theirs. I settled before them, looking up in to their all at once reflective yet depthless eyes, a few of their thinner vines caressing my cheeks and tracing the line of my jaw. When they spoke, it reverberated through the entire foundation, rippling outward. It made my skin crawl in a uniquely tantalizing way. "I am always amazed at how certain things remain so elegantly engrained in the human psyche. You haven't had this dream in…"

"Twenty-nine years or so…" I found myself answering, tethering on the entrails of their words.

"Fascinating, truly~" Trimixthis emitted what I took for an approximation of a chuckle as they smiled down at me.

A silence stretched between us, each caught momentarily admiring the other. I did notice a difference in the dreamscape then. It was much more than it had been, where as I only could recall the particulars of the scenery, how things looked and felt. Trimixthis presence seemed to add another level of life and flourish to it. Their song permeated through everything. If I wasn't careful I knew I would lose myself in that music, so I let my perception branch out… almost as if I could feel along their vines as they could. The house hummed its own song of being. Plants rustled in a calm wind that blew in through the open windows. The trickle of the stream that fed the pond and the bluegill grazing the surface of the water. Even the gentle sway of the large pines along the water's edge.

I ended up losing myself in a multitude of different songs until another rhythm broke me from my expanding absorption. A single vine tapped my left shoulder. I didn't notice it at first, but its continued persistence eventually brought me back to the living room and Trimixthis. They were still smiling. That same vine caressed my cheek. "My, my~ How easy you get tangled in the whirling essence of everything~"

I felt a heat rise on my cheeks as I dropped my gaze to the floor, hands idly occupying themselves with a still tendril that rested upon my lap. "Sorry," was all I could think to say.

"Don't be, sweetling. It's quite pleasant to observe. And quite a useful skill to have if you hone it correctly and not allow yourself to disperse in to obscurity." Trimixthis seemed to ponder something for a span of seconds. The notion was filed away as they shifted closer. "Earlier I asked if you had any questions. I believe you were a little too… wrapped up… to answer?"

My face scrunched in thought. Questions? I tried to retrace my morning despite the brainfog. Once I was able to pull apart the sparse memories of clothing myself and climbing up on to the couch where things really started to fuzz out, I found the inquiries I had not voiced at the time. They all jumbled together and came floundering out of my mouth at once. "Are we on… and the terminal… ship… space and… the doors lights?"

After that mess my mouth hung open in utter disbelief of its own transgression. How did words even? My brain hurt itself in its confusion.

The boisterous, beautiful sound that echoed through the dream was Trimixthis laughing. Flowers blossomed along their figure, vibrant and glowing. The sound carried on the wind and once more reverberated through the dreamland. They set a leaf beneath my chin and closed my mouth proper. "Oh, my stars… you darling thing~ Lets try that again. One at a time, shall we?"

Their vines smoothed through my hair and patted my head and I giggled sheepishly. It wasn't entirely my fault I was a pastiche of hazy recollections! But, oh what a joyous thing to feel their laughter. Every hair on my body stood on end. It was like being hugged by static that was giddy with warmth.

I cleared my throat with a nod and tried again to piece my words together in an order that would make sense for the both of us. "On… your terminal. There was a… ship. Departing…?"

"Yes. We are that ship. The terminal was displaying our trajectory leaving Earth. We should be arriving in orbit around Venus soon. I had Maraxus throttle our speed so we had time to get you a little more acclimated to things. I am afraid I have been… slightly careless with your xenodrug regimen. Honestly, I'm somewhat surprised you've maintained a modicum of self in all this. It was not my intention to foster an entirely vacant floret~ I only wished to pluck all the…" Their vines shifted much like I did with my hands when I couldn't conjure up the words I wanted right off the bat. "…unsavory petiole from your stem. Give you a… fresh start, so to speak."

I wondered about all that. Really. It took some effort, but a cursory poke around my addled mind revealed some disquieting blank spaces where I'm fairly sure, at some point prior to all this, existed… something. At the same time though, I wasn't overly concerned. The tiniest speck of a voice not unlike my own screeched pitifully from a far off void, begging for remembrance. I paid it no mind and even gave it the nudge it needed to plummet deeper and disappear. I didn't like the vibe it held. I didn't want to feel whatever it insisted I needed to feel. Instead, I beamed up at Trimixthis and clapped my hands together. "I thought never I'd get to going space!"

My head was patted again. I liked having my head pat. Trimixthis continued to smile. It was a such a lovely smile. "Chloe?"

"Yes?" I tilted my head and gazed up at them.

"Rephrase." They tapped my head once more.

Oh. Right. The words belonged in particular spaces in order to be understood. I licked my lips and thought real hard before allowing the words to leave my mouth again. This time though, I plucked them out of the air and arranged them accordingly. Because this was a dream and I could physically manifest my words if I felt like it! "I… thought… I would… never get to… go to… .." I hung on the last word, looking back over my sentence to make sure it was correct. "Space."

"Very good!" Trimixthis nodded. "I thought a nice trip off planet might be healthy for you. Now, do you want to know why we're traveling to Venus, sweetling?"

I had been curious about our destination. Venus was in no way shape or form hospitable for human life. But the affini were essentially plants, weren't they? Did Venus have something plants liked? A useful resource? I was trying my hardest to remember what compound Venus was in excess of, making strained little mouth noises as I tried to pluck the answer from the empty space between our bodies. Trimixthis pulled me on to their lap, and I cuddled up against them as I shrugged my shoulders, giving up. They seemed excited about it so all was well in my world.

"We've begun construction of an orbital platform for the collection of planetside resources. Primarily concerning the rich carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Along with the sulfuric acids present in the cloud layers, these two compounds are highly beneficial to promoting cultivation. We've developed some lovely technology that allows us to utilize them in regenerative growth." They spoke as they let their vines worm around my dreambody, stroking and petting as they saw fit. "Carbon dioxide is by and large considered a waste product by your species, I believe. What is that cute little Earth saying? One organism's trash is another organism's treasure?"

My head bobbed with affirmation. Ah! Venus was rich in those things, wasn't it? Humanity, to my knowledge, had a passing interest in the second planet for a while. The abandoned HAVOC project from NASA came to mind. Which really hadn't gone past the theoretical stage… and after further discovery, any deep exploration ideas were scrapped for other ventures. I was intrigued by the idea of a station though, my brain immediately wandering off to dredge up fragmented memories of the first anime I'd ever seen in my grade school days that had featured an orbital ring that surrounded the Earth. Tekkaman Blade, I think it was. I wondered if I still had those DVDs somewhere…

"That is not an entirely incorrect vision of what it may come to look like, sweetling~" A light trilling fluttered in Trimixthis' throat.

I just blinked up at them. Wait. Could they read my…?

"Oh, petal~ We're in your mind. Of course I can. Silly thing." Their delightful laughter trickled across the scene, this time causing the vegetation to shift through an array of pleasing colors.

I guess that made sense. I wondered what the station was going to be like.

"Currently, there is a sizable portion that is cozy and habitable. More is being grown as we speak. I'm sure you will find it quite incredible! It is also, however, part of my job. I am an interface engineer. One of my primary duties is to make sure all our systems can connect and speak to one another. So I may become rather busy. But… not to worry." Trimixthis lifted me up above their head like a puppy, smiling up at me. I more or less dangled there and grinned down at them. "I have arranged for you to meet a number of playmates to keep you out of trouble while I'm working. While I am able to do most things remotely, I prefer onsite inspections when it comes to the more delicate bundles of sensory passthrough and~"

A distant chime sounded, something foreign. Trimixthis' attention was instantly pulled away. I could feel it. Like they were suddenly in another place, only faintly tethered to this dreamform. I tried to focus on the sound myself, because it felt so out of the ordinary. This just led to me getting caught up in the web of sensations, the flux and flow of the dreamscape like before and this time there was no tapping vine to bring me back from the ledge. I felt myself disconnect and dissipate in to the whole of everything. It would have been an ultimately strange experience had I been able to maintain cognitive recognition. Alas, the fog began to roll in through… the trees…?

I blinked, looking around. I found myself laying on a bed of soft, sweet smelling grasses in the clearing of a forest. Tiny yellow flowers dotted the small glade. I knew this place. It was usually a buffer space I envisioned on nights where I needed to coax myself to sleep. The trees stood like guardian silhouettes, the fog a comforting shroud.

Trimixthis was gone. I felt a bit of sadness that began to well in to an awful sense of desertion. Their song still echoed in some awkward proximity, but it wasn't quite enough. It was like the entire foundation of being had been suddenly ripped out from under me. I curled in to a ball and shut my eyes, rocking back and forth on my side as I began to hum the song. To keep it near. To not forget. I didn't want it to go. Why had they left me alone here?

The forest was beginning to not feel like the safety net it was supposed to be. I couldn't concentrate, the song fading by degrees. The abrupt snap of a twig had me bolting up and scanning the immediate area. Fear began to blossom within the tiny beads of sweat on my brow. I could wake up now, right? Please?

"Trimixthis…?" I whimpered under my breath.

Another twig snapped to my left and I whirled about in attempts to keep whatever it was in front of me. A huffed breath and a faint clicking noise echoed off the bodies of the trees. I couldn't tell where it was coming from. The temperature dropped like my mood, my breath expelled in wispy ghosts that drifted up toward the fractures of night sky barely glimpsed through the canopy before the fog grew more dense and only a few feet of grass remained visible.

I didn't like this at all.

A soft, almost chittering-like noise came from my right. I turned again, scrambling backward as a shape took form in the fog and crept closer. The chill I was feeling was pushed back by an intense warmth extruding from whatever it was. In its own way, it was calming and my rising panic was lulled to a more manageable state. I sat up on my knees, trying to wipe the fog away by waving my hands through the air. A futile effort. I just… I wanted to be able to see…

That thought alone spawned a decrease in the atmospheric obfuscation. Oh, big words. My brain was working.

Crouched no less than two feet before me was a creature I'd never seen before. Certainly nothing I'd ever dreamed up before, either. I tilted my head to one side and it mimicked the movement. The elongated muzzle curved with a toothy grin as we locked eyes. It had a very canine-esque appearance that was somewhere between a quadruped, giving the look of its hindlegs, and a full on anthropomorphic embodiment, noting the more humanoid forelegs. It brandished six limbs altogether. A slightly smaller set of arms accompanied their main pawsy-grabbers. It also had a rather short tail that barely touched the grass that was currently twitching back and forth. That was a good sign, right? Not that I should be applying terran-dog logic to this dream-canid. I took a breath and managed to find my voice. "Hello…?"

"Hello?" It repeated. The voice was strangely pleasant. Just this side of sultry. Playful even, with overtones of mischief. Or maybe I was projecting because of the uncanny way the entity was smiling at me. It had a double set of triangular ears and two antenna upon its head.

"Who… are you…?" I asked, and unsurprisingly, it echoed the inquiry right back at me.

When it moved forward I found myself frozen in place, either severely unwilling to take my eyes off of the creature, or entranced in its gaze. I couldn't determine which. It circled once around me, leaning in close to sniff as if we weren't in a dream and scent was real. Could you smell things in a dream? I wasn't sure if I ever had olfactory senses in any slumber-space.

The dream-dog-thing settled back in front of me, raising its forepaws and placing them under my chin, tilting my head up as it looked me over. It tilted its own head from side to side as if inspecting a specimen. It's front bappers were more like hands than paws, I noted. It's smile widened, and my eyes did the same. "M-m-my… wh-what um… sh-sharp teeth you have…"

I had always wanted to use that line in some version of reality. This was probably a good enough place as any for it to be utilized. Mostly because I had no idea what to say and had more or less just blurted it out as I remained motionless in the creature's hold. The smile faltered on its twitching lips before it leaned back and barked a laugh. Before I knew what was happening it had plopped on its haunches and wrapped all four arms around me in a tight hug as it cackled, one of the paws petting my head. A series of trill-growls, strained crackling squeaks and chuffing noises were made. It sounded like an organic dial-up modem. But then the caniform spoke.

"Eeehee~ Mixi said y'was aaaaah-durable~ Rrrright as usually, they is!"

My brain completely glossed over the usage of a nickname for Trimixthis as I wriggled in the canid's grip, managing to gain enough leverage to lean backwards in its arms. I rather wanted to look at it while I spoke than mumbling in to its… distractingly super soft chest-fluff. Which my hands were totally, definitely not playing in. So warm. So soft. So inviting! Oh, right. I needed to focus. "Heh… I don't know about… um… any of that, but. I'm…"

"Chloe, yessss? We are Viremia! Pleasurable greetings!" Any fear that had cropped up in the last few minutes was all but washed away at this point. The manner in which the entity spoke and enunciated was oddly uplifting. I quickly found its demeanor to be infectious, in a good way. Even stranger was my inability to keep my hands to myself, as if I needed to explore every soft nook and cranny of this awkward alien-canine-valley of fur. And the smell! It weaved between peony and roses and fresh earth and something else that was indescribably enjoyable to breathe in. I guess that answered my question of dream-scent.

I buried my face in Viremia's neck as we tangled together and flopped over on to the grass. Trimixthis had said there would be playmates. Was this one of them?

Viremia made a content murring noise, stretching out and allowing me to more or less entertain myself in the daze of sensations their body offered. "We's been assigned t'keeps ya company while Mixi dealsss with ssssomethin' came-up-bruptly like. If y'wants t'bein'in th' waking-place, jus' say words. Rrrf~"

A reply of mumbled nonsensical acknowledgement sputtered from my mouth, my brain simply registering that I had been given a wonderfully soft waggy-tail organism to snuggle with while Trimixthis was doing Trimixthis things.

I could absolutely live with this.

[quodekash]

more eclipse incorrect quotes because im broken

—- —- Wat: I told Akk that his ears turn red when he lies. Sani: Do they? Wat: No. Sani: Then why did you tell him that? Wat: Because I can do this. Wat: Hey Akk! Do you love us? Akk, with his hands over his ears: No. 

—- —-

Wat: *pretending to joke* So when are you going to go out with me? Namo: I don't know. When are you going to ask me to? Kan: And you just ran away?! Wat: I didn't expect him to flirt back! 

—- —-

Namo: Like, no offense to myself and all, but what the fuck am I actually doing? (but this one is actually all of them) —- —-

Wat: Are you the big spoon or the little spoon? Akk: I'm a knife. Aye, from across the room: He's the little spoon.

(just kidding, they alternate. they both wanna hug and be hugged and i love them) —- —-

Waree: Is there something you would like to say, Sani? Sani: Oh, there are SEVERAL things I would like to say.

(sani during that one scene was ICONIC i love her so much)  —- —-

*out grocery shopping* Wat: *takes a free sample twice* Wat: Robbery and Fraud. I am a Rebel.

—- —-

Kan: *tapping fingers on table* Wat: *taps fingers back furiously* Aye: …What’s going on? Akk: Morse code. They’re talking. Kan: -.-- --- ..- / .-.. .. -.- . / - .... . / ... . -.-. ..- .-. .. - -.-- / --. ..- .- .-. -.. Wat: *slams hands on table* YOU TAKE THAT BACK! 

(morse code translation: you like the security guard)  —- —-

Aye: How do you want your coffee? Akk: Black, like my soul. Aye: Aye: Akk, your soul is a latte. 

—- —-

Namo: My life is a little too much panic and not enough disco. Aye: My life is a little too much fall and not enough boy. Kan: My life is a little too much chemical and not enough romance. Wat: My life is a little too much imagination and not nearly enough dragons. 

—- —-

Akk: My life isn't as glamourous as my wanted poster makes it look. 

—- —-

Akk: All snacks are gone. Aye: I AM LITERALLY RIGHT HERE?! 

—- —-

Wat: May luck (and this picture of Akk eating shredded cheese at 3 in the morning) be with you. 

—- —-

Wat: Strawberry milk doesn’t taste like strawberry OR milk. Namo: Go the fuck to sleep Wat. 

(it was a crime of them to give us NOTHING of watnamo sleeping in the same cabin in os2, and i wholeheartedly believe this happened)  —- —-

Thua: And I’d love to be sorry for that, but we all know I’ve done much, much worse. 

—- —-

Akk: You're a lying piece of shit! Aye: Oh yeah? You're the idiot that thinks you can get away with everything you do, WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD! Akk: I'm leaving and I'm taking Singto with me! Sani, gathering cards: Aaaaand that's enough Monopoly for today. 

—- —-

Aye: Every time I hear someone talking about updog, I’m torn between not wanting to fall for it and wanting to help them complete their joke. Namo: Okay, but what is updog? Kan: Updog is a long sausage in a bun, often served with ketchup, mustard, onions, and/or relish. Wat: No, that’s a hot dog. An updog is when a new version or patch of an application is released. Thua: No, that's an update. You’re thinking of the fourth largest city in Sweden. Akk: Surely, that’s Uppsala, whereas updog is the giant spider in Harry Potter. Aye: That’s Aragog. Updog is a symbol conventionally used for an arbitrarily small number in analysis proofs. Wat: You’re thinking of epsilon. Updog is an upward-moving air current. Kan: No, that’s an updraft. An updog is the modern version of a henway. Namo: What’s a henway?? Aye: Oh, about five pounds.

 (i just think they would all mess with namo like this)  —- —-

Kidnapper: We have your child Aye: I don’t have a child? Kidnapper: Then who just asked for warm milk and made us cut the crusts off their sandwich? Aye: Oh god, you have Namo 

—- —-

Aye: Hey, Akk. What kind of flowers do you prefer? Akk: I like sunflowers. Akk, pulling out a bouquet of Venus Flytraps: Well, shit- 

(AKK SUNFLOWER BOI HE IS A LITTLE FLOWER I LOVE HIM)  —- —-

Thua: Mice are having sex in my walls. Wat: Tattletale! Namo: You're just being ungrateful. Kan: It's their home too, you know. Aye: So what? Don't slutshame them. Thua: The mice are fucking AND now I'm getting heckled. 

(bro this is what you get for outing people)  —- —-

Sani: If you put a milkshake in one yard and crack open a cold one in another yard, which yard would the boys go to? Thua: Schrödinger's boys. Namo: FUCK! Kan: What about cracking open a cold milkshake? Aye: As we all know, the milkshake brings the boys to the yard. The presence of the boys is a prerequisite for the cracking open of a cold one, but cold ones do not have any inherent boy-attracting abilities. Milkshakes, however, do.   Aye: All else being equal, the boys would proceed to the milkshake yard. While it is possible to announce the presence of cold ones in the hope of attracting some boys, the pull of the milkshake is much more powerful by comparison. Sani: … Thua: … Namo: … Kan: … Aye: Mind you, all of this nonsense hinges on whether or not the boys are back in town. 

(sani young millennial / old gen z teacher we love her, aye gremlin meme child we love him)  —- —-

*The squad's reaction to being told they're the chosen one* Namo: I will not let you down. Kan: Sounds fun. Aye: K. Wat: No, I'm fucking not. Aye again: Do I have to be? Akk: Please god, I am so tired. 

(thua didn’t really feel like he fit any of those options which is why hes not there)  —- —-

Aye: Chadok’s gonna kill me. Akk: No, he’ll probably make me do it. 

—- —-

Akk, hungover: Please tell me I'm imagining that I claimed I was king of the ducks. Kan: I would, but then I would be lying to the King of All Ducks. 

—- —-

Akk: The only straight I am is a straight-up badass. Aye: Correction: the only straight you are is straight-up babygirl. 

—- —-

*Akk and Aye looking at a locked gate into a park* Akk: Aw. :( Aye: You know what they say. Akk: Please don’t- Aye: BE GAY DO CRIME! *hops gate* Akk: Frick- 

—- —-

thats all for now! 

ill be back, i promise. 

[scrapsofworlds]

Flytrap City — some pages from a zine I made!

This was originally made as a gift for a friend, but I’m also going to be designing a digital version to put up on my website. It was so fun to do and I definitely plan on making a lot more mini-projects like this! This story is also part of a larger world on the backburner — it’s not my main focus at the moment, but definitely something I plan on sharing more of in the future.

The zine follows an unnamed protagonist making her way through a surreally dangerous city, with gangs in china masks, living statues and men made of writhing centipedes. It’s not exactly a story, more an exploration of the world she lives in.

website for the curious: scrapsofworlds.univer.se

[pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop]

Mawile

Mawile (#303)

Muscipulaferrus muscipulaferrus

General Information: Mawile the Deceiver Pokémon, this Pokémon looks benign and pleasing at first, but don’t let this fool you—it’ll use its massive jaws on the back of its head to eat unsuspecting prey! This second set of jaws are actually highly-derived horns that bio-evolved over time to become a second mouth. Only an evolutionary biologist could explain to you how this happened, and that’s not me. These horn-jaws will mercilessly tear apart its prey, and once it does that they’ll secrete powerful digestive juices (like a Venus flytrap) and slowly absorb its food until it is completely digested.

Mawile is capable of mega evolution!

Regular Mawiles average at about 2’00 feet (0.6 M) tall and weigh about 25.4 pounds (11.5 kg). Mega Mawiles are 3’3 feet (1 M) tall and weigh 51.8 pounds (23.5 kg).

Habitat: Mawile prefer to live in caves and mountainous regions, but can sometimes be found living near factories, powerplants, and metal recycling plants.

Life Cycles: Mawile live relatively long lives, with the oldest known ones in captivity being around 50 years old. They are born as singlets or twins to a pair of parents that rear them for the next 2-3 years of their lives. At this point, they move away from their parents to find their own territory. Around 5 years old, the Mawile becomes reproductively mature, and they may incline themselves to seek out a mate. A Mawile may be inclined to have a child every 3 or 4 years. Not much eats Mawiles, and most of their predators (Dusknoirs, Aggrons, Tyranitars, etc.) tend to only hunt them when they’re little or elderly. A fully grown, healthy, young, Mawile is a force to be reckoned with in this part of the food chain.

Behavior: They are not particularly social creatures, but can reasonably tolerate being in small colonies when food is plentiful. Otherwise, individuals are capable of being pleasant enough around those they don’t perceive as either food or threats, but beware: Mega Mawiles are aggressive and vicious and hungry.

Diet: Mawiles are apex predators in the rock/steel/ground-type food web. They successfully capture and eat Arons, Larvitars, Magnemites, Beldums, Klinks, Meltans, juvenile Orthworms, Bronzors, Klefkis, Varooms, Drilburs, Ferroseeds, Togedemarus, Tinkatinks, Bonslys, Roggenrolas, Rockruffs, Rolycolys, Naclis, Geodudes, Glimmets, and Carbinks, amongst others. An acute reader will notice that these are small Pokémon, and that is because Mawiles can only eat what they can fit in their mouths, and Mawiles are relatively small compared to many rock/steel/ground-types that are available. Because of this, they rarely compete with other apex predators of the rock/steel/ground-type food web, like Tinkatons or Onixes and Steelixes, who overwhelmingly prefer to eat larger prey, or rockier ones in the case of Onix. Mawile prefer to eat steel-types, but will eat rock and ground-types if hungry enough. They cannot digest Pokémon who are not rock/steel/ground or at least made of these materials.

Trainers, if you want to feed your Mawile, there is perfectly acceptable store-bought food for them available from PokeBright Foods.

Conservation: Least Concern

Relationship with Humans: Mawiles are strange Pokémon, but are no real threat to humans nor most of their partner Pokémon. Civilizations have long recognized their vital ecological function of eating the babies of dangerous Aggrons and Tyranitars, who are infamous city destroyers when their ire is met.

In the modern age, Mawiles are brought in to recycling yards to feed on the wild Arons that make their home in them. These Arons cause quite the nuisance because that metal was meant to be repurposed, reused, recycled, etc., and harvesting raw metal after it’s been eaten is quite the chore. Mawiles are happy to clean up these nuisances, and as such are somewhat uncommon sights in urban environments.

Classification: Muscipulaferrus muscipulaferrus is the species name for Mawile, which means “metal mousetrap” or “metal flytrap.” The name refers to its trap-jaws and its propensity for eating steel-types.

~~~~~~~~

Hey guess what, if you like my stuff, this is my website where you can find other Pokémon I've written on and more information about the game that I’m slowly making! Check it out! I write books sometimes too.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

#20yrsago Massive victory at WIPO! https://web.archive.org/web/20041011200804/http://lists.essential.org/pipermail/ip-health/2004-October/006997.html

#20yrsago Ballmer: iPod users are thieves https://web.archive.org/web/20050113051129/http://management.silicon.com/itpro/0,39024675,39124642,00.htm

#20yrsago Chinese Communist Youth host Disney promo tour http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3683894.stm

#20yrsago Canada IP “protection” protects nothing https://web.archive.org/web/20041012032024/https://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue9_10/murray/index.html

#20yrsago BBC News proxy makes the service more Web-like https://web.archive.org/web/20041009182027/http://www.whitelabel.org/archives/002248.html

#15yrsago US gov’t drops price of journals from $17k to $0, adds XML to Federal Register! https://public.resource.org/gpo.gov/

#10yrsago Sourcecode for “unpatchable” USB exploit now on Github https://www.wired.com/2014/10/code-published-for-unfixable-usb-attack/

#10yrsago Walmart heirs’ net worth exceeds that of population of a city the size of Phoenix https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/10/walmart-walton-heirs-net-worth-cities/

#10yrsago HK police arrest “triad gangsters” who attacked Umbrella Revolution camps https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-29488002

#10yrsago NSA conducts massive surveillance without ANY Congressional oversight https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/new-documents-shed-light-one-nsas-most-powerful-tools

#5yrsago Brian K Vaughan and Cliff Chiang bring Paper Girls in for a perfect landing https://memex.craphound.com/2019/10/04/brian-k-vaughan-and-cliff-chiang-bring-paper-girls-in-for-a-perfect-landing/

#5yrsago North Carolina’s new botanical “First in Fly-Eat” license plates https://ncbg.unc.edu/support/venus-flytrap-license-plate/

#5yrsago Even if you pay off your student loan, be prepared to spend decades trying to get bottom-feeding debt-buyers to acknowledge it https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/10/01/a-minneapolis-womans-bizarre-and-surreal-decadeslong-loan-dispute

#5yrsago Google will now allow you to set your data history to self-destruct https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/02/technology/personaltech/google-data-self-destruct-privacy.html

#5yrsago Nobody knows how to quit vaping https://www.wired.com/story/so-you-want-to-quit-vaping-no-one-actually-knows-how/

#5yrsago The Hippocratic License: A new software license that prohibits uses that contravene the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights https://memex.craphound.com/2019/10/04/the-hippocratic-license-a-new-software-license-that-prohibits-uses-that-contravene-the-un-universal-declaration-of-human-rights/

#5yrsago Next-level parenting: crocheting a freehand, glow-in-the-dark Alien Xenomorph kids’ costume https://twitter.com/crochetverse/status/1179852380243972096

#5yrsago Consumer Reports documents the deceptive cable industry practices used to hike real prices 24% over advertised ones https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CR_WhatTheFeeReport_6F_sm-1.pdf

#5yrsago “Martian Chronicles”: Escape Pod releases a reading of my YA story about rich sociopaths colonizing Mars https://escapepod.org/2019/10/03/escape-pod-700-martian-chronicles-part-1/

#5yrsago Europe’s highest court Facebook verdict hits a new low for technomagical thinking https://memex.craphound.com/2019/10/04/europes-highest-court-facebook-verdict-hits-a-new-low-for-technomagical-thinking/

#1yrago For 40 years, Big Meat has openly colluded to rig prices https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/04/dont-let-your-meat-loaf/#meaty-beaty-big-and-bouncy

Tor Books as just published two new, free LITTLE BROTHER stories: VIGILANT, about creepy surveillance in distance education; and SPILL, about oil pipelines and indigenous landback.

[teddybearsims]

oc(s) as obscure associations - august milan

thank you for the tag @raiiny-bay 💖

ANIMAL: jaguar  COLORS: pink, purple, and cyan (full rainbow tbh) MONTH: october SONGS [leave me alone - kaytranada] [father figure - george michael] [drugs - upsahl] NUMBER: 1 PLANTS: venus flytrap SMELLS: overly expensive cologne, menthol cigarettes and weed GEMSTONE: opal TIME OF DAY: 10pm (aka when his goblin streaming hours begin) SEASON: fall PLACES: rooftop overlooking the city, the smoking area outside of a club, early morning diner FOOD: a big beefy burger with a side of boxed mac n’ cheese or poutine DRINKS: coconut water, cold brews ELEMENT: earth ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS: scorpio w/ leo sun + gemini moon SEASONINGS: chilli oil  SKY: cloudy WEATHER: stormy night MAGICAL POWER: necromancy WEAPONS: gold plated .50 caliber pistol SOCIAL MEDIA: twitch, twitter, & tiktok MAKEUP PRODUCT: soleil lip blush from tom ford CANDY: jolly ranchers or rainbow strips METHOD OF LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL: private jet ART STYLE: urban  FEAR: abandonment  MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE: caught between a phoenix and a pegasus PIECE OF STATIONARY: glittery pen THREE EMOJIS: 🐻 💥 🧁 CELESTIAL BODY: sun I tag: @piconoodlez @zinxsims @madfeary @simulation-machine @meoanii @intramoon @theosconfessions 💖

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Lily of the Valley

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: Jason Todd dies and comes back to life. As the League takes him in, he navigates his morality and family values over the years.

Chapters: 23/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Talia al Ghul, Ra’s al Ghul, Damian Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Sheila Haywood

Relationships: Jason Todd/Original Character(s)

Additional Tags: Immortal Jason Todd, League of Assassins Jason Todd, Protective Talia al Ghul, Good Parent Talia al Ghul, Jason Todd Needs a Hug, Good Sibling Jason Todd, Hurt/Comfort, Adopted Children, Resurrected Jason Todd

Chapter Twenty-Three: Venus Flytrap

After two weeks of studying Sheila’s movements, he broke into Sheila’s apartment and looked through her fridge. He blew out air, exasperated at his mother’s lack of ingredients. Jason headed to the market. The hustle and bustle reminded him of Gotham’s streets. It was loud and busy, assaulting Jason’s senses, but the cool weather was a delightful change from the warmer weather back home. 

No heat ever felt like Gotham’s. The heatwaves there used to cook Jason, leaving him dripping wet in the apartment. Jason never got used to the sweltering heat, leaving him sick and baking in an apartment that had no form of air conditioner or electricity. The electricity always went out first on Park Row. Infinity Island was a break from the enduring heat of Gotham summers, but Ethiopia had the coolest air. He wore a jacket, walking through the streets in a trance-like state. The world seemed to pulse around him, The city lived, but Jason felt disconnected. How could he understand life when he was death itself?  

Cooking was the more interesting part of Jason’s extensive training. He remembered the cuts on his fingers and the constant drilling of cultural dining standards. Ethiopia was one of Jason’s favorites. The gursha was a gesture of friendship done during meals where someone would gently place a bit of food in the other person’s mouth. It took him back to Talia’s earliest tender gestures. He wanted to offer the same kindness to Sheila. He worked quickly in Sheila’s kitchen, preparing a meal that would be reflective of her favorite dishes in the city. 

Sheila entered the house around two in the morning, barely having time to see who sat in her chair before she reached into her waistband and fired a shot. It hit Jason in the shoulder, and Jason immediately put pressure on it. “Jesus Christ… You—. Who are you? What are you doing here?” Sheila asked as she rushed over with her duffel. “Shit. You’re lucky I didn’t—.”

“I heal fast. Don’t worry about me. I can handle it. I made dinner. Let me explain why I’m here while I clean up,” Jason whispered. He’d been shot more times than he could count. It hurt like hell, but he didn’t show it outwardly. Sheila’s hands shook as she went to the next room. She made a plate and brought it to the living room. 

“What the hell do you want? Who are—?”

“This isn’t how I expected this to go. I let you shoot me because I thought you’d be more comfortable if you believed I was incapacitated. We met before… You probably don’t recognize me. It’s been sixteen years—.” 

“ Jason? God, Jason? Where’s your—? I shot you. Does your father know you’re here? Is he going to come out of my bathroom?” Sheila questioned. Jason shook his head. 

“For legal reasons… I’m dead. My—. My other mom is dead. Dad is dead… I left Gotham when I was twelve,” Jason explained. He didn’t dare mention what he’d done since then. “And it’s okay. I’ve been shot before. This isn’t that bad. I heal pretty fast, so if I pass out, don’t panic. Let me sleep for a minute. I’ll wake up.” He warned her because he knew he’d bleed out the second he extracted the bullet. And he did.  

When he woke up, Sheila had him half-buried, but the dirt was still loose. He clawed his way out of the hole, reeling at the thought of being buried alive. When he reached her, he had to remind himself that Sheila was his mother. If it were anyone else, he would’ve killed them. It shook him to his core. “I told you to let me sleep,” Jason snapped as he gasped for air. It was the one thing he truly feared. Flashes of his hands clawing at the inside of a cheap wooden coffin. Tearing his palms on nails and splintered wood. Fingernails torn from their beds. Wrists and knuckles broken from punching the inner walls… In darkness. Talia’s promise.  

Jason and Sheila were off to a rocky start. He staggered forward. “But you were—.”

“I wasn’t… It’s hard to find my pulse. We should go… I’m starving,” Jason interrupted. He didn’t want to talk about it, not  after that.

Sheila escorted him to her home, sharing the dinner he’d prepared. “Jason, are you alright?” Sheila asked.

“No, I’m not alright. I don’t take kindly to being buried. People have made that mistake before. I don’t—.” Jason trailed off as he tore through his meal. “Sorry, I heal fast, but I burn through calories like crazy for the first twenty-four hours... Who are you afraid of?” Jason questioned. 

Sheila swallowed hard. “I’m not—.”

“You shot me as soon as you saw me. That means you’re not used to surprise visitors. You don’t have a boyfriend… Or any close friends to speak of… But you call someone four times a day… Every day. I’ve never seen your gun, which leads me to believe you always have it hidden on your person. You hide it well, by the way… And you’re stealing something. In small amounts, but I never see you with it. It wasn’t in your bag. Mother… I—. What’s going on? Maybe I can help,” Jason offered before cracking open a soda and downing it in less than thirty seconds. Sheila shook her head. 

“You can’t be here. You should go back to wherever you were… Don’t you have school? It’s August, Jason. And—. Jason? What do you mean you heal fast?” Sheila questioned. Jason held a finger up to keep her quiet.

He slipped his uninjured arm out of his sleeve, pushing it over his head to reveal a scar where a hole should’ve been. Sheila got close, touching the scar as Jason froze. “Don’t—.” 

“What the hell happened to you—?”

“You didn’t answer my question. Who are you running from?” Jason asked. 

“It’s none of your concern—.”

“Gun,” Jason commanded as he opened his hand. She gave it to him. “You shot me. I have a right to know who you would’ve killed.” 

“Killed?” Sheila asked. Jason nodded. “I’m mixed in with some bad people. You can’t stay here… I have a meeting every few months with a buyer, who—.” 

“What’s their name?” Jason interrupted. “I’m frustrated because there’s no way to prove that I can help you. Just step back and let me do it… And I need to know I can trust you. You can’t tell anyone I’m here, and you have to be completely honest with me.” 

“Do you know who the Joker is?” Sheila asked. Jason nodded. 

“Chemical weapons?” Jason asked. Sheila nodded as she checked her phone, typing something. Jason sighed. “Your apartment isn’t bugged. If it was, I would’ve noticed. Tell me everything. Don’t leave anything out.” He sat and listened as she explained how they used a warehouse as a drop spot and how she got mixed in with him trying to sell medical supplies on the side. 

Jason tried not to judge her, but it was so hard to see past how callous she seemed in comparison to Talia and Catherine. Still, he loved her and wanted to keep her safe. “Mom, once I help you you’ve gotta go straight,” Jason whispered as he finished eating. “You should eat and get some rest… I’ll let myself out.”

“Wait,” Sheila requested. She grabbed his arm. Jason frowned. 

“When did you text them?” Jason whispered. Sheila swallowed hard. “Just now… Is that right?”

[litrpgburrito]

The rain hammered against the grime-coated window of my Flytrap apartment. Neon signs cast a sickly glow on the perpetual twilight of Seattle sprawl. I booted up, the familiar hum of my cyberdeck a welcome thrum in the symphony of city noise. Today's prey: the data vault of Nakamura Enterprises. Nakamura, the self-proclaimed king of the Seattle Net, had this coming. He'd been hoarding creds and fattening his rep while scrubs like me slaved in the shadows. Time to redistribute the wealth.

My fingers danced on the worn keyboard, a symphony of code cracking Nakamura's defenses. The flickering light of the deck cast an eerie glow on my face, highlighting the chrome glint of my cybernetic eye. It was a souvenir from a past life, a reminder of the system that had cast me aside. But in the neon jungle of the Net, I was a predator.

Nakamura's security was a rusty dog, easily bypassed. I slipped into his vault, a digital El Dorado overflowing with creds and data chips. A triumphant smirk played on my lips. But a flicker on the edge of my vision snagged my attention. A security program, a relic from the early days of the Net, slumbered in the corner. Primitive, but effective.

A cold thrill snaked down my spine. This wasn't just about creds anymore. Nakamura was hiding something. Something big. The program stirred, its code a digital serpent awakening. No time for second thoughts. I grabbed a data chip, fat with Nakamura's secrets, and dove back into the storm, the echo of the serpent's digital hiss chasing after me. The game had just gotten interesting.

The rain hammered against the grime-coated window of my Flytrap apartment. Neon signs cast a sickly glow on the perpetual twilight of Seattle sprawl. I booted up, the familiar hum of my cyberdeck a welcome thrum in the symphony of city noise. Today's prey: the data vault of Nakamura Enterprises. Nakamura, the self-proclaimed king of the Seattle Net, had this coming. He'd been hoarding creds and fattening his rep while scrubs like me slaved in the shadows. Time to redistribute the wealth.

The real world bled into the digital one as the ancient security program unleashed its wrath. Static danced across my vision, threatening to rip me from the Net. My fingers hammered the deck, a desperate counter-attack against the onslaught. The chrome of my cybernetic eye burned with a white-hot intensity, feeding data streams into my overloaded system.

The rain outside seemed to pick up its tempo, mirroring the frantic rhythm of my escape. A part of me, the cautious part I'd long ago buried, urged retreat. But the echo of that digital serpent's hiss fueled a cold fury. Nakamura had something I needed, something that could change the game.

With a final burst of effort, I tore free of the collapsing data vault. The familiar, cluttered confines of my Flytrap apartment swam into view. I collapsed onto the threadbare mattress, gasping for breath, sweat dripping down my temples. My vision cleared, revealing the stolen data chip nestled in my grimy palm. A single word pulsed on its surface: Project: Chimera.

Nakamura wasn't just hoarding creds. He was playing with something far more dangerous. Project Chimera. The name sent a shiver down my spine, a half-remembered ghost from the shadows of the Net's past. Whatever it was, it was something powerful enough to warrant an ancient security program as a guard dog.

Curiosity, a predator's version of a conscience, gnawed at me. But for now, caution won. I needed to decipher the chip's secrets before Nakamura realized his vault had been breached. Tonight, I wasn't just a villain in the neon-drenched game of the Seattle Net. I was the only one standing between a dangerous secret and a city on the brink.